A Federal Marriage Amendment...

John Hawkins makes the case:

"[T]he attempts by advocates of gay marriage to denigrate the institution as it exists today are not only callow & colossally arrogant, they are quite telling. If someone wants to make the case that everyone from Jesus, to George Washington, to practically every American who ever lived up until say 20 years ago, is a racist, bigot, pig because they believed marriage is between a man and woman, so be it. But, everyone from polygamists, to adults engaged in incest, to even those who want to marry the dead, could effectively make the same claim using that sort of logic. So why go down that road? Because we're talking about myopic people who are more concerned with getting their way than the consequences of their actions. If trashing the institution of marriage is the price of getting their way, that's a price they're willing to pay."

Read the whole post here.

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Kerry "fuming" over fellow Dems backing Hillary...

You know for a long time I've been going under the assumption that Hillary Clinton will skate to the Dem Presidential nomination in 2008, with little or no opposition.

But it seems John "Francois" Kerry is serious about another run in four years. In fact, when fellow Senator Mark Dayton recently introduced Hillary as "the next great President of the United States" at a Democrat dinner in Minneapolis, Kerry was livid.

According to the NY Post, Kerry approached Dayton on the Senate floor a few days later "with daggers in his eyes" asking him why he would endorse his 2008 rival. It seems that Kerry isn't simply mulling the future run, he's already trying to lock down support.

Couple that with former VP candidate John Edwards' recent poo-pooing of Clinton's inevitability as the front-runner, and it looks like we could have some real vicious snipping in a couple of years. I love it.

But what I'm really looking forward to is seeing Hillary on the stump. At the dinner reported on above in the Post:

Clinton thrilled Democrats with her red-meat speech, accusing President Bush of ushering in "a brave new world of extremism."

She painted Republican lawmakers as "extras in the movie 'I, Robot' " and said Bush's call for an "ownership society" amounts to trying to turn America into a "you're-on-your-own society."

Clinton's fiery speech contrasted with her recent highly publicized moves to the center.

Ever seen Hillary fired up on the stump? She becomes "Shrillary". It's quite disturbing to watch. You expect her head to start spinning around. Sound bites of her screaming into the mike will make lovely political ads. Let the "blonde ambition" tour begin!!

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Optimism on the Environment...

Just in time for Earth Day, the American Enterprise Institute released it's 10th annual report on the state of the Environment. The full .pdf report is here.

In a nutshell:

• Air Pollution has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded.
• Mercury Emissions have declined by 45 percent during the 1990s, most of which is due to the phase-out of municipal and medical waste incineration.
• Forestland in the eastern half of the United States is increasing at a rate of one million acres a year.
• Wetlands continue to multiply, with a growth of 26,000 acres a year.
• Car Emissions, one of the largest contributors to air pollution, will be reduced by more than 80 percent over the next 25 years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Toxic Releases have declined since 1988, a sign of increasing efficiency and the “de-materialization” of our economy.
• Global WarmingÂ’s “hockey-stick” graph, believed to be one of the leading indicators of global warming, is now being called “rubbish.” Scientists have shown that the graphÂ’s underlying equation would generate the same result for any series of random numbers.

So why the outcry over the Kyoto treaty? Because it's Lilliputian-like regulations would serve to tie down and economically damage the Gulliver-like hyperpower that is the United States.

Where did all the Marxist-Leninists go when the Soviet Union collapsed? They became enviro-whackos as an alternative outlet to try and put the brakes on Free-Market Capitalism.

Nice try, suckers!!

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Atheist Guidance Counselor Makes A Statement...

Revises "Pledge of Allegiance" when leading the student body in its recitation over the PA system.

Margo Lucero, the eighth-grade guidance counselor at the school, substituted the phrase "under your belief system" [for "under God"] as she led the recitation of the Pledge on Wednesday.

What as asshat. Her rationale? It was the sixth anniversary of Columbine and she wanted to be "all inclusive". Great, what a perfect way to commemorate a day where two psycho kids go up to their fellow students, ask them if they believe in God and shoot them point blank when they answer "yes". This woman needs a swift kick in the ass.

Fortunately, the school didn't sanction this idiot's actions.

Meanwhile, Jefferson County School District spokesman Rick Kaufman was engaged in damage control, describing Miss Lucero's decision to rewrite the Pledge as "inappropriate" and stressing that she had acted independently, without consulting the district or other school officials.

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Diane Lane Photo of the Week...

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Rethinking the 2008 GOP contenders...

Jayson at Polipundit looks at the falling stock of some of the Republicans who could be President.

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Ace has been letting go of his anger today...

Five things he hates (and five more) that will make you laugh your ass off.

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New "Featured Timewaster": Drunk Walk

This is a good one for a Friday afternoon. (practice for later maybe?)

See how far you can make the Drunk German Guy walk down the alley. You control his balance my moving your mouse right or left. Here's the trick, though: you can't see your mouse pointer. Oops!

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35 Years Of "The Sky Is Falling" is Enough...

BullDogPundit revisits all those "dire" predictions that the eco-moonbats were making on the first Earth Day in 1970.

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Snap Out Of It!!!!!!

The GOP members of Congress need a good Cher-inspired "Moonstruck" slap across the face right now. John Podhoretz in the New York Post is getting righteously annoyed by Republicans who are starting to feel the fear - from the MSM spin.

No question about it, the media are on the prowl against the GOP - but there's something unseemly about the right-wing whining. Media bias isn't worse this year than last, when Republicans somehow managed to win the White House and gain three Senate seats.

The current hand-wringing about the fight over judicial nominations and how the MSM will present it is unfounded and down-right sickening. And if they lose this fight, then the Republican base will give them something real to worry about.

The public's ability to see through the media filter extends to social issues as well as political candidacies. Notwithstanding media proselytizing, the public has become more opposed to gay marriage over the course of the past year. Even so, the fear of media manipulation remains as strong as ever, and might well get stronger still. Conservatives are baffled at the weird turn in the political fortunes of the Republicans, and the anti-media line offers them an easy answer to a complex problem.

They're not only baffled. They're getting angry, and they're blaming the Republicans on Capitol Hill for causing the mess. My friend Hugh Hewitt, radio talk-show host and brilliant blogger, speaks for many when he hurls Cassandra-like prophecies of ruin at GOP senators if they don't immediately act on the so-called "nuclear option" and change Senate rules to force through judicial nominees now stymied by Democratic filibusters.

"The failure to break the filibuster," Hewitt writes flatly on his blog, "will result in the defeat of Sens. [Olympia] Snowe and [Lincoln] Chaffee in their 2006 re-election campaigns if they are among the defectors, the end of any idea of Susan Collins joining the leadership, and the end of Sen. [Chuck] Hagel's and Sen. [Bill] Frist's presidential ambition. Fundraising for the National Republican Senatorial Committee will crater, and the majority so recently and dearly won could well vanish in a matter of 18 months."

Hewitt's words suggest the depth of conservative anxiety and worry over the current political situation - the fear that Republican politicians are going to look at the polls and lose their nerve. Conservatives have cause for worry. Politicians tend not to be brave.

To paraphrase the words of a real leader, now is NOT the time to "go wobbly", gentlemen.

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Political Earthquake Brewing Up In The Great White North...

NealeNews has the round-up.

Canadian PM Paul Martin's six-minute speech last night is generating a lot of buzz today. He asked (begged, really) for patience from the Canadian population over the Gomery investigation into the AdScam scandal to wait for Parliamentary elections sometime next year.

CTV is reporting that Tory leader Stephen Harper says that members of his party will be spending the next week - during which the House of Commons is in recess - speaking to constituents to gage the pulse of the voters, and get their reactions to Martin's speech.

CTV's Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife said earlier speculation had suggested the start of an election around May 19. Fife said he has now heard that an election could be called as soon as May 3.

"There is a non-confidence motion that the opposition can vote on that day, and they very well may bring down the government then," Fife said. Fife said the Conservatives may want to bring the Liberals down sooner rather than later so that the Liberals don't have an opportunity to recover in the polls.

The Toronto Sun's Linda Williamson says it's time to do an "Apprentice" on Martin and say "Paul, you're fired":

Think about what Martin asked of us last night: He wants us to let ethically compromised Liberals continue to spend our money for almost a year, until the ongoing inquiry into how they stole our money is complete.

Greg Weston of the Calgary Sun observes that Martin's promise to call for an election after the final Gomery report was "more desperate than clever".

From The Globe and Mail, turmoil in Ottawa:

Minutes after the Prime Minster spoke to the nation, pledging to call an election 30 days after the Gomery inquiry report, the phones started ringing and the BlackBerrys began buzzing with instant reviews.

Canadians will soon be voicing their opinions and the politicians are listening. The Conservative Party is currently aligning with Bloc Quebecois to force an election soon. If the current polls are any indication, it would seem that the Liberals are doomed.

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So you wanna play?

House Republicans are calling on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to release documentation on a 2001 trip to Puerto Rico that may have been paid for by a Washington Lobbyist firm.

In the Washington Times this a.m.:

"We feel that such lingering questions undermine the integrity of the institution and we hope [the questions] will be cleared up as soon as possible," wrote Republican Reps. Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina and Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia.

The Washington Times reported earlier this week that Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Ohio Democrat and member of the House ethics committee, listed a registered lobbyist as the trip's sponsor. House rules prohibit registered lobbyists from paying for travel by members.

On travel disclosure forms filed with the House clerk, Mrs. Pelosi and others on the trip listed a group called Todo Puerto Rico con Vieques as its sponsor.

If "Miss America" wants to go around trying to raise unproven allegations about Majority Leader Tom DeLay, she better be prepared to answer some questions of her own. And some other Democrats as well.

Nice to see the GOP starting to push back. This isn't a game of tiddly-winks, here.

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Happy Earth Day!!!

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Pedro Shines In Sunny Florida! Mets Batter Marlins...

Wow, what a game. I felt bad for Al Leiter. When he was our Ace he was my favorite - and a nicer guy in MLB you'll never find. When he was "on", he was fantastic. But when he was having an off day, you knew it by the second inning.

And the Mets knew it last night and gave poor Al a shellacking. I've got tickets for tomorrow at Shea. Bringing my oldest to his first game, but the weather report says rain. AAARRRRGGGHHH!

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Whatever Happened To Your Favorite "Little Rascal"?

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Courses For Women Only...

Last month, I linked Weekend Pundit's proposed Two-Day Seminar For Men Only.

EvilWhiteGuy has put together his own list of classes for the fairer sex. Funny! My personal favorite:

"#4 Man Management: Discover How Minor Household Chores Can Wait Until After the Game."

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Slamming Voinovich...

Glenn Reynolds links to MoveAmericaForward.com. The organization's site showcases a radio ad going after OH Sen. Voinovich for his latest treachery. Brutal.

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Bush Not Backing Off Bolton...

FoxNews reports:

Delivering a speech on Social Security in Washington, D.C., Bush urged the Senate to confirm Bolton.

"John's distinguished career and service to our nation demonstrates that he is the right man at the right time for this important assignment," Bush said. "I urge the Senate to put aside politics and confirm John Bolton to the United Nations."

He is "a good man," Bush added in impromptu remarks that indicated the president was willing to fight for Bolton.

Good for W! I'm glad to see he is resolute on this one. Dems are going all out to try and do an "Anita Hill" on Bolton's character. Rich Lowry over at NRO's "The Corner" is already fisking this new allegation. Keep refreshing for updates.

The Pajamahadeen need to kick it into gear on this one to protect Bolton's reputation from the MSM.

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And so once again, the battle is joined...

Kathryn-Jean Lopez at NRO's The Corner reports that TX Sen. John Cornyn's office has comfirmed that the Senate Judiciary Committee has just voted 10-8 to submit (re-submit actually) to the full Senate the nomination of Judge Priscilla Owen for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth District.

So the show-down on Judicial Filibuster Reform (i.e. the "constitutional" option) looms large. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the Democrats beating up on a girl.

Seriously, though. The time to fight this battle is now, not this summer when a Supreme Court Justice retires. It's time for the members of the Republican caucus in the Senate to put their balls on the table (John McCain's balls, as we all know, are currently out of play).

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Rupert Murdoch's UK Sun Endorses Blair...

In a clever parody of the papal enclave, the British tabloid The Sun (known for its Conservative bent) has announced that the red smoke from the chimney - indicating it endorses Tony Blair's Labour party for the May 5 parliamentary elections in the UK. (Drudge had the early scoop yesterday.)

"It's Tony Blair's final election and he deserves ONE LAST CHANCE to fulfill the great promises he keeps making, such as choice in schools and health care, tougher justice for criminals and proper control of illegal immigration.

Michael Howard has revived his party and proved himself to be a true fighter. But he has failed to spell out any radical vision for a better Britain.

His front bench are a bloodless bunch, and their plans for a Tory Britain are equally anaemic. They are better than Labour at the edges on social policy but their promises of smaller government carry little conviction."

The paper weighs the good and bad for Labour and finds the "good" to be ever-so-slightly in its favor. On the World Stage, Blair's political courage is noted:

"He deserves huge credit for his vision and boldness for leading this country into the successful partnership with America to clean up the Middle East. Democracy is breaking out everywhere, even if risks remain.

Remember, as our own election approaches, that eight million Iraqis have just been allowed a free vote for the first time in their lives.

While the leaders of other big nations shrank from the challenge, Blair risked all for what he believed in."

This was one of my main arguments when I made the case for Blair's re-election a couple of weeks ago.

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