THE STEM CELL DEBATE

The House of Representatives passed a measure last night that would expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.  The abortocentrist crowd believes harvesting stem cells from embryos is the same thing as killing a person, so they're opposed.  The president has promised a veto.

A couple of things here.  One, embryonic stem cell research has never, ever been banned.  Ever.  Many states, including California, are already funding it and doing it.  The only thing that was banned was the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. That's all.  But to the left, when something isn't allowed to be federally funded, that means it's being banned. The language of the left.

If embryonic stem cell research is as advertised, it holds great promise in one day curing life-threatening ailments like diabetes and Alzheimer's.  But is it the proper role of the Imperial Federal Government of the United States of American to confiscate money from people's paychecks in order to pay for it?  Nope.

Anyone who believes the federal government should be funding embryonic stem cell research, or any other kind of research for that matter, is invited to produce their copy of the U.S. Constitution and show us all where it says the government shall pay for it.

Isn't there, just like most of things they government spends our money on.

Now ... having said that ... let's address the proposed Bush veto.  His veto is not based on Constitutional grounds.  Bush isn't going to veto this bill because he thinks that the Constitution doesn't provide for government spending money on medical research.  He's going to veto it because of his religious beliefs, and to throw a bone to the anti-choice crowd.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a president who is as concerned with Constitutional principals as he is with religious ones?

WHY I THINK THE DEMOCRATS WON

Talking about this filibuster agreement again.  I feel more strongly than ever that the victory on this one goes to the Democrats.  Let's walk through this thing for a minute.

First of all, full and complete victory belonged to the Republicans.  They had the votes to change the rules to end these filibusters of judicial nominees.  The Democrats had nothing.  Well .. nothing, that is, except the media.  The Democrats had overplayed their hand, and they were about to take a thrashing.  All they had left was to wage their Moveon.org campaign on television and to try to make a backroom deal with seven November Whiskey Republicans. 

Well -- it worked.  Once again the Republicans snatched defeat from the jaws of victory ... and gave the Democrats new life in their obstruction efforts.

Make no mistake .. the filibuster of judicial confirmations is an abomination.  There are completely contrary to the obvious meaning of those who wrote our Constitution and created the very framework of our government.   The framers of our Constitution were clearly aware of the need for super-majority votes on some issues.  That's why they included a requirements for super-majority votes on amending the Constitution.  Article V of the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of both houses to propose an amendment.  In my reading of the Constitution last night that was the one and only requirement for other than a majority vote on any issue.  So, it's safe to say that if our founding fathers wanted a super-majority vote for the confirmation of judicial appointments they would have provided for same.

So .. where did that requirement for 60 votes come from?  From the Senators, that's who.  They made the rule, and they can change the rule.  In fact, they already have modified that rule at least once!  The requirement for a cloture vote was changed from 67 to 60.  Tell me, please, why reducing the number of votes required for cloture from 67 to 60 was not considered to be trampling on our Constitution, as Harry Reid puts it; but reducing that from 60 to 51 is?  Yup, you're right.  Makes no sense.

HARRY THINKS THIS IS THE END OF IT

Did I hear Senate minority leader Harry Reid right yesterday?  Did he say that we will never hear about the so-called nuclear option again?  This is Harry Reid trying to change the terms of the agreement less than 24 hours after that agreement was reached.  Here is what else Reid had to say:

"We have sent George Bush and Dick Cheney and the radical arm of the Republican Party an undeniable message.  Abuse of power will not be tolerated, and your attempt, I say to the Vice President and the President, to trample the Constitution and to grab absolute control is over."

There you go.  There's that "trample the Constitution" line.  Requiring a super-majority vote for the confirmation of judicial nominees where the Constitution only requires a majority vote isn't "trampling the Constitution,"  where returning to original Constitutional principles is?

Watch.  As soon as Bush nominates someone to the Supreme Court who actually believes that the Constitution is still the supreme law of the land the Democrats will declare a filibuster.  Then we'll see how the November Whiskey Republicans react.

TRYING TO SINK BOLTON

The Republicans in the Senate are continuing to lay the wood to the president...this time over his nomination of John Bolton to be ambassador to the U.N.  As you recall, Bolton's nomination sneaked through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a party-line vote.  Opposing the nomination, but sending it to the floor, was Ohio Senator George Voinovich.  Now he's written a letter to his colleagues opposing the coming vote on the Bolton nomination.

Hard to say if enough Senators will go along with it to sink the nomination.  But judging by the 7 that voted for the filibuster deal, there just might be enough to send Bolton packing.  So what are Voinovich's objections?  "In these dangerous times, we cannot afford to put at risk our nation's ability to successfully wage and win the war on terror with a controversial and ineffective ambassador to the United Nations," said the Senator from Ohio.  Apparently Bolton's tough, blunt demeanor and criticism of the UN make him ineffective.

If anything, we need somebody like Bolton now more than ever.  Perhaps the president will get his own nomination through, despite his party.

