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"1965 Immigration Reform Cost Blacks Minority Primacy"
This long article discusses the declining status of blacks as America's chief minority, focusing on Katrina and mentioning 'La Nueva Orleans' from Gregory Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Times.
Note that Teddy Kennedy was responsible for that 1965 legislation.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:42 PM | Comments (0)
Is the New York Times a Mexican newspaper?
I'm left with the distinct impression that the New York Times is a Mexican newspaper after reading "Way North of the Border" by Eduardo Porter and Elisabeth Malkin.
Here's the paragraph on which they construct the rest of their story:
The location of Mexico's latest American consulate [in St. Paul] provides a stark illustration of how economically improving groups of Mexican immigrants are establishing themselves across the country, in ways that experts say point to the futility of current attempts to plug the border and stem the flow of illegal migrants in search of a better life.
Rather than respond directly to the NYT's propaganda, let's think up some questions they could have asked but did not:
1. Aren't they misleading their readers into thinking that the only way to "stem the flow of illegal aliens" is by "plugging the border"? There's nothing in the article about cracking down on employers or reducing public benefits. Wouldn't those stem the flow? Why didn't the NYT discuss those?
2. Could the NYT tell us more about those "hometown associations" they mention? Don't they result in "Americans" who also represent Mexicans? Don't they result in people with divided loyalties? Why didn't the NYT discuss that issue? (To see the Las Vegas Sun ignoring this issue, read up on Alan Torrez).
3. What exactly do those hometown associations have to do with the emergency declarations of Napolitano and Richardson?
4. The NYT seems to be implying that it's good that those declarations didn't stop Mexico. Why is that? Are they confused about something or other?
5. When "J. Edward Taylor, a professor at the University of California, Davis" refers to "too big to be counteracted by enforcement", isn't he only referring to "border enforcement"? Why didn't the NYT point that out in order to avoid misleading their readers?
And, that's just from the first screen! Here's two final questions:
6. Even if the NYT doesn't think massive illegal immigration is bad public policy, shouldn't it give at least a paragraph near the end of the article to those who don't share its views?
7. Is the New York Times in effect supporting the Mexican government rather than the wishes of the vast majority of Americans and what's best for this country? Is the NYT confused about something or other?
Please send an email to public *at* nytimes.com and suggest that, at the very least, they reconsider assigning these two reporters to the immigration beat.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)
Jeb: Dubya wrong about federalizing relief
Internecine triangulation? Jeb Bush has (apparently) come out against Bush's plans to grab more powers for the military. From "Think Locally On Relief":
As the governor of a state that has been hit by seven hurricanes and two tropical storms in the past 13 months, I can say with certainty that federalizing emergency response to catastrophic events would be a disaster as bad as Hurricane Katrina.
There must be something else going on. Perhaps he's trying to portray himself as the more conservative one or something.
Posted to Politics at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)
FCC moves to install Internet backdoor for wiretapping
Sep 29 - Quietly last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a 59-page document outlining new rules forcing broadband internet and voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone service providers to open up their systems to federal, state and local law enforcement officials.UPDATE: See also "FBI to get veto power over PC software?"
In releasing the rules, the FCC opened up a 30-day public comment period. The regulations, which are planned for implementation in 2007, were decided upon in the beginning of August and made public Friday without a news release or other announcement.
Opponents of the proposed rules argue that the "backdoor" requirements pose the opportunity for privacy rights violations and will be prohibitively expensive for companies and the consumers they will ultimately pass the cost along to. In addition, Internet phone companies allege that the FCC rules are designed to prop up faltering traditional telephone companies, which are losing ground in competition with the relatively versatile and inexpensive VoIP services...
Posted to Miscellania at 09:12 AM | Comments (0)
The Akaka Bill, Hawaiian secession and... bingo? Follow the money!
The Akaka Bill - from Senator Daniel Akaka, Democrat Hawaii - seeks to give that state some self-determination. Unfortunately, their self-determination stops at the point where our property could fall into the hands or sphere of influence of China or some other country.Phyllis Schlafly doesn't mention that country in "Does Hawaii Want To Secede From The Union?", but she does have some interesting info on the possible ulterior motives:
Does Hawaii want to secede from the Union? That sounds like a preposterous question, but the official Office of Hawaiian Affairs advertises on its website that the legislation scheduled to be voted on soon in the U.S. Senate will give Native Hawaiians "self-determination" to choose "total independence" or any other form of government.Now, recall that Akaka is a Democrat. So, you've got the race-based rights. And, you have this very interesting information as well:
Hawaii is asking the U.S. Senate to create a Hawaiian race-based government for persons with Native Hawaiian blood living anywhere in the United States. I'm not making this up; it's real...
So, to be a Native Hawaiian, you don't need to have lived in Hawaii or ever had any affiliation with Native Hawaiian culture, language or politics. You just need to have one drop of the right kind of blood.
That reminds me of the greatest musical ever written, Jerome Kern's "Show Boat," where an essential part of the story line is that one drop of Negro blood made a man an American Negro. I thought we had put all those racial notions behind us and moved on, but S. 147 is trying to bring them back.
S. 147 would create a racially separate government that would operate like an Indian tribe with its own laws and racial voting restrictions anywhere in the United States. This new "tribe" would include about 20 percent of Hawaii's residents plus some 400,000 Americans nationwide, making it the largest Indian tribe...
Follow the money to search for motives behind this odd-ball legislation. The clue to the mystery is Section 8(b) of S. 147, which ensures that the new Native Hawaiian government can negotiate gambling rights with the state of Hawaii and the federal government.Previously: "Hawaii governor lobbies for Akaka Bill; tell your Senators no".
It appears that some politically well-connected Hawaiians want to cash in on the profitable casino privileges that have been given to American Indian tribes. Another possible motive is that a small group of Native Hawaiians is trying to grab some of the high-priced real estate in the beautiful islands and claim it as their tribal heritage...
Posted to Politics at 07:24 AM | Comments (0)
Wisconsin Assembly passes pro-American driver's license bill
The Wisconsin state Assembly has passed a Republican-sponsored bill requiring proof of citizenship in order to get a driver's license. And:
Applicants from other countries would have to show proof of legal permanent or conditional residency, a valid visa, an application for asylum, valid refugee status or an application for legal permanent residency. Their licenses would expire when their residency runs out.
In other words, no Cracker Jack IDs, like Mexico's Matricula Consular card.
The bill still has to pass their Senate, and their governor is Democrat Jim Doyle, a supporter of illegal immigration.
In other news, illegal immigration supporter Rep. Pedro Colon, D-Milwaukee played the race card and Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison backed him up.
Posted to Immigration_dls at 02:04 AM | Comments (0)
Petula Dvorak of Washington Post whitewashed ANSWER
That is the charge in "Liberal Media Again Whitewashed the Colorful, Leftist, Kook Fringe", about the MSM coverage of the recent peace protests.It concentrates on the Washington Post piece by Petula Dvorak, the front-pager "Antiwar Fervor Fills the Streets."
...Dvorak's story didn't get to the unifying message of the rally -- pure Bush hatred -- until paragraph 23, and she only managed to relate that "Bush and Cheney were depicted on posters, T-shirts and makeshift costumes. Several demonstrators wore masks of Bush's likeness and prison jumpsuits. They were often asked to pose for photographs."10/9/05 UPDATE: The WaPo has corrected Dvorak's piece, as described here:
There was one story on counter-protesters at the bottom of this big spread. But on the next page, there was another story on grumpy peaceniks who were stranded at a New York train station over an electrical outage. "This has Rove's fingerprints all over it," said one protester, and the Post considered that credible enough to use.
Once again -- and this is nerve-wracking because it's the standard MO for the liberal press -- nowhere in this storyline was any focus on who the protest organizers are. International ANSWER is a project of the Stalinist Workers' World Party. United for Peace and Justice believes it's opposing an America that is perpetually at war in pursuit of a world empire. Kooky? No doubt. Radical? Unquestionably. Anti-American? You bet. Is this important to the Washington Post? Nah...
In fact, the Washington Post's reporter Petula Dvorak took the whitewash to a whole new level before the march. She profiled "novice protester" Patrice Cuddy of Olathe, Kan., who "said she had to pull off her gardening gloves each time a neighbor interrupted her yardwork" to sign up for her protest bus to Washington.
There was a big problem. Cuddy is no novice. A quick Google search for the NewsBusters blog found that the Kansas City Star reported on Cuddy protesting the Iraq war before it even began, in a Jan. 16, 2003 news report. She was quoted as warning Iraqi children were about to be crushed by American bombs. One blogger joked she was a "lifelong novice," since he found Cuddy touting herself on the Internet as a "Life long Labor Democrat, arms-control, peace, environmental activist since the mid-1970s."
A Sept. 23 Metro article about people coming to Washington for the Sept. 24 demonstration against the war in Iraq described ^ (don't want to say "incorrectly" in this case) Patrice Cuddy, 56, of Olathe, Kan., as a novice protester. Cuddy had participated in three other large rallies against the war, two in Washington and one in New York.That's the extent of their correction; the bit in parentheses was apparently put there by an editor. They'll get around to discussing ANSWER's communist links at some unspecified date in the future. Soon!
Posted to ThePeaceMovement at 12:56 AM | Comments (2)
Oz: Uni appoints "Heterosexuality Officer"
The University of New England in Australia (huh?) has appointed law student Dave Allen to be their new "Heterosexuality Officer". Even in an Oddly Enough report, the AP can't help but show their biases:He's a little vague on what his official duties will be. But it looks like the student association is trying to make a point about gay rights and supposed special treatment for homosexual students.
