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Saturday, November 29, 2008

CLEMSON RETAINS S.C. BRAGGING RIGHTS

The Clemson Tigers have defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks by a score of 31-14, thus retaining for the Tigers the bragging rights in the state for another year.

Clemson's win puts them at 7-5 on the season...not a bad record given that the Tigers came close to falling apart mid-season with the abrupt departure of Coach Tommy Bowden.

But Dabo Swinney proved that his emotional, motivational style of coaching could save the day for Clemson and perhaps earn for him the permanent spot of Head Coach.

For South Carolina, the Gamecocks finish with a 7-5 record--not bad but far below the expectations Steve Spurrier had set for his team.

Next year Spurrier will have a team fully staffed with his own recruits. We will see if Spurrier's picks will give the Gamecocks a boost to reflect some of Spurrier's glory days of the past.

Both South Carolina and Clemson are bowl eligible and both will surely be invited to participate in the bowl games later in the year.

All in all, the season was pretty good for both Clemson and South Carolina.

Fox News Joins Liberal MSM in Obama Lovefest

I first noticed it during the 2008 Presidential campaign. A slight, subtle, but noticeable change took place in the manner in which news concerning Barack Obama was being reported on Fox News.

And then what began as trickle became an avalanche during the final McCain-Obama debate.

Every single commentator on Fox News' panel of experts, including Britt Hume, stated how awful McCain was and how masterfully Obama had beaten McCain in the debate.

I remember thinking at the time, how odd!

Never before in all the years I have been watching Fox News have I ever seen ALL of its conservative commentators so obviously throw their support behind a liberal political candidate.

I smelled something fishy even then.

And now, the news comes that Rupert Murdoch, the king pin of the Fox mega-network conglomerate, has instructed his No. 2 man Roger Ailes to tell his conservative commentators to back off criticism of Obama.

These instructions went to Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Greta Van Susteren, and others who have been openly critical of Obama.

In the midst of a solid monopoly on television news reporting held by Leftists such as CBS, CNN, ABC, NBC, and MSNBC, moderate-to conservative viewers found solace in Fox News. At least in its commentary, the network was solidly conservative.

That day is gone.

And thus, the march of Obama toward total domination of ALL media, including the control of content, continues unabated.

This is not good news for democracy, liberty, or the Bill of Rights.

For a complete analysis of this disturbing development, including Rush Limbaugh's commentary on the matter, click HERE.

But make no mistake about it, my friends, if Fox News is intent on going down this road, you can bet your last swig of whiskey that THIS commentator will be just as relentless in attacking Fox as I have been in attacking the rest of the leftwing media hacks and talking heads.

The very last thing we need is a Chris Matthews-lite or a Katie Couric wannabe on Fox.

Tax-Free Guns in S.C. a Big Hit

Friday and Saturday of this week marks a watershed event in South Carolina as the state legislature voted for its very first tax-free holiday for gun sales.

All gun sales in the state on Friday and Saturday of this week are tax-free.

And, from all indications, the tax-free holiday has been a big hit with South Carolinians who are buying guns. Some of these citizens state openly that the thing that motivated them to buy guns is the coming Barack Obama administration, which they see as a threat to gun rights.

From Clinton to Greenville, from Greer to Darlington, from Orangeburg to Charleston, guns have been flying off the shelves of gun stores as quickly as employees can stock them.

Perhaps this should send a clear signal to Barack Obama and his team of gun-grabbers, along with the Democrats and Independents who put them into office.

Read the entire story of gun sales in South Carolina HERE (news video included).

SHOWDOWN AT HIGH NOON

The big one in South Carolina takes place today at high noon in Clemson.

The South Carolina Gamecocks will face their cross-state rivals the Clemson Tigers for bragging rights.

South Carolina goes into today's showdown with a 7-4 record and with a golden opportunity to go 8-4 with a win over Clemson. This would be the Gamecocks' best showing in recent years.

Clemson goes into the game with a 6-5 record and an opportunity to place themselves in a strong position for a bowl game invitation if they beat South Carolina today.

South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier will use senior Chris Smelley as starting quarterback today. Spurrier said he hopes that Smelley can play in the entire game. This will be Smelley's last regular season game as a college quarterback.

Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney was asked if his chances of becoming permanent head coach is riding on a win over South Carlina. Swinney said he had not been informed of any such thing and that his only goal is to beat the Gamecocks and emerge from today's game with yet another year of bragging rights.

There is no doubt, however, that Swinney's chances would be greatly enhanced by a win. Clemson has been interviewing potential permanent head coaches from around the country.

Friday, November 28, 2008

DID GOOGLE-OBAMA LAUNCH A TRIAL BALLOON?

As if bloggers and concerned readers are being bewitched and manipulated by Internet nerds at Google, the story of Pamela Geller's Atlas Shrugs being blocked by Google just keeps getting more bizarre.

Some users are able to access the blog with no problem, directly from Google, using terms such as 'Obama's forged birth certificate.'

Yet others are still getting a message stating that the blog is 'FORBIDDEN.'

Perhaps Google is correcting the problem in light of the fact that Geller has hired a team of IT consultants and experts on Internet terrorism to investigate the problem. In addition, Google has gotten slammed with lots of bad press in the new media today.

