A Pay Check for Me, But Not for Thee - Congresswoman Refuses to Give Up Pay Check During Shut Down

A federal government shut down is all but certain.  The new house rules do not allow enough time for the house to vote on a new piece of legislation to fund the government for the balance of the fiscal year and the senate will not vote on the house bill that passed 45 days ago.  Many federal employees will not get paid during this shutdown.  The men and women who are serving in our military will have a check cut from DoD on Saturday that will pay them for the first week of the month and will not be paid again until the federal government re-opens.  We have families that have loved ones serving in Afghanistan risking their lives and they will not paid.  Many of these families do not live on base.  They have mortgages to pay, food to buy, and need gas in their cars.  The president has stated he will not sign a bill that will continue to pay the troops and fund the wars.  Some members of congress have said they will forgo their paychecks while this is going on.  Congresswoman Linda Sanchez doesn't agree.  She lives paycheck to paycheck.  On a salary of 174,000 per year.  That is almost 4K per month after taxes (depending on the rate she pays, I deducted 46% for federal and state, after all she is from CA and they pay high taxes).  Poor baby, the military families would love to make that kind of money.  Oh, and that doesn't include her husband's income. CA's 39th must be so proud. 

Glenn Beck Show Coming to End

Rumors were flying that Beck would be leaving by Fox.  Many of the rumors were that he was being fired due to his poor viewership.  While his viewership has decreased over the years it still was very strong.  It is obvious he is not being fired as if that were the case he would already be off the air nor would he continue to be doing specials on the channel or adding content to the website.  So, I think we can put that rumor to bed.  Although I am sure those on the far left are still looking at this as some kind of victory. 

There are many on the right who are not thrilled with Beck.  One good example is Les who added this post on Left Coast Rebel.  He feels that Beck walked away from conservative principles for the almighty buck.  I don't disagree that Beck is enjoying the money he is making, but I also don't have a problem with someone using their skills to go out and make a good living.  More power to ya, Beck. 

I don't think it comes as any shock that I am fan of Beck.  Look at the web address of this blog, that will tell you all you need to know.  I know that I wouldn't be as involved had it not been for Beck, and I know many others who feel the same way.  I know several people who will be running for office in the next two years and to a small extent Beck's influence has been a part of it. 

Now, I don't watch his show everyday and I don't always agree with what he is saying.  I have also have been upset by a couple of quotes that he used without giving full context to what they meant.  He tells his viewers to do their own research, and I did.  He left some important information about some of his Soros quotes.  It certainly doesn't change my view of Soros, who I do believe has bad intentions for this country.  But, that is a post for another time. 

My personal opinion on what Beck is planning is that he wants to be completely independent and start up his own network.  But, that isn't an easy venture to undertake.  That takes millions upon millions of dollars and some backers.  That is what I believe is going to be working on.  He has his own website that gets a good amount of traffic I am sure, he has his radio show which is number three in the country.  He is only behind Rush and Hannity. 

Television news contracts have clauses in them about many different things, and I am sure that Beck just can't go and start something that will be a direct competitor to Fox right away.  He needs to transition away from Fox News slowly to allow him the freedom to start up his next venture. 

Here is an interview he gave with Fox Business Network earlier today.  I do believe that Beck not only believes in what he is saying, he believes that it is his responsibility to say it.  Good Luck, Mr. Beck. 

Quote of the Day - Alec Baldwin Edition

"Well, I mean, I think so because I think that when you come into office and you want to put your mark on things -- this is just my opinion, when you want to put your mark on things, you want to be able to spend. And what's crippled Obama's administration, as far as I'm concerned, is the financial crisis and it's prevented him from doing any new spending,"

Alec Baldwin today at Capitol Hill Press Conference. 

I actually ran into Mr. Baldwin this afternoon.  He was on his way into the Senate Buildings and I was on my way to sing Michele Bachmann Happy Birthday at the Tea Party.  He was shorter and fatter than I thought he would be.  But, based on this comment he isn't smarter than I thought. 

Tim Kaine Announces Bid for Virginia Senate

Lucky me. 

Yale, Title IX, & The Hook-up Culture

Yale University is facing a Title IX lawsuit about sexual harassment. The lawsuit was filed by 16 students claiming that university has not addressed the environment that causes women to feel intimated and creates a hostile learning environment. While no person should be made to feel harassed or intimated, it does make one wonder if part of the problem is the hook up culture.



Part of complaint is from a list called the Pre-season report which described the incoming freshman based on looks and how many beers they would have to drink before having sex with them. While this type of behavior is vile and totally uncalled for it shouldn't be surprising. The hook-up culture is a way of life on most college campuses. One of the incidents occurred at an off campus "Naked Party" where the women have said they were force-fed drinks and some were sexually assaulted, some students were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. There is no excuse for a person forcing themselves on another sexually. But these type of things are much more likely to happen in environments where there is a great deal of drinking going on. Your sense of judgement becomes impaired if you are drunk or using drugs. Going to a "Naked Party" is probably not the best of ideas. You are putting yourself into a position that bad things can happen to you unnecessarily. I am not trying to blame the victim here, no man has the right to force himself upon a woman, but at the same time why put yourself in a position where these kinds of things are more likely to happen?


One of the lines that women are being fed is that they can behave like men. The chances of being sexually assaulted when you are a man is considerably lower, therefore they feel safer in engaging in these type of behaviors. The thinking for young guys then becomes that they can go to these parties with few, if any, consequences. Many college parties are very crowded and a mob like mentality starts to take over.


Another incident that is in the complaint is the incident of fraternity plebes standing outside The Women's Center on campus with placards and yelling "No means yes, and Yes means anal". This was caught on videotape and made its way around the internet. Most people were disgusted by the display. While it was really nothing more than fraternity prank, it is just another example of the mentality that women are nothing more a sexual object.

We have created this atmosphere for our kids. We live in society that more and more has become acceptable. The fact that these young men thought they could get away with this without rebuke is a sad statement. We have pushed the envelope so far that kids don't see anything wrong in behaving this way. Sadly, Yale has added to the problem by actually doing next to nothing about these incidents.


But ultimately many of problems start long before these kids reach the college campus. We have a society where more and more children are growing up in single family homes, where it is likely they are watching different partners coming and going in and out of the lives of their parents, the train wreck of Charlie Sheen and his "goddesses", and a pop culture where sex without consequences is glamorized on television and movie screens. They listen to music that contain lyrics with the themes of misogyny and see how these songs top the charts.

Is it really any wonder that these kids think that they can get away it? These are things that we are teaching our children. We then expect college administrators to dole out punishments for the very same behavior that we ourselves have taught them is acceptable with our actions. We, as a society, are all to blame.


Cross Posted at PotLuck

UConn NCAA Champs

While it was ugly, as a UConn fan, I will take it. 

UConn wins the title 53-41.    Very few gave UConn much of chance at the beginning of the Big East Tourney, yet they have not lost a game since. 

Hope Isn't Hiring - RNC Answers Obama Re-election Rollout

They did a good job with this. 

Hmm, The Los Angeles Times Campaigning for Obama? They Seem to Think So

This is too funny:


H/T to Legal Insurrection

Pawlenty's Response to Obama's Re-election Kick Off

Pawlenty wasted no time getting out there about the official announcement of President Obama's re-election filing.  I think this is effective, but I don't think it will get the same play that Obama's video will.  If you want to see Obama's video, click on over to Another Black Conservative, he has a very good write up about it. 

Herman Cain - Another Black Conservative

Newsmax interviews Herman Cain.  He goes a long way in correcting his comments about Muslims in his administration.  He fell into the trap of the left leaning media by making blanket statements.  Cain is new to the political process and the media can pull them apart.  While it may be red meat to certain group of people, the reality is that making blanket statements about any group of people will all to easily get you labeled as a bigot.  Once that label starts to resonate, it can be very difficult too get rid of.  He needs to stay with the comments he made here:

“I want people committed to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States in my administration. I don’t have the time or the desire to worry about somebody or some faction that wants to impose shariah law on this nation. I believe in American laws in American courts.


“The First Amendment says everybody can practice whatever religion they choose. [Muslims] are free to practice their religion in the United States, just like all other legitimate religions. But they are not free to infuse their religious beliefs into our laws. We don’t do that in the United States, and if I’m president I’m going to work to keep it that way.”

He may want to start pointing out what is happening in the UK.  Sharia courts are being used there.  It goes against our consitution and must be fought.  That is not being bigoted, it is being a watchdog of our constitution and our laws. 

Sunday Morning Gospels

This White Man Can't Dance - Assange Dancing the Night Away

When he is not leaking classified information he dances the night away in Reykjavik.  If one can call this dancing. 

Kristen Powers is a Conservative?

I bet this is news to her.

Remember That Emailed Death Threat to WI Lawmakers? Unions Various and Sundry

The news came that an arrest has been made to the e-mailed death threat that was sent to republican lawmakers in the Wisconsin legislator.  Sadly, not only is she young (26), but she is teacher.  Not just a teacher, but an early education teacher.  Don't remember this story? 

WE want to make this perfectly clear. Because of your actions today and in the past couple of weeks I and the group of people that are working with me have decided that we’ve had enough. We feel that you and the people that support the dictator have to die. We have tried many other ways of dealing with your corruption but you have taken things too far and we will not stand for it any longer. So, this is how it’s going to happen: I as well as many others know where you and your family live, it’s a matter of public records.


We have all planned to assult you by arriving at your house and putting a nice little bullet in your head. However, we decided that we wouldn’t leave it there. We also have decided that this may not be enough to send the message to you since you are so “high” on Koch and have decided that you are now going to single handedly make this a dictatorship instead of a demorcratic process

If you and your goonies feel that it’s necessary to strip the rights of 300,000 people and ruin their lives, making them unable to feed, clothe, and provide the necessities to their families and themselves then We Will “get rid of” (in which I mean kill) you

What is really sad is sad fact that she more than likely will not lose her credentials and will be allowed to continue to be around very young children.  She is working with pre-school aged children.  This woman has no business being around young children.  On top of the fact that she is obviously deranged, she isn't too bright to think she wouldn't be caught.  Hasn't she ever heard of IP addresses? 


H/T to Underground Conservative and Another Black Conservative. 

You can also click over to Nice Deb and read some stories on how the unions are using thug like tactics in order to get local businesses to support their viewpoints.  Although it seems that there is a blow back going on. 

What liberals refuse to see when it comes to unions is that they are not interested in helping the "average working person" they only care about power and money. 

The unions are trying to boycott Koch's businesses, but are finding out that the Koch's actually have a good working relationships with unions in the private sector.  Conservative objections to unions have to do with how they hold taxpayer hostages with their demands.  It has nothing to do with the workers themselves. 

A number of organizations are advocating a boycott of the products that come from companies owned by the Koch family. This is problematic for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it could potentially hurt the wrong people.


The Koch brothers own Georgia Pacific. It is an American consumer goods company that makes everyday products like facial tissue, napkins, paper towels, paper cups and the like. Their plants are great examples of American advanced manufacturing. Incidentally, GP makes most of its products here in America. The company’s workforce is highly unionized. In fact, 80 percent of its mills are under contract with one or more labor union. It is not inaccurate to say that these are among the best-paid manufacturing jobs in America.

Read the whole post here, it was written by the man who does the bargaining for paper workers.  There is no reliable connection to the Koch brothers and Gov. Walker of Wisconsin.  Their PAC gave him a minuscule part of the money he raised (less than 1%) for his election bid, and they have never met.  Yet, the unions are pushing unsuspecting people into boycotting Georgia Pacific products that will only end up hurting the very workers they say they are trying to protect.  People who are some of the most highly paid manufacturing workers in the country.   Yeah, boycott that company.  You will cause layoffs for people who have nothing to do with what is going on in Wisconsin and make no difference to the bank account of the Koch's.  Good idea.  Even this man goes a long way in verifying the story that the Koch brothers are not at all what they are being made out to be.  The left just may have to find another boogey man.  What the record shows is that the Koch's businesses follow the law and believe in compliance with the law.  As American citizens they have the right to exercise their rights and get involved in the political process.  Their PAC is something that is not directly tied to their businesses.  It is a personal venture that they have every legal right to do.  The political process in only a very small part of the charitiable works that they involve themselves with.  The vast majority of their money goes to medical research, hospitials, and the arts. 

This presents a dilemma and a paradox. While the Koch brothers are credited with advocating an agenda and groups that are clearly hostile to labor and labor’s agenda, the brothers’ company in practice and in general has positive and productive collective bargaining relationships with its unions

And let us not forget that if you have the audacity to follow the law and get rid of illegal workers this is what the left will do to you:

Palin's Bachmann Conundrum

Sarah Palin has said repeatedly that she will not run for the presidency if another suitable conservative steps up to the task. This past week we heard the announcement from Congresswoman Michele Bachmann that she may be forming a presidential exploratory committee, the first step in announcing for the candidacy for president. Bachmann has been called many things over the years, but not suitably conservative is not among them. This leaves Palin with a choice. Does she really want the presidency or not?



Bachmann is a formidable fundraiser. She raised well over $13 million for a congressional seat. On her last FEC filing she has well over a million dollars left over. A very good amount of seed money to start off the primary season. Palin is no slacker when it comes to fundraising either, SarahPac has a similar amount of money left over after the last election season, although not quite as much as Bachmann. Another very big problem for Palin is that Bachmann is tea party darling as well. Bachmann and Palin will be competing for the same pool of voters. Which of course makes it more likely that a more moderate candidate; such as Romney, will be able to get the nomination. An outcome that no conservative wants; don't believe me? Just ask Fuzzi.


One of Palin's greatest strengths has been with value voters. Her tenacity to stand firm on her Christian values has been a welcome change to the social conservatives. This was one of the main reasons that John McCain picked her. He knew he needed a solid social conservative because as much as he likes to call himself a conservative during election season, his voting record doesn't back that up. Palin had a record of standing up to corruption which made her one of the few staunch conservatives he could stomach. Regardless of the meme of the mainstream media Palin energized the campaign. Bachmann is a born again Christian. While you don't hear her talk about the social issues quite as much as Palin does, her voting record will stand for itself. She can also draw these voters.


Palin and Bachmann seem to be friendly. Palin actually went to Minneapolis and did a campaign fundraiser with Bachmann during the lead up to her re-election. During this event they did a joint appearance on Hannity. The crowds loved having two tea party darlings together in one room. Bachmann always has nice things to say about Palin. So it seems like their relationship is a genuine one, there is no reason to believe otherwise. It presents a sticky wicket for both women.


Palin has also been clear that if she were to enter the race she would be in it to win it. This is where I question Bachmann. Is she in it to win it, or she is trying to drive the debate to the right during the primary season? Bachmann really wanted a seat at the table after the GOP took control over the house this year.


That position was not backed by the leadership. The rumors were that they felt she is a loose cannon and they wanted someone who was not as gaffe prone and not as easily made to look bad in front of the media. Instead they chose Jeb Hensarling, a man who has a very good voting record, but was not as well-known or the target of the far left. I personally felt it was a good move by Boehner. Bachmann has proven to be gaffe prone at times. Her most recent coming in New Hampshire, a minor mistake that really should have been caught by someone on her staff. The mistake was not that big of deal, but it does open her up to unnecessary criticisms. Bachmann wanted a seat at the big boy table, a seat that was denied to her. So, she has gone out and set up her own table. A move that shows not just gumption, but it also shows that she isn't as stupid as some would like to try to make her out to be.


