What the HELL is Going on HERE!?

With President Obama off on vacation, his second in two weeks, unofficial Acting President Joe Biden has stepped into the vacuum, claiming credit Thursday for the successes of the administration's $787 billion stimulus package and fielding questions on health care reform -- something his boss hasn't done in nearly two weeks.

The vice president, borrowing Mr. Obama's teleprompter for a speech before a friendly audience at the Brookings Institution, said "I" more than a dozen times as he pointed repeatedly to progress on the economy and to his lofty role in the process.

"Every week -- with notable exceptions -- I hold a Cabinet meeting. And most of the Cabinet secretaries attend," he told the audience in Washington.

Obama is missing in action and not saying much. Biden serving as 'Acting President' who is now taking credit for things a President does? What the hell is going on here???

Read the whole thing here.

Biden Says If You're Non-Union, You Can Forget It

Vice-President Joe Biden stated on Thursday that the U.S. economic stimulus plan devised by Barack Obama and the Democrats is aimed at 'protecting and boosting Union jobs.'

So now the truth comes out!

If you work for a small business, or you work in the South (where most jobs are non-Union), then you can forget it. The stimulus plan is not designed for you, according to Biden.

What a clown.

And this should be the absolute, final, indisputable proof that Obama and his entire administration is nothing but a bunch of clowns.

PALIN ROCKS IN VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

She was energetic. She was positive. She was focused, articulate, and quick on her feet. She was funny. And she spoke plainly and directly to the American people in the language they understand.

Governor Sarah Palin proved her detractors to be about 3 cards shy of a full deck in Thursday night's Vice-Presidential debate with Joe Biden. They were 100% wrong about her. She hit it out of the park.

Perhaps never before in modern history have expectations been so low for a Vice-Presidential candidate based upon skewed, edited TV interviews with talking head teleprompter readers, only to discover that not only was she severely and mistakenly underrated but she could stand as an equal with one of the most experienced and long-serving Senators in Washington.

She stood toe to toe with Joe. And at first it appeared several times that even Joe didn't know what to do with her. He seemed taken aback by her strong performance.

There is no doubt that in this debate Sarah Palin showed the country that she is qualified and able to be an effective Vice-President.

In terms of style, substance, debating skills, and articulating the policy of the McCain-Palin ticket, she won this debate hands-down.

Biden certainly made no major gaffes to speak of, although his portrayal of his voting record is questionable. He certainly misrepresented McCain's record. This is part of the normal spin of career politicians.

The problem with Biden is that he has been around for so long in the Senate (even 10 years longer than McCain) that he can pick and choose which of his votes he wants to emphasize, conveniently leaving out the major story that lurks in his other votes.

And that story is one of a Senator who is rabidly pro-abortion although he is Catholic, a tax-and-spend liberal who wants to raise taxes on the very entities in America that can pull us out of the present crisis, a crusading anti-gun bigot, and a staunch opponent of America's ability to use its own energy resources.

Biden supported the offshore drilling ban for over 20 years, forcing us to rely on foreign oil.

And this is not to mention that average Americans have often been put off by Biden's tendency to engage in 'Senate-speak.' Palin, on the other hand, speaks from the heart as one American to the many Americans.

The consequence? Since the mainstream media and Democratic operatives placed so much emphasis on this debate and raised the stakes to stunningly high levels, we can expect Palin's stellar performance to give the McCain-Palin ticket a boost in the polls.

Normally the Vice-Presidential debate does not effect support for the top of the ticket in a major way. This time is different simply because Palin's detractors made it so important, believing she would stumble.

But it backfired. The opposition raised the stakes and lost. She won big, and thus, McCain will enjoy the benefit in the polls.

Obama and Biden lost this round. But the biggest losers of all are the talking head teleprompter-readers at CBS, NBC, MSNBC, ABC, and CNN, along with their partners in crime at the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time Magazine, and Newsweek.

Biden's Hypocrisy

In a rather surprising moment of candor, Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden stated that human life begins at the moment of conception, and then added, 'That makes me a murderer.'

The attempt at humor aside, the Biden contradiction highlights the problem for those liberal politicians whose religious faith directly conflicts with public policy issues.

As for Biden, his manner of dealing with the issue is to cling to the traditional teachings of his Catholic faith while allowing others who disagree to continue practicing abortion-on-demand.

Such a manner of dealing with such an important issue concerning the nature of human life is, in a word, frightening. One could make a case, for example, in the days of slavery, that although one believes murder to be wrong, one can allow for the wholesale lynching of blacks because not everyone agrees that black people have souls.

Yes, at one time some believed that people of African descent were not fully human.

One could also make a case for the wholesale killing of nursing home patients who do nothing but lay in bed day after day, totally unaware of their surroundings. If, for example, some sociologists and liberal ethicists believe that such persons no longer meet the criteria for being 'human,' then it would be totally acceptable to kill them.

And yes, there have been numerous medical ethicists through the years who have advocated that very thing.

Yet so far, such an outlandishly ghoulish idea has never been allowed to become public policy.

The Biden philosophy seems to be that abortion is a hideous and repulsive act but if someone else does it, then it is ok for them to commit hideous and repulsive acts.

If we don't know for certain all of the ins and outs of human life, doesn't it make more sense to err on the side of life rather than to allow killing until we get more information?

It is for this reason that Biden's contention simply doesn't fly. And the fact that a man can be so flippant concerning his own personal convictions is very telling.

BREAKING: MCCAIN OPENS 10-POINT LEAD

Late breaking news from USA Today indicates that John McCain and Sarah Palin have opened a 10-point lead over Barack Obama and Joe Biden in a poll conducted jointly by the newspaper and ABC News.

In the strongest indication yet that McCain's post-convention 'bounce' is significant, the poll which was conducted Friday through Sunday of likely voters shows McCain favored by a 54-44% margin over Obama--McCain's biggest lead yet during Campaign '08.

The poll represents the first time that support for McCain has gone over 50%.

For more information on the this late-breaking news, click HERE to go directly to USA Today.

No Bounce for Obama After Biden Announcement

A quick scan of the various polls reveals no bounce at all for Barack Obama following the announcement of the selection of Joe Biden as his running mate.

Polls indicate that the race for the White House is still in a dead-heat, with John McCain and Barack Obama in a statistical tie.

In fact, many observers note a 'ho-hum' attitude among most voters in response to the addition of Biden to the ticket.

Obama's selection of Biden is, in fact, a curious one. Biden represents Delaware. He brings no significant electoral votes to the table, neither does he help Obama by being a significant influence in one of the all-important 'swing states.'

Further, Biden, as a 36-year veteran of the Senate, seems to belie the Obama message of freshness, newness, hope, and change.

And thus, the question arises once again as to Obama's wisdom in decision-making. What on earth was he thinking?

Second Amendment News Roundup for 8/25/08

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

From Codrea's War on Guns:
*'Mutual Assurances'--nobody's taking away anybody's guns! III.
*'Last Man Standing'--updated info on 'The Bastard's' vendetta against a Georgia gun shop owner.
*'Meanwhile, Over in Bloomberg Paradise'--The Bastard has made sure that if you get hacked to death you won't have those evil firearms to protect yourself.
*'Dial 911 and....hello?'--what if law enforcement cannot be reached and you're left to fend for yourself against armed thugs in a city/state that will not allow citizens to be armed?
*'When Seconds Count'--criminals don't have a 'waiting period.'

Armed and Safe reports that Newsweek Magazine has rolled out a manifesto on forced citizen disarmament. Read it all.

Sebastian summarizes the Blackwater training event with Todd Jarrett.

JR at A Keyboard and a .45 has pics from the Blackwater event on DAY ONE and DAY TWO.

The Rustmeister had a lot of fun at Blackwater spoofing everyone's blogs.

Uncle has plenty of posts on the Blackwater weekend, so just over there and scroll, but the thing that caught my eye was this post on Joe Biden's record on guns. This is important, so give it a look!

Nicki at The Liberty Zone blogs about the Pelosi incident in Denver during which she was evacuated from her hotel because someone came in with a gun. Turns out the 'dangerous terrorist' didn't have a clue. LOL!

Breda gives us a report from her Appleseed shooting event.

Politico via AOL News is reporting that tensions are very high at the Democratic National Convention between the Obama and Clinton camps. The Dems, apparently, are anything but 'unified.'

Gateway Pundit reports that the Obama people are lashing out at Hillary backers.

The Stiletto provides an excellent rundown of the reaction from across the political spectrum to Biden being chosen by Obama.

Glenn Reynolds has some very telling pics from the DNC, showing the ultra-Leftwing element of the Democratic Party.

Syd has a riveting piece entitled, 'Politically Correct Guns.'

Gun Law News posts a video of 'Joe, In His Own Words.'

Roberta X made it to the gun show yesterday and got what she was looking for.

Alphecca posts 'Madonna and McCain.' A good read!

Texas Fred has the MUST-read of the day! Get ready for some excellent political humor.

'Biden' Our Time

Barack Obama may have just handed John McCain the biggest gift that could be given in a political campaign by choosing Joe Biden as his running mate.

In that sense, those of us who are committed to see Obama defeated big in November are just 'biden' our time, so to speak, until the election.

Obama referred to Biden as a 'great statesman.' He further stated he chose the Senator because 'he needed someone who can challenge him and tell him what he needs to hear.'

In other words, Barack lacks experience, wisdom, insight, and maturity that comes with age and having served one's country long enough to know the ins and outs of government.

Biden himself told reporters during the Democratic primaries that Barack 'is not ready to be President.'

Neither is Biden, not because he lacks the maturity and experience but because his ideology is diametrically opposite that of the Framers of the U.S. Constitution.

Thus, with the Democrats we are stuck with 2 ultra-liberals, both of whom are rabidly pro-abortion and anti-gun, and both of whom wish to take the country in a direction the Founders never envisioned.

