Wrong. Just Friggin' Wrong.

Congress set to bail out Wall Street on the backs of Main Street.

Fellow Flacks, Hacks, and Dumpster Diving Professionals ...

UPDATE! Well, friends, a few intrepid souls who actually Love America, Democracy, and the Free Enterprise System sent this cocktail of turkey entrails down the flusher. Congratulations to those brave Members of the House that voted against this terrible legislation - now let's get a solution that actually preserves the best principles of our Constitutionally Federated Representative Republic and the Free Markets that are the envy of the world! (G.O.D.)

Good Piece from Capitol Brief: Read it here.


You have got to be friggin' kidding me. One Trillion Dollars? How effin' much money is that? I can't even get my arms around that. Why not just give every adult citizen of the United States like $4 million bucks - problem solved. The government can even tax it and get half of it back. The stupid, brainless and genetically challenged among us will blow it all in a couple of years, the rest of us will pay all our bills and invest some of it, then blow some of it. The really smart will figure out a way to fleece the rest of us. Within a couple of years, everything will be back to normal.

I'm also not buying this idea that somehow the taxpayers are actually going to make money on this thing. When has government ever made money on anything? Oh sure, they'll tell you about Chrysler, and la-de-da ... remember the Airlines, anyone?

This bill, in the words of Minority Leader John Boehner, is a "crap sandwich" which it appears the rest of us are going to have to eat. All I can say is: "You want fries with that?"

Convicted of DUI and DL revoked...

So what do people who use loopholes in the law to get around revoked DL's do? Ride scooters that's what. And that is WRONG!

One, when a scooter in involved in a crash, it counts as a motorcycle crash. This is wrong, as scooter riders are typically not trained, don't hold a motorcycle endorsement that is if the rider has a license in the first place. I've said it before scooter riders don't carry insurance nor have license plates on their scooters either.

The scooter rider that was the initiating cause of the school bus crash in Cass County had no drivers license because his license was revoked.

BMV revokes licenses for a reason. It's because the driver has shown he or she has no business being on the public roads. It's a slap in the face when a person who is determined to not deserve the privilege of driving hops on a scooter and rides on the roads anyway.

Solving the Market Instability Problem: My Two Cents.

I am not an Economist/Banker/Investment Professional. Having said that, let me take a stab at offering a solution to the current market instability problem.

Banks are not willing to lend to each other because they do not know who will survive the weekend. Some analysts envision a possibility that 100-150 could fail in the foreseeable future. But, rather than simply infuse $700B into the system by lending U.S taxpayer money to buy problem loans, might I suggest that the Treasury set up a “distressed fund” (sometimes referred to as a “vulture investment fund”) with the money in which these firms can negotiate for the capital they need and the investment fund (read: “taxpayer”) gets “convertible preferred stock w/ some percentage coupon” (similar to the deal Warren Buffett recently made with Goldman Sachs). Thereby, we the people are getting a preferred equity position that allows taxpayers to be paid interest each period while they wait for the companies to increase their equity value at which point the government will do a public offering and the taxpayers will enjoy the proceeds along with the management of the organization.

Given that total Credit Market Debt as a percentage of GDP is currently 348.5%, and Household Income to Debt = 102%, everybody is at the limit. Consumers are maxed out and in total the financial service system is essentially insolvent (total liabilities exceed total assets), so just throwing money into the system without a structure that is understood by all the participants risks could be catastrophic.

“The bankers are scared and the government is in the driver’s seat on this thing”. We have the opportunity to both stabilize the system and extract our (the taxpayers) “pound of flesh” if we give them a reasonable offer. We can reinstate the greed/fear equilibrium back into the model, or a carrot and stick, whatever you want to call it, and protect the taxpayer. Remember now, only 25% of America supports a "bail-out" of these knuckleheads.

Once the “Distressed Fund” is established, we suggest the government hire an “investment banker” to execute the distributions and build an incentive plan to get the “smart people who know how to do this to do it” – which may mean hiring back some of the knuckleheads that created this mess to unravel it – but with the ability to set compensation that might reward performance (say, stock options in the “new company”) that can be exercised only once the taxpayer is made whole and the new company goes “public” again. Governments around the world are clients of these big investment banks, so there is nothing new here. They know how to do it.

Additionally, if we, the taxpayer, are going to "buy" assets it should not be just the junk but a position in the whole company so the taxpayer does not get left holding the bag. The other benefit is that it might soften the impending failure of non-financial corporations, which would create a spike in unemployment and a further contraction in the economy.

In any event, the policy decisions made after the crisis management phase will be equally critical to the decisions made during this crisis management phase. While recessions are a necessary part of the economic model, the government (remember the CRA?) and the Fed have artificially “softened” these recessionary periods since 1990-91 and the result has been the excesses we are experiencing now. With essentially free money, the tech bubble and the mortgage crisis were inevitable. Therefore, if I understand it, managing the recession correctly will allow for the necessary “cleansing of the system” without reaching near-catastrophic levels not seen since 1973-74.

As a comparison, the 1929 crash resulted in an approximately 25% contraction of GDP, approximately 25% unemployment, and some 14,000 banks failed (We can check with Ben Bernancke’s office for specifics, he apparently is the world’s leading expert on the Crash/Depression). 1973-74 it was approximately a 4-5% contraction in GDP, something like 10 or 11% unemployment, and not nearly the catastrophic bank failures of the 30's. Today, we have 6% unemployment, and we'll lose a couple hundred banks, and it remains to be seen what happens to GDP. We are going to be somewhere north of that 4% number of 1973-74. The question is: How far North?

In any case, there is no need to rush into a $700B deal without really knowing what the heck we're getting ourselves into. Japan in the '90s ... anyone? Buehler? If Wall Street thinks Washington doesn't understand it, and Washington thinks that Wall Street doesn't get it; What makes them think they can sell it to Main Street?

Let's take a deep breath. Let's stop trying to boost ratings and circulation by making comparisons to the Great Depression. Let's let the markets work and put the taxpayers money in where and when it will make the biggest difference. We're America. We can do it.

The Video The Obama Does Not Want You To Watch

Finally. A Start.

The talking and planning is finally leading to potential results. Finally, some logic is being injected the mass transit discussion.

Walk. Then Run.

Those who support massive mass transit projects seems stuck on spending billions of other people's money on what seems to be rails of gold with maglev trains. Maglev is slick and exotic but if you build it and nobody rides it doesn't do a damn bit of good.

The present "walk" plan is to re-use the former Nickel Plate - The Fair Train if you will - as a commuter rail. If you look at Google Earth there's rail corridor already for other parts of town you can build upon, though some is already converted to walking trail such as the Penn Central that runs along East Washington St.

This is a good idea whose time has come, and from this pilot project the determination can be made based upon ridership and revenue on expanding commuter rail in Central Indiana.

The Obama Experience

Dems to America: "Real Bi-partisan Energy Reform ... Nah!"

We ran across this in another blog, but since folks in Indianapolis will never read this story in the local cage-liner, we thought in the public interest we'd re-post it here ...

North Carolina Congressman on Burton Energy Compromise

Congressman Burton was a key part of an Energy Compromise bill that earned over 150 supporters. North Carolina Congressman Robin Hayes talked about the bill in a recent story from the Stanly News and Press.

Here's a key part of the article about the bill Dan supported:

In an effort to amend this bill, the Minority called for a vote on the Comprehensive, Environmentally Responsible Energy Plan for America, which Hayes was an original sponsor, and he voted to support this evening.

This bipartisan bill, led by U.S. Representatives Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), John Peterson (R-Pa.), Jim Costa (D- Calif.) and Dan Burton (R-Ind.), is a true comprehensive energy solution for America.

This legislation provides the first stable, designated funding source for the development of alternative fuels, renewable energy and environmental restoration by allocating the estimated $2.6 trillion in oil royalties from oil and gas production in the Outer Continental Shelf.

In addition, this bill seeks to combine responsible, targeted increases in domestic oil and gas production with an intensified effort to move vehicles to nonpetroleum alternatives and a strong federal conservation and energy efficiency commitment.

Even though the Comprehensive, Environmentally Responsible Energy Plan for America had more than 150 cosponsors — Democrats and Republicans alike — it failed by a recorded vote of 191-226.

H/T: TBB

Death Knell for Conservatism?

Whatever happened to Less Government?

Fellow Flacks, Hacks, and Dumpster Divers:

On the eve of this monumental expansion of government's reach into our lives - to the tune of a trillion bucks, I thought it might be time for some reflection.We have come a long way from those heady days in 1995 when a Conservative House of Representatives led the country to balanced budgets, a $155 billion budget surplus, and seeking every opportunity to shrink the size and scope of the federal government somewhere closer to the Constitutional parameters set out in our Founding Documents. It was the zenith of the movement of Ronald Reagan and William F.Buckley, Jr.; of Peter Viereck, and Russell Kirk.

Today, the Republican Party is rocketing toward mediocrity.

Since 2000, The Republicans led the way in creating the largest bureaucracy since FDR; the largest expansion of entitlements if not since the new Deal, then certainly Johnson's "Great Society"; to a projected budget deficit of one half trillion dollars (that's trillion, with a "T"). Ol' Everett Dirksen wasn't even close when he opined: "A million here, a million there; pretty soon we're talkin' big money" . Anymore, a million dollars is a "round up error" to these guys.

The Conservatives in Congress, and I regret there are so few left (perhaps 30 or so true Movement Conservatives), have been largely marginalized. The legacy of Ronald Reagan, the leadership of Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey, the new ideas and fresh thinking of the RSC, are all just a fond memory of a time long ago when Republicans actually acted like Republicans, and Conservative ideology defined the parameters of the debate. Most Republicans can only be distinguished from their Democrat colleagues by their vote for Speaker.

Not that I can completely blame my malaise on the failure of the Republican Majority in the first years of this century at the feet of George W. Bush, he certainly had willing acolytes in both Chambers down Pennsylvania Avenue, but leadership does lead. The fact that the Congress didn't stand up and say "oops, wrong way" and redirect the ship back on course is also disappointing. To be fair, this Administration has faced some difficult and unprecedented challenges. Yet, I cannot but somehow believe that our conservative principles would have better addressed these challenges than a rush to infuse the federal leviathan with with even more nourishment.

The future is, well, "the future" and i do not know what lies across that horizon. I hope that better days are ahead for the Conservative Movement. Yet, I fear, there will be many dark days ahead before it is once again "Morning in America."

Reposting w/Update: RON SANTO Should Be In Hall of Fame

With the great news coming out of Cooperstown that Ronnie has made the list for another shot at the Hall of Fame, we thought that we'd re-post this piece on why Ron Santo should be in the Hall of Fame.

See the announcement here. You can follow the "@SantoFans" on Twitter and on their website here.

