The Disengenuous Sen. Barack

Since I am now back in the real world, I must admit that the latest in the "Rev." Wright saga is almost a yawn. But, leave it to Sen. Barack to disingenuously try to weasel his way out of the fact that he was a member of the infamous Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
Yesterday, suddenly, Sen. Barack realized that while his "former" pastor, the repulsive "Rev." Jeremiah Wright was a Japanese bullet train derailing the campaign of hope.
Thus, Sen. Barack went out and "denounced" the "remarks" of the "former" pastor.
You see, since Sen. Barack tried the bob and weave in the infamous Philadelphia speech on race that was short on substance, the "Reverend" was looking for the right time and place.
So, this past weekend he went on the Jeremiah Wright barnstorming tour, starting in Dallas, a pit stop for an NAACP dinner in Detroit and the piece de resistance, his appearance before the National Press Club in Washington, D. C. on Monday.
I think that "Rev." Wright's appearance at the National Press Club is the highlight of this lowlife's tour de force.
Here, the "Rev." Wright tried to boost his Marine Corp service by taunting Vice-President Dick Cheney, who did not serve in the armed forces. Big deal. A lot of people have served in the armed forces, but some are like the "Rev." Wright, who learned not a thing about that service and thinks it inoculates him when he goes on irrational tirades. Such as his theory about the United States government inventing the AIDS virus to wipe out minority groups.
Now, this has been bandied about, usually by the same people who believe that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were staged by the government. They are called truthers. And, one can suppose that the "Rev." Wright is doing a little truth-telling in his government-started-AIDS theory.
The fact remains that, as I have implored on so many occasions, take a peek at the Trinity website http://tucc.org. It is there that one will find the underpinnings of the beliefs of the "Rev." Wright and, despite his denials, the beliefs of one Barack Obama.
Now, Sen. Barack tries once again to say that this is not the same man that he met 20 years ago. This is not the same man who baptized Sen. Barack into the Christian faith. This is not the same man that married Michelle to Barack. This is not the same man who baptized the Obama daughters into the Christian faith. So, he became a whack job preacher overnight? Of course not and both the "Rev." Wright and Sen. Barack know that.
At least the wacko "Rev." Wright is speaking some truth.
I am sorry, as a practicing Christian, I do not believe for one moment that Sen. Barack was not in church on Sunday, September 16, 2001 right after the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D. C. Mrs. rightviewfromtheleftcoast and I were at church praying, crying and seeking help from Almighty God the night of 9/11. And we were in church on that Sunday. As Dennis Prager http://dennispragerradio.com noted on today's broadcast, everyone can remember that week and whether or not they were in church on that fateful Sunday. And, I am certain that Sen. Barack and family have been at Trinity on most if not all occasions that the "Rev." Wright spoke "truth to power."
And, what about that huge donation that the Obama family gave to Trinity recently of over $25,000. Was that possibly "hush" money? No one really knows.
While this will not go away anytime soon, it is too late for the Democrat party to have buyer's remorse of this disingenuous Sen. Barack and his baggage, AKA, Jeremiah Wright. Sen. Barack is the Democrat nominee for president. He will probably win North Carolina. He will not win Indiana. When the Democrat National Convention rolls into Denver in the heat of August, unless Sen. Hillary Clinton can rob Sen. Barack, he will walk out of Denver the Democrat standard bearer.
And, Sen. Barack will have the Wright albatross around his neck. At that point it may well be the anaconda and it will continue to squeeze the erstwhile "uniter". And, how many more times will Sen. Barack lie about his knowledge, or lack thereof, of the rantings of the "Rev." Jeremiah Wright?

Back After A Respite

I am back after a well deserved weekend off celebrating the eighth wedding anniversary of Mrs. rightviewfromtheleftcoast and I.
We went to contribute to the Indian casino craze here in California by spending a couple of days at the Pala Indian Casino Resort And Spa http://palacasino.com.
This is a place where there is something for everyone. I contributed a bit o' cash to the Indians via slot machines, and made a little too. Mrs. rightviewfromtheleftcoast went to the spa and we read and went to Sea World on Monday. A great, restful weekend. And, it does not seem like eight years at all that we have been man and wife.
Anyhow, now back to the real world.

With Our Friend John, He Makes Us Wish For Another GOP Candida

As usual, our Republican presumptive candidate, Sen. John "F--- You" McCain steps into it regarding the "Rev" Jeremiah Wright controversy by, you guessed it, slamming the North Carolina Republican party for broadcasting a television spot questioning Sen. Barack and his friends, including the aforementioned "Rev.:" Wright.
It appears that Sen. "F--- You" McCain did not even see the television spot http://rss.townhall.com/trackback/www/d6f7b4de-91c5-4c08-9da9-634839c203e9/ in question. He even said that he hoped he never would see it.
Well, yesterday, Hugh Hewitt played most of two of the controversial sermons from the "Rev." http://rss.townhall.com/trackback/www/34fedc25-b630-48e8-b2f4-326c5d9d5314/ on his radio show. It made me ashamed and embarrassed that the "Rev." Wright considers himself a Christian.
I think that Sen. "F--- You" McCain, before slamming his own party, should take some time to listen to these disgusting, in context, sermons and then say what he thinks about Sen. Barack's judgement in attending Trinity United Church of Christ http://tucc.org for 20 years, exposing his daughters to this hate-monger.
Sen. Barack has made his judgement a centerpiece of his campaign for the Democrat nomination for president. So far, starting with the "Rev." Wright and his relationship with the unrepentant American terrorists, William Ayres and Bernadine Dohrn, to use a youthful explanation, his judgement sucks.
And, whether Sen. McCain likes it or not, it is not only fair game, but necessary to remind the voters of.
Just as out candidate gets me at least tolerable with the impending candidacy, Sen. "F--- You" McCain reminds me of why I did not support his candidacy in the first place. I only hope that he starts remembering two things. He is the Republican candidate for president. And that he better take off the gloves now before either Sen. Barack or Sen. Hillary Clinton define him. Or it is Bob Dole '96 all over again.

California The Incubator On What The Dems Hath Wrought

For those of you who do not live in California and think that many us who do are just a wee bit out there, there is a reason why.
For this is where the left of the left of the Democrats try their best to force their social engineering and eventually it spreads like a virus across the United States.
Take this lovely assault on the "bitter" people Beer tax hike sought - Pasadena Star-News.
Now, what do you notice is not being taxed here? How about wine and hard liquor? Why not those items? After all, they are all adult beverages, correct?
Well, Assemblyman Jim Beall (D-San Jose) claims that he has done the research and beer is under taxed in comparison with other states and that wine and hard liquor are comparable.
It is nothing but a shell game. If the tax is suppose to go underage drinking prevention, a worthy cause, crime prevention and health care services, then why not a tax hike on all adult beverages?
The dirty secret is the same as the assault on cigarette smokers. These are supposedly the uneducated, minority, lower-income people. I mean, who consumes wine and hard liquor? The upper-income people. Same about cigar-smokers. Of course when the cigar smokers are led by Gov. Arnold, well it is a non-starter.
Do you like how this Beall fellow twists why the beer tax should be raised 1,400%? To be level to other states.
I would argue that is the reason why it should not be raised. Just like any taxes should not be raised.
See, the Democrats try the two-for-one. We will stop people from drinking beer, such a low-brow thing, and help people with health care costs. It is the typical robbing Peter to pay Paul. And of course, go after Joe Sixpack. As they have done with Joe Smokestack.
I do not consume adult beverage except for non-alcholic beer and wine every now and then. But that does not mean I want to go after them because I may or may not like what they drink and or don't drink.
That is the problem with the Democrats. They not only want to raise your taxes but by golly they are going to get you healthy too. Social engineering at its height.
Fortunately, this looks like it may go nowhere, but the fact that it is even proposed should show the rest of the United States what we who do not want to be over taxed and over regulated and over-mommied have to put up with.

