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Libs Crowing Over Bush Poll
Of course, you know why they constantly cite polls like this?
It's because they're the only polls they "win".
Cenk Uygur pops the champagne.
The entire United States Congress, Democrats and Republicans, have no choice but to run from this President -- as fast as they possibly can (ironically, some of the Democrats will be the slowest to leave this sinking ship -- and Lieberman will be the very last one on board).
George Bush is the quick sand that is pulling the Republican Party underground. If they don't realize that now, they soon will when they do the next poll in their home districts. No party can survive trying to pull up a President so universally disliked (let alone a Vice President that is nearly loathed at an 18% approval rating -- I don't think Pinochet was ever that low and I know Nixon wasn't).
I do suspect that some Republicans are registering their discontent with the ports deal, and that this has knocked President Bush's ratings down a bit. Rasmussen Polling has him at 43%, off six points in the last 10 days or so which roughly corresponds to the beginning of the ports controversy. But I've never been able to figure out how Cheney rates so low. Republicans don't disapprove of Cheney, no matter what Cenk Uygur says.
Bulldog Pundit has looked over the polls and found the usual silliness with polling only adults (not likely or even registered voters), polling on weekends, and oversampling of Democrats.
Posted by pat at 09:57 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Storming the White House
The communists are at it again; on March 15, 2006, they plan on "storming the White House." I would love to see how far they get...haha!
"It is our duty and the duty of the United Nations to rescue the people of the world from the U.S. dictators," states the release. "Murder for occupation and theft of land is illegal. Murder of journalists is criminal. Remove the traitors who have stolen the U.S. budget and used it to commit international crimes against humanity.
Yawn. You go ahead and wait for the UN; maybe after a decade or so and 16 plus resolutions, they might send a letter to the US on your behalf.
Posted by Aaron at 08:51 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Civil Rights Leader for Wal-Mart
This is interesting:
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Civil rights leader and former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young will become the public face of a Wal-Mart-backed group whose aim is to combat criticism of the world's largest retailer, the group said on Monday.
Young, who was an aide to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights protests of the 1960s and served as ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter, will serve as chairman of Working Families for Wal-Mart's national steering committee, the group said in a statement.
More:
"The critics have it wrong," Young said in a statement. "For those who care about the poor it is time to step up, speak out and join this national discussion."
Posted by Pam at 09:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Quote of the Day
"If Americans can’t learn the difference between Dubai and Damascus, we don’t stand a snowball’s chance in the desert of defeating Islamic terrorism." - Indepundit
Posted by Aaron at 12:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Fabulous!
Remember all the fake anger against Condi because she was shopping for shoes in NYC during Katrina? As Secretary of State, she should have been driving the aircraft carriers into the Gulf of Mexico and flying rescue missions herself (because that's what Secretary of States are supposed to do during natural disasters)...whatever.
But, congressional representatives are supposed to vote on bills. What does some Dem from the great state of Nevada do during a Katrina vote in the house? Try this:
Skipping last fall’s vote on the Hurricane Katrina relief bill in order to get plastic surgery was worth it, says Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), who loves her new look, ROLL CALL reports.
“For the last couple of years whenever I was on TV all I could do was look at my neck,” Berkley said in a recent online audio interview. “It was driving me crazy because my neck was starting to hang ... and it was making me very self conscious.”
Now, she joked in an interview with hosts of the Vegas-centric podcast show “The Strip,” “I have the neck of a 20-year-old and a 50-year-old body.” Until the Feb. 16 program, Berkley hadn’t said much about missing the September vote on the Katrina relief bill due to her nip-and-tuck job.
Berkley, 55, told the show’s co-hosts, Steve Friess and Miles Smith, “I decided that it was going to be very hard to hide and I’m a very public person.” And let’s face it, she said, that brilliant plastic surgeon “turned back the clock 10 years.”
Friess cracked Berkley up when he asked whether she thinks she’ll get more votes with her youthful, thinner neck. She laughed and said, “The 20-somethings! Maybe this will get them out to vote.”
Could you imagine if Condi joked about the Malonos she bought?
Posted by Aaron at 11:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Carnival of Bauer™!
I expect a lot of Kim and Edgar bashing! Join them each week!
All 24 fans will love the new Carnival of Bauer™ created by LLP's friend "the Man" over at Blogs 4 Bauer.
Posted by Aaron at 12:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
History Lesson I
The Vice President met with senior leaders of the Iraqi National Congress today to review the agenda work between the United States Government and the INC. The INC and the Vice President reaffirmed their joint desire to see a united Iraq served by representative and democratic government responsive to the needs of its people and willing to live in peace with its neighbors. The Vice President reaffirmed the Administration's strong commitment to the objective of removing Saddam Hussein from power, and to bringing him and his inner circle to justice for their war crimes and crimes against humanity. Saddam's removal is the key to the positive transformation of Iraq's relationship with the international community and with the United States, in particular.
