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UPDATE: Until this threat is withdrawn, I plan to boycott Politico, and I encourage others to do the same.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

Good morning everyone…

I’d like to take this opportunity to say that I have returned from my Hawaiian Honeymoon! In case you didn’t know, Beth and I were married Saturday, August 29th, in a lovely outdoor ceremony, nestled in her family’s vineyards.

After the wedding, we spent a fantastic eight days in Hawaii. Our first night in Oahu, then five days on the Big Island, and the last two days back on Oahu.

I imagine some of you want to see some pictures, and I may post some later this week. but for now I just wanted to announce my return home and to blogging. I am looking forward to getting back into a regular blogging routine… with no wedding to plan, it should be easier for me!

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.

And deal it from the bottom of the deck:

Rep. Henry “Hank” Johnson (D-GA) has pulled out a whole deck of race cards and slapped them down on the floor of the United States Congress. So Joe Wilson is instigating a 21st century mob of horse-riding KKK members? Will there be any repercussions for his verbal vomit, or will he, like all racist claims made by the Left, be kicked under the rug by party cohorts and their media matrons? Remember, being on the Left means never having to say you’re sorry.

You can see Johnson on video here.

Johnson should be expelled from the House – but, it’ll all be swept under the rug and he’ll keep getting re-elected….and Democrats will still claim that it is we Republicans who are causing all the trouble.

From Rasmussen:

Following President Obama’s speech to Congress last week, support for his health care reform plan increased steadily to a peak of 51% yesterday. However, the bounce appears to be over. The latest daily tracking shows that support has fallen all the way back to pre-speech levels.

Forty-five percent (45%) of all voters nationwide now favor the plan while 52% are opposed. A week ago, 44% supported the proposal and 53% were opposed.

The problem with the President’s plan is that its utter nonsense, and people know it – you can’t increase coverage and control costs; you can’t mandate new requirements while keeping doctors and patients in control; you can’t bring in 30 million more people and not add a penny to the deficit…you can’t do what Obama says he wants to do, and every time he reiterates his plan, he looks more like a fool, or a con man.

Its time to start concentrating on reforming health care – in other words, working out ways and means to ensure access to the sort of care people need; care for chronic and catastrophic illnesses and means of lowering the cost of insurance by increasing competition in the insurance industry…grand plans to re-work the whole system are unworkable and not worthy of serious consideration.