Brownback Gets It!
Our 2nd favorite liberal site has a posting about Sam Brownback denouncing Tom Tancredo for his links to John Tanton and his links to Planned Parenthood!
Now, the next question is just what he knows about Tanton and will he denounce all the various anti-immigration organizations NYTimes profile of NumbersUSA
Immigration Prof Blog
Gilchrist is being sued again!
Laura at Pursuing Holiness is joining the sick and tired of hearing GOP candidates pander by quoting Reagan when they don’t mean it and don’t act like him! Yes!
Is Fred Thompson exploiting a loop-hole in campaign finance reporting?
GRAHAM v. WEBB
Too bad conservatives have marching papers from Tanton, etc. and must consider Lindsey Graham the devil’s spawn or they would be quite impressed with the face off he had today with Tim Russett ducking for cover. MSNBC transcript.
“…SEN. GRAHAM: When they re-enlist in the highest numbers anywhere else in the military, they’re speaking...
SEN. WEBB: You know, this is one thing I really—this is one thing I really take objection to...
SEN. GRAHAM: ...the soldiers are speaking, my friend. Let them win.
SEN. WEBB: ...is politicians who—at the...
SEN. GRAHAM: Let them win.
SEN. WEBB: Politicians who—may I speak?
SEN. GRAHAM: They want to win, let them win.
SEN. WEBB: Is politicians who try to put their political views into the mouths of soldiers. You can look at poll after poll, and the political views of the United States military are no different than the country at large. Go take a look at The New York Times today.
SEN. GRAHAM: The soldiers...
SEN. WEBB: Less than half of the military believes that we should be in Iraq in the first place.
SEN. GRAHAM: Have you been to Iraq? Have you ever been and talked to them? I’ve been seven times.
SEN. WEBB: You know, have you ever been to these—I’ve been—I’ve covered two wars as a correspondent...
SEN. GRAHAM: Have you been to Iraq?
SEN. WEBB: I have been to Afghanistan as a journalist.
SEN. GRAHAM: Have you been to Iraq and—have you been to Iraq and talked to the soldiers?
SEN. WEBB: You know, you haven’t been to Iraq.
SEN. GRAHAM: I’ve been to—I’ve been there seven times.
SEN. WEBB: You know, you go see the dog and pony shows.
SEN. GRAHAM: I’ve been there as a reservist, I have been there and I’m going back in August.
SEN. WEBB: That’s what congressmen do. Yeah, I have, I have—I’ve been a member of the military when the senators come in.
SEN. GRAHAM: Well, all—listen, something we can agree on, we both admire the men and women in uniform. I don’t doubt your patriotism.
SEN. WEBB: Don’t put political words in their mouth.
SEN. GRAHAM: You know, my election...
SEN. WEBB: You do it—you’ve been doing it ever since I’ve been in Congress.
SEN. GRAHAM: I’m up for re-election. Every Republican who’s supporting this position is doing it against the polls.
SEN. WEBB: You know, you said on the floor, “Let them win. They want it.”
SEN. GRAHAM: This is not about my election, my friend...
SEN. WEBB: They want it, my friend.
SEN. GRAHAM: ...this is about the next generation.
SEN. WEBB: No, you said on the floor this week, “Let them win.”
SEN. GRAHAM: The troops are not the problem. The troops can win. I...
SEN. WEBB: Thirty-five percent of the United States military agrees with the policy of this president.
SEN. GRAHAM: Well, why do they keep...
SEN. WEBB: By poll. By poll.
SEN. GRAHAM: ...re-enlisting? Why do they go back?
SEN. WEBB: Because they love their country.
SEN. GRAHAM: That’s not the problem. No, because...
SEN. WEBB: Because they love their country, they do not do it for political reasons.
SEN. GRAHAM: And they...
SEN. WEBB: My family’s been doing this since the Revolutionary war.
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah, well, so, so has my family.
SEN. WEBB: They do it for—they do it because they love their country, because they have a tradition, and it is the responsibility of our national leaders to make sure that they are used properly.
SEN. GRAHAM: In conclusion, I think they go back because they see the face of the enemy that we’re fighting. They don’t want their...
SEN. WEBB: Well, you got to look at the polls, Lindsey, instead of...
SEN. GRAHAM: ...kids to go back, they don’t want their grandkids to go back.
SEN. WEBB: ...instead of the seven or eight people they bring in line when you make your congressional visit.
SEN. GRAHAM: Bin Laden said this is the third world war in Iraq. They go back because they know the consequences of losing. God bless them, and let’s make sure they can win, because they can.
SEN. WEBB: I’ll let them judge what you said.
MR. RUSSERT: To be continued.
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah. Thank you….”
SEN. WEBB: You know, this is one thing I really—this is one thing I really take objection to...
SEN. GRAHAM: ...the soldiers are speaking, my friend. Let them win.
SEN. WEBB: ...is politicians who—at the...
SEN. GRAHAM: Let them win.
SEN. WEBB: Politicians who—may I speak?
SEN. GRAHAM: They want to win, let them win.
SEN. WEBB: Is politicians who try to put their political views into the mouths of soldiers. You can look at poll after poll, and the political views of the United States military are no different than the country at large. Go take a look at The New York Times today.
SEN. GRAHAM: The soldiers...
SEN. WEBB: Less than half of the military believes that we should be in Iraq in the first place.
SEN. GRAHAM: Have you been to Iraq? Have you ever been and talked to them? I’ve been seven times.
SEN. WEBB: You know, have you ever been to these—I’ve been—I’ve covered two wars as a correspondent...
SEN. GRAHAM: Have you been to Iraq?
SEN. WEBB: I have been to Afghanistan as a journalist.
SEN. GRAHAM: Have you been to Iraq and—have you been to Iraq and talked to the soldiers?
SEN. WEBB: You know, you haven’t been to Iraq.
SEN. GRAHAM: I’ve been to—I’ve been there seven times.
SEN. WEBB: You know, you go see the dog and pony shows.
SEN. GRAHAM: I’ve been there as a reservist, I have been there and I’m going back in August.
SEN. WEBB: That’s what congressmen do. Yeah, I have, I have—I’ve been a member of the military when the senators come in.
SEN. GRAHAM: Well, all—listen, something we can agree on, we both admire the men and women in uniform. I don’t doubt your patriotism.
SEN. WEBB: Don’t put political words in their mouth.
SEN. GRAHAM: You know, my election...
SEN. WEBB: You do it—you’ve been doing it ever since I’ve been in Congress.
SEN. GRAHAM: I’m up for re-election. Every Republican who’s supporting this position is doing it against the polls.
SEN. WEBB: You know, you said on the floor, “Let them win. They want it.”
SEN. GRAHAM: This is not about my election, my friend...
SEN. WEBB: They want it, my friend.
SEN. GRAHAM: ...this is about the next generation.
SEN. WEBB: No, you said on the floor this week, “Let them win.”
SEN. GRAHAM: The troops are not the problem. The troops can win. I...
SEN. WEBB: Thirty-five percent of the United States military agrees with the policy of this president.
SEN. GRAHAM: Well, why do they keep...
SEN. WEBB: By poll. By poll.
SEN. GRAHAM: ...re-enlisting? Why do they go back?
SEN. WEBB: Because they love their country.
SEN. GRAHAM: That’s not the problem. No, because...
SEN. WEBB: Because they love their country, they do not do it for political reasons.
SEN. GRAHAM: And they...
SEN. WEBB: My family’s been doing this since the Revolutionary war.
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah, well, so, so has my family.
SEN. WEBB: They do it for—they do it because they love their country, because they have a tradition, and it is the responsibility of our national leaders to make sure that they are used properly.
SEN. GRAHAM: In conclusion, I think they go back because they see the face of the enemy that we’re fighting. They don’t want their...
SEN. WEBB: Well, you got to look at the polls, Lindsey, instead of...
SEN. GRAHAM: ...kids to go back, they don’t want their grandkids to go back.
SEN. WEBB: ...instead of the seven or eight people they bring in line when you make your congressional visit.
SEN. GRAHAM: Bin Laden said this is the third world war in Iraq. They go back because they know the consequences of losing. God bless them, and let’s make sure they can win, because they can.
SEN. WEBB: I’ll let them judge what you said.
MR. RUSSERT: To be continued.
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah. Thank you….”
Bill Kristol stands up for George W. Bush.
THE CONSERVATIVE VERSION OF GEORGE SOROS
Richard Mellon Scaife
His causes
Scaife foundations have donated over $340 million to “right” groups in the past 30 years, making him the top conservative donor. Strangely enough, even though he gives to ‘conservative’ causes, is a huge donor to Planned Parenthood a cause he shares with John Tanton.
Follow Scaife’s money.
To me, most damning is the fact that Scaife has bankrolled the conservative rebellion in the Anglican and Episcopal Churches.
Family members and dollar signs.
FROM RIGHT WEB
According to the National Center for Responsive Philanthropy, Scaife Foundation assets totaled $323,029,669 in 2001. Between 1999 and 2001, Scaife gave $44,800,500. Together, the three Scaife Foundations represent the largest source of conservative foundation giving, followed by the Bradley and Olin foundations. (13)
Top Scaife recipients, according to aggregate totals for the period 1985-2003 produced by Mediatransparency.org: (20)
Top 20 Policy Institutes
Free Congress Foundation $16,362,000
Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis 9,996,000
Intercollegiate Studies Institute 7,879,800
Carnegie Institute 7,176,375
Center for the Study of Popular Culture 5,675,000
Social Philosophy and Policy Foundation 5,200,000
National Association of Scholars 4,256,000
Capital Research Center 3,785,000
Maldon Institute 3,335,000
Foundation for Cultural Review 3,166,000
Allegheny Institute for Public Policy 2,971,000
Ethics and Public Policy Center 2,585,000
National Strategy Information Center 2,563,000
George C. Marshall Institute 2,467,500
National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise 2,401,000
Claremont Institute 2,300,000
Political Economy Research Center 2,292,000
Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy 2,272,000
Collegiate Network, Inc. 2,255,000
Atlas Economic Research Foundation 2,025,000
Total $90,962,675
Top 10 Think Tanks
Heritage Foundation $21,496,640
Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace 9,043,900
Center for Strategic & International Studies 8,023,000
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research 5,726,000
Center for Security Policy 3,676,000
Manhattan Institute 3,623,000
Hudson Institute 3,179,000
Cato Institute 1,932,500
Foreign Policy Research Institute 1,265,000
National Institute for Public Policy 1,100,000
Total $59,065,040
Top 10 Legal Grantees
Judicial Watch $7,740,000
Landmark Legal Foundation 5,760,000
University of Virginia Law School Foundation 3,959,000
Washington Legal Foundation 3,870,000
Pacific Legal Foundation 3,105,000
Federalist Society 2,680,000
American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education 1,920,000
Southeastern Legal Foundation 1,650,000
American Legislative Exchange Council 1,510,000
Atlantic Legal Foundation 1,430,000
Total $33,624,000
Top 10 Universities
Tufts University $4,350,000
University of Pittsburgh 3,948,622
University of Chicago 3,935,800
Carnegie Mellon University 3,881,000
New York University 2,782,000
Bowling Green State University 2,515,500
Boston University (Boston) 2,215,000
Duquesne University 2,211,000
University of Virginia 2,191,208
Pepperdine University 1,950,000
Total $29,980,130
Top 5 Media-Related Grantees
American Spectator Educational Foundation, Inc. $4,144,000
Accuracy in Media 3,650,000
Reason Foundation 1,843,500
Foundation for American Communications 1,415,000
Media Research Center, Inc. 1,302,000
Total $12,354,500
Right Web connections
Individuals
Elliott Abrams
Edwin Feulner
Irving Kristol
Richard Pipes
Paul Weyrich
Organizations
Accuracy in Media
American Enterprise Institute
American Security Council Foundation
Center for Equal Opportunity
Center for Immigration Studies
Center for Security Policy
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Committee for the Free World
Committee on the Present Danger
Empower America
Ethics and Public Policy Center
Federalist Society
Federation for American Immigration Reform
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Freedom House
Heritage Foundation
High Frontier
Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace
Hudson Institute
Independent Women's Forum
Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies
Institute on Religion and Democracy
Institute on Religion and Public Life
Jamestown Foundation
Manhattan Institute
National Endowment for Democracy
National Institute for Public Policy
The National Interest
National Strategy Information Center
NumbersUSA
Philanthropy Roundtable
ProEnglish
Contact Information
Scaife Foundations One Oxford Centre 301 Grant Street, Suite 3900 Pittsburgh, PA 15219-6401 Phone: (412) 392-2900..."
