Barbara Kay: When Mark Steyn struck back

I was one of the lucky attendees last Friday at the Munk Debate in Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall. The motion before the house concerned refugee policy: “Be it resolved: Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” On the pro side: Louise Arbour, former UN Human Rights commissioner and historian Simon Schama; on the con side journalist Mark Steyn and Britain’s UKIP party leader Nigel Farage.
Read more at the National Post Read More......

Senate exceeds 60 ‘yes’ votes on cloture; Debate halted on continuing resolution

There were many Republicans in the Senate who voted “yes” on the continuing resolution, which is essentially a vote against defunding Obamacare. Exceeding 60 votes means there will be no more debate on the spending bill. ✧ Having gotten the 60 votes means that Harry Reid will now only need a simple majority of votes in order to put the funding for Obamacare back into the spending bill. ✧ Final vote was 79-19. Read more at Twitchy...

These Republican senators voted 'NO' on cloture:

Cruz (R-TX), Rubio (R-FL), Sessions (R-AL), Vitter (R-LA), Paul (R-KY), Lee (R-UT), Crapo (R-ID), Enzi (R-WY), Fischer R-NE), Roberts (R-KS), Scott (R-SC), Heller (R-NV), Grassley (R-IA), Toomey (R-PA), Moran R-KS), Shelby (R-AL), Risch (R-ID), Inhofe (R-OK), Portman (R-OH)

These Republicans voted 'YES' on cloture:

Alexander (R-TN), Ayotte (R-NH), Barrasso (R-WY), Blunt (R-MO), Boozman (R-AR), Burr (R-NC), Chiesa (R-NJ), Chambliss (R-GA), Coats (R-IN), Coburn (R-OK), Cochran (R-MS), Collins (R-ME), Corker (R-TN), Cornyn (R-TX), Graham (R-SC), Hoeven (R-ND), Isakson (R-GA), Johnson (R-WI), Johanns (R-NE), Kirk (R-IL), McCain (R-AZ), McConnell (R-KY), Murkowski (R-AK), Thune (R-SD), Wicker (R-MS)

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Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin eyed as 2016 GOP debate moderators

(Hat tip: Conservative Byte) Miffed that their candidates were singled out for personal questions or CNN John King’s “This or That,” when he asked candidates quirky questions like “Elvis or Johnny Cash,” GOP insiders tell The Washington Examiner's 'Secrets' writer that they are considering other choices, even a heavyweight panel of radio bigs Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. ✧ They told Secrets that they are eager to bring in questioners who understand Republican policies and beliefs and who have the ability to get candidates to differentiate their positions on core conservative values.

Read more at The Examiner/Washington Secrets... Read More......

D'Souza: Sandwiches, Wagons & Politics

On October 8, 2012, the OSU Socratic Club sponsored a debate between Dinesh D'Souza and Michael Shermer. The topic was "Is Christianity Good for American Politics?" This 7 minute video is from the Q&A session following the debate. D'Souza presents fantastic (and humorous) analogies with a Christian viewpoint to explain his opposition to Obamacare and Obama's "fair share" ethos. (Hat tip: Patricia Anderson)

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Western Republican Leadership Conference, October 18-21

When: Oct 18 – 21, 2011
Where: The Venetian/The Palazzo Resort, 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, NV 89109 (map)
Description: A Welcome Message from WRLC Chairman, Jon Porter
Friends,
This year, Westerners will have an exciting opportunity to host the first Republican Presidential debate in the Western United States, providing us with a distinct and active voice in our 2012 Presidential Election. The Western Republican Leadership Conference, a four-day event immediately following the October 18th debate, is designed to educate, mobilize, and empower Republicans from our region. Additionally, the WRLC will serve to spotlight the specific issues facing the west and underscore the importance of our Nevada caucus in determining our next Republican Presidential nominee. On behalf of the WRLC, I am both pleased and proud to announce CNN as official debate host and Las Vegas’ Venetian Resort Hotel as our event host. I look forward to the success of this event and the support of your attendance.
With Kind Regards,
Jon Porter, WRLC Chairman Read More......

Bachmann Wins Iowa Straw Poll

Rep. Michele Bachmann wins the [8/13] 2011 Iowa Straw Poll with 28.55 percent of the vote, with Rep. Ron Paul following in second place with 27.65 percent and former Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty finishing third with 13.57 percent. Read more at Fox News...

UPDATE: Gov. Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race after distant 3rd place showing in the straw poll.

See the 10 finishers in Iowa's straw poll:

1. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (4823, 28.55%)

2. Congressman Ron Paul (4671, 27.65%)

3. Governor Tim Pawlenty (2293, 13.57%)

4. Senator Rick Santorum (1657, 9.81%)

5. Herman Cain (1456, 8.62%)

6. Governor Rick Perry (718, 3.62%) write-in

7. Governor Mitt Romney (567, 3.36%)

8. Speaker Newt Gingrich (385, 2.28%)

9. Governor Jon Huntsman (69, 0.41%)

10. Congressman Thad McCotter (35, 0.21%) Read More......

Rasmussen: 29% Say Tea Party Members Are Terrorists, 55% Disagree

Several prominent Democrats and their media friends have charged the Tea Party with being economic terrorists during the congressional budget debates, but most voters don’t see it that way. Read more at Rasmussen Reports...

Also at Rasmussen Reports, 8/7/2011 - New Low: 17% Say U.S. Government Has Consent of the Governed Read More......

James Cameron -- King of the Hypocrites

Via Email from Ann McElhinney
August 22, 2010

Friends,
Last March James Cameron sounded defiant. ∴ The Avatar director was determined to expose journalists, such as myself, who thought it was important to ask questions about climate change orthodoxy and the radical "solutions" being proposed. ∴ Cameron said was itching to debate the issue and show skeptical journalists and scientists that they were wrong. ∴ “"I want to call those deniers out into the street at high noon and shoot it out with those boneheads," he said in an interview. ∴ Well, a few weeks ago Mr. Cameron seemed to honor his word. ∴ His representatives contacted myself and two other well known skeptics, Marc Morano of the Climate Depot website and Andrew Breitbart, the new media entrepreneur. ∴ Mr. Cameron was attending the AREDAY environmental conference in Aspen Colorado 19-22 August. He wanted the conference to end with a debate on climate change. Cameron would be flanked with two scientists. It would be 90 minutes long. It would be streamed live on the internet. ∴ They hoped the debate would attract a lot of media coverage.

"We are delighted to have Fox News, Newsmax, The Washington Times and anyone else you'd like. The more the better," one of James Cameron's organizers said in an email.

It looked like James Cameron really was a man of his word who would get to take on the skeptics he felt were so endangering humanity.

Everyone on our side agreed with their conditions. The debate was even listed on the AREDAY agenda.

But then as the debate approached James Cameron's side started changing the rules.

They wanted to change their team. We agreed.

They wanted to change the format to less of a debate—to "a roundtable". We agreed.

Then they wanted to ban our cameras from the debate. We could have access to their footage. We agreed.

Bizarrely, for a brief while, the worlds most successful film maker suggested that no cameras should be allowed-that sound only should be recorded. We agreed

Then finally James Cameron, who so publicly announced that he "wanted to call those deniers out into the street at high noon and shoot it out," decided to ban the media from the shoot out.

He even wanted to ban the public. The debate/roundtable would only be open to those who attended the conference.

No media would be allowed and there would be no streaming on the internet. No one would be allowed to record it in any way.

We all agreed to that.

And then, yesterday, just one day before the debate, his representatives sent an email that Mr. "shoot it out " Cameron no longer wanted to take part. The debate was cancelled.

James Cameron's behavior raises some very important questions.

Does he genuinely believe in man made climate change? If he believes it is a danger to humanity surely he should be debating the issue every chance he gets ?

Or is it just a pose?

The man who called for an open and public debate at "high noon" suddenly doesn't want his policies open to serious scrutiny.

I was looking forward to debating with the film maker. I was looking forward to finding out where we agreed and disagreed and finding a way forward that would help the poorest people in the developing and developed world.

But that is not going to happen because somewhere along the way James Cameron, a great film maker, has moved from King of the World to being King of the Hypocrites.

- Ann McElhinney Read More......

Heritage: The Estate Tax Debate

HERITAGE FOUNDATION, 12/29/2009 - THE DEATH TAX, Burden on American Business. "In the coming weeks, Congress will once again take up debate on the dreaded estate tax (also known as the "death tax"). The death tax expires for one year, beginning on January 1, 2010, before coming back in full force on January 1, 2011." Read more and watch video... Read More......

Senate to debate health care overhaul

NATIONAL POST, 11/21/2009 - WASHINGTON: A broad healthcare overhaul was poised to clear its first U.S. Senate hurdle Saturday as the last wavering senators said they would vote to begin debate on the legislation, giving Democrats the 60 votes they need. ∴ Democrats Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu ended days of uncertainty and said they would support a procedural motion Saturday to open debate to reform the US$2.5-trillion healthcare system -- the Senate bill's first crucial test vote. Read more at the National Post... Read More......

Obama to Address Health Care at Joint Session of Congress 9/9

RIGHT BIAS, Conservative News 24/7 - (CBS) President Obama will address a joint session of Congress on Sept 9, signaling publicly that he is ready to take charge of the health care debate. Read More......

What if Cheney's Right?

WASHINGTON POST, 5/12/2009 by Richard Cohen - Blogger Alert: I have written a column in defense of Dick Cheney. I know how upsetting this will be to some Cheney critics, and I count myself as one, who think -- in respectful paraphrase of what Mary McCarthy said about Lillian Hellman -- that everything he says is a lie, including the ands and the thes. Yet I have to wonder whether what he is saying now is the truth -- i.e., torture works. Read more at the Washington Post...

Hat tip: John H. Detweiler
John says, "Reality is always tough. Cheney, et al, was on the line and had to deal with reality. I wonder if Obama, et al, will be able to deal with reality." Read More......

Gore: No joint appearances with skeptics

GATEWAY PUNDIT, 4/24/2009 - UK's Lord Christopher Monckton, a former science advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, claimed House Democrats have refused to allow him to appear alongside former Vice President Al Gore at high profile global warming hearing on Friday April 24, 2009 at 10am in Washington. Monckton told Climate Depot that the Democrats rescinded his scheduled joint appearance at the House Energy and Commerce hearing on Friday. Monckton said he was informed that he would not be allowed to testify alongside Gore when his plane landed from England Thursday afternoon. ∴ “The House Democrats don't want Gore humiliated, so they slammed the door of the Capitol in my face,” Monckton told Climate Depot in an exclusive interview. “They are cowards.” ∴ According to Monckton, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Energy & Commerce Committee, had invited him to go head to head with Gore and testify at the hearing on Capitol Hill Friday. But Monckton now says that when his airplane from London landed in the U.S. on Thursday, he was informed that the former Vice-President had “chickened out” and there would be no joint appearance. Read More......