CHUCK MUTH'S NEWS & VIEWS

News & Views Has Moved

2005-03-09T07:33:00.000-05:00

Please catch Chuck Muth's News & Views e-briefing now at www.citizenoutreach.com

News & Views, 3/2/05

2005-03-02T05:54:00.000-05:00

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDENTIAL...

* Schwarzeneggar on drunk Etch-a-Sketch artists * Public school teacher takes sex ed class into parking lot, gives live demonstration * The real culprits behind the new airport Bic Ban * Cato names this year’s BEST and WORST fiscal governors * Arkansas governor perverts meaning of the word “conservative” * Huckabee takes Grover to the woodshed * Utah LP gets it right on drug platform * Deadbeat congressman Cannon sinks to new low *

An annual subscription for Chuck Muth’s daily DC Confidential e-newsletter is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order (don’t forget to include your email address) to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

BUT MOMMY, THERE’S MONSTERS IN THE CLOSET!

“The looming financial crunch in Social Security presents options that bring to mind prison cafeteria entrees: Some are inedible, and some are worse. The available ideas include such appetizing possibilities as raising taxes, reducing future benefits and increasing the retirement age. And the really bad news? Social Security is not the tough problem. It's the easy one. The tough one is Medicare.

“...Given the scale of the challenge, it might be understandable for our leaders to crawl under their desks and curl up in a fetal position, moaning and weeping and hoping the problem will go away. As it happens, that is about what they're doing.”

- Columnist Steve Chapman

ALWAYS RIGHT WITH CHARLIE JARVIS

There’s a new “Always Right” interview up on the Citizen Outreach website featuring Charlie Jarvis of USA Next...the conservative alternative to AARP. The topic? What else...Social Security. The ins, the outs, the ups, the downs...and everything in between. Charlie gives it to you straight and pulls no punches when talking about the liberal agenda of AARP. Listen to this extremely informative 46-minute interview by clicking on the “Always Right” link at www.citizenoutreach.com

BUSH WAS RIGHT?

“Germany loves to criticize George W. Bush's Middle East policies, just like Germany loved to criticize former President Ronald Reagan. But Reagan, when he demanded that Gorbachev remove the Berlin Wall, turned out to be right. Could history repeat itself?"

- Columnist Claus Christian Malzahn in the German magazine Der Spiegel

GO NAVY

“Last Thursday…(f)or the fifth time out of six attempts, Navy ships successfully tracked, intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile in-flight, using their existing AEGIS fleet air defense systems and a new Standard Missile, dubbed the SM-3. . . . Missile defenses are required now more than ever. The time has come to assign the Navy the mission and the resources necessary to provide comprehensive defenses from the sea.”

- Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy

INQUIRING MINDS WANNA KNOW

“Doesn’t anyone wonder why the NAACP does not have events celebrating the first black woman secretary of state? Why does an organization whose mission is to advance the lot of blacks not celebrate Clarence Thomas, our black Supreme Court justice?”

- Star Parker of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education

THE POPE’S BIG TENT

“I have finally figured out why the Pope continues to put up with pro-abortion Catholics such as Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Mario Cuomo. He doesn’t want to go down in history as The Great Excommunicator.”

- Lyn Nofziger’s “Musings”

LIBERAL DEFENDS WAL-MART?

“Bowing to intense pressure from neighborhood and labor groups, a real estate developer has just given up plans to include a Wal-Mart store in a mall in Queens, thereby blocking Wal-Mart's plan to open its first store in New York City. . . .

“(I)t's not as if Wal-Mart's founder, Sam Walton, and his successors created the world's largest retailer by putting a gun to our heads and forcing us to shop there. Instead, Wal-Mart has lured customers with low prices. . . .

“To claim that people shouldn't have access to Wal-Mart or to cut-rate airfares or services from India or to Internet shopping, because these somehow reduce their quality of life, is paternalistic tripe. No one is a better judge of what people want than they themselves.”

- Former Clintonite and union shill Robert Reich

GOP’S TOP THREE

“A national poll might put (Rudy) Giuliani or (John) McCain at the top (of GOP presidential hopefuls), followed by (Senate Majority Leader Bill) Frist, with everyone else in single digits. But this is hardly a three-man race.

“While there is no question Giuliani was an amazingly effective surrogate for President Bush and GOP candidates in every corner of the country, it's pretty difficult to imagine that a pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights candidate is going to win the Republican presidential nomination any time soon…

“And while there is no doubt McCain would be a huge force in the race, it is not yet clear whether he will run. McCain would be 72 years old at the time of the 2009 inauguration -- three years older than Ronald Reagan was when he was sworn in…

“Frist is one of the most pedantic speakers in national politics, and it's not uncommon to hear snoring in the room as he wraps up a speech"

- Political prognosticator Charlie Cook

MINIMUM WAGE, MAXIMUM SELL-OUT

“Sen. Rick Santorum said today he plans to introduce a bill next week to increase the minimum wage by $1.10 over the next two years.”

- Congressional Quarterly, 2/22/05

SANTORUM MARCHES LEFT

“President Bush's political savant Karl Rove was the cock-of-the-walk this month bragging that conservatism has become ‘the dominant political creed in America.’ Surely it must be one of those off-brands because what's been passing for conservatism these days is quite troubling. Let's start with Rick Santorum.

“Pennsylvania's junior U.S. senator this week is planning to introduce a bill that would raise the minimum wage. The economy is growing, the Republican notes; his ‘sense’ is that now ‘is probably a good time’ to raise the wage floor.

“Actually, there's never a good time to raise the government-mandated wage floor because the ‘good’ of minimum wages is a fallacy.”

- Colin McNickel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2/27/05

ANOTHER POSTAL REFORM OPTION

“Another solution (in addition to reducing the current six-day mail delivery schedule) would be to initiate what the USPS calls ‘Neighborhood Box Units,’ or NBUs. These would be set up in various locations throughout neighborhoods, much like you would find in apartment complexes, which would keep the mail carrier from having to walk as much. Of course you'd lose your door-to-door service except for parcels and accountable mail (certified letters, express mail, insured or registered mail, etc.), but a carrier could deliver two or three times as much mail on a daily basis, and the USPS could drastically reduce its carrier force.”

- Anonymous USPS letter carrier and News & Views reader

SURVEY SAYS!

Considering the tremendous drop in overall volume due to cheap long distance phone rates and the internet, how many days a week does the post office need to deliver residential mail these days?

* One
* Two
* Three
* Four
* Five
* Six
* Seven

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 3/1/05

2005-03-01T07:45:00.000-05:00

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDENTIAL...

* Lyn Nofziger reveals the safest bet in Washington * Big Labor’s dramatic decline * Arnold Schwarzenegger on mixing politics and religion * Girl wearing tux banned from high school yearbook for “dressing like a boy” * Michael Jackson and the new Bic ban on airplanes * Santorum goes wobbly, stops dancing with the ones who brung him * First state prepares to leave “No Child Left Behind” behind * The Nutty Professor in Colorado turns prostitute, UC plays the “john” *

An annual subscription for Chuck Muth’s daily DC Confidential e-newsletter is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order (don’t forget to include your email address) to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

“ALWAYS RIGHT” INTERVIEWS ON AUDIO

Thanks to some generous technical assistance from my friend Rodney Helm in Las Vegas, we’re now able to offer the actual audio of the “Always Right” interviews. Wanna hear my interview with attorney Charles Gittins, the man representing the Marine being charged with murder in Iraq? Just go to the “Always Right” page on www.citizenoutreach.com and click on the “Play” button of audio icon there. That’s it. Enjoy. And I’ll let you know when other interviews are posted in the future.

GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT

“This week's Survey Says! question is one of the most important of the whole postal debate. I voted ‘once a week’ since the only thing I get is bills, belated birthday cards, and junk mail. They only collect the garbage once a week, seems to me they should only deliver it once a week.”

- News & Views reader Douglas Harrison

SURVEY SAYS!

Considering the tremendous drop in overall volume due to cheap long distance phone rates and the internet, how many days a week does the post office need to deliver residential mail these days?

* One
* Two
* Three
* Four
* Five
* Six
* Seven

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

WALLS COME TUMBLING DOWN

“Don't expect the Bush administration to get much credit, but the wall holding back Arab democracy is beginning to crack. From elections in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine to reforms throughout the region, it's unlikely any of it would've happened under a different U.S. president. In a surprise move over the weekend, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak used a nationally televised speech to call for a constitutional amendment to allow opposition parties to participate in presidential elections.”

- Brendan Miniter, Political Diary, 2/28/05

TRICK OR TREAT

“Hillary, in her true skin, is too stridently liberal and unlikable to be electable in a national election. But who says she has to show her true skin? . . . Hillary has done a far better job than I expected in faking her ‘centrism.’ She'll only get better in her ‘performances’ as time rolls on. . . . Hillary will never be a conservative. She'll never be a moderate. She'll never be anything other than a liberal. But she is getting quite accomplished at making it appear otherwise.”

- Columnist David Limbaugh

BIG-TIME BACKFIRE

“We know that the amnesty (for illegal aliens) program didn’t work. We have done that once before under the Reagan years, and it backfired big-time.”

- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

GIVING AWAY THE STORE

“Republicans have figured out a way to erode their majority. We gave away governorships we shouldn't have lost in Tennessee, New Jersey and Wisconsin because GOP governors increased spending and taxes. We recaptured California because [Arnold] Schwarzenegger ran on lowering taxes and spending."

- Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, Washington Times, 2/28/05

COULDN’T HAPPEN TO A NICER BUNCH OF THUGS

“As the nation's labor leaders gather tomorrow in Las Vegas for their annual winter meeting, they face a decline in membership, dissent within the labor movement and shrinking political clout.”

- Washington Times, 2/28/05

MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION

“I have one question. If cigarette lighters are such a threat to air security, why is OK to take them on a plane on April 13th, but not April 14th? I'd really like to hear the line of reasoning for this from the enlightened TSA. If they are such a huge threat, why aren't they being confiscated immediately?- News & Views reader Matthew Best

SECRET OF THEIR SUCCESS

“Home-school success is not a new phenomenon. The vast majority of the Founding Fathers were home-schooled or received private one-on-one tutoring. The advantages of one-on-one tutoring are clear: no distractions and an environment where a child can learn at his or her own pace. So much more learning can take place in the home, which is the main reason home-schoolers score an average of 20 to 30 percentile points higher on standardized tests than public school students.”

- Michael Smith of the Home School Legal Defense Association

DIRTY HARRY THE LIBERTARIAN

“(Actor/director Clint) Eastwood says the controversy over (“Million Dollar Baby’s”) ending is overblown. He says people often assume his politics are tied up in the films he chooses, but adds, ‘If somebody thinks they know who I am because of a character I've played, it just means I played the role well, which is what you're supposed to do.’

“However, he is happy to sound off on his personal political views, which can be broadly described as libertarian. He stirred up a fuss a few years ago by speaking out in favor of a flat rate income tax. ‘Generally speaking, I always believe in being fiscally conservative, though it doesn't seem either party is in that category,’ he told Outside magazine in 2003. ‘I just think we should get off everybody's backs. We don't have to micromanage our society. It has to be run, but it doesn't have to be beaten to death.’"

- John Fund, Political Diary, 2/28/05

U.S. OUT OF WTO

“The World Trade Organization, which the United States joined in 1994, has been disastrous for American sovereignty. . . . Make no mistake about it: WTO ministers tell Congress to change American laws, and Congress complies. In fact, congressional leaders obediently scrambled to make sure the corporate tax bill passed before a WTO deadline. Thousands and thousands of bills languish in committees, yet a bill ordered by the WTO was pushed to the front of the line.

“...Our membership in the WTO is unconstitutional, which is to say illegal. The Constitution grants Congress, and Congress alone, the authority to regulate trade. . . . Fortunately, Congress has an opportunity this year to withdraw our membership in the WTO.

“When the U.S. first joined the organization in 1994, a rushed lame-duck Congress inserted a 5 year review clause to garner some last-minute votes. This clause allows members of Congress to bring a resolution every 5 years calling for a vote on our continued membership. I plan to join with other House colleagues this year in demanding withdrawal from the WTO.”

- Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), Texas Straight Talk, 2/28/05

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/28/05

2005-02-28T08:24:00.000-05:00

ROCKING HOLLYWOOD

"You made six 'Police Academies' but you can't make one 'Passion of the Christ!' "

- Academy Awards host Chris Rock chiding Hollywood in his opening monologue last night for its reluctance to fund Mel Gibson’s film about Jesus [EDITOR’S NOTE: Didn’t watch the Oscars; didn’t care. But we’re glad a non-liberal like Clint Eastwood won. Just goes to show that in America, people CAN overcome their handicaps!]

SURVEY SAYS!

Considering the tremendous drop in first-class mail volume due to cheap long distance rates and the internet, how many days a week does the post office need to deliver residential mail these days?

* One
* Two
* Three
* Four
* Five
* Six
* Seven

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDENTIAL...

* Another Bush victory for democracy in the Middle East * Michael Moore cleans up at the Razzies * Another angry liberal loses it on campus...this time on the basketball court * Terri Schiavo’s stay of execution * Golden RINO pops up in Virginia

An annual subscription for Chuck Muth’s daily DC Confidential e-newsletter is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order (don’t forget to include your email address) to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

JURASSIC SCHOOLS

“America's high schools are obsolete. By obsolete, I don't mean our high schools are broken, flawed and underfunded, though a case could be made for every one of those points. By obsolete, I mean that our high schools, even when they're working exactly as designed, cannot teach all our kids what they need to know today."

- Microsoft founder Bill Gates, 2/26/05

IS THIS ASKING TOO MUCH?

“(Congress) should also require that legal immigrants be fully assimilated into American culture. This means they would have to learn U.S. history and the English language to pass a citizenship test.”

- Columnist Cal Thomas

CHECK, PLEASE!

“Before last year's election, Congress passed a Medicare drug entitlement that was outrageously, irresponsibly expensive - a budget breaker, an economy stopper - but while many in Congress admit as much, they claim innocence for their errant votes. Their whine is that George W. Bush made them do it, and Bush does have a lot to answer for in this act of fiscal mayhem - political fraud and abandonment of principle, for starters.

“But he no more tricked Congress, as some members allege, than a bear tricks a trapper into snagging him. Congress, which is supposed to be a check on the executive, checked nothing: It prodded Bush into this mess and has since sought sanctuary through flimsy excuses that verge on being lies.”

- Columnist Jay Ambrose

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“I would remind you that extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”

- Barry Goldwater

"Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice."

- Thomas Paine

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/26/05

2005-02-26T09:29:00.000-05:00

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDENTIAL...

* Choosing sides and Arlen Specter * A long overdue tribute to veterans in our nation’s capital * Canada scoots out from U.S. umbrella of security against missile attack * Getting under Harry Reid’s skin * Wal-Mart spanks the union...again * Democrat senator tells Republican voters which pro-GOP companies they should do business with * Lynn Swann goes deep for political “hail Mary” pass * Charles Barkley slams and jams the “Ten Commandments” judge * Tony Dane takes his circus act on the road to Mississippi

An annual subscription for Chuck Muth’s daily DC Confidential e-newsletter is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order (don’t forget to include your email address) to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

WITNESS BACKS UP PANTANO

“An eyewitness to the killing of two Iraqis by Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano says in a sworn statement that the officer, who has been charged with murder, twice ordered the insurgents to stop in Arabic before opening fire, according to documents obtained by The Washington Times. Lt. Pantano had told investigators that he fired at the Iraqis after they walked toward him and refused to stop, according to the documents. His platoon had stopped the Iraqis as they left a house where insurgents were making bombs.
“...The sworn statements provided the first inside look at a case that has drawn national attention because of Lt. Pantano's stellar record and the nature of the enemy that he faced in Iraq. Lt. Pantano has made no public comment since Feb. 1, when the Marine Corps charged him with two counts of premeditated murder. If convicted at a court-martial, he faces the death penalty.”

- Washington Times, 2/25/05 [EDITOR’S NOTE: The Times story also points out that the sergeant who filed the complaint against Pantano was “disgruntled” because “Lt. Pantano removed him from several jobs.” Learn more about this bizarre prosecution of this stellar Marine by reading my recent interview with his lawyer, Charles Gittins. Just go to the “Always Right” page at www.citizenoutreach.com]

THE “F” IN FCC DOESN’T STAND FOR “FREE”

“This whole ‘public's airwaves’ is nothing less than an excuse for government control. The first job of any despot is to control the broadcasting.”

- Talk-show host Neal Boortz

TRILLION DOLLAR QUESTION

“If the government is paying for my anti-cholesterol medication, what incentive is there for me to put down the cheeseburger?”

- Radley Balko of the Cato Institute

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

“USPS is expected to increase the price of stamps in 2006 and (Sam Ryan of the Lexington Institute) says the price of stamps should be going down instead of up. He is pushing for privatization of the postal service to help drive down costs and break up the mail monopoly. ‘Despite new technology - like modern reader/sorters that process over 30,000 pieces of mail per hour - stamp prices have risen with inflation since 1970. This is absolutely unacceptable,’ Ryan said in a press release. ‘Imagine if the price of a phone call or sending an e-mail rose with inflation for 30 years.’”

- NewsTribuneOnline, 2/25/05

YUMMY GUMMI ROAD KILL

“Animal rights activists are disgusted by a new candy from Kraft Foods Inc. that's shaped like critters run over by cars - complete with tire treads. The fruity-flavored Trolli Road Kill Gummi Candy - in shapes of partly flattened snakes, chickens and squirrels - fosters cruelty toward animals, according to the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The society is considering petition drives, boycotts and letter-writing campaigns to get the candy pulled from the market, Stanton said.”

- Associated Press, 2/25/05

SNAPSHOT FOR ‘08

“Only 1,348 days until the presidential election, and Hillary Clinton is looking like the front-runner. In part this is because she's the only runner (other than John Kerry, who seems to think he's still challenging President Bush). The diminished Democrats have a weak bench, and while the GOP has a surfeit of plausible candidates, there's no heir apparent to Mr. Bush.”

- James Taranto, OpinionJournal.com, 2/25/05

THE COST OF IMMIGRATION

“A new report from Columbia University economists David Weinstein and Donald Davis estimates the net economic losses from immigration to Americans at $68 billion.”

- Jennifer Harper, “Inside Politics,” 2/25/05

GUNS SAVE LIVES I

“The Bush Administration would have us believe that most illegal immigrants (or ‘undocumented workers’ in the lingo of political correctness) are merely looking for a better life and taking only those jobs that Americans do not want. Kerry Morales isn't buying that line. ‘Maybe 20 years ago the illegals were innocent, hard-working people,’ she tells the San Antonio Express-News. ‘Not any more. Now they're extremely dangerous. They mean violence.’ Morales, a South Texas rancher, says illegal immigrants have cut down her fences, stolen her pickup truck and broken into her home, once invading her bedroom and nearly strangling her. She says they fled after she reached for her gun.”

- Columnist Cal Thomas

GUNS SAVE LIVES II

“David Hernandez Arroyo was in the middle of a bitter child support dispute. As his ex-wife arrived at the (Tyler, Texas) courthouse yesterday Arroyo was waiting with an AK-47. He killed her with his first shots and then aimed for and shot his son. At that point Mark Wilson happened on the scene. Mark Wilson is a civilian. He wasn't a law enforcement officer. Mark Wilson did, however, have a gun on him.

“Wilson started firing at Arroyo as Arroyo was trying to finish his son off. Wilson was killed in the exchange. Another civilian with a gun started firing at Arroyo, who ran to his pickup and fled. Arroyo was cornered by police a short time later and killed.

“Arroyo's son is alive today. He's alive because a civilian with a gun intervened. This is just one of the instances yesterday where a civilian with a gun saved either his life or someone else's.”

- Talk-show host Neal Boortz

SOCIALISM INSECURITY

In response to this week’s Survey Says! Question, “How would you best describe the nature of the Social Security system?” almost half of you answered that it is either an “insurance program” or an “entitlement.” With that in mind, please consider the following points made by conservative economics Prof. Walter Williams in his column last week:

1.) Social Security is NOT an “entitlement.” According to Williams the United States Supreme Court has ruled TWICE “that Americans have no legal right to Social Security payments.”

2.) Social Security is NOT an insurance program, again citing a Supreme Court ruling in 1937, noting that Social Security “taxes are to be paid into the Treasury like internal-revenue taxes generally, and are not earmarked in any way.”

Clearly Social Security is at best a “government assistance” program; at worst, a form of welfare. More accurately, as many of you noted in emails to me regarding this question, it’s a Ponzi scheme.

Nevertheless, that so many CONSERVATIVES don’t quite understand the nature of the program itself indicates that President Bush and Republican reformers in Congress are going to have a VERY tough time fixing the program any time soon.

WHAT KIND OF MICKEY MOUSE OUTFIT IS THIS?

(This is an shortened version of a joke forwarded by a News & Views reader...)

Once upon a time, a Sultan was blessed with the birth of a son after years of hoping. The boy immediately became the apple of his father's eye. Just before his son's sixth birthday, the Sultan said to him, "Son, I love you very much. Your birthday is coming soon. What would you like?"His son, who had grown to love Disney, replied, "Daddy, I would like a Mickey Mouse outfit and a Goofy outfit."

So his father bought him the Democratic Party and CBS News.

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/25/05

2005-02-25T07:22:00.000-05:00

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDNETIAL...

* Wildlife manager fined $3,500 for saving endangered tadpoles * Snarlin’ Arlen’s revenge * Crazy Aunt on the Bench issues another doozy of a ruling * People of Colorado will have to do their representatives’ job...again * LP misses boat on ILLEGAL immigration * Where to find a hilarious “rap” video which could be titled “The Bible & the Bobby Sox Girl”

An annual subscription for Chuck Muth’s daily DC Confidential e-newsletter is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order (don’t forget to include your email address) to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

ISSUES & ANSWERS

Rep. Charlie Norwood thinks America should take a page from Iraq’s playbook and bring free elections without fear of injury or reprisal to...union workers. In an op/ed column yesterday, Norwood talks about the un-American “card checks” being forced on workers by labor bosses, as well as his proposed legislation to end them. A good read...and a great idea. Check it out on our Issues & Answers page at www.citizenoutreach.com

YER GUMMINT SKOOLS INAXION

“The Arizona Republic reports that the Scottsdale school district is adopting fancy new titles for many of its employees. Barbara Levine, who ‘used to be known as the receptionist,’ is now the ‘Director of First Impressions,’ which we guess means she's allowed to ignore anyone she already knows who comes into the office. The bus driver is now called the ‘transporter of learners,’ and the assistant superintendent for elementary schools is (take a breath) ‘executive director for elementary schools and excelling teaching and learning.’"

- James Taranto’s “Best of the Web,” 2/24/05

GOING IN EXACTLY THE WRONG DIRECTION

“What a difference a decade makes. This year, President Bush announced an $18 million increase in the NEA’s (National Endowment for the Arts) budget, the largest boost in more than 20 years in an otherwise flat domestic funding blueprint.”

- Columnist Gary Andres

REGULATING OCEAN SWIMMING NEXT?

“Concerned that Americans are consuming salt at twice the recommended levels, a consumer group asked a federal court Thursday to force the government to regulate it. More than two decades after a similar lawsuit was dismissed, the Center for Science in the Public Interest is trying anew to get salt categorized as a food additive. The change would give the Food and Drug Administration more authority to regulate salt in food, whether through warnings on packages and menus or mandatory or voluntary limits. Salt is ‘generally recognized as safe’ by the FDA now, leaving it less regulated.”

- Associated Press

NO FEDERAL MEDDLING LEFT BEHIND

“Concluding a yearlong study on the effectiveness of President Bush's sweeping education law, No Child Left Behind, a bipartisan panel of lawmakers drawn from many states yesterday pronounced it a flawed, convoluted and unconstitutional education reform initiative that has usurped state and local control of public schools."

- The New York Times

BACK TO BASICS

"Instead of proposing more top-down fixes for education, the president should use his position to push for the return of control of education to states and localities and urge state-level reforms that return the control of education to parents."

- David Salisbury of the Cato Institute

WHEN IN ROMANIA, FLAT TAX AS THE ROMANIANS…

“After enduring the 22-year dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu, (Romania) is striving to gain a new measure of international respectability, solicit further foreign investment and replace its currency, the leu, with the euro. To that end, (Prime Minister Calin Popescu) Tariceanu introduced a 16 percent flat tax to replace corporate and personal income taxes that ranged from 18 and 40 percent for individuals and 25 percent for corporations. ‘We strongly support it as a source of wealth for all Romanians and foreign companies in Romania,’ he said in the Jan. 27 speech.”

- Robert Schroeder of MarketWatch

DULL BLADE

“This is the fastest any governor claiming to be a Reagan Republican has folded under the pressure of big-spending interests.”

- Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform on newly-elected Indiana Gov. Mitch “The Blade” Daniels’ proposal for a one-year tax hike on people making over $100,000 a year

HILLARY THE CHURCH LADY

“Forget her prepared speeches, put aside her moderate statements on Iraq and abortion. This is how you know (Hillary Clinton’s) running for president in 2008. Ten days ago a reporter interviewed her in the halls of the Senate and asked if she planned to run for president. She did not say, ‘I'm too busy serving the people of New York to think about the future.’ She did not say, ‘Oh, I already have a heckuva lot on my plate.’ She said, ‘I have more than I can say grace over right now.’

“I have more than I can say grace over right now. What a wonderfully premeditated ad lib for the Age of Red State Dominance. I suggested a few weeks ago that Mrs. Clinton was about to get very, very religious. But her words came across as pious and smarmy, like Tammy Faye with a law degree. Maybe she still thinks in stereotypes; maybe she thinks that's what little Christian ladies talk like while they stay home baking cookies. Whatever, it was almost as good as her saying, ‘I'm running, is this not obvious to even the slowest of you?’"

- Columnist Peggy Noonan

ACTIONS SPEAK SOFTER THAN WORDS

"[Harvard President Larry] Summers' mistake was that he did not treat women badly. Take Summers' old boss, Bill Clinton, who was able to date while married, as his top female staffers (who considered themselves feminists) strove to protect him from nubile workers. In this politically correct era, words speak louder than actions: You can act like a sexist cad, but you can't talk as if you think a sexist cad conceivably might have a point.”

- Columnist Debra Saunders

EXPENSIVE MISSION CREEP

“After the first three years -- that is to say, beginning in 1940 -- you will pay, and your employer will pay, 1.5 cents for each dollar you earn, up to $3,000 a year. ... Beginning in 1943, you will pay 2 cents, and so will your employer, for every dollar you earn for the next 3 years. ... And finally, beginning in 1949, 12 years from now, you and your employer will each pay 3 cents on each dollar you earn, up to $3,000 a year. ... That is the most you will ever pay."

- 1936 government pamphlet on Social Security, as reprinted in a column by Walter Williams. By the way, workers and employers now pay over 15 cents on the dollar in Social Security taxes...on income up to $90,000 a year.

THE COMING CATASTROPHE: YOU DO THE MATH

“There are 48 million Social Security beneficiaries today, but in 2030 there will be 84 million. In 1950, there were 16 SS taxpayers for every recipient. Now there are only 3.3 taxpayers for every recipient, and that will be reduced 30 percent by 2030. Additionally, when SSI was formed, life-expectancy was 61 years, which is to say, most Americans did not make it to 65. Now, however, average life expectancy is 77.”

- Mark Alexander of the Federalist Patriot

A TAX BY ANY OTHER NAME STINKS AS BAD

“Social Security is simply a tax. Like all taxes, the money collected is spent immediately as general revenues to fund the federal government. The Social Security trust fund does not exist, and Social Security 'surpluses' are nothing more than an accounting ledger showing that contributions exceeded benefits paid for a given calendar year -- not that the excess was put aside. ... No matter what politicians promise, Social Security reform will not change the fact that your money is taken from your paycheck and sent to Washington, where it will be spent."

-Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Republican

SURVEY SAYS!

How would you best describe the nature of the Social Security system?

* A welfare program
* A government assistance program
* An insurance program
* An entitlement

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare but only those specifically enumerated."

- Thomas Jefferson

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/24/05

2005-02-24T06:53:00.000-05:00

PAGING RICHARD HATFIELD

Hey, Rich. Got your $25 check in the mail for your DC Confidential subscription yesterday...but it didn’t include your email address. Shoot it to me at chuck@chuckmuth.com and I’ll get you set up. Thanks!

TEACHER COUGHS UP APOLOGY

“The Brooklyn teacher who sent an American soldier demoralizing letters written by sixth-graders apologized yesterday and admitted blame. In a statement issued by the Department of Education, social studies teacher Alex Kunhardt said he regretted offending Pfc. Rob Jacobs.”

- New York Post, 2/23/05

SAVING PRIVATE JACOBS

For those of you who wrote asking how to contact Pfc. Rob Jacobs with some more encouraging thoughts than those expressed by Mr. Kunhardt’s sixth-grade class, you can send your letters to:

Pfc. Rob Jacobsc/o Christine EngallenaPO Box 1067Jackson, NJ 08527

GOIN’ POSTAL I

“A postal carrier who authorities say was stealing mail on his routes and trading it to identity thieves for drugs has been arrested. Kenneth Herman, 40, is being held in lieu of bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in San Diego Superior Court tomorrow, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said. Dumanis said investigators found stolen mail with Herman when he was arrested Saturday.”

- San Diego Tribune, 2/23/05

GOIN’ POSTAL II

“A 49-year-old Big Spring, TX postal carrier, Emmitt Howard Bartee II, bonded out of the Howard County Detention Center on charges of manufacturing, delivery and possession of methamphetamine on Thursday. Detectives picked Bartee up after watching him make what they said was a drug delivery, West Texas Narcotics Enforcement Task Force Investigator Scott Knight said. . . . Knight said Bartee now faces state charges, but investigators may pursue federal charges as well, since Bartee is accused of delivering narcotics from a postal vehicle.”

- Odessa American, 2/19/05

GOIN’ POSTAL III

“A U.S. postal carrier who delivered mail in St. Charles, IL, is accused of stealing a credit card from mail on her route and using it to purchase $4,000 in merchandise from two stores. Cindy M. Lucas...stole a credit card from a resident of the subdivision where she delivered mail and used it to purchase merchandise at [two stores] in St. Charles in December, according to police.”

- Daily Herald, 2/19/05

GOIN’ POSTAL IV

“A former U.S. Postal Service clerk from Pike County, PA was convicted by a federal jury this week of feigning impairment to collect disability benefits. . . . During the investigation, postal inspectors videotaped him splitting wood, operating a log splitter and installing road signs.”

- Scranton Times Tribune, 2/18/05

SUMMERS OF OUR DISCONTENT

“Guess what? I don’t care if members of the Harvard University faculty are mad at the school’s president, Lawrence Summers for implying that their sex means women generally don’t do as well in mathematics and the sciences as men. I don’t care if they force his resignation. I don’t care if he stays or goes or apologizes another hundred times in the vain hope he’ll get these crybabies off of his back.

“...Furthermore I think Summers was dumb for waving a red flag at his faculty and dumber for apologizing for what he said. One explanation, maybe, and then shut up was about all he owed them. The fact is, no job is worth putting up with the unmitigated crap being thrown at him by a bunch of petulant, spoiled brats passing themselves off as academics.”

- Lyn Nofziger, “Musings,” 2/24/05

LEAVING BEHIND NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

“Utah's state Legislature is poised to repudiate the No Child Left Behind Act and spurn $116 million in federal aid tied to it because state policy-makers are fed up with federal control of education and dictates. ‘This is not a partisan issue; this is a states' rights issue,’ said Rep. Margaret Dayton, a 55-year-old Republican and mother of 12 who has led the rebellion to make Utah the first state to opt out of No Child Left Behind.

“Mrs. Dayton's bill and another giving primacy to state education standards won unanimous House approval last week. . . . Bush administration officials have conducted round-the-clock negotiations in an attempt to prevent Utah from becoming the first state to ignore the school accountability law. . . . Eight other state legislatures -- in Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Vermont and Virginia -- are considering challenges to No Child Left Behind.”

- Washington Times, 2/23/05

THE ERA OF BIG GOVERNMENT IS BACK

“The media is aflutter today about George Bush's ‘Hit List.’ This would be the president's proposal in his new budget for fiscal year 2006 to cut or eliminate 154 programs. You would expect the Democrats to be screaming bloody murder. However, the latest lawmakers to be squealing at the trough include Republicans. That's too bad. “Scaling back Medicaid? The Republican governors are jumping up and down. Ending vocational subsidies in Pennsylvania? A GOP member of the house will have none of it. Killing a $2 million program to teach people about the underground railroad? A Republican member of the Senate opposes it.“The Republican Party used to be the party of low taxes and limited government. No more. It is now the party of big government, and the record of the last several years bears this out. We are rapidly reaching a point that when it comes to domestic policy, there isn't much difference between either party.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz, 2/23/05

GOLDWATER KNEW

“(Secret taper Doug) Wead's behavior doesn't surprise political activists in Arizona, where Mr. Wead won a GOP Congressional primary in 1992 for an open seat. But the former Assemblies of God minister ran into a buzz saw of opposition not just from moderate Republicans turned off by his social conservatism. Many conservatives resented the fact that he was running for Congress only 18 months after having moved into the state.

“...In the last days of his race for Congress, Mr. Wead's campaign was dealt a fatal blow when the late Barry Goldwater took the extraordinary step of endorsing his Democratic opponent Karan English. ‘He told friends that he just didn't trust the fellow,’ recalls Tom Patterson, a former president of the Goldwater Institute. If George W. Bush can be faulted for anything with regard to the tapes, it's that it took him over a decade to come to the same conclusion that Barry Goldwater did.”

- John Fund, Political Diary, 2/23/05

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON BEER

“A state prosecutor in Florida's island city of Key West was under arrest after he reportedly ran naked and drunk across a parking lot and hopped into the wrong car, a newspaper said yesterday. Albert Tasker of the local state prosecutor's office told police he had been drinking with friends and thought it would be funny to take off his clothes and run to a friend's car in the parking lot, according to the Florida Keys Citizen newspaper. But Mr. Tasker, 28, apparently got into the back seat of the wrong car, to the distress of the woman in the vehicle. The legitimate occupant screamed and called her boyfriend, who telephoned police.”

- American Scene, Washington Times, 2/23/05

SURVEY SAYS!

How would you best describe the nature of the Social Security system?

* A welfare program
* A government assistance program
* An insurance program
* An entitlement

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDNETIAL...

* “Money Quotes” from Chris Rock and Barry Bonds * Big Apple mayor misses the boat...again * Prez backs feds against state voters...again * High school entrepreneurs cash in on obesity scare * The real problem with sex ed course in public schools * ACLU turns blind eye to “illegal” aliens * Smoke nannies protest Hollywood in Washington

An annual subscription for Chuck Muth’s daily DC Confidential e-newsletter is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order (don’t forget to include your email address) to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“Your money has never been safe in the government’s hands, and it never will be. Governments spend money; it’s just their nature.”

- Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas)

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To COMMENT on today’s News & Views or scan our archives of previous editions, go to: http://chuckmuth.blogspot.com/

To SUBSCRIBE, just go to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter/

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/23/05

2005-02-23T07:41:00.000-05:00

SURVEY SAYS!

Interesting result from last week’s online question: 57 percent of you said that “government assistance” programs such as Social Security and prescription drugs should NOT be “means tested,” that is, reserved only for lower-income folks who are not self-sufficient on their own. And based upon some of the email traffic I received, the result has more to do with Social Security than prescription drugs. So let’s take this another step in this week’s question...

How would you best describe the nature of the Social Security system?

* A welfare program
* A government assistance program
* An insurance program
* An entitlement
* Something else

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

FRENCH SPINE?

“In case you missed this, Le Grande Weasel Jacques Chirac joined George Bush yesterday in warning Syria that the time has come for Syria to remove its troops from Lebanon. Did Bush slip something in Chirac's wine? Or is it just possible that Chirac is growing a spine. How convenient for him. Now he won't have to drag himself across the floor like a slug. Maybe, just maybe, we're seeing a grudging admission here that U.S. actions in deposing Saddam Hussein and bringing free elections to Afghanistan and Iraq have actually contributed to the cause of peace.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF “DUH”

Rep. Loretta Sanchez, California Democrat: “Unfortunately, as I said, this committee has had a hard time assessing where we really stand with the Iraqi army as an effective fighting force. Over the past year, we've received incredibly widely fluctuating estimates of that. And I think you have a real credibility problem on this issue.”

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld: “Fluctuations of what?”

Sanchez: “The fluctuations of--the numbers that you bandy around about how many troops we really have out there that are Iraqi police, et cetera, et cetera. . . .”

Rumsfeld: “Now, you say we bandy around numbers. They're not my numbers. I don't invent them. They come from Gen. Petraeus. . . .”

Sanchez: “I have Petraeus's numbers. They're different than your numbers, by the way.”

Rumsfeld: “Well, what's the date? They aren't different because these came from Petraeus. He may have two sets of numbers, but they are not different if the date's the same. The date on my paper here is Feb. 14. What's yours?”

Sanchez: “December 20.”

Rumsfeld: “Not surprising there's a difference.”

- Tip o’ the Hat to James Taranto’s Best of the Web for bringing this exchange from last week to our attention

HEEEEEERE’S HILLARY!

“It's early yet, but at this point we'd say the most likely next president of the United States is Hillary Clinton. We're not saying the odds of a Clinton presidency are higher than 50%, just that they're higher than for any other individual. In part this reflects the weakness of the Democratic Party. Whereas the GOP has a surfeit of plausible candidates, Hillary stands tall because her party is almost entirely populated by vertically challenged diminutive-Americans. She's charismatic when compared with Nancy Reid and Harry Pelosi. She's charming when compared with Barbara Boxer and Howard Dean. And her views are sensible, moderate and patriotic when compared with the cynical defeatism of John Kerry and the borderline anti-Americanism of Ted Kennedy.”

- James Taranto, Best of the Web, 2/22/05

FONG ‘O8

“Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich appeared at the Conservative Political Action conference in Washington on Saturday and by the time he left there was little doubt among the 4,000 attendees that he was running for president in 2008. Mr. Gingrich pushed just about every conservative hot button in a hard-charging 25-minute speech. He called for changing U.S. law so illegal aliens can be deported within 72 hours of their arrest, with the courts being prohibited from reviewing such deportations. . . . Afterwards, audience members were convinced they had seen an early version of Mr. Gingrich's presidential stump speech. . . . Some people are ready to sign up for a Newt in '08 campaign. ‘I'm there with him,’ says Vern McCarthy, a Republican national committeeman from Illinois.”

- John Fund, Political Diary, 2/22/05

ALL THE “RIGHT” MOVES

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) has reintroduced legislation (H.R. 43) to restore separate recognition of George Washington's and Abraham Lincoln's birthdays--rather than a joint Presidents’ Day. For more information go to:http://johnshadegg.house.gov/rsc/word/Bartlett--GW.pdf

Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) introduced the Financial Customer Identification Verification Improvement Act (H.R. 815), which would prohibit the use of identification cards issued by foreign governments, including matricula consular cards, for purposes of verifying the identity of a person who wants to open an account at a U.S. financial institution. Click here to read more:
http://johnshadegg.house.gov/rsc/word/Garrett--MatricularConsular.doc

- Republican Study Committee Update, 2/22/05

VOTERS: TAKE THIS TAX HIKE AND SHOVE IT

“From Erie County, New York, home to the city of Buffalo, comes a useful lesson in what can happen when local governments get caught in a spiral of ever-higher spending and taxes. Voters finally said, ‘enough!’ last week and demanded that the legislature balance the $1 billion county budget by cutting spending rather than raising taxes one more time. . . . Pro-tax legislators -- led by Republican County Executive Joel Giambra -- issued dire warnings about cuts in services should the tax increase not pass. But even the threat of reductions in snow-plowing -- no minor matter in February in Buffalo -- wasn't enough to persuade fed-up voters.”

- “Review & Outlook,” Wall Street Journal, 2/22/05

DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONT LINES

I don’t think there’s a more interesting, if not important, issue facing the country today than that of illegal (and legal, for that matter) immigration - especially considering the fact that there is SUCH a huge gulf of opinion on the issue between the GOP “establishment” inside the beltway and the grassroots voters in the heartland.

Should illegal immigrants get government issued drivers licenses and taxpayer subsidized college educations? Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican, doesn’t think so...and he doesn’t care who knows it. Not only is Rep. Tancredo an outspoken and active critic of the present situation, he doesn’t tuck his tail between his legs and head for the hills whenever the left (or even the White House) says “boo,” unlike all too many of his colleagues.

If illegal immigration is an issue of interest to you, then consider getting news on this issue directly from the man in Congress who is leading the charge for more rational, common sense policies. Sign up for his FREE email updates by going to: http://www.tancredo.org/newsletter/newsletter_signup_200501.html

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDNETIAL...

* Hunter S. Thompson’s excellent example for liberals * Dr. Diva pitches a fit * The shocking number of government programs deemed “effective” - by a government organization * A stark double standard on the immigration front in Nebraska * Lesbian told to pay up her child support * Religious right group chickens out of debate with gay Republican * The “real” stories revealed by Doug Wead’s secret tapes

An annual subscription to Chuck Muth’s DC Confidential is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online using PayPal by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it, and then misapplying the wrong remedies."

- Groucho Marx

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/22/05

2005-02-22T14:09:00.000-05:00

BRUSHFIRE ALERT I

AARP is using its members’ money to run full-page ads all across the country today maintaining the screwed up Socialism Security system “is not in need of radical overhaul” and that allowing you to VOLUNTARILY put some of your OWN money into a retirement program of YOUR choice is an “extreme measure.”

In the ad, the far-left seniors’ group provides a TOLL-FREE phone number for folks to use to contact their congress-critter on the Social Security issue. So why not take this opportunity to give your member of Congress a little kick in the pants and urge them not to be intimidated by AARP’s misleading liberal advertising campaign...on AARP’s dime!

The number to call is 1-800-307-8525.

BRUSHFIRE ALERT II

A New York City school teacher, Alex Kunhardt, oversaw a class project in which a bunch of his sixth-graders sent a slew of “demoralizing anti-Iraq-war letters” to a GI on his way from Korea to the war-torn area in the Middle East. According to stories in the New York Post, it appears the kids had been brain-washed by the teacher into penning their anti-Iraq diatribes. "It boggles my mind that children could think this stuff,” Pfc. Rob Jacobs says.

Yes. Mr. Kunhardt is a PUBLIC school teacher. Go figure. Anyway, here’s an excerpt from the original story which appeared in the Post yesterday…

* * * QUOTE * * *

February 21, 2005 -- An American soldier overseas is fuming over letters he received from Brooklyn middle-school children accusing GIs of destroying mosques and killing civilians in Iraq.

Pfc. Rob Jacobs of New Jersey said he was initially ecstatic to get a package of letters from sixth-graders at JHS 51 in Park Slope last month at his base 10 miles from the North Korea border.

That changed when he opened the envelope and found missives strewn with politically charged rhetoric, vicious accusations and demoralizing predictions that only a handful of soldiers would leave the Iraq war alive.

"It's hard enough for soldiers to deal with being away from their families, they don't need to be getting letters like this," Jacobs, 20, said in a phone interview from his base at Camp Casey. "If they don't have anything nice to say, they might as well not say anything at all."

* * * UNQUOTE * * *

If you’d like to leave a message for Mr. Kunhardt in his personal voice-mail box at William Alexander Middle School, call (718) 369-7603 and punch in extension 431.

NEWT HITS RAW NERVE, HOME RUN

“Newt Gingrich is demanding that the Bush administration get serious about stopping illegal immigration. The former House speaker wants the United States to completely seal off its border along Mexico and Canada, deport illegal aliens within 72 hours of their arrest and exclude U.S. courts from reviewing such deportations.
"…’It's a complete misreading of the 14th Amendment’ to the Constitution to think that illegal aliens are entitled to the same rights as U.S. citizens, he said on the closing day of the 32nd annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

“He hit all the right notes for activists at a conference where immigration proved to be the hottest issue - in speeches, panel discussions and hallway talk. Legal immigrants, he said, should ‘have to learn about American history to pass a citizenship test, and they should have to pass it in English.’”

- Washington Times, 2/21/05

NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT

“My concern is that this (President Bush’s proposed spending cuts) is really just small potatoes. I mean, you think of 150 programs in a budget that's going to cost $2.6 trillion and that funds thousands of programs every year, 150 really is just a sliver of a sliver."

- Stephen Slivinski of the Cato Institute, Washington Times, 2/21/05

HEY, BIG SPENDER

“In his first term, Mr. Bush enacted some of the most fiscally reckless budgets in a quarter-century. The budget grew twice as fast as under Bill Clinton. The first-term Bush administration rhetoric of Reaganite tight-fistedness never caught up with the reality of the fiscal meltdown in Washington. Bloated Bush budgets, only padded with more grease and fat by Congress, created spending growth unmatched by any president since Lyndon B. Johnson, and a soaring $400 billion deficit.

“...Of course, the Bush administration has been forced to fight the war on terrorism. But the higher funding for guns, has not corresponded with reduced spending on butter. That has meant debt-laden budgets that have confused voters about whether Republicans still believe in smaller government.”

- Stephen Moore of the Free Enterprise Fund

PULL THE PLUG ON PBS

“Last week PBS President Pat Mitchell lobbied Congress for more money, and Republicans on Capitol Hill floated ideas for keeping the increasingly irrelevant corporation alive. No one seems to be asking this simple question: In a world in which 85 percent of Americans pay for either cable or satellite television, and with educational videos available in shopping malls and Wal-Marts nationwide, what possible justification can there be for a publicly subsidized television network?

“Every excuse for forcing Americans to pay for a television network has been exhausted. Educational and arts programs are widely available elsewhere. C-SPAN does a better job of informing Americans about government than PBS ever dreamed of doing. PBS news shows are drowned out by a cacophony of competitors who deliver news as well or better. What's left? Reruns of British sitcoms? Simply put, PBS has no mission that cannot be realized either in the for-profit sector or by converting the network to a private non-profit foundation.”

- Manchester Union-Leader editorial

THE ALTERNATIVES

Limited-government conservatives have three party options. The primary one, of course, is the GOP. The other two are the Libertarian Party and the Constitution Party.

A number of you have written asking where you can get more information on the Libertarian Party platform in light of my speech to their convention in California last weekend. You can find a their positions on a full range of issues by going to: http://lp.org/issues/

Now, if you prefer your limited government mixed with a healthy dose of religion, you might want to check out the Constitution Party platform by going to: http://www.constitutionparty.com/party_platform.php

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/18/05

2005-02-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

DEFENDING A DEFENDER

“Retired Marines set up a security watch yesterday around the North Carolina home of accused 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano, after a Pakistan-connected Web site depicted a beheading of the Marine Corps officer. ‘It's a show of solidarity for Pantano,’ Charles Gittins, his civilian attorney, said of the former Marine volunteers. Mr. Gittins said Lt. Pantano has been charged unfairly with premeditated murder by the Corps at Camp Lejeune, N.C., arguing that he killed two Iraqi insurgents in self-defense.”

- Washington Times, 2/17/05 (Read this week’s “Always Right” interview with Charles Gittins about the Pantano case, as well as the other high-profile cases Mr. Gittins has taken on behalf of accused military men, by clicking on the Always Right link at www.citizenoutreach.com)

DONKEY-DEATH WISH

“It would appear that in their quest for left-wing ideological purity, the Democratic Party is determined to fall off the proverbial election cliff. So be it. While George W. Bush is bringing the country into the 21st century, the Democrats are stuck somewhere between the 1930s and the 1970s. It's a political death wish. But they don't seem to realize it.”

- Columnist Lawrence Kudlow

FAIR WEATHER FEDERALISTS

“Republicans swept to power in Congress 10 years ago championing state prerogatives, and one of their first acts was to repeal federal speed-limit requirements. Another was aimed at ending unfunded state mandates. So last week's House vote to require costly and intrusive federal standards for state drivers' licenses is a measure of how far the party has strayed from these federalist principles.”

- “Review & Outlook,” Wall Street Journal, 2/17/05

A TAX HIKE BY ANY OTHER NAME…

“Democrats and some Republicans, however, have argued that the partial privatization plan needs to be offset by raising the amount of a person's annual income subject to the payroll tax above the current $90,000. The president was asked about an increase in the cap at a press conference yesterday and refused to rule it out...

“Steve Moore, an influential conservative and president of the Free Enterprise Fund, said Mr. Bush's refusal to rule out increasing the cap is ‘only compromising with himself.’ ‘I've talked to a lot of leading conservatives today who are extremely irritated that he's opening the door to raising taxes,’ Mr. Moore said.”

- Washington Times, 2/18/05

IT’S THE SPENDING, STUPID

“The fact is, Congress has a spending addiction, and appears to be incapable of curbing its appetite regardless of which party is in the majority. And, the mainstream media continues to poison the public discourse with its unrelenting attacks on even modest proposals to cut spending. At the same time, the administration has done itself no favors by failing to make a serious attempt at controlling spending. Social Security reform, overhaul of the tax code, and even the permanence of the president's previous tax cuts are in jeopardy as a result.”

- Veronique de Rugy of the Cato Institute and Tad DeHaven of the National Taxpayers Union

WAY PAST TIME

“It is time to rethink the nearly half-billion dollars in aid we send to U.N. peacekeeping operations.”
- Columnist Michelle Malkin

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR

“I am conflicted by this whole Ward Churchill business. Churchill is the University of Colorado professor who made disgusting comments in an essay comparing 9/11 victims to Adolph Eichmann or more precisely ‘little Eichmanns.’

“...Tenure at the University of Colorado is awarded to promote academic freedom, which is, according to University documents, ‘defined as the freedom to inquire, discover, publish and teach truth as the faculty member sees it, subject to no control or authority save the control and authority of the rational methods by which truth is established.’

“...Which brings us around to the question of whether (Prof. Ward) Churchill's views were arrived at by ‘rational methods’ and whether the publication of those views constitutes ‘serious misconduct or incompetence.’ The answer is no. On both. Churchill's statement (is) disgusting, but is not so virulently dangerous that it merits his dismissal as a tenured member of the university faculty.”

- Rich Galen, Mullings, 2/17/05

SURVEY SAYS!

Should government-assistance programs such as Social Security and prescription drugs be “means tested” - that is, provided only to people who earn under a certain income level?

* Yes
* No
* Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/17/05

2005-02-17T07:33:00.000-05:00

BLOWING CHUNKS

“So now we learn that Jane Fonda used to suffer from bulimia. For 35 years this woman has been gagging herself to induce vomiting. There's some justice there. Jane Fonda has been making a lot of us throw up for decades.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

HELP WANTED: ONE SACRIFICIAL LAMB

“One obstacle to Hillary on her way to 2008 is rapidly melting into the air -- reelection to her New York senate seat. Today's New York Times trumpets a poll showing Gov. George Pataki, her most frequently cited rival, experiencing his lowest favorable rating in a decade -- down to 50% of New Yorkers. . . . Republicans talk up Ed Cox, the lawyer and Nixon son-in-law, as a potential candidate. They talk up Rep. Peter King. Mostly they have just given up, acknowledging that nobody on their side can raise $40 million in an election cycle the way Mrs. Clinton can. Rudy Giuliani has shown little interest in the race, and Colin Powell none at all. So Senator George Allen, head of the GOP's Senate efforts, has apparently quit looking for a giant killer. He will be happy at this point just to find a sacrificial lamb.”

- Holman W. Jenkins Jr., Political Diary, 2/16/05

SAD...BUT TRUE

“No longer are Republicans arguing with Democrats about whether government should be big or small. They are at odds over what kind of big government the United States should have."

- Los Angeles Times, 2/7/05

ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER

“Unfortunately, like every effort at controlling federal spending in the last quarter century (except for the House Republican effort of fiscal 1995-1996), Mr. Bush's cuts, even if they are fully enacted won't make any measurable difference to the level of federal debt for our children.”

- Columnist Tony Blankley

SAFETY...BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF LIBERTY

“No one doubts that a legislative battle is looming with respect to whether the Patriot Act’s provisions will expire or be made permanent. Policymakers should not make the mistake of underestimating the American people. Of course, the electorate wants safety, but it wants the federal government to secure that safety by fighting the terrorists themselves, not by turning America into a surveillance state."

- The Cato Institute

EYES IN THE SKIES

“Not only will the government track our mileage for tax purposes when GPS is mandated for all autos but the next step will be to ticket everyone speeding. Talk about a gold mine! The computers will generate the tickets and no human will need to be involved with the process. An email will advise of our infraction and we can pay with credit card or Paypal. What a deal.”

- News & Views reader Commander Jay D. Crouthers of Crownsville, MD

LAYING BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS

“One hundred percent of the blame for the (Prof. Ward) Churchill debacle rests with the University of Colorado’s board of regents that hired, granted tenure to, and promoted an individual whose scholarship and personal qualifications are now, and must always have been, in serious question.”

- Columnist Dahlia Lithwick

SKOOL DAZE

“Nothing will get a politician in more trouble than the clear statement of an obvious fact. Just ask Gov. Mark Sanford, who is in trouble again for suggesting (elderly readers, expectant mothers and those with heart conditions may wish to skip this shocking portion of the column) that some of South Carolina's public schools aren't very good. . . . You would think he had hired University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill to lead the ‘Pledge of Allegiance.’ . . . How can anyone, from Mark Sanford to Fred Sanford, get in trouble for making the painfully obvious observation that South Carolina's public schools suck?”

- Columnist Michael Graham

SOCIAL INSECURITY

“I just wonder how many people would pay attention to preparing for retirement if they didn’t have the mistaken idea that the money they are now forced to contribute to Social Security would be adequate to live on when they are no longer working. For the life of me I cannot figure out why it is the job of government, through the nation’s taxpayers, to worry about every citizen’s old age. Somebody tell me, please.”

- Lyn Nofziger, “Musings,” 2/16/05

OUT OF STEP WITH REALITY

“Our existing immigration system is out of step with the realities of American life. Our economy continues to produce opportunities for low-skilled workers in important sectors of our economy such as retail, services, construction, and tourism. Meanwhile, the pool of Americans willing and happy to fill those jobs continues to shrink as the average American worker grows older and becomes better educated. Yet our immigration system has no legal channel for workers from Mexico and other countries to come to the United States even temporarily to fill those jobs. The result is widespread illegal immigration."

- Daniel Griswold of the Cato Institute

OPENING A NEW CAN OF WORMS

“If social conservatives really wanted to protectmarriage, the Marriage Protection Amendment wouldprohibit divorce. . . . Social conservatives have been getting a free ride on this marriage protection thing. It is time to ‘out’ the divorced ones. Everyone should be made aware of how many spouses have been discarded by proponents and how many have had, or are having, extramarital affairs as they protect marriage.”

- Columnist Dimitri Vassilaros

A SYSTEM ONLY A COMMIE COULD LOVE

“The current (gerrymandered redistricting) system is an incumbent-protection scam, fiercely protected by Republican and Democrat alike. And why not? In November, every single incumbent (in California) won. Asked (California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger) the other day in his State of the State address: ‘What kind of democracy is that?’"

- Wes Pruden, “Pruden on Politics,” 2/15/05

A SUCKER BORN EVERY MINUTE

“Bookings at hotels in New York are up. Way up for February. The reason is that absurd work of so-called ‘art’ by some character named Christo. $23 million dollars to hang a bunch of orange sheets from boards in Central Park. Now people are actually going there to see this crap. I'll venture a guess that no less than 95% of the people who would travel to New York City to see this display vote Democratic.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDNETIAL...

* The real reason President Bush may be naming conservatives to the bench * Paper-thin conservatives, tracking devices and government schools * USANext gets a VERY profane response from an AARP backer * How to make a union guy’s head explode * Gov’t schizophrenia on gas mileage * Maryland judge tells liberal rag to stick it where the “Sun” don’t shine * Cheerleading for Title IX

An annual subscription for DC Confidential is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online using PayPal by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/16/05

2005-02-16T11:45:00.001-05:00

ERROR OF OMISSION

The News & Views item yesterday titled “NATIONAL ID TROJAN HORSE” was penned by Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Republican. An editing error clipped off his attribution. Mea culpa.

NEW! NEW! NEW!

Got something new for DC Confidential subscribers which I think many of you are REALLY gonna like.

Until about a year ago I hosted a one-hour political talk-show - which was only available via the internet - featuring prominent public policy experts and government officials discussing “hot” topics of the day. Unfortunately, if you weren’t sitting in front of your computer when the interview aired...tough luck.

Which was a shame...as those “Always Right with Chuck Muth” interviews went WELL beyond the 5-minute surface coverage of such issues you generally get from watching Hannity or O’Reilly, et. al. These interviews were not only entertaining, they really got into the “meat” of the issues; a treat for the SERIOUS grassroots activist.

Well, although I no longer do the “live” internet show, I’ve found a way to automatically have phone interviews transcribed into text by an internet service which can be posted on the web (God bless Al Gore for inventing this thing!). And I *think* I’ve also found a service whereby I will be able to post the actual AUDIO interview on our website so folks can listen to it whenever it’s convenient for YOU.

Anyway, these EXCLUSIVE “Always Right” interviews will now be provided to DC Confidential subscribers as an additional “thank you” for your financial support of Citizen Outreach.

But I’m going to share the one I did yesterday with EVERYBODY...for two reasons.

First, we have a lot of new News & Views subscribers who probably never caught an “Always Right” interview when we were doing them over the ‘net. In fact, a lot of old subscribers probably never heard them either. So I want to give you a taste of what you were MISSING.

Second, the interview I did yesterday was truly “hot.” I mean, the topic is deadly serious - with potentially catastrophic consequences for our military service personnel and our national defense. It’s an interview EVERYBODY should read.

So without further ado…

ALWAYS RIGHT WITH CHARLES GITTINS

When there’s something strange...in the neighborhood...who ya gonna call? Ghost-Busters!

And when a member of the U.S. military finds himself in legal trouble associated with his military service...who’s he gonna call? Well, there’s a good chance it’ll be...Charles Gittins.

Mr. Gittins is an attorney who has not only handled some of the highest profile cases in recent years involving members of the United States military...but has an impressive win/loss record in those cases, as well. See if you don’t recall some of these cases from the headlines over recent years…

* Commander Robert Stumpf, a decorated Navy pilot falsely accused of misconduct in the Tailhook scandal, who was being denied a promotion by Sen. Sam Nunn and the Senate Armed Services Committee
* Sergeant Major Gene McKinney, the Army’s first black sergeant major, who was accused of sexual misconduct by six military women after the Army created a “sexual harassment” website
* Commander Scott Waddle, skipper of the USS Greenville, a nuclear submarine which collided with and sank a Japanese fishing boat near Hawaii, resulting in the deaths of nine Japanese students
* Major Harry Schmidt, a fighter pilot and former Top Gun instructor accused of manslaughter in the “friendly fire” deaths of four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan in 2002

Mr. Gittins is currently representing Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano, accused of murdering two Iraqi insurgents who were attempting to speed away in an SUV last April. If you haven’t heard or read about this one yet, make sure you’re sitting down...and take your blood pressure medicine. You’re about to get REALLY hot under the collar.

When it comes to military legal trouble, Charles Gittins is the American GI’s best friend. Find out about his remarkable career “defending the defenders,” the military’s outrageous prosecution of Ilario Pantano (if you don’t know already, you won’t BELIEVE the job this guy left to do his patriotic duty in Iraq!) and what YOU can do to help Lt. Pantano...and others who may come after him.

Just go to www.citizenoutreach.com and click on the “Always Right” button in the left-hand column. Then click on the “Interview with Charles Gittins” link at the top of the page.

And when you’re finished...make sure you don’t miss any future “Always Right” interviews by subscribing to DC Confidential TODAY (subscription information below).

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDNETIAL...

* Budgetary money games and that “emergency” $80 billion request for Iraq/Afghanistan operations * Alan Keyes’ gets an unwanted Valentine from his daughter * Harry Reid gets an unwanted Valentine from President Bush * Stuart Butler of the Heritage Foundation takes AARP to the woodshed * Party-pooping on the party parties * The REAL reason many white conservatives are happy to just let blacks stay in the Democrat Party (an no, it’s not racism) * A Republican governor (good grief) leads a new and ridiculous fight against “Big Tobacco”

An annual subscription for DC Confidential is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online using PayPal by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/15/05

2005-02-14T18:58:00.000-05:00

THREE WORDS, LADY: GET A LIFE

“OK .. here's the deal. It's January 15th; the MLK Holiday. They're having a civil rights march in Columbus. A woman writes a letter complaining about the conduct of a Columbus police officer during the march. Did the officer insult anyone? Did he yell racial epithets? Did he abuse or shove someone? Nope, none of the above.

“So, just what did the officer do? Well, he ate a banana. That's it. The police department sent around a snack van to give the officers who were working the march something to eat. This particular officer chose a banana. . . . So the complaining woman sees the officer eating a banana...and she's ‘deeply offended.’

“OK...you're on the edge of your seats now, aren't you. You know there's more to the story, and you want me to fill it in, right? Sorry...that's pretty much the story; except, that is, for the woman's reasoning. Here you go. Since it was a civil rights march, and since most of the participants were black, the woman felt that the officer eating a banana was actually trying to humiliate the black marchers by somehow relating black people to apes, since apes are reported to enjoy bananas.

“I'm not joking, folks. Believe it or not, this woman has such a huge racial chip on her shoulder that she actually thinks that if a white person eats a banana in the presence of a black person that white bigot is somehow sending the message that he considers black folks to be apes. Now wouldn't this woman just be a delight as a next door neighbor? Wouldn't you absolutely love to have to work closely with her? Every day you would have to pack your lunch oh so carefully. No bananas. Oh, and I'd be really careful about having any watermelon in that fruit cup.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz, 2/14/05

HOWARD WANTS YOU, REV. FALWELL

“We are definitely going to do religious outreach. We’re definitely going to reach out to the evangelical community.”

- Newly-elected Democrat National Committee Chairman Howard Dean

TWO TRILLION DOLLAR QUESTION

“If the history of the Republican revolution were being written today, a single overarching question would have to be answered: Whatever happened to the promise of smaller government?"

- New York Times columnist Sheryl Gay Stolberg

BUSH’S EXPLOSION

“Although President Bush and Congress have passed some important tax cuts in recent years, they have let federal spending and the resulting budget deficits explode in size. ... This big-spending policy was remarkably irresponsible -- because the resulting deficits will create political pressure to let the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire, which would wipe out Bush's primary fiscal achievements."

- Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute

HOW WE LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE BIG GOVERNMENT

“A major reason government has grown to where President Bush has submitted a record $2.57 trillion budget to Congress is that too many Americans have ceded personal responsibility to the state. Most children expect to leave home and lead independent lives. Most parents expect them to do so. But government is the omniscient (not to mention omnipotent and omnipresent) parent that never kicks out the ‘children’ no matter how old they are. Too many ‘kids’ think it perfectly normal to have a permanent ‘allowance’ and take no responsibility for their own lives or retirement.”

- Columnist Cal Thomas

WHO COULD VOTE “NO” ON THIS?

“Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), in light of new reports that the Medicare prescription drug benefit could cost considerably more than anticipated, announced that he would reintroduce legislation to cap the cost of the benefit at the initial $400 billion-over-ten-years estimate.”

- Republican Study Committee Update, 2/14/05

...OR THIS?

“Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-SC) is seeking original co-sponsors on his Common Sense Spending Act, which would, among other things, limit the growth in all discretionary spending to the inflation rate, reduce by one percentage point the growth in mandatory spending, and strengthen the definition of what constitutes emergency spending.”

- Republican Study Committee Update, 2/14/05

AMERICA THE STINGY, PART DEAUX

“The U.S. has already committed $350 million to the tsunami relief efforts underway in Southeast Asia and President Bush wants Congress to approve another $600 million, but a humanitarian aid expert Friday nevertheless asserted that ‘when it comes to relative generosity, [America has] a long way to go.’ The remarks by Dr. Susan Rice, a senior fellow at the liberal Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., were similar to those made by United Nations Undersecretary for Human Services Jan Egeland, who shortly after the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami declared that America's early response to the crisis was ‘stingy.’”

- CNS News, 2/14/05

THE LAWSUIT LOTTERY SCHEME

“Class-action lawsuits have been in need of reform ever since the lawyers figured out how to game the system: By ‘shopping’ their cases around state courts in search of a sympathetic judge and jury, the lawyers would draw whatever business was in their cross-hairs into a zero-sum game, since the targeted business would usually just settle out of court rather than face bankruptcy. Over the last 10-year period, this little scheme averaged billions of dollars per year in payouts, much of it going straight into the lawyers' bank accounts. And all the while the lawyers had the gall to uphold the facade of helping out the ‘little guy,’ a la Erin Brockovich.”

- Washington Times editorial, 2/14/05

TYPHOID MARY AT THE GATES

“Contagious diseases are entering the United States because of immigrants, illegal aliens, refugees and travelers, and World Health Organization officials say the worst could be yet to come.”

- Washington Times, 2/13/05

WEARING THE UNION LABEL

“The latest from the wonderful world of unions? Menstrual leave. That's right, time off for your period. The Manufacturing Workers Union is asking for menstrual leave -- 12 extra days off a year with pay -- for menstrual pain. The union says that women shouldn't be disadvantaged against men that don't have periods.

“OK, so this is happening in Australia. How long before this nifty idea gets here? Oh, and don't forget. Once women get their menstrual leave in the U.S. it will still be illegal to discriminate against them in hiring. You'll just have to hire them knowing that you'll have to pay them for 12 extra days a year that they're not working.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz, 2/11/05

AN UNNECESSARY NUISANCE...OR WORSE

“The bottom line is that mandatory national ID cards aren't going to help us catch many bad guys. ... Instead of providing such a meaningful solution, national ID cards will become, at a minimum, an unnecessary nuisance for most citizens. Worse yet, in extreme cases, it could produce massive breaches of individual privacy."

- Adam Thierer of the Cato Institute

NATIONAL ID TROJAN HORSE

“The U.S. House of Representatives passed a national ID bill last week that masqueraded as ‘immigration reform.’ The bill does nothing to address immigration policy, however, nor does it propose deporting a single illegal alien already in our country. It does nothing to address the porous border between the U.S. and Mexico, which is the fundamental problem. In reality, the bill is a Trojan horse. It pretends to offer desperately needed border control in order to con a credulous Congress into sacrificing more of our constitutionally protected liberty.

“Supporters claim the national ID scheme is voluntary. However, any state that opts out will automatically make non-persons out of its citizens. The citizens of that state will be unable to have any dealings with the federal government because their ID will not be accepted. They will not be able to fly or to take a train. In essence, in the eyes of the federal government they will cease to exist. It is absurd to call this voluntary, and the proponents of the national ID know that every state will have no choice but to comply. Federal legislation that nationalizes standards for drivers’ licenses and birth certificates creates a national ID system pure and simple.

“...A national ID card will have the same effect as gun control laws: criminals will ignore it, while law abiding people lose freedom. A national ID card offers us nothing more than a false sense of security, while moving us ever closer to a police state. The national ID proposal should die a well-deserved death in the Senate, and it should be denounced as authoritarian and anti-American.”

GUILTY AS CHARGED

“According to the government lawyers, anyone still skeptical about claims that secondhand smoke kills is perpetrating a fraud. I guess that makes me a racketeering accessory.”

- Reason magazine columnist Jacob Sullum

SURVEY SAYS!

Should government-assistance programs such as Social Security and prescription drugs be “means tested” - that is, provided only to people who earn under a certain income level?

* Yes
* No
* Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/11/05

2005-02-11T08:28:00.000-05:00

SURVEY SAYS!

Should government-assistance programs such as Social Security and prescription drugs be “means tested” - that is, provided only to people who earn under a certain income level?

* Yes
* No
* Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

Results of the last Survey Says! Question: “Should airport security screening be returned to private contractors?”

Yes - 74%
No - 23%
Not sure - 3%

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’

I gotta tell ya, I’m really looking forward to speaking at the Libertarian Party convention in Los Angeles a week from Saturday - if for no other reason than the number of people who really, REALLY don’t want me there.

First, there are the “litmus-test” Libertarians don’t think I meet their “purity” test on some issues and, therefore, shouldn’t be allowed to speak. Others are still steamed at how critical I was of the LP presidential candidate last year.

And then there are some nervous-Nellie Republicans who are scared to death my speech - the title of which I borrowed from Johnny Unitas: “Talk Is Cheap, Let’s Go Play” - will help Libertarians become more of a credible ballot-box alternative and thus drain even more votes from the GOP in future elections. But that’s silly. As long as Republicans back up their limited-government rhetoric with votes and legislation to actually limit the size, scope and expense of government, they have nothing to worry about.

Uh-oh.

Anyway, the convention is next weekend, February 18-20, at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at Los Angeles International Airport. If you’d like to attend the full three-day convention, they have package prices ranging from $39 to $299. If you’d just like to attend my luncheon speech, the cost is $79 with the meal or $25 without the meal. But you have to pre-register online. If you show up at the door, the prices are higher (and may be sold out).

For additional details or to register, just go to: http://www.lpc.org/convention/2005/register

Hope to see some of you there!

DROOPY-DRAWERS YANKED

“A (state) Senate panel yesterday decided to drop the so-called ‘droopy-drawers’ bill, saying the legislation - which called for a $50 fine for exposed undies - had made Virginia an international laughingstock.”

