Think About It

Bill Clinton and the Strange Article in Vanity Fair

I never thought I would be defending Bill Clinton, but I question the journalistic integrity of Vanity Fair’s upcoming article, titled The Comeback Kid.  According to the author of the article, Bill Clinton has been doing some late night one on one campaigning.  Supposedly, old friends and aides are anxious over Clinton’s recent escapades that include dubious and secretive business dealings, jetting around with a skirt-chasing posse and all-round bad behavior.  The tenor of the article would suggest that Bill Clinton is out playing while Hillary is occupied with her campaign for president.  Oh, a word about the author of the article.  It was written by the husband of Dee Dee Myers, who was Clinton’s White House press secretary.

When I first heard about the Vanity Fair article, I looked forward to reading it.  I was disappointed; instead of a well-documented look into Bill Clinton’s nocturnal forays, it was long on gossipy rumor and short on verifiable facts.  A sample: “Bill Clinton.   He had come to the City of Light (Paris) with the motley crew that constitutes some of the post-presidential rat pack to celebrate the marriage of Douglas Band, the man who for the last decade has been his personal aide, gatekeeper, enforcer, and—more recently—counselor in the multifarious business, philanthropic, and political dealings that keep Clinton restlessly circling the globe.”

According to the article, Bill Clinton is a close “bachelor buddy” of Ron Burkle, the California supermarket billionaire.  Burkle reportedly jets around the world in his converted Boeing 757 that Clinton calls “Ron Air” and Burkle’s circle of young aides privately refer to as “Air Fuck One.”   If one didn’t read carefully, the reader would think Bill Clinton flew to Paris with Burkle, but Clinton flew in with Steve Bing, a real estate heir and Democratic donor.  The article rambles on for several more pages of innuendo.  A strange article.

The timing of this article is interesting to say the least.  The story is breaking just as Hillary Clinton is the last throws of her campaign for President or as some think, Vice-President.  Lots of questions on this one.

Questions:

Was the article a deliberate hatchet piece or just another expose?

Was the timing of the article coincidental?

Are Obama’s people behind it?

Why did Vanity Fair run a piece that didn’t include verifiable sources?

How does Dee Dee Myers figure into this scenario?

Boy Scouts Sue the City of Philadelphia

Boy Scout officials were delighted when the Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the Boy Scouts, as a private organization, had the right to bar gays.  However, there was a downside to the ruling.  Municipalities and charities began withholding funds from the Scouts. 

The Cradle of Liberty Boy Scout’s Council, who oversees about 300 local troops, had been allowed the use of a space owned by the city of Philadelphia.  The City of Philadelphia charged the Scouts a token $1 a year during their 80-year stay.

The City of Philadelphia implemented a non-discrimination policy, so the city gave the Scouts a week to move or start paying the going market rate for the space.  So far, so good; however, the city charges the same nominal fee to other groups that limit their membership, including the Baptist and Catholic churches and the Colonial Dames of America.

Attorneys for the Boy Scouts filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia alleging the city used censorship for targeting the Scouts.  Mayor Michael Nutter countered: "We will not allow discrimination in providing services on city property,"

The story has an interesting historical twist.  The City of Philadelphia owns the Beaux Arts building, which was constructed by the Scouts in 1928.   The Scouts have spent about $60,000 a year to maintain the building, and another $1.5 million for renovations in 1994, the suit said.

The Scouts have had other problems over the homosexual issue.
Steven Spielberg resigned from the national group's advisory board, and the city of Berkeley, California stopped lending its marina at no charge to the Berkeley Sea Scouts. United Way chapters stopped funding programs, and the Defense Department stopped sponsoring troops.

Questions:

Do the Scouts have the right to keep gays out and at the same time enjoy the same benefits as other non-profit organizations?

Will the Scouts prevail in their lawsuit?

Is the End Near for Osama bin Laden?

An interesting shift is taking place in Islam. Yesterday, Osama bin Laden broadcast another proclamation from his cave, but instead of the usual Death to America speech, , bin Laden denounced Arab leaders for sacrificing the Palestinians.  Osama bin Laden is now urging Muslim militants to liberate the Gaza by going to war with Arab regimes that have aligned themselves with Israel.  These regimes include Saudi Arabia, Quatar, Kuwait, and Jordan.   He devoted much of his speech to Egypt, who he urged to use force to break the blockade around the Gaza.  Bin Laden called Arab leaders “agents of the crusaders” and “wolves.”

It is interesting to note that bin Laden is now urging Muslims to ignore the Islamic prohibition against going to war with other Muslims.  Bin Laden gets around this prohibition by claiming the leaders of Muslim countries who support Israel are not governing according to Islamic law.

