Thursday, January 31, 2008

Bush "Stimulus Plan"



I cannot say whether or not President Bush and the Federal Reserve Board are deliberately trying to destroy the dollar, I can only assure you that if that was their intent then they would be doing exactly what they are doing. Of course former President Vicente Fox admitted on Larry King Live that the "long long range goal" of the elites is to form an "American Union" similar to the EU with a common currency.

You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to believe that, you just have to be willing to accept it when some of the people doing this admit it. Too many are NOT willing to accept it even when directly told so by some of the participants because such knowledge brings with it a responsibility to act. The default position is denial, and it takes great strength of character to overcome it. Even Adolf Hitler outlined exactly what he meant to do in Mien Kampf. His victims simply refused to believe it until the bombs were falling.

The dollar is already losing value quickly. It is losing value in relation to other fiat currencies, but all currencies are losing value compared to real things like oil, copper, lumber, and food. This is called inflation. When the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates, as it just has, it means that money costs less to borrow- that is to say it is easier to get some. Unfortunately, making money easier to get does nothing to make gasoline, food, gold etcetera easier to get. Therefore, by the law of supply and demand the price of all of these things will increase as measured in dollars.

President Bush is less subtle. He just wants to send everybody free money from the Federal government like some kind of power-crazed Matthew Lesko. His "tax rebate" plan would go to all filers- even those who did not pay taxes. Even, until the Senate fixed it, illegal aliens who file a return with a bogus social security number on it. Since the money is given even when it is in excess of actual taxes paid, his so-called "tax-cut" is nothing more than welfare without the moral integrity to call it such.

As with the Federal Reserves' attempts to hand out easy money, the net result will not make anyone better off. It will merely act to further destroy the dollar. The dollar that is in your paychecks, in your 401k, and in your checking account. To illustrate how, consider if El Presidente sent every household one million dollars instead of just $600. Are we all rich? No, we will not be all rich, but the dollar will be destroyed. As soon as the money shows up in our mailboxes we rush down to the car lot to buy ourselves a Beemer. There are 1,000 other folks there as well lined up to buy one of the 50 cars on the lot with their newfound riches. The lot owner quickly jacks his prices way up until those 50 willing to pay the most get the 50 cars and the rest go home empty-handed.

And the same thing happens everywhere, with clothes, restaurants, gun shops, stock markets, all over. The "free" money in the system jacks up prices. Too bad your savings and earnings don't multiply as much as the dollar goes down. All that results from inflation is that the currency is destroyed and people think they have more money "value" than they really do. Because of this, they mis-allocate resources. Mis-allocation of resources can destroy an economy. The car dealer may order another 100 Beamers- and then go broke once it sinks in that people still can't afford them, they only thought they could. Whenever the government issues more currency that is not proportional to an increase of production in the economy, then the value of the currency goes down. This is what Bush is doing. Its going to destroy the dollar, and open the door for the Amero or whatever currency they want to come after it.

So will I tear up my check? I can't afford to any more than you can. I am going to be harmed by the inflation caused by all the dollar-dumping, so acting unilaterally is a loser. I guess I will pay down debt or buy ammo. What will you do with your?

The Republican Dilemma/Beat Hillary or Save the Party

The quote, "These are the times that try men's souls" by Founding Father Thomas Paine is certainly appropriate for the Republicans this presidential election. ALL the conservatives I know have been alarmed, baffled, frustrated, discouraged, angry, or bitter at some time during this campaign.

The biggest issue that seems to face conservatives is whether to try to elect someone who can beat Hillary or to support the best candidate even if Republicans lose in the general election. A form of civil war has been waged over this issue, with many close friends and staunch Republican supporters lining up on different sides of the issue and often with hurt and angry feelings toward their dear friends. I, like many others, have had this debate with myself, and with others, numerous times over the last few months.

Many conservatives are making their decisions out of desperation in order to prevent the worst nightmare of their lives: Hillary Clinton as President of the United States. But others argue that if we put a liberal Republican in the White House that it will destroy the Republican Party – that if we nominate a liberal as our candidate, we will lose the party just as the conservatives in the Democrat Party lost their party many years ago. Then there would be no one to fight for our issues.

There are good arguments on both sides, and I think this is the time that we should strive to understand each other more than any time I ever remember. I agree that Hillary Clinton will be the worst President we have ever had for the Christians and conservatives. But as someone has said, it took a Jimmy Carter to get a Ronald Reagan. It took Bill Clinton's Presidency for there to be a landslide victory for Republicans in Congress after his first couple years in office.

I think I am persuaded that it would be better for the conservatives to send a message to the leaders of the Party that we will not accept and vote for a liberal candidate even if Hillary Clinton becomes President. That may sound like heresy to many of you, but note what a liberal, socialist Republican did to the Republican Party in Arkansas. (See blue font below)

When Governor Huckabee pushed the many issues that were totally anti conservative, the Republicans in the legislature would not disagree with their own Party leader so there was no one left to fight against the liberal programs. When Republican legislators or other conservatives tried to bring light to the issue by criticizing it, they were ostracized for not being a team player or for hurting the party. This brought great division in the party. I saw this happen over and over during Governor Huckabee's governorship, and it has happened on the national level with President Bush as well. Had the governor been a Democrat, there would have been great opposition to many things that Huckabee pushed through with ease. Following are excerpts from a Washington Times article that describes just how badly the Republican Party in Arkansas fared under Huckabee.

The former Southern Baptist pastor-turned-politician took control of the governor's mansion in 1996 with expectations that he would lead the kind of Republican ascension in other states of the Deep South . . ."He destroyed it," said Randy Minton, a former state representative whom Mr. Huckabee worked to help get elected but who later clashed repeatedly with the governor. "We had one U.S. senator, we had two congressmen, at the tops we had 37 out of 135 legislators in the House and Senate. Now I think there's 32 in the legislature, we have no U.S. senators and we have one congressman."

"In the 10 years where the governor was the title head of the party, we actually took steps backwards," Mr. Files said, noting that Republicans were advancing in other Southern states. "The overall morale of the party did not take any of those same stages it did in the other states. It started plateauing and took a dive."

But when Mr. Huckabee sought surrogates to counter the opposition from Republicans in his state, fewer than half of the Republicans in the state legislature signed up.

By the end of his tenure, Mr. Huckabee was calling his Republican opponents the "Shi'ites" and they called him a "Christian socialist." They said no Republicans hold any of the statewide constitutional offices, and the state party chairman told the Associated Press last week that he doesn't expect to field a candidate this year to run against Sen. Mark Pryor, a Democrat.

For the rest of the article see this link or click Thursday below; or if sent here just scroll down. http://www.wpaag.org/republican_dilemma%20-%20beat%20Hillary%20or%20save%20the%20party.htm

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Illegals Could Receive Up to $600 from Stimulus Passage

Lou Dobbs on CNN discussed this topic tonight on his TV program, and the he following alert was sent out today by ALIPAC (American for Legal Immigration) saying,

"Today we received word that the house passed an economic stimulus bill last night that would give checks to illegal aliens. Illegal aliens, termed 'Resident Aliens" that have a taxpayer ID number would receive $300 if they just have the number but have not paid taxes with it and $600 checks if they have filed taxes under their ID number. This bill passed the Congress by a large margin because they suspended the rules to prevent any amendments or changes to the bill. It is now headed to the Senate, where President Bush is pushing for rapid passage without changes. Please pick up your phones and use our Senate Contact Directory to call both your Senators immediately. Please follow up your calls with an e-mail into their websites!" (Contact information for Bush and two Arkansas Senators is pasted below) More details found at...Lou Dobbs Alert: Illegal Immigrants May Get Rebates http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001GHM0lHM7NAA53-g76KU_Wf3LL1oeGuFsAEjPcSIgzWL5ZbGt5HtC1KN6wJeAEta0Qf_6JRAf12IpcpgbRsmyq7eCq36SKz__K5yliRCQLZR06cOZ_azMH9BnGH6NDdTKM2e0VJmt8Xc=The ALIPAC Team http://www.alipac.us/

President Bush contact information
E mail - comments@whitehouse.gov.
Comments: 202-456-1111 for White HouseSwitchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461 for White House

Senator Blanche Lambert Lincoln (D- AR) Phone 202-224-4843 Fax :202-228-1371 Go to this link to send an email: http://lincoln.senate.gov/html/webform.html

Senator Mark Pryor (D- AR) Phone: 202-224-2353 Fax: 202-228-0908 Go to this link to send an email. http://pryor.senate.gov/email_webform.htm

One Reason NOT To Vote for McCain

"To woo California Latinos, where he is running 3-to-1 behind rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, he [Barack Obama] is taking a giant risk: spotlighting his support for the red-hot issue of granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants." http://michellemalkin.com/2008/01/28/obama-crusades-for-illegal-alien-drivers-licenses-y-tu-mccain/

Hillary Clinton once made a statement that could be taken as support for issuing drivers' licenses to illegal aliens but now waffles on the issue. However, her position is fairly well known as being very pro illegal aliens on issues. The illegal alien issue could be one issue where the Republican candidate could gain numerous votes in the general election - that is if McCain is NOT the Republican nominee. McCain was co-sponsor with Ted Kennedy of the amnesty bill that caused the greatest grassroots upheaval this country has ever known. If McCain gets the nomination, the Republicans would lose that edge.

