Around the blogesphere:
• Captain's Quarters takes California legislators to task for approving legislation that decides that the value of a textbook lies in its bookshelf width, and takes a look at the 2006 Senate races.
• Blogging at Dean's World Dave Schuler has a "Carnival of the Liberated," a sampler of some of the best posts from Iraqi and Afghani bloggers.
• At Daly Thoughts Gerry posts about polls regarding filibusters.
• From La Shawn Barber's Corner, political hipocracy on Tom DeLay’s ethical problems, "A Politician By Any Other Name."
• Yesterday Marine Corps Moms carried a Memorial Day post "Honoring their sacrifice".
• Stop the ACLU has a good post fisking "The ACLU Thought Police."

Wisconsin bloggers:
• Ann Althouse talks about the Supreme Courts ruling on "RLUIPA and the Establishment Clause."
• Badger Blogger posts about "Walker Fires Back" on taking heat for tax freeze, and "U.W. Stout reverses ROTC decision".
• The American Mind takes a look at the measure of McCain.
• And sadly from "Sanity in Mad City" who post his last good-bye entry, but will still be posting on his family orientated weblog. Goodbye Bryan and thanks, I enjoyed your posts. It is understandable with your new family member. Best wishes for the future, but I'll leave you on my blogroll for some time (just in case).

How many? 25 years. I remember well how at the time many said CNN would fail because nobody wanted news 24 hours a day and asked; Is there that much news to report? Well no there wasn't back then, at least with the original light world-wide resources, and the news tended to just repeat every 30 minutes. But it did improve with time, and a news bureau in just about every country.

From columnist Verne Gay: Happy birthday, CNN. And it is a happy birthday, right?


So much for the Birthday well wishes, from there Verne's tone turns into a bit of a heckle at CNN for their losses to FOX News.


CNN has a story "Then & Now: Bernard Shaw" who was one of the original anchors.

Michelle Malkin Thanks CNN for the memories (the ones they don't want remembered).

When I first saw this title I was already gritting my teeth, especially as it was being led by a Republican. Why the heck wouldn't he/they want permanent checkpoints on the Arizona Mexico border?


I'm still biting down pretty hard while I see mental pictures of large groups of undocumented immigrants flowing like the wind across the Arizona Mexico border. Then as I read, I get to some of the reasoning behind opposition to check points.


Doh! Of course, let me pause a second while I slap my forehead... "Mobile checkpoints" — of corse they would work better. Especially with the Mexican government supplying border crossers with maps.

Lets see — checkpoint here and here — yep either one would be a great place to cross. [Sarcasm off]

A new Zogby poll for the Cato Institute and being released today, shows Bush's Social Security supported by 52 percent of Americans while 40 percent oppose it. What seems to make the results more positve is that the questions were asked in a positive nature instead of the 'Chicken Little, sky-is-falling' approach often used.


Is framing the questions in a more positive light biased as well. Well I suppose it depends on which side of the reform issue you stand. Opponents can argue about several things, but one thing they can't argue with is the overwhelming advantage in return that private accounts would have given past history. That is basically what is stressed in the questions. On the other hand opponents argue about the cost of transition, and that it doesn't fix the long term funding problem. Neither do Democrats put forth refrom plans of their own, so where does that leave them with the voters?


The poll also found a red/blue state split and skepticism about future benefits.


Knowing that the electorate support fixing the Social Security system, will the Democrats continue to drag their feet? They likely will continue with their "No" to any legislation the administration proposes. They may even use their weapon of choice, the "fililbuster," but they will pay for it at the ballot box.

Yesterday protesters hit a meeting of minutemen who had monitored the Mexican - Arizona border during last April, and other activists concerned about illegal immigration.


The only division being created by waving and planting Mexican flags on U.S. soil is between concerned citizens and illegal immigrants, and it is about time more citizens are finally raising concerns. It is hard to understand how these protestors, many of them illegal aliens themself, get it into their head that they are helping their cause. Fortunately they do just the opposite.

While the government should be taking greater steps to secure our southern border with Mexico, President Bush as well as some in congress — McCain and Kennedy have sponsored a bill — want grant illegal immigrants worker visas that would only encourage more to try to enter our country illegally.

There is little chance the McCain/Kennedy bill that would grant worker visas to illegal immigrants will pass. Support in congress is growing for secure borders along with overwhelming support from the electorate.

According to The Immigration Blog protestors were calling those inside Nazis and racists. If you ask me this protest and the language used is a personal challenge to the law abiding citizens of our country.

The Immigration Blog has more.

Also see The Minuteman Project website for news updates.

The rejection is no supprise but it has to be difficult if not an embarassment to President Jacques Chirac and the French leaders. The "no" vote was 54.87 percent, with 45.13 percent voting "yes." What makes the EU Charter a stinging defeat for Chirac is that it was a French framed and initiated project that he has worked on for decades.


Several of the EU Charter opponents cheered the result and had called for Chirac's resignation. The French leader had declined.

Political leaders outside of France are still trying to decide the significance of the defeat and question the future direction of Europe. Nine of the EU members have already passed the Charter, but the Dutch with polls showing a 60 percent opposition to the constitution vote Wednesday. All 25 EU members must pass it in order for the Charter to take effect.

I'm at a loss for words to describe my feelings on this.


The Sheriff's dept believes they are on the trail of the culprits. I sure hope they catch them and they get the maximum penalty.

When I was younger I rember my brothers talking about a blindness caused by a certain ahem.... (cough) erotic sexual practice without a partner. Well it seems they may not have been entirely off the mark.

Federal health officials are examining rare reports of blindness among some men using the impotence drug Viagra.

For a month the Minuteman Project patroled a section of the Arizona border without a violent incident. Yet when Jim Gilchrist of the Minuteman Project spoke in Garden Grove, Left-wingnut supporters of illegal immigration protested, and it got really ugly.

The Immigration Blog has the story.

Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters is taking his Not 'One Dime Campaign' up a notch. The campaign is an "effort to make our voices heard at the RNC by withholding donations to the NRSC until the GOP caucus improves its leadership in the Senate and starts acting like a majority party."

Ed has registered a new domain www.notonedimemore.org and is in need of a logo. To that end Ed is running a logo contest with a tenative deadline of June 15th.

Army Staff Sgt. Anthony Lagman, was killed last year in Afghanistan while fighting Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. His mother Ligaya Lagman although a permanent resident for more than 20 years and a taxpayer is not a U.S. citizen. Her son Anthony is a citizen and is buried in a military cemetery, with full honors.

Ben Spadaro, a veteran from Yonkers, NY sponsored Lagman for membership in American Gold Star Mothers, but the applicantion was denied because she is not a U.S. citizen.


The sponsoring vetran isn't satisfied with that answer nor is NY Representatives Nita Lowey, Eliot Engel, US Senator Hillary Clinton and past presidents of the mothers' group. One would have to believe most of the membership would also want Ligaya Lagman to be included in their group.


It is beyond comprehension how these mothers of all people, who know high price paid to join the Gold Star Mothers could be so cold. I hope they have a change of heart. If you want to encourage them, the contact information from their website is below.

Update: Boots & Sabers points out the shame of the American Gold Star Mothers
The American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.
2128 Leroy Place NW - Washington, DC 20008
Phone: 202-265-0991 Fax: 202-265-6963
E-mail us at goldstarmoms@yahoo.com

The ACLU is at it again, trying to legislate their liberal agenda through the court system. There is no Federal or Wisconsin law covering benefits for same-sex couples whether it is family health insurance, hospital family-restricted visitation, or tax breaks.

In cases like these the ALCU and others always shoot for the catch-all states or federal constitution's guarantee of equal protection. You think something is being denyed you not covered by law? No problem, get a liberal court to cover it with the vague equal protection clause.


When you hear things like in the last sentence above, "The suit asks the court to declare that the state constitution's guarantee—"

Hold it right there. There is a clue before that sentence is hardly started, namely "asks the court to declare..." Courts don't declare, they intrepret laws, case precedent and constitutions. Therein lies the whole mis-guided and unconstitutional path that some liberal factions of society are taking. It is a short-cut around the legislative process.


Now first let me state that I don't begrudge them the benefits in they are looking for, as long as they come by them legally. That means laws passed by legislation, or found (not conjured) in the Constitution. Or if a company wants to present them to employees on their own.

