Partisan Politics Holds Up Publication of Civil Rights Commission Report

Floyd Reports Abstract: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights was set to vote on a 131-page draft report about the Obama administration’s decision to drop the Black Panther voter intimidation case today — but a partisan Democratic member prevented the commission from doing its job. Michael Yaki walked out of the meeting before the vote, preventing the commission from reaching quorum, a procedural motion designed to stall for time. A report now seems unlikely to be released until after the midterm elections. However, the left-wing blog Talking Points Memo obtained a leaked copy of the report...

This Came a Little Late for the Election

Right Wing News informs us that the Heartland Institute is offering a set of FREE booklets, the "Tea Party Tool Box," for anyone interested in becoming "... more informed on the issues than your average member of Congress." Most of these publications can also be downloaded as .pdf files.

Is There Such a Thing as a Liberal Gene?

An NBC San Diego report makes the following startling assertion:

"According to scientists at UC San Diego and Harvard University, 'ideology is affected not just by social factors, but also by a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4.' That and how many friends you had during high school...."

Not so fast! says Martin Sieff of FOX News. The original source appears to be fuzzy as to defining a "liberal."

When in Doubt, Cheat

Another sure sign that the Democrats are getting desperate: reports about cheating are streaming in even before election day, among those who opt to vote early or mail in their ballots. We have already mentioned [blog post of 19 October] how secretaries of state in Democrat-ruled states have been trying to deprive military voters deployed overseas of the right to vote absentee. Here are a few more examples:

In North Carolina, a voter desiring a straight-party Republican ticket was astonished when the voting machine displayed all Democrats on its screen.

In Clark County, Nevada (where Las Vegas is located), some Boulder City voters intending to cast their ballot for senatorial candidate Sharron Angle found that the name of incumbent Harry Reid had already been checked. Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax denies that there is any voter fraud, saying the touch-screen machines are sensitive.

American Thinker's Scott Swett has written a short history of Democratic vote fraud over the past 18 years.

UPDATE1: Connie Hair of Human Events reports that Rush Limbaugh is warning us about the Secretary of State Project, bankrolled by George Soros (who could play a mega-villain in a future James Bond movie). He has faithfully been following what Stalin once said: "Those who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do."

UPDATE2: Count on Michelle Malkin to remind us that the Democrats, once they are cornered, will resort to their old tricks: cheat, call their opponents racists, use intimidation tactics, etc. More tricks from their extensive catalog: "Silence dissent. Criminalize watchdogs. Whitewash fraud. Discourage grassroots engagement. Deny, deny, deny. These are the signature tactics of the Left in the age of Obama. On November 2, Americans get their chance to say: Enough."

Dr. Krauthammer Identifies Another Mental Disorder

Psychiatrist turned political commentator Charles Krauthammer, who popularized "Bush Derangement Syndrome," has come up with another choice diagnosis: "Obama Underappreciation Syndrome."

"...Dr. Obama diagnoses a heretofore undiscovered psychological derangement: anxiety-induced Obama Underappreciation Syndrome, wherein an entire population is so addled by its economic anxieties as to be neurologically incapable of appreciating the 'facts and science' undergirding Obamacare and the other blessings their president has bestowed upon them from on high...."

Juan Williams Tossed in the Air by NPR; Lands on His Feet

Politico.com reports that NPR (National Public Radio) fired political commentator Juan Williams for saying that he gets "nervous" whenever he sees people in “Muslim garb” boarding a plane. Williams promptly received a consolation prize from FOX News, which offered him a $2 million contract.

Newsapalooza 2010 Visits Colorado Springs

This two-hour program, organized by Americans for Prosperity, was held last night at the Pikes Peak Center and featured celebrated conservatives such as "Joe the Plumber" [Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher] and S.E. Cupp. Of all the candidates who were invited to speak, only two showed up: Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and Ken Buck (who is leading in the polls against appointed Senator Michael Bennet).


Joe the Plumber, doing what he does best (getting the audience pumped up)


Author S.E. Cupp also held the audience's attention


A rare view of Dan Maes, who is running for governor of Colorado


Radio talk show host Jeff Crank conversing with concerned conservative


Republican senatorial candidate Ken Buck

Trying Hard to Qualify for Breitbart's 100 Grand Offer

As many of you know, Andrew Breitbart has offered $100,000 for any proof of Tea Party racism, and, according to CBS News, the NAACP has published an entry:

The NAACP today issued a report detailing "the links between certain Tea Party factions and acknowledged racist hate groups in the United States."

"These links should give all patriotic Americans pause," NAACP president and CEO Benjamin Jealous writes in a forward.

Jealous allows that that "the majority of Tea Party supporters are sincere, principled people of good will." He urges "the leadership and members of the Tea Party movement [to] read this report and take additional steps to distance themselves from those Tea Party leaders who espouse racist ideas, advocate violence, or are formally affiliated with white supremacist organizations...."

UPDATE: National spokesperson for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Niger Innis has a few choice words about this latest NAACP allegation.

In Illinois, Prisoners Get to Vote Before Soldiers Deployed Overseas

Illinois Soldiers Wait for Ballots. Prisoners Get Hand Delivery.
by Capitol Confidential

Over 35 counties in Illinois missed the deadline to mail military ballots to our soldiers defending America. But in Chicago, county election officials have taken special steps to ensure that no inmates at the Cook County Jail are unable to cast a ballot.

The Chicago Board of Elections hand delivers ballots to the jail. They don’t even wait for the inmates to apply – they bring the applications with the ballots! Over 2,600 inmates have cast ballots so far – strikingly similiar to the 2,600 soldiers who will likely not recieve a ballot for the Nov 2 election.

Nassau County, N.Y. Outraged by Proposed Toilet Tax

CBS New York reports that County Executive Ed Mangano, a Republican, has proposed a one penny per gallon water usage tax that will apply to nonprofits such as fire stations, schools, hospitals, and libraries.

“It is being called taxpayer relief act when actually all we are doing is soaking the taxpayers with a toilet tax or sewer fee,” said Nassau County legislator Dave Denenberg, D-Merrick.

A Rare Venture into Political Endorsements

"Bloodthirsty Warmonger" has the following recommendations for Colorado statewide offices:

U.S. Senator: Ken Buck over appointed Senator and Obama stooge Michael Bennet.

Governor: Vote your conscience. This race is so bizarre that there is no clear favorite. John Hickenlooper has more executive experience than Maes and Tancredo combined, but has preserved Denver's status as a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants, and is likely to continue Gov. Ritter's tax-and-spend policies. On the other hand, we can safely predict that Tom Tancredo will do everything in his power to enforce state and federal immigration laws if elected. The disadvantage he will bring from day one is that independent and third-party governors tend to be orphans of the two-party system - look at what happened to Gov. Jesse Ventura in Minnesota. The real Republican candidate, Dan Maes, has the thinnest resume of the three and has scored only 15% in recent polls. At this point Hickenlooper still has an excellent chance of winning, as his opponents are divided.

State Attorney General: John Suthers, a brilliant and principled man, has our support, as does the rest of the Republican slate.

Now That the Chilean Miners Have Been Rescued, What Shall We Do with the Hole in the Ground?

Van Helsing at Moonbattery has a suggestion:-)

Pelosi Free with Other People's Money Again

The Washington Examiner reports:

"Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and members of her family and staff took 85 tax-paid trips on military aircraft between March 2, 2009, and June 7, 2010, according to new documents uncovered by Judicial Watch...."

Obama Attacks Karl Rove's Group, Which Proves Lucrative for American Crossroads

Hot Air has another tale of unintended consequences: When President Obama criticized American Crossroads, all he accomplished was to bring attention to their cause and get them to exceed their original fundraising goals.

First of 33 Chilean Miners Rescued!

Breaking news: The Telegraph (U.K.) is providing a running account of how the Phoenix 2 capsule is bringing the miners, who had been trapped for 69 days, to a large throng of relatives, news media, and well-wishers. Here's one report:

04.10 As the world watches, Mr Avalos arrives back on the surface in the Phoenix 2 capsule to deafending screams and shouts of joy from the crowd at Camp Hope. The crowd erupts with shouts of "Chi chi chi, le le le!" as hundreds of balloons are released into the sky. Wearing sunglasses with a big smile on his face the first freed miner of Los 33 hugs his son and wife and then the president.

UPDATE: All Chile is in a state of mass jubilation as the last miner is liberated from the San Jose mine, and "Los 33" are welcomed as national heroes. FOX News has the story.

Buffalo, N.Y. Family Discovers Lost Michelangelo Painting

The New York Post reports that the Kober family of Buffalo may be the proud owners of an undiscovered Michelangelo "Pieta" painting, produced around 1545. A short summary cannot do justice to this incredible story - you must read the full article.

Being on the Wrong Side of History, Again and Again

Pajamas Media has recorded an interview with W. Joseph Campbell, author of "Getting It Wrong: Ten of the Greatest Misreported Stories in American Journalism." Anxious to "make a difference," members of the news media tend to over-estimate their effect on historic events, from the Spanish-American War to Hurricane Katrina.

Two Rallies, Two Different Worlds

"A Few Socialists Marching Together..." is what they should have called Saturday’s march on DC. The Marooned in Marin blog has quite a few pictures. Be sure to look at the comments, too.

A very interesting “rally,” and one that makes stark contrast to the Tea Party rallies in DC over the past year and a half. Consider:

Tea Party activists ALL came at their own expense; these were all bussed in by the organizers
Tea Party activists made and carried their own signs; many of these carried union-made signs
Tea Party activists bought their own food, which local establishments appreciated; these were given boxed lunches
Tea Party activists wore what they wanted; these wore union-supplied T-shirts
Tea Party activists were organized by thousands of local groups and hosted by a few national organizations; these were organized by about 200 radical left-wing groups and labor unions.

And most noticeably:

Tea Party activists packed out every single piece of trash they generated; these left it for others to deal with, including even those free box lunches.

Nothing the left has done since 2008 could have drawn the distinction between the ordinary hard-working Americans who make up the Liberty movement and the freeloaders who want something for nothing—and want to remake America to get it.

For the rest of this article by Al Maurer, see Reclaim the Blue.

Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week

SickofLawsuits.org has announced Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week (Oct. 4-8, 2010)! While we wish that it was not necessary to devote an entire week to lawsuit abuse, the sad fact is that lawsuit abuse continues to threaten the economy and jobs.

This week is an important opportunity to call attention to the negative impact lawsuit abuse has on everyday citizens. Across the country, real people –doctors, small business owners, and taxpayers –are just trying to earn an honest living. Meanwhile, greedy personal injury lawyers are stuffing the coffers of political candidates to pass new laws that will create more lawsuits and make it easier to sue. It’s time for us to have a frank conversation to call attention to personal injury lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits hoping to strike it rich.

Cliche, or Accurate Description?

Nile Gardiner is only the latest commentator to compare the Obama administration to a sinking ship (specifically the Titanic), as Rahm Emanuel leaves his position as White House chief of staff to run for mayor of Chicago. Since Emanuel ran a tight ship, there's the possibility that discipline will fall apart after he leaves, and that more officials from the executive branch will be seeking refuge elsewhere, whether it be in academia, think tanks, or as lobbyists.