The Real Republican

Political Art

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:16:00 +0000

Angry Liberals

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:07:00 +0000

What ever happened to the happy liberals? You know the ones I'm talking about. The folks who were open-minded and accepting of all people. Seems as though that day and age is long gone.

Read this awesome column by Larry Elder on the topic.

This quote is priceless...
"Bottom line: Conservatives consider liberals well-intentioned, but misguided. Liberals consider conservatives not only wrong, but really, really bad people."

Who stands for lower taxes?

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:15:00 +0000

I said a few weeks ago that I would try to continue this blog and so my attempts begin today. Yesterday I checked out Michelle Malkin's page and found a very humorous yet poignant remainder of the divide on Capitol Hill. Check it out...

Honestly, I thought it was a Saturday Night Live skit. I mean, here is the President of the United States calling on our leaders to make sure the government doesn't take more of our hard-earned money. And here is half the room (the democrats) sitting idly with their thumbs up their backsides while the republican half applauds.

It should smack all of us in the face when we watch this to see the left side of our elected leadership unhappy at the idea of giving the taxpayer a break. Forget their issues with the budget, the deficit, war spending...this was a simple statement about the money you work hard to earn.

Shocked yet?

A new year shall bring my return

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 14:11:00 +0000

I live in Washington, DC, so naturally I'm surrounded by politics. Which is why it's been way too long since I last posted to this blog. I hear and see things on a daily basis that would make most political junkies salivate like a drooling dog. So with the new year I'll be bringing my sharp wit and unique right-angled look at global politics back to the blog-waves.

So you wanna know why I decided to take nearly a year off from posting to this fun little blog? It was simple really...I needed a job and didn't want my political positions to lessen my chances. I know, ones personal public policy beliefs shouldn't get in the way of a great career. But in these days of various Republican-Derangement-Syndrome's, most hiring managers are unable to put their own beliefs aside when looking at a good job candidate.

Anyhow, I have a few other reasons for taking some time off. One was personal in which I had to deal with moving to a new city, deal with relationships and find my way introspectively. The other was my general distaste for how many view politics. I don't expect everyone to love it like I do. But I do wish more people would pay attention to understand what they get fed on a daily basis. When you see so many people buying into something you know is wrong, how do you not get frustrated?

Then it dawns on me that I have this blog - hobby if you will - to help clear up some of that mis-information. If I can shed some light on just one person a day with my writings, than I feel I've done my part politically in this world. So as we approach the new year, expect more from this Republican. And if you have suggestions on what I should write about or research, let me know. I'd like to hear more from those who read this. And together, somehow, we'll break down the walls of misinformation.

RR

Bistec con queso? Not at Geno's Steaks

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 15:53:00 +0000

Howudoin? The national immigration debate hits the street corners of Philly. This time in the form of a greasy sub smothered and covered with steak and cheese. And it all started when Geno's Steaks in South Philly recently posted small signs telling customers, "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING `SPEAK ENGLISH."'

Well, now this American business is under attack from pro-illegal immigration groups and the city of Philadelphia. apparently a private business in America can't ask their customers to act like...um, Americans.

The city's Human Relations Commission found evidence that the owner of Geno's Steaks may have discriminated against immigrants by posting a sign telling customers, "This is America: When ordering please speak English," according to a letter sent to owner Joe Vento last week.

But it's important to note the detail in the signs Geno's posted. No where does it say "immigrants will not be served." No where does it say Geno's will refuse the business of non-English speaking customers. In fact, according to a longer AP story on FOX News, Vento said his staff is glad to help non-native speakers order in English and has never turned someone away because of a language barrier.

This quote says it all..."They don't know how lucky they are. All we're asking them to do is learn the English language," said Vento. What's wrong with that? Many businesses ask you wear shoes and shirts before entering. Are we going to claim racism the next time someone is asked to leave a business because they aren't wearing shoes or a shirt? Or what about the custom of showering? Some cultures go days without bathing, which leaves a nice odoriferous emanation. Is it racism if a fine restaurant asks a non-bathing customer to leave because the foul odor is killing the other customers, not to mention the business?

What part of "private business" does the city of Philadelphia not understand? Things could be worse than asking customers to order in English while in an English speaking country.

But not everyone sees it that way.

"I certainly wouldn't want a national audience to think it represented all of the wonderful cheese steak makers in the whole city," said Meryl Levitz, president and chief executive of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. "This isn't representative of the Philadelphia attitude."

Ah, there it is. This is all about a bad attitude. (Read the next sentence emphatically while rolling your eyes) I mean, how dare Joe Vento, an American citizen who's parents immigrated to America legally from Italy and learned the language asks others to do the same. Imagine the nerve of that guy!

Yeah, only in America will you hear cultural snobs complaining about the loud American they saw at the Eiffel Tower trying to buy a souvenir in English...but will return to America demanding we accommodate the rest of the worlds cultures and languages.

Global warming could be natural? Never!!!

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 20:10:00 +0000

Besides, "warming" tends to confuse people who aren't properly informed about the actual chaotic temperature shifts we're facing in the crisis known, in my vernacular, as Global Disaster.

The above quote comes from Bob Cesca on the famously liberal and severely fear-driven site Huffington Post. You can read anything from '9/11 was an inside job' to 'America is to blame for all the worlds problems' on this site. They basically run the gamut of far-left ideology.

Which is why it made me so proud to read the following story on Drudge yesterday. Which is to say (not surprisingly), it never made it to Huff Puff or the mainstream media.

Two New Books Confirm Global Warming is Natural

Two powerful new books say today's global warming is due not to human activity but primarily to a long, moderate solar-linked cycle.

Singer and Avery note that most of the earth's recent warming occurred before 1940, and thus before much human-emitted CO2. Moreover, physical evidence shows 600 moderate warmings in the earth's last million years.

Back in August I touched on how rare snowfall in South Africa was providing Algore with inconvenient weather forecasts just after his movie debut. In June I mentioned how the media will naturally gravitate away from natural climate change facts because it's just not a sexy news story. And not long before that I pointed out my skepticism of 'paid-for-scientific data' coming from washed-up politicians hoping for another run at the Presidency.

And so now we have Bob Cesca at Huff Puff calling global warming - err, sorry Bob - global disaster, the most important issue of our time. What gives Bob? Surely an intellectual like yourself can appreciate the difference between a lobbyist controlled agenda like global warming and real threats like a global Islamic Revolution.

I've said many times to most of my friends that I don't deny the earth is warming. But I've long stood by basic earth science that says the earth goes through natural warming and cooling trends - as do most highly qualified non-governmental, non-industry, non-lobby group climate experts.

You have to be willing to point out the hypocrisy of folks like Algore demanding changes from us while he goes through more jet fuel than US Air promoting his own "get me elected" agendas. And you also have to ask who is funding NASA and the majority of these "scientists" who stand to get even more money from the Feds if climate change stays a hot topic. As they say, you can find a scientist anywhere if the price is right. Thankfully there are still some out there who aren't on the agenda payroll.

Nancy Pelosi joins the blog world

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:13:00 +0000

The last thing I thought I would blog about this morning was Nancy Pelosi. I've got a whole list of topics I'm ready to rant about; Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and DC protestors. But this topic just caught my attention because of how excited I am to read and respond to the speakers left-wing rhetoric. What is this dribble you speak of RR?

It seems as though Pelosi is reaching out to the left side of the blogisphere by launching a blog of her own and holding Q&A's with fellow bloggers.

WASHINGTON -- Shortly after her swearing-in as the first female House speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi took time to field questions from a few dozen Internet bloggers on a conference call that was off limits to mainstream media.

Last week, Pelosi's aides arranged for bloggers to question two Democratic House leaders on another conference call shortly before President Bush's State of the Union speech.

Pelosi also hired a full-time staff member this month dedicated to blogger outreach, and is making plans to launch a blog of her own. The day she was sworn in, bloggers were given special accommodations at the Capitol to cover the event, and fed lunch.

It's all evidence of the newfound attention bloggers from left-leaning Web sites are commanding on Democratic-run Capitol Hill, especially from the new speaker, a San Franciscan with an appreciation for the power of the Internet and grass-roots activism.

I wonder if folks like Michelle Malkin and Glenn Reynolds ever get on that list?

Then again, I doubt it considering the amount of false information that comes from a politician like Pelosi. Having someone like Malkin at the table would only derail the high-powered political machine that is the DNC. And we would never want our poor speaker to have to answer a tough question, now would we.

Take her latest post on Huff Puff. The first thing she talks about is ethics. And yet, one of the first things she does as speaker is leave a major tuna company in her San Francisco district exempt from the minimum-wage increase that Democrats approved. Don't expect an answer to why any time soon. But do expect this blog to keep a close eye on the Pelosi-blog the moment it goes live.

Soldiers facing an enemy at home

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:38:00 +0000

With all the talk of President Bush's State of the Union address, the War in Iraq and our politicians defeatist attitude, some news goes un-noticed. And typically with our biased media, that news is military success. But lately I've noticed some reports of military abuse that is particularly disturbing.

I can hear the anti-war kids getting fired up as we speak. Any time you use the word abuse and military in the same sentence, they practically get giddy at the chance to lash out at our troops. Sorry hippies, but that's not the case here. These are incidents that involve American citizens and companies abusing the rights of our troops and in some cases firing workers because of their military duty.

The following story appeared on the wires recently about a Milwaukee company that refused shipment to a soldier stationed in Iraq. But it wasn't the refusal of shipment that set off the nut job alarm. It was the vitriolic response from the company regarding the troops in Iraq that had the blog world abuzz.

Company's anti-war e-mail angers military supporters

By DINESH RAMDE
Associated Press Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — An American soldier in Iraq who e-mailed a U.S. company to ask for a shipment of floor mats got a brusque reply: "We would NEVER ship to Iraq. If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq."

The response quickly circulated on the Internet and led to threats against the Muslim-owned business, including demands for a boycott.

Bargain Suppliers, an online retailer, shut down its Web site Monday and fired the unidentified employee who sent the e-mail, television station WTMJ reported.

Co-owner Faisal Khetani, a Muslim from Pakistan, has received threatening calls, the TV station said. An answering machine at a number listed for the business said the mailbox was full and would not accept a message Tuesday.

Bloggers spread the original e-mail exchange far and wide, along with the company's address and phone number. At least one site included a link to a photograph of Khetani's home.

"It's really getting out of control," Bargain Suppliers vice president Sajid Nasir told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Our main concern is for the safety of the family. That's more important than the business."

In an e-mail dated Jan. 16, Sgt. Jason Hess asked if the company could ship floor mats to Iraq. He wanted the mats to cover the ruts in a concrete floor in a space now used as a conference room.

The e-mail response came the same day.

In an e-mail to the AP, Hess said Tuesday the employee's firing did not ease his anger.

"There should be standards set and upheld (by) the company on responding politely to e-mails from whoever goes to their site," wrote Hess, a 31-year-old stationed in Taji, Iraq.

Othman Atta, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, said the employee's response was inappropriate. He said he feared a backlash against Muslims.

"This whole thing is taking on a life of its own. It's making me nervous," he said, adding that the center would increase security.

Police said they had received no immediate reports of any vandalism or threats from the Khetani family.

Here's a copy of the original email exchange...

Below is an email exchange between a friend of mine's husband and a company that sells different types of mats. He is stationed in Iraq and was inquiring as to whether or not the company ships overseas. He wanted to get the troops better gear to sleep on. This is the companies response. I am floored. I am floored as a military wife and as an American. Please repost this so that this company will hear us loud and clear that we do not stand for this. Whatever your view is on this war — these troops are just following orders. Most are passionate about what they are doing. You can disagree with the war without disrespecting our troops.

From: SGT Jason Hess
Sent: Tue Jan 16 3:25

Do you ship to APO addresses? I'm in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed in Iraq and we are trying to order some mats but we are looking for who ships to APO first.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: contact@discount-mats.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 9:44 PM
Subject: Re: Feedback: from discount-mats.com

SGT Hess,
We do not ship to APO addresses, and even if we did, we would NEVER ship to Iraq. If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq.

Bargain Suppliers
Discount-Mats.com

But the abuse isn't reserved just to troops looking for products to be shipped to the Middle East.

Michelle Malkin is following the story of Debra Muhl, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve who was recently fired by her employer, Sutter Health, because of her latest deployment to Iraq.

And USA Today even did a story back in December about reservists having similar job woes.

All of which goes to show you how obscene and loony the far-left has gotten in regard to Iraq and the greater War on Terror. What most of these crack-pots forget is the enemy is in Iraq and will do whatever it takes to kill anyone who doesn't believe in their radical way of thinking. These troops are doing their service to protect these nut jobs right to protest this war and anything the President does. But now the nut jobs aren't just content to protest...they now feel the need to abuse our service members and even refuse them employment.

The company in Milwaukee is getting theirs from pissed off Americans. Let Sutter Health know what you think of Mr. Richard Gray, the supervisor who fired Colonel Muhl because of her Iraq deployment.

Slumbering senators

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:24:00 +0000

Next time you hear our great leaders in Washington talk about their adroit ability to listen and pay attention, remember what you see here.

Ian Schwartz compiles for us his great gallery of snoozing senators.

Lovely!

Back at ya Hugo!

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:50:00 +0000

I see our favorite Latin American dictator has stolen our headlines once again this morning. Crafting an eloquent statement to U.S. officials, Castro-wannabe Hugo Chavez demonstrated Marxist racial acceptance by stating, "Go to hell, gringos!" He also lashed out at Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, saying "You've forgotten me, missy."

As Mike Grant from Townhall.com says, "let me assure Mr. Chavez that the feeling is mutual." And it's also worth stating, no Hugo, we won't forget about you. Just ask Saddam!

Sadly though, many Americans will forget Hugo. Most of us will go about our daily routine not understanding the threat he poses to the world or to the inherent freedoms of society. And sadly, many will see any action by Washington as "meddling" in the affairs of another nation that "is not our problem."

What's even more sad is I doubt Bush or anyone else in Washington has - oh, how should I say it - the testicles to stand up to this guy.

This is how I see it folks... Hugo Chavez is no different than any other communist tyrant. He comes into power promising to help the poor. He takes money from hard working people to socialize his nation. He uses his power to take over private businesses, natural resources and state media. He taxes anything he deems as luxury to quell personal freedom and "self-indulgence." And mysteriously anyone opposing his rule ends up dead or in desperate need of exile.

You see, Chavez is down there in Caracas creating a modern-day USSR. He's trying to instill a failed doctrine of government that will leave his nation oppressed under government control. And what's worse is it will prop Mr. Chavey up as the supreme leader with all the control and suppress the most basic human-right of freedom. Oh, and he'll do this while controlling most of the oil we use, supporting terror organizations and giving money and support to our greatest enemies (N. Korea and Iran). And you can bet Chavez won't curb his own extravagance...using his supreme power as his own egotistical self-indulgence.

Anyone else think this isn't "our problem?"

Real quote from the idiots at Huff Puff

I love it!!
GO HUGO!!!!
By: amanda85 on January 21, 2007 at 04:47pm

Traffic rant, Part II

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 19:57:00 +0000

I know these latest traffic rants seem to be an aberration from my usual political dialog. But I like to think the two are closely related. You have idiots on the road, and idiots holding office.

So yesterday and today I was reminded of how stupid drivers can be. We're not talking about the stupid-because-I'm-fumbling-with-my-cell-phone types...or the stupid-because-I'm-putting-on-make-up. While those types of drives are dumb for their actions, at least they have an excuse when they screw up. No, you see, there is a whole new level of stupid on the road that doesn't have an excuse. I've been trying to find a reason for their actions for years now and still haven't the faintest clue.

Yesterday I hit a traffic jam on I-695, the Baltimore Beltway. The radio said the jam took up the entire western side of the Beltway, which is roughly 20 miles. At one point, we sat idle for 10 minutes without moving an inch. As I made my way through the mess and the traffic began to inch along, the reporters on the radio began to laugh. Turns out a guy's car was starting to stall on the interstate. He was in the left lane and tried to move to the right to get off the road. He didn't make it. He blocked 3 lanes of traffic during the morning rush hour.

This is a prime example of no excuse stupid. The guy who stalled his car isn't my problem. It's the idiots sitting behind him who refused to get out of their toasty warm vehicles and help the poor guy push his car out of the way. Even the radio announcers laughed at the fact it took so long before someone helped. Are we that spoiled in America that we can't endure 5 minutes of cold and physical activity to help another person?

