"Global warming" alarmists...in Alabama?!

Well, I'm sure glad my alma mater isn't involved...

An organization called "Focus the Nation" is organizing a "teach-in" at colleges and universities across the country. I remember seeing advertisements for this group during the PetroSun Independence Bowl, and I worried (since we were playing in the game, after all) that the Capstone might be a part of this nonsense--but I neglected to look up the group and find out. Today I found them--and, thankfully, I discovered that The University of Alabama is not participating.

To be frank, these people (Focus the Nation) are nutjobs. They are "global-warming" zealots who have declared that the debate on the subject is over, and that mankind is directly responsible for every fluctuation of the earth's temperature and climate. These are the folks who treat it like a religion--you're either a true believer or a "denier." Never mind the hundreds of respected scientific minds who disagree. (Well, I guess they're not respected by this crowd.)

Anyway, there are a couple of other state schools that are jumping on the bandwagon. First? None other than our very own land-grant agricultural university--that's right, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, affectionately known (or maybe not so much) as the Barn: Auburn University.

Now, I'll give credit where credit is due: Auburn's website for its involvement in this event does claim that its organizers are trying to create a discussion about "the perceived controversy" and "what scientists do and don't know." Of course, the "perceived controversy" thing could just be an indoctrination for those who think (correctly) that the question is not settled. "Oh, there's no controversy, that's just what Evil Corporate America wants you to think. The icebergs are melting! The icebergs are melting!" But I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. And, you know, if there's any group in this state who could solve the planet's problems, it would have to be the farmers down in Lee County.

The other state schools involved are Alabama A&M and South Alabama. USA has a "core group of 5-6 volunteers who are working hard on this," according to Focus the Nation's site. Just five or six? That's good to know...maybe the folks down there are intelligent enough to see through the crap this group is spreading (although I have my doubts, since apparently they are considering Dennis Franchione for their head coaching position.)

At any rate, I'm relieved to see that my beloved Capstone will not be taking part in this idiocy. I'm sure there will be some hippies doing something unofficially, but at least the administration is not recognizing any of it. Roll Tide!

Thompson Drops Out

Fred Thompson dropped out of the race today. Oh well; his campaign was pretty disappointing, especially after all the hype before he actually declared his candidacy.

It is disheartening to see a good conservative go, though.

I think the only good candidates left are Paul and Romney...

Thoughts on McCain...

...from Mark Levin.

As I understand Victor Davis Hanson’s position, those of us who believe John McCain will cause severe damage to the conservative movement and the Republican party should hush up, or at least calm down, for this electoral juggernaut, who has managed to get 33 percent of the vote in South Carolina (despite backing by most of the establishment there) and is strong on the war in Iraq. And if we continue to bring attention to those issues that concern us — which are not insignificant to anyone who has worked in conservative circles for nearly 40 years — then we will destroy the party and Hillary Clinton will win, thereby losing the war on terror.

What an absurd argument! Levin essentially covers all the reasons I don't trust (and have never trusted) McCain.

With all due respect, this is absurd on many levels. If John McCain is nominated and loses, it is because he doesn’t appeal to enough Americans, including the base that he has repeatedly betrayed (as Thomas Sowell puts it) over a long period of time. The suggestion that McCain and McCain alone is capable of fighting this war, given his experience, seems to be the core of the concern.

Read on...

Hunter drops out; Ron Paul still going strong

I was disappointed to hear that Duncan Hunter dropped out of the race on Saturday. I suppose it was inevitable, though, and probably overdue as well. It's too bad candidates like Hunter don't have a realistic shot at the nomination--at least not in the current climate. But maybe Ron Paul will change all that.

Paul placed second in the Nevada caucuses this weekend. This is his strongest showing yet, and still the mainstream media pretends that he doesn't exist. I wonder how he will fare on Super Tuesday? Hopefully he'll do well enough that they will have to acknowledge him more openly.

I recently put a "Gun Owners 4 Paul" sticker on the back of my pickup truck. I don't completely agree with all of Ron's positions--namely his foreign policy ideas--but I have to confess that the more I read Pat Buchanan, the more sense his non-interventionist policy makes...so I might wind up joining that camp, too.

More on Paul and Buchanan later.

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