Gov. Mitch Daniels Needs To Be Bitch-Slapped*

It is amazing how some people like the current governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels, does not get the conservative Republican base wanting NOT to forget who got all of us here, former President Ronald Reagan. Yeas & Nays - Gov. Daniels: People need to get over Reagan, already - Examiner.com
After all, Gov. Daniels began his public service in the Reagan administration and has been a conservative all of his political life. He has fallen into the trap that we just want to return to the Reagan years.
Well, we would have to turn back the clock and our enemies would have to be adjusted somewhat and the Democrats would have to control a lot more of the government than they do now.
But seriously, what Mr. Daniels and his ilk need to understand, we want to understand the way that Mr. Reagan governed and how he would address the current situation domestically and internationally.
It is learning from our past. I for one do not look to Mr. Reagan just for nostalgia's sake, I look to the vision that Mr. Reagan had.
So, what does Gov. Daniels think we should jettison? Should the Republican party give up on being a pro-life party? Should we be for more government? Should we negotiate with those who wish to destroy us, the Islamofacsist terrorists?
This is another in a long line of conservatives that support Sen. John "F--- You" McCain saying it is unfair to keep comparing the senator to the former president. Well, Sen. "F--- You" McCain does that himself, constantly reminding anyone that will listen that he was a "foot soldier" in the Reagan Revolution. He always is talking about the issues that have not been resolved that still need to be dealt with. The tax code, the size of government. And, like Mr. Reagan he calls our enemy what they are, Islamofacsist terrorists. He has not backed down.
Every Democrat who runs for president reminds the American people about their heroes, FDR, Truman, JFK. No one says that they should not do that. It is how they pull the wool over the people's eyes on occasion and sneak into the presidency, a la Carter and Clinton.
So, there is no reason not to compare Sen. "F--- You" McCain to the Great Man. After all, President Bush ran under the Reagan mantle-with the "compassionate conservative" pablum mixed in.
So, I think that Gov. Daniels needs to be taken to the woodshed, slapped around a little and reminded why we look to Ronald Reagan's leadership, not in a nostalgic way but as a guide to the way we want to see the current GOP standard bearer, Sen. "F--- You" McCain govern.

*-Apologies for the bluntness of the headline!

Dennis Prager TALKS With Pastor John Hagee

Radio talker Dennis Prager http://www.townhall.com/TalkRadio/Show.aspx?RadioShowId=3&C today actually talked to Pastor John Hagee, the left-wing's feeble attempt to smear Sen. John "F--- You" McCain with the "Rev." Jeremiah Wright brush.
Pastor Hagee's real sin, and this is rich, is that he is "anti-Catholic". Read, anti-Roman Catholic.
The Democrats are trying desperately to drive a wedge between evangelical and Roman Catholics in an attempt to bring them back into the fold. That is why they brought up the whole Bob Jones University "controversy" in 2000 when then-candidate Gov. George W. Bush went to speak and get their support.
Coalitions are built on common interests. When one goes beyond the common interest, then one will find where they separate. That is the case between evangelicals and Roman Catholics.
Clearly, there are theological disagreements. And, that is OK. On some issues, both sides have strong agreement. On doctrine, well that is a different story. Oh, and it is how there are Protestants and Roman Catholics. Unlike the bad old days, the debate is civil and carried on in the academic sense.
But, those pesky Dems are, to coin a phrase, throwing the kitchen sink trying to divide the evangelicals from traditional Roman Catholics and a chink in the conservative armour.
Listen to the interview and judge for yourself.

Happy Earth Day-The Socialist Christmas

Well, hello and Happy Earth Day! And, since it goes hand in hand, Happy Birthday to Vladimir Illyich Lenin.
I have to hand it to the president of Bolivia'Scrap capitalism, save the planet': Morales - SBS World News Australia since he truly let the cat out of the bag as to the end result of what would have to occur to end globaloney warming and or climate change.
I know, you are probably thinking, am I a "denier" and to answer, why yes I am. I do not buy into the theory that there even is globaloney warming. Or if there is climate change, is that the direct result of man.
While I link that tidbit for your perusal, the reality is that we are careening to a point of no return as far as whether or not if there is a problem, will we let the free market and free minds solve it?
All three remaining presidential candidates buy into it hook, line and sinker. All three want the government to do something.
I want to focus on Sen. John "F--- You" McCain and how he may have become a "true believer" in the globaloney warming phenomenon.
One of my blogging pals, Right Wing Sparkle http://rightwingsparkle.blogspot.com has a theory. That Sen. "F--- You" McCain has been heavily influenced by his daughter, Megan, a recent college graduate. Apparently, she believes that if we do not "do something", we will become cannibals in an unmanageable world in the next 40 years.
Well, as I let RWS know in a comment, I will share it with you,
Fantasies and fairy tales are for when you are a little child. When one becomes an adult, one should still have a child-like wonder at the world, but also be realistic.
And what I mean is that it is alright to believe in being a good steward, but what is happening in breakneck speed is the blatant attempt to hijack the very economic system that has brought more people out of poverty and can lead to a solution to the possible problem. Having a 24 year-old daughter giving the potential next president of the United States policy and talking points is just not a good thing.
That is the problem with the whole eco-wacko movement. None live in the real world. These are the kind of people that sit in trees to prevent them from being cut down. These are the kind of people that take animal protection to a perversity because they seem to favor the life of the animal over that of a human being. They worship at the feet of an overweight former vice-president, Al Gore, who lied his way to an Academy Award for the docupropaganda epic "An Inconvenient Truth". Such the lies of this movie that a British court ruled that it can not be shown in schools because there at least nine untruths that can not be verified.
The question on this Earth Day is this:
Do we need a government policy to solve a problem that has not been scientifically proven? Do we need to end the capitalist economic system in response to this so-called problem? Are we being needlessly traumatized into believing all of this claptrap?
Well, you be the judge. Everywhere around there is green this and green that. Overbearing legislators trying to charge people for using plastic bags when grocery shopping. The same people forcing us to use a special, florescent light bulb, taking away a choice.
And the schools are force-feeding this propaganda as if it was the New Testament for the dirt-worshipers. Don't mention that winter holiday, Christmas, or that spring thing, Easter, but we must all bow and worship Mother Earth. And, you will like it!
The envirowackos are not interested in debate and real scientific study about globaloney warming and or climate change. It is because, at the end of the day, Bolivian president Evo Morales says it all. End capitalism. It is about ending the very vehicle that has raised humanity upward.
With that, I wish you a HAPPY EARTH DAY! And, don't forget to use a plastic bag at the market, if you are still asked!

Hillary Wins!

Really, to no one's surprise, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) defeated rival Sen. Barak Obama (D-Ill) in the much ballyhooed Pennsylvania primary tonight.
Sen. Clinton defeated Sen. Obama 54%-46%, an eight-point margin. It is nothing to write home about, but as noted in the previous post, Sen. Clinton could have won by one vote and she would keep going.
As noted, she has the Florida and Michigan trump card up her sleeve.
The Democrat convention in Denver in the heat of August ought to be a doosy!

Why Hillary Will Stay In No Matter What

In a few short hours, Sen. Hillary Clinton will have won the Pennsylvania primary. It does not matter the margin of victory. Even if it is by one vote, Sen. Clinton will stay in the Democrat race for the White House.
There is one, well actually two, reasons why Sen. Clinton stays to the bitter end.
Florida and Michigan.
Even if when all is said and done, and Sen. Barack may be ahead in pledged delegates, Sen. Clinton will throw more than the kitchen sink and a monkey wrench in the nomination process.
All Sen. Clinton will have to say is, "What about Florida and Michigan?" which, coincidentally two large states she won the primary.
And, she will be able to put that even further by throwing in the face of the Democrat power structure that it was the Democrats who wanted every vote to count in 2000 when the election results in Florida were in doubt. Then, it was the chant "Count EVERY vote!" even if one had to divine how a voter meant to vote.
So, how can the Democrat party deny to sit Florida and Michigan at the convention in August? They can not. For if they do and or try, there will be a bitter fight right on the floor of the convention. That is no doubt.
Sen. Barack wants to do what it takes to keep these two states out or he may end up losing the nomination.
So, all these pontificators who are saying that Sen. Clinton will leave the race unless she has a convincing win today are dreaming. They are hoping that this comes to an end and the new Messiah, Sen. Barack, is the Democrat presidential nominee.
I can not wait for the Democrat convention in August!

Some Condensending Commentary From The New York Times

It appears the The New York Times Politicians as Comics: A Sideshow on Pop TV - New York Times does not like it when our High Potentates, aka elected officials, appear as regular folks.
Take President Bush, appearing on the "lowbrow" NBC game show "Deal Or No Deal" with host Howie Mandel. I guess the fact that show features 25 very attractive young ladies is a "low brow" thing to the reviewer.
Why do these so-called "reporters" not get that there is a world outside of the cocktail parties in the Upper West Side of Manhattan? Or San Francisco? Or Hollywood? Really, there is a whole other part of the United States.
Some of us like shows like "Deal Or No Deal" or maybe WWE Raw, the "wrestling" show. Many an American like shows like Rachael Ray or the Today Show.
See, we actually elect these people to represent us, the American people. Thus, maybe Alessandra Stanley may not get it, but I think that Sen. Barack Obama sure gets it. Ask those bitter, gun-toting, religious nuts in Pennsylvania. I am sure that they will remind him tomorrow night about this time.
Yes, Alessandra, we like our leaders to be at least a little bit like us, with all our pathologies. And one more thing. It is OK to watch "low brow" television. Its fun and dare I say, occasionally entertaining!

Benedict XVI vs. Wright

Last night, Pope Benedict XVI left the United States back to the Vatican on what has to be an amazingly successful pilgramige to this great land.
But, I want to focus on three words that Benedict said last week in Washington, D. C. and contrast with another man of God, the "Rev." Jeremiah Wright, former head pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, Ill, home church of one Democrat presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.
Pope Benedict:
God Bless America
The "Rev." Wright:
No, not God Bless America, but God D--- America!
After hearing this several times today on the Laura Ingraham show http://lauraingraham.com,
I was taken aback by the diametrically different views of this nation from two men of God.
Pope Benedict talked about the freedom of religion and how the American experiment has evolved from. The "Rev." Wright still feels like and directs those who follow what he preaches that they are but victims and that their version of God, who is black-centered, will set them free.
Here are just some words that were spoken by Pope Benedict last week when he arrived at the White House to meet with President Bush:
From the dawn of the republic, America's quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles guiding political and social life are inanimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God, the creator.
The rest of the relevant commentary can be found here http://hughhewitt.com.
Contrast that with the "Rev." Wright and the negative message of victimology that permeates not only sermons but the whole mission of the Trinity United Church of Christ http://tucc.org. It does nothing to evolve, just to agitate.
A man, Benedict, who is not an American citizen and has no real stake in the American experiment seems to get it and have a great love for all the people of the United States. He even has such a great faith and belief that he has the right understanding of God to enter a synagogue as he did in New York City to help begin the Passover.
Another man, Jeremiah Wright, is an American citizen who does not get that the American experiment is ever evolving. And, for the "Rev." Wright, it appears that any success has passed him by. It is as if the "Rev." Wright is living in a time warp.
As a non-Roman Catholic, I am very impressed by this pope, who really does seem to be a humble man, trying to do the Lord's work on earth. Pope Benedict, even when confronting the evil of those priests who sullied their own vows and the name of Almighty God, did so with humility and grace.
If only the "Rev." Wright would show the same humility and grace, there would not be so much to contrast these two men of God.

Interesting News On The GOP Veep Front

If this article Political Oddsmakers Weigh in on Republican VP Derby - America’s Election HQ is any indication, it appears that My Man Mitt, as in Romney has a very good chance to be Sen. John "F--- You" McCain's choice for Vice-President.
Yes, I know that there has been all this talk in the Dinosaur, Drive-By, Mainstream Media that the two have hated each other's guts. Firstly, that has been way overblown as it was a campaign and in a campaign, a lot is said and done. But, if a candidate wants to win, usually they choose a candidate that they feel will fit that bill. And, despite what Rassmussen says, Mitt is the one to do it.
One thing that may be overlooked by the Romney haters is that Mr. Romney was the only Republican candidate to actually take on Sen. "F--- You McCain. And that is important because as the vice-presidential candidate, he will be the attack dog. Sen. "F--- You" McCain has to look and act presidential. Sen. "F--- You" McCain can no longer be the maverick. He is now the big cheese. He has to close ranks.
I can not think of a better way to close ranks than to choose Mr. Romney.
As far as the others are concerned, even Sen. "F--- You" McCain seems to realize that former Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge is a non-starter. Since Mr. Ridge is pro-choice and Sen. "F--- You" McCain himself said that the candidate should be pro life, forget Mr. Ridge. And the same for Miss Rice. And, she has no elected office experience. She will make a great Republican candidate for California governor in 2010.
For the also-rans, is it not interesting that the Rev. Mike Huckabee has 40-1 odds at being the VP choice? I think he ran his campaign way too long and that did not endear himself to Sen. "F--- You" McCain. And, unlike Mr. Romney, I think that he will turn off more voters than he can bring in.
One last thought. We are told that the presidential candidates like to bring in a candidate that will potentially win them a tough state. That has not happened since 1960 when Democrat John Kennedy chose then Sen. Lyndon Johnson. And that was a easy choice because Mr. Johnson was able to steal enough votes along with the Chicago Daley Machine to win the election. Nothing like that has happened since then and nothing indicates that it should be a serious consideration this time. For either party.
I think that Sen. "F--- You" McCain has made up his mind, but is waiting to let us know what it is. And, I am always hopeful that the choice will be Mitt Romney.

McCain Wants California In Play

Any other election year and Sen. John "F--- You" making a play for California would be laughed off. But, not this year as Jim Geregthy posts:
California's Not Going to Be In Play... Right?
Rasmussen puts McCain within 7 of Obama in California, within 5 of Hillary.
I'm really, really skeptical that California will be competitive this year. Bush lost by 10 points in 2004, lost it by 12 points in 2000.
But note that if McCain were to somehow pull of an enormously upset win in California, it would not only all but guarantee his victory, it would ensure a landslide. Those 54 electoral votes are pretty much irreplaceable for the Democrats.
04/17 01:02 PM
Now, I can not be certain that my fellow not-so Golden Staters will ink the vote for Sen. "F--- You" McCain, but the fact that neither Democrat is in a double-digit lead at this point should be troublesome for the Dems. Also, Gov. Arnold will defiantly campaign aggressively with Sen. "F--- You" McCain, unlike the Ohio foray in 2004. Gov. Arnold is a disappointment for many a Republican here, but resonates with the mushy middle and even a few Democrats.
So, maybe Sen. McCain is on to something. Also, one can not rule anything out since last year at this time, Sen. "F--- You" McCain was on life support.

HT: National Review "The Campaign Spot"

Major League Baseball And The Democrats-A VERY Bad Double Play

Hmm, this is verrrryyy interesting as actor Arte Johnson used to say on the televison show "Laugh-In". Maybe this is why major league http://homerderby.com/archives/2095 baseball has so many problems!

Obama Does Not Know When Life Begins?

When you are stepping in the dung that surrounds small-town and rural America as Sen. Barack has been doing this past week, in his case you just step a little deeper and hope no one notices.
New case in point.
Last night was some liberal shindig called the "Compassion Forum" sponsored by CNN and led by liberal evangelical minister the Rev. Jim Wallis.
Newsweek reporter John Meacham asked a basic question about life. Mr. Meacham asked Sen. Barack do you believe that life begins at conception? And here is the clear answer from Sen. Barack:
This is something that I have not, I think, come to a firm resolution on. I think it very hard to know what that means, when life begins.
And, there you have it. A clear and concise answer to a very simple question.
I think that Pope Benedict 16 will have the answer to that. I have the answer.
Life begins at conception, period.
One of the great lies of the Abortuary Industrial Complex is that life does not begin at conception. Some even go so far as to claim that if a baby is born with something like Down Syndrome, it would be OK to murder the born baby, but only if it does in a timely manner, you know like maybe within a month.
The reason that the AIC does what it does is so that the mother and yes, the father, who agree to abort a baby are convinced that all they are doing is removing some excess tissue. For if it is a life, then it would be murder. No life, no murder.
Because of that, the "pro-choice" crowd like Sen. Barack can not answer the question with a yes or no. If Sen. Barack would have said he does believe that life begins at conception, then the next question would have to be is abortion then murder since you agree that life begins at conception.
But, by obfuscating the answer, Sen. Barack is seen as a genius by the AIC for he clouds the issue by not answering the fundamental question.
And there is no doubt that that AIC crowd loves that because they know that someone like Sen. Barack is on their side. You know, letting such luminous groups as Planned Parenthood, founded by eugenics queen Margaret Sanger, into the public schools to spread their lies about abortion and family "planning." That is why the AIC will pour as much money as possible to insuring that he will be the Democrat presidential nominee and the next president.
You know, they can not have that knuckle-dragger President Bush and someone of his ilk, someone like us, in there, blocking the agenda that there is no bad abortion.
One way that there can be honesty in the abortion debate is for the first "pro-choicer" to admit that yes, abortion is the taking of a human life. Then a real conversation can begin.
But, when we have such wordsmiths as Sen. Barack in there, giving a ridiculous answer to a basic question, we will be treated to more lies from the Abortuary Industrial Complex.

A Logical Solution May Not Be Had

A recent murder of a high school football star in Los Angeles recently has brought up an ugly fact about "law enforcement" in the City of Angels.
The coddling of illegal aliens in an attempt to "fight crime"
The gunning down of 17 year-old Jamiel Shaw,who was black, by gangster, suspect Pedro Espinoza, has opened up the dirty little-known Los Angeles police Special Order 40.
Special Order 40 was instituted in 1979 by former Los Angeles police chief Daryl Gates and it does not allow police officer to question suspects as to their immigration status. It was instituted as a way for those who break the law by being in the United States illegally, but have committed no other crimes to identify those who have committed crimes. The whole order is the ultimate catch-22.
In the case of Mr. Espinoza, he was in Los Angeles county jail on an unrelated weapons charge. While in custody, the police did not inquire to his immigration status. And, the day before Mr. Espinoza was suspected in gunning down Mr. Shaw, he was released from custody. Had the police inquired about Mr. Espinoza's immigration status, he would have been turned over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. And, he would not have been out on the streets and Mr. Shaw would more than likely be alive today.
Now, Los Angeles city councilman Dennis Zine wants to clarify and codify that police can ask a suspect in custody their immigration status if it may have relevance to the potential charge. Supposedly, police can ask according to the windbag mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, or soon to be Villar. But, it is not clear in the provision.
But, of course the enablers for the illegal aliens, people like Mr. Villar and a woman by the name of Sara Zapata de Mijares who heads a local immigration "rights" group, Mundo Maya Foundation are crying foul.
Mr. Villar said that the ICE should be concentrating on the criminal gang elements, and he was told that ICE does not have the resources. Hey Mr. Villar, that is what the LAPD is supposed to do. You sir, are trying to pass the buck on this one.
But, Miss Zapata de Mirajes has the topper as to the efforts of Mr. Zine to bring sanity to an insane special order:
Amending Special Order 40, however is neither a just nor appropriate response to the young man's death. Instead we are certain police officers acting as immigration officials with suspected gang members will exacerbate the already tenuous relationship between the community and the men and women in blue. An amendment would continue to pit African-American brothers and sisters against the Latino community.
It is the classic shell game.
Mr. Villar blames ICE for not doing its job, which would impinge on local law enforcement. And Miss Zapata de Mijares runs the political correct gamut while saying that LAPD officers should not act as immigration officials. And, of course don't mention the name of Jamil Shaw for it would actually put a name to the "young man" killed by suspect Espinoza. And just for extra added PC, mention that there is the "pitting" of blacks against Hispanics.
All that this amendment would do is protect the police so that when it may be plain as the nose on the face that a suspect is an illegal alien, the police can notify ICE and the deportation process can begin. And that suspect would remain incarcerated, not a potential threat to the community.
The motion that was presented to the Los Angeles city council by Mr. Zine reads in part this:
While the overall policy goal of providing equitable public safety services to the people of Los Angeles must rightly be preserved, Special Order 40 should also be modified to address the specific situations of known gang members who are also undocumented immigrants.
That is important because while it will modify the special order, it will be balanced. It does not turn the LAPD into ICE agents.
Here is the actual motion submitted to the council:
I THEREFORE MOVE that the City Council request the Chief of Police and the Board of Police Commissioners to modify Special Order 40 to state that when, in the course of gang suppression investigations, LAPD officers are able to verify that a suspect is a known gang member, those officers be instructed to obtain information on the suspects immigration status and transmit that information to ICE.
I FURTHER MOVE that this modification to Special Order 40 also include a provision stating that if a known gang member is arrested by LAPD, and the person is also found to be an undocumented immigrant, that an immigration hold be placed on the arrestee by LAPD until such time as the arrestee may be released to the custody of ICE.
Now, what is wrong with that? Does that not clarify and codify the stated policy of Special Order 40 and make clear that only in an investigation of suspected criminal activity can the police inquire about said suspects immigration status.
It does not turn the LAPD into ICE agents as asserted by Miss Zapata de Mijares. And it will either prove Mr. Villar is right that when the police does notify ICE, they turn a blind eye or that he is, well fibbing.
It is a simple, logical solution to a problem of how gangs now operate not just in Los Angeles but in many major and not so major cities in the United States. With such international gangs an MS13 an American prison gangs as the Mexican Mafia showing no mercy and internationalizing gang activity, it is incumbent on the elected officials of Los Angeles and other cities to take a look at how they balance gang suppression, public safety and deporting known illegal aliens.
As an aside, my stepson is a legislative aide to Mr. Zine and wrote the proposed legislation. And, it should be noted that he is not like the old man. He is on the liberal side. And, if anyone tries to tell you that it is only xenophobic, right-wingers who want to throw all the Mexicans back, it is a bipartisan issue.

