Who Needs English?

Reminds you of those pictures on the cash register keys at McDonald's, doesn't it?

A language barrier can be frustrating enough when you're trying to get tech support for your computer from someone 10,000 miles away, but the limited English skills of some immigrants to the U.S. can be deadly during emergency situations.

To prevent misunderstandings and speed up their care, many hospitals and ambulances are spanning the communication gap by using a large board with pictures on it. Patients merely need to point at the pictures that represent their medical problem (such as pain or breathing trouble) and the part of the body that's affected. They can also point to the name of the language they speak so a translator can be called in quickly.

(Source: CNN)

A Dispatch From Puget Sound

My friend Mark Nameroff recently wrote a piece on government involvement in the electoral process. Herewith my response to his invitation to comment.

My friend Richard Winger at Ballot Access News is far better qualified than I to comment on this topic. Richard is a longtime fighter for fairer ballot access for small parties and independents.

I just recently quoted the late Sen. Eugene McCarthy's statement about the government controlling the process by which government officials are chosen.

There has been a series of court rulings in this area. E.g., there were no primary elections when the Constitution was written, and circa 1940 the U. S. Supreme Court said that the Elections Clause applies to primary elections.

The state is not required to mandate that political parties nominate candidates, but it has the power to do so and to limit each party to one candidate per office on the general election ballot. When the state does compel parties to nominate candidates, it must then specify the method(s) of nomination. The party primary, of course, is the most popular nominating process.

In 1995, a federal appeals court said that, when the state mandates primaries, the state must pay the costs of those primaries. Practically speaking, states will continue to mandate primaries, since (1) the voters are accustomed to primaries, and (2) the parties, if left to their own devices, would be very unlikely to hold primaries, due to the expense.

There continues to be plenty of litigation in this area. Most such suits are prompted when state law and party rules conflict with each other. In the last 35 years or so, the federal courts have been moving toward greater autonomy for political parties, so the party rules have almost always prevailed.

On October 1, the U. S. Supreme Court heard oral argument vis-a-vis Washington state's Louisiana-style "top two" election system. The political parties, to be sure, object to the "top two," particularly the provision allowing candidates to have their party preferences next to their names on the ballot. Most of the justices seemed to be leaning in favor of the parties and against the state.

By the way: many states now charge parties and candidates fees for ballot access. The states have varying degrees of ease of ballot access. Florida, e.g., has some 23 qualified political parties, some two-thirds of which have never run the first candidate for office. (My personal favorite is the Surfers Party of America.)

Uncle Remus was a Real Swinger

This story, which came in my e-mail, reminds me of Hillary Clinton's claim that she was named for Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the two climbers who first reached the summit of Mount Everest. He achieved this feat, which made him famous, on May 29, 1953.

At the time, Hillary Rodham was five-and-a-half years old, having been born on October 26, 1947.

Judy Wallman, a professional genealogical researcher, discovered that Hillary Clinton's great-great uncle, Remus Rodham, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.

The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is this inscription: "Remus Rodham: horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889."

Judy e-mailed Hillary Clinton for comments. Hillary's staff of professional image adjusters sent back the following biographical sketch:

"Remus Rodham was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad.

"In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency.

"In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."

And THAT is how it's done, folks!

A 41-Cent Poll Tax?

36 of Washington state's 39 counties have converted to vote-by-mail. Question: in a jurisdiction in which people must go to the polls to vote, can the cost of transportation be considered a poll tax? Be sure to see the comments.

by Brad Shannon | The Olympian | October 24, 2007

Wally DeMucha, 84, is making progress in his one-man battle to vote without paying for stamps on his mail-in ballots.

DeMucha typically tosses his ballot in the mail without postage, and typically it gets counted. But in the latest wrinkle of his years-long protest, he just received a dozen prepaid envelopes from the Thurston County Elections Office for the Nov. 6 election.

The envelopes are similar to what overseas military voters get.

"It's unusual for us to do that," elections manager Steve Homan said, explaining the decision to send the envelopes was at the direction of the Office of the Secretary of State. "He's an older gentleman; instead of fighting him, they said to go ahead and provide what he wanted."

DeMucha, a World War II veteran, told The Olympian he's glad to get the envelopes but that it falls short of what he's trying to accomplish for other voters. He thinks no one should have to... Read more...

Great Quotes

Helen Keller:

"Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true
happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification,
but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."

Robert Burns:

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose."

Victor Frankl:

"What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but
rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of
him. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any
cost, but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be
fulfilled by him."

Here's a quote from James Allen's classic book 'As A Man
Thinketh':

"Until thought is linked with purpose there is no
intelligent accomplishment. They who have no central
purpose in their life fall easy prey to worries, fears,
troubles, and self pityings, all of which are indications
of weakness, which lead, just as surely as deliberately
planned sins, to failure, unhappiness, and loss, for
weakness cannot persist in a power evolving universe."

Congratulations, Bobby Jindal!

Last Saturday, Republican congressman Bobby Jindal (GIN-dle) received 54 percent of the vote in a 12-candidate field to be elected governor of Louisiana. What follows is an account of Trent Hill's encounter with Jindal at a September campaign event. In a day when we celebrate politicians who promise not to raise taxes, isn't it refreshing to hear one say that he actually wants to get rid of a tax? Godspeed, Bobby!

From Conservative Louisiana:

"After his short stump speech, I wanted to ask Mr. Jindal a question. I figured I knew the answer, but wanted to be perfectly sure. When I approached him, the man's calm composure really impressed me. Bobby Jindal is not an idol of mine, but he certainly is a great campaigner. His incredibly calm demeanor was the reason this meeting was going so well.
"I shook his hand and shouted over the cheers, 'When elected governor, will you work to eliminate the state income tax?'
His response was more than enough for me. 'We have to. We've got to try. With a Democrat-controlled legislature it may not be possible, but we need it. Look at Texas and Florida, both prosperous states with NO income tax. There is no reason Louisiana can't compete with them.'"

Attaboy, Rush!

by Geoff Metcalf | October 21, 2007

“Pay no attention to what the critics say; no statue has ever been erected to a critic.” --Jean Sibelius

The new epitome for turning lemons into lemonade goes to talk show giant Rush Limbaugh. In the frothy wake of the perpetual acrimonious partisan spitting match between left and right, Limbaugh has eviscerated his petty mean spirited critics AND gifted a worthy charity with a financial windfall.

The New Jersey based, The Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, a charity that gives scholarship money to the children of service members killed in war or in public duty, will receive $4.2 million (half of it from Limbaugh himself). And that is a good thing.

The record setting e-Bay sale of a two-page letter (plus two additional pages of autographs) from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to Clear Channel Communications CEO Mark Mays ripping Limbaugh, was bought by... Keep reading...

The Latest on the Jena Six

VDARE.com ran an edited version of this article.

This morning I watched on C-SPAN a replay of the U. S. House Judiciary Committee's hearing regarding the Jena Six case. Chairman John Conyers (D-Detroit) introduced the ranking Republican, Steve King of Iowa, as "the gentleman from Utah." The usual suspects were present, and what I saw was very pro-thug. Rev. Al Sharpton (in all his glory) testified, and Rep. Maxine "Murky" Waters (D-Los Angeles) got in her licks too. (I recall a particular appearance by Murky on CNN. She was a little late getting the cigarette out of her mouth when it came her turn on camera.)

Certain of the committee members were pretty tough on Donald Washington, the black U. S. attorney whose district includes Jena (gee-nuh). They mainly wanted to know why he couldn't find some excuse for prosecuting the students who hung the two nooses from the tree at Jena High School. These committee members clearly consider that to be a more egregious "crime" than knocking someone unconscious, then five or six people kicking him as he lies defenseless on the ground.

Professor Charles Ogletree of Harvard opined that such a "hate crime" (hanging the nooses) should be considered a ten-year felony. (Gimme a break!) And Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Georgia), who last year disposed of Rep. "Jihad Cindy" McKinney, presented a thoroughly twisted version of the events in "Jenna." Washington, the federal prosecutor, pointed out that Johnson's "facts" were wrong. Conyers was lax in enforcing the time limits, and Johnson asked some seven questions after his time had expired.

Oh! I almost forgot the illustrious Sheila Jackson "Set 'em Free!" Lee (D-Texas), who was especially hard on U. S. attorney Washington. As I listened, I couldn't help remembering that Rep. Jackson Lee, a lawyer and former judge, once stated that several of the authors of the Federalist Papers were from Massachusetts. (Two of the authors, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, were from New York, while the third, James Madison, was from Virginia.)

Several of the members also expressed disappointment that Reed Walters, the LaSalle Parish district attorney, did not come before the committee and allow them to rake him over the coals.

Steve Sailer has another good piece, this one on the return of the Jena Six's ringleader to the hoosegow. Steve, who notes that one of Mychal Bell's previous convictions was for punching a 17 year old girl in the face, has included several excellent links.

My friend Kingfish-- who, like me, has Louisiana roots-- has several great posts on the Jena Six at Jackson Jambalaya. One of his newest links is to a description of two of the thugs' appearance as presenters at BET's Hip Hop Awards ceremony.

Jailed Border Patrol Agents Treated Worse Than Terrorists

by Jim Kouri | October 19, 2007

In a biting letter, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) blasted President George W. Bush and his administration for treating terrorists better than they treat the two convicted Border Patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.

Rep. Rohrabacher called on the Bush administration to conduct a thorough review of the harsh treatment the two decorated border agents are receiving while in solitary confinement.

The popular conservative wrote to President Bush that for 10 months Ramos and Compean have been in conditions more severe than experienced by terrorists held by the US at the Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Rohrabacher told the news media in a statement that he has written a letter to Manhattan federal trial judge Michael Mukasey, Bush's nominee to replace Alberto Gonzales as US Attorney General, demanding that upon confirmation Mukasey conduct an unbiased review of the agents' prosecution.

"Given the close personal relationship between the prosecuting US Attorney Johnny Sutton, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and President Bush, past requests for inquiries into prosecutorial misconduct in this case have been ignored," Rohrabacher claimed in his statement.-->-->--> Read more...

Camille Paglia Says Hillary Can't Win

The host of a dinner party once seated Camille Paglia and Rush Limbaugh next to each other, expecting tons of fireworks. The host was disappointed, as the two got along famously. Rush even gave Ms. Paglia a fine, expensive cigar. She's a brilliant woman, and when she speaks, you have to pay close attention, as she has a rapid-fire delivery.

by Newsmax staff

Firebrand writer Camille Paglia says Hillary Clinton “has no vision” and can’t win the general election against any of the leading Republican presidential candidates.

In an interview with Canada’s Globe and Mail, Paglia – who came into the public eye in the early 1990s with her denunciation of “political correctness” – declared:

“I don't know where people are getting the idea that the Democrats are a shoo-in. I don't see them gaining the White House unless there's a third-party spin-off, like Ross Perot.

“I listen to conservative talk radio, because the callers really do give one a sense of where popular sentiment is at the moment. And I just don't see how any of the Democratic candidates is going to be able to present the national-security credentials that will be crucial in this election.

“The Republicans have [Mitt] Romney, [Rudy] Giuliani, [Fred] Thompson, even [Mike] Huckabee - a series of candidates who would be way more credible than Hillary, if only because of the projection of strength they give.”

Paglia even doubts that Clinton will get the Democratic nomination.-->-->--> Keep reading...

Common Sense, RIP

TODAY WE MOURN THE PASSING OF A BELOVED OLD FRIEND, MR. COMMON SENSE. MR. SENSE HAD BEEN WITH US FOR MANY YEARS. NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE HOW OLD HE WAS, SINCE HIS BIRTH RECORDS WERE LONG AGO LOST IN BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE. HE WILL BE REMEMBERED AS HAVING CULTIVATED SUCH VALUE LESSONS AS KNOWING WHEN TO COME IN OUT OF THE RAIN, WHY THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM, AND THAT LIFE ISN'T ALWAYS FAIR. COMMON SENSE LIVED BY SIMPLE, SOUND FINANCIAL POLICIES (DON'T SPEND MORE THAN YOU EARN) AND RELIABLE PARENTING STRATEGIES (ADULTS, NOT KIDS, ARE IN CHARGE).

HIS HEALTH BEGAN TO RAPIDLY DETERIORATE WHEN WELL INTENTIONED BUT OVERBEARING REGULATIONS WERE SET IN PLACE. REPORTS OF A SIX YEAR OLD BOY CHARGED WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT FOR KISSING A CLASSMATE; TEENS SUSPENDED FROM SCHOOL FOR USING MOUTHWASH AFTER LUNCH; AND A TEACHER FIRED FOR REPRIMANDING AN UNRULY STUDENT, ONLY WORSENED HIS CONDITION.

MR. SENSE DECLINED EVEN FURTHER WHEN SCHOOLS WERE REQUIRED TO GET PARENTAL CONSENT TO ADMINISTER ASPRIN TO A STUDENT, BUT COULD NOT INFORM THE PARENTS WHEN A STUDENT BECAME PREGNANT AND WANTED TO HAVE AN ABORTION.

FINALLY, COMMON SENSE LOST THE WILL TO LIVE AS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS BECAME CONTRABAND; CHURCHES BECAME BUSINESSES; AND CRIMINALS RECEIVED BETTER TREATMENT THAN THEIR VICTIMS.

COMMON SENSE FINALLY GAVE UP COMPLETELY AFTER A WOMAN FAILED TO REALIZE THAT A STEAMING CUP OF MCDONALD'S COFFEE WAS HOT, SPILLED A BIT ON HER LAP, AND WAS AWARDED A HUGE FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT.

COMMON SENSE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS, TRUTH AND TRUST, HIS WIFE, DISCRETION; HIS DAUGHTER, RESPONSIBILITY; AND HIS SON, REASON. HE IS SURVIVED BY TWO STEPBROTHERS; MY RIGHTS AND IMA WHINER.

NOT MANY ATTENDED HIS FUNERAL BECAUSE SO FEW REALIZED HE WAS GONE. IF YOU STILL REMEMBER HIM, PASS THIS ON; IF NOT, JOIN THE MAJORITY AND DO NOTHING.

~~ Author Unknown

Ron Paul: "No Intention" of Third Party Run

From Politics1.com, by way of ThirdPartyWatch:

“Congressman Ron Paul, appearing on Tucker Carlson's MSNBC show, insisted he does not plan to make a third party run for President if he loses the GOP nomination race. 'I have no intention of doing that. That is not a very attractive thing to do,' he said. The comment still leaves Paul some wiggle room. Conservative columnist Robert Novak this week said Paul would consider continuing his Presidential campaign in the general election as an independent—but not as a third party nominee—if he loses the Republican contest.”-->-->-->Read more...

Ron Paul Beats Huckabee, Hunter, and McCain

The Washington state Republican Party conducted a straw poll on October 10.

Notably, Congressman Ron Paul finished fourth, ahead of former Gov. Mike Huckabee and Congressman Duncan Hunter. Sen. John McCain wound up in seventh place.

Washington state is not exactly a hotbed of conservatism.

Northern Secessionists Invade the South

At the end of this piece, there is a link to Glenn Beck's CNN interview with a Vermont secessionist and a Southern secessionist. Mine is the second comment.

by Michael H. Thomson | October 10, 2007

[... .]

Different groups of secessionists met in Chattanooga, Tennessee last week in what is billed as the largest secessionist meeting since the Civil War. The unique characteristic of this gathering was not its theme – secession from the United States - but the diversity of the conference participants. Northern secessionists – who can be characterized as free-thinking, tree-hugging folks – joined with Southern secessionists who are much more conservative and wrap themselves in the Confederate battle flag.-->-->-->Keep reading...

The "Southern Strategy": the Democrats' Excuse for Losing

This is my response to a column by Byron Williams at "The Huffington Post." As you may recall, Arianna Huffington was a conservative before her husband decided that he preferred men. I guess such an experience is enough to turn most any woman into a left-wing nutjob.

This article is so chockablock with B. S. that time does not permit a full rebuttal. The fact that Rev. Williams is from Oakland, California helps explain why he wrote such a political fable. (Not to mention that he needs a remedial course in spelling and grammar.)

"The "Southern Strategy" has proven so effective for Republicans that, except for Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Democratic presidential nominees have all but written off the South as part of their electoral strategy."

Oh yeah? Then why was Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen the 1988 Democratic nominee for vice president? Why was Tennesseean Algore the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee? (If Algore had carried his home state, he would have been elected, but that's another story.) And why was North Carolina Sen. John Edwards the 2004 Democratic nominee for vice president?

Someone needs to tell the good pastor that the White Citizens Council has been defunct for some years now.

"Though it began in earnest with the Nixon presidential campaign in 1968, Ronald Reagan crystallized the Southern Strategy in 1980."

Nixon must have had a pretty lousy "Southern strategy" in 1968, since the independent George Wallace carried five Southern states, and the Democrat Hubert Humphrey carried Texas. Nixon clearly had a "national strategy" in 1972, when he carried 49 states. So did Reagan, who carried 44 states in 1980 and 49 states in 1984.

"During the [2003] campaign, lawn signs supporting [Haley] Barbour featured the Confederate flag, which read: 'Keep the flag, change the governor!'"

I followed that campaign quite closely, and I never saw any such signs. Some 64 percent had voted several years earlier to keep our current flag. Even several black-majority counties voted for the current flag.

The "Southern strategy" is one of the basic tenets of the Keepers of Odd Knowledge Society (KOOKS).

Washington's "Top Two" Could Affect Louisiana

I wrote this commentary in response to an article by Professor Jeffrey Sadow of Louisiana State University at Shreveport.

I have followed since 2001 the controversy surrounding Washington state's election system.

In 1996, California enacted its partisan blanket primary by popular initiative and first used it in 1998. This put all candidates of all parties on the same primary ballot, and the top vote-getter from each party advanced to the general election. In 2000, the U. S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) reversed the two lower courts and struck down California's blanket primary.

Washington state had used the partisan blanket primary since 1936 and attempted to keep it. In 2004, however, the federal courts also declared it unconstitutional. In November 2004, Washington voters passed an initiative for a Louisiana-style "top two" system. (All candidates, including independents, run in the same election. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the runoff.)

Washington's "top two," because of federal litigation, has not been implemented. The state has instead used open primaries. (The parties have separate primary ballots, and each voter picks a party on primary day.)

In his majority opinion in the 2000 California case, Justice Antonin Scalia called the "top two" a "nonpartisan blanket primary." He said that it is constitutional because "voters are not choosing a party's nominee." (In his dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens-- correctly, in my view-- stated that the "top two" is a general election with a runoff.)

The Louisiana/"top two" is a nonpartisan system because the parties have no way of officially nominating candidates, and the general election (the first round) is not limited to one candidate per party. (Each party, of course, may endorse a candidate.)

In my view, when party labels are put on a Louisiana/"top two" ballot, it's mainly for the voters' information. If a candidate has a party preference, he has that preference whether the party likes it or not. Thus, I was surprised on October 1 when the justices showed sympathy for the parties' argument against allowing party labels on the "top two" ballot. If SCOTUS indeed strikes down the "top two" for that reason, there will, if necessary, be a new Washington initiative for a "top two" without party labels. And the voters will again pass it overwhelmingly.

Louisiana, unlike Washington, registers voters by party, and it will be interesting to see how this ruling affects the Bayou State.

All of this (and more) is covered in greater detail here

What About the Federal Reserve, Mr. Jefferson?

"I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this
ground that 'all powers not delegated to the United States, by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to
the states or to the people.' To take a single step beyond the
boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress,
is to take possession of a boundless field of power, not longer
susceptible of any definition."

-- Thomas Jefferson (Opinion on the constitutionality of a National
Bank, 15 February 1791)

A "Sacred Reverence" for the Constitution

"Wise politicians will be cautious about fettering the government
with restrictions that cannot be observed, because they know that
every break of the fundamental laws, though dictated by necessity,
impairs that sacred reverence which ought to be maintained in
the breast of rulers towards the constitution of a country."

-- Alexander Hamilton (Federalist No. 25, 21 December 1787)

Is There a Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Or are we tunneling into Iran?

by Joseph Sobran | September 6, 2007

Four years ago, President Bush enjoyed overwhelming
popular support for war on Iraq. Saddam Hussein had
something to do with the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001; he had, "no doubt," weapons of mass
destruction, probably nuclear, that threatened the entire
Western world; after his overthrow, democracy would erupt
contagiously throughout the Middle East; and the risks of
inaction were greater than the risks of action. Saddam
was quickly routed, his sons were killed, he was captured
and eventually hanged. The exultant theme was "Mission
Accomplished." Bush won reelection.

But somehow the war continued. Somehow victory was
incomplete. Europe and indeed most of the world opposed
the war. Still, after two years, optimism persisted.
NATIONAL REVIEW ran a cover story assuring us that "We're
Winning!"; Fred Barnes of THE WEEKLY STANDARD wrote that
the invasion of Iraq was "the greatest act of benevolence
one nation has ever performed for another."

Over the next two years, though, most Americans
soured on the war; most Iraqis wanted the American troops
to leave. The optimists became a defensive and desperate
minority. The Democrats recaptured both houses of
Congress. Republicans shunned association with Bush; many
were, and are, edging away from their former support. The
Iraq war had become the worst disaster since Vietnam.

Even Bush, the archoptimist, has had to change his
tune. He assured the American public that a "troop surge"
would reverse recent misfortunes; and a few days ago he
surprisingly embraced the Vietnam parallel -- not to
admit his folly, of course, but to warn us of the
horrifying consequences of another American defeat:
massacres, refugees, tyranny.-->-->-->-->--> Keep reading...

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down
by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.


© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

A Conspiracy Against Ron Paul?

This is an interesting article, even though it contains some errors. In my view, there's no Grand Conspiracy against Ron Paul, despite the opposition to him of most of the Republican powers that be. The rules for voting in primaries are established by a combination of state law and party bylaws. In closed-primary states, e.g., each party decides whether independents may vote in its primary. And the deadlines for registering are set by law.

The October 12 deadline in New Hampshire is for now-registered voters to change their affiliations. That state has same-day registration for new voters, meaning that an unregistered voter may register at the polls and vote on election day. Independents have their choice of either party's primary.

In California, the Republicans are not inviting independents to vote in their February 5 presidential primary. However, state law allows voters to change their affiliations up until two weeks before the election.

In Arizona, independents are not allowed to vote in either party's presidential primary. I believe, however, that both major parties' primaries are "beauty contests," and that the presidential delegates will actually be chosen in party caucuses.

The Ron Paul site that Jennifer mentions has an excellent chart with primary dates and voter registration links for each of the 50 states. I took a cursory look at it, and it appears to be quite accurate.

by Jennifer Reynolds | October 2, 2007

Ron Paul's popularity bridges the gap between all groups. He is truly a bi-partisan politician. Republicans like him, Libertarians like him, independents are supporting him as well as many Democrats who see his small government, anti-war stance as attractive.

Ron Paul is the first person in decades to have so many diverse groups support him. It is easy to see why: he believes in freedom and liberty for all. That includes the liberty to not have to go to war and the liberty to keep your entire paycheck. Only days ago he introduced the Tax Free Tips Act because by taxing tips, the IRS punishes workers for "doing a superior job." People in this country are fed up with being lied to and stolen from. They want the war over with and they want it ended NOW.

Ron Paul is fast becoming the only candidate in either party to pledge to end the war. People in general are sick of having no power to do anything and the majority of Americans believe that things are going to get worse for them in the coming years, not better. But Ron Paul offers hope to change all of that. He is truly the only man for the people. What is so amazing that so many Democrats, independents and Libertarians are planning on voting for him. For those of you that fall into that class, the established Republicans do not want you to do that and are changing rules as we speak to try to shut you out at the voting window.

Many states, in an effort to shut out Ron Paul, are now closing their primaries. That means that only Republicans can vote in the Presidential primaries for a Republican candidate. Many states are doing this quickly and quietly and giving people very little time to learn about the new rules. For example, New Hampshire decided only a week ago that you will now have to change your party affiliation by October 12, 2007, or it will be too late to do so. New Hampshire also has a [semi-]closed primary and only Republicans and... independents will be allowed to vote for Ron Paul.-->-->-->-->--> Read more... (Jennifer's article starts about a third of the way down the page.)

Yankees Join Southern Secessionists

by Bill Poovey, Associated Press Writer | October 3, 2007

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --In an unlikely marriage of desire to secede from the United States, two advocacy groups from opposite political traditions -- New England and the South -- are sitting down to talk.

Tired of foreign wars and what they consider right-wing courts, the Middlebury Institute wants liberal states like Vermont to be able to secede peacefully.

That sounds just fine to the League of the South, a conservative group that refuses to give up on Southern independence.

"We believe that an independent South, or Hawaii, Alaska, or Vermont would be better able to serve the interest of everybody, regardless of race or ethnicity," said Michael Hill of Killen, Ala., president of the League of the South.

Separated by hundreds of miles and divergent political philosophies, the Middlebury Institute and the League of the South are hosting a two-day Secessionist Convention starting Wednesday in Chattanooga.

They expect to attract supporters from California, Alaska and Hawaii, inviting anyone who wants to dissolve the Union so states can save themselves from an overbearing federal government.

If allowed to go their own way, New Englanders "probably would allow abortion and have gun control," Hill said, while Southerners "would probably crack down on illegal immigration harder than it is being now."

The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly prohibit secession, but few people think it is politically viable.

Vermont, one of the nation's most liberal states, has become a hotbed for liberal secessionists, a fringe movement that gained new traction because of the Iraq war, rising oil prices and the formation of several pro-secession groups.-->-->-->-->-->--> Read more...