So where does that leave Obama?
From here ObamaCare will be appealed to the Supreme Court, where it at first blush looks to be doomed to a 5-4 defeat of its individual mandate.
Without the individual mandate forcing Americans to buy insurance against their will to finance a system where insurers are forced against their will to provide coverage to everyone, the ObamaCare system collapses.
That leaves Obama with two options.
First, repeal the mandatory coverage requirements to save the entire health care system from financial ruin, leaving Obama with virtually no achievements on health care.
Even worse, he forced many Democrats to walk the political plank, handing control of the House and a larger Senate caucus for a bill that ended up overturned by a federal judge and repealed by Congress.
In other words, he destroyed the Democrat Party and got nothing in return.
The other option -- force a vote on single-payer.
Congress won't approve it, and even worse for him he'll force Democrats to take a vote they'll pay for later.
In other words, he destroys the Democrat Party even further, and gets nothing in return.
Perhaps now he's realizing why Democrats simply talked about socializing the health care system to whip up their base, instead of actually plunging their hands into that tar baby of socialist failure.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
Tonight's Awful Bedtime Movie: Solarbabies (1986)
Mel Brooks produces great comedies.
Unfortunately, "Solarbabies" is a science fiction film.
Jason Patric, Peter DeLuise and Jami Gertz star in this 1986 bomb about futuristic orphans who play lacrosse on roller skates until Bodahi, an alien in the form of an orb in a cave, gives them mystical powers.
Coherent plot writing was not one of those powers.
They do manage to take down the evil corporation that controls the post-nuclear apocalyptic planet's water. Not much else is accomplished.
Taxation, UK protests and the liberal violence fetish
Rejected by voters, unable to get a DADT repeal passed through majority-Democrat Senate and snubbed by their own White House in their lust to raise taxes, more and more Democrats are doing what they do best -- openly fantasizing about violence, assaults and riots.
Posters throughout the Democrat nutroots are typing away their approval of the rampant violence leftists in the United Kingdom are using to respond to suggestions college students actually pay a little bit of their own education.
I keep telling people, and more and more are realizing it. "Liberalism" and "progressivism" are just pretty new words invented to describe an unpretty primitive concept -- using brute violence to beat others into submission so you can plunder their stuff.
It seems the only debate within the liberal community is at what point have you grabbed all you can using the polite, legally-sanctioned redistributive force of the state, and reach for the lead pipe.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
Posters throughout the Democrat nutroots are typing away their approval of the rampant violence leftists in the United Kingdom are using to respond to suggestions college students actually pay a little bit of their own education.
I keep telling people, and more and more are realizing it. "Liberalism" and "progressivism" are just pretty new words invented to describe an unpretty primitive concept -- using brute violence to beat others into submission so you can plunder their stuff.
It seems the only debate within the liberal community is at what point have you grabbed all you can using the polite, legally-sanctioned redistributive force of the state, and reach for the lead pipe.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
Obama admits high taxes kill jobs
ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports:
On a conference call with “Organizing for America” supporters tonight, President Obama explained his compromise with Republicans over tax cuts, saying that the “harm” the economy would suffer was “too great” to be able to afford a fight.
If the middle class tax cuts put in place last decade would have expired, “that would have cost our economy nearly a million jobs,” Obama said.
“All of this would have been damaging to those individual families," he said. "It would have been profoundly damaging to the economy, as well, at a time when, frankly, the economy is growing but we still have very high unemployment.”
Good point, Barack. Does this mean we can count on you to repeal capital gains taxes, death taxes...and even the income tax?
When attack ads attack
Not to mention the fact the ad strains all credibility, in that it asks the viewer to believe something fun and exciting once happened at Baylor.
From The Hill's "Blog Briefing Room":
From The Hill's "Blog Briefing Room":
Menendez: 'Aqua Buddha' ad a 'killer' for Conwayhttp://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
The chairman of the Senate Democrats' campaign committee called a controversial ad run by Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Jack Conway a "killer" for his failed campaign.
Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, criticized the ad and said his biggest mistake during the midterm election season was not asking for briefings on individual campaigns' television ads. In an interview with NorthJersey.com, he identified Conway's famous "Aqua Buddha" ad against eventual GOP winner Rand Paul...
Trash cops nail granny for improperly tossing newspaper in garbage can
"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers." - Ayn RandFrom this morning's New York Post:
An elderly Manhattan woman living on Social Security was slapped with a $100 ticket -- just for throwing away a newspaper in a city trash can.
Delia Gluckin, 80, tossed the paper in a bin right outside her Inwood apartment building Sunday morning, only to be ambushed by an overzealous Department of Sanitation agent wielding a citation book.
"I was walking to take the subway downtown and dropped it in a trash can, and this lady in a blue uniform ran up to me," Gluckin told The Post.
"I thought she was going to ask for directions. She said, 'You just dropped garbage in there,' " according to Gluckin...
...Sanit cop Kathy Castro wrote Gluckin the summons for putting "improper refuse" in a city litter basket.
Today's Guest Blogger: Jesse Ventura
Those of you who subscribe to the government mind control media, you probably read this morning in The Houston Chronicle that smoke from routine marshgrass burning is causing haze to form over the city.
Yeah, right.
This isn't just government disinformation, it's a literal smokescreen.
I know. I was on the inside.
You want the real story? You can't handle it.
I can. I was a SEAL.
You see, I have a source on the inside who tells me the government has developed a marsh grass/hypnosis chemical hybrid.
The mind control chemicals are activated by burning, and the smoke is used to control the minds of the population.
Once you inhale the some, they can then control your thoughts using subliminal messages over your radio.
It's the same burning plant chemical they used to convince Ricky Williams to return to football. (The CIA is using his Miami Dolphins paycheck to funnel money to Castro, who is really a CIA agent. And a hologram.)
Still don't believe me? Something sorta like that happened once somewhere, which is irrefutable proof it is always happening in every situation.
I should know. I was a governor.
An informant was supposed to give me one of the mind control marshgrass plants.
But they're burning the evidence right before our eyes, Mean Gene.
Yeah, go ahead and doubt me, Houston. Bud Adams' oil company is really a front group that genetically developed the mind control marshgrass. That's why he evacuated the Oilers 14 years ago so they couldn't have their thoughts stolen, or "moved the team" if you believe the official government story.
What's the next step after the smoke from the mind control marsh grass hypnotizes the entire city of Houston?
Simple. Force every Houstonian to begin rounding up people and forcing them into the biggest FEMA death camp of all -- the Astrodome.
Why do you think they built it? For a baseball team named after the space program?
A baseball team that operates under a anti-trust exemption ordered by the Supreme Court and space program developed by the government.
I went to the Astrodome looking for answers. They wouldn't let me in because it was "closed."
I'm a governor. They have to let me in.
Why Houston? It's obvious.
What's Houston known for?
Energy.
What does energy do?
It runs light bulbs.
What do light bulbs do?
Illuminate.
Illuminati.
Marshgrass. Bud Adams. The Astrodome. Federal Baseball Club v. National League (1922).
They've all plotting to steal your mind for 90 years, and your free thoughts are going up in smoke.
Think about that one, McMahon.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
'Because you caught my eye, and they didn’t'
The grinning TSA agent at Los Angeles International Airport could have picked any of the many passengers in a long line to be strip-searched by the agency's nude imaging scanners.
He went with former Baywatch star and Playboy centerfold Donna D'Errico.
D'Errico, flying her with son and boyfriend to Pittsburgh, was physically pulled aside by the male agent for "additional screening." When she asked him why she was chosen the male agent, still clinging her her elbow, told her, "Because you caught my eye, and they didn’t."
"After the search, I noticed that the male agent who had pulled me out of line was smiling and whispering with two other agents and glancing at me. I was outraged," said D'Errico, who told reporters the male TSA agents were "leering" at her scan.
"It isn’t right to hide behind the veil of security and safety in order to take advantage of women, or even men for that matter, so that you can see them naked. It’s a misuse of power and authority, and as much a personal violation as a Peeping Tom. The difference is that Peeping Toms can have charges pressed against them."
Just four weeks earlier, singer Fergie was forced by the airport's TSA agents to also submit to nude scanning.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
He went with former Baywatch star and Playboy centerfold Donna D'Errico.
D'Errico, flying her with son and boyfriend to Pittsburgh, was physically pulled aside by the male agent for "additional screening." When she asked him why she was chosen the male agent, still clinging her her elbow, told her, "Because you caught my eye, and they didn’t."
"After the search, I noticed that the male agent who had pulled me out of line was smiling and whispering with two other agents and glancing at me. I was outraged," said D'Errico, who told reporters the male TSA agents were "leering" at her scan.
"It isn’t right to hide behind the veil of security and safety in order to take advantage of women, or even men for that matter, so that you can see them naked. It’s a misuse of power and authority, and as much a personal violation as a Peeping Tom. The difference is that Peeping Toms can have charges pressed against them."
Just four weeks earlier, singer Fergie was forced by the airport's TSA agents to also submit to nude scanning.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
Pride, Ponies and the Death Penalty
I'm not sure whether I'm going to really like this, or really hate it. The trailers seem to take a lot of misleading shots at Texas culture, but I'll reserve judgment until I see it.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
WTP flips off Upton’s promise of light bulb hearing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Contact: Donald Ferguson, 703-200-3669 or Donald.F@westerntradition.org
WTP FLIPS OFF UPTON’S PROMISE OF A HEARING ON HIS LIGHT BULB BAN
Group has issued report on Upton’s 80+ radical enviro votes, opposes chair bid
WASHINGTON — Western Tradition Partnership Executive Director Donald Ferguson issued the following statement Tuesday. The organization, the nation’s largest grassroots lobby dedicated to energy and property issued, urged its members yesterday morning to contact their Republican congressman or incoming Speaker John Boehner, to register their vehement opposition to Rep. Fred Upton’s bid to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
WTP’s report on Fred Upton’s 23-year long Big Green voting record, compiling more than 80 major environmental votes, can be found at http://www.westerntradition.org/?p=1201 or at http://www.westerntradition.org.
“Fred Upton has not seen the light. This light bulb banner is just trying to screw conservatives.
“WTP’s fast-growing membership is not impressed with Fred Upton’s announcement to hold a hearing on his bill to outlaw incandescent light bulbs, just one of his many major votes over the last 23 years to take away your property and freedom.
“Big Green puppet Fred Upton can take his empty, do-nothing promise of a hearing and cram it somewhere it can’t be recycled.
“A hearing is a do-nothing promise to utter empty words in front of a TV camera and an empty room.
“A hearing is what a politician gives you when he doesn’t want to take actual action.
“In other words, a hearing is what a Big Green-controlled politician does when he wants to trick you into thinking he’s somehow changed after 23 years of carrying the agenda radical environmentalists.
“Much like the climate, Fred Upton’s radical environmentalist views did not undergo man-made change.
“Fred Upton’s statement he will hold a hearing on his light bulb ban is a trick play to mollify an outraged Tea Party. It’s not only unacceptable, it’s a sign his support is crumbling and he still has no intentions of changing his radical green agenda.
“WTP’s fast-growing membership will accept only one promise from Fred Upton, who has spent the last 23 years outlawing light bulbs, outlawing timber, mining and energy development, stealing private property, fighting for global warming taxes, exploding the size of the EPA’s bureaucratic army and funneling taxpayer money into the pockets of Big Green activists.
“WTP asks Fred Upton to issue a promise to drop his bid to chair the Energy and Commerce Committee, where he will use his gavel to continue to hammer employers and pound out a radical green agenda, and to resign from the committee entirely.”
# # #
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Contact: Donald Ferguson, 703-200-3669 or Donald.F@westerntradition.org
WTP FLIPS OFF UPTON’S PROMISE OF A HEARING ON HIS LIGHT BULB BAN
Group has issued report on Upton’s 80+ radical enviro votes, opposes chair bid
WASHINGTON — Western Tradition Partnership Executive Director Donald Ferguson issued the following statement Tuesday. The organization, the nation’s largest grassroots lobby dedicated to energy and property issued, urged its members yesterday morning to contact their Republican congressman or incoming Speaker John Boehner, to register their vehement opposition to Rep. Fred Upton’s bid to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
WTP’s report on Fred Upton’s 23-year long Big Green voting record, compiling more than 80 major environmental votes, can be found at http://www.westerntradition.org/?p=1201 or at http://www.westerntradition.org.
“Fred Upton has not seen the light. This light bulb banner is just trying to screw conservatives.
“WTP’s fast-growing membership is not impressed with Fred Upton’s announcement to hold a hearing on his bill to outlaw incandescent light bulbs, just one of his many major votes over the last 23 years to take away your property and freedom.
“Big Green puppet Fred Upton can take his empty, do-nothing promise of a hearing and cram it somewhere it can’t be recycled.
“A hearing is a do-nothing promise to utter empty words in front of a TV camera and an empty room.
“A hearing is what a politician gives you when he doesn’t want to take actual action.
“In other words, a hearing is what a Big Green-controlled politician does when he wants to trick you into thinking he’s somehow changed after 23 years of carrying the agenda radical environmentalists.
“Much like the climate, Fred Upton’s radical environmentalist views did not undergo man-made change.
“Fred Upton’s statement he will hold a hearing on his light bulb ban is a trick play to mollify an outraged Tea Party. It’s not only unacceptable, it’s a sign his support is crumbling and he still has no intentions of changing his radical green agenda.
“WTP’s fast-growing membership will accept only one promise from Fred Upton, who has spent the last 23 years outlawing light bulbs, outlawing timber, mining and energy development, stealing private property, fighting for global warming taxes, exploding the size of the EPA’s bureaucratic army and funneling taxpayer money into the pockets of Big Green activists.
“WTP asks Fred Upton to issue a promise to drop his bid to chair the Energy and Commerce Committee, where he will use his gavel to continue to hammer employers and pound out a radical green agenda, and to resign from the committee entirely.”
# # #
Oh, the humanity!
It takes about a minute or so to get to the actual event, but it's worth it.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
If you're a disgraced, mentally unstable socialist trounced congressman trying to pick a verbal fight with a conservative, don't make it George Will.
$50 bet. Alan Grayson's breath continually smells like shoe leather.
$50 bet. Alan Grayson's breath continually smells like shoe leather.
Poe: "Political hack" Chertoff getting "kickbacks" off radioactive strip search machines
That's my hometown congressman, yo.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
"...There is no evidence these new body scanners make us more secure. But there is evidence that former Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff made money hawking these full body scanners.
