Golden Calves, Dolly Parton, and Manufactured Outrage Mississippi Style

Golden Calves-Vert:
I recollect hearing as far as back when I was a kid about the Israelites making a golden calf in order to worship it. The message was always that God had commanded that we should not worship any graven image. And then having the

idea reinforced by the Charlton Heston movie "Ten Commandments" which, back in the day was a yearly TV event usually played around Easter.

No big deal, on my part, as I always thought I would not ever see any logical reason to worship anything made out of any kind of metal. However, now in retrospect, I realize I have worshipped the "golden image" many times in my life. I was enlightened recently through a 1956 book I have in my personal library called "Bible Fires - Messages on Bible Characters" written by Robert G. Lee (Zondervan Press). At a closer look it does seem pretty odd that these people who had seen such great signs and miracles by God would suddenly dump Him in exchange for a golden calf. But...that was not the message. As Lee writes "Looking upon this golden calf the people said (shouting, I think): "These be thy gods, O Israel!" Rather, thy god....the golden calf gave them false and belittling ideas of God...and thus decreased their faith and hope in Him. .....God was still to be worshipped but in the form of a calf."
  Ouch. I have many times experienced the miracles and touch of God in my life...but when things got tough or God seemed far away....I have been very guilty of trading in the real God for an image that made more sense at the time. "So," continues Lee, "the sin of the people was not in a breach of the First but of the Second commandment." They did not wish to repudiate God but simply to worship Him under the similitude of a calf." It was through this initial effort that their morals began to crumble and they began a festival of celebration marked by adultery, drunkenness, and fornication (to name a few things) all while believing they were worshipping God when, in truth, they were worshipping an image of God they had created. It was only through the intervention and pleading of Moses to God on their behalf that He did not destroy them. Shortly after that Aaron's sons were killed for offering a strange fire to the Lord.  Aaron was complicit with the creation of the golden calf...and this was something his sons were likely to have been observing. The father is a powerful force and energy in any child's life.
   We all need to seek the God of creation, the God who's son is Jesus Christ, and the God who is really there, as opposed to the image many of us and many church people settle for.


Celebrity-Vert:
Dolly Parton once said "The Bible doesn't say 'Some things are possible. It says All things are possible.' I know in my heart that if I've got enough faith, grit and determination, that if there is anything in this business or world that I truly want to do, I can give it as good a shot as anybody else. I'll get it done." Let me add, however....and this is not a judgment of the spiritual life of Dolly Parton as that is a judgment best made by God alone.....but the preceding verse to "All things are Possible" had to do with the salvation of men and Jesus said very clearly that with men that is impossible but with God all thing are possible." Man, on his own, or even with just his modified version of who he thinks God CANNOT do all things. God can. If you are "with God" you can do everything He does if it is the course God created you to take. If it isn't...God is not going to be there to help you.

Things I Heard Downwind:
A great actor can bring tears to your eyes, but so can a car mechanic.

How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb?
Two. One to assure us that everything possible is being done while the other screws the bulb into a water faucet.

Dear Lord, fill my mouth with meaningful stuff, and nudge me when I've said enough.


A generation ago most people who finished work needed rest...now they need exercise



Mississippi-Vert:
Mississippi's Senate Candidate Cindy Hyde-Smith has been asked by Walmart to return a $2000 donation to her campaign in light of her recent comments about surfacing about her being "on the front row of" a "public hanging" if she were invited. I was not a supporter of Hyde-Smith in the election Nov 6 but I don't see the comments she made...in the context of which she used them...as being racist. And not intentionally insensitive to the audience to whom she was speaking since it took a Louisiana blogger to dig up the soundbytes long after the event was a almost forgotten memory to those who were attending.  Walmarts request happened just a few hours before the Hyde-Smith vs Espy debate...so it appears Walmart wanted a front seat with the media to berate Hyde-Smith publicly.

But, then, in the age of Internet manufactured outrage it's the latest fad that will continue until a whole lot of people grow up. Her challenger in the run off is Mike Espy and, of course, anyone supporting Espy is sure that Hyde-Smith was racist when she said it and the comment, of course, is "highly offensive**" (** as stated by Bishop Ronnie Crudup, a senior pastor at a predominantly black church in Jackson.....and BTW is supporting Mike Espy). I know there are some Sen Chris McDaniel supporters (who lost the GOP race against Hyde-Smith) are pushing the "racist" idea also and I think that is sad, as well. As an Independent I do not intend to run out and campaign for Hyde-Smith even though I did support and vote for McDaniel over Hyde-Smith. Whether I vote for her remains to be seen as here in Mississippi Republican candidates are chosen by the Republican Party of Mississippi and NOT by citizens who might be registered as Republican.

Picayune Item Downwind:
According to wikipedia: Outbrain is an advertising company. It uses behavioral targeting to recommend articles, slide shows, blog posts, photos or videos to a reader, rather than relying on a more basic "related items" widget. The sites with the recommended articles pay Outbrain for this service, and Outbrain pays the site on which the links appear.
There is also a Hijacker called the Traffic.outbrain.com which if your anti-virus program does not stop then you will have to remove.
The Picayune Item has this Outbrain advertising on its website. It can also manifest some rather embarrassing photos which will show up right on the front page of the website newspaper. Not a good smell downwind.

Sen Chris McDaniel Bill Would Set Stage in Mississippi to Nullify Some Presidential Executive Orders

A Mississippi bill would set the stage to nullify some presidential executive orders and Department of Justice directives to state and local law enforcement agencies.

Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-Ellisville) introduced Senate Bill 2084 (SB2084) on Jan. 26. The legislation would prohibit state agencies, political subdivisions and their employees from utilizing personnel or resources to “enforce, administer or cooperate with an executive order issued by the President of the United States that has not been affirmed by a vote of Congress and signed into law as prescribed by the United States Constitution.”

It would also establish the same prohibition on state cooperation with “a policy directive issued by the United States Department of Justice to law enforcement agencies in this state that has not been affirmed by a vote of Congress and signed into law as prescribed by the United States Constitution.”
It remains unclear how the state would determine if an individual DOJ directive or presidential executive order would be subject to noncooperation under the proposed law. The legislation would likely require further action to implement if passed into law.

SB2084 follows the blueprint “Father of the Constitution,” created for resisting federal power. In Federalist 46 James Madison outlined several steps that states can take to effectively stop “an unwarrantable measure,” or “even a warrantable measure” of the federal government. Madison called for “refusal to cooperate with officers of the Union” as a way to successfully thwart federal acts.
Because the federal government depends on state assistance for implementation and enforcement of almost all of its edicts and programs, barring state cooperation of executive orders and DOJ directives would likely make them nearly impossible to enact in Mississippi from a practical standpoint.

LEGAL BASIS 

 

Chris McDaniel: The only "censure" Obama understands is when his liberal agenda is defunded.

From FaceBook

Now, a few GOP Congressmen are discussing the censure of Obama. But, in political terms a "censure" is nothing more than a formal condemnation of an individual. IT MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. It's a game. A parlor trick designed to get your attention.

The only "censure" Obama understands is when his liberal agenda is defunded. But his entire platform was FULLY FUNDED by these same Congressmen just a few days ago.

-------------------- 

MEME REPORT:
WAITING FOR HILLARY TO WALK ON WATER 

Chris McDaniel: I will be introducing legislation to refuse cooperation with Obama's unconstitutional executive orders

From FaceBook:

I will be introducing legislation directing all state agencies and agents to refuse cooperation with Obama's unconstitutional executive orders. He does not have the authority to commandeer our state's personnel.

Cheap Seat Report: Watching The Media do Media Stuff

Columnist HA Goodman makes it clear that the key to winning a presidential debate are not the issues, but whetheror not you are a Democrat with his latest column being titled "Bernie Sanders Won the Debate. Hillary Clinton Evoked 9/11 and Sounded Like A Republican."

“Why is it that no one within the Muslim community there in France knew what these guys were up to? Because it seems to me that this was a pretty big plan. Surely someone beyond the seven guys who’ve been killed over the last 48 hours would have to have known something and that was probably within the Muslim community but yet no one said anything.”  --John Vause [CNN] 11.15.15

The wage for race baiting is apparently pretty good: Sharpton got a 70 percent raise from his nonprofit last year, bringing his compensation above $412,000. It maybe classified as a "non-profit" but that's a matter of perspective. Sharpton is personally making a profit 

CNN reporters standing near where a raid is actively going on in France. The OMG responses every time they hear a gun shot is rather dramatic. Thats what you get when you take a microphone to a gun fight.

The CNN promo for the next Republican debate makes it looks like a cage match. Maybe that's what they have in mind

Frank Corder is a writer at "Yall Politics" here in Mississippi and  is pretending to be "peacemaker" while making charges against anyone who dares criticize what he thinks the MSGOP is:
"There is a small but vocal faction of voters who desire Republicans to be ruled more by emotion than results, not unlike Democrats or the backers of Initiative 42 this very year. Hype is used to grift. Personal gratification and raising their own name ID are valued over the good of the whole. Accusatory press releases are sent out to try and maintain some semblance of relevancy. " It's clear he is aiming at Chris Mcdaniels and people his circles. Corder's candidate Thad Cochran is doing a bag-up job adding to the national debt. Something Corder doesn't understand that his kids will have to pay for.

Univision chairman Haim Saban, said that he believes the government needs to increase its scrutiny of Muslims in the wake of recent terrorist threats to the United States.
I presume it's so there is more room for unscrutinized Mexiacns.

People magazine has announced that David Beckham is the sexiest man alive. Write in votes included Kanye West, Brad Pitt and Hillary Clinton.

 "Media Matters" is claiming that Ben Stein said outright that Obama hates America because he is black. Stein qualified that he didn't know:

Ole Miss Has Seceded from the State of Mississippi

It is a Mississippi College  funded with the help of public money from Mississippi. Since they no longer feel they have any obligation to Mississippi, then I would call it a succession from the state.  Their effort to ban a "rebel" flag has caused them to become a rebel university.

CNN Reported

• The University of Mississippi has removed the state flag from campus, according to a university statement issued Monday.
  The move comes after student senators voted 33-15 with one abstention last week to ask the school administration to furl the banner, which includes the Confederate battle emblem in its upper left corner.
  "University of Mississippi Police Department officers lowered and furled the state flag in a Lyceum Circle ceremony as the campus opened Monday morning," a school statement said. "The flag will be preserved in the University Archives along with resolutions from students, faculty and staff calling for its removal."

Z-NOTE: IF a person is an actual racist and he uses a Confederate flag as a symbol, if you take away his flag, the only thing you have done is taken away his flag. The only affect on the racist is that now he is a racist without a Confederate flag.

Racism is a heart problem, not a confederate flag problem.

So after societies moral police ban all Confederate flags and then realize they have not done anything to combat racism..what do they go after next??

Historically, when books have been banned, it has increased their value and made them to become of interest whereas before most people would not have given them a second glance. The news of this irony never seems to reach high enough to the towers of the moral police.

Ted Cruz to campaign in MIssissippi next week with Chris McDaniel

Ted Cruz will campaign next week with Chris McDaniel, the insurgent conservative who mounted a high profile but ultimately unsuccessful primary challenge to Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran last year.
Cruz, the Texas senator and GOP presidential candidate, is planning a weeklong swing through the South. While in Mississippi on Tuesday, he’s set to stop in the northern cities of Tupelo and Olive Branch, and McDaniel is expected to accompany him during the trip and ride on Cruz’s campaign bus, Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier confirmed.

SOURCE: Politico

 

 

 

Chris McDaniel: The people of this country have once again been blindsided by the U.S. Supreme Court

 Sen. Chris McDaniel Press Release

“The people of this country have once again been blindsided by the U.S. Supreme Court, as the majority opinion inexplicably ignored longstanding Constitutional restraints, including the separation of powers doctrine.

Had the Court employed the usual rules of interpretation, Obamacare would have incurred an injurious, perhaps fatal blow. However, the majority opinion simply rewrote the law in an effort to save it. Interestingly enough, the Constitution does not grant such authority to the Court. All federal legislative powers belong to Congress, alone.

When the Supreme Court begins rewriting legislation to rescue it, as they did in its previous rulings on Obamacare and again today, then we all have to question if we are seeing a ruling class that has successfully grasped the reins of a runaway and uncontrollable government.”

Sen Chris McDaniel: Political correctness is about power; consequently, its practitioners will never be appeased

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: B. Keith Plunkett
601.717.3868
SENATOR CHRIS MCDANIEL RELEASES STATEMENT REGARDING MISSISSIPPI'S STATE FLAG

June 23, 2015. (Laurel, MS.) - Senator Chris McDaniel today released the following statement regarding calls to do away with Mississippi's official state flag.

"The price we pay to live in a free society is to occasionally be offended. A cultural or historical cleansing of all things potentially offensive will do nothing to alleviate the problems caused by racism. To pretend otherwise is a disservice to serious discourse on the subject.

We must examine our hearts and not resort to placing emotional blame for problems we face on symbols such as a flag.

I love all Mississippians, regardless of race or political affiliation. We are a family. But I disagree with those who use political correctness to silence differing viewpoints. I likewise believe it is in poor taste to use the tragic South Carolina massacre to promote a political agenda.

I understand, very well, both sides of the debate. Slavery is our nation's original sin, and government sanctioned discrimination is evil. As a strong proponent of individual rights, I will always defend individuals against the abuses of government and fight for liberty by insisting government's reach remain limited.

However, at the end of the day, political correctness is about power; consequently, its practitioners will never be appeased. They won't stop until dissent is crushed and tolerance of opposing viewpoints is no longer accepted.

I will not be a part of such an agenda.
The people of Mississippi have already decided this issue, by referendum. I will respect their wishes."

http://www.picayune.us/ms-chris-mcdaniel.html

No MSGOP Unity Yet: Sen Sojourner & McDaniel Slam MSGOP Election Tactics

Melanie Sojourner

My disdain for those, so called Republicans, who still stand by Cochran's side grows stronger day by day. Despicable.
All I have done, since even before I ran for office, was fight to advance the Republican cause.
The actions of Republicans who stood by Cochran while Haley orchestrated this madness are the ones responsible for the split in the party. Not those of us who have been constantly fighting for the conservative principles and the constitution. [Original FaceBook Post]

Chris McDaniel

To all the so-called Republicans who defend this behavior in defense of Thad, you should be ashamed.
This article is illustrative of everything that is wrong with the GOP establishment. A Barbour bragging about receiving $350,000 from a Democrat donor?
From the article:
"Up to this point, at least, Parker’s contributions haven’t triggered significant backlash within the GOP. In Mississippi, the McDaniel campaign assailed Cochran for accepting outside support from both Parker and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as for actively courting Democratic and independent voters in the state’s open Republican primary system

Article from June 2014 Politico:

."

Funner Than Doing All Kinds of Indecent Things With Animals: 8 Thad Cochran Marriage Observations

Washington Post: Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) married a longtime aide on Saturday, one year after his office swatted down rumors of a romance amid criticism of their shared taxpayer-funded travel. Cochran, 77, married Kay Webber, 76, an executive assistant who first joined his office in 1981, in a private family ceremony in Gulfport, Miss. His Office Issued a news release on Monday.

 OBSERVATIONS:

1) We can"t know for certain if Thad Cochran got married or not yet because Jordan Russell never said so.

 2) It's not clear whether Thad Cochran knew he got married Saturday or if he has read his press release yet

 3) In light of the Cochran marriage, the MSGOP will host a "Unity" fundraiser. For $50 a plate they will serve each other a plate of Crow

 4) The Mississippi Delta knew about Thad Cochrans marriage on Saturday before anyone else because they all received robo-calls on Friday.

5) I don't know if we can really know if Thad Cochran got married or not yet because Jordan Russell never said so 

6) It's not clear yet if  Chris McDaniel has conceded to Thad Cochran's marriage yet.

 7) Taylor Swift just hearing that Thad Cochran got married.

8)

I don't begrudge Thad Cochran marrying that lady, but I do think it was unseemly to hire Constitutional Clayton as the wedding photographer.

— Will Bardwell (@willbardwell) May 25, 2015

Harrison: Mississippians like their politicians conservative but not term limited

The Daily journal's Bobby Harrison doesn't think the motion for term limits initiated by the United Conservative Fund has much chance.

•  First of all, it is difficult to garner the signatures needed to place a citizen-sponsored initiative on the ballot. Of the first 48 initiatives introduced, only six have made the ballot.
  
  And secondly, voters have not looked favorably on limiting the terms of Mississippi politicians.
  
  For most of the state’s history, the state’s highest officeholder, governor, was limited to one term – one four-year term. That changed in the 1980s when the Legislature passed a constitutional resolution by a two-third margin placing on the ballot a proposal to allow governors to serve two consecutive terms. That passed – still term-limited, but for eight years instead of four.

He summarizes: 

•  It is obvious that the current Republican leadership has no desire to tackle term limits legislatively. They could if they wanted to. More than likely, the proposal would split the Republican Party with the Tea Party wing, such as obviously McDaniel, being for it and the more traditional wing being opposed.
  
  If the past is an indicator, Mississippians like their politicians conservative but not term limited.
   

Wilson: Term limits could have unintended consequences for Mississippi Legislature

By Steve Wilson | Mississippi Watchdog

Mississippi legislators and other officer holders could be limited to two consecutive four-year terms, like the governor and lieutenant governor.

Problem is, good legislators — as well as the bad — would be cast out by the ballot initiative, filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by Keith Plunkett, the policy and communications director for state Sen. Chris McDaniel’s United Conservatives Fund.

The initiative is proposed to stem the power of incumbency and end the corruption instituted by career politicians. To summarize — throw the bums out and their waste, fraud and abuse with it.
Plunkett told Mississippi Watchdog the biggest reason for filing for a ballot initiative was to get the public more involved in the political process. Incumbents are able to raise huge war chests with ease, and it often has a chilling effect on potential challengers by ending the battle before it begins.

“It’s about getting the public to re-engage and actually have access to the machine of government as it functions in the Legislature,” Plunkett said. “Elections will become more about policy rather than personality or the guy with the coolest logo. It becomes much, much more about policy.”

Nathan Shrader is an assistant professor of political science at Millsaps College who served as a legislative aide in both the Pennsylvania Senate and the Virginia General Assembly.
Term limits can have serious, unintended consequences, he says.
“I don’t think this is the panacea that a lot of reformers think that it would be,” Shrader said. He cited the book “Term Limits and The Dismantling of State Legislature Professionalism,” from 2005 by Thad Kousser.

Shrader said some of those consequences in three states — California, Colorado and Maine — studied by Kousser included a power shift to the executive branch, a big gain of strength of party leadership in the legislatures over their caucuses and the need for legislatures to hire more staff to deal with inexperienced lawmakers.

Geoff Pender: it’s not just whether you’re against Common Core, but whether you’re really against Common Core.

In an article applauding Chris McDaniel's efforts in persuading Gov Phil Bryant to veto the Common Core Bill passed last session the Clarion Ledgers Geoff Pender gave McDaniel a thumbs up:  McDaniel wins one, Bryant gets tea party groove back  

Pender summarized:

"A political operative not too long ago told me they had never seen polling numbers so strong as those against Common Core among Mississippi Republicans.
It’s being viewed as a stalking horse for the Obama Administration to take over states’ public education, and it’s already become a major issue for 2016 presidential politics.
In 2015 Mississippi Republican politics, it’s not just whether you’re against Common Core, but whether you’re really against Common Core. [Chris] McDaniel was ahead of the curve on this GOP issue."

Another Still Lingering Question about the 2014 Bout between Chris McDaniel & Thad Cochran

The questions may never end.

Dan Spencer [Examiner] posted an article about the Mississippi Senate election from last year between Chris McDaniel and Thad Cochran. Yes, there's still unresolved issues about the whole thing and what parts were played by what people. Spencer wonders about the actions of a Super PAC:

• A Super PAC intended to support Chris McDaniel in Mississippi was apparently waved off by the Super PAC’s lead counsel due to a possible conflict with other clients. Namely, Sen. Thad Cochran and the Mississippi State Republican Party.
• Last week Aaron Gardner laid out the allegations about not only the Mississippi case, but also an incident in which the same Super PAC had to pull back from efforts to assist Det Bowers in his failed primary bid against entrenched establishment GOP Senator Lindsey Graham.
• According to Gardner, Chris Gober, the former lead counsel for the Vote 2 Reduce Debt (V2RD) Super PAC, has not yet answered questions regarding his business relationships with Sen. Thad Cochran, the Mississippi GOP, and Sen. Lindsey Graham. Gardner has reached to the Mississippi GOP, Sen. Thad Cochran, and Sen. Lindsey Graham for comment on the possible conflicts, but has not received responses to his inquiries.

He summarizes:

• Chris McDaniel lost to Sen. Thad Cochran by less than 8,000 votes in the primary runoff elections in late June of 2014. As reported by Gardner, work had been done to target Mississippi voters. Whether that would have been enough to swing 8,000 votes will never be known. If that was the case, and considering the most recent news of a Cochran staffer being busted for a scheme to trade drugs for sex, Republicans in Mississippi and across the nation deserve to know just whether conflicts played a role.

Legislators made Mississippi’s initiative process burdensome

Last week, Sen Chris McDaniel's United Conservative Fund proposed putting an term limits amendment on the Mississippi ballot.

But, Associated Press writer Emily Wagster Pettus suggests:

• .".......history shows there’s a good chance the proposal will never even come up for a vote. Legislators made Mississippi’s initiative process burdensome when they created it more than two decades ago. Putting a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot requires people to circulate petitions and gather signatures from at least 107,216 registered voters within a year. At least 21,443 of those must come from each of the five congressional districts that the state used in 2000. Mississippi has had four congressional districts since the 2002 election cycle, but the initiative law still relies on outdated maps."

The secretary of state’s website lists the initiatives that have been started since the 1990s (http://1.usa.gov/1aVa9Hs ).