by the Left Coast Rebel
I'm heading off to a party in Los Angeles but wanted to leave a little Halloween cheer behind before I leave the site for the day. For those that didn't notice, I saved the most horrifying, evil, disgusting and ghoulish for the last........Happy Halloween!
h/t to Saberpoint for the Newsweek graphic
h/t to No Sheeples Here for Haunted House
10.31.2009
Happy Obama Halloween
Breaking: Dede Scozzafava Suspends Campaign NY-23
by the Left Coast Rebel The state Assemblywoman has not thrown her support to either Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, or Bill Owens, the Democratic candidate. "Today, I again seek to act for the good of our community," Ms. Scozzafava wrote in a letter to friends and supporters. "It is increasingly clear that pressure is mounting on many of my supporters to shift their support. Consequently, I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so. I am and have always been a proud Republican. It is my hope that with my actions today, my party will emerge stronger and our district and our nation can take an important step towards restoring the enduring strength and economic prosperity that has defined us for generations."
Just breaking this morning. From the Watertown Daily Times:Dede Scozzafava, the Republican and Independence parties candidate, announced Saturday that she is suspending her campaign for the 23rd Congressional District and releasing all her supporters.
This news puts this race precisely where it needs to be: a referendum of conservatism vs. liberalism, traditional American ideals and limited government; or Obamanomics, socialism, and a transformation of the nation in the image of Pelosi, Reid, Obama and the Statist. Go Doug Hoffman!
UPDATE I: Stacy McCain actually broke this story unbeknownst to me, ( I should have checked his site right when I woke up this morning). Stacy proves again what the 2 'ines can do for a bloggo-reporter,(nicotine and caffeine). Stacy has news that Scozzafava will actually throw her support to Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.
Rightklik has aggregated sources, including Dede's farewell speech, the Hoffman response and others.
73 Wire is also on the scene, (along with Stacy McCain, the two lone reporters there), catch the happenings at 73.
UPDATEII: Left and right, I love to peruse the comment section of blogs to get a feel for what either the nutroots or the grassroots think about a certain hot news item. On that note, listen to these comments from the Other McCain:
Leslie Carbone said... This is a great rebuke to the misguided pragmatists who turned the Party of Reagan into the Party of Bush. Way to go, New York conservatives!
M. Minnesota said..... WOW!!! RINO's YOU BETTER FEEL THE HEAT OF THE CUDA!!!!!
Peter said...Huge victory for the New Media. Memo to the RINOs: "Can you hear us now?"
John Galt said.....This looks like an immense victory for Gov Palin.
Go get em Cuda. It looks like the Artic Fox is now the head of the Republican party.
So it seems that a Hoffman victory is one for conservatives and Sarah Palin. At least according to the grassrootssss.
Dede Scozzafava's Farewell Speech Transcript: NY-23
by the Left Coast Rebel
Sniped from 73Wire, here is Dede's speech in it's entirety:
Sniped from 73Wire, here is Dede's speech in it's entirety:
Dear Friends and Supporters:
Throughout the course of my campaign for Congress, I have made the people of the 23rd District and the issues that affect them the focal point of my campaign. As a life long resident of this District, I care deeply and passionately about its people and our way of life. Whether as a candidate for Congress, a State Assemblywoman or a small town Mayor, I have always sought to act with the best interest of our District and its residents in mind—and today I again seek to act for the good of our community.
The opportunity to run as the Republican and Independence Party candidate to represent the 23rd District has been and remains one of the greatest honors of my life. During the past several months, as I’ve traveled the district, meeting and talking with voters about the issues that matter most to them, I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of support I’ve received as I sought to serve as their voice in Washington. However, as Winston Churchill once said, Democracy can be a fickle employer, and the road to public office is not always a smooth one.
In recent days, polls have indicated that my chances of winning this election are not as strong as we would like them to be. The reality that I’ve come to accept is that in today’s political arena, you must be able to back up your message with money—and as I’ve been outspent on both sides, I’ve been unable to effectively address many of the charges that have been made about my record. But as I’ve said from the start of this campaign, this election is not about me, it’s about the people of this District. And, as always, today I will do what I believe serves their interests best.
It is increasingly clear that pressure is mounting on many of my supporters to shift their support. Consequently, I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so. I am and have always been a proud Republican. It is my hope that with my actions today, my Party will emerge stronger and our District and our nation can take an important step towards restoring the enduring strength and economic prosperity that has defined us for generations.
On Election Day my name will appear on the ballot, but victory is unlikely. To those who support me – and to those who choose not to – I offer my sincerest thanks.
Dede
Michelle Bachman: Pelosi Health Care Bill, Socialism, November 5 Tea Party Alert
by the Left Coast Rebel
I love mentioning Michele Bachmann on the site. Her name, as I have said; sends moonbats into orbit. They hate here nearly as much as Sarah Palin. That's just one of the reasons I love her. Obama/Pelosicare - "The crown jewel of socialism"
How about this? If Obama/Pelosicare passes, the Obamanation will have assumed control over 48% of the private economy this year.
Watch it:
Frankly I'm just using this video for linkage at Memeorandum to tout Bachmann's November 5 DC Tea Party, an effort to storm the Capitol and let our voices of dissent be heard. Just a Conservative Girl tipped me on this last night, she has more details at her site.
Via Memeorandum
h/t Gateway Pundit
Health Care Activism: Mary Katharine Ham Halloween Rule 5
by the Left Coast Rebel
As I noted in my Blue Dog Email Pressure List, the socialized health care push has left a lot of us in the dust, so to speak; without an action plan or clear idea as lone citizen activist on what precisely we can do. A spooky propostion being that this is Halloween. As I mentioned likewise to the Communications Director for Americans for Tax Reform, he noted to I that many feel the same. Including Mary Katharine Ham who had just sent him the following, what it:
Lucky to have her on our side, Mary Katharine Ham:
Blue Dog Email Pressure List
by the Left Coast Rebel
Amazingly, I just got contacted by the Communications Director with Americans for Tax Reform. He gave me an 'attaboy for the site and effort and asked if he could help in any way. I actually told him then that I needed a clear direction as a blogger on how to effectively allocate my time in stopping Obamcare. He mentioned pressuring House Members as of now.
