United Liberty
As much as I dislike Tim Tebow, and it has everything to do with him playing for the Florida Gators, the uproar over Focus on the Family buying an ad during the Super Bowl was hilariously blown out of proportion.
What is wrong with this ad?
Cartoon: Saxby Chambliss, an unacceptable risk
Tue, 02/09/2010 - 12:12pm | posted by William Satterwhite
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) recently made some comments during a hearing on “don’t ask, don’t tell” that kind of inspired me. Sen. Chambliss said, “the presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would very likely create an unacceptable risk to those high standards.”
He should know about risk, he received five deferments for bad knees that kept him out of military service during the Vietnam conflict.
Podcast: Discussing The GOOOH System
Tue, 02/09/2010 - 12:09pm | posted by United Liberty Staff
In a special podcast, Jason and Brett discuss the GOOOH system with Don Rosenberg, member of the National Media Panel for GOOOH.
The discussion of the GOOOH system is a great introductory glimpse at a novel approach to selecting a candidate to serve as a citizen-statesman, replacing the career politicians currently serving.
You can download the podcast here. The always lovely Aimee Allen graces us with “Silence is Violence” in the music that opens the interview.
You can subscribe to the RSS of JUST our podcasts here, or you can find our podcasts on iTunes here.
America’s dangerous foreign policy
Tue, 02/09/2010 - 11:30am | posted by David Carlson
I am currently enrolled in a Foreign Policy class at my university. Ever since I was introduced to Ron Paul’s theory of non-interventionist foreign policy I have become very interested in the subject. Sadly, it was in a way hard to grasp his ideas because they have been such a minority viewpoint in the United States today. Nevertheless, after reading “A Foreign Policy of Freedom” I had a much greater understanding of his viewpoints and their justification.
Even though the class has already started, I have already been presented with a seemingly obvious notion: Americans do not care much about our foreign policy. They are generally apathetic and believe it does not affect them significantly. This apathy has been changed somewhat since 9/11, but it is still generally true that something like health care or another domestic issue will be given much more attention than foreign policy.
It is clear that those who want America’s foreign policy to be changed must link our foreign policy to our domestic policy. How does it affect us here, on our home turf? Why should we care what our nation does abroad as long as it keeps us safe? I believe there are a few very simple yet profound answers to this question that, at the very least, should spark debate and bring foreign policy higher on the issue attention cycle:
America’s foreign policy makes us less safe
Did Sarah Palin Poison The Tea (Party)?
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 4:06pm | posted by Doug Mataconis
One blogger says yes:
The tea party movement is dead. The one I was familiar with anyway. Judson Phillips held it down and Sarah Palin drove a stake right through its heart live last night on C-Span in front of an unsuspecting audience.
Sarah Palin didn’t give a tea party speech last night. She gave a partisan Republican address. It was a purely political speech designed to position her for a presidential run in 2012 or 2016. Period. She wasn’t there to celebrate the organic nature of a movement she had nothing to do with creating. She was there to co-opt the name and claim the brand as hers. And she did.
Insiders predict financial package will pass, but without Fed audit
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 2:20pm | posted by Jason Pye
Insiders don’t expect the Audit the Fed language to be part of any financial “reform” legislation that passes Congress:
Washington insiders overwhelmingly believe Congress in 2010 will pass new regulations on the financial industry.
According to a new poll by FD, a communications and strategy firm, 76 percent of Washington insiders say financial regulations will head to President Barack Obama’s desk this year.
[…]
A similar 74 percent of insiders believe Congress will not pass legislation requiring an audit of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy. The Fed has come under heavy criticism this year for its role in propping up the economy and carrying out bailouts of major financial institutions. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke received the fewest votes in favor of his confirmation of any Fed chairman.
It’s probably for the best. Whatever financial “reform” package passes Congress is not going to help the economy or strengthen financial institutions. Even Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) voted against the bill in the House, which contained his audit language because it was a horrible bill overall.
Newt Gingrich has not learned his lesson
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 12:11pm | posted by Jason Pye
During the race last fall in NY-23, I wrote about the anger from conservatives directed at former House Speaker Newt Gingrich over his endorsement of Dede Scozzafava.
If you’ll recall, Scozzafava was/is a statist on economic issues, supporting card-check, the “stimulus” bill and tax hikes, among other troubling positions. This led many conservatives to endorse Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. Gingrich, however, stood his ground, continuing to back the same candidate as Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos.
Gingrich has showed time and time again that he is no friend of liberty. He backed the Wall Street bailout and Medicare expansion in 2003. He also enabled the big spending way of George W. Bush.
Now Gingrich tells us that he learned a lesson from NY-23:
“She turned out to be a huge disappointment, and she turned out not to be frankly a loyal Republican,” Gingrich told an interviewer in New Hampshire this weekend.
The former speaker added that conservatives who criticized his endorsement at the time “had the better of that argument.”
Gingrich said he didn’t realize how “radical” Scozzafava was when he endorsed her. Conservatives lambasted her for supporting gay marriage and card check, among other liberal positions.
Sarah Palin And The Obsession With Minutia, Or Something
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 11:32am | posted by Peter Quinones
I must admit that this is a subject I wanted to stay away from but the continuing “uproar” saddens me. I want to like Sarah Palin but she makes it hard sometimes . At some point she is going to have to stop playing the victim card and act like a big girl.
I heard the Rahm Emanuel “retard” comment before Palin responded to it (I actually agreed with him). But something told me somebody would say something. Somebody would be offended. Somebody would act like a speech Nazi. Somebody would express an opinion that would attack the natural right of free speech.
As a former member of the GOP I can remember getting into debate after debate with “lefty” Statists on the subject of language. I guess because of who I am and how I was brought up I feel like I have a right to speak my mind and if you’re the “political correct” type you can get over it (Being raised in NYC probably contributed a ‘lil as well). I am not offended by anything that comes out of somebody’s pie- hole. Many people say things that alarm me, but being offended is somehow being “hurt” by what is said. Ms. Palin kept referring to her “thick skin” on the campaign trail. Did it somehow disappear?
I’ve already heard other people make the point that Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck use the word “retard” on their shows and Sarah hasn’t criticized them. Blah, blah, that isn’t nearly the issue here. The fact that the “Right” is now acting like the language police leads me to believe I left the GOP at the right time.
Let me create a scenario for dear Sarah and see how she would handle it.
SC law requires terrorists and anti-government groups to file with state
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 11:21am | posted by Jason Pye
Planning to overthrow the government in South Carolina? You’ll have to pay a $5 registration fee to the South Carolina Secretary of State or face a fine and jail time:
Terrorists who want to overthrow the United States government must now register with South Carolina’s Secretary of State and declare their intentions — or face a $25,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.
The state’s “Subversive Activities Registration Act,” passed last year and now officially on the books, states that “every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States … shall register with the Secretary of State.”
There’s even a $5 filing fee.
By “subversive organization,” the law means “every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State.”
Seriously? Add this to the “dumb law” file.
Super Bowl Sunday
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 5:02pm | posted by Jason Pye
Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints kicks off at 6:30pm.
This should be a good game between two great passing games. Expect a lot of scoring. Neither team has an amazing defense, but each has qualities (the Colts have a great defensive line, but the Saints have a good secondary and solid linebackers).
The Colts are the favorite, but…Geaux Saints!
