Obamacare Ruled Unconstitutional in FL

Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: Florida Judge Rules Against Obamacare, Injunction Denied As Unnecessary Since Entire Law Unconstitutional - William A. Jacobson, Jan. 31, 2011:

"Federal Judge Roger Vinson of the Northern District of Florida, in a lawsuit by 26 state attorney generals, has held that Obamacare is unconstitutional. Judge Vinson first found that the mandate was unconstitutional, and then found that the mandate could not be severed from the rest of the law, requiring that the entire law be deemed unconstitutional.

"Judge Vinson found that there was no need for an injunction, since the declaratory judgment that the entire law was invalid was sufficient. In effect, there is nothing left to enjoin, since no part of the law survived. By contrast, in the ruling in Virginia last year invalidating the mandate, the Judge severed the mandate from the rest of the law (but denied an injunction preventing the rest of the law from taking effect)."

http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2011/01/florida-judge-rules-against-obamacare.html

Harper gov't to increase citizen's arrest powers

Harper government expected to make controversial increase in citizen's-arrest powers
Douglas Quan, Vancouver Sun, Jan. 29, 2011

"The recent debate was sparked when a shopkeeper in Toronto’s Chinatown, David Chen, was charged with assault and forcible confinement after he and two of his employees confronted a man who had stolen plants from the store an hour earlier, tied him up and threw him into the back of a van. Current law allows a citizen to make an arrest only while a crime is in progress.

"Chen was ultimately acquitted of the charges, but the fact that he was charged at all upset fellow store owners and politicians. Liberal MP Joe Volpe and NDP MP Olivia Chow introduced private member’s bills aimed at loosening the restrictions on when a citizen can detain someone.

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper also jumped into the fray, ordering government lawyers to look into changing the Criminal Code late last year and then making a personal visit to Chen this month.

"Sara MacIntyre, a spokeswoman for Harper, said the issue is a 'priority' for the prime minister and legislation will likely be tabled in February."

Anwar Awlaki Lawsuit Dismissed

I recently came across the following news item from December, which follows up on my September Nolan Chart article, "Challenging Obama's assassination policy":

Judge Dismisses Anwar al-Awlaki Targeted Killing Lawsuit | Mother Jones - Nick Baumann , Dec. 7, 1980

"On Tuesday, a judge dismissed the case, finding that Nasser al-Awlaki doesn't have the legal right to sue on his son's behalf. For now, it seems, the federal courts will defer to the Obama administration's implicit assertion that it has an unreviewable power to target and kill US citizens that it believes to be terrorists....

"Bates bought the government's argument that the younger al-Awlaki has meaningful access to the US legal system: supposedly, he can just go to the US embassy or email potential lawyers without fear of assassination. But ... even if Anwar al-Awlaki did turn himself in, Bates' promise to rule against him on state secrets grounds would mean he would still have no effective way to challenge his presence on the Obama administration's reported 'target list.'"

Sen. Rand Paul on President Obama’s State of the Union Address

Sen. Rand Paul on President Obama’s State of the Union Address
- Bob Ellis, Dakota Voice, Jan. 26, 2011:

"I’m not sure exactly why, but Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), a Tea Party-supported candidate who won in 2010, gave a response last night as well. While you might be tired of hearing speeches on the state of the union by now, it is definitely worth listening to.

"Despite all the drooling for 'bipartisanship, cooperation and working together,' there are some fundamental differences between the Left and Right, and Paul isn’t afraid to examine them.

"He points out that Democrats still believe government is the answer to all our problems, that if we just throw more money at our problems, sooner or later they will go away. Paul says that on some level, Democrats understand that, no matter how much they love spending other people’s money, this can’t continue."

Watch "Sen. Rand Paul: State of the Union Response"

on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0B8--qw1ws

Rand Paul wants Balanced Budget Article V Convention

Rand Paul wants Balanced Budget Article V Convention, Nolan Chart

by George Dance - Friday, January 21, 2011

"Rand Paul supports calling an Article V convention to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA).... David Williams, president of the Kentucky state Senate ... intends to introduce a resolution on the subject when the state legislature reconvenes.... Rand Paul will appear before both the Kentucky Senate's State & Local Government Committee, and the full state Senate, to endorse the resolution.

