THE WRITING IS DONE

It's no exaggeration to say that everywhere Congressman John Linder and I go people just walk up and ask when the the FairTax book will be out.  Well .. we're all but finished!  The writing is over and all that's left is the editing and proofreading.  Then it's off to the publisher.  Oh ... and then there's the problem of choosing the right title and cover design.    We'll try to make it a bit more colorful and interesting than this:

I told you last week that The National Retail Federation had identified defeat of the Fair Tax as their number one legislative cause.  The reason?  The NRF is actually afraid that people will save money!  God forbid that anyone should ever save or invest their money instead of rushing out there to spend every penny as soon as they get paid!  While it's good that Americans like to consume the fantastic goods and services that come from our free enterprise economy, but by the same token it is not good that saving's rates have been falling as our tax burdens have been increasing.  To oppose a tax reform proposal such as The FairTax simply out of fear that people will become savers and investors seems to me to be just a bit shortsighted. 

PITY THE POOR POOR PITIFUL POODLE

Massachusetts Senator and failed Democratic nominee for president John Kerry seems to be competing with Al Gore for the title of Sorest Loser in Political History.  Speaking to a voters' group yesterday, The Souffle leveled the charge that "Last year too many people were denied their right to vote, too many who tried to vote were intimidated." 

Yawn.

How about some examples?  Just how were voters intimidated or denied their right to vote?  The Poodle provided some examples: "Leaflets are handed out saying Democrats vote on Wednesday, Republicans vote on Tuesday. People are told in telephone calls that if you've ever had a parking ticket, you're not allowed to vote."  Come on, you miserable whiner.  Is this the best you can do?

Now ... for the record.  You folks know that I am not your universal suffrage type of guy.  I think we need less people voting, not more.  If you can't name the Vice President, your two Senators and your Congressman then you have no business anywhere near a voting booth.  There should also be a separate class of citizenship for idiots who are brain dead enough to fall for that "Democrats vote Wednesday" and "you can't vote if you've had a parking ticket" nonsense.  Wait, there already is.  They're called "second class citizens."  Second class is stretching it a bit.  Oh, and by the way, there is no constitutional right to vote in a presidential election. 

Anyone who would believe that has an empty head and doesn't deserve to vote.  Come to think of it, that's the perfect Democratic voter.

sKerry went on to say that the supposed irregularities weren't enough to change the outcome of the election and that he wasn't contesting the result.  So what's his point?  Is it to make excuses for his own loss, and try to rewrite history to make it look like he was ripped off last year?  Perhaps the real reason for his public whining can be found in his support for Hillary Clinton's 'Count Every Vote Act,' which would require a federal holiday for voting, paper receipts for ballots and handouts to states to upgrade equipment.  Naturally, the aim of that legislation is to give another paid holiday to the unions, a core Democratic constituency.  As for making Election Day a federal holiday, there's no need for that either.  Democrats searching for more votes should take note:  the additional Democratic votes they're likely to get will come from people who think every day is a holiday --- people with no jobs.

Like Al Gore before him, John Kerry lost the election fair and square.  No amount of "reform" is going to ensure that people that are too dumb to vote are going to figure it out.

THE TROUBLE WITH TOM DELAY

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's troubles grew over the weekend.  Speaking yesterday, moderate Republican Christopher Shays of Connecticut said it was time for DeLay to go:  "Tom's conduct is hurting the Republican Party, is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election."  Ouch.  So what exactly is the conduct we're talking about?

There are the reports of overseas travel paid for by special interests, campaign payments to family members, and connections to a lobbyist under investigation.  Now, as Senator Rick Santorum pointed out yesterday, those things may not be illegal.  But remember DeLay is the majority leader...expected to represent all Republicans.  Do they want this kind of heat?  Probably not.

Let's be clear about this:  Tom DeLay has done nothing illegal, and he has done nothing that other members of congress, both Democrat and Republican, don't do regularly.  Democratic liberals and the leftist media decided to make DeLay a target for destruction, and they have been relentless in their efforts.  In the end, they will prevail ... and one of the reasons they will prevail will be because of the boost they got from DeLay's disgraceful hijacking of the Terri Schiavo issue.  He was behind the legislation to move her case to federal court, then he seemed to be promoting retribution by threatening the judges in the case, saying  "The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior." He also complained about "an arrogant and out of control judiciary that thumbs its nose at Congress and the president."

The Republicans have just a 31-vote majority in the House...and DeLay is going to become a lightning rod for bad media coverage.  Despite what he says publicly, he'll be packing his bags soon.   I sure hate to see this happen to such a strong supporter of The FairTax.

CUTTING A DEAL WITH THE INSURGENTS

With the newly elected government taking its seat in Baghdad, the question has arisen of what to do about the insurgent problem.  These are Iraqis that  have been shooting at Coalition troops and committing acts of terrorism over the last couple years.  There are quite a few of them, and in an attempt to create stability, the new government is proposing a sort of amnesty.

The new Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is proposing amnesty for those insurgents who fought Coalition troops.  Excluded would be Al-Qaeda, foreign terrorist groups, those involved in killing innocent people and those involved in killing those in mosques or churches.  Fair enough...their country to run the way they want to.  But a story in today's London Telegraph has a much more explosive plan, if true.

According to "a senior government source," the Iraqi administration is seriously considering a proposal to cut a deal with the insurgents.  Apparently they're negotiating with elements of Saddam's former Fedayeen militia (you know, those lovely people that went around cutting peoples' tongues out for speaking out against Saddam? Yeah..them) as well as an Islamic terror organization.  The government is offering to commute Saddam's certain death sentence to life in prison in return for some sort of promise for peace.  Apparently Jalal Talabani is opposed to the death penalty and has the power to issue a reprieve, but will he?  Quite a few Iraqis expect to see Saddam's head on a platter. 

Again .. it's their country to run as they want to.  If deals have to be made to bring peace and give freedom a chance ... well, it's nothing less than what was done during the early years of our own country.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

You need to read this Dick Morris Column.  Sandy Berger rolls over for Bill and Hillary.  I wonder if we'll ever find out what was in those secret documents Berger destroyed.

Thomas Sowell writes about liberal attitudes.  Writing about how illogical liberals are is like shooting fish in the barrel, but Sowell does it better than most.   

This may well be one of the best columns written on the Schiavo matter since Terri's death.  Jack Allen writes that there were more losers than winners in the Schiavo case.     You need to read about the Michigan "preacher" who was ready to send the militia to Florida to "resurrect" Terri.  For the record, even though I've taken quite a beating through emails, letters, death threats and at least one physical confrontation .. I'm more convinced than ever that my position on this matter was the correct and moral one.

There's a juicy book set to come out about The Hildabeast, and apparently it's not pretty.  Can anyone hardly wait to find out what it's all about?

Nomination hearings for

John Bolton, President Bush's pick to be UN Ambassador, start this week.  Democrats are vowing to vote against him.  This one may hinge on the RINO's (Republicans In Name Only.)  If he is not confirmed, it will be because he dared to criticize the United Nations.

Looks like, of all people, the Saudis have the answer for what's causing high gasoline prices in the United States.  Is it the price of oil?  Not really...they correctly point out a lack of new refineries and too many blends in America.  Will people listen?

We almost got him:  Abu Musab Zarqawi, the most wanted Islamic terrorist in Iraq, narrowly escaped capture by the United States Marines.  There's a $25 million bounty on his head, and his desert sand nap and date with Allah awaits.

An interesting column from Mark Steyn about the success in Iraq with elections and the new president.  He says the successes are coming despite an endless array of CIA screw-ups and media distortions.  Don't miss this one.

The left has been decrying the recent passage of the bankruptcy bill.  Is it real reform or will the courts become, as one Democrat suggested, collection agencies for the credit card companies?  Debra Saunders takes a look.

Is it possible to fix government schools without raising taxes and pouring more money down the Department of Education rat hole?  George Will says yes, and tells us how.

Is President Bush's Social Security reform doomed?  Will we ever get private accounts?  Stephen Moore explains why the battle is being lost and how it can be won.

Professor Mike Adams weighs in today...asking where have all the communists gone?  He says they've fled to college faculties across the country and prescribes an anti-communist reading list.

President Bush's and Congress' polling numbers are in the toilet....but Michael Barone explains that the GOP shouldn't be too alarmed.  He goes inside the numbers, and tells a different story.

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