OK, Early Predictions Time for the November Midterm Elections.

These are subject to change, of course, as news and events unfold in the months to come. First, I am going to go ahead and predict that the repubs will seize a majority in the House. Is it entirely possible that such will not occur? Certainly, but I think the GOP will be able to pull that one off. Second, I do not think the repubs will win a majority in the Senate (where only one-third of the seats are up for election in November). It's possible they could, but I think it's a real longshot. Let me put it this way: I think the chances of the repubs winning neither the House nor Senate are greater than the chances of the repubs winning both. I'll also throw in one other prediction: Look for dems in October (as well as after the elections) to claim huge victory in only losing the House. I mean, if Nancy Pelosi can claim victory after the dems' gubernatorial defeats in NJ and VA last year, I think these dems will claim victory in just about anything.

So what do I want to see happen in November? Well, the outcome that I'm predicting (repubs win the House but not the Senate) would be just fine with me because it would restore some balance of power to DC. I never again want to see either of these two parties in complete control of the presidency, House and Senate, which is what we saw in 2009 and which is what we still have, save the end of the dems' supermajority in the Senate following Scott Brown's victory. I think we've seen that the results can be fairly scary when we permit either of these two parties to have complete control of our federal government, and I very much want to see a big dent put in the DC dems' power come November.

Holy Merde! She Just Keeps 'A Changin'!

Hills reality star Heidi Montag shows up in Vegas this week to let people gawk at the results of her most recent plastic surgeries (pic above/link below). But if you couldn't make it, don't worry: Since she plans to continue to tinker with the tools through more surgeries (she says she's not entirely satisfied yet), the current Heidi is not yet a final draft, and so you'll be able to catch that later. Her top priority? Well, she's not satisfied with the size of her breasts and actually wants to keep adding on! (She claims she currently has the largest fake boobs allowed by law -- although I had never known before that there was any such limit!)

But alas, all is not completely rosey in this bizarre picture. It seems that all of the changes have left Heidi a bit out of sorts. She claims she's unable to jog anymore and is reluctant to receive hugs from others. "I'm very fragile," she says. It must be nice to be her husband, Spencer Pratt, as I can only imagine some of the things she must be telling him these days (e.g., "Get Your Meat Hooks Off a Me! -- I'm Fragile, Damn You!"). Good grief.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1265319/Heidi-Montag-unveils-new-look-bikini-body---10-surgeries-shes-happy-it.html

New Reality Show "What Chilli Wants" Premieres Tonight on VH-1! I'm Hooked!

The show features TLC's Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas (first pictured above) in her search for the right man, with renowned relationship specialist and blogger Tionna Smalls (second picture above) trying to help Chilli find that perfect dude. (BTW, Tionna has actually visited and commented on this blog before, which was very cool!) Some observations from this inaugural episode:

First, Chilli has this wild-ass and extensive "Chilli checklist" (which frustrates Tionna to no end) of attributes that her potential beau must have in order to be a bona fide candidate for her hand. Here's a non-exhaustive list (everything I can recall) of the criteria: (1) No drinking; (2) No smoking; (3) No eating pork; (4) Must love God; (5) Must be gorgeous; (6) Must have a washboard stomach (at least a 4-pack, because Chilli says we can work on the other 2); (7) Must love kids; (8) Must have no more than 2 baby mamas; (9) Must ultimately want marriage and to have a kid; (10) Must be sensitive and charming; and (11) Last, but certainly not least (this appears to be very important to Chilli), the dude must be LARGE where it counts! So let's just get this out of the way real quick: How does The Independent Rage stack up with the Chilli Checklist? Well, about all I can say about that is -- If Chilli is willing to compromise on just a few things, I can officially say that I have never smoked! Translation: I'm Out.

Second, the question becomes, what's are Chilli's prospects going forward given the two men currently in her life based on the first episode: (1) Christian "Chris" Harrington (which I hope I'm spelling correctly), a cool, charismatic dude who's with an ATL engineering firm and whom Chilli met at a social function for ATL mayor Kasim Reed; and (2) Floyd Mayweather (yes, THAT Floyd Mayweather, perhaps the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world today), with whom Chilli has been close friends for 3 years.

I have to say, there's some real chemistry between Chilli and Chris. Chilli was absolutely blushing and having trouble putting together a coherent sentence the first time she met him: That's huge. That sort of thing is like straight outta Godfather (Part One) when Michael is struck by a lightning bolt upon his first sight of the gorgeous Apollonia Vitelli over in Sicily. I've known that same feeling before myself, and it's not to be underestimated. During their first date thereafter, the dude even divulged that he eats pork, and it wasn't a deal-breaker for Chilli (she gave him a a pass and is definitely interested in a second date)! (BTW, most dudes, apart from Samuel L Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction, eat pork, which makes that perhaps her most stringent item on Chilli's Checklist -- I'm glad to see she gave Chris a pass). Bottom line, I see some real potential between Chilli and Chris.

As for Floyd: My gut impression is that it just ain't ever happenin'. I think Chilli would be interested in taking their friendship to a new level, but I don't see it from Floyd. He as much as said so tonight. I just view that as a dead end in terms of a more-than-friends relationship, although it's great that they have developed such a close and real friendship.

And just to whet our appetites for more, the scenes from upcoming episodes included these highlights: (1) Tionna reaching her full boiling point with Chilli, storming off at one point, and also shouting, "I'm trying to help you -- I can take my ass back to Brooklyn!"; and (2) Chilli proclaiming, in best The Nature Boy Ric Flair spirit, "The way God built me, I'm supposed to be some guy's wife!" -- I love that kind of over-the-top talk! So check in again next Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. central time. I know I'll be!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0zJSgHDnpw

1 Year & Counting for The Independent Rage! And the Fun's Only Begun!

On today's one-year anniversary of this space, let me just say that it's been such a pleasure over the past year blasting the far left and far right and keeping a close eye on the ruling Obama & The Dems in Washington DC. So much so, in fact, that I think I'm just gonna have to keep it up! Besides, I think the next seven months counting down to the November midterm elections are going to make the last eight months since the August of Discontent look like a church picnic.

It's definitely no time to be asleep at the wheel, folks. Keep your eyes wide open and, for goodness sakes, vote in November! In the meantime, to all you loony left-wingers and deranged right-wingers, I and others like me are not going anywhere anytime soon, and always remember: We Independents always decide your elections and, therefore, your political fate.

Two Boys For Every Girl? And We're Not Talking About Some Strange Jan & Dean "Surf City" Bizarro World Over Here...

Instead it's a reference to what's being described as a despicable, systematic and ongoing culture of "gendercide" in "The People's Republic" of China -- which, BTW, is by far the largest holder of American debt from among the world's nations. From a column by Peter Hitchens (younger brother of writer Christopher Hitchens) appearing in today's Daily Mail of Britain:

“Gendercide: China's shameful massacre of unborn girls means there will soon be 30m more men than women -- In the cruel old China, baby girls were often left to die in the gutters. In the cruel modern China, they are aborted by the tens of millions, using all the latest technology. There is an ugly new word for this mass slaughter: gendercide. Thanks to a state policy which has limited many families to one child since 1979, combined with an ancient and ruthless prejudice in favour of sons, the world's new superpower is beginning the century of its supremacy with an alarming surplus of males. By the year 2020, there will be 30 million more men than women of marriageable age in this giant empire, so large and so different (its current population is 1,336,410,000) that it often feels more like a separate planet than just another country. Nothing like this has ever happened to any civilisation before.”

Read the full Hitchens column: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1265068/China-The-worlds-new-superpower-beginning-century-supremacy-alarming-surplus-males.html

Share the Road -- Or Else! "Psycho Cycler" Allegedly Goes Ape, Takes His Revenge, in the Big Apple.

