My hero this week is Congressman Tom Tancredo, who just dropped out of the 2008 race. That's not why he's me hero, though....he's my hero this week because Tanc has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the problems that illegal immigration causes in this country, and I know he will continue to do so.

Dennis Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University in Des Moines, said Tancredo forced his GOP rivals to talk about immigration.

"What Tancredo has done is analogous to what a third-party candidate does," Goldford said. "They call attention to and articulate an issue that the other two main parties neglect or don't see" and then after forcing the issue they disappear.

My hacks this week are Congressional Republicans who are still high on pork:

The demise of the bridge to nowhere notwithstanding, Sen. Ted Stevens and other Republicans remain the kings of pork-barrel spending, proving that GOP mastery of "earmarks" can withstand public scorn, a president's rebuke and even a Democratic takeover of Congress.

The Senate's two biggest sponsors of this year's pet spending projects are Republicans Stevens of Alaska and Thad Cochran of Mississippi, according to preliminary reviews of fiscal 2008 spending bills by Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan group. Two of the House's three biggest claimants of earmarks also are Republicans: Bill Young of Florida and Jerry Lewis of California, the group found.

Labels: 2008 Watch, Congress, Culture of Corruption, Illegal Immigration, Immigration, Pork, Tancredo

Posted by Ryan S. at 10:30 AM | Permalink | |

My hero this week is Delaware's own Joe Biden. Not for anything in particular he did this week, but this New York Times feature on him is really heart-wrenching:

IOWA CITY — Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, a back-in-the-pack Democratic candidate for president, was answering a voter’s question last week about negative campaigning when he abruptly began talking about his first, euphoric run for the Senate, in 1972, and the personal tragedy that nearly destroyed his life afterward.

“Let me tell you a little story,” Mr. Biden told the crowd at the University of Iowa. “I got elected when I was 29, and I got elected November the 7th. And on Dec. 18 of that year, my wife and three kids were Christmas shopping for a Christmas tree. A tractor-trailer, a guy who allegedly — and I never pursued it — drank his lunch instead of eating his lunch, broadsided my family and killed my wife instantly, and killed my daughter instantly, and hospitalized my two sons, with what were thought to be at the time permanent, fundamental injuries.”

The crowd was silent as Mr. Biden continued. His wife, Neilia, and 13-month-old daughter, Naomi, were gone, but his sons, not quite 3 and 4 years old at the time, made full recoveries. “They’re both, thank God, healthy and well,” Mr. Biden told the crowd.

Beau, of course is now Attorney General of Delaware. Say what you will about him, but the man has a rational grip on foreign policy and is more in touch with the average American than most of the Presidential candidates.

My hack this week is the U.S. Senate for rejecting farm subsidy reform:

WASHINGTON — The Senate rejected two attempts to limit annual payments to American farmers, frustrating lawmakers who had hoped that this year's multibillion-dollar farm bill would scale back the government's massive subsidy programs.

Senators voted 78-12 late Thursday to cut off debate on the bill and drop some amendments that were not farm-related. The margin comfortably exceeded the 60 votes Democrats needed on the procedural move and set the stage for a final vote as early as Friday.

Sen. Dorgan, however, is absolutely right. Earlier that day, the Senate rejected his amendment:

"We have a federal farm program to help family farmers make it through tough times," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, a Democrat who sponsored the amendment with Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican. "It was not created to send multimillion-dollar payments to giant corporate farms, or payments to people who haven't been near a farm in decades."

Labels: 2008 Watch, Biden, Congress

Posted by Ryan S. at 2:23 PM | Permalink | |

I probably won't miss him:

Speaking to a crowd of supporters at a televised news conference in Pascagoula, Miss., Mr. Lott said he and his wife, Trish, had decided that they still had enough “time left to do something else” after his 35 years in the House and Senate.

He said he had “nothing definite at this time,” but suggested he might want to teach. He said he had called President Bush and Vice President Cheney last night to notify them of his decision.

Labels: Congress

Posted by Ryan S. at 4:34 PM | Permalink | |

My heroes this week are the Afghans who recognize the value of another group of heroes, the NATO troops stationed there:

OTTAWA -- A strong majority of Afghans approve of the presence of NATO-led troops in their country, including from Canada, and want the foreign soldiers to remain to fight the Taliban and support reconstruction efforts.

In a poll of Afghans conducted by Environics Research on behalf of The Globe and Mail, the CBC and La Presse, respondents expressed optimism about the future, strong support for the government of President Hamid Karzai and appreciation for the work being done by NATO countries in improving security.

In Kandahar, where the Taliban is stronger and violence more pervasive, support for the foreign troops was weaker, but respondents still want the soldiers to stay.

According to the survey, conducted between Sept. 17 and 24 with a sample of 1,578 men and women, 60 per cent said the presence of foreigners in the country was a good thing. Only 16 per cent said it was a bad thing, while 22 per cent said it was equally good and bad.

And this despite the fact that most Canadians are opposed to their troops being in Afghanistan.

My hack this week is Congressman Stark. I was all set to dig up some juicy stuff, but Miss AO did a fantastic job already. Read away!

Labels: Afghanistan, Canada, Congress, Harper, Hero/Hack, Iraq

Posted by Ryan S. at 2:30 PM | Permalink | |

What's the big deal here? Two consenting adults? Check. Party affiliation? Oh. Right. That's why this is news.

From Volokh:

"It's hard to work up much sympathy for Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho). He had a perfect legislative score from traditional-values groups, a zero rating from gay civil-rights groups, supported the Federal Marriage Amendment, and refused even to commit to non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in hiring for his own Senate staff. But what exactly was criminal about his conduct in that Minneapolis airport bathroom? . . . At most, Craig was inviting another adult to engage in some kind of sexual behavior in a public place. I'm not a Minnesota criminal lawyer, but I don't think asking a stranger for sex in a public place, while vulgar and rude under many circumstances, would by itself be a crime under state law. At any rate, Craig wasn't charged with that."

Labels: Congress, Hypocracy

Posted by Ryan S. at 9:40 PM | Permalink | |

My heroes this week are the Iraqi Soccer Team. Congrats on the victory, one of the better Cinderella sports stories to come along recently, only enhanced by the current state of Iraq. It's sad that terrorists used this occasion to kill innocents, but I think there is still hope for a Disney sports movie sometime in the future.





My hacks this week is the entire House of Representatives, which apparently broke down into chaos last night:

In a massive flare-up of partisan tensions (video link courtesy Breitbart.tv), Republicans walked out on a House vote late Thursday night to protest what they believed to be Democratic maneuvers to reverse an unfavorable outcome for them.

The flap represents a complete breakdown in parliamentary procedure and an unprecedented low for the sometimes bitterly divided chamber.

The rancor erupted shortly before 11 p.m. as Rep. Michael R. McNulty (D-N.Y.) gaveled close the vote on a standard procedural measure with the outcome still in doubt.

Details remain fuzzy, but numerous Republicans argued afterward that they had secured a 215-213 win on their motion to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving any federal funds apportioned in the agricultural spending bill for employment or rental assistance. Democrats, however, argued the measure was deadlocked at 214-214 and failed, members and aides on both sides of the aisle said afterward.

Labels: Congress, Hero/Hack, Iraq

Posted by Ryan S. at 10:49 AM | Permalink | |

I love this Congress! Really! I'm not even being facetious! This is the last sentence in this post that will have an exclamation point!

If there is one thing that always astounds me about the wisdom of the Framers, it's governmental gridlock. The system is designed in such a way that getting a bill all the way from committee to being a law (refresher).

Under the "leadership" of Pelosi and Reid, Congress has so far has made only 48 bills new laws. Even factoring in vetoes, that makes 50 bills that have even made it to the President's desk. Nineteen of those 48 were renaming Post Offices and other federal buildings/installations.

This is great. Any Congress that does nothing is a good Congress.

Time to get the executive and Cheney branches to get in line with this "new direction."

(Hat tip to Dave commenting at DELiberal)

Labels: Congress

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:32 AM | Permalink | |

Lots of heroes and hacks all around this week, certainly a busy one in the political one was Congress tries to wrap things up for the Fourth of July recess and the Supremes released some rulings.

Mark Tapscott himself isn't my hero, but he's got a good roundup on why this week was a better week than conservatives have had in a long time.