- Washington Times, 2/11/05

VOICE OF A TRUE CONSERVATIVE

“Dear Mr. Muth: I hate tobacco; cigarette smoke makes me sick to my stomach, burns my sinuses and kills my head. I have friends that have died, are dying, or battled death and won, temporarily anyway, because of smoking. I believe that for Christians, smoking is sinful. I am, nonetheless, in total agreement with you on this one.

“If people want to smoke they should have the right and if businesses want to accommodate that right they should be allowed to do so. I can find plenty of places to eat, shop, watch sports or whatever where smoking is verboten, but it should be up to the individual businessman, er, businessperson (forgive my insensitivity) to decide, not forced on them by government.”- Pastor Keith Jenkins

TWO WAY STREET

“Should unions be outlawed? Of course not. People should certainly be free to form a collective to negotiate with one voice with their employer. By the same token, the employer should be free to say ‘thanks, but no thanks’ and either close doors, or hire employees who have a greater sense of their own individuality.”

- Talk-show host Neal Boortz

HERE COMES YOUR NATIONAL ID CARD

“Congress is considering legislation that conservatives and libertarians warn will create a national ID card system, calling it a backdoor attempt to remove privacy protections gained in a law passed only last year. The Real ID Act of 2005 (H.R. 418), introduced Jan. 26 by House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), would eliminate existing privacy protections and give the secretary of Homeland Security expanded powers to control states' driver's licenses and ID cards, and the data collected while issuing them.”- CNS News, 2/10/05 (The bill passed the House on Thursday 261-161)

NO WAY TO RUN A RAILROAD

“After more than three decades and $29 billion, it'd be nice to think Washington could learn how to run a railroad. But it hasn't, so it is entirely fitting that in his Fiscal Year 2006 budget President Bush is proposing to eliminate all funding for the operating expenses of the federal railroad known as Amtrak unless significant reform takes place.”

- “Review & Outlook,” Wall Street Journal, 2/10/05

BIG GOVERNMENT IS NOT OK

“Some neoconservatives these days argue big government is OK so long as it is conservative big government representing values in which they believe. Big government is not OK. Every inch the government grows, the same inch is taken from the liberties of the people, starting with the basic liberty of spending your own money the way you choose rather than the way the government chooses to spend it for you.

“Massive programs inevitably have unintended consequences; government, though necessary for many purposes, is no more a precision instrument for constructive social change than a sledgehammer is for brain surgery.”

- Columnist Jay Ambrose

GOV’T IS THE PROBLEM, NOT THE SOLUTION

“Presidents come and go, but laments about the high price of higher education are eternal -- and so are calls for ever more federal aid to mitigate it. For 60 years, the federal government has been shoveling money into programs meant to make college more affordable -- yet a college degree today is more unaffordable than ever. Rarely has Washington so comprehensively worsened a problem it was determined to solve.

“...Isn't it time to stop pouring fuel on this fire? Instead of renewing the Higher Education Act, Congress should phase it out, thereby forcing colleges and universities to compete on price. That would leave financial aid to the private sector, which can target it far more effectively -- and where it should have been left all along.”

- Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby

INVASION OF THE DEMOCRAT SNATCHERS

“If you've seen the film, ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers,’ you'll know how I feel about the state of the current Democratic Party. The film, as you'll recall, depicted the bodies of decent, normal citizens being taken over while they slept by alien entities marching in conformist and destructive lockstep. . . . The culminating act of this sad transformation will come when Howard Dean is elected national party chairman. . . . With the advent of the Dean chairmanship, the Body Snatchers' takeover will be complete and the party of ideas will have been fully transformed to one of reflexive and strident opposition.”

- Columnist and Democrat activist Ted Van Dyk

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDNETIAL...

* A great story about Ronald Reagan and a threatened government shut-down * President Bush whips out his American Taxpayer Express card and charges another $950 million * Conservative Republicans push to reopen the prescription drug benefit to “means test” it * Losing the battle of words over “mandatory spending” and “entitlements” * Wal-Mart sticks it to the unions...again * The Nutty Professor in Colorado might get scalped after all, due to an “ethnic diversity” loophole * A boot-scootin’ boogeyman chickens out and hangs up the spurs * And Bill Clinton’s love shack ain’t packing ‘em in like he planned.

An annual subscription for DC Confidential is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online using PayPal by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/10/05

2005-02-10T07:42:00.000-05:00

"GUESTS" LIVE ELSEWHERE, EVENTUALLY GO HOME

“House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday he favors passing a U.S. guest-worker program only if it requires illegal immigrants to return to their home country before applying for temporary work visas. ‘What I understand as a guest-worker program is one where you apply for the guest-worker program in your country of origin, and you have a job when you apply,’ said Mr. DeLay, Texas Republican. ‘You cannot bring your family with you. You commit to work a certain period of time, and you go home. If you want to become a permanent resident or a citizen of the United States you have to get in line with everybody else.’"

- Washington Times, 2/9/05

THIS IS “CONSERVATIVE”?

“President Bush's second-term agenda would expand not only the size of the federal government but also its influence over the lives of millions of Americans by imposing new national restrictions on high schools, court cases and marriages."

- Washington Post

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

“AIDS prevention and overseas assistance would get major increases under President Bush's budget, which calls for a big boost in foreign aid programs even as U.S. farmers, veterans and train riders face cutbacks.”

- Washington Times, 2/9/05

DOESN’T ADD UP

“A report on the nation's fiscal status presented to Congress yesterday (by the General Accounting Office) showed that expenditures in President Bush's budget are unsustainable and will lead to permanent deficits in the next decade.”

- Washington Times, 2/9/05

HEY, BIG SPENDERS

“The only Cabinet-level agencies in this budget that have smaller proposed budgets than when Mr. Bush took office are the Departments of Labor and Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. All the rest have grown by leaps and bounds since Mr. Bush's first day in office. . . . Republicans have a stronger level of control over both houses of Congress. They have a re-elected and confident president. They have run out of excuses as to why they haven't controlled spending. The budget ratchet is their problem. If they don't cut spending, it will not be because they can't. It will be because they don't want to.”

- Stephen Slivinski of the Cato Institute.

NOT YOURS TO GIVE

“Charity to man's fellow man is praiseworthy, and Americans are the most generous people on Earth. . . . What about President Bush's $350 million commitment for earthquake and tsunami relief -- is that just as praiseworthy? Let's look at it. Charity is reaching into one's own pockets to assist his fellow man in need. Reaching into someone else's pocket to assist one's fellow man hardly qualifies as charity. When done privately, we deem it theft, and the individual risks jail time.”

- Columnist Walter Williams

UGLY & DESPERATE

“After losing the White House, both houses of Congress and a majority of the governorships and state legislatures, the Democrats are in an ugly and desperate mood, lashing out without regard to how their words and actions will affect this country's position internationally, including giving aid and comfort to our enemies.”

- Columnist Thomas Sowell

WEAK & DESPERATE

“It’s hard to see how the Democratic Party gains on the Republicans when, one after the other, its leaders call for exiting Iraq rather than winning the conflict. . . . Voters smell weakness in Democrats. It’s no accident. It’s there.”

- Columnist Morton Kondrake

CRUDE & DESPERATE

“The Democrats' current crudeness is a function of their desperation, and the imminent ratification of Howard Dean, the least charming presidential candidate in recent memory, as their party chairman only serves to punctuate the problem."

- Time magazine columnist Joe Klein

THE HEART DOCTOR HEARTTHROB

“Really, Democrats, you shouldn't have. When I wake up Valentine's Day morning and see the headline ‘Dean Takes Helm at DNC,’ I'll be as giddy as a schoolgirl finding a love note in her book bag. What a sweet thing to do for the GOP. Democrats know it, too, but they just can't help themselves. Their minds keep saying, ‘No more northeastern liberals!’ But their eyes - and core constituents - say yes. Their hearts belong to Howie. If loving him is wrong, they don't wanna be right. And they're not going to be.”

- Columnist Michael Graham

GOP-CREATED FRANKENSTEIN

“(I)t is Republicans who need to look in the mirror as to why Senator (Harry) Reid is in office in the first place. Calnews.com goes so far as to claim ‘Reid is a product of the Nevada Republican Party.’ It points out that moderate Republicans in Nevada gave Mr. Reid a pass when he ran for re-election last year. Sig Rogich, a Republican consultant in Nevada who served as a White House adviser to the first President Bush, was one of several GOPers who made sure the party went easy on his Democratic friend. Other Republican consultants, including many close to Republican Governor Kenny Guinn, worked overtime to keep the Democrat in office.

“The result was that Republican candidate after Republican candidate backed away from a potential race even though Mr. Reid had squeaked to re-election in 1998 by only 428 votes. Mr. Reid ended up cruising to victory last fall with over 60% of the vote, the first time in four Senate elections that he topped 51%. If Republicans find Reid the chief obstructionist, they can thank themselves for being his chief enabler.”

- John Fund, Political Diary, 2/9/05

A DOSE OF COLD, HARD REALITY

“People talk about potential (Social Security) benefit cuts as if they would be war crimes. The unspeakable truth is that benefit cuts are ultimately inevitable, because the baby boom's retirement costs will force them. Social Security and Medicare, according to various government projections, would require at least a 30% tax increase by 2030. The wiser policy is not to wait; it is to pare benefits now.

- Washington Post columnist Robert J. Samuelson

PRESCRIPTION DRUG BACKLASH

“One of the unexpected challenges that President Bush faces in convincing Republicans to back his Social Security reform is lingering bitterness over how the White House muscled through Congress a Medicare prescription drug benefit in late 2003. The hardball tactics used to dragoon Republican House members into supporting it were bad enough, but then the administration revealed that its own number crunchers had all along believed the just-passed law would cost some 30% more than previously acknowledged. Many Republicans believe the bill would have failed if the higher cost estimate had been made public.”

- John Fund, Political Diary, 2/9/05

BIG SHEEP IN THE BIG APPLE

“ ‘Cuba banned smoking in public places yesterday, an uphill struggle in a country that evokes images of cigar-chomping revolutionaries and where more than half of adults smoke,’ Reuters reports from Havana. So a totalitarian dictatorship finds it an ‘uphill struggle’ to control its citizens' behavior, but when New York City passed an antismoking law two years ago, people fell right into line. As a New Yorker, we hang our head in shame.”

- James Taranto, Best of the Web, 2/8/05

THE NEW, NEW MATH

“According to (Newton, Massachusetts public school system) math program, the top objective for the district's math teachers is to teach ‘respect for human differences’ and to ‘live out the system-wide core value of respect for human differences by demonstrating anti-racist and anti-bias behaviors.’ All of this, believe it or not, is to be taught in MATH class. . . . If you send your kids to government schools, they are going to be indoctrinated day in and day out with this type of nonsense. Perhaps you should look in the mirror and decide if you can live with yourself when you choose to send you kids off to schools like these.”

- Neal Boortz, 2/9/05

TOO MUCH TIME ON HIS HANDS

“(Virginia) Delegate Algie T. Howell Jr. doesn't want to see underwear hanging out of the back of your pants, and most lawmakers yesterday agreed with him. The House voted 60-34 for his bill, which would impose a $50 fine on anyone whose boxers, briefs or thongs peek above their pants or skirts. ‘It's not an attack on baggy pants,’ said Mr. Howell, Norfolk Democrat. ‘To vote for this bill would be a vote for character, to uplift your community and to do something good not only for the state of Virginia, but for this entire country.’ It's not clear if the fine would apply to plumbers, carpenters or other laborers who have problems with low-riding pants.”

- Washington Times, 2/9/05 [You can write Delegate Howell about this ridiculous bill at: Del_AHowell@house.state.va.us ]

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/8/05

2005-02-08T09:56:00.000-05:00

SURVEY SAYS!

Should airport security screening be returned to private contractors?

* Yes
* No
* Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

Results from last week’s question, “Which is the biggest potential national crisis facing the country today?” #1 with half the vote was IMMIGRATION. Coming in a distant second with 16% of the vote was TERRORISM, followed by Hillary’s 2008 presidential run with 15%. SOCIAL SECURITY got just 6%, GAY MARRIAGE 5% and MEDICARE 2%. “Something else” racked up 7%.

Thank you for your participation.

DOMA HANGING BY A THREAD

Gay marriage is coming. That decision in New York last week means curtains for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which will give gay marriage opponents new fuel for their constitutional amendment fire. In a new “Muth’s Truths” released today, I explain why the New York decision marks “The Beginning of the End of DOMA” and why a constitutional amendment may indeed be the only way to prevent gay marriage from becoming the law of the land.

I not only explain why I believe the Supreme Court will strike DOMA down - ending the “state’s rights” federalism argument against the Federal Marriage Amendment - but the fascinating conflict this will present pitting the judicial branch against the legislative branch of our government. I also reveal whether or not I would support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage if my predication comes true and the Supreme Court does reject “state’s rights” and overturns DOMA. You don’t wanna miss this one!

Catch it by going to the “Muth’s Truths” page at www.citizenoutreach.com

LITTLE BIG MAN

“Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid... seems determined to earn the description Teddy Roosevelt applied to President John Tyler -- 'a politician of monumental littleness’.”

- Columnist George Will

WHITE HOUSE TO POST OFFICE: “NO”

“The $2.5 trillion budget recommendation for fiscal year 2006 submitted to Congress yesterday doesn't include much of the funding requests submitted by the U.S. Postal Service last year.”

- DM News, 2/8/05

HEY, BIG SPENDERS

“One obstacle that President Bush will have to overcome if he wants to honor his pledge to restrain spending are Members of his own party in Congress.”

- “Review & Outlook,” Wall Street Journal, 2/8/05

LESS THAN MEETS THE EYE

“The fiscal 2006 federal budget is being billed as the tightest yet by the Bush administration. But the administration's rhetoric does not match the budget substance. Overall spending is projected to rise 3.6% in 2006, but that follows an enormous 33% increase over the past four years. And tens of billions more will be needed for Iraq. At first glance the budget sounds pretty tough this year, with a promise to cut or terminate 150 federal programs. But even if Congress passed all those cuts, 2006 spending would be reduced by less than 1%.”

- Chris Edwards & Alan Reynolds of the Cato Institute

WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY

“Since the 1930s the federal government has done nothing but grow, expand, intrude, involve, tax and spend. It is fashionable for conservatives to blame presidents, congresses and judges for the current state of affairs. But, in truth, that is not where the blame lies. The blame lies with us, the people. The fact is, a majority of Americans approve of what has happened, what is happening and what the future appears to hold. And the minority that doesn’t like it is not willing to take up arms against it.”

- Lyn Nofziger, “Musings,” 2/7/05

THE DONKEYS’ ALBATROSS

“A debate in Democratic circles about the party's association with radical filmmaker Michael Moore is breaking into the open. In the latest issue of the American Prospect magazine, author Mark Leon Goldberg lays out a persuasive case that Mr. Moore hurt Democratic candidates last fall. He quotes Cokie Roberts of ABC News as saying: ‘ 'Fahrenheit 9-11' was a 'Hate America First' movie, and people think that that's what the Democrats stand for. That hurts the Democrats every time.’ There's polling evidence to support this observation."

- John Fund, Political Diary, 2/7/05

YER PUBLIK SKOOLZ INAXION

“The educational tragedy in Rockford, Illinois, now making national headlines, echoes a larger tragedy. At Lewis Lemon elementary school, with a student body described by The New York Times as ‘80 percent nonwhite and 85 percent poor,’ third graders scored near the top in statewide readings tests. Their results were bested only by students at a school for the gifted.

“How were the results achieved? Teachers used reading lessons ‘heavy on drilling and repetition, that emphasize phonics--that is, learning words by sounding them out.’ This approach, however, is deemed too extreme by the new school superintendent, who is phasing it out.

“In discarding success, Rockford is following the demands of the still-dominant voices in the nation’s schools of education. They insist that phonics instruction be balanced with its antipode, the whole language ‘method.’ Because ‘reading is such a complex and multifaceted activity,’ explains Dr. Catherine Snow, professor of education at Harvard, ‘no single method is the answer.’

“This is like saying that because eating is ‘such a complex and multifaceted activity,’ no single method can guide us, and that a proper diet must therefore contain a mixture of food and poison.”

- Dr. Onkar Ghate of the Ayn Rand Institute ( Read and sign our petition to the Rockford School Board on this issue by going to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/petition/TakeAction.cfm?PetitionID=10 )

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDNETIAL...

* A government dependency “Money Quote” from the irrepressible Lyn Nofziger * Canada’s ambassador raises a big doubt about drug industry claims concerning price controls...and takes a swipe at lawyers in the process * A New York murder victim is blamed for her own death by a “crime prevention” group * A Maryland legislator proposes relocating black bears to suburban Washington, DC, communities * Free speech and the university professor from Colorado

An annual subscription for DC Confidential is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online using PayPal by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/7/05

2005-02-07T10:04:00.000-05:00

SUPER PERFORMANCE

“The half-time show last night was a dandy. . . . My brother-in-law said (and I agreed) that fireworks beat wardrobe malfunctions every time.”

- Rich Galen on the Super Bowl halftime show featuring Paul McCartney, “Mullings,” 2/7/05

THE UNDERTAKER

“(Senate Minority Leader) Harry Reid (D-Nev.) looks and talks like a small-town undertaker whom you want to trust but wonder about, especially when he says the deceased would love the brass handles."

- Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan

THE NEW DREAM TEAM

I’m sure others have already suggested this, but I saw it for the first time in James Lileks’ column on Friday. The 2008 Democrat “dream team” - Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama. If things break their way, Lileks suggests a “40-state sweep” is possible. Lord, I hope he’s wrong...but I fear he could well be right.

SOCIAL SECURITY & CONGRESS

Just to set the record straight: A lot of you have gotten that internet email saying members of Congress don’t pay into the Social Security system. But John McCaslin reported in his “Inside the Beltway” column on Friday that it’s not true. “In 1983, a law was passed requiring all lawmakers to participate in the Social Security system as of January 1, 1984, regardless of when they entered Congress,” he writes.

TALKIN’ ‘BOUT THE “THIRD RAIL”

“It used to be, people were afraid to talk about Social Security. Now, I think people should be afraid not to talk about Social Security and start coming up with some solutions.”

- President Bush

BUSH PROPOSES A TAX...HIKE?

“Airlines and business travelers are bristling over a Bush administration proposal to double the airport security tax created by Congress after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. When he submits his budget to Congress today, President Bush is expected to outline a plan to increase the security fee from $2.50 to $5.50 for a one-way airline ticket, and from a maximum of $5 to $8 for a trip that has multiple legs. The increase would generate an additional $1.5 billion for the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration.”

- Washington Times, 2/7/05

THE IRANIAN HOKEY-POKEY

“Iran is saying that they will accelerate their drive to master nuclear technology if the United States or Israel attacks their nuclear facilities. Well, that would be just fine. First we reduce Iran's nuclear capabilities to rubble. Then they spend the big bucks rebuilding. When they get to the point that they're close to being dangerous we level the facility again. Then they can start rebuilding again. Then we attack again. We get practice taking out nuclear facilities, and the Iranians get to thump their chests and spend money. Sounds like a good deal to me.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz, 2/7/05

DEMOCRACY IS NOT FREEDOM

“Americans have been conditioned to accept the word ‘democracy’ as a synonym for freedom, and thus to believe that democracy is unquestionably good. The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with real freedom. Our founding fathers clearly understood this, as evidenced not only by our republican constitutional system, but also by their writings in the Federalist Papers and elsewhere…

“Simply put, freedom is the absence of government coercion. Our Founding Fathers understood this, and created the least coercive government in the history of the world. The Constitution established a very limited, decentralized government to provide national defense and little else. States, not the federal government, were charged with protecting individuals against criminal force and fraud.

“For the first time, a government was created solely to protect the rights, liberties, and property of its citizens. Any government coercion beyond that necessary to secure those rights was forbidden, both through the Bill of Rights and the doctrine of strictly enumerated powers. This reflected the founders’ belief that democratic government could be as tyrannical as any King.”

- Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), “Texas Straight Talk,” 2/7/05

REPEAL THE 17TH

“The courage and wisdom of those who birthed this Republic was nothing short of a magnificent event in the history of the world. When creating the federal government, it was imperative that the colonies (later called states) and the people be represented fairly. The method decided upon was the people would vote for their voice – a representative to serve in the House of Representatives.

“The states of the Union would each have an equal number of U.S. Senators (fixed at two), appointed by their state legislature to represent the interests of the state. Should that U.S. senator fail in their job, the legislature would recall them and appoint a new one. The decision to have the states appoint their U.S. senators was very calculated.

“All of that changed with the fraudulent ratification of the 17th Amendment. U.S. senators would now be elected. The states lost their suffrage rights, they no longer had any representation in Washington, D.C., and the federal machine has walked all over them since.”

- Columnist Devvy Kidd

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/5/05

2005-02-05T10:14:00.000-05:00

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

To have News & Views delivered directly to your email address FREE, just visit: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter/

FUN WITH DICK AND GEN. JAMES

“Actually it's quite fun to fight them (Muslim terrorists), you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up (front) with you; I like brawling. You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

- Lt. Gen. James Mattis

GOIN’ ON A ZARQAWI SAFARI

“(T)here was nothing wrong with Lieutenant General Mattis' remarks. Hell, if given the chance to shoot and kill Osama Bin Laden, Al-Zarqawi or any of the other insurgents, you're damned right it would be a lot of fun. Might even be worth stuffing the head and mounting it on the wall.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

DEMS DUMP ON HISPANIC, HUG TERRORISTS

“The Senate has finally confirmed Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. The vote was 60-36, with only six Democrats voting ‘aye’. It boggles the mind that 36 Democrats would vote against the first Hispanic attorney general out of tender concern for the well-being of terrorists, but there you are.”

- James Taranto, Best of the Web, 2/4/05

FRIST READY TO PULL NUCLEAR TRIGGER

“Senate Republican leaders have decided to begin their use of the ‘nuclear option’ -- forcing confirmation of President Bush's judicial nominations with a majority Senate vote -- on an African-American woman blocked by Democrats from a federal judgeship. Associate Justice Janice Rogers Brown of the California Supreme Court was one of 16 Bush nominees for U.S. appellate courts whose confirmation was prevented by Democratic filibusters in the last Congress.”

- Columnist Robert Novak

WHAT’S A FEW TRILLION AMONG FRIENDS?

“President Bush next week will release his 2006 budget, requesting slightly more than $2.6 trillion in spending. That's $2,600,000,000,000. If a Democrat proposed a budget this big, Republican fiscal hawks would squawk to the top of the Capitol dome.”

- Stephen Moore, president of the Free Enterprise Fund (Read Moore’s full column, “Seven Rules for Cutting Government Spending,” on our “Issues & Answers” page at www.citizenoutreach.com)

WELL, HERE’S A SHOCKER

“Senate budget-makers yesterday said President Bush’s goal to scale back or eliminate 150 programs has a slim chance of winning congressional approval.”

- Washington Times, 3/5/05 (NOTE: My “Muth’s Truths column tomorrow deals with this exact subject...and it’s going to depress the hell out of you. If you’re a “my-GOP-can-do-no-wrong” partisan flack, you might want skip reading it.)

BIG DEAL

“In his State of the Union speech Wednesday night President Bush, much in the manner of a reformed drunk telling the world of his reformation, promised to end his spending spree of the last four years. ‘America’s prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite of the federal government,’ he said—about four years too late. He boasted that the budget he will send to the congress this year will hold the growth of discretionary spending below inflation and stay on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009...

“Notice he’s not talking about the national debt which will continue to mount; he’s talking about the annual deficit, much of which can be blamed on the fact that he has never vetoed a spending bill. In other words, during Bush’s entire eight years in office he will never have had a balanced budget, meaning the only thing he can brag about is that in 2009 the deficit will be half as much as it is this year. Big deal.”

- Lyn Nofziger’s “Musings,” 2/4/05

HEAD GAMES

“Every parent in America should be made aware of a presidential initiative called the ‘New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.’ This commission issued a report last year calling for the mandatory mental health screening of American schoolchildren, meaning millions of kids will be forced to undergo psychiatric screening whether their parents consent or not. At issue is the fundamental right of parents to decide what medical treatment is appropriate for their children.

“Forced mental health screening simply has no place in a free or decent society. The government does not own you or your kids, and it has no legitimate authority to interfere in your family’s intimate health matters. Psychiatric diagnoses are inherently subjective, and the drugs regularly prescribed produce serious side effects, especially in children’s developing brains. The bottom line is that mental health issues are a matter for parents, children, and their doctors, not government.”

- Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), “Texas Straight Talk,” 1/31/05

GOP STRAIN: LIBERTARIANS VS. SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES

“With the media's sudden discovery of ‘values voters,’ another key component of the GOP coalition feels largely overlooked. Libertarian-leaning Republicans—the ones who put small government ahead of godly government—are beginning to wonder if they have a future in the party they have long considered their own.

“‘I think the problem they have at the moment is that they don't have a figure like Reagan to get behind,’ says Doug Bandow, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a leading libertarian think tank. ‘If you're libertarian-minded, Bush has been a tremendous disappointment. [Libertarians] see social issues pushed to the forefront, and at the same time they see massive spending increases and government growth, and they're pretty dissatisfied.’

“Winning back libertarian loyalties while satisfying his social-conservative base could prove to be one of the trickiest political maneuvers of Mr. Bush's second term. And how well he executes that maneuver just might decide whether the Republican Revolution marches on after its general retires in 2008…

“Despite Mr. Bush's bigger-than-expected margin last November, a mass exodus by disaffected libertarians would likely doom GOP hopes for holding the White House in 2008. Evangelicals may have strengthened their hold on the Southeast and made gains in the Midwest, but libertarians still seem to be the backbone of the Republican Party in much of the West, thanks to the region's frontier mentality and its tradition of rugged individualism. Without winning back a single state east of the Mississippi, Democrats in 2008 could triumph by picking off two or three Western states that have trended increasingly Democratic of late.”

- World magazine columnist Bob Jones

SURVEY SAYS!

Which is the biggest looming national crisis at this time?

* Social Security
* Medicare
* Terrorism
* Gay Marriage
* Hillary’s 2008 presidential run
* Illegal immigration
* Something else

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDNETIAL...

* A “money quote” from Rich Galen on Nancy Pelosi’s appearance during the Democrat rebuttal Wednesday night * A “money quote” from Lyn Nofziger dealing with farmers, pigs, Democrats and Republicans * The growing exodus from AARP * My “double-dare” to Harry Reid * An hysterical ScrappleFace satire on plans by the Dems to stage their own “hug” * Having “fun” shooting Muslim men who slap around their women-folk * The leading candidates to become the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs * My unpopular defense of that goofball professor in Colorado * A likely victory by grassroots activists against the “shoot-me-first” dress code for air marshals * And a New York judge gives gay marriage a thumbs up

An annual subscription for DC Confidential is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online using PayPal by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/4/05

2005-02-04T07:51:00.000-05:00

THE REVIEWS ARE IN!

“There may have been better State of the Union speeches, but last night’s was the best I can remember. In fact, it was the only one that didn’t bore me, that didn’t make me pinch myself to stay awake. Let me say at the outset that the president stands for things I disagree with and last night proposed things that I oppose. But that fact in no way lessens the effectiveness of the speech. Parts of it were eloquent, parts were tough, little was conciliatory, all was delivered by a confident and self-assured president who has become a smooth and effective speaker who, last night, at least, gave every indication he was enjoying himself.”

- Former Reagan press secretary Lyn Nofziger, “Musings,” 2/3/05

DO YA FEEL LUCKY...WELL DO YA, PUNKS?

“Peering down from the press gallery, I was looking at a man who obviously feels that the winds of history are at his back. I’ve covered (George W. Bush) long enough to know when he is faking it … The guy I just saw was a man at the top of his game, all but daring the Democrats to make his day.”

- Newsweek’s Howard Fineman on the State of the Union speech

DON’T MEND IT...END IT

“In his State of the Union Address, President Bush said that many options were ‘on the table’ to deal with Social Security’s problems, and that he ‘will listen to anyone who has a good idea to offer.’ But there is one idea he will not listen to: the idea that Social Security should be phased out and ended altogether.

“...Social Security in any form is morally irredeemable. We should be debating, not how to save Social Security, but how to end it--how to phase it out so as to best protect both the rights of those who have paid into it, and those who are forced to pay for it today. This will be a painful task. But it will make possible a world in which Americans enjoy far greater freedom to secure their own futures.”

- Alex Epstein of the Ayn Rand Institute

A SMALL FIRST STEP

“The Libertarian Party, which has been urging Social Security privatization for decades, today credited President Bush for starting the debate but said his proposal falls far short of the truly private, no-strings-attached plan that the American people really want. ‘The first step toward solving a problem is admitting that a problem exists, and Bush has done that,’ said Libertarian Party Executive Director Joseph Seehusen.”

- LP press release, 2/3/05

THE TRILLION DOLLAR QUESTION

“A Republican president sits in the White House. The GOP enjoys clear majorities in both houses of Congress. If now isn't the time to control federal spending, when will it be?”

- John Fund, Political Diary, 2/3/05

LOT OF PROMISE, BUT PROOF WILL BE IN PUDDING

“There is a lot of promise in Bush’s statement. But there is also the peril that this won’t matter much. It seems that Bush is now committed to reining in discretionary spending. That’s a good thing--under his watch that portion of the budget grew by 43 percent. But his goal of substantially reducing or eliminating over 150 federal programs might be too little.

“A similar attempt to reduce or eliminate 130 programs in his last budget saved a puny amount of money--only about $14 billion in a $2.3 trillion budget. Yet Congress ignored those cuts and added even more overall spending--an average of $47 billion each year above and beyond Bush’s original request. Bush was happy to encourage this budget ratchet by not vetoing a single spending bill. If Bush doesn’t threaten a veto of spending bills this year, this budget ratchet effect will doom the president’s promised fiscal discipline.”

- Stephen Slivinski of the Cato Institute

THE DEMOCRAT RESPONSE - I

“Did you catch the Democratic response to the State of the Union address? This one was a complete bust...a real snoozer. It's hard to believe...but it's true: the Democrats have selected a worse communicator than Tom Daschle to represent them in the Senate. Watching Harry Reid is about as exciting as reading an apartment lease. Anyway, it was Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, sitting there looking like they should be selling jewelry or sex aids on the shopping channel.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

DEMOCRAT RESPONSE II

“Nancy Pelosi's Democratic rebuttal may have served a public purpose after all -- by illustrating in prime time just how thoroughly ‘homeland security’ has been transmuted into political humbug. Can you imagine a politician ever solemnly declaring that we're spending ‘enough,’ let alone ‘too much,’ on homeland security? Of course not. It'll never happen. This is why Democrats love the issue -- and because the spending goes directly to unionized public-sector employees in every congressional district in the country.”

- Holman W Jenkins Jr., Political Diary, 2/3/05

THE DEMOCRAT RESPONSE - III

“We watched last night's speech with a mostly right-leaning group of friends, and over their objections we kept the TV on for the Democratic response, for we were really curious as to what Barack Obama was going to say. But as it turned out, the Democrats apparently couldn't get Obama and instead had to go with the B team of Nancy Reid and Harry Pelosi...

“Reid and Pelosi do not, to say the least, present an attractive face to America. As our friend Rich Miniter observed, Reid looked like a doctor who refuses to administer painkillers. As for Pelosi--who is known mostly for being more charming than Barbara Boxer--she stiffly stared at the camera with a deer-in-the-headlights look.”

- James Taranto, Best of the Web, 2/3/05

THE DEMOCRAT RESPONSE - IV

“As for the televised Democratic responses to Mr. Bush's speech, party insiders are already calling Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's talk one of the worst they've ever seen. ‘He veered from a bizarre anecdote about a 10-year-old boy he met in a casino back in Nevada to a joke about the movie 'Groundhog Day,' ’ sighed one Democratic consultant. . . . All in all, Mr. Reid's performance suggested the Democratic Party truly deserves Howard Dean's leadership.”

- John Fund, Political Diary, 2/3/05

FRENCH DEMOCRATS

“After the voting, all of Iraq's highest-ranking interim leaders - the president, prime minister, defense minister and army commander - declared it would be ‘complete nonsense’ and ‘very dangerous’ for U.S. forces to leave Iraq in the foreseeable future, because it would leave ‘chaos’ behind. “And yet, the Democratic Party's most visible leaders - Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), 2004 presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (Mass.) - all are emphasizing withdrawal of U.S. forces, instead of staying until democracy and security are stable. It's little wonder that on national security issues, American voters consistently trust Republicans over Democrats.”

- Roll Call columnist Morton Kondrake

GETTING IT ALL WRONG

“Every so often, an American politician takes an unpopular stand for the sake of what's right... Frequently, he takes an unprincipled stand for the sake of what's popular ...Sometimes, even, he does what's right, which also happens to be popular… Only in the rarest of instances, however, do politicians take positions that are both unpopular and unprincipled. That is where the Democratic Party leadership finds itself today on Iraq.”

- Wall Street Journal, 2/3/05

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR HOWARD DEAN

“Speaking to a DNC forum in New York over the weekend, (Howard) Dean indulged once again in some of the undisguised loathing of the GOP that was such a hallmark of Democratic Party activism last year. ‘I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for,’ he told the audience, ‘but I admire their discipline and their organization.’

“ *I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for.* Not ‘I oppose the Republicans and everything they stand for.’ Not ‘I'm determined to beat the Republicans.’ Not ‘I reject the Republican message.’ No -- Dean wants it understood that he *hates* the Republicans and all their works. That is the banner under which he is marching as a candidate to lead his party.”

- Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby

SELF-INFLICTED POLITICAL WOUNDS

“As the Democrats continue their search for a new party chairman, I would like to nominate the perfect symbol for the American Democratic Party today: Wile. E. Coyote, Genius. Instead, it appears that the Democrats are going to choose ‘The Anvil,’ aka Howard Dean. They are getting exactly what they deserve. As a Republican, I would love for my party to be able to take credit for the disasters befalling the Democrats at the moment, but like Wile E. Coyote, all of their injuries are self-inflicted. “After all, no Republican urged Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Margaritaville) to give a speech denouncing America's military presence in Iraq as "part of the problem, not the solution." No GOP speechwriter conned Kennedy into calling for a withdrawal of American forces just 72 hours before 8 million Iraqis defied bombs and bullets to pack polling places protected by our soldiers. Ted Kennedy did that all by himself. And, thanks to the Democrat-leaning national media, he did it on millions of TV screens across the nation.”

- Columnist Michael Graham

SURVEY SAYS!

Which is the biggest looming national crisis at this time?

* Social Security
* Medicare
* Terrorism
* Gay Marriage
* Hillary’s 2008 presidential run
* Illegal immigration
* Something else

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

YESTERDAY IN DC CONFIDNETIAL...

* Teresa Heinz drops Kerry * Amtrak’s coming train wreck over taxpayer subsidies * The McCainiacs ride again, this time against 527s * state’s rights live as Kansas & Idaho come to different conclusions on marriage * AARP continues to crank out whoppers * and my “kid” brother really ticks off a local Democrat in a letter-to-the-editor battle royale...

