Photo of the Day (updated)

Barack Obama checks out the local scenery as a rather bemused French President Nicolas Sarkozy looks on.

It has been speculated that "the scenery" isn't even an adult.

UPDATE: Speculation confirmed:

Her name is Mayora Tavares, she is 16 and she comes from Brazil.

Mayora was at the G8 summit in Italy as part of the J8 – a group of 53 people aged between 14 and 17 who have been meeting in Rome since the start of the week.

They were discussing how the lives of young people around the world can be improved.

After they presented their results and ideas on Thursday to their senior counterparts, the delegates had a group photo with them when Obama (47) was snapped.

UPDATE2: And another picture.


I'll grant that guys check out chicks. That's the way it is. It's also not unexpected to see that from the President of France or the Prime Minister of Italy (a somewhat notorious womanizer; but who apparently fell asleep standing up in that picture, either that or he was smart enough to not get caught scopin' on camera). The President of the United States? Eh...

And at photo ops, with countless cameras clicking away, and with your wife sure to tear you a new one? Would you want Madam Worf going all Klingon on you? I thought not. Then again, if you were married to Michelle Obama, your eyes might wander a lot too.

Man of Steele Visits Indianapolis, Leaps Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument in Single Bound

The story, from the Indy Star:

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele hailed Indiana's success at maintaining a budget surplus while other states face deficits and said Wednesday that the GOP will build on that example as a springboard for its comeback.

Indiana's Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, Steele said, has proved "you don't have to raise taxes to have money for education."

Steele addressed about 800 of Indiana's most faithful Republicans on Wednesday during the GOP's 2009 State Dinner at the Downtown Marriott. Guests paid $175 a plate.

Having already lost control of Congress in 2006 and the White House in 2008, the party has been battered in recent months with admissions of infidelity by two prominent party members -- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and Nevada Sen. John Ensign -- and the surprising announcement by former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin that she will resign as Alaska's governor at the end of the month.

All three were viewed as possible GOP presidential candidates in 2012.

Steele on Wednesday brushed off the recent incidents involving Sanford and Ensign as "old news, old-school."

"That's not the generation of candidates I'm trying to groom," he said.

Steele said the party needs to get back to its small-government roots. Daniels and fellow governors Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana are great examples, he said:

"These guys are the laboratories for the ideas we believe in."

The party needs to focus more energy on winning local and state races, Steele said, to build a "farm team" to find the next national GOP standard-bearers.

"In Indiana, the Republican Party is getting it right. Republican leaders are doing it right," Steele said. "You should all be proud of that."

Steele cited Indiana's recently passed $27.8 billion budget that keeps $1 billion in reserve. Other states, including neighbors Illinois and Michigan, face deficits surpassing $1 billion.

Daniels, Steele said, could teach President Barack Obama "what economic strength looks like, feels like, and how those things are achieved though a time-tested conservative value of smaller government."

"This state has become a shining example of what Republican principles put into action look like," Steele said.

Indiana Republican Party Chairman Murray Clark said that while the party faces challenges, Hoosier Republicans have reason to be proud.

"We just passed a responsible budget. Governor Daniels and our Republican legislators served us well," he said.

"Every time I hear President Obama talking about 'change we need,' " Clark said, "I want to tell him that 'in Indiana, sorry, but we're happy with the change we have.' "

Mitch Daniels may have been the talk of the dinner, but Becky Skillman (who spoke before Steele) stole the show. She won considerable props from Michael Steele (a former fellow lieutenant governor, no less) and had a great line about the absent and vacationing Mitch Daniels that was met with laughter and applause:

"Mitch is on vacation, but yes, we know where he is, we know how to reach him, and he is with his wife."

Steele also sent out kudos and greetings to Attorney General Greg Zoeller, State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett (complete with the requisite "I love your music, man" jokes), State Auditor Tim Berry, and Senate President David Long.

Secretary of State Todd Rokita did not get mentioned. Watching the event via streaming video over at Hoosier Access, I just figured Rokita was absent (like Mitch). After texting someone at the dinner, I discovered that he was there; he certainly couldn't be pleased at being dissed like that (and justifiably so).

I'm guessing that somebody over at State Party borked Steele's briefing material, resulting in Rokita being left out.

The Secretary of State shouldn't be too upset. Mistakes and accidents happen (Steele can tell you all about those). I think there was a moment in there where Michael Steele accidentally addressed Becky Skillman as "governor" instead of "lieutenant governor." On the positive side, the way I figure it, he is only off by slightly more than three years.

Anyway, your humble correspondent didn't attend the State Dinner. It's no great secret that I haven't been a great fan of Michael Steele on this blog. Heck, I've said I think he should resign because of some of his gaffes.

I wouldn't have spent four hours driving to Indianapolis and back on a weeknight to see Michael Steele if they had paid me, let alone me have to pay $175 for the privilege. I settled for the streaming video over at Hoosier Access, which was free. For those of you that paid and went, good for you; State Party needed your money.

This all being said, I found Steele to be unexpectedly impressive. I certainly found him to be a far better extemporaneous speaker than I anticipated given what I have heard of him on radio and television (where he has been sometimes gaffe prone from time to time).

He talks a good game, but talk is cheap in politics. Hopefully talk will be matched with action and with conviction.

Fans Flock to Mourn California, 1849-2009

Iowahawk is made of epic win (as usual, see here and here).

Read the whole thing; it's worth it:

LOS ANGELES - Millions of fans from around the globe gathered along Sunset Boulevard to pay final respects to California today, as a slow moving funeral procession transported the eccentric superstar state's remains to its final resting place in a Winchell's Donuts dumpster in Van Nuys. The self-proclaimed 'King of Pop Culture' died last week at 160, in what coroners ruled an accidental case of financial autoerotic asphyxiation. The death sent shock waves across the world and sparked an outpouring of grief by rabid fans.

"I don't care what the tabloids and the Wall Street Journal say," said a weeping Illinois. "I still love you, Cali!"

The 640-mile long funeral parade route was lined with flowers, candles, teddy bears, and IOUs from millions of mourners and debtors who made the somber journey to watch the passing of the state that had once ruled the box office and industrial charts. Among them were current chart-toppers who cited California as a key influence.

"If it wasn't for California, I wouldn't be where I am today," said Arizona of Westside 3, the popular sunbelt trio who recently benefited from the late state's generous gift of fleeing taxpayers and businesses. As a tribute to their mentor, Arizona vowed the group would start spending money "like crack-addled hip hop stars."

"California's financial and musical legacy will never die," said band mates Nevada and Oregon.

At the official funeral service at the LA Coliseum, a grief stricken Washington, who teamed with California on several hit software and wine projects, had to be physically restrained from climbing into the deceased's gold plated casket.

Similar emotional outpourings were the rule of the day. Stories - apocryphal or not - of the late state's bizarre self-destructive behavior and fondness for molesting children did little to dampen the the flood of tributes from fans who preferred to remember California as America's Sweetheart.

From a humble beginning as a water-poor remote Spanish mission outpost, California proved to be a precocious and talented child performer. It struck gold with 'Sutter's Mill' in 1849, earning accolades and attracting millions of crusty bearded prospectors. Black gold soon followed with 'La Brea Tar Pits.' Unlike many child acts, California made a smooth transition to adolescence, scoring a major hit with 'Agriculture' in 1891.

Even a frightening bout with tremors did not stop the flow of hits. The 1915 megasmash 'Hollywood' broke all records, as did the wartime favorite 'Aerospace.' More recently, California topped the charts with 'Tourism,' 'High Tech,' and 'Coastal Pretension.'

For a time it seemed as if the superstar could do no wrong, but behind the glittering facade of Disneyland Manor troubling signs of mental instability began to emerge. The state developed a well publicized drug problem during filming of 1967's 'Summer of Love,' and briefly dabbled in strange religious cults. Under the influence of spiritual guru Jerry Brown, it began wholesale experimentation in exotic spending programs, eventual resulting in a traumatic 1979 stay at the Prop 13 Rehab Center.

During the 80's and 90's California enjoyed a brief career renaissance with hits like 'Olympics,' 'Real Estate' and 'Dot Com Boom,' but personal problems plagued the reclusive star once again. During the recording of the 'OJ' and 'Rodney King' albums, friends and visitors expressed concern over its recurring tremors and penchant for self-mutilation.

"California used to be so happy and beautiful," said a horrified Ohio. "I hardly recognize it any more."

During that period, camp insiders say the increasingly psychotic state began driving away its long time professional management team and support crew. In its place, it assembled an entourage of con men and embezzlers, some of whom stoked California's increasingly bizarre environmental paranoia. It was seldom seen in public without a breathing mask to ward off imagined pollutants.

Worse, the hits began drying up; the huge 2001 flop 'Dot Com Bust' put a huge crimp into California's once unlimited cash flow. Despite the setback, insiders say the superstar was unwilling to change its lavish lifestyle, and retreated once again into spending abuse. Personal expenses skyrocketed, propelled in part by California's 8 million adopted foster children. During the 90's sensationalistic accounts of child abuse began surfacing. Eyewitnesses reported California cruising local neighborhoods in school buses, luring unsuspecting kid for sessions of 'public education.' By some estimates hundreds of thousands were left traumatized and severely brain damaged.

The charges were vigorously denied by California camp spokestate Vermont.

"California loves children," said Vermont. "California loves children, because deep inside California is a also a child -- full of innocent wonder, and the belief that any budget wish can come true as long as you just wish hard enough."

True or not, the charges alienated many longtime fans, leaving California in an ever worsening financial position. In 2003 the state rejected suggestions that it was facing bankruptcy, saying that "I can't be out of money, I still have checks left." Amid the maelstrom, though, it fired tour manager Grey Davis who many blamed for California's financial woes. In his place, California hired Arnold Schwartzenegger to help engineer a career-saving comeback tour.

Under the management of the flamboyant Austrian body builder / therapist, California began a rapid descent that ultimately ended in death. Some faulted Schwartzenegger's unconvential therapeutic methods and prescription spending pills, including state pension steroids that some say were powerful enough to kill a Scandanavian industrial power. Schwartzenegger denied culpability, saying that his spending pills "help build de upper financial torso and lats, and deese other sings and so on."

Despite the last minute financial maneuvers analysts say the state died penniless, owing creditors as much as $100 billion. Amid the swirling recriminations between California camp factions, fans chose to mark its passing quietly. Longtime California fan club president Iowa said that despite being the constant butt of the Golden State's insults and jokes, it will remember the late superstar fondly.

"Let's not remember California as a bloated, rotting freakshow corpse hanging above a filthy public pension toilet," it said. "Let's remember the good times. Like my 6-day bender at the '91 Rose Bowl."

"California's pain is finally over, and I like to think that the whole state is going to a better place," Iowa added. "Just look at all those U-Hauls headed to Oklahoma."

Quote of the Day: Obama on “Stimulus”

“There's nothing that we would have done differently.”
- Barack Obama, defending the "stimulus"

Senate Shelves "Cap and Trade"

Good news for taxpayers:

President Barack Obama’s push for quick action by Congress on climate change legislation suffered a setback on Thursday when the U.S. Senate committee leading the drive delayed work on the bill until September.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer said her self-imposed deadline of early August for finishing writing a bill to combat global warming has been put off until after Congress returns from a recess that ends in early September.

“We’ll do it as soon as we get back” from that break, Boxer told reporters. Asked if this delay jeopardizes chances the Senate will pass a bill this year, Boxer said, “Not a bit … we’ll be in (session) until Christmas, so I’m not worried about it.”

But Boxer did not guarantee Congress will be able to finish a bill and deliver it to Obama by December, when he plans to attend an international summit on climate change in Copenhagen.

I'm sure the "delay" had nothing to do with Democrat Robert Byrd's denunciation of "cap and trade" earlier this week:

“I cannot support the House bill in its present form,” Byrd said in a statement. “I continue to believe that clean coal can be a ‘green’ energy. Those of us who understand coal’s great potential in our quest for energy independence must continue to work diligently in shaping a climate bill that will ensure access to affordable energy for West Virginians.”

Senator Byrd’s was one of the two sponsors of the Byrd-Hagel Resolution, which the senate unanimously passed, 95–0, in 1997. Byrd-Hagel stated the sense of the Senate that the United States should not be a signatory to any protocol that did not include binding targets and timetables for developing nations as well as industrialized nations or “would result in serious harm to the economy of the United States.” Byrd-Hagel prevented Clinton from even trying to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which like the Waxman-Markey “cap and trade” climate change legislation, would have put the U.S. economy at an economic disadvantage to China and India.

When things get shelved in the Senate, they have a way of sitting around and collecting dust for a very long time.

I can't help but wonder if Baron Hill feels good about sticking his neck out so far on this issue when it isn't even likely to get a vote in the Senate.

Isn't it curious that Baron Hill, who isn't normally politically courageous on anything, took a stand and that stand is to raise taxes on his own constituents, cost his own district jobs, and harm the economic well-being of countless Hoosiers and Hoosier businesses?

That's a rare sort of political liberalism, err, courage and it's courage Indiana can do without.

A Shining Example of Academic Freedom

From Taegan Goddard:

A new Pew Research report on American attitudes toward science finds that 55% of scientists identify as Democrats, while 32% identify as independents and just 6% say they are Republicans. When the leanings of independents are considered, fully 81% identify as Democrats or lean to the Democratic Party, compared with 12% who either identify as Republicans or lean toward the GOP.

Political Math, whose blog is great reading and whose effective, factual, and to-the-point YouTube videos I have blogged several times already (on the national debt and health care, and ), notes in response:

It says nothing about intelligence. In grad school I didn't identify as Republican because it was dangerous to my career.

Right at Last: Obama on Africa

Barack Obama, speaking about why Africa largely remains backward:

QUESTION: Is that a failure of U.S. policy or is that a failure of governance in Africa?

OBAMA: I would say that the international community has not always been as strategic as it should have been, but ultimately I'm a big believer that Africans are responsible for Africa.

I think part of what's hampered advancement in Africa is that for many years we've made excuses about corruption or poor governance; that this was somehow the consequence of neo-colonialism, or the West has been oppressive, or racism -- I'm not a big -- I'm not a believer in excuses.

I'd say I'm probably as knowledgeable about African history as anybody who's occupied my office. And I can give you chapter and verse on why the colonial maps that were drawn helped to spur on conflict, and the terms of trade that were uneven emerging out of colonialism. And yet the fact is we're in 2009. The West and the United States has not been responsible for what's happened to Zimbabwe's economy over the last 15 or 20 years. It hasn't been responsible for some of the disastrous policies that we've seen elsewhere in Africa. And I think that it's very important for African leadership to take responsibility and be held accountable.

And I think the people of Africa understand that. The problem is, is that they just haven't always had the opportunities to organize and voice their opinions in ways that create better results.

As Power Line notes, it would be nice for Obama to mention that one area where George W. Bush had unquestioned and considerable success--and very enlightened initiatives--in the foreign policy sphere was in Africa. But, as they note, "giving credit to others is not the Obama way."

Regardless, these are thoughtful and sensible comments, to say nothing of welcome ones and ones that--by virtue of who Obama is--will hopefully be widely reported in Africa.

Americans for Mitch

Jim Shella asks why Mitch Daniels is still updating his gubernatorial campaign website:

With all the speculation about Mitch Daniels place in the GOP, the encouragement for him to run for President, and his stated desire to return to private life after 2012, here’s a question: Why does the governor maintain a political website?

mymanmitch.com is up to date with video of speeches, news accounts, lists of accomplishments.. and .. a place to donate money.

It could be that Daniels needs the money to help out other candidates and not himself, maybe candidates for the Indiana House in 2010. He has a huge interest in the battle for control there.

But, could he be leaving a door open?

That's interesting, but what's more interesting is not Mitch's gubernatorial website, but this website, Americans for Mitch.

If it looks familiar, it should. It's registered by Mike O'Brien, one of the people behind the blog Frugal Hoosiers (which, before it was a blog, was a website that ran an effort to "draft" Mitch Daniels in 2003 to run for governor of Indiana).

The "About Us" page pretty much lays it all out there:

Thanks for stopping by Americans for Mitch, the new home of the Draft Mitch movement. In 2003, a reluctant, unlikely Hoosier named Mitch Daniels did something he never thought he would do: run for governor of Indiana. But it didn’t come easy, his fellow citizens had to convince him that he was the right man for the job.

At the time, Indiana government was awash in debt and scandal. The state lost hundreds of thousands of jobs as the nation experienced record levels of prosperity and economic growth.

A small group of self-described Frugal Hoosiers knew we could do better. Raising money $10 at a time from hardworking, every day folks, the group hoped to demonstrate to Mitch that Hoosiers wanted political and governmental change. They knew Indiana could aim higher, and lead instead of follow.

Five years since taking office, Mitch Daniels has led a comeback for Indiana. When Mitch entered office in 2005, Indiana had a $1 billion budget deficit, a $3 billion transportation deficit, and was the model of a government that didn’t work. Today, Indiana has a surplus, recently passed a budget that increased education funding, and Mitch Daniels has been recognized nationally as the public official of the year.

In nearly every measure, Indiana is hailed as the best state to do business, leads the nation in foreign direct investment, and is weathering the national recession not with more spending and higher taxes, but with balanced budgets and the largest tax cut in Indiana history.

During his 2008 campaign, Mitch told a group of supporters in Hendricks County, Indiana, that you couldn’t send him back to Washington at gun point. Well, we’re not taking “you couldn’t send me back to Washington at gun point” for an answer.

So who are we? We’re those Frugal Hoosiers mentioned above, a group of young Republican hacks who aren’t content keeping our governor all to ourselves. Because as much as we’re Frugal Hoosiers, we’re also Frugal Americans.

We hope to use this site as a living diary of the Mitch Daniels’ administration and tell the story of Indiana’s continued comeback. There has been no shortage of pundits and big shots of all kinds who have looked to Governor Mitch Daniels to lead the way to a national comeback for the Republican Party.

It worked once; why not again?

I've gone from being a Mitch for President skeptic to something of a believer. At least, a believer that he'll run, not so much a believer in him as a candidate.

And since I came to that opinion, the potential GOP field has continued to narrow, Mitch's stock has continued to rise, events in Indiana (like the budget showdown) have conspired to elevate the profile of the Governor, and little things like this website continue to show up.

And I don't believe in coincidences.

Osama in Indiana

No, that's not a typo.

According to a new book by one of Osama bin Laden's wives, the terror mastermind visited the United States in 1979.

Among his stops? Indiana:

I came to believe that Americans were gentle and nice, people easy to deal with. As far as the country itself goes, my husband and I did not hate America, yet we did not love it...

There was one incident that reminded me that some Americans are unaware of other cultures. When the time came for us to leave America, Osama and I, along with our two boys, waited for our departure at the airport in Indiana. I was sitting quietly in my chair, relaxing, grateful that our boys were quiet...

I saw an American man gawking at me. I knew without asking that his unwelcome attention had been snagged by my black Saudi costume...

I took a side glance at Osama and saw that he was intently studying the curious man. I knew that my husband would never allow the man to approach me...

When my husband and I discussed the incident, we were both more amused than offended. That man gave us a good laugh, as it was clear he had no knowledge of veiled women...

We returned to Saudi Arabia none the worse for our experiences.

Health Care Visualized in Lego

Some statistics:

1 being the longest wait, 15 being the shortest

Cardiology: Boston Rank 4 (21 days), Atlanta Rank 15 (4 days)

Dermatology: Boston Rank 1 (54 days), Atlanta Rank 9 (15 days)

OB/GYN: Boston Rank 1 (70 days) sorry ladies, Atlanta Rank 10 (17 days)

Orthopedic Surgery: Boston 2 (40 days), Atlanta 11 (10 days)

Family Practice: Boston 1 (63 days), Atlanta 10 (9 days)

Tyrannosaurus Debt

Got to love Schoolhouse Rock.

New Ad Praises Baron for "Cap & Trade" Vote

It's always said that people will believe a bigger lie easier than a smaller one, and this is a whopper.

The legislation that Baron Hill voted for (twice) is going to cost his district countless jobs and inflict needless economic hardship on his constituents in the form of burdensome new taxes, new regulations, and other economy-killing measures.

The costs of cap and trade are real. The benefits are negligible.

To call it a jobs bill is spin of the worst kind.

Another?

Dunce Cap

Lowering the Cap

Priorities

God Save the American States

The Declaration of Independence

1337 words that changed the world.

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is in the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security.

Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the Present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let the Facts be submitted to a candid World.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts of People; unless those People would relinquish the Right of Representation in the Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only.

He has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the Depository of their public Records, for the sole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his Measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People.

He has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers of Invasion from without, and Convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and Amount and Payment of their Salaries.

He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their Substance.

He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislature.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislaton:

For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:

For imposing taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond the Seas to be tried for pretended Offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundaries, so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rule in these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Powers to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.

He is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic Insurrections among us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.

Nor have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native Justice and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Signed by ORDER and
in BEHALF OF THE CONGRESS
JOHN HANCOCK,
PRESIDENT.

ATTEST.
CHARLES THOMSON,
SECRETARY.

PHILADELPHIA:
PRINTED BY JOHN DUNLAP..

Happy Birthday, America!

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

Oxley: "No Comment at This Time"

Thanks to Frugal Hoosiers and WTHR for the video.

Photo of the Day

Dennie Oxley's mugshot.

Int-Oxley-cated II: Arrested

From WTHR:

Indianapolis - Former State Representative Dennie Oxley II finally heard his formal charges involving his alcohol-related case caught on tape.

Oxley, who is also a former Democratic lieutenant governor candidate, surrendered to police Thursday morning after avoiding arrest Wednesday.

At the City-County Building Thursday, Oxley repeatedly said "no comment" about his misdemeanor charges.

Oxley missed his promised surrender time at his attorney's advice.

"It was going to be a media scrum. It was my view that should be avoided," said Rick Kammen, defense attorney.

"Certainly - a new defense to failing to appear is that media is there," said David Wyser, Marion County deputy prosecutor.

Prosecutors say an intoxicated Oxley was caught on tape as a taxi dropped off him and a 21-year-old intern at a downtown Citgo gas station in the early morning hours last Friday. The video shows the intern on the ground and Oxley carrying women's high heel shoes.

Oxley reportedly told officers he still held his state representative position to avoid arrest. Days later prosecutors charged him with impersonating a public servant and public intoxication.

"It will all be addressed in court which is the appropriate place," he said.

Oxley was already out of bond pending a Crawford County DUI case. His attorney wanted leniency from the judge and immediate release, but prosecutors argued against it.

"Mr. Oxley should not be treated different than any other citizen and taken into custody and post a bond," said Wyser.

After a final plea from prosecutors about no special treatment, the judge finally remanded Oxley over to the sheriff, sending him to jail.

"Any allegations of special treatment is simply more of the prosecutor overreaching in this case," said Kammen.

Even outside the courtroom, Oxley insisted his charges would be handled in court.

Part of Oxley's release conditions includes testing for alcohol use at least twice a week. Oxley's trial is set for next month.

Warrant Issued for Dennie Oxley's Arrest

Channel 6:

Warrant Issued For Oxley's Arrest
Former Rep. Was Supposed To Turn Himself In

INDIANAPOLIS -- A warrant was issued for the arrest of former State Rep. Dennie Oxley II after he failed to show up at the Arrestee Processing Center, where he was supposed to turn himself in on charges of public intoxication and impersonating a public official.

Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said early Wednesday afternoon that Oxley planned to turn himself in later in the day.

6News was at the processing center through the night, and Oxley never showed, 6News' Jennifer Carmack reported.

Indianapolis police said Oxley told officers last Friday that he was immune from arrest because he is a lawmaker and the Legislature is in session.

"The thing that bothered law enforcement most about this was not the public intoxication, per se, but the fact that he left a 21-year-old lying in the street," said Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi.

A taxi driver drove Oxley and a 21-year-old Indiana Statehouse intern to a downtown gas station, where the intern was face-down in the parking lot for 10 to 15 minutes, apparently passed out from drinking heavily.

"Mr. Oxley is the one who betrayed her trust," Brizzi said. "She was with him. She was obviously in distress. Many things could have happened to her in the time that she was face-down in that parking lot."

When police arrived, Oxley ducked behind a car, as seen on surveillance video from the gas station, and then tried to take off down an alley, police said.

Brizzi said Oxley was in possession of a legislator identification card. He had not been in the Legislature since 2008, when he and fellow Democrat Jill Long Thompson ran a failed campaign against Gov. Mitch Daniels. Oxley's father replaced him in the House seat.

Officials told 6News' Rick Hightower that Oxley's legislative ID card was not active, but that he had a second ID because he was currently employed by the House.

Hightower said he was told late Wednesday that Oxley didn't turn himself in because he didn't want to face media coverage.

Oxley was also arrested in February on a drunken driving charge after a crash near his hometown. A hearing in that case, originally set for earlier this week, was postponed to September.

Friendly advice to young Oxley:

Not showing up generates even more media coverage and attention than when you just show up and take it like a man.

Int-Oxley-cated II: The Fugitive

Today, at 1 p.m., Dennie Ray Oxley II was supposed to turn himself in to authorities after charges were filed against him (I'm sorry for ever doubting Carl Brizzi).

As of this hour, he still has not done so. This makes him a fugitive, and the saga of young Oxley has taken another bizarre turn.

In the interim, presented for your reading pleasure are the charges and police report probable cause affidavit filed by the IMPD concerning Oxley.

Click to download full-size versions.






Channel 6's Jack Rinehart, as usual, is on top of the case (latest developments in bold and italics):

Charges Filed In Oxley CaseFormer Legislator Faces Public Intoxication, Impersonating Charges

INDIANAPOLIS -- Charges were filed Wednesday against former state representative and one-time gubernatorial candidate Dennie Oxley II following a June 26 incident in which police and prosecutors said he claimed immunity from arrest.

Oxley was charged with misdemeanor counts of public intoxication and impersonating a public official.

Oxley was seen on surveillance camera at a downtown Indianapolis gas station, where he and Kristin Dowlut, 21, a House intern, had been dropped off by a cab.

Dowlut was extremely intoxicated, had passed out and was lying face-down on the ground in the gas station's parking lot, police said, which prompted a call to 911 and led officers to the scene.

Police said when officers arrived, Oxley -- who was also heavily intoxicated -- tried to sneak away down an alley and that when they tried to arrest him for public intoxication, Oxley told them he is a state legislator and couldn't be arrested. Police said he also possessed legislative identification.

Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said the charges Oxley faces pale in comparison to the public ridicule he has and will endure because of the charges.

"He's endured far more publicly than the sanction that goes along with this," Brizzi said.

Dowlut has not been able to help in the investigation, largely because she doesn't remember most of the events of the evening.

"She has no recollection of even getting in the cab," Brizzi said. "She was on the ground ... for at least 10-15 minutes."

When Oxley ran for lieutenant governor in 2008, he stepped down from his seat in the Statehouse -- a seat now occupied by his father.

Oxley was expected to turn himself in Wednesday afternoon, but there was no official word as of 7 p.m. He was also arrested on a drunken driving charge in February 2009 in southern Indiana. That case is still pending.

This just keeps getting stranger and stranger.

What's next?

A standoff against the law from a log cabin in the backwoods of Crawford County?

A slow chase through downtown Indianapolis on live television?

The (Updated) Int-Oxley-Cated Saga:

Int-Oxley-cated II: Brizzi Delays Charges, in which Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi briefly delays filing charges against Oxley, prompting speculation about the incident being swept under the rug (again). Prior reporting on this blog about the identity of the intern is confirmed.

Int-Oxley-cated II, The Sequel: Interns & Impersonations & Fleeing the Scene, Oh My!, in which a drunken young Oxley is found at an Indianapolis gas station with a 21-year-old House intern, hides behind a car to avoid the police, tries to run away and is caught, claims to be a member of the legislature (he isn't) to avoid arrest, and the whole thing is caught on tape.

Dennie Ray II Mulling Secretary of State Bid, in which Oxley II, fresh off his defeat on the Democratic gubernatorial ticket is rumored to be considering a run for Secretary of State.

Interesting Development: Dennie Ray Oxley II Arrested for Drunk Driving After Auto Accident in Crawford County, in which Oxley II was arrested in Crawford County after being drunk and having an auto accident; it is noted that this rumored to not be his first encounter with the law while drinking.

Int-Oxley-cated: Dennie Ray II's Dangerous & Dumbfounding Drunk Driving Debacle, in which more is learned about the arrest in Crawford County, it is noted that his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit, and that Oxley himself voted to raise the blood alcohol level to that new limit when he was in the legislature.

Int-Oxley-cated Update, in which the political implications of Oxley II's behavior are explored, and the possibility of a special prosecutor to handle the case is discussed.

Int-Oxley-cated: More Facts Emerge in Dennie Ray II DUI Case... The Passenger Just Vanishes, in which more details emerge about the Oxley DUI incident, including information about the damage done to the other vehicle, the passenger reportedly with young Oxley according to earlier accounts vanishes, and discussion begins about how such things are "traditionally" handled in Crawford County.

Int-Oxley-cated: Special Prosecutor Requested, in which a special prosecutor is requested for the Oxley II DUI case and it is declared that "there is no proof" that there was ever a passenger when people start asking about how the passenger could just disappear.

Evansville Reacts to Potential SoS Candidate

Earlier this week, I blogged about Catherine Fanello, who is considering stepping up to be the Democratic placeholder for Secretary of State next year.

She is originally from Evansville, and the story first ran in the Courier & Press.

Some of the comments about the notion of her candidacy were quite interesting:

ummmyeah writes:
I remember her. I hope she doesn't get elected to statewide office. The building of the new jail was such a fiasco, and as I recall she had total disregard for what people here wanted also. I was happy when she moved.

fatdad#43017 writes:
Catherine, please stay where you are. You've done enough for Evansville. We couldn't take anymore of your kind of help.

deltadogg writes:
The echo in the background getting lowder..boonnndogglle...jaaiiilll....................

GRock writes:
She's the Moses who will part the Red Sea so that Johnny may enter in 2012....

No thanks.

otamatsu writes:
Stay gone.

howler writes:
Catherine has that back-of-hand, screw-the-citizen attitude that Weinzippy has exhibited so well. She would fit right in with the current gang.

Mott_the_Hoople writes:
She resembles Bobby Bouchee's/Adam Sandlers girlfriend in Waterboy......kinda skanky

royrogers writes:
Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha--Sometimes the only refuge to to Laugh, as Real life is sometimes scripted like a Comic book--this Candidacy is a prime example, right up there with Weinzapfel for Governor.

DCLXVI writes:
It's not a kickback when you marry the guy doing the county project.

beppo69 writes:
Has anybody suggested that Murray Clark and his associates start compiling truth files on both Weinsapfel and this lunatic?

To think that either of them consider the mere thought of running for statewide office is a testament to how craven and depleted our political culture has become. To borrow a phrase from the late Hunter S. Thompson, it has degnerated into one of the most "brutal and depraved animal acts of all time."

All you corporatists who have supported these people with your time and your treasure and say such wonderful things about them -- SHAME ON YOU.

pressanykey writes:
It is amazing how someone can absolutely show their rear-end in local government like she did here in Evansville, then turn right around and get hired by another city.

Did South Bend not do any background investigation on her?

seabreeze writes:
Did they have to print her picture? Gag! Now I'm going to have nightmares.

seabreeze writes:
Ever see that movie where the aliens looked like humans until they were weak and then their scales showed through? Same with Fanello. I look at her and see all the ugly coming through.

lipservice writes:
in response to DCLXVI:

It's not a kickback when you marry the guy doing the county project.

What Vanderburgh County did--with the jail--was provide the then 'Miss' Fanello with a dowry. As I remember it, her words were something like, "We didn't fall in love until after the contract was awarded." She and Zwierzynski's eyes met while ink was drying on the contract he was awarded for the jail. And then "we" left town and set up housekeeping on the taxpayer's dime. Yeah, ain't love grand.

sheriff508#3455 writes:
Catherine should stay GONE!!! If David Mosby was not there to interpret what she was signing, she may as well have been reading Chinese! We got rid of both, and may they BOTH STAY GONE.

seabreeze writes:
I always thought the cost of the jail was a small price to pay to get rid of her the first time, but I guess it's like bugs, you have to spray every once in awhile or they come back. The good news is, her opponents won't have to dig for dirt on her. The woman is all dirt.

And the best one was last:

kem1964 writes:
Please don't run. The state can't afford it!

These days, that's true for all Democrats.

“Stop Me Before I Spend Again!” aka Pay-Go

Ed Morrisey takes a look at the illogical nonsense that is Pay-Go (already a familiar subject to readers of this blog):

Steny Hoyer spoke to students at the University of Virginia, and the next generation of America's leadership must have wondered how the previous generation managed to walk and chew gum at the same time. The House Majority Leader told the students that the American government had left them a huge increase in national debt, thanks to recent record deficit spending. But instead of taking responsibility for running up the debt, Hoyer instead fell back on what has become a familiar dodge – and a dishonest evasion worthy of middle school.

First, the students who have passed their high-school civics class must have wondered how Hoyer could blame former President George Bush for the massive deficit of the 2009 budget. As anyone who understands American government knows, the executive branch does not allocate funds for federal agencies. That job belongs to Congress, and the House actually has the priority in initiating spending. If Congress decided tomorrow to stop deficit spending, it has that power – and it always has.

Perhaps Hoyer meant to use Bush as a representative of the GOP. Sorry, that doesn't fly, either. We can blame Republicans for spending like drunken sailors when they controlled both Congress and the White House, but that ended in 2006. After then, Democrats controlled Congress, and the federal purse strings. Bush actually threatened vetoes on bills that overspent, forcing Democrats to exercise some restraint on the FY2008 budget.

In 2008, though, Hoyer, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid pulled a sleight-of-hand for the FY2009 budget. Rather than joust with Bush again on spending, the Democrats chose to issue continuing resolutions – delaying budgeting until after Barack Obama took office as President. That makes Hoyer's claim that Bush was responsible specifically for the $1.3 trillion final deficit as he left laughably fictitious.

An excellent factual debunking of the "blame Bush for the deficits" blather that comes so often from folks like Baron Hill.

Even more dishonestly, the budget proposals from Democrats in Congress and the White House create deficits larger than anything seen from the Bush era – several times over. This handy chart comes from the Washington Post, created before events proved rosy revenue predictions hopelessly naïve.

Now for the heart of the matter:

But perhaps the most risible argument Hoyer advanced was that the hoary “pay-go” policy of the Democrats would solve the problem of fiscal irresponsibility in the Beltway. Democrats have made this argument a number of times, blaming the GOP for suspending the “pay-go” policies in place during the Clinton administration. Hoyer and others say that the lifting of “pay-go” is what led to deficits.

That's simply hogwash. It's akin to people blaming fast-food restaurants for their obesity. It's a plea to have someone else take responsibility for their own actions. Pay-go essentially bars Congress from spending money they don't have. Certainly there's nothing wrong with that, but let's not forget that it's just a rule Congress imposes on itself. Congress can choose to waive that rule whenever they want. In fact, Congress began creating oddball mechanisms to break pay-go spending limits in 1998 through emergency appropriations, “advance appropriations”, and other questionable practices. The 9/11 attack and especially Medicare Part D put a stake through the heart of pay-go, but it had been at best on life support, covered only by a boost in revenues in the late 1990s from the dot-com bubble.

However, Congress doesn't need pay-go, or the oft-suggested alternative of a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, in order to actually produce a budget without deficit spending. Congress can simply resolve not to spend more money than it receives. That would require one of two approaches. The fiscally responsible approach would have Congress limit its spending and instead look for ways to increase revenues through expansion of the American economy, most likely through the reduction of regulatory burdens, government mandates, and heavy corporate taxes.

And now for the true objective of Pay-Go, the raising of your taxes:

Hoyer, Obama, and the Democrats want to take the second approach, which is to hike taxes to pay for expanding the federal government and funding their pet projects. Taxpayers don't like tax increases, however, and the Democrats want to find ways to get them off the hook for imposing them. Presto! They can claim that pay-go made them do it, in much the way Flip Wilson used to say, “The Devil made me do it!” Only this time, no one will be laughing. Hoyer basically told U-VA students, “Stop me before I spend again!” Those voters can do that best at the ballot box.

In the end, under Democrats Pay-Go is a scam.

Under Republicans, it was a mechanism for reducing spending--because Republicans weren't interested in ever raising taxes (they didn't do so once in the twelve years they held the majority).

Democrats, however, are not so restrained when it comes to tax increases when they want to have new spending. For them, Pay-Go will become a catch-all excuse to raise your taxes. "Pay-Go made us do it," Baron will undoubtedly say in some future campaign.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

“I think Nancy Pelosi has made a huge mistake by defining everything in terms of jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. And Republicans are going to say for the next year and a half, ‘Let’s have that debate. Is unemployment lower than when President Obama became president? Is unemployment going up as slowly as President Obama said it would when he lobbied for a stimulus and today when he lobbies for energy?’”
- Bill Kristol

Chief Justice John Roberts Is Not a Michael Jackson Fan

The New York Times has the story, dating back to the Roberts' opposition to the Reagan administration dealing with the "King of Pop" back in the 1980s.

U.S. Senate: Stutzman vs. Weaver vs. Dumezich? Winner Takes Bayh

Got this in the mail shortly after the end of the special session:

Dear Friend,

Over the last several months, Christy and I have been crisscrossing our great state of Indiana, meeting and listening to the concerns of Hoosiers. It has been exciting to meet new faces and touch base with our existing supporters. Some of you may know that a few weeks ago I officially formed a committee to explore running for United States Senate against Evan Bayh in 2010. More than ever before, Indiana needs decisive leaders with real world experience, who are committed to the conservative ideals of less government, lower taxes, and more accountability to the people they represent.

At a Crossroad

Our nation is at a crossroads, and it's time for a serious debate about which path we choose. Senator Bayh's votes for the banking bailout, against the nomination of Supreme Court Justice John Roberts from Indiana, and other votes, are the most recent, in a long list of signs that he has been out of touch with real Hoosier values for too long. Regardless of party, there are many in the Washington establishment who are more concerned about their political careers than they are about doing the right thing for the people they represent. Instead of waiting to see if the liberal leadership they elect in Congress have enough votes to pass a huge tax and spend bill, before deciding to "vote against" it, we need decisive, principled leaders, to stand on the side of the people, no matter what the establishment in DC says or does.

The future of our beloved nation is at stake, and there are those who are willing to bankrupt our nation by using broken socialistic policies, instead of using the proven American principles that have made us the greatest nation on earth. In order to see what Lincoln and Reagan called, "this, the last best hope of earth" continue to be a beacon of hope to the world, we all must work together and take action now before it is too late!

We need your help

Due to the Special Legislative Session this month, I have not been able to focus on raising the necessary funds for a U.S. Senate Race. And that is why your help is needed today! Today marks the end of the 2nd Quarter and a crucial reporting period for our campaign. We have set some fundraising goals, that with your help we can achieve.

If you believe that Washington is out of touch, and is bankrupting the future of this nation, then take action right now! I would ask that you go online today, at www.goMarlin.com and contribute as much as you can to our cause - the cause of the American people. Make the decision today to send a message to the world that you will stand with those who are saying "NO" to the government take-overs and the reckless, un-checked bankrupting of America we see coming out of Washington.

Please consider a donation of $10, $25, $51, $100, or $500. If you can give more, even better. But if everyone would donate at least $51 we will hit our goal and get this grassroots, people-led campaign off the ground and running. In addition to donating funds, help us by sharing our cause with 51 of your friends and asking them to sign up at:

www.goMarlin.com

I appreciate everything you can do right now to help. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail.

For God and Country,

Marlin Stutzman

I've met Dan Dumezich and Will Weaver (double alliteration!) already; I hope to meet Marlin Stutzman sometime soon.

I'll blog more about the race once I've met all three of them; I don't think it would be fair to make judgments or provide an opinion until then.

Winners and Losers

Abdul has a list.

Mitch, of course, comes out as the big winner. Remind the Democrats not to play chicken with the Governor ever again.

The Hair doesn't have to feel all bad; Abdul says that he won on the unemployment insurance fund in the general session.

But then, if you have to count the biggest tax increase in history on Hoosier businesses as your only win, what kind of victory was that, really?

14 Democrats Join with Republicans to Pass Budget After Bauer Surrenders

The email sent out to state employees laying out the furlough information seemed, during the day, to have been the tipping point. They had a budget, then they didn't, and it seemed like things were going to drag on. Then the ISTA, which is currently being investigated by the FBI, seemed to threaten to blow the whole thing up over charter schools.

Then came the email, widely quoted and leaked across the internet and the news media, ordering that state employees stay home tomorrow if no budget was passed. Then Bill Crawford finally signed the conference report and the budget went for a vote.

In the end, the margin of passage wasn't even close. Every Republican voted for the budget, along with did 14 Democrats (over one fourth of the House Democratic caucus). That's what you call bipartisan.

The Democrats (roll call here; PDF warning):

Barnes
Bischoff
Candelaria-Reardon
Cheatham
Dembowski
GiaQuinta
Grubb
Klinker
Moses
Niezgodski
Robertson
Stemler
Sullivan
Welch

The story in the Courier-Journal:

The General Assembly approved a two-year, $27.8billion budget plan Tuesday, averting by just hours a partial shutdown of state government that would have closed state parks, casinos and license branches.

Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the bill into law about an hour after the Senate adjourned, ending a special session the governor called after the Democrat-controlled House and Republican-majority Senate failed to reach a budget deal before the original April 29 deadline.

The plan, which offers small increases for public education and flat funding for universities, is projected to leave the state with $1billion in reserves at the end of the two-year budget cycle on June 30, 2011. That's thanks in part to more than $2billion that Congress sent Indiana as part of the federal stimulus package.

"The biggest winner in Indiana is the taxpayer because legislators are willing to swallow difficult medicine that none of us really want to swallow," said House Minority Leader Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis. "We have to be frugal when the times are tough and plan for the future."

As for the Speaker?

There is no joy in Mudville tonight: mighty Patty has struck out.