Today, Huntsville attorney Morris (Mo) Brooks released a statement claiming that he had signed a “No Climate Tax Pledge” which included the following language:

Mo Brooks…will oppose any legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in governmental revenue.

As an attorney and the “front-runner,” Mo Brook has failed to provide leadership by signing this pledge.

As worded, this Pledge gives Brooks an out that will allow him to vote for the essence of Cap & Trade so long as it doesn’t raise the debt celling. In other words, if Congress decides to make the oppressive regulations contained in the Cap & Trade bill law, Congress can side-step the tax increase by mandating entities like the EPA re-arrange their priorities without increased funding.

A person of experience would not rush out to sign every conservative-looking treaty in a political stunt to get free press. No, they would comb over the document they were about to sign to make sure that there were no hidden traps or unforeseen consequences to signing. By putting his name to this document, Mo Brooks has shown that he’s willing to agree to anything that sounds good on the surface without putting forth due diligence to seek out the ramifications of his agreement.

As a lawyer, Brooks ought to be doubly ashamed. It has become de rigueur for a career politician to flippantly agree to a document without reading it. But as a professional who is paid to scrupulously peruse binding documents, Brooks’ credibility has just went to zero. This was the undoing of HR 3200 last summer and it will be Brook’s undoing.

Also notice that Brooks made no statement against the environmental part of the legislation itself. He is simply concerned with how much it will cost. As worded, Brooks is only obligated to oppose the bill based on cost-not on substance–thus raising questions about his former ties to the Sierra Club. Despite his rhetoric to the contrary, based on this document, Brooks has taken a public stand with entities such as the Sierra Club and the EPA; therefore, he can no longer claim to be a conservative on this issue.

In short, the only leadership that Brooks has provided on this issue is a lite version of that of the current Administration. Overwhelmingly, since this President has taken office, his agenda has been repudiated by the American people. Mo Brooks is just “Mo” of the same.

• Runs on hot air, bull-shit, and broken promises.
• It has three wheels that speed the vehicle through tight left turns.
• It comes complete with two Teleprompters, programmed to help the occupants talk their way out of any violations.
• The transparent canopy reveals the plastic smiles still on the faces of all the happy owners.
• Comes in S and M. All the rest of you need to quit eating fast food and loose weight to fit.
• It won’t get you to work, but hey, there aren’t any jobs anyway.

Today, the President unveiled his budget. As part of his plan to cut Defense spending to pay for his social programs that don’t work, Obama killed three birds with one stone: cutting Defense spending, cutting NASA spending (one could say that is redundant, but strictly speaking NASA isn’t direct Defense) and punishing Congressman Parker Griffith for switching parties. Of course, Griffith himself can’t be taken to the woodshed, but his district sure can.

Congressional Candidate Les Philip calls the 2011 NASA Budget Cuts Un-American:

We are staring down the barrel of a very scary scenario here in the Tennessee Valley as the current administration is poised to propose ending manned space flight with the cancellation of the Constellation project. This would be a grave mistake to end both the Ares I and Ares V programs with so much of the research and testing already completed.

At a time when Washington is focused on job creation it is unfathomable to me to cut thousands of jobs in Alabama, Florida, Texas and other parts of the country. This decision would leave all of the vital research being done on the International Space Station to be supported by Russian launches. Not only is that un-American. It is unacceptable.

The Tennessee Valley deserves a representative in Washington D.C. that has worked in Research Park and understands the ins and outs of the lifeblood of the heart of the fifth district. There are over 7,000 jobs at stake at the Marshall Space Flight Center and as your Congressman, I would align myself with the other members that have a vested interest in the space program to make sure and protect NASA.

Alabama Gubernatorial Candidate Ron Sparks (D) Has Weak Response:

This is a bad decision for Alabama families. Alabama and especially North Alabama cannot take this kind of potential job loss during the worst recession in our lifetime. This could cost us thousands of high-paying jobs at a time we face the highest unemployment rate in 26 years.

The moon mission has contributed to endless technological breakthroughs and has provided countless jobs for Alabama. This move will not only cripple the Huntsville area economically, but the whole state.

I am prepared to gather this state’s Democratic leadership and Republican leadership in a unified effort to go to Washington and fight for these jobs.

Moon mission? What a joke. As a Democrat, Sparks doesn’t care about NASA or anything else in this Nation’s infinite list of achievements.

Congressman Parker Griffith’s (R-Huntsville) Statement Doesn’t Even Mention NASA

The President’s budget proposal reaches new records – it takes spending to a new record of $3.8 trillion in FY 2011, drives the deficit to a new record of $1.6 trillion, raises taxes by over $2 trillion through 2020, and in addition – doubles the debt in five years and triples it in 10,” said Griffith. “Even though the Administration’s decision for discretionary spending was a move in the right direction, the freeze is obviously not enough.

This proposal highlights how the Administration is spending, taxing and borrowing too much. The President is suggesting that by spending more money and raising taxes, it will improve our economy. However, to have real economic growth, we need to cut taxes, eliminate wasteful spending, and reduce burdensome over-regulation.

Currently, our country has the largest deficit in history – 10.6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. The solution of getting out of a hole is not by digging deeper. Especially now, when American families are being more careful with their budgets – they expect the very same from their Congress.

Parker Griffith sounds like a Democrat who has memorized Republican talking points. If Griffith was the “independent conservative” that he claims to be, perhaps this rhetoric would make sense, viewed through the lens of independent being equated to unscrupulous. Based on this statement, that must be what Griffith meant.

Oddly enough, the silent party in this foray is Congressional candidate [The Quotable] Morris Brooks, Attorney at Law. Why, even Mayor Tommy Battle had the gumption and audacity to write the President of the United States and beg that his city not be punished for Griffith’s deeds:

Mayor Tommy Battle (@TommyBattle) sends the President a letter:

Dear Mr. President,

Many would argue that putting a man on the moon was mankind’s greatest scientific achievement. What will be mankind’s next great achievement?

As mayor of Huntsville, Alabama, I feel that this is a timely and appropriate question when considering the actions taken toward the Constellation human space flight program in the proposed federal budget for the 2011 fiscal year.

As I’m sure you know, it is in Huntsville’s DNA to be part of this nation’s exploration of space. This community, along with scientist and engineers from through-out this country, have been part of the team to design, build, and fly rockets, carrying astronauts to earth orbit, the moon and I am confident one day to Mars. This team over these past fifty years has included thousands of men and women who call Huntsville home, and who have dedicated their lives to America’s space program.

Throughout the generations of our space history, the NASA-Marshall team of civil servants and contractors has understood the challenges and the commitment to excellence that began as part of Dr. Von Braun’s vision. Our fathers, our mothers, our sons, our daughters, our friends and colleagues understand the complex challenges of space travel. This is what we do. We go to work each day mindful of the inherit danger of space travel. We celebrate the accomplishments; we remember each and every tragedy. We dedicate ourselves to always, and continuously, work to make space travel as safe as we possibly can.

President John F. Kennedy challenged America’s spirit and ingenuity – daring us to reach the moon. America rose to meet this challenge, and all mankind rallied around one of the most significant moments in human history. With the cuts to the Constellation program, and in particular to the Ares I rocket, I’m concerned that our spirit as a country, our ability to rise up and meet the most daunting of challenges is in danger of not only falling behind other countries, but that we are in danger of diminishing that American spirit all-together.

Over the past five decades NASA has assembled the greatest intellectual pool of scientists and engineers ever to be brought together. If that pool of talent is allowed to disburse it would take decades to re-assemble.

NASA has left its imprint on our community, our nation…on the moon – and on all mankind.

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby very accurately summarized NASA’s work with Constellation, when he said:

“Constellation is the only path forward that maintains America’s leadership in space. The successful test launch of the Ares I rocket in October represented years of work and great advancement in our Nation’s human space flight program. To discard Ares I as the foundation of space exploration without demonstrated capability or proven superiority of an alternative vehicle, is irresponsible and not cost-effective. There is no other rocket today that is as safe, or that has successfully demonstrated it can meet the country’s needs for the exploration of space.”

While the domestic challenges facing our country are undoubtedly great, and while the world works tirelessly to meet and exceed the accomplishments of the American dream – I respectfully ask you to please, sir, not give up on the Constellation program. Doing so does not just negate the billions of dollars already invested in safe, manned space flight – canceling this program puts limits on the dreams of our country.

The challenges we are facing should not eliminate a future for our nation. These realities can instead inspire us to again meet the challenges we face head-on with a renewed sense of purpose. Neil Armstrong took one step that proved to be a giant leap for mankind. His one step forever gave proof that America’s potential is limitless.

The United States has always prided itself on being a world leader. Space exploration has always been a national effort that instills pride in most Americans. I respectfully request that you re-think your proposed 2011 budget and give NASA the tools necessary to keep the United States a leader in space, exploration and technology.

I have no doubt that America’s resolve, our ingenuity and that American spirit can still overcome the intractable. But for that to happen, our nation will look to you to challenge us – and to let it be known what that next great achievement, for all mankind, will be.

Sincerely,
Tommy Battle
Mayor
City of Huntsville, Alabama

Yesterday, I asked my followers on Facebook if they wanted to help a body pick up a copy of The Guns of August because the library doesn’t have a copy to borrow. (Say what?!?!) As no one was gracious enough to oblige (atonement can be made via my Amazon.com wishlist) I picked up a copy today at Barns & Nobel because a friend invited me out for lunch and we decided to go to the bookstore afterwards.

My interest in The Guns of August comes from a line in Thirteen Days:

JFK

Last summer I read a book. The Guns of August. I wish every man on that blockade line had read that book.

World War One. Thirteen million killed all because the militaries of both alliances believed they were so highly attuned to one another’s movements and dispositions, they could predict one another’s intentions, but all their theories were based on the last war.

The world and technology had changed, and those lessons were no longer valid,but it was all they knew, so the orders went out. Couldn’t be rescinded.

The man in the field, his family at home,they couldn’t even tell you the reasons why their lives were being destroyed.

But why couldn’t they stop it? What could they have done?

So yes, despite the growing mountain of books that I’ve yet to read I added this one because it was bugging me and I get impulsive like that. Those of you who care will be happy to know that I put Going Rogue on hold at the library. I should do the same with kylecassidy‘s Armed America so I can finally satiate my curiosity about that book.

The real purpose of this post though is to show you what was sitting on the checkout counter that I couldn’t resist picking up:

My only gripe is that they are too tall and too wide for my liking.

They came in little plastic cases. I’m wondering if they will be worth more later if I leave them in the case. It always sucks when Road Show Antiques tells the person that “if you would have kept that in the original packaging.”

For what it’s worth, it’s my plan to set up a trip to the IMAX theater at the Grand Ole Opry for the Alice in Wonderland midnight opening. Unlike how this plan with The Dark Knight fell to pieces (even though I accomplished the goal of going with someone so that they could drive back) I’m hoping that this go ’round will be more successful.

I plan to use Facebook to coordinate. If you’re interested, look me up on Facebook.

Compare this:

to this: