John Dean at FindLaw:

Given the growing importance of "conservatism" in American politics and government, it seems worth posing a basic question: What does the term mean, exactly?

The public position of political conservatism is certainly clear. But consider the wide variety of organizations and persons who call themselves "conservative": economic conservatives, religious conservatives, social conservatives, libertarians, neo-conservatives, and the traditional conservatives (such as my former colleague Pat Buchanan) who are now sometimes called paleo-conservatives.

Among them, there are many philosophical and practical conflicts. But what is it that they have in common? Why are they all under the same tent, and (for now, anyway) in the Republican Party? Read more...

Yaron Brook, from the Ayn Rand Institute was on The O'Reilly Factor Friday night and was so over the top that he even scared the bejesus out of Bill O'Reilly!

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Brook: I would like to see the United States turn Fallujah into dust [isn't it already?] ...if you are going to support the insurgents, you will not have schools, you will not have Mosques....

Bill: But then we would be Nazis...

Brook also defended the use of the Atom bomb on Japan:

Brook: We did not create more enemies we created more friends....We brought the Japanese people to their knees and it is the only way you can establish a democracy in a culture which is so opposed to freedom, is bring their culture to its knees.

As lunatic as some of the extremists are, Brook surpassed them all by implying that we should drop the bomb on civilians and level all of Iraq in the name of freedom. He made Ann Coulter's venom seem like raspberry Kool Aid. He reduced a usual Hannity vitriolic tirade into an annoying elevator music serenade. Now that's quite an achievement!

SmokingGun:

Claim: Governator sold moldy home with damaged pool, tennis court

DECEMBER 17--A lawyer who recently bought a $7.95 million Pacific Palisades home from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver is suing California's first couple, claiming that they hid damage to the estate's pool and tennis court, as well as a mold problem in the screening room. Now you know what blindingly rich people squabble over...

Will this come out in the vetting process when Arnold runs for president?

Judge blocks counting of recently discovered ballots

A judge Friday granted a state Republican Party request to block the counting of hundreds of recently discovered King County ballots in the governor’s race, which the GOP’s candidate is winning by just a few dozen votes. Even if the election workers wrongly rejected the ballots — 150 of which were discovered Friday — it is too late for King County to reconsider them now, Pierce County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Arend said...read on...

Just asking: if a ballot is cast and someone misplaces it; is it really a ballot?

h/t Outside the Beltway

William Donohue, Catholic League:

"Who really cares what Hollywood thinks? All these hacks come out there. Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. It's not a secret, OK? And I'm not afraid to say it. That's why they hate this movie [Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ]. It's about Jesus Christ, and it's about truth. It's about the messiah. Hollywood likes anal sex. They like to see the public square without nativity scenes. I like families. I like children. They like abortions. I believe in traditional values and restraint. They believe in libertinism. We have nothing in common."

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It is a telling indictment of the bigotry that masquerades for religious values! If you've seen The Passion of the Christ, then you would see no redeeming values contained in the movie at all! Unless of course torture is one of them!

Jail throws book at Berkowitz

Son of Sam serial killer David Berkowitz is in trouble for breaking a prison rule: He gave a Bible to another inmate. He admitted giving a Gideon's Bible to a convict, but called the charge against him - an "unauthorized exchange" - pointless. Berkowitz was fined $5.

According to his Internet postings, he's a born-again Christian and jailhouse preacher.

On Dec 8th, 9th,and10th, Focus on the Family did a three part radio show called David Berkowitz: Son of Hope

Part 1-Convicted of six murders, feared and hated, David soon discovered that God still had a plan for his life

Part II-discusses how poor choices led to the horrific murders he committed, and how he eventually became a Christian

Part III-He was lonely. He was angry. He was lost. And it all culminated during one hot summer in 1977.

Obviously it's fine for James Dobson and the Focus on the Family group to "support" a serial killer, mass murderer, etc., as long as Christ has entered his life, but make an honest statement regarding Supreme court nominations like Arlen Specter did and you are the devil!

TBogg:

I think we've seen this movie before:

The first order of business on Social Security, Mr. Bush told the conference, was "to convince people that there is a problem that needs to be addressed." There were no real dissenting viewpoints from the panelists. Away from the conference, some opponents of Mr. Bush's approach, mostly liberals who want to preserve the current Social Security program, said in interviews that the administration was exaggerating the scale of the problem to create an air of crisis that justified radical but unnecessary changes like creating private investment accounts.

Next: rumors of AARP rape rooms....

but... if Congress wants to address a real looming crisis, they can deal with the inevitable Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation disaster.

Roger Ailes

Senator Zell Miller is the latest wingnut to join the Insane Clown Posse that is the Fox News Channel. The demented former Democrat, last seen squirreling away at the Republican National Convention, has finally received his reward for his services to the Bush family.

"We will plug him in wherever we can use him," says a Fox News spokesman. Has Zell signed on as Bill O'Reilly's vibrator?

Possible machine manipulation.

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Circumcision Attempt - Father sentenced to three years

Ridgefield father Edwin B. Baxter asked God for mercy and a judge for understanding Wednesday as he faced sentencing for an attempted circumcision on his 8-year-old. Baxter said he was inspired to cut his son after reading Scripture and first consulted his wife.

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Baxter likely will appeal on the grounds that Rulli did not let him use his Christian fundamentalist faith as a defense, but Rulli cast doubt that argument will fly.

"The court has steadfastly held that you can't jeopardize the health and safety of your family because of your religious beliefs," Rulli said.

Can you imagine if this defense was successful?