In that spirit I am repeatedly listing email contacts for members of the Blue Dog Caucus in the House that must be pressured to not acquiesce and/or cave on Obamacare. Simply copy and paste this list into the 'Add Bcc'part of your email.
Let's get some good old-fashioned activist-results. Your voice will be heard. No to Obamacare in any shape, manner or form. Thank you as well to 9/12er and reader John for sending me this list.
UPDATE: Opus at MAinfo left a succinct comment, a great template for all of you coming up this week. The vote on Pelosicare is expected within 8-9 days. Simply copy her template as well, here it is:
Dear Congress-person,
Please do not allow this WORSE bill presented by Pelosi to pass. Is this a JOKE? The last bill was BAD and here is one that is WORSE? Please vote NO. NO CLOTURE! NO Government Takeover!
I assure you, all who vote for this bill will be remembered well into 2010 and beyond. It will be your political undoing.
Don't I live in your district? That's OK. I can still donate to your opponent. AND I'm a blogger. A political blogger. My blog is ranked around #250 for U S Political blogs by Technorati. I will remember you.
Thank you for listening,
XXXX
Please do not allow this WORSE bill presented by Pelosi to pass. Is this a JOKE? The last bill was BAD and here is one that is WORSE? Please vote NO. NO CLOTURE! NO Government Takeover!
I assure you, all who vote for this bill will be remembered well into 2010 and beyond. It will be your political undoing.
Don't I live in your district? That's OK. I can still donate to your opponent. AND I'm a blogger. A political blogger. My blog is ranked around #250 for U S Political blogs by Technorati. I will remember you.
Thank you for listening,
XXXX
10.30.2009
Ron Paul On Michael Moore and Health Care
by the Left Coast Rebel
Why are these things so hard to understand today? Why are Paul's ideas on the free market nearly unheard of?
He doesn’t understand that if he and millions of others are concerned about the less fortunate, it would be much more efficient for himself and those others to start their own voluntary charitable services rather than leaving it up to the inefficient forced monopoly of government to perform those services. He also believes the lie (which I did too) that there’s a difference when a group of people calling themselves ‘the government’ forcibly takes money from you (through taxation) than when an individual (i.e., a robber) forcibly takes money from you.
Which is, of course; exactly right.
h/t Landshark 5150
Also read Lew Rockwell
Cam-Stalker Beltway Creepiness: Rand Paul for Senate, Doug Hoffman NY 23
by the Left Coast Rebel
Two campaigns that I am gunning for have recently had cam-stalker opposition plants do cam-stalkin' things. It's not entirely clear just who they are but one can certainly gather a theory or two. The first cam-stalker is thought to be from the Dem-Grayson camp in Kentucky and has been following the Paul campaign around, even filming him at his church. Creepy? You bet. Is this even legal, on private property? No comment:
Nice Rush tunes, follow the Rand Paul for Senate camp here. Read my writeups on Paul here and here. Next up we have a No Comment cam-stalker caught taping license plates. Ali Akbar, (the filmer), over @ 73Wire caught this guy in the act at a Hoffman camp meet and greet yesterday. Don't the two guys look similiar as well? Watch it:
UPDATE: Reader M.V. had a question for any of you in the audience more lawyerly than I, here is what she said:
When people pull into a parking place for a charity event or any event that involves a candidate, if there is someone videotaping the license plates, would it be possible to pass the word to have someone stand in front of the video camera while someone else approaches the cars with a piece of paper to cover the license plates to prevent videotaping. Then, if the guy tries to remove the paper off the license plates, can he be charged with a tampering or such type of crime? If the cars are parked, I don't think it would be illegal to cover the plates. Also, someone could deliberately stand in front
of the camera inside while the guy is trying to videotape.Just a thought and thanks for letting me get my two-cents worth in.
My two resident attorney readers, (as well as blogger, pay them a visit),weigh in on this question. First, Libertarian Advocate offers this up:
I don't practice at all in the privacy law area, so you should take whatever I have to say here with that important caveat in mind, and in any event I can only speak in general terms as I'm not representing anyone. First, each state has its own privacy laws. Plainly, these two creeps are doing what they do for the purpose of soft intimidation, even if they ultimately do nothing at all with the footage.Followed by Transplanted Lawyer who offers up this :
If however, they are cops (unlikely), or FBI (also not very likely) then they can do probably do it, especially under USA PATRIOT but to what end? For spying and later punitive prosecution? That would chill fundamental BoR rights. If they are IRS and they use someone's support of Rand Paul or Doug Hoffman to then bury them in audits, malicious prosecution comes to mind.
The property owner(s) can certainly demand to see ID, and if they refuse to show ID, either remove them from the premises or, preferably, call police to do so, as they would be trespassers at any point in time that the property owners decide they don't want them there anymore.Probably just ACORNAUGHTS or Demoncrat campaign workers or SPLC POTOCK-OBOTS or SEIU-SLOBS hoping to provoke a fight or looking for grounds to file a BS harassment lawsuit.
In the end, they're probably the lefties' pathetic response to O'Keefe & Giles. Its best to do to them exactly what they're doing. FILM THEM, FOLLOW THEM TO THEIR CAR, FILM THEIR TAGS and so on.
1. In most states, it is illegal to tamper with or obscure a vehicle's license plate. Probably just an infraction, but still against the law. So taping something over a license plate would be, itself, a violation of law.Thank you guys for adding insight and making for great blogging.
