The Happy Circumstance

What Happens When You Incite The Mob?

2009-11-24T14:00:00.000-06:00

The FBI is investigating whether anti-government sentiment led to the hanging
death of a U.S. Census worker near a Kentucky cemetery. A law
enforcement official told The Associated Press the word 'fed" was scrawled on
the dead man's chest.

The body of Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old part-time
Census field worker and teacher, was found Sept. 12 in a remote patch of the
Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky. The Census has
suspended door-to-door interviews in rural Clay County, where the body was
found, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Updated 11/24: As an alert reader has pointed out, police have now ruled Sparkman's death a suicide. Investigators did note that anti-government sentiment had a part in the death, if only as being a danger perceived by Sparkman.
Now police believe that Sparkman had staged his death.
Investigators said that prior to his death Bill Sparkman had talked about suicide and also about anti-government sentiment in the rural area where he worked.
This is a tragic story no matter the cause.

Because It Makes Me Happy

2009-11-18T07:15:00.001-06:00

All the stapler scenes at once.

"You're going to have to talk to Payroll about that."

It Does My Little Heart Good To See Them Agree On Something

2009-11-17T07:50:00.001-06:00

2009-11-13T04:34:00.000-06:00

Maybe we're being too hard on the little Chucklehead. Webster does offer the following a a definition for "career."

3 : a field for or pursuit of consecutive progressive achievement especially in public, professional, or business life

Now we need to work around the small P "progressive" here because neither Neumann nor Walker will ever be accused of advocating Progressive policies. In this case it simply means "progressing from one to another."

As so many have pointed out, Walker doesn't really HAVE a field of consecutive achievement as a politician. He's fumbled around in it for 16 of his 42 years on the planet but "achievement" may be stretching the mark. His willingness to play games with his employee's own careers shows just how unfit for service he is.

So maybe we just give in to Young Kyle. After all, he's been to blogger camp and he must know something to be given the prestigious award as best blogger by AFP.

Walker Continues His March To The Fringes

2009-11-12T10:11:00.000-06:00

Walker Courts Palin Endorsement
Palin last month endorsed Doug Hoffman, a third-party conservative candidate
seeking a New York congressional seat in a special election. Republican Dede
Scozzafava then dropped out of the race and last week Democrat Bill Owens won,
capturing a seat that had been held by Republicans for more than 100 years.
Nonetheless, other Republican candidates nationally have sought her
endorsement.

Nonetheless, indeed.

Proctor Asks

2009-11-12T07:40:00.000-06:00

If one synchronized swimmer drowns are the rest obligated?

Remember and Honor

2009-11-11T07:35:00.001-06:00

A good home for your charitable dollars.

Badger Honor Flight is a hub of the national Honor Flight Network, a
volunteer organization created solely to honor America's veterans for all their
sacrifices. We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to give them the
opportunity to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to
the most senior veterans - World War II survivors - along with any terminally
ill veteran. Veterans from other conflicts, such as the Korean and Vietnam Wars,
are included in our program and will be given priority in the near
future.

Deep Thought

2009-11-11T04:47:00.000-06:00

You wouldn't take your dog to a vet who hated animals or trust your child to pediatrician who hated kids.

So why would you elect a Governor who hates government?

Well Armed Citizens Protect Neighborhood From Invasion By Pink Elephants

2009-11-10T11:44:00.001-06:00

Here's one of those stories they tell us we never hear about. Two Janesville men saved their neighborhood Sunday night but an ungrateful, jack-booted Police force took away their right to have guns in their homes.
53-year-old Paul Botsford and 35-year-old Matthew Splinter have been
arrested on chages including Endgangering Safety by the Intoxicated Use of a
Firearm.
Police say while responding to multiple reports of shots being fired
shortly after midnight Sunday, officers were greeted to the sounds of gunfire on
Hamilton Avenue. Police accuse the suspects of firing dozens of shots from a
home's second story window. They say at least one other home was hit by
gunfire

Michael Explains RepubliCare

2009-11-06T12:14:00.001-06:00

Michael Feldman explains it all.

4. Under RepubliCare small businesses will be empowered to band together to form multi-national conglomerates with interlocking directorates, the better to lobby against Big Government Mandates showered on employees lucky to be working at all in this Democrat economy. RepubliCare will cover 90% of the already insured.

