The Truth Laid Bear has a listing of Middle Eastern bloggers. Lebanese to Palestinians.
via Slate
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Check this out...
DCCC pulls offensive ad.
The one mentioned below on my post "The Wacky World Of the Democrats."
Stephen Spruiell at Media Blog has this:
"Fox News reports that the DCCC has decided to pull an ad that used flag-draped coffins and a phony mug shot of Tom DeLay in a "stuff that's wrong with America" montage. The ad seemed to suggest that the solution to all these problems is to re-elect Bill Clinton. The ad was pulled after two House Democrats objected:
On Thursday, more than a dozen Republicans, many with military backgrounds, called on DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., to apologize. Democratic Reps. John Spratt of South Carolina and Chet Edwards of Texas asked Emanuel to pull or alter the ad."We're moving to another major effort that we're highlighting on our Web site," DCCC spokesman Bill Burton said.Good. Maybe this time they can avoid offending veterans, doctoring photos and admitting that the best politician in the Democratic party left office six years ago."
More on the the Saddam-Osama Connection.
We just keep finding more and more. The Captain has this:
"One of the documents released by the FMSO project contains the records of the Iraqi regime's early connections to Osama bin Laden, starting in 1994 and continuing at least through 1997. It comes in the middle of document ISGZ-2004-009247, a review of Iraqi Intelligence Service contacts in the region and summaries of the combined efforts that they produced.
The review of their work with Saddam comes in section 2, discussing "The Reform And Advice Committee":
2. The Reform and Advice Committee:This shows that the connections to the Saddam regime went much higher than previously thought. Uday himself made the arrangements with the Sudanese government in December 1994. Osama met directly with the General Director of the IIS. Even after he left the Sudan, the Sudanese continued to act as a conduit between Osama and Iraq, at the behest of Saddam Hussein -- and the IIS states that they were actively working to connect to Osama again after he landed in Afghanistan.
Headed by the Saudi Usamah Bin Ladin [UBL], who is a member of a
wealthy Saudi family with his roots going back to Hadhramut [TC: An area now
part of Yemen]. This family has a strong ties with the ruling family in Saudi.
He is one of the leaders of the Afghan-Arabs, who volunteered for jihad in
Afghanistan. After the expulsion of the Russians, he moved to live in Sudan in
1992 subsequent to the Islamists arrival to power in Sudan.
[A]s a result of his antagonistic positions against the ruling Saudi
family in opposition to the foreign presence in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi
authorities issued a decree to withdrawing his Saudi Citizenship. We approached
the committee by doing the following:
A. During the visit of the Sudanese Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sunusi to Iraq and
his meeting with Mr. `Uday Saddam Hussein, on December 13th 1994, with the
presence of the respectable, Mr. Director of the Intelligence Services, he [Dr.
Al-Sunusi] pointed out that the opposing Usamah Bin Ladin, residing in Sudan,
who expressed reservations and fear that he may be depicted by his enemies as an
agent for Iraq; is ready to meet with us in Sudan (The Honorable Presidency was
informed of the results of the meeting in our letter 782 on December 17th
1994).
B. An approval to meet with opposer Usama Bin Ladin by the Intelligence
Services was given by the Honorable Presidency in its letter 138, dated January
11th 1995 (attachment 6). He [UBL] was met by the previous general director of M
’I M 4 [QCC: possible the previous General Director of Intelligence] in Sudan,
with the presence of the Sudanese, Ibrahim Al-Sannusi, on February 19th 1995. A
discussion ensued with him about his organization, he [UBL] requested the
broadcasting of the speeches of Sheikh Sulayman Al-`Udah (who has an influence
within Saudi Arabia and outside, due to his religious and influential
personality), to designate a program for them through the radio broadcast
directed inside Iraq, and to perform joint operations against the foreign forces
in the land of Hijaz. (The Honorable Presidency was informed of the details of
the meeting in our letter 370 on March 4th 1995, attachment 7)
C. The approval was received from the Leader, Mr. President, may God keep
him, to designate a program for them {QCC: UBL and the Sheikh] through the
directed radio broadcast. We were left to develop the relationship and the
cooperation between the two sides to find out what other avenues of cooperation
and agreement would open up. The Sudanese were informed of the Honorable
Presidency’s approval of the above through the representative of the Respectable
Director of Intelligence Services our Ambassador in Khartoum.
