The Nigh Seen Creeder

Hugh Hewitt wonders if "Al Davis Republicans" will get behind Fred Thompson. What's an Al Davis Republican? Here's your answer:

"Fred Thompson arrives with many on the sidelines whispering Reagan. Perhaps, but just perhaps. President Reagan was a Californian, not a southerner, an upbeat and sunny optimist who had spent 16 years on the chicken circuit helping the party, and having made one unsuccessful run for the GOP nomination. Few Republicans ever thought to raise questions about Reagan’s fire in the belly.

"What Republicans really want is a candidate capable of handling the coming onslaught. There is a great fear in the GOP that Hillary is approaching with Bill in the sidecar and Senator Obama on the bottom of the ticket, MoveOn and Kosputin whipping the fever swamp into a frenzy and Soros pouring his last cent into his last play. Thompson as Reagan meant for a lot of these people not Thompson as a conservative's conservative, but Thompson as a powerful candidate capable of summoning a huge outpouring of energy and enthusiasm from the base and the old Reagan Democrats alike leading to a big win as in 1980 and 1984. Couldn't we please have a candidate who could establish and keep a lead like the Gipper.

"Except, of course, Ronald Reagan did not establish and keep a lead in 1980. Until the last few days of the race, President Carter and Governor Reagan were viewed as neck-and-neck in a race too close to call. There isn't any reason to believe that Fred would have any easier a go of it than Rudy or Mitt, and as that becomes obvious in the days and weeks and months after his entry, the folks hoping for an easy win are going to drop that enthusiasm and start looking hard again at all three, asking which one is the best candidate.

"These are the Al Davis Republicans -- 'Just win, baby' -- and their support will be decisive in 2008. One reason I suspect the Fred boom may be over before it has even really begun is the recognition that on the stump Fred will be seen as the southerner he is --slow, folksy, plain spoken. In a year when an anti-Bush may be needed, a Brooklyn-born Mob-busting tough guy, or the hyper-intelligent, hyper-eloquent investment banker turnaround executive may emerge quickly as far more likely to be the 'something completely different' that Reagan was in 1980, and thus the strong preference of the Al Davis GOPers."

The current issue of GQ features an interview with MLB slugger Gary Sheffield (subscription required). In the course of the interview, Sheffield explains why there are fewer black baseball players, and more Latino players, than there were 30 years ago:

"It's about being able to tell [Latin players] what to do. ... Being able to control them. Where I'm from, you can't control us. You might get a guy to do it that way for a while because he wants to benefit, but in the end he is going to go back to being who he is. And that's a person that you're going to talk to with respect, you're going to talk to like a man. These are the things that my race demands. So if you're equally good as this Latin player, guess who's going to get sent home? I know a lot of players that are home now can outplay a lot of these guys."

Uh, do what?!

To borrow a line from Sen. Ophelia Ford, what Sheffield's talkin' about ain't hittin' on nothin' with me.

GDP rose at a seasonally adjusted 0.6 percent annual rate in the first four months of this year, the Commerce Department said today. It was the weakest performance since 2002.

Originally, the government had estimated first-quarter 2007 GDP rose 1.3 percent.

The Wall Street Journal's Justin Lahart says we have nothing to fear -- yet (subscription required). To wit:

"U.S. export growth stalled in the first quarter - an unexpected, and most likely temporary occurrence, given the strength of overseas economies. A rebound in outbound shipping from West Coast ports in April suggests export growth is picking up already.

"More important, reduced inventory levels mean companies can start ramping up production to fill their shelves.

"Demand appears to have been much weaker than most companies expected in last year's second half, and as a result unsold goods piled up in warehouses and in stores. In the first quarter, they throttled back on production to work those inventories down. That cut a full percentage point out of GDP growth, USB economists estimate. With inventories lean, many companies now appear to be ramping up production.

"They might have second thoughts if consumer spending weakens. But for now, investors can take heart. The speed of inventory adjustment is a testament to the economy's resilience."

Codemasters, in conjunction with Lionsgate Entertainment, will release Dirty Dancing: The Videogame later this year. Lionsgate Marketing VP Anne Parducci said this 'bout the Dirty Dancing game:

"For two decades, girls and women have identified with Baby, and through this wonderful game from Codemasters, they will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in her world like never before."

Words fail me ...

To heck with Dollar Dog Night, the Nashville Sounds need an all-you-can eat section! Hey, it's workin' for the Los Angeles Dodgers:

"Luis Serrano is working on his second Dodger Dog, and the game has not even begun.

“'On a good night, I’ll eat seven,' he said, smiling.

"That is how it goes in the new all-you-can-eat seats way out in right field at Dodger Stadium, where fans wolf down as many Dodger Dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn and soda as their bellies allow for one price.

"Bring your own antacids."

The Nigh Seen Creeder, aka Joltin' Django, has been contacted by Golf Magazine and informed that he has won a Cleveland Hibore XL driver (retail value: $300).

Let's hope Joltin' Django has as much luck with his driver as Ms. Elsie McLean recently had with hers:

102-YEAR-OLD Calif. Woman Hits Hole-in-1

"Elsie McLean thought she might have lost her ball on the par-3, 100-yard fourth hole at Bidwell Park. Instead, the 102-year-old Chico woman became the oldest golfer ever to make a hole-in-one on a regulation course.

"Because of the slope of the green, McLean and her partners couldn't see where her ball landed after she teed off.

"'Where's my ball?' McLean asked.

"Her friends, Elizabeth Rake and Kathy Crowder, found it in the cup. ...

"McLean, who used a driver, broke the age record of 101 set by Harold Stilson in 2001 at Deerfield Country Club in Florida."

"Former U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich recommended French President Nicolas Sarkozy as a model for Republicans and suggests he is the American Sarkozy," United Press International reports.

"In an interview with The New Yorker, Gingrich told writer Jeffrey Goldberg that Sarkozy managed to become 'the clear advocate of fundamental change' even though he had been in the Cabinet of an unpopular president who had been in office for 12 years.

"Sarkozy ran against President Jacques Chirac, suggesting that the Socialist candidate, Segolene Royal, would be more of the same."

The New Yorker quotes Gingrich as saying, "In a country that wanted to say, 'Not them,' [Sarkozy] managed to switch the identity of the 'them.'" ... "It was a Lincoln-quality strategic decision."

This morning's Nashville City Paper features an article about Sen. Bob Corker entitled "Corker flexes new political muscle during first domestic policy test." The article examines Corker's amendment to immigration legislation requiring illegal aliens to return to their countries of origin before re-entering the United States.

Conservative radio host Steve Gill, who's heard locally on WLAC 1510 AM, is quoted in the article thusly:

“The voters don’t care if they pass a bill or this or that amendment. They want them to enforce the laws and enforce them clearly, not just hear them say, ‘Well, I passed an amendment,’

“That’s what happens to these guys when they go Washington. I hope Bob Corker has not gone Washington, D.C. in six months."

Over at VolunteerVoters.com, A.C. Kleinheider said this 'bout Gill:

"What exactly would Gill have Senator Corker do?

"This is what legislators are tasked with after all: voting on legislation, offering amendments and whatnot. Whether Corker’s position is wise or unwise is another matter. Corker is, authenticly or not, striking a restrictionist pose in this immigration debate. It seems like he would be praised by conservatives rather than pilloried for standing up for them."

In response, I posted this on VolunteerVoters.com:

"Short of proposing that big buses should be used to round up all illegals and ship them to the Mexican border, I don’t know what else Corker can do to be more hard-line on the immigration issue.

"If’n he did come out in favor of using big buses to round up illegals, reckon he’d catch a break - and get some praise - from conservatives like Steve Gill?"

Steve Gill obviously didn't like what I had to say, and he said as much in a follow-up response. You can read it here. To Gill I'll simply say this:

My comments were not about immigration politics. Indeed, I was talking about TN politics in general. I'll explain:

A great many conservatives - Gill included - were never convinced that Bob Corker was an "authentic" conservative prior to his being elected. I can only reason that this suspicion continues because, as A.C. Kleinheider points out, Corker has staked out a position on immigration reform firmly more restrictionist than his president, his party's leaders, and his senior colleague in the U.S. Senate, i.e. Sen. Lamar Alexander. You would think that Corker's firm illegals-must-go-home stand would garner at least a tiny bit of praise from conservatives, but nooooooooooo.

So, again, what's it gonna take for Coker to catch a break from conservatives? Short of advocating the immediate deportation of illegal immigrants, I don't know what more he can do to please 'em!

In a letter sent to season ticket holders, Predators owner Craig Leopold 'splains why he sold the team:

"The Nashville Predators tallied up 216 points in the last two seasons, fifth most in the NHL, yet because of below-average attendance, the team will still have a real cash loss of $27 million during that time.  Additionally, that loss is despite receiving the most money in the league from revenue sharing. 

"Over the last five years, the team has lost over $60 million.

"We've invested heavily in sales and marketing efforts, spending over $50 million in 10 years, most of that with locally-based businesses.

"Our average regular season attendance this past season was 13,589, up from the year before, but still 2,000 below the NHL average.  A low turnout, combined with a low ticket price results in a poor financial situation.

"The new NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement with revenue sharing is not a cure-all.  Each local market must still support its local team. In addition, this attendance does not qualify us for our full revenue sharing allocation under the collective bargaining agreement.

"While individual fan support has always been strong, we've worked aggressively to increase our local business support since Season Four.  We've tried a variety of approaches with minimal success.  Our records show today that corporate support for the Nashville Predators makes up about 35% of our season ticket base.  The average in other markets is around 60%. During our first two years, approximately 4,000 businesses owned season tickets. Today, only 1,800 businesses have season tickets. 

"While my heart and my love of the game tell me we can still be successful, the facts outlined above suggest otherwise.  I've reached the only possible conclusion and it's one of the most difficult decisions of my personal and professional life."

The Tennessean's David Climer wrote an excellent column over the weekend in which he discussed what the Predators' new owner, Jim Balsillie, can do to build good will. You can read it here. Good will or not, I'm still bearish on the "Will the Preds Stay?" question.

UPDATE:

"NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday that even if the sale of the Nashville Predators goes through, the franchise 'is not going anywhere,'" Nashville Is Talking reports.

In a "Web diary" posted on the Daily Kos Web site, Ms. Cindy Sheehan, a self-described attention whore and certified nutbucket, says she is disillusioned by the failure of Democratic politicians to bring the Iraq War to an end and tired of a peace movement she says "often puts personal egos above peace and human life." Thus, she'll no longer participate in anti-war marches, protests, gatherings o' fellow left-wing nutbuckets, etc.

When Cindy Sheehan began protesting the Iraq War, she said her son, who died in Baghdad in 2004, would've wanted her to, well, protest. (She also said that the Israeli government manipulated the United States into invading Iraq, but that's a story for others to take issue with.) As Sheehan exits stage left (pun firmly intended), I think this Christopher Hitchens column, in which he takes issue with Sheehan's "sinister piffle," shows just how egregious her activities during the past three years have been. A sample:

"I think one must deny to anyone the right to ventriloquize the dead. Casey Sheehan joined up as a responsible adult volunteer. Are we so sure that he would have wanted to see his mother acquiring 'a knack for P.R.' and announcing that he was killed in a war for a Jewish cabal? (a claim that has brought David Duke flying to Ms. Sheehan's side.) This is just as objectionable, on logical as well as moral grounds, as the old pro-war argument that the dead 'must not have died in vain.' I distrust anyone who claims to speak for the fallen, and I distrust even more the hysterical noncombatants who exploit the grief of those who have to bury them."

"Just a few weeks ago, advisers to Mitt Romney spoke about a steady, gradual climb from obscurity to the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Now, Romney has rocketed from behind and is leading the race or is neck and neck for the lead in the pivotal states of Iowa and New Hampshire," McClatchy Newspapers reports.

"[H]is rapid rise may say as much about the fickleness of Republicans this early in the campaign as it does about the former Massachusetts governor.

"But for now at least, Romney enters the summer astride the top tier and within reach of being able to claim that he's the front-runner for the nomination."

Kentucky Lake (Big Sandy, TN) is calling. The Nigh Seen Creeder will be out o' town until Tuesday, May 29.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day.

Back in March I had choice words for U.S. Rep. Jimmy Duncan, who retracted his support for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign:

"'As expected, Republican Tennessee Congressman Jimmy Duncan has jumped ship from the Mitt Romney campaign and is now backing former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson for president - even though Thompson hasn't even said if he's going to run,' Elephant Biz reports.

"I can abide many things, but disloyalty insn't one of them. I might - might - be willing to cut Duncan some slack if ol' Fred had announced that he's fo' sho' going to run for president. Thompson could well decide that he simply hasn't the stomach for a presidential run. What a damn dirty trick Duncan's defection will be at that point."

Now comes word that Rep. Marsha Blackburn has ditched Mitt Romney and is now in the Draft Thompson for President camp. Elephant Biz has the scoop on her damn dirty trick:

"Fred is definitely running. If there was absolutely any doubt in anyone’s mind about Fred’s intention it should be removed now. Marsha Blackburn got way out in front in supporting Mitt Romney for President the fact that she has flipped means Fred is in for sure."

Yes, it's looks more and more likely that Fred Thompson is going to run for president. Thus, it's not a shock that Marsha Blackburn has jilted Mitt and is now behind ol' Fred ...

Blackburn has her eyes on the governor's mansion. Since there's a popular bandwagon upon which Tennessee Republicans are currently jumping, I'm sure Blackburn doesn't want to be seen as the only member of the GOP who ain't climbing aboard. Given what happened during last year's U.S. Senate primary, TN GOPers are all about unity right now ... and Rep. Blackburn wants to be, well, united (fo' sure).

That being said, an important question begs answering: Would Blackburn really've been hurting herself, politically, if she'd stuck with Mitt Romney? Of course not. Blackburn has a lot of supporters in Tennessee, and it's hard to imagine that they would have abandoned her if'n she'd decided to stick to her word and stay with Mitt. If anything, Blackburn would've received a big bunch of statewide media attention if she'd remained the highest-ranking elected official in Tennessee who was supporting Mitt Romney. (Isn't statewide media attention just what a prospective gubernatorial candidate should be ginning for?)

Expectations for Fred Thompson are, ahem, very high. If his campaign doesn't launch and thrust with all the intensity of a Saturn V rocket, Blackburn's - and Duncan's - damn dirty trick is going to look most unprincipled, indeed. Reckon they'll apologize to Mitt if Fred bombs? We'll see ... but I'm not holding my breath.

The Campaign for Working Families PAC sends us this disturbing story, which the mainstream media - surprise! - has managed to ignore:

"There is tension in the air in Washington these days. Sure, there are major policy disputes between the executive and legislative branches of government and contentious issues like the war and immigration reform. But there is a siege mentality developing too – a sense of 'gotcha' politics and intimidation. Liberals in Congress have launched at least 36 investigations against the administration. But this week, there was a chilling exchange in the House Judiciary Committee that went totally unnoticed.

"During her testimony, Monica Goodling, the former Justice Department White House liaison, was grilled by a member of the majority party about the fact that she earned her law degree from – gasp! - Regent University, a Christian university founded by Pat Robertson.

"Goodling was grilled about why she chose to attend Regent Law School; did she ever discuss religion with others at the Justice Department; did she use religion as a criteria in hiring decisions; and 'Are there an inordinate number of people from Regent University Law School that were hired by the Department of Justice while you were there?' Evidently, being Christian makes one suspect in the fevered brows of the liberal inquisitors of the House Judiciary Committee.

"While the media ignored this example of religious bigotry, I can guarantee you it would have been front page news if a conservative member of Congress had initiated a similar line of questions against a witness who had attended Yeshiva or Howard University.

"I’m happy to report that some members spoke up against this 'inquisition.' We thank fighters like Reps. Mike Pence (R-IN), Randy Forbes (R-VA), Steve King (R-IA), and Louie Gohmert (R-TX) for speaking out during the hearing against this incredible attack on Christians in government. But they are all members of the minority party on Capitol Hill now.

"It’s a brave new world here in Washington, my friends, where the criminalization of politics, thought and faith appears to be underway. Just consider that the first bill brought up for a vote in the Democrat Senate was an attempt to gag grassroots organizations. Nancy Pelosi’s House has already passed a so-called 'hate crimes' bill – a blatant assault on religious freedom – and there’s talk about reintroducing the Fairness Doctrine to gag conservative media."

The Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector responds to a pro-amnesty editorial in yesterday's Wall Street Journal:

"Roughly one third of immigrant households are now headed by immigrants without a high school degree. My research, based on Census data and other government sources, shows these 'low skill immigrant' households receive, on average, $30,160 per year in government benefits while paying $10,573 in taxes. Thus each such household costs the taxpayer $19,588 per year. Overall, the net cost to U.S. taxpayers is $89 billion per year. My report suggests that the country would benefit fiscally by having fewer low skill immigrants." [Emphasis mine]

Read more here.

"We can't shake the idea that [Fred] Thompson could wind up like retired Gen. Wesley Clark in 2004, whose best day as a candidate was his first."

-- Washington Post political blogger Chris Cillizza

It's pretty clear at this point that Speaker Nancy Pelosi is in WAY over her head:

"Nancy Pelosi has had a tough week.

"- She has had to agree to pretty much an unconditional surrender on the Iraq funding bill.

"In a new low for the category: 'Demonstrating Political Leadership,' Pelosi has announced that she probably will not vote for the bill she negotiated thereby leaving many of her Democratic colleagues to feel the full wrath of MoveOn.Org and its allies on the Far Left.

"- She had to oversee a vote which made a total lie of the pre-election promises to clean up the lobbying and earmarking activities which has led to dozens of Justice Department investigations of Members of Congress;

"- She had to deny on a nationally televised Sunday morning show that she had known anything about the bellowing and finger pointing on the House Floor by her former mentor and current ally, the under- or mis-medicated John Murtha of Pennsylvania, and;

"- She had to allow a vote to reprimand said John Murtha for that fairly serious violation of House Rules – a vote which was 'tabled' as a procedural mechanism to avoid having Democrats have to vote a THIRD time in a week on an issue many of them hated."

This morning's Wall Street Journal features a story about new Nashville Predators owner Jim Balsillie (subscription required). As a hard-core Predators/hockey fan, I don't like the sound of this:

"Last year, [Balsillie] agreed to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins but pulled out of the agreement after the league imposed severe restrictions on his ability to move the team. ...

"It's unclear whether Mr. Balsillie plans to keep the Predators in Nashville. But the team has a clause in its 30-year arena lease that allows it to leave after next season if several things happen, including average attendance again falling below 14,000 a game."

Unless Nashville shows its hockey team much love this upcoming season, the 2008-09 Predators will probably be playing home games somewhere in the Great White North.

A Creeder Reader sends us this priceless story:

"California State Senator Carole Migden -- former voter for a state bill that fines people for using their cellphones while driving -- rear-ended her state-issued SUV into a Honda sedan on Highway 12 in Solano County. While on her phone. The driver of the Honda was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, although the most painful aspect of this story is surely the jaws-of-life-biting irony."

Midgen, who hails from Pelosiville, er, San Francisco, is a left-winger straight from central casting: She's for gay marriage; she wants to scrap the electoral college; she worked with Moveon.org to sponsor anti-"surge" legislation in the California Senate; she's agin' genetically-modified food; and she thinks children are so put upon that they need a Youth Bill of Rights. Knowing that she's a by-the-books leftist makes her hypocrisy even more delicious.

Finally, I can't close this post without showing you a picture of Senator Migden:



Doesn't she look like she escaped from a John Waters movie?!

Paging Senator Lamar Alexander:

"Initial public reaction to the immigration proposal being debated in the Senate is decidedly negative.

"A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey conducted Monday and Tuesday night shows that just 26% of American voters favor passage of the legislation. Forty-eight percent (48%) are opposed while 26% are not sure. The bi-partisan agreement among influential Senators and the White House has been met with bi-partisan opposition among the public. The measure is opposed by 47% of Republicans, 51% of Democrats, and 46% of those not affiliated with either major party."

Read more here.

A Creeder Reader sent me an essay in which a Mr. Guy Hasson seeks to explain why most "artists" are liberal. A sample:

"[Y]ou don’t have to be a liberal to be a good storyteller. But the better your story is, the more of a liberal you are. (Unfortunately for aspiring writers, that does not work the other way round: you cannot aspire to be liberal and hope that will make you a better artist.)

"So, yes, most good artists are liberal. And it is not a coincidence."

If this ain't claptrap, then, well, I don't know what claptrap is!

"The Metro Nashville Education Association (MNEA), the local teacher’s union, continued with its wave of endorsements, tapping five hopefuls for the five-to-be-vacant at-large Metro Council seats," the Nashville City Paper reports.

If you want to know for whom NOT to vote, take the MNEA's list of endorsements into the voting booth and vote agin' all of their candidates. The MNEA's leadership - nay, the leadership of all teachers unions - have thrown themselves in front of every major educational reform during the past 25 years yelling "Stop!" Furthermore, I think the MNEA simply compiled a list of candidates with the most decidedly left-of-center views and said, "Hey, let's endorse them!"

No thanks, MNEA.

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign for the Republican Party nomination for president is gathering steam," United Press International reports.

"Romney was the leader in recent polls in early primary or caucus states of Iowa and New Hampshire, and he has raised $21 million in the first quarter of 2007. ...

"Opponents like to point to Romney's changing positions on issues such as abortion, which he opposes, and gun rights, which he supports.

"'Mitt Romney has been consistent in one regard: that nearly every position he holds now is opposite of what it was when he was governor of Massachusetts,' Brian Jones, spokesman for the campaign of U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told the [Chicago] Tribune.

"Romney said that change comes with experience.

"'You don't change your principles but your view on a particular issue may change,' he said to the newspaper."

The Honorable Janis Sontany
Tennessee House of Representatives

Rep. Sontany:

You recently uncorked the following gem in an interview with Tennessee Town and City:

"Women in Davidson Co. make 76 cents for every dollar that a man earns. Why should women not be paid the same as men for the same job?"

I have a few questions pour vous:

Can you name a single company, corporation, business, firm, enterprise, manufacturing concern, etc. in Metro-Nashville that pays all of its female employees - who have the same education, experience, skills and work habits - a quarter less per hour, on average, to do the same job as their male counterparts?

If it's possible to cut one's labor costs by 25 percent by simply hiring females to do the same job as males, why don't more businesses have workforces comprised entirely of women?

Rep. Sherry Jones recently hinted - no, hell, she came right out and said - that rampant anti-female discrimination exists in Tennessee's business community. Do you agree?

I sent Rep. Jones a letter, in which I debunked her nitwittery, and I'm all to happy to send it to you. You see, the points I made in my letter to her should convince you to put the kibosh on your statist crusade to fix a "problem" that exists only in the minds of people who're looking for political pats on the back (not to mention votes). Enjoy! And, please, be sure to get back to me with answers to my questions!

Cordially,

Joltin' Django
Nashville, Tennessee
http://nighseencreeder.blogspot.com


The Honorable Sherry Jones
Tennessee House of Representatives

Dear Representative Jones:

First of all, I simply must say this: There are a lot of older women who wear saucy clothes in an attempt to look half their age, but you ... you really pull it off! It's a cliché, I know, but you are goin', girl! Or, maybe, it's "You go, girl!" Either way, you look good enough to have rumors spread around Legislative Plaza concerning your love life. Wait ... you did have rumors spread around LP 'bout your love life, didn't you?

Anywho, I seen you on this week's Legislative Report expressing your support for Rep. Mike Turner's Pay Equity in the Workplace Act. [Note for readers: The Pay Equity in the Workplace Act seeks to stop "employers from discriminating against women" when it comes to compensation.] You said, and I quote:

"It's on record that we do discriminate. ... I heard a report on TV ... talking about how we discriminate against women in the workplace."

Where, pray tell, is this "record?" Which highbrow boob-tube show featured a report on rampant gender discrimination in the workplace?

Unfortunately (for you and Rep. Turner), the Heritage Foundation put a bullet in the belly of the women-don't-get-their-fair-share-cause-men-are-pigs canard many, many moons ago. I suggest you chew on the following passages a bit and get back to me with your "record" and TV viewing habits:

"Because the typical woman earns 73 percent of what the typical man earns, [left-wingers] claim that employers are discriminating against women. To fix the problem, [left-wingers] propose the federal government slap heavy fines on offending businesses and make it easier for lawyers to sue them. ...

"There are [several] fundamental problems with [the left-wingers'] approach -- mistakes that illustrate why their plan has nothing to do with 'equal pay for equal work' and why it could actually wreak havoc with the American economy.

"First, [left-wingers are] misinterpreting the data on wages. Male workers and female workers cannot be compared so easily. Men choose higher-paying professions. They have more education, and they tend to be more experienced. Most importantly, they also work more.

"In her recent book, lawyer-turned-journalist Laura Ingraham explains: 'Men take time-outs from employment for less than 2 percent of their working lives, compared to 15 percent for the average working woman. If you suspend and restart your career a lot, you're just not going to have the same pay vector, whether you're a man or a woman. Even full-time women workers typically put in eight to 10 hours a week less than men do.'"

"Second, [left-wingers assume] business owners are so determined to discriminate that they are willing to deliberately sacrifice profits by hiring higher-paid men when they could hire equally capable women for less cost. This is a rather novel theory, particularly coming from [those] who often accuse private businesses of being greedy and profit-driven.

"But, for the sake of argument, let's assume [they're] right: Employers are engaged in a silent conspiracy to forego profits by discriminating. For this bizarre scheme to work, investors have to be in on the plot as well. After all, if there is systematic discrimination, new companies could be started that would undercut existing firms by hiring women to produce the same goods and services for lower cost -- and they would have to be stopped to keep the system working.

"Needless to say, this conspiracy theory is preposterous. Yes, some employers do discriminate in their hiring, and they certainly deserve our scorn, but there's no evidence of an economy-wide plot to oppress female workers." [Emphasis mine]

I certainly look forward to hearing from you.

Cordially,

Joltin' Django
Nashville, Tennessee

Thomas Sowell is a wise, wise man:

"Nothing is more common than political 'solutions' to immediate problems which create much bigger problems down the road. The current immigration bill in the Senate is a classic example.

"The big talking point of those who want to legalize the illegal immigrants currently in the United States is to say that it is 'unrealistic' to round up and deport 12 million people.

"Back in 1986 it was 'unrealistic' to round up and deport the 3 million illegal immigrants in the United States then. So they were given amnesty -- honestly labeled, back then -- which is precisely why there are now 12 million illegal immigrants.

"As a result of the current amnesty bill -- not honestly labeled, this time -- will it be 'unrealistic' to round up and deport 40 million or 50 million illegal immigrants in the future?

"If the current immigration bill is as 'realistic' as its advocates claim, why is it being rushed through the Senate faster than a local zoning ordinance could be passed?"

"Mitt Romney has sprinted ahead of presidential competitors John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in a new Iowa Poll of likely Republican caucus participants," the Des Moines Register reports.

"The Des Moines Register poll shows Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is the top choice of 30 percent of those who say they definitely or probably will attend the leadoff Iowa caucuses in January.

"McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, nips former New York Mayor Giuliani for second place - 18 percent to 17 percent."

The May 24, 2007, National Review brings us this sad, sad story (subscription required):

"Herodotus may have been on to this story, when he reported 'a goat-footed race' of men, though he located them in modern-day Russia. But we will let the BBC continue the tale, in its own words. 'The best-known goat in Sudan has died months after being married to a man in the South Sudan capital, Juba, the BBC has learned. Local elders ordered a man found having sex with the goat, later called Rose, to marry her last February. ... The husband, Charles Tombe, said he was drunk at the time but has since refused to comment on the issue. ... Rose, black and white, is believed to have died after choking on a plastic bag she swallowed as she was eating scraps on the streets of Juba.'”

Former President Jimmy Carter says President George W. Bush's administration is "the worst in history." Oh, really?

I guess ol' Jimmy's forgotten about double-digit inflation, gas lines, hostages in Tehran, charred helicopters in the Iranian desert, "malaise," the Olympic boycott, Soviet encroachment across the globe (Afghanistan, Angola, Nicaragua, etc.), the energy crisis, scandals involving Bert Lance and Billy Carter, Ronald Reagan's 44-state electoral college landslide in 1980, etc., etc., etc.

Jimmy Carter's presidency can only be described as an abject failure. The only "achievement" to which Jimmy Carter can lay claim, i.e., the Camp David Accords, was eventually exposed as a hollow accomplishment when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was murdered by a gang of Islamist thugs. Indeed, Islamic fascism might never have become a global threat if Jimmy Carter had authorized a fear-of-God military assault on the then-weak mullahs of Tehran.

Unfortunately, history's view of Jimmy Carter is slowly being tempered by his post-presidential activities. From the day he left office, Carter has cagily endeavored to make us all forget what a crappy president he was. He's built houses; he's supervised elections across the globe; he's written soupy poetry and prose; and he shamlessly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize until he finally won the freakin' thing (in what can only be described as an orgy of global anti-Americanism). None of Carter's do-good measures, however, can make up for his four-year presidential effort, during which he knocked America's **** soundly into the dirt.

If Jimmy Carter wants to see the worst President in history, all he has to do is look in a mirror.

Call Senator Alexander (615-736-5129) and Senator Corker (615-279-9488) and tell 'em to vote AGAINST amnesty. Tell 'em you don't want this to happen to the United States:

"Based on my current research, I estimate that if all the current adult illegal immigrants in the U.S. were granted amnesty the net retirement costs to government (benefits minus taxes) could be over $2.5 trillion." [Emphasis mine]

John Hawkins lays it right on the line:

"Admittedly, the odds are against us in the Senate, but they're not insurmountable and the good news is that the base is ready to fight. That means what we have here is another Harriet Miers situation. There are no guarantees that we can succeed, but the base stopped Harriet Miers and we can stop this bill in the Senate or at least raise such a ruckus that we will terrify the House out of considering a bill."

Gary Bauer has an interesting column up at Human Events. Bauer comments on a study released last year about the important societal benefits of faith. A sample:

"Sociologist Seymour Martin Lipset devoted a lifetime to studying what made America different. Like Tocqueville a century earlier, Lipset discovered that America's exceptionalism-what set Americans apart most distinctly from their European cousins-was founded on a set of values deeply rooted in religious practice. This religiosity was not only preeminent in shaping America's national character, but also elemental to understanding its unparalleled prosperity.

"Lipset's observation about the indispensability of religious practice to American life came to mind recently with the release of a study on the societal benefits of religion. Released last December, 'Why Religion Matters Even More: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability,' has not gotten a lot of publicity in the media; but its findings are increasingly relevant, especially now as debates over religion's proper role in society continue to rage, and as the impact of religion on our politics has emerged as a decisive national campaign issue."

The Club for Growth released its fourth presidential white paper earlier this week. The report analyzes Rudy Giuliani's economic record during his two terms as the mayor of New York City:

"Although Mayor Giuliani's record has its flaws, such as his enthusiastic support for McCain-Feingold and his opposition to NAFTA in 1993, the report concludes that Giuliani's accomplishments are very impressive especially in light of the liberal environment in which he governed. Despite powerful local obstacles, Giuliani cut taxes, kept spending below the rate of inflation and population growth; overhauled the welfare system; privatized many government services; and fought for school choice."

To read the entire Giuliani white paper, click here.

The next time you hear a left-wing loon babbling incoherently 'bout how God-awful it is to live in the United States, show him/her this:

"At least 25 countries around the world block Web sites for political, social or other reasons as governments seek to assert authority over a network meant to be borderless, according to a study out Friday.

"The actual number may be higher, but the OpenNet Initiative had the time and capabilities to study only 40 countries and the Palestinian territories. Even so, researchers said they found more censorship than they had initially expected, a sign that the Internet has matured to the point that governments are taking notice. ...

"China, Iran, Myanmar, Syria, Tunisia and Vietnam had the most extensive filters for political sites. Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen had the strictest social-filtering practices, blocking pornography, gambling and gay and lesbian sites."

Truth Laid Bear sends us this picture of the Kennedy amnesty, er, immigration bill stacked up next to the Bible



Here's what Ted Kennedy's said 'bout immigration over the years (thanks to Mark Krikorian for the tip):

1965: "The bill will not flood our cities with immigrants. It will not upset the ethnic mix of our society. It will not relax the standards of admission. It will not cause American workers to lose their jobs." [Emphasis mine]

1986: "This amnesty will give citizenship to only 1.1 to 1.3 million illegal aliens. We will secure the borders henceforth. We will never again bring forward another amnesty bill like this." [Emphasis mine]

2007: "Now it is time for action. 2007 is the year we must fix our broken system." [A broken system that Ted Kennedy helped, well, break.]

My Man Mitt said it best:

"I strongly oppose [the immigration] bill going through the Senate. It is the wrong approach. Any legislation that allows illegal immigrants to stay in the country indefinitely, as the new 'Z-Visa' does, is a form of amnesty. That is unfair to the millions of people who have applied to legally immigrate to the U.S.

"[Yesterday's] Senate agreement falls short of the actions needed to both solve our country's illegal immigration problem and also strengthen our legal immigration system. Border security and a reliable employment verification system must be our first priority."

In an interview with PR.com, porn star Jenna Jameson - who's walking proof that a career in adult films will make a gal look old before her time - says she wants to see Hillary Clinton in the White House:

"I love Hillary. I think that in some ways she's pretty conservative for a Democrat, but I would love to have a woman in office. I think that it would be a step in the right direction for our country, and there would be less focus on war and more focus on bettering society."

Jameson goes on to discuss how great things are in the porn biz when the Democrats are in charge (and she's not joking):

"The Clinton administration was the best years for the adult industry and I wish that Clinton would run again. I would love to have him back in office. I would love to have Al Gore in office. When Republicans are in office, the problem is, a lot of times they try to put their crosshairs on the adult industry, to make a point. It's sad, when there are so many different things that are going on in the world: war, and people are dying of genocide. I look forward to another Democrat being in office. It just makes the climate so much better for us, and I know that once all our troops come home, things are going to be better and I think that getting Bush out of office is the most important thing right now."

"Republican Mitt Romney has pushed from a distant third place into a small lead in Iowa, the continuation of progress he has shown since the first of the year in the Hawkeye state, while Arizona Sen. John McCain has has remained steady and one-time front-runner Rudy Giuliani has slid substantially," a new Zogby International poll shows.

"Romney, who is also on top of the heap in the GOP race in New Hampshire, has nearly doubled since the last Zogby Iowa polling in March and has nearly quadrupled since January. Meanwhile, McCain has held steady over the same time period, while Giuliani has returned to where he was at the beginning of the year after a solid bump up in March. ...

"Romney’s jump comes as his organization in Iowa develops, and as Giuliani has wrestled with the abortion question and reports that he might downplay corn-fed caucus-goers in favor of GOP voters who will choose their favored presidential candidates in the weeks immediately after the Iowa caucuses. Romney is performing quite well among the very conservative and the conservative, while Giuliani has lost significant support among those likely voters – this coming after Romney’s strong performance on the CBS newsmagazine program 60 Minutes."

I have a new favorite catch phrase: "What you're talkin' about ain't hittin' on nothin' with me" ...!

Sen. Ophelia Ford went a little, well, coo-coo during a committee meeting earlier this week:

"State Sen. Ophelia Ford of Memphis raised eyebrows during a legislative hearing Monday when she launched into a rant against child-protective service officials and a state auditor. ...

"Ford, a Democrat, pressed DCS officials about death certificates and other matters that seemed to have little relevance to the hearing, even though they told her repeatedly that their agency has nothing to do with death certificates.

"With her voice rising, Ford at one point called the officials' remarks "absolutely dumb" and said they 'make no sense.' She repeatedly told them, 'What you're talkin' about ain't hittin' on nothin' with me.'"

"[S]ince taking over Congress this year, the Democrats have only passed 26 laws, 12 of which changed the name of a federal building, post office or national recreation area.

"So much for the 'new America' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised, transformed by fresh measures on energy, health care and campaign finance. Maybe we should be grateful: Better they do nothing than something utterly wrong or even harmful."

-- Investor's Business Daily editorial

"It's hard to justify a $200 million tax increase in a year where you have a $300 million surplus."

-- Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey

I was never the biggest Jerry Falwell fan, I'll admit. I had many a theological bone to pick with Rev. Falwell, and I thought he could be a tad bombastic at times. However, Falwell had deeply held convictions, and he wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind. I admire the hell out of anyone who's like that - whether they're members of the "religious right" or not.

The one and only time I talked about Jerry Falwell on this Web site deserves repeating, if only to stand as a counterweight to some of the disgusting things that are being said about the man on left-wing blogs. (You'll have to seek 'em out yourself. I refuse to post links to such mean-spirited drivel.) Here's what I said 'bout Falwell several months ago:

The Rev. Jerry Falwell has been on the receiving end of Bishop John Shelby Spong's I'm-smarter-than-everyone barbs for many years. In one of his latest smarmy "Q & A" e-mails, Spong disses Falwell once again. You see, Falwell is deserving of scorn because he "once called Nelson Mandela a communist." I don't know how much time Spong has spent examining Nelson Mandela's political career, especially before he became a walking saint; but to deny Nelson Mandela's communist sympathies is the worst kind of historical revisionism.

Spong's refusal to tackle Mandela's past with a grain of truth is par for the course: Information Spong can use to bolster his arguments is eagerly bandied about; information that counters his ridiculous claims is attacked or dismissed outright. The ties between the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party are well known and irrefutable. It's high time that Spong and other leftists accept this fact:



I'm of the opinion that Spong should check out Mandela's How to Be a Good Communist and apologize to Jerry Falwell. That'd be the first of many apologies he needs to dole out to individuals who've found themselves in his half-witted crosshairs over the years.

Rich Galen has the best take on last night's GOP debate:

"Shorthand: Giuliani helped himself. McCain performed well. Huckabee did well enough so that the big three is now the big three and a half. Giving Romney the kindest review, he came out where he started, but I suspect he may have hurt himself by appearing too pre-programmed in his answers.

"In the press filing center outside the event site, it had been all about Rudy Giuliani all day in the run-up to last night's debate.

"What would he say about abortion? Can he win the GOP nomination with a pro-abortion position? Is abortion as important in 2008 as it has been for the past three decades?

"As usual, we were all wrong.

"The 'A' word was not mentioned until 9:38, when Giuliani dodged it and went after Hillary Clinton. In a follow-up by Chris Wallace, he dodged it again by saying abortions went down 16% while he was mayor.

"The Giuliani campaign has signaled a major strategic shift. They will no longer attempt to portray him as a Conservative - which he is not - but will attempt to show that he is a center-right candidate running in center-right country.

"That is, of course, a gamble in a Republican primary campaign."

A Creeder Reader e-mailed me over the weekend to take issue with my calling Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN) a "chicken****." Actually, I said Duncan cast a "chicken**** vote" when he voted for the Democrats' "Out of Iraq Now!" bill, but that's a moot point.

I went on to say that if Rep. Duncan and his allies are successful in their effort to immediately withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, the country will become an "anarchic haven for radical Islamists." Max Boot has an even more cogent take on what will happen in the Middle East if U.S. troops are pulled from Iraq any time soon:

"If U.S. troops were to pull out anytime in the foreseeable future, the probable result would not be (as so many advocates of withdrawal claim) that Iraqis would 'get their act together' and take care of their problems themselves. The far more likely consequence would be an all-out civil war. Not only would this be a humanitarian tragedy for which the U.S. would bear indirect responsibility, but it would also be a catastrophe for American interests in the region. If we are seen as the losers in Iraq, al Qaeda would be seen as the winner. The perception of American weakness fed by a pullout would lead to increased terrorism against the U.S. and our allies, just as occurred following our withdrawal from Somalia in 1993 and from Beirut in 1983."

"Several leading Christian conservatives say they are confident former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee will seek the Republican presidential nomination," United Press International reports.

"Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a Protestant and Catholic activist have told The Washington Times they expect Thompson to announce his candidacy 'in a matter of weeks.'

"The leaders say current frontrunners -- former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- all fall short of social conservatives' expectations."

The Nigh Seen Creeder has learned that a Draft Joltin' Django for President campaign has started in Nashville. Details are sketchy at this point. However, I do know that "America Needs Joltin' Django" posters have shown up in various locales in South Nashville.

Don't believe me? Well, here's a poster that was affixed to bulletin boards at a Fortune 500 company in the Antioch area:

There are many reasons why I'm not a Muslim. The rigid Islamic prohibition against eating pork, however, has to be in the top three.

The British news outlet Muslim Weekly explains why Muslims can't eat pork:

"The abstention from eating pork is one of the steps taken by Islam to practise hygiene and to attain purity of soul. There is a saying in English that 'a man becomes what he eats.' According to physicians and medical experts, pork is a harmful diet. Consumption of swine-flesh creates lowliness in character and destroys moral and spiritual faculties in a man.

"Consumption of swine-flesh reduces the feeling of shame and as such the standard of modesty. Those nations, which consume pork habitually, have a low standard of morality with the result that virginity, chastity and bashfulness are becoming a thing of the past."

Now, my grandfather raised hogs and cured country hams for some 60 years. He would've spit "backer" juice (Red Man green, of course) in the eye of anyone who said he was low of character.

I wonder if there's any Mayo's Country Sausage in the frig ... ?

"Don Imus' former producer on Friday called Rev. Al Sharpton a 'race-baiter' who was looking for attention when he led a campaign to fire the radio host, while Sharpton said Imus and his producer got what they deserved for making a racist, sexist remark on the air," reports Yahoo! News.

"McGuirk called Sharpton a 'crude ... opportunist, a race-baiter' who campaigned against Imus to help his own career and raise his profile.

"While McGuirk acknowledged that "these words did hurt these girls," he added, 'until you, Reverend Al, got involved, they probably never would have heard of it. They would have probably never, quote unquote, got scarred for life until you got involved for your own self-serving interests.' ...

"He asked Sharpton. 'Who elected you the PC police chief? Who elected you to anything?'"

"Based on my current research, I estimate that if all the current adult illegal immigrants in the U.S. were granted amnesty the net retirement costs to government (benefits minus taxes) could be over $2.5 trillion."

-- Robert Rector

The Honorable Doug Jackson
Tennessee State Senate

Dear Senator Jackson:

Aren't you the numbnut who sponsored legislation to set up a Tennessee version of I-SAVE-RX, which would allow for the re-importation of drugs from Canada?

Before you and your statist compatriots in the General Assembly stomp around telling thousands of Tennesseans that you're going to knock thousands of dollars off their pharmaceutical bills by lettin' 'em buy their drugs in America, Jr., you might want to check out yesterday's "Potomac Watch" in the Wall Street Journal. I know you're busy and might not have time to read the whole article. Thus, because I'm such a nice guy, I'll hit the high points for you:

"Portland [Maine] was one of those cities that gained notoriety a few years back for defying federal law and setting up a Canada import program that it promised would save its thousands of city employees and their dependents a bundle on drugs. Three years in, it has attracted all of 350 participants. ...

"Ditto, all across America. Three years ago, grandstanding governors and mayors vowed to break federal law and set up state-run drug import programs, giving millions of citizens the 'opportunity' to buy cheap Canadian drugs. The media showered these souls with headlines, praised them for being on the side of poor, strapped U.S. consumers -- then forgot all about it. Today, most state-import programs are on life support, while some have closed completely. Never mind all Washington's hifalutin arguments about intellectual property, free trade and safety; the overwhelming majority of Americans appear to have little use for import programs that offer few drugs at long wait times, under suspect safety conditions and with minimal savings. ...

"If anything, Portland is a success compared to the more high-profile state programs that got rolling in 2004. When Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich introduced his I-Save-RX program, which was initially joined by neighboring Wisconsin, he dramatically declared that 'the nearly 13 million people who live in Illinois and the more than five million people who live in Wisconsin will have the opportunity to save hundreds--and in some cases even thousands--of dollars each year on the high cost of their medicine.' Mr. Blagojevich spent nearly $1 million in taxpayer dollars developing it, including some 500 state workers from two dozen agencies who spent 5,600 hours flacking the program.

"All this caused Illinois Auditor General William Holland to get curious about just how much benefit this wonder program was producing, and last fall he issued a stunning report. Over 19 months of operation, a grand total of 3,689 Illinois residents had used the program, which equals approximately 0.02% of the population. Results from the four other participating states were even more laughably dismal. Wisconsin had 321 people use the program; Kansas 267; Missouri 460; and Vermont 217. Mr. Holland also noted that the program was, er, illegal, and that the state had failed to implement quality control. ...

"Ask program administrators why so few people use Canadian imports, and they'll give you a frank, and long, list. Many consumers are wary about safety issues. They like having a relationship with a local pharmacist, and like knowing their drugs have undergone a U.S. quality check. Many drugs aren't available: that includes anything that needs to be taken immediately (antibiotics, for instance), or specialty drugs (such as injections for diabetics, which are hard to ship). It's also the case that many chronic diseases are today managed with generics, which remain cheaper in the U.S. Those that do use import programs tend to be a very small population that take maintenance drugs, say for high blood pressure, or cholesterol.

"Perhaps an even bigger point is that huge numbers of Americans don't even pay for their drugs, but rather farm out their bills to an insurer. That's even more the case now that seniors are getting their drugs through Medicare. Joseph Bruno, the former Republican minority leader in Maine's legislature and now full-time CEO of a chain of pharmacies in that state, points out that 94.5% of his customers get prescriptions paid by a third party and so aren't price-sensitive.

"Still, don't expect the political caterwauling over imports to go away any time soon. There's still too much political upside to talking up a program that few Americans really want to use." [Emphasis mine]

Cordially,

Joltin' Django
Nashville, Tennessee

I already told Creeder Readers about the left's anti-Mormon bigotry. Now a member of the religious right is taking aim at the Mormon church as well.

Bill Keller, host of the Florida-based Live Prayer TV program and LivePrayer.com, says a vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for Satan. In a devotional sent to his ministry's 2.4 million e-mail subscribers, Keller said this 'bout Romney and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

"If you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for Satan! ...

"This message today is not about Mitt Romney. Romney is an unashamed and proud member of the Mormon cult founded by a murdering polygamist pedophile named Joseph Smith nearly 200 years ago. The teachings of the Mormon cult are doctrinally and theologically in complete opposition to the Absolute Truth of God's Word. There is no common ground. If Mormonism is true, then the Christian faith is a complete lie. There has never been any question from the moment Smith's cult began that it was a work of Satan and those who follow their false teachings will die and spend eternity in hell."

Bill Keller would probably cringe if someone compared him to Al Sharpton. But as far as I'm concerned, Keller and Sharpton are two bigoted peas in the same pod.

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives defeated a bill calling for the immediate "redeployment of United States Armed Forces and defense contractors from Iraq." The final tally was 171 yes, 255 no, and 7 members were absent.

All but two of those voting for the "immediate surrender in Iraq" bill were Democrats. Who were the two Republicans who voted to turn Iraq into an anarchic haven for radical Islamists? Rep. Ron Paul (TX) and Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. (Tennessee)

Rep. Duncan needs to be taken to task for yesterday's chicken**** vote. Call or e-mail him ASAP:

Phone: (202) 225-5435
E-mail: john.duncan@mail.house.gov

According to the Associated Press, presidential wannabe John Edwards' spending proposals add up to over $1 trillion. The biggest portion of that price tag is the cost - lowball cost, mind you - of Edwards' universal health care scheme.

As P.J. O'Rourke once said, "If you think health care is expensive now, wait until it's free."

"U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says the Rev. Al Sharpton's comments about Mormonism and the 2008 election were 'bigoted,'" United Press International reports.

"Sharpton, in a debate Monday with atheist author Christopher Hitchens, said 'As for the one Mormon running for office, those that really believe in God will defeat him anyway, so don't worry about that.'

"Romney told reporters in Iowa Wednesday that Sharpton's comments were 'a very unfortunate choice of words on his part.'

"'I think it was a bigoted statement,' he said."

Senator Lamar Alexander participated in a teleconference with a gaggle of conservative bloggers this afternoon. John Hawkins took notes.

Rudy ain't gonna be the Republican nominee for president in 2008. Here's why:

"After months of conflicting signals on abortion, Rudolph W. Giuliani is planning to offer a forthright affirmation of his support for abortion rights in public forums, television appearances and interviews in the coming days, despite the potential for bad consequences among some conservative voters already wary of his views, aides said yesterday."

Breaking news for Katy "I'll Be Eating Crow Soon" Burns:

"In the first poll of likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters since last week's GOP debate in California, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads the other two Republican front-runners, according to a SurveyUSA poll completed for WBZ-TV in Boston. ...

"Romney was favored by 32 percent of the likely Republican voters polled, while 23 percent favored former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and 22 percent favored Arizona Sen. John McCain. Non-candidates former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and former House speaker Newt Gingrich received 11 and 4 percent, respectively, while all other candidates received a combined 5 percent and 3 percent were undecided." [Emphases mine]

Next time someone tells you that Democrats are "strong" on national defense, show 'em this:

"Under the radar House democrats are attempting a soft kill of the ballistic missile defense system which is now in the initial stages of operational deployment.

"This comes as no surprise to anyone who has watched the feckless attempts by democrats to gut the military capability of the United States in the decades since Vietnam or to had our allies over to their enemies. So long as the democrats could claim that the system could not work, they were happy to let it limp along. Now that it has been proven feasible and most of the parts are falling into place they are trying to kill it."

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) tells us 'bout a "surge" that's been virtually ignored by the mainstream media:

"Tax receipts for April were $70 billion above the same month in 2006, and April 24 marked the single biggest day of tax collections in U.S. history, at $48.7 billion, according to the latest Treasury report. ...

"[T]here's no denying that Americans are sending more money than ever to Washington; revenues for the first seven months of fiscal 2007 are up 11.3 percent, or $153 billion. This Beltway bonanza has helped to slash the projected federal budget deficit by more than half from the same point last year. Across the past three Aprils, federal red ink has sunk by nearly $300 billion. The deficit this year could tumble to $150 billion, or an economically trivial 1 percent of GDP. ...

"Congressional Democrats seem to live in a parallel universe -- one that they claim is starved for revenues, with a runaway deficit, and is dominated by the rich who pay no taxes at all. The reality is that the wealthy are financing Democratic spending ambitions, and the deficit could easily vanish within a year or two if Congress has the good sense to leave current tax policy in place."

A few months back, I discussed what a racist scumbucket Al Sharpton is:

"Not only has Al Sharpton uncorked a great many anti-Semitic remarks over the years, e.g., 'If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house,' he helped perpetrate an insidious racial hoax -- and to this day he refuses to apologize for his actions."

Well, Big Al's at it again. This time it's Mitt Romney and the Mormon church who're in Sharpton's bigoted crosshairs:

This has "bomb" written all over it:

"Robert Rodriguez is coming on to Warner Bros. for the live-action feature The Jetsons. ...

"The storyline will be based on the popular animated Hanna-Barbera TV show, which revolved around the travails of George Jetson, wife Jane, daughter Judy, son Elroy and their dog, Astro."

A Creeder Reader sent me the following quote from the Nation's Alexander Cockburn:

"The modern trade [of 'carbon credits'] is as fantastical as the medieval [trade of indulgences]. There is still zero empirical evidence that anthropogenic production of carbon dioxide is making any measurable contribution to the world’s present warming trend. The greenhouse fearmongers rely on unverified, crudely oversimplified models to finger mankind’s sinful contribution--and carbon trafficking, just like the old indulgences, is powered by guilt, credulity, cynicism and greed."

For once I agree with something the Nation has published. You might want to mark this date down 'cause, well, me agreeing with the Nation might not ever happen again!

Bob Novak says Fred Thompson's big speech was a big flop:

"'Will he announce?' asked the Lincoln Club of Orange County's publication in preparation for Fred Thompson's appearance at the organization's 45th annual dinner here Friday night. A rumor, totally unfounded, ran rampant before his speech that Thompson would declare his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination at the dinner lectern. In fact, he did not even hint at this prospect in a performance that was a letdown for the packed audience of conservative Republicans.

"'It was not Reaganesque.' 'No red meat.' 'Too low key.' That was the preponderant reaction I heard to Thompson's half-hour presentation (leavened by a few favorable comments, mostly by women, that he was more 'statesmanlike' and 'presidential' than the announced candidates). Lincoln Club members, like many conservative Republicans, had been unimpressed by the existing field of Republican hopefuls and envisioned Thompson as the second coming of Ronald Reagan. They did not get it Friday night.

"The excitement aroused in melancholy Republican ranks by the politician-commentator-actor will not be doused by one lackluster performance. Nevertheless, his first speech since his unexpected presidential boom began suggests Thompson needs preparation if he does take up this daunting burden. The deeper concern by some supporters is whether the tepid reaction in Orange County will shake what had seemed his clear resolve to make the race."

Ms. Nan Aron
Alliance for Justice

Dear Ms. Aron:

You were recently quoted as saying this about Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito (I seen your comment in the May 6 USA Today-Nashville, aka The Tennessean):

"He was a very doctrinaire ultraconservative at the Justice Department."

If you'll indulge my curiosity, ma'am, I have a couple of questions pour vous:

How do "doctrinaire ultraconservatives" differ from simple, ordinary conservatives?

If you were asked to identify 10 "doctrinaire ultraliberals" who're currently serving on the federal bench, whom would you pick?

I eagerly await your reply.

Cordially,

Joltin' Django
Nashville, Tennessee

The guys at Little Green Footballs have uncovered an awful, ugly truth:

"If you need more evidence than a quick look at any left-wing blog that the Democrat Party has become the party of derangement, denial, conspiracy theories and blind hatred, a new Rasmussen poll shows that 35% of Democrats believe Bush knew about the 9/11 attacks in advance:

"'Democrats in America are evenly divided on the question of whether George W. Bush knew about the 9/11 terrorist attacks in advance. Thirty-five percent (35%) of Democrats believe he did know, 39% say he did not know, and 26% are not sure.

"'Republicans reject that view and, by a 7-to-1 margin, say the President did not know in advance about the attacks. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 18% believe the President knew and 57% take the opposite view.'"

PETA-Peru should be all over this:

"Carmen Gonzalez plucks one of the 50 frogs from the aquarium at her bus stop restaurant, bangs it against tiles to kill it and then makes two incisions along its belly and peels off the skin as if husking corn.

"She's preparing frog juice, a beverage revered by some Andean cultures for having the power to cure asthma, bronchitis, sluggishness and a low sex drive. A drink of so-called 'Peruvian Viagra' sells for about 90 cents.

"Gonzalez adds three ladles of hot, white bean broth, two generous spoonfuls of honey, raw aloe vera plant and several tablespoons of maca — an Andean root also believed to boost stamina and sex drive — into a household blender.

"Then she drops the frog in."

I'll bet this wouldn't go over very well in the land of cheese-eating surrender monkeys:

"Cheesemakers in Britain are fighting back over the 'demonisation' of their produce after adverts for cheese were banned during children’s TV shows. ...

"The furore has been prompted by a decision by Ofcom, the broadcast regulator, to adopt a nutrient profiling model to ban 'junk food' promotions to children.

"Under the formula, devised by the Food Standards Agency, cheese is deemed to be a food high in fat and salt and therefore cannot be advertised during teatime programmes or on Saturday morning TV. Cheese promotions are also banned during programmes popular ... among early teenagers."

Hugh Hewitt has more "Romney reactions" ...

Politico Editor-In-Chief John Harris: "Well, I thought Mitt Romney, who's introducing himself to most Americans who are not familiar with him. … I thought he gave a very polished, forceful performance that clearly is going to attract a lot of second notices."

National Review's T.J. Walker: "Mitt Romney won Thursday night's debate by every objective standard of style and substance." [Emphasis mine]

Yesterday, a program entitled Economics USA was featured on one of Nashville's public television stations. As I watched a parade of bad haircuts and even worse sport coats on said program, I reckoned that its original broadcast date occured sometime in 1985. I was off by three years: Economics USA was produced in 1982.

Each and every economist featured on Economics USA was a card-carrying Keynesian; and each and every one of them had nothing but good things to say about Keynes' demand-side economic theories. I couldn't help but chuckle knowing that in the years since Economics USA was produced, the Wall Street Journal famously chortled, "Keynes is still dead," and Keynes' theories have fallen like so many dominoes (think Phillip's Curve). Economics USA offered nothing but high comedy, indeed.

I can only hope that most of the shipdits who were producers and talking heads for the Economics USA program are still around to see how wrong they were. Again, the final nails were pounded into the Keynesian coffin many moons ago. I said as much 'bout this time three years ago. To wit:

Keynes is STILL dead

In the months leading up to the 1936 elections, Franklin Roosevelt and his Democratic allies in Congrss enacted new spending programs to create an artificial inflationary spurt in the economy. FDR was re-elected in a landslide; however, his left-wing economic plan pushed the U.S. into a painful recession in 1937-38. In his masterwork, The Roosevelt Myth, John T. Flynn dubs the machinations of Roosevelt and his cronies as "the dance of the crackpots."

We're now witnessing a new dance of the crackpots. The ten Democrats currently running for president have been offering increasingly silly and outdated proposals to counter President Bush tax-cuts. According to the Dems, we must - must! - do something to "stimulate demand." Their demand-stimulating ideas are basically warmed-over Keynesian claptrap that FDR's crackpots offered up sixty-five years ago. Unlike the present-day Keynesians in the Democrat Party, to borrow a line from Flynn, Roosevelt's crackpots had the excuse that most of their schemes had yet to be proven false.

Contrary to the crackpot theories of the neo-Keynesians, slow economic growth does not signify "too much supply and not enough demand." It signifies a mismatch between what companies are producing and what customers want. I'm sure there was excess supply in the candle industry when electric lighting became readily available. The answer to excess capacity in candle manufacturing was not for the government to stimulate demand for candles. It was to allow industry to make needed investments in the industries that were replacing wax and wick.

In times of slow economic growth, the government should focus its fiscal policy on removing barriers to investment. That's precisely what President Bush said when he offered a bold measure to reduce taxation. Bush's plan to eliminate the double-taxation of corporate dividends and his slashing of marginal tax rates was a good start. (GDP has been growing faster than expected.) However, accelerating depreciation schedules, lessening the tax burden on businesses, and slashing marginal tax rates on capital gains would help even more.

American consumers have been signaling for months that the current mix of investment is not generating what they want. Thus, financial and human capital must be redirected to new uses. This redirection will happen more rapidly if President Bush and Republicans ignore the new dance of the crackpots happening in the current Democratic presidential field and push hard for additional supply-side stimulus in the economy.

"Overall I thought Romney did the best [in last night's debate]. He had command of his positions and articulated them well."

-- Rich Galen

Anyone who watched last night's GOP presidential debate knows that Mitt Romney walked away the clear winner. Hugh Hewitt said it best:

"Romney was clearly the class of the field. I know, I’m biased, blah, blah, blah. But if you saw the debate, believe your own eyes. Romney has a command of the facts and an effective delivery that must be the envy of the field. As America gets to know him in forums like this (not that I’m hoping there will be other forums precisely like this hideous one – perish that thought), the country will come to understand why Romney has generated such excitement among insiders and people who know him."

Here are a few après debate polls ...

From Drudge:

Mitt Romney: 36%
Rudy Giuliani: 20%

Survey USA:

Rudy Giuliani: 30%
Mitt Romney: 12%

From Hot Air:

Mitt Romney: 53%
Rudy Giuliani: 16%

Little Green Footballs:

Mitt Romney: 35.6%
Rudy Giuliani: 22.8%

If Hillary Clinton wins the Democrat presidential nomination in '08, as is widely expected, this photo simply MUST make it into the Republican candidate's campaign literature:

Dear Representative Jones:

First of all, I simply must say this: There are a lot of older women who wear saucy clothes in an attempt to look half their age, but you ... you really pull it off! It's a cliché, I know, but you are goin', girl! Or, maybe, it's "You go, girl!" Either way, you look good enough to have rumors spread around Legislative Plaza concerning your love life. Wait ... you did have rumors spread around LP 'bout your love life, didn't you?

Anywho, I seen you on this week's Legislative Report expressing your support for Rep. Mike Turner's Pay Equity in the Workplace Act. [Note for readers: The Pay Equity in the Workplace Act seeks to stop "employers from discriminating against women" when it comes to compensation.] You said, and I quote:

"It's on record that we do discriminate. ... I heard a report on TV ... talking about how we discriminate against women in the workplace."

Where, pray tell, is this "record?" Which highbrow boob-tube show featured a report on rampant gender discrimination in the workplace?

Unfortunately (for you and Rep. Turner), the Heritage Foundation put a bullet in the belly of the women-don't-get-their-fair-share-cause-men-are-pigs canard many, many moons ago. I suggest you chew on the following passages a bit and get back to me with your "record" and TV viewing habits:

"Because the typical woman earns 73 percent of what the typical man earns, [left-wingers] claim that employers are discriminating against women. To fix the problem, [left-wingers] propose the federal government slap heavy fines on offending businesses and make it easier for lawyers to sue them. ...

"There are [several] fundamental problems with [the left-wingers'] approach -- mistakes that illustrate why their plan has nothing to do with "equal pay for equal work" and why it could actually wreak havoc with the American economy.

"First, [left-wingers are] misinterpreting the data on wages. Male workers and female workers cannot be compared so easily. Men choose higher-paying professions. They have more education, and they tend to be more experienced. Most importantly, they also work more.

"In her recent book, lawyer-turned-journalist Laura Ingraham explains: 'Men take time-outs from employment for less than 2 percent of their working lives, compared to 15 percent for the average working woman. If you suspend and restart your career a lot, you're just not going to have the same pay vector, whether you're a man or a woman. Even full-time women workers typically put in eight to 10 hours a week less than men do.'"

"Second, [left-wingers assume] business owners are so determined to discriminate that they are willing to deliberately sacrifice profits by hiring higher-paid men when they could hire equally capable women for less cost. This is a rather novel theory, particularly coming from [those] who often accuse private businesses of being greedy and profit-driven.

"But, for the sake of argument, let's assume [they're] right: Employers are engaged in a silent conspiracy to forego profits by discriminating. For this bizarre scheme to work, investors have to be in on the plot as well. After all, if there is systematic discrimination, new companies could be started that would undercut existing firms by hiring women to produce the same goods and services for lower cost -- and they would have to be stopped to keep the system working.

"Needless to say, this conspiracy theory is preposterous. Yes, some employers do discriminate in their hiring, and they certainly deserve our scorn, but there's no evidence of an economy-wide plot to oppress female workers." [Emphasis mine]

I certainly look forward to hearing from you.

Cordially,

Joltin' Django
Nashville, Tennessee

American Research Group has released its April polling data.

In Iowa, Rudy Giuliani has dropped 9 points to 19 percent over the past five months; Mitt Romney has moved up 8 points to 14 percent during the same period.

In New Hampshire, Giuliani's support has dropped from 25 percent to 17 percent; Romney has gone from 9 percent to 24 percent.

Here are some photos Urban Infidel took at yesterday's May Day rally in NYC.

This moonbat is funny:

A few months back, I posted this quote from Czech President Vaclav Klaus:

"Environmentalism is a religion. It does not belong in the natural sciences and is more connected with social science."

Well, it looks like ol' Vaclav was right:

"Visitors to the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa won't find the Gideon Bible in the nightstand drawer. Instead, on the bureau will be a copy of An Inconvenient Truth, former Vice President Al Gore's book about global warming."

Frank Indoccio tells us why he's for Mitt Romney:

"Frank Indoccio of Londonderry had never donated to a presidential campaign before.

"But this year, the 85-year-old owner of Merrimac Tile and Stone in Derry said he changed his mind because of everything going on in the world.

"He decided to give $2,100 - $200 short of the maximum donation allowed by the Federal Elections Commission - to the campaign of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"He's never met Romney. He's never even spoken to him. But Indoccio said his company does a lot of work in Massachusetts, and he was impressed by Romney's governorship, particularly his handling of the Big Dig.

"'That's what you need in government today - an administrator,' Indoccio said. 'He's a man of integrity. I had the same feeling way back when I voted for Reagan. He's no Reagan, but he's a man of responsibility and integrity.'"

"Gov. Rick Perry, mulling ways to stop the kind of murderous rampages that recently left 33 dead on a college campus in Virginia, said Monday there’s one sure-fire solution he likes: allow Texans to take their concealed handguns anywhere," the Star-Telegram reports.

"Perry said he opposes any concealed gun-toting restrictions at all — whether it’s in a hospital, a public school, a beer joint or even the local courthouse.

“'The last time I checked, putting a sign up that says 'Don’t bring your weapons in here,' someone who has ill intent on their mind — they could care less,' Perry told reporters. 'I think it makes sense for Texans to be able to protect themselves from deranged individuals, whether they're in church or whether on a college campus or wherever.'"

Joltin' Django's "Joltin' Django Recommends" links are finally up and running!

My all-time favorite LPs are here. My favorite books are here. My favorite movies are here. And the best eatin' places in which one can fill his or her belly are listed here.

Enjoy!