All About The Benjamins.

California's taxpayers are paying millions of dollars to fund embryonic stem cell research. California lawmakers want to make sure whatever cures eventually come out of this taxpayer-funded research are offered at reasonable prices and that royalty payments come back to the state. You might think the embryonic stem cell researchers taking government money would go along. Out of gratitude, if for no other reason. You'd be wrong. (Here.)

-tdr

War? What War?

The Democratic Party has a survey at DCCC.org that asks voters how they feel about the Dims' plans when they officially take over the Congress. (Here.) The survey has to be seen to be believed.

There are 9 questions and 8 are about domestic concerns such as the minimum wage, health care, oil prices, spending, education, etc., etc., ect. There is one question about the war that asks voters whether they agree with the Dims' plan to enact all the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

Here's what that priceless question says: "Ensuring the safety and security of America requires that we implement the recommendations of the independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission. We will move quickly to implement the Commission’s recommendations."

I feel safer already. And more secure.

The survey has a space at the end for personal comments. Here's mine:

"Hey, how about supporting pro-active measures in fighting the war on Islamist Jihad. This 9/11 commission stuff is all about being defensive. The only way we can beat these guys is by keeping them off balance by being on the attack. Support aggressive actions in surveillance, in disrupting financing, in undermining regimes that support terrorsts, like Syria's and Iran's and others, support the classification of captured foreign terrorists as illegal enemy combatants triable in special military commissions, stop the focus on getting the troops out of Iraq and change the focus to supporting the mission of the troops and demanding that the administration do whatever it takes to achieve victory. In other words, get serious about fighting our enemy. Do all that, and I could care less what you do on the less important domestic issues."

Not holding my breath.

-tdr

Technorati: terrorism, war, politics, Democrats.

No Wal-Mart For You: Not Your Father's San Diego, Anymore: Part III

We are reminded once again that San Diego is no longer the Republican, pro-business, pro-developer city it once was. (Here, here, and here.) It's more Democratic than ever and the dominant special interest throwing its weight around in local politics is now Big Labor.

San Diego's City Council has a Democratic majority and the vote to ban Wal-Mart superstores, the shopping center of choice for America's working poor, was along partisan lines:

"Those supporting the ban are Democrats; those opposed are Republicans. ... A group of labor leaders and grocers proposed the ban three years ago, while pro-business organizations, including the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, fought it." (Here.)

Although supporters claimed aesthetics and the protection of local businesses motivated the ban, this was a vote about class. Costco and membership stores are exempt from the ban even though they compete with grocery stores and are large unsightly warehouse buildings surrounded by large parking lots, just as ugly as Wal-Mart. But the middle class and people just like the City Council members shop at Costco.

America went through this crisis in capitalism before when grocery stores displaced local specialty markets and department stores displaced smaller specialized businesses. Eventually grocery stores and department stores won out and came to dominate their markets. Superstores are likely to do the same. People can only be expected to spend more money than they have to for so long until the lure of low prices wins out.

But low prices for groceries will have to wait in San Diego. Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders opposes the ban and has threatened a veto but his threat means nothing. You see, San Diego has a Paper-Tiger Mayor form of government in which a veto can be defeated by a mere majority in the City Council. It took 5 votes to enact the ban and it will only take 5 votes to defeat the mayor's veto. Where's Pete Wilson when we need him?

-tdr

Republished once to fix San Diego Union-Tribune link.

Technorati: San Diego, WalMart.

Thanks For Nothing, Pat Buchanan Republicans

This Zogby poll shows the consequences of the Republican Party's transformation from being the party of Ronald Reagan to the party of Pat Buchanan. (Here.) The GOP's embrace of Buchanan-style nativism has alienated Hispanic voters, who until 2006 were moving towards the Republican Party. President George Bush won 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2004. The 2006 anti-immigration version of the Republican Party saw its share of Hispanic votes fall to 30%. (Here.)

Way to go, guys. It's not as if Hispanic voters are declining in numbers. Says Zogby, "Hispanics were 5% of 95 million voters in 1996, 6% of 105 million voters in 2000, and 8.5% of 122 million voters in 2004." (Here.)

Republicans are reeling and asking themselves what they did wrong to lose in 2006. Here's a thought. Maybe alienating a fast-growing segment of the electorate is a losing strategy not a winning one.

-tdr

Technorati: Immigration, Politics, Elections.

Daft About The Draft.

The San Diego Union Tribune does an unscientific reader poll every week. This week's poll asks readers to state whether they support reactivating the draft or keeping the military all volunteer. (Here.)

The poll is unscientific because it makes no attempt to collect answers from a representative sample of the population. Also its questions tend to be argumentative. This week's poll is no exception as the "yes" question demonstrates.

"Yes, a draft is only fair. We want our armed forces to be drawn from the entire nation, not just our poor and minority communities. And with a draft, the nation would be more cautious about using military force abroad."

The reality is that the demographics of the volunteer US military is representative of America. This is the demography as of November 2005:

"The data shows the force is more educated than the population at large. Servicemembers have high school diplomas or the general equivalency diploma. More servicemembers have some college than the typical 18- to 24-year-olds. ...

The statistics show the number of African-American servicemembers is dropping. ...

On the socioeconomic side, the military is strongly middle class ... More recruits are drawn from the middle class and fewer are coming from poorer and wealthier families. Recruits from poorer families are actually underrepresented in the military ...

Other trends are that the number of recruits from wealthier families is increasing, and the number of recruits from suburban areas has increased. This also tracks that young men and women from the middle class are serving in the military.

In fact, urban areas provide far fewer recruits as a percentage of the total population than small towns and rural areas." (Here.)

What's a lefty war opponent to do now?

-tdr

Technorati: Media, Military, Politics.

What Part Of Illegal Don't These 9/11 Survivors Understand?

The short-hand reference for the casualties of the 9/11 attacks is usually the "3,000 Americans" who died in the World Trade Center. What's always overlooked is that some of the casualties were foreigners. Some were illegal aliens.

Legalization for the illegal alien survivors has not come yet because the bill to address their plight is pending in Congress.

"The bill, called the September 11th Family Humanitarian Relief and Patriotism Act, is attached as an amendment to the immigration reform package that is tied up in the lame-duck Congress.

Bill Fugazy Jr., vice chairman of the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, said the bill should be pulled out of the immigration package and given a vote on its own merits." (Here.)

You might think even the opponents of illegal immigration would be willing to make an exception for this small group of families. You'd be wrong. Check out this choice quote in the same article from Jack Martin, spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

"'Those people have come into the country in violation of the laws,' Martin said. 'We don't think that the fact that they have suffered a loss of this type should be grounds for awarding them the permanent residence they would have tried to maintain illegally in this country, without that event having happened.'"

Does that seem FAIR to you?

The anti-illegal crowd is the cruelest, least compassionate political movement to rise up in America in a long time. That this tribal crowd is making inroads into the Republican Party and conservatism dismays this long-time Republican.

Conservatives and Republicans are searching their souls trying to figure out where they went wrong and why they lost. One thing that keeps being said is the need to return to their principles. Maybe so. But if they decide their principles include the kind of mindless, knee-jerk response to tragedy demonstrated by FAIR, then count this Republican out.

If you're a Republican or a conservative, ask yourself this question about the plight of these 9/11 survivors. Would you rather do what Ronald Reagan would do or what Pat Buchanan would do? You know in your hearts that Ronnie would let them stay. But Pat? He'd throw them out with his own two hands.

-tdr

Technorati: Immigration, Illegal immigration.

The Real Meaning Of President Bush In Vietnam.

Much is being made of the President's visit to Vietnam. Apparently, Ted Koppel joked recently about Bush joining the National Guard to avoid Vietnam but now going there. Ha, ha, that is so funny, Ted. What a laugh riot. And what irony. What a shallow point of view.

The real significance of Bush's trip to Vietnam is much darker and not funny at all. Three decades ago America abandoned Vietnam and stood by while it was overrun by the Communists from North Vietnam. Today, America is once again poised to abandon a fight and leave allies to their fate. The Dims and the media are finally getting their Vietnam in Iraq.

-tdr

Technorati: Iraq, Politics, Bush, Vietnam.

Gas Prices And The Election.

The whining about gas prices has begun again. The latest complaint is that prices have gone up since the election. (Here.)

Whatever.

The website Gasbuddy.com tracks gas prices over time. This graph (here) shows gas prices declined to a low in early November 2005 and then started rising again. Just like they're doing this year.

-tdr

Republished once to add Technorati tags.

Technorati: Economics, Oil, Politics.

A Relationship Of Trust Between Government And Citizens.

Mister Americano has added another item to his Second Amendment Disaster Preparedness Kit. (For prior additions, see here, here, and here.) It's an authentic M-1 Garand. The M-1 Garand was the rifle used by American soldiers in World War Two. It's a great rifle, if heavy. Mister Americano got his through the kind auspices of the U.S. Government.

The feds long ago established something called the Civilian Marksmanship Program "to provide civilians an opportunity to learn and practice marksmanship skills so they would be skilled marksmen if later called on to serve the U.S. military." (Here.) Law-abiding American citizens can participate in the CMP and buy surplus military firearms.

To get a gun from the CMP, you have to submit to a background check, and send proof of participation in a CMP-sponsored shooting match, an application form, proof of American citizenship, and $550 to the CMP. A few weeks later, your rifle arrives in a box delivered by Federal Express.

What a great country!

It says a lot about the relationship of trust between the federal government and its citizens that Americans can buy surplus military firearms from the government. That relationship puts the lie to the belief that governments should fear their people.

The recent movie, V for Vendetta played on the fears of leftwing hysterics who believe America and England are rushing into fascism. (America's fascists must not be very good at it, what with that pesky free election voting in the Democrats just the other day. But we digress.) Mister Americano has to admit that he liked the movie even if he doesn't agree with its premise.

The movie's promotional tagline was "People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people." (Here.) First of all, we don't belong to the government, so we aren't "their people." But more important than that, in a free society the people and their government trust each other. Although as President Reagan was always saying about the Russkies, "trust but verify."

-tdr

Reposted once to fix grammatically mangled sentence.

Technorati: Guns, Second Amendment, Politics, Disaster.

No Longer A Democratic Minority But A Plurality.

We wrote the other day that the Senate Democrats will take control as a minority party because they held 49 seats plus 2 independents versus the Republicans' 49. Now Joe Lieberman says he's still a Democrat even though he ran as an independent. (Here.) Fine. The Dims have 50 seats in the Senate plus 1 independent. And of course there's that huge majority in the House. Congratulations.

-tdr

Technorati: Politics, Democrats.

Democratic Minority To Control Senate

It's looking like James Webb is going to win the Virginia Senate race without having to go through a recount. (Here.) According to this story if that happens the Democrats will have 51 seats to the Republican's 49. That's not exactly true. The Democrats will have 49 seats if Webb wins. They will control the Senate because two independents, Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman, have agreed to caucus with the Democrats for the leadership votes.

-tdr

Mister Americano Goes To The Polls

Mister Americano headed to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters on Saturday to vote early. Not often, unfortunately. (Don't tell Lou Dobbs but the overweight security guards protecting the polling place spoke Spanish. Yet another mortal threat to our fragile democracy and not a Minute Man in sight. Don't forget, that's pronounced "my newt" as in small and insignificant.)

Statewide offices in California show the consequences of term limits. Two offices, Governor and Secretary of State have Republican incumbents running. The rest are open seats. Most candidates for the other offices are professional politicians term limited out of one position and running for another. Term limits hasn't led to the rise of citizen politicians who serve and then return to private life. Instead we get a political version of musical chairs.

Perhaps the most pathetic candidate this year is Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante. He failed to beat Arnold in the recall election, he's term limited out of his current office, and so he's running for, drumroll please, Insurance Commissioner. And he stands a good chance of losing to one of the few neophytes in the election, businessman Steve Poizner. We can only hope.

You've to to look to the federal ballots for the other pathetic candidate. Dianne Feinstein's opponent, Richard "Dick" Mountjoy. He is such a nobody that he lists his occupation on the ballot as, get this, "Immigration Control Consultant." These border security types have got their heads in a very dark place. Five years after 9/11 they suddenly have decided Mexico is the enemy. Wrong! It ain't Catholic workers from Mexico that the US has to worry about. It's those other monotheists who thnk God has a harem of 72 virgins waiting for them in heaven if they blow themselves up and kill a few Jews and Christians in the bargain. Mountjoy is the one Republican Mister Americano refused to vote for.

As usual California voters had to decide on a long list of ballot propositions. Mister Americano surprised himself and voted in favor of increasing property taxes in order to fund education. All the bond propositions to upgrade California's infrastructure got a thumbs up too, except for the one to build so-called affordable housing. Housing is not the government's job. You want affordable housing? Let developers build lots more houses, condos, and apartments.

The hot button propositions this year involve, what else, abortion and the issue of the moment, sexual predators. Of course parents should be notified if their minor daughter is seeking an abortion so Proposition 85 got a "yes" vote. Mister Americano works in criminal law. Contrary to popular belief, sexual predators do not get off easy in California. Proposition 83, which among other things will force all paroled sex offenders to live in the countryside to avoid living within 2,000 feet of a school and require them to wear a GPS tag for life, is overkill. That got a big "no" vote from this Republican.

And speaking of overkill, the proposition to tax cigarettes an additional $2.60 per pack got a big "thumbs down." Cigarettes are taxed enough. We've already got enough of a crime problem with the real illegal drugs in California, we don't need to create a black market for tobacco.

Proposition 90, which will curb government's eminent domain power and also give property owners the right to compensation from so-called regulatory takings, got a thumbs up. Proposition 90 is California's answer to the United States Supreme Court's Kelo decision that upheld an overly expansive interpretation of eminent domain. The national movement to curb eminent domain is an example of how the states will handle the abortion issue if the US Supremes ever get around to throwing out Roe v. Wade.

Locally, San Diego's biggest time waster on the ballot is Proposition A, which is solely an advisory vote on whether San Diego should pursue Miramar as the site for a new commercial airport. Right now Miramar belongs to the Marines but the movers and shakers in San Diego's political and business communities want the base. Five years after 9/11 in the midst of a shooting war in Iraq and a terror war with no end in sight, the Marines need the air base just a bit more than San Diego does. So, Proposition A got a very big thumbs down. When the Marines no longer need the airbase, maybe then San Diego can put a commercial airport there.

Proposition B, requiring a vote of the people before city workers can get a big retirement increase again, and Proposition C, allowing for outsourcing city jobs, got hearty "yes" votes. Government workers should get 401K's like the rest of us and businesses should be allowed to compete for non-essential government jobs. It's the American way.

Now get out there and cancel my votes.

-tdr

Technorati: Politics, Elections, San Diego.

An Atheist World At War

One of the myths atheists like to believe is that the world would be a better and more peaceful place without religion. You'd think the 20th Century would have put a end to that one. That atheists still believe the myth is proof that they believe in fairy tales just as much as religious people do.

Leave it to the South Park guys to take a whack at the peace-loving atheism myth. Last weeks's episode saw Cartman frozen in suspended animation and awakened 500 years later into a world without religion where three atheist factions are at war with each other. (Here.)

The South Park writers are smarter than atheists. They know that the problem is within us no matter what our beliefs or nonbeliefs. Humans have a will to power that will always result in warfare somewhere. As Kyle said at the end of another great South Park episode, "war is the natural order of life." (Here.)

-tdr

Technorati: South Park, Religion, Atheism, War.

Health Regulation And The Market For Food.

A California agricultural group is calling for compulsory health standards in the wake of the recent food scares linked to contaminated produce from California farms.

"Western Growers President Thomas Nassif said calling for compulsory adherence to safety standards, which have been voluntary, and inviting the government's oversight showed how seriously the industry took the outbreak – one of nine linked to California vegetables in the past decade.

'It is not normal for a business to say, "Please regulate us and enforce it if we don't do the right things,"' Nassif said. 'But that, we believe, is essential to restore public confidence.'" (Here.)

Actually that is how regulation works. Large companies welcome regulation because they find it easier to comply and it clears the competition of smaller companies. For example, New York City is banning transfats from food sold in restaurants. KFC and other major fast-food chains are phasing out transfats. (Here.) They acknowledge some difficulty with the phaseout but they are proceeding. Why? Because they can. On the other hand, the greatest opposition to the ban comes from the city's restaurant association which represents lots of small businesses. For them, compliance will be extremely difficult.

Which is not to say regulation is inherently bad. It just doesn't come without cost.

-tdr

Technorati: Food, Government, Politics.

Conservative Myopia

All or nothing Conservatives this election are turning on the one American party that welcomes their input and sometimes implements their policies. And why? Let's see what purist conservative pundit Bruce Bartlett has to say about his decision to vote for Democrats:

"In short, when I vote Democratic next week for the first time in my life, what I am really voting for is gridlock. I am not voting for the Democratic Party's policies, most of which I still oppose. Rather, I am voting for change, congressional oversight and White House accountability. I am voting against Republican corruption and out-of-control spending. If that takes putting Democrats in charge of Congress, then so be it." (Here.)

Five years after 9/11 with America fighting a world wide ideological war against Islamist Jihad, conservatives are putting domestic politics first, violating their own principles, and voting for a party opposed to everything they believe in. Which begs the question: Are conservatives adults?

-tdr

Technorati: Politics, Bush, Republicans, Conservatives.

Battlestar Galactica Finds Earth.

Battlestar Galactica's two hour episode last night struck very close to home. After a year of occupation by their Cylon overlords the human insurgency is now resorting to suicide bombers, blowing up police graduation ceremonies, and targeting civilians. The Cylons are rounding up suspected insurgents, transporting the "detainees" in shackles and canvas hoods, and torturing them in prison while the human puppet president denies it happens.

Hmmmm. Does any of that sound familiar?

BSG, or the best show on TV, as we fans refer to it, has flirted with contemporary wartime events over the past two seasons. This was successful in the past because the writing hinted at current events more than paralelling them. With this new season it looks like the writers may have decided to tell stories "ripped from today's headlines" as those awful unoriginal shows on broadcast television do.

It's too soon to tell from one episode whether the show will turn preachy and convey an overt message about the war. To date the show has avoided that temptation and that's one reason it is so good. Good fiction doesn't preach. Good fiction tells stories that let the viewers or readers come to their own moral conclusions. Time will tell if the writers remain committed to producing good fiction or if they have decided to produce sermons.

-tdr

Technorati: Battlestar Galactica, Science Fiction, war.

Note: This post is duplicated on Tales of the Heliosphere, my blog on science fiction and present space policy.

Hold Those Natural Disasters Until Late Morning, Please.

Fox News Sunday was supposed to have New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas as a guest this morning. (Here.) Show host Chris Wallace announced on the air during the show that Thomas had overslept and would miss the show. He also announced that Thomas missed a meeting on Hurricane Ernesto. Can that be true? What does that say about the city's performance recovering from Hurricane Katrina and preparing for future hurricanes.

-tdr

It's Christmas In June!

Karl Rove committed no crime. (Here.) Ha, ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha. HA! Take that you whiny leftie shmucks!

-tdr

Pat Buchanan's Republican Party.

In Peggy Noonan's latest column she wonders what motivates President Bush to challenge his base on illegal immigration. (Here.) She concludes "I continue to believe the administration's problem is not that the base lately doesn't like it, but that the White House has decided it actually doesn't like the base. That's a worse problem. It's hard to fire a base. Hard to get a new one."

Actually, that isn't the problem. The problem for the President isn't that he dislikes his base. The problem is that his base is so completely and utterly wrong on immigration reform.

But there's a larger problem facing the President and the Republican Party. That problem is the conservative base's decision to abandon President Bush.

It's sad really. President Bush has done more for conservatives and Republicans than any President in recent history. More even than Reagan who won two terms as President but who could do nothing about the Democratic Party's stranglehold on Congress. But in their hearts conservatives would rather lose power than further compromise their principles by continuing to support the President's compassionate conservatism.

Hurrican Katrina destroyed the Bush Presidency. First, the live televised government failure ruined the President's standing with nonpartisan Americans. Second, the President's promise to spend whatever it takes to rebuild New Orleans caused conservatives to reexamine their allegiance to the President and decide they made a mistake. He's a big spender, don't you know. Six years of big spending didn't do it. No, it was his promise to rebuild New Orleans that finally led unmodified conservatives to conclude that maybe President Bush is more compassionate than he is conservative.

Since Katrina one event after another has divided conservatives from the President. Illegal immigration is only the latest issue to do so. It shouldn't. The President's comprehensive plan is reasonable and within the tradition of the Republican Party's spiritual grandfather, Ronald Reagan.

But conservatives today have abandoned the positive and inclusive spirit that animated Reagan's politics. Instead conservatives have embraced the negative and divisive spirit of the Republican Party's angry little brother, Patrick Buchanan. Buchanan, for those who only know him as an occasional MSNBC commentator, ran for President more than once on an isolationist, anti-immigrant, and protectionist platform. He lost badly each time.

Things have changed. America finds herself at war abroad in a conflict that seems without end. More and more Americans just want to call it a day and bring the troops home. At home, many Americans have come to view illegal immigrants as an invading army to be repelled at all costs. In the middle of a booming economy, Americans are insecure about their own prospects as Lou Dobbs relentlessly demagogues on TV about a "War on the Middle Class." Buchanan's time has come.

-tdr

Technorati: Bush, Immigration, Illegal immigration.

What Is This Guy Smoking?

There was a time when George Will recognized that America is not a libertarian, small government country. Americans support Social Security, Medicare, Public Education, and all the other programs that provide a safety net. Americans want a government that is big enough to help people when they need it. At one time in his career Will recognized this political fact. Who knows what to make of this?

The 211 Republicans who voted for big government regulation of speech will have no principled objection. How many principled Republicans remain? Only 18. The following, who voted against restricting 527s:

Roscoe Bartlett (Maryland), Chris Chocola (Indiana), Jeff Flake (Arizona), Vito Fossella (New York), Trent Franks (Arizona), Scott Garrett (New Jersey), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Ernest Istook (Oklahoma), Walter Jones (North Carolina), Steve King (Iowa), Connie Mack (Florida), Cathy McMorris (Washington), Randy Neugebauer (Texas), Ron Paul (Texas), Mike Pence (Indiana), John Shadegg (Arizona) and Lynn Westmoreland (Georgia).

On this remnant of libertarian, limited-government conservatism a future House majority can be built. The current majority forfeited its raison d'etre on April 5. (Here.)

That's right. You read it correctly. A new GOP majority in the House can be built around Ron Paul.

Being against George W. Bush has driven many a Democrat into near insanity. Since Hurrican Katrina and Harriet Miers destroyed President Bush's administration, something similar seems to be happening among conservative Republicans. Get ready for a new Democratic majority in Congress.

-tdr

Technorati: Bush.