D. Due to the recent situation in Sudan, and being accused of
supporting and embracing terrorism, an agreement with the opposer Saudi Usamah
Bin Laden was reached, to depart Sudan to another region; whereas, he left
Khartoum in July of 1996. The information indicates that he is currently in
Afghanistan.
The relationship with him is ongoing through the Sudanese side.
Currently, we are working to revitalize this relationship through a new channel
in light of his present location. [emphasis mine -- CE]
During this period of 1996, al-Qaeda bombed the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. In 1998, Osama issued his fatwa against the US. The embassy attacks in Africa followed, and then the bombing of the USS Cole -- and finally, 9/11.
One has to wonder how successfully the IIS was in its project to "revitalize" their relationship."
Friday, July 14, 2006
Powerful stuff.
The following is written by Youssef M. Ibrahim, a former New York Times Middle East Correspondent and Wall Street Journal Energy Editor for 25 years, is a freelance writer based in New York City and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It appears at Jewish World Review.
Dear Palestinian Arab brethren:
The war with Israel is over.
You have lost. Surrender and negotiate to secure a future for your children.
We, your Arab brothers, may say until we are blue in the face that we stand by you, but the wise among you and most of us know that we are moving on, away from the tired old idea of the Palestinian Arab cause and the "eternal struggle" with Israel.
Dear friends, you and your leaders have wasted three generations trying to fight for Palestine, but the truth is the Palestine you could have had in 1948 is much bigger than the one you could have had in 1967, which in turn is much bigger than what you may have to settle for now or in another 10 years. Struggle means less land and more misery and utter loneliness.
At the moment, brothers, you would be lucky to secure a semblance of a state in that Gaza Strip into which you have all crowded, and a small part of the West Bank of the Jordan. It isn't going to get better. Time is running out even for this much land, so here are some facts, figures, and sound advice, friends.
You hold keys, which you drag out for television interviews, to houses that do not exist or are inhabited by Israelis who have no intention of leaving Jaffa, Haifa, Tel Aviv, or West Jerusalem. You shoot old guns at modern Israeli tanks and American-made fighter jets, doing virtually no harm to Israel while bringing the wrath of its mighty army down upon you. You fire ridiculously inept Kassam rockets that cause little destruction and delude yourselves into thinking this is a war of liberation. Your government, your social institutions, your schools, and your economy are all in ruins.
Your young people are growing up illiterate, ill, and bent on rites of death and suicide, while you, in effect, are living on the kindness of foreigners, including America and the United Nations. Every day your officials must beg for your daily bread, dependent on relief trucks that carry food and medicine into the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, while your criminal Muslim fundamentalist Hamas government continues to fan the flames of a war it can neither fight nor hope to win.
In other words, brothers, you are down, out, and alone in a burnt-out landscape that is shrinking by the day.
What kind of struggle is this? Is it worth waging at all? More important, what kind of miserable future does it portend for your children, the fourth or fifth generation of the Arab world's have-nots?
We, your Arab brothers, have moved on.
Those of us who have oil money are busy accumulating wealth and building housing, luxury developments, state-of-the-art universities and schools, and new highways and byways. Those of us who share borders with Israel, such as Egypt and Jordan, have signed a peace treaty with it and are not going to war for you any time soon. Those of us who are far away, in places like North Africa and Iraq, frankly could not care less about what happens to you.
Only Syria continues to feed your fantasies that someday it will join you in liberating Palestine, even though a huge chunk of its territory, the entire Golan Heights, was taken by Israel in 1967 and annexed. The Syrians, my friends, will gladly fight down to the last Palestinian Arab.
Before you got stuck with this Hamas crowd, another cheating, conniving, leader of yours, Yasser Arafat, sold you a rotten bill of goods — more pain, greater corruption, and millions stolen by his relatives — while your children played in the sewers of Gaza.
The war is over. Why not let a new future begin?
via Ace
The Wacky World of Democrats.
Many mainstream Democrats get irritated at us when we point to examples of disturbing behavior such as Dr. Frisch, arguing that she doesn't represent them. I hope not and I believe you, but the following guys? They DO represent you.
Iowa Voice points out this interesting and disturbing tidbit from Human Events:
"The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has stooped to a new low.
The group is using flag-covered coffins of dead soldiers and other images as distasteful propaganda in a new fundraising campaign ad that can be viewed here. (Big hat tip to Erick at RedState.)
Ironically, the title of the video is "America Needs a New Direction" but it ends with Bill Clinton waiving his hands in the air. Wouldn't that be a U-turn in the wrong direction? Is that the best the Dems have to offer -- recycled material? Is there not one Democratic "leader" in the party today that they can agree is worth promotion?
Also, Erick points out something even more disturbing:
Likewise, the DCCC shows a doctored image of Tom DeLay's mug shot from Texas (and, frankly, it's not really even Tom DeLay, just an actor pretending to be him). The image now has a number at the bottom: 091108GOP. Is September 11, 2008, to be the day the GOP gets wiped out by Democrats? Of all the random sequences of numbers to use, are we really suppose to believe that 091108 is not suppose to have any connection to September 11th and the deaths of so many Americans -- especially after starting the video with the images of dead American soldiers?"
Whatttt????? What IS the deal with 9-11-08? What does that mean??
Then Lori Bryd at Townhall.com points out an interesting campaign strategy of the Democrats:
"As part of the Democratic Reunion campaign, resources have been made available to assist those canvassing their neighborhoods on behalf of the Democratic Party. A canvassing tip sheet at the website instructs volunteers to discuss the issues important to their neighbors and then lists things to look for in order to get an idea of what those issues are.
Bumper stickers or window decals: What issues are brought up? Do they indicate issue preferences? Do they indicate particular values?
Religious items: Do they have any religious items in view? What can you tell by the nature of their religious display?”
The tip sheet continues, “Take a quick look around. What do you see and what might it tell you about the person whose home you are visiting? What might each of the cues listed below tell you about the voters who live there?” Cues then listed include “religious symbols,” “U.S. flag,” “well tended flower garden” and “expensive car.”
Sooo..., you see a statue of Mary in a garden you know to stay away from the abortion issue. If you see a "I support the troops" bumper sticker, stay away from the Iraq war and focus on funding perhaps? If you see an expensive car you might want to talk about tax cuts (which would never happen under Democratic leadership, but whatever) In other words, work around their religion and moral values, because we all know how easily they can be manipulated, right?
As Byrd points out, something else might work better for the Democrats. Try this tip:
"After reading the canvassing tips, Pat Hynes, author of In Defense Of The Religious Right, said:
"It is a testament as to how remarkably out of touch the Democrats are that they need to count the number of Jesus fish on the bumpers of cars to measure the values of their communities. Instead of spying on their neighbors to build their political databases, Democrats would be wise to darken the doorways of a church now and again and absorb some of the traditional moral values that play an increasing role in public life."
Good news I missed while I was away.
Just saw this at Blogs For Bush:
"With 121,000 jobs created last month, the Bush economic boom has created 5.4 million jobs since August 2003. Nearly two million jobs have been created over the past 12 months, and the unemployment rate is 4.6 percent, which is lower than the average unemployment rate of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s."
Sweet.
"Taking A Stroll Through The Garden Of Half-Truths"
The Captain takes a look at the lawsuit filed on behalf of Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson. Very interesting. As the Captain says, "This is one of those moments when one wonders what color the sky is in another's world.
On a much related note, a commenter at the Captain's pointed out this very enlightening article at Slate by Christopher Hitchens, "Wowie Zahawie
Sorry everyone, but Iraq did go uranium shopping in Niger."
Wowie Zahawie!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Media Bias.....
