To hell with our government and troops,

as long as we win the next elections. (the Democrats strategy translated into simple terms)

Let me put this as briefly as possible. The Democrats have nothing to run on in '06. So, as was laid out in this Nov. 6th memo from Senator Rockefeller, they decided to take advantage of the general public's ignorance on how intelligence is handled and say that the President saw something VERY different than the Senate Intelligence Committee did regarding WMD's. When in fact, as is cited below, the Robb-Silverman Commission found the reports were not that much different at all. AND that there WAS NO DISTORTION or even pressure from the White House regarding intelligence.

Democrats were hoping the public wouldn't really hear or focus on the facts of the commission. (which the media would be just fine with) But they forgot about us. The bloggers.

Interestingly, as Froggy points out here, Presidential Candidate John Kerry said that he would have given the authority to go to war even knowing what we know NOW. (emphasis mine)

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. (Reuters) - Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry said on Monday he would have voted for the congressional resolution authorizing force against Iraq even if he had known then no weapons of mass destruction would be found. Taking up a challenge from President Bush, whom he will face in the Nov. 2 election, the Massachusetts senator said: "I'll answer it directly. Yes, I would have voted for the authority. I believe it is the right authority for a president to have but I would have used that authority effectively."

So given the fact that this whole bogus argument is about being "lied" to about WMD's, it seems the Democrat's Presidential nominee would have gone to war even if it had been proven at the time that Saddam didn't have them.

The Democrats know the President didn't lie. This was all part of a grand plan to fool the public and to hell with troop morale and our efforts in the war on terror.

Shame on them. Shame. Shame.

links via PW

UPDATE: Ace has the goods on Tim Russert showing Sen. Kennedy what liars the Democrats are and some interesting thoughts of his own about this whole "we were misled!" strategy.

UPDATE2: Ace has the goods on Chris Wallace showing Senator Rockefeller what a liar he is as well. (I have got to keep up with the Sunday shows!)

Bush is setting the record straight.

Thank God.

From “Setting the Record Straight: The Washington Post On Pre-War Intelligence":


The Washington Post Implies That The Presidential Daily Brief (PDB) Was Superior To The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) Given To Congress:

“But Bush does not share his most sensitive intelligence, such as the President’s Daily Brief, with lawmakers. Also, the National Intelligence Estimate summarizing the intelligence community’s views about the threat from Iraq was given to Congress just days before the vote to authorize the use of force in that country” (Dana Milbank And Walter Pincus, “Asterisks Dot White House’s Iraq Argument,” The Washington Post, 11/12/05).

But The PDB Was The Focus Of Intelligence Reform And Was More “Problematic” Than The NIE Given To Congress.

# The Robb-Silberman Commission Found The PDB To Contain Similar Intelligence In “More Alarmist” And “Less Nuanced” Language. “As problematic as the October 2002 NIE was, it was not the Community’s biggest analytic failure on Iraq. Even more misleading was the river of intelligence that flowed from the CIA to top policymakers over long periods of time--in the President’s Daily Brief (PDB) and in its more widely distributed companion, the Senior Executive Intelligence Brief (SEIB). These daily reports were, if anything, more alarmist and less nuanced than the NIE.” (Charles S. Robb And Laurence H. Silberman, The Commission On The Intelligence Capabilities Of The United States Regarding Weapons Of Mass Destruction, 3/31/05, Pg. 14)

# The Robb-Silberman Commission Reported That The Intelligence In The PDB Was Not “Markedly Different” Than The Intelligence Given To Congress In The NIE. “It was not that the intelligence was markedly different. Rather, it was that the PDBs and SEIBs, with their attention-grabbing headlines and drumbeat of repetition, left an impression of many corroborating reports where in fact there were very few sources. And in other instances, intelligence suggesting the existence of weapons programs was conveyed to senior policymakers, but later information casting doubt upon the validity of that intelligence was not.” (Charles S. Robb And Laurence H. Silberman, The Commission On The Intelligence Capabilities Of The United States Regarding Weapons Of Mass Destruction, 3/31/05, Pg. 14)

The Washington Post Implies That There Have Been No Findings On The Use Of Intelligence:
"But the only committee investigating the matter in Congress, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has not yet done its inquiry into whether officials mischaracterized intelligence by omitting caveats and dissenting opinions. And Judge Laurence H. Silberman, chairman of Bush’s commission on weapons of mass destruction, said in releasing his report on March 31, 2005: ‘Our executive order did not direct us to deal with the use of intelligence by policymakers, and all of us were agreed that that was not part of our inquiry.’” (Dana Milbank And Walter Pincus, “Asterisks Dot White House’s Iraq Argument,” The Washington Post, 11/12/05)

But Congressional And Independent Committees Have Repeatedly Reported No Distortion Of Intelligence

# The Bipartisan Senate Select Committee On Intelligence Report “Did Not Find Any Evidence” Of Attempts To Influence Analysts To Change Intelligence. “Conclusion 83. The Committee did not find any evidence that Administration officials attempted to coerce, influence or pressure analysts to change their judgments related to Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction capabilities. Conclusion 84. The Committee found no evidence that the Vice President’s visits to the Central Intelligence Agency were attempts to pressure analysts, were perceived as intended to pressure analysts by those who participated in the briefings on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction programs, or did pressure analysts to change their assessments.” ("Report On The U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Intelligence Assessments On Iraq,” U.S. Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, 7/7/04, Pg. 284-285)

# The Robb-Silberman Commission Finds “No Evidence Of Political Pressure.” “These are errors serious errors. But these errors stem from poor tradecraft and poor management. The Commission found no evidence of political pressure to influence the Intelligence Community’s pre-war assessments of Iraq’s weapons programs. As we discuss in detail in the body of our report, analysts universally asserted that in no instance did political pressure cause them to skew or alter any of their analytical judgments. We conclude that it was the paucity of intelligence and poor analytical tradecraft, rather than political pressure, that produced the inaccurate pre-war intelligence assessments.” (Charles S. Robb And Laurence H. Silberman, The Commission On The Intelligence Capabilities Of The United States Regarding Weapons Of Mass Destruction, 3/31/05, Pg. 50-51)

# The British Butler Report Finds “No Evidence” Of Intelligence Distortion. “In general, we found that the original intelligence material was correctly reported in [Joint Intelligence Committee] assessments. An exception was the ‘45 minute’ report. But this sort of example was rare in the several hundred JIC assessments we read on Iraq. In general, we also found that the reliability of the original intelligence reports was fairly represented by the use of accompanying quali cations. We should record in particular that we have found no evidence of deliberate distortion or of culpable negligence. We examined JIC assessments to see whether there was evidence that the judgements inside them were systematically distorted by non-intelligence factors, in particular the in uence of the policy positions of departments. We found no evidence of JIC assessments and the judgements inside them being pulled in any particular direction to meet the policy concerns of senior of cials on the JIC.” ("Review Of Intelligence On Weapons Of Mass Destruction,” Report Of A Committee Of Privy Counsellors, 7/14/04, Pg. 110)

via Protein Wisdom.

Discuss.

Look! I was interviewed for an online women's magazine!

SadieMAG.com asked me some questions about women bloggers. The article is titled "Broads on Blogs." It describes women's blogs pretty accurately:

Left, right, salacious, serious, bitchy, ballsy, Bush-bashing or liberal-smashing, women have entered the blogosphere in growing numbers, amassing devoted followers along the way. Female bloggers represent the entire political spectrum, some offering original reporting, others unabashed activism--all hosting a forum for anyone with a computer to weigh in on the controversial subject at hand.

Here are my excerpts:

Kathy, who hosts Right Wing Sparkle (www.rightwingsparkle.blogspot.com) and prefers her real name not be used, remarks, "The benefits of an active blogosphere commenting is that so many voices get heard. The disadvantage is that unfortunately so many of those voices are shrill and insulting. I hate that. But," she adds, "my Dad always said that 'cream rises to the top,' so I think that eventually the main blogs that will be read by the general public will be those who carry on civil discourse and voice their opinions in a thoughtful manner."