Allen says he has nothing against gays. He tells The Australian newspaper they should come down to the local pub and have a few beers with him.
Posted to MultiCultiCult at 11:53 PM | Comments (0)
Do Connecticut McDonald's discriminate in favor of Hispanics?
The Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Control did a bit of a study and determined that most employees of McDonalds in America's drive-throughest state are Hispanic. The study is available at their website in a PDF file, and it's not exactly an academic study, although it appears they visited all or almost all the Mickey D's in the state, many in one long day. (Here's a similar feat involving CT's county highpoints). They counted the people working there, and they wonder whether some of them are illegal aliens. In New Haven and Fairfield counties, almost all the employees are Hispanic.
A news report is here:
But activists say his research methods were unsound and motivated by racism. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has rejected Streitz's call for an investigation, saying the study is not reliable or relevant.
Obviously, the race baiting can and should be ignored. As for whether the study is unsound, I personally don't consider it an academic-level study. Also, there's the question of whether all the workers are Hispanic because managers want that, or because they are the only applicants.
That would need to be determined through other means, and I get the impression that Blumenthal is too PC to conduct such an investigation.
For that, I'd suggest contacting that state's Senators or Reps and encourage them to look into this.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 09:43 PM | Comments (3)
Danish Air Force pays Santa Claus after killing Rudolf
Wacky but true news, as the Air Force of Denmark has paid off a part-time Santa (not the real one, he doesn't exist) for a jet flyover that scared his reindeer to death. Sadly, the victim was Rudolph; Donner and Blitzen were under a nurse's care for a while but have now fully recovered.
Spokesman Capt. Morten Jensen says:
"We got a letter from Santa complaining about his reindeer's death and looked into it seriously."
Apparently some countries have more time than others; if this had happened in Germany they would have just thrown him on the pile. In France, well, never mind.
The Air Force reviewed their records, and decided in favor of St. Nick, paying him $5000 in compensation.
Posted to WackyHumor at 06:47 PM | Comments (0)
Deep inside the mind of a defense lawyer
Obviously, defense lawyers are a key and necessary part of our justice system (etc., etc., etc.) However, sometimes there's justice, and there's "justice."
From defense lawyer, TalkLeft proprietor, and occasionally HuffPost contributor Jeralyn Merritt comes this:
I just found out that Tom DeLay has got himself the best lawyer in Texas and one of the best trial lawyers in the country - Houston's Dick DeGuerin... Dick has also been a very good friend of mine for 20 years. You may remember him as David Koresh's lawyer in WACO, or Kay Bailey Hutchinson's lawyer, or the lawyer... who got Robert Durst acquitted of murder even though he admitted hacking up the body.
Just let that wash over you and sink in.
But, wait, no, really, he had a good excuse.
(nofollow tags in place because her comments have them)
Posted to Miscellania at 02:03 PM | Comments (0)
Jeb Bush wants more legal immigration
The brother of Our Lider wants changes to our visa and immigration policies.
Speaking at the Miami Herald's annual Americas Conference, he said:
"It is a good thing to have people who want to come to set up their business, to invest here, to use this as a platform for the expansion of their business, whether they're from Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil or Texas."
Yet another data point in favor of the they-took-a-wrong-turn-at-Honduras theory.
Previously, Jeb Bush supported driver's licenses for illegal aliens. Some in the Kool Aid Krew think he should be president. And, his son P. dissed the Border Patrol a while back.
Posted to Politics at 12:51 PM | Comments (1)
Pew: more illegal aliens than legal immigrants during 2000-2004
From this:More immigrants came to the United States illegally from 2000 through 2004 than the number who were granted legal status in those years, according to a study released yesterday that attributed much of the historic shift to visa slowdowns since 2001 and to the nation's strong job market before that.Now, let's get even scarier:
The study by the Pew Hispanic Center said that immigration to the United States -- legal and illegal, from all regions of the world -- totaled about 1.1 million each year during the 1990s, peaked in 2000 at 1.5 million and declined substantially since 2001 to earlier levels. The number of new arrivals increased in 2004, the study said, though it is too early to say that the rise will last.
A spokesman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the government agency that oversees the granting of green cards, said he could not comment on the study in detail because officials had not examined it closely. But Bill Strassberger questioned its conclusion that new illegal immigrants outnumber legal ones."Undocumented"? The correct legal term is "illegal alien". One would hope that someone from the federal government wouldn't speak newspeak.
"I don't know that there are any indications that the undocumented population is growing faster than the legal population," the spokesman said.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:59 AM | Comments (1)
GiveEmHellHarry.com from illegal immigration supporter Harry Reid
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) has launched a new website entitled GiveEmHellHarry. It features a petition encouraging the oppressed masses to protest obscene oil company profits, and it features a "blog". I believe that the blog is actually written by the politician himself, since if it were written by an aide the posts wouldn't have that charming "I typed this in as I dashed out the door" quality.
In previous news: Harry Reid wants amnesty for illegal aliens who are taking jobs that could go to Katrina victims.
UPDATE: I added the picture. His site will be promoted with billboards, just not ones like that.
Posted to Politics at 05:59 AM | Comments (1)
Anti-American, violent, racist report from the Pacific News Service
For future reference: Pacific News Service.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 04:20 AM | Comments (0)
Now that's a money-making hoax!
I'm going to spell this site's name out since I don't want to link to bad neighborhoods: rent - a - d i l d o.com. If you remove the spaces from that string, you'll find a nicely designed site that might fool a fair number of people. It appears to offer a Netflix-style service, complete with a neat graphic showing how it all works.
Note that you can't subscribe to their $19.99 a month service, indicating that they a) aren't scammers and b) it's a hoax.
However, note that there are links to other sites where you can buy those items.
This looks to me like a nifty form of viral marketing: get large numbers of people who want a laugh coming in, and send them to another site to sell them stuff.
Posted to Bloggage at 02:09 AM | Comments (0)
Puerto Rico: city building UFO landing strip
The Puerto Rican city of Lajas wants to build a landing strip... for UFOs! The mayor of that town insists it will be for tourist dollars, and that no city money will be spent on the project, he's just helping it along.A bright green sign along a lonely country road in southwestern Puerto Rico proudly displays a silhouette of a flying saucer and two words: "Extraterrestrial Route."(Lonewacko notes: 80 feet? Many ET craft require at least a couple miles for a full landing; not all are VTOL as you might have seen in the movies.)
Most Puerto Ricans laughed when a horse farmer installed the sign on his property at the request of Reynaldo Rios, a local elementary school teacher who says he's been communicating with alien visitors to this U.S. territory since he was a child...
Rios, who leads a group called "UFO International" that holds nighttime vigils to search for signs of alien life, lets Negron worry about details like investment costs and permits while he envisions the design. The landing strip would be 80-feet (24-meters) long and have pyramids as control towers because aliens are attracted to the shape.
The mayor hopes that UFO enthusiasts will flock to Lajas as they have to Roswell, New Mexico, the site of a supposed UFO crash in the 1940s. Hundreds of visitors have come to check out the Extraterrestrial Route since the sign went up, Irizarry said...
...But it's a little-known aerostat off the Extraterrestrial Route that inspires UFO lore in Lajas. The U.S. military uses the aerostat, a tethered blimp with a radar system, to detect low-flying drug smuggling planes.
But many Lajans don't believe that. Even Irizarry has suggested that the aerostat's true purpose is to detect UFOs.
A paved road leading to the blimp curves out of sight between two hills. Two signs warn against trespassing. Rios claims he was once briefly detained while trying to see the aerostat...
Posted to WackyHumor at 10:57 PM | Comments (1)
Babs blasts border watchers!
Reliable sources indicate that Barbra Streisand recently flew into a rage:
"Those Minutemen are EVIL! How dare they march around on the border and cause the supply of gardeners, maids and nannys my friends and I use to dry up... If we don't do something about it, before you know it we will have to pay someone a decent living wage for these services, and I cringe to think about how that would dip into my investment portfolio."
It's true! I read it here.
Posted to WackyHumor at 08:41 PM | Comments (0)
Steve Cooley has unkind words for David Dreier
Rep. David Dreier (R-CA), along with Adam Schiff (D-CA), is the author of the "Justice for Peace Officers Act" that seeks to do something about cop killers who've fled to Mexico.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley says that newly-modified bill ends up helping those suspects:
...On Tuesday, Cooley and [Los Angeles Police Protective League President Bob Baker] both said they still weren't satisfied with the changes and that Congress needs to force the administration to impose sanctions against Mexico until the country changes its policy of refusing to extradite criminal suspects who could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole...
Speaking on KFI, Cooley says the bill "does nothing except cause problems, inject the federal authorities into an area they aren't familiar with, and just provides political cover for Dreier... the law's not protecting us..."
Cooley accuses Dreier of advocating for either Mexico or for those who want to appease that country, and in the linked article talks about capitulating to them.
For more on temporary House Majority leader, start here. More posts on him will be coming later.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)
Are we headed towards a Banana Republic?
From "Bush seeks to federalize emergencies":
President Bush yesterday sought to federalize hurricane-relief efforts, removing governors from the decision-making process. "It wouldn't be necessary to get a request from the governor or take other action," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said yesterday. "This would be," he added, "more of an automatic trigger."
