February 2006 Archives
After the pathetic rumor-mongering about drinking being the cause of Dick Cheney's hunting accident, after the MSM's seething attacks on the White House because it was scooped by a small-town paper, after all the cruel jokes at the expense of a man still in serious medical trouble, you'd think the left had run out of fresh ways to exploit the situation.
You'd be wrong. Bob Cesca regurgitating raw sewage on Huffington Post:
Sirius radio's Alex Bennett just broke a rumor that the delay in reporting the news that Cheney shot an old man in the heart was due to an effort to hide or spin Cheney's female companion.
Pamela Willeford (shown right), ambassador to Switzerland and -- yes -- Liechtenstein, was part of the hunting excursion with Cheney and Whittington. And according to Willeford's account, Cheney and the ambassador were side-by-side when the shooting of Whittington took place.
The vice president's Secret Service detail had to decide what to do with Willeford by way of perhaps covering up her relationship with Cheney, and thus the delay in reporting the news.
The rumor goes that Lynn Cheney isn't happy with Cheney's close relationship with Willeford.
Again, just a rumor.
But obviously a rumor you thought was worth repeating, right Bob? Absolutely disgusting.
Added: Cenk Uygur swims in the toilet as well, but with a twist: "It's possible that the only thing more damaging than the Vice President shooting someone might be his mistress shooting someone."
Also, for those that place credence in these vile rumors, apparently Willeford's husband was also on the ranch. Any remorse? Cenk:
"I just read RJ's piece where Tucker Carlson confronted him with the "fact" that Willeford's husband was also on the ranch. First of all that's pretty kinky, Dicky. Second of all, how do we know they didn't chopper the dude in after the quail hit the fan? Third of all, this theory was fun while it lasted"
All that hatred is twisting their minds...
And it's still doing just fine, thank you:
Dow Jumps Past 11,000; Nasdaq Also Rises
It's going to be hard for the Democrats to continue to spin the economy as a disaster. People will eventually notice.
That would be Justice Antonin Scalia. Speaking at a Federalist Society gathering, he addressed the subject of the "living constitution":
"That's the argument of flexibility and it goes something like this: The Constitution is over 200 years old and societies change. It has to change with society, like a living organism, or it will become brittle and break."
"But you would have to be an idiot to believe that," Scalia said. "The Constitution is not a living organism, it is a legal document. It says something and doesn't say other things."
I hope the liberals who kept harping about the "living constitution" during the Roberts and Alito hearings take note - this was directed at you.
If the Supreme Court ever starts an OJT program, I want Scalia to run it.
I wish Justice Scalia could hear the applause in my household. Justice Scalia, please don't ever change.
Via AP/Yahoo:
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A federal judge ruled Tuesday that confessed al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui will not be in the courtroom for jury selection at his upcoming death-penalty trial, after Moussaoui again defied the judge at a pretrial hearing.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said her main reason for holding Tuesday's hearing was to determine "how Mr. Moussaoui plans to behave ... whether you plan to remain quiet ... or whether you plan to make speeches."
The 37-year-old Frenchman of Moroccan descent, who pleaded guilty last April to conspiring with al-Qaida to use aircraft to target U.S. buildings, then walked to the lectern and pulled out what appeared to be a handwritten speech. "You have been trying to organize my death for four years," Moussaoui told the judge.
He launched into yet another effort to disavow his court-appointed lawyers and in the process offered diatribes against President Bush and the French people.
At various points in a rambling speech, he called Bush "a crusader" who was "launching a new campaign of revenge against terrorists."
Despite his French citizenship, he said in heavily French-accented English: "I'm not French .... I stand here as a Muslim only. I do not stand here with a nation of homosexual crusaders."
As Brinkema repeatedly tried to quiet him, Moussaoui complained that for four years she had denied him an opportunity to explain his objections to the defense lawyers. "Today is my day," he plunged on. "If I can't make sure that those people are not going to represent me I know that I am dead."
He then referred to his three attorneys as a "federal lawyer," a "KKK" (Ku Klux Klan) and a "geisha."
Brinkema sternly broke in: "I'm not going to permit you to use a federal courtroom to malign your lawyers."
Without raising his voice, Moussaoui responded, "You own everything — the defense, the judge, the attack (prosecutors). I am al-Qaida. I am your sworn enemy."
To which Brinkema responded: "Mr. Moussaoui, you are the biggest enemy of yourself."
She asked again if he would remain quiet or leave. "I'm going to leave," he responded. He gathered his papers, leaving his text behind. "This is for you."
"God curse you and America," Moussaoui said as he left the courtroom. He was wearing a white knit cap and a green prison jumpsuit with "prisoner" in white block letters on the back.
Brinkema ruled that Moussaoui had forfeited his right to be present and will have to watch jury selection on closed circuit television from his cell at the courthouse.
If there are doubts that he's involved in 9/11, Moussaoui is working hard to remove them. I bet it's going to be a short trial.
The 78-year old attorney that was accidentally shot by the Vice President last weekend has apparently had a heart attack:
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The 78-year-old lawyer who was shot by Vice President Dick Cheney in a hunting accident has some birdshot lodged in his heart and he had "a minor heart attack" Tuesday morning, hospital officials said.
The victim, Harry Whittington, was immediately moved back to the intensive care unit for further treatment, said Peter Banko, the administrator at Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial in Texas.
Banko said there was an irregularity in the heartbeat caused by a pellet, and doctors performed a cardiac catheterization. Whittington expressed a desire to leave the hospital, but Banko said he would probably stay for another week to make sure more shot doesn't move to other organs or to other part of his body.
"Some of the birdshot appears to have moved and lodged into part of his heart in what we would say is a minor heart attack," Banko said in a news conference outside the hospital.
David Blanchard, chief of emergency care, called it "a silent heart attack, an asymptomatic heart attack. He's not had a heart attack in the traditional sense."
The doctors said Whittington did not experience symptoms of a heart attack or any other problems. They left the birdshot in place and said he could live a healthy life with it there.
Michelle Malkin has called for a moratorium on the jokes until more is known about his condition - seems appropriate to me. In the meantime, the press has sought out hunting experts to cast blame on the Vice President:
Hunting safety experts interviewed Monday agreed it would have been a good idea for Whittington to announce himself — something he apparently didn't do, according to a witness. But they stressed that the shooter is responsible for avoiding other people.
"It's incumbent upon the shooter to assess the situation and make sure it's a safe shot," said Mark Birkhauser, president-elect of the International Hunter Education Association and hunter education coordinator in New Mexico. "Once you squeeze that trigger, you can't bring that shot back."
(added) And lets hope the media calms down a little after their seething attacks on the White House yesterday. Other than rage over being scooped by a smal town newspaper, they had no justification for their blustering. When an accident occurs, citizens have a duty to call proper authorities such as fire, police, medical, etc. No such requirement exists to inform the press at all, much less in a timely fashion or in a specific order.
Best wishes to Mr Whittington and his family. Lets hope for a full recovery.
At least temporarily... Been dealing with some family health issues, and it's not over yet. So posting will be sporadic for the near future.
Cheers,
LB
John over at Powerline calls this AP post by Toni Locy the Dumbest News Story Ever. He says of the reporters involved:
"...either AP reporters are too lazy to spend 30 seconds on Google to educate themselves as to what happened during the ancient history of 2003, or they write articles that are deliberately misleading."
Ancient history it may be, but I'm sure that most of you will recognize this as another sign of the AP's laziness or desire to rewrite history:
Wilson's revelations cast doubt on President Bush's claim in his 2003 State of the Union address that Niger had sold uranium to Iraq to develop a nuclear weapon as one of the administration's key justifications for going to war in Iraq.
Now I'm never going to be more than an amateur historian, but even I can remember that Bush didn't make that claim.
about this announcement from a few minutes ago:
Anti-war mom Sheehan will not run for Senate
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Cindy Sheehan, the anti-Iraq war activist whose son was killed in the conflict there, put an end to speculation on Thursday that she would launch a long-shot bid to become a U.S. senator from California.
Sheehan, speaking in front of San Francisco City Hall, said she would not run for the office.
"If I thought that running for Senate would bring our young people home more quickly I would do it in a minute, but I am not convinced that that would do so," Sheehan said.
Cindy running for Senate would have been great fun - I would have shelled out for pay-per-view to see her debate Dianne Feinstein. Now I'm going to have to look elsewhere for comic relief during the election. Bummer.
I almost missed this last night - a sign of continued growth in the economy:
Wal-Mart to Open About 1,500 New Stores
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to open more than 1,500 stores in the United States in the coming years, on top of nearly 3,200 it already operates, the world's largest retailer said Tuesday.
I assume that most of those, along with the thousands of new jobs they'll create, will reside outside of Maryland - right, union puppets? Here's another bit of trivia about economic growth outside of the Old Line State:
Wal-Mart opened 69 new stores and Sam's Clubs in January, a company record for one month, it announced last week.
With that kind of growth, one has to wonder where UFCW and it's WakeUpWalMart appendage will find enough bodies to populate the anti-growth, anti-business picket lines. Hmmm... I wonder where a union can get minimum wage, no-benefit, stand-in-the-sun-all-day-with-only-2-minute-breaks workers to take the load off union staff so they can help workers achieve better wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions? Hmmm?
Maybe they could ask the carpenter's union for advice.
Update (3:28 PM): Maybe there's a chance that a few of those job-creating, economy-boosting new stores might eventually find their way into Maryland after all.
Justice Steven Breyer speaks out on his judicial philosophy:
CHICAGO - Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer says he frequently makes decisions about a law's constitutionality by considering its purposes and consequences, which puts him at odds with fellow justices who try to adhere strictly to the language of the Constitution.
Breyer, on the court since 1994, didn't single out any particular justice or discuss his new colleagues, John Roberts and Samuel Alito, during his speech Tuesday at the University of Chicago Law School.
He said, however, that he hadn't detected any split on the high court along Republican and Democratic ideological lines.
"I haven't seen that kind of politics in the Supreme Court. Zero. It doesn't exist," he said.
Breyer talked about other differences in how the justices make decisions, saying they can consult six basic criteria in assessing a law: the language of the law, the history of the text, tradition behind the text, precedents, the purpose of the law and the consequences of letting the law stand or striking it down.
"I tend to emphasize purpose and consequences," said Breyer, who was nominated for the high court by President Clinton. "Others emphasize language, a more literal reading of the text, history and tradition — believing that those help you reach a more objective answer."
As examples of his own stress on consequences, Breyer pointed to two decisions last year involving the Ten Commandments.
He decided a display of the commandments in front of two Kentucky courthouses was unconstitutional because he concluded their display would cause religious conflict. But he found that removing a similar display that had been in front of the Texas State Capital for years would not, so he ruled it constitutional.
This is why the SCOTUS nominations of Alito and Roberts were so important. And if we have another opening, critical. Constitutional issues should be based on the constitution, not a someone's idea of what a nice result would be. The view that Justice Breyer holds is the same one that drives the judicial activism that has marginalized the voter's decisions countless times in recent years. This is the view that allows the left to gain through the courts what they never could at the ballot box.
Thanks to Justice Breyer for reminding us.
That's the theme of an editorial by Amir Taheri in today's WSJ online. I urge you to go and read it all, as it offers some interesting insight on the demonstration organizers and their divergence with the principles of Islam - but here's a sample:
"But how representative of Islam are all those demonstrators? The "rage machine" was set in motion when the Muslim Brotherhood--a political, not a religious, organization--called on sympathizers in the Middle East and Europe to take the field. A fatwa was issued by Yussuf al-Qaradawi, a Brotherhood sheikh with his own program on al-Jazeera. Not to be left behind, the Brotherhood's rivals, Hizb al-Tahrir al-Islami (Islamic Liberation Party) and the Movement of the Exiles (Ghuraba), joined the fray. Believing that there might be something in it for themselves, the Syrian Baathist leaders abandoned their party's 60-year-old secular pretensions and organized attacks on the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus and Beirut."
Well, we're used to seeing the left use Wal-Mart as a club. But using it as a club on each other....
"For those not in the know, Clinton served on Wal-Mart’s board for six years prior to her husband’s run for the presidency. She recently received $5,000 from Wal-Mart. I’ve raised the Wal-Mart relationship repeatedly in my current race against Clinton and it causes deep unease among voters. I believe it speaks to the incumbent’s close ties to abusive corporate power: her large corporate financial contributions, her support for so-called “free trade” (which is simply trade to benefit corporations) and her unwillingness to confront corporate power that denies every American, among other things, universal health insurance.
"So, I had to chuckle when I read that Clinton, having never said a bad word about the company in the past, recently said that Wal-Mart should pay more for its workers’ health benefits. And, to boot, she returned the $5,000 she had received from the company. But, when asked what she did about the company’s benefits for workers when she served on the board, she replied, “Well, you know, I, that was a long time ago ... have to remember…”
"You can’t have it both ways. You can’t promote an image of being an intelligent woman who has a pile of facts at her fingertips but, at the same time, you suffer a sudden bout of amnesia when asked to answer for your record. And it would be an inconvenient record to defend."
Chuckle, hell. I'm laughing.
that I posted today. TB saw it and asked the obvious question that I missed:
"Are they bragging or complaining?"
Well, they don't look very happy...
As a political prop first reared it's ugly head at the Wellstone memorial rally in Minnesota during the last election. It was tasteless and crass then. It was beyond exploitive when Cindy Sheehan, cheered by the left, ground her filthy sneakers into her dead son's corpse to promote a political agenda, and no less so now as Rev. Joseph Lowry turned the Coretta Scott King funeral into a Bush bash. This is a disgusting practice, and today's display was even more so coming from a religious leader.
Maybe no one else will say this, but I will. There are cultures in the world that routinely use death and martyrdom as a tool for inciting the masses. The left should be careful what tactics they adopt - it may lead to comparison.
The violence continues in the cartoon war, and some more have weighed in on who's responsible. Previous entries included the Danish clerics who shopped the cartoons and other material around on their "Tour of Hate 2006", and the strained theory that Denmark's refusal to issue an apology for a few cartoons is to blame.
Today's entries are from Afghanistan and Iran. First, Iran's predictable view:
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tuesday that publication of the caricatures was an Israeli conspiracy motivated by anger over the victory of the militant Hamas group in last month's Palestinian elections.
"The West condemns any denial of the Jewish Holocaust, but it permits the insult of Islamic sanctities," Khamenei said.
We also condemn denial of reality, Ali. And this somewhat more disturbing assertation from Afghanistan:
Provincial governor Mohammed Latif said he suspected al-Qaida may have had a hand in the unrest. He said two men from eastern Afghanistan were arrested during the protest and were being interrogated.
"The violence today looked like a massive uprising. It was very unusual," Latif said.
If this pans out, does it mean some tie between the Danish Imams and Al-Qaida? Just something to keep an eye on...
It appears to me that yesterday's hearing didn't accomplish much unless you're a politician trying to get face time in front of a camera. Even that didn't pan out very well for Senators Kennedy and Durbin, who found pajama-clad journalist Paul Mirengoff from Powerline to be an unexpected surprise. Thumbs up to Paul!
Enjoy it while you can, though. Many liberal politicians routinely avoid reporters from Fox News. I expect most bloggers, especially those associated with sleepwear, to be treated in a similar fashion soon enough.
- Back to the hearings. Future hearings will be non-productive as well. Republicans who believe the President acted within the law are unlikely to change many minds.
Democrats in congress, by and large, also believe that the President acted lawfully. Before you argue, please recall that not one has asked that the program be stopped, and don't forget that several leading Democrats were briefed regularly on the program but raised no fuss until the NYT story gave them a political windfall.
The damage isn't going to be critical, though, as long as the Democrats continue to blunt the attack with their own stupidity. Dems who are helping the Republicans fall into two categories - the first being the aforementioned Dems who were briefed regularly but didn't raise a fuss or ask that the program be discontinued. This stands in stark contrast to the sudden breathless assertions that the President broke the law. Even if the MSM hasn't highlighted the anomoly, lots of the public have noticed.
The other category of Democrats are in far greater abundance - these are the ones who complain they weren't briefed, and yet still contend they have enough information to declare "Bush Broke The Law!" in no uncertain terms. If you want quality partisan hackery, look no further. Working from the Howard Dean book of schizophrenic politics should have consequences. If they're so sure that the program is illegal, let them argue it in court. Without discovery. After all, "Bush broke the law".
And while we're at it, why have hearings at all? If Kennedy and Durbin already know the answers, why would they need to ask questions?
Hearings aside, the NSA thing will continue to be difficult for the Republicans. This is for two reasons:
1. The issue involves complex legal concepts not easy for the public to understand, and some of it falls into murky gaps and overlaps of law. And none of the President's or AG's explanations make for good sound bites.
2. Unfortunately, the whole darn thing is classified. This has made the explanations from the right seem strained and easy for the left to paint as evasive.
No, hearings aren't the answer here. The only way to put this matter to bed is to have a court decide - and soon.
Via AP/Yahoo:
Fires damaged three more rural churches in Alabama following rash of suspected arsons that burned five churches south of Birmingham last week, a state official said Tuesday.
Ragan Ingram, a spokesman for the state insurance agency that oversees fire investigations, said the fires were at a church near Aliceville in Pickens County, near Emelle in Sumter Country and near Boligee in Greene County.
He said the extent of damage was not immediately known and it wasn't immediately clear when the three churches burned. State and federal fire investigators were sent to the scenes, he said.
"Obviously we're going to investigate these as suspected arsons," Ingram said.
