If you wish to understand:

Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living. – Thomas a’ Kempis

Democrats, make my day:

A group of House Democrats introduced legislation Tuesday that would overturn a federal marriage law that denies recognition of gay marriage and gives states the right to refuse recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Same-sex marriages are now legal in six states.

The Respect for Marriage Act, unveiled by Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Jared Polis, D-Colo, has the support of more than 90 lawmakers.

The legislation would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a 1996 law signed by President Bill Clinton.

This is the “first step to overturning DOMA,” Nadler said, who called the law “irrational and hateful.”

“Democracy doesn’t always get it right,” said Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who also supports the Respect for Marriage Act. “This should have been corrected a long time ago.”

I love the Orwellian name – “Respect for Marriage”…naturally chosen because liberals would prefer if the average Joe out there doesn’t realize that what is happening is changing the law so that, say, Nevada can be forced to recognize gay “marriages” from Massachusetts. Even on the issues they care most about, liberals feel it necessary to lie.

The plain fact of the matter is that the American people have spoken: gay marriage is not wanted. Only by thwarting the will of the people is gay marriage legal, anywhere…and now Democrats want to allow a judicial back-door for imposing gay marriages in States which have explicitly rejected it. Democrats push this, and we’ll make all sorts of hay over this attempted usurpation of the rights of the States, and of the people.

This will be a grand debate:

The first ever Festival of Dangerous Ideas will pit Sydney’s archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, against one of the most prominent exponents of modern atheism, British journalist Christopher Hitchens.

A press release from the Sydney Archdiocese announced today that this festival will take place Oct. 3-4 in the Sydney Opera House.

In his address, titled “Without God We Are Nothing,” Cardinal Pell plans to speak about secularism as a “minority sport and a temporary phenomenon” that only survives “by attacking Christianity or living off Christianity’s moral capital.”

Our liberal friends like to think of themselves as the holders of dangerous ideas – but this is because they are mostly very ignorant and don’t realize that their oh, so “advanced” ideas are actually just endlessly warmed-over heresies long put to rest by Christians enlightened by Truth. And so, putting one of the smartest atheists up against Cardinal Pell will make for a fascinating debate – atheism will be as well represented as it can be…and my belief is that once done, it will be shown up as the sad, tattered thing it is…

Now you youngsters out there understand why we older folks hold Jimmy Carter in complete contempt.

Geesh:

The College Politico has received a cease-and-desist letter from lawyers for Politico, demanding that he stop using the word “Politico” in his name — and that he give them control of his domain.

Stephen Gutkowski, the operator of the domain, has broken several stories, including one that proved that Obama=Hitler signs were being wielded by Lyndon LaRouche supporters.

Spread the word far and wide: we will not stand for such thuggish tactics.

UPDATE: Until this threat is withdrawn, I plan to boycott Politico, and I encourage others to do the same.

Agreed – I’ve liked Politico since it came out and have found it an endlessly useful source for news and views…but until they knock this nonsense off, I won’t go near that site, and I urge everyone else to stay away, too.

Goodness – amazing what a bit of investigative journalism will do:

ACORN, calling the actions of some of its employees “indefensible,” has suspended advising new clients as part of its service programs and is setting up an independent review to see what happened.

ACORN chief executive Bertha Lewis said in a written statement that she was “ordering a halt to any new intakes into ACORN’s service programs until completion of an independent review.”

There is some thought that the New York Times and the Washington Post might look in to this “investigative journalism” thing…

The story:

After Paris warned that new sanctions against Teheran remained an option despite the likelihood of negotiations with Iran, French President Nicolas Sarkozy maintained that the Islamic republic was still working on a nuclear weapons program.

“It is a certainty to all of our secret services. Iran is working today on a nuclear [weapons] program,” Sarkozy told lawmakers from his UMP party on Tuesday, according to Press TV.

“We cannot let Iran acquire nuclear” weapons because it would also be a threat to Israel, he added.

Negotiations, at this juncture, are quite pointless – we first must demonstrate to the Iranian leaders that we will not permit them to obtain nuclear weapons, and thus they’d better negotiate away their “right” to do so for the best deal possible. The best way to convince the Iranian leadership we mean business is to blockade Iran’s gasoline imports, with the escalation being the destruction of Iran’s gasoline refinery. Gasoline is Iran’s Achilles heel – they import most of it, and they can’t continue to repress their people without it. With the Iranian people simmering on the verge of revolt, the Iranian government cannot afford to go even a week without the means of swift repression..and you can’t get the goons around effectively on foot.

If we don’t do this, then Israel’s only recourse – her only chance at survival – is an all-out military attack on Iran’s nuclear program. Such an attack would have wide and unforeseeable results – of such things are world wars made…but Israel cannot afford to live under an Iranian nuclear gun – it does no one in Israel any good to think that they’ll be able to retaliate…two or three nukes would destroy Israel, utterly…a counter-attack might be grimly desired by the few survivors, but it wouldn’t revive the dead. It is either a vigorous American effort, or an act of desperation on the part of Israel – wisdom dictates that its better if we can force Iran to the table…but we won’t be able to do so by being nice or refusing to attack Iran at its weak points.

Nothing like a mid-week gab fest, free for all, huh? Plus it gets me out of thinking of something to write for the AM.

Have at it, boys and girls.

Indeed:

People do not believe lies because they have to, but because they want to. – Malcolm Muggeridge

Senator Feinstein and I disagree on lots of things – heck, most things – but I’ve always thought of her as one of the two or three adults in the Democrat party…and now she goes and proves it:

…After Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday night, Feinstein remained skeptical about the wholesale overhauls to the nation’s health care system that Obama contemplates.

“I just find that if you’re going to remake a sixth of the American economy, it’s very difficult at this time of great economic angst,” Feinstein said in an interview with The Chronicle…

…”There is real concern over debt and deficits, and whether this bill will create additional entitlements,” Feinstein said. “That’s important to me and I think it’s important to them.”

Do keep in mind that Senator Feinstein is a tax-and-spend liberal’s tax-and-spend liberal – but she’s also no fool. We’re broke, my fellow Americans. If you are in favor of government-funded health care, then your first concern is how much money the federal government has. Right now, Uncle Sam is flat busted – he’s going towards $13 trillion in debt and his revenues are declining while the economy contracts. If there is a time to spend gobs of money, this isn’t it. Maybe in ten or twenty years, after we’ve put our economic and fiscal house in order, we can entertain grand, new experiments…but for now, in 2009 and for the next few years, its a matter of setting priorities.

If liberals want to do something – and something worthwhile – then attention should be paid towards figuring out how to ensure that no one with a chronic or catastrophic illness is unable to get the care they need. This, in and of itself, would dial back the “crisis” part of health care – there would still be plenty more work to be done (especially in opening up inter-State competition and changing the tax laws to allow private individuals and ad-hoc groups to purchase insurance as easily as corporations), but what is our big worry? It is that some poor guy will lose everything because he comes down with cancer, or is stricken with cerebral palsy, or some such. Cure that ill, and we’re in a much better position.

Senator Feinstein, for all her ardent – and gravely misguided – liberalism understands that there isn’t a magical money tree which will provide the funds necessary for Obama’s health care experiment. While I’ll bet dollars to donuts she’d prefer to have a single-payer plan in her heart of hearts, the merest application of rational thought reveals that this can’t be done. In my view, it can never be done as its destructive – but even if one wants to take the view that its not destructive, it is certain that, right now, it can’t be afforded.

Our real trouble is that with Obama, Pelosi and Reid in charge, sensible people like Feinstein won’t be able to make much headway…doubly so because while she’s got some sense, she’s also going to be unwilling to really go against her party. It is up to us, the American people, to thwart Obama and hold things off until new political realities emerge from the voting booth…and then we can, perhaps, work across the aisle with those very few liberals of good will and common sense for the benefit of the American people.