House Transportation Committee Chair Jim Oberstar continues to press for a gas tax increase. He believes that a tax hike of a dime per gallon will be necessary to pay for highway construction next year because the "Highway Trust Fund" is running on empty. I called Oberstar's office and asked if he thought the trust fund would last longer if he didn't spend more than it took in. He said he didn't understand the question.

Last year President Bush slammed Oberstar and the committee:

"From my perspective, the way it seems to have worked is that each member on that committee gets to set his or her own priority first, and then whatever is left over is spent through a funding formula."

In September, Porkbusting Senator Tom Coburn identified $2 billion worth of earmarks in this year's transportation and housing authorization plus an additional $6 billion to be paid on prior authorizations. Oberstar should go after that money before coming after ours.

Of course, highway spending isn't the only thing leading Democrats to press for gas tax increases. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell repeatedly proposes a 50 cent gas tax increase to combat global warming. At least, he's claiming the purpose is to fight global warming. When he first proposed the increase in August 2007, the average price of a gallon of gasoline was $2.80. It is now $4.10 and we have a much better idea of how gas prices influence driving habits. Dingell's proposal hasn't changed. His accountants agree: 50 cents sounds like the right amount.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 09:19 AM | Comments (38)
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Flight from Boston to LA, so, you know. Things happen.

I've done that flight before man. I've been in the shit.

OKLAHOMA CITY – An American Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles was diverted to Oklahoma City on Friday after a passenger stripped nude and later tried to open an emergency exit door before being subdued by members of a professional soccer team and others, the FBI said.

Members of the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer were among those who grabbed the passenger near an exit door, FBI spokesman Gary Johnson said. Tie wraps were placed on the man, whose name was not immediately released. He was taken into custody in Oklahoma City and placed under psychiatric evaluation, Johnson said.

They actually know how to deal with this sort of thing in Oklahoma, I'll give them that.

The soccer team's GM negotiated with the gentleman, something on the order of "you really should put your clothes back on". Early indications were promising, the dude did actually put his clothes back on. But then tried to open an emergency escape door.

At some point, you just have to say no. So the management team of the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer started thinking outside the box, subdued the crazy man and stopped that shit.

The flight was diverted to Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma, named after Will Rogers, who reportedly never yet met a man he didn't like. I don't know this for a fact, but I'll bet he never met a nekkid goofyhead on a flight from Boston to LAX either.

So, it's possible. I'm just sayin.

I should add: I'm making dumb jokes, not criticizing the guys who subdued him. They were all over it, and good on them.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 09:18 AM | Comments (38)
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The long awaited visit by Obama to Afghanistan is underway.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan today to meet military commanders and local officials in a country he wants to make the focus of the U.S. war against terrorism, his campaign said.

Obama is seeking to bolster operations in Afghanistan with at least 7,000 additional soldiers to counter Taliban and al- Qaeda fighters, who have been stepping up attacks against the U.S. and its allies there in recent months.

``I'm looking forward to seeing what the situation on the ground is,'' Obama said yesterday in Washington before boarding his flight, according to a pooled press report. ``I want to, obviously, talk to the commanders and get a sense, both in Afghanistan and in Baghdad of what their biggest concerns are. I'm more interested in listening than doing a lot of talking.''

Ah, a Hillaryesque 'listening tour'!

Obama has argued that His direct involvement will make the difference in dealing with thugs from Iran to Venezuala, so I don't see why it wouldn't make a difference here.

At this point there's no word on any mass surrenders by Taliban and al Qaeda fighters yet but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before the magical effect of His simply being there takes hold.

Posted by: DrewM at 08:43 AM | Comments (28)
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Superb new blog.

Spot-on column from members of The Lincoln Club Of Orange County:

The grumbling. The head shaking. The anger.

Congressional Republican leaders clearly have no idea what we, their fellow GOP members (and financial backers), say to one another when we get together, yet for years one refrain has been constant: our extreme discontent over how the former GOP majority blew it on spending.

The authors detail how Republicans have let us down on earmarks. And how they continue to exhibit that defeatist porker attitude that so enrages us.

It is not credible to ask the American people to return Republicans to the majority when all we offer them is the same group of leaders and policies they so recently rejected.

It's not just "branding," but the right policies which will breathe new life into the Republican Party and re-energize voters.

And one more thing: come November 5th, should the current GOP leadership in either house survive to lead in a new Congress, the Lincoln Club of Orange County will review its financial backing of all Congressional Republicans, and we urge others to do likewise. A GOP caucus that would re-elect such leaders is not one we would likely continue to support.

Because, simply put: we refuse to support a permanent minority.

Read the whole thing.

Outstanding. Perfect. Articulated in terms that even a Congresscritter can understand.

They're right, of course. When the party no longer represents the People, the ball is in our court. It's time to be a joiner. It's time to go grassroots.

If real Republicans are failing to enter and change the system, it's because We the People have failed to adequately support them.

It behooves us all to look for these people and elevate them, and to withhold our support for RINOs, and tell them why.

Spirit of 94 has a petition you can sign too, if you're into that sort of thing.

Thanks to Tom M.

Posted by: LauraW at 06:45 AM | Comments (99)
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Sorry about the glitches with the old site and old new comments thingy over the past hour or so. I did a quick update of PHP on the server to install a new module and it systematically destroyed pretty much everything.

Gah. Sometimes the hosting software is worse than the script kiddies. They are annoying, but at least they're mostly innefectual, and YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM!!!!!

Grrr.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 11:35 PM | Comments (8)
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The New York Times. Like a stopped clock. Sometimes, they get it right.

In the interests of full disclosure, I have to say that Brad Thor and I have become good friends over the last few months.

But, that doesn't change the fact that this is one of the best books I have ever read. It's one of those that you can't put down once you start.

Just listen to what Glenn Beck has to say about it.

If you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe him.

Posted by: Open Blog at 10:08 PM | Comments (13)
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Dino Run. Spare me the 'it's old' crap. I'm not a video game freak.

I'm horrible at this stuff.

I've been killed pretty much every way you can be killed within the first fifteen seconds.

I blame the hump. Limits mobility.

Oh, and also, I didn't read the directions.

The hump, willful stupidity, and blank ignorance.

Try it for yourself! Yaaaaayyyy!

Posted by: LauraW at 06:22 PM | Comments (19)
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"There's this belief that in order to stop poverty, we have to find ways to get people to stop being farmers," she says. "What we need to do is find ways to stop them from being poor farmers."

That quote is from Amy Smith an MIT instructor and member of Popular Mechanics editorial board discussing appropriate technology and poverty eradication.

Instapundit points out an article about her work that is extremely interesting. The idea that something as simple as a cornsheller can make a major difference is one that most people don't understand.

Here are 3 samples of her work. more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 05:59 PM | Comments (20)
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Your Friday night freak-out: The long awaited video of the big dork who "thought it would be funny" to interrupt a high school graduation ceremony dressed as a giant penis:

Hat tip: Crime Scene KC

Posted by: Open Blog at 05:09 PM | Comments (33)
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Headed out.

Posted by: Ace at 04:11 PM | Comments (22)
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