GOP Convention 2010--Idaho

I recently had the privilege of attending the Idaho GOP 2010 Convention
in Idaho Falls and an event with Michael Steele in Sun Valley, Idaho.

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/06/gop-convention-2010-idaho/


http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/04/ideological-b...igotr...y-ideological...-violence-ideological-idiocy-my-3-b...ooks-are-now-avail...able/


eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

Moulitsas Admits Daily Kos/Research 2000 Polls Bogus

Markos Moulitsas from Daily Kos claims he will be filing suit against Research 2000 for fabricating poll results.

We have mentioned before that most Daily Kos/Research 2000 polls were off when compared to every other poll conducted on the same elections or topic.

For one small example out of the many to be found, take Nevada, Harry Reid against Sharron Angle, Rasmussen shows Angle 7 ahead of Reid, Las Vegas Review Journal/Mason-Dixon has Angle up my 3 and Daily Kos/Research 2000 has Reid up by 6.



This is one of the reasons I recently stopped using the Real Clear Politics averages, where they use all the latest polls to average out their numbers because they included the Daily Kos/Research 2000 figures which skewed those averages to the point where those averages were no longer reliable.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 at 10:01:39 AM PDT- Markos Moulitsas:

We contracted with Research 2000 to conduct polling and to provide us with the results of their surveys. Based on the report of the statisticians, it's clear that we did not get what we paid for. We were defrauded by Research 2000, and while we don't know if some or all of the data was fabricated or manipulated beyond recognition, we know we can't trust it. Meanwhile, Research 2000 has refused to offer any explanation. Early in this process, I asked for and they offered to provide us with their raw data for independent analysis -- which could potentially exculpate them. That was two weeks ago, and despite repeated promises to provide us that data, Research 2000 ultimately refused to do so. At one point, they claimed they couldn't deliver them because their computers were down and they had to work out of a Kinkos office. Research 2000 was delivered a copy of the report early Monday morning, and though they quickly responded and promised a full response, once again the authors of the report heard nothing more.

While the investigation didn't look at all of Research 2000 polling conducted for us, fact is I no longer have any confidence in any of it, and neither should anyone else. I ask that all poll tracking sites remove any Research 2000 polls commissioned by us from their databases. I hereby renounce any post we've written based exclusively on Research 2000 polling.

Kos initially explained in a post titled "Research 2000: Problems in plain sight"

A bit over two weeks ago, a group of statistic wizards (Mark Grebner, Michael Weissman, and Jonathan Weissman) approached me with a disturbing premise -- they had been poring over the crosstabs of the weekly Research 2000 polling we had been running, and were concerned that the numbers weren't legit.

I immediately began cooperating with their investigation, which concluded late last week. Daily Kos furnished the researchers with all available and relevant information in our possession, and we made every attempt to obtain R2K's cooperation -- which, as I detail in my reaction post here -- was not forthcoming. The investigators' report is below, but its conclusion speaks volumes:

He then provides the whole report.

Hot Line On Call reminds readers:

Moulitsas announced June 9 that he would terminate his site's relationship with Research 2000 after Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) defeated AR LG Bill Halter (D) in a Dem primary runoff; two Research 2000 polls had shown Halter, Daily Kos' preferred candidate, with small leads.

The dismissal also came shortly after FiveThirtyEight.com ranked Research 2000 as one of the worst-performing prolific pollsters in their pollster ratings, which have come under fire from Research 2000 and other pollsters.

Research 2000 denies any wrongdoing in their polling for Daily Kos, via TPM:

R2K president Del Ali tells TPMmuckraker in an email, "I have much to say, however, I am following my attorney Richard Beckler' ESQ's counsel and referring all questions to him. I will tell you unequivocally that we conducted EVERY poll properly for the Daily Kos."

There is also some back and forth between Kos lawyers and Research 2000 regarding the data and billing. (Another TPM post)

While Moulitsas gets some kudos for bringing this out publicly, one has to wonder why it took others to point the errors out and how he could have missed the fact that most of the polls conducted for him were at serious odds with other pollsters. He has been using Research 2000 for years and it should not have taken this long to figure out that there was a problem. That is on him.

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Painfully You Post

Whaddayawannatalkabout? There is no oil spill. It's a leak. It could have been squelched from the beginning. Look at it. We are offered help. Obama ignores. We have a huge skimmer in Norfolk. Obama ignored. We have all the resources needed to stop this madness. Yet...Obama seems to ignore.

Painfully posting something you absolutely hate, just breaks my heart. I'm to the point of where I can't even call him a Man anymore. No conscience, no Love of Country, no anything. Just an empty shell, touting anything he can verbalise. There is no substance. I used to just not like him. Now I am sure of it. I hate him. I didn't think it was in me. But hate finally won. That is so sad.

I have all of the sarcastic pictures of him, all over my wall in my den. They are coming down. Mad Magazine, Obamanopoly, Stop The Mob.....all will be gone tonight. It is hate. True and founded.. I cannot stand to watch him on TV anymore. Israel is a toy for him to play with. Socialism is in his words and past. Our troops are confused. This bag of skin is a destroyer. I have come to accept that. He follows all of the concepts of Cloward and Piven. His chances with me are over. God and Christ forgive me for the Hate that has brewed within me, for him.

And Barack Hussein Obama? You are going down! I didn't start it, but I will help, as much as can, to see your Congress defeated in November! 2012 is a Liberty Year! Pray we can undo the damage you cause in the meantime!

"When the People fear the Government, then you have Tyranny, when the Government fears the People, you have Liberty" Thomas Jefferson

"They’re snuffing out the America that I grew up in, right now, we’ve got more Americans engaged in their government than at any time in our history. There’s a political rebellion brewing, and I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it since 1776." John Boehner

Skeez

Breitbart Offers $100,000 For JournoList Archive To Prove Liberal Media Bias

Big Government:

The fact that 400 journalists did not recognize how wrong their collusion, however informal, was shows an enormous ethical blind spot toward the pretense of impartiality. As journalists actively participated in an online brainstorming session on how best to spin stories in favor of one party against another, they continued to cash their paychecks from their employers under the impression that they would report, not spin the agreed-upon “news” on behalf of their “JournoList” peers.

The American people, at least half of whom are the objects of scorn of this group of 400, deserve to know who was colluding against them so that in the future they can better understand how the once-objective media has come to be so corrupted and despised.

We want the list of journalists that comprised the 400 members of the “JournoList” and we want the contents of the listserv. Why should Weigel be the only person exposed and humiliated?

I therefore offer the sum of $100,000 to the person who provides the full “JournoList” archive. We will protect that person’s privacy and identity forever. No one will ever know who became $100,000 richer – and did the right thing, morally and ethically — by shining the light of truth on this seamy underworld of the media.

Any bets on how long before Breitbart gets his hands on that list and archives?

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Obama Admin Profits Financially From BP Relief Money

AP:

The Internal Revenue Service says oil spill victims who receive BP payments for lost wages will have to pay up come tax time.

Of course the IRS claims it will "work with" people on an individual basis, but if you have ever tried to "work with" IRS on anything, you would understand how laughable that is.

Jillian Bandes at Townhall, does a little math:

Assuming the lowest level of federal income tax (10%) that means the federal government stands to profit by $2 billion over the course of the tragedy. That windfall could go as high as $7 billion, depending on who receives the money. In a year when so many Americans are out of work — and not paying taxes — it's critical to find other sources of revenue. Otherwise, Obama cannot say that he's actually paid for the keystones of his Presidency — federal bailouts, Obamacare, and cap-and-trade.

This is morally despicable. In a decent world, oil spill victims would receive the full share of their restitution payments, because they've just endured a life-altering disaster. But it also represents a horrible, conniving maneuver by our President, who has no problem using disaster victims to pay for his political objectives.

Relief money should never, ever be taxed and for the Obama administration to profit in any way, shape or form from the BP oil disaster, is unacceptable.

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GOP Convention 2010--Texas

I recently had the privilege of attending the Texas GOP 2010 Convention in Dallas.


http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/06/gop-convention-2010-texas/


http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/04/ideological-b...igotr...y-ideological...-violence-ideological-idiocy-my-3-b...ooks-are-now-avail...able/


eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

American Crossroads Ad In Nevada: Harry: you’ve done enough!

Video of ad below post

American Crossroads has created another ad targeting Harry Reid in Nevada ahead of the November elections, where Reid is trailing in the polls against Sharron Angle, the Republican candidate.

Rasmussen has Reid trailing Angle by 7 and Las Vegas Review Journal/Mason-Dixon has Reid trailing by 3.

According to their site, American Crossroads is starting an initial statewide buy of $120,000.

Text of ad:

“Harry Reid says, ‘No one can do more’ than he can. Really, Harry? [REID ON SENATE FLOOR:] ‘Today is a big day in America. Only 36,000 people lost their jobs today, which is really good.’ Really, Harry? No wonder Nevada now has the highest unemployment in the nation. Bailouts. Deficits. ObamaCare. No one can do more? Really, Harry? For Nevadans, haven’t you done enough?”

Release info:

American Crossroads today released a new ad entitled “Really?” which challenges Senator Harry Reid’s (D-NV) assertion that “no one can do more” for Nevada because of his twenty-four year tenure in the Senate. The new ad cites a recent self-promoting ad by Reid as well as part of a speech given by Reid on the Senate floor.

“Unfortunately, Senator Reid’s record of taxpayer-funded bailouts, government takeovers and spiraling debt has not helped the hundreds of thousands of Nevadans who are out of work or losing their homes,” said Mike Duncan, chairman of the board of American Crossroads. “Nevada and the rest of the country deserve something better than Reid’s tired Washington formula of taxpayer-financed pork and attack politics.”

A note from American Crossroads:

Harry Reid has presided over a Senate that helped nationalize our health care system, racked up reckless deficits and debt, and became a Bailout ATM for well-heeled special interests. Meanwhile, Nevadans are suffering under record home foreclosures and the highest unemployment rate in the country.

What’s Harry’s answer? More deficit-financed pork and vicious political attacks.

What’s our answer? Harry: you’ve done enough!

To rebuild America’s ailing economic and fiscal health, we need principled leadership that respects taxpayers, restrains spending, and restricts government power. If you’d like to help make that a reality, then join us and be part of the American Crossroads community!

Video below:



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To Michael Yon: "Money talks, Bulls*** walks"

*cross-posted from Assoluta Tranquillita*

To hear Michael Yon tell it, he is the only credible source on the GWOT. To read him, you would think he is the only one who has the ear of General Petraeus et al. HE has 'sources.' MY's fans are constantly reminded that he has 'been there, done that, (donate now),' and that any and all of the 'milkooks' - as he calls them - should be ignored. These 'milkooks' are predominantly actual veterans and career soldiers, but according to MY, they have zero credibility.

Today, one of those 'milkooks' has a message for MY, and it is your must read of today.

MAJOR Chuck Z:

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

irresponsible "sources"

"Per Mike Yon on Facebook: If we are going to make a success out of this war, must start squeezing out and choking off the irresponsible "sources." People who care will start writing letters to editors/producers who link to websites such as Blackfive and Mudville Gazette. Must start telling mainstream sources that when they link to milkooks, we stop paying attention. Please leave comments at mainstream message boards encouraging people to ignore milkooks.

[He goes on with more quotes from one of MY recent screeds, which I won't bore you with, and then responds]

I will respond to that here, as it is my web page and even though the Code Monkey is driving the bus, I can still moon people from the windows.

My "from the hip" response: Eat shit, mike yon. Eat. My. Shit.

My well reasoned and thought out response: Mikey, Milbloggers made you as popular as you are. If it weren't for sites like Blackfive and Mudville Gazette, you would be the saddest panda in Iraq right now, living hand to mouth on the mercies of people who had not (yet) had enough of your silly shit and tantrums to stop putting up with you. You may have been taking good pictures, but nobody would have noticed, were it not for us "milkooks."

You go back to taking pictures in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Thailand, or wherever suits you. Since photography is your medium of choice, and you refuse to consider anyone who hasn't "been there" as a valid information source, I'll post my street cred right here:

This is my (most of) hand. Although swollen, it's smaller than it was the day before. I left the rest of it in a canal near Baqubah, Iraq. This is only one of the horrors of war....

[...]

There is more, MUCH more, and Chuck ends with this:

...Your effect on anything is negligible. (Because even when you do violate OPSEC, nothing happens.) If you were actually saying anything worthwhile, the enemy would be reading your site, like they do mine.

Oh by the way, do you know who is 100% involved in soldiers angels and Valour-IT? Not just involved, but actively supports and raises money for it? That's right mikey, Blackfive and Mudville. You beg others to smear them--what do YOU actually DO for soldiers? What do YOU provide for them?

Now who is the irresponsible source, mikey?

mikey?

/crickets

--Chuck

I could add my 2 cents' worth here, but as usual, our military says it all so much more intelligently than I ever could. Any ongoing observer of our current war on terror knows who has the street cred, knows who is the responsible source. Our warriors are walking the walk, while some are content to have foot massages in Thailand. Our current military is spending their blood, while *some* are spending their donors' dollars, as they talk talk talk about how our military *should* be conducting this war. ( I wonder if these willing donors know that a lot of their $ go to paying MY's lawyers, as he fight his own battles? Just sayin'...) Not to worry, though, as General Petraeus is now getting 'expert' advice from Thailand 'sources' and will win the war for us all - milkooks included? - as long as they pay attention to HIS 'expert' opinions.

As Chuck says: 'crickets'.. Go NOW, and read the rest of Chuck's column here.

David Weigel Explains At Big Government

Via Big Government:

But I was cocky, and I got worse. I treated the list like a dive bar, swaggering in and popping off about what was “really” happening out there, and snarking at conservatives. Why did I want these people to like me so much? Why did I assume that I needed to crack wise and rant about people who, usually for no more than five minutes were getting on my nerves? Because I was stupid and arrogant, and needlessly mean. Yes, I’d trash-talk liberals to Republicans sometimes. And I’d tell them which liberals “mattered,” who was a hack, who was coming after them. Did I suggest which strategies might and might not work for liberals, Democrats, and the president? Yes, although I do the same to conservatives — in February, for example, I told many of them that Scott Brown’s election hadn’t killed health care reform, and they needed to avoid dancing in the endzone, because I was aware of what liberals were saying about how to come back.

Still, this was hubris. It was the hubris of someone who rose — objectively speaking — a bit too fast, and someone who misunderstood a few things about his trade. It was also the hubris of someone who thought the best way to be annoyed about something was to do it publicly. This is the reason I’m surprised at commentary accusing me of misrepresenting myself. One other part of my career that wouldn’t have been possible a decade ago is my Twitter account, which has been popular — I’m assuming — because I’m sarcastic and don’t hide my biases. That Twitter account has echoed the way, described above, that I talk to liberals and conservatives in private. And it’s flashed like Drudge’s siren with every take I have on Republican politicians, on Democratic politicians, on fringe movements — everything.

No excuses, just an explanation and some hard hitting personal confessions.

As I said the other day, I truly don't give a damn, but hey, a person wants to explain after their name has been used in hundreds of blog posts, news stories, television programs and such, he is entitled. So go read the whole thing.

Anyone hiring him should simply be aware of his slant and act accordingly, but he likes to write, he is decent with words and by no means is this the end of his writing career.

One thing this all should teach him though, never email anything privately that you won't say publicly. I am betting he is smart enough to have learned that lesson.

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GOP Convention 2010--North Carolina

I recently had the privilege of attending the North Carolina GOP 2010 Convention in Winston-Salem.

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/06/gop-convention-2010-north-carolina/


http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/04/ideological-b...igotr...y-ideological...-violence-ideological-idiocy-my-3-b...ooks-are-now-avail...able/


eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

Chicago's Handgun Ban Ruled Unconstitutional By Supreme Court

Heller points unmistakably to the answer. Self-defense is a basic right, recognized by many legal systems from ancient times to the present, and the Heller Court held that individual self-defense is “the central component” of the SecondAmendment right. 554 U. S., at ___, ___. Explaining that “the needfor defense of self, family, and property is most acute” in the home, ibid., the Court found that this right applies to handguns because they are “the most preferred firearm in the nation to ‘keep’ and use for protection of one’s home and family,” id., at ___, ___–___. It thus concluded that citizens must be permitted “to use [handguns] for the core lawful purpose of self-defense.”-- Page #4 McDonald vs. Chicago

Gun rights advocates celebrate a ruling today which declares Chicago's handgun ban, in place for 28 years, unconstitutional.

214 page PDF of the court ruling can be found here. It was a 5-4 ruling with dissent coming from Justices Stephen Breyer, John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote "It cannot be doubted that the right to bear arms was regarded as a substantive guarantee, not a prohibition that could be ignored so long as states legislated in an evenhanded manner."

Fox provides background to the case that was just ruled on.

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court appears poised to issue a ruling that will expand to the states the high court's historic 2008 ruling that individuals have a federally protected right to keep and bear arms, following an hour-long argument Tuesday. If so, the decision would mark another hallmark victory for gun rights advocates and likely strike down Chicago's handgun ban that is similar to the Washington D.C. law already invalidated by the justices.

Tuesday's lively arguments featured lawyer Alan Gura, the same man who argued and won D.C. v. Heller in 2008. He now represents Otis McDonald who believes Chicago's handgun ban doesn't allow him to adequately protect himself. Gura argued the Heller decision which only applied to Washington D.C. and other areas of federal control should equally apply to Chicago and the rest of the country.

In D.C. v. Heller, the Supreme Court ruled against the Washington D.C. gun ban, two years ago.

Statement by Wayne LaPierre Executive Vice President, National Rifle Association Regarding U.S. Supreme Court Decision McDonald v. City of Chicago: (Via NRA website) News Release found here.

Today marks a great moment in American history. This is a landmark decision. It is a vindication for the great majority of American citizens who have always believed the Second Amendment was an individual right and freedom worth defending.

The Supreme Court said what a majority of the American public believes. The people who wrote the Second Amendment said it was an individual right, and the Court has now confirmed what our founding fathers wrote and intended. The Second Amendment — as every citizen's constitutional right — is now a real part of American Constitutional law.

But, Supreme Court decisions have to lead to actual consequences or the whole premise of American constitutional authority collapses. Individual freedom must mean you can actually experience it. An incorporated freedom has to be a real freedom.

The intent of the founding fathers — and the Supreme Court — was to provide access. Words must have meaning.

The Supreme Court has now said the Second Amendment is an individual freedom for all. And that must have meaning. This decision must provide relief to law-abiding citizens who are deprived of their Second Amendment rights.

I'm a practical guy. I don't want to win on philosophy and lose on freedom. The end question is, can law-abiding men and women go out and buy and own a firearm? Today the Supreme Court said yes — anywhere they live!

This decision cannot lead to different measures of freedom, depending on what part of the country you live in. City by city, person by person, this decision must be more than a philosophical victory. An individual right is no right at all if individuals can't access it. Proof of Heller and McDonald will be law abiding citizens, one by one, purchasing and owning firearms.

The NRA will work to ensure this constitutional victory is not transformed into a practical defeat by activist judges, defiant city councils, or cynical politicians who seek to pervert, reverse, or nullify the Supreme Court's McDonald decision through Byzantine labyrinths of restrictions and regulations that render the Second Amendment inaccessible, unaffordable, or otherwise impossible to experience in a practical, reasonable way.

What good is a right without the gun? What good is the right if you can't buy one? Or keep one in your home? Or protect your family with one?

Here's a piece of paper — protect yourself. That's no right at all!

Victory is when law abiding men and women can get up, go out, and buy and own a firearm. This is a monumental day. But NRA will not rest until every law-abiding American citizen is able to exercise the individual right to buy and own a firearm for self defense or any other lawful purpose.

June 25, 2010, Chicago's Mayor, Richard Daley, stated that the Chicago City Council would be considering new gun laws should the Supreme Court rule against them.

This decision comes on the heels of one of the most violent weekends in Chicago where CBS reports:

For the second night in a row, gun violence injured more than a dozen people in just a few hours across the city, bringing the total number of people shot since midnight Saturday to 26.

At least thirteen people were shot -- one fatally -- in a little more than five hours between 10:45 p.m. p.m. Saturday and 4 a.m. Sunday, with most shootings taking place on the Northwest and Southwest sides, according to police News Affairs reports.

The most recent wave of gun violence comes on the heels of a six-hour stretch from midnight to 6 a.m. Saturday, which also saw 13 people shot, two fatally, police said.

According to the ruling, on page #8, the Supreme Court took the crime statistics in Chicago under considerations and states:

Chicago enacted its handgun ban to protect its residents“from the loss of property and injury or death from fire-arms.” See Chicago, Ill., Journal of Proceedings of theCity Council, p. 10049 (Mar. 19, 1982). The Chicago petitioners and their amici, however, argue that the handgun ban has left them vulnerable to criminals. Chicago PoliceDepartment statistics, we are told, reveal that the City’s handgun murder rate has actually increased since the ban was enacted and that Chicago residents now face one of the highest murder rates in the country and rates of other violent crimes that exceed the average in comparable cities.

Emphasis mine.

Citizens had no way to fight back when the only guns on the street belonged to criminals and residents had no means to defend themselves. When a legal ban of handguns results in the handgun murder rate increasing, rather than decreasing, it does seem reasonable to assume the original premise behind the ban was faulty. Yet that unconstitutional law existed for 28 years.

Meet Otis McDonald, one of the individuals behind the lawsuit against Chicago's handgun ban.



According to the reporter that visited McDonald:

On the walls of his south side home are pictures of democrats and only democrats - including the Clintons, Barack Obama and Chicago's Mayor from 1984-1987 Harold Washington.

Saying simply " I don’t look at politics, like I don’t look at colors"

McDonald is a 76 year-old African American, Democrat, who believes he has the right to defend himself, his family and his home.

The supreme Court just gave him back his right.

[Update] Technically, the AP notes:

Monday's decision did not explicitly strike down the Chicago area laws. Instead, it ordered a federal appeals court to reconsider its ruling. But it left little doubt that the statutes eventually would fall.

McDonald responds to the Supreme Court decision in his favor:

Otis McDonald says all he wanted to do was protect himself.

But first he had to fight the city of Chicago all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where today he gave a victory speech after the high court ruled against the city's handgun ban.

"I am so happy. I am so happy," McDonald, 76, exclaimed as he left the Supreme Court building this morning.

As he spoke, people approached him, shook his hand and congratulated him.

Nattily dressed in a dark suit, light blue shirt and lilac handkerchief in his breast pocket, McDonald seemed oblivious to the sweltering, ninety-something temperatures gripping the city. It was his second trip ever to the Supreme Court, having come beforehand for oral arguments.

McDonald said his victory gives law-abiding people the chance to defend themselves "against drug dealers and gangbangers across the United States." He said he hoped people would be safer because of the decision and that he worried about others more than himself.

The South Sider also said he didn't feel he would be threatened by criminals because of the case. "I believe they now will think twice," he said.

Asked by a reporter what type of handgun he would buy, he did not miss a beat. "I don't have no preference right now. I can use all of them," he said.

In a one-page statement read to a barrage of reporters, McDonald opened by thanking Jesus Christ, then his attorneys, then his fellow plaintiffs and finally "all the wonderful people all across America who have been supportive of the Second Amendment and our right to defend ourselves."

He also thanked the justices. "Last but not least, I'm very grateful to the justices of this high court for having the courage to right a wrong, which has impacted many lives long ago and that will protect lives for many years to come."

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Nothing Sunday

10 weeks until NFL Kickoff. Today is Nothing Sunday.

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/06/nothing-sunday/


eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

Jesus, I don't have a title.....

I can't help but to pass on some stupid stuff of the day. I'm sure you have all heard of this. It has been an eyesore of mine from it's inception. Not immaculate either!





But then there is this too!



http://www.conservativedeclaration.com/2010/06/peta-to-rebuild-jesus/



I'm not a giant in the world of intelligence, but I can hold my own. What? I must be missing a point here. The Church spent $250,000, to build a giant lightning rod, surrounded by such flammables as foam, wood, and fiberglass. Stuck it in a body of water, in the middle of tornado alley. That was smart right there now!
Tell me if I am wrong, but a lot of people could have been helped with this kind of money. Now, PETA, wants to pull a lamb, safe from harm, mind you, out of their hat. Grow some food and feed someone if you are so damn interested! Idiots!



This Giant, is, was, next to I-75, 4 miles from me. I like the new Terminator look myself. God has good aim. Apparently, he didn't like it either. It has several names, most due to sarcasm, disdain, humor, and pure dislike. Mine are all of them. This is long, to the point, and very funny, in my eyes. Heywood Banks wrote it. I think it is quite eloquent for the occasion. :)

In southern Ohio,
just north of Cincinnati.
I beheld a vision,
next to the expressway.
Was a 60 foot Jesus,
with his hands in the air,
looks like he’s carved out of butter,
just like at the state fair.
Big butter Jesus!
Sweet cream Jesus!
Oh country fresh Jesus!
Unsalted Jesus!
Oh Promise Jesus!
Imperial Jesus!
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus.
Oleo Lord.


Well you see him from the chest up,
like he’s about to do a back flip,
like he scored a touchdown,
or maybe melting or about to drown.
Well I’ve been to the state fair,
seen a cow made out of corn cobs.
Garth Brooks made of string cheese,
and the virgin out of olives.
Big butter Jesus!
Sweet cream Jesus!
Oh country fresh Jesus
Unsalted Jesus!
Oh Promise Jesus!
Imperial Jesus!
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus.
Oleo Lord.

Shipped in pieces on a flatbed,
staring backwards was his big head.
Driver stuck in traffic backups,
desperately avoiding eye contact.
Well don’t make no graven images.
That’s one of the 10 commandments!
I hope the grading curve is kindly,
You get to heaven with a 90.
Big butter Jesus!
Sweet cream Jesus!
Oh country fresh Jesus!
Unsalted Jesus!
Oh Promise Jesus!
Imperial Jesus!
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus.
Oleo Lord.
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus,
Oh spread the word.

One night Big Butter,
got struck by lightning.
And it burned to the framewire,
in a giant grease fire.
Some blamed it on Satan,
and boy, that would be frightening'!
But I thought it was Jesus’ father,
who was in charge of lightning!
Big fireball Jesus !
Flaming shot Jesus!
Charbroiled Jesus!
Opa Jesus!
Extra crispy Jesus!
Bananas foster Jesus!
I’m put out it’s not Jesus!
Charcoal-y O Lord.


Skeez

Please don't burn me down.

The Otter Picnic

Just left the Idaho GOP State Convention. Took part in the Otter Picnic.


http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/06/the-otter-picnic/

Flying back to the People's Republic of Los Angeles.

eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

LOD EMS: Our unsung heroes

Emergency Medical Services personnel are the unsung heroes of our society. As I sit to write this, sirens are blaring, and the many tones of the different EMS appear to have stopped in my immediate neighbourhood. (No, the men in white coats are not coming for me - not today, at least!) Every time a siren blasts by my house, I know that the brave men and women of EMS are on their way to some kind of emergency. Every day, these unsung heroes answer the call, laying their lives on the line to help a stranger.

On 9/11, we lost dozens of EMS heroes who ran towards danger, when most people were running away, trying to escape from the terror.

Running towards danger is what EMS do, but you and I mostly never hear of their heroic deeds. I first introduced you to one of those heroes here:

Friday, September 11, 2009

Keith G. Fairben: Still riding

Think of Keith, and by all accounts from those who know and love him, laughter is the first thing that comes to mind. Laughter, loyalty to family and friends, service to his community. These attributes are what continue to define Keith: beloved son, cherished friend, respected EMS professional, and of course, 9/11 hero.

Keith Fairben was 24 years old on September 11, 2001. The only child of Ken and Diane, Keith grew up knowing that service to others matters. .....

If you haven't already done so, go and meet Keith, and his family, here.

When I first approached Keith's family to write about, and share, who he is, I was shocked to learn that in the years since 9/11, nobody - and I do mean nobody - had taken the time to find out who this EMS is, or what his actions on 9/11 meant to those who love him the most. Of course, our fallen heroes from that day are remembered by those who love them, and they live with the hole left by their absence every single day, but the rest of society? Not so much. This still holds true today; there is an abysmal lack of public recognition, and honour, paid to those EMS heroes who live in service to others, and who sometimes fall in the line of duty.

This week a Memorial Service is being held to publicly acknowledge the sacrifice of EMS personnel who have given their lives in service to their communities over the last 12 months.
This annual event seeks to redress the dearth of respect and recognition these unsung heroes receive from society at large.

Every year, a non profit group gather for a Memorial Service to honour their own. June 26 is this year's date when families of the 2010 fallen EMS will join, as one 'family,' to remember and honour their sacrifice:

The mission of the National EMS Memorial Service is to honor and remember those men and women of America's Emergency Medical Services who have given their lives in the line of duty, and to recognize the sacrifice they have made in service to their communities and their fellow man.

Each year, hundreds of family members, friends, coworkers, EMS and political leaders, and colleagues from EMS agencies from around the nation gather together to remember our honorees.

The National EMS Memorial is not a single event but rather a weekend of events centered around the ceremony known as the National EMS Memorial Service. Please click on The Weekend in the menu above to learn more about these other activities.

The 18th Annual National EMS Memorial Service will take place on June 26, 2010 at 6:00 pm MDT (GMT -6:00) at the First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Please take a moment at that time to join us in remembering our fallen colleagues.

Visitors are invited to use the The Service and The Memorial links above to learn more about the National EMS Memorial Service and the "Tree of Life". ...(here)

Take a look at these names. Read them, and think about these families whose heroes gave all:



(copyright George W. Murphy. Here)

2010 HONOREES

	Joseph R Barlow of Johnson County Rescue and EMS, Mountain City, TN, who died in the line of duty on September 18, 2009 of injuries received in an ambulance involved motor vehicle accident.
	Paul Boyer of Womack Army Medical Center Ambulance Services, Fort Bragg, NC, who died in the line of duty on October 22, 2009 of injuries received in an ambulance involved motor vehicle accident.
	James Bradshaw of Mountain Lifeflight, Susanville, CA, who died in the line of duty on November 14, 2009 of injuries received in an aeromedical aviation accident.
	Timothy A Byrd of Dover-Stewart County Rescue Squad, Dover, TN, who died in the line of duty on February 9, 2009 of a cardiac arrest while on duty.
	Debra A Cole of South Portland Fire Department, South Portland, ME, who died in the line of duty on June 11, 2009 of a cerebral vascular accident while on duty.
	Diana Lynn Conner of Carolina Lifecare, Conway, SC, who died in the line of duty on September 25, 2009 of injuries received in an aeromedical aviation accident.
	Mark B Davis of Cape Vincent Volunteer Fire Department, Cape Vincent, NY, who died in the line of duty on January 31, 2009 of a gun shot wound received while at the scene of a call.
	David M Deland of Lake-Sumter EMS, Mount Dora, FL, who died in the line of duty on November 6, 2009 of a cardiac arrest while on duty.
	Randolph Claxton Dove of Carolina Lifecare, Conway, SC, who died in the line of duty on September 25, 2009 of injuries received in an aeromedical aviation accident.
	Larry Wayne Feagin of Gemini Ambulance Service, Falfurrias, TX, who died in the line of duty on August 13, 2009 of a cardiac arrest while on duty.
	Melissa Gerese Greenhagen of Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital STAT Ambulance Services, Glasgow, MT, who died in the line of duty on January 17, 2009 of a gun shot wound received while walking across a hospital parking lot.
	Paul D Holmes, Jr. of Douglas County Fire Department, Douglasville, GA, who died in the line of duty on December 28, 2009 of injuries received in an ambulance involved motor vehicle accident.
	Daryl Joseph Lahren of Kindred Ambulance, Kindred, ND, who died in the line of duty on June 25, 2009 of a cardiac arrest while on duty.
	Dale R Long of Bennington Rescue Squad, Bennington, VT, who died in the line of duty on June 15, 2009 of injuries received in an ambulance involved motor vehicle accident.
	Bonnie McNeil of Union Rescue Squad, Willard, NC, who died in the line of duty on May 14, 2009 of a cardiac arrest while on duty.
	Christopher Meadows of San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Search & Rescue, San Luis Obispo, CA, who died in the line of duty on May 24, 2009 of injuries received in an ATV accident while performing a beach/dune rescue.
	Harry R Moore of Duquesne Emergency Medical Services, Duquesne, PA, who died in the line of duty on November 22, 2009 of a cardiac arrest while on duty.
	Charles Denny Myshrall of North Coventry Volunteer Fire Department, Coventry, CT, who died in the line of duty on February 26, 2009 of complications from surgery for injuries received from a fall at the scene of a call.
	Barry John Nagle of Silver Spring Ambulance and Rescue, New Kingstown, PA, who died in the line of duty on February 4, 2009 of a cardiac arrest while on duty.
	Clinton Reger of Mountain Lifeflight, Susanville, CA, who died in the line of duty on November 14, 2009 of injuries received in an aeromedical aviation accident.
	Christopher Ritz of Mountain Lifeflight, Susanville, CA, who died in the line of duty on November 24, 2009 of injuries received in an aeromedical aviation accident.
	Virginia K Shearrer of Larned EMS, Larned, KS, who died in the line of duty on June 5, 2006 of a cerebral vascular accident while on duty.
	Gary David Street of East Lake Sinclair Volunteer Fire Department, Sparta, GA, who died in the line of duty on October 17, 2009 of a cardiac arrest while on duty.
	Andrew Francis Tingwall of New Mexico State Police Aircraft Section, Santa Fe, NM, who died in the line of duty on June 11, 2009 of injuries received in an aeromedical aviation accident.
	Patrick B Walters of Carolina Lifecare, Conway, SC, who died in the line of duty on September 25, 2009 of injuries received in an aeromedical aviation accident.
	Thomas E Widcamp of Cameron Parish EMS, Cameron, LA, who died in the line of duty on October 9, 2009 of injuries received when a rescue trailer pinned him to the EMS building.

(source)

[Brat editorial note: Seem to be having tech issues *gasp* with the list of names. No disrespect intended for those heroes whose names are not appearing in my final copy. Please follow the link for the full list. Thank you.]

The all-volunteer organisation which co-ordinates and runs this special weekend is totally donation dependent. They receive not one dime from any government agency. The NEMSMS relies on the goodwill of others to ensure the proper respect is paid. This year is the first year that the Memorial Service will be held in Colorado, and yes, Colorado has donated the land and the facilities. Kevin Agaard, volunteer Public Information Officer of NEMSMS, points out that the EMS 'doesn't have the lobby of police departments,' so all weekend activities are paid for out of supporters' pockets. Adopt-A-Family is one such aspect of the weekend. Each year, the organisation tries to match an honoree's family with a supporter, who helps defray the costs of a fallen hero's family attending the Memorial Service. As Agaard told me, up until this year, families across the US gathered at Roanake. The travel expenses, plus hotel accomodation, for the fallen EMS' families to attend, can be prohibitive, and the NEMSMS does everything they can to ensure the families can be at the annual gathering. According to Agaard, this year is the first year that every honoree's family has been successfully paired under the Adopt-A-Family program.

