|
|
From: newsandviews_list@chuckmuth.com
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2004 9:41 AM
To: newsandviews@chuckmuth.com
Subject: Chuck Muth's News & Views - July 19, 2004
___________________________________
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT...
Something good DID come out of last week’s marriage amendment disaster. One GOP
senator stood out from the crowd because he stayed consistent - maddeningly
consistent as one editorialist writes - with his conservative principles (no, it
wasn’t Lincoln Chafee; I said CONSERVATIVE principles). This vote could mark the
emergence of a new rising star in Republican senatorial ranks. Find out who it
is...plus some additional after-action reflections on last week’s FMA defeat in
today’s edition of “Lawfully Wedded,” posted on our News & Views EXTRA page at:
http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsandviews/nv.cfm
_____________________________________
PSST...PASS IT ON
There’s a rumor going around (OK, maybe we’re starting it here) that John Kerry
is unhappy with the lack of “bounce” his campaign got from the selection of John
Edwards as his running mate and is under pressure to find a medical reason
(insanity maybe?) for dropping Edwards at the convention and putting Hillary on
the ticket after all. Pass it on. Maybe the New York Times will pick it up and
run it on the front page...
NEED A GOOD CHUCKLE THIS MORNING?
Check out this short web-video animation of W and Kerry singing “This Land.”
What a hoot.
http://www.plur.net/thisland.html
BA-DOOM-BOOM
“Last night Ken Jennings won a million dollars on Jeopardy. That’s the most
money won by a man since John Kerry answered ‘I do’.”
- Comedian Craig Kilborn
KERRY NATION
John Kerry groveled and kissed the butts of the American Federation of Teachers
last Friday and explained what the country would look like under his
“leadership.” Right off the bat: “I would roll back that tax cut we can’t
afford…” So there you have it. John Kerry will raise your taxes. And just like
Mondale, he just told you so.
The French-looking liberal - who by the way served in Vietnam (nod to Jimmy
Taranto) - also said his first act as prez would be to send Congress sweeping
legislation to cut health insurance costs. Hmmm. Question, Mr. Kerry: If you are
a U.S. senator, why haven’t you proposed sweeping legislation to cut health
insurance costs already? What are you waiting for? Oh, that’s right. I guess you
actually have to SHOW UP for work in order to introduce legislation.
Oh, oh, oh. Here’s the kicker. You’re gonna love this one. Teresa’s second
husband also actually said, “Pay for teachers today is a national disgrace.”
Leaving aside for the moment that education and teacher pay is a local issue and
not within the realm of a president’s duties, he obviously hasn’t heard about
that driver’s ed teacher in Illinois pulling down a whopping $150,000-plus a
year. It’s a disgrace, alright...just not the kind Kerry’s talking about.
And let us not forget that when Larry King asked him recently about being
briefed by the Bush administration on the possibility of new al Qaeda attacks,
Jane Fonda’s old running partner said: “They have offered to brief me; I just
haven’t had time.” That pretty much says it all. Folks, the entire election can
turn on that one sentence. Spread it far and wide...and OFTEN.
ODDS ARE THAT LONG, HUH?
“The idea that medical malpractice reform would ever appear on the agenda of a
Kerry/Edwards administration is as likely as hearing a yodeling concert at the
Metropolitan Opera.”
- Paul Bloustein of Cincinnati, Ohio, Washington Times, 7/17/04
GEE, WONDER WHY THE PREZ SNUBBED ‘EM?
“(George W. Bush) selected nominees from the Taliban wing of American politics,
appeased the wretched appetites of the extreme right wing and chose Cabinet
officials whose devotion to the Confederacy is nearly canine in its uncritical
affection.”
- NAACP Chairman Julian Bond in February 2001. Bush opted not to address their
convention again this year for the fourth year in a row.
NEW PANDORA’S BOX OPENED
“The federal government’s decision to begin covering obesity treatment will help
trial lawyers in their quest to blame the epidemic on the food and restaurant
industries. Trial lawyers and public health advocates have targeted fast-food
giant McDonald’s Corp. and companies such as Kraft Foods Inc. in obesity-related
lawsuits.”
- Washington Times, 7/17/04
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF “DUH”
An unnamed Democratic aide told the Washington Times that conservatives might
attack the Bush administration’s decision to list obesity as an illness because
it’s not the government’s responsibility to spend taxpayer dollars on people
trying to lose weight.
Gee, why didn’t we think of that?
THE NOFZIGER CURE
“I see by the papers that the meddlesome federal government has decided that
obesity is a disease. If it is, I have already discovered a cure. It’s called
EAT LESS.”
- Lyn Nofziger, Musings, 7/16/04
CATCH AND RELEASE
“The same day Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge issued an ominous warning
about terrorists aiming to disrupt the U.S. election process, federal
immigration authorities approved the release of more than 30 illegal South and
Central American immigrants captured at a West Texas truck stop. Thousands of
known illegal immigrants have been released into the USA over the past two years
because of a lack of detention space.
“...'I can't emphasize how horrible this situation is,' said Rep. Henry Bonilla,
R-Texas, whose district includes a vast section of the southwestern border, from
Laredo to Del Rio. 'This is a tragedy.'
“...'It's laughable,'' said Tony Castaneda, police chief of Eagle Pass, a border
town in southwest Texas. Castaneda estimated that 10 to 50 illegal immigrants
are being released every day in his community shortly after capture. 'It's like
an open door,' he said. Those who are approved for release are asked to provide
U.S. addresses, contact telephone numbers and promises to appear at future
deportation hearings. But more than 70% fail to appear on scheduled court
dates.”
- USA Today, 7/16/04
TRUTH IN POLITICAL LABELING
Some folks have asked for more information on Families USA, the organization I
mentioned in yesterday’s Muth’s Truths column. Well, here’s the
lowdown...courtesy of our good friends at the Capital Research Center.
“Families USA has strong partisan ties to the Democratic Party, labor unions and
liberal activism. And it has received major financial contributions from George
Soros, who is donating millions to Democratic-leaning advocacy groups to defeat
President Bush in 2004. The group's activities belie its claims to
nonpartisanship.
“The Families USA board of directors dramatically illustrates the group's close
ties to the Democratic Party. Margaret Williams is a former assistant to
President Clinton and chief of staff to then-First Lady Hillary Clinton.
Douglas Fraser is former president of the United Auto Workers, a major backer of
Democratic Party candidates. Charlene Rydell was a policy advisor to Democratic
Rep. Tom Allen of Maine. Gordon Bonnyman, a veteran liberal activist, is the
executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, which routinely sues
Tennessee to force expansion of the state's Medicaid plan even though costs are
spiraling out-of-control.”
Hmmm. Is that all?
“Since it was set up in 1982, Families USA has aggressively advocated huge
increases in government spending on health care. It supported the Clinton
Administration's universal health care plan that was soundly rejected in 1994
and led to the Republican takeover of Congress. Indeed, Families USA worked so
closely with the White House that the New York Times called it the ‘de facto
public relations manager of the Clinton Administration's campaign for
comprehensive health care legislation.’ In addition, Families USA executive
director Ron Pollack served on the President's Advisory Commission on Consumer
Protection and Quality in the Health Care System, where he wrote President
Clinton's failed Patients' Bill of Rights proposal, which included a provision
that would have allowed trial lawyers sue HMOs.”
Buyer beware. The next time you hear somebody quote Families USA...consider the
source...and ignore them.
THE GOOD LAWYERS
As mentioned in Saturday’s News & Views, I flew out to Milwaukee to speak at a
conference of the National Republican Lawyers Association this weekend...the
“good” lawyers. They specialize in election law and spent two days learning and
organizing to keep the left from stealing the 2004 election. They’re doing
EXTREMELY important work. Let’s hope, unlike 2000, we won’t need them in the
presidential election...but in case we do, let’s be glad they’re there.
By the way, have I mentioned lately how much I hate the TSA (the airport
screeners)?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chuck Muth’s News & Views is published by Citizen Outreach, a non-partisan,
501(c)3 non-profit corporation. The opinions and views expressed in Chuck Muth's
News & Views reflect those of the writers, editors and columnists therein and do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of Citizen Outreach, its officers,
directors or employees.
Published by: Citizen Outreach
Chuck Muth
Editor/Publisher
611 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, #439
Washington, DC 20003-4303
E-mail: chuck@citizenoutreach.com
To SUBSCRIBE, just go to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter/
To be REMOVED, go to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/remove/default.cfm
Or send your request to webmaster@chuckmuth.com
To make a secure online contribution to Citizen Outreach, go to the “Donate”
page at www.citizenoutreach.com.
---
[This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus]
|
