Kraemer, Lactivists and Other Things We Shouldn't Really Care About

After taking a week off to take in massive amounts of Turkey, let's recap the nation's pressing news stories. Kramer is a racist apparently. Women can't breast feed on planes and Imams praying to Allah in a flight terminal is apparently okay. A lot of people's feelings got hurt this week.

How are things like this news? Honestly?

Michael Richard, known famously for his role as Kramer on the hit TV Show 'Sienfeld', went ballistic after his failed comedy act went off the deep end. He called a bunch of folks the 'N' word including in particular a 26 year-old heckler sitting in the first few rows. It was what it was. A guy losing it. Now he's on shame-tour 2006 and Jesse Jackson and his ilk are right there, eager to whip him stupid for his actions. The 26 year-old on the other hand, wants to get paid. What a surprise.

The young man went out and hired trash bag attorney Gloria Allred and is now pursuing a personal apology from Richards himself in front of a mediator. According to Allred, who showed up on Fox News's Hannity & Colmes show this weekend, said she was hoping for some monetary compensation to follow this apology as well. Not that this is about money...

Who can forget the "Lactivists". After a woman was asked to leave an airplane for breast feeding, a bunch of women took up the cause and showed us all up by whipping out their mammary glands and fed their younglings in an airport. Now if I were Mitt Romney, I'd forget about courting the old soccer moms. They're out the window. Now, I'm thinking lactate. Breast feeding women. They're organized. They're assertive. They're fearless. They also make milk.

And Allah Akbar to the Imams, who win this week's 'the world is flat' award. After praying to Allah in an airport terminal (probably not the best site to choose), they boarded the plane and sat separated (dumb call #2) and sat two by two (are these guys TRYING to scare us for giggles?). After that they all asked for seat belt extensions and of course decided NOT to use them, but rather to lay them at their feet!

Now I understand that these folks were no doubt humiliated by having to be escorted off the plane. However, if you were a flight attendant, wouldn't YOU raise an eyebrow or ten at this? Islamic guys praying before a flight, dividing up and sitting separately throughout the plane who ask for seat belt extensions and don't use them? It'd be fishy to me. I understand their hurt in this situation, but I don't feel as if that's being reciprocated on their end. C'mon guys.

America is a wonderful country and at times, has a way of sorting itself out. Comedians that disgrace themselves usually stop getting booked and will get hurt in the long run financially because of it. Babies lay claim to being the victims of not being able to eat.

What kills me more than any of this is that while Imams here are talking about hurt feelings, in other places, they're talking about the benefits of blowing up their children to appease Allah. They're discussing the benefits of genital mutilation on women.

I think we have our priorities a little screwed up.

Holiday Message From Democrats

A Face Only For Radio

Credit: Boston Herald.com

Is there really any question?

Patrick Shows His Sincerity

Governor Elect Deval Patrick yesterday named his 23 member-transition team. What a surprise, only two of them are from Western Massachusetts.

Many folks rightfully voiced their concern over the matter, including ardent supporters of Patrick's candidacy. Clovado Concepcion, President of the Sixteen Acres Civic Association in Springfield and a longtime supporter of Patrick's, that the Governor-Elect should have named at least a couple more people from Western Massachusetts to the transition committee.

"He's got to practice what he preached," Concepcion said. "We're always forgotten in this part of the state - always. The state ends in Worcester".

Though Patrick didn't release the home communities of all his transition committee members, at least 15 appointees work for organizations or businesses close to or inside Boston. Two from Worcester, one from Leominster, two from New Bedford area, and one from the North Shore.

And should we be surprised that most of the members of the team happen to be big donors to his campaign. Wouldn't ya know? According to the Boston Herald, together, 18 members of the committee, some from organized labor and business interests, gave a total of $10,725. Their spouses and relatives kicked in another $6,850.

It is no surprise that Patrick's staff, both transitional and permanent, are beginning to look more and more like a who's who of Massachusetts Democratic Special interest. Joan Wallace-Benjamin, his recently named Chief of Staff, is currently a chief executive of the Home for Little Wanderers, the largest child welfare agency in New England. She was also a long-time President of the Urban League of Massachusetts.

Also according to the Herald, he team also is filled with representatives of special interest groups and organized labor, including the president of the Service Employees International Union, which ran advertisements attacking the campaign of Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey. There also is one member - North Shore Community College president Wayne Burton - who lives in New Hampshire. Would have been nice if they gave that slot to maybe, say, one more member from Western Massachusetts instead of, well, someone who doesn't live here.

Well, let to good old time-honored Massachusetts tradition of mass consumption from the Government trough commence.

