3 Illegal Immigration Myths

9 Ways To Make America A Better Place To Live

A Conversation About Abortion

Answering 20 Frequently Asked Questions About Conservatism

Coming To The Obvious Conclusion About Homelessness

How Do We Get To A Balanced Budget?

I Practice Speciesism

I'm Not A Fan Of School Breakfast & Lunch Programs

Libertarian Blinders On Drugs

Making The Case For A Federal Marriage Amendment

Making The Case For The Loser-Pays System

Nuclear Naivete -- We Can't Just "Get Rid Of Nukes"

On Anti-Intellectualism

Outsourcing Is Nothing To Be Worried About

Rules Of Thumb

The Social Security IOU

Take My Word For It, Jews Don't Rule The World

Thank You Big Corporations!

The Conservative Thinking Behind The War On Terrorism

The Best Way to Fight Global Poverty

The Hypocrisy and Ineffectiveness Of The CEO Price Cap

The Problem With Our Education System Is Not Money

The Problem With Our Schools Isn't The Money

The Problem With The Minimum Wage

The Questions Conspiracy Theorists Need To Ask Themselves

Welfare For Seniors

What's So Great About A Flat Tax?

Why Not Buy Prescription Drugs From Other Countries?

Why States Rights Don't Currently Matter When It Comes To Gay Marriage

Why We Need A Balanced Budget Amendment

Would School Vouchers Lead To Overcrowding?

Here are some of my favorite quotes and excerpts from the interviews that were done at RWN in 2006.

"The phenomena to be explained are the irrationality and the ardor of European anti-Americanism. Irrational, because entirely disproportionate to any real faults in American society. Of course America has flaws, and no, it is not lunacy to point them out. But in poll after poll, you see substantial numbers of Europeans, non-trivial numbers, who believe the September 11 attacks were staged, yes, staged, by an oil-hungry American military-industrial complex to justify its imperialist adventures in Iraq. In Germany, 20 percent of the population believes this. In France, a book arguing this case was a galloping bestseller. Now that is bughouse nuts. Totally bats in the belfry. Then the ardor: "My anti-Americanism," wrote one columnist in the British Telegraph, "has become almost uncontrollable. It has possessed me, like a disease. It rises up in my throat like acid reflux, that fashionable American sickness." If only we could harness all that outrage and transform it into a non-polluting energy source! You see this kind of thing all the time in the European press. (Meanwhile, if the French, say, wipe out the entire Ivorian air force, do you see protestors on the streets chanting "No blood for cocoa?" What a question.) When you have these two phenomena together-irrationality and this curious passion, this fervor-it seems reasonable to conclude that you are in the presence of something like a cult. So you consider it, sociologically. What role does this ideology serve in the European psyche? One answer: It fulfills many of the roles once played by the Church. It offers a comprehensive-if lunatic-answer to the question, "Why is the world the way it is, and why is there evil in that world?" It provides a devil to excoriate and then to exorcise. There is community and belonging in anti-American activism, ecstasy in protest. Again, a form of Christian heresy, and no more lunatic, surely, than anything the Cathars believed, if also no less." -- Claire Berlinski

"On deficit spending, I think that one of the reasons, today, that Republicans have so much wind in their face at the national level...people talk about the war in Iraq, people talk about a lot of things, but I think it has been the spending. Spending has caused people across this country to look at Republicans in a different way. It's like we've lost our brand at the national level of being the Party of limited government." -- Bob Corker

"John Hawkins: Earlier this year, Sean Penn admitted that he keeps an Ann Coulter doll around that he tortures for fun. Any comment on that beyond the fact that Penn is obviously mentally disturbed?

Ann Coulter: I'd always suspected that Sean Penn was the type of "man" who plays with dolls, but I assumed that he liked the life-sized ones you have to inflate first." -- here

"Thank you, John McCain and Chris Shays -- I give them more credit for the minority than anybody else because...McCain-Feingold destroyed the party's ability to play on a level playing field in these elections." -- Tom DeLay

"I wanted to go after entitlements. That's where the real spending is and the first year of the last Congress, when I got to write an agenda, we had reconciliation as a process in there and we looked at every entitlement program, reformed every one of them, and saved 40 billion dollars. I wanted to do that every year and treat entitlements like you would appropriations and over time, get rid of entitlements as process. Entitlements should be outlawed in America. Every government program shouldn't be on automatic pilot. It should be looked at and appropriated for every year." -- Tom DeLay

"What Republicans always do when they call me -- and I get phone calls from Republicans a lot, John, -- they say what can they do to increase the percentage of blacks (voting for me)? Honestly? Stop kissing *ss, stop talking to them like they're children. Talk to them like they're adults. Give the same speech to black people that you would give in a suburb. Don't change it, don't alter, don't try and soft pedal it because it's insulting, it's condescending." -- Larry Elder

"Then you get this line of, "What I'm in favor of is free trade as long as it's fair trade," and what that means is when a Japanese company gets government subsidies or a Korean company gets government subsidies, then it's "unfair" and, therefore, we should punish them by foreclosing their markets. My response to that is if Japan wants to screw its own citizens and coin money into businesses that otherwise can't compete, that's their problem. We (shouldn't complain) because steel is cheaper and, therefore, cars are cheaper, our appliances are cheaper, and if other countries want to engage in this kind of subsidizing of goods so that customers overseas benefit, let 'em do it." -- Larry Elder

"I have never heard an enlisted man say anything nice about the media, (but) I have heard them say, out of nowhere, "I hate the bleeping media,"..." -- Michael Fumento

"Well, the US is following in the same basic pattern (in Iraq) that we've followed for 60 years in expanding freedom around the world. (The first step is) that we stand up a free government and we've done that in Iraq.

The second step is we stand up a military capable of protecting that government and the third step is the US leaves. We followed that pattern in Japan and the Philippines and Salvadore and our own hemisphere and it's been the traditional and the effective method of this country spreading freedom around the world." -- Duncan Hunter

"(The New York Times is) often wrong, never unsure." -- Duncan Hunter

"The notion that American women face a discriminatory wage gap, which is vigorously promoted by the kind of woman I talk about in this book, is absolutely untrue. Yet, how often have we heard that a woman with similar education levels, skills, and experience gets paid only 76 cents to a man’s dollar? The so-called wage gap is the gift that keeps on giving to the modern woman’s movement.

The basic economic point should first be appreciated. If it’s true that a woman with the exact same qualifications and experience would be willing to work for 76 cents to a man’s dollar, who would ever hire a man? You could hire an all female work force and bury the competition. There is no discriminatory wage gap." -- Kate O'Beirne

"I do not believe the defense of America should rest on the shoulders of single mothers and teenage girls. Then, of course, we see the unique physical demands of combat. The plain fact is that the average woman is simply not as fast or as strong as the average man. The advocates for integrating combat argue that women should serve in any position the military has to offer, “as long as they meet the physical standards.” But in fact, women in uniform do not meet the same physical standards as men.

In the interest of integrating the services, every service has had to adopt gender norm scores for its physical tests to account for the fact that women simply aren’t as physically strong or fast as men. So those physical tests have been gender normed and physical standards have been lowered in order to accommodate large numbers of women." -- Kate O'Beirne

"Women’s studies departments prepare their graduates for one job, it seems to me, and that’s to be a professional aggrieved feminist. Not that that’s not a promising occupation, because there’s a lot of money in being an aggrieved professional feminist." -- Kate O'Beirne

"Well, I think it is because of this: in our Constitution that was adopted and the people ratified it, that became a contract between the people and their government and we lived under that until 1971 which is almost 200 years. It was amended some 16 times, an average of once every 10 to 11 years. From 1933 to 1971 it was amended 7 times for an average of once every 5 to 6 years. Now, since 1971 far left groups, radical groups, learned it was easier to convince 5 members of the Supreme Court to change the Constitution than to convince the voters and their elected representatives to change it.

