EXCLUSIVE! When practicing for the debate tonight this fell out of Kerry's pocket.  

Monsters and the draft.

These monsters kill their own. If we pulled out of the middle east now is there anyone out there that believes the violence will stop? Or that we wouldn't continue to be targeted? These monsters can't be reasoned with, we know that. They remind me of horror movies where the aliens look like us, talk like us, but they are not human. They have no soul. There is no reasoning with them. I know it is tiring to keep hearing references to the holocaust whenever we want to measure evil, but it is the one thing we all can agree on. One group of people CANNOT decide that another group has no right to live. This is the cornerstone of the terrorists belief. We are not muslim therefore we must die. And they don't care who dies with us, their own children, their own people. Why can't liberals get this?
There is no alternative. We must eliminate them.

I just finished reading some of MTV's 'rock the vote' stuff on the candidates and the issues. I was pleasantly surprised by the fairness and accuracy of the issues and the candidates stand on them. I had heard on the Glenn Beck program this morning about a audio MTV had that implied the draft could be re-instituted, but I couldn't find it. Seems an e-mail has been going around saying that the draft would happen if Bush was re-elected. A total lie of course. But in case you are worried, only the democrats have sponsored 2 bills in congress to re-instate it, Congressman Charles Rangel says he did it to "protest the war." Yeah, riiiight. Maybe Mr. Rangel did it to have it out there as a scare tactic thinking that no one really pays attention to who is sponsoring a bill. Hmmmm...?
The Pentagon says a draft wouldn't work anyway because the 2 yr requirement is barely enough time to train a soldier in today's specialized high tech force. Besides as mentioned before here, the military is having no problems with volunteers.
UPDATE: Bill over at INDC Journal has a interview with a CBS reporter regarding the e-mail draft hoax.

Lets disagree but lets not lower ourselves in this debate.

Wonder whats on TV tonight, anybody know?.....;-)

On the lighter side: I promised more Boudreaux jokes. Here goes:

Boudreaux died, and his wife Clotill, went to the newspaper to put his name in the obituary. Clotill was a very frugal woman and asked the editor how much was the obituary going to cost. He explained that the cost was per word.
She thought for a second and replied, "Just put in 'Boudreaux died." The editor was appalled and insisted "Madame, you must put in a little bit more than that!"
She thought about his request for a moment and responded, "Ok, then put in this.....'Boudreaux died, Boat for sale'

I am woman, hear me roar.

In this week's U.S. News and World Report there is a article on the female vote this year. The "security moms" who lean to Bush and the unmarried women who lean toward Kerry. People who don't pay attention to what our leaders believe and want for our country just drive me insane. One woman in the article, Elizabeth Holland who is a nurse and is 55, says she likes Bush but felt he was "too wishy washy" on renewing the assault weapon ban. (Bush had nothing to do with the expiration of the ban, congress did) But she says about Kerry that she is "not impressed with him at all." OK, if you don't have enough information on these 2 candidates regarding the VAST differences between them and you are gonna decide on who your voting for by the way you "feel," then please stay home and watch Oprah on election day.
This whole article made me embarrassed for my gender. It made us look like idiots. Take 50 yr old Kaysee Clark. She is offended by Bush's "cowboy testosterone." but she says Kerry seems distant, lacking a "personal touch," and vague or vacillating on the issues. Are these any reasons to vote for a president??? Maybe its a way of deciding who to DATE, but NOT THE LEADER OF THE FREAKING FREE WORLD!!!
I don't expect all women to be a politcal junkie like I am, but I do expect a reasonable knowledge of the issues in order to make a informed decision. This is important stuff here. We didn't fight to win the vote to stumble through our lives not understanding how these leaders affect our future and the future of our children.

I just like imagining those guys are terrorists...sweet. 

Random notes.

This is kinda cool. Naima is a Iraqi cartoonist who couldn't do much under Saddam. Now he mocks the terrorists.-- "One of his recent cartoons depicts a militant measuring the neck of a bound victim and choosing from an array of numbered knives with which to behead him."
"It shows that killing is the only concern of these people," Naima said. "When you mock the people who are undertaking these acts, you are making others aware that these acts are illegal and immoral."
As with cartoonist in the U.S. they now lampoon America as well, and that's ok, because, hey.... They are free.

Did you know Republicans are punk? Put that in your stereotyping bong and smoke it.

Washington --- Former President Jimmy Carter, who has policed elections around the world, on Monday harshly accused Florida officials of not doing enough to fix their election system following the 2000 presidential election debacle. Carter called Florida election officials "highly partisan" in favor of Republican President Bush and charged them with "brazenly violating" basic tenets of fair, unbiased and trustworthy elections.Florida officials said they were stunned by the tone and sweep of carters criticisms but said that the former president had erred in his characterization of the state's election process.

I am ashamed to admit that I cast my first vote for Carter. My father was a democrat senator in Mississippi, so what could I do? I have done penance by voting Republican ever since. One has got to have his head in the sand to not recognize the fraud that has occurred with "I see dead people voting." And those zombies always vote democrat. Don't get me started on the convict vote. If your deceased or detained your democrat.
Carter did well in crafting a better legacy by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. He needs to keep building and start shutting his partisan mouth.

I have a full day after staying out too late last night. Color me tired. I will try and blog later.

Funny t-shirt of the day-"Life is a journey. Go on without me"

The Reality of this war.