And, from the AP's "Hurricanes Spawn Debate on Military Role":
In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita _ and the federal government's sluggish response to the first _ President Bush is raising the possibility of putting the Pentagon in charge of search- and-rescue efforts for catastrophic natural disasters. The U.S. Northern Command, which began operations in October 2002 as the first command with the United States in its area of responsibility, assists the Federal Emergency Management Agency in disaster relief and has the organizational skills... The armed forces' unique chain of command would prove difficult to impose on elected civilian officials...
In both articles, about the only dissenting voices are from people widely regarded as loons, which tends to make me think that both the WashTimes and the AP support this Banana Republic-style power grab.
In the WT case, they turn to the ACLU. Their spokeshole at least has something interesting to say:
"Using the military in domestic law enforcement is generally a very bad idea... I'm afraid that it will have unforeseen consequences for civil liberties... The Posse Comitatus Act is sometimes criticized as some sort of obscure, centuries-old law... But you know, most of our liberties are centuries old. So that would be like saying the Bill of Rights is obscure and old... Our strict separation between military and civilian power is one of the things that separates us from Latin America, for example... Changing that would put us on a huge slippery slope."
As I briefly mentioned about 1.5 years ago, there seems to be a bit of a Latin American flavor to the Bush family, like they took a wrong turn at Honduras and wound up ruling this country instead of "San Marcos".
And, from the AP's report:
In a letter to Bush on Tuesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., said she was disturbed by the notion of rewriting laws that could result in active duty military operating as "police officers in America." She asked the president to clarify his comments.
Surely, both the WashTimes and the AP could find several people with more credibility to oppose this oh-so-convenient move by the Bush administration.
Previously: "Domestic Militarization: A Disaster in the Making" and "DC, media pushing greater military control for "safety" reasons".
Posted to Politics at 04:40 PM | Comments (1)
African-American Rep. wants to join Tennessee's White Caucus
This article is extremely shocking:NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A black Tennessee lawmaker lamenting his exclusion from the state's White Legislative Caucus claimed Tuesday the group was less accommodating that even the Nation of Islam.If you've heard of this story, you'll notice that I switched things around above. Rep. Stacey Campfield is actually white, and he inquired about the bylaws of TN's Black Caucus. That prompted the expected "liberal" reaction.
"My understanding is that the NoI doesn't even ban members by race," said Rep. Stacey Campfield, adding that the NoI "has less racist bylaws" than the white lawmakers' group.
The freshman Democrat from Knoxville was rebuffed earlier this year when he asked for the White Caucus' bylaws and inquired about joining. There are 18 white state lawmakers in Tennessee.
Caucus chairman Rep. Johnny Shaw, a Republican, dismissed Campfield's request and called him a "strange guy" who was simply interested in stirring up trouble.
"He is using this as a joke. This is an insult coming from him," said caucus member Rep. Larry Miller, also a Republican. "Why he chose to focus on the White Caucus, I have no idea other than he is crazy and a racist."
For instance, the WaPo prints the above modified AP article by Matt Gouras under "White Lawmaker Likens Black Colleagues, KKK". And, Gouras turned to a usual suspect to provide more smears:
Experts on race and hate groups said Campfield hit a nerve when he used King's words to take on a black institution. It's the same tactic white separatists often use, said Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center.Question "liberal" racism, get called a racist. Not only that, but on his blog he says he's received threats of violence. Ah, the peace-loving, non-racist left.
"Very typically these days we see white supremacists, hate groups, trying to use the words of King and other civil rights leaders to try to advance their agendas," Potok said.
Let's take a look at an earlier AP report, here under "White lawmaker 'just curious' about joining Black Caucus":
...As he was talking to [Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Johnny Shaw] about these questions, the possibility of Campfield joining the Black Caucus came up.Perhaps Gouras should have read - and referenced - the earlier AP report containing that zinger. And, needless to say, if I switched things around in that article it would sound like something from the 50s or before.
By Campfield's account, Shaw was against it.
"I said, 'Why?' and he said, 'Because you're white.' I thought, 'What? Whoa!' " Campfield said...
...Shaw said he thought Campfield had brought up the possibility of membership in the Black Caucus in "a kidding sort of way."
"He's an oddball, and I didn't take him seriously," Shaw said. "I felt like he was trying to do something that was, well, not good."
"We don't have anything going on in the Black Caucus that anyone wants to hide. There's nothing out of the ordinary in the bylaws," Shaw said. "We are strictly legit and up front."
The bylaws [provided to the reporter but not to Campfield] say, "The regular membership shall consist of those black elected officials serving in the state Senate and House of Representatives."
Another provision says that "honorary membership" can be granted to "those persons whose belief and actions contribute to the purpose for which this caucus was formed."
"We still want to make sure the black community gets the representation it needs," Shaw said. "But it's not just the black community. We represent people as a whole. When you start dividing people up into race, if you're not careful you can get yourself into a lot of trouble."
Posted to MultiCultiCult at 11:50 AM | Comments (1)
Martin Sandoval, Illinois senator, wants to represent Mexicans too
Martin Sandoval is a state Senator from Illinois. He's also running for a seat on Mexico's "Institute for Mexicans Abroad" advisory council:Sandoval would be the first elected official in the U.S. to serve on the advisory council. That raises the peculiar prospect of the Cicero Democrat offering policy advice in an official capacity to Mexican Cabinet members while creating laws in Illinois...Apologists continually claim that all those millions of illegal aliens are "just here to work." [1] While that might be true for individuals, when you have millions of them it forms a political base that the Mexican government - as well as people like Sandoval - are trying to take advantage of.
As it turns out, no law or rule prohibits it, in Mexico or in Illinois. Mexican officials call it an honorary position...
... "I see no conflict at any point. There are always people who will have questions," [Sandoval] said. "I have looked at the four corners of this. I see upside all over the place."
Sandoval said his participation is especially logical because a large share of his constituents were born in Mexico. More than 42 percent of Sandoval's Senate district is foreign-born, the second-highest rate in the state...
If those apologists are allowing Mexico to establish a political beachhead in the U.S. - and possibly influence our laws - shouldn't we question whether they have the U.S.'s best interests at heart?
And, just because no current laws prevent him from serving two countries at the same time doesn't mean that legislation can't be introduced to either prevent that or to strip him of his office. Please contact (non-conflicted) representatives in Illinois and urge them to introduce such legislation.
[1] From president Bush's O'Reilly interview:
"Now look. People are comin' 'cause they wanna work ya' know. Family values don't stop at the border... If you can make fifty cents in the interior of Mexico and five dollars in the interior of the United States, you're comin' for the five bucks and, therefore ... and so long as moms and dads feel the necessity to feed their children, they're gonna come and try to make a livin'."5/14/07 UPDATE: Martin Sandoval won his election some time after this was posted, and, among other things, he's now pushing for discounted college educations for illegal aliens (see the link). You can see his name on the Mexican government's list of CCIME advisors here: www.ime.gob.mx/ccime/directorios/dir_ccime_06_09.htm
Posted to Immigration2005b at 10:40 AM | Comments (3)
Los Angeles Times on Matricula Consular cards
Jennifer Delson and Anna Gorman of the Los Angeles Times cover the latest on Mexico's Matricula Consular cards (aka "IDs for illegals") in "Mexico's ID Makes Major Gains in U.S.".
They report that other countries are getting into the act, including Colombia, Argentina, El Salvador and Honduras. They don't offer word on whether, for instance, Yemen has similar plans.
It features quotes from James Ballentine, outreach director for the American Bankers Association and a Blue Cross spokeshole ("They were wage earners who had money... a great source of potential customers").
And, College of William & Mary professor George Grayson says that Bush refuses to do anything because he doesn't want to alienate Latino voters. Of course, there's also the fact that he's corrupt, but I guess the LAT ran out of space.
Now, let's deal with the LAT's biases:
The matricula's growing acceptance... also highlights the contradiction between immigration laws, which forbid the presence of undocumented workers, and immigration reality, which encourages them to spend their paychecks here...
Well, actually, that's wrong. The conflict is between what the U.S. citizens and many legislators want, and what corrupt politicians are able to do. In Bush's case, he simply refuses to enforce the immigration laws. In the case of other corrupt legislators, they push through laws giving rights to people who shouldn't be here in the first place. There's no "contradiction"; there's a conflict between Americans and those with "conflicted views."
They also provide this quote:
It "is a de facto amnesty," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank that favors tighter immigration controls. "It's a way of incorporating illegals into our society. It allows [the immigrant] to embed himself in our institutions."
I believe that the LAT takes that as the basis for their inaccurate subtitle:
Use of the matricula consular is helping many to assimilate, which is one reason those against illegal immigration oppose the card's use.
Somehow I don't think Krikorian was refering to the same kind of "assimilation" that the LAT headline writer is; perhaps they should consider whether they're lying to their readers for future articles.
They also report on corrupt local officials:
Several local governments across the state — including Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Ventura counties — accept the identification cards as valid identification for county services and programs. The cards can be used for admittance to a hospital, to obtain a federal tax identification number and to borrow books from libraries.
Now, if the LAT wanted to do some real reporting, they'd look into that in a bit more depth. Why would those localities do that? Is it because the local Boss Hoggs profit off that illegal labor, and the local officials do what they want? Is it because those local officials stand in solidarity with people of their same race, putting their race above their country? The LAT also doesn't mention that Mexican consults attend local council meetings pitching such laws.
I look forward to reading some real reporting from the Los Angeles Times in the near future.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 01:59 PM | Comments (1)
You've endured three years of this?
