Conservativa

Ben Domenech makes the Case for Cantor in the Washington Times.

Detail from the top of the dome of the U. S. Capitol. This is the Statue of Freedom. Lots of details about the Statue of Freedom here. They include this: “Her right hand rests upon the hilt of a sheathed sword.”

The clouds in the photo look a little like smoke from a cannon, don’t they? We don’t like to dwell on it, but freedom must be defended with sword and cannon, and it will be defended by people like this and people like this and all those serving today.

Photo details: taken in June 2008. Nikon D40. This is a small crop of a much larger photo.

Don’t miss the latest podcast on Bearing Drift, in which J. R., Shaun, Jason and I discuss Virginia politics.

Hey J.R., what if we make another podcast edition, That Which Was Dished After We Turned off the Mic on the Official Podcast, and charge people for it? Bwahahah! Now that’s how to monetize a blog.

If you are a writer or anyone else in the arts, please read this Washington Post column by Andrew Klavan, “Why Are We Whispering?“

The Belmont Club is following the Georgia/Russia war. See Who’s Winning Georgia? with a good discussion of logistics, Russian supply lines, etc. and Who’s Winning Georgia Part 2.

Another great site: that of freelance journalist Michael Totten.

Right Wing Liberal and Right Side Of My Brain note that the AP is saying that the McCain campaign is asking for more info on Cantor - they are vetting him. Please, oh please, let’s have a McCain-Cantor / Obama-Kaine fight in November.

Sunday Times-Dispatch story here. Shaun Kenney weighs in.

…because ConAgra owns Orville Redenbacher, and this election year is going to be some kind a show. Let the popcorn popping begin. The latest: supposedly Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine is on the short list of Obama’s veep choices. Everyone is blogging this one. See Bearing Drift, where there’s a much better photo than this… Keep browsing at the Jeffersoniad aggregator as well. Funny comments over at Hot Air.

So when you are a Democrat and the Washington Post is trashing you, you should be wondering where you have gone wrong. Here the WaPo scratches its head over Nancy Pelosi’s refusal to let a vote on offshore drilling even take place. The piece ends by asking, “If drilling opponents really have the better of this argument, why are they so worried about letting it come to a vote?” Wonder if anyone in the Democratic party looks at things like this, looks at the abysmally low popularity ratings of Congress, and tries to make some kind of connection there….

Some eye-opening numbers on gas prices from Jim Gilmore’s website here. An excellent new short ad from McCain on energy here. Cantor calling out Democrats. The gas prices are just throwing into relief something Americans have been uneasy with for decades - too much reliance on imported oil. This will be and should be the central issue of this year’s campaign - not because we don’t like $4.00/gallon gas but because there’s something a little sick about our depending so much for our fuel on certain countries that don’t do nearly enough to discourage those who would attack us. (And that’s putting it kindly).

Democrats will tell you they have a plan. Here are some Warner suggestions. They seem to be, um, suggestions, like “Let’s encourage more efficiency.” Well, that’s nice. How about actually going to get more oil? Starting now? We should have started a long time ago but Democrats made sure we didn’t. “Because Big Oil is bad, see? Let’s close our eyes and dream about electric cars.” By all means, let’s develop and use alternative energy technologies. In the meantime, though, internal combustion engines need fossil fuels. We need better and more secure supplies. Democrats, as part of their hangover from their solipsistic 60’s mania, prefer to shut their eyes to that, because, you know, reality’s, like, hard It’s easier to dream about hope, change, holding hands, and being nice so people in other countries will be nice right back to us!!! But in the real world, that is stupid. And a lot of us don’t appreciate it.

Politics got you down? Get a shoeshine. As Mel Torme sings, “A little bit of polish will abolish what’s bothering you.” This is a shoeshine stand underneath the streets of Washington.

Photo details: Nikon D40, 32mm, ISO 800, 1/30 at f/4.5.

Still can’t be persuaded to care about the transportation “debate.” So here’s a nice picture from the U. S. Capitol, in the rotunda.

Photo details: Nikon D40, 18mm, ISO 800, 1/60 at f/6.3.

America gets ready for its birthday party. This photo was taken last week on the steps of the U. S. Capitol, looking down the Mall at the Washington monument. You can see tents going up in preparation for the huge concert and fireworks festivities celebrating Independence Day.

The concert will be televised on the 4th, 8-9:30 p.m. Eastern.

Photo details: Nikon D4o, ISO 800 (dope slap - should have put it back to 200), 55mm, 1/800 at f/14, which happens when you have the ISO set up way too high…

Ceiling detail from downstairs in the U.S. Capitol. Photo details: Nikon D40, 40mm, ISO 800, 1/20 at f/5.6.

Was in D.C. Wednesday. This is a photo of a light fixture in the basement of the Capitol. The image is heavily Photoshopped - it began life as a dark bronze color. Nikon D40, ISO 800, 1/20 at f/5.6, 55mm.

NeW, or the Network of Enlightened Women, have started a blog, and it’s looking good. NeW is an organization for conservative university women. It began as a book club at UVa and now has over a dozen chapters. Friday June 27 they are having their national conference, with keynote speaker Danielle Crittenden.

Check out the NeW blog - if they keep up the quality of writing they have started with, the blog will soon be a must-read for conservatives in general and conservative women in particular.