Long suffering Celtics fans don’t need another reason to root for the Green in the next round against Detroit, but we just got one anyway.
Thanks to Greg Garber on ESPN.com for one of the best articles about priorities and family that you will ever read. What are you waiting for, go read every word.
Hat Tip: BizzyBlog
Iain Murray calls out the excesses and group think of the modern environmental movement in his new book The Really Inconvenient Truths: Seven Environmental Catastrophes Liberals Don’t Want You to Know About–Because They Helped Cause Them .
All of us want a planet with clean air and clean water, vibrant forests, healthy animal populations, and glorious open space. But liberal environmentalists aren’t the ones to deliver it. In fact, they’ve made the planet worse, while old-fashioned property rights, unpopular hunters, and the innovative engine of capitalism have made it better. The facts are all here, in a book that Al Gore would rather burn than read.
All of our interviews are also available for download at iTunes and Podcast Alley via the Pundit Review Radio Podcast.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking†by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Bruce McQuain from QandO joined us for another edition of Someone You Should Know. Tonight Bruce told us about four members of the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division,
As I’ve mentioned on many segments of SYSK, while soldiers may, in a large-sense, fight for their country and what it stands for, when the bullets start flying, it is their buddies for whom they fight. Among infantrymen, there is nothing more important to them than the acceptance by and respect of their peers.
Part of the Soldier’s Creed is never to leave behind a fallen comrade. On the night of March 13, 2006, Sgt. Jeremy Wilzcek, Sgt. Michael Row, Pfc. Jose Alvarez and Pfc. Gregory Pushkin, and the rest of their squad, all members of the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, risked life and limb to live up to that promise.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Thanks to Matt, Bruce is now on board and we are lucky to have him as part of the show. All of our interviews are also available for download at iTunes and Podcast Alley via the Pundit Review Radio Podcast.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking†by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Here is my letter to the editor submitted yesterday in response to their front page innacurate and misleading headline on the front page yesterday, “Massachusetts lives happily with same-sex marriage law.”
Your above the fold headline in today’s LA Times, “Massachusetts lives happily with same-sex marriage law,” by Elizabeth Mehren is totally inaccurate and misleading, and it is vital that you clarify this error for your readers.
The truth is that “same sex marriage” is not legal in Massachusetts which is why only about a month ago legislation was introduced to amend the current Massachusetts marriage statute (chapter 207) to legalize “same sex marriage.” (H1710 and S918) which were both defeated. This alone disproves your inaccurate headline!
Under the Massachusetts’ Constitution, the oldest functioning constitution in the world authored by John Adams, which served as the model for our Federal Constitution:
“[T]he people of this commonwealth are not controllable by any other laws than those to which their constitutional representative body have given their consent.” (PART THE FIRST, Article X.)
And “the people” via their elected representatives never “consented” to “same sex marriage.” The current marriage statute was never amended or suspended and to this day doesn’t include a provision for “same sex marriages.”
Many, including former Governor Romney, have claimed that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, “legalized same sex marriage” in issuing their Goodridge opinion in 2003, and that he was “ordered to enforce the law.” Both assertions are totally false.
Even the Goodridge Court admitted that their opinion in no way “legalized” same sex “marriage”:
“Here, no one argues that striking down the marriage laws is an appropriate form of relief.”
In fact, they admitted that under the statute, Chapter 207 of the Massachusetts General Laws, homosexual marriage is illegal:
“We conclude, as did the judge, that M.G.L. c. 207 may not be construed to permit same-sex couples to marry.”
The truth is that the Goodridge declaratory opinion should have been declared null and void since the court lacked the subject matter jurisdiction under Article V to even hear the case:“All causes of marriage…shall be heard and determined by the governor and council, until the legislature shall, by law, make other provision.” (PART THE SECOND, Ch. III, Article V.)
Although many “conservative” lawyers and pundits have claimed that the “activist MSJC Court” legalized “same sex marriage,” it was the acting governor Mitt Romney, a “conservative” Republican who illegally ordered the Department of Public Health to change the marriage certificates from “husband” and “wife” to “partner A” and “partner B” and ordered Justices of the Peace and Town Clerks to solemnize and perform same sex marriage ceremonies or resign (which one did). Romney did this without an accompanying legal statute and in doing so violated his sworn oath to uphold and enforce the Constitution and the laws and statutes of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
That being said, while it was Romney, not the court, who was solely responsible for installing “same sex marriage,” the certificates that Romney issued (over 150 of them he personally issued) are not worth the paper they are written on because they lack an accompanying enabling statute that recognizes “same sex marriage” and are therefore, according to the Massachusetts Constitution, null and void.
The truth is that according to the highest law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Constitution, “same sex marriage” is not “legal.”