On what I do while blogging:

The Texas-based Kathy, of RightWingSparkle, does her e-mailing between running a carpool, helping her two kids with homework and starting dinner. (note: I have four kids, but who's counting?)

On what I think of Wonkette:

Kathy states it more bluntly: "Any woman blogger on the web can use her sexuality to gain readers. But is that what we want?"

On the difference in male and female blogging on issues such as abortion:

Kathy cites the example of abortion. "Women bloggers on both sides will post long and emotional and detailed essays. Male bloggers throw a few sentences at it."

On whether you can tell what gender a blogger is by reading them:

Notes Kathy, "I think it's fairly easy to tell if it is a man or woman blogger. We are different, after all, even in the way we write."

Could the answer to the abortion debate be found with the internet???

While I was working with women in crisis pregnancy in the 80's and 90's, our main problem was getting the information to the women who needed it. The MSM certainly wouldn't give us any publicity (even though we did offer a "choice" after all). Advertising was expensive and all of our money went into services for the girls.

But now I read that internet banners may actually be able to reach out to girls who truly want help. And the great thing about it is young women today are all about the internet. That would be the first place they would probably look for help. WND has this referring to internet ads put out by LifeDonor.com:

Along with images of young women, the ad includes the text: "Pregnant? Scared? You have options. Click here now."

"Research has indicated that 70 percent of women contacting OptionLine and believing they may be pregnant are considering an abortion," the Life Donor Program website explains. "However, once they visit a Care Net pregnancy center, less than 10 percent follow through with terminating their pregnancy. Ninety percent will choose life!"

Care Net is a nationwide network of pregnancy centers that sponsors the program, along with Heatbeat International.


I worked with The Nuturing Network, which provides free health care and job and college transfers for young women in crisis pregnancies. Started by a former Fortune 500 CEO, Mary Cunningham Agee, she began by asking Planned Parenthood if she could interview a sampling of the women who had had abortions in their clinics, PP gave permission and Mary found that over 90% of those asked said that they would not have had the abortion if they had known there was help and alternatives out there for them.

If those numbers from Optionline and The Nuturing Network are even close to being right, then the internet could finally give women what we as society have for so long neglected....a real choice.

And no one on either side would have a problem with that. Except the radicals, of course.

Moonbat central.

I don't call everyone on the left a moonbat. Most are just good intentioned misguided souls, but these guys.....they are moonbats. Here is a sampling:

Your government is openly torturing people, and justifying it.

That's right. Just like Iran, when young women are caught having sex, we hang them from a crane until they die. You have caught us.

Your government puts people in jail on the merest suspicion, refusing them lawyers, and either holding them indefinitely or deporting them in the dead of night.

People? Just regular people?? Are you sure you don't mean TERRORIST SUSPECTS??? Oh, that's right. To you there is no difference.

Your government is moving each day closer to a theocracy, where a narrow and hateful brand of Christian fundamentalism will rule.

Really? Gee. They forgot to tell us Christians about this religious overthrow. Let me go check my e-mail.

People look at all this and think of Hitler— and they are right to do so. The Bush regime is setting out to radically remake society very quickly, in a fascist way, and for generations to come. We must act now; the future is in the balance.

Right. Bush is just like Hitler. Using the Amtrak to round up undesirables I'm sure. I wonder where he is killing them? Of course, first he had to deny free speech to those who oppose him.....hey...wait a minute!!!!

via LGF

Sick Image.

Little Green Footballs has this:

In an admiring photo essay on the making of suicide bomber propaganda film “Paradise Now,” the BBC reaches a new low in the caption of a photo of Palestinian child abuse: Shooting Paradise Now.

Caption for photo:

Palestinian children learn at a young age about the struggle for freedom. To some, the Palestinian martyrs are heroes. Here a child poses for a photograph at a rally organised by militants.

UPDATE: Quake orphans are being "adopted" by terrorist groups. h/t Jill

Bush Lied? Part 2

Jeff at Protein Wisdom lays it all out.

It's long. It's good. If you still believe that Bush "lied" or misled anyone regarding intelligence about Saddam and WMD's then you read this and tell me how Jeff is wrong.

Al Qaeda are throwing down family members now.

The face of radical insanity.

They offer a "explanation" to the Muslim world:

"It said it had ordered the suicide attacks on the hotels "only after becoming confident that they were centres for launching war on Islam and supporting the Crusaders' presence in Iraq and the Arab peninsula and the presence of the Jews on the land of Palestine."

As Ace points out, weddings are "centres for launching war on Islam?"

Uhh..no. I don't think the people of Jordan are buying that one:

"On Thursday thousands of Jordanians protested across the country to denounce the head of the al-Qaeda terrorist group in Iraq, Zarqawi, America's most wanted enemy. They marched through Amman chanting: "Burn in hell, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi!"

Bush lied?

Ok, now the lefty talking point is that Bush "manipulated" the intelligence, or "kept" some of it away from the key Senators that looked at it and then voted to go to war.

Rove is a genius. I mean he knew way back in 1998 that all this would happen and somehow got Bill Clinton to say this to his Joint Chiefs of Staff:

"(Iraq) admitted, among other things, an offensive biological warfare capability — notably 5,000 gallons of botulinum, which causes botulism; 2,000 gallons of anthrax; 25 biological-filled Scud warheads; and 157 aerial bombs. And might I say, UNSCOM inspectors believe that Iraq has actually greatly understated its production."

— Text of President Clinton's address to Joint Chiefs of Staff and Pentagon staff, Feb. 17, 1998

No one can blame Bush for "manipulating" anything for what Clinton believed in 1998. The only difference, of course, is 9-11 and Bush's determination to take no chances.

I have said it before and will say it until the left finally aknowledges it. We found an international terrorists training camp in Iraq in the first week of our invasion. Terrorists+biological warfare capability=take no chances.

So the left's talking point of basically saying "Gosh, Bush just fooled us!" has got to stop. (or as I read somewhere else, "we are dumber than Bush"..heh.) h/t to dave in comments of last post. Pretty sad when I can't even remember when I read something in my own comments. I BLAME BUSH!!

The President's Speech Today Rocked.

Here is the whole thing.

Bush finally made clear some things that needed to be made clear. One important thing was to define who we are fighting and their goals: (emphasis on what the terrorists themselves said)

"Many militants are part of a global, borderless terrorist organization like al Qaeda — which spreads propaganda, and provides financing and technical assistance to local extremists, and conducts dramatic and brutal operations like the attacks of September the 11th. Other militants are found in regional groups, often associated with al Qaeda — paramilitary insurgencies and separatist movements in places like Somalia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Chechnya, Kashmir and Algeria. Still others spring up in local cells — inspired by Islamic radicalism, but not centrally directed. Islamic radicalism is more like a loose network with many branches than an army under a single command. Yet these operatives, fighting on scattered battlefields, share a similar ideology and vision for the world.

We know the vision of the radicals because they have openly stated it — in videos and audiotapes and letters and declarations and on websites.

First, these extremists want to end American and Western influence in the broader Middle East, because we stand for democracy and peace, and stand in the way of their ambitions. Al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, has called on Muslims to dedicate, their "resources, their sons and money to driving the infidels out of our lands." The tactics of al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists have been consistent for a quarter of a century: They hit us, and expect us to run.

Last month, the world learned of a letter written by al Qaeda's number two leader, a guy named Zawahiri. And he wrote this letter to his chief deputy in Iraq — the terrorist Zarqawi. In it, Zawahiri points to the Vietnam War as a model for al Qaeda. This is what he said: "The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam — and how they ran and left their agents — is noteworthy." The terrorists witnessed a similar response after the attacks on American troops in Beirut in 1983 and Mogadishu in 1993. They believe that America can be made to run again — only this time on a larger scale, with greater consequences.

Second, the militant network wants to use the vacuum created by an American retreat to gain control of a country — a base from which to launch attacks and conduct their war against non-radical Muslim governments. Over the past few decades, radicals have specifically targeted Egypt and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and Jordan for potential takeover. They achieved their goal, for a time, in Afghanistan. And now they've set their sights on Iraq. In his recent letter, Zawahiri writes that al Qaeda views Iraq as, "the place for the greatest battle." The terrorists regard Iraq as the central front in their war against humanity. We must recognize Iraq as the central front in our war against the terrorists. (Applause.)

Third, these militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate governments in the region, and establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia. Zawahiri writes that the terrorists, "must not have their mission end with the expulsion of the Americans from Iraq." He goes on to say: "[T]he jihad ... requires several incremental goals. ... Expel the Americans from Iraq. ... Establish an Islamic authority over as much territory as you can to spread its power in Iraq? Extend the jihad wave to the secular countries neighboring Iraq."

With the greater economic, military and political power they seek, the terrorists would be able to advance their stated agenda: to develop weapons of mass destruction; to destroy Israel; to intimidate Europe; to assault the American people; and to blackmail our government into isolation."

So for all of you who don't believe anything President Bush says, will you believe what Zawahiri says to Zarqawi?

And The President once again reminded us of a few things we have accomplished in this war on terror. And heaven knows he needed to, since the media doesn't seem to interested in informing the public of them.

"Together with our partners, we've disrupted a number of serious al Qaeda terrorist plots since September the 11th — including several plots to attack inside the United States. Our coalition against terror has killed or captured nearly all those directly responsible for the September the 11th attacks. We've captured or killed several of bin Laden's most serious deputies, al Qaeda managers and operatives in more than 24 countries; the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing, who was chief of al Qaeda's operations in the Persian Gulf; the mastermind of the bombings in Jakarta and Bali; a senior Zarqawi terrorist planner, who was planning attacks in Turkey; and many of their senior leaders in Saudi Arabia."

These are no small things.

The guy has a point.

The Washington Post has this:

National security adviser Stephen J. Hadley came out strong in the briefing room yesterday to issue a rebuttal to "the notion that somehow the administration manipulated prewar intelligence about Iraq."

Ahem. Listen up. (emphasis mine)

"Some of the critics today," Hadley added, "believed themselves in 2002 that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, they stated that belief, and they voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq because they believed Saddam Hussein posed a dangerous threat to the American people. For those critics to ignore their own past statements exposes the hollowness of their current attacks."

The article goes on:

"Hadley noted that the presidential commission, led by retired judge Laurence H. Silberman and former senator Charles S. Robb (D-Va.), said it found no evidence that administration officials manipulated intelligence."

So is it possible for the left and the Democrats and the media to stop beating this drum and let's move forward with what has to be done NOW? Because while it is all well and good to grasp at anything in order to win the next round of elections, shouldn't the focus be more on doing what needs to be done in Iraq? For once, can we put the country first and elections second and let this administration WORK instead of defend itself??

The Jordan Terror Bombings...

hit close to home. A personal story that reminds us all that as safe as we may feel here, terror can still touch us.

via Mudville

Veterans Day.

Yesterday, after helping with homework, cooking supper, feeding the kids and cleaning up, I had to rush my 8 yr old to basketball practice. After practice he had to change in the car for his 2nd grade "Patriotic Program."

On the drive there I was grumbling to myself about this silly programs they do at school (you can only imagine how many I have been to). My attitude couldn't have been worse. The kids were dressed in red, white, and blue t-shirts. I was expecting the usual "singing" and boring stuff.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

The gym was decorated with red, white, and blue stars with the names of veterans that each child knew. I had written the names of my Dad and my Father-in-law on a star about a week before, but didn't expect the emotional impact that seeing all those stars and all those names would give me.

About eight older veterans were sitting in the front. We started out with The Pledge of Allegiance and then the Principal asked all those who had served or were serving to come forward for a thank you gift. About 2 dozen came forward and the whole gym interrupted in clapping, cheers, and whoops. No one stopped clapping until the gifts were given out and the Veterans and soldiers sat back down. I was already wiping my eyes.

Then the kids came in. All dressed in red, white and blue waving small flags. My son's class had Uncle Sam's hats on and danced and sang "Yankee Doodle Dandy." There was a great big blue bucket in the middle of the gym and someone read a poem about mixing blue for bravery, white for purity, and red for something I can't remember, and the kids put big pieces of colored confetti in the bucket. Then the poem said to mix it, and they did. And then the poem said we had made "Old Glory." They then pulled out a flag as big as a small room and started "waving" it as they held on to all sides and sang "It's A Grand Ole Flag." The confetti in the middle would fly up and down as they did this. A beautiful sight.

There were more songs and dances and they ended it by playing Lee Greenwood's "I'm Proud To Be An American" in which every person in the room sang along and cheered again when the song ended.

It was wonderful. Like an unexpected gift.

Sometimes we need to be reminded who paid the price for our freedoms.

As we left we were given a poem that was written from the perspective of our Flag. The poem was reflecting on how in times past when the American Flag led a parade people would stop and put their hands over their hearts, but not anymore. The Flag in the poem was asking if we had forgotten all the men and women who had died for it? And if we had forgotten all the freedoms our Flag represented? The Flag in the poem then requested that the next time we see our Flag in a parade or elsewhere to stop and put our hand over our heart.

You damn betcha I will.

Did ya'll see..

the Kurds commercials they showed on Fox News this morning? The one I saw was a bunch of them thanking America. One young man points at the camera with his purple finger and says "Thank you America."

You want to feel really good about what we have done. Go here and scroll down to the bottom for the commercials and click.

Sweet. Truly sweet.

Another Open Thread.

Discuss anything again.

Suggested topics?

How are we suppose to stop relying on foreign oil if we can't even drill in a frozen tundra?

Why are Republicans such wimps and compromisers when they are in power? At least the Democrats knew how to mow over the Republicans the 40 something years they were in power.

Did San Francisco even watch the looters on TV during Katrina? Can anyone say..."earthquake?" Trust me, you are going to want your gun then.

Star Power!

I saw Sen. John McCain on The Jon Stewart show night before last. He is, without question, the wittiest politician to go on the show. He is able to keep up with Stewart joke for joke and that is a pretty amazing feat. I have only seen the really big comedians be able to do it as well.

Yeah, yeah, everyone here knows I love John McCain. I love him despite his sins. Despite all the compromising, the gang of 14, the big ego, and the MORTAL sin of finance reform that ticked off every libertarian on the planet.

I keep telling everyone he is the only one with the star power and charm to beat Hillary in 08'. I hope powers greater than me (like the RNC) see that as well.

I won't sit here and gush about him being a true war hero in every sense of the word and his years of public service because we all know that isn't important in a Presidential election....;-) What IS important is "perception" and the overall feeling Americans get from their candidate. That is the way it is.

Watching him on Jon Stewart convinced me even more. If he can charm Stewart (and he did) and Stewart's lefty audience then he can certainty charm America. And charm is one thing Hillary is severely lacking in.

I might mention one more thing and then I will try and put off my cheering for him until closer to the election. McCain can't raise his arms above his shoulders because they were broken so many times in the 6 yrs he was in a POW camp. (one in which he could have left early because of his dad, but wouldn't leave his men) So every time he is suppose to raise his arms in the politician wave, America will be reminded of his sacrifice and his service to our country.

Let's see Hillary beat that.

What does this say about us?

I hadn't heard much about the school shooting in Tennesee on the news, so I decided to google it. This was about all I came up with.

A Principal at a high school gets shot dead by a student and we hardly notice. Maybe because of things like this. Even high school football games have become deadly.

I see this over and over in this country. We become numb to the evil that surrounds us. We shrug or shake our heads and wonder what can be done, and then off we go to Starbucks.

Was Columbine so awful that everything else seems tame in comparison?

Yes I know, I know...