For many families, this is the only time they can travel across country to share in this public recognition. Diane, mom of Keith:

...I don't think too many go after their loved one is honored.

Ken and I go, because ...it is one of the very few ways he and the others are remembered. Not just 9/11 EMS, but all EMS who die in the line of duty. We have to be Keith's voice!...We are probably one of the only family members that have returned every year...we were sponsored the year Keith was honored, after that we pay our own way. ... EMS is always the silent service, ... and rather like a small community( unfortunately ) FD and PD always get the glory!

For these unsung heroes there is not nearly enough 'glory,' in my humble opinion. My regular readers know that not many days go by when I do not think about these fallen heroes or their families, but like most of us, travelling to be part of public memorial services is not an option.

For more details on the National EMS Memorial, go here:

The National EMS Memorial is composed of the Tree of Life and the Memorial Book.

The Tree of Life is a representation of an oak tree, symbolizing strength. The name, agency and date of loss of each National EMS Memorial Service honoree is engraved on a bronze oak leaf, which is then added to the Tree of Life.

The Memorial Book contains a page for each National EMS Memorial Service honoree. These pages contain photos, biographies and agency patches for each individual honored. The Memorial Book is kept on display near the Tree of Life.

During the Memorial Service Weekend, the pages for each of that year's honorees is mounted and displayed next to the Tree of Life so visitors to the Memorial may view the honors paid to their loved one as a whole. At the conclusion of the weekend, these pages are then added to the Memorial Book. ...

There are some beautiful pictures of the Tree of Life here.

Any of us, all of us, can support these unsung heroes, even if we cannot attend the Memorial Service. If you have a few spare dollars, you can contribute financially. Go here for the main site and look around. The specific projects are listed, and you can choose to support any one aspect of the weekend: Adopt-A-Family, meet and greet on the Saturday, volunteer dinner, or the Sunday morning family breakfast. You can also choose to donate to the NEMSMS general fund, and let the organisation designate where your money is most needed.

The National Memorial Service is open to the public. For those of us who cannot be there in person, the NEMSMS is live-streaming the service:

2010 marks the first year that the National EMS Memorial Service will be streamed live via the Internet.

The webcast will begin at 6:00 pm Mountain Daylight Time (0000 Zulu), Saturday, June 26, 2010 and may be viewed at http://live.nemsms.org

While you are at the site, be sure and read about the Moment of Silence.

BACKGROUND:

The National EMS Memorial Service Board of Directors had been looking at how to address the issue of allowing all of America's EMS providers who can not be personally in attendance at the Memorial Service each year with a way of participating and honoring those who have fallen in the line of duty. A number of ideas were put forward but the one chosen is the National Moment of Silence.

This choice was made for a number of reasons but the three primary are:

• It is the least intrusive and distracting to those providers who might be rendering patient care at the Moment.
• It is the least intrusive to our civilian neighbors
• While some other, more public methods were suggested, it is not the intention of this project to get the general public involved, that we leave to individual local agencies. Our mission is to provide a method of participation for the members of our profession....

For more details, read here.

I am not an EMS professional, but it seems to me that a Moment of Silence is the least we, as members of the public who rely on the selfless professionalism of these unsung heroes, can do to honour these Line of Duty EMS fallen heroes.

I know what I'll be doing this coming Saturday. What will YOU do to honour and remember these unsung heroes?

[This column was put together with the gracious imput from Kevin Agaard, Public Information Officer for the NEMSMS. As always, Diane Fairben, Proud Mom of Keith, NYPH #8001, 9/ 11/ 01, generously gave of her time to answer my endless questions. Thank you both!]

My father's letter to Jon Voight

My father's letter to Jon Voight.

http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/06/my-fathers-letter-to-jon-voight/

At the Idaho GOP State Convention. Speaking tonight as the undercard to former RNC Chair Rich Galen. Tomorrow the Idaho GOP ladies have their breakfast.


http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/04/ideological-b...igotr...y-ideological...-violence-ideological-idiocy-my-3-b...ooks-are-now-avail...able/


eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

Dave Weigel, Balloon Juice, Leakers And Liberal Hypocrisy

A firestorm across the blogosphere about Dave Weigel, a liberal writer for the Post, hired to cover the conservative movement, had emails sent to a private listserv (400 people give or take a few), leaked.

Yesterday he apologized preemptively, knowing those emails were going to be published, some of those comments are found today, via published by FishBowl.

•"This would be a vastly better world to live in if Matt Drudge decided to handle his emotional problems more responsibly, and set himself on fire."

•"Follow-up to one hell of a day: Apparently, the Washington Examiner thought it would be fun to write up an item about my dancing at the wedding of Megan McArdle and Peter Suderman. Said item included the name and job of my girlfriend, who was not even there -- nor in DC at all."

•"I'd politely encourage everyone to think twice about rewarding the Examiner with any traffic or links for a while. I know the temptation is high to follow up hot hot Byron York scoops, but please resist it."

•"It's all very amusing to me. Two hundred screaming Ron Paul fanatics couldn't get their man into the Fox News New Hampshire GOP debate, but Fox News is pumping around the clock to get Paultard Tea Party people on TV."

Weigel has now resigned.

Caught up? Good, because I don't give a damn about Weigel one way or another.

What caught my eye in all this, is some of the reactions I am seeing, where liberals are outraged, OUTRAGED I tell you, over the fact that an email sent to approximately 400 people was leaked.

Enter Balloon Juice, and to be clear, I am simply using this one as an example of what struck me as ironic hypocrisy.

John Cole, writer at Balloon Juice:

Also, the person who leaked private emails can die in a fire......

In another post, Balloon juice states:

I hope they find out who leaked the emails and his/her career is equally damaged. This is a disgrace....

One would assume that blog thinks leaks are bad.

One would assume wrong, it is just that some leaks are more equal than others.

It seems that to Balloon Juice, whom I assume is represented by their writers, some leaks are "essential" while others are reason to wish death upon the leaker.

Private emails are not to be leaked, but classified government data is okay to be leaked.

Wikileaks from their "about us" page:

WikiLeaks is a multi-jurisdictional public service designed to protect whistleblowers, journalists and activists who have sensitive materials to communicate to the public. Since July 2007, we have worked across the globe to obtain, publish and defend such materials

Balloon Juice writer mistermix, re: Wikileaks:

The real risk of Wikileaks is that the videos posted there will convince Americans that our endless entanglement there is both brutal and useless. That’s why they’re so essential, and why they’re a target: Nobody else is doing it.

So, while Wapo might have been extremely stupid in hiring a liberal to explain the conservative mindset, just as I would say hiring a conservative to explain the liberal mindset would be equally as stupid, to me the hypocrisy of some of the reactions I am seeing in regards to whomever leaked Weigel's emails, is much more interesting.

Leaking classified government information that could endanger our troops = Good.

Leaking emails that exposes a liberal for being hostile to conservatives = Bad.

Liberal thinking fascinates me.

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Gallup: Conservative Ideological Group Reaches Record High

(Click image to enlarge)

Gallup reports:

Conservatives have maintained their leading position among U.S. ideological groups in the first half of 2010. Gallup finds 42% of Americans describing themselves as either very conservative or conservative. This is up slightly from the 40% seen for all of 2009 and contrasts with the 20% calling themselves liberal or very liberal.

Gallup concludes:

Bottom Line

The ideological orientation of Americans seen thus far in 2010 would represent a record-high level of conservatism (since at least 1992) if it is maintained for the full year. This follows an increase in the percentage of conservatives in 2009 that was fueled by heightened conservatism among independents, a pattern that continues today.

You can find the other graphs, explanations and breakdowns at the Gallup link.

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Governor Jan Brewer's Letter To Obama About Border Security

Top of the Ticket provides the text of the letter, copied below:

June 23, 2010

Dear Mr. President:

Thank you for the opportunity to visit with you in person during my recent trip to Washington, D.C. As you know, the issue of border security is foremost in the thoughts of many Arizonans and Americans alike, and I appreciated the chance to personally relate to you my concerns and outline my proposed solutions.

Mr. President, the need for action to secure Arizona’s border could not be clearer. Recently, my office received a number of calls from constituents concerned at reports of new sign postings in interior counties of Arizona warning residents not to access federal lands due to criminal activity associated with the border. These warnings signal to some that we have handed over portions of our border areas to illegal immigrants and drug traffickers. This is unacceptable.

Instead of warning Americans to stay out of parts of our own country, we ought to be warning international lawbreakers that they will be detained and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We ought to be establishing measures to ensure that illegal traffic of any sort is kept to an absolute minimum, and that Americans are safe and secure within our own borders.

When we visited, you committed to present details, within two weeks of our meeting, regarding your plans to commit National Guard troops to the Arizona border and expend $500 million in additional funds on border security matters. You also discussed sending members of your senior staff to Arizona to discuss your plans. While I am pleased the 28th has been set for a meeting time and we have reviewed a copy of the Department of Homeland Security’s “Southwest Border Next Steps” Press Release, I am still awaiting details on National Guard deployments and how the proposed additional border security funding will specifically affect Arizona (and the other Border States).

As I mentioned to you on June 3rd, it is very difficult to have much of a dialogue without specific details regarding your proposals. I strongly urge you to request your staff provide us with missing details of your proposals prior to the meeting on the 28th.

While we await the specific details of your border security plans, I wanted to take the time to reemphasize some of what I shared with you and respond further to some of what we discussed. In essence, I have proposed a four-point Border Surge strategy, as outlined in my recent letter to Senator Charles Schumer, summarized as follows:
1. National Guard Personnel and Aviation

I believe a significant number of troops operating with a legitimate mission set is an essential part of any strategy to secure the border. I appreciate your commitment of 1,200 troops and the promise that Arizona would receive the largest contingent. I am concerned, however, that more is required, such as the deployment of 6,000 personnel proposed by Senators Jon Kyl and John McCain for the entire southwestern border.
In addition, I want to make sure that these troops have legitimate missions that:
• Support federal, state and local law enforcement—all three!
• Serve as a blocking force to stop illegal crossing activities.

• Employ the troops in a way that speaks loudly to all—both north and south of the border—that the U.S. is serious about this matter.

As part of your commitment, I also hope that you order a significant increase in aviation resources supporting border security operations on the ground. After meeting and talking to various experts, I am persuaded that aviation support is critical to the effort on the ground. Any effort will fail absent the ability to coordinate ground assets from the air, particularly given the nature of much of Arizona’s border region terrain.

I respectfully ask that you give serious consideration to my May 20, 2010 correspondence, which makes a very reasonable request for a reallocation of National Guard OH-58 helicopter assets in order to make a Border Surge effective. Your support of this request can make a significant difference between a winning effort versus a losing effort.
2. Border Fence

In short Mr. President, we need to complete, reinforce and then maintain the border fence. In my April 6, 2010 letter to you I proposed inmate labor and other methods (i.e., purchasing instead of leasing equipment) as a means to bring down construction/maintenance costs.

I certainly support efficient and effective Ports of Entry where both American and Mexican border officials can allow legal traffic and crossings. Everywhere else along the border, though, I strongly believe we must have fencing and barriers that are both substantial and monitored if the illegal crossings are to be minimized.
3. Enforce Federal Law and Appropriately Fund the Effort

The United States must be prepared to detain, prosecute and then incarcerate convicted violators of United States laws. The current “no consequences policy” has resulted in a border security failure. I appreciate your general proposal to commit additional resources, but it is very difficult for me to comment without any details.

It is without doubt, though, that the current border policy will continue to fail the State of Arizona without additional resources committed to the Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel and detention facilities; prosecution; public defense; and federal prisons.
4. Reimburse States for the Additional Burden of Illegal Immigration

As I mentioned the very first time we met last year, I must continue the calls for Arizona to be reimbursed for expenses we are forced to carry because of our porous southern border. Arizona and a few other states are at a terrible disadvantage in good times, and an even worse position during bad times, because of the additional costs of illegal immigration.

Just in terms of state prison costs, we estimate ongoing expenses at approximately $150 million to incarcerate criminal aliens. While substantial on its own, this figure does not include law enforcement, prosecution and defense costs, or the enormous societal costs of the criminal behavior of those who are not even legally entitled to be here.

We are hundreds of millions of dollars short of what we should receive to relieve the disproportionate law enforcement/jail/prison, health care and education burdens we face due to our porous southern border and rampant illegal immigration. It is simply unfair for the federal government to force Border State taxpayers to carry these burdens.
Immigration Reform

You shared with me your thoughts about the matter of immigration reform and I am grateful you listened to mine. As I mentioned in our meeting, the phrase “comprehensive immigration reform” is code for “amnesty” to many in Arizona and elsewhere in our Nation.

Many Americans are still waiting for the reforms that were promised by the federal government in the 1980s when amnesty was granted to thousands of illegal immigrants. Until we establish a secure border, and reestablish trust with the public that our international borders are meaningful and important, and enforcement of federal immigration law is not an idle threat, any discussion of “comprehensive reform” is premature.

Let’s first block illegal entry into the United States and enforce current law, and then other discussions, including immigration reform, might then, and only then, make sense to the public. I am committed to a serious discussion of legitimate reform—but not any false front for amnesty—when the federal government halts the free flow of illegal immigrants and illegal drugs across the southwestern border.
Arizona’s Law

You also shared some concerns about a “patchwork” approach to policy. This makes sense to me, but the failure of the federal government has driven frustration levels to the point that tolerating the status quo is no longer acceptable for Arizona. From my perspective, the single most significant factor behind the passage this year of SB 1070 and HB 2162 (the follow-up bill with amendments to SB 1070) was the frustration of Arizona elected officials, and the public we serve, regarding the failure of the federal government over the years to effectively address the problem of illegal immigration.

The growing concerns over spillover violence, the increased awareness of kidnappings, the spread of drop houses in neighborhoods throughout metropolitan areas, the scourge of the drug trade and the oppressive financial burdens posed by illegal immigration—burdens even more difficult to shoulder in this economic downturn—all contributed to accelerating the public’s frustration.
I am 100% committed to fair and just enforcement of the new Arizona law. I have made it clear that civil rights will not be compromised. The first step has been educating and training law enforcement, as well as the public, on the details of the law—a step I have already ordered in Arizona.

Instead of any discussion about suing Arizona and not cooperating with the efforts of local Arizona law enforcement to address illegal immigration, the federal government should reassure Arizona (and other states) that securing the border and enforcing federal immigration laws are duties to which the federal government will make a renewed and sincere commitment.

When the public sees consistent evidence of federal commitment, I am convinced the demand for state actions will wane. State and local governments have plenty to do and will be happy to stay out of border security and immigration law enforcement—along with the expenses of such work—if the federal government takes a firm and effective grip on the problem.
Conclusion

In closing, I want to assure you that I am looking to develop a solution, not have a standoff, with you and the federal government. Illegal immigration is a serious problem and I am sincerely committed to seeing something done to curb it.

The real challenges at hand are about violent crime, huge taxpayer burdens, the rule of law and ensuring that our southern border does not become an open door for radical terrorists. Commerce with other countries is important to me and Arizonans—I truly want a vibrant and positive relationship with Sonora, other Mexican States and the rest of the world. Federal immigration law, however, must be honored and enforced, and our border must represent an effective means to help ensure our sovereignty and security.

I remain eager to receive the specific details of your proposals and to have the follow-up meeting with your senior staff. It is disappointing that we are such a short time away from the meeting and Arizona and the other Border States still are awaiting the specific details of what you are proposing. There is still time, however, to ensure the meeting next week is productive.
Finally, I want to re-extend the invitation I made to you to come to Arizona yourself, visit with families living along the southwestern border and see the situation firsthand. My prior visits to the border and the air survey of the Cochise County region have been very important to shaping my perspectives and thinking. Governor Richardson joined me for one trip and I believe you would also benefit from such an experience.

And when you do come, lunch is on me!
Yours in service to the great state of Arizona,
Janice K. Brewer
Governor

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Boycotts Against Arizona Start To Crumble

After the passage of SB 1070, where it makes it a state crime to be in the US illegally and giving police a mandate to check immigration status on individuals stopped or detained for another legal reason, certain cities and states decided to boycott Arizona after the media and Democratic politicians, including Barack Obama, misrepresented the law in an attempt to link it to racial profiling.

When asked how those boycotts were progressing, Jack Kyser, director of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, responds "The comment ‘not so well’ looks to be fairly accurate."

Los Angeles was one of those cities that made a huge showing of boycotting Arizona, but has found that it might not economically benefit their own residents, so they make "exemptions" to their own boycott.

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday granted itself an exemption to the city’s boycott of Arizona to keep a red light photo enforcement program operating. The program generates about $3.6 million in annual ticket revenue for the city. The day before, Oakland voted to approve a $1 million contract with a multinational advertising company with corporate offices in Phoenix.

San Jose, which has several contracts with Arizona companies cited potential economic harm in stopping short of a full boycott, voting instead for an official denunciation of SB 1070.

Jack Pitney, Professor of American Politics at Claremont McKenna College claims that a boycott of a state fails for three specific reasons:

“First you have to figure out which goods and services come from the state. In a complex economy, that determination can be very tricky.”

Next, officials must figure out which contracts may be lawfully canceled. Attorneys have to spend lots of billable hours on such questions, Mr. Pitney says.

“Then you have to arrange for goods and services from some other state," he says. "In many cases, the locality chose an Arizona company because it was the low bidder or was otherwise superior to the alternatives," he says. "In tough economic times," he adds, "it's hard to justify such a choice.”

They acted before they thought about their actions and now they find it impossible to boycott a state they depend on for certain goods or services.

Then again, when we see an example such as the one over at Hot Air, showing the type of people that vote on these boycotts, those that act before thinking and aren't actually the brightest bulb in the box.

Peggy West, Milwaukee County Board Supervisor, at a hearing that was open to the public, and caught on video, exemplifies my statement above.

Video below:



Text:

“If this was Texas, which is a state that is directly on the border with Mexico, and they were calling for a measure like this, saying that they have a major issue with, you know, undocumented people flooding their borders, I would say, I would have to look twice at this, but this is a state that’s a ways removed from the border."

Malkin suggests a geography lesson. I concur.



While it is entertaining to show the sheer ignorance of people like Peggy West, those in a position of a County Board Supervisor, it also is indicative of the continued misrepresentation of a law that does nothing more than mimic federal law and gives police the tools needed to enforce the law, which is their job in the first place.

For those that continue to portray the law as justification to racially profile and imply that police can simply walk up to anyone on the street that they believe is here illegally, perhaps they should read the law itself before speaking, they will look a lot less foolish.

• During a lawful stop, directs law enforcement officers to determine immigration status of individuals who they reasonably suspect to be illegal aliens, and for all persons who are arrested. (§ 2(B), page 1).

Provides that persons who present any federal, state or local identification documents that require verification of lawful status (e.g., an Arizona driver’s license) when issued are presumed to be lawfully present. (§ 2(B), page 1).

So, if I am driving along in my car and my foot gets a little heavy on the gas peddle and the police stop me and ask for my driver's license and registration as is their habit, do I get to scream racial profiling?

No.

Yet if an immigrant, here legally or illegally, gets asked for that same thing, they do get to scream racial profiling?

I call bullshit.

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Federal Judge Rejects Obama White House Appeal Plea On Drilling Moratorium

CNN reports:

A federal judge has denied the Obama administration's request to stay his ruling lifting a moratorium on offshore drilling moratorium until an appeals court could review the case.

In an emergency hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman denied the government's motion to stay pending appeal "for the same reasons given in [the] Court's June 22, 2010 order granting the plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction."

No doubt the judge took into consideration The White House's deliberate misrepresentation of experts recommendations from his previous ruling to overturn the Obama White House moratorium which banned drilling for 6 months.

Much to the government’s discomfort and this Court’s uneasiness, the Summary also states that “the recommendations contained in this report have been peer-reviewed by seven experts identified by the National Academy of Engineering.” As the plaintiffs, and the experts themselves, pointedly observe, this statement was misleading. The experts charge it was a “misrepresentation.” It was factually incorrect. Although the experts agreed with the safety recommendations contained in the body of the main Report, five of the National Academy experts and three of the other experts have publicly stated that they “do not agree with the six month blanket moratorium” on floating drilling. They envisioned a more limited kind of moratorium, but a blanket moratorium was added after their final review, they complain, and was never agreed to by them. A factor that might cause some apprehension about the probity of the process that led to the Report.

Read the whole 22 page PDF

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