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The Best Verdict Ever

A judge in Pennsylvania tells three men to learn English or serve prison time for robbery.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A judge known for creative sentencing has ordered three Spanish-speaking men to learn English or go to jail.

The men, who faced prison for criminal conspiracy to commit robbery, can remain on parole if they learn to read and write English, earn their GEDs and get full-time jobs, Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. said.

The men, Luis Reyes, Ricardo Dominguez and Rafael Guzman-Mateo, plus a fourth defendant, Kelvin Reyes-Rosario, all needed translators when they pleaded guilty Tuesday.

"Do you think we are going to supply you with a translator all of your life?" the judge asked them.

Spectacular.

Netflix: Business Done Right

Obviously this isn't completely political, but it deserves mentioning anyway in a decidedly personal digression.

I am an avid Netflix subscriber, and late last night I received this email from them:

We're Sorry Your DVD Was Delayed

Dear Ian,

As you may have heard, our shipping system was unexpectedly down for most of Monday. We should have shipped you a DVD but were unable to. Your DVD was shipped today, Tuesday, March 25th, instead.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. We will issue a 5% credit to your account in the next few days. You don't need to do anything. The credit will be automatically applied to your next billing statement.

Again, we apologize for the delay and thank you for your understanding. If you need further assistance, please call us at 1 (888) 638-3549.

-The Netflix Team

Now, the movie is only going to be delayed one day, and I probably would not have had time to watch it today anyway. However, unlikes many businesses of today, Netflix not only acknowledged fault and apologized, but then, unbidden, gave me a discount on this month's bill. Obviously $0.80 is not going to make or break me, but the sheer fact that they did it is the important thing, and it is one of the most impressive things I have seen a company do for a customer in long time.

It would be have supremely easy for them to say nothing; I probably would have just assumed the USPS botched the shipping and didn't get it to me on time. But they didn't, and that's what counts.

Illegal Immigration Watch: March 26

I don't often say this, but go California. If the GOP politicians there are successful in passing this host of bills (which is, of course, a big if), it will be a serious blow to illegal immigration in one of the heaviest migrant zones of the country.

Republican legislators teamed up to unveil what one deemed a “comprehensive” plan to deal with California’s illegal immigration problem in Sacramento Tuesday, packaging 22 GOP bills their sponsors say provide crucial reforms that will curb the state’s budget crisis.

Local Democrats were critical of the plan, saying targeting the state’s illegal immigrant population would only hurt state revenues. Republicans countered that the price of providing services to illegal immigrants poses a serious cost to California taxpayers and further burdens the state’s $16-billion deficit.

“Both Republicans and Democrats are getting pressure on the budget issue, and there are a lot of programs that have to be cut,” said Assemblyman Jim Silva, who organized the plan and news conference. “What we’re trying to do here is take out the loopholes in the budget process where we’re losing money and make sure it goes to the citizens of California.”

“The state is in a financial life raft that is sinking,” he added. “The California Assembly Republicans have now offered a number of solutions.”

“I think this is all ridiculous,” Orange County Democratic Party chairman Frank Barbaro said. “We have become incredibly addicted to this workforce — I don’t know what California would do without the Latino immigration that we have, whether it’s legal or illegal…we’d be up a creek without a paddle.”

Naturally, the Dems are defending the illegals, but what else is new?

A full list of the bills: http://republican.assembly.ca.gov/members/a67/Index.aspx?page=PR&pr=4516

And some highlights:

AB 107, by Assemblyman Smyth, R-Santa Clarita, requires a prospective bidder for a state contract for public works, goods, or services to certify, under penalty of perjury, that it does not employ "unauthorized aliens," as defined under federal law.

AB 286, also by Assemblyman Cook, repeals the law that gives illegals an exemption from paying nonresident tutition at California Community Colleges and the California State University.

AB 1882, by Assemblyman Garrick, R-Carlsbad, adds DUI to the list of crimes for which immigration status is required to be checked. If a person arrested for DUI is suspected to be in the country illegally, the arresting agency is required to contact immigration officials to make a final determination.

