In October of 2003, former Clinton National Security Adviser, and now former Kerry Campaign adviser, Samuel "Sandy" Berger surreptitiously left the National Archives with top secret security documents by placing them in, amongst other places, his socks and pants.  All of these paper placements were dismissed by Berger as an “honest mistake”, one that he “deeply regret(ted)”. 

One assumes he even more deeply regretted that he “accidentally” threw away several of the most crucial of the missing documents, a fact that did not become widely known until after the FBI searched his house and offices for them.

I know I often accidentally, not to mention “honest”ly, leave places with papers ported in my wear.  Only this morning I arrived at work to find I had my car insurance forms in my boxers, and my birth certificate in my right shoe.  Thankfully, national security was not breached, so I did not feel compelled to turn myself in to the appropriate authorities. 

I am not, however, a former National Security Adviser, with the attending access to stocking stuffers of the utmost import.  When Berger's boots are filled for walking, and their contents go missing, serious repercussions can occur.  And that appears to be just what has happened here.  More ... .

Madame Zig Zag

There and Back Again, A Strayhorn's Holiday

As we have proffered here at least once before, and have now been borne out as wrong (if only in name only), we thought Madame Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn would be the Once And Future Democrat, and switch back.

Apparently, we were not alone in that assessment. But unlike our mere analysis, others have an emotional stake in the flop flipping. More ... .

Carole Keeton Strayhorn

Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn has been examined by a state Independant Auditor, and it appears she has been substantially reducing the tax liabilities of those who have contributed to her campaign coffers.

We will examine the heap and provide analysis in a bit, but we thought you would like to take a look at the Audit in it's entirety in the interim.

PDF File.

Text File. More ... .

The once and future thug

It appears that newly minted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has had past experience in the Persian public sector, so to speak.

According to veteran British journalist John Simpson, "Ahmadinejad was a founder of the group of young activists who swarmed over the embassy wall and held the diplomats and embassy workers hostage for 444 days”.

Simpson says he interviewed the newly elected President back during his previous brush with national greatness.

But there is oh so much More ... .

I must say I agree with sentiments in both profferings here, but I lean towards the great Lady on the State Board, as she rightly points out the quality work state and local government in Texas has done in cleaning up the mess that Louisiana state and local government has made.

The Boy Scout motto, "Be prepared", in practice in government in Texas.

Included in this is the way Governor Rick Perry is administering assistance; immediately, completely, and TEMPORARILY. The government as safety net, not hammock.

All in all, I would rather it be in the private sector (a thousand apologies to W. C. Fields). More ... .

The Appropriations Boys

Under SB 1, we’re living within our means. We’re tightening our belts in some areas and significantly increasing funds for key priorities like public schools, higher education, health care, and public safety.

Thanks to a growing Texas economy, job creation, and a robust energy sector, the state’s budget picture is much brighter than just two years ago. That’s why SB 1 increases state appropriations by $12.8 billion - or 10.1% - in all funds, federal, state and dedicated revenues alike.

SB 1 cuts funding for the legislature and state bureaucracy. Lawmakers cut their own budget 2.4% (all funds), and reduced regulatory agency funding 19.4%. This budget eliminates state agencies and reduces or eliminates unnecessary, duplicative or wasteful spending.

We’re increasing public school spending by $2.2 billion under SB 1 and $2.4 billion[1] under HB 10 (for a total increase of 13.4%). Health and human services funding increases by $4.8 billion (more than 11.1%), improving CHIP and Medicaid funding. More ... .

"Oh the way Glenn Miller played ..."

With apologies to Edith and Archie Bunker, those were the days.

I have written often in these pages of Newt Gingrich’s observation that conservatives at the federal level “grow” whilst in office.

Whereby Republicans who were strong in their fiscal (and social) moorings when elected soon become enmeshed in all that is Washington, D.C., lose their ideological way and succumb to the vapors of the Fever Swamp.

Apparently, the fumes of the Potomac River to which federal Republicans so readily yield are also emitted by Austin’s Town Lake, and roll into the halls of the Texas Capitol to wreak their intellectual havoc on their Lone Star Elephantary brethren.

To wit, this bit of piff from the Republican Caucus to celebrate their 2005 legislative “achievements”. More ... .

The late, great Bob Hope

Bob Hope was a thoroughly conservative man; he just did not feel it necessary to make everyone else aware of it.

He spent his life quietly supporting a whole host of very conservative causes. He also very publicly supported the armed forces of our nation with his decades long run as Emcee of his traveling USO road show.

He accomplished many, many things during his extraordinary life, a great deal of them in Hollywood, where he was the brightest of luminescent movie stars.

Which brings us to our Latest News Reel. This scene may have been a result of type casting, but his close-mouthedness hereon leads me to believe that he may have done a little script rewriting on the fly.

Rest In Peace, good Sir. And thanks for the memories. More ... .

Thomas J. Donohue

At issue are the 2002 state elections, which handed control of the Texas House of Representatives to the Republicans for the first time in 130 years.

The Texas Association of Business (TAB) had a large impact on the election by conducting a large-scale voter education campaign, similar to those conducted by other state chambers of commerce. TAB sent direct mail pieces to voters and business owners across the state informing them of how their representative voted on issues based on the official 2001 Legislative Voting Record.

The report was not slanted for or against Republicans or Democrats. It was about issues, plain and simple. It was about giving voters a resource upon which to make an informed decision at the polls. The U.S. Chamber also issues a report card on the voting records of members of Congress.

However, for the past eight months, the Travis County District Attorney, a partisan Democrat, has used the resources of his office to demand that TAB President Bill Hammond release the organization’s donor records and membership contribution information on the grounds that TAB’s voter education mailers were not educational, but rather, political, therefore subjecting TAB to full disclosure under Texas election law.

When TAB refused to expose its donors and membership information and asked that a state court verify the district attorney’s claim, the D.A. urged a judge to temporarily jail three of TAB’s executives, including President Hammond. More ... .

Read more.

Dear Editor,

If you look and listen to the facts it is abundantly clear that the root cause of this disaster (other than nature) was the lack of leadership and decisive action on the part of the (New Orleans) Mayor and (the Louisiana) Governor who DID NOT DO THEIR DUTY in getting the area evacuated early on and in an orderly manner.

The huge number of buses ruined by water should have been used to evacuate people who had no means of transport- instead they were left to be ruined by the very waters the people needed to escape from !!!!!!

Heads should roll - theirs !!!!

Frances Shannon

Mister Ford,

First, does George Soros know you wrote this? I mean, I would not want to see you cut off fiscally from the MoveOn.org global Socialist empire fund.

Seriously though, your assessment of the War on Terror is both fatuous and ludicrous. While the situations in question could most certainly have been handled with netter care, the premise behind the actions are totally justified.

Not killing terrorists is what led to their perpetual emboldening, culminating in the September 11th attacks. We tried appeasement, for decades, and it failed us miserably. It was time we try addressing the gathering threat, rather than continuing to pretend it did not exist.

Congress is doing far more damage to our economic system by continuing to fund unConstitutional welfare and social programs that do nothing but foster slavish dependency by people liberals purport to want to help than they ever will with expenditures in defense of our nation.

Senator Cornyn is too busy further undercutting our economy proposing "guest" worker policies for illegal immigrants, and Senator Hutchison has another photo-op with Senator Hillary Rodham Rodham, so neither of them is able to "rein in" the President in his ongoing effort to save the likes of you from yourself and the terrorists you wish to proffer a perpetual pass.

Seton Motley - LessGovernment.org