Today on my commute I witnessed a massive traffic jam on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. After 15 minutes of stop and go, we passed a transportation vehicle on the side of the road. The guy was picking up trash. Some idiots saw the orange truck with flashing lights and began to slow down. The problem is, they slowed down so much they created a traffic snarl from Ft. Meade to the DC beltway. The guy wasn't in the street. He wasn't blocking a lane. He was picking up trash. Relax people, the orange truck isn't going to jump out and get you!

And lastly, I've noticed a rare and odd trend in Maryland traffic patterns that has left me speechless. To this day I have no idea why it occurs. But during every traffic jam I've witnessed to this point in Maryland, it's the left lane that completely stops. You would think because of basic congestion and endless vehicles entering and leaving the interstate, the right lane would be your slow side. Nope! Out here they stop in the left lane while the busy right lane trucks along. I don't know what causes it, but I know there's some stupidity in there.

Born with a rubber neck

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:44:00 +0000

As promised, here is your first official Real Republican traffic report. I think as time goes on I'll just call this my weekly traffic vent. But for now we can call it a report, cause boy do I have some material to discuss!

It all started when I moved from California to DC. Driving across country alone gives you plenty of time to think and ponder what you are seeing on the road. Not to mention, it allows you to come to the realization that the majority of our regional transportation departments are completely incompetent.

Take for example, Arizona. I stopped in a small town just across the border from Cali to grab some dinner. I hit the road around 7:30 p.m. with Flagstaff as my next destination with New Mexico my target for the evening. 5 hours later I'm pulling into Flagstaff in the middle of a major snow storm. I had to drive half way across Arizona at 20 mph because the transportation crews had snow trucks going west. Not one truck was going east. You'd think they would remember the other side of the highway.

Or take Texas as an example. Almost all the way across the northern tip, through Amarillo, there is construction. Half the time they push you to one lane. The other half it's a very narrow lane without a shoulder. Here are my questions...when they have three lanes, why do they always insist on closing two at a time? Why can't they close one lane at a time to lessen the traffic burden? And why...why in the world would you narrow the lanes to the point only a Mini can fit through? And lastly, when a construction barrier is put in the middle of the highway, doesn't it make sense to have the barrier high enough to block the onslaught of car lights heading your way, as you drive in the mini-lane, in the rain, with the 18-wheeler next to you? Yeah...

My other question is, if I-40 is your major highway through your state, why on earth does the road look like something from a third-world?

I was driving across with a small Uhaul trailer. I noticed several times along the way other Uhaul customers who had blowouts. I feared the entire drive that my trailer was going to suffer a similar fate. And so you can imagine how freaked I got every time I hit a pot hole the size of Kansas. And this wasn't just from one particular state. About the only state worth anything in good roads was Oklahoma. Give them a few years and I'm sure they'll join in the fun.

And lastly, what on earth is wrong with society when we see a police car? I can understand the guy who is driving 80 mph in a 50 slowing down if he sees a speed trap. But when the cop already has someone pulled over, you he's not going to get you! And you sure as hell don't need to drive 20 under the speed limit just to make up for things. Hell, I wish the police pulled over the nimrods who do slow way below the limit just for giggles. You couldn't look more guilty.

And so there it is, my traffic rant from the great cross country trek. I'll add more as I see fit...which will probably be tomorrow after I make the hour long drive from Towson. Safe travels!

He's Back...

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:00:00 +0000

No kids, it's not a figment. The Real Republican has returned to the airwaves - er, blogwaves - in full force from the belly of the political beast. That's right, I've made the move across country and now call our nations capital my home.

Actually, if we want to get technical, I'm currently living with a friend in Baltimore until I can find a temporary room to rent in DC. And even though my buddy has a killer pad right in downtown Towson, the commute is murder. Which brings me to my first subject of the day; traffic. If you have ever lived in the DC area, you'll know this region can have some of the worst traffic congestion in the country.

And what comes along with traffic? Lots and lots of frustrated people with blood pressure higher than Mount Everest. Trust me folks, it aint pretty out there. Which is why I've decided to dedicate part of my blog to venting about traffic. So as you'll see after this post, I'm firing off the first Real Republican traffic report.

And don't expect the latest info on quick routes into the city. Nope, this report will be my little spot to vent about the idiocy I see on a daily basis. It's good stuff!

And you can count on my usual political ranting as well. Now that I'm only miles from the heart of our Federal government, you can expect me to keep my ears open to the daily idiocy there as well. So if you're just returning to the RR after my moving hiatus, welcome back. If you're new to this blog, enjoy what you read and come back often. And if you don't like what I'm saying...tell me darn'it! I'm an equal opportunity blogger who isn't afraid to publish opposite views.

Iranian threats continue

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 17:58:00 +0000

***Update:*** This story came out yesterday but Blogger/Google decided they wanted to have some tech problems right as I tried to post. So it's old news but still worth checking out.

If there is anyone out there who is still not convinced Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a nut case? Earlier today, Ahmadinejad continued his aggressive hate speech toward Israel at a conference questioning the Holocaust.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday told delegates at an international conference questioning the Holocaust that Israel's days were numbered.

Ahmadinejad, who has sparked international outcry by referring to the killing of six million Jews in World War Two as a "myth" and calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map," launched another verbal attack on the Jewish state.

"Thanks to people's wishes and God's will the trend for the existence of the Zionist regime is downwards and this is what God has promised and what all nations want," he said.

"Just as the Soviet Union was wiped out and today does not exist, so will the Zionist regime soon be wiped out," he added.

My question is, how long will it be before retiring UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan blames this one on America as well? And when will someone in the international community finally realize the threat this guy poses?

And Democratic leaders want us to "reach out" to Iran?