But here is a more sinister possibility. Could this whole thing have been a trial balloon launched by Google and Barack Obama to determine the amount of resistance they would receive among us peons in the citizenry should Obama decide to regulate and control Internet content?

Don't simply dismiss the notion as the befuddled musings of a conspiracy theorist. Obama and his team are the most Internet-savvy political team in the history of American politics.

And before they would attempt something as outlandish and unAmerican as an attempt to control and regulate the Internet, you can bet your bottom dollar they would test such a thing first, in order to gauge public reaction.

They would also want to know who would be at the forefront of their opposition.

What better way to launch such a test than to use an Obama-friendly search engine, Google, to block access to one of the top conservative-libertarian blogs in the nation in order to observe the reaction?

It's just a theory, not an accusation. But it makes for interesting mind-calisthenics.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 11/28/08

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

Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs provides an update on the news that her blog has been blocked by Google. Remember, she hired some IT specialists, and they confirm that Google has blocked access to Atlas. Today, some 'new media' sources have picked up the story. Good!

The Betrayal has more on this continually-breaking story.

Texas Fred reports that questions over Obama's birth certificate continue to mount, and now there is a petition we can sign requesting that there be full disclosure of the certificate and verification of the signature.

GoUpstate says despite the economy, shoppers are out in full force at retailers today. And that includes local gun shops, although this is not mentioned in the story. The 2-day tax free holiday on gun purchases is today and tomorrow, and from my unofficial monitoring of local gun stores this morning, it appears the guns and ammo are flying off the shelves. Good!

Mike McCarville reports on the incredibly shrinking Vice-President-elect, Joe Biden.

Mindful Musings has an important post today entitled, 'Declaration of Noncompliance.'

Say Uncle posts some after-Thanksgiving gun art.

Sebastian says Mayor Daley continues to be defiant concerning the Second Amendment in Chicago.

Squeaks has always been one of my favorite bloggers, so let's catch up with her and see what's she's been up to. Just click on the link and start scrolling.

Tam posts a bit of gunsmithery, sort of.

From Codrea's War on Guns:
*A Sensible 'Gun' Editorial
*Digg It--Assault Weapons Video

From Gateway Pundit:
*The latest update on the Mumbai terrorist massacre in India.
*The video that captured the terrorist attack in progress!

John Lott provides the latest update on the recount in the Minnesota Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken.

21 Guns Salute has a MUST-read entitled, 'Relentless.' Read it all.

Roberta X posts some good commentary on 'Alienating Gunnies.'

Alphecca reports that Pennsylvania gun owners have dodged an expensive bullet.

Syd says to get set because encoded ammunition is on the way.

Gun Pundit files a report on the gun rush and the demand for high capacity magazines.

Brigid writes a moving personal story that reminds us that just when you think all hope is lost, time can have a way of showing us how misguided we were to despair.

Joe Huffman singles out the idiot of the day. Just wait till you see what this guy said.

The Smallest Minority does some retrospection on the election, John McCain, and the fact that most of us didn't particularly like him, but as it turned out, he was the least obnoxious Democrat on the ballot.

Google Blacklists Geller's Atlas Shrugs

In the spirit of the free exchange of information, free speech, and freedom of the press, it is necessary that I inform you, the reader, of the latest attempts by Google to silence politically incorrect dissent.

Pamela Geller's Atlas Shrugs has been blacklisted by Google.

Until a few days ago, if one entered into the Google search engine the subject matter of one of Geller's stories, Atlas Shrugs would be at the very top of the list of blogs that had done work on that particular subject.

As one of the top blogs in the nation, Atlas Shrugs would get thousands of visits through Google. Many of these readers had never heard of Geller or Atlas Shrugs, but because the topic they placed in the Google search engine would likely yield a result with Atlas Shrugs at the top of the list, Geller would receive many new readers.

Suddenly and without explanation or forewarning, Google blocked access to Atlas Shrugs when one is searching for a blog post on a particular topic of interest.

Readers can still find Atlas on Google if they type in 'Atlas Shrugs' or 'Pamela Geller,' but new readers would have no way of knowing to type this.

As most serious bloggers know, new readers are often found by being at the top or near the top of search engine results when a reader types in a topic on which we have written.

For example, when one types 'Second Amendment' in the Google search bar, one is likely to find blogs such as The War on Guns, Say Uncle, Snow Flakes in Hell, or hopefully The Liberty Sphere, among others. This is one way we gain new readers.

These new readers had never heard of our blogs before, but because our blogs were at or near the top of the search engine results when one wanted to read something on the Second Amendment, we gained new readers.

But if Google blacklists you as they did Geller, your blog would be automatically blocked from readers searching for information on the Second Amendment.

This is a travesty of liberty, free speech, the free exchange of information, and the freedom of the press. Geller believes that Google's action is politically motivated due to her relentless pursuit and publication of information on Barack Obama that the mainstream media refused to cover.

And, as you will see when you read her post on this matter, Google has been very cozy with Obama. And we all know what Obama thinks about news sources that place him in a negative light.

We also know what Google will do to free speech if money is at stake, such as with their deal with the ChiComs to squelch the free exchange of information via the Internet in exchange for being allowed to do business in China.

I encourage you to click on the link provided in the 2nd paragraph above, read Geller's full account of the events in question, and then take appropriate action as you feel inclined.

UPDATE: Duke Univ. and Durham Legal Woes

Those who thought that the Duke lacrosse rape hoax scandal was over when the state Attorney-General declared the 3 falsely accused students innocent are discovering just how thoroughly the scandal reached into the halls of power in Durham County and Duke University.

Duke and Durham continue to be up to their necks in legal woes resulting from the inexcusable manner in which the case was handled.

If you ever want the perfect case study for the miscarriage of justice, look at Durham and Duke.

If you ever want an example of how a university system and a entire county's law enforcement and justice system were complicit in the railroading of innocent citizens by a corrupt District Attorney, look at Durham and Duke.

If you ever need a perfect example of a university and a city/county held in the grip of corrupt officials and politicians, look at Durham and Duke.

If you ever need evidence that the top universities in the country are held in the grip of Leftwing demagogues, look at Durham and Duke.

And to this very day, as far as I know, neither Durham nor Duke have done very much to clean up their act.

For the latest information on the ongoing legal woes of Durham and Duke University, click HERE.

Al Qaeda On The Move

As the country of India suffers from the aftermath of Al Qaeda's devastating terrorist attacks on its financial center, the U.S. is bracing for another possible attack in the Northeast.

Sources at Homeland Security state that Al Qaeda hopes to cripple Amtrak's northeast corridor.

According to the report the planned attack may also involve Penn Station and Grand Central Station, thus shutting down the main transportation hubs in the heavily-traveled New York to Boston corridor.

According to U.S. Congressman Peter King, R-Long Island, the threat is 'serious, significant, and plausible.'

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, news sources state that intelligence officials in major Western nations have noted an alarming increase in 'chatter' in the terrorist network suggesting another major Al Qaeda spectacular is in the works.

British intelligence officials state that of particular concern is the U.S., particularly with regard to the recent attacks in India, which terrorism experts claim were aimed at American citizens.

Intelligence officials maintain that the period of transition between George W. Bush and Barack Obama is of great concern.

My gut reaction to these reports is that while we must not take these threats lightly, I am inclined to think that of even greater concern is the period of time in the months after Obama takes office.

Yet we can't bank on it. Al Qaeda is known for attacking when a nation least expects it.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving: Triumph of Capitalism Over Socialism


First I want to wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. With all the problems we face in America at home and abroad, this is still the greatest nation on earth. We truly have much for which to be thankful.

My Thanksgiving tribute this year centers on our forebears at Plymouth. Most of us are very familiar with the story of the first Thanksgiving, when the Pilgrims gathered with their new-found Indian friends to give thanks to God for not only sparing their lives but giving them the blessing of abundance after nearly failing to survive their first winter in New England.

What you might NOT know, however, is the story behind the story. Thanksgiving is a testament to the triumph of capitalism over socialism, and this is one of the reasons collectivists in politics, the news media, and Hollywood all but ignore the holiday, referring to it instead as 'Turkey Day,' a name which, by the way, I loathe.

Not only do the collectivists hate the purely religious significance of the holiday, but they hate the story behind it and had just as soon keep you from knowing it.

When the Pilgrims first landed at Plymouth they embarked on an experiment the world had never seen. The brave new world that they forged was laden with mistakes early on that were later corrected. Had they not been corrected, they probably would not have survived.

The society that the first band of Pilgrims forged was collectivist in nature. They lived commune style, sharing everything with each other. Property was held in common. It is understandable that they would do such a thing, being alone in a strange land with strange natives. They felt they had to be collectivist to survive and to foster a sense of inter-dependence on each other.

The result, however, was less than desirable. There was no incentive to prosper, no personal pride in private ownership of property, no real motivation to excel and to do the things necessary not only to survive but thrive. Thus, when winter came they were ill-prepared to face the harsh realities of the climate. Over half of them died that winter alone.

All of these factors taught the Puritans a valuable lesson. What they were doing was not working. And, being the resilient lot that they were, they adjusted course. First of all, they ditched the socialistic model of living that nearly brought them to extinction. A capitalistic system was introduced that stressed individual responsibility and initiative, personal freedom, free trade, and private property. They made friends with their Indian neighbors who taught them how to plant corn. In turn, the Pilgrims helped the Indians, thus initiating that hallmark practice of capitalism--free trade. Goods were traded between the Pilgrims and the Indians. The colony began to thrive. Children were born. Plymouth grew. Prosperity began to replace abject poverty and illness.

By the following Autumn, the colony had flourished so much that they wanted to express their thanks to God for the bountiful plenty. They invited their Indian friends and trade partners to join them in sharing a meal during which they remembered that all blessings flow from the One above who loves His children.

However, God did not simply send a smile their way down from heaven and then swoop down to do all this for them. These hearty souls had sense enough to know that faith does not mean God does everything for us, but gives us the strength to do what WE must do. The Pilgrims discovered the path to prosperity and survival, and it was NOT socialism. When they implemented the capitalistic model of free trade and private ownership, their lot changed drastically for the better.

And THAT is the story behind the story of Thanksgiving.

