Monthly Archives: July 2004

Theirs

Amen, Cal

Cal Thomas

Neither the cultural problem nor its solution can

be found in Washington. It lies in the decisions by millions of Americans … to construct their own moral authority. Sufficiently

large numbers of Americans either do not believe, or do not practice, what the Scriptures teach and cannot be made to do so through a

constitutional amendment or any other law. …

Perhaps if those pushing for a constitutional amendment better modeled what they

preach for others, they might find more favor among secular powers. …

Conservative Christians could use an “extreme makeover”

to repair their own homes before they demand that others conform to a standard they themselves have trouble meeting. …

Paul [the

Apostle] does not tell believers to embrace politics to influence or change the Roman government. Quite the contrary. He says, “Have

nothing to do with them” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). …

To seek to implement such a code [as the Bible] through human law is an exercise in

futility and is neither expected nor mandated in that New Testament covenant.

The Bible is a book for those who would accept its

message. Should anyone who does not believe it be expected to obey what it says? …

America may be living on borrowed time, but

its “lease” will not be extended by new laws or constitutional amendments. … I wouldn’t count on a “wicked and adulterous generation”

rescuing itself through a marriage amendment or any other human effort.

Dump Duhbya

After 6 Months, You Deserve a Month Off

Bush golfsUSATODAY.com – White House to move to Texas for a while
By Laurence McQuillan, USA TODAY
08/03/2001

WASHINGTON — Six months after taking office, President Bush will begin a month-long vacation Saturday that is significantly longer than the average American’s annual getaway. If Bush returns as scheduled on Labor Day, he’ll tie the modern record for presidential absence from the White House, held by Richard Nixon at 30 days. Ronald Reagan took trips as long as 28 days. …

[S]ome Republican loyalists worry about critics who say Bush lets Vice President Cheney and other top officials do most of the work. They’re also concerned about the reaction of the average American, who gets 13 vacation days each year.

“It can foster other images,” says William Benoit, a professor of political communication at the University of Missouri-Columbia. “Maybe he’s lazy, maybe he’s not determined. It feeds into the impression that he’s not in charge.”

Bush, who is scheduled to return to Washington on Sept. 3, is taking his vacation while Congress is in recess. Cheney will be in Wyoming. …

President Bush’s father was criticized in 1990 for remaining on vacation in Kennebunkport while dealing with the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq.

Bush has described playful plans for his days at the ranch, which was finished in the spring. Talking to members of the agricultural youth group FFA last week, Bush joked that he looked forward to “seeing the cows. Occasionally they talk to me — being the good listener that I am.”

But White House image-makers worry a lot, and Bush was a bit more serious a few days later when he spoke on videotape to the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree. He read from written remarks: “I’ll be going to my ranch in Crawford, where I’ll work and take a little time off. I think it is so important for a president to spend some time away from Washington, in the heartland of America.”

Some observers say Bush taking a month off could feed a perception fostered by critics that he is disengaged and does not work hard enough.

However, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll of 1,015 people taken in April found that many don’t take that view. Of those surveyed, 70% said Bush was working hard enough.

I wonder how many people NOW think he was working hard enough. mjh

Dump Duhbya

‘The rabid, reactionary religious right’

SENATE VOTES NO ON ANTI-GAY AMENDMENT outcomebuffalo.com

”The rabid, reactionary religious right has rarely looked more ridiculous. They know they don’t have the votes to come even close to passing this amendment. But they have sufficient stranglehold on the White House and the Republican leadership in Congress to force the issue to a vote anyway, in a desperate effort to arouse their narrow-minded constituency and somehow gain an advantage in the elections this year.” — Senator Ted Kennedy (D, Mass.)

Mine

Sofort mit Ihren Papieren! (Give me your papers — now!)

CNN.com – Police stop Amtrak train in Newark – Jul 22, 2004

Police stopped Amtrak train 170 Thursday in Newark, New Jersey, for what Amtrak called “police activity” after a note was found in a

bathroom, an Amtrak official said.

The train was allowed to continue its Washington-to-Boston trip after a search. …

“The

passengers were kept on the train … and there was a check of passengers’ IDs,” Stessel said. “Because so many passengers on that

particular train use monthly passes, it was important that we understood exactly which passengers were on that train, and so when police

conducted their investigation, they wrote down the names and ID information of everyone onboard.” …

[An Amtrak spokesman] referred

to the police activity as a “routine sweep.”

A passenger on the train, Jeffrey Rodgers, told CNN that officers with dogs

came onto the car where he was riding. He said they also videotaped the car and its passengers. …

Amtrak said the train was

carrying around 800 passengers.

800 new records in the local and federal databases. mjh

Amendments to the Constitution

Article

[IV.]

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and

seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and

particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

”They who would give up an

essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.” — Benjamin Franklin

mjh’s Blog: Land of the Free

mjh’s Blog: Keep Your Mouth Shut!

mjh’s Blog: Unchecked Police Power

Election

More Bush Flip-flops

If we are going to

compile a top ten list of Bush’s flip-flopping, the ‘nation-building’ example noted by Nicholas Brown (see UNM Lobo) belongs on the list. Also on the

list is his opposition to a Department of Homeland Security and a 9-11 Commission. And his insistance that, as President, he would push

the Saudis to lower oil prices. At the top of the list is Bush’s statement, “I’m a uniter, not a divider.” No, wait, that’s not a

change, that’s just a delusion or a lie — take your pick. mjh

Bush’s flip-flops

Election

Remember the Dixie Chicks?

Las Vegas casino boots Ronstadt for lauding Moore’s

‘Fahrenheit 9/11’

“It was a very ugly scene,” Aladdin President Bill Timmins said.

Timmins, who was watching the show, said

he didn’t allow Ronstadt back in her luxury suite and she was escorted off the property.

Hotel spokeswoman Tyri Squyres said it

wasn’t Ronstadt’s message per se that management objected to, but, “She wanted to incite the audience, and she incited them to the

point where they were very upset. . . . She was hired to entertain, not to preach.”

Ronstadt Will Continue Praising Moore Rapid

City Journal:

“This is an election year,” she told the Los Angeles Times Tuesday. “I want people to get their head up out of their

mashed potatoes and learn something about the issues and go and vote. … I’m not telling them how to vote. I’m saying, get information

about the issues.” …

Ronstadt, 58, told the Times her remarks were “modest,” adding: “They didn’t throw me out.”

“I

didn’t even know there was trouble,” she said. “Those places operate like little city-states. They are all-powerful. And I had already

said I never want to come back.”

Our Opinion: Real desperado Tucson Citizen

The hotel-casino is a private entity; its managers

can hire or remove whomever they choose.

The booting of Ronstadt did not violate her right to free speech. But it did constitute

one of the worst public relations moves imaginable. People love or hate Moore, but almost everyone savors Ronstadt’s music. A

more circumspect reaction would have been wise.

”Circumspect” sounds suspiciously French to the Radical Right.

mjh

The Corner on National Review Online

My wife & I were at the Linda Ronstadt performance in question, at

the Aladdin in Las Vegas, and quite frankly, Aladdin President Bill Timmins’ account of what happened is complete crap. There was mixed

booing and cheering at Ronstadt’s pro-Michael Moore comment, and that was about the extent of the “bedlam” that supposedly broke out.

… Frankly, my suspicion is that Timmins is way overdramatizing what happened, in order to justify giving Ronstadt the boot. It simply

wasn’t that big a deal. [mjh: Thanks, NewMexiKen]

Of course, we should trust the

corporate stooges. After all, Lush Limbaugh calls Ronstadt ”the 50-year-old hippie relic” (she’s 58 — Lush doesn’t care about

accuracy) and a kook.

It is interesting to note that this casino is in bankruptcy. If you’re looking for a buyer, it makes sense to

appeal to the people with money. Probably a lot of government regulators involved in such things, as well. mjh

mjh’s Weblog Entry – 03/19/2003: Dixie Chicks – who is being disloyal?

Dissent is NOT disloyalty.