Lots of talk these days about Tea Parties. It was on this day in 1773 when the original Tea Party took place, on the waterfront in Boston.
From Politico,
On this day in 1773, in Boston Harbor, a group of Massachusetts colonists — some thinly disguised as Mohawk Indians — boarded three British merchant vessels and, over the course of the next three hours, dumped 342 chests of tea into the water.
The midnight raid, which has gone down in history as the “Boston Tea Party,†was mounted to protest the Tea Act of 1773. The bill had been enacted by the British Parliament with the aim of saving the faltering East India Co. by lowering tea taxes and granting the firm a virtual monopoly on the American tea trade. Many colonists viewed the Tea Act as another example of tax tyranny imposed from London. The raid proved to be a key event in the unfolding of the American Revolution.
The Boston Tea Party Historical Society has a really cool website which covers all aspects of the event from the causes to participants to the aftermath. It also features 8 different eyewitness accounts of what happened. Like almost every event in the history of history, people who were there had differing accounts of what happened.
Everybody has a limit. I’ve been following the events in Copenhagen with detached bemusement. There have been some great moments of unintentional honesty, especially when the delegates talk about what is standing in the way of a deal, namely, they want more, much more money that is, to be transferred from the United States taxpayers to countries like China in order to help them ‘go green’. Their plan, for us, is to borrow more money we don’t have from China and then turn around and give that money to China to help them in their transition to becoming eco-warriors.
This morning I’ve reached my breaking point with the Gorebots in Copenhagen. How much Hot Air can we take? Via David Corn’s twitter feed came this,
British BC premier praises Arnold’s (Schwarzenegger) many alt-energy initiatives. No movie jokes but calls him “Climate Action Hero” #COP15 #Copenhagen
If Arnold Schwarzenegger is a Climate Action Hero, then I’m Brad Pitt. From the archives, in honor of the absurdidty of Copenhagen…
July 1, 2008
Eco hypocrite of the day: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Kalifornia Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger exiting his new 6.1-liter V-8 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8.
EPA Mileage: 13 mpg city / 18 mpg highway
Schwarzenegger Signs Global Warming Bill
“We simply must do everything we can in our power to slow down global warming before it is too late,” Schwarzenegger said during an address before signing the bill.
By “we” he obviously means you and me and not him.
“I’m convinced of that … because nothing is more important than protecting our planet,”
Well, except of course the thrill of driving the Mother of All HEMI’s with 425 horses and 420 pound-feet of torque!
If I was a glass half full kind of guy, this could be cited as progress. After all, he recently (was forced to) stop taking his Gulfstream to work everyday!
Schwarzenegger’s Jet Commute May End as Santa Monica Seeks Ban
May 1 (Bloomberg) — California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s regular commute by private jet from the state capitol to his mansion in Los Angeles has hit turbulence.
A federal judge will decide on May 15 whether the governor can land aboard a Gulfstream IV in Santa Monica, a 15-minute drive to his home in Los Angeles’ wealthy Brentwood enclave. The governor’s brother-in-law, Bobby Shriver, is among the Santa Monica city council members who voted unanimously on March 25 to ban large jets at the municipal airport.
In typical politician and entertainer fashion, the cutbacks and conservation required to combat “the most dangerous crisis we have ever faced” are left to us, the little people. The big shots keep their private jets, limos and gas guzzelers so they can travel freely in order to give speeches about the danger of Global Warming.
My brother-in-law is a professional cyclist and he has some custom, super high end bikes that he has accumulated over the years. He recently put one on eBay for sale for $6000. He began a correspondence with a gentlemen from San Diego who was interested in the bike. They established a nice rapport and shared stories about their love of cycling. The potential buyer was curious about the bike since it was custom made for my brother-in-law. He sent a photo along of his bike and in it, he is riding the bike with a prosthetic leg. My brother-in-law asked what had happened and the reply was “Iraq”.
At that moment, the auction was over, the price was cut in half and the bike was his. This is a great act of kindness by my brother-in-law. This is what the holiday season, and supporting the troops, is all about. As he learned more about the buyer, Roger Carlson, he quickly understood that this was a special man. Roger is dedicated to helping his fellow wounded warriors in their recovery. He’s involved with a great charity, the Challenged Athlete’s Foundation and Operation Rebound, and he is a real inspiration. Roger recently completed a 100 mile bike race!
It was an honor to welcome Roger to Boston and get the opportunity to thank him for his service and to hear his truly inspirational story.
Here is a news story from San Diego on CAF that features Roger,
When my brother-in-law let his racing sponsor, Cannondale, know about Roger, well, they also stepped up huge.
This was such a great, heartwarming story I thought it deserved to be shared with the WRKO audience.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we 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 the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Timothy P. Carney is the lobbying editor for the Washington Examiner and he joined me last night to talk about his thought provoking new book “Obamanomics“.
Before talking about the book, I had to ask Tim about his amazing experience as a young journalist in Washington DC, working as a protege of the legendary reporter and columnist Robert Novak.