You will not hear this story in our government-run schools nor in most of the hallowed halls of higher learning in America, which have succumbed to the scourge of socialism. You actually have to go back to the early part of the 20th century to find textbooks that tell this entire story, the whole truth. The 2nd half of the 20th century marked the beginning of the real censorship, and it was perpetrated by the Left. These facts as I just presented them have been banned from schools, ripped out of textbooks, and buried--tucked away on the back shelves of some historical library. The socialistic system of education in this country for the past 50 years has brainwashed generations of students into believing something entirely different about Thanksgiving than the truth.

But the truth is still the truth.

I truly hope that all of you reading this today will have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you gather with friends or family, or both, to share a meal. I hope you will give thanks to God for your blessings. And I hope you will take time to pause to remember what our forebears had in mind when they came to this land.

May their vision of liberty never vanish from the earth!
(Hat tip to Rush Limbaugh for inspiring the writing of this Thanksgiving Tribute).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


To all of those who have helped The Liberty Sphere along the way, linked to us, cited stories written by us, and most of all, to those who read these pages faithfully day after day, we sincerely give thanks to you and for you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Second Amendment News Roundup for 11/26/08

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving, we at The Liberty Sphere are thankful for all of the faithful readers of this blog.

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

Codrea's War on Guns has 'The Second Amendment as It Should Have Been Written.'

Sebastian reports that the NSSF now has a blog.

Traction Control posts a link to a great video on the true meaning of the Second Amendment.

Nicki says that a soccer mom has filed suit over the violation of her rights.

Say Uncle has info on a vote for the most influential person in the gun industry this year.

The Sipsey Street Irregulars reports where baby-killers go when they retire.

Western Rifle Shooters Association posts essential reading on the ongoing financial crisis.

The Rustmeister takes Rachel Lucas apart--for her musical tastes! LOL.

Texas Fred says that a jury is deliberating over whether or not a MySpace hoax was a crime.

Robb Allen posts a good read entitled, 'Weapons Grade Ignorance.'

JR treats us to 'The Basic Bill Drill.'

Roberta X points to an interesting news story she entitles 'Hotels for Hobos.'

Ahab provides a summary of last night's Gun Nuts--The Next Generation.

Dark Blog has 2 MUST-reads:
*Tracing a crime suspect through a relative
*The implied lethal force of government against citizens

For a good laugh, An Ol' Broad's Ramblings has today's edition of 'Obamarama.'

Mindful Musings posts an excellent read entitled, 'Stop Fixing It!'

Breda does some Obama-fisking in 'Promises, Promises.'

The Wandering Minstrel gives us some info on the Springfield Armory M1A Socom II.

Mike McCarville publishes an interesting news story on Obama's birth certificate. This started out as a story on the blogosphere that was dismissed as bogus. But increasingly even 'mainstream' type folk are taking a look, and it appears as if Obama won't provide any proof.

Michelle Malkin reports that now that the liberals surrounding Obama are in power and have more classified information, they are having a change of heart about closing Gitmo. WOW! You mean George Bush could have been right about Gitmo all along???? Say it ain't so! LOL.

Gateway Pundit posts the latest factual information on the global climate. Just wait till you see the numbers!

Whatcha Gonna Do NOW, Nan?

Under immense pressure from Leftist groups who support her, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) is being urged to begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush in order to 'stop the current economic crisis.'

Remind me to ask you later how impeaching Bush in his last 2 months of office will help the economy.

And don't look now, my dear Leftist friends, but if Bush is impeached, Dick Cheney becomes President, at least until January 20.

So, if you're thinking that impeaching Bush will put your dear Lord and Savior, the Obamessiah (known as 'The Chairman' on The Liberty Sphere), into office early, that only reveals your vast ignorance of the U.S. Constitution.

Nonetheless, Nan is being urged by some of her biggest supporters to do something that will happen anyway in just over 2 months--the end of Bush's 2 terms of office.

But this is not the only thing Nan will be facing with regard to Bush. 'The Chairman' and Senate Majority Leader 'Oil Can' Harry Reid are talking about launching a full investigation into the Bush administration, complete with endless hearings, billions of tax dollars spent, and lots of grandstanding on the part of The Chairman, Nan, Oil Can, and their surrogates in the Democrat Party.

I have a theory about that. As long as the Democrats can divert attention away from their real agenda by keeping Bush-bashing at the forefront of the news night after night, they can do their dirty work under cover as they systematically go about the task of taking complete control of the government and vastly increasing government power in our daily lives.

Thus, the endless investigations into the Bush administration will serve as a neat diversionary tactic. While we peons in the electorate watch as Bush, Cheney and company are vilified, The Chairman, Oil Can, and Nan can go about their covert operation to seize more control and undertake the most massive expansion of federal government power in the history of the Republic.

Failed Banks Gave Mega-Bucks to Bill Clinton

At a time when some of the largest banks in the U.S. were struggling to stay afloat, former President Bill Clinton was paid 2.1 million dollars by these failing banks to give 13 speeches.

According to CNS News Service, from 2004-2007 Bill Clinton received these huge speaker fees from banking institutions that we now know could ill-afford such lavish spending.

Do these names mean anything to you? Citigroup. Goldman-Sachs. Lehman Brothers. Merrill-Lynch.

Each of these banking corporations have been in the news in the last 2 months due to bankruptcies, government bailouts, and poor management.

Is it a stretch to assume that the lavish, uncontrolled spending habits of these institutions is one of the factors that led to their dire straits?

Plus, what on earth is Bill Clinton doing speaking to banking institutions anyway?

Clinton is not an economist, nor a banker, nor an investment broker. Yet these muddle-headed numbskulls in the large banks thought it wise to pay him mega-bucks to make speeches for them.

Apparently, Clinton's advice didn't turn out so well. He gave 13 speeches, and the banks failed.

Free Market Advocate Set to Become EU President

As if they are convinced the world is about to end on January 1, the countries of the European Union, which are dominated by socialist economics, are in a frenzy over the fact that Czech President Vaclav Klaus will assume the position as President of the EU at the beginning of 2009.

The position of President is rotated yearly among the member nations of the EU. And, as French President Sarkozy wraps up his term as President of the EU, the member nations of the Union face the prospects of being led by an advocate for free markets and a fierce defender of liberty.

Klaus was educated as an economist. His patience wears very thin with those who espouse views on economics that suggest a powerful role for government in financial sectors.

For example, Klaus once accused the European Union of being like a Communist state. He blasted Al Gore's obvious ideologically driven blather on 'global warming' as junk science. He also blamed too much government regulation and intervention in the markets as the cause of Europe's recent economic woes.

In short, Klaus is a conservative libertarian's dream of a 'near-perfect' politician. I wish he would come to America to be a spoiler for Barack Obama's interventionist, socialistic policies.

However, given Europe's rather entrenched socialism, Klaus is out of step with most of the nations of the EU. But he will not mince words when it comes to principle, freedom, and free markets.

Perhaps this is precisely what the EU needs.

For a full report on Klaus, his history, and his style of leadership, click HERE.

Coulter's New Book Examines Media and Obama

Controversial conservative commentator Ann Coulter has written a new book to be released the first week of January, just in time to rain on Barack Obama's inaugural parade.

The book is entitled, Guilty, and it examines the curiously cozy relationship between the mainstream media and Barack Obama.

Each of Coulter's books have been best-sellers, and from all early indications, Guilty will be no different.

For an overview of the book, including a link to Amazon for the release date and early-purchase information, click HERE for a special report filed by Matt Drudge.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Second Amendment News Roundup for 11/25/08

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

CNS News Service reports that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the man who wrote the majority opinion in the Heller decision, has stated that the concept of 'original intent' is making a comeback in the U.S. judiciary. Let's hope he's right.

Walls of the City says, 'Go back to school,' concerning a case of a woman who was thrown out of a business for carrying a firearm.

The Smallest Minority has the quote of the day from one of my favorite writers, Victor Davis Hanson. Read his poignant assessment of education in America today.

Texas Fred says that Secretary Gates is reviewing the readiness of the military to 'defend the homeland.' Do you hear echos of the coming Civilian Security Force?

Live From the (Upper) Texas Gulf Coast points to David Hardy's assessment of columnist George Will's assertion that the right to keep and bear arms is a 'disputed right.'

Insight on Freedom posts 'The End of the World, or Not?'

Conservative Libertarian Outpost has Chuck Norris' riveting piece entitled, 'If Democracy Doesn't Work, Try Anarchy.'

Bloviating Zeppelin reports the good news that Islamic extremists have lost 2 court cases in recent days.

This is NOT good news. Dr. John Lott says that the Georgia Senate race recount is tied. I smell the approach of Democrat vermin who will attempt to steal the seat away from Senator Chambliss using underhanded schemes.

The AFP is reporting that the U.S. will watch the Russian-Venezuelan military maneuvers in the Caribbean very closely. Russian warships are now positioned in the Caribbean.

Caroline Glick, Middle East expert and journalist, has the MUST-read of the day on how President George Bush can save at least part of his legacy in the waning days of his Presidency.

Codrea's War on Guns has several must-reads today. They are all good:
*Exercised to the Limit
*Conspiracy is coming to light concerning Obama's 'election.'
*Obama's compulsory national service for 18-25 year olds
*Gun vote records for members of the Democratic caucus

Sebastian reports that Mr. Completely is back in the hospital. Time to offer some more prayer for our fellow gun blogger!

Breda posts the information on tonight's edition of Gun Nuts--The Next Generation.

Mindful Musings posts essential reading entitled, 'The Next Level.'

Mike Vanderboegh has his new blog up and running. It's called Sipsey Street Irregulars. Just click on the link and start scrolling.

Syd reminds us that in South Carolina this weekend, gun sales are tax free on Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Alphecca reports good news for gun rights in Georgia.

Armed and Safe provides a good read entitled, 'Obama, Executive Orders, and the Gephardt Doctrine.'

ALERT! Russia Renews Cold War Rhetoric

During the 2008 Presidential campaign, both Barack Obama and John McCain stated that there would be 'no new Cold War with Russia.'

But it appears as if we may not have a choice.

Russia has increasingly undertaken actions that are definitely reminiscent of the Cold War, and its new President, Dmitry Medvedev, has seemed to take an even more hardline approach than his predecessor Vladamir Putin.

The country has threatened nuclear attacks if the U.S. places a defensive missile shield in Poland and has defended its blatant act of aggression in its invasion of Georgia.

And, even today, Russian warships are in the Caribbean for joint maneuvers with the navy of Venezuelan Communist dictator Hugo Chavez.

CBS News has a full report on Russia's move toward renewing the Cold War, written by its Moscow corespondent. (H/t to Matt Drudge).

Hope and Change for the Other Side

Now that it is clear that The Chairman and his Politburo will rise to power in Washington, it is time for the other side to consider the mantra of 'hope and change.'

Frankly, the only hope the GOP has of turning around 2 straight losses in 2006 and 2008 is to change direction.

Republicans must turn back to their core principles of low taxes, small government, balanced budgets, and a reduction in federal spending, or else they are going to get plastered once again by the voters.

Clearly the main reason the GOP has taken a hit in the last 2 election cycles is that they have acted more like Democrats than Republicans. And the choice of John McCain to head the ticket this year was simply one more big mistake based on the premise that the GOP must appear to be more 'moderate' to win.

On issue after issue, such as immigration control and securing our borders, opposing bailouts for large, mismanaged corporations, drilling here in America for our own oil and becoming energy independent, opposition to pork barrel spending, opposing the notion of 'redistribution of wealth,' support for tax cuts, and a host of other issues, Americans support the GOP by overwhelming numbers.

The problem was that poll after poll showed Americans were more afraid McCain would raise their taxes than Obama, the perception being that McCain is simply one more RINO who is just as untrustworthy as the Democrats on matters such as taxes.

Pat Toomey at National Review has an article that points out at least 2 ways the GOP can change direction and thus give hope to conservatives for winning in 2010 and 2012.

Recount: More Election Fraud in Minnesota

As the recount process continues in Minnesota to determine the winner of the U.S. Senate seat race between Senator Coleman and Al Franken, an incident came to light yesterday that indicates even more election fraud on the part of Al Franken and the Democrats.

A supposedly 'nonpartisan' volunteer observer in the recount process actually worked for Al Franken last week.

A Republican observer objected to the presence of a not-so 'neutral observer' who had worked for the Franken team. Bob Westfall, an observer for Coleman, stated, 'I don't see how you can switch from being partisan one day to being neutral the next.'

In a series of stories published by The Liberty Sphere over the past few weeks, we have shown that there is election fraud in Minnesota as Franken and the Democrats attempt to steal the election from Coleman.

In several recount tallies conducted by local precincts, votes for Coleman have mysteriously disappeared and votes for Franken have appeared out of thin air.

Thus, as time has progressed since the first count on election day, Coleman has gradually lost votes by some strange, sinister force.

This race has put a terrible stain on the otherwise impeccable reputation of Minnesota for conducting clean elections.

For the complete story on this latest flap in the Coleman-Franken race, click here to go to the Grand Forks Herald.

Vanderboegh--The World War for Liberty

A world war is underway, and it is not the war on terror, although that is a very important part of it. The real war is the world war for liberty.

And according to Mike Vanderboegh, we are losing that war.

Decade by decade, year by year we gradually lose more of our freedoms to the oppressive arm of big government. And so far, nothing has been able to stop this madness.

There have been brief moments over the past 40 years when we have seen the gradual erosion of rights stop for a season. Ronald Reagan was one such brief moment.

But Reagan was the exception to the rule.

Nothing, not political compromise, not negotiation, not 'reaching across the aisle for a solution,' has produced one single bit of real progress on human liberty.

So what do freedom-loving Americans do when all else fails?

Vanderboegh has a plan. Here is an excerpt from his recent post:

So the stakes are higher now, and the potential for catastrophe is higher as well. Let me emphasize one thing: we won't get a second chance at this. If we lose individual liberty here, now, in this country to our would-be socialist overlords, we won't get it back in the next hundred years, if then. This is a World War on liberty, people, and right now we're losing it, and losing it badly. We have all of the dangers of 1940 without any of the future promise of success. America does not sit in the distance waiting to come to the rescue of Europe. Name one government ANYWHERE which is committed to free markets and individual liberty. Name one. Unlike 1940, the United States has BECOME Europe. The night beckons.

Now that your curiosity has been appropriately heightened, read the rest of the post HERE.

Monday, November 24, 2008

The Idiots of the Century

A post-election poll conducted by John Zogby shows that 56% of Obama voters didn't know that both Houses of Congress are controlled by Democrats.

This would explain why so many among the citizenry blamed Republicans for everything that's wrong with America. They believed that the GOP controlled Congress.

Thus, we can add the hopelessly ignorant to the list of those who voted for Obama, in addition to Communists, Socialists, terrorist-sympathizers, ultra-Leftists, and those who made race the central issue in the election--like the 97% of America's blacks who voted for Obama solely on the basis of his race.

If I were Obama, I would be thoroughly embarrassed by the fact that 56% of those who voted for me are the idiots of the century who don't even know enough about their own country to know who controls Congress.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 11/24/08

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

Gateway Pundit has explosive news on a confidential witness who will testify at Congressional confirmation hearings for Hillary Clinton and Eric Holder. The witness has information that will blow to smithereens any chances the 2 have for confirmation.

From Mike McCarville:
*New poll shows Internet most trusted news source
*Expert says mainstream media's performance 'disgusting'

From Codrea's War on Guns:
*Sipsy Street Neighborhood Watch
*How Many Blogs Does the World Need?
*Unauthorized Journalists and Lobbyists Beware!

Gun Rights Examiner has Codrea's latest column on the Cleveland gun buy-back program.

JR posts a must-read entitled, 'A Fire Is Lit.'

From Armed and Safe:
*Gun rights are never in danger, unless they are privileges and not rights
*Police in New Mexico have an interesting reaction to spike in gun sales

Sebastian provides an update on the proposed New Jersey .50 caliber ban.

Robb Allen posts the quote of the day, via Tam.

Gun Pundit presents a list of news stories in local media across the country concerning the spike in gun sales.

Roberta X fisks an 'expert' who says capitalism must be saved from itself by 'The Chairman.'

Alphecca reports that Minnesota gun permit holders are not renewing their permits.

Dark Blog posts some interesting commentary on something I wrote here last week on the practice of 'crisis manufacturing' by government as an excuse to seize more power.

Syd at Front Sight, Press provides some good political humor.

Mindful Musings has a great read from L. Neil Smith.

Nicki reports that more bailouts are on the way from our Nanny-state.

Western Rifle Shooters Association has Vanderboegh's 'A Common Language of Resistance.'

Michelle Malkin posts 'The Obamamobile--Drive as I Say and Not as I Drive.'

Days of Our Trailers reports that crimes is still spiking in Chicago.

Texas Fred has an intriguing must-read on the prospects of Texas seceding from the Union.

The Rustmeister has a few quick-links for a Monday.

Live From the (Upper) Texas Gulf Coast provides good reading entitled, 'I Got Yer Ambiguity Right Here, Sparky.'

An Ol' Broad's Ramblings has today's edition of 'Obamarama.' Take a look for a good laugh.

Obama's Pravda

Pravda was the official state-approved news agency of the Communist Party Politburo in the USSR under Lenin, Stalin, and a host of other Soviet presidents.

In the early days of the Communist government in Russia, the Politburo consisted of 5 members--Lenin, Stalin, Leon Trotsky, Lev Kamenev, and Nikolai Krestinski.

These 5 formed the Communist Party central committee, and Pravda, as the nation's leading newspaper, served as the propaganda arm of the central committee.

It is interesting to note that Pravda had been in existence before the Bolshevik Revolution that brought the Communists to power. After the revolution the ruling central committee simply seized control of the newspaper, and it became an official part of the Politburo.

A series of related events with regard to news and how it is disseminated have all come together to form a chilling pattern in the U.S. today that is reminiscent of the old Soviet Union.

Obama has repeatedly made it clear that he has very little patience or tolerance for criticism in the media. He has threatened TV and radio stations over running McCain-Palin ads that told the truth about his dubious past and present associations. His surrogates have made it known that they have every intention of silencing conservative voices on radio, one way or another. And now, Obama's choice for Attorney-General has stated he wishes to place 'reasonable limits' on free speech on the Internet.

During the campaign, Obama's staff also suggested that they intend to attempt to 'nationalize' the Internet so that government can have complete control over Internet content.

Meanwhile, at the very same time, the mainstream media, represented by MSNBC, NBC, CNBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek Magazine, and others, very obviously and overtly promoted Obama's quest for the Presidency.

An obvious question arises as to whether or not the mainstream media knew something the rest of us didn't. Did they see the handwriting on the wall with regard to Obama's intention of cracking down on opposing voices in the media? And did they decide early-on that they would position themselves to be smiled upon approvingly by Obama and his minions, thus making themselves the perfect tool that Obama would use to spread his propaganda unchallenged?

At the very least, NBC and its other networks have openly admitted their agenda--to help Obama succeed (stated by Chris Matthews of MSNBC).

Clearly, this is not journalism or unbiased news coverage. This is reinventing a news organization to become an official voice of the Obama machine.

And if the networks and newspapers cited above continue down this path, not only will it mean the death of journalism in America on the part of the major traditional news organizations, but these news organizations will officially become Obama's Pravda.

Lenin and Stalin would be proud.

Israeli Prime Minister Election of Grave Significance

Israel's upcoming election for Prime Minister is of grave significance. The nation is at a crossroads.

Either Israel will continue on its path of self-destruction in an increasingly volatile scenario with Iran, Syria, and Iraq, or it will instead choose the tested and tried leadership of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

If ever there were a time for Netanyahu as Prime Minister of Israel, the time is now. If the present course is continued, Israel will attempt to appease those sworn to its total destruction by giving away half of Jerusalem and more of its land.

This is an exercise in futility, for appeasement never works with those who never waver from their single-minded goal of destroying a nation. Even if Israel turns over part of Jerusalem and other areas to Palestinian groups, we can rest assured that those groups will want even more and will persist in calling for Israel's destruction.

The most recent surveys show Netanyahu with the lead. But he has opposition. And that opposition will simply continue down the self-destructive path, if elected.

For a complete analysis of the campaign in Israel, Netanyahu's opposition, and what's at stake in the election, click here to go to the story at The Jerusalem Post.

Time to Bring Back the Gold Standard?

Many decades have passed since the U.S. monetary system was based upon the gold standard. Some experts have even suggested that the gold standard is overrated, outdated, and therefore unsuitable for the modern world.

But is it?

A rising chorus of voices say that such statements represent a skewed point of view. For example, our 'fiat money' monetary system is no guarantee of anything, either--as we have seen first-hand in the shocking decline in the markets.

And with today's economic woes traceable in part to the government's penchant for merely printing more money to add into circulation, some economists are saying it is time to take a fresh look at the gold standard as a means of digging out of the current financial mess.

