Monday, June 30, 2008

16 Accidentally Wounded by French Military

You know the old adage: "going to war without the French is like going hunting without your accordion".

PARIS — A military shooting demonstration in southeast France on Sunday left 16 people wounded, including children, when real bullets were used instead of blank ones, officials said.

Four of the wounded were in serious condition, including a 3-year-old child, Bernard Lemaire, chief of the regional administration in Aude, said on France-3 television. Fifteen of the injured were civilians.

A Defense Ministry official said the incident occurred during a demonstration of hostage-freeing techniques at the Laperrine military barracks. The official said investigators will look into why real bullets were used.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Lawmakers urge CO2 cut targets for rich nations

Marxist income redistribution scheme, this time on a global scale.

Lawmakers from G8 rich countries and five emerging economies including China agreed on Sunday that developed countries should pledge to cut CO2 emissions by 25-40 percent by 2020.

They said developed countries should commit to reducing by at least 60-80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 and called on poorer countries to do their bit by taking "appropriate" national actions, in a framework being negotiated to fight global warming after 2012.

The proposal will be passed to G8 summit host Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Bill Clinton tells Barry to pucker up

Hardly an irrefutable source however this attitude certainly wouldn't be out of character for Bubbah.

Bill Clinton is so bitter about Barack Obama's victory over his wife Hillary that he has told friends the Democratic nominee will have to beg for his wholehearted support.

Mr Obama is expected to speak to Mr Clinton for the first time since he won the nomination in the next few days, but campaign insiders say that the former president's future campaign role is a "sticking point" in peace talks with Mrs Clinton's aides.

The Telegraph has learned that the former president's rage is still so great that even loyal allies are shocked by his patronising attitude to Mr Obama, and believe that he risks damaging his own reputation by his intransigence.

A senior Democrat who worked for Mr Clinton has revealed that he recently told friends Mr Obama could "kiss my ass" in return for his support.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Youth All-Star Game Canceled To Prevent Bruised Egos

As a little league coach I run into this sort of hyper sensitive liberal cowpie on a regular basis. We're breeding a generation of losers. Oh well at least we can make them feel good about it.

BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- A local community has canceled an all-star game for youth baseball players because it doesn't want to exclude anyone.

People in Beachwood are upset, and it's not just parents and children. The issue is when is a child just learning a game and when are they old enough to compete in it?

The city of Beachwood and its recreation department drew the line at age 12.

The phone lines lit up on WTAM on Thursday morning as parents and sports fans called to voice their opinion on the city canceling its all-star game for 9- to 12-year-olds.

For decades the game has been played on July 4, but in a letter to the coaches, the parks and recreation department said the tradition is over, saying its not their desire to exclude any child from participating in a recreation event.

The letter sites an article written by the CEO of the National Alliance for Youth Sports that says all-star games bruise young egos.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

SCOTUS:Heller Affirmed, a constitutional right to a gun

Terrific and not unexpected decision...

Answering a 127-year old constitutional question, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to have a gun, at least in one’s home. The Court, splitting 5-4, struck down a District of Columbia ban on handgun possession.

Justice Antonin Scalia’s opinion for the majority stressed that the Court was not casting doubt on long-standing bans on gun possession by felons or the mentally retarded, or laws barring guns from schools or government buildings, or laws putting conditions on gun sales.

In District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290), the Court nullified two provisions of the city of Washington’s strict 1976 gun control law: a flat ban on possessing a gun in one’s home, and a requirement that any gun — except one kept at a business — must be unloaded and disassembled or have a trigger lock in place. The Court said it was not passing on a part of the law requiring that guns be licensed.

Poll: McCain Takes Seven-Point Lead In Missouri

The true bellwether state...

A new SurveyUSA poll shows John McCain taking a decent lead in one battleground state: Missouri.

The numbers: McCain 50%, Obama 43%, with a ±4.3% margin of error. Three weeks ago, Obama had a statistically insignificant lead of 45%-43%. The race here has a very stark gender gap: Men go for McCain 60%-36%, and women for Obama 50%-41%.