Biden's lengthy record in the Senate will be quite enough fodder for the GOP to use against him. But beyond that, the Senator gained some notoriety earlier in his career over some blatant plagiarism that got him into trouble.

His mouth is also a big problem.

Biden is known for shooting from the hip, popping off about this or that, and living to pay for it dearly. He even referred to Obama back during the primaries as an 'intelligent, articulate, clean, good-looking guy' as a way of differentiating him from other African-American candidates who have run for President in the past.

He was also caught engaging in some less-than-covert racism by suggesting that 'you can't understand a word being said in some businesses anymore unless you can understand Indian.'

These may or may not be issues in the campaign, depending on what Biden says from here on in. But one thing is for certain, the campaign won't be boring, and Biden stands to hurt Obama more than he helps him, if for no other reason than being the exact thing Obama claims he stands against--a consummate Washington political insider who has been there for 36 years.

Is this supposed to be the 'change we can believe in?'

For more information on Joe Biden, Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs has done a thorough job at enumerating the many problems and contradictions of the new VP candidate.

A Few Biden Quick-Facts

Now that Senator Joseph Biden from Delaware is Barack Obama's running mate, here are a few quick-facts concerning the Senator that should be of vital interest to Liberty Sphere readers:

1. He is one of the most rabid, anti-gun activists in the Senate. Let's not forget that Biden is the one who made the snide remark about the gun rights advocate who asked a question by video at the first Democratic debate of this election season.

Biden suggested that the questioner was 'nuts' who certainly had no business with a gun.

Apparently the Senator believes the same about all gun owners since he essentially believes that all handguns should be banned. Obama will certainly be proud since his own record portrays the same thing.

2. Biden is staunchly pro-abortion even though he is a 'devout Catholic.' This may not matter to some, but it matters an awfully lot to me. How can a person be 'devout' when their religion of choice condemns a practice they actively advocate?

Again, Obama has found a soul-mate in Biden since Obama is on record supporting infanticide.

3. Biden is a proponent of the 'living Constitution' school of thought, which essentially maintains that the meaning of terms in the document can be changed arbitrarily to 'reflect modern culture.'

His votes on Supreme Court justices reflect that belief. Ginsberg, Breyer, and Souter are some of his favorites.

4. Biden is a tax-and-spend liberal who believes in such things as socialized medicine and cradle-to-the-grave government nanny-statism.

5. Biden is one of the Senators who has always made sure that the ban on offshore oil drilling remains in place, and he will continue to engage in obstructionism on this issue.

This is not all concerning the Senator's record, of course, but this little primer should get us started thinking about Biden as a reflection of the Obama approach to government. He certainly does nothing to 'balance the ticket' except in the realm of experience and foreign policy.

Joe Now Says It's So

After days of claiming 'it ain't so,' Senator Joe Biden now says it's so. In fact, he is now with Barack in Springfield, Illinois in a big media event as we speak.

Biden had repeatedly told news reporters, 'I'm not the guy,' when asked if he was the one Barack had chosen for a running mate.

As a 36-year veteran of the Senate, Biden knows a thing or two about half-truths and non-truths. He has a long record which will most assuredly be rolled out for the public to see.

He has run for President twice, both times barely making a ripple in public approval.

Biden also stated earlier this year that Barack Obama was 'not ready to be President.' Perhaps we shall see if Biden has changed his mind, or if this is just another example of playing footsie with the truth, as in 'I'm not the guy.'

Breaking...MSNBC Says Bayh, Kaine Out

According to sources who spoke to MSNBC on condition of anonymity, Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana and Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia have been informed by Barack Obama that neither will be his choice for a running mate.

Rising to the top of the list is a Nancy Pelosi endorsement--U.S. Representative Chet Edwards of Texas, who serves a predominately Republican district as a Democrat.

Other top possibilities include Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Senator Joe Biden, Senator Hillary Clinton (a very unlikely choice), New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and several other less-likely choices such as Chris Dodd, John Kerry, Al Gore, and Chuck Hagel.

But the Obama camp remains tight-lipped about the choice, whom Obama says he will announce in the morning by text message just prior to a media event at the Illinois capital of Springfield, where the official announcement will be made.

Obama Makes His Choice

Barack Obama has made his choice for a running mate, but apparently the public is going to have to wait until Saturday morning for the announcement.

News reports late Tuesday indicated that Obama has secured his running mate, who will give the keynote address in a week at the Democratic National Convention.

But Obama has apparently decided to reserve making the announcement until Saturday morning at the Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.

The early odds-on favorite was Senator Joe Biden, but Biden seemed to throw cold water on the idea Tuesday afternoon by telling a reporter, 'It won't be me.'

We have learned, however, that politicians cannot be trusted in their statements about these matters.

So, we shall see.

Others mentioned as possibilities are the Governors of Kansas, Indiana, and Virginia.

