The South Charleston Technology Park Imbroglio

Former Republican Secretary of State Betty Ireland is fightin' mad.

The issue that has earned her ire is the jurisdictional dispute over Dow's planned donation of its technological park in South Charleston. At one time the park, situated on a hilltop overlooking the industrial center of South Charleston, formed the center of Union Carbide's research efforts. I remember living near there twenty-five years ago. It was extremely busy and a center for some of the highest earning jobs in the area. It attracted a wide variety of highly educated people who worked there while living in the surrounding residenmtial sections of Charleston and South Charleston. Thousands of skilled employees worked to create new products. The buildings there are specially built to handle the unique needs of research and development.

Dow took over Union Carbide's properties years ago, but does not get enough use out of its facilities there to justify further ownership. It contacted Governor Joe Manchin to gauge his interest in a flat out handover of the property. The state government now leases several properties around the Charleston area to house various divisions of government. Ideally it could relocate those divisions to parts of the massive park and save money on rent. Furthermore it could continue to lease buildings to Dow and try and attract other renters to the facility.

There is one snag. State government offices by law must be located in the capital city. South Charleston does not want to cede valuable land and job attracting properties to Charleston. Charleston mayor Danny Jones has flat out promised a legal battle if the state jobs relocate to property in South Charleston.

Manchin is calling all together to find a solution. One might think that a solution could be worked out where part of the park can be annexed to Charleston and the state government offices placed there. The rest of the facility should remain within South Charleston. If the Governor is successful in promoting the remaining idle parts of the park for new tenancy, South Charleston would come out ahead.

Currently Morgantown, Fairmont, and Clarksburg are all seeing rapid growth due to their 21st century technological facilities tied closely to West Virginia University and Fairmont State University. Charleston and South Charleston, if they work together, could see tie ins to this park from West Virginia State University, West Virginia Tech, the University of Charleston, and Marshall University. The connections between these schools and private industry could make Charleston, South Charleston, Institute, and other surrounding towns nationally known as boom towns in the same manner as the three north central West Virginia cities. If our model, as many have stated, is North Carolina, then the juncture of higher education and technology is critical. However such ventures need facilities such as the tech park. If Charleston and South Charleston fiddle while this opportunity burns away, their leaders should be held to account by everyone in their cities and the whole state.

Betty Ireland has repeatedly made her presence felt on this issue. In repeated Facebook statements, she has asked that all parties just get this done. She is right. The people of West Virginia care about jobs, not jurisdiction. All of West Virginia should be concerned because increases in jobs, revenue, and tax base benefit us all. If we build our private sector base, we the state can collect more revenue while lowering the tax burden for everyone around the state. Solutions are possible if Charleston and South Charleston are willing to work together.

Just get it done.

Before Barack Obama, There Was John Edwards . . .

In its never ending search for a young face to stick on the party brand, many Democrats several years back turned to John Edwards. Here, thought some, was the answer to a prayer. Young, articulate, good looking, seemingly intelligent, a combination of Kennedy style charm and Clinton's southern accent, John Edwards seemed to have it all.

The Democrats have moved on. They found their young face du jour in Barack Obama and rejected John Edwards. Of course Edwards now is persona non gratis pretty much everywhere. He cheated on his wife suffering from cancer, may have broken campaign financing laws, and has simply destroyed whatever public image he once had. Obama did get elected, but his lack of experience has sunk his presidency into a morass it may never emerge from.

Republicans sometimes are guilty of trying to follw a model rather than set the curve. It rarely works. Republicans are not the party of the young and slick. Let's leave that to liberals who want an image that makes them feel good rather than a substantial candidate. As we move towards 2012, let's be careful as we select our candidate. We need experience, knowledge, and aggressive commitment to principle, not just a GOP version of Obama's youth and hollowness. We want a presidency, not a perpetual campaign. Our nation deserves no less at this critical juncture.

Picking a person because of how they look and how that image will play could lead to disaster. Just ask the Democrats.

Capito Calls on White House to Declare Federal Disaster Area for Regions Impacted by Severe Winter Storm

WASHINGTON – Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., has contacted the White House to request a federal disaster declaration for regions in West Virginia that have been impacted by these severe winter storms. After speaking with White House officials, the congresswoman released the following statement:

“These storms have been truly unprecedented – particularly in the eastern panhandle – and I urged the White House to provide every possible avenue of assistance to the communities that have been most affected.

“As families across our state continue to dig out, it’s important that our state and federal agencies are offering all appropriate aid.”

Global Warming?

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Blizzard Warning in effect until 7 am EST Thursday...

The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a
Blizzard Warning... which is in effect until 7 am EST Thursday.
The Winter Storm Warning has been cancelled.

* Precipitation type... snow.

* Accumulations... 7 to 14 inches of snow.

* Timing... snow will continue through this morning. A prolonged
upslope snow event will begin this afternoon and continue
through tonight.

* Temperatures... lower and mid 20s.

* Winds... winds will increase to 20 to 30 mph with gusts around 45
mph. Blowing and drifting snow will reduce visibilities to one
quarter mile or less at times... producing blizzard conditions.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A Winter Storm Warning means significant amounts of snow are
expected or occurring. The combination of snow and strong winds
will make travel very hazardous.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are
expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds
and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout
conditions... making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel. If
you must travel... have a winter survival kit with you. If you get
stranded... stay with your vehicle.

A Lesson On the Dangers of Liberality

The Prince
by Nicolo Machiavelli
CHAPTER XVI
Concerning Liberality And Meanness
COMMENCING then with the first of the above-named characteristics, I say that it would be well to be reputed liberal. Nevertheless, liberality exercised in a way that does not bring you the reputation for it, injures you; for if one exercises it honestly and as it should be exercised, it may not become known, and you will not avoid the reproach of its opposite. Therefore, any one wishing to maintain among men the name of liberal is obliged to avoid no attribute of magnificence; so that a prince thus inclined will consume in such acts all his property, and will be compelled in the end, if he wish to maintain the name of liberal, to unduly weigh down his people, and tax them, and do everything he can to get money. This will soon make him odious to his subjects, and becoming poor he will be little valued by any one; thus, with his liberality, having offended many and rewarded few, he is affected by the very first trouble and imperilled by whatever may be the first danger; recognizing this himself, and wishing to draw back from it, he runs at once into the reproach of being miserly.
Therefore, a prince, not being able to exercise this virtue of liberality in such a way that it is recognized, except to his cost, if he is wise he ought not to fear the reputation of being mean, for in time he will come to be more considered than if liberal, seeing that with his economy his revenues are enough, that he can defend himself against all attacks, and is able to engage in enterprises without burdening his people; thus it comes to pass that he exercises liberality towards all from whom he does not take, who are numberless, and meanness towards those to whom he does not give, who are few.
We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed. Pope Julius the Second was assisted in reaching the papacy by a reputation for liberality, yet he did not strive afterwards to keep it up, when he made war on the King of France; and he made many wars without imposing any extraordinary tax on his subjects, for he supplied his additional expenses out of his long thriftiness. The present King of Spain would not have undertaken or conquered in so many enterprises if he had been reputed liberal. A prince, therefore, provided that he has not to rob his subjects, that he can defend himself, that he does not become poor and abject, that he is not forced to become rapacious, ought to hold of little account a reputation for being mean, for it is one of those vices which will enable him to govern.
And if any one should say: Caesar obtained empire by liberality, and many others have reached the highest positions by having been liberal, and by being considered so, I answer: Either you are a prince in fact, or in a way to become one. In the first case this liberality is dangerous, in the second it is very necessary to be considered liberal; and Caesar was one of those who wished to become pre-eminent in Rome; but if he had survived after becoming so, and had not moderated his expenses, he would have destroyed his government. And if any one should reply: Many have been princes, and have done great things with armies, who have been considered very liberal, I reply: Either a prince spends that which is his own or his subjects' or else that of others. In the first case he ought to be sparing, in the second he ought not to neglect any opportunity for liberality. And to the price who goes forth with his army, supporting it by pillage, sack, and extortion, handling that which belongs to others, this liberality is necessary, otherwise he would not be followed by soldiers. And of that which is neither yours nor your subjects' you can be a ready giver, as were Cyrus, Caesar, and Alexander; because it does not take away your reputation if you squander that of others, but adds to it; it is only squandering your own that injures you.
And there is nothing wastes so rapidly as liberality, for even whilst you exercise it you lose the power to do so, and so become either poor or despised, or else, in avoiding poverty, rapacious and hated. And a prince should guard himself, above all things, against being despised and hated; and liberality leads you to both. Therefore it is wiser to have a reputation for meanness which brings reproach without hatred, than to be compelled through seeking a reputation for liberality to incur a name for rapacity which begets reproach with hatred.

An Image of Environmental Authoritarianism: The Green Police of the Audi Commercial

Audi is a German company and, if they were trying to portray themselves as environmentally conscious, they should probably have known better.

Certain images have a context and advertsisers ought to always be aware of what they are. Audi during the Super Bowl last night created a commercial that portrayed a police state run by environmentalists hwere the enforcement arm is known as the "Green Police."

During the height of the Nazi terror before and during World War II, much of the law enforcement in Nazi Germany was handled by the Order Police, also known as the "Green Police" because of their distinctive uniforms and their flag, portrayed on the left.

Interestingly this image created in the commercial does speak to the most extreme fears about environmentalism, that its concern for the environment is merely a stalking horse for a wide variety of political and social controls. Don Surber of the Charleston Daily Mail tabulates the slow creep of environmental authoritarianism in Great Britain and notes that left wingers want to bring the same draconian laws here that would force old ladies from their homes for not being energy efficient enough. Their desire to intrude and destroy natural rights is as chilling as almost any totalitarian movement one can think of.

Audi may have been parodying the fear of environmentalism or the environmental movement itself. What it succeeded in doing was giving conservatives and libertarians a frightening image that they can combine with the words of most extreme of environmentalists. With this, we can attack cap and trade and a host of other insane proposals brought about by enviro-authoritarianism. Some of these people, like Ed Begley Jr., want to see this world come about. A picture is worth a thousand words. How many is a short clip worth?

Thanks Audi, whether you meant it or not, you helped American natural rights supporters out tremendously!

Tuesday: Winter Storm Watch from National Weather Service

A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING
THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE...SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS...POTENTIAL FOR 5 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING...MID-MORNING TUESDAY THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON WEDNESDAY.

* TEMPERATURES...TEMPERATURES NEAR FREEZING TUESDAY.
TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE 20S TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* WINDS...LIGHT SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS TUESDAY BECOMING WEST-
NORTHWESTERLY AT 10 TO 20 MPH BY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THE LATEST FORECASTS.

National Weather Service 4:05 AM Saturday Update

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
405 AM EST SAT FEB 6 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS
EVENING...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS
EVENING.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE...HEAVY SNOW...ACCOMPANIED OCCASIONALLY BY
THUNDER OVERNIGHT.

* ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 18 TO 24 INCHES...WITH
SOME LOCATIONS POSSIBLY RECEIVING LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ACROSS
WESTERN MARYLAND AND THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. SNOW WILL TAPER
OFF BY MIDNIGHT.

* VISIBILITIES...VISIBILITIES AROUND ONE-QUARTER MILE ARE
EXPECTED WITH SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* TEMPERATURES...TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S
TONIGHT AND SATURDAY.

* WINDS...BECOMING NORTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH LATE TODAY. GUSTS OF
20 TO 30 MPH TONIGHT AND SATURDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RECORD
SNOWFALL FOR THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON DC METROPOLITAN AREAS.
TRAVEL CONDITIONS TONIGHT ACROSS THE REGION WILL BE EXTREMELY
HAZARDOUS AND LIFE-THREATENING. HELP YOUR LOCAL AND STATE
GOVERNMENT FIRST RESPONDERS AND TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES BY
STAYING OFF THE ROADS.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE...
ESPECIALLY NEAR THE COASTLINE.

Time to Move on From the Term African-American

Some time back, I'm not sure when, Jesse Jackson (for you kids out there he was a "black community leader" in the 1980s and 90s) decided that the word black no longer worked for him. From that point on, he insisted that blacks in the United States would now be called "African-Americans."

It had a certain ring to it and was meant to sound like other ethnic groups, such as Italian Americans or Irish-Americans, however the term ignored some important facts.

First, obviously through no fault of their own, many blacks arrived in America hundreds of years ago. Retaining that moniker of African makes as much sense as a Mayflower descendent calling himself English-American. If your family has been here for centuries, regardless of color, you have lost that cultural connection. You and I are plain old Americans now.

Second, it ignores the fact that millions of people from Africa are not black. White Afrikaaners have been there for 350 years. Arabs have been there since the 600s. Berbers have been there since before we know. Descendents of blue eyed Vandals still roam the north coast of Africa. That does not even mention those descended from the 1800s colonists who swarmed onto the continent from all over Europe. They are all African.

A 45 year old medical student from Mozambique named Paolo Serodio had the unmitigated gall to define himself as African American in a culture class in a New Jersey medical school. His family lived in Africa. Serodio was born there and moved to America. Technically he is African American. Several years ago a student from Kenya won a case against Georgetown after they tried to revoke an African-American scholarship. Of course he was white.

The class asked him to define himself. After he did so, the professor and administrators informed him that his identification was offensive to others and he was to desist. Serodio sued for harassment.

Besides the bizarre tyranny of the school officials, this demonstrates the ludicrous nature of this term. An Egyptian, Libyan, or many others who have come here are African-American. Either go back to the old classification of black or find something more accurate.

Better yet, let's stop classifying people and just call everybody "Americans." Wouldn't that be best?

National Weather Service: Winter Storm Warning

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO
10 PM EST SATURDAY.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE...HEAVY SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS...STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 18 TO 24 INCHES.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL BEGIN MID-MORNING FRIDAY...AND WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY
FRIDAY AFTERNOON...WITH HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OCCURRING BETWEEN
SUNSET FRIDAY TO SUNRISE SATURDAY. THE MOST HAZARDOUS WINTER
WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR FRIDAY NIGHT.

* VISIBILITIES...THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS
WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE-QUARTER MILE...PRODUCING
NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES FRIDAY NIGHT AND EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING.

* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS IN THE LOWER 30S FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL
BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.

* WINDS...BECOMING NORTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH FRIDAY WITH GUSTS TO
30 MPH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

CONDITIONS IN THIS STORM ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPARABLE TO THOSE
IN THE STORM OF 19 DECEMBER. PLAN FOR SUBSTANTIAL DISRUPTIONS TO
TRAVEL FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL
MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT.

Beating Pitt

Beating Pitt is about the most satisfying gift that a Mountaineer team can give to its fans. Nothing in the regular season brings more joy, nothing defines whether or not a seaosn is good more than winning over the hated Panthers. Jack Flemming recounted how his father taught him at an early age to hate Pitt. Most of us got the same education.

Funny thing, that hatred does not extend to the city itself. Three of West Virginia's largest cities lie within its metropolitan area. Northern West Virginians love the Steelers as much as anyone north of the border and Pennsylvanis Steeler fans love their West Virginia brethren who can yell, scream, and hate the Ravens just as fervently as any Keystone State resident. I remember coming out of a game at Heinz Field passing a street musician playing a saxophone. My wife asked him to play Country Roads. When he started that very familiar song, at least a hundred people on the bridge with us sang at the top of our lungs. Pittsburgh is like us. People kick them, make fun of them, call them rednecks. Their professional sports teams' success is the middle finger they extend to the rest of the world.

The University of Pittsburgh is alien to the city. It puffs up its elitist and academic reputation, refusing to accept fellow city university Duquesne's degrees as legitimate. Pitt sees itself as a cut above in a blue collar city. No wonder it has few real football fans. That is why West Virginians can love the Steelers and Penguins while hating Pitt. Even most Steeler fans hate Pitt. Not even a good blue collar guy like Dave Wannstedt can turn that image around, an image of a university that thinks it is above its raisin'.

Last night WVU fans were treated to an absolute humbling of their proud rival. The players, coaches, and crowd of West Virginia got into Pitt's heads from minute one and did not let up. Throwing objects onto the floor was absolutely childish and only motivated the other side. That was one or two bad apples at the most. Chanting "NIT" at them was much better. It reminded them of their frustration and only demoralized them more. Doesn't matter that we won the NIT a few short years ago and were proud of that feat. We're on top today and that is what matters.

Looking Ahead to 2012, Potential Contenders For the Democratic Presidential Nomination

This might take some folks a little off guard. Contenders for the Democratic noination for president? Don't they have an incumbent?

Obama said recently that he would rather be a good one term president than a mediocre two termer. This reflects a rare moment of reality for the embattled president who at one point told a Blue Dog Democrat expressing fears about this November that the difference between 1994 (when Republicans swept into control of Congress) and 2010 is that "now you have me." He forgot that he has not accomplished anything thus far that would define him as a "good" president. This remark may have been a shot at both of his predecessors, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton (whom he personally seems to despise and vice versa.)

If events continue as they have, Democrats will start mulling a run at the nomination. They will each try to present themselves as the anti-Obama, perhaps event to the extent of looking a little less polished if it leads to the impression of greater substance.

First and foremost, the best Democratic alternative to four more years of Nobama is the sitting secretary of state. Under George W. Bush this was the most honored office in his Cabinet. Condoleeza Rice has tremendous power and latitude. Hillary Clinton goes to town hall meetings in the Congo and begs money off of the Chinese while others handle major affairs separately. This has to grate on her. I would not be surprised to see Clinton resign in the next six to nine months. This would signal to the world that the Democratic nomination is up for grabs. Then it would be the battle of the Chicago Obama organization versus the Clintonistas. The difference between the two is that the Clintons have actually accomplished things.

How about a prominent Democratic governor? The fact is that in this group Joe Manchin has as much credibility as anyone. He has managed to maintain a stable face on state finances while other governments have gotten into trouble. Some may remember his exposure during the Sago mine disaster. Manchin looks, sounds, and acts more like the Clinton prototype than Obama, a fact that could win him credit with Clintonistas if their own hero passes.

The fact is that Obama is weak and stubbornly refuses to adapt his tone, policies, or actions. This adds up to a strong challenge in 2012 from his own party.

Obama Welshes On Campaign Promises to Not Tax Middle Class

Backdoor taxes to hit middle class

iBy Terri Cullen Terri Cullen – Mon Feb 1, 4:09 pm ET
NEW YORK (Reuters.com) --The Obama administration's plan to cut more than $1 trillion from the deficit over the next decade relies heavily on so-called backdoor tax increases that will result in a bigger tax bill for middle-class families.
In the 2010 budget tabled by President Barack Obama on Monday, the White House wants to let billions of dollars in tax breaks expire by the end of the year -- effectively a tax hike by stealth.
While the administration is focusing its proposal on eliminating tax breaks for individuals who earn $250,000 a year or more, middle-class families will face a slew of these backdoor increases.
The targeted tax provisions were enacted under the Bush administration's Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. Among other things, the law lowered individual tax rates, slashed taxes on capital gains and dividends, and steadily scaled back the estate tax to zero in 2010.
If the provisions are allowed to expire on December 31, the top-tier personal income tax rate will rise to 39.6 percent from 35 percent. But lower-income families will pay more as well: the 25 percent tax bracket will revert back to 28 percent; the 28 percent bracket will increase to 31 percent; and the 33 percent bracket will increase to 36 percent. The special 10 percent bracket is eliminated.
Investors will pay more on their earnings next year as well, with the tax on dividends jumping to 39.6 percent from 15 percent and the capital-gains tax increasing to 20 percent from 15 percent. The estate tax is eliminated this year, but it will return in 2011 -- though there has been talk about reinstating the death tax sooner.
Millions of middle-class households already may be facing higher taxes in 2010 because Congress has failed to extend tax breaks that expired on January 1, most notably a "patch" that limited the impact of the alternative minimum tax. The AMT, initially designed to prevent the very rich from avoiding income taxes, was never indexed for inflation. Now the tax is affecting millions of middle-income households, but lawmakers have been reluctant to repeal it because it has become a key source of revenue.
Without annual legislation to renew the patch this year, the AMT could affect an estimated 25 million taxpayers with incomes as low as $33,750 (or $45,000 for joint filers). Even if the patch is extended to last year's levels, the tax will hit American families that can hardly be considered wealthy -- the AMT exemption for 2009 was $46,700 for singles and $70,950 for married couples filing jointly.
Middle-class families also will find fewer tax breaks available to them in 2010 if other popular tax provisions are allowed to expire. Among them:
* Taxpayers who itemize will lose the option to deduct state sales-tax payments instead of state and local income taxes;
* The $250 teacher tax credit for classroom supplies;
* The tax deduction for up to $4,000 of college tuition and expenses;
* Individuals who don't itemize will no longer be able to increase their standard deduction by up to $1,000 for property taxes paid;
* The first $2,400 of unemployment benefits are taxable, in 2009 that amount was tax

Barack Obama Is An Arrogant S.O.B.

On this blog, we pretty much try to take the high road. We jab at our opponents from time to time. Sometimes we pinprick, sometimes we cut a little deeper. However in our language and tone we try not to be over the top because that only helps our opponents. Today is different.

My wife usually watches Fox, but she likes the guy who does Headline News in the evenings. He's really not so bad. Anyway, I wander into the room last night and Dear Leader is giving us his directives for the day. With chin stuck out and voice in full Mussolini staccato, he informed us that his budget with its uncountable zeroes was reasonable. On top of that he claimed that no one had ever offered him any alternatives or solutions and that any opposition was just grandstanding for the camera. I usually reserve my swearing for those inexplicable moments when West Virginia's basketball team starts the game by allowing the other team to build a twelve point lead. Apparently that is in the Big East bylaws. But I had to really restrain myself from tossing something at that arrogant bastard on the television set.

Obama is not worthy of the title of president. He is not my president. Most of you don't see him as yours either. He is simply an ideological usurper holding down the fort until we can elect a real American to the post. And, Obama, most of us conservatives genuinely believe that you were lawfully born in Hawaii. We just don't think you are American. Because of your unbridled arrogance, the fact that you believe you are entitled to our support, and that opposition is sedition, we compare you to Mussolini, or Franco, or some of the less competent Eastern European leaders from the Cold War. We cannot compare you to the most incompetent and arrogant American president, Andrew Johnson, because you have no rags to riches story and you don't have the excuse of being a chronic drunk.

Obama is the cukmination of all the New Left's dreams and nightmares. He took advantage of a window in history to get himself into office. Then he embodied completely all of their disdain for the common American people. Obama does not understand why we have faith in our Christian God and our ability to protect ourselves, but not believe in him. The more we call him a fascist, the more we assert that he is not a true American political figure in the tradition of our Founding Fathers, the more rattled he gets, possibly because such charges hit very close to home. He affects American values on the surface to hide his cold fascist heart. The real Obama wants good leftists to inform on their neighbors' "fishy" opinions. The real Obama does not believe that you are entitled to the rewards of your work or investment risk. The real Obama fears your guns, your rights, and your outspokenness. He believes that he is the truth and the life and that you had better shape up, stop your grandstanding, fall into line, and render unto Obama what is Obama's.

Am I mad? Hell yes I'm mad. Republicans, Libertarians, Tea Partiers, and American Democrats have told him since he took office what he should do to reign in debts and spur the economy. He pretends not to hear and accuses all of us of simply resisting for resistance sake.

We have your resistance right here, Mr. Obama. And you ain't seen nothing yet. To quote a wise man, "We're right! We're free! We'll fight! You'll see!

The John Galting of American Finance

"Who is John Galt?" Some people know very well what that question means. To conservatives and libertarians it signifies absolute liberty. To those on the Left who understand it represents their greatest fear, the voluntary abdication from society of its most productive individuals due to ever increasing burdens on their time, technique, and tax rates.

Ayn Rand created the character John Galt decades ago in her novel Atlas Shrugged. As industrialists in this book felt the increasing grip of big government on their business, demanding concessions while all the while continuing the populist corporate greed rhetoric, they simply disappeared. One by one they slipped away, to the panic of the government that relied on using social pressure and the law to enslave their skills.

John Galt is the character who contacts these people and convinces them to join him in a strike of the minds. Doctors, industrialists, poets, college professors, and people from all walks of life join a strike of the minds. They simply choose to not be enslaved by social pressure, by accusations of greed when they want to keep the rewards of their work. Those businesses that stay on and conform to a populist government's demands first see their products become more and more shoddy, then they break down completely.

Although a fictional character, John Galt's spirit lives in America's financial markets. Barack Obama has destroyed the confidence that we have in the immediate future. He has no policy and when in doubt, turns to the left. Obama needs banks behind him, but seeks to gain support by rhetorically pillorying them in public. The administration seeks to raise taxes and spending while undermining key industries and financial institutions at the same time. In short, Obama is demonstrating to the US how bankrupt leftists ideals really are by putting them into action. Unfortunately we all have to suffer.

Those with money have decided to sit this one out. Markets should have bounced back by now. Obama populism keeps them in fear and so they have gone on strike in a sense. Who wants to invest their money when the president might wake up one day with the whim to attack another industry or decide that profits off investment are greed and tax them away? Where is the money going? Into gold and silver, which get hidden away in safes and safe deposit boxes. The truly smart have bought these items entirely privately and secreted them away because you never know what will happen with this president.

In the House GOP retreat, the president made light of those with deep concerns about his agenda. He asked rhetorically if they really believed that he was part of a Bolshevik plot. His hectoring tone could not have reassured any who heard the sound of his voice. Like Caesar, he tried to walk into the hostile assembly to cow them with his presence. Fortunately Republicans are not built like Roman Senators and Obama is no Caesar. However the damage to our economy has been done and cannot be repaired without a change at the top.

