Heavyweight

I'm not surprised, but a bit frightened, that there are those at the Ragister who apparently watch MSNBC.

The Capitol Square Crapper clued us into this Chris Matthews Hardball criticism of Congressman Steve King.

Matthews and MSNBC guest panel poke fun at King statements in “Hardball” segment

Matthews ridiculed King’s statement, regarding youths hauling 75 pounds of marijuana, as factually unsound and wild, joking that marijuana doesn’t even weigh as much as the congressman suggested.

“You could have bushels of it and it doesn’t weigh enough to make your legs that wide,” he said. “What is he talking about, how did he put these ideas together?”

I'm not sure what facts Matthews is basing his argument on, but maybe the DEA needs to pay him a visit because if he's not a dealer, that must mean he's a dope...smoker and the scientific community is united in that fact.

As I have shown in our post, Mule Train, the media had reported this information years prior to King's July statement.

Here are the weight amounts of  confiscated pot - 66 pounds of pot;  83 pounds; 103 pounds of pot; 122 pounds.

Maybe Chris should have consulted Cheech or Chong, because your argument just went up in smoke, Big Bambu.

Is That Clear?

A senior adviser to CONgressman Bruce Braley is quoted in an article regarding Dummycrats worried about 2014 because of Obamacare.

Jeff Link said -- "I think people want to have a little more transparency going forward with whoever is implementing the website and other elements. If demanding that kind of transparency means lack of trust," he added delicately, "then I think people probably would like to have had more transparency."

Sounds like "transparency" was the secret word and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Jeff Link, are you willing to bet your life on Obamacare, and MiniCommie's career?

Reflections

Tacky is the word that describes the decision to run a drawing of a turkey relaxing in a lounger with a beverage, that looked like beer, for this online Ragister Opinion page piece.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Further Reflections: There's much to be thankful for, even in pain

The man's wife died of kidney cancer, have a sense of decorum.

 

Thanksgiving 2013

La Fee Verte

Because it doesn't raise taxes, must be the reason that the Ragister's editorial board doesn't like the Governor Branstad's idea to use a portion of state sales tax revenue for road construction projects

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

The Register's Editorial: Using sales tax money for roads is a bad idea
Raising fuel tax after 24 years is most logical solution

In justifying their "logical"(?) solution, they state -- Fuel taxes are better seen as user fees, because the revenue for roads comes from those who use them, including drivers from out of state who stop in Iowa to fill up. The more you drive, the more you pay. It makes no sense to use sales tax revenue for roads because sales taxes are paid by people whether they drive a little, a lot or not at all.

That reads like an issue of fairness.

Yet, when this same editorial board justified Obamacare, they used this analogy -- Insurance is similar to our property tax system. The single person without children, or the elderly person whose kids are grown, still has to pay taxes for schools. The person who never goes to a library still has to pay taxes for those facilities.

Make up your mind, either everybody into the tax pool, or go all user fees.

Why is it that the Ragister loves higher taxes so much, yet they went from paying $308,200 in property taxes in 2004, for their printing plant at 4001 Gannet Avenue, to their current $175, 853?

They also pay less at 715 Locust Street, $108,252.00 in 2003 and now $84,317.00.

The "green fairy" doth protest too much, on too many levels.

Cops And Robbers

In a continuation of their theme from last week, Accept Crime?,
the Capitol Square Crapper is pounding on the police for pursuits.

Rules say: Police can quit pursuit

Interestingly, the state has rules, in the form of the Iowa Code,
against eluding or attempting to elude pursuing law enforcement vehicle.

Which means -- The criminals start the chases, they can end them at any time and that's solely where blame lies.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

The Ragister needs to do a review showing how many times they don't follow Journalistic guidelines.

Sometimes?

At a stop in San Francisco on a three-day fund raising swing along the West Coast, President Obama said during a speech that "sometimes people forget I'm not running for office again." 

Forget?

That's one of the things I'm thankful for and the scientific community is united in that fact.

President Obama's probably one of the reasons for a record $256 million in liquor sales in Iowa.

People need to drown their sorrows and try to forget they helped give him his start.

The turkey is shown pardoning a guineafowl, who he also signed up for Obamacare.

Five Little Turkeys?

Some bird brain at Radio Iowa should not be strutting about this headline and story.

Iowa ranks 5th in nationwide turkey production

The story contradicts itself in the second sentence --

Iowa Turkey Federation Executive Director Gretta Irwin says Iowa ranks ninth nationwide in turkey production.

However, if you include the turkey's from here

And here

We're #1 and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The Late Great Johnny Ace

President Kennedy is dead?

When did this happen?

Looks like I need a new cell phone.

I bet they make a movie about this and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Nuclear

After 18 years, CommieTommie Harkin finally got his way on filibuster rules in the U.S. Senate.

Unless you count when he was against changing filibuster rules and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Harkin, in May 2005, when he said of Republican desire for change --

To do so would be "the end of the Senate as we know it" because it would dash the protections that the Senate has always afforded lawmakers in the minority and, by extension, their constituents.

Harkin doesn't want to stop where the Senate went this week --

“Now we need to take it a step farther and change the filibuster rules on legislation.”

Harkin was also heard saying -- The sky will not fall, the oceans will not dry up, a plague of locusts will not cover the Earth and the vast majority of Americans will go on with their lives as before.

Gee those are my exact thoughts concerning the Greenhouse Effect, err Global Warming, err Climate Change.

CommieTommie continued -- I do predict that our government will work better.

So do I, once Fiberal Dummycrats no longer have power.

Accept Crime?

The Capitol Square Crapper cries for criminals.

That statement is not new or news, and the scientific community is united in that fact, but it seems to have been their focus this week.

We documented their lack of truthiness on the editorial page (Wrong?).

We should have refuted their argument for leniency regarding Stephanie George, because the editorial board failed to disclose that Stephanie Yvette George had three prior drug convictions, one which included selling crack cocaine to an undercover officer.

Yesterday, the Ragister read like they were blaming the police for deaths involving pursuits.

West Des Moines officer calls off chase, but driver dies later
The death was the fourth in central Iowa since February tied to a police pursuit

The criminals start the chases, they can end them at any time and that's solely where blame lies.

Today's paper wants you to feel sorry for Kristina Joy Fetters because she is dying of breast cancer and wants to take her last breaths outside prison walls with her mother caring for her.

As it is, Fetters death will be far more peaceful than the one her great-aunt, Arlene Klehm got because Fetters hit her on the head with an iron skillet and stabbed her at least five times.

Fetters should not feel freedom.

Just A Day

CONgresswoman Jan Schakowsky (Dummycrat Ill pictured) has been so moved by activists on the National Mall who began fasting over a week ago, that she will join them -- for a day, today.

The level of commitment is underwhelming and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Her campaign sign says it all.

Two Sisters

The Washington Times headline has since been corrected, but the Liter lifted the original to save for posterity.

Fields: Chaney siblings' dirty laundry out of the closet.

The Cheney family spent too much high profile time in Washington for a chain of fools to make this mistake and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Wrong?

Once again the editorial board of the Ragister pulls out their tiny violin to defend those in prison.

The Register's Editorial: Life sentences for nonviolent crimes are wrong

We're made to feel sorry for Robert J. Riley --

Riley received a mandatory life prison sentence for providing minuscule amounts of LSD to fans of the Grateful Dead band after two prior convictions for possession of small amounts of marijuana after other Grateful Dead shows.

We're told --

At his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Ronald Longstaff of Des Moines told Riley, “The mandatory life sentence as applied to you is not just. It’s an unfair sentence, and I find it very distasteful to have to impose it. The laws of Congress [are] not letting me impose what I think would be a fair sentence.”

Riley is a Deadhead in more ways than one and the scientific community is united in that fact.

"Mushroom Bob", as he was also known, had previously pled guilty to four separate charges involving small amounts of marijuana, hashish, and amphetamines. 

Riley's federal charge was for conspiracy to distribute more than 10 grams of LSD.

At sentencing, Longstaff also stated -- “it disturbs me that you’re obviously still a strong advocate of the LSD culture, and you will be, I predict, until the day you depart us. And I fear that if you do get out some day, I’m afraid you’re still going to be an advocate of that culture; and I think it may lead to further problems unless somehow you reach back and step back from your full support of that culture.” 

There you have it, a model citizen.

The Ragister asks --

Are these really the people society thinks should be locked away for the remainder of their lives while taxpayers foot the bill to feed, clothe and house them, and provide them with medical care?

The only time the Ragister professes to care about taxpayers, is when it favors criminals.

Do It Now

One of the places recommended in an article, Places to visit before they disappear, are the Galapagos Islands.

Readers are informed that 100,000 tourists visit the Galápagos annually, resulting in the introduction of invasive species like pigs (smuggled in by workers) and rats (stowed away on boats) and landing the destination on the World Heritage Site Danger List from 2007 to 2010. Environmentalists warn that the islands aren't yet in the clear. Tourism continues to rise 12 percent year over year with the infrastructure alone threatening to forever alter the once isolated islands.

Sounds like the last thing they need is publicity bringing them more tourists and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Reunited?

The headline states

Monty Python to reunite for new show after 30 years

I guess that means that Graham Chapman has been merely resting these past 14 years, probably just a flesh wound.

He'll be quite convincing when the call goes out to bring out your dead and the scientific community is united in that fact.

This post will probably generate a lot of Spam.

All Birds Look Like Chickens To Me

This headline made me wonder

Des Moines man flees attackers at Chester's Chicken

Are the business opportunities of the Big Lug Nut expanding?

We know his waistline is and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Defender?

Grinnell College basketballer Jack Taylor scored 109 points yesterday in a 173-123 win.

Taylor's total came nearly a year after he scored 138 points in a 179-104 win.

Taylor thanked his teammates -- I give so much credit to them – this truly was a team effort.

I'd say so, because without them you lose both games and the scientific community is united in that fact.

This is supposed to be Division III basketball, but when you seldom run back on defense, it's more like street ball.

I Love Football

The Liter is going to flag both Anthony J. Gaughan and the Ragister for a personal foul regarding Gaughan's OpEd.

Iowa View: Football's future is in doubt

Gaughan claims to love football and then questions the sport’s long-term viability because of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

Gaughan states --

Earlier this month, at UCLA were diagnosed even more players with the disease, including former stars such as Tony Dorsett and Mark Duper. Boston University scientists have diagnosed CTE in 52 of the 54 professional, college and high school football players they have studied.

That's troublesome, not for reasons Gaughan shares, but because diagnosis of CTE remains autopsy based,' there is a 'lack of specific diagnostic criteria required for pre-mortem clinical diagnosis,' and 'currently, no accepted method of diagnosing CTE until post-mortem pathological analysis has been conducted

That admission comes from several of the same scientists involved in the project.

Maybe that's why Gaughan is an ASSociate professor at Drake and the scientific community is united in that fact.

That plus he's from Minnesota, as well as a fan of the Vikings and Golden Gophers.

Take It Back

This headline in the Marshalltown Times-Republican appears to be redundant

Drunk driver causes two back-to-back accidents

That would mean, to me, he caused four accidents instead of the two they reported.

It's similar to when people refer to two twins when they mean just the pair and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Write This Number Down

Dummycrats running to replace CONgressman Bruce Braley attended a forum last night.

According to the Cedar Rapids Gazette about 50 people were in attendance.

The Ragister reported about 60 attendees.

We'll trust the numbers cited by our friend Kevin Hall, reporting for The Iowa Republican -- There were 35 attendees at the forum, plus campaign aides and print media members.

The media shouldn't be counting themselves and campaign aides as attendees and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Incredible

The Bean Walker loses any with this headline

OBAMA MOVES TO SAVE PRESIDENTIAL CREDABILITY

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

If only there were some way a computer could check spelling.

Although, Obama could use the help of CredAbility, a credit management & debt counseling service.

Tales Of Woe

In news that probably came from his weakly, err weekly call with Iowa reporters, CONgressman Bruce Braley thinks Obamacare access needs to be improved, but the healthcare program should not be scrapped altogether amid the ongoing concerns of sign up problems.

A backer of Obamacare, and someone who would know because he ran the health marketplace for the Massachusetts program of mandatory insurance from 2006 until 2010, believes the administration faces lots more problems, even if the HealthCare.gov website eventually gets up and running.

Much harder was getting “enrollment, billing and premium collections working smoothly.”

“A health insurance exchange is more than a website. It is an insurance store, and to manage it well requires insurance experience, technical know-how and savvy marketing and sales tactics.”

It's run by the government, which is one of the reasons we're screwed and the scientific community is united in that fact.

We're also screwed because the system is an inverted pyramid that will probably topple because the “young invincibles” whose premiums are supposed to subsidize older, sicker people are not happy, including leftist Kirsten Powers, who understands the explanation for the doubling of my premiums other than the fact that it's subsidizing other people.

MiniCommie was among those politicians who told Iowans ObamaCare would “allow Americans to maintain their choice of health insurance.”

The man he seeks to replace in the Senate, CommieTommie Harkin, was another -- “One of the things we put in the health care bill when we designed it was the protection for consumers to keep the plan they have if they like it; thus, the term ‘grandfathered plans.’ If you have a plan you like --existing policies--you can keep them. …we said, if you like a plan, you get to keep it, and you can grandfather it in.”

FRAUDS!

They should be sued for malpractice.

I'm So Excited?

Here are two words I would have never thought to use in conjunction with Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller

zeal and excitement

Nor would either of his wives and the scientific community is united in that fact.

For proof, let's go to the video.

YAWN!

Long Time

With today's announcements of Dummycrat Tom Miller's re-election campaign for Iowa Attorney General, a Dummycrat issue against Governor Terry Branstad will be more difficult to make and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Tiny Tot Tyler Olson and Jack ASS...err, Hatch want to make Branstad's age and length of service an issue.

Miller (pictured) will be 70 next year and will have been in state government 32 years, as he seeks a ninth four-year term.

State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald will also be on the Dummycrat ballot and he too will have served 32 years, in addition "Ponzi" will be seeking his ninth consecutive four-year term.

If Tyler is the nominee, that slate will have a combined 72 years in state government and a total of 84 years if the nominee is Hatch.

It's beyond time to retire them all.

I Stand Corrected

When I first read the Bret Hayworth story Ratio of Democrats in 4th congressional district increases, in Sunday's Sioux City Journal, I felt it was a non story.

When I decided to check the Secretary of State's website for the numbers, I knew a correction was in order and that's what I noted in my e-mail, yesterday, to Hayworth.

Needless to say, I was a little stunned when I got this response --

We made a substantial error and are making a retraction, by admitting the error and writing a new version of the story. Thank you for pointing us on this.

I so often point out their errors that most in the media don't respond and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Prior to this the best I had received was when the Ragister admitted -- You are right and we were wrong.

I then received another e-mail from Hayworth --

A blog post I just wrote regarding this, FYI:

I made an error in the latest Iowa 4th District voter registration totals in a Journal article Sunday that summarized statistics one year out from the 2014 election.

We were tipped to the error late Monday morning. We've now cited the error in the original story online. I've also written a reworked version that cites the error and includes the correct information, which will appear online and on Page A1 in the Journal on Tuesday.

Journal Editor Chris Coates has written a blog post to share what happened. Now I'm adding to that.

I looked at the Nov. 1 Iowa Secretary of State voter registration totals many times in writing the story, but got it wrong. I've used that site for registration totals for years as a political reporter in sharing voter totals, but in this case a number that was off exactly 3,000 made it into print due to my error. Essentially, I saw a '6' in the thousands column and it became a '9.'

I misread the total for Democrats as 129,959, but it was properly 126,959. The story used that wrong number and relayed an improper picture, incorrectly saying Democrats have made registration gains when compared to Republicans, while in actuality Republicans have slightly gained since the 2012 election.

I have contacted the offices of U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, in order to directly relay my apology for the error. A reporter can say they deal with a lot of information and numbers in writing scads of stories, but the reality is that information has to be correct for readers.

I failed with my reporting last week, for which I apologize to all Journal readers, including six-term Congressman King.

A retraction and an apology to Steve King?

WOW!

Let me type that again, backwards -- WOW!

Technically the Non Party voter numbers were transposed as well (176,138 is the correct figure and not Hayworth's 176,318), but hey, I'll live off this high for at least another few hours.

Journal Editor Chris Coates also thanks me, the person who pointed out the mistake.

Perfect Ratio?

The length some in the media go to dig at Congressman Steve King is ridiculous and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Report-err Bret Hayworth authored this story for the Sioux City Journal

Ratio of Democrats in 4th congressional district increases

Hayworth notes - Iowa Secretary of State voter rolls for November indicate the district has 129,959 registered Democrats and 177,942 registered Republicans. The district had 131,917 registered Democrats and 182,313 registered Republicans in November 2012, when King defeated Democrat Christie Vilsack. 

That means the Republican margin over Democrats over the last year has fallen from 50,396 to 47,983.There are 176,318 voters registered with no party preference.

BUZZ--WRONG!

The data from the Secretary of State's office lists:

177,942 active Republicans

126,959 active Democrats

176,138 active No Party

Which means the Republican margin over Democrats is 50,983 not 47,983 and Democrats lost 4,958 registered voters to 4,371 registered Republicans.

I e-mailed Mr. Hayworth that I look forward to the correction of this non story.

The National Health

Last week, the Capitol Square Crapper let CommieTommie Harkin lie about Republican cuts to food stamps, or SNAP (I Cut Like A Buffalo).

Today, the Ragister editorial board bashes Republicans for wanting food stamp recipients buy only “healthy” food items.

Not surprisingly, and the scientific community is united in that fact, the Ragister is silent when it comes to Obama using food-stamp cash to fund Michelle’s ‘Let’s Move’

The great food grab began in 2010, when President Obama, with Michelle and US Department of Agriculture honchos at his side, signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. At the time, he admitted taking cash from one pocket to feed the other.

I'm Alright

Golfing his 150th round as President, Obama played through on the course where Caddyshack was filmed.

It's not the first time that course has had a varmint problem and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Obama will continue to hit the links through his Presidency because a varmint will never quit - ever.

You can't keep your insurance if you like it, but Obama can keep playing golf because he likes it.

BUZZ--WRONG!

We all got screwed.

Poor Wages

This is the third time this week the Liter has had to lay into Iowa's Junior Senator, CommieTommie Harkin.

What are we going to write about when he retires?

I have no doubt some Dummycrat will fuel the fodder and the scientific community is united in that fact. 

CommieTommie's latest crusade is increasing the federal minimum wage, by 40%, to over $10 an hour.

If passed, the bill would also automatically raise the minimum wage each year to reflect changes in the cost of living.

It appears to be a CYA move by Dummycrats --

Democratic senators weighed the plan after being deluged with letters and calls from constituents complaining that Obamacare has cost them their chosen health care plans and required hefty premium and deductible increases, in some cases doubling, tripling or quadrupling health insurance costs.

More economic recovery from the same folks who brought you Obamacare, this can only turn out terrific.

CommieTommie, who chairs the committee that deals with labor issues, told CNN that he acknowledges there are "a few" Democrats who have "legitimate concerns" about the increase. He declined to specify what they were.

Republicans will have concerns too, but it will be hard for Harkin to acknowledge those as being "legitimate".

Who Says?

49 years after the Free Speech Movement rocked the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, student government there has banned the term “illegal immigrant”.

They deem the phrase racist, offensive, unfair and derogatory.

"Unfair", that would be funny if it weren't so pathetic and the scientific community is united in that fact.

In a unanimous vote, these titans of tolerance tell us --  the word “illegal” is “racially charged” “dehumanizes” people, and contributes to “punitive and discriminatory actions aimed primarily at immigrants and communities of color.”

I'm no lawyer, but I'll play one on this blog and say, it seems to me that it's illegal for you to ban constitutionally guaranteed free speech.

A student who spoke against the resolution at an earlier meeting was mistreated by student senators, who laughed or had their backs turned when the lone protestor addressed the dais. 

These are the same fiberals who last year passed a resolution attempting to ban the Salvation Army bell ringers from campus.

In a final twist of irony, the University's motto is -- Let there be light.

I Cut Like A Buffalo

In an Op-Ed for the Ragister, CommieTommie Harkin lies about cuts to food stamps (SNAP).

CommieTommie chides the House of Representatives for passing extreme cuts to food assistance.

Those "cuts" are in actuality an increase of 57%.

Harkin harps on it as a cut because the House spends $725 billion while the Senate wants to spend $764 billion. 

CommieTommie continued --

One particularly damaging feature of that bill would offer states a financial incentive to throw poor households, including kids, off of food assistance if a parent cannot find a job or job training.

Not completely true CommieTommie, it allows states to participate in a pilot program that would apply federal welfare work requirements to the SNAP program.

Continuing on, CommieTommie stated -- Another provision in the House bill would throw childless adults off SNAP if they are not working 20 hours per week, regardless of whether jobs are available.

Again, not completely true CommieTommie.

Here's what the provision does --

Renew work requirements, so able-bodied food stamp recipients who are not responsible for dependents would have to have a paid job, or do volunteer work, be enrolled in a qualified training program, or at least sign up for work when it becomes available in order to qualify for food stamps

One cut I would like Washington to make, cut the crap!

And the scientific community is united in that fact.