Reminder That The Wrong Bush Boy Became President

Jeb Bush's Foundation for Excellence in Education has asked District of Columbia schools chancellor Michelle Rhee to be keynote speaker at its second annual national summit on education reform.

Rhee, an appointee of DC Mayor, Adrian Fenty, will join summit host Bush and policymakers from around the nation at the October summit in DC.

"From pay raises to pink slips, Chancellor Rhee is shaking up the status quo to turnaround a school system that has failed students for too long," Bush said. "We are tremendously pleased Chancellor Rhee will join Excellence in Action attendees to share her bold reform strategies for raising student achievement and improving the quality of education."

Source: http://www.bestmiaminews.com/jeb-turns-to-a-dem-appointee-to-tout-excellence-in-education/

The Defeat of NIMBYism?

Nearly all energy experts agree that more nuclear power is necessary to lower energy costs in this nation. However, the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) problem that humans always struggle with has led to political uncertainty, and thus the market hasn't produced a fresh plant in a long, long time. A new ABC News/Washington Post poll gives hope:

"To address the country's energy needs, would you support or oppose action by the federal government to [see below]?" Half sample
						.
		Support	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
						.
	"Build more nuclear power plants"
	8/13-17/09	52	46	2

Asked of those who support building more nuclear power plants: "Would you favor or oppose building a nuclear power plant within 50 miles of your home?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose
		%	%
	8/13-17/09	66	33

It's time that President Obama and Congress ask people to do what is right for their country and accept the construction of new nuclear plants (and windmills and hydroplants...etc. al.) in their neighborhoods.

Student Loan Debt Forgiveness for Stimulus?

An interesting idea making the rounds in recent weeks has been to have the government pay off all currently outstanding student loan debt as a means of stimulating the still-in-recession economy.

It is an intriguing concept. The theory goes that this measure would inject money into the economy (the purpose of all stimulus) by freeing up additional spending cash each month for the hundreds of thousands of citizens currently dedicating a portion of their income, not to mention setting aside money in their savings accounts, for debt repayment. Additionally, this would avoid moral hazard, as their was no expectation on the part of these people that they'd be bailed out and there would not be future expectation of bail outs. And, even if there were, since this would reward higher education, the additional people paying for more learning would increase the human capital of the nation.

Of course, Republican Punk doesn't support any additional stimulus. The country is in the process of a slow recovery and we cannot afford any further deficit spending or bubble-creating. Would this have been a good idea if it had been thought of before the pork-basket that was the $700 million plus "stimulus" package. Very possibly. But keep in mind, higher education costs are rising much faster than inflation, primarily due to government intervention that promotes lower-and-middle class people going to college regardless of their ability to pay or whether it is actually in their best interest. So, there are a lot of unintentional consequences that must be considered with any plan.

Diane Watson (D-CA) Praises Fidel Castro, Che Guevera, Militant Communism, Calls Republicans Racist

Also, interesting note on Council of Consevative Citizens concerning how Che Guevera felt about black people:

“The Negro is indolent and lazy, and spends his money on frivolities, whereas the European is forward-looking, organized and intelligent.”- Che Guevara

Jay Rockefeller Wants To Give Obama Power To Take Over The Internet

Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.

They're not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency.

The new version would allow the president to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" relating to "non-governmental" computer networks and do what's necessary to respond to the threat. Other sections of the proposal include a federal certification program for "cybersecurity professionals," and a requirement that certain computer systems and networks in the private sector be managed by people who have been awarded that license.

This is very scary. Besides creating further barriers to market entry through another unnecessary licensure program (folks, it's not really capitalism when the government decides who can and can't do things, its corporatism that just protects the big dogs), the ability to declare a cyber-emergency (with no clear, congressionally-set guidelines to what that means) gives the Executive the power to declares martial law on information and free speech.

What if Bush had tried this?

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10320096-38.html

DJ AM Dead At 36

Please pray for the family and friends of the man who had been, along with blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, one of the two survivers of a South Carolina plane crash last October.

For Those Who Think The Crisis In Darfur Will End Because We Let Omar Al-Bashir Go

Two international staffers supporting the peacekeeping mission in the volatile Sudanese region of Darfur were kidnapped Saturday morning.

Read More:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/08/29/sudan.peacekeeping.workers.kidnap/index.html

Heavens - Patent Pending

Stay Away From My Blob, Rob Zombie!

News is that Rob Zombie wants to make a remake of the sci-fi/horror classic, The Blob (which has actually already been remade in 1988). Now, after initial convulsions, it is important to remember that before the awful Halloween re-dos, Mr. Zombie did write and direct a pair of good, if disturbing, flicks in House of 1000 Corpses and the Devil's Rejects.

Unfortunately, once one reads his statements on the project, all hope is thrown out the window:

"My intention is not to have a big red blobby thing -- that's the first thing I want to change," Zombie said. "That gigantic Jello-looking thing might have been scary to audiences in the 1950s, but people would laugh now."

Um...Mr. Zombie, that's the whole point of the movie. It's even in the title...THE BLOB!

Hold me, please.....

Source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007857.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1

Glad to See the Supreme Court Was Never Politicized

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who worked as Ted Kennedy's counsel in the mid-1970s -- rushed from his vacation to Boston for tonight's memorial at the JFK library.

When I asked Breyer what it was like to work for Kennedy, he stopped and smiled broadly.

“For me, who was on the staff and I loved being in the staff, it was the most wonderful job of I’ve ever had.”

“Better than being on the Supreme Court?’ he was asked.

“Better than this, yes, in many respects,” he added.

Source: Glenn Thrush

Obama Sets A Bad Example

It is a let down to see our high-moral President not showing children the necessary precautions, but come on media! Is this really news?

Republican Punk Is Back!

After a refreshing vacation and break from the real world, the blog has returned!

Unfortunately, things didn't stop while we were offline, so here's a quick recap:

The Holder justice department decided looking back instead of forward was a good idea after all, and is investigating a small group of CIA interregators. To quote Peter King: "It's Bulls***! Makes you wonder whos side they're on."

Scott Kazmir was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for a pair of high potential, low minors prospects and a player to be named later. Kazmir was having a very bad season and is signed for over $30 million over the next two years (more if his 2012 option was picked up), so while first instinct is advantage Angels, it could turn out to be a win for both teams (if the prospects work out quickly and Kazmir rebounds) or possibly even another coup for the Rays, such as when they got Kazmir and another prospect for Victor Zambrano.

Jim Doyle announced he wasn't running for re-election as Governor of Vermont, likely costing the Republican party a critical seat in a dark blue state.

Matt Skiba has plans to record a solo album. Here's to hoping that the Alkaline Trio frontman can make something as good as his short-lived post-punk side project, Heavens.

And of course: Ted Kennedy, 1932-2009. It's the end of an era.

Great Description of T-Paw

This is when it's handy to be vanilla. You think it's the vodka that's going to land a blow to your head, or the decadent chocolate a blow to your heart.

But since Pawlenty is so Pawlenty, he can point fingers without anyone noticing the middle one's also extended.

Source: GOP 12

Lipona - Shooty Hoops

Full EP available for free on their Myspace!

Ridge Confirms That Terror Alerts Were Politicized

A sad revelation in the autobiography of Tom Ridge, the inaugural Homeland Security Chief:

Tom Ridge confirms a long-held suspicion among Bush critics, writing in his new autobiography that he "was pushed to raise the security alert on the eve of President Bush's re-election, something he saw as politically motivated and worth resigning over."

While it is good on Mr. Ridge, someone long respected for his political honesty, to have resigned, as well as to follow one of the unwritten rules of politics by not revealing this until after the Bush administration ended, it is a sad day for Republicans that we find ourselves seeing that some liberal conspiracies were true.

It is also unfortunate, because this blog now finds itself complimenting President Obama for keeping the Terror Alert level out of the news and downplaying it (while not taking away the transparency.)

Source: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0809/Politicizing_the_terror_alerts.html?showall

Deficit $262 Billion Less Than Expected

Now clocking in at only $1.58 trillion, with a national debt of $11.6 trillion! Praise the lord!!!

Source: http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0809/Budget_outlook_brightens__slightly.html

Majority Believe War In Afghanistan Wasn't Worth It

Scary numbers from ABC News/Washington Post Poll. For the first time ever, a majority of Americans believe the War in Afghanistan was not worth fighting. Not only that, but a 45% plurality believe we should begin reducing troop levels immediately (the opposite of what is needed according to virtually every foreign policy/military expert)!

We've said this before and we'll say it again: Mr. President, this is where you need to be spending political capital. You have always been a strong supporter of this very necessary war, and with all the domestic problems, you are risking the possibility that there will be no support from the left remaining to do what needs to be done in Southwest Asia.

Why Single Payer Wouldn't Work For The U.S.

Dany Mercado, a leukemia patient from Kitchener, Ontario, is cancer-free after getting a bone marrow transplant at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit.

Told by Canadian doctors in 2007 he couldn't have the procedure there, Mercado's family and doctor appealed to Ontario health officials, who agreed to let him have the transplant in Detroit in January 2008.

The Karmanos Institute is one of several Detroit health facilities that care for Canadians needing services not widely available in Canada.

Canada, for example, has waiting times for bariatric procedures to combat obesity that can stretch to more than five years, according to a June report in the Canadian Journal of Surgery.

As a result, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in April designated 13 U.S. hospitals, including five in Michigan and one more with a tentative designation, to perform bariatric surgery for Canadians.

If we had the Weiner plan, where would we go? Mexico?

Read More: http://freep.com/article/20090820/BUSINESS06/908200420/1319/

Obama Uses Religion To Promote Health Care

"We are God's partners in matters of life and death"

The President said this during a call with Rabbis concerning his health care plan. The obvious question, "Isn't this what liberals got angry with Bush and Huckabee over?"

This blog had a problem with the undue self-confidence that Bush had when he was sure he was doing God's work and with Huckabee for saying that his surge was supported by God, and we certainly have a problem with this bull. Who do you think you are, Mr. President?

Also, interesting note on the rationing front: Ben Smith points out that this is from the Rosh Hashanah prayer that also says it is decided "who shall live and who shall die." Obviously not intentional, but that just walks into the hands of the Right.

Avatar Trailer!!!!

Holy crap. Holy crap. Holy crap. Holy crap.

This trailer...wow...

Speechless

http://avatar.substance001.info/