Kerry and Me!

Not spin, outright lies from Kerry this week:

1) We have spent $200 billion on Iraq so far.
"We have not spent $200 billion on Iraq. We have spent probably somewhere around $120 [billion] or $130 billion," said Norman Ornstein, a political scientist with the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington-based think tank.
"He adds money that hasn't been spent yet and hasn't been asked for yet," said Brooks Jackson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center's FactCheck.org.
Asked by Jackson to provide backup for the $200 billion claim for a FactCheck.org item last week, the Kerry campaign originally included a bill that would have spent money on Afghanistan and on defense programs in the United States. But since that time the campaign has provided new figures that exclude such programs, though the campaign still relies on future dollars not allocated or even requested to reach its figure." via ABC News
2) Claims Rumsfeld lied about the number of Security forces in Iraq.
"On a recent appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, the Massachusetts senator offered this claim: "Secretary [of Defense] Donald Rumsfeld said not so long ago that there were 210,000 Iraqi security forces that were ready to go. Well, before Congress, he revised that figure just a few days ago saying, 'No, I was wrong. There are 95,000.' In fact, there are only 5,000."
According to the Pentagon, there are 6,316 soldiers in the Iraqi army, but they are just one part of the Iraqi security forces, which total around 95,000 and include 34,553 police, 36,397 National Guardsmen, 15,688 Border Patrol agents, 282 Coastal Defense personnel, 143 Air Force members and others. --Via ABC News

This isn't just twisting the facts, or gilding the lily, these are outright LIES. Now I know politics is putting a postive spin on things, but haven't we crossed a line here?

**Speaking of crossing a line: Kerry claimed yesterday that Prime Minister Allawi was "obviously contradicting his own statement" and putting put his "best face" on the President's Iraq policy.

It almost seems as if Kerry wants things to go badly in Iraq. I could almost understand Kerry's spin on things if not for the fact that Allawi is a walking target and is putting his life on the line every day. You would think that Kerry would want to encourage him instead of undermine his credibility. It really goes to the heart of leadership. At this time in this war in Iraq the last thing the leaders of Iraq need is an American running for President calling into question their leadership. Can Kerry use some of his vast wealth and buy a clue.

This from Iraqi The Model blog: "Allawi's speech was articulate, impressive and honest and most Iraqis I talk to lately share the same opinion with me, but much more impressive was the reaction of all members of congress that were there. That was the American people there, the whole American nation not just republicans, standing and cheering, not Allawi but what he stood for, IRAQ. They were showing support and friendship to Iraq not Allawi and that was a rare moment in history where the two nations Iraq and American stood as equal friends, no it was actually more like a family as one American friend described. Insulting Allawi and Bush and the whole speech, speaking so harshly of that unique moment is an insult not to Bush or Allawi but to both the Iraqi and American nations, and yes that goes for everyone who did that."

Couldn't have said it better myself. Its good to hear it from a Iraq blogger though.

CORRECTION: I had said that I thought Rather was to be a moderator at one of the Presidential debates. I read that wrong. He will be an on air commentator. Sorry about that. Will anyone be able to listen to him without thinking partisan?

I notice that Kerry and Edwards hit the churches every Sunday, as expected by a presidential and vice presidental candidate, but if I was a member of one of those churches I would want to know if those candidates had been attending church BEFORE they started running in a national campaign. It doesn't mean I don't think they should be there, I would just want to know. It would certainly tell me if they were sincere in their faith or just using church to advance their campaigns. Wonder if there is a way to find out?

Moonbats unite!!!!

If you haven't read this true story over at Wizbang about what happens to those who hate Bush, you should.. its sweet.

Kerry, allies, and such.

Why is this so believable?

The real Saddam/Al Qaeda connection.

I'm sorry, but those are just too funny. But then....I am easily amused.

Ralph Peters at the New York Post sums yesterday nicely.
"Is there nothing Kerry won't say to win the election? Is there no position that he won't change? Doesn't he care anything for the sacrifices of our troops in Iraq?"

Kerry promises to reach out to more allies, yet he slams the very man who is the leader of Iraq. Who does he think he will have to deal with in Iraq if he becomes President? Kerry complained yesterday of "terrorists pouring into Iraq" yeah...Iraq.... NOT the U.S. That was the plan see? We take the war to THEM, that way they can't take the war to us.
Yet, Kerry has repeatedly argued that the war in Iraq has distracted attention from the pursuit of terrorists. Isn't it obvious that it is easier to pursue terrorists if they are "pouring" into the place WHERE OUR MILTARY IS???