A few days ago, this site quietly celebrated its third anniversary. Very shortly thereafter, traffic picked up markedly, due to a bit of a fluke involving people searching for the picture provided here. Slightly good for my gigantic ego, but a) this is a news and politics blog, and b) celebrity sites aren't usually as big an earner as sites involved in products people want to buy.
Nevertheless, I was happy to see the graphic above, in which I am currently the 87th most highly-trafficked web site. Among blogs that use sitemeter and that are monitored by the ecosystem, that is.
I believe one of the major reasons why this site doesn't get as much traffic as it should is because, let's face it, most bloggers are partisan hacks. They only link to people who confirm their beliefs rather than challenge them.
Needless to say, this site has a different perspective and, while it has a definite right-ward tilt I have no problem with calling things as they really are.
Posted to Bloggage at 12:53 PM | Comments (0)
Far-lefties pushing Gramscism on 5-year-olds in Massachusetts
Here's a test. Is the following report from Massachusetts in 2005, or from the Soviet Union in 1965 and I've just changed the names and locations? You decide:While the trial of a Massachusetts parent arrested while attempting to secure a promise from school officials to notify parents before teaching about homosexuality in his son's kindergarten class has been postponed until next month, the school district is taking a hard line against such notification.What kind of lessons were involved?
Paul Ash, the superintendent of schools in Lexington, has announced his instructions to all teachers in the district to give no notice to parents of efforts to teach "diversity" lessons about "alternative lifestyles" – even in primary grades.
In April, David Parker of Lexington spent a night in jail and was charged with criminal trespassing after refusing to leave a scheduled meeting with officials [over the policy]...
...Parker's then-5-year-old son brought home a book to be shared with his parents titled, "Who's in a Family?" The optional reading material, which came in a "Diversity Book Bag," depicted at least two households led by homosexual partners.Answer: no, this is actually from Massachusetts in the United States. If it had been the Soviet Union, Parker would be in Siberia by now, and "liberals" haven't gotten to that point yet.
The illustrated book says, "A family can be made up in many different ways" and includes this text:
"Laura and Kyle live with their two moms, Joyce and Emily, and a poodle named Daisy. It takes all four of them to give Daisy her bath."
Another illustrated page says:
"Robin's family is made up of her dad, Clifford, her dad's partner, Henry, and Robin's cat, Sassy. Clifford and Henry take turns making dinner for their family."
Posted to MultiCultiCult at 11:48 AM | Comments (3)
"Domestic Militarization: A Disaster in the Making"
Due to an extremely rare space anomaly, the Cato Institute and I agree on something for once:Having already wrecked a legendary American city, Hurricane Katrina may now be invoked to undermine a fundamental principle of American law;.that principle, enshrined in the Posse Comitatus Act, is that when it comes to domestic policing, the military should be a last resort, not a first responder...For my highly similar take, see DC, media pushing greater military control for "safety" reasons.
[...Bush's speech, John Warner, "very archaic law",...]
...What [Posse Comitatus] does is set a high bar for the use of federal troops in a policing role. That reflects America's traditional distrust of using standing armies to enforce order at home, a distrust that's well-justified.
There are very good reasons to resist any push toward domestic militarization. As one federal court has explained, "military personnel must be trained to operate under circumstances where the protection of constitutional freedoms cannot receive the consideration needed in order to assure their preservation. The Posse Comitatus statute is intended to meet that danger." Army Lt. Gen. Russell Honore, commander of the federal troops helping out in New Orleans, seemed to recognize that danger when he ordered his soldiers to keep their guns pointed down: "This isn't Iraq," he growled...
...The Katrina tragedy ought to be an occasion for rethinking a number of federal policies, including our promiscuous use of the Guard abroad. Instead, Washington seems poised to embrace further centralization and militarization at home. That has the makings of a policy disaster that would dwarf Hurricane Katrina.
On a side note, it's highly unusual that I, Cato, and TalkLeft all posted similar things on the same day. I didn't see theirs before I wrote mine, and I'd imagine the same is true for them as well.
Posted to Politics at 07:39 AM | Comments (4)
Why does the Burlington Free Press hate the Minuteman Project?
Vermont's Burlington Free Press discusses the plans of the Minuteman Project to patrol that state's border with Canada in "Just a minute, Minutemen; Vermont says 'No thanks'".
It's a downright nasty editorial, ayup. Nasty like sour maple syrup, Cyris. In fact, it reads more like something one of those people from New Hampshire might write, ayup.
A preliminary search only showed two articles from that paper discussing either "illegal aliens" or "undocumented", and Vermont isn't a big illegal immigration state. Now, VT is certainly a "liberal" state, in fact they're the ones who inflicted Howard Dean on America. Is this lack of neighborliness due to "liberalism" or something else?
The virtually unanimous message from Vermont residents and leaders alike is, "Stay home." ...If common sense won't deter these silly plans, let's hope Vermont's winter will do the trick. After all, the temperature drops well below zero along our border on a winter night, a shock to anyone used to the Southern desert... The Minutemen shouldn't come where they aren't wanted. But if they do, let's hope that along with those lawn chairs and binoculars they bring their long johns.
What xenophobia! Could someone who's familiar with the Burlington Free Press provide a clue why they might say things like this?
Posted to Immigration2005b at 06:07 AM | Comments (5)
Hugo Chavez (D-Venezuela) accelerates land reform; disses Bush
Lider Chavez is accelerating his plan to seize underused ranch lands:
"We are not carrying out expropriation, this belongs to the nation, to the state," he said at the Marquesena farm [that had just been seized]... "We can't stop with the Marquesena, we have to accelerate all of this," said Mr Chavez, who was accompanied by members of Brazil's Landless Movement... "I extend my hand to the supposed landowners to find a constructive solution," he added.
The non-owners have been offered part of the land; the rest will be used to build a state-owned co-operative. And, all the peasants will live in peace and harmony.
In other news:
"In Cuba, when they know a hurricane is coming, chickens, hens and people are all evacuated," Chavez said in an interview with The Washington Post and Newsweek magazine, stepping up his rhetoric against the US government. "A hurricane recently destroyed many towns in Cuba but not a single person died because no one was there. The government prepared its people and took them to shelters, whereas here (in the United States) they left the poor without protection, especially the blacks."
Posted to Miscellania at 02:46 AM | Comments (1)
Mexicans demand citizenship rights... in Aurora, Illinois
"Nearly" one thousand people - many or most of them illegal aliens from Mexico and other countries - marched through Aurora IL demanding that House Speaker Dennis Hastert support the Kennedy-McCain massive amnesty scheme. The march was organized by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. See the link for more information on that organization. They're also supporters of the AgJobs amnesty.
Maybe we should give them what they want. And, let's bring in several million more illegal aliens and give them citizenship too.
Of course, all those new voters might have... different ideas about things. In fact, they might end up supporting politicians who are even further left than people like Gil Cedillo or Fabian Nunez. And, those far-left politicians might pass even more restrictions on businesses, like banks. In fact, maybe someone close to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez might be elected and start on some kind of "land reform", American style...
Gosh, do you think those business leaders and the "conservative" politicians that they pay off would find those events a little discomforting?
Along the same lines, see "Will illegal aliens get voting rights because of corrupt Republicans?"
Posted to Immigration2005b at 11:06 PM | Comments (8)
"English bypassed in L.A."
The L.A. Daily News offers several anecdotes of immigrants to Los Angeles not bothering to learn English: "English bypassed in L.A.". Koreans learn Spanish, Hispanics learn Korean, and all don't need to learn English:
"To an outside person, it looks like something nice. There's an ethnic exchange going on. But the reality is that it's an exchange of necessity [because of commerce]," said Vy Nguyen, a lead organizer for the Korean Immigrant Worker's Advocate...
Well, to some outside persons, such as "liberals", it might be nice. But, to those who think about this it's just another byproduct of Gramscism, otherwise known as multiculturalism.
"In California, Spanish is more important than English," said [Korea Times columnist Martin Paik], a Seoul native. "I haven't found any inconvenience because I don't speak English. ... I don't need to speak English. If you can speak Spanish, you can drive, employers can have clients, you can order in restaurants, you can do anything."
And:
Paik admits he often gets funny looks from Spanish speakers who at first glance are surprised by his fluency. But once the tongue starts wagging, Latinos - especially immigrants - quickly let down their guard. They are accustomed to seeing Asians in their homelands. Mexico City boasts a robust Chinatown and Argentina is home to thousands of South Korean immigrants.
How high-minded of them.
["Yoon Seong, a 60-year-old Korean - by way of Spain" says:] "For me being here, the Hispanic community is the only world for me. I don't need English here. All that you need in California is Spanish."
Obviously, without knowing English they aren't prepared to be Americans. Their news will always be filtered through one ethnic lens or another, and they won't be exposed to as wide a spectrum of viewpoints. Somehow I think that that's one of the side-effects that the multiculturalists want. While those who only look at economic matters might rejoice in their economic benefit, from a civil standpoint this is not a good development.
Posted to Los_Angeles at 07:47 PM | Comments (2)
SaveTheSeal only has three days left, please sign petition
SaveTheSeal is trying to turn back the damage the ACLU did to the Los Angeles County seal. Please visit their site to find out where you can sign their petition. Signatures are needed immediately since the have to be turned in on Friday.
Posted to Los_Angeles at 02:26 PM | Comments (0)
Pentagon inspector general under scrutiny... by the Los Angeles Times?