No indication yet as to why someone is doing this, but the police are looking for a dark Nissan Pathfinder that was spotted near one of Friday's fires.
Here's hoping that the police find whoever is responsible soon.
The violent protests engineered by Islamic leaders continues again today. Here's a short photo round-up of the manufactured outrage:
In Pakistan, journalists use the cartoon protest to engage in a little gratuitous antisemitism:
Meanwhile, I've noticed a trend in the signage used. Either the leaders of the protests have become concerned that they're not helping their cause with threats of a European 9/11, of the media are now focusing on more moderate slogans:
Here are some more Pakistani "Journalists" protesting free speech by burning a cartoonist in effigy:
In Bethlehem, Palestinians protest the cartoons by burning an American flag:
As the initial rage dies down, the hard core get creative. Here's a Palestinian man spitting benzine onto a burning Danish flag:
In Tehran, a boy shows that the indoctrination didn't take as he gives up the protest to play with a toy horse:
Also in Iran, a protester shoots for drama:
And this man trying to climb the Danish embassy fence is a member of the clergy:
Bangladesh can now be added to the list of countries with protests. Fewer signs about cartoons here, more about hate:
Also added is Egypt:
In London, Omar Khayam (the man pictured below dressed as a suicide bomber in front of the Danish embassy) was arrested today for violating his parole, and is being sent back to prison. There has to be a lesson in here somewhere...
Previous:
Kofi speaks out on cartoon unrest
Danish Imams responsible for more deaths
What are you having for dinner tonight?
Validation of cartoons spreads
Syria: It's Denmark's Fault
If the cartoon fits...An Interesting Contrast For You
"Extremists... prove the cartoonists right"
Captain Ed pans Begala and Carville's flight of fantasy into campaign finance reform.
Yet another must read from Captain Ed.
To Bob at Crazy Politico's Rantings for getting honorable mention in the Best So Far Awards at Blogging Out Loud.
Way to go! Hopefully you'll win next time!
Via Bloomberg:
Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said violence triggered by the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad isn't justified and called on Muslims to refrain from more attacks on Nordic diplomatic missions after protests in Lebanon, Syria and other Islamic nations.
Well, that should do it. Protest over. Annan also feels that heaping false adulation on Muslims could work:
Muslims should accept the apology given by the newspaper and act in the "true spirit of a religion famed for its values of mercy and compassion," Annan said in his statement, according to the UN.
Ah, yes - the mercy and compassion of sharia law...
During the violence incited by the Danish clerics' "Tour of Hatred 2006", Afghanistan holds claim to the latest victims:
KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan security forces opened fire on demonstrators Monday, leaving at least four dead, as increasingly violent protests erupted around the world over published caricatures of Islam's Prophet Muhammad. European and Muslim politicians pleaded for calm.
The worst of the violence was outside Bagram, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, with Afghan police firing on some 2,000 protesters as they tried to break into the heavily guarded facility, said Kabir Ahmed, the local government chief.
I put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Danish clerics and Islam in general. It couldn't be clearer that these so-called "clerics" are happy to use their own as cannon fodder in their lust for power and conquest.
You know, this time of year TB and I look to the classics for mid-winter mealtime fare. And what could be more classic than a meal of ham?
And there are no finer hams than the fine imported Danish Crown family of hams. Whether you choose a Plumrose ham packed in natural juices, or our personal favorite, the DAK ham packed in water, you've got a winner of a meal that is sure to satisfy the entire family. That's why they're the official canned hams of DGITL!
And there's also no better way to show your patriotism. Denmark is a proud supporter of the Global War on Terror, and a participating member of the coalition helping to create a free and safe Iraq - so your support to the economy of Denmark makes all of us safer.
They're available at any freedom-loving grocer - so why not stop by and grab a Danish ham today. Better yet, get two - they make great gifts!
This might actually go under the radar today considering the NSA hearing and the cartoon war news:
Moussaoui Removed From Court for Outburst
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Proclaiming "I am al-Qaida," Zacarias Moussaoui was escorted from a federal courtroom in Alexandria on Monday at the outset of jury selection in his terrorist conspiracy trial. As he was removed by federal marshals, he shouted, "This trial is a circus."
The acknowledged al-Qaida conspirator, often a volatile figure in the courtroom, got almost immediately into an argument with U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, demanding "I want to be heard" and saying of his lawyers, "These people do not represent me."
He left with his hands on his head, offering no resistance.
Remember that he already pled guilty to six conspiracy counts. The jury being selected is to ponder the applicability of the death penalty. The sentencing trial is scheduled for March 6 and is expected to last as long as a month.
This quote from this morning's NSA hearings is one of the most shamelessly dishonest I've heard from the Democrats:
Sen. Patrick Leahy: "My concern is for peaceful Quakers who are being spied upon, and other law-abiding Americans and babies and nuns who are placed on terrorist watch lists..."
I guess that sets the tone for today, doesn't it? The Dems appear to want to top their performance in the Alito confirmation hearing.
The validation of the cartoon's stereotypes continues and spreads to other countries. Today, it's Indonesia:
Iraq:
Jordan:
India:
Afganistan:
Thailand:
and Iran:
I'll have more later this morning.
In an earlier post, I opined that the violence is the fault of Islam and it's seeming unwillingness to encourage it's people to act in a civil fashion. The Syrian press government doesn't agree with me:
Syria blamed Denmark for the protests, criticizing the Scandinavian nation for refusing to apologize for the caricatures of Islam's holiest figure.
"(Denmark's) government was able to avoid reaching this point ... simply through an apology" as requested by Arab and Muslim diplomats, state-run daily Al-Thawra said in an editorial Sunday.
Hmmm... Maybe this isn't so hard to sort out after all...
And then there's this:
"Insulting the prophet was unacceptable, resentful, and a sign of barbarism," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said, adding that Tehran planned to take further action.
No, Hamid. These are signs of barbarism:
(H/T to Michelle Malkin for the photo)
Update (1:00 PM): More examples of barbarism (H/T Michelle Malkin).
Yesterday I discussed my weekly visit to the swamps of the Huffington Post. While a lot of blogs have commented on Kennedy and Kerry inciting the eternally angry over at Daily Kos, the real hotbed of echodom is occuring under Arianna's flag.
During last week's State of the Union Address, President Bush called for setting aside partisanship and promoted a more civil approach to running the country. After the SOTU address, where did the Dems go to show how civil they can be? Huffington Post, of course. Kos isn't the only moonbat magnet on the web, you know. Here a list of some of the notables along with some examples of what they're echoing:
"In a week where a journalist is being held hostage and another was seriously wounded, it is clear Iraq is falling apart and the President has no plan to get us out."
I guess he feels the bad fortune of two journalists are the sole indicator of our success or failure. Conyers gets a bonus quote from a post dripping with political envy:
"This was followed by the same old deceptions about his secret domestic spying program. His stubborn defense of lawlessness bears a striking resemblance to his defense of using fabricated intelligence to manipulate the nation into war."
He manages to tout two themes in one statement here. First, without so much as a hearing, much less an indictment, he repeats the Democrat mantra of "illegal" and "lawless" (you'll recall this from the same left that fought so hard to save a convicted killer in California not so long ago...).
Next is Rep. Hilda L. Solis:
"President Bush also spoke of reducing America’s dependency on foreign oil and being a democratic leader in the world, yet since he took office America’s dependency has increased by nearly 10 percent and he has engaged in a campaign to violate Americans’ civil liberties."
I love her ability to combine unrelated topics, don't you? And by the way, whose civil liberties have been violated? Have 'em step forward, please...
"It Was a Nice Break from Reality TV"...
"The State of the Union showed that once again, the President is choosing lobbyists and special interests over the American people."
Nice try, Nancy. Hard to buy that "special interest" crap from someone who sounds like a PR hack for NARAL and Planned Parenthood. Of course, if the wicked witch of the west didn't spend so much time watching TV, maybe she could produce an agenda for her constituency that consisted of something more substantial than "I hate Bush".
"the explanations about the President's illegal program to spy on the American people were inadequate."...
"the President just repeated his pattern of insisting that we should trust his leadership, while he takes a pass on the tough issues."
So much for being civil. Others you'll find on HuffPo:
Rep. John Murtha
Sen. John Kerry
Rep. Jim McDermott
Rep. George Miller
Sen. Harry Reid
Harry, as the leader of the Senate side of the Cut n' RunTM party, stunningly admits to the lack of honor among liberals - "Democrats agree with the President when he says there is no honor in retreat."
Rep. Louise Slaughter
Rep. John F. Tierney
I think this is a very good thing for Republicans. As the Democrats continue to pander to the lunatic fringe of their party, they paint themselves as crazed idealogs and unattractive to the voting public.
This is going to be a very fun election year.
Via AP/Yahoo:
Army Teaches Troops How to Pick a Spouse
WASHINGTON - They are the Pentagon's new "rules of engagement" — the diamond ring kind. U.S. Army chaplains are trying to teach troops how to pick the right spouse, through a program called "How To Avoid Marrying a Jerk."
I'm sure that this program will be widely ridiculed, but folks who have served (like me) will tell you story after story of fellow troops who could have used the advice. I've known way too many to marry within weeks after the first date, or marry a foreign national whose singular goal was to gain entry into the US. While sometimes these marriages work out well, all too often they end tragically, adding to the high rates of divorce and domestic violence in military communities.
Kudos to the Army for supporting the person as well as the warrior.
LYON, France - A man considered a mastermind of the USS Cole bombing that killed 17 sailors in a Yemeni port in 2000 was among 23 people who escaped from a Yemen prison last week, Interpol said Sunday.
The international police agency issued an "urgent global security alert" for those who escaped Friday from the prison via a tunnel. It called the escapees "dangerous individuals."
A Yemen security official announced the escape of convicted al-Qaida members Friday but did not provide details.
Interpol said in a statement that at least 13 of the 23 escapees were convicted al-Qaida fighters, who escaped via a 140-yard-long tunnel "dug by the prisoners and co-conspirators outside."
Yemeni officials confirmed to Interpol that a man considered a mastermind of the Cole attack, identified as Jamal al-Badawi, was among those who escaped.
Al-Badawi was among those sentenced to death in September 2004 for plotting the USS Cole attack. Two suicide bombers blew up an explosives-laden boat next to the destroyer as it refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden on Oct. 12, 2000.
Another of the 23 escapees was identified as Fawaz Yahya al-Rabeiee, considered by Interpol to be one of those responsible for a 2002 attack on the French tanker Limburg off Yemen's coast. That attack killed a Bulgarian crew member and spilled 90,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf of Aden.
I'm curious how an effort to dig a 140-yard long tunnel could go unnoticed - you simply don't dig a tunnel this long in a day.
Unfortunately, I'm sure we're going to see these folks again as they rejoin their old pals. It's just a matter of time.
Many in the Muslim world continue to validate the stereotypes depicted in the forbidden cartoons today. Yesterday it was embassies in Syria, today the Danish Embassy in Lebanon gets treated to modern Islam's version of peaceful protest:
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Muslims protesting caricatures of Islam's prophet set fire Sunday to a building housing the Danish Embassy in Lebanon as security forces fired tear gas in an attempt to stop the protesters.
Thousands of protesters took part in the protest but only a small group of Islamic extremists tried to break the security barrier, prompting troops to fire tear gas and water cannons to disperse them, said the official.
Troops also fired bullets into the air and over the protesters' heads. Demonstrators attacked policemen with stones and set fire to several fire engines, witnesses said. Black smoke was seen billowing from the area. They also burned Danish flags.