Posted by Aaron at 12:34 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
Sammenhold (Solidarity)
I am off to the Danish embassy to stand in solidarity with the Danish people and their freedom of speech and freedom of the press...Maybe I can get an autograph from Christopher Hitchens!
Won't have a camera, but will write about this later today with more from the RNC event last night as well.
I will be there in spirit! I just called the embassy and it is a 30 minute walk from the Dupont Circle Station! Too cold :-(
So I invite everyone to join in on the blogburst in solidarity with the Danes.
Posted by Aaron at 11:35 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Black History Celebration (RNC Style)
I just got back from a very nice event at the Capitol Hill Club celebrating black history and the GOP. Today is the 150th anniversary of the RNC.
Met Ed Gillespe and Ken Mehlman. Will have more written tomorrow.
Posted by Aaron at 07:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Brokeback Hunting
I just thought this was hilarious:
Posted by Aaron at 02:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Short Port
I still am up in the air about the Port deal with the UAE. However, there were two very convincing editorials today from WSJ and WaPo:
Wall Street Journal...
As for the Democrats, we suppose this is a two-fer: They have a rare opportunity to get to the right of the GOP on national security, and they can play to their union, anti-foreign investment base as well. At a news conference in front of New York harbor, Senator Chuck Schumer said allowing the Arab company to manage ports "is a homeland security accident waiting to happen." Hillary Clinton is also along for this political ride.
So the same Democrats who lecture that the war on terror is really a battle for "hearts and minds" now apparently favor bald discrimination against even friendly Arabs investing in the U.S.? Guantanamo must be closed because it's terrible PR, wiretapping al Qaeda in the U.S. is illegal, and the U.S. needs to withdraw from Iraq, but these Democratic superhawks simply will not allow Arabs to be put in charge of American longshoremen. That's all sure to play well on al Jazeera.
Yesterday Mr. Bush defended his decision to allow the investment to go ahead, and he threatened what would be his first veto if Congress tries to block it. We hope this time he means it.
Washington Post...
None of the U.S. politicians huffing and puffing seem to be aware that this deal was long in the making, that it had been reported on extensively in the financial press, and that it went through normal security clearance procedures, including approval from a foreign investment committee that contains officials from the departments of Treasury, Commerce, State and Homeland Security, among other agencies. Even more disturbing is the apparent difficulty of members of Congress in distinguishing among Arab countries. We'd like to remind them, as they've apparently forgotten, that the United Arab Emirates is a U.S. ally that has cooperated extensively with U.S. security operations in the war on terrorism, that supplied troops to the U.S.-led coalition during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and that sends humanitarian aid to Iraq. U.S. troops move freely in and out of Dubai on their way to Iraq now.
You have to wonder if there's a little more to the hysteria if the Washington Post and the WSJ editorial boards agree...
Posted by Aaron at 06:15 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Original Uncle Tom a Hero
Says Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune.
His life reveals how complicated the cruel and peculiar institution of slavery could be. Separated from his family as a young boy when he was sold as property in an estate sale, [James] Henson was a loyal servant until he learned he might be sold again. In 1830, he escaped to Canada and founded a settlement, a trade school and a lumber business, while also helping other slaves escape.
When he returned as a free man to the U.S. after the Civil War, to his former owners, the lady of the house is said to have exclaimed in surprise, "Why, Si, you're a gentleman now." To which he is said to have replied, "Ma'am, I always was a gentleman."
His autobiography "Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction" became a best seller and helped Stowe re-create the day-to-day life of slaves for what would be her own best seller, a book that inflamed the abolitionist movement. When Stowe met President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, he was reported to have remarked, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!"
Today Uncle Tom is a prickly American paradox. His very name has become an insult, describing a black person who is overly eager to win white approval. Yet Stowe's Uncle Tom ultimately is a heroic figure who encourages two abused slave women to escape, then suffers a fatal beating rather than give up the women's whereabouts or his Christian faith.
Yes, I have always felt that those who derided somebody with the "Uncle Tom" epithet were unintentionally complimenting their target.
Posted by pat at 10:58 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Bill Clinton Tops 'em Again
If you have been outraged by comments from Al Gore and Jimmy Carter these last couple of weeks, you obviously haven't seen what Bill Clinton is up to:
ISLAMABAD: Former US president Bill Clinton on Friday condemned the publication of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) caricatures by European newspapers and urged countries concerned to convict the publishers.
Talking to reporters after meeting Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Islamabad, Clinton said he disagreed with the caricatures and that the publication was against religious and ethical norms. Clinton said he had no objection to peaceful demonstrations being held worldwide, but this was not the time for violence. He said it was the time to promote inter-faith harmony and stand together on the issue.
He said the people’s religious convictions should be respected at all costs and the media should be disallowed to play with the religious sentiments of other faiths. He said the media could criticise any issue including governments and people, but nobody had the right to play with the sentiments of other faiths.