Assembly Bill 2812, by Assemblyman Jim Silva, R-Huntington Beach, would add “illegal immigration” to the list the governor can use to declare a state of emergency at the state or local level.

How about we just elect Silva as President?

Illegal Immigration Watch: March 24

Heroes:

FamilySecurityMatters.org contributing editor Michael Cutler, who wrote this column on the consequences of illegal immigration to blue collared workers.

The illegal aliens who work in our country not only displace American workers, but send money out of the country, enriching the economies of their native countries while doing serious harm to ours. Last year an estimated 45 billion dollars was wired from the United States to Latin America and the Caribbean. Many billions more were wired to other countries around the world. Additionally, money was smuggled out of the United States by illegal aliens.

Exactly the point many politicians miss; those 45 billion dollars could have (should have) been used on our own economy.

The presence of 20 million illegal and undocumented aliens represents a huge threat to national security. The true identities of these aliens are unknown and unknowable. Our government is uncertain as to their nationalities, their criminal histories or their affiliations with criminal terrorist or criminal organizations – at a time of war against terrorists who have repeatedly demonstrated contempt for human lives- our human lives!

Couldn't have said it better myself.

The Bush Administration, for their stunning announcement that they will attempt to prosecute companies that do not fire employees identified as possible illegal immigrants. From an administration that has been dead-set on shamnesty, this is relatively impressive.

Zeros:

The worthless idiots in the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, who ruled that a Rutherford County sheriff's deputy "unreasonably detained an illegal immigrant during a traffic stop."

Let's take a closer look at that, shall we? How, exactly, do you unreasonably detain a criminal who has no right to be, well, anywhere in the country. How is that unreasonable? The man lied about his immigration status, which is more than enough probable cause, in my opinion, for the cop to search the car for drugs.

This one needs to appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. They are fresh off the constitutional beatdown regarding the 2nd Amendment last week, and I would love to see them shred the 6th Circuit. Activist judges are going to be the end of us.

Musharraf Ousted

It was kind of expected, but it's still great to see another military dictator removed from office.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's parliament elected Yousaf Raza Gilani, a long-time aide to slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, as its new prime minister Monday.
Yousaf Raza Gilani was elected by Pakistan's Parliament as the country's next prime minister.
Gilani received 260 votes, while his opponent from a party backing President Pervez Musharraf received 42 votes.
Gilani, 55, had been expected to sail through because opposition parties that swept the parliamentary elections last month have a two-thirds ruling majority.

Hopefully, this marks the start of Pakistan being a REAL ally in the War on Terror, not a "we're your ally but you can't come after the terrorists we are protecting" kind of ally.

Chris Matthews' Leg Responds to Obama's Damage Control Dissertation

Chris Matthews' Leg responds to Obama's "Hope for Race and Change, with Hopeful Change and Race" damage control speech.

Never in the history of American oratory has such soaring rhetoric been deployed so majestically in the service of campaign damage control.

That’s why Chris Matthews’ Leg felt “it” again today. That electric surge of hope-change-love-peace running from his toes up his sciatic nerve. “I am healed,” The Leg declared serenely.

The Leg couldn’t help but admire the brilliant timing of Obama’s decision to bravely lead the nation in a frank discussion about race—choosing the very moment in which he is forced to talk about race to get his backside out of a sling.

Only a statesman of Obama’s skill and stature could successfully excuse himself for sitting under the teaching of a racist conspiracy nut for two decades simply by equating him with the little white grandmother who raised him and who apparently used a few racial terms considered politically incorrect now 40 years later.

Well said. I still can't understand why people can't see through Obama's rhetoric. He spoke for what seemed like hours today, and at the end I think I was more confused than when he started.

"Ok, so you don't condone what Wright said. Got it. Oh, but you don't condemn it? Oh, oh, you condemn it but you won't condemn him? But isn't a man a sum of what he says and does? And this man was your mentor for 20 years, and was on your campaign's religious advisor committee all the way until last week? But he has no influence on you whatsoever, right. Ok, just so we're clear."

