Isn't It About Time for Rahall to Go?

For a guy from an energy-producing state, 3rd District good ol' boy Nick Joe Rahall doesn't seem to much support domestic energy production. He sponsored the Clean Energy Act of 2007 which, among other things, would hurt domestic energy production and increase reliance on foreign oil.

Rahall has been in Congress for thirty-nine years, making him one of the longest 'serving' politicians in the history of the Mountain State. No doubt Mr. Rahall has accomplished some things in his tenure, but his current stance on energy and its importance to our economy would make one wonder which side he's on, the hard-working men and women of his own state, or the the hard-working environmentalists that would like to see our coal mines and oil rigs replaced with windmills and solar panels.

As mentioned, the Clean Air Act of 2007, along with his back-and-forth on cap-and-trade legislation, rather than fighting tooth and claw against it, even in the face of undeniable questioning of the effects of human processes on global temperature fluctuations, tends to put Rahall somewhere near the top of the anti-energy crowd. Surely this is not a good thing for the economy in the state he so proudly 'serves'.

But what other choices do we have? Well, there's ex-Democrat Elliot “Spike” Maynard. Mayard is by far the most experienced challenger Rahall could possibly face with time both as a Circuit Court Judge and Supreme Court Justice. Maynard is plain-spoken, well-liked, and has a reputation for honesty and fairness.

Sure Maynard is now a Republican in a state that doesn't take kindly to elephants in Congress, but possibly, with the national trend heading away from Democrats, coupled with Rahall's obvious stance against the people of his own state, he may just be the man  to beat in 2010. With West Virginia still ranking near the bottom in every important economic category after all these years, what do we have to lose?

The Great Pile-On

You just  know the end is near when even the Friends of Obama Club is piling on.

It is so not a good sign for Comrade Obama and his posse when even the Commy News Network (CNN for the moderates) is getting into the act of smacking this administration around like an Ali sparring partner.

 Even Lee Stranahan at the Huffington Post is getting in on the act. Stranahan has long been a vocal Obama supporter but recently published a video documenting our President's obvious reversals on his health care promises.

And you really know your in trouble when that bastion of comedic bomb-throwing, John Stewart, gets in on the pummeling. Stewart recently took the President to task on the Daily Show.

After campaigning on transparency in government, even being so specific as to promise that the health care debates would be broadcast live on C-Span, President Obama has done lied again.

After campaigning on closing GITMO, after promising to federally "stimulate" the economy, change the tone, reverse the tides and plug the ozone hole, Obama is finally beginning to alienate the very people that supported him.

The latest Rasmussen poll finds Obama with a -14 rating, far and away the fastest first-year free fall of any president in memory. His amateurish over-promising, coupled with his childish blaming of the Bush Administration are largely to blame for this.

No Mr. President, you most certainly do not get a 'do over'.

The Intolerance of Brit Hume

Much is being said about the intolerance of Brit Hume. This past Sunday, the Fox News analyst gave Tiger Woods a little advice. Nothing too radical, just "Hey Tiger, you really screwed up and I believe the Christian faith may offer you a little peace of mind, and a chance at redemption!"

Now everybody from the Huffington Post to Jon Stewart is all over Hume.

Sorry, but I don't see it.

Its not like Hume was slamming his fist on the table like some backwoods Alabama snake-charmer. He wasn't licking his chops at the thought of another conversion notch in his belt.

The left likes to ramble on about the Crusades and the Inquisition, conveniently forgetting  that the Christian faith was widely responsible for the abolition of slavery in America and that many of our greatest scientific minds were people of faith.

To give equal time, the right likes to paint America as a "Christian Nation", when most of the founding fathers were actually Deists. Which is just to say they believed in a Creator but not necessarily the God of the Holy Bible.

And then there's state-sponsored atheism of the Soviet variety, which was directly responsible for Joseph Stalin's murderous rampage through the Russian population, killing approximately 20,000,000 people.

Brit Hume's only crime was actually professing a belief in something greater than himself that did not include Mother Nature. He just gave Tiger a little advice. Something he can probably use right now.

The Political Class Does Not Care About Us

They Label Us - We Lose

Forget Democrat, or Republican, or 'conservative, or 'liberal' or 'moderate'!

Those are labels designed to divide, as is putting a person's country-of-origin before American, as in "African-American". Its the age-old game of divide and conquer and we're losing.

Who are "we"? "We" are the people of this country. "We" are the individuals who get up every single morning and get to work. "We" take care of our kids. "We" drive trucks. "We" run banks. You name it "we" do it.

You see, the problem we're having is that we've let the political class (forget the letter after their names) divide us into groups. And all these groups are looking at each other with distrust. It's blacks against whites, conservatives against liberals, rich against poor, young against old.

Think about it. Start noticing the first thought that pops in your mind when you see someone thats not in your group. If you drive an old car and see someone in a BMW, or your white and see a black person, or if your a kid and see an old person, what's the first thing you think?

No one can answer this for you. Its a personal thing. But if your answer, in your own head, is divisive, then they've beat you. They win. You lose.

The political class, which is simply the people with the power, have garnered so much control over our minds that we actually think they have our best interest at heart. Well, guess what? THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US!

They take our money and build a bloated military in the name of protection. A military that protects countries that can protect themselves. A military that goes to war under false pretenses. We put our young sons and daughters on bloody battlefields to protect our 'interests'.

They take our money and build social programs to take care of those with less. Social Security gets 'borrowed against' to fund other programs. Medicare is broke. The War on Poverty has left the poor as bad, or worse off, as ever before.

They take our money to subsidize businesses that can't survive on their own. Millions go to farm subsidies to pay farmers NOT to grow crops. More millions go to government contractors who then 'donate' to the very politicians who gave them the money in the first place.

How do we stop this? There are many options but one problem. They all require more action than words. Start engaging people in uncomfortable conversations. Turn off the TV and read a book about politics. Attend your meetings. School  boards, health departments, city councils, all have regular meetings that are open to the public. Attend a couple and sit in the back. Watch how they operate and who the players are.

Folks, we can change things but we have to do something other than watch the evening news and bitch about things. We have to get off our butts and get involved. You don't have to speak. Don't be afraid. Just showing up and watching is enough.

So go buy a newspaper and find out when the next meetings are, turn off the TV and get involved. Otherwise, don't complain when the last of your freedoms are gone.

Is It Finally Time for A Third Party in American Politics?

Across the nation, entrenched politicians are feeling the heat and unlike in years past, this time its backed by a tidal wave of discontent rather than any cult of personality. Not in recent memory has such large groundswell of momentum gathered heading up to a national election that wasn't spearheaded by a national figure.

The Tea-Party Movement began six months ago with thousands of people gathering all over the nation to express outrage at the steady drumbeat of all levels of government into their lives. While most of the mass media has attempted to paint them as racist, bigoted rednecks or special-interest pawns, the truth is, they are a cross section of America that have one thing in common. They all think Uncle Sam, and state governments, have gone way too far.

A recent NBC/WSJ poll is getting a lot of traction because it shows candidates aligned with the Tea-Party Movement beating both Democrats and Republicans, even in hypothetical races with no announced candidate. 

One of the movements most popular and outspoken members is Rand Paul, son of Republican Congressman and past Presidential candidate Ron Paul, is making serious headway in the Kentucky Senate race.A leading voice for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies, Paul has also proven to be a prodigious fund-raiser. He collected over $400,000 dollars in one day (which he claims to be the largest single-day total of any Kentucky primary candidate in history.) and has raised over one million dollars so far.

Another rising star is Marco Rubio. Nine years ago he was a City Commissioner in West Miami. Six months ago he trailed in the polls for U.S. Senate by 40 points. Today he's in a neck-and-neck horse race marching towards the November election. Rubio's energy, integrity, not to mention his Spanish heritage, which plays very well in south Florida, make him a stong candidate in November.

Then there's J.D. Hayworth, former U.S. Congressman and current thorn in the side of John McCain (Rasmussen has him in a veritable dead heat with the long time incumbant). Whats interesting about this race is Hayworth hasn't even officially announced his candidacy yet.


Why are these candidates, and dozens like them enjoying such success? Because contrary to media portrayals, they are tough-minded individuals that strongly believe in less government interference in the domestic economy. Sure they have their blemishes, just like the rest of us, but they share the belief that government only subsidizes and expands problems, often in the name of compassion.

What is critical to be understood is this. As Bill Clinton was so fond of saying, 'it really is the economy, stupid.' These candidates, and many, many more just like them, are pleading the fifth to a great degree on social issues. They understand that topics like abortion and drug legalization are so divisive, and getting government spending under control so critical, they are staying away from these hot-potato issues.

If recent trends continue, and the movement can coalesce the nation's anger into a unified voice with serious candidates, we may just have our first 3rd party candidate in a very long time.

Racial inequality or oppression: Do they truly exist in today's society?

“In large states public education will always be mediocre, for the same reason that in large kitchens the cooking is usually bad." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

Since the beginning of recorded history human beings have joined groups. It's part of our survival instinct to herd together among our like-minded brethren that share our culture, traditions, beliefs and world views. Because of this undeniable and unalterable fact, 'racism' will always exist. But so will preferences based on religion, ethnicity, income level, and sexual preferences.

Inequality and oppression, now thats a completely different concept. Racial inequality is easily confused with inequality of opportunity. This difference has its roots in our racist educational system. African-American, and other races, are disallowed equal access to education by the one group that professes to have their best interests at heart, the Democratic Party. Yes, thats right, you heard it here first. The Democratic Party, through its misguided policies to 'help' minorities, actually impairs their ability to break out.

The primary tool available to minorities for this purpose is school vouchers. They allow minorities to bypass the bloated public school system and its monolithic bureaucracy, but the concept is consistently assaulted by those folks that you would think, from all their bloated rhetoric, are most interested in seeing minorities emerge the hell that is poverty.

The public school system is a monopoly. The same monopoly the left rails against in the private sector. Teachers unions and the federal government are inextricably joined, with a stranglehold on educational choice. Minorities have no choice under the current educational system. In any other area there would be public outrage. It broke up AT&T, Standard Oil, and countless other unfair organizations, but stands by and gives this one free pass.

Al Sharpton, one of the most outspoken proponents of the African-American plight, is unashamedly against school choice. “I believe in public education, do not believe in going into privatization, whether that be through vouchers or other schemes.” - NPR Radio

However, an extensive and distinguished list of African American leaders have spoken out for school choice. Former Congressman JC Watts, former UN Ambassador Andrew Young, former Secretary of State Collin Powell, and many others have spoken out in support of school vouchers, yet the issue dies a quick death when brought up in any meaningful way. You must ask yourself, what could be so unacceptable, so unreasonable, so capricious about giving minority families freedom of choice? What group could possibly stand to lose by this proposition?

The teachers unions, led by the National Education Association consistently and vehemently resist any efforts in this area. Recently the NEA spent over $3.1 million, with union affiliates and other liberal groups poured in hundreds of thousands of dollars more, to defeat a school-choice initiative in Utah.

While at the same time, according to the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 33 percent of fourth graders scored "below basic" in reading, and among disadvantaged kids, 50 percent couldn't read. The majority of these kids who aren't receiving a quality education are among the 74 percent of American students who attend government-assigned public school.

In the United States of the 21st century, racial equality is as close to ideal as at anytime in history. We certainly have a long way to go but until the leftist union's choke hold on our educational system is broken, progress will continue to move at a lethargic pace.

The Great Global Warming Hoax

According the tale of little Chicken Little, if it weren't for Cocky Lockey, Foxy Loxy would have eaten everybody. If were not careful, Foxy may yet have his day.

So many questions and so little time. Proponents of anthropogenic global-warming or AGW, which is simply the theory that human processes and progress are primarily responsible for the possible warming of our planet, rather than Mother Nature, would have us believe that Chicken Little was indeed correct.

But, and this is an extremely important 'but', wouldn't it be prudent to get even remotely close to a consensus before we turn our world economy completely upside-down? Before we mortgage the future of generations yet to come, shouldn't we at least be firmly in agreement regarding global climate change and exactly what causes it?

Recently, 141 scientists, not kooks but actual scientific professionals that spend much of their day studying these things, wrote a letter to the United Nations. In this letter they use the term 'negative discovery'. Thats where every new nugget of knowledge thats found, produces several additional nuggets that need to be discovered to get a complete understanding of the topic. It seems we have this problem with AGW.

At the risk of redundancy, allow me to reiterate. These 141 educated men and women are not from Hoaxes 'R Us. They are distinguished, educated people from every corner of the globe and they have lots of initials after their names.

Then there's the game of Follow The Money. We must ask ourselves, who stands to gain from all this restrictive legislation? Now I don't personally know Al Gore, so I can't accurately speak to his character, but his name is one the charters of dozens of companies that will profit very handsomely. According the UK Telegraph, Mr. Gore stands to become the world's first Green Billionaire. Its not very hard to see where his allegiance lies.

Then there's the ClimateGate scandal. It seems some scientists in England fudged the numbers, or 'cooked the books' as they say in accounting circles. It seems the temperature data didn't exactly line up with their assumptions so it conveniently made its way to File 13. Now if this activity originated from the Southwest Montana Jesuit Global Warming Community College, it wouldn't be much, but it actually stems from activities at the University of East Anglia in Great Britain, one of the foremost and respected organizations studying AGW.

My children are old enough to ask some serious questions. They can read an article about volcanoes and CO2 admissions and come up with some real bell-ringers. Maybe, just maybe, if our kids can come up with some stumpers regarding AGW, shouldn't we take some more time studying the issue before we create problems that will exist for them long after we're gone?

You, Me, and Us - The Individual vs. The Collective

 Which comes first? Your answer dictates where you sit in this room (and probably whether or not you bookmark this site).

Those that believe that individual rights were the guiding force behind the creation of this nation, that people are inherently good at their core (until they prove otherwise), that if left to their own devices will  create a better life for themselves and their families, thereby creating a better standard of living for all will, hopefully, enjoy this site.

If, on the other had, you believe that man must be chained to collective action and thought for the sake of what is called 'the common good', then much of what you see and read here will shock you. It will piss you off. But it will make you think. And that, my friend, is our intention.

Our nation has a long, colored, and quite interesting history. Independent minds threw off tyranny like an old coat and built this great nation from scratch, but it seems lately we've thrown them under the bus. Washington, Franklin, Adams, Payne, Jefferson, and several other couragious people led an upstart group in a new land against Britain when nobody messed with the Union Jack (revisionists like to focus on the more negative aspects of these fallible folk,  but thats another post).

From Washington' principled leadership, western expansion and military genius, to Lincoln's ulimately succesful, albeit personally tragic, efforts to keep the nation from crumbling, to Reagan's couragious stand against the ravages of socialism, both home and abroad, America has long been the home of men and women who were willing to pay the ultimate price for freedom and liberty.

And the ladies, including Jane Adams, charter member of the NAACP, Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross, and Susan B. Anthony, champion of women's rights, and countless others, that worked tirelessly and courageously to advance new ideas in social and civil rights, medicine, and law.

For the past 233 years, our nation has been a beacon of hope for humanity. We've certainly made mistakes along the way, but freedom and liberty have always been the guiding force. Here's to the power and fire of the individual, with all their scratches and scars, struggling to continue the traditions, swimming against the tide, pusing back the collective creep that has destroyed so many great societies before us. If it weren't for you, we would all be speaking French.
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Well, that's all for now. As you can see, we're just another group of right-wing conspiracy theorists who believe what made this country unique needs to recycled. If you agree with us, join, comment, argue and debate. Only good can come from it. If you don't, stick around anyway, make your point, call us names, whatever. Maybe we can all learn a little from each other.

Politics, local news, sports, entertainment, its all fair game. If you have a rant, write it. If you have a comment or suggestion, throw the ball up and lets play.

Thanks again for visiting.

Radically,

The Hard Truth