Hamilton's Pamphlets

Bloggers in the Seattle Times

James Na wrote an op-ed in the Seattle Times about conservative bloggers and a blogger party in Seattle.  Urge to rant propelling blogs to status of mainstream media (H/T: Seth Cooper @ Sound Politics). 

I have to confess.  I was at the party.  It really was a good time and really hard to believe that there were that many conservative bloggers willing to show their faces in Seattle!  Thanks to James for preserving my anonymity!

My favorite lines from James' article:   "What is the difference between conservative and liberal nerds? Conservative nerds have guns."

Worth a read.

I'm a Republican

Ninme put a link to one of the very nearly unhinged at DailyKos (WARNING:  Foul language - Is anyone really surprised?).  It truly grieves me to link to Kos, but you really have to read the post there to understand what my post is all about:

I am a Republican.  I do not have a pile of money.  Actually, this month I think my credit card balance is higher than my savings account balance.

I am a Republican.  My kids go to public school.  I checked out all the school districts in my area and bought my house in the best school district I could afford.  I volunteer as a community member on the school board, too.  I care about the education my kids are getting.

I do have a job with health insurance.  I got a job with health insurance before I would even consider getting married and I sure as heck wouldn't consider bringing a child into this world that I couldn't provide health care for.  That is worse than irresponsible, it is the worst kind of selfishness.  Animals breed indiscriminantly, human beings were endowed with reason, we should use it.

I am a Republican.  I am a Christian.  The question of Grace is one that every thinking person should struggle with and every thinking Christian does struggle with.  According to Christian Theology, the only way to get to Heaven is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.  I believe that is true.  Others are free to believe whatever they wish.  I truly struggle with the concept that a good person, who has lived a good, law abiding life and happens to be a devout Jew or Muslim, will not go to Heaven.  I do not believe that if you are Muslim, Jewish, Hindu or what ever that you are necessarily bad.  I try not to judge people by such groupings.  You are "good" or "bad" based on your personal actions, not your religious affiliation.  That same logic applies to Political Party affiliation, too...

I am a Republican.  I do believe that has the world's one remaining superpower, that we have a duty and an obligation to help other countries whenever possible to attain the freedoms and liberties we enjoy (and often take for granted).

I am a Republican.  I don't have a condo in Vail.  I skied there once, great skiing and outstanding apple pie and coffe at one of the upper lodges at lunch...a little on the expensive side, though, which explains why I haven't been there since 1999.  I don't have a summer house in Maine.  I've been to the LL Bean factory outlet in Freeport a couple of times, that was pretty cool.  Sorry, no beach house in Florida either.  I went to Disney World when I was a kid, though.  I went scuba diving in Key West 3 years ago.  That was fun.  No beach house.  I like National Forrests, and State Parks too.  I also believe in Private Property and that the government should not "confiscate" private property to make parks nor should we make policies that threaten our very way of life over some remote piece of wilderness that very few if anyone will ever see (yes, I mean we should drill for oil in the arctic national wildlife refuge).

I am a Republican.  I am white.  I am far from perfect and I know that (that whole Grace concept from the I am a Christian section).  I judge people on their character and their actions, not their color, gender, religion, etc.  I don't get special treatment for loans, admission to country clubs, promotion, or anything else.  Neither should anyone else.  That's called equality.

I am a Republican.  I don't live in a gated community and I don't know anyone who does.  If crime got so bad that it wasn't safe for my family here I'd either move or I'd fight like hell to make things better.  If I had to move, I'd do it even if it meant a lower paying job and a less nicer house and a lower socio-economic status.  It's called responsibility.  It is not something I give to the government or anyone else.  I am responsible for me and my family.  It is my responsibility to see that they are safe, fed, housed, educated, healthy and hopefully happy.

I am a Republican.  I hate taxes.  It is my money and I did earn it.  I believe that government should be as small as practical.  They should do things like fire, police, and ambulance services.  Roads and schools, too.  Parks and things like that, but that's about it.  The social welfare "entitlements" that have become so common are nothing more than a redistribution of wealth.  It takes from the uppper middle class and the middle class and gives to the poor.  The rich have accountants and off shore accounts to protect them and the poor don't give - they receive.  Plundering the middle class is so patently unfair it requires no further explanation.