Nor is “same sex marriage” “legal” in California. The citizens in California approved a voter initiative to define marriage as between one man and one woman in 2000. The judiciary lacks the requisite constitutional authority to overturn any statute passed by the voters. Only the voters themselves can reverse a statute they themselves voted in. While the court is free to interpret the constitution of California and issue opinions, they are not authorized to “strike down” any specific statutes. It is vital that you acknowledge that “same sex marriage” is not legal in California either or prove that it is. Neither the people nor their elected representatives voted to amend or suspend the current marriage statute that doesn’t allow for “same sex marriage.” Until they do, it remains illegal.
You have an solemn obligation to acknowledge these facts and run a retraction for your readers. Anything less is journalistic and legal malpractice.
Looking forward to seeing if you choose to run this letter.
Sincerely,
Gregg Jackson
Los Angeles, CA
Author of “Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies” and co-host of “Pundit Review Radio” on WRKO in BostonFor more information on how “same sex marriage” is not “legal” in Massachusetts go here: http://www.undergroundjournal.net/igroops/theunderground/adminpages/Letter-To-Romney-JAN-07
And here: http://www.robertpaine.blogspot.com/
My letter published in today’s Wall St. Journal:
Sen. Obama Has Already Defined His Values Clearly
In regard to Douglas E. Schoen’s “Obama and the Values Question Mark” (op-ed, May 12): Sen. Barack Obama’s “values” are anything but a “question mark.” In fact, we know what Sen. Obama “values” because he has told us.We know that he values bigger, more intrusive government and higher taxes because he has proposed the largest tax hike in U.S. history and almost a trillion dollars in new spending. We know he values de facto open borders and blanket amnesty because he has consistently opposed construction of a border fence and is in favor of providing in-state tuition, health-care benefits, educational services, and welfare to illegal aliens.
We know he believes that we have lost in Iraq and is in favor of immediate troop withdrawal. We know that he believes that guns and religion are things that bitter Americans cling to. We know that his pastor and spiritual mentor for 20 years, who worked on his campaign, believes that 9/11 was an inside job, that the government spread the AIDs virus to kill blacks. We know Sen. Obama is also in favor of taxpayer-funded abortion on demand and opposes bans on killing infants born alive after a failed abortion attempt, putting him to the left of even the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.
Mr. Schoen recommends that Sen. Obama “start wearing the flag lapel pin” to demonstrate his “patriotism” and talking tough on “crime” and “public safety.” Sen. Obama can. But it won’t change the fact that those of us who have been paying attention have a pretty good idea about the senator’s values.
Gregg Jackson
Los Angeles
Here is the news,
Interpol confirmed documents today showing that US Congressman James McGovern (D., Mass.), a leading opponent of the Colombia free-trade deal has been working with a go-between, who has been offering the FARC terrorists help in undermining Colombia’s elected and popular government.
Colombia is America’s closest ally in South America.
Wow. Unbelievable. A local congressman undermining our staunchest ally in Latin America, AND, working with terrorists to do it. This is big local news, right?
WRONG
0 articles for “congressman jim mcgovern and farc” from Boston Globe
0 articles for “congressman jim mcgovern and interpol” from Boston Globe
0 articles for “Raul Reyes and Jim McGovern” from Boston Globe
Ditto for the Herald. Nothing. Not a word.
So, his constituents are in the dark, at least if they rely on the local papers for their news. Wouldn’t you want to know if your congressman was undermining democracies and working with terrorist organizations?
What is their excuse? Other MSM outlets have reported on this story in the past few months, including the WSJ,
A military strike three weeks ago killed Raúl Reyes, No. 2 in command of the FARC, Colombia’s most notorious terrorist group. The Reyes hard drive reveals an ardent effort to do business directly with the FARC by Congressman James McGovern (D., Mass.), a leading opponent of the free-trade deal. Mr. McGovern has been working with an American go-between, who has been offering the rebels help in undermining Colombia’s elected and popular government.
Mr. McGovern’s press office says the Congressman is merely working at the behest of families whose relatives are held as FARC kidnap hostages. However, his go-between’s letters reveal more than routine intervention.
The always excellent Gateway Pundit has been following this story from the start, when reports indicated that Democrats may have been cooperating with FARC against the elected and popular government of Columbia.
Today, Gateway Pundit has an update, with Interpol’s confirmation of the story. Click here for the details.
Specter wants outside probe of Spygate
In advocating for an independent inquiry, Specter cited what he called a conflict of interest for the NFL. He said the league and its owners have a financial incentive to put the scandal behind them because “the core of their game is integrity.”
Sen. Specter is right, even the appearance of a conflict of interest damages ones integrity and leads to questions about their motives. He should know.
As we noted before, Sen. Arlen Specter is doing the bidding of Comcast in his battle against the NFL. It has been my contention all along that this isn’t really about Spygate at all. Why? The league and the cable companies are in a billion dollar fight over the future of the NFL Network. Comcast lines Sen. Specter’s pockets more than any other corporation in America.
See what he means, conflicts of interest are bad, bad, bad.
“If the public loses confidence in professional football, it will be like wrestling. They’re not going to have the gates. They’re not going to have the TV. It’s going to be a totally different thing.”
Again, Sen. Specter (R-Comcast) is exactly right. Once the public loses confidence in an admired institution, it may never come back.
Those who criticize the good senator for focusing on Spygate when there are allegedly more important issues are missing the point. There are major benefits to Specter’s Spygate fetish, he continues his long and storied history of focusing on the issues that keep Americans up at night,
S.RES.43 : A resolution honoring the important contribution to the Nation of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on its 150th Anniversary.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.83 : A resolution to amend the Standing Rules of the Senate to prohibit filling the tree.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.95 : A resolution designating March 25, 2007, as “Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy”.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.451 : A resolution honoring the achievements of Rawle and Henderson LLP, on its 225th anniversary and on being recognized as the oldest law firm in continuous practice in the United States.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.452 : A resolution commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Naming of Pittsburgh as the culmination of the Forbes Campaign across Pennsylvania and the significance this event played in the making of America, in the settlement of the continent, and in spreading the ideals of freedom and democracy throughout the world.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.476 : A resolution designating March 25, 2008, as “Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy”.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.484 : A resolution designating March 25, 2008, as “National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day”.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.RES.529 : A resolution commemorating the 110th anniversary of the founding of the Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–S.697 : A bill to establish the Steel Industry National Historic Site in the State of Pennsylvania.
Sponsor: Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]
——————————————————————————–
The REAL BENEFIT of Sen. Specter’s Spygate fetish is that it is distracting him from wasting millions of dollars of our money on pork projects. As Comcast well knows, the senator does his best for his donors, er, constituents. Which would you prefer, Spygate press conferences, or Specter focusing on the next appropriations bill? Here are a couple of Sen. Specter’s Greatest Hits in terms of wasting our money,
Arlen Specter’s Tangeled Web of Pork
Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican, used this “emergency” spending request as an opportunity to insert a provision into the “emergency” bill which directed that a $40 million grant to the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority “be used solely for the purpose of construction, by and for a Philadelphia-based company.”
Stick with me here; the story is about to take some wild turns.
Here’s how Sen. Specter explained the earmark to his colleagues on the Senate floor last April: “This money is being allocated to develop the port facilities in Philadelphia to accommodate a very new kind of ship which will compete with air travel and which has very substantial military as well as commercial purposes.”
Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Well, maybe. Until pork-buster Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, took to the floor and blew the whistle.
McCain informed the Senate that he had been in a meeting with the Secretary of the Navy, along with Sen. Specter, to discuss this matter. He noted that he was very proud of the Navy chief “because unequivocally the Secretary of the Navy said: No, we do not want this money, we do not have the technology, we do not have the design for this, this is not one of our requirements, and we do not want to spend $40 million in this fashion.”
McCain added, “It was as strong a statement as I have ever heard from the Secretary of the Navy. This is basically a $40 million giveaway of the taxpayers’ dollars to a private corporation that has nothing to do with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has nothing to do with it.”
Sen. Arlen Specter is October Porker of the Month
Senator’s Trick Is No Taxpayer’s Treat
(Washington, D.C.) — Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today named Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) its October Porker of the Month for stuffing the fiscal 2003 Emergency Supplemental portion of the fiscal 2004 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act with pork-barrel projects that benefit his home state. President Bush submitted a request for $1.9 billion in emergency funding to help cover natural disasters, homeland security, and costs associated with the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Signed into law on Sep. 30, the supplemental stirred up a witch’s brew of $65 million for extraneous projects, including $1.4 million for three projects in Pennsylvania.
Where the President sees flood victims in need of relief, Sen. Specter sees another chance to serve federal treats to his constituents back home. The supplemental contains $1 million for the Geisinger Health System to establish centers of excellence for the treatment of autism, $200,000 for the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, and $200,000 for the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine for a minority outreach oral health initiative.
When it comes to pork, Arlen Specter has nothing in common with his favorite football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. After all, Arlen Specter wins championships!
Citizens Against Government Waste: Senator Arlen Specter is Porker of the Year
So Pats fans, which would you prefer, Sen. Specter spending his time on Spygate, or focusing on appropriations bills. I say, bring on the Congressional hearings! Keep him away from our money.