Chile Chooses Earthquake Over Clinton Visit

On hearing news of next week's planned visit fron U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,  the Chilean Government has taken a questionable step.

In an unprecedented act this morning, the Governing body of Chile unleashed an earthquake of 8.8 magnitude on it's people and infrastructure. "It's a necessary move." Said Chilean ambassador Mariano Fernández anonymously.

When asked if these types of slash and burn tactics were absolutely necessary, Chilean President Michele Bachelet said simply, "We are elected to make the tough decisions. The people must be spared the horror."

The Ambassador and President were of course referring to the 2009 September incident reported by The Onion News Network in which Hillary Clinton was used in an historic first strike against Pakistan, causing chaos and despair throughout the region.

When informed that The Onion is in fact a satirical online magazine and that the story they referred to is merely parody, the Ambassador replied "Satire? Really? I would have to ask the Pakistani people about that." President Bachelet, nonplussed, said "Are you sure? I saw it on the internet..."




MNR reporter iRoomba is on the ground in the capitol city of Santiago vacuuming up details of the quake: "The devastation is beyond anything I've ever witnessed. I remember first owner commenting on state of son's room once, saying "It looks like tornado hit this place." This is far worse than that. These guys are needing some serious cleanup. They may want to hire some maids. And a dumpster."

The people of Hawaii and the eastern coast of California are bracing for the resultant tsunami which could develop as a result of the 8.8 quake. Surfers are lining the beaches. Some have already begun to paddle out to get ahead of other thrill seekers anticipating the massive waves.  In a scene reminiscent of the movie Point Break, one excited young Californian was heard saying "It's a once in a lifetime event man! You would have to travel to the other side of the effin' world for a wave like this! Special order dude. Special order!" - We wish them luck.

Unfortunately, the move may not have the desired effect. Mrs. Clinton is said to still be planning her trip to the region. "We can't let this crisis go to waste. Those Chileans might have some groovy necklaces and stuff for sale. Prices would be really low right now."
Sources at Fox News:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to fly to Latin America Sunday for a weeklong trip, including a stop in Chile. Crowley said the department is "assessing, but no change yet."

In a prepared statement this morning President Obama's teleprompter reportedly said, "This tragedy could have been avoided. If we had seized the opportunity. If we had passed Health Care Reform, none of this would have happened."


MNR's on the ground reporter iRoomba remains on the scene and is currently at his docking station getting a much needed recharge. We'll bring you more when he unplugs.

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The President's Ash Tray...

or is that Ass Hat?
New one from No Sheeples Here. I just had to swipe it.

How does it that feel Joe? Looks like it hurt.
Reminds me of this.

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Friday Fun...

iOTW has some sheep that No Sheeples Here would be interested to see. Watch out for the lasers!

The Thinker has his eye on a new hybrid VW.

The Other McCain is grossed out for some reason or another...

and so is Snark and Boobs, who has video of the sticky situation.


The Troglopundit has made an offer to Sarah Palin to fill a position of some kind. Good luck with that.

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Texas Conservatives Battle EPA

And now for the next installment of:

The Peter Morrison Report:

Summary of this week's report:

There's some good news this week for Texas conservatives - Governor Rick Perry, Attorney General Greg Abbott, and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples are defying the feds, who are trying to saddle Texas with burdensome regulations in the name of fighting global warming, which is nothing but a hoax being perpetrated to stifle the economy and erode our freedoms.

Full report after the jump...
Sometimes it seems as if there's never any good news for Texas conservatives, and the endless litany of backsliding and betrayal on the part of our politicians can be downright discouraging.  That goes with the territory, of course.  Politicians these days find it much easier to play to the liberal media than to stick with their principles and remember why we elected them.  Fortunately, that's not the case this week - three Texas leaders are actually showing some backbone and are taking a stand to resist political correctness and federal encroachments on our state sovereignty.

Governor Rick Perry, Attorney General Greg Abbott, and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for declaring carbon dioxide (CO2) a dangerous pollutant.  If the EPA has its way and this ruling stands, the consequences for the Texas economy will be enormous.  Our oil industry may not be as robust as it once was, but it's still big business in Texas, and the EPA's action will take a huge toll on it, even as our nation is desperate for domestically produced gas and oil.  It's estimated that thousands of jobs could be lost, along with substantial tax revenue, all because of the misplaced fear over "man made global warming." 

Governor Perry made it clear that it's not only the oil industry that's at risk: "When the EPA recently declared carbon dioxide a toxic substance," he said, "they put countless businesses, farms, even large churches in their cross hairs."  The EPA's threats are even more outrageous in light of the fact that Texas has made substantial progress in reducing pollution without any federal abuse of state sovereignty.  We have our own state office for dealing with pollution - the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and even the EPA admits that TCEQ has done a good job at reducing carbon dioxide and ozone levels.  That's not enough for the power hungry DC bureaucrats, and they're actually claiming the right to usurp this state function and take over the TCEQ if Texas doesn't bow to their demands.

This isn't just an overzealous federal government trying to reduce pollution; it has nothing to do with concern for the environment at all.  The ultimate goal is government control over every aspect of the economy and even our personal lives, and concern for the environment is simply a ruse.  Decades ago radical socialists realized that they were never going to make any headway in America by being honest about their goal of a totalitarian central government and would have to pursue their agenda by other means. The environmental movement was chosen as one of the most promising paths to gradually turning America into a socialist country. Environmentalism and "global warming" hysteria have always been driven by far left-wingers, and that's no coincidence.

One of the biggest milestones on this path occurred in 1997, when the "global warming" hoax was just beginning to gain traction. That's when the Clinton administration signed America on to the Kyoto Protocol, which requires countries to fight "global warming" by taking stringent measures toward "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would minimize dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system." (Anthropogenic means caused by man's activities, as opposed to naturally occurring.)  It's precisely because of the Kyoto Protocol that the EPA is now going after Texas industries.  Many people believe the sole purpose of the Kyoto agreement was to stifle free enterprise and capitalism, and there are some good reasons to think they may be right.

If that wasn't the case, then it's a mystery why countries like India and Communist China are exempt from adhering to the Kyoto standards.  China is now the worst polluting country in the world, by far, yet it's exempt from these burdensome standards that are supposedly aimed at reducing pollution across the planet.  That's because the agreement unfairly targeted developed countries - America, England, Japan, Germany and most European nations.  The argument was that these prosperous nations, all of which have capitalist economies, had caused more pollution than "developing" countries, so we would have to make far more radical reductions in
CO2 than these "developing" countries.  Somehow Communist China was given a pass, even though they were one of the world's largest economies even in 1997.  Meanwhile, freedom loving nations are being forced to crack down on business and industry while China and India can pollute all they want.

It's outright hypocrisy, and it's clear that it's being done to punish Western countries, and move them toward socialism in the name of cleaning up the planet.  Now the EPA wants to start enforcing the Kyoto Protocol in Texas, to reduce greenhouse gases.  This nonsense has got to stop.  The "global warming crisis" is nothing but a hoax, and that's becoming clearer all the time.  It seems every day we read about a new scandal concerning lies, evasions, distortions, faked research results and obfuscation being employed to spread this leftist propaganda.  Not long ago we had Climate Gate and the leaked emails, and just last week one of the top "global warming experts" in the world admitted that  there hasn't been any significant warming since 1995, and that the planet may well have been warmer in the Middle Ages than it is now. 

It's clear that the leftist propaganda about man-made "global warming" is nothing but a house of cards, and it's quickly collapsing under the weight of the evidence.  It's outrageous that the EPA wants to burden the Texas economy with draconian regulations even as the whole theory behind them being necessary is being discredited.  Governor Perry, Attorney General Abbott, and Agriculture Commissioner Staples are right to defy this power grab, and stand up in the federal courts for the sovereign rights of the Lone Star State, and we need to show our gratitude.  I encourage everyone to let these men know how much we appreciate them bringing this lawsuit, and opposing Obama's plans to foist socialism down our throats under the ruse of concern for the environment.

Governor Rick Perry
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428
Phone: (512) 463-2000
Fax: (512) 463-1849
Email: http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact/


Attorney General Greg Abbott
Office of the Attorney General
PO Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548
Phone: (512) 463-2100
Fax: (512) 475-2994
Email: greg.abbott@oag.state.tx.us


Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples
Texas Dept. of Agriculture
P.O. Box 12847
Austin TX 78711
Phone: (512) 463-7476
Fax: (888) 223-8861
Email:  pub.info@TexasAgriculture.gov


Sources:

http://www.texasinsider.org/?p=22001

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123894530

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/if_at_first_you_dont_s eceed_sue_the_epa_texas_guv.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol#Ratification_process

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250872/Climategate-U-turn-Aston ishment-scientist-centre-global-warming-email-row-admits-data-organised. html


The Peter Morrison Report
http://www.PeterMorrisonReport.com
http://www.facebook.com/morrisonreport

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Thursday Link Roundup

Things that beg your attention...

Washington Rebel dealt out some hump day happiness and graciously linked the Robot. Thanks Reb! Bet you didn't know I'm a Leo. I'm diggin' that masthead you've got there.


Gateway Pundit exposes Safe School Czar Kevin Jennings' obscene budget and pay raise for evidently doling out, well, what can only be described as an obscene agenda to America's students.

Despite the runaway federal spending and record budget deficits, Barack Obama is including $410 million in the 2011 budget for his "safe schools" czar Kevin Jennings. This is an increase of $45 million over last year’s budget. Obviously, some things are more important than others. These funds ought to buy a whole mess of fisting kits, leather bar guides and child porn books. And, the  money will come in handy for the sexual indoctrination of teens and pre-teens.

When is this scumbag going to lose his job? Read the whole thing here.
 

Also from Gateway Pundit, the St. Louis college Wash U Student paper has evidently gone all "Penthouse Letters" on them (NSF children).


Don't overlook a great read on Libertarianism from the Classic Liberal.


MAinfo has the Health Care swing vote listed out for all to see.
Say hi to Opus#6 for the Robot when your there. She's a really nice lady.

Jamie Jeffords has a thing or two to offer on the Health Care Dog and Pony Show over at Eye of Polyphemus.

How many paid-off Congresscritters does it take to take down an auto company? Left Coast Rebel has a clue...

For some interesting factoids, on the old Blogosphere, check out The Presurfer.

If your still hungry, there's always Doug Ross who has an ever-present list of worthy reading material.

Cheers!

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A Libertarian Leaning Conservative...

attempts to dance with the two philosophies.

