Tuesday -- October 25, 2005
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA
Belinda and I were met on our arrival in Lynchburg yesterday by Macel Falwell, the wife of Rev. Jerry Falwell. A gracious lady indeed. We were immediately off to Liberty University for a meeting with Dr. Falwell. where we had an interesting conversation on politics and the FairTax. Following dinner with Tom Wright, the Executive Director of Americans for Fair Taxation, we headed over the Barnes & Noble to sign a few books. [Photos] Did I say a "few" books? Our best estimate was that there were between 650 and 700 people at the Barnes & Noble and we ran out of books. Some people drove from as far as Richmond, Virginia --- and we ran out of books. Sorry, folks ... nobody expected a crowd that large. TONIGHT -- ROANOKE
We'll be broadcasting from our Roanoke affiliate WFIR this morning, a little relaxation this afternoon, and then we'll be signing books at the Wyndham Airport hotel in Roanoke tonight at 7:00. After the last book is signed it's a little nighttime IFR across the Smoky Mountains into Atlanta. ROSA PARKS
As many of you know, Rosa Parks passed away yesterday at the age of 92. What most of us today don't understand is the tremendous courage this gentle lady showed 50 years ago when she refused to give up her seat on that bus in Montgomery, Alabama. We would be well served to spend more time honoring people like Rosa Parks rather then hanging on every word of crass opportunists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.
CHENEY A TARGET?
The headlines are out this morning....and the media is reporting with glee that Vice President Dick Cheney may be caught up in the Valerie Plame (non)affair. The source for the report making the rounds is the New York Times. Not exactly known for their accuracy, are they? At any rate, here's what's going on. Evidently according to some notes that the special prosecutor has, the vice president's chief of staff, Scooter Libby, first heard of Valerie Plame from Dick Cheney himself. This is said to conflict with Libby's testimony that he first heard of Plame from journalists. So this means that Dick Cheney was "the source." The mainstream media and Democrats won't be able to contain themselves if it's true....it's the Watergate template in action. What did he know and when did he know it? He must've been protecting the president! Get Bob Woodward on the telephone! There's only one problem with all of this....and this is why if there are any indictments today or this week, they won't have anything to do with revealing Valerie Plame's name:1.) Valerie Plame was not a covert agent and revealing her name was not a crime. Sorry, but being a desk jockey at the CIA doesn't qualify you to be the next James Bond. Besides, there is evidence to suggest her identity was an open secret. 2.) Given #1, telling someone her name was not a crime. So Cheney is off the hook. So much for that. What you're likely to see is Fitzgerald indicting Rove or Libby based on their grand jury testimony for perjury or obstruction of justice. Even that is a stretch....the special prosecutor would have to prove that they lied on purpose. Remember, it's only a lie if you know the statement was untrue at the time you made it. It could also not be Rove or Libby...talk about Democratic disappointment. We shall see. ON THE TAKE FROM SADDAM
Remember George Galloway? He's the jihadist British Member of Parliament that has been accused of being on Saddam Hussein's Oil-For-Food payroll. He testified awhile ago in front of Congress with great fanfare that he did not take money from Saddam. He's also a big-time Bush-bashing leftist. The anti-war movement in the United States made him their hero for a time. Well, it looks like Galloway has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman and his Senate committee have issued a report that says they have evidence Galloway did indeed receive Oil-For-Food payments totaling $600,000 from the Iraqi government. The documents will be forwarded to American and British authorities, who will decide whether to charge Galloway with perjury, making false statements and obstructing an investigation. Oops! So what's the smoking gun? Bank statements showing deposits to Galloway, along with information gleaned from interviews with former Iraqi regime officials like Tariq Aziz (remember him?) and others. Galloway says he's innocent and promptly attacked Coleman for defaming him. Wouldn't it be something to see this anti-American jerk carted off to jail? Priceless.  Jason sent us this for your amusement. I don't think any caption is needed.
DOING THE RIGHT THING....SORT OF
Some time ago, the brilliant minds at FEMA decided on a policy that banned guns from emergency housing parks. These are the kinds of areas put up to house displaced residents from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, and so on. The provision was rightfully seen as being anti-Second Amendment. FEMA has reversed course, saying they will now allow guns. Given the lawless nature of the environment after a hurricane, people should have the right to defend themselves, their family and property. So FEMA makes good on this one. Or do they? Get this...under the new policy, residents of the temporary housing units can possess and store firearms, but they're not allowed to use them. That's right...you can have it but you can't use it. That sure sends a forceful message to looters and other thugs that might do these people harm. They must be shaking in their boots! It must be great comfort for a predator targeting one of these housing parks to know that the government has made their job easier....the people living there aren't allowed to use their guns. But don't worry...government will protect you!
Tour Gallery | BUY ONLINE | Book Tour, part 2!
REDNECK SCRAP BOOK Those giant, gas-guzzling hearses are just wasteful. You can get by with a lot less. More in the Redneck Scrap Book. READING ASSIGNMENTS
Al Franken went on David Letterman and said that Karl Rove and Scooter Libby were going to be executed for treason. There's only one problem here, Al: nobody outed a covert agent. It never happened.
British banks are banning piggy banks because they offend some Muslims. How is a good little jihadist supposed to save his pennies?
Patrick Fitzgerald sought to expand his probe in the Valerie Plame case from the start to include crimes other than the leaking of Valerie Plame's name. Translation: obstruction of justice charges are coming against somebody.
The media is now in full-on Watergate nostalgia mode. The Washington Post is running a story about how past presidents are inspiring the Bush White House's damage control.
Thomas Sowell says that when it comes to extreme environmentalists, they are incapable of compromising. He cites one example from a reader whose leftist girlfriend dumped him over his views.
George Will takes a look at Alan Greenspan's 18-year tenure at the Federal Reserve and says he will most be remembered for tackling inflation.
Is Harriet Miers a smart enough Constitutional scholar to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court? David Limbaugh examines what type of justice is needed to take on the left's heavyweights.
Professor Mike Adams is in the soup again....this time he's under fire from a George Tech student. [Warning: this column may contain naughty words and might not be safe for work.]
The president's tax reform panel is going to issue its report next week, and all indications are that they will propose eliminating the alternative minimum tax in favor of raising taxes on everybody else. Bruce Bartlett goes inside the numbers. Of course, the Fairtax would eliminate the need for any of this.
The Newark, New Jersey city council is paying a local newspaper $100,000 to publish only good news about the city. Such a wise use of tax dollars, isn't it? And what does it say about Newark that you have to pay money to get good press? Silly and sick pumpkin ideas. |