Happy Monday.

National Journal's Josh Kraushaar has a must-read piece on Democrats' Obamacare denial.

New Zealand's prime minister refutes claim that he his a shape-shifting reptilian space alien ushering humanity towards enslavement. But, isn't that exactly what a shape-shifting reptilian space alien would say?

Eugene Volokh is writing (republishing an article, actually) about Islamic law in American courts. I've read his article; definitely worth a look.

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Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 02:50 AM | Comments (274)
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Been suffering from a stomach bug all weekend so you'll have to fill in some of the ONT gaps on your own.

To Liberals Arithmetic IS Magic

Norman Ornstein in National Journal has a idea that would make everybody a near-millionaire at retirement. Can you spot the giant error?

The first iteration of KidSave, in simple terms, was this: Each year, for every one of the 4 million newborns in America, the federal government would put $1,000 in a designated savings account. The payment would be financed by using 1 percent of annual payroll-tax revenues. ...Under the initial KidSave proposal, the funds [$3500] could not be withdrawn until age 65, when, through the miracle of compound interest, they would represent a hefty nest egg. At 5 percent annual growth, an individual would have almost $700,000..

Hint: The Rule of 72

Answer here: At 5% annual compounded interest excluding inflation $3500 would turn into only around $84,000 over 65 years.

Party of Science: Democrats More Likely to Think Astrology is Scientific, Unclear on the Heliocentric Model

But global warmening which hasn't happened at all for 17+ years is Settled Science all you anti-science rethugglican deniers!!

Posted by: Maetenloch at 05:34 PM | Comments (766)
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• Oregon Has Spent 304 Million On Obamacare Website, Yet To Enroll One Person
  
• RGA Takes An Early Shot At Walker's Opponent
  
• Bevin's No Hypocrite, But His Bailout Explanation Doesn't Wash
  
• When Eminent Domain Is Just Theft
  
• Voter ID And Gun Rights
  
• Trey Gowdy Not A Big Fan Of Obamas New Ambassadors
  
• Twitter Troll Running For Congress
  
• The USS Ronald Reagan
  
• Hillary Skirts Addressing NSA Issues
  
• The New Fake But Accurate
  
• Why People Carry
  
• Understanding The Left's Grip On The Media
  
• Disgraced Illinois Democrat Arrested On Child Porn Charges In Zimbabwe
  
• Golden Gated Communities
  
• National Clown Shortage Is Good News Says Me
  
• It's About Damn Time
  

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Posted by: Open Blogger at 05:00 AM | Comments (405)
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"Free speech," for some definitions of free.

A student included this gif of Obama kicking down the door as a visual punchline in a listserv complaint about midterms -- that is, he used Obama kicking down the door as an exclamation point to indicate his own frustration over studying for midterms.

So, of course, he was accused of committing a "racial microaggression" and, after being put through "the process" for adjudging his guilt, he has apologized for being a racial microagressor:

“The email in question contained the phrase “Honestly midterms get out of here” followed by a URL leading to a .GIF image of President Obama violently kick a door and storming out of a room following a press conference. The inclusion of the .GIF image was intended to bring a humorous tone to the email and use President Obama’s frustration with the press conference in question to mimic the frustration students feel when confronted with midterm examinations. Despite the innocent intentions influencing my decision to use this particular image, I have come to recognize the negative implications of adding the .GIF image within this given context.

(Â…)

Oppression, as outlined in SSMU’s Equity Policy, means the exercise of power by a group of people over another group of people with specific consideration of cultural, historical and living legacies. The image in question was an extension of the cultural, historical and living legacy surrounding people of color—particularly young men—being portrayed as violent in contemporary culture and media. By using this particular image of President Obama, I unknowingly perpetuated this living legacy and subsequently allowed a medium of SSMU’s communication to become the site of a microaggression; for this, I am deeply sorry.”

Good God Almighty.

Posted by: Ace at 11:18 AM | Comments (556)
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I found this on the Internet, so, of course, it must be true. more...

Posted by: Ace at 03:47 PM | Comments (384)
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Team GOP keeps talking about how conservative insurgents don't understand tactics and how we all want to get to the same place but disagree on tactics. "Tactics" is the new "electability" (which itself is really a tactical concept) and we all know how well that worked out.

Tactics exist to advance a strategy which in turn is the plan to achieve a goal. This focus on tactics is masking a major flaw in the Republican party...it has no overreaching goal let alone a strategy for achieving it. Republicans lack a reason for being beyond winning elections and enriching the various donor and political structures that exists in its orbit. There is simply no Republican vision for the country, no coherent ideological vision that it presents to the country as a viable alternative to the Democrats.

The Democrats can broadly be said to have a vision for America that is based on an ever growing and more powerful public sector (especially at that the federal level). From that basic vision all other things flow. What is the corresponding vision from the GOP? It's clearly not the opposite. No one seriously suggests that the overreaching vision of the Republican Party is to shrink the government at every level and to minimize its impact on the lives of Americans. At best one could argue that the GOP wants to present a somewhat less grand vision of the role of government in people's lives. And they certainly want to be the ones running that slightly smaller beast. But actively shrink it? There's no evidence of that. On the other hand, there is quite a bit of evidence that the GOP is quite comfortable with increased spending and the scope of the federal government as it exists.

I'm not saying there are no differences between the parties but they aren't as great as some pretend or as they should be in a healthy democracy. Don't believe me? Think of the areas where the GOP-Democrat divide is supposedly the greatest...social issues. And then look at how many Republicans want to de-emphasize abortion and surrender entirely on gay marriage. At one point national security/defense was a significant point of distinction between the two parties. But as many onetime hawks sour on the notion of a robust program of intervention, which is a distinction that has narrowed greatly. With the rise of Rand Paul within the GOP, thatÂ’s an area that will continue to lose its ability to differentiate the parties.

Only on spending is the gap still large and when it comes to elected officials that gap is mostly rhetorical.

It's this lack of a stark competing vision from the Democrats that forces the GOP to constantly focus on "tactics".

Look at how the GOP is responding to ObamaCare. They have gone from "repeal" to "replace" to "repair". There is simply no one on the GOP side that is saying, this is not something the federal government should be doing.

Where are the "establishment" voices saying something lik, "The manifest failure of ObamaCare to deliver on any of its promises represents the first real opportunity to fight back against the liberal vision in a generation. We have here the club to beat the statists over the head and to begin to rollback there decades of failed big government."

more...

Posted by: DrewM at 09:15 AM | Comments (483)
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The police continue to inquire about his involvement in the British tabloid hacking scandal of 2011.

"Under caution," it seems, is how Brits say "warned of your rights."

Once police have grounds to suspect someone of an offence, the person must be cautioned before being asked any further questions. Unless this is done, the suspect's answers, or silence, cannot be used in court. The interview should take place at a police station unless delay in bringing a suspect there would be damaging. A person cautioned is told: "You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

I like that British warning, including the warning that means, basically, "If you have a sound alibi or the like, but don't tell us now, we can mention this at your trial, to suggest you contrived it after-the-fact." We can't do that in the US.

Should you care? I don't know. Piers Morgan is boring to me even when he's being interrogated for criminal invasion of privacy.

Posted by: Ace at 01:20 PM | Comments (283)
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Well, since the gun thread didn't happen over the weekend, I figured I'd cobble one together from bamboo, diamonds, and makeshift black powder.

Gun Tweet Of The Week

Using common sense. That's a paddling RT @ChrisLoesch “@TheBrandonMorse: Like this! #gunsense pic.twitter.com/yPTcmJ4PbV" Amazing!

— Dave (@Weirddave0) February 4, 2014

Okay, it's me, and it's last week, not this week, but what do you want, effort? Not bloody likely.

Gun Of The Week

Answer below the cut.

Gun News Of The Week:

This week, the 9th Circuit gutted California's gun control law. Since this decision conflicts with a few other decisions, it seems highly likely that the SCOTUS will now take up the issue. In light of Heller, I have to like our chances.

California must allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms in public, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday, striking down the core of the stateÂ’s permit system for handguns.

In a 2-1 decision, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said San Diego County violates the Constitution’s Second Amendment by requiring residents to show “good cause” – and not merely the desire to protect themselves – to obtain a concealed-weapons permit.

State law requires applicants to demonstrate good cause, as well as good moral character, to carry concealed handguns, while leaving the permit process up to each city and county. The ruling, if it stands, would require local governments to issue permits to anyone of good moral character who wants to carry a concealed gun for self-protection.

“The right to bear arms includes the right to carry an operable firearm outside the home for the lawful purpose of self-defense,” Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain said in the majority opinion.

Self-Defense Of The Week:

Report: 76-year-old shoots, kills suspected robber.

The robber was armed with a TASER. I guess knives aren't the only thing not to bring to a gunfight. more...

Posted by: Open Blogger at 07:22 AM | Comments (236)
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Bad Day For Unions

Despite no opposition from management the UAW still couldn't convince Tennessee VW workers to unionize.

The United Auto Workers Union suffered a devastating defeat on Friday, when its attempt to organize the workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga failed on a vote of 712-626 (53-47 percent). The company had agreed not to resist the organizing effort and gave the union access to the plant and its workers. If the union couldn't win an election under those conditions, it is a powerful sign of how weak, indeed toxic, unions have become in recent years. If the UAW couldn't win this election, it seems doubtful it can win any election.

Well sure join up with the UAW if you love what they've done to Detroit car manufacturing.

Plus it turns out that even at the height of union membership it wasn't close to a majority of US workers.

But they have become increasingly weak everywhere. In the early 1950s union membership in the private sector peaked at about 35 percent of the work force. Today it is about 6 percent.

At the current rate we'll soon have more gays than private sector union members.

Posted by: Maetenloch at 06:37 PM | Comments (601)
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• The Syria Nightmare
  
• Labor Unions Benefited More For Citizens United Than Conservatives
  
• Common Core Now Has Enemies On The Left
  
• The Case Is Clear, Approve The Keystone XL Pipeline
  
• VDH: Let's Save California
  
• George Will: When A Politician Says The Climate Debate Is Over, He's Losing It
  
• How The West Won But Western Civ Lost
  
• Who Is The American Al Qaeda Facing A US Drone Strike?
  
• Media Largely Ignoring What Is Going On In Venezuela
  
• Police Shoot And Kill An 80 Year Old Man In His Bed
  
• Ted Cruz Is Winning
  
• Transgender Kids: Have We Gone Too Far?
  
• Remington Announces Major Expansion To Huntsville Alabama
  
• Now This Is A Good Butt Check
  

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Posted by: Open Blogger at 05:00 AM | Comments (406)
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