Vindication

Go Get Him – NC Republicans Actually Stand Up

I’ve certainly gone and contributed to these Republicans – and I urge you to do the same.

Today In History

232 years ago, a group of bitter men clung to their guns and religion, driven by their antipathy towards people who weren’t like them. It the end, I think it worked out OK.

Treason Charges to Soon Be Filed?

Let’s put it this way – they ought to be. Three US Congressmen who took Saddam’s money to come and try and support his murderous regime. I guess its impossible to actually get treason charges filed any more. If they didn’t send Hanoi Jane to Old Sparky for her Vietnam shenanigans, what is the big deal about three traitors going to help a killer like Saddam?

However, let’s name them clearly:

Democrat -  Jim McDermott of Washington

Democrat – David Bonior of Michigan

Democrat – Mike Thompson of California

Here’s the sordid details so far:

Saddam Hussein’s intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. lawmakers during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The three anti-war Democrats made the trip in October 2002, while the Bush administration was trying to persuade Congress to authorize military action against Iraq. While traveling, they called for a diplomatic solution.

Prosecutors say that trip was arranged by Muthanna Al-Hanooti, a Michigan charity official, who was charged Wednesday with setting up the junket at the behest of Saddam’s regime. Iraqi intelligence officials allegedly paid for the trip through an intermediary and rewarded Al-Hanooti with 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.

The lawmakers are not named in the indictment but the dates correspond to a trip by Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California. None was charged and Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said investigators “have no information whatsoever” any of them knew the trip was underwritten by Saddam.

I was just following my leftist orders:

Both McDermott and Thompson are popular among liberal voters in their reliably Democratic districts for their anti-war views. Bonior is no longer in Congress.

Today’s Common Sense

From Arnold Ahlert at Political Mavens:

Borders. Our borders remain as porous as ever, and the virtual fence is a high-priced, “high tech” disaster. A PC screwing of gargantuan proportions–and the American public knows it. The PC-ers think they can “finesse” this one by browbeating us with name calling (xenophobia, racism, etc.) or appeals to our “reasonableness.”

The war on terror. Only a moron–or someone who can’t see beyond his politically correct nose–could look at all the acts of terror committed before and after 9/11–and come to the conclusion that terrorism is “an exaggerated threat.” PC-ers still think we can “jaw-jaw” with suicidal maniacs who boast that their principle advantage over us is they love death while we love life. What level of atrocity it would take to blow the cobwebs out of these peoples’ brains is anyone’s guess. 3000 people exterminated in an hour-and-a-half wasn’t enough. Their threshold? 56 million people died in WWll, beginning a year after Neville Chamberlain, the historical epitome of political correctness, secured “peace in our time.” Apparently we have a long way to go.

There’s more good stuff – go read it all.

This Week in Judicial Idiocy

A great feature over at National Review Online. There are many idiocies from this week in history, but I highlight this one:

Feb. 23 1993—When is a quota not a quota? The St. Petersburg Times reports that Florida chief justice Rosemary Barkett, a member of the Florida Commission on the Status of Women, defends a commission report that recommends passage of legislation requiring that all of Florida’s decisionmaking boards and commissions be half male and half female by 1998. Barkett explains: “It is not in the context of a quota system. It is simply an acknowledgment that women make up one-half of the population of this state.” Oh.

Impressed by her willingness and ability to deny the obvious, President Clinton months later nominates Barkett to an Eleventh Circuit seat, where she serves with distinction (of a sort) to this day. (For more on Barkett’s egregious record, see here—and stay tuned.)

Nessie – Dead from Global Warming

And now we lay to rest the latest victim of manmade global warming – Nessie the Loch Ness Monster:

LEGENDARY Nessie hunter Robert Rines is giving up his search for the monster after 37 years.

After almost four decades of fruitless expeditions, he admitted: “Unfortunately, I’m running out of age.”

Despite having hundreds of sonar contacts over the years, the trail has since gone cold and Rines believes that Nessie may be dead, a victim of global warming.

Apparently running out of brain cells too Mr. Rines.

Adult Stem Cells Advance Again

More good news from some researchers at UCLA:

UCLA stem cell scientists have reprogrammed human skin cells into cells with the same unlimited properties as embryonic stem cells without using embryos or eggs.

Led by scientists Kathrin Plath and William Lowry, UCLA researchers used genetic alteration to turn back the clock on human skin cells and create cells that are nearly identical to human embryonic stem cells, which have the ability to become every cell type found in the human body.

The implications for disease treatment could be significant. Reprogramming adult stem cells into embryonic stem cells could generate a potentially limitless source of immune-compatible cells for tissue engineering and transplantation medicine.

At least this would give the scientists who are trying to get those embryonic stem cells to actually work a way to get them without destroying embroyos.  Interesting that the release does say:

These new techniques to develop stem cells could potentially replace a controversial method used to reprogram cells, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), sometimes referred to as therapeutic cloning. To date, therapeutic cloning has not been successful in humans. However, top stem cell scientists worldwide stress that further research comparing these reprogrammed cells with stem cells derived from embryos, considered the gold standard, is necessary.

At least they have a way to research without destroying living things.  Not that they actually want to stop destroying embryos:

“It is important to remember that our research does not eliminate the need for embryo-based human embryonic stem cell research, but rather provides another avenue of worthwhile investigation.”

No – you create stem cells which you report as being genetically identical to the originals and still you propose destroying life.

EcoNazi – Jail Politicians Who Ignore Science

anti-growth, anti-human, anti-logicand heaven help us “to cheering” wants to lock up politicians who ignore science. Who decides what is the right science? Him? Just how much of today’s science was considered completely wrong 5 years ago? And what was considered truth 5 years ago that would be derided as idiocy today?

clipped from www.mcgilldaily.com Suzuki underlined the importance of looking backward by explaining that, because the past 50 years have seen a boom in technology and population expansion, ideas of economic growth have been skewed. “That means you have lived your entire lives in a completely unsustainable period,” Suzuki said to the young audience. “You all think [economic] growth and change is normal. It’s not.” He urged today’s youth to speak out against politicians complicit in climate change, even suggesting they look for a legal way to throw our current political leaders in jail for ignoring science – drawing rounds of cheering and applause. Suzuki said that politicians, who never see beyond the next election, are committing a criminal act by ignoring science.

What a difference a century makes!

clipped from www.darkroastedblend.com The year is 1907 The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years old. Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars. The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour. The average U.S. Worker made between $200 and $400 per year . Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo. The American flag had 45 stars. (Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn’t been admitted to the Union yet.) The population of Las Vegas, Nevada , was only 30!!!! Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn’t been invented yet. There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school. There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. ! More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME. There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S. , and only 144 miles of paved roads.