Thursday, June 30, 2005

Congress Challenges Court On Eminent Domain

It seems Congress is fighting back.

Legislators Move to Blunt Eminent Domain Ruling (Account Sometimes Required)

Key leaders of both parties in both chambers of Congress vowed today to use the power of the purse to negate this week's Supreme Court ruling allowing local and state governments to use eminent domain to take private property for economic development purposes.

Finally, something bi-partisan.

Bills introduced in the House and Senate would yank federal funds from any city or state project that forced people to sell their property to make way for a project like a hotel or strip mall.

David Souter’s house should still be fair game.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) said he will introduce a Private Property Rights Protection Act that will prohibit any state or municipality from using federal funds for any project in which economic development is used as a justification for exercising eminent domain.

The lead Democratic sponsor is Rep. John Conyers Jr. (Mich.), ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee, and the committee said at least two other Democrats are co-sponsors.

I was enjoying the cooperation exhibited by both parties until I got to the bottom of the article.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said at an earlier news conference that "very central in that Constitution is the separation of powers."

When is California going to wake up and separate Pelosi from her powers?

"When you withhold funds from enforcing a decision of the Supreme Court, you are in fact nullifying a decision of the Supreme Court," Pelosi said. "This is in violation of the respect of separation of powers in our Constitution -- church and state as well. Sometimes the Republicans have a problem with that, as well."

Violation of respect! What about the violation of the respect of the poor property owner! What about the respect for the inner city poor who can essentially be herded out of town with Supreme Court approval? Pelosi should never again pretend to stand up for the poor or middle class. I am simply dumbfounded that the lead Democrat in the House would show such callousness...

...Forgive my attempt at fake outrage, but I will come clean. It is exactly what I would expect of Pelosi. Dumb politics and support for Socialism.

Rep. David Obey (Wis.), ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee: "The idea that this House, every time we don't like a court decision, should decide that we're not going to allow federal money to be used to enforce that court decision is as nutty as the original court decision in the first place," Obey said.

Where were you after Bush vs. Gore?

In Sports:

Nats 7, Pirates 5
Nats complete yet another sweep.

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Could Unrest in China Lead to War?

A few days ago I stated that I did not think that China would attack Taiwan to quell domestic unrest and focus national attention on something other than the failings of the state. I still believe that, but the following report is somewhat disconcerting.

Thousands riot in China, attack police, burn cars

Thousands of Chinese rioted in a dispute sparked by a lopsided roadside brawl, set fire to cars and wounded six police officers in an outburst likely to worry communist leaders in Beijing desperate to cling on to power.

The violence was the latest in a series of protests which the Communist Party, in power since 1949, fears could spin out of control and become a channel for anger over corruption and a growing gap between rich and poor.

It started before 3 p.m. when a Toyota sedan grazed a middle school student crossing the street and the teen and the driver quarreled. A few men emerged from the car and set on the student, a local store manager surnamed Wu who saw the clash told Reuters by telephone.

The men were taken to a police station and a crowd that had been watching the fight swarmed around the building, Wu said, demanding that the men be handed over to them as their numbers swelled by the minute.

The crowd, now numbering as many as 10,000, also flipped three parked police cars and set them ablaze.

Sounds eerily similar to a University of Maryland basketball game.

Protests have become increasingly common in China, fueled by corruption and the widening wealth gap, but authorities are keen to quickly quash dissent and preserve stability.

There were more than 58,000 protests, many of them over land rights disputes, across the country in 2003, a Communist Party-backed magazine, Outlook, has reported.

Since a Communist Party backed magazine published this, I suspect the number is higher. I was not aware that the internal unrest facing China was this bad. It certainly does add another element into the China situation that does not bode well for peace in Asia.

In Sports:
Rain

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

Democrats declared the War in Iraq a ‘quagmire’ from day one:

'Quagmire' Analogy Gets Much Use

The quagmire metaphor first arose in Vietnam but has seen regular use and misuse throughout the War on Terror

"The suggestion of those who say we are losing or that we're in a quagmire seems to be that as long as there's violence in Iraq that the conclusion must be that insurgents are winning. Not so," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Monday.

That would make every war a quagmire until it is over.

"Obviously I don't agree with the statement that the United States is losing in Iraq nor that we are getting into a quagmire," said Gen. George Casey, the top commander in Iraq.

Don’t worry General, it’s just the libs crying wolf again.

"Quagmire" as a military metaphor began with the book "The Making of a Quagmire" — New York Times reporter David Halberstam's highly critical account of President Kennedy's early Vietnam policy.

Wow, Kennedy founded the quagmire! And the Vietnam War had just started.

Ironically, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., was among the first politicians to compare his brother's Vietnam quagmire to Iraq. But his office acknowledged Monday that he is one of three senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee who has not yet visited the country.

How typical. I suspect he is worried about friendly fire.

The record suggests that reporters often don't recognize a quagmire when they see it. For instance, President Bush was first asked whether he could avoid a quagmire in Afghanistan four days after the start of the war there.

I wish he had just said 'no'. When is someone going to address the quagmire at the DNC?

The president said he could avoid a quagmire, but less than two weeks later the Los Angeles Times noted hand-wringing at home.

I guess one can’t really blame the media for generating a story out of thin air as that is what qualifies as news today.

The quagmire metaphor also hanged over early coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Eight days into the war, The New York Times and The Washington Post compared Iraqi fighters to the resilient North Vietnamese. Eighteen days later, the United States overthrew Saddam Hussein.

Well, at least we can say we had a week of non-quagmire combat.

As military operations continue in Iraq, the White House and Pentagon see only one persistent quagmire — the media's constant misuse the term.

Actually, they are using it properly according to this story. Could it be any more apparent that Democrats have politicized this war from the beginning and the media has been a willing accomplice? Fortunately, both are being ignored on a regular basis.

In Sports:

Nats 2, Pirates 1
Cordero gets another save.

Monday, June 27, 2005

Beijing Preparing for War

I know, I know. I couldn’t stay away.

Bill Gertz is probably the best open source on the Chinese military buildup in the US Press. Today he gave a good outline of the ruthlessness of Red China’s efforts and preparations to battle the United States.

Beijing devoted to weakening 'enemy' U.S., defector says

China's communist leaders view the United States as their main enemy and are working in Asia and around the world to undermine U.S. alliances, said a former Chinese diplomat.

China also is engaged in large-scale intelligence-gathering activities in the United States that, in the past, netted large amounts of confidential U.S. government documents from agents.

"The United States is considered by the Chinese Communist Party as the largest enemy, the major strategic rival," Mr. Chen told The Washington Times

"I know that China once got a heavy load of confidential documents from the United States and sent it back to China through the Cosco ship," Mr. Chen said, referring to the state-owned China Ocean Shipping Co.

Does anyone remember when Cosco tried to buy Long Beach Naval Station? Anyone still think it is a good idea to sell Unocal to China? Does anyone realize that China owns both ends of the Panama Canal?

The Chinese also send political police abroad to monitor overseas Chinese and others in North America who Beijing considers opponents of the regime, he said.

“The goal is to force Australia to become part of a China-dominated "grand neighboring region" in Asia and to "force a wedge between the U.S. and Australia,"

I believe the South Koreans will eventually throw their lot in with the ChiComms, perhaps staying neutral in any conflict. We are currently moving forces out of Korea as a result. Australia is safe, as is Japan.

On China's military buildup, Mr. Chen said Beijing is following the strategy of former leader Deng Xiaoping, who urged China to "bide our time, build our capabilities" -- military as well as economic and political. "What that means is that when the day is mature, the Chinese government will strike back," he said.

And I can assure you that is exactly what they are doing.

"Once any serious civil disobedience occurs, the government may call for a war across the Taiwan Strait to gather [political] strength from people."

I’m not sure if I would agree with that. Uniting the people in common cause is one thing, but going to war with the United States does not help Chinese leaders, if their intention is to stay in power. China will, one day, attack Taiwan, but not as a means to control unrest. More likely they just want to acquire the island.

