BREAKING NEWS: HUNTER TO STAY IN RACE

At a special called news conference at 2 PM today, GOP Presidential hopeful Duncan Hunter, R-California, announced that he is staying in the race.

There had been widespread speculation that perhaps Hunter would announce today his withdrawal from the race due to his dismal showing in the polls in New Hampshire.

However, Hunter came in 3rd in Wyoming on Saturday and picked up one delegate to the Republican National Convention in the summer.

Stating that 'the voters will decide when the race is over,' Hunter vowed to march on to South Carolina following the New Hampshire primary.

South Carolina is one of the states where Duncan Hunter did very well early in the campaign. The U.S. Representative from California's San Diego district announced his Presidential bid in Spartanburg, South Carolina in the spring of 2007.

However, Hunter has suffered from Fred Thompson's entry into the race and Mike Huckabee's late surge, appealing to the large number of evangelical Christians in the state.

Huckabee is by no means a shoe-in, however. Polls in S.C. have been all over the map, indicating great fluidity. Fred Thompson has polled very well in the state and still has a good chance of winning.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 1/7/08

Focusing on guns and politics, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

Michelle Malkin is reporting that GOP Presidential hopeful Duncan Hunter will be making a major announcement today at 2 PM concerning his campaign. If he drops out of the race, the question will be, who will he endorse? My hunch is it will be Fred Thompson, but I could be wrong:
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/01/07/duncan-hunter-to-make-an-announcement/

As we reported yesterday, Obama has opened a double-digit lead over Clinton in New Hampshire. Mike McCarville wonders if Hillary's campaign has lost its focus:
http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2008/01/is-clintons-campaign-losing-its-focus.html

Alphecca has a 'right on the money' cartoon editorial on the New Hampshire primary:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=595

Alphecca also has some ominous gun control news out of Cook County, Illinois:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=593

Armed and Safe has GREAT news! The Bloomberg Coalition to Rob Citizens of Their Rights can't get anyone to notice them anymore:
http://armedandsafe.blogspot.com/2008/01/mayors-against-illegal-guns-cant-get.html

Blogonomicon has an interesting vintage gun ad from the year 1958:
http://blogonomicon.blogspot.com/2008/01/saturday-vintage-gun-ad-1958-lyman.html

Born Again Redneck has the MUST-read of the day on Mike Huckabee's mess he has created for the GOP:
http://bornagainredneck.blogspot.com/2008/01/gops-time-for-choosing.html

Cap'n Bob and the Damsel blog on good food and good weapons, with a picture to boot:
http://capnbob.us/blog/2008/01/06/sunday-brunch/

D.C. filed its brief on time Friday in the Heller case before the Supreme Court. Of Arms and the Law has a .pdf on the thing if you are interested in reading the entire brief:
http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2008/01/dc_files_oarker.php

Tam provides good reading today on politics:
http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2008/01/random-political-stuff.html

Sebastian has important information on the NRA and ATF reform:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=2329

As everyone knows by now, The Liberty Sphere has endorsed Fred Thompson for President. This in NO way means we do not like Ron Paul or some of the other candidates. Ron Paul's exclusion from the N.H. debate was idiotic. The War on Guns has more:
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2008/01/rasmussen-reports-ron-tied-for-third-in.html

Nicki says that there are wet panties and soiled shorts in Boston. Here is the reason:
http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2008/01/time-to-wet-panties-in-boston.html

John Lott reports on how that numbskull Bloomberg may use his billions to get around campaign finance reform should he launch his idiotic bid for the White House as an independent:
http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-op-ed-bloomys-billions-reforms.html

Here's proof that a young fool only becomes an old fool. Former Democratic Presidential nominee (from 1972) George McGovern just keeps running his mouth and proving the point. The Volokh Conspiracy has the story:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_01_06-2008_01_12.shtml#1199673472

The Buckeye Firearms Association posts excellent reading today on how the government is gradually making all of us criminals:
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/article4124.html

L. Neil Smith has part two of his series at Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership:
http://www.jpfo.org/smith/smith-mess-02.htm

From the NRA: Fighting for Self-Defense Rights in Georgia:
http://www.nraila.org/hb89/

Traction Control blogs on 'shiny bores and well-oiled actions':
http://tractioncontrol.well-regulatedmilitia.org/?p=895

Breda posts her most recent shooting range report:
http://thebredafallacy.blogspot.com/2008/01/range-report.html

Robb Allen notes the results of Michigan's increase in gun permits:
http://blog.robballen.com/archive/2008/01/06/Well-thats-usually-how-it-works.aspx

Oscar Poppa posts an article on the growing Police State in this country:
http://oscarpoppa.us/?p=838

OBAMA OPENS DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD IN N.H.

U.S. Senator Barack Obama, D-Illinois, has opened a double-digit lead over Hillary Rodham Clinton in the New Hampshire pre-primary polls.

With the New Hampshire Primary looming in roughly 48 hours, Obama seems to be building upon his major victory in the Iowa Caucuses.

As for Mrs. Clinton, her disappointing 3rd-place showing in Iowa has her campaign totally stunned and frantically searching for a way to minimize the impact of her losses and come up with a new strategy that will put her back in the lead.

But New Hampshire is not the end of Mrs. Clinton's woes. The South Carolina Primary is coming up quickly in January, and once again the former First Lady finds herself losing her footing in a state where she once held a solid lead.

Polls are showing that Barack Obama is continuing to gain ground in South Carolina, with some showing him neck-and-neck with Mrs. Clinton while others show him in a solid lead.

Many pundits in the state expect that Obama will win South Carolina as well.

This highlights a scenario to which The Liberty Sphere pointed several months ago in which we predicted that Mrs. Clinton would lose the first three major primaries to Obama. While this will certainly give the Illinois Senator a great deal of momentum, we expect that momentum to come to screeching halt by the time the Florida Primary rolls around.

By then more rationally-minded Democrats will have had time to pause to consider just how terribly risky and dangerous it is to support a political novice who has ZERO foreign policy knowledge.

The same can be said for Mike Huckabee on the Republican side.

Neither candidate has the experience or the gravitas to represent the most powerful nation on earth on the world stage in an era where one single mistake could result in a mushroom cloud over a U.S. city.

And let's not forget the continuing volatility of Pakistan--a major nuclear power.

Unfortunately for the Democrats, the two candidates who had the most experience in these matters have dropped out of the race--Joe Biden and Chris Dodd. The rest are essentially political novices.

Even Mrs. Clinton is to be preferred over Obama or Edwards, given that the former First Lady has at least some practical knowledge of world politics, though not extensive.

When it comes to foreign policy and world terrorism the Republicans still have a distinct advantage over the Democrats, with the exception of Mike Huckabee who showed us recently that his grasp of the situation in Pakistan is alarmingly lacking.

Fred Thompson, Duncan Hunter, John McCain, Ron Paul each have considerable experience, wisdom, and gravitas to deal with volatile situations on the world stage.

Thus, when the Democrats come back to their senses, we suspect that they will realize that Hillary, even with all of her baggage and weaknesses, is their best bet.