An annual subscription for DC Confidential is just $2.95 per month...or $25 per year. Subscribe online by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order to: Chuck Muth & Associates, 1315 Wilson Point Road, Middle River, MD, 21220.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/3/05

2005-02-03T08:28:00.000-05:00

LEADING THE WAY

“Chile was the first country in the Western Hemisphere to start a [government-run] social security program, and it was the first to privatize [its] social security program. It led the way on both counts, and Chile's program is very successful."

- John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis

LET THE OBSTRUCTION BEGIN (CONTINUE)

“Do I know of a senator who will support privatization of Social Security? The answer is no. No, I don't know of a single Democratic senator. They all agree that there should be no privatization of Social Security. I agree with them."

- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

SOCIAL INSECURITY

“Democrats have used Social Security to frighten our senior citizens in every election for the past 50 years. Year after year it's the same thing. Vote for Republicans and they'll take your Social Security away, yet Social Security remains. Democrats know that if you own your own account they can no longer threaten you with its loss. Fighting Social Security reform is all about protecting Democrats long-standing scare tactics.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz, 2/2/05

ILLEGAL FAMILY VALUES

“(President Bush) brought forth his rallying cry that family values don't stop at the Rio Grande. I would hope that one value every family would respect is the rule of law."

- Rep. J.D. Hayworth on President Bush’s renewed push for his amnesty program for illegal aliens at a GOP retreat last week

LEARNED NOTHING AT THE MASTER’S FEET

“Indiana's GOP Governor Mitch Daniels has responded to criticism of his plan to impose a ‘temporary’ one-percent surtax on incomes over $100,000 by pointing out that Ronald Reagan became governor of California in 1967 also facing a large deficit. ‘He did everything he could think of to reduce it on the spending side, and reluctantly asked for a tax increase,’ Mr. Daniels said. ‘He probably felt much as I do that this is the very last thing you do. And he, like I, had a constitutional duty.’

“Mr. Daniels is right that two months into his first term, the rookie governor agreed to a tax hike. But he capitulated only AFTER spending two months trying to convince a Democratic legislature to agree to more spending cuts. Mr. Reagan later admitted the tax increase was too big and allowed state government to keep expanding after the budget ‘emergency’ ended. That prompted him to work with Milton Friedman and others to craft a constitutional limitation on state expenditures. It was rejected by voters, but later became the inspiration for the Proposition 13 tax limitation in 1978.

“In contrast, Mr. Daniels announced his tax hike in his very first speech to the legislature, after keeping it a secret from even close aides. Unlike Mr. Reagan, he benefits from having a GOP legislature but he chose not to consult with its leaders on alternatives to a tax hike. He also hasn't proposed a permanent curb on the growth of state government as Mr. Reagan did. Mr. Daniels certainly knew Ronald Reagan, having worked for him in the White House as his political director. That makes it all the more disappointing that in his first days as governor he has misread history and failed to grasp the lessons Mr. Reagan learned from his tax debacle.”

- John Fund, Political Diary, 2/2/05

SUNDAY MAIL

Following up on last week’s “Survey Says!” question on whether or not the “just-like-a-business” post office should offer more convenient Sunday services, 69% of you answered “Yes.” And I think the figure would have been higher; however, a number of emails I received on the topic said they voted “No” simply because the addition of Sunday service would only lead to higher prices. Excellent point.

I’d like to see the post office offer more convenience for folks who work during the hours the post office is currently open, but that’s the sort of thing a private business would find a way to do WITHOUT penalizing the customer for it. I suspect those who fear the USPS would only use Sunday services as an excuse to again boost postage rates are dead on right.

Here’s another thought: Why do they only pick up our garbage once or twice a week, but the post office needs to have it delivered six days a week?

The overwhelming majority of my mail these days is “junk mail.” Probably yours, too. Seems to me that home mail delivery two or three times a week would be fine. Perhaps businesses could continue receiving daily delivery. Or perhaps daily delivery would be an option which folks could voluntarily pay a small fee each month to receive. But that’s another issue for another day.

Back to the Sunday services issue. Curiously, only one person emailed explaining their “No” vote was based on the religious admonition to keep holy the Sabbath. I say curious because this was a HUGE fight in the early 1800s. My, how times have changed. Did you know that we did, in fact, have Sunday mail in this country at one time? I didn’t either. Just read about it a couple weeks ago.

The issue of Sunday mail was at the heart of a major church/state debate in Congress for some twenty years. “From 1810 to 1830, Americans argued bitterly over whether U.S. mail would be transported on Sunday and whether post offices would be open seven days a week,” write authors Isaac Kramick & R. Laurence Moore. In the end, opponents of Sunday mail lost the battle in Congress...but eventually got what they wanted simply due to...get this...technological advancements which made Sunday mail obsolete and no longer necessary. Shades of the Internet!

Interestingly, it was a devout Christian and former Indian-fighter who led the opposition to the proposed ban on Sunday mail in the Senate citing church/state separation; a man who went on to be elected vice president of the United States. A fascinating and little-known look at American history addressing two current “hot button” issues still simmering in the country today: Postal services and church/state separation. You can read all about it by going to our “Issues & Answers” page at www.citizenoutreach.com. Enjoy.

SURVEY SAYS!

Which is the biggest looming national crisis at this time?

* Social Security
* Medicare
* Terrorism
* Gay Marriage
* Hillary’s 2008 presidential run
* Illegal immigration
* Something else

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

GET DC CONFIDNETIAL...

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/2/05

2005-02-02T10:33:00.000-05:00

SURVEY SAYS!

Which is the biggest looming national crisis at this time?

* Social Security
* Medicare
* Terrorism
* Gay Marriage
* Hillary’s 2008 presidential run
* Illegal immigration
* Something else

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

ON SECOND THOUGHT…

So I’m on ABC satellite radio yesterday talking with my friend and show host Brian Wilson when it struck me that I made a mistake in changing the name of my op/ed column from Muth’s Truths to Uncommon Sense...while naming our new webpage of historical quotations about government Muth’s Truths. In reality, the quotes from our Founders were, at the time, common sense...but in this day and age, they are certainly and unfortunately all too UNcommon. So I’ll continue to publish the op/ed columns under the Muth’s Truths label...and you can find my treasure chest of invaluable political quotations on the Uncommon Sense page.

Does that make sense?

CRAZY BEARS

“The sensitivity police in Vermont have nothing better to do this winter than examine teddy bears for possible offenses against the emotionally thin-skinned. And so the Vermont Human Rights Commission has officially urged the Vermont Teddy Bear company to stop selling its ‘Crazy for You’ bear. The reason? The bear, which comes wrapped in a straight jacket with a little heart on it, might offend the mentally ill. . . .

“This letter was sent the day after the New Hampshire House voted against putting ‘Live free or die’ on the state flag because the state motto is allegedly ‘political’ and might offend some people. Next thing you know, Killington, Vt. and Greenland, N.H. will have to change their names. Pacifists and the colorblind might take offense.”

- The Manchester Union-Leader, 2/2/05

TIME’S UP

“The thing about (John) Kerry is: No one cared what he thought about important issues of the day before he became the Democratic nominee. And no one cares now. Fifteen minutes, baby. Fifteen minutes of fame.”

- Rich Galen’s “Mullings,” 2/2/05

THE ANGRY LEFT IS STILL PRETTY HOT

“I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for."

- Likely new Democrat Party chairman Howard Dean, quoted in the New York Daily News

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THIS…

“A recent Web chat that famed fantasizer Michael Moore had with the U.K.'s Channel 4 was quite revealing. When Moore was asked why most Democrats voted to confirm Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State, Moore replied that the vote ‘was a disgusting sight and indicative of who the Democrats are - they are lazy and they're cowards and I'm just hoping that the more they continue to act like that the more it will encourage Americans to run against them and put the U.S. back in the hands of the working class, where it belongs.’

“Moore's response to an inquiry about whether he thought Jeb Bush would run for the presidency in 2008 brought more Dem derision. ‘The Democrats are going to have a very hard time winning the next election,’ Moore moaned. ‘The Republicans have a number of star players and the Democrats have a lot of wimps and losers.’"

- Left Coast Report, 2/1/05

AN IDEA LONG OVERDUE

“The chairman of the House aviation subcommittee said Monday he is drafting a proposal to get rid of all government security screeners at the nation's airports and replace them with employees working for private companies. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said that air travelers would face fewer long waits at checkpoints if the Transportation Security Administration hired companies to do airport screening. About 45,000 TSA screeners now handle airport security. ‘I want to get TSA totally out of operating screening,’ said Mica, who has accused the agency of being too bureaucratic and only marginally effective.”

- USA Today, 2/1/05

FAITH-BASED GOVERNMENT BOONDOGGLE

“Unfortunately, the president's program, in its current form, is truly a case of good intentions gone awry. The grant concept is deeply flawed and I predict that the organizations getting these federal grants will in short order start looking like the same government programs we were trying to get away from. For starters, the circular logic is compelling. Faith-based programs are successful because they are faith-based. If in order to get federal funding the services must be delivered devoid of the faith component, what exactly is a faith-based initiative? We serve up the doughnut on condition you only get the hole.”

- Star Parker of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education

YET ANOTHER GOVERNMENT FAILURE

“Since the CAN-SPAM Act went into effect in January 2004, unsolicited junk e-mail on the Internet has come to total perhaps 80 percent or more of all e-mail sent, according to most measures. That is up from 50 percent to 60 percent of all e-mail before the law went into effect."

- The New York Times

GOVERNMENT INDOCTRINATION CENTERS

“How can parents not understand that turning over their children to the state to be educated will have consequences? Can anyone truly expect that their child will survive such an experience with even the most shallow understanding of the dangers of too much government?

“If your child is educated in a Catholic private school you would reasonably expect that your child will come away believing that the Catholic way of looking at things is pretty much on mark. Ditto for a Baptist or a Hebrew school. And you somehow think that government schools don't work the same magic? Doesn't it stand to reason that if you send your child to a government school that your child will ‘learn,’ if that's the word, that government is the answer to most of the problems they will face in their lives?”

- Neal Boortz, Nealz Nuze, 2/1/05

A DEMOCRAT WORTH WATCHING?

“Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen is just two years into his first term, but already he's attracting attention as a possible presidential contender in 2008. His state of the state address last night shows why. He's a clear thinking, fiscally conservative Southern Democrat who enjoys hunting and fishing and is able to mention God without sounding politically patronizing. His address last night showed that he can pepper his speech with folksy metaphors and manage to come across as being effortlessly in tune with the concerns of average Americans in a way John Kerry, Howard Dean and Hillary Clinton simply don't.

“He's also begun to amass a fiscally conservative record that most Republicans would be hard-pressed to match. Facing tight budgets, he's leading the charge to cut health care costs by dismantling the state's costly entitlement program, TennCare. Although he wants to leave in place the benefits it provides for children, he's been successful at holding spending down and amassing the largest rainy day fund in the state's history. Notably, he has also firmly refused to go along with any proposal to raise taxes. In contrast, his predecessor in the governor's mansion, Republican Don Sundquist, spent much of his last years in office trying to enact an income tax.”

- Brendan Miniter, Political Diary, 2/1/05

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 2/1/05

2005-02-01T08:39:00.000-05:00

CITIZEN OUTREACH UPDATE

What makes idiot leftist Michael Moore tick? Check out Lowell Ponte’s recent in-depth look at the anti-American propagandist on our “Issues & Answers” page at www.citizenoutreach.com. A real eye-opener.

Also, I’m changing the name of my op/ed column from Muth’s Truths to “Uncommon Sense.” An archive of past columns can be accessed on the Citizen Outreach website under the “Uncommon Sense” page.

Due to popular demand, I’ve changed the Muth’s Truths page to a master list of some of my favorite quotes which I’ve featured occasionally in News & Views, primarily dealing with the proper role of government as articulated by the Founders. If you have any additional quotes you think should be added to the list, please send ‘em to me at chuck@citizenoutreach.com. A great resource for those arguments with that “black sheep” liberal in your family or office!

Lastly, I’ve posted the following new Survey Says! question on the aptly-named Survey Says! page: “Which is the biggest potential national crisis facing the country today?”

* Social Security
* Medicare
* Gay Marriage
* Terrorism
* Hillary’s 2008 presidential run
* Illegal immigration
* Something else

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

DRAT...MORE GOOD NEWS

“Now...let's discuss Democratic reaction to this historic weekend. In short, this (elections in Iraq) is not what Democrats wanted to see. They wanted negative news this weekend, not positive. . . . We have reached a point in this country where one of our own political parties is rooting for the enemy. Their side lost. Stand by for the whining.”

- Neal Boortz, Nealz Nuze, 1/31/05

BLAMING THE MESSENGER

“(John) Kerry did not, actually, offer a credible and coherent alternative. That had a lot to do with Bush being re-elected."

- George Soros, who dumped $26 million of his own money into campaign efforts to defeat Bush last year

KOOL-AID...SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED

“Now, in choosing their new national leader, the Democratic Party is publishing a much more succinct suicide note. It reads 'Chairman Howard Dean'... So why are the Democrats selecting Dean? And why is Harold Ickes, the putative spokesperson for the Clintons, embracing the choice? Because Dean's momentum is unstoppable and nobody wants to stand in the way of the avalanche of self-destructiveness which is pouring onto the Democrats from their left-wing supporters.”

- Columnist and former Clinton adviser Dick Morris

DISORDER IN THE COURT

“A multibillion dollar lawsuit against McDonald's for making people fat has twice been laughed out of court since it was first filed in 2002. But last week the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit partially reinstated it on a technicality...

“What has the personal-injury set so excited is that the appellate court ruling will allow them to collect more ‘evidence’ to support their far-fetched case. These discovery proceedings will cost defendants millions of dollars, which gives the plaintiffs leverage in any potential settlement talks.

“The main effect of the ruling, notes legal scholar Ted Frank in the Web log Overlawyered.com, ‘will be to raise the cost of defending against meritless claims -- which will encourage nuisance settlements, which in turn will encourage more meritless claims in the hopes of extorting such nuisance settlements.’ This is the economic damage wrought by frivolous lawsuits and a legal system that doesn't do nearly enough to discourage them.”

- “Review & Outlook,” Wall Street Journal, 2/1/05

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT IMMIGRATION REFORM

“Immigration is certainly more complex than many border-control advocates would have you believe. But supporters of rational reform that would regularize the flow of immigrant labor should recognize that it must be accompanied by measures to address the legitimate concerns of Americans who worry the federal government has completely lost control of the borders. Many voters don't trust any plan coming out of Washington, whether it's by Mr. Bush or anyone else.”

- John Fund On the Trail, OpinionJournal.com, 1/31/05

STABBING TAXPAYERS IN THE BACK

“The political lust for ever-more tax revenue is a bipartisan affliction, as Indiana voters are finding out to their regret. Their reward for electing their first Republican Governor in 16 years looks like it will be a big tax increase.

“This pocketbook raid comes courtesy of Mitch Daniels, the former White House budget director whose victory last November also brought in GOP control of the Indiana house. (The party already controlled the senate.) He's now helping to define Republicanism in the Hoosier state by proposing a 29% tax increase, levied largely on anyone making $100,000 or more -- including married couples filing jointly and small business owners.

“...In Washington, President Bush called Mr. Daniels ‘The Blade’ for his budget carving. It's a shame that the people he's giving the knife to in Indianapolis are his own voters.”

- “Review & Outlook,” Wall Street Journal, 1/31/05

THE BRUSHFIRE ALERT THAT ALMOST WAS

On Saturday, the Providence Journal reported on a decision by Lincoln, Rhode Island’s school district NOT to participate in the state’s annual spelling bee because, as the Assistant Schools Superintendent Linda Newman explained it, spelling bees violate the spirit of the No Child Left Behind Act, jeopardize students’ self-esteem...and spelling really isn’t all that important. According to Newman, it’s “writing” which is important...though I fail to see how writing misspelled words is consistent with the No Child Left Behind Act. But I digress.

The decision not to allow kids to participate in this year’s spelling bee was apparently made a year ago, but only became public knowledge last week when it was reported in a weekly community newspaper...followed quickly by talk radio. Then more mainstream media picked up on the story, including our friend James Taranto over at Best of the Web. A “hubbub” over the decision then broke out in the community, with a lot of folks apparently agreeing with state Education Commissioner Peter McWalters who said, “This is just so bizarre.”

According to the Providence Journal, “Newman doesn’t understand what all the hubbub is about.” She told the paper that she never even considered sending a letter home to parents informing them of the decision and had only received three phone calls from parents over it. Of course, maybe if Ms. Newman had informed the parents, she might have received more calls. But we’re probably just being nit-picky.

Now, I was all prepared to help get Ms. Newman a few additional calls by posting this incident and her phone number as a Brushfire Alert. I mean, this would be RIGHT UP OUR ALLEY. A stupid decision by government bureaucrats in our public schools which offends common sense.

But when I called the school district to confirm the accuracy of the story, I was informed that a meeting was held yesterday morning and the bone-headed decision was reversed. The kids in Lincoln’s elementary schools WILL participate in the spelling bee on February 17th.

I guess just the THOUGHT of News & Views readers getting tuned up was enough to rattle their chains and force them into making the “right” decision! :)

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 1/31/05

2005-01-31T06:52:00.000-05:00

POSTMASTER BONUSES TO INCREASE

“The first pay raises for postmasters and other U.S. Postal Service managers under a new performance-based pay system will likely be larger than raises and bonuses under past systems.”

- Federal Times, 1/20/05

SO MUCH FOR THE SANCTITY OF THE MAILBOX

“On Jan. 16, when trooper Joel Anderson walked up to what appeared to be a distressed driver, he encountered a man who authorities believe is responsible for stealing more than $700,000 worth of checks from mailboxes across Snohomish County, WA. Troopers who arrested the 39-year-old man found three large trash bags filled with stolen mail, including one un-cashed check for $375,000.”

- Seattle Times, 1/26/05

MAIL FRAUD AN INSIDE JOB

“A U.S. postal inspector has been sentenced in Camden, N.J., for a mail fraud scheme involving credit cards, the Justice Department said Friday. The inspector, Frank Aversa of Ridgewood, N.J., was sentenced to 10 months in prison, fined $10,000 and ordered to pay $16,000 in restitution for his guilty plea in August 2004 to a charge of defrauding the United States.

“In his plea, Aversa admitted beginning in late 2003 he was principally engaged in the investigation of credit card fraud schemes as a U.S. postal inspector. Aversa used his official position to access a U.S. Postal Service mail depository from which he stole several individuals' credit cards, the department said. Aversa then used those individuals' personal information to obtain additional credit cards in their names. Aversa fraudulently charged more than $19,000 worth of merchandise on the stolen credit cards for his personal benefit, the department said.”

- Washington Times, 1/21/05

BLEAK PICTURE

“Business use of the mails is declining as alternatives such as e-mail, faxes, and cell phones substitute for hard copy letters. Despite three rate increases in 18 months, USPS lost well over $2 billion in FY2001 and FY2002, and built up an $11.9 billion debt to the Treasury. It has a negative net worth and mounting obligations for retiree health benefits. USPS would be bankrupt but for the fact that it is a government entity, with Treasury borrowing rights.”

- Congressional Research Service

HIGH RISK

“In its 2005 update for the 109th Congress published last week, the Government Accountability Office outlined the status of 25 high-risk areas identified in 2003 that it said warranted attention by Congress and the Bush administration. The U.S. Postal Service's transformation efforts and long-term outlook remain on the GAO's high-risk list. The GAO first designated the postal service's transformation efforts and long-term outlook as high risk in April 2001 because of the growing risk that the USPS would be unable to continue providing universal postal service at reasonable rates while staying self-supporting through postal revenue.”

- DM News, 1/31/05

OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYTHING IS PEACHY

“The financial viability of the U.S. Postal Service is at risk because its business model is outdated and not sustainable, according to the Government Accountability Office. As part of its High-Risk Series, GAO said USPS faces major financial, operational, governance and human capital challenges as it looks to remain viable in an increasingly competitive environment.

"‘Key trends that demonstrate the need for reform include declining mail volume, particularly for First-Class Mail; changes in the mail mix from high-margin to lower-margin products; changing demographics of the aging postal workforce; growing competition from private delivery companies; and projected revenue declines while expenses increase. The Service continues to face challenges in addressing its large financial liabilities and obligations (e.g., retiree health obligations), as well as in restructuring its infrastructure and workforce to become more efficient and performance based,’ GAO’s report stated.”

- FedSmith.com, 1/28/05

THE DEATH SPIRAL

“First-class mail volume is declining while the number of addresses is increasing, and the Postal Service has but one mechanism - raising rates - to make up the difference between its falling revenues and rising costs…Observers have likened this to a 'death spiral,' where declining business leads to higher rates, which in turn leads to a further decline in business, and so on, and so on, and so on.”

- Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.)

STOP THE MAIL MONOPOLY

“(I)n 1825, Congress outlawed private mail delivery within cities and gave the USPS a monopoly over first-class letters and third-class items like magazines, catalogs, and junk mail (a prize if you can tell the difference).

“But why does the USPS still have this monopoly?

“The only possible argument is that the US economy would grind to a halt without the postal service. It is, after all, one of the largest civilian employers. Its 707,000 workers need 37,000 post offices, 200,000 vehicles, and 15,000 daily flights to deliver some 550 million pieces of mail a day.

“Sure, the numbers look impressive. But so would track miles of horse-drawn trolleys if that industry had a monopoly on travel. Consider that each day 35 billion emails are sent, 1 billion SMS messages traverse the ether, and 2 billion instant messages are delivered by AOL alone. Does any of this take almost three-quarters of a million workers? Nah, just a few latte sippers in data centers to reboot the servers a couple of times a day.”

- Columnist Andy Kessler, Wired Magazine, February ‘05 (NOTE: You can read Mr. Kessler’s full column at www.postalreform.com)

=========================
GOIN’ POSTAL is published by:

Citizen Outreach
Chuck Muth
President/Editor
611 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, #439
Washington, DC 20003
(410) 391-7408

For more information on the issue of postal reform, visit www.postalreform.com

News & Views, 1/29/05

2005-01-29T09:07:00.000-05:00

YOU SPOKE, THE WHITE HOUSE LISTENED

Last October, Citizen Outreach joined a rather large group of conservative organizations who wrote to President Bush urging the White House to side with private property rights and NOT file a brief in an eminent domain case coming before the Supreme Court next month. You can find that letter on our “Letters” page at www.citizenoutreach.com.

Well, as Elizabeth Moser of the Institute for Justice - the group taking the leading role in this case and who put the coalition together - reports this week: “Thanks to your help - property rights prevailed in the latest battle! The U.S. Solicitor General did NOT file a brief in the Kelo v. New London case, due in no small part to your work encouraging the Bush Administration to defend property rights and stay out of the case.” You can read more about the case by going to: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edpmyword27012705jan27,1,3573661,print.story?coll=orl-opinion-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true

A victory, for sure. But the big test comes February 22, when the Supreme Court actually hears the case. I’ll keep you all posted.

WHY DO POST OFFICES EXIST?

“It's been said that Americans will put up with anything - as long as it doesn't involve waiting in line. And as I wasted half a day mailing a gift this past holiday season, I asked myself why that sentiment doesn't apply to the US Postal Service. In the age of instant communication, with trillions of dollars crossing borders in nanoseconds and grandmas sending email, why do post offices even exist? . . . Let's take the first step and end the postal monopoly now. As the USPS collapses under its own weight, entrepreneurs will start companies that will offer today's mail carriers more productive jobs.”

- Columnist Andy Kessler, Wired Magazine, February 2005 (To read the full column, which includes actual private-sector alternatives to the postal monopoly, visit www.postalreform.com)

YEAH, BRING BACK SADDAM!

“The nations in the Middle East are independent, except for Iraq, which began the 20th century under Ottoman occupation and is now beginning the 21st century under American occupation.”

- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Berkley)

DRIVING OVER THE CLIFF (OR OFF THE BRIDGE) WITH UNCLE TED

“The previous Senate Democratic leader, Tom Daschle, is pursuing life in the private sector after, well, let's call it an involuntary retirement. His successor, Harry Reid of Nevada, now has to decide if he wants to lead his party with the same strategy. Mr. Reid is getting lots of advice from his peers, notably Ted Kennedy. . . . Tom Daschle lost his majority and then his own career taking Ted Kennedy's advice. Democrats who want their party to succeed had better hope Harry Reid doesn't make the same mistake.”

- “Review & Outlook,” Wall Street Journal, 1/28/05

PASS THE KOOL-AID

“The most recent folly of the Democrats was to nominate leftist John Kerry as their presidential candidate. . . . Now the Democrats are involved in still another folly, the probable election of their most visible and histrionic leftist, Howard Dean, to lead the party. Democratic National Committee members should, by all means, be encouraged to support him and thus continue their policy of political suicide…

“(Dean) is so identified with the lunatic left that just the sight of his face conjures up an image of defeat for the party, as a prisoner of its radical wing. The Democrats are destined to remain a minority unless they break forcefully with their left, which is now correctly identified as an anti-American, anti-wealth cabal with no legitimacy among the growing middle class.”

- Author and former Democrat Party official Martin L. Gross

WORLD’S SMARTEST DEMOCRAT?

“It used to be the Democrats’ boast that Hillary Clinton is the world’s smartest woman. Maybe yes or may no, but one thing is becoming apparent: she’s smarter than most of her fellow Democrats. Else how to account for Hillary moving rightward while the rest of the party’s leadership remains stuck in a well-to-the-left-of-center rut.”

- Lyn Nofziger’s “Musings,” 1/28/05

HERE COMES HILLARY!

“Memo to the unwary: Hillary's comin,' and she's gonna get you if you don't watch out. (And maybe even if you do.) The junior senator from New York not only has star power, but as strategist and tactician she's miles ahead of the neutered old Democratic bulls in Congress who think the return to power lies through potholed streets trashed by recrimination and reproach...

“Hillary, in fact, is emerging as the bright light in a party of dim bulbs, a fading galaxy of has-beens reeking of halitosis and stale underwear. . . . Hillary Clinton remains the most divisive figure in American politics. But she's also one of the smartest. We live in interesting times.”

- Wes Pruden’s “Pruden On Politics,” 1/28/05

BORDER INSECURITY

“Sixty-four Border Patrol agents have been assaulted in the past three months along a 260-mile stretch of the Arizona-Mexico border - the country's busiest illegal entry point - as the U.S. government continues its fight for "operational control" of the region. As law-enforcement efforts have increased, so have the incidents of violence and the intensity of the attacks on the agents in the stretch known as the Tucson sector - which are averaging one assault every two days and are on pace to increase this year by 80 percent.”

- Washington Times, 1/28/05

HEARTBREAK RIDGE

“Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) issued a statement on Thursday blasting soon to be former Homeland Security Sec. Tom Ridge after reports that funding for 2,000 additional border patrol agents mandated by the recently passed intelligence reform bill would likely not be included in the DHS budget proposal. ‘I'm disappointed but not surprised as Mr. Ridge has never taken border security too seriously,’ said Tancredo, head of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus. ‘It's equivalent to denying a crime ridden city more officers for protection, it simply makes no sense.’"

- Talon News, 1/28/05

MEXICO THREATENS ARIZONA

“A Mexican government official has threatened to use international courts to block an Arizona law meant to limit public benefits and voting rights to legal residents of the U.S. Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez said in a radio interview Wednesday that an international strategy would be used if other attempts to reverse Proposition 200 fail, the Associated Press reported…

“Mexican officials have repeatedly complained about Proposition 200, which went into effect Tuesday. The statewide measure denies most taxpayer benefits to illegal aliens and requires state workers to report applicants for such benefits who may not be eligible. It also requires anyone registering to vote in the state to show proof of citizenship and bring a government-issued ID to the polling place.”

- WorldNetDaily.com, 1/28/05

CAPTURE THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

“Students at the University of North Texas protested President Bush's proposed guest-worker program on Wednesday by staging a ‘Capture the Illegal Immigrant’ game on the campus of the school in Denton, about 35 miles north of Dallas. As part of the game, three members of the Young Conservatives of Texas ‘walked around campus wearing bright orange T-shirts with the words 'Illegal Immigrant' on the front and 'Catch me if u can' on the back,’ the North Texas Daily reported.

“People were encouraged to find these members and ask them why the organization does not support Bush's plan. Participants who caught the 'immigrants' were rewarded with a...candy bar.’ The purpose of the game was ‘to bring illegal immigration to the forefront of campus debate,’ said Michele Connole, a UNT junior and publicity director for Young Conservatives of Texas. The game provoked heated confrontations with some Hispanic students.”

- Greg Pierce’s “Inside Politics,” 1/28/05

LISTEN TO YOUR UNCLE BUCK

“John Candy's title character in 1989's Uncle Buck had the right idea, at least as far as smokeless tobacco giant UST is concerned. ‘Hey, I stopped smoking cigarettes. Isn't that something? I'm on to cigars now. I'm on to a five-year plan. I eliminated cigarettes, then I go to cigars, then I go to pipes, then I go to chewing tobacco, then I'm on to that nicotine gum.’

“In this year's annual earnings report, UST noted that the plans it put into place last year to attract some of America's 50 million smokers to switch to smokeless tobacco were well ahead of its original expectations. UST points to a growing segment within the public health community that says that a switch to smokeless tobacco is a pragmatic strategy for smokers to continue enjoy tobacco products without the same level of health risk posed by cigarettes.”

- The Motley Fool, 1/27/05

STIRRIN’ THE POT

“Of all the things that I say on the air, there are two things that are absolutely, positively guaranteed to bring hellfire, damnation, condemnation and the worst wishes of loving people down about my head and shoulders. The first would be any statement which would indicate that I don't hate, fear, loathe and condemn homosexuals. The second would be an expression in my belief in evolution.

“So, just to stir the puddin' a bit more today, let me quote Richard Burton who, if we can draw anything from his experiences with Elizabeth Taylor, was NOT a homosexual: ‘I have never known anyone who took great exception to homosexuals...that there wasn't something drastically wrong with that very person himself.’ Uh oh. Here comes the email. Why do I keep doing this to myself?”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz, 1/28/05

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 1/27/05

2005-01-27T07:11:00.000-05:00

THE GREATEST STORY UNTOLD

“Good things are happening over in Iraq. On the nightly news it looks like all hell is breaking loose, but I know, from being over there, there's another side to the story."

- Actor Gary Sinise, who regularly tours with the USO and who co-founded an organization to collect and distribute school supplies to Iraqi children, Political Diary, 1/26/05

IT’S THE SPENDING, STUPID

“Your money has never been safe in the government’s hands, and it never will be. Governments spend money; it’s just their nature.”

- Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas)

BAD DEAL

“In fact, anyone can end up losing his or her lifelong contributions to Social Security just by dying early.”

- Elizabeth Crowley, Political Diary, 1/26/05

GEE, NOT EVEN TERRORISM?

“Nothing is more threatening to the foundation of our country than the radical homosexual agenda and its assault on marriage and the family."

- Sadie Fields, president of the Georgia Christian Coalition, Washington Times, 1/26/05

HUG-AN-ALIEN PLAN DOA

“…(T)he president’s approach to the illegal [alien] problem, which has been to welcome them with open arms and offer them some sort of guest worker status (amnesty by any other name is still amnesty) has been met with nothing that approaches enthusiasm, largely within his own party. In fact, at present his chances of getting congress to go along with him range from zero all the way to a snowball’s chances in hell.”

- Lyn Nofziger’s Musings, 1/26/05

DRIVING IS A CIVIL RIGHT?

“A bevy of bold-faced celebrities is backing a bill to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. More than 30 actors, writers and musicians - including Diane Keaton, Carlos Santana and ‘Million Dollar Baby’ writer Paul Haggis - took out an ad Monday in the trade paper Variety urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to approve the bill, claiming it would make roads safer and that driving is a civil right. . . . Among the ad's other signatories are Martin Sheen and his son Emilio Estevez, Alfre Woodard, Danny Glover and musician Jackson Browne.

“Opponent Mike Spence disagreed; he is leading a campaign to permanently prohibit undocumented immigrants in California from obtaining driver's licenses and other social services. ‘I think it's another example of how rich Hollywood elites are out of touch with what's going on in California,’ Spence said. ‘They don't see the impact of immigration unless it's hiring someone to help out with chores around their mansions...and they're not in competition with illegal immigrants for jobs.’"

- Associated Press, 1/24/05

EVERYBODY’S GOOD AT SOMETHING

“New York City's government is highly skilled in some matters, such as raising taxes and giving away the store to organized labor.”

- Holman W. Jenkins Jr., Political Diary, 1/26/05

YER PUBLIK SKOOLS INAXION

“Two boys (in Ocala, FL) were arrested for making pencil-and-crayon stick figure drawings depicting a 10-year-old classmate being stabbed and hung, police said. The children, charged with a felony, were taken from school in handcuffs. The 9- and 10-year-old boys were arrested Monday and charged with making a written threat to kill or harm another person. They were also suspended from school.”

- Associated Press, 1/25/05

FROM THE LAND OF FRUITS & NUTS

“The San Francisco Commission on the Environment unanimously approved a proposal Tuesday evening asking the city to charge grocery shoppers 17 cents for every paper or plastic bag they take home. If approved by the Board of Supervisors and mayor, which could take six months, the fee would be the first of its kind in the country…”

- San Francisco Chronicle, 1/26/05

PAY FOR PLAY...AGAIN?

“Remember the Armstrong Williams flap earlier this month? In simple terms, we learned that the Bush Administration paid a company controlled by Armstrong Williams about $250,000 so that Williams would promote Bush's No Child Left Behind Act in his columns and on his television show. Not good. Williams has apologized...and has lost his syndicated column.

“Well...it's happened again. Drudge is reporting this morning that syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher signed a $21,500 contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to promote Bush's $300 million initiative encouraging marriage as a way of strengthening families. (Do we really need to spend $300 million to promote this?) Gallagher says that it never occurred to her that she should disclose the payment when she wrote in favor of Bush's policy objective. Sad...really sad. We'll let you know when Gallagher regains her credibility.”

- Neal Boortz, Nealz Nooz, 1/26/05

ETHICS & DISCLOSURE

“In 2002, syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher repeatedly defended President Bush's push for a $300 million initiative encouraging marriage as a way of strengthening families. ‘The Bush marriage initiative would emphasize the importance of marriage to poor couples’ and ‘educate teens on the value of delaying childbearing until marriage,’ she wrote in National Review Online, for example, adding that this could ‘carry big payoffs down the road for taxpayers and children.’

“But Gallagher failed to mention that she had a $21,500 contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to help promote the president's proposal. . . . ‘Did I violate journalistic ethics by not disclosing it?’ Gallagher said yesterday. ‘I don't know. You tell me.’”

- Columnist Howard Kurtz, 1/26/05

GALLAGHER RESPONDS

“On January 26, 2005, Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post wrote that I ‘had a $21,500 contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to help promote the president's proposal.’

“To me, this is an extremely serious charge. It is also completely false. I was not paid to promote the President’s marriage proposal. In 2001 I was approached by HHS to do research and writing, not on the President’s $300 million marriage initiative, but on marriage: specifically four brochures on the social science evidence on the benefits of marriage for populations serviced by HHS (such as unwed parents), a draft of an essay for Wade Horn, and a training presentation on the social science evidence on the benefits of marriage for regional HHS managers…

“I did not and would not accept any payment to promote anyone else’s policies of any kind in my newspaper column or anywhere else.”

- Columnist Maggie Gallagher

HHS BACKS UP GALLAGHER

“Maggie Gallagher was hired because she is a nationally recognized expert of long-standing on research related to the benefits of marriage for children and families. The Administration on Children and Families (ACF) did not pay Gallagher to promote President Bush’s healthy marriage initiative. Gallagher’s contract was to provide expertise on marriage issues and to help the Administration for Children and Families draft and edit materials. ACF paid Gallagher – as well as several other experts in the field of marriage -- for unique and widely recognized expertise. This is not unusual. When ACF’s objectives were fulfilled, Gallagher’s contract ended.”

- Dr. Wade Horn of Department of Health and Human Services

SURVEY SAYS!

Since the post office says it wants to be treated like any other private-sector business, should it begin offering services on Sundays for customer convenience like other private-sector businesses?

* Yes
* No
* Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

==========================

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 1/26/05

2005-01-26T09:47:00.000-05:00

JOHNNY CARSON...LIBERTARIAN-CONSERVATIVE?

"Once on the show, somebody asked me where tomorrow's comedians were coming from, and I told him, based upon my recent observations, from the Democratic and Republican parties."

"If you don't hurt anybody else, what you do is your own business."

"Giving students latitude for personal freedom doesn't result in everybody jumping into the hay with everybody else. They're still just as selective about whom they have sex with. It's not promiscuity; it's just that private behavior is left up to the individual. I'm for that."

"(Marijuana is) just a mild stimulant, actually. And I think that the laws against its use are repressive out of all proportion. But that doesn't mean I'd want to try it myself -- or any of the other hallucinogens; it's tough enough to navigate in this world without drugs."

"I get the feeling that George Orwell may have been right when he predicted that Big Brother might be watching all of us someday."

"I just don't feel that Johnny Carson should become a social commentator. . . . Who cares what entertainers on the air think about international affairs? Who would want to hear me about Vietnam? They can hear all they want from people with reason to be respected as knowledgeable."- Johnny Carson in a 1967 Playboy interview with Alex Haley

FAHREN-HYPE LAYS OSCAR GOOSE-EGG

“Michael Moore's Bush-bashing film ‘Fahrenheit 911’ did not receive a single Academy Award nomination on Tuesday morning, when the list of contenders was read in Hollywood. However last May, about five months before the U.S. presidential election, Moore's film became the first documentary in decades to win the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.”

- CNS News.com, 1/25/05

AND THE LOSER IS...

“That Michael Moore's ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ was shut out from the Academy Award nominations yesterday should come as no surprise. . . . To be nominated for an Academy Award, Mr. Moore had to win the election. You can say many things about Hollywood, but there is one Tinseltown verity that will never change: It doesn't reward losers.”

- “Review & Outlook,” Wall Street Journal, 1/26/05

TAKE CARE OF BIZ AT HOME FIRST

“Spreading liberty throughout the world, as the president wants to do, is a nice idea, but he is living in a dream world if he thinks it is practical or even possible. When you come right down to it, it’s a full time job just maintaining liberty in these United States, what with 98 percent of our elected officials forever wanting to pass laws placing new limits on American rights and freedom. . . . Even in this land of the free, even a casual observer can see that more and more people are willing to trade bits of their freedom in exchange for government-mandated security.”

- Former Reagan senior adviser Lyn Nofziger, “Musings,” 1/25/05

TURNER COMPARES FOX TO HITLER

“Former media mogul Ted Turner said at a television conference on Tuesday that the Fox News Channel's popularity is similar to what Adolph Hitler experienced in Germany prior to World War II. . . . A Fox News spokesman responded to Turner's biting remarks by stating, ‘Ted is understandably bitter having lost his ratings, his network, and now his mind. We wish him well.’”

- Talon News, 1/26/05

BLOWING THEIR OPPORTUNITY ALREADY

“Given the fact that Republicans are just all over the map on Social Security, the chance of getting reform done this year is looking to be unlikely."

- Stephen Moore of the Free Enterprise Fund

THE CURE FOR WHAT AILS SOCIAL SECURITY

“Social Security reform promises to be the biggest domestic issue this year in Washington, but most of the proposals are nothing more than flim-flam. The only honest solution to the future insolvency of the program is for Congress to stop spending so much money. Unless Congress makes real cuts in spending-- and stops spending Social Security taxes on completely unrelated programs-- millions of Americans simply will not receive even a fraction of the money they paid into Social Security. Ignore the rhetoric about tax increases and cuts in benefits, as though you are to blame for the problem! All Social Security obligations could be met if Congress did not spend so much on other things.”

- Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), Texas Straight Talk, 1/24/05

SNARLIN’ ARLEN’S REVENGE

“Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) has outraged conservatives by hiring a former NAACP legal staffer. Hannibal G. Williams II Kemerer was most recently the liberal group's assistant general counsel. Conservatives are seeing the move as revenge for their efforts to keep the Pennsylvania Republican from taking over the chairmanship of the committee that will determine which judicial nominations come to the Senate floor...

“Kay Daly, president of the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary, told Talon News, ‘This is precisely why many of us opposed Specter's ascension to the chairmanship in the first place. I don't know what the surprise would be here -- this is a classic Arlen Specter move. He is clearly oblivious as to why this would be a terrible choice.’"

- Jeff Gannon of Talon News

MULTI-FAMILY VALUES

“A Tennessee state lawmaker who heads a committee on child welfare has acknowledged that he lives in separate homes with two women whose children he fathered. Sen. John Ford testified in a Juvenile Court hearing in November as part of his defense in a child-support case over increasing his financial support of another child he fathered with a third woman, the Commercial Appeal newspaper of Memphis reported Sunday.

“The Memphis Democrat has tried to make use of a law he authored that keeps court-ordered support lower when a father is financially responsible for other children. Mr. Ford said he lives some days with ex-wife Tamara Mitchell-Ford and the three children they had together. On others, he said, he stays with his longtime girlfriend, Connie Mathews, and their two children.”

- Greg Pierce’s “Inside Politics,” 1/25/05

SUPER-SIZED COMMON SENSE

“If I choose to supersize and I don't exercise and I become overweight and develop diabetes, I shouldn't be able to turn around and sue the manufacturer of the food for my poor health decisions. You cannot sue your way to good health.”

- Virginia state Delegate Bill Janis, Henrico Republican, Washington Times, 1/25/05

MONOPOLY DEATH SPIRAL

“What is a $60 billion annual industry that is supported by 9 million jobs and is in a ‘death spiral’? If you guessed the U.S. Postal Service, you're right.”

- John McCaslin’s “Inside the Beltway,”

SUNDAY POSTAL SERVICE

“I am ambivalent about Sundays, but the post office could expand their Bankers Hours. They don't need to close at 1 or 2 pm on Saturdays. And their parking lots don't need to be for Employees Only, as some are. They don't need to have their lobby machines rigged to give change in Susan B. Anthonys. And I think their general work attitudes might improve somewhat if they didn't ban possession of firearms by customers.”

- News & Views reader

SURVEY SAYS!

Since the post office says it wants to be treated like any other private-sector business, should it begin offering services on Sundays for customer convenience like other private-sector businesses?

· Yes
· No
· Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 11/31/04

2004-12-31T10:47:00.000-05:00

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THE RIGHT AND THE RIGHT COME TOGETHER

With the dawn of a new year, the fight for limited government and individual freedom begins anew tomorrow. Not only will we do battle with the usual socialists in the Democrat party, but the “compassionate” big-government “conservatives” in the GOP, as well. Frankly, as my friend Lyn Nofziger pointed out in his blog a couple weeks back, it’s a battle we’ve been losing and continue to lose, as more and more Americans seem content to let government live their lives for them...all in the interest of safety and security, of course.

That being the case, it’s critical that limited government folks in the GOP find a way to work with limited government folks in the Libertarian Party. We all want pretty much the same thing, we just differ on the best way politically of getting it.

With that in mind, the Libertarian Party has asked me to speak at their convention in Los Angeles February 18-20...and I’ve accepted. If you’re in the neighborhood and are so disposed, I hope you’ll consider joining me at this important three-day conference. For additional details, please go to: http://www.LPC.Org

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

“When Muslims are dying and need our help, we give it, as when thousands of Muslims from Indonesia to Somalia suffered from the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami. The United States will send millions of dollars in aid, not just from our government but from ordinary Americans who want to help. We don't ask whether those suffering share our values or politics or religion, whether they like us or wish us ill. No doubt, among those families who will receive American help in some of these nations will be sympathizers of our enemies. We will help them not because we hope to change their minds but because it is right to do so. And that is the difference between those fighting for good and those fighting for evil.”

- Columnist Linda Chavez

ALWAYS TIME FOR SOME BUSH-WHACKING

“President Bush finally roused himself yesterday from his vacation in Crawford, Tex., to telephone his sympathy to the leaders of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia, and to speak publicly about the devastation of Sunday's tsunamis in Asia.”

“We hope Secretary of State Colin Powell was privately embarrassed when, two days into a catastrophic disaster that hit 12 of the world's poorer countries and will cost billions of dollars to meliorate, he held a press conference to say that America, the world's richest nation, would contribute $15 million. That's less than half of what Republicans plan to spend on the Bush inaugural festivities."

- New York Times editorial on the initial disaster aid figure the U.S. announced for tsunami victims

BY WHAT RIGHT?

“The United States government...should not give any money to help the tsunami victims. Why? Because the money is not the government's to give.

“Every cent the government spends comes from taxation. Every dollar the government hands out as foreign aid has to be extorted from an American taxpayer first. Year after year, for decades, the government has forced American taxpayers to provide foreign aid to every type of natural or man-made disaster on the face of the earth: from the Marshall Plan to reconstruct a war-ravaged Europe to the $15 billion recently promised to fight AIDS in Africa to the countless amounts spent to help the victims of earthquakes, fires and floods--from South America to Asia. Even the enemies of the United States were given money extorted from American taxpayers: from the billions given away by Clinton to help the starving North Koreans to the billions given away by Bush to help the blood-thirsty Palestinians under Arafat's murderous regime.

“The question no one asks about our politicians' ‘generosity’ towards the world's needy is: By what right? By what right do they take our hard-earned money and give it away?”

- David Holcberg of the Ayn Rand Institute

SURVEY SAYS!

Should President Bush provide financial disaster aid to tsunami victims directly from the U.S. treasury...or make a public appeal for Americans to donate voluntarily to private relief efforts?

* Give the money from the government treasury
* Ask for voluntary, personal donations
* Huh?

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR

“Democrats and the media have been reluctant to spotlight the breadth and depth of Republican strength in 2004. Strangely, so have Republicans. It's almost as if they don't believe their own good fortune. ‘We're no longer a 49% nation,’ says Ken Mehlman, Mr. Bush's campaign manager in 2004 and now the Republican national chairman, in a breathtaking understatement. And Mr. Mehlman warns that the Republican majority is ‘not overwhelming’ and won't produce ‘automatic victories.’

“True, but Republicans have the presidency, the most senators (55) since 1931, and are near their modern peak in the House (232). They have all but completed the sweeping political realignment they could only dream about a generation ago. In the dark days after the 1964 rout, those dreams seemed quixotic, farfetched, even crazed. Now, they've been realized.”

- Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, THE PARTY’S OVER

“After three vote tallies and nearly two months of waiting, Democrat Christine Gregoire was certified as Washington’s governor-elect yesterday…”

- Associated Press, 12/31/04

O.J. IN A MAIL TRUCK

“Yesterday, in Pembroke Pines and Cooper City, FL, several U.S. postal inspectors driving unmarked cars sped after a letter carrier fleeing arrest in a mail truck at about 10:15 a.m., according to Postal Inspector Del Alvarez. The letter carrier, who was not identified by postal officials, wove in and out of traffic for several miles in what was described as a medium-speed chase. Then the letter carrier headed home, turning into a parking lot. Stopping the truck, the carrier surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody. Alvarez declined to say why inspectors arrested the letter carrier. He said only that there had been an investigation, and several federal charges were pending.”

- Sun-Sentinel, 12/29/04

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/30/04

2004-12-30T13:40:00.000-05:00

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REMEMBERING AN AMERICAN HERO

“American hero Pat Tillman won a Silver Star this year. But unlike Kerry, he did not write his own recommendation or live to throw his medals over the White House fence in an anti-war rally. Tillman was an American original: virtuous, pure and masculine like only an American male can be. The stunningly handsome athlete walked away from a three-year, $3.6 million NFL contract with the Arizona Cardinals to join the U.S. military and fight in Afghanistan, where he was killed in April.

“He wanted no publicity and granted no interviews about his decision to leave pro football in the prime of his career and join the Army Rangers. Tillman gave only an indirect explanation for his decision on the day after 9/11, when he said: ‘My great grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, and a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I really haven't done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that.’ He said he wanted to ‘pay something back’ to America.

“He died bringing freedom and democracy to 28 million Afghans -- pretty much confirming Michael Moore's view of America as an imperialist cowboy predator. There is not another country in the world -- certainly not in continental Europe -- that could have produced a Pat Tillman.”

- Columnist Ann Coulter

WHERE’S OSAMA?

“As I watched the news of the devastation that the tsunami wrought upon the nations ringing the Indian Ocean this weekend, and watched the death toll climb rapidly, two thoughts went through my mind. The first was that almost certainly the United States would bear much of the burden of relief efforts, as government agencies and private relief organizations began to call upon individual and corporate donors to help fund the massive recovery operation. The second thought was that the nations who were devastated were to a large extent Muslim nations, and that we can count on the Islamic nations to do nothing. Osama Bin Laden, where are you now?”

- Laura Mansfield of the Northeast Intelligence Network

IDIOTS SAY THE STUPIDEST THINGS

“Considering that American travelers are included in the 60,000+ casualties of the recent Asian tsunami, one would think that America's full support would go to afflicted countries. While protecting human life from natural disaster is not a significant political issue, preserving American vacationers seems like a platform that might find favor in the legislature.

“However, the American government is currently pledging a mere $35 million in support to the distressed region. This equates to less than $600 per lost soul and does nothing to protect against future disasters. Compare that to the $87 billion appropriation for war in Iraq and you'll begin to question whether our war on terror is truly a defensive measure. If you divide this year's war spending by the total casualties of 911 you'll find that our $25 million per life has not been well spent.”

- Kevin Hotaling, Desconu.com

SURVEY SAYS!

Should President Bush provide financial disaster aid to tsunami victims directly from the U.S. treasury...or make a public appeal for Americans to donate voluntarily to private relief efforts?

* Give the money from the government treasury
* Ask for voluntary, personal donations
* Huh?

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

AND DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YA...

“The United States was deemed ‘stingy’ in its immediate promise of $15 million in aid to the post-tsunami relief effort in Southeast Asia by the United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, Jan Egeland. I have two words for the U-G for HA & ER Egeland: Get Out. In fact, I have the same two words for the whole United Nations: Get Out.”

- Rich Galen’s “Mullings,” 12/29/04

TIME FOR REGIME CHANGE...AT THE UN

“To suppose that the United Nations will reform itself from within is to miss the eerie unreality of the place. It is not simply changes in some of the staffing that are needed, or U.N. commissioned reports recommending that the U.N. ‘reform’ by way of doing even more of whatever it does already. What's needed is something that among sovereign states we have come to call regime change--the basic alteration of a system that in its privileges, immunities and practices resembles rather too closely some of the dictatorships that still pack its ranks.”

- Claudia Rosett of the Hudson Institute, Wall Street Journal, 12/29/04

COULTERGEIST

“The single biggest event of 2004 was the Election Day exit poll, which...made John Kerry the president for a few moments. But in a move that stunned the experts, American voters chose ‘moral values’ over an America-bashing trophy husband and his blow-dried, ambulance-chasing sidekick.”

- Columnist Ann Coulter

OPEN YOUR EYES AND PRIVATIZE

“Two years after state officials took over the failing Philadelphia school system and made the move to contract out management of about one-sixth of its schools, test scores are up and class sizes are down. . . . Paul Vallas, chief executive of the school district, predicted that half of the city’s schools will be privately run within four years.”

- Reuters, 12/29/04

ANOTHER DEMOCRAT CRIME FAMILY?

“Ten days ago, FBI agents armed with search warrants reportedly raided the homes of California Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D) and Perata's son. According to the AP, ‘[FBI] agents sought tax records and copies of other documents related to Lily Hu, a...lobbyist who once worked for Perata.’ . . . The AP also wrote that the federal grand jury investigation is focused on ‘the business activities of some of [Perata's] family members and associates.’”

- Ron Gunzburger’s “Politics1”

HORN O’ PLENTY OF ABSTINENCE

“Abstinence-education supporters are cheering the recent move of the nation's two largest abstinence-grant programs to a new - and friendlier - agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), which is led by child psychologist Wade Horn, recently received oversight of the $50 million Title V and $104 million community-based abstinence-education grant programs…

“Young people should be encouraged to make good decisions about sex, smoking, drinking, drugs, staying in school and using seat belts, said Mr. Horn, a child psychologist. Sexual abstinence, he added, ‘is the only 100 percent effective way’ for a teen to avoid becoming a parent or getting a sexually transmitted disease.”

- Washington Times, 12/30/04

JESUS VS. JESUS

“For many conservatives, Jesus is the great moralist. His campaign against sin inspires, among other things, the public display of the Ten Commandments and fuels opposition to gay marriage. ... Liberals believe in a more socially minded messiah. He wants more government spending on social-welfare programs and supports the minimum wage.”

- National Review Online columnist Joseph Loconte

FREEDOM & RELIGION

“I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy. But, lest it should be supposed that I believe in many other things in addition to these, I shall, in the progress of this work, declare the things I do not believe, and my reasons for not believing them.

“I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church. All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.

“I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine.”

- Thomas Paine in “Age of Reason”

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“Religion and government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.”

- James Madison

"I think it's very important for people who are serving (in public office) to make sure there's a separation of church and state."

- President George W. Bush, 6/15/04

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/29/04

2004-12-29T07:11:00.000-05:00

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WHO DIDN’T SEE THIS COMING?

“With the world's attention focused on the earthquake/tsunami that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in at least 10 countries that surround the Indian Ocean, media organizations like Reuters are pinning part of the blame for the catastrophe on ‘global warming.’”

- CNS News, 12/29/04

NOT BUSH’S TO GIVE

“The UN's Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs has criticized the USA for only giving $15 million to the effort to help those effected by the quake and tsunami. I have to admit that when I heard on the radio yesterday that Colin Powell had announced that each of the affected countries would immediately receive $100,000, that it was the smallest amount of money I had ever heard mentioned in the same sentence with the words ‘United States.’ I mean that is less than a loaded Hummer. But then I remembered the old Davy Crockett story where-in Congressman Davy voted against giving aid to the victims of a Washington, DC fire because it wasn’t his to give.

“I think this would be a great time for Bush to announce that he could not give anything from the country, as the country itself has no legitimate authority to dispense monies for those kinds of purposes. I bet if he then asked the American people to do what they could, the folks in Sri Lanka and Sumatra would see the real spirit of American generosity.

“I guess I have finally become dependent on the government myself. When I imagine the horror experienced by those who survived the events I want to help. Then I hear my government is going to do it for me and I think ‘Great, I already gave....on April 15th.’ Then I realize all over again that when the government does it one is never sure it will be done right.”

- News & Views reader Dr. Michael E. Clifford of Las Vegas, NV (Editor’s Note: If you haven’t done so recently, go to www.citizenoutreach.com and click on the “Not Yours To Give” button to read the Davy Crockett story Dr. Clifford refers to above)

FOUNDING WISDOM

“Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government."

- James Madison

SURVEY SAYS!

Should President Bush provide financial disaster aid to tsunami victims directly from the U.S. treasury...or make a public appeal for Americans to donate voluntarily to private relief efforts?

* Give the money from the government treasury
* Ask for voluntary, personal donations
* Huh?

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

MOVE OVER BIG BROTHER, HERE COMES BIG MOTHER

“Lots of people today claim we are living in a Mommy State. We're children to be scolded, smacked, ordered around. Wear your seatbelt, lose weight, be nice to everyone. It's worse than annoying. It can drive you batty. It's like being in kindergarten all your life, or being forced to sit at the little kid's table during Thanksgiving when you're 35 years old…

"There's truth to the theory about Mommy. I don't think it goes far enough, though. Mommy is now insane. . . . Now, we've got kids expelled from school for bringing nail clippers or aspirin…

"Freedom to slavery to going bonkers. How did all of this creep up on us? I think lots of people wanted it, without the foggiest idea of where it invariably leads. They started wanting security, to be taken care of by the Mommy State, to be protected from life, to have the world made of Nerf. It's a delusion. They'll find that out, in the long run."

- Columnist Bob Wallace

IN DEFENSE OF THE DEFENSE SECRETARY

“(Donald) Rumsfeld is arguably the best defense secretary since the position was created in 1947. A brief review of Mr. Rumsfeld's record is in order to remind his critics why. He has rebuilt the U.S. military, which has freed 50 million people from tyranny, decimated al Qaeda, won two wars and is busily consolidating the second of those. None of his predecessors back to James V. Forrestal, appointed by President Truman, can claim anything approaching such a record.”

- Washington Times, 12/27/04

THIS CAN’T BE A GOOD THING

“Women are increasingly having fewer children and a growing proportion are choosing not to have any children at all. And those who have children are delegating their care to others."

- Columnist Neil Gilbert

SURPRISE: SELF-ESTEEM FAD A BUNCH OF CRAP

“[W]e have found little to indicate that indiscriminately promoting self-esteem in today's children or adults, just for being themselves, offers society any compensatory benefits beyond the seductive pleasure it brings to those engaged in the exercise."

- Roy F. Baumeister, Jennifer D. Campbell, Joachim I. Krueger and Kathleen D. Vohs in the January issue of Scientific American

CELEBRATING TWO AMERICAS

“As Americans, we must ask ourselves: Are we really so different? Must we stereotype those who disagree with us? Do we truly believe that all red-state residents are ignorant racist fascist knuckle-dragging NASCAR-obsessed cousin-marrying roadkill-eating tobacco-juice-dribbling gun-fondling religious fanatic rednecks; or that all blue-state residents are godless unpatriotic pierced-nose Volvo-driving France-loving left-wing communist latte-sucking tofu-chomping holistic-wacko neurotic vegan weenie perverts?

"Yes. This is called 'diversity,' and it is why we are such a great nation - a nation that has given the world both nuclear weapons and SpongeBob SquarePants."

- Columnist Dave Barry

CELEBRATING THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

“Not surprisingly, calls to abolish the electoral college system are heard most loudly among left elites concentrated largely on the two coasts. Liberals favor a very strong centralized federal government, and have contempt for the concept of states' rights (a contempt now shared, unfortunately, by the Republican Party). They believe in federalizing virtually every area of law, leaving states powerless to challenge directives sent down from Washington. The electoral college system threatens liberals because it allows states to elect the president, and in many states the majority of voters still believe in limited government and the Constitution.”

- Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Straight Talk, 12/27/04 (You can read Rep. Paul full column on the Electoral College and liberal efforts to quash it on our “Issues & Answers” page at www.citizenoutreach.com)

THE REAL DANGER TO THE REPUBLIC

“Ask yourself, could any living politicians with unlimited time compose anything comparable to President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address or Second Inaugural? And as regards character, no politician for generations has come within light years of Washington or Lincoln.

“Children are taught complacency with mediocrity and jealousy of genius. Standards of achievement plunge to avoid psychological distress to the indolent. Moral distinctions among civilizations or religion are discouraged. To suggest the superiority of Beethoven over Britney Spears, or Rembrandt over Jackson Pollock is to invite an indictment for cultural snobbery.

“If the United States continues to disdain and abandon the ideals and customs of its birth, then its death, like the Roman Empire, is simply a matter of time.”

- Columnist Bruce Fein

NEW LOSES OLD CASE

“A federal judge in Washington has upheld the right of the American military to place its personnel under United Nations command and force those soldiers to wear insignia designed by the world body. The ruling from Judge Paul Friedman came in the case of a former Army specialist, Michael New, who resisted orders that he serve in a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Macedonia nearly a decade ago. He also refused, during unit muster in 1995, to wear the light blue U.N. cap and shoulder patch.

“Mr. New was court-martialed for failing to obey the order to don the cap and patch. He was convicted in 1996 and given a "bad conduct" discharge from the Army. Military appeals courts upheld the decision. In his 35-page decision filed Wednesday, Judge Friedman rejected all of the legal arguments put forth by Mr. New's attorneys. The judge said most of the ex-soldier's assertions involved thorny political disputes best left unresolved by the judiciary.”

- New York Times, 12/24/04

(Editor’s Note: Gee, if only Judge Friedman’s colleagues had applied the notion of keeping the judiciary out of “thorny political disputes” best left to the people and their legislative representatives when it came to, say, abortion and gay marriage. Friedman is as liberal as the day is long, as I outlined in yesterday’s DC Confidential, but on this particular point, wouldn’t it be nice if his fellow judicial activists actually took it to heart?)

GOVERNATOR STILL ON GOP RESERVATION

“Reporters thought that Arnold Schwarzenegger made news in the event-starved days before Christmas when he supposedly told a German newspaper he wanted Republicans to ‘move a little further left and place more weight on the center,’ as the Associated Press version of his interview had him saying…

“But he was misquoted by German reporter Marc Hujer. What he actually said was: ‘I think that right now the Republican Party is all the way from the right to the center. And the Democratic Party is all the way from the left to the center. And I like the Republican Party to cross that centerline. Keep it to the right where it is, but I mean cross over that centerline a little bit, because that would take immediately away 5% from the Democrats and be home free for good. That's the trick.’

“Mr. Hujer says the governor never recommended explicitly that Republicans should edge toward the left. ‘He did not use the word 'left,’ ' Mr. Hujer admitted.”

- John Fund, Political Diary, 12/27/04

CHEW ON THIS

“The European Union's highest court recently upheld the E.U.'s 12-year-old ban on oral snuff, saying it serves ‘the objective of health promotion.’ Since cigarettes, a far more hazardous form of tobacco, are still legally available in Europe, the E.U.'s policy is rather like banning bows and arrows as an intolerable threat to public safety while allowing a free trade in machine guns.”

- Columnist Jacob Sullum (Editor’s Note: Sullum’s column is relevant to similar insanity over cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products being put forth by our own FDA here in the good ol’ US of A. Catch his full column on our “Issues & Answers” page today at www.citizenoutreach.com)

LANCING NASCAR

“Although it is true that the USPS has ended their relationship with Lance Armstrong, they have created a new sponsorship of NASCAR! Their ridiculous desire for advertisement and sponsorship has not ended yet. If they are so concerned about keeping customers, why not put that money towards hiring competent employees, rather than advertise for a ‘business’ that has been around longer than any of us?”

- News & Views reader M.R. of Las Vegas, NV

MAJOR LEAGUE WASTE OF MONEY

“You left out of your recent ‘Goin' Postal’ issue that while the USPS finally dropped Lance Armstrong, they sponsored the Major League Baseball playoffs this year. I almost ran my car into the median the first time I heard on the radio ‘Tonight’s broadcast of the Major League Baseball division series is brought to you by the United States Postal Service.’ At least that’s something they brought to the right address and delivered on-time. It would be funny if it weren't true.”

- News & Views reader from Long Beach, CA

GOIN’ POSTAL

“Think about this one: A person sends a first class letter and pays the .37 cent stamp. The postal service will deliver it to your home for that .37 cents. This costs them for employees, autos, gas, oil, tires and whatever else the costs are of delivering that letter, right?

“Yet if you rent the smallest PO box from them in the same post office where the letter is sorted - and they don’t have all the extra costs they have with delivering the mail to your door - it will cost you a minimum of $60.00 dollars a year. They charge you more for them doing less. Make sense? Only with the Post Office.”

- News & Views reader Bob Lippincott of Grand Saline, Texas

PUSHIN’ THE ENVELOPE

“The letter from Lou Cook of Goldsboro, NC (regarding how the post office doesn’t pay to license and register its vehicles with the various states) prompted me to provide a few other items of interest. The USPS takes land in municipalities to build its facilities – usually prime commercial property. The property is promptly taken off the tax rolls as the USPS is not only exempt from vehicle taxes, but also real estate and utility taxes. The large Regional facilities, similar to the one in Carol Stream, utilize the services of our police and fire departments, they have hundreds of trucks travel our roads daily adding to the wear and tear, but never contribute a dime to the governmental bodies that incur this cost. The taxpayers of our municipality – commercial and residential – pay those tax dollars.”

- News & Views reader Pamela J. Fenner, Carol Stream Village Trustee, Carol Stream, IL

MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT

“Many times the large USPS office here has a long line with 20+ people waiting and only one or two windows, out of eight open. I dug around and got the local phone number for that USPS Office and added it to my cell phone. The next time I went and found 25 people in line with only two windows open, I called the Post Office and asked for the Postmaster. When she came on the phone, I asked if she would personally come out and take a look at the long line and get more clerks to open the closed windows and not close even one until the line was eliminated.

“The other people in line, who could not avoid hearing my call cheered when I hung up. Chuck, it was like magic. Five obviously non-working clerks appeared from their playroom in less than one minute and began opening the windows. I've done this twice and made 25 new friends each time. The biggest obstacle to this solution is their resistance to giving out the direct phone numbers for an office. With a little work you can get it, though.”

- News & Views reader John Falk of Redding CA

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/27/04

2004-12-27T08:24:00.000-05:00

THE SANCTITY OF THE MAIL

“A postal worker was fired and could face charges after federal authorities, acting on a tip, found thousands of pieces of undelivered mail in the letter-carrier's home and garage. U.S. Postal Inspector Brett Brumbaugh said a citizen who discovered more than 500 pieces of undelivered mail contacted law enforcement officials Thursday. He would not elaborate on where the mail was found. The investigation led authorities to search a temporary postal worker's home Friday, Brumbaugh said. He said the mail found at the home included everything from credit card applications to packages to bills. Some of the mail had been opened, he said.”

- Associated Press, 12/22/04

MONEY ORDER THIEF

“A postal manager was charged with stealing $373,000 after allegedly telling clerks he needed blank money orders for official U.S. Postal Service business, according to a federal complaint unsealed Monday. Robert F. Lenz, 55, was charged with two counts each of theft of public money and money laundering. The complaint alleges that Lenz, while working as manager of internal controls for a USPS Processing and Distribution Center, stole postal money orders and engaged in financial transactions to conceal the source of his criminal proceeds.”

- SignOnSanDiego.com, 12/20/04

INQUIRING MINDS WANNA KNOW

Postal workers and officials are always quick to point out that the post office is no longer an actual government agency, but a private entity which just happens to enjoy a government-enforced monopoly. But if the USPS is truly a private, non-government business operation, then why - as reader Lou Cook of Goldboro, NC, points out - doesn’t the post office have to register its vehicles and pay for state license plates like you and I and every other “real” private business around the country?

The idea that the post office is a “private enterprise” is a crock.

POST OFFICE HELL

“I had to return a package so I went down to the Forest Hills, New York post office on Queens Blvd. I went early in the day - I was there just before 9 a.m. on December 8, 2004 - in the mistaken belief that maybe I could complete my simple transaction - sending a small box to Ohio - in a few minutes. I was wrong. When I came in the post office, there were exactly 32 people ahead of me in a line that never seemed to end. And it was early in the day, who knows how many people would be there by midday or at the peak hours?

“There are some seven windows in the office. Two were open. Several employees ambled around the back in the office. Apparently, they were not available to pitch in. Gee, I hope none of the patrons planned on getting to work soon. I hope no one was planning to go somewhere quick. All of us now had a new job - waiting in line at the post office and taking orders from surly civil servants...

“(Thirty minutes later) there were three windows open. Still, the line moved very slowly. Forest Hills residents, who have been sentenced to the cruel and unusual punishment of going to their post office - or any post office - are advised to bring beach chairs, a hot meal and a radio...

“If the government took over the bagel and fruit and vegetable stores many of us would die of hunger waiting to buy our food. Correction, the food would never get there in time. It would be stuck back in New Jersey with my check. Or maybe it would get here, but then they’d have to search for it at the post office. Lenin was right: the postal service pretty well sums up what happens to any institution managed by the state.”

- Columnist Gregory Bresiger

AUNT MINNIE MAIL NO MORE

“As the U.S. Postal Service struggles through the holiday season and its busiest time of the year, John Jose, like many mail carriers around the country, has noticed a difference in his deliveries.
December always meant heavy loads, but in the past few years, the burden has not necessarily been because of Christmas cards. It's all Victoria's Secret catalogs and Macy's and ShopRite advertisements these days,’ said Jose, who has been a carrier in Somerset for 11 years. ‘Personal letters and greeting cards get less every year.’

“The heavier loads may make life tougher for the carriers, but they don't necessarily mean more money for the Postal Service. Catalogs and similar forms of advertising generate much less revenue per delivery than personal mail. And on the flip side, more people are turning to e-mail for personal correspondence, depriving the Postal Service of its traditional main source of cash, first-class mail.”

- Contra Costa Times, 12/25/04

CYCLING TEAM FINDS NEW SPONSOR

Turns out that Lance Armstrong’s cycling team didn’t need to be sponsored by a government-protected, taxpayer-subsidized monopoly after all. In response to growing objections to the USPS spending a bundle on Team Armstrong, the post office announced earlier this year that it was ending its sponsorship.

Not to worry. Team Armstrong picked up a new sponsor for 2005: The Discovery Channel...an actual private enterprise.

CAGW ENDS CYCLE OF PORK

“The US pork barrel patrol Citizens Against Government Waste - a self-appointed guardian of what is and isn't a waste of taxpayer's money - is claiming victory. It and it alone forced the US Postal Service to cease sponsoring Lance Armstrong's pro road team.

“In an end of year report on the group's progress, the right-wing Citizens Against Government Waste claims its criticism ‘led to the United States Postal Service's (USPS) ending its multi-million dollar sponsorship of Lance Armstrong's Pro Cycling Team. At the time of the contract, the agency was losing money even while raising postage rates. USPS claimed the sponsorship generated $18 million; it was found to generate only a measly $684,000.’

“Pork. Best eaten with a pinch of salt.”

