Democrats Defined

With 100 votes counted in our poll which asks:

Which is your favorite slogan from the left?

Howard Dean’s primal scream takes the contest easily with 43 votes.

I put this poll up as a goof to make a little fun of the Democrats, but it occurs to me that I have inadvertently defined the entire Democratic platform, and thus, the reason that they continue to lose elections.

Turn Back the Clock (Abortion)

Tax Cuts for the Rich (Class envy)
Two Americas (Class envy)

Politics of Personal Destruction (Clinton wasn’t that bad)

Bush Lied (But Bush is really bad)

Every Vote Counts (Bush is so bad that he cheated!...Twice!!)

Yeeaaahh (We've got spirit, yes we do, we've got spirit, how bout you!)

The Democratic ideals can be found in their rhetoric, though you have to read into it. They know that, for the most part, they cannot just tell us what they really want, as they will lose by even greater margins. I can think of nothing that the Democratic Party now stands for beyond the phrases listed above.

I will leave the poll up for a while, but it looks like Howard Dean will run away with it easy. I can promise that, at least on TSW, every vote counts.

Disclaimer: I know I said I would leave town, and I will. But as a blogging addict, I had to get one last post in first. See you next week.

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War, Peace, Sharks and Vacation

The entire main stream media, minus those right wing fanatics at Fox, continue to ignore the Able Danger scandal.

Third Source Backs 'Able Danger' Claims About Atta

A third person has now come forward to verify claims made by a military intelligence unit that a year before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, it had information showing that lead hijacker Mohamed Atta and other terrorists were identified as being in the United States.

"This story needs to be told. The American people need to be told what could have been done to prevent 3,000 people from losing their lives," Weldon told FOX News this week.

Weldon added that at least five people on the federal payroll will testify under oath about the validity of the Able Danger intelligence.

"When this is over, the Sept. 11 commission is going to have egg all over their face," he said.

There are a few other stories about recriminations within the CIA over 9/11 failures, but none mention Able Danger. George Tenet may have to fall on his sword it seems. In the mean time, the non-story of Cindy Sheehan dominates the main stream tabloid media.

Sheehan resumes protest vigil

Sheehan Plans Anti-War Bus Tour

Standoff Continues in Crawford

Dragging this further into the gutter is Al Sharpton, who is going to join the love fest with Joe Wilson and Joan Baez. The only thing that might make this worse would be for one of the Baldwins to chime in.

I missed this shark attack as it was originally reported four days prior to the beginning of my shark drama documentation efforts. For the purposes of this blog, we will refer to this as Shark Attack #2.

12-Year-Old Tells of Escape From Shark

I saw a wreck on I-95 north yesterday that was more dramatic than this. In any case, I will be off looking for sharks for the next 5 days near the coast. It is a rare event, as documented yesterday, where I might find one in DC, so I am heading to greener pastures. In any case, hold down the fort you extremists as I shall re-enter the fray next week. Peace. War. Victory!

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The 'Anti-Victory' Express Heads to DC

The Cindy Sheehan sponsored protest against the President’s vacation is preparing to go on the road.

Cindy Sheehan planning anti-war bus tour

A fallen soldier's mother said Thursday that the anti-war vigil she started nearly three weeks ago near President Bush's ranch won't end when she and other protesters pack up their camp next week.

This is very good news for the President. Sympathy for Ms. Sheehan has worn off for most of us. The greater the number of fanatical moonbats paraded on TV, the better for Republicans. I doubt many Americans are rooting for our defeat in Iraq, and that is exactly what these people are proposing.

"I am not alone," she said at a news conference Thursday.

I wonder if the Joe Wilson/Joan Baez duet will make the trip.

"I absolutely think it's worthwhile because we've galvanized the peace movement," she said. "We've started people talking about the war again."

Yes, no one was talking about it prior to Cindy Sheehan. Wake up! All we have heard for two years has been the war. Cindy Sheehan is obviously self-absorbed and enjoying her own celebrity. And it is not the ‘Peace Movement’. It is the Defeat Movement. A true peace movement would be advocating victory, for that is the only way that peace will be achieved.

In other non-news:

Shark Attack #1 continues to make the ‘news’.

Man Said to Fight Off Shark Before Dying

A marine biologist killed in a shark attack had calmly fought off the predator before it returned and pulled him deep into the water, his diving partner said Thursday.

I find it amazing how some deaths are simply considered more sexy by the media than others. War and shark attacks get the nod. One only needs to compare Iraq vs Tsunami coverage to see it. Traffic accidents and heart attacks get completely ignored. I suppose that if the media could have blamed the Tsunami on Bush, we would still be hearing about it. They tried, as I recall, but since no one bit, they let it go.

I happened to find the AP article from a couple of months ago that set the table for this year’s shark drama.

Expect summer shark attacks, experts say

Shark attacks increase in the summer when the large predators swim closer to shore and tourists flock to the water, ...according to a trio of shark scholars.

Okay, I’m no shark scholar, but I think I could have figured out that shark attacks increase when people are in the water. There are exceptions, of course…



I think I'm showing my age.

Update: 11:15 pm

It gets worse. We now have the Cindy Sheehan of Shark Attacks!

Don't hunt shark, say missing diver's parents

"Jarrod was doing exactly what he wanted to do. He loved the sea, loved anything to do with water, boats, and helping out other people," Stehbens' distraught father David said.

I expect a protest camp to be set up in Canberra within the week calling for peace in the ongoing campaign against the sharks.

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Shark Attack #1

Hide the women and children, the sharks attacks are back! I've think I'll start documenting these stupid shark stories. Consider this Shark Attack #1.

Shark attacks research diver

Two summers ago, when there were no Karl Rove scandals to be found, shark attacks took over the MSM. It turned out that, after the numbers where in, shark attacks were at about the same level they had always been. The media created a story out of thin air. I have noticed a few of these this summer and they irritate me to no end. I think I will begin documenting them.

Here is a some good background to kick this off with:

ISAF 2003 Worldwide Shark Attack Summary

The site talks of the rise in shark attacks, and then goes on to make the exact opposite point.

The yearly total of 55 unprovoked attacks was lower than the 63 unprovoked attacks recorded in the year 2002, 68 recorded in 2001, and 79 reported in 2000. Despite the recent declines, the number of unprovoked shark attacks has grown at a steady rate over the past century. Overall, the 1990's had the highest attack total (514) of any decade, and the 2000-2003 totals continue that upward trend.

If you happen to run across any of these stories that are current, please let me know. I will be on vacation next week. I'll report any shark sightings as soon as I get back.
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She's Back

Cindy Sheehan returned to Crawford Texas today to continue her roadside protest against President Bush’s vacation.

Peace Mom' Returns to Texas War Protest

"This is where I belong, until Aug. 31, like I told the president," Sheehan said at the airport before driving about 20 miles to the Crawford site.

That’s only a week away. And I thought this was going to be something substantial. To make this more interesting, we now have converging anti-Bush movements.

Among those defending Sheehan are former U.S. ambassador Joseph Wilson, who believes that his wife's identity as an undercover CIA operative was leaked in retaliation for his criticism of the Bush administration in a 2002 New York Times op-ed piece.

I will give Ms. Sheehan this much. Though she is misguided, at least she has a legitimate reason to be upset. In contrast, Joe Wilson was prompted only by partisanship to abuse his own position, as well as that of his wife, to write a taxpayer funded hatchet piece on George Bush in the run up to the 2004 election campaign.

"The Bush White House and its right-wing allies are responding to Cindy Sheehan and the military families' vigil in central Texas in the same way that they always respond to bad news by unleashing personal attacks and smears against her," Wilson said in a statement released Wednesday.

It could not be more clear that Wilson was nothing more than a political hack that succeeded in flying low enough under the radar to get a CIA funded trip. I suspect that Wilson and Sheehan do have one thing in common. I am willing to wager that both eventually write a book.

As far as Bush and his ‘right-wing allies’ go, all I have heard out of the White House has been a few comments stating that he does not agree with Sheehan. First Joan Baez, now Joe Wilson. Strike up the band.

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JP Morgan Chase Solicits 'Palestinian Bomber'

I was just about to go to bed when I ran across the following:

Credit Card Letter Addressed 'Dear Palestinian Bomber'

Disclaimer: I do not support offensive material to anyone whatsoever, unless it is an American Indian sports mascot. The following is a slap at ABC News. I find it hilarious that this made their website. Some of the details are pretty funny too.

Officials at JP Morgan Chase have apologized and promised to improve their screening policies, after a credit card solicitation letter sent to a 54-year-old naturalized American citizen came addressed to "Palestinian Bomber."

Habbas is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Palestinian heritage.

Someone pulled a nasty joke on you my friend.

…he has lived in the United States for 51 years and also served in the U.S. Army, receiving an honorable discharge in 1969.

Sounds like a decent guy to me.

Habbas was even more shocked when, on several occasions, he said he called an 800-number for JP Morgan Chase and spoke to operators in an effort to complain. Each time, he says the operators called up his information on a computer but apparently didn't catch on. According to Habbas, "The operators always said, 'Yes, Mr. Palestinian Bomber, how can we help you?' "

Alright, something is definitely flawed, and I would have complained too. But upon hearing that greeting, I think I might have been floored with laughter.

CAIR denounced the Chase letter as "racist" and asked JP Morgan Chase to launch an investigation, conduct sensitivity training and issue a formal apology to Habbas.

Well, I was with him until the foremost American terrorism apologist group got involved. I don’t know about the sensitivity training, but the rest seems reasonable. Sensitivity training punishes everyone who had nothing to do with it, and probably creates more hostility towards the victim than any kind of 'sensitivity'. The very word 'sensitivity' sets me off these days. I would prefer that they just call it 'collective punishment for someone's royal screw up'. At least that would be honest.

The incident comes on the heels of last week's announcement by Comcast that two customer service representatives in Chicago were fired after they changed a woman's name to "Bitch Dog" on her bill. She had repeatedly complained about bad service.

Three Cheers for automation!

What is most pathetic is that ABC sees an offensive computer glitch and bad oversight as news. I thought I was reading the Onion at first. It was certainly worth a laugh.

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Light or Late Tuesday

The NCAA has backed off a little on their idiotic ruling on American Indian mascots in collegiate sport.

Seminole decision

The NCAA will allow Florida State to use its Seminoles nickname in postseason play, removing the school from a list of colleges with American Indian nicknames that were restricted by an NCAA decision earlier this month.

Gracious of them.

"Seminoles," was defined as "hostile and abusive" by a committee.

If they think that’s hostile and abusive, they must not attend many southern football games.

"The staff review committee noted the unique relationship between the university and the Seminole Tribe of Florida as a significant factor,"

Another factor was a recognition that members of the committee were oversensitive PC academics with too much time on their hands.

"I don't think anything has brought them together quite as much as this," said Wetherell. "Whether you're a Gator, Hurricane or Bulldog, those entities believe it's a Florida decision."

When did Florida annex Athens? Jeb Bush must be happy.

"When you make a mistake it's important to realize it and move on," Bush said. "They came to the right conclusion ... the Seminole mascot and the tradition at Florida State, is not offensive to anyone."

Except the NCAA

"The NCAA remains committed to ensuring an atmosphere of respect and sensitivity for all who participate in and attend our championships"

That’s all we need…sensitivity in football. How long before they ban tackling?

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Nothing Beats a Good Old Fashioned Protest

The wacko left’s nostalgia for Vietnam continues to grow as former activists join ‘Camp Casey’ in Crawford, Texas.

Folk Singer Supports Anti-War Protesters

Joan Baez was against the Vietnam War and she showed it — appearing at marches, once even blocking the entrance of a military induction center.

Baez took to the stage for about 500 people on an acre lot offered by a landowner who opposes the war, performing such classic peace anthems as "Song of Peace," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."

All we are saaaaayinnggg…

"In the first march I went to (opposing Vietnam) there were 10 of us. This is huge," Baez told the relatives of fallen soldiers before performing just up the road from the ranch.

…is give peace a chaaance.

For Baez, an anti-war movement was inevitable.

"It was the final tear for the overflow and you can't stop running water," she said. "Cindy's was the final tear."

I hope they bathe this time around.

Downtown, more Bush supporters arrived at a pro-Bush camp that had been set up as a reaction to Sheehan's. As of Sunday afternoon, more than 150 people had visited the large tent with "God Bless Our President!" and "God Bless Our Troops" banners and a life-size cardboard cutout of Bush.

Babykillers!

Sheehan's 24-year-old son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, also died last year in Iraq. He is among more than 1,800 U.S. soldiers killed since the March 2003 invasion.

Approximately 3,000 Americans died in automobile accidents again last month.

Sheehan, of Vacaville, Calif., started the anti-war demonstration on Aug. 6 and vowed to remain until Bush agreed to meet with her or until his monthlong vacation ends Sept. 3. She flew to Los Angeles last week after her 74-year-old mother had a stroke but is expected to return to Texas in a few days.

In all honesty, I hope her mother is alright. I give it about a 50/50 chance that she actually returns.

This is turning into ‘The Big Chill’ meets Jane Fonda. I must admit, it is slightly entertaining. It seems the baby boomers are coming out of the woodwork to relive the grand days of protest. Even Mick Jagger is writing protest songs.

In any case, Ms. Baez’s appearance on the scene made me a bit curious. So I went googling and found 'The Joan Baez Web Pages'. A check of the ‘Latest News’ reveals some interesting information. It seems Joan may have an ulterior motive.

September 6, 2005 is the release date for Joan's new live CD, BOWERY SONGS.

Well what do ya know? No wonder this relic is suddenly putting herself in the paper. The site is slower than Blogger.com and is down about 50% of the time.

Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya….

This just in:

nygirl makes my point on media bias better than I can.

Check it out: Blogging

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Hunter S. Thompson Cannonized

Hunter S. Thompson's ashes were fired out of cannon last night. Not even Chuck Hagel's opining about Vietnam can top that.

Friends gather for Thompson's fireworks farewell


(AP)

Make sure you catch the video. It is linked about halfway down the page.

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My Response to the Response

Good morning. I'm former Sen. Max Cleland.

I’m not Max Cleland.

Democrats' Radio Response

My fellow Americans, my friends, I'm a veteran of the Vietnam War. Having left three limbs on that battlefield, I've seen the toll that war can take on our troops and on our country.

Are you running for president or something?

We are now engaged in another war — a war in Iraq. However, the Bush administration's plan for victory is not working. There is no strategy to win.

Well, which is it? Is the plan not working or is there no plan?

The president disregarded the advice of top military brass who said that at least 500,000 troops were needed to secure Iraq.

Then why is your party pushing to pull out rather than send an additional 400,000?

The president committed only one-fifth of that force to the war. Consequently, our military is completely overextended.

Still confused here. How can you whine about the force level in Iraq and in the next breath complain that we are over-extended?

Many servicemen and women are returning to Iraq for their third tour. The all-volunteer force is suffering — not only in the active forces, but also in the Guard and Reserves.

Well, it is a war. Are you calling for a draft?

Iraq is still not secure and we don't have the forces there to make it secure.

So we are back to the raise the force levels position.

Furthermore, Usama bin Laden and his terrorist cadre who did attack our country on Sept. 11, 2001, are still on the loose.

No doubt hidden out of fear of our torture chambers at Gitmo.

We are running out of time. We need a strategy to win in Iraq or an exit strategy to leave.

Still confounded I see. We are not running out of time. The only ones with a time-table are those know-it-alls in the Democratic Party.

The present course will lead us to disaster.

When did we become such defeatists?

More of the same just means more precious blood spilled in the desert.

True, death at the current level has not been seen since last months traffic fatality numbers came out. Let's see. 1800 deaths divided by three years is about 600 deaths a year. Where is the outrage at Ford and GM, considering that we suffer 40,000 non-combatant highway deaths annually?

The war is well into its third year. Early on, the president said 'Mission accomplished and major combat over.' This judgment was wrong. Major combat is not over. The cost has been extremely bloody for this nation.

Like I said, about a months worth of traffic accidents.

Almost 2,000 servicemen and women are dead. More than 15,000 have been wounded. A quarter of a million American servicemen and women have returned to our country to face an uncertain future.

Why? Did we kick them out of the military?

They bring with them the horrors and pain of a war with no end.

Who said it wouldn't end? When did we lose so much spine?

The result of this war has left a multitude of military families looking to their government for help. Yet, the administration's budget for them is woefully inadequate. At least $3.5 billion dollars more is needed. We should be expanding VA healthcare — especially counseling for veterans and their families dealing with the emotional aftermath of war.

They aren’t the only ones that need counseling.

The toll on the serviceman and women in a war where a distinct majority of the casualties are due to explosive devices is especially devastating.

It's much easier to be shot or blown up by a tank shell.

The Bush administration needs to step up the plate. It's time to face the truth. It's time for a strategy to win in Iraq or a strategy to get out.

Still can’t make up our minds can we?

I learned in Vietnam…

Jeez, more Vietnam.

…that the best way to support out troops is to either give them the forces and equipment needed to win or bring them home so we can care for those who have borne the battle.

Well, sending more troops might in fact help the cause, but it would also lead to more casualties, which would lead to more crooning from you.

I'm Max Cleland. Thanks for listening.

Doesn’t a government official usually make the response for the opposition party?

Thanks for reading.

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Some Allies Lose Handouts for Supporting ICC

It seems that some allies are offended by America's efforts to insulate herself from the ICC. What is it that they are upset about? The fact that the United States does not consider the UN to be loftier than its own constitution?...No. That the United States will not support the court?...No. The fact that these countries are losing funds they feel they are entitled to?...You got it!

Bush's Aid Cuts on Court Issue Roil Neighbors (Account Required)

The United States has since cut aid to some two dozen nations that refused to sign immunity agreements that American officials say are intended to protect American soldiers and policy makers from politically motivated prosecutions.

…the cuts are generating strong resentment at what many see as heavy-handed diplomacy, officials and diplomats in seven countries said.

In testimony before Congress in March, Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, the commander of American military forces in Latin America, said the sanctions had excluded Latin American officers from American training programs and could allow China, which has been seeking military ties to Latin America, to fill the void.

Pay up, or we’ll cozy up to the ChiComms! Nice. If that's not extortion, I don't know what is.

Most of the penalties, outlined in a law that went into effect in 2003, have been in the form of cuts in military training and other security aid. But a budget bill passed in December also permits new cuts in social and health-care programs, like AIDS education and peacekeeping, refugee assistance and judicial reforms.

In an outburst, in June, President Alfredo Palacio of Ecuador told a Quito television station that he would not yield to Washington. "Absolutely no one is going to make me cower," he said. "Neither the government, nor Alfredo Palacio nor the Ecuadorean people need to be afraid."

Then you don’t need to be paid either. Quit whining.

Others, like Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch, acknowledge that there are countries that may want to use the court "as a political battering ram."

I only note this because Human Rights Watch seems to be supporting Bush on the issue. Who would have guessed it?

It's a contradictory policy and it's ungrateful," said Luis Hernández, a retired Ecuadorean Army colonel who was educated at the United States Army War College.

Ungrateful for what? Does America owe something to Ecuador? That’s pretty bold from a colonel who received a free education in America.

"We will not change our principles for any amount of money," said Michael I. King, the Barbados ambassador to the Organization of American States.

That works for me. Let’s put that money back into America.

Until the United States amends the Constitution to state that the ICC is the law of the land and may trump American courts, it should be opposed vigorously. It must be opposed vigorously. What is interesting here is the way that some countries see US aid as an entitlement. On the one hand they poke a stick in our eye. On the other, they get offended when their un-earned military training and cash are cut off.

The day that the United States subordinates itself to the corrupt UN is the day that we should just abandon the Constitution altogether. If our ‘allies’ feel a need to subject themselves to a kangaroo court in the Hague, that is their business. Their outrage at the loss of funding shows how they want it both ways. No can do.

The Bush administration should, however, be consistent. Cut them all off, not just the easy ones.

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Media Burying Able Danger Scandal

Early in 2001, a high ranking Justice Department official disseminated a memo creating a barrier between those agencies charged with investigating criminals and those searching for foreign intelligence. The goal was to protect the civil liberties of foreign born residents, whether they were associated with terrorism or not. A special forces operation uncovered a terrorist cell and thought it appropriate that the cell be taken out, but that non-legal barrier kept them from sharing that information with the FBI. Members of that terrorist cell, some of which were identified by name, were among the 19 hijackers that flew passenger jets into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing approximately 3000 Americans and launching the United States into a war in Afghanistan. That same high ranking Justice Department official then served on an 'independent' commission charged with an investigation of the terrorist attacks on America. More specifically, they were supposed to find out what went wrong in the defense of the country. That commission omitted any reference to the special forces operation which could have saved America from the worst foreign attack on its home soil in 185 years.

The above paragraph is not true. If it were, the main stream media would be climbing all over itself to destroy President Bush. A true scandal, the likes of which have not been seen since Karl Rove…I mean the Watergate scandal, would have unfolded. Shame on the partisan American press for burying perhaps the nastiest scandal in American history on the back pages of their publications. That’s what happens when the 'wrong' president is in office at the time of the offense.

Had the Bush administration been in office, we would have full fledged media warfare on our hands. As it stands, we have nothing but some frustrated ‘right wing’ bloggers moaning about the affair.

Pentagon Investigates Able Danger Work

The Sept. 11 commission failed to pursue information that a secret military unit had identified two cells involved in the 2001 terrorist strikes more than a year before the attacks, an Army intelligence officer contends.

I realize that the readers on this site are fairly well informed and already know the story. The story itself is maddening. The lack of attention it is receiving is depressing.

Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer said that in January 2004, the commission declined to take up his offer of assistance.

"I just walked away shocked that they would kind of change their mind, but I figured someone with equal or better knowledge ... probably came and talked to them, so they must've taken care of it,"

Negative Colonel. It didn’t fit the template. Jamie Gorelick was on that panel. Whether that has anything to do with this or not no longer matters. The Commission was tainted. It was a colossal waste of taxpayer funding.

A statement Friday by former commission chairman Thomas Kean and vice chairman Lee Hamilton said the commission did not obtain enough information on the operation to consider it historically significant.

I smell a cover-up. Where are Woodward and Bernstien when you need them!

Shaffer said Able Danger identified Atta and three other Sept. 11 hijackers in 2000. But, he said, military lawyers stopped the unit from sharing the information with the FBI out of concerns about the legality of gathering and sharing information on people in the U.S.

And that is all that anyone really needs to know. We have endured four full years of Democrats blaming Bush for 9/11. We already knew that Clinton let Osama go. We now know that he and his subordinates let Atta and the gang escape as well. Anyone who still doesn’t believe that Democrats make us weaker is living in a dream world.

Where are you MSM? We need you now.

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Post Drops Support For Troops and 9/11 Victims

The Washington Post finally has succumbed to anti American activists by pulling out of the Freedom Walk, which is sponsored by the Department of Defense.

Post Pulls Out Of Pentagon Event

The Washington Post is withdrawing its offer of free advertising for an organized event by the Defense Department to memorialize the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the newspaper announced.

The Post backed out of the agreement after critics said the event, scheduled to take place four years after the attacks that hit New York and Washington and resulted in the crash of a commercial airliner over western Pennsylvania, would have a pro-war slant and that support of the event by the newspaper would compromise the Post's journalistic integrity.

"The Post has a code of conduct that says employees should avoid a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest," said Rick Ehrmann, a Local representative for the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild. "In this case The Post was sponsoring the Pentagon's Freedom Walk, which ties the attack on Sept. 11 to the Iraq war, and of course, The Post's reporters have proven ... that there is no connection between the two, that that link is false."

First of all, the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild is the local chapter of the Newspaper Guild. That organization is headed by Linda Foley, who famously said:

"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."

If the Post really wanted to avoid the notion that they are political (which we know is a joke) they would disassociate themselves from that organization altogether.

Secondly, according to the Department of Defense, the purpose of the walk is “to honor the victims of 9/11 and America's military personnel, as well as to celebrate freedom.”

It just so happens that the building that was attacked houses the organization that is administering the War in Iraq. Is the Post in agreement with the fringe left that DoD is a Republican organization, and therefore does not deserve its support? That department defends all of us, no matter what political stripes we wear or who is Commander in Chief. And if it is a political organization, would it matter? If a plane had flown into DNC headquarters, would it have been wrong to comemmorate the event?

Now, whether you support the war in Iraq or not, those troops are, in fact, American Troops. Some of them happen to be in Iraq. Does that fact mean that they do not deserve the support that would have otherwise been given to them? Have we become so blind to politics that we can’t make the simplest of patriotic gestures without getting caught up in the political bloodletting?

And need I remind the powers that be at the Post that many of their readers are in that very same military that they are so quick to abandon? I suspect some of those that died in the Pentagon read the Post on a daily basis. But let a fringe left anti-Bush group accuse the Post of taking sides, and they run. And what logic is this action based upon?

Critics of media support for the event also pointed to the free concert by Clint Black that is to take place at the end of the march route. Black's Web site features lyrics to his song entitled "I Raq and I Roll," including "Our troops take out the garbage/ for the good old U.S.A."

Because a singer at the end of the event supports the War in Iraq, which, I will remind you again, happens to be where some of those troops that are being supported reside at the moment. Would the Post have pulled out if the Dixie Chicks had headlined the event? Not a chance. I'm trying to imagine a 'support the troops' event during wartime where we were not allowed to mention that same war in a way that might have insinuated that we wanted to win it.

As a community newspaper (which for those of us in the DC area, the Post qualifies) it is sad that the Washington Post has taken the side of extreme left wingers at the expense of our troops. The Post has been a liberal rag for quite a while, but I can’t believe that they would pull their support for an event to commemorate the greatest tragedy of the city since the War of 1812.

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Light or Late Tuesday

This time it's late and I've had one of those days. My mind works a little differently under such conditions, so excuse the following.

In view of the current gas price explosion, it only seemed appropriate to propose an alternative fuel.

Scientists develop pee-powered battery

Scientists have developed a way to turn pee into electricity. And there's plenty where that came from, they point out.

Cheap, disposable, and renewable, urine-powered batteries may be the perfect power source for disposable healthcare test kits called biochips, the researchers say.

"Our battery can be easily integrated into such devices, supplying electricity upon contact with biofluids such as urine."

Lee and his team of researchers at Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have tackled this problem by using the very substance being tested — urine — to power the test.

Lee and his team also found that they could alter the battery's performance — voltage, power, or duration — by adjusting the design or materials.

As this technology is in it's infancy, why not dream? Imagine a line running straight from the sewers to the pump. Talk about a renewable energy resource. Who wouldn't love to see the Saudis knocked off of their high horse by pee. Today the biochip, tomorrow the auto! And who says I'm not forward thinking.

No more running out of gas. Just pull over and...alright, I'll let it go. Goodnight.

In Sports:

Rain

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German Chancellor Lectures Bush...Again

Thanks for watching our backs Gerry.

Germany attacks US on Iran threat

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has warned the US to back away from the possibility of military action against Iran over its nuclear programme.

Or what, you’ll invade Poland?

His comments come a day after President Bush reiterated that force remained an option but only as a last resort.

Force is always an option. He said ‘last resort’. That’s fairly benign for Bush. Relax. No one would expect Germany to lift a finger to help anyway.

Germany, France and the UK have led efforts to end the crisis peacefully.

To which Iran and the mad mullahs have been silently laughing their heads off. One must wonder how much it will cost in bribes for the Europeans to succeed.

Mr Schroeder's rejection of force came at the official launch of his party's election campaign.

And there you have it, the old tried and true German campaign strategy. Bash America.

"Let's take the military option off the table. We have seen it doesn't work," Mr Schroeder told Social Democrats at the rally in Hanover, to rapturous applause from the crowd.

It seems to have worked to me. Last time I checked, Saddam was dodging the paparazzi in his tighty whities. At what point would the Germans concede that force might be needed? Would it take a nucular tipped SRBM landing in Tel Aviv to do it?

"This is why I can with certainty exclude any participation by the German government under my direction," Mr Schroeder tells the paper.

Which is already a forgone conclusion.

The UN's atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, backed a resolution this week expressing "serious concern" at the resumption of the nuclear programme, and demanding it be halted again at once.

I can feel the Ayatollah quaking in his sandals. If 'serious concern' doesn't do the trick, they may have to resort to righteous indignation.

Mr Schroeder is lagging well behind his conservative rivals in the German election campaign, but has been narrowing the gap in recent days.

It’s too bad that Schroeder took the ‘improve the German economy’ option ‘off the table’ as an election strategy. I wonder if the Germans will wise up this time. I doubt it.

In Sports:

Nats 6, phillies 3

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The NCAA and the Sniveling Wimps

Fallout from the NCAA decision to ban American Indian mascots continues. I personally have given up. If Native Indians want to be written out of American popular culture, so be it. I suspect that they will one day regret their thin skins. Michael Ventre says it better than I can.

NCAA more offensive than school nicknames

Braves, Indians, Seminoles, even Warriors, are groups of individuals who represent a fighting spirit, determination, perseverance, strength and courage.

As a lifelong Atlanta Braves fan, I concur.

That’s why schools and pro teams call themselves those names. That’s why they don’t call themselves the “Sniveling Wimps” or the “Thieving Rats.”

Sniveling Wimps might be a good term for the holier than thou crowd at the NCAA.

Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, Native American culture has almost faded from view.

Unfortunately, the one perception that is thriving when it comes to Native Americans is the Indian gaming business.

And no one seems to be offended by that.

If the NCAA and others are successful in replacing any Native American references in sports with benign substitutes, they will further push that culture and its rich history from the national consciousness.

And if the descendants of the first Americans want to do this to themselves, go for it. I am tired of being angry over this issue. Write them out of everything but the history books. Change the town names, river names, sports teams and everything else associated with American Indian heritage that could be deemed hostile or offensive to someone. Suck up to the minority view so as to water down the whole environment.

When there are no such cultural reminders, that segment of society is in greater danger of being forgotten.

Oh well. PC has done quite a bit of damage across the country. What's one more victim.

The NCAA is not so outraged and offended by the Native American nicknames and mascots that it is willing to fight to impose an all-out ban on all their member schools in all sports — and therefore turn down all merchandising revenue that flows in from selling jerseys and other items with Seminoles and Warriors on them.

Tradition means nothing to the pencil pushers, but cash certainly does.

The NCAA is once again hypocritical, on one hand trying to stake out the moral high ground by trumpeting a politically correct measure, while at the same time using the other to rake in cash.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I choose to be offended by that.

Me too.

Update: Governor Jeb Bush joins the anti-PC battle against the NCAA.

Gov. Bush criticizes NCAA ban on Seminoles

"I think it's offensive to native Americans ... the Seminole Indian tribe who support the traditions of FSU," Bush said on his way into a Cabinet meeting. "I think they insult those people by telling them, 'No, no, you're not smart enough to understand this. You should be feeling really horrible about this.' It's ridiculous."

"How politically correct can we get?" Bush asked. "The folks that make these decisions need to get out more often."

Bush said the NCAA must have better things to do that sit around worrying about the nicknames adopted by its member institutions.

"You know what they ought to be worried about? The graduation rates of most college athletes," the second-term Florida governor said. "Maybe if they had some suggestions on that, that universities could apply and could implement, they could be doing a service to all of us."

In Sports:
Nats 9, rockies 2
Braves 13, diamondbacks 8

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Lying Condoned on the Left

Democrats find weakness in the pulling of the outrageous NARAL ads from CNN. I hope they keep thinking that way.

Democrats Conflicted on Playing Rough

The decision by the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America to pull an incendiary ad attacking President Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court has produced a fresh round of recriminations within the Democratic Party and a return to a nagging question: Has the opposition lost its nerve?

As the Washington Post ponders whether the pulling of a blatantly false advertisement aimed at slandering a SCOTUS nominee shows Democrat’s weakness, the rest of us wonder, how could anyone support such an ad?

When conservatives complained about the ad -- which suggested that nominee John G. Roberts Jr. condoned violence against abortion clinics -- a number of prominent liberals joined in the criticism and elected Democrats ran for cover rather than defend the ad, which was dropped.

I suppose that had there been a shred of truth to the accusations, Democrats may have stood their ground. The fact that they ran for the hills showed good judgment, not weakness.

Amid similar criticism against another controversial ad, most Republicans brushed aside demands to repudiate Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group that had taken aim at John F. Kerry's war record. Some Democrats said the difference revealed on their side an ambivalence about modern political combat that helps explain why their party is out of power.

Keep believing that. It is amazing that there is so much angst over the pulling of a lie filled ad. I suppose that the writer is convinced the Swift Boat Vets were lying as well.

"Republicans don't mind running an ad that's entirely false, but Democrats have never learned, and I'm not sure many of them want to learn, how to play that kind of politics," said Robert Shrum, an adviser to several Democratic presidential campaigns.

The delusions of the left make for great entertainment. The notion that the Democrats are somehow above the fray is a joke. If I were in charge at the DNC, I would fire Shrum immediately, for his view is a loser for sure.

Democratic strategist Chris Lehane, who like Shrum favors hardball politics, protested that "we Democrats bring a well-thumbed copy of Marquess of Queensberry Rules while the other side unsheaths their bloody knives, with a predictable outcome." Lehane said the NARAL ad "was great, and exactly the type of offensive that breaks through in the modern age."

You have got to be kidding me. I would fire her too.

Few who remember the treatment of Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas or Newt Gingrich would assert that Democrats have trouble being mean.

I can’t read anymore of this. Finish it up if you like. The writer is obviously of the notion that Democrats should run themselves off of the Howard Dean cliff by making insanely ridiculous accusations against Republicans, justified because of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. I hope the Democratic establishment sticks with that line of thinking because it will get them killed come election time.

The fact is that the lack of aggression is not what loses elections for Democrats. Outdated ideas, false reality and terrible candidates are what they need to fix. Otherwise, they are doomed to minority status for the foreseeable future. If the left wants to eat its young, who am I to stand in the way?

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Gone Fishing

Be back tomorrow.

The Real Reason the US Invaded Iraq

It wasn’t oil. It wasn’t WMD. It wasn’t Revenge. The reason The US invaded Iraq was that a feckless United Nations would not enforce its own resolutions or sanctions.

I am known for being fervently political. Let’s try this from a strategic standpoint.

Report finds illicit oil-for-food payments widespread

I will let the below information stand on its own for the most part.

‘Nearly half the vendors who participated in the United Nations' oil-for-food program in Iraq engaged in some illicit payments to the Saddam Hussein regime, investigators have found.’

‘…the number who paid illicit surcharges and kickbacks was more than 2,000’

‘…the kickbacks were around 10 percent of the goods contracts’

‘Those payments netted Saddam an estimated $2 billion to $4 billion.’

‘While the oil revenue went into a U.N.-controlled account at BNP Paribas, willing vendors paid the surcharges and kickbacks to accounts at other banks or front companies controlled by the Iraqi regime.’

'The contracts for purchasers and sellers were approved by the U.N. Security Council.'

'Federal prosecutors in New York have brought charges against one oil company for paying illegal surcharges. That company is Bayoil, a Houston-based firm that congressional investigators have said dealt with 20 percent of the oil leaving Iraq.'

Yes, even some Americans are to blame. I don’t know the first thing about this company. I don’t care if it is owned by Barbara Bush. The officials that knew what was going on are traitors for acting against the will of the United States and at the expense of US security.

The most recent was Monday's plea by Alexander Yakovlev, a 52-year-old Russian contracts officer at the United Nations who admitted soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from companies that did business with the world body.

Benon Sevan, a 67-year-old retired U.N. careerist from Cyprus, received nearly $150,000 in cash payments from a friend's company awarded Iraqi oil, allegedly at Sevan's behest.

All that we hear about in regards to the war today is WMD. WMD, or the lack thereof, is an important issue, but it is not what caused the United States to invade Iraq. Someone in the Bush administration made a horrible political mistake. They certainly believed, based on their own, possibly wrong, intelligence that WMD existed in Iraq. So they marketed it, sending Colin Powell out to make the pitch. Bad move. It sounded much sexier to say; ‘we will save the world from the madman with nukes’, than it sounded to say; ‘if the United States or the United Nations are to retain any credibility, we must follow through.’

Anyone with children knows that if you threaten, but don’t follow through, you are simply putting off greater mischief for another day. In any case, it was a marketing disaster, and Bush’s political enemies have taken full advantage of that mistake. That being said, if WMD had not been brought up at all, the invasion of Iraq would have been fully justified.

Shall we hearken back to a day prior to the Gulf War when the Oil for Food Program was in full swing? Saddam had long been free to run his own arms programs, as weapons inspectors had not been in the country for four years. Information from the Independent Investigative Committee makes it clear that oil kickback lobbyists had full run of the halls at the UN. French, Russian, and yes, a couple of American companies were subverting sanctions using the program, and UN officials were on the take. In the cases of the French and Russians, they had the ears of their respective governments. Money can do that. Saddam was reconstituting his military with the proceeds from the Oil for Food program. Whether it was WMD or simply conventional weapons is not really the issue, as multiple resolutions and weapons violations are well documented.

Along comes George W. Bush, who, following 9/11, was in no mood to put up with Saddam and his games. He had the political will of the American people at the time, but Saddam obviously did not understand the implications of that. The United States and Britain were engaged in a low grade air war with Iraq. This was simply not a sustainable situation.

Remember the last ditch effort to send inspectors into Iraq? Remember the complaints that they were not given enough time? It was far too late by then. The Americans surely had knowledge of the Oil for Food kickbacks by this time, and knew that no matter what happened, the UN was not going to act. At best, members of the UN may have put Saddam in ‘time out’ to placate the Americans. It would simply have been a waiting game until they could resume business as usual. By the time inspectors returned to Iraq, the only thing that would have saved Saddam would have been full and complete cooperation with no conditions. That didn’t happen.

Saddam had members of the UN Security Council in his pocket. That much is obvious, as the above information indicates. It also explains why, when push came to shove, Saddam was willing to tell the United States to pound sand. It was a miscalculation on his part, as he never considered the possibility that the United States would, in turn, tell the UN to pound sand.

Perhaps, using the examples of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, he simply had not come to the reality that W. was his own man. He probably did not understand that 9/11 had changed the political mood in the United States regarding his own mischievous activities. He believed those European and Russian businessmen and arms dealers that assured him all was well on the Security Council.

But the major point here is that, had there been no Oil for Food Program, there would have been no war. Had the United States or the UN acted in 1998 when inspectors were kicked out, there would have been no war. War was ultimately the result of putting off our problems for another day. When that day came, much of the world, including many in the US, chose to wipe the slate clean for Saddam, as though the invasion of Kuwait and the ensuing surrender agreements had never happened. The Second Gulf War was a continuation of the first. If you are looking for causes, there were two main players acting in concert. The corrupt businessmen and bureaucrats crawling around at the UN, and, ultimately, Saddam Hussein.

In Sports:

Nats 3, astros 6
It looks like we are back to just being happy that we have a team.
It could be worse. We could be in Baltimore.

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NARAL Ad Promotes Lie on Roberts

I have absolutely no problem with any group sponsoring an ad campaign to promote a cause, especially since that practice was outlawed prior to elections by ‘centrists’ with the help of the Supreme Court. That is, unless the campaign is a pack of lies.

NARAL Falsely Accuses Supreme Court Nominee Roberts

Announcer: Supreme Court nominee John Roberts filed court briefs supporting violent fringe groups and a convicted clinic bomber.

Announcer: Call your Senators. Tell them to oppose John Roberts. America can't afford a Justice whose ideology leads him to excuse violence against other Americans.

This is just pathetic. First, the left goes after his kids. Failing in that endeavor, they just plain lie.

NARAL said it plans to buy half a million dollars worth of airtime in coming weeks on national cable networks, as well as well as on networks in Maine and Rhode Island.

Notice they won’t dare put anything like this on in Red America. I hope those Northeastern politicians listen to NARAL and oppose the nomination. What better way to assure that the Dems take another pounding in ’06?

In words and images, the ad conveys the idea that Roberts took a legal position excusing bombing of abortion clinics, which is false. To the contrary, during the Reagan administration when he was Associate Counsel to the President, Roberts drafted a memo saying abortion-clinic bombers "should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law." In the 1986 memo, Roberts called abortion bombers "criminals" and "misguided individuals," indicating that they would get no special treatment regarding requests for presidential pardons.

Why let the truth get in the way. If we have learned anything, it’s that the accusation is what is important to the left. By the time the truth finds its way around, Democrats and the media have moved on. Think Karl Rove.

The ad contends that Roberts "filed court briefs supporting violent fringe groups and a convicted clinic bomber.

What Roberts argued was that a federal anti-discrimination law couldn't be used against abortion blockaders because they weren't discriminating against women – they were blockading men, too.

The ad uses the classic tactic of guilt by association, linking Roberts with "violent fringe groups" and a "convicted . . . bomber" because he made the same legal arguments as they did in the case. But, contrary to the ad's message, Roberts didn't argue in favor of them or their actions.

That, of course, matters not. The left wing loonies will lap this up like water in the Sahara.

But it is false to suggest that Roberts supported the actions of "violent" groups or clinic bombers because he argued that a law aimed at the Ku Klux Klan could not be used against those who blockade abortion clinics.

There is no shame, none at all. In any case, I hope this ad runs. What better example of the fringe left could there be. Democratic politicians will be forced to embrace this view, or run for the hills. Either scenario should be entertaining.

Of course, the main stream media is ready and willing to support the cause.

Abortion rights group presses Republican centrists on Roberts

The targets of the ad appear to be two Republican senators who are running for reelection next year: Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, whom NARAL has already endorsed, and Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine.

"We are not suggesting that Mr. Roberts condones or supports clinic violence," said NARAL president Nancy Keenan.

You think?

Repeat: Announcer: Supreme Court nominee John Roberts filed court briefs supporting violent fringe groups and a convicted clinic bomber.

Decide for yourself.

In Sports:

Nats 6, astros 7
Nats 2 games back in the wildcard race.
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Iran at it Again

Time enough for a quickie:

Rumsfeld: Iranian Weapons Found in Iraq

Some weapons entering Iraq are coming from Iran, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday, though he indicated it was unclear whether they were coming from elements of the Iranian government or from other parties.

"Weapons clearly, unambiguously from Iran have been found in Iraq," he told a Pentagon briefing. "It's a big border. It's notably unhelpful for the Iranians to allow weapons of those types to cross the border." He did not provide further specifics.

Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People (September 20, 2001)

Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.

Hmm.

In Sports:

If you would like to match your college football knowledge against myself and the Blog Father, go here: College Football Pick'em

Nats 6, astros 5
Nats break the one run game curse, finally.
Nats gain a game on the astros in the wildcard chase.
The Chief gets the save. Hear that NCAA, I said Chief!

Braves 7, giants 1
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Its Light or Late Tuesday

America is the most grandiose experiment the world has seen, but, I am afraid, it is not going to be a success. --Sigmund Freud
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UPI Gives Voice to Crazed Leftist

Left Wing NYU Professor Alon Ben Meir finds his way into the UPI column ‘Outside View’ today with a nice example of left wing lunacy. These are always fun to pick apart.

Wasting America's morality

For the United States to maintain global leadership, it must earn the moral authority to lead.

Translation: Cow tow to the United Nations and the European left.

Six empires fell during the 20th century -- the Ottoman, British, French, Japanese, German, and the former Soviet Union. If there were a single common denominator that precipitated their collapse, it was the inability to pursue global objectives with a strong moral component.

Hmm, and here I thought that their inability to defeat opposing military powers was the cause.

As long as this administration refuses to admit to its mistakes and to pursue its current policies, specifically relating to Iraq, the so-called war on terrorism, the proliferation of WMD, and human rights, America's star will steadily dim.

If only the Germans had admitted their mistakes, the World under Hitler would have been bearable. Had Hirohito admitted his mistakes, his country might not have been ruined. We should abandon our ‘so called’ war on terrorism immediately.

The administration deliberately lied to the American public about Iraq's WMD.

Bush Lied!

The war and the occupation have energized Islamic radicals, with Iraq providing a training ground for more lethal and sophisticated terrorists who will haunt the West and the Middle East for decades to come.

Islamist radicals were in serious need of motivation prior to the war. Those lackadaisical attacks on New York and Washington proved that the movement, as a whole, was losing steam.

Incoming obligatory Abu Ghraib reference:

Administration officials criticize other nations of human rights abuses while Americans in charge abuse Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

Incoming obligatory Gitmo reference:

Although the administration condemned the abuses at Abu Ghraib and punished some of the perpetrators, the condemnation seems hollow when at the same time it castrates suspects imprisoned in Guantanamo beyond the reach of legal recourse. Amnesty International aptly calls this the "Gulag of our time"?

So now we are castrating terrorists. No wonder it’s the ‘Gulag of our time’. Once again, forgotten is the fact that ‘legal recourse’ will lead to certain death for most of the Taliban and al Qaeda members held at Gitmo.

How does an administration that condemns violence, especially indiscriminate violence, drop napalm bombs on combatants, killing scores of civilians in the process in Fallujah?

Holy Frijoles, Napalm! This piece is full of wonderful new information. It’s a good thing the students at NYU are getting all of these facts from the good professor.

…the entire Middle East wants home-grown democratic forms of government developed in its own pace and time.

Yes, the Middle East has been edging towards democracy for years, that is, until the US stopped them! Outrageous!

Incoming obligatory Halliburton reference:

Finally, the awarding to Halliburton of a no-bid contract to build a $30 million new prison in Guantanamo represents a dazzling new level of chutzpah.

Those guys were perfectly happy standing out in the rain. I mean, come on! They’ve been living in caves for goodness sakes. It was simply scandalous to build them a prison. Next thing you know, they’ll be getting their own Korans, and at taxpayers’ expense no doubt.

And now for the coup de grace:

I believe in America's inner strength, the ingenuity of its people, and the core values of the Constitution.

He’s all for the Constitution! Yet another first from the left. That’s three in one article.

The entire piece is an exercise in self loathing, Bush hating, false reality and stupidity. It’s no wonder that we can’t have an honest debate on the war or anything else, when the waters are so muddied by those who give us the ‘truth’. It is somewhat disturbing that the man gets the first crack at our youth with this garbage, but so long as it isn’t on the public dole, I can live with it. If people want to send their children to Indoctrination U. who am I to stop them? Long live the free market. And thanks to the UPI for providing the platform.

United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of World Peace Herald or United Press International.

Whatever.

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Utopia in Finland, A New Home For Democrats

These apples to oranges comparisons are irritating. The Washington Post hails Finnish socialism as inspirational for America. The article concludes that Finnish socialism would not work in America, which begs the question, why the Hell was this piece written in the first place?

In Finland's Footsteps (Account Required)

…all the kids in Kuhmo (and throughout Finland) will have essentially identical opportunities in Finnish schools, Europe's best. There is no "elite" choice, no working-class choice; everyone is treated equally.

Is the Post promoting vouchers? Surely vouchers are the closest thing we have on the table to equalizing our education system for all. I wonder if Finland has a politically driven teachers union that drives its system into the ground.

It's a dilemma that American parents don't have a chance to confront.

It must be a plug for vouchers.

Finland is a leading example of the northern European view that a successful, competitive society should provide basic social services to all its citizens at affordable prices or at no cost at all.

Ahh, Utopia.

Finns pay considerably higher taxes -- nearly half their national income is taken in taxes.

Well, there is that. No biggie. I suppose being owned by the state is a minor inconvenience.

If we Americans are so rich and so smart, why can't we treat our citizens as well as the Finns do?

I’m sure it’s Bush’s fault. It must be. Perhaps its Big Oil.

Finns have one of the world's most generous systems of state-funded educational, medical and welfare services, from pregnancy to the end of life. They pay nothing for education at any level, including medical school or law school.

If only Stalin were alive to realize his dream.

They spend relatively little on national defense, though they still have universal male conscription, and it is popular.

Well, there’s the meat of it. Sounds like a mixture of Charlie Rangel and Hillary Clinton. They did leave out one point. The reason that Finland has historically spent little on defense is that 1) They are under the US defensive umbrella, otherwise known as NATO, and 2) The place is freakin cold! Who wants to conquer a big iceberg?

But the United States could not simply turn itself into another Finland. Too much of Finnish reality depends on uniquely Finnish circumstances.

Thus my original question. Why the big article on the wonders of Finland as compared to the US, if it wouldn’t work? Perhaps the Democrats are looking for a new home after the next election loss, since Canada didn't work out.

One fundamental Finnish value sounds a lot like an American principle -- "to provide equal opportunities in life for everyone."

No, the Finns provide for everyone at the expense of everyone. This has nothing to do with opportunity, which Americans have plenty of.

Finland has no private schools or universities, no snooty clubs, no gated communities or compounds where the rich can cut themselves off from everyday life.

And now we are to the root of it. Class envy.

Nothing achieved by Aho's reforms would be beyond the reach of American schools if we really wanted them to become good.

Yes, we really don’t want them to be good. We feel that a poor educational system is in our best interest.

The article goes on with more of this sort of drivel. Somehow the writer wraps up every leftist complaint about America and hails Finland as the savior nation. Please, if you feel this way, go to Finland. Make sure you take a large coat.

And I think we could learn from Finns' confidence that they can shape their own fate.

This entire article espoused the greatness of collectivism. In other words, no one shapes their own fate. In any case, that would contradict the meaning of fate. My fate is to be an American. I’m happy with that.

In Sports
Nats 0, padres 3
Braves 3, cardinals 5
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Hugging trees has a calming effect on me. I'm talking about enormous trees that will be there when we are all dead and gone. I've hugged trees in every part of this little island. -- Gerry Adams
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Its Saturday

Having too much fun to think. Will make up for it tomorrow.
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Save the Chief!

I love college football. I hate PC bureaucrats that use their monopoly to enforce stupidity on the rest of society. So I am torn.



NCAA puts ban on Indian mascots

The NCAA banned the use of American Indian mascots by sports teams during its postseason tournaments, but will not prohibit them otherwise.

Well, if that isn’t the most idiotic ruling I have ever heard. If your team makes the NCAA basketball tournament, you must change your name. I can’t wait to see the Florida State Grapefruits.

The NCAA's executive committee decided this week the organization did not have the authority to bar Indian mascots by individual schools, committee chairman Walter Harrison said Friday.

Nicknames or mascots deemed "hostile or abusive" would not be allowed on team uniforms or other clothing beginning with any NCAA tournament after Feb. 1, said Harrison, the University of Hartford's president.

Hostile or abusive? I guess eventually every school will have an animal or fruit name. That is, until PETA joins the battle.

"What each institution decides to do is really its own business"

...unless we decide to insert our self righteous opinions into the playoff picture.

I wish the conferences would affiliate with the NIT. Now that would be sweet justice.

Florida State President T.K. Wetherell threatened to take legal action after the ruling.

"That the NCAA would now label our close bond with the Seminole people as culturally 'hostile and abusive' is both outrageous and insulting," Wetherell said in a written statement.

"I intend to pursue all legal avenues to ensure that this unacceptable decision is overturned, and that this university will forever be associated with the 'unconquered' spirit of the Seminole Tribe of Florida."

I never in my life thought I would be cheering for FSU...

...Go Noles!

Major college football teams also would not be subjected to the new rules because there is no NCAA Division I-A tournament or playoff.

Which makes me wonder if this isn’t just another angle to deny us a playoff system.

Florida State has received permission from the Seminole tribe in Florida to use the nickname.

It seems the true ‘Indians’ have been screwed over by the hyper-sensitive ‘Native Americans’. I have never understood the logic behind this movement. For names like ‘Redmen’ or even ‘Redskins’, I can see it. But Seminoles? Braves? Warriors? Come on!! Get a life. Is the goal here to write Native Americans and Indians out of American history? Totally disassociate them from anything not specific to NAI (Native American Indian) culture?

And to think the man running the show is the President of a pansy New England School that couldn’t field a competitive team in the first place. Let’s impose those PC New England standards on the rest of the country. By the way, the University of Hartford fields the mighty 'Hawks'. Perhaps this is simply hidden anger over the Kerry loss. Isn't Dean from Connecticut? Then again, Bush is always described as a Cowboy by the left, so that wouldn’t fit.

Below are the affected schools:

• Alcorn State University (Braves)
• Central Michigan University (Chippewas)
• Catawba College (Indians)
• Florida State University (Seminoles)
• Midwestern State University (Indians)
• University of Utah (Utes)
• Indiana University-Pennsylvania (Indians)
• Carthage College (Redmen)
• Bradley University (Braves)
• Arkansas State University (Indians)
• Chowan College (Braves)
• University of Illinois-Champaign (Illini)
• University of Louisiana-Monroe (Indians)
• McMurry University (Indians)
• Mississippi College (Choctaws)
• Newberry College (Indians)
• University of North Dakota (Fighting Sioux)
• Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Savages)

Some of these I can understand; Savages, Redmen and maybe even Indians. But Fighting Sioux? What’s wrong with that?! Braves! Don’t even go there.

In any case, feel free to let the NCAA and Mr. Harrison know what you think. Here is his contact info at the University of Hartford.

(860) 768-4417
harrison@hartford.edu

Or you may contact him at the NCAA:
Phone: 317/917-6222
Fax: 317/917-6888

You will get an unresponsive lackey, but hey, there is a price to pay for being the front man to an official who knows what is best for the rest of us.

Other members of the committee can be found here: NCAA Executive Committee

Disclaimer: I can’t stand the Redskins or FSU, but the old saying applies:

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Consider this a backlash.

In More Sports:

Nats 5, padres 6
The one run game curse continues.
Chad Cordero blows the save. It's a bad day for chiefs all around.

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Airborne Laser Test Completed

Remember the ridicule that Ronald Reagan endured from the left for his SDI plan? Well, it isn’t a satellite, but the reality of a laser defense against ballistic missile attack seems to be taking shape.

Ballistic Missile Defense: Airborne laser passes tests

Boeing has completed passive flight testing of its missile-killing Airborne Laser, or ABL, the company announced Wednesday.

Boeing Integrated Defense System Wichita originally modified a 747 for the Airborne Laser program that is designed to detect, track and destroy ballistic missiles.

"With each testing increment, the ABL Team is making steady progress in bringing the ABL into the hands of the warfighter to defend against ballistic missile threats."

Imagine the possibilities. The Chinese ballistic missile threat could be eliminated in one fell swoop. The threat of nuclear war might be drastically reduced, at least from ballistic missiles. Even the most ardent peacenik surely would not protest a fleet of anti nuke 747s. China’s one threat against the US mainland might be neutralized. Not to mention the threat from North Korea, Iran and various other rogue nations working the nuke angle. I know it’s a pipe dream, but it seems possible. One can hope. For more information, check out the Boeing site.

Airborne Laser

In Sports:

Nats 7, dodgers 0
Brad Wilkerson pops the first ever Nats Grand Slam.
John Patterson grabs his first complete game shutout.
Could the drought finally be over?
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Democrats Guilty of Voter Fraud and Intimidation

Remember all of those disenfranchised voters from the 2004 elections? It turns out that most of them were Republicans.

Vote Fraud, Intimidation & Suppression In The 2004 Presidential Election

The non-partisan American Center for Voting Rights released its report on that topic this week, and the results are quite surprising.

ACVR Legislative Fund was established primarily to further the common good and general welfare of the citizens of the United States of America by educating the public about vote fraud, intimidation and discrimination which impacts the Constitutional right of all citizens to participate in the electoral process.

While Democrats routinely accuse Republicans of voter intimidation and suppression, neither party has a clean record on the issue. Instead, the evidence shows that Democrats waged aggressive intimidation and suppression campaigns against Republican voters and volunteers in 2004.

What’s this? It can't be!

First, to the Democrats' accusations. Who can forget Howard Dean, John Kerry and Jesse Jackson claiming victim following the election?

On June 2, 2005, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean charged that Republicans caused long lines at polling places on Election Day to suppress the minority vote. Dean stated:

“The Republicans are all about suppressing votes: two voting machines if you live in a black district, 10 voting machines if you live in a white district. … You know, the idea that you have to wait on line for eight hours to cast your ballot in Florida there’s something the matter with that. … Well, Republicans, I guess, can do that because a lot of them never made an honest living in their lives.”

That is one of my favorite quotes.

Democrat election officials in Franklin County and the U.S. Department of Justice have refuted this allegation. During the recent U.S. House Administration Committee hearing held in Columbus, William Anthony, Chairman of the Franklin County Democratic Party and County Board of Elections, flatly rejected the allegation that long lines were part of some effort to disenfranchise minorities and/or Democrat voters.

Anthony was “personally offended” by these allegations. As he told The Columbus Dispatch, “I am a black man. Why would I sit there and disenfranchise voters in my own community? … I feel like they’re accusing me of suppressing the black vote. I’ve fought my whole life for people’s right to vote.”

Whoops, CBS must have missed that.

On to the real story:

• Paid Democrat operatives charged with slashing tires of 25 Republican get-out-the-vote vans in Milwaukee on the morning of Election Day.

• Misleading telephone calls made by Democrat operatives targeting Republican voters in Ohio with the wrong date for the election and faulty polling place information.

• Intimidating and deceiving mailings and telephone calls paid for by the DNC threatening Republican volunteers in Florida with legal action.

• Union-coordinated intimidation and violence campaign targeting Republican campaign offices and volunteers resulting in a broken arm for a GOP volunteer in Florida.

As it turns out, a whole series of scandalous activity was inflicted upon Republicans on Election Day. The press conveniently ignored the truth. The gory details of each of these incidents are here for all to see. I realize that the blind left doesn’t care any more about truth than they do about legalities, but some of these actions were worthy of MS-13. Read the report in its entirety if you have the time. I highly recommend it. Here is the pdf.

Vote Fraud, Intimidation & Suppression In The 2004 Presidential Election

The file is large, but well worth the disk space. Keep it handy for the next time you hear a Democrat whine about election scandals.

The American Center for Voting Rights does no support or endorse any political party or candidate.

The American Center for Voting Rights is a non-profit organization, which is established for charitable purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The organization shall not carry on any activity not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3).

Good job guys. Thank you for the truth.

In Sports:
Nats 3, dodgers 1
Nats almost break the one run game curse, but Nick Johnson ruined it by hitting an 8th inning solo home run.

Braves 5, reds 8
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Bob Byrd Swoons Over Roberts

Supreme Court Nominee John Roberts received an odd plug Friday.

Roberts, Sen. Byrd hit it off

Occasionally, strange events occur in the world of politics. This has got be near the top of the list.


(AFP)

U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd says he feels a kindred spirit in Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts, who shares Byrd's interests in the Constitution, Cicero and John Marshall.

"I was favorably impressed."

Hide the moonshine!

"I like him."

How sweet. Howard Dean is going to be jealous, but it's nothing some flowers and a nice gun rack won't fix.

"The Bush administration tactic of shipping Roberts around is really quite different from what it has done on many policy issues," Brisbin said.

"It might not just signal that they want Roberts confirmed, but that they've suddenly realized they're getting nothing through Congress because they're not working with Congress."

Translation: Even though we are in the minority, we feel we should be in the majority, therefore, we act as though we are by using our sole link to power, the filibuster.

"He showed a great interest in the history of our country, the history of the Constitution, a great interest in classical history," Byrd said. "He spoke of Cicero, he spoke of the framers, and we seemed to have a kindred spirit as we talked along these lines."

Did he speak of 1945 West Virginia?

"I'm not disinclined," he said. "To use an old quotation, the jury is still out. He had a fair hearing here. He was appreciative of it. He acquitted himself admirably."

I’m a little foggy here. What exactly did that mean?

"He demonstrates an independence as I think I feel an independence - I have views of my own"

True. TSW highlighted them last month: Robert Byrd Attempts to Rewrite History

This ought to set off the wacko left. It turns out that Mr. Byrd has an election coming up. I sense an ‘every man for himself’ strategy taking shape in the Democratic Party.

In Sports:
Nats 4, Dodgers 5
Nats drop 11th one run game in a row.

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