O:9:"MagpieRSS":23:{s:6:"parser";i:0;s:12:"current_item";a:0:{}s:5:"items";a:25:{i:0;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-6731154536307190487";s:9:"published";s:29:"2008-03-10T16:47:00.003-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2008-03-10T16:54:49.242-06:00";s:5:"title";s:33:"Thank Goodness: Bishop's Opponent";s:12:"atom_content";s:4752:"From the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DavisDemocrats/">Davis Democrats Email List</a>:<br /><blockquote>  <p class="MsoNormal">Last week I met with Rob Miller and Wayne Holland at the Utah Democrats HQ in Salt Lake City to discuss my run for the United States Congress District 1. After much discussion with friends, family, and numerous community members, I have decided to run for congress. I feel, along with some of my closest advisors that this year has the potential of making a perfect storm for change in House District 1. Some of the elements contributing to this storm are: <o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">1. Utah Republicans are feeling abandoned by their party and flat out discriminated against by the religious right. <o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">2. Our current congressman and the administration have ballooned the National Debt to almost $9.5 Trillion enslaving every man, woman, and child to the amount of $31,000.00 each. <o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">3. This lack of fiscal responsibility and mis-management has led to a major economic crisis in the housing market and a tight squeeze due to inflation especially in light of $3.00 plus per gallon fuel prices. <o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">For too many years the Republicans have taken the issues of family values, fiscal responsibility, and National security away from us. My opponent, Rob Bishop, has failed on all of these fronts while minding the store.<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I intend to run an aggressive, spirited, and professional campaign designed for victory in November. I will focus on issues and the need for a major shift in direction for this Nation. My key themes will be:<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Traditional Family Values<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Energy Independence<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Eliminating the National Debt<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">All three of these will resonate with Northern Utah voters this year. <o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">This victory will not come easy however. I need your help to do two critical things. First, we need to raise an army of volunteers. <o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Second, we need to raise money in the six figures locally before June 1 to get the interest of National fund raising . I am working with a national fund raiser and his take is that we must be seen as a serious contender to get serious funding.<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I would like to speak with you in the near future by email or phone at your convenience. I need to have lists of caucus chairs and their contact information so I can send fliers and my introductory dvd to them for the caucus. Also, if you could have them be ready with a tv and dvd player for the night of the caucus. I am preparing a 6 minute dvd for that purpose.<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Will you help me with this great opportunity to create this "Perfect Storm" for real change?<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I hope to speak with and meet you soon.<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Morgan Bowen<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Candidate for Congress Utah's 1st District<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">P.S. Feel free to forward this email to anyone who could help.<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Morgan Bowen for Congress <o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Phone: 435-760-4814 <o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">BowenforCongress@comcast.net <o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">About Morgan: Morgan Bowen is a forth generation descendant of Utah Pioneers. His father moved the family to the farming community of Merced, California where Morgan grew up. He has worked in the private, public, and religious sectors. For fifteen years he was CEO of an international agricultural consulting firm specializing in helping farmers reduce and eliminate toxic pesticides. Also, he was very active in political circles working to reform government. Morgan returned to his Utah roots to become a religious educator teaching at the Richmond Seminary. He holds a Associates Degree from Merced College where he served as the youngest student body president ever elected. He also has a BA in History from CSU Stanislaus, and a MS in American Studies from Utah State University. Morgan married his wife, the former Kristen Matheson, in 1988. They reside in the Cache Valley community of Hyde Park with their six children.</p>  </blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/6731154536307190487/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=6731154536307190487";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/6731154536307190487";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/6731154536307190487";s:4:"link";s:79:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2008/03/thank-goodness-bishops-opponent.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"1";}}i:1;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-8101624003571081360";s:9:"published";s:29:"2008-02-27T16:38:00.002-07:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2008-02-27T16:45:33.735-07:00";s:5:"title";s:24:"Your Republican Majority";s:12:"atom_content";s:328:"<a href="http://senatesite.com/blog/2008/02/judge-pullan-letter.html">The Senate Site: Condoning Arrogance, Discrimination, Incompetence, and Graft since September 30, 2005.</a><br /><br />The Utah Republican Majority: Corrupt, Arrogant, Discriminatory, and Incompetent since 1962.<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/8101624003571081360/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=8101624003571081360";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/8101624003571081360";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/8101624003571081360";s:4:"link";s:72:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2008/02/your-republican-majority.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"2";}}i:2;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-4216036328218251320";s:9:"published";s:29:"2008-02-14T23:54:00.004-07:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2008-02-15T11:42:34.914-07:00";s:5:"title";s:32:"Curt Oda: Davis County's Buttars";s:12:"atom_content";s:1393:"Your* <a href="http://www.clippertoday.com/default.asp?sourceid=&amp;smenu=1&amp;twindow=&amp;mad=&amp;sdetail=25044&amp;wpage=1&amp;skeyword=&amp;sidate=&amp;ccat=&amp;ccatm=&amp;restate=&amp;restatus=&amp;reoption=&amp;retype=&amp;repmin=&amp;repmax=&amp;rebed=&amp;rebath=&amp;subname=&amp;pform=&amp;sc=1005&amp;hn=clippertoday&amp;he=.com">2008 Legislator of the Year</a>: <a href="http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&amp;sid=2664934">Curt Oda</a><br /><a href="http://le.utah.gov/asp/votes/comvotes.asp?sessionid=2008GS&amp;voteid=102&amp;sequence=4944">"Sorry, but you obviously have no idea what you're talking about."</a><br /><a href="http://le.utah.gov/%7E2008/bills/hbillint/hcr001.htm">"You obviously expect the government to protect your friends from themselves."</a><br /><a href="http://www.le.state.ut.us/%7E2006/bills/hbillenr/hb0085.htm">"The government is not your keeper."</a><br /><br />*By "Your", I refer to those who do not have a brain and are hypocrites.<br /><br />I don't agree with the kids on the issue, but I think Oda is a douchebag for this among all the other stupid things he does.<br /><br />UPDATE from top story in SL Trib Close Up Davis County Section: <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/davis/ci_8261875">I guess they can guarantee they can be reached,</a> but Oda reminds us that they don't always try to reach back.<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/4216036328218251320/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=4216036328218251320";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/4216036328218251320";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/4216036328218251320";s:4:"link";s:78:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2008/02/curt-oda-davis-countys-buttars.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}}i:3;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-8741589975590924405";s:9:"published";s:29:"2008-02-07T12:02:00.001-07:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2008-02-07T12:02:43.849-07:00";s:5:"title";s:45:"Why Mitt Romney Lost the Nomination: Religion";s:12:"atom_content";s:2476:"<p class="MsoNormal">I hoped that I would not ever have to write this blog, but I always knew that it would happen.<span style="">  </span>Mitt Romney’s campaign for the presidency ended today after he could not overcome two things: first, the reason most Republicans nationally <i style="">say </i>why they did not support him, his inconsistency on important issues; and second, his religion was anathema to those who could not overcome the first reason.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">It started going downhill last Spring, when the first videos and articles from 1994 and beyond came out, showing his incredible flip-flop.<span style="">  </span>It got worse in December when Romney himself injected his religion into the debate when he could have just kept his mouth shut about it.<span style="">  </span>But the final blow came when Governor Mike Huckabee knowingly and intentionally inserted his little question in the <i style="">Times</i> magazine interview.<span style="">  </span>That’s what broke the camel’s back in Iowa, and Romney couldn’t recover in South Carolina, Florida, or nearly anywhere else.<span style="">  </span>Too many Republicans would say they would not like his inconsistency, but it served as a genteel covering for religious intolerance.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I knew when Romney started this quest that I would have to tell everyone I knew that the current makeup of the Republican party would not accept a Mormon as their presidential nominee; it is true that he was a flawed, unprincipled Republican, but he was still a Mormon.<span style="">  </span>I hope this teaches Mormon Republicans a lesson: for the past 30 or so years, the national Republican party used Mormons for their votes, didn’t give them much in return, and wouldn’t let a Mormon lead their party.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I hope that Utah Republicans and Republican-leaning unaffiliateds will realize this betrayal and start thinking about voting for Democrats, both nationally and locally.<span style="">  </span>Some of this could have started happening by the <a href="http://bobaagard.blogspot.com/2008/02/utahs-record-democratic-turnout.html">relatively large turnout in the Democratic primary on Tuesday</a>.<span style="">  </span>However, I am not putting any money down on that hope.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/8741589975590924405/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=8741589975590924405";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/8741589975590924405";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/8741589975590924405";s:4:"link";s:79:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2008/02/why-mitt-romney-lost-nomination.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"4";}}i:4;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-4935740863311511450";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-12-05T12:55:00.000-07:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-12-05T13:05:00.197-07:00";s:5:"title";s:33:"A Good Case Story About Recycling";s:12:"atom_content";s:822:"<span style="font-family: lucida grande;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Given the current discussion about recycling in Woods Cross and Bountiful, <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16919660&amp;ft=1&amp;f=17">I was happy to hear this story on NPR's Day to Day today</a>.  It makes some very good points about how recycling does work (a lot of people do it in her area), why it does not work (people don't always understand what is recyclable), and why it makes sense (<a href="http://www.woodscrosscitizen.com/2007/12/does-curbside-recycling-make-sense.html">despite what others may believe</a>).  Let's work to ensure Bountiful follows the Woods Cross City Council's lead in approving curbside recycling next year.</span><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/4935740863311511450/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=4935740863311511450";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/4935740863311511450";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/4935740863311511450";s:4:"link";s:79:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/12/good-case-story-about-recycling.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"1";}}i:5;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-5405636012558284085";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-11-28T09:12:00.000-07:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-11-28T09:31:13.571-07:00";s:5:"title";s:31:"Another example of Urq's Idiocy";s:12:"atom_content";s:1573:"WTF? <a href="http://steveu.com/blog/2007/11/global-warming-soon-to-be-global.html">Global storming</a>?<br />Another example of the stupidity in our legislature.  Let the rest of the world burn as long as I am right and I get another few grand from <a href="http://globe.utah.gov/allcont/allcont.aspx?CandidateID=3528&amp;sort=name">realtors, road builders, and petroleum companies</a>.<br />And yes, I do agree with the first anonymous commenter on Urquhart's blog.  Urquhart and others are using global warming skepticism, in spite of overwhelming evidence in favor of reality, to justify inaction on any sort of real energy and transportation reform, Utah and nationally.  While the first commenter was too blind to his own cowardice in commenting anonymously, his point is valid.  I agree "we will continue to be dependent on middle east oil and foreign energy in general because we have gutless cowards for politicians" and would add that many more brave American servicemen and women will die in wars, along with the rest of us who will suffer and die from pollution-related disease, because of their cowardice.<br />I believe most Utahns, and most Americans, would like to see America stop using foreign oil, stop paying for gasoline when renewable resources are available, and get all of our energy from renewable sources (not including NON-renewable nuclear fission, which I am also sure Urq will be in favor of given his contribution history).  However, Utahns need to wake up and elect leaders to act with courage.<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/5405636012558284085/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=5405636012558284085";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/5405636012558284085";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/5405636012558284085";s:4:"link";s:78:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/11/another-example-of-urqs-idiocy.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}}i:6;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-5235257716969222367";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-11-25T20:42:00.000-07:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-11-25T20:52:00.973-07:00";s:5:"title";s:72:"What People Should Think About When They Say the Phrase "Liberal Unions"";s:12:"atom_content";s:596:"<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_0JUdwANCL-E/R0pCSZ-epoI/AAAAAAAAACo/g8ICTcgUWhM/s1600-h/457072927_fc2b4d8d47_d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_0JUdwANCL-E/R0pCSZ-epoI/AAAAAAAAACo/g8ICTcgUWhM/s400/457072927_fc2b4d8d47_d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136991208947492482" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.edmayne.com/">Thanks Ed.</a><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/5235257716969222367/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=5235257716969222367";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/5235257716969222367";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/5235257716969222367";s:4:"link";s:83:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-people-should-think-about-when.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}}i:7;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-7520348874175629491";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-08-31T11:07:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-08-31T11:11:06.699-06:00";s:5:"title";s:31:"What I've Been Saying All Along";s:12:"atom_content";s:614:"<a href="http://www.standard.net/live/opinion/topofutahvoices/112630/">Eric Jacobson gives more <span style="font-weight: bold;">PROOF</span> </a>to what I have been writing about since January: vouchers have not been proven to do anything.   Of course, peer-reviewed, repeatedly proven, intelligently written, multiple and uniform methodologies, statistically-significant studies mean nothing when economic ideology is at risk.<br /><a href="http://edutah.blogspot.com/2007/08/vouchers-have-not-helped-students-learn.html">h/t Education in Utah</a> (thanks Natalie!)<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/7520348874175629491/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=7520348874175629491";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/7520348874175629491";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/7520348874175629491";s:4:"link";s:78:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/08/what-ive-been-saying-all-along.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"2";}}i:8;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-7744196930294338528";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-08-30T22:59:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-08-30T23:11:45.401-06:00";s:5:"title";s:46:"Vouchers Will NOT Equal Mormon Private Schools";s:12:"atom_content";s:1651:"For anyone laboring under the delusion that if Utah adopts school vouchers, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will institute a Catholic-like system of private schools, I offer the following evidence.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>  <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10389025">Mormons admit closure of Church College [of New Zealand] will be a loss</a></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">“The only Mormon school in New Zealand is closing because leaders say the church's resources could be better used elsewhere…</p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">“United States-based Elder Paul Johnson told the Herald it was decided to close the school because New Zealand's education system was "one of the strongest in the world".<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">“Church resources would be better directed into teaching programmes in other regions, such as Africa and developing Europe.<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">“Elder Johnson and Elder Rolfe Kerr are visiting New Zealand this week, and last night broke the news to parents, staff and pupils.<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">“<b style="">It is Mormon policy to close schools in areas where there is quality local education,</b> Elder Kerr said.”</p> <br />If the Church is closing their private schools in New Zealand, why would they take tithing to build expensive private schools in Utah?<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/7744196930294338528/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=7744196930294338528";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/7744196930294338528";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/7744196930294338528";s:4:"link";s:86:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/08/vouchers-will-not-equal-mormon-private.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"2";}}i:9;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-7354254074243659933";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-08-17T13:32:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-08-17T14:03:31.335-06:00";s:5:"title";s:58:"SHOCKING!!! or Vouchers:  When You Have No Proof, Just Lie";s:12:"atom_content";s:2225:"I have <a href="http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/02/esteemed-representative-from-parents.html">written</a> <a href="http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/02/no-on-hb-148-no-to-vouchers-wholesale.html">before</a> about how voucher supporters, through their officially organized PAC, Parent for Choice in Education, used polling techniques verging on push polling to make the false case that Utahns wanted their tax dollars going to private schools.  If I was at home at the time I am writing this, I would post the poll they posted on their website earlier this year that accompanied this <a href="http://choiceineducation.org/pressroom_press_releases_2007_jan_30.htm">press release</a>; I will try and post it tomorrow.  I thought that was a biased poll then.<br />Now, to my complete surprise and shock (sadly blogging doesn't convey sarcasm easily), we hear of PCE admitting to <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6646644">push polling</a>.  I guess when have no proof that vouchers work, the majority of Utahns don't want them, and you have enough money, you can lie, gay-bait, liberal-bait, etc. in the hope that you can dupe (and dupe is the word) into voting for vouchers.  I have learned in politics to avoid superlatives, but I hope that the tide is changing and Utahns are rejecting homophobes and liars in politics.<br /><br />Here's <a href="http://accountabilityfirst.blogspot.com/">Accountability</a>, <a href="http://beingissomethingness.blogspot.com/2007/08/filthy-tactics-of-voucher-proponents-in.html">Adam</a>, <a href="http://bobaagard.blogspot.com/2007/08/parents-for-choice-in-education-eats.html">Bob</a>, <a href="http://3rdave.blogspot.com/2007/08/friday-round-up.html">Oldenberg</a>, <a href="http://aliberalmormon.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/pce-push-polling/">Derek</a>, and <a href="http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2007/08/17/pro-voucher-forces-get-pathetic/">Jeremy's</a> takes on the dirty tricks.  A quick <a href="http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&amp;scoring=d&q=vouchers+push+poll&amp;btnG=Search+Blogs">Google Blogsearch</a> couldn't turn up anybody defending this despicable tactic; that's even more shocking.<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/7354254074243659933/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=7354254074243659933";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/7354254074243659933";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/7354254074243659933";s:4:"link";s:85:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/08/shocking-or-vouchers-when-you-have-no.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"3";}}i:10;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:69:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-138736192782524707";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-08-15T09:17:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-08-15T09:43:30.210-06:00";s:5:"title";s:47:"Davis County Tax Cut: You Get What You Vote For";s:12:"atom_content";s:1914:"Reading <a href="http://www.standard.net/live/opinion/topofutahvoices/111237/">this editorial</a> in the Standard Examiner (h/t <a href="http://daviscountywatch.blogspot.com/2007/08/standard-examiner-davis-county-elected.html">Davis County Watch</a>), I cannot help but grimace.  As a Democrat in Davis County, I have watched the populace get all worked up over the delusion that a County Commission totally composed of Republicans would not blink at raising taxes, raising fees, and otherwise screwing the public.  I have watched the populace get all worked up over a county full of Republican legislators enacting unfunded mandates upon school districts while whining about unfunded mandates from the Federal government (which the Republicans at the Federal level all voted for, also).  I have also watched the majority of this same populace labor under the totally unfounded delusion that simply replacing one Republican at convention will change things.  So far this public is 0-3 commissioners, and definitely down in the count when it comes to legislators.<br />What makes me upset is the fact that Democratic candidates have been the ones who have <a href="http://utahamicus.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-press-conference-speech-and.html">pledged to not raise county taxes</a>, have wanted to have commission meetings during the evening instead of one fruitless sounding board hearing (I would include a link to Chris Martinez' statement about this, but it must have been in his brochure and not on his website), and who have opposed unfunded mandates on the state and <a href="http://www.utahpolitics.org/archives/010177.shtml">federal level</a>.  I will keep fighting to change those attitudes, to get people to wake up from this hallucination, and get some diversity of opinion in county government.  Until then, county voters have no one to blame but themselves.<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:161:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/138736192782524707/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=138736192782524707";s:9:"link_edit";s:81:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/138736192782524707";s:9:"link_self";s:81:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/138736192782524707";s:4:"link";s:85:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/08/davis-county-tax-cut-you-get-what-you.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"8";}}i:11;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:69:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-462104685460014792";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-08-03T15:49:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-08-03T15:56:57.912-06:00";s:5:"title";s:57:"Another reason to oppose vouchers, if I have left any out";s:12:"atom_content";s:901:"<div style="text-align: center;"><h1 class="title"><a href="http://blueinredzion.blogspot.com/">Blue in Red Zion</a></h1> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://blueinredzion.blogspot.com/2007/08/bridge-safety-and-vouchers.html">Bridge Safety and Vouchers</a></h3></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070803/capt.1be50ab9641c465d93d9ec64ee35fc4d.bridge_collapse_mnmg107.jpg?x=254&y=345&amp;sig=vIVngr85qYT_QzaQELBBmQ--"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070803/capt.1be50ab9641c465d93d9ec64ee35fc4d.bridge_collapse_mnmg107.jpg?x=254&y=345&amp;sig=vIVngr85qYT_QzaQELBBmQ--" alt="" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:161:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/462104685460014792/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=462104685460014792";s:9:"link_edit";s:81:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/462104685460014792";s:9:"link_self";s:81:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/462104685460014792";s:4:"link";s:86:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/08/another-reason-to-oppose-vouchers-if-i.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"3";}}i:12;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-1619188709333579266";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-08-03T15:33:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-08-03T15:57:52.657-06:00";s:5:"title";s:35:"ClipperWatch: No Real News for You!";s:12:"atom_content";s:1658:"Long break from blogging, but I needed to write about a recent news item.  It was this front page, above the fold, banner headline story in the most recent <span style="font-style: italic;">Davis County Clipper</span>:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://davisclipper.com/clients/clippertoday/8-2-2007-1-13-54-PM-2687127.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://davisclipper.com/clients/clippertoday/8-2-2007-1-13-54-PM-2687127.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://davisclipper.com/print_this_story.asp?smenu=1&sdetail=22358">It was rather disgusting to read this story</a>, but I could not pull away.  Forget deeper investigations on the county's tax hike!  Bountiful is considering adopting a recycling program, you say?  Let's give them a little blurb.  But one self-righteous douchebag gets uppity about ONE band practice on ONE Sunday when HE chose to live near a junior high with a large, open practice field!  And that band wore swimsuits when it was only 97 degrees outside!  Why should they make any attempt to stay cool!  What nerve!  What an outrage!  The public must know every idiotic detail!<br /><br />Is anyone else completely sickened by the complete joke the entire <span style="font-style: italic;">Clipper</span> has become?  It seems like they don't even try to get real news.  My home has received two readership survey phone calls from the Clipper, but of course nothing changes.  I am looking for any reason to keep subscribing; if anyone has one, let me know.<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/1619188709333579266/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=1619188709333579266";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/1619188709333579266";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/1619188709333579266";s:4:"link";s:81:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/08/clipperwatch-no-real-news-for-you.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"2";}}i:13;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:69:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-847879019660270340";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-07-23T15:10:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-07-23T15:28:18.236-06:00";s:5:"title";s:23:"Local Blogger Does Good";s:12:"atom_content";s:805:"I am going to have to get my Tivo ready, because I have two blogger friends on major media.  In addition to Jeff's gig on Nightside tonight, apparently Steve Petersen is going to be one of the YouTube questioners at tonight's CNN Democratic debate.  Though he has stopped blogging since he moved from Dammeron Valley to Washington, DC, <a href="http://obiterdictabysteve.blogspot.com">Obiter Dicta</a> was one of the better, smarter blogs in Utah of the past couple years.  Steve has also been on the BBC, KCSG, KCPW several times, and now CNN.  I am going to have to find out how he self-promotes so well.  Wish it was easy to find his video on YouTube, though.<br /><br /><a href="http://kcpw.org/article/4006">BYU Grad Part of Tonight's YouTube Debate</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:161:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/847879019660270340/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=847879019660270340";s:9:"link_edit";s:81:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/847879019660270340";s:9:"link_self";s:81:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/847879019660270340";s:4:"link";s:71:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/07/local-blogger-does-good.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"1";}}i:14;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-4745597094530720735";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-07-23T13:49:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-07-23T13:57:45.623-06:00";s:5:"title";s:35:"Doing anything my radio advised....";s:12:"atom_content";s:800:"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_0JUdwANCL-E/RqUIHElfR4I/AAAAAAAAABg/S3PVfeILKYQ/s1600-h/jmbellnightside.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_0JUdwANCL-E/RqUIHElfR4I/AAAAAAAAABg/S3PVfeILKYQ/s400/jmbellnightside.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090483871395301250" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KOuknbvu21Q"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KOuknbvu21Q" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/4745597094530720735/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=4745597094530720735";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/4745597094530720735";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/4745597094530720735";s:4:"link";s:79:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/07/doing-anything-my-radio-advised.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"1";}}i:15;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-6197574183809752156";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-06-20T22:47:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-06-20T23:05:55.094-06:00";s:5:"title";s:22:"Keep Calm and Carry On";s:12:"atom_content";s:4982:"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_0JUdwANCL-E/RnoGb2smQcI/AAAAAAAAABQ/saoldk-VlZk/s1600-h/keepcalmtee.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_0JUdwANCL-E/RnoGb2smQcI/AAAAAAAAABQ/saoldk-VlZk/s200/keepcalmtee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078378605422461378" border="0" /></a> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Monday, the idiocy and insanity spouted from people like Sen. Lieberman and neo-conservative think tanks seeped into Utah's bloghive.  Mark Towner, long known for his foolishness, <a href="http://politicalspyglass.blogspot.com/2007/06/lest-we-never-forget-we-must-act-now.html">repeated the ill-informed idea that we MUST attack/invade Iran</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When I first heard about the American move to war in Iraq in 2002, I was shocked.  As a missionary at the time, even I knew that Iraq had nothing to do with al-Qaeda terrorism or 9/11, and that they posed no threat to the US.  When I asked people to confirm this, I usually asked them if they were confusing Iran, which did support terrorism, that does not like the US, and was right next to Afghanistan and would have been a tactically better choice to attack.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Since then, I have learned more about how badly we have screwed up in Iran, mostly thanks to our involvement in Iraq.  Those mistakes will certainly not be undone by attacking Iran; for many reasons, it will exacerbate them.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">First, is the double standard.  As referenced on tonight's <i>Daily Show</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, Saudi Arabia has b</span>een funding the Sunni insurgents in Iraq for most of the war,  but we don't hear much about that, strangely enough.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Second is the belief we cannot solve problems diplomatically.  I believe the only official meeting between US and Iranian governments since 1979 was earlier this month on this issue.  We have not had official relations with Iran since the hostage crisis.  I can sympathize with the boycott and the three main reasons for it: they did not respect the sovereignty of our embassy; they do sponsor terror; and they have not abandoned nuclear weapons research.  However, the latter two are directly because Iran fears of American attack.  If we would consider talking and negotiating with Iran (probably not on Iranian soil), perhaps we would find that we could easily work some things out.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Also, Mr. Towner mistakenly believes that an attack can only help our situation in the region.  In fact, it will make in interminably worse.  First, we would vindicate the Iranian leadership, who for 30 years have told their people to fear the US because an attack could be just around the corner.  Thankfully, a good deal of Iranians, most of them too young to remember the Revolution, are <i>starting</i> to disbelieve most things their leadership says.  That all changes with one US bullet or bomb; like the Iraqis who were <i>not</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> ready to change the regime, Iranians would support their </span><i>theocratic </i><span style="font-style: normal;">government before letting Americans attack.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Finally, Mr. Towner dramatically underestimates the fighting spirit of the Iranians.  His memory does not serve him well about Iranian tactics/mindset during the Iran-Iraq war.  While the Iraqis did use chemical weapons, the Iranians used boys on bicycles as minesweeping martyrs when they ran out of military men and resources.  They had <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tehran/inside/martyrs.html">a fountain of blood in Tehran</a> dedicated to the memory of martyrs.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">My message is that no one should think it is easy to wage war against Iran, and that no one should believe we cannot engage in diplomacy to solve our problems.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">As a side note to Mark: please don't misuse the words of Kipling's </span><i>Recessional.  </i><span style="font-style: normal;">They were meant as a warning </span><i>against</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> the kind of jingoism you wish upon us, which can only lead to destruction.  If you had visited the monuments that use this phrase, such as Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance, perhaps you would use the words more carefully.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Hat-tips: <a href="http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2007/06/mark-nuke-em-towner.html">The Sidetrack</a>, <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2007/06/20/keep_calm_and_carry_.html">Boing-Boing</a></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/6197574183809752156/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=6197574183809752156";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/6197574183809752156";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/6197574183809752156";s:4:"link";s:70:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/06/keep-calm-and-carry-on.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"7";}}i:16;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-1261335813705510782";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-06-18T16:54:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-06-18T18:02:17.479-06:00";s:5:"title";s:58:"Utah Media: Mitt Romney IS the only Presidential Candidate";s:12:"atom_content";s:18537:"Back in <a href="http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/02/will-utah-media-cover-every.html">February, I noted how the Utah media was being fairly balanced in their coverage</a> of the Presidential race.  It now appears KSL, though, has been taken over by LaVarr Webb.  It seems like they cover Romney more than anyone else.  I wanted to test this theory, so I searched KSL.com for all the candidates and was not surprised by the results.<br /><br /> <table str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 191pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="255"><col style="width: 143pt;" width="191">  <col style="width: 48pt;" width="64">  <tbody><tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt; width: 143pt;" height="17" width="191">Candidate</td>   <td style="width: 48pt;" width="64">Hits</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John McCain</td>   <td num="" align="right">347</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mitt Romney</td>   <td num="" align="right">238</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Hillary Clinton</td>   <td num="" align="right">173</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Barack Obama</td>   <td num="" align="right">165</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John Edwards</td>   <td num="" align="right">128</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Tommy Thompson</td>   <td num="" align="right">114</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Bill Richardson</td>   <td num="" align="right">98</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mike Huckabee</td>   <td num="" align="right">67</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Rudy Giuliani</td>   <td num="" align="right">57</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Duncan Hunter</td>   <td num="" align="right">43</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Dennis Kucinich</td>   <td num="" align="right">31</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Fred Thompson</td>   <td num="" align="right">26</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Chris Dodd</td>   <td num="" align="right">17</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Joe Biden</td>   <td num="" align="right">2</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mike Gravel</td>   <td num="" align="right">2</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Sam Brownback</td>   <td num="" align="right">2</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Jim Gilmore</td>   <td num="" align="right">1</td>  </tr>    <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Others</td>   <td num="" align="right">0</td>  </tr> </tbody></table><br />Predictably, the front-runners got the highest number of hits.  I was initially surprised by the number of McCain hits, but given his vociferousness on the two biggest issues in the past few months (Iraq and immigration), I can accept it.  However, it appears that Romney is getting inordinate coverage.  This was confirmed when I looked at the other six news sources and their search engines (KSTU has a crappy search engine).<br />Deseret Morning News<br /> <table str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 207pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="275"><col style="width: 131pt;" width="174">  <col style="width: 76pt;" width="101">  <tbody><tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt; width: 131pt;" height="17" width="174">Candidate</td>   <td style="width: 76pt;" width="101">Archive Hits</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mitt Romney</td>   <td num="" align="right">395</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John McCain</td>   <td num="" align="right">368</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John Edwards</td>   <td num="" align="right">320</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Hillary Clinton</td>   <td num="" align="right">296</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Barack Obama</td>   <td num="" align="right">264</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Rudy Giuliani</td>   <td num="" align="right">218</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Ron Paul</td>   <td num="" align="right">114</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Bill Richardson</td>   <td num="" align="right">88</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Fred Thompson</td>   <td num="" align="right">49</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Sam Brownback</td>   <td num="" align="right">47</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mike Huckabee</td>   <td num="" align="right">39</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Joe Biden</td>   <td num="" align="right">39</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Chris Dodd</td>   <td num="" align="right">38</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Duncan Hunter</td>   <td num="" align="right">32</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Dennis Kucinich</td>   <td num="" align="right">29</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Tommy Thompson</td>   <td num="" align="right">28</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Tom Tancredo</td>   <td num="" align="right">17</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mike Gravel</td>   <td num="" align="right">14</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Jim Gilmore</td>   <td num="" align="right">13</td>  </tr> </tbody></table><br />Tribune<br /> <table str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 218pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="291"><col style="width: 129pt;" width="172">  <col style="width: 89pt;" width="119">  <tbody><tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt; width: 129pt;" height="17" width="172">Candidate</td>   <td style="width: 89pt;" width="119">Archive Hits</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mitt Romney</td>   <td num="" align="right">1266</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John McCain</td>   <td num="" align="right">538</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Hillary Clinton</td>   <td num="" align="right">351</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Rudy Giuliani</td>   <td num="" align="right">281</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John Edwards</td>   <td num="" align="right">168</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Barack Obama</td>   <td num="" align="right">126</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Bill Richardson</td>   <td num="" align="right">120</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Tommy Thompson</td>   <td num="" align="right">77</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Fred Thompson</td>   <td num="" align="right">65</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Jim Gilmore</td>   <td num="" align="right">45</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Sam Brownback</td>   <td num="" align="right">39</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Joe Biden</td>   <td num="" align="right">28</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Dennis Kucinich</td>   <td num="" align="right">27</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Tom Tancredo</td>   <td num="" align="right">27</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mike Huckabee</td>   <td num="" align="right">26</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Duncan Hunter</td>   <td num="" align="right">22</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Ron Paul</td>   <td num="" align="right">16</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Chris Dodd</td>   <td num="" align="right">16</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mike Gravel</td>   <td num="" align="right">3</td>  </tr> </tbody></table><br />KUTV<br /> <table str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 288px; height: 420px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><col style="width: 131pt;" width="175">  <col style="width: 85pt;" width="113">  <tbody><tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt; width: 131pt;" height="17" width="175">Candidate</td>   <td style="width: 85pt;" width="113">"Local News Hits"</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mitt Romney</td>   <td num="" align="right">30</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John McCain</td>   <td num="" align="right">13</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Rudy Giuliani</td>   <td num="" align="right">9</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John Edwards</td>   <td num="" align="right">4</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Hillary Clinton</td>   <td num="" align="right">3</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Barack Obama</td>   <td num="" align="right">3</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Ron Paul</td>   <td num="" align="right">2</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Duncan Hunter</td>   <td num="" align="right">2</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Tommy Thompson</td>   <td num="" align="right">1</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Sam Brownback</td>   <td num="" align="right">1</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mike Huckabee</td>   <td num="" align="right">1</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Jim Gilmore</td>   <td num="" align="right">1</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Bill Richardson</td>   <td num="" align="right">1</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Others<br /></td>   <td num="" align="right">0</td>  </tr>           </tbody></table><br />KTVX<br /> <table str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 188pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="250"><col style="width: 140pt;" width="186">  <col style="width: 48pt;" width="64">  <tbody><tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt; width: 140pt;" height="17" width="186">Candidate</td>   <td style="width: 48pt;" width="64">Hits</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mitt Romney</td>   <td num="" align="right">24</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John McCain</td>   <td num="" align="right">14</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Hillary Clinton</td>   <td num="" align="right">14</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Barack Obama</td>   <td num="" align="right">10</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John Edwards</td>   <td num="" align="right">9</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Fred Thompson</td>   <td num="" align="right">8</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Duncan Hunter</td>   <td num="" align="right">6</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Bill Richardson</td>   <td num="" align="right">4</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mike Gravel</td>   <td num="" align="right">4</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Sam Brownback</td>   <td num="" align="right">4</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Ron Paul</td>   <td num="" align="right">3</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Dennis Kucinich</td>   <td num="" align="right">3</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Joe Biden</td>   <td num="" align="right">3</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mike Huckabee</td>   <td num="" align="right">2</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Rudy Giuliani</td>   <td num="" align="right">1</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Tom Tancredo</td>   <td num="" align="right">1</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Others<br /></td>   <td num="" align="right">0</td>  </tr>     </tbody></table><br />KCPW<br /> <table str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 169pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="224"><col style="width: 119pt;" width="158">  <col style="width: 50pt;" width="66">  <tbody><tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt; width: 119pt;" height="17" width="158">Candidate</td>   <td style="width: 50pt;" width="66">Archive Hits</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Mitt Romney</td>   <td num="" align="right">17</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John McCain</td>   <td num="" align="right">16</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">John Edwards</td>   <td num="" align="right">2</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Hillary Clinton</td>   <td num="" align="right">2</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Rudy Giuliani</td>   <td num="" align="right">2</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Barack Obama</td>   <td num="" align="right">1</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Bill Richardson</td>   <td num="" align="right">1</td>  </tr>  <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">   <td style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">Others</td>   <td num="" align="right">0</td>  </tr> </tbody></table><br />All of these news sources seem to have fallen into the fallacy that Utahns only care about their Mitt.  They may defend their over-exposure of Romney by saying that Utahns want stories about how Mitt Romney is doing because of his connections to Mormonism and the Olympics.  That may explain a few stories, but not when they reach into the hundreds.  That excuse also does not excuse the fact that national news sources are also able to cover those issues, as <a href="http://dailynightly.msnbc.com/2007/06/keeping_the_fai.html">NBC Nightly News</a> did as I was writing this post.  Similarly, the fact that they have overcovered Romney compared to the other candidates that have visited or will visit Utah is very disconcerting.  Note that many (the <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/search/ci_6161813">Tribune</a> and <a href="http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,665194230,00.html">DNews </a>only as far as I can tell, and in short, inside stories) have not covered the fact that we have TWO Democratic presidential candidates coming to Utah, perhaps for the first time ever.   Sad to see this kind of bias in Utah's news, but not entirely unexpected.<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/1261335813705510782/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=1261335813705510782";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/1261335813705510782";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/1261335813705510782";s:4:"link";s:78:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/06/utah-media-mitt-romney-is-only.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"4";}}i:17;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-7936983051411612793";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-06-13T12:46:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-06-13T13:13:58.755-06:00";s:5:"title";s:30:"The Endgame: No Public Schools";s:12:"atom_content";s:6361:"<p class="MsoNormal">No one should delude themselves: <i>LA Times</i> columnist Jonah Goldberg tells us the end game for voucher supporters.  His column, entitled “<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-goldberg12jun12,0,4683079.column?coll=la-opinion-rightrail">Do away with public schools</a>,” also has the subtitle: “Government is inept at running schools.”<span style="">  </span>I ask those in favor of vouchers: is that true in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:State>?<span style="">  </span>If you say yes, then you are doing two things.<span style="">  </span>First, you accept that over three decades of Republican dominance in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:State> government has run our schools into the ground.<span style="">  </span>Second, you also deny the numerous accolades that <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:State>’s public schools have achieved.<span style="">  </span>From today’s headlines about <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6127664">high graduation rates</a>, to West High’s continual rankings in Newsweek’s best High schools ratings (despite mainly serving what Goldberg calls “needy students”), Utah schools appear to be fairly well run and produce students ready to work or study at a higher level.<span style="">  </span>Furthermore, while I believe they could do a better job if they were given more funding, and I believe that would be easier with more Democrats in office, it appears the <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Utah</st1:place></st1:State> public education system has allowed some Republicans to learn the value of wisely investing in thus public good.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">The rest Goldberg’s column is the same old, tired, fallacious arguments against public education and for vouchers that have no basis in fact.<span style="">  </span>It also ignores that all 50 states have, in their constitutions, some sort of requirement for free, public education available to every child in their state.<span style="">  </span>It is obvious that some accept his arguments if not his conclusions, such as <a href="http://daviscountywatch.blogspot.com/2007/06/do-away-with-public-schools.html">Tyler at Davis County Watch</a>, and <a href="http://www.slcspin.com/?p=97">Ethan at SLC Spin</a>.<span style="">  </span>I initially wanted to reply to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tyler</st1:place></st1:City>’s latest post on the subject on his blog, but I had little more to say and wanted to say it better than my original comment.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I must start with an angry, loud, all-caps statement.<span style="">  </span>HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY THAT THERE IS NO PROOF THAT PRIVATE SCHOOLS OR VOUCHERS ACTUALLY IMPROVE EDUCATION! Please provide one source, one study, one report that backs up your claim. I have repeatedly noted studies from the <a href="http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/studies/2006461.asp">US Dept. of Education</a>, the <a href="http://www.gao.gov/docdblite/summary.php?rptno=GAO-01-9">General Accounting Office</a>, and other <a href="http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/pepg/research.htm">peer-reviewed studies</a> showing there is NO proof that private schools work or that vouchers help. Why? Because there is no way to compare private schools that don't teach the same things, don't give the same tests, and don't take the same students that public schools are required to do.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Now I am not saying that private schools do not work at all or for some children or that they should be abolished either.<span style="">  </span>I believe in school choice, and that parents should choose where their children go to school.<span style="">  </span>However, when that choice is not financially viable, parents should be able to depend on the public system to provide for their children’s education.<span style="">  </span>If it is not, we should consider changing who runs our schools through the electoral process, becoming more engaged in their children’s education, or consider applying for a private school scholarship (which is privately-funded).<span style="">  </span>That is why I believe in words living up to their definitions.<span style="">  </span>I abhor the “Clear Skies Initiative” because it pollutes our air more.<span style="">  </span>I opposed vouchers because private schools should remain private and not become another tier of our government, subject to increasing government regulation until they are eventually absorbed entirely.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> Also, it is false that it costs less per pupil to educate a child with a voucher. The per pupil number that groups such as the Utah Taxpayers Association give includes bonded, capital expenditures that are not included when the legislature appropriates funds for public education. In fact, it costs less to educate a child in public school than private, especially if you consider that the voucher only covers tuition, not the costs public education does cover, like transportation and food. The voucher does not cover these costs if they are included in tuition.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> Finally, you are deluding yourself if you believe two things: that the voucher $ will always come from the general fund and not from the education fund; and that elimination of public education is not the ultimate goal of the major voucher proponents (not everyone, just the ones that give millions of dollars annually to influence elections and government for their favor, which is their right). Ask your legislator, whether they voted yes or no on the issue, if they expect to see the day that voucher funding will come from the education fund. It will happen, just like when they pushed higher ed funding from the education fund, and changed the constitution to change which taxes go into which fund. The big voucher supporters are not going to stop with <st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">Utah</st1:State></st1:place>, but will try to achieve the same results nationally, until public ed does not exist.</p>    <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><br />Hat-tip: <a href="http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/06/12/goldberg-wants-to-close-public-schools/">Crooks and Liars</a>, Davis County Watch</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/7936983051411612793/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=7936983051411612793";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/7936983051411612793";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/7936983051411612793";s:4:"link";s:73:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/06/endgame-no-public-schools.