The Cato Institute, a highly respected libertarian think-tank, has done that very thing. Cato scholar Lawrence H. White, an economist of note, has published a major study on the feasibility of the gold standard.

Here are some of Dr. White's conclusions:

A gold standard does not guarantee perfect steadiness in the growth of the money supply, but historical comparison shows that it has provided more moderate and steadier money growth in practice than the present-day alternative, politically empowering a central banking committee to determine growth in the stock of fiat money. From the perspective of limiting money growth appropriately, the gold standard is far from a crazy idea.

The Cato Institute provides part of Dr. White's analysis, and a full-text of the study is available on a pdf file.

It is well worth the time to read it.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Obama Warns of Loss of Millions of Jobs

'The Chairman' announced yesterday that the U.S. could see the loss of millions of jobs in the coming months.

And I was led to believe by Obama, the Democrats, and President Bush that this was the very scenario the gargantuan government bailout of Wall Street was supposed to prevent.

As it turns out, investors are not particularly impressed with government meddling after all.

But we can fully expect government meddling to continue under Obama. This is the very scenario that allows Leftists such as The Chairman to come swooping in to 'save the day' after convincing Americans that only the government can solve the problems in the economy.

Uninformed citizens the world over always fall for Leftist propaganda when nations face hard economic times. The most oppressive and dangerous governments ever to exist on earth were precipitated by deep economic upheaval.

Russia prior to the Bolshevik Revolution, Cuba before the Castro takeover, and Germany before Hitler and the Nazis all stand as modern examples of this phenomenon. The country sinks into dire economic and social upheaval. A silvery-tongued orator arises that promises hope and change and better days.

The people follow blindly, only to find that once such silvery-tongue orators are firmly ensconced in power, their true colors emerge.

Thus, in Russia 25 million citizens are slaughtered by the new Communist regime. In Cuba, Castro uses Che Guevara to systematically murder thousands of Cubans who resist the new Communist dictatorship. And in Germany, Hitler and the Nazis arrest, imprison, and murder 6 million Jews and 5 million political dissidents.

Obama has come to power midst the most troubled economic times since Jimmy Carter. But even then the government did not react by seizing partial ownership of banks, bailing out large corporations, or considering ownership in U.S. automakers, which even then were plagued by poor quality products and heavy competition from Japan.

Even FDR didn't try to do these things in the midst of the Great Depression.

But, The Chairman is dependent on crisis to consolidate power. Thus, the 'crisis' is made to sound worse than it is, courtesy of his new Pravda--the mainstream media. Dire warnings must be issued of the loss of 'millions of jobs' unless big government comes to the rescue.

And to those who may think I am engaging in more Obama-phobia or hysteria, I would remind you that The Chairman's own new Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, candidly stated several months ago that it would be silly to allow a golden opportunity like an economic nosedive to slip by them.

Such dire financials straits, said Emanuel, are the perfect opportunity for Leftists, or 'progressives' as they are now called, to seize more government power and vastly expand the role of government in our daily lives.

In short, the present economic downturn is coldly viewed in purely political terms and is nothing more than an excuse for statists to seize more control of the country and limit more of our liberties.

A New Climate Resource for Those Wanting Facts

Just a few days after the November 4 election, Barack Obama stated that when it comes to climate change, 'The science is beyond dispute.'

Anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows that such a statement is patently false, that is, unless their political ideology trumps any serious consideration of actual scientific fact.

For too long Americans have been treated to scientific hypothesis, theory, and conjecture being presented as 'fact' and 'settled science.'

Now there is a scientific resource available online that presents the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on the climate.

The International Climate Science Coalition is an organization of climate scientists from around the world whose mission is to combat the faulty 'science' of the 'global warming' enthusiasts by presenting actual, verifiable data that contradicts the accepted wisdom as propounded by Barack Obama, the environmentalist movement, the United Nations, and Leftist politicians.

The core principles of the organization can be found here, and their distinguished team of scientists and policy advisers can be found here.

In addition to the scientific data presented by experts, the Coalition also publishes periodically on its website the views of writers, bloggers, columnists, and others on the subject of climate change.

The Liberty Sphere, among others, is cited in the latest post by the Coalition, calling attention to a recent piece concerning Obama's asinine comments on global warming.

The ICSC should prove to be a valuable resource for those seeking the real truth about what is happening to our planet and the reasons behind it.

Story from a Victim of the Lautenberg Amendment

The Lautenberg Amendment must be repealed! Gun rights advocates have known all along that this terrible piece of legislation is nothing but an assault on gun rights under the guise of 'doing good.'

But, like so much of what government does in the name of 'doing good,' our liberties are sacrificed.

Gun Law News has a gut-wrenching story of a victim of the Lautenberg Amendment. Here is an excerpt of his story:


I have had Guns in my life for as long as I can remember, Dad kept them in his Gun cabinet (the key was on top), the thought of going into the cabinet never, never entered my mind, annual deer hunting trips and some target shooting once in a while. This was something that I carried into my adult life

Like so many other out here, here is one more story of how they have striped off another one of our rights given to us by our forefathers

Read the rest of this gripping account here.

It is time for this horrible travesty called the Lautenberg Amendment to be tossed into the dust-bin of history.