The article "The Scrutinizer Finds Himself Under Scrutiny" from T. Christian Miller reports that some are raising questions about the activities of the recently resigned Pentagon inspector general, Joseph E. Schmitz.
In light of posts such as "Watchdog [Clark Kent Erwin] details confrontations with Ridge", this certainly sounds interesting. However, in the skillful hands of the Los Angeles Times, it turns into sleazy tabloidesque reportage:
["liberal" sleaze deleted...] Schmitz's sister is Mary Kay Letourneau... [...more tabloid junk deleted...]
Holy moley! I'm ready to pronounce guilt already.
As near as I can figure it out, there are a few slightly substantial allegations. However, most are made by unnamed sources and only one has some slight heft:
When confronted later by congressional staff about the accuracy of the release, Schmitz told the Senate Armed Services Committee in August 2004 that the release was "technically correct." But this year, when asked again, he acknowledged that the release was "inaccurate." The Department of Defense has also acknowledged that the information in the press release "may not have been accurate."
I'm not going to bother repeating the sleazy yellow journalism in the rest of the article or the subtext of their coverage of that. Perhaps they should look inward for a clue.
Posted to Politics at 12:07 PM | Comments (1)
Lawyer objects to legally correct term "illegal alien"
Westchester County NY's Reeducation Roadshow - more formally known as the "Stop Prejudice Now listening tour" - visited Spring Valley and discussed immigration matters. Based only on the report available in "Immigrant activists speak" I'm going to assume that this is a far-left, Gramscian attempt to open up the borders. It does however includes this humorous bit:[Westchester Human Rights Commissioner S. Ram Nagubandi] received a number of thoughtful replies and practical suggestions, in addition to the idea that county employees be trained. One, from [attorney Vicki] Cohen, was straightforward.Needless to say, the term "illegal alien" appears multiple times in the U.S. Code, something which (I'd hope) Cohen is familiar with. On the other hand, "undocumented" does not appear.
"One thing that we can certainly do is try to eliminate the phrase 'illegal alien,'" she said. "It's an outrageous phrase."
Posted to MultiCultiCult at 09:30 AM | Comments (1)
Gregory Rodriguez supports illegal aliens taking rebuilding jobs from Americans
Los Angeles Times contributing editor Gregory Rodriguez offers "La Nueva Orleans". That discusses how illegal aliens from Mexico and other countries will help rebuild New Orleans. He says that they will then settle there, displacing the original population of blacks and whites.
Of course, if we were talking about whites displacing blacks and Hispanics that would be considered racist, but - of course! - "liberals" will be quick to explain that encouraging Hispanics to displace black and white Americans is not racist.
Rodriguez covers the points previously discussed here in Will Bush give Katrina rebuilding jobs... to illegal aliens?, Illegal aliens doing rebuilding jobs in Biloxi, and they want visas, Vicente Fox's offer to make money off Katrina spurned, this post about Senator Harry Reid, and others.
If you've been following along, the only new thing is this:
Former President Clinton recently hinted as much on NBC's "Meet the Press" when he said New Orleans will be resettled with a different population.
This scheme that our leaders have is obviously un-American; it's not good public policy and it's not the direction that we as a country should be heading in. Consider this little history lesson:
Charles Crocker, head of construction for Central Pacific railroad, recognized that the Civil War was creating a labor shortage. So he turned to Chinese immigrants to do the job.
It's so rare nowadays to find a defender of the Coolie system, but the Los Angeles Times is just lucky I guess.
Just so you know where he's coming from, here's the last paragraph:
Last week, the White House said it will push its plan to allow illegal immigrants already in the U.S. to become legal guest workers. Good. Hurricane Katrina exposed the nation's black-white divide. Post-Katrina reconstruction will soon spotlight the hypocrisy of refusing to grant legal status to those who will rebuild the Gulf Coast and New Orleans.
If we don't allow illegal aliens there, we won't have such a problem. But, if our leaders succeed with their anti-American goals, we will have problem after problem. First it will be driver's licenses, followed by local voting, followed by demands for citizenship, followed by dual citizens representing both Americans and illegal aliens, followed by Mexico suddenly discovering that New Orleans was once their territory, and on and on. It's much better for all concerned not to have to deal with more of this same junk.
He even says that New Orleans will end up like Los Angeles, and I'm absolutely positive that the people there would not want that.
Please take a few moments now to contact your representatives and urge them to make sure that rebuilding jobs go to Americans. And, if there's anyone out there who still subscribes to the LAT, please just stop.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 05:55 AM | Comments (3)
Pete Seeger, "America's Most Successful Communist"
Where have all the flowers gone indeed:The politicization of American pop dates from the 1960s, but it grew out of a patient leftist political strategy that began in the mid-1930s with the Communist Party's "Popular Front" effort to use popular culture to advance its cause.Others mentioned include Joan Baez (now washed-up and touring with Cindy Sheehan), and other songs you might vaguely recall include "This Land Is Your Land" and "If I Had a Hammer". Note that one of the Little Red Schoolhouse's alumni includes Angela Davis...
One figure stands out in this enterprise: the now-86-year-old singer, songwriter, "folk music legend," and onetime party stalwart, Pete Seeger. Given his decisive influence on the political direction of popular music, Seeger may have been the most effective American communist ever...
...The Popular Front Left saw such homespun music of poor rural Southerners - eventually labeled American "folk" music - as perfect for molding into a new Marxist cultural vernacular. "[W]hen the Communist Left and its intellectuals . . . tried to sink roots in American tradition, radicals turned a new ear to traditional folk tunes," notes Dunaway. They could cast folk music as the politically pure art of America's noble rural proletariat-plus, because this non-commercial music wasn't copyrighted, they could adapt it freely.
Pete Seeger and Alan Lomax took on this project with gusto. Lacking a real tradition of social protest in American folk music, the pair set out to create one. The music served as the crucible of Seeger's own style: "Folk songs, radicalism and patriotism blended in his mind," Dunaway observes. Through Lomax, Seeger met Woody Guthrie at a March 1940 New York benefit concert for California migrant workers... Made to order for the Popular Front, Guthrie was a middle-class Oklahoman with a calculated aw-shucks cowboy manner, who just happened to be a Communist Party sympathizer and had written for communist newspapers. As Lomax later put it: "Go back to that night when Pete first met Woody Guthrie. You can date the renaissance of American folk song from that night."
The Almanacs/Weavers also dressed the part of authentic jes' plain folks, sporting farmer's overalls on stage. Anticipating the fashion affectations of later pop stars, in which studiedly grungy clothing often serves as both costume and political statement, they suffered from what biographer Dunaway calls "a bad case of proletarian chic."
Seeger-whom critics dubbed "Khrushchev's songbird"-made ends meet largely by playing children's concerts at such venues as the Little Red Schoolhouse in Greenwich Village and its upper school, Elisabeth Irwin High, which, as historian Ronald Radosh recounts, was known for hiring former New York City public school teachers unwilling to sign a loyalty oath...
Posted to ThePeaceMovement at 11:34 PM | Comments (0)
DC, media pushing greater military control for "safety" reasons
Keep a very watchful eye peeled for those who will try to use the response to Katrina to grab more power for the Office of the President and for the military. The President was never intended to be as central a figure as he is now, and restrictions on the use of the military inside the U.S. have been in place for well over a hundred years.The latest attempt to gain more power is described in "Bush Told U.S. Needs Post-Disaster Plan":
Bush got an update about the federal hurricane response from military leaders at Randolph Air Force Base. He heard from Lt. Gen. Robert Clark, joint military task force commander for Hurricane Rita, and Maj. Gen. John White, a task force member, who noted confusion in search and rescue operations after Hurricane Katrina.Needless to say, Bush said he welcomed their input and will discuss it in Washington.
With Katrina, "we knew the coordination piece was a problem," White said. "With Rita, we had the benefit of time. We may not have that time in an earthquake scenario or similar incident."
"With a national plan, we'll have a quick jump-start and an opportunity to save more people," White said.
And, from the earlier "Military May Play Bigger Relief Role":
President Bush's push to give the military a bigger role in responding to major disasters like Hurricane Katrina could lead to a loosening of legal limits on the use of federal troops on U.S. soil.Both Sen. John Warner, R-Va and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld are in favor of reevaluating these "very archaic laws".
...Bush did not define the wider role he envisions for the military…
[Pentagon spokesman Lawrence] Di Rita said Rumsfeld has not made recommendations to Bush, but among the issues he is examining is the viability of the Posse Comitatus Act. Di Rita called it one of the "very archaic laws" from a different era in U.S. history that limits the Pentagon's flexibility in responding to 21st century domestic crises.
Another such law, Di Rita said, is the Civil War-era Insurrection Act...
Key military help for victims of Hurricane Katrina was delayed reveals that Bush had all the powers he needed to deal with the hurricane, he (apparently) just failed to understand what powers he had. And, "DOD: No New Rules Needed" has more along those lines.
This latest attempt is a bit of a flashback: Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) said that he'd support allowing American soldiers to arrest American civilians back in 2002. And, from that same year, see "Northern Command General Endorses Posse Comitatus Review".
For that small number of people who would trust Bush with more powers, I'd suggest applying the President Hillary Clinton test in this case. In the case of disasters on the scale of Katrina, the thing to do is to make sure that the states and localities are prepared.
