Additional Blogging

Mick Stockinger of UNCoRRELATED has allowed me to blog at his site. Consequently posting here will be light since I can’t really keep up with one blog much less two. Here are links to some of my recent posts there: Advanced Military Studies; Enemy X; Friday Night Lights; and Eutopia.

OJ, Alcee, and Perceptions of Justice

The arrival of OJ Simpson’s movie, “If I did it Here’s How it Happened” during the current controversy surrounding Speaker Elect Nancy Pelosi’s choice for chairman of the House Intelligence committee highlights a real divide between blacks and whites on the perception of justice in America.

I was working in Richmond, Virginia, when the OJ Simpson verdict was read. Our staff reflected the racial make-up of the surrounding area. When we gathered around a TV to watch the delivery of the verdict, none of us anticipated what happened next. As the words “not guilty” were delivered both gasps and cheers were sounded - but strictly along racial lines. Only whites gasped and only blacks cheered. Until that point each one of us assumed we were in agreement with what we thought the obvious verdict should be. It was an awkward moment, each of us thinking “How could friends and co-workers – folks we knew to be reasonable otherwise – not see the justice/injustice of what just happened?”

And here we are with Representative Alcee Hastings. A former federal judge impeached and removed from office, by overwhelming margins, for bribery. I wouldn’t think him worthy of a seat in Congress much less Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. And yet the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) backs him for the post. They may have reasons similar to those who cheered the OJ verdict. Reasons perhaps grounded in their personal experiences with prejudice, but reasons I still find unconvincing.

Both OJ and Alcee were acquitted in the face of strong evidence to the contrary. Both received set-backs in other venues, OJ in civil court and Alcee with Congress. Both have been perceived as racial victims by many in the black community, but both are generating high negatives (OJ, Alcee)

OJ’s movie appears to be an eerie confession and is probably changing some minds about his innocence. Alcee still maintains his innocence. Is the CBC confident enough in their assessment of Alcee’s character that he won’t disappoint their trust in the future – particularly those CBC members who didn’t trust him in the past?

The Return Of The Blue Dogs

Captain Ed points out this article in the LA times concerning a coalition of conservative Democrats called the “Blue Dogs”. Co-chairman of this group is Jim Matheson, a Congressman from Utah. Captain Ed points out that nine of 28 seats gained by the Democrats came from “Blue Dogs”. The LA Times reports there are now 44 members.

I remember Jim Matheson campaign commercials saying he always voted for a balanced budget amendment. I took that as pandering to a largely conservative state on an issue that wasn’t going to go anywhere. Turns out the Blue dogs are “barking” as the LA times put it:

They helped propel the Democrats to victory in last week's election, and now the "Blue Dogs" want their reward: a decidedly conservative fiscal policy that begins with a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget.

The coalition of moderate and conservative House Democrats on Wednesday introduced nine members who were newly elected to Congress, bringing its numerical strength to 44. That's more than enough, if all 44 join with the
Republican minority in January, to block the initiatives of the more liberal House leadership headed by Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). ....

I’m glad to see this quote too:

Mike Ross of Arkansas, another Blue Dog leader, said the Democratic Party owed its success in the midterm election to the conservative Democrats who won many
seats formerly held by Republicans. "Republicans did not lose their seats to
liberal Democrats," Ross said. "Republicans lost their seats to Blue Dog Democrats, to conservative Democrats."

House Democrats Tell Pelosi What They Really Think

Hail the Secret Ballot!

The House Democrats got to vote not only their conscious but common sense in rejecting Nancy Pelosi’s choice of John Murtha as their majority leader. Instead they selected Representative Steny Hoyer and avoided a sure drubbing in the 2008 elections.

John Murtha, described by Jules Crittenden as “an extreme anti-war zealot with a "Kick Me" sign taped on his back”, would have been a bane to the Democratic Party. Republicans would have relished his foot-in-mouth punditry; one can be sure he would have figured prominently in 2008 campaign ads.

So the Republicans missed out in having Murtha drag his party down the tube, but the upside is that Nancy Pelosi lost a lot of political capital. She flexed her muscles to coerce fellow Democrats to tow the line but the 149-86 vote wasn’t close. This is a rebuke that may portend she will have a difficult time moving left-wing legislation.

Replacing Old Corruption with New Corruption

The Democrats took the Republicans to the woodshed in last week’s congressional elections, taking control of the House and Senate. Now, Nancy Pelosi, the congresswomen from one of the most liberal districts in the Nation (San Francisco/Bay Area), is poised to take over as Speaker of the House. Some of her campaign rhetoric helping her team win:

“It is long past time for the Congress to address the systemic Republican culture of corruption that has undermined the American people’s confidence in this institution,” Pelosi said. “I am proud that some of the best minds in our Caucus will be leading the Democratic effort to clean up the corrupt Republican Congress. These great leaders will work to restore truth and trust to the People’s House.”

So who are the sound minds she thinks will “restore truth and trust to the People’s House”? Well we have John Murtha, D-PA as her choice for Majority Leader, the number two position next to hers. Here is how this stellar pillar of virtue turns down a bribe (from a Jack Anderson Column reporting on the FBI’s ABSCAM sting operation):

"I want to deal with you guys awhile before I make any transactions at all, period. . . . After we've done some business, well, then I might change my mind. . . . "

. . . "I'm going to tell you this. If anybody can do it — I'm not B.S.-ing you fellows — I can get it done my way." he boasted. "There's no question about it." . . .

But the reluctant Murtha wouldn't touch the $50,000. Here on secret videotape was
this all-American hero, tall and dignified in a disheveled way, explaining why he wasn't quite ready to accept the cash.

"All at once," he said, "some dumb [expletive deleted] would go start talking eight years from now about this whole thing and say [expletive deleted], this happened. Then in order to get immunity so he doesn't go to jail, he starts talking and fingering people. So the [S.O.B.] falls apart." . . .

"You give us the banks where you want the money deposited," offered one of the
bagmen." All right," agreed Murtha. "How much money we talking about?"

"Well, you tell me."

"Well, let me find out what is a reasonable figure that will get their attention," said
Murtha, "because there are a couple of banks that have really done me some favors in the past, and I'd like to put some money in. . . . ["]

I’m not a guy who trusts the current crop of Democrat leaders in the first place, but even I never anticipated the audacity displayed by Ms. Pelosi in backing John Murtha's bid for Majority Leader. Mick Stockinger, at Uncorrelated speculates Murtha, a purported 'war hawk' made a deal with Pelosi to call for a withdrawal from Iraq, thus giving the Democrats cover in their 'cut and run' strategy, in exchange for her to back his bid for Majority leader. Maybe back then she didn’t think the Democrats would really win the house.

(h/t Michelle Malkin for providing the quotes)

Peaks of Davis County

The Deseret News featured an article on the Peaks of Davis County in their Davis County insert (November 3, 2006). Unfortunately I could not find the article posted at their website.

Prominently featured was Francis Peak, the namesake of this blog. This was the first I learned about the namesake of the peak:

Francis Peak is named for Esther Francis, a pioneer woman who settled Morgan during 1863. She surveyed the site for Morgan city, and Brigham Young suggested she he honored by naming a high peak for her.

An interesting fact is of the 10 highest Peaks in Davis County, only two are named (Thurston Peak the highest at 9,906 ft and Francis Peak, fifth highest at 9,515 ft). The Deseret News reports that all ten peaks are located from Fruit Heights northward.