Perhaps that is one of the significant reasons that the liberal press has been so favorable to McCain.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

And Then There Were Four

The Fantastic Four? We wish!


The results of Florida's primary are too close to call at this point, except to say that Rudy Guiliani will likely be out of the race. That will reduce the race from eleven to four candidates- but paring down those last four may be problematic. All of them have reason to stay in the race.

There are only two candidates who have both significant funds left and more importantly a built-in nation-wide network of supporters. Those two are Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. Romney can count on a network of Mormons and a vast personal fortune while Paul has a network of Constitutionalists and demonstrated online fund-raising prowess.

Let's look at where Paul is first: While Rudy trumpeted his "wait until later to really get going" strategy, Ron Paul is the one who quietly executed that strategy with success. He spent less of his total resources on the early primaries than any other candidate except Guiliani. By staying low-key about his de-emphasis of the early states, Paul did respectably enough in them to stay viable while building an organization for Super Tuesday and beyond that is superior to the other candidates. For example, Paul has no less than FIVE state headquarters in Arkansas (Rogers, Ft. Smith, Jonesboro, Mena, Camden) while no other candidate even has a single one (I don't count Huckabee's hidden office). Paul's biggest problems: one-issue voters who agree with him on every issue EXCEPT the war, and would rather have someone who will lie to them than disagree with them on one thing and 2) a corporate media who maintain a near-blackout on the candidate.

Now lets look at McCain and Romney: They also both have reason to stay in the race. One of them will lead in delegates, the other will be second. At first glance, it may appear that no matter who wins tonight that Romney has the winning hand. McCain is going to run low on states with elections that include the independent voters that favor him, and he lacks Romney's nationwide network of co-religionists. Though he is a wealthy man, his personal fortune is not on par with Romney's. He led the push for amnesty that is anathema to the base of the party.

But McCain lots of advantages too. The media gives him millions of dollars worth of favorable coverage that Romney mostly has to buy. His record, while liberal by Republican standards is actually to the right of Romney. He is a stake president of a church that considers all orthodox Christian churches to be in apostasy along with a host of other curious doctrines. And that brings us to McCain's other ace in the hole.......

Mike Huckabee seems to be in alliance with McCain. His job is to help attack Romney and keep religious conservatives from going to Romney (as odd as that sounds on fact, on feeling tone and "look", Mormons and Fundamentalist Christians have much in common). Though as we have seen, the corporate media will savage him if he gets too far in front, they lavish him with positive attention when he is helping McCain double-team Romney. He has enough states coming up where he is strong to make it worth his while staying in the race even if he is broke. He does not have to get a majority of delegates- just a big enough pile to trade for a VP slot. With four in the race, it could happen. Especially since there appears to be no compelling reason for any of them to leave.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Huckabee Alienates GOP in Arkansas/Washington Times

Following are excerpts from a Washington Times article entitled “Huckabee alienates GOP in Arkansas”

See this link for the entire article: http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/NATION/8463148/1001

The former Southern Baptist pastor-turned-politician took control of the governor's mansion in 1996 with expectations that he would lead the kind of Republican ascension in other states of the Deep South . . ."He destroyed it," said Randy Minton, a former state representative whom Mr. Huckabee worked to help get elected but who later clashed repeatedly with the governor. "We had one U.S. senator, we had two congressmen, at the tops we had 37 out of 135 legislators in the House and Senate. Now I think there's 32 in the legislature, we have no U.S. senators and we have one congressman."

"In the 10 years where the governor was the title head of the party, we actually took steps backwards," Mr. Files said, noting that Republicans were advancing in other Southern states. "The overall morale of the party did not take any of those same stages it did in the other states. It started plateauing and took a dive."

But when Mr. Huckabee sought surrogates to counter the opposition from Republicans in his state, fewer than half of the Republicans in the state legislature signed up.

Arkansas Republicans, though, said Mr. Huckabee was building an organization for himself, not a farm team for the party. He left many appointments of former Govs. Bill Clinton and Jim Guy Tucker in office, including some department heads who stayed through Mr. Huckabee's tenure.

By the end of his tenure, Mr. Huckabee was calling his Republican opponents the "Shi'ites" and they called him a "Christian socialist."They said no Republicans hold any of the statewide constitutional offices, and the state party chairman told the Associated Press last week that he doesn't expect to field a candidate this year to run against Sen. Mark Pryor, a Democrat.

One Democrat who received CLAPAC money was Barbara Horn. Mr. Huckabee supported her even though a Republican planned to run for the same seat in 2000. The Associated Press reported that Mr. Huckabee's support for the Democrat chased the Republican from the race, delivering an open seat to the Democratic Party.

In 2005, Mr. Huckabee registered another political action committee in Virginia, which has less stringent limits on campaign activity. The stated goal of that PAC, Hope for America, was to aid state and local candidates nationwide. But records show it hasn't donated to a single candidate but instead has paid for Mr. Huckabee's consultants, travel and fundraising.

Colorado Dumps Touch Screen/Paper Is Back

According to CNN Lou Dobbs on January 24, 08, "Colorado legislators today agreed to dump touch screen voting and go back to paper for the election." Some say this decision will probably have far reaching influence on other states.

In the newscast Governor Bill Ritter (D) of Colorado was quoted as saying, "It ensures a paper trail. It minimizes the possibility of technology failures that have caused Election Day problems in the past in Colorado."

John Bonifaz of Voteraction.org had this to say on the Lou Dobbs' program, "It's time to investigate these companies that have been marketing a defective product across the United States, to hold them accountable for doing that and . . . recoup millions of dollars of taxpayer money spent on this defective product.

It was noted on the program that "Florida will use paperless voting in its upcoming January 29th primary. Five other states, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey and Tennessee will either use all paperless or mostly paperless touch screen voting on Super Tuesday February 5th."

Dobbs closed this section with this quote: "And very responsible [the decision Colorado made.] The reality is, because no one thinks — we’re focusing on this, the issue is that these machines are not reliable to the degree they should be and with a paper trail, verified paper system. There is — at least you’re protecting the integrity of the system so you have a recount. People must understand, you can’t have a recount without that."

Transcript of Lou Dobbs program can be found at this link: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.politics.usa.republicans/browse_thread/thread/1258e27001427fde
See following link for a number of stories on electronic voting and the need for a paper trail:
http://www.commonblog.com/tag/paper%20ballot
See following link for a video on You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq9WVuKGwOM Video is titled "Proof of voter fraud in the USA - from the horse's mouth"
See following link for an interview with computer programmer who says, "Once you know the steps, a 10-year-old can rig an election."
http://deb-pelley.c.topica.com/maajJYkabEwIoaaaaaacaeQCRr/
See following link for an article that describes a plan that he thinks would be the perfect answer to this issue on voter fraud. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/07/opinion/07poundstone.html

Electronic Voting/Invitation to Fraud

Quote From Article Below: "I got a call from one of our more brilliant computer programmers -- he's got quite a few advanced degrees -- and he called me on a weekend and he said, "I want you to go to your computer." And he walked me through it just like a support tech does -- open this panel, click this, do this, do that. And as I'm doing this it was appalling how easy it was. Once you know the steps, a 10-year-old can rig an election. In fact it's so easy that one of our activists, Jim March in California, put together a "rig-a-vote" CD. He's been going around showing it to elections officials, and now this CD has been making its way to Congress members."

(This article describes how the country's leading touch-screen voting system is so badly designed that votes can be easily changed and how the company has illustrated signs of corruption. The company's machines are being used in 37 states) Below is an interview that explains the problem. Be sure to go to You Tube at the link at the end of this article and watch another testimony of a computer programmer who basically says that any software program can be compromised and used to steal an election.

Below are excerpts from an interview that explains the problem. See this link for full interview. http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature/2003/09/23/bev_harris/index.html
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Tell me about the flaw you uncovered in the Diebold system.

(Harris is a literary publicist and author whose investigations into the secret world of voting equipment firms have led some to call her the Erin Brockovich of elections, and who is now writing a book called "Black Box Voting." She spoke to Salon about her findings, by telephone, from her home in Seattle. )

Well, we uncovered a few problems in the memos, but the first one that we published specifically supported the flaw that I wrote about in July of 2003. And to my surprise these memos admitted they were aware of the flaw, and it was actually brought to their attention by Ciber labs -- which is a certifier -- in October 2001, and they made a decision not to fix it.

So it was brought to their attention two years ago?
Right. "

So what was the flaw?

Specifically the flaw was that you can get at the central vote-counting database through Microsoft Access. They have the security disabled. And when you get in that way, you are able to overwrite the audit log, which is supposed to log the transactions, and this [audit log] is one of the key things they cite as a security measure when they sell the system.

So you can break in and then hide your tracks.

You don't even need to break in. It will open right up and in you go. You can change the votes and you can overwrite the audit trail. It doesn't keep any record of anything in the audit trail when you're in this back door, but let's say you went in the front door and you didn't want to have anything you did there appear anywhere -- you can then go in the backdoor and erase what you did.

For rest of excerpts from article click Monday below or if sent here, just scroll down.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Media/Party Drumbeat for Mitt or McCain Begins

The Corporate Media

"Fascism is the merger of governmental and corporate power"- widely attributed to Benito Mussolini.
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Almost all major media in the United States is now owned by six gigantic international corporations. The all sell more than media, and make money selling advertising to other giant international corporations. Once upon a time big corporations just wanted to be left alone from government interference. At that time they were a force for smaller government. Now they are the driving force for larger government, a soft fascism which will turn to tyranny once the system fails and the people grow resentful.

Getting this next part is essential to understanding what has changed in our country and why: Global corporations have come to realize that there is less profit in selling you stuff directly than there is in lobbying your government to force you to buy what they are selling through taxation and government programs. Marketing to you becomes progressively less important and lobbying "your" government becomes increasingly more important.

There is a feedback cycle at work here that will eat away at America like a deadly cancer. As the government controls more and more of the economy, corporations see more and more money to be made by "investing" in buying "shares" of government by means of political contributions and offering lucrative post-Washington jobs to policy-makers. Soon, the money in the system from these interests dwarfs the money available from ordinary citizens who donate to candidates out of what they see as the best interests of the country. The global corporations are not giving out of the bests interests of the country, but rather to maximize their own profits. They are not tied to any one country anymore, and so have no special attachment to the United States. Without this attachment, the United States simply becomes another profit center, such as a patch of land that can be stripped-mined and then abandoned when the ore runs out.

The six large corporations who control FOX, NBC, CNN et al have a special place in this new fascism. Their job is to tell the public who the "acceptable" candidates are. They endlessly repeat the names of those whom they favor and ignore, or if need be attack, the rest. They may pick one of their trusted servants to wear the "outsider" label in order to misdirect the frustrated part of the population into wasting their efforts backing another establishment stooge. The media holds up one candidate as the "insider" and the other as the media-designated "outsider", but the way the second candidate got the "outsider" label is that the insiders picked him to wear it. The very fact that they mention the outsider's name with admiration day after day is proof that the label is a sham.

There is only one peaceful solution to this mess. The American people must quit letting the corporate media tell them who "their" leaders are. We must disabuse the public of the notion that the goal of the corporate news-makers, and I include FOX and Rush in this group, is to inform the public. The real goal may very well be to prevent the public from being informed by distracting them through hyped-coverage of trivial matters while selectively ignoring what is really important. Today's media is about distraction and selling the candidate "brands" that the mega-corps find acceptable to them, not about informing you so that you can make a rational choice about what is acceptable to you.

I recently worked on the Ron Paul campaign. We were the only campaign with a real campaign HQ in the state, in fact we had three of them. We dominated in getting signs up across the state. We had meet-up groups around the state distributing literature like no other campaign. We won the most important straw poll in the state. And yet even after all that, people would ask me "but does he have a chance here?" They have been trained to ignore what is going on in their community around them and instead get their idea about what is happening from some guy in New York. People have to return to community. We have to talk to one another more and listen to TV talking heads less. We have to use the power of the internet to make our own media whose motive is disconnected from global interests.

Global corporations have come to realize that there is less profit in selling you stuff directly than there is in lobbying your government to force you to buy what they are selling through taxation and government programs. And the media, including FOX and Rush, are part of these global corporations. There is no reason to believe they are really trying to inform you or are acting in your best interests. Quit listening to them. That is the word for our time, and I ask you to tell it to your neighbor.

Friday, January 25, 2008

After the Revolution: The Arkansas Times


The Arkansas Times has a weekly paper, a daily blog, and an image. The image they seek to project is that of the idealistic left-leaning journalists who dare to challenge the system and it's face-men. In this ideal world, it's like reliving Woodstock everyday.

But time marches on. The sounds of Woodstock have faded into the mists of time and the noise of life. The idealism of combating outward injustice can neglect to confront the fact than evil also lies inside one's heart, not merely in "the system". Yesterday's angry young men clamoring for justice can become today's crotchety old men. Men whose real function has sadly devolved into keeping the next generation of justice-seekers confined into long-corrupted channels of expression for their political angst. Few things are sadder to watch, and less necessary, than to see yesterday's revolutionaries become today's conformity police. And what's more, they can't name the date they changed, or perhaps even noticed at all who or what they have become.

I talked with Rod Bryan, the personable man who ran as an Independent for Governor. We talked about which media outlets might be willing to cover his endorsement of Ron Paul for President. At first, I assumed that the Arkansas times, with their cultivated image of being daring and on the "cutting edge", would be more willing to cover the event than the big corporate media. But that daring and cutting edge image, though it may have been true at one time and though it may be how they still perceive themselves, did not match reality. Rod basically told me that during his Governor's run the Arkansas Times worked harder to ignore him than just about anybody- it was harder because his was exactly the kind of campaign they might be expected to cover if they were still actually who they held themselves out to be.

Sure enough, the ArkTimes did not cover Rod's endorsement of Paul, but managed to put up some blather about a cheerleader at a High School in Little Rock. But blacking out the story was not enough for the guardians of the Woodstock Revolution. It got worse, a guy from the Times called Rod, not to cover the story, but rather to tell him that he might want to "re-consider that" because of all of the alleged "evidence" that Ron Paul was "racist". Never mind that the President of the Texas NAACP had put out a press defending Paul, or that Walter Williams, one of the most famous black conservatives in America, endorsed Paul.

The once-upon-a-time challengers of the system were reduced to trying to herd independent-minded 30 somethings back unto the failed and corrupt Democratic Party reservation with bogus accusations of racism. Sad.

Well The Times, They Are A Changing again. The ones who were at the forefront of change last time are the ones who now "stand in the doorway and block up the halls". To the Guardians of the 60's leftist revolution: The re-revolution is coming, and this time we are going to do it right. "Peace-train take this country" like the old anthem said. Guys, we want you on the train, but if you won't get on the train, then at least get off the tracks.

Moore on Paul At UCA


Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Romney Group Buys Clear Channel

Lew Rockwell is reporting that Bain Investments, the firm managed by Mitt Romney, is in the process of acquiring Clear Channel, the mega-communications conglomerate which controls over 1,000 radio stations, including those hosting most right-wing talk radio.

This might explain what is going on in talk radio recently. They are trying to heard conservatives toward Romney, who does not have an actual record that merits such support. My read on it is that they are joining the rest of the corporate media in a brownout of Ron Paul and trying to make Mitt the man. This may be part of the reason why.

In the days of mass communication concentrated in very few hands, it does not matter what the truth is when there is no one left to tell it.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Rod Bryan Endorses Ron Paul for President


(Little Rock) Rod Bryan ran for Governor as an independent in Arkansas in 2006, garnering over 16,000 votes, mostly from younger voters in central Arkansas. This in a state in which the entire Republican primary voter turnout was only 55,000 votes. The people that voted from Bryan in '06 did not do it because they thought he was going to win, but rather because the believed in his message. Today Bryan endorsed Ron Paul for President at a press conference at the Blvd. Bread Company near the River Market.

"After I ran for Governor I stayed out of politics for a year and spent the time on my family" Bryan said, "But Ron Paul's message kept coming up and the more I looked into it, the more sense it made." Calling Paul the "only thinking person's candidate" Bryan expressed concerns about what the future holds for his small children if "corporate influence" continues to buy elections, determine media coverage, and shape policy.

Bryan took questions on several topics, including the role of the internet and its resistance to big-money takeover. "I think when the big corporations saw what TV could do in terms of shaping the country, they bought it. The internet is changing so fast that it is hard for them to do that. No one knows where the technology will drive it, they buy it up over here but then it advances over there. The people with the money have not figured out how to control it yet."

As an editorial aside, it is true that almost all mass-media outlets in this country are controlled by six giant corporations. Giant corporations have discovered there is less profit in marketing products to consumers than there is in lobbying government to force the citizens to buy their products and services through taxes. Because of this, big corporations, including the ones that control most non-internet means of mass communication, now come down strongly on the side of big government that forces citizens to consume what they sell. Any candidate who threatens these "profits through government compulsion" is going to be ignored if possible, and ridiculed and savaged if they are not.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

"Fusion" Ticket Beats Paul in Louisiana?


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UPDATE: Hard numbers here. They highlight the Paul delegates in yellow with the number of challenged ballots at the bottom of each district totals (you will have to click on the ZOOM function to get it big enough to read). The top 15 names in each district become delegates. You don't have to look the list over very long to see that if most of the challenged ballots are indeed Paul supporters then the delegates for Paul will break into the top 15 in a big way.
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We had earlier given you reports that Congressman Ron Paul was dominating the Louisiana Caucus based on multiple reports on the ground. That was in each local parish (county). But very strange things happened when those votes got to the District level. It now appears that the other candidates banded together in a so-called "Fusion Ticket" in order to deny Paul a win. With supporters of Romney, Guiliani, McCain and Huckabee acting as one unit, this "Fusion" ticket was able to acquire more unchallenged votes than Dr. Paul's supporters in all seven of Louisiana's congressional districts. They technically billed themselves as a "Pro-life/Pro-family Uncommitted" slate (a ludicrous label given the presence of Guiliani supporters in the coalition). It is unknown at this time how many delegates belong to each candidate from this ticket.

In some areas, John McCain had more support than Ron Paul. In these areas, it seems delegates for the "Fusion" ticket also served as delegates on the McCain ticket! The same names appear on both lists. They then used aggressive ballot-challenging to delay the counting of hundreds of pro-Paul ballots. When they say it "appears" John McCain won more delegates than Paul you must bear in mind that the balloting was so close that in 6 of 7 districts it is still unclear who the winner is because the number of challenged ballots was greater than the margin of victory. Should those ballots pass challenge, it is possible, likely even, that Paul will have won more delegates than McCain, or anyone except the combined strength of the all-establishment team. Of course, whatever media coverage there is will have safely passed on after announcing "McCain appears to have won the most delegates".

When I listen to most Republican voters, I hear them justify their vote based on which rival it is preventing from winning: "We can't let a pro-abort like Rudy win it", or "We can't let that slick flip-flopper Romney win it" or "McCain and Huckabee are open-borders losers, we can't let them win it." You hear a lot of that, but these are false divisions designed by the establishment to give the masses the illusion of choice. When it comes down to it, when you break down the establishment facade, the real truth was revealed yesterday in Louisiana. There are only two Republican candidates for President this year- Ron Paul and the Rest of Them.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Benton County Straw Poll Gold for Ron Paul



Benton Country Arkansas is by far the largest Republican-voting county in the state. In the last primary election, twenty-nine percent of the Republican primary vote state-wide came from this single heavily-Republican county. I will say that again, 29% of the state-wide Republican primary vote came from this one county. Tonight, Ron Paul won the Benton County Straw poll with almost 37% of the vote. Mitt Romney was second with 22% and former Republican Governor Mike Huckabee, who is not as popular in the Northwest part of the state as some might think, picked up 21% of the vote. John McCain finished ahead of Rudy Guiliani who had only four votes. 142 votes were cast in an event which was attended by over 200 people.

Joel Jones and Genet Cramlet head the Benton County Ron Paul meetup group and they did an outstanding job mustering the ground troops. Congratulations to Dr. Paul and the Patriots for this win.

Louisiana Caucus Today

****NEW UPDATE***************************

Read it and weep for our country


******UPDATE*****UPDATE*******UPDATE********

Because the corporate media has ignored this process we have had to rely on reports on the ground from various parishes around the state. These are unconfirmed and from various sources but all reports indicate that Ron Paul has scored at least 46 of 95 alternates selected and also will win more delegates than any other candidate. Romney and McCain were the only other candidates to have a serious presence in the state, with Romney supporters being the majority in one caucus. All other reports are that Ron Paul supporters were in the majority at all other caucus meetings.

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Don't expect to hear much about it from the corporate media, but Louisiana today begins the process that will determine who 24, and likely 44, of it's 47 Republican delegates will support for President. Unlike a media-driven primary process, in this setting what matters are "boots on the ground" and strength of commitment to one's candidates. Though the final delegates will be picked later, if the ones picked today are for your guy in majority then odds are they will be for your guy when the picking is technically done. The delegates and alternates chosen today will pick who 24 of the National Convention delegates are and are slated to pick 20 more delegates later. The only way that can change is if some candidate gets a majority of the primary vote on Feb. 9th- an unlikely prospect at this point.

And guess who is expected to get more delegates than anyone else out of Louisiana today?.........

From "best of New Orleans"..

"The biggest surprise to come out of Louisiana's GOP delegate process thus far involves Ron Paul, the Texas congressman mounting a quasi-libertarian campaign that has been defined by its grassroots organization. Dore says the Paul campaign dropped off a 'whole slate" of delegates about two weeks ago " a surprise showing that wasn't expected. If any controversy arises from the delegate process, it will be from Paul's camp. 'We're being watchful, though, because we want to make sure all of the delegates were registered Republicans before the Nov. 30 deadline," Dore says, adding there was a great deal of interest expressed by nonparty voters about switching to the GOP in support of Paul. 'We started contacting registrars of voters in 17 parishes yesterday about roughly 90 people, the vast majority of which were signed up for Ron Paul.""

The article did not mention it, but no other campaign had a full slate of delegates.

Fed Slashes Rates, Threatens Dollar



The Federal Reserve, the private group of banks that can charge the taxpayers interest on money that they create out of thin air and also control the value of the dollars in your pocket, has slashed the prime interest rate three-quarters of one percent. This is triple the size of their typical adjustment and indicates the panic that the money masters are feeling. Stock markets around the world are contracting sharply. The world has been unwilling to accept a contraction in the business cycle, but all they know how to do about it is what they have always done- throw piles of easy money at the problem.

The Fed is now in a trap. The normal business cycle has been short-circuited for so long that if they let it play out now the effects on the economy could be devastating. But the economy does not just rely on people have access to currency, that currency must also be a reliable store of value. The dollar was already in trouble, and lowering the number of future dollars paid for a loan of dollars now will only make the dollar weaker. Oil has gone from $22 a barrel at the start of the Bush administration to $100 now. Gold, silver, and even copper have greatly increased in value compared to the faltering dollar. Even food prices are skyrocketing. This is all a direct result of the government and the Fed's flawed policies.

President Bush thinks the answer is a "stimulus package" where the government joins the Fed in dropping bales of money out of helicopters to make people more secure about their financial situation so they will go on spending. But shoving new dollars unto the market will not increase the number of cars, cell phones, or apples on the market. It will only bid up the price for the same supply of those things- in other words, cause inflation.

The fact is that the government, and the Fed, have to much control over our economy. Too many dollars are spent as a result of government programs and compliance with government programs. Those dollars will be spent less efficiently than they would be as a result of private decisions by people taking advantage of opportunities as the occur. Excessive government intervention in the economy is what is dragging us down, and more government won't fix it, is will only make things worse. The Fed can act as a co-conspirator with the government by spreading easy money around, but as they do it erodes the power of money. Before they were crafty and eroded the purchasing power of the dollar at a slow enough rate that most people did not notice it from day to day. Now they are in a situation where they have to erode it even though it is collapsing at a rate that the general public can no longer ignore.

The Coming "Blowback" at Home



Much has been made about the term "blowback" in respect to foreign policy. The idea is that when we send our military to garrison other countries and prop up dictatorships we give terrorists in those countries a recruiting tool. For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, as it were. It is Newton's first law of motion as it applies to geopolitics. You can't keep stomping people, or supporting those who do, without engendering an angry reaction. Some unstable individuals will channel that reaction into immoral responses such as terror strikes at innocent civilians.

With that in mind, I have here a fascinating story of the growing police state here at home. I could not help but wonder what effect these experiences will have on the ten children in that home. Perhaps they will grow up to be normal, well-adjusted adults in spite of the state-induced trauma. Perhaps they will grow up to be compliant sheep afraid of their own shadow (that seems to be what the Department of Homeland Security wants for us). The other possibility is that they will seek to strike back at the society that they perceive is behind such injustice. In other words, "blowback" at home.

The government has quite a racket here. The use heavy handed police state tactics in such a way as to insure they will produce more individuals who resent the government. This in turn leads to a "need" for even more government control in order to keep the "unstable elements" from getting out of hand.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Observations At A Huckster Revival

It's true.

I admit it. It seems I'm a recovering Huckaholic.

I attended a "Huckabee for President" campaign rally in St. John's Michigan last Friday Night. Please don't hold it against me as it was Huckabee who invaded my space and not the case of my going out of my way to swoon over his rock star–like status. My son was competing in a home-school basketball game and the Huckabee campaign decided that the venue would be a great photo op and rally site. Now, I could have decided to just miss the game since it was being converted into an "All ignorant Jesus lovers vote for me" rally but since I am an assistant coach for Anthony's team I thought I would grin and bear it.

However, since I was forced to be there I do have an observation about those gathered, an observation about Huckabee and a sociological observation regarding social behavior towards those who refuse to drink the kool-aid and who scream loudly that others shouldn't drink the kool-aid.

First concerning the gathered lemming; I must say it was as if I was transported to a Tom Jones concert of 40 years ago. You know … the type where all the women would throw their undergarments on the stage along with their hotel room keys in hopes that Tom would pick them. The swooning was surreal. Before Huckabee arrived their were announcements on the PA about how the Huckabee staffers were nervous that the crowd would swarm him and pleas that people would show their Christian behavior by letting the candidate approach them and encouragement not to mob the candidate. The people in charge of the campaign kept giving us minute by minute updates on the coming of Huckabee. "Governor Huckabee is 10 minutes out. Governor Huckabee is 5 minutes out. Governor Huckabee is 2 minute out." And on and on it went. The last time I've seen a person tracked this closely with this much excitement was Santa Clause on Christmas Eve. Every time an update was given the 500 souls in the gymnasium would swoon like teenage girls being asked out on their first date. Then we had practice cheering runs. "Let me hear what kind of noise you're going to make when future President Huckabee shows up." Louis XVI would have been so fortunate to have such an adoring people as these Huckabee groupies. These people were wetting their pants over getting to be in the same room with a guy that makes Tricky Dick and Slick Willie look like amateurs.

And then when Huckabee arrived it was more of the same. The Huckster's speech was boiler plate political vapid. There was no there "there." My 18-year-old daughter characterized it as "bushwah." And yet people were screaming their lungs out as if Huckabee was serving as the prophet of Allah making pronouncements revealing Allah's will.

To be honest I was ashamed of myself. Ashamed because despite all my skepticism and cynicism I had underestimated the ability of those who call themselves Christians to be totally deluded. Those 500 people present, most of whom no doubt would label themselves "Christian" have no idea who Mike Huckabee is or what policy he has pursued, and further have no desire to know. It is enough for them that Mike says he is the "Jesus candidate." I used to think that these people were being manipulated by their Pastors but having spoken to a few Huckabee Pastor types I realize that the fog in the pew is because of the mist in the pulpit. In short, their Pastors are just as deluded as the rank and file. Somehow a lemming avalanche for Huckabee got started and once the avalanche begins no amount of reasoning will thwart its kinetic energy.

I know this because I got snowed over by the avalanche. When it was announced that Huckabee was going to be in St. Johns and when I realized it was the home-schooling organization that I am loosely a part of that was pushing it I sent an e-mail out to those in the home-schooling group simply explaining some of the liberal and statist tendencies of Mike Huckabee and providing links for people to look closer at this wolf in sheep's clothing. Given the response I received you would have thought that I had committed blasphemy by touching the Lord's anointed.

So here is the summary of the first observation. People, including Christians, so desperately want heroes that they will turn off rational thought once they decide, for whatever reason, that some person is going to be that hero. Secondly, the Christian community is no different from the non-Christian community when it comes to shallowness, practicing thought by emotion, and sheer unmitigated gullibility.

The observation about Huckabee is that he is slick the same way that Clinton was slick except that he has added a Jesus coating to his slickness. This is my chief reason for disliking Huckabee. It is my estimation that he is cynically using Jesus to get elected. Let's face it, if it weren't for Huckabee's ministerial ties and willingness to invoke Jesus at every turn he would be running neck and neck with Duncan Hunter and be easily dismissed as a center-left moderate Republican (what they call a Social Democrat in Europe). Recently, I am blaming him less and less for this and increasingly I am blaming the "Christian community" for being such willing naifs. Huckabee's "I am the Bible's candidate" spiel came out again in the few minutes that he spoke where he appealed to people to help him slay the giants he was facing in the Michigan primary the way that David slew Goliath. This was just more identity politics and more red meat for the Jesus people.

Here is the summary of the second observation. Huckabee will ride this "I love Jesus" train as far as he can. What is unfortunate about it is that he is getting away with what so many ministers in our churches get away with and that is constantly having Jesus on their lips while preaching a theology that is not particularly Christian. The goods are out there on Huckabee in terms of his leftist, statist and non-Christian agenda but Christians just don't care because it is enough to invoke Jesus.

My final observation is sociological and has reference to the way people treat those who are unwilling to drink the kool-aid. During the 36 hours when all this was unfolding I was told it was inappropriate for me to e-mail people to warn them about Huckabee. My son was told by someone that they "felt sorry for him that he had the father he had," and the most benign look I seem to get now is one that is quizzical as if somebody is looking at a hunchback cannibal with the remnants of dinner still wedged between his teeth. Like the human body, a community protects itself by attacking foreign elements that it perceives does not belong there. Much of the Christian community has decided that Huckabee is the man and woe unto those who suggest that a vote for Huckabee is a vote which is, in reality, precisely against their best interest.

So yes… I attended a Huckabee rally.

And my worst fears were realized.

January 21, 2008

Pastor Bret McAtee [send him mail] writes on www.ironink.org and is from Charlotte, Michigan where he dwells with his perfect wife, dazzling children and where he prays daily for Reformation in the West.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Diversity is Our Strength




Monday is the birthday of two great Americans- Gen. Robert E. Lee and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Nevada: Shennanigans and Results



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The South Carolina Primary held on the same day is getting much more press, but Nevada has more delegates at stake. South Carolina also has a reputation as a state where dirty politics runs rampant, but it appears Nevada could teach SC more than a thing or two about election shennanigans.

The state party made major rule changes three times in the ten days leading up to the caucus. The reversals and mis-communications from the state party about who was allowed to vote and even where they would vote were so pervasive that 2nd place Republican finisher Ron Paul had called for the caucus to be postponed until the party could clear up all the miscommunication about who could participate and where they could do so.

