Arnaud de Borchgrave, R.I.P.

Arnaud de Borchgrave, son of a Belgian count,
foreign correspondent extroadianire, author
of thrilling novels of international intigue,
and diehard conservative, died on February 15
at the age of 88 following a lengthy battle
with cancer.

De Borchgrave had a long and storied career
in journalism, specializing in reporting on
the international scene. The son of Belgian
Count Baudoin Borchgrave D'Altena, who
was head of military intelligence for Belgium's
government-in-exile during World War II,
it was said of him "De Borchgrave has played
a role in world affairs known to no other
journalist. He has been able to tap the thinking
of numerous world leaders ... despite his
intimacy with major policy makers, he has
never aligned himself with either side of a
dispute ... (He) has made significant contributions
to world peace and understanding." The afore-
mentioned quote was from Osborn Elliott,
the former editor-in-chief of Newsweek,
a publication de Borchgrave had long endeavored
for. No doubt he learned a few things about
his subject matter from his father!

While with Newsweek, de Borchgrave interviewed
both Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and
Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol when they
were their nations' heads of state in the late
1960s. In 1972, he conducted his most famous
interview with North Vietnam Prime Minister
and Politburo member Pham Van Dong.

In 1985 de Borchgrave was appointed Editor-in
Chief of the Washington Times, a position he held
almost to the end of his life. He also co-wrote with
Robert Moss, an Australian historian and journalist
the smash novel The Spike, in which they showed
in their story line how the Soviet KGB was influencing
the attitudes of a largely naive Western media more
interesting in outing CIA agents in the field than in
doing same with KGB agents. de Borchgrave followed
up this novel with Monimbo', a 1989 novel envisioning
race rioters in Miami as the pawns and dupes of Cuban
and Nicaraguan communists. Writing in a Roman a Clef
style, he was able to create fictionalized versions of
real people and organizations which added a sense of
realism to his stories which served as warnings to the
West about Cold War plans and activities of the Soviet
Union and its allies. Your intrigued Peasant purchased
the Spike and having begun reading it one evening I couldn't
put it down until I had finished reading each and every
word; I finally reached the ending at five in the morning!

A riveting journalist, an exciting writer, and a man of
courage, cool and grace, Arnaud de Borchgrave will
be greatly missed by people who appreciated getting
world news straight without left-wing sugar-coating,
omissions, or spinning of facts, as well as fans of
electrifyingly thrilling books about international
mystery and intrigue. R.I.P.


MEM

Taking On the Forces of Hatred

The Left loves to accuse us on the Right of being hateful.
They claim that we engage in "hate speech", verbally or
in print tearing into the reputations of their comrades,
be they office seekers, office holders, activists, or groups
of all these, even making threats to them and their families
and friends, allegedly because we don't like their skin
colors, or their genders, or their gender preferences, or
their clothes or whatever. But in fact, if one were to
observe the skirmishes of words between the two warring
armies on our political landscape, one would see that the
barrage of hatred is coming from the lefties rather than
the righties' camp. This has been demonstrated by noted
conservatives who have made public the filth that they
have received in their inboxes, on their websites, and
their social media pages: Sean Hannity, Michelle Malkin,
Vicki McKenna (a conservative radio talker on the local
airwaves here in Milwaukee) and Laura Ingraham to
name but a few have shared some of the "love" that they
have received from the forces of kindness, pluralism,
and tolerance that is known as our friendly Left Wing.
The latest missive has been aimed and fired at my state's
governor and all-but-officially-declared Republican
presidential candidate Scott Walker by a The Dropkick
Murphys, an Irish-American rock band out of Boston
and a band that your part-Irish Peasant enjoyed listening
to --- until now.

The Walker team has been playing as introductory music
one of this band's songs when he strides to a podium to address
a gathering the opening strains of one of this band's songs,
a rather high-energy piece typical of their fare. The
Dropkick Murphy's contacted Team Walker to insist that
they cease playing any of their music in connection with
his public appearances because, and I quote, "We really
hate you!"

Well, at least one can credit the DMs with being honest
about their poisonous feelings toward my state's governor,
which is more than one can say about the many hatemongers
on the left side of the political dividein these United States.
But the fact remains that this is but another case of a left-winger
or left-wingers spewing their bile at someone who does
not share their brand of politics and instead espouses one that
they cannot stand up to and counter with reason, logic,
and facts. As one of our early American political activists
Thomas Paine stated, "To argue with a person who has re-
nounced the use of reason is like administering medicine
to the dead". And the Dropkick Murphys know but one thing:
Scott Walker is not a fellow traveler, he travels on a different
road to a different destination, and they hate him for it.
With that in mind, I have an idea ...

Your fed-up Peasant proposes that we conservatives take this
tack with the DMs and all other lefties who labor as entertainers,
writers, and like endeavors where they are in the public eye and
therefore have a handy forum to fire their crude, hateful, devoid
of reason and logic rants at us. Let's boycott them! Let's
boycott all musicians, singers, actors, directors, producers,
from Hollywood and Broadway to the street corners where
buskers perform for coins! And let's boycott authors of books
and columns in magazines and newspapers who engage in
this putrid, rancorous behavior. Boycott them, the publications
that employ them, and the publishing houses that publish
their books, and tell them why! If ever (and I'm not holding
my breath waiting for this!) these feces-tossers would
desire to engage we conservatives in a calm, sane,
rational discussion of the issues on which we are in strong
disagreement and put aside their missiles of malice, then
we can engage them and perhaps put aside our boycott of
them and their works.

I have already sworn off listening to the DM's music when it
plays on the radio, and I will never buy their CDs or anything
that bears their name and likeness, nor will I ever buy a ticket
to any concert that they are booked to appear in. I am inviting
all conservatives to join me in this effort to deny these clods
a paying audience, so as to not subsidize them in
their boorishness and thus be willing as well as
paying targets of their verbal garbage-throwing. Let us not
encourage such horrible rabble, but make it not worth their
while to spew their acidic discharge; for it is no fun to fire
at a target that is not there. And why should we in effect
subsidize the very people who have such blind hatred for us,
paying them to take such venomous shots at us? Yes, the
Constitution guarantees the right of misguided, troubled people
like the Dropkick Murphys to state their hatred for people
with whom they vehemently disagree; yet it is also our right
to turn our backs on them and their distressing antics, and not
pay them any money nor any attention. They have the right to
vent their bilious spleen, and we have the right not to be a
captive and paying audience.

Just because a punk might throw rocks at one, does not mean
that one has an obligation to stand still and simply take it.


MEM

Polly Williams, R.I.P.

An renown and unlikely champion for school choice
from your proud Peasant's hometown of Milwaukee
passed away in November of the old year. I say this
for reasons which will be manifest as I relate the
story to you, my fantastic readers.

Annette "Polly" Williams, veteran Democrat and
member of the Wisconsin Assembly for over 30
years, making her the longest-serving woman in
the state legislature, died on November 8. She was
77. Current Milwaukee Mayor Thomas Barrett,
who served with Williams in the legislature for
a time in the '80s, praised her thus:

"She was a fierce fighter and did what she believed
was right for African-American kids living in poverty
and was relentless in her fight on the education front.
She didn't care if she were fighting Republicans or
Democrats, she was going to do what she thought was
right."

In taking this tack, Williams, a staunch liberal, caused
people in her party and allies of same to scratch their
heads and ask "What gives with her? Whose side is
she on?" Williams was on the side of her constituents,
and certainly for the children encumbered by the
shadow of poverty. The teacher's union was not
pleased, nor were at least some of her party's leadership
in both chambers of the legislature, but Williams was
undeterred. Some accused her of selling out to
conservatives; Williams denied the allegations, stating
that she just wanted to give poor children an opportunity
to get a quality education that would help lift them
out of poverty and into good careers and better lives,
bucking the selfish interests of those who profited (and,
sadly, still profit) from the children being bogged down
in an unresponsive, intransigent public school system,
also giving poor parents some measure of say in their
children's education.