...cataloged and laid out on how they have been painting our soldiers in the worst possible light since this war began.
Thomas Sowell puts it all together, and even though this certainly isn't a surprise, it is still astounding to see how blatant it is. It is sad and disturbing. Read the whole thing.
h/t BigDog
Teacher fired for serving in the war on terror.
Unbelievable.
Correct me if I am wrong here, but do we really have such an overflow of qualified teachers that it's necessary to ignore the law and fire one for a leave of absence when he goes to fight for our country?????
Update: Cormac has some contact info:
Wilson County Board of Education
Dr. Jim Duncan
(615) 444-3282
mailto:duncanj@wcschools.com
Wilson Central High School
(http://www.wcschools.com/wch/)
Larry Kernagis, Principal
419 Wildcat WayLebanon, TN 37090
(615) 453-4600
h/t dave
Marine Wine?
Yep.
"From the halls of Montezuma to Inchon to Fallujah, the United States Marine Corps have proved themselves to be the meanest, toughest, most resourceful warriors on the planet.
Now, a single test remains for this hallowed assemblage of fighters:
Make a rich, smooth Cabernet Sauvignon.
Fortunately, the former Marines at Firestone Vineyards are meeting the challenge, by producing "Jarhead Red."
via boing boing
More on McCain.
The entire Esquire article on John McCain here. Interesting to be sure. Not a flattering piece, but not a bash either. Sort of strange.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Novak on Hume.
In case you missed it, here it is.
As NRO's Media Bog puts it:
"If anyone still thinks this investigation was anything more than a political ploy trumped up by the Democrats and their allies in the media, Novak's version of events should put all doubts to rest."
Whoa...
Israel hits Palestinian Foreign Ministry Building Fox news is reporting.
Update: Seems the building was pretty empty. They are reporting that Israel is trying precision strikes. More of a bark than a bite I suppose.
Don't miss it!
Bob Novak will appear on the Special Report with Brit Hume and Hannity & Colmes tonight on Fox regarding the Valerie Plame affair, which he was not able to do before now because the Special Prosecutor forced his silence during the investigation. For an update on this go here.
The left was pinning a lot of hopes on this one. Remember when it was "only a matter of time" before Rove was indicted? Joe Wilson will soon be proven to be the liar and glory hound that he is.
As I have said before, it's a wonder any good men or women want to go into politics with the witch hunting that goes on.
source via Jill
More Captions!
"Yes, I can't believe they cancelled Commander-in-Chief either. Hold me, Cindy." via Caption This! (the king of captions)
Caption contest!!
"It is unfortunate that animals to have suffer, Mr. President, but would you want to live in a world where Arianna Huffington doesn't wear make-up?" via Caption This!
Why We Win.
While running errands today, I was listening on the radio about a new book out by a professor at the University of Dayton, Larry Schweikart called "America's Victorie's: Why the U.S. Wins Wars and Will Win the War on Terror."
The author was dispelling a few liberal myths that I found fascinating. He spoke about the apitude test that one must pass in order to join the military. It is not an easy one. The left's insisting that only poor rural ignorant young men and women join because they have no other viable options is simply false. He said that in his research he found that the military is from every conceivable zip code in the United States, lower, middle, and upper class. Even the infamous Beverly Hill's 90210 zip code.
But the most fascinating thing he said was dispelling the myth that the sons and daughters of our Representatives don't serve. He said that in fact the sons and daughters of our Representatives serve in greater numbers proportionally than the general population. Well, how about that? Is nothing the left says true?
(I have an e-mail in to Dr. Schweikart to get the exact numbers and where he got them and I will update when I get them. Or.....I may have to just buy the book;-)
I haven't read the book yet, but in the reviews I've read it says that Schweikart reviews 200 years of American military history and illustrates that U.S. troops, under even dire circumstances,- "have whipped the British Empire (twice), beaten a Mexican army (against all European expectations), fought a fratricidal civil war that resulted in higher casualties than all previous wars put together (due to the fact that officers and soldiers on both sides were deadly effective), and rushed the Plains Indians with a minimal number of troops. American forces then dispatched the Spanish in less than a year (when again, most Europeans thought Spain would win), helped the Allies evict the Germans from France, and dominated an international alliance that simultaneously beat the Nazis, Japanese warlords, and Italian fascists."
Maybe it takes a book to tell us what we already know- Our military rocks and always has. We have the best fighting machine ever known to mankind. While it seems the media insists on painting our soldiers in a bad light due to a few bad apples, the truth is that our military is honorable, disciplined, and the best in the world.
Whenever I read a discussion on the left bashing our military I think of the irony that it is because of that very military that they have the freedom to rant.
As Greyhawk at Mudville quotes:
"Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."le
Open Thread.
I wrote a piece on the Jeff at PW /Dr. Frisch debacle at the Houston Chronicle blog.
Go check it out here.
I'll be back later today.
Update: Dr. Frisch herself has shown up. Showing no remorse of course.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Our Troops.
Just like the terrorists. What's the difference really? Oh well, there is this:
Marine Corps News reports:
Thanks to the work of Marines and Iraqi Security Forces, 800 elementary-aged girls will now have a school to attend this fall.
Marines from 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment unveiled a brand-new grade school in this city of about 30,000 on the Iraq-Syria border in western Al Anbar Province July 7, 2006.
About one week before its opening, insurgents planted an improvised explosive device inside the school which would have leveled a good portion of the building, destroying nearly three months of work by Marines and locals. ***
The Marines discovered the bomb and immediately secured the building leaving Iraqi Security Forces to provide 24-hour security to prevent further attacks.
Local tribal leaders and sheikhs attended the school’s grand opening and expressed thanks to the Marines of 3rd Civil Affairs Group who spearheaded the reconstruction project and obtained the necessary manpower to complete the building.
The mayor and the Marines agree that the school’s neighborhood is relatively safe although there is still the threat if IED’s. *** “The bomb was a last ditch effort by insurgents to destroy the progress we’ve made in this area,” said [Capt. Rick Bernier, commanding officer of Company C].
Since arriving here four months ago, the Marines have seen a decrease in enemy activity after conducting daily security patrols in 110 degree-plus temperatures alongside Iraqi soldiers. The Marines have also introduced the city to their new police force and have begun conducting security operations alongside policemen.
Expect this to be front page news tomorrow!
McCain...Please. Watch. Your. Mouth.
Everyone here knows how I feel about McCain. I have deep admiration for him. I have a post up about him running for President at my blog at the Houston Chronicle, but he blew it with this interview with Esquire magazine.
I know I will get a lot of "told ya so" from some of you, but I am telling you, despite McCain's misjudgement of many conservatives, he is still the only one to beat Hillary. I just wish someone working with him could make him stop and think about how he sounds when he says some of this stuff.
I'm still there for you John, but you need to give me a call.
The Management of Savagery
That is the name of a recently translated al Qaeda manual that Mudville says should be required reading for all troops. I say it should be required reading for all journalists. Here is the gist of it according to Mudville:
- Brutal killings must be explained in a manner that justifies the atrocity
- Public opinion must be turned against the enemy soldiers
- Al Qaeda should be seen as the solution to the chaos/savagery - even as they foment more such atrocities (hence the title)
"These efforts are to be directed at the local Muslim population in any conflict. In Iraq, with a majority non-Sunni population, they will achieve limited success. But the even more powerful response is desired from the population of the enemy state - erosion of support for the effort on the home front.
Hence whether the killers of these soldiers knew of the rape/murder at the time or not, the perpetrators of that earlier heinous crime have handed a victory to the enemy, perhaps the most significant propaganda victory of the war."
It really makes one question any of the allegations against our soldiers even more than we did before.
Houston reporter crashes Ken Lay's funeral.
Good grief! Is nothing sacred?
"Only invited friends and family attended the celebration of Lay's life - a directive Houston Chronicle society columnist Shelby Hodge discovered firsthand.
Inside, there was a bouquet of white lilies at the altar and a picture of Lay, flanked by sprays of sunflowers, according to Hodge, who stepped inside and swiftly was escorted out."
Look, Ken Lay was not a great guy. No doubt. But he is dead and the family and friends don't deserve intrusion. Has anyone ever heard of a msm reporter crashing a funeral before? Too weird.
via LST
What can one say about the bomb blasts in India?
Just another day for the rag tag group of Militant Islamists that we need not fear....*sigh*
Hasn't happened here though (knock on wood!) Wonder why? (I know why, do you?)
Here is blog for helping Indian bomb victims and their families with information and news.
via NRO
Slow and steady wins the race...
RCP:
"Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell held a press briefing today discussing the impending turnover of security forces in the Muthanna province in southern Iraq. Caldwell described it as a "huge step", and I don't think that's in any way an overstatement.
Muthanna will be the first province in Iraq to assume total control of its security forces: all mutlinational forces will withdraw from urban areas and take on a supporting role, while the local police will assume full responsibility and be under the direct control of Muthanna's governor. In addition to being another sign of slow but steady progress in Iraq, Muthanna also represents an important test case for the future transition of the rest of the country's security forces."
We will get there, my friends.
Media bias against our boys...
Well duh..
From Blogs For Bush:
This was sent to me by Barbara Ledeen of the Senate Republican Conference:
So I asked my intern to do a little research today because yesterday's WashPost outlook section was just so over-the-top in its anti-American soldier articles. I asked him to check how many article/editorials the Post did regarding the two soldiers who were grotesquely tortured, Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23 of Houston Texas and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore.
There are 7 news articles in all. 2 or 3 of the articles are actually amalgamations of Iraq-related news stories. There are no editorials. One of the articles actually groups the kidnapping of the 2 soldiers together with a story about US soldiers charged with murdering Iraqis. When I put in a search for the names of the 2 soldiers plus the word "torture" nothing came up. The last of the 7 was published on 6/28/06.
I'm sure you'll be gratified to know that when I typed in the word "Haditha" the search turned up 149 Washington Post hits, including editorials and news items. Since June 19th (the day after the first news story re: the 2 soldiers appeared), there have been 12 items published in WaPo on Haditha, compared to 7 on the soldiers.
When I typed in "Abu Ghraib" the search engine stalled because the search would've returned more than 1000 documents.
It isn't a matter of not wanting bad news to be published - but it is a matter of the bad news being endlessly highlighted, while news which might make Americans feel good about our war effort, or outraged at enemy action, is downplayed. This is what we mean by "media bias" - not a failure to tell the truth so much as a failure to tell the whole truth.
Manly men.
Cassandra at Villainous Company was asking for and posting some pictures of manly men, but I found these...the Italian soccer team world cup winners. Enjoy.
Well somebody had to say it.
It might as well be Tony Snow:
"White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters that Bill Richardson, who served as
United Nations' ambassador and Energy Secretary under Clinton, "went with flowers and chocolates, and he went with light-water nuclear reactors ... and a basketball signed by Michael Jordan and many other inducements for the 'dear leader' to try to agree not to develop nuclear weapons, and it failed."
Gee, I guess Lieberman is worried.
Lieberman Files Papers to Create New PartySen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) filed paperwork "that will allow him to collect signatures to petition his way onto the November ballot if he loses an August primary," the AP reports."Lieberman also filed papers with the secretary of the state's office Monday to create a new party called Connecticut for Lieberman." By creating a new party, Lieberman "will be able to secure a higher position on the November ballot by creating a new party rather than petitioning his way on as an individual."
I guess he figures if the far left beats him in the primaries he can win statewide.
via Taegan Goddard's Political wire
Monday, July 10, 2006
"Go play with the peanutbutter..."
Kids. You gotta love them for their creativity. More photos here.
So here is my best story. When my oldest two were 6 and 4 they were in the playroom and I was in the kitchen and I could hear them laughing and throwing something around. It sounded soft like a pillow so I wasn't worried. It went on for a few minutes though and I finally got curious. I went in and they had pulled out the dirty diapers of their baby brothers from the diaper bin and had been slinging them around the playroom. Luckily it was just wet diapers, but when a full wet diaper hits a wall or a shelf it splatters into a million little "pee gels." These gels covered everything. Every toy, every piece of furniture, and most of the walls. I had to sit with a bucket of bleach water for two hours and wash off every single thing in the room.
Good times. Good times.
via boing boing
Beheading Descration Video of Dead U.S. Soldiers Released on Internet by al Qaeda.
The most sickening thing I have ever seen so far. Rusty has it all, including photos.
WARNING! VERY GRAPHIC!!!!!
What can I say? Demons live.
Professors gone bonkers cont.......
The formerly employed at the University of Arizona's Dr. Frisch saga with Jeff at PW continues. I don't see how you could have missed it. It was everywhere! I won't link her site, but she has e-mails from Fox News for an interview which she accepts and then declines. (One commenter says "Don't do it, Fox News is the enemy" ) She also asks Jeff to remove a link to her picture that one of his commenters linked to and he did so (although he was under no obligation to do so) and what does she do to repay him? She posts a picture of him calling him "Count C*ckcular." The maturity level here is amazing. She says she has resigned and that she won't be posting on this for a month (yeah right)
I got an e-mail today from a former commenter apologizing profusely for her rude comments several months ago. I thought at the time that it might be a professor. I'm wondering if this whole drama made her rethink what she had written, if you know what I mean. I would never go to the trouble of trying to get anyone fired (unless they referred to my kids as Debbie Frisch did with Jeff) but I do hope that this episode reminds us all that our words could come back to haunt us no matter how anonymous we think we are on the net. Civil debate is what I have always wanted for this site. It's the only way mature people can view other's opinions.
The NYT's meltdown.
Malkin has this:
The Prowler follows up on the damage the blabbermouth NYTimes has done to terrorism-financing investigations:
"We aren't going to get into specifics in public now, but I think when we brief the House and Senate in the coming days we will be able to make a clear and persuasive case that the SWIFT leak has severely set our efforts back on a number of fronts and on a number of investigations," says a Treasury official familiar with the preparations of the Congressional briefings. "Depending on where we come out of things, some of us are of a mindset to recommend that as much information as possible that we can allow to be declassified should be declassified, so that the American people can see just how much damage the Times has caused."
The protest at the NYC offices of the NYTimes is on today.
Place: 229 West 43rd Street, New York City (between 7th and 8th Avenues)
Date: Monday, July 10, 2006
Time: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Association will kill the Democrats in the next election cycle I am betting.
Hell receives another resident.
The Captain has this:
The man who proudly proclaimed his responsibility for an atrocity that saw hundreds of Russian children murdered assumed room temperature earlier today. Chechen "warlord" (terrorist) Shamil Besayev died in a battle between his forces and the Russians in nearby Ingushetia:
FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev said on Monday that Basayev, who claimed responsibility for the 2004 Beslan school attack in which 331 people, half of them children, were killed, was planning an attack to coincide with Russia hosting the G8 summit of world leaders this weekend.CNN's Matthew Chance said the killing was a massive victory for the security services and a huge blow for the rebel leadership.
Basayev, together with other Chechen fighters, was killed in Ingushetia, a region neighboring Chechnya, where rebels are battling for independence.
The CNN report includes a pretty good review of Basayev's career as a terrorist. He also claimed responsibility for a seizure of a Moscow theater with hundreds of hostages that wound up being caught on videotape and rebroadcast later as a gripping documentary. In that attack, a number of Chechen terrorists strapped explosives onto themselves, including some women. The Russians pumped a powerful anaesthetic into the auditorium, incapacitating everyone, but did not apply the antidote quickly enough. Over a hundred hostages, along with all of the terrorists, perished.
But, as a few of my commenters have pointed out, these guys are nothing to worry about. Just a small band of rag tag fanatics. They pose no real danger. *sarcasm off*Good grief.
This is so funny...
If it weren't so sad. It's a Australian gay show showing clips of the crazy Phelps group. But the last clip is worth waiting for. It's hilarious!!!
via Linda of The Cotillon
Sunday, July 09, 2006
The Political Battle Bush is Winning.
The San Diego Union-Tribune has this: (emphasis mine)
"So, what's the political score to date in what might be called the Bush vs. New York Times aftermath?
So far, Bush is winning, handily.
An Opinion Dynamics Corp. poll conducted for FOX News after the Times revealed the administration's secret tracking of terrorist financing resoundingly affirmed the Bush position.
First, 70 percent of those polled in this nationwide survey conducted over two days at the end of June supported tracking terrorist financing. That 70 percent included 83 percent of Republicans, 67 percent of independents and 58 percent of Democrats.
Not much room there for doubting that the public endorses Bush's follow-the-money strategy. The until-now secret operation that tracks terrorist financing is a joint operation by the Treasury Department and the Central Intelligence Agency that began soon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
The same polling found that 60 percent of Americans believe that the Times' decision to reveal this secret intelligence program “did more to help terrorist groups like al-Qaeda” than to “help the American public.” This damning, for The New York Times, conclusion was held by 84 percent of Republicans, 53 percent of independents and 42 percent of Democrats.
For the Times and its editors, the most stinging poll result of all was what respondents thought should be done about media organizations that “report and publish information about national security secrets that may make it easier for terrorists to operate.” Two of every three respondents – 84 percent of Republicans, 58 percent of independents and 55 percent of Democrats – believe that those news organizations should “face criminal charges.”
From the resolution condemning disclosure of the terrorist financing surveillance to Gen. Michael Hayden, the former NSA director who conducted the program and later became a principal intelligence adviser to Bush and then director of the CIA, Bush has won on this issue time and time again. As the Tribuen points out:
"When Bush subsequently nominated Hayden to become director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Times, citing Hayden's role in the NSA surveillance, vigorously opposed his nomination on its editorial page. Thus, the Senate's confirmation vote on Hayden's nomination became yet another political test of strength between Bush and his media critics.
Bush won, easily. The Senate voted 78-15 to confirm Hayden as CIA director."
One thing that comforts us on the right is that although the left may not get fighting the war on terror, the general American public does. The left may have been able to confuse and mislead about the war in Iraq to many, with the help of the msm, by constantly repeating mistruths, propaganda, and negativity, they have not been able to do so in our national security capacity.
Thank God for that.
via RCP
Random Sunday Thoughts....
I don't blog much on popular culture mainly because it makes me ill, but I did see "The Devil Wears Prada" yesterday. The book was really good, the movie.....not so much. I get the feeling none of you were going to see it anyway. Meryl Streep was excellent, as always. She is one of the few truly talented actresses in Hollywood.
I watched the end of "SuperGroup" last night (probably a rerun because I am always behind on these things) The only artist in the mega rock group I knew was Ted Nugent, who is not only talented beyond anything I ever seen on the guitar, but he is just such a character. I just love him. I have never seen anyone so passionate about guns and hunting. My favorite line of his is "He needs to be introduced to the crowbar of logic."
The lead singer was a guy named Sebastian Bach from a band I never heard of called "Skid Row." His whole personality just made me want to puke. Thank God he listened to Ted and stopped drinking like a maniac before their big Las Vegas Show. I'm sure all you music fans are going to let me know how little I know about these music stars.
Have you guys seen any of the MTV's shows "My Sweet Sixteen?" It's about rich spoiled girls (and some guys) who have these lavish fabulous (if I may use JD's word..;-) parties for their 16th birthdays. Watching it will make you imagine that there is no hope the next generation who seems to be obessed with all things celebrity and the intense belief that money can make you happy. Money can make life easier, no doubt, but it cannot make you happy. This is clear from the many rich celebrities and althetes who have everything, but still get lost in drugs or drinking or cheating.
But, back to the real word, where real men are fighting a necessary war on terror with guts and sacrifice. The people mentioned above have the freedom to be as shallow as they wish because of men like this. (read the story...AWESOME)
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