MORE PROBLEMS AT AIR AMERICA

Things continue to slide downhill at The Liberal Talk Radio network know as Air America.  Just when it looked as if all was going well, people aren't getting paid again.  Now we get to see if liberals really are opposed to the greedy profit motive.  After all, if money doesn't  matter, then shouldn't people work for free?

That appears to be what Air American management thinks.  The latest is that a person who helped develop the network is suing them in court for not paying her what she was due.  She also says she didn't receive the money due for doing some on-air promotional work.

Once again, things don't look good for the beleaguered network.  Better start cashing those checks a little quicker, Al.  Better yet, get direct deposit.  You never know when the doors will be closed.

RAMPANT IGNORANCE

Metal rockers Mutley Cre are so proud.  They managed to sneak the "F" word into a telecast on the Tonight Show.  Wow!  What studs!  Now NBC has banned Mutley Cre from any further appearances on the network.  So, what does Mutley Cre?  They're filing a suit.  They say that their freedom of speech rights are being violated.  They're also complaining that they are losing sales because of the ban.

Are they really this stupid?  Or have they been mesmerized by an attorney out for some big bucks.  One thing we now know.  Mutley Cre members are products of our government school system.  Only government school grads would carry around the idea that freedom of speech means that they can go on a privately owned television network and spout obscenities.

Just another reason for a loser pays system.

HAVE YOU HEARD THIS ONE?

Jim Sheaffer (I think I've spelled his name right.  I know I'm pronouncing it right) was the pilot of that Cessna 150 that strayed into Washington DC airspace a few weeks ago.  He appeared on the Today Show yesterday to tell his tale.  When he was intercepted by that Blackhawk helicopter the Blackhawk crewmen held up a sign telling the Cessna pilot to tune to a particular frequency.  When the Cessna pilot tuned to that frequency and called for instructions there was no answer.  He was then given another frequency.  Again, no response.  Finally F-16s launched some flares and the pilot managed to raise someone on the radio.  He landed in Maryland.  His license has now been revoked.

We learn today that the Homeland Security people were about 15 seconds away from shooting this pilot down.  Fifteen seconds from death.  All his fault, right?

Well ... for those of you who weren't listening to the Boortz Information Overload hour yesterday ... we heard something rather interesting from Jamie Dupree.   Those two frequencies that the Blackhawk crewmembers gave to the Cessna pilot?  There was nobody monitoring those frequencies.  Nobody to hear the Cessna call ... nobody to respond.

This needs more fact checking.  I will ask Jamie today where he got that information.  Jamie is seldom, if ever, wrong.  If this is true, then we almost had a civilian airplane shot down because there was nobody monitoring emergency frequencies while this drama was unfolding.  Only government.

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

We apologize for this in advance. It's wrong in about 5 different ways. Redneck Scrap Book index.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

You hear a lot in the media about the looming trade deficit the United States has with other countries.  Walter E. Williams says the trade deficit doesn't matter.  For example...you probably buy more from the grocery store than they buy from you.  Anybody worried about that trade deficit?

What does Thomas Sowell think of the deal Republicans cut on the filibuster?  He says Republicans had the votes, but didn't have the guts to follow through and change the rules.  Right on target.

Newsweek magazine isn't responding to the cover on its Japanese edition showing an American Flag in a trash can. Makes sense...how on Earth could they possibly defend that one?

So who was the supposed source that leaked the phony Koran in the toilet story to Newsweek reporter Michael Isikoff?  Some believe it was a Bush-bashing CIA analyst.  Just like the State Department, the bureaucracy doesn't always toe the company line.

A Congressional committee says posting 36,000 National Guard troops on the border with Mexico would stop illegal immigration.  Naturally, Mexico is upset about it.

PBS continues to deny it has a leftist, liberal bias.  Can't do much about any problem until you admit there is one, can you?

The head of the newspaper guild pulled an Eason Jordan, accusing the U.S. Military of targeting journalists.  Thomas Lipscomb takes a look at the charge.

So why was there violent rioting in the Middle East after Newsweek published the phony Koran in the toilet story?  Because of the intolerance of Islam, explains Christopher Hitchens.

Article II of the Constitution gives the Senate the responsibility of providing an up or down vote on judicial nominees.  Ben Shapiro explains that it says nothing about giving the minority any "rights."

Democratic Chairman Howard Dean is such a crackpot, Rich Lowry thinks he must be a paid agent for the Republican Party.  How else can you explain his self-destructive behavior?

Check out this story from Associated Press. Can you believe that this is happening? And in San Francisco, of all places!  Now think hard!  Whatever could be causing this?

Congratulations to my friends down there in Ft. Myers and Naples!  You closed down I-75 in both directions, and a crucial overpass ... for one hour!  Why?  It seems there was a fake plastic penis in the roadway.

I thought I could read the entire "Vent" in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution without finding an anti-Bush item.  I was wrong.  You will never read the Vent without coming across an anti-Bush item.  What was I thinking?

Show just how manly your truck is with this fabulous accessory.

Neal as superhero?

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