- BikeBiz.com, 12/23/04

HOPPING ON THE POSTAL REFORM BANDWAGON

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has committed his administration to privatizing his nation’s postal service and has been pushing strenuously to get it done. Apparently, he must be making some headway, because opponents in his own Liberal Democrat Party last week announced their own postal privatization alternative, saying they hadn’t made a final decision yet on whether or not to support Koizumi’s proposal.

The powers-that-be behind the postal monopoly must really be feeling some pressure...because they’re really starting to push back. The closer you get to the stove, the hotter it gets in the kitchen.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH POSTAL REFORM

“(The) House and Senate (postal reform) bills fall far short of the comprehensive reform that is needed and, in some ways, would make the current situation worse:

* The bills provide for billions of dollars in new subsidies for the Postal Service. The legislation relieves the Postal Service of its obligation to pay postal retirees some $27 billion over the next few decades in pension benefits for prior military service. Instead, the U.S. Treasury would assume this obligation. However, these obligations are Postal Service costs, triggered by retirees' postal employment, and part of the total compensation paid for postal work. Taxpayers should not be saddled with this burden.

* The bills keep in place--or even expand--political restrictions on the USPS's ability to cut costs. For instance, the Postal Service would continue to be banned from closing post offices because they run a deficit. Moreover, the bills ignore a proposal by the President's reform commission to streamline closures of other facilities through a process similar to that used to close unneeded military bases.

* Most of the special privileges enjoyed by the USPS would remain in place, including the most important one: the statutory monopoly that makes it illegal for anyone else to deliver letter mail. This monopoly should be repealed. Short of that, a number of important changes could be made. For example, the President's postal reform commission proposed giving the Postal Regulatory Commission the authority to determine the extent of the monopoly rather than letting the Postal Service define the limits of its own monopoly.

* In addition, the USPS enjoys a monopoly on the use of customers' mailboxes. This also should be repealed. Individual consumers--not the Postal Service--should decide which providers can use their own mailboxes.”

- James Gattuso of the Heritage Foundation

*********************************************
GOIN’ POSTAL is published by:

Citizen Outreach
Chuck Muth
President/Editor
611 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, #439
Washington, DC 20003
(410) 391-7408

For more information on the issue of postal reform, visit www.postalreform.com

News & Views, 12/24/04

2004-12-24T07:56:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I’ll be taking the weekend off to celebrate Christmas with family and friends. Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Seasons Greetings. Whatever floats your boat...please have it. Be safe...and see ya on Monday!

- Chuck

SEPARATION OF BRAIN & PRINCIPAL

From SeaCoastOnline.com: “A parent of a Hampton Academy Junior High School (Hampton, NH) student says the principal of the school told his son to leave the school’s holiday dance on Friday night because the boy was dressed in a Santa Claus costume, which was politically incorrect. . . . Principal Fred Muscara said he told the boy he couldn’t get into the dance because he was wearing the costume. ‘It was a holiday party,’ said Muscara. ‘It was not a Christmas party. There is a separation of church and state. We have a lot of students that go to Hampton Academy Junior High that have different religions. We have to be sensitive to that.’"

Hmmm. This appears to be a public school. Who’d a thunk it?

You can read the full story at: http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/hampton/12212004/news/55149.htm

BRUSHFIRE ALERT: Care to contact “sensitive” Principal Scrooge with a special “sensitive” Christmas message? You just know I have it right here for you...

Fred Muscara, Principal
Email: fmuscara@sau21.k12.nh.us
Phone: (603) 926-2000

THE UNFRIENDLY, BUT WELL-DRESSED SKIES

“I've decided to use my bandwidth today to combat a government agency's self-serving--and dangerous--spin campaign,” wrote columnist Michelle Malkin yesterday. “The great thing about the blogosphere is that I can give over as much space as necessary to others who don't have a voice. And nobody at the Transportation Security Administration, at the Federal Air Marshals Service, or in the White House can stop me.”

Malkin was responding to the Federal Air Marshals Service (FAMS) sending out their spin doctor to the media to call Malkin and a host of air marshals liars over their critical reports on the agency’s “shoot-me-first” dress code. Malkin is a talented writer...and FAMS has really gotten her hot under her collar now. Her response to the spin doctor is a good read. Catch it today on our “Issues & Answers” page at www.citizenoutreach.com

And while you’re there, catch Ken Boehm’s “Smokeless & Mirrors” column on the recent decision by the Department of Health & Human Services to not just ban smoking INSIDE its building...but OUTSIDE, as well.

And not just smoking, but the use of ANY tobacco products, including chewing tobacco and snuff...despite study after study showing that the use of smokeless tobacco products is FAR safer (though not safe in and of itself) than smoking cigarettes.

BTW: “An article in the December issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkets & Prevention, a journal published by the American Association for Cancer Research, claims the risk of dying from smokeless tobacco is 90 percent less than the risk associated with smoking,” reported the Associated Press on Thursday.

JACOBY’S DREAM

“The great civil rights cause of the 21st century is the same as it was in the 20th: the struggle for a colorblind society. Part of what sustains the wretched learning gap is the glaring double standard of affirmative action. So long as blacks aren't held to the same criteria as whites in the competition for jobs or admission to college -- so long as racial preferences mask the harm caused by the learning gap -- the demand for reform will never boil over. The truest key to black equality is what it has always been: an insistence on seeing each other first and foremost not as members of racial classes, but as individual human beings.”

- Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it, and then misapplying the wrong remedies."

- Groucho Marx

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/23/04

2004-12-23T11:53:00.000-05:00

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

To have News & Views delivered directly to your email address FREE, just visit: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter

KEEPING THEIR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT

“Since the attack of 9-11, we've won two wars, liberated millions of people from monstrous regimes, presided over one election in Afghanistan and are about to see elections in Iraq and among the Palestinian people. Focusing like a laser beam on the big picture, liberals are upset that, during this period, the secretary of defense used an autopen.”

- Columnist Ann Coulter

AID AND COMFORT

“House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, blasting congressional and media critics of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, said yesterday that the constant drumbeat of attacks on the Pentagon chief was undermining the war effort. . . . The repeated attacks on Rumsfeld are only emboldening terrorists and their allies, the Texas conservative said. ‘Their only hope for survival, their only hope of winning, is to undermine the will of the American people to finish this war and win this war on terrorism.’"

- NewsMax.com, 12/21/04

NO MORE FREE GROPING

“The federal agency in charge of airline screening yesterday changed its policy on patdowns, in part because of complaints by women passengers about searches of their chests. Starting today, the federal Transportation Security Administration is telling its screeners to keep their hands to the ‘chest perimeters’ of women unless handheld metal detectors beep when waved over their breasts.”

- Boston Globe, 12/23/04

THE E-TAX MAN COMETH

“The NGA (National Governors Association) -- along with its buddies at the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National League of Counties, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors -- desperately wants to tax Internet use. And they're hoping that Internet phone calls, the latest hot Web application, will pave the way…

“State politicians...want the Internet classified as one giant telephone for tax purposes. That's because telecom levies are some of the highest in the country, averaging 17.9%, according to the Council on State Taxation, and producing a cool $20 billion or so every year for state and local coffers.

“In a good call last month, the Federal Communications Commission excluded VOIP -- the new technology that allows consumers to place calls over the Web -- from state regulation. Unfortunately, the agency was silent on the issue of taxes and fees, and states have taken that silence as a cue to go on the offensive. Business Week reports that in the name of simplification and modernization, these state officials want to tax ‘all phone services equally -- no matter what technology delivers them.’"

- Wall Street Journal, 12/22/04

WHY NOT BUY ‘EM A SEVEN-COURSE MEAL, TOO?

“While bone-chilling winter temperatures don't deter illegal aliens from crossing the border, the U.S. is taking measures to provide what some might call a warm welcome for the lawbreakers. Border Patrol agents in Arizona are now being issued blankets and ‘heat packs’ to help those suffering from the effects of cold weather.”

- WorldNetDaily.com, 12/22/04

JUDGE SEES LIGHT, LIFTS BAN

“A federal judge on Wednesday lifted an order barring Proposition 200 from becoming law, clearing the way for state, county and municipal employees to immediately start reporting to immigration authorities suspected undocumented immigrants seeking public benefits.

“U.S. District Judge David Bury's decision allowed Gov. Janet Napolitano to issue an executive order enacting the controversial voter-approved legislation Wednesday afternoon. . . . Attorneys for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the legal advocacy group that sued to stop the government from enforcing the initiative, plan to appeal the decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco today or Monday.”

- Arizona Republic, 12/23/04

PARROTING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

“Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) issued a statement on Tuesday contrasting the government's zeal in preventing parrots from Mexico from illegally entering the country with their efforts to stop illegal immigration in general. Under the headline ‘Apparently There Are No Jobs Available That American Parrots Won't Do,’ Tancredo said he was surprised to learn of the ‘incredible success that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers enjoyed in apprehending smugglers attempting to illegally smuggle 150 Lilac Crowned and Mexican Redhead Amazon Parrots into the United States.’

“The statement points out that ICE, however, has not had the same luck in preventing an estimated 3 million illegal alien human beings from swarming into the U.S. annually unchecked. ‘It's nice to see that ICE has their priorities in order,’ quipped Tancredo, head of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus. ‘Now that we appear able to successfully identify and apprehend parrots attempting to enter the U.S. illegally, perhaps doing the same with people is just around the corner.’"

- Bobby Eberle, Talon News, 12/22/04

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS

“The size, scope and purposes of our government are no longer anchored in and limited by our Constitution. For conservatives who want to restore limited government, their first order of business is to restore the authority of the Constitution's original intent.”

- Tom Krannawitter of the Claremont Institute

CONSERVATIVES LOADED FOR BEAR

“Emboldened conservatives in Congress say they will oppose the White House next year on at least a half-dozen issues where they say President Bush has strayed from Republican values. The points of contention conservatives plan battles over:

• Immigration. Hard-liners oppose Bush's plan to give guest-worker status to illegal immigrants. They prefer to see amnesty laws tightened.

• Abortion. Conservatives such as Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., say they'll oppose Supreme Court nominees friendly to abortion rights. Bush opposes a ‘litmus test’ on nominees.

• Spending. Conservatives will seek deeper cuts in non-defense spending than Bush is expected to request.

• Education. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., says Congress ‘must undo’ Bush's signature No Child Left Behind Act, which sets national standards for education. He says Washington should stay out of schools.

• Political money. Conservatives want to repeal limits on political fundraising that Bush signed into law in 2002.

• Prescription drugs. Fiscal conservatives such as Pence want to limit the new Medicare benefit to poor seniors and those without coverage before the program starts in 2006. Bush opposes such a move.”

- USA Today, 12/19/04

INGLES, POR FAVOR

Rep. Steve King and 108 cosponsors introduced the English Language Unity Act in the last Congress which would require the United States government to conduct official business in English. Specifically, the measure requires that ‘all laws, public proceedings, regulations, publications, orders, actions, programs and policies’ be conducted in the English language. Numerous common sense exceptions are included in the legislation to protect the well-being of all Americans, including public safety, national security, and commerce.

BRUSHFIRE ALERT: Rep. King intends to re-introduce his bill next year and is recruiting additional co-sponsors. If you happen to run across your congress-critter this CHRISTMAS holiday season, you might want to put a bug in his or her ear about joining this effort. Or you can send him or her an email message to that effect by filling out the webform you’ll find here: http://www.house.gov/writerep

SURVEY SAYS!

Should Congress approve another $80 billion in “emergency” aid for Iraq and Afghanistan?

· Yes
· No
· Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/22/04

2004-12-21T23:45:00.000-05:00

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DIM BULB PERFECT FIT FOR SEE-BS

“According to Broadcasting and Cable magazine, perky Katie Couric is at the top of the list to replace Dan Rather as the anchor of the CBS Evening news. . . . Personally, I'm afraid I am among those who don't think that Katie Couric is all that bright. That's OK though, 'cause she's perky, and she's a liberal. That's about the extent of the list of needed attributes.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

PRE-PAID CALLING CARDS

I spoke with a representative at Walter Reed hospital yesterday who told me that, contrary to Sgt. Shaft’s column on Monday, they have all the pre-paid calling cards they need for wounded GI’s at their facility at this time. Apparently, good-hearted Americans have been flooding their office with the cards.

Which is all fine and dandy. But for the life of me I cannot understand why the folks at Walter Reed don’t just forward the “extra” cards to troops in the field rather than tell callers they have more than they need and not to send any more. God bless ‘em for the work they’re doing for our wounded soldiers, but doggone it...THINK!

None of which changes the fact that the FCC is still considering a rule change which would raise the cost of pre-paid calling cards for troops in the hospital, troops in the field...and, well...YOU. So if you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to drop the FCC a message urging them NOT to hike the fees by going to a website on this issue set up by some retired Army/Navy guys: http://www.concernedvets.org

HMMM, NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT…

“Great idea to provide pre-paid phone cards for wounded GI's at Walter Reed for .03/min...and we've done that. BUT why can't we install nationwide toll free phones in the military hospitals in the US for the patients? I have unlimited local and US long distance service on one line for $40 a month. That is $480 a year. If we taxpayers can be forced to give a million dollars to each of the three thousand 911 families, there has to be a way to at least give our wounded GI's phone service while in the hospital.“

- News & Views reader John Falk of Redding CA

IN & OUT

“Just went through the drive thru of the neighborhood In & Out Burgers. There was a sign explaining that they would be closed on Christmas Day and the message ended with ‘Merry Christmas.’ When I got to the window, I saw that every employee was wearing a button that read ‘Merry Christmas.’ It warmed my heart that the scrooges of the left haven't scared everyone in business away from celebrating Christmas - and calling it by its real name! I was so happy, I bought a bunch of gift certificates for friends. Forget Target, get In & Out!”

- News & Views reader Sean Noble

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING BLAHS

“The latest story making the rounds in the media is that retailers aren't having such a hot Christmas. According to people who keep track, sales are down 3.3 percent over a year ago. This means, as the media implies, that the economy is not doing so well and that George Bush is to blame… Here's an idea. Perhaps people have finally figured out that there may be something wrong with spending yourself into oblivion every Christmas just because that's what you've done all those years before.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

IN DEFENSE OF THE DEFENSE SECRETARY

“Donald Rumsfeld may not be perfect, but neither are any of his critics. He is nonetheless arguably the finest secretary of defense this nation has ever had. His combination of vast expertise, unflagging energy and strategic vision would be desirable under any circumstances. In time of global war, though, they are truly indispensable.”

- Columnist Frank Gaffney

“How many other cabinet secretaries go out and talk to people directly and take on all questions, even the tough ones? Secretary Rumsfeld has held dozens of these town-hall meetings with troops to hear from them and to listen to their opinions unvarnished. He should be commended for that and for his follow-up on the armor issue.”

- Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican

THE RIGHT STUFF

“There is a growing chorus of mostly Republican legislators and pundits calling for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's head. They won't get it, and for two reasons.

“First, their complaints are falling on deaf ears. Rumsfeld has a constituency of one, the president of the United States, and he made it quite clear at Monday's news conference that he is squarely behind Rumsfeld -- and not to give him a shove.

“Second and, as things go in Washington, more importantly, Rumsfeld is made of sterner stuff than his critics. This is, after all, the man who was the chairman of Republican Bob Dole's 1996 presidential run against Bill Clinton, a fool's errand if ever there was one. Rumsfeld handled defeat with grace and did not, as other campaign strategists do, organize post-election analyses favorable to him at the candidate's expense.”

- Peter Roff’s “The Peter Principles”

HOMELAND INSECURITY

“At the same time agents of the budget-strapped Department of Homeland Security worried about being able to afford gas for government cars, top department officials, including outgoing DHS Secretary Tom Ridge, could be found basking in the warm Hawaiian sun for a meeting they said was essential government business.“While officials reported a continuing freeze on hiring new agents and a halt to non-essential spending in chilly Washington, D.C., buffet lines, lavish luaus and a short walk to the beach awaited top officials at a sumptuous resort and spa on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.“It was the setting for the second annual Asia-Pacific Homeland Security Summit and Exposition (http://hlssummit.hawaii.gov), with most of the cost paid for by corporations seeking government contracts. The rest of the travel expenses for the officials were picked up by the American taxpayers.

“On the first day of the conference, ABC News cameras caught Ridge, along with several aides, relaxing by one of the five pools at the Honolulu resort (Hilton Hawaiian Village). It was listed as ‘office time’ on his official schedule...

“Ironically, the 10 highest-ranking Asian officials Ridge met with all came to Hawaii from Washington, D.C., themselves, where they work in their countries' embassies. In fact, Ridge could have driven a few blocks down the street in Washington to meet them.”

- ABC News, 12/17/04

SOCIAL INSECURITY

“Oh, and by the way, do you know what happens too your Social Security ‘contributions’ when you die? Yep....you guessed it. The government keeps it all. The rat hole closes as soon as your dirt nap commences. But if it is a private 401k, your heirs inherit the money. Social Security is a disaster. Keeping it going doesn't even begin to fix the problem.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

BUSH JUDGE FLIPS AZ VOTERS THE BIRD

“David C. Bury of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the will of the people and enjoined enforcement of Arizona's Proposition 200, which would require Arizonans to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote and require valid identification when applying for state benefits. . . .

“Bury was appointed by President George W. Bush. That prompts the question: Has a Bush judge already turned into a supremacist judge who ignores the will of the people in favor of his own, or Bush's, policy preferences?”

- Columnist Phyllis Schlaffly

GUMMINT SKOOLS AIN’T BROKE...THEY’RE BROKEN

“By the millennium, according to (estimates established by the “Goals 2000” program), U.S. students would be the first in the world in math and science. Federal spending on education soared. State legislatures across the nation raised sales-tax rates; property taxes went through the roof; lotteries were established with promises to earmark money for schools; state and local income taxes were either instituted or raised...

“One indisputable result from two decades of reform and soaring spending is that American educators have done a wonderful job instilling self esteem into the hearts and minds of American students. . . . Unfortunately, their self esteem far exceeded their grasp of math.

“Among the 29 industrialized nations of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), the math scores of South Korean (542) and Japanese (534) students were the second- and fourth-highest, respectively. Finland's students finished first (544). Against an average of 500, U.S. teens tied for 21st place with a score of 483…”

- Washington Times editorial, 12/21/04

SURVEY SAYS!

Should Congress approve another $80 billion in “emergency” aid for Iraq and Afghanistan?

· Yes
· No
· Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/21/04

2004-12-21T08:19:00.000-05:00

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PHONE HOME

From Monday’s “Sgt. Shaft” column in the Washington Times…

* * * QUOTE * * *

The No. 1 request at Walter Reed hospital is phone cards. The government doesn't pay long-distance phone charges, and these wounded soldiers are rationing their calls home. Many will be there throughout the holidays. Really support our troops. Send phone cards of any amount to:

Medical Family Assistance Center
Walter Reed Medical Center
6900 Georgia Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

They say they need an "endless" supply of these - any amount is greatly appreciated. Many of the discount warehouse stores such as Wal-Mart, Costco, BJ's Wholesale, etc., have good prices on phone cards.

* * * UNQUOTE * * *

Also, please note that the FCC is currently considering a regulatory change which would result in HIGHER costs for phone calls made with pre-paid phone cards. A group of veterans have organized to oppose the change. I hope you’ll take a minute to lend their effort some support by signing their online petition to FCC Chairman Michael Powell by going to: http://www.concernedvets.org

HO, HO, HO

“Perhaps lefty celebrities (such as Chevy Chase) should send President Bush a well-deserved Christmas card this season. After all, it is the season of giving, and the commander in chief has rejuvenated many of their failing careers just by being their sole source of inspiration.”

- Washington Times editorial, 12/18/04

PETTY POLITICS

“When U.N. ambassador John Danforth resigned earlier this month after less than six months on the job, we wondered what had happened. Danforth, in his resignation to the president, claimed that he wanted spend more time with his wife and family. Still, the explanation didn't fit.

“A Washington foreign policy insider tells NewsMax that Danforth took the U.N. job on the condition that he be considered as a top candidate to replace Colin Powell if and when Powell stepped down. President Bush nominated Condi Rice to the top diplomatic job last month. Danforth and his supporters felt betrayed. It was the second time Danforth felt let down by Bush. He was also Bush's top choice for the vice presidential slot in the 2000 election, but Bush opted for Dick Cheney instead.”

- NewsMax.com, 12/20/04

CONSERVATIVE MOON RISING

“Emboldened conservatives in Congress say they will oppose the White House next year on at least a half-dozen issues where they say President Bush has strayed from Republican values. . . . Now that Bush has been re-elected, they plan to take a harder line on issues such as federal spending and prescription drug coverage for seniors. ‘This White House will have a more difficult time convincing conservative members to vote for more government,’ says Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., the new chairman of the conservative House Republican Study Committee.”

- USA Today, 12/20/04

SURVEY SAYS!

Should Congress approve another $80 billion in “emergency” aid for Iraq and Afghanistan?

· Yes
· No
· Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

THE USPS “DEATH SPIRAL” CONTINUES

“The holiday season is a robust time of year for the U.S. Postal Service, but the long-term future for the nation's mail system is not as bright. First-class mail, the financial backbone of the Postal Service, has been steadily declining as Americans turn to the Internet to pay bills and rely on e-mail, cell phones and cheap long-distance calls to keep in touch.

" ‘For the first time in history, in 2005 first-class mail is projected to fall below standard (advertising) mail as the largest volume product,’ Postal Service Chief Financial Officer Richard Strasser Jr. said last week. To put it another way, your mailbox will be jammed with more junk mail. And as the shift away from cards, letters and other first-class mail accelerates, so does the erosion of the revenue base that supports universal service -- the six-days-a-week delivery of mail to every city high-rise, suburban subdivision and remote hamlet in the country.”

- The Star-Ledger (NJ), 12/15/04

INQUIRING MINDS WANNA KNOW

“According to an article appearing in a recent edition of USA Today.com, the U.S. Postal Service is in the midst of re-branding itself to appeal to a younger generation. In an interview with the Associated Press, Postmaster General John Potter was quoted as saying that the Postal Service was innovating and trying to change its business practices to be more competitive. ‘We're embracing the Internet and saying, 'Hey, if that's the way 30-year-olds want to do business, then God bless 'em, we're going to do business where they want to do it and how they want to do it,' he said.

“The question that needs to be answered from a taxpayer perspective is ‘competitive against whom? Or what?’ Or perhaps the obvious – why should any federal agency compete in selling products and services with the private sector? After all, if the private sector can do the work, how does it fit the criteria of being inherently governmental? After years of losing billions in operating costs, is the American public supposed to simply continue funding the fiscal nightmare just because it's the Postal Service?”

- FedSmith.com, 12/20/04

OPEN YOUR EYES AND PRIVATIZE

“USPS enjoys legal privileges unlike those enjoyed by any private firm. Foremost among these is the ban on other companies delivering regular letters for consumers. . . . Congress should allow any company to carry any mail over any distance, and charge any amount it wishes.“At first this idea might sound frightening. Right now we can send a letter across town or across the country for the same 37-cent price. What if rates suddenly soar? But let’s remember that, in recent decades, the government has lifted price controls on airline fares and long-distance phone calls, and the resulting competition has sent prices plunging. There’s no reason to believe the same thing wouldn’t happen with mail delivery.”

- Ed Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation (NOTE: Dr. Feulner’s full column on this subject can be found on the “Issues & Answers” page at www.citizenoutreach.com )

PAPERS, PLEASE

“We are not yet living in a total police state, but it is fast approaching. . . . Terror, fear, and crises like 9-11 are used to achieve complacency and obedience, especially when citizens are deluded into believing they are still a free people. The loss of liberty, we are assured, will be minimal, short-lived, and necessary...

“Washington DC provides a vivid illustration of what our future might look like. Visitors to Capitol Hill encounter police barricades, metal detectors, paramilitary officers carrying fully automatic rifles, police dogs, ID checks, and vehicle stops. The people are totally disarmed; only the police and criminals have guns. Surveillance cameras are everywhere, monitoring street activity, subway travel, parks, and federal buildings. There's not much evidence of an open society in Washington, DC, yet most folks do not complain-- anything goes if it's for government-provided safety and security.”

- Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Texas Straight Talk, 12/20/04

GO LEFT, YOUNG MAN

“(California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger) has proposed that the Republican Party move leftward. And that, my friends, done kills him with us right-wingers. Arnie has been two places in his life - Austria and California. Austria is a socialist nation. California is populated and run by loonies. There is a true saying about Californians in general - what ain’t fruits are nuts. Which is why Arnie not only belongs there but is also the governor.”

- Lyn Nofziger’s “Musings,” 12/20/04

ONLY IN AMERICA

“Some news organizations have suggested other ethical and moral lapses doomed (Bernie) Kerik's nomination (as Director of Homeland Security), but this does not appear to be so. The Washington Post reports, ‘White House officials said they knew in advance about other disclosures now emerging about Kerik's background, including alleged extramarital affairs and reported ties to a construction company with supposed mob connections, but had concluded that they were not disqualifying.’ So suspicions about mob ties don't doom a nomination but hiring an illegal alien does? Something is very wrong here..”

- Columnist Linda Chavez

THE COLLEGE OF “DUH”

“A recent column discussed the sad and tragic state of affairs in higher education. According to loads of letters received in response to that column, it's worse than I thought. Let me share just a few of them.

“One person wrote that he knows an elementary school teacher and said, ‘She believed, until just this past summer, that the state of Alaska was an island because it is so often shown as an inset on many U.S. maps, appearing somewhat like an island.’

“Another professor said that while he was trying to help a student with a problem, he asked her, ‘What is 20,000 minus 600?’ He went on to say, ‘She literally could not answer without the calculator.’ He rhetorically questioned, ‘Should a person receive a college degree that cannot answer that in their head?’

“An English professor wrote, ‘One of the items that I assigned was a two-page essay that described a favorite vacation or holiday. One student turned in two pictures drawn with crayon depicting the beach. When I gave her a failing grade, she was indignant and said that she put a great deal of work into the pictures. When I told her that she did not do the assignment and that she was supposed to write an essay, she said, 'But I don't know what an essay is.' ’

“Such students are academic cripples and do not belong in college in the first place.”

- Columnist Walter Williams

LONG SAVINGS ON LONG DISTANCE

* Residential or commercial * 6-second billing increments * 24 hours/day, 7 days/week * No access codes * No minimums * No activation fees * Easy sign-up. * Click to get started...

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/17/04

2004-12-17T07:48:00.000-05:00

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DEAR KEN...

A copy of my letter to incoming RNC chairman Ken Mehlman over the results of our recent Survey Says! question regarding illegal immigration is now posted on our new “Letters” page at www.citizenoutreach.com

NEW SURVEY SAYS!

Should Congress approve another $80 billion in “emergency” aid for Iraq and Afghanistan?

· Yes
· No
· Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS CARDS

“A veteran U.S. mail carrier from Worcester (Massachusetts) was caught red-handed last month stealing a Target gift card from the Auburn post office and using it to buy items from the store, officials said. Federal investigators were hot on the trail of would-be-grinch Kenneth Bobin, 45. The letter was actually inserted into the mail stream by authorities. Yesterday, Bobin was charged with stealing mail. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Bobin, presented with surveillance video from Target, admitted to stealing the letter and many others during his 18 years as a postal employee at the Auburn post office, according to a federal court affidavit.”

- Boston Herald, 12/14/04

IS IT SAFE?

“A story out of New Jersey earlier this week continues to prove the point that we are no safer at airports today than we were before 9/11. Baggage screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport lost a fake bomb that was planted in luggage for a training exercise. It was later recovered by security officials in Amsterdam, after making its way onto a flight there. The ‘bomb’ even had wires, a detonator and a clock. Hard to miss, but the TSA did.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

CHRISTMAS ADVICE FOR DEMOCRATS

“I know something the Democratic Party can do right now that will improve its standing and increase its popularity. It can be done this week. Its impact will be quick and measurable. It is this: Stop the war on religious expression in America. Have Terry McAuliffe come forward and announce that the Democratic Party knows that a small group of radicals continue to try to ‘scrub’ such holidays as Christmas from the public square…

“Have Terry McAuliffe...put up a big sign that says ‘Merry Christmas’ on the sidewalk in front of the Democratic National Committee Headquarters on South Capitol Street. . . . This would be taking a stand on an issue that roils a lot of people, and believe me those people don't think conservatives are scrubbing America of Christmas, they think it's liberals; and they don't think it's Republicans, they think it's Democrats. Confound them, Terry! Come forward with a stand. . . . Pick up that Christmas tree, Terry, take it outside and put a star on top, stand next to it, yell Merry Christmas and ring a bell.”

- Columnist Peggy Noonan

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, THE PARTY’S OVER

“The Democratic Party is in disarray and going in the wrong direction. . . . Current Democratic members of the US House and Senate will never again be in the majority in their professional lifetimes. That realization will lead to a larger-than-normal Democratic retirements meaning just maintaining their current levels in the House and Senate may be impossible. . . .It is time for the Democrats to quit wringing their hands and get to work to repair the damage they have done to themselves. It is time to move on.”

- Rich Galen’s “Mullings,” 12/16/04

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PROPAGANDA MACHINE OF THE GOP

“No one can honestly question my commitment to pro-life, pro-family, conservative causes. That being said, the Religious Right, as it now exists, scares me. For one reason, on the whole, the Religious Right has obviously and patently become little more than a propaganda machine for the Republican Party in general and for President G.W. Bush in particular. This is in spite of the fact that both Bush and the Republican Party in Washington, D.C., have routinely ignored and even trampled the very principles which the Religious Right claims to represent.

“Therefore, no longer does the Religious Right represent conservative, Christian values. Instead, they represent their own self-serving interests at the expense of those values. It also appears painfully obvious to me that in order to sit at the king's table, the Religious Right is willing to compromise any principle, no matter how sacred. As such, it has become a hollow movement. Sadly, the Religious Right is now a movement without a cause, except the cause of advancing the Republican Party.”

- Columnist Chuck Baldwin

COULTERGEIST: FROM BORKING TO SHRUMMING

“Lawyer Mark Geragos should go into business with political consultant Bob Shrum and defend Sen. Arlen Specter's claim to the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee. They should advertise exclusively on MSNBC. Maybe they could even get Al Gore to endorse them and hire Howard Dean as their spokesman. Our motto: ‘A HUMILIATING DEFEAT EVERY TIME – OR YOUR MONEY BACK!’“...This year, Shrum racked up his eighth loss in an unblemished 0-8 record of losing Democratic presidential campaigns. He's the embodiment of the Democratic Party ideal: Screw up, keep getting hired or promoted. One more loss and his last name officially becomes a verb, as in ‘we were ahead by 6 points but we ended up 'shrumming.' ‘ At least Shrum's client only has to go back to the Senate. Geragos' client Scott Peterson has been sentenced to death.”

- Columnist Ann Coulter

NANNY-STATERS AT 60,000 FEET

“Now the ‘water cooler’ talk is all about the FCC giving us permission to use our cell phones whilst winging our way across the Fruited Plain. Let's think (as opposed to ‘feel’) about this…

“First, doesn't it strike you as a tad condescending our Public Servants are cast - or cast themselves - as ‘granting permission’ to us to exercise various legal activities, like talking on a phone? If you had a maid, would you ask her permission to make yourself a sandwich? Would you ask your gardener if he would permit you to ride the lawnmower?“...Our Servants are still studying the only relevant issue in all this blather: Do cell phones hamper the safe operation of the aircraft? If the Wizards of Ohms conclude those little transmitters do not represent a safety hazard, then ridiculous nanny regulations should be dropped immediately; freedom of expression can then be exercised and enjoyed at 60,000 feet. Don't like it? Call Amtrak and reserve a seat in the Quiet Car.”

- Talk show host Brian Wilson

LEAVING TRADITIONAL GRADING SYSTEM BEHIND

“Albuquerque Public Schools is following a growing trend of scrapping traditional grading systems for one that measures No Child Left Behind Act proficiency levels. Within a few years, A's, B's, C's, D's, and F's will be history on Albuquerque elementary and middle school report cards. In their place will be a new system of ‘performance levels’ - emerging, nearing proficient, proficient and advanced - that evaluates students against New Mexico education standards.

“APS officials say this new system is necessary in a No Child Left Behind environment. Because the federal law requires annual testing on state standards, they say the new grading shows how well students are learning those standards so they will do well on tests. ‘The traditional report card doesn't meet our needs anymore in New Mexico,’ says Denise Brigman, principal of John Baker Elementary.”

- Albuquerque Journal, 12/15/04

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.”

- Mark Twain

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

DC Confidential, 12/16/04

2004-12-16T18:00:00.000-05:00

***********************************
WE INTERRUPT OUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING…

A little variation in publishing this afternoon. Due to various circumstances and timing...I’m combining this afternoon’s DC Confidential with an important Brushfire Alert. And because of the importance of the Brushfire Alert, I’m sending this issue of DC Confidential out to the entire News & Views list, as well.

If you haven’t subscribed to DC Confidential yet - just $25 per year - you may do so by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/onlinestore.htm . Or simply mail a check or money order to: Citizen Outreach, 611 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, #439, Washington, DC, 20003.

Now, on with the show...

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HELLO, OPERATOR...GIVE ME MICHAEL POWELL

You know, between John Kerry and Abu Musab Zarqawi, you’d think folks would have learned by now NOT TO MESS WITH American servicemen and servicewomen...active OR retired.

It was the retired Swift Boat Veterans for Truth who did in the Kerry campaign as payback for slandering Vietnam veterans as war criminals. Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry’s campaign (mis)manager, admitted this week to a liberal audience that her biggest mistake was underestimating the Swifties.

This is something Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael Powell might want to keep in mind this holiday season.

According to a December 13, 2004, column by Francisco Ivarra - a past commander of the American GI Forum - appearing in the Florida Sun-Sentinel, Powell is “trying to raise the prices for the very pre-paid, inexpensive telephone calling cards that 95 percent of the troops use to communicate with their anguished family members who wait with hope of life reassured with the telephone's ring.”

Ivarra writes that Powell is trying to “rush through a heavily lawyered new federal regulation that will raise the prices for pre-paid calling cards - the telephone service of choice for our troops.”

This is all part of the ongoing and (seemingly) never-ending telecom battle raging on Capitol Hill - where K Street lobbying firms have been providing an unending stream of Gucci boots on the ground. The problem is, now they’ve sucked American GI’s into the fight. And the GI’s...active and retired...are fighting back.

Much like how the Swift Boat Veterans quickly organized and got engaged in the presidential campaign, this week a group of retired military officers formed The Concerned Veterans Communication Coalition (CVCC) to fight the proposal to jack up the fees on pre-paid calling cards...cards our soldiers - who are busy kicking al Qaeda’s tail from one end of Iraq to another - use extensively to keep in touch with their wives, moms and daughters back in the states.

