I suppose I didn’t have much problem with that requirement – other than the fact that I thought it was a silly attempt to solve a non-existent problem – because, as we all learned in Civics class, driving’s not a “right”, it’s a privilege, and therefore subject to regulation. I could understand some of the underlying concerns, which did make some sense: holding a cell phone to your ear definitely takes one hand out of use if it’s suddenly needed in an emergency maneuver.

Never satisfied, the finger-waggers and scolders – in other words, liberals – now want to make ALL cell phone use illegal while driving. They’ve even managed to gin up a couple of studies that indicate that cell phone use is more distracting than a normal conversation with someone else in your car, or listening to the radio.

“Science” in service to political agenda, as usual.

I don’t know about you, but when Orbison starts belting out “Pretty Woman” on my car radio, I am into that song, singing right along, and woe to anyone who inadvertently gets in front of my car. Same thing happens when I’m arguing with some pinheaded RINO on the talk shows (though they can’t hear me).

I suppose the cell phone nags won’t be satisfied until the driver’s hermetically sealed in an isolation capsule, in dead silence, with air piped in.

This also raises another interesting issue: enforcement. How are they going to enforce such a law?

It’s one thing when a cop sees someone driving down the road holding a cell phone to his ear. It’s pretty hard to make any kind of credible claim one wasn’t actually making a phone call. Why are you holding the phone to your ear in the first place?

But with hands-free devices – especially the ones that work through your car radio – all a cop can see at best is that your lips are moving.

“Sir, I’m citing you for talking on the phone while driving.”

“No I wasn’t.”

“I saw your lips moving.”

“I was singing along with the radio/arguing with Limbaugh/talking to myself/practicing my lines for the play…”

“No you weren’t. You were on the phone.”

“Prove it.”

P-R-O-V-E    I-T.

How are they going to do that? Are they going to get the detectives and the district attorneys involved in minor traffic infractions to subpoena everyone’s cell phone records for traffic tickets?

(or, Why RINOism Fails)

The sales tax rate in Los Angeles County is 8.25%, of which 5% is the state sales tax. The voters just approved a .5% state tax increase for transportation projects.

It’s no secret that this state is in dire financial straits, with a budget shortfall in the tens of billions of dollars. This was exactly the problem that led to the recall of Gray Davis, and the election of Sir Arnold the Idiot on his promise to fix the problem and cut government spending and waste.

Well, here we are five years later, and not only is the problem NOT solved, but it’s grotesquely worse.

Sir Arnold’s proposal? To raise the state sales tax by another 1.5% – a 30% increase – to meet the shortfall. This is supposed to be a “temporary” tax that will “expire” in three years.

R-i-i-i-i-i-ght…….

This, of course, will raise the sales tax in LA County to over 10%! Yippee! I’m “doing my part”!

He also wants to expand this tax to currently untaxed sources such as appliance repair, furniture repair, vehicle repair, golf and veterinarian services.

Throw in a tax on oil extracted, at 9.9% of “gross value”, and a nickel a drink “sin tax”, and you’ve got a classic liberal approach to taxation and governance.

What happened to “cutting waste and spending”?

Democrat leaders in Sacramento (Assembly Speaker Karen Bass) state that it’s up to Sir Arnold the Idiot to deliver the Republican votes to support his plan. In other words, to “reach across the aisle” to support increased taxation rather than cut spending.

And I have yet to hear Sir Arnold say anything about vetoing a budget that doesn’t contain spending cuts.

This is the critical failure of RINOism. False claims of “conservatism” that try to cloak a proclivity to liberal action. A fear that truly acting tough and principled will result in decreased popularity. Being more concerned about just holding office than with using that office to advance real conservative actions and principles.

Sir Arnold the Idiot is contemptible. But he’s a classic study in RINOism, the exact kind of candidate who just failed in a run for President.

First, congratulations to Obama, our new President-Elect.

Congratulations to our country for another example to the world on how power is successfully transferred in an orderly democratic society.

I think we saw many examples of how this election will be a redefining moment in the political landscape, and I’m not talking about the first election of a “person of color” to the Presidency. There are many Winners and Losers.

Loser: John McCain and his brand of liberal Republicanism, which was completely rejected and repudiated at the polls as traditional conservatives voted with their feet and stayed away in droves, thus his poor showing… frankly, a wipeout. An EARNED wipeout.

Loser: The GOP itself, for the same reasons. They refused to pay heed to the message sent so clearly during their 2006 spanking, and now they have to pay the penalty for being deaf, obstinate, or both. Conservatism sells; “me-too” Liberalism-Lite is a loser message.

Loser: Sarah Palin, who tarnished her bright future as a rising star of traditional conservatism in the GOP by hitching her wagon to the McCain horse. It’s a long time to the 2012 elections, and there are many other, untarnished conservatives in the GOP ranks chomping at the bit to make names for themselves. Along those lines… Jindal, among many others.

Losers: The spokesholes like Limbaugh, Hannity, Medved, Hewitt and others who profess to be “conservatives” – many of whom excoriated McCain for his liberalism – yet caved in and turned into noseholders for him, thereby sacrificing their own credibility as real people of principle. They talked the talked, but totally failed to walk the walk.

Loser: The NRA, which until yesterday could make the statement that “since 1980 the GOP nominee has won every time – and ONLY when – endorsed by the NRA”. Rather than following the same practice that lent that statement credibility and withholding their endorsement – as they did when Dole ran, and Bush 1 ran for re-election – they decided to endorse “C”-rated McCain while ignoring a legitimate “A”-rated candidate in Barr. Now they’ll suffer consequences: a loss in clout and credibility, and a loss in membership (I know of one Life Member who’s already cancelled his membership: me).

Losers: The neo-con/RINOs like Rove, Kristol, McConnell, Giuliani and the like whose strategy of appeasement has finally blown up in their faces.

Winner: True traditional conservatism, which now has a chance to regain dominance in the GOP if the cards are played right.

Winner: RealClearPolitics, whose polling data turned out to be almost surgically precise and correct.

Winners: The Young Turks of traditional GOP Conservatism, the Hunters, Tancredos, Jindals, Coles… the next generation that can hopefully wrest control of the GOP away from the neo-con/RINO faction and set it back on its course to principled victory – the only kind the GOP can ever really win in today’s political climate.

THE JURY’S STILL OUT: The GOP’s future. Does it finally clean out the ear wax, and realize that pandering to liberals won’t win elections? Do they finally hear the message sent so loudly and clearly in 2006, and just repeated? Do they clean house, overhaul the system, and send the RINOs and neo-cons packing? Do they learn that conservatives mean what they say when they constantly proclaim loudly and repeatedly that some candidates are totally unacceptable?

Or do they follow the California Strategy, and keep tacking Left, thereby assuring themselves permanent minority status?

One final Winner: This blog. Forgive me for a moment of self-indulgence, but I’ve been writing this blog since my first essay on July 4^th of 2006. I’ve made many forecasts and predictions. Virtually all of them turned out to be correct. This election is the most significant of those predictions, primarily because it proves to be a vindication of my political philosophy and the theories I’ve taken pains to explain, elucidate, and promote: that true conservatism is the key to success, for a campaign, a party, and a country.

Palin has been going “off-script”, according to McCain staffers. She’s a “diva”. “Over the weekend, sources told CNN that long-brewing tensions between Palin and key aides to McCain were on the rise… Several McCain advisers suggested that they have become increasingly frustrated with what one aide described as Palin ‘going rogue’.”

Wow! Palin’s gone off the res!

“A Palin associate, however, said the candidate is simply trying to ‘bust free’ of what she believes was a damaging and mismanaged roll-out.”

What does that mean? She balked at toeing the “party line” because it conflicted with her basic conservatism?

“McCain sources say Palin has gone off-message several times, and they privately wonder whether the incidents were deliberate. They cited an instance in which she labeled robocalls -- recorded messages often used to attack a candidate's opponent – ‘irritating’ even as the campaign defended their use. Also, they pointed to her telling reporters she disagreed with the campaign's decision to pull out of Michigan… A second McCain source says she appears to be looking out for herself more than the McCain campaign.”

Gee… she can read the handwriting on the wall: the Titanic’s sinking! Man the lifeboats!

"Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom."

Or maybe, in the case of THIS ticket, of real conservatism.

“A Palin associate… acknowledged that Palin is trying to take more control of her message”.

As well she should as she realizes that she doesn’t want to be tarred with McCain’s essential RINOism.

In other words, she was a dummy, but we picked her anyway out of desperation.

In reality, it was a Hail Mary that didn’t work, damage control for the incipient disaster is already gearing up, and it’s time to throw Palin under the bus. 

What happened to all the “honor” with which McCain was supposedly imbued? He’s not beating Obama on the issues – in all reality because there really isn’t much difference between them – so he has to resort to cheap smear tactics and guilt by association. His desperation naming of Palin as his running mate to try to secure conservative support didn’t work – because it was seen as the cheap political trick it really is – so now he’s setting her up as the straw man. And getting INDIGNANT when she fights back, to boot! 

Look!… Up in the sky!

It’s a bird!… It’s a plane!….It’s SuperBam!

Strange visitor from another planet, who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal politicians! SuperBam! ... who can change the course of mighty historical imperatives, bend Congress in his bare hands; and who, disguised as Barack Obama, mild-mannered candidate for one of two political parties, fights a never-ending battle for lies, inequality, and the Communist way!

*          *            *            *   

Yep! That’s the level of discourse we face right now. If it’s THAT obvious, how come over HALF the American people haven’t tuned into it? This is a country that’s noted WORLDWIDE for our political acumen. We’re the STANDARD for political freedom, and our jealous guarding of same. THIS is the country that people are literally dying to immigrate into.

What’s wrong with this picture?

“Anger to Action”

(Excerpts):

“IT took a near meltdown of the economy and the single most naked example of corporate welfare to do it, but the people of America are furious.

“When voters turn out in large numbers, who knows what might happen next? And collectively we can use our numbers to shake up the political class so deeply they won't recover for a few election cycles. Don't like either Barack Obama or John McCain very much right now? Cast a vote for Bob Barr. The Libertarian presidential candidate might be an odd choice, but would surely bring change to the White House.

“Don't like what legislators have legislated? Then vote out incumbents whenever you can. If you're a Democrat, vote for a Republican; if you're Republican, try a Democrat for once. Why not? Could things be much worse?

“Do whatever you can to make sure that the political class stops taking voters for granted. Until the people turn their anger into action at the ballot box, we will continue to get leaders who are disconnected from their constituents.”

“Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who insists he would veto any pork barrel bills to come across his desk as president, is struggling to explain his vote for the revised financial bailout plan that contained a number of those pet projects.

“In an interview on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' program Thursday, McCain said the extra sweeteners added to the financial bailout bill that passed Wednesday night in the Senate are ‘just the way the system is working in Washington, and the reason why it's got to be fixed and it's got to be changed.’”

Well, McCain............ THAT is the very rationalization that's used for EVERY pork-laden bill, you moron!

What a freakin dim bulb.