Lots of things happening! I'm busy here!

Bombings in Jordan.

When will the sane people in the Middle East truly step up to the plate to fight terrorism?

Oil executives explain to Congress why they are in the business to make money.

I know I am not objective on this, but give me a break. When you are in the oil business it is feast or famine. We have been through 7 layoffs. Lawmakers don't seem too interested in us when we lose our jobs, do they? American Oil Companies in no way control the price of oil. Do the American people know this?

Another investigation of a leak?

Yeah, I know. It's probably payback. Here's an idea. How about the Justice Dept. START SAYING NO TO STUPID INVESTIGATIONS. No one in America cares about leaks. Really.

Open thread today.

Feel free to discuss anything-- yesterday's elections and referendums, 'Jarhead,' if you've seen it (cuz I would really like to), France, OR, most importantly..Restaurants you would recommend in New York City.

The Cotillion is up!

If you want to check out some right of center chicks blogging, Not A Desperate Housewife has all the links you need.

Beautiful Atrocities..

comes out of seclusion (ok, he probably was actually going outside and doing stuff, like having a life) to give us his unique perspective on the riots in France.

Hilare!!!! (that's french, ya know...;-) )

I had to laugh.

I was listening to Rush in the car a few minutes ago and he was discussing Sen. Tom Harkin's ongoing campaign to "balance" Rush on Armed Forces Radio.

Rush pointed out that they have NPR 24hrs a day and he is only on one hour, even though the troops request the full 3 hours. It seems a liberal radio show host, Ed Schultz, was given the green light to get on AFR and then denied and then a roar was made about it and now he is greenlighted again.

Rush says that a lot depends on what the soldiers request. I have no problem with having a liberal radio host on AFR. Let the market decide.

But that isn't what made me laugh. Rush played an audio of Sen. Harkin at Paul Wellstone's funeral. Harkin was going on and on about fair wages for (and I quote) "those who clean our bathrooms and mop our floors."

Uhhhh.... you mean wives?

I just think it is hilarious how the liberal elite don't even see how they sound. Like Rush pointed out, don't most Americans clean their own bathrooms and mop their own floors?

But those like Harkin and Kennedy want better wages for those who clean their bathrooms and mop their floors.

Here's an idea I want to pass on to Harkin and Kennedy. You know those people who clean for you? PAY THEM MORE!!!!!

I think it would be interesting to know how much Harkin and Kennedy do pay the people who clean, do the yards, and drive them ect... Do they pay them minimum wage? And if they hire services, do they make it clear that they will pay more to insure that the workers get more than minimum wage?

Put your money where your mouth is, I always say.

A turning point in European history?

Daniel Pipes from the New York Sun gives us a brief historical perspective on the riots in Paris, if you're interested. Good links as well.

via NRO

They are reading blogs...

and apparently lifting material from them as well.

via NRO

When ex-wives attack.

New Jersey's nasty politics got even nastier earlier this week with the Governor's race:

From The Star Ledger:

"U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine's ex-wife said yesterday he "compromised his ideals" to get elected by cutting deals with political bosses, and that his pursuit of power "destroyed" their family.
Joanne Corzine said she was reluctantly breaking her silence because her ex-husband is giving an inaccurate portrayal of himself in his campaign for governor.
She said that when she campaigned by his side five years ago, she urged him not to get involved with Democratic political bosses, but he contributed millions of dollars to them to "buy their loyalty."

"It changed him. I think once you go down that road of making deals, compromising your ideals to get somewhere, it's easier to do it the next time," she told The Star-Ledger in an interview.
For the first time, she also said her ex-husband's affair with Carla Katz, president of New Jersey's largest state workers union, led to the breakup of their marriage.
"I think the relationship between Jon and Carla was the catalyst to our separation," she said.
Joanne Corzine met Jon Corzine in first grade and was married to him for 33 years. The couple raised three children together before divorcing two years ago.
"We grew up together. We came from first grade on. And our family was a unit and I think with the ambition that kind of took over our life -- his ambition -- it really destroyed our family as we knew it," she said.
"When he ran for Senate, family values were an important part of his campaign. We all helped campaign. And then when he got into the political arena, that changed, and I think people should know that because values are the core of what a person is."
Tom Shea, a senior campaign adviser to Corzine, had previously said the senator's romance with Katz began only after his separation from Joanne Corzine in March 2002. Last night, Jon Corzine did not dispute his ex-wife's statement on when the affair began."

Corzine's Republican opponent, Doug Forrester aired a TV commercial that features a disparaging quotation from the former Mrs. Corzine:

"All I could think was that Jon did let his family down, and he'll probably let New Jersey down, too," she told the Times."

Ouch. Ouch.

Should Forrester have used that in his commercial? What do you think? Since she did say it publicly and to a newspaper, it seems to me to be fair game.

Hmmm....

PARIS (AP) France's Cabinet authorized curfews under a state-of-emergency law Tuesday in an extraordinary measure to halt the country's worst civil unrest in decades after violence raged for a 12th night.

Extraordinary? Is it just me or is the French's response to the "worst civil unrest in decades" with rioting and burning out of control, a bit....too little too late? Especially the "too little" part. I mean giving the rioters a time to be home seems sort of ridiculous in the extreme. These kids are burning the neighborhoods down. Does anyone think they will obey a curfew?

What am I missing here? Some French fear of being grounded?

Wow.

Another Defense lawyer in the Saddam trial killed. It's becoming almost as dangerous to be a lawyer on that team as it was to live under Saddam's rule.

Can someone explain to me who and why they would want to kill these lawyers?

Why are these young people rioting in France?

Y ahoo news has this:

LE BLANC MESNIL, France - Bands of youths roaming Parisian suburbs burned more than 500 vehicles and hurled stones at police Friday, as the worst rioting in a decade entered its second week and spread elsewhere in France. The U.S. warned Americans against taking trains to the airport via strife-torn areas.

And Yahoo News explains why:

"The violence has exposed deep discontent in neighborhoods where African and Muslim immigrants and their French-born children are trapped by poverty, unemployment, racial discrimination, crime, poor education and housing."

But Victor Hanson Davis gives us a slightly different view.

I'll go with his:

"In the case of the Paris rioters, there are other explanations for their behavior that are more accurate than liberal clichés about “frustration.” As Dr Jack Wheeler puts it, “The problem is not that these Moslem kids are unemployed, but that they are unemployable. They are illiterate, unskilled except in crime, don't speak French well, refuse to assimilate into French culture and think being Moslem is more important than being French. Worse, they are paid by the French welfare state not to work, living well off the dole (and crime). The problem was epitomized by these words of a young Moslem rioter to a French reporter: 'In the day we sleep, go see our girlfriends, and play video games. And in the evening we have a good time: we go and fight the police.'”


Read the whole thing. It's good. As usual.

What might have been.

Dave Price over at Dean's World summarizes nicely the cost of NOT going to war:

"There's a relevant concept in business finance called "opportunity cost." It's the "cost" of not having the benefits of things you didn't do. What would Iraq's state be today had we not invaded, the opportunity cost of a decision not to invade? No Iraqi free press, no elections, no right to protest, the continued existence of state-sanctioned rape rooms and torture/murder centers, civil rights groups banned, continued Iraqi state support of terrorism, continued uncertainty about clandestine WMD development and WMD stockpiles, the continuation of the massive Oil-For-Food corruption, and very little hope of any of that changing. We'd be looking at another few decades of low-intensity war enforcing the no-fly zones, which inflamed Muslim opinion toward the U.S., or alternatively allowing Saddam to slaughter hundreds of thousands more Kurds and Shia, which we'd also be blamed for. Syria would likely still control Lebanon. And on top of all that, the looming end of the sanctions regime, allowing Saddam to pursue his WMD programs unfettered --with $60/barrel oil."

And we can't forget the two madmen sons waiting in the wings. The ones who so enjoyed the rape and torture rooms.

Liberals shouldn't try to be funny.

