Tax-Free Politicking

An absolute must read over at WoG.

What are those 501(c)(3) restrictions again?

Ouch!

Another (good) opinion on Parker

Carl at NOFP is optimistic about the Supreme Court's upcoming decision on Parker. Why is that important? He's a D.C. resident, a lawyer, and a good blogger.

Memorial Day Mountaineering

What I did on Memorial Day. Climbed a freaking mountain. My advice: It's not worth it unless you pack a hang glider, then it's questionable.

Meet the La Sals, the mountains you can see in my header. My feat was Mt. Peale, the highest peak in Southern Utah at an oxygen-hating 12,721 feet.

Peale is the one on the right:



Here's a few photos I took:

B4B Video Blogburst

In honor of the brave men and women who serve this country we traveled to a small Illinois town that was dedicating a veterans memorial this memorial day weekend....



Please keep the troops in your thoughts and prayers!

And please keep calling your congresscritter, we are winning this fight folks, all we need to do is keep up the pressure.

Tags: blogs for borders, memorial day, veterans, honoring the troops, small town America

Andrew Sullivan's imagination

Have you ever taken a sentence or two and expanded on it into several paragraphs... kind of like many of us did in college for filler. Well imagine doing it with someone else's words, but in addition to expanding, you're changing a simple truism into an evil complexity. And if you happen to be so talented to do so, you have thus successfully completed professor Sullivan's course in professional writing: Paradigm accommodation: saying what your adversary really meant to say.

I present to you a simple statement, from Dick Cheney:

Capture one of these killers, and he'll be quick to demand the protections of the Geneva Convention and the Constitution of the United States. Yet when they wage attacks or take captives, their delicate sensibilities seem to fall away.

And from several paragraphs, the gist of what Dick Cheney really meant to say, courtesy Andrew Sullivan:

Invoking Geneva and the Constitution in a time of war, Cheney implies, is only something terrorists or terrorist-supporters would do.

Wow, I am gobsmackingly impressed. Enlightened are we to now know the true and dark nature of Dick Cheney. A powerful man standing firmly against the U.S. Constitution and the Geneva Convention.

Sullivan stops just short of saying we're fighting the wrong enemy and should be fighting the likes of Dick Cheney, or maybe that's what Sullivan really meant to say.

Ron Paul: Internet Sensation

What is with Ron Paul? I mean have a look at the GOP straw poll, as well as several other internet polls, he's leading the charge. Although they are not scientific (even though today's scientific polls are increasingly facing obscurity due to the shrinking population of those using landline phones), Ron Paul is undeniably an internet sensation.

Just have a look at a few of these screenshots (click to enlarge):

From today's Technorati:


The current results of the GOP Straw Poll:


And three of the same Ron Paul clips are on Youtube's Politics & News top ten most viewed today:


Paul is also in Youtube's top ten of the most viewed this week in Politics & News, as well as having been barred from LGF's polls and Pajamas Media polls.

Is it an army of online Paul trolls, or just an army of online Paul supporters who don't believe in landline phones? With Libertarians it could just as easily be one or the other, or both.

Here's the second interview of Paul on Maher's show, going viral on Youtube:


For good or ill, I doubt Paul has a chance in hell of winning the presidency, let alone the nomination, but he's schooling the other candidates on how to take advantage of the internet, and they'd be wise to pay attention.

Maybe it's the nutroots who love Ron Paul because the Republicans hate him, thus the strong online support. I am just having a hard time believing it's a small group of internet savvy Paul supporters trolling the whole internet. I think it's an odd group, more unusual than this country has seen in recent history: quick to click, but slow to fork out a dollar.

I love Ron Paul on guns, on abortion, on smaller government, on taxes, but he is too isolationist for me. A clincher for me. Honestly he's right that we need to have a serious reworking of our foreign policy, but he's wrong about how much we're to blame for terrorism. Blowback happens, even in isolation. And frankly, I'd like to have a man in the ring rather than an empty corner.

Seriously, what was his plan for the Soviet Union? Were we just supposed to let them expand their empire and gain more control over the world's oil supply because 30 years down the road these Islamists will turn against us? Get real. If Ron Paul has got 30 years of good foresight, I'd vote for him, but I'd bet it is more like opportunistic 30-year retrospective quarterbacking.

At this point only two people across the aisle peak my interest, Fred Thompson and Bill Richardson.

Quote of the Day

"Where are the police? Why don't you protect us?"

European sheep, Russian incompetence, and gay rights. There should be a television show.

UN Arms Scandal

Cross posted at Screw the UN.

What could be worse than UN troops illegally selling their guns? Why it would be UN troops illegally selling their guns to ruthless militias known for violating human rights. And to top it all off, the UN attempted to cover it up.

Via the UK Commentators we have this story from the BBC:

Pakistani UN peacekeeping troops have traded in gold and sold weapons to Congolese militia groups they were meant to disarm, the BBC has learnt. These militia groups were guilty of some of the worst human rights abuses during the Democratic Republic of Congo's long civil war. The trading went on in 2005. A UN investigative team sent to gather evidence was obstructed and threatened.

The team's report was buried by the UN itself to "avoid political fallout".

Richard Ndilu, in charge of immigration at Mongbwalu airstrip, became suspicious in late 2005 when an Indian businessman arrived there and went to stay at the camp of the Pakistani peacekeepers. Alerted to this illegal trade by her officials, the District Commissioner of Ituri, Petronille Vaweka, went to Bunia airport to intercept a plane from Mongbwalu. She said her way was blocked by Congolese army officers, who refused to allow her to inspect the cargo.

"I knew they had gold because the price of gold increased when the Indians went to Mongwalu," she said. "When we wanted to verify what was inside the plane the pilot refused to allow us to enter the plane - me who was the chief, he refused! It was a big scandal."

Yet another landmark on the path of utter failure for the UN. It doesn't reflect well upon a global organization purportedly devoted to world peace, not only when its troops engage in criminal activity, but when its upper echelons attempt to cover it up.

Scandal is increasingly the trademark of the UN.

B4B Video Blogburst

Blogs For Borders: Amnesty Edition!

Wisconsin cop killed by illegal alien!
Why the desperation for amnesty: we analyze...



As "The World's Greatest Deliberative Body" considers how best to reward our criminal invaders, I think you know what you need to do! NumbersUSA!

This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security and a sane immigration policy. If you'd like to join go to the Blogs For Borders Website to find out how.

Tags: illegal immigration, amnesty, ted kennedy, john mccain, blogs for borders, gang rape, murder, tuberculosis

Idaho Shooting

According to the AP, a Church and a Courthouse were shot up where two people were killed not including the shooter, who then shot himself.

Local blogging already underway at Joe Huffman's.

Interestingly, while searching for this story, I found this one. That's Idaho; the shooting however, is not.

Second Amendment Carnival XII

Welcome to the twelfth edition
of the Second Amendment Carnival

Providing the best 2nd Amendment coverage the blogosphere has to offer.

[T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.
-Tenche Coxe, Feb. 20, 1788.

***

If you fight for gun rights, you apparently are against other rights, or something. Armed and Safe tackles the logic of the anti-gun Ohio State's The Lantern. And have a look at his Federalist view on the Second Amendment.

What does it take to stop violent crime and victimization? Joe's Crabby Shack rightly answers: Just One Person.

"If we relinquish our weapons... we relinquish our power." What the Second Amendment means from Marisa Shreve.

A household with an oven is more dangerous than one without an oven. The oven-control debate at Brick Cheney!

Gunshots, sheep, and an unarmed CCW permit holder. An experience none of us want to be in, but unfortunately often are. Muslophobe's personal story.

An interesting crime rate, or the lack thereof in Switzerland. Of course it's contended that guns have nothing to do with it. Blue Star Chronicles delivers.

The problems of prohibitions, and their negative effect on the law abiding. Right to the Core answers if a prohibition on guns would be any different.

Front Sight Press predicts a sea change:

Forty-something years of gun control hasn’t worked. The gun prohibitionists counter that we just don’t have enough gun control yet, but the more stringent gun control in Canada and Great Britain hasn’t worked either, so this option does not appeal to any but the lunatic fringe. Canada’s stringent gun control did not prevent the attack at Dawson College in Montreal, nor did Germany’s laws prevent the attack at Emsdetten. Gun control is a failure.

Gun owners against guns... Well that sounds genuine. A Keyboard and a .45 also points to a hero's take on gun control. And while you're at it, have a look at the pending anti-gun legislation.

One thousand words never so easily understood. The War on Guns also on the VA Tech review panel, which is predictably avoiding the elephant in the room:

We all know the only thing that stopped Cho was a bullet. That no one was able to stop him sooner is on your consciences, or should be.

A gun in the home is a government in the home, coming to a liberal city near you. Say Uncle on San Fran's latest gun control move.

And farewell to Publicola. A blogger that will be missed. Thank you.

***

"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #28

Many thanks to all those who participated in this edition, and stay tuned for Carnival XIII. If you would like to participate in the next 2nd Amendment Carnival please go here, or submit via email to freeconstitution at gmail.com

Ron Paul edits Glenn Beck into a Paul Supporter

Just watch.

Even if you havn't seen the episode you can't miss the heavy-handed editing.
But I watched this episode, and although Glenn gave some credit to Paul, this whole segment was practically devoted to debunking Ron Paul's claim that America asked for 9/11.

Pathetic.

Update: Apparently this is not from the official Ron Paul Youtube account, but it's either from his campaign or some idiot condoned by his campaign.

2A Carnival Saturday

Get your submissions in, I sure could use more.
Freeconstitution at gmail.com

Non-amnesty amnesty part II

To clarify what I said in my last post, and now that (seemingly) more accurate information is out, I am comforted by the theory of this new bill, and would like to support it. But I cannot. I still do not support the Republican Party for the time being.

Via Captain Ed, I found Big Lizards' post on it. Big Lizards assembles what's known about it, and following are a few interesting bits. Here's the meat of it:

The compromise sets up a "point system" (as in Australia) for future immigration...

Points would be allocated for English-language facility, education, advanced job skills that the country needs (I'm guessing high tech), and for family connections to other citizens more tenuous than spouse or children under the age of 21...

The only family connections that would allow automatic issuance of a green card would be spouses and children under the age of 21...

Here is the good part:

The following provisions must be "implemented" before either regularization of illegal aliens or enactment of the temporary-worker program can occur:

1. 370 miles of additional border fence (unknown whether that means actual wall the whole way, wall plus fence, or wall plus fence plus virtual fence);
2. 18,000 additional Border Patrol agents;
3. "Effective, electronic employee-verification system for the workplace;"
4. Crackdown on employers who hire illegals

And the easy part:

Current illegal aliens can come forward, give full information about themselves, and obtain a "probationary" Z-visa card that would allow them to stay legally and continue to work but would not allow them to apply for citizenship...

In order to get a regular Z-visa, allowing the alien to begin the path to citizenship, he must meet several requirements:

1. The head of the household must return to his country of origin and apply from there [WSJ2];
2. The family must undergo a criminal background check [WaPo];
3. They must pay a $5,000 fine [WSJ2];
4. They must pay back taxes

But this regularization will supposedly take several years:

Before Z-visas will be granted, the United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) has eight years to work through the backlog of already pending legal residency applications from those who are trying to immigrate here legally.

Only after those are granted will USCIS turn to illegal aliens who have applied for residency per the process delineated in (6) above; this will take up to five additional years.

After a green card is granted, citizenship requires an additional five years. Thus, from illegal status to citizenship requires a minimum of 13 years, possibly as long as 18 years.

And then the infamous Guest Worker Program allowing for two years of work, although its current counterpart is already frequently abused.

Ok, so one assumption is that "amnesty" won't take place for at least 13 years. And the biggest assumption is that none of it will take place until border security measures have been "implemented."

That's what gets me. Border security has technically already been "implemented." Implemented so much so, that we already have a whopping 2/700^ths of the border fence. The government record on the recently promised border security is 2 of the 700 miles of fence which has been built. Must be impressive, because 2/700^ths is apparently enough to convert Captain Ed to the Church of State. My confidence is not quite so easily captured however.

Maybe it's the libertarian in me, I don't trust the government. What purpose would all the fancy bells and whistles of Z-visas and points systems serve should border security and immigration enforcement fail? An expensive Nothing.

This expensive Nothing however is quite large, for the bill would put serious pressure on the immigration bureaucracies. Just to handle the load of this faulty bill, DHS, USCIS and ICE, instead of receiving much needed reform, will get bloated or will be forced to contract out the work to the lowest bidder. So what we will have is a bunch of immigration bureaucracies working or paying overtime costing you and me a bundle. For nothing.

Why nothing?

Sure many of the skilled and semi-skilled immigrant workers here on visas will opt for the Z-visa or the Guest Worker Program, but do you really expect the average border jumper to pay thousands in fees and back taxes just to go back home and jump through years of hoops to be able to accumulate enough points to become a citizen? Don't make me laugh. This does nothing but further encourage illegal immigration. Oh, but I forgot about those strict enforcement "implementations." Now I'm laughing. What has the federal government done to secure the border and enforce immigration in earnest in the last 50 years? Exactly what they'll do in the next 13-18 years.

I want the government to prove to me they can secure the border and that they can enforce immigration laws; then and only then will I trust them on such massive immigration reform in this direction. I honestly don't think that is too much to ask. Apparently it is though, and I'm sorry to see the Party of Lincoln face collapse.

The non-amnesty amnesty bill

It's like the non-apology apology, a tool proven too valuable for politicians and celebrities alike, alowing them to repair their self-inflicted damage, with out actually apologizing for the deed.

Such is the Kennedy-Bush-McCain domestic-front-surrender bill, otherwise known as the upcoming comprehensive immigration reform bill, which in all likelihood will be given some disingenuous name like the Compassionate-Melting-Pot Bill.

Hundreds, if not more are blogging about it. Many support it. Even Bill O'Reilly supports it, saying this is the best we can get. If the 1986 amnesty was the solution, you can consider me thrilled about this 'the best we can get' immigration bill, oh my. So thrilled in fact, I'm not even a Republican anymore.

Interesting commentary against the bill abound in the blogospere, such as:

From Huwie: "This deal... takes down about half of the fence that was mandated last fall"

From Malkin:

Not one—of [the many] amnesties was associated with a decline in illegal immigration. On the contrary, the number of illegal aliens in the U.S. has tripled since President Reagan signed the first amnesty in 1986.

From CTB:

The Federal immigration bureaucracy that will be tasked with administering any of these reforms will be the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). CIS is already unable to effectively deal with its existing benefit adjudication missions...

CIS has indicated it would need to bring in private contractor personnel to help deal with the monumental workload increase from reform legislation. Such contractors will invariably be quickly hired, poorly trained, probably low-bid, barely vetted and far more subject to bribery and corruption than permanent Government employees.

Not that bribery and corruption will necessarily be that necessary. In short order, the system will be overwhelmed. Whatever minimal fraud detection and prevention safeguards might be erected won’t last long in the face of hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of applications and petitions to be adjudicated. What that means is the information provided on those applications and petitions, and whatever supporting documents they may have (if any), will essentially be taken at face value.

Fred Thompson, qtd at NRO:

"With this bill, the American people are going to think they are being sold the same bill of goods as before on border security. We should scrap this bill.."

Unsurprisingly it's not liberal enough for some liberals:

Among Democrats, even Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada expressed "serious concerns about some aspects of this proposal, including the structure of the temporary worker program and undue limitations on family immigration."

Reid's statement was referring to parts of the measure that would set out conditions for letting foreign workers enter the United States temporarily, and to changes in the provisions that permit legal immigrants to bring members of their families into the country.

Don't worry Senator Reid, Mickey Kaus will ease your pain:

Many of the alleged concessions--like ending "chain migration" of family members--seem unenforceable in the long run. Are we really going to give citizenship to illegals but prevent them from reuniting with their families? I don't think so. Even if we could, and even if that were desirable, and even if the provisions survived in the Democratic house, it would hardly be worth what the GOP senators have apparently agreed to: taking the risk of encouraging another 12 million illegals to evade our still-porous border controls and wait for the next amnesty. ... This is looking more and more like the Bush administration's domestic version of Iraq: a big risky gamble, based on wishful thinking and nonexistent administrative competence, that will end in disaster.

So what's the deal about this 1000 page bill that won't be published online until after it's voted on? It gives hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of illegal aliens legal status well ahead of those that are actually waiting patiently in line.

The WaPo has got details:

The Senate deal would grant temporary legal status to virtually all illegal immigrants in the country, while allowing them to apply for residence visas and eventual citizenship. A temporary-worker program would allow as many as 400,000 migrants into the country each year, but they would have to leave after two years. And the current visa system, which stresses family ties, would be augmented by a complex point system that would favor skilled, educated workers. Most of those changes would take effect only after the implementation of tough new border controls and a crackdown on the employment of undocumented workers...

This year's legislation would grant undocumented workers who came into the country before January a permit to remain. They could then apply for a new, four-year "Z Visa," renewable indefinitely, as long as they pay a $5,000 fine, a $1,500 processing fee, show a clean work record and pass a criminal background check.

My apologies go out to the computer geeks we so very need, like a guy from South Korea, whose visa expired because his paper work was stuck in the bureaucracy, who went back to South Korea to wait for his legal opportunity, just to have the friendly extended middle finger from Congress. But that's ok right, we don't need computer geeks, we need more slave labor.

Or was it a bigger Democratic Party base?

So here is my obligatory activist note. Ace wants you to change parties, after you tell your congressmen off. Others want you to try this. Or you could send your Congressmen a brick or something cliche representing fencing material. Or just contact them, House and Senate.

The Debate

It wasn't really a debate, rather a bunch of guys standing around trying to sound better than the other guy in 90 seconds.

So, who won? I think Giulianni served himself well this time, but not as well as the blogosphere makes it out to be.

Ron Paul is an idiot and should not be allowed in any more debates, or back to Congress for that matter.

McCain sucked, I don't know any conservative who liked what he had to say any better than the others. And by the way, the audience just pissed me off; huge applauses for a lackluster McCain.

Romney might as well have shot himself in the head with that "I support the 2nd Amendment but I am in favor of the AWB" crap. I think I trust John Kerry over Mitt Romney on the 2nd Amendment.

Good performances from the second tier, which is exactly why the GOP will lose in 2008. Our best candidates are either unknown or not even in the race. I await Fred Thompson's entry with increasing anxiety over his difference in percieved and actual support.

If you missed it, some guy uploaded it in 9 parts on Youtube, here's the first.

Breaking... Falwell has died at 73

Just heard it on CNN.

The Reverend Jerry Falwell has died. He was 73, and it was apparently from congestive heart failure.

From the AP:

Ron Godwin, the university's executive vice president, said Falwell, 73, was found unresponsive around 10:45 a.m. and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital. Godwin said he was not sure what caused the collapse, but he said Falwell "has a history of heart challenges."

More:

LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) - The Rev. Jerry Falwell, who founded the Moral Majority and built the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University, a school executive said. He was 73.

B4B Video Blogburst

Are criminals in a certain Southwestern state "Arizona white?"
Illegal aliens continue to kill and rape Americans.
Illegal aliens gassed by border patrol, but in what country?

All this and much, much more in this week's Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst.

Amnesty debates get into gear again this week. You know what to do!

A good resource on holding congresscritters accountable!

Note: We welcome video submissions. If there is an illegal immigration story you'd like to share with our viewers please contact us here or here.

This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security and a sane immigration policy. If you'd like to join go to the Blogs For Borders Website to find out how.

Technorati Tags: illegal immigration, amnesty, border security, harry reid, ted kennedy, lindsay graham, rape, murder, reconquista, invasion, 100% preventable!, mexico, arizona, white, drunk driving

Bill Richardson ads

The only Democrat I'd consider voting for, and maybe the only one with a good sense of humor:


(via HotAir I think)

Frum on the GOP in 2008

David Frum gets it:

Barring some calamitous mistake by the Democrats (and true, that can never be ruled out from the "war is lost" party), the GOP enters the 2008 election cycle at a serious disadvantage. If we want to win, we have to offer the American voter something fresh and compelling. I think most of us understand that. And yet at the same time we are demanding that our candidates repeat formulas and phrases from two and three decades ago.

Most of us libertarians and conservatives hold Mr. Reagan close to our heart, but these guys won't have a chance pretending to be the reincarnate Ronald Reagan. It would be nice to have a candidate naturally similar to Reagan, while espousing 21st century toughness, whatever that looks like. Right now, I think it's looking like Fred Thompson, but that could change.

Sharpton v. Hitchens, & Romney?

Here's the story. As much as I like Hitchens and dislike Sharpton (even moreso now), I agree with Sharpton's argument as far as the existense of God. Basically, you can't prove or disprove God with logic, rather you just know His existence with experience.

Then, the reverend, takes a jab at Romney's Mormonism, implying Mormon's do not believe in God.

As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that; that's a temporary situation.

Funny, Sharpton targets a minority and claims they are something they are not, just after he demands the firing of Imus for calling people of a minority something they are not.

As a Mormon, I'm not offended by what Sharpton said about Mormonism, a lot of people say it. A lot of people say ignorant things, but I'm more offended by Sharpton's ignorance and hypocrisy while he takes on de facto representation of believers in a debate against an atheist. And I'd bet dollars to donuts that Hitchens has reflected a more Christian lifestyle than Sharpton has in recent years.

*Apologies to the rss subscribers for the mulitiple posts, had some spelling errors I didn't catch.

B4B Blogburst

The brave folks at Save Our State descend into a Third World hell, on American soil!
A Colorado teen is confronted by her deported rapist, on American soil!
Can our government be trusted to implement the current amnesty? We take a look at how they're fulfilling their current obligations...



If you somehow missed it our May 1st coverage is here and here.
ALIPAC follows up on the Macarthur Park mini riot...here (Full disclosure: I helped edit the video).
See all the SOS coverage of Baldwin Park...here. (Just keep scrolling, there's lots to see)

This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security and a sane immigration policy. If you'd like to join head over to the Blogs For Borders Website and have a look around.

Tags: illegal immigration, blogs for borders, illegal alien, cirminal, rapist, colorado, california, deportation, baldwin park, save our state, third world, amnesty, president bush, mexico, macarthur park, invasion

Good to be here.

These little breaks I have to take from my irregular scheduled blogging just kill my steady stream of readers. But I'm back, and for a good while now. Regular blogging to resume late tomorrow.

B4B Video Blogburst

Jake and MJ of Freedom Folks say they've had an amazing week in D.C. at the border rally. Here's the coverage...



Much more video coverage:
ALIPAC
Deport Them Now
Our account

More blog coverage:
Diggers Realm
Stop The Invasion

They'll be covering the alleged "massive" May 1st rally in Chicago today, if it's interesting they will throw up a special edition so -- Stay Tuned!

Tags: illegal immigration, hold their feet to the fire, alipac, fair, the dusty inman society, roy beck, roger hedgecock, william gheen, tom tancredo, duncan hunter, steve king, tj bonner, gary brugman, ramos, compean, gary brugman, dan stein, dan sheehy, fighting immigration anarchy, you don't speak for me, john and ken, terry anderson, amnesty