“PINCH” SULZBERGER FINALLY ENGAGES IN DEFINITION OF HIS OWN CHARACTER! OR LACK THEREOF!

Let me preface this by saying that a grown human male who goes by the name of “Pinch” has to be a priori a complete idiot!

Middle of the road and right leaning Republicans have long suspected the absolutely irrefutable bias of the formerly praiseworthy New York Times but now, out of your own mouth, you have proclaimed the leftward bias and anti-Bush-administration agenda during an outrageous commencement speech last weekend! Thanks “Pinch”!

Here is a lesson in Journalism 101 you ignorant buffoon: Journalists are supposed to REPORT the news, not MANUFACTURE it! Journalists are supposed to be unbiased observers, not unabashed spinners of fact or manufacturers of fiction which then masquerades as fact in the pages of a formerly great newspaper as has far too frequently been the case under your stewardship. Opinion belongs on the editorial pages, not the news pages. Agendas are NOT the province of a journalist.

You, sir, were not elected by anyone other than the New York Times Board of Directors (and I’ll bet they’ve regretted your ascension to your current, undeserved lofty post ever since). And to believe that you have any ability or right to “bring down the Bush administration” or, indeed, any administration is beyond hubris and a display of arrogance that is nearly psychotic in its depth. You are living proof that the gene pool dilutes to a remarkable degree over generations. You are in no way a worthy inheritor of the mantle of the Sulzbergers who came before you. There are shopping throwaway newspapers in this country more competently run than the former jewel of the journalistic firmament, now known to many as the New York Slimes – the paper that isn’t fit to wrap fish!

Another unmistakable case of “Bush Derangement Syndrome”

REP. MURTHA’S MOUTH

The remarks of Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) regarding the Haditha incident ["Death Toll Rises in Haditha Attack, GOP (?) Leader Says," news story, May 20]. Mr. Murtha said, "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood." Well, Rep. Murtha – which is it? Overreaction or cold blood? Even you cannot have it both ways, try as you might.

Here’s a suggestion, Rep. Murtha – why don’t you zip your pie hole shut until the INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE? And if or until proper adjudication has taken place?

Just as a reminder, Rep. Murtha, people in this country are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Blathering by an ignorant and biased public person such as yourself is neither proof nor grounds for conviction.

Your agenda is well known, sir. Add to that the fact that, like your pal John F. Kerry, your military bona fides are not necessarily as they are advertised, and your verbal posturing moves into the area of giving “aid and comfort” to an enemy who is capable of reading our newspapers and misconstruing your remarks as being an accurate representation of sane and intelligent people in our country.

Last night on CNN they were flogging the daylights out of this story, but even CNN had to admit that in their interview with the surviving children of Haditha, the stories were amazingly consistent (as in rehearsed?) and that one of the children opined that she didn’t want to get out of bed and covered her ears because she knew the bomb was coming! So clearly, the investigation needs to run its course before you, or anyone else, rushes to judgment.

In other words, Rep. Murtha – shut the hell up!

DO POLITICIANS (both sides of the aisle) THINK BEFORE THEY OPERATE THEIR MOUTHS?

United States Constitution: Article I § 6 ¶ 1:
The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States. They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

So Reps. Hastert and Boehner (I am SO embarrassed that Boehner is from Ohio) are using the above portion of the Constitution of the United States in order to support their position that U.S. Representatives and Senators are ABOVE THE LAW of the land? Talk about cynical misrepresentation!

What this portion of the Constitution CLEARLY says is that members cannot be arrested while in attendance of a session or while traveling to or from said session. They also cannot be prosecuted for their speech while in session. It doesn’t say anything about them being immune from the LAWFUL ORDER of a Federal Judge, nor does it exempt their offices from search, legally authorized, in connection with a CRIMINAL investigation. And to believe that is simply OUTRAGEOUS!

My bet is that both Reps. Hastert and Boehner KNOW this! So why are they trying to sell this load of bull in defense of, of all people, Rep. Jefferson of Louisiana (a Democrat) particularly when the Democrats have been endlessly engaged in an effort to lay the phony “culture of corruption” label on any and all Republicans they can find as part of the never-ending Bush Derangement Syndrome.

I have to admit, I’m quickly reaching the point where I want to say “a pox on both their houses” and “you know what I’m talking about”!

DEALING WITH AN ILLICIT INVASION - SOMEONE’S DUMB IDEA WHY IT SHOULD NOT BE DONE!

According to Richard Cowan’s Reuters article of May 23, 2006, the plan to put National Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexico border (where they will likely do no more than push paper in President Bush’s attempt to quell the ire of Americans regarding this topic – but that’s another posting), is a bad idea because it will “spark a surge in immigration cases and U.S. courts are ill prepared to handle them” according to congressional and court sources.

In the first place, if we accept the specious logic that the U.S. courts are unable to handle prosecution of immigration cases, then by extension, how can we assume that U.S. courts are capable of handling the prosecution of ANY felony or misdemeanor cases? And is that a valid reason for not upholding the laws of our nation, state, county or city? I hardly think so.

Perhaps if our state and Federal judges spent less time attempting to create laws, which is not their province, and spent more time vigorously upholding our laws, things would move more smoothly. And while this is probably insensitive to suggest, perhaps if court personnel were selected on the basis of competence instead of political patronage? Just a thought! It might even speed things along if (particularly in California, Texas and Florida) court personnel were actually fluent in ENGLISH!

We could have a chat with the Senate Democrats on that subject since they have consistently been the hair clog in the drainpipe of the confirmation process. Instead of philosophical litmus tests of “judicial philosophy” we could actually focus on competence and qualifications as LAWYERS not political creatures. Now I am the first one to say that lawyers are not generally a well thought of bunch, but I have known some who were surprisingly intelligent and hard-working. In fact, the managing partner of the law firm where I now work is one such person and I respect her tremendously. And, to my honest astonishment, I enjoy working for her. In addition, the associate whose work I do is brainy, highly competent and delightful. So there are people out there who would suit and it’s high time they were found, nominated, confirmed and put to work.

There are always those who will find reason NOT to do anything worth doing. Does that mean that they should be heard? Absolutely. Should their advice be followed? Heck no. But I was taught at my father’s knee that everyone you met in life could teach you something – if not what TO DO, then what NOT TO DO!

Of course, my father also used to say that anyone smart enough to solve our nation’s problems would be too smart to get into politics. He was right about that too!

HI! Back Again.

I've been dealing with family and personal issues which now seem to be well on their way to resolution. Starting tomorrow, I'll be back blogging again!

FEDERAL JUDICIAL NOMINEES

This nonsense has been going on since the beginning of President George W. Bush’s first term and has only escalated over the years to the point that it now threatens our Republic in a serious manner.

The Democrats were smart enough to throttle back their demented pretense that they are still the majority party during the confirmation process of a new chief justice and a new associate justice of the Supreme Court because entirely too much light was shining upon that process. It wouldn’t do to have anyone notice what obstructionists they have become. But there exists a rather lethal attitude in general due to the Democrats’ petulance and their new, and completely uncivil practice of holding up floor votes as a form of “payback” for the other side of the aisle – or indeed, even if one particular Senator is somehow offended by the nominee.

Denying qualified nominees an “up or down” floor vote once they have cleared the unconscionably lethargic Judiciary Committee process, and the threatening of filibuster, have become de rigueur and threatens to further overburden an already over-capacity Federal court system. The Senate has an OBLIGATION to move things along at a respectably timely clip. Failing to do this is simply asinine.

I lay the blame for the Democrats’ success in these tactics squarely at the door of Senator Dr. Bill Frist and the other spineless Republicans who still seem to labor under the mistaken notion that if they just let the Dems get away with murder, the Dems will like them. They WON’T. However, if Senator Frist and his wimpish cohorts would simply use the power that they possess, bring forth the nuclear option and put these judicial nominees on the bench where they belong, perhaps they would gain a modicum of respect.

The Democratic Party has been having a full blown tantrum since the 2000 election because they didn’t get their way when they tried to steal the election. It’s time to put a firm stop to their antics. They are, as always, putting themselves first and the nation second. It’s time to cut the crap and put the adults back in charge of things!

WEDNESDAY IS "HUMP" DAY!

A few thoughts at mid-week: the ACLU has completely dropped the pretense that it is pro-anything-American. Oh, they still give it lip service - but their action prove them to be stone liars.

Tomorrow is Paul Perry's birthday. For those of you who don't know him, you would profit from doing so. For those of you who do know him, I'm sure you agree.

Friday is my beloved Sam's 5th birthday. I'm not sure how we'll celebrate, and anything I do will doubtless cause him to look at me as though I am nuts (I AM crazy about him), but I still intend to celebrate my beautiful big cat's natal day, if only to celebrate how lucky I am that he is in my life.

Dear friend (and boss) Jack is en route to San Diego and I wish him a good conference and a safe flight back.

I have a ton of filing and organizing to do at work today, so blogging probably won't happen beyond this. Have a productive and enjoyable rest of the day.

MUSINGS ON A TUESDAY MORNING

I was raised in a tradition that believes that forgiveness and patience with your fellow humans is an essential to a successful and meaningful life. Nevertheless, generating that forgiveness and patience is harder with some than others. Nothing in life will ever convince me that Hillary Rodham Clinton is fit to hold ANY public office, never mind the Presidency. I view former president William Jefferson Clinton as an amoral sociopath and have nothing but contempt for his wife, who tolerated, concealed and enabled his behavior. I think Edward Moore Kennedy is a drunken degenerate, a liar, an utter coward and a bloviating gasbag. And I believe that Rev. Jesse Jackson is a liar, a thief and a despicable human being who has done more harm than good to his “people” while cynically lining his own pockets. I don’t trust Senator McCain, and I doubt I ever will. I am embarrassed by BOTH so-called Republican Senators from Ohio: Voinovich and DeWine. They are inept at best, downright destructive at worst. I don’t understand the appeal of Katie Couric, nor CBS’ willingness to throw obscene amounts of money in her direction to persuade this somewhat shopworn “news reader” to come work for them. I don’t like Rosie O’Donnell and hope Star Jones Reynolds mops “The View” floor with her on a regular basis, but not enough to be willing to watch the show. Meredith Viera is even more leftwing than Katie Couric so I will CONTINUE my policy of not watching the Today show, even though I adore Al Roker. I think that if Bill O’Reilly’s head gets any larger, it will explode. I am pretty sure that Al Gore is certifiably insane and should be transported to a safe place of confinement forevermore. I am equally certain that former President James Earl Carter should join him there.

Just wanted to get that off my chest!

ON THIS DAY OF INFAMY WHEN PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T INVITED AND AREN'T WANTED MAKE DEMANDS OF THEIR UNWILLING HOSTS!

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907