I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. ~ Ronald Reagan

Cue the music...

I am coming to define my inner Libertarian as meandering to the federal side of things and my inner Conservative leaning to the local in that I see Libertarianism as the absence of moral law and in some points of Conservatism the desire for a certain amount of it.

Put another way, Libertarians wish for no laws restricting their freedoms in any way, a group of Conservatives might decide on a set of standards for their community, and conversely, Liberals, would know capriciously which, what, and wherefore a law should be applied but would refuse to enforce it until a Conservative happens to cross the line. --> Ha! Gotcha! Hypocrite!!!

Therefore, I aim to let the Libertarian side of me vote in State and National elections, the Conservative vote in the local and the Liberal side be subjected to ridicule and scorn for the rest of my days for he has distorted the logic of governance in total. --> Baaaad Liberal. Down boy. Sit. Stay. Play dead.

For instance, in terms of alcohol, smoking, drug use or gambling, one might say that at the federal and state levels they should be legal and only at the local level could they be outlawed. Let each community decide. This, it is becoming clearer to me, was the founders' intention, or nearer to it. The more prohibitive the laws become, the closer to home they should be. That being said, the community stops at my front door. My home is my inner sanctum and shall not be compromised. I hear you knockin' but you can't come in...


On Foreign Policy:
As to the Libertarian side, I still have a problem being too isolationist (as in Ron Paul). I believe it is folly to think that we should leave the middle east to fester, having no influence there when we have allies in that region that need our presence and vice-versa. Russia and China would certainly take advantage of the vacuum were we to leave that portion of the globe alone but for a second. Even as we are there, they openly and secretly aid and abet our enemies. Such activity would just increase if we were to vacate the premises.

There is a quandary though in foreign policy. How do I judge that which cannot be judged? That is to say, how does one wisely decide on issues of conflict and war as a mere citizen when he has no relevant information? My government must, I'm sure, withhold certain matters of strategy and resultant policy from me because of security and intelligence. So, I must trust, to a certain extent, that they know what they are doing. Although in the case of certain politicians I will never be able to grant enough trust and as to the government in general even the most trusted is never fully so.

It suffices to say that when my country goes to war, I pray it is just. When my brothers kill others I pray God had the final say and it was righteous. I pray we are on the side of God and that we are the tools achieving his goals. Faith is needed here, for without it I am despaired.

Let it be known though that if I cannot be on God's side, then I would chose to not be on any side and hope that we as a country would hold that policy.

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

This essay contains some things I have learned and refined about my personal political views in the past few months. My Libertarian friends and Conservative friends might see these things differently than I. That is why we have these little bloggy discussions no? If not you, then definitely me. If my understanding of a political view is mistaken, then by all means let me  know. I'm still in the ebb and flow of my own political discourse after all.

LC

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Musical Interlude:

Speaking of drummers...



Thanks to They Say/We Say for the idea.

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Two-fer Tuesday! Robot Drummer:

Robots and drums in the same post. How you ask?

Instapundit's robot fetish points us to a human/robot interface using two Wii remotes. It can improvise as well. Too cool.

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You Can't Reconcile Corruption

It's time once again to melt the phones!
Obama, Pelosi and Reid have made their historic deals behind very opaque closed doors and now are ready to pass health care reform under the reconciliation tactic. Reconciliation simply means they will add the Senate version of the bill to a budget bill that will only require 51 votes (a simple majority).

The American people have overwhelmingly opposed this monstrosity and the corruptocrats are bound and determined to ignore our desires. Call you Senators and Congresscritters today, tomorrow and every day this week. Keep letting them know that this out of control government takeover of our health care system is not what you want. Tell them in no uncertain terms that you will vote them out come November if this passes.

The 19 key Democrats who have pledged to vote for this are...

Bennett (CO)
Boxer (CA)
Brown (OH)
Burris (IL)
Feinstein (CA)
Franken (MINN)
Gillibrand (NY)
Kerry (MASS)
Lautenberg (NJ)
Leahy (VT)
Merkley (OR)
Mikulski (MD)
Reed (RI)
Sanders (VT)
Schumer (NY)
Shaheen (NH)
Udall (NM)
Whitehouse (RI)
Specter (PA)


HT MAinfo
MAinfo has more suggestions in another post here.

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CPAC 2010 - Glenn Beck Keynote Speech

After you check out the awesomeness that is Glenn Beck at CPAC, The CL is urging a "Come to Jesus" moment over at Washington Rebel.
Also, some hot babe is fixing the jobs problem over at The Classic Liberal.

UPDATE: More from CPAC TheBlogProf has MUST SEE video of George Will's speech here.




More after the jump.

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Beware Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

More excellent Photoshoppery in evidence over at No Sheeples Here along with an urge for conservatives fight harder for their core values.

I agree.

Let's council our representatives not give in to Obummer and his fake olive leaf proposal and the associated political chicanery coming Thursday in the form of the Health Care Beer Summit.

Now is the time to dig in. I don't understand how the Republicans can even entertain the idea that our Flounder in Chief is going to listen to them. This is just a carnival attraction with a trap at the end. I hope they don't play into it.

In the words of Nancy Reagan: "Just Say NO."

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Lieutenant Colonel Allen West at The Revolution

Another inspirational speech from a true patrot...
Lt. Col. West is a candidate for Congress in Florida's 22nd District
He is also scheduled to speak today at CPAC at 4:30 (ET I suppose).. I wonder if CSPAN will carry it?

Congressional candidate Lieutenant Colonel West speaking at the American Freedom tour in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at the Revolution Nightclub. All content Copyright Channel1Images Inc 2009.
Lt. Col. West's web site can be found here.
Hat tip: They Say/We Say

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Marco Rubio at CPAC

Prepare to be inspired...

HT Founding Bloggers

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How Did I Miss This?

Have you ever felt sorry for a robot?

 

Hat Tip American Digest

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Medina vs. Perry - A Discussion on Strategy and Open Thread

Yesterday morning I was composing a post cautioning the TEA Party crowd and Independents on voting for unknowns with no voting records for Governor of Texas, when I received The Peter Morrison Report. What's interesting is, Peter and I are almost at odds, but in a good way. So today, I've decided to put both of our arguments out there and let you help me make up my mind. I plan to vote for whomever gets the nod, but I think I may have something to offer by way of strategy.

Both views after the jump...

First - THE PETER MORRISON REPORT:
(I omitted the summary to get straight to the article.)

The Texas primaries are rapidly approaching, and as we get closer to the March 2nd date, the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination has changed dramatically in just the past few weeks. Debra Medina, a virtual unknown in Texas, has come out of nowhere to throw a real monkey wrench into the race. Late last year, her support was in the single digits. By late January, a Rasmussen poll showed her as the choice of 12 percent of Texans, compared with 43 percent for Perry and 33 percent for Hutchison. Because of her rising numbers, she was included in the  statewide televised debate on January 29th.

Since her strong performance in both the first and second debates, her support has skyrocketed. In fact, according to a February 9th poll by Public Policy Polling, Debra Medina has now passed Kay Bailey Hutchison. The new numbers are Perry at 42 percent, Medina at 25 percent, and Hutchison at 23 percent. Medina's rapid rise in support changes everything for Texas conservatives, and now we have a real opportunity to send a message to both Austin and Washington, and to make it loud and clear - we're fed up with career politicians and politics as usual, and we want true conservatives representing us. Therefore, I'm strongly urging Texas conservatives to vote for Debra Medina on March 2nd. Let's look at the candidates briefly to see how I arrived at my position.

Rick Perry has a well known track record, which means we know what we're getting when we vote for him. Unfortunately for conservatives, his track record is very uneven, and he has a tendency to campaign as more conservative than he actually is.

It's true that he has done a lot to keep the Texas economy strong in the middle of the worst recession in decades. That's a real positive in his favor. So is his record on moral values; he
opposes abortion and the legalization of gay marriage. On other important issues Perry has either talked out of both sides of his mouth, or has let us down completely. He pushed for the Bush
bailout. He led the fight for the Trans Texas Corridor. During the last presidential race, he endorsed the most liberal Republican running, the far-left Rudy Giuliani.

He also tries to straddle the fence on illegal immigration, and hasn't done much to prevent it. Possibly worst of all, in 2007 he ordered that sixth grade girls be given dangerous vaccinations for venereal diseases without their parents' consent. Rick Perry is a mixed bag, at best.

Many were encouraged last year when Perry made some controversial remarks in favor of state sovereignty and secession as a last resort to federal abuses. However, I have recently learned that
Perry was a 2007 speaker and attendee at the super-secret Bilderberg Conference in Istanbul, Turkey:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/stories/DN-perry_31tex.ART.State.Edition1.43b926a.html

I doubt that the speech he gave there on federalism and state-federal relations shared many similarities with his recent campaigning on state sovereignty.

I'm not big on conspiracy theories, but it's well known that this group is a private, secret meeting of the top echelons of the globalist elite. A primary reason to invite any politician to address their group is to vet him for higher office. Texas Monthly claims Perry has his eye on the White House in 2012. It's not encouraging to true conservatives that he flew halfway around the world to hobnob with a powerful group opposed to everything we care about as patriotic Americans.

Kay Baily Hutchison? Frankly, there are almost no good reasons conservatives should vote for her. She voted for the Bush bailout, after first denouncing it. Like many other politicians, she's
talking fairly tough about illegal immigration right now, but she's been in the Senate for nearly two decades, and the problem has only gotten worse. She certainly hasn't made a name for herself as a forceful opponent of the immigration invasion that is overwhelming our state.

The one thing she is best known for, and is quite proud of, is pork barrel politics. One watchdog group says that Hutchison is responsible for an incredible one out of twelve of the billions of
dollars spent in federal earmarks since 2005. She's not even slightly embarrassed about this. "Why wouldn't I fight for Texas?" Hutchison said to the Dallas Morning News. "I'm proud of my effectiveness. To be hit for being effective for Texas is puzzling."

On traditional moral values, Hutchison is even worse. She openly supports Roe v. Wade and keeping abortion legal. For that reason alone she shouldn't get our votes; imagine the kind of judges she would appoint to fill possible vacancies on the Texas Supreme Court.

Finally, there's Debra Medina. We may not see eye to eye with her on every single item, but she certainly agrees with us on the vast majority of issues. It's true that she doesn't have a long
political resume, but that's fine. Career politicians are killing this country, and it's time for some true outsiders to clean up the mess they've made.

