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Invasive mussel confirmed in Utahs Electric Lake
Southern Ledger - November 21, 2008
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Microsoft lets Zune music subscribers keep tunes
Southern Ledger - November 21, 2008
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Astronauts end spacewalk to repair gummed-up joint
Southern Ledger - November 21, 2008
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Dubai parties at hotel gala despite economic gloom
Southern Ledger - November 21, 2008
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Warsaw marks borders of former ghetto
Southern Ledger - November 21, 2008
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Pakistan protests to US over deep missile strike
Southern Ledger - November 21, 2008
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Afghanistan markets its brand of pomegranates
Southern Ledger - November 21, 2008
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China says 19,000 students died in May earthquake
Southern Ledger - November 21, 2008
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Dems delay auto bailout vote, seek plan from Big 3
Southern Ledger - November 21, 2008
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THE FIRST AMENDMENT UNDER FIRE FROM THE LEFT.
August 27, 2008 -
September 3, 2008
The Left has regularly decried the so-called abuses of American’s civil liberties during the Bush Administration era. For example, the ACLU has claimed that the Patriot Act "expands terrorism laws to include 'domestic terrorism' which could subject political organizations to surveillance, wiretapping, harassment, and criminal action for political advocacy." The ACLU has also asserted that the library habits of Americans could also be subject to review and government surveillance, something that is “odious and unnecessary” in a free society.
The Patriot Act does not actually do any of these things. But more importantly, the normally expressive ACLU has chosen to remain absolutely silent in the face of real and dangerous assaults on First Amendment rights that are being directed at private citizens and journalists by and at the behest of Democrat officials.
In Tennessee we have seen a so-called “nosy” State Trooper with close ties to the Bredesen Administration conduct illicit investigations into the backgrounds of at least 182 Tennesseans. At least one of these investigations reportedly involved a reporter for the Tennessean newspaper and was initiated immediately after the journalist wrote a critical story about the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is refusing demands for an outside investigation and has insisted that it can fairly and honestly investigate itself. The trooper at the center of this scandal had previously been caught fixing a traffic ticket for the right hand man of Governor Phil Bredesen and supposedly punished for his inappropriate behavior after the incident came to light. But the Tennessean later reported that the THP leadership had actually concocted a fake punishment to throw off the press and the public.
At least one other journalist is reportedly on the “list” of those who were targeted by the state trooper for a background check. There may be other political and citizen activists who have been subjected to such “police state” intrusions into their lives because they have dared to voice opinions counter to those approved by the Bredesen Administration and his cronies. At this point the “list” remains secret while the THP conducts it alleged investigation.
The ACLU has not voiced outrage about the activities of this officer, the self-directed investigation/cover-up by the THP, nor the apparent complicity of the Bredesen Administration in this scandalous affair. Surely this type of behavior at least rises to the level of the “police state” intrusions supposedly represented by the Patriot Act, doesn’t it? Yet the ACLU seemingly has no problem with “trooper snoopers” as long as they don’t work for the Bush Administration.
Other assaults on the media are also being ignored by the ACLU. An ABC News investigative producer was put in a choke hold and arrested for videotaping well-heeled lobbyists, elected officials and Party leaders gathering for a private reception at the Democrat’s Convention in Denver. Video of the incident reveals that the producer, Asa Eslocker, was on a public sidewalk outside the Brown Palace Hotel at the time of his arrest and abuse by the Denver police. Where is the ACLU on this one? Reporters in Beijing for the Olympics got better treatment than this!
It might be too much to expect the ACLU to actually take any action on these and other examples of “odious and unnecessary” attacks on the First Amendment by their buddies in the Democratic Party. But can’t they at least crank out a press release condemning this stuff? Can’t they at least pretend to care about the First Amendment?
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OBAMA SEES HIS SUPPORT SLIP DRAMATICALLY. -
August 19, 2008 -
August 26, 2008
Political campaigns are a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. The ten weeks remaining before Election Day are truly a “lifetime” where unexpected events (did anybody really forsee a Russian invasion of Georgia?) can suddenly turn the tide for either Barack Obama or John McCain. But Democrats who foresaw 2008 as a smooth ride to regaining the White House and expanding their margins in the House and Senate suddenly find themselves feeling like they are traveling down a country dirt road in a tru... |
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WHERE ARE ALL THE LIBERAL ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS? -
August 14, 2008 -
August 21, 2008
A week after Russian tanks, infantry and bombers began their devastating assault on neighboring Georgia the international community is still talking about how to respond. Actions speak louder than words, and Russia’s actions are proving much more deadly than the timid words of “peace” conveyed by diplomats.
The United Nations has dithered and delayed while the civilian death toll mounts, proving international organization to be as useless as it is inept. By the time the U.N. finally get... |
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AL GORE HITS THE WATER! -
August 5, 2008 -
August 12, 2008
Former Vice President Al Gore, the self-proclaimed global guru of green, has made a lot of money from the hysteria he has created about the so-called “crisis” of global warming. He has profited from best selling books that tout the looming climatic catastrophe, including “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Earth In the Balance.” He won an Academy Award for a movie about his slideshow presentation that focuses on his “sky is falling” message about a world on the brink of environmental disaster thanks to... |
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CONGRESS NEEDS TO STEP UP FOR MILITARY VOTERS NOW! -
July 31, 2008 -
August 6, 2008
When Election Day arrives in November hundreds of thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines will be serving far from home on the “Frontlines of Freedom.” Many of those serving our nation in uniform will have gone through the complicated process of registering to vote from overseas, navigated the confusing and time consuming twists and turns necessary to obtain an absentee ballot, and then gone the extra mile to mail that ballot back to their home state. Unfortunately, the time process f... |
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IT IS BODY DOUBLE TIME ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. -
July 24, 2008 -
July 31, 2008
As the primary election day looms in Tennessee it is important to remember that politicians really will say, or do, anything to get elected. Some use nuance or half-truths to hide who they really are. Others go with the full-on lie, recognizing that the more outrageous the statement the more likely it is that a significant number of people will fall for it.
During a press conference in Jordan earlier this week Presidential candidate Barack Obama touted the passage of a bill out of the S... |
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