If you had any lingering doubts that our Judicial system is totally and utterly hopeless, try this little tidbit on for size:

American paper money represents an unfair impediment to the blind, and the Treasury Department must come up with new U.S. currency to help the visually impaired use cash, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge James Robertson said keeping all U.S. currency the same size and texture violates the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in government programs.

You really must be kidding. Thats a slippery slope of logic which can be applied to almost anything. Worse, this is an utter waste of our justice system. Blind people are inconvenienced at most, and identifying the denomination of a note is probably the least of the problems a blind person overcomes every day. We do not have a right to convenience, sorry guys.

I love those tiny little, 2 seater sports cars. However I am 6′5, and I simply do not fit into them, unless I want to have my knees up by my ears. They are imposable to drive. Under this logic these car companies would be discriminating against me, as I am height challenged and I have a right to enjoy the same sports cars all the normal sized people in the world do.

Fortunately, some agree:

But John Paré, director of public relations for the National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s largest organization representing blind people, said identifying the money is hardly the most difficult obstacle for the blind to overcome.

“The focus for improving the lives of blind Americans needs to be put on earning money not figuring out how to identify money,” he said. “Over 70 percent of blind Americans are under-employed or unemployed and this is what needs to be addressed.

“It really is distracting to have this lawsuit,” he said, since assistance should concentrate on people “who don’t have the money in the first place.”

This suit came from the American Council for the Blind. Obviously an organization who has hopes of political activism rather than actually improving the lives of those without sight.

H/T to HotAir

Also Reporting:
Stop The ACLU
Captains Quarters

H/T to Discerning Texan

Cartoon by Michael Ramirez

I was very disappointed by the first bit of news coming out with regards to the Popes visit to Turkey. The new pope is, apparently, putting politics before doctrine in a rush to take some of the Islamic attention off of himself and the Catholic Church.

There where two main issues in his visist, as far as I was concerned.

The first was the valid point that there are real militant problems within the Islamic Church. What I would call pervasive militent teachings of a violent religion, but would expect the Pope to but that somewhat more discretely, especially while in Turkey.

And what dose the Pope seem to say?

Erdogan, who began his career in Islamic politics, added: “The most important message the Pope gave was toward Islam, he reiterated his view of Islam as peaceful and affectionate.”

Excuse me? Isn’t Islamic affection an oxymoron? Unless you consider beheding an afffection. And Peacefull? The religion which can effectively lie claim to more violent acts than any other the world over? The Pope cannot believe that, not truly.

The second main issue is around Turkey joining the EU, something the Pope has previously opposed siting that Turkey was in permanent contract to Europe.

Now that position has changed:

“He said ‘we are not political but we wish for Turkey to join the EU’,” Erdogan told journalists.

Again, a major reverse that can only be seen as an effort to placate the Muslim masses. This seems to say that the pope is compromising his faith for politics, a dangerous president. Also one that would be hard to reconcile.

I did say “seems to say” as we have no direct sources on what he said and what was communicated. The Peope has released no statements that I have found, but also has not expressed issue with anything currently expressed.

I hope the pope first survives his visit, and then takes the time to clarify his stance on these two important issues.

Or, at least in recent memory.

You have to listen to this, if it doesn’t make you laugh out-loud then you are a cold cold individual.

http://howtoprankatelemarketer.ytmnd.com/

Thanks to Cox and Forkum for the first out-loud laugh of the day. :)

The following good news comes from Fox News.

House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi will meet Tuesday with Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings, and those with knowledge of Pelosi’s thinking told FOX News that Hastings will be told he is not going to be the next chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Though no formal decisions have been announced and Pelosi aides say the situation remains fluid, they suggest that the meeting at Pelosi’s Capitol Hill office was requested by Hastings so he could bow out of the race before Pelosi denies him the job.

I am glad Pelosi saw the light, though less for altruistic reasons and more for the mounting pressure coming from all sides. Frankly, Hastings should not even be a congressmen, he is a crook at best.

I hope an official announcement is made when the time comes. The next question being who will Pelosi pick to fill that role.