Here's some pics of folks peacefully expressing their disagreement with some editorial cartoons:
To be fair, there are a few voices urging calm:
Lebanese Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Kabbani denounced the violence, saying there were infiltrators among the protesters trying to "harm the stability of Lebanon." Speaking on Future TV, he appealed for calm and said there were some who were trying to exploit the protests to cause trouble and "distort the image of Islam."
One can only hope that he's referring to the unpublished images widely distributed in Muslim countries for the express purpose of getting just the reaction we're seeing today.
Others in the region engage in denial as to the nature and scope of the protests. For instance, Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Saniora:
"Those who are committing these acts have nothing to do with Islam or with Lebanon," said Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. "This is absolutely not the way we express our opinions."
He probably doesn't have cable TV, which has been showing massive crowds engaged in "committing these acts". As for his view that it has nothing with Islam, I suggest he take a closer look at the sign, flags, and garments in the news coverage. Here's a photo of one of the protesters. Three guesses what he's holding, and the first two don't count:
Here's another from other protests in Lebanon today:
Lebanon isn't the only location for protests today. This is the scene in Turkey - the first photo shows Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen being burned in effigy, the second shows a sign that reads "May the hands that reach out against our Prophet be destroyed", the third is a separate effigy burning:
And more burning in effigy in Pakistan - check the size of the crowds:
But of course, it's only a handful of folks who have nothing to do with Islam.
The shameful and inevitable capitulation of governments in Europe to this kind of behavior will serve to spur even more violence in the future - because it works.
For those that dismiss these events as just childish emotional venting, I remind them that the above photos aren't of a kindergarden class - these are large numbers of adults who take to the streets and cheer every time some brainwashed robot takes his own life (along with women and children's lives) in the name of Allah. These are adults who encourage their children to violently hate the part of the world that does not follow Islam. These are the same adults who would welcome the destruction of Israel and the slaughter of each and every one of it's citizens.
Yes, these are sweeping generalizations. But in the absence of proof to the contrary being offered by Muslim leaders, how do they expect the world to see them?
When I see a protest of this size denouncing Islamic violence, I'll change my tune.
When the Palestinian's elected leaders changes it's charter, I'll change my tune.
When Iran's leaders, blessed by high-level Islamic clergy, stops calling for genocide, I'll change my tune.
No matter how offensive the cartoon are (and I agree that they are) nothing excuses the tidal wave of violent behavior we're witnessing today. And you can't blame Europe, either. This is the fault of Islam in general.
Time and time again since 9/11 there have calls to the Muslim community to police it's own. The response has never been more than tepid at best. It's time for the call to go out yet again - can Muslim leaders actually lead?
It's time for the Muslim leaders to show the world what Islam really stands for - are the cartoonists right?
The protest will probably die down in the next week or so. But it should serve as an eye-opener to a Europe that desperately needs it. Are they going to pay attention?
On weekends I get a chance to visit lots more places on the web than during the week. One of my regular stops is Huffington Post - mostly because of the "Weekly World News" -like quality of the headlines in the news area. No matter what the linked news item says, you can count on the folks at HuffPo to put a bizarre spin on it.
Today, though, I notice the church-burning story I referenced yesterday being mentioned on their home page, and thought I'd see what the comments were like. Here's a sample:
"Since most members of the clergy are fraudulent parasites, it's quite possible that this is just some sort of insurance scam." - Posted by: MoeLarryAndJesus on February 03, 2006 at 04:45pm
"Too bad it wasn't Pat Robertson's church with him in it." - Posted by: razorboy666 on February 03, 2006 at 04:47pm
IF THERE is a place to send money to those who are performing this public service, please post it.
THESE UBIQUITOUS churches are tax-exempt freeloading social clubs for the dimwitted, as common as kudzoo, and even less attractive.
"I ADMIT harboring thoughts of destruction whenever i see one of those stereotypical "victory" southern baptist churches, with the crosses for abortuses lining the hillsides, the proselytizing billboards, and the 50 foot illuminated mega-cross just off the interstate... pass the gasoline and the torch!" - Posted by: spinoza on February 03, 2006 at 04:51pm
"Unfortunately, burning the buildings won't get rid of the religious dogma. The ones promoting it will just build another." Posted by: lidia on February 03, 2006 at 06:24pm
"These were White church's maybe it was the hand of God smiting them for preaching false doctrin" Posted by: NICK19367 on February 03, 2006 at 09:07pm
"Well, gee, hells' bells, if you have to positively, absolutely burn something..." Posted by: HGMercury on February 04, 2006 at 01:08am
"This is somehow Bush's fault. Now sure how yet, but I know it." Posted by: jonwilson on February 04, 2006 at 02:24am
" down, a few hundred thousand more to go..........." Posted by: jhastey on February 04, 2006 at 02:31am
"WITHOUT DOUBT IT MUST BE DIVINE RETRIBUTION, THESE PEOPLE RAISED GOD'S IRE, BY SUPPORTING EVIL MEN LIKE BU$H, LOOKOUT !" Posted by: dapper on February 04, 2006 at 09:42am
Offered without comment.
For those that feel that the Danish cartoons are a "hate crime", or "persecution" - you really don't have to go far to put these charges in the perspective they deserve:
CENTREVILLE, Ala. — The search for a possible arsonist or arsonists was under way Friday after six small churches in rural Alabama were found burning. At least five of the fires were suspected to have been set deliberately.
The fires were set "as fast as they could drive from one location to the next," Bibb County Chief Deputy Sheriff Kenneth Weems said of the cluster of blazes, all near U.S. 82 and Highway 139.
Most of the churches were Baptist and all were in Bibb County, about 25 miles south of Birmingham. Of the five suspected to have been targeted by arsonists, three were destroyed and two others were damaged.
So far, no Baptists have threatened to cut anyone's head off.
So far, no Baptists have threatened a holocaust.
So far, no Baptists have taken to the streets in scenes like these.
Isn't perspective wonderful?
Update: Terrific roundup of the cartoon insanity at All Things Beautiful.
That's the take of French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy on the violent demonstrations over the Danish cartoons:
"I am totally shocked and find it unacceptable that -- because there have been caricatures in the West -- extremists can burn flags or take fundamentalist or extremist positions which would prove the cartoonists right," he told LCI television.
Indeed. It's interesting to see Europe struggling with multiculturalism, after years of claiming superiority in this area. But it also highlights the dangers of multiculturalism to every nation - many European nations are now deciding whether to shift their national values with the introduction of each new immigrant.
We've been struggling with the same issues over here, to the point that we actually ignore immigration laws in some cities so that illegal immigrants feel safe applying for college grants and food stamps. But there is at least one major difference in the conflict here and that being waged across the Atlantic.
Our response to the pressures of multiculturalism has been timidity and appeasement in the face of protests, lawsuits, and media pressure. Europe, on the other hand, is threatened with violence for it's offence of publishing a few cartoons. And surprisingly, there are a few in the European media willing to fight back.
But the cultural clash has grave consequences stemming directly from the larger conflict between Islam and the rest of the world:
Early Friday, Palestinian militants threw a bomb at a French cultural center in Gaza City, and many Palestinians began boycotting European goods, especially those from Denmark.
"Whoever defames our prophet should be executed," said Ismail Hassan, 37, a tailor who marched through the pouring rain along with hundreds of others in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
"Bin Laden our beloved, Denmark must be blown up," protesters in Ramallah chanted.
In mosques throughout Palestinian cities, clerics condemned the cartoons. An imam at the Omari Mosque in Gaza City told 9,000 worshippers that those behind the drawings should have their heads cut off.
"If they want a war of religions, we are ready," Hassan Sharaf, an imam in Nablus, said in his sermon.
About 10,000 demonstrators, including gunmen from the Islamic militant group Hamas firing in the air, marched through Gaza City to the Palestinian legislature, where they climbed on the roof, waving green Hamas banners.
"We are ready to redeem you with our souls and our blood our beloved prophet," they chanted. "Down, Down Denmark."
Religion of peace indeed. But while Europe's press is taking the high road, European governments are taking the traditional liberal tack of appeasement. I hope Europe realizes that it's liberal tendancies toward appeasement will ill serve them in this era. The behavior they reinforce will be used again, with perhaps consequences closer to home.
The muslims interviewed in the media would have you believe that this is about respect. Respect, though, is earned - and not through threats of violence. Respect is not earned by burning flags, or firing weapons into the air. Respect is not earned by holding a sign calling for a second holocaust.
When a government chooses to make religion it's cornerstone, it opens itself up to political critisism on that cornerstone. Since muslims can't draw a distinction between religion and politics, it can hardly expect westerners to do so either.
It's been said by many before, and it's worth saying again - when Islam cleans it's own house of the rampant killing in the name of Mohamed, maybe there will be some reason to protest the stereotypes depicted in the Danish cartoons. Until then, blaming others for the stereotypes that they themselves have reinforced deserves contempt.
"The World Can't Wait" is planning to surround the White House Saturday. Here's their entire agenda:
11 a.m. rally, 2 p.m. march to White House: 30 foot statue of Bush will be toppled.
In attendance will be:
Kathleen Chalfant, Broadway and TV actress
Ann Wright, former U.S. diplomat and military officer quit in protest of war
Martin Garbus, trial lawyer and author
Doris "Granny D" Haddock, walked across the country for campaign finance reform
Michael Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights
Boots Riley, The Coup (Hip-Hop artist)
Rev. Al Sharpton, long time activist
Thousands of People: taking to the streets and circling the White House
They're also bragging about their moonbat credentials:
World Can't Wait is quickly attracting a surprising and broad range of well-known people in public life including U.S. Congressional Representatives JOHN CONYERS, CYNTHIA MCKINNEY, MAXINE WATERS, BOBBIE RUSH, and MAJOR OWENS, along with HARRY BELAFONTE, LEWIS LAPHAM, MARK RUFFALO, SEAN PENN, SUSAN SARANDON, GLORIA STEINEM, SERJ TANKIAN, CORNEL WEST, HAROLD PINTER, and PAUL HAGGIS. Two full-page ads have appeared in the New York Times and spots are running nationally on Air America radio.
Sean Penn, Harry Belafonte, and John Conyers - no, that's neither surprising nor broad-range. And by the way, attacking a person in effigy was something we were getting used to seeing only in the middle east by seething radical types. Is the downward spiral of the angry left heading in that direction?
Of course, we get the usual spittle-flecked line about their reason for being there from the always angry and unhinged Debra Sweet:
Debra Sweet, national coordinator of World Can't Wait-Drive Out the Bush Regime, states, "Torture, war, the rule of law and separation of church state eviscerated, an extreme rightwing Supreme Court nominee goes essentially unopposed... The hour is late. This whole regime is illegitimate and criminal, and politics as usual have failed to stop it. Bush will not be indicted, impeached, or driven from office without massive, determined, unrelenting protest with the concrete demand that BUSH STEP DOWN. This is what we set out to do."
They're still arguing the 2000 election, and haven't a clue as to how justice works. First thing you have to do, folks, is prove it. Your belief that something is illegal doesn't make it so. Notice they have no "concrete" evidence to accompany their "concrete" demands. For every goal that these loonys have, there is a procedure that works. Instead of screaming at a silly statue, why not scream at your Democrat officials? There's a reason they haven't tried to impeach Bush, and it has nothing to do with their minority status.
Their reference to Alito is interesting as well. "Essentially unopposed", eh? The Dems did everything they could to smear a well-qualified candidate, the fact that they failed is less due to the lack of opposition from the left and more due to the fact that Sam Alito is the right man for the job, and proved it in the confirmation hearings.
The last paragraph from their press release is disturbing:
On the night of the State of the Union address, at exactly 9 p.m. as Bush stepped to the podium, there were World Can't Wait rallies to "drown-out Bush's lies" in over 60 U.S. cities, including Greensboro, N.C., where 7 protesters were arrested, and in Iraq where several U.S. soldiers shot rounds of artillery into the air at 9 p.m. EST to drown out Bush.