We have not had a constitutional amendment that has been initiated and adopted since 1971. That’s totally contrary to our past history and these were substantive amendments. They had to do with abolishing slavery, providing what states could not deprive its citizens of due process, it gave the right to vote to women, it gave the right to vote to 18 years olds. These were hot-button issues that we dealt with according to the amendment process.

It’s only been in the last 30 years that those who have a liberal philosophy say that the Constitution is too sacred to be amended and it is too difficult and too cumbersome to do so when it wasn’t too cumbersome for 170 years. They still don’t think it’s too sacred for judges to amend it or change it. But to me it’s the height of arrogance to say that we’ve got to have 5 super legislators sitting on the bench changing the Constitution. That’s not democratic. It turns the principle of, “We the people,” upside down. It turns it on its head." -- Charles Pickering

"Rome didn’t have a written constitution but the American people said we want to know what our Constitution means. We don’t want to have to depend on the whims of some judge as to what the law is or is not. So the Constitution – the concept of a living Constitution in Supreme Chaos -- I describe it as a Mystery Constitution because you don’t know what it means until five judges meet in secret and debate and argue what it means and then announce to you and tell you what it means. So that really does away with the concept or the purpose of a written Constitution. A written Constitution is so that you know what your Constitution means. You don’t have to depend on judges telling you what it mean." -- Charles Pickering

"The same Constitution that gives ACLU the right to freedom of speech gives Christians the same right to freedom of speech, gives them the right to petition their government, the right to assemble." -- Charles Pickering

"Politics increasingly isn't command and control anymore, but it is network warfare. So, it's not hurtful to us if you're focusing on topics that aren't necessarily at the top of the mind in the Beltway, because I think if it's important, it will rise to the top of the mind in the Beltway. ...The ability of bloggers to impact the mainstream media stories is increasing, by the day almost." -- Patrick Ruffini

"Well, my view of Europe in 20 years' time is that you'll be switching on the TV, you'll be looking at scenes of burning and conflagration and riots in the street. You will have a couple of countries that are maybe in civil war, at least on the brink of it.

You will have neofascists' resurgence in some countries and you'll have other countries that have just been painlessly euthanized in which a Muslim political class has effectively got its way without a shot being fired -- and large numbers of people, particularly young people, have left those countries and have moved on to whoever will take them." -- Mark Steyn

"If Islam is incompatible with democracy, that's not a problem for Iraq, it's a problem for Belgium, you know, because Iraq until, you know, a few months back had no democracy to lose. They can easily adjust to the way it's always been. For Belgium or for Denmark or for the Netherlands, they've got real democracies and they are likely to lose and as you see, I think that is really the issue here, that when these contradictions are pointed out, Europeans essentially refuse to acknowledge them. Yet at the same time they're making capitulations to the most naked form of political bullying --and that's when Islam is officially a minority of, you know, 10% or so. In those cities it's a lot higher already. What happens when it's 30%?" -- Mark Steyn

"When people say, "How come you Canadian and Australian and British people are writing in America," and I say, "Well, that's because too many of you guys have paid a fortune to go to journalism school and lost the ability to write." (laughs) We foreigners didn't suffer that crippling disadvantage." -- Mark Steyn

"...(Under Communism) Everything is owned by the government and then if you work or don't work, you get paid the same. On paper it's looks beautiful, but in reality, it just can't happen. That's why they fell apart. The country was going broke. They tried to compete with the United States, in arms, in the Cold War and they couldn't do it, because Russian workers didn't make very much money and just couldn't compete with a capitalistic country where one person could feed a family....while in Russia, you had a hard time trying to feed yourself.

...Americans really don't know how good they have it here. In Russia, you used to go to a store to buy a car? You'd have to stay on a list there for a couple of months, if you were lucky, and then only something like 10% of the people had a car. Then, if you were looking to rent an apartment, if you were lucky, it would take you 10-15 years. See, the American people couldn't understand that because it's one thing to hear something or read something, but it's another thing to see it and experience something. If you read something, you think it might be one way, it might be another way, but if you experience it, you know." -- Nikolai Volkoff

"Republicans need to understand that people are tired of (candidates) talking like Republicans, but acting like Democrats.

They're tired of this administration, not because of George Bush's policies, but because he has been unwilling to stand up and veto excessive spending that Reagan would have choked on. Reagan vetoed a highway funding bill because it had a 121 pork barrel items. He called that unconscionable. This (highway bill) has 6,000 pork barrel earmark items in it. Reagan would have had no trouble vetoing that.

When they look at a Congress that stands up for all the liberal causes and votes for minimum wage increases, led by Republicans -- the people back in the conservative districts...are saying, "Enough is enough. You're using us conservatives. You expect us to carry you through and get you into office, but then you walk away from us. We're going to...take an incumbent, that was put into office as a Republican, but voted liberal, and we're going to throw him out." -- Tim Walberg

Here's Hunter's 2nd ad ( You can see the first ad here) and it also deals with "fair" trade.

Maybe it's because of the season, but I thought it was a good time to write something about "hate." Conservatives are often accused of being "haters." We're accused of hating this group, hating that group. As a conservative, let me clarify the record about a few groups conservatives supposedly "hate:"

Conservatives are often accused of hating black people. Not true. The GOP is the Party of Lincoln, the party that ended slavery, and the party that voted for the Civil Rights Act, percentage wise, in greater numbers than Democrats. That's why we believe in a colorblind society -- because we don't think race should matter -- because we don't think minorities, by virtue of being minorities, need more help than white people to make it. That's why we'd prefer that there were no "hyphenated Americans," because there are only Americans, and what subgroup you belong to, African American, Jewish American, Italian American, etc. is irrelevant.

Conservatives are often accused of hating immigrants. Not true. Conservatives believe immigration is good for America and whether you're talking about someone who's white, black, Hispanic, Asian, you name it, it makes no difference. What conservatives do get concerned about is people coming to this country illegally. Even though conservatives may have a soft spot for the work ethic that many illegal immigrants have, we're concerned that they don't respect our laws, don't want to learn our language, and don't want to assimilate into this great country. As long as the people coming here love this country, follow the rules, love this country, and want to assimilate, conservatives will welcome them.

Conservatives are often accused of hating Muslims. Not true. Although you may find a few people at the fringes who can't tell the difference between moderates and terrorists, that's not true of most conservatives. Our Founding Fathers viewed this country as a religious refuge, and while, of course, religious extremists who support terrorism, anti-semitism, or backwards customs like Sharia aren't wanted, the moderate Muslims who are fellow Americans, emigrating here, or visiting are, of course, welcome in this country.

Conservatives are often accused of hating Jews. Not true. As a general rule, conservatives are much more supportive of Israel than liberals and some of the most prominent conservatives are Jewish. Moreover, if anything, conservative Christians are particularly well disposed towards Jews because they're God's chosen people.

Conservatives are often accused of hating poor people. Not true. In fact, many conservatives, myself included, are poor people or have been poor. What conservatives believe is that except in a few limited cases, it's not the job of the government to do things for people, it's the job of the government to make it easier for people to do things for themselves. This is the land of opportunity and if the government gets out of people's way, people are capable of lifting themselves out of poverty by making good decisions and working hard.

Conservatives are often accused of hating liberals. Not true. As a general rule, the "solutions" that liberals come up with to America's problems make this country weaker and worse off. But, despite their flaws, liberals are just misguided, not bad people. So, we'd like to see liberals change their minds about the policies they support. And, if we can't do that, we'd like to see liberals defeated politically. But, we don't hate liberals and wish them ill personally.

Conservatives are often accused of hating terrorists and foreign powers that want to harm Americans. That's true. If you want to kill Americans, want to harm this country, or support those who do, we wish death, destruction, and misery upon you. So, go ahead and hate us, because we hate you right back.

"Liberals are like people with stale breath talking into your face at a party. You try backing away from them or offering them gum, but then they just start whimpering. They've been using the exact same talking points about how we're losing in Iraq since before we invaded.

