Knock Knock, Who's There? JFK, Open Up

According to the Washington Democrats website, John Kerry is coming to Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood to raise money for "Governor Gregoire's Defense Fund". So the washed-out hack is coming to raise money for Comrade Fraudoire...interesting.

The Seattle Times foreshadowed Kerry's fundraising vist in this article written April 22. But rather than a month away, Kerry has moved up his visit to May 1st. The Democrats must be getting desperate for cash, or maybe they were afraid of a backlash closer to May 23rd?

Cafe Press, et al.

While recently browsing the Internet for GOP paraphanalia, I came across an interesting little domain named Cafe Press. These people sell very provocative political messages. I still can't make up my mind whether what they do is work both sides of the spectrum, or whether they are a committed Right Wing business venture. Additionally, in my moral estimation, their messages are bankrupt and are simply going to TICK people off. Nonetheless, I did find quite a few of their products amusing and wanted to share them with you.

THE SLAM


This G.W. image and logo represent the counter-culture stampede. I'm inclined to agree with the statement, but this is not how we get "hippies" to embrace conservatism!

THE DUNK


I actually agree with this one, but still value peace as a virtuous dream. As such, it may never be attained, and we must face this reality. Military might is what will deliver this nation, and the world from evil, and the sooner we acknowledge that, the better off we'll be!!!


THE REVERSE SLAM DUNK


You know, I've met a lot of people that would tend to agree with the sentiment expressed in this design. In fact, I even have one friend serving in the IDF who has been wounded twice. Once by a suicide bomber detonating within 100 yards of him, and the second time by a shrapnel grenade. However, what is true of some Muslims is not true of all Muslims. But the verdict is still out on this one, something speaks to a certain truth, and I think the following cartoon from CoxandForkum.com should clear it up.

THE NOT-OK CORAL


Am I becoming moderate in my old age, or is the rest of the world becoming more extreme? Tell me what you think, I really could use some guidance.

The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy

A new book by Byron York

I'm sure all of us are familiar with former First Lady Hillary Clinton's statment about what she believed to be a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy out to get her husband. Well now enters Byron York, a well-known National Review contributor, and he blows the cap off of the real conspiracy!

The Conservative Book Club has an especially enlightening review online. Here is a short excerpt:

Despite their failure in 2004, liberals have built the biggest, most effective political machine in American history -- and they're working hard now to make it even stronger. But they're no longer able to do it under cover of darkness: in The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy : The Untold Story of How Democratic Operatives, Eccentric Billionaires, Liberal Activists, and Assorted Celebrities Tried to Bring Down a President -- and Why They'll Try Even Harder Next Time, veteran National Review investigative reporter Byron York tears the cover off this well-oiled machine, exposing its innermost workings and showing how it is continuing to transform American politics -- and how patriotic Americans must fight back.

"Know thy enemy!"

Order your copy of The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy today, or email me, and I'll let you borrow my copy when I'm done with it! Whatever you do, don't miss out on this important "intelligence" document. It truly is filled with insights into the Democrats strategy, and the liberal world view.

The Campus Conservative Revolution

So, we're sitting in this restaurant in Spokane, waiting for the speaker to arrive. Admittedly, he's a few minutes late, and looks a bit different than the picture. I'm thinking, oh great, we get to listen to this guy for a half hour?


Dr. Mike Adams

What followed was simply amazing. Dr. Mike Adams of TownHall.com (UNC) spoke at the Washington College Republican Convention last weekend in Spokane. He made several statements I'd like to share with you, which I believe are truly representative of most liberal campuses in the NW, and illustrate the path we as conservative activists need to take:

1) The plethora of liberal groups on campus are run by the same handful of activists.

2) There is no reason why College Republicans or other conservative groups shouldn't receive equal funding; meaning-- we should start up several "arms" of our organization to receive just as much funding as the groups run by our lefty counterparts.

3) We MUST focus on taking back our campuses, one battle at a time. We need to do this in the Court of Public Opinion (i.e. media, newspapers, rallies) and in the Court of Law. If you feel your club has been discriminated against, contact THEFIRE.ORG for details on the legal issues involved. When your university's administration gets a call/letter from THE FIRE, they'll only be blowing smoke from then on, GUARANTEED!

I would highly recommend Dr. Adams to any college campus in Washington, or the United States for that matter! His articles are a MUST READ! Follow this link for more details: MIKE ADAMS.

Cross Posted at "RESPECTFULLY REPUBLICAN" WWW.PLUCRS.BLOGSPOT.COM

NYTimes and Time left with one appeal

Things are looking grim for Matthew Cooper of Time magazine and Judith Miller of The New York Times. They are both resisting a subpoena regarding the identity of their sources in the case of a leaked C.I.A. agent. The federal appeals court rejected their request for a stay on the subpoena and they now are limited to going to prison or attempting a last appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. It's unknown what part their testimony would play and I don't think liberals quite know what they want out of this case. Many are wishing they could pin the leak on the Bush Administration--something they have already done their best to imply without opening themselves up to libel charges. On the other hand, if these two reporters (from liberal leaning media outlets) hold the line and don't reveal their sources, then it would seem the Democrats have no chance to attempt to pin the tail on the elephant.

The case is a complicated one, seemingly full of rumor and intrigue. The case involves intelligence on WMDs out of Iraq and the case for the War in Iraq. Former Ambassador Joe Wilson was commissioned to confirm WMD reports and reportedly came up empty. His information was not given as much weight in the final decision and I cannot assume to know the reason--as does every liberal in Washington D.C.

His wife, an "undercover" C.I.A. operative named Valerie Plame, ended up getting leaked to the press via several "sources." The first to mention anything about her was syndicated columnist Robert Novak who "some say" has cooperated in the investigation. There is also confusion about whether her actual job description would have made it a bid deal for her name to be revealed--something Novak said is the case--that it wasn't a problem because it wasn't a secret really. The investigation, Novak said, is standard procedure in all leaks.

Novak's original beef was with Wilson's record of anti-Bush action--he didn't think that he could be trusted to get an accurate report with his record. Wilson was the one who then accused the White House of leaking his wife's name in retaliation...and that was just the beginning.

Here's some good links for background information:

An October 2003 CNN article here, Novak's original July 2003 "Mission to Niger" column that started it all, and also his response to the ensuing hoopla.

***

All that is neither here nor there and I hate to get into it. The issue at hand is the two reporters who have refused to reveal their sources. Again, the federal appeals court rejected their request for a stay on the subpoena and they now are limited to going to prison or attempting a last appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. And herein lies the greatest issue of interest to me:

I don't think the high court will take the case, but if they do, they would set themselves up for a landmark decision regarding reporter's privilege. Personally I think journalists, who constantly refer to “critics” who say one thing or another, or “government sources” who say this or that, abuse what privilege they may have. This forces the reader to put ultimate faith in the reporter--something the reporter doesn't have a right to ask of the reader. Journalists who cite anonymous people do so because they think they won't be able to get any information at all if government officials are cited by name. The two problems are these: first, there is the ultimate trust in the journalist issue, and then there is also the temptation on the part of the "sources" to leak something false to an unwitting press, and since they won't be named, it won't hurt them.

Enough about journalism for a few days. Thank you for actually reading this far and I hope I haven't sent you back to normal life more confused.

Hooray For Lynn Carpenter

I received this e-mail recently from Lynn Carpenter regarding our local fire department. Ms. Carpenter has been instrumental in keeping Whatcom County Taxpayers informed on the Bellingham Fire Department's frivolous spending of our tax dollars. The subject of this e-mail is "Taxpayers: Pat Yourselves on the Back"
It is my opinion that we owe Lynn Carpenter not only a pat on the back, but a standing ovation for her tireless and vital work.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Bellingham Fire Department has announced that they have decided to send the appropriate medical response to 9 1 1 calls. (see attached) For thirty one years Bellingham and Whatcom County taxpayers have been paying to send fire trucks and paramedics to every call. Dispatcher are told to send the same entire emergency medical team to a call from an elderly person with chest pains as to someone with a broken leg. For years Bellingham Fire Department consultants have been telling them that this kind of overkill was very expensive and very unnecessary. Makes you wonder if anyone has read the consultant's reports or, if they were read, why the recommendations were ignored. Millions and millions of tax dollars have been spent unnecessarily. These changes were not made because professionals have told them it was unnecessary. These changes were not made because the Bellingham Fire Department suddenly became concerned with the cost of EMS services. These changes came about because Bellingham and Whatcom County taxpayers refused to give them more money. If you had voted for a new tax, Bellingham's fire department would be running exactly the way they have always done it. For thirty one years we have been overcharged. So, this is just the beginning. Nationwide 9 1 1 calls requiring the services of paramedics for "advanced life support" is about 30% of the calls. After this major change in Whatcom Medic One, they intend to reduce the "advanced life support" call load from 100% to 70%. Fire department officials are saying they will continue to work on reducing the advance life support but they find it difficult to determine how to respond with the appropriate response. EMS systems all over the United States have figured it out, but the Bellingham Fire Department is still thinking about it. Now that they have reduced the advance life support calls to 70%, they think they deserve a tax increase. It may be in the form of a sales tax increase, a property tax increase, or Bellingham taxpayers may just find it added to their water and sewer bills soon. It's not time for a tax increase. They have only begun to make the necessary changes to make the EMS system cost effective. Their consultant has shown them how to save millions of dollars every year, but city officials have absolutely refused to change they way they do business. Whatcom County and Bellingham taxpayers will have to say no again and again and again until there is real change. There are 17 fire districts and two fire departments in the county. This is just not efficient or cost effective. It is time to overhaul the entire system. Don't get me wrong. This is a good beginning, but it is only a beginning. It's like asking your teenager to mow the lawn. Getting the lawn mower out is a good start, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Congratulations to Whatcom County and Bellingham taxpayers for saying no to new taxes. Until the Bellingham Fire Department gets serious with cost containment, there should be no more taxes. If they get more money, all discussion of cost containment will stop. There is no incentive for the Bellingham Fire Department or any other department in the city to look for cost saving measures and efficiencies if they have plenty of money. Perhaps we should be asking the County Executive to go out to bid for Emergency Medical Services. Let's allow the Bellingham Fire Department to compete for our business. If we do that, changes would come quickly. Until then, we need to show them TOUGH LOVE.


* * * * * * * * *


The way Bellingham has been dealing with 911 calls is so extremely wasteful, it borders on the absurd. If my toilet breaks, I call a plumber. Not a plumber, an electrician, a painter, and someone to walk my dog.
If I have a heart attack, I'm pretty sure that no amount of water a fire truck can spray on me is going to help.

Cross posted at Patty-Jo

Dave Johnson (updates)

Dave Johnson will be speaking in BOND HALL 109 not Miller 104. This is sort of across red square...easy to find.

There seems to be a lot of interest around campus, so don't miss out on this informative event!

Again: 6 p.m. on Monday April 11 (tonight), in Bond Hall 109.

FINAL UPDATE:

Dave Johnson apparently got a very bad case of food poisoning and is in the hospital. As a result the meeting tonight is cancled/delayed until futher notice.

I hope this hasn't thrown anyone for a loop.

Another Oregon Message

Cross-posted at Memento Moron (Kudos for anyone who gets the title reference).

In recent generations, my home state has earned a reputation, soewhat deserved, for being unwelcoming of new transplants and outsiders in general. You may have heard the comments: "Welcome to Oregon -- Now Go Home!"; "Stop the Californication of Oregon"; a willingness on the part of Oregonians to overstate how rainy it realy is here. To some extent, it's an understandable sentiment. While this state is nowhere close to being the vast untamed wilderness that Alaska is, it's still a fairly green state, with plenty of natural splendor and very little of the kind of crowdedness found elsewhere. We Oregonians like our space, and it'd be a shame if this state ever became too crowded. And I used to very closely reflect these attitudes myself. But as an adult, I've changed my way of thinking (with apologies to Bob Dylan). And a comment by reader TJ Sawyer has prompted me to explain.

Yes, I used to be one of those Oregonians that didn't like seeing people move here or visit from other places. But something changed along the way. Actually, teo things changed: My sentiment towards my home state and my philisophical view on the topic.

Sentimentally, things changed when I moved away from Oregon as a college freshman. I missed Oregon terribly. I became extremely nostalgic for this place, and to a certain extent romanticized it in my own mind. And while I have had an eye-opener since moving back, there are still plenty of things about this state on which I still wax poetic. Also, in moving away, I began to make friends from diverse places. Attending college in Indiana, I made plenty of friends from the midwest. Twelve years living in California increased the number of non-Oregonians in my cirle of friends and loved ones. And as I grew close to these people, I had a desire for those people to know and understand me, and to share the things that give me joy. And one of the things that gives me a great deal of joy, one thing that is a very big part of who I am, is my home state. So naturally, I have a great desirte to share with my friends the things I love about this state. And naturally, I'd love for them to experience it for themselves, appreciate it, and maybe (just maybe) there's some slim chance some of them will become so enamored of this place they'll move here too. I'd love to have those friends close at hand.

And philisophically, I came to believe that this anti-tourist, anti-newcomer sentiment is in direct opposition to the spirit upon which this state was founded. For your consideration I recall what I said in my recent recipe post: The Oregon Trail was the largest voluntary land migration in recorded history. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 300,000 people made the arduous crossing from Independence, Missouri, to the Willamette Valley.

That's right. This state was discovered by tourists (Lewis & Clark), founded by newcomers, built by people form other states. While I am proud of being a native Oregonian, I recognize that native birth is not a prerequisite for belonging in this state. If that were the case, none of us except the Kalapooyas and the Coos and the Modoc etc. would belong. Every person who comes here is potentially another strand woven into the state fabric, potentially has something to offer. I'd like to think that we have not in this state so forgotten our pioneer roots that we have lost the ability to see people for their own merits, and not just judge them on where they're from.

I still would hate to see this state become crowded and overrun. But I have confidence that this state itself has the means by which to limit those who would live here, and to weed out those who don't belong. There is the weather-- it really does rain a lot here, especially in winter. When it's cool and clear in other places' falls, it's raining here. When it's snowing, or cold and clear in ther places' winters, it rains here. And when the spring comes, it's still raining here. The summers can be gorgeous, but rain is not unheard of. Even when it isn't raining, all winter long it tends to be gray. In addition, our economy is not the strognest in the country, and making a living is a challenge at times for many of us. This is not a place you come to get rich (during the days of the ORegon Trail, the trail split in Wyoming, with one fork going to California and one going to Oregon. Legend has it that at the fork, a pile of gold was placed beneath the sign pointing to California. On the other sign were written the words "If you can read this, turn right and come to Oregon).

In general, the place has a climatic and cultural quirkiness that weeds out the normal and those who are meterological wimps. So I say, come to Oregon! Welcome! Like the state's father, John McLoughlin, I welcome those I should be trying to drive out. Try the place on for size. If you find it too rainy, too quirky, too depressed or depressing, you'll be gone by the end of your second winter.

If you stay, well, you belonged here all along.

Political strategist Dave Johnson to speak at Western Washington University

The fallout from the 2004 Washington State race for governor is still simmering. But what does this mean for the political climate in Washington for 2006? Could the neck-and-neck competition for the governor's race be a forecaster for the 2006 Congressional races? How many races will be as close as the Governor's race?

Able to answer this and more is Republican pollster and political strategist David E. Johnson, CEO and Co-founder of Strategic Vision, LLC, a nationally recognized public relations and public affairs agency in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Johnson has over 20 years of political and public relations experience, including work on the 1988 Bob Dole Presidential Campaign and overseeing numerous campaigns throughout the Southeast.

Dave Johnson has spent the months since the election polling Washington citizens and has a good sense for what they have been thinking all along.

Democrat or Republican, come hear him at 6 p.m. on Monday April 11. This lecture is funded and organized by the AS and College Republicans.

Location will be in either Bond or Miller Hall by Red Square on Western's campus. The exact room will be posted at Western Washington Unraveled as soon as tomorrow.

Final confirmation of this activity was recieved late, but do show up if you would like to hear some good background and forecasting for Washington moods and elections.

UPDATE: The lecture will take place in Miller Hall 104. It's a room that borders right on red square and has a door opening into it.

UPDATE 2: The location has been changed. See post on top of page. The new room is Bond Hall 109 across red square from the Humanities building.

Logan's feet to the fire

I haven’t posted here regarding the election issues in a while. Here’s a juicy tidbit:

The last couple weeks have produced resurgence of interest in the election problems of last year. Most people know by now about the newest batch of mystery ballots (93) reported by King County over the weekend. While many may have thought this issue was going to finally die out, you can be sure that it won't. And now King County officials are plain fed-up with the controversy. King County councilmember Reagan Dunn has written a letter to Dean Logan, King County director of elections, asking for his resignation. I think this is huge because it will force a lot of attention. The letter is scathing and although not the mentality of all the council members, you can be sure there's a lot of angst across the board if one is willing to make such a request.

Excerpt:

I am asking that you resign your post and give over the operation of your department to someone who will be better able to manage it, who will be more forthright in admitting mistakes, and who will have the trust and confidence of the people.

Under your management and supervision, the King County Elections Department made repeated and inexcusable mistakes during the past several months. Washington State citizens have observed a repeated pattern of mistakes by your department, resulting in a serious erosion of public faith in the system. The failure of your department in administering the most recent election is clear from the many errors in registering voters, inaccuracies in counting and recounting ballots, failure to ensure that only legal ballots were counted and inability to reconcile voters with ballots cast. Every time you report to the Council and the public, the numbers of errors reported have increased.

Read the full letter here as linked by the incomparable Sound Politics.

Crossposted at Meneltarma

Pope for 'economic justice'?

Amid the rush of speculation regarding a papal successor, some are claiming the Brazilian cardinal Claudio Hummes, described as "radical" by many, is the frontrunner.

Radical? Most news agencies are a little ambiguous in defining how a potential pope can be radical. The British Times Online calls him "conservative on matters of church doctrine, but he is unmistakably radical on social issues." What? Huh? Social issues? Isn't there a better way of putting that?

His Brazilian diocese is ravaged by social problems and widespread poverty, and he is regarded as a member of a group of cardinals who choose to emphasis social justice. Their primary interest is applying the gospel to questions of “economic justice.”

Somehow I don't see him coming to the conclusion that capitalism is biblical. The Bible doesn't endorse any type of national economics and nothing would surprise me less if he claims apostolic imperative to preach socialism.

A sad thought: I hope we don't have to deal with a pope hostile to capitalism upon the very death of one who fought communism. I hope I'm not stepping on catholic toes when, while not a catholic myself, I dare to endorse the German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

The AP has a few other details which don't stop my suspicions:

Three Latin American prelates — Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes and Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras and Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina — also have developed reputations as strong advocates for greater poverty-fighting programs and activism to counter the popularity of the evangelical churches.

I don't have a problem with charity. In fact, that's where it ought to be implimented. The church ought to be more active in this regard. But this kind of language coming from Latin American cardinals makes me no less uneasy.

And to top it off:

"John Paul II was the pope of the end of the postwar era," said Orazio Petrosillo, who covered the pope for Rome's Il Messaggero newspaper. "The new pope must address our modern world."

Ok...?