Two missives from Island Dweller worth sharing:

Most exalted one,
It seems the IRS agents who sang so freely about methods employed to harass and stymie conservative tax-exempt organizations in their application or renewal process have declined to identify those high-ranking individuals within the IRS whom they know are responsible for the origin and forwarding of the illegal instructions the underlings received. It is perhaps hard to blame them, in that many of them will probably have to put in 15 or more years of service before they qualify for retirement; those conducting the investigation (Issa, et al) can or will eventually retire or lose an election in that time, meaning the chief protectors of those doing the right thing will be out of office and the axe of delayed retribution will fall. I don’t see why the Federal Witness Protection Program can not be invoked at this time to protect – permanently – those who would tell if they could. The other thing that needs to be instituted is a term in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, with absolute certainty, for the responsible parties within the command ranks of the IRS – and in particular if they are a GS-1811 or equivalent – that is, a bona-fide federal law enforcement agent, such as an FBI agent. The harshest possible penalties desperately need to be levied against those individuals, for obvious reasons.

To beat upon the carcass of a deceased equine – once upon a time, there was a man in the American military, and later at the Cabinet level of the U.S. government, who exemplified the qualities of service before self, high moral standards, and placing his country first in all things. I refer to George Catlett Marshall. This nation was blessed to have him as its chief military figure in WWII, and later as Secretary of State and (for a very short time) SecDef as well. Gen Eisenhower relates in an autobiography an extremely rare not-duty-related conversation he had with Gen Marshall regarding voting in a presidential election. Marshall related his belief as a military figure he did not have the moral right to vote in such an election, only a moral duty to obey the orders of the winner of that election. He was an extremely moral man – who could be safely called a “Godly” figure – who took his responsibilities very seriously indeed and whose conduct was at all times above reproach. Figures like him in government are so rare as to be priceless. I’m not saying anyone in government service today is his equal – but he did set a standard for behavior in public office it is eminently worth emulating. He showed the standards it is possible to have in a civil servant. How he must be spinning in his grave at this current mess!

ID

And

Your majesty

Just read your latest entry regarding police firearms training with interest. Not counting my time at the Star Fleet Academy, I qualified every 90 days with a handgun over 23 years – let’s see, where I went to school to learn math, that means I “officially” fired my duty weapon during 92 training sessions in that time. Automatic weapons and shotguns were fired less periodically, just to officially maintain qualification but certainly not to maintain familiarity. Add about another 30 sessions (98% shotgun) with those weapons, and that comes to 122 sessions of about 3 hours duration each, spread over 23 years. My experience showed me most of the folks in the office(s) involved groused about having to practice this survival skill as it took time away from – what else – paperwork. A couple of us in the office were interested in this facet of law enforcement (it also might help when investigating a crime, but some of my associates just couldn’t see that aspect of the training very well, either). We were subjected to ridicule, including from supervisors. I was assigned to an office near a major metro area for almost 10 years. Consequently we dealt with a fair share of drug-related offenses. As a result, because of the meager office ammo allotment for practice I “rolled my own” ammo and used it to maintain my own familiarity with weapons, just in case. My yearly average ammo expenditure during this time was about 6,000 rounds. This was funded 98% out of my own pocket. An offer to handload ammo for others in the office was largely ignored. If this guy McCarthy thinks cops get 6 months worth of non-stop training on firearms he’s been smoking the evidence.

ID

Couldn’t have put it better. Well, probably, but the point is that McCarthy cannot be that foolish; he was either asked to make a statement along those lines (and hoped his friends would understand it wasn’t his idea) or he’s nothing more than a woeful political hack whose ascendency in the Democratic party will probably end right about where he was yesterday.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.