Scott asks Where are the small government conservatives?

The Texas Department of Public Safety responds to all criticisms with duplicitous doublespeak that boils down to, “Trust us, we’re the government, we’re only here to help.” Bottom line, DPS wants full access to personal data about all Texans, whether or not they’ve committed a crime, and they don’t want those pesky judges looking over their shoulder anymore.

The chief of the DPS drivers license division told me after this morning’s hearing she thought it was appropriate for law enforcement to have access to a biometric password to a business or personal computer, without a warrant, because “I trust law enforcement” not to abuse the authority. Really? Ever? Do you think it’s okay if police can have your computer password without a warrant, just because it’s a thumbprint or facial recognition biometric instead of letters and numbers? That will be Texas law if HB 2337 is enacted

The answer is “Right here, ready and willing…tell me what to do.”

This is what infuriates me about government. I spend a week out of town trying to make a living, a weekend catching up on freaking Canada (and trying to make a living), two days watching Big Washington Government do a job on America while working on my regular job (never mind, you don’t care), and here comes this baloney down the pike. Even someone who givs a flying eff is absolutely under siege from all the politicos trying to screw me. Yet all these “engaged” people (getting a damn paycheck for being engaged) wonder why the average schmuck like me retreats. So please, Lobbyist Boy, tell me what I can do, instead of chastising me for not freaking caring.

And just to piss everybody else off — I blame the GD idiotic local media for talking about “Black Girl” in Waxahachie. But asking a journalist to objectively cover an issue of this import is quite apparently purely unthinkable. So I have to get it from a lobbyist from the ACLU, and thank God that at least I have a place to find this shit out, so don’t take it the wrong way, Scotty boy…just tell me what I need to do.

Long day, long night, long tomorrow…welcome to middle-age, dude.

The Claremonsters: Will some elected official please defend the Constitution?

Mac Owen, quoting Aaron Tippin: “you’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.”

No Left Turns: Their principal goal all along has been simply obstructionist, not a matter of principle. Since their charges of extremism were in this case so lightly abandoned, no one ought to take them seriously again.

Reid Stott, Photodude: But at the very least, this should be a “shot across the bow” for partisans that there is a “sensible center” you ignore at your own peril, many of whom are very much turned off by the current partisan warfare.

Final word for now from Francis Poretto:

But of course, the main event still looms in our future: the need to replace between two and four Supreme Court Justices over the next three years. Anyone who thinks the Democrats will permit a Republican president and his Senate backers to select those justices without the bloodiest and most vicious struggle in the history of parliamentary politics simply hasn’t been paying attention. Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas were warm-up frames for what the Left will do at the next Supreme Court nomination.

Bottom line here is that this is not about party, it’s about American principle. We have, in essence, allowed a Star Chamber to form and to wield power, to the point of informing the President that he really needs to swing by and discuss any future nominations, if he knows what’s good for him, wink wink. Perhaps I’m seeing things that aren’t there, but that, all by itself, just really bugs the hell out of me.

From the “You Gotta Be S–itting Me” Department:

We believe that under Article II, Section 2 the word “Advice” speaks to consultation between the Senate and the President with regard to the use of the President’s power to make nominations. We encourage the Executive branch of government to consult with members of the Senate, both Democratic and Republican, prior to submitting a nomination to the Senate for consideration.

Why don’t I like compromise, Otis? Because we now have 14 Senators re-interpreting the Constitution and granting themselves powers unspeakable. Reckon that’s a good idea? Not me. That’s the job of, oddly enough in this case, judges.

Thank the Creator that this is nothing but a memo with no, zip, zero, nada, force of law. I’m fairly sure of that piece of reasoning, but who knows? Maybe McCain made himself king last night when no one was looking. Better make sure there’s no Appendix to that Memo.

I bet the YGBSM Dept. is going to get pretty busy over the next few days…