“It’s a free country, I wish it weren’t, but it’s a free country." - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick

Posted by Jason at 05:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I’ve been so busy the last week that I haven’t had a chance to put down my thoughts on the recent indictment and arraignment of Roger Clemens for lying to Congress during a 2005 hearing on the use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs in baseball.

Clemens volunteered to testify before the House Government Reform Committee. and he chose to lie, actions that were incredibly stupid on his part. I get that no one forced him to come forward, but it’s laughable for Clemens to be indicted for lying to and “obstructing” a parliament of whores, to quote P.J. O’Rourke.

This hearing was nothing more than a charade. If Congress wants to protect kids from picking up dangerous habits, encourage parents to get more involved. Kids should also be warned of the dangers of taking PEDs when they are in high school and college, but this should be a responsibility of local school systems, not Congress.

While I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to baseball, I don’t believe Congress has any business monitoring how Major League Baseball (or any other sport) conducts its operations. Much like the 1994 labor strike caused attendance to drop, a view that certain players are cheating to get ahead will be, and probably has already been, met with similar results.

Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and other players named in the Mitchell Report will be punished for cheating. Their legacies will be tainted and sportswriters will ensure that they either wait for enshrinement in Cooperstown or deny it entirely.

Posted by Jason at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In showing how tough it is nationally for Democrats running in 2010, the Wall Street Journal uses Rep. Jim Marshall as an example:

Just months ago, Georgia's Rep. Jim Marshall faced only faint headwinds as he sailed toward the midterm elections.

The former Macon mayor—and one of Congress's most conservative Democrats—had plenty of cash and no significant Republican opponent.

But in a reflection of his party's fortunes nationwide, Mr. Marshall's prospects have dimmed of late. The three-term congressman now faces an energized foe and the focus of the national Republican Party in a race that polls indicate is increasingly tight.

His change in fortunes is part of a larger trend in which eroding support for Democrats is roiling dozens of House races and boosting Republican confidence that the GOP will retake the House in November.
[...]
The Cook Political Report, a newsletter that tracks congressional races, now lists 68 Democratic House seats as being at "substantial risk," up from 62 in July and 58 in June, and the group plans to raise the figure to more than 70 this week. Other pollsters and analysts have also increased their list of Democrats they now consider imperiled. By comparison, less than 10 Republican-held seats are thought to be in jeopardy.

Posted by Jason at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Freddie Freeman, the top prospect in the Braves organization, was called up as part of the September roster expansion and will start tonight at 1B, wearing #5, against the New York Mets.

Posted by Jason at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is a great discussion on natural rights from Freedom Watch:

Posted by Jason at 06:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

State Rep. Alan Powell (D-Hartwell) recently gave a candid interview to Blake Aued of the Athens Banner-Herald:

“If Roy Barnes doesn’t win it in November, you can probably stick a fork in the Democratic movement, because we will not be able to come back for a generation or more,” Powell said in a phone conversation today.

If Barnes loses, Powell said he would “seriously consider” switching parties because Democrats would not only have no influence, but no hope regaining power. He also said he thinks he could halt the Republicans' drift to the right and bring it back toward the middle.
[...]
Barnes has a good shot at winning, Powell said, but he ought to be talking about the economy and the state budget more. The legislature has cut spending from more than $20 billion to less than $17 billion in the past two years, in addition to filling gaps with bond debt and federal stimulus money. Powell predicted an additional $2 billion to $3 billion hole next year.

Barnes is “going to have to branch out,” Powell said. “He can’t just talk about education.”

Posted by Jason at 06:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to a recent survey from Princeton, 24% of Americans believe that President Barack Obama is a Muslim (he's a Christian) and 52% of Republicans believe that he "sympathizes with the goals of Islamic fundamentalists who want to impose Islamic law around the world."

*sigh*

Posted by Jason at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Cartel - "Say Anything (Else)"

Posted by Jason at 07:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gas prices are headed down in Georgia:

AAA Auto Club South reported the average price per gallon of gasoline in Georgia is $2.52, compared with $2.57 last week, $2.61 last monthy and $2.45 a year ago.

The national average price of unleaded regular gasoline is $2.67 per gallon -- 4 cents less than last week.
[...]
Even with the boost in investor confidence, the current condition of the economy and continued growth of U.S. stockpiles of crude oil do not support crude oil trading above $75 a barrel," said Jessica Brady, AAA spokeswoman. "Although consumers will see a slight increase in retail gasoline prices this week, it's very possible prices will dip again next week."

Posted by Jason at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I guess I need to start drinking more:

One of the most contentious issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don't drink actually tend to die sooner than those who do. The standard Alcoholics Anonymous explanation for this finding is that many of those who show up as abstainers in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred health problems associated with drinking.

But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that — for reasons that aren't entirely clear — abstaining from alcohol does actually tend to increase one's risk of dying even when you exclude former drinkers. The most shocking part? Abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers.

Posted by Jason at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

States are facing a crisis even deeper than annual budgets. They will soon have to take on generous pensions programs that they can't afford.

Posted by Jason at 06:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Five years ago today, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, killing almost 2,000 people during the storm and after. As I've said before, New Orleans, which was hit hardest by the storm, is my favorite town. I watched as much about the aftermath of the storm as I could read Interdictor run by Michael Barnett, a libertarian from NOLA.

There are stories and documentaries that will air all day today. I encourage you to watch them and remember the victims of this storm.

Posted by Jason at 09:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Herman Talmadge for County Commissioner Campaign is holding its Kickoff party this Monday at the Henry County Chamber of Commerce. Congressman Mac Collins will be there to show his support for Herman Talmadge. This is an open invitation to all of the citizens in Henry County. We hope to see everyone there.

Posted by Ryan Larosa at 09:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)