Wyoming Republican Caucuses Today

Always committed to telling you what the mainstream media won't, we at The Liberty Sphere will keep you informed about the headlines beneath the headlines, and the information buried by supposedly 'more important endeavors.'

The Wyoming Republican Caucuses take place today, Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008.

If you had only been paying attention to the mainstream media or the Press, you would have never heard about this event.

Very few delegate votes are at stake in this event, yet Wyoming is a vital part of the political process, given that it is in the middle of one of the strongest Republican areas in the nation.

Fred Thompson, Duncan Hunter, and Mitt Romney have campaigned in the state, while the rest have placed Wyoming on the back burner. Rumor has it that Mitt Romney will do very well here, but there is no solid evidence to back that up.

The reason is that no polling data has been gathered. Perhaps the various polling organizations do not consider Wyoming to be important enough to invest the time and money.

Thus, the only count to be taken will be the actual vote itself, and Wyoming's preferred candidate will be chosen by the end of the process.

As always, the Liberty Sphere will keep you informed of the results of the Wyoming Republican Caucuses as soon as they are made available.

Maybe Ron Paul Needs a Second Look

A faithful reader of The Liberty Sphere, whose opinion I have come to value, has made up his mind to support Ron Paul for President. Normally I would simply chalk up such a thing to differences of opinion and move on.

But perhaps Ron Paul deserves a second look.

This is not to say I am on the brink of endorsing Mr. Paul, though I would not hesitate to vote for him if he is the GOP nominee. I simply believe that such a prospect is a long shot at best.

Mr. Paul, no doubt, has some credible ideas that have their basis in Jeffersonian thought. And there is no doubt that he is perhaps the lone voice of Constitutional reverence and adherence in American politics today.

No doubt Mr. Paul appeals to a broad cross-section of American voters in both Parties who want us out of Iraq. But most of those respondents state that they want our withdrawal contingent upon a plan to make the region stable and America the clear winner.

Mr. Paul does not hint that he is willing to give us such a plan. The only thing he has said, essentially, is that just as we entered Iraq we can simply leave Iraq.

It is much more complicated than that, however.

Further, Mr. Paul receives high marks for his contention that the Constitution mandates a declaration of war by Congress before U.S. troops can be sent into battle. Generally this is true, but the War Powers Act gives Presidents more leeway than that in a world in which split-second decisions can make the difference between life and death for millions of Americans.

Fred Thompson has also stated he would go to Congress before committing the U.S. military to war, but Thompson recognizes the prudence of the provisions of the War Powers Act in the modern era.

It is unclear if Mr. Paul grasps the extreme importance of a U.S. President being willing to act quickly under the provisions of the War Powers Act without being given the go-ahead from Congress first. In a world filled with terrorism it is unrealistic to expect the President as Commander in Chief to wait until Congress deliberates and gives its approval in the event of a major terrorist attack against Americans.

Those wasted hours could mean the horrifying loss of thousands, if not millions, of lives.

In addition, Mr. Paul gains much support due to his support of the Second Amendment. But he is not the only GOP candidate who has the credentials to speak with credibility on the subject of gun rights. Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Fred Thompson in particular are staunch supporters of the citizens' right to keep and bear firearms.

As I have often stated, I am by no means anti-Ron Paul. There is much about the candidate that can be praised and admired. Yet there are numerous pitfalls as well. Until I get answers to my questions about the issues raised here, I am still unconvinced that he is the best candidate to go head-to-head against Hillary Clinton.

Comments on Oct. 9 GOP Debate in Dearborn

As expected, Fred Thompson loomed large in the GOP debate in Dearborn, Michigan Tuesday afternoon. After skipping out on all previous debates, given that he was not yet a candidate, the fact that Thompson has skyrocketed to a statistical tie with Rudy Giuliani meant that all eyes were on Fred.

Thompson even occupied the center stage in the debate, which inadvertently served to further highlight his looming stature, figuratively and literally.

Chris Matthews asked Thompson the first question of the debate. Thompson seemed to lose his train of thought at one moment during his answer. But after a rusty first shot out of the starting gate, the candidate proceeded to show that he can stand toe-to-toe with the big guys on the national stage.

Thompson's answers were down-to-earth, folksy, and exhibited his vast knowledge of legal and Constitutional issues after spending decades as an attorney.

While Thompson may not have lived up to the unrealistic expectations of those who expected him to be someone he is not, such as Ronald Reagan, the candidate nonetheless established himself as one who can hold his own with rivals who have been on the stage now for months.

Duncan Hunter also posted a strong performance, particularly on the issue of how the Chinese have taken advantage of U.S. trade policies to come back and hurt us.

The question was asked of all the candidates if they would go on record as supporting whoever wins the GOP nomination for President. Several candidates hedged, including Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, and Sam Brownback.

Mr. Paul insisted that his litmus test was the War in Iraq and whether or not the GOP nominee promises to get us out. Clearly Mr. Paul knows that several top-tier GOP candidates, one of whom is likely to be the nominee, clearly do not share his views on Iraq. Does this mean that he will support Hillary? Or perhaps turn to a third Party?

If this is the intent of Mr. Paul, surely he knows that such a move will hand the election to Hillary. And if he follows through and does such a thing, he not only will lose all of my respect but be relegated to the ash-heap of political history along side of the likes of Ross Perot.

Perot's misguided and laughable campaign as a third Party candidate in 1992 is the single reason Bill Clinton was elected President. If Ron Paul does a similar thing, he will hand the election to yet another Clinton.

And this raises a serious political question. In terms of campaign strategy, when a candidate uses tactics that he/she knows at the start will help elect a sworn political opponent, does this not mean that the candidate in question in actuality supports the opponent who benefits from those tactics?

After all, every single Democratic candidate has pledged to 'get us out of Iraq.' Since this seems to be the Paul litmus test, I suppose he would rather support Hillary or Kucinich than a member of his own Party.

Not a single GOP candidate can be described as a European-styled Socialist. Yet most if not all of the Democratic candidates are exactly that.

But who cares? At least they will 'get us out of Iraq.'

Mike Huckabee, as always, posted a fine debate performance this evening. It is easy to see why many refer to his 'rising star' status within the Republican Party with his quick wit and thoughtful answers.

With regard to the rest of the field of candidates--McCain, Giuliani, Romney--all did well and provided thoughtful answers to a range of questions on Social Security, healthcare, open markets, taxes, and government spending.

Based upon the answers given in this afternoon's debate, The Liberty Sphere will rate each of the GOP candidates based upon our exclusive 'liberty scale' which focuses on these key issues: taxes, gun rights, abortion, immigration control, national defense, the War on Terror, and U.S. foreign policy.

Here are the ratings (10 is the highest score):

Fred Thompson--10
Mike Huckabee--10
Duncan Hunter--10
Tom Tancredo--8
Ron Paul--7
Sam Brownback--7
John McCain--7
Mitt Romney--6
Rudy Giuliani--6

McCain's movement from a 5 to a 7 is due to the candidate's movement on the issues. We believe, at least at this point, that he has heard the outcry from the citizens about illegal immigration. His willingness to be flexible is a big point in his favor.