This is insane.

A (Probable) Victory for the Bill of Rights

After hearing arguments on the 2nd. Amendment, it appears that a majority of the Supreme Court believe that gun ownership is a right and is not tied to service in a state militia.

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has heard arguments about the meaning of the Second Amendment and the Districts of Columbia's ban on handguns.

A majority appears to support the view that the amendment protects an individual's right to own guns, rather than somehow linking right to service in a state militia.

But it is less clear what that means for the District's 32-year-old ban on handguns, perhaps the strictest gun control law in the nation.

"Does that make it unreasonable for a city with a very high crime rate...to say no handguns here?" Justice Stephen Breyer said.

Thank god.

Updated:

The basic issue for the justices is whether the amendment protects an individual's right to own guns no matter what, or whether that right is somehow tied to service in a state militia.

A key justice, Anthony Kennedy, seemed to settle that question early on when he said the Second Amendment gives "a general right to bear arms." He is likely to be joined by Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas — a majority of the nine-member court.

When all else fails...RAISE TAXES!

I predicted massive tax increases if either Oba-change-ma or Shrillary won in November. Apparently, Congress stupidly decided to get started early.

WASHINGTON - Both houses of Congress endorsed the idea of tax increases for millions of Americans Thursday as Democrats pressed ahead with budget plans that would allow some or all of President Bush's reductions to die after he leaves office.

Idiots. If you want to pass ridiculous legislation that will harm the citizens, you have to wait until you have a Democrat in as president, otherwise it is going to get vetoed. It is technically a non-binding resolution, but it's still unnecessary.

McCain's tax cuts would require applying a meat cleaver to spending, while the Democrats promise spending that would enlarge the deficit or require too-large tax increases.

A meat cleaver to spending. How amazing is that? I'll tell ya; it's almost as amazing as the fact that the Dems are still getting votes when there's no way they can afford even half of the garbage they are promising.

Illegal Immigration Watch: March 13

Heroes:

The Missouri House, which voted Wednesday to bar higher education institutions from enrolling illegal immigrants. Of course, it still has to move through the Senate, but it's still a step in the right direction.

The legislation would require higher education institutions to verify to lawmakers that they have not knowingly enrolled illegal immigrants before the institutions can receive state money.

House members gave first-round approval to the bill Wednesday on a voice vote, after defeating an amendment to exempt community colleges from the bill. A second vote is needed to send the bill to the Senate, where it has stalled the past two years.

...

As a result of a 1982 Supreme Court decision, states must provide K-12 public education to all students, whether they are in the U.S. legally or not. But federal law discourages states from providing illegal immigrants a higher education.

Sponsoring Rep. Jerry Nolte said there is a logical reason for the distinction.

"It does not make economic sense to spend taxpayer money to train a work force that is not legal to work here," said Nolte, R-Gladstone.

Amen.

Zeros:

The Kansas State Senate, who massacred a perfectly good immigration bill.

A Kansas Senate committee endorsed an immigration reform bill after eliminating proposals that are most important to those wanting the state to take a tough stand on the issue. The committee stripped from the bill:

•A requirement that businesses check new hires against E-Verify, a federal database of legal workers;

•Criminal penalties for businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants;

•Requirements that local police do more to enforce immigration law.

So let's see if I have this right; they are moving forward an "immigration enforcement bill" that does not give criminal penalties to businesses, does not require businesses to check new employee's legal status, and does not require the local police to "do more" to enforce immigration law.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that every part of the bill that was ripped out deals with enforcement, which sort of seems at least mildly important when you are trying to pass an 'enforcement bill.' Sen. Palmer concurs:

“Every important part of the bill was taken out,” said Sen. Peggy Palmer, an Augusta Republican who is the sponsor of the Senate bill. “They’re listening to big business as opposed to the people of Kansas.”

That chill in the air isn't from the cold weather; it is a dark shroud created by the birth of yet another shamnesty bill.