For many of these soldiers in the field, pre-paid calling cards are their SOLE lifeline to their families. Why Chairman Powell would want to make that lifeline more expensive in a time of war is anyone’s guess.

BRUSHFIRE ALERT: Many of you have written asking me for something good and positive we can do for our troops in the field. Well...THIS certainly fits the bill.

Although its been my practice lately to create our own in-house petitions on various issues, I’m going to make an exception in this case and urge you all to visit the CVCC’s website to send a message to Chairman Powell NOT to raise the fees on pre-paid calling cards. I wanna give these vets all the credit and support possible on this one.

Just go to: http://www.concernedvets.org

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TAKING IT AS GOSPEL TRUTH

James Taranto’s Best of the Web yesterday noted a quote by Newsweek’s Jon Meacham about the Bible’s version of Jesus’ birth. Meacham told “Hardball’s” Chris Matthews that “the scriptures can be true without being accurate.”

If so, then either Mathew, Mark, Luke or John would make an ideal replacement for Dan Rather over at CBS News.

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IS IT SAFE?

Michelle Malkin has written an excellent column on Air Marshal Director Thomas Quinn’s suit-and-tie “kill me first” dress code for air marshals...which does anything BUT conceal their identity on domestic flights. Malkin reveals where Quinn’s dress code likely came from: His days with the Secret Service.

This is the problem with the bureaucrat mentality. Although his “mission” is dramatically different in protecting airliners from hijackers from protecting the president, Quinn can’t seem to divorce himself from the notion of agents dressing “professionally” - no matter what the circumstances.

If we really want someone adept at concealing their identity and blending in with the crowd, maybe it’s time to fire Quinn and hire an illegal alien to replace him. Perfectly consistent with the president’s guest-worker proposal, as well.

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HOW TO STEAL AN ELECTION

The News Tribune in Tacoma, WA, reported this morning that the King County Canvassing Board voted 2-1 yesterday “to check the signatures on 573 ballots mistakenly rejected in the Nov. 2 election, and later decide whether to count them in the oh-so-close Washington governor’s race.” That race was decided in the Republican candidate Dino Rossi’s favor by 42 votes in the first recount. As of the close of hand re-counting yesterday, Rossi had extended his lead to 121 votes.

The safest bet in the country right now is that if the Democrat candidate continues to trail in a close recount, the Democrat-majority King County Canvassing Board will make SURE those Democrat-friendly “found” ballots are counted...come hell or high water.

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RIGHT MOVE FOR LP

The Libertarian Party is showing more signs of political progress. LP executive director Joe Seehusen attended for the first time a well-known but highly secret (hey, oxymorons such as that are par for the course in your nation’s capital) weekly gathering of the vast, right-wing conspiracy in Washington...which yours truly joins on a regular basis.

Although most folks in the room are registered Republicans, many harbor libertarian leanings and often find themselves locking horns with the Bush White House and congressional Republicans over limited government issues. Just being in that meeting can’t help but help the LP in broadening its support and coalition-building.

And then today the LP hopped on an issue which Republicans in the District of Columbia won’t touch with the proverbial 10-foot pole: Moving the Expos baseball team to DC.

First, let’s put this in a little context. Consider the response by many Republicans to Sen. John McCain’s recent threat to have the government get involved in the steroid issue facing professional baseball. The general consensus has been that this is a baseball issue which should be dealt with by baseball, its players and its fans...NOT government.

OK, then. We’re all on board that one, right?

Now comes the question of public funding to build a new stadium in Washington, DC, in return for Major League Baseball moving the Montreal Expos to the city. It’s been 30 long years since the Washington Senators fled the District for greener pastures and most elected officials inside the beltway, especially the Democrat mayor, appear prepared to have DC taxpayers pay any price and bear any burden to bring the nation’s pastime back to the nation’s capital.

So for Republicans, the CONSISTENT position here would be: Keep government out of baseball...whether it’s regulating steroid use OR funding stadiums. But don’t hold your breath waiting for a flood of Republicans - already salivating over the possibility of luxury box seats at the expense of K Street lobbyists - lining up to call for PRIVATE funding for the team’s new stadium.

But Seehusen and the LP are. “Let's play ball,” he says in a press release today, “but let's play it with private money. Let's put an end to taxpayer-funded stadiums, and quit turning baseball into a political football."

Here, here! (Or is it “Hear, Hear”?) I’m sure a similarly-stated news release opposing public financing for the new DC stadium from the Republican National Committee is forthcoming. As are a host of press releases from GOP members of Congress.

I’m also pretty sure that was a pig that just flew over my house.

************************************
THE GOLDWATER DOCTRINE

“I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is 'needed' before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents' interests, I shall reply that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can.”

- Barry Goldwater, “The Conscience of a Conservative”

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Published by Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
chuck@chuckmuth.com
http://www.chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/16/04

2004-12-16T08:39:00.000-05:00

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MERRY CHRISTMAS, DARN IT!

“In case anyone would like to know, we have now entered the Christmas season. Christmas as in Jesus Christ. This is not the ‘happy holidays’ season. It isn’t even Ramadan, which until recently I thought was a hotel chain. It’s okay by me, however, if you want it to be the Hanukkah season or the Chanukah season... But don’t ‘Happy holidays’ me because I will ‘Merry Christmas’ you in return. And, please, don’t bother to send me cards wishing me ‘happy holidays’ or that other euphemism, ‘season’s greetings.’ To these I say, Bah! Humbug!”

- Lyn Nofziger’s Musings, 12/14/04

A REAL BLABBER-MOUTH

“Once, I was going to meet John Kerry, and I called Bill Clinton for advice. He talked to me all the way from the airport to a restaurant and all the way though lunch and back in the car, a good 50 minutes. Just before I went in to see Kerry, I said goodbye - and when I got inside, Kerry was on the phone with Clinton."

- Al Sharpton in the current issue of Esquire

LAUGHABLE INTELLIGENCE

“The recently signed intelligence reform bill was passed with vastly publicized claims of trying to make America safe from terrorists - a claim that is laughable as long as illegals can enter and stay in America without obstruction.”

- Columnist Tony Blankley

SURVEY SAYS!

Results of last week’s Survey Says! poll: “Do you think there is a serious divide between many Republican Party leaders and a majority of Republican grassroots voters over the immigration issue?” An overwhelming 94 percent of you responded “Yes.” Only the GOP leaders inside the beltway appear not to recognize this reality. I’ll be forwarding these results to incoming RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman.

Now, here’s this week’s question...

Should Congress approve another $80 billion in “emergency” aid for Iraq and Afghanistan?

· Yes
· No
· Not sure

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

QUINN’S KILL-ME-FIRST DRESS CODE

“No idiot would send his men on a covert mission wearing clothes that would give them away, right? Wrong. Meet Federal Air Marshal Service Director Thomas Quinn. The man in charge of our in-flight cops, who are supposed to be spying secretly on would-be terrorist hijackers, refuses to allow his employees to dress in a way that would allow them to blend in with their fellow passengers. How many more people will die before we learn that bureaucracy and security don’t mix?”

- Columnist Michelle Malkin

SPAWNS OF HILLARY’S MAGICAL BILLING RECORDS?

“The Washington Supreme Court (Tuesday) unanimously rejected a Democratic lawsuit that called for some 15,000 invalid ballots to be reexamined as part of the statewide recount of the nation's closest race for governor in decades. At last count, Republican Dino Rossi was leading Democrat Christine Gregoire by 104 votes out of 2.8 million cast.

“But Democrats are optimistic they will prevail because yesterday, for the seventh time, election officials in Seattle's liberal King County found extra votes they say should be counted. Monday's treasure trove consisted of 561 absentee ballots that clerks say were wrongly disqualified. That number was revised upward to 573 ballots on Tuesday. Then, late yesterday evening, another pile of 22 previously undiscovered ballots were found at a recount facility.”

- John Fund, Political Diary, 12/15/04

COPS APOLOGIZE AFTER ARRESTING SCISSOR-KID

“The police chief and the head of the city's schools apologized Monday to the mother of a 10-year-old girl who was arrested and handcuffed after she brought a pair of scissors to school in her backpack. Although officers were following protocol when they drove the girl to a police station with her hands cuffed in front of her, discretion will be used in future cases involving young children, Police Chief Sylvester Johnson said…”

- Associated Press, 12/14/04

DRUG INDUSTRY GETS NEW CHIEF

As was widely expected, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) announced yesterday that former Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) would assume the role of President and CEO of PhRMA, effective January 3, 2005. Congressman Tauzin announced early in 2004 that he would be retiring from Congress. Shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, a battle that he survived, in part, due to advanced, life-saving medicines.

OPEN YOUR EYES AND PRIVATIZE

“The United States prides itself on being a free-market leader - a country where big government famously takes a back-seat to private competition. But amazingly, when it comes to its $900 billion mail industry, the U.S. lags far behind much of the rest of the world. As other nations move rapidly towards postal privatization, the U.S. government simply refuses to let go of its gargantuan, money-losing postal monopoly.

“Industrialized nations from New Zealand to Sweden now allow competition in mail delivery, and many have already begun privatizing their national postal services. . . . U.S. lawmakers could take a lesson from these pro-competition neighbors.

“Perhaps the most important lesson is that preserving ‘universal service’ is not the deal breaker American postal negotiators make it out to be. This concept of six-day-a-week delivery, at uniform rates, to every single address in America is outdated. It predates the telegraph, let alone email. Quite simply, it’s time for the Americans to recognize that the personal letter is no longer the glue that holds society together.

“America - like the rest of the world - doesn’t need a government monopoly to deliver the mail anymore. Private companies can get the job done just fine. In fact, the vast majority of what USPS delivers these days is bills, advertising and business correspondence...

“The benefits of real, meaningful postal reform to consumers are enormous. It’s happening all around the world – in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It’s time for America to take a cue from the rest of the world for once, and begin to privatize the mail.”

- Don Soifer, President of the U.S. Consumer Postal Council

OPENING PANDORA’S BOX

“FCC Chairman Michael Powell has asked that no action be taken against the ABC stations that aired over 20 uses of the ‘f’ word and at least 12 ‘s’ words during ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ which shown during prime time last month. Powell...believes there should be no action because the use of the profanity was part of an accurate representation of the events depicted, and this made them acceptable…

“If Powell can get only two other Commissioners to agree with him, then the networks and local broadcasters will be free to show anything. Everything they show, no matter how indecent, could be classified as being an accurate representation…

“We realize it is important for families, especially our children, to recognize the sacrifices made by our loved ones during wartime. However, airing excessively profane language during prime-time television hours is not necessary to convey that sacrifice. . . . The movie could have easily have been edited for TV, but ABC refused. Powell is now defending ABC's move, making it possible to open Pandora's box on program content.”

- Don Wildmon, American Family Association

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government."

- James Madison

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it."

- Benjamin Franklin

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/14/04

2004-12-14T08:22:00.000-05:00

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MOORE-ON IN CLINICAL DENIAL

“The days of trying to move the Democratic Party to the right are over. We lost a very close election - a one-state difference - by running the #1 liberal in the Senate. Not bad. The country is shifting in our direction, not to the right.”

- Michael Moore on his website yesterday

POLITICAL DR. KEVORKIANS

“The United States is in danger of becoming a one-party nation. This may happen not by an old-fashioned coup d'etat in which the opposition party is purged, but by a suicidal Democratic leadership that has purged itself. Even after the disastrous Kerry presidential campaign, Democratic leaders still act as if September 11, 2001 and Nov. 2, 2004, are unrelated.”

- Columnist Arnold Beichman

OH, HERE’S A SHOCKER

“Billionaire Marc Rich has emerged as a central figure in the U.N. oil-for-food scandal and is under investigation for brokering deals in which scores of international politicians and businessmen cashed in on sweetheart oil deals with Saddam Hussein, The Post has learned. Rich, the fugitive Swiss-based commodities trader who received a controversial pardon from President Bill Clinton in January 2001, is a primary target of criminal probes under way in the U.S. attorney's office in New York and by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, sources said.”

- New York Post, 12/13/04

IMMIGRATION AGITATION

“(W)e have never really tried to enforce the nation's existing immigration laws, only to create an illusion of trying to do so. Nearly half of the illegal aliens now in the United States did not run the border. They came in through ports of entry, such as airports, as did the 19 al Qaeda terrorists who attacked our country on September 11, 2001…

“The president and those who support his planned amnesty say amnesty will enable us to finally know who is in the United States. They say in fighting the war on terror, this would help make us more secure. Sad to say, that is not so. . . . If we ultimately enact the amnesty program, in my opinion, based on 30 years with the INS, criminals and terrorists will apply for amnesty under assumed identities and some will succeed. The identity documents they get will enable them to live and work ‘normally’ in the United States…

“The United States tried a similar amnesty program in 1986 under President Reagan. Some 3.5 million aliens were granted amnesty with the promise this was a ‘one shot’ program to at last bring millions of illegal aliens out of the shadows. Those aliens were indeed brought out of the shadows, only to be replaced by as many as 12 million illegal aliens who now live in the very same shadows. It has been said history repeats itself. I hope not this time.”

- Michael W. Cutler, retired INS veteran, Washington Times, 12/13/04

HILLARY GETS TO THE RIGHT OF W ON IMMIGRATION

“Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is staking out a position on illegal immigration that is more conservative than President Bush, a strategy that supporters and detractors alike see as a way for the New York Democrat to shake the ‘liberal’ label and appeal to traditionally Republican states. Mrs. Clinton - who is tagged as a liberal because of her plan for nationalized health care and various remarks during her husband's presidency - is taking an increasingly vocal and hard-line stance on an issue that ranks among the highest concerns for voters, particularly Republicans.”

- Washington Times, 12/13/04

AND YOU KNOW, IT JUST MIGHT WORK

“More than any other leader of either political party, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton has been focusing on immigration reform and border security - taking hard-line positions that appeal to frustrated Republicans in a move that could guarantee her enough support in red states to win the White House in 2008."

- Carl Limbacher of NewsMax.com

VICTIM LACKED “PERMIT” TO DEFEND SELF, PROPERTY

“Leonard Gamage is sore today, which is understandable since he spent more than 45 minutes fighting off an intruder late Friday. Gamage, 87, suffered some bumps and bruises in a pair of fights with the intruder, who is an unidentified 20-year man…

“Gamage said the ordeal started just after 9 p.m. He was watching television at his home when someone came to his front door. Gamage said he went to the back door since both doors face the patio. Gamage did not recognize the young man. When he went to open the door, he said the man grabbed the screen door and forced himself inside the house…

“Gamage said he remembered having a pair of rifles in a gun rack inside the house. As he started in that direction, he and the man began to fight again at the back door, in the kitchen/patio area. ‘I was finally able to get my hands on one of the guns and hit him in the back with the gun stock,’ Gamage said. . . . Gamage said he was thinking that he would hate to kill the young man, but would if he were left with no choice.

“Gamage then fired a pair of warning shots, one at each foot, but that did not deter the intruder, according to Gamage… ‘When he said he was still going to get me, I realized this was serious. I shot him in the left foot. It hit him in the arch and he screamed and started jumping around like a chicken with his head cut off.’

“...Ironically, Gamage lost the very rifle that may have saved his life. ‘I do not have a gun permit so (the sheriff) had to take my rifles,’ Gamage said. ‘The sheriff told me if I get my permit, he would see what he could do to help me get them back. I never use them, but they have been in the family a long time.’”

- Macomb Journal, 12/5/04

THE BOOB TUBE

“The Parent's Television Council seems to be targeting South Park. How about a Parent's Responsibility Council? How about parents getting together to share ways that they can control television use in their own homes? Maybe one parent can share stories with another parent about how to use the built in controls most televisions have that won't permit the children to access certain channels! Who knows, maybe parents can even share stories about how they control the number of hours their children can use the ‘plug-in-drug’ every week. If these parents are really concerned maybe they need to remove televisions from every room in their home except the parent's bedroom. There's something to be said for getting the TV out of the parent's bedroom too.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

"Life is tough. Life is tougher if you're stupid."

- John Wayne

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/13/04

2004-12-13T04:42:00.000-05:00

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KOFI KLUTZ

“(UN Secretary-General Kofi) Annan, in fact, was invented, and by the very Americans the apologists loathe, when the stink of the Boutrous-Boutrous Ghali administration finally became so overpowering that nearly everyone agreed that he had to go. His replacement had to satisfy the requirements of the Lilliputians of the Third World who are forever fantasizing about how to tie down Gulliver, and the Americans scrounged through what was available and came up with Mr. Annan, fresh from mismanaging the U.N. ‘peacekeeping’ operations in Rwanda and Bosnia. Wherever Mr. Annan went, massacres followed. But he apologized nicely and that was that. The man and the hour had met.”

- Wesley Pruden, “Pruden On Politics,” 12/10/04

GET THE U.S. OUT OF THE U.N.

“The United Nations does not serve the interests of the United States or the objectives of democracies. . . . What does the United States get for its money? We pay 22 percent of the U.N. budget, but get 100 percent of the grief from nations who hate us and what we stand for. . . . The world would be better off without this body and with an association of democracies in its place.”

- Columnist Cal Thomas

SEEDS OF FREEDOM MUST BE HOME-GROWN

“George Bush, clearly and much to the surprise of many people, is a visionary. And his vision is that of a world in which every nation is a democracy. Nice, but hardly practical. Therefore, while I hate to disagree with President Bush, (well, not really) the more I think about it the more I am convinced that the United States has not been ordained by God to spread freedom to the rest of the world. Neither do I find anywhere in the Constitution, or even in our history, any hint that that is supposed to be our mission…

“Ronald Reagan saw the United States as a beacon of freedom to the world and an inspiration to all those who yearn for it. He did not see it to be our duty to impose it on those nations and peoples who are not willing to fight for it. . . . Where a people seeks freedom George Bush can help, but he cannot bring freedom to those who are not willing to fight for it.”

- Lyn Nofziger’s “Musings,” 12/10/04

ANOTHER CAMEL’S NOSE UNDER FREEDOM’S TENT

“The (Intelligence) reform bill gets the federal government into the business of driver's licenses by requiring it to set standards for the states. You don't have to be a black-helicopter paranoid to see that this is the first concrete step to a national ID card and whatever that portends for our fast-diminishing privacy.”

- Columnist Dale McFeatters

UNDER-STATEMENT OF THE YEAR

“We had a message problem. We are too coastal, too urban, and most of all too dovish. . . . The public simply didn't trust us to keep them safe."

- Former Kerry campaign manager Jim Jordan

THREE CHEERS...HIP, HIP, HORRAY!

“The Democrat Party’s liberal wing will cheer lustily in the antiwar (Howard) Dean becomes the party’s new face, but Republicans will cheer even louder…”

- New York Post columnist Deborah Orrin

ALLEN SEEKS POLE POSITION

“In a sign that US Senator George Allen Jr. (R-VA) is planning a 2008 White House run, he just hired Dick Wadhams to be his new Chief of Staff. Wadhams, who ran the campaign that just ousted Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), is viewed as one of today's hottest GOP political strategists.”

- Ron Gunzburger’s Politics1

YER GUMMINT SKOOLS INACTION

“We have long known teenagers in Japan scored much higher on international math tests than American teenagers. But did you know teenagers in Poland, the Slovak Republic, Iceland, Canada and Korea - among other places - also score higher than our teenagers? Out of 29 countries whose teenagers took a recent international math test, American teenagers ranked 24th.”

- Columnist Thomas Sowell

TALK ABOUT RHETORICAL OVERKILL

“The political and public campaign to change the current Postal Reform bills is already high and will get much louder and stronger throughout the winter and spring. They want your wages, retirement, and health benefits reduced through Congressional legislation and they want bigger postage discounts for presorting mail. They also want to have the ability to open mailbox delivery to anyone so that they can establish their own processing and delivery system to completely bypass the USPS.

“In your corner - fighting for you - is only one group, your Union. And the opposition is large, well financed, and politically connected. Despite all of this, your Union will be fighting the fight of our lives - of YOUR lives - to protect you. ...if you are not a member - join the group that is the ONLY group fighting for you. If our Union loses this fight - we all lose.”

- Kevin Gallagher of American Postal Workers Union

UPHILL CLIMB IN THE PR BATTLE

“It doesn't matter that paying taxes will be voluntary under the Fair Tax plan. It doesn't matter that nobody pays the retail sales tax on the basic necessities of life. It doesn't matter that lower income Americans will virtually get a free ride when their entire federal tax liability disappears, including Social Security and Medicare taxes. What does matter?

“Some people are afraid the evil, hated rich won't pay enough. How dare these people work hard, make good decisions, and save all that money? How dare they achieve that much more than I have? Make 'em pay! The Fair Tax can overcome a lot of things. I don't know how it can overcome the angry jealousy so many Americans feel toward those who achieved more than they?”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/10/04

2004-12-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

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TURNING A NEW PAGE

Sometimes an issue, or an aspect of an issue, is too complicated to explain in a “blurb” - and other times such an issue is better explained by someone with more knowledge and experience in it than I have. Thus, I created a new webpage for the Citizen Outreach webpage titled, “Issues & Answers” where I’ll occasionally post entire columns, opinions or reports authored by somebody else with expertise in the issue.

To launch the page, I’ve posted "Amnesty vs. Border Control" by Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican this morning which consists of “12 Questions the White House Must Answer About Bush's Temporary Worker Plan.” In addition, I’ve also posted a recent column by Dr. Michael Clifford on the Tort Reform issue as it relates to all the pending class-action lawsuits hanging over the heads of Vioxx.

Catch either or both simply by clicking on the new “Issues & Answers” page at www.citizenoutreach.com

YEAH. RIGHT. UH-HUH. SURE. WHATEVER.

“Honesty is a moral value. If this election had been decided on moral values, the Democrats would have won.”

- Howard Dean

527 AD CARRIED DAY FOR W IN OHIO

“(T)he Bush side's most expensive and, in my view, most emotionally powerful television ad was a $14.5 million spot by the Progress for America Voter Fund (an IRS 527 organization). It features a digital snapshot that ran in the Cincinnati Enquirer of Bush hugging 15-year-old Ashley Faulkner at a campaign stop in Lebanon, Ohio.

“He had just heard that she lost her mother in the World Trade Center disaster. Without a word, he stopped and hugged her to his chest. The look on his face is one of genuine grief, empathy and comfort. The ad ends with Ashley Faulkner's voice saying: ‘He's the most powerful man in the world, and all he wants to do is make sure I'm safe, that I'm OK.’

“The power of the ad comes from something you seldom see in a presidential campaign, a moment of genuine human feeling without any prompting from handlers or spin doctors. The result in this case was a powerful narrative that made the president a part of the larger story in just the way Bush wanted to be seen.”

- Columnist Clarence Page

DISSING THE COLORED FOLKS

“Still furious about the election, liberals are lashing out at blacks. First it was Condoleezza Rice. But calling a Ph.D. who advised a sitting president during war ‘Aunt Jemima’ apparently hasn't satiated the Democrats' rage. Even the racist cartoons didn't help.

“So this week, they've turned with a vengeance to Clarence Thomas. Only the Democrats would try to distract from their racist attacks on one black Republican by leveling racist attacks against a different black Republican. If Democrats don't nip this in the bud, soon former Klanner and Democratic Sen. Bob Byrd will be their spokesman.

“…(L)ast Sunday Harry Reid, the Democratic leader in the Senate, had this to say about Justice Clarence Thomas: ‘I think that he has been an embarrassment to the Supreme Court. I think that his opinions are poorly written.’ You'd think Thomas' opinions were written in ebonics. . . . If Democrats are all going to read from the same talking points, they might want to get someone other than David Duke to write them.”

- Columnist Ann Coulter

POLITICAL PROSTITUTE

“All of John Kerry's one-time rivals in the Democratic presidential primary eventually lined up to support him as the nominee, but only one got paid for it -- Al Sharpton. The Democratic National Committee paid Sharpton $86,715 in travel and consulting fees to compensate for his campaigning for Kerry and other Democratic candidates"

- Associated Press, 12/8/04

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TERMINATOR TERMINATES PC

“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger struck a blow against the anti-Christmas agenda of the P.C. Scrooges. As California's first lady Maria Shriver flicked on the state Christmas tree's 5,000 bulbs, the governor terminated the preposterous practice of referring to the traditionally trimmed symbol as a ‘holiday tree.’"

- Left Coast Report, 12/8/04

YOU KNOW YOU’RE A REDNECK-PHOBIC…

“A song found offensive by a local parent has been pulled from the Onalaska Elementary School's (OES) upcoming Christmas program. Jennifer Scott, the mother of a third-grader at OES was offended by the song ‘Leroy the Redneck Reindeer,’ which was to be performed by the third-graders. Scott claims the song is racist and disrespectful, specifically the line ‘Santa wrapped his bag with a Dixie Flag, he was having the time of his life.’ She said the flag is symbolic of the Ku Klux Klan.”

- Emily Banks, Polk County (TX) Enterprise, 12/5/04

HISPANDERING WINS

“So what happened to the (immigration) provisions in the intelligence bill? They didn't make it. They were cut out during House-Senate negotiations. The reason was simple: Hispandering. (Pandering for the Hispanic vote.) Neither party wants to offend this increasingly powerful group of voter. even when it comes to protecting Americans from terrorists who may cross the borders.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

SURVEY SAYS!

Do you think there is a serious divide between many Republican Party leaders and a majority of Republican grassroots voters over the immigration issue?

· Yes
· No
· Haven’t got a clue

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

WRONG PRESCRIPTION

“In reality, despite over-whelming support in polls, (drug) importation is a terrible idea. Drug costs are lower in other countries because they impose price controls, so importation amounts to imposing price controls in the United States.”

- Columnist Morton Kondracke

LET THE 2008 GAMES BEGIN

“With 2008 just four years away, it's not too early to rule New York governor George Elmer Pataki unfit for the GOP nomination. Republicans should study his record and keep him as far from their party's ticket as Albany is from Albuquerque. After 10 years as governor, Pataki's legacy rests on three legs: an anemic economy, a listless state Republican party, and a deteriorating ethical climate.”

- Columnist Deroy Murdock

AND...THEY’RE OFF!

“You can never be too rich or too quick off the mark to express interest in the White House. Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., on Wednesday became the first to declare his 2008 intentions, if not his candidacy, in what may well turn into a stampede of hopefuls in both parties. ‘Are you going to run this time?’ Don Imus asked him on MSNBC's Imus in the Morning. ‘Well, I'm going to proceed as if I'm going to run,’ Biden said.”

- USA Today, 12/9/04

POT POLITICS

“Ashcroft v. Raich, the Supreme Court's medical marijuana case, isn't really about medical marijuana. It's about power -- the power of Congress to exert control, and the power of the Constitution to rein Congress in. . . . (California’s) Compassionate Use Act of 1996...exempts the use of marijuana under a doctor's supervision from criminal sanction… But under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, the possession of marijuana for any reason is illegal.

“The question for the court is which law should prevail in this case: state or federal? . . . Does Congress have the right to criminalize the possession of minuscule amounts of marijuana, not bought on the illicit drug market, and used as medicine? . . . Where does the Constitution empower Congress to bar pain-wracked patients from using the marijuana their doctors say they need?”

- Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby

LEGISLATING FROM THE BENCH

“With the agenda of the political left increasingly rejected by voters at the polls, the only way to get the items on that agenda enacted into law is to have judges who will decree the liberal agenda from the bench. . . . With activist judges guided only by their own ideology and conservative judges reluctant to overturn precedents, the agenda of the left is easy to enact from the bench and hard to dislodge afterward.”

- Columnist Thomas Sowell

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

"…(T)he opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves in their own sphere of action but for the Legislature and Executive also in their spheres, would make the Judiciary a despotic branch."

- Thomas Jefferson

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/8/04

2004-12-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

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CONSERVATIVES LOSE...AGAIN

Folks, you need to keep one thing painfully in mind for the next two years: Republicans won the election on November 2, not conservatives. There is a Republican majority in Congress, not a conservative majority.

That’s why Republican Arlen Specter will be chairing the Judiciary Committee next year rather than a conservative senator. And that’s why provisions cracking down on illegal immigration were stripped from the Intelligence reform bill yesterday before the measure was passed by a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Get used to these kinds of disappointments. They won’t be the last.

- Chuck Muth, Editor

WHAT’S A FEW BILLION AMONG FRIENDS?

“Illegal immigration costs the taxpayers of California - which has the highest number of illegal aliens nationwide - $10.5 billion a year for education, health care and incarceration, according to a study released yesterday. A key finding of the report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) said the state's already struggling kindergarten-through-12th-grade education system spends $7.7 billion a year on children of illegal aliens, who constitute 15 percent of the student body.”

- Washington Times, 12/7/04

SURVEY SAYS!

Do you think there is a serious divide between many Republican Party leaders and a majority of Republican grassroots voters over the immigration issue?

· Yes
· No
· Haven’t got a clue

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

GOIN’ POSTAL

“For the first time, Americans' use of credit cards, debit cards and other electronic bill paying has eclipsed paper checks,” reported the Associated Press on Tuesday.

Hmmm. If that’s true, then that means there is FAR less mail to be handled these days. And if there’s FAR less mail being handled, that should mean we need FAR fewer postal employees. And if we have FAR fewer postal employees, that means the cost of running the post office should go down.

So tell me again why the post office is going to ask for a double-digit rate hike in the cost of stamps next year?

- Chuck Muth, Editor

PAPERS, PLEASE

“National ID cards are not proper in a free society. This is America, not Soviet Russia. The federal government should never be allowed to demand papers from American citizens, and it certainly has no constitutional authority to do so."

- Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Republican, objecting to a provision in the Intel reform bill establishing a national ID system, complete with internal checkpoints

THE FREE MARKET IN ACTION

“An Iraqi businessman was negotiating several months ago to sell a prime piece of commercial real estate in central Baghdad. He had tentatively agreed on a price with a Kuwaiti investor, who planned someday to build an electronics superstore on the 9,850-square-foot property. But after President Bush was reelected in November, the Iraqi jacked up the price 25 percent. The prospect that a reelected Bush administration would stay and fight -- and ultimately stabilize Iraq -- had instantly made his property more valuable.”

- Washington Post columnist David Ignatius

HIGH-TECH LYNCHING FOR UPPITY BLACK - THE SEQUEL

“Tom Daschle may be gone, but his method isn't forgotten. At least not by his successor as Senate Minority Leader, Harry Reid, who got his tenure off to a rousing start on Sunday by calling Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas an ‘embarrassment,’ who writes ‘poorly’ besides.

“We doubt this was a slip of the tongue. By attacking Mr. Thomas personally and suggesting he's not too bright, Mr. Reid was signaling to President Bush that if he promotes Mr. Thomas to Chief Justice the fight will be mean and bloody and not limited to Constitutional issues. Democrats will try to destroy the Justice personally, much as they did the first time around…”

- Wall Street Journal, 12/7/04

GETTING REAL

“After watching the umpteenth TV report on the national media's new favorite politician, Barack Obama, I figure it is time for someone to say the obvious: Let's get realistic about the new senator's near-term political future. . . . (F)orgive me for being just a bit tired of the fawning. The coverage of him simply has been over the top. He's been on magazine covers and virtually every TV talk show. Heck, he's probably received more face time than Wolf Blitzer. I've even heard his name floated as a potential Democratic presidential nominee in 2008. C'mon, let's get real."

- Political analyst Stuart Rothenberg

LONG SAVINGS ON LONG DISTANCE

* Residential or commercial * 6-second billing increments * 24 hours/day, 7 days/week * No access codes * No minimums * No activation fees * Easy sign-up. * Click to get started...

http://www.newsandviewslongdistance.com

GEE, THANKS FOR THE IDEA

“Oh, this is great: Tommy Thompson announced Friday that he's leaving his post as secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Associated Press reports he made this comment: ‘For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do.’ Uh, maybe it's because until Friday, NO ONE HAD SUGGESTED IT TO THEM?”

- James Taranto’s Best of the Web, 12/6/04

DRIVING UNCLE SAM TO THE POOR HOUSE

“We’re now spending $572 billion a year on Medicare and Medicaid. These programs are critically important to millions of Americans. But they’re also driving our country into bankruptcy. . . . So our country has a choice. We can either radically restructure Medicare and Medicaid to limit their growth, or we can go the way of Argentina, Brazil and other fiscal malfeasants.”

- Laurence J. Kotlikoff, Chairman of Boston University’s Economics Department, Forbes, 12/13/04

SOCIAL INSECURITY FOR KIDS

“Young people, by and large, just can't seem to get worked up about matters political. That's too bad, because they might be interested in knowing that one of America's largest and most effective lobbying organizations has just declared war on them. The AARP has now decided that it's going to fight any effort by President Bush to privatize, even partially, that debacle known as Social Security. . . . Sadly, these young Americans who are getting so royally screwed by Social Security and the AARP are far more concerned with sports, pop culture and who they're going to 'hook up" with this weekend.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

THE McCAIN PAIN

“If John McCain had his way the federal government would control every phase of our lives from our political system to our sports. Which is why, Republican or not, I wouldn’t vote for him for president if he were the only person running. McCain, who inflicted the notorious McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform measure on the nation, thus bringing about the rise of the 527 political organizations, now wants to control organized baseball. He is threatening to introduce legislation that would ban the use of muscle-building, performance-enhancing steroids.

“Somebody should introduce legislation banning McCain.

“Now, I don’t approve of athletes using steroids. I think it is cheating. I think it warps the record book. I think it is wrong. But I approve even less of government, including the Congress, butting in where it doesn’t belong. And it sure as heck doesn’t have any business regulating how baseball is played, by whom it is played and under what conditions it is played, and what legal substances a player can ingest. The steroid problem is baseball’s problem, it is not the problem of the federal government.”

- Lyn Nofziger’s Musings, 12/7/04

STUPIDITY VIRUS STRIKES LOUISIANA

“In Jefferson Parish, La., 8-year-old Kelli Billingsley ‘brought homemade Jell-O cups to school at Boudreaux Elementary,’ reports WGNO-TV in New Orleans. ‘The girl's mom says her daughter was just trying to make a treat for her friends,’ but ‘the school suspended the girl for having a look alike drug,’ despite having tested the Jell-O and finding no trace of alcohol or any other forbidden substance. Things sure have changed since we were young. At our elementary school they had a drinking fountain that dispensed a liquid that looked just like vodka!”

- James Taranto’s Best of the Web, 12/7/04

JUST SAY NO TO (LEGAL) DRUGS?

“Let the Un-Drugging of America begin. The pharmaceutical industry, despite a golden age of biology that has unraveled mysteries of the genetic code and yielded miracle drugs that save thousands of lives, may be on the brink of a backlash. Millions of us are popping prescription pills for innocuous ills, when simple lifestyle changes - harped on by physicians for decades - are more effective and a lot cheaper…

“Epidemiological studies have found that bad living - smoking, drinking too much alcohol, feasting on cheeseburgers - is responsible for 80% of one’s risk of heart disease and almost all the risk of diabetes. Cleaning up your act would do more to reduce that risk than popping a plethora of new pills.”

- Forbes, 11/29/04

NO INJURY, NO FOUL

“Nobody's right to life, liberty or property is threatened when someone hires a prostitute. Prostitution has always been with us, and prostitution will always be with us. It has been and will be a fact of life so long as humans roam the Earth. Time to legalize.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.”

- Thomas Jefferson

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/7/04

2004-12-07T08:55:00.000-05:00

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

To have News & Views delivered directly to your email address FREE, just visit: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter

REMEMBER THE ARIZONA

In case your local government skool forgets to mention it, it was on this day back in 1941 that Japan launched its sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, ushering the United States into World War II (that’s a “two,” not an “eleven” class). The two-hour attack resulted in the sinking of 21 American ships, including the USS Arizona, which alone lost 1,177 crewmen when the ship went down. All told, 2,403 Americans were killed that morning, including 68 civilians.

May they rest in peace. May we never forget their sacrifice.

KEEPING CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS

“Frankly, I'm getting a little weary of this ‘Happy Holidays’ nonsense. Could be I need to calm down. Lately I've been just a wee bit terse with people who hit me with the ‘Happy Holidays’ line. It's Christmas, dammit! About 85% of the people in this country celebrate this time of the year as Christmas, and that's enough for me. If 43% of the voters could decide that Bill Clinton would be president for four years, I'm willing to accept the mandate from 85% of the people that this particular season of the year is Christmas.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

AMERICA’S INTERNAL PASSPORT

“One of the first things the Sept. 11 terrorists did when they arrived in the United States was to get driver's licenses. They went to extraordinary lengths to obtain them. The 19 terrorists traveled all around the country, to states that granted licenses to virtually anyone, and acquired 63 of them, begging the question ‘Why?’ Why did al Qaeda go to the trouble of getting 63 driver's licenses when planning its attacks? The answer is simple: Because it needed them. It had to have licenses to operate here unnoticed. It knew that the driver's license is America's de facto national identification card, our internal passport that opens doors to everything, everywhere in this country...

“Make no mistake about it. That wallet-sized document is one of the most powerful tools available to terrorists behind our lines. Al Qaeda knew it. The September 11 commission learned it. And now many in Congress want to ignore it.”

- Columnist Amanda Bowman

HERE COMES ANOTHER CONSERVATIVE LOSS

Conservatives in the House opposed the hastily stitched-together Intelligence reform bill last week for two reasons: One, it could inhibit the military’s ability to use spy satellites in the field, and two, a crackdown on illegal immigration and identification fraud had been dropped from the measure. House conservatives have insisted on anti-terror measures which include denying driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and limiting the use of foreign-issued “matricula consular” cards as acceptable identification.

Well, it appears the powers-that-be in the White House and the Senate have crafted language to satisfy objections to the Intelligence czar having complete control over the satellites...and GOP leaders are now likely to vote on the intel bill tomorrow WITHOUT the immigration reform provisions and over the objections of conservatives.

Or, in the words of Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican and immigration reform champion, “We’re screwed.”

Again.

SURVEY SAYS!

Do you think there is a serious divide between many Republican Party leaders and a majority of Republican grassroots voters over the immigration issue?

· Yes
· No
· Haven’t got a clue

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

NOTHING FOR SOMETHING

“U.S. taxpayers provide 22 percent of the United Nations operating budget. And what do they get in return? More often than not, failure. By last year, for example, it had become obvious that diplomatic inducements were not going to be able to persuade Saddam to comply with myriad Security Council disarmament resolutions he had flouted. But the council was unable to agree to the use of force against his regime, due at least in part to the fact that prominent political figures in countries like France and Russia were receiving bribes through the oil-for-food program.”

- Washington Times editorial, 12/6/04

PRESSURE ON KOFI TO QUIT BUILDS

“Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that due to the allegations of fraud, mismanagement, and abuse within the United Nations oil-for-food program, Kofi Annan should resign from the position of Secretary General of the United Nations to help restore confidence that the investigations into those allegations are being fully and independently accomplished.”

- House resolution being introduced by Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS)

BRUSHFIRE ALERT

If you haven’t done so already, please consider adding your name to our online petition urging Kofi Annan to step down by going to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/petition

LONG SAVINGS ON LONG DISTANCE

* Residential or commercial * 6-second billing increments * 24 hours/day, 7 days/week * No access codes * No minimums * No activation fees * Easy sign-up. * Click to get started...

http://www.newsandviewslongdistance.com

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

“Leave it to the French. French cops hide explosives in an unsuspecting airline passenger's baggage. Not only do their screeners fail to find the explosives, but they lose the baggage to boot!”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

OVERKILL

“The farewell to (NBC News’) Tom Brokaw was so overdone that the tributes began to sound like a wake…”

- Columnist Suzanne Fields

BEST OF THE WORST

“During his long tenure as NBC News anchorman, Tom Brokaw took that program from last place among the big three broadcast networks to first place. But he had more viewers when he was in last place, more than 20 years ago, than he had in first place this year. That is because fewer people now watch NBC, ABC, or CBS News. Good!”

- Columnist Thomas Sowell

HILLARYCARE FLOPS

“In 1994, Tennessee passed what was then a very hot New Democrat idea--call it government managed care--a version of the reform the former first lady (Hillary Clinton) was also pitching nationwide. TennCare promised the impossible dream of politicians everywhere: Lower health-care costs while covering more of the ‘uninsured.’ They got the impossible, all right. After 10 years of mismanagement and lawsuits, TennCare now eats up one-third of the state's entire budget and is growing fast. Governor Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, is preparing to pull the plug and return the state to the less lunatic subsidies of Medicaid.”

- Review & Outlook, Wall Street Journal, 12/6/04

VICTIM TO BE CHARGED IN FONDLING CASE

“A woman who objected to being frisked might be charged with assault for slapping an airport security guard's face with her boarding pass, police said. The 48-year-old woman swatted the agent after being told that she had to be patted down for repeatedly setting off metal detectors before her flight last week, Lt. Tod Dahle said. . . . The woman was allowed to leave on another flight, but police plan to pursue a misdemeanor assault charge, Mr. Dahle said.”

- American Scene, Washington Times, 12/6/04

LEADING THE WAY BACK TO PRIVATE SCREENERS

“Nevada's Elko Regional Airport last week became the first airport in the country to apply to get rid of uniformed TSA screeners and return to private employees. The airport, which handles just 15 flights a day, has 14 screeners. Elko director Cris Jensen said there were no problems with the government screeners, but he feels his airport can do the same job more efficiently by better matching its personnel with demand. Dozens of other small airports are expected to apply for a similar exemption in the coming weeks.”

- TIME magazine

RELIGIOUS RIGHT LEADER SEZ: FIRE THE FAGS!

“A pro-family activist from Virginia says voters who put Republicans in office should demand that politicians not employ key personnel who don't hold the conservative views that the party promotes. That activist says the Capitol Hill office of Virginia Senator George Allen is a good example.

“Senator Allen is head of the Republican Senatorial Committee and was a key figure in the GOP's big victories in November. But Joe Glover, president of the Virginia-based Family Policy Network, says something is very wrong. Glover says homosexual publications have outed at least six members of the senator's office as homosexuals. He says one homosexual activist even went so far as to say Allen had the ‘gayest office on Capitol Hill.’

“Pro-family conservatives, he says, need to make sure Senator Allen hears their voices. ‘If someone is going to run the day-to-day operations for the Republican apparatus to elect U.S. senators across the country, then dog-gone-it, it better not be somebody who practices a lifestyle that is diametrically opposed to the evangelical Christian base that delivered George W. Bush and the Republicans in the Senate the victory they saw in November,’ he says.”

- Agape Press, 12/6/04

WHOPPEE!! BOOK-BURNING IS BACK!

“Alabama State Representative Gerald Allen (R) -- emboldened by the recent spate of ballot victories for state bans on gay marriage -- has a new idea. He announced last week he will introduce a bill in the next legislative session to ban novels with gay characters from all public libraries, schools and state universities. The proposed law would prohibit books and materials ‘that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle.’

“Allen told the Birmingham News that -- as he envisions his own bill -- all novels with gay protagonists and college textbooks that suggest homosexuality is natural would have to be removed from library shelves and destroyed. ‘I guess we dig a big hole and dump them in and bury them,’ boasted Allen.

“When asked about works of fiction like Tennessee Williams' classic Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Allen told the newspaper that universities would not be allowed to perform productions of the play, use the book in classrooms, or carry copies of the book in libraries under his law. Allen also agreed that the ban could extend to works of fiction like The Color Purple, Brideshead Revisted and The Portrait of Dorian Gray, as they all have gay characters.

“Wait, folks, 'cuz that's not all! According to the newspaper, the bill would also ‘ban materials that recognize or promote a lifestyle or actions prohibited by the sodomy and sexual misconduct laws of Alabama.’ Allen explained that books with heterosexual couples committing those acts -- things like adultery or engaging in oral sex -- also likely would be banned.”

- Ron Gunzburger, Politics1, 12/6/04

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“Religion and government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.”

- James Madison

"I think it's very important for people who are serving (in office) to make sure there's a separation of church and state."

- George W. Bush

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/6/04

2004-12-06T06:16:00.000-05:00

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

To have News & Views delivered directly to your email address FREE, just visit: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter

SADDLE UP!

With the final results in from Louisiana over the weekend, the 2004 campaign is now officially behind us (except for that little gubernatorial race out in Washington). Time to start preparing for 2006.

Hello, Sunshine State readers. I’ll be in Florida in January for some other business, so if any of you might be interested in having me conduct a grassroots activist/candidate training seminar while I’m in the neighborhood, let me know. I’m looking at possibly Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale and/or Jacksonville. Maybe Orlando. Will entertain other possibilities. Shoot me an email to chuck@citizenoutreach.com and we’ll see what we can put together.

KOFI BREAK

“Kofi Annan has had better weeks. On Monday, the UN secretary general woke up to a Wall Street Journal column by Glenn Harlan Reynolds, publisher of the influential InstaPundit website, urging that he be replaced by Vaclav Havel, the much-admired former president of the Czech Republic. In The New York Times, op-ed eminence William Safire (wrote that the) corruption enveloping the UN will not begin to dissipate until Annan resigns…

“Meanwhile, the latest National Review was out, with its cover photo of Annan and the headline, in large red letters: ‘You're Fired!’ An editorial inside insisted that ‘Annan should either resign, if he is honorable, or be removed, if he is not,’ while an essay by Nile Gardiner, a former aide to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, explained why ‘Kofi's hour is up.’ With his record, Gardiner observed, ‘if Annan were the CEO of a Fortune 500 company...he would have been forced to resign months ago.’"

- Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby ( EDITOR’S NOTE: If you haven’t done so already, please sign our online petition to Secretary-General Annan urging him to resign at: http://www.chuckmuth.com/petition )

MINORITY LEADER SLAMS BLACK JUSTICE

“I think that (Justice Clarence Thomas) has been an embarrassment to the Supreme Court. I think that his opinions are poorly written. I don't--I just don't think that he's done a good job as a Supreme Court justice.”

- Incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), “Meet the Press,” 12/5/04

RESULTS OF LAST “SURVEY SAYS!”

Question: Who should President Bush nominate to be the next chief justice of the Supreme Court when Justice Rehnquist retires?

41% - Justice Clarence Thomas
48% - Justice Antonin Scalia
10% - Somebody else

IMMIGRATION CONFLAGRATION

“A fierce fight is brewing among Republicans over President Bush’s plans for sweeping immigration reform during his second term, pitting one of the president’s highest priorities against a determined conservative opposition on Capitol Hill. . . . The immigration debate has awakened deep divisions among Republicans, between some members of Congress and a president they fear will drift too far to the center in his quest for a lasting legacy.”

- Baltimore Sun, 12/5/04

BLIND...OR IN DENIAL?

“Not everyone thinks the Republican Party is divided on immigration. ‘I don't know that there's a split,’ said Ken Mehlman, who ran Mr. Bush's campaign and likely will be the next chairman of the Republican National Committee.”

- Washington Times, 12/3/04

SURVEY SAYS!

Do you think there is a serious divide between many Republican Party leaders and a majority of Republican grassroots voters over the immigration issue?

· Yes
· No
· Haven’t got a clue

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

GOING TO POT

“Is growing marijuana in your own home for your own medical use ‘interstate commerce,’ as the government claims. I think the answer is clear: No, it isn’t. Therefore, Congress has no power to restrict...personal consumption activity, no matter how much you or I or a majority of voters disapprove of the California law that permits it.”

- Columnist Maggie Gallagher

‘BAMA BACKS STATE’S RIGHTS

“Alabama, which has some of the nation's toughest drug laws, has become an unlikely ally of California on medical marijuana use. In a legal brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments Monday on California's medical marijuana law, Alabama Attorney General Troy King said states, not the federal government, should have the right to decide drug-control policies.
“’I could not disagree more with the public policy that underlies the California law. I think it's flawed. I think it's bad public policy,’ Mr. King said in an interview. ‘But if somebody can go in and tell California you can't regulate drugs the way you want to regulate them in California, the next step is they could come to Alabama and tell us we can't do it.’"

- Associated Press, 12/5/04

LONG SAVINGS ON LONG DISTANCE

* Residential or commercial * 6-second billing increments * 24 hours/day, 7 days/week * No access codes * No minimums * No activation fees * Easy sign-up. * Click to get started...

http://www.newsandviewslongdistance.com/

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.”

- Thomas Jefferson

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/4/04

2004-12-04T08:49:00.001-05:00

GOV’T SQUASHES SEX PATCH FOR WOMEN

“Sorry, ladies. The Food and Drug Administration yesterday turned thumbs down on a hormone patch that aimed to do for women what Viagra did for men - put them in the mood. Saying it does not have enough data yet to ensure the long-term safety of Intrinsa, the Reproductive Health Drugs advisory committee sent drug maker Procter & Gamble back to the lab to do more testing.”

- New York Daily News, 12/3/04

‘TIS THE PC SEASON

In his “Inside the Beltway” column, John McCaslin reported yesterday that the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve no longer accepts “items that have a connection to violence” for its Toys for Tots program. That means the Marines will no longer accept donations of toy guns or knives. However, retired Maj. Brian A. Murray, vice president of operations, says this decision is not due to “political correctness.” I understand he even said it with a straight face.

BRUSHFIRE ALERT: If you’d like to wish Maj. Murray a Merry Christmas, you can reach him at: bamurray@toysfortots.org

TARGETING TARGET

“A couple of years ago Target opened one of their big box stores in our neighborhood and since it opened I’ve done a lot of my shopping there. But no more. Target has told the Salvation Army it can no longer set up its Christmas kettles at its store entrances. And that’s good enough for me. I’ll go do my shopping elsewhere.”

- Lyn Nofziger’s “Musings,” 12/3/04

FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH

“We receive an increasing number of solicitation inquiries from nonprofit organizations and groups each year and determined that if we continue to allow the Salvation Army to solicit, then it opens the door to any other groups that wish to solicit our guests. While some of our guests may welcome the opportunity to support their favorite charity or cause, allowing these organizations to solicit means that Target would also have to permit solicitation by organizations whose causes or behavior may be unacceptable to our guests.”

- Target Corporation statement

BRUSHFIRE ALERT: You can send Scrooge, Inc. a Merry Christmas email message to their Investor Relations department at: InvestorRelations@target.com

Or, use their webform to send comments by going to:

http://www.targetcorp.com/targetcorp_group/contactus/contact_general.jhtml

Other contact information:

Target Corporation
1000 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis MN 55403
(612) 304-6073

KOFI BREAK

“Abuse was rampant in the oil-for-food program. Senate investigators believe more that $21 billion may have gone back to Saddam's regime. Some of those funds may be financing the insurgency we face today. . . . Obviously it is time for (Kofi Annan) to go.” - Columnist R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr.

“United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan should resign. On his watch, the United Nations finds itself in the biggest scandal in its checkered history.” - Columnist Joseph Perkins

“It’s time for Kofi Annan to step down. The massive scope of this debacle demands nothing less.” - Sen. Norm Coleman, Minnesota Republican

“Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) is calling on United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to step down over the growing U.N. oil-for-food scandal.” - CNS News, 12/3/04

JOIN the growing list of folks calling for anti-American Kofi Annan to step down by signing our online petition to the Secretary-General urging him to resign. Just visit: http://www.chuckmuth.com/petition

BROKEN RECORD

“This morning on CNN, Soledad O'Brien asked Democratic operative Doug Hadaway what he thought about suggestions that Kofi Annan should resign. Hadaway, you will recall, was one of Al Gore's closest advisors during the 2000 elections. Well, did Hadaway actually address whether or not Annan should resign at the UN? Of course not! He said that George Bush should resign because of all the controversies over Halliburton! Yup, you got it! The question is about Kofi Annan and the oil-for-food scandal, and this Democrat hack answers with Halliburton! Gets old after a while, doesn't it?”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

GOP SPLIT OVER IMMIGRATION

“When House Republicans blocked the intelligence overhaul bill two weeks ago, some congressional Republicans say they were showing President Bush he will split the party if he goes ahead with his broader immigration-reform plan.

“‘It would cause a break in the party that would be extremely unhealthy for the party,’ said Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican and chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus. ‘I can tell you right now, the feelings are deep. This is not a superficial argument with the president. We were all willing to shut up during the campaign. We were not going to attack the president. But the campaign is over with and the gloves are off on this issue." Mr. Tancredo said….

“Not everyone thinks the Republican Party is divided on immigration. ‘I don't know that there's a split,’ said Ken Mehlman, who ran Mr. Bush's campaign and likely will be the next chairman of the Republican National Committee.”

- Washington Times, 12/3/04

SURVEY SAYS!

Do you think there is a serious divide between many Republican Party leaders and a majority of Republican grassroots voters over the immigration issue?

· Yes
· No
· Haven’t got a clue

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

THE BOOK IS IN THE MAIL…

The “Ketchup With Your Crow, Mr. Moore?” books have arrived and are being mailed out this weekend. So everything is now in the hands of your trusty post office.

Uh-oh...

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

To have News & Views delivered directly to your email address FREE, just visit: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/4/04

2004-12-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

News & Views, 12/3/04

2004-12-03T09:16:00.000-05:00

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

To have News & Views delivered directly to your email address FREE, just visit: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter

SURVEY SAYS!

Who should President Bush nominate to be the next chief justice of the Supreme Court when Justice Rehnquist retires?

· Judge Clarence Thomas
· Judge Antonin Scalia
· Somebody else

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

FEEL THE LOVE

“You're evil, horrible people. You're awful people. You represent horrible ideas. God hates you and He wants to kill your children. You should all burn."

- PBS reporter Rachel Buchman in a recorded voice-mail message to a conservative activist group over the Thanksgiving weekend. Buchman has resigned from PBS-affiliate WHYY-FM in Philadelphia after the phone message was made public.

NEW STRATEGY FOR NEW REALITY

“Defense alone is not a sufficient strategy. There is only one way to deal with enemies who plot in secret and set out to murder the innocent and the unsuspecting: We must take the fight to them."

- President Bush in Canada on Monday

WHEN GOOD GUYS GO BAD

“Once upon a time, the International Committee of the Red Cross was a humanitarian outfit doing the Lord's work to reduce the horrors of war. So it is a special tragedy to see that it has increasingly become an ideological organization unable to distinguish between good guys and bad. . . . No longer careful, scrupulous and neutral, the ICRC has become just another politicized pressure group like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.”

- Wall Street Journal, 12/2/04

COULTERGEIST

“When Madeline Albright was appointed the FIRST WOMAN secretary of state, the media was euphoric. . . . But Bush nominates a brilliant geopolitical thinker (Condoleezza Rice) who happens to be black and female and all of a sudden she's Butterfly McQueen, who don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no Middle Eastern democracies. . . . Apparently, liberals believe Rice compares unfavorably to Madeline Albright, whose principle accomplishment before becoming secretary of state was managing to attain the age of 60 without realizing she was Jewish…

“Or how about Clinton's first secretary of state, Warren Christopher, a lawyer whose dazzling foreign policy experience consisted of being President Carter's chief negotiator for the hostages in Iran? That's almost as impressive a resume entry as ‘Chief Iceberg Lookout, the Titanic,’ ‘Senior Design Engineer, the Edsel,’ ‘Navigator, Exxon Valdez,’ or ‘Writer/Executive Producer, 'Alexander.' “

- Columnist Ann Coulter

SIGNIFICANT VICTORY

“With Congress’ completion of its work on the 2005 budget this week, President Bush and congressional leaders have achieved a significant victory in the battle for spending discipline in Washington.”- OMB Director Josh Bolten

SPENDING DISCIPLINE, DC-STYLE

“Lawmakers defend the special projects they routinely insert into a spending process that has become their political slush fund drawn from the Treasury to help them win re-election. Here's a few examples (from the 2005 budget bill):

• $100,000 for the High Falls Film Festival, Rochester, N. Y.
• $35,000 for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
• $250,000 for the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, Tenn.
• $250,000 for the Alaska Statehood Celebration, University of Alaska.
• $25,000 to develop a curriculum to study mariachi music in the Clark County School District in Nevada.
• $97,000 for the Franco-American Heritage Center, Lewiston, Maine.
• $200,000 for the Aviation Hall of Fame.
• $200,000 for the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum, Greenville, Tex.
* $250,000 for "traffic calming" in Windermere, Fla.
• $921,000 for hardwood tree improvement and regeneration in Indiana.
• $3 million for the Center for Grape Genetics, Geneva, N.Y.
• $500,000 for Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York City.
• $150,000 for the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, Columbus, Ga.
• $100,000 for the Punxsutawney (Groundhog) Weather Museum in Pennsylvania.

“The list goes on and on, thousands of low-priority or, more to the point, no-priority, spending that needlessly fattens the federal budget, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill - often to benefit wealthy special interests from the lumber industry to wine producers to upper-income communities like Bakersfield, Calif., which gets $280,000 for ‘sidewalks, street furniture and facade improvements.’"

- Columnist Donald Lambro

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FLIRTIN’ WITH DISASTER

“Social Security is a disaster. If any corporation were run the way the federal government runs Social Security, it would be shut down and the corporate officers marched off to jail in handcuffs.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

OH, HERE’S A REAL SHOCKER

“A federal judge has blocked from enforcement an Arizona proposition that denies illegal aliens welfare benefits, just hours before Gov. Janet Napolitano was to proclaim it into law yesterday.”

- Washington Times, 12/2/04

THE NEW COSBY SHOW?

“Kweisi Mfume's sudden departure after nine years as president and chief executive officer of the NAACP signals a seismic quake that rattles far beyond the doors of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. . . . That leaves the NAACP to launch a search for a new leader. I suggest Bill Cosby. He might not jump at the opportunity, but he seems to have his priorities straight.”

- Columnist Clarence Page

BIG BROTHER WANTS IN ON THE ‘NET

“For the millions of people who cannot afford high-speed Internet access, some local officials think they've hit on the answer: Build government-owned networks to provide service at rates below what big telecommunications companies charge.”

- Washington Post

THE LIBERAL-MINDED PROFESSOR

“Academic freedom is not only meant to protect professors; it is also supposed to ensure students' right to learn without being molested. When instructors use their classrooms to indoctrinate and propagandize, they cheat those students and betray the academic mission they are entrusted with. That should be intolerable to honest men and women of every stripe -- liberals and conservatives alike.”

- Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby

PARENTAL PRIORITIES

“There is no job more important than that of raising a child. It's the very reason for our existence. If both parents have to work for pure survival, that's one thing. But when the second parent goes to work to enhance lifestyle it's quite another.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

UNWILLING FREEDOM FIGHTERS

“(Most people) like the idea of government taking care of them and making decisions for them and they’re willing to give up certain amounts of their freedom in exchange for the security government promises them. As a matter of fact they have been so brainwashed they don’t even realize that they are giving up some of their freedom when, for instance, government tells them they must wear seatbelts, or they must contribute to Social Security or they must accept Medicare or they can have no say in what their kids are taught in public schools.

“Nor do they see anything wrong when government limits the use of private property, or takes away their constitutional right (what a laugh) to keep and bear arms, or in a hundred other little ways infringes on their rights and their ability to make their own decisions, accept their own responsibilities, use their property as they see fit and in a large variety of other ways limits what they can do or legislates what they must do--all in the name of the common good…

“Back in (circa) 1775 Patrick Henry declared, ‘Give me liberty or give me death.’ It meant something then. Today he’d be a voice crying in the wilderness.”

- Lyn Nofziger’s “Musings,” 12/2/04

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread."

- Thomas Jefferson

“If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."

- Samuel Adams

“They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

-Benjamin Franklin

“Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one…”

- Thomas Paine

“If all that Americans want is security, they can go to prison. They’ll have enough to eat, a bed and a roof over their heads.”

- President Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Government is not the solution, it’s the problem.”

- Ronald Reagan

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PUBLISHED BY:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/2/04

2004-12-02T09:11:00.000-05:00

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

To have News & Views delivered directly to your email address FREE, just visit: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter

YOUR KETCHUP, SIR...

The “Ketchup With Your Crow, Mr. Moore?” books arrived late yesterday afternoon...and I’ll be mailing them out starting today. So it’s all in the hands of the your trusty post office now.

Uh-oh.

Last chance to order the few books we have left in time for Christmas. Go to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/crow.htm

W TO KOFI’S RESCUE

“The Bush administration yesterday defended U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan after a prominent U.S. senator (Sen. Norm Coleman) demanded his resignation,” reports the Washington Times this morning.

Hmmm. This smells an awful lot like the old “good cop/bad cop” routine to me. The Prez knows he has Kofi by the proverbial short hairs and I’m sure is making him squirm like a worm. In any event, it can’t but help for the rest of us to keep the pressure on Annan to step down. So please join me in signing our online petition to the Secretary-General urging his immediate resignation. You can add your name to the list by going to:

http://www.chuckmuth.com/petition

P.S. Yes, I would prefer we got rid of the existing United Nations altogether, as some of you have written; however, that is decidedly NOT doable at this time. On the other hand, getting rid of the corrupt, anti-American Annan administration IS. So please sign the petition. A half a loaf in this instance is certainly better than none at all.

SAID WITH A STRAIGHT FACE

“With Congress’ completion of its work on the 2005 budget this week, President Bush and congressional leaders have achieved a significant victory in the battle for spending discipline in Washington.”

- OMB Director Josh Bolten

“OINK, OINK” = “SPENDING DISCIPLINE”

“Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) said it is giving the entire U.S. Congress its November ‘Porker of the Month’ award, which singles out wasteful spending. . . . CAGW noted that the (2005 budget) bill includes more than 11,000 special-interest earmarks, such as $3.5 million for bus acquisition in Atlanta, Ga.; $2 million for kitchen relocation in the Fairbanks North Star Borough in Alaska; and $100,000 for the Punxsutawney Weather Museum in Pennsylvania. . . . Most insulting of all to taxpayers, CAGW said, is that ‘this sloppy, bloated, budget-busting, overdue piece of legislation guarantees a pay raise for Congress.’”

- CNS News, 12/1/04

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WHAT IS A “CONSERVATIVE”?

“(L)et me explain what a conservative is. A conservative believes that not only should the Supreme Court strictly construe the Constitution, but so should the president, the House, the Senate, governors, mayors and everybody else. . . . To strictly construe the Constitution is to recognize that it is not a ‘living document’ to be amended by interpretation, but rather is a contract between the states and the federal government. To be properly construed, it must be read in the context of the times in which it was written and adopted.

“A conservative is against foreign aid. Nowhere in the Constitution is Congress authorized to tax the American people and then hand their money to a foreign government as either a gift or a loan. Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government authorized to provide welfare, health care, housing or education. Nowhere in the Constitution does it mention abortion or gay marriage. Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government authorized to subsidize either individuals or corporations.

“Philosophical and moral issues are to be decided by the legislatures of the states, not by federal courts or even by Congress, whose duties and powers are strictly limited by the Constitution. Whether homosexuals should be allowed to marry or form civil unions and whether abortion should be legal or illegal are both questions to be decided by the state legislatures. No state or federal judge should have a say in the matter, and Congress likewise has no authority to intervene one way or the other.

“A conservative Christian believes that his own soul is not imperiled if other people down the street decide to do some sinning. A conservative Christian recognizes that he is commanded to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and comfort the sick and dying. He is not commanded to shift this responsibility to government. He is not commanded to judge other people's lives and to regulate their behavior. A conservative Christian recognizes that something does not have to be illegal in order for him to refrain from doing it.

“A conservative believes in the real, traditional values of this country: courage, hard work, self-reliance, frugality, chastity before marriage, faithfulness after marriage, loyalty to family and loyalty to the Constitution. Loyalty to a political party or to a politician is profoundly un-American.”

- Columnist Charley Reese

SURVEY SAYS!

Who should President Bush nominate to be the next chief justice of the Supreme Court when Justice Rehnquist retires?

· Judge Clarence Thomas
· Judge Antonin Scalia
· Somebody else

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuck@chuckmuth.com

News & Views, 12/1/04

2004-12-01T09:42:00.000-05:00

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

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ABOUT THAT INTELLIGENCE CZAR

Pressure is mounting on House Republicans to cave in and pass a hurriedly drafted intelligence reform bill which has a humongous problem. A provision in the bill creates a new “intelligence czar.” This guy (or gal) would have complete control over all aspects of America’s intelligence gathering assets, including those at the Pentagon. Why is this a potentially serious problem? Here, let our friend Rich Galen of “Mullings” explain…

“Let's say there is an intelligence satellite which is positioned over Afghanistan looking for Osama bin Laden. Now, let's say that field commanders in Iraq believe they have a line on Abu Musab al-Zarqari near Fallujah and need satellite imagery to zero in on him. Who decides whether, when, where, and for how long to move the satellite?

“By the time the decision moves up the chain from a commander on the ground in al-Anbar province to Central Command to the Pentagon, then hops across the national security synapse to the new intelligence agency, then back down to the folks with the joy stick controlling the satellite, the French will be our friends again.”

That long, huh?

ODE TO DAN RATHER

Dan Rather at last is leaving
No longer will he be deceiving
Though his work was deft
He slanted it left
Which is why nobody is grieving.

- Lyn Nofziger’s “Musings,” 11/24/04

MAJOR LEAGUE SPIN FROM THE NO-SPIN ZONE

“I worked with Dan Rather and have known him for more than 20 years. Listen to me: There is no way on this Earth that he would have knowingly used fake documents on any story. . . . Dan Rather was slimed. It was disgraceful.”

- Fox News host Bill O’Reilly

THE IMPERIAL CONGRESS

“Rob Richie, executive director of FairVote-The Center for Voting and Democracy, said in a memo last week that ‘this House election was the least competitive in history.’ He based that claim, he told me, on the fact that outside of Texas, where a controversial Republican redistricting in 2003 succeeded in defeating four of five targeted Democrats, only three incumbents lost their seats. That's a 99 percent success rate outside Texas...“At the founding of this republic, House members were given the shortest terms -- half the length of the president's, one-third that of senators -- to ensure that they would be sensitive to any shifts in public opinion. Now they have more job security than the queen of England -- and as little need to seek their subjects' assent.”

- Columnist David Broder

THE PRESIDENT’S MANDATE

“The Christian right has sought to portray the president's re-election as a victory for their moral agenda, claiming that it was a mandate to legislate further curbs on abortion and to approve draconian Supreme Court nominees. In fact, the president's victory was about terrorism, terrorism and terrorism.”

- Columnist Dick Morris

THE COMING CONSERVATIVE LET-DOWN

“Many (social conservatives) only supported Mr. Bush so he would owe them big. And the Supreme Court will most likely be the place where they will expect to collect the debt. Fat chance. When Mr. Bush nominates a moderate Supreme Court judge, the conservatives won't waste any time calling him a traitor. But they shouldn't be surprised. The president has said he has no agenda to see Roe vs. Wade overturned and would rather see such an important social issue fought in Congress and at the state level -- by the will of the people -- where it belongs.”

- Blogger Chris Ward

MELON-HEAD AMERICANS

“A poll shows that most Americans want a mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court Justices. So what! Most Americans think that the United States is supposed to be a democracy. Fact is that the ‘most Americans’ they're talking about are almost completely ignorant about the basics of American government and should be kept away from the polls with pit bulls.”

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

THE CASE AGAINST THE “NUCLEAR OPTION”

“(Senate) Republicans could get a ruling from the chair - from Vice President Cheney presiding - that filibustering judicial nominees is an abuse of the Senate's power to advise and consent to nominations (the “nuclear option”). The ruling, which 51 senators could enforce, would be that such filibusters are unconstitutional because they prevent the president from fulfilling his constitutional duty to staff the federal judiciary.

“But that argument fails, on two counts. First, his duty is not to staff the judiciary but to initiate a staffing process in which the Senate has a constitutional role. . . . Second, a filibuster, which effectively requires a supermajority for a confirmation, does not prevent the president from doing his duty; it prevents him only from getting exactly what he wants, when he wants it...

“The filibuster is an important defense of minority rights, enabling democratic government to measure and respect not merely numbers but also intensity in public controversies. Filibusters enable intense minorities to slow the governmental juggernaut. Conservatives, who do not think government is sufficiently inhibited, should cherish this blocking mechanism. And someone should puncture Republicans' current triumphalism by reminding them that someday they will again be in the minority.”

- Columnist George Will

NEW SURVEY SAYS!

Who should President Bush nominate to be the next chief justice of the Supreme Court when Justice Rehnquist retires?

· Judge Clarence Thomas
· Judge Antonin Scalia
· Somebody else

Cast your vote by clicking the “Survey Says!” tab at www.citizenoutreach.com

APOLOGIZE? FOR WHAT?

“The principal of Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, Ga., apologized Monday for reading a poem called ‘The New School Prayer’ over the school's intercom, which brought complaints from some parents who said it violated the principle of separation of church and state. Tommy Craft said he wanted not to promote religion but to provoke thought and discussion among students about the changing political climate in school when he read the poem the Tuesday before the Thanksgiving break.

“The poem, which has circulated on the Internet since at least 1992, is written in the rhyming style of the children's prayer that begins ‘Now I lay me down to sleep.’ It refers to prayer not being allowed in school, although students can ‘dress like freaks, and pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks’ or ‘elect a pregnant Senior Queen.’ The poem mentions the ability to get condoms and birth control, as well as study ‘witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.’

"‘But the Ten Commandments are not allowed, no word of God must reach this crowd,’ the poem said.

“Some parents have complained to both Craft and Clarke County School Superintendent Lewis Holloway. ‘Basically, I found the poem offensive, but even if I didn't, I still would believe it crossed the line between church and state,’ said Ginger Smith, whose daughter is a junior at Cedar Shoals.”

- Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/30/04

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Published by:
Chuck Muth
1315 Wilson Point Road
Middle River, MD 21220
E-mail: chuckmuth@earthlink.net