2. The cam-stalker has only the right to record things that happen in public, or for which he is given permission to record. If he uses his right as a member of the public to record things that take place in public, that's the extent of his right. So if someone stands in front of a vehicle's license plate to place an object between the cam-stalker and the plate, the cam-stalker has no right to demand that the pedestrian stand aside. He's not a cop.
3. In the first video, if the cam-stalker paid for a pancake breakfast, he's probably paid for the right to be in the facility and to video what's happening; it's a quasi-public event anyway. Unless there is a specific reservation of the right to make recordings of the even on some kind of material related to the event. If the video is used for a commercial purpose, that raises some different issues. But he's probably within his rights to take film of something
4. In M.V.'s hypo, and in the second video, the cam-stalker could probably pretty
easily move to a different location to take video, or if the frustration of his video activities is frustrated, he could possibly make an even more potent political point about people "being ashamed" of supporting a particular candidate or cause. So it seems like a bad move to me to try and obscure people's license plates -- maybe not an illegal move, depending on where and how it's done, but not a smart move, either. The campaign worker in the second video did the right thing -- embarass the cam-stalker into leaving rather than forcing his hand.
5. If you're going to a campaign event but don't want your presence there to be known, I frankly don't have a lot of sympathy for you. The right of free speech does not necessarily guarantee the right to speak anonymously. There are plenty of ways (like blogging) you can air your point of view and still be anonymous -- but when you're out in public, people can see you.
6. This could be a tempest in a teapot. What is the cam-stalker going to do with this information, anyway? Many states restrict access to DMV registration databases so you can't relate a plate number to a person without a subpoena, meaning you'd need to get the assistance of a court to get the DMV to cough up the data. If the cam-stalker gets a list of license plate numbers and can't do anything more with it, so what?
Coast Guard Crash: San Clemente Island
by the Left Coast Rebel
The United States Coast Guard heroes are many times unknown and unrecognized. Hopefully the heroes of today's crash both military and Guard are recognized as such. Above all, I hope that they are found and alive. From SignonSanDiego:
Crews continued to search Friday morning for nine people missing after a Coast Guard transport plane and a Marine helicopter collided Thursday night east of San Clemente Island. “We continue to search with every asset we have available,” Coast Guard Capt. Thomas Farris said at a morning news briefing. Farris said four Marine aircraft were conducting training missions in the area prior to the collision.This story hits a nerve for me. This is my backyard. On a clear day, San Clemente island can be seen off the horizon, (see satellite photo) from my home,(white circled in photo). Also, I am aware of the bravery and patriotism of the Guard and Marines, I have personally seen training exercises of each respectively. The things that the succumb to under training would boggle your mind. I see such being that I live close to Camp Pendleton in Oceanside CA. Wimps need not apply, I forever salute.The Coast Guard C-130, which was based in Sacramento, had been conducting a rescue mission, looking for a person who had reportedly tried to row to Catalina Island in a dingy. The aircraft collided at 7:10 p.m.
Seven people were aboard the Coast Guard plane and two were in the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter.
I'll never forget the search for the Great White Shark that killed a man near where I live.The Coast Guard patrolled the SD coastline, unrelenting. It was a sight to behold.....
Godspeed and rescue for these 9.
The Californian coastline from space, circled where I live. Note San Clemente Island, shaped like the state itself:
UPDATE: Not giving up on search efforts, the San Diego UT reports:
The Coast Guard has found bits of debris, including aircraft wreckage, in a stretch roughly 12 miles long by 5 miles wide. No bodies were recovered as of last night. The ocean there is 2,000 feet deep.“We are not standing down at this point,” said Capt. Tom Farris, Coast Guard San Diego sector commander. “We have every hope that we'll be able to find survivors.”
But how could anyone endure more than a day in 63-degree ocean water?
“That's a tough question,” Farris acknowledged yesterday evening. “What I would tell you is I have sufficient belief that I'm continuing the
search-and-rescue phase.”Early yesterday, a Pentagon spokesman said it's unlikely that the seven Coast Guard crew members and two Marine pilots survived.
Eyewitness accounts of the crash aren't reassuring. Ron Newcomb and his wife were walking along the La Jolla coast after dinner Thursday when they saw bright-red-and-orange “fireballs” on the horizon.
“One popped up and lasted five to eight seconds and then died down, and the other popped up immediately thereafter,” said Newcomb, who lives in Allied Gardens. “Then it died down and it became ambient light coming over the horizon for at least five minutes. Immediately, I knew it was fuel burning, but I didn't know what it was.”
Perhaps working in the crew members' favor are the “dry suits” they should have been wearing. These bright-orange suits are designed to keep out water and maintain normal body temperature, said Lt. Josh Nelson, a Coast Guard spokesman and helicopter pilot.
The crews also probably wore inflatable life vests, which would keep them buoyant.
At Camp Pendleton and Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, leaders of the 3rd Marine Air Wing suspended all flights through the weekend so they could re-emphasize safety measures.
The Coast Guard plane and Marine helicopter were flying in Warning Area 291, a vast swath of airspace designated by the Federal Aviation Administration for military exercises.
UPDATE: The Coast Guard has called off the search for survivors of the collision. RIP 9 braves souls. From the UT:Seven crew members were aboard a Sacramento-based Coast Guard HC-130 and two pilots aboard a Camp Pendleton-based AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter when they collided in a fireball about 15 miles east of San Clemente Island. All are now presumed dead.
"Due to the wreckage we've found, the nature of the collision, and the length of time since the crash, we've reached the conclusion that survival is no longer viable," said Rear Adm. Joseph Castillo, commander of the 11th Coast Guard District, which includes San Diego.
The search of a 644-square-mile area between San Diego and San Clemente Island ended at 9:45 a.m. Sunday after 63 1/2 hours. Families of the missing service members were notified the night before.
