Tomfoolery of the Highest Order

You knew it would happen someday. A job that Kofi Annan and the U.N. are truly qualified for, in order to bring intenational legitimacy to the solving of a dispute with vital international ramifications.

UN called in to solve dispute ... over dustbins

EDINBURGH (AFP) - If the United Nations (news - web sites) did not have enough on its plate already mediating in Iraq and the Middle East, a new dispute has emerged to tax its dispute-solving powers -- over the size of Edinburgh's dustbins.

The latest call for UN intervention follows angry confrontations between residents and council workers in the Scottish capital following the installation of large, wheeled bins in some of the city's most historic streets, a report said on Friday.

Locals are angry at the size of the new six foot (1.8 metre) bins, saying they are inappropriate in a part of the city which has been designated a UN World Heritage Site, the Edinburgh Evening News said.

Now residents have been told that UN cultural organisation UNESCO, which monitors such heritage areas, is to step in and inspect the dustbins over the coming summer.

This should only take 7 or 8 U.N. resolutions to solve, unless somehow they can blame Israel. Then, they'd have the problem solved by Monday.

"They are obviously taking it very seriously -- I wish the council would," association secretary Susie Lynn told the newspaper.

"We have been telling them for months the bins are a threat to the World Heritage Site and perhaps this will make the council wake up."

The U.N. doesn't take nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons seriously, nor genocide, mass murder, or mass torture. What makes any of them think they'll take this dispute seriously?

...that homelessness causes mental retardation? I didn't. At least until I attended a function on Monday night at the law school that I am going to attend starting in August. (I won't say which yet. If they read this blog, they might revoke my acceptance.) During that function, there was a small seminar where some second-year students discussed a case about mental retardation and the death penalty. I got to hear some of the most laughable liberal nonsense. It was quite hilarious, to say the least. They are just going to love me.

However, I did go to a bar on two other nights to meet up with some of my future classmates. I had a great time and met some really terrific people, so despite the liberal laugh lines I heard at the seminar, I am quite anxious and excited to get rolling.

...I don't seem to remember reading stories about Arabs being outraged at the hundreds of thousands murdered and placed in mass graves, the rape rooms, torture chambers, or shredders. But, show some "poor" Iraqi having his feelings hurt by an American, and they are outraged!!

Iraq Prisoner Images Anger Arabs, Bush

CAIRO, Egypt - Arab outrage flashed across the Middle East on Friday as TV stations showed graphic images of naked Iraqi prisoners being humiliated by smiling U.S. military police. President Bush condemned the mistreatment, saying he shared "a deep disgust that those prisoners were treated the way they were treated."

Ayed al-Manna, columnist for the Kuwaiti Al-Watan daily, said the "barbaric" treatment of Iraqi soldiers will rally anti-U.S. sentiment among Islamic fundamentalists and Arab nationalists.

In Syria, Damascus merchant Sahban Alawi, 45, asked "what's the difference between them and Saddam Hussein? They are doing to Iraq more than what he did."

Yawn...Wake me up when they are not angry about something. Plus, just look at the dope that the AP quotes. He says that "[We] are doing to Iraq more than Saddam did." He means that we are worse than Saddam, but his statement is technically correct. Read this to see why.

I though the Democrats were more united than ever? After all, that's what they keep telling me:

Newsview: Dems Fear Kerry Looks Like Gore

WASHINGTON - It's a recurring nightmare for Democratic strategist Tony Coelho — the party's presidential candidate portrayed as a flip-flopping opportunist, ill-served by a strife-torn staff. It happened in 2000, when Coelho ran Al Gore (news - web sites)'s campaign. Now, it's happening to John Kerry (news - web sites).

Democratic leaders fear he's getting "Gored."

"What the Kerry people don't understand is, it's succeeding," Coelho said.

Scores of Kerry supporters like the former California congressman say their initial response is to remain hopeful, based on polls showing the presumptive nominee tied with President Bush (news - web sites) while the Democratic Party is better funded and more united than in 2000. But they are worried about history repeating itself.

"No question, it's a rerun of 2000," said Donna Brazile, campaign manager for the former vice president's 2000 race.

So much for that "united" jazz. This is my favorite part:

"They're painting Kerry as a liberal, and it's succeeding. They're painting him as somebody who flip flops, and they're succeeding," Coelho said, adding that the race is far from over because Kerry has time to show voters his own biography and character. The campaign plans to unveil new biographical ads as early as next week.

New biographical ads? How pathetic is that? I almost feel sorry for them, thinking that Kerry's problems are because people don't know him. In reality, it is exactly like a recent ad Bush had out there, "The problem isn't that people know him, it's that people do." C'mon, what is he going to put in this biographical ad? Something like this maybe:

"Here's John Kerry. He served in Vietnam. He backstabbed his fellow soldiers for selfish political gain when he returned home. He married a rich woman. an for Congress twice and lost. Was Dukakis' Lt. Governor. Ran for Senate and won. Has voted against every defense program that came before him, and for every tax increase and liberal program he saw, while introducing zero legislation of significance. Divorced rich woman. Married even richer woman, a widow of one of his fellow Senators. Flip-flopped throughout. Vote for Kerry."

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Wasn't it a few months ago that we heard over and over again about these 16 words in Bush's 2003 State of the Union address?

The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.

We heard over and over again, especially from Joe Wilson, who allegedly investigated it, but in realty did not do much more than drink tea with the natives. Now, we get this from Mr. Wilson:

Book Names Iraqi in Alleged '99 Bid to Buy Uranium

It was Saddam Hussein's information minister, Mohammed Saeed Sahhaf, often referred to in the Western press as "Baghdad Bob," who approached an official of the African nation of Niger in 1999 to discuss trade -- an overture the official saw as a possible effort to buy uranium.

That's according to a new book Joseph C. Wilson IV, a former ambassador who was sent to Niger by the CIA in 2002 to investigate reports that Iraq had been trying to buy enriched "yellowcake" uranium. Wilson wrote that he did not learn the identity of the Iraqi official until this January, when he talked again with his Niger source.

Left wing lies, exposed again. It is pathetic how the Washington Pst tries to minimize this revelation:

That knowledge has not altered Wilson's much-expressed view that the Bush administration distorted intelligence on Iraq's weapons capabilities to help make the case for going to war.

Nice wording. Covering for Wilson while being literally truthful. Yeah, that f'n liberal media.

Read this post from my favorite Aussie blogger. I would love to sit and have a beer with that guy.

I am glad to see that is some decency left in the world:

Sinclair Stations to Boycott 'Nightline' Tribute

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A major television chain, the Sinclair Broadcast Group, will bar its ABC-affiliated stations from airing a planned "Nightline" tribute to fallen U.S. troops in Iraq, saying the program is a political statement disguised as news.

ABC News plans to devote Friday's entire "Nightline" segment to the tribute, with anchor Ted Koppel reading aloud the names of hundreds of fallen American servicemen and women as their photographs are shown.

The network's intentions drew a denunciation from Sinclair, a Baltimore-based owner of 62 television stations in 39 markets reaching roughly 24 percent of U.S. television households.

Sinclair said the "Nightline" segment "appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq."

That is exactly what it is, and more. It is right at the beginning of "sweeps" period. Don't you believe for a second that sweeps wasn't the reason for this, even more so than a political statement. How long before we hear that Bush is behind this?

More news from the "non-partisan" 9/11 Commission:

WALK OUT: 9/11 COMMISSIONERS BOB KERREY AND LEE HAMILTON LEAVE IN MIDDLE OF BUSH/CHENEY TESTIMONY

And, get why:

In a written statement, Kerrey said he left an hour early to attend a previously scheduled meeting with Senator Pete Domenici on Capitol Hill.

Hamilton left Bush/Cheney 70 minutes early to meet with the Canadian Prime Minister.

Kerrey continues his VP audition, and Hamilton thinks that he is a wise-ass, acting as if the Canadian Prime Minister is more important than our President. If anyone has an ounce of faith in that rag-tag bunch of jackasses, I'd love to hear why.

...there are many, many levels of not only liberal bias, but liberal comedy too.

Kerry Says Bush Ignoring Imminent Threats

PHILADELPHIA - Amid warnings that another devastating terrorist attack on the United States could be imminent, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Thursday accused President Bush of leaving the nation's chemical plants vulnerable because of his political ties to the industry.

That's right, Bush is leaving them vulnerable because he is in bed with them!! Think about that logic for a minute. Isn't that the exact opposite of how you are supposed to take care of your cronies? Then again, to Kerry, it is perfect logic.

Kerry painted a bleak picture of the danger facing Americans and suggested there could be an attack before the November election. He said every report out of Washington shows that it's not a matter of whether there will be another terrorist attack, but when.

While I am not saying he is hoping for one, we all know that Kerry believes that a terror attack here will turn us all to Spainiards and we will run to vote for him. Between now and the election, you can bet that Kerry will warn about every possible type of attack just so he can say he warned us.

...at the dope Rene Gonzalez, who wrote that sickening column about Pat Tillman:

Photo moved to preserve Cynthia's sanity, so go here to read North Georgia Dogma, who has discovered even more about this prick and you can see his ugly face there.

No wonder he hates Tillman. He's jealous of him. I'm quite sure that Gonzalez doesn't have too many girls distracting him from his writing. Ugly bastard. Then again, I may bet on him to win the Kentucky Derby this weekend.

Canada, that alleged free country, is getting worse by the day. If you are a white, heterosexual Christian, keep your mouth shut and whatever you do, don't say anything bad about gays or anything good about the United States. Don't get a satellite dish so you can watch non-government apporved TV, or you'll be arrested. But, if you are a Muslim who hates the West, you are not only welcome, the government will support you, and bend over backwards to conform to you. Get this shit:

Canadians Allow Islamic Courts To Decide Disputes

TORONTO -- Suad Almad, her head wrapped in a blue silk scarf, was discussing her beliefs with a group of friends. She said fervently that she thought the lives of all Muslims should be governed by Islamic law, known as sharia.

"It's something nobody can change and we must follow," said Almad, who came to Canada from Somalia, then engulfed by war, more than 12 years ago. "We come to Canada and we become lost . . . We need our own court and we need our own law," she said, her voice strong and certain. "That's what I believe."

What??!! If she is not happy with the lack of sharia, then she should move back to that paradise Somolia!!

I can just see it now: The United States, bordered to the south a third-world country, and to the north, a de facto Islamic country, because all of the Christians will have come here. Thank God it will take just long enough for me to be dead and buried.

Via Allah Pundit: (By the way, please do not issue a fatwa, oh great Allah. I am not stealing your precious bandwidth.)

A reader was kind enough to e-mail this artice for a college paper called the Daily Collegian. My friends, this is what they are teaching in college these days:

Pat Tillman is not a hero: He got what was coming to him

Let me share with you a little of this dope's (U Mass Grad student Rene Gonzalez) brilliance:

You know he was a real Rambo, who wanted to be in the "real" thick of things. I could tell he was that type of macho guy, from his scowling, beefy face on the CNN pictures. Well, he got his wish. Even Rambo got shot in the third movie, but in real life, you die as a result of being shot. They should call Pat Tillman's army life "Rambo 4: Rambo Attempts to Strike Back at His Former Rambo 3 Taliban Friends, and Gets Killed."

Wow!! He probably had his dorm mates rolling over with that one.

However, in my neighborhood in Puerto Rico, Tillman would have been called a "pendejo," an idiot.

Pendejo? How quaint. In South Philly, we have several words for this writer: Jerkoff. Douchebag. Strapper. Prick.

Tillman, in the absurd belief that he was defending or serving his all-powerful country from a seventh-rate, Third World nation devastated by the previous conflicts it had endured, decided to give up a comfortable life to place himself in a combat situation that cost him his life. This was not "Ramon or Tyrone," who joined the military out of financial necessity, or to have a chance at education. This was a "G.I. Joe" guy who got what was coming to him. That was not heroism, it was prophetic idiocy.

Look at that, Charles Rangel would be proud. "Ramon and Tyrone" are signing up, meaning that poor blacks and Hispanics are "forced" to join up to escape poverty. Ok, whatever you say genius. Perhaps a few weeks on Parris Island would shape up this prick.

Matters are a little clearer for those living outside the American borders. Tillman got himself killed in a country other than his own without having been forced to go over to that country to kill its people. After all, whether we like them or not, the Taliban is more Afghani than we are. Their resistance is more legitimate than our invasion, regardless of the fact that our social values are probably more enlightened than theirs.

That last sentence is a real howler. Our social values are probably better than theirs? I guess the stoning, "honor" killing, female gential mutilation, subjugation of women, wanton murder, and mayhem is only slightly worse than things over here, huh?

I hope this scumbag feels real good about himself today. I actually feel sorry for him, with his blame-America first attitude. Funny how he is proud of his Puerto Rican heritage, yet chooses to live here on the mainland. I wonder why that is? OK, I already know: Because Puerto Rico is a shit hole. I have been there, and I saw it first hand. Perhaps if Gonzalez is so socially concerned, he should go home and start there.

Do me a favor, either call or e-mail this scumbag and let him know what kind of jackoff he is:

rene@student.umass.edu (413) 253-9639

[Update: It seems that Senor Gonzalez has been getting swamped with e-mails. Death threats, though, are way out of line. People should have just told him how much of an asshole he is, that's all. Here's the form e-mail i got from that dirtbag scum:

Unfortunately, I cannot respond to the various emails and phone calls I've
received. It has been very disconcerting to receive death threats and so much
hatred. I hope this email clarifies my views better. Please take this as an
honest attempt from someone trying to right a wrong misunderstanding.

Clearing up the misconceptions in the Pat Tillman Article

I wrote an article entitled "Patrick Tillman is not a hero", in which I tried
to contradict the American society viewpoint that Pat Tillman was a hero for his
service in Afghanistan. I disagree with the conflicts that he took place in,
but that's not why I did not think he was a hero. I thought (and still think)
that there is an unhealthy tendency in the American public to knee-jerk into
hero worship, but instead of persuading people to look at this issue, I just
inflamed the hero worship and the situation. Re-reading my words, I did come to
the conclusion that my words were inflammatory and tainted the meaning of my
article. I do admit I was partly sarcastic on an issue that seems to be dear to
a lot of people. I did not write my words with sufficient "political
correctness" to make them palatable. For the insensitivity, I apologize.

I mean no disrespect to the family of Patrick Tillman, and I would be very
distraught to learn they were hurt by my comments. That was not my intent. My
intent was to open up a debate on whether or not serving in the U.S. military is
a de facto reason for considering someone a hero. I've been quite bothered by
the continued calling of U.S. soldiers as "heroes", especially in conflicts that
I find nothing to be proud of.

Regardless of that, I stated clearly that if Pat Tillman had been defending the
East coast of the United States from invasion, I would have thought his service
to be heroic and laudable. I think the same of soldiers who fought in conflicts
like World War II. However, I'm not proud of dishonorable American
interventions throughout history (Vietnam, Bay of Pigs, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua,
Haiti, Grenada, Panama, The Phillippines, Iraq 2004), and I adamantly refuse to
consider soldiers in those wars, heroes. Every American intervention and every
American soldier's action is not automatically heroic, and that was my point.
Each case must be examined critically, and I don't feel the American public is
undertaking any critical examination of the legitimacy of the conflicts in
Afghanistan and Iraq, nor the legitimacy of the actions of the troops there.

I did learn one lesson, though: there is freedom of speech in this country, but
not much toleration for its expression. Freedom of speech exists only for those
that parrot the "party line". For those that even peep a dissent, only scorn is
awaiting them.

I hope this letter clears up the misconceptions that have arisen. My criticism
was not for Patrick Tillman (who may have been the most honorable man alive) or
his family, or even soldiers serving the United States today. It is to the
society back home, which seems to be unable to distinguish between honorable
American interventions and honorable American soldiers, and soldiers who served
in dishonorable interventions and, therefore, dishonored themselves. And, for
the reasons outlined above, I cannot support troops that have dishonored
themselves by serving in a dishonorable war, and much less consider them heroes.

Rene L. Gonzalez Berrios, M.A.
Political Science / University of Massachusetts
rene@student.umass.edu

F Him.

It seems that the liberal Democrat media tools are devising new ways to hurt President Bush, since support for the President has increased despite the events of the last 6 weeks or so. First let's look at what CBS is doing tonight:

Abuse Of Iraqi Prisoners Probed

(CBS) A few weeks ago, the U.S. Army announced that 17 soldiers in Iraq had been removed from duty, and six of them were facing court martial for mistreating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, the infamous prison where Saddam Hussein and his henchmen tortured and executed Iraqis for decades.

60 Minutes II has obtained photographs of what was happening in Abu Ghraib. The photos show American soldiers mistreating Iraqi prisoners.

In his Wednesday morning briefing, Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said the photographs may be shown in Dan Rather's report on 60 Minutes II, Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

How long will it be before those so-called human rights groups, the same ones who had nothing to say about Saddam, nor have anything to say now about Castro and Kim Jong-Il, seize on this to act like what our soldiers did is somehow morally equivalent to rape rooms, torture chambers, and shredders? I am appalled when a few of our soldiers embarrass the rest with idiotic actions like these. But, in no way are those dopes representative of the fine men and women we have protecting us and helipng Iraq. Still, you know Dan Rather will do his best to make you think that this this the norm. And, we have this, another poll. Funny, they seem to miss showing these polls when they favor Bush. First, let me pull out my favorite cartoon, which tells you all you need to know about polls:



Now, on to the poll:

Poll: Growing Doubts On Iraq

(CBS) One year after the declared end of major combat in Iraq, Americans have new doubts about the war and doubts about what the Bush Administration has said about it.

Just 32 percent, the lowest number ever, say Iraq was a threat that required immediate military action a year ago.

Less than half, 47 percent, now say the U.S. did the right thing taking military action in Iraq, the lowest support recorded in CBS News/New York Times Polls since the war began.

There are growing concerns about the long-term impact of the war. 41 percent now think the war increased the threat of terrorism against the U.S. 71 percent say the Administration’s policies have worsened the U.S.’s image in the Arab world.

Read the last two. First, 41% of people think that going to war has increased the threat of terrorism? They are all dopes. To think that, you must think these the terrorists were peaceful souls until we riled them up. Second, worsened our image in the Arab world? Who gives a shit? That could only mean that before the war, they really hated us. Now, they really, really hate us. What a crock!

And, as expected, here comes the Iraq=Vietnam angle:

The continued intensity of the fighting in Iraq surprised many Americans, and Americans believe it also surprised the Bush Administration. 44 percent say the fighting there has been harder than they personally expected, but 67 percent say it has been harder than the Administration expected. Nearly half say the war in Iraq was a mistake -- a finding similar to the public’s assessment of the Vietnam War as measured by the Gallup Poll in 1968.

Yeah, OK. Anything to make the Democrats feel better. I say to CBS and the New York Times, keep this up!! Give your people false hope and comfort. When November comes, it'll be like 2002 deja vu all over again, when you wonder how Democrats got their asses handed to them again.

I wouldn't spend the 50 cents to buy a copy, but often in airports I find an abondoned copy of USA Today and pick it up. This morning, while boarding the $29 Albuquerque to Phoenix flight, I picked up today's edition, and here is a sample of the liberal tomfoolery I found (I could not find an online copy of the front-page photo of an Iraqi carriying an alleged "injured" child):

Kerry defends Vietnam record Says medals issue is campaign 'distraction'

There they go, carrying Kerry's water, instead of saying, "Kerry contradicts himself (again) on throwing away his medals. The article is full of laughs, but this is my favorite:

The actions of Bush and Cheney during the Vietnam era are also under scrutiny. Bush has faced questions about whether he fulfilled his Guard service. After a furor, the White House in February released pay records, but they were inconclusive.

