A Boston Tea Party …(A Lighter Shade Of Red)

Today Kent Conrad voted for judge John Roberts as the chief Supreme Court Justice. His vote was an interesting one. I had predicted to others that we would indeed vote to confirm judge Roberts. For me it was a predictable conclusion.

Kent had just run a campaign commercial toting his ability to cross party lines to get things done for his state. He has a definite case of Hoevenitis which is causing him to act like a child who gets knocked in the head for acting up in church. You see Kent wants us to believe that he votes like a senator from a red state. Yes, North Dakota is Bush country and the recent Forum poll showing him well behind Governor Hoeven was a huge punch in the stomach. I don’t think the results were a shock to him because certainly he had to have been doing his own internal polling. What has Kent on the run is now it is public knowledge how far he trails Hoeven.

Hence today’s vote. Conrad knew judge Roberts was going to win so he had nothing to lose in placing his support behind the judge. Sure he will lose credibility with his far left donors but he is now in a fight for his political life. The time has come to act like a red state senator.

His actions will be similar to the Christmas carol “The Scrooge”. Instead of the ghost of Christmas past he is reliving “the ghost of Daschle past”. We all remember John Thune reminding South Dakota residents how Tom Daschle obstructed the entire Bush agenda. Conrad wants to lighten the load of that cross as he approaches his reelection campaign. It is my hunch we won’t be hearing any statements like “this is the most reckless President this country has ever known” anytime soon. He may bleed blue but he will try to paint himself as a lighter shade of red.

Bush and Rove can continue to force the hand of Conrad with the nomination of the next Supreme Court justice (to be announced on Monday). Hopefully, this nominee will be to the right of Roberts therefore placing Conrad even more in a quandary. If he does vote to support an even more conservative nominee then don’t be surprised if the next commercial we see has him embracing President Bush just like we saw Daschle run. The problem with that strategy is Daschle was ridiculed for being a phony. A no vote on an even more conservative justice nominee will show that Conrad actually has a spine but will be just as damaging. He would then get to be painted the true liberal he is. Poor Kent, behind in the polls with two very public votes to make, don’t you feel sorry for him? If I were Hoeven I would announce I was running and then sit back and watch Bush and Rove continue to define my opponent for me. The defeat of Conrad gets easier by the day. The only choice Kent Conrad has is does he want to lose as a liberal or lose as a phony centrist. His choice will quite possibly come with his next vote. Time to pick your poison, Kent.

Air Pollution

Cry of The Loon …(Pay The Rent Collette)

From personal reference a conversation with Ed Schultz usually goes like this. No, Ed, Steely Dan is not one person. We get fringe benefits, not French benefits. Ed, I am serious it really is not called the Leaning Tower of Pizza. Yes, I am certain that James Dean was an actor and Jimmy Dean makes sausage. Just like the guy in the Fed Ex commercial who is always wrong so is Ed. Sure Ed speaks with strong conviction stemming from a firm belief in his words but so does the character in the Fed Ex commercial. The problem is both are sources of misinformation.

Ed attended the “mother” of misinformation over the weekend. He made an appearance at the Cindy Sheehan led anti-war protest in Washington. In between chants of “haliburton” and “why don’t the Bush daughters go to war” Ed says he was challenging “those righties” with mind numbingly amazing questions like “have you seen Bin Laden yet?” and “do you realize you guys voted against veteran benefits?”. Brilliant!

You see in Ed’s world things need to be very uncomplicated. You either have Bin Laden or you don’t. It does not matter that a former President from his party had a chance to capture him numerous times when he actually knew where he was located. It is much easier to just believe that the war is for oil or for haliburton or the downing street memo. Ed is as gulable as a child. Like I can convincy my daughter of anything when done with a straight face so can be done to Ed. How many times on his show have you heard a caller say something of pure conjecture (Ed that words means something conspiratory in this case) and Ed will ask him “you are just saying that right?…I mean you don’t know that for certain do you?”

Life works best in his obtuse mind by keeping things simple. I can just see Ed singing a song thinking he knows the words but really doesn’t. Come on, close your eyes, you can see Ed singing the same song for years never knowing that the words are not correct. Something like “pay the rent Collette” rather than “little red corvette”. You see life is fine just the way it is for Ed. He hunts, he fishes, he drinks cool ones, and he speaks. Anything as mundane as facts just clutter his mind. He is so much more comfortable with french benefits rather than fringe benefits. I guess as long as he doesn’t mind being an idiot, it shouldn’t bother us.

Cry of The Loon ...(Y-E-L-L-I-N-G)

Ed and Wendy
Joining a protest.
Y-E-L-L-I-N-G
First comes chanting,
Then comes a march.
Then comes Ed
Screaming and ranting!

Ed and Wendy
taunting the righties.
Y-E-L-L-I-N-G
First as a reporter,
Then getting engaged.
Now we can call Ed,
An active war-protesting supporter!

Ed and Wendy
Embarrassing Fargo.
Y-E-L-L-I-N-G
First as a right wing radio bar-ron,
Then joins the far left fringe.
Ed continually confirms,
HE IS A MOR-RON!

Low Attendance

A Boston Tea Party …(Stuck on Stupid)

Kent, Kent, Kent, Kent, Kent, Kent….hmm hmm hmm … Kent, Kent, Kent what are you doing? You run a campaign commercial but say it isn’t a campaign commercial. It sounds a lot like “it depends on what the meaning of is is”. Evidently in your mind a campaign commercial is only a campaign commercial when you say so.

If it weren’t a campaign commercial to blow your own horn you would have complimented the entire group for saving the military bases rather than the group complimenting YOU! Kent, do you think all of us unsophisticated North Dakotans are stuck on stupid?

Kent, Kent, Kent … your commercial asserts that if it were not for you our military bases would have been lost. If I am correct Tom Daschle said the same thing during his losing reelection campaign. Tom probably ran campaign commercials well in advance of the campaign as well but at least he had an opponent. In your case a Fargo Forum poll has you running behind in a head to head election with Governor Hoeven and now you are in panic mode. I suggest you remember the ghost of Tom Daschle, Kent. He tried to tell the citizens of South Dakota that they needed him to keep a prime seat at the federal trough. Well, I believe Johne Thune was able to save Ellsworth Air Force Base. I expect soon paranoia will follow the fear of losing you are now feeling, which should make your upcoming commercials even more pathetic.

There is nothing more feeble than watching a politician on his last legs. The desperation overwhelms them and turns them into embarrassments to everyone but themselves. It is going to be a blast watching this happen to you Kent. The poll shows your days are numbered and all I can say is it’s been a long time coming.

A Boston Tea Party …(Party And Your Invited)

Tom Delay – “there is no fat left to cut in the federal budget”

What deep down we all knew has finally been confirmed. The Republican party has now turned into a party of borrow and spend. The Bush Presidency has increased domestic spending 36% since 2001. The increases have come without a veto and without any real cuts because “there is no fat left to cut in the federal budget”. The number of actual conservatives in Washington can be counted with both your hands. Delay’s statement tells us it is time.

The billions of dollars being poured into the rebuilding of the gulf coast are not being offset by any spending reductions. It has gotten so bizarre that bloggers are rallying to challenge each state to come up with a list of pork projects they are willing to forfeit to help offset moneys spent on reconstruction. Do you get the complete obscenity of the last statement? American citizens are coming up with a list of pork projects to cancel but must convince their elected officials to actually stop them. Yes, indeed the time has come.

The time has come for a third party but not the type of third party most often discussed. Not the mainstream type of third party we here is needed by pathetic media members or spineless politicians. No, the time has come for a genuine conservative party with a platform that supports:

1. A balanced budget amendment
2. Term limits
3. A flat tax
4. Strict constitutional judges
5. Real homeland security and border control
6. No longer funding any country which harbors or supports terrorism even if in schools
7. A genuine energy policy (reductions of foreign oil, mandated conservation, technology)
8. Eliminating the estate tax
9. A constitutional amendment stating marriage is between a man and a woman
10. Health care reform
11. Social Security reform
12. Zero growth in the size of government
13. Increase the size of our full time military
14. Mandatory sentencing for child molestors
15. A return to states rights including funding states funding there own disastors

How many Republicans in Washington do you think would support such a platform in its entirety? Exactly, not many. What in this platform would a true conservative not believe in? Exactly, nothing. How many in Washington call themselves conservatives? Right, too many. Don’t you understand we have a politicians who may not support spending cuts that its own citizens tell them should happen. A new party is needed that listens to its citizens, that tells the truth no matter how bad, who acts responsibly, and values the true safety of its people. We need a new party and your invited if you are true to your word. A long time ago revolutionaries threw tea in the Boston harbor. It could never happen today because too many people fail to pay attention to what really matters. If you think either of the two political parties we now have are providing a future for your children you’re a fool. Now is the time to start fresh but do you have the energy to require it?

The time is over for our politicians to write contracts for what they believe in. The time has come that we define them. Either you believe in this stance on issues or you are not a conservative. We tell them what a true conservative is not let them distort what it means. Your either are or your not there is no inbetween.

A Boston Tea Party ...(Man On The Run)

(Sung to the tune of "Band on the run" by Paul McCartney)

Stuck inside the capital walls, been there for years,
Never facing anyone as worthy as you,
Hoeven you, Hoeven you.
I’ll never get out of Office,
Not sure what I would do,
Never had a regular job.
All I need is a way to beat you,
I’ll never get out of Office.

Well, the poll exploded with a mighty crash as I fell into my chair,
And the first one said to the second one there this type of opponent is very rare.
Man on the run, man on the run.
And the union man and the farmer sam were searching every one

For the man on the run, man on the run, man on the run, man on the run

Well, the incumbent drew a heavy sigh seeing the poll had him behind,
And an alarm was ringing in the Conrad office for a new commercial to be made.
Man on the run, man on the run,
And the union man and the farmer sam were searching every one

For the man on the run, man on the run, man on the run, man on the run

Well, you could tell the end was near as desperation started to settle in.
An ad ran showing him treating republicans like next of kin
Man on the run, man on the run

And the Senator from North Dakota, holds on like his friend Tom Daschle
Wants to stay in office for evermore
For the man on the run, man on the run, man on the run, man on the run.

A Boston Tea Party ...(Venture Into The Storm)

Although I am not a hurricane expert, I did stay in a Holiday Inn express last night so I hope this makes sense. The eye of a hurricane is calm and sunny. If you were able to place yourself in the eye of a hurricane you would be unaware of the violent weather taking place in the wall of the hurricane. From the eye you cannot tell how destructive the winds are, how high the storm surge is, or large a hurricane is in size. The eye is calm yet is the place where a hurricane gathers energy to support massive size.

Last week I watched Joe Scarborough interview Mississippi Senator Trent Lott. Lott was dumbfounded that the federal government could respond so slowly to the victims of hurricane Katrina. He could not believe that organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army could be so much better at providing support to the victims yet FEMA had yet to reach certain areas of Mississippi. He could not understand that a bureaucracy he is a part of and a bureaucracy he helped establish could be outdone by private and charitable organizations.

As I listened I figured Senator Lott is sitting in the eye of the hurricane known as Washington, D.C. The sun is always shining in Washington just like in the eye of the hurricane. There is no wind, no rain, no tornado in Washington. In Washington our leaders write laws, create bureaucracy, and spend money and it all works like it is supposed to. Leaders in Washington cannot see the government waste, the levels of red tape, nor the built in inefficiencies they create.

When looking out from Washington our elected officials see calm seas. Outside of Washington is where reality is. Reality is government doesn’t work like it is supposed too. Reality is people get burned by government when they expect government to be the hero. Reality is government creates as many storms as it does prevent them. Trent Lott cannot see it but those of us outside the eye of the hurricane can. It is in the wall of the hurricane where life really is. Trent Lott and his fellow eye of the hurricane dwellers need to venture into the storm on occasion and see how the rest of us live.

A Boston Tea Party …(Chicken Shits)

On Tuesday President Bush stepped to the microphone and accepted blame for the shortcomings of the federal government during the hurricane Katrina disaster. This caused the press and Democrats to nearly faint. They feel the President never takes blame for anything. In the world we live in most feel a President should be blamed for everything. Blame the President if the economy is slow, if gas prices are high, if soldiers get killed in war, if taxes are cut, or if you lose your car keys. Yes, the President is the one who controls everything and if something happens to our dislike it is his fault.

Today, he boldly took blame for the entire bureaucratic conglomerate that made a mess of hurricane relief aid. Some of that blame is warranted but certainly all blame does not lie at his feet. I am not going to go into the amount of culpability state and local officials should accept because that should be obvious to everyone who isn’t named Jesse Jackson. What really interests me is how congressmen and senators get away like cat burglars. What a fabulous country club they are a part of. Not all country clubs are the same however. Representatives would be members of say Oxbow but senators would be members of Augusta. Both country clubs contain the luxury of insulation. Both country clubs contain members of each political party. Once you are part of such a prestigious group you are blameless but are anxious to lay blame. Its members decide on how money gets spent and how it doesn’t for example billions on meaningless pork projects and relative pittances for levies to protect cities. Such an elite assembly also has the ability to protect itself from performance. Very few incumbents ever lose an election.

The country club of representative government has laid blamed on the slow response of FEMA when they themselves placed FEMA under the department of homeland security. Some members of this country club blame tax cuts and the Iraq war for draining the treasury of money needed for the New Orleans levy system while just a few weeks earlier passed a highway bill with $30 billion in pork. Grand standing, a lack of humiliation, hypocrisy, and a willingness to profit politically on the backs of others misery are all prerequisites to become a member for life of this select group. Very few of us have the stomach to be part of this gang but those that do revel in it. You see these types of people place blame rather than accept any responsibility. Those of us who are not members of this governmental country club might call those types of people “chicken shits”. I for one place plenty of blame on them.

24/7 News

Uncle Byron

Paying For Future Compliments

Cry Of The Loon …(The Day The Music Died)

Although I have never seen the complete movie I am familiar with the hilarious phrase from the movie “Dumb and Dumber”. In order to refresh your memory it went like this: “just when I thought you couldn’t get any dumber…you go and do something like this……and totally redeem yourself”. This phrase states exactly how I feel about Ed Schultz’s show today. Each time I believe he can’t top a dumb statement or idea he does. I guess I should give him credit for at least outdoing himself.

He began his show today outraged FEMA was requiring citizens of New Orleans to register with government officials before being moved to areas around the country to rebuild their lives. Ed felt strongly people should be able to pick up and leave without any type of organization. He wanted any American who is willing to help those whose lives have been ruined to just be able to show up and take a family away with them like he had done a day earlier. Ed believed the government was intervening in the flood victim’s liberties by having them registering and processing victim information. He was fuming that the government was preventing Americans from assisting the now homeless people of New Orleans.

A caller in the last half hour, while disagreeing with Ed, provided an example of what Ed would prefer happen to these people. He wanted Ed to assume there was a family of four where the father was in Baton Rouge, an 8 year old son in Houston, the mother in Dallas, and a 16 year old daughter in Little Rock. He asked Ed if it would not be best that by having each person register information with FEMA that the government first reunite this family rather than have these four people possibly end up relocated to four different parts of the country. Ed said, “No”. The children should be able to make their own decisions and it would be much better to get these four individuals with some family in America than make them wait in a shelter until they were reunited.

Ed was also upset that background checks were being done on people. I guess in his small little mind it would be better to forget the “processing of information” and run the risk of a child getting placed with a child molester or have a citizen of New Orleans who is a known gang member to be placed with an unsuspecting family in America somewhere. He was also upset the public was not able to enter any shelter or facility where the people are being staged.

Two weeks cannot go by without “Jethro Bodine” of Beverly Hillbilly fame” (his new nickname) putting his foot in his mouth. This happens because he rarely thinks before he speaks. Ed still thinks he is living in the Wild West except if he had he would have been shot down by a gunslinger by now for saying something stupid. Near the end of his show his outrage was lessening. It became evident even to him his far left audience was not going to agree with him on this issue. I would even go so far as to say that today many who were fans of Ed realized his elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top. It was the day the music died for those people. The day another progressive talk show host fell of his perch. For many he lost credibility, while for some of us he never had any, and for the rest … well he will provide you another opportunity in the near future.

Heitkamp Scrambling

What We Have Become

A Boston Tea Party …(Ties That Bind)

I remember the gas lines of the Jimmy Carter presidency. We now see gas lines during the George Bush presidency. Plenty has happened between then and now like the fall of communism, two Iraq wars, and 9/11. One very important thing also spanned that period of thirty years; America did not have an energy policy.

Thirty years goes by without any refineries being built, no drilling in areas with known oil deposits, no mandatory alternative fuel sources, and no conservation. Instead, thirty years goes by with the same result, the kissing of Arab rings. While 9/11 was a tragedy it is a travesty of monumental proportions elected officials have not planned for an energy policy regardless of whether a Republican or Democrat was President.

Will the high gas prices we are now experiencing get America’s attention? One must certainly doubt it. The American constituent never ranks energy policy among any of its issues of importance. Might now be different? I only hope so. The truth is lobbyists, environmentalists, and obstructionism have prevented our elected officials from acting in a responsible manner of making sure America can meet its energy needs now and into the future.

We are told more refineries need to be built to process oil into gas. So why haven’t they been built. We are told we need to drill in places we know there is oil. So why aren’t we drilling? We are told we should conserve more? So why aren’t we conserving? The answer is our leaders fail to lead for fear the other party may get the credit. It is a common theme; our elected officials fail to lead.

Pundits will tell you if you are unhappy with your elected officials then don’t re-elect them. It seems logical but it doesn’t work. We saw that with the “Contract With America”. Wonderful people promise not to give in to the Washington monster when running for election but eventually succumb to the disease of a career politician. The only cure for this intoxicating disease is term limits. Term limits would break the ties that bind and free our leaders to develop a national energy policy, which someday could liberate us from the bondage of Arab countries. Without term limits don’t expect us to be any less dependant on what the Beverly Hillbillies called “Texas Tea” except it will have a distinct Arab flavor.

A Boston Tea Party …(A Few Extra Dollars)

I want to make it clear from the beginning of this article that this has nothing to do with dikes breaching or two natural disasters (hurricane and flood). This article is 100% about the ineptitude of the response for adequate security by our federal government.

Since 9/11 we have been sold a bill of goods that amazing organization is going on to help protect and provide aid should another terrorist attack take place. The tragedy taking place in Louisiana and Mississippi and specifically New Orleans shows all of America how unprepared the homeland security department really is. Our government tries to tell us that everything will be fine and they have different scenarios planned for. The truth is what is taking place in New Orleans tells us should a terrorist attack take place in a major city people better be prepared for many days of isolation before help arrives.

It is embarrassing how ineffective the response by federal and state officials has been in providing security to the people trapped in New Orleans. This is neither a democrat nor a republican issue but rather a government issue. Government blows smoke up our ass to tell us all will be fine so that we continue to shop at Old Navy. When the disaster or terrorist attack hits they fail to come through in a timely, overwhelming manner. Without enough security forces in place rescue efforts cannot work efficiently.

More money is needed for Homeland security in all areas but instead tax dollars are stuffed in congressional pork projects. Our borders are left unprotected but we are told it isn’t needed. We are sold a bill of goods of half-truths so we keep the economy rolling. When it comes to laying blame we will see another commission created just like the 9/11 commission. They too will leave out vital information to protect high officials from taking any blame.

The point is the federal government has failed just as it did in stopping the highjackers of 9/11. Whether it be terrorism or a natural disaster incompetence will prevail without blame. If reporters could make it into New Orleans for the last 5 days then why weren’t there enough National Guard people to provide security. The people paid to make the correct decisions failed once again. If the security officials were from private industry they would have been there on time or they would not be in business.

Should pressure be put on those in charge? I say yes, as much as possible. If extreme pressure makes them respond in a manner fitting the situation then pressure is what is needed. If they cannot take the heat then I suggest the federal government begin to tell us that when the next terrorist attack takes place American citizens need to be prepared for potential extreme hardship even if it prevents us from spending a few extra dollars at our favorite store.