I am taking a mini-vacation and will be out of town until Monday afternoon. That means RWN will not return until Tuesday, the 8th. In the interim, I put up some great blogs you can check out in the daily news section and please, take a look at some of my advertisers. You might think it doesn't make a difference if you look at the ads, but it does. The more eyeballs that hit these advertisers, the more likely they are to advertise again and spread the word about RWN. Your clicks help...

The Case Against Capital
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It seems that the Medieval Times waitress from the "Cable Guy"/Air America radio hostess, Janeane Garofalo, is confusing supporting Democracy with Nazism. Let's go to the transcript of her "appearance on 'After Hours' on MSNBC"

"The inked fingers and the position of them, which is gonna be a 'Daily Show' photo already, of them signaling in this manner [does the Nazi salute], as if they have solidarity with the Iraqis who braved physical threats against their lives to vote as if somehow these inked-fingered Republicans have something to do with that."

Poor Janeane Garofalo. How bitter a pill Democracy in Iraq seems to be for her and her ilk.

But folks, before you condemn Janeane -- or after, it really doesn't make any difference to me -- you should figuratively walk a mile in her shoes. Imagine what it's like to be Janeane or another of her fellow travelers on the anti-war left.

For three full years now, they have been incessantly railing against the war in Iraq. They've griped, they've groused, they've grumbled, they've whimpered, they've wailed and they've moaned. They've portrayed the war as the most blatant act of aggression since Hitler took Poland, claimed Bush was a monster who was invading Iraq for oil, and were certain the war would be another Vietnam.

And so, we invaded, we quickly defeated Saddam's military, and then we started putting Iraq back together, which as Rummy might say, has been a "long, hard, slog". While this was happening, people like Garofalo claimed the Iraqis hated us, that what we were doing could never work, that our efforts were futile, that we should pull out of Iraq -- and for taking these positions, they declared themselves to be morally superior. Of course, that's nothing new because most liberals do truly believe themselves to be the "good guys" who are battling the "eeevvvvilll" Republicans.

But then, a funny thing happened one fine morning in Iraq: the Iraqi people had an election and it was a hell of an event. Although the final numbers aren't available yet, turnout was strong. The Iraqis streamed out to vote, were thrilled to have the opportunity, and took pride in waving their purple fingers as a sign that they had participated in Iraq's first Democratic election.

Suddenly, people like Garofalo were forced to deal with the horrors of cognitive dissonance, "The discomfort that results from inconsistencies between attitudes and behavior."

On the one hand, libs like Garofalo view themselves as champions of human rights, who care about freedom and Democracy, unlike those "vile" conservatives. Yet, it was the right who argued that we should free Iraq from Saddam Hussein and worked to bring about the elections, while lefties like Garofalo fought conservatives tooth and nail every step of the way. These elections in Iraq happened not because of people like Garofalo or in spite of their indifference, but because they didn't get their way.

So imagine the stinging rebuke that hug at the State of the Union must have delivered to Garofalo, her view of herself, and her world. When those conservatives waved those purple fingers in the air to show their solidarity with the Iraqi people, what a painful reminder to Garofalo it must have been that she would still prefer, to this day, that we had left Saddam Hussein in power rather than walk that "less traveled path" towards helping the Iraqis become a free people.

The creeping realization that Garofalo & her fellow anti-war libs have staked out a clear position on the wrong side of freedom, democracy, and history itself must be a terrible burden to bear even if they're not willing or perhaps even able to discuss it yet. The fact Garofalo won't even admit that "these inked-fingered Republicans have something to do" with the election tells you that much.

As things continue to improve in Iraq, look for the anti-war movement to claim Iraq is a disaster as long as possible and then 1) Falsely claim that they supported a free and democratic Iraq all along 2) Say that things might have turned out Ok, but Bush and conservatives had nothing to do with it or 3) Change their irrational, pacifistic, socialistic, & archaic view of the world to reflect reality. Knowing liberals as I do, I'd encourage you not to bet on option #3...

I'm pretty sure that we're all aware of the recent controversy surrounding Ward Churchill - the college professor who opined that the 9/11 victims had it coming. There are stories going around that he is to be fired from his teaching position because of this. Dirty Harry over at Stranded On Blue Islands believes that Mr. Churchill should not be fired

I've heard all the arguments ... that firing him is not a violation of his right to free speech. But that doesn't change the fact that if he's fired, it will be for expressing his political beliefs. And that makes me uncomfortable, especially in a university setting.

Most of the time I'm in complete agreement with Harry, but I have to disagree with him here. All speech is not protected, and no one has a right to suffer no penalty for what they say. I'm with Samuel Johnson on the matter: "I have got no further than this: Every man has a right to utter what he thinks truth, and every other man has a right to knock him down for it. Martyrdom is the test." You may say whatever you wish, but before you open your mouth, think carefully; are you fully prepared to accept the consequences of what you say?

There are some things I will say at the risk of my life and limb - there are other things I might say, but wont because discretion really is the better part of valor. Mr. Churchill decided at a moment of national crisis and tragedy to crudely insult his fellow citizens - now he demands that we listen carefully to what he has to say, and if offended do absolutely nothing about it. This is a gigantic imposition upon us. If I ran Mr. Churchill's college, he'd have been fired within minutes of publishing his statement about 9/11 - and I would have stated in public that I fired him for his opinions, because I find his opinions offensive and don't wish to subsidise them via continued employment of Mr. Churchill. In so doing, there would have been not an iota of suppression of Mr. Churchill's right to free speech - just an assertion by the college that there are some opinions beyond the pale for the college. We would not, for instance, bat an eye at the firing of a professor who advocated Nazism or racism - so why should we fret over the firing of someone like Mr. Churchill whose opinions are just as baseless, hateful and despicable as any Nazi or racist?

Content used with the permission of Mark Noonan of Blogs for Bush. You can read more of Mark's work here.

From the day he stole the office, Bush has relied on scare tactics as a means to wield power over the masses. Now he's sunk to a new low, using fear in order to persuade seniors that he's not going to take away their Social Security, throw them out onto the streets, and laugh maniacally as they die in the gutter alone.

"Social Security is going bankrupt," he says. "Let's remove the time-tested social safety net and invest in the stock market instead." Sounds like a perfect plan from the man who gave us Enron. His banker friends and stockbroker buddies will get even richer, and Grandma spends the winter frozen to the kitchen floor.

But Bush's lies won't go unanswered. Despite all the gloom and doom in his Disgrace of the Union speech last night, Democrats in Congress assure us that the Social Security system is perfectly healthy and will last until after most of them are dead and can't be held accountable. Social Security doesn't need to be "reformed" or "overhauled", it merely needs to be "shored-up" with a modest hike in the payroll taxes, and then placed into a special "Lock-Box" along with Radar's teddy bear and a broken fan belt.

You see, Social Security is a sacred promise. It's a promise to the brave men and womyn who helped France win World War II that they could look forward to spending their golden years completely reliant on the benevolent federal government. It's a promise to our young people, carefully numbered at birth, that as long as they vote democrat they will be forever spared the living nightmare of financial independence and self-determination. It's a solemn promise, made in my name and without my consent, by people who know what's best for me. And by golly, it's a promise I intend to keep!

Satire used with the permission of Liberal Larry from BlameBush! You can read more of his work by clicking clicking here.

If you're a drug dealer, gangster rapper, pimp or a drug dealing, pimpin', gangster rapper, then today is your lucky day because you will finally be able to distinguish yourself from the other "fine fellows" in your colorful trade! How you ask? By purchasing the ultimate bling bling for your grill, spinning teeth!

Friends don't let friends get spinning teeth. Enough said.

Hat tip to the outrageously funny, but also obscene and vulgar (don't complain if you click the link), folks over at Something Awful for finding these teeth.

It started out simply enough, with someone named Dark trying to drum into the nearly impenetrable skulls of the denizens of the DU that Bush, however much they dislike him, is not Hitler. Here's a small sample from Dark's post...

"...But Bush is NOT as bad as Hitler. These comparisons do NOTHING to help our cause. It didn't help when MoveOn.org did it, and it's not helping now. It drives away moderates, and does NOT energize our base. In short: it hurts us.

...Let me repeat this: BUSH IS NOT HITLER. HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE HITLER. HE DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HITLER OR HIS AGENDA."

This of course is not news to people who..well, aren't insane. But of course, we're talking about a large group of left-wingers here, so trying to claim that Bush is evil, but not quite as evil as Hitler, is a controversial position. Read on and you'll see what I mean...

realisticphish: "hitler started out small. shrub has only been in power 4 years. it took hitler a while to escalate"

goddess40: "You're assuming that Bush is running things he's a figure head just like Reagan was. The power behind the throne is what is important."

electropop: "There's an important difference between Bush and Hitler. Hitler won an election. But otherwise, the similarities are amazing. Bush _has_ rounded people up into death camps, and they have disappeared perhaps forever. Have you forgotten Guantanamo and Abu Graib?

Bush has not yet caught up to Hitler's numbers, but he is "working hard" to do so."

aquart: "Whenever I'm forced to think of George. I imagine him hanging upside down just like those last photos of Mussolini. He looks wonderful that way."

mopaul "Hitler didn't have the nuclear bomb, give bush a little more time. f*ck it, bush is just f*cking like hitler."

IMModerate: "Me too. Give him time. For all we know history books of the future may say something like, "Hitler was bad, but he was no Bush." He's still developing."

TNOE: "Hitler wasn't HITLER until he killed over 6 Million People and who knows how history will report. Bush may not actually be BUSH until another 3-4 years pass. But the similiarities are striking enough.

If the truth is ever revealed that Bush et al killed 3,000 of their own citizens on 9/11 to accomplish their military and monetary desires, he will be known as far worse than Hitler."

gypsy11: "Bush not like Hitler? And I'm the easter bunny. So many posts on this tread have summed up my thoughts much more eloquently than I could have done. The only difference between the two is time, and a mustache."

PassingFair: "Disagree totally...I think the Hitler thing is a GREAT meme for us. AND I think that comparing * supporters to mindless, self-important Nazis is the motif we can propagate.
They ARE like uninformed Germans circa 1939. Look at their propagandist beliefs and little yellow ribbons. Look at their contempt for the world. Until we call them out for the uninformed drones that they are, they will not seek out the facts.

F*** the current master race Christians! (and I DON'T mean TRUE compassionate, Christ-like ones, I mean the controlling, theocratic fundies and RC's that voted for *)."

Dangerman: "Think again, Bush IS Hitler! He has the Goebbels-like Fox News Network, the Arabs (yes, this includes even Saddam Hussein himself, like it or not) are the new Jews, free speech is almost dead and nationalism is just as high as it was in Germany in the 30's.

GET REAL! If we do not impeach this S*B next year, he WILL become Hitler!"

leesa: "PEOPLE: Hitler started the same way by invading Poland, who was doing nothing to it. Bush IS actively targeting and murdering Iraqi civilians. He is the same....will we let him go as far? Will we let him start rounding up more Muslims, then gays, then Jews, then liberals and professors???

It's happening already man, WAKE UP! They are using Hitler's old play book."

Octafish: "Bush invaded a sovereign nation with whom we were at PEACE. Just like Hitler. Who's his daddy? Hitler's henchman. Here's PROOF BUSH 41 he was in Dallas the day JFK was killed: It's the FBI memo in which he reports "hearsay" that someone he vaguely knew wanted to kill the President. George Herbert Walker Bush also told the FBI he's heading for a Dallas hotel. Gee. Why didn't he remember where he was when people ask him where he was when JFK was assassinated? Even more important: Why didn't he rat out the guy BEFORE the assassination? (Editor's Note: There is an attachment in this post)"

Sorry, folks, there won't be any posts until later this afternoon because I'm having a bit of writer's block. Moreover, none of the "hot topics" out there in the blogosphere appeal to me.

The State of Union? I've covered it in detail. Eason Jordan claiming that American troops are targeting reporters? I'm hesitant to jump on that story with both feet before I see an actual transcript of his remarks. Social Security? I've written about it plenty of times already. Another post on the blogosphere? I've hit that topic a lot lately. The Iraqi elections? Covered it. The Democratic Underground? No threads appeal to me. Ward Churchill? He's a scumbag who should be fired. Not much more to say.

Luckily, I'm going on a short vacation this week-end which should give me time to recharge my batteries. But, I'll get in some posts tonight before I take off.

However, since we have a little break in the action here, I figured I'd give people a chance to chime in on a few things in the comments section. Here are a few ideas I've been kicking around with varying degrees of seriousness. Let me know what you think...

1) Would you prefer that I did Q&A Fridays A) Once every 3-4 weeks B) Every Friday C) Never D) Other

2) If I were to (and don't get your hopes up) put together a Right Wing News Forum, would you participate?

3) If I were to hold an Andrew Sullivan style fund raiser, would you consider donating if it meant I could raise enough money to go full time on RWN and increase the quality and quantity of the posts?

4 A) Would you consider buying a RWN T-shirt?
4 B) Do you have any ideas for a RWN T-shirt?

Bonus: Do you have any ideas that you think might increase the size of RWN's audience?

The sight of millions of Iraqis conquering fear and braving death to cast their votes was an uplifting, awesome, and humbling event to most people. The naysayers who told us that Iraqis -- and Muslims in general -- had no hunger for democracy were wrong. Those who told us they would cave in to the threats of terrorists were wrong. Iraqis walked for miles, stood in line for hours -- in danger the whole time -- and came in carts, wheelchairs and on the strong backs of others when necessary to make their voices heard. Living in terror of Saddam for decades seems to have inured them to threats, to some degree. Afterwards, they danced and sang in the streets, wearing broad smiles and waving their blue-dyed fingers in the air in defiance of tyranny and terrorism. The effect this has had on President Bush's opponents is startling. Most have retreated behind the walls of Cynicism and Hypocrisy.

Many Liberals are now cautiously cheering the election, after warning us that it could not or should not take place, should be delayed, or that Iraqis would not vote. However, after more than two years of attacking President Bush's Iraq policies on every front, they blithely praise the election while either ignoring or repudiating its author. Most temper their positive words with censure of President Bush, as though they wanted to help the Iraqi people all along, but Bush's war got in their way. Here's the heart of the hypocrisy: they never really cared before.

Remember the protests against Saddam's mass graves in front of the Iraqi Embassy?

Neither do I.

Remember the candlelight vigils for the maimed and broken victims of Saddam's "justice" on the steps of the UN?

Neither do I.

Remember when NOW (National Organisation for Women) marched to raise our level of consciousness concerning Saddam's rape rooms and Uday's victimisation of women, which included the abduction of schoolgirls?

Neither do I.

Before American troops set foot in Iraq, most on the Left cared about the plight of the Iraqi people about as much as I care about the plight of an ant colony. Now they're trying to convince us that they really wanted Saddam toppled all along, but that there were "other ways" that would have worked. The Standard Line is, "I merely opposed the timing and the manner of the war." Most of those "other ways" were tried; they all failed. We already knew from twelve years of diplomacy that more talking was not the answer. So America went to war, to free the Iraqi people among many other reasons, and the Left opposed it every single step of the way. Now they hypocritically praise the election as though they had anything to do with it... indeed, as if it would ever have happened had they gotten their way.

In Britain's Guardian Unlimited, Michael Ignatieff wrote that "Iraqis fight a lonely battle for democracy," as though they have had no help from Coalition forces. "Just as depressing as the violence in Iraq is the indifference to it abroad. Americans and Europeans who have never lifted a finger to defend their own right to vote seem not to care that Iraqis are dying for the right to choose their own leaders." As ignorant of the present as the past, he seems to believe that the election only took place to give us an excuse to pull out of Iraq as soon as possible -- or even that they happened in spite of American intervention, not because of it. "For its part, the Bush administration sometimes seems to support the elections less to give the Iraqis a chance at freedom than to provide what Henry Kissinger, speaking of Vietnam, called 'a decent interval' before collapse." Ignatieff must think that John Kerry, unabashedly negative about Iraq on its election day, won the 2004 election instead of George W. Bush, and that Ted Kennedy, who called for the US to abandon Iraq on the eve of the election there, is the Secretary of State.

On the other hand, James Carroll of the Boston Globe had no praise to give, calling it a "Train wreck of an election." On 1 February 2005, with images of jubilant, blue-fingered Iraqis still fresh in our minds, Carroll wrote, "Iraq is a train wreck. The man who caused it is not in trouble. Tomorrow night he will give his State of the Union speech, and the Washington establishment will applaud him." I wonder whether he knows that the Mayor of Baghdad wants to erect a statue to President Bush? "We will build a statue for Bush," said newly-elected mayor Ali Fadel. "He is the symbol of freedom."

Carroll continued his litany of negativity. "Tens of thousands of Iraqis are dead. More than 1,400 Americans are dead. An Arab nation is humiliated. Islamic hatred of the West is ignited. The American military is emasculated. Lies define the foreign policy of the United States. On all sides of Operation Iraqi Freedom, there is wreckage. In the center, there are the dead, the maimed, the displaced -- those who will be the ghosts of this war for the rest of their days. All for what?" Carroll speaks to the cynics, those who will never be satisfied no matter what happens. Oscar Wilde once said, "A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." That's a fair description of James Carroll and the rest of the cynical Left, those who can only count the costs without reckoning with the results.

Some few, like Chicago Sun-Times writer Mark Brown, have had the courage to ask the awful question, "What if Bush has been right about Iraq all along?" On the very same day Carroll wrote his "train wreck" column, Brown wrote, "But on Sunday, we caught a glimpse of the flip side. We could finally see signs that a majority of the Iraqi people perceive something to be gained from this brave new world we are forcing on them. Instead of making the elections a further expression of 'Yankee Go Home,' their participation gave us hope that all those soldiers haven't died in vain." Brown speaks for a small number of Liberals who are bravely re-thinking their opposition to a war which has led to such a result.

If the Iraqis can be brave enough to defy death to cast their votes, surely anti-war Liberals can be brave enough to re-examine their position in the light of recent events. If the Iraqis can cast aside their skepticism in favor of hope, why can't more Liberals do the same?

Content used with permission of CavalierX from Guardian Watchblog. You can read more of his work by clicking here.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, whose failed presidential bid in 2004 established the power of the Internet as a campaign tool, seems poised to assume the leadership of the Democrat party, according to a report in The New York Times.

As the news broke, White House political advisor Karl Rove released a statement denying any role in Mr. Dean's election as DNC chairman.

"I have no ongoing contact with Mr. Dean, nor influence with anyone in the Democrat party," said Mr. Rove.

Asked to explain how the opposing party could rationally choose a man who dropped out of the White House race after one of the earliest primaries, Mr. Rove said, "It's not like they have a slate of winners from which to choose. Dean's probably the best candidate and he may do a good job if he can overcome his name recognition."

The DNC chairman is primarily responsible for transferring millions of dollars from wealthy Democrats and labor unions, to advertising agencies, political consultants and delicatessens. The chairman also does frequent media interviews explaining why Americans overwhelmingly support the ideology of candidates who lose elections.

Satire used with permission of Scott Ott from Scrappleface. You can read more of his work by clicking here.

Iraq: DON’T BELIEVE YOUR EYES! IT’S A FREAKING MESS!

Social Security: WITH OUR PLAN, EVERYONE GETS BENEFITS FOR EVER AND EVER, AND NOTHING EVER NEED CHANGE. WITH THE PRESIDENT’S PLAN? HELL ON EARTH AND ETERNAL DAMNATION (SECULARLY SPEAKING), WITH SENIORS FORCED TO SURVIVE ON FRUIT ROLL-UPS AND TANG CRYSTALS. WHILE SLEEPING IN SEWAGE.

The War on Terror: WE ARE NOT SAFE! BUSH HAS NOT MADE US SAFE! THE ONLY REASON WE HAVEN’T BEEN ATTACKED SINCE 911 IS THAT ISLAMISTS USE A DIFFERENT CALENDAR. TO THEM, IT’S ONLY BEEN, LIKE, 5 DAYS SINCE THEY ATTACKED! BUT WHEN THAT FIRST WEEK ENDS...LOOK OUT!

Healthcare: BUSHCO IS GOING TO KILL YOU! KILL YOU! BUT STICK WITH US AND CHRISTOPHER REEVE RISES FROM THE GRAVE AND WALKS!

BOO BOOOOOOOO!

Content used with permission of Jeff Goldstein from Protein Wisdom. You can read more of his work by clicking here.

There are a lot of hot issues right now like the State of the Union Speech, Social Security Reform, and whether CNN's Eason Jordan scandalously claimed the US soldiers are targeting journalists. But instead of talking about any of those things, I decided to put together a list of the top 10 greatest Star Trek characters in order! Enjoy!

1) James T. Kirk (Star Trek): If America had a national "fictional character," it would be James Tiberius Kirk. An adventurous captain who was ready to fight at the drop of a hat if he had to and spent his nights "teaching alien women how to love" as Frye from Futurama would say!

2) Spock (Star Trek): Brilliant, tough, and always logical, Spock was the perfect #2 for Kirk and such a great character that he'd have been captain on any other series.

3) Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek: Next Generation): Picard is no Kirk, but who is? It's like comparing an American President to George Washington, it's not really fair. Picard is a great captain, but he's just a little too old to be "whooping people" in hand to hand combat.

4) Data (Star Trek: Next Generation): If any captain had ever had Spock & his mechanical doppleganger Data both on his crew, he could feel good going into the holodeck even if a rogue Klingon war cruiser was approaching at Warp 5.

5) Johnathan Archer (Star Trek: Enterprise): STE never really hit its stride and since it has been canceled now, it never will. But Archer was still a great character, it's just too bad the writers couldn't do more with him.

6) Worf (Star Trek: Next Generation): Who can dislike a character who tosses off quotes like "Today is a good day to die" & "Humans damage so easily?" If they could distill a marine down into a Star Trek character, it would be Warf...

7) 7 of 9 (Star Trek: Voyager): It's as if a character right out of Ayn Rand's novels were reborn in the Star Trek world. Love her!

8) T'Pol (Star Trek: Enterprise): Soo hot, so Vulcan...she's totally irresistible even though she's the grouchiest Vulcan character ever on the show.

9) Odo (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine): A great character wasted on a weak show. Odo would have been a real asset as a crusty head of security at a better Trek show.

10) Deanna Troi (Star Trek: Next Generation): A bit too touchy feely (and coming from a psychology major, that's saying something), but still a compelling character who could read your mind well enough to tell if she's making you happy or unhappy, but not well enough to know if you're actually thinking about 7 of 9 while Troi is giving you her special "Betazoid backrub".

Bonus: The Three Best Star Trek Enemies!

1) The Borg (Star Trek: Next Generation): Relentless, merciless, nearly unstoppable foes...who somehow seemed to always get stopped!
2) Kahn (Star Trek): The genetically engineered, 20th century superman was Kirk's legendary nemesis.
3) Q (Various): The Norse God Loki + Leprechaun 4: In Space w/ much better writers = Q

Bonus: The Three Most Annoying Star Trek Characters!

1) Wesley Crusher (Star Trek: Next Generation): Only Jar-Jar blinks tops him on the Sci-Fi "Most Annoying List".
2) Janeway (Star Trek: Voyager): Worst. Captain. Ever. EVER!
3) Guinan (Star Trek: Next Generation): Oh look, it's Whoopi Goldberg -- the "wise" bartender who always has to get her folksy two cents in on every subject.

Summary: The delivery was very good, most of the agenda was music to my ears, and the hug between the Iraqi voter and the slain marine's mom was really moving. It was also fab to see that Iraqi woman waving her purple finger in the air and starting to get emotional.

Bush's Domestic Agenda

Like a lot of conservatives, I was very supportive of Bush's foreign policy in his first term, but less than thrilled with his domestic agenda. This time around, I'm a lot happier with what Bush is shooting for on the home front....

"I will send you a budget that holds the growth of discretionary spending below inflation, makes tax relief permanent, and stays on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009. My budget substantially reduces or eliminates more than 150 government programs that are not getting results, or duplicate current efforts, or do not fulfill essential priorities."

This is EXACTLY what I want a Republican President to be doing. I'm thrilled....

"We will help an additional 200,000 workers to get training for a better career, by reforming our job training system and strengthening America's community colleges. And we will make it easier for Americans to afford a college education, by increasing the size of Pell Grants."

I'm not a big fan of government job training or Pell Grants as opposed to private scholarships. This would have been a good time to talk-up vouchers.

"Small business is the path of advancement, especially for women and minorities, so we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits. Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back, by irresponsible class actions and frivolous asbestos claims — and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms this year."