The Governor and the Congresswoman have a great deal in common. Does it really make sense for both of them to run? Does Sarah go back on her word and run anyway? The reality is that what happened with Nixon and Reagan a generation ago where they were given a second chance isn't going to happen in the you tube 24/7 news cycle environment. When you are running a national campaign you are going to say stupid things from time to time. It is inevitable doing that much talking day after day. Those mistakes are much easier for your competition to take advantage of in this day and age by playing the video over and over again. This may be Sarah's only real shot at getting the GOP nomination. Willl she let Bachmann's candidacy take that away from her?

Jon Stewart on Obama's Libya Speech

The Daily Show - America at Not-War - Obama Defends Military Action in Libya
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

This is classic

DC Scholarship Program One Step Closer to Reinstatement

Today the house passed a bill to reinstate the DC Voucher program.  It gained very little democratic support.  Shocker, I know.  The dems actually had the nerve to say:

Democrats opposed it as an inappropriate use of federal funds and an unwelcome intrusion into local affairs.

If the dems really felt that education was a local affair why do we still have the Department of Education.  That is an intrusion into local affairs.  They then go into the mantra that it will adversely affect public school funding.  The problem is that is wrong.  This funding will only give 1/3 of the funding for the bill to go to the voucher program.  $100 Million going to vouchers and $200 Million to the public/charter school system.  For those that are not aware, the school system in DC is federally funded.  The reality is that the vouchers for high school students is 12K per year as opposed to the 28K that is paid for the public school system.  It is actually cheaper to send the kids to private school and the graduation rates are significantly higher and does have higher rates for reading comprehension.  Read an additional report here.  You can also read a letter from a parent who talks about the change not only in her daughter's life but her own. 

Its lead author, Patrick J. Wolf, told a Senate committee last month that the program was good for students

But, why would the democrats let facts get in the way when they have the unions to protect? 

Here is Speaker Boehner on the topic today on the floor of the house.  There is hope in the house.  Sen. Lieberman is a sponsor of the bill and there has been Dem support for vouchers when it passed several years ago.  It then falls onto to President Obama.  Will he veto a bill that will give under privileged students access to the same school his two daughters attend.  I have said this before, Obama knows that vouchers is part of the solution, does he have the backbone to stand up to the unions?   

And here is one of my favorite congressman.

Bloggers Beware of Crazy Authors Before Doing Book Reviews

There is a blog Big Al's Books and Pals that does book reviews.  Well, the author of one of his reviews didn't take too kindly to his opinion.  While Al seemed to like the story very much he said that it was difficult to read due to poor writing skills and typos. 

The author Jacqeline Howett really has lost her mind.  She is not only attacking the reviewer, she has lowered herself to attacking the other commenters.  She has gone as far as telling people to "Fuck off" not just once but twice. 

She keeps insisting that there is nothing wrong with her writing, but sadly she is only proving the reviewer correct with her bad grammar and typos.  It is really quite amusing. 

What happened to being polite?


Why read the wrong copy? that don't make sense.


This is not only discusting and unprofessional on your part, but you really don't fool me AL.


Who are you any way? Really who are you?

What do we know about you?

You never downloaded another copy you liar!

You never ever returned to me an e-mail

Besides if you want to throw crap at authors you should first ask their permission if they want it stuck up on the internet via e-mail. That debate is high among authors.


Your the target not me!


Now get this review off here!

She also seems to believe that she has the right to see the review before it is published.  You should read the thread it is quite funny, yet sad.  When you put yourself out there for public review you are not going to agree with everything that is said about you.  If you need a chuckle click on over and take a look. 

The Prom Date Invite

I thought this was creative and touching.  Of course, I would have hated it had someone do it to me. 

Tea Party Express Going to Bat For Judge Prosser

The unions are spending a small fortune to get Prosser out of his position.  The Tea Party decided to hit back.