Otherwise if you feel you are being denied benefits or any other perk in society, take the matter up and find supporters for it. Find legislative sponsors, and fight to get it passed. Just keep in mind that in order to be non-discriminatory it would also have to cover all unmarried couples, not just same-sex couples. It's the democratic way.

Wow! This is a big supprise coming from the Teamsters.


Now if somehow AARP can be exposed for being anit-private accounts mainly because they would have to be in direct competition. The AARP is in the business of selling private investment funds, mostly to seniors. Easier said than done; there used to be an old saying that must have started over politics; The lie can be halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on.

A Web site statement posted Thursday and signed in the name of al-Qaida in Iraq said the militant group has appointed a deputy to take the lead until Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who's purportedly been wounded, returns.

Update: A report in The Australian is saying US officials have given greater credence to reports.

A look at Justice Brown by columnist Vincent Carroll that should set the bar conservative - libertarian enough to allow a vote on just about any justice nominee.


That sorta wakes up the Libritarian streak in me.

Declassified FBI reports show that conflicting accounts of how US military guards handled the prisoners' Qurans was a two sided story. Pentagon officiaals assert that some detainees made up claims as early as April 2002, to agitate wide prison population and undermine the military's control.


Detainees are trained to make all kinds of allegations in a mind game to smear guards and the US military. Besides allegations of desecration of the Quran are claims of guards spitting on them; beating them unconscious; throwing their waste bucket at them.

You have'ta love the old gal. Yesterday the most senior member of the White House press corp Helen Thomas tried to badger Press Secretary Scott McClellan over his claims the United States is in Afghanistan and Iraq by invitation.

This is outrageous.


Senator Graham need to look no further than himself and the band of 14 to see where to lay the blame. The senate was just hours away from having an up or down vote on all nominees that come out of commitee. One that would have been in effect at least until a change in Senate leadership if not forever.

The band of 14 for whatever reason — maybe they want to keep the filibuster — effectively vetoed any chance to obtain an end of filibusters on judicial nominees. The only way the "Constitutional option" can be brought back for a vote, is if the Democrats abuse the "extreme circumstances" clause of their maverick agreement.

What was lost:
A guaranteed up or down vote on all judicial nominees including the Supreme Court for the forseeable future.

What was gained:
A guaranteed up or down vote on 3 out of 8 appelate judicial nominees, and a user defined "extreme circumstance" clause. Thats it. This "user defined" clause which was intentionally left vague will undoubtedly be used by Democrats for Supreme Court nominees and probably sooner.

Congress needs to get back to the meaning of the "advice and consent" clause of the Constitution. The "consent" half of the clause is an up or down vote on nominees that come out of commitee.

The "advice" half is post nomination, not before. Congress gives "advice" when it rejects a nominee that comes out of commitee, or in effect we advise you to send a different nominee over.

Read Federalist Papers #66 and Federalist Papers #76 to understand how strong a view the founders had on leaving the nomination process fully in the executive branch.

Janice Shaw Crouse is rightfully upset in her column about Planned Parenthood recommendations that 8th graders should use Saran Wrap as "protection" when engaging in oral and anal sex.

This would be funny if it wasn't so serious. I just can't wrap my mind around what Planned Parenthood is thinking. Emphasis and bold below are the columnist's.


Unbelievable indeed, and angers me so much I could bit coal hard enough to make diamonds. Is this not encourageing young girls to be used, and young boys to take advantage of them? This ugly agenda from the extreme left is irresponsible and needs to be stopped is in it's tracks.

Meanwhile the same Planned Parenthood extremists complained when the administration wanted increase funding for "dangerous" abstinence-only programs.

Update: Via The Queen. And if they don't practice safe sex, they can always get an abortion without parental notification.

The Mars rover Spirit has discovered several layers of rocks in a hilly region of the Red Planet that suggest a wet and violent history in the planet's early life, scientists said Tuesday.

The American Thinker has a good take on the deal fashioned by 14 Senators yesterday, covering what each side has won, but concluding that "the Fat Lady hasn’t even begun to warm up her voice, much less sing."

Yesterday the trial to settle the disputed Washington governor's election started. Republicans are claiming fraud and corruption robbed Dino Rossi of the governors office.


For indepth coverage and updates visit Sound Politics.

AbuMusab al-Zarqawi, one of the most sought after terrorist leaders, blamed for numerous attacks on US and Iraqi targets has been wounded and calls on supporters to pray for his recovery. This is according to an internet posting.


I'll post updates if they become available.

Michelle Malkin has details in an email from Terrorism Unveiled with thoughts on why they might choose to make it public.

Others blogging:
Daly Thoughts
Wizbang
Winds of Change

Is John Kerry is releasing all his military records? In an interview Monday with The Boston Globe he was asked if had signed Form SF 180.


Wait a second — parse that setence. See what, the released records, or the signed form SF 180? We will not see the records until the form is sent in to the Navy.


Why do I not feel like not too many will be holding their breath to see how much if any gets to the press. Captain Ed seems to agree.

Maybe we just need to reset our clocks or start a new one.

H/T Michelle Malkin

Update: Just One Minute says, it appears that Kerry could authorize release of the records to himself only in a post called Signed, Sealed, Not Delivered.

A bipartisan group of 14 senators unexpectedly signed a compromise that yanked the Senate back from a certain clash over judicial nominations. There is little doubt in my mind that it will be long lived once it gets around to Supreme Court nominees, although the 14 members of the group have are giving the agreement high praise.

You don't have to look to close at the signed agreement to start getting nervous. Specifically it depends on what the meaning of "extraordinary" is.


Democrats who signed the agreement have the right, as individuals, to filibuster future judicial nominees "under extraordinary circumstances." What the hell is that? The clause "extraordinary circumstances" without defining it's meaning and limits leaves enough wiggle room to use just about any excuse to filibuster. You will see "extraordinary circumstances" just as soon as an "originalist" justice is nominated to the Supreme Court.

Update: Confirm Them a project of Redstate has a pretty good take on the "advice and consent" clause. H/T PoliPundit.

Update II: Cloture On Owen Passes by 81-18 margin.

A close and revealing look at what has hapened to the the 14th Amendment.


We have laws being created in our country by Supreme Court Justices under the guise of "due process" and "equal protection." If it gets any worse we will have rule by judicial law instead of rule by constitutional law.

A thief with a sense of humor. Of course "Star Wars: Episode Three-Revenge of the Sith," was playing.

A 33 page congressional report being released today says that the deployment of 36,000 National Guard troops or state militia on the U.S.-Mexico border would stem illegal immigrants flowing into America. The Immigration Reform Caucus report points to the Minuteman Project as proof.



It seems to me that the report is just stating the obvious. The remaining question is, will congress heed the sage advice. Probably not with the strength of the lobby for non-interference with illegal aliens in this country.

We have the means to stop the gush of undocumented immigrants, we only lact the will.

Sure the sun can cause skin cancer, but it is rarely deady. Not only that but too little sun is even worse. The sun is the best source of vitamin D which might help prevent thirty deaths for each one caused by skin cancer.

This is coming to light through some new studies. As a result I can't help but wonder if the sunblock craze as well as avoiding the sun isn't responsible for increased cancer rates.

•Overall cancer rates have increased by 22% and 56% among white women and white men, repectively, over the course of a single generation. Increases in black men and women are comparable.
•"A contemporary woman's risk of breast cancer is 54% greater than was her mother's at the same age among blacks and 41% greater among whites."
•"Men today have about a three- to four-fold risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer compared with their fathers."
•Excluding cancers linked to smoking, or where trends are confounded by changes in diagnostic procedure (breast and prostate; see below), "relative to the previous generation, rates increased on average 13% in black women, 52% in white men, and 67% in black men." There was little change in white women.
•For non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which they analyzed separately, the rates today relative to 25 years ago have "almost doubled in white women, nearly tripled in black women, more than tripled in white men, and more than quadrupled in black men."

While advisers can't agree on how much the RDA should be for vitamin D, some scientists think adults need 1,000 IUs a day. Dr. Edward Giovannucci's research suggests 1,500 IUs might be needed to significantly curb cancer. The thing is the older you get the more you need.

My Multivitamin contains 400 IUs of D but also contains 3500 IUs of vitamin A which according to this report offsets many of D's benefits. Intake of large amounts of D in pill form can also cause a dangerous buildup of calcium in the body limiting a safe intake amount. Vitamin D from sunshine has no limits.

There is a lot of data to support vitamin D's advantages.


The forecast for today is mostly sunny and 74. I think I'll dig out a swimsuit; grab a good book and head for the backyard. My sunscreen is already in the trash.

Randy Pullen read through the John McCain - Ted Kennedy "Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act (SAOIA)," to give McCain the benefit of the doubt. Both sponsors of the bill were trying to convince reporters last week that it is not amnesty.

Here is what he found:


If this isn't amnesty then what the heck is it? Of course some but not all will actually apply for permanent status. They would then have to pay taxes (including back taxes), application fees and fines. More likely they will just use the temporary visa, and renew it after 6 years, and keep sending tax free money back to Mexico (almost $17 billion last year).

One out of three is better than none I suppose.


Seems to me that any state or local agency is free to enforce federal laws anyway, but what do I know. The governor claims that the veto is because there wasn't any additional money to take on the new duty. What I want to know is this. Is anyone free to break federal laws in Arizona, or just illegal aliens?

Thanks Rosemary for the flashback.

Every Senator has a right — no a Constitutional duty to vote yes or no on the President's judicial nominees. In over 200 years this right has never been questioned. Democratic condemnation of nominees may seem logical to some, and may even have metit, but that is irrelevant and has no bearing on whether or not they derserve a vote.

Nothing else is pertinent. Anything in the nominee's past, be it judicial desicions, ideology, lifestyle, political leanings, or qualificantions. Don't like the nominee for whatever reason, or for no reason what so ever — vote against them, but to deny a vote is political bigotry.

If your neighbors prevented you from voting in an election because they don't like how they think you will vote would be a grave injustice, but that is exactly what is happening in the Senate with some Senators denying other Senators the right to vote.


Liberal ideology that can seldom win at the ballot box anymore has turned to the only venue still open. The judicial system. For the most part ideology doesn't play a part in daily judicial decisions, but when the issues are of a political or dognmatic liberal nature liberals can win in the courts where they repeatedly failed at the ballot box.

This liberal political bigotry goes far beyond Washington, the Senate and even the courts to affect almost every part of our life.


I've said it before, but it bears repeating. This less about Liberal vs Conservatism, but more about the their competing views of the Constitution. Most liberals look at the constitutiion as a "living document" that can be re-interpreted with time to fit the changing needs and ideology of society. The conservatives for the most part look at the Consitution as it was written, and the intent of the framers.

There is a way to change the Constitution or the meaning of it. It's called a Constitutional Amendment. Not nine unelected people in robes. If there is support for same-sex marriage, change the Consitution. You want all religious references stricken from public view, change the Constitution. You want judicial nominations with tougher advice and consent, change the Constitution.

Somehow I missed this story last week, and if it was reported on other Wisconsin blogs I missed that also.

Anyone who reads the Wisconsin blogs regularly knows that our governor Jim Doyle has a habbit of robbing every fund he can get his hands on. Last week Doyle tried unsuccessfully to steal $180 million from the Patients' Compensation Fund (PCF), but was defeated on a bipartisan basis. Republican candidate for governor Scott Walker has the story on his blog.


From last weeks Journal Sentinel.


The governor doesn't need to remind us of how he is drafting the budget, and he is indeed raising taxes. It included $2.2 billion in new spending, $800 million in transfers from special-purpose funds, $368 million in tax and fee hikes, and a whopping $1 billion in increased borrowing.

What we need is comon sense responsibility in spending. Doyle decides what he wants to spend first, and looks for the money after. Robs Peter to pay Paul as the old saying goes by raiding funds earmarked for other purposes like the highway fund, PCF etc. What he can't get with his shell game, he shakes down the taxpayers for it or increases the debt.

Wisconsin residents must see the greed and irresponsible spending of this governor, and I have no doubt that he won't be around after 2006.

This is just too funny a read. Ronald Wieck writing for The American Thinker compares the current circus in congress to World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. The ref of course is the main stream media lying on the mat pretending to be unconscious so as not to notice any flagrant fouls.

This is no supprise, but good to hear anyway although not a ringing endorcement.


Not knowing where the single independant stands, with one defecting Republican and four defecting Democrat my math puts the vote at 57-43 and 1 question mark.