Guess their all hoping if they play nice, Mr. Ahmadinejad will spare them his Islamic-Jihad wrath.

College football gets political

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 00:57:00 +0000

If you're a regular reader, you know this little blog is all about politics. So it only comes natural for me to rant about the political fallout of the current college football controversy.

Not sure what I'm talking about? Just turn on ESPN or any other sports talk show and listen to all the high and mighty "experts" talk about the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) national championship game. Here's the skinny...Ohio State will play Florida for the division 1 national title on January 8th in Glendale, Arizona. But how we got to those two teams is the source of controversy. Then again, what about the BCS isn't controversial.

The BCS is the antiquated formula the NCAA uses to decide who is No. 1 and No. 2 at the end of the college football season. This formula uses computers and voters to try and figure this mess out. It seems having a playoff like every single other college sport is just too complicated for the NCAA. So they rely on the calculations of plastic box, coaches who are too busy to watch any game but their own and writers who only cover their local teams and have never played a snap in their sports crazed lives.

And with such a convoluted system comes the margin for error…which seems to be more about keeping the error small than simply getting things right.

So we have two football teams that will battle in the desert for a championship. And if you ask me, I hate to say it, but I think the BCS got it right. But there is more to this story. Today the headlines are all reading the same about how Michigan got screwed.

ESPN.com columnist Gene Wojciechowski says... "If you're Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, how do you explain to your players that they won't be in the BCS Championship Game?"

ESPN.com columnist Pat Forde says... "If we've learned one lesson from recent BCS history, it's this: Whiners win. And that will only breed more whining in the future."

Tribune columnist Dave Del Grande says... "The BCS made its biggest possible mistake this season: It might have invited the third-best team to the grand finale rather than No.2."

You see, Michigan was ranked No. 2 when they played Ohio State in their regular season finale. The Wolverines lost to OSU by 3 points, but didn't drop in the polls. So their season ended at 11-1 while holding their No. 2 spot. But other teams continued to play. UCS beat Cal and Notre Dame, which vaulted them into the No. 2 spot a week later. USC was poised to play for the title until they lost to UCLA last weekend. Michigan would be back at No. 2 right? Well, the Florida Gators were sitting there at No. 4 and proceeded to beat FSU and Arkansas in the SEC title game. So in the final week of voting, Florida jumps past Michigan to No. 2 with an SEC title and a 12-1 season.

But you'd think the Duke Blue Devils had just gotten the invite to play for the title by all the carping by sports writers.

Forgive me for asking...but didn't Michigan already lose to Ohio State? What about that result says they deserve a chance to play Ohio State for the national title? And what about that result does it tell Ohio State? You beat the No. 2 team in your conference in the season finale, but we think you have to do it again to win the title.

And so the politicking is running amuck in the world of NCAA football as Michigan supporters cry foul and Florida fans feel justified. And rightfully so!

Like I said, you have two teams with one loss asking for a chance to play for a title. One can't win their conference. The other does and they win it with the tougher schedule. You tell me who is more deserving.

(For the record, I picked Ohio State to play for the title at the begining of the season.)

You think you know

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:34:00 +0000

You walk into a coffee shop in the Mission and see the young bohemian student sipping a latte. You see the young bohemian student proudly wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt, celebrating the communist revolutionary. You then see the young bohemian's laptop littered with propaganda stickers brightly displayed for the rest of the world to see. "No War!", "Blood for Oil", "Bush Lied." These sights are probably more common in San Francisco than the Golden Gate Bridge and cable cars.

And at that point you realize how uninformed the majority of our society really is. Oh, don't get me wrong, you can include me in this category as well. And since we're talking about misinformed, go ahead and add the AP, FOX News, CNN and the rest of the MSM of your choice.

As my wife said so profoundly the other day, most people don't have a clue. Every day we read stories in the paper, watch the news, and sometimes read a blog or two. We just assume what we are reading is fact and move on. But most of us don't dig for truth. Heck, finding truth is about as hard as finding a Republican in the Mission.

But there are ways. Thankfully conservative bloggers like Michelle Malkin and Flopping Aces as well as milbloggers like the Mudville Gazette are doing the dirty work and finding it.

Michelle and Curt have done a real nice job in detailing how our MSM has been duped in their on-going negative coverage in Iraq. This in turn takes us all down that misinformed path to calling our President a liar and not having a clue about the reality of our fight in Iraq.

How many more of these "sources" are frauds? I would be willing to bet most of them are. The AP and the MSM will buy into anything as long as it produces a feeling of chaos and destruction.

Is it a tough war? Of course! What war isn't? Are people dying? Yes. But is everything you read about chaos in Iraq truth? Or is it just someone's sublime way of trying to prove themselves right in their own political ideology.

I highly recommend you turn your sites to some of these bloggers (including mine of course). We will not win this War on Terror if all we wish to do is win elections and paint our political opposites as evil. Only truth will prevail!

Seinfeld star goes racial

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 23:43:00 +0000

Michael Richards, who played the goofy Cosmo Kramer on the hit TV show "Seinfeld," appeared onstage at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. But his routine was no laughing matter.

Richards went into a full-scale racial tirade against several members of the audience who had been heckling the comedian throughout his show.

Kyle Doss, an African-American, told TMZ he and some friends were in the cheap seats and he was playfully heckling Richards when suddenly, the comedian lost it.

The camera started rolling just as Richards began his attack, screaming at one of the men, "Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f***ing fork up your ass."

Richards continued, "You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now motherf**ker. Throw his ass out. He's a nigger! He's a nigger! He's a nigger! A nigger, look, there's a nigger!"

