Amanda Terkel cannot handle Criticism and wants to Censor Bill O'Reilly

Prove me wrong.

Living in L.A. (but not for long...)

I am getting started with my plans to move back to Washington, DC by August-September.

If you know a Conservative or Republican that is willing to hire me in the DC Beltway, I can move back sooner.

I can work in the campaign committees (NRSC, NRCC, RNC, RGA), partisan groups (Americans for Tax Reform [I plan to be at all the Wednesday morning meetings], Club for Growth), Think Tanks (Cato or Heritage), Magazines (Weekly Standard or National Review), Capitol Hill or work with Republican Lobbyists.

I accept all emails and comments on this subject.

Meanwhile, I am still in sunny Los Angeles. What things do I want to do before I leave here?

1. Visit the Reagan and Nixon Museums.
2. Hang out on The Standard's Rooftop bar
3. Eat at Musso and Frank's Grill and the Stinking Rose.
4. Upgrade my Laptop's memory and add Norton 360 to it before I take it East.
5. Swim at Zuma Beach.
6. Visit San Diego one last time.
7. Meet with the Chairman of the CRP, Ron Nehring.
8. Walk down the Venice Boardwalk.
9. See the Santa Monica Pier at Sunrise.
10. Start the first draft of my fiction book.
11. Continue Blogging, even when I move East.
12. Visit the Queen Mary.
13. Go to LACMA and the tar Pits and remember the movie, Miracle Mile.
14. One last walk down Rodeo Drive
15. Have a Big party before the move.
16. Make a list for Washington, DC after I arrive.

A Question for Olbermann Supporters

When the people on the Left go too far, I end up defending people I never thought I would. I disagreed with President Bush on some issues, but the level of attacks (even today) makes me want to stand by him. The attacks on Rush made me ask: Did the Democrats ever support President Bush? (The answer is NO, thus proving Rush right.) And I stand by Rush.

Now, I am defending Bill O'Reilly, a guy I felt very neutral about, until this:

The story I saw was Mr. O'Reilly was offered a chance to speak at a fundraiser for the Alexa Foundation (I linked to it, please donate), a foundation to help Rape victims through the Court system.

A Blogger at Think Progress attacked Mr. O'Reilly and with help from one of the Nazgul's, Keith Olbermann, generated a mob to protest at the Fundraiser. Mr. O'Reilly then brought his crew to ask the Blogger at Think Progress: Why attack a man trying to raise funds for a Foundation to help rape victims?

The Blogger then ran to Keith Olbermann, etc. et. al. If the Left really wanted to win this battle, Think Progress and Keith Olbermann should have donated, say $5 million dollars so that Mr. O'Reilly would not speak, instead, they attacked a charity because of partisan interests. No matter how much I hate Keith Olbermann and the Left, I would not attack them there.

This was a level I though the Left would not travel. Wrong again.

Since I just finished a BSG post, I want to ask any or all Olbermann supporters one question, please send proof of your statements should you answer it:

Has Keith Olbermann spoke Pro Bono to a charity or given to a Non-political charity over the years? If so, which ones? And no, the statement of giving to charity during the Presidential race is bogus, to me, that is grandstanding.

Has Keith Olbermann given without publicity?

If not Mr. Olbermann, how dare you?

The Frakkin' BSG Post

I love Sci-fi shows. During the Tom Baker years, I would watch Dr. Who. I also caught War of the Worlds (both seasons), and of course, the original Battlestar Galactica.

During the years the new BSG was on, I would jump in and out. I was there for the Election of Gaius Baltar and New Caprica. I returned for the whole of the last season as the Final Five were bandied about. The destroyed Earth and the final battles (Cylon and Human).

Every action had a reaction. The Cylon Civil war gave way to a coalition of Humans and Cylons, which beget Gaeta's Mutiny, which in turn, almost destroyed Galactica. After the final battle against the Cylons (Dean Stockwell rocked as John Cavail), Galactica ended up on our Earth.

Starbuck turned out to be a Ghost from G-d to lead this Tribe home. A literal Duex Ex Machina. Given the introduction to the original BSG, it seems the writers wanted this Tribe of survivors to be Ancient Astronauts.

It would have been interesting if Gaeta's Mutiny suceeded and then finding our Earth, but they needed Starbuck's internal memory to find it.

My questions is, did the writers rely too much on the idea of a "G-d" finding a home for humans and Cylons? Or was G-d the whole point of the journey to Earth? Did Baltar pay for his sins of twice betraying Humankind (once on Caprica, again on New Caprica)?And will history repeat itself?

So Say We All!

How Ezra Klein's JournaList Ruins Journalism

I like reading newspapers and magazines. I enjoy reading people who have contrary opinions then I do.

But when you have an industry, such as Newspapers or Hollywood, that persists in spouting one side of a two part equation, well, expect business' to fall under.

Last week, The Politico released information about Ezra Klein's (a writer for the Left Wing American Prospect) private Listserv with Journalists and Democratic partisans. Yet, the names were not released. Why is that?

Political people of all stripes (and I have been a Democrat and Republican) are media junkies. They use information to support their side and/or attack the other side. That is the role of a Partisan -- it is not the role of a Journalist.

What is the role of the Journalist? Simple, know the arguments for both sides of a debate so a paying public can make up their own minds. They are supposed to call shenanigans on both sides and report on grass root organizing of the two teams, R and D. What I have seen (and this came to light when I switched parties in 1992) is that "Journalists" always seem to ignore Republican arguments and Republican activists and re-write Press releases from Democratic Lobbying organizations .

Ezra Klein's JournaList is a corruption of the craft -- only Left wing ideas allowed to speak to Journalists. If a true debate over ideas is needed, what is wrong with inviting magazine writers from the Weekly Standard, National Review and American Spectator? Simple, Klein does not like competing ideas. If you ever listen to Pacifica Radio, they do not like competing ideas.

And then when there was a debate about the JounaList on the Althouse Blog, rather then refute charges of Group think, Klein yelled, "Look! Over there! Anti-semetic commenter's!" Althouse has done more for Free Speech then any progressive I know. When Thom Hartmann defends Rush Limbaugh's right to speak and defends him against the State, then I will believe Liberals support Free Speech.

Until then, Ezra, on this Blog I Blogged continuously about Anti semites on Kos -- where were you? You didn't stand up then, so who believes you know? If you want to see the posts, let me know and I will email all of them to you. The silence of the Democrats is hypocritical -- at least William Buckley did not want Anti semites as his allies. The Democrats current thinking is: if they hate Bush, they support us. So what if they support Hamas' missiles into Israel? Ezra Klein, you are a hypocrite.

Here why I continually write: FREE THE LIST! Tom Maguire noted three Journalists using the same talking points. No originality, no research, just the same indignation. Newspapers are failing, any reporter who is on the JournaList should come clean. Lockstep is supposed to be the forbearance of Ivy league liberals, not Journalists who are supposed to question every Political Parties rhetoric.

And if I worked at the RNC or on Capitol Hill, I would put it in a memo that no Republican should speak to any reporter on that JournaList since they show no concept of understanding Republican ideas.

For the future of journalism: FREE THE LIST!

President Ron Burgendy

Do you remember the movie, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy?

Early in the movie, a character notes that Ron Burgundy makes a mistake because he relies on his teleprompter:

Ron Burgundy: You stay classy, San Diego. I'm Ron Burgundy?

Ed Harken: Dammit. Who typed a question mark on the Teleprompter?

Then later on in the movie, Christina Applegate's character changes Ron Burgundy's teleprompter and this is what we get (NSFW):

And there is news from everywhere that President Obama refuses to go anywhere without his teleprompter.

The teleprompter even has a Blog.

Are we living during the time of President Ron Burgundy?

Well, in his gifts to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, he gave him DVD's (!) that do not work with European equipment. Where was the Protocol office when it came to gifting?

Stay classy, President Obama?

Why Senators don't make Good Presidents

The last time America elected a sitting Senator was in 1960, with John F. Kennedy (D-MA). His Vice-President was a Former Senate Majority Leader, Lyndon Baines Johnson (D-TX).

Personally, I am a big fan of Governors and Vice Presidents running for POTUS. I know you folks on the Left do not understand, but I liked Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) -- a lot more then I liked Senator McCain (R-AZ).

(The reason why I did not mention CEO's is because, unless they worked in Government, it would be a different animal then Private Business. They would have the same problems as One Term Senators)

What makes a Governor or Vice President ready to take on a position of POTUS that a Senator (especially a first term Senator) cannot?

A Governor's job is to run the mechanics of Government within their State. Occasionally, they have to co-ordinate with the Federal side, but all in all, it's like preparing for the Majors. If you think Governor's are bad, why are Louisiana and Alaska the only ones not suffering from the Fiscal crisis right now?

How about a Vice President? While they are underneath POTUS, the intelligent ones are "Ministers without Portfolios," Thus, they choose an issue to work within the Government to affect. Also, they are officially known as "President of the Senate," Sometimes casting an end to a tie vote or Lobbying the Senate for POTUS with the authority of the Office behind him or her.

Foreign Powers recognize the Office they inhabit, thus learning Executive Branch Foreign Affairs on the fly, to be ready in case of the worst possible scenario or if they get elected afterwords.

And Senators? They vote. They make temporary coalitions to be thrown away if an issue changes. They suck up to the national media (which has, in turn, been sucking up to the American Prospect). Senators hold hearings and ask questions under a limited time frame donated by their Committee Chairman. When they are on the Well of the Senate, they can do individual things to frustrate others, but unless they are in Leadership, they do not Lead.

However, if you are planning to run for the Senate, it is a good start to be President, but at least be a Governor or run for Governor or be a Vice President before you look at the top job. Also, don't be a One Termer in the Senate either.

And when it came to one term Senators, it wasn't President Kennedy who got Civil Rights passed, it was his non-Ivy League, balder successor who knew how to get the Bills through.

President Obama is a product of the Ivy League and a One term Senator. He never built a coalition or ran an Executive Branch Agency or ran a State (like his Predecessor). He had three months to transition (compared to 35 days for President Bush in 2000) and he still is being rolled by the House Speaker?

Unless he stands up to his own Party and it's oncoming "Culture of Corruption" (Senator Dodd [D-CT] anyone?), he will be a One term President with no new ideas.

Something funny and fuzzy

Before I get on to Political and policy present day matters (the personal stuff about the Plague Year will write itself when it's ready), here is something that will make you laugh.

The genius of Muppets and the Empire Strikes Back:

Rush was Right -- Democrats did not support President Bush

I'm late to the conversation, but remember I've been away.

Let's take the Wayback Machine and go back a few weeks to CPAC:



Let's take the Wayback Machine back to 2003, when the current Secretary of State told her audience about dissent (strange, there was no YouTube video) in 2003:

"I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration, somehow you're not patriotic, and we should stand up and say, 'We are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration'"

And let's take the Wayback Machine to Inauguration day 2001, what did Democrat partisans do? They protested before President Bush ascended to the office. This line really gets me:

"...protesters who hurled insults, bottles, tomatoes and an egg."

And before you say boo, tell me are bottles safe to throw at people? What if they miss? When the time came to put aside partisanship, the Democrats refused.

Now we have 9/11: Do you remember Maureen Dowd? We entered a new world on 9/11 and she is nitpicking President Bush on 9/12. As we were ready to go into Afghanistan, there were protests. Where were the Liberal leaders?

Then someone in the White House read Peter Hopkirk's, The Great Game and understood how Afghanistan is not the place the fight Al-Queda It was an idea, that as a former democrat made sense: End a dictator, build a democracy in an area surrounded by Dictators and Monarchists. Take the Wayback Machine to 1990, New York City and I was protesting against President George H. W. Bush for not installing a Democracy in the Middle East

So, President George W. Bush, following the precedent of history in Afghanistan and following Wilsonian ideals as a way to defeat terrorism (and one of it's sponsors) endorses the Democrats 1990 ideals. Kumbaya, right? Wrong.

The Iraq war begets Daily Kos, Huffington Post and Code Pink. On almost every leftist Blog since Rush Limbaugh gave his speech, there have been two excuses:

1. "We expected President Bush to fail,"

2. "We'd support him, but..."

If you wrote or believed #1, then why didn't Democrats lift a finger to help Bush win his war and bring the troops home? If you wrote or believed #2, is that the attitude you have at work? "I'd do this job on the movie set, but I think the plot sucks," "I'd work on your computer but I think PC's suck," How fast would you be fired?

Once upon a time, Democrats believed in spreading Democracy -- when a Republican President signed onto the cause, the Democrats rejected that philosophy.

My question is this, given the historical precedent of "politics stops at the water's edge," what did you do to support the president at the water's edge? If you did not, how do you rid the world of a Dictator without a military force? Give a historical example using the UN showing how it is done.

The Way to Radicalism

Months ago, I ended a post saying, "Welcome to the revolution," The Valley was slowly walking in that path before personal issues came to the fore. I mention before how I've been radicalized, but let me fill in the blanks.

Once upon a time I used to be a Liberal Democrat from New York City. The rules of politics I learned were from the Old School;

Never attack an opponent in 3 places:
A) The Sickbed
B) The Deathbed
C) The Water's Edge

I will touch on the first two, the last one deserves it's own post.

During the Bush Administration, the Dean Democrats (as I've called them after 2004) created many places for themselves to be heard: The Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, and MoveOn, etc, etc.

But these Dean Democrats never learned the old rules -- they delighted in the harm or death of an American opponent (note I did not say enemy, that is the way Democrats think). There was joy in people's suffering.

Examples? Sure: This is Tony Snow. He just died and because he worked for President Bush, he was attacked, even in his Death bed.

Here is Senator Jesse Helms' death as done by Kos. If Senator Helms was not given redemption by the Democrats, why should Senator Byrd (D-WV) receive any redemption for his time with the Ku Klux Klan?

And the sickbed? As Tony Snow was diagnosed with cancer, the Democratic Underground decided to figure out how long he had to live.

What does that mean for the Valley?

1) Unless Democrats said anything kind about President Bush and his policies, you are guilty until proven innocent -- it is the power of the Google that can show the truth. Ironically, Jason (who also helped fixing my Blog) did end up saying something nice via the Poli-sci-fi meme. if Jason was able to, the rest of you Democrats, Liberals and Progressives better have proven the same.

2) I used to be a Liberal Democrat; Recently, I worked for Hollywood Democrats -- when push came to shove and I had a problem, they did not care. When I worked for Republicans and Conservatives in New York and DC, they actually gave a damn. The thing is, Democrats care about the Public Sphere but do not care about individual People. Quote me.

If you say, "Republicans are Evil/Stupid, etc." I will dismiss you. I have actual Life Experience with Dean Democrats closed-mindedness and uncaring, prove me wrong.

3) Today, there was news about a usenet server where Liberals, Democrats and Journalists talked on issues. Spare me the Bull about how working for Conservative owners means Conservative slants in the News -- it isn't there. Political people are some of the most well-read people in the world. When the Newspapers attack half their audience all the time, well expect some failure. I'm speaking to you Seattle Post-Intellegencer. If you have a source has not supported Republicans when times were hard (i.e 2004- 2008), I will not accept them as a source. That means Andrew Sullivan is not a legitimate source.

4) Democrats own the Governement. Democrats are The Man. After Inauguration day, you can stop blaming President Bush and Republicans in Congress (they haven't been in power since 2006) and tell us why President Obama is right in his decisions. You get no points attacking Republicans -- that's how this post got here.

Welcome to the Revolution!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

For the Irish in all of us, a clip from the Merry Ploughboys.

They are a band that runs their own Pub in Dublin.

Happy St. Patrick's day!

Coming back to the Valley

I have returned!

Yesterday, I was going to write some personal stuff about where I have been and what has happened. However, it's still early and the feelings are still raw.

The most I will say is, when I write it, it will be addressed to Grant Nemirow, just as this post was (click the licks as well). Grant, your first tweet parallels with what I have to write about. But for now, to be discussed later.

If you are new to the Valley, let me give you some posts to pursue:

The California Encyclical series on how to win back California (Prologue, Burbank 1 and 2, Los Angeles 1 and 2, California 1, 2, and 3 and Coda);

Bi-partisanship (Parts 1, 2 and 3);

My Political Conversion (1, 2 and 3);

Anti-semitism from the Daily Kos and Pacifica radio;

The jargon of the Valley;

and finally, what is ahead (of course, with some changes)

Keep reading. More to come.