THE IOWA STRAW POLL

The largest presence at the event was that of Mitt Romney. Big stage - band - huge tent, though not air conditioned.

The second-largest presence would be the Americans for Fair Taxation. Air conditioned tent. Entertainment. Food and drinks. They even had a Ferris Wheel .. renamed the "Fairest Wheel" for the event.

When you read media reports about the straw poll you very seldom, if ever, saw any mention of the FairTax presence. Instead, you saw references to the NRA and "pro-life" groups. This would be because the media seems to like to tie the Republican Party to "gun nuts" and anti-abortion zealots, but doesn't want to lend any credibility by making references to the FairTax. By the way, the NRA had one small tent, and I never did see the anti-choice crowd.

Iowa Republican congressman Steve King spoke at our FairTax rallies, and he was as dynamic a FairTax supporter as I've seen out there. King said one thing that really resonated with me. The federal government has a first lien on anything we produce with our lives. Whatever we do, however we turn our life's energies into the products and services we need to sustain our lives and support our families, the federal government is standing there with its hand out ... ready to enforce that first lien on our lives.

Straw poll winner Mitt Romney is opposed to the FairTax [youtube]. This is because he has been told by his tax advisor that he needs to oppose it. The tax advisor tells him this because he doesn't want to "advise" his way out of a job should Romney actually become the next president. What, after all, would a tax advisor to a president do if there was no federal income tax, no Social Security tax, no Medicare tax, no death tax, no capital gains tax, no dividends tax, no alternative minimum tax and no corporate income taxes?

Mike Huckabee came in second. The former Arkansas governor is a staunch supporter of the FairTax. Americans for FairTaxation brought about 10 busses full of FairTax supporters to the straw poll. Looks like they went to Huckabee. Other candidates are screaming foul. Romney bought dozens of busloads to Ames. Nobody is crying foul.

Newt Gingrich was at the straw poll with his American Solutions road show. The workshop for the FairTax, conducted by John Linder and myself, had a standing room only crowd.

The corn dogs in the FairTax tent were beyond excellent, as were the Iowa people.

More on the air today.

MICHAEL VICK OUT THERE ALL ALONE

The last two Vick co-defendants in the dog fighting case are expected to plead guilty to the charges this week. Then they are expected to cooperate with the federal prosecutors by testifying against Vick.

Talk about not protecting the pocket!

In the meantime, the president of the SCLC wanted to honor Michael Vick last week as an "outstanding human being." Cooler heads within the SCLC prevailed.

TALK RADIO ATTACK ... CONTINUED

Michael Savage is under heat from the city of San Francisco. Supervisor Geraldo Sandoval had decided that a bit of tax money and time ought to be spent considering a resolution condemning talk show host Michael Savage. It would seem that Michael Savage has the odd idea that the laws of this country should be enforced, and that includes the laws relating to immigration. Supervisor Sandoval disagrees; hence the condemnation resolution.

Now what really has Sandoval's knickers in a wad is Savage's reaction to some illegal immigration proponents saying that they were going to fast. Oh my! A fast! I'll alert the media! Stop the presses ... break into Jeopardy! Someone is going to fast!

Savage, it seems, told the fasters that as far as he is concerned they could fast until they starve to death. I'll second the motion.

Oh .. by the way ... since Savage is white, and the fasters are Hispanic ... you know what that means, don't you! Why yes! Of course! Alert! Alert! Racism! Racism!

San Francisco ... I love ya! But where did you get some of these politicians? Is someone conducting science experiments at city hall again?

David Horowitz has it right. He compared Sandoval to Stalin, Hitler and Chavez in their attempts to silence political speech.

YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN

We now have a young man named Anthony Pico who has been in the foster care system all his life. And this is what he has learned ... that staying in the system and receiving financial help for "as long as possible" would be better than being independent.

He says, "I'm an adult, but I don't want to move out. I don't want to start paying rent. If I stay in until I'm 19 or 20, I'll be more stable and maybe I won't repeat the cycle." Maybe.

This is the type of mentality that our government teachers our children. Don't do anything on your own ... don't worry about actually being responsible or useful ... the government will take care of you.

As for Pico? A Democrat, obviously. Maybe his first job will be working on a Democrat Party voter drive somewhere.

MORE GOOD NEWS FROM IRAQ

Yesterday USAToday reported that the troop surge in Iraq seems to be working. More good news while we're awaiting General Petraeus' report in September.

We're learning now that truck bombs and large al Qaeda attacks in Iraq have decreased nearly 50% since the troop surge began. Other attacks on markets, mosques and "soft" targets have dropped from 130 in March to 70 in July.

USA Today also reports increased security has led to more tips from civilian Iraqis. U.S. military officers received four times as many tips this year than they did last year, averaging 23,000 per month.

OK ... every listen up. Somewhere in Washington there's a Democrat pissing and moaning about what bad news this is ... for Democrats.

MUSLIM APPEASEMENT IN EUROPE

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the EU. Each year the government receives 500 to 600 applications asking for permission to protest in the capital. Out of the last five years, only 6 applications have been denied ... for example, a Kurdish terrorist organization was not allowed to protest.

The Mayor of Brussels, Freddy Thielemans, has turned down another application. He is prohibiting a demonstration against the Islamization of Europe, an anti-Sharia demonstration to be held on 9/11.