This state has 11 electoral votes, and has voted for the winner in every presidential election over the last 100 years except for 1956.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Tutu: Mugabe is a Frankenstein for his people

Brothers in Marxism just the same.

Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu labeled Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe "Frankenstein" and called for other countries to intervene before the country descended into bloodshed. Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu has labelled Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe a "Frankenstein for his people"

International military action against Mugabe's regime, however, is unlikely, said Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith. And Friday's runoff election in the country will go on "no matter what," said the U.S. ambassador in Zimbabwe.

Tutu -- speaking from Capetown, South Africa -- told Australian television that Mugabe has disappointed many who held him in high regard for his role in liberating the country from "the shackles of colonialism."


The "shackles of colonialism" don't look so bad by comparison eh TUTU?

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

al Qaeda's leader in Mosul Worm Fodder

US Special Operations Forces scored a major victory in Mosul today. US forces killed al Qaeda's emir, or leader, of the northern city during a raid on a safe house.

The emir, who has not been named, was killed after a Special Operations Forces team form Task Force 88, the hunter-killer teams assigned to take down terrorists in Iraq, stormed a building in Mosul. The commandos opened fire after one of the terrorists attempted to detonate his suicide vest was shot and another reached for a pistol. A woman with the group attempted to detonate the vest on the dead al Qaeda operative.

The takedown of al Qaeda's emir in Mosul is the latest blow to the terror network in the North. On June 20, Coalition forces detained al Qaeda's security emir in Mosul. His predecessor was captured just two months prior, and his predecessor was captured in February.

Dobson: Obama ‘Distorting’ Bible

Guess what, he lies about other things as well.

As Barack Obama broadens his outreach to evangelical voters, one of the movement’s biggest names, James Dobson, accuses the likely Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible and pushing a “fruitcake interpretation” of the Constitution.

The criticism, to be aired Tuesday on Dobson’s Focus on the Family radio program, comes shortly after an Obama aide suggested a meeting at the organization’s headquarters here, said Tom Minnery, senior vice president for government and public policy at Focus on the Family.

The conservative Christian group provided The Associated Press with an advance copy of the pre-taped radio segment, which runs 18 minutes and highlights excerpts of a speech Obama gave in June 2006 to the liberal Christian group Call to Renewal. Obama mentions Dobson in the speech.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Ambush Backfires

Working out for them about as well as those circular firing squads they tried earlier.

KABUL (Reuters) - U.S.-led coalition troops killed some 55 Taliban insurgents who ambushed them in southeastern Afghanistan, close to the Pakistan border, the U.S. military said on Monday.

There has been a sharp rise in violence along Afghanistan's eastern frontier in recent months. NATO generals say de-facto ceasefires between Pakistan's new government and militants in its border region free up insurgents to infiltrate into Afghanistan.

Taliban insurgents ambushed the coalition forces with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in the Zerok district of Paktika province on Friday, a U.S. military statement said.

Hippy Dippy Weatherman Gone

photo via AP

Screwed up but very funny man. I thought he was the best in his early years and as time went on the filth and cynicism began to overshadow his comedic brilliance.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

IRAN: "Limitless Response"

Iran doesn't have an atomic bomb but they're already threatening to use it.

Iran on Sunday dismissed reports that Israel had been practising for air strikes against its nuclear drive as "psychological operations" but warned of a limitless response to any attack.

The New York Times on Friday cited US officials as saying that a major Israeli military exercise over Greece earlier this month appeared to be a dry run for a potential strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.

"It seems that a series of psychological operations have been taken to intimidate the Islamic republic and force it to renounce its absolute and legitimate right" to nuclear power, Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najar said.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Newsweek's Fantasy

Newsweak: The nationwide poll conducted by Newsweek showed Obama leading McCain by a margin of 51-36 percent, indicating that he might have got a bounce from his recent primary victory over Hillary Clinton.

Gallup:At the start of the long summer in which John McCain and Barack Obama will hone their messages and strive to fill their campaign coffers before the crucial fall campaign season, the two are nearly tied in national voter preferences, 46% for Obama and 44% for McCain.

Now which one of these organizations has an agenda do you suppose?

Three senior Mahdi Army commanders captured

And the "beat" goes on....

Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured a senior Mahdi Army commander with "close ties" to Muqtada al Sadr's office in Najaf on June 19. Two other senior Mahdi Army commanders in Baghdad and Hillah were captured on June 20 and 21.

The Mahdi Army commander captured by Iraqi special forces is thought to be "an influential advisor in west Baghdad" with close ties to the Office of the [Martyr] Sadr in Najaf," Multinational Forces Iraq reported. The commander also is able to appoint Mahdi Army officers into command positions.

The US military would not release the identity of the leader as it would "threaten security or intelligence gathering efforts," said US Navy Lieutenant Patrick Evans, a Public Affairs Officer for Multinational Corps Iraq. "The capture of this suspect will likely lead to information on other key Special Groups criminal leaders operating in the area," said Lieutenant Colonel Neil Harper, the spokesman for Multinational Corps Iraq.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Congressional Confidence in Crapper

Single digits next?

Only 12 percent of Americans now have confidence in Congress, the lowest percentage in the 35 years that the Gallup Poll has tracked the number.

Americans now view Congress less favorably any of the 14 other American institutions tracked by Gallup, including big business, newspapers and health maintenance organizations.

Even as President Bush’s approval rating languishes at a record low, more than twice as many Americans have confidence in the presidency—26 percent—than have confidence in Congress.

Petty Personified

Maybe true, maybe not but it certainly wouldn't be out of character for either one.

TIM Russert's body wasn't even cold in the ground before MSNBC anchors Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann started jockeying for his job, sources claim.

Matthews was heard loudly discussing what seemed to be his strategy for landing Russert's "Meet the Press" show at Wednesday's memorial reception for the NBC Washington bureau chief at the Kennedy Center in DC. After Brian Williams, Carl Bernstein, David Gergen, Barbara Walters and NBC brass eulogized their friend, Matthews huddled with an unidentified "agent type" and seemed to be plotting.

Meanwhile, Matthews' MSNBC cable cohort Olbermann, who was also at the memorial, is "threatening to quit if he isn't installed as Russert's replacement," another insider said. "I know, it sounds ludicrous, but, then, Keith Olbermann is ludicrous."

Thursday, June 19, 2008

The Success Continues

More good news from AJ Strata...

Prime Minister Maliki has executed another smashing success in Iraq has Iraqi forces have taken control of the Sadrist enclave of Amarah, the capitol city of Maysan Province. The initial phase was a window for militants (mostly Mahdi Militia) to surrender there arms and join society. Apparently that was very successful:

Dozens of Shiite militiamen surrendered to Iraqi forces on Wednesday hours before a deadline set by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for them to lay down their arms ahead of a new military crackdown.

Officials said the four-day deadline given to the fighters in the southern oil rich province of Maysan was successful although some militants had escaped ahead of the crackdown set to begin at midnight (2100 GMT).

In no small part this was due to the pre-surrender of the Sadrist Movement as it was facing the Iraqi government action (see here and here). During the window of amnesty Iraqi troops massed in key locations, cordoning off the area so as to make sure no remaining big fish could escape the net (many had left already for Iran, which borders the Province and the City).

Hundreds of Taliban killed in battle

So much for the Media's much ballyhood resurgence of the Taliban.

ARGHANDAB DISTRICT, Afghanistan -- Hundreds of Taliban fighters have been killed or wounded after two days of fierce fighting over a strategic area just northwest of Kandahar City that insurgents had taken over at the start of the week.

By Thursday, all that remained was the mopping up of small scattered pockets of resistance, jubilant political leaders and Afghan and Canadian military commanders told reporters from a mountainside perch overlooking the entire battlefield in a wide river valley.

"This will give them a good lesson," Kandahar Gov. Asadullah Khalid said, referring to Taliban insurgents. Mr. Khalid said residents who had fled the area when Taliban infiltrated from the mountains to the north will be allowed to return in the days ahead.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Two Muslim Women Barred from Picture at Obama Event

Such courage of conviction...

Two Muslim women at Barack Obama's rally in Detroit on Monday were barred from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the women's headscarves from appearing in photographs or on television with the candidate.

The campaign has apologized to the women, both Obama supporters who said they felt betrayed by their treatment at the rally.

"This is of course not the policy of the campaign. It is offensive and counter to Obama's commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. "We sincerely apologize for the behavior of these volunteers."

Case Against LtCol Chessani in ‘Haditha Massacre’ Dismissed

It's more than likely that the charges will not be re-initiated. That leaves only one of the original eight soldiers remaining accused and those charges are significantly less than murder. I hope every one of them sues Congressman Murtha for defamation.

In a move that prompted tears of joy from courtroom spectators, Military Judge Colonel Steven Folsom, USMC, this morning dismissed all charges against LtCol Jeffrey Chessani on the grounds of unlawful command influence. His opinion from the bench lasted an hour, and prosecutors were given 72 hours in which to notify him if they planned to appeal.

The charges were dismissed without prejudice.

Chessani was charged with dereliction of duty and orders violations for allegedly failing to investigate and report the "Haditha massacre" of November 19, 2005. He was the highest ranking officer to be charged in the well-publicized incident and would have faced dismissal from the service, loss of all retirement benefits and three years in prison had he been convicted.


If you would care to let Murtha know how you feel try these:

District office (814)535-2642

Washington D.C. office (202)225-2065

Regardless of how deferential your attitude, expect to get hung up on.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Poll: Coleman has strong lead with or without Ventura candidacy

One moderate but reasonable legislator trumps two clowns.

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura would trim support from both Sen. Norm Coleman and Coleman's DFL challenger, Al Franken, if he were to enter the U.S. Senate race, a Survey USA poll has found.

The poll of 700 Minnesota adults, taken last week, showed Coleman winning a three-way match over Franken and Ventura. Forty-one percent of poll respondents said they would support Coleman, compared with 31 percent for Franken and 23 percent for Ventura. The margin of error on that question was plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

If Ventura doesn't enter the race, 52 percent said they support Coleman and 40 percent said they were for Franken. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Larry Sinclair to Reveal Corroborating Information on His Illegal Drug Use With Obama

Didn't realize this guy was still around.

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Despite death threats and an organized campaign to prevent him from speaking publicly, Larry Sinclair - on June 18, 2008, at 2:00 PM (sign-up starting at 1 PM) in the Holeman Lounge of the National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045, will for the first time reveal the corroborating evidence for his claim that on November 6 + 7, 1999, Larry: (i) met Obama at a gay bar where Barack Obama arranged for the purchase of federal Schedule II drugs, (ii) which Larry and Obama thereafter ingested and (iii) then engaged in hi-risk, homosexual activities.

Larry's story burst on to the scene on January 18, 2008, when Larry released a short video containing these allegations on YouTube.com. That video has had close to a million views yet the mainstream media has completely ignored Larry's serious allegations. Thereafter, a clearly orchestrated campaign to discredit Larry began on the internet which forced Larry to resort to federal court to protect his reputation.

At the press conference, Larry will (i) reveal the corroborating evidence for his allegations regarding Obama, (ii) address the time-line of the response of the Obama campaign to his allegations and the murder of Donald Young, the openly gay choir director of Trinity United Church of Christ, Obama's now-former church and (iii) the significance of the refusal of U.S. District Court Judge Henry H. Kennedy, Jr. to allow Larry's case to proceed.


Interesting, I'll believe it when I see it.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Lieberman irks Democrats

WASHINGTON - Joe Lieberman is fast becoming the Democrats' public enemy No. 1.

The four-term Connecticut senator, who came tantalizingly close to being Al Gore's vice president in 2000, not only has been campaigning for his pal, presumed Republican nominee John McCain, now he's publicly criticizing the Democrats' standard-bearer, Barack Obama. Lieberman has strayed before, most notably switching from Democrat to independent in 2006 to hold onto his Senate seat after a Democratic primary loss.

But the latest betrayal has upset Democrats, who often answer in clipped but polite tones when asked about Lieberman. The reason: The independent still caucuses with the Democrats on most issues except the Iraq war, and he holds their slim political majority in his hands.


Interesting how Lieberman is termed a "betrayor" for going against Democrat orthodoxy while McCain who consistently did the exact same thing to the Republican cause was deemed a "maverick".

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Russert Dead at 58

We are all saddened by the untimely death (as if any death is timely) of Tim Russert. Now enough already. The wall to wall deification is getting ridiculous. He was after all a partisan liberal who gave conservatives a harder time than liberals and that became more obvious as time went on.

He was fairer than most but he was no Edward R Murrow. Unfortunately the Press is self worshipping so expect at least another 24 hours of insufferable genuflexion.

Addendum: Look at this quote from his physician Michael Newman... Russert had earlier been diagnosed with asymptomatic coronary artery disease, "but it was well-controlled with medication" Newman said.

Errr, maybe not Doc. Jeez, the medical establishment can be so obtuse.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Models Schmodels

More "settled" science not so settled after all...

Hot climate or cold, tree leaves stay in comfort zone: study
PARIS (AFP) - The internal temperature of leaves, whether in the tropics or a cold-clime forest, tends toward a nearly constant 21.4 degrees Celsius (71 degree Fahrenheit), reports a study released Wednesday.

It had long been assumed that actively photosynthesising leaves -- using energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar -- are nearly as cold or hot as the air around them.

The new findings not only challenge long-held precepts in plant biology, but could upend climate models that use tree rings to infer or predict past and present temperature changes.

Fox News anchor taken off air after Obama 'terrorist fist jab' gaffe

Political correctness appears to have now become the rule at Foxnews.

Fox News anchor ED Hill has lost her show a week after suggesting Barack Obama and his wife Michelle's on-stage victory gesture could be seen as a "terrorist fist jab".

Hill, the anchor of Fox News show America's Pulse, made the comment last Friday after Obama and his wife affectionately bumped fists before his victory speech on becoming the Democratic candidate for president.

"A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab? The gesture everyone seems to interpret differently," said Hill in her show. "We'll show you some interesting body communication and find out what it really says."

According to US media reports Hill, who has been with Fox News Channel since 1998, has now lost her show although she is to stay with the network in an as yet undetermined capacity.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Court gives detainees habeas rights

Justice Scalia summed it up perfectly: “The Nation will live to regret what the Court has done today."

In a stunning blow to the Bush Administration in its war-on-terrorism policies, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign nationals held at Guantanamo Bay have a right to pursue habeas challenges to their detention. The Court, dividing 5-4, ruled that Congress had not validly taken away habeas rights. If Congress wishes to suspend habeas, it must do so only as the Constitution allows — when the country faces rebellion or invasion.

The Court stressed that it was not ruling that the detainees are entitled to be released — that is, entitled to have writs issued to end their confinement. That issue, it said, is left to the District Court judges who will be hearing the challenges. The Court also said that “we do not address whether the President has authority to detain” individuals during the war on terrorism, and hold them at the U.S. Naval base in Cuba; that, too, it said, is to be considered first by the District judges.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Suicide recruits dropping in Iraq

Just more evidence that the forces opposing the coalition are in dire straits.

The United States is seeing a sharp drop in the number of foreigners entering Iraq to become al Qaeda suicide bombers, according to intelligence and Bush administration sources.

An administration official and a military adviser to Iraqi commanders attribute the decline to a fairly new phenomenon: Al Qaeda's call for mass killings in the name of Islam is losing some of its appeal with young Arabs in North Africa and Saudi Arabia, where most of the bombers originate.

The decline also parallels the battlefield losses al Qaeda has suffered in the past 12 months in Iraq's Anbar province and the greater Baghdad region. This has made it more difficult for al Qaeda in Iraq to facilitate the secret movement of foreigners from the Syrian border to safe houses where they are trained and assigned a target.

"There has been a sharp decline in the amount of suicide bombers coming into Iraq," said a senior intelligence official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "It's harder for suicide bombers to get into the country. The al Qaeda in Iraq is a shadow of what it once was. And Iraq is a more hostile area for suicide bombers to operate."

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Whitey's Fault Again

Doctors miss Cultural Needs, Study says

As researchers ponder growing evidence that blacks have worse outcomes than whites in the treatment of chronic disease, they often theorize that members of minorities suffer disproportionately from poor access to quality care. Now a new study of diabetes patients has found stark racial disparities even among patients treated by the same doctors.

The lead author of the study said in an interview that he attributed the differences less to overt racism than to a systemic failure to tailor treatments to patients’ cultural norms. The problem, said the author, Dr. Thomas D. Sequist, an assistant professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, may be that physicians do not discriminate in the way they counsel patients.

“It isn’t that providers are doing different things for different patients,” Dr. Sequist said. “It’s that we’re doing the same thing for every patient and not accounting for individual needs. Our one-size-fits-all approach may leave minority patients with needs that aren’t being met.”


My Doctor's insensitive to my cultural needs as well....he says change your behavior and lifestyle or die. Guess it's been HIS fault all along.

Voters Say 'Drill'

This could prove to be a decisive issue in the upcoming Nov election IF the Republicans have the guts to make it one.

The recent spike in oil prices and unemployment is dramatically changing this presidential campaign -- virtually overnight. The near $20 jump in oil to $140 a barrel, the unexpected half-point increase in the jobless rate to 5.5 percent (the biggest monthly increase in twenty years), and the resulting 400-point plunge in stocks has created a new campaign issue right before our eyes.

Public worry number one is now oil, jobs, and the economy, with the inflationary woes of the U.S. dollar right underneath. The candidate who can connect with these issues will win in November. But so far neither Obama nor McCain are dealing with the new political reality.

In fact, it's all about oil right now. The price has doubled over the past year while the economy has slumped.

Monday, June 09, 2008

Illness Sidelines Helen Thomas for Past Three Weeks


Helen Thomas has been off the job for the past three weeks suffering from a gastric infection that has caused her to miss her weekly column for Hearst Newspapers, according to Hearst D.C. Bureau Chief Chuck Lewis.

Lewis said Thomas, 87, was hit with the illness on May 18 and has not written a column since May 14. Her weekly columns are distributed each Wednesday to all 500 clients of Hearst News Service.

"She is being treated for an infection and is on leave," Lewis told E&P Monday. "She became ill and has been recovering ever since. We expect her back, but I am not sure when. We have been moving a note [to Hearst clients] that she is away and her column will resume when she does."


It's called bile and she's positively loaded with it.

McCain Campaign Declines to Meet with Billy Graham

What could he possibly be thinking???

In another disturbing sign that Sen. John McCain has little interest in reaching out to his conservative base, including evangelical Christian voters, his campaign has declined an offer to meet with the Rev. Billy Graham.

For almost six decades, Graham has been America’s most influential preacher and evangelist, a man sought out by every president since Harry Truman.

Today, the 89-year-old Graham is in declining health and stays near his home in Montreat, N.C. His last public appearance, in May 2007, marked the dedication of his library. Three former American presidents -- Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton -- were on hand to honor Graham.


Update: Fox calls the report "erroneous". Hope they're right.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Adhering to the Principles that Keep America Prosperous & Free

Fred's back...

I was privileged to spend some time with fellow conservatives, Republicans and concerned citizens in Hershey, PA., last Friday, where I addressed the state GOP. Here's what we discussed.

We are not here tonight just because we are Republicans. We are here because we know that we have the strongest, freest and most prosperous country in the history of the world, and that if we adhere to the traditional principles of the Republican Party, which are the first principles of our country, we will keep it that way.

We know that we were given a country based upon certain eternal truths–the wisdom of the scriptures and the wisdom of the ages … the fact that there is such a thing as human nature that has to be taken into account when governing … and most fundamentally, based upon the fact that people are meant to be free. Our founders derived from these principles a government that had its powers separated, checked and balanced because they knew that power tended to corrupt. In keeping with that they incorporated in our Constitution a system of Federalism to make sure that there was not too much power concentrated in the central government, which was given delineated powers and no others.

From these principles we developed a market economy, with the rule of law, a system of trade with other nations, and a strong national defense. From the prosperity, freedom and strength that came from this system we became a friend and example to all those around the world who aspired to those same things. We won wars, including the Cold War, and enhanced world stability and a friendlier environment within which others could pursue their own freedom. This of course enhanced our own security as Americans.


Read the rest, it's worth it.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Franken wins endorsement for Senate in Minnesota

This alter ego would be preferable...

Al Franken has won a resounding endorsement for U.S. Senate from Democratic activists at the Minnesota state convention.

The former "Saturday Night Live" writer and performer beat college professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer on the first ballot Saturday. Franken had just given a speech to delegates apologizing for past jokes that offended some fellow Democrats.

Nelson-Pallmeyer conceded the endorsement to Franken and moved that Democrats unanimously back Franken. They did so by voice vote.

Clinton Endorses Obama

Ding Dong the witch is dead....at least for the moment.

Hillary Clinton publicly and enthusiastically endorsed Barack Obama for president Saturday in Washington D.C., as she suspended her historic bid for the White House.

“The way to continue our fight now … is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all that we can to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States,” she said to cheering supporters. “Today as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won, and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him and throw my full support behind him.”

Friday, June 06, 2008

Senate Climate Bill Blocked: Republicans block efforts to bring global warming bill up for a vote

Rare display of sanity.

Senate Republicans on Friday blocked a global warming bill that would have required major reductions in greenhouse gases, pushing debate over the world's biggest environmental concern to next year for a new Congress and president.

Democratic leaders fell a dozen votes short of getting the 60 needed to end a Republican filibuster on the measure and bring the bill up for a vote, prompting Majority Leader Harry Reid to pull the legislation from consideration.

The Senate debate focused on bitter disagreement over the expected economic costs of putting a price on carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas that comes from burning fossil fuels. Opponents said it would lead to higher energy costs.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Barbarian at the Gate

He really does believe he's God.

According to Barack Obama, Gianna Jessen shouldn't exist.

Miss Jessen is an exquisite example of what antiabortion advocates call a "survivor." Well into her third trimester of pregnancy, Gianna's biological mother was injected with a saline solution intended to induce a chemical abortion at a Los Angeles County abortion center. Eighteen hours later, and precious minutes before the abortionist's arrival, Gianna emerged. Premature and with severe injuries that resulted in cerebral palsy. But alive.

Had the abortionist been present at her birth, Gianna would have been killed, perhaps by suffocation. As it was, a startled nurse called an ambulance, and Gianna was rushed to a nearby hospital, where, weighing just two pounds, she was placed in an incubator, then, months later, in foster care.

Gianna survived then, and thrives now, because, as she told me recently with a laugh, "I guess I don't die easy." Which is what the abortionist might have thought as he signed his victim's birth certificate. Gianna's medical records state that she was "born during saline abortion."

McLaughlin: McCain Leads Obama Among Women, 49 Percent to 38 Percent

Excerpted from NRO...

A part of Robert Novak's column that is likely to be widely overlooked:

This resentment is reflected in a private nationwide poll conducted this month by McLaughlin and Associates, which usually works for Republicans but is not connected with the McCain campaign. Poll-taker John McLaughlin found that John McCain had a 49 percent to 38 percent edge over Obama among all women. That is an extraordinary result, running counter to a longtime Democratic advantage.

The conventional wisdom is that women, along with other Clinton backers, will remain in the Democratic camp once Clinton actually concedes. But seasoned operatives for both Obama and Clinton privately advise that the length and closeness of their race make reconciliation much more difficult because Clinton did not drop out once she no longer had any clear path to the nomination.
I find this hard to believe but there it is.

Murtha Now Owes 6 Apologies.

