Today's Recommended Reading

Politico has posted a great article on the seven stories that President Obama doesn't want told. They are not so much stories as they are ideas he doesn't want rooted in the American public's head, but they all strike a bit of a chord.

Another Interesting Development in "Climategate"

As a side note, can we stop calling scandal by a name that ends in gate? It sounds almost as moronic as Garland Robinette (a local talk radio host) calling the parties the "Demi-dont's" and "Republicant's". This is the kind of high criticism leveled by three year olds.

In any case, when Climategate first errupted onto the scene in the U.K., and trickled out through FOX News and the internet in the U.S., it was noted that some of the e-mails leaked were exchanges between the climate "scientists" and a reporter with the New York Times. The Times refused to publish the contents of the e-mails claiming, in part, that they were not written with the intention of being disclosed to the public. This is the same New York Times that published information on how the Bush Administration was attempting to track terrorism through a perfectly legal program. They also didn't seem to have much of a problem disclosing the Pentagon Papers.

Now it has come to light that prior to the general leak of the e-mails, the BBC had received copies months in advance and had simply sat on them. I have continued to search the mainstream media for mentions of the story in the United States and have yet to find anyone but FOX running any stories of significance, and they often paint the leaks in a far more negative light than the corrupt scientists. This shows the media is in bed with the liberal policy ideas behind global warming. I have trouble thinking of any other logical conclusion.

Another issue this raises that has far more interesting potential consequences in the long run is that, if the e-mails were released prior to the break in the story that occurred this month, it seems logical that it was someone on the inside, not a hacker, that released the information. If that is the case, then there would likely be no legal issue about how the information was obtained and there is potentially someone who can speak directly to the practices of this politicized research.

Playing the "Long Con"

Confidence (Con) Men run schemes that are referred to, at least in movies, often by the monikers "long con" or "short con". The guy doing three card Monty on the streets of New York is playing the short con. He's looking to make a little money fast. The long con is more akin to Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme (or social security and medicare). Generally, the long con requires risk, time and money for a long term, higher payoff.

This article by Michael Barone of the Washington Examiner does as good a job as I've seen of spelling out the effects of the current regime's rampant spending and the problems it poses in a relatively consice manner. Given the obvious backlash that has been building against Democrats on these policies and their determination to forge ahead despite public opinion and logic standing in their way suggests they are playing at the long con. Nothing they are doing makes sense for a short term reward. It is only if they are looking down the road to a transformation of the society to something similar to European social democracy or even a more rigid communofascist regime do they stand a chance to succeed in entrenchment of power and position for the long term.

I could be wrong though; they may just be idiots.

Today I'm Thankful That I Don't Live in North Dakota

A brief article on American Thinker exposes Senator Kent Conrad (D. ND) and his disregard for opposing viewpoints as a 22 year veteran of the Army and father of soldier killed in Iraq addresses his comment regarding the trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed in New York in which he said: "If people don't believe in our system, maybe they ought to go somewhere else." Perhaps Senator Conrad and the administration should take their own advice and rather than trying to change America into a European cradle to grave social democracy they should just move to Europe.

Spending Money Like a Drunken Sailor

President Barack Obama with the help of Congress has managed to spend $3.5 trillion dollars in the first eight months of his presidency, shattering spending records along the way. I'm actually somewhat encouraged by this. Judging from the number of parties he throws and the corresponding lavishness, I had thought $3.5 trillion was just the White House spending on social events.

Step Right Up and Whack a Conservative, Just a Few Dollars or a Little Bit of Your Time

Charges have finally been filed againstsix people involved in the beating of Kenneth Gladney, a conservative, outside of a health care town hall. Luckily, it shouldn't effect them too much as the charges are St. Louis County ordinance violations which are less than even misdemeanors. I suppose the next step is to have an event at the county fair where you get to beat up a conservative for a dollar, as long as you're a member of SEIU.

Oh, God, Please Make it Stop!!!

ABC has announced an Oprah/Obama Christmas special. I honestly think I'd prefer the Stalin-esque ubiquitous posters and statues. We probably are forced to see Obama more than the Chinese see Mao. Excuse me while I go vomit for a while.