“Those (Arab) kings and leaders sacrificed Palestine and Al-Aqsa to keep their crowns, but we will not be relieved of this responsibility,” said bin Laden.

Bin Laden singled out the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, for criticism.  He said Nasrallah has claimed he had enough money and men to fight Israel, but he has not fought to liberate Palestine.  Bin Laden was also critical of Iran, accusing it of trying to dominate the Middle-East.

Israel and Egypt have closed their borders with Gaza since Hamas seized control of the Palestinian territory in June last year. The closure brought about food and fuel shortages in the already impoverished strip where 1.4 million Palestinians live.

Questions:

What does all this mean?

Will this further fractionalize the militant Islamists?

Will those in militant Islam attack the heads of states, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt?

Will this cause some in Islam to mark Osama bin Laden for death or capture?

The Origins of the New Morality

"Ernie" has some thoughts on today's morality.

"I don't consider myself a conspiracy nut (though I am convinced a devious group is constantly at work keeping the Cubs out of a world series), so I'm totally confused about the downward plunge of American culture and values.  Is there a conspiracy afoot to destroy us from within, or is this just the normal outcome of a free society?  If it's a conspiracy, who's the architect and who's keeping it going?  Is it mush brained liberals?  Islamic terrorists?  Communists?  Rosie O'Donnell?  Reverend Wright?  Liberal media?  I don't know the answer, but I think we need to take whatever time is necessary to study this deterioration and get it reversed.  It's truly destroying us.

Look at today's immorality and the country's seeming lack of concern about it.  Whether it's drugs, porn, homosexuality, greed, corruption, rampant promiscuity, filth driven entertainment, supporting a Muslim for president, or any of the other deadly sins, it's obvious that the "problem" is growing and shows no signs of lessening.  It's sadly becoming the norm.  Even TV commercials are so full of sexual content they should be rated X.  I went into the bank the other day and the 2 young female tellers were wearing blouses that were barely keeping their un-bra'd boobs from falling out on the counter.  That kind of attire may be fine for hookers walking Sunset Boulevard, but not in a bank.  You have to ask why they think dressing that way is acceptable, and why bank managers allow it.  I guess when they see their Hollywood idols dressing that way and changing sex partners on a weekly basis, it's got to be OK.  Right?

In all this immorality I have to ask, "what is the purpose of it all?"  Why is it so important to those in influential industries to force this indecency upon us?  Is it just to see how far they can push the envelope, or is it part of a conspiratorial left wing agenda?  Why wouldn't it be more appropriate to force higher moral values on us?  Filth makes more money?  Probably as good an explanation as any.

And lastly, how do we stop it and start moving back to the moral values and Christian principles that formed this once magnificent country?  You can't look at the GOP for help.  They've not shown one inkling of willingness to buck the liberal agenda.  After all, what's more important?  Standing up for decency or getting reelected?  They've almost totally abandoned the conservative base of the party.  Think about it.  They had 8 years to prepare potential candidates for the presidential race and what did we get?   A 70+ year old democrat in Republican clothing named John McCain.

Anyway, just some of my thoughts.  I'd like to hear yours.  Thanks.

Ernie"

Animal Rights and the Misguided

The well intentioned  but misguided have shot themselves in their collective feet - again.  (We must think up a name for these people.)  Animal rights activist groups had sought a ban on the commercial slaughter of horses.  Sick and aged horses had been sent to approved slaughter houses for decades, but recently the Humane Society and animal rights activists groups won a court decision that effectively closed down slaughter houses that processed horses.

Fast forward to 2008.  Hundreds if not thousands of horses across the U.S. are now being simply abandoned in wilderness areas, left to starve because their owners can’t find buyers or in some cases can no longer afford to feed them.  "We've got people turning horses loose in fields, dropping horses off in the night -- my worst nightmares are coming true, said Professor Temple Grandin at Colorado State University.

The court decision also dictated how horses are to be euthanized and buried.  Now, law enforcement authorities are finding the rotting corpses of unburied horses whose owners have killed them in out of the way areas. 

Recreational horses that brought a couple of thousand dollars a few years ago, now sell for only a few hundred.  The reason is the escalating cost of alfalfa and grain.

Until the court decision is lifted or changed, thousands of horses destined for slaughter are being shipped to Canada or Mexico where horse slaughtering for human consumption is legal.

This leaves me with no questions.  I’m speechless.

Kansas Governor Sebelius Vetoes Power Plants

Kansas is emblematic of the war between sanity and the eco-nuts.  At issue are two 700 megawatt coal-fired power plants that were to be built in Holcolmb, Kansas, a small farming town of 2,000 that sits on the plains of southwest Kansas.  The Kansas legislature has tried and failed twice to build the two power plants.  Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius,  backed by the Sierra Club, vetoed the bills.  The Kansas legislature failed to muster the necessary number of votes to override her veto even though riders were placed in the final bill that would have mandated the energy company, Sunflower, to invest huge amounts in wind and solar energy.

The Governor’s veto is especially ironic in light of the sharply rising cost of oil, not to mention its availability.  But, in the most ironic twist of all, the U.S. has the largest coal reserves in the world.  America is the Saudi Arabia of coal and has known coal reserves of 275 billion tons, which is nearly twice that of Russia and China.

Coal plant opponents are trumpeting the defeat of the power plant bills, saying this is the turning point at which Kansas will lead the country away from old energy sources toward more environmentally friendly types of energy.  Governor Sebelius, who is frequently mentioned as a possible running mate for Barack Obama, is asking legislators to work with her on a new comprehensive energy policy.

As could be expected, the vote fell along regional lines. Legislators who live in and represent the affected area voted for the bills.  Legislators in the more heavily populated eastern regions of Kansas voted against the bills.

The eco-nuts would have everyone believe that Conservatives love the smell of dirty air and prefer that their children and their children’s children be raised on a polluted planet.

The environmentalists have effectively shut down the building of more nuclear and coal fired power plants.  Solar has proved dicey at best in providing reliable ongoing power, so that leaves us with wind energy.
Wind turbines, as an auxiliary energy source shows some promise, but they are expensive to install - and the wind doesn’t blow all the time.
And, wouldn’t you know it, they are opposed by many environmentalists because they kill birds.  So that leaves us with.......?

As usual, the eco-nuts are long on criticisms, but short on coming up with VIABLE alternatives.

Questions:

At what point, will the people wake up and bring some sanity back to our energy policy?

How long will it take to produce viable alternative energy sources?

Will Obama adopt an eco-nut stance on energy?

Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Africa

Last night,     I watched the movie, Beyond the Gates, a movie about the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.  An estimated 800,000 Tutsis were killed by the ruling Hutus while the West looked on.  All of this happened on the watch of President Bill Clinton.  The UN did send a pitifully small force of 5,000 troops, most of whom did not arrive until the genocide was over.  Even then their mandate was not to fire on the Hutus unless fired upon first.  The frustrated UN soldiers were finally pulled out.

Fast forward 14 years to 2008, an International Criminal Tribunal  has put Callixte Kalimanzira, a former Rwandan cabinet minister on trial for taking part in the 1994 genocide.  The UN set up the  ICTR in the Tanzanian town of Arusha, in 1997, to try the most high-profile genocide cases.  Thirty-three people have been tried so far with 28 people being convicted and five acquitted.

Now, for today’s news: “Darfur School Bombed from the Air.”  The Islamic government of the Sudan has been busy carrying out, for the past 5 years, religious and tribal genocide, which has killed an estimated 300,000 people in Darfur.  There are now as estimated 2 million homeless people, thanks to the Sudanese government.  The UN, who has yet to fully deploy its peacekeeping force of 26,000, said the bombings were "unacceptable acts against civilians".  African Union troops make up about 1/3 of the troops deployed in Darfur.  Like Rwanda, the bulk of the genocide had been carried out before the UN managed to get a few token troops on the ground.  This happened on the watch of President George W. Bush.

The point is this, whether it’s a Democrat in office or a Republican, none in the West or anywhere else for that matter are outraged enough to do more than send token forces to help with humanitarian aid and to set up refugee camps. 

This leaves us with some questions:

Is the U.S. being hypocritical when we are quick to intervene in countries where there are “U.S. Interests,” yet do little when there is an ongoing genocide occurring under our noses?

Should “Peace Keeping” duties be taken away from the U.S. and given to NATO?    Would that change anything?

When our presidential election is held in November, will the new President do anything differently when it comes to Africa?

What should the West do when a “Darfur” or “Rwanda” situation breaks out?

Is the U.S. Economy on the Verge of Collapse?

On February 6, 1961, in his farewell address President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the following warning: "The conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience" -- the military-industrial complex.

Many are questioning our defense-related spending, which will exceed $1 trillion in 2008, the highest in U.S. history.  Our total national debt in 1981 was only $1 trillion.   Assuming the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are justified, it still leaves us with the big question:  How long can the U.S. sustain such spending?

According to the CIA World Factbook, the European Union is the world's richest political entity.  The E.U.'s 2006 GDP was estimated to be slightly larger than that of the U.S., and China's 2006 GDP was slightly smaller than that of the U.S.  Japan is the world's fourth richest nation.

One of the financial tests used to determine the financial health of a nation is something called “current account.”  The current account measures the net trade surplus or deficit of a country plus other income.
Wikipedia has a list of countries and their current account ranking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_current_account_balance

The U.S. ranks 164th, which is dead last and worse than countries such as Australia and the U.K. who also have large trade deficits.  Congress has raised the debt ceiling, another unhealthy sign.  The dollar is at an all time low when compared to the Euro and other currencies.  Meanwhile, each day more of our manufacturing is moving to offshore locations. 

Some of the questions are:

Did Ike try to warn us about the situation we are in today?

How long can the U.S. sustain this level of military spending?

How can we stop our financial slide?

How much worse can our economy get?

D.C. Madam - Suicide or Murder?

Deborah Jeane Palfrey, aka the “D.C. Madam” was found hanging in a shed in Tarpon Springs, Florida.  Police are calling it a suicide; two suicide notes were found with the body.

Palfrey was convicted in a federal court two weeks ago for running a high end prostitution ring that catered to the political elite in Washington, D.C.  Palfrey was convicted of money laundering, using the mail for illegal purposes and racketeering.  Under the federal guidelines, Palfrey would have faced five or six years in prison.

Palfrey’s mother, Blanche Palfrey, said her daughter was not suicidal, nor were was there an immediate indication that alcohol or drugs were involved, according to police.

Palfrey had let it be known prior to her trial that she would would release her client list to the press, but the list mysteriously remained under wraps, leading some to suggest that some type of coercion existed.  She did release a list of telephone numbers to ABC, but they pronounced it “Insignificant.”  Palfrey told ABC last year that she would bring in every last client if necessary.  Yet, the trial concluded with few details being revealed about the escort service’s clients.

Information provided by Palfrey led to the prosecution of Florida Congressman Vitter, who resigned over the incident without further comment.  Vitter did not take the stand during Palfrey’s trial.  Also caught up in the investigation was military strategist Harland Ullman and Randall Tobias, a former senior State Department official.  Both men were named as possible witnesses, but neither appeared at her trial.

This was not the first suicide in the Palfrey case.  Brandy Britton, one of the escort service employees, was arrested on prostitution charges in 2006.   Instead of pleading guilty and having the entire matter go away, she pleaded not guilty and vowed to take the case to trial.  Britton was found hanging in the living room of her home in Baltimore.  Police said it was an apparent suicide.

According to her Wikipedia entry:   “She (Palfrey) wrote in August 1991 following an attempt to bring her to trial, ‘If taken into custody, my physical safety and most probably my very life would be jeopardized. Rape, beating, maiming, disfigurement and more than likely murder disguised in the form of just another jail house accident or suicide would await me,’ said Palfrey in a handwritten letter to the judge...’  "No, I'm not planning to commit suicide," Palfrey told The Alex Jones Show on her last appearance. She also said "that she was at risk of being killed and that authorities would make it look like suicide" and that "if she was found dead it would be murder." "I'm planning on going into court and defending myself vigorously and exposing the government," she said.

This has all the makings of a good novel or a nonfiction true crime book or a nonfiction political expose.

Some questions:

Were these two suicides merely coincidental?

Or, were these two “political” murders?

Was the list of phone numbers that was given ABC, the complete list of clients?

Did she hold back her “little black book” as a future bargaining chip?

Did she hold it back to use in a possible extortion plot?

Where is her “little black book”?

Are Oil Companies Responsible for the Food Shortages?

Well, who knew.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  There is a good chance that Congress will have to repeal the ethanol bill that they passed just four months ago.   In an environmental epiphany, Congress passed the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) which requires suppliers to produce 36 billion gallons of ethanol by 2022.  Around 45% of the  ethanol would come from corn.  The bill was pushed by Democrats, but it also enjoyed the support of many Republicans, including President Bush.

Shortly after the bill passed, food shortages began to occur.  These shortages, in turn, caused increases in the price of food.

A coalition of grocers, oil companies, and livestock producers opposed the bill.   Environmentalists and farm groups supported the bill.

Many are now saying the food crisis is overblown.  There was a major tortilla shortage in Mexico, but tortillas are made primarily of white corn, not yellow corn which is used in making ethanol.  Brewers blamed corn shortages on the rising beer prices.  Only one problem, rice and barley are the main ingredients of beer, not corn.

A congressional subcommittee plans to hold a hearing next week on the RFS.

All of this brings us to some interesting questions:

If President Bush is in bed with the oil companies, as the liberals allege, then why did he openly support the bill?

Are the oil companies manipulating the price of corn in order to kill ethanol production?

Did Congress act too hastily when they passed the ethanol bill?

Will Congress be forced to repeal it?