So I’m here at the Nats/Orioles game, and I’m wondering… where are all the baseball players from Haiti? I mean the country shares an island with the Dominican Republic. and that country turns out ballplayers like Hugh Hewitt turns out books… one a week. Yet I don’t think Haiti has a single guy in the majors. What’s up with that?

If you make a donation to one charity today… make it this one.

It’s an awesome story, and a worthwhile endeavor.

You know, it’s always fun to catch a liberal in an outright falsehood. It’s even more amusing when you get to catch more than one liberal making the same false statement.

This is about a bill currently in Congress, HR 5005. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy says this bill:

…cuts local law enforcement out of the loop. Without this
tracing data, local law enforcement officials won’t be able to pursue civil
action on suppliers that have been implicated in crimes without the ATF’s
involvement. Amazingly, HR 2005 makes sharing this information with another
police department a crime.
For example, if a police department on Long Island obtains ballistic
information from the ATF, and a similar shooting occurs in New York City,
the Long Island department couldn’t share the information. In fact, an
officer who did share this information would be arrested.

And she’s not the only liberal making this statement. From Seattle pundit Ken Schram:

ongress is now looking at a bill that, as I read it, effectively says
Seattle cops can’t check with, say, police in Los Angeles about whether a
gun used to kill someone here was illegally sold by someone down there.
A better example might be that if this measure had been on the books
back in 2002, authorities in Maryland would not have been able to trace the
gun used by the D.C. sniper back to a gun store here in Washington State.
Now, I’m perplexed. Just who the hell is this bill supposed to protect?

There’s only one problem. The bill not only doesn’t do what McCarthy and Schram says it does… it does the exact opposite. From the text of the bill:

8)(A) Information required to be kept by licensees pursuant to this subsection, or required to be reported pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (7) of this subsection, and information in the firearms trace system database maintained by the National Trace Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, shall not be–

`(i) disclosed to any entity, except to a Federal, State, local, or foreign law enforcement agency or a Federal, State, or local prosecutor solely in connection with and for use in a bona fide criminal investigation or prosecution, and only to the extent that the information pertains to the geographic jurisdiction of the law enforcement agency or prosecutor requesting the disclosure;

In other words, the bill specifically says that the data can be shared by law enforcement officials working a crime.

Either McCarthy and Schram haven’t read the bill, have the reading comprehension skills of a gerbil, or they’re intentionally misleading the public about the intent of this legislation.

**Update**

Mayor Bloomberg’s own police chief is opposed to the release of this information.

And did you catch Rep. McCarthy’s unique little twist on the duties of law enforcement? Cops don’t pursue civil actions. This tells me McCarthy knew damn well she was telling fibs about the bill’s intent and purpose when she wrote this little release.

By the way, I don’t expect Rep. McCarthy to correct her record. But it would be nice if Ken Schram corrected his commentary. His email is kenschram@komo4news.com. I emailed him (politely) earlier today, but have not yet heard back. Perhaps he should politely hear from you as well.

Missed last night’s episode, but I’ll catch it on replay over the weekend. How could I miss an episode bashing Hollywood?

One year ago, my world turned upside down with the birth of these little ones.

Here’s Catherine on her birth day.

And here’s Catherine today.

Here’s James a year ago.

And here’s James today.

It’s hard to imagine life without them… although I imagine I’d be getting a bit more sleep.

Happy Birthday babies!

Joe Hughes says Republicans need to get out more. This is based on the fact that he went to a Warhol exhibit in Pittsburgh over the weekend.

Well, whoop-de-damn-do.

I got news for ya, Joe. This conservative not only got out this week, he went to see a full-fledged, card carrying socialist folk singer named Billy Bragg. And as I was surrounded by Peace Corps workers and “freelance performance artists” , as I was listening to Billy Bragg say when people are blowing themselves up, they’re trying to tell us something, as I was listening to Jill Sobule sing her anti-Bush song…

I had confirmation that my ideology trumps the hell out of yours.

Maybe some Republicans are scared to try things like sushi. Some liberals are afraid to try things like hunting. Now, I’ve had sushi (didn’t really care for it). Have you been out to the range?

hat tip: The Shape of Days

Yesterday was incredibly busy, or else I would have posted this story then.

The Federal Election Commission decided Monday that the nation’s new campaign finance law will not apply to most political activity on the internet.

In a 6-0 vote, the commission decided to regulate only paid political ads placed on another person’s website.

The decision means that bloggers and online publications will not be covered by provisions of the new election law. Internet bloggers and individuals will therefore be able to use the internet to attack or support federal candidates without running afoul of campaign spending and contribution limits.

Hurrah. Something tells me that this won’t be the last we hear of the “reformers”, however.

I’m not picking on the NYT in particular, but this article really makes me wonder if the MSM has learned ANYTHING over the past few years.

Ignoring the thinly veiled attempt at a Bush hit piece (they really are getting lazy when it comes to hiding it, aren’t they?), this little nugget stood out:

During a private two-hour meeting in the Oval Office on Jan. 31, 2003, he made it clear to British Prime Minister Tony Blair that he was determined to invade Iraq without the second resolution, or even if international arms inspectors failed to find unconventional weapons, said a confidential memo about the meeting written by Blair’s top foreign policy adviser and reviewed by the New York Times.

Get that? The Times reviewed the memo, and we’re just supossed to trust the memo says what they’re telling us it says.

What is it going to take for the MSM to realize this kind of reporting isn’t going to cut it anymore?

Are we hungry for more horror movies?

I suppose. I’m actually just craving a good horror movie.

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We’ll see soon. I can’t imagine it would be safe for Mr. Rahman to stay in Afghanistan, but stranger things have happened.

***Update***

Michelle, of course, has more

As far as I know, there were no self-described liberals at today’s rally, which is a real shame. One liberal blogger is asking for liberals to please chime in. I would ask that as well.

I know that CAIR sent out a press release condemning the possible death sentence, but when I emailed Ibrahim Hooper to invite him out to the rally, I never got a response.

I meant what I said earlier. This really shouldn’t be a left vs. right issue. It seems like in almost every instance these days, if a conservative is for something, then a liberal has to be against it (and vice versa). The only exception I can think of lately is the Kelo decision. The Rahman case should be another.

Went pretty well. Here’s the obligatory protest babe.

And here’s an image of one little girl from Sudan who was in attendance.

Media turnout was good. There were, by my count, four television cameras there, including one from NBC Nightly News. The producer for Andrea Mitchell, a guy named Carl, kept asking question after question designed to elicit a critical response towards President Bush. Finally I had to say something.

So I said this isn’t a conservative vs. liberal issue, or even a Christian vs. Muslim issue. It’s a human rights issue. And I said if the media ignores the reality of Abdul Rahman being put to death because of his religious beliefs because they’d rather portray this as “Conservatives angry at the President”, then they’re falling down on the job.

Of course it’ll probably get chopped up like a Chef soundbite on South Park, and I’ll be speaking out in favor of clubbing baby seals or something. I’ve got the blogosphere to back me up on this one, however. There were lots of folks from the Citizen Media out as well.

**Update**

More photos here. And Mary Katharine Ham writing at Hugh Hewitt’s blog has the quote of what I said (or at least a good paraphrase). Jeff Harrell also points out a sentence Mary Katharine left out.

**Update**

Ego alert! Age of Hooper actually caught the statement on videotape. It’ll be a nice compare and contrast if anything actually does get on the news tonight.

In looking over Afghanistan’s constitution, I noticed a few things.

1- No right to keep and bear arms (yes, I look for these things)

2- Article 7 states “The state shall abide by the UN charter, international treaties, international conventions that Afghanistan has signed, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

3- Article 58 establishes an Independent Human Rights Commission.

Now, if you’re abiding by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, then Abdul Rahman should be freed immediately, because that document states “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.” (Article 18)

So, I went over to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Comission’s website, where I found absolutely no mention of Abdul Rahman.

Not surprising, I know. Of course they do have a program called Take the Guns Away. How about a little less gun control and a little more freedom of religion, fellas. You guys have this democracy thing all backwards.

***Update***

Just finished a brief appearance with Jack Riccardi on KTSA in San Antonio. I thought it went well, although I’m not sure anyone will be hopping on an airplane to attend tomorrow’s rally outside the embassy.

Jeff Harrell at The Shape of Days says if Abdul Rahman is spared death because he’s “insane”, we should applaud the Afghan government for its ingenuity.

If Rahman’s life is spared, that’s fantastic. But if we still have this matter of Afghans converting to Christianity, or Buddhism, or Hinduism, or atheism facing the death penalty… we’ve still got a big problem.

There appears to be a conflict in Afghanistan’s constitution, which says the country will govern according to the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, yet also says the country is governed by Sharia law. It’s looking more and more like you can’t have it both ways.

***Update***

Michelle’s got the latest condemnations from around the world. And please don’t forget tomorrow’s rally.

Friday March 24
Noon to 1pm
Outside the Afghan Embassy
2341 Wyoming Ave NW.
Washington DC

Kansas is just one step away from shall issue concealed carry. After Governor Sebelius vetoed the bill on Tuesday, the Kansas State Senate voted to override the veto last night. A vote in the House is expected today.

In addition, the Nebraska legislature is expected to send shall issue concealed carry to the governor’s desk in the next couple of weeks, and the Delaware House will soon hear a shall issue concealed carry bill that already has the support of more than half the legislature.

It’s probable that by the time the 2006 legislative session ends, Wisconsin and Illinois will be the only states without any form of concealed carry, and 41 states across the nation will have shall issue concealed carry laws, as opposed to the discriminatory “may issue” law.

***Update***

And Kansas becomes the 39th state with Shall Issue Concealed Carry, after the House voted to override the Governor’s veto today. Congrats, Kansas!

So Abdul Rahman’s life might be spared… not because the Afghan government has decided it’s okay to convert from Islam, but because they say Rahman might be crazy.

Uh huh. Something tells me they’re seeing this as a face saving move. I don’t think so.

Jim’s got a piece up at TKS (and in the NY Sun) about this. His take: “This case could utterly transform U.S.-Afghan relations for the worse.”

I’m starting to think there’s no “could” about it. From the Yahoo story quoted above:

The case has received widespread attention in Afghanistan where many people are demanding Rahman be severely punished.

“For 30 years, we have fought religious wars in this country and there is no way we are going to allow an Afghan to insult us by becoming Christian,” said Mohammed Jan, 38, who lives opposite Rahman’s father, Abdul Manan, in Kabul. “This has brought so much shame.”

So how happy do you think the Afghan street will be when/if Rahman walks away without being killed? Karzai’s going to tick off someone here. Will it be is own people, or the rest of the world?

***Update***

I’ve just been told that there will be a rally in support of Adbul Rahman outside the Afghan Embassy in D.C. on Friday. The rally starts at noon, and the address of the Embassy is 2341 Wyoming Ave NW, Washington D.C. Please do what you can to pass on the word.

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Michelle Malkin wonders Who Will Save Abdul Rahman? It’s a good question.

This story has really bothered me. I’ve written about it over at OnTap, but I haven’t written about it here for some reason.

I’m not much of a churchgoing guy (sorry to disappoint any of you), but this is just wrong. It’s wrong to kill someone because they’re not of the same religion as you. It’s wrong to kill someone because of some ****ed up idea that death is the only option for someone who leaves the faith. It’s wrong.

If you believe, as Jefferson wrote, that ALL men are created equal, and everyone of us has an unalienable right to liberty, then you have to stand with Mr. Rahman. He has a human right to worship the god of his choosing (or God of his choosing if you’d like). He should not be put to death by a government because of his faith.

So who will save Abdul Rahman? It looks like if he’s to be saved, it will be Afghan president Karzai who does it. But it will take the efforts of many to convince him that Rahman’s life is precious.

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If you’re a regular listener to Cam’s show, you know all about the Castle Doctrine and the princple of ‘no duty to retreat’. If you’re not a regular listener to Cam’s show (and why aren’t you?), the idea behind the Castle Doctrine and similar laws is simple - if you’re attacked in any place you have a right to be, you are not required to retreat - you can fight back to protect yourself. If you fight back and it results in the death of your attacker, the law protects you from prosecution. Thanks to the work of the NRA, Castle Doctrine type laws are spreading across the country.

USA Today has picked up on this trend, and today’s article is a rather feeble attempt at hiding it’s bias on the issue. (bolding mine)

The NRA and other supporters say the bills are needed in many states that require people under attack in public places to withdraw from the situation, rather than retaliate, unless they can show their lives are in danger.

I went to public school in California, so my grammar and vocabulary isn’t all that sophisticated. But I always thought ‘retaliate’ was a synonym for ‘revenge’. Is Mr. Willing really trying to inform his readers that using force to defend yourself is really just getting back at your attacker? That fighting for your life or property is just a way to pay back someone who would do you harm?

Heh. I wonder what Mr. Willing would do if someone walked up to him and punched him in the face. Would he ‘retaliate’? Something tells me he wouldn’t just run away.

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From today’s Day by Day.

When is blogging no longer cool? When washed up 80’s rappers have blogs. Gosh they’ll let anyone blog these days.

We had an Irish Soul Food Fest at the house on Saturday night. Corned beef, cabbage, colcannon, boxties, parsnip cakes, steak and Guiness pie, scallop pie… all kinds of good stuff. Jeff Harrell from The Shape of Days was one of our invitees, and tucked away a good portion of food.

I didn’t realize just how much Jeff loves meat (and hates vegans) until today, however.

One of the chief knocks on Dubya seems to be that he’s no fiscal conservative. But (via Glenn), one blogger argues Dubya’s more fiscally conservative than Reagan.

when Ronald Reagan left office in 1988 he was dunning us 18.1% of GDP to pay for a federal government that spent 21.2% of GDP. In 2004, the last year for which I could find numbers, George W. Bush had lowered our tax burden to 16.3% of GDP– a level last reached in 1959–to pay for a government that spent 19.8 of GDP.

Appearances count for a lot, unfortunately. President Bush has yet to issue a veto on any grounds, much less on fiscal grounds. Earmarks and pork projects are over the top, and real dollar figures are mind-boggling. Still, a little perspective can be a good thing, and this statistic certainly makes you stop and think.

Wow. Cindy Sheehan is going to have a reality show and a movie out soon.

The reality show doesn’t really surprise me, but the movie does. I’d think her son would be a better subject.

Wow. It was two years ago that I did my last regular show on KTOK. Two years from tomorrow I threw my bags into my car and headed off into the sunrise, on my way to Washington, D.C.

To those that have stayed with me since then, all I can say is thanks. To those that have arrived since, I say welcome.

It’s been an amazing couple of years, and I hope the best is yet to come.