This Man Wants to be President
May 10, 2005
. . . OK. I know he isn’t being quite that crass about it, but Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-TN, seems poised to make a bold move to break the tide Democrat filibusters against the President’s judicial appointments. If he is successful, he’ll quickly endear himself to the Republican base. . . . But enough of presidential politics.
The Washington Times reports that Frist will use the nomination of California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown as the trigger for the “nuclear option” requiring an up or down vote for nominees. (The Washington Times requires a free, one-time registration to view the article)
Frankly it would be a bold and savvy move once again highlighting the implicit racism of liberal Democrats who refuse to accept the diverse nature of Bush’s Presidency–maybe the most diverse in history.
Let’s hope it plays out this way. Hope springs eternal when we consider the strong statements Frist made at the Justice Sunday event on April 24, 2005.
Sphere: Related ContentPro-Abortion UNICEF Director of Ten Years to Step Down
May 9, 2005
LifeNews.com reports that Carol Bellamy, the head of the United Nations Childrens’ Education Fund (UNICEF), will step down. Bellamy promoted making abortions widely available to young women a major emphasis durning her tenure of UNICEF Director.
Bellamy will be replaced by outgoing U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman who was nominated by the Bush Administration. LifeNews.com reports:
Veneman said at a press conference that she wants UNICEF to champion “an agenda of helping children, particularly in the areas of education and health and to address the issues of hunger and malnutrition.” Asked by a reporter about “reproductive health” issues, she responded: “I don’t believe that these issues are relevant to the missions of UNICEF.”
If Veneman turns UNICEF back to its primary mission helping promote efforts to alleviate poverty and malnutrition among children, it would be a welcome addition to similar private and corporate efforts worldwide.
Sphere: Related ContentMicrosoft Will Lobby for "Anti-Discrimination" Policies as a Part of Its Legislative Agenda
May 6, 2005
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO sent an email clarifying the company’s principles for public policy engagement in response to a flood of email from it’s employees criticizing the neutral stance taken when an employee anti-discrimination (read pro-homosexual rights) bill was before the Washington State Legislature. It was defeated by one vote.
Ballmer has determined that lobbying for these laws on the Federal and State level are in the interest of his company,
said in my April 22 email that we were wrestling with the question of how and when the company should engage on issues that go beyond the software industry. After thinking about this for the past two weeks, I want to share my decision with you and lay out the principles that will guide us going forward.First and foremost, we will continue to focus our public policy activities on issues that most directly affect our business, such as Internet safety, intellectual property rights, free trade, digital inclusion and a healthy business climate.
After looking at the question from all sides, Ive concluded that diversity in the workplace is such an important issue for our business that it should be included in our legislative agenda. . . . Im proud of Microsofts commitment to non-discrimination in our internal policies and benefits, but our policies cant cover the range of housing, education, financial and similar services that our people and their partners and families need. Therefore, its appropriate for the company to support legislation that will promote and protect diversity in the workplace.
That last bit of language is convoluted political speak for, “we have a large number of homosexual employees, so I want to avert civil war in the ranks.”
Not that Ballmer or Founder Bill Gates were particularly enamored Judeo-Christian values–so-called–to begin with. But as incredibly talented and savvy businessmen, they have remained as neutral as possible when it comes to social policy. Not any longer.
This is an important time in the company’s history. They have taken a road which will be hard to leave. And the logical conclusion of this new legislative agenda (exhibited in the strained reasoning for not extending the practice to “housing, education, financial and similar [government] services”) is to expand toward a more active policy toward political action outside of business issues.
UPDATE: CitizenLink has the story on who influenced the recent vote and Microsoft’s role (or lack thereof) in the legislative outcome in Washington State.
Sphere: Related ContentFeds Stepping Up Obscenity Prosecutions
May 5, 2005
The Alberto Gonzalez Justice Department is stepping up obscenity prosecutions nationwide.
Quote of the Day
May 3, 2005
Sphere: Related ContentI am very doubtful whether history shows us one example of a man who, having stepped outside traditional morality and attained power, has used that power benevolently.
–C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man
Political Quote of the Day
May 2, 2005
Sphere: Related ContentUnder democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right.
–H.L. Mencken
"Well They Did It Too!"
May 2, 2005
Matt Drudge reports that Democrat Congressman Norm Dicks, WA, has violated House ethics rules by having a lobbyist pay for an overseas trip. This revelation is an attempt to refute charges that House Majority Leader Tom Delay has violated the same rules. This is not the best way to make a defense of Delay. It only serves to widen the morass into which the Democrats have drug the House Republican Leader.
The benefit of such revelations is to bring out in to the open an problem which has existed in Congress for some time. The reflexive nature of the House ethics rules invites scandal more than reduces it. And it provides an opportunity for hidden abuse rather than encouraging openness and disclosure.
The real story here is proven violations of law by Democrats–specifically Nancy Pelosi and Harry Ried. These happened outside of House or Senate Ethics Committees’ perview. And they are receiving very little attention.
Sphere: Related ContentHillary in Trouble in MI
May 1, 2005
New England Republican reports that Hillary may have trouble in Michigan.
These numbers are important and interesting. But unions can get the vote out there. And judging from the fact that Kerry won Michigan concomitant with the strong passage of a Marriage Amendment to the Michigan State Constitution, I don’t think Hillary is very concerned. But these numbers to show an opportunity for the right Republican candidate.
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