"The underwear bomber tried to blow up a plane over Detroit last Christmas. Shortly thereafter, Chertoff went on a media tour promoting the full body scanners. This former Homeland Security chief told everyone we had to have the full body scanners at airports to be safe. Too bad he didn't disclose he was getting paid to sell these intrusive devices. Isn't that lovely?
"Meanwhile, the populace is giving up more rights in the name of alleged security. These body scanners are a violation of the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures. There must be a better way to have security at airports than taking pornographic photographs of our citizens, including children, and then giving apparent kickbacks to political hacks."
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
How to be rejected on two continents in less than 10 days
Remember back in 2008, when the media and other liberals proclaimed Obama's election would usher in a new era of international respect and raise the United States' global profile?
Turns out other countries just like having an American leader they can push around:
G-20 refuses to back US push on China's currency (AP)
Here's where the scary gets funny:
I never thought I'd hear "Yeah, she dumped me, but I came out ahead because I still have her phone number" from the leader of the free world.
Even The New York Times is heckling Obama's international impotence.
Obama’s economic view is rejected on world stage (New York Times)
Turns out other countries just like having an American leader they can push around:
G-20 refuses to back US push on China's currency (AP)
Leaders of 20 major economies on Friday refused to back a U.S. push to make China boost its currency's value, keeping alive a dispute that raises fears of a global trade war...The G-20's failure to adopt the U.S. stand has underlined Washington's reduced influence on the international stage, especially on economic matters. In another setback, Obama also failed to conclude a free trade agreement this week with South Korea.
Here's where the scary gets funny:
Obama made a case that he had a stronger hand on the world stage, despite his failure to push through a tougher stance on China's currency...He contended he has now developed genuine friendships with leaders including Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak — and even China's Hu.
I never thought I'd hear "Yeah, she dumped me, but I came out ahead because I still have her phone number" from the leader of the free world.
Even The New York Times is heckling Obama's international impotence.
Obama’s economic view is rejected on world stage (New York Times)
After five largely harmonious meetings in the past two years to deal with the most severe downturn since the Depression, major disputes broke out between Washington and China, Britain, Germany, and Brazil.
Each rejected core elements of Obama’s strategy of stimulating growth before focusing on deficit reduction. Several major nations continued to accuse the Federal Reserve of deliberately devaluing the dollar last week in an effort to put the costs of America’s competitive troubles on trading partners, rather than taking politically tough measures to rein in spending at home.
The result was that Obama repeatedly found himself on the defensive. He and the South Korean president, Lee Myung Bak, had vowed to complete the trade pact by the time they met here; while Obama insisted that it would be resolved “in a matter of weeks,’’ without the pressure of a summit meeting it was unclear how the hurdles on nontariff barriers to US cars and beef would be resolved...
...The disputes were not limited to America’s foreign partners. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner got into a trans-Pacific argument with one of his former mentors, Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, after Greenspan wrote that the United States was “pursuing a policy of currency weakening.’’ Geithner shot back on CNBC that while he had “enormous respect’’ for Greenspan, “that’s not an accurate description of either the Fed’s policies or our policies.’’
Much of the rest of the world seemed to share Greenspan’s assessment. Moreover, Obama seemed to be losing the broader debate over austerity. The president has insisted that at a moment of weak private demand, the best way to spur economic growth is to have the government prime the pump with cheap credit and government stimulus programs. He quickly found himself in an argument with Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.
Politi"Fact" lies again
More lies from so-called "PolitiFact" (a project of a St. Petersburg newspaper that endorsed Obama.) In a newspaper op/ed, Allen cites statistics showing Obama's policies will create a long-term debt of $16.6 trillion.
So-called "PolitiFact" declares Allen's op/ed a "lie" by telling readers Allen was referring to the current debt.
It is PolitiFact that is lying. Yet again.
Allen's column refers to Obama's debt in the long-term, pointing to an "ascending trajectory," and makes references to host of other long-term Obama policies. The entire column was about voters rejected where Obama is leading us, not just where he are right now.
Someone needs to call out so-called "PolitiFact" for a long and repeated history of falsely declaring things to be a "lie" in a bid to defend the Democrat president their parent paper endorsed.
So-called "PolitiFact" declares Allen's op/ed a "lie" by telling readers Allen was referring to the current debt.
It is PolitiFact that is lying. Yet again.
Allen's column refers to Obama's debt in the long-term, pointing to an "ascending trajectory," and makes references to host of other long-term Obama policies. The entire column was about voters rejected where Obama is leading us, not just where he are right now.
Someone needs to call out so-called "PolitiFact" for a long and repeated history of falsely declaring things to be a "lie" in a bid to defend the Democrat president their parent paper endorsed.
47% of Dems want Obama opposed in primary
We're still 14 months away from the 2012 Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contests of the presidential race, but an Associated Press-Knowledge Networks Poll released today shows President Barack Obama's path to re-nomination, much less re-election, is anything but smooth.
"Among all 2008 voters, 51 percent say he deserves to be defeated in November 2012 while 47 percent support his re-election," the AP reports. Keep in mind that electorate is far more pro-Obama than the likely 2012 electorate.
Nine out of ten Republicans oppose Obama's re-election, unsurprisingly. Among Democrats, one out of four oppose his re-election. Among independents, who decide elections, Obama's re-election bid trails by 10 points, 46 percent to 36 percent.
But it's those Democrat numbers that should give the White House reason to worry. "Among Democrats, 47 percent say Obama should be challenged for the 2012 nomination," the AP reports. Many of those backed Hillary Clinton in the 2008 nomination contest.
Along with 61 percent of Clinton 2008 backers, a troubling 29 percent of Obama's 2008 backers now want a 2012 primary challenger.
"More than 1 in 4 who said in October 2008 that Obama understands the problems of ordinary Americans now say he doesn't. The same is true for those who said he is innovative, cares about people like them and shares their values," the AP reports.
"Of those who said right after the 2008 election that they had a favorable opinion of Obama, nearly one-quarter now view him negatively," the AP reports.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
Democrats outspent GOP this year by nearly $200 million
Let's get one post-election excuse out of the way right now -- the old "we were outspent by the GOP and corporations." Not only did the Democrat party committees outspend the GOP ones, among outside groups the single biggest spender is the pro-Democrat government employees' union, which outspent the Chamber, Karl Rove and other Democrat boogeymen by tens of millions. Democrats outspent Republicans this year.
"The money race totals come to $856 million for the Democratic committees and their aligned outside groups, compared to $677 for their Republican adversaries, based on figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics," POLITICO reports today.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
"The money race totals come to $856 million for the Democratic committees and their aligned outside groups, compared to $677 for their Republican adversaries, based on figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics," POLITICO reports today.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
WTP statement on the latest lawsuit filed against Dennis Unsworth
Western Tradition Partnership Executive Director Donald Ferguson released the following statement Friday morning concerning the latest lawsuit filed against Montana Political Practices Commissioner Dennis Unsworth:
“Western Tradition Partnership (WTP) noted with interest today the suit filed against Montana Political Practices Commissioner Dennis Unsworth by the organization “Montana Shrugged.” In that suit, Montana Shrugged sued the Commissioner to prevent him and the State of Montana from enforcing unconstitutional provisions of Montana’s campaign finance laws that infringe upon their constitutionally-protected political activities.
“WTP made these unconstitutional provisions of Montana law known to Commissioner Unsworth long before Montana Shrugged filed their lawsuit. Yet, despite WTP’s good faith efforts to work with the Commissioner to ensure he did not waste Montana taxpayer money on frivolous investigations that violate the free speech rights of WTP and other persons who speak about issues in Montana, the Commissioner recently released an unsupported and poorly written opinion attacking WTP’s independent expenditures.
“The Commissioner made this assertion despite knowing the United States Supreme Court categorically stated independent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption. Therefore, as Montana Shrugged has asserted in its lawsuit, and as we have made known to Commissioner all along, the State has no interest in banning or regulating the political speech of WTP or any other association in Montana.
“WTP is in the process of preparing its own lawsuit against Commissioner Unsworth for his actions which violate WTP’s First Amendment rights, and for his politically-timed smear attack against WTP and other conservative issue groups in Montana.
“The claims to be asserted by WTP will track those made by Montana Shrugged, and will go further to assert the Commissioner’s entire regulatory and investigative process violates the due process clause of the United States Constitution because there is no meaningful opportunity for a group, like ours, to defend against or refute unsubstantiated and mean-spirited allegations before the Commissioner makes a violation determination.
“The Commissioner has a terrible track record of violating Montana’s First Amendment rights, recently being rebuked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for “petty bureaucratic harassment” of a church in Helena. That suit cost the State over $200,000 and, as indicated by the lawsuit filed by Montana Shrugged, the Commissioner’s unconstitutional actions in that case and our legal case could cost state taxpayers even more.
“WTP has always obeyed all applicable, constitutional laws and engages in lawful public education campaigns and citizen-powered lobbying of policy-makers. We are disappointed the Commissioner is using his office to try to enforce clearly unconstitutional laws, and against lawful organizations like ours.
“We strongly encourage the Montana Legislature to conduct oversight of this office during the 2011 legislature, to reform the State’s tragically broken campaign finance laws, and to ensure the person charged with enforcing Montana’s campaign finance laws is not a partisan, political appointee. Though WTP has suffered an unfair attack as a result of the Commissioner’s unconstitutional actions, WTP is hopeful some good will come out of its efforts to uphold the First Amendment and real reform for the better will occur.”
# # #
“Western Tradition Partnership (WTP) noted with interest today the suit filed against Montana Political Practices Commissioner Dennis Unsworth by the organization “Montana Shrugged.” In that suit, Montana Shrugged sued the Commissioner to prevent him and the State of Montana from enforcing unconstitutional provisions of Montana’s campaign finance laws that infringe upon their constitutionally-protected political activities.
“WTP made these unconstitutional provisions of Montana law known to Commissioner Unsworth long before Montana Shrugged filed their lawsuit. Yet, despite WTP’s good faith efforts to work with the Commissioner to ensure he did not waste Montana taxpayer money on frivolous investigations that violate the free speech rights of WTP and other persons who speak about issues in Montana, the Commissioner recently released an unsupported and poorly written opinion attacking WTP’s independent expenditures.
“The Commissioner made this assertion despite knowing the United States Supreme Court categorically stated independent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption. Therefore, as Montana Shrugged has asserted in its lawsuit, and as we have made known to Commissioner all along, the State has no interest in banning or regulating the political speech of WTP or any other association in Montana.
“WTP is in the process of preparing its own lawsuit against Commissioner Unsworth for his actions which violate WTP’s First Amendment rights, and for his politically-timed smear attack against WTP and other conservative issue groups in Montana.
“The claims to be asserted by WTP will track those made by Montana Shrugged, and will go further to assert the Commissioner’s entire regulatory and investigative process violates the due process clause of the United States Constitution because there is no meaningful opportunity for a group, like ours, to defend against or refute unsubstantiated and mean-spirited allegations before the Commissioner makes a violation determination.
“The Commissioner has a terrible track record of violating Montana’s First Amendment rights, recently being rebuked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for “petty bureaucratic harassment” of a church in Helena. That suit cost the State over $200,000 and, as indicated by the lawsuit filed by Montana Shrugged, the Commissioner’s unconstitutional actions in that case and our legal case could cost state taxpayers even more.
“WTP has always obeyed all applicable, constitutional laws and engages in lawful public education campaigns and citizen-powered lobbying of policy-makers. We are disappointed the Commissioner is using his office to try to enforce clearly unconstitutional laws, and against lawful organizations like ours.
“We strongly encourage the Montana Legislature to conduct oversight of this office during the 2011 legislature, to reform the State’s tragically broken campaign finance laws, and to ensure the person charged with enforcing Montana’s campaign finance laws is not a partisan, political appointee. Though WTP has suffered an unfair attack as a result of the Commissioner’s unconstitutional actions, WTP is hopeful some good will come out of its efforts to uphold the First Amendment and real reform for the better will occur.”
# # #
Obama unwittingly makes himself the punchline
What did we learn from the supposed leader of the free world's appearance on a late night basic cable comedy show?
That Obama economic adviser Larry Summers, the man behind even higher unemployment, even higher debt and even higher inflation, "did a heckuva job."
And, when asked why people should continue to support him after two years of disappointment,
Amazing. In two years the only thing Obama had managed to accomplish is combining two of the most infamous quotes of George W. Bush and Richard Nixon.
Dana Milbank, one of The Washington Post's more left-leaning reporters, destroys Obama's latest bumbling here.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
That Obama economic adviser Larry Summers, the man behind even higher unemployment, even higher debt and even higher inflation, "did a heckuva job."
"You don't want to use that phrase, dude," Stewart recommended with a laugh.
And, when asked why people should continue to support him after two years of disappointment,
"We have done things that some folks don't even know about," Obama ventured.
Amazing. In two years the only thing Obama had managed to accomplish is combining two of the most infamous quotes of George W. Bush and Richard Nixon.
Dana Milbank, one of The Washington Post's more left-leaning reporters, destroys Obama's latest bumbling here.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Barack Obama Pt. 1 | ||||
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| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Barack Obama Pt. 2 | ||||
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| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Barack Obama Pt. 3 | ||||
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http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
They ignored us. They must love us.
The Washington Post tries to contact more than 1,400 Tea Party organizations. Only a minority, 647, bothered responding. Of those who didn't hate the Post enough to ignore the call, 66% percent reported media coverage of the Tea Party was at least "somewhat fair." That works out to about 420.
The Post' spin based on the fact only about 420 of more than 1,400 Tea Party organizations said the media were at least "somewhat fair?" That the Tea Party doesn't believe in media bias.
Of course, this is the same paper who polled Virginia voters, found less than one percent cared about Bob McDonnell's college thesis paper, and wrote a hysterical front page story that Virginia voters were concerned about McDonnell's college thesis.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
The Post' spin based on the fact only about 420 of more than 1,400 Tea Party organizations said the media were at least "somewhat fair?" That the Tea Party doesn't believe in media bias.
Of course, this is the same paper who polled Virginia voters, found less than one percent cared about Bob McDonnell's college thesis paper, and wrote a hysterical front page story that Virginia voters were concerned about McDonnell's college thesis.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
The "extreme" mainstream
I was struck this morning by this line from a Nation editorial on "The Extremist GOP":
U.S. Senate race - Florida
St. Petersburg Times poll
Conducted 10/15 - 10/19
Marco Rubio (R) 41%
Charlie Crist (I) 26%
Kendrick Meek (D) 20%
U.S. Senate race - Alaska
Daily Kos/PPP (D)
Conducted 10/9 - 10/10
Joe Miller (R) 35%
Lisa Murkowski (I) 33%
Scott McAdams (D) 26%
Rhode Island gubernatorial race
Brown University
Conducted 9/27 - 9/29
Frank Caprio (D) 30%
Lincoln Chafee 23%
John Robitaille 14%
So, the only former Republican-turned-independent who leads his "extreme" Republican opponent is Lincoln Chafee, who's running in a race where the Obama agenda is not an issue and in a state where John McCain got just 35%. And he's still losing.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
Even so, Florida's Charlie Crist, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and Rhode Island's Lincoln Chafee remained Republicans in good standing. This year, all three are running insurgent independent campaigns against a GOP that has folded Ronald Reagan's "big tent."So, the Naton implies that Crist, Murkowski and Chafee represent the mainstream, and their Republican opponents are relegated to the fringes of popular opinion.
U.S. Senate race - Florida
St. Petersburg Times poll
Conducted 10/15 - 10/19
Marco Rubio (R) 41%
Charlie Crist (I) 26%
Kendrick Meek (D) 20%
U.S. Senate race - Alaska
Daily Kos/PPP (D)
Conducted 10/9 - 10/10
Joe Miller (R) 35%
Lisa Murkowski (I) 33%
Scott McAdams (D) 26%
Rhode Island gubernatorial race
Brown University
Conducted 9/27 - 9/29
Frank Caprio (D) 30%
Lincoln Chafee 23%
John Robitaille 14%
So, the only former Republican-turned-independent who leads his "extreme" Republican opponent is Lincoln Chafee, who's running in a race where the Obama agenda is not an issue and in a state where John McCain got just 35%. And he's still losing.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
Why 'the leadership question' matters this year
Interesting find from The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza (Whom you can follow on Twitter via @TheFix):
Read Mr. Cillizza's full article at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/harry-reid-nancy-pelosi-and-th.html?wprss=thefix.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
...a recent poll conducted for The Hill newspaper showed that 61 percent of independents in 10 battleground districts viewed Democratic leaders as more left-leaning than they are, while only 16 percent said that Pelosi and Reid hold views similar to their own. The survey also showed that even 23 percent of likely Democratic voters viewed Pelosi and Reid as to their ideological left.
By contrast, only 38 percent of independents viewed House Minority Leader John Boehner or Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as to the ideological right of them.
Read Mr. Cillizza's full article at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/harry-reid-nancy-pelosi-and-th.html?wprss=thefix.
http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com
Western Tradition Partnership responds to Unsworth
BOZEMAN – Western Tradition Partnership Executive Director Donald Ferguson released the following statement Thursday:
WTP has had very little time to review the decision today handed down by the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices. Consequently, WTP cannot comment on the merits of the opinion. However, Western Tradition Partnership has always obeyed all applicable campaign finance laws and regulations. In response, WTP intends to file an action against the Commissioner of Political Practices in order to vindicate its First Amendment free speech rights. WTP believes that, with time, the legal issues will resolve themselves, and will be resolved in favor of WTP.
And, that’s what this opinion and the Commissioner’s complaint process should be about, application of the law. With this in mind, WTP is very disappointed in the content and tone of the opinion. The opinion clearly denotes that the complaints filed here do not allege coordination between WTP and CEE and another party, person or entity. And, indeed, the Commissioner’s opinion itself finds no evidence of coordination.
Yet, the opinion drags the names of WTP’s counsel, the Republican Party, numerous political candidates, persons associated with different organizations, and lawful businesses into the mix and alleges that there is . These persons have nothing to do with the legal questions of whether there was proper attribution of the mailers at issue and whether WTP was/is required to file as a political committee in Montana and the Commissioner had no right and authority to make these persons and entities a part of a widely distributed public document.
It appears that the opinion is written to score political points as much as it written to discuss the application and reach of Montana’s campaign finance laws and whether the First Amendment places any limitations on those laws. The tone and content of the opinion do not reflect well on the Commissioner, his office, or the State of Montana.
Further, the timing of the opinion is interesting. Earlier this week, WTP won its case against the Commissioner on whether Montana could prohibit corporations from directly expending funds on independent expenditures. Further, this opinion was released less than two weeks away from the November 2, 2010 election date.
It must be remembered that this opinion comes from the same office that was slapped down by the Ninth Circuit of Appeals for its heavy handed, and unlawful, tactics in regulating the activities of Canyon Ferry Baptist Church in Helena. That case cost the State of Montana some $225,000. The Commissioner’s track record on determining the application of Montana’s campaign finance laws and in hindering the ability of persons and entity’s to engage in the First Amendment protected speech and association rights is not a good one.
In light of this decision, WTP believes that serious reform of the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices office is needed. WTP encourages the 2011 legislature to engage in oversight of the activities of this office and its expenditures.
Further, WTP encourages the State of Montana to do what other states have done and remove the Commissioner of Political Practices position from being a governor appointed one. Such partisan appointments, when combined with decisions such as this one, do not install faith in the independence of the office for those who engage in political speech and activities in Montana.
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WTP has had very little time to review the decision today handed down by the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices. Consequently, WTP cannot comment on the merits of the opinion. However, Western Tradition Partnership has always obeyed all applicable campaign finance laws and regulations. In response, WTP intends to file an action against the Commissioner of Political Practices in order to vindicate its First Amendment free speech rights. WTP believes that, with time, the legal issues will resolve themselves, and will be resolved in favor of WTP.
And, that’s what this opinion and the Commissioner’s complaint process should be about, application of the law. With this in mind, WTP is very disappointed in the content and tone of the opinion. The opinion clearly denotes that the complaints filed here do not allege coordination between WTP and CEE and another party, person or entity. And, indeed, the Commissioner’s opinion itself finds no evidence of coordination.
Yet, the opinion drags the names of WTP’s counsel, the Republican Party, numerous political candidates, persons associated with different organizations, and lawful businesses into the mix and alleges that there is . These persons have nothing to do with the legal questions of whether there was proper attribution of the mailers at issue and whether WTP was/is required to file as a political committee in Montana and the Commissioner had no right and authority to make these persons and entities a part of a widely distributed public document.
It appears that the opinion is written to score political points as much as it written to discuss the application and reach of Montana’s campaign finance laws and whether the First Amendment places any limitations on those laws. The tone and content of the opinion do not reflect well on the Commissioner, his office, or the State of Montana.
Further, the timing of the opinion is interesting. Earlier this week, WTP won its case against the Commissioner on whether Montana could prohibit corporations from directly expending funds on independent expenditures. Further, this opinion was released less than two weeks away from the November 2, 2010 election date.
It must be remembered that this opinion comes from the same office that was slapped down by the Ninth Circuit of Appeals for its heavy handed, and unlawful, tactics in regulating the activities of Canyon Ferry Baptist Church in Helena. That case cost the State of Montana some $225,000. The Commissioner’s track record on determining the application of Montana’s campaign finance laws and in hindering the ability of persons and entity’s to engage in the First Amendment protected speech and association rights is not a good one.
In light of this decision, WTP believes that serious reform of the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices office is needed. WTP encourages the 2011 legislature to engage in oversight of the activities of this office and its expenditures.
Further, WTP encourages the State of Montana to do what other states have done and remove the Commissioner of Political Practices position from being a governor appointed one. Such partisan appointments, when combined with decisions such as this one, do not install faith in the independence of the office for those who engage in political speech and activities in Montana.
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‘John Hickenlooper is so radical he thinks he can control global weather through tax hikes.’
WTP ad exposes 'insane' Hick plan for 'tens and tens and tens of billions of dollars every year' in job-killing weather taxes
DENVER – Colorado’s largest grassroots advocate of lower taxes and affordable energy began statewide promotion Friday of a hard-hitting Internet ad exposing a videotaped call by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper for governments to spend “tens and tens of billions of dollars each year” on global warming taxes.
In an address to the Colorado Environmental Coalition’s “Rebel with a Cause” May 2009 gala, the Democratic nominee for governor told the crowd, “I’m saying that clearly the climate is changing, clearly mankind’s activities are causing it. And that we’d be ins…insane not to be spending tens and tens and tens of billions of dollars every year buying insurance to begin to prevent and stop that change that’s happening.”
“John Hickenlooper is so radical he thinks he can control global weather through tax hikes,” said Donald Ferguson, Western Tradition Partnership Executive Director. “He can’t control global weather by killing your job through, in his own words, 'tens and tens and tends of billions of dollars every year' in tax hikes. But he can stop his sliding poll numbers by renouncing this insane job-killing plan.”
“The only man-made disaster in Colorado is John Hickenlooper’s insane plan to tax jobs into extinction,” said Ferguson.
The Internet ad, being promoted statewide, features Hickenlooper’s videotaped call for higher taxes, then asks residents to contact the gubernatorial candidate and urge him to renounce his plan, which would lead to massive job losses.
The direct link to the ad is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBasyMuH-zY. WTP's YouTube channel, featuring all of WTP's ads, is at www.YouTube.com/WTPMedia.
WTP does not advocate the election or defeat of candidates. Supported by grassroots members, WTP is a fast-growing non-profit organization dedicated to fighting environmental extremism and promoting private property and responsible development and management of land, water, and natural resources. WTP is incorporated in Colorado, and Coloradans account for much of the group’s large and fast-growing membership.
For more information on WTP, go to http://www.westerntradition.org. For more information on this issue, or to schedule an interview, contact Political Director Donald Ferguson, Donald.F@westerntradition.org or 703-200-3669.
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