WE'RE MOVING!

Last night's New Hampshire wrap-up was the last blog for me at this address. "America Needs Me" can now be found HERE. I've got a rudimentary version of the blog up and the posting has already begun. Also, podcasting will soon begin HERE.

Democrats' Nightmare: Americans Are Happy!

Nothing terrifies a modern Democratic politician more than a happy American. A recent Gallup Poll found that 84% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in their lives now. One would wonder how this could possibly be in light of the Democrats' message that the middle class is desperately poor, the planet is dying, the whole world hates us and we'll never, ever be able to afford a doctor again. How could anyone be happy in such a miserable place?

If there isn't something broken that the Democrats can promise to belch money on and fix, they've got nothing to offer. It's not so much a political ideology they espouse as much as it is political pimping. Count how many times Obie, the Missus and Fluffy Edwards say "I will fund..." in a speech and you'll see what I mean. Rather than thinking through problems they prefer to throw cash around like a drug dealer at a strip club. 

This is one reason I've never wavered in my political thinking. My unchecked ego won't allow me to be a member of a political party that tells me I can't find happiness without its help. I don't know what the Democrats used to be like but in my lifetime their message has always been this: "Your life sucks, you sad little American. Now give us all your money and we promise to spend more money on you. Don't ask how it works. Just trust us." 

So what are we to make of these happy Americans? Are they all drunk? Does Gallup only poll people living in the mansions around John Edwards' palace? 

Or could it be that the Democrats are, once again, just plain wrong?

Back to the battle against chronic "funding"...

 

Teddy Tells All

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Cirrhosis) has just signed a book deal to write an in-depth exploration of chronic alcohol abuse and memory loss which he will no doubt refer to as an "autobiography". The senior senator from Massachusetts is best known for having been in the middle of a blackout for approximately 98% of his time in the senate. He is currently the second longest serving U.S. Senator, eclipsed only by West Virginia's Robert Byrd (D-KKK). 

The deal is rumored to be a substantial sum for a political memoir. A large portion of the money is expected to help lure a veteran collaborator who can find enough variations on "Woke up, grabbed some scotch, tried to screw up the country..." to make a full length book. 

Throughout his decades of public drunkenness service, Kennedy has often been controversial and sometimes thought-provoking. The thought most often provoked is "What in the hell are the people of Massachusetts thinking?" He was a key figure in the attempted lynching confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Kennedy was opposed on the grounds that even alleged sexual harassment was considered to be a senatorial perk and not to be practiced by anyone else. 

When not dozing off during committee hearings, Kennedy likes to occasionally move his head from side-to-side, leave his recliner for trips to the wet bar and drive off bridges.  

Cross posted at Grizzly Groundswell

Alternative Minimum Brain Cells

Watch your wallets kids, House Speaker Fancy Nancy Pelosi (D-Delirium) wants to go shopping and guess who she wants to pay for it? Ronald Reagan once said that the scariest words in the English language were "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." I think we should add to that the words "fiscal responsibility" coming out of any Democratic leader's mouth.

The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), like Social Security, was set up a long time ago without factoring in inflation, a growing economy or common sense. Again, this is the government helping. It was created to keep a few of the very rich from being able to work the system and avoid paying taxes. Because lawmakers made an "Oops!" on the inflation part, more and more of the middle class is defined as "a few of the very rich." Now Congress has to create a "patch" every year to keep that from happening, sort of like a trauma surgeon shooting you then offering to operate. The government creates a problem (convoluted, extortionist tax code), provides relief for a problem created by the problem (AMT) then provides relief for the problem created by the problem created by the problem (patch). Stop helping already!

This year, Speaker Nannykins and her dancing chimp Steny Hoyer (D-Highway Robbery) are trying to sneak some extra baggage in with the patch. She's trying to get $80 billion in new tax revenues by throwing some hurt on private equity managers as well as real estate and venture-capital investors, to name a few. Grandma Nancy says that this plants "a flag for fiscal responsibility." It's where she wants to shove that flag during said planting that worries me.

