Johnson increasingly pissed off over Debate exclusion

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Using the Libertarian Party stick?

From Eric Dondero:

Former New Mexico Governor and current libertarian Republican candidate for President Gary Johnson is letting RNC Chair Reince Priebus know that he's not at all happy about the media excluding him from recent debates. He released this letter to Priebus to bloggers and other media:

It is no secret that not all of my views, particularly on some so-called ‘social issues’ are shared by certain elements of the Republican Party – elements who frankly exert inordinate influence within the Party.

Many of my supporters who are Independents are quick to suggest that the Republican “establishment” doesn’t want my voice heard. I hope that is not the case. To the contrary, as I travel the country, I find a great number of Republicans who not only share my views, but who feel disenfranchised by a vocal minority that has become the face of the Party.

My electoral success in a heavily Democrat state should serve as proof that my candidacy presents an opportunity to demonstrate that the Republican Party is big enough to allow a slightly different voice to be heard. That will be important next year when it comes time to turn our attention to the ultimate goal: Convincing a majority of Americans that they want a Republican in the White House.

With the early Republican primaries and caucuses fast approaching, I urge you to exert some leadership and reclaim the nominating process from the national news media who are today pre-ordaining the viability and success of candidates. It is Republican voters who ultimately lose when the process is skewed, and serving the interests of those voters is, in fact, your responsibility, as is the integrity of the nominating process.

And this curious note from Politico, Burns & Haberman on 2012:

There has been some talk among Libertarians about Johnson, who is taking a tea party fiscal position, running as a third party candidate.

Johnson supporter, Donald Trump confidante and Reagan for President '80, Dole for President '96 campaign consultant Roger Stone told LR:

Look out GOP--- keep locking him out of debates and watch him bolt....

Note - The Libertarian Party is on track for full 50 state ballot access for 2012.

Whoa! Gary Johnson takes a surprisingly different view on Uganda intervention and Lord’s Resistance Army

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"Go in, get the job done - period - and get out"

From Eric Dondero:

Libertarian Republican presidential candidate Gary Johnson has expressed support conceptually for U.S. interventions overseas on humanitarian grouds in the past. But he's never been so explicit and direct.

From a recent interview conducted by longtime libertarian Republican and RLC member Rick Sincere, The Examiner:

Johnson pointed out that this action had been authorized by Congress in a law that had been signed by the President (referring to the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009).

He said that his understanding of the LRA is that it “is the worst terrorist group on the planet over the last few decades. They have been directly responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, mutilations, [and] rapes. They are incredibly bad actors who are not based in one country [but] they maraud over several countries in Africa.”

Johnson said that, as President, he would have acted immediately after the legislation had been passed. He would have sent a strike force that could have achieved its aims quickly – eliminating the Lord’s Resistance Army.

“It’s go in, get the job done – period -- and get out,” he said.

He went on to tell Sincere that if elected his cabinet would include military hawks, as well as non-interventionists:

“I’m talking to the most hawkish people that exist,” he said.

“I don’t necessarily agree [with them] that we need to increase spending but we seem to find common ground... that we could be spending our money more wisely.

Photo LRA leader Joseph Krony. credit - Afrik-news

Is Herman Cain the most "unctuous" black man alive?

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Miriam Dictionary: UNCTUOUS b : smooth and greasy in texture or appearance 2: plastic 3: full of unction; especially : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false earnestness or spirituality

by Clifford F. Thies

This vile headline and its associated article is currently running at Time magazine dot com. The idea that people who have a certain pigmentation are supposed to be multicultural socialists is racist. Everybody in this country is free to be who he or she chooses to be, provided they can cut the mustard, whether that is to be a computer scientist, a Catholic, a coin collector, a conservative, or anything else they choose.

As to the question is Herman Cain unctuous, that is, phony, is it phony for a person to turn around a major division of a large corporation, and then lead a management buyout of that division and as CEO make it a profitable independent corporation? Did people buy the product of this company because they felt like it needed a little "affirmative action" because of the legacy of racism in this country? Or, is something else going on here? Namely, envy of a person who made it on his own, against the odds, given that when he was a young man people of a certain pigmentation were denied opportunity instead of given affirmative action?

Is what's going on the fact that Herman Cain gained the respect of his fellow restaurant owners, who elected him to represent their industry in Washington, when certain people desperately want to hold on to the notion of racism so as to justify their own mediocre level of success?

Who really is being smug? Those who proclaim Barack Obama the smartest man ever to be president when the truth is we do not have his SAT score, or his LSAT score, or any objective measure of intelligence, but we're just suppose to believe it because, well, because he is black?

Get over it, people. Being elected President is a singularly great accomplishment no matter a person's color. So is being a success in the corporate world. As to whether Obama or Cain or any other successful person who shares their pigmentation should be considered to be a phony, as though there must be something phony about a black person being successful, that is racist.

Photo credit - ManhattanPrep.com

The Moon, waxing poetic | Bad Astronomy

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Space Shuttle astronaut Ron Garan should be familiar to regular BA readers; I’ve featured a lot of the photos he’s taken from space here on the blog. He’s been posting more of them on Google+, and he just put up this gorgeous shot of the Moon over the limb of the Earth:

Spectacular! [Click to enlunanate.]

I thought at first the Moon was a day after full in this image. If the terminator — the line dividing day and night — is on the bottom, then the Moon was a day past full. But the bottom also looks a bit squished, which may be due to Earth’s atmosphere distorting the shape of the Moon. So it’s really hard to tell. Unfortunately Ron didn’t post the date of the picture, so I’m not sure of the exact phase.

But then, it doesn’t really matter. It’s close enough to full, and not being sure of the exact phase neither bugs me nor detracts from the amazing beauty of the picture he took as he sailed around the Earth on board the space station.

Related posts:

- The Moon is flat!
- A new day, from space
- Moon over Afghanistan
- A puzzling planet picture from the ISS (and make sure you read the followup post!)


Well-known D.C. Democrat switches to Republican

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From Eric Dondero:

Ron Moten, a popular, but also controversial District of Columbia politico, is switching to the GOP.

From the Washington Examiner, "Moten pulling the party switch-a-roo in Ward 7":

The founder of a gang and violence prevention nonprofit group in the District says he is switching parties to run against Democratic Councilwoman Yvette Alexander in Ward 7 next year. Ron Moten plans to register as a Republican on Friday and will announce his campaign on Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

Moten hopes to take advantage of a crowded primary field on the 'D' side, and take on a bruised opponent for the Fall election.

Moten is a former convicted drug dealer, turned crime-fighting community activist.

According to the Washington City Paper:

Moten tells the Post that he's "been a conservative the whole time" and the Republican Party is needed in local politics in order to restore balance to the force.

Photo credit - DCist.com

Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS): UCSD Team’s Stem Cell Therapy Approach – Video

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(Part 2 of 8) Larry Goldstein, Ph.D. spoke at the "Spotlight on Disease Team Awards: ALS," an educational event presented at the CIRM Governing Board meeting on June 23, 2010. Goldstein is the principle investigator of the CIRM ALS Disease Team and director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program.

Read more here:
Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS): UCSD Team's Stem Cell Therapy Approach - Video