HT: Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles City Council

Exurban League: Obama does damage control.

Is this a new attempt at outreach to those bitter, gun-totting, religious nuts?


Exurban League: Obama does damage control.

Don't Have Sen. Barack Be A Travel Agent For Rural America

In the Award for the Most Arrogant Liberal of 2008, the winner is:
Sen. Barack Obama, Democrat From Illinois
And why does he get this dubious title over so many other numerous left-wing luminaries one might ask?
Because he spoke the way he really feels about rural and small town America.
And, like so much that has come from supporters of Sen. Barack like the "Rev." Jeremiah Wright, Michelle Obama and more of the cast of characters, this following comment came straight from the horse's mouth:
You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone for 25 years and nothings replaced them. And the fell through the Clinton Administration and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So its not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who are not like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.
WOW! Unbelievable!
This is a man who wants to be president of the United States of America. And in one absurd comment, made at an event in San Francisco of all places, he has done more to damage his own candidacy than any fringe supporter like the "Rev." Wright and even wife Michelle.
What Sen. Barack has done is taken his mask off. Now, he can say what he really believes and that somehow, like everything else, it will be explained away by his Dinosaur, Drive-By, Mainstream Media allies like the "Rev." Wright was.
But, not this time.
What is telling is that he really does not know what rural and or small town America is really like. Or, for that matter a very urban area like Detroit which is the worst-off big city in the United States.
A man who has talked about his religious faith very openly, even quoting the Holy Bible, basically in a slightly more eloquent way than former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is saying that religion is a crutch. That if you had a great paying job, you would not need that religion hocus-pocus. And your guns. You would not want your guns if you had that great paying job either because you would no longer be afraid. No, you would give up your gun and Jesus for the greenback. And, as a side benefit, if you had that great paying job, you would not be so leery of those not like your self. And, you would love all immigrants, whether they are here legally or not. Because, you would have that great paying job.
The arrogance is dripping. The contempt for much of the rest of the nation that Sen. Barack would like to lead is nauseating.
And, because he knows that what he said is what he really believes, he did not back down. He just touched off the talking point as noted in this speech today in Indiana:
So people end up voting on issues like guns and are they going to have the right to bear arms. They vote on issues like gay (same-sex) marriage. They can take refuge in their faith, and their community and their family and the things they can count on.
Even this "cleaned up" version drips with contempt and arrogance. Notice how he works guns and same-sex marriage in his screed. What happened to talking about those jobs? Is that not the real issue? To the socialist, all that is important is overturning the old order on everything. Once it is overturned, only a big government can come in and straighten everything out. That is what happened in the Russian revolution. How the fascists came to power in Italy. The communists in China. Then in Cuba. Now in Venezuela and other South American nations.
All I can say that in my travels across this great land, especially the road trip Mrs. rightviewfromtheleftcoast and our dog, Scout the Wonder Dog took last November to Mt. Rushmore, we discovered a wonderful America we did not know. A lot of it in small towns like St. George, Utah. In Evanston, Wyoming. In Cheyenne, Wyoming. In Deadwood, South Dakota. And yes, even larger towns like Salt Lake City, Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. We saw great, friendly, hard working people. And they were not all one group. To be honest, I was surprised at how many Hispanics were in Wyoming. Glad, not "fearful". These are people that are the salt of the earth. They do not have two faces. And yes, they are God-fearing and yes, I am certain that many owned a gun.
What make the United States what it is is that there are all kinds of America. And, in the smaller towns and the rural areas, it is different than the so-called cosmopolitan big cities. And, as one in a large suburb, small town life looks very good some days.
And another thing. Some towns were on the brink and have staged comebacks. Some have not and that is due to a multitude of reasons. Income is just one aspect.
I for one love small town, rural America. For many living in an urban area that has become havens for law-breakers, gang-bangers, drug dealers and families going into bankruptcy to keep up with all the trends for their children, the small town and or a farm life is something to aspire to.
But, not in Sen. Barack's America. No, that is where the fearful, angry, gun-totting people are.
I do not think that Sen. Barack, should he lose either the Democrat nomination for president or the presidency, should get a day job as a travel agent specializing in tours of rural America.

HT: Powerline

Dr. Dean's Poor Bedside Manner

Leave it to the Democrat National Committee Chairman, Dr. Howard Dean, to slam Sen. John McCain on the so-called age issue http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/TheNote/stroy?id=3105455&page=1.
Dr. Dean couched his shot by saying that the age issue was not brought up by himself but by a focus group of "conservative" Democrat voters in Charleston, West Virginia.
According to the good doctor, these voters were concerned about Sen. McCain's age and health. And, remember this is a "conservative" group. These people, especially women, thought his views were "old-fashioned."
HUH?
I mean, what makes a conservative Republicans views "old-fashioned" to conservative voters?
Dr. Dean said that the women in the group were shocked, shocked I tell you, that Sen. McCain is in favor of not having the government pay for birth control and that he supports abstinence-only sex education.
The question is, does Dr. Dean know any conservatives? And does he have a problem with Sen. McCain being possibly the oldest elected president?
The answer is, no to the conservatives and yes to the age issue.
Dr. Dean is just trying to nudge the "age issue" in to create a doubt in voter's minds. You know, an old guy just can not do things like a young (60) Sen. Hillary Clinton or a youthful (47) and inexperienced Sen. Barack Obama. Never mind that Sen. McCain has something neither Sens. Clinton or Obama have. Wisdom.
A lot of things have been written in this blog about Sen. McCain, and yes the "age issue" was brought up. And, sure enough leave it to the grenade launcher, Dr. Dean, to broach the subject.
Here is the thing.
Dr. Dean, Sens. Clinton or Obama could not shine his shoes on a good day. Sen. McCain maybe 71 years old, but he has a fire in the belly. He wants to be president. He has a schedule that most people half of his age have a hard time keeping up with.
And, for Dr. Dean's information, Sen. McCain is a conservative. And while not one who talks much about his social conservatism, he has it and votes accordingly.
If these focus group people were "conservative" then they would not be ignorant to allegedly make such comments about Sen. McCain's stand on some social issues.
No, the grenade launcher that Dr. Dean is now is launching. No, we will not be treated to any screams, but he will lob as many as he can hoping it will stick.
I do not think that bringing up the "age issue" is a way that Dr. Dean wants to go. We shall see, but it does show that the Democrats are not all that comfortable talking about their issues, so they will make some up. Typical.

The "Rev." Wright Was "Imam" Wright?

On the Rush Limbaugh website is a stunning story http://rushlimbaugh.com that is being reported in the New Republic http://tnr.com that the infamous "Rev." Jeremiah Wright, late the former head pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ http://tucc.org and spiritual advisor to Sen. Barack was Islamic.
The story, by Ryan Lizza, was published in March, 2007 and was written more as an aside in the second paragraph in a story entitled "The Agitator."
The exact quote is this:
Wright was a former Muslim and black nationalist who studied at Howard (University) and Chicago (University of).
Now, that is astonishing. I mean, it does explain the cozy relationship between the "Rev." Wright and Calypso Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam. Why the two went all over the Mideast and even had a meeting with the Libyan dictator, Wacky Mohamar Qaddafi. That was before the United States restored diplomatic relations with Libya.
So, why has this not been brought up in all of the discussion on the "Rev." Wright and his "ministry"? Is it because this is part of the DDBMSM shilling for Sen. Barack? Is it because there would be renewed interest in the possibility that Sen. Barack was himself at one time Islamic? After all, he did spend some time at schools in Indonesia in his younger years.
All of this continues to raise serious and real questions as to the whole Sen. Barack narrative. And, who Sen. Barack surrounds himself with, starting with Mrs Obama herself, Queen agitator Michelle.
While Sen. Barack may be the Democrat presidential nominee, all of this will hang out there like a hot, humid day in Washington in July. And, it will take more than a break in the weather to try to change the narrative that will continue to haunt Sen. Barack all the way to November.
The "Rev." Wright maybe the man who leads to the downfall of Sen. Barack. And would that not be ironic?

State Of Minnesota Supports Islamic School?

It appears that in the politically correct climate we live in 2008 America, the State of Minnesota will financially and give legitimacy to an Islamic charter school-at taxpayer expense.
Columnist Katherine Kersten of the very left-leaning Minneapolis Star-Tribune http://www.startribune.com/local/17406054.html gives us a first hand look at the Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy or TIZA in the Twin Cities suburb of Inver Grove Heights.
What Miss Kersten found was that right off the bat, the public charter school is located in the headquarters of a group called the Muslim American Society whose stated aim is "establishing Islam in Minnesota." In the building headquarters is a mosque. That alone should be enough to decertify the charter status of the public school.
But wait, theres more!
The school cafeteria serves Halal food-Islamic kosher so to speak. And, "Islamic Studies" is offered at the end of the official school day. And the students have organized prayer daily.
But, thanks to a substitute teacher, Amanda Getz, the lid is blown off as she saw Friday noonday prayer take place blatantly in the middle of the school day.
Miss Getz describes the students being led to the school gym while a prayer leader was prostrating on a prayer rug and another was dressed in white, with the white Islamic skull cap.
Imagine if say a charter school was led by Roman Catholics and that there was a mandate to have chapel daily. Or to pray the rosary? And what if a priest came in to lead a Mass and or confessions. Oh, maybe the priest would not wear a Roman collar. The howls would be from coast to coast. The Americans United For The Separation of Church and State and People For The American Way would be marching on the school and demanding it be shut down. To be fair, the ACLU is launching an investigation of the school and now that this column has been written the state board of education is also launching an investigation
Oh, did I mention that TIZA is led by Asad Zaman? And guess what? He is an imam, essentially an Islamic minister.
The state of Minnesota department of education has inspected the school only three times in five years. And none of the visits focused on the clear violation of the school-that it is imposing Islam using taxpayer money as a charter school.
Even the columnist, Miss Kersten notes that if this were a Christian school, this would be shut down before your head could spin around.
Now there is a large Islamic population especially in the Twin Cities area. In recent visit, Mrs. rightviewfromtheleftcoast and I went to the Mall Of America in Bloomington and I was shocked at how many of the employees in the Nordstrom Rack store were dressed in the Islamic chador.
Personally, I was appalled. I admit that I was not at all comfortable. The real reason for my discomfort was the fact that I wondered if these woman realized that they set back the cause for human rights for women. Did they understand what wearing a chador means to a Westernized, predominately Christian nation?
I admit, I had a very negative image in my mind seeing those women. But, finding that there is this taxpayer-funded Islamic school is even more disturbing. The fact that the left-leaning Star-Tribune newspaper discovered this shows that Islamics may have crossed the line and that this expose will more than likely shut the school down.
While I struggle to overcome my negative reaction to seeing department store employees in full Islamic dress, what I am definite about is that no taxpayer money can fund any religious school. And, no matter how much the imam, Mr. Zaman, tries to skirt around it, that is what it is.
If this school is not reformed and or shut down, then there will be a wave of these charter schools across the United States. Lets see if the state of Minnesota, or any other state, will fund decidedly Christian charter schools. Don't hold your breath.

Those Baseball Predictions!

Well, for all looking comments on today's Gen. Petraeus/Amb. Crocker "hearings", you will just have to wait for this is a very important post on the major league pennant races, the real news!
Now that the season has started and is about a week old, it is really time to evaluate who has it and who does not and who will be in the Fall Classic.
In the American league, I see a surprise winner in a division and some teams falling down a notch.
In the American League East, look for the Toronto Blue Jays to win the division. The Blue Jays?! Yes, the Blue Jays. I think that Boston will probably come down to earth with a second place in the division. Oh, and the dreaded New York Yankees? Third is the best they will do. The smoke and mirrors that Joe Torre did towards the end will not hold up this year. And besides, I think this is the weakest division in the American League.
On to the Central division. The Cleveland Indians should win this with ease. They are starting a little slow, but as last season showed, when they catch on fire, they on really on fires. Detroit is the only serious competition in this division, but it will not be enough to win. A wild card possibility maybe.
In the West it will be the Anaheim* Angels and Seattle Mariners fighting for the division title. I think that the Angels will win it and Seattle will be the wild card. This maybe the toughest division in the American League. Even the Oakland A's and Texas Rangers could have a least a shot at the wild card.
Over in the senior circuit, the National League, I see the East as the New York Mets to lose. If they do not win this division going away, manager Willie Randolph must be fired for incompetence! This could be the National League team in the World Series. And have a real shot to win it all. Sorry, but this year the Atlanta Braves will be watching the playoffs at home. No division or wild card for the tomahawk choppers. Maybe they can get a head start on the decline of the planet that Ted Turner ranted about last week and use those tomahawks on him!
The National League Central division is the joke division of major league baseball. I mean whoever wins this division could win with a sub-.500 record. It is that bad! But, it is good enough for the Chicago Cubs. They will win the Central and, who really cares about the other teams!
And finally, the only division that counts, the National League West. The Dodgers will win this and it will literally be on the back of new manager Joe Torre. He has surrounded himself with the best coaches and with a renewed sense of fire in the belly, he will be able to get this team to the promised land.
So, here is the order and playoff scenarios:
NATIONAL LEAGUE
West:
Los Angeles Dodgers
East:
New York Mets
Central:
Chicago Cubs
Wild Card:
San Diego Padres
AMERICAN LEAGUE
West:
Anaheim Angels
East:
Toronto Blue Jays
Central:
Cleveland Indians
Wild Card:
Seattle Mariners
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPS
Los Angeles Dodgers
AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPS
Cleveland Indians
WORLD SERIES CHAMPS
Los Angeles Dodgers

Hey, it is the 20th anniversary of the last time the Dodgers won the World Series against the Oakland A's. So it is about time the Dodgers won another one!

*In this blog, the Angels will NOT be referred to as the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" but the Anaheim Angels. There is only one team in Los Angeles and that is the Dodgers. And, I am an Angel fan!

Two Preachers That Don't Get It

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Mark 12.30-31
Go ye therefore, and teach(make disciples of) all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Matthew, 28:19
I start this with two of the most important passages of the New Testament because it is very relevant to two pastors of two distinctly different churches within American Christendom.
These two pastors strongly support two presidential candidates, one Democrat and one Republican. One has served as a spiritual guide for 20 years to one candidate. The other just recently endorsed the other and not much is known about their relationship beyond that.
Of course I am speaking of the "Rev." Jeremiah Wright, former head pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ http://tucc.org and the other Pastor John Hagee, head pastor of Cornerstone Church http://sacornerstone.com.
The "Rev." Wright is, still as far as is known, to be the spiritual guide to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill). Pastor Hagee at the time of the Texas primary became a supporter of Sen. John "F--- You" McCain (R-Ariz).
Both of the above passages fit these two pastors, yet while it appears that these two are so diametrically different in just about every way, they are alike in controversy.
The "Rev." Wright clearly has made a hybrid of Christianity mixed in with black liberation theology. He has spoken with great hostility toward many, and in no particular order, Italians, Jews, the American founding fathers and white America. The "Rev." Wright seems to have forgotten that the primary reason that he became a pastor was to spread the message of Jesus Christ and that message is open to all people. No matter what. And, clearly he has shown a lack of love for he clearly really does not love his neighbor as himself. It would appear that maybe the "Rev." Wright may not really love himself. What I fear that the "Rev." Wright has done is perverted the very meaning of the ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus went with those that were not like the perceived authorities of the age. He did that to show the authorities of his time how wrong that they were and that the love of God is for all people, not just a select few with the "proper" knowledge. If the "Rev." Wright does love his neighbor, why all the hostility? Why has he found a way to pervert the Holy Bible in such a way that one forgets what the ministry of Jesus Christ was and is? I can not answer those questions. That is up to the "Rev." Wright and it appears that he shows no interest in answering some basic questions.
Which leads to Pastor Hagee.
Now, what is wrong with Pastor Hagee? Well, in theological terms, probably not a lot. Except that he has spoken out against the Roman Catholic church, referring to it, not the people who are members, as the Great Whore of Babylon. And, he is a strong supporter of the State of Israel. And, he is of the Fundamentalist branch of the evangelical Christian movement.
But, the DDBMSM seems to have been fixated on his "anti-Catholic" statements.
Now, as one who does call himself a Protestant Christian, by that nature I am anti-Catholic-anti-Roman Catholic. That does not mean that I think that the Roman church is the Great Whore of Babylon. But, it is very clear in Fundamentalist Christian lore that the Roman church is bad and not to be trusted. If one reads The Articles Of Religion in the Episcopal Church Book of Common Prayer, there are without a doubt several very strong statements that are, anti-Roman Catholic. Because the DDBMSM knows very little about Christianity and even less about evangelical Christians, they just hear that Pastor Hagee made some "anti-Catholic" statements, not realizing that it is theological terms, not a call to arms against the Pope or the church.
But, by not making clear that he is not against the people and many of the church teachings, which both Pastor Hagee and Roman Catholic hierarchy would be in agreement, he has shown lack of love of neighbor. Pastor Hagee often comes off as overly judgemental, but that is part of Fundamentalism. It is all about the judgement of God. And, I believe that is important. But if one chooses the judgement over love, not one in the same, then he or she has already missed the point of the passage.
Now, I think both men fall short, as we all do, to the glory of God. That is in the person of Jesus Christ.
We try so hard to make our understanding of the Christian faith absolute and right. And, it is. But it often gets lost in the translation.
And, that is where the "Rev." Wright and Pastor Hagee fall drastically short. And they are missing the big picture of baptizing and teaching and loving as Jesus Christ commanded himself in the Gospel.
This is not meant to make any equalization between the two men. I believe that they are doing the work of the Lord as they have come to understand it. And, maybe their understanding is what needs to change. And to read those two passages a lot more often and praying and talking about that may be a start.

New Color

Well, fooling around with my template, I found some new color and decided, why not?
Not only that, but I think that it is much more readable and is that not why we do this in the first place?
I hope you enjoy and please feel free to comment, but KEEP IT CLEAN!

South Africa And Zimbabwe

Today is the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. A sad day in American history.
Today, I have been thinking a lot about what Dr. King would have to say about a lot of current events. Especially the state of affairs in Southern Africa and the contrast between South Africa and its northern neighbor, Zimbabwe.
Both nations emerged from colonialism and white rule. Zimbabwe in 1980 and South Africa beginning in 1990. But the results of the emergence of black rule ends there.
Zimbabwe was a jewel on a badly mismanaged continent. In 1980, when Robert Mugabe won election as president of Zimbabwe, life expectancy for all races was 60 years old. Now, thanks to the dictatorial rule of Mr. Mugabe, that has plummeted to an expectancy of 35 years old. And, Zimbabwe has sunk to the depths. Unemployment is hovering at 80% and inflation anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000% Yes, that is thousands.
Look at South Africa. The economy is the envy of the African continent. Blacks are attaining economic power and the white business establishment is encouraging it. Inflation is low and unemployment is low. And, this is most important, whites by and large are being integrated along with the majority blacks, mixed race "coloureds" and large Asian, mostly Indian, populations.
The reason is that Mr. Mugabe went from freedom fighter to dictator. He is the ONLY president that Zimbabwe has ever had. He has made himself a cult of personality and thus does have some support among the masses. But while Mr. Mugabe has presided over the economic collapse of this once prosperous nation, he decided to make the whites that have remained in Zimbabwe the scapegoat by beginning to seize their farmland in 2000. It only delayed the inevitable.
When Nelson Mandela was freed from the hated Robbin Island prison in 1990 and became the first elected black president in South African history, he did not hold on to the job like some potentate. He graciously stepped aside and let a new leader take over the African National Congress party. And, Mr. Mandela worked along with Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu to lead a national reconciliation.
Mr. Mugabe used the whites to further his stranglehold on power.
Now, while it is clear that he lost the presidential election to Morgan Tsvangrai and his Movement for Democratic Change party, he is still trying to hold on to power by claiming that Mr. Tsvangrai did not get the 50% plus one of the vote and thus there should be a runoff. No doubt that at the very least there was electoral fraud and that maybe why the "official" results may show Mr. Tsvangrai with less than the required vote.
I think that Dr. King would be appalled at what has happened in Zimbabwe and would be happy to see what reconciliation can lead to as is the case of South Africa. And I think that the world is lesser today with out the moral leadership of Dr. King

Mugabe Ain't Gonna Go Quietly Into The Night

It appears that the loser of the Zimbabwe presidential elections, Robert Mugabe, is going to unleash his forces to stay in power http://FoxNews.com .
According to Fox, police raided a hotel where foreign journalists are staying and rounded up to six journalists including one for the New York Times, Barry Bearak.
And police also raided the headquarters of the winning party, the Movement for Democratic Change, MDC.
The delusional Mr. Mugabe has held an iron grip on this nation since 1980, when the white government was replaced by a provisional government and then by the tyrant himself.
Now, Mr. Mugabe is ready for a run off because he will claim that the rightful winner, Morgan Tsvangirai, did got get 50% plus one. Any one below that and the top two candidates are in a runoff.
But, most observers believe that Mr. Tsvangirai won the needed percentage, in fact it is 50.3% to Mr. Mugabe and the ruling ZANU-PF party's 43%.
Watch events in Zimbabwe. An outright win by the MDC, which has won control of parliament, and Mr. Tsvangirai will be welcome news. If this nation spirals into more of the abyss, look for the radical Islamics to try to spread money around to "help" the people. It is exactly how Hezbollah attained power in Lebanon.