"Straight Talking" Democrat-Style

Springfield Officials: Growth=Housing Projects

There are plenty of problems in Springfield these days and it's almost tearfully easy to Huck mud at the city council and the mayor, but even this time, they could quite possibly have out done themselves yet again.

If you ask me, one of the biggest issues in Springfield that no one wants to talk about are the two monster housing projects two blocks from the downtown business district. For the last four years we've had homeless running around the quadrangle, people getting hassled in Court and Tower Squares, increased violence in the downtown area of all places, and yet, the City Council and David Panagore think it's an awesome idea to stick yet more 'affordable' housing (see housing projects) downtown? When is someone actually going to stand up and point out the ridiculously obvious that 'affordable housing' in Springfield has run it's course.

I don't know if anyone in city hall seems to realise it or not, but people don't come to this city because they don't feel safe. Housing projects = low income people. Low income people = low income problems. A big contributor to the atmosphere downtown are those two housing projects. Of course, not EVERYONE who lives there is a criminal, but in all honesty, 10% of the population create enough issues for everyone. Now we're going to ADD to that? As is, the downtown business area will never thrive. People don't like being hassled by bums and really don't like weaving in and out of the crasssy lolas lined up and down main street.

As if the projects on Dwight and Chestnut streets weren't enough, the latest public storage bin going to be located on one of the few streets people in the city still frequent: Worthington Street, the so called 'entertainment district'. Maybe i'm being too cynical, but it seems incredibly obvious that the only reason anyone comes to Springfield these days is to get drunk. Sad but true. God knows it's the only reason I go there. They've had a plethora of issues with the strip and now they're going to dump gas on the fire with more projects. I'm sure Panagore, Mayor Ryan and the other geniuses will no doubt begin pointing fingers at Commissioner Flynn when the bullets start flying.

In all fairness and funnies aside, the Finance Control Board has done a very solid job of pointing the city in the right direction. However, this latest decision is a serious mis-step in the wrong direction IF the overall goal of many of these consulting studies and downtown economic stimulous packages are to bring more people downtown.

Personally, I'd really like to see someone... anyone at city hall, grow a pair and start addressing the real problems downtown and the real issues that are preventing this city from growth. Signing off on more goodies for people who don't deserve them isn't going to get anyone anywhere. It'll keep on happening until some one's got enough brains to figure out that affordable housing is only affordable for those who get to live there. Ask a tax payer how 'affordable' affordable housing is.

Democrats are Zombies..

Welcome to the Massachusetts Federalist!

Welcome to the Massachusetts Federalist!

It does not take a rocket scientist these days to see that we are hardly tapped for conservative resources. From books to magazines, to the incredible dominance of talk radio and even right wing commentary on television, one could say that Republican values have more traction in today's world then they may have ever had.

However, you can't help but but notice the frequently un-articulated unease within the ranks of many who considered themselves conservative over the past two decades. Somewhere in the mid 1990s, we lost track of many of the debates within our own party. Should we take a more aggressive stance on foreign policy? Should we welcome more immigrants into the nation or should we tighten boarder security and attempt to assimilate the millions upon millions of immigrants already here before bringing in more? We were told by many members of the establishment, that the debate was over.

Neo-conservatism, though influential and every bit admirable, emerged in the 1970s and blossomed during the 1980s before claiming victory in the 1990s. It is now the dominant, and in many respects, the only conservatism worth talking about. If you look at the wide array of conservative publications, that would certainly seem to be the case.

Major publications these days fall all over each other discussing who can bray loudest for the widest war, the most ambitious expansion of an American military imperium. On more subtle levels, they hem and haw that the shock of 9-11 hasn't, as of today, translated into a decisive political push for serious immigration reform.

Expect this blog to be very different. Many voices will appear on this blog. Many will disagree with one another. This blog's mission is far broader however than mere discussion and debate. This blog's mission is to ignite the conversation that conservatives ought to have engaged in since the end of the Cold War, but didn't. We will question the benefits and point out pitfalls of

We will be different.

In addition to this we will take particular note of the state we live in, Massachusetts. It would be a supreme understatement to state that the Conservative movement in Massachusetts has lost it's way. Our party is rife with social climbers rather that social change-agents. We are not wedded to ourselves, but rather than the greater good of both the party and the state. The mass feeding at the government trough must be stopped as the future of our home depends upon it.

A good friend of mine likened our current state of being to have been on the receiving end of a vast forest fire that consumed everything in it's path. The decision to rebuild was obvious but where TO rebuild? We would like to begin the dialogue right here. This is our home. The endless amount of government spending, corruption and waste have blazed a path of utter destruction in this great state for far too long. With the liberal assault on traditional values and on our court system combined by increasing apathy within our own ranks, can only result in disaster for the commonwealth. Today that changes.

Against it, we take our stand.