9. Individuals already sick do not qualify for benefits since this is, after all, Health Insurance. Those seeking Sick Insurance might try Aflac.

Read the rest.

Why Don't Their Heads Explode?

2009-11-05T18:25:00.002-06:00

When the Bachmannistas get together to rally against the government, to call as she does for Jeffersonian Revolution, to call the President evil and the Senate and House Leadership Socialists, how then do they pledge allegiance to that government with a straight face?

Are their civics so weak that the Pledge means nothing to them?
I pledge allegiance
(1) : the fidelity owed by a subject or citizen to a sovereign or government
to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic
1 a (1) : a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president
for which it stands
— stand for 1 : to be a symbol for
one nation, under God, indivisible
not divisible
with Liberty
d : the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges
and Justice
b (1) : the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action (2) : conformity to this principle or ideal
for All.
2 : every member or individual component of

There is no separate Pledge for conservatives. We all live under and fight for the same flag, the same ideals, the same country. Don't march on Washington to deny Liberty and Justice for any or some and then claim you have a higher platform from which to preach. The Pledge doesn't offer special privileges to the loudest.

all definitions from m-w.com

"If This Is Organized, We Suck," She said

2009-10-30T04:54:00.002-05:00

The conservative grassroots (sic) drama machine implored the tea party crowd to jam the Capitol to protest the oppression of a California grandmother. If You Are in Driving Distance of DC Tomorrow
Dear Fellow Tea Party Patriot,
According to Politico, tomorrow, Thursday, October 29 at 10:00 am, the
Democrats in the House plan to unveil the House Health Care Legislation. If you
are within driving distance of DC and are able to attend with signs in
opposition to government takeover of health care, we encourage you to do
so.

No word if those without signs might be welcomed. First mistake.
Remember on the action list sent earlier today, tomorrow's action items are
to call your own Congressman plus the Blue Dogs in the House. Be sure to do this
so it coincides with the bill unveiling tomorrow.

"Tomorrow's Action Items?" That sort of makes grassroots unorganized political free market sound like an unholy alliance of you nagging Mom and the worst punch-list review ever.
Please forgive the extra email in your inboxes today. Since we are doing all
we can to leave no stone unturned, we felt it was necessary to send an extra
email today so those who can protest tomorrow are able to do so.

Only by bulk mailing email boxes was Thomas Jefferson able to yada yada...
You are the heart and soul of the Tea Party Movement. Thank you for
promoting the causes of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited
government, and free markets with us!

If you don't dress like Mel Gibson in that one movie and carry a Gadsden Flag, who will?
Your Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Team,Debbie Dooley, Mike Gaske,
Kellen Giuda, Ryan Hecker, Jenny Beth Martin, Mark Meckler, Sally Oljar, Diana
Reimer, Billie Tucker, and Dawn Wildman

All actual grassrootsy people. No. Really.

So how many patriots answered the clarion call? 10,000? 60,000? 2.5 Million? About ten?
Joann Abbott, a grandmother from Northern Virginia, made the drive to
the protest this morning after seeing the email sent by Tea Party leaders last
night. When asked if she was part of the "flash mob," she laughed. "I'm here on
my own," she said, looking around at the scattered protesters around her. "If
this is organized, we suck."

Proving The Point

2009-10-30T04:42:00.003-05:00

Let's just say for a moment that the fringe right is successful in electing the Palinista in NY23. Current thinking is that Doug Hoffman is singularly unprepared to govern in any way. And there are some signs that Hoffman may be something of a Potemkin
candidate. He didn't show up at a radio debate last night. He was on the finance
committee of a hospital that successfully lobbied for a federal earmark before becoming an anti-earmark champion. And he got eaten alive by a local paper editorial board last week after he wasn't prepared to answer questions about any of the issues facing the district.

If the best that the Conservative has to offer is bomb-throwers in the mold of Bachmann how long will it take for the public to get over them?

The Court Of Low Expectations

2009-10-27T05:14:00.001-05:00

From The Cap Times Editorial Board: The trio can form a court majority if they have Gableman in their
caucus and so they seem to be willing to neglect not just the complaints about
Gableman but the requirement that they be addressed in a judicious and
responsible manner.

We understand that Ziegler, who has had her own ethics problems, is not
inclined to seek or support a higher standard.