Joe Biden and the 'Average Joe' Judges

Democratic Presidential hopeful Joe Biden stated during Thursday night's debate that he wants to appoint judges to the Supreme Court who are 'average Joes.'

Of course the candidate did not use those exact words, but what he said means the same thing. Biden said he was tired of law professors and scholars being appointed to the bench. He wants to appoint judges who 'have lived out in the real world like most people.'

The question that is paramount, however, is how, exactly, would Biden determine if these prospective judges were 'just average Joes?'

I suppose that Biden thinks he is an average Joe, since he brought up the issue. After all, his name is Joe. The problem is that he is a lawyer, just like the elites of whom he claims to have grown weary.

So, how would Biden determine the 'common folk' prerequisite? Would they need to have worked their way through college and law school by being a grease monkey in a mechanic shop in Podunk? Would they need to buy their clothes at WalMart rather than Brooks Brothers? Would they need to prefer beer and pizza over fine wine and fillet mignon?

Better still, would they need to live in a place where there are lots of old cars in the yard with no tires, propped up on concrete blocks?

Just how do any of these make a judge, particularly a Supreme Court Justice, any better at interpreting the Constitution?

The legal profession by its very nature is not conducive to 'the average Joe.' It is very much an elitist fraternity. While it is true that the country has not always been well-served by Justices who were legal scholars, neither has it always been well-served by Congressmen, Senators, and Presidents who were 'average Joes.'

Just think of Jimmy Carter, for heaven's sake.

Frankly, when it comes to Constitutional law I want someone who is well-schooled in the foundation, history, and philosophy of Constitutional thought--that is, I want a scholar who knows the original background and setting of the Constitution as well as he knows the back of his/her own hand.

He or she should be able to quote extensively from rote memory The Federalist Papers, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Mason, and many others.

The High Court is an entirely different animal from the executive and legislative branches of government. While the Presidency and the Congress lend themselves to the election of common folk who can connect with the average citizens, the Supreme Court is purposefully different. Justices must be able to stay above the fray and render decisions based NOT upon what the average Joes want, but what the Constitution requires.

And by the way, if you want an example of the dangers of selecting average Joes for the Supreme Court, just look at John Edwards, who comes as close as any to being what Biden would consider ideal.

Edwards has stated that the right described by the Second Amendment is a 'privilege' rather than a right--in direct contradiction to the U.S. Constitution. He has also stated that having access to the Internet and healthcare are 'rights.'

Exactly which amendments in the Bill of Rights state this, Senator?

Give me a strict constructionist, Constitutional scholar any day of the week over an 'average Joe.' The average Joes are best left in the House of Representatives.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 8/30/07

Scroll down for the news:

Images and graphics courtesy of A Human Right.

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

Snow Flakes in Hell blogs on the NRA and feuding within the gun-rights community. A timely read!:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=1426

Snow Flakes in Hell also catches the Chicago Sun-Times on a point of semantics, with regard to the loose manner in which the word 'civilian' is used when describing gun-fire:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=1430

Red's Trading Post makes the excellent observation that the acting director of the ATF should NOT be confirmed as permanent director:
http://redstradingpost.blogspot.com/2007/08/does-atf-acting-director-deserve-to-be.html

Uncle's blog (Say Uncle) is five years old today. Happy Anniversary, Uncle:
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2007/08/30/happy_birthday_to_this_blog/

Say Uncle says that the New York Times doesn't care much for the rights described in the Bill of Rights:
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2007/08/30/poli_sci_101/

The Bitch Girls point out that after years of the dominance of the anti-gun message in the mainstream media, some media outlets are actually beginning to allow the other side of the argument to be heard:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=7339

The War on Guns comments on the Virginia Tech report that was released just yesterday:
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/08/hokie-pocus.html

Nicki at The Liberty Zone follows up with more commentary on the Virginia Tech report here:
http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2007/08/va-tech-panel-report.html

Our favorite intellectual, Dr. Walter Williams, has this MUST-read on the Pope's recent condemnation of 'tax avoidance':
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/articles/07/OECDthugs.htm

Pamela Geller over at Atlas Shrugs has a great post concerning Hillary's latest problems with dirty campaign contributions, as well as a list of scandals, corruption, and convictions tied to those closest to the Clintons:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2007/08/dirty-hillary-g.html

Cap'n Bob and the Damsel post a video of a Glock 18 in full automatic mode:
http://capnbob.us/blog/2007/08/30/glock-18-in-full-auto-mode/

Alphecca opines on Joe Biden's latest comments on the Second Amendment:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=374

Alphecca points to a major article appearing in a Boise, Idaho newspaper yesterday on the ATF harassment of Red's Trading Post:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=375

Finally, Alphecca's comments on the banning of the game of tag by a school in Colorado is essential reading for anyone concerned about our rights and the creeping crawl of government control over every minute detail of our lives:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=376

Now That We're Winning, Let's Leave?

Most observers in the realm of world politics say that the so-called 'troop surge' in Iraq is working. Some of the very pundits whose warnings were used by the Democrats to call for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq are now saying that winning the war is entirely within reach.

