After a few months on hiatus my omnibus ramblings return:

There has been much adieu about Sen. Hillary Clinton showing cleavage on CSPAN. Bloggers and pundits from left to right have weighed in with commentary. Even Obama News columnist Jennifer Hunter scolds the public in today’s column. Interesting is how she says it is unimportant (I agree) but then goes on to use an entire column to talk about the issue. I know I risk prolonging the nonsense myself with this post. May this be the last, this wasn’t much of a story to start with proving the American media can go lower than any neckline.

Smoke! It’s for the children… Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich signed a statewide public smoking ban last week. The new law takes effect in January of 2008. In an ironic move the ban was approved the same week that legislators began looking at adding $.75 to $1.00 more per pack in cigarette taxes to help pay for the Governor’s child health care program. So smoke all you can, the kids are counting on you. Their health will improve as yours declines. At what point are these politicians going to admit their hypocrisy and just outlaw the practice. They have been touting tobacco taxes and increases in gambling in lieu of making the tough budget decisions. When there are no smokers left to pay the taxes that have been plugged in as a revenue stream, where do you make up the shortfall? They don’t care, that’s for future politicians to figure out.

The anointed one known as Barack Obama thinks sex education for kindergarten age children is a good idea. The deniers claim he said nothing of the sort and only touted “age appropriate and scientific sex education”. I’ll give him that, but what sex education is appropriate for a 5 year old? Beyond the scientific name for their genitalia I would say pretty much none. I don’t think the Senator is evil here but he is way off base. Protecting our children from the inappropriate touch of a predator is a parent’s job and does not belong in academia being taught to 5 year olds. Obama may be playing to a crowd but it is the wrong audience. Barack continues to try to sound reasonable and rational but every syllable he utters shows how far left he really leans.

Wake up Detroit! The Biloxi family took a road trip to the south last week and it was alarming to notice the sheer volume of Toyota Tundra pickup trucks on the road. I know the Japanese make fine automobiles but so do Americans and it is high time we find a way to compete economically as well as on a performance scale. I can understand sedans, small cars and even mini vans but Pick ups? Come on gentlemen, we own that market and it is time to take it back. Give us a reason and we will buy.

That clears the flotsam and jetsam for a little while, until next time…

Posted by Biloxi in On My Mind at 7:18 PM EDT

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez doesn’t like being called a “Dictator” so he has decided to expel foreign critics.

“No foreigner can come here to attack us. Anyone who does must be removed from this country,” he said during his weekly TV and radio programme.

Apparently what is good for the goose is not good for the gander as less than a year ago Chavez jumped all over President Bush and the United Nations in an address to the General Assembly last September.

The man is unhinged and despotic and how anyone on the left ever justified cozying up to the guy as Cindy Sheehan, Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover and others have done is a mystery to me. Then again I live in a logic based world and not one that is driven by hatred of my political opposites. While the left cries about a loss of freedom under the Bush Administration we hear very little if anything about the abuses perpetrated on the Venezuelan people as Hugo stifles the free media. Nary a peep is uttered as he works to abolish Presidential term limits in defiance of the Venezuelan Constitution and basically declare himself President for life. Where’s Jimmy Carter when we need him? Oh, yeah I forgot…he’s busy criticizing President Bush also.

Wake up America, the guy is a dictator, a despot and evil. His opposition to the current administration does not hide that fact nor make him our friend. He would be just as dangerous were Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the White House. Sometimes we need to side with America, even when the politics doesn’t suit our myopic agenda. Hugo Chavez is a threat and no friend of freedom. He is not far from our borders and his attempts at a socialist (read Communist) coalition in South and Central America present a problem to real peace in the Americas. Let’s look beyond the politics and forward to the good of our country.

Posted by Biloxi in Foreign Policy, Politics at 8:39 AM EDT

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I’ve been meaning to weigh in on media moth Cindy Sheehan for since her announcement that she would run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi but life intruded and I became sidetracked. Scott Stantis did it for me and in a humorous but dead on manner:

Right on Scott!

update: Cindy, your 15 minutes were up 30 minutes ago, you have bypassed annoying and moved right into shrill and ineffectual.

Posted by Biloxi in Politics at 8:02 AM EDT

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Obama News Columnist Jennifer Hunter has made it official, only Republican politicians are responsible for the corruption and ethical lapses that have plagued politics since the dawn of time. In her column yesterday she weighed in on B.O. Superstar’s claimed agenda of improving ethics in government. Interesting in the column was that nary a Democrat politician was mentioned by name in her litany of corruption as she ticked off example after example. She goes back to the days pre-dating the Republic yet cannot seem to find a single example of Democratic corruption or even an ethical lapse openly worthy of mention.

According to the Reader’s Companion to American History, “systematic smuggling, graft, extortion and bribery in the colonies cost the British Treasury 700,000 pounds a year. Attempts were made from time to time to clean things up, but defiant juries and mercenary judges — one of whom remarked ‘that in his opinion the Nicetyes of the law ought not to be observed’ — invariably got in the way.”

Nice to know one party has the moral high ground and ethical underpinnings to establish clean government in this country. Considering the dearth of Democratic Party wrongdoing throughout governmental history, why don’t we just elect a solid slate of Donks and be done with it? Though Hunter briefly mentions the 1981 Abscam investigation that netted convictions of one US Senator and 6 members of the House of Representatives she glosses over it as she moves on to mention specifics involving Republicans. Abscam was an FBI corruption sting and of those convicted all were Democrats save one. Even current blowhard Rep. Jack Murtha managed to involve himself in that one as an un-indicted co-conspirator.

The nudge-nudge, wink-wink behavior between our representatives, lobbyists and interest groups continues to this day: Recall the careers of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, California Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham and convicted lobbyist extraordinaire Jack Abramoff.

Interesting how she can find all of the above ethical violators but couldn’t find it in her head to mention Rep. William Jefferson (D - Frigidaire) who is currently under indictment for taking bribes; or Tony Rezko, prolific fund raiser for Democratic politicians and Obama’s personal tie to ethical lapses. How about Dan Rostenkowski, (D - postage) former House Ways and Means Chairman who did time in Federal prison? The point here is that corruption and lack of ethics is an equal opportunity employer and even the sainted Barack Obama is not immune or adverse when the lapses benefit him or his agenda. Notable in her omissions is that she included Delay who has not yet and may never be convicted. The evidence against him is far weaker than the videotaped bribe that Jefferson accepted. Delay’s charges came from a political prosecutor in Ronnie Earle who had to run it by the Grand Jury more than once to get an indictment.

As Obama noted rightly in a speech last month: “It’s an entire culture in Washington — some of it legal, some of it not — that allows this to happen.”

Yes Senator, but you are hip deep in this culture despite attempts to portray yourself and pristine and above the fray. How else can Obama justify his support of Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, who has broken no laws but is a walking ethical contradiction? He supported Rod Blagojevich for Governor, another man immersed to his eyeballs in scandal.

Obama says he wants to “clean up both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue” and has offered several ethics reforms if he becomes president:

• • People who work for his administration and leave will be prevented from becoming lobbyists during his term in office.

• • Abuse of no-bid contracts will end.

• • Gifts from lobbyists will be banned.

• • Qualified people, not cronies for White House positions, will be hired.

• • Government will be made more transparent — for example, by using the Internet to publicize bills to be signed by the president.

A promising ethical agenda but hardly enforcable or believable, especially after his endorsement of Stroger, mayor of Cook County’s crony central. What determines qualification? In the end this is a promise that would prove to be implemented in a highly subjective manner, less ethical and more political. As with the rest of Obama’s platform, there is little or no flesh on them bones.

Sarah Dufendach, chief of legislative affairs for Common Cause, a government ethics watchdog, notes Obama’s effort to appoint an independent ethics commission for the Senate — an effort that failed. He promoted amendments and legislation to ban gifts and meals from lobbyists, end subsidized travel on corporate jets, apply more transparency to make it easier to find out who sponsored earmarks, etc.

Dufendach says publicly funded election campaigns would end most of politicians’ questionable ethics. She strongly supports the nonpartisan Fair Elections Now Act co-sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to reform campaign financing.

Would that ban on gifts include help buying a parcel of property next door to that being purchased by a political player of dubious ethical standing? While there is no evidence of legal wrongdoing Obama’s ethical entanglements do appear fishy at best.

Public funding for campaigns might be a partial answer to the ethics dilemma but term limits would be a better answer. As I have often said, as long as we have to point out that which is ethical, there is a problem as public service involves serving the public and not the individual(s). Ethics should be innate and one should be able to steer clear of lapses without a list of rules.

Ms. Hunter has shown us what the Chicago-Sun-Times means by a return to their “liberal, working class roots” and that means ignoring reality while following a single, political agenda. She is welcome to her opinion but it diverges from logic. Corruption is a governmental and societal issue, it is simply not the purview of a single party and any portrayal otherwise is dishonest.

Posted by Biloxi in Obamastan, Politics at 9:23 AM EDT

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Okay, okay Ktreva has shamed me out of my sloth. It is not that Ogfest, wasn’t worthy of writing about, it is just a matter of how to parse the words enough to keep my blog’s G-rating. Alright, it was only PG. At least the the hairiest Hooters Girl I’ve ever seen, kept the clothes on and prevented me from clawing my eyes out. What kind of person names a girl Harvey anyway?

Due to family obligations in the Republic, 6 kids, a stack of household chores and Mrs. Biloxi being gone for the better part of Saturday, I was unable to attend the Friday night festivities or either of the Saturday events. Bra shopping with Tammi did sound like a highlight. The dinner at Klas was fantastic and the roast even better, it was great to see Zonker and T1G again after having first met them at last year’s Ogfest. I hope T1G enjoys 40 as much as I did and who better to spend the year of awakening with than Liberace? I didn’t see anybody drinking out of beer pitchers (wink, wink) but Contagion and T1G were drinking out of some freakishly large beer glasses.

Graumagus, Jon, and Redneck were first time meetings for me but provided good conversation and entertainment through dinner though Jon did shame me out of the Schnitzel a la Holstein because he was afraid of what the anchovies might do to the room. I also briefly talked to Leslie though did not get to talk for long due to seating arrangements. My best impression of her is that I’m glad we had a grown-up in the room to offset the rest of the miscreants.

I was not able to make it to the late evening festivities and finished off the night in the bar having pleasant conversation with the great and powerful Og himself. A fitting wrap up to the evening.

The best thing about a meet like Ogfest is meeting some interesting people and finding their blogs. We can gain many things from said blogs, be it insight, entertainment or perhaps mental illness. Yeah, I know I stick mostly to political punditry and thus do not provide the same entertainment level as the aforementioned but hey, I only have a dozen or so readers to keep engaged.

Thanks to all who made Ogfest happen and to the attendees who made it worth showing up. I hope to see you all next year and get a chance to know you all better.

Posted by Biloxi in Biloxi Says at 9:00 AM EDT

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In years past Chicago had some compelling local conservative political talk radio but times have changed. Other than Tom Roeser for an hour every Sunday evening on WLS there is little to interest the local Chicago listener. A case can be made for Beyond the Beltway but it has more of a national focus. Don and Roma were once good but have become nearly unlistenable, perhaps the less interesting style is a nod to the new WLS management or maybe a sign that they have been at it too long. Other than Roeser the only interesting conservative talk left on WLS is Rush Limbaugh. At times over the top, definitely full of himself and often bombastic but always entertaining and informative. As is the case with many shows, one must be able to separate opinion from fact but the entertainmant value is significant. Jerry Agar (9-11 AM weekdays) is local but rarely interesting. A perceived rising star at ABC, he was foisted on the Chicago audience when current WLS management fired Teri O’Brien on Sundays and then Eileen Byrne to give him his current time slot. I guess management considers him erudite and intelligent (he’s actually read the Constitution you know) but he only comes across as boring.