We couldn't have said it any better ... so we'll let the Cubs "Closer", Kerry Wood, speak for himself:

"The Hall of Fame vote and Ron Santo are talked about a lot in our clubhouse. He's been denied 18 times, and after each vote we'll look at his stats and ask, 'Are these Hall of Fame numbers?' You'll get a yes from 95% of the guys. When you start digging into the numbers, I don't think there's any doubt. How can you not vote for a guy who was a nine-time All-Star, earned five Gold Gloves, had four top-10 MVP finishes, three top-10 home run finishes and four .300-plus seasons, and led the National League in walks four times? And if you look at all the third basemen who played between 1950 and 1975, Ron ranks second in HRs, third in hits, RBIs and games played, fourth in slugging, and seventh in on-base percentage. And he did it despite having diabetes. For him to play in the big leagues at that level is amazing.

"For some reason, third basemen get jobbed in the voting. There are only 13 of them—three Negro Leagues stars and 10 major leaguers. Nothing personal, but if George Kell is in [see chart], then Ronny should be too. Ronny crushed him in HRs, RBIs, hits and runs, and he did it with a respectable .277 career batting average, which is almost 25 points higher than the NL average during his career. I'm not saying Brooks Robinson doesn't belong in the Hall, but Ronny played eight fewer seasons and finished with 74 more HRs, a higher batting average and on-base percentage, and nearly the same RBI total. I know, Ronny never played in the postseason. Neither did Kell or Ronny's Hall of Fame teammates Ernie Banks and Ferguson Jenkins. Neither did Billy Williams when he was with the Cubs.

"I keep it simple: Look at the third basemen who are in, then look at Ronny's numbers. I'm amazed he isn't in yet. His next chance is in 2009. When it happens, and if the schedule lets us, I'm going to be there for the ceremony. He's the epitome of Chicago baseball. He's still part of this team. He lives and dies with it. In fact, I think we've put him in the hospital a few times. He should get in just for that."

How Ron Santo stacks up with his third-basemen peers in Cooperstown:

AVG HRs RBIs ALL-STAR GOLD GLOVES
Ron Santo (1960-74) .277 342 1,331 9 5
Eddie Mathews (1952-68) .271 512 1,453 12 0
Brooks Robinson (1955-77) .267 268 1,357 18 16
Wade Boggs (1982-99) .328 118 1,014 12 2
Mike Schmidt (1972-89) .267 548 1,595 12 10
George Kell (1943-57) .306 78 870 10 0

Read the whole ESPN - The Magazine Article Here

Cubs fans, even a non-baseball fan, look at the chart above and ask if George Kell, who played with Philly (Athletics), the Tigers, Red Sox, White Sox, and Orioles between 1943 and '57, is in the Hall - Why not Ron?

I don't know for certain but I do not recall any of the others playing with any more passion and hustle than Santo. I wasn't born when Kell played, and I don't remember much of Eddie Matthews as a player - I remember he managed Atlanta when Aaron spanked #715 - but I do have fond and vivid memories of Robinson, Boggs and Schmidt. I wouldn't pretend to diminish any of these great players careers because each of them deserve to be in Cooperstown. I point this out only to say that Ron Santo was every bit the player (and more) that these others were and he deserves to be there too. 18 years is long enough.

H/T ESPN -The Magazine

Sons of Bitches!

Via Michelle Malkin:

Sarah Palin’s private e-mail hacked, family photos raided
By Michelle Malkin

Scroll for updates…Wired News confirms…

Sometime early this morning, between approximately 3:00am - 4:00am, members of an infamous group of hackers broke into Gov. Sarah Palin’s private Yahoo e-mail account. The incriminating discussion threads included screenshots of Palin’s e-mail and private e-mail addresses of her contacts. The threads have since been deleted.

Hacking e-mail is a federal crime. A TV anchor who broke into his colleague’s e-mail account recently pleaded guilty and faces a maximum five years in prison.

The law will catch up to the hackers, but what about the lowlifes who are now gleefully splashing the alleged contents of Palin’s private e-mail account all over the Internet?

The Gawker smear machine — see here for all the background you need — has posted private family photos of Palin’s children that were apparently stolen from the e-mail account.

They have used Bristol Palin’s illegally obtained private cell phone number from her mom’s private account, recorded her voicemail message, and posted it on their website.

They have reprinted her husband Todd’s private e-mail address and son Track’s private e-mail address.

You think this is just a harmless prank? Those of you who have had to deal with break-ins and identity theft know exactly what a burdensome process it is to recover from crimes like this.

Gawker knowingly and deliberately published illegally obtained photos of the Palin children.

Where are the privacy absolutists now?

You think Palin Derangement Syndrome is bad now? These by-any-means-necessary lunatics are just warming up.

Let me repeat what I said about Nick Denton and his slime businesses in 2006. It’s every bit as relevant now. And I expect the same cowards who said nothing then to remain silent about the violations of the Palin family’s privacy now.

CBS Leaves Me Lost in a Blizzard of Words

Yesterday I noticed a link on the Drudge Report to a CBS editorial talking about the diminishing "Sarah Palin Phenomenon". The piece wasn't talking so much about Palin's political status so much as her star status. And frankly, while it had some decent, but truths to swallow, in the end I felt like Charlie Gibson during the Palin interview and lost in a blizzard of words. Mostly, because it was laughable at best.

This charade of an editorial seemed to view Governor Palin, not as a vice presidential candidate, but as a celebrity like that of Britney Spears or Michael Jordan (their words).

The primary reason why the Palin bubble will burst is that the media will decide that they are bored with her. They'll need to move to shine a light on a fresh issue or individual.

This is how the world works in the age of 24/7 news cycles. Whether the subject is Britney Spears, Michael Jordan or Sarah Palin, we inevitably raise stars to mythic levels, out of all reasonable proportions. Then we knock them down.

Forgive me as I almost spit out my food while writing this. Did that just say they raised Palin to mythic levels only to knock her down? Am I missing something here? She was never raised, but was knocked down to begin with and continue the process by repeating stories that originate out of the lefty loonisphere only to be proven wrong once the media is put on the defense and actually has to do real digging.

Or how about that interview with Charlie Gibson:

Gibson, as dignified a newsperson as America has now, treated Palin fairly and didn't resort to hectoring her with "gotcha" questions, either.

Palin's supporters may be chagrined that their candidate didn't sound more self-assured or expert when she discussed Alaska's relationship to Russia. But Gibson didn't try to trip her up. He pretty much asked the kinds of questions I would have put to Palin as well.

Gibson treated her with the respect befitting a vice presidential candidate. ABC, while discussing the interview Friday on "Good Morning America" unleashed political correspondent Jake Tapper to assess the "truthiness" of Palin's remarks on the ABC show.

I won't deny that Mr. Gibson is a dignified newsperson. I won't deny that, at times, he may have treated Governor Palin with respect, but please what interview was this person watching?!

When I turned on the interview, I started watching right at the point he asked about the "Bush Doctrine". I had missed everything up to that point. Was I surprised at her answer? Yes. Then again, ask the current 535 members of congress what the Bush doctrine is and I'm guessing you get 535 different answers if any of them know exactly what it is in the firstplace. If you check out the "Bush Doctrine" wikipedia page, that the site is continually changing in fact, it was changed as of this writing days after the Palin interview.

And excuse me! Didn't resort to "gotcha questions'?!?! While Mr. Gibson may not have, the editors of the interview sure made it appear as if he did.

This piece of unadulterated fluff tries to make the point that they are treating Sarah Palin with kidgloves. I would beg to differ. And frankly, anybody who has been watching the news would beg to differ. Are they asking honest and tough, but fair and fitting of a VP candidate? Yes. But when they going around distorting her words, such as the instance at her church, they must be the ones wearing the rose colored sunglasses.

Let's be honest here. The media won't tire of Sarah Palin in the next 50+ days. She's a VP candidate who has drawn more attention to herself and the McCain team than Joe Biden has to Barack Obama. And let's not forget that the media loves Obama's celebrity even as he implodes on himself. And who is Obama making a big deal about? Sarah Palin.

So excuse me if I think the media will not be tiring of her.

Follow Me, Or Else!

I've broken down and joined twitter. Perhaps it will annoy the crap out of me and I'll turn it off.

Here's my site:

Twitter / jacobperry

You Thought the Lipstick Comment was Good ... Try This One!

Dudes and Dudettes,

We so completely ripped this one off from Hoosier Access, but we can't help ourselves.

The latter half of Team BOJoe caught on tape once again. Thank the "Man" for getting us the camera/video on a cell phone!

Check out the Hoosier Access post and see the video clip HERE.

Biden, in typical Biden-style, inserts foot (A) into mouth (B) then, in a lame-ass-rally-the-troops attempt, seems to try to make the gaffe into a "tribute moment".

The story line goes like this:

Biden is doing some intros at an event in Missouri. He gets to State Senator Chuck Graham.

"Stand up, Chuck!", he says. One problem. Senator Graham is wheelchair bound. (Some staffer screwed the pooch! Usually, the candidate gets briefed about "special circumstances" - ask any of the hacks hangin' around here) ...

So now. Joe, realizing that the good Senator can't stand up, turns back to the crowd and exhorts them to, "Stand up for Chuck!" It's just classic.

Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.

H/T Hoosier Access for letting us rip them off.

Be afraid of the campaign that does NOT brag about its ground game.

Obama Banks on the Ground Game - TIME: "The Obama campaign has placed an emphasis on expanding the electoral map. They say they will have staff in all 50 states, even if those states are not even remotely in play. In Texas, where McCain leads Obama by 11 percentage points, they already have 15 paid staff, which they insist is an investment for the future. 'We certainly don't think it's a waste of money to be there,' Hildebrand says, 'There's a potential House seat we could pick up there and there's a real shot at winning back the State Senate this fall. With redistricting coming up it's very important as to who controls the legislative body there.'

Obama may believe in investing in a mandate to govern — helping to expand Democrats in Congress and in local and municipal races — but that won't matter a whole lot if he fails to win the presidency. 'This 50-state strategy, I hope it's real,' says Bill Steiner, the RNC's director of strategy. 'But I actually think what it's for is to cover up some of their weakness in targeted states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio. States that Democrats can't afford to lose. This is about quality versus quantity.'

Not surprisingly the Obama campaign takes issue with that assessment. Over Labor Day weekend, while waiting for Obama to finish an event, David Axelrod, the nominee's top strategist, noted their strategy is broader than McCain's, and therefore requires a lot more leg work, but has more potential pay off. 'We're going into November 4 with many different scenarios to get to 270 electoral votes,' he says, squinting at airplanes buzzing overhead, part of Cleveland's annual air show. 'I think their path is very, very narrow, as is their thinking.'"

They sure seem pretty confident. Thats ok. It will make it funnier when they lose.

At the RNC behind a dark curtain you can hear the sinister laugh of Michael Beach. He is hunched over reams of information from many states that says we will be just fine.

GOP "boogeyman" used to scare poor voters

Michigan Messenger » Lose your house, lose your vote: "Vote suppression: Not an isolated effort
Carabelli is not the only Republican Party official to suggest the targeting of foreclosed voters. In Ohio, Doug Preisse, director of elections in Franklin County (around the city of Columbus) and the chair of the local GOP, told The Columbus Dispatch that he has not ruled out challenging voters before the election due to foreclosure-related address issues.

Hebert, the voting-rights lawyer, sees a connection between Priesse’s remarks and Carabelli’s plans.
“At a minimum what you are seeing is a fairly comprehensive effort by the Republican Party, a systematic broad-based effort to put up obstacles for people to vote,” he said. “Nobody is contending that these people are not legally registered to vote.

“When you are comprehensively challenging people to vote,” Hebert went on, “your goals are two-fold: One is you are trying to knock people out from casting ballots; the other is to create a slowdown that will discourage others,” who see a long line and realize they can’t afford to stay and wait.
Challenging all voters registered to foreclosed homes could disrupt some polling places, especially in the Detroit metropolitan area. According to the real estate Web site RealtyTrac, one in every 176 households in Wayne County, metropolitan Detroit, received a foreclosure filing during the month of July.

In Macomb County, the figure was one household in every 285, meaning that 1,834 homeowners received the bad news in just one month. The Macomb County foreclosure rate puts it in the top three percent of all U.S. counties in the number of distressed homeowners."

I have seen some biased and ridiculous articles in my time but this is just plain dumb. I am not speaking on behalf of the GOP or any of our state parties here.

It not suppression you moron, it is making sure that only eligible voters get to vote. Every year the Republican Party has reams of documented evidence that illegal ballots are cast from abandoned homes and or vacant lots.

Maybe a better question is why a city run completely by Democrats has such a high foreclosure rate? Maybe someone might want to ask why these, so called, community groups have to turn to incendiary tactics like some bogus story of voter intimidation? ACORN has a comment??? Give me a break, how many ACORN organizers have been charged with voter fraud this year? 5, 10, 20?

How many documented cases of GOP voter suppression are there? The silence is deafening...

But how many times do we have to prove that organizations like ACORN are taking advantage of disadvantaged voters before the press gets a clue?

Also, The Michigan Messenger is not a legitimate "news" source. It is run by the Center for Independent Media which is run by an Obama donor...go figure.

Leave it to Spangle ... Must see TV.

View the video here. We're still laughing too hard to even comment.

Point to Ponder

How much in government grants did Michelangelo receive to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

[crossposted to DFB]

300

Well fellow Flacks, Hacks, and Dumpster Divers; Dudes and Dudettes,

We have hit a milestone, of sorts, publishing our 300th post to your humble blog.

It's like Baseball. Batting Average of .300, Hitting 300 Homers, ya know, significant stuff that needs to be celebrated.

So we're gonna fire up the "Osterizer" and spin up some blue fruity drinks here in the WPBCHQ.

Thanks for reading, and contributing, and just being here for us. "Bottom's UP!

I Found One! I Found One!

When I was on Abdul in the Morning last Friday, four separate callers called in to ask my Democrat counterpart Jen Wagner to name three legislative accomplishments by Barack Obama. She mentioned three things that she claimed were things that Barack himself usually answers when asked to list accomplishments:

1. Marrying Michelle Obama
2. Being a community organizer
3. Registering record numbers of voters

I kid you not, that’s what she said. Abdul and Chris Spangle can back me up on that. And frankly, I’d love to post the audio of that.

But since those are far from legislative accomplishments (though I will give credit where credit is due..all are remarkable in their own right), I was able to come across at least one legislative accomplishment…though it was while he was in the Illinois Senate…and he was able to pass comprehensive sex education for (wait for it….) kindergartners.

Right.

Burton is Twitterific: Web 2.0 hits the Heartland

CongressDaily highlights Rep. Burton'sTwitter

The Congressman has been reaching out to his constituents and others interested in "following" what he's up to. Burton, one of about a dozen Members of Congress who are "tweeting" to their constituents, uses the new technology to let folks know what he's doing.

Sources familiar with the Congressman's web technology tell us that he is about to roll out a completely new website that will be much more user friendly and interactive. The roll out is expected sometime in September.

HillTweet Blues: Rep. Dan Burton

Here's the latest in an occasional look at what members of Congress are telling their constituents via Twitter. Today we see what Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind.., is up to. He's a twelve-term congressman and member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which he chaired in the late 1990s.

Recent Twitter posts:

Dan Burton on Heading Right Radio: Listen to Dan Burton on Media Lizzy's show on Heading Right Radio! C.. http://tinyurl.com/6myfba 1 day ago from twitterfeed
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Burton interviewed about GOP Oil Protest #dontgo: http://tinyurl.com/69436z 03:06 AM August 29, 2008 from twitterfeed
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Editorial by Democrat Rep. Jim Costa: This op-ed was in the Fresno Bee and was written by Rep. Jim Cost.. http://tinyurl.com/6rmdkm 03:05 AM August 28, 2008 from twitterfeed
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Burton Energy Compromise covered in California: Congressman Burton's energy compromise bill is getting .. http://tinyurl.com/5m82qf 03:05 AM August 27, 2008 from twitterfeed
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Scam Alert: Public Beware: As the Democrats gather in Denver this week they are preparing to deceive th.. http://tinyurl.com/6eqtdm 03:05 AM August 26, 2008 from twitterfeed

So Which Is It, Mr. Obama?

Or should that be Mr. Soetoro?

It seems the stress of the campaign is getting to him.

Mr. Obama noted that when Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin "was forced" to talk about her pregnant 17-year-old daughter, he issued a forceful statement to reporters that the line of inquiry was "off limits." But he said the McCain campaign tried to tie him to "liberal blogs that support Obama" and are "attacking Governor Palin."

"Let's not play games," he said. "What I was suggesting -- you're absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith. And you're absolutely right that that has not come."

Mr. Stephanopoulos interrupted with, "Christian faith."

"My Christian faith," Mr. Obama said quickly. "Well, what I'm saying is that he hasn't suggested that I'm a Muslim. And I think that his campaign's upper echelons have not, either. What I think is fair to say is that, coming out of the Republican camp, there have been efforts to suggest that perhaps I'm not who I say I am when it comes to my faith -- something which I find deeply offensive, and that has been going on for a pretty long time.

[H/T Indiana Hardball]

Letter to Editor of S.B. Tribune

A.G. conflict
Linda Pence, the Democratic candidate for Indiana attorney general, is exhibiting a troubling conflict of interest by accepting campaign cash from Indiana’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. The contributions specifically call into question what role Attorney General Steve Carter’s investigation into possible coverup of child sexual abuse by Planned Parenthood might have played in generating this type of abortion rights support for Pence.

In 2005, the attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit sought to verify that Planned Parenthood is properly reporting child sexual abuse by requesting the records of children younger than the age of 14 who indicated sexual activity. Instead of cooperating, Planned Parenthood of Indiana filed suit against the attorney general’s office and eventually blocked access to these children’s records.

Now Planned Parenthood is investing its political capital in Pence, a candidate who, if elected, may be compromised in her ability to uphold Indiana law because of her financial relationship with Planned Parenthood.

Pence’s acceptance of campaign cash from Planned Parenthood, as well as money from the national abortion rights group Emily’s List, places her candidacy in a shadow of suspicion and compromise.

Mike Fichter
President and CEO Indiana Right to Life Indianapolis

(H/T Hoosier Access)

Dear Mr. Obama

JLT and Donnie Ray; Switched at Birth?

See, here's the great thing about blogging: not only can an amateur hack like yours truly have one, but so can a deluded and self-absorbed former prostitute; where said former sex professional can do everything from claiming to be the reason for Greg Ballard's victory to promoting calorie-burning energy drinks.

But you would think someone who once offered sexual services for a fee would be a bit better about identifying people in pictures, wouldn't you?

Andy Horning has bigger name recognition in governor's race than Jill Long Thompson

Uh, no it doesn't, sweetheart. Parhaps you want to re-read the survey, which states that Andy's name ID is higher than Donnie Ray II.

Come to think of it, Andy probably has a higher name ID than Gabrielle Campos (who I hear is running for Congress in the 7th District), Bobby Hidalgo-Kerns, Brose McVey, Nels Ackerson and the cute little girl that used to be on the Cosby Show.

Party Crashing

If you saw Senator McCain’s speech last night on t.v. then you know of the left wing zealot Code Pink protesters who tried to crash the party. But here’s the question I pose that I originally saw posted on Twitter:

Can anyone give me an example of right wing disruptions of the Democratic convention in the last thirty years?

Better yet, forty, fifty, sixty years?

Congressman Pete Hoekstra of Michigan said it best in regards to the protesters, “Code Pink/D’s who are disruptive say more about who they are than about us. They lack simple decency.”

37 Million Viewers Was the Record

For the all heaps and praise that Barack Obama got for shattering viewership records with his acceptance speech last week at the DNC by attracting over 38 million viewers, one might now say that records are meant to be broken.

Via My Way:

After days of intense media coverage about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s qualifications, more than 40 million Americans tuned in Wednesday to see for themselves what they thought of her.

The huge audience for Palin’s acceptance speech rivaled that for Obama’s address at the Democratic National Convention six days earlier, and set a tough standard for the top of her own ticket. John McCain was to accept the GOP presidential nomination on Thursday.

An audience of 37.2 million people watched Palin on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC, Nielsen Media Research said Thursday. PBS estimated its audience at 3.9 million, based on a less reliable sample of several big cities.

And now we come to find out that John McCain’s preliminary viewership comes in higher than Obama’s too:

Presidential candidate John McCain’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention drew more television viewers than his rival Barack Obama attracted at the Democratic party’s event last week, according to preliminary ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

Across all broadcast networks Thursday, Sen. McCain’s speech ended the night with a 4.8 rating/7 share, compared to Sen. Obama’s 4.3/7 average, according to overnight numbers from metered households in 55 U.S. markets measured by Nielsen.

And lest we forget, Joe Biden’s speech only got a measly 24 million viewers. Looks like he’s small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.

Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America, and all the Ships at Sea. Here now is the News!

dit-da-dit-da-dit-dit ((( Doing his best Walter Winchell impersonation, our erstwhile Dumpster Diving Correspondent, Gonz O. Defenestrater, brings you this late breaking news ... ))) da-dit-da-dit-da-dit


Headline: After Moose Miss, Guvs Hubby Demands "Do-Over" or Have Hunting Permits Revoked. Allegations being Investigated. Indictment may be Forthcoming. dit-da-dit ...


Dateline, Gnome: This reporter has learned the hunting partner of the third cousin of Governor Palin's sophomore year basketball teammate has told investigators that 14 years ago the Governor's husband, the "First Dude", once missed a "gimme shot" on a Caribou. dit-da-ditt-ditt ...

Speaking from an undisclosed location, and through an interpreter, the gentleman, identified as Suinnak "Buckshot" Kassuq, 49, of Kotzebue, said that he was certain that the do-over was coerced and that their hunting permits would be revoked if the "Dude didn't get the mulligan", even though the Governor wasn't yet the Governor. "Eh, we got long memories up here, eh" said Mr. Kassuq. "I didn't know that she wouldn't be the Governor, eh?" da-dit-dit ...

This bombshell revelation comes just days after it was exposed that the Governor herself had, before becoming the Governor, once fished without a permit. The embarrassing information was leaked to several reporters and three writers for "Alaskan Outdoorsman" and "The Hook & Bullet Almanac", which initially published the allegations. dit-da-dit ...

Reached for comment, strategist and long-time observer Bob McKenzie, told this reporter that "Kassuq is a nob, eh", adding "the hoser wouldn't pass up the opportunity to make a coin, eh?" This reporter has no idea what that means, but it must mean something deep and esoteric. McKenzie's brother, Doug, proprietor of Great White North Travel and Leisure, and an aquaintance of Kassuq, offered this assessment: "Hey, take off, eh. The guy can't even skate." dit-da-dit ...

Despite the lack of any credibility, and shunning even the pretense of objectivity and professional journalistic integrity, the New York Times will devote the entire front page of Thursday's edition to the brewing scandal. dit-da-dit-da-dit-dit ...

More as this story continues to develop ... This is Gonz O. Defenestrater reporting and signing off. Good night, and Good Luck. dit-da-dit-da-ditty-dit-dit.

Hockey Moms to BOJoe: "Take off eh, ya hosers!"

Fellow Flacks, Hacks, Dumpster Divers, Dudes and Dudettes, we have the scoop on the latest power players in American Politics!

Is anybody else as giddy as we are about the whole "hockey mom" thing, besides Contrarian, of course, who actually played hockey(and Lacrosse)?

Really, this is a whole new demographic that has been thrust into the spotlight of national politics and could be a deciding factor in determining the outcome of the November election. So, in the spirit of informing the public and exploring the impact of this new political force, we here at the WPBCHQ have been sitting around this morning trying to decipher what a hockey mom is. Since everybody knows about "soccer moms", we think a little comparison might illuminate our discoveries. Here's a few things we found:

Soccer moms load up the minivan after an afternoon by the pool for the quick trip over to the sports complex for practice. According to the Contrarian, "back in the day we had to get up at like 5 in the morning to get over to the rink for practice". Nothing like getting outta the warm bed to drive over to a friggin' frozen man-made pond at 5 am. Early on in the discussion we've decided that this is not an activity for sissies.

The soccer mom spends three hours, usually at Dick's Sporting Goods in the mall, shopping for "just the right shoes" to match the kid's uniform. Soccer moms insist that the Parks Department provide practice fields. Contrarian tells us that, "Every winter, Dads would smooth out the snow in backyards around the neighborhood and flood the things so we could take shots after school." Hockey mom's don't worry about silly little things like color coordinated skates, or dental bills.

While the ever omnipresent soccer mom gets to kibitz around the football pitch in Ferragamo, the intrepid hockey mom is filling the thermos with hot cocoa (or peppermint schnapps, one suspects) and donning that fashion staple known as "the snowsuit", she makes sure she puts fresh batteries in the hand warmers. Leg warmers are optional.

When a soccer mom is getting that "Coppertone" tan, the hockey mom is checking for frostbite. No make-up breaks at halftime like those prissy soccer moms either. No, the hockey moms don't even take a potty break.

Hockey moms aren't concerned about that "extra twenty pounds" the soccer mom's are always whining about. Hockey mom's value a little extra insulation.

Soccer moms are into Tofu and bottled water. Hockey moms are more meat, pizza, and beer. Soccer moms do Chardonnay. Hockey moms do shots.

While the soccer moms go ballistic when little "Logan" gets bumped on his heiner in the soft green grass, the hockey mom urges little "Bronco" to hip-check the other kid into the next zip code. (Actually heard once at the rink: "Get up and skate it off, it's only a little ice bruise, you'll live!")

Soccer moms worry about braces for the kids. Hockey moms are more concerned with a good deal on dentures.

Politically, soccer moms think Bill Clinton is misunderstood. Hockey moms just think he's a dickhead.

Socially, soccer moms prefer wine-tastings and lawn parties. Hockey moms prefer Packers games - just for a little variety.

The soccer mom wants her kids to "get into a good school" but the hockey mom hopes her kid gets drafted to the ECHL. A Division I "Frozen Four" school is just the fall-back position.

There it is. We've decided these are some tough ol' broads. We'll keep digging, but based on what we've learned through exhaustive research and a couple rounds of frozen blender cocktails, the editorial board here at the WPBCHQ feels fairly convinced that the hockey moms are are going to be a formidable force in the November election, assuming it's not game night.

:::BREAKING NEWS::: Sarah Palin Abducted!

Yes, fellow DDs it's true! Sarah Palin once fished without a fishing license! Oh the shame! The brazenness of such a horrific offense! How can the Republican party continue forward with this nominee after such a revelation? It spells sure disaster in November! Shriek-shriek! Save the children! (It is after all, all about "the chillin's").

And, now this! Sarah Palin has been abducted by Aliens and replaced with an automatron android! And, in an astonishing lack of good judgment and decision-making, the McCain people fell for the extraterrestrial ruse! They just didn't do enough vetting. If they had, they would have known that she's not her but that she's an "it". They rushed to a premature political judgment instead of thoughtfully considering what's best for the country! BTW, the Alien endorsed Obama.

How friggin' absurd do these lefties have to get? (I mean, other than usual.)

Let's review: Sarah Palin is unqualified to be the VP and, by extension, John McCain is unqualified to be POTUS because ...

Sarah Palin, once fished w/o a license. Well, friggin' string her up and flog her with a cat-o-nine. That's unlike, I dunno, BHO admitting to nosin' some toot back in the 'hood.

Sarah Palin's hubby, the "First Dude" (who is an Honorary WPBCHQer, we love the guy!), twenty-some years ago got a DUI. It's friggin' Alaska, man - everybody has one! WTF else do you do in Alaska besides hunt, fish, and drink? Don't recall anybody on the left dinkin' any number of Dem pols who got pinched for being hammered. But that's just twice as bad as having, what?, $90K in payola wrapped up in your frickin' freezer.

(BTW, C'mon over, First Dude, we always got the blender ready! We'll talk racin' and Moose.)

Sarah Palin's daughter is "in a family way" ... and ***Gasp*** unwed. Um, did anybody on the left get this excited when Dick "Satan Himself" Cheney's unwed lesbo daughter and her love buddy had a baby? Nope, don't think so. They're "progressive" and in touch with the expanding definition of "family" that all truly enlightened people embrace.

McCain, of course, is an incompetent boob for not properly vetting this woman. Clearly, he should have known that the whole fishing license thing was going to be his "Eagleton Moment". And, we all know what the whole DUI thing did for W. (Besides locking down the Frat vote, that is.) The whole John Edwards "love child" thing really did him in, huh? Speaking fee now up over $65K for his next little gig. But again, it's the left. They get a pass because they're enlightened.

Dudes and Dudettes, this is so friggin' not a big deal. But the lefties will have us believe that this ***woman*** is so not qualified to be the Veep - when even the most chauvinistic dolt here in the WPBCHQ can't think of a single reason not to just love this gal. We pointed out in an earlier post that she's hot, she's smart, and she hunts Moose.

According to the Lefties: She's a freak of nature!!! No, really? I'd say she's the perfect woman. Smokin' hot, young, articulate and defines gun control as the "eight steady hold factors" ... and did I mention, she hunts Moose.

The lefties are so afraid that this gal might actually be the first woman elected to the Veep spot, and not Hillary, that they just can't stand it. It's only cool when the "Black" guy or the woman is a progressive (Witness the abuse Michael Steele got). The idea that a conservative, mother-of-5, who likes "God, Guns, and the American Way" could get there first, and worse yet, actually do the job! Well, that's just not possible! She simply cannot be allowed to accede to the second highest office in the land.

The BOJoe campaign will have to be extremely careful about letting this get too far out of hand. The backlash will be swift and deadly if they do. Frankly, I think it's gonna be a hoot to watch them try to tap dance around this one.

We need to stock up on ice and mixers, man. It's gotta be a long night comin' in November.

Read more about Palin Crime Spree here
(Aside from being identified as "Susan" Palin, it's pretty damning stuff)

Frankly, I'm disgusted with modern politics...

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the left started out the weekend by spreading the rumor that Sarah Palin was "covering up" for her daughter, launching the speculation that Mrs. Palin was actually pretending to be the mother of her daughter's child. In fact, it turns out, that the 17 year old daughter is pregnant and unwed.

I cannot count the number of people that I know that have faced similar family problems. Fortunately, they didn't have their private family matters splashed all over TV, newspapers, and the Internet. Since when does this particular private family matter have any bearing on the public debate? I might be able to buy it if there was some discrepancy between the Palin's words and deeds. But to me, actions speak louder than words and the young woman is "doing the right thing" and taking responsibility for the child. Apparently, the father, is doing the same. Case closed.

But this heinousness of this diatribe from the left, the hatefulness, and the disregard for even the minimal civility due another human being leads me to wonder if there isn't a bigger systemic problem with the way our political and public figures are treated.

I know, somebody is saying "Hey, these folks signed up for this." It's the same argument that the "Hollywood" types make regarding the paparazzi. But since when did being someone who is "in the public eye" mean that you no longer get to have any privacy at all? Does offering to do public service come with the requirement that you can't have personal problems, family crisis, or errors in judgment? If so, then we really are in a bunch of trouble. All of us falls short, some more than others, and none of us are perfect.

I am aching to have a real debate on the important issues that are facing the country. To me, matters of war and the global threat from nuclear proliferation; poverty, energy, and the economy; trump whether or not the children of our political figures are having personal problems. Moreover, unless there is some suggestion that the Palin's are mis-using their official resources, I cannot find a circumstance that requires the media to make this information public, and certainly not in the spiteful, hateful, and unnecessary ways that the leftist blogosphere and some media outlets (New York Times, in particular) have in an effort to discredit Sarah Palin.

In my view, we need to get to a place where we can actually make judgements about competency based on experience and stated positions on issues of import and not on some nebulous politics of personal destruction that have infected our public discourse. When did it become necessary to not just defeat your opponent, but to personally and professionally destroy them? How long can we sustain self-government in an environment where every foible, every decision, and every personal problem, becomes fodder for the blogosphere?