Even many Congressional Democrats are beginning to say the very same thing.

The Democratic leadership, however, says that our recent successes in Iraq are cause for immediate withdrawal. This view is clearly not shared by many of the rank-and-file Democrats in the Congress, however.

So, what, exactly, is happening with the Democratic leadership?

One, Party leaders are definitely beholden to extremists who make up the core of the Party faithful. From Cindy Sheehan to Michael Moore, from Sean Penn to Harry Belafonte, from George Soros to Barbra Streisand, Democratic Party activists demand an immediate withdrawal from Iraq no matter what.

Two, the Democrats have staked out the War in Iraq as the single issue with which to win the White House in 2008. Thus, whether they like it or not, and whether they admit it or not, the Democrats have a vested political interest in our losing the War.

The fact that we are now winning does not figure into the 2008 campaign playbook, which assumed that Iraq would continue to drag Mr. Bush and the Republicans further down into the abyss, leaving a golden opportunity for the Democrats to seize the supposed failures of the War as a reason to put them in the White House.

Thus, for the U.S. to turn things around and actually begin to bring a volatile situation under control in Iraq would be bad political news for the Democrats.

And whether the Dems like it or not, this is precisely the predicament in which the Party and its candidates find themselves, i.e., being the Party that wins if America loses.

Three, without fail each member of the Democratic leadership is on record utilizing the most vitriolic rhetoric one can muster to condemn the War, though most of them voted for it, and to lambast the Republicans who supposedly 'got us into this mess,' which once again could not have happened without the help and support of Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, John Kerry, Harry Reid, and Ted Kennedy in 2002.

Each of the Senators mentioned above support withdrawal in spite of the turn-around produced by the troop-surge. Add to that members of the House, such as John Conyers, Nancy Pelosi, and John Murtha, and it is clear that the Party leadership is obviously paying no attention to the members of the Democratic rank-and-file nor their chosen pundits who once supported withdrawal but who now say the surge is working.

The attitude of the Democratic leadership seems to be that of, 'Now that we are winning, let's leave.' No real need to stay until the job is done, right?

Only if you have a vested interest in making sure that we do not finish the job. After all, the 2008 elections draw near.

The Dems Debated Tuesday, 8/7/07, in Chicago

Seven of the eight Democratic Presidential candidates debated Tuesday of this week in Chicago under a big tent in the sweltering heat. Candidate Mike Gravel perhaps showed the most prudence in not showing up.

MSNBC televised the event with moderator Keith Olbermann.

They had all of three viewers.

And that was two more than normal.

The 'debate' was sponsored by the AFL-CIO. In order to participate, the candidates were required to complete a questionnaire devised by the union. Gravel did not complete the questionnaire, which gives one pause to wonder if this was a protest move of some sort by Gravel.

On the other hand, the candidate may well have concluded that his fledgling campaign would not benefit at all from appearing at an event that was destined to get very little attention.

The usual suspects were on hand to advance their propaganda, with Hillary Clinton castigating Barack Obama for proposing to meet with the enemies of the U.S., a proposal that Hillary herself propounded two months ago.

Obama wants to invade Pakistan and thus widen the War in Iraq, a proposal that flies in the face of his heavy anti-military, anti-war rhetoric thus far.

John Edwards claims that he takes no money from special interest groups, a statement that belies the facts, given that we know he has received funds from the Trial Lawyers Union (they have to support one of their own), and that he has received significant funding from atheist billionaire and Democratic operative George Soros.

Bill Richardson is now an avid supporter of gun control, despite the fact that during his term as Governor of New Mexico he made his mark by being a gun-rights advocate, even receiving the accolades of the NRA. Apparently Richardson cannot resist the power, money, and influence of the Democratic National Committee and Party activists, who are all in one accord against the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

As for the rest, Biden, Kucinich, and Dodd, it is all just more blah, blah, blah.

Thus, as always, The Liberty Sphere will rate each of the candidates based upon our exclusive Liberty rating system, which has been slightly amended to fit the special circumstances of this stellar performance in Chicago (10 is the highest score):

Mike Gravel--10, for not showing up
Hillary Clinton--0
Barack Obama--0
John Edwards--0
Bill Richardson--0
Chris Dodd--0
Joe Biden--0
Dennis Kucinich--0

In short, it is as if seven of the candidates said absolutely nothing, since one cannot depend on their words, and they change their rhetoric day by day.

Mike Gravel's score of 10 for not showing up will figure into his overall score in the debates. We congratulate him for being the one Democrat who finally exhibited some common sense.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 7/27/07

Here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

Alphecca blogs on blatant media bias when it comes to the AK-47:

http://www.alphecca.com/?p=308

The Bitch Girls have more on the questioner whose inquiry about gun possession led to Joe Biden's tirade against gun owners:

http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=7189

Say Uncle provides documentation on the ATF's questionable (to say that least) activity in recent months:

http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2007/07/26/credible_threats_and_bullshit/

Red's Trading Post manager Ryan Horsley was featured on the NRA News Thursday:

http://redstradingpost.blogspot.com/2007/07/reds-trading-post-on-nra-news.html

Red's Trading Post also sets the record straight on a barefaced lie told by the ATF in its dispute with Red's:

http://redstradingpost.blogspot.com/2007/07/let-me-tell-you-truth.html

The War on Guns says that the story of Ryan Horsley's dispute with the ATF over his shop, Red's Trading Post, has been making its rounds in the blogosphere (and I will add certain news reporting agencies as well):

http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/07/reds-making-rounds.html

The War on Guns also has information from Wayne Fincher's daughter about contact information and support:

http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/07/wayne-fincher-contact-and-support.html

Mike McCarville at The McCarville Report says a Congresswoman from Oklahoma, Rep. Mary Fallin, has been named by The Hill publication to the list of the 50 most beautiful people in D.C. When you see her picture, you will understand why:

http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2007/07/fallin-makes-dc-most-beautiful-list.html

Blogonomicon has been honored with the 'Blogger Reflection Award.' Congrats, Alan!

http://blogonomicon.eponym.com/blog/_archives/2007/7/25/3118411.html

Snow Flakes in Hell blogs on the reports of Philadelphia's escalating crime problem:

http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=1141

Xavier Thoughts has a brief but poignant reminder of the importance of being armed within one's home:

http://xavierthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/07/1206.html

A Keyboard and a .45 has a neat motivational poster:

http://akeyboardanda45.blogspot.com/2007/07/motivational-poster.html

Of Arms and the Law says that in the insanity of today's world of political correctness, bloggers may find themselves dropped by their web host due to their being 'too controversial.' As a means of addressing the problem, here is a list of web hosts that cater to those that others deem too controversial (this is a FIRST AMENDMENT issue!):

http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2007/07/web_hosts_that.php

Nicki at the Liberty Zone reports that the master of contradictions, Mitt Romney, appears to be getting desperate:

http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2007/07/ummm-is-someone-desperate.html

Take It Back, Mr. Lott

Senator Trent Lott's mouth has gotten him in a heap of trouble yet again.

Remember a few years back when the Mississippi Republican, who was then Senate Majority Leader, uttered a few unfortunate remarks at Senator Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party, and was forced to step down as Majority Leader?

Guess who was most vigorous in his defense?

Conservative talk radio.

Talk radio hosts from across the nation blasted Lott's critics, claiming they had made a mountain out of a molehill by treating as racist an off-the-cuff remark about Thurmond's 1948 bid for the White House.

Thurmond was a segregationist at the time.

Although Thurmond later repudiated his earlier views and became a moderating influence in the Senate, even befriending that bastion of Liberalism, Joe Biden, the interest groups in the country demanded Lott's head for merely attempting to make a very old man feel good on his birthday.

NONE of these interest groups have ever once demanded an accounting on the part of Senator Robert 'Sheets' Byrd, who was a member of the Klu Klux Klan.

You see, Byrd is a Democrat. It's amazing what you can get away with as long as you have that 'Big D' beside your name.

Not only were the interest groups and their spokesmen Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton calling for Lott to step down as Majority Leader, they wanted him to resign from the Senate altogether!

Yet conservative talk radio took on Jackson and Sharpton, exposing their hypocrisy, and essentially saving Lott's political career if not his position as Majority Leader.

It is for this reason that Lott's recent comments about talk radio are very odd.

Lott was angry that we commoners out here in the heartland think the Kennedy/McCain/Bush immigration bill is one big scam. The President has relied on Lott to be one of his top lieutenants in the Senate to attempt to get the bill passed, in spite of its overwhelming lack of support among the citizens.

Thus, Lott went ape and began blaming various and sundry circumstances for the bill's unpopularity. He could not very well blame the citizens themselves, for such would be political suicide.

So what did he do? He started sounding like Hillary, Barbara Boxer, John Conyers, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.

Thus spoketh Lott: 'Talk radio is ruining this country, and we need to do something about that.'

Senator, talk radio saved your ass. Maybe it shouldn't have since you think it is ruining the country. Could their decision to support YOU be part of its scheme of ruination?

Take it back, Mr. Lott, or else you may find yourself not only out of a job as Majority Leader, but booted out of the Senate by the good voters in Mississippi the next time you run for re-election.

Ratings of Democratic Candidates--2nd Debate

Manchester, NH (TLS). The Democratic Presidential candidates squared off in this, their second major televised debate.

As always, The Liberty Sphere will provide complete evaluations on all of the candidates, based upon their performance and how closely they adhere to our eight key issues that impact human liberty.

First, a word about CNN and Wolf Blitzer's job as moderator. Blitzer is due high marks for his willingness to level the hard questions at the candidates, giving them very little wiggle room for deflection. Right out of the starting gate he zeroed in on the War on Terror in light of yesterday's foiled attack at JFK.

There was only one 'stupid question' segment of the debate, a segment which we have come to expect from the mainstream media's coverage of Democrats. In contrast to MSNBC and Chris Matthews' penchant for emphasizing the absurd, Blitzer only asked one question that could be considered stupid, which was, 'What role will you give Bill Clinton if you are elected President?'

Overall, however, Blitzer and CNN are to be commended for producing a debate that focused largely on the pertinent issues. Fox News is still tops in the manner in which they handled the Republican debate, but CNN is running a close second so far.

GENERAL EVALUATION OF DEBATE PERFORMANCE OF CANDIDATES

In terms of communication skills, clarity, answering the question asked, and ability to connect with the audience, The Liberty Sphere believes that there are two candidates that came on very strong--Joseph Biden and Dennis Kucinich.

The two candidates who exhibited a marked improvement over their last debate performance are Chris Dodd and Mike Gravel.

Bill Richardson and John Edwards both can be placed in the 'good' category, both giving a solid performance.

Once again, Barack Obama came across as rather tentative. We noticed this tendency during the last debate. The candidate often seems to struggle to put together his answers. And, since this is certainly an observable trend rather than a one-time fluke, we feel that the candidate is simply not in the same league with the other candidates.

This leaves Hillary Clinton. Her performance was as expected--nothing to win people over but nothing to discourage her supporters either. Her problem, in our view, is her playing loose with the facts. We noted several instances where the candidate simply was not candid in her answers and instead opted for her usual spin of facts.

For example, she referred to the War in Iraq as 'George Bush's War.' This was big lie number one. She voted for it, no matter how she spins the issue. In addition, this is America's war. OUR sons and daughters are fighting in it. We are in it together.

Big lie number two was Hillary's claim that her husband tried to 'take out bin Laden.' Actually, the record shows he had several opportunities to do so, but opted out.

We will stop with the first two big lies of Hillary, simply because much of her rhetoric is not worth the time to evaluate.


RATINGS OF CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUES THAT IMPACT LIBERTY

The Liberty Sphere's eight key issues that impact liberty are as follows: national defense, taxes, healthcare, gun rights, abortion, the war on terror, U.S. foreign policy, and immigration control.

Based upon the candidates' answers this evening, and their previous statements on these issues, we rate them as follows on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score:

Joseph Biden--5
Bill Richardson--4
Chris Dodd--3
John Edwards--2
Hillary Clinton--1
Barack Obama--1
Dennis Kucinich--1
Mike Gravel--1

Joe Biden's strong showing this evening is perhaps THE big news of the debate.

Bill Richardson lost some points from his first debate performance due to his answers concerning immigration, taxes, and U.S. foreign policy.

In addition, Richardson's assertion that the Border Fence that is to be built between the U.S. and Mexico is like 'the Berlin Wall' is the most ridiculous statement of the evening. The Berlin Wall was built to keep oppressed people imprisoned by a totalitarian government. Our Border Fence is being built to keep a free people from being overrun by those who neither respect nor value America's way of life or her government.

That Richardson would even suggest such a highly ludicrous and asinine thing is simply unbelievable for a Presidential candidate.

Running a close second to Richardson's most ridiculous statement of the evening is John Edwards' repeated assertion that the War on Terror should not be fought and that it is 'just a bumper sticker slogan.' That he would suggest such a thing only one day after the FBI foiled one of the most massive terrorist plots in the history of the nation is simply baffling.

We must at this point question Edwards' judgment, and therefore, wonder if he is fit to be President.

Only one Democratic candidate believes that English should be the official language of the United States--Mike Gravel. He is also the least likely to gain any ground as a viable candidate.

Thus, there are NO Democratic candidates who believe that English should be the official language of America.

You will note that none of the Democratic candidates could muster above a rating of '5' on our Liberty Scale. This is very telling and very dangerous.

If the Democratic Party can offer no one but these, or perhaps Al Gore to boot, then it is obvious that American politics has reached a sorry state of affairs when it comes to human liberty.

Ratings of Democratic Presidential Candidates

Orangeburg, SC (TLS). The first major debate of the upcoming campaign cycle took place tonight in Orangeburg, South Carolina, at the campus of a traditionally black college, South Carolina State University. The University has a first class facility that only bolstered its reputation, and the debate was professionally conducted.

The Democratic candidates gathered on the stage to discuss the major issues of the day and to present their views about America's future.

The Liberty Sphere has rated each of these candidates as a service to those who study politics and public discourse, and to those who are honestly seeking clarification on a myriad of issues that can appear daunting and confusing.

According to the mission statement of The Liberty Sphere, we are here to advocate for groups, candidates, Parties, and organizations that promote human liberty all around the world. Thus, the heart of our rating system revolves around the candidates' views on those issues that we deem to be essential to human liberty.

More about that in a moment.

First, however, we would like to rate the candidates in tonight's debate based upon the strength of their presentation alone. A central element to being a good leader is being a great communicator. We will first rate the candidates based upon their style, manner of presentation, clarity, persuasiveness, and that often elusive quality of ANSWERING THE QUESTION that is posed.