It seems they've finally succeeded in exhausting Americans and, thereby, handing a victory to al Qaeda.

The weakest members of the herd are rapidly capitulating, trying to preserve a modicum of honor by prattling about how if their plans had been implemented, Iraq would be in tip-top shape and our troops would be home for Christmas.

Well, if my plans had been implemented, the anti-war crowd would be weeping about Iraqi civilian deaths so much they wouldn't have time to pretend they gave a damn about the loss of American lives.

But the plans that were implemented have deposed a monster, put him on trial -- which resulted in his conviction and death sentence -- killed rape hobbyists Uday and Qusay, presided over three democratic elections, killed al-Zarqawi and scores of other al Qaeda leaders fighting Americans in Iraq, and kept the U.S. safe from Islamic terrorist attacks for five years now. The least I can do is not capitulate to the left's endless nagging." -- Ann Coulter

As Bush has so aptly demonstrated, any idiot can make enemies. But it takes a man of courage, compassion, and a robustly French approach to diplomacy to turn enemies into friends. Senator John Kerry is such a man. On a fact-finding mission to Syria - a mystical land where facts magically leap into the laps of U.S. senators like horny Bichons Frisés - Kerry urged Bush to open a dialogue with both Syria and Iran in the hopes of winning their much needed assistance in Iraq.

Crawling to the enemy is a brilliant strategy, one that the Shrub would certainly never approve of. That’s because he doesn’t posess an inkling of the diplomacy skills that seemingly ooze out of John Kerry’s stately pores like the stench of cat p*ss from a Chinese opium addict. Iran and Syria are by no means perfect. Indeed, they're actively supplying the Iraqi Freedom Fighters with the weapons they’ve been using to kill and maim our troops as well as scores of innocent civilians - but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. For the sake of peace and goodwill, we must have the courage to put aside our petty differences and find common ground with those who openly plot our destruction.

Befriending our enemies is John Kerry’s raison d’être. In fact, some may say it's his whole reason for existence. But it's a task that he cannot shoulder alone. Each of us must look into our hearts and ask ourselves what we are doing in our homes and our workplaces to show Iran and Syria that we are deserving of their love.

Have you called for the downfall of Western Civilization and the destruction of the illegitimate Zionist regime today? Have you denied the Holocaust or blamed your problems on those rascally Jews? Have you burned a U.S. flag in protest of the Great Satan's imperialist occupation of the Muslim holy land? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then you and your fellow Berkeley Professors have done much to lay the Foundation of Friendship upon which John Kerry will build his Luxury Penthouse of Appeasement.

Unfortunately, there those who would rather make enemies than friends. They would talk to Iran and Syria not with finely nuanced words of respect and understanding, but with bullets and bombs. Their primitive neocon ideals make them incapable of compromise, even as Iraq finally becomes the quagmire John Kerry had always hoped it would be. So until John Kerry is restored to the White House in 2008, we can only hope that our own personal gestures of goodwill will be enough to earn the love of those who dwell snugly in the armpit of the International Community.

This satire was used with permission of BlameBush!.

Domestic

Congress Closes With A Pork-Filled Flourish. Dialysis Industry, Other Interests That Donated To Lawmakers Get Lavish End-Of-Session Breaks. (Free LA Times Reg Req)

President Clinton's National Security Adviser Removed Classified Documents From The National Archives, Hid Them Under A Construction Trailer And Later Tried To Find The Trash Collector To Retrieve Them

Applicants Line Up To Fill Jobs Left Empty By Illegal Immigrant Raids

Bush Prepares To Make Deals With Democrats

Rep. Virgil Goode Criticized for Muslim Letter

Miss USA Rocked By Sexy New Scandal. Pageant Contestant Katie Rees Shows Off Her Wild Side

Hunter Airs First GOP Ads Of 2008 Presidential Race

Foreign

CIA Exercise Reveals Consequences Of Defeat

Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani Is Said To Favore A American-Backed Coalition Of Shiite, Sunni Arab And Kurdish Parties That Aims To Isolate Extremists (Free New York Times Reg Req)

Ahmadinejad: Iran Now Nuclear Power. Iranian President: Our Scienists Have Reached Zenith, Accessed Nuclear Fuel Cycle

U.S. Soldiers Tell Pentagon Chief Send More Troops

Columns

The Evans-Novak Political Report For The Week Of December 20, 2006

Ann Coulter: Frank Rich Declares Iraq 'Box Office Poison!'

Victor Davis Hanson: Why Radical Islam -- And Why Now?

Thomas Bray: As 2006 Closes, Reasons for Optimism

John Podhoretz: Dubya In The Dumps

Left-Overs

The Daily Telegraph's Best Quotes Of The Year

The Best Books Of 2006

Iraqi Soldiers Eat Frogs, Rabbit At Handover Ceremony

Virgin Birth Expected For Komodo Dragon In UK Zoo

Website Of The Day: Ms. Dewey

Dear Mr. President:

It goes without saying that the last couple of years have been tough for you and the Republican Party. The GOP lost 6 Senate seats and 30 House seats; you're currently sitting on an average approval rating of 36.3% and you haven't cracked 50% all year. Moreover, 63% of the country thinks we're going in the wrong direction while only 29% thinks the reverse is true.

Now, many people might say that there's not a lot that you can do about that. They're writing you off as a lame duck, as a spent force, as a man who's going to be spending the next couple of years twiddling his thumbs and waiting for his replacement to appear. Maybe those people are right -- but, they don't have to be. The reality is that the American people WANT to like and respect the man leading them. Moreover, Republicans REALLY WANT to like and respect you, because you're our guy. We want an excuse to point at you and say, "That's my President and thank God he's in the White House right now."

Moreover, Mr. President, you need to get the Republican people and the American people back on your side, if not for the sake of your agenda, for the sake of the troops fighting overseas who will be better off if they know that the American people support the mission they've been given by their Commander-In-Chief.

So, here are a few pieces of advice. Take them or leave them at your discretion.

#1) The first rule of politics is to take care of your base first and then reach out to the middle. Unfortunately, Mr. President, you've egregiously broken that rule and allowed an antagonistic relationship to develop between your administration and a significant part of your base. Simply by repairing that rift, you can get your approval rating back up into the mid-forties and perhaps just as importantly, you can staunch the biting criticism from the right that has done so much damage to your presidency. There are a number of ways you can shore up your right flank.

A) Announce that you support splitting the security measures and amnesty parts of the senate bill into two parts. Then say you want to support security, the wall, and tough enforcement measures now and that you want to deal with the guest worker program and other "comprehensive" features that many members of your base find so odious later. By doing this, you can take the venom out of the illegal immigration argument by not holding secure borders hostage to an amnesty program, and yet you can still say that you support the other features that some Hispanic activists, liberals, and big business want.

B) Let it be known that you think that one of the messages that the American public was sending in 2006 was that they were tired of runaway spending and as a consequence, make a point of vetoing every bill the Democrats send your way that's full of earmarks or new big government programs. Sure, this has never been one of your strong points, but the Democrats are bigger spenders than you've ever been and by keeping them in check, you can earn credit with the base and the American people.

C) The new media can help you reconnect with your base. Sit down with Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Fox News for interviews. They'll be flattered that you got together with them and are likely to be particularly friendly. Moreover, you'll be telling conservatives that, "Yes, I am still one of you and want to reach out to you," just by showing up and making the effort.

#2) Many of the American people feel like we're treading water in Iraq. So, they're lukewarm on continuing to risk the lives of our soldiers in an effort that they believe is just delaying the inevitable. In particular, there's a distinct sense among conservatives that we're fighting with one hand tied behind our back, that our soldiers are being strait-jacketed by ridiculous rules of engagement, and that we're allowing Islamo-fascist thugs in Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia along with Sadr's militia to take potshots at our troops with impunity. Moreover, Americans are looking at North Korea's nuclear weapons, Iran building nuclear weapons, Hezbollah engineering a takeover of Lebanon, and the response of the United States has been....what exactly?

In 2004, Americans thought they were voting for the guy who stood on top of a pile of rubble at the World Trade Center with a bullhorn and said, "I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!" What happened to that guy? What happened to the guy who said, "Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists." What happened to the guy whom the Europeans kept calling a "cowboy?" Where has that guy been since the election in 2004? The American people need to be shown that you're still engaged, that you're still determined to "bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies," and that you're still hellbent on doing whatever it takes to win the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism.

#3) The GOP has gotten in trouble on the domestic front for being "democrat light" on issues like spending, illegal immigration, and big government programs. So, when the Democrats take over, don't hesitate to use your veto power and the soapbox that the presidency gives you when they veer off to the left. Draw some real distinctions between what we Republicans believe and what the Democrats believe.

Also, please, please, Mr. President, start defending yourself. When prominent Democrats accuse you of lying to America, torturing prisoners, or screwing the middle-class, tear a chunk out of them every once in a while instead of letting them get away with slapping you around. Americans tend not to like extreme attacks on their President, but if they hear them day in and day out and you never respond, they start to get the idea that maybe you're staying quiet because what they're saying is true. Don't let that continue to happen, Mr. President.

Last but not least, Mr. President, you've got two more years in office. Please don't let them go to waste the way the last two years have. Heal your rift with the base, get aggressive in the war on terror again, and use your veto power along with the bully pulpit at every opportunity. If you do those things, then you can still make a bigger impact than most people think before you head back to Crawford for retirement.

Make sure to check out Conservative Grapevine today, where you'll find links like:

Extreme Mortman: Top 10 funniest things celebrities said about politics in 2006.

The Fourth Rail: The shortcomings and successes of the Iraqi military's training (from Iraq)

The Superficial: "The real moral of the story? You can do anything when you're pretty. Want to punch a fireman in the face? Go for it. Eat a bald eagle? Sure, why not. You've earned it."

You can check out all those links and more by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark CG!

PS: If you'd like to submit articles to be linked to Conservative Grapevine, register at CG, and then shoot me an email.

On a semi-regular basis throughout the year, RWN has posted "Quotes of the Day." Here are my favorite 15 "Quotes of the Day" for 2006.

15) "The Republicans lost and the Democrats won for the same reason -- they distanced themselves from their base." -- Dave S. from Tim Blair's comment section Via Instapundit & Eject!Eject!Eject!

14) "Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered special services to "find and destroy" the killers of four Russian diplomats taken hostage in Iraq." -- BBC News

13) "(Keith) Olbermann has a Teflon ego. No matter how stupid he looks or how obviously wrong he is or how completely devoid of wit his copy is, he is perpetually pleased as punch with himself and convinced that the rest of the world is as moist over his brilliance as he is. It's almost like schizophrenia.

Olbermann: I'm the wittiest, cleverest pundit in all the galaxy! All sentient beings worship me and wish to carry my magical seed!

Orderly: You're in an observation cell clutching a beanie baby and standing in your own poo.

Olbermann: What? An autograph? Why of COURSE!" -- Steve H.

12) "I think An Inconvenient Truth is a convenient starting point for changing hearts and minds on the global warming issue. But in order to truly make a difference, I believe it needs some sort of marketing tie-in. People need to know this problem hits close to home. And they need to know it transcends mere politics. They need a reason to cross partisan boundaries—a reason to unite on the steps of Capitol Hill and hold hands and sing the Pledge of Allegiance and/or We Shall Overcome.

Only one thing can compel people to act this way. And that one thing is Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s baby, Shiloh.

11) In order to stop global warming, Al Gore has to threaten to kill that baby." -- Jonathan David Morris and yes, it is satire.

"Many people in Washington have long known a dirty little secret about tax-cut measures: When done right, they actually result in more money for the government.

Ever since the Senate approved the last major tax relief bill, in 2003, revenues have increased every year. In 2004, they went up 5.5%. Last year, they rose 14.5%, the largest increase in nearly 25 years.

Total government collections, in fact, increased more after President Bush's 2003 tax cuts than they did after President Clinton's 1994 tax hikes." -- Bill Frist

10) "A couple of years back, I began some generalization or other by saying, "The difference between America and Canada is . . ." And the American I was imparting this insight to interrupted me with: "The difference between America and Canada is that Americans don't care what the difference between America and Canada is." -- Mark Steyn

9) "Well, thank you for the Hezbollah view..." -- Tony Snow to Helen Thomas

8) "If a drunken Mel Gibson did indeed call out, "Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," then there can be only one possible place for a man who believes such things: as the next Secretary General of the United Nations." -- David Frum

7) "The New York Times and other news organizations ought to think long and hard about whether a public's right to know in some cases might override somebody's right to live." -- Tony Snow

6) "Is it wrong for me to ask questions
Is it wrong to seek the truth
I can't just blindly accept their version
I can't base my logic on proof
Almost all the evidence points one way
but I'm like Charlie Sheen and Gloria Estefan
I need to know what really happened on 9/11
9/11, 9/11, what really happened on 9/11." -- Cartman, South Park"

5) "There are no bad guys on the left. There are only people who’ve been driven to desperation by conservative evil." -- Allahpundit

4) "The Democratic Party can never be an adult party; they buy votes to get elected and it's the only way they get elected. If Republicans won't be an adult party, America won't have one." -- Republican Congressman Tom Feeney

3) "Karl, yesterday Ted Kennedy gave a passionate speech on the Senate floor supporting President Bush’s proposal. If you get in bed with Ted Kennedy, you’re going to get more than sleep." -- Congressman Rick Keller's remark to Karl Rove

2) "(T)he president of Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map." -- Israel's Vice Premier Shimon Peres

1) "You may find people who will contend that patriotism is something to be a little bit embarrassed about or that honor is somewhat outdated as a notion and that concentrating on America's imperfection makes you a realist. Not so. That's the sign of a cynic. Being a cynic is easy. You can just sit back, heckle from the cheap seats, while others serve, storm beaches, build nations, meet their destinies. Idealists write history's stirring chapters; cynics read those chapters and seem not to understand. Choose to be an idealist. There have always been those who contend that what's wrong with the world is America. Don't believe it." -- Donald Rumsfeld

Now this is funny stuff: a Daily Kos diary called, "Is DKos 'too white', and in need of 'Affirmative Action'?"

From the diary (the bolding is from the original post):

"If, out of 3,807 Kossacks surveyed, 82% of 'us' self-reported as white, 4.2% as black, 4.5% hispanic, 4% asian, 1.1% native american, and 0.08% were hawaiian/pacific islander - well, my question is: why is the DKos community, at least statiscally, so 'white'? What are we doing wrong, and what can we do about it?

If this is supposed to be the most influential (whatever that means) progressive blog on the web, why is our site 82% white, compared to 69% of the US population? Do we need our own sort of 'affirmative action'?

...My question: Does this mean that the 'average' Kossack is most likely a white, 40-ish, middle-class, hetero male (with a few more gay friends than you might expect)? Gee, that doesn't SOUND like the image we like to have of our demographic? Surely we're more diverse than that! Does this sync with what psychologists call our 'self-concept', or is something off?

...But, as DrSteveB asked in his diary, "Do white Kossacks 'get' race?" Well, that's the question I want to pose. WHY is DKos so white? What can we do about that?

...I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT WE DEVELOP A COMMITTEE/FORUM TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF RACE/ETHNICITY AND HOW IT IMPACTS THIS SITE. Without addressing the 'whiteness' of this site, as well as the structural reasons this might be, we cannot devise ways to deal with this.

...But like colleges and universities, we may want to think up ways to begin to work on the ways structural racism that affects DKos, one of the most powerful sites of progressive activism in the blogosphere today. And I think this effort should foreground the voices of people of color, not the dominant white Kossacks. While I might have ideas on how to address issues of structural racism's effect on DKos (perhaps having our committee cross-post diaries from more diverse blogs, or track down guest columnists from more diverse blogs?), I think these are the sorts of ideas that should be debated in an open forum."