Shooting rounds of artillery into the air, with no specific target in mind, is a big no-no. I sincerely hope that someone will look into that claim. The politics of the shooter is irrelevant - artillery is not meant to be an instrument for an individual making a political statement. I would like to discount the claim as ficticious - However, if someone really did fire rounds for the sole purpose of protesting his/her own chain of command, it violated a variety of laws and regulations in addition to subjecting both civilian and military personnel and assets to a very unecessary risk.
This story from last week stayed under the radar:
Are unions crossing line with homeless pickets?
WASHINGTON -- You've heard the panhandler's common refrain, "Will work for food."
How about: "Will picket for food?"
In Washington, Baltimore, Atlanta and elsewhere in the country, union organizers are scouring shelters and recruiting homeless people to staff their picket lines, paying just above minimum wage and failing to provide health benefits.
The national carpenters' union, which broke from the AFL-CIO four years ago in a bitter dispute over organizing strategies and other issues, is hiring homeless people to stage noisy protests at nonunion construction sites.
If this sounds familiar, it is - check this from last September. The union defends their sweatshop mentality by saying it's for the greater good:
"We're giving jobs to people who didn't have jobs, people who in some cases couldn't secure work," said George Eisner, head of the union's mid-Atlantic regional council in Baltimore.
How civic minded of them. Isn't that the same argument they reject from the entry level employers like fast food and discount department stores? And by the way, why can't they man their own picket lines?
The carpenters who belong to his union, Eisner explained, are gainfully employed. With homes and offices being built or renovated and real estate booming in many urban areas, he said, the union carpenters are too busy to join the picket lines.
"Work is good, and our members are working," Eisner said. "This is just the best thing for us to do at this point."
"Gainfully" employed. Please don't bother us - we're too busy. Get some o' dem bums, ok? Here's the AFL-CIO weighing in:
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said he saw nothing wrong with unions hiring homeless people as pickets.
Of course you don't.
"The fact that the people demonstrating were not members of the union doesn't make much difference," Sweeney said. "What matters is that the carpenters working on the building had no health care and no pension."
Never mind anyone else. We're tunnelvisioned and that's all that matters.
When it was noted that the homeless pickets also had no benefits, Sweeney responded: "Our hope is that those workers -- that all workers -- would have health benefits, but that is a bigger issue."
There you have it - it's different when it's someone else. You'd think that carpenters, of an ancient and noble profession with at least one notable figure in it's history, would be more - well, Christian.
Sweeney expressed the hope that the homeless protesters "may work themselves into a full-time job where they would get benefits."
I'm sure they're endearing themselves to future employers as we speak - "Can I have a job? I know how to strike!" And if the low wages and lack of benefits weren't enough, the union won't even give them enough hours to get off the streets into an apartment:
A demonstrator in Washington, Nicey Howards, said the temporary protesters earn $8 an hour -- just a dollar above the legal minimum wage in Washington -- with no benefits. While she felt the job wasn't ideal, Howards was glad she could earn a little money while looking for something better.
Each week, Howards said, she works 20 hours, the maximum time allowed by the carpenters' union, bringing home $160.
This last line sums up the generosity of these sweatshop employers quite nicely:
The union organizers allow the hired protesters to take two-minute breaks, Howards said, but dock their pay for the time off.
Yup - unions sure are looking out for the little guy - as long as they're not too little.
Fact is, there really isn't anything wrong with what they're doing. It's legal, and I'd rather have the homeless employed rather than standing in soup lines. But when you make your living trying to force others into doing what you won't do yourself, what does that say about you?
A home run? No. But good nonetheless.
The State of the Union Address was, for me, a refreshing change from past Bush speeches. Not necessarily the content - thanks to the President's increased (and much needed) communication with "the folks" over the last few months, most of last night's address was not new. But the delivery was great.
The passion which carries even his worst deliveries was still there - and much of the annoying non-verbals (nervous smiles, head-bobbing, etc.) was missing. Pauses between sentences were shorter, although still too many - dramatic pause is best used sparingly. And his eye contact was superb - he looked directly into the camera often, and directly at the Democrat side of the room when emphasis was necessary as to who he was referring to.
The left actually helped his address by showing their stripes continuously throughout the 51 minute presentation. My favorite part was when he chided Democrats for obstructing Social Security reform, and the Democrats stood up and cheered. What a fitting display to the American public of what they really stand for. Like a four-year-old embroiled in a battle with siblings, the Democrats engage in contrarianism, opposing and obstructing anything the administration does regardless of the merits. Even when they agree, Democrats will publically oppose for the sole reason of scoring political points.
Time and time again, sane, mainstream statements were followed by applause from the right, and silence from the left. Sen. Reid appeared bored, Sen Kerry studied his shoes, and Hillary - some unusual expressions from Sen. Clinton. And did anyone else but me think the cameras of Fox News visited her way too often?
It was also gratifying to see Justice Alito enter the hall. After all the cash thrown to Dems by NARAL, NOW, and all of the other groups singularly focused on abortion as more important than any other challenge this nation faces, Alito's swearing-in earlier in the day allowed the President to formally introduce him to the American people during the SOTU - further highlighting how the Democrats have place partisan hackery above duty.
Speaking of partisan hackery, Rep. Lynn Woolsey's decision to invite Cindy Sheehan was the winner for the evening. The only possible reason to extend the invitation was in hopes that Cindy would disrupt the address, and Woolsey's act deserves significant scorn from left and right alike. Shame that it won't happen.
Cindy, by the way, plans on filing a 1st amendment lawsuit. I'm sure she'll claim that she was ejected because she disagrees with the administration. Beverly Young will stand as a testament to the false nature of her claim.
As for the content of the speech - thumbs up to his defense of the NSA wiretaps (provoking one of many sour displays from the left), as well as the energy portion. Thumbs down to border control (not nearly strong enough).