Here we go again...the Dems are mad at "The Rich." There is a fundamental breakdown in the wiring of liberals that makes them incapable of understanding that wealth in this country flows from the top down and not the bottom up. There is an inextricable link between "The Rich" and "The Paycheck" that they just don't see. I guess when you've been in Congress too long you just get used to waving a tax wand and "Poof!"-the money you want appears. It's all play money to them and they don't really ever consider where it comes from.

Of course, the problem is rooted in the socialism that has become the primary engine of the post-Viet Nam Democratic Party. In their ideal world, the money would flow from all of us directly to the bloated cow of a federal government that they dream about. The money would then flow from the cow's teats (love that word) and all of "The Rich" could be done away with. Don't try to wrap your heads around the fact that most of the Democrats in Congress are card-carrying members of "The Rich." As I've said before and will say again, irony is a notion that eludes the Left.

Thankfully, President Bush, that lame-duck who keeps spanking the Democratic donkey, has promised that Madame Comrade Speaker won't get away with this. Further indicating that the hysterical Ms. Pelosi is losing her tenuous leadership grip, some Democrats are worried about the long-term effect of sticking it to the targets singled out in this bill.

Only by voting can we help our gal Nan not "help" us.

Cross posted at Grizzly Groundswell & Real Clear Politics (Vote for it there!)

Dancing With The Idiots

It's time to vote House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Hot Flash) off this show. The hysterical Madame Speaker's tenure in office has been marked mostly by her feverish determination to keep congressional approval ratings lower than those of President Bush's anemic numbers. Brava, Nancy Pants, you've succeeded at something during your historic speakership!

Now she wants to get her Viet Nam on and start playing politics with the war. OK, she's always wanted to play politics with it but was too busy brainstorming with Harry Reid (D-Pyongyang) on different ways to say "We hate George W. Bush," which is the only item on the Democratic platform for 2008. Having summarily blamed President Bush for keeping all doctors away from the children (S-CHIP), the California wildfires and the cellulite on Britney Spears constantly displayed bare butt, Fancy Nancy finally has time to lose a war.

"This war is the biggest ethical issue we're facing in our country. ... This is not working. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. We must reverse it," quoth Madame Speaker. Actually, the biggest ethical issue we face in our country is what do with Democratic leaders who can't open their mouths without lying to the American people about the war and global warming.

We're back to the problem about whose assessment we believe about the progress. Grandma Nancy says it's not working. General Petraeus says it is. To him, it's a war; to her, it's a game she has to look good playing when visiting her Bay Area homegirls.

Rather than approve the $196 billion that President Bush asked for to fund the war, Nanny Boo-Boo has threatened to only give about a quarter of that, which would only last about four months. This is true to form. One thing Ms. Pelosi has proven is that she is completely incapable of long-term vision. Poll driven people can't be like that as it requires thoughtful consideration rather than maniacal overreaction.

I really don't have any problem with the fact that Nancy's a woman. I have a problem with John Edwards being a woman, not Nancy Pelosi. What bothers me is that she's a shrill, grandstanding pure politician who is more interested in a photo op than a realistic approach to dealing with a rapidly changing world. She's Harry Reid in a skirt. Or he's Nancy Pelosi with a prostate. Or they're both shape-shifters from the planet Soros.

All I know is that they've had their run on Dancing with the Idiots and it's time to vote them off the show and away from the sharp objects (i.e. the budget pens). Let's do it now.

For the children.

Cross posted at Grizzly Groundswell

Through The Talking Glass-Issues In Wonderland

I've been alluding for months now to the stark differences in priorities between the presidential candidates of the two parties. My misgivings with the current crop of G.O.P. candidates could fill Al Gore's dinner plate but they all do seem to grasp one thing: we have a sworn enemy out there who would love to see us all dead.

True, the Democrats agree that we have enemies too, but they aren't the same at all. To them, the danger in the world comes from Republicans, cow farts and SUVs. Their apocalyptic nightmare involves Republicans riding in on cow fart powered SUVs who will steal medicine from old people and force the children to learn about God instead of condoms. Al Qaeda? "That's just a fictitious bogeyman that Karl Rove and Dick Cheney made up to scare the ignorant electorate!"

There's a lot of bellyaching lately about there not being any real difference between the two major parties. Not true. One still wants to fight a real enemy and one wants to tilt at windmills (no doubt built with government subsidies). This page on Real Clear Politics lists all the Democratic candidates' web sites. Check them out and see what they think is important. I kid you not, John "Fluffy" Edwards (D-Your Wallet) has an in depth discussion on "Food Safety" on his "Issues" page. Islamic terrorists attack us for thirty years and they pretend it's not happening. Spinach attacks us once and it's a hot-button issue. Soon the conspiracy theorists will be trying to convince us that it was e coli that brought down the towers.

The real issues are the fight against global terrorism and immigration reform that doesn't involve hugs or drivers licenses. The Democrats simply do not understand this. Bill Clinton, defending his-um-wife on her support of licenses for illegals, said that Republican attacks regarding this were meant to distract from the important issues of health care and education reform. Don't forget Food Safety, Bill! This is a classic Democratic tactic. The education system in this country didn't need reforming until the liberals hijacked it through the National Education Association. The Democrats love to create an ill then run on a platform that promises to fix it. It's akin to your dentist giving toothpaste made of pure sugar to your kids.

You may as well not ever bother trying to explain to a Democrat the connection between border security and national security. You'd have better luck mapping the human genome with a Welsh Terrier. They won't understand it until Al Qaeda sneaks several cells across the border to do the bomb making that Americans just don't want to do.

A couple of voices from across the ocean have said exactly what Democrats don't want to hear. The head of MI5 in Great Britain made an almost unheard of public appearance (the British didn't even acknowledge that MI5 existed until 1989) to warn that the danger from Al Qaeda is growing. While perusing The American Princess (a new favorite blog of mine-loaded with wit and sarcasm-both of which I think should be food groups) I found out this quote from Bono about the terrorists that woke me up: "There is an imminent threat," says Bono. "It's real and grave. It is as serious a threat as Stalinism and National Socialism. Let's not pretend it isn't."

This is huge. According to liberals, Bono is the only human created more perfectly at birth than Obama. Somebody at the DNC has got some serious 'splaining to do about why Bono thinks Al Qaeda is more dangerous than the possibility of an early spring in Norway.

Until then we'll all just have to rest assured that a President Fluffy Edwards will keep us safe from the scourge of tainted cheese.

Cross posted at Grizzly Groundswell

Hobbit Boy Throws A Tantrum

Another week, another Democratic candidate who trails Hillary by a light year throwing a fit for attention. Last week, former Sen. John Edwards (D-Your Wallet) promised to give free health care, education and ice cream to every American, legal or not. You've got to admire Fluffy's pluck, despite Hillary's huge lead and the demise of the Soviet Union, he still thinks he can become President and bring back Big Socialism. As Elizabeth no doubt says to him every time he heads to the salon, "You go, Girl!"

This week's "Daddy I want an Oompa Loompa and I want him now!" fit comes from our favorite live-action Hobbit, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-The Shire). There's more distance between Kucinich and Hillary in the polls than there is between Bill and Hillary in bed. He also trails Joe Biden and Bill Richardson. I swear, they're both running for president. Real Clear Politics doesn't even put him on the chart they use to track poll averages. Good news: he consistently runs a solid third place among voters in his own home.

Clearly, Kucinich is in need of doing something to get noticed. Nothing gets things going in a campaign like a good battle cry. But a battle needs an enemy. Who did Denny pick? Al Qaeda? No. Iran? Uh-uh. Oh wait, I know, greenhouse gases! Nope. Denny stomped his furry little Hobbit feet and decided that Dick Cheney needed to be impeached.

It's this kind of frivolous politicking that makes it hard to take Denny seriously about anything. His supporters, such as they are, don't help. Most of the modern day Democratic power structure is made up of hippies who eventually found their ways into a shower, then college. The Kucinich Fringe seems to be made up of the ones who chose to remain stoned and earthy. Every time I see a car with a Kucinich sticker on it the thing looks as if it could be used in the background of a period movie about Woodstock.

Kucinich seriously believes that trying to take down a sitting Vice-President is good for the country and his campaign. After all, removing Cheney will keep us from bombing Iran, right? Actually, removing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would do more towards that end than removing Dick Cheney. While trying to be outlandish so he can be noticed, Hobbit Boy is still toeing the Democratic party line that our only real enemies are to be found in the G.O.P.

That's why he's irrelevant. It should be why the entire crop of Democratic hopefuls this year is irrelevant. It's like the terrorists have put some sort of spell on the Democrats that make them incapable of recognizing an enemy outside our borders. Until they get a leader who opens his or her eyes after this spell wears off we need to vote and make sure that none of them get to play with the grown-up stuff.

Cross posted at Grizzly Groundswell

Chairman John

Nothing red-flags desperation in a modern Democrat's campaign quite like class warfare rhetoric. It's a variation on a theme that goes something like this: a rich white guy starts railing against all the rich white guys who are getting richer by the nanosecond and promising that he'll do whatever he can to get rid of the rich white guys. The prerequisite political pilgrimage for Democrats involves taking full advantage of all the opportunities for wealth this country has to offer for twenty years then vowing to make sure such a travesty never occurs again. Irony, you'll note, is never discussed in Democratic politics.

Few in recent memory have followed this plan more diligently than former Senator John "Fluffy" Edwards (D-Unreality). He's made tens of millions of dollars as a trial lawyer and now wants to make sure that everyone knows he thinks that it would be bad if someone else were to do the same. His campaign trails Hillary Clinton's by so much that he needs the Hubble telescope to keep her in sight now so he's hopping on the Class Warfare Express.

It's always striking to note what a disconnect there is between what's actually important in the world and what John Edwards thinks is going on. While most people who can tie their own shoes agree that Iran presents many problems to the free world Edwards has a slightly different view. After new sanctions against Iran were announced last week, Edwards rushed in with this pronouncement, "We need to stand up to these people. We need to stop them and we need to be strong in our opposition." Was he talking about the leaders in Iran? Of course not, he was speaking of the Republicans. In Johnny Land there are no terrorists or hostile nations. The real enemies are greenhouse gases and Republicans. Rich, puppy-hating Republicans who are secretly working on an SUV Death Star that's going to kill all your Social Security.

Today Edwards unveiled his plan to make everything better for everyone all the time. Forever. Yes, Fluffy truly believes that he and the government have that kind of power. I guess they don't teach much history in pre-law. The programs are being referred to as "New Deal-like" in the hope that invoking FDR will obscure their "Old Marxism-Like" qualities.

After a trip to the salon for a haircut and pedicure, Edwards says that his first priorities as President will be losing the war in Iraq, enacting universal (code name for "Government Run") health care and overhauling the energy system. "Those are three things instantly I would do," said Edwards. Instantly? Looks like President Fluffy comes with a magic wand too!

Back to the irony: Edwards was a personal injury lawyer. He can afford good health care because he devoted his career to helping drive health care costs through the roof. One could see how Fluffy's head would start spinning were he to come back to reality.

The best part of today's lecture on socialism from Edwards was his heartfelt desire to have the government fund kindergarten and "college for everyone." Few things make a Democrat salivate harder than the prospect of getting to indoctrinate school children through a government funded education system. It's the real reason they keep telling us that studies show that kids who begin preschool in the womb do better throughout life. The longer you can make them talk about Earth Day and not talk about Christmas the better this kind of nonsense Edwards is spouting has a chance of being believed. "We simply can't have children exposed to their parents too much. They might start praying or something!"

Why am I making such a fuss about a guy who is 17000 points behind Mrs. Clinton in all the polls? Because he's young and will probably be made part of any plans in a (shudder) Democratic administration. And he may run for president again. Mostly, it makes me very nervous when an ambulance chaser smiles and tells me he's got my back.

Cross posted at The Grizzly Groundswell

The Kruiser Climate Manifesto-Part I

Sitting here in LA, breathing all the smoky air, I promised myself this morning that I'd avoid writing about the Climate Commies today. It's difficult, as global warming is my favorite battleground these days and it's come up ad nauseam during the news coverage of the fires this week. As soon as I decided this I started reading another Halloween scare report from the United Nations. Few things this side of Harry Reid annoy me more than the UN dispensing reports about how we're all going to die next Thursday if Al Gore isn't crowned Intergalactic Ruler at once. They get me so worked up I write really long sentences like that.

My first response, as always, is that we could start helping the environment by getting rid of the UN and putting a lovely park in its place.

I've gotten into a few discussions on climate change this week and watched more than a few during the wildfire coverage and noticed that some of the same crap keeps coming up from the Left. What I'm going to do here, and it might take a post in two or three parts, is stake out my territory in this debate and simply refer people to it later when they challenge me with wild-eyed fervor. My hope is that pausing and reading something will take everything down a notch and foster some reasonable debate. I know I'm crazy, but we'll let my therapist worry about that.

I feel so strongly about this that I am going to use bullet points. I don't trot out the BPs unless I'm feeling very formal. I probably should drink some tea and do something special with my pinkies. More on that later. Here are the first of the points I would like to make:

• Nobody denies that climate changes. Whenever I express skepticism about the Climate Commie Party line on climate change the first question I'm invariably asked is, "So you don't believe in Global Warming?" And it's always asked in a jump-down-your-throat, "nanny-nanny boo-boo" kind of way, as if they can't wait to bury me with quotes from Al Gore. It's been a whole 24 hours since someone last asked me that. I heard Alan Colmes ask it while interviewing a scientist from the CATO Institute last night. The one thing I've never heard, however, is someone saying "I don't believe in Global Warming" before being asked the question. What I don't believe in is hysteria. Or speculation (computer models) regarded as absolute fact. What is still up for debate is the level of human contribution to the greenhouse gas problem. It's up for debate unless you're Al Gore or one of his followers. These people take a more Stalin-esque approach to debate and simply tell everyone that there will be none. That's what I don't believe in.
  
• Hysteria based on speculation is ridiculous. What usually gets reported are think-tank and computer model projections about the fate of the planet that are worse-case scenarios. Why? Because the Climate Commies feel that's the best way to get everyone's attention. Don't believe me? Here's a quote from St. Al Gore in Grist magazine: "Nobody is interested in solutions if they don't think there's a problem. Given that starting point, I believe it is appropriate to have an over-representation of factual presentations on how dangerous it is, as a predicate for opening up the audience to listen to what the solutions are, and how hopeful it is that we are going to solve this crisis." (Italics mine) Let me get this straight: it's OK to lie if they end up listening and on your side. Is this an environmental debate or a "How-To" primer for frat boys to get laid? You want to get my attention? Present all of the facts and get a spokesperson who isn't unhinged. People who are more insane than I am make me nervous.
• International communism isn't going to save the planet. You almost have to admire the capacity for denial on the Left. No matter how many times they see socialism or communism fail and capitalism work they just close their eyes, plug their ears and hum until the free-market bogeyman goes away. Their solution to mitigate climate concerns isn't to let free enterprise work more of its magic but to enforce a set of international protocols that wouldn't do more than screw up the US economy. Then they get into this weird "carbon credit" trading thing that sounds more like the Catholic church in the days of Martin Luther than 21st Century business. The companies that invested in economically ruinous eco-friendly technologies could sell their credits to the evil polluters and feel better. Then after lying to their stockholders they could buy some plenary indulgences from the Cardinal and-oh wait-we're back to the 1500s again. At least we know they won't be burning any witches. The smoke would be bad for the environment.
  
• Somebody needs to talk about the cow farts. Why? Because they are the biggest contributors of methane gas on the planet. And because it would be fun to see "cow fart" on the front page of the New York Times.
  

Enough for today. You've all been very patient. The nurse is here and telling me that my "outside time" is done for the day.

Cross posted on Grizzly Groundswell

The Eco-Stalins Spread Hysteria Like Wildfire

Southern California is weird and not just because I live in it. You see, we have long, dry summers but, for some reason, stuff still grows here. I find that odd because I grew up in the Sonoran Desert where nothing but air conditioning bills grew during the long, dry periods. In California, it never rains but trees and weeds abound.

