evolution

Hello again folks, and welcome to RINO Sightings, the collected thoughts of the Raging RINO blogging community. RINO, of course, stands not for its usual meaning (Republicans In Name Only) but for Republicans and Independents Not Overdosed (on party Kool-aid). We’re conservatives, libertarians (and some liberals) who are sick of politics as usual and are advocating for something new.

Politics isn’t all I’m sick of. I had a hard time coming up with a clever title for this post, and so I sat down to read the posts that comprise it — these, together with the constant news reports, leave one without a lot of things to be happy about. These are dark days indeed, for everyone.

The Commissar asks: Is it time to bail out of Iraq? With sectarian violence prevalent and growing there, it’s perhaps time to consider it. He offers some suggestions on how to salvage some chance of peace there.

The situation involving Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah continues to dominate the headlines — and spawn hordes of idiotic commentary. Mark Coffey pounces on one such example. As far as I can see, there’s only two outcomes for Israel — restrained by themselves and the “international community” (what a joke that is) and look weak to their enemies, or go all-out after Hezbollah and be condemned daily in the media or accused (falsely) of genocide.

Dan Melson of Searchlight Crusade takes a look at the Middle East as well, wondering what good will come out of an action that doesn’t eradicate Hezbollah. The answer, of course, is that there will be little or none. Even if Israel had the will to follow through and attempt to drive out Hezbollah, the Israelis would be buried under the weight of the resolutions that would be rushed to the UN (the tinpot dictator’s friend).

Ah, yes, another third rail of American politics — illegal immigration. Digger watched Morgan Spurlock’s latest agitprop-umentary so you don’t have to.

Still another one: stem-cell research. Barry Campbell of enrevanche penned a letter to the President (this is the second of two) demanding an explanation of his veto of the stem-cell bill. I want one too, and I want him to answer this: Why did he veto that, and yet allow every free-spending, pork-laden piece of crap that crossed his desk before that to become law?

Don’t forget gas prices: Jane Novak, implacable foe of the forces of oppression in Yemen, takes note of some disturbing reports concerning gas prices — and the fact that French-based Total seems to be selling itself gas for far less than those prices. Prediction: Total will make money no matter what happens.

And now gay marriage: A two-pack on this one, with a guest appearance — aTypical Joe arguing for, Kansas Guild of Bloggers founder Lyn Perry arguing against. Careful: they’ve hosted each other’s responses, so Joe’s article is at Lyn’s blog, and Lyn’s response is at Joe’s. I understand this won’t be the last of it, and it’s a rare sight in this medium when such discussions remain civil, but this one has. My position is that it’s a legal contract between two consenting adults and therefore should not be interfered in by government, but as we’ll see next, that hasn’t stopped them.

Lately I’ve had my dander up over issues of personal responsibility and the government subversion thereof, and I mentioned the various organs of the Kansas City metropolitan area considering pit bull bans. Eric Scheie of Classical Values, proud pit bull owner, took that ball and ran with it. That’s government logic for you: dogs kept in squalid conditions by people and mistreated by people go and menace people — must be the breed.

Cody Herche of Legal Redux asks in the light of the Floyd Landis doping allegations: Is cycling dead? Several of the most widely-known riders were kicked out before the race even started due to doping. French authorities tried to pin such things on Lance Armstrong for years. And now, the new champ is under a cloud. As Cody says, it’s possible cycling will make it — but I doubt it.

Sometimes you need to escape the madness, and at least one Raging RINO — “BloodSpite” of Techography — found it at work on St. Lucie. Hell of a way to make a living. He wrote me that he was “tired of politics just now”. You and me both.

Some people can’t even escape it through work. Veteran writer Don Surber sat through the West Virginia GOP convention and lived to tell the tale. I used to work at the Kansas State Capitol, and I had to sit through House committee proceedings where abortion was a frequent topic. After about the fifth time this was brought up by some moonbat/wingut (take your pick) I wanted to jam a flathead screwdriver into my own brain. Don’s skull appears to have emerged intact.

Following every dark day, however, is a sunrise: It’s almost primary day here in Kansas, which means that certain Creationist board members, having supported a movement that has now been discredited in every manner possible, will hopefully be tossed out on their asses. Pigilito found the IDers desperately pressing forward anyway. He found some of them doing word combinatorics on biology journals to attempt to show that various articles bolster their case. Pigilito did the reading; once again, we see IDers with all sizzle and no steak.

Finally, we’re going to give a link to Below the Beltway, whose hosting nightmare cost him his submission post for this week.

We’ll see you back here on 18 September.

UPDATE: The news doesn’t get much better when you check out this round-up of pictures, news, and opinion at DANEgerus.