Annette Williams may have had her political preferences,
but she knew that her loyalties and her service were to be
for her constituents, even when it meant going against her
party and its powerful allies; she was a true public servant
and was recognized and honored for same by members of
both political parties in the legislature and throughout the
state. I deeply regret that I never had the opportunity to
meet Williams and express my admiration for her, so this
tribute here on this blog will have to suffice.

God rest you, Annette "Polly" Williams. R.I.P.


MEM

How Government is Really Run (Especially Obama's Health Care Scam)

The recent reports of Darrell Issa's House
Oversight and Government Reform Committee
confirmed what many of us conservatives have
long thought of President Obama's so-called
Affordable Health Care Act; it is, indeed,
simply a subsidy program throwing money
--- our tax money --- at health care.

Have a gander at these figures:

Seven million (so far) get health coverage
from Obama's program, with 149 million(!)
getting same from the veritable tax gift from
the huge handout for employer-provided health
insurance.

Most of this money (totaling approximately
$1.3 trillion this year) is given out regardless
of need. This will drive up prices along with
encouraging production of services of rather
questionable value. The spending will not
necessarily help to better the nation's health.

Next, there is Halbig v. Burwell, the latest
challenge to Obama's sick joke of a health care
plan. The main point of contention is whether
Congress had authorized the subsidies that
the regime has been forking over to users of
the federally run health care exchanges (not
the state run exchanges, mind you, but the
ones run by Uncle Sam).

Meanwhile, back at the White House, the
president is badly hobbled by an ever-worsening
world situation while he concentrated intently
on his Affordable (HA!) Health Care Act. The
Con Man-in-Chief is weakened further by U.S.
Companies fleeing the country and an increasingly
business-unfriendly tax system, again because
Obama cares only for imposing his godawful
health care plan on the country.

Halbig, which is awaiting its day before the appeals
system, is not going to be so important to health
care reform, as far as closing the gap between its
costs and whatever benefits it may yield so as to
save the U.S. from bankruptcy. In fact, the peak
time to establish single-payer health care in our
country has passed, and it doesn't look like it is likely
to return. And our main focus as a nation, at this point
in time, is figuring out how to defend ourselves from
the growing threat of radical Islamic terrorism at
home while also militarily defeating it on its home turf
in the Middle East and Afghanistan. We cannot afford
to do this and set up a national health care system
a' la Canada at the same time. In this year's interim
election, we should elect new senators who will force
the White House to change direction in regards to these
choices, and follow up in 2016 by electing a president
who will work with the Senate to keep us on this new
course.


MEM

Christopher "Kit" Carson, R.I.P.

No, this tribute is not to the famous mountain man,
trapper, army scout, and explorer of the Old West,
but rather the man who was one of national radio
legend Rush Limbaugh's original team members,
with him since he launched his show 27 years ago
and became Rush's right-hand man over the years.
Christopher "Kit" Carson, Limbaugh's Chief
of Staff, as Rush liked to refer to him, died
on the morning of January 26 after a four-year
battle with brain cancer. He was 56.

Carson, a Milwaukee native and a graduate of
Whitefish Bay High School, joined Rush and his
show at its outset in 1988. He did anything that needed
doing in those early days of Rush's nationally broad-
cast talk show, demonstrating his mettle and his dependa-
bility. Over time he rose to be Rush's executive officer
of sorts and confidant, screening people who wanted to
do business with Rush, such as having their products/
services' commercials aired on his show or getting Rush
to do some PR for their organizations. Never heard on
the air but heard of, and often, through constant mention by
Rush, Carson loved his work and relished working for
Rush, being a most loyal and devoted member of his team.
Rush began his show on the day of Carson's passing with
mentioning his sad departure, at one point pressing the
"cough button", which is used in case of the host failing
to suppress a cough, this time for Rush blowing his nose
and choking back tears. Rush gave the first 45 minutes
of his show to Carson as a fond tribute, and your humble
Peasant is giving this entry as a tribute as well to an
indispensable aide and a friend to a friend of conservatives
across our great country; he had helped make Rush
Limbaugh's show the great radio forum for conservatives
that it is. Christopher Carson will be sorely missed.
R.I.P.


MEM

The IRS Digs In Its Heels Further

Several months after President Obama placed
John Koskinen into the position of IRS
Commissioner, allegedly to investigate the
agency's political targeting scandal. All he
has done since his appointment, however,
has been to pick up where now former IRS
official Lois Lerner left off, being recalcitrant,
obstreperous, obnoxious, and arrogant in
his refusal to cooperate with the congressional
investigation into the IRS' bullying of groups
and individual citizens daring to hold a
different political point of view than that of
the regime.

Earlier this month Koskinen put in an appearance
in Congress in which he dodged questions from
House investigators, threw verbal darts back at
them, and defended the illegal actions of the
least trusted and most feared governmental agency
in the United States. The former Fannie Mae
executive has not only placed himself in the
crosshairs of Capitol Hill Republicans, but has
drawn the ire of some Democrats there as well.
He refuses to even acknowledge that the agency
which he heads did anything wrong, let alone illegal.
He even denied that the IRS was targeting conser-
vative organizations such as various Tea Party groups!
The lying and the arrogance fueling it steals one's
breath! Under his leadership, this motley outfit
ignored congressional demands for documents and
witnesses, all the while claiming that the IRS
"lost" Lois Lerner's e-mail (Remember that dodge?
That one ranks up there with the child's excuse
for not having his completed homework assignment
for his teacher: "My dog ate it"!). He further stated
in testimony that there were no backup tapes for
the e-mails, but it was discovered that there are
at least 760 server drives that may contain copies
of same. And Koskinen nearly hit the ceiling when
congressional investigators asked why Lerner's
BlackBerry was wiped after(!) the investigation
was initiated. Would that Koskinen had shown
such indignation at Lois Lerner and the other IRS
employees who so disregarded and disrespected
the law and the rights of the people that they targeted!

It seems very likely that President Obama had chosen
John Koskinen to take charge at the IRS because he
would stonewall uncomfortable questions in a
congressional hearing. Remember, this is an admini-
stration which does not consider dissent to be patriotic;
better that dissent be shown to Republican admini-
strations, not to almighty, pedestal-occupying
Democrat ones! Don't you peasants DARE doubt or
question the great and all-knowing Democrats if
you know what's good for you is their attitude.
Why, that would be like a lowly mortal in ancient
Greece questioning the wisdom of the gods on Mount
Olympus! In the meantime, what has transpired here
so far is looking more and more like a cover-up by
Team Obama. The Justice Department announced that
it would conduct its own investigation, but then named
Barbara Bosserman, an Obama donor, to be its head.
Clever, but it gets better: Justice announced to Congress
that its Public Integrity Unit (no, really, the Justice Depart-
ment really does HAHAHAHA! have HEEHEEHEE! such
a HOHO! unit HAW!) would also be active in the investiga-
tion. The appointed head of that team, Jack Smith, worked
with Lerner in 2010 to look at possibly building cases
against 501(c)(4) nonprofits, conservative ones of course!
Smith's subordinate, Richard Pilger, worked with her to
obtain a huge database on those very organizations.
Nothing to see here, Justice inferred; move along now.

Given all this, it is as clear as Waterford crystal that
the regime is trying to stymie the progress of the IRS
probe conducted by Congress through 2016, when Obama
and Company will pack its bags and, so they hope,
hand over the keys to the White House to another Democrat.
These horrible people make President Nixon and his crew
look like choir boys in comparison. Watergate was disgrace-
ful, but for the IRS to serve as the hatchet men and women
for Obama and his cabal, going after anyone who doesn't
share their hope to change America into a putrid socialist
pit dwarfs having a few "plumbers" break into the opposition
party's campaign headquarters and erasing 18 1/2 minutes
of chatter about related matters from a White House tape.
Your concerned Peasant hopes that we can change the
course of our nation's government, and with it that of our
nation, in 2016.


MEM

Philip Crane, R.I.P.

My apologies for not having posted anything
in the first week of 2015; due to the extreme
cold weather that has gripped Milwaukee (as
well as much of the country), I did not venture
out to my local library to post, or to do anything
else. I still have on my acquisition list a computer
so I won't have to head out to post on this blog,
take care of my e-mail or anything else online.
It's tough to attempt to go out in dangerously
cold winter weather, which is what much of the
country has been saddled with just after the start
of the new year, and that is why I have been
unable to get together with you, my great and
wonderful readers. So, without further delay,
here is my first posting of 2015.

It's a sad posting, however; your mournful Peasant
is reporting the passing of one of the heroes of the
New Right from the 1980s, longtime U.S. Repre-
sentative Philip Crane from Illinois, leaving this
world on November 8 of the old year. He was
84 years of age.

Rep. Crane served in the House of Representatives
from 1969 until 2005. Crane succeeded Donald
Rumsfeld in a special election to fill the seat when
Rumsfeld accepted a position in the Nixon Adminis-
tration.

A staunch conservative, Crane challenged Ronald
Reagan for the Republican presidential nomination
in 1980, attempting to run to the former California
governor Reagan's right in order to brand himself as
the best conservative presidential hope for the GOP
to defeat incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter.
Although he fell far short in his effort, Crane would
go on to be a dependable ally and friend of President
Reagan while Reagan served two terms in the White
House, assisting with guiding conservative legislation
through the Democrat-controlled House.

While in congress, Crane also founded the Republican
Study committee, a respected caucus still active today
in the House of representatives, was instrumental in
establishing the Heritage Foundation and served as
Chairman of the American Conservative Union.

Prior to serving in Congress, Crane was a professor
of History at Bradley University and was headmaster
of Chicago's Westminster Academy, as well as the
author of the book "The Democrat's Dilemma".
He established himself a a champion of reduced taxes,
and free trade, and advocated many other conservative
causes in his political career. He was able to work with,
get along with, and even be friends with staunch liberals
in the House, including archliberal Rep. Charlie Rangel
of New York.

Crane was also a man of great humor; he was famous on
Capitol Hill for his impressions of President Reagan, even
going so far as to speak to people on the phone in this
persona, his colleagues joyfully recall.

Another talent he had was, believe it or not, songwriting.
Crane wrote the song "Little Sandy Sleighfoot" a Christmas
season song recorded by Jimmy Dean in the late 1950s.

For years despairing of the Republicans ever being able to
win control of the House from the Democrats, the latter
having held that chamber since 1955, Crane was ecstatic
when the GOP won the elusive prize in the 1994 mid-term
elections. Crane was at last able to not just advocate for his
ideas, but to add them to the new majority's agenda and
get many of them into bills that would pass in both chambers,
as the GOP also took the Senate. Ten years later, Crane would
finally lose the House seat he held for over thirty years to
a Democrat, Melissa Bean.

Crane is survived by seven children, many more grandchildren,
his sister Judy and brothers David and Daniel. The latter brother
also served in Congress, representing an Indiana district. And
he is remembered fondly by those who worked with and for him,
and by many grateful constituents, as well as by his fellow
advocates of limited government and maximized liberty.
A job well done, and a life well lived. Rest in Peace.


MEM