When these long, dry summers are over we're treated to sustained high winds that are, strangely enough, named after St. Ann. But in Spanish. Which doesn't have much to do with the wildfires. Climate change may or may not have more to do with the fires here than St. Ann but the Eco-Stalins in the media are reporting it as fact.

While most of us saw tragedy unfolding as we watched news about the wildfires, some in the media saw an opportunity to pimp global warming hysteria. Hotter Planet=More Fires. Seems like a sensible equation, right? That's the route NBC went with it's reporting. They jumped right over the fact that some of these blazes were the result of arson and one was started by some guys welding around some dry brush. Global warming/global welding, they're kind of the same, aren't they?

Anderson Cooper, the weather girl at CNN, was a bit more shameless. He hosted a new special called "Planet In Peril" and practically wet himself in his excitement to use the fires as promo.

“At the top of the next hour, as I said, the big picture. These fires are really a piece of it. Fire, drought, global warming, climate change, deforestation, it is all connected, tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern…‘Planet in Peril’ starts in just 30 minutes.”

Thankfully, all one had to do was listen to the responsible opposing viewpoints that both networks presented...oh, wait...there weren't any.

What the pieces dealt with were more predictions and speculation being reported as fact.

What we know for sure is this. California has had problems with wildfires for a very long time. Even before Al Gore. The real equation is: Sun+High Winds+Dry Vegetation=Oops!

After everything burns we get treated to mudslides because there is nothing holding the hills together. In days past this wasn’t as big a problem. Why? No global warming, right? Wrong. It’s because people didn’t used to live in these places.

You see, the very combination that creates the wildfire environment, i.e. lots of sun and little rain, also makes everyone want to move to Southern California. The areas affected by the current disaster have around 20 million people living in them. If this portion of California broke off it would be the third most populous state in America. A far more logical conclusion would be that a rapidly expanding population would constantly increase the chance of accidental fires. Many of these fires were caused by downed power lines. Guess what? There aren't any descriptions of endless miles of power lines in the histories left by the Spanish. They sort of showed up recently.

Another problem is that Californians absolutely love to show off status by building homes in places that they shouldn't. You never hear of a low-income family's home sliding down a hill during a rainstorm here. "Hey look, honey: it's a dry, wind swept cliff with all kinds of dehydrated brush surrounding it but look at that ocean view!"

It's just like the increase in hurricane damage in coastal regions. The hurricanes didn't used to have that much to damage. Now more people can afford to build houses by the beach. The hurricanes touch down in the same places and the fires burn through the same areas. The only thing that's measurably changed is what gets in their way now.

This isn't a lesson so much about Climate Change as it is about arrogance. Modern, secular society likes to think it can scientifically control everything. We have no sense of awe (or God) any more and keep giving the finger to nature. Nature, it would seem, has an arrogant streak of her own and likes to send out not-so-subtle reminders about where the real power is.

Almost sounds like I was describing the Clinton marriage at the end there, doesn't it?

How Low Can You Go?

So, Jesse Jackson thinks that Barack Obama is acting like he's white. Come to think of it, the more Obama talks politics, the more I see a resemblance to Karl Marx. Maybe Jesse's on to something. Maybe we're both drunk. Either way, it's another low point for the increasingly irrelevant Rev. Jackson.

The low that caught my eye today, however, was the new Reuters/Zogby poll of presidential and congressional approval ratings. The Bush vs. Congress approval battle is turning out to be like one of those football games that matches two 0-10 teams at the end of the season. Someone has to win, right? Alas, politics is never as clear cut as football. It would be nice to see some elected officials get concussions once in a while though. Any kind of non life-threatening, season-ending injury would do, actually.

The current score in this stinker is: Bush 29-Congress 11. That's a statistical difference so stark even a victim of recent public education in America can see it. The president, tanking to a new all-time low, still manages to more than double up on Nancy Pelosi and her "mandate." Most of that 11% is probably made up of just congressional members themselves, their extended families and their staffs.

When it comes to running the country, Americans are telling Congress, "Just don't touch anything, you'll probably break it. Go play with each other and leave us alone." Of course, metaphorically, Congress has been playing with itself for a long time.

To their credit, Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi (D-USSR) and Harry Reid (D-Crab Nebula) have committed the full force of their resources to making sure the president doesn't pull "ahead" of them in this race to the bottom. If they drop just two more points they'll be in a dead heat with the remaining number of live brain cells in Ted Kennedy's (D-Corner Tavern) head. They know this and they're focused.

"We're not going to let you Republicans hijack this one from us," Reid was overheard saying to Larry Craig (R-Disgrace) in a congressional men's room last summer. Since then, Reid has maintained relentless pressure on sanity and common sense to achieve the historic lows.

Hey, sinking to the bottom wasn't in any of their campaign promises last fall but a lot of us knew they had it in them.

Carbon Footprint Steps In Something Smelly

I thought I should follow up my post from last week about the trip Sen. Barbara Boxer (Nutjob-CA) took to Greenland with some of her climate commie colleagues. The ABC News website reported today on the trip under the headline: "Senators Go To Global Warming's Front Lines." Notice the clever battleground wording there. It's not that the Democrats don't believe in war, it's just that they think we should wage one on the weather. They want to fight the battle by crippling what they believe to be the enemy's biggest ally: the U.S. Economy.

It's very difficult to have a rational discussion on this subject with the fans of Al Gore because their position is rooted in hysteria. Read any mainstream articles about global warming and you're bombarded with extreme words like, catastrophic, devastating and penguin. They truly believe that this is the most pressing issue of our time. And Al Gore, with reams of logically tortured facts and the most extreme computer models he can find, continues to whip them into a frenzy. They're so out of whack that they think that the weather is a more imminent threat to our lives than terrorism. The threat posed by suicide bombers isn't all the blowing up of stuff, it's the fact that you can't recycle C-4.

In reality, the biggest impact global warming has had thus far has been on the First Amendment. Vigorous debate, usually a hallmark of the scientific process, is treated like leprosy by the climate commies. Al Gore has said on numerous occasions that "The debate is over." Then he runs around shouting "consensus" like a nine year-old who has just learned a big word. The real scientific world is one of endless questioning and an almost allergic reaction to "consensus."

The most inconvenient of all truths out there for Gore is that a lot of credible scientists keep studying the problem just like they're supposed to. They keep finding things that don't fit well with what Big Al & The Consensus Mongers are saying. Despite the fact that Gore has told them to shut up, the scientists keep acting, well, scientific.

What caught my eye about the ABC News article was the second half of it. An opposing viewpoint was explored and I haven't seen a lot of that until recently. They even provided a link to a blog that countered some of what the Senators on the trip are treating as fact. (The links to both articles are at the end of this post.) True, the article started off with quotes from the members of the delegation who presented hysteria as fact. Several quotes were balanced by only one more measured, reasonable quote. Still, this was more than you would have seen in the past.

Sen. Boxer said, "After this trip ... I know I have a responsibility to move now to lessen the impacts of severe global warming." That was actually the least hysterical of the quotes from that camp. Still, she believes that the water she stared at gives her a mandate to legislatively mess with your lives to fight the weather.

In contrast, look what Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said: "Climate change and reducing carbon dioxide emissions will likely be a major subject of debate this fall in the Senate, so as we've done with other key issues, we're digging in to understand this issue in great detail so that we can play a meaningful role as it is debated," said Corker. "We don't want to react impulsively and enact something that we can't reverse in the future if there are unintended negative consequences or our understanding of this issue evolves."

In other words, let's be informed, let's debate and let's not do anything rash.

That approach terrifies the climate commies. Why? Because the only thing they fear more than suntanned penguins and polar bears in bikinis is losing control of their propaganda machine.

Because it's really all they've got at the moment.

Links:
ABC News article: http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3429160

Alternative viewpoint: http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=175b568a-802a-23ad-4c69-9bdd978fb3cd

Since I'm always mocking computer projections I decided to do one of my own. Here's Lindsay Lohan now:


And here's a computer projection of what she'll look like when she's 30: