RightWave

Just a quick note today.  I hope you read Dana Milbank’s entertaining piece in the WaPo today.  It’s not a good sign when the venerable newspaper of record for our nation’s capital turns against a Democrat!  (never mind the McCain hit piece on the front page, but still…)

Fresh from his presidential-style world tour, during which foreign leaders and American generals lined up to show him affection, Obama settled down to some presidential-style business in Washington yesterday. He ordered up a teleconference with the (current president’s) Treasury secretary, granted an audience to the Pakistani prime minister and had his staff arrange for the chairman of the Federal Reserve to give him a briefing. Then, he went up to Capitol Hill to be adored by House Democrats in a presidential-style pep rally.

While you’re in the mood, be sure to take a look at AFP’s great new video exposing the hypocrisy of global warming alarmists.

And, finally, in the “well, at least that’s something” category, John McCain attempted to prove he’s a solid conservative (oh, and an independent, too!) today.

“As many of you know, I’ve been called a maverick, someone who marches to the beat of his own drum,” McCain said proudly before being peppered with questions on offshore oil drilling, taxes and stem cell research from a largely Republican audience that nonetheless displayed a range of ideological views.

The Arizona senator insisted anew he would not raise taxes if elected president and vowed to appoint judges like Samuel Alito and John Roberts, conservatives named to the Supreme Court by President Bush.

The Christian Science Monitor yesterday reported that, according to claims by the Humane Society and others, global warming is causing an increase in kittens.  Yep, you read that right, the radical left has deputized the Humane Society (along with their cuddly little friends) into their “regulate now” argument to curb global warming.

“Each year it seems to get worse and worse,” said Christina Gin, an animal shelter volunteer in Hayward, Calif., to the Hayward Daily Review earlier this month.

She was talking about the shelter’s surplus of kittens, a problem that animal shelters across the country face every summer. But lately, it seems that there have been more and more of the furry carnivores.

Ms. Gin blames global warming for the feline glut, and she’s not alone. The Humane Society has observed that kitten season, which usually starts in March and April, has been starting earlier and lasting longer.

Now, let’s get something straight.  Do they want MORE cute things or FEWER cute things?  I mean, first we’re bemoaning the supposed decrease in the (cute) polar bear population.  Now, we’re upset in the increase in the cat population?  (Now, personally I understand this because I hate cats, but still.  They’re awful cute when they’re kittens.)

Next, we’ll apparently be talking about the Canadian red squirrel:

No definitive link has been established, but climate change has been shown to change the breeding patterns of at least some mammals. In 2003, for example, researchers at the University of Alberta discovered that Canadian red squirrels are giving birth an average of 18 days earlier than their great-grandparents, a shift that they attributed to rising temperatures.

But, let’s go get serious for a minute.  If we really care about domestic animals, as the Humane Society certainly does, let’s address the real issues.  First and foremost, I’d spend more time and resources pushing folks to get their cats spayed and neutered.  That’s a surefire way to prevent feline procreation.

We also need to consider the very real impact rising fuel and energy prices have on the average family’s budget.  Will there be room with $5, $6, or even $8 per gallon gas to keep Fido and Whiskers in the family.  Make no mistake, American families love their pets, but when it’s a choice between gasoline and food and pet care, I think we know the answer.  Animal shelter populations increase, and family pets suffer.   Not to mention the fact that contributions to animal shelters decrease during economic downturns, further imperiling the lives of animals.

The real message here: protect our economy.  It’s good for everyone, including pets!  If we choose higher taxes, increased regulation, and restricted freedom, we’ll not only NOT “fix” the problem we intend to solve (presumably, global warming) but we’ll also hurt our country in the long term by killing an already slowing economy.  I don’t think anyone wants that.

Then again…maybe they do.

3:50 p.m. UPDATE: You have absolutely got to see this website.  Also, US News & World Reports is on the case as well.

Mark over at Do The Right Thing has a link to a great article by Weekly Standard editor Fred Barnes on the Left’s plan to take over “red” states.  Of course, Colorado has long been their model, and they’ve been executing well (and expensively).  Colorado is dangerously teetering on becoming a mostly Democrat state (by count of elected officials) and turning back the tide on what was once the most “progressive” state in the union in terms of implementing good, free-market public policy reform.

From school choice to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to higher education vouchers to creating a tax code that ensured prosperity for its citizens, Colorado was once the beacon of conservatives (remember the National Review cover story about Bill Owens?)  And now, it’s not looking so good…

Fortunately, we have some smart folks on our side as well.  Eric O’Keefe has a superb piece published by the State Policy Network that’s worth a read about what we can do to fight back.  Our free enterprise side got a head start on the think tank front.  There’s no question we’re winning the battle of ideas.  But, we’re consistently getting beaten on the ground game.

Frankly, that’s why Americans for Prosperity is so important.  But, we need to keep up the fight and work to match the Left on every capability possible if we want to win - politically and, ultimately, with our public policy goals.  There is much work to do, friends.

UPDATE: Eric is (as usual) several steps ahead in talking about Fred Barnes’ article.  Read his take.

ARGH!

Call me old fashioned.  Call me un-techy.  But, please, do it with correct capitalization and punctuation.

aamof, afaic, iucmd, just shut^.

This is a pet peeve of mine that’s been festering for a while.  I just couldn’t keep it in any longer.  Why does being connected to the “interwebs” give people the false sense that they can throw grammar and punctuation out the window?  I suppose I should sgbadq. 

Frankly, I find this “webspeak” phenomenon counterintuitive.  Typing is far easier and faster than writing in long hand, so why the need to shorten everything?  Are we really all in that big of a hurry?  Or frightened of blackberry thumb.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to consult specialized websites when getting text messages from friends or reading emails or blogs.  If it’s so long that it’s a pain to type, why not just call me?  It uses the same equipment.  As far as I know, I don’t require particularly arduous conversation.  Perhaps I’m mistaken, but even so, at least give me some clue as to what you are referring.

To all bloggers - I ask a commitment to honor the English language (or whatever your native tongue happens to be).  Spell out words (I’m sure someone will ask “r u crazy?”), complete sentences and, if you’re in need of help, seek a reference or get notes from a high school freshman in grammar class.  Take a moment to gather your thoughts before you sit down to write.  Above all, avoid gratuitous abbreviations or acronyms just for the sake of being hip.

Finally, for those of you with a Blackberry or other device with a full keyboard - USE IT!  Go take a Mavis Beacon or something if you have to, but complete words and phrases.  I pledge to follow this, and I hope u do 2.

Thx for listening (well, reading, I guess).  As for my advice, tioli.  g/g, biw.  ttyl

(Do you have a favorite/hated netspeak term?  If so, share in the comments!  Everyone needs a laugh!)

Yeah, I know.  Long time no write.  But, I just had to share this video with you from Ed Frank at Americans for Prosperity.  The AFP team staked out the esteemed former Vice President’s “major address” on climate change, and below are the results:

While you’re at it, check out this update with pictures of the Gore motorcade.

Let’s be clear, by the way, it doesn’t bother me that the Gore folks ride in style.  He’s made a lot of money and he’s earned the right to live in luxury.  But, let’s not lecture others about the need to change their lifestyles in between trips to the Exxon station to fill up the SUVs.

…haven’t you always wanted to do this?

Which reminds me to remind you to check out Americans for Prosperity’s Hot Air Tour website, CostofHotAir.com and follow the Hot Air Balloon around the country.  They’re telling the truth about the REAL cost of global warming alarmism.