Seriously. Please. Stick to what you do best...whine and complain.

This is kinda cool...

Forbes has The E-mail Time Capsule. You type a message to yourself or to your children or maybe your young daughter types a message to herself about what she wants to accomplish for example. The e-mail can be sent back to you even 10 or 20 years later!

via boing boing

Say What??

Saudi to pay for weddings to fight terror

"RIYADH - The Saudi government said that it plans to keep former Guantanamo inmates from returning to terrorism by paying for their weddings. Assistant interior minister for security affairs Prince Mohammed Bin Naif Bin Abdel Aziz said that the government would also provide the men with a monthly salary bonus. The program is being set up for five of the 121 Saudi nationals held at Camp Delta after they were captured in Afghanistan."

Bombings or Brides, you CHOOSE!!!

Ok, whatever works.

Forgive me..

for making fun of a serious subject, but my college age son sent me the following e-mail (and if you knew him, it would be even funnier)

WARNING: Police are warning all men who frequent clubs, parties and local pubs to be alert and stay cautious when offered a drink from any woman.

Many females use a date rape drug on the market called "Beer". The drug is found in liquid form and available almost everywhere. It comes in bottles, cans, from taps and in large "kegs".

"Beer" is used by female sexual predators at parties and bars to persuade their male victims to go home and have sex with them. A woman needs only to get a guy to consume a few units of "Beer" and then simply ask him home for no strings attached sex. Men are rendered helpless against this approach. Many times these unfortunate men are swindled out of their life's savings in a scam known as a "relationship". In extreme cases, the female may even be shrewd enough to entrap the unsuspecting male into a longer term form of servitude and punishment referred to as "marriage".

Please! Forward this warning to every male you know. If you fall victim to this "Beer" and the women administering it.....there are male support groups where you can discuss the details of your shocking encounter

Rove must stay.

Bush letting go of Rove would send a message that the left can dictate things and that is unacceptable.

Bill Kristol also give several reasons Rove must stay, the most important being...winning.

"After all, it was with Rove as his primary adviser that Bush put together the remarkable back-to-back election successes of 2002 and 2004. Bush had barely won the presidency in 2000, and Republicans had lost five Senate seats. Yet with Rove's advice, Bush was able to help the GOP gain seats in both the House and the Senate in 2002 and 2004, as well as building a three million vote majority in the 2004 presidential election."

This is why the left hates him so. This is why this campaign to "get" Rove has been so vicious. This is why the left went into a tizzy when he wasn't indicted.

Rove knows how to win. Period. While I was busy having babies in the 90's, Rove was busy turning our state from Democrat to Republican. Replacing a very well liked Democrat governor, Ann Richards (who everyone thought was unbeatable, including myself) with a man named George W. Bush.

There's loyalty, and then there is just common sense. Rove should and must stay.

Kristol also points out that every time Bush's poll numbers have dropped it has been when he has tried to be bipartisan instead of pushing a Republican agenda. (see Social Security reform and the pork-laden highway bill)

The bottom line message here to Bush should be to stop trying to compromise with those who only want to bring you down. Stand strong on your agenda of advancing pro-growth and pro-family tax reforms. Explain in simple terms the reasons we stay the course in Iraq, and don't be afraid to appoint the judges YOU want appointed. Once again, don't try and please those who only wish you harm.

And for God's sake. Keep Rove.

A daring escape...

And a not so daring recapture. Here in Houston a man sentenced to death escapes jail by changing clothes and flashing a fake badge to securities.

Ok, imagine you're this man. You have just escaped the gas chamber. You are in Houston and they can't find you. You head for the Mexican border, right? Once you're in Mexico you're a free bird, they will never catch you. And what is even sweeter, the border is just a hop, skip, and jump away.

But what do you do??? You go to Shreveport, La. and get drunk and get caught.

Ah, the mind of a criminal.

Not to overstate the obvious...

But everything that is happening now in France illustrates why we should never have respect for anything they say. They are weak willed, frozen in the face of decisions, and incapable of shutting down the violence that rocks their country.

Online Lessons In Terror.

From the TimesOnline:

AN Al-Qaeda website containing detailed instructions in Arabic on how to make nuclear, “dirty” and biological bombs has attracted more than 57,000 hits and hundreds of readers’ inquiries. Terrorism experts are warning that the site could be boosting the organisation’s appeal to would-be assassins in Britain and abroad.

The manual, posted on October 6 on a forum titled Al-Firdaws, or Paradise, contains 80 pages of instructions and pictures of kitchen bomb-making techniques. It is divided into nine lessons under the overall heading The Nuclear Bomb of Jihad and the Way to Enrich Uranium, and is dedicated as a “gift to the commander of the jihad fighters, Sheikh Osama Bin Laden, for the purpose of jihad for the sake of Allah”.

As well as describing how to make a nuclear bomb from enriched uranium — impossible for the layman — the manual explains how to make simple bombs that can blow up anything from electrical generators to petrol stations.

Read more.

They may live in tents and rarely bathe, but they have the internet. I hope we are paying attention.

Splendor In The Ass....

Ok, sorry. I just couldn't resist that one. Warren Beatty is following around Schwarzenegger as Schwarzenegger travels the state drumming up support of ballot measures that would curb the power of the Democrat- controlled Legislature and the state's public employee unions. Another measure he backs would extend the trial period for teaches to get tenure.

On the one hand Beatty says this about Schwarzenegger's campaigning, "To me, this is an abuse of the initiative process." And yet when asked if he would be running for Governor in the future, Beatty says, " "I don't want to run for governor. I want to say what I think."

So Beatty wants to say what he thinks, but he doesn't want the Governor to do so?

Such is the mind of a liberal.

*note: Although my post title may sound like a gay porn movie, it isn't. For those not familiar with old movies,the title is after the movie that first made Beatty famous, "Splendor In The Grass." Which is an interesting movie about a young girl who goes insane because she can't have sex with Beatty. Simply put, of course...;-)

Valour IT!

I forgot to mention that I am part of the MARINE team. So if our team gets the most donations, the Marines beat the Army, Navy and Air Force teams. (note: I love them all!)

If you look over at my sidebar, you can see a button for giving to Project Valour IT. It is a project of Soldiers' Angels. The purpose is to attain voice-activated laptops for injured soldiers , "it is not a matter of a short-term emotional boost, or even the sustenance gleaned from the knowledge that one is "remembered." It is a matter of assistance in reclaiming a part of one's wholeness and independence in the face of life-altering injuries, repeated surgery, painful physical therapy, and the isolation of the hospital room."

As you know, I don't have a pen pay button on my site or a tip jar or ads. I don't ask for money for myself ever. But anyone who reads my blog knows how much I love our military. They are who keep us free. So if you can give a bit to help those who sacrificed for us, I would deeply appreciate it.

Ok, here's a nightmare.....

It's not as scary as Pres. Hillary, but still......

Read some of it. It's funny. In a tragic way. Like talking to someone who seriously believes Elvis is still alive.

h/t Jeff

Former Pres. Carter speaks out against abortion...

about 30 yrs too late.

Here are the quotes from The Washington Times:

Former President Jimmy Carter yesterday condemned all abortions and chastised his party for its intolerance of candidates and nominees who oppose abortion. "I never have felt that any abortion should be committed -- I think each abortion is the result of a series of errors,"

"I've never been convinced, if you let me inject my Christianity into it, that Jesus Christ would approve abortion."

Mr. Carter said his party's congressional leadership only hurts Democrats by making a rigid pro-abortion rights stand the criterion for assessing judicial nominees.

"I have always thought it was not in the mainstream of the American public to be extremely liberal on many issues," Mr. Carter said. "I think our party's leaders -- some of them -- are overemphasizing the abortion issue."

Victor Davis Hanson just rocks.