I am a Republican.  I don't hate homosexuals.  I don't approve of their lifestyles, but I certainly don't hate them.  I do not believe they should get special treatment or preferences either (as in a "protected" class to prevent discrimination).  I think that their lifestyle choice does preclude them from certain jobs like teacher, coach, scout leader, minister.  I'd feel the same way about a necrophiliac.  What folks do in the privacy of their bedroom is none of my busines.  Just don't do it in public.  I'm not going to burn a cross in your yard or "have you run out of town" or fired (unless you happen to be in one of the aforementioned professions...) just don't expect me to invite you over for beers on the deck, ain't gonna happen.  I don't hate homosexuals, we're just extremely unlikely to be friends.

I am a Republican.  I wasn't born rich.  I am the first generation to finish college (scholarships and student loans, all of which I paid back).  There have been times when I worked two and three jobs at the same time to pay the bills.  My Dad got laid off when the company he worked for went bankrupt when I was a kid.  My mom went to work at a discount department store at minimum wage and my Dad went from white collar management to digging ditches.  My grandparents lost their house during the depression and then worked like hell to get it back, which they did.  No, I wasn't born rich.  I make good money now cause I work hard for it and I worked hard to get here.  You bet I want my kids to have a leg up and that I want to be able to give them something of what I have worked so hard to build up.  I don't see a damn thing wrong with that.

I am a Republican.  I make mistakes all the time.  See I am a Christian above.  Anyone who thinks they are perfect and never make mistakes should be on medication, if not confined altogether.  It is oxymoronic to tell someone that they are a Christian and they think they are perfect.  That shows a profound ignorance about both Christians and Republicans.

I am a Republican.  I believe in the rights enumerated in the Constitution and all the amendments.  Including the second amendment.  And that whole spreading freedom and democracy thing a few statements back means that I believe that others are deserving of the same rights I have.  Terrorists that do not represent a government or a state or even an ethnicity, with tenuous connections to a religion who kill innocent men & women do not and should not have the protection of our constitution.  They have the right to provide us information about their partners in crime and then they have a right to die for their misdeeds, that's about it.

I am a Republican.  I do not hate Democrats.  I seriously can't think of a single Democrat that I hate.  There are several I dislike a great deal.  I disagree with most of them on most of the issues.  But hate?  Terrorists that blow up ice cream parlors full of kids and families, I hate them.  Terrorists that cut off the heads of unarmed and helpless civilians, I hate them.  Child pornographers, internet predators and pedophiles, I hate them.  Hate Democrats?  That's just plain silly.  I believe that a healthy two party (at least) system is crucial to the ongoing success of our Republic.  It pains me to see the Democrats imploding.  I DO invite Democrats over for a beer on the deck, funny though so many of them are like Sue in NH and they hate me just because I'm a Republican.  Makes me go hmmm...

The far left liberal looney moonbats that spew the venom that I felt compelled to respond to ARE THE PROBLEM in their party.  Howard Dean's ascendency to the DNC chair is only going to empower them.  God help us all cause the Democrat leadership and the far left fringe are taking the entire party over a cliff and that won't be good for any of us...

UPDATE:  Ninme steps up to the plate:  I'm a Republican... she's good.  Anyone else care to take a shot at it?

What the ....?

No blogging over the weekend (didn't read them on Friday either) .  Again I am pathetically uninformed. 

Grabbed my coffee and my standard issue pop-tarts (same breakfast everyday, without fail) and dive headlong into the blogs.

Eason Jordan resigned?!?  What?!  Missed that in the Sunday paper...

I know that I said I wanted him canned, "I hope he gets forced out at CNN and ends up living under a freeway offramp with his tinfoil hat buddies, what a scumbag."  But I find his exit vaguely unsatisfying.

I think what I really wanted was the truth to come out.  I wanted the tape to be released so that everyone could be as revolted as I was and that by consensus EVERYONE (CNN shareholders, CNN viewers, journalists, bloggers, conservatives, etc) would want him to step down.

Am I glad he is out at CNN?  Sure.  I have not agreed with him on many decisions, including his cooperation with Sadam Hussein's regime in exchange for protection of his reporters.  Impugning our military at DAVOS was clearly over the line and should have resulted in his ouster.  However, his statements are speculation and hearsay at this point.  Without the tapes, we will never know for sure what he said.  On it's best face this is cowardly.  Release the tape and let the public decide.  Hiding behind the WEF and not letting the tape out is a bitter set back. 

I would have liked to see the tape so I could make an informed judgement.  To this point I have a reasonably well formed OPINION, but apparently facts will never come to light.  Some bloggers may not notice, but this is bad for everyone all around.  There's a good chance this will boomarang back on the blogs and they will get the reputation of "digital thugs" and "digital lynch mobs" - that my friends is not good.  The MSM sacrifices Eason Jordan and beats down the blogs...  That's good strategy on their part.  Losing the battle, but winning the war...  I don't like this at all.

I'm glad Jordan is gone, but I think the MSM will use this like a club to knock the blogoshpere on the head (repeatedly)...

Jim Geraghty has some great posts on this over at TKS.  He has probably been the most level headed and insightful of all the bloggers on this since it began.  Worth checking out...

UPDATE:  Welcome TKS readers!  Feel free to hang around and read the rest of the blather.  For the best stuff around on Washington State politics, you've got to check out Sound Politics, though.  Welcome aboard!

The Truth Hurts

OUCH!!!  I have official confirmation from none other than The Big Trunk, Scott Johnson of Power Line that they have, indeed, allowed pop up ads...

Will I still read Power Line? 

Duh, it is one of the best blogs out there, of course I'll still read it.  Will the annoying pop up ads annoy me every single time, yup.

Not wholly unlike Pavlov's Dogs, I have come to associate blog roll reading and Power Line.  I cannot simply walk away over a pop up (not to mention the salivation that starts uncontrollably just talking about Pavlov and his pooches). 

Bad graphics and background colors that hurt my eyes and give me a headache (and yes there are blogs like that) and I'm gone.  Make me register (even for free) and I'll think long and hard before wandering in.  Make me pay to access your site and I'm gone forever.  Pop ups will annoy me, but they will not defeat me.

Maybe everyone should let the Three Amigos of Power Line know that they should dump the pop ups.  If you agree here's where to contact them: [email protected] BE NICE!  I like these guys and I like Power Line, but the pop ups gotta go.

Blogging and Pop Up Ads an unholy marriage if ever there was one.  Is this the end of civilized blogging?

Update:  I had asked Scott if I could use his response in my blog.   As usual, the Power Line Guys are both gracious and thoughtful.  His reply:

You have my permission.
You can say we have received fewer than five complaints/inquiries and
that we are allowing the popups on an experimental basis -- to see if
it's worth it to us in light of the aggravation we cause readers like
you.
Best regards,
Scott Johnson

There you have it.  I've given the Power Line Guys my feedback.  Now it is up to the rest of my six loyal readers to DOUBLE the number of complaints (see email above).  Unless, of course, you are lucky enough to be able to load some sort of pop up blocking software - which, alas, I cannot do at work.  Or horror of all horrors, you actually like pop up ads, and Mister that is pretty sick.

Thrifty, Brave, Reverent

I went to a fund raising breakfast for the Boy Scouts of America this morning.  I paid $50 bucks for a plate of scrambled eggs... I got off easy... Most folks gave way more than that.

The cause is a good one.  I like and support the Scouts.  I was one when I was young.  Never made Eagle Scout, but dang I had fun back in my Scouting days.

The Keynote Speaker was our Attorney General, Rob Mckenna.  Talk about a Boy Scout (seriously, he was an Eagle Scout).  He was great.  Excellent speech, great guy.  Stayed on topic about the good that Scouts do and why it is so important to support it and what it had meant in his life.  Just super.

I got to meet and talk for a short time with Rob after the breakfast, what a genuinely nice guy.  Really glad I voted for him.

Now the politics...

The last time I went to the Scout Breakfast (I can't remember if it was last year or the year before) Christine Gregoire was the speaker.  She talked about her initiatives to protect children from internet predators.  She never talked about Scouting.  She campaigned.  It was all about her.  Today with Rob Mckenna, it was all about Scouts.

Therein lies the difference.  Just like Noemie Emery pointed out, they have no ideas, they just want to win.  It isn't about an institution that won't help them get elected or stay in office, it's about more "Big Brother Government Programs".  The night and day difference that I saw today was stunningly clear.

What is also very clear to me is that Rob Mckenna has a very bright political future in the State of Washington and perhaps even the "other" Washington as well.

Catch Up

I've finally combed through the blogs to see what I've been missing/ignoring over the past couple of weeks...

Wow!  The whole Eason Jordan (slimy rat bastard) thing was nowhere to be found for the most part outside the blogosphere.  I hope he gets forced out at CNN and ends up living under a freeway offramp with his tinfoil hat buddies, what a scumbag.

Hadn't heard that Dean locked up the DNC chair anywhere else either.

Nice piece on the Governator taking on tough issues, including redistricting, in California that I hadn't heard about.

I feel so informed.

Just what in the heck is wrong with the MSM?  Why can't they report on the things that I want to hear about?  Either I'm out of touch or they are... I feel pretty good about where I'm coming from, can they HONESTLY say the same?

Hell Week Dem Style

Noemie Emery writing for the Weekly Standard (H/T: Power Line, watch out for Pop Ups!) has an unusual name and an unusually clear insight of the woes of the Democrat Party.  From Noemie:

EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN WRONG with the Democrats in the past several years was on vivid display during Hell Week: the teeth-grinding shrillness; the race card, misplayed with such gusto; the self-interest so blatant it defeats its own purpose; the crippling dearth of ideas. With a few brave exceptions (a faction of one named Joe Lieberman), the Democrats split into two major camps: the wingnuts--Dean, Boxer, and Kennedy--who know what they think, which alas sets them at odds with the rest of the country; and the caucus of cowards--Bayh, Edwards, and Kerry--who believe in nothing so much as their own career prospects, and change their minds on the gravest of war and peace issues on the basis of what serves their ends.

And then there's this:

And there you have the real vision gap between the two parties: Republicans want to win wars and spread freedom; Democrats want to save their rear ends. Bush thinks freedom is better than terror and tyranny; Democrats think they themselves are better than Bush. In 2004, Bush made it clear he was willing to lose on the basis of his convictions--and won in spite or more likely because of this. Democrats had no convictions beyond the end goal of winning, and therefore quite properly lost. No party deserved to lose more than the Democrats did in these past two elections, and unless they make changes, they stand to lose many more.

Since Black Tuesday last November, Democrats have spent hours of airtime, gallons of newsprint, and billions of words trying to find out why wonderful people such as they keep on losing. They'd be better off taking a hard look at Hell Week. All of the answers are there.

Take a look at what is happening here in Washington State and apply Noemie's Democrat Formula and it rings true.  Far more concern about winning and saving their places of power and control.  What is happening in our governor's race is not a symptom, it's the disease.  Unfortunately for those of us who support a strong two party system, I believe that it may be fatal.  I'm a dyed in the wool conservative Republican, but I want a strong opposition party.  As the Democrat death spiral continues I grow more and more concerned about what that means for the future of our Republic...

Twice Bitten

Once may have been an accident.  May have been a mistake.  May have been something I did.  May have been a freak occurence. 

Twice makes it reality.

Power Line has pop up ads.

How brutally disappointing.  I really, really enjoy Power Line.  I really, really hate pop up ads.

This reminds me of why I don't have any advertising.  Well that and the fact that with six regular readers (may be down to two, since I have been such a slacker about posting lately).  I'd feel like a sell out if I couldn't control things like ad content or who was advertising or being able to say no to pop ups. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm  a completely committed capitalist.  I'm just not a big fan of advertising on blogs...

6528

That's the number of pages in the complete Aubrey/Maturin "Master and Commander" series by Patrick O'Brian.  I finally finished the series last Saturday.  That was a ton of reading, even for me. 

Now that I'm done I should be back to blogging more regularly.  It's not that I'm Obessive Compulsive or anything but I HAD to finish them before I could get on with my life...

Still Alive

Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive.  Been a very busy week with a training course, work, reading and family.  Tonight we have a charity fund raiser and then things should settle back into something resembling a routine...

Random thoughts...

How pathetic is Christine Gregoire that she would play up a death threat for sympathy and to bad mouth her critics.  Seriously, some crack pot makes a threat, so everyone who "doesn't like her" or says "bad things about her" is somehow to blame?  So I should just surrender my 1st Amendment rights cause some loser psycho runs their mouth?  Actually, what I'm hearing her say is - the only people who should throttle back their 1st Amendment rights are the people who are speaking out against the tyranny of the Washington State Democrats.  Like AM Talk Radio and those evil Blogs, hmmm.  Paranoia with a little hint of Facism thrown in, sure am glad Chris is in the driver's seat...

Great State of the Union speech.  It must be driving the left nuts that W sounds more like their precious pretend president Jeb Barlett of "West Wing" than any real human in the Democrat Party.  I only hope that the GOP has the courage to see this agenda through.  It would be a shame to squander the majority and not really make a difference on the domestic front.  Obviously, the foreign policy front is a legacy that will live on in history (despite the appeasers/quitters/apologists - i.e. Teddy Kennedy, Bob Byrd, John Kerry, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Baghdad Jim Mcdermott, etc.).

Great weather we've been having, huh?  This is April weather, I'm not ready for yard work.  As nice as this is, it must stop!  I bet we get a foot of snow in April...cursed weather!