A Work in Progress: Updated GOP Assessment

With slightly over three months to go until the crucial GOP primary season begins, we have noted some changing trends that have led to an update in our assessment of the various candidates' chances at gaining the nomination for President.

First, it is important to consider the two wild-card variables that have changed the complexion of the race.

Fred Thompson seemed to come out of nowhere in the Spring to announce on Fox News that he was considering a run for the White House. Thompson finally entered the race in September with a big bounce in the national polls.

But as Mike McCarville points out at The McCarville Report, Thompson's bounce seems to be over. His poll numbers have settled to slightly above that of Rudy Giuliani; still on top but sliding a bit.

The question is, has Fred been able to live up to the hype? A shift downward in poll numbers is common when a candidate experiences a sudden, sharp hike. Thus, the slightly lower poll numbers for Thompson may indicate nothing.

Yet media reports from around the country have tended to give Thompson mixed reviews. Many of these were unwarranted and unnecessary, such as the reporter who painted a highly negative picture of the candidate because he perspired profusely and gave out of breath while campaigning outdoors in the searing heat of central Florida.

Such reports are simply not helpful and tend to tell us more about the bias of the reporter rather than the quality of the candidate.

Other reports have given Thompson rave reviews, such as when he exclaimed before a crowd last week, 'My wife will make a much better First Lady than Bill Clinton.' The crowd roared with laughter. And this is not to mention the fact that Thompson has been picking up the support of voters from Florida, to Iowa, to New Hampshire by visiting gun shops, county fairs, and community festivals, and engaging in simple, straight talk about the issues.

Second Amendment supporters have liked what they've heard, and Thompson has stayed on message even in the face of tough questions about gun rights.

We still believe that Thompson is the man to beat, IF conservative GOP voters can get over the fact that he is not Reagan. There will never be another Reagan, and it is unfair to expect Thompson to be anyone but Thompson.

The big question that looms over the Thompson campaign is, has his initial bounce lost so much of its luster that his campaign is beginning to run out of steam? I doubt it, but apparently Newt Gingrich seems to think so.

And this brings us to the second wild-card in this race, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Gingrich had stated prior to Thompson's announcement that he would enter the race only if he detected a faltering Fred Thompson.

Gingrich told reporters last week that he would run if he had 30 million bucks.

Does this mean he sees Thompson running out of steam? Or was this his plan all along?

As we have stated many times before on The Liberty Sphere, while Gingrich has many attractive ideas as a candidate, we fear his negatives among the general populace. His negatives in the polls rival that of Hillary Clinton, and frankly, I have reason to doubt his ability to beat her in the general election.

In spite of the fact that Gingrich is known as a conservative on most issues, he nonetheless supported measures in the House that ran counter to the right to keep and bear arms. Gun Owners of America, for example, gave Gingrich a grade of 'D' on gun rights, while Thompson had a grade of 'B.'

If Gingrich enters the race I see a needless split of the conservative GOP vote between him and Thompson. He is better off staying put and forgetting about running.

Second, what about the rest of the field of candidates?

Mike Huckabee has made some inroads. He is humorous, articulate, likable, energetic. Yet at this point we feel he would make a better choice as a running mate than as the GOP standard-bearer.

Tom Tancredo is another good option for a running mate, but at this point we do not see a chance for his gaining the nomination.

Duncan Hunter was always our first choice as a candidate. He is consistent, solid, focused, articulate, and probably knows his way around Washington better than anyone. Yet his campaign never got off the ground, we are sad to say. This is truly America's loss.

Ron Paul is certainly always an option. While his poll numbers have remained fairly consistent, he could well emerge as a force with which to contend if the others fail to garner widespread support. He would certainly bring to the GOP table a large segment of the population that opposes the War but that also supports the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

Giuliani and McCain are problematic as always. If we had to choose between the two, it would be McCain, but only because he is a genuine American war hero. And, despite what some conservatives claim, either one would be MUCH better than Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

That leaves Mitt Romney and Sam Brownback. Romney is unlikely to win no matter how much of his own money he spends on the campaign. He has simply waffled too much on too many issues. And as for Brownback, for all intents and purposes his campaign is over. 2008 is not his year.

Thus, the race for the GOP nomination is still wide-open for four announced candidates--Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Ron Paul. Newt Gingrich can be added to this list if he announces.

Mike Huckabee, Tom Tancredo, and even Duncan Hunter would be excellent choices for the GOP running mate, with the odds tipping toward Huckabee due to his 'rising star' status in the Party and his colorful stump speeches. Huckabee would help the GOP Presidential nominee more than any of the rest, in our opinion.

As we approach the primary season in just over three short months, it is important to bear in mind that in looking over this field of candidates, ANY of the ones named above would be preferable to Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Both have stated positions against the Second Amendment, free speech, American free enterprise, and our Constitutional Republic.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 9/20/07

Scroll down for the news:

Images courtesy of A Human Right.

Focusing on guns and politics, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

The Bitch Girls blog on the question, when is a gun not a gun?:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=7405

Say Uncle provides an update on the Colt CCO who was body slammed by a police officer for lawfully carrying a concealed weapon:
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2007/09/20/results/

Say Uncle also says that sales of those 'Triangle of Death' t-shirts he had manufactured are not going well, to say the least. Now, get on over there to Say Uncle, buy one of those t-shirts, and wear it proudly:
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2007/09/20/disappointing-3/

David Hardy at Of Arms and the Law reports that the Joyce Foundation has been 'buying off' various organizations. Now it seems they have bought the International Association of Chiefs of Police:
http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2007/09/joyce_foundatio_9.php

Nicki at The Liberty Zone provides a stirring excerpt from her autobiography, which describes how she came to cherish the right to keep and bear arms. My friends, if ever there were something you need to read, it is this:
http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2007/09/follow-this-logic.html

Nicki also provides this warning concerning the ominous Philadelphia District Attorney, Lynne Abraham:
http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2007/09/abraham-pleads-for-tougher-gun-laws.html

Wow. The War on Guns is reporting the DC has backed off its position that the 2nd Amendment is not an individual right and is now propounding the concept that a handgun ban does not violate the Amendment so long as citizens can own other guns:
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/09/dc-admitting-2a-individual-right.html

The War on Guns also has this nightmare scenario that shows the consequences of gun free schools:
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/09/another-benefit-of-gun-free-schools.html

In addition, the War on Guns posts a disturbing bit of evidence from the DOJ that documenting gun purchases by persons of Arab descent is a violation of their civil rights, but NOT a violation of others' rights (why am I not surprised?):
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/09/inshallah.html

Snow Flakes in Hell has some great comments today on Rudy Giuliani and the NRA. Read with an open mind and THINK!:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=1559

Armed and Safe says that great progress has been made on pro-Second Amendment counties in Illinois (the counties are passing resolutions affirming the 2nd Amendment to counter the Chicago-area gun-grab):
http://armedandsafe.blogspot.com/2007/09/lots-of-progress-on-pro-second.html

Blogonomicon posts a vintage Marlin gun ad from the 1940s....neat!:
http://blogonomicon.blogspot.com/2007/09/wednesday-vintage-gun-ad-1940s-marlin.html