A Sports Scam

While it is the beginning of the baseball season, praise hallelujah!, there is a disturbing trend of higher ticket prices going on.
Most teams have what seems like a hundred different ticket prices. It seems that each section on each level has a price.
But the scam is what are generally "premium" dates.
These are dates that the owners and the other powers to be seem to feel they can dig into us, the fan's pockets, a little deeper for the pleasure to see the "best of the best" in each league.
Here is but one example.
The Cincinnati Reds, now perennial cellar dwellers in the National League Central division think that $7 for the cheap seats are just not enough to see some teams. When the Cleveland Indians or Chicago Cubs come to town, just fork out another $5 bucks. Your $7 ticket becomes a $12 ducet. And, as the television informercials shriek, "But wait! It does not end there!" On opening day and when the Boston Red Sox come to town, please, add another $10 and that $7 ticket you started at becomes a $22 ticket. For the pleasure of seeing the Red Sox or opening day with the Arizona Diamondbacks, you better break the kid's piggy bank for you will need all the cash.
If you think that is absurd, the Houston Astros dugout box seats, the best in the house, go from $50 to $75 for their "Premium" games. And, by coinkydink, these premium games are against the hated New York Yankees and the, you guessed it, Red Sox.
Oh, another scam is trying to get you to buy season tickets.
The Seattle Mariners best seat, the lower box, is only $40 a game if you buy season tickets. Then there is the Early Bird special, which was only good until March 28, and you can buy same seat for $58. From March 29 to date of actual game, the same seat costs you $60. But, if you decide after a long day at work to go to the yard to relax, that same $40 seat now is $65.
AMAZING!
As a committed capitalist, I have no problem with any baseball team wanting to make money. After all, we must remember that they are not just paying the high salaries of glorified bench warmers. There is all the front office staff, the people who sell the tickets, and certainly get the most abuse, the cities that most teams lease their ball parks from. Keep in mind, the teams need to pay all of these people.
But, when major league baseball needs to do all that it can to attract the families and children to see the great American pastime, it sends the wrong message to put getting decent seats, and even the cheap seats, out of the reach of many the average fan.
I suppose some of baseball gets it. But their solution is somewhat disturbing.
Many teams offer "all you can eat sections" in which on top of the regular ticket price, usually anywhere from roughly about $15 to $20 more, you can gorge on hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, soft drinks. It varies.
The reason it is disturbing is that, and I should talk, this nation has a weight problem. I am not saying that everyone should look perfect, thin as a rail. But we should not be aspiring to become Michael Moore or Rosie O'Donnell. This may not be such a hot idea. But, at least it is an idea.
This dizzying way for teams to make more money off of the fans can be laid at the feet of Bud Selig, the "commissioner" of major league baseball.
Mr. Selig is the worst commissioner ever. I think he should angle for a spot in a Sen. Barack administration. I mean, this moron saw players suddenly adding a lot of muscle in the 1990s and did not think that maybe there was something going on? I think that Mr. Selig probably looked the other way.
Mr. Selig seems hellbent on destroying major league baseball.
It was his hair-brained scheme to switch all kinds of teams from divisions and even leagues. He has gutted the distinctions between the American and National leagues. Umpires are no longer hired by the leagues but are part of "major league baseball". The only team that Mr. Selig switched was his Milwaukee Brewers from the American League to the National League. His team? Oh, that's right. Mr. Selig was the owner of the Brewers. And what was his claim to fame before ruining, er attaining, the Brewers? A used car salesman.
Now, all of this spiraling out of control is not all of Mr. Selig's fault. But, he can do more to encourage teams to offer better seats for less money on nights that teams do not get great attendance. But, no, Mr. Selig is just a whiner.
What we need is for an owner to say, you know what? ALL seats are half price on Monday games, no matter who we play. It would be gesture of goodwill, families can afford to attend the game without getting a loan for one of the children as collateral.
We, the fans, need to write to our favorite teams and make suggestions. For if not, this scam of tiered pricing will only continue and many a fan will simply stay home. And that is not good for any team's bottom line.

Good News In Zimbabwe?

In one of Africa's most tyrannical "democracies", Zimbabwe, the now hated Robert Mugabe era is about to end. And, unlike so much of the rest of the continent, without a shot but the result of an election.
Mr. Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia, with an iron fist since the white government collapsed and a deal was cut with Great Britain for the black majority to rule their land. Mr. Mugabe was the head of the ZANU-PF army that fought the white government of former Prime Minister Ian Smith. Then Rhodesia was recognized by few nations and was all alone in fighting black rebels seeking to wrest control from Mr. Smith. Eventually, Great Britain stepped in, put in a black provisional government and the government changed the name of the nation to Zimbabwe, the capital from Salisbury to Harare. Then there were elections in 1980. Then, Robert Mugabe won the election and has not looked back.
Mr. Mugabe has ruled with an iron fist. Sure, he let the appearance of a democracy for international consumption. But, there was the hidden hand of the armed forces and the police, personal fiefdoms for Mr. Mugabe and his minions.
Mr. Mugabe continued to "win" elections and the ZANU-PF party dominated the parliament. But, events happened that hastened the beginning of the end for Mr. Mugabe.
South Africa went from a white-only government to a multi-racial one. Nelson Mandela was released from prison and eventually was elected president of South Africa. That took away a propaganda tool of the Mugabe regime.
Then in 2000, Mr. Mugabe started making trouble for the few white Zimbabweans left and owned farms. Mr. Mugabe sent henchmen to intimidate the farmers and allowed squatters to occupy their land, based on nothing but age-old possibilities of those squatters maybe had rights to the land. That began setting the already tenuous economy on an incredible downhill spiral that may take a very long time for this troubled land to recover.
And in 2004, the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, gave Mr. Mugabe a run for his money and may have actually won the presidential election that year. But, Mr. Mugabe, the armed forces and police and the judiciary all under his thumb, made sure that the real results did not occur. In fact, Mr. Tsvangirai was jailed.
And now, Mr. Tsvangiri may have the last laugh.
According to Fox News Channel http://FoxNews.com, the MDC has won the majority of seats in parliament. The MDC has 105 seats to Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF's 93 and an independent candidate one seat. There are 11 outstanding and even if the ZANU-PF wins them all, they will not have the majority. And, according to MDC spokesman Tendai Biti, Mr. Tsvangiri has 50.3% to Mugabe's 43.8% and the rest to other candidates. If that holds and there are no shenanigans by the loyalists to Mr. Mugabe, it is all over.
And, those loyalists may be shrinking. Many police and members of the armed forces are rag tag and hungry. Of course that is because there is only 80% unemployment and inflation a mild 500,000% http://latimes.com . And many members of the armed forces and police do not have the means to get from location to location. And they do not have crisp new uniforms. Many are threadbare.
All of that makes it amazing that this once prosperous nation would even have 43% of its people vote for this Mugabe thug. But, maybe they did, maybe not.
A change in leadership can bring about other change that may restore this nation to prosperity and true democracy.
And it will be a welcome for South Africa and the west. Having an unstable Zimbabwe is an opening for the radical Islamics to spread their money and promises to a desperate people. Yes, this would be a major win for the good guys in the War Against Islamofacist Terror.
Now, the west needs to stand firm and for the new president, Morgan Tsvangirai and the people of Zimbabwe.