Halcyon Days, Indeed

2009-10-27T04:29:00.002-05:00

Does anybody remember when Fred Thompson was going to save the Republican Party all by himself?

Whatever happened to him?

Laissez le Schisme Commencer

2009-10-24T06:44:00.002-05:00

More splits and splats in the GOP.

If you're the GOP candidate for Governor in one party and endorse the candidate of a different party for governor in another state, what does that say about either your commitment or the party's strength for the future?

Tiahrt says, "The Republican Party will never again be a majority party until we regain
the confidence of the American people," said Tiahrt. "I believe there is room
for disagreement within the party and we should not have litmus tests.

He then goes on to apply his own litmus test. However, the Republican nominee appears to have disavowed most conservative
principles that are important to a vast majority of Republican voters."

There are those who claim that 2010 will be a GOP year. Yet we have several prominent Republicans who can't buy into that meme. Why would they expect anyone else to buy into it?

Extra Credit Work: For Ten Points, who is Sean Parnell? No peeking.

Betting On Boxcars

2009-10-16T07:21:00.002-05:00

It appears that the GOP's best hope for 2010 is riding on continued high rates of unemployment.

Let's have a slogan contest. How can Republican candidates best capture their fervent desire for more economic misery for America?

Life In Post-Racial America

2009-10-16T07:18:00.001-05:00

Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage
license to an interracial couple out of concern for any
children the couple might have. Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in
Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages
do not last long.
Keep trying, I guess.

Which Is More Fun To Watch?

2009-10-15T18:43:00.000-05:00

The silliness around the Nobel came and went pretty quickly. It was mostly just the usual suspects carping.

However, the apoplexy over Capitalism's rejection of the drug-addicted Rush Limbaugh has the potential to grow legs.

Just for the record, I believe that the sex-tourist, bad-satirist has just as much right to own a small slice of a losing NFL team as any other minor vanity investor. I'm just wondering how bad the judgement of the others in the deal was that they couldn't see this coming from a mile away.

Deep Thought

2009-10-15T15:42:00.001-05:00

For the Drug Addict Rush Limbaugh to come out against making up quotes is probably against his self interest.

I'm Taking John And Giving The Points

2009-10-15T06:55:00.000-05:00

Today's Line...Kate Plus Eight

In other mainstream media news...Why would Rushbo think that the NFL would allow a drug-abusing sex tourist to be a part owner? Don't they have enough troubles?

You Might Consider Making Lemonade

2009-10-14T06:42:00.002-05:00

Not a great year for Conservative thinkers.

We've lost Bill Buckley, Irving Kristol and William Safire and gained What Up? and Going Rogue.

Who Decides Who Gets Treated?

2009-10-09T09:34:00.003-05:00

Scott Walker thinks he does.
'You've got this amount of time; here's what we expect you to do; here's the
options you should have by that time.' So that there are clearly defined
expectations of how you're going to ease off assistance from the government,"
said Walker.

He wants to be the Decider of whether your neighbor gets treatment or not. Walker wants to lead the panel deciding who gets treated and who should just get better and stop whining.

Walker has picked a government policy that's sucessful and popular and come out against it. In the midst of the most comprehensive discussion of healthcare reform he's chosen to just say, "No," and stick with a broken platform.

Twice in the last week I've heard people in Rock County say that Scott Walker scares them. Walker thinks his problem is that people don't know what he stands for. I think he'll soon find out that's not his biggest problem.

It's All So Sudden

2009-10-09T06:44:00.002-05:00

Congratulations are in order for President Obama. He may have, as the wingnuttery would have it, lost the Olympics single-handedly but he's brought home the Nobel Peace Prize. From the proclamation:
"For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate
precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now
the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that 'Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global
response to global challenges.'

My first thought was, "How nice. Now GWB and Barry will have something to talk about at Old-Timer's day reunions in DC." But then, of course, I remembered that George never actually got around to promoting much worldwide peace.

How could Obama not have one this year with the bar set so low for the past eight years? One commenter at TPM shares, "It sounds like the, 'boy is the world relieved you guys didn't choose
McCain' award."

Ask The Man Who Hired Her

2009-10-05T04:21:00.000-05:00

You always knew it would come to this. Didn't you?
Schmidt said:"Most politicians of prominence write a book. My honest
view is that she would not be a winning candidate for president and if she was
the results would be...catastrophic. It's fairly inconceivable she could be
elected."