To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.chuckmuth.com/remove X-ListMember: [email protected] [[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
*********************************** Happy Birthday, Baby Jenna! My favorite second daughter completes her first year of life in these United States today. Guess it's time to buy her an NRA membership. *********************************** What About Bob? Let me expound some final thoughts on the Libertarian Party and the 2002 elections and then move on. We have much bigger fish to fry. First, about that thoughtful little temper-tantrum that "Bob" threw: A number of LP'ers responded that it was unfair for me to lump all Libertarians together with such a mental midget. And...they're right. They also fell right into my trap. By the same token, it's unfair to lump ALL Republicans together with the likes of the Lincoln Chafees in the GOP. And it's also unfair to say Republicans are ALL bad because of a few votes or actions that we might not agree with. Another legitimate point made by one LP'er is that if more Republicans who were registered to vote had actually turned out to vote on election day, the LP vote would have been meaningless. Good point. While it still doesn't excuse the political naivet� of running LP candidates in close races where the GOP candidate is pretty good (though not "perfect"), Republicans certainly need to do an even better job of getting our people to the polls on election day, especially in close races. On the other hand, there was one complete asinine contention that "there isn 't a dime's worth of difference between Tom Delay and Nancy Pelosi." Please. That's the kind of ridiculous claim that causes rational people to believe LP'ers are all juiced up on dope. And, yes, I do agree that the GOP needs to do a MUCH better job of addressing the concerns and issues of libertarians in order to earn their votes. I've consistently said that, and have been working toward it, for years. I proudly consider myself a libertarian-leaning Republican. Finally, let me be perfectly clear. I'm not suggesting that people don't have the right to vote for whomever they choose. What I AM suggesting is that your informed vote should take the whole, big picture into consideration before casting a ballot which might actually set BACK the very cause you are championing. Who controls the majority, controls the committees, and thus the legislative agenda. That's just the way it is. My criticism isn't directed so much against libertarians as it is to the less-than-thoughtful "strategic" course that the Libertarian Party itself often follows. Not ALL Republicans are bad; just as not ALL Libertarians are wacked-out wing-nuts like "Bob." Now...onward, McDuff. ********************************* The Senator From Chutzpah "James Jeffords surely must be the loneliest senator on Capitol Hill. Just six months after the Republican leadership pulled out all the stops to get the Vermonter re-elected in 2000...Jeffords bolted the GOP, claiming he no longer felt at home there. "...In exchange for his promised vote to turn Senate control over to the Democrats, he was permitted to keep his chairmanship of the Environment and Public Works Committee. But two weeks ago, voters returned the Senate to GOP control in the fifth consecutive cycle - a clear, if overlooked, rebuke to Mr. Jeffords' unilateral action. So what's an opportunist to do? "Rejoin the Republicans. According to a senior Senate leadership source, the election results were barely in before Mr. Jeffords' office put out feelers to his former party's leaders. The message? That the Vermonter would be happy to caucus with the GOP - so long as he retained his committee chairmanship. Republican leaders rightly rolled their eyes." - Washington Times editorial, 11/20/02 *********************************** Your Tax Dollars (Not) At Work "President Bush...wants to open as many as 850,000 government jobs - half the federal work force - to competition. Private firms will be able to bid on the work. The goal will be to increase efficiency and lower costs. One objective is to put about 15 percent of the government jobs that are not 'inherently governmental' into private competition. These would include trash collection, prison operations, collecting traffic fines and other mundane chores. "...Unions are livid. They mostly give Democrats their votes and lots of campaign cash in exchange for big and ever-expanding government. In a jihad-like response to the president's proposal, Bobby L. Harnage Sr., president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said Mr. Bush had 'declared all-out war on federal employees.' This statement is likely to have as much credibility as some of those coming from soon-to-be Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, who says the president hasn't yet won the war on terror. "Most people on the outside of government, looking in, will say that when they have to contact a government agency - from the Internal Revenue Service to the local Department of Motor Vehicles - they would prefer to visit the dentist. On a recent visit to a Cabinet-level department, I found the halls filled with people who did not appear to be working. Partially overheard conversations were about break time, vacations, sick leave and other benefits. Upon entering an office, I saw one employee doing her nails and another engaged in what appeared to be a personal phone call. There did not appear to be a working attitude, much less a working employee, in the place." - Columnist Cal Thomas ********************************** Fun With Dick and...the ACLU? "House Majority Leader Dick Armey did not win the flat tax that spurred him to run for office, but he departs Washington with his cowboy-boots image and one more surprise as he exits the stage: He may go work for the ACLU. "A conservative Texas Republican with a libertarian bent, Mr. Armey says he is considering consulting with the American Civil Liberties Union on privacy issues now that he is retiring from Congress after 18 years." - Associated Press, 11/20/02 ************************************ Oh, THIS Is Helpful "A spokesman for a leading U.S.-based Muslim organization says the Revs. Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Jimmy Swaggart are just as bad as Osama bin Laden, and that given the chance, these Christian conservatives would commit mass murder against Muslims. 'They're the equivalent of our Osama bin Laden,' said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), in an interview with Steve Malzberg on WABC radio in New York City." - Greg Pierce's "Inside Politics," 11/20/02 ****************************** One Foot on a Banana Peel, One Foot in the Grave "...(T)he 'Donahue' show has helped make the cable MSNBC network 'a ratings embarrassment' for parent company General Electric, Janet Kornblum reports in USA Today. MSNBC is averaging fewer than 400,000 viewers during prime time, compared with 983,000 viewers at CNN and 1.5 million for Fox News Channel. 'Phil Donahue's days at MSNBC are numbered,' the reporter said. 'NBC News executives are likely to cancel his talk show by year's end.'" - Greg Pierce's "Inside Politics," 11/20/02 ********************************** Second-Class 2nd Amendment Rights "(W)e can't question the constitutionality of an Internet pornographer, because their protected right of free speech is listed in the Bill of Rights. But the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self-defense - listed directly afterward in the same Bill of Rights - is not really protected. After all, free speech entitles Americans to own newspapers, Internet sites, radio stations, television networks, typewriters and computers, but self-defense only pertains to bare hands - unless you're a policeman, federal agent or soldier." "...Gun control must be strengthened because we know that guns - not people - cause crime, just like men cause rape and women cause prostitution." - Columnist Jon Dougherty, worldnetdaily.com *********************************** Good News on the Quota Front "Three Omaha, Neb., firemen have turned down promotions they were offered on the basis of their race or sex, reports KETV: 'Five of the seven positions have been awarded to, and accepted by, Caucasian men who scored at the top of their class. The next person the chief offered the position to was a Caucasian woman who ranked 24th. She turned it down. The job was then offered to an African-American man, ranked 36th, and another Caucasian woman, ranked 37th. Both turned the job down.'" - Best of the Web, 11/20/02 *********************************** Telephone, Television & Tell-a-Friend If you know someone who might like to join the growing army of conservatives (and a few Palm Beach Democrats) who receive our FREE Chuck Muth's News & Views briefings, just go to http://www.chuckmuth.com. ********************************** In Your Heart You Know He's (Still) Right Join the "next generation of Goldwater Conservatives" by joining the Goldwater Club. Annual dues for as little as $25. Just go to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/goldwater.htm ********************************* The Straight Poop Catch Chuck's latest biting commentary on today's current events at "Muth's Truths". Go to: http://chuckmuth.com/muthstruths.TEMP.htm ********************************* Thinking Of Throwing Your Hat In the Ring? Don't make the same mistakes most first-time candidates make. Read the FREE special reports on the RIGHT way to make the decision to seek public office, what to do first, what to do second - and what NOT to do. Just go to: http://chuckmuth.com/reports.htm ********************************* Conservative Books for Your Christmas List Get your copy of REAGAN'S WAR today. Save 25% by going to: <http://www.conservativebookservice.com/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=C6106&sour_cd=C ME007102> ********************************* Long Savings on Long Distance! Just 4.97 cents per minute (5.97 cents for some non-regional bell companies) * All state-to-state calls in the continental U.S. * Residential or commercial * 6-second billing increments after the first 18 seconds * 24 hours/day * 7 days/week * No access codes * No minimums * No activation fees * No monthly service charge unless your bill is less than $20.00 a month (then a $2.50 service charge will apply) * No need to change your local phone company * No hassles * Easy sign-up. *And a small portion of each bill goes to help continue publishing our FREE Chuck Muth's News & Views e-newsletter. go to <http://www.GOPLongDistance.com> today. ********************************* ********************************* Published by The Goldwater Club Chuck Muth, Editor/Publisher P.O. Box 19893 Alexandria, VA 22320 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The opinions and views expressed in Chuck Muth's News & Views reflect those of the writers, editors and columnists therein and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the sponsors, advertisers ... heck, even some of our readers. To be REMOVED, go to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter/ and complete the removal request instructions you'll find there. Or send your request to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # #
