Be Sure to Visit the Doctor, For Free!

And Mike will be able to take part in this great experiment...have a good time man.

Random Thoughts (8/5)

There seems to be the trend of blaming Bush for transportation issues. Madison Mayor Dave implied back in 2005 that since the government billions on wars (ie Bush), a financially poor investment in the Madison trolley car should be funded. Now, lefties are bashing Bush for the I35W bridge implosion because funding the Iraq War is taking away from funding domestic transportation needs. Poor logic anyone?

Are the hard questions being asked in terms of the possible costs and benefits of climate change rather than just the rhetoric of "renewable energy", "junk science", "global warming", etc. Has anyone thought about the costs of reducing carbon emissions by 80% in the US as some groups are suggesting or what are the costs to low-lying Pacific islands if sea levels do rise by 5-10 feet?

Equating a church's core beliefs to a church member's political beliefs makes absolutely no sense. It would be like saying the Missouri Synod Church believes in helping the poor so I (Tim Schulz) should believe that the US National Government should be helping the poor...this is absolutely what conservative commentator Jan Mickelson suggests in his interview with Mitt Romney on abortion. Pathetic.

When I've asked two completely unrelated self described "very liberal" friends, what issue they are the most conservative (or least liberal) on, they say answered both "abortion". Not that I disagree with them on this issue but this adds to the data of how completely statist our generation is.

Don't underestimate the peaceful and unconstrained effects of a morning walking commute. Pure bliss.

Bush-Cheney Lite: A Worse Charge than Karl Marx?

This last week I received the following email from the Hillary Clinton campaign (I am on their email list from her visit to Reno):

Dear Timothy,

Last week, one of the leading Republican candidates equated Hillary with Karl Marx. Yesterday, one of the leading Democratic candidates called her "Bush-Cheney lite." Can you imagine?? Hillary like George Bush??!! Or Dick Cheney!! You and I both know that Hillary has stood up time and time again to the failed Bush/Cheney policies. Well, I guess this is what Hillary gets for being the strongest, most qualified, the most substantive, the most experienced, the most ready to be president. That's what Hillary has gotten all her career for being willing to fight for change.

Evidently, it was important to send out an email defending herself against Bush allegations but it wasn't important to distinguish herself from Karl Marx. Maybe she can't given her previous rhetoric....

"Fairness doesn't just happen. It requires the right government policies."

"I prefer a 'we're all in it together' society." “For America to get back on track, we’re probably going to cut that (tax cuts) short and not give it to you. We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.”

"I want to take those profits (oil) and put them into an alternative energy fund that will begin to fund alternative smart energy alternatives that will actually begin to move us toward the direction of independence."

"It takes a village to raise a child"

Your Responsibility to Help or Someone Else's

A fundamental difference of political ideologies and philosophical visions lies within the joke:

Fred Thompson and Hillary Clinton were walking down the street when they came to a homeless person. Fred, the conservative Republican, gave the homeless person his business card and told him to come to his office for a job. He then took $20 out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person.

Hillary, the liberal socialist, was very impressed, so when they came to another homeless person, she decided to help. She walked over to the homeless person and gave him directions to the welfare office. She then reached into Thompson’s pocket and got out $20. She kept $15 for administrative fees and gave the homeless person $5.

I stand with ficticious Fred Thompson as we work to make our world and economy equitable, free, and efficient. John Stoessl also agrees with me...

In political life today, you are considered compassionate if you demand that government impose your preferences on others. But what's compassionate about that? Compassionate is "live and let live."

Unfortunately many politicians in Washington and state governments across the country think they know more about service, love, charity, and equitable outcomes than ordinary citizens. I question the government's ability to reach others as well as their motives. What politicians do know a lot about is coercion.