Thursday, March 29, 2007

If Ye Love Wealth...

Republican ex-mayor of New York City Rudolph Giuliani won backing for his 2008 presidential bid from billionaire publisher Steve Forbes, who will also help lead his campaign, Giuliani's team said.

Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes Magazine which publishes an annual list of the world's richest people, will act as co-chair on the national campaign and as senior policy advisor to Giuliani, who is favorite to win his party's nomination for the presidency early next year.

Sorry, Steve. Back when you were campaigning, you touted yourself as a friend of gun owners.

You've just shown us you consider us unimportant and expendable if abandoning us will help advance your true priorities.

It's a false alternative, people. We don't need to choose between between guns or the economy. Prosperity comes from freedom. It always has.

An Idea Worth Exploring

The local market should bury the paper by boycotting any advertiser.

E David Quammen articulates an idea I agree with, although I would suggest a nuance to the strategy: If you try to boycott all advertisers, the amount of supporters will be so diffused that most businesses won't be affected--if even aware of it. Face it, we've seen how most gun owners are unwilling to lift a finger and get involved, generally the same ones who bluster about "cold dead hands."

Pick ONE advertiser, a major one like a local car dealer, and first ask them to contact the paper and let it know they don't appreciate its editorial positions dragging them into the middle of a controversy with their customers--that's not why they advertise. For leverage to encourage them to do the right thing, you might want to tell them you are also asking their main competitor to do the same thing. And you never know--the owner might be a gun owner who is just as PO'd as you, so give them a chance to partner with you first by keeping things polite.

I would think a campaign involving a targeted local business getting a hundred or so letters and phone calls might actually produce some results. And if the business is unwilling to contact the paper and threaten to pull its advertising, then would be the time to escalate to the boycott stage.

What this needs to work is for one local gun rights activist to become the leader and coordinator. Start a blog. Hold a meeting with local gun owners. Recruit support from local gun shops, ranges, clubs--and if any advertise in the paper, perhaps they should become the first business approached, especially if they don't wish to involve themselves. As for membership, it would seem the paper has provided us with a great starter list...

Wayne Fincher Update: March 29

From Wayne Fincher's daughter:

Dad saw the Probation Officer today. Don't know the results yet. The probation officer said that dad would be getting some time. She doesn't know how much as of yet. The lawyer is wanting everyone that wants to, to write letters about dad about his character. All the good things about dad. Please send them to the lawyer so she can review them and present them to the judge during the sentencing. Her address is Shannon L. Blatt 19 Court Street PO BOX 1825 Fort Smith, Ark 72902-1825 If you have already sent please send another one so the lawyer can present it to the judge. Only nice ones please. We thank you for all the help that everyone has done, all the radio programs, phone calls, letters, money,all the internet sites and all the prayers.etc. Everyone keep praying that somehow the judge will give him a light sentence or time served or no time at all. Thanks for everything. Please pass this message on to everyone you know or that knows dad. His sentencing will be 6 to 8 weeks.

Spanking Darren

What a self serving, smug little essay. Too bad your arguments are both disingenuous and puerile. First you start off with the tired old, "He must be compensating for something" gag. Grow up. If you want to be taken seriously as a writer, leave the childish insults at the door.

The Real Gun Guys expose a non-man for the bedwetting little punk dweeb that he is.

I kinda like childish insults once in a while...

We're the Only Ones Leaving "Some Type of Evidence" Enough

According to sources, the officer recently made a traffic stop and asked a male occupant to get out of the vehicle.

Police sources tell NBC 10 News the male officer at some point engaged in a sex act with a male occupant of that vehicle.

Police sources also say the male occupant later reported the incident to police and gave them some type of evidence.
I don't even want to imagine what that "evidence" must have been...

[Via Tavis]

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

We're the Only Ones Kidding Around Enough

"It was learned through our investigation that the young girl, when she was 14 years of age, and the officer was 36 years of age, was raped three different times"...
I am reminded of the line from "Airplane," recalled from imperfect memory:

How was I supposed to know she was only 14? Besides, she wanted it. They ALL want it. Every one of them. All the time...
Hey, at least she's the minimum age required to get a My Space account...

[Via Tavis]

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

We're the Only Ones Who Can't Take "No" for an Answer Enough

A former State College police officer was sentenced to serve two years probation Tuesday after pleading guilty to repeatedly vandalizing an ex-girlfriend's vehicle...

In exchange for the guilty pleas, Madeira withdrew a stalking charge against the 18-year veteran police officer and recommended that Chiston serve two years of probation with no jail time.

I guess he wasn't the " Only One" for her...

[Via Nathaniel]

This Day in History: March 29

On this day in 1776, General George Washington appoints Major General Israel Putnam commander of the troops in New York. In his new capacity, Putnam was expected to execute plans for the defense of New York City and its waterways.