Based upon our analysis of these elements of communication, we feel that John Edwards was strongest. He rarely dodged the question, although he did so a couple of times, and his style of communication was relaxed, succinct, and substantive, all encapsulated in a pleasant, deliberative demeanor that came across very well.

Three candidates tied for second place when it comes to strength of presentation...Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, and Dennis Kucinich. Each of these presented their case very well, but none came up to the level of Edwards.

In third place is Chris Dodd, who is no slouch as a debater but who often came across this evening as a bit tentative at times.

Fourth is Hillary Clinton. Her performance was predictably lackluster and did nothing to change the opinions that have already been formed of her. To those who love her, she did nothing to disappoint. To those who dislike her, she did nothing to persuade the leery.

Surprisingly, Barack Hussein Obama came in fifth. Obama was unusually ill-prepared in our view. He seemed to strain for his sentences, coming off as rather hesitant, disjointed, haphazard, and lacking in his usual energy and charisma. One wonders if this was simply a bad night for Obama...one of those days when a person is off their game, or if more significantly, being on the same stage with Democratic veterans was sufficiently intimidating to knock him off-balance.

But for whatever reason, Obama certainly did not help his case at all this evening, and if anything he may have hurt himself with many voters.

Coming in last is the former Senator from Alaska, Mike Gravel, who is such an unknown that his performance would be totally unremarkable, except for his striking anger and vitriol. The candidate came across as a gruff, angry, and irritable curmudgeon who is a bit frightening.

Now, on to the more substantive issues.

In rating the candidates in tonight's debate, The Liberty Sphere looked at 8 key issues that are central to the cause of liberty--national defense, taxes, healthcare, gun rights, abortion, the war on terror, U.S. foreign policy, and immigration control.

National defense is the ONLY thing mandated by the U.S. Constitution as a legitimate role of government, other than to protect and preserve basic human freedom. Without a strong defense, we cannot expect to maintain liberty in a world full of oppression and danger.

Taxes can be oppressive or they can be an adjunct to a healthy society. When taxes become so burdensome that average citizens feel oppressed, with little or no recourse or adequate representation, then liberty suffers. Currently the U.S. Tax Code is oppressive by its sheer size, scope, and contradictory provisions, leaving the electorate with nothing but mass confusion. The IRS is the single biggest example of taxation without representation in America today.

Healthcare is an issue that collectivists are using presently to take away more of the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. If this nation goes with a 'nationalized healthcare plan' funded by tax dollars, all freedom of choice goes out the window both on the part of patients AND doctors.

Gun rights are paramount in the preservation of liberty. Enough said.

Abortion is an issue of human freedom due to the fact that no government can maintain the moral authority to govern if it sanctions atrocity, murder, and barbarism. The Supreme Court passed an important corrective to absolute abortion rights by placing rational restrictions on the practice based upon the view that even medical procedures should be humane and not barbaric. Partial birth abortion is simply barbaric, and every single Democratic candidate stated on the record that they oppose the recent Court decision to ban this blood-thirsty, savage procedure.

This alone was enough to rob every single candidate of a top rating.

America must fight the War on Terror with the resolve to win or else we will not exist as a nation. Our enemies have sworn our annihilation. To back off, cut and run, or proclaim defeat is to accept our demise. We can do much better. The Democrats have little to offer in this most important endeavor.

U.S. foreign policy is crucial in the preservation of liberty. Do we stand with the EU with its Leftist leanings? Do we continue to support the U.N., which has become an organization of murderous thugs that bash America constantly? Or do we stand with our friends, such as NATO, Israel, Australia, Japan, and the eastern European block?

The support of Leftists and their anti-American rhetoric is a prescription for disaster for liberty.

Finally, without immigration control the nation is lost as a bastion of freedom. We CANNOT continue to allow non-citizens to come here illegally, benefit from our way of life without a willingness to adopt our language and customs, and make a mockery out of law-abiding immigrants who obey the law and go through the legal procedure for becoming citizens.

We MUST begin to enforce the nation's immigration laws, or else every single freedom for which our forefathers fought will come to naught.

Thus, based on these 8 key, critical issues that are central to the cause of liberty, The Liberty Sphere rates the Democratic candidates as follows, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best score), based upon tonight's debate and the previously-stated views of the candidates:

Governor Bill Richardson--6
Former Senator John Edwards--4
Senator Hillary Clinton--2
Senator Joseph Biden--2
Senator Chris Dodd--2
Rep. Dennis Kucinich--1
Senator Barach Obama--1
Former Senator Mike Gravel--1

As you will note from our ratings, of the 8 Democratic candidates in tonight's debate, Bill Richardson rates way ahead of the pack on the issues that impact liberty. But even then he has rated only a '6.' Thus, while there are aspects of Richardson's views that are encouraging, such as his stance on gun rights, there is actually little to recommend any of the Democrats thus far as potential guardians of our precious liberties.