Where Conrad Burns Went Wrong

He didn't brag about corruption like this guy. What's that eerie silence that I hear?
Oh yeah, that's the outrage that was directed against Burns, but has no problem with Murtha.
Next time, don't give them more credibility than they deserve. Which by the way, is exactly zero.

RIP Bob Shea

Dr. Shea was a friend of mine. I first met him when I was looking for help for a client. He was always so interesting and fun to talk to, and his insight into the human condition was always so valuable. I will miss him very much.
His obituary can be found here.

Losing Their Religion?

I am always bemused by the supposed confusion of those on the Left toward religion. Chris Matthews spent time on his show Hardball complaining about how religious Republicans are. This is always a problem when you have competing true believers of what is the correct faith. And Chris Matthews and much of the Left have a faith in the government that leaves no room for any other version of belief.
Analyzing their approach to life, reveals how they have substituted their faith for their ideology. First, they have belief in an amorphous being called the "Government" which exists at all levels of their life. This superior being is able to bring all that they desire should they simply proffer the appropriate offerings, usually in the form of taxes and submission to regulatory bodies. This belief is not necessarily based on facts. In truth, it is often that they feel betrayed by their deity in such things as Katrina or failure to promptly implement universal health care and prevent global warming. These failures are more due to their own and their fellow citizen's lack of true belief in the deity. Failure of the deity to deliver can only be cured by more striving for perfection in what is offered to the deity to secure the desired results.
And like all great religions, they have to deal with those apostates who refuse to acknowledge the deity. These are usually called Republicans or conservatives. These apostates must be silenced, lest they contaminate the weaker members of the true believers. This is accomplished by their acolytes through attempts to bring back the oxymoronic "Fairness Doctrine" and the labeling of all non believer communications as "hate speech."
The one serious advantage that their religion has over others, is the ability to coerce tithings from non-believers. Just imagine how jealous other religions must be of the government's ability to bring guns, courts and jails to their ability to extract offerings from even non-believers to the higher power.
The deity has a system of a priestly class that helps to interpret what the deity wants from the believers, and acts as an intermediary in their pleas for beneficience from the same. These are called bureaucrats. Armed with the arcane knowledge of how to communicate with the deity, they are different from other believers because they have the inside track on what it is that the deity wants. Their decisions can only be appealed through the ecclesiastical courts of higher bureaucracy. This priestly class is assisted by the High Priests and Priestesses of the deity, known as politicians. Armed with certainty and campaign donations, but not necessarily knowledge, they interact with the lower class bureaucrats in providing the miracles that only the deity can deliver. The High Priest class will always assume the credit should the deity deliver, but will transfer the blame for failure onto the non-believers and occasionally the bureaucrats. But the deity is never to be questioned, for to do so would be heresy.
We are just now entering the modern equivalent of the 30 Years War, with the division of territory according to the Prince's of each of those territories designating whether their territory is to be of the One True Faith, or the apostasy of small government.
Personally, I think that we need another modern day Martin Luther and a new Reformation.

Ain't that the truth

From the trivia widget on the left:

The female knot-tying weaverbird will refuse to mate with a male who has built a shoddy nest. If spurned, the male must take the nest apart and completely rebuild it in order to win the affections of the female.

Seems to apply with humans as well. At least to keep my wife (The Good Democrat) happy.

Your Puny Weapons Have No Effect on Me.

On NRO, they are talking about Barney Frank (D-Gays) calling Scalia a "homophobe." This is just another continuation in the efforts to suppress differing opinions, by making false charges that force the accused to defend themselves. So many on the Left are adept at it these days, whether it was Cynthia McKinney, Rep. Clyburn of South Carolina (who said that his governor's refusal to accept the porkulus bill was racist), any criticism of Obama's policies are considered racist as well as way too many others. The problem is that it is starting to lose its effect.
Take Frank's scurillous name calling. Why is Scalia a homophobe? Apparently because he hasn't reversed the Defense of Marriage Act. Of course it hasn't come before the SCOTUS yet, but that is just a technicality.
The allegations are nothing more than the old rhetorical trick of "When did you stop beating your wife." It serves no useful purpose in a discussion, but is wonderfully amusing.
It's time to stop laughing at this nonsense and call it out for what it is: Wrong.