I think with the reality of war, we sort of become numb to the incidents we hear of beheadings and bombings. We think they are horrible, but it is away from us.... distant, in a land we never knew and will never know. Americans live in a prosperous free nation of relative safety. Aside from the brutality of war I want you to imagine for a moment this: You are driving through your town and a up head you see men with machine guns and grenades. They point their guns at you to stop. Imagine your fear, your stunned disbelief. Then when you stop they demand you give them your "evil" music CD's. Doesn't matter if its classical or hard rock, just hand it over. Then they give you a CD of scripture from the Bible and send you on your merry way. And there is no police to call. No charges to be filed. If your gonna live, your gonna be Christian. Period. Its impossible to imagine, isn't it? But that is exactly what is happening in Fallujah now, except of course it is recitations from the Quran, not the Bible. And it is Muslim you must be to live. Unlike Christianity these men don't feel that Islam needs to be freely chosen. This is the reality of what the terrorists want for the U.S. Make no mistake about it. The killings are their way of terrorizing us into submission. But luckily they underestimate us and our military. You see, they don't know us either.
The good news is that American forces bombed a hide out of the terrorist leader Abdu Masab Al-Zarwi Tuesday in Fallujah. American's frequent strikes have taken its toll on the leader's terrorist group. Read about it and what I just described in the AP story.
It seems to me that it was a mistake to leave Fallujah when we did. I know President Bush thought it was too dangerous at the time and wanted to train Iraqi forces. I am not a military strategist, so I don't know. Its easy for us to sit in front of our computers and say "bomb the hell out of them." Its all too different a story to have the information and decide if the risk is worth it.
The Prime minister of Iraq Allawi says elections will move forward in January. Others doubt that Iraq can be secure enough by then. I don't know either. But I do know that the terrorists CANNOT dictate when the elections are held. The government cannot allow these evil men's hate, violence and brutality to override free elections.
President Bush said yesterday that we will stand with the Iraq govt. Strategy "to surround and isolate enemy militias, reach out to the local population and negotiate from a position of strength."
This is a terrible place, a terrible time. Lets help them move forward to freedom. For too many years we have allowed that distant land to fester and ooze its infected hate. Maybe you don't agree that Iraq was the place to go after Afghanistan, but there is no doubt the terrorists are there NOW. They didn't just become terrorists when we went into Iraq. They were and are and will continue to be if we don't stop them.
And we must stop them.

"If you want a wrap up of the good news out of Iraq, and there is alot, check out Chrenkoff. It is excellent. He says " There are two Iraqs at the moment; both equally real and consequential. The Iraq of never ending strife- the insurgency, terrorism, crime, and all too slow pace of recronstuction makes for interesting news stories and exciting footage. The Iraq of steady recovery, returning normalcy and a dash of hope rarely does." Hat tip to Mudville.

Can Kerry Accomplish the Mission of shutting up?

Since Kerry insists ( even said it today) that "Since President Bush said 'mission accomplished'....blah blah blah has happened."
Lets set the record straight. BUSH NEVER SAID THOSE WORDS. First Gen. Tommy Franks has said in his book that the banner saying 'Mission Accomplished" was his idea alone. And as well he should have, it was true that Operation Iraqi Freedom was accomplished. We had freed the Iraqi's from a brutal dictator.
But Bush made clear in his speech that day on the US Abraham Lincoln- "We have difficult work to do in Iraq. We are bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous. We're pursing and finding leaders of the old regime, who will be held to account for their crimes." Bush went on to say "The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time." And he goes on to emphasis "Our mission continues. Al Queda is wounded, not destroyed."
It is nice to note that we have mostly destoyed Al Queda since then with a few pockets still existing. Bush also said "The war on terror is not over, yet it is not endless." ...."The proliferation of deadly weapons remain a serious danger. The enemies of freedom are not idle."......"We will continue to hunt down the enemy before he can strike."
I think it is clear from the very speech Bush made that day that although the mission of toppling Saddam was accomplished, we had alot of dangerous work to do.
so once again to Kerry...Shut up.

GOOD NEWS!!! Allah is saying that it is being reported that Bin Laden's #2 man may have been captured by Pakistan. Lets all pray its true.

Daniel Pearl's killer shot and killed in gun battle.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has announced that they have killed a Al Qaeda lead militant, Amjad, Farooqi. The one who was involved in the killing of WSJ journalist Daniel Pearl. This part of the story may have gotten lost in Musharraf's also claiming that that intelligence is telling him that Osama Bin Laden is still alive.
The killing of this demented piece of trash that killed Pearl is a victory and a good sign that Pakistan is on the job.
I hope and pray that if Musharraf is correct, they find Bin Laden and send him off to his 72 virgin goats.

If you can't win any other way, just cheat.

The worse thing is there is no shame involved.
Hat tip to LGF.

The Memo is a gift that just keeps on giving.

The Weekly Standard puts the characters surrounding the memogate story in a timeline worth noting.

Among many things the story asks why Barnes was willing to tell his story now after years of being silent. The answer is easy. The Killian memos "primed the pump"
This is the interepting quote to me from Barnes--"If the document the network were hunting for were found, the election is over."

It is obvious the glee these guys were containing over this whole story. From the DNC, to McAuliffe, to Bob Tuke, to Bob Smith, to Ben Barnes, to Bill Burkett, to Mary Mape, and to finally Dan Rather himself.
The story itself was swirling and growing to orgasmic proportions as they all were breathlessly awaiting the memos and the Dan Rather story to bring them to the climax that I am sure had them all practically passed out with a lit cigarette hanging from each mouth.
Did they really think that the "election would be over" if these documents would have been true? Have they really no clue to how little all this means to the American public?
I can only imagine how they feel now. Its like finding out your Latin lover is a gigolo. It was good while it lasted, but geeze, you feel all dirty now.
And in Dan Rather's case he has to keep seeing and hearing about who screwed him over and over on the news every day.
Which is what they call poetic justic. And you gotta love that



Military.com throws cold water on the democrats scare tactic of implying that we will have to have a draft soon. Even Kerry was spewing this garbage. This from Military.com:
"The war is not only not having a negative effect, but it is helping to reinforce the number of people who want to join," said Cmdr. John Kirby, a spokesman for the Navy's Bureau of Personnel.Even the Army National Guard, which has had 150,000 citizen soldiers mobilized for up to a year, has seen retention rates "going through the roof," said Guard spokesman Maj. Robert Howell.The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard all met or exceeded their year-end recruiting goals for fiscal year 2003, which ended Sept. 30. The figures continued to climb in the first half of fiscal year 2004, which was reached March 31.
The fear might have started back in January 2003 when Rep. Charles Rangle, D-NY and Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-SC, introduced a bill calling for the draft. Interstingly the only hints of draft reinstatement come from Democrats and the Democrats want to continue the scare tactic that President Bush is the threat for "draft reinstatement".
This is so ridiculous! No one in their right mind would suggest a draft, which does explain Rangle and Hollings doing so. But what about Former Kerry rival Howard Dean, now traveling the country to drum up support for Kerry and raise money for Democratic candidates, said last week at Brown University in Providence, R.I., "I think that George Bush is certainly going to have a draft if he goes into a second term, and any young person that doesn't want to go to Iraq might think twice about voting for him."
If that isn't a scare tactic of the hightest order? They really do scare people with things now that are not going to happen .


ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:

Scientists in Britain unveiled the world's funniest joke today at the end of the largest study of humor ever. via news.com.au
And this is it. But since I have heard it before as Beaudreax and Thibideaux joke I will tell it that way. Anyone from the south knows these 2 guys. So here goes--
Beaudreax and Thibideaux are out hunting in the woods when Thibideaux collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. Beaudreax whips out his cellphone and calls the emergency services. He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead."
There is a silence, Beaudreaux drops the phone, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, Beaudreaux says: "OK, now what?"

*moment of silence for all the laughter* I tell that better in real life. I will be inserting Beaudreax and Thibideaus jokes from now on. I had forgotton how good they were.

stealing from grouchyoldcripple again.
Click on pic for bigger version.

Kerry and Me!

Not spin, outright lies from Kerry this week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Moonbats unite!!!!

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

Kerry, allies, and such.

Why is this so believable?

The real Saddam/Al Qaeda connection.

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

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

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

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

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

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

moonbat!

Heres a Secret.

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

A memo note and the Iraqi future.

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

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

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


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


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

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

Are You Scared???

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

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

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

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

Random notes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amusing quote of the day-"Down With Negativity"

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

The story that won't go away.

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


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

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

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

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

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

Death and stuff.

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

Random notes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rather slams Fox News.

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

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

Oh, Thats just perfect....

You have probably heard, and seen the picture. A 3 yr old gets her Bush/Cheney sign ripped from her hands from Kerry/Edwards supporters. Story here.
"Meanwhile Democratic bloggers wondered whether Parlock staged the event that sent Sophia into tears as a news photographer captured her distress. Some even called him a serial protestor and a bad parent for putting his daughter in harm's way"
EXCUSE ME? Since when does a 3 yr old have something to fear from supporters of Kerry/Edwards? I certainly don't think Parlock should have taken his daughter there to protest. I wouldn't just because I wouldn't want her exposed to the comments and sneers that would surely happen. But should she be afraid of harm??? I mean this is what the democrat bloggers are saying, not the republican ones. They say he was putting his daughter in "harms way." I don't think even Parlock expected someone to rip the sign from her. Who are these people??

More outraged should be expressed over the forged documents for THIS reason.

I have to agree with Blackfive on this one. One aspect of the Dan Rather forged document story that is not being focused on is that they put words in a dead officer's mouth. I can only imagine how his family must feel. Using their loved one to affect a presidential election. And using him to be critical of a pilot that he obviously had a great deal of respect for. Rather owes them an extreme apology. But Rather hasn't apologized for anything yet, has he? I really could not be more disgusted with him. Shame on him and shame on CBS.

Take me out to the ballgame.

After many years of watching sons play sports, I am still bothered by the testosterone driven coaches that feel a need to yell, scream, and cuss the little athletes into playing this game RIGHT! Its as if they all make some sort of a "this will make them men" pact at the beginning of each season.
I have always felt one of the roles of women in this world was to nuture, love, and bring some sense of calm to THE GAME. So, imagine my horror when at my 11 yr old's football game 2 of the mothers started cussing one another. A lovely example white trash if there ever was one. Their sons will no doubt be the ones you see at the mall wearing wife beaters complaining about how "them there "spics' are taking all the good jobs. They will be the ones you see on future "COPS" episodes falling out of their pickups wearing a t-shirt that says "My Indian name is Runs With Beer," after the cop stops them for weaving all over the road.
It sorta reminded of something I read once about Feminists. We are becoming the men we hated.
I don't pretend to understand men or how the yelling and screaming helps the game. But I do understand women and its important that we come to the table with a whole different way of looking at things. Just to even it out if nothing else.

Lets Sum this up.

Shall we? Documents forged. Almost everyone involved in the story, with the exception of a elderly lady who even agrees that the documents were forged, have come out to say that either CBS lied to them or misled them and have come out against the story.
Lefty blogs reminded me of 6 yr old's desperate desire to believe in Santa, despite the obvious clues that suggest otherwise.

Can hardly wait for the next round. Aint politics fun?

Another Rough Man Goes To Ride...a Salute to Greyhawk.

Greyhawk from Mudville Gazette has left for Iraq. One day I spent a couple of hours reading his archives. I just couldn't stop. Not only is he a gifted writer, a man's man, but he touches our soul with the knowledge of a warrior's life. God be with you Greyhawk.
I wrote the following in a post sometime back regarding the protestors at the RNC, but it reflects what I feel about all those in the military in general.

"Our soldiers today are fighting a fight never seen or imagined before. They are our protectors, the ones who let us sleep in peace at night. They are the ones who let us leave our kids at school without worry, let us get on buses without fear, let us dream, work, learn, and live. Everyday since 9-11 that we have not been attacked is a tribute to their work. Honor is too small a word for these patriots. They give us much and ask so little. But what they do ask is to at least not smear their good name, not paint them as demented. This is the heart of the anger at Kerry by these vets. They were strong and true when it wasn't easy to be so. They endured much. Kerry spit in their faces. He took his medals and purple hearts and denounced them then, and now proudly holds them up for honor now. A betrayal of the highest order. Here we are facing the greatest threat to freedom ever. The men who seek to destroy us, want those that they don't murder to live without even the taste of freedom, to never be able to decide who is our leader, to never be able to voice dessent or concern, to never be able to listen to music, or dance, or wear what we wish, or worship as we see fit. Do the protestors not see the danger we face? Do they not see all that could be lost?"

Rough Men go to the wall for freedom, some don't come back. We honor you. We salute you.
Greyhawk, come back....and you write...YOU WRITE!!

Life...

My 7 year old was looking through the JC Penny Holiday catalog the other day. He shows me those small motorcycles that are all the rage now and says he wants Santa to bring him one for Christmas.
"Honey, those are small, but they are for grownups or much older kids. They are much too dangerous. Santa is not gonna bring you one."
He looks down at the catalog for a moment and looks up at me and says (very sweetly) "Mom, you know.... you really don't have much say in what Santa brings me."
I laughed so hard, I got him to laughing and then the dog jumps on us. And luckily I didn't have to explain why I was laughing.

I think we have kids so we can believe in everything again.
And I'm not talking Santa, here, either.

Know The Facts.

There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq during the month of January.....In the fair city of Detroit there were35 murders in the month of January.That's just one American city, about as deadly as the entire war torn country of Iraq.
When some claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war, state the following ...
FDR...led us into World War II.Germany never attacked us: Japan did.>From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost,an average of 112,500 per year.
Truman...finished that war and started one in Korea,North Korea never attacked us.>From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost,an average of 18,334 per year.
John F. Kennedy...started the Vietnam conflict in 1962.Vietnam never attacked us.
Johnson...turned Vietnam into a quagmire.>From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost,an average of 5,800 per year.
Clinton...went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent,Bosnia never attacked us.He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing.Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.
In the two years since terrorists attacked us President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea with out firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.
The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but...It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take theBranch Davidian compound. That was a 51 day operation.
We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records.
It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.
It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida!!!!
Our Commander-In-Chief is doing a GREAT JOB! The Military morale is high! The biased media hopes we are too ignorant to realize the facts.

Hat tip to my friend Buffalo Brown for this.

Love Is A Battlefield...

Sometime between teaching my son to drive and throwing my daughter's Britney Spear's CD away, ("why mom???!!", "Uh.. lets see, when she is not dressing like a prostitute, she looks like white trash. She sings a haunting melody about masturbation and she is so stupid she couldn't get a clue from JLo to NEVER marry one of her dancers!") I realized that I am a mom of teenagers. When did that happen? Wasn't I just 17 a few years ago?? I feel like I have been thrown down a time tunnel. In my daughter's whines I hear something familiar, something I know I have heard before. Then it hits me. ITS ME! Is this some sort of cosmic revenge? I have to relive my own overdramatic totally unreasonable emotions? Yes I do. And I can't even complain to my Mom, she just giggles uncrontrollably.
When my daughter was almost 13 I asked her, "please don't be a bratty teenager, please stay the sweet little angel you are now, don't change!" She hugged me tightly and said, "Of course I won't Mom!!".......LIAR!!! After 2 yrs of slammed doors, tears, and proclamations of how I am ruining her life, I asked her "Is my sweet little girl EVER coming back? Huh? Is She? I want to know, because I really really miss her!" My daughter rolls her eyes in disgust, clearly wondering how she lives with such stupidity.
Sometimes when we are arguing a little voice in my head says
" Whats wrong with a coed pajama party??? Oh, let her wear the skimpy halter top, you had one just like it!! When did you lose your sense of fun, your sense of adventure??" Hmmm.... I'm pretty sure I lost it when I saw "American Pie."
The other day a convertible pulls up with her friends ready to go. I rush outside and tell them to turn down the music so they can hear the traffic, buckle their seat belts, don't even think about drinking, and for God's sake button the top buttons of their shirts! My daughter closes her eyes hoping I will disappear in a puff of smoke. What she doesn't know is that I would give anything to hop in that car with them, turn up the music, have a beer, and remember what it was like to be young and carefree without the worry of motherhood. At the moment, this job sucks. First, its never fun anymore. Second, I am ALWAYS the bad guy, and third, I can't even get drunk. ( Ok, I know I CAN, I just don't think I should) Maintaining my wise and "lets always do the right thing" attitude is wearing me out.
It could just be my situation, but girls are alot harder. People tell me that they return to sanity around 22 or so. Good, just old to enough to pay for my stay in the mental ward. Where I will probably sit in small room with a telephone by my bed muttering "Why hasn't she called? Where is she? She is dead in a ditch! I know it!!"
Luckily my 3 boys seem to stroll through life happy and content. My oldest was born 30, I think. He has just always gotten it. He goes with the flow and obeys the rules (with the normal exceptions). The other two are young, still in that "Gosh, my mommy is so terrific!" stage that is the best part of being a Mom.
So, I guess I have the best and the worst parts of being a Mom going on. If anyone has suggestons on how to handle the worst not requiring medication, I would appreciate it. Right now I think I will crank up my old LP of Pat Benatar, "Love is a battlefield." That girl rocked, didn't she?

TONIGHT! RATHER ADMITS MISTAKE ON CBS!!

"Good evening, I'm Dan Rather. We start off tonight admitting a mistake. Yes, the documents are forgeries. But those pajama clad brownshirts blogging their HATE, did not have anything to do with exposing this uhh...mistake. We already had experts on the job testing the paper, fonts, EVERYTHNG! I swear its true! I, as a responsible journalist simply reported the story as I saw it at the time. In fact if we hadn't had all those computer nazis taking up all the time of the experts we would have had the truth out alot sooner. The real story tonight is that not only is the content of the memos true, a CBS pyschic has gotten in touch with late Jerry Killian and he has confirmed all that we suspected and more. Bush not only went AWOL in 1973, but was discovered 6 months later passed out from a cocaine binge in a Las Vegas motel singing "My baloney has a first name..." And finally, We have discovered that Karl Rove was behind the forgeries. James Carville overheard him at the RNC bragging about it. I hope this restores my credibility, as it should."

Lets take a look at Edwards

If you have ever wondered why your medical premiums are so high, look no further than lawyers like John Edwards. Heres why.

The first story I read about John Edwards told me all I needed to know about him. He made his millions off large jury awards from Celebral Palsy medical malpractice cases. Although studies have shown that doctor negligence is not the cause of CP, Edward's skills as a lawyer always brought in millions. But that is not what bothered me the most about Edwards. It was the fact that he has NEVER represented a family who had a child with CP who DIED in the birthing process. You see when the child is dead you don't have a child in a wheelchair to parade in front of a jury. Why take a case you might lose, when you have it in the bag with a child to show. We are a compassionate people, we are also a visual people. Show us someone in need of help, and we give it. Edwards banks on that.

During the trials that Edwards has been a part of, he often spoke touchingly of the unborn child in distress in their mother's womb. Yet when the time came to vote for the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act," his compassion was nowhere to be seen. When Laci Peterson's mother wrote a heartfelt letter encouraging congress to vote for the passage of this act, she made it clear that there were two victims that were pulled from the water that day. Laci and her son, Conner. It seems when the "unborn victim" will not make you millions and you will have to answer to the abortion rights lobby, compassion goes out the window.

Not that you heard anything about that at the DNC convention. Edwards spoke on such controversial issues as opposing "negative attacks." He supports a "public school system that works for all our children." Oh, and a "safe place to go after school." And really taking it to the edge he said " the color of your skin should never control your destiny." Who knew I would agree with Edwards? Wait....Who wouldn't agree with that?

The "2 Americas" theme he tried was nothing short of class warfare. Amusing, being that he is in the America of the filthy rich. I am sure he sees himself as one of those democrats who are there to help the little people. The fact that he makes millions off of them isn't really important, is it?

What is important is that John Edwards is the perfect politician. Hes goodlooking, charming, and youthful. He has a sad story in his past, and he "made good." He knows how to spin and charm with the best of them. After he is done you feel good, you agree with everything he said, but your not sure exactly what he did say.
John Edwards isn't dumb and he isn't going away. He will be here long after we have filed Kerry under "defeated candidates for president." He is laying his case out and will be back to give his final summation. You can count on that.

The Iraq and Al-Qaida connection...now shutup...

September 11 Commission report (p. 61)

With the Sudanese regime acting as intermediary, Bin Ladin himself met with senior Iraqi intelligence officer in Khartoum in late 1994 or early 1995. Bin Ladin is said to have asked for space to establish training camps, as well as assistance in procuring weapons, but there is no evidence that Iraq responded to this request . . . [but] the ensuing years saw additional efforts to establish connections.

September 11 Commission report (p. 66)

In March 1998, after Bin Ladin's public fatwa against the United States, two al Qaeda members reportedly went to Iraq to meet with Iraqi intelligence. In July, an Iraqi delegation traveled to Afghanistan to meet first with the Taliban and then with Bin Ladin. Sources reported that one, or perhaps both, of these meetings was apparently arranged through Bin Ladin's Egyptian deputy, Zawahiri, who had ties of his own to the Iraqis.

September 11 Commission report (p. 66)

Similar meetings between Iraqi officials and Bin Ladin or his aides may have occurred in 1999 during a period of some reported strains with the Taliban. According to the reporting, Iraqi officials offered Bin Ladin a safe haven in Iraq. Bin Ladin declined, apparently judging that his circumstances in Afghanistan remained more favorable than the Iraqi alternative. The reports describe friendly contacts and indicate some common themes in both sides' hatred of the United States. But to date we have seen no evidence that these or the earlier contacts ever developed into a collaborative operational relationship. Nor have we seen evidence indicating that Iraq cooperated with al Qaeda in developing or carrying out any attacks against the United States. Bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee Report (Conclusion 92, p. 345) The Central Intelligence Agency's examination of contacts, training, safehaven and operational cooperation as indicators of a possible Iraq-al Qaida relationship was a reasonable and objective approach to the question. Bipartisan Senate

September 11 Intelligence Committee Report (Conclusion 93, p. 346)

The Central Intelligence Agency reasonably assessed that there were likely several instances of contacts between Iraq and al-Qaida throughout the 1990s, but that these contacts did not add up to an established formal relationship. Bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee Report (Conclusion 94, p. 346) The Central Intelligence Agency reasonably and objectively assessed in Iraqi Support for Terrorism that the most problematic area of contact between Iraq and al-Qaida were the reports of training in the use of non-conventional weapons, specifically chemical and biological weapons.

Bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee Report (Conclusion 95, p. 347)

The Central Intelligence Agency's assessment on safehaven--that al-Qaida or associated operatives were present in Baghdad and in northeastern Iraq in an area under Kurdish control--was reasonable.

In additon I will add this from National Review Online and stolen from the Big Dog's house site:

Friday, September 10, 2004

Iraq and Terrorism
W. Thomas Smith Jr. writes:"Reflecting on the attacks of September 11, 2001, Navy SEAL Lt. Commander Mark Divine told National Review Online: "There are enormous numbers of foreign fighters in Iraq right now. Whether some of those fighters were there before September 11, 2001, or as a call to arms later, will be argued by both [Democrats and Republicans] until they are blue in the face. What I can tell you is that there is tremendous evidence to suggest there were terrorist training camps in Iraq before 9/11."
"Divine should know. Having just returned from Iraq, where he's been tasked with observing the work of U.S. special-operations forces, he says, "There is no doubt in my mind — or the minds of other SEALs — that the war in Iraq is part of our overall response to what happened in our country, three years ago."

The forgery saga continues...

One wonders if CBS is scrambling to find 30 yr old paper and an old xerox machine.

Lets break this down, shall we?
1) 2 of the most respected documents experts in the country say they are pretty sure they are forged with what they see now.
2) The Globe says the document expert Dr. Bouffard is changing his mind about the documents from when he said he was 90% sure the documents were forgeries.
3) Then Dr. Bouffard says,,,,uuhh, no I'm not.
4) Then the "source" that Rather used, Gen. Hodges says that CBS lied to him about the documents telling him they were handwritten and then misquoted him. ( and oh was he ticked!)
5) Jerry Killian's wife and son say they believe the documents are forged, that Lt Col. Killian never used typewriters or kept personal files.
6) The military officer Gen.Staudt mentioned in the document as pressuring Hodges actually retired a year 1/2 earlier than the date on the document. (He has refused to speak to the press)
7) Miltiary personel are saying the acronym "OETR" on the document does not stand for "Officer Efficiency Training Report" and is not a report at all, but an office at the Air force Institute of Technology. The correct acronym would have been "OER" well known and often used report for, among other things, evaluating a promotion. The idea that an officer would get these two confused is absurd.
8) An officer in Bush's guard unit points out that the date mandated to take his physical is not correct. The date was always based on one's birthday.
9) Eugene Hussey, a certified forensic document examiner in Washington State, studied Jerry Killian's signature on the documents compared to Mr. Killian's actual signature, and concluded (in a limited opinion, meaning he would have to have the original documents to have a full opinion) that they are forged.

Yet Old Dan just wants us to trust him. Riiight. CBS says the documents are a first generation copy. Lets get real here and test the paper, shall we?
What is CBS waiting for? Wouldn't a test put all this to rest? Come on, are they afraid or what?

Ohhh, I forgot to mention the problems with the typography, but the leftys aren't gonna believe any of that anyway. Will they believe the above mentioned people perhaps, especially since Dr. Bouffard is a Kerry supporter and Gen. Hodges was a Howard Dean supporter ? .......nah

UPDATE: Have to include this because its the one thing I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere, and it seems important to me.

"If you compare the documents that CBS produced with the documents we know to be authentic, that did come from Bush's National Guard unit, none of those documents use proportionate spacing." via The Washington Post

So we are left wondering....Why didn't anyone else or even Killian himself use this proportionate spacing IBM machine to type ANY OTHER documents from that time period?

And to lighten the mood, this is hilarious.

Note to Dan Rather: I'm not a guy and I don't wear jamies unless I am sleeping. Yeah...so...get used to the "new media" oh annointed one.

UPDATE: Fox news reported this morning that Dan Rather called Gen. Hodges Fri. night after the story broke and Hodges said he went through the documents with Rather pointing out why he thought they were forgeries. Rather told him that the documents had been authenticated.

Lets get real here. CBS needs to give the documents to a objective 3rd party NOW. It is clear that the investigative team of CBS is either corrupt or have the investigative skills of the Scooby Do gang. Except the Scooby Do gang reveal the answer at the end.

Never.....

9-11

There was fear flooding our souls
making it hard to breathe.

There was shock as the buildings fell
making us pray.

There was disbelief on how it all happened
making us sad.

There was anger toward those who hurt us
making us determined.

For a moment, we were one
For a moment, we were not Republicans or Democrats, Black, white, Asian, or Hispanic.
For a moment, we were first...... Americans.

I wish I could take that moment and fill the air with it now.
I wish I could make us all remember what it was like to help each other, cry for one another, and hold each other up.

This is how we could honor those who died.

Perhaps we can't agree, but we can be kind.
And we can be.........better.

God Bless those who still feel the pain of loss, may you feel the breeze of comfort and know that we still pray for you.


"I say to our enemies: We are coming. God may have mercy on you, but we won't."--Sen. John McCain (R-Az)

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty."-John F. Kennedy

"These terrorists....we have seen their kind before. They're the heirs of all the murderous ideaologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical vision, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies."-President George W. Bush

This just keeps looking worse.

Democrats, read this and weep... looks bad.
Update: and keeps looking worse.. and worse.

Basically Dr. Bouffard is saying the Globe misrepresented him and he hasn't changed his mind about the documents.
So I guess all the lefty's need to change the link to the Globe.
Anyway, after learning that there may have been a Selectric machine available at the time of the documents, he says , "But the more information we get and the more my colleagues look at this, we're more convinced that there are significant differences between the type of the IBM (composer) that was available and the questionable document."

You gotta laugh at LFG's take on this...about Killian's "magic typewriter" LOL!!!

The leftys refuse to believe 250 military men from all poltical persuasions, yet they believe Dan Rather...*sigh*

UPDATE: CBS can't get a break...tsk, tsk....

"Retired Maj. General Hodges, Killian's supervisor at the Grd, tells ABC News that he feels CBS misled him about the documents they uncovered. According to Hodges, CBS told him the documents were "handwritten" and after CBS read him excerpts he said, "well if he wrote them that's what he felt."
Hodges also said he did not see the documents in the 70's and he cannot authenticate the documents or the contents. His personal belief is that the documents have been "computer generated" and are a "fraud".
CBS responds: ""We believed Col. Hodges the first time we spoke with him. We believe the documents to be genuine. We stand by our story and will continue to report on it." via ABC News.

Ok, this was funny...

Kerry speaking today on the Brady Bill said that when he was hunting he never used assault weapons or a "ewwshee." I swear thats exactly how he pronounced it. umm. you know... an uzi. LOL!!!

Everyone needs to consider the facts of the "forgery."

This from the Sun Times:

"Ardolino's expert, Philip D. Bouffard, is a nationally recognized forensic authority in typewriter and electronic typefaces.
Bouffard has the largest collection of full letter impact typewriter specimens in a private collection today. Having worked at NCR and a forensic laboratory for more than 30 years, Bouffard still works with entities such as the State of Ohio on Medicare fraud cases.
Bouffard said the CBS documents appear to have been copied about 10 times in the state he saw them. Nevertheless, he states, "All the documents have been created on the same printer. And the proportional spacing and the common characteristics of numbers like 4 and 7 and letters like lower case c and upper case G are beyond the capabilities of any of the typewriter impact specimens I have in my collection. The centering of headings is also beyond the capabilities of any typewriter I know of."
His conclusion: "It is remotely possible there is some typewriter that has the capability to do all this ... but it is more likely these documents were generated in the common Times New Roman font and printed out on a computer printer that did not exist at the time they were supposedly created."
Bouffard is a registered Democrat planning to vote for Kerry.
In a related story, the Associated Press has reported that the son of Killian, Gary Killian, has questioned the authenticity of the documents as well and said they didn't come from his family."

The liberals are just gonna have to consider this as maybe a viscious lie. If this were the Republicans, I would want to know and I would be very angry. I know politics is mean, and getting meaner. But this, if true, is beyond the pale.
We must start requiring honesty our of our own parties. We cannot keep going down this road. I know liberals will say "what about the swiftboat ads?" They may have been brutal, I admit. And really not relevant imo, but the fact that they were of all different political persuasions convinced me that the Bush campaign didn't have anything to do with it and there has been no proof that they did. Bush making it clear that he honored Kerry's service and even going so far as to say Kerry served more honorably because he was in harms way showed real class to me.
I haven't heard Kerry say anything demeaning about Bush's service either. Correct me if I am wrong.
If it is proven that the Kerry Campaign had anything to do with this, democrats should be angry and let them know. I would hope we Republicans would do the same.

UPDATE:
Dan Rather went on CNN and said that he knows the Jerry Killian documents to be authentic, and knows that they are not forgeries. Therefore, he said, there will be no retraction, no correction, and -- apparently -- no investigation.

So we are just suppose to TRUST Dan Rather??? Come on!! If he has any integrity left he will put this all out on the table and let the truth be told. If he is right, then he should be confident in it being looked into. As long as he holds out, he looks like a liar.

This is an interesting article on the role of the bloggers in this story.. here.

Oh that Teresa..

Teresa Heinz Kerry says "only an idiot" would fail to support her husband's health care plan.
When asked about the school lunch programs, she went on to say "Let them eat cake!" ;-)

My 1st Personal Smear Award.

This is John Edward speaking of Cheney's statement that we could be attacked again if we make the wrong choice on election day....

"The statement by the Vice President of the United State is intended to divide us." (You mean as in "2 Americas????") Edwards said "It was calculated to divide us on a issue of safety and security for the American people. It is wrong and its un-american." (Associated Press)

And then we here from Gore....

"Former Vice President Al Gore has compared George Bush's Christian faith with fundamentalist Islam. saying it emphasizes "vengence" and "brimstone." (WorldNetDaily)

So What Cheney says is wrong, but Gore slamming Bush's personal faith is fine.
One is based on politics and the understanding of the war. One is a PERSONAL attack on one's religion and faith. Which is worse???
Gore wins the "personal smear" award for today.

And I give a sickening example...

Could my post this morning have been more timely?????

Regarding "newly discovered" papers on Bush's guard service....

"Three independent topography experts told CNS News.com they were suspicious of the documents from 1972 and 1973 because they were typed using a proportional font, not common at that time, and they used a superscript font feature found only in today's Microsoft Word program."


If this is true then the whole journalistic world should be ashamed... check it out. and here and here.

UPDATE: Please go to www.powerlineblog.com for the latest on the forged documents. Now the signature is now in question, even the son of the Lt. Col. Jerry Killian ( who died in 84 ) is doubting the authenticity of his father's document according to the AP. Sandra Ramsey Lines, a document expert and fellow at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences says after looking at the copy of the document says "I am virtually certain these were computer- generated"

Read about another expert here

News, Spin, or a Lie??

I visit both conservative and liberal sites. I read the articles posted by those on the right and the left to prove thier points and one thing has struck me and its not good. Anyone can pretty much find an article from a "reputable news source" to back whatever they wish to say. Who can we trust now with "just the facts?" This bothers me alot.

Take the recent AP story about the "boos" that occurred when Bush wished Clinton well, and was proven totally false and later taken off the AP wire. We aren't just talking spin here, we are talking a LIE. I am sure the left can come up with their own as well. And thats the problem. Legitimate news should be just the facts. But now it seems that what we refer to as mainstream news has their own agenda and sometimes not only spin the news their way, but make up things as well. This is disturbing and wrong. It seems to have gotten worse in the last few years.

I think this is why. With the advent of talk radio, the internet, and Fox news, the conservative side was out there in a much more public way reaching a wider audience than ever before. The mainstream media, use to spinning things to the left because that is the belief base of 90% of journalists, were not happy with this and have chosen to spin things as they see it. Recently I think there has been an effort in the mainstream media to offer a more fair balance in order to compete with Fox news. This has caused the liberals to insist on bias in the media. They have been so used to things being spun in their direction, that any spin to the right is considered bias. I say "welcome to our world." This is what conservatives lived with for DECADES.

I truly don't feel I can trust what I read anymore. Conspiracy theorists are given the same credit as respected pundits. Leftwingers read their news sites and totally believe what is there, rightwingers do the same. Leftys read Freepers comments and think all conservatives are like that. Rightwingers read rants from Michael Moore and think all liberals are like that. And we wonder why we are so divided in this country? This is just wrong. We all have our indivual beliefs, almost none of us have exactly the same way of thinking or believing, which is one of the great things about America.

Another example of misinformation that appalled me. When the swiftboat ads came out the Kerry campaign immediately announced that it was backed by the Bush campaign and was nothing but disgruntled Republicans. The President said he had nothing to do with it and went on to praise Kerry's service. Since I didn't hear different I assumed that the ads were put on by partisan men. Only recently did I find out that John O'Neil is a independent and voted for Gore in 2000 and that the 250 men involved are of all political persuasions. This is kinda important to know when evaluating the truth of something. The press just let that part of the story slide. Yes, I know a wealthy Republican gave them funds to make the ads, but who else would do that? I mean come on! I am sure there are the same kind of examples on the left. But my point is that the press needs to start doing its job and giving us the FACTS and not leave out vital information just because it makes a better story.

The democrats kept complaining about the speakers at the convention not representing the "real" Republican party. I guess they were talking about me because I don't believe in most things that Rudy or Arnold believe, but I have found that most conservative bloggers do. Yet the democrats put Republicans in one box and anyone who doesn't fit that box isn't really a Republican. Sad, really.

The civil discourse on the net is truly awful. Just look at the comments on my blog to see how most seem to want to act like 5th graders and call names and make childish remarks instead of having a real debate about the issues. One commenter remarked that adults need to be in charge. Well, maybe adults need to be on the internet and act like adults as well.

Continuing the conversation from the "This will haunt me" post...

I will not accept any copy and pasting of entire articles. Its seems Anonymous's posting of a article in my "This will haunt me" post caused no more comments to be posted. Or it could have been just something I did. I am new at this, so forgive me. I thought when mark said there would be no more room, that we would run out of posting comments space. I tried to delete some of the comments to make room, but that didn't seem to work either. A more experienced blogger tells me there should be plenty of room and that I am not suppose to delete comments unless they are offensive, so I apologize to whoever's post I deleted trying to make room. I hope you will continue to post here. Rest assured I won't delete any more.
I want to respond to Anonymous's article. I will copy and past a part of it here. If you want to read the whole article go to that post.

"Muslim radicals are feeding on anger over the war in Iraq in order to regroup and revitalize. raising the threat of more anti-U.S. terrorism around the world.
They are defiant. They are angry. More and more people are angry," said Abu Mujahed, a militant whose name is a nom de guerre.
He said new recruits are being found by way of internet chat rooms that deal with the war in Iraq and "American Aggression."

If this weren't so sad it would be amusing. Do you not see how pathetic it is that you would post an article that mostly quoted terrorists or what terrorists told someone else. What do you think the terrorists are gonna say? "Oh, we are being beaten badly by Bush. He is right and we are wrong. No more torturing and killing for us!!" It says all I need to know about you that you would use terrorist's quotes to further your side of the argument. The last quote from the one eyed mullah who dominated Afgahnistan for 7 yrs, says "There are two camps in the world today, one is Islam, which is a religion of peace, and the other symbol is Bush, a symbol of terror and hatred."

Yeah, you gotta love the peaceful shooting of kids in the back and flying planes into a building of innocent people.

The Real Kerry, forget Vietnam.

A Few thoughts:

Kerry promises to remove our troops from Iraq in 4 years. We all know how patient the enemy is. Is it wise to give them a end point to count on? Kerry also complains about the money spent on the war that could better be spent on healthcare, education, ect... So hes basically proving Zell Miller's point that the democrats don't take this war on terror seriously enough. John McCain said it better than I ever could:
"It is a fight between a just regard for human dignity and malevolent force
that defiles an honorable religion by disputing God's love for every soul on earth. It's a fight between right and wong, good and evil." And he went on to say; "Only the most deluded of us could doubt the necessity of this war." and to re-emphasize my point in my previous post, "This will haunt me" McCain said: "Freedom is our birthright and its defense is always our first responsibility. All other responsibilities come second."

On a side note about education, It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that money is NOT the problem with education. We throw money at it and throw money at it, and still parochial schools do much better without anywhere near as much money. Get a clue! Its about disipline, hard work, high expectations, and parental involvement.

Kerry (on advice from Clinton) no longer wants to discuss Vietnam. (good idea). So lets discuss his voting record in the Senate, which tells so much about the man NOW... www.rightvoices.com/archives/2004/08/26/kerrys-voting-record/

From "the wondering file":
Wonder if the "sock scandel" is going anywhere. Remember when former white house official Sandy Berger stuffed national security documents in his socks? The investigation is ongoing. Seems strange it would take so long. He admits to doing it. From what I have read they know which documents he took, except for a few personal notes they don't have copies of. Lets get this show on the road. Something is up here. Lets not let this one just die on the vine. A guy like that doesn't do something stupid like that for just anything.

I never thought I would agree with China.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has intensified its battle against Internet and mobile phone pornography by threatening distributors with life in prison, Xinhua news agency said.

Porn is a maggot infested wound in our society. Adults that enjoy this perversion don't seem to care that it is only a click away from our kids. Another person I never thought I would agree with is Clinton, who signed a bill 6 yrs ago designed to protect children from Internet porn called "The Children's Online Protection Act. , but our activists judges put a stop to that as well.
As a parent of teens I have seen what these kids have access to. And it is wrong and disgusting. We are not talking pictures of nude women. We are talking visuals of any kind of sex you care to name. We are contributing to damage to our children's future sexuality as long as we allow this garbage to go on.
Contrary to what the judges say commercial internet and filtering software is NOT adequate. I should know. We have tried every one out there and pornographers still find a way to get through.
The protection act describes what is harmful to children as this:

"Depicts, describes, or represents, in a patently offensive way with respect to what is suitable for minors, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or a lewd exhibition of the genitals; and taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as to minors."

The act basically requires porn websites to not advertise toward children and requires certain identification that you are an adult, such as credit cards and pin and passwords, verification through the mail, ect. There are other methods as well.

The thing is I don't care what they require as long as children don't have access to it. The ones enjoy porn don't want to have to give out their personal information online. WELL TOO BAD!!! If you don't want anyone to know then get your butt in your car and go to a porn place.
Why should the internet put your perverted needs above the protection of our children?

I am so sick of free speech being used when it is clearly harmful to our kids.