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Posted on 09.18.09 by Danny Glover @ 2:31 pm
The past week’s hullabaloo over videos that expose the liberal nonprofit ACORN agreeing to aid and abet underage prostitution, illegal immigration and more reminded me of another undercover expose right before the election last fall. You wouldn’t have known it from the sparse media coverage, but ACORN was the subject of much controversy back then, too, just as it has been for years. So Jason Mattera, who works for the conservative Young America’s Foundation and as a video entertainer for the blog Hot Air, decided to have some fun at ACORN’s expense. He hit the streets as a fictional representative for ACORN’s sister organization, WALNUT, and asked people to sign a petition so “oppressed classes” could vote more than once. Mattera’s video was supposed to be a spoof, but in hindsight, it’s almost prophetic. Prostitutes were among the oppressed classes whose rights he wanted to protect. That tidbit is revealed in the first video. The meaning of WALNUT is disclosed in the second clip. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Mild language warning for both videos.] Filed under: Just For Laughs and News & Politics and Video Comments: None |
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Posted on 09.18.09 by Danny Glover @ 12:53 pm
The Washington Post and Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds have been making a big deal about a thesis that Deeds’ challenger, Bob McDonnell, wrote 20 years ago. One of their gripes is that the thesis shows a lack of respect for women. I wonder whether this kind of contempt, which Deeds showed toward a “young lady” reporter when she dared to question him over conflicting tax statements, is what they have in mind: For the record, Deeds made his views on taxes as clear as mud while answering questions from reporters who grew increasingly baffled as he rambled. As for Deeds’ views about women, he appears to be a graduate of the Barack Obama School of Chauvinism. Filed under: Culture and Government and News & Politics and People and Video Comments: None |
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Posted on 09.18.09 by Danny Glover @ 12:08 am
About 75 years ago, the federal government minted a batch of $20 gold coins but decided not to release them publicly. Most were melted, but a few found their way out of the U.S. Mint. Those 1933 Saint Gaudens “double eagles” are among the most famous coins in history, and now they’re in the news again. Back in 2003, Roy Langbord found not one but 10 of the coins in a long-forgotten family safe-deposit box. The only 1933 double eagle ever sold netted $7.6 million in 2002, the most for any single coin in history. Langbord and his family were suddenly rich. Or so they thought. But when they gave the coins to the government to authenticate that they weren’t fakes, Uncle Sam kept them, claiming that Langbord’s grandfather, Israel Switt, had stolen them. The government offered no evidence to prove its claim — and apparently has none — so now the case is in court. It’s entirely possible that Switt was a criminal and stole the coins. But in America, he’s innocent until proven guilty — and his family members are definitely innocent.”Maybe they were stolen in the 1930s,” a leading numismatist told The New York Times, “but they certainly weren’t stolen by the people who are holding them now.” Amen to that. At a minimum, the government should do what it did in 2002 — let the coins go to auction and split the proceeds 50-50 with the family. But I hope the family gets all of they money. They deserve it after the government’s greedy gold coin grab. Filed under: Coin Collecting and Government Comments: 2 Comments |
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Posted on 09.17.09 by Danny Glover @ 11:10 pm
Look no further than Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for governor, right here in Virginia, for an explanation of why no one believes a politician who says he won’t raise taxes: Deeds couldn’t give a straight answer to a simple question because he knows in his heart he will raise taxes. He just can’t say it because people won’t vote for him if he does — especially not in this year of protest against big government. [Cross-posted at Taxation With Representation] Filed under: Government and News & Politics and People and Video Comments: None |
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Posted on 09.14.09 by Danny Glover @ 9:45 pm
If, as expected, congressional Democrats vote tomorrow to publicly scold Rep. Joe Wilson for shouting “You lie!” at President Obama, they won’t be winning any goodwill from the taxpayers who stormed Washington over the weekend. The crowd at Saturday’s “Taxpayers March on Washington” included dozens of Wilson fans. Many of them carried “You lie!” banners as a show of support for the substance of what he said. But others embraced the South Carolina Republican himself as the new hero of America’s average Joes, in the mold of Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher. The pro-Joe signage included everything from simple thank yous to wishful thinking about a Sarah Palin/Joe Wilson presidential ticket in 2012. One woman from Massachusetts worked her way through the crowd, inviting people to sign a huge placard that said simply “Liar!”
By the end of the day, signers struggled to find room for their names. The woman said she would deliver the sign to Wilson’s congressional office. Filed under: News & Politics and People and Photography Comments: 4 Comments |
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Posted on 09.14.09 by Danny Glover @ 8:59 pm
It’s a breach of civility for a congressman to shout “You lie!” at the president of the United States from the well of the House, as Rep. Joe Wilson did last week. But it’s America at its finest when citizens call the president out for his policy distortions. That’s what happened Saturday at the “March on Washington.” The crowd featured dozens of homemade signs with Wilson’s words etched into them. At one point during the march to Capitol Hill, the crowd chanted “You lie! You lie! You lie!.”  
 
Free speech, baby. Only in America. Filed under: Just For Laughs and Media and News & Politics and People and Pets and Photography and Redneck Humor Comments: 2 Comments |
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Posted on 09.12.09 by Danny Glover @ 10:19 pm
I knew something big was happening Saturday when organizers of the “Taxpayers March on Washington” started the trek from Freedom Plaza to Capitol Hill more than an hour early. When I saw this video after getting home tonight, I realized exactly how big: Filed under: Government and News & Politics and Video Comments: 2 Comments |
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Posted on 09.11.09 by Danny Glover @ 9:49 pm
Every enlightened redneck knows that politicians rarely mean what they say and seldom say what they actually mean. So it is with President Obama and his plan to create a government-run health system. But now thanks to the magic of YouTube, America can better understand what the president meant when he spoke to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. His critics listened closely to Obama’s words, found the hidden messages and spliced them together so everyone else can understand the mumbo-jumbo spewed from both sides of the president’s mouth. Watch and enjoy the video “Selective Editing: Obama’s Words, Our Edits”: Filed under: Just For Laughs and News & Politics and Video Comments: None |
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Posted on 09.11.09 by Danny Glover @ 2:36 pm
Here’s a reminder from Ed Morrissey of Hot Air that Democrats are just as prone to be childish and rude to the president, and to disrespect the office of the presidency, as Republicans: The Democrats’ boorish behavior toward President Bush during his 2005 State of the Union address doesn’t excuse Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., for yelling “You lie!” to President Obama on Wednesday. For one thing, Wilson’s outburst was more disrespectful than the mere grumbling in disagreement by Democrats when Bush spoke. But the video illustrates that rudeness is not a partisan act. Hopefully the video will remind the media that they need to report all breaches of democratic decorum with the same vigor as they did Wilson’s lapse this week. UPDATE: The liberal media watchdog Media Matters reported back in 2005 that Republicans repeatedly booed President Clinton during speeches to Congress, so it’s a bipartisan pattern of behavior. This enlightened redneck thinks they all need to grow up. And Media Matters needs to stop playing the hypocrite. Wilson was more blunt with Obama than Democrats were as a group toward Bush in 2005, but rudeness is rudeness. It’s never excusable, so stop excusing it. Filed under: Culture and Media and News & Politics and People Comments: 1 Comment |
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Posted on 09.09.09 by Danny Glover @ 11:15 pm
I’m all for free speech and admire men who have the courage to boldly expose lies, especially the lies of celebrity politicians. But there’s something seriously wrong in America when a congressman thinks it’s OK to yell “You lie!” at the president of the United States during a nationally televised address to Congress. That’s exactly what Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., did tonight when President Obama made his health-care pitch to Congress. Wilson breached congressional decorum and showed an utter lack of respect for the office of the presidency with his outburst. He should be ashamed, and he should apologize. Conservatives rightly decried President Bush’s critics for eight years when they acted like children — booing him at baseball games, throwing shoes at him, and chanting “Na-na-na-nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye” as he left Washington for the last time — and that wasn’t before a joint session of Congress and a national TV audience. Wilson’s pointed verbal jab at the president is far from the worst breach of decorum in congressional history, but it was an embarrassing display of unsportsmanlike conduct in the political arena. Wilson set a lousy example for Americans who already are angry about Obama’s intrusive policies on health care, energy and more. UPDATE: Wilson has apologized. “This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill,” he said in a statement. “While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.” Good for him. It’s too bad that Bush bashers never showed any remorse for their behavior. Filed under: Culture and News & Politics and People Comments: 3 Comments |
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Posted on 09.09.09 by Danny Glover @ 10:13 pm
The necktie is the worst fashion invention ever foisted upon mankind. No self-respecting redneck will wear one unless his employer or society demand it. The only time I ever wanted to wear ties was when I dressed like a preppy in the 1980s, when it was cool to keep those skinny ties loose and the top shirt button open. That’s why I’m celebrating this bit of necktie news from Bangladesh and hoping it’s the start of a trend that quickly moves to America:
What Don Surber said: “Finally, there is some wacka-doodle environmental change that I can support.” Filed under: Culture and Rednecks Comments: 1 Comment |
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Posted on 09.09.09 by Danny Glover @ 1:14 am
If you want to know why I love West Virginia so, watch this video and wonder no more. It just doesn’t get any better than the Mountain State. I don’t know whether I should thank Don Surber or not for sending me the link because he sent it with this note: “Watch This. Get homesick.” It worked. I’m in desperate need of another week at Camp Appalachia. Filed under: Travel and Video and West Virginia Comments: None |
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Posted on 09.08.09 by Danny Glover @ 7:01 pm
My Dad forwarded this joke (slightly edited by me). It’s a classic that every West Virginian, born and raised in “Almost Heaven,” can appreciate:
The joke also reminded me of a quip a Texan friend of mine made to me years ago. My favorite part of West Virginia is Canaan Valley, spelled just like the Land of Canaan in the Bible but pronounced differently — “kəˈneɪn” instead of “kā’nən.” “One of these days when we all get to heaven,” my friend said, “God is going to tell us that those West Virginians had the pronunciation right all along.” Filed under: Just For Laughs and Redneck Humor and West Virginia Comments: None |
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Posted on 09.07.09 by Danny Glover @ 10:56 pm
The summer of 2009 has been politically hot here in America. At town halls across the country, overburdened taxpayers have rallied for the free market and against costly, intrusive government. They have sacrificed time and money to exercise their First Amendment rights of free speech and petitioning the government for a redress of grievances. They have confronted lawmakers and demanded answers to simple questions. They have admonished their representatives to keep in check an executive branch that wants to control the health care and energy sectors. The political version of Newton’s Law — “to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” — has been on full display as a result. The establishment doesn’t like to be challenged, so the president, members of Congress and their allies in politics and the media have attacked the messenger. They have maligned the grassroots as a phony “astroturf” political movement even as they have hired counter protesters, bused them to town halls, given them cookie-cutter signs and told them how to pick fights. Some lawmakers have hidden from taxpayers; others have mocked their constituents, forced them to show identification to ask questions and even had them removed from town halls. One fan of the president’s policies instigated a fight with a critic of those plans and bit the finger off of his foe. Those two very different portraits of America played out on television screens and the Internet over the past several weeks. Now I’ve pieced together the snippets into one nine-minute video: EDITOR’S NOTE: This video would not have been possible without the great work of the many citizen journalists who filmed town halls in their cities over the past several weeks. I’m also grateful to The Club For Growth and Hot Air, which served as great resources for finding the videos again. And thanks to our three children, Anthony (9), Elli (7) and Catie (4), who took turns filming me for the introduction and final words. Filed under: Government and News & Politics and People and Rednecks and Video Comments: 7 Comments |
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Posted on 09.06.09 by Danny Glover @ 8:06 pm
Politicians hate it when “professional” journalists like me ask them pointed but simple questions. They hate it even more when “amateur” and uppity citizen journalists demand answers about how the government is going to fund its health-care fantasies. Sometimes the politicians walk away; other times their staffers play the role of human shield; or they have some lackey run interference by demanding credentials. Before YouTube, there were no repercussions for such condescension. Now the politicians are exposed as the elitists they are. And it’s really not a good idea to try banning cameras from events in the hopes that you prevent any embarrassing moments on YouTube. You are sure to be caught in an even more “compromising position” than if you had agreed to let that journalist student ask you a question on film for her project. Ask Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind.: The revolution will be televised! Filed under: Media and News & Politics and People and Video Comments: None |
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