Tea Parties and the Media

Tea Parties are not receiving the kind of attention as that of the professional protesters like ACORN. But these are hard working citizens who are frustrated with the way the government is so indiscriminately throwing money around. The same sort of folks who actually, you know, pay taxes. We need to do more to help get the word out about the upcoming Montana Tea Parties. One site to start with is here My problem is that they post all of their information on Facebook, something that I have absolutely nothing to do with. But all of you smart people can find them there.
As for me, I may be alone, but I will be at the Polson Post Office at noon on the 15th, and if anyone wants to join me, you are more than welcome.

Why are we spending money on these?

From the PowerLine which cites to a London Times article, some of the items in the recently passed omnibus bill:
- Removing tattoos from gang members (California): $200,000

- Polynesian Voyaging Society (Hawaii): $238,000

- Swine odour and manure management (Iowa): $2m

- Preserving Lahontan cut-throat trout (Nevada): $250,000

- Stable fly control (Nebraska): $866,000

- Blackbird management (North Dakota): $265,000

- Encouraging teenagers to abstain from sex (Pennsylvania): $24,000

When we are going to be running an almost $2 Trillon dollar deficit, why are we spending money on these items? Sure they are small, but in the aggregate, it still adds up to $2 Trillion dollars. Used to be that 2 Billion was incomprehensible. Now we bandy about a number one thousand times greater but without one thousand times greater concern.

The Tax Song

With Tax Day coming up in just three and a half weeks, this song seems appropriate:



And just think, if you made enough, and paid off Dodd, Baucus, Rangel and others, you could get special exemptions. After all, taxes are just for the little people.

My Secret Plan is Working!!

Bwahahahaha, Democrats and the Left have fallen completely into my trap, just as I planned. Being in charge of both Congress and the White House, they have reverted to their true nature and become the tax and spend liberals that we always knew that they were, thereby removing the anomaly of Bill Clinton. Sure, Bill did balance the budget and start a surplus, but that was an accident of timing coupled with a Republican Congress.
Having relied on the Clinton example for the last eight years as a proof that Democrats could be fiscally prudent, they have instead resumed their true colors. Now they are planning the outrageous deficits that are set to destroy the country more surely than any enemy could ever accomplish.
Part of the plan was to instill the belief that Conservatism has been obliterated after the last election. The fools! They did not realize that it was all part of the plan. I knew that they would be unable to restrain themselves and to act responsibly. Their internal contradictions necessitated that they overreach and alienate the moderate middle that went for Obama last November. New numbers just out show that the generic Congressional ballot has Democrats and Republicans tied at the moment. And in 2010, without Obama on the ballot, Democrats who are less likely to vote will stay at home while Republicans and independents will turn out in droves to turn out the corrupt likes of Dodd and Ried. In the other congressional elections, what Democrat is going to avoid being coupled with Rangel or Barney Frank? Not to mention the federal earmarks in the "stimulus" bill that have nothing to do with creating or saving jobs. Republicans will need to point out that Congress was not spending our hard earned dollars. Instead, they were spending our future hard earned dollars at a rate that would make payday loan operators blush.
The next step in my plan calls for the removal of Bonior and McConnell as head of the Republicans and replace them with Jeff Flake and Sen. Coburn. These deficit hawks need to propose that if they come into the majority that they will completely curb federal spending except that which is legally mandated, and just keep that at the rate of inflation. Next absolutely no federal spending on anything that does not have a broad based national interest. No new parks or bike paths in Missoula or sewage plants in Akron, Ohio until we get spending under control. Republicans should also run on a promise that they will pass a Constitutional amendment authorizing a line item veto. This will probably be vetoed by Obama, but it will have quite a bit of resonance with the general public, and could be a launching platform for the next Republican candidate for President in 2012.
While the groundwork has been set, Republicans need to remember that they cannot follow the model of the Democrats and try to buy the voting public's love. Instead, they need to act like adults and point out that we need to act responsibly, even if it is going to be painful. The American public is willing to accept pain if they think that the pain is equally shared. We are just looking for someone who is willing to spread the discomfort around, rather than just targeting the "rich."
The best part of the plan though, is going to see the look on the Left's faces as they realize that while they thought that they had destroyed Conservatism, they have simply put in place the conditions which will ensure its validity for the next thirty years.
And we couldn't have done it without them.

Justice Prevails Again!

Thanks to the Professional Liar/Confidential Informant's inability to appear, and that part of the Constitution about the right to confront and cross examine, the marijuana case has been dismissed, thereby saving the people of the State of Montana $40,000 per year for his incarceration.
Almost enough to ease some of my cynicism about the American Justice system.

Nah.

I'll be Back

Last week, I had a deliberate homicide trial, that luckily was resolved in favor of what really happened. Next week, I have a Distribution of Dangerous Drugs trial (marijuana). Why in the hell we are looking to send someone to prison for up to life for the sale of less than 5 grams of what is probably ragweed has me stumped. But until that trial is over, I will only be able to catch a few of the Dextra posts.

My apologies.

Budge Nails It

Not that he needs the extra attention, but this about Obama had me rolling on the floor, laughing my a** off:

Personally I blame Obama. That should be no surprise though. I learned long ago never to underestimate the distruction a politician can cause. And so far Obama is nothing more than two-faced, double-speaking politician.

I don’t have to hope he fails. At this rate he’s doing fine all by himself.

Time for a Montana Tea Party?

The Montana Misanthrope points out the hypocrisy of Tester specifically and Baucus in general. Before we raise taxes on anyone, let's only spend our money on what he have to have. For instance, and just a beginning:

Included in Prime Cuts 2009 is the elimination of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program (MAP). The program aims to help agricultural producers promote U.S. products overseas; however, MAP funnels millions of dollars to large corporations. If eliminated, it would save taxpayers $231 million over five years.

Also recommended for elimination is the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). Created in 1992, the NDIC is Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) expensive pet project. The NDIC is an ineffective and wasteful program that costs millions each year. Taxpayers would save $115 million over five years if the NDIC was eliminated.

One of the more expensive projects on this year’s list of recommendations for elimination is the New Moon/Mars initiative. The initiative is a Bush Administration plan to continue NASA’s exploration of Mars and to return to the Moon by 2020. In just one year the elimination of the New Moon/Mars initiative would save taxpayers $1.5 billion, and $11.5 billion over five years.

Thanks to Citizens Against Government Waste. And that is just the beginning.
Until you can tell me that the above listed items are more important than health care for the masses, I am never going to support raising taxes. You can't seriously say that the government needs more money when it is spending it on junk.
Well Jon? Where do you stand on these items for the moment?

Sometimes,You can be just too clever

I never understood why Obama brought Rush Limbaugh into the forefront of who the Republicans should not listen to. Then, when Rush announced that he hoped that Obama fails, the media ran wild with it. Never mind, that if you listen to what he actually said, he wanted Obama's policies to fail, not the country. But for many on the Left, politics is the personal, which is probably why they don't see their own hypocrisy during the Bush years when they labeled him a failure and his policies disastrous. And that was just because he was a Republican, not even a conservative.
But the Obama administration's efforts to keep bringing up Limbaugh puzzled me somewhat. If you don't agree with him, ignore him. But then, I came to find out that there is actually a concerted strategy to paint Limbaugh as the face of Republicans. Apparently,polling shows that Limbaugh is unfavorably received by younger voters. Okay, that seems reasonably smart. Except for one thing. Rush is not a passive person who is willing to be the foil that the Democrats lack. In fact, he is challenging Obama to a one on one debate. No cue cards, teleprompters,aides whispering from behind, absolutely nothing but Obama's powerful intellect. A part of what is on his website:

But I have an idea. If these guys are so impressed with themselves, and if they are so sure of their correctness, why doesn’t President Obama come on my show? We will do a one-on-one debate of ideas and policies. Now, his people in this Politico story, it’s on the record. They’re claiming they wanted me all along. They wanted me to be the focus of attention. So let’s have the debate! I am offering President Obama to come on this program — without staffers, without a TelePrompTer, without note cards — to debate me on the issues. Let’s talk about free markets versus government control. Let’s talk about nationalizing health care and raising taxes on small business.

