November 2, 2003 by s.z.

David Limbaugh: Rush Doing Great, Not Becoming Liberal Here's David Limbaugh, speaking to Rush's guest host on Friday: DAVID LIMBAUGH: I want you and the audience to know that I did speak with Rush last night and he was very upbeat and very good spirits even better than he was before and that's saying something because he was in good spirits before, when I talked to him. And I'm happy to report to you guys, and with his blessing, of course, that he is finding this treatment to be a very positive experience. He said the last few days have been the most meaningful, very cathartic, kind of a release, and he says he's come to grips with a number of things, many things have been revealed to him which I took to mean that he's learned a lot about himself through this process and also understands what he's going to have to do to stay on top this problem which he understands is going to be facing him when he gets out and he's going to just have to continue to work on it. And yesterday, and I think this is significant, he told me with, you know, the tone of optimism, kind of in his voice and a spring in his step, he said, “Today marks the halfway point of this program.” So he was real excited about returning to the mic, getting back to work, and returning to his normal life. But he did say that what he was going through was an unbelievable experience that anyone with or without an addiction problem could greatly benefit from. And though he is approaching this thing with complete commitment, you know, he's resolute about it, completely dedicated and serious, I just want you and the audience to know that he still hasn't lost his sense humor. He told me to assure the EIB audience that he is not becoming a liberal, and that he chuckled a little bit, and I told him it was apparently not altogether a facetious remark in that one person I met over the weekend out of town came up to me in complete earnest and kind of whispered to me so no one could hear me, "David, I'm glad to hear Rush is doing so well, but I worried that these touchy-feely treatment centers turn people into liberals." And so I had to kind of choke off a laugh myself as I assured the lady that the chances of Rush becoming a liberal through this process were about as likely as any of the nine Democratic candidates purging themselves of their anti-George Bush obsession, and there just wasn't any chance. He was never going to become a liberal, we weren't wired that way, we were kind of born as genetic conservatives. So everything is fine there. Okay, I'm really tired: YOU comment on it.  Bonus points for explaining what causes "genetic conservatism" 5:53:55 AM

The "We Dare to Defend Our Rights" State News Normally we leave the Alabama reportage in the capable hands of War Liberal, but Scott is on location near Mobile, cleaning out those malerial swamps that Ann Coulter keeps yapping about (well, actually, he's there working on a horror movie about a hideous race of Ann Coulters that comes out of the swamps to invade our homes, kill our leaders, and eat us).  So, we dedicate today's blogging to Scott, and to the fine folks in the "We Dare to Defend Our Rights" state. You know, that state motto SO tempted me to quote the lyrics to a Beastie Boys song.  But I don't want to offend anybody, so I'll just quote some "Weird" Al lyrics: Put down your chainsaw and listen to me It's time for us to join in the fight. It's time to let your babies grow up to be cowboys It's time to let the bedbugs bite. You better put all your eggs in one basket You better count your chickens before they hatch. You better sell some wine before its time You better find yourself an itch to scratch. [snip] You can be a coffee achiever You can sit around the house and watch Leave It To Beaver. The future's up to you, So what you gonna do? Dare to be stupid! Dare to be stupid! And so on.  Al's tribute to the Reagan years. Anyway, our first news item from Alamba is Bush Stumps.  Yes, President Bush was in the Granite Boulder State on Saturday, lending his support to the Republican gubernatorial candidate, who is probably another faded action movie actor (possibly Kurt Thomas, star of Gymkata, or maybe Mel Gibson, star of, um, Warrior of the Lost World.) Bush used a basic stump speech throughout the day and at times used identical lines, except for switching the names of the candidates and states. "This is voter turnout time," Bush said in London, Kentucky. "I'm asking you to go to your coffee shops, your farm implement dealers, your community centers, your houses of worship, and remind people they have a duty to vote." Well . . my farm implement dealer, Jay-Bob, is a convicted felon and it really makes him mad when I mention voting, but hey, you're the President.  And the minister doesn't like it when I interrupt worship services to remind people they have a duty, nay a GOD-GIVEN OBLIGATION to vote Republican, I'll try to follow orders. Bush emphasized education, tax cuts, "faith-based initiatives" allowing religious groups to administer some government-funded social services, and rallied the Republican faithful for Tuesday's vote. [snip] "Education is to a state what national defense is to the federal government: the number one priority," Bush said. You know, I bet if we tried "faith-based national defense," in which we allowed religious groups to administer some goverment-funded defense programs, we could make even MORE tax cuts.  Let the Baptist Ladies Society invade one of those Muslim countries that is causing us some much grief--General Boykin could lead 'em into battle against Satan--and we could save money on veterans benefits.  Well, we do that already, but I bet we could save more!  And this could also free up some time for the federal goverment to work on education, since reading books to school children is arguably what the President does best. But I'm sure you already know, the big excitement during the President's stumping in the South was Woman 'Snaps,' Crashes Car Into Arena Where Bush Gave Speech.  It seems that a woman with three kids in her car drove through a security barrier and slammed into the outside of the convention center where Bush had just finished speaking.  While Bush wasn't hurt and the woman (Betina Mixon) wasn't even trying to get him, the reason this incident is of concern is that if the woman's car had been loaded with explosives, she might have blown up the President when she hit the building. But luckily for all concerned, she wasn't one of those suiciders, she was just a stressed-out woman who snapped and drove through the barrier, looking for her mother-in-law -- possibly to make her take the kids, and possibly to run her over (the investigation is still ongoing).  So, basically this was just like that Simpsons ep where the overburdened Marge had the breakdown in her car on the bridge, except this time the President happened to be in the vicinity.  The Simpsons resolved things by sending Marge on a vacation to Rancho Relaxo.  I think that a national policy of sending overworked mothers on vacations before the President comes stumping in their towns should be a top national priority--because next time, we might not be so lucky  Our next item concerns how to get tickets to the most exciting event taking place in Alabama this year: The Judge Roy Moore Trial: The judicial ethics trial of suspended Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore will be open to the public, but getting a seat may require planning and patience. The Court of the Judiciary ruled Oct. 29 that Moore’s Nov. 12 trial would be held in the courtroom of the Alabama Supreme Court in the Alabama Judicial Building. Moore had asked that his trial be held somewhere like the 7,000-seat Montgomery Civic Center or the 1,200-seat Davis Theater in Montgomery, calling the Supreme Court courtroom that is normally used by the Court of the Judiciary “small” and “restrictive.” Moore claimed any smaller location would restrict media access and deny him his constitutional right to a public trial. Because everybody has a constitutional right to media access.  I mean, geez, what's the use of even HAVING an ethics trial if you can't use it to play to the crowd about how you were just following God's commandment to put large boulders in public buildings, and so they should send you to Congress.  But despite all that, the Court of the Judiciary (COJ) ruled that the trial will be held in the 210-seat Supreme Court courtroom.  Moore's legal team said this meant that Moore wasn't going to get a fair trial, and "advised him that in light of the rulings of the COJ denying him his basic legal rights, that an adverse ruling from the COJ is inevitable, which may well include his imminent removal from office." So, basically they're saying that if their client didn't get the big court room, it means the court hates him and hates God, and Moore has already lost his case, so he might as well start his congressional campaign now, and his followers might as well start harassing the COJ now. They also wouldn't let his attorneys have the records they wanted: The court ruling said the records were not relevant to Moore’s case. One of Moore’s attorneys, former Supreme Court justice Terry Butts, said the subpoenas sought information on how members of the Court of the Judiciary are selected as well as copies of any letters or correspondence showing that court officials have received threats because of the Moore case. Acting Chief Justice Gorman Houston has said his life was threatened after Moore was suspended and the associate justices had the monument moved from the rotunda into a storage room. Officials said Moore supporters have inundated members of the Court of the Judiciary with letters and calls about the case, including some that had a threatening tone. I think I see the legal strategy that the defense was going to use by requesting these documents: first, they were going to show that members of the Court of the Judiciary are selected by secularists who want other secularists on the team, and therefore they are completely unworthy to judge a man such as Roy Moore, who was called by GOD HIMSELF to become a judge.  And secondly, the defense wanted to prove that court officials have been threatened by Moore's followers, proving that Moore HAD to keep the 10 Commandments monument in the state building, despite the order from the federal judge, because otherwise they'd kill him -- they are just that wacko and dangerous!  Keeping the boulder there was self-defense! I hope they are able to find some other evidence they can use to make these points. Oh, and if you want to get tickets: To attend the trial, members of the public must reserve seats inside the courtroom. Reservations for seats are being taken at the security desk inside the main entrance to the Alabama Judicial Building. Photo identification will be required to register for a seat and to enter the building during the trial. I hope Scott can attend. In other Roy Moore news, Maude Rathgeber of New Mexico recently flew to St. Louis to hear him speak.  Or so reports the Alamogordo News ("Serving the Tularosa Basin since 1898") in this exclusive story: Eagle Forum leader attends her 28th national conference.  David Limbaugh also spoke.  Per Mrs. Rathgeber: “These are fine people, and they’re standing on what is right and what is good, and what is constitutional for America,” Rathgeber said of both men. “I’m sure the Lord is going to be with Judge Moore and bring him through this case for keeping the Ten Commandments.” At the conference, Eagle Forum honored Moore’s wife, Kayla, as its annual Homemaker of the Year. The award goes to women who “stay at home, take care of the family, take care of the home rather than go out and work in the workplace,” Rathgeber said. As noted in the headline, this makes the 28th year in a row that Mrs. Rathgeber has attended the national Eagle Forum Conference.   “I go to these conferences on my own.  I pay my own expenses — or my husband pays them for me,” Rathgeber said, laughing. “No complaints there.” Yes, having to ask your husband for money shows that you're the kind of woman that Phyllis Schlafly would approve of (even if they always DO give "Homemaker of the Year" to some bigshot's trophy housewife), and proof that her Eagle Forum is still a force to be reckoned with. Bottom line: you don't get stories this THIS from the secular NY Times, and despite the pessimism of Moore's attorneys, Mrs. Rathbeger is sure the Lord is with him and will bring him through the case, so they should buck up and start planning the victory celebration. Well, that was my bottom line.  But kiddy pundit Kyle Williams has another one.  His is: The bottom line is that all of America's controversial political issues are now either going to be decided by tyrants in black robes, or justices who base their decisions on the Constitution and original intent. Of course, he's talking about how the evil democrats filibustered judicial appeals court nominee Pickering, who is from Mississippi, which is CLOSE to Alabama, making this column (The judiciary: America's new power center) relevant to today's theme.  And besides, Roy Moore has said basically the same thing as Kyle, as has Bill O'Reilly, who is from the Westbury section of Alabama. Anyway, Kyle sees the filibustering as a sign that the Republic is hanging on by a thread: The filibustering of judicial nominees proves that the traditional influencers of public policy see the judiciary as the new power center of government. The legislature takes too long to effect major change, it is thought – activists now immediately pass on the idea of pushing a constitutional amendment. Furthermore, as much as some would like him to be, the president can't be a dictator. The lines have been drawn, then: The game is now in the third branch of government. Um, skipping over the idea that "As much as some would like the President to be a dicator, he really can't be, alas," I have to say that the only people I hear "pushing a constitutional ammendment" these days are the one who want one prohibiting homosexual marriage.  But they're not liberals, they're Republicans!  And I don't think the 5th District Court of Appeals GETS to ammend the Constitution anyway, so how would Pickering's appointment help them do it? For many years, judicial activism has taken place, but it's been mostly a secret battle. Yet, by boldly setting historical precedent in filibustering judicial nominees, Democrats have fully affirmed that the true battle for America's future is in judicial activism. It's a testament to how much the original idea of America's government has been perverted. When Americans are apathetic, the media is in bed with politicians and the thirst for power outlives any other force in government, the idea of our republic begins to fail. While there will always be sin and a thirst for power on the part of politicians, their desires were supposed to be trampled by media watchdogs, voters and the judiciary. Yet, the system is being cheated. The three powers are become one force working together to serve each other's interests. Okay, per young Kyle, the founding fathers, wanting to ensure the republic didn't didn't become a monarchy, arranged for a system where the power was divided into three branches of goverment: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.  And they also set up three groups who were supposed to trample on the desires of evil, power-thirsty politicans (i.e., the Democratic ones -- the Republican ones are righteous, and so power-sated they just can't drink another drop); these groups being the voters, the media, and the judiciary.  And we are currently veering away sharply from what the Founding Fathers wanted, as demonstrated by the fact that the Republicans don't control all three branches of goverment.  If only the voters weren't apathetic and the media wasn't in cahoots with the Democrats, then they would do something about the liberal-leaning judges!  Probably send them threatening letters. The judges we have now are tyrants who don't follow the constitution, and so we can't have prayers before football games, and we have to have a complete separation between religion and government, even though the majority of Americans don't want this.  Per Kyle, our only recourse is to elect Presidents who will nominate conservative, godly, constitutional judges, and who will fight for their nominees by shooting the filibusterers.  Or something like that.  And then nobody will care about the judiciary any more, and things can get back to the way they should be: "still corrupt, but not as tyrannical." And this concludes our Alabama coverage.  If your state ever does anything interesting, we'll try to do the same for it. 5:48:17 AM