The book itself stands conventional wisdom on its head. Carney argues that Obamanomics is actually good for Big Business, at the expense of almost everybody else.
Just as President George W. Bush, with his bailouts, spending sprees, and new entitlements, abandoned the free market at the behest of Wall Street and drug makers, Barack Obama’s vision of bigger government is also the dream of corporate lobbyists.
Obama’s healthcare reform, stimulus spending, global warming legislation, and auto industry bailouts are ambitious packages of regulations, taxes, mandates, and spending that benefit Big Business — what corporation wouldn't welcome more taxpayer-funded subsidies, regulation that crowds out competition, and government mandates that drive more business to them?
There are other big beneficiaries as well: Politicians, who gain more power; and lobbyists, who gain more influence.
The victims are small businesses crushed by regulations and taxes, taxpayers — especially future taxpayers who will be burdened by the debt financing today’s spending sprees — and consumers, who face higher prices and fewer choices.
What should we call this Big Business-Big Government agenda pursued by President Obama? Although robust corporate-government collusion was hardly invented by the current administration, the U.S. has not seen such a consistent practitioner of corporatism in more than half a century. It's fitting then to name this Big Business-Big Government practice Obamanomics.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we 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 the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce told us about a day in the life for Marines in Iraq, through the experiences of the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion,
Bova and Tice say there have been tougher battles in Iraq in the last few years, and tougher battles being fought in Afghanistan now.
If this had happened in 2006, it might not have attracted as much notice, Bova said.
But their battle happened in 2008, a relatively quiet year in Iraq. And in the first four months of their seven-month deployment they had little interaction with the enemy, the two said. Stumbling on to an enemy cell like they did — and losing Ferschke — are what make this battle stand out, Tice and Bova said.
But every servicemember knows that no matter how quiet it seems, it’s still a war zone, Bova said.
“At every building, the adrenaline still goes up. You go from yellow to red. If you’re ever at green, you’re wrong,” he asserted, leaning forward to make his point.
Nine Marines were awarded Navy Commendations or Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medals with “V” devices, one without the “V”; Blanton received a Silver Star, and Lazzo and Callum were each awarded a Bronze Star with a “V”; device for valor. Ferschke was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star with “V”.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we 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 the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce told us about Col. Lewis L. Millett,
Millet received the Medal of Honor for his actions Feb. 7, 1951. He led Company E, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, in a bayonet charge up Hill 180 near Soam-Ni, Korea.
A captain at the time, Millet was leading his company in an attack against a strongly held position when he noticed that a platoon was pinned down by small-arms, automatic, and antitank fire.
Millett placed himself at the head of two other platoons, ordered fixed bayonets, and led an assault up the fire-swept hill. In the fierce charge, Millett bayoneted two enemy soldiers and continued on, throwing grenades, clubbing and bayoneting the enemy, while urging his men forward by shouting encouragement, according to his Medal of Honor citation.
“Despite vicious opposing fire, the whirlwind hand-to-hand assault carried to the crest of the hill,” the citation states. “His dauntless leadership and personal courage so inspired his men that they stormed into the hostile position and used their bayonets with such lethal effect that the enemy fled in wild disorder.”
During the attack, Millett was wounded by grenade fragments but refused evacuation until the objective was firmly secured. He recovered, and after the war went to attend Ranger School.
In the 1960s he ran the 101st Airborne Division Recondo School, for reconnaissance-commando training, at Fort Campbell, Ky. Then he served in a number of special operations advisory assignments in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. He founded the Royal Thai Army Ranger School with help of the 46th Special Forces Company. This unit is reportedly the only one in the U.S.Army to ever simultaneously be designated as both Ranger and Special Forces.
Millet retired from the Army in 1973.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we 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 the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
What a pleasure this was, two of my favorite pundits on the topic of global warming alarmism, Chris Horner and Bruce McQuain.
Chris Horner is author of Red, Hot, Lies and one of my favorite and most frequent guests. Chris has been in the news recently for his Freedom of Information Act request to NASA which has been ignored for nearly two years. In the wake of Climategate, it is easy to understand why people might wonder about the motives behind the stonewalling,
Researcher: NASA hiding climate data
Chris Horner, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said NASA has refused for two years to provide information under the Freedom of Information Act that would show how the agency has shaped its climate data and would explain why the agency has repeatedly had to correct its data going as far back as the 1930s.
“I assume that what is there is highly damaging,” Mr. Horner said. “These guys are quite clearly bound and determined not to reveal their internal discussions about this.”
At QandO , Bruce McQuain does an amazing job analyzing all aspects of the global warming debate from the science to politics to the money trail.
The charade is over. The intentions of the Gorebots has been made clear. This is about money and power, wealth transfer from the US to China, India and others. Copenhagen proves that. I hope it is a spectacular failure.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we 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 the radio every Sunday evening from 8-10pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.