"'Our Founders, in their enduring brilliance, provided the states with a mechanism to amend the Constitution should the U.S. Congress fail to act. Congress has not acted on a Balanced Budget Amendment despite the overwhelming feeling of the American people that it would help put our nation's fiscal house in order. I am grateful that Senator Williams is introducing this resolution and is joining me in fighting to balance the federal budget,' Paul was quoted in the statement as saying."

http://www.nolanchart.com/article8289.html

Gary Johnson booed at Tea Party Rally

Pot Legalization Brings Boos at Tea Party Rally - Ricochet.com, Jan. 18, 2011:

"I attended a Tea Party rally this morning in Santa Fe held on the steps of the state capital building. The keynote speaker was former Governor Gary Johnson who is rumored to be running for president.... His speech brought enthusiastic applause from the sparse crowd....

"When Tea Party members were invited to ask questions, someone asked the governor if he supported legalization of marijuana.  Gary responded that he did.  His remarks brought a chorus of boos from the crowd.  Gary went on to make the case for legalization based on the cost of incarcerating pot smokers, but the crowd wasn't having it.  The boos erupted again.  Some members of the crowd began to heckle the former governor."

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Pot-Legalization-Brings-Boos-at-Tea-Party-Rally

Census refusenik avoids fine and prison

Census refusenik avoids fine and prison - The Globe and Mail
by Stephen Chase - Jan. 20, 2011:

"The Saskatchewan woman and former provincial Green Party leader who was convicted for refusing to fill out the long-form census has been spared a fine or jail time.

"Sandra Finley was found guilty in a Saskatoon court last week for refusing in 2006 to complete a census form the Harper government has since made voluntary...

"For eight years, Ms. Finley has repeatedly criticized the form as unnecessarily intrusive, and objects to Canada's past decisions to contract out census work to defence giant Lockheed Martin. When her census arrived in 2006, she refused to fill it out. After repeated warnings, she was charged under the Statistics Canada Act in March, 2008."

"Black Tea Party"

Houston Group Hosts First Black Tea Party But Gets Potpourri of Participants - FoxNews.com:

"A group of black entrepreneurs, elected officials and constituents has launched its own Tea Party in Houston, convening Tuesday for the Black Tea Party's inaugural meeting while noting anyone is welcome to the group's events ... co-founder Anita Moncrief said part of the motivation to organize was to get rid of the notion that Tea Partiers are racist....
"It's not really about Republican or Democrat. It's about the black community. The minority vote has been misused and manipulated by people for so long," said Moncrief.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/19/houston-hosts-black-tea-party-gets-potpourri-participants/#ixzz1BWCUhAB6

Is the Tea Party Over?

Is the Tea Party Over?, Nolan Chart
by George Dance (libertarian),  Monday, January 17, 2011

"All that saved the Tea Party from sharing the fate of the militias were poll numbers like the ones above. And all that caused those poll numbers was only the massive pushback by the Tea Party and its sympathizers against the anti-Party campaign: the very "rapid-response protestations of innocence" that Weiss sees as signs of the coming end. The very things that he considers fatal were probably all that saved it this time.

"And so once again the reports of the Tea Party's death are an exaggeration. However, who knows when the next such report will be filed. It should be forgotten that there are 'millions' (as Cohen puts it without exaggeration) who want the movement stopped, some of whom will balk at nothing.

"The movement was lucky this time: Had the assassin attended even one Tea Party rally or meeting, the Party could indeed be over by now. Even with that bit of luck, without the rapid response from Tea Partiers and their sympathizers, the movement still could have been fatally wounded."

http://www.nolanchart.com/article8278.html

Tea party graphic

This is an attempt to create a graphic, using MS Paint, for my next Nolan Chart column. The procedure I follow, cumbersome as it is, is: (1) download image from Google Images; (2) edit in MS Paint; (3) upload to Picasa; (4) import into TPA; (2) use image from TPA in NC article. Hence the image here; cumbersome, but it works.

