Typical:

Members of the House of Representatives are slated to hold hearings this week on two bills that would stop taxpayer funding of abortions. The legislation is expected to clear the House but Democrats promise to block it in the Senate…

Because the pro-abortion lobby owns the Democrat party lock, stock and barrel. There is nothing the Democrats will deny to Planned Parenthood, NARAL and the rest of the Culture of Death. Liberalism has become a religion and its primary sacrament is abortion.

One wonders – there is no upside to being in favor of taxpayer funding for abortion. The American people reject it – in poll after poll after poll and as reflected in election results around the country, the people do not want to pay via their taxes for abortion. And this includes a very large number of people who are in favor of keeping abortion legal. Only the tiniest and most fanatical pro-abortionists want such a thing – and yet Democrats are prepared to go out on a limp to block this ban in the Senate. Why?

Campaign donations? Do the pro-abortion people really provide that much? It probably plays a role, but not a decisive one. I think it is a matter that they have so tied themselves to this hateful, anti-human practice that they are simply afraid to jettison it. Its a matter of becoming so deadened to morality that returning to morality is frightening – they’d have to reverse years of opinions and votes, and admit they were wrong all along. And so, rather than facing up to facts, they just keep pressing further down that road. Its really rather sad, when you think about it.

Still, we must keep pressing them – the people are on our side and swing ever more towards the Culture of Life. Eventually, all the pro-abortion fanatics in the world won’t be able to stop us.

You can see the video over at Breitbart TV. The bottom line, for Sarah Palin, is that no group which can contribute to the debate in a reasonable form should be excluded. I agree with that view.

The folks at GOProud – just like the folks over at the much-linked Gay Patriot – are good, solid conservatives on most issues. They just get it wrong on the issue of gay marriage. Of course, they would rejoin that I get it wrong on that issue – which, in turn, makes me laugh a little bit and then offer up some prayers for their conversion.

But, bottom line, there are lots of conservatives out there whom I disagree with on this, that or the other issue. Some conservative groups advocate for free trade – even with bestial regimes like China’s. Some conservative groups insist upon a hands-off attitude about the filth in popular culture. Some conservative groups are ok with the Federal Reserve. On and on it goes – the key is that on most issues, most of the time, I and all conservatives agree on the core issues of limited government and individual liberty. GOProud may want gay marriage, but they don’t want to force the State of Utah to embrace it because a couple gay guys in San Francisco want it. As such, I’m able to work with them on the common issues – lowering taxes, cutting government, strong national defense, etc.

One thing to keep in mind: there is much wrong with this world and the ultimate fix for it is beyond our means. God will eventually call a halt to all this, judge all and then a new world will be created. Until that time, the tools God chooses to use in making this world better are, my dear friends, us. Flawed, fallible us. We must work with what we have. Yes, homosexual sex is wrong. Those who engage in it do put themselves in grave peril. I urge homosexuals to stop. But I, too, sin…and if someone were to say to me that because a man has a particular moral failing he cannot participate, at all, in helping to make the world better, I would ask: who, then, will do it?

Rich Lowry gives us 8 reasons why Jeb Bush should run for President in 2012. I can’t emphasize this enough – if we nominate Jeb in 2012, we re-elect President Obama, even if unemployment is at 10%.

Look, I like Jeb Bush – I voted for him for governor when I lived in Florida in 1994. He lost that race, and went on to win in 1998, after I had moved to Nevada. I wish I could have voted for him on his second try. Jeb did a fantastic job as governor of Florida and showed how to advance a strong, conservative program in a State split evenly (at the time) between Democrats and Republicans. Jeb would, if he ever got there, make an excellent President – perhaps even much better than his brother.

The trouble is, he’ll never get there. His brother already did – and while I admire his brother and am still a supporter of that 8 year Administration, the fact remains that a great deal of latent hostility to President Bush remains, and that will transfer over to Jeb, and doubly so because of the very American opposition to political dynasties. I’m sorry for Jeb Bush, I wish it could be otherwise, but he will never be President. If he wants to do something for the cause, he should set up a PAC and start finding good, conservative candidates to run at the State and local level, thus developing conservative strength in the nation. If the GOP wins in 2012, then a cabinet position should probably go to Jeb Bush; but no White House. Not now, not ever.

Can’t think of anything better for the TEA Party than for a liberal Democrat and a RINO to try to bring up immigration reform in front of 2012 – from Politico:

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have rekindled their alliance on immigration reform, taking some early steps to test the political will for addressing the contentious issue this year.

Their call list hasn’t focused so much on House and Senate members who’ve been reliable pro-immigration votes in the past. Instead, they’re looking to a strange-bedfellows mix of conservative and liberal constituencies that can provide a “safety net” of support, as Graham put it, once the issue heats up…

In other words, cobble together a coalition of liberals and RINOs in the Senate to put the thing up for a vote, then try to shout “racism” at the House GOP until they pass it. It won’t work – in fact, all it will do is solidify conservatives and make a strong rally point for everyone who is working for a revolutionary change in government. You see, while RINOs like Graham will try to paint opposition to this as “extreme” or “racist”, the reality is that opposition will stem from the fact that people don’t trust politicians.

We know – even a pro-amnesty person such as myself – that the politicians will lie about what they’re doing. If Graham, et al, come up with a “amnesty/border security” bill it is a dead certainty that we’ll get the amnesty without the border security. The American people are firm on this – border security first, then we can address the illegals already in country. Graham’s proposal won’t really go anywhere, but it puts the spur to us to keep fighting, because the moment we let our guard down, it will be people like Graham who will cut us off at the knees.

As an aside: here, folks, is the proof that backing someone like O’Donnell was still the smart thing to do in 2010: if we hadn’t backed her, we probably would have got another RINO to work with Graham and Schumer in the Senate. Graham is the living proof that it is better to lose with a conservative than win with a RINO. 41 conservative GOP Senators are of more worth to us than 60 RINOs.

From The Hill:

Only 27 percent of likely voters favor raising the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, while 62 percent oppose it, according to an exclusive poll for The Hill…

…Seventy-seven percent of likely GOP voters and 64 percent of independent voters said they don’t want the debt ceiling to be raised. Even among Democrats, more oppose raising the ceiling (46 percent) than support it (42 percent)…

This would put the GOP in a very strong but very dangerous position – strong in the sense that the public will back a fight over raising the debt ceiling, dangerous in that if the GOP is perceived as caving in on raising the debt ceiling it will harm the party’s chances in 2012. It is quite a tight rope we have to walk.

The best action, if at all possible, is to not raise the ceiling, at all. Tales of immediate default without a raise are just fear tactics – we can still service our interest payments, we just wouldn’t be able to borrow as much as the Ruling Class would like. Boo hoo. But intense pressure will be brought on the GOP to raise the ceiling, and there will be plenty of GOPers showing their Ruling Class allegiance by insisting “more debt or complete collapse”. Given this, we can expect that raising the debt ceiling will eventually happen – the key to both helping America and helping the GOP is how it is done.

First must come cuts – serious cuts. Cuts which aren’t just a reduction in the rate of growth but which actually result in government agencies spending less next year than they’ll spend this year. These cuts must be pressed and must be made broadly known to the electorate – especially the TEA Party part of it – prior to a vote on raising the debt ceiling. Doing it any other way risks complete disaster for the GOP.

We’ll see how the House GOP leadership carries this out – the ball is really in their court as they hold the power of the purse. So far, I like what I see (a fee odd RINOs aside). But this is now fat in the fire time – where we find out if we’ve got real leaders, or not.

From the Wall Street Journal:

…My proposal would first roll back almost all federal spending to 2008 levels, then initiate reductions at various levels nearly across the board. Cuts to the Departments of Agriculture and Transportation would create over $42 billion in savings each, while cuts to the Departments of Energy and Housing and Urban Development would save about $50 billion each. Removing education from the federal government’s jurisdiction would create almost $80 billion in savings alone. Add to that my proposed reductions in international aid, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and other federal agencies, and we arrive at over $500 billion…

Paul goes on to note that these spending cuts are really rather modest – 85% of what we’re spending now and all of Social Security and Medicare would remain untouched. And Paul is asking critics to put up, or shut up: if anything he proposes to cut is considered absolutely vital, then what would you cut to save it? It really is a matter of honesty – unless you’re just determined to keep spending no matter what, then there has to be some priorities set. Senator Paul has set out his priorities, anyone who wants to say “no” had better come up with alternative priorities. The one thing which is absolutely out of bounds is to not cut spending – it must be done to avoid national bankruptcy.

The nation is broke and in spite of this, we have continued to increase the size of the government feeding off the bankrupt nation. This cannot go on – and, in fact, it can’t go on for more than two or three more years before collapse sets in. It really is that bad – we really are that much out of money.

We can turn this around. It won’t be easy and it will be painful, but it can be done. All we need do is show the courage to do the right thing.

I’d have to check with Matt to be sure, but I’m confident he’d agree to a mere $31 million for this blog – quite a bargain considering the quality, and especially in light of what AOL just spent for the Huffington Post:

In one of the biggest digital publishing deals in recent memory, AOL has agreed to pay $315 million for the Huffington Post, the pioneering web-only newspaper co-founded by Arianna Huffington…

Nauseating, hate-filled liberal trash apparently commands a high price – at least to the worthies of AOL.

Professor Bainbridge makes a statement:

The Hill:

“Businesses have a responsibility, too,” said Obama in his weekly address on Saturday. “If we make America the best place to do business, businesses should make their mark in America. They should set up shop here, and hire our workers, and pay decent wages, and invest in the future of this nation. That’s their obligation.”

Wrong. The social obligation of business is to sustainably maximize long-term profits for shareholders. Nothing more. Nothing less…

Both Obama and the good professor got it wrong – though Bainbridge got it more wrong than Obama did. Obama’s flaw is to think that the obligation of business is to serve as a funding and policy tool for liberal, Big Government. In Obama’s mind, if corporations are paying high taxes and providing lush contracts for union workers, then they are carrying out their responsibility. The result of this sort of thing, though, is GM. I need say no more on that matter.

Professor Bainbridge gets it wrong in a different way – asserting that the sole responsibility of a corporation is to be profitable. This argument is disposed thusly – pornographic businesses provide hefty and steady profits. The worth of a business enterprise is not determined by its profits – though, of course, profits there must be or there would be no purpose to the business. A business is worthy of being engaged in – and worthy of a decent man’s investment – only if that business also advances the general welfare of the community. You have to make your money doing something worthwhile. If you make your money in a destructive enterprise then it doesn’t matter how high your profits are, you still shouldn’t do it.

I realize that this is to inject a moral – indeed, a religious – note in to a discussion of economics. But that is precisely what is needed. At bottom, all questions are religious questions. They all boil down to what sort of society we wish to live in. Very widespread and successful efforts have been made to divorce all human activity from the compulsions and supports of religion – and we can see the result. Our economy is hollowed out because of a pursuit of profit above all other considerations. You can’t, in the end, get a good thing by doing a bad thing. You might make some hefty profits, for a time, but it all fails in the end. The end we see right now is a failing American economy – and if we tip over in to national bankruptcy, of what value will be the high profits of 2010’s fourth quarter?

Everything must come together. You can’t break it up in to pieces – the economy exists to provide sustenance to the common man and women going about the primary activity of society – starting and raising families. If we don’t do this activity, then all other activities become moot. Given this, all economic activity must have at its center doing what is right for people – profit is fine; private property is an absolute requirement; government must stay out of the day to day affairs of families and the businesses they own and/or work in…but business must not become a mere engine for profit. If it does, it becomes what we have now; either State sponsored slush funds for favored interests, or mere money manipulators as our financial institutions have become. Meanwhile, the actual needs of society – of the family – are unmet and ever more pressure is placed on this institution, spreading untold misery.

Ultimately, the fix for our economy – and our whole society – lies in curbing both the power of government and corporations – especially the bigger elements of both. They are two sides of the same coin and both of them distort the real economy towards the desires of a select few. A free people working for themselves and able to raise families without let or hindrance from others – that, really, is all we’re supposed to have, and all we really need.

The only thing I care about in the Superbowl this year – that some how, some way, Green Bay pulls off the win. Not that I’m a Packers fan, but my boss is a Pittsburgh fan and he’ll be insufferable if Pittsburgh wins.

Other than that…

Forget about global warming – how about the magnetic poles shift and we get gigantic storms which alter just about everything in the natural world? Interesting story here. Other than investing in canned goods and shotguns, not much anyone can do about this, if its true.

Kristol takes on Beck and other conservatives for being a bit too worried about the ultimate outcome in Egypt. I can’t say that I agree with all Kristol says – I would cut off Egypt’s military until such time as a democratic government is in place – but I do agree that this isn’t time to start setting off the alarm bells. Things will go the way they will – mostly, our job is to watch, wait, encourage genuine liberty and stand ready to defend American interests if they become threatened either by the Egyptian regime, or its successors.

Are you tied at the hip to a practice which is falling in to ever greater disrepute among the American people? Well, here’s your answer – don’t cut loose from the horrific practice; just stop reporting the abortion statistics! Always better to keep the cockroaches hidden, ya know?

Obama’s bounce in the opinion polls is over.

Mish goes in to some of the mathematical alchemy used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in figuring out the unemployment rate. Do read it – you still won’t know exactly how its done (no one does as the BLS won’t release their methodology), but it will help you understand how easy it would be for someone to fudge the numbers, if they wanted to.

If the United States were a company, it’d be bankrupt. Which is a bit of a “no kidding” thing for those of us who are paying attention. Given this, the article is really best for liberals – but they won’t read it. So, quite a quandary.

And, remember, the Superbowl is important, but not that important:

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You are the salt of the earth.

But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?

It is no longer good for anything

but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world.

A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;

it is set on a lampstand,

where it gives light to all in the house.

Just so, your light must shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds

and glorify your heavenly Father.” – Matthew 5:13-16

Ah, our welcoming, tolerant liberals – they’d never try to do anything which would prevent the free exchange of ideas, would they?

Saying it received an “onslaught of personal attacks,” a Colorado nonprofit announced in a news release today that it was canceling a scheduled May appearance in Glendale by former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Palin, the former Alaskan governor and possible 2012 Republican presidential candidate, was to be the keynote speaker at the May 2 Patriots & Warriors Gala at the Infinity Park Event Center in Glendale.

The event, sponsored by the Sharon K. Pacheco Foundation, was announced Friday. But the group said Saturday that the event had been canceled because of “safety concerns resulting from an onslaught of negative feedback received by the organization.”…

Well, they had to stop her from speaking, didn’t they? Someone like Sarah Palin – speaking at an event for a group which provides a “grief camp” for the kids of fallen soldiers – is just too dangerous for our nation! She might have said something which in some way, shape or form could have been misconstrued by an insane person who never heard it! Just can’t have that, now can we? Of course, its not just Sarah Palin and the United States – seems that foreign liberals are just like ours:

President George W. Bush has canceled an event in the famously neutral country Switzerland because of expected protests to his presence there.

Bush was supposed to give the keynote address at a Jewish group’s charity gala on Feb. 12 in Geneva…

…”We didn’t want to put people and property in Geneva at risk. The gala is maintained but George Bush will not take part,” the group’s lawyer, Robert Equey told the Tribune de Geneve…

Oh, come on, now – you know they had to stop Bush from speaking. Its a Jewish group, for crying out loud! Clearly part of a Neo-con/Zionist plot – once again, just too dangerous to allow the man to speak…the world might die if certain words from certain people are spoken in public.

Thank goodness we have liberals to ensure that our debates are carried on in a respectful, peaceful manner.