From Eric Dondero:

Maryland is the deepest of blue states. Martin O'Malley, a former top staffer for US Senator Barbara Mikulski is one of the most hardened leftwing radical Governors in the Nation. O'Malley raised the state income tax by 8 percent.

In 2005, O'Malley, then the Mayor of Baltimore, compared President Bush to a "9/11 Terrorist," for his "massive spending cuts to local and state governments."

Now a new poll has former Republican Governor Bob Ehrlich pulling ahead of O'Malley in a re-match of the 2006 contest where Ehrlich lost.

From Hedgehog:

GOVERNOR – MARYLAND (Magellan)
Bob Ehrlich (R) 46%
Martin O’Malley (D-inc) 43%

From Eric Dondero:

The London Daily Mail is reporting on the attempted killing of actress Afshan Azad. She played Padma Patil in the latter Harry Potter movies. However, the Mail neglects to mention the religious affiliation of the father and son who are accused of the assault.

From the Daily Mail, July 2:

A Harry Potter actress has fled her home after her father and brother allegedly threatened to kill her.

Afshan Azad, 22, who has appeared in four of the blockbuster movies as Padma Patil, is now believed to be staying with friends in London.

Her father Abdul Azad, 54, and brother Ashraf Azad, 28, both of Longsight in Manchester (photo of downtown Manchester), were arrested and charged.

Both are accused of threatening to kill her.

Ashraf Azad is also accused of assaulting his sister causing her actual bodily harm.

They appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and the case was adjourned until July 12 for committal proceedings to crown court.

They had been in custody until this week’s court appearance when they were bailed.
As part of their bail conditions, they have to abide by an 11pm to 6am curfew and must not travel to London or contact an unnamed man.

Miss Azad lived with her father, mother Nilofar and her three brothers.

Meanwhile there are increasing reports of outrage by Potter fans.

But Infidel Bloggers Alliance asks:

Will Harry Potter fans begin to recognize in radical Islam the face of Voldemort and the Death Eaters? Or will the PC/MC indoctrination they have received all their lives corral their natural, spontaneous outrage into the safe confines of "cultural relativism"?

UPDATE!!

CNN confirms family is Muslim

Just breaking from CNN:

Abdul Azad, 54, and his son Ashraf, 28, are accused of attacking actress Afshan Azad earlier this month because of her relationship with a Hindu man, a spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said. The family is Muslim.

From Eric Dondero:

Is the Left now going Prohibitionist? Or, at least Ninnies about alcohol?

The Far Left, America-hating political website TPM is taking House Minority Leader John Boehner to task for enjoying Happy Hour after a hard day's work.
From TPM July 2:

During a press conference earlier today, House Republican leader John Boehner was asked about MSNBC host Joe Scarborough’s accusation that “every Republican I talk to says John Boehner, by 5 or 6 o’clock at night, you can see him at bars.” When asked if there was “any truth” to that allegation, Boehner dodged the question entirely and instead argued that he’s hard at work doing fundraisers for his colleagues:

QUSTION (sic): Is there any truth to the matter that you’re at bars at 5 or 6 o’clock during the day?

BOEHNER: You can go back over the last 16 years and look at my schedule and you’ll see you’d be hard-pressed to find a night when I wasn’t doing events for my colleagues or my candidates.

Ironically, some voters may find Republicans enjoying a few spirits a refreshing change to the typical buttoned-down image of the GOP.

gold·brick (gldbrk) Slang
n.
A person, especially a soldier, who avoids assigned duties or work; a shirker.
v. gold·bricked, gold·brick·ing, gold·bricks
v.intr.
To shirk one's assigned duties or responsibilities.
v.tr.
To cheat; swindle. -- Goldbrickers definition from Free Dictionary

From Eric Dondero:

Should people have to work for a living; or should they just get paid for doing nothing?

Libertarian-leaning Republican candidates are starting to question extensions without ends of unemployment benefits. Such benefits for some tax takers are now closing in on the 2-year mark. At least one liberal media outlet is stunned that the question would even be brought up by mainstream candidates for office.

From ABC News, July 1, "Politics of Jobless Claims: Is Two Years of Benefits Too Much?":

But out on the campaign trail, it's a different story -- some insurgent Republican candidates with libertarian streaks are arguing to scale back -- not extend -- the benefits.

Both Sharron Angle and Rand Paul were quoted:

"The truth about it is that they keep extending these unemployment benefits to the point where people are afraid to go out and get a job because the job doesn't pay as much as the unemployment benefit does," she said, even though most people on unemployment receive less than 40 percent of their previous wages. (The maximum benefit in Nevada is $362 a week, far lower than the median household income there, which is more than $56,000.)

In Kentucky, where the unemployment rate is 10.2 percent, Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul told a radio interviewer that the unemployed were essentially getting "handouts."

"As bad as it sounds, ultimately, we do have to sometimes accept a wage that's less than we had at our previous job in order to get back to work and allow the economy to get started again," Paul said. "Nobody likes that, but it may be one of the tough love things that has to happen."

From Eric Dondero:

This is the first sighted comparison of Sharron Angle to Ayn Rand in the major media. Ezra Klien, far-left editorial writer for the Washington Post compared Angle's jobs position to that of incumbent Senator Harry Reid; "Angle vs. Reid -- and Nevada -- on unemployment benefits."

From WaPo:

Whatever else Nevadans can say about their Senate race this year, they can't say they've been denied a clear choice. In the blue corner is Harry Reid, who took to the Senate floor last night to introduce yet another bill to extend unemployment benefits. One important thing to note: The measure varies unemployment insurance by state. The states with the highest levels of unemployment get up to 99 weeks of help. States with more modest unemployment levels get much less than that.

In the red corner, wearing the Ayn Rand trunks, is Reid's opponent, Sharron Angle.

From Eric Dondero:

It is my distinct honor to announce that Republican nominee for United States Senate Sharron Angle of Nevada will be our guest tonight on "Libertarian Politics Live."

A hearty congratulations to our show's host Andre Traversa for securing the interview. And a special thanks to the show's producer Jim "Right Guy" Lagnese. The three of us will be on the show tonight. And we might have a special surprise call-in guest or two.

It starts at 8 pm central standard time. Or, you can listen to the podcast after the show airs.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/libertarian Or simply click on the radio button above.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws [...]

Economics in More than One Lesson

Business prospers most in an environment of limited government.

Business prospers little in an environment of no government (anarchy), due to no protections of private property.

Business propsers little in an environment of lots of government. Economic output suffers from over-regulation, and high spending, confiscating otherwise investment income from the private sector.