Global Warming Overreaction

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that everything the media says about global warming is true–humanity is the primary cause of a huge warming trend in the last century and it’s a serious threat to the future.

Even in that case, every single bad thing that happens in the atmosphere is not caused by global warming.  This should be obvious, right?  Climate change could exacerbate some violent weather, but not cause all of it.

I did some research, and it turns out that Earth actually did have some storms before 1900.  Who knew?

And yet, on the political left, any and every meteorological disturbance is automatically the direct result of, and an opportunity to preach about, global warming.  This kind of knee jerk overreaction isn’t science, it’s superstition.

In Dean Koontz’s The Taking, a sudden global superstorm causes impossibly giant waterspouts throughout the oceans and torrential rain across the planet, at the same time that Earth’s satellite network starts going dead.  Naturally, cable news anchors instantly pin the responsibility on their trusty old go-to, global warming.  That was published in 2004, though.  Alas, it’s hard to satirize a reality bent on being even dumber than satire.

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You Voted For Harry Reid

I have a bone to pick, but not with the many people who voted for Harry Reid because they agree with his principles.  That’s a choice of conscience, and I respect that.  Rather, I wish to criticize those who might have voted for Sharron Angle—probably even would have—but were swayed by Reid’s negative campaigning. 

Are you happy now?  Since November, Reid’s two biggest missions have been starting a crusade against rural brothels, and using his platform in the Senate to champion federal funding for cowboy poetry.  Always good to see real leaders, men with their priorities straight. 

And why is our time being wasted on such embarrassing trivia? 

Because you voted for Harry Reid. 

Reid had some of the lowest approval ratings of anyone, ever.  Angle had very high poll numbers.  But as the campaign drew to a close, the Reid machine launched an all-out professional assault on Angle’s character.  And you bought it.

Clark County / Nevada Election Endorsements

My research for this relied heavily on the endorsements offered by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Las Vegas Sun, both of which I studied in detail.  I also checked out some other organizations, such as Nevada Concerned Citizens‘ endorsements, my own comments from the primaries, and, of course, I googled each candidate and reviewed their web sites.  Here’s what I came up with. 

Ballot questions will be handled in another post. 

SENATE

I won’t repeat everything I’ve already said here many times about this race, but suffice it to say…

Vote for: Sharron Angle

CONGRESS, DISTRICT 1

Kenneth Wegner has not campaigned aggressively, nor has the party supported him sufficiently.  I love his signs, but that’s hardly enough to be taken seriously.  At the same time, Democratic incumbent Shelley Berkley is strong.  I saw a billboard for her last week that simply said something like, “Honesty.  Integrity.  Hard Work.”  Know what?  I can’t deny that.  She’s clean of scandals and has a good reputation. 

Basically, this race is pointless.  She’ll win by about a zillion percent. 

Still, Berkley voted for the stimulus and ObamaCare.  So…

Vote for: Kenneth Wegner

Incidentally, even though it’s not in my district, I hope people for Joe Heck instead of Dina Titus for the other Congressional seat up for grabs this year.  Titus is just as liberal as Berkley, and has run a foul, dishonest campaign against Heck.  Dr. Heck, on the other hand, is a consistently conservative leader with the dedication we need to help our state.

GOVERNOR

Meanwhile, Brian Sandoval actually is ahead of Rory Reid by about a zillion points, so this one’s pointless, too!

By the way, if all of the conservatives who oppose illegal immigration are doing it because we hate Hispanics so much, why are we giving one a landslide victory in the election for our governor?  Hmmm, maybe the left’s convenient assumptions about us aren’t accurate after all…

Vote for: Brian Sandoval

Harry Reid and the LDS Church

A fascinating article in yesterday’s Las Vegas Sun analyzes the hostile relationship between Nevada’s LDS senator, Harry Reid, and the majority of members of his own faith. 

One reason given in the article is that, in 2006, when church leadership supported a proposed constitutional amendment to preserve traditional marriage, Reid not only voted against it, he publicly spoke in opposition to it.  The Church doesn’t seem to pursue people’s membership for such public opposition anymore, but there was a time when they would have, and certainly the lay membership understands that such a stance is not in complete harmony with the expectations of faithful members to support our leaders. 

Another major example of Reid’s public dissention, not mentioned in the Sun article, was a 2007 speech at church-owned BYU.  In his remarks, he criticized some prominent, recent church leaders, specifically naming former church president Ezra Taft Benson, and said, “I think they’ve taken members of the church down a path that is the wrong path.”  Wow.  Calling out a prophet for leading the church astray, which our beliefs strictly say that God wouldn’t let a prophet do?  That’s a little bit out of step, to say the least.  What exactly is this “wrong path” down which we’ve been taken, Senator?

Just to show that this lack of charity isn’t only for his own brethren, though, Reid said in that same speech, “They are the most anti-Christian people I can imagine, the people from the Christian far right.” 

I suppose I’ll be criticized here for a lack of charity myself, but a couple of things need to be understood.  First, I’m not attacking Reid.  I’m not questioning his faith, his worthiness, or his value as a person.  Such vicious hostility is wrong, and I do not support it, not toward Harry Reid, not toward anybody.  I am, however, pointing out some difficult facts about him that we need to accept and confront honestly when we discuss religion and politics. 

Second, that is totally appropriate.  Reid is a veteran public figure, whose public statements, even on his private beliefs, can and should be open to scrutiny.  If a conservative member said such disdainful things about church leadership from their political perspective as Reid has, liberal church members would be rightfully indignant.  It is absolutely reasonable to consider Harry Reid a poor example of loyalty to the church that I’m sure he sincerely believes in, just as much as a Catholic politician who repeatedly votes for abortion bills. 

I’d also like to add that I can’t wait for this election to be over.  I’m getting tired of thinking about Harry Reid, and writing about him.  After November 2, hopefully I’ll never have to again.

Anti-Sharron Angle Ad Ideas

Harry Reid has spent millions on slick TV and radio ads this election season, and they mostly have the same format: have a regular-Joe kind of person tell a sob story that makes a Sharron Angle position look heartless, then call her crazy and flash a heroic looking picture of Reid.  With that template in mind, here are a few more ideas Reid is free to use:

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Sharron Angle voted against the Give Everybody Everything They Want All the Time Bill. All seven thousand state lawmakers except her voted for it, so it’s obvious she must be wrong. Very, very wrong.

She doesn’t want to let everybody get everything they want all the time. Sharron Angle. Dangerous ideas that are just too extreme.

I’m Harry Reid and I approve this message.

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Harry Reid has repeatedly gone on record that he supports being nice to kittens and grandmas. Sharron Angle [sinister music here] has made no such declaration. Sharron Angle wants to kill kitties and nanas.

Killing kitties and nanas. And probably eating babies. Sharron Angle. Dangerous ideas that are just too extreme.

I’m Harry Reid and I approve this message.

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Sharron Angle has said that government should have limits on power and spending. Isn’t that crazy? Harry Reid uses government power and spending to do all kinds of neat stuff for lots of people! Not you, but, you know, other people. People who deserve it, you can be sure of that.

Sharron Angle is worried that government power and spending should be constitutional, like the Founders intended. Clearly, she’s some kind of insane psycho. Only morons care about stuff like that.

Sharron Angle. A drooling, raving lunatic who should probably be locked up for her own good.

Paid for by the Committee of Real Super Patriots Who Actually Care About America, So Take That, You Awful Conservative Losers.

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Good luck at tonight’s debate, Sharron!

Bill Clinton on the Tea Party

In Las Vegas Tuesday, stumping for Harry Reid, former President Bill Clinton said, “You and I know the only reason this is a tough race is because people are having a tough time. When people are mad, it’s time to think.”

Translation: “If you support Sharron Angle, it’s only because you’re a poor, confused, lost little lamb, dizzy in the head because you can’t handle what’s going on. There, there little lamb. It’s OK. Just let the elites keep taking care of you, and everything will be fine. That’s right, go back to sleep like a good little girl.”

New Harry Reid Ad

In response to a Sharron Angle ad targeting his soft stance on illegal aliens, Harry Reid has launched a big new ad meant to reassure everyone in the suburbs that he’s a staunch foe of all things immigration. 

Hey, Harry, you’re not supposed to throw your supporters under the bus until after the election. 

If I were Angle, I’d be running clips of Reid’s ad on all the local Spanish-language media 24/7 from now until election day. 

Is It a Senator’s Job to Create Jobs?

Nevada senate candidate Sharron Angle says it’s not her job to create jobs and incumbent Harry Reid mocks her for it.  Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus now airs ads likewise slamming opponent Joe Heck for saying the same thing.  This clearly appeals to voters: many are our of work, or know people who are, and we’re all scared. 

But convenient mocking aside, who’s right?  Is it the job of senators to create jobs?  Well, where does it say what  a senator’s job is? 

In the Constitution, of course.  Specifically, in Article I, Section 8.  I’ve pasted it below.  Let’s see if it mentions “creating jobs.”