Now Navy salvage ships will concentrate on locating the bulk of the wreckage and recovering the bodies of the missing crew members, said Capt. Thomas Farris, commander of Coast Guard Sector San Diego. He said he expects the search to continue for at least a week
Jon Stewart Daily Show: War on Fox News, For Fox Sake!
by the Left Coast Rebel
Obama is Stalin, but Bush is stallin'.....
And of course he takes various jabs @ Fox.....
But check in for the lead up, starting @ 10:00 on the dial....
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| For Fox Sake! | ||||
| ||||
The Toledo Mud-hens to the Fox's Yankees......
h/t to Not A Potted Plant
Chris Christie on Don Imus: Man, I'm Fat
by the Left Coast Rebel
Another election that is taking place next Tuesday is NJ's governship. I've been privy of happenings in the race but haven't spoken here on it. As of now the election is way too close to call. New Jersey is after all, a very blue state and such. Amazing however that 'R' Christie running against 'D' Corzine is within a point of so of beating him while Corzine has overspent him 3-1 and even had the big 'O' show up to campaign for him too. Clifton over at Another Black Conservative thinks that Christie hasn't done nearly enough to differentiate himself from Corzine on taxes, limited government, etc.
The Corzine camp has made repeated jabs at Christie's weight, (he's a big guy), and Corzine has not 'fessed up to being involved. Anyway, politics is dirty, who would have thought? On such affair, Christie had this to say on Don Imus' show:
Via Memeorandum
Also read Another Black Conservative
Peggy Noonan: Governed by Callous Children
by the Left Coast Rebel
I'll never forget Peggy Noonan in the WSJ waxing fondly of the campaign and persona of Barack Obama. It flabbergasted me, it flummoxed me. I had spent less than an hour on the net researching 'O' and was quite aware of his radical ties, shady past redistributionist proclivities. She knew these things as well. She was delusional, spacy, ridiculous. It was almost as if she wanted to become an Obamanation speechwriter.That is what she is, after all - a speechwriter. The Empress Hath No Clothing. As it were....
I have never written about her here so I had to get that out of the way. The funny thing is, as of late she has done the proverbial, 'moistened finger to the air to check the wind of opinion' and some of her op-eds are actually quite good. Populist angst anyone? If you can get around her,(and her sappy writing-style), I guess. Today's WSJ piece from here is outstanding, especially the close. Listen:
And she is right. Right?When I see those in government, both locally and in Washington, spend and tax and come up each day with new ways to spend and tax—health care, cap and trade, etc.—I think: Why aren't they worried about the impact of what they're doing? Why do they think America is so strong it can take endless abuse?
I think I know part of the answer. It is that they've never seen things go dark. They came of age during the great abundance, circa 1980-2008 (or 1950-2008, take your pick), and they don't have the habit of worry. They talk about their "concerns"—they're big on that word. But they're not really concerned. They think America is the goose that lays the golden egg. Why not? She laid it in their laps. She laid it in grandpa's lap.
They don't feel anxious, because they never had anything to be anxious about. They grew up in an America surrounded by phrases—"strongest nation in the world," "indispensable nation," "unipolar power," "highest standard of living"—and are not bright enough, or serious enough, to imagine that they can damage that, hurt it, even fatally.
We are governed at all levels by America's luckiest children, sons and daughters of the abundance, and they call themselves optimists but they're not optimists—they're unimaginative. They don't have faith, they've just never been foreclosed on. They are stupid and they are callous, and they don't mind it when people become disheartened. They don't even notice.
Via WSJ
Via Memeorandum
WSYR 9 NY-23 Debate, Pataki Endorsemet: Doug Hoffman, Dede Scozafava,Bill Owens
by the Left Coast Rebel
The one and only debate beween the 3 candidates for NY-23. Hoffman did well - on target and concise. His detractors came to their responses as 'pro-pols' and that was quite obvious. Owens stood by Democratic talking points, (stimulus, Obamacare, etc). Dede Scozafava sounded far more conservative than she actually is. Funny, are these Daily Kos talking points? You tell me.
Coming away I have the impression of two professional career politicians going head to head with a normal guy. A normal guy that represents a modern Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Remember Hoffman is all about conservative substance, going against the hierarchy, muscle and money of both political parties. Here is part 1 of 4. Go to WSYR.com for the rest.
Governor Pataki endorsing Hoffman:
When elected to Congress Doug will work to reduce our taxes, he will stand tall against those who despise our freedoms and he will be a vigilant stalwart against those who would substitute government programs for individual initiative.
I know, Pataki is a RINO in many ways but credit is given where it is due. Remember that Reagan's surge brought with it ideological purity where it otherwise wouldn't have.
Pat also has a Time Mag article that precisely sums up the race:
Jeff Graham, the mayor of Watertown and a member of the Independence Party, says Hoffman is "a meek, soft-spoken guy who is mad as hell and just decided to go ahead and do this 2009 version of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. And it seems to be working."
The Little Engine that Will!
10.29.2009
Doug Hoffman NY-23 Developments: Robert Stacy McCain's Road-Habits
by the Left Coast Rebel
Stacy McCain has been slam-dunkin' this story, I figured tonight I might catch up a little, scurrying on all fours to the 'man cave' where bloggin' be done - I saw this news and headed to Politico re: Doug Hoffman, the Little Engine That Will.....
The House Republican leadership is prepared to welcome Doug Hoffman into its ranks, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said Thursday, a sign that the GOP establishment is recalibrating its approach toward the contentious New York special election and the Conservative Party nominee whose candidacy has divided the party.
“He would be very welcome, with open arms,” Sessions told POLITICO in an interview off the House floor.
Sessions’s comments came as polls showed Hoffman surging in the Nov. 3 special election against Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava, a
moderate who supports abortion rights and gay marriage, and Democratic attorney Bill Owens. Nearly a dozen rank-and-file Republican members announced their endorsements of Hoffman
Thursday.
