Yes Virginia, Dick Lied

I guess everything changed after 9/11, including Cheney's memory. He did not recall meeting him, I am sure. Just like he did not recall implying at every turn that Iraq had something to do with 9/11 and had strong links with al Qaeda.

Tall Stacks Debt

Should the City of Cincinnati forgive it? I can't help but thinking of Third World Debt, and the efforts to have that debt forgiven. Both situations have a very vague parallel, mostly on terminology.

I say forgive it. It was a great festival, and the city needs more like it. This is the not the best time to write off debt. Why not wait a while? Maybe have them pay some of it off? This would make a great election year issue for Fall of 2005.

"Steve_Fritsch_God"

Yea, that is the page title for Steve Fritsch's BCR column about former Judge Roy Moore's fundraiser visit to Cincinnati.

Roy Moore is a theocrat. He is in my opinion a fascist, but I am willing to debate that. His theocratic beliefs can't be denied.

Roy Moore is wrong and so is Steve Fritsch. What causes this is ignorance. Now, I say that word and it may seem harsh, but I mean it in a truly literally way. Fritsch and Moore are ignorant of other religions and of those who have no religion. Moore used a classic theme Fritsch recounts about not being able to define religion. Well I can:

Religion: A belief or beliefs or set of beliefs or system of beliefs in a god or gods or supernatural creator(s) or supernatural entities.

Was that so difficult?

Moore's claim that Christianity was the basis of our government, our laws and our country is just a lie. Our laws are based laws that predate Christianity by hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Our government and country were in part founded on the right to practice religion or not practice it as we see fit. Moore celebrates views akin those those of the Puritans, but seems to leave out the agnostic/deism of Jefferson in his review of history. If the founding fathers wanted to insure that we were going to be a theocracy, we would have in our constitution direct articles on the matter. We don't have such things. We instead have a body of case law that has thankfully grown beyond the mentality of the Scopes Trial era Moore longs for and into one where religion is a private matter. Government is a public matter. The two should not mingle.

Fritsch goes off the deep end in his column in this paragraph:

You see, the Constitution is not the problem. God is not the problem. In fact, He is the answer. The problem lies in those individuals who hijack what is good. The problem is the agenda-driven, morally empty activists, and the corrupt judges who grant their wishes, that attempt to remove the "Creator" from all things American. For if they succeed, an alarming prediction can be made: If God goes, so does America.

I for one do not need any religion, let alone Steve Fritcsh or Roy Moore's, to be "moral." I have my own morals I live by, and do quite well. I find it odd that Steve goes after "agenda-driven, morally empty activists," when he is writing about one. Roy Moore's agenda was, and still is, to promote his religion by using his government office. He chose to push his religion over all others in his state. He decided what was best for others. Now, people might counter that by keeping religion out of government, out of schools, and out of state houses is deciding for others how to live. Well, there is a simple answer to that. We do it all the time. We allow people to live their lives as they please, and keep others from interfering. My right to not have religion superimposed or forced on me as an individual supercedes another individual's actions to try and use government to force religion on others. I can't force you to like my blog. I can't force the government to make you like or even read my blog. My blog will should not get special treatment from the government over other blogs or people without blogs, even though I have the Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Speech on my side.

Religion has a place in society: in churches, homes, private property, and in your own mind if you so choose. It has no place in government. You can carry your bible around all you want. Just don't post it on public property.

Steve's final thoughts are without question very troubling:

In the words of Judge Roy Moore, now is not the time to flinch. We must stand up and fight for the reasons this country was founded to begin with. We, as a land of free people, dedicated to liberty and doing what is necessary to make it endure for countless generations, must restore and protect that of which has been lost. For the fight against those who seek to eliminate God from public discourse is a necessary battle. Because if we lose to this amoral nihilist agenda, we will not only be putting ourselves in danger, but our children and grandchildren as well.

Has a church been raided by the government for anything they preach recently? Have private schools been forced to keep bible study out of the classroom? NO! Who the hell is Steve worried about? I fear the Roy Moores of the world far more than I fear a fellow atheist or Wiccan. By the way, Steve might want to look up the difference between nihilism and atheism. Two very different things.

I did not think Steve was this far over the edge on this issue. This sounds more like something Brinkman might write.

Gun Nuts Getting Hardons

Tom Brinkman is pushing for people to have the right to carry guns into:

to eliminate as premises in which a concealed carry licensee may not carry a concealed handgun public or private institutions of higher education, places of worship, day-care centers and homes, and government buildings other than schools, courthouses, law enforcement offices, and correctional facilities;

You know you are insane when you think you need to carry a gun into a church or government buildings like City Hall, colleges, and day-care centers. Who are the crazies who really want these changes? I guess there are gun nuts, and then their are insane people like Tom Brinkman's voter base. What really sucks is that I live in the guy's district. I have some loopy neighbors.

In Honor of Rodney Dangerfield

I give him no respect.

Post Debate Spin

I was not overly impressed with the whole thing. I like Gwen Ifill in general, but I did not like how she was putting out rambling questions that where both vague and specific at the same time, creating a mess.

Cheney was being a bit of an asshole and well, a liar. I have my bias, but he was saying little and just harping. Denying he never implied the 9/11 Iraq link was the lie of campaign so far. I still have heard almost nothing about what they will do on any topic, beyond fight terrorism and the blah blah blah on what they have done. Edwards was better, but did not put forth a great effort. He seemed a bit jumpy, but that may have been just because he was sitting next to Cheney, who actually less animated than Al Gore.

I would call this one a draw, as I think most pundits. It will have little impact, and as I said before usually does not. Friday will be filled with enough tension, I think would could get some tears from Bush.

Wes has comments too. Covington Jim scores a win for Edwards.

UPDATE: Andy Sullivan gives it a big win for Edwards. I don't see it as such, but hey, I will take it.

Blackwell Looking Like Boss Hog

Blackwell dismissive after Jackson blasts voting rule. Blackwell should prepare for more criticism. He is going to get it hard if people are turned away from voting, especially here in Cincinnati.

If anyone is turned away from voting, please send their stories to me. I will print them and spread the word.

I think Ohio bloggers should be prepared to help flow news from the ground after Election Day if there are any problems. Ohio will be a focus on that issue. I have tentative plans to be blogging or at least gather lots of first hand news on Election Day and election night. I hope I report no problems. I would bet I get word of many issues.