Newsweek Loves Soros

If you're going to give the man a sounding board, at least fake objectivity and not throw softballs.

America the Dangerous?

A few choice quotes for your enjoyment:

By declaring a "war on terror" after September the 11th, we set the wrong agenda for the world. This is something that people in America find difficult to understand because war seems like the natural response.

Well, Our response to terrorism prior to September 11th was to do nothing, and look where that got us.

We abhor terrorists, because they kill innocent people for political goals. But by waging war on terror we are doing the same thing.

I think that speaks for itself.

It's also a threat to our democracy. Because when you wage war, the president can appropriate for himself excessive powers. He can call anyone who criticizes his policies unpatriotic.

First of all, the president never called anyone unpatriotic. But if he had, is that really excessive power? I mean what might come next? Send them to 'time out'? And here I thought stoning women to death for their husband's transgressions was bad.

But we still think that the war on terror is the natural and obvious way to deal with the terrorist threat. But it's a counter-productive policy that has done untold damage to our standing in the world and to ourselves.

I would rather lose the world popularity contest than the war on terror.
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Global Skepticism

I want to do something about global warming if it exists. If it is a manmade phenomenon that we can fix, then lets do it. I want to know if it is true. I’ll be the first one in line to buy a new smart car if I can get some proof. But I get skeptical every time the climate is used as a political football.

I recall as a child that the big fear, other than global thermal nuclear war, was that we were going to run out of coal. Then we were going to run out of oil. When we didn’t run out of anything, pollution was going to kill us. Then it was AIDS. A Comet. The Ebola virus. The bird flu. Now it’s global warming. Even a category 3 hurricane from last season that hit a wholly unprepared sea-level city, has been cited as proof of global warming.

And here, with my simple mind, I keep thinking, it just doesn’t seem that much hotter now than when I was a kid. A friend of mine today actually blamed global warming for our current flood. How can one not be skeptical?

These catastrophic events are normally championed from left. I don’t begrudge them that, though I do find it funny that they resemble an apocalyptic religion. I hope they are wrong, but if they aren’t, I agree with them. We need to take action.

The following doesn’t help.

Climate experts: Gore's movie gets the science right

Robert Corell, chairman of the worldwide Arctic Climate Impact Assessment group of scientists, read the book and saw Gore give the slideshow presentation that is woven throughout the documentary.

"I sat there and I'm amazed at how thorough and accurate," Corell said. "After the presentation I said, 'Al, I'm absolutely blown away. There's a lot of details you could get wrong.' ... I could find no error."

Gore, in an interview with the AP, said he wasn't surprised "because I took a lot of care to try to make sure the science was right."

And then there is this (Via Drudge):

AP INCORRECTLY CLAIMS SCIENTISTS PRAISE GORE’S MOVIE

The AP article quotes Robert Correll, the chairman of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment group. It appears from the article that Correll has a personal relationship with Gore, having viewed the film at a private screening at the invitation of the former Vice President. In addition, Correll’s reported links as an “affiliate” of a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that provides “expert testimony” in trials and his reported sponsorship by the left-leaning Packard Foundation, were not disclosed by AP.

See http://www.junkscience.com/feb06.htm

Yeah, I know it's a Republican controlled committee. But unless Inhofe and Co. are lying (for which we might be able to impeach them), Gore and the AP have done nothing but make conservatives, who by the way they will need, more skeptical than they already were.
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See Ya

So long...farewell...auf weidersehen goodbye...

Chancellor: Fire Churchill

University of Colorado interim Chancellor Phil DiStefano announced today that he wants to dismiss professor Ward Churchill.

CU launched an inquiry into whether Churchill, a tenured professor, had committed research misconduct.

An investigative committee of five scholars in May ruled that he had, and it recommended he be fired or suspended without pay for two to five years.
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Stupidity in Foreign Press

From time to time I run across something that I can’t believe is in print. Check out what the Asia Editor for the Times of London thinks about Crazy Kim and his missiles.

Why shouldn't North Korea test the Taepodong?

I can't understand why North Korea shouldn't conduct a long range missile test.

It possesses, and is developing, ballistic missiles (like Britain and the United States). Obviously, it is going to test them - Britain does, and the Americans do too. It may be alarming, but it is hypocrisy to claim that they are not entitled to do so.

And who really is making the world dangerous? Kim Jong Il is not my cup of tea, but I believe that he is a rational man and I can see that he finds himself in a difficult position.

This man is a fool. Its too bad that he has the influence that he has, even if it is with a left wing English rag. These legal/moral equivalency tests regarding North Korea are idiotic. Anyone who believes that Kim is a rational man obviously has no clue.
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We Were Misled

Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so. – John Kerry

Saying there are were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn’t make that so either.

There will be investigations, and the truth will come out the American people must know the truth and those in this administration must be held accountable for their failure to give us the truth before we went to war. – Howard Dean

He ought to be investigating how to win an election.

"There was never anything in the intelligence that said Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States, never." – Nancy Pelosi

This one is especially interesting, considering that President Bush never claimed that the wmd threat from Iraq was imminent.

Well, I certainly feel misled by myself. I mean, I'm not blaming anybody else because I saw all the intelligence reports. All of them indicated we had imminent danger. Obviously, we made a mistake. I made a mistake. We didn't find any weapons of mass destruction. We didn't find any nuclear weapons. We didn't find any al Qaeda. – John Murtha

Senility perhaps?
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Liars

"Before the war, week after week after week after week, we were told lie after lie after lie after lie." Ted Kennedy

"Bush lied us into war." Al Franken

‘Bush knew the information he was putting forth to Congress and the American public was false at the time he used it to justify invading Iraq. It is important that these facts are told.’ Barbra Streisand (April 14, 2006 – on her blog, and still at the top as of today)
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Someone Lied

I'm going to have quite a bit of fun over the next week, digging up all of the 'Bush Lied' quotes from the last three years.

The United States has found 500 chemical weapons in Iraq since 2003, and more weapons of mass destruction are likely to be uncovered, two Republican lawmakers said Wednesday.

Report: Hundreds of WMDs Found in Iraq

Reading from a declassified portion of a report by the National Ground Intelligence Center, a Defense Department intelligence unit, Santorum said: "Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent. Despite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq's pre-Gulf War chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist."

I want an apology. I want all of the trolls to come out and admit they were wrong. I want everyone who ever uttered the words…’Bush Lied’, to eat those words. I will not put this graciously. You were wrong and you damaged our security. You put your political agenda in front of national security, and you were wrong. You put your hatred for Bush and your anger at losing an election before your nation’s interest.

"This says weapons have been discovered, more weapons exist and they state that Iraq was not a WMD-free zone, that there are continuing threats from the materials that are or may still be in Iraq," said Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Colin Powell, call your office. You can come out now.

The weapons are thought to be manufactured before 1991 so they would not be proof of an ongoing WMD program in the 1990s. But they do show that Saddam Hussein was lying when he said all weapons had been destroyed, and it shows that years of on-again, off-again weapons inspections did not uncover these munitions.

Hans Blix, you should be beaten with a wet noodle. France, please drop into the ocean.

"This does not reflect a capacity that was built up after 1991," the official said, adding the munitions "are not the WMDs this country and the rest of the world believed Iraq had, and not the WMDs for which this country went to war."

But it does show that the UN is incompetent and that the weapons inspections were not working.

Santorum pointed out that during Wednesday's debate, several Senate Democrats said that no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq, a claim, he said, that the declassified document proves is untrue.

"This is an incredibly — in my mind — significant finding. The idea that, as my colleagues have repeatedly said in this debate on the other side of the aisle, that there are no weapons of mass destruction, is in fact false," he said.

Kerry Lied, Dean Lied, Reid Lied, Pelosi Lied! They should all resign. Murtha, Durbin, Boxer, you are liars by your own standards. Step down. You have no business running a country.
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And Here We Are

Report: U.S. activates missile defense system (2006)

The United States has moved its ground-based interceptor missile defense system from test mode to operational amid concerns over an expected North Korean missile launch, a U.S. defense official said Tuesday.

The U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed a Washington Times report that the Pentagon has activated its missile defense system, which has been in the developmental stage for years.

Britain backs U.S. missile shield (2003)

The system, dubbed "Son of Star Wars" after an initiative pioneered by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, depends on intercepting an incoming missile with another missile.

North Korea warned on Wednesday that it was ready to take more "defensive" measures against the U.S. that would go beyond its decision last week to quit a global treaty preventing the spread of atomic weapons.

Hoon said if Pyongyang ended its flight test ban it could test a missile with the potential to reach Europe within weeks.

U.S. quits ABM treaty (2001)

President Bush said Thursday the United States has notified Russia that it intends to pull out of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, starting a six-month timetable for withdrawal and opening the way for the creation of an anti-missile defense system.

Congressional Democrats greeted the news with skepticism. Some called Bush's plan a misguided and poorly timed decision.

Daschle said he was concerned withdrawal from the ABM treaty could "rupture relations with key countries around the world," and raises serious questions about future arms races involving other countries.

Biden later called Bush's priorities "out of whack." He said America should be more worried about terrorists with weapons of mass destruction than countries with long-range ballistic missiles.

Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Talks Collapse as Deadlock on SDI Wipes Out Other Gains (1986)

But Reagan was defiant when he discussed SDI, which he has called a "peace shield" that will someday protect civilian populations from nuclear destruction.

"While both sides seek reduction in the number of nuclear missiles and warheads threatening the world, the Soviet Union insisted that we sign an agreement that would deny to me and to future presidents for 10 years the right to develop, test and deploy a defense against nuclear missiles for the people of the free world," Reagan said. "This we could not and would not do."

Republicans should learn to take a little credit from time to time.
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Hurricane Season

Congratulations Carolina!

Stanley Cup Champions
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Preoccupied

But having fun.

Bill Clinton Blames GOP for Hurricanes

As Tropical Storm Alberto threatened to grow stronger and become the ninth hurricane in 22 months to affect Florida, former President Bill Clinton warned a large crowd that Republican environmental policies will make the hurricane problem worse.

Clinton questions the values of GOP

''It is now generally recognized that while Al Gore and I were ridiculed, we were right about global warming,'' Clinton said to loud applause. ``It's a serious problem. It's going to lead to more hurricanes and . . . people in Florida not being able to get insurance.''

And now for the Coup de Grace…Bill on values…

"If people just understood that we are values voters, we Democrats, that we do have strong convictions and that pursuing equal opportunity, shared responsibility and inclusive communities will get them better values and better results, we would do just fine.''

As I interpret that, socialism will help one keep ones hands off of others. It’s a crazy world.
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Fun With Polls

One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn't belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others, By the time I finish my song?

Poll: Zarqawi Death Has Little Impact

The death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has done little to improve views of how things are going for the U.S. in Iraq or boost President Bush's approval ratings, a CBS News poll finds.

Poll: Most still think Iraq war a mistake

More Americans expressed optimism about the war in Iraq after the killing of terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, suggests a CNN poll released Monday, but a majority still believes the invasion was a mistake.

Poll sees a boost for Bush, Iraq war

In the wake of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death, President Bush is seeing improvement in public confidence that the Iraq war is winnable, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows.
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Speaking of Katrina...

I am going to get torched for being a mean ole meanie, but I can’t pass this up. Just as the press gets revved up for Named Storm #1, the Post pops out with this piece. I wonder how long they’ve been saving it.

For Many of Katrina's Young Victims, The Scars Are More Than Skin Deep

There is some really sad information in here, though I think I’ll take issue with some of the stats.

A report prepared for Congress last November estimated that 189,000 children were dislocated by Katrina; about 110,000 still do not live where they did nine months ago.

A Louisiana State University mental health screening of nearly 5,000 children in schools and temporary housing in the state found that…14 percent had relatives or friends who died…

Assuming that about 2000 people died in the storm, and as we have been informed that a minimum of 189,000 children were affected by the storm, we can assume that for every death caused by Katrina, 13 children are claiming to have known each of them. Or perhaps the sample is concentrated with those experiencing the worst of the storm, as they are still in temporary housing, and the Post thought it would be neat to stack those two unrelated statistics to maximize the effect.

Now, everything said in this story is probably true. But what is the interest in Washington DC?

Some advocates, including the Children's Health Fund, have called on the federal government to allocate $100 million to send a force of pediatricians, family doctors, specially trained mental health workers and mobile medical vans to the Gulf Coast. The Children's Defense Fund, another advocacy group, likewise is calling for emergency health and mental health services.

And there we get to the meat of it. Money for children. Who could possibly be against that? Perhaps we should give them the Homeland Security cash that DC just had taken away. We could have a contest. The town with the most inept politicians gets the funds. Now that I would like to see.
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Better Than Shark Attacks

In the year after Katrina, tropical storms will replace shark/gator attacks as MSMs favorite contrived news story.

Tropical Storm Alberto Makes Way Towards Florida's West Coast

Most of Florida's west coast was under a tropical storm watch Sunday as the first named storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season spun over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to bring heavy rain in the next few days.

Well hide the women and children. Someone do something! Damned global warming.

"We do not have any significant changes," said Lixion Avila, a senior hurricane specialist. "The system remains poorly organized."

And yet it is still on the front of every major American news site in existence.

Residents of the state's Gulf Coast were watching the storm, including Patricia Haberland, whose back porch was flooded by 12 inches of rain in March. She put a few valuables in plastic bins this weekend just to be on the safe side.

The horror, the horror...

Scientists say the 2006 season could produce as many as 16 named storms, six of them major hurricanes.

Or...it could not!
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Universal Health Care

I hope Democrats are stupid enough to believe this.

Americans want universal health coverage, group says

This should dovetail nicely with the immigration debate. Give us your tired, your poor, your terrorists and your criminals, and we will give them free healthcare!

The recommendations don't say who would pay for universal health coverage or how much it would cost.

The concept of government-guaranteed coverage runs counter to the Bush administration's position that consumers should bear more responsibility for their initial medical expenses.

Who are they kidding? Isn’t this the ‘free drugs for old people’ president?

"We decided, let's try something else. Let's go to the public and give them a chance, not in terms of writing a bill, but let them provide a kind of general roadmap where the country ought to head," Wyden said.

I thought that was why we had elections.

George Grob, the executive director of the Citizens' Health Care Working Group, said the group was not asked to say specifically how to get to universal coverage. However, the group did recommend that financing strategies be based on principles of fairness and shared responsibility.

Translation: Raise Taxes. Talk about fairness? Two Americas. Tax cuts for the rich. They'll never figure it out.

"We're already paying for health care for everybody who gets it, including people who don't have health insurance coverage who are taken care of when they go to the hospital," Grob said.

...Like the illegal immigrants that use emergency services for health care. This ‘group’ approach for determining the will of the people is weaker than the dreaded poll. I suspect even Democrats won’t fall for it. Run Hillary Run!
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Slow News Day

It's a slow news day, so much so that the main story seems to be the fact that today's date is 6/6/6. So in what is fast becoming a TSW tradition, I give you the honorable Marion Barry (Pre City Council):

"I am clearly more popular than Reagan. I am in my third term. Where's Reagan? Gone after two! Defeated by George Bush and Michael Dukakis no less."

Amen!
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Illegal Immigrant Watching

I'm not sure if I should laugh or cry.

Web users to 'patrol' US border

The plan will allow web users worldwide to watch Texas' border with Mexico and phone the authorities if they spot any apparently illegal crossings.

Texas Governor Rick Perry said the cameras would focus on "hot-spots and common routes" used to enter the US.

The Texas governor announced his plans for streaming the border surveillance camera footage over the internet at a meeting of police officials on Thursday.

If we know where the common routes are, this seems like a silly way to deal with it. Imagine what a fence could do. Why not park the Border Patrol there?
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Gone Fishing

Back Soon!