An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Archive for 13 April 2008
More Playground Spatting
Obama: ‘I’m Not Perfect’; Mocks Clinton Support for Gun Rights
Barack Obama lashed out Sunday at Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, mocking her sudden vocal support for gun rights, and saying he better understands the concerns of working class people.
Gracious sakes! If all else fails, attack? Seems to be the norm, doesn’t it.
The Illinois senator has spent three days on the defensive after comments he made at a San Francisco fundraiser suggesting working class people are bitter about their economic circumstances and “cling to guns and religion” as a result. Clinton has pounded him for the remarks, calling him “elitist and divisive.”
Well? It’s not just the Shrilldebeast who is point it out, a whole lot of us common folk have noticed. Of course, if ya want my opinion, (and even if ya don’t I’m going to give it to you anyway because this is my blog) neither one of them know what the REAL world is all about.
“Now I am the first to admit that some of the words I chose I chose badly, because as my wife reminds me, I’m not perfect. She reminds me of this frequently, and events often remind me as well,” Obama said, reiterating his regret for his choice of words.
Oh trust me B., if she wasn’t, peons like me sure would! 
“So I’m not a perfect man and the words I chose, I chose badly. They were subject to misinterpretation, they were subject to be twisted, and I regret that. I regret that deeply. But. But. But. When people suggest that somehow I was demeaning religion. When I know that I’m a man of deep faith, somebody who in my own life has held on to faith, held onto my confidence in God during times of trial and tribulation, then it sounds like there’s some politics being played.
Demeaning religion? No, just everyone who professes a REAL faith in G-d, not to mention those who believe in the right to protect themselves and their families.
“When people suggest I was somehow being elitist and demeaning hunters when I have repeatedly talked about the tradition that people pass on from generation to generation, hunters and sportsmen, and how I have consistently spoken about my respect for the Second Amendment. When people try to suggest that I was demeaning those traditions, then it sounds like there’s some politics being played. And what really burns me up is when people suggest that me saying that folks are mad, they are angry, they are bitter after 25, 30 years of seeing jobs shipped out, pensions not fulfilled, health care lost. The notion that people are surprised, and are suggesting that I’m out of touch because I spoke honestly about people’s frustrations, that tells me there’s some politics going on,” he said.
Uh….respect for the 2nd Amendment? Wanna rephrase that?
He then turned the tables on Clinton — noting that she accepted campaign contributions from drug and insurance company lobbyists and mocking, among other things, her sudden fealty to the rights of gun owners.
“She is running around talking about how this is an insult to sportsmen, how she values the Second Amendment. She’s talking like she’s Annie Oakley,” Obama told an audience at a union hall here, invoking the famed female sharpshooter immortalized in the musical “Anne Get Your Gun.”
Welp,here’s a real shocker for both of you….not all gun owners are hunters! If either one of those people get into the White House, we’ll be losing a lot more freedoms than the left has blamed on the Bush administration.
Warning!
Remember one very important rule! Watch where you are going! Tripping over a concrete lip at church this morning brought this very important rule back to me, in a big way! No, nothing broken, except maybe my dignity, but I can guarantee, I’m going to be a lot more sore in the morning than I am right now. And believe me, I’m pretty sore right now.
sigh….
Hmmm….
I got tagged by Maggie’s Notebook. Now, in the spirit of things, I have TRIED to come up with something appropriate.
Here are the rules:
The Rules:
1. Write your own six word memoir .
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to the original post, if possible, so we can track it as travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag at least five more blogs with links.
5. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.
I have seen quite a few of these “memoirs”, and I think they are all fairly accurate. How do I come up with something that is accurate, and obvious? Well, I finally did it! Everyone is so serious, I just had to go the opposite direction, so here ya go!
Tries her best to annoy liberals!
Now, I get to tag a few folks. Hmmm…..who can I get to play along? Welp, they may never speak to me again, but here goes:
Freedom Eden, Hasenpfeffer Incorporated, Get Stewed, Ick’s Corner, and Old Soldier.
I’m Gettin’ Dumber!
130+ Very superior
120-129 Superior
110-119 High average
90-109 Average
80-89 Low average
70-79 Borderline
Below 70 Extremely low Piece of advice….. if you do click on this sucker….do NOT click through all the stupid offers. Just check your email box! Jiminy Crickets! Oh, and give ‘em a fake address. How would they know it’s not real?
H/T: Disgruntled Truck Driver!
Morning Coffee 04/13/08
Fatal blast in Iran is termed an accident
A blast in a mosque in Iran that killed at least 10 people was an accident and not an attack, a senior Interior Ministry official said Sunday.
Iranian media had previously reported that a bomb had gone off in a crowded mosque in the southern city of Shiraz on Saturday evening, leaving more than 160 people wounded in addition to the 10 killed.
“Last night’s explosion in Shiraz was as a consequence of an accident and not the planting of a bomb,” IRNA, the official news agency, quoted the deputy interior minister in charge of national security, Abbas Mohtaj, as saying.
Well, if there’s an explosion in Iraq, I guess it’s normal to assume it was a bomb. Or maybe the Iranians were just hoping it was.
Campus counselors busier after Va. Tech
It’s not unusual these days for professors to treat their students’ disturbing essays and e-mails more warily — even to the point of asking campus counselors to examine them for hints of suicidal and violent tendencies.
More students are visiting school counselors when they feel helpless in the face of term papers, breakups and homesickness. And campus officials are encouraging them to do so, even for troubles that verge on commonplace.
Maybe along with all the work the counselors are doing, they might want to offer some courses on personal protection….and GUN SAFETY, and provide some firing ranges.
Jimmy Carter Defends Meeting With Hamas
Former President Carter said he feels “quite at ease” about meeting Hamas militants over the objections of Washington because the Palestinian group is essential to a future peace with Israel.
Carter, interviewed Saturday for ABC News’ “This Week,” airing Sunday, also said he would oppose a U.S. Olympic boycott and hopes all countries will join in the Beijing games.
Well, of COURSE he does! Papa Moonbat has no problem consorting with the ‘enemy’!
‘Shin Bet admits to torture using relatives as bargaining chips’
Responding to a new report published by the Public Committee against Torture in Israel, the Shin Bet official told the Knesset Law Committee that on at least one occasion, improper methods were used that were against Shin Bet procedures.
He pledged to avoid such practices in the future.
Nevertheless, the investigations chief told the Knesset committee that “it must be remembered that we are talking about a member of a Hamas [terror] cell, a murderer.”
“Shin Bet interrogations are done under unprecedented judicial inspection. This is the price that a democratic country needs to pay – it is appropriate and correct,” continued the official.
Sorry, just can’t muster up any phony outrage, or even sympathy.
The Pope’s First U.S. visit: Papal trip interests other sects
Since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, the position of the pope has taken on more significance among Protestant churches. Ushering in greater openness toward other Christian denominations and non-Christian religions, Vatican II was a turning point for interfaith relations, according to Jay Earheart-Brown, president of Memphis Theological Seminary.
I know some older Catholics who weren’t, and aren’t, too pleased with some of the changes. Since I’m not Catholic, I can’t say.
Dr. Phil Show Bails Out Teen Charged in Vicious YouTube Attack
A judge on Friday set bails ranging from $30,000 to $37,000 for the teenagers.
The Dr. Phil representative was waiting by the jail’s exit, and when Nichols walked out, he tried to block Tampa TV station camera people from getting video of Nichols and her family leaving jail.
In the statement on Saturday, the Dr. Phil show said that bailing the girl out of jail was a violation of the show’s rules, and that the show would no longer go forward with the girl’s story.
“In this case, certain staff members went beyond our guidelines (re the bail being paid). These staff members have been spoken to and our policies reiterated. In addition, we have decided not to go forward with the story as our guidelines have been compromised,” the statement read.
Evidently, in their rush to get THE story, a staffer violated the companies policy. It also makes it sound like the show condones the actions of these girls.
Bauer touts Thompson over Rice for McCain’s running mate
“Condoleezza Rice, for the entire administration, has denied that she has any desire to get into the political arena. And quite frankly, even as she is [a] very astute … official, she’s never campaigned for any office at any leveln And campaigning takes a particular set of skills that not everybody in government naturally has,” Bauer contends.
McCain needs a running mate, according to Bauer, who has a good and clear record on values issues, which Rice does not. On the issue of abortion, for example, Rice has described herself as “mildly pro-choice.”
What the heck is “mildly pro-choice”? I’m inclined to agree with Bauer. As much as I respect the woman, one, she doesn’t want to run for any office, two, that mildly pro choice issue has always bothered me. Then there’s that whole Palestinian thing. We need a STRONG conservative in the veep seat. McFeingold isn’t. If I had my druthers, I’d look at J.C. Watts, or Tom Tancredo, or someone along those lines.
Plan for Darfur peace talks in UK
London could host Darfur peace talks under proposals being put forward by prime minister Gordon Brown.
British officials have been in contact with the Sudanese government and rebel groups to offer the possibility of a summit “as soon as practicable”.
Downing Street revealed details of the negotiations as activists in 30 countries prepared to mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the war.
A spokesman said the offer was a way to assist a speedy end to the conflict.
Want a way to peace? Get rid of thugs in charge who are starving the people, who accommodate those who are murdering them. That would be the first step.
TN Taxes
More exemptions mean less than half of economy taxable
In Tennessee, as in many other states, the taxable portion of the economy has been shrinking as more tax exemptions are created.
In 1979, about 65 percent of Tennessee’s economy was taxable. Today it’s about 48 percent, according to University of Tennessee economist Bill Fox.
In return, the state has raised taxes to offset lost revenue, according to Fox.
In 1976, the state sales tax was 4.5 percent. In 1984, it went up to 5.5 percent, then 6 percent in 1992, and 7 percent in 2002. The state tax on food is 5.5 percent today, after a half-percent reduction in January, according to the state Revenue Department.
Increasing the sales tax creates a vicious cycle, Fox said: the more taxes go up, the more people seek new exemptions, or seek out untaxed products out of state or over the Internet.
And unless politicians make a conscious decision to stop creating new exemptions, the problem won’t get better, he said.
“What we need in my view is a state government that makes a decision that a broad base with low rates is really better for us all, rather than exempting some people, narrowing down the base and ending up taxing us all with high rates,” he said.
Finally, someone seems to get it! Continuously raising taxes, and then creating exemptions doesn’t bring MORE money into the state coffers. Tax on food has been one of my pet peeves since we’ve moved here. Food is something EVERYONE needs, yet those who don’t even pay for their food, aren’t actually paying taxes. There are a LOT of them in this county that don’t pay…I might as well, say hey, “Let me pay for that!” because we, the taxpayers already ARE paying for their dinner.
The more you tax the people, the less you are going to get in revenue. The more exemptions you create, the less you are going to get in revenue. Simple!
A fair tax, or flat tax, on the national level would generate more gubmint income. Even though Tennessee doesn’t have a state income tax, the lack is compensated by a fairly high, state, county and city sales tax. Exemptions wipe out the gains.
Also, it might be wise for those in Nashville to stop spending like drunken sailors too! On the taxpayers dime!
Verse of the Day
Romans 3:23-24
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