Now, these are interesting questions. What is the Daily Kos "doing wrong" to draw in so many white readers? Don't they need Affirmative Action? Shouldn't they form a committee to address the subject, one that isn't run by the "dominant white Kossacks?"

Of course, getting worried about the racial make-up of a blog that anyone can freely visit is perfectly ridiculous, but boy, is it ever fun to watch the left get a taste of their own medicine!

The Bush Administration should be acting aggressively to plug exactly the sort of leak you're about to read about at Time:

"The Bush Administration has been quietly nurturing individuals and parties opposed to the Syrian government in an effort to undermine the regime of President Bashar Assad. Parts of the scheme are outlined in a classified, two-page document which says that the U.S. already is "supporting regular meetings of internal and diaspora Syrian activists" in Europe. The document bluntly expresses the hope that "these meetings will facilitate a more coherent strategy and plan of actions for all anti-Assad activists."

...American officials say the U.S. government has had extensive contacts with a range of anti-Assad groups in Washington, Europe and inside Syria. To give momemtum to that opposition, the U.S. is giving serious consideration to the election- monitoring scheme proposed in the document, according to several officials. The proposal has not yet been approved, in part because of questions over whether the Syrian elections will be delayed or even cancelled. But one U.S. official familiar with the proposal said: "You are forced to wonder whether we are now trying to destabilize the Syrian government."

...However, in order to make the "election monitoring" plan for Syria effective, the proposal makes clear that the U.S. effort will have to be concealed: "Any information regarding funding for domestic [Syrian] politicians for elections monitoring would have to be protected from public dissemination," the document says. But American experts on "democracy promotion" consulted by TIME say it would be unwise to give financial support to a specific candidate in the election, because of the perceived conflict of interest. More ominously, an official familiar with the document explained that secrecy is necessary in part because Syria's government might retaliate against anyone inside the country who was seen as supporting the U.S.-backed election effort. The official added that because the Syrian government fields a broad network of internal spies, it would almost certainly find out about the U.S. effort, if it hasn't already. That could lead to the imprisonment of still more opposition figures."

This is nothing less than a leaker and Time Magazine corraborating to break the law in an effort to undermine US foreign policy. It was incredibly irresponsible for the contents of those classified documents to be leaked and for Time to publish them. And quite frankly, somebody should spend the rest of his life in prison over it. Adam Zagorin, the person who reported on this story, should be asked to give up his source. If he doesn't comply, he should be thrown in jail until he complies or dies of old age. If and when he does comply, then the leaker should receive a life sentence just to set an example.

Stick a Neopet program in a toaster and the Brits will want make it one of the Queen's subjects:

"Far from being extracts from the extreme end of science fiction, the idea that we may one day give sentient machines the kind of rights traditionally reserved for humans is raised in a British government-commissioned report which claims to be an extensive look into the future.

Visions of the status of robots around 2056 have emerged from one of 270 forward-looking papers sponsored by Sir David King, the UK government’s chief scientist. The paper covering robots’ rights was written by a UK partnership of Outsights, the management consultancy, and Ipsos Mori, the opinion research organisation.

“If we make conscious robots they would want to have rights and they probably should,” said Henrik Christensen, director of the Centre of Robotics and Intelligent Machines at the Georgia Institute of Technology."

...“If granted full rights, states will be obligated to provide full social benefits to them including income support, housing and possibly robo-healthcare to fix the machines over time,” it says.

Let me be the first to say that I don't care what kind of ideas they came up with in Sci-Fi novels, machines should never have "rights." Now, I know what some of you Star Trek geeks are thinking, "But, John, what if they're intelligent, have emotions, and a personalty like Data from Star Trek or the machines from AI?" Machines can't really have any of those things because they're nothing but machines. They're not born, they have no souls, and if they seem to possess human traits, it's only because that's how they've been programmed. "Sentient machines?" "Conscious robots?" There is no such thing. There's only programming that allows machines to mimic sentience and consciousness. Nothing more, nothing less.

I never took the time to go back and really take a hard look at the final predictions that were made right before the elections because until very recently, the final numbers weren't in for the House. However, they're in now and when all was said and done, the GOP lost 6 seats in the Senate and 30 seats in the House.

So, who was right on target and who missed it by a mile? Well, here are the final pre-election predictions from around the net:

Senate

Robert Novak: GOP -2
Mary Matalin: GOP -3
Election Projection: GOP -3 to -4
Republican Pollster Richard Wirthlin: GOP -4
John Tabin: GOP -4
Fred Barnes: GOP -4
Republican Pollster Steve Lombardo: GOP -4
Cook Political Report: GOP -4 to -6
Stuart Rothenberg: GOP -4 to -7
Tucker Carlson: GOP -5
Paul Weyrich: GOP -5
John Hawkins: GOP -5
John Miller: GOP -5
Larry Sabato: GOP -6
William Kristol: GOP -7

House

Election Projection: GOP -11 to -18
Mary Matalin: GOP -14
Robert Novak: GOP -19
Cook Political Report: GOP -20 to -35
John Tabin: GOP -21
Republican Pollster Steve Lombardo: GOP -21
Paul Weyrich: GOP -22
John Hawkins: GOP -22 to -29
Republican Pollster Richard Wirthlin: GOP -25
Larry Sabato: GOP -29
Fred Barnes: GOP -30
Stuart Rothenberg: GOP -30 to -36
Tucker Carlson: GOP -36
William Kristol: GOP -40

Actually, my predictions were close to being on target, but the best of the bunch was probably Larry Sabato who was perfect in the Senate and off by only 1 in the House.

Foreign

U.S. Not Winning War In Iraq, Bush Says For 1st Time. President Plans To Expand Army, Marine Corps To Cope With Strain Of Multiple Deployments (Free WAPO Reg Req)

Schools Have Been Closed In Gaza Amid What Officials Say Is A State Of Anarchy Caused By Fighting Between Palestinian Factions Hamas And Fatah

Blair To Urge Middle East States To Rein In Iran

A Documentary Says French Special Forces Had Osama Bin Laden In Their Sights Twice About Three Years Ago But Their US Superiors Never Ordered Them To Fire. The French Military, However, Said That The Incidents Never Happened And The Report Was "Erroneous Information".

Domestic

President Wants To Increase Size Of Armed Forces (Free New York Times Reg Req)

Cheney To Be Defense Witness In Scooter Libby Case

Newsweek: Hillary Tops McCain, Ties Rudy

First Columns Placed At New York's Ground Zero

Marion Barry Arrested, Claims Racial Profiling

Columns

Mark Tapscott: Pelosi Preparing New Shackles For Free Speech

Michelle Malkin: 2006 -- Muslim Year Of Perpetual Outrage

Terence P. Jeffrey: Ten Principles Of Conservatism

Tony Blankley: Losing Our Grip On Reality

John Stossel: What Will They Ban Next?

Left-Overs

Trump Lets Miss USA Keep Her Title

Head-Butt By Horse Restores Man's Sight

Dutch Women's Breasts Getting Bigger

Top 10 3D Sidewalk Drawings

Video: Zucker Rips The Iraqi Study Group (Great!)

Website Of The Day: Hoystory

"American Capitalism is a malignancy that permeates our economic, social, and political systems and institutions. This untreated cancer ravaging the body of civilization is spreading like an unchecked conflagration in a munitions factory. Feudalism didn’t die; it simply evolved. Corporatism, Consumerism, wage slavery, debt slavery, free trade agreements, deregulation, and privatization condemn most of the global population to varying degrees of slavery, serfdom or indentured servitude." -- Jason Miller at the popular liberal blog, The Smirking Chimp

Because Mr. Miller and his many comrades in the Democratic Party don't understand human nature, they don't understand capitalism. Capitalism is designed to take advantage of one of the most basic truths about human beings: people are selfish.

