Koch Brothers To Harry Reid: Comments Are “Beneath The Office He Holds”

By William Teach January 31, 2014 – 7:42 am

Are other Republicans paying attention, particularly elected ones?

(Politico) The Koch brothers are firing back at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for his broadside on their political activities, with a spokesman calling Reid’s comments “beneath the office he holds.”

After Reid on Thursday accused the billionaires Charles and David Koch of trying to “buy the country,” a top aide for the brothers said Reid’s remarks were simply the latest efforts by Democrats “to try to intimidate and silence their political opponents.”

“Senator Reid falsely accused the Kochs of trying to ‘buy the country’ because they have exercised their First Amendment rights of free speech and free association,” said Koch Companies Public Sector President Philip Ellender. “Sen. Reid’s divisive remarks were not only disrespectful and beneath the office he holds, they were indicative of what lengths he and his Democratic allies will go to eliminate and silence their political opposition.”

I’ve been saying and writing this about elected Democrats for a long time. Particularly Mr. Obama. It’s a shame that Congressional Republicans haven’t come out and said the same thing. Democrats are continuously attempting to shut down debate, and constantly demonizing and denigrating private citizens who hold a different political view. While this many not violate the text of the 1st Amendment (Congress shall pass no law…), it by golly violates the spirit.

Too often Democrats use loaded words and phrase, accusing opponents of sexism, racism, a “war on women”, Islamophobia, etc, to attempt to silence opponents. Reid has denigrated private citizens many times. He’s specifically targeted Rush Limbaugh on the Senate floor. Obama is always denigrating political opponents. This is all way below the the office they hold. Boehner, McConnell, Cruze, Paul, etc, should take to the House and Senate floors and take Democrats on over their blatant attacks on private citizens.

Nor will the Kock brothers be intimidated. The aid continued on to say that they will continue their exercise of their Free Speech rights to “advocate for their fundamental beliefs in individual liberty, limited government, and promotion of policies that help people improve their lives.”

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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Posted in 1st Amendment, Democrats | 8 Comments | Trackback URL

Bummer: “Climate Change” Making Vulnerable Penguins More Vulnerable

By William Teach January 30, 2014 – 3:58 pm

This is the Scary Story Of The Day. Lots of Leftist news outlets have jumped all over it as a way of scaring people about how bad living a modern lifestyle is, and penguins, and especially penguin chicks, are quite a bit more visually friendly than a polar bear hunting and killing seals in a spray of blood

(NY Times) Life has never been easy for just-hatched Magellanic penguins, but climate change is making it worse, according to a decades-long study of the largest breeding colony of the birds.

The chicks are already vulnerable to predation and starvation. Now, the study at Punta Tombo, Argentina, found that intense storms and warmer temperatures are increasingly taking a toll.

“Rainfall is killing a lot of penguins, and so is heat,” said P. Dee Boersma, a University of Washington scientist and lead author of the study. “And those are two new causes.”

What you’re supposed to take away from the Times’ article, and all the others, is that Mankind is increasingly killing the penguin chicks through our use of fossil fuels, hairspray, taking a shower longer than 2 minutes, using more than 2 sheets of toilet paper, having an ice maker in our fridge, refusing to keep our in-home heating at 60F or below, and not giving Government more and more of our hard earned money and more of our freedom.

The paper itself never Blames Mankind, yet one has to wonder about the constant inclusion of the non-scientific and totally political phrase “climate change”. The climate always changes. How did the chicks do when the atmosphere was much cooler, such as during the Little Ice Age and Dark Ages? Or during the last glacial? Or how about during the previous warm periods during the Holocene, many of which were much warmer than today? Know what happens? Life adapts. That’s a major component of Darwinism, which Warmists seem to be throwing overboard in the rush to use “climate change” for political purposes.

Furthermore, the paper mentions “climate models” going out to the end of the century. Yet, the vast majority of climate models have so far failed. But, hey, photos of cute penguin chicks, and dead penguin chicks, is designed to tug at the heartstrings and get them to “spread awareness”.

And there’s lots more at Watts Up With That? noting all the statistics and computer models and wishful thinking.