Welcomed with opened-arms now that he is the popular girl at prom? A good development nonetheless. It's interesting, this evening at a shuttle picked me up to retrieve the Jetta-Lemon, the fella that was driving had Hugh Hewitt on the radio-dial. I struck up a little conversation with him, mentioned my blog and mentioned Doug Hoffman in particular. He knew all about him. He had donated a bit. He was excited. He figured that a Hoffman-victory was a home-run for conservatism and a back-to-the-roots in the GOP. Interesting to hear such from an unsolicited source. And in San Diego, California - no less. What does that tell you for Hoffman in particular and the conservative resurgence generally?
Now back to The Other McCain. Stacy as you know has been trekin' across the plain in search of all that is Hoffman. His chronologues show his endeavours repeatedly; daily. His reportage is the best that I have seen on the net, this from yesterday:
My first stop will be WSYR-TV in Syracuse, where Doug Hoffman will be recording a debate with Democrat Bill Owens and RINO Dede Scozzafava. That's 341 miles. Figure 20 cents a mile = $68.20. Google Maps estimates the drive time at 5 hours, 20 minutes, but I'll be driving a rental car, so if I leave about 8 a.m... . well, I plan to be there before 1:20 p.m., even stopping for gas and a $2 coffee.
While in Syracuse, I'll probably grab a cheeseburger meal deal ($5) before taking off for Lake Placid (to meet up with the 73wire campaign bloggers). Estimated drive time is 4 hours, 25 minutes, but if I leave Syracuse by 4 p.m., I'm betting I get there long before 8:30, even stopping for another cheeseburger ($5) on the way. It's 196 miles x .20/mile = $39.20.
The 73wire campaign bloggers are said to be a hard-partying crew, so I'll probably have to buy them a beer ($5) or two ($10) and then pay for a cab ($15) to take them back to the place where they're crashing in Lake Placid. The cool part? They've offered to let me crash free at their place through Saturday. So once I get to Lake Placid, my only real expenses for a few days will be local travel, my usual daily two packs of smokes (2 x $5 = $10) and six cups of coffee (6 x $2 = $12).
Now this is incredible blog-report stuff, right? The only thing that I am worried about though; correct me if I am wrong - Fast food, nicotine, caffeine,boozine, bovine, any other 'ines....should we worry about this brave soul's health?
Is bovine an 'ine'?
Disclaimer: the Left Coast Rebel partakes in nightly samples of Barley-Pop. LCR, however also runs several miles every other day and eats lots of fruits and veggis. Just like Mom told me too. Should we be worried about RSM though?
Read his inspiring-report here.
Via Memeorandum
Also read Gathering of Eagles for 3-way debate held tonight.
Shot Fired at Lou Dobb's Home
by the Left Coast Rebel
Not a huge fan of the man but I certainly respect his fervent stand against illegal immigration. I live in ground zero of the debate, as they say. Could that perhaps be a central cause of today's news concerning Dobbs, via Fox News? Report:
Not a huge fan of the man but I certainly respect his fervent stand against illegal immigration. I live in ground zero of the debate, as they say. Could that perhaps be a central cause of today's news concerning Dobbs, via Fox News? Report:
A gunshot was fired at the New Jersey home of CNN's Lou Dobbs after a series of threatening phone calls earlier this month, the host told listeners on his nationally syndicated radio show...God speed Dobbs, I hope that they catch whomever responsible. We certainly need more in the press like him that are willing to speak against injustice - no matter how politically incorrect it may be to do so.
"They've created an atmosphere and they've been unrelenting in their propaganda," Dobbs said in reference to pro-immigration groups like the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National Council of La Raza and America's Voice. "Three weeks ago this morning, a shot was fired at my house where I live. My wife was standing out and that followed weeks and weeks of threatening phone calls."Dobbs continued, "But this shot was fired with my wife not, I don't know, 15 feet away, and we had threatening phone calls that I decided not to report because I get threatening phone calls."
Dobbs, who claimed the "national liberal media" has in part created a hostile environment regarding immigration, said enduring such incidents has become a "way of life" for him."It's become a way of life — the anger, the hate, the vitriol — but it's taken a different tone where they've threatened my wife," he said Monday. "They've now fired a shot at my house while my wife was standing next to the car.
UPDATE: Think Progress, the radical nutroots-moonbat-Soros site has a video up to shed light on the radicalism of Dobbs and seemingly make him seem to be a 'nut.' Funny thing is, I agree with everything he says, how about you?
TP throws out the typical codephrases against Dobbs, anti-immigrant, racist....you've heard them all. But the funniest thing is that they particularly try to draw up a picture of Dobb's paranoia concerning the gunplay at his home. In other words, it's no big deal and authorities think it might be a hunter.
Do you think folks at TP would be kind towards gunplay aimed at their homes? Really?
Via Memeorandum
Cash for Clunkers Redistribution-Lemon: $24,000.00 for $4500.00, UPDATE: White House Attacks Edmunds
by the Left Coast Rebel
This story is a bit ironic for me as I just came home from having the Jetta-lemon fixed, did you catch my post? Well my tab today was $350.00 for $350.00 worth of labor, parts, profit and overhead. All of that great business 101 stuff that our pols no nothing of today, hence the march to socialism built on a quicksand foundation of economic illiteracy.
Enter Cash for Clunkers, the oft-touted runaway success of nanny-staters that know better than you. Now remember, my $350.00 tab got me $350.00 in car-fixin'-stuff.
CFC's $4500.00 cash-pay for each gas guzzler cost to taxpayer per car? $24,000.00
$4500.00 given for incentive, $24,000.00 forcibly taken from taxpayer.
Now that is math that even a 2nd grader would understand....
As obviously being insane, that is; unless it is the government....
More details from the report:
The government could have done almost as well by just giving away cars for free, instead of creating an elaborate incentive program, according to an analysis by the automotive information firm Edmunds.com in Santa Monica, Calif.
Well, it’s in how Edmunds crunched the numbers. A valid way to evaluate the program economically, it says, is to look at how many people purchased cars that otherwise wouldn’t have been bought. The firm says that number is about 125,000 cars. By that measure, the government spent $24,000 to generate each sale of a new car.
In all, the government spent $3 billion on a program that provided cash
toward 690,000 car purchases – about $4,348 per car. That makes 565,000 people who got as much as $4,500 to buy a car they would have bought anyway, according to the Edmunds analysis.Analysis may dampen views about the effectiveness of a one of the most visible pieces of President Obama’s $787 economic stimulus package, designed to save jobs across the US.
Let's hand over 1/5 of the economy, our health and our lives to these people and this ideology. Right? Have we lost our minds?
Read the rest here
UPDATE: Based on the effectiveness, accuracy and truth behind the Edmunds report, the White House has gone on the attack against the site. Yes, you read that right. Read it @White House.gov. Going after a benign, non-political auto-site because they dare offer an effective study sends chills down my spine. A White House of wild-eyed college students, MSNBC talking bobbleheads and radical elitist academics using Alinsky-tactics. Which Rule of Radicals would apply here? You tell me.
Cliff over at Another Black Conservative weighs in with this:
Too bad the Obama administration doesn’t have to stomach to take on America’sRead the rest of his take here.
real foes like they do with anyone who seems to disagree with “their version of
the truth”.
Today the White House has chosen to battle, Fox News, The Chamber of Commerce, Rush Limbaugh, Insurance Companies and you can even add the CIA. The White House’s latest war is now with Edmonds.com for disputing the success of Cash For Clunkers.
Also read CJ's excellent writeup
Via Memeorandum
HR 3962: 1990 Pages, Thirteen New Taxes
by the Left Coast Rebel
Here is the House Obama/Pelosicare, HR 3962, (PDF version). Before even reading this go here to email every single member of the Blue Dog Caucus. Use the template, make your voice be heard!
The following are new HR 3962 taxes according to Americans for Tax Reform:
Employer Mandate Excise Tax (Page 275): If an employer does not pay 72.5 percent of a single employee’s health premium (65 percent of a family employee), the employer must pay an excise tax equal to 8 percent of average wages. Small employers (measured by payroll size) have smaller payroll tax rates of 0 percent (<$500,000), 2 percent ($500,000-$585,000), 4 percent ($585,000-$670,000), and 6 percent ($670,000-$750,000).
Individual Mandate Surtax (Page 296): If an individual fails to obtain qualifying coverage, he must pay an income surtax equal to the lesser of 2.5 percent of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) or the average premium. MAGI adds back in the foreign earned income exclusion and municipal bond interest.
Medicine Cabinet Tax (Page 324): Non-prescription medications would no longer be able to be purchased from health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), or health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). Insulin excepted.
Cap on FSAs (Page 325): FSAs would face an annual cap of $2500 (currently uncapped).
Increased Additional Tax on Non-Qualified HSA Distributions (Page 326): Non-qualified distributions from HSAs would face an additional tax of 20 percent (current law is 10 percent). This disadvantages HSAs relative to other tax-free accounts (e.g. IRAs, 401(k)s, 529 plans, etc.)
Denial of Tax Deduction for Employer Health Plans Coordinating with Medicare Part D (Page 327): This would further erode private sector participation in delivery of Medicare services.
Medicine Cabinet Tax (Page 324): Non-prescription medications would no longer be able to be purchased from health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), or health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). Insulin excepted.
Cap on FSAs (Page 325): FSAs would face an annual cap of $2500 (currently uncapped).
Increased Additional Tax on Non-Qualified HSA Distributions (Page 326): Non-qualified distributions from HSAs would face an additional tax of 20 percent (current law is 10 percent). This disadvantages HSAs relative to other tax-free accounts (e.g. IRAs, 401(k)s, 529 plans, etc.)
Denial of Tax Deduction for Employer Health Plans Coordinating with Medicare Part D (Page 327): This would further erode private sector participation in delivery of Medicare services.
Surtax on Individuals and Small Businesses (Page 336): Imposes an income surtax of 5.4 percent on MAGI over $500,000 ($1 million married filing jointly). MAGI adds back in the itemized deduction for margin loan interest. This would raise the top marginal tax rate in 2011 from 39.6 percent under current law to 45 percent—a new effective top rate.
Excise Tax on Medical Devices (Page 339): Imposes a new excise tax on medical device manufacturers equal to 2.5 percent of the wholesale price. It excludes retail sales and unspecified medical devices sold to the general public.
Corporate 1099-MISC Information Reporting (Page 344): Requires that 1099-MISC forms be issued to corporations as well as persons for trade or business payments. Current law limits to just persons for small business compliance complexity reasons. Also expands reporting to exchanges of property.
Delay in Worldwide Allocation of Interest (Page 345): Delays for nine years the worldwide allocation of interest, a corporate tax relief provision from the American Jobs Creation Act
Limitation on Tax Treaty Benefits for Certain Payments (Page 346): Increases taxes on U.S. employers with overseas operations looking to avoid double taxation of earnings.
Codification of the “Economic Substance Doctrine” (Page 349): Empowers the IRS to disallow a perfectly legal tax deduction or other tax relief merely because the IRS deems that the motive of the taxpayer was not primarily business-related.
Application of “More Likely Than Not” Rule (Page 357): Publicly-traded partnerships and corporations with annual gross receipts in excess of $100 million have raised standards on penalties. If there is a tax underpayment by these taxpayers, they must be able to prove that the estimated tax paid would have more likely than not been sufficient to cover final tax liability.