TMZ also has a blurred segment of video documenting the incident here

Dave McGurgan at phillyBurbs is defending Richards and asks if the guy who called Richards a "cracker" would be considered a racist as well? And Right from the Right talks about the PC over-reaction.

These are good questions to ask. What did the guys heckling Kramer say to get him fired up? Did the racial epithets start with Richards, or did someone else take it down the racist route? And is this guy really a racist for using a word many in the black community use on a daily basis?

You can draw your own conclusions from the media firestorm that will probably follow. But I think it was an incredibly insensitive, stupid, and yes, racist move.

Here's my problem with Richards. This guy is Kramer, one of my favorite characters from "Seinfeld". Maybe he hasn't had overwhelming success since the show ended. But he's still a highly successful and respected comedian. And with success come the hecklers, the stalkers, the nut jobs, and the blackmailers looking for ways to bring you down. He should know how to handle himself in these situations.

But Richards went after race. He could have simply asked the heckler to stop and then asked security to remove the disruptive member of the audience. But he lost his cool and said things almost anyone would find offensive. Who cares what the guy said to him. A comedian of his stature should know better. It's no different than an athlete losing his cool toward heckling fans of the opposing team. These guys get paid to put themselves out there in a public arena. You can't go racist on us and expect it to blow over.

Sadly my friends, I believe Richards, aka Kramer, really is a racist. The things he said just don't come to mind of anyone lives in a colorblind world.

Unruly UCLA student plans suit

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 22:25:00 +0000

Apparently resisting arrest and civil disobedience gives you the right to sue. Yes my friends, that's what is happening in LA after Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a 23-year-old senior at UCLA is doing after he defiantly refused requests to show his ID card to campus police.

As Stop The ACLU asks, "What part of 'stand up' does this moonbat retard not understand?"

But you see that's not the issue here according to Tabatabainejad's attorney Stephen Yagman. Rather than simply "stand up" and abide by a routine nightly procedure put in place to protect students, Tabatabainejad would rather say "f*ck you" to the officers and make it a race issue. Someone please tell me when the ACLU will start demanding that it’s our civil right to take some responsibility for our own actions?

Now the Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling for an independent investigation into the incident.

But the American-Islamic relations group says an outside probe's needed to make sure the case's "civil rights aspects" are taken seriously.

Again, civil rights don't just apply to the results of your actions. They apply to everything you say and do. It's my civil right to walk into a bar full of Oakland Raiders fans and declare their beloved team is a bunch of chump sissies. But it's also my civil right to take the beating from the stupidity of my actions. The same logic applies to Tabatabainejad's actions in the UCLA library.

When you're asked for an ID, you show it. If you refuse to leave after refusing to show ID, what action should the campus police take? Not to mention, when you start inciting others to take action and spout political rhetoric about the Patriot Act, you better be ready to accept responsibility for what you are doing. But Mr. Tabatabainejad would rather blame "the man." Mr. Tabatabainejad would rather blame America. Mr. Tabatabainejad would rather blame the Patriot Act. Mr. Tabatabainejad would rather make this about his race then accept he acted unreasonably in the face of campus security.

Mr. Tabatabainejad, only you made this about your race. Next time you'll show your darn ID and avoid looking like a tool shed.

Michelle Malkin has some good stuff on this as well as an eye-opening e-mail from a UCLA student.

First and foremost, I wish to clarify that, regardless of what some might attempt to claim, it is absurd to believe that Mr. Tabatabainejad was targeted based on his race or ethnicity. Random ID card checks are standard procedure in Powell Library after 11 PM, to ensure the safety of students. Furthermore, these checks were performed by Community Service Officers (CSOs), not UCPD officers. CSOs are UCLA students hired by UCPD to aide in security and service activities, and to support UCPD. Thus, Mr. Tabatabainejad was the subject of a very ordinary, very standard ID card check by his own, fellow students. He failed to produce an ID, so the CSOs requested he leave (as they would of anyone without an ID). Of course, the situation deteriorated from there and the chain of events from there is detailed (albeit in a rather biased manner) by the Daily Bruin.

Congressman calls for cutting off Iraq War funds

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:25:00 +0000

Democratic leaders are making obscenely stupid remarks on a daily basis. This is nothing new. But when those remarks start to hurt others, we should take notice. That is the case today as Congressman Dennis Kucinich called for cutting off funding of the Iraq War.

"I want to say that there's one solution here, and it's not to engage in a debate with the President, but it's for Congress to assume the full power that it has under the Constitution to cut off funds."

First we have John Kerry voting in favor of the war before voting against it. (I think he voted for and against it a few more times, but even he's lost count.) Then we have Nancy Pelosi voting against any and all defense measures since 9/11. And then we have trusty John Murtha calling for a quick and speedy surrender and retreat in the War on Terror. And now Mr. Pee Wee himself wants to put our troops in danger by cutting off funding for them to get the job done. Lovely! But don't ever call them anti-military.

"We have to take a whole new approach. We’re spending over $400 billion a year, money that's also needed for healthcare, for education, for job creation, for seniors. We have to take a new look at this. We need to be a strong country, but strength isn't only military."

Ah, that's it. As long as we spend, spend, spend in Washington for socialized programs, we'll never get attacked again!

We need to shift our direction, and the direction has to be away from the continued militarization of the United States society."

I've always thought this guy was a little nutty after he went on FoxNews blaming Bush for Hezbollah's acts of terror. But now the writing is on the wall. Ohio officially has a terror defending Congressman who is now calling to stop funding to our troops in the global War on Terror.

Of course, Kucinich would be the first person calling for help from the military if his beloved city of Cleveland was attacked. Maybe San Francisco will send some of their supervisors to defend the shores of Lake Erie.

San Francisco gives JROTC the boot

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 06:59:00 +0000

The San Francisco Board of Education just voted to abolish the JROTC program from district schools. The clearly anti-military City by the Bay now owns the dubious distinction as being the first district to pull such a stunt.

GOP and College puts things into perspective...

The anti military fringe in San Francisco is honestly just that. The members of their Board of Supervisors agree that the country would be far better off if it were a defenseless country, banking on the "good wills" of tyrants around the world.

In the short time my wife and I have lived in the Bay Area, I can honestly say this is the most disgusted I have been with the nut job anti-military mentality of these idiots living out here. It is safe to say the leadership of San Francisco has officially lost it's mind.

They would rather kowtow to the Islamic-radicals of the world than invest in the protection of our country and freedoms. What's even more amazing is their blind stupidity to the unparallel benefits of the JROTC program...not only to the students, but to the graduation rates of the very schools they wish to ban it from.

You see in San Francisco, everything is political. The Board of Education would rather make some futile point about "don't ask, don't tell" than offer their students a program of honor, leadership and education. But just like their Board of Supervisor brethren who are clueless to the point of not knowing the Coast Guard is a division of the military, the SFUSD is now clueless to what real leadership and education is all about.

At least SF Mayor Gavin Newsom supports the JROTC.

Anyhow, since I was in a good mood before this ruling was announced, I'll cut my rant short. But I'll list the contact info for the SF Board of Education members. I'll send them a nice note tomorrow telling them how much I appreciate their love of the military that protects their city. Maybe you all can do the same.

Mr. Norman Yee - President
e-mail: yeen@sfusd.edu

Ms. Sarah Lipson - Vice President (voted against the JROTC)
e-mail: slipson@sfusd.edu

Mr. Eddie Y. Chin, J.D.
e-mail: echin@sfusd.edu

Dr. Dan Kelly (co-authored the proposal against the JROTC)
e-mail: dkelly@sfusd.edu

Mr. Eric Mar, Esq. (voted against the JROTC)
e-mail: emar@sfusd.edu

Mr. Mark Sanchez (co-authored the proposal against the JROTC)
e-mail: msanche@sfusd.edu

Ms. Jill Wynns
e-mail: jwynns@sfusd.edu

Blogging from the road

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:49:00 +0000

Only in America!

Only in America will people vote based on campaign propaganda. And only in America will we vote into power a party who wants to surrender in the War on Terror, raise our taxes, free all suspected terrorists and tie the hands of our intelligence community. And only in America can a true leader such as Maryland Lieutenant Gov. Michael S. Steele lose to an angry, bitter and worthless Democratic challenger. Oh well, life goes on for now.

I could go on and on about the mid-term election results, but Anne Coulter does a pretty good job of putting things into perspective with her latest column. And I'll probably rant about all this down the road anyway.

But speaking of road, that's exactly where I am...on the road. This post is coming to you directly from Raleigh, NC. I'll be in the Tar Heel state for the next few days visiting with friends and reminiscing of our times when we all literally ran the social scene in Greensboro. Not to mention, I'll be enjoying one of my favorite coffee shops in all the land; the Green Bean.

I'm sure Pete will have wireless at The Green Bean, so be on the lookout for a few more posts from the Gate City. And when I return to the wonderful liberal Mecca of Oakland, I'll be sure to get back to my daily rants you all enjoy so much.

Kerry's stupid soldiers t-shirt

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 23:58:00 +0000

A few days ago my wife and I were talking about John Kerry's stupid "joke" remark about our U.S. military. We wondered if someone would make a t-shirt of the image of the Minnesota National Guard soldiers in Iraq mocking Kerry's statements with a mispelled banner. Well it didn't take long for it to happen.

A Soldier's Perspective, a Milblogger coalition is offering the t-shirt on Café press. You can get a standard white t-shirt or in a woman's style shirt for a low price, with $1 going to "They Have Names," a foundation helping raise money for the families of our fallen soldiers.

CJ also said they could put the image on a tank-top if buyers wanted, so be sure to comment on their site and let them know. Even if you don't buy a shirt, be sure to let these folks know how much we appreciate what they are doing for America.

While our liberal politicians, most of whom voted in favor of war in Iraq, are willing to put our national security at risk just to get re-elected, we have these brave men and women committed to winning this very tough war on terror. And yes, Iraq is very much apart of that war.

The Real meaning of cut-and-run

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 23:13:00 +0000

I watched Hannity & Colmes last night and started getting irritated at the No. 1 DNC talking point. I know you've all heard it about 60,000 times now. It goes something like this...Iraq is a failure. Bush is a failure. Bush should apologize to the troops for sending them into an illegal war. (Here's a bit of news...troops fight in wars. No!!!)

Alan Colmes gets almost giddy when he talks about coalition deaths. And there isn't a liberal politician around today who hasn't jumped on the anti-Iraq bandwagon. Hell, even many conservative pundits and columnists like Robert Novak are starting to get soft. Well today President Bush fired back.

President Bush, campaigning to get out the Republican vote in Tuesday's midterm elections, challenged Democrats today to produce a "plan for success" in Iraq instead of leveling only "harsh criticism."

Democrats rejected the charge, pointing to draft legislation they proposed in September, the Real Security Act of 2006, which calls for beginning the "phased redeployment" of U.S. forces from Iraq before the end of the year.

Here's the problem. John Kerry, a leading senator in the Democratic Party, insulted the intelligence of our military. But rather than simply say "I'm sorry," he arrogantly condescended the troops by acting like we all should have gotten his pathetic attempt at a joke. What's even more telling is how quickly he then used his "apology" to attack the President's policy in Iraq.

Let me try to spell this one out for anyone who is against the war in Iraq. IT'S A WAR!!! War is not pretty. War is not fun. War is not clean. War is not perfect. And unfortunately people die in wars. But that doesn't mean you retreat back to the comforts of your DC brownstone the moment things get tough.

I truly think the anti-war crowd simply doesn't understand the nature of our fight. I think they have images of a fast-food style war where UN forces fire off a few weapons, our enemies' retreat in fear, and we all come home and sing kumbaya around the campfire. But today's war on terror couldn't more opposite.

Our troops are fighting an invisible enemy. Islamic Jihadists don't have colors. They don't wear uniforms. They don't have flags. (unless they are Hizbollah) They don't all look the same and certainly aren't all the same sex. They'll fight with civilians. They'll fight against civilians. They'll fight in the middle of their own children without a care in the world. Their ideology is entrenched in places like Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt and on and on. Hell, they have cells right here in our own backyards. And John Kerry and the DNC call it a failure because we haven't won yet?

Then a report comes out saying Jihad is on the rise since our invasion. Liberal pundits jump on it like Clinton on an intern and act like there is something profound in the fact that terrorists are not happy with America. Like we should take stock in the opinions of people who proclaim "convert to Islam or die."

To which I ask, what did you expect to happen when we started fighting back? Did Germany suddenly start toasting the U.S. when we invaded Normandy? Did the North Vietnamese send us a Christmas card after we joined in support of our friends to the south? Did Russia send us cookies when we took a hard-line approach to the cold war? Has Castro been secretly sending cigars to American presidents since the missile crisis? Of course not.

Folks, I think the biggest problem we face today isn't terrorism. The biggest problem we face as a nation is our leadership's fear of taking a stand to do something tough. There is no doubt that George Bush would love to bring our troops home tomorrow. But thankfully he understands this is a war that won't be won in a few days. Thankfully he understands this is probably the toughest fight our nation has ever seen. And until Democrats like John Kerry and Nancy Pelosi understand that, we'll have to listen to a constant negative pulse over why Iraq is a failure and why we should walk away from this fight.

I'm just curious...if North Korea or Iran fires off a nuke at Hawaii or Israel, what would John Kerry do? Do you think he would stand up to the challenge? For a man, and more importantly a Democratic party, that has run or protested every noble fight this country was a part of, it shouldn't surprise you they oppose our policy in Iraq.

I can't remember the pundit who said it, but a great quote about Iraq goes like this... "Had we not invaded Iraq but put all our troops in Afghanistan, Dems would be saying the exact same thing."

Face it, if Iran declared war on the U.S. tomorrow, John Kerry and the DNC would retreat after the first bullet was fired.

Taxes, taxes and more taxes

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 23:12:00 +0000

Jobless rate drops to five-year low

The unemployment rate dropped to a five-year low of 4.4 percent in October as employers added 92,000 new jobs -- flashing a picture of a strong labor market as the midterm elections approach.

Consumer confidence at a high since 2004

Spurred in part by lower gas prices and higher stock prices, consumer confidence has surged recently and is now at its best level in nearly three years.

Dow closes over 12,000 for first time

The Dow Jones industrial average yesterday closed above the 12,000 level for the first time, buoyed by strong corporate earnings and adding to the stock market's recent record-setting rally.

And Democrats want to raise taxes if they take over the House and Senate!

Kerry apologizes amid heavy DNC pressure

noreply@blogger.com (DVS) — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 22:43:00 +0000

John "I shot myself" Kerry issued a formal apology this afternoon for his disparaging remarks about U.S. troops fighting the War on Terror in Iraq.

Here's the full statement from the Senator...

As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: my poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop.

I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended.

It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy. I don’t want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues. I will continue to fight for a change of course to provide real security for our country, and a winning strategy for our troops.

Only a Democrat could call those remarks a "joke." And only an extreme liberal who already hates America and our military could even get it. I mean, you tell me...where's the punch line? Go to school and do well or you end up in the military stuck in Iraq...ta dah!!!

This is the point where Kerry supporters inject audience laughter to help us along. Forgive me for saying this Mr. Kerry, but your career in comedy is about as poor as your record as a "combat veteran."

It's funny how when the heat gets turned on by your own, you’re suddenly Johnny Carson doing late night stand-up. Do you think Kerry would have called it a "joke" had the DNC not stepped in? Of course not.

It's like I said yesterday, this guy - while saying incredibly dumb things - isn't half as stupid as we think. His remarks were carefully crafted from his distaste for anything and everything military. He likes to tout his suspect "combat veteran" status every chance he can get when it serves his best interest, but takes every chance he can get to demoralize our troops with anti-war rhetoric. He votes to send troops to Iraq and then votes against every single measure to help them win the war overseas and at home.

And now we should consider his apology sincere? Sorry bro, you lost your cred the moment you came home from Vietnam and called our military a bunch of murderers.

John Kerry and his band of liberal brothers in Washington is a new breed of Democratic leadership. They come from the Vietnam era where it became okay to oppose freedom, democracy and America. Unfortunately these nut jobs are now leading the Democratic party down a very dishonorable and dangerous path. It's a path that calls fighting back in the War on Terror a failure, gives Geneva protections to terrorists and opposes every single effort to protect Americans. And yet he states he wants to provide "real security for our country." Tell me Senator, what exactly is real security? Is it the kind that demoralizes troops by pulling them from a war you say they can't win and then sitting with your head up your ass hoping you and your jihad-loving buddies haven't offended a Muslim terrorist today.

Yeah, leave it to a guy who shot himself on a training mission while getting cozy with communists to protect America.

Michelle Malkin's take