The Right State

The Duke rape case is becoming even more bizarre.  This stripper came to the party of the Duke Lacrosse team and had to be carried to her car.  Later she accused three members of the team of taking her to the bathroom and raping her.  But then we learn that the woman changed her story several times as noted here.  And now, this.  It is beginning to look really bad for the Prosecutor.

Police investigating the Duke University lacrosse team on rape allegations “omitted” notes from a second dancer at the party, who told authorities the alleged victim had been drinking, was acting “crazy” and that her colleague’s accusation was a “crock,” a defense attorney said Thursday. (snip)

“Precious [the accuser] became ‘crazy’ and eventually passed out and had to be carried to Pittman’s car by some of the Duke athletes,” the statement says.

The Duke rape case is falling apart before our eyes.  And its looking more and more like the Durham, North Carolina prosecutor was using this case for re-election purposes.  It is incredible someone would purposefully destroy the lives of some young men purely for political reasons.  If it turns out the DA knew this woman was lying before he brought changes against the players, he should be disbarred.

Tags: Corruption, Democrats, Politics by Chuck
1 Comment »

As if the U.S. Secret Service didn’t have anything better to do with their time, now they are seizing obviously fake $1,000,000 bills from a church.

The U.S. Secret Service has seized 8,300 one million-dollar bills printed as religious tracts by a Denton-based evangelical ministry.

Agents say the handbills too closely resemble real money. But the head of the ministry says he’ll keep handing out the bills until the government orders him to stop.

Anyone who mistakes these religious tracks for real money has completely lost it.  Besides the fact that Christian messages dominate both the front and the back of the bill, the largest bill the US government prints is a $100,000.  It is a fairly intricate tract which asks the million dollar question, “Will you go to heaven?”  Along the outside of the tract this message is printed:

The million dollar question: Will you go to Heaven? Here’s a quick test. Have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, or used God’s name in vain? Jesus said, “Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart.” Have you looked with lust? Will you be guilty on Judgment Day? If you have done those things God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart. The Bible warns that if you are guilty you will end up in Hell. That’s not God’s will. He sent His Son to suffer and die on the cross for you. Jesus took your punishment upon Himself -”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Then He rose from the dead and defeated death. Please, repent (turn from sin) today and trust in Jesus, and God will grant you everlasting life. Then read your Bible daily and obey it.

My daughter says the tracts are really good to hand out.  They are very obviously fake.  Like I said, the raid was a waste of time.  See if you can see any difference.

Tags: Corruption, Politics by Chuck
No Comments »

I consider myself fortunate to have been able to travel to 38 of the 50 states in the U.S.  Most of the travel to these states has been by highway.  During a recent family trip to Colorado, I was surprised to find state speed limits on long stretches of open roads raised to 75 mph.

Now Texas joins this exclusive club by raising the speed limit on western rural interstates to 80.

Texas now lays claim to the highest speed limit in the country. Signs indicating the change from 75 mph to 80 mph began going up along 521 miles of interstates in 10 sparsely populated counties just days after state transportation officials approved the increase late last month.

The limit is 80 on an 89-mile stretch of I-20 between Monahans and the Interstate 10 interchange at the edge of the Jeff Davis Mountains. Same for the 432 miles between Kerrville and El Paso on I-10.

The stretches are mostly flat and straight and get far less traffic than other parts of Texas.

Interestingly, Department of Public Safety officials have found the stretches of roads where the speed limit was raised, fatalities dropped.  But going faster does cost more.

The Department of Energy estimates that every 5 mph over 60 costs drivers an extra 20 cents per gallon.

So if you can afford the high cost of the gas it takes to go this fast, more power to you.  This is music to the ears of a guy who considers the stated limit posted on signs, the lowest you should go.

Tags: Corruption, Texas, Politics by Chuck
1 Comment »

Harry Reid had finally decided he will no longer accept free boxing tickets from the Nevada Boxing Commission.  Ever since the news came out about the gift, Reid has been going around saying not only did he do nothing wrong, but he would continue to accept free tickets as ethic rules allow.  The problem with this is the he was misquoting the ethics rules.  Oops.

A few days ago I wrote here concerning the Senator Reid’s ‘Culture of Corruption’ problem.  Reid still will not acknowledge he did anything inappropriate, but at least he is on the right track now.  For that, I guess I should be happy.

Tags: Corruption, Democrats, Politics by Chuck
No Comments »

I can not believe my eyes, is the editorial page of the Houston Chronicle finally coming out in support the FBI raid on William Jefferson’s office?

The FBI’s recent raid on the congressional office of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson was the first of its kind, but the blame for its necessity rests solely with Jefferson. The congressman from New Orleans refused to comply with a lawful subpoena for certain of his papers, saying he should not be forced to incriminate himself. Agreed, but he has no grounds to object if law enforcement officers, equipped with a court-approved warrant, do the job for him.

Ob-so-lute-ly! It is what I and other bloggers have been saying for some time. The Congressman refused to turn over evidence and so a judge renders a search warrant to search his congressional office. All perfectly legal, unless he is proclaiming some kind of Congressional privilege, which any reliable judge will throw out.

Even though many legislators like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Dennis Hastert, James Sensenbrenner, and others have come out against the search, there are many other Congressmen who see there is no such thing as Congressional Privilege.

U.S. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said Congress should be treated no different than the average citizen in criminal matters. Most Americans undoubtedly agree with him. The argument that public officials of any government branch are above the law was laid to rest when the U.S. Supreme Court ordered President Richard Nixon to release incriminating White House tapes.

Right again! Most people do not want members of Congress who think they are above the law. All members of our government are citizens, even the President is known as First Citizen.

Just when I was beginning to feel good about the Chronicle, they come up with this statement.

The same Congress that has done little to stop warrantless surveillance of Americans’ communications cannot reasonably claim special privileges protecting it from searches duly approved by a judge.

Huh? The first has NOTHING to do the latter. Warrentless surveillance of our communications has to do with calls originating from other countries and therefore perfectly legal. Congress has no right to break the law. There is a difference.

Man, and to think I was considering getting a subscription to the Houston Chronicle.

Hat tip: Rhymes with Right

Tags: Corruption, Democrats, Politics by Chuck
No Comments »

Doesn’t Congress have real work to do beside investigate a perceived infringement on their “constitutionally mandated” immunity?  We have several real problems in this country without making some up out of thin air.  We have an immigration problem, we have ethical problems in Congress, we have energy problems, security problems, but instead of investigating something real, they instead focus their undivided attentions on a ‘separation of powers’ issue.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner said Tuesday he will summon Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller before his panel to explain their decision to raid a lawmaker’s office for the first time in history.

Before the raid on Congressman Jefferson’s office, the FBI received court approval for the search.  There is nothing is this search that justifies this kind of reaction from lawmakers.  The FBI rightly defended their actions.

The Justice Department filed court papers Tuesday opposing the congressman’s demand that property seized in the office raid be returned. Such a step would be “fundamentally inconsistent with the bedrock principle that ‘the laws of this country allow no place or employment as a sanctuary for crime,”‘ the papers said, quoting language from a near-century-old Supreme Court case.

Rightly so.  I stated here, that using this same idea, I could conduct an illegal activity at my business, and since the federal government can not be involved in private enterprise, they should not be allowed to search my place of business, right?  This is pure nonsense.  No one is above the law, not even the privileged members of Congress.

Congress had better tread softly on this issue.  If the people of this country find out that members of Congress think they are above the law, unlike everyday Americans, they will be voted out of their privileged positions.  If the American people vote these ‘elites’ out of power, they will have been justified in their actions.  The problem with many of these Congressmen is they gain a sense of entitlement when they arrive in Washington.  They may be members of Congress, but they are still citizens, subject to the same laws as the rest of us.  Every once in a while, I think these legislators need to be reminded that they work for the rest of us, and they work at our discretion.

Tags: Corruption, Democrats, National Elections, Culture, Politics by Chuck
No Comments »

So much for the Democrats portraying the Republicans as involved in a “Culture of Corruption.”  Turns out one of the biggest purveyors of this term is involved in his own corruption scandal.  Harry Reid, Dem.-Nevada, accepted free gifts from Nevada Athletic Commission while considering legislation concerning government oversight of boxing.

From 2003 to 2005 Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has accepted free ringside tickets to professional boxing matches from Nevada officials while Congress was considering regulating the sport.

Reid defended the gifts saying the gifts would never influence his decision while he was considering legislation.  Right!  Like we are really supposed to believe that.

Harry Reid has been relentless in attacking Republicans as having a ‘culture of corruption.’  There is a culture of corruption when lawmakers when lawmakers can accept bribes and still believe they are acting in the best interest of their constituents.  While Reid took free tickets on three different occasions, two other lawmakers were offered free tickets as well. One was Sen. John McCain who insisted on paying for his ticket and the other was Sen. John Ensign, R-Nevada, who abstained from voting on the boxing bills.  But not Harry Reid.  And he still thinks he did nothing wrong!

Reid was involved with the Abramoff scandal as well by taking money from Indian tribes who were trying to influence his vote.  Abramoff was later indicted on influence peddling causing most lawmakers to give back any money they received from the lobbyist, but not Reid.  The Senator just accepts money and gifts from different lobbyists and he wants us to believe it doesn’t influence his decisions.

Note to Senator Reid: I would be very careful about throwing accusations about a “culture of corruption,” if I were you.  The next time you start slamming down the lid, make sure your own hand is not in the cookie jar.

In a funny post, ScrappleFace is expresses concern for the first known case of Republican to Democrat transmission of the ‘culture of corruption’ disease.

Tags: Corruption, Democrats, Politics by Chuck
1 Comment »