Red's Trading Post has a MUST-read today. Long-time agents of the BATFE, who once may have been 'Mr. Nice Guy' for gun-dealers, are now following orders from above and are seeking to shut down gun shops. Read it all here:
http://redstradingpost.blogspot.com/2007/09/so-much-for-mr-nice-guy.html

Sharp as a Marble writes about a school teacher left defenseless against her abusive husband, on whom she had a restraining order, because of the school's gun-free policy:
http://blog.robballen.com/archive/2007/09/20/Oh-I-didnt-realize-it-was-that-easy.aspx

Traction Control issues an urgent alert to stop the 'Dream Act,' the backdoor, under-the-table method Senators have devised to resurrect the 'Immigration Reform-Amnesty' measure that was defeated:
http://tractioncontrol.well-regulatedmilitia.org/?p=607

Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership has the full scoop on the raid on Red's Trading Post:
http://www.jpfo.org/alert20070919.htm

Mike McCarville reports that a new Zogby-Reuters poll shows that public approval for Congress is down to a mere 11 percent. That's ELEVEN percent...the lowest in history. President Bush's approval stands at 29%:
http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2007/09/poll-finds-low-approval-for-bush-lower.html

McCarville also says that today U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, minced no words in ripping into Moveon.org and expressing support for General Petraeus:
http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2007/09/inhofe-supports-petraeus-rips-moveonorg.html

The editors of National Review, the great publication founded by William F. Buckley, Jr., have an editorial on Hillary Clinton's national healthcare proposal:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZDAwMWM3MThiMzI3YmQ4OTdmYzY2ZWU2ODU3NDY1MGE=

World Net Daily is reporting that Republican Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee won a significant straw poll:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57708

Alphecca points to some common sense concerning gun rights and the state of New Jersey:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=431

Front Sight, Press gives us a peek into the fantasyland in which many antis live:
http://www.snubnose.info/wordpress/tactics/fantasyland-by-john-farnam/

My friends, it's time to take a break from guns and politics in order to offer a prayer for one of our own. Xavier requests our prayers for him and his son today. His son is having surgery. You got it, buddy!:
http://xavierthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/09/in-family.html

Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. John Lott says that the Washington Post, in responding to a statement by Fred Thompson, actually claims that the Soviet Union lost more soldiers in fighting for other people's liberty than any other nation on earth. Damn. You wanna run that by me again?:
http://johnrlott.tripod.com/2007/09/soviet-union-lost-more-soilders.html

Michelle Malkin is reporting that the plot thickens in the saga of the Hillary Clinton-Norman Hsu dirty money scandal. Hsu now faces charges in New York:
http://michellemalkin.com/2007/09/20/the-democrats-bundles-of-straw/

Malkin also says that the vote on the so-called 'Dream Act'--another amnesty bill--will take place TOMORROW in the Senate. She also has an update on which side the Senators will vote:
http://michellemalkin.com/2007/09/20/shamnesty-watch-act-on-the-dream-act/

Gun Law News reports an update in the Heller DC case and provides a link to more info. Go check it out:
http://www.gunlawnews.org/News/heller092007-2.html

As most of you know by now, my favorites are Duncan Hunter and Fred Thompson. But this sort of makes me want to vote for Ron Paul. Enjoy:
http://www.blogstitution.com/?p=91

Petraeus, Patriots, Prostitutes, and the Pimp

By all accounts the appearance of General David H. Petraeus before Congress yesterday was nothing less than a three-ring circus. The entire fiasco can be laid directly at the feet of the Democratic leadership who obviously did nothing, or very little, to insure a mature, orderly proceeding.

The embarrassing buffoonery started when Democratic committee chair Ike Skelton refused to listen to GOP warnings about potential disruptions at the hands of pinko anti-war demonstrators.

And disrupt, they did.

But first, we were treated to the highly embarrassing episode of the dead microphones. Neither the General's nor the Ambassador's microphones would work. Perhaps, as one blogger put it, this was perfectly symbolic. The Democrats had no intention of actually listening to the report, since they had already begun attacking it before it was issued.

Once the microphones were working, it was time for the pinkos to protest.

Of course, Rep. Skelton was forced to put on his best 'I am highly offended' face and throw the bums out...but not before they were allowed to heckle General Petraeus and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.

Perhaps Mr. Skelton believed that these types of made-for-TV demonstrations would somehow help to show Americans that those awful, despicable, war-mongering symbols of America's shame in Iraq returned to Washington only to face a massive outpouring of spontaneous heckling and hatred.

Why else would he allow them entrance to the committee hearing given that he had already been warned that troublemakers were on the prowl?

Yet, it could well be that Skelton's plot backfired. Petraeus appeared calm, steady, and professional under intense pressure. His character had already been impugned before he was allowed to speak a word, yet the General conducted himself with utmost dignity and steadiness.

Congressional Republicans conducted themselves with dignity, patriotism, and maturity as their colleagues in the other Party threw a tantrum.

It was the Democrats who came off looking like desperate, eager opportunists, searching for everything--anything--they could get their hands on to try to discredit the General and the Ambassador.

In fact, they appeared almost as if they were prostitutes, having sold themselves to individuals and entities that have anything but America's best interests at heart.

For example, Moveon.org, the anti-war organization of the Democratic Party, referred to General Petraeus as 'General Betray-Us.' They even bought a full-page ad in the New York Times to say it.

In the ad Moveon also accused Petraeus of 'cooking the books,' lying about the figures, in order to present a positive picture.

Back down at the funny farm in Congress, Democrat Tom Lantos launched into a lengthy Petraeus-bash prior to the General's report, and stated forthrightly about the General's ensuing words, 'I don't buy a word of it.'

U.S. Representative and Republican Presidential hopeful Duncan Hunter, R-California, responded to the attack by reminding the committee that Petraeus had been confirmed unanimously by Congress earlier this year, and that the proceedings should continue only with the stipulation that all would presume that Petraeus would offer 'a candid, independent assessment with integrity.'

Perhaps Hunter's stipulation was a bit too much for the ethically-challenged members of the Democratic leadership. Having sold themselves to the highest bidder, i.e., the anti-war, pinko nutcases of the extremist leftwing, these prostitutes would now sell the nation's soul to them as well.

At this hour, not a single Democratic candidate for President, nor any Democratic member of Congress has denounced, repudiated, or condemned Moveon.org for its blatant disrespect and character assassination of one of the America's most trusted military officials.

Former Democrat and Independent Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman joined with John McCain in drafting a letter to be sent to the Democratic leadership in the Senate, calling on the Majority Leader to denounce and distance himself and his Party from the Moveon.org ad.

Senator Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, refused.

Of course he refused. When you have sold out like a prostitute, you are forever indebted to the pimp. And in this case the pimp is somewhat elusive but encompasses the Democratic National Committee and those it needs to please in order to get the cash.

But what about the patriots? Where did they stand on yesterday's clown show that was not worthy of a hearing for a General?

John McCain stated that this was a McCarthy-like attack on the character of an American patriot.

Indeed, it was.

Fred Thompson accused Moveon of libel, and stated that the Democratic Party and every single Democratic candidate for President should repudiate the libel of this patriotic American.