For example, the party started out by insisting that only registered Republicans who could prove it would be allowed to vote for delegates. It was explained that campaigns could bus in voters from nearby California and swamp Nevadans if they did not have tight controls on who voted. OK, so no busloads. But then, days before the event, they reversed themselves and changed the rules so that practically anybody could show up and vote. Mormons from all over the state, and possibly beyond it, showed up in droves and voted for fellow Mormon Mitt Romney. Whichever campaign knew that change was coming had a huge advantage over those who did not- especially if they had a built in base nearby as did Romney.

There were numerous reports of Romney supporters voting more than once in precincts where Romney supporters controlled the process. Some counties were sent far too many ballots, others clearly too few. Mormons made up at least a quarter of the attendees. Were they showing up as Republicans or mostly because a Mormon was on the ballot? Well, the Republican vote was four times the Democratic turnout. That may not happen in any other state in the union except Utah. In addition a whopping 94% of Mormon voters supported Romney! Some in the media are quick to jump on people who won't vote for Romney because of his religion. What about those who won't vote for anybody BUT Romney because of their religion? They can't have it both ways, but they are trying.

The final tallies gave 51% to Romney. Ron Paul was a distant second with 14%, followed by John McCain with 13%. No other candidate scored double digits. Romney picked up 17 more delegates, Paul and McCain 4 more each.

Bush for "Reasonable Restrictions" on 2nd Amendment?



A brief filed by the Bush administration uses legal reasoning that could be used to justify sweeping federal restrictions on firearms. Once they have our guns, our rulers can finish selling us out in complete confidence that we can do nothing about it. The feds act like they want to keep chipping away until they finally come to get our guns. There are about 50 million American gun owners who think this would be a very bad idea.

That's Going to Leave a Mark Governor.

Former State Senator Jim Holt got some space in the NWA Times. He used it to launch a scathing attack on Mike Huckabee. It is a safe bet that the conservative Republican vote in Arkansas will not be coalescing around the Huckster.

Stop the Lottery Organization Started

Long-time family lobby spokesman Larry Page has begun an effort against the Arkansas Lottery amendment. Details here.

We wondered if there was going to be any organized opposition to Bill Halter's flawed lottery scheme.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Electability

Rudy Guiliani. "Electablity" can be a very ill-defined and transient property.
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Six months ago, the corporate media pounded us with mention of "America's Mayor". Conservatives were under all sorts of pressure to throw their principals to the wind and vote for Rudy Guiliani. Now, his campaign is in serious trouble.

"Electability" is a term that is getting thrown around quite a bit. What it ought to mean is "the ability to put together a coalition that can win elections". What it has come to mean from liberal Republicans is a liberal Republican. What it has come to mean from too many conservative Republicans is "someone I feel comfortable with on style".

Liberal Republicans like McCain and Guiliani CAN attract some crossover voters. The problem is that they would lose conservative voters. Their potential crossover appeal is great, but their potential coalition-building appeal is not, so their potential electability is lowered.

Some people though, use "electability" as a code phrase for "someone whose style I like". Those who like Ken-doll looks and great hair might say Mitt Romney is "electable" while bald and wrinkled Fred Thompson is "unelectable". Older southern conservatives love Thompson's gravel-voiced persona and insist that Thompson is the most "electable". Folks in Sunday School Class at First Baptist look at each other and agree that Mike Huckabee is the most electable, since the others have personal histories or even religious beliefs that they are not comfortable with.

In each of the above examples, the word "electable" is mis-used to mean someone whose style that people in their demographic personally feel comfortable with, not someone who is in a position to build a winning coalition. And again, it is the latter definition that is the correct one.

Armed with this understanding, I maintain that the only thing that keeps Ron Paul from being the most "electable" is a very stubborn section of the Republican Base for whom style trumps substance. They may agree with Paul on virtually every issue, but they don't like his style. Unfortunately, it is some of the things that these voters don't like about him that give him tremendous crossover appeal. Ron Paul is the only guy in the race that can get 18-34 year olds to vote Republican 15 years early. What I mean is, many of them may vote GOP after they turn 40, but Paul can get them to vote for a GOP candidate (him) right now, at age 25.

This was brought home by observing a Fred Thompson supporter trying to win over a young Paul supporter at a recent county committee meeting. "Fred Thompson is the only conservative in the race with the personal traits of a strong leader" the elder said to the younger. This of course, was an admission that Paul was a strong conservative. It was not Paul's substance that the elder objected to, but his style. "But we are Americans" said the younger, "We don't need to be led, we need to be free".

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Moore to Speak at UCA for Paul

For Immediate Release:
Ron Paul Spokesman, Policy “Guru”, to Appear at UCA Thursday

(Conway) The UCA College Republicans are kicking off the presidential election year by hosting a representative of the Ron Paul presidential campaign.

The representative, Mark Moore, the man former State Senator Jim Holt once called “The best policy guy in the country,” is coming to Conway this Thursday, Jan. 17th, at 6:00 pm in BBA 205 to speak for Presidential Candidate Ron Paul.

Paul is running as a Republican, but many of his positions have run counter to the Bush administration’s polices and draws support from anti-war Democrats as well as independents. Paul believes that the United States should withdraw from Iraq immediately and bring home American troops from most of the 700 military bases that are scattered in over 100 countries around the world. Paul maintains that we would be better off focusing on securing our own borders and reducing government spending.

“2008 will be a historic year with fierce competition for the White House,” says Whitfield Hyman, President of the UCA College Republicans. “With Ron Paul’s candidacy in stark contrast with most of the other presidential candidates, we’re hoping that young people, particularly college students, will be interested in asking questions and getting involved in a presidential campaign.”


Questions will be taken from the audience during this event. There is no admission fee, and free pizza and soft drinks will be provided.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Arkansas Right to Life Asks Me to Join

I'm tired of playing political games on abortion.
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Dear Arkansas Right to Life,

I regret that I cannot in good conscience accept your invitation to update my membership in ARTL. The fault is not your own, but rather because you are a subsidiary of a national organization that I believe has lost its way. Enclosed is the position paper on abortion of former Senator Fred Thompson during his last run for public office. Senator Thompson has been endorsed for President by your national organization and many of your subsidiaries in important early-primary states.

Is there anyone in your organization that can explain to us how Thompson’s positions qualify as “pro-life”? You will note from his position papers that he does not even wish to end federal funding for abortions, but only limit the circumstances under which I will be taxed to pay for these barbaric procedures. You will also read that he does not wish to “criminalize” abortion during the first trimester. If ripping innocent babies apart should not be “criminalized” then what act ought to be? I know you agree, but it seems that your parent organization does not share our view.

I fear that they have lost their way and have been co-opted by the GOP establishment in Washington D.C. There is simply no excuse for their all-out support for Thompson when Mike Huckabee and especially Ron Paul are in the race. Both of those men have consistent pro-life records and both have out-polled Thompson in the actual voting so far. Mr. Huckabee has always been willing to support symbolic acts for the cause of life, such as “choose life” license plates, and Dr. Paul has always supported substantive acts for the cause of life, such as his legislation removing the federal judiciary’s authority to rule against state laws banning abortion. Either of these men would be an acceptable choice for an organization whose purported goal is to end abortion, Thompson would not be. He is the candidate of the status quo.

Based on their actions both in the Presidential race and on other occasions, it is clear to keen observers that “National Right to Life” is no longer an honest name for this organization. Until they return to their stated mission, I cannot in good conscience join them or their subsidiaries, thereby lending my good name to a dishonest one. Instead, I will join one of the other pro-life groups that are currently emerging as a result of the void left when it became clear that National Right to Life has abandoned its stated mission.

Should you choose to disassociate from the National Organization as the Colorado folks did, I will of course be happy to join with you again in the cause of life.

Respectfully,


Mark Moore
Pea Ridge

Monday, January 14, 2008

Huckabee & AR Education/Can you solve the riddle?

Can You Solve This Riddle?

In light of the following facts, how do Arkansas's educational policies get rewarded with an eighth-place national ranking in 2008 that is being touted by Governor Huckabee in national debates, and by the media? 1

· The Education Week’s Quality Counts 2008 report itself indicates that Arkansas earned a D in K-12 on student achievement (on their own report where they gave Arkansas an 8th from the top national ranking.) 2

· Only nine states scored lower than Arkansas on the ACT test in 2007. Arkansas dropped slightly in 2007, but the national average improved. (The ACT test is the culmination of K-12 instruction and is used by colleges all over the nation to award scholarships.) 3

· The graduation rate dropped slightly more than 10% in one year according to the last educational report in Arkansas (2005-2006) the next report won't be available for a few more months. 4

· College Remediation Rate is 51.6% (46.6% in 1995); National Average is 33% 5

· Only Nine States Scored Lower Than Arkansas in 8th Grade Math on NAEP Test; only sixteen states scored lower than Arkansas on the 4th Grade Reading NAEP Test, etc. in 2005. In 2007 our scores were even lower. Arkansas Department of Education Director said , "We have slipped a bit in terms of state rankings in all areas, save mathematics at the fourth grade." 6

· Only 28% of AR students pass test on Advanced Placement (AP) courses, while 59.4% pass nationwide 7

· Test Scores on nationally normed tests are 11 Percentile Points lower in 2006 than in 1990 (a 22% decrease) (Later scores are not available yet) 8

· In its latest State of State Standards in 2006, Fordham Foundation gave Arkansas an F on its Math Standards, F on U S. History Standards, an F on World History Standards, a D in Science and a C in English for an average of F. 9

· The National Report Card on Higher Ed. gave Arkansas a D+ in High School Preparation for College in 06 in its latest report. 10

· Educational Reforms Have Cost $1.4 BILLION since 2003, which equals about a 3% sales tax increase in Arkansas. 11

For answer to the riddle and rest of article and documentation, see this link http://www.wpaag.org/Huckabee%20-%20State%20of%20Education%20in%20AR%20II.htm or click Monday below or if sent here, just scroll down.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Nationbuilding: Ron Paul, Bush & Cheney



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The sound is uneven on this montage, but it is so powerful that it is worth listening to. Ron Paul agreed with G.W. Bush and Dick Cheney - it is just that they reversed themselves on policy and he didn't.

"9/11 changed everything" some might say, but did it change foolishness into wisdom, aggression into self-defense, and wrong into right? Iraq was not a party to 9/11, and the doctrine of pre-emptive war is madness. No one has the right to attack anyone that they think has the means and desire to attack them. Absent any specific evidence of a coming attack, a person who maintained that they had the right to pre-emptively attack anyone they felt was a threat would be declared mentally insane.

I beg my countrymen to re-evaluate our foreign policy and consider that Ron Paul (and the founders, and Bush and Cheney prior to their election) are correct, and that our current course of action is a dreadful mistake.

Cold, Dead Fingers Department




It appears that if your semi-auto rifle malfunctions and fires three rounds at a squeeze then you are subject to arrest and conviction.

But don't worry, you can count on the Bush administration to defend your gun rights.....except that they are doing the opposite in this "friend of the court" brief in which they seek to undermine the proposition that the right to bear arms is an individual right.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Cameron Gets Served: As NOT Seen on Faux News



It seems that Faux news is cutting out Ron Paul's answer to the "electability" question posed by news-squirrel Carl Cameron. I guess his answer called too much attention to what they don't want you to realize: The shocking statist and anti-constitutional drift of the GOP over the last 30 years.

Since Fox won't show you the footage from their own event, I thought I'd give you a chance to watch it here.

HUMAN EVENTS Endorses Fred Thompson

HUMAN EVENTS, who according to their website is known for their "conservative news, views, books" and who is "leading the Conservative Movement (since 1944)" has just endorsed Fred Thompson. According to journalist Richard Reeves, Human Events was former President Ronald Reagan's favorite paper.

Yesterday Hannity interviewed Fred Thompson on his radio program and mentioned an important endorsement he was supposed to get today, but Thompson refused to reveal who the endorsement was from before the official announcement. See this link for the endorsement. http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24398

The endorsement by Human Events had this to say about Mike Huckabee,

"Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is a charming and agreeable gentleman. But his support for the economically disastrous “cap-and-trade” fix for global warming is as bad as Sen. McCain’s position on the issue. The so-called “fair tax” he supports is unworkable. His tax-and-spend policies do not comport with conservative principles, but they do align all too well with Huckabee’s populist rhetoric on the injustice of corporate CEO salaries.

His stance on granting special benefits to the children of illegal aliens is also very troubling. On the war, Gov. Huckabee’s understanding of the issues does not impress us. For example, he wants to close the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and move the detainees there into U.S. prisons, which -- as Sen. Thompson schooled him on in a recent debate -- would result in the grant of constitutional rights to terrorist detainees even though they are enemy combatants. Gov. Huckabee’s grasp of foreign policy does not make us comfortable."

Rush Limbaugh spoke very favorably of Thompson on his radio program today and played several clips from the debate last night. There seems to be a concensus of the conservative talk show hosts that the media is trying to force a race between McCain and Huckabee and at every chance are saying that Thompson waited too late to get in the race and can't make it. Hannity said on his radio program today that he thinks Huckabee and McCain are the two most liberal Republican candidates.

I have not made any commitment to any Republican presidential candidate; however, most of us know that almost any Republican the media opposes is a friend to the real conservative, and those they like are not.

Paul Was Right (About the Iranian Speedboats)

The administration's account (repeated endlessly by the MSM) is falling apart.

On the Iranian Speedboats

Huckabee: "We will send them to Hell"

Thompson: "We will introduce them to those virgins"

Paul: "Let's not get hasty. Remember the gulf of Tonkin incident"

Carl "Do You Have Any" Cameron: "All of these guys backed the Captian's decision not to engage, so what are you reacting to".

Guys, that is the way it went down. I am afraid very few people know about the gulf of Tonkin incident, and how it helped drag us into a nightmare. Yeah on form he did not look good, but he had the right answer based on our history. He knew the history of such things, but the audience doesn't so they just jeer.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Brazen Hypocrisy in Bush Betrayal of Israel


President Bush called yesterday for an end to the "occupation" of Arab lands in Palestine by the Israeli military. The breath-taking hypocrisy and ignorance in such a demand defies one's ability to comprehend. Israel would be better off if we de-camped from the Middle East all together than it would be with our insane current policy. The current policy is that the U.S. taxpayers borrow money from the Chi-coms to buy piles of weapons for both sides in the Middle East, and then use our leverage to pressure the Israelis to turn over their historic lands to a neighboring entity run by terrorist groups who have sworn their destruction. I am not joking. I am not even exaggerating. That is what we are currently doing.

The Bush administration insists that Israel withdraw from territory that is the historic home of its own people and leave it to a seething population whose public school system teaches that the highest honor a child can attain is martyrdom from straping bombs to themselves and blowing up some Jews. Bush is insisting that Israel withdraw and turn their historic land over to the terrorist groups which control those territories. Groups that have repeatedly attacked Israel and have sworn her destruction!

Meanwhile, Bush himself is administering the occupation of Arab lands to which we have no historic claim, had noting to do with 9/11, and who are no threat to the United States. Despite our recent success against Al-Quida in Iraq, they still have a larger presence there than they did before we came. That is because the lingering occupation was such a powerful recruiting tool for Al-Quida. Still, they have zero chance of controlling the whole country. Contrast that with the terrorist groups in Palestine, who run the place from start to finish except for the restraining hand of the Israeli military which Bush wants gone.

While Bush demands that Israel withdraw, he spends billions of our dollars constructing 14 huge military bases in Iraq. This indicates intentions to occupy the country for decades. In fact, we have garrisons all over the region, over 700 bases in more than 100 countries. Israel withdraw? Who are we to demand that Israel withdraw from anywhere?

This man, who demands Israel withdraw their military from their own territory (to turn it over to terrorists) has busied himself sending our own military to every mudhole on earth. On this one, he is not with us, he is with the terrorists.

Truly Israel would be better off if we were not arming both sides and then using the leverage to pressure them to let the terrorists win.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Conservatives Hope Not in Presidential Election But In Grassroots Movement

Grassroots Movement is the Conservative Hope - Not the Presidential Election &
List of articles Revealing Mike Huckabee's Liberal Nature


Like most of you I have become totally frustrated and agitated as I have watched the presidential debates and campaign. I have been alarmed with both the increased deceitfulness of the candidates and the naiveté of the electorate. The honest, real conservative candidates can never make it into the top tier because the dishonest ones, with the backing of the media, can convince the public they walk their talk - which is nothing but lies.

As we in Arkansas, who know Mike Huckabee so well, watch him deceive the evangelicals and conservatives with one false assertion after another about his convictions and policy, it makes many of us even more cynical because we wonder if all the other candidates are just as dishonest as he. It appears that the candidates who are best at bewitching the public will be the winners. (See list of articles below for the basis of this assertion about Huckabee)

Tonight I am wondering if Huckabee and Hillary get the nomination, just which one can deceive the most voters. I wouldn't give Huckabee a chance other than the fact that he equals the Clintons in that ability to deceive. It is truly an alarming experience just to watch him at work and see him using his religion and the Southern Baptist organization as a basis for his deception. Numerous people will be disillusioned and turned off religion by these tactics.

I have concluded there is not one of the top four Republican candidates that would not shift the Party to the left, leaving the conservatives with no party to support. Even worse, each candidate would bring more disillusionment both to the public and Republicans, as their true colors are revealed in office.

But then I was encouraged as I thought about the hope that we conservatives still have that somewhat transcends the parties and the political corruption. I remember what happened with the illegal alien amnesty bill and how the grassroots fought back and WON. Every Republican candidate soft on illegal aliens ran from their former stands and became blatantly dishonest in trying to convince the public that they were always tough on illegals and wanted no part of amnesty.

This is our hope – grassroots effort. We can do it again and again and again. The computer has helped us tremendously in this effort. We can now be alerted hourly by grassroots organizations (which are already operating full force). No Party or President can stop us if we will just continue to act as we did on that issue.

Last year I came to the conclusion that in Arkansas conservatives would never succeed on the issues through elections, but we could win through ballot initiatives. In my frustration with the national election I had forgotten that lesson and about the power of the grassroots. Initiatives and grassroots efforts on issues transcends politics to a great degree and are far less susceptible to lies because people are in touch with the reality of how those issues are affecting their lives.

So even though I will still spend some of my time and energy working in the political election arena, I will spend a greater amount of my time on issues and grassroots efforts.

Following are links to articles that I have written in the past and articles by other people that reveal why I am so disappointed in Huckabee and why I believe he is no conservative. Those written by me will have a http://www.wpaag.org/ address. Huckabee's win as governor was one of the most exciting events of my life, but the way he has governed has been one of the greatest disappointments and surprises of my life. He corresponded with me on educational issues before he became governor; I was on his education transition team when he became Governor; and I even went to the Governor's office and worked with a member of his staff on educational issues a few times.

I finally had to recognize that he had totally deceived me and other conservatives and was pushing Hillary's educational plans faster than Hillary could do so herself - because he was a Republican. In fact, Arkansas has increased in government control in education more rapidly in the last few years than any state in the nation.

Arkansas Editorial Says Mike Huckabee Is Closest of all Candidates to Hillary (Compiles a number of issues and includes links to many original articles)
A liberal journalist in Arkansas said, "As it happens, Huckabee governs about as Clinton governed, and Boozman [Huckabee's appointee] directs the state Health Department about as Dr. Joycelyn Elders directed it, save the brutal and over-the-top rhetoric... http://www.wpaag.org/Huckabee%20-%20closest%20to%20Hillary%20of%20all%20candidates.htm

Huckabee's pro illegal alien agenda unbelievable!
http://www.wpaag.org/Huckabee%20pro%20illegal%20alien%20agenda%20-%20unbelievable.htm

A Plea from Arkansas: Christian Conservatives Need to Take a Closer Look at Mike Huckabee's Record as Governor by David Thompson http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/33391ddb-ed1f-4bc3-9d19-cdca6181d5d4
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/33391ddb-ed1f-4bc3-9d19-cdca6181d5d4

Mike Huckabee's Record on Economic Issues (Details Huckabee's actions on taxes, spending, and other issues in Arkansas. )
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/01/a_report_on_mike_huckabees_fis.php

EDITORIALS Who’s biggest tax raiser? [Ernie Dumas writes: Mike Huckabee raised more taxes in 10 years in office than Bill Clinton did in his 12 years.] Details tax increases and gives number of law and year for each one. http://www.arkansasleader.com/2007/11/editorialswhos-biggest-tax-raiser.html

Huckabee retreats on birthright citizenship (promises Gilchrist that Mr. Gilchrist said Mr. Huckabee promised to bring a test case to the Supreme Court to challenge the matter [to stop of anchor babies from becoming citizens], and also would press Congress to pass an amendment to the Constitution. Huckabee now denies that. http://washingtontimes.com/article/20080109/NATION/992492919/1001

Governor Huckabee's Quotes on Education -Then and Now (Shows how he made several promises (in his own words here in Arkansas and how he reneged on them in his own words.)
http://www.wpaag.org/Huckabee%20Quotes%20Then%20and%20Now%20Table.htm

Breath-Taking News From the Governor
(A better title might be "Breath-taking incompetence from the governor) Huckabee is surprised and shocked when he learns that the remediation rate in Arkansas is 42% and the national remediation rate is $28% after billions of dollars he has put into education the last 10 years.) Note: that the graduation rate dropped 10% in Arkansas at the end of Huckabee's ten year control.
http://www.wpaag.org/Eduation%20-%20Remediation%20rate%20startles%20Gov%20Huckabee.htm

Why Huckabee Wants Teacher Input from Milken Award Winners
http://www.wpaag.org/Huckabee%20Wants%20Milken%20Award%20Winners

Huckabee's Proposed Education Plan - 2003 (Huckabee's educational plans are so dictatorial that he actually outlined a plan to have the Director of the State Department of Education (who is basically appointed by Huckabee) appoint all school superintendents in Arkansas rather than the local school board . http://www.wpaag.org/Huckabee

Governor Huckabee's Arkansas Nominee Ray Simon for USDOE Bad Choice
Nominee Urges Government Takeover Of Education (Details Huckabee and his Arkansas Education Director's government takeover of education in Arkansas. Governor Huckabee completed the educational reforms that Hillary began in Arkansas much more quickly and full than she could have herself. People did not expect this from a Republican and were not alert. )
http://www.wpaag.org/Simon%20Appointment%20Cause%20for%20Concern.htm

The Church of Huck: Growing Gov't. In The Name Of Religion
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/12/the_church_of_huck_growing_gov.html

TAX Hike Mike – This website has numerous articles, videos, etc giving the liberal aspects of Huckabee and what the critics are saying, including those from Arkansas. http://taxhikemike.org/ - Here is a permalink for one that is especially good on that site. . http://taxhikemike.pjdoland.com/2007/09/huckabee_gets_a_failing_grade.html

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

New Hampshire Primary Thread

Something is wrong here. All the pre-vote polls showed Obama beating Hillary, even Hillary's people were acting like they were going to take a beating. Now I am watching with 18% of the results in and Hillary is ahead by four.

Is it election fraud, or are the 18% of the precincts that are reporting in atypical of the total results?

Monday, January 07, 2008

Duncan Hunter Puts One Over on the Media



Congressman Hunter did not make the ballot for Arkansas, but I thought this interview was great. There is an exponential increase in the number and frustration level of people who are completely fed up with the ham-fisted corporate media picking their presidential candidates for them. Watch this Hunter clip from CNN.

Sunday, January 06, 2008

New Hampshire GOP Dumps FOX Due to Bias



The New Hampshire Republican Party has disassociated itself from the FOX News New Hampshire candidate forum to be broadcast tonight in protest of their refusal to let candidates Duncan Hunter and Ron Paul participate in the event. Paul has placed as high as third in New Hampshire polling behind favorites John McCain and Mitt Romney.

By excluding candidates that it views with disfavor, it seems FOX is attempting to shape the news, not just report it. This is part of a disturbing emerging pattern with FOX. During the New Years eve rioting in France, a Saudi named Al-waleed bin Talal, (a friend of News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch who controls an influential number of voting shares in the company) announced that he had gotten FOX to alter its coverage of the riots from "Muslim youths" to a spin that focused on social and class inequity.

Without Paul and Hunter, that debate is going to be four CFR corporate sock-puppets and one wanna-be Christian socialist. There will not be a real conservative at the table.