Excise Tax on Medical Devices (Page 339): Imposes a new excise tax on medical device manufacturers equal to 2.5 percent of the wholesale price. It excludes retail sales and unspecified medical devices sold to the general public.
Corporate 1099-MISC Information Reporting (Page 344): Requires that 1099-MISC forms be issued to corporations as well as persons for trade or business payments. Current law limits to just persons for small business compliance complexity reasons. Also expands reporting to exchanges of property.
Delay in Worldwide Allocation of Interest (Page 345): Delays for nine years the worldwide allocation of interest, a corporate tax relief provision from the American Jobs Creation Act
Limitation on Tax Treaty Benefits for Certain Payments (Page 346): Increases taxes on U.S. employers with overseas operations looking to avoid double taxation of earnings.
Codification of the “Economic Substance Doctrine” (Page 349): Empowers the IRS to disallow a perfectly legal tax deduction or other tax relief merely because the IRS deems that the motive of the taxpayer was not primarily business-related.
Application of “More Likely Than Not” Rule (Page 357): Publicly-traded partnerships and corporations with annual gross receipts in excess of $100 million have raised standards on penalties. If there is a tax underpayment by these taxpayers, they must be able to prove that the estimated tax paid would have more likely than not been sufficient to cover final tax liability.
ROUNDUP:
- Think Progress notes with glee that Sec. 107 outlaws treating domestic violence as a pre-existing condition. Do you even know what to think of that?
- The Weekly Standared weighs in saying that HR 3962 pays for abortions, cuts medicare, raises taxes + fees + the deficit. What's not to love?
- The Washington Times reports that the House unveiling ceremony for HR 3962 was closed to the public. I repeat, it was closed to the public. Vistitors had to be listed on a pre-approved list.
- Debate begins next week. Boy do I have the list for you, more on that later.
- American Spectator points out that HR 3962 includes a mandate that forces individuals to purchase insurance or pay a tax + the employer mandate. It also includes government-run insurance exchanges. AS also shows that the bill will add a huge new section to the federal tax code: PART VIII: HEALTH CARE RELATED TAXES. Can you imagine this ambiguous section of the code not changing every year? Your liberty is at stake.
UPDATE: Reader Brett Thompson wrote up a great summary of HR 3962, he attempted to go through the 1800 + page bill. He writes :
I just went to skim 1800 pages of HR 3962 Affordable Health Care for America Act.
Go here. (Sign up on this site, track and vote here on Bills)
I got lost after the first page and the references to section and subsections is endless. Has any one person in Congress really read all 1800+ pages? What happened to the paper reduction act? What happened to bills we were going to be able to read? Title 26 of the US Code of Federal Regulations (IRS) started with a small amount of pages (compared to this) and now this mess consists of 16,845 pages according to the US Government Printing Office. If reading some of HR 3962 isn't enough for you, go read the monster that was created in 1939 with only 504 pages. Click here for the original.
I'll let the mathematicians figure out what kind of growth that is since 1939, then add that same growth to HR 3962.
I created a static page with his entire letter to me, read it here.
Logistics Monster: Cookie Monster Computer-Crash Victimization
by the Left Coast Rebel
Logistics Monster for those who don't know is a great, clean site run by proprietor Diamond Monster from the Big Island of Hawaii. I ran into her a time back and we shared the love of Kona and Hawaii as well of liberty and hate of statism. Did I mention that I have been to Hawaii 5 times? If not for Obamanomics I would have gone this year as well, alas we are quickly becoming a cash(less) society......
Her site and stuff is top-shelf, to say the least. A 9/12er, independent, a gallant fighter in all causes of anti-statism. She commands pretty good traffic and fighting the good fight. As with any fight though and the territory thereof, wear and tear comes. Her computer is MIA, 'sploded, dead and done. She is asking for donations. Could you help her? Especially if you have frequented her site. Her voice is much-needed, give a friend a hand......
Mahalo......
Dithering Obama: Dover Visit, Call to Action
by the Left Coast Rebel
An interesting day today. I covered the American Flag art/desecration story. I was also perusing the Memeorandum thread related to the Obamanation overnight Dover-visit to pay respect to 18 soldiers. I am not a foreign affairs or military expert. I stick to what I know. What I do know and what I can tell you is that October has been the bloodiest month to date in the Theater of Afghanistan. And our Leader waits for more data. What do you think about that?
Reader and blogger Nickie Goomba from It Don't Make Sense commented on my flag-piece, to paraphrase : 'this generation has no respect for America and it's traditions of liberty, in fact they should not be expected to protect individual liberties.'
Nickie is smart. And right. I replied a simple 'what can we do?' And of course this assertion from me was more of a hangover-admission of daily Abominations of Obamanation, a query of call to arms; a sigh to a friend.... You know? Sometimes it seems a bit hopeless.
An interesting day today. I covered the American Flag art/desecration story. I was also perusing the Memeorandum thread related to the Obamanation overnight Dover-visit to pay respect to 18 soldiers. I am not a foreign affairs or military expert. I stick to what I know. What I do know and what I can tell you is that October has been the bloodiest month to date in the Theater of Afghanistan. And our Leader waits for more data. What do you think about that?
Reader and blogger Nickie Goomba from It Don't Make Sense commented on my flag-piece, to paraphrase : 'this generation has no respect for America and it's traditions of liberty, in fact they should not be expected to protect individual liberties.'
Nickie is smart. And right. I replied a simple 'what can we do?' And of course this assertion from me was more of a hangover-admission of daily Abominations of Obamanation, a query of call to arms; a sigh to a friend.... You know? Sometimes it seems a bit hopeless.
Libertarian Advocate, blogger from said site noted on the flag-story that the 'nincompoops in office seem to think that the expression protected by the first amendment is artistic expression, not political expression.'