Though the situation is bleak, the Bush administration has apparently made at least one move to put the breaks on the Chinese buildup.

China Scolds U.S. for Blocking Israeli Arms Sale (Account Required)

Accusing the Bush administration of "carping" and "outside interference," China issued a sharp complaint Monday after Israel cancelled a controversial Israeli-Chinese arms deal under pressure from the United States.

So Sowwy.

As described in Jerusalem, the agreement also means the Harpy components that China sent to Israel last summer for modification will not be returned.

I don’t know what Israel’s motivation for making this deal was, but the President and Congress threatened to halt any further arms sales to Israel if it had gone through. In addition, the Japanese have taken the SDF out of their armed forces and are calling it an army again. Things are beginning to set up for a major confrontation, perhaps a decade away. The strategy of integrating China into the World in an effort to dilute their zeal and make them dependent on capitalism has backfired. They have perfected capitalism minus democracy and are exploiting it as a tool in a major buildup of their armed forces.

The next generation will have to pick up the fight since today we have our heads stuck in the sand. My hope is that they have more stomach for it than we do, as half of our country is now ready to turn tail and run from a minor conflict in Iraq. If we, as a people, can’t handle the low grade warfare of our current conflict, how are we going to step up when a real war is at our doorstep? I suspect our will in Iraq will be monitored very closely and will play a role in any Chinese plan to engage the United States militarily.

In Sports:

Braves 7, Marlins 2

Sunday, June 26, 2005

TSW Hiatus

TSW will be taking the next two days off to attend to business. This is the first break in posting I have had in four months and I have matters to attend. I will be back and breathing fire as always in the near future.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

China's Hostile Takeover of US Security

We are a naive nation indeed.



Lawmakers seek review of bid for Unocal

At least 41 lawmakers have signed a letter to President Bush requesting a tough review of an $18.5 billion takeover bid for Unocal Corp., the nation's ninth-largest oil and gas company, by a Chinese state-controlled energy producer, a news report said Saturday.

Forget the review. How about a big, resounding ‘NO’.

members of Congress "are very concerned" about the all-cash bid unveiled Wednesday by CNOOC Ltd.

The lawmakers' letter does not say they will propose legislation, and their number falls well short of a voting bloc that could pass a bill in the House.

Why not some legislation stating that no US incorporated firm may be owned by the Communist Government of China? That seems simple enough. How about a law stating that no US incorporated firm may be owned by any country with ICBMs pointed at us. Why are we fattening the Chinese Army which we will most likely have to confront at some point in the future? Did we learn nothing from the War in the Pacific?

If Unocal accepts CNOOC's bid, the deal's fate may hinge on how a secretive U.S. review panel defines "national security," Reuters reported Friday.

Well if putting our energy resources in the hands of the Chicomms isn’t a national security concern, then nothing qualifies. We might as well do away with the military, open the borders and declare ourselves open for the taking.

CNOOC's unsolicited bid comes amid record oil prices, unease over China's $160 billion trade surplus with the United States and concerns about its growing military might.

You don’t say. It is beyond me how our government could allow this to happen. I am getting worn very thin by the lack of security concern in this country. How many issues does it seem that American citizens are just banging their heads against the wall and getting no government attention? Immigration, the The War on Terror and China should be our highest security concerns, not just Iraq. Not to take away from that issue, but what is the point in liberating Iraq if we are going to give away our own country to China?

Before the partisans blame Bush remember that this has been going on for decades. Clinton handed over some nice missile technology to China which they immediately implemented into their ICBM capability and pointed back at us. Nixon decided to forsake a functioning democracy in Taiwan to please a China that we had just been to war with two decades prior. Why does no one address our outrageous trade deficit with China? How much frustration can the American people endure before someone takes notice? What is the threshold? Does it take an actual military conflict for someone to act?

These are the same nationalistic fanatics that knocked down our P3 and held its crew, and then expressed outrage that the P3 was able to bump their MiG. These are the same fanatics which sent us to the brink of war in 1996 by firing ballistic missiles at the coast of Taiwan. These are the same fanatics which declare half of the Pacific as their own, and are simply biding their time to strengthen up before they take it back.

What does it take for someone to stand up and take notice? Sadly, I think I know the answer. Money.

Friday, June 24, 2005

The TSW Collective International Bash

Call it lack of sleep. A Bad day at work. Whatever. I am in a particularly volatile mood this afternoon. I think I’m going to take it out on the international community. Hide the women and children, you have been warned.

Poll: U.S. Image In Tatters Abroad

The United States' image is so tattered overseas two years after the Iraq invasion that China, which is ruled by a communist dictatorship, is viewed more favorably than the U.S. in many countries, an international poll found.

"It's amazing when you see the European public rating the United States so poorly, especially in comparison with China," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Isolationism is starting to sound pretty good right now. The Europeans collectively have done very little in their own interest since the time of … I just can’t think of a time right now. The EU is an utter failure of bureaucracy and pork with each member, especially France and Germany, out to procure as much for themselves at the expense of their ‘allies’ as possible. Countries such as Belgium, who have contributed next to nothing to the World community, continually lecture the United States on how it ought to conduct its own business. Forget WWII, that’s old news. Lets take Bosnia, where your feckless efforts to end that war resulted in absolutely nothing. It was the US that had to pull you into action. And may I remind you that NATO went into action without the consent of the largest immovable bureaucracy in the World, the United Nations. Ditto for Kosovo. To Western Europe, consider this the TSW middle finger. Savor it. Enjoy it. Now shut up.

Britain, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan and Indonesia — had a more favorable view of China than the U.S.

No surprise here, save Britain.

To the British: Feel free to flush yourselves down the European toilet. Enjoy your new role as subordinates to the middle Europeans. I have always thought that the British Empire gave us some of the more civil settlements in the World. The US, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong are examples of British influence and accomplishment. Now that you seem to be attached to China and the EUseless, don’t come complaining ten years from now when your unemployment rate hits the mid teens as a result of your jobs residing in Beijing and your fat bureaucrats sit by unable to pull you back out. As you pine away nostalgically for the pound and ponder the evil American plot which sent you to your pathetic situation, please, keep it to yourself. Oh, by the way, thank you for the help in Iraq.

To the Netherlands: see Belgium above.

To France: blaming all of your problems on America may seem like fun, but it will do nothing to help you out of your failing system of government kickbacks and four day work weeks. Your failings are worth a post all to its own, but sadly you will not get one today.

To any country that America has crossed swords with in the last 75 years (Germany, Russia): Your opinion means so little as to not register any worthwhile consideration. However, since you continually insert yourselves into the conversation, how about taking an inward look rather than a continual drug induced gaze across the ocean. You consider yourselves above the rest because you have been able to go a decade without invading a neighbor. Well congratulations on your restraint. From the countries that brought us Hitler and Stalin, thank you again for the input, now go away.

To Spain: You have the backbone of a worm. You give terrorists the morale to keep up the fight. You even have the gall to indict US soldiers. Enjoy your foray back into socialism. It will fail you as it has the others. Make sure that after you’ve screwed your country up nicely that you blame America for it. We wouldn’t want you to do something outside of the European template. By the way, Osama wants you to be a part of the homeland. Enjoy that too.

To the rest of you: I expect you to hate me. I will list your collective value to the World. See if you can guess who you are:

1. The country that leaves its own people in political limbo, blaming Israel for every failing that befalls them.

2. The country who allowed a dictator to drive it into permanent third world status, not even able to muster a meager effort to save those devastated by the big wave.

3. A safe haven for Al Qaeda.

4. Years of civil war. A Puppet of Syria.

5. Receives cash by the boatload from the US. Is protected by the US. Could care less.

This post is admittedly childish in nature. Well guess what. This post was for me. I am so sick of hearing this propaganda based stupidity from abroad that I can’t contain myself. The US gives these ingrates a huge market to sell their cheap crap and fancy cars. We take in their overflow populations and send them straight onto the public dole. We protect them from threat and give up our lives from time to time. And all we get in return is thrashed in the public domain. Well, all of them have one thing in common that America does not have. They have, at some point in their histories, been ruled by a king, a tyrant, a madman, a dictator or a zealot. So to you who would prefer to throw your lot in with the Red Chinese, have at it and enjoy the fireworks.

Not so fast! I forgot one:

Canadians are as likely to see China favorably as they were the United States.

Thank you for nothing. Your wonderful health care system is supported by the United States military. The fact that you put next to nothing into your own protection makes it conveniently easy to enjoy your fat hospital system. As you sit in the snow smoking weed and pondering the failings of the country that supports you on every level, consider that you are the host country for terrorists from the world over. Your one useful contribution in the last 50 years is the Washington Nationals, and for that I thank you.

The survey found that a majority in most countries say the United States doesn't take the interests of other countries into account when making international policy decisions.

Perhaps China can take care of you now.

Now that I got all of that out of my system, I take it all back.

In Sports:
Nats 3, Blue Jays 0
One parting shot at Canada!

Braves 7, Orioles 5
Take that Angelos.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Tyranny

In a step which brings the United States closer to government totalitarianism, the Supreme Court has ignored the US Constitution by allowing municipalities to confiscate private property for commercial adventures. Liberal activism among lower courts has been prevalent, but today the Supreme Court has joined the activist movement and declared the Constitution null and void.

Supreme Court Rules Cities May Seize Homes

Cities may bulldoze people's homes to make way for shopping malls or other private development, a divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday, giving local governments broad power to seize private property to generate tax revenue.

"The message of the case to cities is yes, you can use eminent domain, but you better be careful and conduct hearings"

When money is involved, a hearing is a worthless waste of time. This torrid circle of greed is the most blatant act of judicial intrusion I have seen in my lifetime. The Contractors give to the politicians. The politicians select the judges. The politicians take your land and give it to the Contractor, all the while protected by the ‘law’. The politicians gain more tax revenue. The Contractor make loads of cash. And now they all have Supreme Court cover.

Sandra Day O’Conner has endeared little support from me (not that it matters), but today I must say that I have gained a bit of respect for her.

"The specter of condemnation hangs over all property," O'Connor wrote. "Nothing is to prevent the state from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory."

From the US Constitution: The Fifth Amendment states; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

'Private use' isn’t even addressed. The whole notion that the government may take ones land and give it to another seems so absurd that I doubt anyone thought there was a need to address it. Well, there certainly is now. A Constitutional Amendment is currently the only way to protect citizens of this country from commercial interests and greedy politicians. So before all of the anti-Capitalists come out of the woodwork to say ‘I told ya so!’ lets review exactly who the culprits are.

John Paul Stevens
David H. Souter
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (This should fall right in line with her socialist ideology)
Anthony Kennedy
Stephen G. Breyer

This is the LIBERAL side of the Supreme Court. Not one more anti-Capitalist Democrat should spout off about corporate greed following this decision. Look at what the left has slapped us with. Government sponsored corporate greed. I hear a lot of talk about tyranny around the world. I guess these five did not think that we had enough of it on the home front.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Southern Baptists May Leave Public Schools

Anyone familiar with the tampering that goes on in the public schools regarding issues of morality may think that there is no consequence to these actions. At the last Southern Baptist Convention, a move by the denomination to leave the public school system was considered and defeated. The driving force behind the defeat was the fact that many Southern Baptists were also public school teachers, entrenched in the state pension plans. Well, its back.

Southern Baptists in ‘doldrums,’ leader says ahead of meeting

…a resolution decrying immorality in American public schools was likely to be debated at next week’s annual gathering in Nashville, Tenn., but that it would be wrong for Southern Baptists to withdraw their children from public classrooms.

A resolution that specifically called for a mass withdrawal from public school classrooms failed last year when it was not accepted by the convention’s resolutions committee. Welch said that the committee was considering two similar resolutions Thursday and that at least one was likely to make it to the floor next week, although it probably would not explicitly call for an organized withdrawal.

Counting more than 16.3 million members, the Southern Baptist Convention could have a significant impact on school enrollment were it to organize an effective boycott, especially in already struggling rural schools in the South and the Midwest, where its congregations are concentrated.

I would like to state for the record that I am not a Southern Baptist, or even a Baptist for that matter. Since my move north to the Washington DC area, I have been amazed at the social meddling in public schools in this area, especially in Montgomery County, MD. I can only imagine that similar moves are happening across the country in areas with a more liberal bent. As the federal government continues to insert itself into the curriculum of many schools, while at the same time banning all reference to the God of Abraham, it is only a matter of time before a move like the one above passes.

A move such as above may seem like no big deal to my many Jewish and Catholic friends from the northeastern part of the country, but I can assure you there will be a trickle down effect. One may be tempted to think that if the Baptists can’t play nice, then just let them take their toys and go. That is a mistake.

There are many counties across the southeast which have only one high school and are entrenched in a Bible Belt society. I do not say that in a derogatory way, as that is how it has been in these places for more than 200 years. Imagine school populations in some areas dropping by half while the money and the power move to religious schools. The remaining public schools become a bastion of poverty. Certainly there are areas, especially in the larger cities of the South, that would not be affected. But in entire swaths of the southern states, the public schools could be left to rot, catering only to immigrant populations or other working poor. In addition, thousands, maybe millions of children that currently experience some level of 'diversity' would be immersed in a much more theologically oriented education. Think Jerry Falwell annoys you now? Wait until he has millions more under his educational system.

And how long before other protestant denominations follow? The Pentecostals, Mormons, ARP and many others would not be far behind. What wealthy secular, Catholic or Jewish family is going to leave their children in such a place? Perhaps the day is coming when our children have two options, attend a private/religious school or fester in a failing public school that endures no public support. No amount of federal dollars is going to work for a school that does not enjoy some level of community support.

I can hear the rebuttal already. 'Integration was forced on these people and they got over it.' Well segregation was an immoral practice and many in the Christian South knew it was wrong. They did not appreciate the federal government forcing it on them, but I believe many recognized the innate rightness of integration, as well as the fact that its morality was supported by the teachings of their own religion. They will not feel the same way about forced teachings on homosexual sex (see Montgomery County), outcome based education or evolution, not to mention more trivial issues such as a ban on Santa Claus.

The forces which push their experimental social programs and anti-Christian attitudes on the public schools should take a step back and see the potential of what their actions may bring. As I have stated in the past, Separation of Church and State was implemented by the founders to bar a theocracy from taking hold in our government. It was not meant to run every vestige of Christian influence off of every municipally held piece of property. Cooler heads will probably prevail at this year’s Southern Baptist Convention, but if forced liberal morality and secularism continue to grow as they are now, I envision a day when John Edward’s two Americas truly becomes a reality, at least in the American Education System.

In Sports:

Nats 5, Pirates 4

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Dick 'the Turban' Durbin Comes Clean

Well, I'm willing to put this to bed, but not without a few parting shots.

Sen. Durbin Apologizes for Gitmo Remarks

"Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line," the Illinois Democrat said. "To them I extend my heartfelt apologies."

Implying that he also means…'To those that agree with what I said, I’m just kidding.'

His voice quaking and tears welling in his eyes, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate also apologized to any soldiers who felt insulted by his remarks.

George Voinovich can rest easier now. I can just see Osama quaking in his sandals as he watches our 'girly men' senators. Hillary would never do this.

"They're the best. I never, ever intended any disrespect for them"

Translation: I think your actions are equivalent to those of mass murderers, but hey, no hard feelings. A second translation could be: I am too dumb to know that I can't compare US soldiers to Nazi, Soviet and Khmer Rouge killers without some sort of response.

"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others — that had no concern for human beings," the senator said June 14.

Let’s repeat: "They're the best. I never, ever intended any disrespect for them". What doesn’t jive here?

On Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley — a fellow Democrat — added his voice to the chorus of criticism, saying, "I think it's a disgrace to say that any man or woman in the military would act like that."

