Bush

Democrat Tax-Cut Propaganda Obliterated

Calvin Freiburger Barack Obama, big government, blogosphere, Bush, Carter, Democrats, economics, economy, GOP, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, JFK, Michael Eden, Reagan, Republican Party

Michael Eden at Start Thinking Right has a must-read article destroying the Democrats’ lies on tax cuts. Be sure to take the time to read the whole thing to learn all sorts of good stuff, not the least of which being the discovery of which radical right-wing corporate stooge said the following:

“Our tax system still siphons out of the private economy too large a share of personal and business purchasing power and reduces the incentive for risk, investment and effort – thereby aborting our recoveries and stifling our national growth rate.”

Atheists Crying Wolf, Part 1

Calvin Freiburger Alonzo Fyfe, atheism, bigotry, blogosphere, Bush, Constitution, demagogues, history, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, religion
A while back I took on charges of anti-atheist bigotry leveled against an Illinois lawmaker by atheist blogger Alonzo Fyfe. Beyond that, Fyfe claims a whole host of things amount to prejudice against poor, innocent atheists:
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(1) A sitting president said that atheists are not fit to be judges – and the statement can still be found on the White House’s own web site.”[W]e need common-sense judges who understand that our rights were derived from God. And those are the kind of judges I intend to put on the bench.”
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(2) We have atheists who stand and feign support for a Pledge of Allegiance that says, “As far as this government is concerned, atheists (those not ‘under god’) are the moral equivalent of those who would commit themselves to rebellion, tyranny, and injustice for all.”
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(3) We have a national motto on our money and going up in more and more places in this country that says, “If you do not trust in God, you are not one of us.”
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(4) Atheists are routinely blamed for everything from terrorist attacks to school shootings to hurricanes to the Holocaust.
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(5) On this latter point, there is a movie that will officially debut around the country on April 18th that is making a blatant attempt to link atheism to the Holocaust.
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I intend to show that these victim-centric interpretations are wrong, and that, when not distorted by atheist activists, none of them constitute bigotry against those who don’t believe in God. My case will be divided into three posts: this one on atheism and the judiciary, a second on ceremonial references to God & religious symbolism, and a third on atheism and violence.
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(1) “[W]e need common-sense judges who understand that our rights were derived from God.” President Bush is right, and if a statement like this is enough to send Fyfe flying off the handle, methinks he needs to re-read the Declaration of Independence, brush up on American history, and take a couple deep breaths.
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“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” So says the Declaration of Independence, the guiding light of American governance. Examples of the Founding Fathers echoing and elaborating upon this sentiment are abundant. John Locke’s Second Treatise of Civil Government assumes men to be “the workmanship of one omnipotent and infinitely wise Maker.” The concept that our rights come from God was a sharp departure from prior conceptions that rights originated either from government or from cultural lineage. Its implications are powerful: it divorces human rights from intellectual, physical, or racial superiority, or from bloodline. All individuals deserve equal treatment simply because they are human beings. Accordingly, under this conception of God-given rights, government becomes a servant of the people, rather than the master.
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If one believes in judicial originalism, that the purpose of judges is to faithfully glean and apply the original meaning and intentions of a law, then why wouldn’t it be legitimate to consider a potential judge’s understanding of the Framers’ conception of rights? A judge who sees our rights as God-given understands that he doesn’t have the authority to thwart them by judicial fiat, no matter how much he might think his personal views on any given case might be better. I, for one, think that sort of humility is highly desirable in a public figure, especially one wielding the power of an unelected, unaccountable, lifetime position.
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Granted, the Constitution prohibits faith-based legal disqualifications from public office, and Bush didn’t propose any. But that isn’t the same as the individual in charge of choosing a candidate—the executive making his appointments or the voter casting his ballot—having a preference for the type of ideas which he or she believes can best serve the office. Unlike skin color or sex, religion and atheism are ideas (or the absence of particular ideas) with implications relevant to society. Therefore, it’s reasonable for people to use them as criteria when judging potential public officials. Surely many atheists think believing Christians are less-than ideal officeholders, as is their prerogative. I’d passionately disagree, of course, but it’s not bigotry to take religion, or lack thereof, into consideration. Then again, perhaps the actual goal isn’t tolerance, but rather to insulate one’s worldview, via intimidation if necessary, from critical evaluation by the people.
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By all means, atheists like Alonzo Fyfe should have equal opportunity to seek public office. But that doesn’t mean they get to pretend the philosophical foundations of the nation never existed, or to exempt their ideas from public consideration.

Around the Web

Calvin Freiburger abortion, Bush, environment, hatred, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, moonbats, Obama, Planned Parenthood, racism, scandal, Sowell, War on Terror
The Left’s devotion to mature, principled, open debate is on display yet again.
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Barack Obama’s been caught dead-to-rights in yet another lie. Clumsy, dishonest…this guy’s simply not ready for primetime. Of course, the Bush White House had to chicken out as soon as Barack started his hissy fit—way to display leadership, Dubya!
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Are you ready for plant rights?
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The latest food for thought from Thomas Sowell.
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Michelle Obama railing against “whitey?” On video?! Should be an interesting campaign…(hat tip: IMAO)

President Bush on FISA

Calvin Freiburger Bush, Congress, Democrats, FISA, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, national security, treason
This morning, President Bush excoriated the House of Representatives for failing to renew FISA:
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At the stroke of midnight tonight, a vital intelligence law that is helping protect our nation will expire. Congress had the power to prevent this from happening, but chose not to.
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The Senate passed a good bill that would have given our intelligence professionals the tools they need to keep us safe. But leaders in the House of Representatives blocked a House vote on the Senate bill, and then left on a 10-day recess.
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Some congressional leaders claim that this will not affect our security. They are wrong. Because Congress failed to act, it will be harder for our government to keep you safe from terrorist attack. At midnight, the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence will be stripped of their power to authorize new surveillance against terrorist threats abroad. This means that as terrorists change their tactics to avoid our surveillance, we may not have the tools we need to continue tracking them — and we may lose a vital lead that could prevent an attack on America.
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In addition, Congress has put intelligence activities at risk even when the terrorists don’t change tactics. By failing to act, Congress has created a question about whether private sector companies who assist in our efforts to defend you from the terrorists could be sued for doing the right thing. Now, these companies will be increasingly reluctant to provide this vital cooperation, because of their uncertainty about the law and fear of being sued by class-action trial lawyers.
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For six months, I urged Congress to take action to ensure this dangerous situation did not come to pass. I even signed a two-week extension of the existing law, because members of Congress said they would use that time to work out their differences. The Senate used this time productively — and passed a good bill with a strong, bipartisan super-majority of 68 votes. Republicans and Democrats came together on legislation to ensure that we could effectively monitor those seeking to harm our people. And they voted to provide fair and just liability protection for companies that assisted in efforts to protect America after the attacks of 9/11.
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The Senate sent this bill to the House for its approval. It was clear that if given a vote, the bill would have passed the House with a bipartisan majority. I made every effort to work with the House to secure passage of this law. I even offered to delay my trip to Africa if we could come together and enact a good bill. But House leaders refused to let the bill come to a vote. Instead, the House held partisan votes that do nothing to keep our country safer. House leaders chose politics over protecting the country — and our country is at greater risk as a result.
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House leaders have no excuse for this failure. They knew all along that this deadline was approaching, because they set it themselves. My administration will take every step within our power to minimize the damage caused by the House’s irresponsible behavior. Yet it is still urgent that Congress act. The Senate has shown the way by approving a good, bipartisan bill. The House must pass that bill as soon as they return to Washington from their latest recess.
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At this moment, somewhere in the world, terrorists are planning a new attack on America. And Congress has no higher responsibility than ensuring we have the tools to stop them.

The Lovefest Continues

Calvin Freiburger Bush, education, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Iran, liberalism, me, moonbats, reporter, War on Terror
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Ah, yes, dear Mr. Freiburger and his little neocon fantasies. What do you have to say about the fact that Iran curtailed its nuclear weapons program in 2003, yet King George just recently acknowledged the same fact?
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The “fact” our lib-of-the-day refers to is actually a National Intelligence Estimate—which, according to Alan Dershowitz, “falls hook, line and sinker for a transparent bait and switch tactic employed not only by Iran, but by several other nuclear powers in the past.” This, by the by, would be the same Iran that’s still doing this. And this. And this. Yeah, I really feel good about giving these guys a clean bill of health.
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President Bush has been caught in a lie. Or is it a situation for people like you, Calvin, that you think the president’s own intelligence “cooked” the intelligence?
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First, no he hasn’t. Second, what does “you think the president’s own intelligence cooked the intelligence” even mean? Is it a vain attempt at wit?
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Maybe this quote by Herman Goering (he was a Nazi, in case you don’t know, since you supposedly received such a poor education at Fond du Lac High School) at the Nuremberg Trials can explain it better for you:
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Such a poor education? I never said anything of the sort. Shouldn’t we expect a college professor to read a little more carefully, and get the basic facts right when he attacks someone?
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“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding to the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to greater danger. It works the same in any country.”
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Predictably, our friend sees Nazis around every corner. Never mind that the attack, and the continuing threat, are all too real. It figures.
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On second thought, I’m trying to talk logically to a neocon.
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“Trying” being the operative word…

Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Evil

Calvin Freiburger blogosphere, Bush, education, evil, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Iran, Islamofascism, Malkin, Nick Schweitzer, propaganda, stupidity, War on Terror
Michelle Malkin has a ton of coverage on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s appearance at Columbia University. Which do you think is worse: idiotic commentary that the Tehran Tyrant’s visit is a matter of free speech, or idiotic statements about the event by the man charged with protecting us from said tyrant?

Top 10 Ways President Bush Can Further Alienate His Base

Calvin Freiburger Bush, Frank J, GOP, humor, IMAO

At this point, never say never:
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10. Publicly make out with Nancy Pelosi.
9. Not listen to anyone unless they speak in Spanish.
8. At his next meeting with generals, start shouting, “No blood for oil!”
7. Endorse Ron Paul.
6. Demand a new investigation into 9/11 to find out if he knew about it before it happened.
5. Become a coyote.
4. Start writing diaries on The Daily Kos.
3. Publicly make out with Ted Kennedy.
2. Convert to Islam.
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And the number one way President Bush can further alienate his base…
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Have Dick Cheney resign and appoint a new VP: Harriet Miers.

Senate: No to Amnesty!

Calvin Freiburger Bush, good news, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, immigration, Senate, victories

Aww, what a shame:
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The US Senate voted Thursday to kill off a landmark immigration bill which would have granted a path to citizenship to 12 million illegal immigrants, in a severe blow to President George W. Bush.
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In a stunning defeat for the bill, which would have also established a merit-based immigration system, Senators voted by 53 to 46 votes against moving ahead with a final vote on the measure.
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The 46 votes mustered by the supporters of the bill were well short of the super-majority of 60 votes needed to keep alive the measure, branded an “amnesty” by opponents.
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Before the vote, Senators from both sides said a vote to derail the bill would likely doom efforts to tackle immigration reform before the 2008 presidential election.
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The bill had represented one of President George W. Bush’s last, best hopes for a signature second-term domestic achievement, and its failure will come as another painful blow to a White House besieged with political woes.
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The measure had staggered in the Senate for weeks, collapsing earlier this month under fierce opposition, mainly from conservatives who branded it an “amnesty” for those who broke the law to enter the United States.
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Democrats from conservative districts also found it difficult to support the bill, and some of them also fretted at the terms of a guest worker program included in the bill.

Amnesty Again

Calvin Freiburger 2008, Bush, conservatism, GOP, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, immigration, national security, Ted Kennedy
By now you’ve heard about the immigration “compromise” plan unveiled on Capitol Hill this week.
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Bobby Eberle gives voice to the Right’s universal (well, near universal) frustration over the announcement. El Rushbo, Mark Taylor, and Rich Lowry’s takes are also well worth checking out.
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My take: I’ve never supported a guest worker program or amnesty, so this is more of the same Bush-Kennedy-McCain drivel. But the President seems to have found a brand-new way to make things worse: “The Bush administration insisted on a little-noticed change in the bipartisan Senate immigration bill that would enable 12 million undocumented residents to avoid paying back taxes or associated fines to the Internal Revenue Service, officials said.” Soooo………what keeps this from being amnesty, exactly? What is the fair trade-off for the incredible strain we’re inviting on the country’s social structure?
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As Duncan Hunter noted in the debate, the government has built a whopping two miles of border fence to date. Think about that:
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6 years.
2 miles.
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Although, there has been some silver lining this week: it’s not a done deal yet (Hugh Hewitt’s got contact info for a bunch of GOP lawmakers here), and the whole affair illustrates that on yet another major issue, there’s only one viable conservative choice.
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UPDATE: Kate has given us a heads-up of a lengthy cliff notes version of the legislation.

Just a Bit of Perspective

Calvin Freiburger Bush, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Iraq, victories, War on Terror, women
I’m among the last guys on Earth to give the Iraq War’s mismanagement a pass, but for what it’s worth, I think this needs to be said: Right now I’m watching Bill O’Reilly interview an ex-Iraqi ambassador – who happens to be a woman. That’s right; a woman in a position of real power in an Arab government, and it wouldn’t have happened if not for George W. Bush. With so much we’ve promised the Iraqi people, and so much hanging in the balance, we cannot abandon this cause.