Once again he shows us how we focus on the wrong things:

"Westerners far too rarely publicly denounce radical Islam for its sick, anti-Semitic, anti-female, anti-American, and anti-modernist rhetoric. Just imagine the liberal response if across the globe Christians had beheaded schoolgirls, taken over schoolhouses to kill students, and shot school teachers as we have witnessed radical Muslims doing these past few months.

Instead, Western parlor elites are still arguing over whether there were al Qaedists in Iraq before the removal of Saddam Hussein, whether the suspicion of WMDs was the real reason for war against the Baathists, whether Muslim minorities should be pressured to assimilate into European democratic culture, and whether constitutional governments risk becoming intolerant in their new efforts to infiltrate and disrupt radical Muslim groups in Europe and the United States. Some of this acrimony is understandable, but such in-fighting is still secondary to defeating enemies who have pledged to destroy Western liberal society. At some point this Western cannibalism becomes not so much counterproductive as serving the purposes of those who wish America to call off its struggle against radical Islam."

And he shows us solutions:

"Instead, the world—if it is to save its present liberal system of free trade, safe travel, easy and unfettered communications, and growing commitment to constitutional government—must begin seeing radical Islamism as a universal pathology rather than reactions to regional grievances, if it is ever to destroy it materially and refute it ideologically.
Yet the antidote for radical Islam, aside from the promotion of democratization and open economies, is simple. It must be militarily defeated when it emerges to wage organized violence, as in the cases of the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Zarqawi’s terrorists in Iraq, and the various killer cliques in Palestine.

Second, any who tolerate radical Islam should be ostracized. Muslims living in the West must be condemned when they assert that the Jews caused 9/11, or that suicide bombing is a legitimate response to Israel, or that Islamic immigrants’ own unique culture gives them a pass from accustomed assimilation, or that racial and religious affinity should allow tolerance for the hatred that spews forth from madrassas and mosques — before the patience of Western liberalism is exhausted and “the rules of the game” in Tony Blair’s words “change” quite radically and we begin to see mass invitations to leave.

Third, nations that intrigue with jihadists must be identified as the enemies of civilization. We often forget that there are now left only four major nation-states in the world that either by intent or indifference allow radical Islamists to find sanctuary."

Read the whole thing.

Can we run this man for President in 08"? Because he just gets it.

I can't describe my disgust.

You have got to read this post at Mudville about how the New York Times "edits" or misquotes American GIs. This example is beyond the pale, mainly because the soldier is no longer with us.

"... the Times took these words from US Marine Corporal Jeffrey B. Starr:

"Obviously if you are reading this then I have died in Iraq. I kind of predicted this, that is why I'm writing this in November. A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances. I don't regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark."

And edited them down to this:

Sifting through Corporal Starr's laptop computer after his death, his father found a letter to be delivered to the marine's girlfriend. "I kind of predicted this," Corporal Starr wrote of his own death. "A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances."

Right. Let's just edit out all references to his patriotism and his belief and understanding of his mission, and make it seem that that he just saw it as a numbers game.

The New York Times makes me sick, sick, sick. Print all the anti-war rants you wish, just don't use and lie about our fallen soldiers to do it.

Scumbags.

UPDATE: From Media Blog-- "The mother of Cpl. Jeffrey B. Starr was on "The O'Reilly Factor" tonight. She said that in addition to quoting only the most negative parts of a letter Starr wrote to his girlfriend to be read in case he was killed, the Times made some factual errors, such as his date of death and how he died. She said the story overall did not portray her son accurately. The Times, which has already tried to defend the story's portrayal of Starr, will now have to look at whether it got basic facts right."

The Political Teen has the video from the O'Reilly show. (link at bottom of post)

One just has to love
European Underwater Hockey.

This picture is just screaming to be captioned.

It's always been a rule of mine.....

to never shop while nude or drunk. But those crazy brits.....

Now, after reading the link. Be honest. Have you ever done either or both???

I figure most of those brits look like this anyway.... Heh.

Let's Investigate.

In a quick followup to the post below. The whole showboating of having the Senate in closed session by the Democrats was all about questioning intelligence that President Bush used in the run-up to the war in Iraq. But if we do more investigating than we already have done, then lets really go through the whole thing. A commenter named Phinn over at Ace had some good ideas on where to start:

"We can talk all about the unanimous opinion of all the world's intelligence services, including our own government going back at least one or two administrations.

We can talk about the production capacity to manufacture chemical and biological weapons that we found.

We can talk about the caravan of trucks on the eve of the invasion that streamed out of Iraq and into Syria that has still not been accounted for or explained.

We can talk about how, when collecting information on the possible attempt by Iraq to buy uranium, one of the members of the Mickey Mouse Section of the CIA sent her husband, a well-established preening idiot, to go drink tea with African officials rather than do a real investigation."

Have you wondered where Hillary is....

with this "Bush lied" crowd? It's interesting. Hillary is the Democrats best chance at the White House in '08. It will certainly be a bloody fight if anyone tries to take away the nomination from her. But there is this loud roar from the Democrat side saying that the intelligent information regarding Saddam was manipulated by the Bush administration. But the thing is, their number one chance at the White House felt very differently:

In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.
- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

The intelligence which the president shared with us was in line with what we saw in the White House"
-- - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, 2003

via Ace

Here are a host of quotes from prominent Democratic leaders that they probably don't want you remembering.

The the most telling one? Well, it's by the guy who will probably give Hillary her bloody fight for the nomination..John Kerry.

[Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real ..." Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003.

There is even a quote on that link of Bill Clinton as President asking for military action because of Saddam's WMD program.

So the question is this. If Bush lied, then didn't Both Clintons and Kerry and the rest lie as well?

I heard Arianna Huffington asked this question on the radio yesterday and she said, "But they didn't go to war." How strange. You mean it's only a lie if you go to war? If we hadn't gone, then it becomes the truth?

What a game the Democrats play.

At least the Democrats admit.....

that the closed Senate session was all a game.

"My phones have been ringing off the hook" at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Schumer said. "It has played far better than we had thought."

via NRO

Judges Gone Wild.

Ace says it better than I could:

The Ninth Circus Strikes Again

"While exposing children of tender years to the Pledge of Allegiance is a traumatic and searing experience of gob-smacking heartache, apparently soliciting parental consent for a "survey of early trauma" without mentioning that it asks first graders (as well as third and fifth graders) about their sexual habits is just peachy A-OK doubleplusgood!"

The unbelievable quote in the court decision is this:

"We agree, and hold that there is no fundamental right of parents to be the exclusive provider of information regarding sexual matters to their children, either independent of their right to direct the upbringing and education of their children or encompassed by it."

Stunned and sickened are the only words that can describe how I feel about this. This, my dear friends, is the reason it is so important to have judges appointed by common sense Republicans who understand that parents are the ones who decide what is best for their own children.

What have Republicans done for minorities?

The following was said by a commenter in the post below:

"As a Republican, I feel the only way we're going to build an honest and permanent majority in this great nation is by reaching out to all people. First on our list should be addressing problems created by racism, inequality in education and distrust in our nation which are long overdue. If we can take this on, we can destroy the Left's last remaining bastion of strength.

If it sounds like I have some experience here, it's because while I am white, my wife is black. It's difficult to extol the virtues of our chosen party to her family, to say the least. When I'm asked "What have Republicans done for minorities in the United States?" I have no good answers. In fact, I come up pretty empty handed."

Well I can answer that question for you. And it is this. The question is the wrong question. Because the government isn't there to help any particular group based on skin color. I mean, think about it. Isn't that an insult to the black community to ask what a party can do for them as if whites don't need to have that question asked?

If a question is to be asked it also isn't "What have the Democrats done for you?" If anything, it should be "What have the Democrats DONE to you?

I grew up in the middle of the civil rights movement in Mississppi. I graduated from a formerly all black high school. I saw first hand the growth of the welfare state that practically destroyed the black family. The root of poverty in this country, black or white, is clearly children born into families with no father present. Nothing will change if that doesn't change. And there isn't a damn thing the government can do about THAT.

The Democrats had good intentions in the 60's. They did not forsee the vicious cycle of poverty that would become generational because of welfare. They did not see that handing out checks to unwed mothers would discourage marriage and make the man unecessary. But that is what happened and that is the root cause of the problems in the inner city.

As Bill Cosby pointed out, the problems that need to be addressed in the black community are ones that must be addressed by they themselves. But just to make it clear. No President has given more money to education for the inner city than Bush has. His "No Child Left Behind Act" was directly targeting the poor communities exactly where he felt the government could do the best, in education. He increased funding for the head start program, another educational program targeted for the poor. And heaven knows he could not have done more for the victims of Katrina.

While I understand Bush's desire for better education for the poor, he too makes the mistake in thinking that money is the answer. We have been throwing money into education for decades and have seen little improvement. It is clear that children who have stable loving homes get a good education. Not because the school is new looking or the books are not old. But because parents are home to make them study, examples are set, rules are in place, and disipline is taught.

Looking for the government to solve the problems of minorities is exactly where the problems started in the first place and it is high time black Democrats realized this.

Next time a relative asks you that question tell them that the Republicans have done for the black community the same as they have done for the white community and the rest of ethnic groups. We don't see people as groups, we just see them as people. And for all of us Republicans have fought the heavy burden of being overtaxed. They fight against beaucracy and red tape for the small business. They fight for the right to life of all unborn children. They fight against social engineering that the Democrats wish to have (gay marriage). They fight against overregulation that strangles entrepreneurialship. For the most part Republicans fight for the exact thing that the black community needs the most...economic freedom. They provide tax incentives for business. It was the Republican's idea to provide "empowerment zones" for poor communites in order for people to own their own home instead of relying on the government. They fought for years for welfare reform in order to get people to work instead of relying on the government.

The bottom line is that the only government programs that truly promote change in the poor communites are the ones that provide economic freedoms, not the social programs that just provide a bandaid to a wound that must be addressed by the community themselves.

I don't want you to think that I don't feel that racism plays into the distrust that the black community feels. I know racism exists. But it is difficult to be bothered by a racist when one's life is full of opportunity and success, both personal and professionally. I feel the distrust is based on propaganda promoted by Democrats in order to keep blacks away from the Republican party. And it has worked. Laws are on the books against discrimination. That is what the government CAN do. The rest is simply up to us.

I am sure you have seen this. It is all over the blogosphere. I was late getting to it because of being so busy today! Thanks to Jill for reminding me of it.

Michell Malkin is all over it, of course. She knows this kind of leftwing bigotry herself all too well.

The Washington Times today:

"Black Democratic leaders in Maryland say that racially tinged attacks against Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele in his bid for the U.S. Senate are fair because he is a conservative Republican.
Such attacks against the first black man to win a statewide election in Maryland include pelting him with Oreo cookies during a campaign appearance, calling him an "Uncle Tom" and depicting him as a black-faced minstrel on a liberal Web log.
Operatives for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) also obtained a copy of his credit report -- the only Republican candidate so targeted.
But black Democrats say there is nothing wrong with "pointing out the obvious."

Imagine for a moment if you will, a Republican doing such a thing. The howling from the left would be heard across the nation! You know what really makes me sick? Is thinking it's ok to denigrate his race if you happen to share that race.

The oreos are dispicable. It reinforces the notion to young black kids that they must follow a certain dress code or mindset or way of speaking to be black.

And the ministrel face! Who in their right mind would do such a thing????????

Good Grief! Every black in Maryland should vote for Steele just as a protest alone for this kind of sick behavior.

Things...They are a changin.....

My online friend from townhall chat room is a soldier in Iraq right now. He has an article at Tech Station right now. regarding America having enough troops in Iraq. I misposted earlier and said that he had written the following. I misunderstood him. But he did direct me to the following post by Chuck Holton:

TIKRIT, Iraq - Let's begin in Tikrit, the city best known as the birthplace of Saddam Hussein. We spent some time here on Forward Operating Base Danger, a sprawling compound of 68 palaces that Hussein built for his family.This island used to belong to Saddam's sons. But today, this area is a training center for new Iraqi security forces, which has graduated more than 1,500 new Iraqi soldiers and policemen.

The palace is now the headquarters for the 42nd Infantry Brigade, which is comprised of 23,000 active duty, guard, and reserve soldiers from 29 states. Its commander, Major General Joseph Taluto, laments that the mainstream media does not show the progress that is being made in the region.

"Nobody reports the attacks we stop,” Taluto said. “They don't report the SVBIEDs (car bombs) that we catch at a checkpoint. They don't talk about the thousands of people that we’ve arrested since we've been here in north central Iraq, and put in jail with evidence.

"In addition, the 42nd will soon be leaving this base in the hands of the new Iraqi government.

Forty miles down river is Samarra, a town of 200,000 in the heart of the Sunni Triangle.

There has not been much reported from here lately, either. In fact, our crew was the first media team to enter Samarra this year.

It is considered to be an insurgent stronghold, one of the most dangerous places in Iraq at this time, and the unit we were embedded with has lost an average of one soldier a month since it has been here. But even in this bleak city, progress is being made.

Forward Operating Base Brassfield-Mora is the command post for operations inside Samarra. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wald commands the unit.

Wald said, "If you talk to the average man on the street, they don't want coalition forces to leave. They love having the U.S. over here. We treat them with dignity and respect. We treat them fairly. We provide them with economic opportunity. We are all about making this a better place. The insurgents don't have that to offer them."

Pursuing this mission, the civil affairs team here has completed more than 150 humanitarian projects in the last nine months.

We saw an electrical power substation that the team is building. And while it may not look like much, it is one of the ways that the U.S. is working to help the Iraqi people get back on their feet, so that troops can come home. The substation will provide electricity for the city of Samarra.
And a water plant, paid for by coalition funds, pulls two million gallons a day out of the Tigris River and pumps it into the city.

A fire station in the city gets a new generator. And a new police station is being built.

But these projects are not without their setbacks. At this local college, the headmaster complains that the new lab building funded by the U.S. has been delayed by problems.

The headmaster said, "The contractor leave this building before about three months. I haven't seen him. I understand that the other side, guerilla, whatever they are, they ask him to give - you know - they want money. Now he leaves, I need this building because I have a lot of students."
This kind of challenge is being seen throughout the country. Much of the chaos seen in Iraq these days is as much from common criminals as it is from insurgents, which underscores the importance of these types of projects.

"Many of the people in Samara have no real economic opportunity right now,” Wald said, “as long as the insurgency stays the way it is. And so, instead of joining the Iraqi army for a few hundred dollars a month, they can put a roadside bomb out for $100. Whether they are effective or not, they can make more money doing that right now than they can in a legitimate enterprise.”

And so, while fighting the insurgency is a big priority, bringing economic stability to the people of Iraq is just as important.
Captain Radcliffe Antoine is a physician's assistant at Forward Operating Base Warhorse in Baquba. From his perspective, things are definitely getting better.

"I think the news gives you the picture that Iraq is on fire and it's burning down,” said Capt. Antoine. “And that's not what we find here day to day. Back in the March - April timeframe, we would generally see eight-10 people a week coming through with significant head/ thoracic/ abdominal injuries. And over the last few months, those numbers have decreased to the point where we'll go three, four weeks without seeing any injuries at all. The news [seems to] broadcast things that are sensational, and the everyday victories are not necessarily newsworthy in their eyes. To say that a school has been constructed - most people don't want to hear about that - but for us it's a steadfast improvement that we see day to day."
Wald stated, "This is the great thing about being an American. We have the ability to show other cultures hope. And we can show them exactly what it is to be free, to be able to have the right to choose what you want to do. Whether it's the right to religion, the right to free speech, the right to protest if you want without fear of being killed in public. We have the ability to show the rest of the world what freedom really is.”

While most of the soldiers we talked to believe our work here is far from over, all of them said that they believe a stable Iraq will eventually make the whole world safer. How long that will take, however, remains to be seen.

Oh For Heaven's Sake....

They didn't get Rove so now this.

WASHINGTON Nov 1, 2005 — Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, questioning intelligence that President Bush used in the run-up to the war in Iraq.."

Jeff at Protein Wisdom has a pretty good take on it:

"Harry Reid and Democratic Senators have invoked Rule 21 and closed the Senate, barring C-SPAN, reporters, etc. Reid claims to be doing this because he is upset that the Senate has refused to hold hearings into the pre-war intelligence lies of Chimpy McHilterburton and his bloodthirsty band of warmongering neocons. Evidently, the bi-partisan Senate report that already pronounced on such questions isn’t good enough—and, given the recent Libby indictments (which special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald explicitly stated has nothing to do with pre-war intelligence), Democrats wish to be able to waste time and money creating an appearance of impropriety rather than concentrating on the business of governing.
Bill Frist is calling this grandstanding manuever—which is an attempt to call attention to the desire for an even greater grandstanding maneuver, namely, hearings on the false charges leveled by congenital liar Joseph Wilson—an “affront” and a “deeply disappointing.”

"For my part, I find stunts like these almost refreshing, in that they show quite clearly that the Democratic Party’s agenda is driven entirely by a desire to bring down this Republican adminstration and install itself in their place—and any damage done to the country barely rates consideration."

Lawmakers Attend Human Rights Conference
People: Hillary Clinton; Sam Brownback; Gary Haugen

I think a caption contest is in order here.

Deja Vu'????

All over again.

Michael Yon is home for a short time.....

And he is going dancing with Bruce Willis. Read about it here.

The nice before the storm?

Just to say they did? Trying to shine up their tarnished image? Hmmm.. The NYT goes all mushy on Alito.

via Ace

Remembering 2000 of our Best and Brightest.

The Black Republican has this excellent essay doing just that. And he points out the view that our MSM and Democrats don't seem to ever focus on...the brave and noble sacrifice of our soldiers and Marines.

".....it seems that on October 25th we reached some sort of artificial milestone: 2,000 of our country's best and brightest have died liberating Iraq. As is the case with most things done by the MSM, this "milestone" is only recognized for it's negatives, with no mention of anything positive that the sacrifice of those brave 2,000 men and women has attained, nor any mention of the fact that the reality of Iraq is so much better than what most had expected. Senator Patrick Leahy (Democrat-Vermont) even used the occasion to suggest we cut and run from Iraq the way we cut and run from Vietnam. All I can say is if we do what Senator Leahy (Democrat-Vermont) suggests then we will guarantee that those 2,000 soldiers did indeed die for nothing, and sign the death sentences of hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of Iraqi citizens. You know the ones, those with the purple fingers."

Read the rest.

"Geraldo At Large?"

Large ego maybe. New show for Geraldo.

Read all about how America would be if he ruled it. He considers himself "an Oprah Winfrey Republican. You know, by that I mean I admire Oprah's entrepreneurial skill, but I admire her compassion, also. She's a true compassionate conservative. You could also call me a Hillary Clinton Republican. That's my own personal philosophy. It's all about free trade, and capitalism is the engine that drives the world -- but you have to have really deep feeling for people. You need a real safety net, not one that's spoken about in political jargon."

Aren't those things like being a sexy Janet Reno or a brainy Pamela Anderson?

Yeah. Nice try Geraldo.

It's all about abortion.

Judge Alito is already being criticized for his abortion rulings. Look, pro-choice or pro-life, Roe v. Wade was bad law. In 1973 we didn't have 3-D sonograms. We didn't know what we know now scientifically about unborn life. We also know that Jane Roe lied about being raped, NARAL lied about the number of women having illegal abortions ect... The whole case was decided on lies. Shouldn't that be enough to look at it again? It is time for those on both sides to look at the various abortion laws and look at what abortion has done to women (not to mention their babies) WARNING! Last link VERY graphic!

It's time.

And if it takes overturning Roe (which will NOT outlaw abortion) so we can have a national debate. Then we need to do it. We may not like it. But it is necessary. And fighting every Judge that is willing to do so will just continue the divide.

Good Consumer News.

Here.

Here is what some prominent Democrats had to say in the past about Judge Alito.

Courtesy of the Republican Party:

SEN. TED KENNEDY (D-MA): "You Have Obviously Had A Very Distinguished Record, And I Certainly Commend You For Long Service In The Public Interest. I Think It Is A Very Commendable Career And I Am Sure You Will Have A Successful One As A Judge." (Sen. Ted Kennedy, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 4/5/90)

SEN. FRANK LAUTENBERG (D-NJ): "I Believe Mr. Alito Has The Experience And The Skills To Be The Kind Of Judge The Public Deserves -- One Who Is Impartial, Thoughtful, And Fair. I Urge The Senate To Confirm His Nomination." (Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Congressional Record, 4/27/90, p. S5281)

FORMER SEN. BILL BRADLEY (D-NJ): "[T]he Confirmation Of Sam Alito As U.S. Attorney For New Jersey Is Testimony To The Commitment He Has Shown And The Success Of His Efforts As A Law Enforcement Official. I Am Confident That He Will Continue To Do All He Can To Uphold The Laws Of This Nation With The Kind Of Determination And Vigor That Has Been His Trademark In The Past." (Sen. Bill Bradley, Congressional Record, 12/8/87, p. S17427)

Kennedy and Lautenberg are still in the senate.

via A Face Made 4 Radio, A Voice Made 4 the Internet

Also Alito's biography.

Halloween Origins.

"The true origins of Halloween lie with the ancient Celtic tribes who lived in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. For the Celts, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain, Lord of the Dead. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the dead—including ghosts, goblins and witches—returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires.

When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival, such as making centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. The Romans also bobbed for apples and drank cider—traditions which may sound familiar to you. But where does the Christian aspect of the holiday come into play? In 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Hallow’s Even or “holy evening.” Eventually the name was shortened to the current Halloween. On November 2, the Church celebrates All Souls Day.

The purpose of these feasts is to remember those who have died, whether they are officially recognized by the Church as saints or not. It is a celebration of the “communion of saints,” which reminds us that the Church is not bound by space or time.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that through the communion of saints “a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things” (#1475)."

Saint Anthony Messenger.

Happy Halloween Everyone! Have Fun!

Bush nominates Judge Samuel Alito to the US Supreme Court.

Let the bloodletting begin.

Project Valour-IT

Soldiers' Angels' has this:

"Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse. The experience of CPT Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important this voice-controlled software can be to a wounded servicemember's recovery."

Read more and do what you can to help!

Who is outraged when Christians suffer?

Three teenage girls beheaded in Indonesia

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Men in black clothes and masks beheaded three teenage Christian girls on Saturday in eastern Indonesia as they walked to school near the Muslim town of Poso, officials said.

The article goes on:

Poso, 1,500 km (900 miles) northeast of the capital Jakarta, is in an area where Muslim-Christian clashes killed 2,000 people until a peace deal was agreed in 2001.
Although religious fighting has largely subsided, tension is still high in the region following bombings in the neighboring Christian town of Tentena which killed 22 people in May.
Security experts have said local Islamic radicals may have been responsible for the bombings in Tentena.

Will this get the same kind of global outrage as the burning of Taliban bodies? Especially since these were INNOCENT GIRLS and not terrorists?

We shall see.

WARNING!!! Extremely disturbing still pictures of the girls here. To be honest. I haven't viewed the pictures. I am just going on what they are saying at Ace about it. I can't view these things.

Interesting.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had secretly accepted a last-minute plan to go into exile to avert the 2003 Iraq war, but Arab leaders shot the proposal down, Al Arabiya television reported on Friday.

According to Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak the U.S. had expressed it's support of the plan as well.

I am always amazed at the vital informative news that seems to get away from journalists these days. We find out things long after they are of any value except to ask why? Perhaps it is because they are too interested in going after only that which suits their agenda?

via Ace.