A former special investigator for the Pentagon during the Iraq war said he
found four sealed underground bunkers in southern Iraq that he is sure contain
stocks of chemical and biological weapons. But when he asked American weapons
inspectors to check out the sites, he was rebuffed.
David Gaubatz, a former member of the Air Force's Office of Special
Investigations, was assigned to the Talill Air Base in Nasiriyah at the launch
of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His job was to pick up any intelligence on the
whereabouts of senior Baathists and weapons of mass destruction and then send
the information to the American weapons inspectors gathering in Baghdad that
would later become the Iraq Survey Group. For his intelligence work he received
accolades and meritorious service medals in 2003 and prior years. Before the war
he helped uncover a spy in the Saudi military. He also assisted with the rescue
and repatriation to America of the family of Mohammed Rehaief, the Iraqi lawyer
who helped save Private Jessica Lynch.
Between March and July 2003, Mr. Gaubatz was taken by these sources to four
locations - three in and around Nasiriyah and one near the port of Umm Qasr,
where he was shown underground concrete bunkers with the tunnels leading to them
deliberately flooded. In each case, he was told the facilities contained stocks
of biological and chemical weapons, along with missiles whose range exceeded
that mandated under U.N. sanctions. But because the facilities were sealed off
with concrete walls, in some cases up to 5 feet thick, he did not get inside. He
filed reports with photographs, exact grid coordinates, and testimony from
multiple sources. And then he waited for the Iraq Survey Group to come to the
sites. But in all but one case, they never arrived.
The new information from the former investigator could also end up helping
the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which recently reopened
the question of what happened to the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Like
many current and former American and Israeli officials, the chairman of the
House intelligence committee, Peter Hoekstra, says is not convinced Saddam
either destroyed or never had the stockpiles of illicit weapons he was said to
be concealing between 1991 and 2003.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Ex-Officer Spurned on WMD Claim
This is just getting curiouser by the day. First the Sada revelations, then the emergence of secrect Sadaam tapes presently being evaluated by a congressional intelligence committee and now this. What the motivation by the government for covering up evidence of WMD in Iraq or a transfer of said to Syria is a mystery to me. Ideas?
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Iran a Growing Danger, Bush Gaining on Spy Issue
More polling data you're unlikely to see reported by the Entrenched Media.
Public concern over Iran's nuclear program has risen dramatically in the past few months. Today, 27% of Americans cite Iran as the country that represents the greatest danger to the United States. In October, just 9% pointed to Iran as the biggest danger to the U.S., while there was far more concern over Iraq, China and North Korea. Nearly two-thirds (65%) believe that Iran's nuclear program is a major threat to the U.S., placing it on par with North Korea's nuclear program, and far ahead of China's emerging power among possible threats to the United States.
The president appears to be making headway with his defense of the government's authority to conduct warrantless wiretaps of suspected terrorists. By 54%-43%, the public believes it is generally right for the government to monitor communications of Americans suspected of having terrorist ties without first obtaining permission from the courts. In early January, the public was evenly divided over this issue (48% generally right/47% generally wrong).
A narrow majority of Americans (51%) say the original decision to use force in Iraq was right, up from 45% a month ago. Overall views of how things are going in Iraq remained level with 13% saying things are going very well, 38% fairly well, 29% not too well and 17% not at all well.
Public concern over Iran's nuclear program has risen dramatically in the past few months. Today, 27% of Americans cite Iran as the country that represents the greatest danger to the United States. In October, just 9% pointed to Iran as the biggest danger to the U.S., while there was far more concern over Iraq, China and North Korea. Nearly two-thirds (65%) believe that Iran's nuclear program is a major threat to the U.S., placing it on par with North Korea's nuclear program, and far ahead of China's emerging power among possible threats to the United States.
The president appears to be making headway with his defense of the government's authority to conduct warrantless wiretaps of suspected terrorists. By 54%-43%, the public believes it is generally right for the government to monitor communications of Americans suspected of having terrorist ties without first obtaining permission from the courts. In early January, the public was evenly divided over this issue (48% generally right/47% generally wrong).
A narrow majority of Americans (51%) say the original decision to use force in Iraq was right, up from 45% a month ago. Overall views of how things are going in Iraq remained level with 13% saying things are going very well, 38% fairly well, 29% not too well and 17% not at all well.
