Hush Rush, SLAPP, M 46/47 Are Attacks on Free Speech. Even Some Liberals Have Figured that Out.

Two Washington State talk hosts are sued under the campaign finance laws for talking about defeating a nearly 10 cent a gallon tax hike. Cities and San Juan County sued saying that the talk show hosts, Kirby Wilbur and John Carlson of KVI, had given in kind donations to the No on 912 campaign by talking about it.

The case, as you heard on the program, was decided last week by the Washington State Supreme Court, which saw this for what it was: an out and out attack on free speech. The case has attracted some national media among them John Fund of the Wall Street Journal, who, in the Opinion Journal section wrote:

Washington's largely liberal Supreme Court agreed that political free speech was jeopardized by the attempt to regulate media outlets under campaign finance laws. Writing in concurrence, Justice Jim Johnson noted, "Today we are confronted with an example of abusive prosecution by several local governments. . . . This litigation was actually for the purpose of restricting or silencing political opponents." The court took the unusual step of sending the case back to the trial court to determine the nature of any constitutional violations the prosecutors who brought the case committed and whether the Initiative 912 supporters have a right to collect attorneys' fee from the local governments who sued them.

The outrageousness of this lawsuit hasn't stopped our liberal friends from trying to impose similar restrictions on Oregon media; among their targets are talk hosts and bloggers. While the last attempt to impose these restrictions in the holy name of campaign finance reform failed, it's important to note that this will not be the last attempt to shut up the Lars' and Victoria Tafts of the state. That was the point of it, after all. And, can you imagine a gleeful Bill Bradbury and Hardy Myers being reticent about imposing these laws on us? Me, neither.

R-E-D-I-S-T-R-I-B-U-T-I-O-N-I-S-M

We may have to take some of your money since you won't need it to give away to people in need. Those words in effect were uttered by Hillary Clinton a few years ago in San Franicisco. They've found believers in the Oregon State legislature.

Oregon lawmakers are plotting to take your personal kicker, take YOUR money, and give it to people who don't make as much money. It will sort of be like the EITC for Oregon. That's the Earned Income Tax Credit, introduced during the Clinton administration, in which people who DIDN'T EVEN PAY TAXES got a windfall--for breathing apparently. So even if they underpaid taxes, or didn't pay taxes at all...they GOT MONEY BACK.

Remain ever vigilant. If it's not a rollback of Measure 37--codified in Oregon law--or the kicker--codified in the Oregon constitution, it's still not safe from the income redistributionists and socialists.

Congratulations Vicki Phillips

I think you'll do a great job at the Gates Foundation. I think you've done quite a bit of good at PPS. I think more schools needed to be closed and Jefferson High needed REAL reform (not just another incarnation of the same old, same old), but notwithstanding that I think your batting average was well above average. Good luck.

Holding Their Feet to the Fire

We're here in DC. Yesterday Eric the Great and I visited the Oregon Congressional representatives. Today we visited Senators Murray, Cantwell, Smith and Wyden's offices telling them two things:

NO AMNESTY FOR MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS

A CLEAN SUPPLEMENTAL BILL TO FUND THE TROOP SURGE IN IRAQ.

The 37 radio talk hosts from around the country joined with the head of FAIR, Congressmen Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter, and Brian Bilbray to call for the securing of our borders first, no amnesty for 20 million illegals, and the immediate pardon of border patrol agents Ramos and Compean. I'll be talking with Mrs. Compean this evening. While they lost me when they tried to clean up a crime scene, I'm in favor of their pardon. We'll talk about it.

Dear Gordon, I'm sorry...

As we head to DC to lobby congressional representatives to get tough on illegal immigration, we find out that Gordon Smith's spokesman will no longer allow me to interview the Senator.

We can have a disagreement about policy, which, of course, we do on the war in Iraq. But I'm told that my last interview with Senator Smith was not in keeping with what an interview with a Senator should be; in short, I was not deferential enough.

I've known Gordon Smith for more than 12 years. I daresay I helped get him elected. I've been on his side --a lot. I was talking to Gordon that day in the way I've always talked with interview subjects and elected officials: familiar, fun, but serious. I've always done it that way. I won't apologize for it or the questions I asked with my usual jocularity.

However, if I hurt your feelings, Gordon, I will apologize for that. So, even though we may not speak officially again, know that I've never meant to PERSONALLY hurt you. I deplore your stand on the war, but I certainly don't deplore the man you are inside.

I would have sent you a personal note but I couldn't be sure you would get it. I know you and your people read the blog, however, that is why I'm apologizing in a public way in hopes you will see this.

Sincerely,

Victoria

Why Can't Campus Security Guards be Trained to Carry Guns?

Do you know the only other class of people, besides campus security, who can't bring guns on campus? Felons.
Why Was Bill to Arm University Security Guards Pulled from Oregon Panel two days after the Virginia Tech mass murder?

Redesignates special campus security officers
within Oregon University System as public
safety officers. Includes public safety
officers employed by Oregon University System in statutes
relating to police officers.

What does that mean? The bill allowed security guards on campus in Oregon to be trained and armed.

Iraq Al Qaeda Connection: Why is Carl Levin Lying?

See Tom Joscelyn's article "Who's Spinning Intel?"in the Weekly Standard here.
How does Levin explain these?
1. Saddam's Terror Training Camps & Long-Standing Relationship With Ayman al-Zawahiri.
2. A 1992 IIS Document lists Osama bin Laden as an "asset."
3. A 1997 IIS document lists a number of meetings between Iraq, bin Laden and other al Qaeda associates.
4. A 1998 IIS document reveals that a representative of bin Laden visited Baghdad in March 1998 to meet with Saddam's regime.
5. Numerous IIS documents demonstrate that Saddam had made plans for a terrorist-style insurgency and coordinated the influx of foreign terrorists into Iraq.

The City That Works...You Over: aka Smelling Beans in P-Town

Andrew Hall Photography
While Oregon Democrat legislators are busy trying to get $2751.90 in TAX INCREASES from each and every taxpayer OVER what they already nick you for, let's go to the latest Portland Follies which Phil Stanford has ably pointed out here.

Here's the breakdown:
*downtown Portland is torn up from Waterfront to 6th Avenue all the way to the south waterfront CONDO project
*cost overrrrrrrrrrruns of said SOWHAT CONDO project are mounting (see below for more about this)
Here's the Trib's Stanford: the taxpayers are on the hook for at least another $100 million in “portal” expenses for South Waterfront. That includes $40 million to $60 million for an intersection at Bancroft and Macadam — the South Portal — which in 1999, when the project was being sold to the public, was estimated to cost $436,000.
*And then there’s the pedestrian-bike bridge, originally billed at $1.6 million. The current estimate is at $11 million and rising.
*$40 million for that promised greenway along the river.
*North Portal. No idea how much that will be. "The streets leading into South Waterfront from that direction already are jammed. Apparently, no one even bothered to budget for that."
*And as you may know, Sam Adams says he was shocked! SHOCKED! that jobs promised by OHSU (and predicted by people (here) who and (here) make their living from biotech, such as venture capitalist Ralph Shaw and others), were NEVER GOING TO COME TO PASS and now SoWhat has turned into an expensive, publicly financed, CONDO PROJECT. Plus, in the NOW IT CAN BE TOLD department, Adams also acknowledged what has come to be obvious on Kremer and Abrams on Sunday that people who move to SoWhat will not be able to use their cars because there will be no easy way in or out. They'll have to use street cars and the tram to do their, er, shopping and...stuff.
*$80 mil on a convention center hotel because the inadvisable convention center expansion hasn't produced the conventions they thought they'd get.
*All this in addition to the half BILLION $$$$$ in subsidies that the taxpayers are on the hook for now (corruption? what corruption?) of course we find out the experts were

Then head to the Portland Tribune's OTHER story (here) about some niggling maintenance issues that the City That Works is a bit slow on. In other words, the City is down for the big picture stuff, but maintenance? ...not so much...

The Mayor's budget can be found here. I like that he's amping up money for police and fire, but I'm wondering why only "black parents" need money to help bring up their children, paying poor people to either, a) stay here, or, b) come here, Children's Bill of Rights (watch out parents), day care for homeless people, mental health staff for cops to hand off mental cases to (but it still doesn't address how cops are supposed to differentiate between mentally ill and high as a kite perps), a program to reduce our petrol chemical use in Portland by 50% in 25 years (move now), I'm not sure if Randy Leonard will get his city paid Doula program.

TAX DAY

The GOP has added up what it would cost Oregon taxpayers if all the Democrat tax increases go into effect this legislative session:

$2751.90

Per taxpayer, EVERY YEAR, by full implementation by 2010.

The Taxpayers Association of Oregon says:

Jason Williams of the Taxpayer Association recounts the taxes that have appeared in the last 30 days in the Oregon State Legislature, “The State Legislature has had public hearings on (1) breaking the Measure 5 property tax limits, (2) creating an impact fee on new homes (3) creating an excise tax on new home construction (4) creating a real estate transfer tax (5) changing the kicker tax refund so it would be returned less to taxpayers (6) renew the 3% utility tax on your electric bill (7) eliminate the double majority tax protection for special elections (8) raising the corporate minimum tax for just existing in Oregon as a business (9) increase the cigarette tax (10) increase the cigar tax and placing expiration dates (sunsets) on much of the tax credits the public enjoys.”

The Architect Comes to Town**update

I'm delighted to be introducing Karl Rove and I'll see you there.

Here's KGW's story.

Question: If it's not against the law to fire the US Attorneys then why does the anti Patriot Act party, the party of full legal rights for combatant terrorists, the folks who recoil at listening in on the terrorists' phone calls want to look through Karl Rove's blackberry?
Geez, if I were them I'd want to see it too to spy on my opponents --ala Nixon--but if it's not illegal to fire the US Attorneys, then...?
I'll be back with more info about the evening later.

'INNOCENT' *update Thurs am

Columnist names "the accuser" here. NYPOST:

"Her name is Crystal Gail Mangum. Let her name be the new Mudd."

Does Crystal deserve further shielding? No rape happened so rape shield wouldn't be in effect, would it?

WHERE DO THESE KIDS GO TO GET THEIR REPUTATIONS BACK?
WHO WILL PAY THEIR LEGAL BILLS?
WHO WILL FIRE THOSE LEGAL "EXPERTS" WHO PERPETRATED THIS CHARADE?
Do you think the Seattle students who will be attending the White Privilege Conference will confront the facts of this case and reconsider? The only unprotected class of people any more are heterosexual white men. In this case their professors, administration, law enforcement, fellow students--and the media threw them under the bus. I don't know how they'll reanimate the lives of these three young men, but I hope they and their parents will make those responsible pay dearly for their hell over the past year.

Here's just some of the fallout with excerpts from newspaper stories:

The team's season was cancelled:
In the uproar over the allegations, Duke canceled the rest of the team's 2006 season, the lacrosse coach resigned under fire, and a schism opened up on the faculty between those who supported the athletes and those who accused them of getting away with loutish frat-boy behavior for too long.

The lacrosse coach was summarily fired:
"Two days after this happened, I knew what the truth was. When you say you believe in somebody, when you say you believe the truth, you stand by them," said former Duke lacrosse coach Mike Pressler, now lacrosse coach at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I.

Three young men fought for their freedom against phonied up charges:
Colin Finnerty: "It's been a very long and emotional year for me and all of us … knowing I had the truth on my side was really the most comforting thing," Finnerty said. "Today's that day we've all been waiting for ... the truth finally did prevail, as everyone said it would."

Reade Seligman:"The Duke lacrosse case shows has shown society has lost sight of the most fundamental principles of our justice system," Seligmann said, referring to the concept of innocent until proven guilty. He also lashed out at the media for its "hurtful words" and "outrageous lies. Truth is the best vindication against slander," Seligmann said, quoting Abraham Lincoln.

Dave Evans: "My family and I can sleep at night knowing I did everything I was supposed to do. I never lied … and I can walk with my head held high and I can sleep at night knowing I couldn't have done anything else to prove my innocence."

Evans has graduated while Finnerty and Seligmann, after temporary suspensions, have been invited back to Duke. Finnerty's father told The Associated Press this week that the last year has been "horrific" for his son, who has been doing volunteer work. He is unlikely to return.

Not that I care that much but the media take a hit: The case had lots of hot-button issues -- sex, race, class, sports, an elite university. When it broke, a swarm of reporters and television trucks rushed to Durham and made the city the dateline for a string of sweeping stories about class, race and culture. The players and accuser were viewed less as individuals than as avatars of competing political and cultural agendas.
Here's the rest of the story about the media in Editor and Publisher.

Troutdale Gets Pitched on a Tram

Mass Tram America says they would take old jet fuselages, hang them from monorail like track, fuel them with solar energy, and be able to move the massive numbers (14,000) of people around Troutdale. Please don't laugh, the folks at Mass Tram America are serious!



But our friend Craig says he thinks he's seen this kind of people mover before.

Target Store Boots Out Marines--Thought They Were Recruiting

And what if they were? Big deal.

We may hear a few more details about this story but in the meantime let me offer this observation:

How about if you, Target, shut your pie hole and let the guys-- trying to save your butts so that you can sell some more stuff made in China-- shop and perhaps even recruit in your freaking store? Really, was it so long ago that the left was suggesting everyone feel the pain from the war effort? The president said, be normal, don't let the terrorists make you change for them, go shop and get your life back in order. Now that the Marines want to go shopping and these people say "NO"?

CHESAPEAKE - Two Marines in their dress uniforms - the ones with white hats, khaki shirts and blue trousers with red stripe - say they were accused of recruiting at a Target department store here and told to leave.
"We weren't recruiting," according to Cpl. Carlos Rodriguez, 22, who said he returned in October from his second combat tour in Iraq. "I just popped in to say hi to a guy I went to high school with. He works there."
...But an assistant manager who saw Rodriguez and the other Marine apparently thought otherwise and showed them the door, according to both servicemen.
...Target has a strict no-solicitation policy, he said.
...Rodriguez said he and the other Marine were in the Target about 10 a.m. Monday, when they had some slack time from their duties. The second Marine, a private, asked not to be identified because he's new to the Corps, but he affirmed Rodriguez's account.
...Rodriguez, who is getting out of the Marines in June, and the private, who just completed boot camp training at Parris Island, S.C., are both on temporary duty back in their hometown of Chesapeake.
...While they are assigned to a local recruiting office, they are not recruiters and work only as assistants, Rodriguez said.
He said he was talking to his high school friend in Target "briefly and then we were walking toward the CDs when this guy comes out of nowhere. He was the shift manager, or something, and the first thing he started saying was, 'You guys are recruiters, right?' "
The assistant manager said he couldn't have the Marines in the store soliciting workers for the military while they were on the company's clock, Rodriguez said.

"I didn't want to make a scene," Rodriguez said. "We were representing Marines anyway just by wearing the uniform, so I kept my mouth shut.

WHERE TO CONTACT TARGET:
Target supports veterans and the military. Learn more.
Target stores have a no-solicitation policy. Learn more.
Need more help? If you still need to contact us, please complete the online form, which includes our phone number.

Sure is different from the Brits allowing their hostages to tell their stories for money. Find that story here.

World's Top 100 Livable Cities: Portland, Seattle, Vancouver,CA Make List, Although Slip in RatingsClick column heading once to reorder from highest

Let's have a little fun, shall we? Look at the partial list below, then read the headlines here.
Which headline would the Oregonian write:

Portland a Top 100 City Worldwide!

or

Portland's Livability Ranking Drops Worldwide

Click column heading once to reorder from highest to lowest. Click twice to reorder from lowest to highest. 2007 RANK 2006 RANK CITY COUNTRY 2007 Index 2006 Index 1 1 ZURICH Switzerland 108.1 108.2 2 2 GENEVA Switzerland 108.0 108.1 3 3 VANCOUVER Canada 107.7 107.7 3 4 VIENNA Austria 107.7 107.5 5 5 AUCKLAND New Zealand 107.3 107.3 5 6 DUSSELDORF Germany 107.3 107.2 7 7 FRANKFURT Germany 107.1 107.0 8 8 MUNICH Germany 106.9 106.8 9 9 BERN Switzerland 106.5 106.5 9 9 SYDNEY Australia 106.5 106.5 46 43 PORTLAND, OR United States100.3 100.3

Happy Nuclear Day! (In Iran)

Just wondering why some of the 'protest' signs were written in English...

Iran on Monday celebrated the one-year anniversary of the country's first success in enriching uranium, as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prepared to announce new progress in the key process that the United Nations has demanded Iran halt.

Experts say the Natanz plant needs between 50,000 to 60,000 centrifuges to consistently produce fuel for a reactor or build a warhead.

In the enrichment process, uranium gas is pumped into a "cascade" of thousands of centrifuges, which spin the gas at supersonic speeds to purify it. Uranium enriched to a low level, at least 3 percent, can be used as fuel, while at a far higher level, more than 90 percent, it can be used to build a weapon.

Iran currently has two cascades of 164 centrifuges each operating at an aboveground portion of the Natanz facility in central Iran. The two cascades have produced small quantities of non-weapons grade enriched uranium, U.N. nuclear inspectors have said.

Open Thread Monday

Central Planning, Secret Planning

Over at Jack Bogdanski's blog: What everyone knew, warned about, said out loud---except the city and OHSU. The upshot? Biotech good. BIOTECH IN PORTLAND, not so much. Hey, let's build some condos. Find it here.

Surge Succeeding; Democrats Should Stand Down

Read Dan Henninger's piece in the WSJ here synthesizing two excellent reports recently issued about Iraq.
Conclusion:

If the Iraq surge is succeeding, the Democrats' surge should stand down. If a year from now the Petraeus plan is foundering, the Democrats will have plenty of time to hang it around the GOP's neck by demanding a legitimate withdrawal date--November 2008. But not now.Publish

*Update Syria Praises Pelosi for Defying the White House. Pelosi: Assad A Man We Can Do Business With.

That's one way to put it. Here's another way: betraying the interests of her own country.
**Update**And Israel's interests. Olmert embarrasses and upbraids Pelosi for offering a peace message from Israel to a member of the Axis of Evil who wants to wipe Israel off the map--unless they forsake terrorism and anti semitism. Unbelievable story here.
No wonder all the Hezbos, Terrorists, and general all around bad guys wanted the Democrats to win: They get a photo op and a chance to prevail upon their weak minded leadership. Then there's the added bonus of embarrassing the US and the one man who has fought back on behalf of our country, George Bush. Enjoy the moment, Bashar. Check out stories here and here.

U.S. President George W. Bush has said Pelosi's trip signals that the Assad government is part of the international mainstream when it is not. The United States says Syria allows Iraqi Sunni insurgents to operate from its territory, backs the Hezbollah and Hamas and is trying to destabilize the Lebanese government. Syria denies the allegations.

"Photo opportunities and/or meetings with President Assad lead the Assad government to believe they're part of the mainstream of the international community," Bush told reporters in Washington. "In fact, they're a state sponsor of terror."

"A lot of people have gone to see President Assad ... and yet we haven't seen action. He hasn't responded," Bush told reporters soon after Pelosi arrived in Damascus on Tuesday.

Syria has praised Pelosi for defying the White House. The state-run Syria Times called her a "brave lady" and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem was quoted as saying Pelosi and other members of Congress were "welcome" in Syria.

Thanks to Andy for sending this in.

Wearing a flowered head scarf and a black abaya, Pelosi visited the 8th century Omayyad Mosque. She made the sign of the cross in front of an elaborate tomb which is said to contain the head of John the Baptist. About 10 percent of Syria's 18 million people are Christian.

At the nearby outdoor Bazouriyeh market, Syrians crowded around, offering her dried figs and nuts and chatting with her. She bought some coconut sweets and looked at jewelry and carpets.

And finally, here's Syria's close ally, Iran's President shaking hands with his "guests" read: hostages before he allows them to leave the country.

ROSIE O'DONNELL WINS VICTORIA TAFT'S FINAL FOOL COMPETITION

Even WaPo Sees the D Offensive as a Political Ploy

HEADLINE:
Democrats To Widen Conflict With Bush
Some on Both Sides See Plans as Risky
Here's the story. Making stuff up or blowing stuff up out of proportion for political reasons during a war seems...well, uh,...scandalous. Don't suppose they investigate this scandal will they. Not when there are big "scandals" like the US Attorney, Scooter Libby, and ? to blow up.

Another Media Front Opened on the War on Islamofascism

Terrorists Use Web Against "idiot" Americans

Jerry Corsi writes a piece on how Jihadists are using the internet to plant seeds of misinformation, disinformation, discontent, sad pictures to undermine the US resolve in the war on terror. See the piece here.

Liberals Versus Conservatives in a Nutshell

FATHER-DAUGHTER TALK

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat,and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words, redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened then asked, 'How is your friend Audrey doing?' She replied, 'Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over.'

Her father asked her, 'Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend Audrey, who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.'

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, 'That's a crazy idea. How would that be fair? I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work. Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!'

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, 'Welcome to the Republican Party.'

FINAL FOOL SHOW DOWN: ROSIE VERSUS GORE

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