Charles Krauthammer on Environmentalists and Communists

Written by Paul Zannucci on 11:11 AM




From Townhall, Environmentalists Pick Up Where Communists Left Off, by Charles Krauthammer

Honestly, there are too many great quotes here. I barely could restrain myself from violating the rules of fair use, but here is one of the better ones:

"The largest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy and prosperity," warns Czech President Vaclav Klaus, "is no longer socialism. It is, instead, the ambitious, arrogant, unscrupulous ideology of environmentalism."

Anyone can review who is championing global warming and combine that information with the economic results of the environmentalists' goals and figure out what the agenda driving this movement is. Yet the idea that this is a social movement is portrayed, when it's given any credence at all, as a wacky conservative conspiracy theory.

As Mr. Krauthammer points out, socialism and communism died out less than two decades ago, but "just as the ash heap of history beckoned, the intellectual left was handed the ultimate salvation: environmentalism. Now the experts will regulate your life not in the name of the proletariat or Fabian socialism but -- even better -- in the name of Earth itself."

But that's a rather odd, if elegant, way of putting it. Was the intellectual left actually handed environmentalism, or did it yank it away as an avenue to exert its will on the world? I suppose that, for the present, examining the origins of the movement in such detail hardly matters. Historians, many years from now, will have to determine whether the global warming hysteria was adopted or concocted. What matters now, in the midst of this nonsense, is the fight against it. We simply cannot give the global warming leftists their way and maintain our liberty at the same time.

Be Like the Amazing Kreskin. See Your Future.

Written by Paul Zannucci on 11:32 PM


Every adult should be forced to use a 'carbon ration card' when they pay for petrol, airline tickets or household energy, MPs say.

This comes from a story at MailOnline. Of course, this particular article is about Britain, but we in America are only a few terrifying steps away from being in this same position. In fact, the Warner Lieberman Energy Bill is one giant, scary step in that direction.

In a summary of the bill, as I posted below, it includes the following information: "Provides for the distribution of emission allowances, including initially giving allowances to: (1) specified owners and operators of covered facilities; (2) states; (3) load-serving entities that deliver electricity to retail consumers; (4) the Secretary of Agriculture to reduce GHG emissions in the agriculture and forestry sectors; (5) international forest protection activities; and (6) the Emission Allowance Account for covered facilities in the electric power and industrial sectors."

The first thing you should notice about this is the phrase "initially giving allowances to..." which gives the obvious impression that we'll be distributing emission allowances to additional groups not listed above in the future. The second and third things that you should notice are the first two groups, "specified owners and operators of covered facilities" and "states". If "states" doesn't scare you enough, let me clarify "covered facilities" for you. This means businesses.

Skipping away from the slippery slope argument for a moment, let's look a little deeper at the results of this bill. Quoting the minority party from the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, "...analysis by CRA International estimates the Lieberman-Warner bill will cost $4 to $6 trillion over 40 years. The American Council for Capital Formation has concluded that the legislation's emissions-swapping scheme would lead to higher energy prices, lost jobs and reduced [gross domestic product]...The bill's end results would cause serious damage to our economic security and at best have a negligible impact on the world's rising greenhouse-gas emission levels. It also does nothing to boost nuclear-energy development, one of the cleanest and most efficient energy sources. The bill fails to compensate and protect consumers from rising natural gas prices and harms job security by encouraging companies to move overseas to nations with less draconian standards."

The most prominent nations with less draconian standards would be China and India, who are given a free ride internationally as "developing nations" despite the exponentially increasing release of carbon by both these billion-plus person countries.

Even if this did not take us one step away from individuals being issued carbon credits, which it does, the bill itself is a disaster for America. But that is the direction we are headed--disaster. And all because of the neo-socialist global warming movement. So there's your future, oh Kreskin. First your state and your business get carbon allowances and then you'll personally get one. But will your state, your business and you survive it? That'll be another $50 to find out.

The truth of the matter is that the bill is not likely to pass when it comes up in June. After all, it is an election year. But what will happen after the elections when we put more Democrats into congress and, God forbid, Obama in the presidency? What will happen after another year of irrational environmental hysteria?

That's right, give me another $50 to find out--if you haven't figured it out already.

Correction and Apologies

Written by Paul Zannucci on 9:52 PM

<---Paul Zannucci in a dunce cap doing math.

If you are looking for the "Count Michigan and Florida" post, I apologize for its absense. One of the other writers on this site found a major flaw in my math, as in I didn't adjust the "needed to win" totals to include the FL and MI delegates. In other words, Obama would no longer be just 41 delegates short if you count these two states because the amount needed to win would increase. Given that the basic premise of the article was incorrect, I felt it would be better to remove the piece and take my medicine rather than to spread misinformation.

And then I remembered I had posted the article at Real Clear Politics, thus screwing up their link. Can you make that dunce cap a double?

But really I'm just upset that I had to delete all the carefully crafted humor.

Oh well. Perhaps I can work those jokes into a more accurate entry.




Thanks for reading,

Paul Zannucci

Congress and Oil Prices, Bush and Security, Sarandon to Italy

Written by Paul Zannucci on 9:09 AM

An Op-Ed from WSJ: Blame Congress for High Oil Prices

That price, which has risen to record levels, is set by the intersection of supply and demand. On the one hand, world-wide demand has accelerated mainly due to the rapid growth of China and India....On the other hand, supply has been curtailed by the cartel-like behavior of foreign national oil companies...Congress by its actions over the years has ensured the economic viability of the national oil company cartel.

The actions of congress amount to preventing the exploitation of vast reserves available in America and off the coasts of America. According to the article, it is estimated that there is enough untapped natural gas to meet the need of 60 million homes for over a century and enough oil to produce gasoline for fuel oil for 60 million cars and 25 million homes for 60 years.

These figures do not include the oil found in oil shale. If we are able to cheaply extract this oil, then you could add, perhaps, another few hundred years to the above equations. Yes, there are resources available. Resources here in America. The problem is that many a liberal would consider the CEO of Exxon to be the American equivalent of Osama bin Laden. The other problem is that conservatives are a very soft-spoken voice of reason. Since the 1994 "Contract with America", conservatives have lost their way, getting excited mostly for inconsequential things like the ineffectual impeachment of Bill Clinton and posting the Ten Commandments in public places.