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The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

 [Hmmm, OK, this is about financial and defense responsibilities, but nothing about making new jobs for people…]

At This Rate, Sharron Angle Is Going To Lose

I’ve been whining about this at home for a month now: in a race where Harry Reid should be about a zillion points behind, he and Sharron Angle are running neck and neck.  Why?  Because Reid has pulled out all the stops and Angle is running a weak, loser campaign that faithfully follows the mold of countless other GOP loser campaigns.  Who’s her manager now, anyway?  Bob Dole? 

Reid’s ads have capitalized on public fears in a big way.  He touts his pork projects as jobs “saved” (shifted, really, or bought with invisible federal funds, but I digress) and successfully paints Angle as a fringe freak. 

Angle, for her part, plays right along.  She spends her comparatively scant media dollars on ads that meekly counter Reid’s attacks, or that try to attack him on his own ground.  The very worst example is the string of ads that criticize Reid for failing to fix the economy and create more jobs.  Sharron!  You can’t claim (rightfully) that a senator’s job isn’t to create jobs, and then criticize your opponent for failing to create jobs. 

Et Tu, Sue Lowden?

I previously criticized Republican Senate candidate Sue Lowden for a sleazy, mud-slinging TV ad which insinuated that fellow candidate Sharron Angle was in bed with the Church of Scientology and conspired with them to promote a cushy rehabilitative program for prisoners. 

Now that Angle has won the primary and is up against Harry Reid in November, the Reid machine has pulled out all the stops to incriminate her.  Sadly, the first major TV spot Reid launched against Angle last month featured footage  lifted straight from the Lowden ad! 

Please, correct me if I’m wrong–and I really do want to be wrong on this one–but I can only think of one way the Reid campaign could have legally used that footage: with the permission of the Lowden campaign that created it.  Is this right?  Did Sue Lowden help Harry Reid make a commercial to defeat the woman who defeated her?  Would she get Reid reelected just for a chance to keep smearing Angle?  I want to be wrong about this because that just seems too low for anyone to stoop. 

Here’s a screen shot of the older anti-Angle footage from the Lowden campaign, complete with the Tom Cruise picture in the corner, recycled in the Reid ad:

Here’s the whole Reid ad itself:

And, just to jog your memory, here’s the original Lowden ad with the same footage given to Reid:

Clark County Primary Election Endorsements

I’ve long considered myself primarily a libertarian politically, but several years ago I registered as a Republican in order to vote in primary elections for offices I otherwise wouldn’t be able to.  For instance, in November, I’ll probably vote for whichever Republican makes it through the primary to oppose Harry Reid in the Senate.  But which contender will it be?  Unless I’m registered as a Republican, I wouldn’t have a say.  So that’s pretty much why I’m a Republican. 

Early voting for our primary election started today, and I’ve spent the last week doing my homework.  Two lessons here:

1. If you’re running for office and someone googles you just days before voting starts, and nothing comes up about you–not an interview, not a newspaper article, not a web ste, nothing, as if you aren’t even running, as if you don’t even exist–I will assume you’re not serious and will not consider you. 
2. If you flout endorsements, make sure the organizations themselves have a useful online presence.  One seemingly worthy group giving endorsements in this primary also brings up nothing via google, and when I called the office number given on the letter reproduced on the web site of some candidates, a secretary told me there was no material to send me, and no regular meetings of their group.  Also, it looks bad if you advertise inconsistent endorsements: so a constitutional conservative group endorses you, and the SEIU?  I’m not sure what to make of that.

And here is the final list of offices open and candidates to be voted on in my county.

And here are the people I recommend:

UNITED STATES SENATE

I just wrote a post recently defending Sue Lowden, and I definitely do like her, but one person in this race definitely stands head and shoulders above the rest.  Sharron Angle’s experience, the long list of quality endorsements she can credit herself with, and the fact that her ideas are the most consistently conservative all convinced me to go with her.  Even after that, yesterday on the way home from work I heard her on the Jerry Doyle show when he asked how she would bring to Nevada the kind of influence and special favors that Harry Reid can get with his authority.

“I won’t,” Angle said in effect, explaining that Nevadans don’t want pork and earmarks for themselves; they just want to keep their money, and have the laws enforced and borders protected.  Awesome. 

Vote for: Sharron Angle

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS, DISTRICT 1

Open Season On Sue Lowden

There’s large field of Republican candidates in Nevada looking to take on Harry Reid in November, but the consistent frontrunner has been Sue Lowden.  This has led to a flurry of vitriol against her, and it’s really disgusting.

Reid supporters and Democratic operatives have run wild with all kinds of mischief about Lowden supposedly having an idea about bartering with chickens to pay doctors.  Then, the typical anti-conservative meme comes out: this candidate is stupid (just like they said about George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Dan Quayle, etc.) and she’s just a pretty face who isn’t qualified for politics (just like they said about Sarah Palin, Michele Bachman, etc.).  This attack is cheap, petty, degrading, and sexist.  Note to liberal critics: if a claim that appears to substantiate a Republican’s alleged stupidity seems too perfect, it is! 

Lowden didn’t say that we should try trading chickens for health care, she just pointed out that generations ago people used to do that kind of thing, and the new health care bill might lead to new rounds of bartering today (which many doctors have said they absolutely have had to).  That’s all.  Please stop all the Sue Lowden chicken jokes. 

Here’s the actual quote, by the way:  “You know, before we all started having health care, in the olden days our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor, they would say I’ll paint your house.  I mean, that’s the old days of what people would do to get health care with your doctors. Doctors are very sympathetic people. I’m not backing down from that system.”

But far worse than this is the attack ads coming from GOP second place candidate Danny Tarkanian.  I liked him, too, until these ads started running. 

My Dad’s Harry Reid Story

My parents moved to Las Vegas in the mid 70’s.  Just after doing so, they realized that, being early into their marriage, they hadn’t yet written their wills.  They went to a local law firm to get it done, and were assigned to young attorney named Harry Reid.

Two months passed and they still hadn’t heard anything about this simple job.  Then, Reid called my dad to explain that the wills weren’t done yet because his secretary “had shot herself in the finger.”  Another month passed before they got a call saying that they could come in and sign their finished wills. 

As my parents sat in Reid’s office looking over the papers, a senior partner in the firm passed by the door and, looking in, shouted, “Harry, you took so damn long on those wills, don’t you dare charge them a dime for it!”  So my parents got their wills, written by Harry Reid, for free.

Is Harry Reid Secretly A Conservative Saboteur?

I think I finally get it. I understand why Harry Reid is pushing so aggressively for this health care reform.

Remember Atlas Shrugged? Besides John Galt, the capitalist superman recruiting strikers behind the scenes, another freedom fighter was Francisco D’Anconia, who paraded as a worthless playboy so nobody would suspect him of helping to sabotage the whole economic system, overloading it and destabilizing it from within.

Maybe that’s what Reid is doing. As D’Anconia was pretending to be a thoughtless hedonist, Reid might just be pretending to be a clueless elitist. Perhaps Reid is actually a conservative and this is his way of destroying the corrupt, bloated, ineffective machinery of government that progressives have built up over the last century: he’s going to put so much weight on the shaky framework that liberals have constructed that it will finally have to collapse in on itself, exposing the whole thing as a scam and allowing us to start over.

Think about it: if a Randian hero were working undercover to subvert our broken system, a la D’Anconia, wouldn’t this health care bill be exactly the way to do it? Wouldn’t Harry Reid be in the perfect position to throw a great big wrench in the gears?

Maybe Reid knows exactly what he’s doing. Maybe–just maybe–he’s championing a disastrously bad work of legislation on purpose.

Brilliant.

And, Senator, if this is actually true and I’ve just blown your cover…sorry.

Scene From Harry Reid Versus The Mafia!

In one of his high profile TV campaign ads, Harry Reid has infamously touted the fact that he “took them on and didn’t blink” when “the mob took over Vegas,” even after (so says the ad) “they put a bomb in the family station wagon.” This harrowing adventure inspired the following:

Las Vegas, 1981.

Don Salami: Boys, as you know, the mob has never had any kind of presence in Las Vegas before, but now we have suddenly taken over.

Guido: Yes, boss, that is true.

Vinnie: Strange that you would start a conversation that way, though.

Don Salami: However, there is one and only one major obstacle that threatens our total domination over this quaint and quiet little burg, that heroic lawman known as Elliot Ness, I mean, Harry Reid.

Guido: Yes, boss, that Harry Reid is a regular supercop, a former gaming commissioner of unimpeachable integrity who has thwarted our evil schemes at every turn.

Vinnie: Now that he is out of office, I say we try to kill him. That will get us what we want!

Don Salami: Not only will we kill him, Vinnie, but we will do so in a very dramatic, very public way, such that other people will be put in danger and we may not get him at all. Also, we will be sure to do so in a way that is amateurish and uncharacteristic of how we usually do it, so that no one will be able to know for sure that it was really us at all.

Guido: You mean by tying a loose wire between car parts and not by rigging an actual bomb at all?  That’s brilliant, boss!

Don Salami: That’s why I’m the boss. Here, boys, have a cigar. And a toast, to victory over Harry Reid! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!