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Saturday, August 09, 2008

Good News! Robb Allen is Back

Robb Allen's blog is back up and running at Sharp as a Marble.

This is great news. I always hate to hear of one of our gun rights activists being shut down. In Robb's case it seems he had a total meltdown that required manual repair of his system.

Welcome back to the fold, Robb!

McCain's Resilience

Like him or loathe him, you have to hand it to GOP Presidential candidate John McCain--the man is the epitome of resilience.

Countless are the times that political pundits, the news media, and the general public have counted him out, giving him up for dead. Yet he keeps coming back stronger than ever.

No one knows this any better than this writer.

From the start I thought the McCain candidacy was a terrible idea, and I gave him absolutely no chance of winning the GOP nomination. I had even written at one time, 'McCain will never be President.'

I am not so sure about that anymore.

When the candidate was fresh out of cash and had laid off most of his campaign staff, I was one of the first to say it was all over for McCain. But in a very short period of time the candidate was raising money again and winning some primaries.

First thing you know, he was at the top of the heap with more delegates than any of his GOP rivals. And even more money started rolling in.

When McCain went over the top with more than enough delegates to secure the nomination, he was being written off by most pundits and reporters who claimed he was 'too old,' or 'too closely tied to Bush' (what a laugh!), or that 'he is so lackluster when compared to the "rock star" candidate.'

But the rock star never really caught on the way the Left wanted everyone to believe he would.

Despite female news media groupies, large crowds that chant to him as if he is a god, and the unanimous adoration of the news media, Obama has failed to garner a 50% preference in national polls, though he had led McCain for weeks on end.

And even after the rock star candidate went to Europe to greet the praises and swoons of the masses who never really knew how to pick leaders (they gave us Chamberlain in England, Hitler in Germany, and Mussolini in Italy), Obama still could not manage to gain a 50% approval in polls here at home.

In fact, Obama has actually slipped since he returned from Europe.

For the very first time during this campaign, a general poll of registered voters shows that Obama and McCain are tied, dead-even. But when polls are taken of likely voters, McCain is in the lead by 4 percentage points.

Those same polls show that Obama is struggling with the very groups he needs to win--white women, retirees, and blue-collar white males. And with that, the candidate is struggling in some of the battleground states and even in some states that traditionally go to the Democrat.

In addition, McCain reached a new threshhold in the campaign that spells trouble for Obama. McCain is now the most popular destination for the YouTube set.

Gee, I thought that only rock starts and Paris Hilton groupies got all the attention on YouTube.

This was not supposed to happen. With gasoline hitting 4 bucks a gallon a few weeks ago and
food prices rising, along with the housing and mortgage crunch, and an unpopular President who has presided over an unpopular war, under normal conditions Obama would be ahead of McCain by double-digits.

Yet the candidate still has not reached that all-important 50% mark in voter preference.

To be sure, Obama is a seriously flawed candidate. So is Hillary Clinton. But the explanation for the the McCain surge goes far beyond the problems with his opponents. McCain's almost mythical tendency to rise from the ashes of defeat is a story that resonates with the American public.

His candidacy mirrors his story as a young fighter pilot who was captured, imprisoned, and tortured by the Viet Cong. Who would have expected his survival?

Yet somehow McCain managed to return from the ashes of near-death. He is still doing that in his political career.

Friday, August 08, 2008

EDWARDS ADMITS WHAT MSM REFUSED TO REPORT

The late-breaking news this afternoon is that former Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards has admitted to an affair and sex scandal that the 'stalwart, unbiased, and non-partisan members of the mainstream media' refused to report.

It took the National Enquirer, of all publications, to break the story and run with it.

With the Los Angeles Times instructing its bloggers to go mum on the story, and with other major mainstream media outlets sitting on a major scandal involving a major Democrat, the blogosphere was the place for the information.

Edwards admitted to the affair that he says happened in 2006 prior to running for the Democratic Presidential nomination. He also claims he told his wife, who is suffering from metastatic cancer, about the affair. But he denies that the 'love child' is his.

Do you have DNA proof of that, Senator? I mean, you have lied to the media repeatedly about the affair since December of 2007. So, how do we know you are telling the truth about the child without DNA proof?

The child's birth certificate lists no father.

Edwards has stated that he will take any test necessary to prove that he is not the father of the child born to Rielle Hunter, the woman with whom he had the affair. The National Enquirer has stated they will publish the test results no matter what they show, although they stand by their original story that Edwards is the father.

As expected, the mainstream media reported the story this evening only when forced to do so by the Senator's own admission, allowing Edwards to spin it the way he wanted before the story was reported. And then the MSM spin doctors went to work as well.

Bob Schieffer at CBS spoke of the Edwards as if they were old pals and focused on the fact that Elizabeth Edwards' response to the affair is that she had 'forgiven him.'

It was as if poor John Edwards is a 'sympathetic' character. After all, if his own wife could forgive him, then so can we.

The Democratic National Convention, however, doesn't seem to be so forgiving. A DNC official stated late today that Edwards would not be speaking at the Party convention this year in Denver.

Fox News has the complete story.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 8/8/08

Focusing on guns, politics, and news of interest, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

From Codrea's War on Guns:
*"It's Always Death"
*Mike Vanderboegh's "PARANOIA"--a MUST-read!
*"Say Cheesy"--The Governor of Illinois is up to more police state tactics.

Armed and Safe posts a news story about some bumbling police officers and AR-15s ('assault weapons').

A Keyboard and a .45 has an informative post on the upcoming elections.

Mike McCarville posts his periodic column of commentary on a variety of political issues entitled, 'Gadfly on the Wall.'

Roberta X comments on the Left's glee over Robert Novak's brain tumor, noting that conservative bloggers did not make fun of Ted Kennedy when he was diagnosed with the same thing.

Sebastian says that some reporter in Massachusetts has his shorts in a bunch, or panties in a wad, whichever the case may be, over plain English in the 2nd Amendment.

Nicki provides some shocking info on a new 'Sharia-compliant Mastercard.'

Alphecca gives us a needed update on the fight for handgun rights in Australia.

21 Guns Salute has a MUST-read today on the defense of liberty. Read it all.

21 Guns Salute also has this interesting read on the Buddhist monks who are being oppressed and killed by the Chi-Coms. It seems some are breaking ranks and wish they had guns to mount a defense.

Syd reports that N.J. Senator Frank Lautenburg (gun-grabber extraordinaire) has stuck his nose in the NRA-spy controversy.

Say Uncle says that threatening the great 'Barry O' will land you in serious trouble, but doing the same to President Bush? Not so much.

The NRA has some important state action-alerts concerning upcoming legislation in the states.

Western Rifle Shooters Association provides an excellent read entitled, 'Joy in Dark Times.'

Conservative Libertarian Outpost points to an ongoing incident in an African nation and shows the ramifications it has for the United States. You gotta see this!

The Smallest Minority has the quote of the day, and it's a good one!

American and Proud has some humor for today. Be sure to read all the way to the end.

Gateway Pundit shows us that Nancy Pelosi's plan to 'save the planet' will push crude oil prices to $200 bucks per barrel. OUCH!

Day 6--GOP Action on Energy Continues Growing

First, it was a small group of GOP Congressmen in the House of Representatives who refused to leave the chamber when Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats adjourned for a 5-week vacation at taxpayer expense.

Then, citizens and tourists got in on the action, traveling in to the Capitol to fill the gallery to listen as GOP Representatives spoke on the importance of lifting the ban on offshore oil drilling here at home and passing a comprehensive energy plan that includes oil, wind, solar, nuclear, biofuels, and hydrogen fuel cells.

Next, the fever spread across to the Senate as Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina warned Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that unless the Democrats delete a provision to continue the drilling ban from the 2009 budget resolution, Republicans will shut down the government.

Fourth, GOP leaders sent out a memo encouraging members to come to Washington to speak on the floor concerning the importance of passing the energy bill that Nancy Pelosi has vowed to block, and to plan the future strategy of the floor revolt with former Speaker Newt Gingrich.

And now, action in the Senate is growing among GOP Senators as Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma and others have asked their constituents to send in to Congress their gasoline receipts, which they will in turn present to Harry Reid to show how desperately Americans need the relief at the pump that drilling for oil here at home will provide.

House Republicans have also called the Democrats' bluff on their supposed support for oil drilling. The GOP leadership challenged such Democrats that if they indeed actually believe in 'drill here, drill now' to put it in writing.

Further, the GOP has called on the rank and file Democrats to come back to Washington from vacation if they are serious about passing a comprehensive energy bill.

So far, not a single Democrat has either put their views on drilling in writing or offered to come back to Congress to join the fight against the extremism and obstructionism of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

It is time for the citizens to demand of their Democratic Senators and Representatives that they either put up or shut up. Either they sincerely want drilling here at home to ease our dependence on foreign oil or they do not. And if they do not, they need to say so upfront and honestly.

But if they do, then they need to make it clear to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid that the Democratic leadership does not have a Nazi-stranglehold on their consciences.

Sources for this post are as follows:
Calling the Democrats' Bluff
Show Congress Your Gas Receipts
Inhofe Wants Your Gas Receipts

Edwards May Be Snubbed at DNC Over Scandal

A major North Carolina newspaper is reporting that former Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards may be snubbed at the Democratic National Convention over the sex scandal that allegedly involves a mistress and a 'love child.'

The Raleigh News & Observer quotes several top Democratic Party operatives as saying that Edwards will lose his chance to address the Convention--an honor normally given to all previous Presidential candidates--unless he publicly answers the allegations made by the National Enquirer.

So far Edwards has neither directly confirmed nor denied the allegations. His only public comment about the matter is stating that the story is 'tabloid trash.'

But that does nothing to address the truth or falsehood of the allegations.

In fact, Edwards has had several opportunities to answer questions posed by members of the mainstream media in North Carolina concerning the scandal, but each time he has sidestepped the issue.

Democratic Party officials state that with each passing day that the issue remains unresolved, Edwards' value as a speaker at the DNC declines.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Second Amendment News Roundup for 8/7/08

Focusing on guns, politics, and news of interest, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

From Codrea's War on Guns:
*A gun-grabber thinks conservatives do not qualify for 'personhood' and the Brady Bunch is totally silent on the implied genocide.
*A link to a post entitled, 'Why Mike Vanderboegh is right.'
*More news on 'the Bastard' today. Now he wants Obama and McCain to fill out a questionnaire on gun issues.
*The GOA's refusal to repudiate Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party on gun issues is hurting their reputation.

Squeaky offers further commentary on the Mike Vanderboegh controversy.

Armed and Safe has a story out of Massachusetts today that is pretty frightening.

JR at A Keyboard and a .45 says he was interviewed last evening for an article in the upcoming issue of the 'Texas Weekly' on the subject of politics, guns, and blogs. Great!

Sebastian reports that Robb Allen at Sharp as a Marble has experienced a total hard drive meltdown, and he may not be able to recover. Sorry to hear that!

Of Arms and the Law sends a heads-up that some gun bills will be coming up for a vote in California TODAY.

Mike McCarville points to a Politico report that provides analysis of Barack Obama's current problems in national polls.

The Bitch Girls report interesting news on a major ad that appeared in all 3 of D.C.'s newspapers concerning gun rights.

Regarding D.C., Alphecca says there is a new gun rights lobby in town, just for D.C.

Open Carry has more on the new D.C. group.

And then, Syd reports on a special First Shots event just for D.C. residents.

The Volokh Conspiracy has today's MUST-read--a quote from Lysander Spooner's 1886 letter to Grover Cleveland.

Nicki at The Liberty Zone provides good reading today on the homeschooling movement and clears up some common misconceptions.

DontGoMovement, the new website dedicated to pressuring Congress to get to work on an energy bill, posts some great info on how to influence conservative Democrats to buck Nancy Pelosi and join with the GOP in doing something about the nation's energy needs.

Roberta X posts info on the next Indy Blog Meet.

Cap'n Bob and the Damsel are back home after their annual extended vacation, and they blog about their problems with misfeeds with their Warthog.

Blogstitution provides very good reading on a piece in the WSJ on what Bush and Batman have in common. Believe me, you won't be disappointed.

Tam has ESSENTIAL reading today! Read it all. Ponder over it. And THINK!

Western Rifle Shooters Association comments on the cowardly response of the West toward extremist Jihadist head-choppers.

The Rustmeister is back and gives us an update on his recovery from surgery.

Lead Chucker comments on the latest outrageous intrusion of the Mexican Army over our southern border.

Newt Gingrich Visits House GOP

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, R-GA, paid a visit to the GOP members of the House of Representatives who refused to leave the Capitol when Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic lapdogs voted to go on vacation rather than deal with the oil drilling issue.

Gingrich expressed support for the floor protest and chided Speaker Nancy Pelosi for being more concerned about selling her new book than doing something about drilling for oil here at home.

The former Speaker also suggested that Barack Obama should encourage Pelosi and his fellow Democrats to allow an up or down vote on offshore oil drilling, given that Obama has hinted he could support such a measure, albeit on a limited basis.

However, as Michelle Malkin notes, it was only a few months ago that Gingrich was making nice with environmentalist extremists on climate change and even went as far as making a commercial with Nancy Pelosi on the subject, parroting some of Al Gore's hysteria.

But even Johnny-come-latelys are welcome to the new movement to get something done in this country about our own vast oil resources.

If a visit from Newt did the job of encouraging GOP House members to continue in the fight for energy independence, then the whole thing was worth it.

After all, it was Newt who led one of the most historic new movements in the House in the early 1990s--the 'Contract with America'--resulting in the GOP taking control of Congress for the first time in decades.

New Website Builds on GOP Floor Protest

Since last Friday Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives have staged a floor protest on the Democratic leadership's refusal to allow an up or down vote on offshore oil drilling.

As the protest moves into Day 5, a new website is up and running that builds on the GOP insistence that Congress take action on drill here, drill now.

The website is www.dontgomovement.com.

The name 'Don't Go' arises from the cry of the American public and the GOP that conservative representatives remain in Congress, in session, despite the Democratic leadership's vote to go on a 5-week vacation while the nation faces a crisis of gasoline prices at the pump.

Republicans in the House have vowed to continue their floor protest during the entirety of the Democrats' vacation at taxpayer expense. The Senate is beginning to get in on the act as well, as Senator Jim DeMint, R-SC, has threatened to shut down the government unless the Democratic leadership lifts the offshore drilling ban.

The mere act of lifting the ban would have an immediate effect on gasoline prices at the pump.

Why?

Because oil prices are determined by the futures market--speculators that bid on how much they think oil will be worth in the future.

If Congress lifts the ban on offshore oil drilling here at home in some of the richest crude oil fields on earth, then speculators will bid downward with the expectation that such drilling will have the net effect in the future of lowering the value of oil.

Most energy analysts believe that by merely lifting the ban, prices at the pump will plummet by at least 40 cents per gallon, providing immediate relief to American consumers.

Another important issue at stake is the plan of Congressional and Senate Democrats to sign a treaty that would allow the U.N. to take oil from the rich American crude oil fields in the Arctic Region.

Thus, while the Democrats insist that there is to be no oil drilling in ANWR, they are secretly planning to allow the UNITED NATIONS to do exactly that--drill in a supposedly 'protected' area,

This is one of the most deceitful, dishonest, and disingenuous acts ever perpetrated by the so-called 'environment-friendly' liberals in the Democratic Party!

If they are so concerned about the environmental impact of drilling in ANWR, then WHY do they wish to allow the United Nations to do it?

This is why we need a massive uprising of the American people to support the efforts of the GOP in Congress to drill here, drill now. If we don't get our own oil, Democrats will either give it to the U.N. or allow the Communists in China, Venezuela, and Cuba to get it.

These countries are now presently drilling near the U.S. coast in the Caribbean.

Dontgomovement.com is thus encouraging citizens who are visiting Washington, or who could plan to visit Washington, to make a trip to the Capitol to see the GOP in action on the House floor. This would be one of the best civics lessons one could ever receive.

By clicking on the link above you will find complete information about how to become a visitor to the House gallery to show your support for the GOP-led fight to drill here, drill now.

Photos Show Edwards With 'Love Child'

The National Enquirer has now released secret photos taken of former Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards, D-NC, and his alleged 'love child' and mistress, during a visit he made to the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel on the night of July 21.

While the national mainstream media has been totally mum on the story, the Edwards scandal has been widely reported in the major mainstream newspapers of North Carolina, including the Charlotte Observer and the Raleigh News & Observer.

The blogosphere, however, has done what the MSM has refused to do--expose a high-level, powerful Democrat in a major scandal that will probably end Edwards' political career. Gateway Pundit is one such alternative news source that has done an excellent job in reporting this scandal.

Thus, the question remains, when will the national mainstream media report this story? And more importantly, how will they slant it once they report it?

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Second Amendment News Roundup for 8/6/08

Focusing on guns, politics, and news of interest, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

From David Codrea's War on Guns:
*The Quote of the YEAR
*Over at Larry Hincher paradise (Virginia Tech)
*One of the 'only ones' claims his gun just up and fired on its own..'it just went off'

Armed and Safe comments on his appearance on 'Gun Nuts' last evening, and makes further remarks about the issue that was discussed.

Sebastian makes an important clarification to the answer he gave to my question I called in last night to 'Gun Nuts--The Next Generation.'

Squeaky has the entire show from last night, in case you missed it.

Western Rifle Shooters Association (h/t to David at War on Guns) posts Mike Vanderboegh's riveting entry entitled, 'Birmingham--Race and Armed Defense of Individual Liberty and the Republic.' This is the MUST-read of the day!

The Editors at National Review have written a great editorial today on keeping up the pressure on Congressional Democrats concerning oil drilling. Read it all.

World Net Daily has this entitled, 'Energy Freedom.'

Rush Limbaugh comments on Obama's plan to rob oil company stockholders to pay each American $1000 bucks, and also cites that Obama has been getting heckled of late.

Gateway Pundit is reporting that the GOP revolt in Congress over the Democrats' refusal to deal with oil drilling may last right up to the Democratic National Convention.

Roberta X provides good reading today on 'Dead Tree Opinions.'

Syd at Front Sight, Press takes apart the Chicago Tribune over its views on gun rights.

Murdoc comments on plug-in hybrids.

Say Uncle responds to the comments of a bird-brain who criticized the John McCain ad on the 'I should have been a rock star' candidate.

It looks like Nicki at The Liberty Zone is ready to bail on Blogspot and make the jump to a new domain. Her new digs are HERE (www.thelibertyzone.com). That's a great pic too, Nicki!

Traction Control has another must-read entitled, 'So You're a Young Liberal Democrat?'

John Lott shows us in great detail that Barack Obama knows absolutely nothing about economics. Read it all.

Take a look at THIS interesting item over at Days of Our Trailers.

Texas Fred has a breaking story about how thieves are using the Internet to redirect traffic to websites under their control.

Reject the U.N. comments on the story we cited yesterday that the Democrats in Congress are set to sign a treaty that will allow the U.N. to take American oil from the rich crude oil fields in the Arctic Region of Alaska.

An Ol' Broad's Ramblings hammers President Bush over his statements on China today. Frankly, the Bush family (George the First and Second) have never had a very enviable position on China. Remember, it was George the First who did nothing about Tienanmen Square.

Day 4--GOP Floor Revolt Escalates

Today is Day 4 of the GOP-led floor revolt in the U.S. House of Representatives, protesting the inaction of Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership on offshore oil drilling.

The revolt is escalating.

GOP leaders in the House have sent memos to Republican representatives encouraging them to show up at least once this week to speak concerning lifting the decades-old ban on offshore oil drilling here in the U.S.

According to The Hill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) sent a letter to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Tuesday criticizing the GOP protest.

Pelosi has stated publicly on several occasions that she will continue to block any up or down vote on offshore oil drilling.

But GOP leaders insist they are prepared to continue with the floor revolt throughout the 5 weeks of vacation the Democrats voted to give themselves instead of dealing with the nation's oil problem.

The GOP said that leaders will meet with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich concerning strategy. Gingrich has praised the GOP revolt, stating that it has been the most energizing thing that's happened in Congress since the early 1990s.

In addition, the revolt has inspired some rather hard-hitting criticism of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV. U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, R-SC, ripped Senate Democrats on their intent to keep the ban on offshore drilling in the 2009 budget resolution and further suggested that the GOP will shut down the government rather than vote for a budget that prevents drilling in the rich crude oil fields just off the U.S. coastline.

Some observers fear, however, that the revolt will run out of steam long before the 5-week vacation is over. One political analyst suggested that GOP leaders need a strategy that keeps the momentum going, perhaps building up to a road-trip to certain House districts across America, culminating in a massive photo-op at an oil rig.

But with 70% of the American public supporting offshore oil drilling here at home, the GOP certainly has an issue that is resonating with voters--a fact that has Democrats clearly worried.

'Extreme Drought' Conditions Widen in South Carolina

The Drought Response Committee of the state of South Carolina met in Columbia on Tuesday and added 7 more counties to the category of 'extreme drought,' the state's highest level. 9 counties received a drought status upgrade.

Those counties are Union, Anderson, Abbeville, Greenwood, Newberry, Saluda, Edgefield, McCormick, and Laurens.

The Committee did not recommend mandatory water restrictions due to the fact that many areas within the extreme drought designation already have either voluntary or mandatory water restrictions.

Spartanburg Water System, for example, is located within the extreme drought zone but has managed to cut water usage with voluntary compliance. Officials at the Water System state that voluntary restrictions have reduced usage by 10 to 15 percent.

The 5 original counties under extreme drought conditions in the Upstate, located in the northwestern corner of South Carolina, remain under extreme alert--Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Cherokee counties.

In spite of the continued bad news, the Committee did report at least some good news for two areas of the state that had formerly been under drought conditions. Rainfall totals in Charleston and Georgetown counties have been sufficient to remove the areas from the drought zone entirely.

For the complete story on the drought in South Carolina, click HERE to go to WSPA-TV News Channel 7.

Morgan, Lawson Arraigned in Court, Await Trial

Former Union, South Carolina Mayor Bruce Morgan and former zoning manager Jeff Lawson were arraigned in a federal court in Greenville on charges of extortion.

Morgan's bond was set at $25,000, which was immediately secured by his wife, Vicki Morgan.

Lawson's bond was set at $25,000 non-surety, meaning he did not have to guarantee money or property to post bond.

Both men thus remain out of jail awaiting trial. Further hearings in the case have been set for August 20.

Morgan and Lawson are charged with accepting kickbacks from contractors in exchange for the granting of lucrative city contracts, which is a felony.

For the complete story on the arraignment, click HERE to see the front-page story in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal as posted on their website, GoUpstate.com.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Second Amendment News Roundup for 8/5/08

Focusing on guns, politics, and news of interest, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

From David Codrea's War on Guns:
*David thinks the podcast tonight of 'Gun Nuts' may be a gang-up job on Kurt
*The outrage of gun seizures in Connecticut
*The practice of writing letters to the editor in newspapers

Armed and Safe has doubts about the Richmond initiative called 'Project Exile,' which is supported by both the Brady Bunch and the NRA.

Gun Nuts provides all the details about tonight's podcast that will feature Kurt and Sebastian discussing their differences on the Vanderboegh controversy.

Sebastian comments on the suggestion that the show tonight is an abush of Kurt, and says that Kurt was chosen because he is an able representative of his side of the issue.