I am going to name Reps. Peter Hoekstra and Mike Pence my heroes this week, for leading the fight against idiocy in Congress (always a worthy cause).

Hoeskstra introduced a one sentence resolution in the House Republican _ to oppose the Senate immigration bill, which passed and I think was certainly another death knell for that bill. Amanda Carpenter, who works where I intern, wrote a piece earlier this week about it:

114 Republicans voted in favor of the one-line resolution: “Resolved, the House GOP Conference disapproves of the Senate immigration bill."

In a phone interview Tuesday afternoon, Hoekstra said the purpose of holding a vote on this was to “send a clear message to the people back home that we are not where the Senate or where the White House is on this.”

When asked if he was concerned about backlash from the White House for his actions, Hoekstra said, “No.”

Right on!

Mike Pence (the man who should be minority leader), killed any whisperings about bringing back the fairness doctrine (from Tapscott's piece aboeve):

"Today the House of Representatives affirmed that freedom will continue to reign on the airwaves of America. Thanks to the support of 308 of my colleagues, Congress has ensured that the Fairness Doctrine will remain in the grave for now. This was a resounding victory for free speech."

Also, iPhone update. I still want one. Real bad. Which brings me to this week's hack, Philadelphia Mayor John Street. What is Mayor Street doing right now? Waiting for the iPhone.

Donning a white baseball hat and warmup suit -- complete with an iPod strapped to his arm -- a casual Philadelphia Mayor John Street patiently sat on a lawn chair on a South Philadelphia sidewalk, hoping to get his hands on the new Apple iPhone Friday morning.

Street said he was No. 3 in a line of about six people, but said he was sure things would pick up later in the day.

"I'm out here with the rest of the gang, and we're all waiting for the iPhone," said Street, a self-proclaimed technology advocate. "This is the latest and I’m going to have it.

It's not like he has anything better to do, right? Not like, run a city or anything. Sheesh.

UPDATE (3:28PM): Frequent reader/commenter G Rex points out that the Mayor isn't like anymore:

Street, who showed up outside an AT&T store at 3:30 a.m., left shortly after a 22-year-old sporting a mohawk asked him, "How can you sit here with 200 murders in the city already?" The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on its Web site.

Thanks, G Rex! As he puts it, "Gotta love those Philly punks!" Well said.

Labels: Apple, Congress, Hero/Hack, Illegal Immigration

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:25 AM | Permalink | |

It's time like this, with Congress' approval rating at 14%, that I lament that 2008 is so far away. The American people have lost faith in the governing class, and I am not sure if it can be recovered before the next election. Mark Tapscott has more:

The highest confidence levels were for the military at 69 percent, small business at 59 percent, and the police at 54 percent. Organized labor remained among the lowest at 19 percent, along with HMOs at 15 percent and Big Business at 18 percent.

If we define America's political class - aka "the chattering classes" or the "Washington Establishment" - as consisting of the three branches of the federal government, plus the mainstream news media, some tentative conclusions are suggested:

First, the dramatic reversal of partisan political power seen in the November 2006 election was either simply a fluke or, more likely in my view, an inevitably lost opportunity for the winning Democrats. Short of an historically unprecedented philosophical reversal of course by the majority, it is hard to see Congress regaining anything remotely like a high level of public respect any time soon.

There's lots more to that article, and it's recommended reading. And the Republicans haven't been benefiting from this lapse in approval, because they were already voted into minority for the same thing the Dems are doing now.

Also, tell us what you really think: "The Capitolist" is a website for people on the Hill to tell us what they really think. [Language Warning] Snapped Shots has highlights.

Labels: Congress, Culture of Corruption

Posted by Ryan S. at 2:15 PM | Permalink | |

I really don't like the Immigration Bill. Really, really, really, don't like it. It's amnesty, and it is going to hurt America's poor by allowing non-citizens to take jobs away from them.

It is not going to solve the problem of border security. It is only going to encourage more illegal immigration.

Frankly, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

The Bush Administration has made it a priority to undercut America's poor and middle classes by allowing big business to direct our security policy. He just had to wait until he had enough Democrats in Congress to pull it off.

I just hope someone in the Senate figures out a way to kill this bloated bill before it passes.

Meanwhile, Senator John "I Want to be a maverick too" Kyl of Arizona is saying that the resistance to the bill is wearing down. I doubt this is true, because why keep talking if no one is listening. Pure and simple, I don't think America's leaders are listening to America.

Labels: Congress, Illegal Immigration

Posted by Ryan S. at 2:01 PM | Permalink | |

Hube has a great post on Republican Senator Chuck Hagel calling for Bush's impeachment.

For several years now, lefties and assorted others have called for Bush's impeachment. It is usually because the war in Iraq is "illegal," or that they want to "restore the Constitution."

Here is what the Constitution says about impeachment (Article II, Section 4):

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Now, whether you agree or disagree with the President's policies, I have yet to hear anyone provide substantive evidence for any crime as stated in the US code.

Oh yeah, and read Hube's post. It's sarcastastic!

Labels: Bush, Congress

Posted by Ryan S. at 5:02 PM | Permalink | |

MINNEAPOLIS — The State Department is turning to Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, to help burnish the country's image in the Muslim world — despite Ellison's outspoken criticism of the Bush administration's foreign policy.

"I plan to talk to people in the State Department and anywhere I can to help try to improve America's image in the Muslim world, make friends for our country," Ellison, a freshman Minnesota Democrat, said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "I want to help win friends for our country and to isolate true enemies."

I'm not really sure what to make of it. Seems like it could be a good thing overall.

Also, those last two CPAC-related articles are still on their way. I just have a lot of school-related work I need to be doing.

Labels: Congress

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:44 AM | Permalink | |

Sorry for not posting for most of last week, I was attending CPAC in Washington, and had every intention of blogging from the conference, but did not get the opportunity primarily due to the lack of time and free WiFi.

This will be the first of at least four posts on things that occurred at CPAC, with others focusing on 2008 (later tonight or tomorrow), global warming (sometime soon after that), and the state of conservatism today (that's gonna be a long one).

Here are some highlights that don't fit into any of the above:
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said "Republicans [in Congress are] serious about returning to conservative values," having "learned our [their] lesson" and pledged to keep Congressional Democrats in line, claiming that since they came into power, not one "bad bill" had made its way to Bush's desk. He also said that the bill the Dems have pushing the final recommendations of the 9-11 Commission into law (all two of them), is actually centered around giving collective bargaining rights to civilian airport security screeners.

White House Spokesman Tony Snow called for conservatives to "take off the dark colored glasses," and gave a pretty inspiring speech. I've been a fan of of Snow for a while now, and what I really love about his speech was that he has mastered the technique of making the audience feel that he is letting us in on some big secret. It's wonderful, and even though I know it's a technique, it still makes me feel that way. He also used a good amount of humor, and seemed to be really enjoying himself.

Kellyanne Conway, a notable conservative spokesperson, on a panel with Mike Barone and others, said that "Hillary is not the Clinton America misses." She also finds it ironic that a "feminist icon" like Hillary "needs her man to get anywhere in politics." Conway did express her empathy for Mrs. Clinton by saying she feels kind of bad that she probably the only one running for president that is the second-best politician in their family.

Wayne LePierre, of the NRA, is one of the most dynamic speakers I've ever heard, and never miss his CPAC speeches. He talked about what the NRA is up to right now, including fighting the UN and working hard to get the legal guns confiscated in New Orleans in the Katrina aftermath back to their rightful owners. (More on that here and here from the JttR archives)

I went to an excellent panel on China and Venezuela, even if it seemed like both panelists were making the case that their area of expertise was the bigger threat.

Thor Halversson of the Human Rights Foundation talked about Venezuela and Hugo Chavez. Though democratically elected, Chavez has been consolidating power ever since, and has gained more power by revamping the Venezuelan constitution. He is also working with other regional allies like Fidel Castro, as well as China and trying to curry favor with Russia by buying enormous stockpiles of AK-47s. Chavez has said he intends to rule until at least 2030, and the only institutional opposition he faces in his country is the Catholic Church.

Jed Babbin, author of Showdown: Why China Wants War with the U.S, said that great powers historically only rise out of war, and that China seems more and more like 1930s Germany. China's anti-satellite weaponry is a huge potential threat to the US, as are armed forces are dependent on satellites. He praised the Bush Administration for seeking strategic partners in the region such as India and Vietnam, who fear China's growing power.