Don't mess with the cyclists. First, they have a right to be out on the road. Second, they might just kick your ass, as allegedly occurred in New York City yesterday. The linked New York Post item tells the story of the alleged "psycho cyclist" -- 20-year-old Perzeus Forte (pictured above) -- who is also variously described as the "raging cyclist," "the belligerent biker," and the "bike messenger-gone-wild" (you have to love The Post!). The cycler, who claimed he was grazed by a limo on a Manhattan street, allegedly "flipped out, ditching his wheels and sprinting 100 yards" after the limo (BTW, wouldn't it have been faster to chase the limo on the bike?). And that's when business really started to pick up, as a "savage road rage attack" allegedly ensued.

It's alleged that the cycler, once he caught up with the limo, threw himself upon the hood and screamed, "I'm going to kill you, mother f---er!" Apparently that was no idle threat, as the cyclist then allegedly proceeded to batter the windshield with his bare fists until the windshield was smashed to bits. Then he allegedly tore out the front passenger window and went after the driver -- 49-year-old Darr Mohammed -- and "clocked him right in the face." Just for good measure, it's alleged, the cyclist then tried to tear the driver's shirt off, ripping "the breast pocket of his blue dress shirt" (the shirt's color being a particularly relevant fact).

Following the incident, the limo driver said he was just glad to be alive. He claimed that during the attack, he was "socked in left eye," resulting in a black eye. Plus, the blue shirt's ruined. All in all, the limo driver estimates that he's about 1000 bucks out-of-pocket. But he's relieved, since he thought was a goner: "He was running like he was possessed . . . I swear to God I thought I was a dead man."

The cyclist, to his credit, didn't run away. After "fellow bikers peddled up and calmed him down before he could do further damage," the cyclist "turned his attention to his blood-soaked hands, plucking out shards of glass while waiting for the cops." He's been charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment. But what about the property damage, particularly the tattered blue shirt? No word yet, apparently.

http://www.newyorkpost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/psycho_cycler_revenge_ldcv38M2qbZUHVU5MXvSPJ

How About This Lineup OfDeranged Right-Wingers!?

Topping the Million-Hits-A-Day DrudgeReport tonight is this silly string of right-winger utterances:

"GINGRICH: Obama 'most radical president ever'...
LIMBAUGH: Obama 'living his life of royalty... inflicting untold damage on this great country'...
PALIN: Obama's Nuke Stance Like Kid Who Says 'Punch Me in Face'...
LIZ CHENEY: Obama Putting America on 'Path to Decline'...
SAVAGE: 'Obama The Destroyer'..."

Not sure what Drudge is trying to accomplish here. When many Independents such as myself see such a motley crew of ultra-conservatives conglomerated in one place, it tends to be a bit off-putting (OK, more than just "a bit").

But let's get down to brass tacks: Is Obama the most left-wing president of my lifetime? Without question. Are Obama & The Dems and their far left progressive powerbrokers trying to force the country in an ultra-left-wing direction that an overwelming majority of the country does not want? Indisputable. But frankly, I don't need the Rush Slimebaughs and Michael Savages of the world to point these things out to me. I have two eyes, after all.

Why You, I Oughta!"The Angriest Electorate in Decades"

That's a headline today on Politico.com (link below). What was that again, Obama & The Dems? Something about everything being rosey in November "now that health care has passed." I would accuse you of being delusional, but in this instance I don't think even you folks believe those words as they come out of your own mouths. Excerpt from Politico's story:

"The upcoming midterm elections will feature the angriest electorate in at least two decades, according to a new Gallup Poll, an ominous sign for the Democratic Party as it attempts to retain control of Congress. The poll shows that only 49 percent of voters would vote to reelect their own member of Congress, with 40 percent saying they don’t deserve to be reelected. Those are the worst numbers for incumbents in the 18 years that Gallup has asked that question including the period prior to the historic 1994 Republican sweep, and the 2006 midterms when Democrats regained control of Congress . . . A whopping 65 percent of respondents also said that most members of Congress, in general, don’t deserve to be reelected — by far the highest number in the last 18 years. The previous high was 58 percent in March 1992."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35548.html

"NICE LADY"?!?

