We have all heard the battle cry of the “tree-hugging” left that there is “consensus among the scientific community that man-made global warming is real.”

Well I hate to rain on their parade…yet again…but scientific fact is not based on general agreement but in cold hard data.

While the anti-warming nuts were basking in the warm climates of Bali in recent weeks the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works produces that following report…I have to say it is well worth the read!

Here are a few highlights:

Meteorologist Art Horn “Carbon dioxide is a natural part of the air. Humans are adding some additional amounts but it is a very small part of the total, water vapor is by far the most significant greenhouse gas, five times more effective at retaining heat from the sun and 50 to 100 times more plentiful in our atmosphere.” And “In a free society an open debate on this important issue needs to take place, not the one sided drumbeat we get from the media”

Chemical engineer Robert W. Hahn “Water vapor and atmospheric methane account for most of the greenhouse effect, about 95 percent. Humans account for less than one-tenth of one percent of the greenhouse gases and about three percent of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. If we stopped burning all fossils fuels, including natural gas, coal, wood, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and the like, it would have very little effect”

Australian Scientist Jonathan Lowe “If CO2 was the major cause of global warming then we would see no significant difference in rate of change of temperature anomalies, in other words, all temperatures should increase equally. If the sun was a major cause of global warming then we would see no or limited changes at night, an increase in the rate of change approaching the middle of the day, and then a decreasing rate of change of temperature anomalies when the sun starts to lose its daytime strength. So what do we find when looking at the data? The data points heavily towards sun induced global warming."

Chemical Engineer Dr. Tony Burns “No one questions the recent Antarctic ice cores from Dome Concordia, with ice up to 700,000 years old, which show increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration occurring about 1,000 years after global temperature rises, thus suggesting that high carbon dioxide levels are a result of global warming, not a cause.”



There are plenty more nuggets all with links to where they were published…and for you nuts out there…most of them are in peer reviewed journals so get over it!!

Seeing how I was out of the country in Italy last week I think that it would only be fair if I were to offer you a 2 for 1 deal. This week I will offer up 2 countries and I’d like to see if you can name 1.

The first country is a 9 out of 10 just due to its shape.

The second country is a 7 out of 10…just because!

Good Luck!!!

PS: in case you were wondering the country from 2 weeks ago was Kazakhstan!!

There are times I write what I think about an article and there are times like this…I don’t think I could say it better that this.

Article published Dec 19, 2007

Year of global cooling

December 19, 2007

By David Deming - Al Gore says global warming is a planetary emergency. It is difficult to see how this can be so when record low temperatures are being set all over the world. In 2007, hundreds of people died, not from global warming, but from cold weather hazards.

Since the mid-19th century, the mean global temperature has increased by 0.7 degrees Celsius. This slight warming is not unusual, and lies well within the range of natural variation. Carbon dioxide continues to build in the atmosphere, but the mean planetary temperature hasn't increased significantly for nearly nine years. Antarctica is getting colder. Neither the intensity nor the frequency of hurricanes has increased. The 2007 season was the third-quietest since 1966. In 2006 not a single hurricane made landfall in the U.S.

South America this year experienced one of its coldest winters in decades. In Buenos Aires, snow fell for the first time since the year 1918. Dozens of homeless people died from exposure. In Peru, 200 people died from the cold and thousands more became infected with respiratory diseases. Crops failed, livestock perished, and the Peruvian government declared a state of emergency.

Unexpected bitter cold swept the entire Southern Hemisphere in 2007. Johannesburg, South Africa, had the first significant snowfall in 26 years. Australia experienced the coldest June ever. In northeastern Australia, the city of Townsville underwent the longest period of continuously cold weather since 1941. In New Zealand, the weather turned so cold that vineyards were endangered.

Last January, $1.42 billion worth of California produce was lost to a devastating five-day freeze. Thousands of agricultural employees were thrown out of work. At the supermarket, citrus prices soared. In the wake of the freeze, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked President Bush to issue a disaster declaration for affected counties. A few months earlier, Mr. Schwarzenegger had enthusiastically signed the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, a law designed to cool the climate. California Sen. Barbara Boxer continues to push for similar legislation in the U.S. Senate.

In April, a killing freeze destroyed 95 percent of South Carolina's peach crop, and 90 percent of North Carolina's apple harvest. At Charlotte, N.C., a record low temperature of 21 degrees Fahrenheit on April 8 was the coldest ever recorded for April, breaking a record set in 1923. On June 8, Denver recorded a new low of 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Denver's temperature records extend back to 1872.

Recent weeks have seen the return of unusually cold conditions to the Northern Hemisphere. On Dec. 7, St. Cloud, Minn., set a new record low of minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit. On the same date, record low temperatures were also recorded in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Extreme cold weather is occurring worldwide. On Dec. 4, in Seoul, Korea, the temperature was a record minus 5 degrees Celsius. Nov. 24, in Meacham, Ore., the minimum temperature was 12 degrees Fahrenheit colder than the previous record low set in 1952. The Canadian government warns that this winter is likely to be the coldest in 15 years.

Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri are just emerging from a destructive ice storm that left at least 36 people dead and a million without electric power. People worldwide are being reminded of what used to be common sense: Cold temperatures are inimical to human welfare and warm weather is beneficial. Left in the dark and cold, Oklahomans rushed out to buy electric generators powered by gasoline, not solar cells. No one seemed particularly concerned about the welfare of polar bears, penguins or walruses. Fossil fuels don't seem so awful when you're in the cold and dark.

If you think any of the preceding facts can falsify global warming, you're hopelessly naive. Nothing creates cognitive dissonance in the mind of a true believer. In 2005, a Canadian Greenpeace representative explained “global warming can mean colder, it can mean drier, it can mean wetter.” In other words, all weather variations are evidence for global warming. I can't make this stuff up.

Global warming has long since passed from scientific hypothesis to the realm of pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo. (emphasis is that of gopfolk’s and not the author of the commentary.)

David Deming is a geophysicist, an adjunct scholar with the National Center for Policy Analysis, and associate professor of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oklahoma.

Hello everyone!

Did you miss me?

Last week I was attending a worldwide audit meeting in Turin, Italy for the company I work for. It was a great time.

Once again we got to see that the “hatred” of Americans is far from the reality. While the dollar is weak against the euro right now we still managed to spend quite a bit of money in the area and loved every minute of it.

We had people from Italy, China, Poland, Brazil, Spain, and the US in attendance.

The hotel we stayed at had CNN and MSNBC Europe as well as BBC so I was able to stay in touch with some of the goings on in the states but the ‘big’ thing that was on every time the TV was on was the Bali conference and I kept seeing Algore’s face…talk about scary!!!

I will endeavor to spend some time blogging this week in hopes of getting everyone in the mood for the New Year and the upcoming Presidential elections. So stay tuned and I will try to make this a great ride!

Today Mitt Romney answered some of the questions that people have been wondering about him, his faith, and the Presidency.

You can find the entire speech here but I have selected a few excerpts I particularly thought were worth while.

EXCERPTS FROM:

Thursday, Dec 06, 2007
"Faith In America"
Remarks As Prepared For Delivery
The George Bush Presidential Library
College Station, Texas

"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.”

I think I can speak for anyone of any faith and say that is why we love America…their will be no Sharia Laws passed in this country!!

"When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God. If I am fortunate to become your President, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A President must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States."

Again I can’t say it any clearer…this is what I would expect from any elected official here in the States.

"Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree."

Try telling that to those who believe the nativity scenes and menorahs don’t belong in public places!!!

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths."

I think this defines Romney the best. He is making sure that we understand that to determine his (or anyone else) fitness for office based on his religious views goes against everything this country stands for. He should not have to explain his religion to be president anymore than a person should be asked why they are married to their spouse! Although I think someone should really corner Hillary with this question…I can for the life of me understand that marriage!!!

"No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong."

AMEN to that!!!

"I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'"

I think he’s there…

"Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government. No people in the history of the world have sacrificed as much for liberty. The lives of hundreds of thousands of America's sons and daughters were laid down during the last century to preserve freedom, for us and for freedom loving people throughout the world. America took nothing from that Century's terrible wars – no land from Germany or Japan or Korea; no treasure; no oath of fealty. America's resolve in the defense of liberty has been tested time and again. It has not been found wanting, nor must it ever be. America must never falter in holding high the banner of freedom."

For those on the Left please re-read this last quote, remember it always, we have not conquered those we have fought in the last century but aided our fellow man. We have done these things not for power or glory but because it was right, it was just, it was moral. We do not ask to be revered or praised but offer up the freedoms that we have as a model for all people.

"The diversity of our cultural expression, and the vibrancy of our religious dialogue, has kept America in the forefront of civilized nations even as others regard religious freedom as something to be destroyed."

Can you say Islamic Jihadist?!?!?!

"And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: we do not insist on a single strain of religion – rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith."

Well said.

I would encourage all to read his speech in its entirety; it is well worth the time. I do believe we are looking at the next President of the US.

A few weeks ago I pointed out that former Congressman Cynthia McKinney was being courted by the California Green Party to run for the Presidency (link) well not to be out done the Wisconsin Green Party is welcoming her with open arms next week when Cynthia comes to Madison to announce her entry into the Wisconsin Primary.

For those of you who have forgotten Cynthia she was one of the vocal Democrats stating that the Bush Administration had a hand in 9/11. She assaulted a white security officer at the Capitol because he tried to stop her from entering the Capitol without identifying herself. And, Yes, Cynthia was one of the Democrats to call for the impeachment of the President but I have yet to see where she “introduced articles” to Congress.

AP: Climate change meeting adds to emissions

Makes you think what the real purpose of these “man-made” global warming Nazi’s is…hmm?

Considering they keep going to WARM vacation destinations versus any cold regions of the world I’m thinking that they might like the idea of global warming if they thought about it a little.

AP: Briton pardoned in Sudan Islam insult

Let me start by saying I am offended at the AP titling a story like this!! There was no intent to insult Islam. In their own story they state ‘Muhammad is one of the most common names for men in the Arab world. Muslim scholars generally agree that intent is a key factor in determining if someone has violated Islamic rules against insulting the prophet.’

I am glad to hear that the teacher has been pardoned but saddened that this whole event took place. For a peaceful people…they still have a lot to learn about tolerance.

I hope that Mrs. Gibbons finds a good job abroad and continue teaching.

Ask yourself this question:

If a teacher in the US were to have her students name a teddy bear Jesus, Moses, Buda, God, or anyone of the other gods/prophets would anyone here be calling for her to be killed?

AP: Calls in Sudan for execution of Briton

This morning when I turned on the TV they were talking about the big tree in Rockefeller Center and as I gazed upon the huge Christmas tree I wondered…what do the Nobel Prize winners (Algore and the IPCC) think about NBC cutting down a huge tree that was scrubbing evil CO2 from the atmosphere?

Then I read this post by Caledonia Unplugged: NBC's "green" agenda continues to be a joke!

You just have to love it when we all think alike!!!!

Many of us didn’t watch the debates last night but we have all heard the news: 'Gay question' general linked to Clinton

I find it amazing that CNN couldn’t do a simple job to ensure that this guy was not from a Democrat campaign.

I think the question he asked has some merit and should be discussed at a debate but to have the question sullied by having a democrat operative ask it is just outrageous.

Is it any wonder how we became one of the highest taxed states in the Union? When we can’t figure out how to put together a simple Voter Registration System…mind you one that has now cost us over $24 million!!!

Here are the highlights of the Legislative Audit Bureau’s findings…but I would encourage you to read the full report. There is a lot more here than meets the eye!!

The media and some politicians wonder why we don’t trust government…this is one of the reasons!

Well still unreal still has it…the country was Norway

This week’s has a unique shape but I’m not sure it is that obvious a country so I rate it an 8 out of 10.

I realized that I have not posted a thing since just before Thanksgiving!!! WOW!!!

Sorry about that…I didn’t post a country for the week but then again no one got last week’s so I’ll bump that up to the top again.

I hope everyone had a great Turkey Day! I know I did…I got to see my wife complete a 10k and get a new Personal Record!!!

There are a lot of things going on so I’ll try to post more later!!

I have liberal friends that look at me regularly and ask ‘how can you not believe global warming is real?’

I always smile and say ‘global warming is real…in the last 30 years the average ‘global temperature’* has risen by about 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit but you can not prove to me that man is to blame.’

Their retort is always out of some sort of script...’well ‘scientific consensus’ says that it is caused by man!’ They say this like science and consensus are like the holy grail in all of science and to claim otherwise would be heresy!

I’ve tried time and again to show them the path to science and I’ve even tried to show them the simple hypocrisy that is ‘scientific consensus’ to little avail.

Well now it is time to trot out the big guns…the ones that point to the UN and their group of “scientists” as being nothing more than political pawns in a game to try to:

1. Extort money out of rich nations, like the US
2. and to cause mass scares around the globe to force countries to bend to the UN

RealClearPolitics: The United Nations is Always Right

Daily Mail: The Aids epidemic has been massively overstated, UN experts admit

BusinessDay.co.za: UN Slashes Global Aids Estimates

While the above articles do not have a single thing to do with global warming it has everything to do with the fact that the UN and their ‘scientists’ are not there to debate real issues but to push an agenda.

Tom McMahon is known for his irreverent humor and in the case of the ‘bumper sticker seen in Madison’ he was, of course, trying to provoke a bit of thought…personally I thought it was quite good.

His posting has made its way around the blogs and when it hit Charlie Sykes’s blog all hell broke loose.

The Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee took offence to the bumper sticker and Charlie’s posting of it on his blog. They wrote a letter asking for its removal from the WTMJ website, even while saying “Though we support your right to say and post on websites whatever you like, even when offensive to some, we reserve the right to point out things we find offensive and to call upon our local media to act in a more responsible manner.”

So I guess that means as long as you don’t offend them it is okay.

Charlie Sykes posted his reply to the Interfaith group’s letter and their letter on his blog this morning: DRAWING THE LINE

Well said Charlie!!!

It is the show down that most have been waiting for: the novice versus the old horse (not meant to be offensive but if the shoe fits…) Clinton vs. Obama.

It looks like it is in full throttle…see the AP story here: Clinton mocks Obama on foreign policy

From the story:

"Voters will have to judge if living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face," Clinton said

So what does Hillary think she has done to prepare her for the “complex international challenges?” Being the wife of a President gives her the experience needed to be president? I don’t think so.

"I think we need a president with more experience than that, someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to and has confidence in."

And who would that be? You Hillary? Who in their right mind has confidence in a woman that accuses a “vast right wing conspiracy” for her husband’s inability to keep his dick in his pants? The only reason the rest of the world knows you is they realize that Mrs. Clinton is as big a lefty as Mr. Clinton was!

But Mr. Obama isn’t much better:

Obama's retort: "I was wondering which world leader told her that we needed to invade Iraq."

So can we expect that if Mr. Obama becomes President he will confer with other world leaders (including the enemy) before doing what is necessary to protect our nation’s security?

I have told my friends that Obama will be the VP nominee but will not get the Democrat nod for president.

Clinton will NOT, repeat will not, get the nod either…my thought is Richardson would be their best bet to win but Dems don’t think strategically they think emotionally so my best guess is it will be Edwards.

The downfall of the Democrat’s will be fun to watch…I’ll keep you posted!

My wife point out this story to me last night and I thought that it had to be a fake but in doing a little research I found out it is true!!!

AFP: Santas warned 'ho ho ho' offensive to women

What kind of world do we live in where there are people that would actually try to claim Santa’s catch phrase is offensive?!? If there is a woman out there that takes offense to someone saying ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ then they must not have a very good self image!!!

The thing that shocked me the most is where this is taking place…Australia. Australia is not very PC…I could see this being an issue here but not there!

I have criticized the building of KRM since METRA finished their study and said that the population density was not enough to sustain the line.

I have openly argued that the numbers that are shared by the Transit Now group are “pie in the sky” numbers with no basis in reality.

I have made it crystal clear that the economic development in areas such as Durand and 31, Mayfair, and Bayshore were done with out a single train ever coming into these areas.

But I have never heard the argument against KRM put as elegantly as Mr. Poplawski did in Sunday’s Journal Times Letters to the Editor:

Leave my money alone

The railroad?

Let me see if I understand the KRM proposal correctly.

Some elected officials are in favor of taxing us for a railroad to serve three groups of people:

1. Those who don’t want to live here.
2. Those who don’t want to work here.
3. Those who aren’t here yet.

I do know that I’m already paying a “petax” so millionaires can play baseball in Milwaukee. I know I won’t be voting for anyone in favor of increasing taxes.

It’s time those in office read our lips: “No new taxes.” I pay my own way to and from work.

Jim Poplawski
Racine

Mr. Poplawski I will be using your #1 and #2 regularly…I think that is amazing. Thank you!

So the next time some one tells you how great KRM is ask them if they really want to be paying the transportation cost for “those that don’t want to live here and those that don’t want to work here?”

For those of you that think that the wealthiest 1% doesn’t pay their “fair share” then you are not looking at the IRS data!!!

Read the most recent Tax Foundation Newsletter and they show just how far off the Left is on taxes.

Take for instance the following facts about taxes:

• The top 1% of wage earners pay 39% of all Federal Income Taxes while the bottom 90% pay only 29.7%.
• If your household income topped $145,300 in 2005 you were in the top 5% of all wage earners in the US.
• When Clinton won the Presidency in 1992 the Average Tax Rate for the bottom 50% of AGI wage earners was 4.39%. When Clinton Left office in 2000 the average rate was 4.60%. This is a 4.8% average tax increase on the poorest in the country.
• When Bush won in 2000 the Average Tax Rate was 4.60%. The Average Tax Rate of the bottom 50% of AGI wage earners in 2005 was 2.98%. This is a 35.2% average tax decease on the poorest in the country.
• Clinton (92-2000): 1.49% decrease to the middle class (AGI wage earners in the 26-50% range) average tax rate
• Bush (2000-05): 25.3% decrease to the middle class (AGI wage earners in the 26-50% range) average tax rate

More data here.

Well ladies and gentlemen, I’m back from ‘down under’ and I have to say, once again, we (America and Americans) are loved.

I found it amazing that even though elections are compulsory in Australia the people there knew more about American politics than their own!!

Arizona Republican John Shadegg convinced fellow members of the Republican Party to support Democrat Dennis Kucinch’s resolution to impeach VP Cheney.

This move would force Democrats to debate the impeachment resolution thereby forcing Democrats to take a side.

This will make most Democrats either look nuts (like Kucinch) or like hypocrites for supporting Cheney…either way Democrats look bad!!!

See article here: The Hill - Republicans keep Cheney impeachment bill alive

For those of you that follow the raging global warming debate here is a must read...it’s 21 pages, some of it technical, but most people will understand the underlying issues.

Global Warming: Forecasts by Scientists or Scientific Forecasts

Here is an excerpt from the Abstract:

“The IPCC WG1 Report was regarded as providing the most credible long-term forecasts of global average temperatures by 31 of the 51 scientists and others involved in forecasting climate change who responded to our survey. We found no references in the 1056-page Report to the primary sources of information on forecasting methods despite the fact these are conveniently available in books, articles, and websites. We audited the forecasting processes described in Chapter 8 of the IPCC’s WG1 Report to assess the extent to which they complied with forecasting principles. We found enough information to make judgments on 89 out of a total of 140 forecasting principles. The forecasting procedures that were described violated 72 principles. Many of the violations were, by themselves, critical.”

Excerpt of Summary of audit findings:

“The many violations provide further evidence that the IPCC authors were unaware of evidence-based principles for forecasting. If they were aware of them, it would have been incumbent on them to present evidence to justify their departures from the principles. They did not do so. We conclude that because the forecasting processes examined in Chapter 8 overlook scientific evidence on forecasting, the IPCC forecasts of climate change are not scientific.

We invite others to provide evidence-based audits of what they believe to be scientific forecasts relevant to climate change. These can be posted on web sites to ensure that readers have access to the audits. As with peer review, we will require all relevant information on the people who conduct the audits prior to posting the audits.”

While many in the “mob” are rushing to make bold moves to try to prevent global warming they are forgetting to look at the data and determine if it is scientifically valid.

The UK is actively perusing the capabilities! See picture here!















See the DailyMail story here.

Just for kicks what would you name this butterfly?

6.6% increase to the State Budget is what the State Senate and Assembly agreed to tonight. They agreed to spend $3,560,337,000 more over the next 2 years than they did in the past 2 years.

To Rep. Turner (D), Rep. Mason (D), and Senator Lehman (D) I am simply appalled that you would allow this to go through…not surprised…but definitely appalled.

Thank you to Rep. Vos, Gunderson, Kerkman, and the 36 other Representatives for listening to your constituents and voting against this dreadful budget.

I’m not sure how many of you are aware that the Aussies are getting ready to elect a new Prime Minister but down here the main topic of political conversations has to be about the ‘worm.’

Now I know that most of you are asking ‘what the hell does a worm have to do with politics?’

This is not some environmental issue it is truly a political one.

You see, as most political geeks will tell you, many pollsters will have groups of people watch political debates and political speeches with a small dial like device. This device is like a volume indicator with a negative at one side and a positive at the other. As a person listens to the politician they will move the dial to the negative if they disagree or dislike what is being said and to the positive if they agree or like what is being said.

This creates line over time showing how they feel about the politician as they speak. Pollsters use this regularly to gauge the effectiveness of speeches and to test new ideas.

While the use of the worm is fine for pollsters what would you think if it was broadcast live during a debate?

Think about that for a moment: Hillary and Obama contending for the Democrat nomination and while each answers questions during a debate you see what a selected audience thinks about these candidates.

Is this a good idea or bad?
What if voting was compulsory? For those of you in Crestview (sorry I love Rush’s Rio Linda bit), compulsory means mandatory.
Might this group’s opinion of the candidates sway your opinion?
Would you trust that the people are truly undecided voters or would you think that they might have an agenda themselves?
If the group was chosen by CNN or Fox, would that make a difference?

Now here we are back in Oz. PM Howard and contender Rudd are debating the other night. In the agreement for the debate both agreed that the ‘worm’ would not be broadcast. Channel 9, a noted liberal leaning station, decided to broadcast the debate with the ‘worm.’ 20 minutes into the debate the National Press Corp. in Australia cut the feed to Channel 9. They quickly grabbed the feed from ABC and placed the ‘worm’ on the screen. This too was cut after a few minutes. Channel 9, did not wish to be the only station without the debate grabbed the feed from Skynet News and again added the ‘worm.’

I watched much of this debate and would have to say that I was very intrigued. It was noticeable that when the PM was on the screen there was an immediate reaction in the negative before he even said a word…highly unusual for undecided people. By contrast the opposite was true when Rudd took the stage.

So why am I wasting all this time talking about this stupid ‘worm?’ It is a process that is currently used by pollsters and was amazed that Aussie’s are actually paying this much attention to a small little thing like this as opposed to the outright pilfering of the PM’s tax proposal by the opposing party.

For those of you who are wondering Sen. Kreitlow is a Democrat from the Chippewa Falls area.

Sen. Kreitlow now has the distinction of being yet another Democrat Senator to back away from his own party’s budget by calling Democrats Education and Municipality funding “Empty Promises: the Education and Local Government Deficit Act.”

You see, the Republican Assembly saw that the budget battle was going to be a long fight but instead of making education and municipalities suffer because of the massive tax increase the Democrats want the Republicans did the responsible thing and passed the Democrats version of the Education and Municipalities budget (AB 506 & 507.)

But now, nearly a month after AB 506 & 507 was passed, the Democrats are calling this funding irresponsible.

So what game are they playing? Sen. Kreitlow is accusing Assembly Republicans of trying to “saddle taxpayers with a $1 billion deficit” and “failing Wisconsin taxpayers” when it is just the opposite.

Democrats in the Senate have played games with our State Budget and now they will not even agree to fund Education and Municipalities. They like to say they are the party of the people when in reality they are the party of obstructionism.

Doyle put the out a press release Monday evening stating that the Assembly “failed once again” to do their job.

On the contrary Mr. Governor, the Assembly is doing just what they are there to do, protect the citizens of Wisconsin from dictatorial governors that believe that asinine tax increases are the only way to get the State out from their spending habit.

The Governor accuses “extreme elements of the Republican Assembly” of refusing to deal with “the cost to operate school buses, pay heating bills, and maintain roads” but it was Governor Doyle that threatened the Democrat Senate with a veto (and lord knows what else) if they were to pass the bipartisan Assembly bills 506 & 507.

Doyle has failed the people of Wisconsin and by his own words “created a fiscal nightmare for this state” by not allowing passage of AB 506 and 507 that would have secured funding for schools and the municipalities of Wisconsin at the levels that HE and Senate Democrats wanted.

So the only failure this State has had was in allowing the Senate Democrats and the Governor make a mockery of the budget process by not funding schools and municipalities. If they had we would be well on our way to making head way on the remaining portions of the State budget and perhaps not be looking at the huge tax increase that the governor would like us to swallow.

What is Sen. Robson smoking?

The reason I ask this is because any one that has read the Democrat’s Budget, Doyle’s Budget, or the new “Compromise” Budget (whose compromise…I have no idea and I’m willing to bet the Republicans on the committee are wondering the same thing) would not be able to make the following statement:

Robson noted the budget cuts state government spending by hundreds of millions of dollars.

“These cuts won’t be easy and there will be a noticeable reduction in services. We didn’t get everything we want for the University of Wisconsin System and we weren’t able to increase shared revenues for cities, but its mid-October and time for Wisconsin to have a budget,” Robson said. (link)

Once again we are playing Democrat math…If you do not understand Democrat math try the following especially if your boss happens to be a Democrat!

Next time you get a pay raise, be it COLA or a merit increase, tell everyone you know that your pay has been cut by 5%. When they ask how that happened tell them the same story Democrats use: “I budgeted for a 10% increase and I only received 5% which means that I am going to have to slash vital services in my household. My kids will have to go with out shoes. We will not be able to pay for the batteries in our smoke alarms.” Etc.

So I go back to my original question: if Sen. Robson believes that this new “compromise” cuts vital services I want to know what she is smoking or what pills she is ingesting because they must be good stuff!!!

You did not misread that it is true today in a Press Release by Senator Robson, Senate Majority Leader, and for those of you who don’t know, a major Democrat, stated the following:

“Local officials who want to make sure they have enough cops and firefighters for their growing communities and schools wanting to maintain a quality education for kids have been left in limbo.”

Whose fault is that Sen. Robson?

The Republican lead Assembly passed, not one but two, bipartisan bills (AB 506 & 507) that would have funded the local governments and schools in Wisconsin at the levels originally requested in the Senate Budget and that you have chosen not to take up.

Sen. Robson also states that passing a budget is important because: “It’s our job.”

Senator Robson you have failed at your job and should be fired. You want to accuse the Republicans of “pointing fingers” and push us to “rise above the fray” when if fact your press release is full of the vitriol that we have come to expect from Democrats who have failed to get their way.

Do you believe that “Days of debate evolved into an embarrassing stalemate that gave our great state a black eye?”

I believe that this is fight defines the difference between Democrats and Republicans (Liberals and Conservatives).

You believe that the only way to run the state is by using oppressive taxes that will hinder the poorest in this state more so than anyone else (tobacco & oil tax). You believe that all taxes are by nature good. You believe that by stating lies over and over and over (such as lack of funding to communities will endanger safety) will win you the debate.

I believe that your reign of terror is coming to an end. People are waking up to the idea that taxes on business only mean that we all pay more in the store. I believe that people understand that taxes do more harm that good. I believe that people who think for 2 seconds will realize that cutting government spending will not endanger safety and if it does they will elect people that know how to properly prioritize our spending.

Sen. Robson and the Democrats have made matters worse by stating falsehoods and have used scare tactics to try to pressure Republicans to cave into HUGE tax increases.

Enough is enough; pass a budget that does not increase taxes and the deal is done. Try to pass a tax increase and consider yourself fired.

I was surprised to find most of my fellow bloggers not having fun with Algore’s winning of the Noble “Peace” Prize. AP: Al Gore, UN panel share Nobel for Peace

The only blog’s I found that were talking about Algore were An ‘Ol Broad’s Ramblings and the Daily Dollop. Here is what they had to say:

From the Daily Dollop: The Ten Commandments of Climate Change
And from An ‘Ol Broad’s Ramblings: Proof!

My thoughts are this...how whacked out was the committee when they made that decision. Why didn’t they give the award to JK Rowling? At least the books she writes are somewhat more believable than the drivel and unscientific material that Algore puts out.

The committee actually chose the one person (and committee) that has done the LEAST for humanity!!

Thích Quang Đo has done many things to help people and to warrant the Peace Prize. Just look at his bio: Thích Quang Đo

The frontrunner for the Peace Prize (excluding Algore) was Sheila Watt-Cloutier who is an Canadian Inuit Activist. She too has done many things to actually impact people. Her bio is here: Sheila Watt-Cloutier

So what exactly has Algore and IPCC Actully done?

• They have made a natural event look like it is the doomsday scenario.
• Algore has made millions by selling phony carbon credits to himself.
• But in the end they have done nothing but talk.

The Prize has forever been tarnished.

AP: Clinton proposes 401(k)s, matching funds

This woman has no shame! She just wants the size of the federal government to be HUGE!!!

Democrats should be outraged that a member of their party is calling for such extreme expansion of the government. They were all opposed to allowing individuals to invest a portion of their social security how is this different…other than is being a blatant “buy-your-vote-scheme”?

If she keeps opening her mouth this way…I’m going to become even more hopeful of a Republican victory!

Does this mean Coors will be a better beer or will Miller become a worse beer?

AP: Molson Coors, SABMiller combine U.S. ops

I was one of the participants in Sunday’s Chicago Marathon but thankfully I was not one of those who had to be hospitalized.

You can read my race report here.

On today’s CBS2Chicago.com site there is an article asking if the problems with the race will hurt Chicago’s bid for the Olympic Games. Link

I find the whole issue interesting…do you think that this event should in any way sway the Olympic Committee’s decision?

Personally, as one of the thousands of runners told that I would not be able to complete the course, I think that this should have no bearing on the outcome.

Imagine a politician using his political office and influence to obtain confidential financial records (violating the law in the process) and using that information to leverage his political will…its happening right here in Wisconsin!

Charlie Sykes has the details right here.

I read this article (JT: Johnson Foundation goes solar) this morning and saw a glaring problem in the article…or more likely the obvious omission from the story.

Can you spot the problem?

If you’d like to read a little more about this before making your guess here is an article from the Johnson Foundation itself: Renewable Energy.

I can not believe it! First she wants the government to run healthcare and now she wants the government to give money to babies just because they were born!!

AP: Clinton: $5,000 for every U.S. baby

Do you think she will exclude the rich babies? What about illegal immigrant babies?

This is just nuts!

Republicans have given Democrats exactly what they wanted related to K-12 education and local government funding. (AB 506 & AB507)

Now the Republicans are willing to give the Democrats the cigarette tax increase. Huebsch Press Release

What have the Democrats given in on to get this budget passed?

Anything?

Anyone?

Bueller?

This is the message from Senate Democrats who are unwilling to budge an inch on their huge tax increase.

Today Senate Democrat Breske put out the a press release where he says in part, “It’s time to compromise and work out a budget and stop shortchanging Wisconsin residents.” So does this mean that the Democrats are willing to give up their HUGE tax increases? Are they willing to actually negotiate or are they expecting the Republicans to cave completely?

Assembly Republicans realized that the Democrats were going to play dirty with this budget so they passed AB506 and AB507 to fully fund education and our communities but the Senate has been unwilling to pass these measures and have in stead called for passage of a complete budget…or else.

My answer to the Democrats would be this: Pass AB 506 & 507 so that we can negotiate on the remainder of the budget. If you are unwilling to do so and only want a complete budget passed right now…then you have our budget that was passed by the State Assembly that does not raise taxes…pass that so the State can get on with the business of the people.

I wonder if most global warming alarmists would agree that the Earth’s climate system is damaged.

Reuters: Gaia Guru Urges Ocean Pipes to Fix Earth’s Climate

I find it interesting that while our schools are approaching a budget deadline that will create chaos for the school systems of Wisconsin as well as huge tax increases to the people of Wisconsin; the Senate Democrats are running around talking about how the State should mandate that businesses in Wisconsin spend billions of dollars to curb greenhouse gases. (Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona))

Maybe if Democrats held their breath this whole global warming thing would go away…

Senator Miller is right though “Global warming is the most significant environmental issue ever faced by mankind.”

Think about it…cold weather accounts for over 80% of weather related deaths in the world…if the planet was warmer then mankind would not have to face such a cruel death. But I guess that would hurt the liberal agenda worldwide since they would not be able to capitalize on the suffering of others!!

As most of you know the State Senate still has not taken up AB506 & AB507. Have you written your State Senator and asked for them to take action?

Here is my contribution…why not write to your Senator today?!?! For your convinence I’ve included all of their e-mails below!

Subject: The State Budget

Senator Lehman,

I would like to urge you to push your colleagues in the Senate to take up AB506 and AB507 and put these items up for a vote.

As you know these items are of the utmost importance in order to continue to fund education and our communities across the State.

The obstructionist tactics of the Senate Democrats to withhold these funds will not come without consequences to the State, your Party, or to you as you seek re-election in 3 years.

Once again, show leadership on this issue and pass Assembly Bills 506 and 507.

Your constituent,

William Folk

District Number 12
Senator Roger Breske Sen.breske@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 3
Senator Tim Carpenter Sen.carpenter@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 6
Senator Spencer Coggs Sen.coggs@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 2
Senator Robert Cowles Sen.cowles@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 8
Senator Alberta Darling Sen.darling@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 29
Senator Russell Decker Sen.decker@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 19
Senator Michael Ellis Sen.ellis@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 27
Senator Jon Erpenbach Sen.erpenbach@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 13
Senator Scott Fitzgerald Sen.fitzgerald@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 20
Senator Glenn Grothman Sen.Grothman@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 30
Senator Dave Hansen Sen.hansen@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 10
Senator Sheila Harsdorf Sen.harsdorf@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 25
Senator Robert Jauch Sen.jauch@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 33
Senator Theodore Kanavas Sen.kanavas@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 32
Senator Dan Kapanke Sen.kapanke@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 11
Senator Neal Kedzie Sen.kedzie@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 23
Senator Pat Kreitlow Sen.Kreitlow@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 1
Senator Alan Lasee Sen.lasee@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 24
Senator Julie Lassa Sen.lassa@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 28
Senator Mary Lazich Sen.lazich@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 21
Senator John Lehman Sen.Lehman@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 9
Senator Joe Leibham Sen.leibham@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 16
Senator Mark Miller Sen.miller@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 14
Senator Luther Olsen Sen.olsen@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 7
Senator Jeffrey Plale Sen.plale@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 26
Senator Fred Risser Sen.risser@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 15
Senator Judy Robson Sen.robson@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 18
Senator Carol Roessler Sen.roessler@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 17
Senator Dale Schultz Sen.schultz@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 5
Senator Jim Sullivan Sen.Sullivan@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 4
Senator Lena Taylor Sen.taylor@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 31
Senator Kathleen Vinehout Sen.Vinehout@legis.wisconsin.gov

District Number 22
Senator Robert Wirch Sen.wirch@legis.wisconsin.gov

…so why not play the USA Today Candidate Match Game.

No real surprises here but it is interesting to play and see whose opinion matches yours!

Yesterday’s Investor’s Business Daily published the following editorial

The ‘Old’ Consensus?

Climate Change: Did NASA scientist James Hansen, the global warming alarmist in chief, once believe we were headed for . . . an ice age? An old Washington Post story indicates he did.

On July 9, 1971, the Post published a story headlined "U.S. Scientist Sees New Ice Age Coming." It told of a prediction by NASA and Columbia University scientist S.I. Rasool. The culprit: man's use of fossil fuels.

The Post reported that Rasool, writing in Science, argued that in "the next 50 years" fine dust that humans discharge into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuel will screen out so much of the sun's rays that the Earth's average temperature could fall by six degrees.

Sustained emissions over five to 10 years, Rasool claimed, "could be sufficient to trigger an ice age."

Aiding Rasool's research, the Post reported, was a "computer program developed by Dr. James Hansen," who was, according to his resume, a Columbia University research associate at the time.

So what about those greenhouse gases that man pumps into the skies? Weren't they worried about them causing a greenhouse effect that would heat the planet, as Hansen, Al Gore and a host of others so fervently believe today?

"They found no need to worry about the carbon dioxide fuel-burning puts in the atmosphere," the Post said in the story, which was spotted last week by Washington resident John Lockwood, who was doing research at the Library of Congress and alerted the Washington Times to his finding.

Hansen has some explaining to do. The public deserves to know how he was converted from an apparent believer in a coming ice age who had no worries about greenhouse gas emissions to a global warming fear monger.

This is a man, as Lockwood noted in his message to the Times' John McCaslin, who has called those skeptical of his global warming theory "court jesters." We wonder: What choice words did he have for those who were skeptical of the ice age theory in 1971?

People can change their positions based on new information or by taking a closer or more open-minded look at what is already known. There's nothing wrong with a reversal or modification of views as long as it is arrived at honestly.

But what about political hypocrisy? It's clear that Hansen is as much a political animal as he is a scientist. Did he switch from one approaching cataclysm to another because he thought it would be easier to sell to the public? Was it a career advancement move or an honest change of heart on science, based on empirical evidence?

If Hansen wants to change positions again, the time is now. With NASA having recently revised historical temperature data that Hansen himself compiled, the door has been opened for him to embrace the ice age projections of the early 1970s.

Could be he's feeling a little chill in the air again.


[Emphasis added by gopfolk]

Three white teens make overt racial references by hanging empty nooses in a tree.

Six black teens physically assault a single white teen.


The white teens broke no laws but committed a morally offensive gesture and they were suspended from school.

The black teens broke the law by beating on another person and they have been arrested and are going to be charged with battery.


Rev. Sharpton wants “federal intervention to protect people from Southern injustice”


Why don’t we turn the tables on Rev. Sharpton and ask the following hypothetical:

Six black teens, upset due to an out of date “white tree,” place pointed white hoods on the lockers of those white teens that hang out by this old “white tree.”

Days after the event, three white teens jump a single black teen and beat on him.

Should the white teens in my scenario be “set free”?

Any way you cut it what the teens did was wrong. The black teens unfortunately took it too far and now they are facing criminal charges. There were better ways to have handled the situation.

I think Rev. Sharpton would have been right to have “marched” after what the white teens did, not that it would have done anything, but that would make much more sense. But the idea of supporting a bunch of criminals (black, white, or purple) just makes a mockery of the Rev. and of the civil rights movement that he was a part of.

I like to give people my opinion all the time but on the following issue (which I have expressed my opinion on once before) I’d like to know what you all think about this…

Many of you may have read the Journal Times article of Friday talking about the GOP Budget Compromise: Local GOP legislators ready to deal on budget

But did you get the chance to read the letter to the editor on Saturday from Rep Vos and Rep Gunderson?

GOP firm on taxes

On Saturday The Journal Times ran a story that indicated Republicans were willing to work together with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to find an answer to the budget stalemate in Madison. While that part of the story is accurate, other aspects didn’t fully reflect our position.

We understand that politics is about give and take. Republicans are willing to sit at the table and negotiate our spending priorities with Democrats as long as it takes. However we will not negotiate on one of our most important principles: our heart-felt belief that tax increases are not the answer to balancing this budget.

Unfortunately some Democrats have already indicated that they will oppose the proposal and insist on their demand for higher taxes.

The proposal that will come before the State Assembly on Tuesday clearly reflects the priorities of our state; strong support for local schools, municipalities and counties while clearly showing our belief that these priorities can be funded without the need for any additional taxes.

While the story also didn’t mention this point, the proposal also sets a maximum property tax increase of 2 percent for 2008 and 2009.

We are committed to finding workable solutions to ensure Wisconsin keeps moving forward and that taxpayers are protected.

State Rep. Robin Vos, R-Caledonia.
State Rep. Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford

Now I see that the JT is weighing in on this issue and is siding with Vos and Gunderson.

State GOP pushes budget compromise

What do you think?

It is time that the Democrats pull their collective head out from there ass and see what is going on in the world.

PR Newswire: Pelosi: President's Policy is a Path to 10 More Years of War in Iraq

AP: Democrat Reid: Iraq plan unacceptable

Reuters: Democratic 2008 contenders bicker over Iraq pullout


If they truly believe that the Iraq policy is wrong then they have the ability to pull the plug…but they won’t do it. They can’t do it.

Democrats could, right now, vote to de-fund the Iraq War and have the troops home by year end. So why wont they do it?

They know that the chaos that would ensue in the Middle East as well as the image of US soldiers turning tail and running would only cause bitter hatred of not only the US abroad but of the Democrat Party here at home.

To make myself perfectly clear…the reason the Democrats will not vote to de-fund the war is because they know that they are wrong.

They know that the ‘Bush-Petreaus Doctrine’ is correct and that given time the Iraqi government and military will be fully functional. They also know that if they were to win in 2008 (I’m highly doubtful that they will) they will have to continue helping the Iraqis and therefore be labeled as a liar or a ‘flip-flopper.’ That is why they want Bush to end it…if they do, they look weak…if they wait until 2008, they won’t end it, so they will look like liars…if they win and they end the war prematurely they will be responsible for the consequences of leaving the vacuum in the Middle East…they would rather blame Bush for that.

In the end it looks like the Democrats are “damned if they do and damned if they don’t.” 2008 just might be another sweep…with the Democrats on the losing side this time.