Tonight, we had the pleasure of interviewing the original “Jane Roe” of Roe v. Wade, Norma McCorvey. It was a great and fun(ny) interview. Also, talked about “Balloon Boy”, Rush and the NFL and Ken Lewis of Bank of America. Enjoy!
In continuing the point from yesterday, it looks like Israel will deal silently with her enemies by an means necessary. Ronen Bergman comments further at the Wall Street Journal.
Cross-posted at RudyCarrera.com
One of the most constructive developments of the past eight months is that tens of millions of Americans appear to be reawakening to the critical importance and relevance of the U.S. Constitution. The brazen growth of the federal government, which now controls sizable portions of the economy (automobiles, banks, health care, mortgages and other industry segments), violates the tenets of free market capitalism, the system that has been the foundation of our nation’s globally unprecedented growth and prosperity. But this debate is not merely a policy one. Increasingly, as millions of Americans associated with the burgeoning Tea Party and 912 Project movements are demonstrating, the debate is about whether such expansions of federal powers are even Constitutionally permissible.
It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the dangerous disregard for our nation’s founding legal document began. It certainly predates this administration. But the culture upon which it rests might be best exemplified in the apparent Congressional and media group think that our 44th President holds no obligation to respond to questions about his Constitutional eligibility, under Article II, Section I of the Constitution, to hold the office to which he ran and was elected. This Constitutional provision states unequivocally that no person except a natural born citizen shall be eligible to the Office of President.
Is Barack Obama a natural born citizen of the United States? Probably. But because Obama is going to great lengths to conceal the documents that would settle this issue definitively, it is impossible to say for sure. Since October 2008, Obama has spent in excess of $1.35 million in legal fees to file protective and privacy motions in at least eight federal lawsuits to avoid releasing the documents–his mother’s hospital admission record, his Hawaii certificate of live birth, his educational records during his four years of residence in Indonesia, his Indonesian citizen status at that time and the time of his subsequent reentry to the U.S., and his college and law school admission records–that likely would definitively establish his Constitutional eligibility. Congress, the media, and even many Obama opponents, meanwhile, have failed to exert any pressure on him to halt his pro-active legal measures to avoid disclosure of these documents.
uite obviously, the question of a President’s Constitutional eligibility is serious business. It was serious business when, in February 2008, The New York Times called into question Senator John McCain’s eligibility for the office because McCain was born on an American Naval base in the Panama Canal Zone, which was then under U.S. control. “It is certainly not a frivolous issue,” The Times quoted Atlanta attorney Jill Pryor as saying at the time. The questions also were serious enough for the U.S. Senate to investigate them, with the Senate ultimately concluding in a unanimous vote that the U.S. administration of the Panama Canal Zone at that time meant that McCain was indeed a natural born citizen and eligible for the Presidency.
Whatever these records might reveal, Obama’s extensive, year-long efforts to conceal them are now inexplicable, inexcusable and harmful to the nation. There is no innocuous explanation for his extensive efforts to conceal them, especially since their release is easily authorized and would settle the controversy, permitting the nation to move on with full confidence in his Constitutional eligibility and the Constitutional foundations of our nation in 2009. But Obama has refused to do this and, as a result, a frightening and growing number of Americans now understandably ask the question: What exactly is he hiding?
Let me stipulate that, despite following this issue for a year, I am utterly unable to answer that question. But logic dictates that one would not expend in excess of a million dollars in legal fees, as Obama has done, knowing that the only likely result is that a certain percentage of the American people will view such efforts as non-transparent, or even malfeasant. Conversely, it also is wrong to conclude, in the absence of these documents, that Obama has necessarily misrepresented anything about his birth location or Constitutional eligibility, as some critics of Obama’s concealment of these documents continue to do. Under pressure to settle the issue during his Presidential candidacy, the Obama campaign ultimately produced a Certification of Live Birth in 2007, but that document, skeptics argue, is manufactured by the state and is not an unequivocal authentication of his birth location.
The most important point is this: No national interest is served by permitting these important questions to linger and persist. To settle them, Obama should cease blocking release of the documents sought by the plaintiffs in the various federal cases over his eligibility. And going forward, it seems reasonable to insist that our nation’s Federal Election Commission (FEC), which is charged with regulatory oversight of Presidential elections, require Presidential candidates to submit, along with their candidacy filing, the documents that clearly establish their natural-born eligibility for the office. Americans’ confidence in our Constitutionally-rooted democratic political system requires no less.
Cross posted on http://michaeljohnsonfreedomandprosperity.blogspot.com/
Just as soon as radio talk show icon Rush Limbaugh announced that he was part of a consortium in the running to purchase the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, the deal was unceremoniously dumped. Critics didn’t want any part of the conservative host’s millions of dollars or participation. In a era in which being conservative “isn’t cool” for mainstream media—and much of the mainstream…period—this comes off as down-right un-American in the world of Americana.
It seems that some, most notably Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, stormed Commissioner Roger Goddell’s offices, enraged that someone as “controversial” as Limbaugh be able to live out his American Dream. On his syndicated radio program, Limbaugh recently said it was his lifelong dream to be involved in the NFL.
Injecting themselves into the scrum isn’t particularly “Christian” for either Sharpton or Jackson. It’s quite difficult to honor either man with their “Reverend” titles, as neither does anything particularly enlightened, and frankly, the next time either mentions Jesus Christ, that “shout out” might be their first. (It should also be noted that Sharpton was ordained—according to wikipedia—as a Pentecostal minister at 9 or 10 years of age, while Jackson’s Reverend papers were awarded on an Honorary basis in 1990, decades after he hijacked the title. These credentials are pretty much on-par with my own Mail Order Pastoral papers received through an old Star Magazine classified advertisement around the same time Jackson got his certification.)
Sharpton and Jackson think that Limbaugh is a race-baiter. Sure, Limbaugh pokes fun at stereotypes (Sharpton and Jackson included), but that’s just part of the allure that has made his daily talk show the most popular—and influential—in the history of the medium.
Sharpton, who is best known for his part in fabricating a disgusting tale of teenage rape, has a daily radio show of his own—Keepin’ it Real—on Satellite radio’s Air America and reportedly in 40 markets. That’s cute.
Meanwhile, when Jackson isn’t adding to his Civil Rights registry by fathering out-of-wedlock children, he’s insulting Jews, threatening to emasculate President Barack Obama, or blubbering at Obama’s inaugural address.
But these masters of hyperbole are just a small part of this story. It became immediately clear that movers-and-shakers within the National Football League weren’t going to support Limbaugh’s inclusion in their billionaire’s club. Sure, they cannot wait to reinstate dog killers and look the other way when countless questionable athletes turn up in police blotters all over the country. Fore shame that an entertainer succeeds by pushing the button that is Political Correctness. (Remember, when Norman Lear and his talented writers were poking fun at everything through the classic Archie Bunker, they were unmitigated geniuses.)
In 2003, Limbaugh had a short-lived career as a pro football analysis, but that stint was cut short when he noted that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because those with a vested interest in him wanted to see an African American do well on the gridiron. While admittedly a fire-starter, six years later, Limbaugh has still not been proven incorrect.
Indianapolis Colts owner Robert Irsay was the most vocal of the National Football League dissenters. “I, myself, couldn’t even consider voting for him,” Irsay reportedly said at the NFL Fall League Meeting.
When there are comments that have been made that are inappropriate, incendiary and insensitive … our words do damage, and it’s something that we don’t need.
Talk about rambling dissertation.
NFL Player’s Union head DeMaurice Smith, who happens to be black, reportedly encouraged players to oppose Limbaugh’s inclusion in the group of investors. It would be almost impossible for the rank-and-file to stand up against Smith, what with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire soon. The union doesn’t want any strife whatsoever as it ratchets up for an important battle against management for untold millions in yet-to-be-paid salaries. Conversely, management doesn’t want a Limbaugh distraction when it readies for the union showdown.
With Limbaugh being tossed to the side so quickly, there wasn’t even an opportunity to hear from Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, a purported life-long Republican who jumped head-over-heads in love with Obama during last year’s election. Rooney, normally a quiet sideline observer, leaped into the election with both feet and helped elect the Democrat who, as a way of thanks, appointed Rooney as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. Public opinion would have me believe that Rooney wouldn’t have looked too kindly on Limbaugh. The “Rooney Law” makes interviews of minority candidates for top positions a necessity. Rooney, as precious a commodity we have in Pittsburgh, is not known for a riotous sense of humor.
Additionally, there hasn’t been a peep from legendary Al Davis, the NFL’s most controversial figurehead. Davis has been dogged by rumors of bizarre behavior, including a charge that he doesn’t like black football players from Notre Dame, for most of his career. The 80-year-old’s relationship with former and longtime wide receiver Tim Brown was less than ideal. However, Davis has hired Art Shell as head coach twice. He can’t be as bad as Limbaugh, right?
Limbaugh’s prospective purchase of the Rams ended before many more opinions could be filed. But Limbaugh made his own conclusions.
Said Limbaugh,
This is about the ongoing effort by the left in this country, wherever you find them, in the media, the Democrat Party, or wherever, to destroy conservatism, to prevent the mainstreaming of anyone who is prominent as a conservative.Therefore, this is about the future of the United States of America and what kind of country we’re going to have.
He’s right.
For years now, the average sports fan has been spoon-fed gossip that professional football is now the National Pastime, and not Major League Baseball. The National Football League is now officially out of the running as America’s favorite sport. Conservatives, who continue to provide the backbone of this great country, and purchase a lot of tickets, are not welcome.
