A new record

It's been pretty cold lately here in the Seattle area.

As expected, the temperature dropped to 14 degrees early Wednesday at Sea-Tac Airport, breaking the old record of 16 from 1985.

KING 5 Meteorologist Rich Marriott said temperatures dipped to 9 degrees in Lynnwood, 7 degrees in Parkland and -8 in Ellensberg. Other reported temperatures included Bellingham 18, Tacoma 13, Olympia 16, Vancouver 19, Yakima -11, Moses Lake -17, Spokane -6, Pullman -1.

Al Gore, call your office, if you're willing to stick your head up at all.

TSA Humor

Ah, you *think* they're only jokes....

Via the Patriot Post.

Transportation Security Administration

Submitted

Submitted

Obamacare is so awesome...

that only 111 companies and other organizations have been issued waivers.  So far.  I'm sure the number will increase, but that doesn't mean Obamacare isn't everything Democrats have told us it is, right?

Unsurprisingly, many unions such as SEIU are on that list.

Also unsurprisingly, this information wasn't made readily available.  After all, what we the people don't know won't hurt them....

Quote of the day

Via the Patriot Post.

"While we are constantly being schooled in how insensitive we are to Muslims and how we should be bowing to the idea of a Ground Zero mega-mosque, or are being admonished for not embracing the Sharia, the state of wartime siege continues unabated. The Muslim world is under no such mandate to reach out or reciprocate. They only have to demand, and the West apologizes. ... We live in a constant state of low-grade war. And with each new Muslim attack, we lose a right. We lose a freedom. We have to adhere to some new restriction or loss of privacy. ... The general silence from the mainstream media and our governing officials on last weekend's wholesale slaughter of Christians praying in a Church is indicative of how decayed, empty, and morally inverted our leaders and media have become. The slaughter of the churchgoers in Baghdad was a crime against humanity. And there are thousands of stories of Islamic slaughter, but the lambs remain silent. Have we become so inured to Islamic jihad that human life is cheap to us as well?" --columnist Pamela Geller

Rachel Maddow gets pwned

After Keith Olbermann was suspended (as it turns out, for only two days) for making undisclosed campaign contributions in violation of his employer's policy, Rachel Maddow leapt to his defense with a classic example of tu quoque. Except that it really wasn't. The single example she provided was not that of a Fox News host providing a campaign contribution but rather a clip where a Republican candidate who was a guest on Sean Hannity's show provides the URL for his website and notes that donations can be made:

People can come on our website at KasichforOhio.com, Sunday night at 6:30 we're going to talk about the damage the Obama agenda has done to us and if you have any extra nickels or dimes, please send it our way. KasichforOhio.com.

The implication is that this is equivalent to Hannity making a contribution to Kasich's campaign but it's not.

Still, Maddow thinks this one incident proves that Fox is a political organization whereas MSNBC is not. I wonder just how hard it is for her to reach such a high level of hypocrisy. I wonder if, after seeing the below video, she will provide a "correction" to her statement. Can't say as I'm going to hold my breath waiting for it.



This paragraph from the above linked blog post provides a good summation:

Rachel Maddow’s holier-than-thou smugness is best encapsulated in her claim that on Fox News, hosts allow fundraising for Republican candidates on the air. Ergo Fox is political, MSNBC isn’t. Ms Maddow’s examples of this happening on FNC? A grand total of: one. John Kasich, appearing on Hannity, gave out his website URL and encouraged donations. It’s the only example Maddow gave because it’s the one Media Matters cited. That’s called ‘journalism’.

There may have been a time when Rachel Maddow had journalistic integrity. If so, it's long gone. Watch her for her opinions if you want, but if you trust her to tell the complete truth, you are a fool.

Not really funny

The Patriot Post send the following image in this week's humor email. The problem is, it's not really funny. It's more a serious commentary on religious tolerance. You know those "coexist" stickers you see on many cars, especially in cities like Seattle and San Francisco, the ones where the letters are actually the symbols of various religions and movements? This image does a pretty good job I think of explaining just why such coexistence is currently problematic. Comments?

Rights vs. obligations

The First Amendment guarantees my freedom of speech. However, it does not impose an obligation on anyone to facilitate that speech, nor does it allow me to impose my opinions upon others if they don't want to hear it. In short, if I want to say something, I should get my own damn soap box, namely this blog, and I can't force you to read it.

The so-called Reverend Phelps and his odious Westboro Baptist Church have been pushing the boundaries of this division, and the argument can be made that they have crossed the line. A lawsuit is currently in progress to determine whether or not they have done so. In the meantime, a small town in Missouri have come up with their own solution to this problem.

Hundreds of residents in Weston, Mo. -- as well as people as far away as California and Australia -- rallied in support of Sgt. First Class C.J. Sadell, who died from injuries suffered during a surprise attack in Afghanistan.

The residents sought to block Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., and his followers from picketing Sadell’s funeral, according to the station

.
And how did they accomplish it?

"We got everybody here early so we could take up all the parking spots," Rebecca Rooney of Weston, Mo., told Fox4kc.com. "We did that so Mr. Phelps wouldn't have a contingency that was really close."

"I'm glad they left, but I'm sad they came," she said.

Very clever, and quite legal. Nicely done.

How the mighty has fallen

Oh California, you were once the envy of the nation. Now, you're just a laughingstock. I really can't argue with anything said here:

It’s the proverbial morning after and with votes counted, California has won the Dumbest State Award in a historic landslide of monstrous proportions.

All Californians can now see Greece from their bedroom windows. No need to even go to the backyards and crane their little necks.

The author brings up something that has been on my mind since yesterday evening:

...if they keep it up they’re going to face a loud demand from the other 49 for their statehood and immediate, irreversible secession by force.

To my knowledge, there is no provision in the Constitution that allows the United States to kick a state out of the union so I don't think it's currently possible for that to happen. But given that California is almost certainly going to end up completely bankrupt, and will demand the rest of the nation bail out its collective ass, it may be time for an amendment adding such a provision. After yesterday, it could very well pass the House, but probably not the Senate. But that's not the only way an amendment can be proposed. I think it's high time for a good old fashioned Constitutional Convention.

Goodnight America

Well it went about as well as I thought it would. Republicans will have a majority in the House and the Democrats' majority in the Senate has been significantly reduced. Also, do not overlook the importance of Republican gains in governorships and state legislatures which have occurred.

And now it's time to get some sleep. It would be nice if tomorrow I wake up to the news that Patty Murray is coming home. But I'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

How about those initiatives?

Back to the state of Washington for some news on the initiatives that were on the ballot.

First, the good news:

I-1053, which restores the requirements to raise taxes initially imposed by I-960 three years ago, is passing by a large margin. This isn't surprising. We meant it when we passed 960; now the legislature has been told this in no uncertain terms.

I-1098, the income tax on top earners, is going down to a flaming defeat. Let's hope this monster never raises its head again. I wouldn't be surprised if the legislature tries to impose one within the next couple of years, however.

I-1107, which rolls back new taxes on certain food items, is winning handily. I don't care that these items are things like candy and gum, it's the principle of the thing. Good job.

I-1105, one of the initiatives that would privatize liquor sales, is being defeated handily. I ended up voting against this one as I preferred the other initiative that addressed getting the state out of the liquor business.

The not so good news:

I-1082, which would have privatized industrial insurance (i.e. workers' comp), is going down to defeat. I wasn't sure at the time I posted my recommendations but I ended up voting for it.

I-1100, my preferred initiative for privatizing liquor sales, is currently losing but not by much. Currently enough votes from King County, where the initiative was leading, remain to be counted that it could still pass.

Hey Phil, do you care about the Constitution now?

Phil Hare, soon to be former Representative from Illinois, is the one who once said he didn't care about the Constitution.

I bet he's really regretting his words now.

Will they steal it from Dino a third time?

The Senate race between Democrat Senator Patty Murray and Republican challenger Dino Rossi is still too close to call given that Washington State votes mostly by mail. This one could drag on for several days, maybe even longer. Depending on the outcome of other Senate races throughout the country, control of the Senate may end up depending on how this one turns out. Even if there's no doubt that Democrats will retain a majority, it will be close enough to even that one seat will still make a big difference.

I believe Dino Rossi had the 2004 gubernatorial election flat out stolen by the Democrats. When he lost again in 2008 it was by a larger margin though I suspect there was still fraud. I can't say whether it made the difference that time but I'm certainly not ruling it out completely.

Given the importance of this election and this particular race, I expect Democrats to pull out all the stops in an effort to ensure Murray returns to the Senate. Let's hope that any shenanigans that do take place are uncovered in a timely manner.

Really, California?

It looks like California is sending Governor Moonbeam back to the executive mansion. Unbelievable. My lovely wife informs me that he was effectively running on the statement that, when he was governor, California had a balanced budget. That may be but the state legislature would have been most responsible for that.

Seven beautiful words...

Fox News is now projecting that Republicans will gain control of the House of Representatives and gain about 60 seats. We figured this would happen but it's now become more and more likely that soon we'll hear those seven beautiful words....

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

I get goose bumps just typing it.

Now the fun really begins

It's after 5:00 here on the West Coast which means polls in the East are closed or will close soon.

The one race I'll note at this time is the Senate race in Connecticut between Democrat Richard Blumenthal, who exaggerated his military service, and Republican Linda McMahon who, along with her husband, built a wildly successful business. Fox News is projecting Blumenthal to be the winner but the number of votes counted is still a small percentage of the total. I'm going to wait and see on this one.

What the Tea Party believes: Part 4

The latest in Bill Whittle's "Firewall" series defines and explores the difference between political law and natural law. In the course of this presentation he also succinctly describes the real reason why the recession continues. Hint: It's not Bush's fault.

This election is likely the most important one that has occurred within my lifetime. I've already voted by mail. I urge all of you to get out and vote your conscience, though if your conscience tells you to vote for so called "progressive" candidates, increased debt, increased government, higher unemployment, continued economic stagnation, and ultimately less freedom, then I suggest you review these videos and reconsider whether you're as wise as you think you are.

Part 4: Natural Law

What it's really about

Jeffrey Goldberg's post at The Atlantic is short, which means I'll be including most of it here.

More on this later, but the only surprising aspect  -- and obviously this is a pleasantly surprising aspect -- of the attempt to mail-bomb two Chicago-area synagogues is that the bombs were discovered so far from Chicago, one in Dubai and one in England.

Read the whole post for what he finds unsurprising. The last couple of sentences are the kicker, though, and state a clear fact that so many just don't seem to understand:

...there are many people out there who believe that al Qaeda and its fellow travelers are angry over settlements. They are not. They are angry over the continued existence of Jews.

Quotes of the Day

 Via the Patriot Post.

The Foundation

"[I]f the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted." --Noah Webster

Liberty

"Most people whom we elect to Congress are either ignorant of, have contempt for or are just plain stupid about the United States Constitution. ... Here, in part, is the oath of office that each congressman takes: 'I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same....' Here's my question to you: If one takes an oath to uphold and defend, and bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution, at the minimum, shouldn't he know what he's supposed to uphold, defend and be faithful to? If congressmen, judges, the president and other government officials were merely ignorant of our Constitution, there'd be hope -- ignorance is curable through education. These people in Washington see themselves as our betters and rulers. They have contempt for the limits our Constitution places on the federal government envisioned by James Madison, the father of our Constitution, who explained in the Federalist Paper 45: 'The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce. ... The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives and liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement and prosperity of the State.'" --economist Walter E. Williams