This is vindication of the 2001 tax relief.

In the wake of Newsweek’s retraction of its May 9 article, Noel Sheppard makes some sound arguements for putting a stop to the rise in inflammatory "yellow journalism" with laws similar to other business. We have truth in advertising, truth in lending, truth in savings, and ever other group.

Sure you can say that the deaths were the rioters fault and the blame lies with them. It's true the rioters are to blame, but Newsweek's report was the match that lit the fire. If the story were true it would be a little more acceptable, but people died because of a report that as far as we know wasn't true to begin with. If CEO's put out wrong information they are held responsible, so why shouldn't the media be accountable too?


On the other hand the news media can vomit invective fraudulent information about America, the military, politicians and or anything else they want with impunity. Why? Does the press have special rights of freedom of speach that the rest of America doesn't?


Sheppard makes a good case that I have a hard time finding an arguement with, yet I find myself loath to lend support to fines or jail for journalists that indulge in inaccuate reporting.

When I ask myself why, I come up with reasons like intent, or difference of opinion. Yet in order to have those reasons to begin with there would usually be a shortage of, or shaky facts. In that case the report is unreliable and shouldn't be printed or aired. There can be different interpretation of facts, and thats a different story, but even advertisers while they get to embelish claims about their products without legal reprisals, they can't make outright false claims.

For now I shall remain undecided and have to think on it some more. In the meantime, it would be a good idea if Michael Isikoff and John Barry resigned out of respect for the Muslim community. What do you think?

Chief George Wickliffe of the Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians issued a statement last week saying Ward Churchill's claims are fraudulent. With much candor Wickliffe said:


Apparently the university of Colorado is investigating whether Churchill misrepresented himself as an American Indian in order to gain employment benefits, credibility, or gain public acceptance for his scholarship.

I'd say investigation over, you can't say it much plainer that that.

Yes in general terms, according to statistics. I am inclined to think it would track even closer if it was liberal vs conservative instead of Democrat vs Republican, especially with many southern conservative Democrats.


Jonah doesn't mention it, but Iim sure that on the poor end of the spectrum, while an ideology split also exists, the "by-your-bootstraps" poor are a much smaller minority.

Check out the rest, it's a good read.

Bruce Bartlett has a column in the Townhall with good insight into a couple of the reasons why the Liberal Democrats are on a loosing streak.


His idea that class warfare has been the main staple of leftist ideology for hundreds of years" is an exageration, but I agree with the rest of it.

Republican candidate for governor Scott Walker has a comon sense plan for a Wisconsin Voter Photo ID.

•Photo identification requirement to vote (Wisconsin drivers license or state issued identification card).
•End to same day voter registration (so duplicate voters will be found and so felons can be purged from poll lists in advance of Election Day).
•Return to previous system of absentee ballot process where voters must be have reason to vote absentee (travel, health, etc.) so that municipal staff are not overwhelmed before Election Day with early voting.
•Prohibit voter registration drive organizers from paying for each signature collected by employees.

The system needs to be fixed, yet Govenor Doyle has twice used his veto to stop voter ID in spite of more than 83 percent of Wisconsin residents in favor of it.

This plan will disenfranchise felons, out of state voters, dead people, and those who attempt to vote a second time.

A group opposed to illegal immingration wants a monument in Baldwin Park California taken down. As offensive as it is you can understand why. You can see on the monumnet picured below the inscription says "This land was Mexican once, was Indian always and is, and will be again."



More pictures on The Blue State Conservatives, or Save Our State where you will see another incription that reads, "It was better before they came."

Is it wrong that it makes me want to break something?

Republicans are finally beginning to stir on immigration, but if they don't wake up Hillary Clinton is going to run straight to 2008 with the issue and beat them like a rented mule with it.


While Republicans are beginning to wake up to immigration reform, most Democrats, the most liberal especially are strongly against it in any way meaningful when they should be more for it than Republicans.


Our immigration policy is out of control. While it is hurting our economy every year, it is a constant serious national security threat, and a matter of when not if we have another 9/11, if we do not secure our borders. Kennedy and McCain have their bill, a worker program that is little more than amnesty for those that are here and only encourages more illegal entry.