Redstate

Posted at 3:41pm on Jun. 24, 2008 So,let me get this straight ...

By jsteele

Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been running around the world for at least five years pontificating that there is no evidence that Iran had a nuclear weapon program. He spent no small effort trying to convince the world that the US is essentially paranoid and sees nukes behind every tree.

So, imagine my surprise when he told CBS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CBS) ― The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Iran could create a nuclear weapon in six months.

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Posted at 3:14pm on Jun. 19, 2008 They said if Bush was re-elected our liberties would be eroded and they were right

By jsteele

As we all know, the Democrats in Congress and the Court jealously guard rights. They have moaned and groaned about the infringement of liberties by the Bush administrations in the "illegal wiretap" program, the egregious detention of terrorists at Guantanamo, etc. It's nice to know they guard rights so zealously.

Now the Democrats have stepping in once again. In a last minute addition to Senator Dodd's "Friends of Angelo Mortgage Bailout Bill", the bill's managers added this little ditty:

Payment Card and Third Party Network Information Reporting. The proposal requires information reporting on payment card and third party network transactions. Payment settlement entities, including merchant acquiring banks and third party settlement organizations, or third party payment facilitators acting on their behalf, will be required to report the annual gross amount of reportable transactions to the IRS and to the participating payee. Reportable transactions include any payment card transaction and any third party network transaction. Participating payees include persons who accept a payment card as payment and third party networks who accept payment from a third party settlement organization in settlement of transactions. A payment card means any card issued pursuant to an agreement or arrangement which provides for standards and mechanisms for settling the transactions. Use of an account number or other indicia associated with a payment card will be treated in the same manner as a payment card. A de minimis exception for transactions of $10,000 or less and 200 transactions or less applies to payments by third party settlement organizations. The proposal applies to returns for calendar years beginning after December 31, 2010. Back-up withholding provisions apply to amounts paid after December 31, 2011. This proposal is estimated to raise $9.802 billion over ten years.

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Posted at 9:02pm on Jun. 12, 2008 A modest proposal to solve the oil problem

By jsteele

I have an idea for solving the domestic oil production problem. Currently the Democrats in Congress are blocking access to oil in ANWR, the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the oil shales and coal-to-liquid technology. I think we can solve this problem to everyone's satisfaction.

I propose that we grant every member of Congress a two cent per barrel royalty on all oil produced from ANWR, OCS, the shales and coal-to-liquid technology.

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Posted at 9:09pm on Apr. 30, 2008 John McCain: Now Officially a Natural Born Citizen - RedHot

By jsteele

Ben Domenech posted this in the RedHots a little while ago:

John McCain: Now Officially a Natural Born Citizen
Following up in previously published posts: as David Freddoso reports, John McCain should now be officially recognized as a natural born citizen.

So, does this mean that the rest of us born in similar circumstances are now officially NOT Natural Born Citizens?

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Posted at 5:12pm on Apr. 28, 2008 A bit of lightness for an otherwise deep, dark day ...

By jsteele

Received today via email source unknown

Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 deputy assistant neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction normally taking less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.

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Posted at 6:48pm on Mar. 28, 2008 Race in America

By jsteele

Several weeks ago Senator Barak Obama said he wished to launch a responsible dialog on race in America. His launch was the result of some very, very disturbing Revelations about the church he has attended for twenty years. His dialog on race has also been somewhat overshadowed by the subsequent disturbing revelations about this church. In the meantime there has been anything but a responsible dialog on race in America because it appears that no one wants to actually discuss race in America with anyone but themselves.

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Posted at 11:14am on Mar. 25, 2008 Lionel Chetwynd's Open Letter to Barak Obama

By jsteele

At Pajamas Media Lionel Cheywynd has written an Open Letter to Senator Obama. I won't even try to summarize it, it simply must be read in its entirety.

But one passage struck me as the core of the matter

You say you are devoted to Reverend Wright because he brought you to Christ. I can only imagine how powerful a relationship that forges. But, my imperfect understanding of the Christian Faith tells me you can do him an equally magnificent service: You can help bring him back to Christ. Show him redemption and salvation lie not in the satisfaction of doing little dances in a pulpit while you slander good and decent people. Teach him that great leadership and Christian love abjures the very filth – and I pick that word deliberately – that he spews on an apparently regular basis. After all, Senator, you know our government did not invent the HIV virus to kill African-Americans. You know, Senator, this is not the United States of KKK America. You know the truth of 9/11. At least you should. Both you and Michelle have benefited mightily from the new spirit that has come to America in the last two generations. I thought you were part of that. I thought you were post-racial.

Read it. Think about it.

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Posted at 8:57pm on Mar. 24, 2008 The US is the 22nd most stable and prosperous nation ...

By jsteele

... well, isn't this special. According to Jane's Country Risk as reported in The Times the US ranks just 22nd our of 235, albeit with a score of 93 out of 100.

Of course this is, based on their definition of stability and propriety. According to the article

The UK received high marks despite the deployment of combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the suicide bombings in London on July 7, 2005, the continuing threat from home-grown terrorists and the collapse of the Northern Rock bank.

And apparently despite having more video surveillance cameras than the rest of the world combined, rapidly moving toward national identity cards, borderline draconian detention terrorism laws, laws that result in someone defending his home and family against a burglar spending time in prison while the burglar goes scott free, etc., etc., etc.

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Posted at 11:21am on Mar. 23, 2008 Mr. Obama goes to church

By jsteele

The controversy over the "Revered" Jeremiah Wright has bloomed for several weeks now. I've watched some of the video and listened to the recounting of the anti-white, anti-American and anti-Semitic remarks of the "Reverend" Wright and seen the response from the congregation. I have listened to Mr. Obama respond to each revelation and after all of his explanations. I am left with only one question.

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Posted at 1:17pm on Mar. 18, 2008 Reputation and Character

By jsteele

Reputation grows from the things you do when others are watching; Character grows from the things you do when no one else will know

Today in Philadelphia Barak Obama delivered an excellent speech on, as he put it, race and religion --- in this campaign and the country. It was an excellent speech for several reasons: between Obama and his speechwriters how could it be otherwise --- many of his speeches are well phrased; Obama is an excellent speaker, capable of rising to great heights of oratory. Today's speech will go a long way.

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Posted at 4:08pm on Jul. 17, 2007 Lost in the noise; your federal government at work.

By jsteele

Often the big stories of the day distract us from the myriad little ways that the federal government spends taxpayer dollars to protect our rights and our nation. Immigration, Iraq, pork-barrel-politics; these stories conspire to deprive the people of the knowledge of just how deep an interest in our humdrum lives the federal government actually has --- sparing no effort, or tax revenues, to ensure that nothing untoward encroaches on our lives.

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Posted at 10:40pm on Feb. 6, 2007 A Modest Proposal: Troop Bonds

By jsteele

As a conservative I abhor the very word tax. While some are certainly necessary in our world the fewer the better. So when I hear talk of taxes to fund the war on terror I naturally get a bit "twitchy." And, given the state, size and growth of our economy and the comparatively modest cost of military operations I find it hard to make a positive case for additional taxes.

At the same time, the people of this country have been asked to do very little in support of the war on terror, save put up with the posturing an pontification of politicians, media and celebrities, which I will admit is more than a little taxing in itself. So, in an age of the all volunteer military, other than bumper stickers and the occasional rally in support of our troops most people have little connection to their nation's war effort.

Read on . . .

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Posted at 12:35am on Jan. 22, 2007 The New York Times is not going to like this

By jsteele

The New York times is not going to like this

Website offers whistleblowers chance to go global
Asher Moses
January 20, 2007

THE internet could become even more difficult for governments to regulate with a new website, Wikileaks, promising to provide a safe haven for whistleblowers to upload confidential documents.

Australians are among the volunteers behind the site. "Your country's support for the underdog and for a fair go is showing through," a spokeswoman said.

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Posted at 10:28pm on Jan. 14, 2007 The Shiny Political Knife Fight

By jsteele

The transcript of CNN's Reliable Sources today reveals that not every reporter has their heads in the sand. Pam Hess of UPI responding to a question from the host, Howard Kurtz:

KURTZ: ... Pam Hess, has the sending of 20,000 additional troops gotten a fair hearing in the media or has it gotten caught up in this wrenching, emotional debate about whether the war itself was a mistake?

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Posted at 6:26pm on Dec. 21, 2006 Religion in the public square

By jsteele

I was sitting browsing sites and stumbled over an Associated Press item quoted in NewsMax.com. This little ditty follows on the heels of the SeaTac Airport kerfuffle over Christmas trees in the terminal. You may recall the flap over a request, later withdrawn, to include a menorah at the airport. The powers that be did what bureaucrats usually do, the wrong thing, removed all the Christmas trees. In any event after the threat of a lawsuit went away, and the public had responded 'vigorously', the trees were replaced.

Read on . . .

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