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"3";}}i:18;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-4590432249085365900";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-06-07T16:12:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-06-07T17:11:20.121-06:00";s:5:"title";s:30:"Time for Candidates to Step Up";s:12:"atom_content";s:5342:"<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/6/7/181224/7271">Cross posted to Daily Kos Diary</a>--please recommend; maybe they will pay attention to Utah one day.)</span><br /><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As noted below, Utah's Attorney-General, Mark Shurtleff, has demoted two State Office of Education lawyers because they did not follow lock-step with his support for vouchers no matter what the people  of Utah want.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With today's purge, the time has come for candidates to step up to the plate and challenge Governor Huntsman and Attorney-General Shurtleff.  Governor Huntsman has shown the incompetence, weakness, cowardice, and waffling which I knew would happen since 2004.  He silently allowed an unproven and unwanted voucher program to go into law.  He then tried to have it both ways when the referendum petition drive started, saying he would respect the voice of the people.  Then he backed off; then he felt a blowback and reversed himself again.  He threw out trial balloons on special sessions, but decided again to submit to the legislature and be a weak, cowardly governor who believes he has no power.  It is now time for a candidate, at least a Democrat but maybe a Republican, who will have the courage to stand up for what he or she believes in and stays consistent.  We need candidates who will fight this plague of gubernatorial shallowness and lead our state the way most Utahns want.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As for Shurtleff, his actions today demonstrate he has no judicial intelligence, tolerance for legal diversity, or even plain ethics to extricate himself from a situation where his interests are dangerously and clearly conflicted.  The Utah Attorney General's office used to be a place where legal reasoning and diversity were welcomed and political feelings were put aside in the name of justice.  Today, it is clear Shurtleff's office is only for political hacks, and he is emulating his federal superior.  There must be some candidates out there who have the fortitude and anger to run.  Democrats should obviously have some one out there, and there has got to a Republican lawyer who is angry at him for any number of issues (his pro-amnesty immigration stance, Parker Jensen nanny state ideas, faux polygamy enforcement, anyone?)</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It is obvious that the road is hard for both of these opposition candidates.  KSL has apparently dropped its contract with SurveyUSA, so they don't even give us monthly Governor approval ratings anymore.  I haven't seen a local poll (Dan Jones, Valley Research, etc) on either Huntsman or Shurtleff in months either.  It appears the media has given in to the Republican inevitability syndrome, not even caring to report on how people feel about their current office holders.  Mind you, Democrats have done little considering we don't have any candidates already.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">However, now we must have people stand up and start fighting against these juggernauts.  I would suggest they stay low-key until after the referendum and let the Governor and AG continue to not act and act dictatorially, respectively.  They should stand up immediately after the referendum, which I hope they support, and push for political action at the next general election.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.slcspin.com/?p=179">SLCSpin:  Exclusive: Carol Lear Letter Of Termination</a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.slcspin.com/?p=180"> Exclusive: Jean Hill Letter Of Termination</a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6084828">Salt Lake Tribune:  Shurtleff revokes 'special assistant AG' status of attorneys advising state education office</a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660227667,00.html">Deseret Morning News: Shurtleff tells state education office attorneys to halt legal advice</a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1318755">KSL:  Shurtleff Terminates Status of Two Attorneys Over School Voucher Issue </a> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://3rdave.blogspot.com/2007/06/shurtleff-fires-special-dags-for.html">Third Avenue:  Shurtleff fires special DAGs for disagreeing</a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://utahamicus.blogspot.com/2007/06/news-release-democratic-lawmakers-reach.html">The Utah Amicus:  News Release: Democratic lawmakers reach across the aisle to resolve voucher mess</a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://utdems.blogspot.com/2007/06/arrogance-and-abuse-of-power.html">Utah State Democratic Party:  Arrogance and Abuse of Power</a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://jmbell.org/blog/?p=447"><span style="text-decoration: none;">JM Bell:  SLCspin Broke it first! - A.G. Mark “First Amendment should be conditional” Shurtleff fires Carol Lear and Jean Hill</span></a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/4590432249085365900/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=4590432249085365900";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/4590432249085365900";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/4590432249085365900";s:4:"link";s:78:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/06/time-for-candidates-to-step-up.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"1";}}i:19;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-1695782842066772406";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-05-31T23:56:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-06-01T11:11:00.800-06:00";s:5:"title";s:45:"Mormon on Politics: aka Moron Outside Reality";s:12:"atom_content";s:1897:"I have on my Sage reader a bookmark for a blog called <a href="http://mop-jdh.blogspot.com/">Mormon on Politics</a>.  I don't know why I ever knew about him.  I guess he somehow remarked about the US Senate race in 2006 and I found him in a blog search.  In any event, he has to be the worst blogger in  the Utah blogosphere.  I challenge anyone to read his blog and wonder what kind of reality he lives in.  Take his <a href="http://mop-jdh.blogspot.com/2007/05/freedom-of-speech-not-in-venezuela-nor.html">recent post </a>for example, which compared Nancy Pelosi and the DNC to Venezuela and Chavez' decision to clampdown on opposition media.  He cites a press release from the Venezuelan Embassy as evidence that Pelosi agrees with Chavez.  However, if he would have actually read Speaker Pelosi's <a href="http://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/pressreleases?id=0198">actual press release </a>on the issue, he would have found that she does not.<br />If you wish to know what idiocy truly is, <a href="http://mop-jdh.blogspot.com/2007/04/virginia-tech-convocation.html">read</a> <a href="http://mop-jdh.blogspot.com/2007/04/assimilation.html">a few</a> <a href="http://http//mop-jdh.blogspot.com/2007/03/politician-history-litmus-test.html">of his</a> posts that I have commented on.  Then perhaps read his <a href="http://mop-jdh.blogspot.com/search?q=romney">complete flip-flop on Mitt Romney</a> (after condemning Romney for flip-flopping).<br />After a night of thinking about this, I have to say my feelings have not changed.  I don't really like to call out bloggers for no reason, and I have made mistakes.  However, I think it is clear that MOP is operating in talking-points land, relying on zero factual evidence, and sometimes lies.  Not good for someone who labels himself as a Mormon.  I am not all that good, either, but for other reasons.<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/1695782842066772406/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=1695782842066772406";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/1695782842066772406";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/1695782842066772406";s:4:"link";s:84:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/05/mormon-on-politics-aka-moron-outside.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"2";}}i:20;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-1111353634780069599";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-05-29T21:12:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-05-29T21:21:25.411-06:00";s:5:"title";s:33:"Urquhart’s Crazy, Illegal Ideas";s:12:"atom_content";s:2106:"<p class="MsoNormal">Rep. Urquhart made a feeble attempt to appear democratic in his <a href="http://steveu.com/blog/2007/05/november-voucher-vote-and-democratic.html">latest post</a> on the voucher saga.<span style="">  </span>It seemed fairly disingenuous.<span style="">  </span>My response follows:</p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, that cannot happen.<span style="">  </span>You should read <a href="http://le.utah.gov/%7Ecode/TITLE20A/20A07.htm">Title 20A, Chapter 7</a> of the code before writing about this; it is pretty clear.<span style="">  </span>HB 148 essentially does not exist until the people vote that it does.<span style="">  </span>The Legislature cannot touch it.<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Secondly, if the legislature did this it would not be a referendum; it would be constitutional amendment ratification.<span style="">  </span>The legislature does not submit issues to the voters in any other way.<span style="">  </span>The people can submit laws to the legislature, but the legislature cannot submit simple laws to the people, only constitutional amendments.<o:p></o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Here are some basic ideas: </p>  <ul><li>Follow Huntsman’s lead and repeal HB 174 in special OR regular session if HB 148 is repealed.</li><li>Stop bugging the School Board to do anything until HB 148 is approved by voters, if that happens.</li><li>Stop participating in lawsuits to stop the democratic process (like the one you are party to now).</li></ul></blockquote><ul></ul>    <p class="MsoNormal"></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I just wondered: if voucher proponents cared so much about parents being able to afford private schools, maybe they should spend more money on private scholarships instead of political action.<span style="">  </span>I am not saying they do not have a right to such opinion and political action, but it would seem more genuine.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/1111353634780069599/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=1111353634780069599";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/1111353634780069599";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/1111353634780069599";s:4:"link";s:77:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/05/urquharts-crazy-illegal-ideas.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"4";}}i:21;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-4442337269373225854";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-05-21T22:22:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-05-21T22:45:46.781-06:00";s:5:"title";s:59:"One of My Reasons Against Vouchers, From the Book of Mormon";s:12:"atom_content";s:3440:"<div id="3_ne/6/12" onclick="return toggleMarked(event, this)">3 Nephi 6<br /><br /></div><blockquote><div id="3_ne/6/12" onclick="return toggleMarked(event, this)">  12<span style="font-weight: bold;">  And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their </span><sup style="font-weight: bold;">a</sup><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/3_ne/6/12a" mark="a" type="A" title="1 Tim. 6: 17; Hel. 4: 12 (11-13).">riches</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> and their chances for </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="searchword">learning</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">; yea, some were </span><sup style="font-weight: bold;">b</sup><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/3_ne/6/12b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Ignorance.">ignorant</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> because of their poverty, and others did receive great </span><sup style="font-weight: bold;">c</sup><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/3_ne/6/12c" mark="c" type="B" title="TG Learning."><span class="searchword">learning</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> because of their riches.</span> </div><div class="verse"><a name="13"></a><div id="3_ne/6/13" onclick="return toggleMarked(event, this)">  13 Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and <sup>a</sup><a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/3_ne/6/13a" mark="a" type="B" title="TG Persecution.">persecution</a> and all manner of <sup>b</sup><a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/3_ne/6/13b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Affliction.">afflictions</a>, and would not turn and <sup>c</sup><a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/3_ne/6/13c" mark="c" type="C" title="3 Ne. 12: 39; 4 Ne. 1: 34; D&C 98: 23 (23-27); TG Reviling.">revile</a> again, but were humble and penitent before God. </div></div><div class="verse"><a name="14"></a><div id="3_ne/6/14" onclick="return toggleMarked(event, this)">  14 And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the *thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and <sup>a</sup><a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/3_ne/6/14a" mark="a" type="A" title="Alma 23: 6; Alma 27: 27; Hel. 15: 8 (5-16).">they</a> would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all <sup>b</sup><a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/3_ne/6/14b" mark="b" type="B" title="TG Dedication; TG Diligence.">diligence</a> to keep the commandments of the Lord.<br /></div></div></blockquote><div class="verse"><div id="3_ne/6/14" onclick="return toggleMarked(event, this)">This is one of those times where it just comes together nicely.  My opposition to vouchers is based almost entirely on the previously outlined on this blog: the fact they have not been proven to work; the fact that public schools are proven to work; the fact that school choice exists, etc.  This scripture just reiterates some of the reasoning behind not setting up a two-tier system.  For a better argument, <a href="http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650221621,00.html">read what someone smarter and more experienced than I wrote</a>.<br /><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/4442337269373225854/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=4442337269373225854";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/4442337269373225854";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/4442337269373225854";s:4:"link";s:87:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/05/one-of-my-reasons-against-vouchers-from.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"2";}}i:22;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-1338201784155444902";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-05-21T21:58:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-05-21T22:06:38.521-06:00";s:5:"title";s:34:"Why I Think Game 1 Wasn't That Bad";s:12:"atom_content";s:1074:"I think the Jazz learned a lot of lessons in Game 1, and could do better in Game 2 onward.  That doesn't mean I think they will win the series; my prediction is that the Spurs win 4-1, 4-2 at best.  The Spurs are a fairly complete team, with every player complementing each other and stepping up where others sometimes fail.  You can't just cover Duncan because that leaves Parker open; when Ginobli comes off the bench, problems increase several fold.  Even down the bench to Jacque Vaughn, Oberto, and others can step it up.<br />The Jazz are almost there, but they are all less inexperienced, and a few players are fairly useless.  I am hopeful based on just one surprising performance yesterday: Araujo.  I thought he performed fairly well against Duncan, and only made the stupid blocking foul against Ginobli.  If the Jazz prepare him better for Tuesday's game, he could be the difference-maker that Boozer, Okur, Collins, and others cannot be.  Now the Jazz just need better match-ups against everyone else on the Spurs.<div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/1338201784155444902/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=1338201784155444902";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/1338201784155444902";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/1338201784155444902";s:4:"link";s:81:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/05/why-i-think-game-1-wasnt-that-bad.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}}i:23;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-5526389989392661247";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-05-21T18:16:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-05-21T18:17:35.655-06:00";s:5:"title";s:37:"Carter: One of the Best Ex-Presidents";s:12:"atom_content";s:13855:"<p class="MsoNormal">In response to this nonsensical post on <a href="http://kvnuforthepeople.com/?p=465">KVNU’s blog For the People</a>, I provided this rebuttal.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br /><blockquote>Craig, who was right in 1976? Carter, who promoted alternative energies like solar, wind, nuclear, etc and proposed an energy independence plan? Or people like Orrin Hatch who opposed him? I think around 3200 dead soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors would rather we had followed Carter’s plans instead of 30 more years of dependence on foreign oil. That doesn’t count the millions around the world that are dead because we (the US) failed to take the lead to get off non-renewable energy and now suffer under tons of pollution (without a doubt about that) and global warming (you can argue amongst yourself about that, but you are part of a shrinking minority). We had a choice during the Carter presidency; and we chose to not allow our nation to move forward in research, development, and implementation of renewable energy. Now we are paying for it, in $3 gas, in American health, in potentially more prosperity, and the lives of our military.</blockquote></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>  <p class="MsoNormal">I will admit that Carter made mistakes. It is obvious he failed to heed his own advice in helping the corrupt Shah, and that led to the Islamic revolution and hostage crisis in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>. However, you make claims in your article about the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Carter</st1:PlaceName>  <st1:placename st="on">Center</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>’s work, but most of them are logically flawed. You submit simply because Carter negotiated the 1994 North Korean deal, that it was doomed to fail. When in fact that led to a softening of relations among <st1:country-region st="on">North Korea</st1:country-region>, its neighbors, and the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> (remember the unified Korean Olympic team in 2000? Madeline Albright’s visit? the South Korean President getting the Nobel Peace Prize because of their peace-making efforts). <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agreed_Framework">Also, one of the reasons the Agreed Framework broke down is the Republican Congress refused to fund essential portions of it</a>.<span style="">  </span>Finally, it was the Bush Administration inexplicably putting NK in the “axis of evil” that put the final nails in the coffin and scared the paranoid NK regime out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. It should be noted that Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democratic presidential candidate, is who both the US and NK turn to now to get things done.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">As to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Carter</st1:PlaceName>  <st1:placename st="on">Center</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>’s work, can you hold out the possibility that perhaps they know what they are doing and the Venezuelan people actually dislike American influence so much that they would vote for Chavez? But hey, it’s not like we could have less an obtrusive influence there if we had stopped being so concerned with their oil, like if we had stopped around 1977 or so?</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">For <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cuba</st1:place></st1:country-region>, all I can say is at least he is trying where a 40 year embargo has clearly failed.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I have not read his book, but I would expect such a response given the power of the American-Israeli lobby. Perhaps if we had gotten off foreign oil, say in 1977 or even now, we would care less about what happens in the <st1:place st="on">Middle East</st1:place>.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Finally, I think you have intentionally taken the quote out of context. If you read the entire quote, you would be hard pressed to find any nation on earth that likes Bush, and therefore has a lesser opinion of the nation that elected and re-elected him. If you could provide a nation that thinks well of Bush, in terms of public opinion polling, please provide evidence of that.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I would say that Bush is the worst president, for the simple reason he has ignored every lesson of history about wars won and lost in the 20th Century (Spanish-American, WWI, WWII, Korean, <st1:country-region st="on">Vietnam</st1:country-region>), hence we are stuck in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region></st1:place> quagmire.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Leaving the main part of my comment about energy untouched, he focused instead on specious arguments about Carter’s post-presidential work.<span style="">  </span>He alleged Carter’s work in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">North Korea</st1:country-region></st1:place> was “freelance;” <a href="http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/nytimes_101106.html">President Carter disputes this claim.</a><span style="">  </span>He then alleges that “whenever Carter monitors an election, the dictator wins.”<span style="">  </span><a href="http://www.cartercenter.org/news/publications/election_reports.html">Looking over a list of elections the Carter Center has observed or certified</a> (which are two different things), you can see that Craig’s statement is flatly false.<span style="">  </span>Probably the best example was in 1999 in <st1:place st="on">East Timor</st1:place>, when the dictatorial Indonesian regime lost to the East Timorese people’s wishes for independence.<span style="">  </span>How about the election of Vicente Fox in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> in 2000?<span style="">  </span>Was he a dictator?<span style="">  </span>What about the Cherokee nation’s elections in 1999?<span style="">  </span>Did they elect a dictator?<span style="">  </span>Do you think that would even be possible?</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">He dismisses worldwide public opinion polls, including the <a href="http://www.pipa.org/">BBC-University of Maryland’s Program on International Policy Attitudes polls</a>, showing the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> is increasingly looked upon as a negative influence on the world.<span style="">  </span>For example, you can see in the 2007 <a href="http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/306.php?nid=&id=&amp;pnt=306&lb=hmpg1">edition of their detailed study</a> that we are reaching a new low in terms of world opinion of the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<span style="">  </span>Craig cites close relations with leaders of some nations as evidence of world support.<span style="">  </span>As one who has actually lived in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, I can tell you that their increasingly flagging support of John Howard has nothing to do with his relationship with Bush.<span style="">  </span>They have little or no tolerance for him Down Under.<span style="">  </span>Australia, as with the UK, Hungary, Russia, Turkey, and the other nations in the BBC-PIPA poll, thinks, almost always in strong majorities:<span style="">  </span>the US is having a mainly negative influence in the world; disapproves how the US has handled the situations in Iraq; Iran; Israel/Lebanon/Hezbollah; North Korea; the treatment of detainees in Guantanamo; global warming; and that the US military presences in the Middle East provokes more conflicts than it prevents.<span style="">  </span><st1:country-region st="on">Japan</st1:country-region> was not polled in this study, but I suspect they are just fine with <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region> as long as we keep buying their cars and ignore their high protectionist tariffs.<span style="">  </span>He then makes the increasingly strained comparison between Bush and Reagan, saying the world hated Reagan.<span style="">  </span>I would like to see some citation of that fact; I know many around the world, in the <st1:country-region st="on">US</st1:country-region>, and even in <st1:state st="on">Utah</st1:State> (including the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">LDS</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Church</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>) were alarmed by Reagan’s affinity for nuclear weapons and the theory of limited nuclear war, a.k.a. nuclear utilization theory, a.k.a. NUTs.<span style="">  </span>The main difference is that Reagan softened his rhetoric toward the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">USSR</st1:country-region></st1:place> in his second term (as Gorbachev reciprocated), and that allowed the peace process to bloom and the Cold War to end.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">He then dismisses the American Israeli lobby’s influence on <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> politics, alleging Carter “accepts millions of dollars from the Saudis.”<span style="">  </span>Again, I have not read the book, but just looking at their official lobbying arm, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIPAC">AIPAC</a>, you can see they have a lot of power on both sides of the aisle.<span style="">  </span>I would also like Craig to cite the Saudi’s payments, because I have not found such a connection.<span style="">  </span>However, I doubt he reaches the point of anti-semitism, though it is clear a lot of people are upset about his book.<span style="">  </span>This leads me to wonder: Craig, have you read his book?<span style="">  </span>Or are you just judging it by its cover?</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">David James alleges that there have been great advances in alternative energy over the past 30 years, almost entirely in the private sector.<span style="">  </span>That was my exact point; in the absence of any governmental leadership in the energy arena, the private sector was left to its own devices.<span style="">  </span>Imagine where we would be today if, instead of one building at the U of U devoted to coal gasification, a nuclear reactor, and other energy research, we could have ten?<span style="">  </span>What if <a href="http://www.physics.usu.edu/department/faculty/edwards.html">Dr. Farrell Edwards at USU</a> had <a href="http://peteashdown.org/journal/2006/04/15/eyes-on-the-prize/">funding from the Department of Energy and not Homeland Security to work on his fusion research</a>?<span style="">  </span>I would like Mr. James to cite how much money we “threw away” and what “no results” means, especially considering the horrible situation we are in today.<span style="">  </span>I am not arguing for the evil “government intervention” that he warns about, but the kind of research, development, and implementation that could have truly opened up the world energy market beyond just oil.<span style="">  </span><a href="http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pecss_diagram.html">Instead, we are still stuck using fossil fuels for 85% of our total US energy consumption in 2005</a>, <a href="http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/ep/ep_text.html#1">with petroleum increasing as the main US energy consumption source since the 70s but other forms of energy have barely risen</a>.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I have neglected to reject the response that Carter has been a bad ex-president, but compared to the recent history of past presidents, he has probably done the best job, frankly.<span style="">  </span>Truman, Eisenhower, LBJ, and Reagan barely did anything (or had the capability to do anything) after their presidencies, beyond politics; Nixon wrote books and tried to defend himself; Ford did well to help his wife’s causes and other activities; GHW Bush and Clinton have worked on charitable projects, but both have been concerned with their dynasties.<span style="">  </span>Only Carter has dedicated himself almost wholeheartedly to humanitarian and peace-making projects (though he has definitely remained politically active).</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Finally, in response to Tom Grover’s remarks, which I concede are cogent.<span style="">  </span>Carter did not use the traditional chief-of-staff model of organization; it seems his desire to be in-the-know more than his scandal-tainted predecessors overwhelmed him.<span style="">  </span>Furthermore, his speeches reached for how <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Lincoln</st1:place></st1:City> connected morals and policy, but obviously failed.<span style="">  </span>Finally, his Congressional relations were very bad, but some would say he was better than Bush is now.<span style="">  </span>Those poor relations, especially with those in his own party, cost him and led to the failure of his energy package.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">Finally, I would not say at all that Carter was the greatest President ever; I would rank him in the mid-range of 20<sup>th</sup> Century presidents.<span style="">  </span>He was better than McKinley, Taft, Harding, Coolidge, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Hoover</st1:place></st1:City>; a toss up among Wilson, Truman, Ford, GHW Bush, Clinton; but worse than TR, Wilson, FDR, Ike, JFK, LBJ, Nixon, and Reagan.<span style="">  </span>The reason I think GWB is so bad, is because he has the blessing of learning from American history, but has spurned those blessings and that has cost our nation dearly.</p>  <p class="MsoNormal">I have vented enough and will hopefully not engage in a flame war on this, but I just wanted to get this off my chest.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/5526389989392661247/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=5526389989392661247";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/5526389989392661247";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/5526389989392661247";s:4:"link";s:80:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/05/carter-one-of-best-ex-presidents.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"3";}}i:24;a:13:{s:2:"id";s:70:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939.post-5948456613798569775";s:9:"published";s:29:"2007-05-05T13:12:00.000-06:00";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2007-05-05T13:14:23.090-06:00";s:5:"title";s:39:"Why I Don't Care About Rocky v. Hannity";s:12:"atom_content";s:2327:"<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I did not watch or listen to the “debate” last night.  Everything about the whole event seemed contrived and pointless.  Instead I chose to watch an old movie that pretty much summarized/prophesied what modern politics has turned into, though I had never seen the movie before.  In John Ford's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051845/"><i>The Last Hurrah</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, Spencer Tracy's character makes a prescient statement, asking his sports columnist <a href="http://history.enotes.com/famous-quotes/now-tell-me-this-what-would-you-consider-the">nephew a question</a>:</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><blockquote>Now tell me this. What would you consider the greatest spectator sport in the country today? Would you say it was baseball, basketball, football?... It’s politics. That’s right, politics. Millions and millions of people following it every day in the newspapers, over the TV and the radio. Now mind you, they wouldn’t get mixed up in this themselves for all the tea in China, but they know the names and numbers of all the players. And what they can’t tell the coaches about strategy. Oh, you should see some of the letters I get.</blockquote></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">That is what I was afraid of last night: a spectator sport, not a political dialogue.  I suspect there were more cogent arguments at last night's Blaze game; however, I bet attendance was higher at the debate than at the Delta Center.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">While some see the Internet as a hope for greater political involvement, where individuals can make the kind impact not seen in earlier generations, I am pessimistic.  I feel that until people stop seeing politics as that spectator sport and more as something they can participate in (i.e. run for office themselves), we won't evolve beyond Rocky v. Hannity.  I have a friend who worked on the Ashdown campaign who is running for SLC mayor, but is so low in the polls and campaign funds now that no one pays attention to him.  At least he is jumping out of the stands and on to the playing field, though.</span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">?alt=rss</div>";s:12:"link_replies";s:163:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/5948456613798569775/comments/defaulthttp://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5467641136658810939&postID=5948456613798569775";s:9:"link_edit";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/5948456613798569775";s:9:"link_self";s:82:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default/5948456613798569775";s:4:"link";s:85:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/2007/05/why-i-dont-care-about-rocky-v-hannity.html";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"4";}}}s:7:"channel";a:14:{s:2:"id";s:45:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467641136658810939";s:7:"updated";s:29:"2018-08-28T11:26:54.885-06:00";s:5:"title";s:15:"Davis Didjeridu";s:8:"subtitle";s:19:"a.k.a. "Drone Pipe"";s:42:"link_http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed";s:54:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default";s:9:"link_self";s:71:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default?alt=atom";s:4:"link";s:35:"http://davisdidjeridu.blogspot.com/";s:8:"link_hub";s:32:"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/";s:9:"link_next";s:101:"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5467641136658810939/posts/default?alt=atom&start-index=26&max-results=25";s:11:"author_name";s:12:"Brett Garner";s:10:"author_uri";s:51:"http://www.blogger.com/profile/05722225634447180698";s:12:"author_email";s:19:"noreply@blogger.com";s:9:"generator";s:7:"Blogger";s:10:"opensearch";a:3:{s:12:"totalresults";s:2:"79";s:10:"startindex";s:1:"1";s:12:"itemsperpage";s:2:"25";}}s:9:"textinput";a:0:{}s:5:"image";a:0:{}s:9:"feed_type";s:4:"Atom";s:12:"feed_version";N;s:8:"encoding";s:5:"UTF-8";s:16:"_source_encoding";s:0:"";s:5:"ERROR";s:0:"";s:7:"WARNING";s:0:"";s:19:"_CONTENT_CONSTRUCTS";a:6:{i:0;s:7:"content";i:1;s:7:"summary";i:2;s:4:"info";i:3;s:5:"title";i:4;s:7:"tagline";i:5;s:9:"copyright";}s:16:"_KNOWN_ENCODINGS";a:3:{i:0;s:5:"UTF-8";i:1;s:8:"US-ASCII";i:2;s:10:"ISO-8859-1";}s:5:"stack";a:0:{}s:9:"inchannel";b:0;s:6:"initem";b:0;s:9:"incontent";b:0;s:11:"intextinput";b:0;s:7:"inimage";b:0;s:17:"current_namespace";b:0;s:4:"etag";s:70:"W/"a8f2203397f7eadaf2ad265d71bc5d20d28061e0b9f70f45b95760d6571b9385"
";s:13:"last_modified";s:31:"Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:26:54 GMT
";}