Democrats responding to Cheney's speech noted that he tried as Defense secretary to trim Cold War-era weapons systems and received deferments that kept him out of Vietnam.

Notice they mention the reason for Bush being under scrutinized, but fail to mention why Cheney is? Because liberals have said that Cheney and his wife HAD A BABY in order for him to avoid serving. Even the USA Today is too ashamed to write that. However, from the liberal playbook, they still put the accusation out there without the laughable reason.

'Nasty' resistance spawns fierce fighting in Fallujah 2 soldiers killed in Baghdad blast

Yeah, OK, whatever you say. Read the opening:

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Insurgents and Marines clashed in ferocious firefights here Monday, jeopardizing a fragile cease-fire and raising concerns that the continuing defiance will embolden Iraqi resistance against occupying U.S. forces.

That's right. According to this logic, Iraqi insurgents are on the same moral plane as our troops and they will hate us more (if that's possible) unless we sit there and do nothing. Embolden them? Uh, no. More like accelerate their demise.

Marines battled the guerrillas around a mosque in Fallujah's Jolan district, a poor neighborhood where insurgents are concentrated. Black smoke hung over the city. Tank fire demolished a mosque minaret from which Marines said gunmen had been firing.

They must use the same stylebook as the AP and the New York Times. Gotta mention that it is a poor neighborhood, and use the term "Marines said" because, after all, who are you going to believe? Those wonderfully honest rebels or the lying Marines?

And the headline of the day:

Libya's rehabilitation in the works since early '90s U.S. lifts sanctions as Gadhafi agrees to abandon WMD

Gee, how often do you see a headline that long? In this case, can it really be denied that the reason for this headline is to make sure no one thinks that it was Bush's taking out Saddam had anything to do with Libya giving up their WMD stocks? Of course it can't.

Get this:

The White House has defined Libya's decision in December to give up weapons of mass destruction as one of its biggest foreign-policy achievements and a byproduct of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Speaking at a fundraising event in Coral Gables, Fla., on Friday, after lifting most trade restrictions on Libya, President Bush said, ''Because we acted, Libya got the message, and it now voluntarily decided to disarm.''

No bias there, huh? The White House said it, so it may or may not be true. that's the message of this alleged straight news story. They continue:

But the story of Gadhafi's long road to rehabilitation is more complex.

No look who supports the writer's view:

- Mohammed Bukhres, a Libyan-American with close ties to Gadhafi's sons

Uh, never mind. Read it for yourself and laugh at the revised history and the massaging of Clinton's legacy. And, finally, there's this:

Special interests corrupt what is and isn't news

That is exactly right, starting with this very newsrag.

In the spring of 1990, Philip Morris circulated a top-secret proposal suggesting that the nation's biggest cigarette manufacturer acquire a news company such as Knight Ridder in order to ''improve the climate for the marketing and use of tobacco products.''

Luckily, Big Tobacco never acquired Big Media, and the nation was saved from the prospect of newspapers run by the Marlboro Man. Since then, the threat of special interests' owning news outlets hasn't gone away. In fact, it has come closer to reality.

First, I love the euphemisms "Big Tobacco" and "Big Media." (They forgot "Big Oil") If it says "Big" in front of it, you are supposed to understand right away that they are the bad guys. Second, interests groups already run media outlets, that is the reality. Top newspapers and networks are the de facto P.R. arms for every left-wing interest group out there, not to mention for John Kerry and the Democratic Party. Just look at how newspapers today have made Kerry's medal issue about Bush's National Guard service. Just try and deny that.

Earlier this month, at its annual meeting in Pittsburgh, the National Rifle Association (NRA) launched NRANews.com, a private news company that offers a daily Internet talk show and plans to acquire TV and radio stations.

NRA President Wayne LaPierre was candid about the goal: to give the NRA's media arm the same legal recognition as a mainstream news organization, so that it can push pro-gun views and candidates without the pesky constraints of the campaign-finance law's ban on certain donations.

Not to mention the blatant anti-gun bias throughout the media. Funny, but they never seem to have the same cynicism when it comes to MoveOn.org and their ilk.

USA Today is a joke, plain and simple.

...this would have been the result:

Just a few years ago, this guy was out of the league and was selling insurance. Now, despite the fact that he hasn't won jack, Tommy Maddox's feelings are hurt:

Maddox meets with Steelers after team drafts QB

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- An angered Tommy Maddox met Tuesday with Steelers coach Bill Cowher to discuss the team's use of a first-round draft pick on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Maddox, Pittsburgh's starting quarterback for the past two seasons, left the Steelers' training complex without talking to reporters and there was no word on what they discussed.

Maddox initially planned to talk to Cowher on Monday, but told his agent he was too upset to meet then. He also wanted to talk to Steelers chairman Dan Rooney or president Art Rooney II about his contract situation, but it is believed Tuesday's meeting was only with Cowher.

Awww, poor baby. The Steelers should just release his ass. He would not be a starter for anyone else in the league, because he's a stiff. Perhaps if he played better, this would not have happened to him.

So we are clear upfront, just in case the CIA reads this, your boss George Tenet is a worthless, incompetent dope who should have been fired on September 12, 2001.

Blog-Tracking May Gain Ground Among U.S. Intelligence Officials

People in black trench coats might soon be chasing blogs.

Uh-oh!! What a scary thought!! They are coming for us!! (And ridiculous opening sentence, considering the rest of the article)

Some blogs are whimsical and deal with "soft" subjects. Others, though, are cutting edge in delivering information and opinion.

As a result, some analysts say U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials might be starting to track blogs for important bits of information. This interest is a sign of how far Web media such as blogs have come in reshaping the data-collection habits of intelligence professionals and others, even with the knowledge that the accuracy of what's reported in some blogs is questionable.

Tell them to start with Little Green Footballs. They could learn something, and see the true nature of the Palestinians. Then tell them to read Power Line for some seriously smart analysis.

Let's not kid anyone. The real object of this article is to get pro-Bush bloggers to rip him and the administration, since most of us have a lot of libertarian leanings. If we didn't want everyone possible to read our opinions, we wouldn't blog. I'll be more than happy to give the CIA something to think about.

How could they be considered anything less than that after 15,000 french people died there last year in a heatwave?

France braces for new crisis as temperatures rise

PARIS, April 27 (Reuters) - President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday urged French authorities to brace for another heatwave, as a leading doctor said hospitals were ill-prepared to cope with a repeat of last summer's searing heat.

With temperatures hitting 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of France on Tuesday, Chirac -- whose conservative government was heavily criticised for its handling of last year's crisis -- warned regional officials to be ready.

"As summer draws near, I call for your extreme vigilance in mobilising our systems of surveillance, alert and treatment so that a tragedy like last year's heatwave is never repeated," Chirac said.

The 2003 heatwave killed 15,000 people, most of them elderly and suffering dehydration, as temperatures passed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). France's death toll far exceeded those of neighbouring countries with similar weather.

What a bunch of wimps!! I live here in Tempe, Arizona, and it is 97 degrees now, and it is not even May yet. It will be 115 or so before you know it, and no one will die here from it. That socialized health care system really works well, doesn't it?

I have been a little upset, as have some other people, that Bush did not order an immediate attack on Fallujah over the weekend when he discussed it. However, deep down I knew he was making sure they had every opportunity to give up, to make sure he can say, "we did everything we could to avoid it." Of course, those dope holdouts in Iraq don't see our decency for what it is, they see it as weakness. I wonder how weak they think we are right now:

U.S. Aircraft Hammer Fallujah After Dark

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Multiple explosions shook Fallujah after dark Tuesday, and large plumes of smoke billowed into the sky as fighting erupted for the second straight night. An American AC-130 gunship hammered targets in the city.

As you would expect in an Associated Press report, the bias is quick to appear.

Blasts and gunfire went on steadily for more than half an hour in sustained fighting, apparently in the northern Jolan district, a poor neighborhood where Sunni insurgents are concentrated.

Yep, as usual, Bush is hurting the poor.

Flames could be seen rising from building, and mosque loudspeakers in other parts of the city called for firefighters to mobilize.

Yeah, OK. The mosques were calling for firefighters. Sure. And I got a date with Heidi Klum tonight.

I love this part:

The fighting erupted as a two-day extension to a cease-fire ended. Earlier in the day, U.S. aircraft dropped leaflets in the city of 200,000 people, calling on insurgents to surrender.

"Surrender, you are surrounded," the leaflets said. "If you are a terrorist, beware, because your last day was yesterday. In order to spare your life end your actions and surrender to coalition forces now. We are coming to arrest you."

Perfect. No more f'n around.

[Editor note: This post is from my cousin Jamie, a United States soldier stationed in Iraq for one year. (3 months down, 9 to go) He blogs here when time allows]

10. McDonald's - I really don't eat a lot of fast food. I lie. I do. But I love the new chicken nuggets. They are very tasty. Plus, being in Iraq reminds you of how great life in America is when the worst thing that happens in your day is some pimple faced sixteen year old screwing up the fact you wanted honey mustard and not barbeque sauce.

9. SportsCenter - Granted, I can glean most of my sports information from the internet now. And the information I get from the internet is about teams that SportsCenter neglects. Namely, any Philadelphia team. But still, there's nothing like catching the top ten 4 times before I go to school.

8. NHL Playoffs - When I finish this post, I will probably regret only giving this a number 8 status, but as I am doing this post from the the top of my head, so it goes. There's no sport like hockey and no sport's playoff compares to hockey's. See Brian's post for an explanation that gives true justice to my beloved sport.

7. My Sunday Night Hockey League - Now, I am no good at hockey. I haven't scored a goal, I have a few assists, but I was getting much better. And I was pretty sure this season I may have scored a goal or two. But that's not the point. The point was hanging out in the parking lot and drinking beer with good people who shared a common interest. Hockey fans are rare in the south. Smart hockey fans in the south are even more rare.

6. Guiness - Granted, I am better off without it. I've lost 20 lbs. since I've been here. A combination of running, lifting weights, a diet and no beer have contributed greatly to the weight loss. But, there's something about a Guiness that sooths the soul after a long day of work. Not like my job is strenuous, but it makes for a good excuse to have a Guiness.

5. My job - Before I left, I got a great internship with Dominion Power (the power company in VA) and I was making a good amount of money. I would have done it for free. (I hope that my boss doesn't read this) Brian keeps telling me that I will be better off in the job market because of this experience. But I was so determined to get my foot in the door and now I am back to fixing goddamned Vietnam-era trucks in the military.

To be continued... I want to call my wife.

While they are trying to revive the twice-debunked nonsense about Bush's National Guard service, they are ignoring the fertile U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal, as well as this:

SUDAN ORDERS SYRIAN WMD OUT OF COUNTRY

LONDON [MENL] -- Sudan has ordered the removal of Syrian missiles and weapons of mass destruction out of the African country.

Arab diplomatic and Sudanese government sources said the regime of Sudanese President Omar Bashir has ordered that Syria remove its Scud C and Scud D medium-range ballistic missiles as well as components for chemical weapons stored in warehouses in Khartoum. The sources said the Sudanese demand was issued after the Defense Ministry and Interior Ministry confirmed a report published earlier this month that Syria has been secretly flying Scud-class missiles and WMD components to Khartoum.

Syrian WMD's? Well, golly-gee, I wonder where Syria got those from?

The latest from The Associated Press, which is once again carrying the water for Jean Francois Kerry:

Kerry Demands Bush Prove Guard Service

Uh, been there done that. I cannot wait for the debates. If Kerry runs this at Bush, he will get smacked back like he will not believe. If Kerry wants proof that Bush served, tell him to read his hometown paper.

Let's just say for a minute that Kerry gets some traction ripping Bush's guard service. If that happens, he'll wish he never did, because all Guard members will feel slapped int he face. Perhaps Mr. Nuance will learn the definition of Phyrric victory.

Last month, I said this about Howard Stern and his incessant complaining about being a victim of the Bush administration:

Stern is brilliant. He knows that blaming Bush will get him huge sympathethic play in the media, which brings more attention to his show, which helps his ratings. I was in the radio business a long time, and that is the game, and he is the best. You don't have a top-rated show for nearly 20 years without knowing how to keep yourself relevant.

Well, I was (not surprisingly) right on the money:

Howard Stern's Radio Ratings Up Amid FCC Flap

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Federal regulators may have painted a big bull's eye on Howard Stern's back, but the recent government crackdown on indecency over the airwaves has proven a boon to the shock jock's ratings.

The ribald radio host scored major gains in listenership during the winter quarter ended March 31 in the three biggest U.S. markets -- New York, Los Angeles and Chicago -- according to figures made public on Monday by the Arbitron radio ratings service.

In Stern's home market of New York, where his show is broadcast on WXRK-FM, he topped all morning drive-time competition with a 7.2 share in total audience, up 22 percent from the fall quarter and 18 percent from last winter, Arbitron said.

Stern is perhaps the most brilliant self-promoter to ever take to the airwaves. Whether you like his show or not (and I always have), you must admit he is an all-timer.

Yesterday, a lot of people with too much time and not enough to worry about marched in D.C. to promote (not support or defend, no matter what they say) abortion. Take a look at these pictures to see the types of clowns who showed up for that nonsense. (Especially the medical students for choice. Gotta make sure he has some future customers) I think this comment from Maxine Waters nicely sums up the stupidity of these people:

“I have to march because my mother could not have an abortion.”

Think about that for a moment. Astonishingly dumb. Take a look at why I am anti-abortion:



(There you go Cynthia, an updated photo of Emily that was taken 4 days ago)

If legalized abortion is the most important thing in your life, I feel sorry for you. Just ask your liberal friends to solve this paradox: Why are you so anti-death penalty when it comes to some scumbag who murdered one or several people, yet think nothing of killing an unborn baby in the name of convenience? If thinking abortion is a sin and a crime against nature makes me a right-wing sexist wacko, then, by God, that is exactly what I am.

John Kerry looked like a jackass on Good Morning America, trying to weave his way out of a blantant lie concerning the medals that he threw away. Yet, what is the Associated Press headline?

Kerry Criticizes Bush on Military Record

Hilarious. Tell Kerry to keep up the National Guard meme. It is a real loser. Just smell this bias. First this part:

Bush adviser Karen Hughes turned to what Kerry did after returning from the war. Hughes said Sunday she was offended by Kerry's anti-war activities in 1971 and accused him of not actually throwing back his medals when he and other veterans protested in Washington.

"He only pretended to throw his," Hughes said in a CNN interview. "Now, I can understand if, out of conscience, you take a principled stand, and you would decide that you were so opposed to this that you would actually throw your medals. But to pretend to do so — I think that's very revealing."

And Kerry's PR team's, uh, I mean, the AP's writers next sentence:

Kerry has never said he pretended to throw away his medals. For years, he has said that he threw his ribbons over a fence at the Capitol, not his three Purple Hearts, Bronze Star and Silver Star. He also has said that after the protest he threw the medals of two other veterans.

Talk about a distinction without a difference. The writer acts as if Kerry was accusing of pretending to throw his medals, a la a pump fake in football. We all know what he has been accused of for some time now.

Kerry got caught red-handed in a bold-faced lie. He and his liberal media cronies can spin it all they want. And, he can run to Bush's military record. Bottom line, which Kerry fails to understand, is that people are judging him on not only his Vietnam service, but his post-war record too. And, people are judging Bush on his National Guard record and his record since. And, Kerry is getting creamed in that battle. And, we all know it.

(Hat tip to Calliope for the GMA transcript link)

Ask yourself this question: Throughout history, what has been the traditional punishment for looting? Being shot on sight, right? Well, Oliver Willis, a liberal blogger who I like a ton actually, is upset over some Frontline clip of our soldiers using a tank to crush a looter's car. (Go visit Oliver and watch the video, then come back)

Notice how the clips ends: The son story of how he was a "taxi driver" and how his living was ruined. Oh please. He was damn lucky he wasn't shot.

Which reminds me. Remember when, at the start of the war, liberals were having the vapors over all the art being looted (which, as usual, we found out later was crap), and they were upset that we "did nothing to stop it?" Well, here, just like they wanted, our guys are deterring looting. What would they have our soldiers do, ask them to "kindly not loot?"

[Update: Read the comments there too. I think Oliver was suggesting that I am a racist for not taking the wood thief at his word.]

When I read this headline in the Washington Post, I thought it was some "Woe is me, my job has been outsourced because of that evil corporate crony George Bush" diatribe:

Why Did Bush Take My Job?

Upon reading it, I quickly realized I was wrong. It was almost nothing of the sort. Get this:

JERUSALEM -- President Bush apparently has taken my job.

Until the Bush-Sharon press conference on April 14, I was the chief negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization, the only internationally recognized entity that has a mandate to negotiate a permanent peace with Israel. But then Bush appeared on television, standing at the White House next to a beaming Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel, and announced that he had accepted Israel's claim to illegally occupied Palestinian land. He further determined that Palestinian refugees would never be allowed to return to their homes in Israel and would instead have to be resettled in a Palestinian state, vast tracts of which he had just given away.

In so doing, Bush reneged on the 1991 U.S. Letter of Assurances provided to the Palestinians by his father's administration; the letter said that "no party should take unilateral actions that seek to predetermine issues" and that "the United States has opposed and will continue to oppose settlement activity in the territories occupied in 1967." Bush, as the self-appointed Palestinian negotiator, finally exposed the "Middle East peace process" for the charade that it has become -- a mechanism by which Israel and the United States impose a solution on the Palestinians.

That's right. Bush has "wrongfully" asserted himself, and, instead of deferring to those jokers at the PLO, he has finally stopped acting as if the Palestinians really want peace. How dare he not side with the Arafat cronies? Let me cut to the end:

The primary beneficiaries of these developments are extremist groups throughout the Middle East. The leaders of such groups could not have invented a better method of recruitment than the Bush-Sharon press conference. The reality is that as a result of the positions taken by the Bush administration, we are farther away from a permanent peace than we have ever been, and many innocent people on both sides will die in the coming months and years as a result.

My role as chief Palestinian negotiator may have been taken from me, but I retain my role as a Palestinian father. I am determined to teach my children that violence is not the answer. President Bush has not made my job any easier.

Straight from the left-wing playbook. Bush and Sharon are causing more violence by not bowing to the PLO, and the leadership of the PLO is powerless to stop it. Oh, and the "children" card too. One small thing to think about: If the chief negotiator is powerless to stop the violence now, why should anyone think that he will regain the power to control the Palestinians later?

Why did Bush take your job? Because your job is a farce, and you do not want peace. You could have had it at Oslo and Camp David, but did not take it. Arafat does not want peace. Bush isn't deluding himself like Clinton and Albright did.

...when you have the New York Times? Read this regular column, The Ethicist, and the letter they printed:

My partner and I have discussed marriage -- one of us wants to marry; the other has issues with the institution, specifically the fight over homosexual marriage (we are heterosexual). We believe that gays and lesbians should have the same rights as heterosexuals. Why should we be privileged with the rights and protections of marriage when others are being denied?

Is it ethical for us to walk down the aisle? C.K. and D.C., New York

If I hadn't met so many silly liberal dopes in my life, I would think that this ethicist made this letter up. (OK, part of me still does think that) Even if this letter is legitimate, isn't there an editor around who says, "we can't print this joke of a letter?" Look at the response:

I share your opinion of the marriage laws but not your conclusion that you must defer your wedding until utopia arrives.

Of course he shares that opinion. He would not be working at the Times if he didn't. And, is allowing gays to marry utopia? C'mon. If that were really utopia, it would already be legal. The laughter continues:

Many who sincerely denounce the inequities of our society inevitably profit from them. If you're a man who works at a job where the lack of flex time or on-site day care disadvantages women who do the bulk of child care, you benefit from sexism.

Huh? Every company that does not have flex time or on-site day care is sexist? Did it ever cross his mind that flex-time is not an option in a lot of businesses, especially ones that are customer-oriented? As for on-site day care, this might shock the New York Times, but many companies cannot afford to do something like this, and if they were forced to, a lot of jobs would be lost. And, then there is this howler:

If you're a middle-class white person who attended a decent high school and then applied to college, you had a huge advantage over a poor kid or an African-American from an inferior high school.

When was this? 1966? Is surely is not that way today. Anyone who says that this is true either is lying through their teeth or a pure fool.

It is impossible to lead an immaculate life in an imperfect world. The task is not merely to insulate yourself from being a beneficiary of injustice -- even if that were possible -- but to combat injustice.

How about that? By marrying, one is benefitting from an injustice. I don't even know where to begin.

Let's review the week in the New York Times: It is "controversial" to call Alger Hiss a spy, despite that minor fact of his conviction and the indisputable facts, an erroneous front-page story that said Bush was told "Lower Manhattan" was a target in the August 6th PDB, identified a Republican, Pete Coors, "accidentally" as a KKK member, and ran photos of the Shuttle astronauts' caskets and said they were Iraq war casualties. Gee, other than that, it was a perfect week. And, while all of this embarrassing journalism is taking place in the alleged "newspaper of record," what is the Public Editor writing about? Some nonsensical diatribe about some of the history of the paper, and distancing the paper from the "paper of record" description. (Or at least I think he was. If I worte something like that in English 301, I would have flunked)

Every year, I sit in front of the TV for 10 hours or so and watch the NFL Draft. Only in America can this tomfoolery take place, where there will be millions upon millions like me who are sitting on their lazy ass, worried about what team is going to take a guy you never heard of before. Face it, NFL is king. (I have no idea why baseball doesn't do this too.)

- Paul Tagliabue opened with a nice tribute to Pat Tillman. A moment of silence, then a half a minute of U-S-A! U-S-A! Excellent.

- What the hell is wrong with Eli Manning? Who doesn't want to live in San Diego? Watching his father Archie talk on TV reminded me of Carl Lindros. Eli disappointed me, and I think tainted himself a little bit here. Perhaps this is just a negotiating tactic to get a record signing bonus.

- Larry Fitzgerald is my favorite player in this draft. The Cardinals will not pass him up at #3. No way, no how.

- Michael Irvin is annoying as hell.

My friends, today we have learned just how shallow the liberal blogs are, and their true mindset.

Indymedia Portland has called Tillman a dumb jock.

Oliver Willis posted the story without comment. (Frankly, all of the liberals, I expected somethng from Oliver. Maybe he is no different after all, and my perception of him was wrong)

Kos could not come up with anything other than this nonsense. I cannot believe they found a way to bash Bush in all of this.

Atrios had nothing much to say either. (This comment in the thread was one of a pure dope: I think this was mostly an AZ story when Tillman quit the Cardinals a couple of years ago. Perhaps this dope needs to read something other than Atrios.

Get this brilliance from Pandagon:

One of the voices in my head just asked if Tim Graham realizes the tragic and headline-grabbing death of Pat Tillman is the exception that proves the rule that mostly lower-class people are dying for our country. The other voice remarked that having just read him argue the complete opposite, no, he probably doesn't.

Yes, my friends. This is liberal thought: incoherent and silly. Read it again. Tillman proves that is only the lower-class dying in war. I just cannot decipher that logic. Must be some brilliant nuance.

Matthew Yglesias says nothing.

Ditto for Joshua Micha Marshall.

The comment threads on some of the blogs are a disgrace. They call Tillman a murderer, no hero, you name it.

Basically, the liberal reaction has been this: Tillman died. So what? Bush sucks. (if they say anything at all.) Take a look at the conservative blogs, and you will find a huge difference in reaction. I cannot believe I am surprised over this. The next time a liberal tells you that he/she/it supports the troops, tell them to go fuck themselves.

Lee from Right Thinking would like this idea too:

Travelers Save Items by Mailing Them Home

WASHINGTON - Travelers who realize they're carrying a treasured pocketknife or grandma's scissors after arriving at the airport may now have a more convenient way to save the items.

Newsstands in several airports are now carrying special envelopes — including postage — designed to allow people to mail their scissors, pocket knife, multi-tool or other item to themselves.

Called MailBack, the envelopes are sold at several Hudson News stands and the manufacturer is planning to expand sales through several news chains in airports.

This idea is a winner. When the market speaks, it is always heard.

First get this laughable headline:

For Japanese Hostages, Release Only Adds to Stress

I don't even have to comment. Just take a second to think about that.

And more importantly. Did you see those pictures the New York Times ran the other day, of the flag-draped caskets side by side, which were identified as our soldiers killed in Iraq. Well, whoops.

How can anyone possibly think that John Kerry will have the guts to stand up for America in the world, no matter the criticism, when he does not even have the courage to say that he owns an SUV? He is so afraid of those environmental groups, he says the Chevy Suburban belongs to the family, not to him.

Kerry Says His 'Family' Owns SUV, Not He

Contrast Kerry's gutlessness with Gov. Schwarzenegger, who proudly boasts about his several Hummers. No one cares. But Kerry, so afraid of offending some leftist wackos, he gets caught in a blantant lie, and tries to "nuance" his way out of it.

Do you think he would defend America if the French or Kofi Annan complained? You already know the answer.

A man's man. That is the highest compliment I could pay to Pat Tillman, who we lost in Afghanistan yesterday. Here in Arizona, where Tillman was from, there is a ton of sadness. I feel awful, because Tillman was a fellow Arizona State alum, and I was proud of his sacrifice for all of us. Take a look at what this man did:

- Tillman played four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before enlisting in the Army in May 2002. The safety turned down a three-year, $3.6 million deal from Arizona.

- The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Tillman was distinguished by his intelligence and appetite for rugged play. As an undersized linebacker at Arizona State, he was the Pac-10's defensive player of the year in 1997.

- Tillman carried a 3.84 grade point average through college and graduated with high honors in 3 1/2 academic years with a degree in marketing.

A man's man. Because we have people like Pat Tillman, and the rest of the world doesn't, I am convinced we will never lose a war unless the politicians have no desire to win it.

We are all in debt to the Tillman family for his sacrifice. Really, just think about what he gave up to protect us. A life of luxury and ultimately, his life itself.

Litigation as a military tactic.

A great point I never considered.

I just read this and cannot believe that CBS is sinking even lower than I ever thought possible:

(CBS) 48 Hours Investigates has obtained a copy of the confidential French investigation on the fatal accident that killed Princess Diana.

The report, used by French authorities to conclude that the crash was an accident, contains thousands of pages of confidential documents, including the forensic analysis of the driver, Henri Paul, analysis of the car and never-before-seen images of the princess at the scene.

What purpose does showing pictures of her dead or dying? I cannot believe that CBS would desecrate this fine woman's memory for a few ratings points. (Then again, I really could imagine it) I wonder if that senile old bastard Andy Rooney will be outraged at CBS' capitalizing on Princess Diana's death? Yeah, right after he criticizes John Kerry for being a hypocrite.

Frankly, I don't give one damn about those royal teabags. I don't care if Wills goes to play polo or his brother Charlie (or whatever his name is) takes a leak on Stonehenge. Prince Charles ranks right up there with Michael Moore and Al Gore as the biggest waste of press attention. However, I always did like Diana. It always seemed to me that she was in a life that she wanted no part of, but had no choice. She was the only redeeming member of the world's highest-paid welfare collectors. I am beyind upset that they are doing this to her memory.

A few bonus items about Princess Diana:

- She married that horse face on my 10th Birthday, July 29, 1981.

- I was in the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut when the word got out that Diana was killed. I remember that no one (in the world's largets casino!) was gambling, all were crowded around every TV in the bar area. The managers must have not liked that, because CNN was changed. You should have heard the place, it was going nuts!! They put it back on less than a minute later.

- The one year anniversary of her death, I happened to be in London. Outside Kensington Palace, there was the longest and highest piles of flowers that I have ever seen in my life. I actually wasted a few pounds on some flowers and added this note with it: "Rest in Peace M'Lady. May my image of you never change."

Nowhere to be found, since it isn't the evil White Christians doing anything:

Mich. City OKs Islamic Calls to Prayer

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. - The City Council gave preliminary approval Tuesday night to a mosque's plans to send out a call to prayer to Muslims on a loudspeaker.

The Bangladeshi al-Islah mosque wants to air the Arabic call to prayer via loudspeakers five times a day, but agreed Tuesday not to air the calls before 6 a.m. or after 10 p.m.

The council indicated it would give the plan final approval next week.

Some Muslims say the call is the equivalent of church bells. Opponents argued that church bells have no religious significance and that allowing the Arabic call, which lasts less than two minutes, unfairly elevates Islam above other religions.

The next time the ACLU complains about something that Muslims are doing, it will be the first time.

Not because of her beauty, but because of writing like this:

After the Yee case came to light last fall, I wrote that the military's dangerous deference to radical Islam was a menace to our national security. The outcome of the Yee case does not change my position on this. (And by the way, to those readers who have demanded that I apologize to Captain Yee, I'll send him a condolence card when you apologize for your "Free Mike Hawash" campaign on behalf of the Portland software engineer who pleaded guilty to aiding terrorists and confessed that he and other associates were "prepared to take up arms, and die as martyrs if necessary, to defend the Taliban.")

Let's see: A few days ago, The Washington Post allowed Jamie Gorelick of the 9/11 Commission, who should be a witness instead of a member of that commission, to run an op-ed in order to try to spin herself cleaner than Caesar's wife. Now, their editorial board has continued their quest to remove the taint from her by, you guessed it, blaming the favorite boogeyman of the left, John Ashcroft, titled:

Mr. Ashcroft's Smear

(Hey, it is the right title. Only the WRONG CONTEXT, since it is the WaPo smearing Ashcroft)

IN HIS TESTIMONY last week before the Sept. 11 commission, Attorney General John D. Ashcroft loosed a remarkable attack on Jamie S. Gorelick, a commission member who served as deputy attorney general during part of the Clinton administration. The "single greatest structural cause for the September 11th problem," Ashcroft said, "was the wall that segregated or separated criminal investigators and intelligence agents," and the "basic architecture for the wall . . . was contained in a classified memorandum" from 1995 -- which Mr. Ashcroft had conveniently declassified for the hearing. "Full disclosure," he said, "compels me to inform you that the author of this memorandum is a member of the commission" -- that is, Ms. Gorelick. Mr. Ashcroft's allegations, which triggered criticism and demands for her resignation from prominent Republicans, are grossly unfair.

Nice try.

Tonight, thanks to the wonderful network that is C-SPAN2, I listened to the oral arguments that took place today at the Supreme Court in the cases Rasul v. Bush, and al-Odah v. United States, which concerned the powers of the Bush administration in respect to the detainees in Guanatanamo Bay. First, if you wonder who the press thinks is in the right, this misleading headline from the Associated Press has the answer:

Court Hears Test of How Detainees Handled

Granted, there is a reasonable case to be made for this headline, but I have read enough AP headlines to know that their intention here is to make the average person think that the detainees are being mistreated.

And, Linda Outhouse, er, Greenhouse of the New York Times obviously didn't hear the same arguments I did with her lead:

WASHINGTON, April 20 — The Supreme Court appeared distinctly unreceptive Tuesday to the Bush administration's argument that the federal courthouse doors must remain closed to the foreign detainees at the Guantánamo Bay naval base in Cuba.

She should have said, "The judges I love and always agree with, especially that ACLU tool Ruth Ginsburg, were not receptive to the Government's arguments..."

Peter Jennings, on World News Tonight, was the textbook example of media bias when he opened his newscast with this story, showing us the protestors reading the Constitution, waxing about Korematsu, etc. Pathetic journalism, to say the least. (By the way, I would love to stand outside the Court and protest, but they only operate on weekends. Where do these people get the time?)

The argument today was about both prisoner's rights and governmental powers (depending on how you look at it). Most of the argument consisted of a case from 1950, Johnson v. Eisentrager, 339 U.S. 763, which held that:

- A nonresident enemy alien has no access to our courts in wartime

- [N]onresident enemy aliens, captured and imprisoned abroad, have no right to a writ of habeas corpus in a court of the United States

- The Constitution does not confer a right of personal security or an immunity from military trial and punishment upon an alien enemy engaged in the hostile service of a government at war with the United States.

Seems open and shut, doesn't it, that the Bush administration will prevail? Well, not exactly. From listening to the argument, it is obvious that Scalia and Rehnquist (and Thomas, who rarely speaks but is quite predictable anyway) will rule in favor of the government, and that Breyer (who pissed me off when he brought up British law, as he should be interpreting the Constitution, not the Magna Carta, English admirality law, the common law, or court decisions from Zimbabwe), Stevens, Ginsburg, and Souter (shockingly!!) will rule in favor of the detainees, which once again brings us back to the usual wildcards Kennedy and O'Connor. Kennedy seemed to favor the detainees, but that is not always indicative which way he will go. I'd bet that he will side with the government. Once again, that leaves O'Connor in the catbird seat, who like Kennedy, is not always predictable from her actions at oral argument.

My prediction: O'Connor and Kennedy will ultimately side with the Bush administration on Guantanamo, BUT, in the cases that will be argued next week, concerning a detained American citizen, (Hamdi v. Rumsfeld) will side with the citizen, a kind of "split the baby" approach similar to the one they took in the U of Michigan cases.

As a bonus prediction, I expect that one of these justices will find a way, in dicta, to repudiate Korematsu v. United States, the case where the Court affirmed executive authority in detaining Japanese citizend suring WWII. Korematsu filed a brief in this case, siding with the detainees. There is simply no parallel. (I wrote about this 2 months ago) Since Korematsu has never been explicity overruled, I can't help but think that one of these sages will position themselves to receive the lavish praise of the liberal intelligensia.

Since I am still a few years away from graduating law school, I can afford to be flip and look at it like this: These "poor" detainees in Cuba could have been killed on the battlefield, instead of being arrested. They are lucky to be alive. No matter what those worthless "human rights" groups are whining about, we all know they are being treated humanely and with respect. Frankly, I am not one bit concerned with their "rights." We are at war, and every prisoner in Guanatanamo is one less threat to our fine soldiers. Besides, being off the battlefield ensures they will stay alive too. They don't deserve one second of access to our courts.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has endorsed Pat Toomey over Arlen Specter. Brilliant money quote:

"From matters constitutional to those fiscal, Specter is a twisting, porking, Scottish law-invoking wild-card sophist whom Republicans serious about reforming government can no longer afford or trust. Specter as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee? Horrors!"

I will never forgive Specter for shafting Robert Bork in 1987. Never. Not even President Bush's support for him would make me vote for him if I were still back home in Philly.

An interesting list is coming out, naming the worst song ever.

'We Built This City' ranks as the worst record ever

We Built This City is the single worst single ever constructed, according to Blender's ranking of reeking tunes.

The magazine's list of "The 50 Worst Songs Ever," which hits newsstands Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles and April 27 nationwide, distills the lamest popular rock-era records into one sonic landfill.

Granted, this is hard to argue with. The song does seriously suck. If it were my list, my top 5 worst would be, with #1 being the worst: (I was a club, wedding, and radio DJ from the time I was 16 until I was 30, so I know them all)

5 - The End of The World - R.E.M.
4 - In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
3 - All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow
2 - Hands Up - Ottawan
1 - Paradise By The Dashboard Light - Meatloaf

You got some to add? Use the comments. This could be a real laugh for all of us.

NEW YORK -- Ending months of speculation, Tom Brokaw has finally selected his own personal D-Day, informing NBC News that he will step down as anchor of "Nightly News" on Dec. 1.

Brokaw is a dope. The last time I watched him was when he interviewed President Bush. Now, if only Jennings and Rather would follow him out he door.

Lee at Right Thinking has a great post on this. So does Mark Kilmer. Take a look. I'd like to add this: (My fisking in bold)

MR. RUSSERT: If you were elected one year from now, will there be 100,000 American troops in Iraq?

SEN. KERRY: It depends on what the situation is you find on the ground on January 20th of 2005. I will tell you this, Tim. I will immediately reach out to other nations in a very different way from this administration. Within weeks of being inaugurated, I will return to the U.N. and I will literally, formally rejoin the community of nations and turn over a proud new chapter in America's relationship with the world, which will do a number of things. (Meaning he will bow to the United Nations and let them ruin everything like they always do. This way, Kerry can do what he does best: Shift blame elsewhere.) Number one, change how we're approaching North Korea. (Bribe them like Clinton did, while they become even more dangerous.) Number two, change how we're dealing with AIDS globally. (How is that? Spend even more money than Bush has? This is pandering to gays) Number three, change how we're doing with proliferation with Russia and other countries. (Now who is stuck in the Cold War? Is he saying that he is once agin going to bind us to a treaty with Russia that isn't worth the paper it is printed on, and that Russia never upheld anyway?) Number four, change our approach to global warming and the effort of 160 nations. (That sounds like Kyoto. Kerry voted for a Senate resolution that declared that the Senate would never ratify Kyoto. Kerry is pandering to environmentalists and lying through his teeth. Shameless nonsense.) And that will take some of the poison out of the well that this administration has put there. (Sure, as long as we let those weak, insignificant countries like France and Germany dictate our policy, they'll love us.)

Hey Democrats, this is the best you could do? No way Kerry beats Bush in November.

I only work Wednesday through Friday (sometimes I add a Saturday or a Tuesday), so I have a lot of time on my hands. (I do work 13 hour days those 3 days though, doing 2 jobs). The downside of this schedule is that I do not see Emily for a few days, since the job is in Phoenix and we live in Albuquerque. Thanks to Southwest Airlines' $29 fares, it is well worth the travel. The upside is that I spend 4 full days in a row with her. Right now, with Stephanie and the baby are in bed, and no hockey game on, I am reduced to flipping channels. Let's see what is on:

- The Hollywood Squares - What a dumb show, full of second-rate "stars." I haven't seen this many second-raters in one place since the Democratic Unity Dinner. We get to hear the "comedy" of Gilbert Gottfried, Martin Mull (what has he ever done besides the Doritos commercials?) and the guy who was Jim Carrey's buddy in The Mask. No wonder this crap is on at midnight.

- Pyramid - I never thought I would ever miss Dick Clarke. This show is now hosted by Donny Osmond!! I haven't seen him do anything since my mother took me to see him in the movie Goin' Coconuts back in 1978 or so.

- The Pelican Brief - Look at that. A Supreme Court Justice going to a porn movie incognito. Thanks to the miracle of the VCR and the internet, no man has to suffer the indignity of going to a public theatre to see a skin flick.

- Brother Gerard and his "Anointed Prayer Handkerchiefs" - I am going to dial 1-888-530-9444? Uh, no. The sound quality reminds me of that goofy dude who is on every TV in the movie "They Live." Praise the Lord and pass the remote.

- Look at this: It looks like a young Martin Sheen on some low rent black and white show on the Sci-Fi Channel called Outer Limits. The character just dies, so I am not exactly sure it was him. What do you know, it is him:

playing "Pvt. Arthur Dix" in episode: "Nightmare" (episode # 1.10) 2 December 1963

I think it is safe to say that his career vastly improved since this debacle.

- There's that windbag Keyfraud Johnson of the Dallas Cowboys, talking shit to Michael Irvin on ESPN. Really, who cares? I think I'll just "change the damn channel."

- Donald Trump on CNN talking to that old geezer with the suspenders. Aren't Trump's casinos a billion in debt?

- There's Ron Jeremy's infomercial again. I used to work at a club a few years back in Philly, and one of the other DJs took some time off to go out to Vegas for a porn convention. He told me about how there was an autograph session/meet and greet with the porn stars. He said for a lot of the women, even the hot ones, there was no line. But, for Ron Jeremy, the lines was like 2 blocks long. Amazing. Only in America.