Oooh, Daley, I thought they said Delay.

"I'm sorry if anything that I said caused any offense or pain to those who have such bitter memories of the Holocaust, the greatest moral tragedy of our time. Nothing, nothing should ever be said to demean or diminish that moral tragedy."

Which only leaves the victims of the Soviets Gulags and the Killing Fields. I’ll give him a little bit of credit for standing up and admitting a mistake. I still have two questions though. First, when will he give up his role as Senate Minority Whip? Second, when is Harry Reid going to apologize?

"This is all an attempt at distracting us from the officials before us ... Do we have a problem with the issues [Durbin] is discussing? Yes, let's focus on them." – Harry Reid

It sounds like Reid agreed with the original statement, going so far as to blame Republicans for Durbin’s false statements. Where have I heard that before? Ken Starr knows.

Disclaimer: I saw someone reference the name 'The Turban' on another blog. Sincere apologies to whomever came up with it, but I can't remember where I saw it. Feel free to claim credit. No sources necessary.

Update to Disclaimer: I think I found my source. Check out these photos. You won't regret it.

fake liberal apologies abound

In Sports:
Nats 4, Pirates 11
Nats pitching takes the day off.

Monday, June 20, 2005

Bill Clinton Joins the ‘Close Gitmo’ Bandwagon

We knew it was coming, so here it is:

Clinton adds voice to criticism of Guantanamo

In an interview with the Financial Times, the former president called for the camp, set up to hold suspected terrorists, to “be closed down or cleaned up”.

Closing it down would be nothing short of stupid. Cleaned up? I’m wondering how Gitmo compares to the cave these terrorists came from. The sympathy for terrorists is coming from all over the left now.

Mr Clinton said the test for judging whether harsh treatment of terrorist suspects was justified was whether it challenged the “fundamental nature” of American society. If the answer is Yes, you have already given the terrorists a profound victory.”

Actually, it is the likes of left leaning politicians and pundits who have given terrorists a victory. I suspect the remaining Al Qaeda thugs not at Gitmo are laughing their heads off as American leaders blame American soldiers for terrorism. Coming from the man who passed up Osama Bin Laden, these words truly ring hollow.

In three or four cases, his own administration had resorted to a US law that allows suspected terrorists to be held beyond the normal length of time without trial, if bringing an indictment or trial would compromise intelligence sources.

Well, that’s the first I have heard of that. Hello pot, meet kettle.

“It sounds so reasonable but you're the guy that is in prison and you are not guilty, you could be held there three, four, five years and there has to be some limit to that,” he said.

Which leads to the obvious question…What if you are guilty? This is the first time I’ve heard anyone make the ‘not guilty’ argument for the terrorists at Guantanamo Bay. So what happens if we give them a trial and they are guilty? Anyone involved in planning 911 or other terrorist attacks will be executed. I continue to wonder why Democrats think that standing up for terrorist's rights is going to do the terrorists any good. I guess there is the possibility that some goat farmer got picked up while accidentally wandering into Tora Bora. But a trial will force the United States to shoot, hang, electrocute or inject a large number of the detainees. If you think ‘mishandling’ a Koran/Quran is abuse, wait until these guys face a trial. Speaking of Koran/Quran ‘mishandling’:

Fla. Suspects Allege Mishandling of Quran

Two men accused of supporting terrorism by recruiting Muslim extremists are seeking dismissal of the charges, alleging that jailers mishandled a Quran and conducted inappropriate searches of their cells.

Here we go again!

jailers disrespectfully tossed Hassoun's Quran on his bunk…

Well, let’s set him free then.

Jayyousi, a U.S. citizen and former assistant superintendent of Detroit public schools, has been in isolation since he was arrested in March and transferred to Miami.

It occurs to me that Detroit should probably review their hiring practices.

…accused of conspiring in the 1990s to raise money and recruit Muslim extremists to fight in Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya and Somalia. They allegedly recruited Jose Padilla, a former Chicago gang member and Muslim convert who is held by the United States as an enemy combatant.

I got to watch the Pentagon burn first hand. I found it very offensive. Why doesn’t Bill Clinton or Amnesty International stand up for me for once?

In Sports:

Nats 7, Pirates 4

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Robert Byrd Attempts to Rewrite History

Robert Byrd has written a book excusing himself from criticism for his membership in the Ku Klux Klan. The Washington Post promotes the book for him. Provided is the MSNBC link as it does not require an account.



A senator's shame

In the early 1940s, a politically ambitious butcher from West Virginia named Bob Byrd recruited 150 of his friends and associates to form a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.

So Byrd wasn’t just a member, he founded the chapter!

The young Klan leader went on to become one of the most powerful and enduring figures in modern Senate history.

Totally excused by his party for his affiliation with one of the most reviled organizations this country has seen.

"It has emerged throughout my life to haunt and embarrass me and has taught me in a very graphic way what one major mistake can do to one's life, career, and reputation"

Come on! This is more than one mistake. You don't found the organization and then claim youthful ignorance.

In it, Byrd says he viewed the Klan as a useful platform from which to launch his political career. He described it essentially as a fraternal group of elites -- doctors, lawyers, clergy, judges and other "upstanding people" who at no time engaged in or preached violence against blacks, Jews or Catholics, who historically were targets of the Klan.

Did I just read that right? I think I did. I apologize for the lack of analysis here, but its hard to type and pull myself off of the floor at the same time.

His latest account is consistent with others he has offered over the years that tend to minimize his direct involvement with the Klan and explain it as a youthful indiscretion.

I refer back to the beginning of this post. He founded the chapter!

Byrd's indelible links to the Klan -- the "albatross around my neck," as he once described it -- shows the remarkable staying power of racial issues more than 40 years after the height of the civil rights movement. Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) learned that lesson the hard way at a birthday party in December 2002, when his nostalgic words about Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), who ran for president as a segregationist in 1948, caused a public uproar and cost Lott the majority leader's post.

And this is the rub. Despite what the Post may think, there is absolutely no comparison between what Trent Lott said and what Robert Byrd did by forming and leading a chapter of the KKK. Byrd has long gotten a pass by Democrats, who at the same time cry outrage at every possible opportunity. The example of Robert Byrd is the number one case outlining the pure political motivations of Democrats and the liberal press. Trent Lott was run out of town for a gaff he made at Strom Thurmond’s 100th birthday party. Yet Byrd continues to play a prominent role in the Democratic Party, and even has the gall to lecture the rest of us on ethics. Democrats would be wise to limit their selective outrage until Robert Byrd is long out of politics.

Byrd said in the Dec. 11, 1945, letter… that he would never fight in the armed forces "with a Negro by my side." Byrd added that, "Rather I should die a thousand times, and see old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels."

I think I will let that speak for itself.

Update:

I knew it wasn't just me: BOBBY BYRD'S KLAN OF "UPSTANDING PEOPLE"

In Sports:
Nats 8, Rangers 2
Braves 8, Reds 11

Saturday, June 18, 2005

Durbin Tap-dances But Does Not Apologize

Dick Durbin attempted to spin his comments so as to lay blame on Bush for his anti-American rant.

Durbin Clarifies Gitmo Remarks

In case you have forgotten, he originally said:

"If I read this to you, and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags or some mad regime--Pol Pot or others--that had no concern for human beings"

Now for the dancing:

"I sincerely regret if what I said caused anyone to misunderstand my true feelings: Our soldiers around the world and their families at home deserve our respect, admiration and total support," he said. "My statement in the Senate was critical of the policies of this administration, which add to the risk our soldiers face."

Which is utterly absurd as his comments themselves add to the risk our soldiers face.

‘Durbin clarified that he was not comparing U.S. soldiers to Pol Pot (search), Nazis or Soviet guards, but was "attributing this form of interrogation to repressive regimes such as those that I note.”’

Is there a difference?

Questioned by Sen. John Warner, R-Va., Durbin said that he does not know if the interrogators cited in the FBI report were Americans.

Well that was a vital nugget of information to overlook.