Yet again, I feel compelled to promote the Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less (and get the cool bumper sticker) campaign started by American Solutions. They now have more than 100,000 people who have signed the petition. To check it out, go here.
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From the Washington Post: U.S. Cites Big Gains Against Al-Qaeda

While cautioning that al-Qaeda remains a serious threat, Hayden said Osama bin Laden is losing the battle for hearts and minds in the Islamic world and has largely forfeited his ability to exploit the Iraq war to recruit adherents.

I checked this three times and it really is the "Post" and not the "Times" reporting this very positive view of the war on terror. If this sort of open honesty becomes a habit of the mainstream media, Bush could see his approval rating increase to the high 20's by the time he's out of office. Actually, despite the vast differences between the two, anything that is good for Bush is good for McCain's chances in November.
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Back to the traditional source of reality, the WSJ: The President Has Kept Us Safe

With President Bush-bashing still a national pastime, it's notable how much international terrorism has been forgotten, and how little credit the president has received for keeping Americans safe.

This is a piece written by a New York liberal, someone who predominately disagrees with the policies of the Bush administration (in fact he just lumps them together as "failed policies"), and yet he wonders how, in the wake of 9/11 and the global terrorism that quickly ensued, that Bush is not given credit for his greatest success.
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What the heck? Back to the Washington Post: On Policy, Obama Breaks Little New Ground

Obama has not emphasized any signature domestic issue, or signaled that he would take his party in a specific direction on policy, as Bill Clinton did with his "New Democrat" proposals in 1992 that emphasized welfare reform or as George W. Bush did with his "compassionate conservatism" in 2000, when he called on Republicans to focus more on issues such as education.

I'm calling the FBI. Clearly the good folks at the Post are being held hostage by some radical conservative group and today's issue is a cry for help.
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To the WJS: The Obama Gaffe Machine

Sen. Obama is often an indifferent speaker without a teleprompter. He has large gaps in his knowledge base, and is just as likely to dig in and embrace a policy misstatement as abandon it. ABC reporter Jake Tapper calls him "a one-man gaffe machine."

Barack "57 states" Obama is a real man of genius. The biggest problem is that McCain is likely too principled to call his opponent on most of the gaffes, which means the alt-media will have to hammer him every chance we get. So far, Republican leadership hasn't shied away from the bigger gaffes, such as his Memorial Day speech, but we are yet to see the concerted effort to tie him to his tongue has was done with Al Gore. Perhaps that will come later.
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And, yes, Susan Sarandon has declared that she will move to either Canada or Italy if John McCain is elected in November. First of all, she clearly doesn't pay any attention to Italian politics, as Silvio Berlusconi (after briefly being out of office) was just sworn in, again, as prime minister on May 8th. He makes John McCain look like Nancy Pelosi.

But my real question is, what kind of ego maniac thinks that a threat to move out of the country will actually sway votes? I mean, I guess it could sway votes to McCain, but that's about it. I think that in this election if McCain wins we should demand that these stars and starlets follow through with their courageous promises of leaving us alone.

Live in one of these 10 cities? Expect to come under carbon footprint assault.

Written by Paul Zannucci on 4:41 PM


The Brookings Institute has released a study that many chambers of commerce and city councils will undoubtedly groan over. It's a list of the cities with the top carbon footprints. Fifteen years ago that might have been seen as a sign of a growing city with a healthy economy. Now it's a big red target for environmentalists and pastors of the church of global warming.

The top ten cities (sorry about this guys) are:

1. Lexington-Fayette, KY
2. Indianapolis, IN
3. Cincinnati-Middletown, OH
4. Toledo, OH
5. Louisville, KY
6. Nashville, TN
7. St. Louis, MO
8. Oklahoma City
9. Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
10. Knoxville, TN

Currently there are no federal standards regarding carbon emissions, but that day is coming. One component of the Warner-Lieberman Energy Bill is designed to, according to a summary of the bill,

"(Provide) for the distribution of emission allowances, including initially giving allowances to: (1) specified owners and operators of covered facilities; (2) states; (3) load-serving entities that deliver electricity to retail consumers; (4) the Secretary of Agriculture to reduce GHG emissions in the agriculture and forestry sectors; (5) international forest protection activities; and (6) the Emission Allowance Account for covered facilities in the electric power and industrial sectors...Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation to auction emission allowances. Provides for the use of auction proceeds, including for a zero- or low-carbon energy technologies program, an advanced coal and sequestration technologies program, incentives for production of fuel from cellulosic biomass, and an advanced technology vehicles manufacturing incentive program."

This is a piece of legislation coming to a vote in early June. As I've said before, the scope and implications of the Warner-Lieberman Energy Bill are staggering, but especially for businesses (I'm sorry, "owners and operators of covered facilities") and for the states, and therefore cities, in which these "covered facilities" operate. Never mind that American manufacturers are already fighting against near impossible odds to remain in the game with their overseas competitors, now we will place a greater burden upon them. Never mind that the economy is already struggling. Never mind that the cost of carbon is already at all time highs. This bill is going to be hammered through. It's the perfect example of Pollyanna legislation dreamed up in a vacuum. No regard to this bill's impact on anything other than the great villain, carbon, has been properly examined. It's a piece of feel-good, global warming nonsense.

To see the report from the Brookings Institute, click here.

If you thought a new energy bill would be aimed at increasing the amount of oil in the market and refining more gasoline as opposed to the opposite, click here.

Operation Shoebox Charity Auction

Written by Paul Zannucci on 1:05 PM


Bill O'Reilly is running a charity auction for Operation Shoebox, which sends much needed care packages to troops overseas.


The winners of the auction will receive a beautifully framed American flag that flew over Kuwait and a certificate of authenticity. The bidding prices are, at least for now, surprisingly low and would make a fantastic Father's Day gift--and what a great cause for the money to go to.


The auction ends on June 4th at 9:30 pm PDT (east coasters may have to stay up late to get those last bids in). To go to O'Reilly's auction site, click here.
5-30-2008--Just a quick update to say that I no longer consider the prices surprisingly low. But, hey, it's for a great cause, so dig deep!

English Language Dying Out in Miami

Written by Paul Zannucci on 9:09 AM


In Miami, Spanish is becoming the primary language

"In many areas of Miami, Spanish has become the predominant language, replacing English in everyday life."

According to Census Bureau figures quoted in the article above, the percentage of non-Hispanic whites in Dade county is currently at 18.5%, and this number is quickly dwindling as it becomes more difficult to work, shop and play in an area where English is no longer the primary language of the majority of residents. For many of the 58.4% of residents who speak Spanish, it is the primary or only language they speak.

"I do resent the fact that people seem to expect that the people who live here adjust to their ways, rather than learning English and making adjustments," [librarian Martha Phillips] said. "Obviously I don't expect an older person to learn to speak English, but younger people come in and they don't seem to make much of an effort to learn to adapt to this country and they expect us to adapt to them."

So what do we do about this? My suggestion is nothing. Clearly, we cannot pass an English language law in Miami since it would be surprising to find that the local government didn't closely resemble the populace. Furthermore, there are serious questions about the constitutionality of such a law. As conservatives, we cannot abandon the constitution when it is convenient to do so. That would make us "progressives".

Instead, I suggest that we let it play out. As the situation becomes worse (as far as English goes), Miami will find that it is harder and harder to attract American investment development and American tourists. If the economy can thrive without that, which I doubt, there will still be other incentives. In the thriving Latin economy scenario, you'll see a development of progressive generations of wealth building and American identity building. The new Miami middle and upper classes will not be content to just sit in a small corner of American culture. Once fully settled and growing, there will be a shift toward conformity. Parts of the culture will still remain and create a sort of Latin attractiveness to Miami that will actual help to draw American tourists.

The only fear is that the economy fails to thrive with its new language, as would be expected, and the people fail to adapt, and we end up with the familiar South American model in which you have gated resorts on the coast and strong suggestions that you not leave the resort. Yet, even if this becomes the case, these new immigrants will soon realize that they no longer have to stay in Miami. They will begin to migrate north where speaking Spanish won't get them much. But I have a hard time seeing it come to this. In a few generations, the desire to conform and share in the wealth and culture of America will become overwhelming. It may get worse before it gets better, but I feel strongly that we should refrain from overreacting at this stage of the process.

Weakening liberty to satisfy a personal agenda is no way run a country.

American Solutions: The Warner-Lieberman Energy Bill

Written by Paul Zannucci on 9:57 PM


I bet you stopped at the gas station today and thought, "Gee, now would be a great time to fight carbon emissions by increasing the costs of fossil fuels." Or maybe you stopped in a grocery store and thought, "Gee, I wish we could make it harder on food producers and transporters so that our grocery bills would get higher." Perhaps you looked at your local housing market, the 2% interest rates and the general economic climate and thought, "Wow, we need to make it tougher on business."

You didn't? Don't feel badly. The great folks behind the Warner-Lieberman Energy Bill have thought all those things for you and more. In fact, the bill is so overreaching as to be staggering and a perfect example of liberal policies gone mad.
To read follow up stories on this site about this bill, click here.

You can read what the good folks at American Solutions have to say about the bill, including links to the bill itself, by clicking here.
To check out the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" solution (and get the bumper sticker) go here to join this revolutionary movement.

Al Qaeda and WMD, More on Jupiter's Global Warming, Etc.

Written by Paul Zannucci on 8:02 AM


From CNN: McCain buying Michigan, Pennsylvania airtime

"The fact that he's expanding into these states is a clear signal that both the general election has begun and fundraising has fattened his campaign accounts," Tracey said.

And, in fact, Pennsylvania and Michigan are perfect places for McCain to start his big push. Hillary won both of these states (even though Obama wasn't on the Michigan ballot--don't think that will make Michigan like him more), which have had reasonably close general elections in both 2000 and 2004. There is a real opportunity for McCain, beloved by many a Democrat, to do well in some of these swing states that have been swinging the wrong way lately.
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From the Washington Post: Clinton's Grim Scenario

A woman uniformly described by her close friends as genuine, principled and sane has been reduced to citing the timing of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination as a reason to stay in the race -- an argument that is ungenuine, unprincipled and insane. She vows to keep pushing, perhaps all the way to the convention in August. What manner of disintegration is yet to come?

That doesn't sound grim. That sounds delicious. Who titled this piece for the Washington Post? Hillary Clinton = Jesse Jackson on steroids. Get used to her. She'll be running for president every 4 years. That just makes me happy.
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Back to CNN: Bill Clinton says wife is victim of a ‘cover up’

“'Oh, this is so terrible: The people they want her. Oh, this is so terrible: She is winning the general election, and he is not. Oh my goodness, we have to cover this up.'"

So says Bill Clinton as he imitates the folks of the vast left wing conspiracy against Hillary. How did someone once so politically savvy become so impotent? Well, being married to Hillary doesn't help your virility, but I think Bill somehow considers this his run for a third term.
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To The Hill: McCain camp claims it has money lead over Obama

While McCain is raising far less money than Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), he is also not forced to spend as much money, because he has clinched the GOP nomination.

The ugly truth is that Obama is raising money at such a clip that he hardly cares that he's still in a battle with Hillary. If Obama briefly stops spending after the last primaries in early June, he'll have a significant money lead over McCain by the end of the month.
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To Breitbart: Report: Billions in defense spending unchecked

"The continual degradation of audit resources that is occurring at a time when the (Defense Department) budget is growing larger leaves the department more vulnerable to fraud, waste, and, abuse and undermines the department's mission," the report states.

This is hardly surprising. And I suspect you can't hire outside accounting firms due to security concerns. Perhaps we need a surge not just in Fallujah but also in military auditors. Do the job but don't steel the money, please.
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To ABC News: Al Qaeda Supporters' Tape to Call for Use of WMDs

"Supporter videos are made by fans or supporters who may not have ever had any contact with a real terrorist," Venzke said. "These videos almost always are comprised of old video footage that is edited together to make a new video."

Al Qaeda fans. These are the people so pathetic they can't actually be Al Qaeda; they can just admire Al Qaeda from afar. I become more misanthropic every day.
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CNN: Obama uses Daschle to make blue-collar pitch in new SD spot

In the 30-second spot, former Sen. Tom Daschle says that Obama “is rooted in the same values as most South Dakotans. He has an understanding of America — rural and urban alike.”

I've stared at this for about 5 minutes and can't think of anything to say. Perhaps I need to go back and rewatch the videos from Obama's church. I'm sure there are some South Dakota values in there somewhere, and I just missed them.
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From FoxNews: Jupiter Grows Third Red Spot

The idea that Jupiter is undergoing global climate change was proposed in 2004 by Phil Marcus, a mechanical engineer at the University of California, Berkeley. He predicted large changes in the southern hemisphere starting around 2006 that would destabilize jet streams and spawn new storms.

More crazy people from Berkeley talking about climate change. But wait! Does this mean that extreme climate change can occur without the intervention of humans? Of course, there's no correlation between Jupiter, a gas giant, and Earth, which only has free-range gas giants (think Al Gore and Ralph Nader), but still, can anyone really think that if we weren't all living on Jupiter (don't think about it too hard) that Al Gore wouldn't be going ballistic right now? We humans have an overly high opinion of ourselves and our reach.
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CNN: McCain calls for slashing U.S. nuclear arsenal

"Today, we deploy thousands of nuclear warheads. It is my hope to move as rapidly as possible to a significantly smaller force," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said at the University of Denver.

This came from a speech laying out his "nuclear security policy." This was followed by a back and forth between McCain and an Obama spokesperson as to who had the most liberal policy. I feel so secure now.

I'll be gone for a few days as I turn my pool into a bomb shelter.

Need I Say More

Written by D. Pitney on 7:48 AM

If you have not heard or read about Obama's remarks on Memorial day regarding his Uncle then this is a must read. Can we afford to have this man as our President. God help us all. God Bless America

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/rnc-statement-obamas-false-claim/

Banning Wi-Fi in Public Places: Electro-Sensitive

Written by Paul Zannucci on 2:15 PM


Please, for the love of God and country, tell me I've somehow been transported back to April 1st, and this story is just a joke. From KOB.com website, we have: Group wants Wi-Fi banned from public buildings.

Seems there is a now a growing collection of individuals who label themselves as "electro-sensitive" and feel that offering Wi-Fi in public buildings is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"Arthur Firstenberg says he is highly sensitive to certain types of electric fields, including wireless Internet and cell phones. 'I get chest pain and it doesn't go away right away,' he said."

First of all, I suffer from an allergy to pollen. I think that all plant life in public spaces, including national forests, should be irradicated, or I'm going to file papers showing how the government is in violation of ADA. I'll bet $10,000 that Mr. Firstenberg is a registered Democrat who can't wait to stick it to big oil by voting for Obama in November.

A quick google on electro-sensitive found over 41,000 entries, and I was just preparing to leap from the window (not out of depression, but because, OMG!, there are electric devices in here), when I found a series of obnoxious blog articles, such as, Could This Be The Haven For The Electrosensitive?, hammering away at the whining lunatics in the aluminum foil hats.

Suddenly, my faith in humanity, and in kitchen appliances, was partially restored. But, seriously, what is next? Sensitivity to radio waves? Oh, yeah, that's what this is. In fact, it was first called "radio wave sickness". Searching the web for that, I came across a paper that was written by, surprise of surprises, the crazy person Firstenberg from New Mexico, who describes himself as "President, Cellular Phone Taskforce". According to this paper, if you are sensitive to radio waves, you can expect some or all of the following symptoms:

"Insomnia, headaches, dizziness, nausea, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, irritability, respiratory illness (bronchitis, sinusitis, pneumonia), flu-like illness, asthma, fatigue, weakness, pressure or pain in the chest, increase in blood pressure, altered pulse rate (usually slowed), pressure behind the eyes, other eye problems, swollen throat, dry lips or mouth, dehydration, sweating, fever, shortness of breath, muscle spasms, tremors, pain in the legs or the soles of the feet, testicular or pelvic pain, joint pain, pains that move around the body, nosebleeds, internal bleeding, hair loss, digestive problems, skin rash, ringing in the ears, impaired sense of smell, pain in the teeth (especially with metallic fillings)"

That should pretty much cover everyone. Anyway, this just goes to show that it only takes one really dedicated nutcase to cause widespread ignorance. Just imagine how many people would be suckered in if there were more than one Democrat...

A Big Weekend: Posts from the last few days...

Written by Paul Zannucci on 9:00 AM

Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less
A message from Newt Gingrich

Uh-oh. A feminist hissy-fit for Hillary
If you're a girl (and especially a girl who likes other girls), you may be really really angry now.

Life on Mars, Could it settle the Democratic Nomination?
ALL LIFE must have its chance to vote.

Memorial Day. What did they die for?
No, it wasn't for big oil.

Cold-fusion Works
The D. Pitney special.

Now your SUV is F'ing up Jupiter
Global warming on Jupiter. We've got to act now!

Camille Paglia on Hillary Clinton, Feminism, and Ambition
A scathing anti-Hillary attack from liberal feminist Paglia.

Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less

Written by Paul Zannucci on 8:51 AM




Dear Conservative,

We launched our "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" campaign earlier this week, and the response has been overwhelming. Already, more than 10,000 people have signed the petition urging Congress to start drilling for oil domestically. If you haven't signed the petition, I hope you'll sign it now and join me in sending a message to Congress that we need real solutions to stop the pain Americans are feeling at the pump.





Thank you for standing with me for real change.



Your friend, Newt Gingrich



General Chairman, American Solutions

Uh-oh. A feminist hissy-fit for Hillary

Written by Paul Zannucci on 7:57 AM


I'm seriously thinking of pulling out Operation Ross Perot again. From The Huffington Post comes this estrogen-laden shriek appropriately titled How Dare You!

Women are outraged. We are still fighting for her, and we are ashamed of how our candidate, a woman who has devoted her adult life to serving others, a woman who has been a distinguished First Lady, a woman who has helped her colleagues pass legislation and win races in their own states, a woman who has stood up for all of our rights, has been treated not just by the media but by her own Democratic Party. Throughout all this, Hillary has maintained her focus, her message and her dignity.

If there were any truth to the karma thing, our entire universe would implode right about now. There isn't even any reason to rebut this garbage. Just sitting there by itself, without the rest of the article (or maybe even with it), any reasonable person would assume the paragraph is scathing sarcasm.

And, yet, it is not sarcasm, and if it is truly identifying the prevailing sentiment, it is beautiful. Perhaps the piece oversteps its bounds today, but with enough of these polemics perhaps we can create a hissy-fit nation (okay, we already sort of have one): a nation of crazy-mad liberal feminists who refuse to vote for Obama. Any sort of movement that has reasonable numbers to it would absolutely doom the Obama run.

Which brings up another question. Given what we know about Hillary, unless she's served her two terms, can you even imagine a presidential election without her? I can't, and it makes me smile.

Life on Mars, Could it settle the Democratic Nomination?

Written by Paul Zannucci on 8:53 PM


In this article from a Korean source (there are lots of articles on this. I picked this one because of its flawless Chinglish), we are reminded of the billions of dollars NASA is spending to answer a question so important that it might just be called idle curiosity--Is or was there ever life on Mars? Of course, Mars is large and far away, so it's going to be a difficult process if the answer turns out to be 'no'. After all, the first three hundred tries can be explained away as being the wrong location to look. On the other hand, if we are lucky enough to find life, or irrefutable evidence of past life, on this try, we'll all be able to lean back in our chairs with satisfied looks on our faces and say, "Yep."

Of course, all space missions have a sort of because-it's-there quality to them. It's the other stuff that comes along with the missions that is helpful. For instance, when China finishes killing all our pets with tainted dog food and all our blood clot victims with tainted heparin, they might start getting around to accidentally shooting down our satellites. So all this practice chucking things into outer space will be useful if we want to be able to replace our television satellites as quickly as possible.

Ah, but Hillary has found a more immediate need for life on Mars. Shown above as she sits at NASA Control Center in Houston and watches for the first round of test results to come back, she has a strong conviction, says a campaign spokesperson, that all life be counted before she can drop out of the race. After all, Obama could accidentally fall off a cruise ship in August, September or maybe even October (hinting at a possible explanation for the Obama October surprise she's been talking about).

And NASA is hopeful. Suddenly remembering that life likes water, they've gone to the Martian pole this time where frozen water sits awaiting analyses. Let's keep our fingers crossed, both for NASA and Hillary, that we'll soon be able to lean back in our chairs and say, "Yep."

Memorial Day. What did they die for?

Written by Paul Zannucci on 9:51 AM


It is a simple question, yet one that is rarely asked or answered. What is the sacrifice that we celebrate on Memorial Day? What did they die for? The mainstream liberal not running for office will likely tell you they died for, or because of, government. This is actually the opposite of the truth. In fact, it is through opposites that we may find the truth.

The opposite of autonomy is oversight. The opposite of tyranny is liberty. The opposite of big government is little government and in little government is where we find freedom. As the amount of government goes up, the amount of freedom goes down. As the number of people forced into equality rises, the number of people free to reap their own rewards sinks.

Our founding fathers wanted to try a unique experiment in this country. More than simple democracy, what they infused into our system—The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights—was freedom. Government, predominately the wild and untamed variety, was everywhere and had been everywhere since the beginning of civilization.

It was not something so common as government that our forefathers wanted or fought the Revolutionary War for. It was not something so common as government that so many young men through the intervening centuries signed up to fight and give their lives for. In fact, for all these heroes it was something quite the opposite. It was freedom they gave their lives for.

For anyone who ever died for this country, government has been available wherever they might go. What was different in America was the limited scope of that government and the resulting freedom that this novel experiment brought.

On this Memorial Day, reflect upon what it is in America that is worth fighting for. We do not die for government here. We die for freedom.

Cold-fusion Works

Written by Paul Zannucci on 11:40 AM


I guess we could file this one under conservative conspiracy theories, but mostly I'm posting this for the benefit of D. Pitney, who is a staunch believer in the power generating capabilities of cold-fusion. Basically, you need something really cold, like Hillary's soul, and then you...nah, I don't know where I'm going with this.


Anyway, here is an article detailing a Japanese experiment with cold-fusion.


Now your SUV is F'ing up Jupiter

Written by Paul Zannucci on 9:32 PM


It's far worse than we thought:

The newest red spot is on the far left (west), along the same band of clouds as the Great Red Spot and is drifting toward it. If the motion continues, the new spot will encounter the much larger storm system in August. Jupiter's recent outbreak of red spots is likely related to large scale climate change as the gas giant planet is getting warmer near the equator.

Please, for the love of God and the solar system, follow Obama's advice and stop eating so much and keeping your air conditioning on 72 degrees. If we all don't start taking public transportation, what's next? Saturn? No word yet if NASA has any plans for sending Al
Gore to Jupiter. Something has to be done, though, and I, for one, am willing to lose him here on Earth if it means trying to save Jupiter. We don't want to make things worse on Jupiter, though, so we should only give him enough fossil fuel to get out of the Earth's atmosphere and get pointed in the right direction.

Camille Paglia on Hillary Clinton, Feminism, and Ambition

Written by Paul Zannucci on 8:50 PM


I never planned on agreeing with Paglia so much. Perhaps, one must think, she and I have a chance after all. I do, now that I think of it, have a soft spot for strong women who like porn...ah, but I'm getting wistful again...

Anyway, in a story (titled with a British accent) for the Telegraph, Hillary Clinton's candidacy has done feminism no favours, we find a lot of wonderful quotes about the crazy, power hungry half of the dynamic Clinton duo.

Unlike the average AP reporter, Paglia, who never just falls in behind liberal lines, deserves a full read, so I'll just give a little teaser and let you go read the full article for yourself.

Right now, Hillary is in Godzilla mode, refusing to accept Barack Obama's looming nomination and threatening to tie the Democratic party in legal knots until the August convention and beyond. Those who think she will withdraw gracefully in a few weeks are living in cloud cuckoo land. The Clintons are ruthless scrappers who will lock their bulldog teeth in any bloody towel.

That is the most flattering part of the entire piece, so you should enjoy it. Paglia, despite her independent nature, is only attempting to light the torches of a progressive lynch mob for the benefit of Obama (I can't imagine that she would have written anything but a glowing feminist manifesto had Clinton long ago cinched the nomination), but it is still an entertaining anti-Hillary rant.

Hillary Clinton Waxes Poetic About Obama Assassination

Written by Paul Zannucci on 8:02 PM


Well, not exactly, but I like the idea of being the New York Post of the internet.


From this story from Foxnews we get:

Asked by South Dakota newspaper the Argus Leader why she didn’t buy the argument that the party was fracturing because of the prolonged contest, Clinton said “my husband didn’t wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June.” “We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California,” she continued. “You know i just dont understand it.”

Later, she used Ted Kennedy's brain cancer to try to weasel out of it:

“The Kennedys have been much on my mind in the last days because of Senator Kennedy, and I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. i certainly had no intention of that whatsoever. My view is that we have to look to the past and to our leaders who have inspired us and give us a lot to live up to. And I’m honored to hold Senator Kennedy’s seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York, And have the highest regard for the entire Kennedy family. Thanks.”



All in all, it's been a rough day for Kennedy's. One death or another, every darn thing is their fault.

I take one of two things from this. 1) Either brain tumors are contagious, and she's caught Ted's and isn't thinking clearly, or 2) She's a raging sociopath. Since we all know the former isn't the case, it must be the latter, but that's not really a revelation, now is it? In fact, my brother, who used to write for this site, said today that if Obama wins the presidency and lets Hillary be the Vice President, that he'll be the first president to need a food taster. It's funny, but it is also a little too close to reality. Do I honestly think Obama is in danger from the Clintons? I'm ashamed to say that the best I can offer is "I don't think so" with an uncomfortable laugh tossed in for good measure. The Clintons are brutally power hungry, as is clearly seen from the fact that she is still spending tons of her own cash on a completely hopeless primary bid.

Plus, with Jack Bauer sidelined by the writers' strike, there's no one to stop them.

John McCain's Pastor--Nice Try ABC, or Maybe 'Thanks'

Written by Paul Zannucci on 12:54 PM


In a desperate attempt to even up the pastor score, ABC runs this expose on John McCain's minister: McCain Pastor: Islam Is a 'Conspiracy of Spiritual Evil'

Let's go through some lines here and see what we find about this evil minister, shall we?

"Islam is an anti-Christ religion that intends through violence to conquer the world," Parsley says on the DVDs reviewed by ABC News.

This would be more shocking except for the fact that Islam actually is anti-Christ (they don't believe he was the Son of God) and that Islamic leaders repeatedly make "conquer the world" type statements. Only a head-in-the-sand liberal organization like ABC could miss the jihad that's been going on for so many years now. Here is how a mainstream Islamic, Hassan Al Banna, leader put it: “For we want the flag of Islam to fly over those lands again, who were lucky enough, to be ruled by Islam for a time, and hear the call of the muezzin praise God. Then the light of Islam died out and they returned to disbelief. Andalusia, Sicily, the Balkans, Southern Italy and the Greek islands are all Islamic colonies which have to return to Islam’s lap. The Mediterranean and the Red Sea have to become internal seas of Islam, as they used to be”.

To read a series of excellent pieces on Islam, visit the Michelle Malkin site here.

Parsley says he can be silent no more about Islam. "I will rail against the idea that the God of Christianity and the God of Islam are the same being. I will sound the alarm about the pernicious agenda of the enemies of my country and the cross of my Christ, and I will proclaim the truth at every opportunity."

God forbid someone should suggest that Islam and Christianity are two different religions and then, what the heck, sound the alarm about the enemies of Christ and country. What kind of a world have we moved to when this sort of statement is considered newsworthy and an assault on moral decency?

"I would counter respectfully that what some people call extremists are instead mainstream Muslim believers who are drawing from the well at the very heart of Islam"

I fail to see how this statement can be argued with. Every time someone publishes a cartoon with the image of Mohamed in it, thousands upon thousands of every day Muslims rush the streets all over the world and riot.

"America was founded with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed," Parsley says, "and I believe Sept. 11, 2001 was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore."

Okay, maybe that one is a little crazy, but it also says on his website that Parsley does in fact distinguish between radical Muslims and non-radical Muslims.

All in all, this reminds me of the NY Times piece on McCain. If this attack gets widely reported, it will only help McCain in the polls. Mark my words.

McCain's Medical Records and Age

Written by Paul Zannucci on 8:01 AM

According to an AP story:

"Three-time melanoma survivor John McCain appears cancer-free, has a strong heart and is in otherwise general good health, according to eight years of medical records reviewed by The Associated Press...Early on in the primaries, a number of voters said McCain's age was a problem, but recent surveys suggest it may not be as big an issue. An ABC News-Washington Post poll conducted in April found 70 percent saying McCain's age would not make any difference to their vote. Other recent polls found similar results, with two-thirds or more saying his age doesn't matter."


Well, that is good, at least. One of the interesting things through my own personal experience is that a lot of the people for whom age is a factor are, themselves, older folks. My parents, for example, are about the same age as McCain and have serious reservations about how he'll be able to handle a job as demanding as the presidency (despite the fact that neither one of them sits still for a minute), and they've gone as far as to say that there is no way that they would vote for him for a second term, that 76 would simply be too old to begin a four-year job.


As a twenty-three-year-old (so far as you know), I can't really relate to the sentiments, myself. I don't know what it feels like to be that age, and it hasn't occurred to me that McCain was too old for me to vote for him. It did occur to me, however, that he might appear too old to be able to defeat a slick youngster like Obama simply from a natural bias point-of-view. I suppose we'll see, but the image of these two coming onto the debate floor together is not a pretty one. To the mindless electorate, Obama will likely win the debate via initial appearance alone.

Where do the remaining candidates stand on the Fair Tax?

Written by Paul Zannucci on 9:04 PM


McCain--Not on your life.

Clinton--No answer.

Obama--No answer.


It is odd that Clinton and Obama have not answered this given that we know what their answers would be. Apparently, dodging questions has become such a way of life for liberals that they don't even realize when they've been asked a question with an obvious answer. Actually, the real problem (not that the liberal dodge isn't a big enough problem) is that for a Democrat, answering questions about the Fair Tax plan would be like addressing UFO's and psychics. It would just be unseemly.


In the meantime we can only dream of what such a plan would do for our country. Imagine, for instance, an economy without payroll taxes (those were the original lyrics to the John Lennon song Imagine).


If you'd like to see more about the politicians' stances on the fair tax, you can go here.


The front page for the fair tax site is here.

Obama leads McCain by 8 nationally...

Written by Paul Zannucci on 8:50 AM


According to a new poll by Zogby, Slick is leading OldNAngry by 8 points nationally.

When you consider what the Wicked Witch of the Mid-West has been wandering around saying, and that Obama, himself, has made such clever remarks as, "(small town Americans) get bitter, they cling to guns or religion," you've got to wonder exactly what sort of "October surprise" could derail this guy. He's already been associated with a church that rests five miles beyond the lunatic fringe and been allowed to blame every gaff and misstep on unnamed staffers (see here). Remember, liberals will vote for anyone, Marion Barry (shown above smoking crack on a police surveilance video) as example, regardless of their moral history, so long as they strike the right emotional appeal. And this guy has liberals on the verge of emotional orgasm every time he opens his mouth.

Of course, this could be one of the most bizarre elections ever. We could see a situation where 80% of the voters in places like California and Oregon vote for Obama, and yet McCain, despite a significant loss in the popular vote, wins by virtue of the electoral college. That would be a great way for Slick to go down. Of course, the Democrats in congress would just try to get rid of the electoral college, and we all know how tough on liberals McCain is. Only God knows what we'd end up with.

What if--A Video of Obama Beating his Wife?

Written by Paul Zannucci on 8:40 AM


What would you do if you had a video of Obama beating his wife? Would you sell it to CBS for millions of dollars (so they could lose it until after the election) or would you keep it for your own personal pleasure, watching it over and over again? I'm not advocating wife beating--just wife beating watching. Hey, maybe you could make copies of it and get the best of both worlds: turn one in to the police and keep the other for your personal viewing pleasure.

I'm a member of the Tennessee GOP who Obama told yesterday to leave off attacking his wife: OBAMA TELLS TENN. GOP: LAY OFF MY WIFE. Let me make one thing perfectly clear, if you want your wife to stop coming under attack, stop sending her out on the campaign trail. I used to think that Hillary Clinton was the most reprehensible First Lady in history, but if Obama wins the presidency we're going to take this to whole new heights. Michelle, what a beautiful name to be destroyed by association, is like having Louis Farrakhan with boobs traveling around the country giving speeches. Granted, the boobs are an improvement, but they can only get you so far. Well, actually they can get you as far as you want in certain situations, but not on the campaign trail.

Bottom line: If she's going to be a public figure, out there spreading her racial hatred and her hatred of country, then she is a target like every other public figure. Let's make this perfectly clear. Obama can't tell me (though he wants to) what to drive, how much to eat, what to set my air conditioning on and to lay off public figures. The fact that he keeps thinking that he can, in fact, tell me this is more than a bit disturbing.

AAAAIGGGGGHHHHH---Global Warming

Written by Paul Zannucci on 8:45 AM

From this article we get these haunting words from Obama: "We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said. "That's not leadership. That's not going to happen," he added.

Really? That's not going to happen? Many responses come to mind right now, but all of them involve cursing so I have to let them go. I've got to assume, and pray, that this is yet another lousy bit of reporting and that the "..." hide the real thing that's not going to happen other than legislation to determine how cool we can keep our houses; what cars we can drive and how much we can eat. And who cares if other countries say OK? This is one of the most appalling reports of a politician's comments I've ever read.

In related news, we now find that because of global warming, there will be fewer hurricanes: Hurricanes and tropical storms will become less frequent by the end of the century as a result of climate change, US researchers have suggested.

How about that. It was only just recently that we were going to have non-stop, cataclysmic hurricanes due to global warming. That's all I can manage to post. Between these two stories, I can barely maintain control of my gag reflex.

The Will of the People

Written by D. Pitney on 7:33 AM

In a never ending, we are smarter than the voters battle, the brilliant Judges on the CA Supreme Court overturned the ban on same sex marriages. (See attached article for more details: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5icdBPRnsMRFvCfUyWtzDS8Nt2rYQ ) I am not going to argue same sex marriages here even though I am strongly opposed. However I do want to point out that what happened in this case should scare everyone into voting for conservatives who will appoint conservative Justices at both the state and national levels.

In 2000 CA voters approved a law banning same sex marriages. (The Will of the People) This law was upheld by an appeals court in 2006 because this was the “expressed wish of the majority”. (Thank God some court understands “The Will of the People”) Now in a “we can’t discriminate” decision the CA Supreme Court has ruled that majorities don’t matter. This is a very clear example of Judges making law! Laws are to be decided by elected officials put in their positions by “The Will of the People” not by activist judges. These Judges are abusing their power to push an agenda that is very clearly not “The Will of the People”.

We are fast approaching an election cycle. We need to quickly decide if we want to turn over control of our laws to a few judges with an agenda or do we want to keep the decisions for ourselves. The answer is very simple. Ask your candidate before you vote for them what type of Justices they will appoint. If those Justices are not strict Constitutionalists that understand they are not to make laws then pick another candidate. Take back the mantel of power. Let’s turn our Country’s direction back over to the “The Will of the People”! God Bless America.

Road Rage

Written by D. Pitney on 6:19 PM

While driving recently I happened upon a bumper sticker that very nearly made me run the offending car off the road. (justifiably so) The scandalous sign read “Health care is a human right”. Now by no means am I a constitutional expert but the last time I checked life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were the human rights guaranteed in this the most amazing document ever penned down.

We have come to a cross road in American Society where people’s wants are now human rights. I want a new car. Is this a “human right”? I want a swimming pool added to my home. Is this a “human right”? No one with half a brain would even consider my requests as sane. Yet “health care” which is no different than my new car or my swimming pool should be considered a human right.

Everyone deserves to be seen and treated by a capable doctor. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and compassion when they are ill. However you should not expect someone else to pay higher taxes so that you can get your treatment. I am fortunate to work for a company that partially pays for my health insurance but their cost and my costs continue to rise. I consider the fact that they still pay some a true blessing. If you want real cost effective change then put free market forces to work (if you don’t know what those are then you are in real trouble)(I will give you a hint Competition). Another option is to utilize health savings plans and fund your own insurance. Put away what you would spend each month on insurance in a safe account and should the need arise the funds are there to pay. Tell your doctor you will pay cash for your procedure. He or She will love you since they now do not have to deal with the insurance companies. (I bet they will even give you a great deal and if not go somewhere that will)

I am truly sick and tired of the give me society we live in. I have been raised to believe we get what we earn. I expect that if I sit around and wait for someone else to take care of my needs then I will probably have nothing. On the other hand if I get up, get going and plow a head then I will have all of my needs and many of my wants met. Stop standing around with your hands out. Put those hands to work and go earn your health care like the rest of us. God Bless America

Looks like I picked the wrong time to chuck Operation Ross Perot

Written by Paul Zannucci on 3:39 PM

As mostly a gag site, it was taking too much of my time and thought, but here we have a report that Clinton supporters are split about evenly as to whether they would like her to make an independent run. That is absolutely huge. I may try it again, but it's really one of those sort of things that requires constant care. Perhaps I'll wait until the primaries are over and see what's happened.

Here's a piece of the article and the link:

"...if Clinton does not win the Democratic Party nomination, 29% of Democrats say she should run an Independent campaign for the White House. Sixty-one percent (61%) of Democrats disagree. Clinton supporters are evenly divided on the question."

Rasmussen Reports

It's not Obama's fault...

Written by Paul Zannucci on 9:30 AM

(Image: Bill Clinton explaining that it was actually an unnamed staffer who got carried away and slept with Monica Lewinski).


Did you have any brothers or sisters? Did you ever get grilled by your mother when your sibling wasn't there and decide to conveniently pass off the blame? This only worked for a limited time because eventually your sibling, if they were old enough, would not go gently to the whipping post. Just think how convenient it would have been if you had only had a vast quantity of mostly unknown brothers and sisters to pass the blame to. Such is the convenient situation that Obama finds himself.

Jake Tapper, National Correspondent with ABC, provides a pretty entertaining list of ten to fourteen (depending on how you look at it) cases where something embarrassing gets passed off into the empty vastness of the staffer family tree.

You can read this piece here.

I wonder how this will work for President Obama? Do you think people will continue to let him toss imaginary people under the bus, or will he be forced to attach actual names to his blunders? One thing is for certain, I'd hate to be on his staff when the rubber of the bus tires actually meets the road.

And what does this say about his personality? Here is a man who cannot admit an error. Not only that, he cannot stop himself from blaming others. As it says on a blog promoting Hillary for an independent run, "No wonder his wife is so angry all the time. Not only is she the one who constantly misplaces his keys, but she’s getting tired of peeing on the seat and leaving the lid up, too."

A Bit of Good News from TheHill.com

Written by Paul Zannucci on 10:37 AM


"Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) senior advisers said Friday they are willing to push the nomination fight beyond the last contests on June 3 if neither candidate reaches the delegate requirement that includes Michigan and Florida. While most analysts have determined that Clinton’s chances are all but nil, Geoff Garin and Howard Wolfson, two of Clinton’s senior advisers, told a group of reporters over breakfast that if frontrunner Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) does not reach 2,209 delegates by June 3, the campaign will continue."

The Hill

Keep up the good fight. Also, I was reading The Huffington Post this morning (don't ask) and came accross this funny paragraph:

"Clinton showed with the gas tax farce that there is no pander to "hard-working Americans, white Americans" too crass or desperate. She's been...downing shots, eulogizing her mill-working grandfather, and recounting her youthful fishing trips. Next week she'll probably show up in a WV coal mine swingin' a pick, shootin' small critters, and promising miners that she'll double their wages for the summer."

Personally, I don't think she'll do that next because the primary is tomorrow. She'll probably never think of West Virginia again, but I did find the whole concept of the hillbillyization of Hillary pretty fun.

Operation Ross Perot Update

Written by Paul Zannucci on 8:56 AM


Even though I don't think I can keep it going at the current pace too much longer, Operation Ross Perot is clicking along at a pretty good rate. The Hillary Clinton, Independent for President website made it into the wordpress.com list of fastest growing blogs and was also featured on CNN.com's political blogs ticker.

I don't think the campaign stands a ghost of a chance, or I would continue to hit it daily. All indications are that Hillary plans to fight until the bitter end and then, somehow, pull her head out of her ass long enough to support Obama. But I'll continue to update a couple or three times a week to see if I can't stir the pot a bit. I advertised for some "like-minded progressives" to help me out, but so far I haven't had any takers. Something tells me that at least half the people visiting the site are wishful thinking conservatives.

Meanwhile, expect the rhetoric to get ramped up tomorrow and Wednesday as Hillary prepares to win West Virginia by about 40%. Of course, it won't matter because the Clintons are now on the outside of the Democrat inner circles. The media, trying like hell to marginalize Hillary in order to support Obama, has all but called the entire election in favor of Obama. A little voice in the back of my head tells me the Clinton ego won't let it end here, though. Only time will tell, I guess.