"Nice lady" was one of the famous catchphrases of Jackie Gleason's Buford T. Justice character in the old film Smokey & The Bandit (first link below), and now it's being used by conservative Senator Tom Coburn (R-Ok.) to describe House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (second link below) -- and yes, he's being serious. In the same comments (which Coburn made in a recent town hall meeting), Coburn tells constituents that they should not get their news solely from FoxNews (suggesting also CNN, for example). The right-wing talking heads are UP IN ARMS over these comments today, while left-wingers must be having a field day.

I'm largely inclined to stay out of this one and let the right and left have one of their little pi$$ing matches. So I have just a few comments here: (1) Is it good advice that people should look to a variety of sources for their news and information, and not just FoxNews? Absolutely. (2) Is Nancy Pelosi a "nice lady"? Irrelevant. Who cares? All I know is that I have found many of her words and actions completely repulsive over the past year, topping things off by ram-rodding into law a health care monstrosity against the clear will of the American people. I really couldn't care less whether, on a face-to-face personal level, she's a "nice lady."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jTz9Ldia18
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35446.html

Dem Minions & All of Their Money & Resources Are Currently Secretly Slinking Into PA & Hawaii to Avoid More Embarrassing Dem Special Election Losses..

...next month. As usual, dems say one thing ("we have real momentum now that health care has passed") and do another (i.e. know full well that such statements are complete and utter bull$hit and therefore pour all of their massive resources from without into local election races -- not that the GOP, admittedly, acts much differently). But one thing's for sure: Independents will decide both of these elections, just as they decide all elections. That fact must constantly irk the far-leftist and right-winger powerbrokers in these two parties to NO END! Which does my heart good on a daily basis! Anyway, Politico.com (the best and most even-handed political website out there) was all over this story today. Read more at this link:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35422.html

Please Allow Me to Introduce the Newest Member of the Republican Party: Porn Star Stormy Daniels!

As discussed previously in this space, Daniels has all but made if official that she will run for U.S. Senate this fall against incumbent David Vitter (D-La.). The only mystery remaining was whether she would run as democrat, republican or Independent. Well today she made it official: She's joining the GOP! (Link at bottom).

But the embarrassment doesn't end there for the republicans, as Daniels today indicated that the recent republican Voyeur West Hollywood nightclub scandal played no small role in her decision to join up! Of course, that was the incident where a republican donor was reimbursed almost $2000 by the republican national committee for the tab that the donor ran up at the "lesbian bondage-themed" nightclub. I've gotta think that RNC Chairman Michael Steele's days are numbered, since every conservative in the country wants him fired and today's news will only add fuel to the far-right's fire. For example, just wait until they read some of today's quotes straight from the horse's (errrr, porn star's) mouth:

"As someone who has worked extensively in both the club and film side of the adult entertainment industry, I know from experience that a mere $1,900 outlay at a club with the reputation of Voyeur is a clear indication of a frugal investment with a keen eye toward maximum return . . . I have been a registered Democrat throughout my life. But now I cannot help but recognize that over time my libertarian values regarding both money and sex and the legal use of one for the other [are] now best espoused by the Republican Party." Ouch.

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1004/stormy_daniels_switches_teams.html

Obama's Foreign Policies Make Middle America Feel SO MUCH SAFER! Don't You Agree?

NOT. Tonight it's reported that Obama is about to announce a new policy of foreclosing any possibility of using nuclear weapons against another country EVEN IF that country hits us with chemical or biological weapons (chemical weapon victim pictured above), SO LONG AS that same country hasn't made any new nuclear weapons of their own! (And to you radical far-left progressives who ALWAYS DENY precisely what it is that your Obama & The Dems are proposing and want to accomplish, I'm just parroting what your beloved New York Times is reporting tonight).

WOW! Obama's new proposal sure makes a lot of sense! Why not just send a formal invitation to non-nuclear nations to hit us with chemical and biological weapons? As I've said before in this space, the dems are so completely delusional if they think that the Independent Rage that's been sweeping the country for months and months is somehow going to miraculously disappear by November "now that health care has passed." We CONTINUE to look forward to seeing you in November, Obama & The Dems!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/world/06arms.html

Women Take to the Streets Topless in Portland, Maine This Weekend!

They did so to protest society's double standard when it comes to the acceptability of men appearing in public shirtless versus the unacceptability of women failing to cover their "upper torsos" in public (link below). They actually weren't doing anything illegal since, reportedly, "Maine's nudity laws only apply to exposed genitals."

But here's the thing that I don't get: Apparently many of the topless marchers were "surprised" and "upset" that a number of men showed up for this event and took pictures. Are you kidding me? The only "surprise" would have been if men didn't show up to take pictures. Now that would have had me wondering. Just look at the faces of some of these dudes -- they really did seem to be enjoying themselves. And as for being "upset," I say that if you choose to walk down a public street topless and are anticipating that only stone-faced men will be there sporting no cameras, then you might just need to have examined that thing that appears immediately above your "upper torso." Just a thought.

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/topless-women-protestors-surprised-upset-as-men-show-up-with-cameras/story-e6frfku0-1225850121971

For the Few Dem House Members Holding Townhalls Over Their "Spring Break," They Are Getting Largely a Repeat of the August of Discontent.

(Link below regarding a couple of such townhalls). Most of the democrat House members have run for the hills, of course, during their current "spring break", in acts of pure political cowardice -- much like my so-called "representative," Dennis Moore of Johnson County, Kansas, who refused to hold a townhall last August and sure as hell won't be holding any during "spring break" since he's quitting the House faster than Sarah Palin on a Fourth of July weekend. As to the few dems who actually had the character to hold townhalls over "spring break" and to listen to their constituents, I give you HUGE credit for that even if I vehemently disagree with your health care vote. For all the myriad other dem house members who routinely hide in a cave from their constituents: Get some character. And BTW, I'm still waiting over here for the general public to "forget all about health care once it passed." Not happenin' dems. Sorry.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35375.html

The Very High Risk That Obama & The Dems Run By Trying to Demonize the Tea Partiers...

To preface, let me first say, as I have often in this space, the tea party movement is a movement dominated by conservatives, and I as a result have had no real desire to join them and don't plan to do so. But when Obama & The Dems go around beating a constant drum of trying to characterize the tea partiers as a bunch ultra right-wing fringe loons, they run some very high political risks since many of the core tea party movement positions and principles are either shared by, or are not too far off from, those held by Independents as well as many non-liberal dems. So tread at your own risk, Obama & The Dems. Juan Williams, a generally reasonable-minded liberal democrat, said it best in his piece in today's Wall Street Journal (link to full article at the bottom):

"Democrats cannot win elections without capturing the votes of independent-minded swing voters. And that is where writing off the tea party as a bunch of racist kooks becomes self-destructive. The tea party outrage over health-care reform, deficit spending and entitlements run amok is no fringe concern. And it is insulting to all voters to suggest that criticism of President Obama, even by people who want to throw him out of office, is motivated by racism...."

"Tea party activists are surprisingly mainstream when it comes to their grievances about politics. They fit right in with most American voters who tell pollsters the country has been headed in the wrong direction under both Presidents Bush and Obama. A Pew poll in early March found 71% of Americans 'dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today.' Republicans and Democrats in Congress have low ratings —23% and 31% approval respectively, according to Pew."

"A Fox poll in February found that 59% say they don't trust the federal government. A CNN poll the same month reported results that suggest 56% are well beyond mere mistrust: They agree that the federal government is 'so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens.'"

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052702304252704575155942054483252.html

I've Heard of Drinking Beer and Paying the Price in the Morning, But THIS Is Ridiculous!

A 33-year-old Malaysian woman, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, was sentenced to be caned in public after she was caught drinking some beer in a bar. But is there now a happy ending to this sad story? Maybe. It's been reported over the last 24 hours that her sentence has been "reduced to community service" (link below). But think about it. If they cane you in Malaysia for such offenses as beer drinking and gambling, then one can only imagine what might be entailed under the umbrella of "community service." I'm reminded of all the old hoosegow movies of the '60s and '70s (e.g., Cool Hand Luke, Brubaker, etc.), complete with chain gangs, scorching suns, little water, and no sun block. Maybe she should have just taken the caning. It would have been quick, leastways.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.e48dcd2d7eded7c7afce6bcae05990d1.671&show_article=1

SHOCK: Carcass of "Bigfoot"-Similar Creature Reportedly Found This Week Inside Dormant Oregon Volcano.

(Link below -- The above pic is the old alleged pic from the 70's). The alleged primate carcass was reportedly discovered by volcanologists who were conducting research inside Mount Hood. Apparently they have not yet released any photos (and I still won't believe all of this until I see a picture), but the researchers claim the carcass is that of a large man-like creature, over six-and-a-half feet tall, and covered with brownish/redish fur. They say the carcass was in the beginning stages of decomposition when they found it, and they speculate that the creature must have fallen into the volcano from above since no other access to Mount Hood's interior is known. "We think this may be the most significant biological discovery in at least 100 years," one of the researchers is quoted as saying. A 2:00 p.m. (PST) press conference has reportedly been scheduled by the researchers. (Hopefully, one or more of the national news networks will pick this presser up, IF it actually even occurs.)

So Wow! (?) I believed in Bigfoots (or is it, Bigfeet?) when I was a kid and was always afraid I'd run across one. However, as an adult, I have come to the viewpoint that people who believe in and search for Bigfoots are wackos. Perhaps they are about to prove me wrong (but SHOW ME A PIC OR A BODY FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!) -- we'll see...

http://www.oregonnews.net/portland/index.ssf/2010/03/researchers_claim_discovery_of.html

Will Porn Star Stormy Daniels Run for the U.S. Senate As An Independent?

The news today is that Daniels has announced that on Tax Day, she will reveal whether she intends to challenge incumbent republican David Vitter in this year's Louisiana Senate race. In other words, it's almost a certainty she's running. But here's the real question: Will she run as an Independent? She formed an exploratory committee about a year ago concerning this race, and so far she has not declared a party, leaving open the possibility that she'll be an Independent.

Now, I've often said that I would like to see a hell of a lot more Independents running for office instead of just settling for choosing between the lesser of two evils in every single election. But is that agenda really advanced if it's a porn star that's running as an Independent? Well, I guess not exactly. But still, how hilarious would it be for someone like that to run as an Independent and actually toss a dem or repub out of office? I would love it. And in the crazy political climate we have this year (in which Independents are angrier that I've ever seen them in my life), more Independents should run. You never know, you might just win.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=76991&catid=155

Some Good News Tonight, For a Change. And From Iran?

ABC News is reporting tonight that an Iranian nuclear scientist has defected from Iran and has resettled in the United States. While I doubt we'll ever be privy to what this guy has to say about Iran's nuclear program, I'm sure he told our government everything he knows (since the CIA apparently worked with this guy concerning his defection to the U.S.), which is only a good thing tonight. And I wonder if ole Mahmoud still had that stupid little grin on his mug when he found out about this? Doubt it. Nice.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/iran-nuclear-scientist-defects-us-cia-intelligence-coup/story?id=10231729

Scary Days: Apparently If You Criticize the New Health Care Law, Obama & The Dems Will Haul You Into Congress to be Grilled & Berated.

Last week, a number of large companies (including John Deere, Caterpillar, 3M and AT&T, just to name a few) came out with statements indicating that Obama & The Dems' new health care law will raise their non-cash expenses, hit their earnings, and affect their stock prices by making it more costly to provide prescription drug coverage to retired workers. Obviously, that's not the sort of thing that Obama & The Dems really want to hear. So what do they do about it? On Friday, democrat congressman Henry Waxman (pictured) fired off a letter to several of these companies demanding that they appear for a House subcommittee hearing in April in order to explain why they made those statements last week (link below).

Folks, this is outrageous, pathetic and, frankly, un-American. In this country, we have a little piece of law that is completely unique in the entire course of human history -- It's called the First Amendment. It permits individuals and companies to freely criticize government and the laws that government enacts. And when the government's controlling party imposes adverse consequences upon you for criticizing a policy or law of that party -- such as hauling you in to be verbally accosted and harassed at a congressional hearing -- then what is likely to result is a complete chilling of free speech (since who in their right mind would really want to be taken to task by a congressional subcommittee). Explained another way, Obama & The Dems apparently figure that if they put the screws to these companies for saying something negative about one of their policies, then other companies and individuals will think twice in the future before they say anything negative about Obama & The Dems' policies.

This is a direct assault on perhaps the most fundamental right that he have as Americans (and I believe one of most natural rights shared by all human beings) -- The right to freely express yourself. This assault on the First Amendment by Obama & The Dems should be condemned from all sides. If only this had been the first time that we've seen this sort of thing from these people.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Democrats-threaten-companies-hit-hard-by-health-care-bill-89347127.html

Who Do Obama & The Dems Think They Are This Week, The Nature Boy Ric Flair!?

The linked story aptly describes, in my opinion, the tone and theme of Obama & The Dems current rhetoric regarding their jammed-through health care monstrosity: "You'll Learn to Like It!" For me, such description immediately harkened back to the Glory Days of none other than myriad-time World Heavyweight Champion The Nature Boy Ric Flair. Back in the day, one of his most favorite and oft-repeated lines was, "Whether you like it or you don't like it, learn to love it, because it's the best thing going in this business today!" The only thing missing from Obama & The Dems' current talking points is an obligatory "WOOOOOOO!" every now and then. I would think that they could muster up at least one. I can't see Pelosi or Reid doing much of a "WOO", but Obama or Biden? Most def. I just hope they don't enlist Howard Dean, because he would take the "WOO" way too far (namely to South Carolina, Oklahoma, Arizona, North Dakota, New Mexico, etc., etc.).

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/28/lawmakers-willing-gamble-public-anger-health-care/

How Does John McCain Get Away This Weekend With Not Taking a Stand on a Controversial New Arizona Immigration Law?

(Link below). Last night I was accused on a political message board -- Tigerboard.com's Politics Board -- of never taking a stand on anything. For anyone who takes a look at this space from time to time, of course, such an accusation is patently absurd. For example, did I coin the phrases "Black Christmas" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" because I was some mushed-mouthed "moderate" unable to make up his mind on Obama & The Dems' health care monstrosity?

But do I take a stand on every single issue that's out there in the political realm? Hell no, I don't. There are some issues that I consider to be close calls and with which I continue to grapple in my own mind (or want to become more informed), and there also are plenty of other issues (e.g., gay marriage, whether to close GITMO, etc.) that (1) I view to be issues that are of huge concern to the far right and far left (I call them Right vs. Left Pissing Match issues) but not really to most folks in Middle America and (2) I really couldn't give a rat's ass about either way! I largely leave those types of issues alone in this space, and there's nothing liberals or conservatives can do about it, frankly, since this is my space. If you don't like it, get your own damn blog and rant about those issues there.

Which brings me to the subject of McCain. Unlike me, McCain is a politician! In my view, once you throw your hat into that arena, you have an obligation to take a stand on just about any issue with which you are confronted or asked about (even if it is one that you really don't care too much about). You need either to state a position or say that you're not yet informed enough on the issue (and then within a week become informed and release your position). This weekend, when asked for his position on the controversial immigration bill that's about to become law in Arizona (and which would allow police to charge illegal immigrants with criminal trespassing for being within the boundaries of Arizona and which is being called by some the toughest immigration enforcement bill in the country), McCain refused to take any position, using the tremendously weak excuse that "it's a state issue."