Posted to Politics at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)
Ronald McDonald has gender realignment surgery
The Japanese version of Ronald McDonald is now a sexy female, Media Guardian reports:
...In the Japanese TV commercial the foxy female version, with shoulder-length straight auburn hair in place of Ronald's frizzy mop, smoulders at the camera in a flowing yellow dress, and later a red and white striped bikini with thigh-length leggings and red high heels...
"We devised the costume and took the red and white stripes and the yellow, which were recognised and converted them into a stylish dress," [perpetrator Hidekazu Sato, known by his nickname Kazoo (?)] said via a translator.
"We were assuming that even if we didn't include the McDonald's logo and even if the model was a beautiful caucasian just those colours of the mnemonic design would wake up people's association with McDonald's."
Posted to WackyHumor at 05:39 AM | Comments (0)
Main reason for poverty: massive illegal immigration
Robert J. Samuelson offers "Discovering Poverty (Again)":
...Given these trends, the overall poverty rate should be drifting down. It isn't. The main reason, as I've written before, is immigration. We have uncontrolled entry of poor, unskilled workers across our southern border. Although many succeed, many don't, and many poor Latino immigrants have children, who are also poor. In 2004, 25 percent of the poverty population was Hispanic, up from 12 percent in 1980. Over this period, Hispanics represented almost three-quarters of the increase in the poverty population...
Posted to Immigration2005b at 12:40 AM | Comments (2)
"American Legion Makes Illegal Immigration Major Priority"
Details here:
Pointing to the current huge resident population of illegal aliens and the estimated 500,000 new illegal aliens that enter the country each year, the Legion finds a clear threat to the fabric of American society. The resolution also recognizes the increasing public frustration with the "federal government’s failure to stop the invasion and the actions by some states to provide taxpayer funded services and other benefits to illegal aliens..."
I wonder if Poppy is a member?
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)
Loony Texans oppose Minutemen; Perry offers lukewarm support
"Minuteman border patrol raises opposition in Texas" has a roundup of the open borders types that oppose the Minuteman Project.Those include Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen and 10 other state senators as well as U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, Texas Democrat. Plus:
In Brownsville, the Cameron County Commissioners Court unanimously passed a resolution opposing civilian border patrols, citing respect for immigrants, confidence in federal law enforcement and a shared history with Mexico.For more on Brownsville, see "Howard Dean to embarass self August 5 2005". Now, if Karl Rove went to visit party reps who just a few days before had welcomed a paramilitary, racist group to speak at a Republican Party headquarters, I'm sure we would never hear the end of it. But, when Howie goes to a similar situation, we never heard a peep about it except from me.
"The safe and legal passage of immigrants and foreign visitors to Cameron County is important to the civic life of our county," the resolution said. "The future growth of Cameron County depends on the continued good will of our brothers in Mexico."
Officials in Laredo also voted unanimously to oppose the Minuteman project, saying they were "not welcome here." The Laredo City Council called on citizens and property owners along the border to refuse to cooperate with the Minutemen, referring to them as "spies" on suspected illegal aliens.
As for Texas Gov. Rick Perry, here's what he says:
"I fully understand and can appreciate the frustration that many Texans and others across the nation have with illegal immigration... The federal government can and must do more to close the border to illegal immigration... Until that happens, these kinds of citizen-initiated efforts likely will be the result. If you want to send the Minutemen home, I urge you to make sure we have enough federal agents on the border to secure it."
Posted to Immigration2005b at 03:18 PM | Comments (1)
Arianna Huffington in a Sierra Club SUV: picture available!
As previously discussed, Arianna was driven out of the Sierra Club's summit meeting in a massive Chevy Suburban.
Now, you can bid on a picture of Arianna Huffington in the gas-guzzling SUV. It's personally signed by Doug from Upland, so click the link to bid on this souvenir of failed limousine liberalism today:
Arianna Huffington, the force behind "The Detroit Project," which demonized SUVs, was keynote speaker on Sept. 11 at the Sierra Summit 2005 in San Francisco. How did she get to the event at the Moscone Center, you may ask. Did she take BART? Did she take a cab? Did she carpool? Did she take her Prius? Did she rent an environmentally friendly vehicle at SFO? None of the above. Arianna and her driver arrived at the Moscone Center in a giant Chevy Suburban, one of the biggest and most powerful gas guzzling vehicles on the planet. Why did Arianna do that? Well, it should be obvious if you ever read George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM. Yes, indeed, some animals are more equal than others...
UPDATE: Bidding has ended; it went for $41.
Posted to Celebrities at 06:25 AM | Comments (0)
CFR: Ship seniors to Mexico
Walter Russell Mead of the Council on Foreign Relations says we should send retirees to Mexico and other Latin American countries: "Make it easier for retirees to move south of the border". The idea is that they'll bolster those countries' economies and reduce illegal immigration.
Of course, another way to reduce illegal immigration would be for almost everyone in the U.S. to start a collection that would buy our elites some nice country like, just as an example, Honduras. The only condition: they would have to promise to move there and not to bother us ever again.
Posted to Politics at 05:35 AM | Comments (1)
70% of OTMs detained this year were released into the U.S.
"OTMs" are "other-than-Mexicans": illegal aliens who are from Honduras, Brazil, Yemen, Communist China, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and other fun countries.
"DHS lets go 'other' illegals" gives us this fun statistic:
Nearly 70 percent, or 68,000, of the more than 98,000 OTMs detained so far this year were released almost immediately because of the government's inability to return them to their home country and a lack of detention facilities to hold them while here, federal authorities said.
Nevertheless, we're informed that our homeland "security" administration is working on doing a better job.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 02:31 AM | Comments (0)
Jupiter Florida's illegal alien hiring hall coming soon
From the Palm Beach Post:JUPITER — Town and church officials are on the verge of negotiating a deal that would establish the first day-labor hiring center for immigrant workers in Palm Beach County.Previously: Jupiter Florida's seamy, corrupt, "liberal" underbelly and "Palm Beach Post prints PIIPP on home loans for illegal aliens".
The town council's approval on Tuesday of two proposed neighborhoods in Abacoa — Windsor Park and Mallory Creek — has allowed the town to pursue buying the LifeSong Community Church building near town hall. Once the two neighborhoods are built, the church will move to Abacoa.
The church building is expected to cost the town $1.95 million and will be leased to Catholic Charities to open the Neighborhood Resource Center, which among other things would be a day-labor hiring center...
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:26 PM | Comments (1)
Video of the California Teacher's Association thuggery
There's video, audio and statements about the incident here.
Previously: "30,000 public school teachers in California are not CTA members".
Posted to California at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)
GAO: ICE all but ignores workplace enforcement
From "Homeland security action against illegals lacking":The agency charged with interior immigration enforcement all but ignores going after illegal aliens in the workplace, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released yesterday.A spokesman promises that targets will be set, etc. etc.
The GAO found that an antiquated system for businesses to verify employees' right to work has hindered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in its mission of tracking and deporting illegal aliens in the nation's interior. In addition, the widespread use of fraudulent documents has made it difficult for both employers and ICE to detect illegal workers.
GAO investigators also said ICE, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, is devoting more attention to preventing terrorism, but that has meant less attention to illegal immigration in general...
Posted to Immigration2005b at 04:18 PM | Comments (0)
30,000 public school teachers in California are not CTA members
As previously discussed, Union thugs shout down teachers suing over union electioneering.
The SacBee discusses that press conference in "Suit challenges union fundraising bid", which contains this interesting bit:
About 30,000 public school teachers in California have chosen to not join the CTA and instead are listed as "agency fee payers" rather than union members. Fee payers are still charged to support the union for its contract bargaining function, but they are not assessed any charges to help finance the CTA's political goals.
I was unable to find out how many total public school teachers there are in CA, but 30,000 sounds like it would be a good percentage of them.
Posted to California at 02:12 PM | Comments (1)
Most Americans support the Minuteman Project
Despite the media's countless attempts to smear them - and despite Our Leader calling them "vigilantes" - 54% of Americans support the Minuteman Project, a Rasmussen poll reports. Only 22% have an unfavorable view of them.
A little under half support the government encouraging volunteers to patrol the entire Mexican border. A little over half think that if that happened illegal immigration would be reduced.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 01:58 PM | Comments (2)
$500 million to observe the entire Mexican border with military technology?
Sounds like one heck of a deal. From "Renzi wants military technology to track immigrants at border":Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., says state-of-the-art military technology should be employed to help the U.S. Border Patrol peer into Mexico to locate and track the movements of immigrants, smugglers and potential terrorists before they cross the border.He wants to look into Mexico, which prompts an embassy spokesman to say that could conflict with Mexican law. Of course, one way around that would be to refer to the balloons as "undocumented observation platforms". Remember: no balloon is illegal.
Aerostat balloons, equipped with night-vision capabilities and other intelligence equipment, already are in use by the Defense Department in various other regions, Renzi said in an interview Wednesday...
...Renzi estimates the cost of putting this technology in place along the entire 1,951-mile U. S.-Mexico border at about $500 million. Arizona's 389-mile share of the border with Mexico includes remote, treacherous expanses of desert and well-established smuggling corridors.Click the link to find out more about that fine American organization. While I don't want balloons or similar monitoring U.S. cities, on the border that's perfectly acceptable.
John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a think tank based in Alexandria, Va., said Renzi's plan to use military technology to peer across the border for potential undocumented immigrants and smugglers does not, in his view, raise any privacy concerns.
After all, he said, those individuals, if spotted, are clearly "out in the open."
But Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, said a build-up of law enforcement and equipment along the border has not worked so far in stemming the tide of illegal immigration. He said ideas to improve or tighten border security, such as Renzi's, must still be combined with the creation of more legal channels for people to come to this country and work.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 12:28 PM | Comments (0)
Conyers, McKinley attending September 24 Washington DC Cindy Sheehan protest
Knight-Ridder informs us that "Top Democrats won't attend anti-war rally in Washington". (For the backstory, see "ANSWER, UPJ, Cindy Sheehan, Code Pink, MoveOn to protest at White House September 24".)
However, two lesser lights will be attending: Reps. Cynthia McKinney (D-Saturn) and John Conyers (D-Neptune).
Those staying away include: Howard Dean, Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-Pantsuiton), Russell Feingold (D-Dairyland), and John Kerry (D-Martha's Vineyard, Aspen, and Vail).
It's surprising that they won't be showing up:
Today's leading Democrats head a party divided over the war, and many leaders are wary of standing with anti-war activists, who represent much of the party's base...
Even I won't go so far as to say that A.N.S.W.E.R. represents much of the party's base. Maybe 30% or even 40%, but in all likelihood not that much more than half. Although, three-quarters might be a possibility.
"The Democratic Party has an identity crisis on this issue. We need voices. We need leadership," [Tom Andrews, a former Democratic House member from Maine who's now the national director of Win Without War] said. "But fear is driving them."
Yes, it's called not wanting to be associated with North Korea supporters.
"[Howard 'The Scream' Dean's] views on the president's handling of the war in Iraq are well documented," [spokesman Josh Earnest] said. The anti-war rally, he said, is "not something the party was involved with."
Posted to ThePeaceMovement at 11:46 AM | Comments (0)
The David Safavian, Grover Norquist, Chris Cannon connection
From "David Hossein Safavian: From the White House to the Jail House":Last Monday, David Hossein Safavian, a high-ranking White House official and pal of GOP powerbroker Grover Norquist, was arrested in a federal corruption case involving lobbying bad boy Jack Abramoff. According to the FBI, Safavian repeatedly lied to federal investigators in order to cover up Abramoff's shady dealings. He not only bent ethics rules to accompany Abramoff on a 2002 golf junket to Scotland; he also used his position as chief of staff at the General Services Administration to deliver GSA-managed land into the lobbyist's hands.For more on Norquist, see "Will Bush give Katrina rebuilding jobs... to illegal aliens?" and "Chris Cannon, Grover Norquist, WSJ, Fox News all linked together?"
But Safavian's not just tied to a dirty lobbyist. He's also tied to a convicted terrorist and a suspected terrorist supporter. Lobbying disclosure forms revealed last year that he has been in the employ of Abdurahman Alamoudi, an avowed supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah. Prosecutors have discovered evidence that he has links to al-Qaeda. At the time, Safavian waved aside any affiliation to Alamoudi. He insisted that he was really lobbying for a client named Jamal al Barzinji. That revelation did little to clear Safavian's name: A federal affidavit identifies Barzinji as the ringleader of a group suspected of aiding terrorists.Extensive coverage of Cannon starts here.
What's worse, Safavian has demonstrated a pattern of concealing all these ties in order to gain access to sensitive positions in the government; and despite this pattern of dishonesty and despite serious security concerns, both the Senate and the agencies that have hired him have given him a pass...
..."I think he will do a great job for the American people in this job," testified Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, who had previously employed Safavian as a top aide. "I would like to second what Chris Cannon has said," added Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, who brought along his chief of staff and two lawyers to add to his cheering section...
Posted to Politics at 10:47 AM | Comments (0)
NRO, Miami Herald oppose Julia Myers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement
In the NRO editorial "Withdraw Myers", they suggest that Bush finds someone a bit more qualified to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement than the current pick of Julia Myers since she has no immigration experience:[ICE is] a vast bureau with more than 20,000 employees and a budget of $4 billion. As head of ICE, Myers would be in charge of detaining and removing illegal aliens; investigating alien smuggling, illegal arms exports, and money laundering; fining the employers of illegal aliens (well, actually they don’t bother with that any more); plus many, many other responsibilities. She would be the officer chiefly responsible for protecting the nation against terrorist threats once they have succeeded in infiltrating our borders, which are guarded by a different bureaucracy. Her most relevant previous experience was managing only 170 employees and a $25 million budget while at the Commerce department...I seriously doubt that immigration enforcement or competence are anywhere near the top of the administration's priorities. If they withdraw her nomination, the only reason will be because of the heat they've received.
...The response of House Republicans to any talk of new immigration programs has been "Enforcement First." Replacing Myers with a more suitable candidate would signal that the White House takes these concerns seriously. Obstinately sticking to the nomination would send the opposite message.
Previously: "More on Bush's pick to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement".
UPDATE: I changed the title because the Miami Herald has joined in with "An unqualified nominee for a top job".
Posted to Politics at 08:26 AM | Comments (1)
"Bush Extends National State of Emergency - Military in Streets of DC"
Snug down your tinfoil and take a look at this DU post. On September 21, Bush extended the National State of Emergency that he declared after 9/11.That links to "Today in DC: Commandos in the Streets?"
The latter should send you to the store to stock up on extra heavy tin foil:
Today [9/21], somewhere in the DC metropolitan area, the military is conducting a highly classified Granite Shadow "demonstration." ...Granite Shadow is yet another new Top Secret and compartmented operation related to the military’s extra-legal powers regarding weapons of mass destruction. It allows for emergency military operations in the United States without civilian supervision or control.
...That's where Granite Shadow comes in. U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), the military's new homeland security command, is preparing its draft version of CONPLAN 0400 for military operations in the United States, and the resulting Granite Shadow plan has been classified above Top Secret by adding a Special Category (SPECAT) compartment restricting access.
The sensitivities, according to military sources, include deployment of "special mission units" (the so-called Delta Force, SEAL teams, Rangers, and other special units of Joint Special Operations Command) in Washington, DC and other domestic hot spots. NORTHCOM has worked closely with U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), as well as the secret branches of non-military agencies and departments to enforce "unity of command" over any post 9/11 efforts.
Further, Granite Shadow posits domestic military operations, including intelligence collection and surveillance, unique rules of engagement regarding the use of lethal force, the use of experimental non-lethal weapons, and federal and military control of incident locations that are highly controversial and might border on the illegal...
Posted to Politics at 06:55 AM | Comments (0)
Governor Bill Clinton... of California?
This rumor mill site says that sources say that someone else says that their sources heard from someone else that major donors (probably including George Soros) are encouraging "Bubba" Bill Clinton to run for governor of California.
"On first blush, it might sound nuts" they quote a Democratic strategist. It sounds the same way on second, third, and subsequent blushes too.
Other possibilities mentioned include: Magic Johnson, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Rob Reiner. Only the last played a character named "Meathead", although all four are meatheads.
Posted to California at 06:08 AM | Comments (2)
Katrina: was Chertoff misled by an inaccurate weather forecast?
The unsourced and unconfirmed report here (or here) says that the DHS was using the private company AccuWeather to obtain their forecasts of Katrina. A report was compiled using their data and presented to DHS head Michael Chertoff.Meanwhile, NWS meteorologists working at the "NOAA Desk" in the "DHS Ops Center" prepared another report based on the reports from the National Hurricane Center. That report might not have been presented to Chertoff:
To make matters worse & even more confusing, FEMA relies solely on NWS products, which includes those issued by the National Hurricane Center. So FEMA (which only uses NWS) and the DHS (which uses Accuweather) are not even looking at the same forecasts! The NWS NHC's track for Katrina was significantly different & more accurate than Accuweather's. Just recently, Accuweather's track for Ophelia brought it across Florida & into the Gulf. In both cases, Accuweather's forecast was dead wrong. The end result is that the head of homeland security & DHS & FEMA received conflicting forecasts.Since this was apparently discussed at Congressional hearings, it shouldn't be too difficult to confirm whether this is accurate or not.
Sen. Bill Nelson also asked Max Mayfield about consolidation and downsizing of WFOs and Max Mayfield unequivocally said it was a very bad idea, and that he hopes that it doesn't happen and that the local\ WFOs are an essential part of NWS. Senator Nelson also trashed Accuweather and, without naming Santorum, blasted those who would try to take NWS off the air and off the internet to help commercial interests.
Posted to Politics at 04:16 AM | Comments (1)
National Enquirer stands by Bush booze story
As previously discussed, the National Enquirer says that Bush is hitting the bottle again.
From this (completely unverified and consider the source) post:
Ed Schultz just interviewed an editor with the National Enquirer. The editor said the paper stands by its story "150%" and would go to court over it if they had to. He said that they have 2 different sources for the story, and that the sources had been informing the National Enquirer about this story for about the last month or so. Notably, the editor said that a "highly respected" newspaper has also been working on the story and could well publish something on it in the next week or two.
Of course, as can be expected, there are other DUmmie posts speculating that this could all be a Rovian plot:
Ok. So why the hell are liberals believing the National Enquirer?
So AAR shows like Randi spent their time on the Enquirer/Booze story
Did another poster guess that Rove might have planted the Enquirer story?
The last one posits that the story might be true, but that it's been presented in the most sympathetic-to-Bush light. Alternatively, that Rove planted the story in the Enquirer in order to debunk it.
Posted to Politics at 03:03 AM | Comments (0)
Jimmy Carter: Al Gore is my president
He didn't say that exactly, but former prez Carter thinks Al Gore is the real winner of the 2000 elections:
There is "no doubt in my mind that Gore won the election," the erstwhile President declared, saying the 2000 election process "failed abysmally."
