Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Not All Libertarians Happy With Ron Paul
2. Israeli Rabbi Calls for Ehud Olmert's Death
3. AFA Says Its Boycott Hurt Ford Sales
4. Newsmax's Phil Brennan Named Man of the Year
5. Ratings Low for Fox Business Network
6. We Heard: Chris Rock, Jack Welch, Georgia Drought
1. Not All Libertarians Happy With Ron Paul
With former Libertarian Party presidential nominee Ron Paul in the race for the Republican nomination, libertarians might be
expected to fall in line in support of his candidacy.
But one libertarian publication will have none of it.
The latest issue of The New Individualist magazine features the cover story "The Abominable Dr. Paul: How Ron Paul Tortures the Cause of Liberty."
The cover illustration, a spoof of a movie poster for the 1971 movie "The Abominable Dr. Phibes," shows Paul's face morphing into a monstrous visage.
The article by Stephen Green begins: "It's probably no exaggeration to say that, among readers of this magazine, there exists much sympathy for the presidential candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul, Republican congressman from Texas. Or, if not for the man, then at least for many of the nominally pro-freedom, pro-capitalism ideas he espouses.
"However, Dr. Paul's specific remedies for what ails our nation amount to the political equivalent of patent-medicine quackery. He only discredits the cause of liberty by associating it with his own weird and dangerous brand of utopianism.
"And I find that abominable."
The article takes Paul to task on a number of issues:
- On immigration, it places Paul "to the right of most Republicans," and cites his call for an end to automatic citizenship for the born-in-America children of illegals.
- On government spending, the author points to Paul's request for $400 million in earmarks in 2007.
- The article calls Paul's plan to abolish the Federal Reserve system and return the U.S. to the gold standard "dangerous."
- It terms Paul's foreign policy of nonintervention "utopian silliness dressed up in the outdated language of Washington."
The article concludes: "America has plenty of ailments in need of sound diagnosis and common-sense cures. But I wouldn't look to Dr. Ron Paul for treatment."
Editor's Note:
2. Israeli Rabbi Calls for Ehud Olmert's Death
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "collaborates with the Nazis" and should be hanged for negotiating with the Palestinians, a right-wing Israeli rabbi declared.
At a conference in Tel Aviv of rabbis who oppose transferring parts of the West Bank or Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority, Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpe said, "The terrible traitor Ehud Olmert, who gives these Nazis weapons, who gives money, who frees their murderous terrorists, this man, like Ariel Sharon, collaborates with the Nazis.
"[Olmert's punishment] and the punishment of [Vice Premier] Haim Ramon, and the punishment of [Foreign Minister] Tzipi Livni, and all these people, like [Defense Minister] Ehud Barak, should be to hang from the gallows."
The remarks came after news broke that one of the terrorists who killed two Israelis in a recent attack near Jerusalem was a Palestinian Authority security officer, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Several conference speakers blamed Olmert for the deaths.
After the conference, Vice Premier Ramon issued a statement condemning the speeches: "It is regretful and worrying that more than a decade after the murder of a prime minister in Israel, these people haven't learned a thing, and still continue down the path of incitement that endangers the foundations of democracy in Israel."
Editor's Note:
3. AFA Says Its Boycott Hurt Ford Sales
The American Family Association asserts that its boycott of the Ford Motor Company played a significant role in Ford's recent slump in sales.
AFA began a boycott of Ford in March 2006 after the company reneged on a commitment to stop funding homosexual groups, according to AFA. Ford's sales have declined in 19 of the 22 months since the boycott began, and were down 12 percent in 2007 compared to 2006.
According to a release from the AFA — a pro-family advocacy organization — nearly 780,000 individuals have signed AFA's pledge to boycott Ford.
"We have repeatedly asked Ford to remain neutral in the culture war, but they have refused," AFA Chairman Donald E. Wildmon declared.
Wildmon said many Ford dealers have asked the company to adopt a policy of neutrality, but Ford continues to ignore the dealers.
"Ford cares more about supporting a small minority defined by their sexual behavior than they do about the people who keep them in business — their dealers," Wildmon said.
"Ford is evidently willing to take the company into bankruptcy if that's what it means to continue supporting the homosexual agenda."
Toyota has now overtaken Ford as the No. 2 auto maker in the United States. It's the first time since 1931 that Ford was not in the No. 2 position.
Toyota reported that it had sold 2.62 million cars and light trucks in 2007, up
3 percent from 2006 and just ahead of Ford's 2.57 million sales.
General Motors is still the top U.S. auto maker. It sold 3.82 million units in 2007, down 6 percent from a year ago.
Editor's Note:
4. Newsmax's Phil Brennan Named Man of the Year
Newsmax columnist Phil Brennan has been named Man of the Year by the group Defend Our Marines for his efforts in connection with the Haditha Marines case.
Brennan — a former Marine — uncovered the real story behind the deaths of 24 Iraqis in the town of Haditha in 2005, and helped raise money for the defense of Marines charged in the case.
In a statement, Defend Our Marines said: "Looking back over a year of incredible ups and downs, the outstanding individual who deserves the most applause for his defense of our Marines is Phil Brennan of Newsmax.
"Longtime Haditha watchers will remember how bleak things looked a year ago. After charges were announced, there were a series of leaks damning the Marines.
"It was Phil Brennan who struck back with ‘Haditha Accusations Unmasked' and other Newsmax articles beginning in late January that brought much needed perspective and accuracy to the situation.
"Additionally, it was through Phil Brennan's efforts at Newsmax that more than $200,000 was raised for the enlisted Marine defense funds.
"For those reasons, Phil Brennan is the Defend Our Marines Man of the Year!"
Four enlisted Marines were initially charged with murder in the case and four officers were charged with failing to investigate the deaths. Charges against several of the men have been dropped and none will face murder charges.
Editor's Note:
5. Ratings Low for Fox Business Network
The new Fox Business Network has failed to attract a large viewing audience since it went on the air on Oct. 15, and its ratings are dwarfed by chief competitor CNBC.
About 6,300 viewers watch the Fox Business Network, on average, on any given weekday, according to estimates from Nielsen Media Research.
CNBC attracted about 283,000 viewers each weekday during the first two months that Fox was on the air, according to Nielsen figures reported by the New York Times.
The low ratings for Fox Business are not surprising for the upstart channel. For one thing, CNBC reaches about 90 million homes, while Fox Business is available in about 30 million.
But Fox Business reached 9,000 viewers during the week of Dec. 10, the last for which figures were available, and its parent News Corporation remains confident.
"In an advertising campaign that has sprawled across television screens, billboards and magazine pages, the News Corporation has sought to hitch the fortunes of Fox Business directly to Fox News Channel, which draws millions of viewers a day," according to the Times.
The ratings figures are averages from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time weekdays, and do not include viewership in the workplace.
Editor's Note:
6. We Heard . . .
THAT comedian Chris Rock cracked up the audience at his New Year's Eve show with a few quips about Hillary Clinton.
"I think America's ready for a woman president . . . just not that woman," Rock told the crowd at New York's Madison Square Garden.
"Being married to somebody doesn't make you good at their job. I've been with my wife 10 years now. If she got up here right now, y'all wouldn't laugh. At all. You get on a plane tomorrow, you want the pilot's wife flying you?"
He also had a dig for Rudy Giuliani: "Everyone says Giuliani was great on 9/11. Great on 9/11 . . . What about 9/10?"
THAT people in the drought-stricken Atlanta area are reportedly expected to line up at water trucks this summer as supplies are strictly rationed for residents and businesses.
According to the Kiplinger Letter, "It'll be an ugly picture that again points to government incompetence. Despite a 100-year drought, officials have done little to conserve.
"Washington says it won't step in until after a disaster happens."
THAT former General Electric Chairman Jack Welch has bought a $7.6 million home in an exclusive private community in North Palm Beach, Fla.
The home in Lost Tree Village — a 450-acre community with an 18-hole golf course and private beach — has 6,939 square feet and includes five bedrooms, two offices, an exercise room, and a pool, according to Florida's Daily Business Review.
Lost Tree Village is home to a number of prominent figures, including golfing legend Jack Nicklaus.
Welch, 71, retired from GE in 2001 after 41 years with the company.
The $7.6 million price tag is less than the $8 million he receives annually under his GE retirement plan.
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