Kerry insists that he can bring on board more allies. Well...Ralph Peters says it best:
"As for involving the French and Germans, the truth is they'd do more harm than good. They are the corrupt cynics who made billions from the U.N. Oil- For- Food program while the Iraqi people suffered. The French kiss up to every dictator who wink in their direction. The German military barely exists--its just an employment agency for uniformed bureacrats--and the French military sole competence lies in slaughtering unarmed black Africans."

So lets just get off the allies thing. The guys mentioned above are not worth getting any help from.

Quote of the day: "Doesnt' expecting the unexpected make the unexpected the expected?"

moonbat!

Heres a Secret.

I'll tell you a secret that no one seems to want to acknowledge or they don't seem to get. The real reason why the swiftboat ads did the damage to Kerry that they did. And it had nothing to do with his betrayal, or the guys who were angry, or whether he deserved his medals or threw them over a fence. I don't think either campaign gets this. They did the damage they did because of what Kerry looked like in the ads. Stay with me here. We are a visual society. We are obsessed with stars and good looks, lets face it. We allow some to be less than gorgeous but they have to remind us of our grandfather or dad, mother, or grandmother. They have to have intelligence and/or charm. Trust me, in the work I do I am around those people who don't give a fig about politics or government. If you point them toward the voting booth on Nov. 2nd, then they pull the lever ,touch the screen, or punch the ballot for "who they like" and it doesn't matter what the candidate's position on Iraq, abortion, gay marriage, taxes, or health care is. They just "like" the guy. What hurt Kerry with the swiftboat ads was that he looked like an insufferable snob, petulant and smug. But the worst photo was the one they showed over and over, of Kerry picking at his face! Ewwww, it was just gross. If Bush wants to win this election just keep popping that pic up and he WILL win in a landslide.
I know this sounds shallow, and I hate to say this, but we all know that shallow is something Americans do best.
That's why I was amused by the story of Bush's National Guard Record. Do you think that the average joe or jane was listening to all that convoluted nonsense? Of course not. All they saw was the picture of a rugged handsome pilot who is now our President. We need to keep popping that picture up as well.
Someone call the Bush campaign...lets keep this on the DL....;-)

A memo note and the Iraqi future.

CBS named Dick Thornburgh, U.S. attorney general in the Reagan administration and first Bush administration; and Louis D. Boccardi, who retired in 2003 as president and chief executive officer of the Associated Press as a 2 person review panel to investigate the process of the memo news story.

The Washington Times puts this forth:
"A major question for Mr. Thornburgh and Mr. Boccardi is why CBS went ahead with the broadcast after two of its hired experts expressed doubts about the memos' authenticity."
Why?? Why?? They don't need a review panel to answer that one. Because they wanted the story to be true so badly their journalist ethics went out the window.
It is interesting how CBS seems to be determined to lay all this on Mary Mapes. We all know a story like this doesn't go on the air without approval from the top running up the line.

A top Kerry aide, Mr. Wolfson, responding to RNC chairman's Mr. Gillespie questioning the timing of the memo with the DNC ad campaign's "fortunate son" theme, said- "Republican allegations of a 'vast left-wing conspiracy' designed to expose the truth about the president's military service are laughable. No conspiracy is necessary to make clear that the president used strings to get into the Guard, missed his required physical and failed to fulfill his duty."
Are these people just stupid? First, have they not figured out that people don't give a fig about what happened 30 yrs ago?? And 2nd, must they lie? Every credible person involved in this 'story' has said that no strings were pulled and there is no evidence that that occurred. (hello Mr. Wolfson, the "evidence" was forged, did you hear about that?) In fact, all evidence points to the fact that Bush fulfilled his duty. These over the top false generalizations of Bush's record are not going to fly. But hey, who am I to point out the idiocy of this campaign?


