A MOVE TOWARD DEMOCRACY ... AND THAT'S A DANGEROUS MOVE

Those who understand that America is not, was not designed to be, and should not become a democracy -- those who recognize the dangers of mob rule -- will be disturbed by this.  Most Americans, victims of government school misinformation and indoctrination, will not be.

Yesterday we had a ruling from the Supreme Court in the case of Christopher Simmons [pdf]. You see, in 1993, Simmons was 17 and decided, along with his 15-year-old buddy, to kidnap Shirley Crook in her St. Louis home.  Simmons and his pal must not have liked Shirley Crook too much, for they tied her up, threw her into a minivan and drove to a bridge over a river. There they covered her face in duct tape and threw her over the railing and into the water.  She drowned.  Christopher Simmons later bragged to his friends that they could get away with it because they were minors. Sadly, because of this ruling, they will get away with it.

The Supreme Court has now ruled that a person cannot be executed for a crime committed when that person was less than 18 years old.  Cruel and unusual punishment, says the court.  The opinion was written by liberal justice Anthony Kennedy  ... and this ruling sends ice water through the veins of anyone who understands our Constitution and the role of our Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court, you see, is expected to cite a Constitutional basis for its rulings.  Not so in this case.  Instead, Kennedy cites a "national consensus" and "international opinion."  Boiled down, "national consensus" is just another way of saying "the will of the majority."  So now it seems official.  The Supreme Court will base its rulings on what is and what is not Constitutional based on the mood of the people; based on the whims of the mob.  This is nothing less than the legitimization of the lynch mob.  If there's a "national consensus" that old so-and-so must hang, then hang he does, regardless of whether or not such niceties as the rule of law have been followed or Constitutional rights met.  Perhaps the next step is for the Supremes to hire a polling firm to measure the mood of the people before they issue rulings on Constitutionality.

The reference to "international opinion."  Maybe some guidance from the Supremes is needed at this point.  At what point does international opinion trump the dictates and limitations of our Constitution?  Should the "international opinion" standard be used by the Supreme Court to decide whether or not a president's foreign policy initiatives are legal?  Maybe Ted Kennedy and John Kerry should have tried to get a Supreme Court ruling on the legality of Bush's actions in Iraq.  Using the "international opinion" standard Bush's actions would almost certainly have been found to be unconstitutional.

Sadly, most of this will go unnoticed by the dumb masses.   The vast majority of Americans will direct their attention to the current NASCAR standings, tonight's edition of  Entertainment Tonight and whether or not there's enough brewski in the 'fridge for the weekend.

BUSH'S SOCIAL SECURITY PLAN --- FAILING?

President Bush made it the centerpiece of his second term agenda during his State of the Union address this year: reforming Social Security. This is the program that is already broken (government securities do not a trust fund make) and will officially go bust some years down the road. So Bush wants to fix it.

His idea? Let younger workers invest part of their Social Security taxes into a personal investment account, one that would easily provide them with a much more comfortable retirement. Also, they would get to pass along that account to their estate when they die, rather than the government confiscating it, like the current plan does.

But you see, the mighty AARP doesn't want this. (By the way, 'AARP' stands for 'American Association to screw over young people.') They're afraid reforming Social Security means that they won't be able to drive up their membership by scaring people into thinking the government is going to take their benefits away. In other words, every dollar that goes into a private account is one less dollar politicians control. Never mind that the president has promised not to cut the benefits of those over 55. Don't let the facts get in the way of a debate.

So with the AARP opposed to the Bush plan, along with most Democrats and many leftist groups, Republicans in Congress are worried. Lacking any political spine and worried about their own re-election, they're starting to cave on the issue. For example, take a look at the comments of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, which he made after returning from a week-long break with constituents: "In terms of whether it (Social Security reform) will be a week, a month, six months or a year, as to when we bring something to the floor, it's just too early." Translation: good luck, Mr. President...we're not touching The Third Rail.

It really is too bad...but not unexpected.

In the meantime, one Republican is actually proposing yet another government spending program as the solution.  Florida Republican Clay Shaw, the Chairman of the House Social Security subcommittee, wants some sort of a government subsidized savings plans outside Social Security.  I haven't heard the details, but I would imagine that if you set aside some money the government will match that money.  And just where does the matching money come from?  From the taxpayers, of course.  

Here's a guarantee:  If Clay Shaw actually gets his government handout program started there's going to be an outcry about the poor, poor, pitiful poor people who just can't afford to get started in the saving program, and thus aren't eligible for the matching government funds.  You know how that one will end up, don't you?  The government will end up paying both the personal and the government share.

And you wonder why I'm a libertarian?

YOU RAISE AN IDIOT -- YOUR IDIOT ACTS LIKE AN IDIOT -- YOU SUE THE CITY

We have a new teen fad ... if you want to call it that ... in Orlando.  It's "garage jumping."  Teenagers are jumping between parking garages in downtown Orlando ... jumping six stories high.  One local idiot didn't make it.  Tim Bargfrede fell six stories and was knocked out cold.  Apparently several other teens have fallen and been injured in attempting the jump.  

One of the garages is owned by the City of Orlando.  The other is owned by Orlando Tower LP.  

Well .. guess what?  Yeah, you got it.  Bargfrede's father is going to file some lawsuits.  He's suing the city and Orlando Tower because they failed to put up fences that could keep teenagers from trying to jump from one parking garage to the other.  The father's attorney says that what fence there is is completely ineffective in preventing the jumping.  The family says that both garage owners need to take responsibility before someone dies.

Well, they're right about someone needing to take responsibility ... but it's the families and the kids, not the owners of the garages, who need to step up.  There is just no way in hell the garage owners ought to be held responsible.  These teens are old enough to understand the consequences of a fall.

Another reason why we need a loser-pays legal system.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOREIGN POLICY

Here's a story out of Huntington, Vermont. Now, of course Vermont is a very liberal state, perhaps best known in Washington for electing a socialist to the House of Representatives and spawning Howard Dean.

As you might expect, many in Vermont are opposed to the war in Iraq. Apparently appeasers like cold weather. Anyway, anti-war leftists have collected signatures and are getting resolutions condemning the war in Iraq placed on the agenda at local Town Meetings. That's right...municipalities are now weighing in on how United States foreign policy should be conducted.

Not only is this a complete waste of time, but a joke as well. Perhaps the town councils should just stick to things like picking up the garbage.

WHY I HATE NEAL BOORTZ    

Here's a bit of email that Net Dog forwarded to me from Michael J.

Why I hate Neal Boortz

1. Forcing me to question beliefs so ingrained I never noticed them before.

2. Your damnable consistency. You can't seem to get so emotionally involved or outraged that you lose your objectivity in the name of "fair" or "right"

3. Making me embarrassed for members of my own profession (appraiser) without whom corporate land grabs would falter.

4. Giving me so much information that I can no longer in good conscience avail myself of the convenience and low prices of a certain retail store.

5. Popping the bubble of comfort I have spent a lifetime building. What I did not know I could not care about. What was never questioned I did not have to think about. Now I find myself holding opinions that are unpopular at best and downright callous at worst, just so I can look my mirror in the eyes each morning. Shakespere said "To thine own self be true" but he was nice enough not to go into details about the level of hypocrisy that most of us don't even notice we're standing in.

Thanx Neal (and to steal a line from the hate mail "You Suck")

Michael J.

P.S. Jimminy Crickett didn't have much in the way of hair either. 

Well ... to be sure, that's not exactly hate mail.  Maybe the next one will make up for it.

IT TOOK ME A MONTH TO GET TO THIS EMAIL ...

That means it took me a month to come to the realization that Joseph C. Poore, Jr. needs to switch to decaf.  Here's the message he sent to me on January 31st of this year:

Mr. Boortz-
Last week in the run-up to the Iraqi elections, you spewed the assertion that the Democrats rejoiced with every explosion in Iraq. I am an Independent and a reluctant Bush supporter who is cheered by the apparent success of the elections. I discuss Iraq with many Democrats, and I find your statement to be a SLANDEROUS LIE, BORDERING ON TREASON. You damage our nation with such divisive claptrap, and ill-serve your audience. I may tune in to hear Jamie Dupree, as he understands civil discourse, but then I will change stations. I am tired of your loathsome bombast.
Joe Poore
Bristol, TN 

Slander!  Treason!  Loathsome bombast!  And this character doesn't realize that there were and there still are many --- not a few, but MANY Bush-hating Democrats who find themselves increasingly depressed with every breath of freedom that emanates from the Middle East?   These Democrats are now near suicidal after elections are announced in Egypt, women get the vote in Saudi Arabia, Iranian Mullahs are running for cover and the Syrian puppet government in Lebanon fails.  

THE BANANA LADY IS STILL AT IT

And now we know her name.  She's Gwen Stewart.  She works at some business somewhere on Power's Ferry Road in Atlanta, and she's still going ape about some cops eating bananas.

I told you this story about a few weeks ago.  It first appeared in an article by Tim Chitwood in the Columbus Ledger Enquirer.  Stewart was participating in an MLK Day ceremony in Columbus, Georgia.  As her bus arrived at the demonstration site she saw a cop eating a banana.  She complained.  Evidently there was something racially insulting about that cop sitting there eating that banana.  The banana, by the way, came from a police snack cart that is sent around to police who have to spend hours on the street protecting people like Gwen Stewart while she's demonstrating.  Bananas are a good source of potassium and energy.  Nonetheless, Stewart doesn't like them.

Well, so what's new?  Now it seems that Stewart has complained to her Congressman!  Congressman Tom Price has contacted the Columbus police chief asking for a response to Stewart's complaint.  Price also wants copies of any correspondence concerning the banana controversy.

By the way, Stewart refuses to say just why she is so upset about the banana.  Stewart tells Chitwood that she shouldn't have to explain why she was insulted by the cop eating the banana.  She says that people ought to know why that's offensive, and if they don't know then they should just go find out.  

The problem here is that Gwen Stewart has a monstrous racial chip on her shoulder, and Congressman Tom Price price needs to stop wasting his time on this hysteric and tell her to go home, crawl in bed and pull the covers up over her head.  Then again, if she has white sheets she might find that suggestion offensive.

What a miserable woman Gwen Stewart must be.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

Here's the Tuesday CyberAlert from the Media Research Center, the 1,923rd  edition of same.  Nobody -- nowhere -- does a better job of documenting the leftist media bias in the mainstream media then does the MRC.  

Big oops.  Gun control activist Annette Stevens is now facing charges of having both drugs and a gun in her home.  The gun had the serial number filed off.

The Supreme Court continues with its liberal social activism.  A Wall Street Journal editorial.

Here is some interesting insight into the eminent domain case Kelo vs. City of New London, heard before the Supreme Court last week. 

Howard Dean is at it again...this time calling Republicans "evil." Conservatives are outraged, but they should be smiling. It's only a matter of time before he starts screaming. Just wait.

The Cato institute has picked its best  and worst governors...and one Republican and one Democrat lead the list: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Richardson. The worst? Again, a bipartisan venture: Ed Rendell and Bob Taft.

Congressional Republicans want to extend the hand of the Federal Censorship Commission to the cable and satellite radio and television. Nice going...perhaps people should be able to choose what they want to see and hear? Just a thought.

Democracy is on the march in the Middle East, and Jack Kemp has a first-hand look after returning from a trip around the world.  While we're at it, you must read this column from Mark Steyn.  The Arab Berlin Wall has crumbled.  Democrats are depressed.

Laura Bush is starting an initiative to help young men stay out of gangs. Michelle Malkin says what's needed is for law enforcement to step in and break up the gangs, many of which are made up of illegal aliens.

Are CEO's overpaid? Walter Williams says no...and has the facts to back it up. He also says he knows of a class of workers that really are overpaid.

The mainstream media is quick to report bad economic news, but what happens to good economic news? Larry Kudlow says it gets sent off to the good news graveyard.

There is a lot of talk these days about blogs, and how revolutionary they are. Jonah Goldberg says the message is more important than the medium, and he has some facts and statistics about blogs.

Thoughts of Boortz Blast subscribers on abortion and last week's episode of House.

Apparently, Joe still hasn't learned that it's polite to give credit when copying the Nuze and posting to another site. Maybe it's time to call him out on it again.

WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE POINTY HAND THINGS?
These are links to each individual story on the Nuze, p-links for the geeks out there. Plus, they work today and they'll work tomorrow. Now you can easily discuss/debate/rip apart the Nuze without worrying about the links going bad. Enjoy!

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NEAL'S FANS GET TOGETHER
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• Talkmaster Yahoo Group
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• alt.fan.neal.boortz newsgroup (note, you're going to have to figure out newsgroups all on your own)

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NEALZ AUDIO ARCHIVES Interview with Peter Jennings 1/26 Howard Dean Alarm System Neal talks with Ludacris Boo Got Shot YOUR HOT AIR STORIES Yep, here's a collection of your most embarassing gas passing stories. CARTOON INDEX Check here for a list of cartoons that have appeared on Nealz Nuze.

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