Read: Bummer: “Climate Change” Making Vulnerable Penguins More Vulnerable »

Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Global Warming | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Apparently, Now The Mountains Are Eating The Warming

By William Teach January 30, 2014 – 1:10 pm

Here’s yet another excuse as to why the Earth is refusing to warm in a statistically significant manner, causing the vast majority of climate models from the Believers to fail

(Climate Central) U.S. scientists have measured the rate at which mountains make the raw material for molehills – and found that if the climate is rainy enough, soil gets made at an astonishing speed. And in the course of this natural conversion of rock to fertile farmland and forest loam, carbon is naturally removed from the atmosphere.

Isaac Larsen of the University of Washington in Seattle and colleagues from California and New Zealand took a closer look at rates of weathering on the western slopes of the Southern Alps in New Zealand. They report in Science that, according to their measurements, rock is being transformed into soil more than twice as fast as previously believed. (snip)

The research matters because – once again – it throws new light on one of the dark regions of the climate machine: how carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere, at what rate, and where it goes and where it all ends up.

So,let’s see

Climate Depot Analysis: ‘There have been at least seven separate explanations for the standstill in global warming’ – 1) Low Solar Activity; 2) Oceans Ate Warming; 3) Chinese Coal Use; 4) Montreal Protocol; 5) Readjusted past temps to claim ‘pause’ never existed 6) Volcanoes 7) Decline in Water Vapor

Now we add “rain falling on mountains”.

Read: Apparently, Now The Mountains Are Eating The Warming »

Posted in Global Warming, New Climate Deniers | 8 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach January 30, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…are wonderful plants taking carbon pollution out of the atmosphere, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Sister Toldjah, with a post wondering if Obamacare’s pro-choice record will doom Kay Hagan.

This post was meant for two days ago, but I guess I hit “save draft” instead of “schedule post”, so, here’s a second post from ST, on Obama being toxic to Dem Senators.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Bummer: Still No Smoking Guns Against Chris Christie

By William Teach January 30, 2014 – 10:45 am

First, this sounds like what the Left termed “uncivil discourse”, linking guns with a politician (hey, I don’t make the rules). Second, the Liberal Media has been investigating Christie non-stop since the day this “scandal” broke in a manner more reminiscent of a teen boy searching to see every video of their favorite porn star

No Smoking Guns Yet, But the Noose is Tightening Around Chris Christie

The New York Times is pretty clearly expending a lot of resources on the various Chris Christie scandals. So far they haven’t produced any smoking guns, but they’re sure digging up some stuff that doesn’t look good for Team Christie. First up is a look at the Christie political team, which was apparently obsessed with winning votes in Democratic-leaning towns. This wasn’t because the votes themselves were all that critical to Christie’s 2012 reelection campaign, but because winning in these places “would validate the governor’s argument that he would be the most broadly appealing Republican choice for president in 2016”:

Very violent laden headline. Second, Mother Jones’ Kevin Drum is surprised that a politician would be obsessed with winning votes?

The story doesn’t contain even a speck of proof that Christie had anything to do with the bridge closure. But it sure paints a suggestive picture. There’s obviously more to come on this.

After all these weeks and there is no proof of Christie wrongdoing, just proof that, shock!!!!!1!!! Christie is a *gasp* politician.

Read: Bummer: Still No Smoking Guns Against Chris Christie »

Posted in Journalistic Malpractice | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

Stockman Considers Filing Articles Of Impeachment

By William Teach January 30, 2014 – 8:13 am

It’ll never go anywhere, but the liberal media would have an opportunity to circle the wagons and be outraged…unlike when Democrats constantly talked about impeaching George W. Bush, and John Conyers (D) even held a mock impeachment in the basement of the Capital Building

(The Blaze) Just hours after he stormed out of President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) announced he’s considering filing articles of impeachment against the president.

“I’m considering filing Articles of Impeachment against Barack Obama,” Stockman announced on a website backing his senate run.

“You see, I walked out of Obama’s State of the Union address last night,” Stockman’s announcement added. “Obama defiantly vowed not only to radically expand the reach of government from cradle to grave, but to smash the Constitution’s restrictions on government power while doing it.”

The Texas congressman explained that he left the president’s speech early because he was upset after “hearing how the president is further abusing his Constitutional powers.”

That post is entitled “Should I impeach Obama?”, and asks supporters whether he should file articles of Impeachment. This leads to a petition, which, quite frankly, is weak tea.

WHEREAS, Barack Obama openly declared war on the Constitution in his
State of the Union address Tuesday night; and

WHEREAS, Last year Congressman Steve Stockman said he would consider
filing Articles of Impeachment as a last resort to stop Obama; and

WHEREAS, Obama’s continued defiance of the Constitution and lawless
behavior has left Congress with few options; and

WHEREAS, Congress will not agree to impeach Obama unless millions of
Americans demand it;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I hereby sign my name to this CITIZENS
PETITION TO IMPEACH BARACK OBAMA

Arkansas State Senator Jason Rapert also called for impeachment. If these folks want to do this, they need concrete reasons. For instance, violating the Constitution and law regarding the military action against Libya. And Teaparty.org has a long list of specific complaints.

Meanwhile, MSNBC is having a snit fit over Republicans walking out and referring to Obama as a dictator. Funny, they didn’t have an issue when Democrats were referring to Bush the same way. But, then, holy cow, have you seen MSNBC’s website as of late? Talk about spoonfeeding a far left partisan agenda.

Read: Stockman Considers Filing Articles Of Impeachment »

Posted in Barry Obama, Constitution, GOP | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

GOP 2016 Contenders Push To Decriminalize Marijuana

By William Teach January 30, 2014 – 7:31 am

This isn’t so much about legalization, but decriminalization

(Washington Times) Republicans eyeing the White House in 2016 are pushing their party to change its stance and accept a softening of federal marijuana laws — a dramatic shift from the GOP’s most recent contenders who railed against the drug and questioned its medicinal value.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has arguably been the most vocal on the subject, saying the federal government should leave the issue entirely to the states. Texas Gov. Rick Perry also argues that marijuana’s legal status should be a state issue, and he points to drug courts in his state that he said have helped move Texas toward decriminalization.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, meanwhile, has vowed to scrap the “failed war on drugs” altogether — more than four decades after President Nixon, a Republican, set it into motion by naming drug abuse as “public enemy No. 1 in the United States.”

Paul’s stance is no surprise, being more of a Libertarian, and certainly understanding the Constitution regarding State’s rights. Perry is a little bit more surprising, what with his “compassionate conservative” and social conservative leanings, though his is also a big State’s Rights guy. Christie, there is no surprise, he is for all intense purposes a Democrat, or at least an old-school Democrat. Much of his opposition to the criminalization of pot is due to having to incarcerate and waste time on pot offenses.

Perry, it should be noted, is not in favor of legalization, but understands that it is his job to look towards policies that reduce the load on the criminal courts.

Will this be a big issue during 2016? Doubtful. But, it would set up an interesting issue if either Paul or Perry won the White House. Both of them are big law and order guys. Pot is considered a Schedule I drug at the federal level. Would they work to get it removed from that classification, or simply ignore what the States are doing?

This could be an interesting issue to soft-pedal to the younger crowd.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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Good News: Paul Ryan, GOP Leadership Set To Push Another Bad Immigration Plan

By William Teach January 29, 2014 – 4:23 pm

First off, there’s this

(Washington Times) Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said Wednesday that there’s a “general consensus” in his party that something big needs to happen on overhauling the country’s immigration laws and that more specifics would be unveiled this week at House Republicans’ annual retreat.

“I think politically speaking it’s a mixed bag, but the question is whether or not it’s something we have to do as a country, and I think that’s what’s trumping the political answer,” Mr. Priebus said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “You see in our party, whether it’s [Kentucky Senator] Rand Paul, who’s called for massive immigration reform, or [Florida Senator] Marco Rubio, I think you have general consensus that something big has to happen.”

Earlier in the day I noted a WSJ/NBC poll on American priorities, in relationship to “climate change” being dead last. Well, passing new immigration legislation was second to last. But, the GOP feels that they need to Do Something, and rather than getting tough, taking a stand for being a Nation Of Law over a Nation Of Men, it appears as if they’re moving down Squishy Lane towards Democratville (via Hot Air)

Ryan confirms GOP “principles” will include legal status for the 11 million, but he also says this will be a ”probationary status” to make sure the 11 million will not be “preferenced over people who did follow the laws.” It’s important to have confirmation that there will be a way out of the shadows. But the probationary period idea is problematic. Details will matter, but it would probably allow for people to get the right to work up front, but they could be kicked off of probationary status if certain security benchmarks aren’t met.

Advocates see this as bad policy: Why would undocumenteds step forward, if they know they can lose work status and get deported later because of nothing that they did, but only because Washington failed to decide certain metrics had been fulfilled?

However, Ryan also says the undocumented will be allowed to work as part of “probationary” status before security benchmarks are met. “You can be on probation,” Ryan says, “while the border is being secured.”

Ed Morrissey notes

Solution: No one comes out of the shadows until the border’s secured. The status quo on legalization holds in the meantime. There’s no rational reason why a country needs to make concessions to illegals before, or concurrent with, strengthening its borders, just as there’s no rational reason to think the GOP would use the security trigger to delay legalization ad infinitum. Everyone understands the demographic realities of the last election. Everyone knows how eager the Republican establishment is to attract Latino voters. And everyone knows how gleefully Democrats will demagogue them for dragging their feet on legalization while the border saga is playing out. Left to their own devices, Republicans would legalize illegals sooner rather than later. There’s no similar reason to believe that Democrats, left to their own devices, would eventually get around to tackling the border once legalization happened.

He also points out that this is pretty much the same kind of mule fritters encapsulated within the Gang Of 8 bill. But, really, don’t think Democrats will allow this to happen

(The Hill) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday amplified the Democrats’ insistence that an immigration reform package include a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s illegal immigrants.

All Dems want are new voters beholden to the Dem Party. Republicans seem to think they’ll get some out of it. Neither of them are serving the purposes of the Constitution and law, nor the legal citizens of the USA

Read: Good News: Paul Ryan, GOP Leadership Set To Push Another Bad Immigration Plan »

Posted in Democrat Lite, GOP, Illegal Immigration | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach January 29, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…is a world killing bottle of water made from plastic!!!!!!!, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Nice Deb, with a post noting that Obama may have plagiarized part of Bush’s 2007 SOTU.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

What Say To The TSA Being More Polite As They Grope You?

By William Teach January 29, 2014 – 11:43 am

There could be legislation for that

(The Hill) Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) is threatening to introduce a bill requiring the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to be more polite to airline passengers.

During a hearing about the TSA’s Screening Partnership Program that took place this week, Connolly said passengers would likely cooperate more with TSA agents if the agency’s workers used better manners when they deliver their instructions.

“There’s no excuse for someone barking orders continuously at the public at any airport in America who is an employee of the federal government, or a contractor for the federal government,” Connolly said. “I’d lose my job if I treated the public that way and rightfully so. My staff would be fired if I find that they treated my public that way.”

In the public sector, you’d lose your job for groping people, much less being rude. You might face criminal charges and/or a lawsuit. Heck, there have been plenty of lawsuits where law enforcement officials have been sued for groping citizens. Would it really make any difference if they were more polite as they grope you? It might a little bit. When I received an enhanced pat-down at LAX back in 2010 (I have a stainless steel rod in my leg which usually sets off the machines), the TSA agent avoided “personal” areas and had the good sense to be polite and contrite. I had the feeling that he really, really did not want to be doing this.

Do we really need legislation to tell the TSA to be polite to citizens? If so, that should tell you something about the culture of the TSA. Now, if Connolly really wants to do something, he should add in that the enhanced pat-downs should be done behind screens, rather than having everyone in the airport watch people get groped. Second, there needs to be some serious common sense in exactly who gets the EPDs.

And maybe understand who we really need to be worried about are not the ones getting groped. But should be.

Also, to diverge a bit, perhaps he could have a talk with Mr. Obama, who seems to like to treat American’s who disagree with him in a rather shoddy manner.

Read: What Say To The TSA Being More Polite As They Grope You? »

Posted in Good Move Slick | 10 Comments | Trackback URL
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