Harry Reid’s Arrogant Hypocrisy

No campaigning today due to the 9/11 Remembrance.

But I do want to share something with you that Old Media and the leftist blogs and websites probably only half-reported.

According to The Hill:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday questioned Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for not scheduling time away from his presidential campaign to participate in Senate votes. With 56 days left until Election Day, Reid used an afternoon press conference to note that McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, is not planning to attend the Senate’s debate this week on the Department of Defense policy bill. … Reid did not raise the likely absence of Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the Democratic presidential candidate, or Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), Obama’s running mate, from votes.

Imagine that. Harry Reid forgot to mention that two Senators from his own party are missing votes just like the singleton John McCain.

You can access the complete column (and hypocrisy of Harry Reid) on-line here:

Reid Calls McCain Out For Skipping Votes (But Neglects To Mention Two Absent Democrats: Obama And Biden)
J. Taylor Rushing
The Hill
September 9, 2008

Let The McCain Mutiny Begin! Excerpts From John McCain’s Speech Last Night

Senator Obama has been cut off at the knees. First his right knee, then his left knee. John McCain and Sarah Palin have stolen Obama’s platform and made it their own. The McCain/Palin ticket now represents true change while the Obama/Biden ticket represents more of the old, stale, self-serving politics that have been going on in the halls of Congress for longer than it ever should have.

As such, John McCain is staging a mutiny. It is a mutiny that began in the Republican Party and now, with his acceptance of the Republican nomination for President, it is a mutiny against the establishment of powers that be in Washington D.C. I would be proud to call myself a McCain Mutineer.

What does this mutiny entail? You can learn that from various points he made during his speech last night. Here are some excerpts:

I’ve fought corruption, and it didn’t matter if the culprits were Democrats or Republicans. They violated their public trust, and they had to be held accountable.

Being that Nancy Pelosi has failed miserably in her promise to end corruption in Congress, it will be the McCain/Palin administration that will finally begin the work that Nancy Pelosi never even started. And what makes this issue stand out in contrast to the Obama/Biden ticket is that there is no equivalent of a John McCain or Sarah Plain in the Democrat Party. None. No Democrat is standing up to the corrupt or questionable behavior of other Democrats. No one.

And this:

I’ve fought the big spenders in both parties, who waste your money on things you neither need nor want, and the first big-spending pork-barrel earmark bill that comes across my desk, I will veto it. I will make them famous, and you will know their names. You will know their names.

I have no doubt whatsoever that when Senator McCain spoke those words, hundreds of members of Congress had to go and grab a bottle of Tums or Rolaids to counteract the acid reflux that results when fear suddenly enters the body. This is the promise of a transparent government. Senator McCain has just promised the American people that bills and legislation that get passed as a result of back-room deals made outside the view of television cameras will be made public and he will reveal the names of those who made the deals and what they were personally expecting to get out of those deals.

We Mutineers have chosen our ringleader well.

And one of the most refreshing points on the current state of affairs in D.C. is thus:

We lost — we lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption. We lost their trust when rather than reform government, both parties made it bigger. We lost their trust when instead of freeing ourselves from a dangerous dependence on foreign oil, both parties — and Senator Obama — passed another corporate welfare bill for oil companies. We lost their trust when we valued our power over our principles. We’re going to change that. We’re going to recover the people’s trust by standing up again to the values Americans admire. The party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan is going to get back to basics.

The ship of state will set a new course, under a new captain. And the baseline of that new course will be the basic principles that the GOP adheres to:

In this country, we believe everyone has something to contribute and deserves the opportunity to reach their God-given potential, from the boy whose descendents arrived on the Mayflower to the Latina daughter of migrant workers. We’re all God’s children, and we’re all Americans. We believe — we believe in low taxes, spending discipline, and open markets. We believe in rewarding hard work and risk-takers and letting people keep the fruits of their labor. We believe … We believe — we believe in a strong defense, work, faith, service, a culture of life … … personal responsibility, the rule of law, and judges who dispense justice impartially and don’t legislate from the bench. We believe in the values of families, neighborhoods, and communities. We believe in a government that unleashes the creativity and initiative of Americans, government that doesn’t make your choices for you, but works to make sure you have more choices to make for yourself.

And the differences between John McCain and Barack Obama have become unambiguously clear:

I will keep taxes low and cut them where I can. My opponent will raise them. I will open… I will open new markets to our goods and services. My opponent will close them. I will cut government spending. He will increase it. My tax cuts will create jobs; his tax increases will eliminate them. My health care plan will make it easier for more Americans to find and keep good health care insurance. His plan will force small businesses to cut jobs, reduce wages, and force families into a government-run health care system where a bureaucrat … … where a bureaucrat stands between you and your doctor.

And every mutiny is usually the result of some sore point among the crew that the captain is not adequately addressing or simply ignoring altogether. Here is what John McCain said:

Education — education is the civil rights issue of this century. Equal access to public education has been gained, but what is the value of access to a failing school? We need… We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice. Let’s remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work. When a public school fails to meet its obligations to students, parent — when it fails to meet its obligations to students, parents deserve a choice in the education of their children. And I intend to give it to them. Some may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private one. Many will choose a charter school. But they will have the choice, and their children will have that opportunity. Senator Obama wants our schools to answer to unions and entrenched bureaucrats. I want schools to answer to parents and students. And when I’m president, they will.

As a parent of a teenager who would have been forced to attend a sub-standard public school had we not the means to send him to a private school, I can certainly relate to this. The McCain Mutiny is spreading farther. And it will continue to spread as the American people become more and more aware of the power they hold as individuals empowered with free will under the law.

And the big issue on all Americans minds, whether Democrat or Republican:

My fellow Americans, when I’m president, we’re going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We’re going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don’t like us very much, and some of that money… We’ll attack — we’ll attack the problem on every front. We’ll produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells off-shore, and we’ll drill them now. We’ll drill them now. We’ll — we’ll — my friends, we’ll build more nuclear power plants. We’ll develop clean-coal technology. We’ll increase the use of wind, tide, solar, and natural gas. We’ll encourage the development and use of flex-fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles. Senator Obama thinks we can achieve energy independence without more drilling and without more nuclear power. But Americans know better than that. We must use all resources and develop all technologies necessary to rescue our economy from the damage caused by rising oil prices and restore the health of our planet. My friends … … it’s an ambitious plan, but Americans are ambitious by nature, and we’ve faced greater challenges. It’s time for us to show the world again how Americans lead. This great national cause will create millions of new jobs, many in industries that will be the engine of our future prosperity, jobs that will be there when your children enter the workforce.

Senator McCain knows, as most of America does, that the main component of the current economic downturn is rising energy prices. Senator McCain also knows you counter that by producing more energy. Senator Obama thinks that this can be solved by levying more taxes on those who produce the energy.

His final plea to the American people:

I’m going to fight for my cause every day as your president. I’m going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank him, that I’m an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on Earth. And with hard work — with hard word, strong faith, and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me. Fight for what’s right for our country. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people. Fight for our children’s future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all. Stand up to defend our country from its enemies. Stand up for each other, for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America. Stand up, stand up, stand up, and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We’re Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

The battle is joined. It is us against the establishment. In the 1980’s we had the Reagan Revolution.

Today, we have the McCain Mutiny.

Onward to November!

You can access the complete transcript of the speech on-line here:

RAW DATA: Transcript Of McCain’s Nomination Speech At Republican Convention
FoxNews.com
September 4, 2008

Exposing The Latent Sexism Of The Democrats And Other Leftists

I really wanted to post about this particular topic earlier this morning, but I felt it was more important to have a look at Gov. Palin’s speech first. Of course, the entire nation is talking about her and what she brings to the GOP table now and what she can bring in the future. A star was truly born last night and I am proud to one of those who wholeheartedly supports her.

That being said, we should also look at some of the peripheral stories as they speak as much to main story too. One of those is an Internet rumor that Sarah Palin wanted certain books banned from the Wasilla library back in 1996. I’m not going generate any website hits for such a ridiculous claim by posting a link so you’ll have to go and search for one on your own. But when you find one, take a look at the list. One of the things that should stand out to you is the listing of the complete Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling hadn’t even published The Sorcerer’s Stone yet in 1996. That should tell you something about how idiotic such rumors are.

Another story we need to look at is how the woman Sarah Palin has been treated differently than the men who are running for office. Take for example Joe Biden. Biden was a single father who made it a point to rush home every night to be with his children after he tragically lost his wife. But for some reason, no one ever questioned his ability to be a politician while trying to keep up his family responsibilities.

Well, two people from the opposite sides of the political spectrum came together on that one. On the one hand, we have Mayor Rudy Guiliani and on the other, we have Susan Estrich. Both of them agree that the attacks on Sarah Palin’s committment to family are nothing short of double-standard sexism.

From Mayor Giuliani’s speech last night:

One final point. And how — how dare they question whether Sarah Palin has enough time to spend with her children and be vice president. How dare they do that! (APPLAUSE) When do they ever ask a man that question? When? (APPLAUSE)

It was a perfectly placed shot, dead on target.