I'm sure he also means that the newspapers in Iran and other Middle Eastern countries that regularly run anti-Semitic and anti-Christian cartoons and propaganda should be prosecuted. He must also mean that prominent papers like the New York Times, which have run pictures of Piss Christ and the Madonna covered in elephant dung should be prosecuted, as those images were offensive to Christians in America, right?
Wrong.
Clinton is obviously kissing up to folks in the Middle East. Why? Well, it's been rumored that he wants to become Secretary-General of the UN when Kofi Anaan steps down. This is called "having one's ducks in a row." He's probably not too concerned about what Americans think, because the Americans who support him also support the UN. The rest of us can just go suck eggs. As for the Danes, I guess he figures there are less of them than Muslims, so why worry about them?
Un****ing believable. This man thinks more of himself than the damage he is doing to the free world. And I'm not just talking about America. I'm talking about everywhere else too.
Cross posted at Blogmeister USA.
Posted by Pam at 09:35 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
INTERBLOGATORY PRESIDENT'S DAY
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Posted by kitty at 10:43 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
The Gregory Eclipse
People living in or near Washington, D.C. should be on the alert for a solar eclipse in their area. This time, the eclipse won’t be caused by the moon. Instead, the sun’s rays will be blocked by the ego of NBC White House reporter David Gregory.
Over at Ankle Biting Pundits, bulldogpundit has discovered an internet diatribe written by Gregory. In his writing, Gregory tries to explain why he is so important.
I want to respond to parts of Gregory’s boasting. Here are some of his statements.
I view the White House press corps as a proxy for the public.
I don’t remember the American public electing the WHPC to be their proxy in D.C. The last time that I checked, the official D.C. proxies of Americans are the members of Congress. Besides, members of the WHPC aren’t the only reporters who act as “proxies” for the public. Every news outlet acts as a proxy, including the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
When a sitting Vice President shoots a man, it's a helluva story -- worthy of public notice and discussion.
Of course it was worthy of public notice, which is why the story was given to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
I do, however feel it's appropriate to push hard for full and immediate disclosure from our country's highest leaders about their conduct -- public and private.
Mr. Cheney didn’t give up his right to privacy when he became Vice President. What the Vice President does in private isn’t the public’s business unless what he does has an impact on the entire nation. The hunting accident didn’t have that kind of impact.
I think it's appropriate to question the White House about why the Vice President chose to disregard the President's normal procedures for public disclosure.
Normal procedures aren’t the same things as required procedures. Since the hunting accident was a private issue, not a national issue, there was no requirement for the Vice President to notify the WHPC first.
Mr. Cheney, in my view, acted as if he had something to hide.
If this is Gregory’s view, then he needs to get his eyes checked. Mr. Cheney didn’t act like he had something to hide. He acted like someone who had his priorities straight, and his first priority wasn’t to notify the WHPC.
Gregory’s comments do indicate what his priorities are. His first priority is to make sure that he and other WHPC members are the first ones to report stories involving members of the presidential administration. If WHPC members can be bypassed, then they lose their importance to the public. WHPC members have to remain important if they wish to be media stars. Now we all know that they are nothing but shooting stars.
Posted by Dodo David at 07:53 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
It's Never Their Fault
Joseph Smith cried to the judge last week when a Florida jury voted 10-2 for him to receive the death penalty. He was convicted of raping and murdering 11-year-old Carlie Brucia in 2004. He was caught on a car wash video surveillance camera grabbing Carlie as she walked home from a friend's house. Sentencing will be on March 15.
Smith told [Judge] Owens he had been a heroin addict since he was 19 and had unsuccessfully tried to quit several times. He said his wife had kicked him out of their home in January 2004 and he had lost his job when in the hours before abducting Carlie he tried to overdose.
"I just wanted to die that day," he said. But, he said, "I take responsibility of my crimes."
He wanted to die that day, but instead took the life of a young girl after brutally raping her. He says he takes responsibility for his crimes. But the responsibility obviously ends when his own life is endangered. He says he wants to live for the sake of his own family. How contrived is that?
I have no sympathy for this man. When I think about what this child had to endure before her life was taken away truly sickens me. Where does responsibility for one's actions begin and where does it end?
He had a drug problem and claimed he had difficulty in kicking the habit. He said his drug problems prompted his wife to kick him out of the house.
Carlie was not to blame for Smith's problems, but Carlie ended up as the sacrificial lamb.
I know people who have had drug problems. One of them is now dead due to an overdose. But no one I know ever killed anyone else because of drug problems. And if they had, I would say the same thing.
Many in our society seem more concerned with the feelings of those who commit the crimes than those who are the victims of crime. Personal responsibility is going the way of the horse and carriage. It's no longer fashionable to say, "I did it," but to say, "The [insert excuse here] made me do it."
Opponents of the death penalty are convinced that by utilizing death as punishment, society loses part of its humanity. However, I believe that once you take the life of someone else and the reason can't be attributed to a bonafide accident or self-defense, then you have forfeited your own humanity.
Why should we show mercy to people like Smith when he himself was incapable of the same mercy?
Posted by Pam at 12:55 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
The Worst Thing About Being Pro-Choice
Is that you're on the same side as idiots like this:
But then I announced that I needed to speak out on behalf of the many women present in the crowd, including myself, who had had abortions, and the women whose daughters might need one in the not-too-distant future — people who must know that teenage girls will have abortions, whether in clinics or dirty backrooms. Women whose lives had been righted and redeemed by Roe vs. Wade. My answer was met with some applause but mostly a shocked silence.
Pall is a good word. And it did not feel good to be the cause of that pall. I knew what I was supposed to have said, as a progressive Christian: that it's all very complicated and painful, and that Jim was right in saying that the abortion rate in America is way too high for a caring and compassionate society.
At first she can't understand why she didn't get a rousing applause.
It was not until the reception that I finally realized part of the problem — no one had told me that the crowd was made up largely of Catholics.
For a novelist, the writing is pretty poor:
Then Jim, an evangelical, spoke about the need to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, and the need to diffuse abortion as a political issue, by welcoming pro-choice and pro-life supporters to the discussion, with equal respect for their positions. He spoke gently about how "morally ambiguous" the issue is.
I suspect that Jim wanted to defuse the issue, not diffuse it. Don't they have editors at the LA Times?
I have come to the pro-choice position quite painfully. I do think abortion is morally wrong, but I don't think it quite rises to the level of murdering babies. Of course, read further and you'll soon find out why Lamott favors choice without any recognition of moral issues:
I am old and tired and menopausal and would mostly like to be left alone: I have had my abortions, and I have had a child.
And get this lame ending:
During the reception, an old woman came up to me, and said, "If you hadn't spoken out, I would have spit," and then she raised her fist in the power salute. We huddled together for awhile, and ate M&Ms to give us strength. It was a kind of communion, for those of us who still believe that civil rights and equality and even common sense will somehow be sovereign, some day.
A putrid piece of writing from a putrid person.
Posted by pat at 12:03 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Dodo Rant: Say it right, Gringos!
In his post Dems Lose Again In Israel, Aaron reports that Israel's army is going to use llamas as pack animals.
(I wish that Aaron would have named or linked his information source, but that's not the topic of this rant.)
If Aaron's report is correct, then I hope that the people who use the llamas will know the correct way to pronounce llama, because most people in the USA don't know - which is the topic of this rant.
The llama is an animal that is a native of the South American nation of Peru. In case you didn't know, Peru is a Spanish-speaking nation. Actually, it's a Castillano-speaking nation, but most gringos don't know the difference between Castillano and Spanish.
Anyway, there is a funny thing about Spanish-speaking nations. All of the native animals in those nations have Spanish names, and all of their names have Spanish pronunciations. Amazing, isn't it?
It just so happens that the llama is one of those animals. It's name is Spanish, which means that the proper way to say its name is the Spanish way.
Sadly, in the good ol' USA, most gringos (a.k.a. people who have English as their native language) constantly mispronounce the Spanish name llama. To make matters worse, Walt Disney Studios and Nickelodeon Studios are teaching the mispronunciation to children.
Well, my gringo readers, here is a Spanish lesson for you.
In the Spanish language, the LL letter combination is pronounced like a Y, which is why the Spanish word tortilla is pronounced "tore-tee-ya", instead of "tore-tee-la".
Likewise, the proper way to pronounce the Spanish name llama is "ya-ma", not "la-ma".
By the way, during cold weather, it's nice to wear garments made out of llama fur. Last Sunday, my llama-fur sweater kept me warm during church while my pastor complained about the coldness of the worship area.
To close, here is a photo of two natives of Peru. One is a llama. The other is my wife. I'll leave it to you to figure out which is which.
Posted by Dodo David at 09:59 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Doug Marlette on the Cheney hunting accident
Earlier this year, the Tulsa World newspaper hired political cartoonist Doug Marlette to be that newspaper's in-house political cartoonist.
Below is Marlette's reaction to the media fuss pertaining to the hunting accident that the V.P. was involved in.
In case you can't read it, the car's license plate reads "CHAPPAQUIDDICK".
I regret that the on-line version of the cartoon doesn't have color like the print version does. With color added, the letters on the license plate stand out better. The print version appeared in the Tulsa World on 02/16/06.
On a related note, at the same time that the Tulsa World published the above cartoon, the newspaper also published an editorial titled "Enough!". Its subtitle is "It was an accident; Let it go".
