Politics and bed sheets

Couple of interesting stories, all revolving around Senator Robert Brown, (D - Macon), Senate Minority Leader. First there were the inflammatory remarks he made about state Rep. Allen Peake, (R - Macon).

Brown, during the taping of an interview with Peake, said that a legislator who recently switched to the Republican Party might need to keep his white sheets "for the midnight meeting." Peake recently made the switch from Democrat to Republican. Brown has since said he was not referring to the KKK, but to sex.

On the 31st while leaving a press conference one of Brown's associates attacked a photographer. Rather than try to recap stories when I wasn't present, I'll link to two that do a good job of outlining the whole fiasco. The photographer has filed charges.

Here's a video of the attack. It kind of hangs at the beginning so hang in there when it goes blank. Here's a link if the video doesn't play for you: http://videos.macon.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=46449141&item_index=1&all=1&sort=NULL



Peake Offended by Brown's 'White Sheet' Comment
State Rep. Allen Peake says he's offended by Sen. Robert Brown's comments that seemed to compare Georgia Republicans to the Ku Klux Klan.
It happened Tuesday morning as the pair went toe-to-toe on several issues during a taping of 13WMAZ's Close-Up program.
http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=106782&catid=7

Telegraph photographer attacked after news conference
By JIM GAINES and SHELBY SPIRES - Telegraph writers
A man apparently accompanying state Sen. Robert Brown to a hurriedly called Thursday news conference attacked and injured Telegraph photographer Woody Marshall at Macon City Hall, prompting conflicting stories from those involved.Read more: http://www.macon.com/2010/12/31/1393922/telegraph-photographer-attacked.html#ixzz19yWSsQkt

Cap and Trade: Get 'em to change their vote!

From my friend Steve:

Dear Friends: Jill Rethman of Hawaii send out the message below (I've put it in italics) regarding the "Cap and Tr8tor" Republicans who voted for the absurd cap and trade bill that will cost many Americans their jobs . . . and all Americans higher energy prices. As you know, the bill passed by a vote of 219-212. In the vote, 211 Democrats voted for the bill . . . along with 8 (eight) Republicans. As Jill indicates, it's essential that we put pressure on the Republicans to change their votes. If four of them do, Cap and Trade will be defeated, as it should be.

ALOHA, ALL!

My friend Garry alerted me to the fact that those who voted for the Cap and Trade bill have until Wednesday, July 1, to change their votes. This means that if we put enough pressure on the eight Republicans who voted for this ridiculous bill, they could change their "Yeas" to "Nays"!

Wouldn't that be a great Independence Day gift?

Here they are with their contact info:

Cap and Tr8tors - 8 Republicans Who Voted for Cap and Trade

Call and fax them!!! Let's burn up their lines - I understand the congressional switchboard was frozen Friday because of all the calls.

GOD BLESS AMERICA - PASS THIS ON!

P.S. When calling, be respectful but firm. State that you are a concerned American who doesn't want higher taxes and higher costs. Request that they change their votes for the good of current and future Americans and that we are counting on them to do the right thing. If they all change their votes, the bill goes down!

They're coming to get me, hee hee, ha ha...

No, really, they are.

I'm serious.

You think I'm joking?

Not.

You have to read this one to believe it...

Democrat Proposes Jail Time for 'Hostile' Bloggers
We know that the government is becoming more and more audacious in its attempts to control our lives and regulate our speech and whatever it thinks we're thinking (see the newest iteration of the federal Hate Crimes law), so a new story from Wired should come as no surprise. Looks like Democratic Rep. Linda Sanchez, Calif., is ready to throw mean-old bloggers in the hoosegow.
http://townhall.com/blog/g/b719c095-9ae8-4eb4-a9f7-9e3911a527db

Prison Awaiting Hostile Bloggers
Proposed congressional legislation would demand up to two years in prison for those whose electronic speech is meant to “coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person.”
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/05/prison-awaiting-hostile-bloggers/

As a friend of mine commented, who defines hostile?

One person's hostile is another person's humor is another person's stupid.

Are the Democrats going to define hostile? lawyers? politicians? ministers? atheists? environmentalists? the military? gun owners? your mother?

Lest you think that this doesn't pertain to you, think again. The bill (HR 1966) doesn't just pick on bloggers. Oh no, it's fair in its unfairness. It includes email, telephones, instant messaging, text messages and website. Yep, if you are hostile (however someone might define it) via any device using electronic means, you could be jailed for up to two, count 'em, two years.

Can you imagine going to jail for two years and not having access to your cell phone, computer or telephone? Talk about hostile.

If you "coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person”, per the bill, off you go to the pokey.

What is it with Democrats and free speech? What happened to all the peace, love and freedom loving types from the 60s and 70s? Did they take sour pills? Free speech has come to mean speech that I like and can agree with wholeheartedly. I can yell, but you can't. I can tear you down but you can't reciprocate.