UK poll: 37% of Muslims in Britain think British Jews are a "legitimate target"
Pretty much dispels the "a few evil doers hijacking a religion of peace" meme. This from Jihadwatch:
And those are just the ones fool enough to admit to the pollster what they were thinking. Tiny Minority of Extremists Update: "Poll shows voters believe press is right not to publish cartoons," from the TimesOnline, with thanks to Interested:
And those are just the ones fool enough to admit to the pollster what they were thinking. Tiny Minority of Extremists Update: "Poll shows voters believe press is right not to publish cartoons," from the TimesOnline, with thanks to Interested:
Nearly two fifths (37 per cent) believe that the Jewish community in Britain is
a legitimate target “as part of the ongoing struggle for justice in the Middle
East”. Moreover, only 52 per cent think that the state of Israel has the right
to exist, with 30 per cent disagreeing, a big minority. One in six of all
Muslims questioned thinks suicide bombings can sometimes be justified in Israel,
though many fewer (7 per cent) say the same about Britain. This is broadly
comparable to the number justifying suicide attacks in ICM and YouGov polls of
British Muslims after the July 7 attacks.
Canada's Crime Rate 50 % Higher than U.S.
Missed this earlier.....
Press reports that Canada is a Shangri-la – an America with free health care and less crime – may be short sighted.
In fact, statistics show that the violent crime rate there is double that of the United States.
It seems Canada is looking for a scapegoat, too: Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin is blaming the United States for his country’s violent crime wave. He says his southern neighbor is eagerly bringing guns over the border.
Gottlieb says the blame instead belongs on Canadian crooks getting guns from wherever they can.
"Blaming the United States for Canadian crime is an argument that does not pass the smell test,” Gottlieb wrote. "Canada's experience has simply demonstrated that no matter what kind of gun control law a government passes, that law is doomed to failure because instead of keeping guns out of the wrong hands, the law disarms the wrong people. Canada's gun control scheme has not just failed - it has failed disastrously. Clear evidence of that can be found in a comparison of the crime rates for Canada and America.”
Understatement of the year.
Press reports that Canada is a Shangri-la – an America with free health care and less crime – may be short sighted.
In fact, statistics show that the violent crime rate there is double that of the United States.
It seems Canada is looking for a scapegoat, too: Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin is blaming the United States for his country’s violent crime wave. He says his southern neighbor is eagerly bringing guns over the border.
Gottlieb says the blame instead belongs on Canadian crooks getting guns from wherever they can.
"Blaming the United States for Canadian crime is an argument that does not pass the smell test,” Gottlieb wrote. "Canada's experience has simply demonstrated that no matter what kind of gun control law a government passes, that law is doomed to failure because instead of keeping guns out of the wrong hands, the law disarms the wrong people. Canada's gun control scheme has not just failed - it has failed disastrously. Clear evidence of that can be found in a comparison of the crime rates for Canada and America.”
Understatement of the year.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Mrs. Clinton's Wal-Mart
And speaking of hypocrisy, more from the Hildebeast......
Talk about perfect timing. The same day Senate records disclosed that Senator Clinton returned a $5,000 contribution from the political action committee of Wal-Mart, Quinnipiac University released a poll of 1,072 New York City registered voters and found that 51% of them support Wal-Mart opening stores in the city, while a scant 37% oppose it. The poll found that even in union households, 63% said if there was a Wal-Mart in their community they would shop there. Given the well-funded propaganda campaign that has been waged against Wal-Mart by its competitors and the labor unions, the ability of New York voters to see through to the facts is heartening.
So what are New Yorkers to make of Senator Clinton's apparent desire to distance herself from the company? It can't be that there's something intrinsic to Wal-Mart with which Mrs. Clinton has a problem. When Mrs. Clinton's husband was an Arkansas politician and she was the real breadwinner in the family, she served, between 1986 and 1992, as a member of Wal-Mart's corporate board of directors. Now, an aide explained to the Associated Press, Mrs. Clinton has "serious differences" with the company's practices.
Her thighness voiced no opposition to Walmarts practices when she was a board member instumental in setting Company policy, imagine that.
Talk about perfect timing. The same day Senate records disclosed that Senator Clinton returned a $5,000 contribution from the political action committee of Wal-Mart, Quinnipiac University released a poll of 1,072 New York City registered voters and found that 51% of them support Wal-Mart opening stores in the city, while a scant 37% oppose it. The poll found that even in union households, 63% said if there was a Wal-Mart in their community they would shop there. Given the well-funded propaganda campaign that has been waged against Wal-Mart by its competitors and the labor unions, the ability of New York voters to see through to the facts is heartening.
So what are New Yorkers to make of Senator Clinton's apparent desire to distance herself from the company? It can't be that there's something intrinsic to Wal-Mart with which Mrs. Clinton has a problem. When Mrs. Clinton's husband was an Arkansas politician and she was the real breadwinner in the family, she served, between 1986 and 1992, as a member of Wal-Mart's corporate board of directors. Now, an aide explained to the Associated Press, Mrs. Clinton has "serious differences" with the company's practices.
Her thighness voiced no opposition to Walmarts practices when she was a board member instumental in setting Company policy, imagine that.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Sympatico
Protestor holding sign at the "World Can't Wait" protest yesterday. Does this image bring any particular groups to mind?
Moral Relativism vs Universal Truth
Today on Fox and Friends weekend co-host Julian Philips illustrated perfectly the misguided reasoning adhered to by many on the left in this country and the world.
In attempting to justify the embassy burnings in Damascus and Lebanon, Phillips matter of factly states "different religion, different culture." In other words how dare us judge them according to our moral philosphy. Regardless of what they do, as long as it is acceptable based on "their" religion and culture it should be OK with us.
What a warped and dangerous view that truly is. It virtually justifies every atrocity perpetrated by man since the beginning of time. There is no such thing as good and evil, only different and different is non pajorative. By this line of reasoning the Spanish inquisition, Stalins massacre of 40,000,000, the Salem witch trials, even slavery would be morally neutral because all were results of an adherence to existing religious and or cultural standards of the time.
What Phillips and people like him refuse to accept or at the least understand is the concept of universal truth. That certain behaviors regardless of how pure of heart when committed are oecumenically wrong. The list of universal truths is not considerable or sweeping it is however inviolate. It's what separates human kind from the beasts of the earth and it's what has been contravened in ever atrocity perpetuated since the first cave man whacked his compeer in the head with a rock.
Who knows what it will take to open their eyes; 9/11 didn't do it. One thing for sure, the longer they make excuses for abhorrent bevavior, the more devastating to all cultures that behavior will become.
In attempting to justify the embassy burnings in Damascus and Lebanon, Phillips matter of factly states "different religion, different culture." In other words how dare us judge them according to our moral philosphy. Regardless of what they do, as long as it is acceptable based on "their" religion and culture it should be OK with us.
What a warped and dangerous view that truly is. It virtually justifies every atrocity perpetrated by man since the beginning of time. There is no such thing as good and evil, only different and different is non pajorative. By this line of reasoning the Spanish inquisition, Stalins massacre of 40,000,000, the Salem witch trials, even slavery would be morally neutral because all were results of an adherence to existing religious and or cultural standards of the time.
What Phillips and people like him refuse to accept or at the least understand is the concept of universal truth. That certain behaviors regardless of how pure of heart when committed are oecumenically wrong. The list of universal truths is not considerable or sweeping it is however inviolate. It's what separates human kind from the beasts of the earth and it's what has been contravened in ever atrocity perpetuated since the first cave man whacked his compeer in the head with a rock.
Who knows what it will take to open their eyes; 9/11 didn't do it. One thing for sure, the longer they make excuses for abhorrent bevavior, the more devastating to all cultures that behavior will become.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Hypocrites!
The American press had no problem with "art" portraying a crucifix submersed in urine. Nor did they take issue with a feces covered Madonna. They made excuses for the idiot who called New York "Hymetown" Now suddenly their heightened moral sensibilities are manifested in the form of complete modesty and discretion. There's a word for that...h/t Rusty
Danish Embassy in Syrian capital of Damascus set on fire
The "religion of peace" continues to illustrate to the world the opposite.
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Hundreds of Syrian demonstrators set the Danish embassy on fire on Saturday to protest the printing by a Danish newspaper of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, a Reuters witness said.
The fire badly damaged the embassy's building. Protestors also threw stones at the building shattering its windows.
Skynews has more
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Hundreds of Syrian demonstrators set the Danish embassy on fire on Saturday to protest the printing by a Danish newspaper of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, a Reuters witness said.