Here is the last paragraph of that editorial:
Now we are to be treated to endless analysis. Who's responsible? What's proper hunting etiquette? Should the victim have "announced" himself? Did the Veep have the proper paperwork? What happens if the victim dies? (It's still a hunting accident; no need to speculate about criminal charges.) Pretty soon, we'll be interviewing the bird dogs, who, by the way, must be laughing a bit.
I believe that the many hunters who read the Tulsa World would agree with that last sentence.
Posted by Dodo David at 07:50 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Dems Lose Again in Israel
Llama bests Donkey in Israel
Military sources said the Israel Army plans to use llamas for reconnaissance and combat missions in enemy territory, Middle East Newsline reported. They described the llama as ideal for special operations missions in Lebanon against the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah.
"The llama is a quiet and disciplined animal that can carry huge loads," a military source said. "Vehicles make noise and need roads and fuel. We've tried donkeys and they are not suitable for such missions."
The sources said the army has been training special forces to conduct low-signature ground missions in enemy territory. In January, llamas were employed in a special forces exercise in the Golan Heights.
The exercise employed a scenario in which a special operations unit entered Lebanon or Syria for reconnaissance and sabotage. During the exercise, the llamas carried more than 50 kilograms of equipment over mountainous terrain.
The army plans to train a force of llamas to carry up to 100 kilograms of equipment and supplies, the sources said. They said this would ease the burden on troops and enable special operations forces to focus on combat or reconnaissance.
The sources said donkeys also participated in the Golan Heights exercise. They said the donkeys did not perform as well and required much more food than llamas. The llamas could be fed once every other day.
Posted by Aaron at 04:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Iranian Freedom Fries
Okay, did I think the freedom fries was funny and cool when it first came out? Not really, because I knew that french fries were actually from Belgium. But I thought it was cute and liked when people used it. But after a week or so of coverage on Fox-n-Friends and on MSNBC, saw how really lame it was.
Now, we have the Iranian version and it is JUST as stupid:
Iranians love Danish pastries, but when they look for the flaky dessert at the bakery they now have to ask for "Roses of the Prophet Muhammad."
Bakeries across the capital were covering up their ads for Danish pastries Thursday after the confectioners' union ordered the name change in retaliation for caricatures of the Muslim prophet published in a Danish newspaper.
"Given the insults by Danish newspapers against the prophet, as of now the name of Danish pastries will give way to 'Rose of Muhammad' pastries," the union said in its order.
"This is a punishment for those who started misusing freedom of expression to insult the sanctities of Islam," said Ahmad Mahmoudi, a cake shop owner in northern Tehran.
One of Tehran's most popular bakeries, "Danish Pastries," covered up the word "Danish" on its sign with a black banner emblazoned "Oh Hussein," a reference to a martyred saint of Shiite Islam. The banner is a traditional sign of mourning.
LAAAAME
Posted by Aaron at 02:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Hollywood Actor Wants Bush Impeached
When was the last time this man was in a good movie?
Richard Dreyfuss, the actor who starred in movies ranging from "Jaws" to "Mr. Holland's Opus," told an audience in Washington, D.C., on Thursday that "there are causes worth fighting for," and one of those is the impeachment of President George W. Bush.
"There are causes worth fighting for even if you know that you will lose," Dreyfuss said during a speech at the National Press Club. "Unless you are willing to accept torture as part of a normal American political lexicon, unless you are willing to accept that leaving the Geneva Convention is fine and dandy, if you accept the expansion of wiretapping as business as usual, the only way to express this now is to embrace the difficult and perhaps embarrassing process of impeachment."
What are they going to do when Bush isn't president anymore?
Posted by Aaron at 02:36 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Just Disgusting
Bodies of fetuses, newborns clog Harare's sewers
Zimbabwe's shortages, inflation blamed for rise in illegal abortions
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- The corpses of at least 20 newborn babies and fetuses are found each week in the sewers of Zimbabwe's capital, some having been flushed down toilets, Harare city authorities said, according to state media Friday.
Town Clerk Nomutsa Chideya said the babies' remains were found among a wide variety of waste and garbage cleared by city council workers unblocking sewers and drains in Harare.
"Apart from upsetting the normal flow of waste, it is not right from a moral standpoint. Some of the things that are happening now are shocking," the state Herald, a government mouthpiece, reported Chideya as saying.
Posted by Aaron at 02:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
LLP Site Poll
Would you rather:
a) Go hunting with Dick Cheney?
b) Joyriding with Ted Kennedy?
c) Fishing with Scott Peterson?
Posted by Aaron at 01:44 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Elmer Fuddgate
I have a question. How long did it take Bill Clinton to fess up shooting that poor intern in the face?
Posted by Aaron at 12:06 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Quail Hunting with Dick Cheney
See if you can beat my high score!
Posted by Aaron at 09:58 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Packing Heat with the Truth about Iraq
Laura Ingraham is back from her week long trip to Iraq and she is armed with the truth.
Check out some of her photos, audio clips, interviews and message from soldiers here.
Posted by Aaron at 04:51 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack
America in Crisis Mode: Which Is Real?
Thomas Sowell has written another gem. Today, he discusses the crisis of "domestic spying."
Like the French official in "Casablanca," politicians and much of the media are shocked, shocked, to discover that the government has been listening in on calls involving international terrorist networks. Congressional leaders of both parties have in fact known this for years without saying a word.
Only after the New York Times published the news and made a big noise about it have politicians begun to declare their shock.
That is not the only thing that makes this big uproar phony. The same people who are going ballistic over what they spin as "domestic spying" never went ballistic over one of the most gross examples of genuine domestic spying during the Clinton years.
As Sowell points out, Clinton received FBI files on plenty of Republicans - not as a matter of security, but a matter of having dirt on one's political opponents. Of course at the time, the Clinton administration denied any misuse of the files, but why did they have them?
That is the phony crisis. People are now afraid to make salon appointments to have their Botox injections refreshed because "Big Brother" might be watching.
According to Sowell, here's the real crisis:
There are nations and movements that respect only force or the threat of force. Regardless of anyone's politics, the President of the United States is the only one who can launch that force.
In the early days of the Iraq war, when it was clear to all that American military force would be unleashed against our enemies, Libya suddenly agreed to abandon its nuclear program and other countries backed off their hostile stances.
But when our domestic obstructionists began undermining the President and dividing the country, they were undermining the credibility of American power. North Korea's government-controlled media gave big play to Senator John Kerry's speeches against the U.S. hard line on the development of North Korean nuclear weapons.
Obviously this all-out attempt to damage the President at all costs makes any threat of the use of military force less credible with the country divided.
Exactly.
Posted by Pam at 12:39 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Looking Forward to 2008
This year's CPAC conference yielded no real front runner for the GOP in 2008, but a straw poll of the attendees resulted in the following:
George Allen: 22%
John McCain: 20%
Rudy Giuliani: 12%
Condoleezza Rice: 10%
Bill Frist: 6%
Tom Tancredo: 5%
Mitt Romney: 5%
Newt Gingrich: 5%
Rick Santorum: 3%
George Pataki: 3%
Undecided: 4%
*All others tested received 1% or less
George Allen is a senator from Virginia. And no surprise on Pataki being at the bottom of the heap; he's a RINO if I ever saw one.
As for the Dems, it seems Hillary may have a viable opponent:
HILLARY CLINTON would make an excellent president, according to Meg Hirschberg, whose husband runs a hugely successful organic yoghurt company in New Hampshire: “She’s amazing and brilliant and smart and lovely.”
So that’s a vote for Clinton in 2008, then? Not at all. Hirschberg is thinking of backing Mark Warner, the former governor of Virginia, a likable, low-key, moderate Democrat who won a traditionally Republican state and, by all accounts, ran it competently. At this stage, it is enough of a recommendation.
“I don’t know a thing about him and I don’t care,” Hirschberg said last week as Warner listened to her husband explaining the finer points of organic farming. “I just want somebody with decent values who can win. It’s nothing to do with Hillary personally. It’s irrational and unfair, but she is polarising.”
That's an understatement.
Hillary’s campaign has not even officially started, yet some Democrats are already writing off her chances. Husband Bill, the comeback kid, went on to survive a number of near-death experiences and it may be just a blip on her road to the White House. But for the first time she faces a serious rival.
The lanky, toothy Warner, 51, was the keynote speaker on Friday at the annual 100 Club dinner of Democrat officials, party bigwigs and fundraisers in New Hampshire, the biggest event in their political calendar.
I know, I know, 2008 is ages away. Not really, though, in politics. Get out yer knives and shotguns, you Hatfields and McCoys...the election is closer than you think!
Posted by Pam at 01:39 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
If I Wanted to Be A Popular Blogger With the Left
It's a pretty simple formula, really.
1. Turn conventional wisdom on its head. It's obvious to one and all that the Democrats don't have anything they stand for, other than opposing Bush. So when faced with this, claim that Republicans are the ones who have no principle other than supporting Bush:
Now, in order to be considered a "liberal," only one thing is required – a failure to pledge blind loyalty to George W. Bush. The minute one criticizes him is the minute that one becomes a "liberal," regardless of the ground on which the criticism is based. And the more one criticizes him, by definition, the more "liberal" one is. Whether one is a "liberal" -- or, for that matter, a "conservative" -- is now no longer a function of one’s actual political views, but is a function purely of one’s personal loyalty to George Bush.
2. Project the failings of the left on the right:
And the core emotions driving the Bush extremists are not hard to see. It is a driving rage and hatred – for liberals, for Muslims, for anyone who opposes George Bush.
3. Mention the unspeakable evil of the famous bloggers/columnists on the right:
And in that regard, people like Michelle Malkin, John Hinderaker, Jonah Goldberg and Hugh Hewitt are not conservatives. They are authoritarian cultists. Their allegiance is not to any principles of government but to strong authority through a single leader.
4. Vaguely indicate some personal conservative or non-liberal viewpoints without actually espousing them (Note: only effective when attacking other conservative viewpoints):
It used to be the case that in order to be considered a "liberal" or someone "of the Left," one had to actually ascribe to liberal views on the important policy issues of the day – social spending, abortion, the death penalty, affirmative action, immigration, "judicial activism," hate speech laws, gay rights, utopian foreign policies, etc. etc.
5. Make the Republicans sound like Nazis:
A movement which has as its shining lights a woman who advocates the death of her political opponents, another woman who is a proponent of concentration camps, a magazine which advocates the imprisonment of journalists who expose government actions of dubious legality, all topped off by a President who believes he has the power to secretly engage in activities which the American people, through their Congress, have made it a crime to engage in, is a movement motivated by lots of different things. Political ideology isn't one of them.
Posted by pat at 11:14 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
PICTURE THIS!
Those Democrats, they're such a hoot! Every time they think they've "gotten" Dubya, Dubya gets the better of them, and he usually doesn't have to lift a finger in the process. After all, he's an expert poker player:
By reputation, the President was a very avid and skillful poker player when he was an MBA student. One of the secrets of a successful poker player is to encourage your opponent to bet a lot of chips on a losing hand. This is a pattern of behavior one sees repeatedly in George W. Bush's political career. He is not one to loudly proclaim his strengths at the beginning of a campaign. Instead, he bides his time, does not respond forcefully, a least at first, to critiques from his enemies, no matter how loud and annoying they get. If anything, this apparent passivity only goads them into making their case more emphatically.
This business of pictures of Bush and Abramoff, supposedly proof positive that Bush was good friends with him, is only the latest:
First Photo of Bush and Abramoff
The White House, however, has continued to assert that the President had no recollection of ever meeting Abramoff. When TIME reported in January that it had viewed unpublished photographs of Abramoff with Bush,aides responded that the pictures meant nothing since the President is photographed with thousands of supporters and White House visitors every year.
Now, finally, the first such photo has come to light. It shows a bearded Abramoff in the background as Bush greets an Abramoff client, Raul Garza, who was then the chairman of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas; Bush senior advisor Karl Rove looks on.
...
This meeting, however, was a relatively small gathering attended by some two dozen people, including Garza and another Indian tribal leader who was Abramoff's client.
Posted by kitty at 11:06 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Loose Lips Sink Spies
This is the title of an op-ed piece by Porter Goss, head of the CIA, in today's NYT:
Revelations of intelligence successes or failures, whether accurate or not, can aid Al Qaeda and its global affiliates in many ways. A leak is invaluable to them, even if it only, say, prematurely confirms whether one of their associates is dead or alive. They can gain much more: these disclosures can tip the terrorists to new technologies we use, our operational tactics, and the identities of brave men and women who risk their lives to assist us.
Such leaks also cause our intelligence partners around the globe to question our professionalism and credibility. Too many of my counterparts from other countries have told me, "You Americans can't keep a secret." And because of the number of recent news reports discussing our relationships with other intelligence services, some of these critical partners have even informed the C.I.A. that they are reconsidering their participation in some of our most important antiterrorism ventures. They fear that exposure of their cooperation could subject their citizens to terrorist retaliation.
The whole thing is a must-read.
Posted by Pam at 12:21 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
I'm Going to HillaryLand
Check out this article about Hillary's close-knit circle of advisors and friends (free registration required).
In contrast, Hillary's team likes bright lines, and one way they maintain them is by firmly establishing an in-crowd. Joe Lockhart, the White House press secretary and face of the Clinton administration for two and a half years? Out. (They suspect he's a John Edwards man, though an Edwards aide says he isn't.) James Carville? In. (He's personally close to Hillary and speaks to her regularly.) Doug Sosnik, one of Bill Clinton's senior strategists in the late '90s? Out. (He's advising former Virginia Governor Mark Warner.) John Podesta, Clinton's last chief of staff and now the president of the Center for American Progress? Way in. (He has important links to labor and environmental groups and serves as a policy conduit to Hillary.) Leon Panetta, Clinton's second chief of staff? Far out. (He clashed with Hillary and tried to keep Hillaryland at arm's length from the West Wing.) But trying to determine who's in and out is nothing compared with figuring out who's influential and who's not. That search takes you deep into Hillaryland.
There are very few Democrats whose central message is about interest rates, crime, productivity, and investor confidence. And the ones who exist have been hounded into silence in recent years by the Internet left. Hang out in Hillaryland long enough and you realize it has embraced almost none of the hyperpartisan culture of the so-called netroots that many Democrats are chasing. And the makeup of Hillary's core political consulting team suggests that's not going to change.