Newt Gingrich spoke on his "Winning the Future" solutions...again. basically the same tune for three years now. He talked about some 2008 stuff that I'll cover in that post, but seemed to be mostly rhetoric in his speech, especially on foreign policy. Who doesn't want a strong America? Especially in the CPAC crowd. Sheesh.

And no, I did not watch Ann Coutler's speech. Nor Sean Hannity's.

A record 6,300 people registered for CPAC 2007.

Labels: China, Congress, CPAC, Gun Rights, Newt, Tony Snow, Venezuela

Posted by Ryan S. at 1:24 PM | Permalink | |

This is the face of the anti-war Democrat:

Mr. Murtha has a different idea. He would stop the surge by crudely hamstringing the ability of military commanders to deploy troops. In an interview carried Thursday by the Web site MoveCongress.org, Mr. Murtha said he would attach language to a war funding bill that would prohibit the redeployment of units that have been at home for less than a year, stop the extension of tours beyond 12 months, and prohibit units from shipping out if they do not train with all of their equipment. His aim, he made clear, is not to improve readiness but to "stop the surge." So why not straightforwardly strip the money out of the appropriations bill -- an action Congress is clearly empowered to take -- rather than try to micromanage the Army in a way that may be unconstitutional? Because, Mr. Murtha said, it will deflect accusations that he is trying to do what he is trying to do. "What we are saying will be very hard to find fault with," he said.

Mr. Murtha's cynicism is matched by an alarming ignorance about conditions in Iraq. He continues to insist that Iraq "would be more stable with us out of there," in spite of the consensus of U.S. intelligence agencies that early withdrawal would produce "massive civilian casualties." He says he wants to force the administration to "bulldoze" the Abu Ghraib prison, even though it was emptied of prisoners and turned over to the Iraqi government last year. He wants to "get our troops out of the Green Zone" because "they are living in Saddam Hussein's palace"; could he be unaware that the zone's primary occupants are the Iraqi government and the U.S. Embassy?

Labels: Congress, Iraq

Posted by Ryan S. at 9:46 PM | Permalink | |

WASHINGTON -- Amtrak would receive $19.2 billion under bipartisan legislation unveiled Tuesday, kicking off a new chapter in long-running debate over how to fix the beleaguered passenger railroad.

The legislation by Sens. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Trent Lott, R-Miss., would provide $3.2 billion per year over six years. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., are co-sponsors of the bill.

They need to make Amtrak a private corporation like they did the post office. Then maybe Amtrak would make money. There has to be a better solution than this.

(Also, the article also says the Reason Foundation is conservative. It's decidedly libertarian).

Labels: Biden, Carper, Congress, Government Waste

Posted by Ryan S. at 3:05 PM | Permalink | |

Whoever made the decision for the US to air strike al Qaeda targets in Somalia is my hero this week:
The U.S. is continuing to pound Islamic Courts and al-Qaeda targets in southern Somalia. Reuters reports four towns "in an area close to Ras Kamboni," - Hayo, Garer, Bankajirow and Badmadowe - were struck by U.S. air assets. Ras Kamboni is the location of the al-Qaeda and Islamic Courts comminications and training base. "Bankajirow was the last Islamist holdout. Bankajirow and Badmadowe were hit hardest," according to Reuters' Somali source.

This shows that the US is not forgetting about the larger War On Terror, even with Iraq at the forefront.


Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is my hack this week:

On Wednesday, the House voted to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour.
The bill also extends for the first time the federal minimum wage to the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands. However, it exempts American Samoa, another Pacific island territory that would become the only U.S. territory not subject to federal minimum-wage laws.
One of the biggest opponents of the federal minimum wage in Samoa is StarKist Tuna, which owns one of the two packing plants that together employ more than 5,000 Samoans, or nearly 75 percent of the island's work force. StarKist's parent company, Del Monte Corp., has headquarters in San Francisco, which is represented by Mrs. Pelosi. The other plant belongs to California-based Chicken of the Sea.

"There's something fishy going on here," said Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican.

Culture of corruption indeed.

Labels: Congress, Culture of Corruption, Hero/Hack, Pork, Somalia

Posted by Ryan S. at 2:26 PM | Permalink | |