Let’s talk about the New Deal versus Reaganomics. Let’s talk about closing Guantanamo Bay, and let’s talk about sending $900 million to Hamas. Let’s talk about illegal immigration and the lawlessness on the borders. Let’s talk about massive deficits and the destroying of opportunities of future generations. Let’s talk about ACORN, community agitators, and the unions that represent the government employees which pour millions of dollars into your campaign, President Obama. Let’s talk about your elimination of school choice for minority students in the District of Columbia. Let’s talk about your efforts to further reduce domestic drilling and refining of oil. Let’s talk about your stock market. By the way, Mr. President, I want to help. Yesterday you said you looked at the stock market as no different than a tracking poll that goes up and down.

There’s no “up and down” here. We have a plunge. The president yesterday suggested “we’re getting to the point where profits and earnings ratios are approaching that point where you want to invest.” Uh, Mr. President? There is no “profits and earnings” ratio. It’s “price and earnings” ratio. He’s the president of the United States. He doesn’t know anything about the stock market. He’s admitted it before. Let’s talk about it anyway. You want to maintain it’s a tracking poll? I’d love to talk to you about that. Let’s talk about all of these things, Mr. President. Let’s go ahead and have a debate on this show. No limits. Now that your handlers are praising themselves for promoting me as the head of a political party — they think that’s a great thing — then it should be a no-brainer for you to further advance this strategy by debating me on the issues and on the merits, and wipe me out once and for all!

Just come on this program. Let’s have a little debate. You tell me how wrong I am and you can convince the rest of the American that don’t agree with you how wrong we all are. You’re a smart guy, Mr. President. You don’t need these hacks to front for you. You’ve debated the best! You’ve debated Hillary Clinton. You’ve debated John Edwards. You’ve debated Joe Biden. You’ve debated Dennis Kucinich. You’ve debated the best out there. You are one of the most gifted public speakers of our age. I would think, Mr. President, you would jump at this opportunity. Don’t send lightweights like Begala and Carville to do your bidding — and forget about the ballerina, Emanuel. He’s got things to do in his office. These people, compared to you, Mr. President, are rhetorical chum.

By elevating Rush to be the face of Republicans, how can Obama not accept? If he refuses to debate the man that he helped to elevate to public enemy number one, then is it because he's afraid? He can't pretend that Limbaugh is just a commentator, since he took him on first.
Sometimes, all of these smart people sure do seem dumb.

UPDATE From Scrappleface:

Obama to Drop Shield if Russia Helps with Limbaugh
by Scott Ott for ScrappleFace · 17 Comments

(2009-03-05) — President Barack Obama has reportedly written another private note to his Russian counterpart offering to halt deployment of a defensive nuclear missile shield in Europe, this time in exchange for Russia’s help in dealing with U.S. talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh.

The White House immediately denied the existence of the letter to President Dmitry Medvedev, but acknowledged “ongoing internal deliberations over a measured response using all the tools of U.S. power, including diplomacy.”

Dealing with Mr. Limbaugh has taken the Obama administration’s focus off of other global trouble spots like North Korea, Iran and Chicago.

The rift between President Obama and Mr. Limbaugh started in October when the radio kingpin said of Mr. Obama “I hope he fails.” Tension escalated when Democrat pollsters discovered that Rush Limbaugh is the only remaining divisive Republican with name recognition higher than 10 percent.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, during his daily review of cable TV and radio personalities, said that President Obama won election, in part, “on a promise to be more inclusive, to talk with enemies, and to present an American face to the world that is more about dialogue and multilateral solutions than confrontation.”

“If President Obama intends to find common ground with the Mullahs in Iran,” said Mr. Gibbs, “He can certainly find a way to appease Rush Limbaugh.”

An unnamed State Department source said that when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returns from the Middle East, the president will “dispatch her to Florida to engage Limbaugh in high-level talks to keep this situation from mushrooming.”

The State Department also released its standard diplomatic response statement, which covers everything from nuclear weapons deployment by hostile regimes, to Israeli destruction of houses in Palestinian ’settlements’, calling Mr. Limbaugh’s remarks “unhelpful.”