And LA is right too. As I noted, 'despots will recognize or ignore the constitutional restraint(s) that they see fit.' Call it a Living, Breathing Document of teabaggers, racists and 9/12 tea-partiers.
The meat and potatoes came in comment from Войска ПВО ,(and no, he's not a commie, duh!), he checked in with this -
Read the rest and join the discussion here.What do we do?
......we get off our collective asses and work as hard as we can until all of this crap is expunged from the Americas psyche, that's what we do! We have ONE YEAR and ONE WEEK before the 2010 midterm elections and we have FIVE YEARS and ONE WEEK before the 2012 presidential elections. The Democrats came to power in less than half that time as a result of America's disgust with RINOs and as a matter of anger over government just not responding to the perceived wishes of the people.
Arguably, since Obama has taken the oath of office, we have seen :(1) what an incompetent boob he really is;
(2) that congress is yet-again-once-more-even-more arrogant and unresponsive to the wishes of the American people;
(3) the MSM media is yet-again-once-more-even-more in the tank for the Pantload and his crew;
(4) our country and economy crumbling before our very eyes from the daily outrages perpetrated...... But we also have seen that the resentment at this arrogance and effrontery also grows daily just as the leg-tingling adoration for Dear Leader fades away.
The scales are falling away from the eyes of the Public; a seething rage roils in America.
Who woulda thunk we could sustain the energy that first manifested
itself on April 15th? Who woulds thunk we would have had almost a legitimate million people make the trek to DC to demonstrate their anger and frustration? Who woulda thunk it, indeed!
So, Obama gathers his sycophantic press crew and makes a pre-dawn trip to Dover Delaware to make an obscene photo-op out of a brief salute to the returning coffin of a fallen warrior and expects us to be placated by that, to not see through the perfidy?
Sieg Heil Jetta, Californian Exposed, Near Death Furry Escape
by the Left Coast Rebel
My wife's car, (adopted into my family a little over a year ago), is slowly and ubiquitously transmorphatizing into a giant, cash-syphoning-oozing-bleeding-festering.....Zitrone.
German for lemon, in case you didn't know.
And of lemons and Germans, did you know the history of the company that produced my wife's Jetta-lemon? Now the title makes sense. Needless to say I dropped the Volkswagen zitrone off @ the dealer this morning. The good news - it's not the transmission. The bad news - it's another "sensor"..... 2nd in 2 months. Tab for Mr. dealer? $350.00. Of course.
Again, the good news - they could work on the car immediately. The bad news - it would take all day. The good news/bad news? I would have to jog home, a 4 mile trek. Good for heart, bad for pain of age. Knowing this fact and what I must do, I started on my trek, taking the camera along, just for you.....
The other side of the tracks, as it were; trains coming and going close to home. If only the Lemon might meet it's demise here. If only it were so.......
Half-point of my trek. The Encina Power Plant in the background distance. Nature and science not colliding; rather in harmony to produce a clean source of energy. Hydropower. Enviro-fascist thought puts 2 daily pounds of accentuated smelt above the need for clean power.... mmm, accentuated smelt....
Coming home, aghast at the sight - my condo-abode-door open! Panic.....the doom of escape of our furry little co-dweller.....Could it be possible? Synapse snap!......A race through thought of possible and quick action.........
Alas there she was, a Yawn of Life's Greatest Concern: Comfort, sparrow-watching, sun-basking. If only life were so simple for others of the 2-leg variety. Thank you Kitty for not running and risking; my life from my wife, in the least.......
Desecrated Flag: DNC Finalist
by the Left Coast Rebel
Ok, I may seem to be barraging you, the loyal reader today. Can you handle all of this stuff. I can but here's a tip - I jog to burn off stress. Today I'm going to push for 3+ miles here at the coast. It's a great tonic for the mind....
Anyway, yes....hmm well how do I summarize this story? Here we go. As of late there has been a running health care video contest by Organizing for America, (BO's campaign arm, run by Plouffe), it's called the "Health Reform Video Challenge," and purposed to support Obamacare.
A vid-contest to push Obamacare. I didn't know about it but it's not surpristing after all, the constant Obamanation campaign, socialized HC holy-grail over all; these things we all know, right? Isn't it odd and unsettling that 'O's campaign group and muscle however, is pushing for legislation like this? Yes, but that's not even the story here. The top 20 contestant-vids have been chosen. It is one in particular, from Politco:
One of the 20 finalists in health care video contest run by Barack Obama’scampaign arm features a mural of an America flag splattered with health caregraffiti until it’s covered completely by black paint.
In the video – which is accompanied by the sound of a heart monitor pumping and then flat-lining – words such as “pre-existing conditions,”“homeless” and “death panel” ultimately obliterate the flag, which reappears on screen seconds later with the words “Health Will Bring Our Country Back to Life” on the blue field where the 50 stars usually are.....the 20 finalists in the “Health Reform Video Challenge” were chosen by a panel of “qualified” Democratic National Committee “employee judges.”
The Video that is such a hit with the DNC:
Here's where I adamantly disagree:
A contestant whose video didn’t make the final-20 cut complains that aTo which I say: Nonsense, Billevesée, Poppycock; Horse-Hockey.....
video “defacing the flag” won’t do much to help President Barack Obama or the Democrats sell health care reform.“They should never pick that,” said the contestant, who spoke on thecondition of anonymity. “It makes the Democrats look really, reallybad.”
Why? Here it is, some of the panels of experts after the DNC approved the flag-desecration video include:
DNC Chair Tim Kaine, Obama Campaign Chief Plouffe, Rep. Patrick Murphy, Singer Will.I.Am and Hollywood stars including Rosario Dawson and Dule Hill.
And these folks want us to hand over 1/5 of our economy, our health and our lives to them.....
Via Politico
Via Memeorandum
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