Tort reform is near and dear to my heart, so again, way to go, W!

"To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make health care more affordable, and give families greater access to good coverage, and more control over their health decisions. I ask Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health care agenda — with tax credits to help low-income workers buy insurance, a community health center in every poor county, improved information technology to prevent medical errors and needless costs, association health plans for small businesses and their employees, expanded health savings accounts, and medical liability reform that will reduce health care costs, and make sure patients have the doctors and care they need."

This is an important issue that matters to Americans and I'm glad to see it addressed. This is one area Republicans need to put much more emphasis on and I'm glad to see W. talking it up.

"Nearly four years ago, I submitted a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages conservation, alternative sources, a modernized electricity grid, and more production here at home, including safe, clean nuclear energy. My Clear Skies legislation will cut power plant pollution and improve the health of our citizens. And my budget provides strong funding for leading-edge technology — from hydrogen-fueled cars, to clean coal, to renewable sources such as ethanol. Four years of debate is enough — I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy."

This is another vitally important issue, but Democrats are captives of environmental wackos who insist we sink inordinate amounts of lucre into mediocre forms of energy production like solar panels and windmills while insisting that we ignore oil, nuclear power, & coal. But Bush's plan is another proposal that's good for America so thumbs up to this, too.

"Year after year, Americans are burdened by an archaic, incoherent federal tax code. I have appointed a bipartisan panel to examine the tax code from top to bottom. And when their recommendations are delivered, you and I will work together to give this Nation a tax code that is pro-growth, easy to understand, and fair to all."

Rewriting the tax code? Flattening it out perhaps? Love it!

"It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists."

This is the proverbial "fly in the soup" of the speech. Bush is on the wrong side of not just the majority of his own party, but the majority of all Americans with his ridiculous immigration proposal.

"Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before. For example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to come up with an extra 200 billion dollars to keep the system afloat — and by 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than 300 billion dollars. By the year 2042, the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If steps are not taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be dramatically higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government programs.

I recognize that 2018 and 2042 may seem like a long way off. But those dates are not so distant, as any parent will tell you. If you have a five-year-old, you're already concerned about how you'll pay for college tuition 13 years down the road. If you've got children in their 20s, as some of us do, the idea of Social Security collapsing before they retire does not seem like a small matter. And it should not be a small matter to the United States Congress."

Bush spent a lot of time on Social Security, breaking it down, using the bully pulpit to explain to the American people that this is a real problem, despite the fact that most Democrats are for purely partisan reasons knowingly, deliberately lying to the American people about the problems that are coming with the program.

Taking on this issue is a bold move for Bush, but it's exactly what any politician who cares about what happens to this country should be doing. There can certainly be disagreements about how to handle the coming Social Security crisis, but anyone who tells you "everything's fine" is either a liar or too dumb to be in Congress.

"Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage."

Exactly. Some conservatives have gotten huffy because Bush hasn't spent that much time on this issue since the election, but the reality is it's going to require 12-15 Democrats in the Senate to go along with the GOP to get this passed and the votes aren't there. These Dems can be made to pay a political price for their stand on this Amendment, but if they refuse to protect marriage from activist judges, there's not much Bush can do about it other than hammer them politically and appoint judges to the SCOTUS who aren't going to mangle the Constitution in order to force gay marriage on the country.

"Medical research can help us reach that goal, by developing treatments and cures that save lives and help people overcome disabilities — and I thank Congress for doubling the funding of the National Institutes of Health. To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit of others. We should all be able to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts, and that human life is never bought or sold as a commodity."

I agree with Bush's stand on cloning and stem cells although this isn't exactly a hot issue.

"The Constitution also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial nominee deserves an up-or-down vote."

Get the judges ready for their votes, get ready to pull the trigger on the "nuclear option," and let's see what the Democrats do. One way or the other, the days of filibustering GOP judges should be over soon and that suits me just fine.

"Tonight I propose a three-year initiative to help organizations keep young people out of gangs, and show young men an ideal of manhood that respects women and rejects violence.

Because one of the main sources of our national unity is our belief in equal justice, we need to make sure Americans of all races and backgrounds have confidence in the system that provides justice. In America we must make doubly sure no person is held to account for a crime he or she did not commit — so we are dramatically expanding the use of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction."

I'm including all these together because they're all designed to reach out to black Americans and show them the GOP cares. This is a page out of the Democrat's playbook and I'm not sure how much impact these programs will have politically or in the real world.

Bush's Foreign Policy

I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this because it was for the most part about Iraq and that has been discussed extensively on RWN and around the blogosphere. However, I did want to note a few things...

"We are working closely with governments in Asia to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

This is all the attention that North Korea got in the speech. Why didn't W. spend more time on this?

"Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region. You have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian Accountability Act — and we expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom. Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror — pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium re-processing, and end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.

...And the victory of freedom in Iraq will strengthen a new ally in the war on terror, inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran, bring more hope and progress to a troubled region, and thereby lift a terrible threat from the lives of our children and grandchildren."

Could we be giving guns and money to those Democratic reformers? I certainly hope so...

"We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out. We are in Iraq to achieve a result: A country that is democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbors, and able to defend itself. And when that result is achieved, our men and women serving in Iraq will return home with the honor they have earned."

Why is it that so many Democrats don't seem to get this...or is it that they get it and just want to score political points by calling for an exit date?

Overall: I'll give Bush a B+ for his domestic agenda although I'm not sure how much of it he'll be able to get implemented. Sure, there are some other things I'd like to see included (like vouchers, term limits, a Balanced Budget Amendment), but let's not get greedy. If Bush can accomplish half the things he's going to try to do (with the exception being his godawful immigration plan), it would be a big step forward for the country.

On the foreign policy front, Bush stuck to Iraq for the most part, which is a bit disappointing because it would be great to get a better feeling for how he intends to deal with some of the other major issues in the war on terror. However, Iraq is the 800 pound gorilla on the foreign policy front, so it's not surprising that he spent most of his time there. C on content, B+ overall on that part of the speech because of the emotional moments with the marine's parents and the Iraqi voter that most people who saw the speech will remember tomorrow.

All in all, Bush did a solid job and I feel very comfortable with the speech he gave and the agenda he laid down...

My absolute favorite part of the insomnia curing and mostly pointless Democratic response to W's superb State of the Union Speech was when Harry Reid said,

"A few weeks ago, I joined some friends of mine for a bite to eat at The Nugget - Searchlight's only restaurant. We were sitting down in a booth, when a young boy, about 10-years-old, named Devon walked up to us.

Well, the truth is Devon could probably do a lot better. But the point still holds and it is this: no one ever had to tell young Devon to dream big dreams, no one ever had to teach him that America is a place of possibility."

Way to aim high, kid! If you work really hard -- come from a wealthy family, marry a rich widow, or amass a fortune as a trial lawyer -- and are willing to lie day in and day out about what kind of shape Social Security is in, you too can be the chief obstructionist in a political party that's slowly circling the drain in the bathtub of America's body politic!

The national corporate office of La Quinta Inns has asked a local Wichita-based hotel to prevent staff from the office of late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller from using the facility as a staging area for women having abortions.

The Wichita La Quinta Inn offered discounted rates for women traveling to the Midwestern city to obtain late-term abortions.

Wow. Can you imagine being the girl at the front desk taking reservations for the Witchita La Quinta? "Yes, Miss Smith, we do have a room available for that date. Would you like to take advantage of our Late-Term Abortion Discount? We figure that since, technically speaking, there will only be one person in the room after tomorrow, it doesn't make sense to charge you full price."

Tiller's staff also used the hotel as a "labor annex" to his abortion facility. The late-term abortion procedures take 3-4 days to complete and staff from his abortion business would stay at La Quinta with the women to monitor them during the abortion process.

Three or four DAYS? Of waiting for your baby to die. I guess that rules out any sight-seeing in the area.

According to Operation Rescue, which unveiled the activities at La Quinta, the national corporate office sent an investigator to Wichita to look into the complaints. The representative discovered that the local La Quinta was renting rooms to Tiller's staff in order to provide monitoring and follow-up abortion services.

The news comes just days after Newman's group learned that a woman suffered a botched abortion in early January at Tiller's abortion center had died at a local hospital. Newman said he believes she likely stayed at the La Quinta Inn.

This content was used with permission of Right Thinking Girl. You can read more of her work by clicking here.

Admittedly, this is a bit off-topic, but earlier tonight I caught the most bizarre Dr. Pepper commercial and I just had to talk about it on RWN.

It starts out with these young boys, maybe 10, 11, 12, playing around...and then here comes a minivan. Out of it steps a middle-aged, yet still very hot woman, dressed down, to give that sort of "I was just cleaning up some things around the house before I came down to the park" look.

Now here's where it starts to get weird.

These young boys have these blank, longing stares on their faces that don't look like they have anything to do with drinking a cool, refreshing Dr. Pepper. Just picture the look most guys would have on their faces if say Laurie Dhue were changing bathing suits in front of them and you get the general idea of how these kids were ogling this woman.

Meanwhile, in the background, the song "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne is playing. For those of you who haven't heard this tune, it has a catchy hook, "Stacy's mom has got it goin' on," -- which is what you hear for the most part in the commercial -- but, it's about a kid who wants to date his girlfriend's mom. Here are some of the lyrics...

"Stacy, do you remember when I mowed your lawn?
Your mom came out with just a towel on
I could tell she liked me from the way she stared
And the way she said, "You missed a spot over there"

And I know that you think it's just a fantasy
But since your dad walked out, your mom could use a guy like me"

Then the ad finishes up with the Dr. Pepper being taken out of the van, the kids drinking them down, and "mom" having this pleased smile on her face, as if she's thinking "I'm surrounded by 11 year old boys who want me and I'm pleasantly surprised at how sexy it makes me feel."

I'm sure there will be people who'll disagree with me about this, but the whole ad struck me as more than a little bit creepy. I mean exactly who is Dr. Pepper trying to appeal to with this commercial? 12 year-old kids who have a crush on their friends' moms? Mary Kay Letourneau clones who have a thing for pre-pubescent boys?

For lack of a better word, it's an "icky" ad and I'm a little surprised that Dr. Pepper thinks this is going to sell cola for them...

PS: If you've seen this ad, tell me what you think in the comments section. Am I off base here or did you get the same vibe from the commercial?

The Iraq elections had high participation. The people are dancing in the streets. Do you know what that means?

It means I'm right about everything, you stupid pinko!

Even more importantly, it means you’re wrong and totally suck!

"Nothing can stop our ignorant, warmongering ways from spreading peace throughout the world." I know; it's still just hitting you now. "What? They're happy! They're free! They like America! But this would mean Bush was right, and I was ::gasp:: wrong!" Then it makes you think, if you could be wrong on such a big issue, could you be wrong and the right-wingers right on other things such as taxes, Social Security, and abortion? Yes, absolutely!

Now, some of you will not face reality and continue to argue for your views that have been now scientifically proven to be wrong and destructive by this one victory, and your high pitch whines eventually reaching such a frequency that they can no longer be heard by humans (around 23kHz). Little kids will walk by and ask, "Who are those weird people waving signs of gibberish and moving their mouths without noise?"

And their parents will answer, "Those are liberals, people proven by events to be wrong about everything. Now ignore them like everyone else."

Of course, some of you will face the reality that you are now completely wrong about everything as the Iraqis celebrate their democracy we right-wingers gave them. This reality will be too much for you to take. You'll be like those crybabies with PEST, but even worse having reality smack you so hard in the face twice now. You'll yell, "Well, things could still go wrong! Please! Please, Gaia, make things go wrong in Iraq! May those people suffer so I can feel intellectually superior!" But it's too late. You won't be able to stand all the happy faces and have to end your life. Soon we rich Republicans won't be able to sail our yachts down a river without worrying about them being damaged by a Democrats plunging from a bridge. Then again, each dead Democrat means lower unemployment - proving us right-wingers even more super-right! And the last thought of you liberals as you "progress" to your end in the cold, black water will be how wrong you are about everything and how right conservatives are proved by those Iraqis holding up marked fingers.

Yes, nothing can stop our ignorant, warmongering ways from spreading peace throughout the world. Then all will bow before us conservatives, and we'll demand whiskey and cigars in praise for our earthy wisdom. The few remaining liberals will live as hobos, holding up signs saying, "Will pompously oppose common sense solutions for pot."

Ah, it's nice to be right about everything. I was worried for a little bit, but those election have now shown that all I've ever said - from burning down the forests to deporting the poor - must be right since I was right about Iraq. Now I know longer need to argue; I can just point to the election and say, "Shut up, goober! Now do as I say before I shoot with the guns that are now scientifically proven to be good for society to have since I said it so and was right about Iraq."

It will be hard for you liberals, and I wish I could feel sorry for you, but I've always been against empathy and must be right about that too.

Frank J. is a syndicated columnist whose columns appear worldwide on IMAO.us and is the author of such books as "Volunteer Work Is Totally Hitler!" and "The Frank Guide to Keep Your Cats from Eating Your Eyeballs While You Sleep".

This satire was used with the permission of Frank J. from IMAO. You can read more of his work by clicking here.

#1: From Ann Althouse...

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a political moderate. More than any ideology, I care about rational discourse. In the year that I've been blogging I've taken a lot of different positions, some left and some right. What I've noticed, over and over, is that the bloggers on the right link to you when they agree and ignore the disagreements, and the bloggers on the left link only for the things they disagree with, to denounce you with short posts saying you're evil/stupid/crazy, and don't even seem to notice all the times you've written posts that take their side. Why is this happening? I find it terribly, terribly sad.

...A reader emails: "I've heard it said that the Right is looking for converts and the Left is looking for heretics." Actually, it's probably more fun to be a heretic ... in a free country, at least."

Why is it that, "over and over, is that the bloggers on the right link to you when they agree and ignore the disagreements, and the bloggers on the left link only for the things they disagree with, to denounce you with short posts saying you're evil/stupid/crazy?"

Well, as Charles Krauthammer once opined,

"To understand the workings of American politics, you have to understand this fundamental law: Conservatives think liberals are stupid. Liberals think conservatives are evil."

I'd probably replace "stupid" with "hopelessly naive" or "let their emotions cloud their judgement," but I think Krauthammer is basically on target. On many issues, most liberals don't look at deviations from the holy scripture of liberalism as differences of opinion, they view them as moral failings. You aren't just wrong, you are as Ann's reader puts it: a "heretic."

There are a few conservatives who look at things the same way, but for the most part, if conservatives disagree with you, they tend to think you're a bonehead on that issue. If you're a "bonehead" on too many issues, they may write you off, but if you're not Atrios or Paul Krugman, hey, they're happy to work with you where they can. After all, you're not evil, you're just wrong (in their view) -- and who's not wrong sometimes?

#2: I guess I won't have Andrew Sullivan to kick around for a while because he's putting his blog on hiatus...

"After much hemming and hawing, I've decided to put the blog as you've known it on hiatus for a few months. The Dish will still exist, the site will be updated weekly with new feature articles, and I'll still post when I feel like it. But it won't have the regularity or content of the past four and a half years. Why? The simple answer is that I want to take a breather, to write a long-overdue book, to read some more, travel to Europe and the Middle East, and work on some longer projects. Much as I would like to do everything, I've been unable to give the blog my full attention and make any progress on a book (and I'm two years behind). It's not so much the time as the mindset. The ability to keep on top of almost everything on a daily and hourly basis just isn't compatible with the time and space to mull over some difficult issues in a leisurely and deliberate manner. Others might be able to do it. But I've tried and failed."

After reading that, Tim Blair wondered how many people who chipped into Sullivan's fund drives are feeling cheated right now...

"Andrew Sullivan pulled in close to $80,000 during his 2002 pledge drive. By some estimates, he raised another $120,000 during other annual drives. Those who’ve donated (I’m among them) may therefore be a little disillusioned...

Sullivan’s massive blog earnings have ended up funding a Euro-Middle Eastern stroll with time off to write a book. His next pledge drive might deliver a substantially lower return."

But has Sullivan even gone on his vacation yet? One of Tim Blair's readers, Richard Mcenroe, noted Sullivan's penchant for indecisiveness and speculated that...

"Actually, he’s only trying to go on vacation. When last seen he was at Kennedy airport, running back and forth between gates at opposite ends of the terminal, unable to decide on a destination…"

That's funny Richard! You should get your own blog.

Now, if only Sully would be a sport and invite Pat Buchanan, Tucker Carlson, Arlen Specter, Michael Savage, Jerry Falwell & Pat Robertson to take nice long vacations as well, he'd be doing conservatives a service for the first time in about a year.

#3: Kevin Drum over at the Washington Monthly chides many top conservative bloggers for not having comment sections...

"....Atrios is right to mock the pretensions of right-wing blowhards who loudly insist that the blogosphere is superior to old media because it's "self correcting." Their notion that someone else pointing out your errors counts as "self correction" is risible. By that standard, everything in the world is self correcting.

...Tight message control has always been a key characteristic of conservative politics. It's emerged as a key characteristic of the conservative blogosphere too."

Two things: Although a comments section does make it easier for the blogosphere to "self-correct," it's not the only mechanism in place. Every time a story is passed on from blog to blog, it's fact checked by another person who is capable of publicly correcting the record. Moreover, if the information is wrong, there are trackbacks from other bloggers, emails, and posts on other blogs that help shed light on errors.

On top of that, the variety of viewpoints and perspectives in the blogosphere makes it much more likely that an error will be caught here, rather than inside the media "bubble," as Bernard Goldberg calls it. In other words, if there's a factual error in an article, the chances of it being picked up by a conservative who does tech support, a Libertarian law professor, a soldier in Iraq, and a history teacher are much greater than the chances that 4 liberal reporters from New York will catch the same mistake. That's part of the reason why the blogosphere is much better at catching errors made by the mainstream media than other MSM organizations are.

Next up, I have a comment section and it makes my work more accurate, improves my writing, and helps me get a better idea of what my audience wants to talk about. However, it can be a real pain to maintain as well.

Movable Type, as far as I can tell, doesn't have a way to give people moderator privileges only. That means I'm personally responsible for dealing with comment spam, trackback spam, deleting objectionable comments, trying to get rid of trolls, and helping people who have problems with their usernames/passwords. Doing that on a blog that gets roughly 8,000 daily uniques is a pain. Realistically, once I start getting up in that 20,000-25,000 readers a day range, I may have to take a hard look at my comments section and decide whether it's worth continuing. That has nothing to do with "staying on message" and everything to do with all the extra work involved in dealing with the comments. Personally, I'm going to cross that bridge when I come to it, but I can see how the headaches could easily outweigh the benefits at a certain level. Maybe some large liberal bloggers might be willing to put up with the aggravation of comment sections, but I can understand why many bloggers of a certain size just wouldn't want the hassle.

While everyone else was paying attention to the historic elections in Iraq, the Weekly World News has once again scooped everyone else by finding a historic story somehow flew under the radar not just of the Mainstream media, but of the entire blogosphere. What it is you ask? France is actually changing its name...

"In an announcement which is stunning the world, France has decided to change its name permanently to Stinkland.

According to Mouffette, some of the advertising slogans selected so far, to be used on posters, ads, T-shirts, keychains, and commercials, include: "The Smelliest Nation in Europe Welcomes You!"...and "We'll Pay 100,000 Francs to the First Person to Visit Stinkland Without Heaving!"

Ah. there's nothing like mocking the insufferable and treacherous French to lighten the day!

Some of you may have noticed I didn't post my own thoughts on (Sunday's) elections. My reason is simple: it wasn't my day. I watched through tearing eyes. Yes, this old trooper shed a few tears of joy at what had happened. Like the amazing fall of the Berlin wall, the peaceful "revolutions" that freed Eastern Europe, this was another great victory in my lifetime, and one I felt a little bit involved in. This wasn't George Bush's victory, this wasn't America's victory, this certainly wasn't my victory, this was a victory for the people of Iraq and those who love freedom everywhere. I was an observer, a very close observer, but an observer nonetheless.

I liked what I saw.

Now note the header above. The work has just begun. I see bent and broken, scarred and ruined things here every day. Many were damaged years ago. 1991? 2003? In between? After? It's often hard to tell. Many will be fixed in time, others are beyond repair. Now substitute the word "people" for "things" in the preceding and read it again. Meet a group of Iraqi people and one will tell you how grateful he is that we have given him freedom. He will tell you he lived in fear for his life every day under Saddam. His joy is real, and fundamental, and obvious. Then the next will tell you he lost his entire family in the invasion. He's glad Saddam's gone, but he's paid a price that few would be willing to pay were they given the option.

What would you say to him? "Sorry about that. But cheer up, old boy! Other than that you must admit this freedom thing is pretty great, eh?" No - there's nothing that can be said. He may or may not hate the United States, he may blame Saddam for what happened, but here is a man with the rest of his life before him, and he'll live each day without his family.

The greater good, of course, is served. Many Americans died in this endeavor too; such things temper the celebration. I think Iraqi blogger Alaa offers the right perspective:

My condolences to the Great American people for the tragic recent losses of soldiers. The blood of Iraqis and Americans is being shed on the soil of Mesopotamia; a baptism with blood. A baptism of a lasting friendship and alliance, for many years to come, through thick and thin, we shall never forget the brave soldiers fallen while defending our freedom and future.

I'd add our Coalition allies to that sentiment too.

So amidst the triumph, I saw yesterday as a Memorial Day, of a sort, for those many who fell to make it possible. Some might try and use those deaths for their own ends, or to justify their belief that we should never have walked this path. Such people don't believe in heroes. They can't even comprehend this simple fact; no one is more opposed to war than the soldier. He knows the cost and has seen the carnage. But as I wrote at the top of the sidebar long ago: The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior, who prefers to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day he stands fast with those who struggle for freedom, strike for reason, and pray for a better tomorrow.

Today we re-build broken things. Grab a hammer or get out of the way.

Content used with permission of Greyhawk from the Mudville Gazette. You can read more of his work by clicking here.

Basra, Iraq - In another blow to a nation already reeling from months of U.S. occupation, a new World Heath Organization report suggested that Iraqis may face another humanitarian disaster caused by exposure to potentially harmful finger ink during Sunday's nationwide elections.

According to the report, the ink used to mark fingers of as many as 8 million Iraqis contained traces of a chemical, Dimoxycyclene K-phosphate 3, which has been associated with elevated lesions in laboratory animals. Sold under the trade name of Dyphex, the chemical is used as an additive in various inks and dyes as a fixative and preservative.

Critics noted that the not-yet banned chemical is produced by a RayTel, a Georgia-based firm whose executives contributed over $1800 to the 2004 Bush campaign. Records also show that over 20 gallons of the finger ink was transported to Iraq via Kellogg, Brown and Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton, the controversial firm once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney.

"In order to avoid risk, it is critical that Iraqis keep internal consumption of finger ink to less than 100 millileters per day," said WHO spokesperson Francois Garres. "We are desperately trying to get the word out, but we have not gotten the good cooperation with US military officials."

Garres said efforts to educate Iraqis on the dangers of Dyphex were also hampered by widespread street celebrations.

If you enjoyed this satire by Iowahawk, you can read more of his work by clicking here.

In the past, to inspire people to suggest new music that I might be interested in and just for entertainment's sake, I've posted the music I was currently listening to on RWN. But, thanks to wonders of modern technology, I can now tell you which songs I listened to the most over the last month.

Here's the list for January...

1) Modest Mouse: Float On
2) Britney Spears: Toxic
3) Blink182: I Guess This Is Growing Up
4) (hed) P.E: Suk It Up
5) Aqua Teen Hunger Force Theme Song
5) Creed: My Sacrifice
7) Nappy Roots: Awnaw
7) P.O.D. Satellite: Boom
7) Uncle Kracker: What Ya Lookin' At?
10) AC/DC: Big Gun
10) Toby Keith: Beer For My Horses
10) Offspring: I Choose
13) Russell Watson: Faith Of The Heart
14) Blink182: Carry Me Home
14) Jars Of Clay: Flood
14) Lynyrd Skynyrd: Sweet Home Alabama
14) Outkast: Bombs Over Baghdad

If you want to suggest some music that you think I should check out, feel free to post it in the comments section...

Clap, clap, clap...here's to Howard Dean, the man who looks likely to be the Dem's next party chairman. Dean deserves that applause for finally articulating a slogan that all Democrats can get behind, one that many of them already live by.

Yes, at the DNC's Eastern Regional meeting Saturday, Dean uttered the magic words that sum up today's Democratic Party...

"I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for..."

Note that Dean doesn't hate "Bush and everything he stands for," he hates "Republicans and everything they stand for."

Are you a Republican? Then Howard Dean hates you and everything you stand for. But don't get angry, be glad that he's being so truthful. A large percentage of liberals feel exactly the same way, they just won't say so.

This is why many Democrats get so glum when there's good news for the country that may simultaneously help the GOP, it's why John Kerry had a campaign theme of "I served in Vietnam and I'm not George Bush," it explains the Democrats unending obstructionism in Congress, and it's why so many lefties will embrace vile people like Michael Moore, Maureen Dowd, and Ted Rall as long as they attack Republicans.

So, Howard Dean, thank you for saying what so many liberal Democrats really think. Hopefully, your honesty will be rewarded and you'll become the next chairman of the Democratic Party. Then you can create a motto that lets people know what today's Democratic Party really stands for...

Now this guy has got the right idea....

We have freedom now, we have human rights, we have democracy. We will invite the insurgents to take part in our system. If they do, we will welcome them. If they don't, we will kill them." -- 80-year-old Rashid Majid

As long as there are enough people in Iraq who think like Rashid does, the terrorists don't have the slightest chance of stopping the Iraqi people from staying free...

Hat tip to Frank J. from IMAO for finding this IMAO quote.

To the Bush administration, Tony Blair, John Howard, Aleksander Kwasniewski and the other Coalition governments, American and Coalition troops, the Iraqi security forces, and Iraq's civilians who have all strived and struggled for almost two years to help make Iraq a free country: I, and all freedom loving people, salute you for making yesterday's elections not just possible, but a smashing success.

There's certainly a lot of work left to do in Iraq, but when a day this historic occurs, it's worth taking a moment to stop and contemplate the enormity of what has been accomplished so far. Here are a few quotes about the election that will help put things in perspective.....

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"I bow in respect and awe to the men and women of our people who, armed only with faith and hope are going to the polls under the very real threats of being blown to pieces. These are the real braves; not the miserable creatures of hate who are attacking one of the noblest things that has ever happened to us. Have you ever seen anything like this? Iraq will be O.K. with so many brave people, it will certainly O.K.; I can say no more just now; I am just filled with pride and moved beyond words.

....My condolences to the Great American people for the tragic recent losses of soldiers. The blood of Iraqis and Americans is being shed on the soil of Mesopotamia; a baptism with blood. A baptism of a lasting friendship and alliance, for many years to come, through thick and thin, we shall never forget the brave soldiers fallen while defending our freedom and future." -- Alaa, The Messopotamian

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"The turnout in Iraq was really like nothing that I had expected. I was glued in front of tv for most of the day. My mother was in tears watching the scenes from all over the country. Iraqis had voted for peace and for a better future, despite the surrounding madness. I sincerely hope this small step would be the start of much bolder ones, and that the minority which insists on enslaving the majority of Iraqis would soon realise that all that they have accomplished till now is in vain.

...I really want to write much much more but I have to run for now. I promise I will post again soon. In the mean time: Hold your head up high, Remember that you are Iraqi." -- Zeyad from Healing Iraq

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"In mainly Shi'ite Basra, Iraq's second biggest city, hundreds queued patiently to vote. "I am not afraid," said Samir Khalil Ibrahim. "This is like a festival for all Iraqis."

"I cannot describe what I am seeing. It is incredible. This is a vote for the future, for the children, for the rule of law, for humanity, for love," Alaa al-Tamimi told Reuters." -- Wired News

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"How can I describe it!? Take my eyes and look through them my friends, you have supported the day of Iraq's freedom and today, Iraqis have proven that they're not going to disappoint their country or their friends.

Could any model match this one!? Could any bravery match the Iraqis'!? Let the remaining tyrants of the world learn the lesson from this day." -- Mohammed and Omar, Iraq The Model

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"Women in black abayas whispered prayers at the sound of a nearby explosion as they waited to vote at one Baghdad polling station. But the mood for many was upbeat: Civilians and policemen danced with joy at one of the five polling stations where photographers were allowed, and some streets were packed with voters walking shoulder-to-shoulder to vote. The elderly made their way, hobbling on canes or riding wheelchairs; one elderly woman was pushed along on a wooden cart, another man carried a disabled 80-year-old on his back.

"This is democracy," said Karfia Abbasi, holding up a thumb stained with purple ink to prove she had voted." -- Yahoo

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"Samir Hassan lost his leg in a Baghdad bombing but that did not stop him reaching the polling station.

With his shoddy clothes hanging off him, and his trouser leg folded up beneath his amputated leg, Hassan hardly looked like a campaigner. But in his eyes, resolute and reddened at the edges, and in his face, scarred by the October blast, there was absolute determination." -- The Times Online

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"Great day!

God bless Iraq and America." -- Hammorabi

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"Last night I couldn't sleep well. I was so excited and I wanted to be at the voting center before it even opens its door. I was afraid that I was going to be among a minority who are going to vote, but I was still very happy for rather a different reason. It's that just as I care about the outcome of this election and that democracy would work in Iraq, I cared no less about voting on a personal level. This was my way to stand against those who humiliated me, my family and my friends. It was my way of saying," You're history and you don't scare me anymore". It was my way to scream in the face of all tyrants, not just Saddam and his Ba'athists and tell them, "I don't want to be your, or anyone's slave. You have kept me in your jail all my life but you never owned my soul". It was my way of finally facing my fears and finding my courage and my humanity again.

A'ash Al Iraq, A'ashat America, A'ash Al Tahaluf. (Long live Iraq, long live America and long live the coalition)" -- Ali from Free Iraqi

Okay, look, I’ll put this as simply as I can:

1) Condi didn’t lie to anybody, and neither did Dubya. Lying implies both knowledge and intent, and neither has been remotely established, nor will they be, because they do not exist. We know that Saddam at one time had WMD’s; there is simply no argument possible on this. The fact of their existence was unquestioned by anybody, including the UN, after the first Gulf War, and we know he actually used them on more than one occasion. What we don’t know is where they all went, and if you on the Left were truly concerned about American security in the age of global terrorism you’d be a lot more worried about that than you are. You are not serious about defending this country. You are dead wrong, and you do not deserve to be taken seriously.

2) Bush acted on the best intelligence available in making the decision to remove Saddam from power; the same intelligence led President Clinton to make regime change the official goal of the USG back in ‘98. You on the Left did not denounce that policy change when Clinton made it; your interest in the matter begins and ends with your hatred of your fellow Americans who happen to be Republicans. You on the Left are not seriously concerned about the security of this nation. You are dead wrong, and you do not deserve to be taken seriously.

3) WMDs were by no means the only reason to remove Saddam. Saddam was an avowed enemy of this country. He called for our destruction many, many times. He aided and abetted Islamic terrorists of every warp and woof. He built the Salman Pak terrorist training camp. He provided safe harbor to terrorist killers like Abu Nidal and others. He encouraged the murderous depredations of Palestinian suicide bombers by rewarding their surviving family members with large cash payments which morally amounted to a bounty on the heads of innocent Israeli civilians. He attempted to assassinate a former US President, and just because it happened to be one you on the Left do not like does not mean that we as a nation can afford to ignore it. He attempted many, many times over the course of more than a decade to shoot down American aircraft engaged in a legitimate and UN-approved mission. Just because you on the Left don’t like the military any more than you like the aforementioned US President doesn’t mean that we as a nation can afford to ignore that. It’s one thing to ignore a ruthless, bloodthirsty, and out-of-control tyrant like Saddam on 9/10/01; it’s another thing entirely to do so on 9/12. You on the Left are not seriously concerned about the defense of this nation, its citizens, and its military personnel. You are dead wrong, and you do not deserve to be taken seriously.

4) The Iraq war, contrary to repeated and shrill accusations from the Left and the mainstream press, is part and parcel of the War on Terrorism and not a distraction from it. Saddam’s regime, as already noted, was a stalwart friend to Islamic terrorists, both in the Mideast and elsewhere. The Iraq war is part of a larger, bolder, and more comprehensive strategy, one spelled out explicitly by Bush many times but most recently and compellingly in his second inauguration speech. I won’t link to any specific support for these assertions; such links are scattered liberally throughout the archives here if you’re truly interested in looking them up. Anyone who thinks that Saddam was innocent of any connection to Islamic terrorism, or that Iraq had nothing whatever to do with the WoT, is either foolish, ill-informed, or disingenuously promoting an agenda different from the one they claim to be promoting. They are not serious about the security of this nation. They are dead wrong, and they do not deserve to be taken seriously.

5) There was no “rush to war,” and Bush did not ignore the Europeans. He spent a year and a half begging them for cooperation in enforcing 18 different UN resolutions that they themselves had voted for; they flatly refused, because they had crooked business deals (the Oil for Food scandal; see here for details) to protect and cover up and not for any moral reasons. If the Europeans hate us, it is because of their own corruption and/or cowardice and not because of anything we’ve done. Therefore, they are dead wrong, and do not deserve to be taken seriously. And if you’re all that worried about what people sniping at us from behind a defensive shield our tax dollars and military personnel provide for them think, neither do you.

6) The elections in Iraq—contrary to repeated shrill predictions from the Left and the mainstream press of disaster, postponement, cancellation, and subterfuge on the part of the US —will take place as scheduled this Sunday. It will be an historic first step on the road to self-determination for a people who have not known it in our lifetimes. Despite the Left’s overheated rhetoric accusing Bush of being a “despot,” a “tyrant,” a “dictator,” and so on, the real dictator is even now incarcerated, held by the people he so viciously wronged, and it’s directly due to Bush’s steadfastness and determination and not at all to the resistance to taking any action repeatedly and embarrassingly demonstrated by you on the Left. It’s a cliche, but it’s true: freedom is not free, and its cost is not measured in dollars but in blood. That blood has been shed by both Americans and Iraqis in pursuit of a dream of liberty and self-determination that you on the Left would deny them even now. You are not serious in your protestations of concern for the Iraqi people. You are dead wrong, and you do not deserve to be taken seriously.

That may seem overly didactic; it may seem oversimplified, and it may even seem harsh in places. But that’s the plain truth as I see it. Damn, I just pretty much summed up three and a half years of blogging right there

Content used with permission of Mike Hendrix from Cold Fury. You can read more of his work by clicking here.

I just got home. The polls in Iraq opened about 45 minutes ago, I'll be live-blogging the election coverage on the cable news networks:

Geraldo Rivera
...on this most exciting, joyous, and indeed historic of occasions in the lives of these proud Iraqi people, who have lived for so long under the tyrannical rule of the murderous, bloodthirsty, megalomaniacal, power-hungry, sadistic, brutal dictator Sadam Hussein. I have here with me Sergeant Buck Trainor of the Fighting First Cav, a unit my brother and I spent quite a bit of time with in Afghanistan. Come on over here, Sarge.

Sergeant Trainor
Good to see you, Geraldo.

Geraldo Rivera
Good to see you again, man. The last time I saw you, my brother Greg and I had just driven across some of the most treacherous territory in Afghanistan, literally putting our lives at risk in a valiant effort to reach the front lines. I recall our driver, a little guy we called 'Wazzi', saying that he'd never seen a more courageous and dedicated...

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Joe Scarborough
Ron Reagan, this will be the first time in over fifty years that the people of Iraq will have the opportunity to participate in a free, fair, and democratic election. What are your thoughts on this historic occasion?

Ron Reagan
Well, Joe, there are over a thousand candidates in this election. They are as diverse as the people of Iraq, and include Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds. Fortunately for the people of Iraq, none of them are bible-thumping evangelicals Jesus-freaks who feel compelled to shove their religious beliefs down the throats of....

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Greta van Susteren
...so once again, it appears that this was a lone suicide bomber who never made it to his intended destination, blowing himself up at a checkpoint instead. Joining me now is Cyril Wecht, nationally renowned forensic pathologist. Dr. Wecht, it's good to see you again, looks like you've been working on that tan.

Wecht
Good to be here, Greta.

Greta van Susteren
Dr. Wecht, with an explosion of this kind, that is, someone actually blowing himself up with what was apparently a fairly powerful explosive device, what kind of injuries would you expect to see?

Wecht
Well, Greta, the bomber himself was most likely literally blown to bits.

Greta van Susteren
What about possible secondary injuries?

Wecht
Well, one would assume that the resulting spray of shrapnel, bone fragments, bits of skull...

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Joe Scarborough
Our own David Schuster is in Baghdad. David, there have been a lot of concerns about security there, with the Sunni Arabs threatening to kill anyone who takes part in this election.

David Shuster
That's right, Joe. Unfortunately, those threats have been very effective, resulting in widespread fear, and leaving very little hope of any meaningful participation in this election...

Joe Scarborough
David, I hate to interrupt you, but right now I'm looking at a live feed from Mosul, and it appears that there are long lines at the polling places. In fact, I'm looking at what appears to be hundreds of people waiting to vote as we speak.

David Shuster
Really? Well, Joe, considering the situation on the ground in Mosul, I'd say those people are practically sitting ducks in an area controlled by Baathist extremists...

Joe Scarborough
Well, there are also American snipers positioned strategically on rooftops...

David Shuster
They wouldn't be the first snipers to be taken out by...

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Rita Cosby
I'm joined now by Tom Hammill, who spent about three weeks in captivity in Iraq before making a dramatic and highly publicized escape. Tom, I want to thank you for joining me here tonight.

Hammill
It's my pleasure, Rita.

Rita Cosby
So, what are your thoughts tonight as these brave Iraqi citizens, with whom you developed such a strong bond before your capture, venture out to vote in a democratic election for the first time in their lives?

Hammill
Rita, I'm overjoyed by the prospect of these...

Rita Cosby
I'm sorry Tom, but we're running short on time, so let me ask you something. I know you still have quite a few friends in Iraq, tell me, what do they think about the Michael Jackson case?

Hammill
The Michael Jackson case?

Rita Cosby
Obviously they don't see as much of the coverage as we do here in The States, but certainly they must be aware of the colossal blunder made by Tom Sneddon, the DA who announced very early on that the case was, in his words, 'a slam dunk'. Of course, those words came back to...

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Joe Scarborough
...and what appear to be American military helicopters patrolling the skies..

David Shuster
I'd hate to be in one of those choppers, considering the capabilities of the surface-to-air missiles the insurgents...

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Geraldo Rivera
...so my brother Greg tells the guy - hey, are you listening?

Sergeant Trainor
What? Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm listening.

Geraldo Rivera
He says to this guy, "Look man, you don't want to mess with me. My brother and I are both third-degree black belts, and these hands are registered weapons..."

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Ron Reagan
...buck-toothed, cousin-marrying, ignorant Neanderthal...

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Rita Cosby
...said that Jackson gave him wine, which he called "Jesus juice", showed him pornographic pictures, and asked him to touch...

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Joe Scarborough
...tanks and armored vehicles surrounding the city on all sides..

Shuster
One IED and those tanks are toast.

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Cyril Wecht
...massive pulmonary barotrauma, which of course, is the most common fatal primary blast injury...

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Joe Scarborough
...there we see Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi casting his ballot...

David Shuster
Wouldn't want to be him, Joe.

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Rita Cosby
How could they not know who Kobe Bryant is?

Hammill
I don't even know who that is.

(CHANNEL CHANGE)

Joe Scarborough
And that, of course, is Iraqi Interim President Ghazi al-Yawer casting his ballot...

David Shuster
Dead man walking.

(TELEVISION OFF)

I give up. I'll check the papers in the morning.

Satire used with permission of John From Wuzzadem. You can read more of his work by clicking here.

News reports of terrorist bombings in Iraq were marred Sunday by shocking graphic images of Iraqi "insurgents" voting by the millions in their first free democratic election.

Despite reporters' hopes that a well-orchestrated barrage of mortar attacks and suicide bombings would put down the so-called 'freedom insurgency', hastily-formed battalions of rebels swarmed polling places to cast their ballots -- shattering the status quo and striking fear into the hearts of the leaders of the existing terror regime.

Hopes for a return to the stability of tyranny waned as rank upon rank of Iraqi men and women filed out of precinct stations, each armed with the distinctive mark of the new freedom guerrillas -- an ink-stained index finger, which one former Ba'athist called "the evidence of their betrayal of 50 years of Iraqi tradition."

Journalists struggled to put a positive spin on the day's events, but the video images of tyranny's traitors choosing a future of freedom overwhelmed the official story of bloodshed and mayhem.

If you enjoyed this satire by Scott Ott from Scrappleface, you can read more of his work by clicking here.

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