Terrific article, one that should make it clear that Hillary's not only running in 2008, but that she's probably got the Democratic nomination in the bag.
Posted by pat at 04:39 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Maybe They Can Get Jerry Seinfeld as Their Spokesman?
Nancy Pelosi reveals the Democrats plan for 2006:
Ms. Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, did not dispute that argument. But, pointing to the Democratic strategy in defeating Mr. Bush's Social Security proposal last year, she said there was no rush.
"People said, 'You can't beat something with nothing,' " she said, arguing that the Democrats had in fact accomplished precisely that this year. "I feel very confident about where we are."
Hat Tip: Memeorandum
Posted by pat at 10:54 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
DEMS ARE TRAINED LIKE PAVLOV'S DOGS
Rush talked about this today, and all I could think of was Pavlov's dogs :~)
HOW LIBERALS PLAY INTO KARL ROVE'S HANDS
A packed house of 100 or so viewers huddled around a few plasma screen TVs to watch the address. Early on, when Bush invoked September 11, the audience let out a loud groan and snickered. Seconds later, the president mentioned the word "freedom" for the first time. A bell rang, and the audience laughed; then Bush said the words "terror" and "weapons of mass destruction" and bells rang again, followed by more laughter. This ritual was repeated throughout the speech whenever Bush uttered any of these words or phrases.
Posted by kitty at 02:50 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Liberals Have a Good Laugh
Over this part of Attorney General Gonzales' testimony yesterday:
GONZALES: I gave in my opening statement, Senator, examples where President Washington, President Lincoln, President Wilson, President Roosevelt have all authorized electronic surveillance of the enemy on a far broader scale -- far broader -- without any kind of probable cause standard, all communications in and out of the country.
Ho ho ho! Washington authorized electronic surveillance? As one wag put it on the radio this morning, what Gonzales meant to say is that Washington authorized smoke signal interception.
But then you read what Gonzales said before:
General Washington, for example, instructed his army to intercept letters between British operatives, copy them and allow those communications to go on their way.
President Lincoln used the warrantless wiretapping of telegraph messages during the Civil War to discern the movements and intentions of opposing troops.
GONZALES: President Wilson, in World War I, authorized the military to intercept each and every cable, telephone and telegraph communication going into or out of the United States.
During World War II, President Roosevelt instructed the government to use listening devices to learn the plans of spies in the United States. He also gave the military the authority to review, without warrant, all telecommunications, quote, "passing between the United States and any foreign country."
Okay, so he misspoke when he said Washington authorized electronic surveillance. But Lincoln and Wilson and Roosevelt did, and what Washington did was similar, if limited by the technology of the times.
Posted by pat at 12:58 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
INTERBLOGATORY TRAVELS
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For unbelievable sight AND sound,
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LuckyDawgNews has survived a makeover and now sports PERMALINKS!! Here are
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Posted by kitty at 09:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
New Magnet School Touts International Studies
The Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies is a newly created Elementary Magnet School currently under construction, hosted by Danbury Public Schools and scheduled to open in the fall of 2006. The Interdistrict Magnet School will offer special programs and student enrollment will be available to students in Grades K-4 from Danbury, Brookfield, New Fairfield, Newtown and Redding.
With the instructional theme of International Studies, the Academy will offer youngsters an exciting multinational educational adventure. This innovative and challenging elementary magnet school is designed to begin preparing children in Grades K through 5 to live and thrive in a global community.
The Academy will be the child's "passport" to learning about the global community. They will begin learning and using Spanish from kindergarten.
Curriculum Information is Available in the Academy Brochure.
Danbury is hosting a Public Meeting on January 31 that will include a question and answer session for all parents.
Public Meetings are also being hosted at respective Brookfield, New Fairfield, Newtown and Redding locations.
The Boards of Education from Brookfield , Danbury , New Fairfield, Newtown and Redding invite you to apply for enrollment of your child to the new Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies Elementary Magnet School. Student applications are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Will there be emphasis on reading, writing, math and other basics? It's interesting too that students will learn Spanish right away, but in other schools, English gets short shrift.
Multiculturalism is now being taken to a new level.
Posted by Pam at 01:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Con Law According to Specter (aka Finger Painting)
I worked at Specter's law firm (not as a lawyer) and lately, I wonder how he even got a job there with his legal reasoning. From the UPI:
Specter called the administration's legal reasoning "strained and unrealistic..."
This from a man who a) argues that Roe v. Wade was sound legal reasoning and that it is b) a "super-duper precident." What is this, kindergarten?
Anyone worried about the legality of the Terrorist Surveillence Program because of Specter's opinion should take a breath.
Posted by Aaron at 11:18 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Christiane Amanpour throughout History (Parts I - III)
WuzzaDem is right on with this:
Check out the other two here and here.
Posted by Aaron at 06:31 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack