Blog @ MoreWhat.com

Biden speaks at Wake Forest - does not disclose nuclear launch codes
Christian Science Monitor -
By Jimmy Orr
05.18.09
Good news for Vice President Biden’s office! The Veep successfully delivered the commencement address at Wake Forest University without disclosing top secret information.

Biden discloses undisclosed location for Vice-Presidents but really did not since his office ‘clarified’ what he said, or meant, or was supposed to say or not or something. This is the person and mechanism one heartbeat away from being President.

And the next person a couple of breaths from the Oval Office is Fancy Nancy. That is the name Mike Huckabee gave his poem about the current Speaker of the House of Representatives. Biden and Pelosi both suffer from loose lips. Something that would not be a characteristic sought for Commander-in-Chief in these United States.

But then this country’s voters saw fit to elect Barack Obama as President. Granted, plenty of voters did not vote for the current President but enough did to place him in the White House.

Sure, these stories are quite amusing but lose that appeal when one considers the situation after a few chuckles and realizes this is no laughing matter. We’re in trouble. And those currently charged with resolving the trouble do not ease the associated concern on the future of these United States.

The purpose of this post was to share a little political humor and then present the question of how did we get here and what are we going to do about it?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

There has been much criticism directed toward the President and members of Congress for failure to uphold the Constitution as well as other matters related to the founding of our nation and the principles which have guided this country since its birth. The oath or affirmation set forth in the founding documents for specified public servants are summarized below from several government sources, not the least of which is the Constitution. It would serve each elected or appointed official well to review this topic on a regular basis to remind themselves of just how important these issues are. And if they find difficulty in faithfully upholding such values and obligations a search for another suitable occupation should commence. For the continuation in their current job will not serve themselves or the country properly without dedication to the founding principles.

From what has been observed recently with the GOP fall from grace and the liberal seizure of that fact to continue flawed practices of governing as a majority party 2010 should begin a renewal of throwing the bums out. No saving of those who may yet show promise as no one there is absent the sins of political gain. A review of voting records on the so-called economic crisis and dismal excuses supporting this nonsense is the prevailing wind. The few who may have acted properly on these occasions are powerless to affect the whole or are not without fault for failing in this regard. Do it in 2010, repeat as needed.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Oath of Office

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

At the start of each new Congress, in January of every odd-numbered year, the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate performs a solemn and festive constitutional rite that is as old as the Republic. While the oath-taking dates back to the First Congress in 1789, the current oath is a product of the 1860s, drafted by Civil War-era members of Congress intent on ensnaring traitors.

The Constitution contains an oath of office only for the president. For other officials, including members of Congress, that document specifies only that they “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this constitution.” In 1789, the First Congress reworked this requirement into a simple fourteen-word oath: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.”

For nearly three-quarters of a century, that oath served nicely, although to the modern ear it sounds woefully incomplete. Missing are the soaring references to bearing “true faith and allegiance;” to taking “this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion;” and to “well and faithfully” discharging the duties of the office.

The outbreak of the Civil War quickly transformed the routine act of oath-taking into one of enormous significance. In April of 1861, a time of uncertain and shifting loyalties, President Abraham Lincoln ordered all federal civilian employees within the executive branch to take an expanded oath. When Congress convened for a brief emergency session in July, members echoed the president’s action by enacting legislation requiring employees to take the expanded oath in support of the Union. This oath is the earliest direct predecessor of the modern oath.

3. Do Members take an Oath of Office when they enter the House of Representatives?

As required by Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution, Members of Congress shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support the Constitution. Representatives, delegates, and the resident commissioner all take the oath of office on the first day of the new Congress, immediately after the House has elected its Speaker. The Speaker of the House administers the oath of office as follows:

“I, (name of Member), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

Representatives elected in special elections during the course of a Congress generally take the oath of office on the floor of the House Chamber when the Clerk of the House has received a formal notice of the new Member’s election or appointment from State government authorities. On rare occasions, because of illness or other circumstances, a Member-elect has been authorized to take the oath of office at a place other than the House. In those circumstances, the Clerk of the House sees to the proper administration of the oath.

from Article VI of the US Constitution:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

(a copy of the US Constitution is available from a link in the sidebar)

President Obama looks more like a politician these days than a Messiah. The notion that Democrats have the uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is finding support in various news reports and other current stories these days. All is not well within in the Democratic party as the White House and the Congressional majority struggle to cement their agenda in the face of internal opposition and a media focus pointing to difficulties within the GOP.

Obama may produce a self-inflicted wound with his handling of the interrogation photo fiasco. Likewise Pelosi has lost whatever credibility she may have had by mishandling questions on what she knew and when on matters related to ‘enhanced interrogation techniques.’ Now Dems are pushing against detainees being released in the US. Does it get any better than this? And health care along with other liberal agenda items will not be slam dunks as they have been viewed since the inauguration of America’s first black and white President this past January.

Sure, their will be no socialized medicine and the health care industry will solve the rising cost and uninsured problems for Obama. Just like the Clinton’s solved all this in the nineties.

Maybe the current economic problems along with political turmoil and worldwide disarray will cause widespread improvements across the board for the entire planet. But it certainly won’t be anything but a bumpy ride regardless of what happens. And the best part for the US is that liberals own the consequence of success or failure by virtue of getting what they wished for….. the majority status as a political party.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

The reporters being held in North Korea and facing trial, for who knows what, work for Al Gore? Senate Dems, as mentioned above, have legislation to block detainee transfers to the US. The health care kabuki dance rages on.

SEOUL, South Korea - Two U.S. journalists arrested near North Korea’s border with China on accusations of illegal entry and “hostile acts” will be tried by Pyongyang in early June, state media said Thursday.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee, reporters for former Vice President Al Gore’s San Francisco-based Current TV media venture, were detained March 17 while reporting on North Korean refugees living in China.

WASHINGTON — New legislation by Senate Democrats would fund the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but it would block the transfer of any of the detainees to the United States.

The move to sidestep a political minefield is a rebuff to President Barack Obama, whose promise to close the Guantanamo facility within a year of taking office has run into Republicans and Democrats opposed to bringing accused terrorists onto U.S. shores.

WASHINGTON — The White House scrambled to unify Democrats behind a single health care appeal Wednesday — lower costs, plenty of choice — amid concerns Republicans could scare votes away with images of a ghastly system run by bureaucrats. A key senator pushed to enforce an offer from care providers to trim $2 trillion in costs over the next decade.

Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said he wanted to build cost-saving mechanisms the industry is devising into sweeping health care overhaul legislation his committee is writing.

Welcome to Blog @ MoreWhat.com’s Open Trackback

Secure the Borders Linkfest

This is an open trackback linkfest. For now it opens on Saturday and closes by Monday. The Secure the Borders theme is intended as a reminder to all for obvious reasons. If you have any suggestions, criticisms, questions or just feel the need to communicate, trackback or post it in the comments. If you want to be added to the Blogroll, register and/or inquire to make arrangements. The Honor Roll is reserved for blogs viewed as special by this blog’s owner.

JIHAD stands for Jesus I Have A Deathwish.

This linkfest is dedicated to the guest worker who never left.There are plenty of illegal immigration posts on this blog.

If you’re here legally and behavin’ yo self, welcome aboard.
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We suggest using the Linkfest Haven Deluxe Trackback pinger for ease of use and time savings to catch all the festive linking activities today. Or, if you have done this less than we have, the permalink for this Open Trackback is the title link and the trackback is located near the bottom of the permalink page for this post. Just poke around, you’ll find it.

links in the sidebar

NOTE: It may be worthwhile to comply with the unofficial standard of submitting your blog’s best work for open trackbacks whether here or at multiple sites. The practice may have been inspired by a desire for increased quality versus quantity as well as providing greater impact from the power of the blogosphere.

Time magazine has a piece titled, ‘How Waterboarding is Drowning Pelosi.’ The Wall Street Journal has one called, ‘Pelosi’s Self-Torture.’ Here are some other fun headlines about the skull that is numb.

Obligatory Queen Nancy Calls CIA Liars Post (Stop the ACLU)

Nancy Pelosi Didn’t Know Anything, She Swears (Vivir Latino)

How Waterboarding is Drowning Nancy (Time, another shot)

Politico notes even Steny Hoyer isn’t ‘rushing to support’ Pelosi’s claim

Pelosi Digs in Deeper (Kansas City Star)

Here’s a newsflash for ya Nancy!! If you did know you’re lying now. If you didn’t know you are incompetent and not properly discharging your duties as an elected official. Everybody knew or is lying now or also incompetent.

How about a video?

Stanford Matthews
Morewhat.com

A glance at the most popular news items on Google today may support the Ronald Reagan quote which notes politics as the second oldest profession having a striking resemblance to the first. Craigslist, taking heat over their ‘erotic services’ listings, will replace them with a section where employees will check individual ads before placement. With few exceptions the remainder of the most popular news entries feature political news.

The third place news item emphasizes the comparison between the two oldest professions. President Obama is claimed to be seeking a delay on the release of photos showing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. Correct this if it is wrong. Obama announced the release of the photos and after coming under criticism for the action later stated the release was court ordered and now claims to be seeking a delay.

The next news item cites the GOP seeking a 60 day delay for hearings on the next nominee for SCOTUS due to the upcoming retirement of Justice David Souter. Related stories indicate the White House wants no leaks on the vetting process for their nominee. What a charade this is. Here’s some information on the topic prominently displayed on the White House website.

THE JUDICIAL BRANCH

Where the Executive and Legislative branches are elected by the people, members of the Judicial Branch are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

Article III of the Constitution, which establishes the Judicial Branch, leaves Congress significant discretion to determine the shape and structure of the federal judiciary. Even the number of Supreme Court Justices is left to Congress — at times there have been as few as six, while the current number (nine, with one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices) has only been in place since 1869. The Constitution also grants Congress the power to establish courts inferior to the Supreme Court, and to that end Congress has established the United States district courts, which try most federal cases, and 13 United States courts of appeals, which review appealed district court cases.

Federal judges can only be removed through impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction in the Senate. Judges and justices serve no fixed term — they serve until their death, retirement, or conviction by the Senate. By design, this insulates them from the temporary passions of the public, and allows them to apply the law with only justice in mind, and not electoral or political concerns.

If that is the case then why does the process have as its primary feature in practice the duel between liberal and conservative minded judges being selected by the party in power? Another distinct yet sad comparison of the oldest two professions. Certainly this is not a very subtle one.

The remainder of political news items includes more on interrogation techniques, GOP struggles, Dick Cheney, a spy at the DoD and several others including more exposure of Hillary’s past. A non-stop promotion of the second oldest profession taking all their plays from the oldest. That’s a depressing set of circumstances.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

A couple of years ago it seemed the controversy over embryonic stem cell research had been solved. Obviously with the advent of the Obama Administration releasing restrictions to public funding of such research last imposed by the Bush Administration the debate has not been concluded.

A quick review of some material on the subject answers some questions but raises others. The excerpt from one report below suggests iPS cells (not embryonic) in some ways hold more promise than embryonic stem cells.

Like embryonic stem cells, the new cells—known as induced pluripotent cells—are capable of developing into most types of cells in the body. But the new lines can be created without the use of an embryo.

Such cells could conceivably also be custom-made for any adult, sidestepping issues of cell rejection.

“The advantage of using [such] reprogrammed skin cells is that any cells developed for therapeutic purposes can be customized to the patient,” James Thompson, who led one of the studies, said in a prepared statement.

“They are probably more clinically relevant than embryonic stem cells,” added Thompson, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Another report had one notable scientist involved in the research stating the need to continue research on embryonic stem cells to answer all the questions related to this field of inquiry. That somehow seems reasonable. But it does not answer the question of why so many are so concerned about the public funding or access to embryonic stem cells in light of the advances with iPS cells. Like when do you plan on discontinuing embryonic stem cell research or is this all something of a ruse?

Here are some resources to help you decide for yourself.

Human Skin Cells Given Stem Cell Properties

Stem Cell Breakthrough Is Like ‘Turning Lead Into Gold’

Virus-free Embryonic-like Stem Cells Made From Skin Of Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Bypassing Stem Cells: Adult Skin Cells Turned Into Muscle Cells And Vice Versa

Scientists Shed Light On Inner Workings Of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Professor comments on Obama’s stem cell executive action

Wisconsin, Morgridge scientists excise vector, exotic genes from induced stem cells

Are you convinced that iPS cells cannot achieve the same result as embryonic stem cells? Is the issue now whether or not embryonic stem cells are necessary to achieve the stated medical solutions? Are we being fooled about the need for embryonic stem cell research?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

There seems to have been a fair amount of displeasure expressed about the White House Correspondent’s Dinner including the never ending adoration of some about anything Barack Obama does and the jokes provided both by the current President and Wanda Sykes.

Obama’s jokes were not so good or bad as many report. And Wanda Sykes’ contribution was probably no more offensive to conservatives than Ann Counlter can be for liberals. More to the point on this sort of debate may be a piece by Jonah Goldberg that addresses the arrogance of liberals in general and the new WHite House of Barack Obama in particular.

The suggestion by liberals however loud or muted that the culture wars are over or that political polarization has been eliminated is certainly an exaggeration. If anything culture and politics have not changed at all in Obama’s first 100 days. With the exception that Democrats have an easier time pushing their agenda than they have had in a long time. But that does not indicate approval rather the political reality they have the votes they need more often than not.

Check the excerpts below and read the rest of the piece at the link provided to draw your own conclusion.

The view here concludes the situation has changed in terms of who has the advantage of numbers in American politics and how the game is played by the majority party and the minority party. Being essentially benched by the electorate the GOP of course has some extra work to do. But the Democrats will own everything that happens over the next few years by virtue of the numerical advantage. The electorate can turn on a moment’s notice if they are sufficiently displeased. The Democratic party would make a large mistake if they interpret their current fortunes as not at risk in 2010 and beyond if success does not follow election results.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Excerpt one:

It says something about the relationship of liberals to political power that they can overlook domestic dissent when they’re at the wheel. When the GOP is in office, America is seen as hopelessly divided because dissent is the highest form of patriotism. When Democrats are in charge, the Frank Riches suddenly declare the culture war over and dismiss dissent as the scary work of the sort of cranks Obama’s Department of Homeland Security needs to monitor.

Excerpt two:

Sure, America was divided under Bush. And it’s still divided under Obama (just look at the recent Minnesota Senate race and the New York congressional special election). According to the polls, America is a bit less divided under Obama than it was at the end of Bush’s 100 days. But not as much less as you would expect, given Obama’s victory margin and the rally-around-the-president effect of the financial crisis (not to mention the disarray of the GOP).

“Rule one: Never allow a crisis to go to waste,” Mr. Emanuel said in an interview on Sunday.(Nov 9, 2008)

Below is an example of what Rahm Emanuel meant in the above quote. For as far back as you may care to look education in America finds our students lagging behind their counterparts in other countries around the world. You may have taken exception with the bold plans of President Bush and No Child Left Behind. You may be displeased with all the money being spent on an education system that continually underperforms.

You can read the press release below to get an idea of what may be in store for taxpayer dollars as part of not letting a crisis go to waste. It does not guarantee results when massive dollars are thrown at a problem. But it certainly is becoming obvious this is the agenda of the Obama Administration. The spending may solve nothing but the debt will certainly follow and overcoming it may create its own crisis.

At the bottom of the press release is a link to view this nonsense for other states as well. Enjoy, as we spend future generations resources at an alarming rate and no end in sight.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

PRESS RELEASES
More Than $587 Million in Recovery Funds now Available for Wisconsin to Save Jobs and Drive Reform
Application for Part 1 of Wisconsin’s State Stabilization Funds Approved Today

FOR RELEASE:
May 5, 2009

U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that more than $587 million is now available for Wisconsin under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. This funding will lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs at risk of state and local budget cuts. Wisconsin will be eligible to apply for another $289 million this fall. Today’s funding is being made available per Wisconsin’s successful completion of Part 1 of the State Stabilization Application, which was made available on April 1st.

“The $587 million Wisconsin will receive today is part of the single largest boost in education funding in recent history,” said Duncan. “The President’s leadership and support from Congress have made this historic investment possible. Wisconsin can now utilize these funds to save jobs and lay the groundwork for a generation of education reform.”

To date, Wisconsin has received more than $192 million in education stimulus funds—representing a combination of funding for Title I, IDEA, Vocational Rehabilitation Grants, Independent Living Grants, Impact Aid dollars and Homeless Education Grants. On April 1st, Wisconsin received nearly $74 million in Title I funding and $112.5 million in IDEA funding. This represents 50% of the Title I and IDEA funding Wisconsin is eligible for in total. On April 1st, Wisconsin also received $5 million in Vocational Rehab funds and $900 thousand in Independent Living funds. On April 10th, Wisconsin received $415,012 in Impact Aid Funding.

In order to receive today’s funds, Wisconsin provided assurances that they will collect, publish, analyze and act on basic information regarding the quality of classroom teachers, annual student improvements, college readiness, the effectiveness of state standards and assessments, progress on removing charter caps, and interventions in turning around underperforming schools.

Wisconsin is also required by the Department of Education to report the number of jobs saved through Recovery Act funding, the amount of state and local tax increases averted, and how funds are used.

See Wisconsin and other state applications for initial funding under the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund Program at http://www.ed.gov/programs/statestabilization/resources.html.

Why do many MSM reports about an upcoming speech to be given by President Obama in Egypt focus on the expressed opinion of a group called the Muslim Brotherhood? By all accounts the group has been around for a very long time and could be characterized as favoring a militant strategy or adopting what is typically called radical Islam as opposed to the religion of peace notion expressed by other Muslims.

While Egypt has banned the group officially some reports indicate independents in the Egyptian parliament account for 88 of the 454 seats. Those independents are described as members of the brotherhood. It is also reported that this brotherhood operates hospitals and schools within the country. What may have originally been a serious attempt to eliminate the group may have changed to a hollow gesture as a public relations strategy. Ties to Hamas and the fact that many organizations which funnel money to terrorist groups operate enterprises to hide their activities casts suspicion on the motives of the Muslim Brotherhood. Its ‘colorful’ history is not without examples of terrorist connections.

What is one to make of the Muslim Brotherhood’s latest contention that President Obama’s upcoming speech to the Arab world is a ploy to push a pro-Israeli agenda? The critics of Obama in the US have lined up to denounce his submissive advances to Arab leaders in recent months. The more extreme views of his critics suggest his Muslim background will influence his agenda in a manner unfavorable to Israel as demonstrated by his call for a two-state solution. The deputy leader of this Islamic brotherhood has referred to Obama’s speech as a ruse. Maybe the ruse is in the brotherhood’s calculated public statements and is being used to hide the fact the American President is no friend to Israel.

An interesting note in a WaPo piece on this topic suggests Muslims do not trust the US due to American support for Arab leaders who have not been elected. In Eqypt, Mubarak does not tolerate political opposition and is said to be preparing for his son to take the helm in the future. The push for democracy in the Middle East by the US is seen as hypocritical by Muslims who oppose leaders like Mubarak.

The piece includes statements that three items are key to anti-American sentiment in the Arab world. The war in Iraq, Gitmo and Abu-Ghraib are listed as the main grievances. It is worthwhile to note that it is likely none of these three items would have occurred had the US not been attacked by terrorists on 9/11. It also fails to note the country of origin of most of the 9/11 hijackers. Not to mention that most Arab countries celebrated the attack while at the same time releasing statements of condolence as official government actions or remaining silent about the incident.

There is no indication the current American President will be as strong an ally to Israel as past presidents. There is ample reason to be concerned his two-state solution favors those intent on destroying Israel. Which in turn raises concern that many of the new President’s agenda items put the nation he took an oath to protect at greater risk. But there has already been opposition to some of the President’s actions from his own party. Could it be that is a sign his dangerous plans will fail before any serious damage is done? Or are we headed for the iceberg in the Titanic?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

As with any issue or controversy everyone is entitled to their opinion and there is no shortage of them in the story on interrogation techniques. Now the silly or embarrassing display of public officials scurrying to distance themselves from additional stories on who knew about the technique known as waterboarding and its use in the GWOT serves as just one more example of the stupidity of politics.

The holier than thou attitude and often expressed disdain toward Bush administration officials who approved the technique for use in terrorist interrogations and the call for punishment of those involved is being replaced by the Washington two-step or side step now that most politicians are viewed as knowing about it in advance along with those they previously condemned.

Throughout the history of war or other armed conflict on this planet it is probably fair to state that all involved from any country or group from time to time have chosen to act in ways we would under other circumstances view as objectionable. It could further be stated that most choose to look the other way or dismiss these actions as the ends justifying the means. Not unlike the questions posed of the type where one’s family members will be killed if information leading to their rescue is not gleaned from a suspect. The accompanying dilemma is whether the ordinary citizen would agree to unpleasant options for extracting the aforementioned ‘information’ from the suspect. If asked under these circumstances it is typically anticipated that most people would succumb to the pressure and act in questionable ways to save the lives of those in peril.

The argument to the contrary that we do or should always act in morally correct ways is generally reserved for a time when such circumstances are not present and we are free to respond like the angels we view ourselves to be.

Using accounts of the never ending battle of good or evil as a tool for gaining advantage in partisan politics has a long and storied history. It appears the outcome of this episode of we’re good and you’re bad will end the way it always does. With everyone accusing others or defending themselves ending up wiping the crap or ‘evidence’ from their clothing in public view. Nancy Pelosi and Jane Harman are most likely not the only ones who will look foolish for accusing others of bad behavior.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

The chart said that at the first briefing, on Sept. 4, 2002, Ms. Pelosi, then the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, and Representative Porter J. Goss, the committee’s Republican chairman, were given a “description” of the interrogation methods that “had been employed” against a prisoner, Abu Zubaydah.

On Friday, the speaker issued a statement defending her previous account.

“Of the 40 C.I.A. briefings to Congress reported recently in the press, I was only briefed once, on Sept. 4, 2002, as I have previously stated.” She said she was “briefed on interrogation techniques the administration was considering using in the future” and that the techniques were determined to be legal.

A top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended a CIA briefing in early 2003 in which it was made clear that waterboarding and other harsh techniques were being used in the interrogation of an alleged al-Qaeda operative, according to documents the CIA released to Congress on Thursday.

Pelosi has insisted that she was not directly briefed by Bush administration officials that the practice was being actively employed. But Michael Sheehy, a top Pelosi aide, was present for a classified briefing that included Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), then the ranking minority member of the House intelligence committee, at which agency officials discussed the use of waterboarding on terrorism suspect Abu Zubaida.

Welcome to Blog @ MoreWhat.com’s Open Trackback

Secure the Borders Linkfest

This is an open trackback linkfest. For now it opens on Saturday and closes by Monday. The Secure the Borders theme is intended as a reminder to all for obvious reasons. If you have any suggestions, criticisms, questions or just feel the need to communicate, trackback or post it in the comments. If you want to be added to the Blogroll, register and/or inquire to make arrangements. The Honor Roll is reserved for blogs viewed as special by this blog’s owner.

JIHAD stands for Jesus I Have A Deathwish.

This linkfest is dedicated to the guest worker who never left.There are plenty of illegal immigration posts on this blog.

If you’re here legally and behavin’ yo self, welcome aboard.
.
.

We suggest using the Linkfest Haven Deluxe Trackback pinger for ease of use and time savings to catch all the festive linking activities today. Or, if you have done this less than we have, the permalink for this Open Trackback is the title link and the trackback is located near the bottom of the permalink page for this post. Just poke around, you’ll find it.

links in the sidebar

NOTE: It may be worthwhile to comply with the unofficial standard of submitting your blog’s best work for open trackbacks whether here or at multiple sites. The practice may have been inspired by a desire for increased quality versus quantity as well as providing greater impact from the power of the blogosphere.

What is it about that which can be characterized ‘popular culture’ or some sort of phenomena of civilization at any given time and its attraction for the masses? On the internet it may be MySpace or Facebook or Twitter. On TV it may be so-called reality shows like Survivor or Dancing with the Stars or American Idol.

Is it simply that those whose job it is to dream up money making ideas for television find a way to get millions of people to pay attention long enough to sell a great deal of advertising time? The same could be asked of internet geniuses who assemble online infrastructure to handle millions of users for who knows what valid purpose if one exists.

It may be fair to state that sporting or athletic competition in its well known forms of baseball, football, basketball, golf, tennis, racing, the Olympics and many others have helped strengthen the sense of community shared by those in participating locales. Aside from the periodic falls from grace of various sports stars as with any other celebrity group, role models and the positive outcomes from ordinary folks engaging in athletic training and competition as well as being spectators can encourage personal achievement and the development of enviable human qualities.

So what do these other popular culture phenomena have to offer? Where does MySpace, Facebook or Twitter offer some redeeming social value that trumps its obvious monetary benefit for those who control it? Certainly it is fair to say a handful of people have gained by competing on American Idol each year. And it is also fair to say that aside from the lure of a chance at great wealth they may be pursuing an honest dream to achieve a goal in the performing arts in some way. But where is that avenue for personal development with the others? Sure, you can network on social networking sites and it may possibly lead to assistance in reaching some reasonable goal like landing a job or something similar. But is that why so many are attracted to these current popular culture icons?

One Wiki definition offered for popular culture may expect too much from these ‘human activities’. Popular culture (or pop culture) is the culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance …

Another definition from artconnected DOT org may be viewed as too critical of pop culture. The opposite of high cultural art forms, such as the opera, historic art, classical music, traditional theater or literature; popular culture …

But one from edublogs DOT org may be close. Cultural experiences widely enjoyed by members of various groups within the community.

Those definitions were simply found by using the define search on Google. But none of this answers the question of why some forms of popular culture do not appear to have any really useful value other than generating revenue. The only reason this point is raised on this blog is that it seems all the hype and talk about these current pop culture forms rests solely with the fact they are popular by virtue of the quantity of people attracted to them. How is that a measure of anything other than commercial success? How does it advance the species? How does this make us better? Is there anything about it which indicates a higher goal? Or is it just about money or being cool?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

So how much love is the Democratic party showing Specter the defector?

WASHINGTON, May 6 (UPI) — Abandoning the Republican Party cost Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., his seniority on five committees.

On a voice vote Tuesday, the Senate stripped the 29-year veteran lawmaker of his committee seniority, a move that made Specter the most junior Democrat on four of the five committees on which he serves, The Washington Post reported Wednesday. Specter will be the second lowest in seniority on the fifth committee.

The Dems may ‘revisit’ Specter’s status after the 2010 elections. Specter has potential challengers for his senate seat from both parties in 2010. Perhaps the Dems said they would revisit his status after 2010 expecting he will not keep his seat in the first place.

Tom Ridge and Pat Toomey are possible GOP contenders and Joe Sestak is at least one Dems’ contender for Specter’s senate seat next time around. Specter will be a junior Senator until then and may only have his vote to use for what may be the remainder of his tenure. This may still cause problems for the Democrats.

Specter Says He ‘Misspoke” on Minnesota Senate Race
By Bart Jansen, CQ Staff

The political whirlwind that surrounded Sen. Arlen Specter ’s switch from the Republican to Democratic party had him forgetting which team he is rooting for in 2010.

But after voicing support for Republican Norm Coleman in his contested Minnesota Senate race, Specter said he misspoke in a New York Times magazine interview and is supporting Democrats.

There you go, Arlen. Show support for the GOP candidate in the contested election outcome in Minnesota. That will make you all sorts of friends in liberal land. Okay, saying you misspoke will convince everyone. Maybe it is time for you to retire for the usual reasons. You simply don’t have it anymore if you ever did.

This Won’t Help Specter in 2010
By Mike Lillis 5/6/09 9:36 AM

When Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania defected to the Democratic Party last week, there were questions about just what kind of deals had been cut with Democratic leaders to secure the leap. Specter himself fueled the speculation when, during the press conference announcing his switch, he told reporters that he’d worked out an arrangement where he’d “be where I would be had I been a Democrat coming into the Senate with my election in 1980? — a pact that would have placed him in senior positions on all five of the Senate committees where he sits.

Could it be that Arlen Specter has a higher impression of himself than others do? If what has happened so far is all you get as a five term Senator when switching parties your self-image may be inflated. Is there honor among thieves?

Stanford Matthews
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A tiny analysis on part of Obama’s agenda is being repeated with some frequency. Aside from the liberals defending Dem spending based on GOP spending during the Bush administration and the GOP arguing that two wrongs don’t make a right the spending is still increasing. The tiny analysis suggests a back braking inflation to follow emptying the treasury and the tax increases that will naturally follow. And the band plays on while the public sleeps or sits this one out.

Obama’s Plans May Be Doomed by Unchecked Spending: Albert Hunt
Commentary by Albert R. Hunt

April 27 (Bloomberg) — “A hundred million there, a hundred million here, pretty soon, even in Washington, it adds up to real money,” President Barack Obama declared last week, paraphrasing a line attributed to the late Republican Senate leader, Everett Dirksen.

The trouble with that quote is the measure is now trillions. Spending coming in chunks hundreds if not a thousand times larger than similar actions not so long ago and certainly at rates that dwarf increases in the cost of consumer goods or average incomes. Are people really not concerned about these developments? Has apathy grown to that point? Are tea parties the only indication that anyone is upset with the politics of Washington DC?

Albert Hunt’s commentary provides examples of spending reductions to be coupled with those areas where spending has gone off the charts. He also appraises the political will and habits of Congress and what may or may not occur. And then the closing statement if nothing improves between spending and agendas.

If it persists, this will produce one of two train wrecks: decimating his health-care and energy initiatives or imperiling a long term, fiscally sound economy.

The point is too many in the public are awaiting some sort of miracle from the Messiah that will make everything better as if to deliver a utopia. Someone must have put something in the water for there is a huge absence of public outrage over risking everything with politicians controlling the outcome. The same people who tell you we can’t spend our way out of trouble are spending our way out of trouble. What happened to the sage advice that if you find yourself in a hole….. stop digging!

Stanford Matthews
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