- Roger Ebert must have the week off. Either that or he just didn't want to see Kill Bill 2. Neither do I.

- Harry and the Henderson is on AMC? Since when is this crap a classic?

No wonder I read at least one book a week. TV really sucks.

"Was there a Presidential conspiracy to go to war with Iraq?"

That was how the CNN Headline News reader started a report about Bob Woodward's new book. I just love the accusatory tone. Bob Woodward, still trying to recapture his Watergate glory, has yet another in the line of Bush-bashing books. And, like Paul O'Neill, Richard Clarke, and John Dean, he'll be old news within a week.

Let's assume that Woodward is 100% accurate, and after 9/11 Bush ordered Rumsfeld to make an Iraq war plan. SO WHAT? Iraq was a known supporter of terrorism, and, most importantly, REGIME CHANGE IN IRAQ HAS BEEN OFFICAL UNITED STATES POLICY SINCE 1998!! How come CNN and their ilk at the New York Times and every other anti-Bush liberal media outlet seem to forget this, and act as if regime chane in Iraq is something that Bush dreamed up and imposed on a whim?

The Senate voted for this unanimously. Yes, that Senate, the one that includes John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, Tom Daschle, Robert Byrd, etc. (This must be another case of Bush deceiving Kerry for actually enforcing something that Kerry voted for)

The Bush-haters, between the "peace" rallies, Iraq=Vietnam, the reappearance of Watergate heroes, and John Kerry out on the anti-war stump, seem to want it to be the 1970's again. And they call themselves "progressives." More like "regressives."

The new Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero decided that Spain was leaving the coalition of the willing immediately, just hours after his government was sworn in. Brilliant move by this guy. Expect Italy, Poland, and pretty much anyone else (even France and Germany) who have supported us to find themselves the victims of an attack sooner ot later.

Spanish Leader Pulling Troops From Iraq

Think about this: Vietnam was an unpopular war, yes? Would you say more unpopular than Iraq? I'd say about 10-25 times more unpopular. In the Presidential election, an anti-war, I hate Nixon like you do Democrat ran against the incumbent Republican. This is what happened:

Nixon - 49 states, 520 electoral votes
McGovern - 1 state and D.C., 17 electoral votes

Hmmmmmmm

Sure, why not? Just look at the wonderful job they are doing in Kosovo:

UN 'Doesn't Know' Reason for Police Clash in Kosovo

Perhaps, if the press wants to find a quagmire, they should go to Kosovo. I'd like to hear what John Kerry has to say about it. He thinks the U.N. is the be-all end-all to peace. Too bad he doesn't see the reality:

WASHINGTON — John Kerry aimed a new volley of criticism at President Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq on Saturday, saying Bush's failure to "internationalize" the conflict has made America less safe and cost it credibility and momentum.

Really? The problem with Kerry's stance is that it fails to accept that the people who are not involved do not want tog et involved, because they are weak and gutless.

Kerry called for removing the "Made in America" label from the Iraqi operation by creating an international mission authorized by the United Nations to help set up elections, restore government services and rebuild the economy.

Only a Democrat can be ashamed of the "Made in America" label. After all, if FDR had this attitude, Europe would have been overrun by both the Nazis and Commies, and they would be opporessed to this day. Perhaps the words of Teddy Roosevelt are appropriate here:

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.

Digest that for a moment:

[hat tip: Blogs For Bush]

We all lost a fine young Marine in Iraq last week. I wanted to honor him here especially because, while I did not know him, I believe he was a member of my church. I am not completely sure of that, but I do know that his services were held at my church here in Albuquerque. Mr. Ramos was on his 2nd deployment to Iraq.

Please take a moment to look at his picture by clicking here.

Lance Cpl. Christopher Ramos, killed in action in Iraq last week, was buried today by God and country.

As the sweet smells of incense and the words of "How Great Thou Art" filled the air, a Marine color guard unfolded the American flag and draped it over Ramos' casket in the vestibule of St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church in Paradise Hills.

"In peace, let us bring our brother home to his gentle rest," the Rev. John Conway said, following a Mass attended by about 300 people who occupied every pew in the church.

Ramos, 26, was killed last week when he was wounded by shrapnel wounds in the al-Anbar province near Fallujah, west of Baghdad.

The 1995 West Mesa graduate was an infantryman with the 1st Marine Division and was serving his second stint in Iraq. Survivors include his wife, Diane, an 18-month-old daughter and a 4-year-old stepson.

I would like to thank the Ramos family for their sacrifice.

When I heard about Mike Danton of the St. Louis Blus was charged in a murder-for-hire plot, I actually wasn't that surprised. Danton has been a problem child for years, especially when he was with the New Jersey Devils. He even changed his name from Mike Jefferson. I heard that he wanted to have someone whacked because they threatened to go to Blues GM Larry Pleau and ruin his career. I assumed it was drug use. Well, I was doing my hockey reading (The Toronto Globe and Mail is a top place to read about it) and decided to click on an article about it, and now I think there is an entirely different issue here. Get this:

Danton and Wolfmeyer face federal charges of conspiring and using a telephone across state lines to set up a murder. According to the criminal complaint, Danton told Wolfmeyer that a hitman from Canada was coming to kill him and asked her if she knew someone who would kill the person for $10,000.

The complaint alleges that Danton was trying to kill a male acquaintance whom he had fought with Tuesday over Danton's "promiscuity and use of alcohol."

The complaint said Danton feared the acquaintance, who is not named, would talk to St. Louis Blues management and ruin Danton's career.

I had to read that twice. There is no other conclusion other than that Danton is gay. This part convinced me:

"Let's preface it by saying who knows what the situation is," [Blues teammate Doug] Weight said. "There's rumours of what went on and who exactly was involved with this so-called thing.

"Let's not jump to conclusions, but you know what, hypothetically I think it would be fine. I'd like to think people are bigger than that and look into the person as a person and as a teammate."

I feel sorry for Danton. Is he that afraid of being revealed a homosexual that he was willing to have someone killed to hide his secret? I think he is. And he can't hide it anymore.

We always knew that someday, an active player in a major sport would come out, whether by choice or circumstance. This could be it. Frankly, the day an active player comes out cannot come soon enough. I always thought that the response would be mostly positive. If fans will accept a criminal on their team because he can help them, they will just as quickly accept a homosexual.

Bottom line: If it is revealed that his fear of being exposed as a homosexual is what caused him to want someone to get killed, I will be very sympathetic, and I would hope that the justice system finds similar sympathy.

The NBA sucks. I mean, who really gives a damn? The game sucks, the players can't so anything but dunk, and defense is only something they once heard of back in sixth grade. On the other hand, is there anything tat can compare to the drama of the NHL playoffs? Tight-checking, one goal games, sudden death overtimes, you name it, it's all there.

For example, the Calgary Flames tonight fell behind 4-0 on a quick 4 goal Vancouver Canuck barrage in the second period. Now, if a team fell behind like that in an NBA playoff game, the players would have already quit, half the arena would have emptied, and there would have been no point to watching on TV. (And that's why the ratings suck and are expected to continue sucking. Yeah, I know the NHL has even more pathetic ratings, and that is a damn shame.)

The Flames fight back, tied it up, and now they are going into overtime. Unlike the NBA, this is where the real excitement begins. The game could at any second. A bad pass, deflected shot off someone's melon, whatever. Or, the game could go on a long time. I will never forget the Flyers-Penguins 5-OT game in 2000. My sister (that's right, my sister. The Flyers run through my family's blood) and I drove the 300 or so miles to Pittsburgh, sat through all 5 OTs, and drove back home. The game started at 7:30, and ended at 2:45 am. A memory I will never forget. Can the NBA offer that type of drama? Please!! How many times can you watch Shaq dunk the ball, when he is not "bricking" free throws, without falling into a stupor? Booooooorrrrrring!!!

It is a shame more people are not watching the NHL playoffs. They have no idea what they are missing.

Tonight, since I have no life and I am not going back to Albuquerque until tomorrow, I decided to spend President Bush's tax cut for the rich at the Casino Arizona. I figured since John Kerry has told us time after time that the American economy is in the crapper, the casino would be near empty and I'd have the joint to myself. Well, after parking about a half mile from the entrance, I realized that the French guy might have been less than forthcoming.

Anyway, after walking into the Indian cash cow that just doesn't seem to alleviate the abject poverty on the reservation, I proceeded to the poker room and placed myself at a 3 to 6 Hold 'em table. I sat down, and started my usual scheme, acting as if I am a beginner and asking the dealer all kinds of dumb questions, betting at the wrong time, etc. (I can't believe how many dopes fall for that trick every time)

As is wont to happen, there is always one asshole at the table. This time, it was some old geezer, about 65 or so, who is the type who should not be at the casino to begin with, because it is plainly obvious that he can't afford to lose. During one hand, when I wasn't sure whether to check the bet or fold, he got impatient with me and mouthed off something under his breath. I knew right then and there that I was going to stick it to him at some point. An hour or so went by, and the time came. I was dealt 2 aces.

I lapped along the other guys and I had the full house when the turn card came up. It was down to me, that old geezer, and some guy at the other end of the table. I played possum, and the old geezer raised the max.

You may not realize it from reading this blog, but I have an attitude problem. I did not even bother looking at the 3rd guy in, and I looked at the old geezer and said, "I think you are bluffing me." I acted like I was going to fold, but then looked again at him and said, "You know what, I'm going to give you a gift, and pay to see you cards." He responded, "Do it so when can get on with it." I throw in my chips, and that old bastard could not wait to show me his full house. He said, "Full house, kings high. That's what you get for being a cocky son of a bitch." I replied, "Gee, Grandpa, sorry, but full house, aces high."

Put it to you this way. If we were in the wild west, he would have shot me on the spot. To rub it in more, I counted every chip right in front of him. It came out to $86. He was fuming. About 6 hands later, it came down to me and him again. I raised him and matched his re-raised. He laid down his hand and was not happy. I then did something I never do when I am bluffing, I showed him my worthless hand. I said, "Take that. I didn't have [phallic reference]."

Right after that, more than half the table picked up their chips. He cursed me a few times, and left. It was a great moment.

It would have been a great night if I didn't take a bath at the next table. I ended up down a yard and a half. But so be it. Sticking it to that geezer was worth it all. Chris Moneymaker I ain't, but let's just say I made enough from poker in my lifetime to cover my law school tuition.

In the comments, Gerlad informs us that Dennis Kucinich told Hannity and Colmes that the draft will be reinstated next year. Yeah, Kucinich is a reliable source. I believe everything that blame-America Socialist says.

It seems that the scare tactic has some believers. Read this letter to the editor in the rag of the place I will always call home, no matter where I live, the Philadelphia Daily News:

I AM SURPRISED that the media have not mentioned the pending bills in Congress,
S 89 and HR 163, to reconstitute the military draft just after the election.

It appears the administration plans to quietly pass these bills while attention is on the upcoming presidential election.

Yeah, as if no one would notice, like it was some pork project buried in an appropriations bill. I may be wrong, but this letter sounds suspisiciously professionally done, like a form letter:

I understand that $28 million has been added to the 2004 Selective Service System budget to prepare for a draft, and the Pentagon has begun to fill all draft-board slots nationwide.

All persons, including women, 18 through 26, will be called in the draft. Since Canada and the U.S. signed a declaration in 2001, Canada will no longer be a draft-escape route. The reforms also eliminate higher education as a deferment. Upperclassman would only be able to postpone service until the end of their current semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

The sole sponsor of S 89 is Sen. Ernest Hollings, Senate Armed Services Committee, Russell Bldg. SR-228, Washington, D.C. 20510. You may wish to express an opinion to him.

Wow, 1 whole sponsor? And:

According to his office, S 89 is expected to be called to the Senate floor for a vote in May or June. There are 13 co-sponsors for HR 163 in the House.

Why hasn't the press said anything about this, nor have our representatives in Congress mentioned it in the frequent newsletters they send us.

13/535 = .002 percent. Wow, there's a lot of support there too. And, notice, the "accidental" omission of who is sponsoring the House bill? While, that would be that Harlem scumbag Democrat Charles Rangel!! (Here are the 13 co-sponsors. You will find the usual expected dopes like Jim McDermott, Sheila Jackson Lee, Elijah Cummings, and Eleanor Holmes Norton) Gee, two Democrats sponsoring bills to reinstate the draft, while other Democrats are telling us the draft is coming back. Talk about manufacturing an election year issue.

If you see a similiar letter in your local bird-cage liner, please let me know in the comments.

Take a look at this headline from (stunningly) Reuters:

No Draft Planned, But Selective Service Endures

Since when does no news become news? This is nothing more than a seed-planting headline. If you study your history, you'll find that once the draft was abolished, a lot of the Vietnam protestors disappeared. This headline is designed to make you fear that Bush will reinstate the draft when he is re-elected. The only person I have ever heard talking about reinstating the draft is Charles Rangel, that Harlem scumbag Congressman, who is trying to do the same exact thing.

Reuters is beyond shameless. Read the article. There is absolutely nothing new or revealing in it, and there ia zero reason for it top be considered a top story.

I normally read the moonbat blogs for laughs, but I rarely link to them since they are, well, full of shit. I had to share this with you:

Bush Sought to Poison Europe

Let it not be said that Bush does not punish his enemies.

With Europe snubbing his pet war in Iraq, Bush got his revenge by collaborating with his corporate chemical friends to poison its citizens.

When Europe planned to test materials for danger to the public, the administration worked with corporate allies to kill the plan:

The office of the United States trade representative asked the industry to develop themes the administration could use to discourage the European Union from adopting the new testing program, according to an e-mail message dated April 4, 2003, and obtained by the House investigator.
Let's be serious-- more children die each year from poisonous chemicals in the environment then died in the World Trade Center attack.

The hysteria over terrorism makes us ignore other threats that, if we addressed them thoroughly, would save more lives at lower expense than we are dedicating to Iraq and other hot wars.

A "war on pollution" would save far more lives.

Too bad Bush is siding with the corporate terrorists on that war.

Don't you just love that type of logic?

I suspect that clown Sadr will regret his bluster. I wish I had him in my dead pool.

Troops Blast Music in Siege of Fallujah

FALLUJAH, Iraq - In Fallujah's darkened, empty streets, U.S. troops blast AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" and other rock music full volume from a huge speaker, hoping to grate on the nerves of this Sunni Muslim city's gunmen and give a laugh to Marines along the front line.

Unable to advance farther into the city, an Army psychological operations team hopes a mix of heavy metal and insults shouted in Arabic — including, "You shoot like a goat herder" — will draw gunmen to step forward and attack. But no luck Thursday night.

As much as I wanted our fine Marines blast the city to rubble, I understand our restraint. We will kill only those we have to. Still, I love this tactic. How long, though, do you think before we read about our "insensitivity," and how this infidel music is interfering with their call to prayer?

If I were there, I'd make sure we played Celine Dion. That would torture the Iraqi scum to no end. Plus, we should be doing more of this:

On Friday, insurgents fired several mortars at U.S. forces. One of the shells blasted a chunk out of a house where Marines are positioned, filling the building with dust and smoke. No one was injured.

A short time later, an F-16 jet dropped a 2,000-pound bomb on the city, sending up a massive spray of dirt and smoke and destroying a building where Marines had spotted gunmen.

At night, the psychological operations unit attached to the Marine battalion here sends out messages from a loudspeaker mounted on an armored Humvee. On Thursday night, the crew and its Arabic-language interpreter taunted fighters, saying, "May all the ambulances in Fallujah have enough fuel to pick up the bodies of the mujahadeen."

The message was specially timed for an attack moments later by an AC-130 gunship that pounded targets in the city.

Later, the team blasted Jimi Hendrix and other rock music, and afterward some sound effects like babies crying, men screaming, a symphony of cats and barking dogs and piercing screeches. They were unable to draw any gunmen to fight, and seemed disappointed.

I love this, and hope it continues. Semper Fidelis.

So says Reuters:

Warming Climate Disrupts Alaska Natives' Lives

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Anyone who doubts the gravity of global warming should ask Alaska's Eskimo, Indian and Aleut elders about the dramatic changes to their land and the animals on which they depend.
and

Still, to the frustration of Alaska Natives, many politicians in the lower 48 U.S. states deny that global warming is occurring or that a warmer climate could cause problems.

"They obviously don't live in the Arctic," said Patricia Cochran, executive director of the Alaska Native Science Commission. The Anchorage-based commission, funded by the National Science Foundation, has been gathering information for years on Alaska's thawing conditions.

Is this a joke. What are they complaining about, that it is only 30 below instead of 35 below?

"It looks like winter out there, but if you've really been around a long time like me, it's not winter," said Huntington, an Athabascan Indian from the interior Alaska village of Huslia. "If you travel that ice, it's not the ice that we traveled 40 years ago."

River ice, long used for travel in enterior Alaska, is thinner and less dependable than it used to be.

C'mon. What a crock. This is nothing more than more propaganda in advance of any more suggestions to drill in ANWAR. Besides, how many people are going to travel to Alaska and live in sub-Arctic temperatures trying to disprove this?

Oh, well. At least they didn't blame Bush for failing to ratify Kyoto.

The sooner this happens, the better:

Man in Dragging Death Seeks Execution Date

BEAUMONT, Texas - One of the two white men condemned for the notorious 1998 dragging death of a black man from Jasper is asking for an execution date.

In a letter dated April 2, Lawrence Russell Brewer wrote to State District Judge Monte Lawlis, the trial judge in his case, and asked a date be scheduled for his lethal injection.

"I think it's about time that we bypass all these childish games and make the necessary arrangements for an execution date Sir," Brewer wrote.

I heartily agree.

From the New York Times corrections page:

A transcript of President' Bush's news conference in some copies yesterday misspelled the given name of a reporter mentioned by Mr. Bush in an answer to a question about the administration's response to warnings of hijackings. She was Elisabeth Bumiller of The New York Times, not Elizabeth.

Like I said, they write it for me.

Like I said yesterday, I would look out for the lawsuit that Air America filed. Here it is.

I could just see it now. When it tanks, they'll blame this incident. Of course, they want yus to forget that if it were a successful venture otherwise, someone in the free market would have picked it up and run with it already.

Gee, I wonder where Osama got these talking points from?

"This war makes millions of dollars for big corporations, either weapons manufacturers or those working in the reconstruction [of Iraq], such as Halliburton and its sister companies...

"It is crystal clear who benefits from igniting the fire of this war and this bloodshed: They are the merchants of war, the bloodsuckers who run the policy of the world from behind the scenes.

"President Bush and his ilk, the media giants, and the U.N. ... all are a fatal danger to the world, and the Zionist lobby is their most dangerous member. Allah willing, we will persist in fighting them...

Add bin Laden to the list of foreign leaders that want Kerry to win.

Osama wants a peace treaty with Europe, the usual "divide and conquer" strategy. Sadly, I actually think some of our European allies might cut and run now. I am sure they are at least tempted to. If so, I say, LET THEM!!

Sadly, thanks to the left wing subversives in this country, (yes, I AM questioning their patriotism) they care more about everyone else than they do America. With that, I mean about 60% of the Democratic party and the liberal media. I wish Bush would say this:

"Any country who wishes to abandon the war on terror is free to do so at anytime. We will not try to stop you. As with every important decision, be mindful of the consequences. If you decide to withdrawal your support of the United States, we will respond in kind. Simply put, if you are the victim of terrorism, you and you only will be responsible for responding to it. We will do as you did, and not get involved. If your country becomes in danger of collapse, the United States will not come to your rescue. It seems that only a few countries in the world are committed to fight terrorism, while many more think that the United States is more of a threat to the world. If you truly believe that the United States is the greater threat, then you shall have false comfort, and you might find yourself eternally regretting your decision to abandon us."

What would happen if Bush said this? Kofi Annan, the New York Times, and every America-hating Democrat would go nuts!!! They would scream "blackmail," "warmonger," you name it. (In other words, exactly what they are saying now. Bush would get crucified for ending the world's free ride.

I have grown tired of all of this anti-Americanism. Like Donald Rumsfeld said, "I know in my heart and my brain that America ain't what's wrong in the world."

Jake thinks I am a homophobe because I am against gay marriage. I wonder what he thinks about this tomfoolery going on in his own state:

Agency looks to block inmate marriage

Two gay Alabama prisoners have sued the state for the right to get married, but the state attorney general's office wants to block their union.

The two inmates -- Darius Chambers and Jonathan Jones -- are representing themselves in the case and did not attend the hearing. Both are incarcerated at Fountain Correctional Facility.

Chambers and Jones sued the state Jan. 9, "on behalf of themselves and other similar situated couples in the state of Alabama," their lawsuit said.

Why not? It isn't like they have much else to do. Hey, they may become pet causes of the left, who may even add "Free Darius" and "Free Jonathan" signs to the "Free Mumia" ones they love to carry.

Those Frenchies sure know how to get the left-wing dopes behind them. Get this:

France's US envoy slams "racist campaign" against French over Iraq war

Wow!! I didn't know that "French" was a race in itself. I never saw that option in the affirmative action box when I applied at law schools.

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) - France's ambassador to the United States denounced what he called a "racist campaign" against the French waged by US media and fueled by the Pentagon since the start of war in Iraq.

Ambassador Jean-David Levitte, told staff, students and diplomats at the University of California at Los Angeles that Fox News and the New York Post, media baron Rupert Murdoch's properties, led the onslaught with a daily barrage of insults.

"It was a racist campaign," he said in a speech to the university's School of Public Policy and Social Research. "We were insulted just because we were French and it was unfair and dangerous."

He said such a campaign would never have been tolerated in the United States if had it been directed against blacks or Jews.

He is right about one thing. Attacks on blacks and Jews would not have been tolerated here. If we wanted to attack Jews, we would have had to travel to France to get away with it. But, can you believe the balls of this guy to compare the French to blacks and Jews?

Our problem with the French is that they not only did not stand behind us, they actively worked to undermine us. They blatantly lied to Colin Powell, and they were in on the massive oil-for-food fraud, where they benefited to the tune of billions of dollars.

Too f'n bad!! By doing this, this guy only confirmed what we alreayd know: the French are gutless, whiny wimps.

Get this headline from the Washington Post:

President Benefits From His Tax Cut
Bushes' Payment Drops 15 Percent On 2003 Return; Kerry's Taxes Triple

Wow!! Bush managed to cut his taxes and triple Kerry's!! What a genuis for pulling that off.

Uh, maybe not. Read the article, and the bias just shines through:

Meanwhile, for Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), the Democrat seeking to drive Bush from the White House, his tax burden more than tripled on income that surged with the sale of a million-dollar painting.

You see, you have to read that his taxes tripled because his income surged from the sale of a painting. That's because:

Kerry's income totaled $395,338 last year, up from $144,091.

Kerry did benefit though:

Kerry opposed Bush's tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, but he was a beneficiary. Dividends last year worth $11,047 would have cost him as much as $2,600 more in taxes without last year's cut. His $147,818 salary put him in the 28 percent tax bracket, which was 30 percent before the 2003 tax cut was enacted.

Only a liberal rag could be so biased as to insinuate that Buah passed the tax cuts only to benefit himself.

Get this typical liberal jab:

Americans with taxable income of $14,000 or less and no children did not receive a tax cut last year, since their 10 percent tax bracket did not change.

Gotta make sure they remind you that it is only "tax cuts for the rich."

By the way, the New York Times is no better. Just One Minute has that story.

Lee, from Right Thinking From the Left Coast, on the Air America tomfoolery:

The irony here is delicious. First of all, you have a left wing radio network actually fighting in court with a company with the word "multicultural' in its name. Then you have Air America, a network founded by multi-millionaire liberals and hosted by multi-millionaire liberals, bouncing a check.

Perhaps Michael Moore could hold a bake sale.

That, in a nutshell, is why I read Lee three times a day.

Just smell the AP bias here:

Mich. Town Split Over Muslim Loudspeakers

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. - A request by Muslims to allow mosques to use loudspeakers for the call to prayer has prompted a backlash among some of their mostly white, Christian neighbors.

Gotta make sure they let you know it's those mean whiteys complaining, especially this mean, old intolerant geezer:

Caroline Zarski, 81, agreed. "It is not my God. My God is Jesus Christ. I don't want this noise invading my home at 10 p.m.," she said.

And end with this moral equivalence and minimizing what the mean old whiteys are complaining about:

Muslim speakers said they often hear church bells as early as 6 a.m. They said the call to prayer would be less noisy.

"It's a low-pitched voice. It's not going to wake up anybody," said Abdul Algazali, a Hamtramck businessman.

Gee, aren't we talking about loudspeakers here? What good are loudspeakers if they are not very loud? And, what's the point of the call to prayer if the people intended to hear it can't hear it?

If this legislation were enacted to allow Christians to use loudspeakers, you can bet those scumbags from the ACLU would come up with some First Amendment endorsement of religion to stop it.

I gave them too much credit. I thought that joke of a radio network, Air America, would last until after the election.

Liberal Radio Pulled From Two Stations

Was anyone really shocked by this? We all knew that liberal radio can't compete in the free market. I am quite sure Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage have more listeners that hate them than Air America had listeners.

The owners of Air America Radio filed a lawsuit in New York's Supreme Court against the New York-based MultiCultural Radio Broadcasting Inc. after the radio company dropped Air America Radio's signal from its stations WNTD in Chicago and KBLA in Los Angeles.

"MultiCultural Radio Broadcasting's conduct in this matter has been disgraceful," Evan Cohen, the chairman of Air America Radio, said in a statement. "To shut off a broadcast that listeners rely on without warning and in the middle of discussions is the height of irresponsibility and a slap in the face of the media industry."

Sue them for what? Breach of contract? Maybe if they paid their bills, they wouldn't be in this mess. I can't wait to read this lawsuit. I'll be monitoring this page for it to show up.

From our "friends" at the AP:

Arabs Find Little Hope in Bush Iraq Plans

As if Arabs find hope in Syria, Iran, Lebanon, etc. Really, who cares about what they think, especially if they hate Bush more than they hate the tyrants who subjugate them.

And the Eagles have 3 Monday nighters and 1 Sunday nighter. Excellent. Go Birds!!!

So, the embedded reporter has written her first of, I would assume, a few articles about our unit here in Iraq. It's an A1 byline. And as proud as I am for her. The story kind of bothers me, sort of a boo-hoo liberal whine ass tone to it. But still congrats to Maya.

However, I wouldn't think it such a horrible thing if I could see my wife everyday. And I don't think she'd mind peeling herself from CNN to come sit outside my conex and sneak kisses to me. But maybe since I am not in that situation, I shouldn't judge.

Or, maybe the Halls should count their fucking blessings.

It seems that those patriotic souls at MoveOn.org are organizing a bale sale for John Kerry. How funny is that? This "grassroots" group, who is well-funded by that billionaire Bush-hater George Soros, is holding a bake sale to benefit a man who married himself a widow worth over half a billion dollars.

Anyway, this bunch seemed to have forgotten that no one on the right really cares about them:

MECHA for Kerry and Bustamante (16 baker(s)/helper(s))
Santa Monica Library on Montana
Santa Monica, CA
WE will set up out front on the Montana side of the Library. The UCLA group and USC will have competitive tables to see who can raise the most money for our cause. We are waiting to hear from CSU Northridge and from Santa Monica City College. All are welcome; if you come to protest our event - rest assured that we will take care of you - do not protest us.
Friday, April 16, 01:30 PM

Just look at that: A racist organization threatening violence to all who openly dissent. What happened to free speech?

Like I've said a million times here before: I don;t have to invent any of this. They write it for me.

Take a minute to read some of them. Hilarious. For example:

-We can do it! Stop BUSH - he is a criminal - he is a murderer - only John Kerry can win- we must help him.

-The republicans are rich with money but we are rich with spirit, kindness, love, fairness, peace, young people, gay marriage, saving the environment at any cost, stopping SUV from ruining our hiways, ending Bush's war for profit and oil, Saving trees that have stood by and watched this country go to hell over the last 3 1/4 years under W, we are the party of immigrants, we welcome our mexican bretheren, if anyone wants to sell tacos or burritos or quesadillas then so be it, we hold out our hand mexican labors whether they are documented or not, we need you and you need us, we are the party of the future, we must fight for increased unemployment payments to the masses who bush put out of work, we must fight for increased welfare payments to our single mothers, increased wages for our teachers and administrators, increased regulation on business and polluters, and more power to attorneys who our the only weapon we have against huge company's like Wal Mart and G.E. and Halliburton who are hellbent on destroying our country for a quick buck.

My favorite, from a typical something-for-nothing liberal:

No Calorie Bake Sale For Democracy (1 baker(s)/helper(s))
This is a VIRTUAL Bake Sale to raise REAL support and awareness!
Los Angeles, Ca
This is a Bake Sale no one has to bake for! No one has to consume unwanted calories for! This is a VIRTUAL Bake Sale.And I will raise $200 to $500 just by asking people to donate to my No Calorie Bake Sale For Democracy.
Saturday, April 17, 11:00 AM

I wish I was in L.A. I'd go with my digital camera and visit a lot of these joints.

Alan Colmes and Susan Estrich are getting the vapors. I have rarely seen Colmes get this emotional. He is upset because he knows Bush was quite effective. I just love how he just ran the "Bush didn't repsond to the USS Cole" Democrat talking point/history revision.

Watching those hacks from the New York Times, CNN, NBC, CBS and Time trying to get certain headlines pissed me off to no end. It was obvious they were trying to get the headline they want, depending on how Bush answered. For example:

- Bush refuses to apologize or Bush apologizes and admits 9/11 fault

Bush can't win. You just know the anti-Bush liberal media wants to write from now until November, "Bush, who admitted that 9/11 was his fault, nevertheless wants voters to back him because of 9/11." Or, they want to use his answer to use as proof of arrogance.

- Bush refuses to admit mistakes or Bush admits he has made mistakes

Once again, a double-edged sword. If he refuses to admit mistakes, they'll call him arrogant. If he does admit a specific one, once again, the news from now until November, "Bush, who admitted making a mistake in invading Iraq..."

I respect President Bush's restraint, but I wished he would have smacked down some of these reporters. They deserve it, and Americans would respond to it. Another thing, the press is forcing him to revisit, and rejustify everything he has done. They want to tire the American people of all of this so they'll just vote for Kerry. It is shameless.

I wonder why many of these reporters, who have no qualms about writing that Iraq=Vietnam, did not have the sack to ask pressure Bush about the Vietnam analogy. Now, why is that? Because they know it is a crock.

Notice that Bush is at his absolute best when he gets emotional, and is speaking from his heart?

This NPR Don Goydon hack is a real jerkoff, asking (telling) Bush if he has failed as a communicator. Of course, to NPR, since Bush is not communicating what they want to hear, he isn't communicating at all.

Not one question on the alleged "worst economy since Herbert Hoover?" That is bad for Kerry. They know that, despite what they report, that the economy is in good shape. They surely did not want to give Bush a direct opportunity to explain how much the economy is improving. Better to let ridiculous charges go unanswered, or answered through their filter.

Notice how the press is a hell of lot more concerned about polls (which they control), than President Bush is? I love that about him.

I wonder how many liberals got the vapors when Bush invoked the Almighty.

I cannot wait to read the responses from the left. Number one thing you will hear: HE DIDN'T ANSWER OR FAILED TO PROPERLY ANSWER....

I know he'll enjoy reading this.

Frankly, I don't think it makes a difference who Kerry picks to fill the VP slot on his ticket. He is going to lose in November. I am quite confident of that. I don't read polls that have Bush losing by 6 points to Kerry today, and next week will have him winning by 5 because they are a waste of time. Polls are crap, used by news organizations to get pre-determined results to fit pre-determined story lines. It is the same story over and over. Bad week in Iraq? Bush falls in polls. Good week? He goes up. Good economic news? That gets buried so few hear about it anyway. The press wants a back and forth race story line, so they'll invent it any way they can. Polls are the way to go. Bottom line: Bush beats Kerry come November. If having a certain someone on his ticket would put him over the top, that certain someone would be at the top of the ticket.

John McCain as Kerry's VP? Give me a break. A media invention. Bush would still beat Kerry even if that happened.

Take a look at this Washington Times article discussing Kerry's selection process. This is a great opening sentence:

Democratic leaders are advising Sen. John Kerry to take great care in picking his running mate and select someone who neutralizes his Northeast liberal reputation and doesn't eclipse him in the charm department.

Well, so much for Howard Dean. Just for a few laughs, I'll analyze the contenders for you. I may only have a B.S. in Political Science from Arizona State University, but I think I have a grasp of the situation, and I won't cost Kerry $1,000 an hour.

- Evan Bayh, Indiana senator - The guy he should pick. Bayh would guarantee Indiana for Kerry, and probably almost guarantee for him Ohio, Missouri, and Michigan. He is one of the few Democrats that Republican-leaning swing voters respect. But, since he is not a abortion-on-demand absolutist, the interest groups that have Kerry by the balls would gripe about him to no end. I just don't see Bayh trying to push himself off as a friend of NARAL. If I did, I would not have seen him as a respectable Democrat to begin with.

- John Edwards, North Carolina senator - The guy a lot of Democrats hope he selects, and I would be stunned if he did. Edwards would overshadow Kerry, who just can't have that. Besides, Edwards does not guarantee South Carolina and North Carolina for Kerry, as much as the Democrats and the media think he would. That "Two Americas" speech will fall on deaf ears to swing voters.

- Wesley Clark, clown - First, get this laughable quote:

[Outshining Kerry] not be the problem if he picked former Army Gen. Wesley Clark, said Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Ron Oliver.
"I don't really think he would outshine Kerry," he said. "They would bring different strengths to the ticket. They would complement each other a lot."
Mr. Oliver said Mr. Clark's military record would help Democrats burnish their chronic image problem with national defense.
"I can't remember a time when a ticket had more military experience than that one would have," he said. "It would really take that issue off the table."

He wishes. The Democratic Party may see Clark as their Patton or Eisenhower, but most Americans with half a brain see him as just above Gomer Pyle. I pray that Kerry picks Clark. He'd sink him for sure.

- Richard Gephardt, Missouri Congressman - Most "experts" think that Gephardt, an unbridled union lackey, would bring Kerry Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. That's good. I hope they continue to think that way. The union rank-and-file already has the Democrats in their back pocket. Gephardt will not add one vote for Kerry outside of Missouri, and I would bet that Bush would win Missouri anyway. If Gephardt had all that union juice we keep hearing about, he would have had a hell of a lot better showing in union-dominated Iowa caucuses, which Gephardt won in 1988.

- Hillary Clinton - No way, as the campaign would be all about her. Besides, every Hillary supporter is already going to vote for Kerry, and her presence would only rile up people to vote against her. C'mon. Use your brain here. IS there actually one person in this country who is planning to vote for Bush, but would say after Hillary was added to the ticket, "That clinches it. I'm voting for Kerry?" No way.

- Bill Richardson, New Mexico Governor and former U.N. ambassador - He is the Governor of the state in live in, and if it wasn't for seeing him on network TV talking about national issues, I wouldn't know anything about this guy. He is a Mexican with an Anglo name. Combined with his U.N. experience and that he was a Secretary of Energy under Clinton, this makes him a media darling. If Richardson was the Governor of a larger state, I would guarantee right here and now that he would be Kerry's pick. Still, I think this guy has a good shot, especially since he speaks perfect Spanish. If you heard this guy's Spanish-language response to the State of the Union, you would know him as the Mexican Yassar Arafat: Says one thing in English, and a wholly different thing in Spanish.

- Janet Napolitano - Arizona Governor - Since I also live in Arizona 3 days a week, I hear the pundits mention her a lot as well. They should just forget it. She is single and looks like a bull-dyke. No one who looks like this could ever win a national election.



Go ahead and call me sexist or whatever you want. You know I am right.

- Bob Graham, Florida senator - I think if Kerry continues to fall in the Florida polling, he may just pick this guy. Another pick I would be happy with. Graham is ripe for the ripping. If he ran as VP like he did for the Democrat nomination, Kerry wouls regret picking him before Labor Day.

- Virginia Governor Mark Warner - A hard-core tax raiser that Cheney would have an open season on in debates. Besides, not enough name recognition.

- Iowa Governor someone - Who?

- Ed Rendell - Pennsylvania Governor - I actually know him, since I worked at his mayor's gala for 6 of the 8 years he was the mayor of Philadelphia. I like him. I think he is a decent guy. But then again, I love my sister-in-law, despite that she would vote for Dennis Kucinch before Bush. I would never vote for Rendell, and he would be too much of a lightening rod for Kerry. Forget him.

In sum, I would not be at all surprised if he picked Bill Richardson. He fits the bill perfectly. A Spanish-speaking Mexican with an Anglo name, governor of a state the Gore only won by 336 votes in 2000, and a guy who could go to Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California and speak to the locals in their native tongue. Plus, he is a media darling and is another one-world U.N.-loving Socialist.

But, I am predicting right here and now that Kerry picks Dick Gephardt. Why? Because the Democrats will go right along with the playbook, despite that it has failed them time after time. Gephardt is an establishment Democrat, who will not do anything to hurt Kerry. (He also would not do anything to help him either) Plus, he has all that "union support" we keep hearing about. Gephardt will be the VP on Kerry's ticket.

One last thing about Gephardt. If he is so popular in Missouri, why has he never run for Senate? Haven't many current Senators started out as Congressman? Isn't being a Senator considered a much higher status than a Congressman? There are only 2 potential answers to that: He either isn't as popular statewide as the media would like us to think, or he is so entrenched in the party leadership that it would hurt his career to leave?

Kerry-Gephardt. It's gonna happen.

I just read this column and became, well, f'n angry:

ON Saturday, Iranian agents ambushed an American convoy on the road between Mosul and Akre in Iraq. The attack did not go as planned: Our troops responded sharply, killing two Iranians, wounding a third and capturing two more.

They were carrying their identity documents.

And you haven't heard a word about it. The administration doesn't want to admit how much American blood Teheran has on its hands.

To be absolutely scrupulous, this report comes from a single, if impeccable, regional source. I hope other journalists in Baghdad and Washington will press to verify the incident. The American people have a right to know.

As this column reported last week, the extent of Iranian involvement in the recent revolt goes very deep. The facts that follow have been confirmed by at least two sources exclusive to The Post.

Moqtada al-Sadr is Iran's man in Shi'a Iraq. Several months ago, he slipped across the border to meet with Hezbollah terror chiefs that Teheran had invited from Lebanon. The factions struck a deal to cooperate against the Coalition in Iraq.

Hundreds of Iranian agents and fighters have been confirmed to be in Iran. The actual number is probably in the thousands. They've swelled the ranks of Sadr's "Mahdi Army" and stiffened its backbone.

Nothing would make me happier than a bomb or two to find their way to Tehran. When I was studying internatioanl security at Arizona State University, I had a terrific professor who said something that I never forgot; "Democracy is not good for foreign policy." I did not understand that statement then like I do now.

Iran needs to be dealt with. I am quite sure Bush does not want to add another country to this war. I understand why. But, it is not him making this choice, it is Iran. There must be consequences to anyone who decides to interfere in our mission. We know now there are 2 countries, Syria and Iran, interfering. A well-placed MOAB, preferably on the palaces of their leaders, would go a long way to stabilizing Iraq. I pray we see somethng like that soon.

While the pages of the New York Times are full of crap about the state of our economy and the employment situation, the financial statement put out by their parent company is completely different:

"Solid advertising gains in March, aided by an improving economic climate, helped us to conclude the first quarter on a decidedly positive note across all of our business segments," said Russell T. Lewis, president and chief executive officer. "We were particularly encouraged by the revenue picture throughout our newspaper group in March, including substantial gains in help-wanted advertising revenues. Our broadcast properties also achieved improved revenue results, led by increased political advertising, and our digital enterprise accomplished record first-quarter results in both revenues and profitability."

If you still consider the New York Times a credible source after reading this, all I can say is, you are a dope.

The Democrats may spend their lives trying to make you believe that everyone in this country is broke because of Bush's tax cuts, and that people are losing their jobs by the hundreds of thousands, and that this is the worst economy since the Great Depression. (My grandmother, God rest her soul, would have slapped John Kerry in the mouth if he tried to pull that line on her, since she lived through the Great Depression and knew firsthand real poverty.) This shuld prove that the only economic problem in this country is that Americans have too much damn money:



Ahhh, the American enterprenuerial spirit. I'll be this guy is (no pun intended) cleaning up. Think about that. $20 the first time and $10 each time after, or go out and clean up a yard full of dog crap yourself.......Hmmmm...Where's the phone?

Hey liberals and Democrats. This is your ideology and party personified:



Is that a guy or a girl? It's hard to tell.

[Hat tip: Little Green Footballs]

I wish I had this guy in my dead pool.

Liberals hate pre-emption when it furthers America's interests. That is because when America's interests are furthered, their's are knocked back. Yes, it is a zero-sum game. But, pre-empting a future politcal loss for themselves, well, that is perfectly acceptable to them.

Notice how all of a sudden Justice Scalia is the boogeyman of the liberal media. Alleged impropriety by going on a duck hunt with VP Dick Cheney, and now a brouhaha over Scalia ordering tapes of a speech he gave erased. Big F'n Deal!!

This is about one thing and one thing only: Discrediting Scalia for the eventuality that after Bush wins, Chief Justice Rehnquist will retire, and the good chance that Scalia would be nominated to be the next Chief Justice.

Remember I said that.

Usually, I fully support fellow alumni of Arizona State University. However, there are 2 exceptions: Barry Bonds and Phil Mickleson. Frankly, I hope this guy pulls his usual choke job tomorrow at the final round of the Masters. Right now, he is tied with Chris DeMarco for the lead at 6-under.

I have not liked Mickelson because he is fat (literally and figuratively) and happy. He has made a ton of cash, and has won a lot of second-rate tournaments. To me, this guy lacks a sense of urgency to win when it counts, and I don' t think it bothers him beyond the public embarrassment. In other words, this guy doesn't give a damn once the cameras are off, doesn't put in the effort to be the best, and has not gotten the most out of his talent. I despise that in anyone who takes part in competitive sports.

As for Tiger Woods lousy play over the past year, and especially in this year's Masters, he has a legitimate excuse. I would lose interest in golf too if I had this to go home to.

The White House has released the August 6th, 2001 memo. Basically, it says nothing that could be considered an indicator of how or why September 11th should have been stopped. The liberal media, not wanting to let the memo's contents get in the way of a preferred anti-Bush headline, have come up with 100 variations of "Bush Knew." Some quick examples:

Reuters: Bush Warned of Al Qaeda Hijack Preparation

Channel 13 News here in Albuquerque (quoted from memory): "A newly declassified memo shows that President Bush knew in advance of planned al-Qaeda attacks. Story at 10"

As I have stated before, the media wants to blame Bush for not stopping it, yet do not want to offer the honest examples of what would Bush would have had to have done in order to stop them. First and foremost, there would have been a no-fly list consisting solely of Arabs, and a raid on every flight school in this country that had Arab students. How do you think that would have went over? Not too well, since people are suing now, after 9/11, over no-fly lists.

Just this weekend, a whole slew of illegal immigrants were pulled off a flight in Newark and are now facing deportation. Get the New York Times headline first:

88 Air Travelers at Newark Are Held in Immigration Case

What a laugh!! The headline should have read, "88 illegal aliens arrested and facing deportation." Anyway, take a look at some of the whining after these arrests, and think of them in the context of the pre-9/11 days:

- Federal agents at Newark Liberty International Airport have detained 88 passengers, close to half of those arriving on a domestic Continental Airlines flight from Los Angeles early Thursday morning, acting on a tip that many illegal immigrants were on board the plane.

- It was unclear how the unusually large number arrested as illegal immigrants had been sorted from the rest of the 222 passengers on Continental Flight 1803

- Ms. Rapaport said she could provide no details about the nature of the tip that led to the arrests, how passengers were screened, or how many on the flight had been questioned.

But even with those facts unknown, the case highlighted the tension between efforts to stem the smuggling of illegal immigrants and concerns about profiling and the erosion of civil liberties.

- Civil liberties lawyers and advocates for immigrants said the operation raised many questions, including whether there had been a mass detention and screening of passengers. They said that within 25 miles of a border, people can be legally questioned about their status, but inside the country, the government has the burden of establishing probable cause that someone is a noncitizen before an agent can approach that person and ask for proof of legal status.

- "I don't think they could ask everyone for documents at a domestic airport," said Muzaffar Chishti, a senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, a research and advocacy group. "You cannot use race, ethnicity, language or dress as a proxy for being an alien. It has to be some behavioral tendency or real knowledge."

With these attitudes and mindset, after September 11th, people actually are now saying Bush should have stopped 9/11? Just read their own words. "Civil liberties" stooges are concerned about how the information that illegals were on board this flight was obtained. And, they are upset about "profiling" and the "erosion of civil liberties," and are concerned about the fact that the flight was furhter than 25 miles from the border. Oh please. I am sure that many of these people are indifferent to what happened on 9/11 because, "Hey, at least we didn't profile Mohammed Atta and violate his civil liberties." Let me repeat my favorite part:

"You cannot use race, ethnicity, language or dress as a proxy for being an alien. It has to be some behavioral tendency or real knowledge."

This is from somebody who who scream "racial profiling" if an Arab walked up to an airline counter, without any luggage, and bought a one-way ticket.

I have grown tired of this crap. All of it. Political correctness caused 9/11, and it will cause a repeat of it. While this quote may have been culled from a fictional novel, it is so true. “Mohammed,” a main (and fictional) character in Tom Clancy’s “Teeth of the Tiger,” understood this:

[Western] nations [have] a nearly suicidal openness to strangers, and one could disappear in their vastness with only modest skills - hardly any, in fact, if you had money. These people were so self-destructively open, so afraid to offend those who would just as soon see them and their children dead and their entire cultures destroyed.

Just try to refute that honestly. You can't.

OK, an article based on someone who used to support Bush, but not anymore. Gee, the Times has never done that before:

Among Military Families, Questions About Bush

I won't bother excerpting since the article is nothing but wishful thinking from the Times about Bush's military support. I guarantee it is at least 50-1, polls or no polls. Why else do you think Gore had a team of lawyers trying to disqualify military votes over technicalities?

I cannot remember the last time I read a headline in the New York Times that was so truthful and honest:

Kennedy's Support for Kerry Thrills G.O.P.

Sadly, once Kerry's internal polls show that even many Democrats hate Kennedy, I have a feeling ol' Teddy will not be leaving the bar to give speeches as the election comes closer.

As far as I am concerned, Kennedy can make his "quagmire" and "fraud made up in Texas" speeches every day between now and November 2nd. He looks exactly like what he is every time he speaks: A bitter old pathetic man.

Yet, right below it, the New York Times has to get right back to ridiculous Bush-bashing mode:

Second-Guessing of Bush Now Extends to Convention Site

Who are they kidding? The second-guessing begins and ends inside the New York Times' offices.

When the Republican Party chose New York City as the site of its 2004 nominating convention, the symbolism was apparent: the G.O.P. would be rallying around its nominee in the city that had come to embody the nation's resolve in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, a place where President Bush once stood on a pile of debris at ground zero, rallying the nation to unite in the war on terror.

But then came Richard A. Clarke, the 9/11 commission and a rising insurgency in Iraq. Now, as the administration faces increasing scrutiny of its handling of pre-9/11 terror threats and the wisdom of extending the war on terrorism into Iraq, the question has emerged whether New York is the best place for the Republicans to be gathering this summer.

What? No room to mention that the Republicans chose it as a way to help the New York City economy, which was devestated after the 9/11 attacks? I made over 10 large when the convention was in Philly in 2000, and know first hand how much of an influx of cash a convention means for a city. The Times continues, with one of their favorite strategies, quoting an anonymous Republican that parrots their editorial stance:

"I would assume that it has turned from a win-win to a maybe not," said a Republican political strategist who spoke only on the condition of anonymity. Like many others, the strategist was reluctant to contradict the party line. "I don't think that it is all negative at this point, but it has the potential to turn. It's eroding slowly, and that's a real problem for them."

If this so-called "strategist" had any credibility or ability, he would be explaining the economic benefits to NYC forst and foremost. Of course, if this guy evens exists, he wouldn't be getting any ink if he said this. Finally, the Times does get around to the $$ aspect:

From the moment the Republicans selected New York City to be host to their convention, they insisted that the choice had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks and that it was fundamentally a business deal. New York, Republican officials said, offered the best package, one that was enhanced by the city's cultural attractions and its host of national icons, like the Statue of Liberty.

Business= bad to the Times, and that's how they couch this. Stop it. We all know that every whine group going will be in New York, and their tomfoolery will only make them look like the dopes that they are. (Think San Francisco convention in 1984)

Expect to see this meme expand as the convention nears. But, you just know no matter where they had the convention, the Times' would find a problem with the site. (Imagine what they would say if it were in Miami.) They hate Republicans so much, they would rather the millions upon millions that will go to a lot of regular people in the service industry be spent elswhere.

...any of you decide to e-mail me and call me a racist for being skeptical at the "racism" claims of CAIR, the ACLU, and every other pro-jihadi group, remember this:

Muslim Pair in 'Virginia Jihad' Sentenced

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Two American Muslims accused of training for holy war against the United States by waging paintball battles in the Virginia woods were sentenced Friday to 15 years or more in prison.

Randall Todd Royer, 31, and Ibrahim al-Hamdi, 26, were among nine men who either pleaded guilty or were convicted of charges related to their participation in what prosecutors called a "Virginia jihad network." Two others were acquitted on all counts.

Royer, a former spokesman for the Muslim American Society, admitted helping members of the conspiracy join the militant Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba in the days after the Sept. 11 attacks.

This news release seems to not have had space to mention that Royer was once a civil rights coordinator for CAIR (Council for American Islamic Relations). And some of you act like I make this stuff up, and that I should just accept at face value about how John Ashcroft is trampling on these poor, innocent victims civil rights. And, according to this, was just "lending his American PR savvy." Yeah, OK.

I cannot believe that Democrats, especially Kerry, are campaigning on a platform of raising taxes. And, something that should be obvious to everyone, any good news for America, be it on Iraq or on the economy, is bad news for them. Get this:

Treasury News Releases on Taxes Attacked

WASHINGTON - The Treasury Department (news - web sites) issued a batch of tax-related press releases Friday that each carried a message saying America has a choice between growing the economy and raising taxes that could hurt the recovery.

Democrats immediately denounced the action as an improper use of government resources to subsidize political propaganda.

There they go again, arguing process, because they can't argue substance. That is because only a real dolt actually believes that the way to a good economy is raising taxes.

If you are a liberal Democrat or someone who is considering voting Democrat this November, just consider this:

- The Democrat standard-bearers are a former KKK member, Roberty Byrd, a man who let a woman drown in a car while he was trying to find a way to blame it on someone else, Ted Kennedy.

- Democrats want to raise your taxes and control your life more.

- They ask you to understand "root causes" after you watch thousands of your fellow American die.

- They care more about the people of France and Germany think than they do those of Alabama and Texas.

I almost feel sorry for you if you are a liberal. Almost.

At least according to liberals. Newsweek just did a hack job showing us all the insignificance of Bush's tax cuts. (And implicity saying that you'd be better off if you paid more in taxes) Sure, I'll believe Newsweek over the nice, sweet tax refund I received.

The Washington Times fisks the Newsweek garbage brilliantly. Read this example:

The Ellis family (two parents, two children) was next up. Ted and Erania Ellis earned $194,000 last year. "There's been no break for us," artist Ted tells Newsweek, which boldfaced the falsehood. "It feels like I'm being penalized for trying to run my own business. It doesn't feel like they're helping me. The tax cuts," he ignorantly asserts, "are benefiting major corporations who are downsizing and outsourcing."

Look at that. Complaining about the tax cuts and getting in a Democrat talking point. How convenient!

Power Line has the full story, as they always do. Read it.

I woke up to this nonsense this morning:

US-led coalition offers Fallujah ceasefire under mounting pressure

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) - The US-led coalition, facing mounting criticism of its bloody drive against Iraqi insurgents, suspended offensive operations in the town of Fallujah and offered mediation talks but faced renewed fighting.

A stunning lack of media shame with that bias. This is a typical liberal media trick, perfected by the New York Times, throwing in the lead paragraph that a U.S. decision (when led by Bush, of course) was made under "mounting criticism." Who is doing the criticizing here? The press is!!!
No one in America is upset that our fine men and women are defending themselves!!

Is there any doubt we could level the entire town and kill everyone with little effort? Of course not. The truth is a lot closer to this:

US officials said they had suspended their offensive in Fallujah west of Baghad as of noon (0800 GMT) to allow for talks on the delivery of relief supplies and the care of the dead and wounded in the town.

Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, the deputy director of operations, said the coalition was looking for a full ceasefire in the town where more than 400 Iraqis have been killed and 1,000 wounded since Monday.

We actually have humanity, unlike those filthy scumbags, and we do not want to kill any more people than we have to. I should not be surprised anymore that the press is making it look like a defeat for our fine soldiers. I am sick and tired of it. The headline should have read:

U.S. Allows Cease-Fire And Opportunity for Insurgents to Surrender

...Bill Clinton did not want to testify before the kangaroo commission publicly. Read this, and be sure to click the audio link at the bottom. Clinton is still Clinton, lying weasel snake.

Gary Trudeau has once again has proven Doonesbury to be nothing more than a house organ for liberalism. Read this crap:



He should have just called her a "dumb [n] broad" like he really wants to.

Like clockwork:

Muslims in U.S. Voice Concern About Iraq

WESTBURY, N.Y. - Muslims on Long Island signed a petition saying "we must not bomb mosques" in Iraq, while worshippers and clerics at Friday prayers around the United States worried that the war is getting out of control.

Gee, where o' where is the anger at the savages who brutally murdered 4 Americans last week? Nowhere to be found of course. These people are so full of shit, it is astonishing.

In his sermon on Long Island, Syed Z. Sayeed of the Columbia University Muslim Chaplain's office, did not directly mention Iraq. But he said "democracy can't be brought through the gun. It has to be brought through enlightenment and education."

Sure, if only Arabs would allow their own to get an honest education. The Arab world has given us the zero, and nothing since. Their lack of enlightenment goes back to the burning of the Alexandria library. Maybe he should openly wonder why there is no equivalent position for him at any Arab university.

Take a look at this picture. Tell me what is wrong with it:



You see the obvious? Of course you do. Japanese people protesting to their Prime Minister, and the sign is in English!

I'll say it again. All of the protests worldwide are meant simply for Western (re: American) consumption. Really, would you go protest George Bush with a sign in Japanese?

Allegedly, Robert Byrd wrote this column in the Washington Post, called "Follow The Exit Signs," which outlines what strategy he thinks we should take in Iraq: Defeat.

It is not the time to vastly expand the American presence in Iraq; it is time to reduce it. Forty years ago, the United States inundated the Vietnam jungles with American soldiers. What we received in return was 58,000 caskets. The Bush administration must step back from its unilateral approach in Iraq and end the disastrous mistake of this highly visible, made-in-America occupation before it is too late.

Boy, do these old Democrats love invoking Vietnam, and this is yet more evidence that they desire OUR DEFEAT in Iraq. Perhaps someone should remind the senile old KKK member that we are killing darkies over there. That would make him feel better.

I love Easterbrook's Tuesday Morning Quarterback, which is probably the best football column going. But, I don't always agree with his political writing, which is very liberal-leaning, at the New Republic. However, no one can say that Easterbrook is not intellectually honest. Read this Alternative History on what might have happened had President Bush ordered an attack on Afghanistan before 9/11. It is quite brilliant, and very consistent with his history of defending President Bush when it is deserved, in a honest manner, which makes his criticisms of the President more legitimate than anyone else's, in my view.

Look at this headline:

Hamas Launches Campaign in Gaza to Collect Funds

Now, from that headline, you might think they are having bake-sales, fundraising dinners, telemarketing campaigns, right? Well, it isn't exactly that.

GAZA (Reuters) - Worshippers handed over cash and jewelry to armed and masked men at Gaza mosques on Friday, at the start of a drive by the militant group Hamas to raise money for its armed wing amid U.S. pressure to choke off its funds.

I am quite sure all of these donations were "voluntary."

If so, explain this:

I know the right thing to do now is to stay the course, defeat the bad guys, disarm the militias and try to build a political framework that will hold the now wavering Shiite majority on our side — because if we lose them, the game is over. But this will take time and sacrifice, and the only way to generate enough of that is by enlisting the U.N., NATO and all of our allies to make the development of a decent state in Iraq a global priority.

Without more allies, without more global legitimacy — and without an Iraqi center ready to stand up against their Khmer Rouge now posing as their Viet Cong — we cannot win in Iraq. We will be building a house with bricks and no cement. In that case, we will have to move to Plan B. Too bad we never really had Plan A.

Gee, you would think he would know better than anyone that NATO and the U.N. do not want to get involved, no matter what. And, he should know that no matter what the U.S. does, there will never be "global legitmacy." Sum up Friedman and the liberal and the Friedman company line like this: Kill people like it is an assembly, OK. Put a stop to it without France and Germany, no way.

I had to read this twice to make sure it was legitimate:

Koizumi shrine visit ruled unconstitutional

FUKUOKA (Kyodo) Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine in August 2001 was unconstitutional because it violated the separation of state and religion, the Fukuoka District Court ruled Wednesday.

This is beyond outrageously laughable. Japan's version of the ACLU must have filed this lawsuit. Get this part:

The plaintiffs had sought 21.1 million yen -- or 100,000 yen each -- in damages from the government, citing the psychological suffering they experienced as a result of the prime minister's shrine visit.

But the court rejected their compensation demands, ruling the visit did not violate their freedom of conscience.

I guarantee you this will happen here someday, and would not be surprised in the least if some liberal wacko court (think 9th Circuit) would rule the same way.

Get this:

MoveOn staffer moves on to Kerry campaign

WASHINGTON — A senior strategist for MoveOn, a liberal activist group, is joining John Kerry's Democratic presidential campaign. Zack Exley will direct Kerry's online organizing.

MoveOn said Exley and his former colleagues will avoid contact.

Yeah, and I'm an Amish who shuns modernity.

via the brilliance of Cox and Forkum

From an academic more brilliant than I:

American total war and "takfir wa hijra" are two sides of the same coin. They both indiscriminately kill and maim. The only way the world can get out of the waning of one and the waxing of the other is by destroying the coin. A first step in this new destiny is for George Bush and Osama bin-Laden to talk to each other, face-to-face. Even if this occurs secretly, it still means a first step in a needed destruction.

Don't you just love the moral equivlency? Take a wild guess where the genius who wrote this is from? (Sorry Professor Yin)

PNS editor Franz Schurmann (fschurmann@pacificnews.org) is emeritus professor of history and sociology at U.C. Berkeley and the author of numerous books.

Funny how these types of liberals give moral standing to bin Laden and his ilk. If racidal Islam ever took control of this country, how fast do you think they would shut down Berkeley? Then, perhaps this professor could just get another tenure-track position at that great Arab University, uh, uh.....uh, THERE ISN'T ONE!!! I wonder why that is....

The anti-American New York Times, who never can seem to find any Iraqi that is better today than before Saddam, has some more brilliance in this article:

In Shiite Enclave, Cheers Have Turned to Fury

First, can you believe they would run a photo like this?



captioned: Relatives of Salman Naser, 63, including his 12 children, gathered yesterday at his home in Sadr City to mourn his death in a in a firefight on Sunday with American armored forces on patrol in the poor district. About two dozen Iraqis died in the battle.

Now, get this part of the article:

"Almost a year ago, the Shiites of Sadr City were throwing flowers at American tanks that rumbled into Baghdad ending the rule of their longtime oppressor, Saddam Hussein. But on Monday, many Iraqis were filling plain wooden coffins with the bodies of their kin and neighbors, killed in a firefight with American armored forces that now patrol their impoverished neighborhood."

Gee, how did that happen? Maybe it was because of Iraqi militants taking over police stations, trying to take over control of the city. Notice how the Times repeatedly tells us how impoverished this city is. (Even the link has the word "slum" in it.) They want you to think that this city all of a sudden became poor when we arrived.

Just read how much space is wasted, er, used on the poor dead Iraqis, especially compared to the few words used on our losses.

Mr. Sulzberger, with all due respect, F U, you scumbag weasel seditious son of a bitch.

An actual headline from today's New York Times' editorial:

John Kerry, Fiscal Conservative

And, yes, they use their favorite word to describe John Kerry's policy proposal, the same word they loved to use when Howard Dean was their lovechild:

Yesterday at Georgetown University, Senator John Kerry delivered a forceful speech on the virtues of responsible budgeting. On top of his recent nuanced proposals on corporate taxes, Mr. Kerry's performance suggested he is starting to hit his stride in thinking and talking about the economy.

This is not the first, nor will it be the last, time the Times' will toot Kerry's horn.

Another scumbag on that committee is Richard Ben-Veniste. Take a look at this:

BEN-VENISTE: Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6th PDB warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?

RICE: I believe the title was, "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States."

Now, the...

BEN-VENISTE: Thank you.

RICE: No, Mr. Ben-Veniste...

BEN-VENISTE: I will get into the...

RICE: I would like to finish my point here.

BEN-VENISTE: I didn't know there was a point.

RICE: Given that -- you asked me whether or not it warned of attacks.

BEN-VENISTE: I asked you what the title was.

RICE: You said, did it not warn of attacks. It did not warn of attacks inside the United States. It was historical information based on old reporting. There was no new threat information. And it did not, in fact, warn of any coming attacks inside the United States.

Now, if this is an investigating commission, not a political hack job, why would Ben-Veniste be so anxious to have her mention the title of the memo but shut her up before she discussed the contents. Why, and I did not know this until now, HE IS A CLINTON HACK!! Ben-Vineste goes on talk to about a memo from August 6th, which was part of a Presidential briefing:

BEN-VENISTE: Well, did you not -- you have indicated here that this was some historical document. And I am asking you whether it is not the case that you learned in the PDB memo of August 6th that the FBI was saying that it had information suggesting that preparations -- not historically, but ongoing, along with these numerous full field investigations against Al Qaeda cells, that preparations were being made consistent with hijackings within the United States?

Ongoing preparations? Take a look at the Phoenix FBI memo, which an agent showed concern over the number of Arabs taking flight training in the United States. Could you imagine if the FBI raided flight schools and pulled out Arabs all over the place, and told us that there was a plane to simultaneously hijack 4 planes, to be crash landed in Washington D.C. and New York City? The ACLU, CAIR, the Democrat Party, you name it, would have had a heart attack, crying racism, racial profiling, Kristallnacht against Arabs, you name it. Why isn't this angle being discussed? We all know the answer to that. If Bush had flight schools raided tomorrow on the same basis, even after 9/11, the reaction would be exactly the same as it would have been pre-9/11.

And, as expected, the top story on the AP Wire:

September 11 families say Rice testimony fails to answer all questions

Reporters must keep these people on speed dial. I'll bet most of these people did not even watch the whole 3 hours of Rice's testimony. I hate to say this, but many of these 9/11 families are NOT authorities on terrorism simply because they lost loved ones on 9/11, just like I am not an expert on heart attacks caused by obesity because that's what killed my 420 pound grandfather, and I am tired of them jumping on the hack brigade to get themselves publicity. C'mon, how many 9/11 families who support Bush have you seen on the news lately? These people know that supporting Bush or Rice does not get you on CNN or a seat with Katie Couric. Quotes like this do:

Beverly Eckert, who lost her husband Sean Rooney in the World Trade Center attack, said she feared Americans were no safer today than before 9/11, especially since the US-led war on Iraq.

"The war in Iraq diverted resources. Honestly I don't know that we're stopping terrorism by agitating that segment of the world," she said. "I don't think we're safer from terrorism. I think we're less safe."

If there was any doubt that that kangaroo commission wasn't a bunch of partisan hacks trying to protect Clinton and revise history, instead of actually investigating 9/11 and how a future one can be prevented, Dr. Rice's appearance before them today ended that doubt, or at least it should have.

Former Senator Bob Kerrey is a shameless Democrat stooge. The entire transcript can be found here, but it was this part of hearing that really pissed me off, one that you can bet the liberal media will not find important enough to discuss:

KERREY: You've used the phrase a number of times, and I'm hoping with my question to disabuse you of using it in the future. You said the president was tired of swatting flies.
Can you tell me one example where the president swatted a fly when it came to Al Qaida prior to 9/11?

RICE: I think what the president was speaking to was...

KERREY: No, no. What fly had he swatted?

RICE: Well, the disruptions abroad was what he was really focusing on...

KERREY: No, no...

RICE: ... when the CIA would go after Abu Zubaydah...

KERREY: He hadn't swatted...

RICE: ... or go after this guy...

KERREY: Dr. Rice, we didn't...

RICE: That was what was meant.

KERREY: We only swatted a fly once on the 20th of August 1998. We didn't swat any flies afterwards. How the hell could he be tired?

RICE: We swatted at -- I think he felt that what the agency was doing was going after individual terrorists here and there, and that's what he meant by swatting flies. It was simply a figure of speech.

KERREY: Well, I think it's an unfortunate figure of speech because I think, especially after the attack on the Cole on the 12th of October, 2000, it would not have been swatting a fly. It would not have been -- we did not need to wait to get a strategic plan.

Dick Clarke had in his memo on the 20th of January overt military operations. He turned that memo around in 24 hours, Dr. Clarke. There were a lot of plans in place in the Clinton administration -- military plans in the Clinton administration.

In fact, since we're in the mood to declassify stuff, there was -- he included in his January 25th memo two appendices -- Appendix A: "Strategy for the elimination of the jihadist threat of Al Qaida," Appendix B: "Political military plan for Al Qaida."

So I just -- why didn't we respond to the Cole?

RICE: Well, we...

KERREY: Why didn't we swat that fly?

RICE: I believe that there's a question of whether or not you respond in a tactical sense or whether you respond in a strategic sense; whether or not you decide that you're going to respond to every attack with minimal use of military force and go after every -- on a kind of tit-for-tat basis.

By the way, in that memo, Dick Clarke talks about not doing this tit-for-tat, doing this on the time of our choosing.

Just look at the blatant massaging of history, throwing the blame for our non-response for the USS Cole bombing on George Bush. Kerrey says it himself, the bombing happened on October 12, 2000. Now, who was President on that date? Bill Clinton. Why didn't Clinton respond? He was worried about getting Gore and Hillary elected less a month later. Our security had to take a back seat his political priorities.

What Kerrey was doing here was trying to get Rice to say that Bush didn't respond to the Cole, while keeping her from saying some variation of Bush's statement that he wasn't going to send a 10 million dollar missile at a five dollar tent and hit a camel's butt. In other words, he wanted to keep her from exposing the pathetic response of the Clinton administration while saying that Bush did nothing.

What Kerrey did should also be understood in this context: He has been mentioned as a possible VP candidate for John Kerry. Do not think for a second that his hopes for being the VP on the Kerry ticket does not account for a lot of the reason why Kerrey has pulled his crap.

Dr. Rice then hit Kerrey with this, a brilliant comeback:

RICE: I'm aware, Mr. Kerrey, of a speech that you gave at that time that said that perhaps the best thing that we could do to respond to the Cole and to the memories was to do something about the threat of Saddam Hussein.

That's a strategic view...

(APPLAUSE)

After that exchange, Kerrey starts acting like he was a man of brilliance, of some influence. It became all about him. He is shameless, and has done our country a major disservice with his actions.

However, I believe with this commission, the law of unintended consequences comes into play. Democrats think they are hurting Bush, when all they have done is put terrorism front and center. The people are not as dumb as they think. The American people know Clinton did nothing, and Bush has responded forcefully. Wonks may dissect everything Bush has done, but the average person will say, "Bush has took it to our enemies, and Clinton didn't." Plus, people will see Condi Rice front and center, and say, "Hey, that so-called black President never had anyone like that in his administration. Bush has that brilliant woman, and Clinton had, well, Jesse Jackson."

Once again, I ask you to think about this: Democrats are simultaneously ripping Bush for not doing enough to stop 9/11 and doing too much to stop Iraq. Bush is out fixing problems handed to him, and Democrats are out trying to fix blame on Bush.

I am proud of Dr. Rice, and I thank God she is in the position she is in. America owes her a debt of gratitude. When it comes down to it, the Democrats hate her for two reasons: She is probably the most important black woman in American history and isn't a Democrat diversity window-dressing hire.

I just love reading that far-left teabag bird cage liner The Guardian. Get this:

"The Americans think we are afraid while we recognise them as cowards," said the young man, the commander of this small band of fighters in this village. "We have many heroes who are standing here and elsewhere. We will not be afraid of their tanks and their weapons and their other equipment. We will stay until we defeat them."

Digest that. Now read the very next papragraph.

Suddenly the gunmen scattered, unnerved by the sound of an approaching US helicopter. Villagers who had been standing in the street fled into their shops and houses and, within seconds, the crossroads was deserted.

All talk, no balls. Yet our friends in the liberal media, well beyond this teabag rag, act as if these people are supposed to be treated on equal footing as our soldiers. Give me a break. Now, read the last few paragraphs, which we all know are blantantly untrue, yet are allowed to stand unquestioned.

"At the beginning we thought the Americans came for humanitarian reasons but now we see they came for destruction," said Khairullah Ibrahim Abbas.

"The Americans are civilised with values, morals and manners, isn't that right?" said Mr Yusuf. "If they are doing this because of the four Americans who were killed, why are they killing so many women and children and bombing the civilian districts?"

Now, how do we now that the United States does not bomb indiscriminately like the reporter allows to be charged in his article? Because if we did, the reporter would be afraid for his life, and would not go anywhere near these blowhard wussies.

The press is having a blast with the events of the last few days. I even heard a report on the news updates on the radio on how these militants are back in control of 3 cities and how everything is falling apart. Didn't we hear this crap before? Have they learned nothing? If these militants are in control of anything right now, they won't be before you know it.

I hope the press enjoys this while it lasts. Because it won't.

Great column about those vile scumbags at the ACLU. An excerpt:

The problem with the ACLU is that it is composed in equal measure of self-righteous fools and fascistic bullies. Because so many of their members are rich and privileged, they will, on the one hand, blather on about their love of democracy, while, at the same time, assume they alone know what's best for everyone else.

Because they are so out of step with the majority, they can rarely have their way via a democratic ballot. There are, in fact, only two means by which they ever have their way. The first is by getting liberal judges to set aside election results, as they have done over such issues as capital punishment, illegal immigration and affirmative action. The second way is by intimidating those – be they individuals, cities or organizations – that lack the backbone or the financial wherewithal to defend themselves against the ACLU's mob of shysters.

Go over to Spoons and read this post about the movie Air Force One. Thought inspiring, and well worth the time.

Via the Viking Pundit:

Since I live a life of tomfoolery, I spent this wonderful Tuesday in Santa Fe with Stephanie and Emily. What a nice town, full of churches and Catholic icons. If you can ever get there, especially during ski season, I highly recommend it.

The ACLU is at it again:

ACLU to Sue Government Over 'No-Fly' List

WASHINGTON - American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites)'s officials declined to comment in advance of their planned announcement Tuesday that they would file a class-action lawsuit challenging the list of travelers that the government has barred from flying because they're considered a threat. The civil rights group is representing seven plaintiffs.

Airlines are instructed to stop anyone on the "no fly" list that is compiled by the Transportation Security Administration. The ACLU contends, though, that some people are wrongfully put on the list.

David Nelson is a law-abiding 34-year-old lawyer from Belleville, Ill. But he says the government treats him as if he's a threat to commercial aviation who shouldn't be allowed on a plane.

Nelson says he believes his name appears on the government's "no-fly list," which names people deemed too dangerous to board commercial flights. For Nelson, it's a case of mistaken identity: he's not the David Nelson the government believes is a threat.

The other plaintiffs in the lawsuit are:

_Michelle D. Green, 36, an Air Force master sergeant.

_Alexandra Hay, 22, a Middlebury College student.

_John Shaw, 74, a retired Presbyterian minister from Sammamish, Wash.

_Mohamed Ibrahim, 41, coordinator with the American Friends Service Committee.

_David C. Fathi, 41, senior staff attorney with the ACLU National Prison Project in Washington.

_Sarosh Syed, 26, special projects coordinator at the ACLU in Seattle.

I fly twice a week. As you can see from my picture to the left, no one could mistake me for an Arab. Still, I can't tell you how many times I had to sit there and watch some latex-glove wearing hack go through my underwear, and ask me the same dumb question: What is this key? (It's for my storage locker)

I look forward to hearing the reasons why these people are being held up. If they are suing because they are merely inconvenienced, then I say boo-f'n hoo to them. However, if they are being held up without cause, above and beyond the normal crap I have to deal with, then they are justified and it needs to end.

Frankly, I am quite skeptical of the ACLU's claims, with good reason. They are a pro-terrorist, anti-American organization. I am not about to accept simply at face value that the 2 ACLU members, who are plantiffs in this lawsuit, are poor, innocent victims of mean ol' John Ashcroft and George Bush. If you want to call me a bigot, go right ahead. It is you who are the ignorant one, ignoring past history, not me. Who was it behind 9/11? USS Cole? Khobar Towers? The first WTC attack? You already know the answer. And, take a look at the case of Maher "Mike" Hawash. The ACLU and their ilk rushed to this guy's defense, making him out to be some poor victim. Of course, the truth emerged, and he was guilty of aiding America's enemies.

I can just picture Professor Yin reading this, and thinking that I am nuts. He may be partially right. But, bottom line here, while I am a law and order, "innocent until proven guilty" guy in every other circumstance, the terror issue to me is above and beyond simple law enforcement. I would not be surprised in the least if these people are innocent victims of circumstance. But, I would be equally not surprised if there are valid reasons for some or most of these people are being justifiably held up. Of course, there is a difference of opinion there too. According to the ACLU, providing material support for a terrorist organization is not against the law, because the law is too vague.

I look forward to seeing this play out. The truth will be revealed soon enough.

"The largest group of the perpetrators of anti-Semitic activities appears to be young, disaffected white Europeans."

Yeah, Ok. According to Mark Steyn:

If you troubled yourself to look inside [the E.U. report on anti-Semitism], it turned out that some nine per cent of anti-Semitic attacks were by young white males. The remaining 91 per cent were by... well, let's not get into that. In the EU, nine per cent is enough to make you the "largest group". One day, there will be only one tattooed knuckle-dragging white skinhead left on the continent. But he'll single-handedly be officially responsible for the majority of anti-Semitic attacks.

Talk about living in denial and fear. I wish "Old Europe" luck in the future. They are going to need it.

Lee of Right-Thinking From the Left Coast provided inspiration for this rant.

Very few things piss me off more than thinking about the hundreds of thousands of Tutsis in Rwanda by the Hutus, and the inaction of both the United Nations and President Clinton. When it was all said and done, about 800,000 were killed, most hacked up with machetes. (If you ever get a chance, borrow this PBS Frontline video from your library. It will stun you.)

I studied the Rwanda genocide in great detail when I was at Arizona State University. The United Nations knew they had a genocide on their hands, right from the beginning. They were sent several cables at the beginning, informing them of what was about to happen. They did nothing. 10 Belgian peacekeepers were duped into give up their weapons, and were tortured and killed. UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda) pulled out, once again reinforcing the lesson surely learned by bin Laden that all you had to do was kill a few and the world would run. The United Nations Security Council, showing their usual backbone, passed a resolution condemning the killings, leaving out the word "genocide" because using that term would have obligated them to act. This part, excerpted from the time line I linked to above, is something that should be seen, and can be seen in the video I linked to above:

State Department spokeswoman Christine Shelley is asked whether what is happening in Rwanda is a genocide. She responds,

"...the use of the term 'genocide' has a very precise legal meaning, although it's not strictly a legal determination. There are other factors in there as well."

This edited version of her speech does not give what happened in it justice. Once again, a later press briefing, Shelley was rambling on like a dunce, and would not say a genocide was occuring. She would only state that there "may have been acts of genocide." (It was pathetic, and typical of the "law-enforcement approach.") She was asked:

"How many acts of genocide does it take to make genocide?"

"That's just not a question that I'm in a position to answer."

"Well, is it true that you have specific guidance not to use the word 'genocide' in isolation, but always to preface it with these words 'acts of'?"

"I have guidance which I try to use as best as I can. There are formulations that we are using that we are trying to be consistent in our use of. I don't have an absolute categorical prescription against something, but I have the definitions. I have phraseology which has been carefully examined and arrived at as best as we can apply to exactly the situation and the actions which have taken place ... "

I never understood this. Why the two-step? Why not just go in and stop it? Clinton should have went on TV, explained that HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS were being killed senselessly, and it had to stop. America would have supported him!! WHo was he afraid of upsetting, the United Nations? This is the same President who thought nothing of sending our Marines to Haiti to restore a guy the Congressional Black Caucus liked. (And was making $$ from too)

President Clinton could have stopped this much sooner. African peacekeepers wanted to intervene, and asked for some armored vehicles. (I belueve they asked for 35, I am not positive) Clinton would only authorize a lease for them, and drug out the process for two weeks!! Plus, during the killings, a Huti radio station was broadcasting to all orders to kill people, and naming names? Why didn't the Clinton Administration or the U.N. blow up the radio station: Free speech concerns. I kid you not.

Several years later, Clinton went to Rwanda and apologized, in perhaps the most shameless act of duplicity ever pulled off by him. That's how ridiculous it was.

(Here's some great reading on the inaction of the Clinton administration.)

I think about Rwanda every time I see Madeline Albright on TV ripping the Bush administration. When she bitches about his policies, she is really complaining that Bush is acting, instead of either obstructing or doing nothing, just like she did when she was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

WMD's or not, I think of Rwanda when I see the mass graves that Saddam filled all over Iraq. That is why I have, and will continue to, uneqivocally support our war in Iraq.

Sadly, every other time this has been proposed, it has gone nowhere:

Senator wants to divide 9th Circuit into three circuits

A Nevada senator proposed splitting up the federal appeals court with jurisdiction over much of the West, saying rulings by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals are too liberal and its caseload too large.

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., has proposed a bill splitting the circuit into three separate circuits.

Under Ensign's proposal, a reconfigured 9th Circuit would oversee California, Guam, Hawaii and the Northern Marianas Islands. A new 12th Circuit, based in Las Vegas, would encompass Arizona, Nevada, Idaho and Montana. A new 13th Circuit would cover Alaska, Oregon and Washington.

Someday, the 9th Circuit willbe broken up. But, since the left depends on that kangaroo court, and the Democrats are owned by the left-wing gripe groups, it will not happen any time soon.

If I were the least bit intelligent, I would have figured out that the word outsourcing is a racial "code" word. David Hogberg, who has spent too much time in the Iowa cornfields, offers this nonsense:

In a column in AsianWeek, Phil Tajitsu Nash lamented that "President Bush is continuing to use racial code words...such as 'quota.'" Earlier this year, Howard Dean similarly tagged President Bush:

"The President used the word 'quota' five or six times.…the word 'quota' every politician and every pollster in America knows is a race coded word deliberately designed to appeal to people's fears that they may lose their job, or their place at [a] university to a member of a community of color."

Whether or not one agrees with Dean, it is no stretch to argue that his description of "quota" can be applied to "outsourcing." Outsourcing also raises people's fears that they may lose their job to a member of a person of color. The only real difference is that it is a member of another nation.

Wow. What ingenuity, what original thinking. Many other nations have people of different ethnicities, so there must be racism attached. Real brilliant. (Yeah, I know the left are the ones crying about "outsourcing," but so what? Hogberg is a dope) He concludes:

WHETHER THE RACIAL-code-words charge is helpful to policy debates in the U.S. is an open question. There are legitimate criticisms to be made of policies like affirmative action and welfare, and dismissing criticism of them as racially motivated is probably myopic. Yet if the mainstream media will draw attention to the political right's use of words that supposedly appeal to people's racial fears, fairness demands that they focus on the political left's use of a word that appeals to people's xenophobia. Of course, conservatives learned long ago not to expect fair treatment from the mainstream media.

He does have a point. Indeed there is a double standard in the media. However, Hogberg doesn't need to invent examples. There are plenty front and center that do not need this sort of stretch to justify such complaints.

A perfect example of what I mean can be found here.

Which New York Times Columnist are you? I took this quiz and it said I was William Safire.


Which New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Are You?
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The start of another Major League Baseball season is upon us. Tonight, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Pedro Martinez and the Red Sox get their ass handed to him by the new look Orioles.

With the beautiful new Citizens Bank Ballpark open, along with the key additions of Billy Wagner and Tim Worrell, I expect my team, the Philadelphia Phillies, to have a great season. Pat Burrell will have a great rebound year, Kevin Millwood learned last year that he actually has to perform to get that huge contract he expected, so I am predicted a 20-win season for him. Randy Wolf and Brett Myers are older, wiser, and improved. Jim Thome is, well, Jim Thome. Phillies win the East with a 99-63 record for the first time since 1993.

My fantasy team: Offense: Lieberthal, Ibanez, Vidro, Renteria, Chavez, Andruw Jones, Guerrero, Garrett Anderson, Burrell, Bernie Williams, Roberts. Pitching: Morris, Sheets, Lohse, Eaton, Percival, Julio, Lidge, Carter, Kolb, Leskanic.

F the Braves, Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates, Marlins, Expos, and Diamondcracks.

Got a prediction you want on the record? Leave it it the comments, and I will make a post based on them.

If you read this blog often, then you know how much I despise the ACLU, People for the American Way, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and just about every other left-wing gripe group out there. In a brilliant column that I wish I had written myself, titled Mission Creep, John Leo explains the concept of [former National Review editor John] O'Sullivan's First Law: "All organizations that are not actually right-wing will over time become left-wing."

If you read nothing else today read this column, and remember its conclusion:

If you’re tempted to support any of these groups, it's best to remember O'Sullivan's First Law and find out what they really stand for.

Alright, the gentleman to my right in the top picture is Patrick O'Brien. He is a graduate of William & Mary and hails from Western Virginia. He currently lives in Williamsburg. He plans on going to graduate school when we get back to be a physical therapist.

The other picture is of my maintenance squad. From top to bottom, left to right is:

Spc. Darrel Green of the Hampton Roads, Virginia area. He has two kids, a son and a newborn daughter. Spc. Patrick O'Brien, see above.
Sfc. Adrian Jones. He is from West Point, Va and has 4 kids and is a mechanic with Ryder
Spc. Nick Ambergey from Western Va who builds choppers (the motorcycle type) and is waiting to hear back from West Coast Choppers about a job.
Sgt. Douglas McManama, who is a newlywed and is a technician with the Active Army Guard.
Me.
Ssg. Mac Pennyfeather, originally from the Virgin Islands and is a plumber/pipefitter in the Hampton Roads, Va area.
Spc. Teray Bundy who is a student and should be completing his technical degree a few months after we return.
Sgt. Tommy Lawson who is also a newlywed and lives in the Western Virginia area.

That's my maintenance squad, we maintain an entire company's worth of trucks and machinery. We don't get much rest.

I have sat here and watched the Three Stooges marathon on AMC for the last few hours. (Thankfully, they have all been Moe, Larry, and Curly. Shemp was OK, but I hate Joe and Curly Joe) I have laughed so hard at times that Stephanie got out of bed, walked across the house, and told me to quiet down, because I was going to wake up the baby. Now, I've seen almost of these epsiodes so many times, I sit here and recite every line, eye-poke, smack, whatever. I've seen some of my favorite episodes tonight, Hoi Polloi, Disorder in the Court, and Punch Drunk, just to name a few)

Think about how juvenile and silly these shorts are. They are nothing more than a bunch of dopes acting like a bunch of dopes. And you know what, they are every damn bit as funny as they were 60+ years ago. In fact, I'd venture to say that nothing on TV today is even half as funny. For example, look at what passes for comedy today. Some show I had actually never heard of until I read this nonsense, called "Whoopi" after that ugly broad from the movie Ghost, had this alleged comedy:

In the sit-com, titled Whoopi, Goldberg plays a former Broadway performer who now runs a small Manhattan hotel. In the episode, she learns that Bush will be driving through the neighborhood that day. She declares: “Tell him to stop by the UN and apologize to Europe, starting with France.”

Well hardy f'n har-har. So she wants Bush to apologize for ruining France's $100 oil contracts with Iraq? I guess Bush should have continued to let the mass grave fill up so France could get their blood money.

It ends up that while Goldberg’s character, “Mavis,” is away from the front desk Bush stops by the hotel to use the facilities, leading to this scene which Today showcased:

Mavis, to hotel janitor: "Bush is in my can?" Janitor: "That's what, that's what I try to tell you! The President is here in your toilet now!" Mavis: "Well go get him out!" Janitor: "Oh yeah right. An Iranian immigrant telling the President to go. What? Why don't I just run around the airport and shout, yeah Jihad! Holy war! Holy war!" Mavis: "Fine! I will go get him out of there myself. I can't believe he's in there doing to my bathroom what he's done to the economy!"

Well, maybe Bush has shit and pissed on France's economy, but surely not ours. I guess Whoopi has been reading the DNC talking points a liitle too much, instead of seeing the truth for herself. Once again, I ask, this is supposed to be a sit-com?

And, my favorite part:

Later, in a scene not played by Today, Mavis charges: “Black Republicans make about as much sense to me as Jews for Jesus.”

Of course Today left that out. Talk about the liberal midset in a nutshell. But, even Katie Couric is ashamed to put this on her show. Since her standards are as low as they get as it is, you really know how dumb this comment was. I won't bother to comment in detail on this. You already know how idiotic it is.

Contrast the difference between Whoopi's crap and the Three Stooges, during a war. Whoopi wants Bush to apologize to the French backstabbers, while the Stooges made a mockery out of Hilter and the axis powers, as well as an espisode that was so anti-Japanese, it was banned from television. (See this, this, and this)

Or how about this one:

But the season finale of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" on HBO arguably best conveyed the growing sentiment. On that episode, the main character, played by the comedian Larry David, backed out of a dalliance sanctioned by his wife after noticing that his prospective paramour had lovingly displayed a picture of Mr. Bush on her dresser.



That a look at the old, ugly bastard. He should be happy to take any mugumbo he can get. If I was about to get down to business, I wouldn't give a damn if the girl was wearing an "I love the ACLU" t-shirt, and had a picture of Ted Kennedy on the wall along with a plaque that said "President - Maureen Dowd Fan Club." That woudn't get in the way at all. (Hell, I used to date a girl who was a member of Greenpeace. Let's just say it wasn't her "environmental awareness" I was interested in.)

This is what is supposed to pass for funny these days. I am quite sure that a majority of the people who watched this crap (if many watch that crap at all), thought it was dumber than dumb. Long after Whoopi Goldberg and Larry David are forgotten about, the Three Stooges will live on, because anyone who desires real comedy will surely not look to them over Moe, Larry, and Curly.

Hat tip to Southern Appeal

The President of the World Court is Judge Shi Jiuyong of China. According to most of the one-world Socialist liberals who infest our country, we should surrender our sovereignty to this kangaroo court. Think about that. They want us to take orders from someone who is a product of a legal system that results in this:

China arrests popular Tibetan musicians

BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese state security officials have arrested a popular Tibetan singer and a composer, apparently because of the implicit political content of their music, an official said.

The singer and composer, known as Namkha and Bakocha respectively, were taken into custody around March 10 in Tongde county, a traditionally Tibetan area now part of northwest China's Qinghai province, a police officer and the US-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) said.

Is there any doubt that if we were a signatory to the World Court, somehow, someway, a dissenting American would find himself in front of the Hague, standing trial for a crime that would get laughed out of any court in our country? The next time a liberal screams about our not being a signatory to that joke of a court, throw what I just said in their faces.

That is Jamie on the left. I have no idea who the guy is on the right. Perhaps Jamie will enlighten us as to his name and hometown.



And below are some of the fine Americans who are protecting us in Iraq. Jamie is on the bottom row, furthest left.



God Bless our fine troops. Because of them, I am able to live this life of tomfoolery, sitting at home watching the Three Stooges marathon on AMC.

Remember a few years ago, that brave soul Al Sharpton sacrificed about 90 days of his life by going to the joint for protesting the U.S. naval exercises on Vieques? Well, Sharpton got his wish. The exercises were ended, the base was ordered closed, and soon, the base will be closed. Well, here is what will result from the base closing:

- a loss of the $300 million to Puerto Rico's economy.

- dropping property values

- a flooding of the surplus housing market

Nice work by Sharpton (and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.). I'm sure he'll run down there now to help them cope with this huge blow to the local economy.

I am convinced that the far-left, outrageously liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is beyond caring that they are, by far, the most-overturned court in the nation. My guess is that they figure that the Supreme Court can't or won't grant certiorari to every ridiculous decision they make, so they at least can get some of their policy/legal preferences through in order to set precedent.

The latest case that saw yet another Ninth Circuit kangaroo decision being overturned is United States v. Flores-Montano. In this case, The United States District Court for the District of Southern California ruled that the Border Patrol, absent reasonable suspicion, violated the Fourth Amendment by disassembling the fuel tank of a vehicle entering the United States. (That tank, by the way, contained 81 pounds of marijuana). The Ninth Circuit, finding one word (routine) in Supreme Court precedent that they could use to issue a ruling that flies completely in the face of established law, agreed that the search was unconstitutional. They should have just issued a comminque that told al-Qaeda that if they wanted to get a bomb in this country, place it in the fuel tank, not the trunk.

What bothers me even more than the Ninth Circuit's flagrant ignoring of established precedent is that they claimed there was "no reasonable suspicion" for the dismantling of the fuel tank. If this isn't reasonable suspicion, I don't know what is:

At the secondary station, a second customs inspector inspected the gas tank by tapping it, and noted that the tank sounded solid.

I understand that "the Government advised the District Court that it was not relying on reasonable suspicion as a basis for denying respondent's suppression motion, " that they were going after bigger fish, namely another Ninth Circuit kangaroo opinion they believed (correctly) to be wrongly decided. Still, my point is that if the District Court or the Court of Appeals need a standard of "reasonable suspicion," there is no doubt this standard was met.

Why the Ninth Circuit does everything in their power to handcuff the Border Patrol is quite beyond my capacity to comprehend, especially in this day and age. If they could get away with it, I am sure they would rule that all border searches are unconstitutional without a warrant.

Despite Kos' efforts to "Winston Smith" this post from the google archives and his own site, others have screen captured it to make sure that no one forgets the true anti-American feelings of this scumbag. He had 4 Democrats advertising on his site, and 3 of them pulled their ads. (I'm sure #4 will soon enough)

Welcome to America, pal, where the majority of us (even liberals) will not stand for this far-left American hatred.

My prediction: Kos will run to the race card soon, screaming that this is happening to him because he is Hispanic. He's a good lefty, and I'm sure he knows the drill step-by-step.

Hey, Kos...no, no my friend, SCREW YOU!!

[Update: Read Kos' "apology." He uses John Kerry logic. He was upset that five soldiers were killed the same day and did not get the attention they deserved, so that is why he ranted and raved on the "mercenaries." Perhaps, if he really felt that way, he would have said just that on his original post. And, we get to read the teary-eyed story of his tough life as a youth in a Communist country. Boo-f'n-hoo.

Victor Davis Hanson on why we must move our troops out of Europe.

Laurie Mylroie on the weasel that is Richard Clarke. Mylroie is the most underrated writer around. Her work is ignored by the liberal media because her painstakingly researched facts fail to conform to the liberal "truths." We all lose because of this.

I have been worried about my cousin Jamie and what he has been doing in Iraq. I am glad to see he is doing well and is in place. I look forward to reading about his experiences, without the filter of liberal, anti-Bush media bias. More of what he sees to follow.

To those of you wondering, I am back. I have finally settled into a routine here in Iraq.

Things here are pretty nice. Obviously, there's internet out here. Most of the time you have to pay for it, however, right now I am leeching off of the embedded reporters GPS router for free internet.

I haven't spent much time outside of the base camp here, our vehicles have been through hell and need much repair work done. Plus, operational tempo has kept our unit spread out through out the country.

I have tons of pictures to share with everyone and I have an email if anyone has any specific questions they'd like to ask. jpink37@yahoo.com

It's hard to keep up with things politically out here. I don't hear much except that Kerry has challenged Bush to a series of debates. Ok. Wow. What's the big deal.

Kerry has pulled a Clinton. He appeared on MTV and the little kids asked him such deep questions! Go to MTV.com for the intriguing details! I know now that Kerry can't admit he's cool, because that wouldn't be cool!

The political atmosphere here in Northern Iraq is quite different than that of the Sunni Triangle, I am assuming. It seems that here we have a small portion of Iraqis who are angry and the others love our money. Heh. I love our money, too. Guess we are making progress.

Well, I appreciate the support and I will be posting again soon!

-Jamie

PS Brian, Dana changed majors in school. She's a poli sci major now.. Minor in Mass Communications. Go figure.

# posted by Jamie @ 4/02/2004 09:48:00 AM

''For their own selfish reasons, some people want to live near the water and pay little or no taxes,'' [Riviera Beach, Florida Mayor Michael Brown] says. ''Who wouldn't? But city government has to look out for all residents.''

''The people who live on the water are cheating the poorest members of our community.''

That's that attitude of this dope, who wants to confiscate private property under eminent domain in order to turn it over to businesses who will increase tax revenues. And he isn't the only one. Read this and be aware of what is going all over the country. (This happened to a brake shop in my part-time home of Mesa, Arizona. Luckily, the court put the kibosh on it)

Read this scumbag mayor's web site for more bullshit. Of course, he is a Democrat, a man of the poor.

(Eric the Viking Pundit inspired me to do this, with this post.)

Remember that vile POS Susan Smith? The woman who killed her kids just so a man would want her? When that story first went down, I was over my mother's house for dinner, watching the TV with my then-girlfriend, my sisterm and my Mom. As soon as the story was over, I turned to them and said, "She did it, and the cops know it." You'd have thunk I screamed a racial slur at an NAACP convention. They all went nuts on me. Their problem was simple: They thought like women who would never dream of doing that to their children. They didn't think like me, a cynical skeptic who thinks almost everything is a scam. Needless to say, I was vindicated, and I wish I wasn't. I wish they were found.

Fast forward to the aftermath of 9/11. I was a 30-year old senior at Arizona State University, and an Arab student was the "victim" of a "hate crime." In one of my classes, some self-loathing white liberal professor went on a 10 minute rant directed at the 80 or so people in the class, decrying about all the Arab students dropping out, fearing for their safety, how we had not done enough to make them feel welcome. In other words, the run of the mill blame whitey, blame America first crap. Being the asshole that I am, I said from the second row, "He faked it." Let's just say that I was called everything in the book, "racist," "hate-monger," "you probably did it," etc. I said, "He had 'Die Muslim" written on him pretty neatly, didn't he? Pue logic suggests that if he were held down, he would have squirmed and the lettering would have been crooked." I was tossed out of the class.

Guess what happened? I was vindicated. He admitted he faked it. When the next class came, I was purposely 5 minutes late. I walked in, stopped, outstretched my arms and said, "Who is going to apologize to me first?" How did the professor respond? He blamed "my attitude" for the Arab fear "sweeping" campus. Because of people like me, Arabs were not being taken seriously, and were forced to go to such lengths to demonstrate the bias against them on campus. Think about that for a second. I was "asked" to drop the class, and complied. I had no shot to pass after that anyway.

(Michelle Malkin wrote about this incident)

Now, we have the case of Audrey Seiler, the University of Wisconsin student who was allegedly abducted and was missing for a few days. Thank God she was found alive.

At work, a young guy named Danny sits behind me, and we talk all the time. I always listen to talk radio, and I give Danny a running commentary. When we heard that she was found, I started saying, "Hoax!! Hoax!!" to Danny's amusement. I told him, the story stinks to high-heaven, and she is seeking attention. "I know it, and the cops know it," I told him.

Seems that I am on my way to being proven right. I did not want to believe it. When I started to blog about this yesterday, I stopped in the middle because I became unsure of my gut instincts. Looks like I should have obeyed them.

If I am wrong, feel free to rip my a new one in the comments. That is what they are there for. However, I predict she will get caught, and spin-doctor herself as a victim of something. A sympathetic Katie Couric awaits, you watch.

Bush's lack of support for Kyoto. His healthy forests initiative. Tax cuts. Pick a policy, any policy. Bush has put Southern California in danger. Must be because he wants to eliminate Kerry voters before November.

Scientists Predict Major SoCal Quake Within Five Months

If you are one of the 9 regular readers of this blog, then you have seen me ask this question:

"[If a pregnant woman is assaulted], how many victims are there, one or two? Your answer will define you."

My answer, as you know, is two. To John Kerry, the answer is one. Thankfully, for President Bush, the answer is two. Today, the President signed into law the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, with these remarks:

[A]ny time an expectant mother is a victim of violence, two lives are in the balance, each deserving protection, and each deserving justice. If the crime is murder and the unborn child's life ends, justice demands a full accounting under the law.

The moral concern of humanity extends to those unborn children who are harmed or killed in crimes against their mothers. And now, the protection of federal law extends to those children, as well. With this action, we widen the circle of compassion and inclusion in our society, and we reaffirm that the United States of America is building a culture of life.

John Kerry was one of the 38 Senators who voted against this act, which is disgusting on two levels. First, he voted against this simply for his own personal political gain with NARAL, NOW, and the other abortion promoters. (LIke I've said before, it has gone way past "protection of rights." It is full-fleged abortion promotion now) Second, he has missed so many votes over the last 9 months or so, for him to even show and and vote against this is disgraceful.

Read this page. Imagine how Kerry would react to it. He wouldn't. Now, image if Bush read it. There is no doubt in my mind he would be as upset about it as I was.

If you are a Kerry supporter despite this, why? Especially if you have children of your own.