"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler
by Smitty
While not as weird as a Dread Zeppelin cut, Billy Bob’s survey effort over at Birch Tree Sustainable Studios shows that John Dennis, while as big a longshot as my local Patrick Murray candidacy, is worth every bit of support that can be mustered. If the trend continues, and the Tea Parties turn out the vote, the GOP could be faced with a moment where it has to put its Federalism where its mouth is. I yearn for that.
Previously:
by Smitty (via Cubachi on Twitter)
DeMint is a statesman. He, along with a few dozen other Senators and a few score in the House are the best hope for the country. This Weekly Standard profile offers a window into the Progressive rot that must be expunged, dating to DeMint’s Representative days:
But when he arrived in Washington to assume his House seat, no one would have pegged him as a troublemaker. He was elected president of his House class and regularly attended seminars given by the House GOP leadership.
But something happened to DeMint in these leadership seminars that would change the course of his life. The gatherings were entirely focused on the means for concentrating and preserving political power: How to milk K Street lobbyists for political contributions; how to place earmarks into appropriations bills so they would be deemed essential to the folks back home.
One day, DeMint had had enough. He rose up in a seminar to question why representatives of the party of smaller government were so focused on earmarks and political fundraising. Why aren’t we talking about reforming the federal tax code or addressing the health care mess?
Midst laughter, someone shouted, “You’ll catch on to the system, DeMint.” But DeMint never did.
The Constitution is predicated upon an informed, attentive electorate. The internet has been a catalyst for the Tea Parties to become informed. The Ruling Class is cordially invited to step aside.
Kudos to DeMint for being like Lot, and managing to stay righteous amongst the wicked, as opposed to Lott, who seems to have had less success with that.
Caleb Howe tries to help Jason Mattera think of a better BlogCon pickup line than this one:
John Hawkins was trying this one on everyone, including a couple of cocktail waitresses at the Rocket Bar in Chinatown.
Cheryl Prater at the FreedomWorks reception, where she had to explain to John Hawkins that she is not Sissy Willis.
Cheryl and her friends employ the “I’m-Not-Sissy-Willis” buddy system.
With Brian Sutton of The Right Scoop.
Sarah Desprat of FreedomWorks found herself surrounded by admirers, even though she’s not Sissy Willis.
Bloggers chow down at FreedomWorks reception.
With Duane Lester of All-American Blogger.
Chris Renner‘s proximity to Adrienne Royer demonstrates the obvious: Chicks dig hats.
BlogCon Fever — Catch It!
Jim J. of AnthropoCon and Amanda Carpenter. Insert “Beauty and the Beast” punchline here.
With Nice Deb and Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit.
Stephen Kruiser and friends develop contingency plans in case someone is foolish enough to start talking about “net neutrality.”
Susannah Fleetwood brought her favorite lawyer to BlogCon. His name is Chris Fleetwood. Wow, what a coincidence, huh?
Cord Blomquist is a ninja master of blog-pimping.
Her name is actually Rachel Semmel, but she managed to convince Jason Mattera that she’s Sissy Willis.
UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers! Also linked in Duane Lester’s “BlogCon Photo Dump,” which features the lovely Tania Gail of Midnight Blue, who spent an hour yesterday trying to convince John Hawkins that she is not — repeat, not — Sissy Willis.
UPDATE II: They Told Us There Was Going to Be a Huge Rally at the Mall in Washington . . .
by Smitty
The FMJRA salutes with a thumb pointed downward the terrorists of the world, great and small, who do everything from park planes in buildings to training suicide deer to attack automobiles, to mooching canolli at airports, to pondering commission of odious acts like burning scriptures.
Some may say the preceding ‘graph is a bit flip. Fair point. I’ll counter by saying that, if we’re consumed by solemness all the time, then that is another terrorist victory. Laughter is not only a potent weapon, but a powerful inoculator against the odiousness of Taking Life Too Seriously. And let us remain firm in our unbowed resolve. Continue reading Fulminating, Malevolent Jackalope Revenge Arrangements →
by Smitty (via Twitter, source scrolled away)
The Governator tried to talk Twitter trash about being unable to see Russia while flying over Alaska, and got beaten down.
In other Sarah news, the Beck visit seems to be a pure 9/11 remembrance. But could Beck have some deeper, proselytizing plot? Will they both convert to the Church of the Subgenius?
by Smitty
Sordid, debauched details here. Society has failed yet another out standing* blogger. I blame Debbie Gibson.
In the muck
“Sir William Blackstone, England’s famous 18th century juror, said that every wanton and causeless restraint of the will of the subject is a degree of tyranny, and ‘even laws themselves, whether made with or without our consent, if they regulate and constrain our conduct in matters of mere indifference, without any good end in view, are regulations destructive of liberty.’ Protecting against this tyranny — preserving our ability to exercise our free will — that is the cause of conservatism.”
— Corinna Cohn
Thanks to Big Fur Hat for reminding us of this 70-minute documentary:
UPDATE: Joe at Valley of the Shadows reminds us how on 9/11/01, “At 8:46 AM, the world shifted on its axis.”
UPDATE II: Statement from Georgia 12th District congressional candidate Ray McKinney:
Nine years ago today, I turned on my television while getting ready for work, and the first thing I saw was smoke billowing from the World Trade Center. I learned that a jetliner had plowed into the building, and at that moment I knew we were at war. After three more jetliners crashed — one in the other trade tower, one into the Pentagon, and one into a field in Pennsylvania — 3,000 people died at the hands of Islamic terrorists. From Augusta to Savannah, Milledgeville to Vidalia to Statesboro — all of our families were attacked — and America changed forever on that day. Today, I join with the rest of the nation in honoring those who died that day and those who risked their lives to rescue people from the wreckage. And I honor the millions of Americans of all occupations, ethnic groups, religions, and political beliefs who responded to the attacks not with hatred, but with unity, turning to each other by showing acts of kindness. Unfortunately, nine years later, our nation is bitterly divided. But I have confidence that the American people can and will once again work together to get our country back on track.
UPDATE III: Never forget that, on 9/10/2001, feminists were insisting that the Pentagon devote its attention to a crucial nation-security issue:
After briefings from representatives of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard, [the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services] . . . issued a formal request for more information on what they deemed a matter of paramount military significance: breast-feeding.
As the terrorists prepared to hit the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon itself, our military leaders were directed “to engage in open dialogue” on lactation tactics.
UPDATE IV: Two very different headlines today:
Muslim Prayer Room Was Part of Life at Twin Towers
— New York TimesOne block between Ground Zero mosque and human remains
— New York Post
Via Memeorandum.
UPDATE V: Ace of Spades laments:
[The media] tends to sanitize things like this, to gloss it over as if it’s some abstract thing that happened in ancient history: “And we musn’t get those rednecks all flustered about these things … we must provide the filter and nuance since they don’t understand the subtleties of the matter. There are two sides to this story and both are equally valid. We must provide the narrative”
In other words, these journalists are not content to tell you what happened, but feel compelled to tell it in such a way as to condition your reaction — an effort to signal how you should feel about what happened.