Why not allow the demonstration? Oh, come on. You can't guess? The Mayor is worried that it will upset "the large immigrant population of Brussels." Now what he means, of course, is that the demonstration might twist some turbans .. it might get some Muslims upset. Oh my Allah. We can't allow that to happen, can we?

In the Brussels area about 17% of residents are Muslim, a large part having come from Morocco. If 17% doesn't make you happy, hold on. The numbers are increasing. Thielemans says that Muslims "might not tolerate native Europeans protesting against their continent becoming Eurabia."

Oh yeah .. that would be a shame, wouldn't it?

Freddy Thielemans is a Socialist. His Socialist Party holds more seats in parliament than any other party ... and over half of the Socialist counselors in parliament are Muslims.

Thielemans himself is an atheist who likes Muslims - I kid you not - because he hates Christians. When Pope John Paul II died in 2005, Thielemans was at a cocktail party with the mayor of a French province. When Thielemans received word of the Pope's death he ordered "Champagne for everyone!"

Even the French guy walked out.

We had better keep our eye on what's happening in Europe, my friends. We're not far behind. Inch by inch these Muslim radicals push their agenda ... and inch by inch we cede them territory. Political correctness at work.

WHILE WE'RE ON EUROPE'S CASE ...

In Britain, the National Health Service has ordered that all of its employees refrain from eating at their desks next month.

Why? Because next month is Ramadan. Yup ... that's right, a Muslim holiday which many Muslims seem to like celebrating by killing Jews. While killing Jews during Ramadan might not upset Muslims, a non-believer eating at his desk surely will; thus the order from the NHS' Equality and Diversity Officer.

So .... During September inside the great British health care system there will be no "working lunches." Sure don't want to offend those Muslims, do we? All food trolleys will be removed from parts of the hospital where Muslims work, so that it doesn't tempt them.

Next month will also include ensured breaks for Muslim staff to pray and time off to celebrate at the end of Ramadan. So don't have a heart attack when it is time for the Muslim doctors to pray. If you do ... ask them to pray for you. Because they most definitely will not be saving your life.

By the way ... there is no word as to whether or not Muslim doctors will stop planning more attacks on Britain during Ramadan. Planning attacks on infidels doesn't upset Muslims ... eating at your desk does.

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

How can you tell if a redneck has a DUI conviction? This just might be a clue. More in the Redneck Scrap Book.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

It's unstoppable. Socialized medicine --- the politicians like to cal it "universal health care" --- is on the way. For those of you celebrating this, maybe you would like to look at this video.

The Clinton Library has locked away all documents pertaining to Hillary .. until after the 2008 vote. Anyone surprised?

Karl Rove is leaving the Bush Administration. Here is a look at Rove's brain .. and why he drives liberals nuts.

Ok so I'm sure you've heard by now but Karl Rove resigned. No he wasn't pushed out of Washington ... he is simply moving on. Here he discusses it with USAToday.

The Border Patrol is looking for a few good men ... to help build that fence to stop the Mexican invasion ... the very same invasion that Washington doesn't seem to want to stop.

Meanwhile .. .back on the front lines. We have a drunk driver in a wreck in Houston. A family of three is killed. The drunk driver's name is Salinas. Yup, you got it. Illegal alien. Part of the Mexican invasion.

"Activists" in Connecticut are complaining. They say that violent deaths in urban centers don't get the same media attention as suburban violence. Tell you what: As long as that "don't snitch" crap is being pushed in the urban culture, let them wallow in the violence they're protecting.

Where's the mainstream media's coverage of NASA's huge mistake in reporting air temperature ... which basically dismantles everyone's entire argument for "climate change"? Mainstream coverage? Bwaaahahahahahaha!

The Democrats are offering their many solutions to the "mortgage meltdown." It's government regulation to the rescue. Hey .. how's this for a solution. If you borrowed over your head to buy a home, you lose the home. If you made stupid loans to non-qualified borrowers .. you lose your business. Works for me.

College professors are pouring millions of dollars into the 2008 presidential election. Anyone want to guess as to whether they donating to Republicans or Democrats?

Has the NYTimes had a change of heart on the war in Iraq? Take a look at their latest editorial acknowledging that America will have to stay in Iraq for several years.

The Philadelphia School District has dropped all celebratory history months in order to avoid having to include a month devoted to gay and lesbian history.

Tommy Thompson is out of the Republican race for president.

Day after day I come up with government outrages. This article gives a good description of Rep. Jeff Flake's attempts to curb pork barrel spending in the House ... and how Congress is upset - apparently talking about earmarks is a "waste of time."

A British parliamentary committee says that Britain should negotiate with Hamas - a terrorist organization - and that not doing so will cause more harm than good.

Meanwhile, a man in Britain is being fined for wearing an "offensive" t-shirt saying, "Don't piss me off! I am running out of places to hide the bodies." Actually, I think it's kind of clever. My favorite t-shirt is the one with a picture of that murdering SOB Che Guevara on the front and a caption that says "I have no idea in hell who this man is."

Democrats say that the government should stop "penny pinching" (aka. spend cost-effectively) and increase advertising contracts to minorities. Wouldn't it be nice if some one would tell minorities to start trying harder to qualify for contracts?

Here's a short clip from Hamas TV where Nahoul, the bee that took over for the now-deceased Mickey Mouse, abuses animals to prove a point.

Do you suffer from e-mail stress? Oh give me a break. How long before tax dollars are used to treat people who are "addicted" to e-mail.

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