It's obvious what's going on here: (1) McCain faces a tough republican senate primary challenge this year from another republican who is more conservative than McCain; (2) McCain likely has issues with the new Arizona law (since he was an advocate of the failed national immigration reform legislation that conservatives hated so much in recent years); and (3) McCain doesn't want to take a position in opposition to the new law since Arizona conservatives would not like that. I'm sorry, but I cannot accept the justification that McCain is simply playing "good politics." He's an elected politician, and he needs to take a position, for better or for worse.

Much like Obama, McCain utterly failed to impress me in the 2008 campaign -- Both just struck me, among many other things, as just typical politicians (albeit I was impressed, from a purely political perspective, with Obama's ability during that campaign to never commit any political miscues). So I followed my typical practice of voting third party and against these two parties whom I do not trust nor like. Unfortunately, neither Obama nor McCain has done much of anything since to disprove (in my mind) precisely what I thought of them in 2008.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/arizona-state-law-promises-toughest-illegal-immigration/story?id=10212698

Postscript: Nice legs, Sarah (she's campaigning for McCain in Arizona this weekend).

I Like the '80s, But Do Today's Teens & 20-Somethings Really Want To Be Battered Over the Head With Them All Year Long?

Hollywood apparently thinks so; either that, or it's just fresh out of original ideas. In addition to the current '80s-themed "Hot Tub Time Machine," check out this list of upcoming motion picture releases (link below):

-Clash of the Titans (4/2 release) (I guess this makes some sense given the new 3-D genre).

-The Karate Kid (6/11 release) (I would leave the original alone).

-The A-Team (6/11 release) (a personal favorite of mine).

-Red Dawn (11/24 release) (This time the Chinese invade. The original's OK for nostalgia, but that's about it. Why would you remake this?).

-The Thing (2011 release) (the '80s version was itself a remake, so why not?).

-21 Jumpstreet (no release date yet) (I hadn't even heard this title since the '80s themselves -- Why remake?).

-Poltergeist (no release date yet) (Will this movie be "cursed" like the original was?).

-Ghostbusters III (no release date yet) (Enough already!).

-The Smurfs (no release date yet) (Good Grief! NO!).

Looking at this list, I think the only one which I have any real interest in seeing is The A-Team. That's partly because I want to see if the A-Team actually kills their first bad guy this time around.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-eighties28-2010mar28,0,802635.story

Breaking News From My Congressional District: Wife of Outgoing Kansas Dem Congressman Dennis Moore Will Run for Hubby's Seat.

(Link below from the Kansas City Star; Moore, BTW and appropriately enough, is pictured on the far left above in the Nancy Pelosi photo op).

This is great news! Because now I will have a Moore to vote against in November! I had been greatly disappointed by Moore's decision not to run, but this almost makes up for it. Moore, for the record, voted for Obama & The Dems' health care monstrosity both last fall and this past Sunday. He refused to hold a townhall meeting last August to hear what we think about the dems' health care legislation, and now he's runnin' for the hills. It will be interesting to observe whether his wife, in contrast, will actually have the courage to listen to the viewpoints of her potential constituents during the campaign.

Postscript: How about liberal Steve Kraske's line in the linked story about Stephene Moore (Dennis' wife) perhaps not having to face quite as tough a political climate in November now that the dems' have passed a health care bill. Mr. Kraske: See my blog post immediately below this one -- Many of us Independents have already made up our minds. Your people sealed that deal with Sunday's vote. Take me for example: If the bill had gone down to defeat, there's a very good chance that in November, I would have followed my usual practice of voting for a third party candidate as a protest vote against our two B.S. parties. But after Sunday, that ain't happenin'. Not in November, leastways.

Further postscript: Is that Paul Simon to Pelosi's left in the picture above? I think it is! A true rock and pop music legend, even if he might think about keeping a little better company! ;)

http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/21840