Pulling a fast one

Via Net Right Nation, we learn that Senator Harry Reid is using some sneaky tactics to force a vote on the proposed "hate crimes" bill, since it doesn't seem to have a chance of passing on its own in the light of day.

This execrable legislation would pretty much make it a Federal offense (complete with tacking on extra penalties) to commit a crime against any person who isn't a white heterosexual male, effectively and completely nullifying the concept of equal treatment for all citizens under the law:

Here is the urgent note I just received from Lanier Swann, the special assistant to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell:

Friends,

Moments ago Majority Leader Reid filed a hate crimes amendment to the DOD Authorization Bill. He then filled the tree, which means no amendments can be offered to his amendment, and filed cloture on the amendment.

Thanks,

Lanier

In other words, Reid -- under the thumb of Obama and Holder -- is attaching the bill to an unrelated defense bill, in order to force senators to vote for it if they want to protect our troops. He is allowing no amendments. And he is calling for cloture to rush the bill through before any debate can take place.

Here's a clear example of just how unfairly this execrable legislation would be applied:

"Later in the same hearing, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) -- apparently trying to give Holder an opportunity to at least ameliorate his stated intention to override the 14^th Amendment’s “Equal Protection” provision – asked the AG if the recent murder of Army recruiter Pvt. William Long by a radical Muslim constituted a “hate crime.” Nope, proclaimed Holder; Mr. Long was the wrong color. Here’s the actual quote:

“What we are looking for here in terms of expansion of the statute are instances where there is a historic basis. See, groups of people who are singled out for violence perpetrated against them because of who they are. I don’t know if we have the same historical record to say members of our military have been targeted in the same way that people who are African American …”"

This law would create two classes of Americans, at least for criminal justice purposes, and would further wedge open the very racial divide that it purports to close.

We're contacting our Senators immediately, and hope that everyone else does the same.

The Jack-Booted Thug of the Week...

... is the unnamed Dallas police officer who assisted the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in raiding the second gay bar in that metro area this month.

Unnamed, of course, because the good law-enforcement professional felt it necessary to don a black ninja mask during the roust in order to conceal his identity:




The reason given for the clandestine "high risk" operation on the Eagle bar in the first place?

"A guard at the Eagle says TABC officials were questioning whether the address on the liquor license was changed after the club reopened just yards from its previous location." (Emphasis mine)

That sure sounds like an minor administrative point to us. Why was it necessary to investigate it with black-clad thugs in the middle of the night instead of calling the bar's management and clearing up the point during the day, if this wasn't a blatant harassment attempt?

A DPD spokesman admits that it was probably one of their officers who was apparently so proud of his actions that he felt it necessary to cower behind his security blanket:

"[The spokesman] concurred it could have been one of their officers who do at time wear masks to conceal their identities, but they do not have the authority to shut down a bar."

Because checking the address on a liquor license is apparently comparable to busting a meth lab run by violent felons.

Those types of masks should only be specifically permitted during the service of truly high-risk search warrants, and not for garden-variety investigations such as this one apparently was, as the peasants certainly have a right to know which public "servants" are giving them such a hard time while they're attempting to enjoy a night out.

At least no one was injured this time, unlike what happened at a Fort Worth club three weeks ago, in which one man was reportedly hospitalized for a brain bleed from being assaulted by officers while numerous other people were arrested for public intoxication.

At a bar.

No reason has yet been given by the "authorities" for the Fort Worth raid. Perhaps they didn't have the requisite number of urinal cakes in the bathroom.

Thank you, Governor Brewer

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed into law the gun-rights bills that we previously noted had been approved by the state Legislature:

"Brewer signed into law a proposal that will allow the state's 125,000 carriers of concealed-weapons permits to bring their firearms into bars and restaurants. The measure allows bar owners to remain gun-free by posting signs prohibiting weapons. Permit-holders would be prohibited from drinking in a bar while carrying their firearms...

Brewer's approval of a second proposal will prohibit property and business owners from banning guns from parking areas, so long as the weapons are kept locked in privately owned vehicles...

Lastly, Brewer OK'd a proposal that allows any individual who feels threatened to indicate that they're carrying a weapon without violating intimidation statutes. The law only applies for instances of self-defense."

The new laws go into effect on September 30.

On behalf of all the freedom-loving people in Arizona, Governor, thank you very much. We won't soon forget your actions in support of us.

Why he's labeled as such around here

We have taken some criticism in the past day or so for referring to President Obama as "the Messiah", typified by this comment:

"I am getting tired (exhausted, in fact) by all of the twits calling the President "Messiah". He never called himself that, and none of his supporters did either."

We respectfully beg to disagree. There's a list right here that details just some of the many times he's been compared to a god by people. There's lots more examples over here .

Need more? Here's video ol' Louis Farrakhan (whom we submit certainly counts as a supporter of Obama) specifically calling him a messiah:



Or how about artist Michael D'Antuono's painting, done to commemorate Obama's first 100 days in office?


You get the idea.

We can provide many other examples that further illustrate the godlike treatment Obama has received (the swooning and fainting at his campaign rallies, the Rolling Stone and Time magazine cover photos that seem to depict him surrounded by a halo, his enjoyment of a lack of any serious pre-election investigation into his secretive academic career and shady political associations, something given to no other Presidential candidate in history, among many others), but here's something from just the other day that will suffice to show how much people are still in the tank for him:



Notice how "news" anchor Mr. Lemon visibly starts and gets a sour look on his face when his worshipful bubble is burst by being informed that the friendly welcome Obama received on his Africa trip is merely typical of how other Western leaders have been treated, and how quickly the Lemon appears to want to end the interview once it becomes clear that the professional correspondent isn't going to reply to his blatantly leading question by gushing all over the screen about his hero.

So yes, in response to this onslaught, the moniker will stay. We hope you understand and will stay as well.

"The truth" about global warming comes out

Former Vice President Al Gore, the hypocritical and ostentatiously profligate energy-waster (conservation being only for the masses of unwashed peasants, and not for elites such as himself, you see), lets slip that all of this "global warming" claptrap isn't about the environment at all:

“But it is the awareness itself that will drive the change and one of the ways it will drive the change is through global governance and global agreements.” (Emphasis mine)

It's really about power and control on a worldwide scale.

If this man gets his way, a faceless bureaucrat located somewhere like The Hague or Brussels will soon get to decide what kind of car you can buy and drive, what light bulbs you may install in your house and how much water you can sprinkle onto your lawn, among many thousands of other examples.

Basically, your freedom to make most of the decisions, both large and small, that compose your current daily life will be taken away from you, and you will subsequently be issued official instructions outlining the rules for your miserable new existence, which you must follow to the letter or else face severe penalties for refusing to comply.

Mr. Gore? He'll no doubt still be living the good life in his Tennessee mansion, which uses more electricity than Dr. Frankenstein's castle, and riding around on his air-and-noise polluting Jet-Skis.

A snapshot of life

July 13, 2009
Scottsdale, Arizona
1:30 p.m.

Seen on the rear of a vehicle in a supermarket parking lot:


If you don't know the answer, get reading, as Rand's classic novel has never been more relevant than since the Messiah was sworn into office.

Today's TASER Travesty

Tucumcari, New Mexico Police Chief Roger Hatcher is on paid administrative leave while an independent investigative firm attempts to discern just why Hatcher felt it necessary to TASER a 14-year-old girl named Kailee Martinez in the head, causing significant injury:

"One of the probes lodged in Martinez’ head and was later surgically removed. The surgery left her with multiple staples and stitches"

Chief Hatcher's explanation for his actions seems a bit weak, at least to a layman:

"Hatcher said he found the 14-year-old girl, after she had a fight with her mother, walking near a city park. When she ran from him, he said he shot her with his Taser because he didn’t know where she was going and she had run into the street without looking."

Well, then that settles that. Obviously it's quite proper and appropriate to use a TASER to teach a young girl a lesson about properly crossing the street at a designated crosswalk. She won't be making that mistake again anytime soon, we'll wager.

The girl's attorney, Donald Schutte, hammers home the point that we've been attempting to make here for quite some time - that the TASER is in fact a "less than lethal" defensive weapon, not a convenient compliance tool for wrangling sullen teenagers:

'"Obviously she’s going to have some pretty significant medical expenses and we’ll be looking for the city to be paying for those,' Schutte said. 'We don’t have anything personal against either the chief or the police department. We just want to know whether or not this was an appropriate use of what’s essentially a weapon on a child.'"

Sounds like a very reasonable position for the girl's legal counsel to take.

We look forward to learning the private independent investigative company's findings in this incident. We also genuinely praise the city of Tucumcari for using such a resource, and wish that every municipality was as conscientious about ensuring such impartiality when serious allegations against their police departments are reported.

Now that's what we call "Special (people) Treatment"

A hypothetical question:

Does anyone out there think that if they happened to be tracked and recorded by a state police radar plane while speeding at up to 147 miles per hour on a motorcycle, that they would be given any sort of consideration when being called to account for their actions?

Yeah, right.

Yet "consideration" (to say the least) is exactly what was granted to off-duty Ohio State Police Trooper Jason Highsmith and his cycling buddy, off-duty Gahanna, Ohio police officer Christopher Thomas, on June 28, 2009.



Fellow OSP Trooper Bryan Lee performed the actual traffic stop on the side of the road, and here's pretty much how it went down:

"Lee turned off his audio before ever discussing the possibility of a ticket, of a reckless driving charge or even asking if the men were racing.

They talk another four minutes, exchange handshakes and drive away. No paperwork was filled out. Driver’s licenses weren’t checked."

That's right. Once the informal pleasantries (including the ritual showing of the magic tickets) were accomplished,

"Trooper Bryan Lee: 'Either one of you have anything on you I need to know about?'

'No sir. A couple badges is all,' one of the motorcyclists said."

Trooper Lee subsequently killed the audio recording of the stop (a major no-no), and then proceeded to let his two fraternal scofflaws off with no citations whatsoever.

(By the way, we're glad to report that Officer Thomas seems to be feeling much better these days:

"Thomas has been on injured leave from the Gahanna police department since last December after he slipped and fell on ice.

Thomas continues to receive pay and benefits, including vacation time."

Racing around at triple-digit speeds must be an integral part of his physical therapy.)

After video and details of the (non) stop became public, Highsmith and Thomas were belatedly issued garden-variety speeding tickets but were not charged with reckless driving, a circumstance that has incensed local defense lawyers, at least some of whom (rightly) are now planning to make this incident a central part of their pleadings on behalf of their peasant clients who have had the book thrown at them for traveling at much less rates of speed:

"[Attorney Michael] Probst said his clients have been charged with reckless driving for going 20 miles over the speed limit."

Fortunately, in an emphatic illustration of the concept of "equal justice under law" (which only happens to be engraved on the Supreme Court building, by the way), Licking County Judge David Branstool has apparently decided that he isn't going to let these maniac public service employees get away with receiving such special treatment:

"Branstool said the lack of charges didn’t matter and that he could use his discretion to suspend Highsmith’s license for as much as three years for driving in reckless circumstances."

Many thanks, Your Honor, for reminding these two fools that they could easily have killed someone with their (completely ironic) total disregard for public safety, and for reinforcing the concept that what jobs people do for a living should have absolutely no bearing on those same persons being held accountable for their actions, should they commit crimes while on their own time.

Those tactics won't wash anymore

Dave at the The Defensive Handgun Blog reports that a legislative proposal generously "allowing" people who live in public housing to possess handguns for self-protection (just like any other person in the country, save for those poor saps in Chicago) is steaming right along with bipartisan support at a pace that has reduced virulently anti-gun zealot Carolyn McCarthy of New York to promising to pull some shady procedural dealings to give some cover to her fellow Congressmen if she could only find someone, anyone, to oppose the bill with her:

"Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., a longtime gun control advocate, said opponents of the Price amendment would try to remove the language from the bill at a later point in the legislative process, without subjecting the issue to a recorded vote.

'What we’re trying to do will not involve votes,' McCarthy said." (All emphases mine)

Thereby imposing their will on the American people in a sneaky and underhanded manner, and without being held accountable at all for their actions. Just as with the execrable way Congress is approaching the health care proposal, how proud must these legislators of their labors if they feel they need to enact their latest freedom-robbing schemes in the middle of the night while cowering under the protection of anonymity?

