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May 3, 2012 – Daily Brief

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

  • Senator Barbara Boxer is “stunned” that Buck McKeon won’t propose a CEMEX bill in the House of Representatives. “I was stunned when he decided not to – he called it an earmark, but the fact is something bad is going to happen to a community, we have to stop it. I stand very firm for a change of heart here by the Congressman. He was very strong before and he ought to be strong again.” Ouch. She says she’s never going to give up on fighting CEMEX and she hints at a more successful outcome if there is “change” (like electing someone other than Buck McKeon?) KHTSCVNEWS
  • Re: the above, SCVTalk comment of the week from a local Republican: “If for no other reason, I will vote against Buck because he has made me support Boxer.” That my friends is a sick burn.
  • Supervisor Antonovich delivered a state of the County report to 300 people at the Valencia Hyatt, and it was chock-full of news. Not only is the County animal shelter in Castaic getting renovated, but a new $1 million entrance to Hart Park in Newhall will soon break ground. Castaic is also getting a new bathhouse and new pool. He also talked about traffic, trains, Jerry Brown’s prison realignment and more KHTSCVNEWS
  •  College of the Canyons’ debt instruments, particularly its bond measure approved by voters in 2006, have been downgraded by the credit ratings agency Fitch, citing the poor state budget outlook, the community college’s ability to raise revenue, and other elements.  Look at it this way, COC now has the same credit rating as the USA, courtesy of the same high-integrity folks who doled out AAA ratings to the likes of Lehman Bros., Countrywide and AIG. SCVNEWS, PR
  • Remember the Chris McAmis story about the guy who killed and buried a 20 year old girl near LARC Ranch in Bouquet Canyon? OC Weekly says the critical piece of evidence that resulted in McAmis’ guilty plea after 10 years of denials happened to be a $33 charge on McAmis’ credit card in Santa Clarita a day or two after Lynsie Ekelund went missing. After confronted with that, McAmis revealed the horrifying truth of why he killed her OC WEEKLY
  • The City of Santa Clarita’s push to get more tourism dollars may be paying off a bit. A recent softball tournament hosted at the Castaic sports complex resulted in 150 hotel rooms being rented with resulting hotel occupancy tax (a favorite of municipalities since visitors don’t vote) flowing directly into our coffers SIGNAL
  • Do you hate the big trucks on I-5 as much as I do? Relief is coming according to the Glendale News Press, which says state transportation officials will outline a plan to extend truck lanes on I-5 from Lyons Avenue all the way to the Newhall Pass. I think this project has been on the books for awhile but it looks like construction will finally begin in 2014 NEWS PRESS
  • A well-known journalism blogger is looking into the Signal’s new $0.10/word policy for political endorsement LTEs. Jim Romanesko says he’s emailed the Signal and will post responses. ROMENESKO BLOG
  • Frustrated that his efforts to overturn defense cuts he voted for himself during last year’s debt negotiation deal, Buck McKeon is turning his attention to the National Governor’s Association, hoping governors will have success in pressuring Congress & the President into overturning the automatic cuts, set to take effect next January THE HILL
  • The American Enterprise Institute blog interviews Buck McKeon on the one yeaer occasion of Osama Bin Laden’s death at the hands of Seal Team Six AEI BLOG
  • Bike to work day coming in two weeks! CITY BRIEFS
  • VECO STAR LTE hints at the Stickland/McKeon name recognition confusion plaguing lazy, low information voters in the Simi Valley. “If either of our two contestants wins election to the Assembly, the residents of the 38th Assembly District lose. Reject the name (recognition) game! Vote Scott Wilk!” she writes. Here’s a simple way to for Simi voters not to get confused- vote for the guy with the monosyllabic first and last name. Single Syllable Names in 2012! There! That wasn’t so hard was it. VECO STAR
  • Looks like a new flavored ice franchise named Rita’s (east coast) is expanding to California and may open a store in the SCV by the end of 2012 SOME PAPER
  • Mayors Prayer Breakfast is going on as  I type this. Keynote speaker is an incredible double-amputee athlete. If prayer isn’t your thing, maybe next year we could all get together and give Joe Messina’s radio show something to talk about by hosting our own National Day of Reason breakfast at the IHOP.
  • LTE writer works out math of recent DUI checkpoints. 2,310 drivers screened “with an impressive total of three DUI arrests made. That works out to be about .13 percent. Seems like a lot of manpower for such a small rate of success.” LTE
  • Lynne Haueter unleashed. The chairwoman of the LA County GOP accuses local activists of shamelessly disrupting meetings, writing hateful letters and “slanderous Facebook posts” and rarely focusing on the positive. And, worst of all, SCV GOP agitators hunt “fellow Republicans -not Democrats, mind you, Republicans.”  SCVGOP
  • Former pets became packs of wild dogs and roamed the hillsides of the SCV as recently as the 1970s. And if you thought giant stomper trucks and Harley Davidsons outnumber Democrats in the SCV now, you don’t know how deep the SCV’s Republican roots are. On this date 80 years ago, SCVers submitted 251 votes for Herbert Hoover and 47 votes for FDR and only four -yes 4!- for Puritanical Newhall landowner/prohibitionist Henry Clay Needham, who was running on the Prohibition ticket.  Finally, witness Big John Boston wistfully recall a local Merle Haggard concert in 1982 in which a “buxom and unfettered young thing in the top row of the small arena stood up and lifted her blouse.” The site brought tears to TIME RANGER’S eyes

Comments (54)

  1. mikeMay 3, 2012 at 8:38 am
    Rita’s is coming to Santa Clarita?? Is this real life? This is spectacular news. Rita’s is a Philadelphia-based chain that serves the city’s most treasured dessert, the oddly-named “water ice”, perhaps more widely known as Italian ice. Because of the name and the tendency to be sold from carts and served in cones, people associate with sno-cones, but it’s really a sorbet. They tend to be sweet, assertive and sometimes neon-colored. Buon Gusto, the locally owned operation that once had a couple of SCV retail locations is/was better that Rita’s, but Rita’s is still spectacular. Most of their flavors come with chunks of fruit and they also have frozen custard. Good stuff. I hear they also have a Swedish Fish flavor now, which I can’t wait to try. Back in Philly, like many ice cream spots, they close down for the winter, which is such an odd thing to see having lived in CA for so long.
  2. CCMay 4, 2012 at 7:43 am
    settle down
  3. mikeMay 3, 2012 at 8:45 am
    I’m late to this mainly because I never (yes, never) read the LTE’s, but it astounds me that the Signal doesn’t do what any respectable publication does and use some editorial discretion when picking and choosing LTE’s. If they only ran the good ones and had a good eye for filtering out a coordinated flooding, they wouldn’t be fretting and we might just have an LTE section worth reading. Can you imagine something more clumsy than this new policy? Now that they’ve placed a price on op-ed comment, isn’t running a letter from Buck McKeon, particularly during election season, an in-kind contribution? In another way, I wonder if this represents the way things are heading. They pay the reporters peanuts. They get many op-ed writers (some of whom put quite a bit of effort and time into their columns) to write for free. Is it that far off where publications like the Signal will see the vanity premium in non-commerical editorial content?
  4. Lori RivasMay 3, 2012 at 9:39 am
    Does The Signal pay any of the op-ed writers?
  5. mikeMay 3, 2012 at 10:08 am
    To my knowledge, no, not in a long while.
  6. LarMccMay 3, 2012 at 10:04 am
    It would certainly appear that Buck’s letter should have been charged under their new policy. I did not see any paid political advertisement disclaimer on his letter. So, it would appear that The Signal gave Buck a freebie. The Signal is taking a lot of heat on this new policy. I think it is just a matter of time before they change it yet again. It is poorly thought out and difficult to manage. This certainly gives the appearance of incompetent management. I’ve just about given up hope that our local paper will return to their glory days.
  7. PetzMay 3, 2012 at 9:16 am
    Prayer breakfast is not the same without the controversy–Where is Bruce?
  8. JeffMay 3, 2012 at 9:54 am
    Where’s the controversy? M-F around 2pm on KHTS’. Joe always finds some inconsequential incident or meme to slime liberals with.
  9. BertaMay 3, 2012 at 10:47 am
    Jeff an unfair characterization regarding Joe’s show, the Real Side, which covers all kinds of local, state, national, and international topics. Joe’s guests run the gamut from liberals and progressives to religious conservatives and everything in between. I find his shows informative and interesting. As to the Mayors Prayer Breakfast, it is a wonderful well-attended event. Keynote speaker Scott Rigsby reminded me that I have much to be grateful for and to count my blessings every day. A lesson we would all be wise to heed. The Master’s College Chorale was superb, especially singing God Bless America. I personally cannot think of a better way to start my day than praying for guidance, pledging allegiance to our flag, singing God Bless America, and breaking bread with friends. It was also great to see Assemblyman Cameron Smyth and witness the love with which he spoke of his late father, Clyde Smyth. However, the most important aspect in my view is that Lord knows we need to prayer for our leaders, and we did. Amen.
  10. PetzMay 3, 2012 at 11:02 am
    Was the Mayor of Santa Clarita in attendance?
  11. Phil EllisMay 3, 2012 at 11:46 am
    Definitely!
  12. ScottEMay 3, 2012 at 11:15 am
    Berta, everything that you said may be true, but it does not exclude what Jeff said. Perspective and interpretation …
  13. JeffMay 3, 2012 at 1:25 pm
    A sample of the topics on Joe’s radio show in recent weeks: - Are you tired of the “Crazies” getting away with all this “Politically Correct” crap? then do something.. Join Joe’s Anti-PC Posse my “Politically Anti-Correct POLICE” Get involved for a chance to win $100.00 - Should recital of Pledge of Allegiance be a required law at every school? - Should we be adraid of the NEW Black Panthers? Tune in MONDAY – 2pm West, 5pm East check out TheRealSide.com web site for stations and times. -TODAY 2pm West 5pm East, JOE IS OUT OF CONTOL TODAY! Lee Greenwoods “Blank Blank the USA” will be sung as written, When the school disctrict COWARDS came out from under their desks they realized how MAJOR LEAGUE IGNORANT and STUPID! they were being, I am amped up! Listen in!!!! -Race Talk, with Joe and Stacy! TODAY! Does the WHITE guy always have it in for the BALCK guy, tune in find out! today 2pm West 5pm East… You call that informative Berta? Really? Joe consistently finds the worst strawman caricature of the left that he can, then mercilessly pounds on that caricature for an hour or two a day. To hype his show, he goes on Facebook and willingly spread lies about liberals , and, even when we, his friends on facebook, call him on it, he doesn’t back off, repudiate or delete his posts. He helped set up and runs a website that calls liberals “looney” (misspelled to this day, perhaps the greatest sin) and he frequently calls liberals loons on Facebook. Wouldn’t you say something if a major media figure & elected official in town called conservatives crazy all the time Berta? I like the guy a lot but his show is getting popular and I’ll use my site to call him out as I would any other media source in the SCV.
  14. BertaMay 3, 2012 at 2:24 pm
    Jeff every one of the topics you mentioned are interesting topics and most of those topics are covered by liberal bloggers and radio hosts too, just with a different interpretation perhaps. Yes, I do think his program is informative. He has a wide variety of guests some of whom I agree with, some not but I still want to hear from all sides of an issue. Some of his guests are folks I would never hear speak otherwise. I recall a Wiccan, a Buddhist, a minister, a Catholic priest, several folks running for office outside our area, democrats, republicans, green party, males, females, business owners, union workers, union busters, and folks from all walks of life having the opportunity to share their views and ideas on the Real Side. You do not want to listen in, ok, but why vilify. His show is popular because folks are interested in the show and Joe’s guests. Chris Matthews, Ed Shultz, Rachel Maddow, Alan Coombs, and many others do not represent my views but I would not ridicule those who chose to listen to their programs. I listen myself once in a while just to try to understand where they are coming from. Perhaps you might want to have a discussion of any one of those topics on your blog from your perspective. Oh wait; you discuss whatever you want already. I listen to you and your contributors, and Joe and his guests too. I really fail to understand your hostility Jeff. So you support free speech but not if is differs from your own views? Not me, let everybody have a chance to join the discussion. You never know what you may learn…
  15. JeffMay 3, 2012 at 2:46 pm
    “Jeff every one of the topics you mentioned are interesting topics and most of those topics are covered by liberal bloggers and radio hosts too, just with a different interpretation perhaps.” … “Chris Matthews, Ed Shultz, Rachel Maddow, Alan Coombs, and many others do not represent my views but I would not ridicule those who chose to listen to their programs. ” None of those bloggers or radio or tv hosts are in the SCV, which is the purview of this website by tradition and popular demand. Joe is in the SCV, in fact he’s been elected by people out here. Hence he’s fair game. “ome of his guests are folks I would never hear speak otherwise. I recall a Wiccan, a Buddhist, a minister, a Catholic priest, several folks running for office outside our area, democrats, republicans, green party, males, females, business owners, union workers, union busters, and folks from all walks of life having the opportunity to share their views and ideas on the Real Side.” You’re right, that does sound interesting. So why does he spend all his time on facebook villifying “loony liberals” and talking angrily about race and not backing off his incorrect and absurd claims when called out on them? “I really fail to understand your hostility Jeff. So you support free speech but not if is differs from your own views?” Where do I appear hostile? Did I call Joe a name like he calls us everyday? In the specific example I linked, Joe didn’t just do free speech, he did false speech. He, in effect, yelled fire in a crowded theater when their wasn’t one. He posted something false and when called on it, he didn’t back down or apologize as a responsible person would do. What do you call someone who posts or says things he knows are untrue and never apologizes for it Berta?
  16. Capt. GeneMay 3, 2012 at 3:05 pm
    “What do you call someone who posts or says things he knows are untrue and never apologizes for it Berta?” Tim Myers, Sr.?
  17. BertaMay 3, 2012 at 3:19 pm
    Jeff I do not do Facebook so I have no idea what was or was not posted. I specifically commented on the radio show, The Real Side, and my comments stand as written. Since you ask, I would call someone who posted something which I know with certainty to be untrue either misinformed or a liar depending on the circumstances but as I said I do not know anything about any Facebook comments. I will say I have never heard Joe lie about anything and have heard him say that he does not know everything, which is why he brings on different experts as his guests. I think this city is plenty big enough for a successful blog such as scvtalk.com, and a successful radio talk show like the Real Side. Many of us enjoy lively discussions with both sides.
  18. JeffMay 3, 2012 at 3:41 pm
    I guess you endorse his methods then Berta. You’ve participated on his Looney Left (sic) site after all, even if you don’t do facebook. Of course the valley is big enough for all the discussion; I guess I expected more of him.
  19. Mr PerezMay 3, 2012 at 8:38 pm
    What would make for a more interesting show would be something similar to Hannity and Colmes. Joe on one side and maybe Jeff on the other. Not catering to one political party is truly the real side.
  20. ToddMay 3, 2012 at 9:39 am
    Do they have some of Philly’s famous soft pretzels??? I swear, were it not for the outrageous overnight shipping fees, I’d be buying those things to get shipped in all the time. Can’t find a real good soft pretzel anywhere out here.
  21. ScottEMay 3, 2012 at 10:09 am
    Rockenwagner Bakery* * This may be a sponsored response
  22. mikeMay 3, 2012 at 11:53 am
    Rita’s in the Philly area carries pretzels, but I don’t recall that they are especially good. From what I can tell, their wider franchises don’t – and if they did, I wouldn’t expect them to be very good. Soft pretzels, like any great bread is made for that day (or the next day at most). Alas, while I’ve had a passable cheesesteak, hoagie and water ice in California, I’ve never had anything resembling a decent Philadelphia soft pretzel anywhere outside of a morning’s drive from Philly. But, just like Rita’s overshadowed the mom & pop water ice spots in Philly and took the franchise wide, there’s a chain of Philadelphia soft pretzel bakeries that is like the Krispy Kreme of pretzel shops. I’ve tried them in the last few years and it blew my mind. Better than anything I had as a kid. Bad news is, it’s just on the eastern seaboard now.
  23. ToddMay 3, 2012 at 2:01 pm
    All I know is I bought a dozen at a cart in the airport, tossed em into a brown paper bag, brought em home, and they were still better than anything else I’d ever had, 3 days later. I should go down to LAX and look for the flights to Philly, offering $$$ to anyone willing to bring me back some. They were THAT good.
  24. JeffMay 3, 2012 at 2:50 pm
    I always thought pretzels were like pizza, you can’t really make a bad one. Just add salt.
  25. MikeMay 3, 2012 at 2:55 pm
    Easy on both accounts. But, while I can’t say that the Philadelphia soft pretzel is the best, it’s a specific style typically sold the day it’s baked and made without preservatives. A lot of the “fresh” pretzel places you see in the malls (e.g. Auntie Anne’s) originated outside of Philadelphia, but it’s a different style that comes from Amish country.
  26. LarMccMay 3, 2012 at 9:53 am
    It appears we can look forward to never ending construction on our freeways. First they built the carpool lanes in the Sylmar portion of the 5/14. After a couple months, the first mile of the southbound carpool lane was taken out of service. Then they started on the flyover lanes which has gone on for years and made even more of a mess of this interchange. When complete, about 5% of traffic will have a continual carpool lane. Wow, this does not help most of us. Now, we will have another year and a half (at least) of construction on the 5. I do think that the merging trucks at the summit of the pass contribute to the traffic mess, so this will be a help. But, our population continues to grow out here, so any relief to traffic will be temporary. As late as 2000, it used to take 10 minutes to navigate this interchange during rush hour. Now, it can take 45 minutes. Someone with a brain at Caltrans needs to sit down and look at projected growth for our valley. They then need to come up with a solution to meet our needs into the future. The state then needs to develop a construction plan that will meet these needs and get construction completed within a reasonable time period. The 3-4 years of nearly continual construction that has taken place to date is unacceptable. I have little hope that all the millions being spent will have any lasting impact on traffic. If we ever move from this valley, the traffic problem will be one of the primary reasons.
  27. JeffMay 3, 2012 at 10:37 am
    “It appears we can look forward to never ending construction on our freeways. First they built the carpool lanes in the Sylmar portion of the 5/14. After a couple months, the first mile of the southbound carpool lane was taken out of service. Then they started on the flyover lanes which has gone on for years and made even more of a mess of this interchange” I don’t know what to say. In one breath you say CalTrans needs to examine growth in our valley, then plan and execute accordingly. They appear to be doing so, by adding these lanes and encouraging shared use. In the next breath you say it’s taking to long, but the Newhall Pass is a tricky place built by earthquakes, traversed by hundreds of thousands of people a day and prone to man-made disasters as well. I’m not an civil engineer but I’ll give them a pass on how long it takes to bolt on spires to this transportation cathedral in the sky. “They then need to come up with a solution to meet our needs into the future. The state then needs to develop a construction plan that will meet these needs and get construction completed within a reasonable time period. The 3-4 years of nearly continual construction that has taken place to date is unacceptable.” Left out of your prescription is who is going to pay for it? Californians will likely kill the tax initiative on the ballot this fall, many on this site dislike rail alternatives, and our county supes have approved Newhall Land, adding another 60,000 people to the valley. How much do you think the shareholders of Lennar are sacrificing to help us manage the traffic, air-quality and other impacts their for-profit enterprise will impose on us? But let’s say it does happen, you get your wish: 8-12 lanes of single passenger vehicle lanes + 70 mph speed averages. What happens next? Induced demand. “I have little hope that all the millions being spent will have any lasting impact on traffic. If we ever move from this valley, the traffic problem will be one of the primary reasons.” Traffic is you and me and everyone else who drives alone on the freeway. We can’t all travel at 70mph in our own little 4,000 lb cages and expect there to be infinite capacity. Alternative transportation and/or congestion pricing are the way forward. Thus sayeth the central planner. Freedom to travel alone in your car isn’t free.
  28. JayceMay 3, 2012 at 11:52 am
    Jeff is correct, no amount of expanding the lanes will last for long. Population will fill them relatively quickly. Buses aren’t the answer either. We need to suck it up on the cost of building out our rail system/subway imho. It’s only going to get more expensive in the future.
  29. LarMccMay 3, 2012 at 4:44 pm
    I’m not so sure that carpool lanes encourage carpooling. In my experiences, there was only minimal gain in using them and occasionally traffic in them was worse than regular lanes. My motivation for carpooling is $4 a gallon gas. The interchange was rebuilt in months after the EQ, not years. I realize there were huge monetary incentives, but this showed it could be done. I do not expect the current project to be done this quickly, but it has gone on for years and I think this is way too long. All I want is one single plan from Caltrans about improving everything in this area to accommodate growth. It seems that after each project ends, they are starting a new one. The perpetual construction is maddening. You have a point on funding. I would agree that Lennar should not get a free pass on building this many homes. They need to pay their fair share to support the increased demands that their developments will place on our roads. Perhaps they do already, I do not know what is required of them today. I would also agree that transportation planning should not be limited to freeways. We need to have alternative transportation. We need some form of rail to get people to the central and east SFV and especially West LA. As for induced demand, this really interesting. I read your link and have a couple things tagged to read later. However, I think we cannot expect the current freeways to meet our future needs, we will have to do something. Ultimately, I do not expect to travel 70mph at rush hour. I would be happy if traffic just simply moved along freely at a slower pace.
  30. GibsonMay 3, 2012 at 2:56 pm
    Really LarMcc?? You sound like a whiny kid. Will these improvements be the cure to end all traffic issues? No, but it will definitely help. You mention that the carpool connector will only beneift 5%. That’s not true. That’s 5% that won’t be in the regular lanes. If you can bring the level of service to acceptable levels, that will greatly reduce delay on regular lanes. Once you hit the point of gridlock, traffic gets exponentially worse. Traffic through the pass while at times may be a little slow is not that bad, even at rush hour.
  31. LarMccMay 3, 2012 at 4:18 pm
    Whiny? Really? A commute that used to take a consistent 1hr10minutes now takes 1.5 hours to 2 hours. Newhall Ranch alone is going to add over 20,000 homes to our valley. This along with other developments in our valley is going to make traffic worse and worse. I realize that the HOV lanes will essentially cause a 5% reduction of cars in regular lanes. Really, I would not get too excited about such a small reduction. Besides, I think the $156 million spent on the flyover lanes would be better used to develop a long term solution that will address the transportation needs of our valley. And the traffic through the pass was nonexistent years ago. Yes, today it does move slow but it is normally stop and go south of there at the 405/5 merge to the point that it is often the worst part of my commute.
  32. NateMay 3, 2012 at 10:09 am
    Say what you will about Buck Mckeon, guy is a uniter! He brings Republicans and Democrats together against him!
  33. BertaMay 3, 2012 at 3:25 pm
    Banner day for you Nate, all thumbs up so far!
  34. RNDDUDEMay 3, 2012 at 10:33 am
    The extended truck lanes are long overdue. The trucks occupy 2 of the four lanes from calgrove to the top of the pass, and it absolutely does cause the conjestion, NOT the merging at the top. Someone at Caltrans HAS taken a look at future traffic needs, and the current construction is the result. I agree it has taken a long time to get completed, but it is a massive project. Could it be done quicker…of course, one only has to remember how quickly the repairs went after the Northridge quake, but then there was a milion dollar a day bonus carrot on that one. Quicker means more $$$$, are you willing to pay more taxes to get it done faster? I’m not.
  35. ThomasMay 3, 2012 at 11:29 am
    Also, the NEWSPRESS article is incorrect. Construction will not start in early 2014 but is expected to end in early 2014. Construction is slated to start soon. In regards to the carpool lanes, the bottleneck created by the first phase which was quickly shutdown to accommodate the fly over lanes has only been moved past the 14. So soon, carpoolers remaining on the 5 will merge into the #1 lane past the 14. Thank you Caltrans.
  36. ThomasMay 3, 2012 at 11:31 am
    Actually the article was correct. It was just misprinted here.
  37. GibsonMay 3, 2012 at 3:00 pm
    Well Phase 2 of the project which is expected to start after the truck lanes are completed, will extend carpool lanes to Parker Road so the issue of merging after the 14 will go away too.
  38. ThomasMay 4, 2012 at 6:47 pm
    No it won’t because it will still go from 5 to 4 lanes and the trucks will be moving over as well trying to pass others.
  39. Capt. GeneMay 3, 2012 at 2:30 pm
    Buck deserves nothing but scorn (Lynn Haughtier’s protestations notwithstanding).
  40. Crazy DudeMay 3, 2012 at 2:46 pm
    This morning’s Prayer Breakfast was perhaps the best yet! In my opinion left wingers & athiest can believe what they choose but they should leave Christians alone. What negative affect does Prayer Breakfast, etc. have on liberals?
  41. LarMccMay 3, 2012 at 4:57 pm
    So, would you be fine with our politicians being equally supportive of the National Day of Reason? Or, would you and all the other good Christians call that an attack on your religion?
  42. Lori RivasMay 3, 2012 at 5:00 pm
    “Left wingers” does not equal non-Christian. Uniting Christianity with a Republican/conservative world view is a purposeful manipulation propagated by the Christian Coalition, for (nearly) purely political gain. Capitol Crimes (PBS) touches on this, and is well worth watching. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08012008/profile.html There are many, many, many Biblical mandates which support a typically liberal world view. In fact, one might successfully argue that Jesus, and the New Testament church, would be called a socialist, if transported into today’s America. No political party or world view can hold the banner of being “Christian.” Please do not assume as such.
  43. Lori RivasMay 3, 2012 at 8:00 pm
    In answer to your question, what negative effect does a prayer breakfast have on liberals – A prayer breakfast without political affiliation would not have a negative effect. The problem arises when the prayer breakfast takes on a particular political stance, and thus unites faith with a particular political party, ie conservativism or the Republican party. This marriage of faith and political affiliation is harmful in several ways. First of all, a person is assumed to be Christian on the basis of voting registration and loyalties, and, conversely, a non-Christian, should political loyalties lie outside conservatism. When you marry faith and any ideology, rational thinking takes a back seat, because to question, in this case, conservative politics, is to question God and one’s own salvation. Conversely, if someone is more liberal, ie, me, her faith is called into question, even doubted, based solely on political views, rather than basis in theological teachings. This is why groups such as David Barton’s Wallbuilders is so dangerous, because Barton moves so seamlessly between theology and conservative politics and pseudo history, equating all, as if they were one, without applying critical thinking. I was listening to his radio program tonight, and Barton made me dizzy moving from the historical and moral basis of religion informing politics to conservative arguments, without explanation, as if they were assumed companions. It was not so long ago that politics and religion were separate, and, in fact, that most Christians identified as Democrat. Remember what a big deal it was to elect Jimmy Carter, an evangelical Christian? Again, the Christian Coalition set out to change this, for political gain, in the early 80′s. Look, I’m not saying that your faith shouldn’t inform your politics. Of course it should, just as any moral teachings should rule politics. But it’s this artificial marriage of American Christianity with conservatism that is so dangerous to our churches and to our country. If you cannot think of a Christian liberal without questioning her faith, then I can assure that you have crossed a dangerous spiritual line. And I ask a simple question: is your faith based on political ideology, or is your political ideology based on faith? If it’s the later, then you would not be making blanket statements about Christian conservatives and atheist liberals. And what was Ayn Rand’s belief system, upon which she based her politics? Oh yeah. She was an atheist. How’s that Atlas Shrugged working for you now?
  44. 4eyedsueMay 3, 2012 at 8:42 pm
    amen sister
  45. Mr PerezMay 3, 2012 at 9:06 pm
    Ayn Rand was anti-religion? Poppycock I say!
  46. LindaMay 3, 2012 at 3:09 pm
    Ugh. I hate those trucks. If only they would stay in the truck lane! But they are in and out, passing each other, often straying over their lane lines, and driving too fast. Entering and exiting the 5 is a dangerous exercise which often requires maneuvering between a gaggle of semis, while trying to avoid pot holes, all at 75 mph. Who needs the rides at Six Flags when you can play “LA Freeway?!”
  47. Capt. GeneMay 3, 2012 at 3:18 pm
    Just wait until Cemex has trucks running down there every 90 seconds.
  48. ThomasMay 3, 2012 at 7:24 pm
    Where is the truck lane?
  49. Capt. GeneMay 3, 2012 at 3:16 pm
    So, little Bobby Haughtier let Lynn share her “sage advice”? Seriously, what a crock. I laughed out loud when I read that one of their goals is “to identify and support appealing candidates for office”. Really? Well there is one, and his name is Dante Acosta. Dante Acosta. The least appealing candidate, even among republicans, is Buck McKeon. Buck is even less appealing than a generic democrat.
  50. LarMccMay 3, 2012 at 5:03 pm
    After reviewing his positions, in a McKeon/Rogers race, I will be voting Rogers. In the meantime, I am rooting for Dante Acosta.
  51. Capt. GeneMay 4, 2012 at 5:56 am
    Agreed on both counts. I would treasure the opportunity to vote for Dante (he really is the best choice), but no matter what, it’s anyone but Buck!
  52. NateMay 3, 2012 at 3:34 pm
    I have accepted the challenge from Fed Up in Scv and came up with a campaign poster for Lynn Vakey I am sorry she prefers her adulterous name. cheers http://twitpic.com/9gxae3
  53. Fed Up N SCVMay 3, 2012 at 9:07 pm
    Well done, Nate, well done.
  54. BertaMay 3, 2012 at 4:58 pm
    His methods Jeff? You talk as if Joe is water boarding his guests or something. I approve of his method of inviting diverse guests. I approve of his method of asking tough questions. I approve of his passion regarding the issues. I approve of his willingness to discuss controversial issues. I approve of his giving equal time to opposing viewpoints. I approve of him standing up for what he believes is right, and calling out what he believes is wrong. I approve of his encouraging others to actively participate in government. I approve of his taking questions for his guests from his listening audience and the chat room. I approve of his exercising his free speech rights. I approve of his support of the Mayors Prayer Breakfast. You are well aware of the fact that I previously said that I would not have chosen to reference the loony left on my blog masthead. I would approve of you talking to Joe about your concerns in a respectful manner. I would approve of Joe responding to you in a respectful manner too.

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