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Saturday, September 20, 2008

South Carolina Beats Wofford 23-13

South Carolina Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier talks to the media...


The University of South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Wofford Terriers by a score of 23-13 in a game played at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. The Gamecocks are now 2-2 on the season.

South Carolina will play UAB next Saturday at 7 PM in Columbia.

Clemson Routs S.C. State in 54-0 Shutout



The Clemson Tigers rolled to a 54-0 victory in a shutout of South Carolina State this afternoon in Death Valley. Clemson is ranked 23rd in the nation and is now 3-1 on the 2008 season.

Obama-Barbaric Attack on Abortion Survivor

In response to a McCain-Palin ad that highlights Barack Obama's proven support for infanticide while a legislator in Illinois, Obama went barbaric in his attack on the abortion survivor who is featured in an independent ad that was not produced by the McCain campaign but was aired to allow the woman to tell her story.

Barbarism seems to be the standard response of Obama to infants who survive abortion, even when they become adults!

Many of a libertarian bent in today's society seem to think that laws against abortion are some sort of infringement on an inherent human right. Funny they don't think fathers and mothers who murder their 3-year-old children are simply exercising an inherent human right.

In a civil society we have laws against taking human lives, and rightly so. Abortion and infanticide are two hideous crimes against humanity. Being a staunch libertarian and a staunch opponent of these acts of barbarism are not mutually exclusive.

The case at issue is an Illinois baby that was aborted but survived the procedure and placed in a dark closet to die, without food or water. Barack Obama voted to disallow medical care to be given to such babies who survive abortion attempts.

Obama defends himself by pulling some kind of legal, local-federal mumbo-jumbo to make it seem as though he didn't really support withholding medical care from that infant. The tactic is a red herring. The bottom line is that he believes babies who survive abortion attempts should be killed.

Hence, his barbaric attacks against the woman who survived an abortion attempt. In the video and commentary you will find at Gateway Pundit, you will see first-hand that the sleazy Obama has been caught red-handed in a barefaced lie about the most basic of human rights--the right to life.

South Carolina, Clemson Play In State Today

Both the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Clemson Tigers play within the state today in two non-conference matchups.

The Tigers face off against South Carolina State in a game that began at 1 PM in Clemson, and the Tigers are expected to put away State handily. Clemson is 2-1 on the season thus far.

The Terriers of Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. travel to Columbia for a game this evening at 7 PM with the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. While the Gamecocks are 1-2 on the season, this non-conference game is expected to go Carolina's way, although Wofford through the years has surprised many with its unexpected strength in games of national significance.

For the results of today's games in South Carolina, return to The Liberty Sphere for scores this evening.

Friday, September 19, 2008

New Website Counters Smear Attacks on Palin

A new website is up and running that has as its main objective to show support for Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin in the face of a massive smear campaign by the mainstream media, liberals, and the Democratic Party.

The site has many neat features to keep us informed and to allow us to add comments in order to provide encouragement to Governor Palin as she deals with these senseless and malicious attacks on a daily basis.

Support Sarah Palin is the name of the site. Just click on the link provided here or click on the ad in the upper left column of The Liberty Sphere.

This is an excellent grassroots response to the concerted effort by the mainstream media, liberals, and the Democrats to smear and ruin Governor Palin. Be sure to give the site a good look and then express your support.

Obama Tax Plan Groin-Kicks Small Business

The tax plan for America as put forth by Barack Obama and Joe Biden would in essence land a groin-kick to the owners of small businesses throughout the country.

Biden stated the plan succinctly yesterday--if one makes $250,000 per year or more, it is 'patriotic' to pay significantly higher taxes.

On paper it would seem Obama and Biden are referring to a small percentage of the population with an income of $250,000.

But not so fast.

Small business owners would get hammered by the plan, and some would go out of business, putting their employees out of work.

Small business owners for the most part are in an IRS designation that requires them to list as personal income the profits for their business during any given tax year.

Thus, a small business owner that, say, makes $252,500 during 2008 is counting not only his/her personal income, which may be minimal, but the income of the business as well.

I have known small business owners whose enterprises may have taken in $250,000 but their personal income from that sum was only $25,000. These persons can ill afford yet another Democrat-inspired tax hike.

Countless such small business owners across America make a mere pittance of a salary. Some are forced to live on the premises of the business because they cannot afford a separate residence by the time they pay all of their business expenses.

There is no provision in the Obama-Biden tax plan that allows small business owners to be exempt from their plan to raise taxes significantly on the over $250,000 bracket.

And thus, small business owners will be hit by a tsunami of extra taxes they must pay--taxes that will come not simply from the businesses they own from their own pockets since it is all counted together.

And this is in addition to the personal taxes they must pay.

My friends, the Obama-Biden tax plan will bankrupt America, force countless businesses to shut their doors, and force millions of American workers out of their jobs.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 9/19/08

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

David Codrea says that Senate action is needed on the D.C. gun bill, but Majority Leader Harry Reid doesn't want to let it come to the Senate floor because Barack Obama would be forced to take a stand on it prior to the election. Read it all.

Armed and Safe wrote a letter to Obama about this, and he received a reply from the Senator. Take a look...but get ready to upchuck.

Days of Our Trailers comments on Obama's non-answer to Kurt.

Roberta X has a MUST-read on the ignorance of the public on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Dr. John Lott posts a link to a site that confirms what I reported early this morning, that apparently the identity of the Palin hacker is the son of a Democrat representative in Tennessee. Mmmm.

WOW! Gateway Pundit has the rest of the hacker story, and wait till you see where connecting the dots has led! None other than the Democratic Party and the Washington Post!

Blogstitution reports the great news that one of his photographs was used by Business Week Magazine. Go take a look! Congrats, my friend!

21 Guns Salute hits the nail on the head regarding oil and gasoline.

And Cap'n Bob and the Damsel hit the nail on the head regarding the crisis in the subprime mortgage industry.

Dark Blog passes along some disturbing news about the sheeple of the American public. Don't pass this up...you need to see it.

Dustin's Gun Blog reports that one of 'the only ones' shot a Phoenix homeowner by mistake.

Freedom Sight says that Washington State may ban lead ammo.

Mike McCarville has an interesting read on why the polls may be wrong.

Gun Pundit blogs about the upcoming Castle Doctrine showdown in Missouri.

Robb Allen posts a good read on freedom and its ramifications in a free society.

Sebastian says the New York Times isn't happy. Go take a look to see why.

Breda presents us with the truth about 'nerd chicks.'

Tam has some essential advice concerning concealed carry. Read it all and heed the wisdom!

The Rustmeister posts some excellent reading on 'Gun Nuttery.'

Walls of the City has the quote of the day.

Texas Fred has THE must-read of the day on discrimination against Christians and preferential treatment given to Muslims at a Swift plant. Folks, this is about fairness, and we CANNOT allow this sort of thing to continue to happen in America!

Tenn Democrat's Son Hacked Into Palin Emails?

As the federal investigation continues into the hacking of GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin's email, sources on the Internet and in some news outlets are reporting that the son of Tennessee State Representative Mike Kernell, D-Memphis, is being questioned in connection with the crime.

Kernell's 20-year-old son David is a student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

The Memphis Democrat stated that he was aware of the rumors that his son was involved in the hacking attack but that he would not comment on the matter, citing the father-son relationship.

Both the FBI and the Secret Service are investigating the felony.

The hacker apparently gained access into Palin's private email accounts by impersonating her by phone in order to obtain a new password for Palin's account.

A person using the email address rubico10@yahoo.com claims to be the hacker.

For further information about this continually developing story, click HERE to go to the website of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Second Amendment News Roundup for 9/18/08

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

Mike McCarville follows up on yesterday's explosive news that someone hacked into Sarah Palin's email account and that of her family.

From Gateway Pundit:
*Gateway Blows the Whistle on the Democrats' direct connection to the corporate heads of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, indicating under-the-table deals that led to the present crisis. Barack Obama benefited from the Dems' special, cozy relationship as well.
*The hacker attack on Sarah Palin can be traced directly to Chicago, home of the Barack Obama headquarters of political scheming.
*WOW! New York City Jews overwhelmingly favor McCain-Palin over Obama-Biden, 54-32%. In addition, the great 'Barry O' is down 9 points in Virginia.

Think that the Obama connection to the hacker attack against Palin is far-fetched? Think again! Atlas Shrugs shows that the Obama team has been pulling some shenanigans with the Google Search engine to direct traffic to the Obama website.

From Dr. John Lott:
*The Ohio Supreme Court has struck down a local ban on carrying concealed handguns.
*Obama is running ads in swing states claiming he supports the right to own a gun.

Today's MUST-read is at Western Rifle Shooters Association, and it is entitled, 'What is to be Done--20 Questions.'

Breda blogs about the 'Guns Save Lives' bumper-sticker and how you can get one.

Sebastian provides good reading on Democrats for McCain and how George W. Bush nearly destroyed the winning coalition that Reagan Republicans worked so hard to build.

From Codrea's War on Guns:
*'Hacking Away at Privacy'--the AP is up to no good again.
*David has a quote from a certified nutcase claiming that gun owners are nutcases.
*Here is an excellent idea--a Tennessee gun rights organization sponsoring a shoot for the March of Dimes, co-sponsored by GOP Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn.

JR has this little item from Rachel Lucas explaining why some people are not going to vote for Barack Obama.

Roberta X writes about a rather interesting encounter she had with a Leftist who showed his true colors unaware!