But, as we can see from the following excerpt, women on left are noticing it too. From Susan Estrich:

No would be asking these questions if she were a man. No one asked whether Arnold Schwarzenegger should run for governor because he has four children. They looked at Maria, his wonderful wife, and said, what a beautiful family. A mother doesn’t get the same treatment. This is how the double standard works. … Why is that our business? Why is it our business whether Sarah Palin returned to her job as governor three days after her son was born, or three months? Is there a right answer? Maybe for the individual, depending on her responsibilities, whether she has a supportive spouse, family at hand, flexibility to go to work, but also to pump her breasts when she needs to, and get home when she has to. But how she answers it is private, not a basis for judging her qualifications for high office. … I have no doubt that Barack Obama can count on his fingers the number of times he has been home in the last 19 months to put his two beautiful daughters to bed. In interviews, he says as much, expressing his gratitude to his mother-in-law, who has taken over many parenting responsibilities during the campaign, given that his wife has been away a great deal of the time as well, making appearances and raising money. Does this make him a “bad father”? Should it undercut his claim to the presidency? Of course not. Why should Sarah Palin be different?

When Rudy Giuliani and Susan Estrich are on the same page, we should take notice. The undercurrents of the selection of Sarah Palin as the GOP Vice Presidential candidate may prove to be politically fatal for some.

You can access Mayor Giuliani’s speech and Susan Estrich’s column on-line here:

Raw Data: Rudy Giuliani’s Remarks At The GOP Convention
FoxNews.com
September 3, 2008

Sarah Palin And The Double Standard
Susan Estrich
FoxNews.com
September 3, 2008

But Children Are Off-Limits! And A Fake Republican Used At The Democrat Convention

I clearly remember Barack Obama saying that the children of political figures were off-limits. Apparently, his surrogates on the Internet and in Old Media don’t give a damn what he says since they are still ripping into Bristol Palin and her mother, Sarah.

However, I have heard damned little of this story about Hunter Biden from Old Media, who should have been reporting it the moment Obama named Joe Biden as his running mate.

From the Washington Post:

A son and a brother of Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) are accused in two lawsuits of defrauding a former business partner and an investor of millions of dollars in a hedge fund deal that went sour, court records show. The Democratic vice presidential candidate’s son Hunter, 38, and brother James, 59, assert instead that their former partner defrauded them by misrepresenting his experience in the hedge fund industry and recommending that they hire a lawyer with felony convictions. The legal actions have been playing out in New York State Supreme Court since 2007, and they focus on Hunter and James Biden’s involvement in Paradigm Companies LLC, a hedge fund group. Hunter Biden, a Washington lobbyist, briefly served as president of the firm. A lawsuit filed by their former partner Anthony Lotito Jr. asserts in court papers that the deal was crafted to get Hunter Biden out of lobbying because his father was concerned about the impact it would have on his bid for the White House. Biden was running for the Democratic nomination at the time the suit was filed.

You can access that story on-line here:

Biden’s Son, Brother Named in Two Suits
The Washington Post
August 24, 2008

So, Hunter Biden, age 38, may be involved in something criminal and the left-leaning press doesn’t care. But when Bristol Palin, age 17, does something that makes her human everyone on the left goes crazy.

What Chutzpuh!

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And speaking of that, what about Barney Smith, the so-called “life-long Republican” who spoke at the Democrat Convention in Denver? Well, read this from Prosper Group Think:

You may remember Barney Smith from Fairmount, Indiana. He spoke at the Democrat National Convention Thursday night and was one of the people who introduced Barack Obama. He will be remembered for the line “I want a president who cares more about Barney Smith than they do about Smith Barney.” A great well-written line that many people remember. On Thursday night in Denver, when he introduced Barack Obama, he claimed to be a “lifelong” Republican. But it looks like the Democrats lied about his affiliation, or at minimum never took the time to check him out. … Barney Smith’s voter registration is clear. It shows that for the last 12 years he has voted in 3 primary elections. In 1996 he voted Democrat, in 2006 he voted Republican, and in 2008 he voted Democrat. He may well have had Republican leanings, and how he voted in general elections is, of course, confidential. But would you say that voting in one Republican primary in the last 12 years would qualify a person to be a “lifelong” Republican?

You can access the complete story on-line here:

Democrats Use A Fake Republican From Grant County To Introduce Barack Obama
Prosper Group Think
September 2, 2008

You can access Mr. Smtih’s public voting record here:

Voting Record

Hardly what any rationally thinking person would call a “life-long Republican.” All of this is very reminiscent of CNN‘s stacking of the audience during the Republican Primary Debates:

CNN’s Dishonesty During GOP YouTube Debate
84rules
December 1, 2007

More CNN YouTube Plants Being Uncovered
84rules
December 1, 2007

Nothing like some blog posts to remind people of recent history.