Posted to Politics at 11:57 PM | Comments (1)
Union thugs shout down teachers suing over union electioneering
The National Right to Work Foundation has filed a lawsuit on behalf of six teachers and professors against the California Teachers Association. The suit concerns a $60 fee that the union is charging them in each of the next three years. That money is being used to mount the CTA's campaign against Arnold Schwarzenegger's Propositions 74, 75 and 76.
The NRWF held the press conference outside the union's office.
One hundred teachers and others succeeded in shouting them down and drowning out the press conference: screaming "Shame on you" over and over.
Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks says:
"This is an example of the kind of intimidation, bullying and thuggery that our public school teachers are enduring (from the union) every day"
They're seeking class action status for the suit.
Posted to California at 06:53 PM | Comments (1)
ANSWER, UPJ, Cindy Sheehan, Code Pink, MoveOn to protest at White House September 24
And, before you go you might want to read "War protesters linked to radical left-wing groups":The groups gathering in Washington this weekend to protest President Bush and the war in Iraq have ties to radical left-wing groups and communist organizations and have enjoyed the support of the left's biggest financial supporter, George Soros.
United for Peace and Justice (UPJ) and International Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) are the two main organizers of the weekend of events -- the first major public protest allowed to surround the White House in more than 10 years -- and expect 100,000 people from dozens of smaller left-wing and liberal organizations.
A highlight of Saturday, the first day of protests, is an appearance and speech by anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan...
The leaders of ANSWER, founded three days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, are connected to the Workers World Party, a Marxist group that has expressed support for such dictators as North Korea's Kim Jong-il, Yugoslavia's Slobodan Milosevic and Iraq's Saddam Hussein...
Other groups associated with ANSWER are the Free Palestine Alliance, U.S.-Mexico Solidarity Foundation and the Muslim Student Association of the U.S. and Canada.
UPJ, founded by liberals who say they were concerned about the radical tactics and smorgasbord of issues trumpeted by ANSWER, says it organized the "S24," or Saturday (Sept. 24) protest first, but Mr. Dobbs said there's "a big overlap" between the protests and "the major point is that we're in D.C. to stop the war in Iraq."
Among the nearly 1,000 groups in the UPJ coalition are Punks for Peace, Queer to the Left, September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows and Historians Against the War.
California-based Code Pink, which has established a reputation for aggressive protesting, and MoveOn.org will also be out in force this weekend...
Posted to ThePeaceMovement at 07:45 AM | Comments (2)
DUmmies' childish view of illegal immigration
The best and brightest minds of the left have contributed their wisdom to the DU threads "East Coast cold to Minuteman Project" and "Minutemen planning national action at U.S. borders".You might be tempted to think that some of those posting the childish remarks are COINTELPRO-style operatives designed to assist in reducing the wages of American workers. But, you'd be wrong. Those are real lefties there:
Those maids and gardeners and masons aren't hurting anyone, and make great neighbors, by and large, bringing with them their traditional, earthy family values.Well, millions of the maids and gardeners and masons can certainly have an effect on many aspects of American life, but no one said DUmmies were smart.
Further, while I don't think the poster was joking, his comment is very similar to... an article from The Onion. From "Man Who Thought He Was On Date Actually Just At Work-Related Get-Together":
"Thinking I was covering my tracks, I said I had a thing for our supervisor, Michaela [Torres]," Rolen said. "I started babbling about how I like to date Hispanic women, because I find them very 'earthy' and 'spiritual.' I was out of control."Perhaps I should start a new subcategory: "DU, or The Onion?"
However, not every single last one of them are dumb, as there's one intelligent reply:
This is not a race issue, it's an economic issue.
Everyone of those landscapers, maids and clerks are taking jobs from American citizens.
When every American in the job market is gainfully employed, then let's throw the doors open to our neighbors.
And please no racist rhetoric about how nobody wants the jobs they take. Talk to the 400 people who applied for 12 McDonald's jobs in my city.
The influx of illegals is depressing American wages and in the long run helping very few except CEOs who are only too happy to oblige.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 03:35 AM | Comments (1)
Mexican bishop in "hot water" over accepting drug money
Oddly enough, Reuters has placed the news that the bishop of Mexico's Aguascalientes accepted donations from drug runners in their Oddly Enough category.
The bishop says:
"You don't have to burn the money just because it's bad. It's better to transform it ... I've known of cases (where) it's been purified."
Our wacky funny friends from the south! We're also informed that:
Bishops in northern Mexico said earlier this year that the multibillion-dollar cross-border trade in cocaine, marijuana and amphetamines went against church teaching.
Unfortunately, they don't seem to have the same prohibition on massive illegal immigration.
If you think this is a wackily funny report, you might also enjoy "Illegal Immigration and the Mexican Archbishop" (about the archbishop of Mexico City), "Catholic workers for open borders", "Catholic Church & Charities Illegally 'Aid and Abet' Aliens", "Yet another Bishop for Open Borders", "The Bishop is a cheap labor pimp", "Mexican archdiocese criticizes Arizona law limiting migrant benefits", or "Bishop: Keep America Great!"
Posted to Immigration2005b at 09:33 PM | Comments (2)
Linda Chavez supports illegal immigrants take Katrina rebuilding jobs
Linda Chavez offers "Hispanics and Hurricane Katrina". She was watching TV and looking for others of her race:
...Most are immigrants -- often illegal -- from Honduras and Mexico. Then, just when I thought they were nowhere to be found, I spotted a few Hispanic men in the television footage this week of crews cleaning up the debris... Wherever they went to escape the storm, they're back -- because there is work to be done, and they are eager to do dirty jobs that many others shun...
Well, Linda, perhaps those aren't Louisiana natives or even residents. Perhaps, oh I dunno, they're from Texas.
And, I wonder who might be those "many others" she's refering to. Now, clearly, those "many others" are not Hispanics. Which race would they be? Whites? Blacks? Asians? Asian-Pacific Islanders?
I wonder if these images will sink in with the anti-immigrant crowd that imagines that Mexicans come to the United States looking for a handout.
Wow, that's quite a load of straw she's got there. While abuse of public services is part of the opposition to illegal immigration, isn't there a whole lot more? Like, just as one example, corrupt corporations getting massively subsidized labor and ripping the rest of us off? Say, did you know that Linda Chavez is a signatory to the "Conservative" Statement of Principles on Immigration as well as a supporter of Bush's guest worker scheme?
My suspicion is that few of New Orleans' Hispanic immigrants -- especially the illegal ones -- stuck around for the hurricane to hit. Immigrants in general tend to have strong initiative and good coping skills.
Yes, they're so much better than the lazy natives. As for me, I suspect that many of New Orleans' illegal immigrants have no real ties to that city and got out because they had as much at stake as Linda Chavez does to Nanking. Then, they - as well as their co-workers from other states and from Mexico - came back to make a buck.
There will be plenty of jobs to go around, and, as always, immigrants will be among the first lining up to do them.
Unfortunately for Chavez, the American thing to do is to make sure that - one way or another - those jobs go to Americans. It's explicitly un-American to allow illegal aliens to underbid Americans for those jobs.
But, at least we know whose side Linda Chavez is on.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:10 PM | Comments (5)
Arnold: Bush always welcome in California, but...
Arnold Schwarzenegger wants George Bush to avoid fundraising in California until after the special election. I'm sure there's the matter of only so many donations to go around, but I'm sure that Arnold is also able to read polls.
Posted to California at 05:29 PM | Comments (1)
BUSH IN BOOZE CRISIS
The ever-credible National Enquirer has the scoop:
"When the levees broke in New Orleans, it apparently made him reach for a shot," said one insider. "He poured himself a Texas-sized shot of straight whiskey and tossed it back. The First Lady was shocked and shouted: "Stop George!"
But, what does a shrink think?
Dr. Justin Frank, a Washington D.C. psychiatrist and author of Bush On The Couch: Inside The Mind Of The President, told The National Enquirer: "I do think that Bush is drinking again. Alcoholics who are not in any program, like the President, have a hard time when stress gets to be great... I think it's a concern that Bush disappears during times of stress. He spends so much time on his ranch. It's very frightening."
Posted to WackyHumor at 03:23 PM | Comments (1)
Phil Angelides for Governor, Part 1
Welcome to the first edition of our coverage of Phil Angelides' attempt to be Governor of California. We'll be highlighting his accomplishments and his goals.
In today's news, he's just received an endorsement from Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.
And, in a flashback to last year, in June he toured campuses of California universities to complain about fee hikes. His companions included... Arianna Huffington and Randy Jackson from American Idol.
Posted to California at 02:06 PM | Comments (0)
Chinese company sells Kelitun and Laiwensiji condoms
Think about those names for a second...Yes, that's right! Clinton and Lewinski. Those wacky Chinese!
A 12-pack of Clintons is expected to cost $5.00, with Lewinskys selling at a discounted price of just over $3.00.I don't know about that, at least in America where we've got rights of publicity, but I'll let the real lawyers weigh in. Hey! I know who would know!
The manufacturer's general manager, Liu Wenhua, told Sky News that naming his condoms for Clinton was perfectly legal, explaining that "trademarks of two foreign surnames and can't be seen as a violation of rights."
New York Sen. Hillary Clinton was unavailable to comment on her husband's latest achievement.
Posted to WackyHumor at 10:19 AM | Comments (0)