The Desert of the Real

DeLay, who is facing tough times of his own, offered a half-hour speech that was part history lesson and part sermon to a crowd of about 300 gathered at a Washington hotel for a two-day conference titled “The War on Christians and the Values Voter in 2006.”
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The conference was convened by Vision America, a group founded by the Rev. Rick Scarborough to mobilize “patriot pastors” of all denominations to promote Christian involvement in government.
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“This is a man, I believe, God has appointed … to represent righteousness in government,” Scarborough told the audience
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Scarborough said DeLay had been “nearly destroyed in the press,” and he made a vague pitch for the conference participants to support DeLay in his general election race in November. DeLay should not worry about it, however, he said: “God always does his best work after a crucifixion.”

Amazing isn’t it? Here we have a man who is currently suspended from his post due to charges of ethics violations, and for associating with a Jack Abramoff who is just about as slimy as they come. Then we have someone who claims to be a servant of God claiming he was appointed ot represent righteousness in government, and comparing his going through this trial to Christ’s crucifixion. Even, to some extent, comparing Tom Delay to Christ himself.
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Cause after reading this I think it must be at least getting chilly!

[Reagan] said that when Democrats controlled the House (where spending bills originate) and the national debt was $2.3 trillion.

Last week, a Republican Senate voted to raise the debt ceiling to nearly $9 trillion. Senators quickly passed a record $2.8 trillion budget. What would Reagan say now? Then he called for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and labeled the budget process a “sorry spectacle.” That Republicans are outspending the most reckless 1980s Democrat (and 1960s Great Society Democrats and 1940s FDR Democrats) is the sorriest spectacle of all.
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The Senate vote increased the debt ceiling for the fourth time in five years. The statutory debt limit has now risen by more than $3 trillion since President Bush took office. That any Republican majority could preside over such fiscal irresponsibility is grounds for revoking their party membership.
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Maybe it’s time for a strong third party, or failing that, another revolution.

(Cal Thomas)

Thank heavens for portable defibrillators!

This seems to be quite a hot topic today. Sadly, most people commenting on it seem to be woefully ignorant. First, the facts of the matter.

After Katrina ravaged the Big Easy six months ago, Greg Meffert, the city’s chief information officer, got downtown businesses back online by opening the city’s wireless mesh network—originally deployed to link surveillance cameras—to anyone who needed it. For free.

“Now it is the lifeblood for so many businesses,” Mr. Meffert told Red Herring. With Internet service still down in more than half the city, he estimates more than 15,000 people use the city’s 512 kbps (kilobits per second) network.

The city now has a daytime population of about a quarter-million, but about a third of the city is still without even basic phone service. The population is expected to swell this summer as more storm refugees return when the school year ends.

Aside from the obvious evil of a government controlled network of surveillance cameras, I don’t think there are any reasonable objections to opening the service in such an emergency situation. It could be argued that the city government probably shouldn’t have spent the money on this in the first place, but seeing as it is there, it’s a good use for it. Especially given that it was taxpayer funded. The one problem I see with this is that with it there, the demand is weakend and there is less incentive for ISPs and telcos to get their networks back online. Few people will begin paying again while free service exists. So why would they spend the money to buy service?
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Yes. Even in my beloved home we have jaw-dropping violations of individual liberty. Particularly in the cancerous lesion known as Dallas, where we also experience rampant abuse of police powers.

TABC agents and Irving police swept through 36 Irving bars and arrested about 30 people on charges of public intoxication. Agency representatives say the move came as a proactive measure to curtail drunken driving.

North Texans interviewed by NBC 5, however, worried that the sweep went too far.

At one location, for example, agents and police arrested patrons of a hotel bar. Some of the suspects said they were registered at the hotel and had no intention of driving. Arresting authorities said the patrons were a danger to themselves and others.