Outside of politics, though, she's well known and respected in her community. Married for nearly 30 years, she's a Christian who owns a small business, and home schooled her children. I conducted a lengthy interview with her back in December, and I was impressed with the answers she gave.

It's obvious why she's gaining in popularity - she's for less government spending, getting rid of racial preferences, cracking down on employers of illegal aliens, state sovereignty, free market
health care, 2nd Amendment rights, less government regulation of the economy, and most important of all, she's strongly pro-life. When I asked her when human life begins, she didn't mince words: "Human life begins at conception."

Subsequent to that interview, the more I found out about Medina, the more I liked her. For example, she recently told the Dallas Observer that all property taxes in Texas ought to be abolished:

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/01/debra_medina_tells_us_why_prop.php

Not reduced, not appraisals reformed, not Robin Hood, but eliminated, gone; just close down all of the appraisal districts because they're not going to be needed. Think about it: why should
we have to pay 2-3% "rent" to the government just to own our home or land? Rick Perry wanted to steal your land to build toll roads, while Medina wants to restore true property rights.

This is not to say that Medina is perfect on all the issues. I personally have low expectations that she will do anything more than Perry or Hutchison on the problem of illegal immigration. In
my interview with her, she said she supported a border fence in "densely populated urban areas only."

This means that none of the three gubernatorial candidates support a complete border fence. In 2006, Rick Perry told the Texas Border Coalition that building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border was a "preposterous idea" and that "the only thing a wall would possibly accomplish is to help the ladder business." In 2007, Hutchison used a voice vote in the U.S. Senate to personally gut the Secure Fence Act (SFA) that would have provided for a border fence.

The bottom line though is I believe Debra Medina is the best of the three GOP candidates for governor. Many Texas conservatives share this view, but up until now, have been reluctant to back her. They've been afraid of splitting their votes between her and Rick Perry, allowing Hutchison to win. With Medina's astonishing rise in the polls, and Hutchison's collapse, that's no longer a concern. Now that there are three viable candidates, it's going to be virtually impossible for anyone to get 50 percent of the vote, which means there will be a runoff, and there's no risk of "wasting" your vote by voting for Medina.

If Debra Medina comes in third, she won't be in the runoff, and conservatives can back Perry. But if enough of us vote for Medina on March 12th, she could easily come in second, and then the runoff would be between her and Perry. If that happens, Texans would finally have a chance to elect a real conservative to the office of governor, instead of always settling for the lesser of two evils.

Scott Brown just gave the establishment the shock of their lives by winning Ted Kennedy's old seat in the Senate. Now it's our turn here in Texas, and we can send an even bigger message by voting for Debra Medina on March 2nd.

To summarize:

1. Many had legitimate concerns back in December that Medina was nothing more than a protest candidate not running a serious campaign, and voting for her was a wasted vote that would benefit the greater of two evils: pro-abortion Kay Bailey Hutchison.

2. Polls now show Medina is a serious candidate, tied with or even leading Kay Bailey Hutchison. The concerns about wasted votes are now irrelevant. Medina is a serious candidate who could win.

3. No candidate has enough votes to win outright on March 2nd. There will be a runoff. Rick Perry is so far ahead in the polls he is guaranteed to make the runoff.

4. Since Perry cannot win outright and will make the runoff anyway, voting for him on March 2nd is a wasted vote that will make no difference. However, a vote for Medina could make all the difference in the world.

5. Even if you think Perry would make a better governor than Medina, voting for Medina and humiliating Hutchison, a sitting US Senator, with a third place finish would be a beautiful coup de grace for conservatives looking to send a message to the party's elite in Austin and Washington. You can still vote for Perry in the runoff if you want. Even if you're a committed Perry supporter, Perry is in a better position to win a runoff against Medina than Hutchison.

6. If Medina makes the runoff, regardless of whether she wins, it will be a message heard round the world, comparable to the Scott Brown victory in Massachusetts. This will do wonders for Medina's name recognition and could even set her up to pursue a less competitive state office in a subsequent election. If you're worried about Medina's lack of experience, then let's at least put
her in the runoff where she will enjoy notoriety such that she can run for a smaller office in the future and win to get that experience.

7. For these reasons, I think all conservatives should strongly consider a vote for Debra Medina in this year's primary election. It's a no-lose, no-risk proposition.

***Last minute update***

I had originally put this report together in the middle of last week, scheduled for Friday release. After Medina's interview with Glenn Beck last Thursday, I decided to postpone release until I
could more thoroughly think about the issues. My thoughts:

A. For those who don't know, Medina was asked by Beck if she believed the government had any involvement in the 9/11 attacks. She gave a poor answer and the impression that she does possibly believe the government had some involvement in 9/11. She later clarified her response in a press release, but the damage was done.

B. I consider conspiracy theories to be a waste of time because most of the time they're wrong and they don't accomplish anything because they make people feel powerless. The globalist elites push their agenda through consensus, because it's in their interest to do so, not because there's some grand conspiracy.

C. We don't have any new poll numbers post-Beck on Medina, and of course it will be interesting to see what the polls say later this week. I don't expect the impact to be all that significant. Outside of DC and NYC (where Beck spends his time), the federal government is not seen as a Deity Who Can Do No Wrong, and Medina's views are not nearly as shocking to the average Republican primary voter as they are to Washington insiders.