"'There was a time during the ’70s and ’80s when public housing developments were considered killing grounds,' said Emanuel Cleaver II , D-Mo., who grew up in public housing. 'It is just foolhardy to place guns in developments of poor people'"

Personal protection is only for the rich and powerful such as yourself, eh, Mr. Cleaver? The stupid peasants are just going to have to lie back and be the helpless victims of violent thugs because they're too stupid to defend themselves, is that it?

We don't see you living in that neighborhood these days, sir.

Sorry, Ms. McCarthy and Mr. Cleaver. Any cohorts you may gin up are going to have to stand up and put their names on this one like the legislators they purport to be, which is why your last-ditch effort to continue to deny poor people their Second Amendment right to self-protection is most likely doomed to fail miserably.

And just to remind everyone just how incredibly clueless and ignorant McCarthy is on the very subject on which she shamelessly attempts to unilaterally impose her will, and because we giggle like a schoolgirl every time we view it:









(Tamlink)

Sorry, no sale

The Arizona Republic has seen fit to inform us in a front-page article today that America's evil and unfair enforcement of its sovereign borders (something every country, including Mexico, has a right to do) is causing all sorts of havoc with the Mexican economy, and is a prime cause of suffering for millions of Mexicans who depend on the money sent home by illegal aliens for their main source of income.

(By the way, it remains a felony to be in Mexico illegally. Who has the harsher policy?)

Oh sure, the worldwide recession is also cited as a reason for the current hard times there, but the main thrust of the piece obviously targets the fact that it's getting a lot harder to sneak into and remain in the U.S. these days, largely due to increased border enforcement as well as stepped-up raids by local law-enforcement.

The article comes complete with the obligatory photo of a visibly pregnant 21-year-old woman with her toddler child looking forlornly into the camera, as if her situation is somehow completely the fault of the American people. Sorry, but our immigration policies just aren't responsible for her current position in life. We beg to differ with the Catholic Church, the 800-pound gorilla of morality and family life in Mexico, but if one can't afford to have multiple children at such a young age, then perhaps one shouldn't do so until such plans become financially feasible.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform's Jack Martin is quoted as outlining what we've been advocating for quite some time - that this turn of events will hopefully force the Mexican people to do what they've been putting off for generations - deal with their corrupt and incompetent government:

"[Martin says] the decline in remittances may force Mexico to create jobs at home and tackle income inequality, describing the cash transfers as a "crutch that the Mexican government has leaned on for quite awhile."

Absolutely. As we've noted on a number of occasions, Mexico is a country incredibly rich in natural resources, and enjoys a hardworking, friendly population. There is no reason whatsoever (aside from generations of entrenched governmental stupidity) why it can't easily be self-supporting.

The reporter, Chris Hawley, is also apparently extra-careful to choose a town to profile that's located out in the middle of Nowhereland, as if this further tale of hardship will somehow gin up some extra sympathy for illegal immigration:

"Some areas of Mexico can fall back on fertile farmland or factory jobs when remittances drop.

It's not clear what else could save Pacula.

The town is so geographically isolated that getting there requires a one-hour drive on a rocky dirt road that hugs a sheer mountainside."

We hearken back to the sage advice of the late comedian Sam Kinison, who once commented that Africans in similar circumstances should maybe consider moving to where jobs and food are available, instead of continuing to live in an area that isn't economically viable without outside dollars rolling in to prop it up. That's certainly what we would do, if we found ourselves in that predicament.

Perhaps this latest crisis, which is mostly of their own government's making, will convince the Mexican people to finally clean house once and for all and install some competent leadership that will allow them to join the rest of North America in peace and prosperity.

No "change" for you

The Messiah's stalwart Number Two doesn't have "private meetings that are closed press" (very, very bad), you must understand, only meetings that are "closed to the press" (good!):

Andrew Malcolm of the Los Angeles Times clues us in:

"And we've wondered aloud how this Democratic VP's private meetings with unnamed people on unnamed subjects differs from the private meetings with unnamed people that his evil predecessor had that got so many Democratic senators and representatives worried about nefarious secrets."

Because they're in charge now, obviously, and are now free to blatantly ignore their own bogus solemn vow to become "the most transparent administration in history".

Don't worry about a thing, good peasants - they've purely got your best interests at heart. You don't need to worry about a thing. Kindly disregard those sneaky fingers reaching into your pocket, by the way.

Why I carry a handgun for protection, Vol. 19

So that if myself and my loved ones happen to be standing outside a friend's home after watching fireworks on July 4, just like this family of four (including two teenagers) in Akron, Ohio happened to be doing, and we are assaulted by "dozens of teenage boys" (up to 50, the story reports) who are shouting things such as "This is our world'' and ''This is a black world", we will be able to successfully defend ourselves from such an unprovoked brutal attack.

"Akron police say they aren't ready to call it a hate crime"

Hmm. A large number of feral youths suddenly attack a family of a different race for no apparent reason, all the while chanting racist slogans.

Those circumstances sure sound like what our betters in government insist on labeling a "hate crime" to us, and which undoubtedly would have happened here as well had the racial makeup of the involved parties simply been reversed.

We here at the Muckraker don't believe in the concept of hate crime legislation, in which people are given harsher penalties for the exact same crime based on what they may or may not have been thinking at the time that crime is committed.

If one is going to insist on charging people in such a manner, however, this Ohio incident would certainly seem to obviously fit the criteria.

We'll see if the "authorities" end up seeing it the same way.

Come again, ma'am?

"Yes, the ruling about that surprised me. [Harris v. McRae — in 1980 the court upheld the Hyde Amendment, which forbids the use of Medicaid for abortions.] Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion. Which some people felt would risk coercing women into having abortions when they didn’t really want them. But when the court decided McRae, the case came out the other way. And then I realized that my perception of it had been altogether wrong." (Emphasis mine)

- Supreme Court Justice Margaret Sanger Ruth Bader Ginsburg discussing abortion rulings, New York Times, July 7, 2009.

Wow.

Imagine the immediate explosive (and justified) media outcry had usual boogeymen Antonin Scalia or Clarence Thomas come out with that little gem.

Well, where are those same dominant news types now that one of the most reliable liberal doctrinaires on the Court has apparently been exposed as a closet eugenicist?


(Liberty's Teeth via The War on Guns)

Maybe Pfizer should hire him to pitch Viagra. It would at least solve his tax issues

Boy, this really brings back memories from our youth in the Washington, D.C. area.

We note with amusement that the Marion Barry Follies continue unabated in our nation's capital, up to and including the surreal sight of his spokeswoman, Natalie Williams, holding an 11:00 p.m. (!) press conference in order to defend the disclosure that Barry had put his latest girlfriend (who had the former mayor arrested over the July 4 holiday for allegedly stalking her) on the city's payroll as a "leadership recruiter" (at $60,000 a year).

Ms. Williams also threw said girlfriend under the proverbial bus at the conference by revealing that the girlfriend had been diagnosed by a psychiatrist with "compulsive behavior disorder and clinical depression" (isn't that a serious HIPAA violation? It would be for any other employer in the country. We guess it's completely hunky-dory to publicly broadcast confidential medical information about an employee if you 1.) rate special treatment because you're City Council royalty instead of being a peasant like everyone else, 2.) you're banging her and 3.) she really is crazy), only to have the girlfriend in question pretty much prove Williams right by showing up in person and arguing right back with the flack:



Ms. Williams deserves a significant raise for keeping a straight face during that presser.

Keep on being classy, Mr. Mayor.

Shame on the voters who insist on rewarding this idiot, who keeps causing them worldwide embarrassment on a regular basis, with term after term in cushy government "service".

Own it, pal

Retired General Colin Powell, a Republican who strongly endorsed the Messiah for President apparently solely based on the fact that they share the same skin tone, is now having himself a serious case of buyer's remorse:

"I'm concerned at the number of programs that are being presented, the bills associated with these programs and the additional government that will be needed to execute them,"

"one of the cautions that has to be given to the president -- and I've talked to some of his people about this -- is that you can't have so many things on the table that you can't absorb it all."

"And we can't pay for it all,"

Duh.

And to think we once enthusiastically supported Powell's running for the Presidency himself.

Don't act so surprised, General. President Obama is merely putting into motion the astounding number of freedom-sapping measures he vowed to impose on American society while campaigning last fall. Maybe you had wax in your ears then or something.

You wanted him enough to stump for him and pull his lever in the election booth; now shut up and deal with the consequences. We don't want to hear any more of your whining, sir. It's unbecoming a man of your accomplishments.