It is not Obama, Paul Volker, Ben Bernanke, or Nancy Pelosi who will lead our economy in the next few years. It is John Galt.

Somewhere Booker T. Washington Is Smiling At the West Virginia Republican Party

In the 1870s Booker T. Washington worked precincts in eastern Kanawha County, speaking on behalf of that county and the state's Republican Party, supporting candidates and spreading the word. He understood that the GOP's messages of individual liberty and responsibility should resonate with all peoples everywhere. Washington took that message to the national level, preaching his belief in the power of education.

Today's West Virginia Republican Party has worked hard to try and reach out to a broad variety of peoples. Republicans believe that limited government and less taxes mean more business opportunities and more jobs, plain and simple. As Democratic leaders prove that they will raise taxes and spending, then cement high rates of both there by congressional action, traditionally Democratic groups have started to gravitate in the "right" direction.

To those on the extreme left that still say the Republican Party has a tinge of racism, we offer the fact that in 2008 we supported our nominee Charles Minimah for the second most powerful elected statewide office. We are proud to say that he has decided to sacrifice his time and energy once again in the vital Charleston region 17th Senatorial District. His wife Pamela has also entered the race in the 31st Delegate District. In Huntington, staunch Second Amendment supporter and ironworker Douglas Franklin signed up to run in the 15th Delegate District. Republicans everywhere should be grateful to all candidates that choose to devote the next several months to the difficult task of running for office. They all need our support, whatever we can offer.

Republicans in West Virginia can say with pride, regardless of background, that they walk in step with the legacy of one of their own. Booker T. Washington worked hard to advance Republican ideals 130 years ago. Those beliefs in individual liberty, education, hard work, and responsibility, have not changed a bit since then.

Capito Questions Obama at House Republican Conference

Congresswoman Raises Coal, Cap-and-Trade

WASHINGTON – House Republicans invited President Obama to address their conference this morning and – after making his remarks – the President took questions from Republican Members of Congress, including a question from Rep. Shelley Moore Capito:

REP. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO: “Thank you Mr. President for joining us here today. As you said on your… in the State of the Union address on Wednesday, jobs and the economy are number one. And I think everyone in this room, certainly I, agree with you on that.

“I represent the state of West Virginia. We're resource rich. We have a lot of coal and a lot of natural gas.

“But our… my miners and the folks who are working and those who are unemployed are very concerned about some of your policies in these areas: cap-and-trade, an aggressive EPA and the looming prospect of higher taxes. In our minds, these are job-killing policies.

“So I'm asking… if you would be willing to re-look at some of these policies, with the high unemployment and the unsure economy that we have now, to assure West Virginians that you're listening.”

The full exchange accessed here

Forgetting Race?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_forgetting_blackness_analysis

Above is a well-written analysis of the latest Chris Matthews gaffe in which he said that during the State of the Union Address, Matthews forgot that Obama was black. It is the latest in a two year series of bizarre remarks by Democrats about Obama. Bill Clinton claimed at one point that Obama would have been getting him coffee two years ago. Harry Reid praised Obama at one point for lacking a "Negro dialect," whatever that means. Others praised Obama for being articulate, a compliment that strikes blacks as insulting because it insinuates that most people of that race are not.

Liberals seem to have more trouble with race issues these days than Republicans. Why?

Matthews himself provides part of the answer. His experience with race issues comes from the 1960s. Ways of thinking about race and black individuals have gone by the wayside. The 21st century idea is to acknowledge race, understand that blacks have pride in where they come from, but to also judge on merit rather than appearance.

The article above, consciously or unconsciously, paraphrases Martin Luther King Jr. when describing the position of Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and black conservatives, that people are to be judged by their merit, not color. I have a sneaking suspicion this is a conservative subversive in the mainstream media.

Conservatives in recent years have much less trouble with race discussions because they normally do not have them. They never tripped over the idea of having two black secretaries of state. George W. Bush picked the most qualified individuals available to him, their skin color was incidental and never was made an issue except by liberals in the media. Condoleeza Rice is one of the most intelligent human beings in the United States. Conservatives would rather discuss her accomplishments as an academic, a diplomat, and a person who rose from abject poverty more than they want to obsess over skin color.

The fact is that it is liberals who remain stuck in the past on race issues. Conservatives have demonstrated the proper and acceptable way to deal with the issue. Judge people as individuals only. Discuss them as individuals only. If they have merit, they rise. Simple as that.