"Pin this on the Tea Partiers" hits #1

On January 13, one of my newer Nolan Chart articles, "Pin this on the Tea Partiers", went to #1 on all three charts for which it qualified: Libertarian, Most Visited, and Most Popular (thumbed). the article has dropped since, but is still on the main menu and still collecting reads. It currently stands and 750 reads, and I hope to get 1,000 by month end.

"Pin this on the Tea Partiers", by George Dance (libertarian)

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

http://www.nolanchart.com/article8259.html

Paul Krugman calls Tea Partiers neo-Nazis

Krugman and "Eliminationist Rhetoric", Nolan Chart:

by George Dance (libertarian) - Friday, January 14, 2011

"'Eliminationist rhetoric' means Nazi rhetoric, those accused of using it (Tea Party members and Republican office holders) are being called neo-Nazis, and their agenda is being claimed to be the destruction of Jewry. Says Schneiderman: 'By using the word, Paul Krugman is telling us that he sees himself as waging war against a political movement that represents the reincarnation of the Third Reich.'"

"Pin this on the Tea Partiers"

"Pin this on the Tea Partiers", Nolan Chart

by George Dance (libertarian), Tuesday, January 11, 2011

"... it was no surprise that when Congressman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and 19 others were shot by a lone gunman in Tucson, Arizona, on January 8, some Democrats and their supporters would seize on the assassination attempt as Obama's 'Oklahoma City moment.'

"One of the first off the mark was Markos Moulitsas, owner of the Daily Kos blog, who within minutes of the initial report on the shooting had linked to a March 2010 map originally from Sarah Palin's Facebook page, which 'targeted' 20 Democrats in vulnerable districts, including Rep. Giffords, who had voted for health care reform (with crosshairs marking their districts). Tweeted Moulitsas: 'Mission Accomplished, Sarah Palin,'.

"(Moulitsas made no tweets mentioning that his blog had prepared its own 'target list' of Congressmen for the 2010 election, and that Rep. Giffords's name had been placed on it as well.)"

Read more: http://www.nolanchart.com/article8259.html

The Two Faces of the Tea Party

The Two Faces of the Tea Party, Nolan Chart:

by George Dance (libertarian) - Thursday, January 6, 2011

"while the Tea Party is united on economic issues, there is a split virtually right down the middle between traditional social conservatives and those who think government should altogether stay out of the business of 'promoting traditional values.' Candidates and representatives hoping to appeal to the Tea Party ... need to focus on a unifying economic agenda that takes into account this strong libertarian undercurrent.'"

http://www.nolanchart.com/article8245.html

Top 100 of 2010 (1-10)

From GD's Top 100 of 2010:

   1. Paul Surges to Lead in Senate Race. Jan. 7, 2010. 2,054.

   2. Government or Anarchy?. Jun. 29, 2008. 1,521.

   3. The Battle of Kentucky, Mar. 21, 2010. 1,415.

   4. Ron Paul: Gary Johnson is best alternative for 2012. Jun. 28, 2010. 1,398.

   5. Gary Johnson and Our America. Jan. 11, 2010. 1,230.

   6. Justin Amash elected to Congress. Nov. 5, 2010. 943. 

   7. The Ron Paul Terrorist Report.  Mar. 29, 2009. 877.

   8. The Left Abandons Obama. Jan. 5, 2010. 866.

   9. FBI: No hard evidence linking Bin Laden to 9/11.  Apr. 10, 2008. 858.

 10. Challenging Obama's assassination policy. Sep. 7, 2010. 788.

Top 100 of 2010 (11-20)

From GD's Top 100 of 2010:

 11. Civil Rights and Wrongs (I): Human Rights vs. the Civil Rights Act. Jun. 12, 2010. 778.

 12. Liberty Hits Primetime (I): Freedom Watch. Jun. 15, 2010. 775.

 13. Rand Paul has commanding lead in Kentucky. Nov. 1, 2010. 612.

 14. Steve Forbes endorses Rand Paul. Jan. 8, 2010. 609.

 15. Ron Paul's former aide reveals: 'We needed' Barr to vote for the PATRIOT Act. May 24, 
        2008. 570.
 16. Ron Paul on Bob Barr: "We're allies."  Jun. 3, 2008. 554.

 17. Ron Paul's Delegate Wars (I).  Apr. 13, 2008. 527.

 18. Ron Paul supporter Chuck Baldwin runs for President.  Apr. 25, 2008. 521.

 19. ACLU sues Transportation Security Administration over Paul staffer's detention. Jul. 19, 
        2009. 510.

20. Monds wins a million votes in Georgia.  Nov. 7, 2008. 498.

Top 100 of 2010 (21-30)

From GD's Top 100 of 2010:

21. Bob Barr's Real Record (I). May 22, 2008. 495.

22. Ron Paul's Delegate Wars (II).  Apr. 20, 2008. 493.

23. Trans-Texas Corridor changes direction. Jun. 27, 2008. 478.

24. Ron Paul helps launch Young Americans for Liberty. Dec. 7, 2008. 469.

25. Libertarian politics in Ontario, Canada.  Nov. 10, 2008. 466.

26. Paul: Pelosi spiked Iran bill.  Jun. 17, 2008. 455.

27. Third-partying the rEVOLution in Louisiana. Oct. 31, 2008. 451.

28. A sonnet on the Iraq War. May 18, 2009. 448.

29. Bob Barr's Real Record (II). May 22, 2008. 444.

30. James Dobson endorses Rand Paul. May 3, 2010. 442.

Top 100 of 2010 (31-40)

From GD's Top 100 of 2010:

31. Ron Paul and his rEVOLution.  Mar. 28, 2008. 434.

32. Third-party debate in early October.  Sep. 27, 2008. 428.

33. Bob Barr and the Gun Ban (II).  Aug. 24, 2008. 419.

34. Ron Paul is not running for President. Sep. 7, 2008. 417.

35. Boston Tea Party nominee smears Barr. Jul. 13, 2008. 413.

36. Bob Barr's Gun Record.  Aug. 6, 2008. 411.

37. Ron Paul endorses Amit Singh for Congress.  May 5, 2008. 411.

38. Barr vs. McCain (II): The Wasted Vote. Nov. 3, 2008. 400.

39. Obama warned not to take peace vote for granted. Jul. 26, 2008. 397.

40. Barrwatch -- Barr hits 6% in a national poll. Jul. 9, 2008. 396.

Top 100 of 2010 (41-50)

From GD's Top 100 of 2010:

41. Ron Paul's Delegate Wars (III). Apr. 27, 2008. 390.

42. Talking Trash. Jun. 24, 2009. 384.

43. Iserbyt blows the whistle on John McCain. May 7, 2008. 382.
44. "Government or Anarchy" revisited. Jul. 1, 2009. 371.

45. Baldwin will free Ramos and Compean.  Sep. 15, 2008. 371.
46. Sarah Palin and "Troopergate."  Aug. 30, 2008. 369.

47. Childs's argument for anarchism. Jun. 12, 2009. 367.

48. George W. Bush, American poet? Jan. 18, 2009. 361.

49. Barr vs. McCain (III): Socialism. Nov. 3, 2008. 360.

50. Barr - Paul Alliance Buzz Builds. Jul. 5, 2008. 359.

Top 100 of 2010 (51-60)

From GD's Top 100 of 2010

51. Ron Paul's Delegate Wars (IV). May 4, 2008. 341.

52. Ron Paul wins Lifetime Achievement Award. Apr. 5, 2008. 339.

53. Ron Paul's Delegate Wars (V). May 11, 2008. 334.

54. Barr vs. McCain (I). Oct. 29, 2008. 334.

55. Michael Bloomberg / Ron Paul ticket qualifies for VA ballot.  Aug. 18, 2008. 334.

56. Barr / Nader / Baldwin debate 2008. Oct. 29, 2008. 325.

57. Bob Barr on the Bailouts. Sep. 21, 2008. 323. 

58. Third-Party Debate Fiasco: Oct. 19 debate(s) cancelled. Oct. 18, 2008. 317.

59. Nader: Third-party debate set to take place. Sep. 23, 2008. 308.

60. Bob Barr and the Gun Ban (I).  Aug. 24, 2008. 307.

Top 100 of 2010 (61-70)

From GD's Top 100 of 2010:

