From Barton’s office in Washington:
“Last week I indicated my interest in election to the Republican leadership and proposed that our next leader possess a strong commitment to tax cuts, a balanced budget, health care, privacy, ethics and grace in our dealings with one another.
“Republicans cannot simply be Democrats-lite. We have to be real Republicans again, driven by the power of the good ideas that we share with America’s working families. People want more freedom and less government. They want to keep more of what they earn. They want to be healthy, they want to be protected from snooping, and they want to believe that their Congress is honest. If we stand with America, America will stand with us.
“After prayerful consideration and literally hundreds of discussions with my colleagues, I have decided to seek the position of Republican leader. My guarantee is this: We will achieve a net gain of seats in each upcoming election cycle and if we do not regain the majority within three election cycles, I will not seek the position of minority leader in the succeeding session.
“Our leadership election must be the triumph of good ideas and the first step down a short road to a new, dynamic Republican majority. That is my commitment to every Republican.â€
Month: November 2006
Bono and others to appear in Cash video
A galaxy of stars are appearing in a posthumous Johnny Cash music video.
An amazing 36 industry heavyweights star in the promo to ‘God’s Gonna Cut You Down’, lifted from Cash’s final album ‘American V: A Hundred Highways.’
The black and white video features the likes of Iggy Pop, Bono, Johnny Depp, Justin Timberlake, Keith Richards and Jay-Z.
Directed by Tony Kaye, the idea for the video came from himself in collaboration with Timberlake, Rick Rubin and Mark Romanek – the man who directed the promo for ‘Hurt.’
The video received its world premier yesterday (November 9) on CMT, MTV and VH1.
Other stars that feature include Kris Kristofferson, Dixie Chicks, Patti Smith, Chris Rock and Dennis Hopper.
Gates said he could see troops withdrawn by 08
The new nominee for Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, former president of Texas A&M said last year that he could see the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq by 2008.
According to the Candadian National Post, Gates discussed just such a scenario 18 months ago during a seminar at the Panetta Institute at California State University in Monterey.
During a round-table discussion with Leon Panetta, chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton, and Sandy Berger, former national security advisor, Mr. Gates expressed his hope for a relatively rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops.
“We all hope that it will be quick,” he said. “That in a year or two, this government in Iraq will be secure enough that they will be able to invite us to leave and we can do so, leaving behind us a government that can survive and that will be very different from what preceded it.”
Nigerian wrestler attacked
From the People’s Daily Online:
Canadian Olympic wrestling champion Daniel Igali was attacked and robbed in his native Nigeria two weeks ago, Canadian press said in a report Wednesday.
Igali was confronted two weeks ago while watching television with his brother in his private residence in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, four days after arriving from Canada. Four armed men burst into the apartment, demanding valuables before striking Igali, the report cited Nigerian media as saying.
“I was stabbed at the back of my neck and beaten up with the butts of their guns,” Igali told the “Daily Sunsport” of Lagos. “They collected everything from me — phones, laptops and cash.”
“The Daily Champion”, a Lagos-based newspaper, reported the stolen property was valued at 1.5 million naira (about 122,600 U.S.dollars).
Igali, who won gold in the 69-kilogram category at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, said he was traumatized by the robbery, and isn’t sure he wants to remain in Nigeria.
“I thought I was doing a good thing, coming home and helping in community development,” said Igali, who commissioned a modern sports academy in September his home town of Enewari. “I have spent so much time and resources trying to uplift the quality of life here.
“If this is how I want to be paid then I had better stay back in Canada,” the Olympian was cited as saying.
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Cut your energy bill this winter
I just spoke with Jim Sargent, a Waxahachie home builder who’s spent years buiding and designing attractive and effecient zero energy homes.
Sargent was the first builder in the nation to receive the Master Builder designation for building energy efficient homes from the Energy & Environmental Building Association (EEBA).
He began his custom home building business in the 1970’s. During the oil embargo and ensuing energy crisis he realized the necessity for building energy effecient homes. After three years and little luck Sargent went back to building homes like everyone else.
But in 1985 he said he realized again that there was a need for building better homes.
“I was building gas and energy guzzlers that would be gas and energy guzzlers for the next 100 years.”
So he’s spent his time since building and designing energy effecient homes. He also
began the practice of monitoring the energy consumption of each home he built, a practice he continues today.
Sargent gave several key tips for cutting your energy costs down this winter (or anytime).
“The biggest problem is air leaks in the house,” Sargent said. “If air is blowing into the house it blows out the warmed air. Every cubic foot of air that blows into your house, blows out a cubic foot of treated or warmed air.”
A typical house, built 10 years ago or more probably has a turnover of air approximately 5 times an hour.
“You want to cut that down.”
You’re heating the same space five times an hour as the air cycles through your house.
“When that cold air comes in it pushes treated air out.”
If you have single pane windows you can replace them with double pane windows but often putting shades on the windows will help with the transfer of heat to the outside.
Be sure you’re using clean air filters and if its needed, tune up and clean your older furnace.
If you’re scalding yourself with your hot water, keep in mind that you’re wasting electricity to keep your water that hot all the time.
If you have a pier and beam house it may be a good idea to be sure your hot water pipes are insulated under the house.
I asked Jim what people should do who are living in rental properties (i.e. my loft) and can’t make a lot of changes to their apartment or rental unit. He said it’s more of a smart a– answer, but he said, “Wear a sweater.” You can put on extra layers easily and not run your heater as much.
“Air leakage is going to be your biggest problem,” Sargent said. “Our new homes in the Dallas area don’t heat at all and people don’t turn on the furnace. And that’s because we’ve killed all the air leaks not added more insulation.”