The fire badly damaged the embassy's building. Protestors also threw stones at the building shattering its windows.
Skynews has more
Friday, February 03, 2006
Authorities Probe Church Fires In Bibb & Chilton Counties
We'll keep our eye on this one....
CENTREVILLE, Ala. - Authorities say at many as five churches in Bibb County were damaged by fire overnight, including the Ashby Baptist Church on Highway 139 in the Brierfield community. The structure burned to the ground. The pastor of another nearby church -- the Reverend David Hand of the Old Union Baptist Church -- says a fire was discovered at his church at around 4:30 Friday morning. But, he said the blaze was extinguished before it could cause serious damage. Other churches hit by fires early Friday morning include Antioch Baptist and Pleasant Sabine Baptist in Centreville and Rehobeth Baptist Church in Lawley, Ala. Another fire damaged a church in Chilton County late Friday afternoon. An article in Friday's Clanton Advertiser reports a fire gutted the Old New Harmony Church. No one was hurt and investigators with the state Fire Marshal's Office are trying to determine how it started. It's unclear if the church fires are connected. There have been no arrests.
NAWWWW, coincidence.
CENTREVILLE, Ala. - Authorities say at many as five churches in Bibb County were damaged by fire overnight, including the Ashby Baptist Church on Highway 139 in the Brierfield community. The structure burned to the ground. The pastor of another nearby church -- the Reverend David Hand of the Old Union Baptist Church -- says a fire was discovered at his church at around 4:30 Friday morning. But, he said the blaze was extinguished before it could cause serious damage. Other churches hit by fires early Friday morning include Antioch Baptist and Pleasant Sabine Baptist in Centreville and Rehobeth Baptist Church in Lawley, Ala. Another fire damaged a church in Chilton County late Friday afternoon. An article in Friday's Clanton Advertiser reports a fire gutted the Old New Harmony Church. No one was hurt and investigators with the state Fire Marshal's Office are trying to determine how it started. It's unclear if the church fires are connected. There have been no arrests.
NAWWWW, coincidence.
Unemployment rate lowest since 2001
This will be hard for the left to spin negatively. Wages respectably up, unemployment significantly down. Look for them to approach it from the "Wage Inflation Signals Seen" angle.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - The unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in nearly five years in January, the government reported Friday as employers added a respectable 193,000 jobs to payrolls.
The Labor Department said the unemployment rate dipped to 4.7 percent from 4.9 in December, the lowest since a reading of 4.6 percent in July 2001, just before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Economists had forecast that the rate would remain unchanged from December.
The rate was the latest sign of a tightening labor market, which could put upward pressure on wages and prices in the months ahead.
On Wall Street, stock futures retreated and Treasury bond prices fell, raising yields on the expectation that the report makes further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve more likely.
The average hourly wage rose 7 cents to $16.41, a 0.4 percent increase. That was also slightly more than the 0.3 percent gain forecast by economists. During the last 12 months, average wages are up 3.3 percent on a seasonally-adjusted basis, the largest 12-month change in nearly three years.
Reuters stays true to form with this "spun" headline: Jan jobless rate drops, job growth disappoints" Reuters convienently bury's this fact...."Previously, the department said 108,000 jobs were created in December but it pushed that up to 140,000 and it said that, in November, 354,000 jobs were created rather than the 305,000 it reported a month ago." which way more than makes up for the January shortfall.
In August of 2003 Nancy Pelosi asked the rhetorical question "Where are the jobs Mr. President"? Well Ms. Pelosi the jobs were being created as you spoke and have been steadily ever since.
In August 2003, the Unemployment Rate was 6.1%.
2003
Sep.: +94,000 Oct.: + 123,000Nov.: + 96,000Dec.: +83,000Sep.-Dec.: + 396,000
2004
Jan.: + 117,000 Feb.: + 94,000Mar.: + 320,000Apr.: + 337,000May.: + 250,000Jun.: + 106,000Jul.: + 83,000Aug.: + 188,000Sep.: + 130,000Oct.: + 282,000Nov.: + 132,000Dec.: + 155,0002004: + 2,194,000
2005
Jan.: + 124,000 Feb.: + 300,000Mar.: + 122,000Apr.: + 292,000May.: + 126,000Jun.: + 175,000Jul.: + 277,000Aug.: + 148,000Sep.: + 17,000Oct.: + 25,000Nov.: + 354,000Dec.: + 140,0002005: + 2,100,000
2006
Jan.: + 193,000 2005: + 193,000
Current unemployment rate 4.7%
Grand total increase since her infamous statement.... 4,900,000
Hat tip/ New Yorker77 at FR.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - The unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in nearly five years in January, the government reported Friday as employers added a respectable 193,000 jobs to payrolls.
The Labor Department said the unemployment rate dipped to 4.7 percent from 4.9 in December, the lowest since a reading of 4.6 percent in July 2001, just before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Economists had forecast that the rate would remain unchanged from December.
The rate was the latest sign of a tightening labor market, which could put upward pressure on wages and prices in the months ahead.
On Wall Street, stock futures retreated and Treasury bond prices fell, raising yields on the expectation that the report makes further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve more likely.
The average hourly wage rose 7 cents to $16.41, a 0.4 percent increase. That was also slightly more than the 0.3 percent gain forecast by economists. During the last 12 months, average wages are up 3.3 percent on a seasonally-adjusted basis, the largest 12-month change in nearly three years.
Reuters stays true to form with this "spun" headline: Jan jobless rate drops, job growth disappoints" Reuters convienently bury's this fact...."Previously, the department said 108,000 jobs were created in December but it pushed that up to 140,000 and it said that, in November, 354,000 jobs were created rather than the 305,000 it reported a month ago." which way more than makes up for the January shortfall.
In August of 2003 Nancy Pelosi asked the rhetorical question "Where are the jobs Mr. President"? Well Ms. Pelosi the jobs were being created as you spoke and have been steadily ever since.
In August 2003, the Unemployment Rate was 6.1%.
2003
Sep.: +94,000 Oct.: + 123,000Nov.: + 96,000Dec.: +83,000Sep.-Dec.: + 396,000
2004
Jan.: + 117,000 Feb.: + 94,000Mar.: + 320,000Apr.: + 337,000May.: + 250,000Jun.: + 106,000Jul.: + 83,000Aug.: + 188,000Sep.: + 130,000Oct.: + 282,000Nov.: + 132,000Dec.: + 155,0002004: + 2,194,000
2005
Jan.: + 124,000 Feb.: + 300,000Mar.: + 122,000Apr.: + 292,000May.: + 126,000Jun.: + 175,000Jul.: + 277,000Aug.: + 148,000Sep.: + 17,000Oct.: + 25,000Nov.: + 354,000Dec.: + 140,0002005: + 2,100,000
2006
Jan.: + 193,000 2005: + 193,000
Current unemployment rate 4.7%
Grand total increase since her infamous statement.... 4,900,000
Hat tip/ New Yorker77 at FR.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
It's Boehner!
John Boehner was selected as the new House majority leader. It was somewhat of a surprise as Roy Blunt appeared to have the inside track on the position.Mike Pence (my personal choice) had this to say:"To restore public confidence in our national legislature, the American people rightly expect this Republican majority to take bold steps to put our fiscal and ethical house in order. On this agenda, I am confident that Republicans can unify as an effective force for change under the leadership of Speaker Dennis Hastert, Majority Leader John Boehner and Majority Whip Roy Blunt."
Boehner has a 91% rating by the Christian Coalition and a 0% rating by NARAL.
FRANCE'S LE MONDE PUBLISHES FRONT-PAGE CARTOON OF MOHAMMED
PARIS, Feb 2, 2006 (AFP) - France's respected daily newspaper Le Monde joined a European press campaign for freedom of expression Thursday with a front-page cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed and an editorial defending the right to ridicule religions.
The drawing by the paper's long-time cartoonist Plantu featured a head of the prophet made up of the words "I must not draw Mohammed" written repeatedly in long-hand.
"Religions are systems of thought, constructions of the spirit, beliefs which are to be respected certainly, but also freely analysed, criticised and even turned to ridicule," Le Monde said.
"A Muslim may well be shocked by a picture of Mohammed, especially an ill-intentioned one. But a democracy cannot start policing people's opinions, except by trampling the rights of man underfoot," it said.
Punxsutawney Phil: 6 more weeks of winter
PITTSBURGH/AP - Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, but it was hard to find a complainer in the crowd at Gobbler’s Knob, where the morning temperature was well above freezing and the Groundhog Day high was expected to hit 48 degrees.
Living in the midwest, I'll take this winter through April.
Living in the midwest, I'll take this winter through April.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Cindy Sheehan Claiming Police Brutality
It's all about Cindy, she forgot about her son months ago.
Thinking straight has perenially been an issue for you Ms. Sheehan."Peace Mom" Cindy Sheehan is so angry that she wasn't allowed to disrupt
last night's State of the Union address that intends to file a lawsuit claiming
she was brutalized by Capitol Hill police who suppressed her first amendment
freedoms.
"I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it," Sheehan said, in a message posted to several left wing web sites after she was arrested and then released on her own recognizance. Sheehan also contends she suffered emotional trauma, complaining: "I am so upset and sore it is hard to think straight."
The Bush-bashing Gold Star mom says she wants to take legal action, announcing: "Ihave some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment lawsuit against the government for what happened tonight.
A Few SOTU Impressions
For the most part I thought Bush's 5th SOTU speech was excellent. His delivery was smooth, passionate and at times elegant.
As usual the high points were concerning foreign policy ie. The war on terror, Iraq, the threat of radical islamofascism, and the danger of isolationism. He did better than usual on domestic policy however, managing to stay away from the traditional "laundry list" of itemized proposals and concentrated on a few more modest themes such as lessening dependance on foreign oil , permanent tax reduction and immigration.
His defense of the Iraq and NSA wiretaps was especially forceful and effective. He deftly dinged the Democrats on these issues without sounding vengeful or vitriolic. He came across as a man who has a crystal clear vision and is committed to see that vision through. Great leaders inspire confidence and I think that's exactly what he accomplished last night.
Noteworthy reactions from the speech came from several sources. Bill Kristol notorious for having a tin ear was "dissapointed" with the speech calling it "squishy" because the Pres didn't mention permanent tax cut 10 times and failed to threaten invasion of Iran a week from this coming Saturday. For the most part both cable and the EM gave the speech high marks. From the blogospere LeShawn Barber who I agree with often panned the speech on immigration issues. She can be right on the mark but can be an insufferable whinebox when she doesn't get her way. Lorie Byrd thought the speech was "good", great at times. The gang over at National Review were complimentary and the unaninimity of support at Free Republic was surprisingly overwhelming. This CBS poll appears to reinforce my initial impressions. 77 percent of speech watchers approved, and 23 percent disapproved,
Personally I think this is one of Bush's top 5 best speeches. He came axcross strong, in control, committed and steady. The Democrats in the gallery came across as petty, spoiled, juvenile, and bitter and as an added bonus, Cindy Sheehan was arrested. When you accomplish all that, what more could one ask for in a SOTU?
As usual the high points were concerning foreign policy ie. The war on terror, Iraq, the threat of radical islamofascism, and the danger of isolationism. He did better than usual on domestic policy however, managing to stay away from the traditional "laundry list" of itemized proposals and concentrated on a few more modest themes such as lessening dependance on foreign oil , permanent tax reduction and immigration.
His defense of the Iraq and NSA wiretaps was especially forceful and effective. He deftly dinged the Democrats on these issues without sounding vengeful or vitriolic. He came across as a man who has a crystal clear vision and is committed to see that vision through. Great leaders inspire confidence and I think that's exactly what he accomplished last night.
Noteworthy reactions from the speech came from several sources. Bill Kristol notorious for having a tin ear was "dissapointed" with the speech calling it "squishy" because the Pres didn't mention permanent tax cut 10 times and failed to threaten invasion of Iran a week from this coming Saturday. For the most part both cable and the EM gave the speech high marks. From the blogospere LeShawn Barber who I agree with often panned the speech on immigration issues. She can be right on the mark but can be an insufferable whinebox when she doesn't get her way. Lorie Byrd thought the speech was "good", great at times. The gang over at National Review were complimentary and the unaninimity of support at Free Republic was surprisingly overwhelming. This CBS poll appears to reinforce my initial impressions. 77 percent of speech watchers approved, and 23 percent disapproved,
Personally I think this is one of Bush's top 5 best speeches. He came axcross strong, in control, committed and steady. The Democrats in the gallery came across as petty, spoiled, juvenile, and bitter and as an added bonus, Cindy Sheehan was arrested. When you accomplish all that, what more could one ask for in a SOTU?
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