Top Scaife recipients, according to aggregate totals for the period 1985-2003 produced by Mediatransparency.org: (20)
Top 20 Policy Institutes
Free Congress Foundation $16,362,000
Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis 9,996,000
Intercollegiate Studies Institute 7,879,800
Carnegie Institute 7,176,375
Center for the Study of Popular Culture 5,675,000
Social Philosophy and Policy Foundation 5,200,000
National Association of Scholars 4,256,000
Capital Research Center 3,785,000
Maldon Institute 3,335,000
Foundation for Cultural Review 3,166,000
Allegheny Institute for Public Policy 2,971,000
Ethics and Public Policy Center 2,585,000
National Strategy Information Center 2,563,000
George C. Marshall Institute 2,467,500
National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise 2,401,000
Claremont Institute 2,300,000
Political Economy Research Center 2,292,000
Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy 2,272,000
Collegiate Network, Inc. 2,255,000
Atlas Economic Research Foundation 2,025,000
Total $90,962,675
Top 10 Think Tanks
Heritage Foundation $21,496,640
Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace 9,043,900
Center for Strategic & International Studies 8,023,000
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research 5,726,000
Center for Security Policy 3,676,000
Manhattan Institute 3,623,000
Hudson Institute 3,179,000
Cato Institute 1,932,500
Foreign Policy Research Institute 1,265,000
National Institute for Public Policy 1,100,000
Total $59,065,040
Top 10 Legal Grantees
Judicial Watch $7,740,000
Landmark Legal Foundation 5,760,000
University of Virginia Law School Foundation 3,959,000
Washington Legal Foundation 3,870,000
Pacific Legal Foundation 3,105,000
Federalist Society 2,680,000
American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education 1,920,000
Southeastern Legal Foundation 1,650,000
American Legislative Exchange Council 1,510,000
Atlantic Legal Foundation 1,430,000
Total $33,624,000
Top 10 Universities
Tufts University $4,350,000
University of Pittsburgh 3,948,622
University of Chicago 3,935,800
Carnegie Mellon University 3,881,000
New York University 2,782,000
Bowling Green State University 2,515,500
Boston University (Boston) 2,215,000
Duquesne University 2,211,000
University of Virginia 2,191,208
Pepperdine University 1,950,000
Total $29,980,130
Top 5 Media-Related Grantees
American Spectator Educational Foundation, Inc. $4,144,000
Accuracy in Media 3,650,000
Reason Foundation 1,843,500
Foundation for American Communications 1,415,000
Media Research Center, Inc. 1,302,000
Total $12,354,500
Right Web connections
Individuals
Elliott Abrams
Edwin Feulner
Irving Kristol
Richard Pipes
Paul Weyrich
Organizations
Accuracy in Media
American Enterprise Institute
American Security Council Foundation
Center for Equal Opportunity
Center for Immigration Studies
Center for Security Policy
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Committee for the Free World
Committee on the Present Danger
Empower America
Ethics and Public Policy Center
Federalist Society
Federation for American Immigration Reform
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Freedom House
Heritage Foundation
High Frontier
Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace
Hudson Institute
Independent Women's Forum
Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies
Institute on Religion and Democracy
Institute on Religion and Public Life
Jamestown Foundation
Manhattan Institute
National Endowment for Democracy
National Institute for Public Policy
The National Interest
National Strategy Information Center
NumbersUSA
Philanthropy Roundtable
ProEnglish
Contact Information
Scaife Foundations One Oxford Centre 301 Grant Street, Suite 3900 Pittsburgh, PA 15219-6401 Phone: (412) 392-2900..."
DREAMS, REGULATIONS, AND NO SENSE OF HUMOR
Friday night I finally saw The Astronaut Farmer. Okay, I know I am behind the curve, but the biggest drawback I’ve found in living in the wilds of New Mexico is the total lack of civilized movie facilities. Even the big ‘multi-plex’ in Las Cruces, the 2nd largest city in the state is pathetic. They’re getting a new one in Alamo, but I am not holding my breath. Here in Ruidoso, The Sierra Cinema is pathetic at best. I swear my 14” flat screen is larger than one of their screens (there are only about 10 rows of seats in it – I swear) and the sound is better on the television. So, unless it is something terribly important like a new Star Wars or Trek, (or a new Harrison Ford) I just don’t bother.
The opening scene in the movie is almost in my back yard (okay 45 miles). It is a magnificent display of nature I can visit any time I wish, and will be doing so on Sunday for Sydney’s 8th birthday celebration, phase 2. Phase 1 was high tea at my parents (her official “2nd” grandparents). She was adorable and on display, very grown up.
Back to my bragging. I can see White Sands any time I wish. If you’ve never experienced it, and are heading out this way, it is a must. The entire movie was filmed here in NM. Before I get into the storyline, it displays life in New Mexico and West Texas to its fullest. This is life here. It is different. People here are different. Unless I were to inherit the family castle (or such that might exist in Scotland) I can’t think of anywhere I would rather call home 75% of the year. My ultimate lifestyle would include serious Island time mon, but there is no other place like this country. I thought the most ‘real’ part of the film was when it was discovered the ranch hand might not be entirely legal. No one really cared. The guy was just doing his job.
Okay, it was a hokey, Field of Dreams knock-off with a feel-good aura. But – there is a point here. In this age of ‘terror’ and over-regulation, Patriot Act, and abject fear of every sneeze, and idiosyncrasy, is suspect, no one has a sense of humor. The them of the film was go for your dream, no matter what. Unfortunately, the powers that be would now allow Astronaut Farmer to go for his dream. No sane person could possibly want to build a rocket and go into space. It had to be an ICBM. He had to be a disgruntled suicidal person with death and terror on his mind. Every move he made was scrutinized by the Feds. He had a permanent FBI detail after him at all times. He made a fool of the system, which did appear and is quite foolish.
Somehow, some time, we need to stop and sit back, breathe, count to fifty, and go on with our lives. So what if insane masters of religious mayhem want to destroy our way of life. If we become any more over-regulated, sanitized, scrutinized, patriotized, and TASisized they will have won without firing additional shots or crashing additional planes. If we aren’t cowering over terror, we are either filing lawsuits or are fighting them.
We quake.
We cower.
We threaten, snivel, remove our shoes and submit to humiliating body searches that are not necessary.
We have allowed Islamic Terror to destroy something wonderful and good about our society. If we don’t stop and smell the rocket fuel, and demand to be allowed to launch a few of our own into orbit, everything that is good and special about that glorious word – AMERICA – will be gone forever.
I think it is time for all of us to say enough is enough. I don’t give a darn what the terrorists are going to try, they are not going to rob me of my freedom. I want racial profiling. I want to be able to fly again – graciously, and not like I am a refugee waiting for a bus to pick me up and dump me at the airport. I want the freedom to have more than six cats and not spay any of them if I darn well please, and can feed them all in the manner in which cats should live graciously. I want to thumb my nose at authority and not be hauled in for a terrorist act. The days of zero tolerance need to come to a rapid and abrupt end.
GREAT BLOGS TO READ - DAILY
Let’s talk blog consistency for a moment. They say the truth about blogging is constant consistency and reliability. It takes dedication and a bit of megalomaniac insanity to think that someone other than your immediate family, friends, and associates (who are a captured audience) are actually interested in your opinion. We all know the “Biggies” but there are a whole host of blogs out there that day in and day out do yoeman’s work – very good work. In my humble opinion, two of the very best are Flopping Aces and Stratasphere.
Curt’s July 14 posting at Flopping Aces simply proves my point. These past few weeks, AJ Strata has been doing excellent work on Al Qaeda and the War on Terror. You could probably dedicate and entire afternoon dealing with his postings on the war, the Dems, and conservative crazies.
James Joyner at Outside the Beltway is another must read. You definitely to see his comment on the latest Clinton-Edwards confab.
The other “must read” is Blog Lizards. And, you ‘must read’ the posting about Lugar, Warner, and the GOP’s plan to take over as ‘Commander in Chief’.
![Pink Flamingo [Home]](http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii147/blog_photos_album/flamingo_crossing.jpg)