D. The worst thing that can be said about Medina concerning this issue is that she trusts the federal government even less than Glenn Beck. That's not necessarily a bad thing for a governor if we want someone who will stand up for state's rights. On the other hand, Perry still wants to steal our land for toll roads and forcibly vaccinate our daughters for STD's, while Hutchison still
supports killing unborn children and wears her Washington "Pork Queen" title proudly. Which of these issues is least significant on principle?

We conservatives claim we are tired of professional politicians. Yet I see too many people willing to throw Debra Medina overboard because she gave a non-professional response to Glenn Beck. Do we want someone who tells us what we want to hear or a person of principle? I still recommend a strategic vote for Medina for the reasons outlined above, for Medina and Perry supporters alike.

Sources:

http://www.examiner.com/x-30789-San-Antonio-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m2d10-Debra-Medina-is-changing-minds-with-astonishing-poll-results-of-likely-Texas-GOP-voters
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Medina-invited-to-appear-in-The-Belo-Debate-81994852.html
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/02/06/6hpv.html
http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/articles/2008/20080821120743.aspx
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101807dntexperry.17bf40158.html
http://24ahead.com/blog/archives/006987.html
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/120706dntexperry.e08679.html
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/columnists/scott_stroud/64187727.html
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/30085729.html
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100909dnmetearmarks.3ed6311.html
http://www.rnclife.org/faxnotes/2004/july04/04-07-08.html
http://www.mwilliams.info/archive/2004/07/marriage-and-submission.php
http://www.medinafortexas.com/issues.php
http://startelegram.typepad.com/politex/2008/10/perry-joins-wit.html
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2007/12/19/the_incredible_disappearing_border_fence
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4383332.html

The Peter Morrison Report
http://www.PeterMorrisonReport.com
http://www.facebook.com/morrisonreport

Thanks to Peter for the fine research and commentary.
I'm sure you'll agree that Peter puts a lot of heart, thought and effort into his  articles.

NOW FOR THE ROBOT...
Less research, more gut feeling.

By Longhaired Conservative:

As far as I'm concerned there are two front-runners for Texas Governor, and the race between Perry and Medina has me asking questions (Kay Bailey Who?).
First, who is truly best for Texas at this moment in time. Secondly, will Medina hurt the TEA Party movement if she gets elected and fails? (Much like Obama is tearing up the Democratic Party, Medina could cast a long black shadow over the TEA Party candidates if she doesn't perform well or if in fact she turns out to be a loony conspiracy theorist as some have said lately). The third question on my mind is, can a weaker Republican candidate (Medina) beat Bill White, who will most surely be the Democrat candidate? Don't underestimate White. As liberal as he is, he's got a good track record in Houston to build on.

Let's just say, I'm suggesting caution in electing people who we have no voting record to reference for judging policy. How will she handle the pressure from both sides of the aisle when the two parties inevitably come knocking on her door with seemingly impossible problems and compromised convoluted solutions? Does she have any political allies in Austin to turn to for guidance? I would want a set of trusted confidants if I were her. I think in reference to the Glenn Beck question and her subsequent handling of it, she and her team are ill prepared for surprises. In fact, I think she is too vulnerable. Texas is as big as many countries. We are considering electing, in essence, a political newcomer to what is in effect a national stage. Let's be cautious.

As an alternative, let me suggest a more patient approach. I would urge TEA Partiers to first get started on a local level. Establish policy positions and back them up with voting records. As a matter of fact, this is already happening.

While they are serving in the smaller offices is the time to establish political ties for runs on larger issues and offices. For instance, Medina's idea for abolishing the state property tax is a grand idea that I am all for. Where is she going to find backing for it in the Austin establishment? Nowhere. I wager the thinking there is too ingrained for such radical change. She needs allies where I don't think she has them. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

Besides these reasons, Medina may have already burned the Republican bridge when she sued the Republican Party in Wharton. Why would they help her get any of her policies implemented? They have nothing to gain by letting a newcomer just waltz into the Governor's mansion and start changing anything but the drapes. I think she'll be held back by a lack of allies in the Republican party and could get so frustrated to show any sign of progress that she reaches across to the aisle to strike some crazy deal just to show she did something.

I believe the TEA Party needs to establish itself locally and build from there. Truly grass roots. If it doesn't, it will be infiltrated too easily by people who are pretenders, Pied Pipers and snake oil salesmen.

Think of it as a chess game. This is going to be a long battle, so we need to position our players on the board, not bring out the queen before we're ready to strike.

I think Medina and others like her would best be suited to run for State Senators and Congresscritters. Get to know the system and learn how best to change it. Be whistleblowers in the House and the Senate when the corruptocrats bring in the back room deals. Help the up-and-coming TEA Partiers when they arrive and then launch to Governor with a track record of
votes and a group of elected officials to back their agenda.

One last thing. If a candidate for Governor of Texas can't speak out strongly against illegal immigration and make an outright call for deportation of all illegal's and to finish the border fence, then I'm reluctant to jump ship and vote for an unknown.

Comments are open. Any thoughts? Keep it clean, please.

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Texas Primary Voters' Guide 2010

...from The Liberty Institute/Free Market Foundation. Get it here.

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God and Government - pt .1

I've been thinking lately about the role of God and our government, God in our dealings with the government and God on the battlefield. I'm constantly reminded of God's sense of humor when I see news items chronicling the ironic snowstorm at Copenhagen during the global warming summit. Or seemingly following Al Gore around like the rain cloud over Charlie Brown, only with Al, it's a blizzard.

Nor does it pass me by that our own congress has been stifled of late first by the passing away of Senator Kennedy followed by the election of Scott Brown(R) then the death of Congressman Murtha. (Please don't count me as callous to the families of these men, however it cannot be denied that they were valuable to the Progressive cause.) The timing of these deaths and the subsequent onslaught of snow storms which in effect shut down the Washington machine for the past weeks might be brushed aside as coincidence but I don't think so. And while I don't claim to know God's mind in the timing of the late Senator's or Congressman's passing, they are surely blows to the advancement of the social engineering programs that the Progressives have proposed since the Obama administration and majority Democrats took office.

I contend that the reasons these programs have hit a wall are because of the TEA Party's and Independents' activism, prayer, and God. One cannot deny that the TEA Party has had a tremendous effect on the political climate (pun intended) in America. Along with the activism, I speculate that there has been an increased amount of prayer for our country and our leaders. God has heard our cries and acted.

God is already in our politics whether we acknowledge or recognize his presence or not. Those of us who believe in a supreme being are already convinced of his involvement in the affairs of government. The question to us is not "whether", it is "to what degree" and that to me, is the larger issue. The way I see it, God associates himself positively with a country as much as the country's people align themselves with his standards. The problem here in the US is, as a nation we have been disassociating ourselves with God and his standards for quite some time. This does not bode well. (I love using terms I don't fully understand like "bode". - "bodkin" is another but one doesn't find much use for "bodkin" these days. I did sneak it in here by discussing the word though didn't I? See how that works?) (Bodkin.)

All joking aside, several instances of God's direct involvement in major human events come to mind. Joshua's army surrounding the city of Jericho and it's walls crushed by a mighty war cry is one. There are other Biblical examples but more recently, in the last century, I think of Patton's Third Army at Bastogne and the prayer the General requested be written by Chaplain Msgr. James H. O'Neill for better weather conditions.

Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations.

This prayer was not only spoken by Gen. Patton as the movie portrays, It was passed out on small placards to all 250,000 in the Third Army. With it was included a Christmas greeting and to the Chaplains, "Training Letter No. 5", an encouragement for the troops to pray without ceasing. How amazing and seemingly contradictory that a General in the US Army would instruct his troops to pray. This man knew the power of God. He also knew that the war was still on the tipping point.

The Christmas greeting read thus:

To each officer and soldier in the Third United States Army, I Wish a Merry Christmas. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We march in our might to complete victory. May God's blessings rest upon each of you on this Christmas Day. G.S. Patton, Jr, Lieutenant General, Commanding, Third United States Army.

After giving approval for the prayer and greeting, the General then inquired about how much the soldiers were praying. Not just the chaplains and clergy but the soldiers themselves. After being told how little time the troops were spending in prayer, Patton directed that this Training Letter be written and distributed to the 3200 chaplains under his command:

December 14, 1944. Titled "Training Letter No. 5," with the salutary "Chaplains of the Third Army," the letter continued: "At this stage of the operations I would call upon the chaplains and the men of the Third United States Army to focus their attention on the importance of prayer.

Our glorious march from the Normandy Beach across France to where we stand, before and beyond the Siegfried Line, with the wreckage of the German Army behind us should convince the most skeptical soldier that God has ridden with our banner. Pestilence and famine have not touched us. We have continued in unity of purpose. We have had no quitters; and our leadership has been masterful. The Third Army has no roster of Retreats. None of Defeats. We have no memory of a lost battle to hand on to our children from this great campaign.

But we are not stopping at the Siegfried Line. Tough days may be ahead of us before we eat our rations in the Chancellery of the Deutsches Reich.

As chaplains it is our business to pray. We preach its importance. We urge its practice. But the time is now to intensify our faith in prayer, not alone with ourselves, but with every believing man, Protestant, Catholic, Jew, or Christian in the ranks of the Third United States Army.

Those who pray do more for the world than those who fight; and if the world goes from bad to worse, it is because there are more battles than prayers. 'Hands lifted up,' said Bosuet, 'smash more battalions than hands that strike.' Gideon of Bible fame was least in his father's house. He came from Israel's smallest tribe. But he was a mighty man of valor. His strength lay not in his military might, but in his recognition of God's proper claims upon his life. He reduced his Army from thirty-two thousand to three hundred men lest the people of Israel would think that their valor had saved them. We have no intention to reduce our vast striking force. But we must urge, instruct, and indoctrinate every fighting man to pray as well as fight. In Gideon's day, and in our own, spiritually alert minorities carry the burdens and bring the victories.

Urge all of your men to pray, not alone in church, but everywhere. Pray when driving. Pray when fighting. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray by night and pray by day. Pray for the cessation of immoderate rains, for good weather for Battle. Pray for the defeat of our wicked enemy whose banner is injustice and whose good is oppression. Pray for victory. Pray for our Army, and Pray for Peace.

We must march together, all out for God. The soldier who 'cracks up' does not need sympathy or comfort as much as he needs strength. We are not trying to make the best of these days. It is our job to make the most of them. Now is not the time to follow God from 'afar off.' This Army needs the assurance and the faith that God is with us. With prayer, we cannot fail.

Be assured that this message on prayer has the approval, the encouragement, and the enthusiastic support of the Third United States Army Commander.

With every good wish to each of you for a very Happy Christmas, and my personal congratulations for your splendid and courageous work since landing on the beach, I am," etc., etc., signed The Third Army Commander.

I think we all know how it turned out. You're not reading this in German and I'm here to write it.

The point is, as Gen. Patton believed, prayer does work. Our prayers are working. God is indeed on our side. Or better put might be, "We are returning to God's side."

We are soldiers in the fight to restore America to her Founding Principles, to One Nation Under God. I pray we continue on that path.

For the full story of Gen. Patton's prayer from the man who wrote it and lived it go to:
http://www.pattonhq.com/prayer.html

Update: Washington Rebel gives a link and a compliment. Thank you.

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Thank You - Link Fest

Now a list of the esteemed and extremely nice bloggers who have linked to this humble robot over the last 6 months or so.

I'm honored to have been pointed at by you. Thank You Very Much!

I know, most of these hits were probably misdirected 404's but they are appreciated none the less.
In no particular order...

• iOwnTheWorld - Simply fearless.
• Doug Ross @ Journal - A veritable treasure trove of conservative thought.
• The Thinker - Smart. Very smart.
• Little Miss Attila - One of my faves. She's on the twice a day list.
• Tea Party Patriots - The right kind of change, from the ground up!
• The Troglopundit - Master of snarkasm.
• Imperfect America - Great essays. Spot on analysis.
• No Sheeples Here - Mad Photoshop skillz and a very nice lady (Unless you're on the left).
• Pundit and Pundette - News and commentary done right.
• Liberal Guy - Thanks for the banner!
• Founding Bloggers - Always on the cutting edge of breaking news.
• Generator Blog - Indispensable fun.
• In a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - Right on target.
• Libertarian Buddha - A very kind fellow. Now, what kind would that be?
• The Lights of Albuquerque - One of the first, if not the first to blogroll the bot - Thanks!
• Eye of Polyphemus - The nicest blogger in the whole world. (And most prolific I think.)
• Legalize the Constitution <--- What he said.
• Caught Him With A Corndog - Watch out for the language police!
• Politicartoon - Thanks for the linkage! 
• Hillbuzz - Just becuzz. 
• Channel 82 
• Flopping Aces - Keen commentary.
• Left Coast Rebel - Outstanding!
• Hummers and Cigarettes - Another nice lady.
• IMAO - Truly funny.
• Mako Snark - More incredible Photoshoppery from that No Sheeples lady.
• Dr. Melissa Clouthier - Information Pollination.
• The Reference Frame - Conservatism from a czech physicist - who-da thunk it?
• The Other McCain -  Pure op-ed genius and real shoe leather reporting thrown in just for fun.
• Villainous Company - Great legs on that banner and a sharp wit to go with them.
• Pamibe - The consummate blogger - and dog lover.
• Sharp Elbows StL - News from the trenches.

Apologies if I've left anyone off, please let me know if I missed you.  Thanks again!

ADDENDUM: Big hat tip to Smitty for same day linkage! He must be the hardest working man in the blogosphere. The Other McCain, is there anything it can't do?

Side note: Check out one of my new additions to the blogroll. Good old down-home common sense commentary and some well told stories at Gorges' Grouse. He's a grumpy old coot, but we like it that way.

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New Toyz

I just love new toyz. Don't we all? If you frequent this blog thingy very often (both of you), you'll notice I changed my profile picture and made a couple of bannerz/posterz out of the bot and my dog. (Thanks Sharon for the nice picture of Vader. Hope the processing didn't mess it up too too much.)

I've been looking for a way to create those neat stylized propaganda picturez ever since they first showed up on the interwebz, but I didn't want to buy a Mac to do it. I like Macs and all, don't get me wrong, but I'm a PC guy. Why would I want to pay 2 grand for something I can build for 500 bucks. Not to mention the risk of acquiring the corresponding Mac-itude that goes with (some) Mac userz. I know I know, I've heard all the hype about how much better they (Macs) are for multimedia and sound and stuff but my little studio doesn't warrant an Apple price tag. Maybe some day I'll bite the bullet just to see what the difference is but not until one of you generous readerz makes a hefty donation to the "Lonely Robot That Needz a Mac Fundz." - Where are all theze damnable zeez coming fromz!? Jeez.

So anywayz, I found this web based stylizer yesterday and obviously got jiggy-wid-it.
If youz would like to get stylized too, you can find it in the Robot Diversions section down right on this blog or you can just go here and bookmark the thing your own self.z

Cheerz

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What To Call Obama Supporters

IMAO is hosting a fun little game to come up with what in the world to call the  Obummer supporters. I offered what I believe will be the WIN, although at this point my comment is still awaiting moderation. (This is the first time I've commented on IMAO's blog so it's to be expected). (Success! I passed muster of the IMAO moderator!) There are some pretty imaginative ones over there so, go check it out and offer a suggestion or two.

I personally liked the one that said simply "Mom".

Ouch.

That had to hurt. I can feel her pain though, my Dad is ate up with the Democrat too, although to his credit, he didn't vote for B.H.O. I don't think he voted at all last year.


Cheers!

What? You're still here? Go on, Git!

Image found at Murphy Klasing’s Conservative Blog.

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