Alphecca reports that gun control is hurting Obama out in the heartland.

Traction Control says that violent crime skyrockets after illegal aliens go to Texas.

From Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit:
*'Sarah Palin Becomes a Major Fundraising Draw for McCain'
*Joe Biden claims paying higher taxes is patriotic! What a freakin' nitwit!
*Glenn has an update on the attempt to catch the Sarah Palin email hacker.

Bad News for Barack as Key Dems Jump Ship

During the last 24 hours at least 2 key Democrats have announced they are jumping ship and will be supporting McCain-Palin in November. Both were Hillary Clinton supporters.

Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a major Clinton supporter, states she intends to vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin. But here is the big news about this defection from the Democratic ranks--Forester is a member of the Democratic National Committee and served on the Party's platform committee, according to CNN.

As we have said all along, in the end Obama will prove to be much too extreme even for many Democrats.

Another national figure who tends to vote for Democratic candidates, Donald Trump, announced that he is voting for McCain-Palin as well. Politico reports that Trump is upset that Hillary Clinton was not chosen as Obama's running mate.

Trump also opposes Obama's economic proposals, stating that the tax increases necessary to pay for Obama's new government programs would be terrible for the economy.

If anyone should know what's good for the economy, it is Trump, who has made a fortune, lost it, and made it again in his career. This is only more evidence that the Obama economic plan spells disaster for the country.

BREAKING: SECRET SERVICE PROBES HACKERS

Matt Drudge is reporting at this hour that the U.S. Secret Service has moved in to take control of the investigation into the hacking of Sarah Palin's personal email. One writer in particular
has advised the Secret Service on the procedure for discovering the hackers' identities.

The hacking incident has been described by federal officials as 'a shocking invasion of the Governor's privacy.'

Apparently the Leftwing group responsible for the attack sites as its reason for the hacking as Palin's practice of using private email for government work--a practice the group claims is illegal.

Not so. This practice is widely used by politicians in both Parties to communicate with one another, and it is no crime whatsoever.

It is not even unethical.

Thus, the only reason Leftwing hackers would have to steal private emails and paste them all over the Internet is to embarrass Palin for political purposes.

But these thugs went even further. What they posted on the Internet is a direct threat to Palin's children and her husband.

This goes far beyond 'dirty tricks.' Even the Watergate conspirators didn't involve the families of the Nixon 'enemies list.'

Leftwing Hackers Break Into Palin Family Emails

A leftwing political group known simply as Anonymous has hacked into the email accounts of GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin and her family. Leftwing bloggers and websites then proceeded to post these private messages, including pictures of Palin's children, all over the Internet.

Let's get one thing clear from the very outset. This is not just innocent political games. Email hacking is a federal crime that carries serious prison time.

These hackers are felons, criminals, who for political gain placed personal, private information on the Internet for the whole world to see, including Palin family cell phone numbers.

The McCain campaign has turned over all of the evidence to federal investigators. Good. These lowlives need to be caught and sent up the river for a lengthy prison term.

Michelle Malkin has a series of news stories tracing the hacking attack against Palin HERE, Here, and here. Read them all. This story is crucial to understanding who is behind the attack, why they are doing it, and who is posting the information all over the Internet.

There is also riveting commentary on the incident over at Political Machine. This is good reading that exposes the Democrats' half-hearted condemnation of Anonymous and their attempt at distancing themselves from a group that does their dirty work.

Folks, the Commie-Nazis in the Democratic Party are running scared. Palin is such a threat to what they thought was going to be an automatic shoo-in of Barack Obama that they are willing to go to any length, including committing felonies, to stop her.

If ever there were a doubt as to just how dangerous the Leftwing is in this country, this single act should serve to dispel that doubt.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Second Amendment News Roundup for 9/17/08

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

From Codrea's War on Guns:
*'Do As We Say'--it seems the JBTs are not so meticulous about their own stuff even as they demand gun dealers cross every 't' and dot every 'i'--the hypocrites.
*'Post-Heller Junk Science'--the antis now want to use science to regulate the 2nd Amendment into non-existence.
*'When We Said Wealth Redistribution, We Mean YOUR Wealth'--these typical liberals show their rank hypocrisy when it comes to taxes. A MUST read!
*'The Second Storm'--the 'gub'ment' is set to impose martial law on parts of the Texas coast, just as they did in New Orleans!
*'Elitist and Wealthy'--David comments on an idiot's remarks about Sarah Palin's membership in a couple of gun rights groups.

Armed and Safe says that Philly is going to get some partners in crime.

From Nicki at The Liberty Zone:
*'More Retarded Nitwittery from the Old and Irrelevant'--look at what's crawled out from under the floor-boards to babble for Obama!
*'New Cure for the Welfare State'--this is a goodie!
*'Brave New Schools'--more on the imbecilic notion that teachers should be disarmed.

From Mike McCarville:
*'Poll Finds McCain-Palin Surge in New Jersey'--Palin is continuing to help McCain pull to within the margin of error with Obama in heavily-infested 'blue states!'
*Oklahoma Congresswoman Mary Fallin comments on the recent gun vote for D.C. in the U.S. Congress.
*Mike cites a new poll that indicates the public has completely lost faith in the mainstream media during Campaign '08.

Sebastian says that the Philadelphia Enquirer has shown itself to be a rag. It seems lots of newspapers are falling into that ash-heap these days.

Ahab posts last night's show of Gun Nuts--the Next Generation, in case you missed it.

Breda is the new co-host for Gun Nuts--The Next Generation, while Squeaks is on hiatus.

Texas Fred has the MUST-read of the day concerning the discovery of the single largest oil reserve in the history of the U.S.--right here on the mainland.

Walls of the City shows off his Unorganized Militia patch on his jacket. Neat!

Western Rifle Shooters Association posts some thoroughly disturbing info on what our government thinks of militia members.

John Lott has a copy of what ABC edited out of the Palin interview with Charles Gibson. Wait to you see how utterly biased it was!

Gateway Pundit reports that the energy bill the Democrats approved, which supposedly allows offshore oil drilling, is a hoax that actually stifles drilling!

Pelosi: 'Don't Blame Us'

When asked about the circumstances that led to the present crisis in the banking and loan industries, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the Democrat-controlled Congress, 'Don't blame us.'

Excuse me, Madame Speaker, but, why not?

Congress, not the President, controls the purse strings of the American economy from a regulatory standpoint. This means that the buck stops with Congress when it comes to monetary policy.

The Democrats have controlled both Houses of Congress for 2 years. This is plenty enough time for policies to be implemented or discontinued that would have drastic implications for the state of the economy.

And we can rest assured the Democrats will blame the President for the entire scenario.

Congress, however, is at least twice as much to blame as the President for failing to do its job in making sure everyone plays by the same rules and that there are no underhanded dealings in the financial markets that could negatively impact the economy. Not only did Congressional Democrats do nothing about these crucial issues but they directly contributed to the problem.

The Democrats in Congress are up to their eyeballs in scandal revolving around cozy relationships with the top officials of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae--all of which led to personal gain. Do the names Patrick Leahy, Barack Obama, and Charles Rangel ring any bells?

And these represent only the tip of the iceberg. Dozens of Democrats have had their hands in the cookie jar in under-the-table deals concerning high-end loans and mortgages--the very thing that led to the present crisis.

The Democrats will not investigate these scandals, however, because it is an election year, and they know that dozens will be implicated, included their own Presidential nominee.

Thus, Madame Speaker, at the end of the day, who else is to blame if not you?

MORGAN PLEADS GUILTY IN UNION STING

Former Union, South Carolina Mayor Bruce Morgan pleaded guilty Tuesday in a corruption scandal in which he and the city's zoning director accepted bribes for awarding lucrative city contracts.

The City's former zoning director Jeff Lawson also entered a guilty plea.

The big news of the day, however, is that the FBI disclosed that the whole thing was a sting operation set up by the agency in response to an anonymous tip.

Union city zoning director Jeff Lawson was the first to get caught accepting a bribe after the FBI had set up a hidden microphone during one of the bribe transactions. At that point Lawson agreed to wear a hidden microphone in order to catch his partner in crime, Bruce Morgan.

Mayor Morgan resigned his position the day the indictments were handed down. Lawson did not immediately resign but was placed on administrative leave by the city. He was later fired.

Both men face up to 40 years in prison for the corruption scandal. It is not immediately known when the sentencing hearing will take place.

Neither of the 2 men had any statement for the media following today's hearing.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Second Amendment News Roundup for 9/16/08

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

From Codrea's War on Guns:
*'You Haven't Broken Any Laws, but We'll Just Keep Those Guns'--a disturbing tactic used by law enforcement increasingly across the country.
*'UK Courting Disaster'--the British gov't has allowed Sharia Law to be set up in at least 5 cities across the country. Extremist Muslims are truly taking over the country.
*'Conditioned to Surrender'

Armed and Safe provides good reading entitled, 'No Right to Violate Rights.'

Roberta X posts a reminder about the next Indy Blog Meet.

From Nicki at The Liberty Zone:
*'Speaking of Insipid, Stentorian Asshats'--Nicki takes aim at Lindsey Lohan.
*'Warning! Political Incorrectness Ahead!'--a MUST-read.
*'Pot...Kettle...Black'--look out, Mr. Obama.

From Sebastian:
*'McCain, Obama Tied in Pennsylvania'
*'Being Heard Today' on Capitol hill, a bill that Harry Reid will try to prevent coming to the floor for a vote.
*'Hook, Line, and Sinker'

Robb Allen blogs about his new handgun. She's a beaut.

Mike McCarville has Zogby's Electoral College map as it stands today. Good news for McCain-Palin!

An Ol' Broad's Ramblings posts some great political cartoons called, 'Obamarama.'

American and Proud has a great read entitled, 'McCain and Palin Court is What We Need.'

Islamic Danger to Americans says that some 'community organizers' in Michigan are at work organizing some voter fraud.

JB's Corner reports that former Democratic Presidential hopeful Mike Gravel, D-AK, was interviewed on a radio program intended to be critical of Sarah Palin but wound up defending her for most of the program. ROFL!! Good for him!

Western Rifle Shooters Association posts the next chapter of Mike Vanderboegh's Absolved, which is entitled, 'Predator.'

Open Carry has a great billboard campaign going in Houston, and here they appeal for donations to help put up a 2nd billboard featuring the lovely Lori.

Gun Nuts has all the info on tonight's radio show, and please note the time change.

Dark Blog gives us an excellent read, entitled, 'Value Predetermined.'

West, By God provides good reading on McCain and the economy.

Gateway Pundit posts the new McCain ad on Obama's support for infanticide, and Gateway says it just may be THE defining ad of the campaign.

The smear of Sarah Palin continues. Dr. John Lott points to a University of Chicago professor who claims that Palin is not really a woman....SHEESH.

Hysteria Makes Financial Crisis Infinitely Worse

No doubt the country is in the midst of a financial crisis within its banking and loan sector. But the hysteria that follows such a crisis is the thing that has the potential of sending the entire nation and its markets into a free-fall.

A few bank failures is not enough to propel the country into a depression. As long as there are enough banks that have followed sound business principles and kept enough cash in reserves to cover any potential losses in loans, the failure of some banks, even large ones, is not going to spell disaster for the economy.

But if Americans descend into hysteria and panic, a problem that should correct itself can become a national disaster. If Americans view the failure of Lehman Brothers and the buyout of Merrill-Lynch by Bank of America as signs they should 'withdraw all their money out of banks,' then what should be nothing more than a market correction--getting rid of companies that engage in bad business practices--can quickly turn into the dreaded 'domino effect.'

Currently there are thousands of safe banks that engage in conservative business principles. And, if customers who deposit more than $100,000 are careful to spread their deposits over several banks so that none go over the $100,000 limit, then those funds are also insured by the federal government.

For those customers who are not sure of their bank's business practices, there are ways to investigate that bank's assets vs. its liabilities. To be on the safe side, customers should look for a bank's assets to far outweigh its liabilities. These are what we call 'conservative banks,' and they are the safest.

Americans should not simply be resigned to the 'inevitability of a national financial meltdown.' There are ways this doomsday scenario can be avoided, and one way is to refrain from allowing oneself to engage in hysterics from which rarely anything good comes.

There is no good reason for a 'domino effect' as long as Americans keep a clear head and avoid the mistakes that panic inevitably produces.

'Believers for Barack' Signals New Religious Emphasis

Signaling that the Barack Obama campaign is kicking its religious theme into high gear, the campaign has rolled out what it calls 'Believers for Barack' merchandise that appeals to various religious groups.

The Obama campaign has already been the most overtly religious political campaign since Jimmy Carter in 1976, and with the latest emphasis it is sure to engage in the most overt mixing of politics and religion in the history of mainstream American politics.

Through the 'Believers for Barack' program, supporters can get material that emphasizes, for example, 'Catholics for Barack,' 'Jews for Barack,' and other such religious themes aimed at groups Obama needs in order to win the White House.

But why not also include some themes that are a bit closer to the truth and thrust of who Barack Obama is and what his campaign is truly about?

I have some suggestions of my own:

'Muslim Terrorists for Barack'
'United Church of Christ "God Damn America" Activists for Barack'
'Hollywood Scientologists for Barack'
'Communist Atheists for Barack'
'Chicago Mafia for Barack'
'The Snuffy Pfeger Priests for Snuffing Out Gun Store Owners for Barack'
'The Catholic Underground League for Infanticide for Barack'
'The "Guns are Immoral" Christian Society for Barack'
'The 'Progressive' Young Evangelical Heretics for Barack'
'The "Barack is Like Jesus" Community Organizers for Barack'
'The "Palin is a Governor Like Pontius Pilate" Defenders of the Obamessiah for Barack'
'The Hugo Chavez Communist Dictators' Society for Barack'
'Hamas for Barack'
'Hezbollah for Barack'
'The Anti-Capitalist Society for Barack'
'The Che Guevara Ring of Communist Mass Murderers for Barack'

And my favorite of all...

The 'People Who Don't Know a Freakin' Thing About the Constitution and Don't Want to Know' for Barack...

Price-Gouging Investigations in Western Carolinas

The Attorneys-General of North and South Carolina are investigating thousands of charges of price-gouging on the part of gasoline stations in the area.

North Carolina Attorney-General Roy Cooper has already sent subpoenas to dozens of gas stations in western North Carolina alone concerning customer complaints of outrageously unnecessary price increases at the pump.

Henry McMaster, South Carolina's Attorney-General stated on Monday that there appears to be some price-gouging by certain gasoline vendors but that his investigations would need to be completed before any formal charges would ensue.

McMaster stated that he has requested records from the accused vendors which should show that the price they paid for gasoline is reflected in the price at the pump. The mere fact that gasoline is higher, he said, is no indication that the station engaged in price gouging.

Price-gouging is a term that refers to a business that charges customers significantly higher prices than the prices the business paid for the commodity, taking advantage of consumers particularly during emergencies such as the recent hurricane.

In both North and South Carolina, a business that is convicted of price gouging faces a fine of $2000 per customer that was impacted by the gouging. Such fines can easily run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single business, effectively bankrupting that business.

Most of S.C. Declared Federal Disaster Area

As Governor Mark Sanford requested, all but 2 counties in South Carolina have been declared a federal disaster area due to the extreme drought. This will make it possible for farmers to receive low-interest government loans to help with their losses.

The 2 counties unaffected by the drought are Charleston and Georgetown.

Despite a recent increase in localized rainfall in certain areas affected by the drought, the amount of rain has not been enough to lift those areas out of the extreme drought status.

Spartanburg County, for example, is still over 11 inches behind normal rainfall for the year.

The drought has hit farmers hard, ruining crops and making it difficult to feed animals. Horse farmers, for example, have been forced to bring in hay from areas outside the state, driving up their costs and bringing some to the brink of losing their farms.

This is the scenario that the federal disaster designation is intended to prevent.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Second Amendment News Roundup for 9/15/08

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

From Codrea's War on Guns:
*'From the Ivory Towers of Higher Learning'--no surprises here who they support for President as they indoctrinate young minds!
*'More Guns Are Not the Answer'--looks like Barbie has been indoctrinated by professors in the Ivory Towers! What a twit.
*'Not Properly Bound'--looks like the JBTs of the ATF are harassing a gun dealer who has had a squeaky clean record for over 20 years.
*'The Human Factor'--the CIA, the growth of government, and 'homegrown terrorists.'
*Finally, David has THIS comment on the scientific report issued over the weekend that shows a vegetarian diet will shrink your brain but grow your boobs.

Western Rifle Shooters Association posts Mike Vanderboegh's riveting 'Somewhere, A True Believer is Training to Kill You.'

The Buckeye Firearms Association has 'Barack Obama and John Kerry--Geese of a Feather.'

Sebastian reports the good news from South Carolina on reciprocity, via Say Uncle.

Nicki posts her latest edition of 'Idiots with Keyboards.'

Breda says she's getting ready to take over the world. Sounds like she has all she needs.

Say Uncle has a brand new look for his blog. Go take a look!

Alphecca comments on today's bad news out of Wall Street.

Freedom Sight says that D.C. may be backing down in its showdown with the federal government over its gun control laws.

Roberta X is the latest of us holdouts who has declared support for the Palin ticket and that guy she's running with.

Mike McCarville reports that McCain-Palin have hit 50% for the first time in the Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll, and are still 3 points ahead of Obama-Biden.

Texas Fred comments on the news that today crude oil has plummeted to 95 bucks per barrel.

The Rustmeister blows the whistle on Obama's discriminatory employment practices.

Days of Our Trailers posts some interesting figures on prison recidivism and its implications for violence.

The Smallest Minority has the quote of the day.

Insight on Freedom provides us with the MUST-read of the day, and it's entitled, 'Socialism and Obama.' Read it all.

Michelle Malkin wants to know which disabled war vets will Obama and Biden attack and make fun of next. They have already lampooned McCain over the fact that his war injuries prevent him from typing on a computer. Folks, these guys are not only sleazy but they are f*cking as*hole c*cksuckers! You just don't make fun of a person's war injuries, and those who do are slime who are lower than whale dung at the bottom of the ocean.

Speaking of as*holes, the mighty CBS News has pronounced the verdict on Sarah Palin, and Gateway Pundit has the story.

But apparently CBS has its head so far up Barack Obama's as* they don't even notice what's actually going on in the country, as Palin causes a surge for McCain even in blue states like New York! Once again, Gateway has the story.

Barack 'I Am Like Jesus' Obama Turns Up Heat

'The One,' the man whom supporters say is 'like Jesus' because he was a 'community organizer,' is turning up the heat by going on the attack against John McCain and Sarah Palin.

It's too bad he can't tell the truth like Jesus.

Barack Obama is not actually rolling out a new attack but ratcheting up the rhetoric in the same old attack he's been using--'the McCain-Palin ticket represents 4 more years of the last 8 years of George Bush,' and other such silly rubbish.

Of course, Obama ducks every time someone mentions that his administration would be like 4 more years of the last President who talked about Jesus incessantly--James Earl Carter, one of the most unsuccessful Presidents in the history of the U.S.

Christian cringe every time they hear one of Carter's latest foot-in-mouth debacles, given that many of them were duped into voting for him in 1976 because he spoke of Jesus and being 'born again.'

My friends, as a Christian I can tell you that believing in Jesus and being 'born again' does not automatically give one an astute brain or make one a good President!

The majority of my Christian friends in the South are embarrassed by Carter, not just because of his ineptitude as President but because of his ultra-liberal ideology that is closer to Karl Marx than Thomas Jefferson.

Obama, taking a page from the playbook of Jimmy Carter, is playing up the 'Jesus motif,' with the exception that Carter had the decency to refrain from directly comparing himself to Jesus. Carter's operatives certainly never dared doing such a despicable thing that most Christian view as blasphemous. Their tactic was to talk up the fact that Carter was 'a born again Christian' rather than outright compare Carter to Jesus.

But Obama is not as honorable as Carter. Carter is basically a good man who is misguided and who was not up for job as President. Obama is a typical corrupt Chicago politician who is calculating.

Obama does, however, share one characteristic with Carter. His political views are similar. And the policies he would implement would be just as disastrous as those that Carter implemented from 1976-1980, and which the American people overwhelmingly rejected 4 years later and which Reagan spent the next 8 years cleaning up.

We can only hope the American people this time around will see through the ruse before going to the polls and casting a vote for Obama. It's much better to avoid a disaster than to clean up after one.

The Company He Keeps

You know the old saying--judging a person by the company he keeps?

As always there is truth in the old saying while at the same time that truth is not necessarily applicable across the board.

But in Barack Obama's case, the problem is that his company of friends and associates consistently fall into the category of 'persons of questionable repute.'

I attempted, for example, to find one single close Obama friend or associate who was considered unanimously by those around him/her as reputable, honorable, respectable, and above reproach.

And I simply could not find one. Zilch. Nada. Naught.

William Ayers? Reverend Jeremiah 'God Damn America' Wright? Reverend 'Snuffy' Pfleger, the anti-gun activist who stated that a gun shop owner should be 'snuffed out?' Tony Rezko?

And not only that, but note this stellar cast of supporters: Susan Sarandon, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Rosie O'Donald, Spike Lee, Maureen Dowd, John Edwards, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Venezuelan Communist Dictator Hugo Chavez, terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, the Communist Party of America, and Muslim-terrorist front-group CAIR, among others.

Why would mainstream America want anyone in the White House who is supported by these groups and individuals?

The simple fact is that decent people, when they find out the truth about Obama, want no part of him or his campaign.

This Time There IS Price-Gouging Post-Hurricane

As regular readers of this blog know, I have been a staunch defender of the right of oil companies to make a good profit, without government interference, for their shareholders.

The American people, a majority of whom are invested in oil companies through their various pension programs, also deserve to get a good return on their investment as they face retirement.

On the strength of oil company profits, our pension programs have been prevented from going broke in the wake of the poor performance of many other industries.

That being said, price-gouging is wrong, period. And many local gasoline vendors in the Southeast and the Deep South are guilty of it following Hurricane Ike.

As we have mentioned many times, the price of gasoline at the pump is largely determined by 'oil futures.' On the open market, the price of oil is determined by what investors, or 'oil speculators,' think the price of oil will be in the future.

The oil companies have stated over the weekend that there was no major disruption of oil production in the Gulf due to Hurricane Ike. They experienced a one-day shut-down at most, along with minimal damage.

Oil speculators have determined that the price of oil will be the lowest in over a year, with the price of crude dropping to just below 100 bucks per barrel--down over 20 bucks a barrel from just a few weeks ago.

Thus, there is no good reason for gasoline prices at the pump currently standing at 4 bucks per gallon and higher in the Southeast. Some have even sold gasoline for $5.60 per gallon.

With crude going for the cheapest prices we've seen in over a year, and with oil speculators bidding downward on the value of oil, we should be paying the lowest prices at the pump since the summer of 2007.

Unless the oil companies and their vendors on the local level bring this about, then the patience of the American people will run out, even among their fiercest defenders, such as myself.

Price-gouging is a despicable practice, and appearances mean everything. If the oil companies fail to act in good faith in response to market forces that are driving the price of oil DOWNWARD, then the American people will most definitely lose faith in the oil industry.

The time is NOW for gasoline prices to plummet if the oil industry expects to salvage what's left of its tentative reputation.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Dems Panic as Obama Numbers Fall in Key States

A state of panic has set in with Democratic Party operatives as recent poll numbers show that Barack Obama's figures are plunging in key states.

Further, some operatives suggest that there is a 'hidden racism' among Democrats who will publicly claim they are for Obama but intend to vote for McCain. This, according to one such operative, would make Obama's poll numbers much lower than they appear in the polls.

Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, and Virginia all show that Obama's numbers have plunged over the past 2 weeks. McCain and Obama are now dead-even in those states.

In Oklahoma, however, a state where McCain has held a consistent lead, Obama's numbers have plummeted to even lower levels. McCain now holds a 2 to 1 lead over Obama in Oklahoma.

While Democratic operatives are quick to claim that 'hidden racism' among Democrats is the main reason for the plunge, it is clear that they are underestimating the impact of GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin on the campaign.

Palin's entrance into the race has energized a lackluster GOP base. The conservative base is wildly motivated to support and get out the vote for Palin-McCain. In fact, the ticket now leads in every single age-group except for 18-29 year olds.

Yet another tale-tell signal that McCain's choice of Palin is turning around the campaign, voters in the northwestern states are beginning to swing over to the McCain-Palin ticket. According to the latest polls taken over the past week, McCain has pulled even or within the margin of error of being even with Obama in Washington, Oregon, and Colorado.

All of this is excellent news in light of the fact that the mainstream media, liberal activists, and Hollywood elitists have all attempted to ruin Palin through the use of a well-orchestrated smear campaign. Charles Gibson's hit-piece with Palin this week is a perfect example.

The Gibson smear-attack interviews with Palin are also an example that the public is on to the ruse and sees the blatant bias of the mainstream media to the extent that they have simply cut them off. They are supporting Palin in even greater numbers the more negative the liberals get.

Perhaps finally decent American citizens are seeing the media sleazeballs for what they've been all along but kept carefully hidden.

For complete information on the developing changes in Campaign '08, click HERE

She's One of Us

So, a few critics and mainstream media analysts have determined that GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin 'appeared nervous' in the Charles Gibson hit-piece interviews on ABC last week.

Well, wouldn't you be, too?

One of the things Americans love about Sarah Palin is that she's one of us--a real person, a regular, average, mainstream American trying to make a living and raise a family at the same time. She speaks our language and holds to our values.

Thus, suppose you as another average American citizen had to face an attack-dog of the mainstream media after 2 weeks of being smeared, maligned, ridiculed, and lampooned for being a normal, everyday American woman who is running for office?

Over the past 2 weeks, the mainstream media on TV and radio, in magazines and newspapers, and on the Internet, has referred to Palin as a 'redneck,' a 'religious fanatic who will force all Americans to adhere to her religious beliefs,' a 'man trapped in a female body' because she can fish and hunt, a 'whore,' a 'bad mother' because her daughter is pregnant out of wedlock, a person who should not be running for office because she is raising a family, although the very ones making that statement are themselves working outside the home and raising families, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

These sleazebag elitists snobs, most of whom had never even heard of Sarah Palin until 3 weeks ago, would make these charges about someone they barely know.

I ask you, what normal human being in their right mind would NOT be nervous facing one of the mainstream media attack-dogs who had said some of these things?

Palin's 'nervousness' only showed us even more clearly how normal and human she is.

But she calmly and assertively made her case before 'the great Gibson' in spite of that nervousness. And, as the interviews wore on, she seemed to catch onto Gibson's game of intimidation and gradually lost her nervousness as time passed.

Perhaps Palin instinctively knew that Gibson was putting on display the perfect example of what conservatives have been saying about the mainstream media for over 40 years--that they are decidedly biased toward liberalism and detest conservatives--and that if she simply let him continue with his heavy-handed intimidation tactics, looking for one of those 'gotcha' moments, the American people would see up-close-and-personal just how thoroughly the mainstream media is 'in the tank for Obama' and is pulling out all the stops to smear Palin and get McCain defeated.

Gibson's behavior in the interview has already caught the attention of media specialists in colleges and politics. One in particular stated that the media is 'on thin ice' if it continues with these tactics, and that there is sure to be a backlash by the American people against such displays.

Obviously, some of these specialists, who themselves are liberals, are deathly afraid that the media may well blow it for Obama. Thus, they issue a warning.

But the media is clearly not blowing it for Obama. The truth is taking care of Obama all on its own. Charlatans are found out sooner or later.

Rather, the only thing the media has done is to show us that we cannot trust their slanted news stories and that Sarah Palin really is a normal human being 'just like us,' in spite of their attempts to ruin her.