Also Reporting:
Hot Air
Michelle Malkin
Stop The ACLU
7.62mm Justice
Wake Up America

The Democrats Insanity broadens! The latests concerning the inbound chair of the Homeland Security Committee, Bennie Thompson.

From the Washington Times:

A Mississippi Democrat in line to become chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee has warned the nation’s largest uniform supplier it faces criminal charges if it follows a White House proposal to recheck workers with mismatched Social Security numbers and fire those who cannot resolve the discrepancy in 60 days.

This was part of the President Bush supported initiative to help employers know which of their employees are illegals by flagging incorrect or mis-matched Social Security Numbers.

Rep. Bennie Thompson said in a letter to Cintas Corp. it could be charged with “illegal activities in violation of state and federal law” if any of its 32,000 employees are terminated because they gave incorrect Social Security numbers to be hired.

“I am deeply troubled by Cintas’ recent policy change regarding the Social Security Administration’s ‘no match’ letters,” Mr. Thompson said in the Nov. 2 letter. “It is my understanding that hundreds of Cintas’ immigrant workers have received these letters. I am extremely concerned about any potentially discriminatory actions targeting this community.”

Heaven forbid we discriminate against those who break the law. Cintas and other companies should be very worried about this, as this is a prime example of being caught between a rock and a hard place. Hiring Illegals is a crime and, so it seems, is firing them.

To be clear the “no match” letters are supported by the president, the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security. Where this blockhead gets off threatening American Business for following these guidelines is beyond me. Perhaps he needs to keep enough illegals around to ensure he gets re-elected next time around.

Also Reporting:
Michelle Malkin
Captains Quarters
American Pundit

Have you ever met one of those people who just cannot take a hint? When given a stage they will keep digging and digging and digging.

Like Democratic Representative Charlie Rangel and his current tirades on the draft. The following is from the Observer:

Rep. Charlie Rangel, speaking at a Crain’s breakfast in midtown this morning, shared his thoughts on the draft and some Ivy League students.

“I spoke about the draft at Columbia, Harvard and Brown. These kids don’t even know there’s a war in Iraq.”

It doesn’t sound like he’s ready to let go of the issue any time soon, despite the near-unanimous lack of support he’s received for a proposal to reinstate the draft. And Rangel, a decorated war veteran, will have the ability to make things increasingly uncomfortable for his newly empowered Democratic colleagues every day that goes by without a coherent alternative position on how to deal with Iraq

Good ol’Rangel, I am really starting to like him. He he going to cause the Democrats more grief than they imagine. I wonder how long before his masters ban him from appearing in public?

Also Reporting:
Hot Air
7.62mm Justice

When I hear the Democrat talking heads encouring a dialog with Iran to help control the sectarian violance in Iraq, I cannot help but wonder if they know who they are dealing with? Did the anti-American, Anti-Christian, Anti-Israel, Pro-Militant Islam stance of the Iran government not register?

Iran is a ticking bomb, and potentially a nuclear one at that. They will do anything to increase instability in the region as long as it impacts American or Israeli interests.

And a recent New York Times report only underscores that point:

A senior American intelligence official said Monday that the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah had been training members of the Mahdi Army, the Iraqi Shiite militia led by Moktada al-Sadr.

The official said that 1,000 to 2,000 fighters from the Mahdi Army and other Shiite militias had been trained by Hezbollah in Lebanon. A small number of Hezbollah operatives have also visited Iraq to help with training, the official said.

Iran has facilitated the link between Hezbollah and the Shiite militias in Iraq, the official said. Syrian officials have also cooperated, though there is debate about whether it has the blessing of the senior leaders in Syria.

[…]

The claim about Hezbollah’s role in training Shiite militias could strengthen the hand of those in the Bush administration who oppose a major new diplomatic involvement with Iran.

The new American account is consistent with a claim made in Iraq this summer by a mid-level Mahdi commander, who said his militia had sent 300 fighters to Lebanon, ostensibly to fight alongside Hezbollah. “They are the best-trained fighters in the Mahdi Army,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Deal with Iran would be akin to making a deal with the devil. If they could help, it would be only because the long term pain for the US would be greater.

Iran is the enemy, and it is very unhealthy to confuse enemies and friends.

Captains Quarters
Outside the Beltway
7.62mm Justice