We agree. And Mr. Thompson himself is a great American patriot as well.

When David H. Petraeus received his unanimous confirmation by the Congress, he also received the pledges from Congressional Democrats to 'give the surge a chance,' and to 'wait until the report is issued in September before passing judgment.'

It is clear after today's fiasco that the Democrats lied. They had no intention of supporting Petraeus or of giving the surge a chance to work, simply because to do so would ruin their most effective 2008 election tool, i.e., claiming that the War in Iraq is a big mistake and no progress is being made.

And the news today which shows a steep decline in the number of deaths and a dramatic increase in safety and security in sectors that once had been nothing more than death-traps, is not good news for those whose political fortune rests on the failure of America.

But of course, the act of selling oneself to the highest bidder is not an exercise in love for country but a race to see who gets the most cash at the end of the day. I am sure that the pimp will be most pleased.

Thompson Announces, Republicans Debate in N.H.

Former U.S. Senator and television star Fred Thompson, R-Tennessee, has formally announced his bid for the Republican Presidential nomination. Thompson began airing a television ad describing his campaign goals even as the rest of the Republican field of candidates debated in New Hampshire.

Demonstrating the power of the Thompson presence in the campaign, the very first question of the debate, posed by Fox News Washington Chief Britt Hume, centered on Thompson's contention that having armed students at Virginia Tech could have prevented the massacre unleashed by Cho Seung Hui.

The Second Amendment was a recurring theme during the debate, as the candidates made sure that listeners understood that they each support the individual citizen's right to bear arms.

However, the record shows a different story. When compared to the Democratic candidates, each of the Republican candidates come out smelling like a rose. But Giuliani, McCain, and Romney have less-than-stellar records on their support of Second Amendment rights.

The most exciting segment of the debate occurred when Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee sparred on the War in Iraq. Hume allowed the two great leeway in their exchange, given that it was one of the more spontaneous and interesting segments that has occurred in any of the debates in either Party.

Concerning Ron Paul, The Liberty Sphere continues to have great difficulty with the candidate's assertion that the 9/11 attack was due to the American troop presence on the Arabian peninsula--the reason given by Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. Mr. Paul makes the mistake of taking the words of Osama bin Laden at face value.

Why should we believe him? Bin Laden is one of the least trustworthy individuals on the planet.

The truth is we were attacked because radical Islamists, i.e., the Jihad, wishes to kill us all in the name of Allah and usher in Sharia Law under the Koran.

And this is why we have maintained all along that Ron Paul will not win the GOP nomination. This shortsighted point of view on what our nation faces in the Jihadists is enough to deny him the support of most Republican voters.

This is, no doubt, a shame, for Mr. Paul is otherwise an attractive candidate with many laudable ideas.

The clear winner in this debate, in our view, continues to be Duncan Hunter, R-California. He has the honor, the integrity, the grasp of the issues, and the ability to articulate his stance on the issues that place him at the head of the pack.

If there was a clear loser in the debate, it would have to be Senator Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, who seemed to lose his train of thought a couple of times. This was not a good night for the Senator, although his lackluster showing did nothing to effect his stance on the issues, which for the most part is strong.

The Liberty Sphere rates the candidates who participate in the debates based upon eight key issues impacting personal liberty--taxes, healthcare, gun rights, immigration policy, abortion, national defense, U.S. foreign policy, and the War on Terror.

Based upon these key issues, we rate the Republican candidates in Wednesday night's debate as follows, with 10 being the highest score:

Duncan Hunter--10
Mike Huckabee--9
Sam Brownback--8
Tom Tancredo--8
Ron Paul--7
Rudy Giuliani--6
Mitt Romney--6
John McCain--5

Second Amendment News Roundup for 9/3/07

Focusing on guns and politics, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

So, you think Alberto Gonzalez was bad as an Attorney-General? I would not disagree with that assessment, but when compared to Janet Reno, the man was the best. Ann Coulter reminds us of the sheer terror perpetrated on the electorate by the most aggressive, rogue Attorney-General in U.S. history--the Clintons' favorite girl, Janet Reno (hat tip to Traction Control):
http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/welcome.cgi

Traction Control posts the news on a judge who blocked stricter penalties for hiring illegal aliens (and by the way, the U.S. Code states that the aiding and abetting of illegal aliens is a felony--but apparently not in THIS judge's courtroom):
http://tractioncontrol.well-regulatedmilitia.org/?p=567

The Volokh Conspiracy points out that in a recent story in the New York Times entitled, 'Why Is Cuba So Poor?,' never once did the article mention that Communism, Socialism, or Collectivism are in any way responsible for the nation's plight:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_02-2007_09_08.shtml#1188724835

John Lott reports that the Northern Iowa University faculty senate voted against allowing campus police to carry guns:
http://johnrlott.tripod.com/2007/09/northern-iowa-university-faculty-senate.html

Xavier Thoughts blogs today about an unusual revolver, but it is a beauty:
http://xavierthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/09/model-of-1905-4th-change-oddity.html

Xavier also has some neat examples of pre-Depression-era Smith & Wesson military and police revolvers:
http://xavierthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/09/pre-depression-military-police-revolver.html

The War on Guns has an intriguing article on how the FBI may have scared Caucasians into supporting gun control by using 'the race card':
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/09/color-of-gun-control.html

Bitter over at The Bitch Girls shares her opinion on the resignation of Senator Larry Craig, which she thinks is lamentable. I agree:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=7353

A Keyboard and a .45 has some great news for one of our favorite Congressmen of all time, Republican Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter of California. Hunter won a big one by walking away with the Texas straw poll. We are gratified to see the Congressman win one:
http://akeyboardanda45.blogspot.com/2007/09/duncan-hunter-runs-away-with-texas.html

Alphecca says that London is playing host to an arms fair, which has the police in a dither, deploying 4000 officers to monitor the thing:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=382

Snow Flakes in Hell points to an interesting item in the news concerning suicide prevention and the work of law enforcement:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=1456

Say Uncle posts this item entitled, 'Big Schtick':
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2007/09/03/big_schtick/

Front Sight, Press points to a MUST-read penned by Triticale entitled, 'Gun Control Victims':
http://www.snubnose.info/wordpress/rkba/gun-control-victims/

Cameron Bailey says that the revelations continue to unfold about the HUGE fundraising scandal that implicates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Barbara Boxer, and about a dozen other top Democrats:
http://www.cameron-bailey.com/2007/09/democratic-fundraising-scandal.html

Blogonomicon posts a great cartoon editorial that you absolutely must see:
http://blogonomicon.blogspot.com/2007/09/indeed.html

Mike McCarville says that it may be way too early to count out former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in his bid for the GOP Presidential nomination. McCarville says that a S.C. insider has evidence that Huckabee is a rising star in the GOP:
http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2007/08/huckabee-gops-new-rising-star.html

Pamela Geller over at Atlas Shrugs never minces words when it comes to the failure of the modern Democratic Party to support American ideals, freedom, and nation of Israel. Read her latest timely expose on some sickening rhetoric by the Democratic leadership:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2007/09/democrats-party.html

In case you haven't seen it yet, Mr. Completely has this latest update on the Gun Bloggers Rendezvous in Reno, Nevada in October (plan to attend if you can):
http://mrcompletely.blogspot.com/2007/08/gun-blogger-rendezvous-guest-of-honor.html

Tax Talk on the Campaign Trail

The campaign trail is already rife with tax talk as the candidates in both Parties gear up for their major push leading to the early 2008 primary season. Unannounced GOP contender Fred Thompson created somewhat of a stir last week by suggesting he may support the 'fair tax.'

Simply stated, the fair tax is like a national sales tax, except no sales tax would be assessed on food or medicine. This would greatly help the poorest among us.

However, the fair tax proposal has already generated opposition on the part of those with a vested interest in keeping the present system of taxation. Tax lawyers and accountants in particular are vehemently opposed to the plan, as are the tax preparation services.

The IRS is opposed to the plan. The reason, of course, is not far to find. With the fair tax in place, there would be no need for the IRS.

Liberal politicians, such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are against the plan. The current system allows the socialistic notion of 'redistribution of wealth' to flourish. Plus, it is too easy to score political points by creating class warfare when a politician can always point to how 'rich people and corporations do not pay their fair share' under the current system, leading to their proposals for hefty tax increases for upper income brackets and U.S. businesses.

Curiously, however, the fair tax proposal is finding some opposition among the middle class that has greatly benefited from deductions for mortgages and charitable contributions.

Perhaps this is the one negative consequence of implementing the fair tax. The middle class would no longer have those deductions.

However, there is too much in favor of a system of taxation based upon the fair tax to dismiss it outright for failing to include provisions to which Americans have been accustomed.

For one, you get to keep your own money. No federal tax assessments will be withheld from your paycheck. With more money in your pocket, you have more choices at your disposal, such as buying a home or making provision for medical care.

In addition, when you make a purchase of food or medicine, you pay no federal tax whatsoever. Many states have already implemented this policy on the local level, meaning that food and medicine are much more affordable to the lower and middle classes.

Perhaps the most enticing advantage of all with the fair tax is that at the end of the year there are no lengthy and confusing tax forms to fill out. April 15 will no longer be known as the black day when the tax man cometh. You will no longer need to fear the heavy hand of the IRS pouring over your records for mistakes, or being told that you underpaid and owe more money.

Some critics have argued that the U.S. government could not survive under such a system. Such an alarmist point of view is a scare tactic alone. Not only would government survive but it would thrive.

For the first time in memory, corporations would pay their fair share like everyone else. So would the super-rich. With the demise of the system that makes corporate welfare possible, along with loopholes that allow some of the super-rich to escape large tax liabilities, government will actually begin to collect more money from some sectors of society.

Every person and every entity in America will owe the very same percentage on purchases except for food and medicine. This is actually a good thing. Everyone pays their 'fair share.'

For some mega-corporations this will mean millions of extra dollars flowing into the federal government.

At the other end of the spectrum government would actually lose money from those who can ill afford to make many purchases of consumer goods.

Any shortfall of funds from the fair tax would lead to a thorough consideration of the age-old question--does government live within its means? Clearly it does not. With multi-billion-dollar bridges built to nowhere by pork-barrel politicians, the Pentagon paying millions to ship 19-cent bolts, and unnecessary programs such as the BATFE and the Department of Education, the government is long overdue for some belt-tightening.

The abolition of the IRS alone would save American taxpayers billions of dollars per year.

So far, at least five of the GOP Presidential candidates are on record as either supporting or considering supporting the fair tax--Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, and Fred Thompson.

The Liberty Sphere is glad to see this issue taking center stage in the various campaigns. We feel that the nation's broken system of taxation should be an easy one with which to hammer the Democrats.

The Hole Dug All the Way to China

American corporations and the U.S. government have used the 'free trade' mantra to justify a myriad of dubious decisions that have benefited foreign governments and helped U.S. companies cut costs. With the latest news that toys made in China are lead-laden, it is becoming clear that all of these years we have been digging ourselves into a hole, and that hole leads all the way to China.

First it was the news that our beloved pets were being poisoned to death by pet food that originated in China. Then we discovered that some of our toothpaste had a Chinese connection, and that certain brands contained poison harmful to humans.

And now we are told that toys made in China are tainted with lead, a substance that has proven highly toxic to children.

The present scenario is the result of years of a misguided trade policy. We have essentially allowed foreign governments to take over a large share of the American market in the name of 'lower prices.' For example, the American toy industry is nearly non-existent. Mattel makes most of its toys using the slave labor in China.

At the same time we have allowed countries such as China to impose highly restrictive tariffs on American exports. China has taken the billions it has made off of these tariffs and promptly used that money against the U.S. by building up its military arsenal.

Republican Presidential contender Duncan Hunter was one of the first to sound the alarm about this unfair trade advantage, along with the outsourcing of American jobs overseas.

Mr. Hunter was perhaps the first to propose a 'fair trade' policy toward China and other such nations, rather than 'free trade.' Free trade is great as long as it is fair. When free trade ceases to be fair, it is no longer free.

Countries that impose tariffs on American goods should face having the same thing done to their goods when they come to the U.S. This is the only fair and reasonable way to do business.

Many have suggested that in response to the string of dangers arising from Chinese products, we should focus on buying American. However, this is much more difficult to do than in the past.

For example, Mattel is an American company, but most of its toys are made in China. Honda is a foreign company but most of the cars it sells in the U.S. are made in the U.S. Ford, GM, and Chrysler are American companies but use parts and materials made overseas.

The U.S. government and the large corporations have only themselves to blame for the present predicament. Perhaps the only method in the short term of dealing with the problem is to implement the provisions of fair trade, place tariffs on all Chinese goods, and demand that American companies stop using Chinese materials until that country cleans up its act.

Republicans Square Off in Iowa

The Republicans had a debate early Sunday morning in Iowa. Unless you are a news junkie you probably didn't even know a debate was taking place.

Yet Iowans get up early, and they packed the house to hear the nine Republican candidates spar on a variety of issues, one week prior to a major straw poll on Saturday, Aug. 13.

Significant in this debate was the fireworks that occurred between Senator Sam Brownback and Mitt Romney. Brownback took Romney to task for his about-face on abortion, not that it isn't admirable for Romney to change his mind but that dyed-in-the-wool pro-life candidates such as Brownback have reason to doubt Romney's sincerity.

Romney has taken an about-face on several issues since his days as a Liberal Republican Governor of the state of Massachusetts. The Liberty Sphere has often asked the question, who is the real Mitt Romney?

Nobody really knows except for the candidate himself.

Brownback's offensive played well in Iowa, where most Republican activists are pro-life. Attendees and observers however did not give the Kansas Senator top marks in the debate.

Most of those who responded to various polls believed that Ron Paul won the debate. Other top contenders were Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitt Romney.

John McCain registered a very poor showing in the polls following the debate, which only further solidifies the contention that his candidacy is pretty much washed up.

As always, Duncan Hunter showed great strength and grasp of the issues. From the beginning he has been our favorite candidate, and it is a shame that a highly respected Congressman of his stature has not been able to break out of single digits in the polls.

Tom Tancredo also registered a strong showing in the debate. His effectiveness in handling these forums has steadily improved over time.

That brings us to Tommy Thompson. Thompson has had a distinguished career in Republican Party politics and has definitely made his mark for conservative values. His debate performances are never lackluster, but we have come to expect a consistency about them that neither buries the candidate nor catapults him to the top.

As always, The Liberty Sphere provides ratings for the candidates based upon their views on the following key issues that are central to human liberty--national defense, taxes, abortion, gun rights, the War on Terror, healthcare, immigration, and U.S. foreign policy.

Based upon these key issues, The Liberty Sphere rates the Republican candidates as follows, after Sunday morning's debate (10 is the highest score):

Duncan Hunter--10
Mike Huckabee--10
Tom Tancredo--10
Sam Brownback--8
Ron Paul--7
Tommy Thompson--7
Rudy Giuliani--6
Mitt Romney--6
John McCain--5

South Carolina and the Presidency

South Carolina normally would not be considered a powerhouse in national politics--a least not in terms of perception. That is about to change.

The state will host one of the earliest primaries in the nation in 2008, and thus, candidates in both Parties have already been frequent visitors to the Palmetto state.

Sensing that the state is crucial in garnering the required number of delegate votes at the political Conventions, candidates are not leaving anything to chance. Republican Duncan Hunter announced his Presidential bid here. Ron Paul has been here twice. So have Hillary and Obama.

Yet South Carolina is actually more crucial to the Republican candidates than that of the Democrats. The state is now thoroughly Republican. Both of its U.S. Senators are Republicans. So is the Governor. The state legislature is controlled by Republicans.

Thus, this is a test state for the Republicans. Whoever wins here will more than likely win the Party's nomination for the White House.

Although S.C.'s U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint belong to the same Party, the two are actually as different as night and day. Graham is solidly behind McCain and has been rumored to be a potential running mate for the Arizona Senator, should he win the nomination.

Graham has also created some enemies for himself among the Party faithful here, with his front-lines support of the McCain-Ted Kennedy-George Bush immigration amnesty plan.

Rumors are that the Senator may be in trouble during his next re-election campaign, and he already has some opposition from two Republican candidates who are intent on wresting the nomination away from Graham.

Jim DeMint, on the other hand, has become a favorite of the Party faithful in S.C. with his staunch opposition to the amnesty bill that Graham supported. DeMint also supports Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination, although his backing has not helped the candidate move to the top of the pack.

Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Rudy Giuliani have strong support in the state, but polls have shown that South Carolina will probably go to Fred Thompson, assuming that Thompson will declare his candidacy.

On the Democratic side, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have shown solid support among Democrats in the state. Despite John Edwards' strong ties here and his upbringing in neighboring North Carolina, he has not been able to create very much excitement for his campaign.

In all likelihood, the candidates who win South Carolina will be their Party's nominee for the Presidency. At this point it would appear that those candidates will be Fred Thompson and Hillary Clinton.

And thus, South Carolina will have a large hand in choosing the next President.

Senate Investigates Border Patrol Scandal

Washington, DC (TLS). The U.S. Senate has opened an investigation into the Border Patrol scandal that sent two innocent men, Agents Ramos and Compean, to prison. Each of the men will be in jail for over a decade.

President Bush's friend and crony from Texas, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, has made sure that anyone who seriously enforces U.S. law on illegal aliens will have a heavy price to pay. His intimidation tactics at the border have put a blanket of fear over those who attempt to control illegal border crossings.

The House of Representatives has repeatedly attempted to gain the cooperation of the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Justice Department in investigating wrongdoing on the part of the government in prosecuting and convicting two innocent men.

However, the White House, the DHS, and the DOJ have essentially told the House of Representatives it can go to hell.

U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo, R-Colorado, was even contacted by Karl Rove to be informed that he would no longer have access to the White House.

Tancredo has been a persistent warrior on behalf of the two falsely accused and imprisoned Border Patrol agents.

Another great American patriot in Congress who has sought truth and justice in this case is Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California. Officials in the Bush Administration even admitted to lying to Rohrabacher's committee, which was investigating the scandal.

Despite the investigations, the pleas, and the threats of Republican Congressmen, absolutely nothing has been done to rectify one of the most despicable displays of prosecutorial misconduct and government corruption in the history of the U.S. Justice Department.

Not even the persistent pleas of the highly respected and longtime Republican Congressman from California, Duncan Hunter, could convince the Administration to do the right thing.

The Bush Administration may well regret that it did not cooperate with Rohrabacher, Tancredo, and Hunter. The U.S. Senate, under the control of Democrats, has now seized the issue.

Thus, no longer is the White House dealing with its friends in Congress. It will now go head-to-head with those who have a vested interest in completely destroying the Bush White House and putting a permanent stain on the legacy of this Administration.

To be perfectly candid, the Administration had it coming. They have brought this on themselves. By refusing to do the right thing and free the innocent Border Patrol agents, fire Johnny Sutton, and launch an investigation into government corruption of its own, the Bush White House will now suffer the consequences--a completely hostile investigation.

Normally The Liberty Sphere views investigations launched by Democrats in Congress as nothing more than political opportunism at its worst. In this case, however, we find ourselves fully supporting the Democrats in the Senate who wish to get to the bottom of this horrific scandal.

Perhaps this is one case where both Republicans and Democrats can work together to reign in an Administration that apparently operates under the assumption that it can do whatever it wants, legal or not.

Mr. Bush could help himself tremendously by admitting to the mistakes of Johnny Sutton and others, firing those who need to be ousted, and taking responsibility for those in his Administration who were neither ethical nor trustworthy.

I fear that unless Mr. Bush does his own housecleaning now, the Democrats will surely do it in 2008 with a massive sweep that will put both the White House and the Congress under their control.

And such a thing would be ominous for the country.

Read the complete story of the Senate investigation here:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200707/NAT20070716a.html

Campaign Fundraising: Who's Ahead So Far?

Washington, DC (TLS). With precious time ticking away as we draw ever closer to that important but early deadline of 1/1/08, Republican and Democratic Presidential candidates are reporting their fundraising totals for the second quarter.

Never before in a campaign has money been so vitally important this early. And it is way too early, indeed. Yet, in order to be competitive in the early 2008 primaries, each of the candidates will need at least 100 million bucks on hand.

We can thank the masterminds of both Parties for setting up this scenario, moving state primaries earlier and earlier supposedly giving their states more clout. What they may succeed in doing instead is making the electorate totally sick of politics a year ahead of the election.

Nonetheless, this is the situation we have, and we must deal with it.

So, who is ahead so far?

Republican campaign contributions are lackluster. This is due in part to a fairly unpopular President who continues to make gargantuan mistakes, all in the name of attempting to secure a positive 'legacy.' The other factor is Fred Thompson.

And this points to a much deeper problem. The present field of candidates are not catching on with the Party's base, and thus, most are holding on to their money until Fred Thompson makes his announcement.

Among the announced Republican candidates, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and John McCain are still the top three, although McCain's 2nd quarter totals were totally disappointing, leading the candidate to cut campaign staff. Although Romney's totals look fairly good, his 2nd quarter was not up to par with his 1st quarter totals, and the candidate loaned personal cash to his campaign. Giuliani still leads the pack with a steady and consistent stream of contributions.

Giuliani's 2nd quarter totals were approximately equal to his 1st quarter totals, bringing his grand total to over 32 million.

While the Ron Paul campaign claims it has more cash on hand than McCain, in terms of totals raised so far Dr. Paul is not in the top tier. When his 1st and 2nd quarter totals are combined he comes up with roughly 2.5 million in campaign funds.

However, Paul runs a very frugal campaign. He rarely travels to campaign on the stump, and most of his funds are raised on the Internet. Thus, the candidate can make a couple of million go a very long way, and he doesn't have to worry about overhead that eats through money faster than Michael Moore can inhale four Big Macs from Mickey D's.

Duncan Hunter and Mike Huckabee appear to be in a dead-heat with regard to funds, and the rest of the 2nd tier lags far behind.

On the Democratic side, Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton in the 2nd quarter, raising 32.5 million. This means that he is now ahead of Hillary for the year, raising 55.7 million as compared to her 53 million.

John Edwards comes in third with a lackluster 9 million, followed by Bill Richardson with 7.2 million.

Although the money has taken on more importance than normal given the unusually early primaries, it is nonetheless common in campaigns for candidates who have the most money to lose in the actual vote counts. This would give hope to candidates such as Bill Richardson, Ron Paul, Duncan Hunter, and Mike Huckabee.

Here is a quick wrap-up of the top fundraisers so far, in order of their year-to-date totals:

REPUBLICANS

**Rudy Giuliani
**Mitt Romney
**John McCain
**Ron Paul
**Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee
**Sam Brownback
**Jim Gilmore
**Tom Tancredo
**Tommy Thompson

DEMOCRATS

**Barack Obama
**Hillary Clinton
**John Edwards
**Bill Richardson
**Chris Dodd
**Joe Biden
**Dennis Kucinich
**Mike Gravel

LIBERTY ALERT! CHINA ARMING TERRORISTS!

Washington, DC (TLS). U.S. intelligence sources have confirmed that China is sending arms to the terrorist insurgency in Iraq, and routing them through Iran!

My level of suspicion concerning China has been rising for quite some time now, as suddenly the U.S. has been bombarded with numerous instances of poisoning in our pet and human food supply, and now our toothpaste.

All of the offending items came from China.

In addition, California Congressman and Republican Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter has been warning that the gross imbalance of trade practices between the U.S. and China--all to China's gain--has allowed the emerging super-power to use billions of American dollars against us.

This is cause for alarm.

Read the full report here:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/inring.htm

WHERE IS THAT BORDER FENCE?

Washington, DC (TLS). Increasingly citizens are asking the question, 'Where is that border fence?'

They have a right to be concerned.

Two years ago Congress approved the 700-mile fence that would help Border Patrol agents keep illegals out of the country. So far, only a fraction of the fence has been built in spite of more-than-adequate appropriations from Congress to do so.

Most of that which has already been built is in U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter's district in San Diego, which the Congressman insisted be built. Hunter is a strong proponent of strict measures to prevent the continued onslaught of illegal aliens.

Yet the Bush Administration and a Democratic Congress have been dragging their feet getting the rest of the job done. This is an outrage. Perhaps it is time to remind the esteemed members of Congress that an election is coming up next year, and increasingly Americans are feeling the outrage concerning the lack of attention to the border fence and illegal aliens in general.

And no, the Kennedy-McCain-Bush immigration bill is NOT enough!

Ratings of Republican Candidates--3rd Debate, 6/5/07

Manchester, NH (TLS). The 3rd major Republican debate is history. Once again, CNN did an admirable job, with the exception of the 'stupid question' we have come to expect from the mainstream media.

The stupid question tonight was, 'If you are elected how will you use former President George W. Bush?'

Other than these types of stupid questions, Wolf Blitzer and the CNN team did a very good job at managing the debate.

All of the candidates were in top form this evening, and we saw no one who appeared to be having a bad night or struggling with answers.

GENERAL EVALUATION OF DEBATE SKILL/PRESENTATION

In terms of overall communication skill, several candidates competed for top honors, including Duncan Hunter, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul. Each of these 5 candidates did an exceptional job at presenting their views.

Those who did very well but not quite up to the level of the aforementioned candidates were Tom Tancredo, Jim Gilmore, and Tommy Thompson. However, even these candidates presented themselves very well and showed very few weaknesses.

Perhaps one of the key moments during the debate came during the second half, when Duncan Hunter took on Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney for espousing views that are far outside the Republican mainstream. Hunter made a strong case for Reagan ideals being key to reaching out to moderate Republicans and Independents, rather than allowing conservative values to be usurped by the support of more gun control, socialized medicine, and other such dubious positions.

Giuliani's strongest area tonight was his ability to articulate the clear differences between Republicans and Democrats on national security and defense, and the War on Terror. He stated that, 'Not a single Democrat on this stage Sunday night would even utter the words "Islamic Terrorist." He also took direct aim at both Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, particularly Edwards' contention that the War on Terror is merely a bumper sticker slogan.

Thus, in terms of presentation, Duncan Hunter showed the strongest improvement. Rudy Giuliani continued to exhibit a clear penchant for leadership, credibility, and a natural ability to look 'Presidential.'

RATINGS OF CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUES IMPACTING LIBERTY

The Liberty Sphere uses our exclusive 'Liberty Scale' for rating candidates based upon the following key issues: national defense, taxes, abortion, gun rights, the War on Terror, healthcare, immigration, and U.S. foreign policy.

Based upon these 8 key issues that impact human liberty, The Liberty Sphere rates each of the Republican candidates in tonight's debate as follows (10 being the highest score):

Duncan Hunter--10
Mike Huckabee--10
Jim Gilmore--10
Tom Tancredo--8
Ron Paul--7
Rudy Giuliani--7
Tommy Thompson--7
John McCain--5

While John McCain can be given high marks for his stand on the War on Terror and its tributary in Iraq, The Liberty Sphere is still very concerned about his long-standing opposition to gun rights, immigration control and border security, and his assault on First Amendment/free speech through McCain-Feingold.

Frankly, however, we would have no problem supporting McCain if he is chosen to go up against ANY Democratic candidate in the general election. In this contest, even the very weakest Republican candidate is a vast improvement over the outright socialistic, pacifistic anti-freedom exhibited by each of the Democratic candidates.

McCain may well have succeeded in regaining his 'number three' position among the front-runners with tonight's strong performance. While Mike Huckabee came on very strong, we are concerned with the 'ministerial' moniker that is increasingly hanging around his neck.

The Liberty Sphere has no problem with ministers running for office, and we believe that Huckabee is a very good man and a strong candidate. Our concern is that the Baptist Minister tag will hurt him among certain portions of the electorate.

It will be interesting to see how the polling data falls out over the next few days with regard to McCain and Huckabee.

Look for Duncan Hunter to move upward in the polls.