To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.chuckmuth.com/remove X-ListMember: [email protected] [[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
*********************************** Not All French Are Weenies... "You can't say America threatens peace in the world without a certain hatred that makes you blind to reality. This kind of anti-Americanism is a grave danger. It is a warning signal of something deeper - a hatred of the very idea of America." - French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, Washington Times, 2/12/03 *********************************** ...But Most Liberals Are In the February edition of the American Survey poll, 57 percent of self-described liberals said they trust the United Nations more than the Bush administration to "protect the interests of the U.S." And Democrats still wonder why they got their cans kicked in last November's elections? *********************************** Go Forth and e-Multiply If you know someone who might like to receive News & Views, you can sign 'em up at: http://www.chuckmuth.com. *********************************** The Case Against Estrada "The fact of the matter is there is a different standard being used against (judicial nominee) Miguel Estrada, and I suspect it's not because he's Hispanic, but because he's a Hispanic Republican who may be conservative." - Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Washington Times, 2/12/03 ************************************ Action Alert Make no mistake, a rose by any other name is still a rose...and a filibuster is a filibuster. And Senate Democrats, no matter how they try to "spin" it, are filibustering the nomination of Miguel Estrada to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. This is an unprecedented partisan maneuver to deny the President even a vote on one of his judicial nominees. The hypocrisy over this maneuver by Senate Democrats is almost unbelievable...if it wasn't being done by Democrats. Here are a few blast-from-the-past quotes on the subject recently dug up by the Log Cabin Republicans: * "I have stated over and over again...that I would object to and fight against any filibuster on a judge, whether it is somebody I opposed or supported." Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) - Congressional Record, 6/18/98 at S6521 * "A nominee is entitled to a vote" Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) - Congressional Record, 9/16/99 at S11014 * "It is pitiful. Talking about the fairness of the system and how it is equitable for a minority to restrict the majority view, why can we not have a straight up-or-down vote on this without threats of a filibuster." Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) - Congressional Record, 6/21/99 at S8739 Now, in the past, under the leadership of Trent Lott, even the threat of a filibuster was usually enough to cause Senate Republicans to stick their tails between their legs and hoist the white flag. But under the new leadership of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, it appears the GOP has screwed up enough nerve to call the Democrats' bluff. And we need to support them and reward this new-found feistiness. In order to break the filibuster, Republicans need to persuade a few more level-headed Democrats to give Mr. Estrada his well-deserved floor vote. The wavering senators who might line up with us on this issue are Jim Jeffords (I-VT), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Bob Graham (D-FL). In addition, while they certainly aren't likely to actually vote for Estrada on the floor, Joe Biden of Delaware and Robert Byrd of West Virginia *might* vote to kill the filibuster as a procedural matter. We all need to get in this fight NOW and not allow the Democrats to kill this nominee with a filibuster. If they are successful in derailing Estrada, they'll be even more obstinate in future nomination fights. This is our line in the sand folks. So in the next 24 hours, please take a minute or two to call the Capitol switchboard and ask to be connected to these wavering senators' offices and urge them to stop the filibuster and allow the Estrada nomination to move to the floor for an up-or-down vote. The number is (202) 224-3121. Frankly, in this instance, your phone calls will be MUCH more effective than email. So PLEASE, light up those phones! *********************************** Calling Mary Landrieu If you decide to call Sen. Landrieu to urge her to support bringing the Estrada nomination to the floor, here's a little extra ammunition. During her 2002 re-election campaign, a radio ad spoken in Spanish and paid for by "Friends of Landrieu" stated unequivocally: "...Mary Landrieu has worked close to the Hispanic community. . . . Mary Landrieu also supported the candidacy of the Honduran Miguel Estrada for the federal court of appeals." Unless Ms. Landrieu was simply giving lip service to the Hispanic community in order to get re-elected (heaven forbid!), she should honor her campaign rhetoric and vote to kill the Democrat filibuster. You might want to remind her office of that radio ad when you call. ********************************** Hide and Go Seek "Saddam is offering to redouble his efforts to search his own country for evidence of his own wrongdoing. Only if Saddam's brain were as rigidly compartmentalized as it is evil would he not know exactly where his weapons of mass destruction are hidden. For Iraq's offer to make sense, Saddam would have to have multiple personalities on the order of Sybil with one of them feverishly producing, then hiding these weapons and the other searching in earnest for them." - Columnist David Limbaugh ********************************** Cutting Off Their Nose to Spite Their Face "If, by their opposition (to military action in Iraq), they (France and Germany) damage irreparably the United Nations and NATO, it will be their interests, not ours, that they disproportionately will be undercutting. After all, they derive disproportionate influence in the world as allies and interlocutors with the United States. They piggy-back on our power - not we on theirs." - Columnist Tony Blankley ********************************** Just Saying No to Blackmail "Everyone is talking about North Korea. All those Korea 'experts' from the Carter and Clinton years have reappeared, offering free advice. Their main suggestions are to negotiate with the North and resume paying blackmail. After all, President Clinton paid blackmail for nearly eight years, keeping the tyrants quiet until he got out of town. "President Bush has done the right thing, standing up to the North's efforts to extract tribute forever. Despite signs of uncertainty, the president's instincts have been right." - Columnist James Hackett *********************************** White Men Can't Jump "Quotas and set-asides in education, government, or business are manifestly unfair to persons who are arbitrarily discriminated against. If quotas were rigidly adhered to in sports, only 10 percent of professional basketball and football players could be African-Americans." - Columnist Ernest Lefever of the Ethics and Public Policy Center *********************************** What Affirmative Action Hath Wrought "More than a third of the 67 captains in the District's Fire and Emergency Medical Services department filed racial-discrimination complaints in the past week, saying the department gives preferential consideration to less-qualified minorities in its promotions process. "Twenty-four captains, all of whom are white, filed the complaints with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday, saying they were discriminated against during a process by which four new battalion chiefs were named in August. "At the time the promotions were decided, the department had 23 battalion fire chiefs, seven of whom were black. Two of the promotions went to captains who were black; the other two captains rewarded were white. "But those who filed the complaints say that the August promotions - which were approved by acting Chief Adrian Thompson - were made disproportionately because 54 eligible captains were white, while six were black." - Washington Times, 2/11/03 *********************************** Ending It, Not Mending It, In Boston "The mayor of Boston has abolished an affirmative-action program that gave preferences to minority- and female-owned businesses in awarding city contracts. Mayor Thomas M. Menino said the 25-year-old Minority and Women Business Enterprise program is unlikely to withstand a court challenge, the Associated Press reports. . . . Black political leaders, who said Mr. Menino's move came as a surprise, criticized him for failing to defend the program." - Greg Pierce's "Inside Politics," 2/11/03 *********************************** Race Preferences Killed at MIT "Massachusetts Institute of Technology has dropped a minority-only admissions policy for two summer programs designed to build math and science skills in high school students and incoming freshmen. "On Monday, the school said it would open the two programs to all students, explaining that the policy would not sustain a court challenge. For three decades, the programs have admitted only black, Hispanic and American Indian students." - "American Scene," Washington Times, 2/12/03 *********************************** Upcoming Grassroots Training Seminars Anything worth doing is worth learning how to do right... * March 15-16 - GRAS - Montgomery, AL * March 22-23 - GRAS - Houston, TX * March 22-23 - GRAS - Olympia, WA * March 29-30 - GRAS - Knoxville, TN * March 29-30 - GRAS - Baton Rouge, LA Yours truly will be one of the instructors at the Houston seminar. Hope to see some of you there. For additional information, contact Matt Lewis at the Leadership Institute: (800) 827-LEAD *********************************** Subscribe Now to Litigation Nation Online The issue of lawsuit abuse is so critical and so big that we now publish a completely separate e-newsletter dedicated strictly to this subject titled "Litigation Nation Online." The newsletter is published weekly, with important, timely breaking news as it develops. If this is an issue of importance to you, subscribe to Litigation Nation Online at: http://www.chuckmuth.com/junklawsuits/ ************************************ Two New "Muth's Truths" Can reciting a children's rhyme about catching a tiger by the toe be racist? And more importantly, is it actionable in a court of law? Find out in this week's Muth's Truths column, "Junk Racism Meets Junk Lawsuit." And against my better judgment, I recently weighed in on the abortion debate, specifically on a measure dealing with parental notification introduced in this year's Maryland legislature. Catch both issues of "Muth's Truths" at: http://www.chuckmuth.com/muthstruths.htm ************************************ Long Savings on Long Distance Just 4.97 cents/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. *********************************** The Goldwater Doctrine "I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is 'needed' before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents' interests, I shall reply that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can." - Barry Goldwater, "The Conscience of a Conservative" To help promote the "Goldwater Doctrine" in public policy and government, join the Goldwater Club by going to: http://chuckmuth.com/goldwater.htm ********************************* ********************************* Chuck Muth Editor/Publisher P.O. Box 15307 Middle River, MD 21220 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] # # #
