blog of bile » United States Senate

The oh so statist New York Times

bile — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:14:34 +0000

http://www.lewrockwell.com/…

Saturday is supposed to be a day of rest, but the New York Times is hard on the job of promoting the total state. First, there is a front-page article on the plight of refugees from Zimbabwe, and it is well-written and interesting, and very, very sad. However, we should not forget that the Times was an early supporter of the man who is the source of this misery, Robert Mugabe. Furthermore, Mugabe’s policies pretty much square with the state economic control that the Times endorses every day in both its news and editorial sections.That the tragedy in Zimbabwe is an extreme example of what happens when the state confiscates private property, sets price controls, and prints money without end does not negate the fact that the Times for years has endorsed state seizure of private property, price controls, and fiat money. Indeed, one would think that the editors there would recognize the folly of those things endorsed by the Times, but we are speaking of the Newspaper of Walter Duranty, Jayson Blair, Judith Miller, and Duff Wilson (of Duke lacrosse fame).
The top editorial excoriates Gov. David Paterson for choosing Kirsten Gillibrand as Hillary Clinton’s U.S. Senate replacement. Why? In the Times‘ own words:

What is the most disappointing about Ms. Gillibrand’s record is her extreme opposition to reasonable gun control laws. Her opposition to new efforts to trace illegal guns and support for rolling back gun control laws in the District of Columbia go well beyond her declared support for hunters’ rights. She earned a top rating and vigorous campaign support from the National Rifle Association. Her jarring views on guns could cost her a bitter Democratic primary fight next year for re-election if gun-control advocates like Representative Carolyn McCarthy of Long Island challenge her on this issue.

I’m not sure what “unreasonable” gun control might be. However, the editors do hope that her views will “evolve” to fit those of the anti-private gun Senator Charles Schumer:

On Friday, Ms. Gillibrand seemed ready to hear arguments against her views on guns. She vowed to help push Ms. McCarthy’s latest bill to speed background checks on those who buy guns at gun shows. She should also agree to Senator Charles Schumer’s offer to escort her on a listening tour of New York’s urban neighborhoods where guns are not used for hunting the Thanksgiving turkey. Senator Schumer said he was confident that once she saw the problem, her views on this grave issue would “evolve.”

Read that, “Unless you are lockstep with Schumer, we will kneecap you in the upcoming election.” No doubt, she will be horrified. Who knows? Maybe they can have a REAL DRIVE-BY SHOOTING DURING HER VISIT!
And what is a Saturday at the Times without a column from the man with the angry visage, Bob Herbert? Today, we read more about the Greatness of Our Maximum Leader Obama:

…I’ve seen charismatic politicians and pretty families come and go like sunrises and sunsets over the years. There was something more that was making people go ga-ga over Obama. Something deeper.We’ve been watching that something this week, and it’s called leadership. Mr. Obama has been feeding the almost desperate hunger in this country for mature leadership, for someone who is not reckless and clownish, shortsighted and self-absorbed.

However you feel about his policies, and there are people grumbling on the right and on the left, Mr. Obama has signaled loudly and clearly that the era of irresponsible behavior in public office is over.

No more crazy wars. No more torture, and no more throwing people in prison without even the semblance of due process. No more napping while critical problems like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, global warming, and economic inequality in the United States grow steadily worse.

In a cynical age, the inclination is to dismiss this stuff as so much political rhetoric. But Mr. Obama carries himself in a way that suggests he means what he says, which gives him great credibility when he urges Americans to work hard and make sacrifices, not just for themselves and their families but for the common good — and when he tells black audiences that young men need to hitch up their trousers and behave themselves, and that families need to turn off the TV so the kids can do their homework.

Or when he says of the many serious challenges facing the nation, as he did in his Inaugural Address: “They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.”

The bond is growing between the nation and its new young leader.

Indeed, that “bond” already was there with Obama and the press. I’m so glad that the Times is on the job, giving us advice on how we should live and think. I don’t know how I could live without it.
In building its shiny new headquarters in Manhattan, the New York Times had the city engage in property theft, better known as “eminent domain.” Thus, we should not be surprised when the “Newspaper of Record” demands that the property of others be seized, too.
In an unsigned editorial today, it attacks the former Bush administration for not sooner turning to coercion and theft in order to secure the land for the Flight 93 memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

You see, according to the editors, actually buying the land was “unseemly,” as that meant negotiations for the price. When one is promoting the Total State, as the Times has done since the era of Walter Duranty, then any tactic will do, just as long as state power is increased. In their own words:

The forest green has long healed in Shanksville, Pa., where Flight 93 crashed as its passengers gave their lives struggling against the hijackers of 9/11. Further healing is at hand with the end of rancorous, shameful delay in creating a memorial to honor the 40 passengers and crew.A running fight over land prices threatened the planned opening — on 9/11/11, the flight’s 10th anniversary — of the first and most sacred part of the memorial: the precise site where the plane plunged into the earth. Breaking the deadlock required a personal plea from the victims’ long-suffering families to George W. Bush in his final days as president.

Congress had already authorized the memorial; the major obstacle was the government’s reluctance to condemn and take possession of the acreage that would form the centerpiece of the memorial. The victims’ families had worked tirelessly on their own to assemble surrounding parcels through donations. Absent an order for eminent domain, however, the National Park Service and the principal landowner were left to engage in unseemly haggling over prices for the core site — an old strip mine sward that is now, de facto, a cemetery.

Mr. Bush finally agreed that condemnation was the best course and ordered the Department of the Interior to seek a settlement in court. The Park Service agreed to take immediate possession so work can begin on preparing the site in time for the 10th-anniversary opening.

The Flight 93 families should not have been put through all this; having to wait while the contending parties haggled over price was particularly reprehensible. The families’ resolve to fight through to a solution is a memorial in itself to their lost loved ones’ defense of the nation.

While everyone else is occupied by Wall Street bailout Congress authorizes $25b loan to auto industry

bile — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:39:28 +0000

http://www.breitbart.com/…

The US Senate Saturday approved 25 billion dollars in loan guarantees for the financially strapped US auto industry, intended to spark a wave of automotive innovation.

The loan guarantees were included in a continuing resolution that included funding for the US government and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President George W. Bush has indicated that he intends to sign the bill.

“We’re very pleased Congress has chosen to act at this critical time,” said Greg Martin, director of communications for General Motors Corp’s Washington office.

GM had been subject of much speculation that it could be forced into bankruptcy.

The bill, which was approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, are the first loan guarantees for US carmakers since Congress approved a similar 675 million dollar measure for Chrysler Corp. in 1980.

Chrysler Chairman Robert Nardelli, however, said this week the loan guarantees should not be considered a rescue package for struggling carmakers. “This is not a bailout,” he said.

Under provisions of the new legislation, not only US carmakers are eligible for the guarantees but also suppliers and foreign automakers with plants in the United States that are more than 20 years old — Nissan and Honda’s US operations qualify.

Not a bailout?

Bailout in economics and finance is a term used to describe a situation where a bankrupt or nearly bankrupt entity, such as a corporation or a bank, is given a fresh injection of liquidity, in order to meet its short term obligations. Often bailouts are by governments, or by consortia of investors who demand control over the entity as the price for injecting funds.

Obviously Mr. Robert Nardelli and I have different definitions of ‘bailout.’

How about we let them burn just like the banks? The unions want to complain about it? Let’em! They have brought this on themselves by using the guns of government to minipulate and regulate the auto industry out of competitiveness. Though luck.

And some people still think the Democrats are better?

bile — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:05:17 +0000

http://www.ballot-access.org/…

On June 30, the chair of the Maine Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in state court, to remove the only independent candidate for U.S. Senate from the November ballot. The case is Knutson v Department of the Secretary of State, Kennebec County. The Secretary of State had determined that the candidate, Herb Hoffman, has 4,000 valid signatures. The lawsuit argues that the Secretary of State is mistaken. The specific dispute includes whether a signature is valid if the signer gives a Post Office Box address, and whether certain signatures were properly witnessed.

Hoffman is a former Democrat who supported Dennis Kucinich for president. Hoffman became disillusioned with the Democratic Party, partly because of how Kucinich was treated, and partly he disagrees with the stances of the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate on foreign policy. If Hoffman is removed from the ballot, there will only be two choices remaining on the Maine ballot in November for U.S. Senate.

Can’t give people a choice. They may not choose correctly. Maine residents, it’s for your own good, really.

Oklahoma declares sovereignty

bile — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:29:47 +0000

I don’t know how this slipped through the libertarian blogosphere but this is pretty hardcore. Looks like it was on 3/13/2008 and the blog is from 6/15/2008.

http://politicalinquirer.com/…

STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 51st Legislature (2008)
HOUSE JOINT
RESOLUTION 1089 By: Key
AS INTRODUCED
A Joint Resolution claiming sovereignty under the
Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States over certain powers; serving notice to the
federal government to cease and desist certain
mandates; and directing distribution.
WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States reads as follows:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”; and
WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and
WHEREAS, the scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and
WHEREAS, today, in 2008, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and
WHEREAS, many federal mandates are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and
WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has ruled in New York v. United States, 112 S. Ct. 2408 (1992), that Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and
WHEREAS, a number of proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from Congress may further violate the Constitution of the United States.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE OF THE 2ND SESSION OF THE 51ST OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE:

THAT the State of Oklahoma hereby claims sovereignty under the
Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all
powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal
government by the Constitution of the United States.
THAT this serve as Notice and Demand to the federal government,
as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates
that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated
powers.

THAT a copy of this resolution be distributed to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate of each state’s
legislature of the United States of America, and each member of the
Oklahoma Congressional Delegation.

http://www.okhouse.gov/51LEG/Leg_Votesxx.aspx?include=okh01983.txt

http://www.ok-safe.com/files/documents/1/HJR1089_int.pdf

And as other sovereignty issues arise like with Real ID hopefully the states can exert enough pressure to cripple the federal government. At least slow its march toward total national control.

New Jersey’s June 3rd, 2008 Primary Election

bile — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:07:33 +0000

My recommendations for those Republican and independent voters of New Jersey.

For Member of the United States Senate: Murray Sabrin

For Delegaes-At-Large To The National Convention: Constitutional Republicans Protecting the Liberty Platform

The delegates which make up that group are: Donna Ward, Fernando Powers, Jammes J. Valencia, Ron Brittin, Stacey Sperbeck, Girard Falzon, Charles G. Ward, Marc Mingle, George Ajjan, and David Wallace

All other positions have only one person running under the Republicans for Responsible Government banner. Most if not all of which are big government Republicans, RINOs.

You can learn more about Dr. Sabrin at MurraySabrin.com and the Constitutional Republicans Protecting the Liberty Platform here.

For those who may not be aware Murray was endorsed by Ron Paul earlier in the campaign.

Sabrin may not be a good libertarian (securing the borders with fences?), he’s not as good as Dr. Paul, but he’s definately better than Dick Zimmer, Joseph Pennacchio and Frank Lautenberg.

Barack Obama on Weed

bile — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:40:06 +0000

http://www.reason.com/…

Lately, Barack Obama has been quoting John F. Kennedy: “The world is changing. The old ways will not do.” For a few hours the other day, I was starting to think he really meant it.

On Thursday, The Washington Times reported that in 2004, as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, Obama came out for decriminalizing marijuana use. That usually means eliminating jail sentences and arrest records for anyone caught with a small amount for personal use, treating it more like a traffic offense than a violent crime. But in a show of hands at a debate last fall, he indicated that he opposed the idea.

When confronted on the issue by the Times, however, the senator defended his original ground. His campaign said he has “always” supported decriminalization.

It’s a brave position, and therefore exceedingly rare among practicing politicians. Which may be why it didn’t last. Before the day was over, the Obama campaign issued a statement saying he thinks “we are sending far too many first-time non-violent drug users to prison for very long periods of time” but “does not believe that we should treat offenses involving marijuana with a simple fine or just by confiscating the drug.” Recently, he had told a New Hampshire newspaper, “I’m not in favor of decriminalization.”

This episode reveals that as a candidate, Obama is more fond of bold rhetoric than bold policies. But it also proves the impossibility of talking sense on the subject of illicit drugs during a political campaign. That course of action would mean admitting the inadmissible: that the prohibition of cannabis has been cruel, wasteful and fraudulent.

It would also mean he has a backbone and is for real change and not tinkering with the status quo. A friend tried to get me to support Obama. Said he had a real chance of getting elected and was second best to Ron Paul. I very sternly let him down by telling him not a chance in hell. Obama’s looking to in the least continue the same old Washington bullshit while giving lip service to “change” at at worst will grow our federal government to even more. I don’t care about youth, speaking ability or race. I surely don’t care about a new Camelot or a weak policy on the drug war.

US Senate Report: Over 400 prominent scientists dispute man-made global warming claims

bile — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:10:22 +0000

http://epw.senate.gov/…

Over 400 prominent scientists from more than two dozen countries recently voiced significant objections to major aspects of the so-called “consensus” on man-made global warming. These scientists, many of whom are current and former participants in the UN IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), criticized the climate claims made by the UN IPCC and former Vice President Al Gore.

This blockbuster Senate report lists the scientists by name, country of residence, and academic/institutional affiliation. It also features their own words, biographies, and weblinks to their peer reviewed studies and original source materials as gathered from public statements, various news outlets, and websites in 2007.

Many of the scientists featured in this report consistently stated that numerous colleagues shared their views, but they will not speak out publicly for fear of retribution. Atmospheric scientist Dr. Nathan Paldor, Professor of Dynamical Meteorology and Physical Oceanography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, author of almost 70 peer-reviewed studies, explains how many of his fellow scientists have been intimidated.

“Many of my colleagues with whom I spoke share these views and report on their inability to publish their skepticism in the scientific or public media,” Paldor wrote.

I’m a skeptic of everything… especially of those things which “everyone agrees” on. It has always bother me that the counter evidence and research in regard to global warming or global weather change or whatever they like to call it has been not only ignored but often hostilely dismissed and ridiculed. There has been this whole culture that was created around “global warming denial.” You show an ounce of skepticism about the whole thing and people jump down your throat. People seem to willfully ignore the data and refuse to hear it. They believe the headlines and Al Gore and not the meat of the research. They fail to understand the impracticality and dangers of knee jerk reactions to the supposed issue.

What really drives me nuts however are those who don’t want to make any sacrifices for what they believe to be for the benefit of the planet unless the government forces them to do so. Like that guy I fought with in a local Thai resturant who wanted people to stop driving gas guzzlers but wouldn’t get rid of his SUV until the government mandated it because it wasn’t fair otherwise. Or replace his incandescent bulbs because he preferred the light they gave off.

Well he will probably get his wish. The Congress passed and Bush signed a new energy bill with aims to counter global climate change. It’s all kinds of bad but the worst are the phasing out of incandescent bulbs and ethanol subsidy increases. The ethanol increases will push up the cost of food, cost tax payers more in taxes or future tax payers in loans, and ethanol actually gets less miles per gallon and some say pollutes more in some ways than gasoline so the mandatory increase in gas millage will be that much difficult.

Massachusetts activists repropose vote to end state income tax

bile — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 20:25:19 +0000

http://www.boston.com/…

A proposal to abolish the state income tax received a surprising amount of support in the 2002 elections. Now, activists are reviving it, hoping to place it on next year’s ballot.

“I think our surprising and extraordinary vote in 2002 demonstrated that anything is possible, and people are going to take this much more seriously this time around,” said Carla Howell, who is leading the campaign to abolish the tax.

The proposal received 45 percent of the vote in 2002, despite critics’ warnings that it would plunge state government into chaos.

Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-backed budget watchdog group, said the proposal is “absolutely unreasonable” and would dry up state funding for education and healthcare. “The voters would rue the day. . . . Essentially, she’s trying to repeal the 20th century,” Widmer said. Income taxes account for $10 or $11 billion of the state’s budget of about $27 billion, he said.

Howell — a former Libertarian candidate for US Senate, governor, and state auditor — said the cut would be a “huge benefit” for average people.

Hmmm education and healthcare… two things I definitely don’t want government involved in. ‘[R]epeal the 20th century’? New Hampshire seems to be doing fine without income taxes and state healthcare.

Sen. Robert Byrd implies he’d like to see Michael Vick executed

bile — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:52:50 +0000

http://www.foxnews.com/…

The Michael Vick dogfighting case made its way to the floor of the U.S. Senate Thursday when its most senior member publicly declared his outrage, saying he’s witnessed one execution but wouldn’t mind seeing another “if it involves this cruel, sadistic, cannibalistic business of training innocent, vulnerable creatures to kill.”

The strong words from Sen. Robert Byrd, D-WV, widely known for his devotion to animals, come as dogfighting controversy swirls around the Atlanta Falcons star quarterback. Vick and three others were indicted earlier this week on felony charges of competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting, and conducting the enterprise across state lines.

These are big words given he’s yet to be found guilty. My family owns a business which sells dog food and we have known of customers who have dogs which they fight. We have seen a bit of that culture. It’s disgusting and horrible but to say you would like to see an as of now innocent man executed is also disgusting.