Blue Collar Muse

Obama talks a lot about being President. Does he ever talk about WHERE he wants to be President of? I can’t remember hearing him say. You’d think it would be President of the United States. You just might be wrong.

This just in from World Net Daily via Cao’s Blog. The American flag is gone from the tail of Obama’s plane. He’s added some plush accommodations for the press traveling with him. He’s added a spiffy kitchen from which some really nice sounding meals can be distributed. He’s added his slogan and website URL to the outside of the plane. And on the tail fin, where the US flag USED to be, he’s added the sacred Obamalogo.

Sweet! Sounds like he wants to President of Obamaland. It reminds me of the South Park episode where Cartman inherits bank and buys an amusement park. The best one in Colorado (coincidental, DNC??) and he renames it CartmanLand! THEN he runs commercials telling everyone, “There’s SO much to do at CartmanLand and YOU CAN’T COME. ‘Specially if you’re Stan and Kyle!”

Seriously, Obama just gets weirder and more narcissistic by the minute. First he puts up some caricature of the Presidential Seal. Now he’s taken down the US flag from his campaign plane and replaced it with his own logo. Who knew he was this committed to “change”? What’s next, stopping off at the Denver Mint after his acceptance speech and have a special coin minted bearing his anointed likeness to pay his civilian national security force with?

Every pol is allowed a couple of stupid campaign trail screwups. Why Obama continues to intentionally and stupidly snub not just the people of America but the country itself is beyond me. And there are people who actually think he’ll be good for both us and the world. If the Democrats believe the world really hates America now, just wait until they get back in power.

Blue

Popularity: 33% [?]

Well folks, time to let your voice be heard if you’re concerned at all about Tennessee Toll Roads. Why? Well, our beloved government, once again, wants to represent us. They want to know what we think about Toll Roads in Tennessee. So they’ve scheduled public meetings for Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. Ooops … did I mention those meetings were scheduled for July 10th, 15th and 17th respectively? I know, there was just so much publicity. How could it have slipped past me? Actually, there is one more public meeting on July 29th in Memphis which will at least partially address the matter so you Westies take notice!

Thanks to an email tip from Bobbie Patray of The Tennessee Eagle Forum, however, we can still make our voices heard. And we need to do so. Bobbie notes the meetings were not about specifics but “… about the concept of tolling in general and what it could bring to the State of Tennessee.” She linked to a story in the Knoxville News Sentinel which reports TDOT says there will be no Toll Road if public opposition is high enough. While that’s encouraging, one wonders what will have to happen for TDOT to accept that we don’t want Tennessee Tolls.

KNS reporter J.J. Stambaugh notes,

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely drew a round of applause Thursday when he promised that the proposed Knoxville Parkway won’t be a toll road if the public is opposed to the idea.

It was the only applause he drew during the 90-minute meeting at Bearden High School, which was attended by about 50 people.

I don’t have any numbers for those attending in Nashville or Memphis but it seems the publicity for this little shindig in the East was as skimpy as elsewhere. The money quote is about a third of the way through the article.

Nicely and other officials, including TDOT Chief of Environment and Planning Ed Cole, explained that the Legislature has authorized TDOT to look at possibly building toll roads, but included the caveat that “strong public support” is a prerequisite for moving forward.

During a following question-and-answer session, Knoxville resident David Cochran asked Nicely to define “strong public support” for the audience, most of whom clearly were opposed to tolls.

“That’s one of the things we’re doing here tonight,” Nicely said. “I don’t think I can define ’strong public support’ tonight.”

Nicely’s response initially drew snickers and groans from the crowd, but he found himself showered with applause after adding: “There probably is more opposition than there is support for the project. … If that trend continues, we would not proceed.”

And there you have it. The will of the people is painstakingly sought in the decision making process. All the people have to do is rally enough opposition. But we don’t know how much opposition is enough opposition. And the person who will determine how much is enough can’t tell us how much that actually is. If that isn’t government in action, I don’t know what is.Fortunately for us, while public comments at the meeting are closed, your opinion on the matter can still be heard! For those interested, your comments must be in writing (either email or snail mail), send snail mail to:

Project Comments
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Suite 700, James K. Polk Building
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0332

Note in the beginning of your letter your comments concern the proposed Tennessee Toll Roads and the recent public meetings held in regards to them. TDOT will be able to attach your comments to the appropriate file from there. Get them in the mail quick, too. Bobbie Patray notes there’s only a 21 day window after a meeting for your comments to be attached. No one at TDOT could clarify whether that meant 21 days from the last meeting or 21 days from the 10th for Memphians, 21 days from the 14th for Nashvillians and so on. Nor could they clarify whether or not it was a postmark of 21 days or actually received in 21 days.

If you prefer email, send your comments to Elizabeth Beeching at elizabeth.beeching@state.tn.us with “Toll Roads” in the subject line. They’ll print your email off and add it to the comment file.

If you have further questions or concerns on this, here are two additional sources of information. The folks at TDOT’s Community Relations Department were very helpful and encouraged me to call them at 615-741-2331. In addition, TDOT maintains a page listing the Public Comment Meetings available to all Tennesseans on all their projects here. Might be a good page to bookmark.

That’s it. Get busy! Go write and tell them “No Tennessee Toll Roads!” If we don’t we only have ourselves to blame!

Blue Collar Muse

SEE ALSO :

Toll Roads in Tennessee? at Rustmeister’s Alehouse.

Thanks to Stacey Campfield’s ‘Blue About Toll Roads’, Michael Silence’s ‘A Blogger’s Campaign Against Toll Roads’and Blue Collar Republican’s Tennessee Toll Roads for the link love!

Kat Coble schools my toll road despising backside in Queen of the Toll Road at Just Another Pretty Farce.

Popularity: 27% [?]

It is interesting how little things show up out of nowhere to encourage you. I’ve been wondering how much good I’m doing championing the cause of Joy Ford. Joy is the owner of Country International Records, a small Music Row label, whose building is currently being seized by Nashville through Eminent Domain proceedings to permit a high dollar development by Houston’s Lionstone Group. The City has its armies of lawyers, the MDHA and even a Music Row mogul or two on its side. Miss Joy has a radio talk show host, a city councilman and a blogger or three, even on the left. Doesn’t seem like much of a fair fight.

But on Tuesday of this week, I found myself encouraged by the contribution one person can make. It’s not that my posts on Joy Ford’s plight have been the most popular posts since they started - although they have. People are reading! It’s not just that my posts have prompted other bloggers to get involved as well - although they have. People are writing! On Tuesday, it turned out to be the proverbial who is reading what we’re writing and not merely how many are reading.

Reviewing my server logs showed that Nashville PR firm, McNeely, Pigott & Fox, stopped by. This is significant as their homepage lists both the Lionstone Group and MDHA as clients they are proud to work with. The people of Nashville may want to make note of that. McNeely, Pigott & Fox are proud to represent the bad guys in the fight to force Joy Ford from her property. Those of you who currently use MP&F might want to rethink your associations. Business is business, I know. But who one does business with is just as important as the business one does. The offline contact information for MP&F is listed at the bottom left corner of their homepage.

Speaking of who one does business with, another visitor came from Nashville architectural firm, Earl Swensson Associates. ESA specializes in beautiful, high dollar buildings. Pictures at their site seem to indicate they’ve done work with Vanderbilt and HCA among other clients. ESA is also one of the few publicly identified anchor tenants of Lionstone’s development which will oust Miss Joy. Surprise of surprises, they are designing the complex as well! I wonder if ESA knows how their nice, new home is being acquired and built? If so, I wonder if HCA’s Bill Frist, late of Washington DC, knows his company is doing business with a company willing to benefit from a mockery of the Constitution and Private Property Rights? How Conservative and Republican is that?

It might not matter to ESA. Hobnobbing with $100 million developers who trample the rights of others might not be new to them. Around the time they agreed to be a tenant for Lionstone, they also agreed to participate in a $100 million dollar development project in Nicaragua, of all places. I wonder how many people will lose their land for the Sandanistas to get a swanky, seaside resort? The project’s developer, Kevin Fleming at Grupo Mariana, extols post Ortega Nicaragua as a paradise. There’s a letter from Nicaragua’s President (in 2002) welcoming international development. There’s a page devoted to how safe Nicaragua is now; democratic rule and no more folks roaming the streets with AK47s! Not mentioned at all is that Daniel Ortega regained power in 2006. And ESA inked their deal when? Looks like … 2007 … But I’m sure it’s … fine. After all, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chávez, and Moammar Qadhafi will need a place to stay while visiting their buddy D.O..

The Institute for Justice stopped by! Nice to have a friendly face in the crowd. IJ is a small group of lawyers who litigate for Liberty. One issue with a special place in their hearts (evidently these attorneys have them) is Eminent Domain. They are currently working around the country to stop abuses such as the one MDHA wants to foist on Joy Ford.

And then there were the unknowns. There were a couple of high powered, Washington DC law firms that spent a lot of time on the site. They read the posts on Joy and followed all the links. I have no idea which side they’re on. Like WWII folks used to joke when they saw a plane in the sky, “I hope it’s one of ours!” But it would be unrealistic to assume only the good guys were taking an interest in what’s running through the Tubes.

I’m sure there will be more days like today. Regardless of who comes by, I found the information encouraging. The word is getting out, people are noticing and a couple are even looking to see if there’s a fire associated with all that smoke. Those of you on the side of Liberty, keep your heads up and your powder dry. This ain’t over by a long shot. In fact, it may be just about to get interesting …

Stay tuned …

Blue Collar Muse

SEE ALSO:

Abusing the Fifth Amendment by Kate at An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings

Popularity: 41% [?]

I like the concept expressed in an old science fiction story about professional arbitrators whose motto is, “May truth triumph over victory!” To truly win, the truth must be the most important factor for all parties. Once a party puts winning the argument above the truth, they lose.

Tim Chavez’s posts at ‘Political Salsa’ on the plight of Juana DeLaPaz and Nashville’s 287g program are poster kids for trying to win while ignoring the truth. In his series, Chavez reports only the details he wants us to hear. He exercises little restraint in drawing unwarranted conclusions, and refuses to abide by standards which he insists others adhere to. If Chavez is trying to rally support against “bad guys”, he’s failing.

If the facts are as he says, it’s hard not to be outraged. But what if facts are left out which might make a difference to a reasonable person? Let’s start with Chavez’s standards for journalism. How can we tell if Chavez is telling the truth? There’s not a single link supporting any of Chavez’s statements. He provides email links to register your outrage. Just no links to what he uses to outrage you. Tim used to be an Old Media journalist. You’re blogging now, Tim. This is New Media. Links are your friend!

Chavez takes commenters to task for not leaving a name or contact information. Yet Chavez quotes only an unnamed “advocate” to tell DeLaPaz’s story. No name, no contact information, no nothing. To quote Tim Chavez on such a practice,

This is America, after all. Good people can disagree. But let’s back our opinions with our names or at least our e-mail addresses to continue the discussion so some common ground can possibly be found. …

I tried to go to your blog site to contact you personally but there was no visible name and your profile would not come up.

I hope you are not ashamed to use your real name with your opinions. That is the least we should offer each other as Americans in the marketplace of ideas.

Chavez may have gotten some facts right. But given his presentation, interpretation and characterization of those facts, he leaves lots of room to question their veracity. His approach seems more intent on inflammation than information.

Chavez reports the arresting officer was criticized by another officer at the scene who said he never would have arrested Ms. DeLaPaz. First Chavez reports that conversation as with DeLaPaz’s brother-in-law after Juana was taken away. Later it’s said to be with DeLaPaz’s son with her still at the scene. Personally, I’ve never heard of a not-in-the-loop cop questioning another officer’s informed decision. He may tell the Chief, a lawyer or testify to it in court. But tell a 14 year old kid at the scene of an arrest? Possible, but unlikely.

Chavez reports DeLaPaz was kept in her car for an hour in the heat while 9 months pregnant. An hour’s wait for a traffic ticket? I wonder what Chavez would report had the officer put Ms. DeLaPaz in the back of his patrol car? “Woman arrested while helpless children left in sweltering car”? The real reason for Chavez’s outrage is that DeLaPaz is an illegal alien arrested under Nashville’s 287g laws. Tim despises 287g and Darron Hall, the man who brought it to Nashville.

Chavez says 287g results in “inhumanity and devastation”, “abuse” and calls the program heinous! He describes what DeLaPaz endured after arrest as “torture” as found in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison or Guantanamo. DeLaPaz had her baby while in jail. He says she was handcuffed to her bed while in labor up until two hours before delivery. A day later she was restrained in bed again and required to wear leg shackles when using the restroom over a nurse’s objections on the basis of hygiene.

If this seems excessive to you for a traffic ticket, we’re on the same wavelength. Is it possible Ms. DeLaPaz’s case involves something a bit more serious than “careless driving”? Tim Chavez doesn’t. He emphasizes Ms. DeLaPaz is a “CIVIL/MISDEMEANOR offender” guilty of merely a “TRAFFIC OFFENSE” (emphasis in the original) who was “… kept in jail on the charge of driving without a license…” But that’s not the whole story.

Chavez also reports

It was determined by ICE that [DeLaPaz] had been previously removed (in deportation proceedings a decade ago) and was kept in jail on the charge of driving without a license along with an ICE detainer …

It’s unclear from this whether Ms. DeLaPaz was deported in the 90s and returned or if she was ordered deported but never left. And what is an “ICE detainer”? But in light of this information as opposed to Chavez’s colorful rant, isn’t it more likely when the officer radioed dispatch he learned DeLaPaz was guilty of more than just a traffic violation? A commentor confirms the deportation hearing. Might DeLaPaz being a known flight risk be the rationale behind her incarceration and treatment as opposed to a cop’s delight in “torture”? According to one Immigration attorney, this sort of violation can be a felony. That seems a pretty serious omission on Chavez’s part.

I contacted Berry Hill Police to confirm the “careless driving” ticket and Ms. DeLaPaz’s immigration status. I was told only the Chief could comment on the matter and he’s out until Monday. The only thing clear in this muddy situation is that there is so much Tim Chavez isn’t telling us. One thing is certain. Chavez is doing his cause no good with baseless, inflammatory accusations presented out of context. As a journalist, and in the interest of presenting the best case for Ms. DeLaPaz, he should know better. Once his credibility is lost, he loses support for himself and his cause. That he would do this in the name of being this woman’s champion is the real outrage here.

Blue Collar Muse

Popularity: 34% [?]

I’ve been privileged to meet some interesting people recently. One new colleague in particular stands out. I met Asma Hasan at SamSphere Denver this April. She’s a talented writer, great conversationalist and very, very bright. She is also a passionate, articulate and intelligent defender of her Muslim faith. She has authored two books; American Muslims: The New Generation in 2000 and 2005’s Why I am a Muslim. She currently writes a weekly post for ‘Glamocracy’, Glamour Magazine’s blog coverage of the presidential election.

I read each week and find myself both agreeing and disagreeing with Asma’s insight and analysis of the topics she chooses. This week is a disagree week. This week’s post is titled ‘Sticks and Stones - and Cartoons’ and addresses the recent New Yorker cartoon cover of the Obamas. Asma thinks the cartoon chosen for the cover falls

… far short of the editors’ stated goal of satire. According to the editors (and to paraphrase them), they chose to highlight the smears against Obama to show how absurd they are. …

I don’t accept that explanation as I feel that the cartoon could only be the product of Islamophobia, or racism against Muslims and Islam.

The article the cover promotes is a pro Obama article. The cover and story depict, not what the New Yorker thinks of Obama, but what the magazine thinks Obama’s critics think of Obama. As such, it exactly achieves the goal of satire. Dictionary.com defines “Satire” as “Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity.” While inaccurate in its premise, that is exactly what the New Yorker is attempting.

Nor is the cartoon a product of “… Islamophobia or racism against Muslims and Islam” as Asma believes. The value lampooned by the cartoonist is that Obama’s critics incorrectly think him an Islamic terrorist. Islamic terrorists are bad and so incorrectly thinking Obama is one is also bad. That false depiction of Obama’s detractors masks the truth that rejecting those choosing terror over talking is a position shared by many Muslims. The cartoon’s rejection of Islamic terrorism does not make the piece anti-Muslim any more than criticizing Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church makes one anti-Christian. Rejecting a hate group doesn’t require me to reject everyone sharing a trait with their members. I can reject the Klan without hating all whites. I can reject The Nation of Islam without hating all blacks. And I can reject Islamic terrorists without hating all Muslims.

Asma is right about one thing. There is prejudice at the New Yorker. It’s just directed at those opposing Obama’s bid to be President. There are a host of real issues on which opposition to Obama is based. They are debated in the marketplace of ideas daily. Obama on Taxes, Obama on Energy, Obama on GWOT, Obama on Immigration, Obama on the size of Government and on and on. None of these were the basis for the New Yorker’s treatment of Obama’s detractors. The only point the magazine wants to leave in your mind is “The Right thinks Obama is a Terrorist!” That’s a lot more anti-Right Wing than it is anti-Muslim.

The New Yorker does a further disservice. It detracts from, and makes more difficult, legitimate discussion of issues related to Islamic extremists and Obama. We must be able to question Obama’s intentions to cozy up to radicals like Syria’s Assad without having the conversation hijacked by charges of racism. We need to be able to discuss how Muslim extremists view Obama without fearing demonization. If Obama becomes President there are things we need to know. What do Islamic terrorists think of his repudiation of his Muslim heritage? Does that make him an apostate to them? How do they treat apostates?

Hatred exists for every group - black, brown and white; Christian, Jew and Muslim; Democrat, Republican and Independent. It is to America’s shame that it is so. To our credit, it is less present in our society with each passing day. Most Americans reject the myriad -isms used to divide us. But they won’t go away until humanity goes away. The capacity for self deception and hatred is rooted in the fallen nature of man. There will always be those who won’t work to determine what should be opposed and what should not and what accounts for the difference between the two. Too bad the New Yorker isn’t helping.

I think Asma’s missed it in the case of the New Yorker cartoon. And that’s all I mean. She’s just wrong on this one. I believe she still “gets it”, nonetheless. I’ll keep reading her stuff and learning from her. I’ll keep respecting her political and religious views, even when we disagree. She’s not a terrorist and I’m not anti-Muslim. We’re friends, we’re colleagues, we’re Americans. That’s a change from the New Yorker’s opinions and from the views of most on the Left - but it’s change I can believe in.

Blue

Popularity: 29% [?]

Some things just reach out and grab your attention as soon as you see them. A post over at Michael Silence’s ‘No Silence Here’ blog did just that.

The entire post, headline and all, was

Headline of the day

Cartoonists are disappearing like brunet anchors at Fox News

Silence links to a piece by Romenesko at Poynter Online. PO’s headline was ‘Cartoonists are disappearing like brunet anchors at Fox News’ and the story bemoans the shortage of political cartoonists as noted by James Rainey at the LA Times in his piece titled ‘Editorial Cartoonists: A Dying Breed’. Romenesko also quotes “Seattle Times cartoonist Eric Devericks [who] says that “media executives who fail to recognize the unique value of a local cartoonist are idiots and bad businessmen.”" My first thought was to wonder which is worth more, a political cartoonist or a good proofreader or spellcheck program? “Brunet”?

So I looked it up. Turns out “brunet” is actually a real word! It’s the male version of “brunette”. Who knew?

By the way, it may not be that political cartoonists are a dying breed. We have a couple of home grown guys from Tennessee who are starting out. Who knows, they may be the next big thing in political cartoons. Check out ‘Delta Bravo Sierra’ and ‘Pushing the Envelope’ for some fun Tennessee ‘toons!

Blue Collar Muse

Popularity: 29% [?]

Just a couple of thoughts in the midst of a busy day.

THE SPIN: The Left, including Barack Obama, continues to maintain the charade that increasing domestic oil production and refining capabilities will have no impact on energy independence in the long run or to reduce prices for oil and gas in the short run. The mantra and talking point is “We can’t drill our way out of this!”. As late as a day or so ago, Speaker Pelosi called continued GOP efforts to boost domestic energy production “a hoax”.

THE TRUTH: 3 days ago, the President rescinded an Executive Order banning offshore drilling for oil in US coastal waters. Within 48 hours, not only had financial markets bounced significantly, but the price of light, sweet crude for August delivery dropped by almost 10%. There was a corresponding, immediate $.05 to $.07 drop in the price of a gallon of gas at most retailers I pass by.

This is significant because the President’s rescinding of the ban on offshore drilling, in and of itself, will not produce more domestic oil. Even though it is now legal for companies to drill, Congress must still act before they can actually do so. Thus, even essentially meaningless talk about drilling produces an overnight effect on the price of both oil and gas. What do you think might happen if we seriously moved forward with plans and actions to actually drill?

There are two competing energy philosophies currently at war on Capitol Hill. The Left says, “We can’t drill our way out of this!” The Right is saying, “Drill Here! Drill Now! Pay Less!” Only one of those premises can be true. A glance at any gas station sign while you’re running errands or headed home will tell you which one is.

And please remember which side is which on election day.

Blue Collar Muse

Popularity: 31% [?]

Spc. Kisha Makerney
23 years old from Fort Towson, Oklahoma
120th Engineers, Oklahoma Army National Guard

Spc. Kisha Mackerney isn’t being profiled today because of something she did on the battlefield. She’s being profiled because her spirit and determination. In 2002, Makerney joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard out of a sense of patriotism, because, as she put it, “I love our country and our people.” Between 2004 and 2005, she served in Iraq as a gunner and helped provide battalion security. She returned home in early 2005 and was in a terrible motorcycle accident on June 25, 2005. The front wheel of her brand new bike had blown out and sent her flying into a highway sign. She looked up at her now mangled bike and was angry. That’s when she noticed that her left leg below the knee was missing. The first thing she thought of when she saw her leg was that her military career was over.

Makerney pulled herself out of the ditch that she had landed in and was able to flag down a passing motorist. She was taken a hospital in Hugo, Oklahoma before being flown to Dallas, Texas.

As soon as word spread about her accident, her fellow soldiers, her second family, rallied and rushed to her bedside. “Even before I was out of surgery they were waiting in the halls,” she said.

Continue reading Spc. Kisha Makerney’s story here. There are some despicable comments by a few readers on the story. Just ignore them.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We’re In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don’t Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Popularity: 31% [?]

UPDATED: In a follow up piece to the one linked below, World Net Daily notes that Obama’s comments are disappearing from the few places they had been recorded on the web. The video is vanishing as well. However, Fort Hard Knox has audio of the speech.

(Welcome to our World Net Daily, Alex Jones InfoWars, MoonBattery and No Silence Here readers. You all might also enjoy the series we’re doing on Eminent Domain abuse, ‘Will the Circle be Unbroken’. Click on the Eminent Domain category for more. Thanks for coming by!)

I was getting ready to start my day early this morning when my phone rang. It was a friend of mine in DC who wanted to know if I had seen and/or blogged about a comment Barack Obama made recently at a speech in Colorado. I told him it was unlikely and asked what he said that was so earth shattering.

In a July 2 speech outlining plans to expand opportunities for people to serve in areas such as AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, Obama makes the following statement with no explanation or amplification.

“We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”

When I read that, I furiously started looking for it on the web. Interestingly, I found only 3 references to it. The Chicago Tribune reported it. Joseph Farah at World Net Daily reported it. It’s reported that Congressional Quarterly reported it as well but I can’t find the article. Google searches reveal only blogs are covering it and none of the usual suspects have it. There are references to some discussion on Sean Hannity’s forums.

As both my friend and Joseph Farah observed,

The U.S. Army alone has nearly 500,000 troops. That doesn’t count reserves or National Guard. In 2007, the U.S. Defense budget was $439 billion.

Is Obama serious about creating some kind of domestic security force bigger and more expensive than that?

The questions are legion and the implications of such an organization are staggering! What would it do? According to the title, it’s a civilian force so how would it go about discharging “national security” issues? What are the Constitutional implications for such a group? How is this to be paid for? Is this accounted for in some of Obama’s currently proposed tax increases or will we need more taxes to fund this enterprise? The statement was made in the context of youth service. Is this an organization for just the youth or are adults going to participate? How does one get away from the specter of other such “youth” organizations from Nazi Germany and the former Soviet Union when talking about it?

Joe Farah has, so far, been unsuccessful in getting any information out of the Obama camp on this. No MSM outlet is asking about it and the blogosphere is just ramping up. I’d like to see the rest of us get involved and get some clarity on exactly what Barack is proposing. At the least, it would seem a major expense that would have to be paid for. The ‘at worst’ options are pretty terrifying to contemplate. I’ve put in a request to the Obama campaign for some amplification and clarification. We’ll see what they have to say. More on this later …

Blue Collar Muse

NOVEMBER 6, 2008 UPDATE: Possible funding source for Civilian National Security Force?  Slash Defense Spending!

SEE ALSO:

Obamalitia? by BadIdeaGuy at Target Rich Environment

What is Obama’s $400 Billion Civilian National Security Force? by Leslie Carbone at Leslie Carbone

Have You Heard About Obama’s Civilian National Security Force? by Fred Dooley at Real Debate Wisconsin

More Agenda Items by Kay Brooks at Kay Brooks

What in the World is Obama’s Civilian National Security Force? at ARRA

Obamassiah’s National Army at Stix Blog

Obama Gets Scarier by Van Helsing at MoonBattery

Obama to Build Security Force to Rival Military by Mario Burgos at Mario Burgos

When is a Military Force Not a Military Force? by Skip at Granite Grok

Popularity: 45% [?]

Jim Cooper, Democrat from Tennessee’s 5th District, recently got his ears pinned back in a formal committee hearing. Cooper held up a sheaf of papers and went for the kill while questioning Glenn English, CEO of the NRECA, a national coalition of electricity providing cooperatives. Cooper stated the material he was talking about came from the NRECA’s private, password protected site which he had accessed. At that point, English said he regretted Cooper’s introduction of the topic and noted that NRECA counsel had advised him Cooper was under investigation for criminal violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

As expected, Cooper denies any wrongdoing. He first asked the NRECA for the information and was refused. He later obtained the username and password from an NRECA employee which he used to access the site and get the information he was previously denied access to. In a Clintonesque distortion of language, Cooper now equates using the login information of another with being personally authorized to view the site. Would Jim object if someone with a key to his office, say the cleaning woman, gave her key to someone who used it to enter his office and rifle his files? Exactly! But one man’s authorized entry is another man’s breaking and entering. Cooper further justified his actions by saying NRECA’s customers had the right to know what was going on.

While opinions vary as to the law in these cases, the statute mentioned seems pretty straightforward. It appears there are a couple of places which may provide Cooper some legal problems. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act states in part,

a) Whoever– …

(2) intentionally accesses a computer without authorization or exceeds authorized access, and thereby obtains– …

(A) information contained in a financial record of a financial institution, …

C) information from any protected computer if the conduct involved an interstate or foreign communication;

and,

a) Whoever– …

(6) knowingly and with intent to defraud traffics (as defined in section 1029) in any password or similar information through which a computer may be accessed without authorization, if–

(A) such trafficking affects interstate or foreign commerce;

have broken the law. The definitions of the terms “exceeds authorized access”, “financial record” and more are provided later in the document. They don’t help the Congressman’s cause.

Whether Jim Cooper’s actions were criminal would seem to boil down to: 1) Did Congressman Jim Cooper access the site in question? 2) Was he authorized to do so?; 3) Does the site contain any financial records?; 4) Do any site records pertain to either interstate communication, commerce or both?; 5) Did Cooper obtain the password via any means definable as “trafficking”?

#1 -The video records Cooper’s admission he was on the site. Check! #2 - Having been denied access to the information previously, Cooper knew he was not authorized. That he bypassed that denial in the way he did further demonstrates he knew he was not authorized. Check! #3 - Also per the video, Mr. English testified the site contained both 401K and retirement records for NRECA associates. It is not unreasonable to assume those records related to financial institutions as the NRECA is not itself a financial institution. Check! #4 - The NRECA is a national coop with 900 members in 47 states. That settles the question of do the affairs of the NRECA include interstate commerce and might their site contain interstate communication. Check! #5 - This would depend on the definition of the term “Traffic”. What did Cooper do to get the login information? Must money change hands? Could providing something non-monetary, but valuable, such as promising to take care of the leaker if discovered and find him work elsewhere be considered trafficking? If so, perhaps a final - Check! - is in order.

As mentioned, Cooper denies knowledge of any FBI investigation. Of course he does. The situation definitely could produce one. Is it happening? We’ll have to wait and see. Cooper gets cover from the FBI itself as they don’t comment on ongoing investigations. Cooper could be lying through his teeth and we wouldn’t know until the FBI goes on the record. Of course, the Congressman could always “authorize” the FBI to “release information we’ve been denied access to previously” on the premise that, especially in an election year “the citizens of Tennessee’s 5th District have the right to know if their Congressman engaged in illegal activities” punishable by either 5 or 10 years in the slammer for a first offense and possible fines on top of that. Those of you with some time on your hands, stop by and enjoy the shades of blue I can turn while holding my breath waiting.

Cooper, by any estimation, is not a powerful or influential member of Congress. He merely fills a seat and the “D” after his name provides power for those who are. Just another career politician who knows nothing of life outside the Beltway. Despite being a Rhodes Scholar, he isn’t even bright enough not to confess to a crime on video. Is this the sort of politician we want in Washington? Do we really want someone making laws for the rest of us who cannot be bothered to obey them himself? There’s an election coming where we can decide exactly that. See you at the polls.

Blue Collar Muse

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