Seat Belts and Personal Freedom

Senator Corey Palumbo (D) Kanawha, is frustrated. The Senate recently passed a bill making seat belt non usage a primary offense. This means that if the bill passes the House, police can pull you over if they see you drive by and suspect that you do not have your seat belt on.

On first thought, this might sound benign. Who doesn't support the idea of wearing seat belts? It prevents a lot of automobile deaths. Wearing them while driving is a no brainer.

Buy why is it the government's business to force me to be safer? Why should they care if I survive an accident or fly through my front window at 60 MPH after hitting a tree? My death ultimately directly harms no one but myself? Why on earth is it anyone's business but mine how safe I choose to be if I crash my car?

Even worse, making seat belt usage a primary offense will give police cause enough to pull over anyone, anytime. If they see you whipping by at 50 MPH, how can they tell if you are wearing your seat belt. They cannot. All the cause they need is to believe that the seat belt is disengaged. Worst case scenario, they use it as an excuse to pull over people that they believe look suspicious. Most police are not like this, but there are a few bad apples out there.

If they thought about it, the black community would probably fight this on those grounds. They have a fear that they get targeted unfairly. Some who have displayed the "Don't Tread On Me" sticker have made the same complaints.

Seat belt use ought to be an individual choice, not a nanny state policy. Making their non use a primary offense simply opens the door to abuse by introducing more subjectivity into traffic stops. The House should dump this bill.

Northern Plains Indians Are Sitting On A Gold Mine

Nothing gets the hate America crowd more warm and fuzzy than a discussion on how the "white man" mistreated the Indians. They love to compare the federal government of the late 1800s to Nazis, despite the fact that no president authorized or supported massacres. President Grant (a Republican of course) alienated many voters by embracing a peace policy.

Well, now is the time for liberals to put their money where their mouth is. Indian reservations in the northern plains sit on top of some of the largest oil pools in the world, just discovered in the past few years. It's time for them to reap the rewards of being large scale landowners in a time of energy scarcity.

The Secretary of the Interior wants to halt drilling in the United States. Of course Obama follows the now discredited global warming belief that inexpensive energy will destroy the earth and kill us all. Most people understand that tapping energy sources here drives down power costs and helps to rebuild our old competitive advantage for industrial jobs.

Indians should step up and start drilling. They have sovereign control over their lands by treaty. If the federal government tries to stop them, it will be breaking yet another treaty with Indian nations. Furthermore, any EPA or Department of the Interior attempt to deny Indians the right to drill would be tantamount to the state of Georgia stealing gold laden land from the Cherokees in the 1830s.

Indian reservations today have some of the highest poverty levels and lowest levels of education in the United States. That can be alleviated, at least on some reservations, by drilling for oil and even refining it on the same reservation. If Obama tried to stop them, that would be a real injustice.

Dear Ryan and Laura Kennedy . . .

This is an open letter to Ryan and Laura Kennedy, candidates for the State Republican Executive Committee.

I noticed that you are running for West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee. I also see that you are young, energetic looking folks who have good, solid principles. Being part of the Tea Party movement means that you are on the ground floor of something that is transforming our country. For all the work you and those like you have done, I sincerely applaud you!

The only thing that I have a question about is the accusation that Republicans in West Virginia have ignored the hard working people of this state. I'm not writing this to slam you guys, far from it. Can you clarify what you mean? In what ways do West Virginia Republicans ignore working people?

I only ask this because I have worked multiple campaigns, talked to legions of candidates, state and county executive committee members, and have almost always been struck by how much most of them care. Your candidacy is a good sign that young people still care and want to fight for what they believe in. However, those who have worked with the Republican Party probably take issue with what you are saying.

I'll be the first to admit that every party has their operatives, people who put their emphasis on victories first, ideology second. But most Republicans that I have run into have very strong principles and fight for them whenever possible. Take for instance the Craig Blair/Clark Barnes debate over drug tests for welfare recipients. Both make arguments based on GOP principles and both feel passionately about this issue. It's not grandstanding or attention getting. Both men are trying to protect the people, they simply disagree on how to do it. Shelley Moore Capito has spent the past year battling for all West Virginians against the Obama Administration and congressional Democrats. Betty Ireland has spent a lot of time recently trying to help facilitate the donation of the Dow Technical Park in Charleston because she believes it will create jobs. I noticed Tommy Phillips signed up to support you. Few Republicans have put in more volunteer hours than Tommy.

West Virginia Republicans by and large care about the future of the state and our elected officials work hard to try and improve conditions for all businesses and working people. Very often they disagree as to how to go about reaching goals or who should lead the struggle, but it is rare to find someone who spends a lot of time with the party who lacks principles. In the Democratic Party, political workers get rewarded with state jobs because they have dominated the executive branch and expect to keep doing so. We don't work in expectation of political favors; there are almost none to give. We work because we care about the candidates and the issues.

Fact is, that most of us who are deeply involved are the working people. We have a candidate for the Legislature from Huntington who is an ironworker. We have a lot of small businessmen and women who put in more hours than most and frequently pay their own salaries last. We have current legislators who are school bus drivers and schoolteachers. We are not rich people by and large. That's why we share the concerns of working people, because we are, for the most part, the working people.

As I said, this is not to slam the two of you. I am really interested to see what you mean when you say Republicans ignore working people. I hope I can get you guys to respond because dialogue is good. We need to link the Tea Party movement and the GOP together, to harness the energy and ideas of the former to invigorate the latter. We need to stay true to principles also. The more we meet and talk, the more we can plan how to get our country back. I hope that even if you guys do not win the seats you are runnign for, that you will stay involved and keep bringing your ideas to the forefront.

Anyway, good luck and I hope to hear from you.

Put Down Your Pole Opie! Obama Might Ban Fishing.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/saltwater/news/story?id=4975762

Yes it sounds like an extreme right wing piece, but this comes from ESPN, not known for its conservative leanings. Read the story for complete details.

Obama, for reasons known only to him, has decided to work with several agencies to implement a policy on fishing. The main groups advising him are extremist environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund (last seen suing the World Wrestling Federation for the right to use "WWF.")

In doing so he will use presidential Executive Orders, statements that have the force of law, to bypass Tenth Amendment protections on state sovereign rights over streams.

Few things are more traditionally American than a boy going down to the creek or lake to fish without bureaucrats looking over his shoulder. If he can do this to fishing, he will do the same to hunting.

Once again, West Virginia's way of life is under attack from Obama and his Communist, environmental nutjob friends.

Sure, you thought Obamunism couldn't get much worse.

Huey Long Style Politics Brings Down a Democratic Congressman

Eric Massa (D) New York announced his resignation from the House of Representatives and he refuses to go quietly into that good night.

It is reminiscent of the politics of Huey Long, the dictatorial governor of Louisiana in the 1930s. He tried to build a power base on corruption and thuggery. Intimidation and threats brought votes into line. Obama's Administration has used Long style tactics against American political figures. Finally one spoke up against the socialization of America and he got punished.

Accusations against Massa stem from an incident at a wedding this year. Massa attended with his wife, drank, danced with the bride and bridesmaid (who was evidently attractive.) Massa then sat at a table filled with his staffers, all male. Bawdy conversation insued, the end of which featured Massa grasping the male staffer nearest him, tussling his hair, and saying that he (Massa) ought to be having intercourse with him (the staffer.) Massa claims that he then figured out that he was inappropriate and left the wedding.

House investigators jumped on the case immediately. Then Democrats broke precedent by discussing details of an investigation before its conclusion. Massa believes that he was set up because he was a barrier preventing the passage of Obamacare.

Raunchy? Yup. Does it rise to Ted Kennedy levels of indecent behavior? Hardly. There could be more to this story of sexual inappropriateness, but let's assume for a second that this incident is all Massa has "committed."

Massa's resignation did not come with the sheepish claim of wanting to spend more time with his family. The Navy veteran launched broadsides at an administration and congressional leadership who indulged in repeated and blatant attempts to bully and intimidate the fiscal conservative Democrat. This included pointed snubs by Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives and an expletive filled shouting match between Massa and Emmanuel after Massa voted against cap and trade.

Democratic leaders have lost their minds. They focused almost singlehandedly on the health care issue to the exclusion of a poor economy and bad unemployment, foreign affairs, and a wide variety of other issues. Sure they sent Joe Biden to the Middle East, but he is the least respected member of this administration.

Massa is leaving, meaning that Republicans may regain the seat in fall. The noise he makes going out the door is the story of the day. It comes at the worst possible time for the "party of compassion" as they try to meet their own deadline to pass the bill.

The Obama Psalm, courtesy of Rob Klein

Thank you, Rob Klein

Obama is the shepherd I did not want.
He leadeth me beside the still factories.
He restoreth my faith in the Republican party.
He guideth me in the path of unemployment for his party's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the bread line, I shall fear no hunger, for his bailouts are with me.
He has anointed my income with taxes,
My expenses runneth over.
Surely, poverty and hard living will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will live in a mortgaged home forever.
I am glad I am American,
I am glad that I am free.
But I wish I was a dog ..... And Obama was a tree.

Breaking News: Republicans Think Obama Is a Socialist!

You may be amazed to hear this, but according to the liberal media, the Republican Party believes that Barack Obama is a socialist.

Even more shocking, Republicans plan to discuss Obama and Pelosi's socialist agenda to try and raise money for the midterm elections!

At fundrasisers' retreat in Florida recently, one Republican attendee carelessly left behind a packet of papers that outlined the top secret, confidential strategy that will describe Obama's Marxist, I mean, Leninist, er I mean Communist, no socialist policies. I know that almost no one out there believes that Republicans might consider Obama a president that leans towards socialism so this information must come at a huge shock.

Even more hair raising were cariciatures of Harry Reid as Scooby Doo and Nancy Pelosi as Cruella De Vil. Oh the humanity!!!!! How low will Republicans descend in their efforts to describe massive wealth redistribution and government takeovers of major industries as socialist?

Donna Gosney, attendee from the West Virginia Republican Party, explained in a quote in an National Public Radio story, "I'm tired of all this politically correct crap. If it's socialism, let's call it that. If not, let's call it something else."

Finally, the liberal media is reveling in the fact that the GOP hands out trinkets to major donors and other activists that are worth far less than the amount donated. I am sure that the Democrats hand out Mazzeratis to their top donors, but the GOP is a little more cash conscious. It probably does come as a shock to rich donors that the lapel pin or signed picture of President Bush they got for their donations may not have a high monetary value.

So let's recap. Republicans think that left wingers like Obama and Pelosi are dangerous socialists. They are willing to poke fun at their images to raise money and sway voters. The liberal media sees this as dredging the bottom of the political barrel.

Sure, it's not the same as calling Bush a Nazi, a moron, a monkey, an evil genius bent on destroying the world, or the idiotic puppet of Karl Rove or Dick Cheney, but hey, that's politics for ya.