61. Injustice at Nolan Chart! Nov. 23, 2008. 302.

62. Third-party debate Oct. 19. Oct. 13, 2008. 298.

63. Ron Paul's No-Third-Party Deals. Nov. 14, 2008. 296.

64. Rare Ron Paul footage in new Barr video. Jul. 27, 2008. 294.

65. Pure Bunk. Apr. 17, 2008. 293.

66. Libertarian kittens. Jul. 7, 2008. 293. 

66. Bob Barr on climate change. Jul. 25, 2008. 291.

68. At Last it can be said: Bob Barr for President. May 13, 2008. 280.

69. No, Ron Paul has Not Dropped Out! Mar. 11, 2008. 271.

70. Operation RonDemption for Idaho. May 2, 2008. 253.

Top 100 of 2010 (71-80)

From GD's Top 100 of 2010:

71. YouTubing the Libertarian Race. May 16, 2008. 245.

72. Kirchick, Paul, and Anti-Semitism. Feb. 7, 2008. 241.

73. Paul - McCain negotiations reported. Sep. 2, 2008. 240.

74. Ron Paul Endorsements Keep Pouring In ... Mar. 12, 2008. 240. 

75. Chinooks of change. Jun. 21, 2008. 239.

76. Smokin'. Jun. 10, 2008. 238.

77. Boston Tea Party endorses Phillies for President. Aug. 12, 2008. 236.

78. Barr blasts Bush on Iraq, Bailout bill. Oct. 7, 2008. 233.

79. Ron Paul supporter Bob Barr to declare for President. Apr. 3, 2008. 231.

80. Trouble in Boston Tea Paradise. Oct. 27, 2008. Oct. 24, 2008. 227. 

Top 100 of 2010 (81-90)

from: GD's Top 100 of 2010

81. A Libertarian on George Phillies. Apr. 5, 2008. 224.

82. Debating Jim Davidson (I). Jul. 21, 2008. 218.

83. Huckabee's Back in the Race? -- Why? May 15, 2008. 215.

84. Poll -- What Should Ron Paul Do? Jun. 9, 2008. 211.

85. THE "NEWSLETTERS" FAQ ver. 1.2. Feb. 4, 2008. 206.

86. Vince Miller RIP. Jun. 29, 2008. 202.

87. Barrwatch -- Barr takes 6% in GA poll. Jul. 9, 2008. 202.

88. Review: Canadian Poetry from World War I. May 3, 2009. 199.

89. "Snubgate" Scandal Spreads. Sep. 12, 2008. 196.

90. Barr on Obama (I): Iraq. Nov. 28, 2008. 193.

Top 100 of 2010 (91-100)

From: GD's Top 100 of 2010 

91. Sestina: Gardeners of Eden. Dec. 31, 2008. 193.

92. Barr on Obama (II): FISA. Nov. 30, 2008. 185.

93. rEVoLution or Reaction? May 23, 2008. 184.

94. Health Care vs. Pizza. July 6, 2008. 177.

95. The Party of Choice. Aug. 2, 2008. 173.

96. Bob Barr denounces dog-killing drug raid. Aug. 14, 2008. 172.

97. Greenwald on Barr and Political Realignment. Aug. 4, 2008. 177.

98. By the time of Super Tuesday ... Feb. 11, 2008. 174.

99. Barrwatch -- Barr polls at 6% in NC. Jun. 2, 2008. 168.

100. Ron Paul Gets 16% in PA. Apr. 23, 2008. 154.

Counting down my Top 100 of 2010.

As those who know me know, I'm a chart person; have been since I was a boy copying down the weekly top 40. So it's no surprise that, for the third year in a row, I've prepared a chart of my best-read Nolan Chart  articles of the past year.
However, there is a change this year. I think that long articles (and this one is a Top 100, double the size of last year) tend to be skimmed; with the consequence that most of the links tend to not be explored. So, this year, I've decided to run a "countdown" the way top 40 radio used to. Each day for the next ten days will feature 10 articles, starting with (91-100) today, and climaxing at (1-10) in ten days' time. At that time the full Top 100 will be posted as a page, to stay up for the balance of 2011.
I hope this proves a more enjoyable and accessible way to present my Top 100.