Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I'm not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be. -- John Wayne
I Told You People Like Wonkette And Michelle Malkin Were Good For The Blogosphere
Back on June 16, 2004 I wrote a post talking about how people like Wonkette and Michelle Malkin were good for the blogosphere Here's a little snippet:
"...(I)t's fantastic that people like Ana Marie Cox at Wonkette are growing so big, so fast, with the help of contacts and mainstream media publicity. The more readers Ana Marie gets, the more people who are being introduced to the world of blogging for the first time.
The same goes for people like Michelle Malkin who are just getting into blogging. Malkin's blog has been up a week and she's already pulling more than 2300 visitors a day. Some people might hear about that and go "That stinks! I've been blogging for a year and I have 300 readers and some famous columnist walks in and cracks 2000 sets of eyeballs just like that. It's not fair!" Forget about "fair," people like Michelle Malkin are good for blogging. They not only make the rest of us more credible by their very presence, they introduce lots of new readers from their newspaper columns, books, & TV appearances to the blogosphere."
Did I turn out to be right? Well, at least from my own perspective -- oh yeah! This year, Michelle Malkin has sent RWN more than 85,700 impressions and Wonkette chipped in another 4,000 or so. That means this year, RWN was sent an extra 90,000 sets of eyeballs because of two blogs that didn't even exist two years ago.
So what's the lesson here? It's that it's almost Christmas time, the blogosphere is really slow, and I'm trying to introduce a little filler before I start my vacation....wait, wait, that's not it. Actually, the lesson here is that you shouldn't get jealous of the success of other bloggers because their success has the potential to help make your blog more successful in the long run.
There are more than a few people in this country who focus so obsessively on race that they constantly see bigotry where it doesn't exist. In fact, some people have gotten so ridiculous about it that there is even speculation that a radio station's change of formats from R&B to country must be prompted by racial considerations. From an article at CBS4 called "Race Questions Raised After Radio Station Switch:"
"A Denver radio station's switch from R&B to country is drawing criticism from a Denver city councilwoman.
...On Tuesday afternoon, city councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth went to CBS Radio of Denver to voice concerns.
"I'm not really comfortable (with the situation), but I think that the bigger picture is how we move forward and how we work with this station in the future," said Wedgeworth, who said she's concerned about the "constituencies that have lost their station."
Don Howe of CBS Radio of Denver told Wedgeworth was ratings and not race that prompted the move away from the urban format.
"In the last few reports, (when consulting) Arbitron rating reports, it became even more clear that the format was really never gonna crack ... the barriers that we needed it too," Howe said. "The audience simply wasn't there.
The station said it started the now-discarded format 6 years ago. The new country format is called "Willie."
Radio stations that aren't making money switch formats all the time. It's not the least bit unusual. So, the idea that the people running this radio station, which had been playing R&B music for 6 years, just up and decided one day to switch formats because they had gotten tired of running music that appealed mostly to black Americans, is so ludicrous that it is hard to believe that anyone could think that was the case. That's why Elbra Wedgeworth should quit worrying about "constituencies that have lost their station" and start worrying about real problems that are a bit more pressing than how much R&B music is on the airwaves in Denver.
Could somebody please stop the spread of democracy in the Middle East? I do not like the way it's turning out. Iran for example has been having elections for almost thirty years, since the overthrow of the Shah, and look who wins them. Iran's election have produced presidents ranging from moderate right wingers like Abul Hassan Boni Sadr to full-tilt ultra-religious wingnuts like current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad whose politics appear to only slightly to the left of Pat Robertson.
Uh, whatever. Iran is not having "democratic elections." It's not a democratic election when all moderate/secular/progressive candidates are simply struck off the ballot and not permitted to stand for elections.
It's not like we don't know how to put the brakes on Islamic democracy. Back in 1991 Algerian voters seemed on the brink of electing an Islamist government and the ruling party, supported by France and the US, just canceled the elections and outlawed the Islamist parties. But I'm sure there are less in your face, more artful ways of... not frustrating Middle Eastern democracy but calming it down. We got the the Deiboldt Corporation and Karl Rove could be looking for a new job any day now.
Again, I'm all over democracy, within reason. But full-frontal democratic governments, reflecting the will a majority are fine in theory but in practice it's scary as hell. I'm sure that's why we've done away with it here in the United States.
Note that his little joke doesn't really make sense. If we've done away with "scary" democracy, then he should be happy.
He's disguising his real complaint-- we have democracy in the US, the majority has spoken, and that's what he doesn't like. He'd prefer a system more like Iran's, with a Supreme Guardian Council disallowing "unacceptable" candidates, like pretty much any politician to the right of, say, Evan Bayh. And Evan Bayh would only be grudging allowed on the ballot.
Mexico Says We're Not Allowed To Build A Wall On The Border
The towering arrogance of some of the top politicians from our bad neighbors to the South is almost beyond belief. It's bad enough that they make no serious efforts to stop illegals from crossing the border. In fact, to the contrary, the Mexican government actually tacitly encourages their citizens to enter the US illegally.
But now, Mexico's foreign secretary is actually telling us, the United States of America, that we are not permitted to build a wall in our own territory in order to keep illegals and terrorists from sneaking across the border. Just take a look at this...
"The Mexican government, angered by a U.S. proposal to extend a wall along the border to keep out migrants, pledged Tuesday to block the plan and organize an international campaign against it.
Facing a growing tide of anti-immigrant sentiment north of the border, the government has taken out ads urging Mexican workers to denounce rights violations in the United States. It also is hiring an American public relations firm to improve its image and counter growing U.S. concerns about immigration.
Mexican President Vicente Fox denounced the U.S. measures, passed by the House of Representatives Friday, as ``shameful.'' His foreign secretary, Luis Ernesto Derbez, echoed his complaints on Tuesday.
``Mexico is not going to bear, it is not going to permit, and it will not allow a stupid thing like this wall,'' Derbez said.
``What has to be done is to raise a storm of criticism, as is already happening, against this,'' he said, promising to turn the international community against the plan.
...The House bill, passed on a 239-182 vote, includes a proposal to build 700 miles of additional fence through parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. It would also enlist military and local law enforcement to help stop illegal entrants and require employers to verify the legal status of their workers.
Mexicans are outraged by the proposed measures, especially the extension of the border wall, which many liken to the Berlin Wall. Some are urging their government to fight it fiercely.
``Our president should oppose that wall and make them stop it, at all costs,'' said Martin Vazquez, 26, at the Mexico City airport as he returned from his job as a hotel worker in Las Vegas. ``More than just insulting, it's terrible.''
First of all, the Berlin Wall was vile because it kept people who wanted to leave trapped in Eastern Germany. This wall we will hopefully be building will be designed to keep people from illegally entering our country.
Number Two, the opinion of the "international community" and the government of Mexico isn't worth a hoot in hell when it comes to building a fence on the Mexican-American border. It's our land, we own it, and we'll build a fence if we like. If you're not an American citizen, then to be blunt, your opinion doesn't matter.
Last but not least, let me note that if you want to work in the United States, you should understand that's a privilege, not a right. We don't want people traipsing illegally back and forth across our border whenever they take a notion to do so. Instead, we want everyone who enters this country to respect our laws and do so legally. If you think being asked to obey our laws is "insulting" or "terrible," then it seems to me you're exactly the type of person we don't want in our country.
So, let's hope the Senate approves this legislation and soon! The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can start building that wall and securing our borders.
A Religious Right To Murder People Without Punishment?
You almost have to admire the chutzpah (Well, not really) of Osman Karahan, a Turkish lawyer, who argued that his terrorist clients, who were responsible for the deaths of 58 innocent people, should be allowed to skate because it was their religious duty as Muslims to commit murder.
"A lawyer defending al Qaida-linked suspects standing trial for the 2003 suicide bombings in Istanbul told a court that jihad, or holy war, was an obligation for Muslims and his clients should not be prosecuted.
"If you punish them for this, tomorrow, will you punish them for fasting or for praying?" Osman Karahan -- a lawyer representing 14 of the 72 suspects -- asked during a nearly four-hour speech in which he read religious texts from an encyclopedia of Islam.
The November 2003 blasts targeted two synagogues, the British Consulate and the local headquarters of the London-based HSBC bank, killing 58 people.
The Arabic word jihad can mean holy war among extremists in addition to its definition as the Islamic concept of the struggle to do good.
Karahan spoke for three hours at the court in Istanbul.
"If non-Muslims go into Muslim lands, it is every Muslim's obligation to fight them," Karahan said."
Know what my favorite part of that whole excerpt was? When they explain that Jihad can actually mean, "holy war." Really? You don't say! Maybe no one ever picked that up the first few hundred times Imams and terrorists said that it was Allah's will that other Muslims slaughter infidels in the name of Jihad.
In any case, Turkey is a fairly secular country and after all the attacks they've suffered at the hands of Kurdish terrorists, it's unlikely Osama Bin Lawyer will get anywhere with his, "It's our religious right to kill as many non-Muslims as we like defense."
Still, the fact that the lawyer is even running that up the flagpole shows that he thinks it has an outside chance of working which is more than a little scary.
Today's New Low In Politics Is Brought To You By The Ivory Coast
Politics started getting nastier during the Reagan years onward and it has gotten particularly cutthroat since Bush got into office. For example, comparing Bush to Hitler has become so commonplace that it's passe. Even worse, when William Rehnquist died, there were lefties publicly talking about how they wanted to expel various bodily fluids all over his grave. In Reagan's case, there were even protestors at Reagan's funeral.
But, as bad as it has gotten, we can at least take comfort in the fact that there is one line that hasn't been crossed in American politics -- well, yet anyway:
"Armed men dug up and tried to steal the corpse of the mother of one of war-torn Ivory Coast's opposition party leaders Monday but were stopped when guards intervened, the party said.
Hadja Nabintou Cisse, mother of the leader of the opposition Rally of Republicans party (RDR) and former prime minister Alassane Dramane Ouattara, was buried in the cemetery in Williamsville, a suburb of Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan, on December 8.
Her son, a hated figure among many supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo who accuse him of starting the 2002 civil war that left the country divided in two, had returned from exile in Paris for the funeral.
RDR spokesman Cisse Bacongo said around 10 armed men dressed in security forces uniforms exhumed the body from the grave early Monday and carried it to the cemetery entrance before security guards raised the alarm and local youths gave chase.
The men fled in a four-wheel drive jeep without license plates, leaving the undamaged body of the Muslim woman behind. It was later reburied by several Imams, Bacongo said."
Thanks a lot, you gravediggers on the Ivory Coast! As if we needed anyone giving the loons in this country any new ideas.
*** Update #1 ***: Well, I guess there really is nothing new in politics. Via Raxter in the comments section, I found out that the guys on the Ivory Coast are merely walking along a trail blazed by a bunch of animal rights wackos in Britain who not only dug up a woman's grave, but apparently chopped her body into pieces and then withheld her remains as a way of blackmailing her family until they agreed to stop breeding guinea pigs for medical research (which sadly, seems to have worked).
Excerpt Of The Day #2: The Security Strategy Of America's Do-Nothing Brigade
"Allow me to sum up the homeland security strategy of America's do-nothing brigade, led by the armchair generals at The New York Times and ACLU headquarters:
First, bar law enforcement at all levels from taking race, ethnicity, national origin and religion into account when assessing radical Islamic terror threats. (But continue to allow the use of those factors to ensure "diversity" in public-college admissions, contracting, and police- and fire-department hiring.)
Second, institute the "Eenie-meenie-miny-moe" random-search program at all subways, railways and bus stations.
Third, open the borders, sabotage all immigration enforcement efforts and scream "Racist" at any law-abiding American who protests.
Fourth, sue. Sue. Sue.
Fifth, yell "Connect the dots!" while rebuilding and strengthening the walls that prevent information-sharing between the CIA, State Department, Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and other key government agencies.
Sixth, hang the white flag and declare victory.
Seventh, sit back and wait to blame the president for failing to take aggressive, preventative measures when the next terrorist attack hits.
Excerpt Of The Day #1: Where's The Plame Platoon On The Wiretap Leaks?
"I eagerly await the righteous indignation from the Plame Platoon about the spilling of secrets in wartime and its impassioned calls for an independent counsel to prosecute the leakers. And wait … And wait …
I suspect it'll be a long wait because the rule of thumb seems to be that although it's treasonous for pro-Bush partisans to spill secrets that might embarrass an administration critic, it's a public service for anti-Bush partisans to spill secrets that might embarrass the administration. The determination of which secrets are OK to reveal is, of course, to be made not by officials charged with protecting our nation but by journalists charged with selling newspapers.
The New York Times sought to quell such concerns by noting in its big article on the NSA that "some information that administration officials argued could be useful to terrorists has been omitted." Forgive me if I'm not reassured by the implication that other information that might be useful to terrorists had not been omitted." -- Max Boot
Excerpt Of The Day: What The Establishment Clause In The First Amendment Really Means
"The ACLU invokes that famous phrase about a "wall of separation between church and state" -- a phrase found nowhere in the Constitution but somehow considered to be part of Constitutional law.
The Constitution forbad Congress from creating "an establishment of religion" but this was no mysterious concept known only to deep thinking legal scholars.
The people who wrote the Constitution all knew exactly what an establishment of religion was because they had all lived under one -- the established Church of England.
Being established meant that everyone had to pay taxes to support that church, whether they belonged to it or not, and that people who didn't belong to the established church could not be admitted to various institutions or be appointed to certain official positions." -- Thomas Sowell
A Teleconference With Sentors John Cornyn And Jim DeMint
A little earlier today, I was fortunate enough to be invited by the Senate Republican Conference to be on a teleconference with Senators David Vitter (R-LA) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) to talk about the "Patriot Act and DOD authorization bill." Vitter didn't end up making it, but John Cornyn (R-TX) replaced him.
Cornyn started things off by talking about how essential the Patriot Act is and he also emphasized that the wiretapping authorized by the President was not only legal, but had been done by multiple former Presidents as well.
After Cornyn's short opening statement, Cornyn and DeMint opened it up for questions about anything and everything.
The Patriot Act: Both Senators defended this as essential legislation for protecting America.
ANWR: Both Senators strongly supported drilling ANWR, but neither sounded sure we could get it through the Senate.
I asked why the President authorized the wiretaps instead of going through the normal process. The response was that they sometimes needed to do wiretaps almost immediately, but because of paperwork, it could take a little too long. The answers here were a little fuzzy.
DeMint emphasized that Carter, Clinton, and Reagan had all signed off on similar warrantless searches. He also added that our intelligence before 9/11 was completely inadequate and that the planes that hit the Twin Towers in New York could have had nuclear bombs in them. In other words, we better have great intelligence to stop these attacks or the smoking gun might be a mushroom cloud.
DeMint also said that the President has run out of patience with the Democrats, that he's happy about that, and expects to see the President stay on the offensive all the way through the State of the Union speech.
I also asked whether we should have a special counsel investigate the leak to the New York Times about the eavesdropping program.
Both of them said absolutely.
Cornyn slapped the New York Times for complaining so much about the outing of Valerie Plame and then turning right around and compromising one of our most sensitive intelligence gathering programs.
Demint said that the real problem isn't the wiretaps, it's that the Congress can't be trusted with sensitive information. Cornyn then added that the Congress wants to know about these hush hush programs and complains when the President doesn't consult them, but then when the President does consult with Congress they leak the information that he gives to them. So, it's a Catch-22.
Judge Alito: Cornyn said he was initially concerned about delay, but he doesn't think the negative ad campaign against Alito has gotten any traction. He noted that despite Alito's long track record, the Democrats have been stuck trying to use 25 year old memos to criticize Alito. Both Senators confidently predicted Alito would be confirmed.
Someone asked a question about the Democrats claiming that Republicans were corrupt. DeMint responded that if the Dems wanted to say Republicans were dirty for taking money from Abramoff, well, Harry Reid got money from Abramoff, too, while Baucus and Dorgan just gave money back. In other words, they're being hypocritical.
DeMint also noted that the GOP hasn't been on the offense and that allowed the Democrats to gain some ground. He seemed very happy the President was going after the Democrats and noted that his poll numbers have started going up since he has done so.
After that, both DeMint and Cornyn wished us a Merry Christmas and we wrapped things up. All in all, both Senators were very forthcoming and did a great job of explaining their positions. Combine that with the fact that there was an open mike format and we could ask the Senators whatever we wanted and it made for a really fantastic teleconference. Kudos to the Senate Republican Conference for putting this together and let's hope they make this sort of thing -- getting Republican Senators together with bloggers -- a regular thing.
The Democratic Underground Post Of The Day: Fascists, Fascists, Everywhere!
Over at the Democratic Underground, bobthedrummer has created a thread that polls the DUers on the following question: "Are we becoming fascist?" Here are the answers he received:
That's 4% of the "Reality Based Community" that actually understands that they're living in a Democracy and 96% that thinks we live in a fascist state or are at least close.
That means 19 out of 20 people taking that poll either don't understand what the word fascism means or, on the other hand, they do understand what it means and are so completely out of touch with reality that they actually can't see any significant differences between the United States and let's say WW2 Italy or Germany.
Either way, these are some incredibly clueless people.
There are a lot of great gifts that you can receive this time of year, but the one thing no one wants shoved into their stocking is a lawsuit filed by an overzealous atheist or member of the ACLU! That's why you should write out this disclaimer ,* helpfully provided by the Urban Family Council, on all of the Christmas cards you send out to make sure you're protected...
"Legal Disclaimer: "Merry Christmas" (hereafter "The Greeting")... this announcement is not intended to offend, alienate, foster hate or be a precursor for any egregious acts (legal or illegal), thoughts, words or deeds. "The Greeting" is made only in the context to which it may be legally received, if in fact, it is received at all. It is not intended to be nor should it be, in any way, connected to any other type of greeting, real or imagined, past, present or future. No references to any persons,things or substances, animate or inanimate, real, fictional or otherwise should be assumed by the reader or receiver of the greeting (hereafter, 'the greetee').
The greeting is not being made to (nor will tenders be accepted from or on behalf of) nonbelievers in 'The Greeting' in any jurisdiction in which making and or accepting the greeting would violate that jurisdiction's laws or feelings (also refer to local statutes and ordinances related to'The Greeting'). In any jurisdiction in which perceived 'greeting' is not welcomed nor agreed upon by all 'greetees', then the 'greetor' of 'The Greeting' will be held harmless in this life and the next, including allissuing posterity both now and forever. 'The Greeting' may be made by a licensed 'greetor' and any liability assumed or created by the 'greetee' shall be the sole responsibility of said 'greetor'.
If you have been aggrieved, offended, waylaid, parlayed, filleted or delayed in any way, either real, imagined or per- ceived by said 'Greeting' and or by 'greetor' as the result of receiving said 'greeting', you can call toll free 1-800- CHRISTMAS to speak with legal counsel."
Terrorists Caught Enrolling In Sewing Class Following TSA Ruling -- Satire By Buckley F. Williams
Several years of tracking a group of terror suspects in the Dallas area have paid off, as the FBI announced yesterday that they had arrested three members of the group after they enrolled in a local sewing class in a brazen attempt to obtain and learn how to use sewing scissors.
There was a clear connection between the terrorists efforts and the recent announcement by the Transportation Safety Administration that restrictions on screw drivers and small sewing scissors would be relaxed for passengers.
"They were obsessed with everything about sewing," said an undercover FBI agent. "They enrolled in the class so that they could get their hands on sewing scissors, and learn how to use them as a weapon of hi-jacking and death."
Kathy Delaney. he 65 year-old woman who ran the "Knitting Sisters of Christ" sewing class out of her home, said that the three showed up for the first class and immediately began asking about sewing scissors.
"We were trying to lay out plans for our Christian Nativity Quilt, and they were just rude. They kept saying that they didn't want to know how to finish anything, they just wanted to know how to use sewing scissors. When I finally gave Muhammad a pair to keep him quiet, he immediately starting plunging them into Dorothy Higgins' prize winning Jesus pillow."
To a woman, most of the sewing class felt something was odd about their Mideastern classmates.
"They seemed a bit out of place, I guess," said Nora Haiber. "The three of them sat in a corner and whispered in some strange foreign language while we worked on our Christmas Quilt. And they wanted no part of Madge Galbraith's pork casserole, which was really peculiar."
The three terrorists were apprehended at Delaney's home after the astute woman tipped off local police.
"The final straw for me was when we were working on some basic sewing techniques- you know 'knit one, pearl two' stuff- and they were just losing their patience. Mohammed finally screamed, 'For the love of Allah, give me your sewing scissors or I'll remove your skin!' Well, that was just rude. We called the police."
Bush Announces Do-Not-Wiretap List -- Satire By Scott Ott
Just days after the New York Times released classified information about eavesdropping by the NSA on Americans linked to international terrorists, President George Bush at a news conference today announced creation of a new website which allows people to voluntarily exclude their phone numbers and email addresses from NSA wiretap lists.
The new National Do Not Wiretap Registry (DoNotWiretap.gov) follows the successful DoNotCall.gov model of allowing citizens to opt-out of harassment by electronic means.
“If you’re concerned that your civil rights might be violated simply because some al Qaeda member has your information in his cellphone or computer,” the president said, “then go to DoNotWiretap.gov, enter your contact phone number, email address, and names of terrorists who might have you on speed dial and we’ll let the National Security Administration know that you don’t want them eavesdropping on you.”
This satire was used with the permission of Scrappleface.
"There sure are a lot of excited Democrats out there who think they've got George Bush and the GOP right where they want them. They think they're going to get the Senate back, they think they're going to get the House back, they think it's going to be their year in 2006.
But, they have one big problem: they peaked a year too early.
...Just watch the GOP poll numbers, folks, because they're going to start going back up relatively soon and by the time everything is said and done, assuming the GOP keeps listening to the people, don't be surprised if we add seats in the Senate and House in 2006." -- John Hawkins, November 13, 2005
This is now, about 5 weeks later fron the latest ABC News/Washington Post...
"Overall, 47 percent of Americans in this ABC News/Washington Post poll now approve of George W. Bush's work in office; 52 percent disapprove. While hardly robust, that is up from a career low 39-60 percent in early November to its best in nearly six months."
The "Big Mo" is on the "Big Dog's" side and all I can say is that on the day W. goes north of a 50% approval rating in multiple polls again -- and he will, probably in the next few months -- make sure to wear earplugs or the howls of the despairing Democrats who thought they had him on the ropes at last will keep you up all night.
Putting A Blindfold On Our Intelligence Agencies And Then Demanding That They Connect The Dots
"I want senators from New York or Los Angeles or Las Vegas to go home and explain why these cities are safer without the renewal of the Patriot Act. It is inexcusable to say . . . 'connect the dots' and not give us a chance to do so. I happen to know there's an enemy there. And the enemy wants to attack us. That is why I hope you can feel my passion about the Patriot Act. It is inexcusable to say to the American people . . . 'We're going to be tough on terror,' but take away the very tools necessary to help fight these people." -- George Bush
The war on terrorism hasn't worked out very well for Al-Qaeda since the 9/11 attacks. While they have been able to pull off a few big attacks in Europe, their protectors in Afghanistan, the Taliban, were run out of power, their training camps were destroyed, they've been unable to defeat America or stop Democracy from relentlessly progressing in Iraq, and they've also been unable to pull off another big attack on the US mainland.
However, despite all of those failures, Al-Qaeda has been able to reel off some smashing successes in the US Congress and the press over the last week or so.
First of all, George Bush, in the face of overwhelming pressure from the Congress, gave-in on John McCain's anti-"torture" bill AKA as the, "Al-Qaeda Bill of Rights," AKA as, "The End of Useful Interrogations of Al-Qaeda Act of 2005." This bill will prevent the "torture" of prisoners, like making rooms hot or cold, sleep deprivation, making captured terrorists stand in "stress positions" and giving terrorists "pink bellies." As a thank-you for that courtesy, Al-Qaeda had to give up -- nothing. They will continue trying to murder our civilians and will happily keep making snuff videos featuring ululating fanatics sawing the heads off of American captives. If that sounds like a good deal for Al-Qaeda, it's because it is.
Next, the overwhelming majority of the Democrats, along with a handful of wayward Republicans, voted to help make it much more difficult for our intelligence agencies to fight terrorism by voting against the Patriot Act. Great job, guys! Now, in many ways, we're back to our pre-9/11 domestic intelligence capabilities and you know how well that worked out for us.
Last but not least, someone who deserves to spend the next 20 years in a Federal penitentiary breaking big rocks into smaller rocks leaked to the New York Times that the NSA is recording calls between Americans and terrorist phone numbers overseas. Because Bush signed off on the phone calls instead of getting warrants for each of them, which is fine by me by the way, the NYT gave the whole world, including the terrorists, a big heads up about the program. Again, great job, guys! It's always nice to see the media turning a useful source of information for our intelligence agencies into a dry hole so they can try to stick it to Bush.
If you put all three of these big victories for Al-Qaeda together, you'll see that our intelligence gathering capabilities have been severely diminished which makes it significantly more likely that Al-Qaeda will be able to launch another successful attack on our country. So when that happens, will we see John McCain, Harry Reid, the New York Times, etc., etc., step up and take responsibility for helping to make it happen -- or -- will they point the finger at President Bush and deny the huge role they played in Al-Qaeda's success? We all know the answer to that question, don't we?
The 3rd Annual 10 Worst Quotes From The Democratic Underground For 2005
Honorable Mention:C_U_L8R: (Republicans are) Pure Concentrated Evil. false christians filled with hate and fear who desire to put the world in bondage and extract all the value and profit they can from their spoils of their pillage. May they all suffer unfortunate doom.
Honorable Mention:Syrinx: The Conspiracy Is Real And It Must Be Stopped. Now tell me again why "conspiracy theories" are out of bounds? If conspiracies don't exist, why are there federal laws against them, and laws against them in every state?
There most definitlely is a conspiracy in place, ongoing, that is transforming our country into a fascist oligarchy. The evidence is undeniable. And the Bush family is at the epicenter of it.
Bush's grandfather was a buddy of Hitler. Bush's daddy murdered JFK. That's the answer to the great mystery. No mystery at all. Why the f*ck was George H.W. Bush in Dallas that day. Hmm? Why can't he recall where he was? Bullsh*t.
Why are the Bush's best buddies the bloodthirsty oil-barons of Saudi Arabia -- Bandar Bush and all? Why were they buddies with Saddam Hussein. With the Iranian clerics? Even with Osama Bin Laden?
The Bush family are cold-blooded murderers. And they will not rest until they have a stranglehold on you and everyone and everything you hold dear. They are evil, and must be stopped.
Can they be stopped?"
10)patricia92243: "Would the Republicans have Dean "rubbed out" if they perceive him as a real threat - by bringing the Democratic Party back to being in real competition to them? I'm convinced that is what happened to JFK - he was "terminated" so there would not be a Kennedy dynasty. In my opinion, the big-wigs in the Republican party are really, seriously dangerous. I worry about our guy."
9)AntiCoup2K4: "And yet they were both known to be in Dallas. Tricky Dick was at a Pepsi board meeting. Poppy can't account for his whereabouts. The picture of the figure in the doorway of the book depository could be him, but it's not conclusive. Though it's highly unlikely that Poppy was one of the shooters, he was probably the "supervisor" on that particular CIA mission, as he was on the Bay of Pigs operation.
D@mn shame that the only two Bush operations that did NOT fail were the assassination of JFK and the establishment of the Bin Laden led mujahadeen which later became "Al Qaeda"."
8)stevietheman: "Brilliant. I've often thought myself that without a peaceful remedy, and soon, we may just be months away from Revolution in America.
That's how sinister these people in stranglehold of our government are. They may not receive it, but they deserve a French-style Revolution, with actual heads rolling.
And we have to be clear who these reich-wing creeps get their power from: Oligarchs and big corporate CEOs from particular industries.
If we are to fight the most wicked of today's politicians, we must also fight the true source behind the wickedness, the resources that fuel and fund the wickedness. These politicians are merely superficial veneers to the truly problematic entities. If only they are removed, then those problematic entities find some sneaky way to come back at a later time. They always do.
So when we "take them down", *this time* we need to pull out the roots and soak the ground with permanent plant killer.
Once the election fraud comes out and it's clear Roves fingerprints are all over it, and that it leads all the way to Bush's desk, Bush's best defense will be a Rove "suicide" - remember the old maxim in politics - dead men tell no tales.
If left alive, Rove would have too many tales to tell."
6)mike_c: "no pride-- we should be ashamed of what they've (the troops in Iraq have) done...in our names, not proud of them. They've served as thugs and enforcers for a corrupt foreign policy. They've helped shatter a country already brought to it's knees by ten years of draconian sanctions and an invasion premised upon bald-faced lies. The've participated in a war of aggression that mocks international law. They've murdered untold numbers of innocent civilians. Their occupation has created an insurgency that threatens to consume Iraq in civil war, and causes the deaths of additional innocents. They have destroyed homes and lives for no good purpose whatsoever.
I am deeply ashamed of them. There is nothing noble about what they've done in Iraq. They have not served or defended us-- they served fascism.
To those who inevitably argue that they had no choice but to commit these crimes, consider that this circumstance neither exonerates them under law, nor makes their actions admirable. Only blind alliegence-- the act of being a "good German"-- can raise pride in what they've done in Iraq."
5)Alexodin: "I was at the boiling point a long time ago. Back in January I prepared a safe room to hide GLBT people and Muslims and anybody else that needed to flee the fascism. I asked my relatives to seriously consider sending those not able to fight out of the country, elderly and young mothers. I was preparing. Then Schiavo hit and W**’s tumble began. I feel much better now but suspect that this bunch will not go peacefully and legally when their time comes.
I continue to employ passive resistance against them. I sense that civil unrest could develop around the 06 elections. This country is a tinder box of discontent and angst and the Repukes may want to incite violence so that they can declare martial law. I am watching for an “in your face move” such as a pardon or something more abhorrent. I stand with you, you do not stand alone. I have many relatives buried in Arlington. This is my country. I will defend the Constitution with my life if I must."
4)KzooDem: (William Rehnquist) going to be buried in Arlington Cemetery. I know where his grave is. I was visiting Arlington a couple years ago on a biz trip there. While walking among the headstones, I came across Rhenquist's, as his wife died in the 90's and was already buried there.
I actually marked it on a map so when I return someday I could go spit on his grave"
3)seabeyond: "i refuse kentuck i just refuse. why do you think the (American) people are so dumb because they have been being dumb down consistantly alst decade especially during bush time. i refuse and tell my children i refuse to allow them to be dumb down. they had better use their brain to follow me. i have high expectation,. i will not feed into the dumbing down of america. i tell my friends, exactly i expect more out of them, i especially tell my older nieces and nephews and their friends, i will not play their dumb down game
no no no"
2)Lerkfish: "you see the dots, you're just not connecting them. If Zarqawi's actions benefits Bush, who do you think is directing him? if there even is a Zarqawi"
I’m an excellent multitasker, and often times I do some of my best thinking when I’m doing four things at once. Such was the case the other day at work, the day of the Iraqi elections. Like everyone else I had been reading the news reports, and also the naysaying coming from the Democrats. I was amazed at how a party could be so unified in its contempt for George W. Bush that they could work feverishly to downplay one of the most significant accomplishments of any president since the collapse of the Soviet Union. I mean, politics is politics, and the elections are coming up next year, but this is different. What could their motivation be? And then it hit me.
The last major war the United States was involved in was Vietnam. The modern Democratic Party leadership all came of age during that war, as did most of the editorial staff in the manistream media. It wasn’t just a defining moment in the modern American left, it was the defining moment, the prism through which the left would view the world from that moment on. Vietnam was justification for every pacifist tendency that every liberal has ever had. When they said that war didn’t solve anything, they could point to Vietnam. When they wanted to show the consequences of war, they could point to Vietnam. When they wanted to show the failure of military force as a tool for political change, they could point to Vietnam. It was the last major war this country was ever involved in. Sure we’ve had military operations, from Grenada to the Gulf War to the Balkans, but Vietnam our last big one, and it was a war we ended up losing. Vietnam has been their de facto answer for everything for the past 30 years.
Iraq threatens their entire belief system.
Look at it from their point of view. We now face an enemy such as this country has never faced before. There have been and will continue to be legitimate differences of opinion on how to prosecute that war. Shortly after 9/11, when the United States went into Afghanistan, the left immediately hauled out all their old Vietnam-era anti-war slogans and rhetoric. And why not? The last big war was a loss in large part due to the political activism of the American left. These were tried-and-true methods of getting out the left-wing message. Then, when the controversial decision was made to go into Iraq, the anti-war left was at a fever pitch. How many stickers on how many cars have we seen the last few years saying “War is NOT the answer!” Think about that for a minute. It doesn’t say that this particular war is not the answer in this particular instance, it makes a blanket condemnation of war under any circumstances. This position is only tenable because our last full-scale military conflict, Vietnam, was a loser. 58,000 Americans lost their lives for nothing, which they feel is a strong argument towards their proposition that war doesn’t solve anything. The Korean war was a draw, and WWII was a winner, but only our grandparents and great grandparents were around to experience that one. Vietnam is all the left has in their corner.
Let’s assume that this election is, indeed, a crossroads for Iraq. That from here on, with a constitution of their own design an a government of their own choosing, and a military capable of defending that government and the Iraqi people from Islamist forces, Iraq will surely grow bigger and stronger and more independent. In short, from the ruin of an authoritarian regime comes the font of democracy, and a new nation is born. I mean, think about this for a second. If someone had come to you in the mid 1990s and says that a decade from now there was going to be a functioning democracy in the Middle East, you would have laughed in their face. Not only a democracy, mind you, but an Arab democracy comprising three main ethnic and religious groups. One where women have the right of the vote. It sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? What an amazing achievement.
The Democrats can see the writing on the wall. They know that if we stick around and maintain our will there is no way we can lose this conflict. We shall prevail! And that idea is terrifying to the Democrats and the rest of the American left. Why? Because it shows that war CAN solve problems. That with our overwhelming technical skill we can invade and secure just about any other country in the world, and not only that, but we can get a democratically elected government in place within just a few years.
War never solved anything? My fat *ss it didn’t. In the last four years two wars have liberated two countries, and we are in the process of getting those countries on their way to prosperity and self-sufficience. In terms of the cost of life, especially when you look at the numbers for previous wars, we have suffered quite a low number. While the death of any man or woman is tragic, they should be honored to the fullest for their sacrifice to this nation, and to the people of Iraq.
The Democrats and the left cannot have this. The US has been in the “lose” column for so long now, That’s been one of their main sources of political strength. They must prevent, at all costs, the US from getting to a point where this was can be chalked up as a win. If we get a win then we negate the rallying cry of Vietnam. The next time a war is proposed and someone mentions Vietnam, we can point to Iraq as an example of just how many legitimate problems war can solve. Conversely, if they can get Iraq declared a loss, then they’ll have a patten. “We’re two for two!” So the next time someone proposes military force, the lefties will get to pull out Iraq and Vietnam. Their message will get new life breathed into it for the next forty years.
This is why they will stop at nothing to prevent President Bush from winning this war. A win in Iraq means that their whole “War Solves Nothing” argument becomes virtually worthless, a relic of a bygone era. And that terrifies them.
Iraq must be a loss at all costs. The future of left-wing political activism is at stake.
"The Iraq election's over, the media did their best to ignore it, and, judging from the rippling torsos I saw every time I switched on the TV, the press seem to reckon that that gay cowboy movie was the big geopolitical event of the last week, if not of all time. Yes, yes, I know: They're not, technically, cowboys, they're gay shepherds, but even Hollywood isn't crazy enough to think it can sell gay shepherds to the world. And the point is, even if I was in the mood for a story about two rugged insecure men who find themselves strangely attracted to each other in a dark transgressive relationship that breaks all the rules, who needs Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger when you've got Howard Dean and Abu Musad al-Zarqawi? Yee-haw! And, if that sounds unfair, pick almost any recent statement by a big-time Dem cowboy and tell me how exactly it would differ from the pep talks Zarqawi gives his dwindling band of head-hackers -- Dean arguing that America can't win in Iraq, Barbara Boxer demanding the troops begin withdrawing on Dec. 15, John Kerry accusing American soldiers of terrorizing Iraqi women and children, Jack Murtha declaring that the U.S. Army is utterly broken. Pepper 'em with a handful of "Praise be to Allahs" and any one of those statements could have been uttered by Zarqawi.
The Democratic Party have contrived to get themselves into a situation where bad news from Iraq is good for them and good news from Iraq is bad for them. And as there's a lot more good news than bad these days, that puts them, politically, in a tough spot -- even with a fawning media that, faced with Kerry and Murtha talking what in any objective sense is drivel, decline to call for the men with white coats but instead nod solemnly and wonder whether Bush is living "in a bubble."
One day Iraq will be a G7 member hosting the Olympics in the world's No. 1 luxury vacation resort of Fallujah, and the Defeaticrat Party will still be running around screaming it's a quagmire. It's not just that Iraq is going better than expected, but that it's a huge success that's being very deftly managed: The timeframe imposed on the democratic process turns out to have worked very well -- the transfer of sovereignty, the vote on a constitutional assembly, the ratification of the constitution, the vote for a legislature -- and, with the benefit of hindsight, it now looks like an ingeniously constructed way to bring the various parties on board in the right order: first the Kurds, then the Shia, now the Sunni. That doesn't leave many folks over on the other side except Zarqawi and Dean. What do the two have in common? They're both foreigners, neither of whom have the slightest interest in the Iraqi people.
And no, I'm not questioning their patriotism. Honestly, who can be bothered questioning anything so footling as Howard Dean's patriotism? If you're a Democratic patriot and you're outraged by my linking your party to the "insurgents," take it up with your leaders: They're the ones who've over-invested the party in American failure. And instead of being angry at me you should be ashamed of them."
