June 2009
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
« May   Jul »
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  

Month June 2009

Entries 10 Total

The Question of Deadly Force

Jun 30, 09 8:08 PM

I had never blogged on this case before because I wanted to get as much perspective on it before I made a decision. As I typically do, I read everything I could and watched all the news footage I could find about this before formulating an opinion about it. Now I’m ready to post something I’ve been working on for a couple of days.

On May 11, 2004, then-57-year-old Harold Fish was ending a long hike in the Coconino National Forest in Northern Arizona (just north of a little town called Strawberry). The events of that day are known only to him, but the facts are that he met Grant Kuenzli at the end of the trail and shot him three times in the chest. As Kuenzli lay in the dirt, Fish tried all he could to help him–he put his backpack under Kuenzli’s head, covered him with a blanket to keep him warm, and flagged down another vehicle to help. He used his OnStar system to call for paramedics, and remained on scene to answer questions. He told investigators later that when two dogs charged him on the trail, he pulled his 10mm Kimber handgun and fired a warning shot, drawing Kuenzli from the top of the hill. He said Kuenzli then charged him in a rage, swinging his fists and swearing to kill him. He said he fired in self defense, because Kuenzli–a much younger and stronger man than Fish–made him fear for his life. Typically, a man guilty of murder (which can be loosely defined as the taking of a life without cause or justification) doesn’t stick around and try to help or explain to police what happened. But I’ll go another route to prove what I believe.

Linda Almeter, Kuenzli’s sister, described him as “an honorable, noble, responsible, caring, loving person.” She loved her brother and it certainly shows in the way she talks about him. Another friend said he was astonished when he heard Kuenzli had been killed, and started a petition in the town of Payson (where they were all from) to convince the Coconino County Attorney’s Office to prosecute Fish for murder. What was never brought up in trial, however, was a long line of incidents that proved Kuenzli’s behavior. That friend who started the petition, who said there was no way Kuenzli could have attacked Fish? His name is John McCauley, and he knew Kuenzli for a grand total of four months before he was killed.

The witness testimony that would have proven what Kuenzli was really like? It was challenged by the prosecution. The court suppressed any mention of prior bad acts, meaning testimony from witnesses who had seen Kuenzli behave in a way that would affirm Fish’s testimony that he’d felt threatened on the trail by Kuenzli’s posturing. In fact, there was quite a bit of very relevant witness testimony that was suppressed by the court, and it would have proven the point that Kuenzli did, in fact, have a raging, out-of-control temper.

Ernie Encinas, the Gilbert fire marshal who supervised Kuenzli as a fire inspector, said that Kuenzli would frequently lose his temper with everyone. He’d ball up his fists, bang them on the tables and other furniture, throw things, and scream at the top of his lungs while pacing back and forth. Encinas later said that when he heard the story and was asked to testify, he had no trouble picturing Kuenzli charging and threatening to kill someone. Steve Corich, director of security at Mesa Community College, said his run-in with Kuenzli stuck out above all others in his 26 years in his position: when Kuenzli was asked to take his dog (which was not on a leash) off campus, he started posturing, clenching his fists and screaming, making little sense. Clayton Hamblen, a Mesa court justice of the peace, once asked Kuenzli to leave his dog outside the courthouse before coming in for a hearing, and still says that Kuenzli stuck in his mind as the most hateful, angry individual he’d ever crossed paths with. He also described Kuenzli’s threatening posture, clenched teeth and fists, and a look that he described as, “I want to rip your throat out.”

Kuenzli had a history of PTSD, depression and anxiety disorders. He was on the anti-depressant Effexor when he met Fish on the trail. Many of his coworkers have since said that they were not surprised to hear that this had happened, because Kuenzli had a violent temper, one that they all believed would get him into serious trouble someday.

The prosecutor argued that Fish carried a high-powered handgun and kept it loaded with hollow-point ammunition though he didn’t need it. He also argued that Fish, who had an Arizona CCW license, should never have fired a warning shot at the dogs. He said that Fish knew when he pulled the trigger that Kuenzli would die. But Fish carried his Kimber when he hiked to protect against wild animals, not necessarily people. It is true enough that in training to obtain a CCW, you’re taught never to fire a warning shot; you’re taught to fire at center mass to take down the threat before you can be harmed or killed. I have this question, though: who wants to kill a dog? If it’s me, even though I’ve gone through CCW training and I’ve been attacked by a dog before, I’d have a hard time shooting a dog, too. As for knowing that Kuenzli would die, that’s hearsay, something that shouldn’t have been allowed into evidence. I see gunshot victims survive on a regular basis. I’ve seen them survive rounds from AR-15′s and arterial bleeding. Nobody can claim that Fish knew Kuenzli would die. The hollow-point bullet argument? Hogwash. I put hollow tips in my handgun. If you fire at a person with target ammunition, that round will go through their body and every wall and other object behind it, possibly harming or killing an innocent person. Hollow tips make that sort of scenario nearly impossible.

For those of us who believe firmly in the right to keep and bear arms, the decision to fire in self-defense is not an easy one. In my whole life, I’ve had to pull my weapon exactly once, and thank God never had to fire. Training and beliefs aside, the choice to do something that may result in another person’s death–even a person who is threatening you–is a choice nobody wants to make.

I have also studied Shaolin gongfu and Krav Maga for several years. Officially, my body is a dangerous weapon. I know quite well what I am capable of. Moreso, I know what others are capable of, and believe it or not, there are some people I would not ever, ever want to have to fight because I know they’d likely beat me to death. A person does not have to touch you to commit assault. Until you’ve had a person get in your face and threaten you or even take a couple of swings at you, you cannot understand how much fear that can produce. It doesn’t take much to do serious damage and injury to a person with your bare hands. Harold Fish likely had every reason to believe his life was in immediate danger on that trail.

It doesn’t happen often, but I cannot disagree more with prosecutors on this case. The question of deadly force here should have been asked before they wasted taxpayer money to try an innocent man.

Comments (4)

Justice for Firefighters Facing Discrimination

Jun 29, 09 3:48 PM

Many have heard the basics of a group of firefighters in New Haven, Connecticut who banded together to file a discrimination suit against their city. The basics are thus: an exam was held for firefighters who wished to apply for promotion to captain, the test used was purely objective (it was written by a 3rd party company specializing in firefighter exams), and because few minorities–none of them black–passed, the city decided to scrap the exam and promote none of the applicants. The plan was apparently to administer another exam. But a group of the applicants, firefighters who were white and Hispanic, got mad and decided to fight back. They filed suit. Ricci v. DeStefano was knocked down by Sonia Sotomayor as not meeting the criteria for discrimination under the Civil Rights Act. According to Sotomayor, because certain minorities weren’t in the passing group, the test had to be racially biased. Therefore there was no merit to the claims of the firefighters filing suit.

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States overruled Sotomayor’s ridiculous opinion. And they did so unanimously.

Here’s my experience…every firefighter, captain, and chief I’ve ever met or worked with worked his or her butt off to get where they are. Firefighting is not an easy profession by any means, and every one of the men and women I know fully deserved the promotions they were given. I know captains of every color and creed you can imagine. Not one of them was ever handed their job because of a protected minority status, and every single one would be insulted by any person who suggested what the city of New Haven did. The Civil Rights Act wasn’t just meant to protect “minorities”–it was meant to protect all people, because everyone is capable of discrimination. I’ve been discriminated against for the color of my skin, too, for the first job I ever applied for at a Wal-Mart where the black hiring manager openly bragged that she would only hire black applicants. My sister was discriminated against by the same woman. I have heard people of all races–white, black, Hispanic, Asian, you name it–make racist remarks against every other race under the sun.

The fact is that white people were not meant to be excluded from the CRA, nor were Hispanic people like a couple of those who were also passed up by New Haven (and later joined the lawsuit). The exam that was used was found to be completely objective and not racially biased in any way. The simple fact that there weren’t any passing scores coming from certain races involved in that test does not automatically make that test discriminatory. It just means those folks need to brush up on their knowledge, take the test next year and do better. More often than not, people fail those tests the first time around. In each case, they worked harder and got it the next time around.

I applaud the decision by the Supreme Court today and the firefighters who refused to be passed up because of the color of their skin. They all worked hard for what they earned and they weren’t about to let the government take it away. Bravo.

*****UPDATE*****

I was incorrect in my statement that the SCOTUS voted unanimously to overturn the lower courts’ decision. They unanimously disagreed with Sotomayor’s opinion that the test was scrapped due to proven racism; the actual vote, however, was 5-4 in favor of the New Haven 20. It’s also worth noting that none of the men involved in the suit knew their status on the list of promotable firefighters; in fact, even after six of them found out they wouldn’t make the promotion list, they remained on the suit to defend what they knew to be right.

Comments (6)

So Much For LOWERING Taxes!

Jun 29, 09 9:30 AM

After all the hubbub and noise about Obama cutting taxes for the working class, Obama and his Democrat hordes are trying to deal us a one-two punch that we’d never recover from if they passed. “Oh, but he only raised taxes for the wealthy–we’re getting an extra $13 a week! He’s cutting taxes for us! He’s the new Robin Hood!”

Oh, gag me.

First of all, his proposal for universal healthcare would raise taxes on EVERYBODY. Not just the wealthy. Working-class folks like Philip, Steve and I would all be taxed for the benefits that our employers give us. Private healthcare would be taxed out of existence. Contrary to popular belief, that’s not competition. Wal-Mart may drive their competition out of business with low prices, but they don’t have the power to tax their competitors out of the market. The government does. That isn’t competition, it’s called abuse of power, and it’s wrong no matter which way you look at it. Somehow, some way government healthcare would need to be paid for, and it would be done through taxes.

Second–and Philip brought this up a couple of days ago–CAP AND TRADE. Oh, my God, we’re going to tax ourselves into destitution with cap and trade, and we’re smiling as we do it. Here’s the basics about this farce: it’s better known as Waxman-Markey or HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act. It might sound good on the surface, but all bills typically do. They’re intended to do good. But we all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and this bill would take us straight to hell in a handbasket. You know all those special interests and earmarks that we’re all so upset about? They’re up to their eyeballs in Waxman-Markey, and average American Joes like you and I would pay through the teeth for this ridiculous bill if it passes the Senate. Energy rationing would become more of a reality than it was during WWII.

The idea behind Waxman-Markey is to provide a way to create so-called “clean energy” for use by Americans. The way to it, however, would cost us everything we have. It would require greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced by 83% by 2050, a feat that every expert on the subject admits is herculean. That’s the tip of the iceberg. All the massive energy companies have sold out, seeming to lend credibility to the push for clean energy, making Democrats look at them in awe and say, “oh, how brave–you’re giving up your profits to save the planet!” But there’s more to that, too. No CEO in his right mind would throw his company’s support behind a bill that would cut their legs out from under them without some kind of compensation for their troubles. Their compensation is a full 85% of the rationing coupons, and the CEO’s even admitted in hearings over Waxman-Markey that they’d refuse to support the bill if they weren’t getting such a high number of those rationing coupons.

Recently, emails were revealed from the EPA that showed the reality of global warming and how we need to “save the planet.” In reality, temperatures stopped rising nearly ten years ago. The liberal brown-nosers at the EPA shut down one employee’s research on the subject when that employee revealed just how futile our efforts would be if we passed this sort of legislation. Their argument? “This employee is not a scientist.” Good God almighty–neither were 98% of the nitwits who signed Al Gore’s petition to stop global warming, but how many people took that crap seriously?!? The employee involved is Alan Carlin, and the director of the EPA was caught with his pants down when he said in an email that Carlin’s work would “hurt the office” and that they’d already decided to go forward with “endangerment funding.”

Translation? We don’t care about the fact that there’s evidence that we’re wrong–we want this, and we’re going to ram it down your throats any which way we can.

Cap and trade would result in the loss of millions of jobs, fuel and energy rationing, and only the very wealthy being able to afford their vehicles. Democrats blocked Republican amendments that would have suspended Waxman-Markey in the case of $5-a-gallon gasoline or 15% unemployment rates. Far from reducing our dependence on foreign oil, this bill would lead stateside fuel refineries to import even more in an effort to keep their product affordable for us so they could turn a profit. By 2035, my niece’s family would be paying upwards of $20,000 annually in combined energy usage. The cost of EVERYTHING would go up to balance it out, because businesses will be paying the higher energy costs, too. All that outsourcing of jobs that we’re so pissed about? Guess what? That’ll get worse, too, because it’ll be that much cheaper to hire someone in China or India to do some of our jobs because those countries have sworn they’d never do anything as remarkably stupid as Waxman-Markey.

Everything–farming, manufacturing, retail, EVERYTHING–would be taxed to the brink of destruction by cap and trade. Between lost revenue here at home and losses in the GNP, it would cost us nearly nine-and-a-half trillion dollars. Oh, and low-income families would be hit hardest by the hardships imposed by this legislation.

So much for lowering taxes!

Comments (22)

Rest In Peace At Last, MJ

Jun 27, 09 8:12 PM

I was browsing the news online today when it hit me that we were one of maybe 10 sites online who hadn’t mentioned the passing of Michael Jackson.  So here is my personal tribute.

Michael influenced a lot of people now in their 20s all the way to folks in their 40s and 50s.  Though his last few years were tainted by his odd behavior and scandal, there is no denying that Michael Jackson was an incredible talent.  That voice was just off the charts.  I was saddened to see the sorry state that he had entered over the last decade.  We may never know if he did the things he was accused of.  Personally, I just think he was an innocent soul who cracked under the pressures of fame.  We have all seen what has become of so many child stars in the realm of TV and movies.  So many committed suicide, ended up in jail or became destitute outcasts.  Michael eventually became a victim of those same circumstances fueled by his father’s abusiveness and by the pressures of fame at an early age.

But with his passing, I will reserve all judgment and celebrate a very influential and incredibly talented musician.  I am a child of the 80s and the 90s.  And MJ was a pivotal character in the pop culture of my childhood and teen years.  I wasn’t into parachute pants, break dancing, or moonwalking.  In fact, I wasn’t a major fan of Michael Jackson’s music although I did like it.  I was stuck on the new wave syntho-pop thing back then.  But I do appreciate his music from all eras whether it’s ABC, Billie Jean or Man In The Mirror.  He really didn’t ever sing a bad song.  It was all incredible.

My favorite song, though, is one I had forgotten until just today from his early years.  “Ben” was an incredible, beautiful song.  And for a pet lover like myself, it was very touching (even though it was about a rat).  Here’s a vid from the Sonny & Cher show in 1972 (before I was born…haha)

On another note, I found a version of Ben sung by child star Billy Gillman at a tribute for Michael Jackson several years ago.  I really thought it was awesome – very beautiful.  Michael was present and evidently approved.  I thought I would post this one too.

Comments (2)

Cap and Trade Sham Passes

Jun 26, 09 6:49 PM

I was watching CSPAN today and listening to talk radio.  The House passed the massive energy tax this afternoon by a vote of 219-212.  It is euphemistically known as “Cap and Trade.”  CBO estimates show that this legislation will result in 2 million job losses per year [Correction: The CBO failed to analyze the total economic impact of this legislation on the US economy and, in fact, underestimated the impact.  CBO admissions of job losses led to an outlay in the legislation providing billions of dollars for workers who would lose their jobs under this bill. The studies and statistics on job losses were provided by other sources. An upcoming post will present these studies] Additionally, it is expected to drive up energy bills to the residential consumer by 90%.   And it’s all based on alarmism intiated by false science concerning “global warming.” 

I will speak more on this subject in the coming days, but I wanted to focus on the vote.  There were 42 Democrats who sided with the GOP in an attempt to defeat this bill.  Before you get all giddy – realize that a few of those included leftist nuts like Dennis Kucinich who felt that the bill didn’t go far enough.  Mostly, though, the Democrats were conservatives or Dems in unsafe House seats who heard the message from their constituents loud and clear.  Apparently, the House switchboard melted down with people calling in to voice their displeasure over this legislative piece of crap.  The overwhelming number of calls were reported to be in opposition to this irresponsible sham.

On the other side, 8 “Republicans” sided with the Democrats on this legislation – thus providing them with the necessary margin need for victory.  I will list their names and phone numbers below.  I was listening to Mark Levin while the vote was going on.  He had Reps. John Shadegg (AZ), Mike Pence (IN), Eric Cantor (VA) and John Boehner(OH) on the radio during that time.  Cantor (minority whip) and Boehner (minority leader) both came on after the final vote was counted.  Levin pressed them on the 8 GOP traitors.  Cantor was diplomatic but did note that people would respond via the ballot box.  Boehner, surprisingly, was more incredulous and almost promised that those 8 defectors would hear about what they had done.  The minority leader was as pumped and determined as I have ever heard them.  I was really proud of his response.

This measure will go to the Senate now.  Boehner feels that this legislation will not become law.  But we don’t need to rest on his reassurances.  If more celebrities die shortly before the Senate vote, I might buy into some sort of conspiracy theory.  I’m not sure that Americans were focused on the 1200-page monstrocity and its repercussions.  And this 1200 page bill only merited 3 hours of debate in the House.  A 300-page amendment was introduced at 3:09 am this morning.  I can assure you, that the Senate will operate under the full glare of American voters when their time comes to vote on this. At least they will have time to read it before they cast a vote.

In the meantime, here are the names and office numbers of the 8 RINOs who voted for this garbage.  Our campaign against their reelection begins today.  Feel free to call and express your feelings – especially if you are in their district.  In the coming months – as the primaries ramp up – I will be coming back to these people and feature their opponents.  And I can almost guarantee you that each one will face primary opposition. 

Mary Bono Mack (CA – 45th)  202-225-5330

Michael Castle (DE – at large) note:  Castle is thinking about the Senate race.  I’ll be there for him too.  202-225-4165

Mark Kirk (IL – 10th)  202-225-4835

Leonard Lance (NJ – 10th)  202-225-5361

Frank LoBiondo (NJ – 2nd)  202-225-6572

John McHugh (NY – 23rd)  202-225-4611

David Reichert (WA – 8th)  202-225-7761

Chris Smith (NJ – 4th)  This one saddens me.  But he is toast now.  202-225-3765

Anyone see any pattern above?  Same ole, same ole.

 

Comments (6)

The Gay Demon

Jun 25, 09 1:55 PM

According to Fox61 in Connecticut and FOX News, a small church in Bridgeport–run by Manifested Glory Ministries–has been performing exorcisms on teenagers believed to be gay. The YouTube video posted by the ministry has been deleted (along with their channel) because of all of the negative attention, and all users who had saved it found it yanked by YouTube because the ministry leaders filed “copyright infringement” complaints (I call BS). If you go to the Fox61 link, you can see clips of the video. The heads of the ministry, including the Rev. and his wife Patricia McKinney, angrily ejected reporters from their radio station yesterday, refusing to talk publicly about the video clip or their practice of exorcism with teens involved in their ministry who are rumored to be gay.

Last year, I shared my coming-out story. I grew up in a very religious (note, I said religious, not spiritual) home. Church was so much a part of our lives that when my family came to Phoenix in 1997, while I was a senior in high school, the only way my siblings and I knew to make friends was to go find a church and get involved in the youth group. Church and beliefs were very important to us. I went to bible school, interned for two youth ministers and later became a music minister/worship leader and toured with a Christian band for a few years. I was also a very unpleasant person much of the time, mostly because there was a part of me that knew I was a lesbian and I refused to acknowledge it. If I did, it would be a damning sin, one that would strip me of my salvation. It would end my life as I knew it, with my support system, my friends and the places that were familiar and comfortable to me. Then, when I couldn’t deny it any longer just six and a half years ago, I tried to find justification in scripture to kill myself.

Matthew 18:7-9 says, “woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having to eyes, to be cast into hell fire.” If anybody knows what it means to take scripture the wrong way, I do. I took this group of verses completely out of context and believed that it would have been better to commit suicide than it would have been to admit that I’m gay and go on living with a sin that God could not forgive.

It took me six months to come to a place where I was willing to entertain the notion that maybe, just maybe, I’d been taught wrong–and that I’d taught the same message in horrible error. To this day, I feel guilty for teaching the lesson that homosexuality is a mortal sin, that gay and lesbian people are the way they are because they have refused to accept God’s grace and God has given up on them. I have read stories of Christian youth who didn’t give their lives a chance and completed their suicides because of their fear of being rejected by their church families. I was part of the perpetuation of the myth that God condemns people and gives them up to homosexuality, and that lifestyle marks a soul as being forever lost.

I see stories like the ones linked above and it breaks my heart, because young people all over the world are being taught to hate themselves by people claiming to love God. I still believe; I just happen to believe in a different theological vein than most fellow Christians do. It’s something we’ll have to agree to disagree on because, as we all admit, we take what we believe on an awful lot of faith. But the young man in the video has my deepest sympathies. His faith–as well as who he is–is coming into question now, and he doesn’t know which way to go. I’ve been there. I know.

What concerns me is that the leaders of this ministry are completely unwilling to speak publicly about what they do. The bible also forbids doing these things in secret, and I wonder what else this church might be hiding. I’m living proof that being gay is NOT a mortal sin, and God still loves me despite what people may think or say about the condition of my soul. Should any of those young people questioning their faith, their salvation or themselves see this missive, know this: you are not alone. Many people have survived this struggle, and we’ve come out stronger on the other side. Don’t let any human being tell you what you should believe. Seek the counsel of people whom you believe to be wise, but in the end, only YOU can know what you believe, and why.

The only “gay demon” is the one being created by theology.

Comments (18)

Dr. Evil versus Barbara Boxer

Jun 24, 09 10:16 AM

My apologies to Dr. Evil for the comparison.

Thanks to Ann Coulter for posting.

Comments (4)

The Face of The Oppressed (WARNING: Extremely Graphic!)

Jun 22, 09 2:20 PM

(Sorry I was gone so long, ya’ll. Be sure to read Philip’s posts, because he was gone far longer and I love his most recent posts; Steve drew in over a hundred comments on his latest post, so we know we’re getting to the libs!)

Neda, known to bloggers for her Twittering of the protests in Iran, was a beautiful young philosophy student out covering the protests last week when a Basij (Iranian paramilitary who takes orders from the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard) shot her to death. Here is a short clip of the protest before the shooting (keep an eye on the man in the blue striped shirt–she’s with him, and via Allahpundit at Hot Air, he’s her music teacher):

Minutes later, this was the scene (this is extremely graphic, so be forewarned):

I’ve seen a person die in this fashion before. What’s disturbing to me about this is that Neda was completely innocent. It was the government that killed her, and they did it to suppress the voice that she provided to the world so we could all know the truth about what’s going on in Iran.

Neda was not armed, nor were the protesters with her. They were not throwing rocks, bottles, or any other bludgeons. The Basij (read: coward) who shot her was hiding on a rooftop nearby and didn’t even have the balls to look her in the face. In the second video, you hear her music teacher saying “Neda, don’t be afraid…Neda, stay with me!” in Farsi. So far, 32 have been killed by police and Basij forces, hundreds have been badly injured and thousands have been jailed. All for questioning the outcome of the elections in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was supposedly re-elected.

FACT: in more than 50 Iranian states, more votes were cast than there were eligible voters to cast them. FACT: media was shut down in Iran on the day of the elections to halt reporting on the results. FACT: cell phones were jammed by government workers to stop communications during the elections. FACT: interior employees of Ahmadinejad’s government managed to get word out before the election that the government had already rigged the election. FACT: the election was fixed by Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an effort to stop the more moderate Mir-Hossein Mousavi from undoing all of the power plays the government had managed to accrue in the past several years.

Internet access has been all but shut down by the government in recent days in an effort to stop news of the protests and military crackdowns from being seen by the rest of the world. Some photos and Twitters are still getting out because of the bravery of Iranians who refuse to be silenced. It took Obama days to speak out against Ahmadinejad’s cruelty. The whole world is watching, and Neda has become a heroine and a rallying cry for those unwilling to accept what’s happening. It should be noted as well that the regime shut down Neda’s memorial service.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the face of the oppressed:

neda

Comments (1)

Welcome To The Fold

Jun 21, 09 6:15 PM

A journalist from the Las Vegas Review Journal comes out of the closet and makes the jump to the GOP. 

First, I’m not trying to time anything. Enough was enough. Could stand no more. So, when it came time to renew my driver’s license on June 9, I also gave the Democratic Party the pink slip.

I pushed the DMV clerk the paperwork. She shoved it back and said I didn’t have to fill out that form if my address remained the same.

“No, I want to change party affiliation.”

“Oh,” she said. “Had enough of the president, have we?”

“Up to here. I quit.”

Welcome, Mr. Frederick.  I have a feeling that you won’t be alone.  Come 2010, I think there will be more defections to the GOP than anytime since the 1994 Republican Revolution.  I think a whole bunch of folks are having some buyer’s remorse.  And I think a lot of people who were so cavalier about politics are now scared shitless over the things they are seeing from the Democrat regime in DC.

Comments (5)

The Politics of Vindictiveness

Jun 18, 09 7:22 PM

It’s pretty apparent that interfering with Obama and his cronies is not to be tolerated.  Led by Rahm Emmanuel, the White House actively applies Chicago-style politics in dealing with its enemies.  Anyone who crosses this administration will be dealt with harshly and potentially ruined for life.  Just ask Gerald Walprin.

Republicans aren’t satisfied with President Obama’s explanation that he fired a controversial inspector general because he was “confused,” “disoriented” and generally uncooperative. 

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., released a statement Thursday calling for a “fuller and more complete explanation” as well as more evidence of the “reasons and process” that led to the firing of Gerald Walpin, former inspector general for the Corporation for National and Community Service. 

Basically, the administration claimed that he was crazy and waived the typical 30-day notice requirement involved in the firing of an inspector general.  They were ready to get rid of him post-haste.

While firing an investigator who uncovered the abuse of funds by a political ally might be considered an act of ‘political courage’ in Chicago politics, for most Americans it raises troubling questions,” Issa said. Before his firing, Walpin had investigated Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, an Obama supporter, for allegedly misusing federal funds. A settlement was reached in that case under which Johnson’s organization was to repay some of the money. 

As Michelle Malkin notes -

Implying that Walpin has lost his marbles is desperate and lame. Walpin has been consistenly lucid and laser-sharp in every TV and radio interview I’ve seen or heard — including on the Laura Ingraham show yesterday, where he noted that evidence in the Sacramento mayor/NBA star/Obama crony Kevin Johnson case was destroyed.

Far from being “confused” and “disoriented,” Walpin is clear as day. Anyone who actually reads through his audits and investigative reports knows that. You can, should, and must read Walpin’s reports both on CUNY funding abuse and on the Johnson scandal here.

Walpin’s crime was uncovering the truth.  Add to that the fact that Michelle Obama might have ties to this entire incident.

A top Republican senator is asking whether First Lady Michelle Obama’s office played any role in last week’s firing of former service program Inspector General Gerald Walpin. 

The concern, one of several surrounding Walpin’s sudden dismissal, stems from the timing of a staff switch in the first lady’s office. Just days before Walpin got the boot, the White House announced Michelle Obama’s chief of staff would be appointed senior adviser to the agency Walpin was responsible for monitoring. Michelle Obama said at the time she and her outgoing staffer, Jackie Norris, would work closely going forward. 

Anybody remember First Lady Hillary Clinton and the Travel-gate affair?  It’s almost dejavu. 

It’ll be interesting to see how this works out.  My prediction is that the MSM will blow it off after finally accepting Robert Gibbs’ denials as gospel.  The question is whether Republicans will continue to push the issue or if they will let it die like they did with Nancy Pelosi’s accusations that the CIA had lied to her.  It’s about time that the GOP follows through on some of these abuses.  And they need to stop Little Chicago from taking root in the White House before it destroys too many people.

***  According to this article from the Chicago Tribune, we might have a pattern developing with the Obama administration. And they dare to question Bush on firing 8 US attorneys?  What hypocrites.

Comments (7)
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 347 other followers