A welcome addition to the radio dial is Salem Communications WIND. Unfortunately, with the exception of their morning show all of the programming is of a national focus. Laura Ingraham, Michael Medved, Hugh Hewitt, and Dennis Prager are excellent hosts and offer thoughtful programming. Dennis Miller offers a compelling show though it is on against Rush Limbaugh and will probably suffer in local ratings due to the overlap . While WIND has a credible and excellent radio station the local flavor is lacking. Though the current morning show is preferable to the intelligent but sleep inducing “Morning in America” with Bill Bennett that preceded, it is lackluster at best. Big John Howell has shown why he should have remained the country and western DJ he was for the 17 years prior to joining WIND. He likes what he likes but cannot articulate his reasoning or the foundation behind his principles. As such he is not convinvincing in his positions which tend to be all over the board and unengaging as infotainment. Big John’s partner Cisco Cotto is entertaining, informed and the consummate professional. His skills were largely underused as a contributor to the former Eileen Byrne show on WLS. Neither is he served well with this pairing.

With so many talented conservative professionals out there I find it perplexing that WIND management found Howell to be the best fit. Teri O’Brien who now hosts “Righttalk with Teri O’Brien” on the internet showed the ability to gain ratings and hold an audience when filling in for Don and Roma on WLS during their contract dispute in 2004. Her show was well received in a traditionally dead time slot of 12 - 3 PM on Sundays. Eileen Byrne and Deb Rowe were also available though they offer different styles. With a real chance to offer an improved product WIND stumbled. I still encourage others to listen to the variety of quality programming offered by WIND, I just suggest we demand a little more quality in our local hosts and think Chicago would be well served by discussing local issues. National politics are important but state and locals issues affect us far more and thus should see more daylight. With multiple options WIND felt it prudent to go to a host that is way out of his league in an unfamiliar format, something that has stunted the growth and potential of a great radio station. Unless a worthy competitor steps up we can only hope one of our existing conservative outlets sees the light and offers conservative talk that is far more substantive than the lightweight fare we are currently seeing.

Posted by Biloxi in Chicago, Illinois Politics, Politics at 4:20 PM EDT

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The Chicago Sun-Times editorial page is going to return to it’s liberal roots, as if it ever really left them. New editorial page editor Cheryl Reed opined in yesterday’s paper that by returning to the paper’s liberal roots it will actually be moving forward. The ironic part is that it is hard to return to something they never left. Tom Roeser offers another, similar perspective on his blog. Eloquently stated as always.

The publication has devoted nearly wall to wall coverage of Barack Obama’s campaign, assigning a full time columnist to him (see post below) while the Washington Political Editor Lynn Sweet openly fawns after him; to the extent she wrote that she wanted to follow him into the locker room after working out. They have endorsed nearly every liberal and/or Democratic candidate in the general election for years and now expect us to believe they were playing conservative by having Steve Huntley as the editorial page Editor? They have columnists such as Andrew Greeley, Ralph Martire (who has never seen a tax increase he wouldn’t advocate for), Jesse Jackson, Mary Mitchell, Neil Steinberg and others. Even the supposed political editor Carol Marin has a such a severe leftward tilt that it crosses your eyes to read her column. In balance they offer Robert Novak, a couple of times a week with Betsy Hart and the excellent Mark Steyn on Sundays. I do not complain about their politics, the editorial position of the paper is their prerogative and one I welcome so I can read both the logical positions and illogical rantings of the other side, but to characterize a further leftward tilt as a return to liberalism is somewhat of a stretch and most definitely a deception. You cannot return home when you never moved out of your room.

If you’ve been an avid reader of these pages, then you’ll know you’re reading history in the making. We are returning to our liberal, working-class roots, a position that pits us squarely opposite the Chicago Tribune — that Republican, George Bush-touting paper over on moneyed Michigan Avenue. We’re rethinking our stance on several issues, including the most pressing issue facing Americans today: Bush’s war in Iraq.

I guess that would indicate the paper is moving into the moon-battery laden editorial positions of the Daily Kos, Move-On.org and the Huffington Post. The above quote is a distinct volley in class warfare as advocated by the aforementioned blogs and organizations. The Chicago Tribune has hardly been conservative in its news content in recent years, offer Obama nearly as much coverage as the Times, often presenting liberal slanted news content. Even the editorial page, while more conservative than the Sun-Times, is hardly hard right; only appearing so when contrasted to the extreme left of the Chicago paper with the lesser circulation.

The middle class is not exactly liberal as many of the positions of the left are elitist in nature. The left lost any real connection with the middle-class , common man years ago. The middle class is hard working and in many ways socially conservative. This does not however, make them Republican by any means. They believe in fiscal restraint, personal responsibility and the rule of law. Many believe in a strong national security. Liberals blame the US for being attacked. None of these can be construed as liberal positions by any means. Mike Royko was an advocate for the middle class and socially liberal in many ways, sadly the paper can claim no such great voice any more. The new voice of the middle class is owned by John Kass over at the hated Tribune. Socially conservative with an eye for justice and a compassion for his fellow man. Like Royko he often portrays his views with a clever wit and sarcasm. Make no mistakes, he is not the new Mike Royko whom nobody can or will replace. Kass is his own voice, with different politics. He offers the same passion and advocacy for the common man, and writes it a distinct manner. He is a great writer like Royko but stands separate in style, as a city we are blessed to have had them both, may Kass continue for many years.

For The Sun-Times to return to their “middle class-roots” would be to abandon the hard left editorial positions and advocacy for victimhood, instead championing the stamina of the American working class, their perseverance against all odds and the triumph of the human spirit; all planks in the foundation that makes America great. Perhaps they could argue for less government and a move away from the nanny state that interferes with the common man, even as they are taxed to fund its continuance. Instead we can expect even more over-the-top elitism and a blind eye towards the common man they claim to champion. A sad state of affairs for a once great paper.

Posted by Biloxi in Liberal Illogic at 8:58 AM EDT

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In an attempt to be hip, The Obama News aka Chicago Sun-Times, has gone to an annoying photo angle for their columnists. Every scribe has a picture that has them peering towards the sky as if they are expecting a projectile of pigeon droppings at any moment. Maybe management didn’t give them a say in the angle but what in the world made Jennifer Hunter think the picture at the right was even remotely good?

I can’t tell if she was going for inquisitive or ghoulish but I’d vote for the latter. My guess is she is looking for a part in the zombie chronicles. Maybe I can put in a good word for her with the Dragonlady.

Adding a scary picture to a weak column is no measure of success and tells us little more than you are employed more because your husband is the publisher than as a result of any source of real talent. Of course fawning over Barack Obama is a talent Ms. Hunter possesses and one that is oft used at Chicago’s favorite tabloid. I guess it is better to be connected than good.

Posted by Biloxi in Biloxi Says at 9:45 AM EDT

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While reading my Townhall.com update this morning I came across an excellent column by Mona Charen concerning the whole immigration debate.

I agree with her that the recent defeat of a very bad “comprehensive” immigration bill in the Senate is no reason to rejoice as it doesn’t solve some of our current problems, though we should be encouraged as its passage would have made things worse.

I persist in feeling well disposed toward those who wish to become Americans (particularly Catholics from Latin America, as I believe these are eminently assimilable populations), and I do fret that the Republican Party may have inflicted serious political damage on itself by appearing to be anti-immigrant.

I would have to agree and I feel that many conservatives may also concur. I personally have written on multiple a occasions that it is not the immigrants themselves, but the illegality of their arrival I oppose. I do not feel people should be able to jump in line ahead those who follow the rules and expect to be placed in an advantageous position over them in the end. The Z visa did exactly that and no amount of parsing can change the fact it was amnesty. I feel legal immigrants for the most part are a boon to our country and would contribute immeasurably. As for the Republican Party appearing anti-immigrant; I must disagree. They have been painted by the left and their accomplice in a compliant media to be anti-immigrant but for the most part the Republican opponents of the bill said nothing even remotely anti- legal immigrant themselves. As a matter of fact, a case could be made for the same tag being applied to the Democrats, especially Ted Kennedy, as it is their espousal of a permanent underclass that can be reasonably be construed as anti-immigrant.

I have heard nothing to convince me that the illegal immigration problem is not a reflection of legal immigration quotas that are too low. We have a full employment economy and a poor neighbor to the south. Is it any shock that employers are loath to turn away willing workers or that impoverished people are streaming across the Rio Grande? Are these low-skilled workers? You bet. Do we need them? Arguably yes.

I wholeheartedly agree. I stand in support of raising legal immigration quotas through a guest worker program that has a definitive path to citizenship. A program wherein employers can find workers of varied skill levels and sponsor them. I have written on this before and believe there is a workable solution that does not offer amnesty but does deal with the issue by offering increased legal immigration to the benefit of the employers, the immigrant workers and ultimately the United States of America by strengthening her economy and adding valuable citizens with the work ethic and pride in country that has always been a key component to our great nation. Remember it was the Democrats (Byron Dorgan and Barack Obama) who introduced amendments that sunset the guest worker program, not the Republicans. This was a nod to the unions and had nothing to do with compassion for the immigrant or the best interests of our country. Not to mention that a guest worker program that offers no path to citizenship is an invitation to more illegal immigration.

If I were writing the law all by myself, I’d increase the legal immigration levels, beef up border enforcement, establish a national ID card so that we could really know who is here, and reform welfare so that only those who truly want to work would be tempted to immigrate. I’d also reform education to convey the greatness of this nation (warts and all). So here I am, in the awkward middle.

Hard to argue with such a reasoned assessment. The problem is very few of our Senators looked at this rationally and instead took a political view imagining the estimated 12 - 20 million votes they thought they could woo. Mass deportation was never an option and wasn’t even proposed to the best of my knowledge. Take away the incentive and they will either go home permanently or go home temporarily and reapply through a system that allows then to come in and provide their labor to work for the promise that America offers. Comprehensive is never good when talking about a complex problem and the gas-baggery of the U.S. Senate. Break it into components and pass them separately, including and especially the components Ms. Charen outlined in the quote above.

Calling the recent steaming pile “the best that we can expect” shortchanges everyone. The citizenry, the employers and the immigrants themselves. It is akin to voting for the “lesser of two evils”. In the end you still get evil so you may as well stick to principle. To that end you will never go wrong.

Ultimately, I don’t think Charen is in the middle at all, her ideas are reasonable, respect the rule of law and could be construed as conservative. If not, I guess I’m in the middle on this one as well.

Posted by Biloxi in Immigration at 9:01 AM EDT

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Albert Gore III was arrested yesterday for suspicion of possessing marijuana and prescription drugs. I hope the ganja was grown in such a manner as to offset his father’s enormous carbon footprint.

Interesting in the arrest was that he was originally pulled over for driving 100 MPH, in a Toyota Prius! Frankly, I’m amazed the vehicle can do 100. I guess the question we all need to know is what kind of mileage he got at that speed.

The new Gore slogan: Environmentally conscious, Socially Irresponsible.

Hey, at least he was paying attention, he did have Adderall in the car after all.

Posted by Biloxi in Liberal Illogic at 8:06 AM EDT

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