Lt Andrew Grayson, a defendant in the infamous Haditha case, has been found not guilty on all counts by a seven-member panel of Marine officers at Camp Pendleton.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Cooling Underway: Global Temperature Continues to Drop in May


Global temperatures continued to slide in May 2008. Meteorologist Anthony Watts details the cooling temperatures in a report titled “Global Temperature Dives in May.” The new global temperature data reveals a whopping three quarters of a degree Celsius drop in temperatures since January 2007. Watts reported late yesterday that the cooling is “equal in magnitude to the generally agreed upon ‘global warming signal’ of the last 100 years.”

Hasn't anyone told these people the debate is over!

Obama: Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of Israel

"Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of Israel," Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said in his first speech to a major organization after beating his rival Hillary Clinton and securing his candidacy for US president, Wednesday.

Obama said the United States will remain as staunch an ally of Israel as it has been in the past, and said that Israel should have the same status as states which are full members of NATO in terms of military budget allocations.


This is only the beginning. Now that he's won the nomination you can expect an abrupt 180 and a tortured and completely disingenuous march to the middle.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Former screen siren Bardot convicted in race case

No truth shall go unpunished...

In the December 2006 letter to Sarkozy, now the president, Bardot said France is "tired of being led by the nose by this population that is destroying us, destroying our country by imposing its acts."
Bardot, 73, was referring to the Muslim feast of Aid el-Kebir, celebrated by slaughtering sheep.

French anti-racism laws prevent inciting hatred and discrimination on racial or religious or racial grounds. Bardot had been convicted four times previously for inciting racial hatred.

"She is tired of this type of proceedings," he said. "She has the impression that people want to silence her. She will not be silenced in her defense of animal rights."

Michelle O'bomb'a

On Fox & FRiends this morning, you probably saw Bob Beckel being interviewed about todays political events.

Towards the end of the interview he announced to the Fox & FRiends hosts that he has been told by numerous people,(enough and in a way that convinced him) that a bombshell will be dropping tomorrow about Michele Obama.

The Friends turned white and asked what it might be...was it worse than a college thesis? Bob said—Oh yes, in a BIG way. He said that the Repubs were behind it and it was dumb because it meant that Mrs. Clinton would be the nominee.

So the die is cast, IMHO Hillary will suspend her campaign within the next 24 hours and then the bomb will drop, leaving the Republics to take the blame.

Beckel said that this will make Hillary the candidate.


Huge or hoax?

Monday, June 02, 2008

Anti-gun Campaigner Pat Regan Killed at Home

Irony overload!

A mother who championed a national campaign against gun and knife crime has been found stabbed to death at her home. --

Pat Regan, 53, was at the forefront of Mothers Against Violence movement after her son Danny was shot in a suspected gangland killing.

Police confirmed that her 20 year old grandson was being held in connection with her death.

Mrs Regan's body was found in her first floor maisonette, in the Hyde Park area of Leeds, by a neighbour on Sunday night.

Her grandson Rakeim had been arrested earlier in the day at the city's main railway station after a 45 year old security guard was stabbed.

Bush Awards Medal of Honor

True Hero!

WASHINGTON — President Bush on Monday presented the nation's highest military award to a young soldier killed in Iraq when he threw himself on a hand grenade tossed into a Humvee where four other soldiers sat.

Ross McGinnis of Knox, Pa., was 19 years old when he gave his life to save the lives of his colleagues.

"The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military distinction," the president said. "It's given for valor beyond anything that duty could require or a superior could command."

Sunday, June 01, 2008

"disingenuous" QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Obama spokesman on his leaving Trinity: "I think what [decision] Barack Obama made in the past few days is a deeply personal, not political decision"

Now you'll have to excuse me, I have a sudden urge for Burger King.

US Iraq deaths 'at four-year low'

We could have guessed this from the complete lack of Iraq reportage for the last 6 weeks.

US military deaths in Iraq are said to have fallen to their lowest monthly level for four years, after about 20 soldiers were reported killed in May.

The figures for Iraqi civilian deaths vary according to different sources, but have also dropped.

Most accounts put them at about 530 - or about half the levels seen in March and April.