Speaking of the controversial, The Smallest Minority posted an interesting read on extremism within the gun rights movement. I don't necessarily agree with his conclusions, but I do in a general sense believe that prudence usually dictates a measured response when it comes to the general public. That being said, there are times when such a thing is simply impossible, given the circumstances.

Walls of the City gives an excellent reason why he carries a firearm to protect himself and his family.

Breda has a MUST-read entitled, 'Collateral Damage.'

Syd at Front Sight, Press says more and more Americans are packing heat for protection.

Open Carry has info on an important initiative to get open carry rights restored.

The Bitch Girls shows us a place where we can get free 'Nobama' stickers. Go have a look.

Alphecca has the shocker of the day--House Dems have actually called for Civil Rights to be restored in D.C.

Gateway Pundit comments on 2 controversial books on Barack Obama that are hitting the bookstores this week.

Michelle Malkin has more info on the GOP protest moving from the House over to the Senate, with Harry Reid, D-NV, getting a lot of heat for his obstructionism on oil drilling.

Malkin also posts this story on a memo sent by Nancy Pelosi to pro-drilling Democrats in the House.

Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs has all the vital info on calling back Congress from its vacation to join the GOP in lifting the ban on offshore oil drilling.

Mike McCarville reports that the Obama campaign is so desperate in Oklahoma that they are going after the 'high school vote.'

The American Thinker has some interesting news to report. A Gallup poll finds that the American people have growing doubts about re-electing the present Congress. It seems the electorate has lost its faith in the Democrats who are running the show.

Just wait till you see THIS outrage, and you will see yet another reason why Americans want to fire the Democrat numbskulls from Congress. CNS News Service reports that Congress is getting ready to sign a treaty that will give away billions of gallons of American crude oil in the Alaskan wilderness TO THE U.N.!

GOP Protest Fever Jumps Over to Senate

Firing a warning shot that was heard from coast to coast and border to border, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, R-SC, circulated a letter in the Senate today that threatens a shut-down of the government unless Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, deletes a provision to continue the ban on oil drilling from the 2009 appropriations bill.

According to a report in The Washington Times, DeMint is one of a growing number of Republicans in the Senate who are catching onto the revolt in the House over the ban on offshore oil drilling, which the Democratic leadership in both chambers vows to continue.

But with 70% of the public supporting offshore oil drilling, DeMint says it is ludicrous that the Democrats would be talking about continuing the ban and raising taxes on gasoline.

The Republicans say that doing something about lifting the ban on offshore oil drilling here at home is so vitally important that they are willing to shut down the government rather than allow the Democrats to continue to block attempts to lift the ban.

At issue is the 2009 budget resolution, which contains the Democrats' provision that the offshore drilling ban continue. DeMint says that he and other GOP Senators will vote to fund the government only if the Democrats drop their offshore oil drilling ban.

Senator DeMint is to be commended for his courageous stand in the face of Congressional obstructionism on the part of the Democrats on the issue of oil drilling here at home.

Day 3--GOP Protest Continues in the House

With a least 30 GOP Congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives committed to continuing the floor protest, Day 3 of the GOP-led revolt over the Democrats' vote to go on vacation rather than pass an energy plan that allows offshore oil drilling will continue today.

The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), told George Stephanopoulos at ABC News on Sunday that she will continue to block any vote on offshore oil drilling, refusing to allow a simple up or down vote.

GOP leaders were incensed that Pelosi and the Democrats decided to go on a 5-week vacation rather than deal with the offshore oil drilling issue--an issue that finds heavy support from the American people.

The floor protest began on Friday of last week after Pelosi adjourned the House for vacation at 11 AM.

At contention is Pelosi's refusal to allow an up or down vote on offshore oil drilling, a move that observers say is designed to avoid the embarrassment of having massive defections from the Democratic ranks as Representatives join the GOP in voting to lift the ban.

Polls show that 70% of Americans agree with the GOP that the ban should be lifted, allowing oil companies to drill in the oil-rich regions off the U.S. coast.

Facing 'Dire' Illness, Columnist Robert Novak Retires

Stating that his health status is 'dire,' longtime conservative columnist Robert Novak announced his retirement on Monday.

Novak has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and is set to begin chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

At the age of 78, Novak writes the nation's longest-running syndicated newspaper column. He also gained notoriety by appearing on CNN as a conservative commentator.

Novak will be sorely missed on the national stage. Our prayers and thoughts are with him and his family as he begins this crucial series of treatments.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, RIP

It is with some sadness that we note the death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, age 89, the famed Russian dissident and author.

It was Solzhenitsyn that gave world-wide notoriety to the horrors of Russian Communism, horrors that had been largely hidden from the world for decades.

Solzhenitsyn put a face to the multiple millions of persons who had been imprisoned, tortured, deprived of food and water, and forced to suffer in the cold by Soviet Communists. The West could no longer ignore the atrocities of the Marxist revolution and its aftermath. Solzhenitsyn had been there himself.

Solzhenitsyn also confirmed estimates that Joseph Stalin's regime in the USSR had systematically murdered upwards of 27 million Russians.

The life and work of Alexander Solzhenitsyn are a stark reminder of the dire consequences of totalitarian systems of government and the toll they take not only on human liberty but on human life as well.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Second Amendment News Roundup for 8/4/08

Focusing on guns, politics, and news of interest, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

David Codrea's War on Guns is back up and running at Blogspot after a horrendous day on Friday when untold scores of bloggers were blocked from their accounts. Here are some of David's posts for today:
*The Despised Minority--Pro-freedom folk in America
*The Quote of the Day on Socialists in America
*'How to Lose Your Guns Without Due Process'--a MUST-read!

Michelle Malkin reports that the GOP is 'rocking the House' today with the continued floor protests over Pelosi's refusal to deal with oil drilling here at home.

Gateway Pundit has the scoop on Nancy Pelosi's hard-line approach against oil drilling, stating that she will never allow a vote on it. He also has video of the San Francisco commie-elitist telling George Stephanopolis about her 'save the planet' scheme.

World Net Daily provides complete information on how we all can pressure Congressional Democrats to join the GOP in getting action on drill here, drill now.

Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs reveals the explosive information that Barack Obama's forged birth certificate previously belonged to a female.

JR at A Keyboard and a .45 has good reading on 'More On Open Carry.'

Kurt at Armed and Safe talks about his upcoming appearance with Sebastian on 'Gun Nuts--the Next Generation' tomorrow night.

Nicki at The Liberty Zone has some important news about her blog.

Robb Allen at Sharp as a Marble reports some disturbing info on 'DNA-coated casings.'

Syd at Front Sight, Press provides an excellent review of the Taurus Model 85 Revolver.

Mike McCarville says that Jim Inhofe's Democratic opponent for the U.S. Senate has a new campaign manager that has ties to rabid gun-grabber George Soros.

Sebastian posts the text of the bill in Congress that the NRA hammered out with Democrats to enforce 2nd Amendment rights in D.C.

Squeaky has photos and an update on Rusty's (Rustmeister) recovery from surgery and the cheer up gift he received.

The Rustmeister comments on his get-well gift.

Breda says that someone in the Obama campaign must have taken a crash course in Commie propaganda.

Speaking of the Taurus revolver (as Syd reviewed), Traction Control has quite a few of them for sale. Go have a look!

Tam at View from the Porch points to a blogger who moved from being a liberal to a conservative.

Alphecca has two good reads today, one being the idiot of the day and the other on the mainstream media's caricature of those who are against Obama. And folks, this one is as bad as it gets.

The Western Rifle Shooters Association posts a great quotation from the great Winston Churchill. The quote is one of the reasons I have always considered Churchill to be among the few greatest of all time.

Texas Fred notes that Barack Obama has jumped on the Nancy Pelosi nut-case bandwagon and is calling for releasing oil from the Strategic Oil Reserve to address the price problem. First of all, that won't help. Second of all, it is a foolish maneuver as Fred notes in his comments. Read it all.

Of Life and Liberty reports that there is some Obama-fatigue that's growing out and about the great American heartland.

Geller: GOP Revolt is a 'Defining Moment'

Even before the day has started the blogosphere and alternative news sources are abuzz about the GOP revolt on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, which will continue today.

Pamela Geller at ATLAS SHRUGS has been in contact with the GOP leadership, which is describing the revolt as 'a defining moment' in the 2008 election campaign.

Geller refers to it as 'a gift.'

And a gift it is. The GOP has finally decided to stand for something after having been reamed by the American public for abandoning its core principles during the 2 or 3 years leading up to the 2006 elections.

Be sure to click on Atlas' link above and read the whole thing. A call has gone out for citizens to contact their representatives in the House, demanding that Congress take immediate action to lift its ban on offshore oil drilling here at home.

While Americans by overwhelming numbers support offshore oil drilling in order to wean ourselves off of foreign oil, the Democrats have turned a deaf ear, referring to the 'drill here, drill now' plan as a 'hoax.'

Even Barack Obama, of all people, heard the outcry of the public on this issue and flip-flopped his position on offshore oil drilling. But even his plan calls for only limited drilling, along with a whopping increase in taxes for oil companies--expenses that the corporations will only turn around and pass along to consumers.

This will NOT provide relief at the pump.

The GOP plan calls for offshore oil drilling in ANY area off the U.S. coast that surveys indicate contains years of crude oil supplies. There is also a renewed call for drilling in ANWR.

GOP leaders insist this is not about ignoring the need for alternative energy sources but a stop-gap measure to get us through the next decade-and-a-half that will be needed to make the shift as a society from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

Petition to Impeach Sen. Barack Obama, D-Chicago

Yes, my friends, the Constitution contains a provision to remove Senators and Representatives from office without a vote from their constituents. Just as Presidents can be impeached, so can Senators and Congressmen.

A petition is being circulated to call for the impeachment of Senator Barack Obama on charges of high corruption in office.

Not only is the Illinois junior Senator from Chicago, but his style of governing has more than fit the profile for the typical corrupt Chicago politician, complete with shady dealings with shadowy gangster-type figures, leftwing ministers who preach 'God damn America,' and even those with known connections to terrorists.

The petition spells out in detail all of the problems associated with a Barack Obama candidacy for President, not to mention that he is unfit to even serve as a U.S. Senator.

Click HERE for full information about the petition.

N. Korea: Expel S. Koreans Deemed 'Unnecessary'

North Korea has referred to South Korean tourists in the area of the Mt. Geumgang resort as 'unnecessary,' and has ordered them to be expelled.

In July a soldier in the so-called 'Korean People's Army' of North Korea shot dead a South Korean tourist in the resort area.

The murder prompted South Korea to suspend all tours to the region.

But a unit of the Korean People's Army that is stationed in the Mt. Geumgang resort has indicated that South Koreans are not welcome and that it will conduct a systematic effort to expel those it deems 'unnecessary.'

Wonder how many other human beings the Communist regime of North Korea deems 'unnecessary?'

HOUSE GOP TO CONTINUE PROTEST TODAY

Sensing that they have an issue that resonates with the vast majority of Americans, the GOP in the U.S. House of Representatives will reportedly continue its floor protest today.

Republican leaders had expressed outrage that Nancy Pelosi adjourned the House for a 5-week vacation in the middle of an oil crisis that has many Americans hamstrung by high prices at the pump.

By a one-vote majority, the Democrats managed to shut down the House over GOP objections that something must be done about gasoline prices before taking their vacation.

But the Republicans didn't go anywhere. They stayed on the House floor long after most had vacated the premises, making speeches on the necessity to 'drill here, drill now' although there were no lights, microphones, or air conditioning.

When local citizens began to hear of the GOP protest, they drove into the Capitol to join the Republicans in demanding a special session of Congress to deal with the drilling issue. Even the tourists who had gathered in the gallery joined in, often cheering Republican speeches on the need for Congress to lift its ban on offshore oil drilling.

A few within the GOP have stated that they intend to stay put throughout the entire 5-week break, calling attention to the inaction and obstructionism of the Democrats in Nancy Pelosi's House.

C-Span cannot carry the floor protest due to the fact that it does not control cameras in the House. The cameras are under the control of Pelosi, and they have been shut off.

For more on this breaking story, click HERE for a report at Politico.com.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Chi-Coms Jail Thousands, Restrict Reporter Access

The Chinese Communists have rounded up political dissidents estimated to be in the thousands prior to this year's Olympic games. These persons have either been jailed or harassed into silence by the government.

In addition, foreign journalists who have traveled to the country to cover the Olympics have found that they are being denied access to hundreds of websites on the Internet.

This is life in modern Red China.

It is not much different than in the days prior to the Tienanmen Square incident where hundreds of brave Chinese students faced down the massive Red Army in an attempt to get the government to ease restrictions on human liberty.

But the Chi-Coms crushed the protests, resulting in the slaughter of innocent civilians and the imprisonment of others.

The Communist government to this day still persecutes and imprisons political dissidents, which prompted a popular CNN reporter recently to refer to the Chi-Coms as 'the same old gang of goons and thugs they've always been.'

Chinese government officials reportedly state that the reason for their purge of dissidents prior to the Olympics is to avoid the 'embarrassment' of having protests during the games.

It should be even more of an embarrassment for the Chi-Coms to know that the whole world has watched as they have proved once again that they are still totalitarians who hate human liberty.

Frankly, the Olympics this year are a joke. No one who values human life and liberty should feel compelled in the least to watch the display simply because 'they are the Olympics.'

I sure won't be watching.

Contrary to the words of President Bush, who stated that the games were 'nothing more than a sporting event,' meaning of course that politics should not play a role, the Chi-Coms have made sure that the event is all about politics...and their mode of operation to squelch free speech, free expression, political dissent, and Internet access for reporters.

What would the President do, for example, if in four years the Olympic Committee decided to go to Poland and hold the 'Auschwitz Skeleton Olympics?'

A massive swell of human rights protests would ensue all over the world, and rightly so.

And thus, how is going to Communist China to hold the Olympic games any different?

For more on this human rights fiasco, click HERE for a Washington Post special report. And click HERE for the complete Breitbart story on Internet restrictions for foreign journalists in China.