*****The Iraqi Prime Minister speaking to Congress (after a warm standing ovation..nice) he starts out by saying:
"Thank you for making our cause your cause, our struggle your struggle. First, we are succeeding." (big applause)
He went on to say the media coverage here is not accurate. That the vast majority of Iraqis support America. He went on to describe the horror in which they lived under Saddam.
He said: "My friends, today you are better off, we are better off, and the world is better off without Saddam Hussein"
...."Your decision to go to war in Iraq was not an easy one, but it was the right one." (big applause)
He goes on to assure that Iraqi elections will take place, fueled "by the Iraqi's people's desire for freedom." He says that no terrorist act will deter them.
One has to understand the courage of this man. He knows that he is the number one target for death in his country from the terrorists. His life hangs on a thread of liberty. Even understanding the odds that he could be murdered, he chooses to stand for freedom, to stand for democracy. There are few men like this. He deserves our backing. He deserves our finishing this job. He deserves our admiration.


A friend sent me this...not sure why......

Funny t-shirt of the day: "Its better to have loved and lost than to live with the psycho the rest of your life."

Are You Scared???

Bill Clinton speaking to the New York Sun--"I don't know why the Republicans hate me so much. It is because I am a white Southern Baptist, and they wonder why I'm not a Republican, (no, Bill we wonder why your not a Southern Baptist. Saying it doesn't make it so) especially since I'm getting all these tax cuts." (you send in all the money you want to the government Bill, they won't turn you down. Gotta feeling you won't do that, because life is short and lingerie is expensive)

I had to laugh at the article in National Review, "A Week of Fear" where they quote a few celebs-
Rosie Perez --"I'm scared, I'm F**king scared out of my pants right now, and if your not, wake up."
Chevy Chase--(speaking of Bush) "He's frightening. Hes scaring the crap out of me."
The terrorist have nothing on Bush I guess. Doesn't this just make you want to puke? What a bunch of pampered self involved living in a bubble bunch of celebrity moonbats.
But you can always count on the New York's theatre district to cross the line and go for the jugular. Tony Krushner has a play at the NY Theatre Workshop in the East Village called "Only We who Guard the Mystery Shall Be Unhappy" in which First Lady Laura Bush (played by Holly Hunter) reads to a group of Iraqi children, only the children are ghosts that have been killed by American bombs. When all this is explained by an angel, Mrs. Bush realizes what a monster her husband is, not only for Iraq, but for capital punishments in Texas as well, telling the audience that her husband killed everyone they let him.
In a second play, "The Patriot Act" It describes Bush's plan to transform America into a theocracy with Americans being sentenced to death for adultery, homosexuality, and premarital sex.
I am so glad the bloggers on the right came up with the term "moonbat" because there really is no other way to describe these people. They have no shame, no integrity, no common sense, and most importantly, NO SENSE OF REALITY. Do they honestly believe these things???? I cannot wrap my mind around this insanity. Now I'M the one who is scared.
We on the right certainly don't agree with Kerry or the democrats on the future of our country, but we don't believe that they are going to take all guns away, tax us all 90%, socialize medicine, law, and all commerce, and have drive thru abortion clinics.

WEll I gotta go, I'm washing all my brownshirts and pajamas.

Quirky question of the day-- do you know what Snus is?

Random notes.

I Just watched an interview with Ty Hensley, brother of Jack Hensley the man just beheaded by the demented sick pieces of trash in Iraq. A moving interview. At the end the brother starts to cry. Reporter John Scott was holding back tears as well. If you want to help Hensley's family ( he leaves behind a 13 yr old daughter. He was working in the middle east to provide college funds for her.) go here.

I am serious, who are these people??? A returning solider is beaten up by moonbats at a concert for wearing an Iraqi freedom T-shirt. Geeze! Full story here. via McGhee.

Have you seen the ACLU commercials where a bunch of "diverse" people say we don't need the Patriot Act to be "safe and free." No mention of how we do that though. Sorta like Kerry's insistence that he can get more of the international community on board for the war on terror. How? Guess he will get back to us on that.

This from The Washington Times--The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has estimated that Saddam's ousted regime stole some $10.1 billion from the U.N.-administered program between 1997 and 2003, pocketing some of the money and doling the rest out in bribes and kickbacks to those helping Iraq evade economic sanctions.
This is the interesting part---
Mr. Barton and fellow Republican Reps. Fred Upton of Michigan and George P. Radanovich of California toured a secure repository at an undisclosed site in Baghdad containing what they said were huge numbers of notebooks detailing oil-for-food deals.

Could this be why the UN was so reluctant to help us in Iraq?? Seems like UN had to know that this fraud and scandal would be revealed if Saddam was taken down. Forget about the food for the people when you can pocket a cool million or two. The UN has as much credibility in my eyes as CBS does.

Deal Hudson, publisher of Crisis magazine (a Catholic publication) will resign under pressure from it's columnists. You may remember that Hudson was a top Bush political advisor on outreach to Catholics until a story came out on Aug 19th in Catholic Reporter about his sexual liaison with an 18 yr old student in 1994 that cost him his tenured professorship at Fordham University. He was asked to resign from the Bush campaign.
As disturbing as this story is. It is refreshing to see accountability instead of excuses. It seems to me that we, as Republicans, come down pretty hard on those we think have betrayed a trust or have been hypocritical.
(you may note that the only difference between this and Clinton's indiscretion is about 3 yrs in the age of the girl)
We don't expect people in authority to be perfect, but we do expect them to be decent.

These are some quotes from the LONG awaited press conference with Kerry yesterday ...."he did not and will not offer the leadership in order to do what we need to do to protect our troops, to be successful and win the war on terror in an effective way," Mr. Kerry said.
Mr. Kerry insisted that he has "a plan to make America safer" and persuade reluctant allies, such as France, Germany and Russia, to help support Iraq's fledgling democracy. You have to engage, I said, in a summit; that you ought to pull those people to the table and come out with a unified agreement as to what you're going to do to send a message to those wavering Iraqis who are sitting on the fence, unsure of which way this may go," Mr. Kerry said.
Does it seem to you that Kerry uses the words "protect, effective, safer, unified, and engage" all the time, but with no clear answer to HOW we do these things. Its all well and good to say "I will make it all better." but you need to tell us how your going to do that. And using a 4 point vague plan with no details, doesn't cut it.
Heres the best part--
"The vote for authorization is interpreted by a lot of people as a vote to go to war," Mr. Kerry said.
Really??? why in the world would a vote of authorization to go to war be interpreted as a vote TO GO TO WAR????? I can see the misunderstanding, can't you???

Question of the day--Why was Kerry not asked about the Lockhart connection to the Burkett/CBS document scandal???? Is there any excuse for this?

Amusing quote of the day-"Down With Negativity"

*note* I have no idea why you have to scroll all the way down to see my profile and links. I will check on it.

The story that won't go away.

As I sit here blogging in my "Peace through superior firepower" t-shirt listening to President Bush on TV with the interim Iraqi Prime Minister, It strikes me that Bush keeps repeating something that the leftys don't seem to get. That we really had a choice with the terrorists. Take the fight to the middle east or fight them here on our soil. Because you really cannot deny the terrorists are there. They blow up things or behead someone daily. Whether they came into Iraq before or after the war doesn't matter. There are THERE and we are hunting them THERE, not here. And that is the important fact we cannot forget.


Have to agree with Jeff at protein wisdom that maybe a beheading of a American in Iraq might be more newsworthy than the Rather story.

Dan Rather finally said he was sorry. He made a mistake. So I guess we should just move on, huh? Well, as much as Mr. Rather would like that, there are a few problems. First we need to address the fact that Rather had no intention of looking into his fake story until journalistic pressure was too much to ignore. Second, apologies need to be made to Killian's family, the other officers involved in the "memo." and finally, to President Bush himself. This story was not only a lie to the American people about their President, but it dishonored soldiers involved.
There is no doubt this was shoddy journalistic work. First when Rather finally broke through the ice of reality and admitted that the memos might be fake, he insisted that the "story" was accurate. But all involved, with the exception of the 82 yr old "anybody but Bush" secretary, said that it wasn't true.
Now we know that the source of the documents is Burkett, a dedicated democrat given to nervous breakdowns and conspiracy theories. I find it hard to believe that this is Rather's "unimpeachable" source.
Dan may be sorry (he got caught) but this is hardly the end of this story. Not by a long shot.

Let us not forget how wrong our lefty buddy Kos insisted on being.

For a roundup on the Lockhart/Kerry campaign/CBS/Burkett connections you can always count on Hewitt.

Amusing quote of the day-"It may be your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others."

Death and stuff.

I went to the funeral of a young hispanic woman I knew killed in a car wreck this week. She was 26 yrs old and left behind a husband and 4 little girls. I hadn't met her family before. I arrived at the funeral home and I was the only white face in a sea of brown faces. I have never seen so many people at a visitation before ever. There is quite a tight knit community here and that is a nice thing to see. As I arrived they were finishing up the Rosary in Spanish. The rhythmic chanting was soothing and comforting. There is nothing that brings out the mother in me more than to see people in emotional pain. I hugged everyone tightly, her husband, her mother, her sisters and brothers. I stroked hair, spoke in low soothing tones, I cried and swayed with the grief with her little sister. They are probably still talking about me.
I hate thinking of young death. One turn into an intersection and "bam" thats it. No advance warning. No goodbyes. No sweet notes left behind. It seems so unfair. It just doesn't fit. Someone once told me that it is a reminder to all of us that each day is a gift. But who wants to be the reminder?
I am a woman of deep faith, make no mistake about that. But one question about life after death has always bothered me. We are suppose to be so happy in heaven, right? How can we be happy if someone we loved dearly isn't there?
Take my brother for example. If any of what the 3 major religions of the world have to say about going to heaven or hell is true, my brother will be bathing in a tub of hot lava the moment the grim reaper whisks his sinful ass off this earth. So how can I be happy in heaven without him? I asked the holiest person I know that question. After a long moment of reflection she said "maybe we won't remember them." Oh great. We will be like estatically joyous alzheimers patients.
Not to make light of serious things. I know my question will never be answered until the moment that it won't really matter anymore.
So if you have a moment today, say a prayer for a family with 4 little girls who no longer have a mother. And go tell someone you love that you love them. Because, trust me, you might not have a chance tomorrow.

Random notes.

Ratherbiased.com has temporarily moved to Mudville. Get the latest there.

Not that we are complaining about this....heh.

Bush makes it up to the little girl who had her Bush/Cheney campaign sign torn up by moonbats.

Heres Kerry's new 4 point plan for Iraq: via The Sacramento Bee

- Get more help from other nations.
Oh that will be sooo easy!!! I bet France and Germany can't wait to get on board!! I suppose Bush just didn't ask nicely enough.

- Provide better training for Iraqi security forces.
Sure! I know there are so many military forces that could do a better job than our Army. Like...well...like those..ummm.. yeah...umm...well..hmm

- Provide benefits to the Iraqi people.
You mean building roads and schools aren't enough? Wait a minute! What about all that money you were complaining about us spending in Iraq? Now we all know what benefits mean...$$$$$$$$$

- Ensure that democratic elections can be held next year as promised
I'm guessing that all those benefits you provide will make those mean ole terrorists so slap happy, they will just lay down their sawin heads off knives and rock the vote!

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall...

Wouldn't you love to have been there this past week when Dan was in deep deep denial mode, you know the head of CBS news and Rather were going at it like a couple of guys in "Fightclub." And you gotta know that whole newsroom, seeing its credibility crumbling like a soft cookie, were all over him as well. Even now Rather is saying "I no longer have confidence in the in these documents." Note he is not saying they were forged. But goes on to say "...I find we have been misled on the key question (his key question, not ours certainly) of how our source for the documents came into possession of these papers." Now where do you think this wishing on star comment is going? You better believe Dan has been on his knees for 10 nights praying, "Oh God! Please let this be a Republican ploy." Which is laughable , of course.
After seeing Dan's over polite performance at the Dallas airport yesterday, I am thinking valium, maybe prozac.
We all know where this story would have gone without the internet and bloggers. The fact of Bush being the "fortunate son" ( DNC's new/everchanging theme) would be established. Kinda makes you want to go back and look at every news story during the Bush/Gore election craziness REAL closely, doesn't it?
Just like the blue dress kept Monica from forever being the liar who tried to smear Clinton, bloggers will make sure no story goes uninspected.
Ah, Life goes on. Rather retires. Bush wins. And something tells me a new blogger will appear, definitely in his pajamas. Screen name-RatherNewsGod.

Rather slams Fox News.

Arriving in Dallas Rather was asked by a Fox News reporter if he felt he had been duped. Rather responded, "Do you feel like you have been duped, working for Fox News and all."
OUCH! You gotta know Fox News is the thorn in the side of partisan news hounds like Rather. Not because Fox News is partisan, but because they are not partisan on the liberal side. Do you think there would be all this buzz about Fox if it leaned to the left? But then, it wouldn't have the ratings it has if it did. But I want to know, has a newsguy ever slammed another news organization before? If so, let me know bacause I don't ever remember that happening before.

*Today's funny t-shirt*-"I'm not tense. Just terribly, terribly alert."