Republicans and Bush administration officials called the comparison between those horrors and the U.S. prison camp's guards "reprehensible" and "deplorable."

They could have been a bit more thorough. They forgot disgusting and traitorous.

"Senator Durbin's statements are deplorable. He should ask for forgiveness, forgiveness from our troops, from their families and all of us who are trying to win this War on Terror," said Sen. George Allen, R-Va.

"And for you to come to the floor with just that fragment of a report and then unleash the words 'the Nazis,' unleash the word 'gulag,' unleash 'Pol Pot,' I don't know how many remember that chapter, it seems to me that was a grievous error in judgment and leaves open to the press of the world to take those three extraordinary chapters in world history and try to intertwine it with what has taken place, allegedly, at Guantanamo," – John Warner

"The more the popularity of the president plummets, the more the people downtown try to play the game of attack" -Harry Reid

Reid resorts to the Clinton defense. Blame Republicans for Democrats' actions.

Speaking of tap-dancing, Howard Dean is attempting to prove he is sane.

Dean Condemns 'Anti-Semitic Literature'

I found this absolutely hysterical.

‘…people at Democratic National Headquarters distributed material critical of Israel during a public forum questioning the Bush administration's Iraq policy.’

"We disavow the anti-Semitic literature, and the Democratic National Committee stands in absolute disagreement with and condemns the allegations," Dean said in a statement posted on the DNC Web site.

He's just mad he didn't think of it.

One witness, former intelligence analyst Ray McGovern, told Conyers and other House Democrats that the war was part of an effort to allow the United States and Israel to "dominate that part of the world," a statement Dean also condemned.

I imagine huge applause resulted from this comment. By the way, when is Dean going to apologize to pickup truck drivers?

Friday, June 17, 2005

Best Quote; Pick One

The last two months provided us some classic quotes. Its almost the weekend, so in an attempt to lighten the mood, I will list some of the best. Let me know which is your favorite, or if I have overlooked a juicy one.

"If I read this to you, and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags or some mad regime--Pol Pot or others--that had no concern for human beings," - Dick Durbin

On Bush: "I think this guy is a loser." - Harry Reid

"I don't know why we didn't learn from Abu Ghraib [prison in Iraq], but here we are in Guantanamo with many of the same things surfacing." - Dianne Feinstein

Of Republicans: "not very friendly to different kinds of people, they are a pretty monolithic party ... it's pretty much a white, Christian party…never made an honest living in their lives" - Howard Dean

"I always told my dad that D stood for distinction" - John Kerry

On Them: “They often say, well, they dealt with fake documents or fraudulent documents. Let's just say gently that that's not known. That's not a fact." - Dan Rather

"It's not just U.S. journalists either, by the way. They target and kill journalists from other countries, particularly Arab countries, at news services like Al Jazeera, for example. They actually target them and blow up their studios, with impunity. This is all part of the culture that it is OK to blame the individual journalists, and it just takes the heat off of these media conglomerates that are part of the problem." – Linda Foley

On Gitmo: "the gulag of our times." – Amnesty International

"I'm aware of the Amnesty International report and it's absurd, it's an absurd allegation. The United States is a country that promotes freedom around the world" – George Bush

"I really don't see this country having developed the plans to deal with China like I know China has developed the plans to deal with us" – Randy Forbes

Of Republicans: "Some honestly believe they are motivated by the truth; they are motivated by a higher calling; they are motivated by, I guess, a direct line to the heavens." – Hillary Clinton

“For months, photographs of tortured prisoners and inappropriate interrogation techniques have made headlines throughout the world. There is evidence that indicates that some of these practices were sanctioned at much higher levels in the Bush Administration than the punishments thus far imposed would suggest.” – Nancy Pelosi

“It is quite timely given the subject matter that we’re taking up. We have fresh evidence of the enormous, extraordinary power that even a single federal district judge has.” – Charles Cooper

"North Korea's testing of an atomic bomb would be "nuclear blackmail" and world leaders should get on the phone to dissuade Pyongyang from going ahead with it" - Mohamed ElBaradei

Have a great weekend. TS

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Another Reason to Secure the Southern Border

Look at what is going on just south of Texas.

Border Police Chief Only Latest Casualty In Mexico Drug War (Account Required, usually)

This week, federal troops and police took over the city (Nuevo Laredo) of 300,000 as the death toll reached 50 in an escalating drug war, and U.S. Ambassador Antonio O. Garza Jr. warned of a "rapidly degenerating situation along the border." The entire local police force was ordered off the streets after city officers engaged in a gun battle with federal investigative police Saturday that left one federal officer seriously wounded.

If terrorism isn’t enough of a reason to tighten up security, perhaps this is. If being overrun by illegal immigrants doesn't concern you, maybe Mexican killers will do the trick.

Mexican authorities this week disclosed for the first time that 90 soldiers had been killed in drug-related violence since President Vicente Fox took office in December 2000, vowing a "war without mercy" on Mexico's drug cartels.

When one can wade across the Rio Grande unhindered, how long before this spills over? Now that the United States is hosting 20,000 members of MS-13, perhaps it already has. These people aren't flying into Dulles.

In a recent interview, Fox likened Mexico's "explosion of organized crime killing" to the Al Capone era in Chicago. "Let's recall Chicago in the early '20s. I mean it took years to get rid of the mafias, it took years to get rid of organized crime,"

Does this mean Fox is going after them on tax evasion?

Federal officials said that frequently their enemies are not just the drug cartels, but local police who have been corrupted by drug money.

Very sad. If Fox can't take care of his own house, the United States should take more measures to protect itself.

He also called on U.S. authorities to help stop the flow of weapons into Mexico.

How about a trade, we stop weapons going south, you stop illegals and drugs coming north. Of course, we could stop all of it if our leaders had the motivation to do so.

He said much of the high-powered weaponry and other technology used by the drug cartels is smuggled in from the United States.

So, the United States is supplying the market and the firepower. Both terrorism and illegal immigration are easily reason enough to shut down the wide open southern border. But since neither of those issues are getting any movement, perhaps drug induced anarchy within walking distance of Texas will be. The United States could make huge strides in security, immigration and illegal drug use by simply taking control of its own territory. Sadly, no one in government is moving in that direction. It doesn’t matter if it’s the National Guard, citizen volunteers, or Border Patrol; we have the ability to control our border. Someone please step up to the plate.

In Sports:

Braves 5, Reds 2

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Senate Democrats Defend Terrorists

Senate Democrats today took up the cause for the enemy, right where Amnesty International, Time and Newsweek left off. Of course, these thugs are unlawful combatants who have no Geneva Convention rights, but that's beside the point. Arlen Specter made some mention of bed coverings, but did not quite make the leap that the Democrats made.

Congress Debates Rights of Gitmo Suspects

"It's a genuine crazy quilt to try to figure out where the due process rights lie," said Specter

Due process does not apply. In any case, due process will lead to execution for many of the 'detainees', so you aren't doing them any favors.

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Judiciary Committee's senior Democrat, called the detention center "an international embarrassment to our nation, to our ideals and it remains a festering threat to our security."

Let me get this straight; keeping the nastiest of the nasty behind bars is a threat to our security. Leahy is about to join Dean and Gore in the alternate universe. Is there some kind of hallucinogen in the water of Vermont?

He added: "This policy on detainees is clearly not working."

I think its working. That is unless someone escaped.

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., later asked for a timetable. "If there is no definition as to when the conflict ends, that means forever, forever, forever these folks get held at Guantanamo Bay," he said.

Well, considering that these victims are going to attempt to kill my family when they get out, I can live with 'forever'. I think now would be a good time to take a look at some of the Democrats new allies. Remember these guys?

Mustafa Al Hawsawi

al-Hawsawi assisted the hijackers from the United Arab Emirates.

He helped coordinate with Mohammed Atta, the ringleader of the operation, to bring the "muscle hijackers" into the United States in 2001.

He attempted to help bring the so-called "20th hijacker", Mohamed al-Kahtani, into the United States.

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed

"the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks."

helped finance his nephew Ramzi Yousef's World Trade Center bombing

As an al-Qaeda member he helped in the Bali nightclub bombings, the failed bombing of American Airlines Flight 63, the murder of Daniel Pearl, and other militant attacks.

Ramzi Binalshibh

a key al-Qaida member who helped in planning the September 11, 2001 attacks

The Hamburg cell member was refused an entry visa to the United States four times prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks, where he allegedly wanted to join the 19 hijackers. His friend, Zakariyah Essabar, was also denied visas.

shared a Hamburg apartment with Mohammed Atta

Abu Zubaydah

was the chief recruiter for al-Qaida

operated a popular terrorist training camp near the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan

became al-Qaeda's top military strategist following the death of Muhammad Atef

Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri

the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing

became the chief of operations for the Arabian Peninsula

organized the Limburg tanker bombing in 2002


Perhaps once he springs them, Leahy can pull some strings at the DNC for his new friends. They have pretty good credentials in fund raising and Dean could use the help.

In Sports:

DC United 4, Fire 3

Nats 1, Angels 0
Braves 5, Rangers 9

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Time Magazine Cashes In

I had a chance to listen to Michael Duffy on CSPAN today. Time is marketing its non-story about the abuse of the 20th Hijacker at Guantanamo Bay in an effort to sell magazines. The problem is that it is disguised as news. In case you are wondering who Michael Duffy is, he is the writer or co-writer who brought us such wonders as:

'How Well Did He Serve?'
Bush said he reported for duty in Alabama, but even with the new documents, the evidence is thin. TIME looks at four key questions…

‘Marching In Place: The Status Quo Presidency of George Bush’ (George H. W. Bush)

‘Cooling On Ashcroft’ and

‘Is Rumsfeld losing his mojo?’

Michael Duffy is also a co-writer of the Gitmo hit piece that Time published this week. I found him to be one of the most arrogant people I have ever listened to. But I digress. Back to the issue at hand.

Many times, when asked a question about his article, Duffy's reply would be something on the order of ‘Go read the article’. Once again, no major news outlets picked up where Time left off. CNN and AFP are the only ones to actually write a story about the story. It is mentioned at the bottom of a couple of articles highlighting a few left-of-center politicians who have taken it upon themselves to call for the closing of Gitmo. It seems their concern for terrorist’s discomfort outweighs any threat to the United States or its citizens. Let’s give Rupert Murdoch a link:

To Close or Not to Close Gitmo?

Why are some of our leaders worried about the image of a high security prison for terrorists? They aren't, but who can pass up a photo op. Most of the Muslim world is laughing at us. I suspect they can’t believe how weak minded we are. The only abuse going on is the abuse that we dish upon ourselves at the behest of agenda driven politicians and reporters.

Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said "Guantanamo has not made our country safer ... The stain of Guantanamo has become the primary recruiting tool for our enemies."

I believe they were recruiting fairly well prior to Gitmo. There are two or three missing buildings in New York as a result.

Obligatory Abu Ghraib reference incoming…

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said: "My personal feeling is that Guantanamo is just a sign of the problems we're having. From the time of Abu Ghraib this country has been embarrassed by many minds, humiliated ... and Guantanamo is just another series of problems that we have with the whole Iraq policy."

The biggest problem with our Iraq policy is left wing blowhards that are more concerned with political sound bytes than our country's safety. Someone please inform the Senator that Gitmo has nothing to do with our Iraq policy.

'…about 520 detainees are currently at Guantanamo. But of the 234 who have been released, about 12 of them have since gone back to the battlefield.'

There is a lot to be gained from the printing of the Time article. The Democrats get another ‘scandal’ to grandstand. Time Warner gains a boat load of money. Time Magazine gains the satisfaction that they have yet again stuck it to the US Military. The terrorists gain sympathy from the American left. The rest of the world gets a good laugh out of the whole thing. The only losers are the American people and the American soldiers in the field.

In Sports:

Nats 6, Angels 3
Braves 7, Rangers 2

Monday, June 13, 2005

CNN Marketing Time Magazine's Gitmo Story

Last night around midnight I ran across a story on CNN.com that really got my blood boiling (see yesterday's rant):

Time report fuels Guantanamo criticism

While exercising my morning ritual of internet perusal, it occurred to me that not one major news organization other than CNN was reporting on the new scandal out of Gitmo. It then occurred to me that I had made a dreadful mistake. You may recall (and if you don’t you can look down) that I titled my blog entry:

‘20th Hijacker 'Tortured' with Aguilera Music’

I promptly did a search of the article and found that the word ‘torture’ did not appear in it. The actions taken against Mohammed al-Qahtani were called ‘treatment’, ‘interrogations’, ‘interrogation techniques’ and ‘such things’, but never ‘torture’. Initially, I pondered how bad I would look if any of the fringe lefties that check out this site happened to notice my error. (fortunately, none did, so I am able to out myself unscathed)

I was in the midst of refining my defense, but a recurring theme continued making its way to the forefront of my thoughts. Why all the stir about Mr. al-Qahtani's 'treatment' if American actions weren’t torture? This line of thought continued for a few minutes until I happened to take a look at the baseball page on CNNSI. When I am stumped on something, I normally check out baseball and the answer comes to me. That's a trade secret, so consider yourselves special. As I was reading about Atlanta's humiliating loss last night, I was slapped by a rude dose of reality.

As a Braves fan I should have seen it sooner. If you look down to the far left corner of any CNN.com page, you will see the following:

‘A Time Warner Company’

Time Warner is using its news service, CNN, to market its 'less than a scandal' article that is coming out in a week. What better way to sell magazines. Pump up the 'scandal' in the news so that the story itself is a story. Make sure your news organ gives your magazine credit for the find. Get the left into a tizzy. Put up another article the next day with the Republican response. (Cheney: Guantanamo policy 'is the correct one') Then put the magazines on the shelves.

I have been an unwilling dupe. So have those Republicans who felt the need to turn on the administration over this ‘report’.

It then occurred to me that I had made another mistake. Time wasn’t covering for Newsweek. They were attempting to sell magazines at the expense of Newsweek. What a plan. Write an article similar to the Newsweek story, but make sure not to use a source that is anonymous or wrong. Granted, there isn’t much to the story, but its close enough to get all of the libs on board. Get your news arm to market it for you and voilà, big bucks.

Time Warner's actions are pathetic. Not only does Time go to bat for a would-be assassin of innocent Americans who was forced to listen to bad music, but they have to taint CNN by using them to promote their rag.

All of you nutty lefties who attack ‘big oil’ and Haliburton never say a word about ‘big media’. Time has shown that they are willing to sacrifice independent news to sell magazines. It may sound far fetched. But if I'm wrong, so what! I'm only following the current day standards for reporting conspiracies.

So remember, as you read your America bashing copy of Time, you are supporting an enterprise just as greedy and un-ethical as any in the country. Have a nice read.

Note: In anticipation of a question I am sure is going to be asked:

Yes, this does put the Braves on equal footing with the Nats in regards to who I will not support. Fortunately, it will be football season soon.

20th Hijacker 'Tortured' with Aguilera Music

It’s late and I’m in a bad mood, so I’m having a really difficult time getting the compassionate conservative in me to kick in. I found the following and was completely underwhelmed.

Time report fuels Guantanamo criticism

The U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay drew fresh criticism Sunday following a Time magazine report on a logbook tracing the treatment of a detainee who officials believe was intended to take part in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Here we go again. Time must be providing Newsweek some cover, as well as stumping for Howard Dean and giving the far lefties more non-news to be horrified by since 911 and the Iraq beheadings don’t seem to do it.

Time's report on the treatment received by Mohammed al-Qahtani prompted a quick defense from the Pentagon along with outrage from several members of Congress.

Oh don’t defend it. Admit it. The worst thing that I can tell happened to the guy was that he urinated on himself. My 2 year old does it on a daily basis.

...the Time article reports that daily interviews began at 4 a.m. and sometimes continued until midnight.

How awful! Wait until they hear that we are doing that to our own soldiers in boot camp! By the way, did I mention that he is “a detainee who officials believe was intended to take part in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.”

…interrogators began their sessions with al-Qahtani at midnight and awakened him with dripping water or Christina Aguilera music if he dozed off, the magazine article reported.

Well, if Christina Aguilera's music doesn’t make him break, nothing will. Just let him go. Oh yea, as a point of interest, he is “a detainee who officials believe was intended to take part in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.”

The magazine said the techniques approved by Rumsfeld included "standing for prolonged periods, isolation for as long as 30 days, removal of clothing, forced shaving of facial hair" and hanging "pictures of scantily clad women around his neck."

Sounds like the best 30 days of his life. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m having a really tough time reconciling all of this with the fact that he is “a detainee who officials believe was intended to take part in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.”

Here is the obligatory Abu Ghraib reference.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein…"I don't know why we didn't learn from Bagram," she added, referring to a U.S. base in Afghanistan. "I don't know why we didn't learn from Abu Ghraib [prison in Iraq], but here we are in Guantanamo with many of the same things surfacing."

It seems Ms. Feinstein is more concerned about “a detainee who officials believe was intended to take part in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks” than she is our own citizens.

Please forgive me for being so heartless. I will be back to my old soft pushover self tomorrow. I hope that you are all able to sleep tonight knowing that “a detainee who officials believe was intended to take part in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks” has been treated so harshly. Us evil Americans are at it again. Let’s close down Gitmo so that we can justify everything the lunatic left, the anti-American media and their radical Islamist allies spew forth. Goodnight.

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Howard Dean Learns Nothing

Towards the end of World War II, Nazi war planning staff were afraid to tell Hitler that most of his tank divisions had been destroyed. War planning continued as though those units were still on the map. Howard Dean continues to implement his war plan, not realizing his tanks are gone. I am pleased to see that not only does Howard Dean continue down the path to destruction, but that the majority of Democrats are willing to follow him off of that cliff.

Howard Dean Renews Attacks on Republicans


(Reuters)

Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Saturday that positive responses from key supporters have reinforced his determination to keep talking tough even though some congressional Democrats have suggested he should tone down his rhetoric.

It is clear that Howard Dean is living in the alternate universe with Al Gore.

"People want us to fight,"

Rock on brother!

"We are here to fight."

Committing political suicide is no way to win a fight, but thank you for the many gifts.

"We can use some of your passion," Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, told Dean at the Iowa fundraiser.

Well, it’s true that the Democrats could use some passion. Unfortunately for them, most of the passion resides in the lunatic wing of the party.

Over the past week, Dean described Republicans as "pretty much a white, Christian party" and said many in the GOP "never made an honest living."

I just can’t get enough of that line.

"The reason the Republicans are in trouble is because there are so many cases where they say one thing and do something else," Dean said.

As if anyone needs more proof that Dean is delusional. Someone please inform him that his party is not in the majority in either congressional chamber. You might also want to tell him that Bush can’t run for a third term. And finally, please let him know that his generals are lying to him, and his tanks have all been destroyed.

In Sports:
Nats 3, Mariners 2
10 in a Row!

Braves 5, As 11

DC United 0, Metrostars 0

Saturday, June 11, 2005

Some Relief For Africa

Something good happened yesterday.

G8 ministers back Africa debt deal

The Group of Eight (G8) ministers, meeting for a second day Saturday in London, backed a deal that calls for an immediate scrapping of 100 percent of the debt owed by 18 countries.

Those countries, many in sub-Saharan Africa, owe about $40 billion to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank.

Leaving $38 billion still out there for Africa.


The G8 ministers also said 20 other countries could be eligible for debt relief if they meet targets for good governance and tackling corruption -- bringing the total package to more than $55 billion.

Well, what the heck. Let's just clean the slate.


Hopes of an accord on debt relief were raised Friday with reports of an agreement between the United States and Britain on writing off debt owed by the 18 countries.

I hope some of the US bashers will actually say something nice for once. Tony Blair deserves a huge amount of credit. He's done more in a week for Africa than he was able to accomplish through the EU in 5 years.

The countries are Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Honduras, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

These listed countries have been in dire straits for quite a while. I truly hope that people's lives can be upgraded as a result of this decision.

The debts would be written off by the lenders in an effort to allow the debtor countries to start fresh, get their books in order and eventually be able to borrow again for economic development, health, education and social programs, rather than simply to repay existing loans.

This last part is the section that bothers me. Will we find ourselves in the same position in a few years? There had better be some serious oversight. Allowing these countries to run around like teenage girls at the mall with a platinum card will not serve anyone.

I support this decision and I am glad it has happened. You can’t expect to get blood from a stone, and when so many people’s lives are in the balance, it was just the right thing to do. However, it leads me to some other questions:

Will Bono thank anyone, including US and European tax payers?

Will the protests by the unwashed hoards continue at every G8, IMF and World Bank meeting, proving it’s a college fad and nothing more? Perhaps they can move on to pure America bashing now.

Will the industrialized countries continue making bad loans that turn into donations on the backs of taxpayers?

Can we just call it foreign aide in the future?

In Sports:

Nats 2, Mariners 1
9 in a row!

Braves 5, As 3

Friday, June 10, 2005

House Democrats Push Amnesty ‘gulag’ View

'The Republican chairman walked off with the gavel, leaving Democrats shouting into turned-off microphones at a raucous hearing Friday on the Patriot Act.'

GOP Chairman Walks Out of Meeting

I listened to the majority of this hearing. Democrats were not the least bit interested in discussing the Patriot Act. They used the opportunity to grandstand the Amnesty International position on Gitmo as a ‘gulag’.

‘Sensenbrenner declared that much of the testimony, which veered into debate over the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, was irrelevant.’

I can vouch for that. They had to toss in Abu Ghraib as well. The moral equivalence is amazing. Not one bit of outrage was expressed by the Dems over the various beheadings, or 911 itself. All of the Democrats anger is pointed at this country and none at the enemy. In fact, they see the enemy as victims. Its only a matter of time before they blame Bush for 911 itself.

‘Democrats asked for the hearing, the 11th the committee has held on the act since April, saying past hearings had been too slanted toward witnesses who supported the law. The four witnesses were from groups, including Amnesty International…’

It seems they are in agreement with Amnesty that American actions at Gitmo are the equivalent of a Soviet gulag. I was outraged last week over the Amnesty report which made this claim. Now that I have heard Representatives of my country make the same claim, it’s hard to do anything but laugh. Part of me is angry, but the other part is very happy that Democrats are following Howard Dean’s lead. Perhaps the whole filibuster issue will be dead following the 2006 elections as Democrats continue to bury themselves. I smell a Republican supermajority in the Senate.

'House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, in a statement, said the hearing was an example of Republican abuse of power and she would ask House Speaker Dennis Hastert to order an apology from Sensenbrenner.'

Let me get this straight. Democrats accuse our own military of torture in a House hearing and Pelosi wants an apology? Unbelievable! Democrats requested a hearing on the Patriot Act and scarcely brought it up. They continually berate President Bush over the act, but when given a chance to discuss it, they attempted to carry Amnesty International’s water. I don’t blame Sensenbrenner for walking out.

In Sports:

Nats 9, Mariners 3
Nats take 8th consecutive win.

Braves 4, As 6

Thursday, June 09, 2005

German TV Promotes Al Qaeda Position

It seems the Germans have run a plug for Al Qaeda. The only thing they left out was an insinuation that the Jews were actually in control. Otherwise, there is very little difference.

TV show depicts 9/11 as Bush plot (Account Required sometimes)

“A fictional crime drama based on the premise that the Bush administration ordered the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Washington aired this week on German state television”

With friends like these…

‘The woman, who says in the program that the September 11 attacks were instigated by the Bush family for oil and power, then is targeted, presumably to silence her.’

Who needs allies! I'm surprised they haven't blamed the US for World War II.

‘Sunday night's episode of "Tatort," a popular murder mystery that has been running on state-run ARD-German television for 35 years’

Sounds like a Michael Moore production.

‘As ludicrous as it may sound to most Americans, the tale has resonance in Germany, where fantastic conspiracy theories often are taken as fact.’

Actually, considering what our own press has been printing, I expect this theory will take off here before much longer.

‘31 percent of Germans younger than 30 "think that there is a certain possibility that the U.S. government ordered the attacks of 9/11."’

'ARD, and ARD-produced television shows, are funded by a monthly tax on German televisions. The network plays a role similar to the British Broadcasting Corp., or the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, which is nominally independent but funded by taxpayers.'

The German equivalent of the BBC or NPR is running sheer propaganda at our expense. I could expect it out of Saudi Arabia, but I never thought I would see it from a western ‘ally’.

'A German diplomat in Washington said no one in Germany took the plot seriously because it was "pure fiction."'

Perhaps he should relay that back to the home office. I don’t know why we consider the Germans or the French as ‘allies’. Considering their history and the fact that the 911 plotters originated their scheme in Hamburg, Germany is in no position to lecture the United States. Yet they can’t contain themselves. I get very tired hearing similar stories to this one over and over again.

Besides going out of their way to oppose us at every turn on the international front, German leaders bash us constantly to hide their own failings. This state funded propaganda is just the latest. The United States should oppose a UN Security Council seat for Germany at all costs. Not because of this stupid show, but because of the river of Anti Americanism and Anti Semitism spewing forth from the country. The last thing we need is another China or France with veto power.

In Sports:

Nats 4, As 3
Nats complete second sweep in a row.

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Mean Green Dean Machine

Democrats are distancing themselves from DNC Chairman Howard Dean due to several fanatical rants in the past week.



Dean Defends Criticism of Republican Party

"not very friendly to different kinds of people, they are a pretty monolithic party ... it's pretty much a white, Christian party."

"never made an honest living in their lives,"

The latest to bail on him is Bill Richardson.

"He's not the spokesman for the party. It's governors, it's senators, it's party leaders."

Joining him are Nancy Pelosi:

"I don't think that the statement the governor (Dean) made was a helpful statement"

and Joseph Biden:

"has views that are slightly different than mine”

"doesn't speak for me with that kind of rhetoric, and I don't think he speaks for the majority of Democrats"

and John Edwards:

"is not the spokesman for the party"

"a voice. I don't agree with it"

One might think Dean’s lunacy is a plot to make Hillary look normal. And maybe it was. But Hillary decided to spoil the surprise with her own drivel.

"Some honestly believe they are motivated by the truth; they are motivated by a higher calling; they are motivated by, I guess, a direct line to the heavens."

"There has never been an administration . . . in our history more intent upon consolidating and abusing power to further their own agenda"

There you go again, slapping all of us with that fanatical religious tag. It warms my heart to know that Democrats have learned absolutely nothing in the last 10 years. Anything that solidifies their position in the minority is fine with me. Bring on 2006.

In Sports:
Nats 7, As 2
Why can't Soros buy the Devil Rays?

Braves 4, Angels 8

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

John Kerry's Failures

Alright, so he didn't actually flunk. But John Kerry never really had a chance in the 2004 election. Bush had a better platform, better hair and, as it turns out, better grades. I hope this is the death of nuance.

Kerry, Bush had similar grades



‘Kerry had a cumulative average of 76 and got four Ds his freshman year -- in geology, two history courses and political science’

I could understand Calculus, but history? Twice?! And Political Science! I can barely contain myself.

'"I always told my dad that D stood for distinction," Kerry said in a written response to reporters' questions.'

I thought D stood for Dubya!

'Bush had a cumulative grade average of 77 his first three years at Yale.'

Bush supporters don’t need to gloat. Everyone can remember the election... Who am I kidding? Gloat away!

Speaking of dumb…

Judge wants to question U.S. troops on Iraq deaths

'A Spanish judge wants to question three U.S. soldiers as suspects in the death of a Spanish cameraman who was killed when a U.S. tank fired on a hotel housing foreign journalists during the 2003 assault on Baghdad.'

Anyone that can’t understand why the US should not join the International Criminal Court should be able to figure it out now.

'"It would be a very, very cold day in hell before that would ever happen," said a U.S. State Department official'

I would think Spain would keep their trap shut considering their own exit from the situation.

'The Spanish court would only have jurisdiction in the death of the Spanish citizen.'

They most certainly would not. I don’t know why Reuters would make such a statement. Then again, it is Reuters.

'The soldiers would be questioned as suspects for murder and for crimes against the international community, which carry sentences of 15 to 20 years in jail and 10 to 15 years respectively.'

'"I just cannot imagine how any U.S. soldier can be subject to some kind of foreign proceeding for criminal liability when he is in a tank in a war zone as part of an international coalition," the State Department official added.'

I cannot imagine how a former ally in the Second Gulf War could display such arrogance. Then again, when our own press continues to promote such ideas, it is difficult to be critical. Linda Foley, President of the Newspaper Guild, got a little more press today as the Boston Herald highlighted reporter and blogger Hiawatha Bray’s comments from a couple of days ago.

Globe blog guru raps guild prez, eyes post

His actual comments can be read here: Choose Honor

The remainder of the press failed to extract their heads from the sand today.

In Sports:

Nats 2, As 1
Braves 3, Angels 2
Nats remain in first place.

Monday, June 06, 2005

Tag...Apologize in Advance

I’ve been tagged by Sailor in the Desert. I have to answer these questions and turn it around to five more.

(1) Number of books you own: 1,000, Maybe more.

(2) Last book bought: In Harm's Way. An account of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis by Douglas Stanton

(3) Last book I read: Not counting software books, Schindler’s List. Someone left it out for the taking, so I took it.

(4) Five books that mean a lot to me: In no particular order

Still Life with Woodpecker (I like Tom Robbins, Who’da thunk it?)

1984

Lord of the Flies

The Stand – I still have bad dreams about Flagg, 20 years later.

December 6 (Yes, that’s the title) – Martin Cruz Smith

Tag, you’re it.

Birth of a Neocon

Boston Crone’s Haven

Outside the Blogway

Righting America

Noble Savage

I hope you guys continue to visit despite this.

Silence is Golden

Some People never learn. The following quotes were made within the last month. Bill Clinton has the most intelligent thing to say in this list. I threw in Henry Hyde in an effort to be bi-partisan.

"Republicans, I guess, can do that because a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives." Howard Dean

I wonder what this will do for fundraising.

“They often say, well, they dealt with fake documents or fraudulent documents. Let's just say gently that that's not known. That's not a fact." Dan Rather

Let it go, Dan.

"My son, Nick, is in law school, and he'll owe $100,000 by the time he graduates" Joan Felt

My heart bleeds for you.

"Where are the investigative reporters today? Why aren't they asking the hard questions? It's shocking when you see how easily they fold in the media today. They don't stand their ground. If they're criticized by the White House, they just fall apart.” Hillary Clinton

I think they are still on Watergate. You should probably stay away from them.

"We are witnessing a collision between our civilization and the earth, a transformation of the relationship between our species and the planet," Al Gore

Huh? No more Sci Fi for you!

"You have voted no in a majority, it's your sovereign decision of which I have taken note," Jacques Chirac

How generous.

"Democrats have solutions to create millions of new jobs, spur innovation, and invest in America to advance economic security for all of America's families." Nancy Pelosi

Please fill us in, though it would have been more effective prior to the election.

"If Mark Felt really is Deep Throat, all we can say is: Oh. Him. Um, now what do we do?" Joel Achenbach

Perhaps a story on Linda Foley?!

"I myself am a 992-month old embryo." Henry Hyde

I think induced labor is in order.

“the key is giving the Iraqis the capacity and the will to defend themselves, and making sure they have, in that defense, the capacity to build a modern economy so people can look forward to something positive when they get up in the morning.” Bill Clinton

Very true. How bout let your party in on it.