No seats on the plane, or in Obama's Amerika

It appears that the Obama campaign decided to do some housecleaning and has thrown people who do not agree with them off the plane. From Politico:

Obama spokesman Bill Burton confirms Drudge's report that two right-leaning papers, the Washington Times and the New York Post, have lost their seats on the Obama plane, along with the Dallas Morning News.

"We're trying to reach as many swing voters that we can and unfortunately had to make some tough choices. but we are accommodating these folks in every way possible," he said.

The Post and the Morning News are both read primarily in states that aren't in play, but the Washington Times is read in Northern Virginia.

The Obama campaign is frankly a bit dopey on this. Tossing the Washington Times aside is just bad politics. If they needed room, they would have been better served by dropping the two non-competitive states and adding a reporter from one of their non-competitive states media. They come across as both petty and vindictive which leads to me next point.

It is becomming more and more apparent that many of us do not have a place in Obama's version of America. At least not an active place. Obama has appeared to me to moving toward the policy of the chief parasite. Those who pay taxes need more taken out while those who don't should receive justice by getting other's money. That's the Obama world that I keep envisioning - and it is from THEIR words, not the McCain campaign.

But hey, just don't complain. Who knows where Obama will send you. Joe the Plumber found out all about that.

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It's about time - Catholics stand up!

For the purpose of our readers, I am a Roman Catholic. I didn't ask his permission but Jake is as well. One of the issues that has always troubled me in the Catholic community are elected politicians who are practicing Catholics and promote abortion. I am not talking about someone who balances belief in the tenets of a politicians philosophy with a passive agreement with abortion. I am talking about someone who promotes abortion as a talking point to make them unique in New Jersey or the US.

Our Catholic Bishops are late in dealing with this issue. They have too often watched idly as politicians like Kerry or Biden or Pelosi mis-state Catholic doctrine. The also seem to tacitly agree to shut up while accepting some alleged benefit for their congregation but in doing so become a part of the practice themselves. But apparently now, Catholic Priests are standing up.

Check out this site. My wife and I know a lady who is far more agressive than we are at challenging people to explain their support for liberals and abortion. Her heart is most definitely in the right place and maybe she doesn't go far enough. You can't support life while supporting people who promote abortion for convenience. Period.

It isn't about the inflexibility about the girl who was raped. It is about retaining the right to kill a child born alive through a botched abortion. Only one hypothetical is discussed but the facts don't match up. I am not a radical in this regard. But I also don't believe that deciding to match a lack of attention to birth control enables someone to abort an "inconvenience" on demand. I call that a child and frankly, if the liberal community is honest, the only real systematic hollacaust in this country is the mass abortion of black children for convenience and promoted by the Democratic party. Period.

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Philadelphia Phillies - World Series Champions!

And just like that, it is over. Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies and to the Philadelphia fans who poured their heart and soul to get it done. Congratulations Philadelphia!

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The Economist's "Global Electoral College"

Okay, this isn't about taxes. Bear with me -- we've only got a week until the election, and I'm on pins and needles.

The Economist's "Global Electoral College" is a funny little application that shows what the Economist's readers think about the Obama - McCain race.

Here's something interesting to note: Almost all of the countries in the world are deep, deep blue (pro-Obama), including the US (by 81% to 19%, which is clearly a stronger divide than actually exists in the US itself). But one country that is Leaning McCain? Iraq: 59% McCain, 41% Obama.

Here's a publication whose readership leans hard left throughout the entire world, and a majority of its Iraqi readers prefer McCain.

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Happy Halloween!

I know it's a few days early, but here's a treat -- or is it a trick?

The artist is Gary McCoy, and the publisher is Cagle Cartoons.

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Go Phillies!

As I sit here in my Phillies hat getting ready for the game, I can't help but think back about this Phillies team. A year and a half ago, I was on a work tour with a colleague who was a Mets fan. We sat at dinner (okay, it was at the bar) and would follow the two teams on Blackberry. He turned me on the MLB.com mobile which is frankly the best mobile sports site out there. He also tortured my over the fact that the Mets were going to swat the Phillies away and take their rightful place on top of the division.

It didn't happen that way last year and I had the last laugh. But the Phils were to proceed to one of those team "life lessons" once they got into the playoffs. And it is that experience that I think has turned this years team into something truly amazing.

This year, when the Phils were in second place in the division and 3 1/2 games out for the wildcard, I happened to be running an errand in Morrisville (okay, I was getting a keg). I remember staying a few minutes chatting with one of the guys there and watched the Phils take the lead and suggested how it would be pretty cool to leave the weekend near the top. The rest is history and the Phils exited that weekend on top of the division and never looked back. This was a team that knew what they were doing and didn't need luck.

To the Pennant and now the World Series, they have been awesome. They are frankly so like Philadelphia and will likely be the kind of heroes the Flyers were in the 70's. Not just because of their success but because of how they did it. I have avoided writing about them to avoid the jinx. And I won't make any predictions.

But this team if for real. And good luck tonight Phils. Here is hoping that this night becomes one of those special moments in the history of Philadelphia. Kate Smith. Bernie Parent. Bobbie Clarke. Dave Schultz. Steve Carlton. Mike Schmidt. Tug McGraw. Moses Malone. Dr J. and now....introducing.....

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NY Times Endorses Lautenberg - and NJ was cheated out of an election

From the NY Times endorsement of Senator Frank Lautenberg:

New Jersey voters deserved a better race this year than the nearly invisible contest between Senator Frank Lautenberg and Richard Zimmer, his Republican challenger. Mr. Lautenberg, 84, has accomplished much over 24 years in the Senate but seemed reluctant to campaign actively. He agreed to only one televised debate.

A lot of bloggers are criticising the Times on this one. I am not so sure. While the media should have forced Lautenberg to come out of his hole, so should the citizens of New Jersey. This man was allowed to hide during the primary and again in the general election.

New Jersey should take a page out of the Pennsylvania book. Every Presidential election, they are a battleground state. New Jersey doesn't really even mobilize either side. No issues are discussed or debated here. Everything is debated in PA. We are rapidly becomming a corrupt welfare state. And Pennsylvania has become a player that matters on the national stage.

And Frank Lautenberg sitting in his easy chair refusing to campaign, debate or discuss the issues is responsible. And so are we.

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An Open Letter To Michael Smerconish.

Last week, Philadelphia Big Talker 1210 mornign talk show host Michael Smerconish (aka Smernakof) wrote an op ed peice to announce his support for Barack Obama. He wrote it two days before it printed and sent it to those on the show's email list(of which I am one). The announcement was not surprising to those of us who follow Michael but apparently created serious consternation in his audience. That then motivated Michael to stretch the unhappiness further by writing another op ed this time critical of his own audience.

The floodgates of criticism opened before my endorsement of Barack Obama was even published last Sunday.

I gave my talk-radio audience a two-day advance warning of my decision while asking that they read what I had written.

More than 500 people weighed in immediately, unwilling to consider my argument before criticizing its conclusion.

Michael is right. His fans were upset and lashed out. But he is also wrong that his fans have no substance to their lack of support for his position. And once he uses his position to advance it as almost like a campaign position, it is all fair game. So, to address his issue, I would like to offer my rebuttal to his original op ed.

Terrorism: Michael has been hung up on Pakistan due to the alleged/likely existance of Osama Bin Laden there. He is right that we should focus more there in the war on terror. He is also right that Iraq is a distraction that didn't need to happpen. But the problem with his argument is that it did happen and now it needs to be dealt with. A cheap talking point that "I will get Bin Laden" doesn't dignify what the next President will need to do to clean this all up.

Unfortunately McCain is a little too status quo on this. But Obama is a little too naive as well suggesting that we should attack Pakistan (a sovereign country just like Iraq who would not appreciate it). Michael for some time has repeated this tome. And then proceeded his hero worship with Obama during the primary debating who stole each other's line. It was a bit cozy then and not as objective as Michael would probably want it to be. From my perspective, Michael seems to hang way too much importance on this. Too much of his argument is about Bush and not about McCain.

Economy: It is way too easy for Michael to repeat one of the favorite Democrat attack adds about McCain saying the fundamentals are sound. Guess what? They are. It is not stupid to try to calm the markets and the President's job is to do just that. What about Obama? What did he say? Nothing. He stood there like a deer in the headlights and said that candidates should stay out of it. Sorry Michael, that isn't very impressive.

And while we are on the economy, let's look at the pass that both Michael and much of the media have given to the Democrats and Obama. This problem has causes. Bush was one because he didn't make the mortgage issue a priority. He also represents the team in power. The Democrats were also responsible. This includes Obama. Why when Michael had the change did he not ask Obama what he did to become the second biggest recipient of Fannie/Freddie during his interview? Apparently, because someone yelled Hussein during McCain's appearance in Pa, that was more important.

VP: Michael is more than happy to declare Sarah Palin "not ready" to be Vice President. But he has never asked whether nor not Barack Obama is ready to be President. We have the immediate question of competence and one that is second hand. Michael discounts the first and glorifies the second. I am calling Malarkey on this one! Michael was already on his way with Obama. Maybe it was his time with Matthews or maybe it was Pakistan but his argument he is specious.

Sarah Palin has a solid record. Barack Obama gives a good speech. Let's be honest. It you want to trash Palin's experience, you have to trash Obama's. Yes, Palin would be a hearbeat away. But an election could put Obama there. This is an sorry example of doublespeak. Sorry Michael, I like you but this one doesn't work for me.

And as for Joe Biden? Are we kidding here? Michael loves Joe because he knows him. The media likes him because he has been there for quotes and gaffs for years. The net is that he is a complete buffoon. He is only convincing when he is lying and he does that often. Thank God that Obama is young because this fool should never be responsible for the nuclear codes. But he is a nice man so he has that going for him.

Opportunity: Michael is right on about this one and I agree. Michael's comments are here:

In a speech delivered on Father's Day, Obama lamented that too
many fathers are missing from the lives of too many children and mothers.
Look no further than Philadelphia for proof that the nation has a fatherhood
problem at the root of its firearms crisis. And no demographic is affected
by this confluence of factors like the black community. Among the many
elements needed to address this crisis are role models, individuals whom
urban youth can aspire to emulate. Little more than a year ago, Charles
Barkley told me: "I want young black kids to see Barack on television every
day. . . . We need to see more blacks who are intelligent, articulate, and
who carry themselves with great dignity." Obama can be that man.
Although, he has never brought it up before on his show in any substantive way. I would be much happier if Michael went this route and not the Pakistan route as his major suit for OBama.

Hope: Sorry, this was Clinton's line. Obama may be liked in Europe but he isn't running for Ambassador for Europe. The American President has a job and very few of his constituents are in Europe or anywhere else. I had a job where I travelled the world extensively and frankly, other countries often criticise the US. It is sometimes envy, sometimes valid and often complete rubbish. This is weak stuff and really not worthy of Michael's other arguments. Being last, it struck me as an afterthought.

Michael also took this opportunity to criticise McCain for not reigning in people at his campaign events. I don't know where Michael has been living but Republicans, the President and anyone conservative have been literally skewered by Democrats on a daily basis for years. The Senator Majority leader said he "hated" McCain. Routinely people at Obama events advocate killing George Bush. In Philadelphia, a Democrat t-shirt seller is promoting his "Sarah Palin is a C*nt" T-shirts. I have not heard Obama tell them to tone it down nor would I expect him to. Come on Michael.

The net here is that Michael is much closer to his friend Chris Matthews than he thinks. Mayne his leg doesn't tingle but he has been looking for reasons to vote for Obama. And you know what, what's wrong with that? Our current President is often inarticulate, McCain isn't much better and maybe we just all need a change. But let's not pretend that there is a whole lot more than that, shall we?

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Is this a CNN reporter lecturing a McCain supporter with OBama talking points?

Huh?

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Biden Unplugged! Any questions?

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Corzine responds to financial crisis!

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Courier Post Endorses Zimmer

In the continuing saga of the New Jersey's secret Senate campaign, one newspaper has had enough.

In the spring, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg defeated U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews of Haddon Heights in the Democratic primary for the Senate nomination. Since then, Lautenberg has laid low, so low, in fact, that his race against Republican Dick Zimmer, a former congressman, has gone virtually unnoticed in a year when politics are on just about everyone's mind.

No one in this state is happy with the status quo. Whether or not the Democrats who control it want to admit it, they have performed abysmally. While other states were getting their fiscal house in order the past several years, the New Jersey governor and legislature has been simultaneously stealing the citizens blind (convictions of Democrat politicians number over 100 and rising) and bankrupting the state. They only know how to spend and have absolutely no self control. It is time for a change but the citizens in this state don't get it.

Zimmer, who spent six years in the House of Representatives in the 1990s representing Central Jersey, is not the most electric candidate in the world. But he knows the issues and he's got a pedigree when it comes to opposing any and all tax increases. And he recognizes just how off-kilter things are in New Jersey, where residents pay the highest amount in the nation in total taxes when local, county, state and federal taxes are all put together. We're first in taxes and, as Zimmer also points out, 50th out of 50 states in getting money back from Washington. New Jersey gets just 61 cents back in federal funding for projects here for every $1 in taxes we send to Washington.

Lautenberg, who's been in the Senate since 1982 except for a two-year hiatus in 2001 and 2002, has had his chance to reverse that trend and done nothing. Worse, he failed to really acknowledge the seriousness of this problem at the meeting Thursday, instead defending his performance by touting a few institutions he's gotten money for over the years.

And the biggest joke in all of this is that Lautenberg had to be embarrassed out of his hidey-hole to even participate in the debate this past week. He doesn't feel the need to address the issues and deal with voters. But then, I often wonder whether the real reason he is hiding is that he may no longer be completely in control of his faculties. If he is so proud of what he has done for New Jersey, come out and tell us Frank.

Read the endorsement here.

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Obama Donor Fraud follow-up from The Corner

From The Corner on National Review blog site:


Not To Beat a Dead Horse [Jonah Goldberg]


But an e-friend sends this:

So I went to the Obama website this afternoon and clicked on the "Donate" button.

I used my real MasterCard number (but was not asked for the 3 digit security code).

Used the following information and it was accepted...

First name: Fake
Last Name: Donor
Address: 1 Dollar To Prove A Point
City: Fraudulent
State: AL
Zip / Post: 33333
Email Address: allmyinfoismadeup@mediabias.com
Phone Number: 2125551212
Employer: Mainstream Media
Occupation: Being in the Tank

And incredibly, my $5 donation was ACCEPTED!!!

I then went to the McCain site and used the exact same information (and WAS asked for the 3 digit security code for my MasterCard). There, my contribution was rejected with the following message: "Your transaction was not approved for the following reason(s): Invalid data", and then: "We have found errors in the information that you have submitted. Please review the information below and try again."

I have screen shots and printouts of all of this as well.

Please tell me what I can do with this information? Is this a violation of FEC law by the Obama Campaign? How do we publicize this???

Thanks for all you do.

Best,


10/23 03:04 PM

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Powerline breaks major election fraud story!

Because there is no such thing as investigative journalism by media giants like the New York Time in regard to Barack Obama, Powerline once again broke a story about contribution fraud at Obama's web site:

More recently, incidents have been reported in which people have seen credit card charges surface suggesting they donated to Barack Obama when they did not. Matthew Mosk and Sarah Cohen noted one such incident earlier this week:

Now comes the story of Mary T. Biskup, of Manchester, Missouri. Biskup got a call recently from the Obama campaign, which was trying to figure out why she donated $174,800 to the campaign -- well over the contribution limit of $2,300.

The answer she gave them was simple. "That's an error."

Is the Obama campaign knowingly receiving illegal contributions?

It it indeed? Apparently, Powerline readers have been testing the site and have found a criminal lack of basic fraud checking at the Obama donation web site. Interestingly, the McCain has verification clearly in place.

Read the article here. The fact that the fraud is occurring is bad enough. The fact that no media organization will report on it is chilling. If this were John McCain, it would be front page news.

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Lautenberg comes out of hiding - Debate today with Zimmer!

Our Senator has finally come out of hiding and will be debating Dick Zimmer today from 2-3:30. It is clearly about time for him to make at least a pretense of answering to the voters. I don't care who the candidate is and even if I really liked them, if someone I supported refused to come out of hiding and discuss the issues, that would be the end of my vote. Unfortunately, many voters just don't seem to care.

Click HERE to watch the debate between 2-3:30.

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Orson Scott Card - A Democrat on the Economic Crisis and the Media

By Orson Scott Card October 5, 2008

Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights?

An open letter to the local daily paper -- almost every local daily paper in America:

I remember reading All the President's Men and thinking: That's journalism. You do what it takes to get the truth and you lay it before the public, because the public has a right to know.

This housing crisis didn't come out of nowhere. It was not a vague emanation of the evil Bush administration.

It was a direct result of the political decision, back in the late 1990s, to loosen the rules of lending so that home loans would be more accessible to poor people. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were authorized to approve risky loans.

What is a risky loan? It's a loan that the recipient is likely not to be able to repay.

The goal of this rule change was to help the poor -- which especially would help members of minority groups. But how does it help these people to give them a loan that they can't repay? They get into a house, yes, but when they can't make the payments, they lose the house -- along with their credit rating.

They end up worse off than before.

This was completely foreseeable and in fact many people did foresee it. One political party, in Congress and in the executive branch, tried repeatedly to tighten up the rules. The other party blocked every such attempt and tried to loosen them.

Furthermore, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were making political contributions to the very members of Congress who were allowing them to make irresponsible loans. (Though why quasi-federal agencies were allowed to do so baffles me. It's as if the Pentagon were allowed to contribute to the political campaigns of Congressmen who support increasing their budget.)

Isn't there a story here? Doesn't journalism require that you who produce our daily paper tell the truth about who brought us to a position where the only way to keep confidence in our economy was a $700 billion bailout? Aren't you supposed to follow the money and see which politicians were benefitting personally from the deregulation of mortgage lending?

I have no doubt that if these facts had pointed to the Republican Party or to John McCain as the guilty parties, you would be treating it as a vast scandal. "Housing-gate," no doubt. Or "Fannie-gate."

Instead, it was Senator Christopher Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank, both Democrats, who denied that there were any problems, who refused Bush administration requests to set up a regulatory agency to watch over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and who were still pushing for these agencies to go even further in promoting subprime mortgage loans almost up to the minute they failed.

As Thomas Sowell points out in a TownHall.com essay entitled Do Facts Matter? "Alan Greenspan warned them four years ago. So did the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to the President. So did Bush's Secretary of the Treasury."

These are facts. This financial crisis was completely preventable. The party that blocked any attempt to prevent it was ... the Democratic Party. The party that tried to prevent it was ... the Republican Party.

Yet when Nancy Pelosi accused the Bush administration and Republican deregulation of causing the crisis, you in the press did not hold her to account for her lie. Instead, you criticized Republicans who took offense at this lie and refused to vote for the bailout!

What? It's not the liar, but the victims of the lie who are to blame?

Now let's follow the money ... right to the presidential candidate who is the number-two recipient of campaign contributions from Fannie Mae.

And after Freddie Raines, the CEO of Fannie Mae who made $90 million while running it into the ground, was fired for his incompetence, one presidential candidate's campaign actually consulted him for advice on housing.

If that presidential candidate had been John McCain, you would have called it a major scandal and we would be getting stories in your paper every day about how incompetent and corrupt he was.

But instead, that candidate was Barack Obama, and so you have buried this story, and when the McCain campaign dared to call Raines an "adviser" to the Obama campaign -- because that campaign had sought his advice -- you actually let Obama's people get away with accusing McCain of lying, merely because Raines wasn't listed as an official adviser to the Obama campaign.

You would never tolerate such weasely nit-picking from a Republican.

If you who produce our local daily paper actually had any principles, you would be pounding this story, because the prosperity of all Americans was put at risk by the foolish, short-sighted, politically selfish, and possibly corrupt actions of leading Democrats, including Obama.

If you who produce our local daily paper had any personal honor, you would find it unbearable to let the American people believe that somehow Republicans were to blame for this crisis.

There are precedents. Even though President Bush and his administration never said that Iraq sponsored or was linked to 9/11, you could not stand the fact that Americans had that misapprehension -- so you pounded us with the fact that there was no such link. (Along the way, you created the false impression that Bush had lied to them and said that there was a connection.)

If you had any principles, then surely right now, when the American people are set to blame President Bush and John McCain for a crisis they tried to prevent, and are actually shifting to approve of Barack Obama because of a crisis he helped cause, you would be laboring at least as hard to correct that false impression.

Your job, as journalists, is to tell the truth. That's what you claim you do, when you accept people's money to buy or subscribe to your paper.

But right now, you are consenting to or actively promoting a big fat lie -- that the housing crisis should somehow be blamed on Bush, McCain, and the Republicans. You have trained the American people to blame everything bad -- even bad weather -- on Bush, and they are responding as you have taught them to.

If you had any personal honor, each reporter and editor would be insisting on telling the truth -- even if it hurts the election chances of your favorite candidate.

Because that's what honorable people do. Honest people tell the truth even when they don't like the probable consequences. That's what honesty means. That's how trust is earned.

Barack Obama is just another politician, and not a very wise one. He has revealed his ignorance and naivete time after time -- and you have swept it under the rug, treated it as nothing.

Meanwhile, you have participated in the borking of Sarah Palin, reporting savage attacks on her for the pregnancy of her unmarried daughter -- while you ignored the story of John Edwards's own adultery for many months.

So I ask you now: Do you have any standards at all? Do you even know what honesty means?

Is getting people to vote for Barack Obama so important that you will throw away everything that journalism is supposed to stand for?

You might want to remember the way the National Organization of Women threw away their integrity by supporting Bill Clinton despite his well-known pattern of sexual exploitation of powerless women. Who listens to NOW anymore? We know they stand for nothing; they have no principles.

That's where you are right now.

It's not too late. You know that if the situation were reversed, and the truth would damage McCain and help Obama, you would be moving heaven and earth to get the true story out there.

If you want to redeem your honor, you will swallow hard and make a list of all the stories you would print if it were McCain who had been getting money from Fannie Mae, McCain whose campaign had consulted with its discredited former CEO, McCain who had voted against tightening its lending practices.

Then you will print them, even though every one of those true stories will point the finger of blame at the reckless Democratic Party, which put our nation's prosperity at risk so they could feel good about helping the poor, and lay a fair share of the blame at Obama's door.

You will also tell the truth about John McCain: that he tried, as a Senator, to do what it took to prevent this crisis. You will tell the truth about President Bush: that his administration tried more than once to get Congress to regulate lending in a responsible way.

This was a Congress-caused crisis, beginning during the Clinton administration, with Democrats leading the way into the crisis and blocking every effort to get out of it in a timely fashion.

If you at our local daily newspaper continue to let Americans believe --and vote as if -- President Bush and the Republicans caused the crisis, then you are joining in that lie.

If you do not tell the truth about the Democrats -- including Barack Obama -- and do so with the same energy you would use if the miscreants were Republicans -- then you are not journalists by any standard.

You're just the public relations machine of the Democratic Party, and it's time you were all fired and real journalists brought in, so that we can actually have a daily newspaper in our city.

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State Government Vehicles Gone Wild! Report Offenders Here!

I have blogged in the past about the habit of this state to distribute vehicles to state workers like candy at Halloween. Except, at least I get to decide whether or not I want to pay for and distribute the candy myself. In this case, the state takes money from us and gives out autos for no apparent reason to people in roles that clearly do not require them.

For the record, if you work in a public safety role and are on call 24 hours a day, you deserve and should have a state vehicle. If you are driving to work to say, the state NJDEP, you shouldn't have a state paid for vehicle.

Tonight, on the way home I was passed by a state vehicle on route 206 at at least 70 miles per hour. The vehicle was weaving in and out of traffic and clearly had no state purpose. That vehicle's license plate number was SG28164. Watch out for this person.

Have you seen a state vehicle that you question why the driver is even provided this perk? Send in the license plate and we will make it public. We are paying for it so why not advertise it.

Wonder if a car is a state or state paid for vehicle? Follow this link to get beyond the "SG" obvious offender.

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A message from a true American and family

No comment necessary.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/10/slain_beverly_s.html

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Democrats don't understand "Joe the Plumber"

This has been an interesting week. One of the reasons we have spent so much time on the Presidential campaign is that it is VERY MUCH about taxes and the impact on New Jersey citizens. The big news this week is Joe the Plumber. Here's is what has caused the fuss:



There were two things that happened here. Obama walked down Joe's street and Joe came out and asked the candidate a question. Obama answered and frankly, I think he answered truthfully.

What Democrats and Liberals don't understand is as follows:

1. "Spread the weath around" Citizens know Socialism when they see it and this is it. I don't know anyone or any political stripe who believes that we should redistribute wealth. Obama made a major political blunder by exposing this side of his belief system.

2. Most people aspire to more than they have today. The subsequent attacks on this man suggest that he shouldn't like McCain because he would GET MORE from the Government under Obama. Well let me give you some news folks, most citizens do not look to the government for handouts. As a matter of fact, most people consider government handouts as an indicator of failure, not success. Obama's plan to shower voters assumes that people are real believers in the welfare state-and most are not.

3. Personal responsibility. Joe has it. Obama showed he doesn't believe in it. This is a big one. His "spread the wealth" comment is very indicative of a government nanny state philosophy.

4. Joe did what the media seemingly won't. Joe asked an everyman question. Obama answered it. Joe did what thousands of journalists would not and every citizen in this country now knows it. Hillary must be absolutely disgusted tonight.

5. Obama attacks again. He and "fake Joe Biden" will ridicule Joe, he will debase McCain, he will run through Joe's trash and personal history and publish it on the web. But the truth is already out. Obama is a socialist at heart and throwing Joe under the bus won't change that.

6. Fairness. Real people in this country believe in fairness. Obama's treatment of this entire situation will backfire, just as his trashing of Palin did.

7. Change versus Real People. Barack Obama says he represents change. But how is change trashing a citizen who asks you a simple question. Obama is perhaps the most over-funded over-managed candidate in the history of the United States. I am convinced that one this man's donor records are out, he will make the Clinton China issue look like child's play. While a lot of citizens are supporting Obama, I do not believe that all of this money is clean. Nor do many citizens in this country. I am sure that Obama has already put out a fund raiser on the Joe issue. And I am sure that his supporters on the West Bank have contributed...again.

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Now they are after McCain's wife

So let me get these rules straight. Michelle Obama tells the audience at a POLITICAL RALLY that this was the first time she was proud to be American. Barack Obama and the media blasted anyone who criticized her and called this out of bounds. I will not even begin to get into the logic of crying foul when a political spouse decides to make political speeches and says something stupid. What was more interesting was the reaction of Mr. Obama and his severe indignation. Obama was very adamant that spouses were out of bounds.

Now, the New York Times has published a hit piece in Cindy McCain. Let's ignore for a moment how sick the mindset is that would create that kind of article. Remember, this is the same NY Times that created an affair scandal about McCain from whole cloth. Below was the NY Times in June helping remake Michelle Obama after she said she spent her life "not proud to be American".

Then came some rhetorical stumbles. In Madison, Wis., in February, she told voters that hope was sweeping America, adding, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country.” Cable news programs replayed those 15 words in an endless loop of outrage.

Barack Obama often blurs identity lines; much of his candidacy has seemed almost post-racial. Mrs. Obama’s identity is less mutable. She is a descendant of slaves and a product of Chicago’s historically black South Side. She burns hot where he banks cool, and that too can make her an inviting proxy for attack.

The tone here is that these attacks are unfair and she is just misunderstood. Shortly after this article, they tipped their hand when the wrote a puff piece on Michelle Obama. Just read this passage below. Michelle Obama is "too authentic" while Cindy McCain is "too fake".

The amount of scrutiny the two spouses face is not commensurate — Mrs. Obama has endured far more virulent attacks by her critics — but it is somehow symmetrical. Mrs. Obama went on a popular television talk show to combat the notion that she is a little too authentic to be a first lady, while Mrs. McCain did it to undercut the image that she is too fake.

So now they create a hit piece about Cindy McCain. They can write about Cindy McCain's drug use but they can't seem to lift a finger to investigate Obama's. We have said this before at this site that the media has been absolutely incompetent this election cycle. They will go through Joe the Plumbers trash but they won't investigate the public record of Obama. And McCain is fighting back:

The campaign's outrage comes on the heels of a letter Cindy McCain's attorney, John Dowd, wrote earlier this month to New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller accusing him of biased coverage for not pursuing more information about Obama's personal life.

"It is worth noting that you have not employed your investigative assets looking into Michelle Obama," Dowd wrote in the letter, which the campaign has made public now in response to the latest report by the Times.

"You have not tried to find Barack Obama's drug dealer that he wrote about in his book, 'Dreams of My Father,'" he continued. "Nor have you interviewed his poor relatives in Kenya and determined why Barack Obama has not rescued them. Thus there is a terrific lack of balance here."

The McCain camp provided the letter to FOX News on Saturday, the same day the piece was published. In addition to the missive, the McCain released a scathing critique of the story, calling it "gutter journalism at its worst -- an unprecedented attack on a presidential candidate's spouse."

Here is hoping that John McCain keeps fighting back. This election cycle has been unfathomably unfair. First to Hillary Clinton and now to McCain. American's as a whole believe in fairness. I hope Obama pays a terrible price for his quiet approval of this continued trash.

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Still Looking for Lautenberg!

Our state Senator Frank Lautenberg continues to hide from any kind of interaction with his opponent. You see, the Senator doesn't feel he should dignify the citizens of New Jersey with any substantive discussions of policy, priorities or any of his plans for the state for the next six years. Dick Zimmer is trying to get him to come out of his cave:

But Frank Lautenberg, the man who now holds the job, has pretty much ignored Mr. Zimmer, the Delaware Township Republican who entered the primary race at the last minute and went on to win the nomination.


Mr. Zimmer's campaign has appeared at what he calls the boondoogle Secaucus train station named after Mr. Lautenberg, issued press releases on what he calls wasteful spending Mr. Lautenberg has voted for, and used a cardboard cutout of the senator to illustrate that Mr. Lautenberg won't stand on the same stage with him. There's only one scheduled debate, and that's the Saturday night before the election.

"He's showing disrespect to the voters and the governmental process," said Mr. Zimmer. "It's a matter of good government that a man who seeks to represent the state for six years should explain why he deserves to be elected.

We will continue to look for the Senator and see if he decides to every answer anything from anyone in this state. What is actually criminal is that no media or the citizens of this state seem to care. That is pathetic. It is even more pathetic when you consider that he only got the job through a Democrat scam after their former corrupt Senator had to bow out the last time.

Read the entire article here.

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Media reports fake stories but not real ones!

While most normal people realize that many in the media have perpetuated their bias for so long that they probably don't even realize how they sound. So it was no surprise that this week's non-story about a McCain supporter yelling "kill him" was all over the news. The only problem is that only one person in the audience heard the person-and it was the reporter. Even 20 Secret Service agents distributed around the hall who should have been in position to hear it didn't (despite the fact that they are trained to be able to listen for and identify exactly those type of people). The net is that there was no frenzy.

But in New York, there was a frenzy. We showed a video last weekend about the tolerant Obama supporters in New York. Well, this story just came to light courtest of Pajamasmedia:


Obama Supporter Assaults Female McCain Volunteer in New York

As the media fumes over nonexistent hate at Palin speeches, it ignores leftists who go berserk on city streets.


October 17, 2008 - by Oleg Atbashian
Support Pajamas Media; Visit Our Advertisers

While the Democrat-leaning media continues to scare undecided voters with bedtime stories about some mythical angry McCain supporter whom nobody has seen, here is a real district attorney’s complaint documenting an unprovoked assault by an enraged Democrat against a McCain volunteer in midtown Manhattan: “Defendant grabbed the sign [informant] was holding, broke the wood stick that was attached to it, and then struck informant in informant’s face thereby causing informant to sustain redness, swelling, and bruising to informant’s face and further causing informant to sustain substantial pain.”

This is bad enough on its face. Here is the sick part:

The overly formal document doesn’t mention this important detail: the victim was a small, quiet, middle-aged woman wearing glasses, and the attacker was a loud, angry man who went into orbit at the mere sight of McCain campaign signs.

And of course, most of you have seen this on the news right? And Obama was asked to stand up and decry this kind of action from his supporters right?

Read the entire article here.

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The "kill him" comment didn't happen.

All we have heard from the mainstream media is that during a McCain rally in Pennsylvania, rabid crowds yelled 'kill him' during a rally. Now, according to the Secret Service, it apparently never happened. From timesleader.com:

The agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in Scranton said allegations that someone yelled “kill him” when presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s name was mentioned during Tuesday’s Sarah Palin rally are unfounded.



The Scranton Times-Tribune first reported the alleged incident on its Web site Tuesday and then again in its print edition Wednesday. The first story, written by reporter David Singleton, appeared with allegations that while congressional candidate Chris Hackett was addressing the crowd and mentioned Obama’s name a man in the audience shouted “kill him."

So get this, a story is created by a reporter. It is then repeated ad nauseum all over the media. And it is all a lie.

Agent Bill Slavoski said he was in the audience, along with an undisclosed number of additional secret service agents and other law enforcement officers and not one heard the comment.

“I was baffled,” he said after reading the report in Wednesday’s Times-Tribune.

He said the agency conducted an investigation Wednesday, after seeing the story, and could not find one person to corroborate the allegation other than Singleton.

Slavoski said more than 20 non-security agents were interviewed Wednesday, from news media to ordinary citizens in attendance at the rally for the Republican vice presidential candidate held at the Riverfront Sports Complex. He said Singleton was the only one to say he heard someone yell “kill him.”

“We have yet to find someone to back up the story,” Slavoski said. “We had people all over and we have yet to find anyone who said they heard it.”

Hackett said he did not hear the remark.

It is amazing that these stories keep coming up, repeated by the meadia and they aren't true. But the media WILL NOT report real examples that have videos and audio with many witnesses when they are issued by the Obama campaign and their surrogates.

Read the entire article here.

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Joe the Plumber and Mark the Trucker

From the Corner on National Review Online:

Joe the Plumber and Mark the Trucker [Kathryn Jean Lopez]


From a proud American wife who gets it because she lives it:

Hello Kathryn,


I always like to read what you write, particularly when you stand for life. Good take on Joe. I am married to Mark the Trucker. He owns a small transportation business (approx 15 employees). He started with one truck in 1978. I'm pretty proud of him. He was also my high school sweetheart and still a hunk.


Anyway, the point I want to make is that small businesses are usually S-Corps or LLCs, and that means what they cannot deduct as business expenses is taxed as personal income. That puts most small business in a higher tax bracket than the one they would qualify for if only their real earnings were taxed. Also, this predicament disqualifies their children from receiving financial aid for college—we are "wealthy" by FAFSA standards.


In the transport industry an owner has to keep sinking-fund, so to speak. Engines blow up, accidents happen, and the price of replacing an 18 wheel tractor or a specialty trailer is very expensive. My husband is taxed a higher rate on income that is really not income. He puts a large percentage of it back into his business, as I know most entrepreneurs do. We live on a modest percentage of what appears "wealth" to Senator Obama.


My husband's employees understand that. They see how we live and they respect their boss because he pays a fair wage and does provide health care and contribute to their 401ks. He's not a Fat Cat or Robber Baron.


They recognize every time they pass through the toll booth and the EZ Pass registers that their boss is being taxed. They see more taxes when they fuel his rigs. They know that Interstate permits are more taxes. He pays Unemployment and Workman's Comp, as well as half of their Social Security taxes. They recognize this.


And Kathryn they all vote Republican.


My gut feeling is that Joe works for a man like my husband, and wants to buy the business. Joe is like my husband and his employees. They work hard and dream bigger. There are a lot of Joes and Marks out here and they all don't own businesses yet, but they dream. They know less government is best government. I sent that Joe clip to my husband as soon as it became available on Youtube. He has passed it around. Thanks for reading this far.


10/16 10:18 AM

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McCain and Obama Debate Live

McCain has finally stood up for himself. Obama has resorted to sound bytes and McCain is challenging him on the issues. The moderator is doing a good job and we are finally having a real debate.

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Scorecard for the debate.

Since Drudge reported that the Obama campaign has issued their talking points to the press in advance of the debate today, you can keep score to see if the press follows the script. From Drudgereport.com:

-------- Original Message --------
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:37:27 -0500
From: Sean Smith [s***mith@barackobama.com]
To: Sean Smith [s***mith@barackobama.com]

* This is John McCain's last chance to turn this race around and somehow convince the American people that his erratic response to this economic crisis doesn't disqualify him from being President.

* Just this weekend the weekend, John McCain vowed to "whip Obama's you-know-what" at the debate, and he's indicated that he'll be bringing up Bill Ayers to try to distract voters.

* So we know that Senator McCain will come ready to attack Barack Obama and bring his dishonorable campaign tactics to the debate stage.

Obama continues to lead on the economic crisis with a rescue plan for Main Street.

* Over the course of the campaign, Barack Obama has laid out a set of policies that will grow our middle class and strengthen our economy.

* But he knows we face an immediate economic emergency that requires urgent action - on top of the plans he's already laid out - to help workers and families and communities struggling right now.

* That's why Barack Obama is introducing a comprehensive four-part Rescue Plan for the Middle Class - to immediately to stabilize our financial system, provide relief to families and communities, and help struggling homeowners.

* This is a plan that can and should be implemented immediately.

* Obama has shown steady leadership during this crisis and offered concrete solutions to move the country forward - and his Rescue Plan for the Middle Class builds on the plans to strengthen the economy and rebuild the middle class that he's laid out over the course of this campaign.

* Already in this campaign, he's unveiled plans to give 95 percent of workers and their families a tax cut, eliminate income taxes for seniors making under $50,000, bring down the cost of health care for families and businesses; and create millions of new jobs by investing in the renewable energy sources.

* John McCain has been erratic and unsteady since this crisis began - staggering from position to position and trying to change the subject away from the economy by launching false character attacks.

END

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Hockey is back - Flyers and God Bless America!

Last year I was in attendance on April 4 when the Flyers hosted the Devils. The Flyers looked to need a miracle to even get into the playoffs. The week before I had bid on and won seats on eBay right behind the Devils bench. I invited a good friend who was a Devils fan and was pretty pumped up. Of course, there were surprises in store from the Flyers organization.

You see, there is no Flyer fan alive from the 1970's that does not remember Kate Smith singing God Bless America before the Flyers won their first Stanley Cup. She is as much a part of Flyers lore than many of our star players over the year. All you need to do to understand that if watch the video below. In this political time where it is no longer cool to be patriotic, we still love this country in Philadelphia. It isn't quaint. It isn't trite. It is real.



When I first saw this anthem with our local singer Lauren Hart, the crowd just about came unglued. My friend was sitting there in awe at how the Philly fans reacted. The story ended that night with a Flyers shutout, and a Florida loss with the Flyers in the playoff. And they went deep. Welcome back hockey!

And now two for the ages!

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This Woman is the Class of NJ - Obama's Web site

From Littlegreetfootballs. I am so proud to be in New Jersey when I know that there are people like this out there. And we wonder why the state is such a disaster. Even though this has disappeared from Obama's web site, I wonder if he will denounce this kind of "activism"?

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Is it Liberals or Conservatives who are unhinged?

While the mainsream media has been throwing a hissy fit because a spectator at a McCain rally called him Hussein. We have heard plenty about that. But what about the everyday reaction from Democrats and Liberals? Michelle Malkin has an excellent story about the flip side. The venom from this crowd is disgusting.

Read Michelle's article here and decide for yourself.

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The party that is going to bring people together!

We heard about how Republicans were whipping crowds up into a frenzy. The pundits kept saying how dangerous that would be. This video shows the real party of intolerance. I wonder if Obama will renounce these people. Yes Mr Obama, they are speaking in YOUR NAME. Somehow, I don't think so.

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Sarah Palin on Flyers Coatesy's Corner!

Sarah Palin was in Philadelphia tonight to help the Flyers name the local winner of the area "Hockey Mom". It was very interesting to see how the team handled the situation. First off, they didn't allow anyone to disrupt the show. They played very loud music to ensure that the "Hockey Mom" took center stage rather than politics. No matter what your politics, if you are a hockey fan (am I am in the big way), the fact that Sarah Palin mentioned it in her convention speech and showed up tonight was a big deal.

At the first intermission, Steve Coates interviewed Sarah Palin. She talked about her son Track suggesting that she tone down the enthusiasm and I frankly believe it. All in all it was good news about hockey.

And for the freaks in the audience either left or right. If you had a problem with this or you went to the game to disrupt this hockey specific tribute-you are a moron. Grow up. Sarah Palin is a great ambassador for hockey. And she will continue to be. But those of you who hate her have probably never even seen a hockey game. You are probably much more into your own world than into what she has already done for the game. Politics aside.

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The Great Obama Coverup

I continue to be amazed at the level of active campaigning being done by the mainstream media in this presidential election. Time and time again, both candidates don't seem to get the same treatment and yet it is accepted by everyone as status quo. Yesterday, a McCain supporter expressed he outrage. This is happening because regular people are frustrated that this has degenerated to something far less than a fair fight. And mark my words, someone (likely the print media first is going to pay and pay big).

Need examples? McCain is tagged with the economic problems despite attempting to reform the system that caused them. Obama accepted major campaign contributions directly from the corrupt institutions second only to Chris Dodd. No questions asked of Obama by the media. The story? McCain is erratic because he went back to DC and tried to do something (he should have known that is much easier to be "present").

Obama's campaign war chest has been feathered by massive donation fraud. Basic checks have not been made to verify donors. This includes gibberish typed from a computer keyboard and numerous Dallas Cowboys without valid addresses. Any questions of Obama? No. But there have been plenty of questions about McCain having someone who was once a lobbyist in his campaign.

Obama is clearly a byproduct of a "go along get along" corrupt Chicago political establishment. As a matter of fact, his defense to his connections with Weather Underground Terrorist William Ayers (as told to Michael Smerconish yesterday on 1210 in Philadelphia) was that he was just a guy who was part of the political establishment that he worked with in Chicago. He made a long term habit of voting "present" in the legislature. He has stood for and continues to stand for nothing. But he is a transformational candidate. And no one asks questions about it.

During Obama's time in Chicago he touts being a "community organizer". Funny thing is that an organization he trained, ACORN (Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now) is right this minute under investigation in 11 states for voter fraud. Has anyone asked Obama about this? Nope. The story? Republicans are trying to suppress turnout.

Joe Biden sounded really good in his debate last week. The trouble is, virtually every single thing he said was not just shading of the truth, but an outright lie. And the story? Sarah Palin winked.

Barack Obama in this week's debate couldn't wait to highlight his man of the people meme about how he would cut taxes to 95% of the people in the United States(paid for by the 5% who will see a tax increase). Trouble is, 40% of the people in the United States do not pay taxes at all due to the Bush Tax Cuts. So in reality, Obama just announced a massive welfare payment payed for by the small business establishment stupid enough to be in his top 5%. Any questions by the media? Nope. The story? McCain is taxing healthcare (a convenient lie by Obama who leaves out that McCain has proposed a credit that would more than offset any tax on the premium).

And then the whoppers. I cannot even count the disgusting and nasty rhetoric that come from direct Obama spokespeople, supporters and media people in regard to McCain and Palin. McCaskill, Reid, Axelrod and hollywood celebrities all spewing negative bile ("I hate McCain" Harry Reid, "McCain injecting race into this election" Axelrod, "That is one crazy b*tch" Betty White). And NOT ONE time does Obama tell his own people to tone it down. As a matter of fact, you can probably collect dozens of these kinds of insults each week for the past two years. And does the media report on that? No. They report that someone referred to Barack Obama by his middle name, Hussein. And Obama then goes on the radio and says McCain should tone it down.

If Obama gets elected and a flood of bad news comes down the pike that should have been reported beforehand, it may be time for a real revolution against the mainstream media. While I would be extremely sad to see an institution like General Motors go out of business, I would not blink an eye if the New York Times ceased to exist.

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We need a Mortgage Crisis Special Prosecutor!

I don't think that there is anyone out there that is all that happy right now about the economic situation and the mortgage crisis. And whether you are for Obama or McCain, you are seriously angry over what is going on. Obama is sitting in the background wallowing in the positive energy of what he feels is his advantage over the economy. That has been true. So far. Many voters would still like an explanation over what he did to receive the second highest political donation from Fannnie and Freddie. And McCain is probably toast because he can't seem to articulate why he had this one right. And frankly, conservatives are tired of a president who cannot articulate in a clear and compelling manner.

Tonight, I was watching O'Reilly and one of his guests was Ben Stein. Ben finished his financial analysis with what he said were "two words". Special Prosecutor.

I agree with Ben. We all know that the media doesn't want to do anything to hurt the Obama campaign. And we all know that really exposing what certain Democrats have done to destroy this country (Dodd and Frank) while enriching themselves would hurt Obama. So fine. Let them leave the story alone.

But let's ask each candidate whether or not they support a special prosecutor to investigate this mess. And we should ask them now and get is started now. Before the election.

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ACORN versus The Regular Voter

From the NY Post:

Two Ohio voters, including Domino's pizza worker Christopher Barkley , claimed yesterday that they were hounded by the community-activist group ACORN to register to vote several times, even though they made it clear they'd already signed up.

The organization ACORN is all over the news regarding their efforts to register voters and take them to the polls. There are multiple criminal probes currently going on that may cause individuals that are part of this organization to go to jail. They say that they are just registering poor people. Others say that they are purposely promoting voter fraud for the Democrats.

Here is my issue. The requirements to vote in this country are extremely lax. All you need to do is fill out a form with a valid address and send it in. You will then receive your voter registration card and can vote. Our polling places don't even validate your name-only that you know one that is in the book.

We can debate the level of stupidity in the system from now until election day. It is clear that the only purpose to keep these rules simple is to promote fraud. We need identification for writing a check, driving a car, registering a child in school, cashing a welfare check, getting senior benefits, getting on an airplane, getting on a train or entering an NJ State run office building. So why should we not have legitimate id when voting?

My biggest issue with ACORN and voter fraud is that not only are they purposely cheating the system. They are doing it as a branch of the Democratic party. And every illegitimate vote cancels out a vote from a citizen who plays by the rules.
Nothing more. Nothing less.

And anyone who disagrees clearly has another agenda other than fairness.

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I am finally figuring out the Obama secrets

For months now I have been confused by the Obama secret. He somehow figured out a way to push Hillary aside against all odds. Hillary's team are excellent strategists and execute flawlessly. So what happened?

Number one, Obama has the ability to "sound" convincing. But the thing with that is a lot of politicians "sound" convincing. The press and commentators usually correct the record. For example, last week Joe Biden "sounded" convincing. And the news came out the next day that he outright lied 24 times. It's easy then. The issue with Obama is that outside of the blogosphere, no one questions him when gets "fluid" on his opinions.

Number two, he knows he won't be challenged. Barack Obama has the confidence that none of the major players will challenge him. I think that is why the Democrats were so anti-Fox early. With MSNBC advertising "chills up the leg" from formerly reputable journalists, he knows he is going to get a pass.

Number three, he doesn't need opposition research. When you look at what the media has tried to do to Sarah Palin, it is clear that they just aren't interested in researching Barack Obama. They won't even ask him questions on his two "memoirs". And about the "memoirs". Why is it that many trully significant historical figures don't even have "memoirs" and this guys has two of them and he hasn't done anything. Any no one asks why?

Number four, he has unlimited funds. This is where I think the situation is most serious. He has been very obtuse on reporting the details of his donors. Normally friendly news outlets are starting to question his donors like "good will". If he is funding his campaign with seriously illegal donations being funnelled through a series "same old Chicago mafia tactics".

Number five, substance. There isn't any. And no one challenges him on it.

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Corzine calls for budget cuts! A Step in the right direction.

From Bloomberg.com:

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine directed state department heads last month to prepare to trim their budgets by 5 percent in the event revenue for the fiscal year falls short.

The fact that the Governor has finally weighed in is a good sign for New Jersey and out potential to avoid another massive tax increase because of the mortgage crisis. He should have been out in front of this. But it doesn't minimize the importance that he finally did.

New Jersey's budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 reduced spending by $600 million to cope with an expected drop in tax collections. The financial crisis goes beyond what the state planned for, Corzine said earlier this month. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have since called on the governor to consider mid-year cuts.

``The seriousness of these issues probably will require that what we began on August 20 as contingency plans will have to go forward,'' Corzine said. ``I don't think this is going to be an easy process, but it is a necessary one. We have the requirement to balance our budgets.''

Mr Governor. Cut now and cut big. This is an unprecedented crisis that will force New Jersey government to live within its means. The shore housing market is almost sure to collapse and if the entire state doesn't get serious, we will have a major problem. And while you are at it Mr Governor, just say no to the new borrowing you have planned for the corrupt Schools Construction Corporation. It will send a sign that you are serious.

Lead Mr Governor, lead.

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Awesome Parable on Taxes

From the Rhode Island Blog Anchor Rising:

Sep 19, 2008
Public Tax Meeting

We Voted On It
John JJ Richman was making breakfast when he heard the crowd outside. They seemed just shy of hostile. He opened his door to see about 65 townspeople, out of a town of 100. Two spokesmen were standing on the porch.


John: Good morning. Why are you all here?

Rob: There are things that need changing, and you are the one to help us.

John: (Distracted by the milling crowd)


Rob: The town could use improvement. Renovating the school, hiring more police, fixing up the football field, and a summer splash fountain for the children. For the little children! (Rob was shaking a bit.)

John: Well, if you put it like that, I can contribute $1000. (He scans the crowd) Make that $2000.


Rob: Not enough. We want you to pay for it all, along with the other 4 rich guys in town. You are earning $250,000 and paying $80,000 in tax. We think $105,000 in tax is only fair, (his eyes flash) or maybe a bit more. That leaves you with $145,000, which is more than fair. You live in the town and will benefit from the improvements.

John: That's a big bite. Why should just 5 out of the 100 fund the whole town? As a single man, that $80,000 in 2008 payroll and income taxes is 32% of my earnings, isn't that enough? Maybe the whole town should contribute.


Rob: We contribute what we can. We have less money than you. Some of us work for you, and you don't pay enough. We should all be more equal. You have the money and we need it.

John: I already personally pay 20% of the town's expenses. The 5 rich guys in town together pay 60%. The 25 well off families pay 86%. Isn't that enough?


Rob: We are not into philosophy. We want money. You have money.

John: Well, I don't agree with you. Where do you get the authority to just take what you want from me?


Rob: I'm the mayor, and at my election two years ago a referendum passed by 65 to 35 about fixing potholes. I think you argued at the time that there was already enough money to fix them. It seems you were always stingy.

In that referendum, Section 3, Paragraph 2.a says: "The town shall have the authority to levy taxes to an aggregate amount strictly limited to a total of $20,000 to fix the potholes in the town's streets and thoroughfares (note 1)."

Note 1 says: "And in emergencies, for things other than potholes, and possibly a bit more".

(The crowd laughs and slaps each other on the back)


John: This is unfair. You want me to pay more without paying anything more yourself.


Rob: Actually, we are lowering our own taxes. We deserve it, and you don't. We don't understand how you get your money. Some sort of luck or black magic. It probably should be ours. Somehow you took it when we weren't looking. We are leaving you more than enough. You should be happy.

John: I don't have the extra money on me.


Rob: We'll bill you. We are not barbarians.

(The crowd looks disappointed)

John: It seems I can't do anything about this. You understand that I won't be expanding my business within the town. I'm feeling a bit upset. I may go fishing.


Rob: Fishing is good. We'll see you there.

We may be back in a month about money for another Stimulus Package. We want to improve the town economy by giving each of us 65 a stimulus check of $1000. Those new TV's look sweet.

John: Is that all?


Rob: (Turns toward the crowd without answering) OK boys, next stop is 13 Orchard Lane, there is more work to do

And better yet, the comment after was just perfect:

Anonymous said...
And now - The Rest Of The Story:

Within the year Richman, the 4 other rich guys and most of the other 25 well off families in town had put their homes up for sale and moved to other towns. They outsourced much of their manufacturing to Mexico and the far east and moved the remainder or their plants and other business interests to other towns with more reasonable tax structures.
The taxes no longer paid by these people were shifted to the remaining well off families who are now in the process of leaving town.
The extra police have been laid off along with half of the original force. The money for the football field was spent on new sod but the field is now overgrown because there is no money to repair the broken lawn mower.
The splash fountain for the children was started but there isn't any money to complete it so it remains a muddy eyesore.
The streets and public buildings are in poor repair but there is no money to fix them.
The mayor is running for re-election on promises to increase tax revenues by raising the tax rate on the campgrounds and antique stores that bring tourists to the town, as well as the hotels, restaurants and other businesses that cater to them.

BONESHAKER

9/20/08 7:28 PM

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McCain Camp Documents 14 Biden Lies in the debate!

Even though this came from the McCain campaign, it is still worthy to check the record. While I prefer to create my own talking points, I noticed last night that Joe Biden was a bit fast and loose with the truth. From the McCain campaign blog:

1. TAX VOTE: Biden said McCain voted “the exact same way” as Obama to increase taxes on Americans earning just $42,000, but McCain DID NOT VOTE THAT WAY.

2. AHMEDINIJAD MEETING: Joe Biden lied when he said that Barack Obama never said that he would sit down unconditionally with Mahmoud Ahmedinijad of Iran. Barack Obama did say specifically, and Joe Biden attacked him for it.

3. OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING: Biden said, “Drill we must.” But Biden has opposed offshore drilling and even compared offshore drilling to “raping” the Outer Continental Shelf.”

4. TROOP FUNDING: Joe Biden lied when he indicated that John McCain and Barack Obama voted the same way against funding the troops in the field. John McCain opposed a bill that included a timeline, that the President of the United States had already said he would veto regardless of it’s passage.

5. OPPOSING CLEAN COAL: Biden says he’s always been for clean coal, but he just told a voter that he is against clean coal and any new coal plants in America and has a record of voting against clean coal and coal in the U.S. Senate.

6. ALERNATIVE ENERGY VOTES: According to FactCheck.org, Biden is exaggerating and overstating John McCain’s record voting for alternative energy when he says he voted against it 23 times.

7. HEALTH INSURANCE: Biden falsely said McCain will raise taxes on people's health insurance coverage -- they get a tax credit to offset any tax hike. Independent fact checkers have confirmed this attack is false

8. OIL TAXES: Biden falsely said Palin supported a windfall profits tax in Alaska -- she reformed the state tax and revenue system, it's not a windfall profits tax.

9. AFGHANISTAN / GEN. MCKIERNAN COMMENTS: Biden said that top military commander in Iraq said the principles of the surge could not be applied to Afghanistan, but the commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force Gen. David D. McKiernan said that there were principles of the surge strategy, including working with tribes, that could be applied in Afghanistan.

10. REGULATION: Biden falsely said McCain weakened regulation -- he actually called for more regulation on Fannie and Freddie.

11. IRAQ: When Joe Biden lied when he said that John McCain was “dead wrong on Iraq”, because Joe Biden shared the same vote to authorize the war and differed on the surge strategy where they John McCain has been proven right.

12. TAX INCREASES: Biden said Americans earning less than $250,000 wouldn’t see higher taxes, but the Obama-Biden tax plan would raise taxes on individuals making $200,000 or more.

13. BAILOUT: Biden said the economic rescue legislation matches the four principles that Obama laid out, but in reality it doesn’t meet two of the four principles that Obama outlined on Sept. 19, which were that it include an emergency economic stimulus package, and that it be part of “part of a globally coordinated effort with our partners in the G-20.”

14. REAGAN TAX RATES: Biden is wrong in saying that under Obama, Americans won't pay any more in taxes then they did under Reagan.

Of course, they missed one that I consider the most indicative. Biden claimed that he was at Katie's on Union street in Delaware recently and heard....blah blah blah.

Funny thing is that restaurant has been closed for over 20 years. And it was never on Union street. When you lie when the truth will do, you are worse than a fool.

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An excellent new ad! Check it out.

No commentary necessary.

/a>

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Good Govt NJ Style - Hide the Senator!

Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has decided to come off his mountain and debate Dick Zimmer on November 1, 2008. The State of New Jersey is awash in government corruption scandals. The perpetrators in these scandals are almost exclusively Democrats. Lautenberg is allegedly one of the parties leaders and yet, he refuses to debate, speak or really appear in public that much.

At the heart of good government is the access citizens have to the process and the people who run it. Every citizen of this state has a right and a responsibility to hear from the candidates from elected dog catcher to governor to (yes, Mr Lautenberg) Senator. Yet, Frank Lautenberg refuses to even pretend that he has to act like he wants our votes. True, this state has a lot of people who will vote for this man because they are told to by their union or their boss. But there are also people in New Jersey that want to hear from the man.

But even then we are shortchanged. For example, in a recent Newsday story about King Frank agreeing to a late debate, there were plenty of quotes from Zimmer. But from Lautenberg-only a "spokesman". This was the same trend during the primary. Is this man even alive anymore? Can someone check his pulse? (I can't wait for a spokesman for Lautenberg to issue a press release that yes indeed, the senator is alive)

New Jersey citizens have a right to hear from you Mr Lautenberg.

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My own letter to the Presidential Debates Commission

There is a lot of outrage over tonights Vice Presidential Debate and specifically over the selection of an obviously biased moderator Gwen Ifils. What did she do? She has written a book praising Obama which has a scheduled release date of Inauguration Day. Forgetting how she feels about Obama, does it not sound like she has a financial interest in seeing him elected? Will he book party not be a flop if he and Biden are not elected?

Below is a letter I sent to Janet Brown, the Executive Director of the Commission on Presidential Debates. Her email is jb@debates.org.


To Janet Brown:

I am confused how the Debates Commission could sponsor a debate of the Vice Presidential candidates that features a “moderator” that has a financial interest in one side to the detriment of the other. From your own mission statement:


The organization, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) corporation


I surely do not have to explain to you what the words in your own organization’s mission statement mean. But I would expect that most independent observers would define a moderator who:

1. Has a clear financial interest in one candidate winning over the other
2. Has had formal complaints lodged against her in the past for
unfair treatment of both parties in a debate
3. Has recently received formal complaints about her actions involving one of
the participants of THIS debate


It is incumbent upon the Debates Commission to ensure that Gwen Ifill be removed as the moderator fo the Vice Presidential debate on Thursday. It would demonstrate that the Debates Commission actually believes in non-partisan basic fairness.


Regards

Dennis

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A powerful email from The Corner

This was just posted at The Corner and I think speaks volumes for many of us. It is reprinted unedited in its entirety:

I've had it with the Left and I've had it with "conservatives" who haven't had it with the Left [Andy McCarthy]


I'm posting because it is indicative of the anger in lots of reader email I'm seeing:

The Ifill issue is front and center. Last night on Brit Hume's program, the consensus was that they all knew Gwen and she is a swell person, and of course she wouldn't do anything partisan. Just where the hell are these people coming from? Day in and day out, out here in the real world we see obvious bias, obvious double standards and yet the Republicans and a lot of the "conservative" media either don't see it, or if they do, they let it slide.

A few examples. Obviously the current flap of Gwen Ifill, Tom Brokaw, Jim Lehrer as moderators for presidential debates but never an O’Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh or Brit Hume. Why not?

A special prosecutor is appointed to investigate firings of 9 prosecutors but none was or will ever be appointed to find out why Clinton fired EVERY single prosecutor when he took office?? Republicans stand mute on this and it is infuriating.

Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Waters and the entire Black Caucus defend the running of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and prevent the very reforms which might have avoided the mess we are in today. Yet the MSM and Republicans are silent. Why aren't these guys investigated, forced to step down and prosecuted as was Tom Delay?? Again silence from the White House, McCain and other Republicans.

These are just a few of the things that infuriate conservatives outside the beltway and New York City. We have the Republican Party asking us for money, yet I haven't seen a single penny spent on demanding the Democrats adhere to the same standard Republicans are required to meet. Being a punching bag for liberals who constantly lie about you, constantly use inflammatory language (hate speech in some cases) and use any means necessary to gain power is no way to win elections. Yet this is the path the Republican Party takes time and time again. To say I am mad as hell about the Dems and the response of the Republicans to these liberal attacks is an understatement.

O’Reilly has an article on his web site that says “Conservative group drops Ayers, Rezko and Wright from their ad.” Why I ask?? These guys are terrorists, crooks and as anti-American as they come, yet those in a position to speak out remain mute!!

Enough. I don’t give a damn if the Fox media folk know Gwen and say she is a swell person. I don’t care if McCain thinks the Dems in the Senate and congress are his “good friends”, they sure as hell aren’t my good friends. In fact they work day in and day out to destroy all I hold dear, and tax me to pay for those in society who are too lazy and/or stupid to care for themselves....


10/02 01:42 PM

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