Archive for November, 2006

Jim Webb Confronts Bush

Filed under Politics

Virginia’s Senator-elect Jim Webb will be one of the most colorful men in that body. He’s already caused quite a commotion with an encounter with President Bush:
At a recent White House reception for freshman members of Congress, Virginia’s newest senator tried to avoid President Bush. Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving […]

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NFIB on Possible Sales Tax Increase

Filed under Wisconsin

Bill G. Smith, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business/Wisconsin responds to the bad idea of “closing loopholes” in the Wisconsin state sales tax:
While proponents claim to be ‘closing loopholes’ in current sales tax laws, they are really advocating for a drastic tax increase in disguise. By eliminating the selected exemptions for services, […]

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Charlie’s Show Prep #203

A federal judge nixed a Presidential executive order “blocking financial assistance to terrorist groups.”
Fidel Castro didn’t show up for his birthday party. He’s too sick.
The San Diego city council voted to ban Wal-Mart from the city.
Some hip-hop fans care more about their expensive wardrobe than much else.
A Republican-controlled state legislative committee kept DNR protections on […]

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Board Impressed with NSA Privacy Protections

The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board has finally been briefed on the NSA’s electronic eavesdropping efforts. There was bipartisan applause for how the agency is protecting civil liberties:
Board members said that they were impressed by the safeguards the government has built into the NSA’s monitoring of phone calls and computer transmissions, and that they […]

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Pelosi Rejects Hastings for Intelligence Committee

Filed under Politics

Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi is getting her act together by not making impeached federal judge Rep. Alcee Hastings the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Handing over a committee that deals with highly-sensitive information would have been a distraction to Pelosi’s desire to clean up the House.
Rep. Jane Harman won’t be getting the chairmanship either. This […]

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Charlie’s Show Prep #203

Having a low number of people receiving a welfare check is a good thing unless you’re a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
A judge found an Australian wheat exporter paid Saddam Hussein over $200 million in the Oil-for-food program. Here’s a kicker: “Judge Cole also found that the U.N. knew Iraq was breaching sanctions, but […]

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Over 1,000,000 Served

Sometime today my Sitemeter topped the 1,000,000 visitors mark. I haven’t used Sitemeter for all of TAM’s life so I know I passed the one million visitor mark some time ago. Still, it’s impressive knowing so many sets of eyeballs have passed over my weblog. I want to thank all my readers. Weblogging is a […]

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Seeking to Raise the Sales Tax

Filed under Wisconsin

A state senator and a county government association don’t think Wisconsinites pay enough taxes. Both State Senator Jon Erpenbach and Wisconsin Counties Association’s executive director Mark O’Connell want to eliminate some exemptions to the state sales tax.
Erpenbach claims, “It’s not a tax increase.” Let’s think about this. Currently the sales tax is only applied […]

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Fighting Free Trade with Colombia

Filed under Economics

If Rep. Linda Sanchez is indicative of the Democratic Party don’t expect any new free trade agreements. She wants the newly signed agreement with Colombia to die a quick death:
Ignoring the voice of the American people, the Bush Administration signed a free trade deal with Colombia on Wednesday. This agreement is another expansion of the […]

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Where’s My Book?

Filed under Books

Frustration is starting to get into a good book like Mark Bowden’s Guests of the Ayatollah and forgetting where you put it.
UGH!

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Charlie’s Show Prep #202

We have mixed early data on how strong Christmas sales will be. Mall stores started off well while Wal-Mart says it will underperform its November estimates.
The next Secretary of Defense Robert Gates‘ published views on fighting terrorism and changing intelligence agencies to better fight terrorism contrast with real-world events.
Bayshore Town Center is being very proactive […]

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“Stupid People” and Social Security

Filed under Economics

According to Duncan AKA Atrios Black I’m one of those “stupid people” or “morons” who have the audacity to suggest I and others be allowed to invest our Social Security contributions in something other than the word of politicians. Black writes, “Social Security is a lovely program which works just fine and really needs no […]

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Chinese Intellectuals Dealing with a Post-Mao Nation

Even with limited political freedoms China’s intellectuals push their ideas of making the world’s most populous nation more more free economically while improving its citizens’ quality of life. Pankaj Mishra reports for the London Review of Books.

Zhu Xueqin, one-time Maoist, is now a Chinese “liberal” in its true, classical sense:
His own allegiance is not now […]

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Greatest Album List More Notable for What’s Missing

Filed under Music

Time magazine put together an “ALL-TIME 100 Albums” list. James Joyner notes Pink Floyd is missing. That’s just the start. There’s no Aerosmith, no Guns ‘n Roses, no Van Halen, no Def Leppard, only one Metallica album (Master of Puppets) and it’s not even their best one (…And Justice for All), only one Oasis album […]

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TAM Store Now Open

For those of you who like to shop in the comfort of their home or office I’ve opened The American Mind store where you can find some great Christmas gifts. Computers, books, music, DVDs, toys, and games are all available with more added daily.
Every purchase goes to supporting my efforts in bringing you great commentary […]

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