Monthly Archives: June 2009
"Stuart Smalley" Goes to Washington
Well, the Minnesota Supreme Court has made it official, and Norm Coleman has conceded. Al Franken…uh, Stuart Smalley…goes to Washington. I still ask myself what the people of Minnesota were smoking, when they elected this whacko to the Senate.
The only thing that I keep thinking is that this is Senator “I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and doggone it, people like me.”
What if Government Ran Health Care?
Reason.tv made an awesome video, based on the Sprint commercials, asking “What if Government Ran Health Care?” While satirical, the video made a good point that our basic health care services would be in decline. Now, I agree that we need to address health care reform, but we need to do this in a pragmatic way that will not place further harm on our free market economy.
What's Your Energy IQ?
American Petroleum Institute (API) just released their Energy IQ survey, and the results show that Americans are more aware of how current policies affect domestic oil and natural gas production. In terms of demand, the study found that many continue to underestimate the amount of oil that we need in the future.
- While the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects U.S. energy demand will increase 9 percent during the next 20 years, only 5 percent of respondents chose the correct answer. The majority overestimated this number, believing that U.S. demand would increase 16 to 21 percent.
- When asked about the role fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal will play in meeting global energy demand, only 10 percent of respondents answered correctly that fossil fuels will meet 85 percent of this demand. This is the second consecutive year this number has dropped even though EIA figures for future U.S. reliance on fossil fuels have risen by five percent since 2008.
The other particularly intriguing statistic is that many Americans overestimate the amount of oil that we receive from Persian Gulf nations and underestimate the amount of oil that we receive here in North America. Canada is one of the largest oil suppliers to the United States.
The statistics are interesting, and you can even test your own energy knowledge by taking the survey.
http://energyiq.energytomorrow.org/EnergyIQWidget.swf
Since this is a two-part series looking into the Energy IQ, I will focus more tomorrow onto how Americans view the oil industry and taxes, as well as sharing a video asking everyday people about their views on energy.
Saturday Night Baseball: O's vs. the Nats
My friend, Nikhil called me on Saturday night with an offer that a die-hard AL East fan could not refuse: free tickets and a road trip to Oriole Park at Camden Yards (home to me, but to others…it is Oriole mecca). So, we drove in the midst of a traffic jam on 495, getting lost in a real bad neighborhood in Baltimore before we found parking, and arriving at the game, just in time to enjoy some real BBQ (Boog’s, that is, and for a ex-Marylander, hon, we call this true Pit BBQ at its finest) and to see the Nats crack off the first homerun of the game.
As a ex-Marylander and a Yankees fan, I took to cheering for the AL East to dominate the NL, while Nikhil cheered for the Nats. Too bad for Nikhil, he was surrounded by the home team with only a few Nats fans in our section. The crowd roared “Charge” before Nick Markakis came to bat, and I knew I was officially home when we sang, “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy” during seventh inning stretch. It was just awesome being back at the ballpark that I love the most to watch a Beltway rivalry really take shape. The O’s slammed the Nats 6-3 before a raucous crowd.
July 4th Tea Party on the Horizon
What are you doing July 4th? Attending picnics or watching fireworks? How about standing up for our liberties and standing up against the over-expansion of government, fighting for accountability, and standing up against the wasteful spending by members of Congress? Well, come out and join fellow freedom fighters, as we get prepared to March for Liberty and partake in a July 4th tea party. From 10-2:30 p.m., the tea party will be taking place in Upper Senate Park in Washington, DC featuring some pretty awesome speakers, such as Leslie Carbone, who is the author of Slaying Leviathan, Adam Bitely of NetRightNation, Andrew Langer of the Institute for Liberty, and many more.
For more information, visit teapartywdc.ning.com.
Cap and Trade Passes the House
The Waxman-Markey Amendment (H.R. 2454) passed the House today, 219-212. This bill is headed to the Senate, where many do not expect this bill to pass. Here’s what needs to be done to prevent this bill, which will raise taxes on working Americans and more harm on the economy. Call your Senator and urge him to strongly oppose Cap and Trade. You can contact your Senators by calling 202-224-3121 or visit the Senate website to find your Senator’s website.
Additionally, there were eight Republicans who voted for this bill this afternoon. According to the Washington Examiner, here are the eight cap and tax cheerleaders: Reps. Mary Bono Mack (CA), Mike Castle (DE), Steven Kirk (IL), John McHugh (NY), Leonard Lance (NJ), Frank LoBiondo (NJ), Dave Reichert (WA), and Chris Smith (NJ). Hopefully, you will call the number above, as it is the central switchboard, and call to voice your strong disapproval of their votes. Since they identify their party affiliation as a Republican, then they should advocate on behalf of the free markets by fighting against this bill. You can see who voted for the bill here.
Aside from this, there were some Freshmen Democrats, who should consult with former Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky. After all, she promised in 1993 not to vote for the Clinton Energy tax, only to turn around and vote for it. She quickly became a one-term Congresswoman. In Virginia, both Gerry Connolly and Tom Perriello should anticipate strong challenges in 2010. The residents of the 5th and 11th Districts did not elect their leaders to raise taxes, rather to work on their behalf to lower the tax burden.
Tim Kaine Responds to the RPV FOIA Request
Tim Kaine released his response to the FOIA request filed by the Republican Party of Virginia regarding his travel records. You can view the response here.
Basically, the requested answers remain unanswered. Go figure!
McDonnell and Cuccinelli Pleased with 4th Circuit Court Decision
Yesterday, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Virginia’s Partial Birth Abortion Ban was constitutional. Former Attorney General and now, candidate for Governor, Bob McDonnell had played an instrumental role in this decision, as he was the first to secure this appeal before the Fourth Circuit. Ken Cuccinelli had voted in the State Senate to override the veto of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban.
McDonnell’s statement on the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision:
“I am pleased that the full U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld Virginia’s Partial-Birth Infanticide Ban. Virginia’s ban was passed by the General Assembly with bipartisan support. The law reflects the will of the people of the Commonwealth and is substantially similar to the federal ban on the procedure which was ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States. I congratulate Attorney General Bill Mims for his successful handling of this appeal.”
Cuccinelli’s statement on the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision:
“Today’s ruling marks a major victory in a hard fought, six-year battle to end Partial Birth Abortion in Virginia. I want to extend both my appreciation and congratulations to Attorney General Bill Mims, Former Attorney General Bob McDonnell and their teams for their hard work in making today’s ruling a reality.”
Senator Cuccinelli noted that Steve Shannon, Democrat Candidate for Attorney General, refused to take a position on this issue in last week’s Virginia Bar Association Debate. During their debate, prior to the Courts ruling, Senator Cuccinelli declared that if Virginia lost the case he would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. Senator Cuccinelli asked Delegate Shannon if Shannon would also appeal if Virginia lost and Shannon refused to answer.
Steve Shannon ducked the question – leaving yet another issue on the table at last Saturday’s Debate that he refused to take a position on. Ken Cuccinelli however clearly stated that he would continue in the footsteps of our past four Attorneys General in defending Virginia’s ban on Partial Birth Abortion. …”
Another Year Older…
Well, I am another year older and another year wiser (so I hope).
Did I mention another year wilder?!??? More on this later…
What happened to Principled Leaders?
As I was watching the Mark Sanford press conference this evening, I sat there in shock. I was in shock that the only candidate, who I viewed as the only front runner in 2012, admit that he had an affair with a woman from Argentina, and betrayed his wife and family only to spend time in Argentina crying over this affair. While Sanford is human and made a flaw that violated his marriage vows, he betrayed the citizens of South Carolina by not informing the state that they would be missing their leader during an short period of time only to go back to Argentina to be with the other woman. The media exploited Sanford and will continue to do so. Another GOP rising star has fallen today over an extramarital affair. He has also lost my support, as I can not condone anyone who betrays not only his wife and family, but betrays the values he used to emulate.
We all have flaws. It is a shame, when these flaws detract from a leader’s service to those who elected him. It is also a shame, when a leader’s actions are thrusted into the spotlight by the media, and affects how he/she will make amends with his spouse and children.
Lately, I have been contemplating whether or not, the GOP has any principled leaders left to be the standard bearer in 2012. With Mark Sanford’s recent actions, there is considerable doubt that he will be President. While Sanford has been great on handling the economy, his good works have been dominated by his affair. Sanford had a lot to offer America, and I am saddened by the fact that desire had to overcome a man of solid conviction and character.
