The Short on Smarts Circuit

How dumb is the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the most overruled Federal Circuit Court of them all? This dumb.

Only $4/Gallon

Based on this interesting revelation, we could actually be paying a lot more for gas right now.

Also keep the above linked to information in mind the next time you see some politician, most likely a Dem, on television mindlessly demagoguing about "big oil" and price gouging.

Raw Judicial Policy Making

Even supporters of g@y "marriage", at least the more intellectually honest ones, think the recent ruling by the California Supreme Court is crap. (h/t)

[T]he California court's 121-page opinion was dishonest. This was most evident in its ritual denial of the fact that it was usurping legislative power: "Our task ... is not to decide whether we believe, as a matter of policy, that the officially recognized relationship of a same-sex couple should be designated a marriage rather than a domestic partnership ... but instead only to determine whether the difference in the official names of the relationships violates the California Constitution [emphasis in original]."

This was a deeply disingenuous dodge, if not a bald-faced lie, to conceal from gullible voters the fact that the decision was a raw exercise in judicial policy-making with no connection to the words or intent of the state constitution. It is inconceivable that anyone but a supporter of gay marriage "as a matter of policy" could have found in vague constitutional phrases such as "equal protection" a right to judicial invalidation of the marriage laws of every state and nation in the history of civilization….

Holy Crap!

Now I'm going to have nightmares about those South Park looking puppet thingies. (h/t)

If I Learn Nothing Else

Four weeks into my experience as an (FE)MBA student at Pepperdine Univ.(Irvine Graduate Campus), and I discover that the surname of the man for whom the university's business school is named after, George Graziadio, means "Thanks be to God" in Italian.

I don't think Mr. Graziadio was Catholic, in case you were wondering.

Bob Barr is a Full Fledged Idiot

Why I don't take Libertarians very seriously:

The decision today by the Supreme Court of California [regarding the state's law defining marriage as between one man and one woman] properly reflects this fundamental principle of federalism on which our nation was founded...The decision in California is an illustration of how this principle of states' powers should work.

Talk about being clueless and missing the point. Message to Mr. Ron Paul-lite (who, btw, is a trained lawyer): The California Supreme Court's ruling is not an illustration of federalism, but of anti-democratic judicial activism.

Just Awful

I'd like to say I'm surprised about the California high court's ridiculous ruling today regarding the "ban" on g@y marriage in this state, but I'm really not.

The effort to qualify the California Marriage Protection Act for the ballot this November is now even more critical.

C.D.O.

Catholic Dissidents for Obamessiah (who apparently also have reading comprehension issues).

More Mixed McCain

Nice speech on judges; WTF is he thinking here?!

Addendum: The full text of McCain's speech on judges can be read here.

Dallas, Texas?

When you get there, you can go back to the "beginning" without putting in anyone's name or e-mail address.

Tough Guys Wear Powder Blue Ascot Scarves

Welcome to my weekend childhood nostalgia trip.

Reason #898238923 Not to Be Enthused About John McCain

Unless, of course, you're a politically correct liberal. What I find particularly egregious in this instance is that McCain has condemned this perfectly acceptable political ad produced by the North Carolina GOP, even though he hasn't actually seen it.

(h/t)

Hillary and Catholics

This blatant act of pandering by Mrs. Clinton is pathetic, though not surprising. (h/t)

An Eyebrow Raiser

This coming Sunday, 60 Minutes will be airing an interview with Justice Antonin Scalia. (h/t) Among a variety of different matters he addresses, here's what Justice Scalia said about abortion:

“On the abortion thing, for example, if indeed I were…trying to impose my own views, I would not only be opposed to Roe versus Wade, I would be in favor of the opposite view, which the anti-abortion people would like to see adopted, which is to interpret the Constitution to mean that a state must prohibit abortion.” “And you’re against that?” asks Stahl. “Of course. There’s nothing [in the Constitution to support that view].”

I'm frankly a little disturbed by this. It seems Justice Scalia either thinks there is no constitutionally protected right to life, or the issue of whether the unborn are persons is totally subjective.

The B-XVI CEO Model

As formulated by Hugh Hewitt, who despite being a fall-away Catholic, is generally irenic toward the Church.

The One Time I'll Admit to Listening to Kelly Clarkson

Papa Ratzi - Plugged In

The Vatican website has all the speeches and homilies Pope B-XVI delivered this past week during his Apostolic visit to the U.S. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if the Pope wrote every last one of these by himself.

Foul!

Michelle Malkin's alter ego blog and Rep. Tom Tancredo mindlessly ascribe unfounded motivations on the Pope for his recent, and subtle, pro "open borders" comments.

Update (4/19/08): Very subtle. Possibly even imagined. (h/t to Michelle Malkin herself, though her "Look, I was raised Catholic" defense to charges of anti-Catholicism, which probably aren't fair, is pretty weak.)

Update Two (4/21/08): More on what the Pope really said and the knee jerk reaction of Congressman Cantankerous.

Continuing a Tradition Like No Other

He throws granny under the bus, calls small town America a bunch of bitter, gun toting, Jesus freaks, and now equates U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, a pro-life Republican, to a domestic terrorist.

Obamessiah: The best the Dems can do.

Like Russell From "Fat Albert" Would Say...

N.C. - No Class. (h/t)

Catholic members of Congress who publicly support the right to abortion will trek to Nationals Park Thursday for a Mass celebrated by a pope who has said such lawmakers should not receive Communion.

Leading these lawmakers, some of whom have repeatedly complained about remarks by Pope Benedict XVI and a few bishops on the subject, will be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the government's highest-ranking Catholic and a supporter of abortion rights. Nowhere in her remarks or her actions this week has she referred to strains with the new pontiff.

Instead, she bent to kiss his ring at the White House Wednesday as Benedict arrived in a blaze of pageantry, and later she spoke glowingly on the House floor about his commitment to truth, justice and freedom. A week before he arrived, the House passed a resolution welcoming him to Washington.

And yes, her spokesman said, she intends to receive Communion from one of the 300 priests and lay ministers who will offer it to the gathered flock of 45,000.