Remember "sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never harm me"? Seems that we've become so sensitive and wimpy that words are worse than sticks or stones.

What's next? Thought crimes? Oh, wait, we may already be there. I haven't gotten into the issue much, but there are some who wonder why beating up a person of another race or sexual preference is worse than beating up someone who's of the same race or sexual persuasion.

Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and friends want to shut down talk radio because they don't like what's being said. Now a fellow Democrat wants to go after bloggers. Just how long do you think it'll be before we're living in some Orwellian nightmare world once we start down the road Sanchez and her ilk are trying to shove us?

I don't like hate-speech, harassment, nastiness any more than the next person. However, I defy anyone to find a definition that the majority of us can agree upon. I also think we're getting really, really stupid with this stuff.

Oh man, I think that comment might have been somewhat hostile. Cuff me, I'm a cyberbully.

Here's part of the bill:

SEC. 3. CYBERBULLYING.
(a) In General- Chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:`Sec. 881. Cyberbullying
`(a) Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.`(b) As used in this section--
`(1) the term `communication' means the electronic transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user's choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received; and`
(2) the term `electronic means' means any equipment dependent on electrical power to access an information service, including email, instant messaging, blogs, websites, telephones, and text messages.'

House Schedule for Tuesday

Now that I'm getting daily updates on the House schedule, I can't help but wonder what happens after they enact some of this stuff. I can't imagine that once some of these bills are passed and become law that many, if any, who voted on them ever know what happens afterward.

The volume of stuff going through is amazing. Can you imagine what would happen if all of a sudden everyone from the top down started doing half the things that are enacted way up on the lofty D.C. grounds? We hear it all the time in regards to things like illegal immigrants --- if we followed the letter of the law we wouldn't need new laws or bills or acts. It seems to me that a lot of the bills aren't worth the paper they're printed on (assuming anything is printed these days ;-).

There are a couple on this list I'm going to look up - Reducing Over-Classification Act? Fair, Accurate, Secure, and Timely Redress Act? Not sure what the National Bombing Prevention Act is either...

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2009:
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for Morning Hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Unlimited One Minutes per side. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

Suspensions (7 Bills)
1) H.R. 748 - Campus Safety Act of 2009 (Rep. Scott (VA) – Judiciary)
2) H.R. 738 - Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2009 (Rep. Scott (VA) – Judiciary)
3) H.Res. 82 - Raising Awareness and Encouraging Prevention of Stalking by Establishing January 2009 as National Stalking Awareness Month (Rep. Poe – Judiciary)
4) H.Res. __ - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week’ (Rep. Lewis (GA) – Judiciary)
5) H.R. 553 - Reducing Over-Classification Act (Rep. Harman – Homeland Security)
6) H.R. 559 - Fair, Accurate, Secure, and Timely Redress Act (Rep. Clarke – Homeland Security)
7) H.R. 549 - National Bombing Prevention Act (Rep. King (NY) – Homeland Security)

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4; THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5; FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2009:
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business.
On Thursday, no votes are expected in the House.
On Friday, no votes are expected in the House.

S. 352 – The DTV Delay Act (Sen. Rockefeller – Energy and Commerce) (Subject to a Rule)

Senate Amendment to H.R. 2 – The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (Rep. Pallone – Energy and Commerce) (Subject to a Rule)

* Conference Reports may be brought up at any time.
* Motions to go to Conference should they become available.
* Possible Motions to Instruct Conferees.

Fairness?

A number of people have sent me the article below today regarding Nancy Pelosi's attempts to ensure there is no balance in the House. I'll let you read the article to get the full details, but it's another scary happening in the works that has me wondering even more about the future of our country.

I listened recently to Rep. Steny Hoyer answering questions on a talk show. One of the questions dealt with the Union bill which will do away with secret ballots (Employee Free Choice Act). He's all for it and expects it to come up --- and pass --- this year. If you're unfamiliar, it's a bill that will basically take away an employees right to vote for or against a Union in private. Talk about intimidation, not to mention basic rights. Try to imagine how fast Unions are going to take over business after business.

Then there is the so-called "Fairness Doctrine". That one is on the horizon also. In broad strokes, it will force equal time for views from both sides of the political spectrum. On the radio. Ya know, the area that conservatives dominate at the moment...

I'd be against this Bill even if it did extend to mainstream media news, television and theater. Can you imagine a world where in every show if someone said "global warming" the other guys would have equal time to disprove it? Nah, me either. No way the Dems are going to allow that to happen! However, if this bill passes, and it probably will given the make-up of Congress, it's going to be a nasty mess. I'll have to write another blog on what I think will happen if the Fairness Doctrine becomes law some day.

I wonder how long it will be after the Fairness Doctrine passes before this cancerous trend starts worming its way into other arenas? How long before freedom of speech and freedom of the press are history?

I'd like to think we won't get that far, but when ideology trumps common sense and power gives temporary invincibility, anything can happen.

I hope all my readers will go do a bit of research on the three issues I've mentioned: the rule changes being proposed by Pelosi (below), the new Union bill (ironically called the Employee Free Choice Act) and the Fairness Doctrine. Nothing fair 'bout any of 'em.

Pelosi Erases Gingrich's Long-Standing Fairness Rules
by Connie Hair
01/05/2009
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to re-write House rules today to ensure that the Republican minority is unable to have any influence on legislation. Pelosi’s proposals are so draconian, and will so polarize the Capitol, that any thought President-elect Obama has of bipartisan cooperation will be rendered impossible before he even takes office.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=30143#continueA

Cindy Sheehan

This blog doesn't need another title. The name Cindy Sheehan says all that needs to be said. Regardless of whether you love what she's doing or hate what she's doing, she has definitely managed to make herself famous.

I'm not one that loves what she's doing, or even likes what she's doing. I'm sure she'd hit me over the head with a protest sign if I opted to have a verbal exchange with her. I was going to say conversation, but from what I've seen and read civil discourse wouldn't be in the cards given that she and I have opposing views on "her issues".

If you're reading this column chances are you're somewhat knowledgeable about politics. So, I'm sure you're aware she's running against Nancy Pelosi in California. I should probably set up some Google Alerts just to keep up with that one, it has to be interesting.

Well, it seems that Sheehan is going to be at the Rose Bowl Parade protesting in a few days.

That aggravated me. The parade has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Iraq, politics of any sort, George W. Bush, the military or anything remotely connected to any of those issues.

Why ruin a perfectly innocent parade for the kids? for the families? for those who have worked so hard to create the floats? the bands? the schools?

You and I know why. She chose that event simply because it will garner national attention. The stories about the Rose Bowl Parade are going to include her name and some mention of the protest.

I believe in the right to protest. Peacefully and without disruption.

Make your case. Go protest at the local military base. Go stand outside when the President is speaking somewhere.

But don't rain on OUR parade.

Teeny, tiny turnout...

I know it was a special election at a strange time. I know it's the Christmas holidays. I know the length of the campaign was super truncated.

But only 3,608 people voted.

There are 21 precincts in District 72. If I'm reading the numbers correctly, there are 32,344 registered voters who could have voted today. The percentage who chose to vote is in the 11 - 12 percent range.

The lone Democrat in the race, Kevin Madden, garnered close to 16% of the vote.
Steve Brown's total was just under 25%.
Heidi Becker Vaisvil took slightly over 6% in her first foray into politics.
Matt Ramsey, all along the favorite to win, took the election without a run off with 53.35 percent of the vote.

I talked to people off and on over the past few weeks trying to get a feel for who was likely to vote. I was amazed at how many people simply didn't know there was an election.

There were signs all over the place, unusual at this time of year. Some had noted the signs but they didn't register, or they thought it must be for an election at some distant point.

I was surprised at how many people said they didn't read the local newspapers.

I know we had it on the Fayette Front Page, but it was down in the Political section so I'm not sure how many people pay attention to that section. Politics has a tendency to turn a lot of people off completely. Can't say that I blame them. There are times when I wish I didn't know as much as I do!

Every election I lament how few come out to vote. I think our focus is backwards. When there's a presidential election the turnout is overwhelming. When there is a state-wide election the turn out is fairly decent if not great (depends on which races are in play).

Get down to the local election and turnout decreases. Sometimes it falls into the pathetic range.

I've harped on this one before. The low turnout in this highly involved and educated county doesn't make a lot of sense.

Almost every bit of information we get about national and state elections is filtered through the media. Some of us take the time to go to political events where we might meet the candidates. But the vast majority of voters watch the candidates on TV, check them out on the Internet, or read about them in the paper. We see what they want us to see, what their opponents want us to see and what the media wants us to see.

Not so with local candidates. They sit next to you at church. Their children go to school with your children. You can drive five minutes to see them at a local event. You can find them in the local phone book. It's easy to find someone who knows the candidate. It's easy to find the candidate and ask them questions.

Local elected officials make decisions that affect us directly every day. Their decisions have a tremendous impact on our daily lives and our future.

It's important to vote in ALL elections.

In this particular election, all of District 72 is within Fayette County. It encompasses a large portion of the county. The person who represents us from this District can make a big difference in the future of our county.

I happen to think that Matt Ramsey will do a great job. I also think he'll be with us as a Representative until the point he decides to move on or step up to another elected position. He's responsive, knows the ropes and genuinely seems to be a good guy.

But I sure wish more people cared enough to take ten minutes from their day to vote.