People will work very hard for themselves and their families, but, they are not automations and very few of them are going to work hard to line someone else's pocket or for "society," if they don't think their efforts are being properly rewarded.

With capitalism, that selfishness leads businessmen to hire more workers to increase their profits, to earn more money which they pay taxes on, and to create products and services that the rest of society can use -- not out of the goodness of their heart, but because they benefit from it. Take away the benefits that people can earn for themselves, then they won't go the extra mile and society won't be able to profit from their efforts.

Moreover, you want to talk about, "slavery, serfdom or indentured servitude?" Well, what do you call a person who has to do menial labor because the government makes it impossible for him to use his God given ability to its fullest running his own business? What do you call a European business owner who busts his butt for 90 hours a week and then pays most of his profits to the government in taxes? What do you call a welfare recipient who survives on the meager, sustenance level checks sent to him by the government?

Last but not least, it's not governments that create wealth. To the contrary, people who have the freedom to use their talent as they see fit, for their own benefit, are the ones who do the most to make a society prosperous. Take away their motivation with communism or its first cousin socialism/liberalism, and society as a whole suffers as a result.

-- A 10 year aggravated child molestation charge for a 17-year old who had consensual oral sex from a 15 year old? I'm from the "lock them up and throw away the key" school when it comes to lawbreakers and even I think that's an insanely harsh sentence. In fact, that 10 year term is such an egregious miscarriage of justice that I don't think a pardon from the governor of Georgia would be out of line.

-- I just finished a book by Dick Wirthlin called, "The Greatest Communicator: What Ronald Reagan Taught Me About Politics, Leadership, and Life." Wirthlin was a strategist and pollster for Reagan and he spent much of his time doing polling and explaining to Reagan what he could do to sell his ideas, pointing out potential sore spots with the American people, and noting things that the Gipper could do to improve his standing with the American people.

As I read the book (which was absolutely superb by the way), I began to wonder if anyone actually fills the same role in the Bush White House as Wirthlin did with Reagan. That's because over the last two years, the Bush administration has seemed to be completely and utterly indifferent to the polls, what the base wants, and what the public thinks of Bush's policies. In other words, when Clinton was in office, you often got the impression that he made most of his decisions based on polling data, but during Bush's second term, he has often acted as if the political ramifications of his actions no longer concern him. There's got to be a happy medium between those two positions and it would be great if Bush would try to reach it.

-- Bruce Bartlett is right about the Libertarian Party,

"My conclusion is that for libertarian ideas to advance, the Libertarian Party must go completely out of business. It must cease to exist, period. No more candidates, no more wasted votes and no more disillusioned libertarian activists.

In place of the party, there should arise a new libertarian interest group organized like the National Rifle Association or the various pro- and anti-abortion groups. This new group, whatever it is called, would hire lobbyists, run advertisements and make political contributions to candidates supporting libertarian ideas. It will work with both major parties. It can magnify its influence by creating temporary coalitions on particular issues and being willing to work with elected officials who may hold libertarian positions on only one or a handful of issues. They need not hold libertarian views on every single issue, as the Libertarian Party now demands of those it supports."

-- Over at the The Huffington Post, Greg Gutfeld comes up with the best idea ever!

IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM AND TOLERANCE, AND IN HARMONY WITH OUR GAY MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE PROUDLY ANNOUNCE THE FIRST MARCH TO MECCA, FEBRUARY 14, 2007

Human Rights Watch, Moveon.org, ACT-UP, the Huffington Post and David Geffen are proud to present the March to Mecca, a celebration of peace that calls all gay brothers, sisters and people undergoing sex-reassignment to march to the holiest of holy cities, Mecca, the capital city of Saudi Arabia's Makkah province on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2007.

Now that would be really "speaking the truth to power!" If only this weren't just satire...

-- If Newt is serious about running for President, it seems to me that he's making a mistake by refusing to campaign and waiting until September of 2007 to decide whether or not to run. Newt notes that,

"John F. Kennedy did not declare his candidacy until January 1960 and that Ronald Reagan entered the 1980 race in November 1979."

But, things move a lot faster now than they did back then. There are bloggers, mags, and radio hosts who are starting to pick candidates now. There will have been multiple debates by September. There are people out there campaigning, building staffs, and getting money from donors today! Furthermore, it's also worth noting that Kennedy and Reagan were a lot stronger candidates than Newt. If Newt were actually in the race today, he'd probably be in the four slot behind McCain, Rudy, and Mitt. Moreover, by September, if Newt were to get in, he'd be in a situation where the other contenders would probably have a 30-40 million dollar advantage over him, most of the top staffers locked up, and the endorsements of a lot of big name conservatives in the bag. So, if anything, he'd fall further behind if he waits.

This leads me to believe that Newt is really trying to increase his stature and build up his PAC, "American Solutions for Winning the Future," rather than really thinking about campaigning for the presidency. Of course, if it looks wide open late next year, who knows what could happen, but for the moment, it isn't looking like Newt is seriously contemplating a run.

-- Oh boy, look at this garbage from U.S.News & World Report, which comes under the header of "Truth or Fiction? It's Hard to Tell:"

"Here's the scene: A conservative president, say President Bush, is getting ready to be replaced by a liberal, say Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, after a crisis like something worse than 9/11. The nation's national security team is worried that the nation is going to pot. So much so that the heads of a 400-person "supermilitia" created to overthrow governments on behalf of Washington move in to dump Bush, stop Clinton's ascension, and rebuild the nation. Crazy? No, it's just the premise of America's Last Days, a new political thriller out next month and already being looked at by Hollywood. Author Douglas MacKinnon, a former Pentagon, Reagan, and Bush aide, says it rings true."

So, "Truth or Fiction? It's Hard to Tell?" Really? The idea that some sort of super militia backed by the Pentagon could take over the United States? You remember that old Jeff Foxworthy routine, "You might be a redneck if...." Well, you might be a conspiracy kook if you think it's plausible that the United States could be taken over in a coup. This isn't some Third World craphole, it's the United States, the world's oldest surviving democracy. We don't do coups in this country.

Tomorrow, I'm planning to put together a post called, "RWN's favorite quotes of 2006." How about suggesting some of your favorite quotes of 2006 to make sure I don't forget any of the really good ones.

Hillary Clinton has finally changed her stance on the war in Iraq:

"Clinton has often been asked if she regrets her vote authorizing military action and she usually answers that question with an artful dodge, saying that she accepts responsibility for the vote and suggesting that if the Senate had all the information it has today (no WMD, troubled post-war military planning, etc. . .), there would never have been a vote on the Senate floor.

However, she has never gone as far as some of her potential rivals for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination -- who also voted for the war -- and called her vote a mistake or declared that she would have cast her vote differently with all the facts presently available to her -- until now.

This morning on NBC's "Today" show, Sen. Clinton was asked about her 2002 vote and offered a slightly evolved answer. "Obviously, if we knew then what we know now, there wouldn't have been a vote," she said in her usual refrain before adding, "and I certainly wouldn't have voted that way."

In other words, "Sorry all you guys fighting in Iraq, but I had to change my position on the war because Barack Obama is threatening me politically on my left flank. But, it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind, tee-hee!"

What a Commander-In-Chief she'd make.

Over at YouTube, an anti-jihad music video by a group called Stuck Mojo is causing controversy. According to the band:

Something very strange happened today with the "Open Season" video on YouTube. As previously announced, the video rocketed to a highspot of number 11 on the "Most Viewed" list of music videos for December 11th. Despite the fact that the views held strong at the same pace today, the video mysteriously disappeared off of ALL lists around mid-day. All honors had been revoked instantly. This is strange because the last video on the "Most Viewed" list has around 900 views today. As you'll see, "Open Season" has had over 2,500 views today and is nowhere to be seen.

....We've also received several reports that comments in support of the video have been flat out rejected by YouTube and have subsequently not appeared on the video's page. Again, we can only speculate on the reasons for this, but the evidence is clear and undeniable.

The song is sort of a rap/heavy metal hybrid and it's pretty good (if you like that sort of thing).

Here are the lyrics:

"I speak peace when peace is spoken, But I speak war when your hate is provoking, The season is open 24-7-365, Man up yo time to ride, No need to hide behind slogans of deceit, Claiming that you're a religion of peace, We just don't believe you, We can clearly see through, The madness that you're feeding your people, Jihad the cry of your unholy war, Using the willing, the weak and poor, From birth drowning in propaganda, rhetoric and slander, All we can say is d*mn ya

My forefathers fought and died for this here
I'm stronger than your war of fear
Are we clear?
If you step in my hood
It's understood
It's open season

I don't need a faith that's blind, Where death and hate bring me peace of mind, With views that are stuck deep in the seventh century, So much sand in your eyes to blind to see, The venom that you leaders preach, Is the path to your own destruction, Your own demise, You might say that I don't understand but your disgust for me is what I realize, Surprise! Your homicidal ways has got the whole world watching, Whole world scoping, So if you bring it to my home base, Best believe it, The season's open

I see you, Hell yeah I see you, Motherf*cker naw, I don't wanna be you, If you come to my place, I'll drop more than just some bass, Yo you'll get a taste of a, Sick motherf*cker from the Dirty, I ain't worrying not a f*cking bit, I'm telescoping like Hubble, Yo you in trouble, Yo on the double, I'm wild with mine, Bring that style with mine, F*ck with my family I'll end your line, Just the way it is, Just the way it be, Do you understand? No matter if you're woman or man, or child, My profile is crazy, That sh*t you do doesn't amaze me, I'm ready to blaze thee

I don't give a d*mn what god you claim, I've seen the innocent that you've slain, On my streets you're just fair game, Like a pig walk to your slaughter, The heat here is so much hotter, And my views won't teeter totter or fluctuate, Step to me you just met your fate, And I'll annihilate, With the skill of a Shogun assassin, Slicing and dicing precise with a passion, In any shape form or fashion, Bring it to my home, Welcome to the danger zone, Cause your attitude's the reason, The triggers keep squeezing, The hunt is on and it's open season

It's Open Season"

PS: Here's more from the band about why they wrote the song:

"Call me me an alarmist, but this is not about Iraq or the so called "War On Terrorism", this is about a worldwide movement that is compelled by spiritual teachings to convert us or kill us. It's not about Israel or America, if it was then why is this virus present in Algeria, Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, the former Soviet Union, the Philippines, India, France, Spain and 1.5 million dead in Darfur. But I thought this whole thing was about Israel and America. Then why are Buddhist and Hindu temples set on fire and the followers of these peaceful religions attacked?

Right now, a civil war being waged within Islam. Take a look at what is taking place in Lebanon and in Iraq. You investigate it, it's all there for those who don't live with their heads in the sand to see.

We can argue about percentages of peaceful Muslims vs. non-peaceful Muslims, but that will get us no further than trying to determine how many Germans actually supported Hitler during the late 1930's. The threat is growing and understanding why Hitler wanted to destroy the Jewish people, did not stop it from happening. So how will understanding the leaders of Iran, who have publically called for the destruction of Isreal and the Jewish people, keep them from following through with what they believe they are compelled to do by God.

Why is it a news story for MONTHS when a Catholic Priest molests a child. NO ONE is afraid of offending Catholics by suggesting that the Catholic church was coordinating an effort to protect these morally deviant Priest. But God forbid we discuss the fact that NOT ALL Muslims are terrorists, but that ALMOST ALL terrorists ARE Muslim. Under Sharia law (look it up), women are stoned to death for being in a relationship with a Christian or for leaving the Islamic faith. If a woman is raped, under Sharia law she has to produce have FOUR witnesses to the rape that will testify on her behalf or no charges can be made. Under Sharia law, homosexuals are stoned to death. Say it out LOUD! Under Sharia law, HOMOSEXUALS ARE STONED TO DEATH! Gotta love that religion of tolerance and peace!

This video is NOT attacking Islam. This video is NOT lumping all followers of Islam in with the terrorists. No one in the Stuck Mojo organization is a racist or a bigot, but I refuse to ignore these events so as to keep from offending anyone."

Hat tip to Ace of Spades HQ for the video.

Make sure to check out Conservative Grapevine today, where you'll find links like:

Tammy Bruce: Americans line up to get jobs held by illegal aliens captured in a raid.

Honest Reporting: 2006 Dishonest Reporter of the Year Award

Redstate: Why I'm not supporting John McCain in 2008.

You can check out all those links and more by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark CG!

PS: If you'd like to submit articles to be linked to Conservative Grapevine, register at CG, and then shoot me an email.

"(O)n sober reflection, things in fact are hardly lost. There has been no repeat of 9/11. The U.S. military has killed thousands of jihadists. The Taliban and Saddam are gone. There are still democratic governments in Afghanistan and Iraq struggling to make it, the first in the history of the region. Our troops in the field have high morale and believe they can secure Iraq. And the world, especially in Europe, has become vigilant against Islamic fundamentalism.

We are in much better shape that during any of the crises that Churchill, Roosevelt, or Truman all weathered. And while 50 dead every month since 9/11 is a high toll in this war against jihadism, it does not compare to the 8,000 plus killed from December 1941 to August 1945, a war that similarly started out with a surprise, though less lethal attack on the United states." -- Victor Davis Hanson

Here's the first Duncan Hunter ad which he's running in South Carolina. It's about "fair trade," which, along with national security and illegal immigration is one of Hunter's three big issues, but is that really the issue to start a campaign on?

On the upside, it does differentiate Hunter from the other '08 contenders and to be certain, this message will resonate with a certain group of conservatives out there. But, most conservatives are free traders and I'm not sure that this message is going to necessarily appeal to them. Personally, I think Hunter would have been better off doing a commercial bragging about his role in getting the wall through the House. That would have also set him apart from a lot of the other contenders and there would have been a larger, more receptive audience for what he had to say.

Domestic

Cali Merchant Wanted To Buy Military Arms To Send To Terrorists In The Middle East

Hillary Clinton Says She Wouldn't Have Voted For Iraq War

Sen. Tim Johnson Has Been Conscious At Times Since His Emergency Brain Surgery Last Week. Has Opened Eyes, Responded To Voices, Moved Limbs.

Laura Bush Had Skin Cancer Tumor Removed

Joy Behar Likens Rumsfeld to Hitler

'Peace' Advocates Vandalize Cars at Army Recruiting Station

Foreign

Ahmadinejad 'Thwarted' In Iranian Elections

Sadr Army Is Called Top Threat In Iraq. A Pentagon Report Cites The Danger Of The Shiite Cleric's Militia.

Attacks In Iraq At Record High

On His First Day As Defense Secretary, Robert Gates Warned Monday That Failure In Iraq Would Be A "Calamity" That Would Haunt The United States For Years

British Lord Stings Senators Rockefeller And Snowe On Global Warming: 'Uphold Free Speech Or Resign'

Columns

Lorie Byrd: Bush Bashing Is A Ticket To The Front Page

Newt Gingrich: 2007: A Year of Solutions and Dialogue. 2008: A Year of Ambition and Debate

Thomas Sowell: Duke Case -- The Worst Worsens

Byron York: Will They Believe Romney? After Recent Revelations, Plenty Of Doubts Among Conservatives

Dick Morris & Eileen Mcgann: Reviving The Bush Presidency

Left-Overs

In An Explosive Telephone Argument That Led To Her Firing, Publisher Judith Regan Allegedly Complained Of A "Jewish Cabal" Against Her In The Book Industry And Stated That "Of All People, Jews Should Know About Ganging Up, Finding Common Enemies And Telling The Big Lie."

Rapist Preys On Men In Houston Area

52 New Species Found In Borneo's 'Lost World'

Website Of The Day: T.F. Boggs

40) "I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday. Why? Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the internet commercially...They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the internet. And again, the internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck. It's a series of tubes. And if you don't understand those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and its going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material." -- Senator Ted Stevens explains how the internet works.

39) "I wouldn't want to be a Senator or Congressman. I'm able to influence politics much more effectively doing what I do. Now I can shape the national political debate. The only way I could exert more influence would be if I were president. But I’d never want that guy’s job. Never." -- Blogger Markos Moulitsas Zúniga has delusions of grandeur.

38) "You know what? At some point, (Bush or Bin Laden) has to put it back in his pants and zip up the zipper." -- Star Jones on The View

37) "Does she bite your balls like this when you go home?" -- Chris Matthews to John Edwards, after his wife makes a comment that Matthews apparently doesn't like.

36) "This fellow here over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great. We're going to places all over Virginia, and he's having it on film and its great to have you here and you show it to your opponent because he's never been there and probably will never come. ...Let's give a welcome to Macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." -- George Allen

35) "In Delaware, the largest growth of population is Indian-Americans, moving from India. You cannot go to a 7/11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking." -- Joe Biden

34) "I think our motto should be, post-9/11, 'Raghead talks tough, raghead faces consequences." -- Ann Coulter

33) "We can go to Okinawa. We, we don’t have—we can redeploy (to Iraq) almost instantly. So that’s not—that’s, that’s a fallacy. That, that’s just a statement to rial up people to support a failed policy wrapped in illusion....when I say Okinawa, I, I’m saying troops in Okinawa. When I say a timely response, you know, our fighters can fly from Okinawa very quickly. And—and—when they don’t know we’re coming. There’s no question about it. And, and where those airplanes won’t—came from I can’t tell you, but, but I’ll tell you one thing, it doesn’t take very long for them to get in with cruise missiles or with, with fighter aircraft or, or attack aircraft, it doesn’t take any time at all." -- John Murtha explains his brilliant idea: that we can put an American rapid reaction force in Okinawa, to respond quickly to threats in Iraq, over 5000 miles away

32) "It's time for us to rebuild New Orleans, the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans, and I don't care what people are saying uptown wherever they are, this city will be chocolate at the end of the day. This city will be a majority African-American city -- it's the way God wants it to be." -- New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin

31) "...I would further strongly urge Democrats who don't believe marriage is between a man and a woman but who feel they ought to pretend to believe this in order to win elections (a plausible position) need to do a better job of pretending. I've heard a shockingly large number of politicians say things, in rooms where journalists are present, that make it perfectly clear that they think gay marriage is just fine but that the voters aren't ready for it. That's a sensible thing to believe, but you can't go around saying it if you're trying to win votes. If you're going to lie, then lie -- and lie convincingly!" -- Prominent liberal blogger Matthew Yglesias

30) "The simple image of the cross on stage as the Gospel injunction to help the poor and feed the hungry was displayed in words above it was one of the most effective fusions of Christian evangelism and pop-culture I have ever seen. And yet she is banned in Tennessee. As a reader once put it to me, these fundamentalists may believe in Jesus, but many sure don't believe Jesus. Madonna is closer to Jesus' authentic teachings in this respect than many Christianists." -- Andrew Sullivan

29) "Mississippi gets more than their fair share back in federal money, but who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?" -- Charles Rangel

28) "It seems to me like 19 amateurs with box cutters taking over four commercial airliners and hitting 75% of their targets, that feels like a conspiracy theory. It raises a lot of questions." -- Charlie Sheen

27) "President Bush is pursuing a globalist agenda to create a North American Union, effectively erasing our borders with both Mexico and Canada. This was the hidden agenda behind the Bush administration's true open borders policy....Why doesn't President Bush just tell the truth? His secret agenda is to dissolve the United States of America into the North American Union." -- Jerome Corsi

26) "I'd never realized how much of a death cult Christianity is. When we weren't fixating on how awesome Christ's murder was, we were singing about how terrific it was going to be when we bite it. Chipper up, Christians! There's a lot to live for. They're making more of those 'Narnia' movies." -- Joel Stein

25) "Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America." -- Rosie O'Donnell

24) "When I asked Gore Vidal at dinner why the White House seemed so serene and at ease about the vote, he replied that, this time around, the Bush-Cheney henchmen could simply call on martial law. He glumly noted that we are so far down the road toward totalitarianism that, even if Democrats do win back the Congress, it would take at least two generations before the last six years of damage to the nation could be reversed." -- Lyn Davis Lear at The Huffington Post

23) "I don't take sides for or against Hezbollah or for or against Israel." -- Representative John Dingell

22) "We are living in terrorism as black people in America. And it has been that way since the dawning of slavery....If we are having problems with finding our own inner souls and dignity to live out a life that is honorable, what is it that has put us in this position? We didn't volunteer for it. And those who have put us here and chosen to keep us here are people who deal in terror." -- Harry Belafonte

21) "(George Bush) is ten times the terrorist that Osama ever was." -- Cindy Sheehan

20) "It's quite reasonable to conclude that Bush will harm the nation more--if not more than Bin Laden would like to, than more than he actually can." -- Johnathan Chait

19) "I think the news of the loss of any human being is a tragedy. I think al-Zarqawi's death is a double tragedy. His death will incite a new wave of revenge." -- Michael Berg

18) "Capital punishment? I think that if, if I've got to find that guy in Spain who indicted Pinochet and get him for war crimes, and I get him to do the same thing for Bush. And in that case, I would be for capital punishment. Otherwise, I am against it." -- New York gubernatorial Green Party candidate Malachy McCourt on The Chris Matthews show

17) "If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq." -- Charles Rangel

16) "The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism. Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country… I don't see why people care about patriotism." -- Natalie Maines

15) “You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.” -- John Kerry, in what he later claimed was a botched joke.

14) "I just want to say that George W. Bush is the syphilis president. The only difference between Bush and Hitler is that Hitler was elected." -- Kurt Vonnegut

13) "I’m gonna eat the placenta. I thought that would be good. Very nutritious. I’m gonna eat the cord and the placenta right there." -- Tom Cruise to GQ magazine in what may or may not have been a joke.

12) "Which leads me to ask: is Karl Rove planning a terrorist attack during the Super Bowl, in order to set the stage for building towards war with Iran over the coming year?" -- Bob Fertik from Democrats.com

11) "You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now motherf**ker. Throw his *ss out. He's a n*gger! He's a n*gger! He's a n*gger! A n*gger, look, there's a n*gger! They're going to arrest me for calling a black man a n*gger." -- Michael Richards

10) "If I got (Condi Rice) a— on camera, I would put my Mars Air Jordans so far up her butt that the Mayo Clinic would have to remove them." -- Spike Lee

9) "Again, (America is) a stupid country with stupid people who don't pay attention." -- Bill Maher

8) "Is there such a thing as a man made stroke? In other words, did someone do this to him?" -- Joy Behar, on The View, wonders if Republicans gave Senator Tim Johnson a stroke.

7) "Quit supporting my country and supporting crimes against humanity." -- Cindy Sheehan in Australia

6) "In Vietnam, our soldiers came back and they were reviled as baby killers, in shame and humiliation. It isn’t happening now, but I will tell you – there has never been an [American] army as violent and murderous as our army has been in Iraq." -- Seymour Hersh

5) "F*****g Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. Are you a Jew?" -- Mel Gibson in a drunken tirade, after he'd been pulled over by the police

4) "Why not go kill a Muslim? Don’t leave it up to the soldiers, don’t leave it up to the middle east. You’ve got Muslims in New Jersey. Why not go kill some?" -- Mike Malloy

3) "Check out this startling excerpt from George Monbiot's new book Heat. It's about the climate-change "denial industry," which most of you are probably familiar with. What you may not know about is the peculiar role of the tobacco industry in the whole mess. I've read about this stuff for years and even I was surprised by some of the details. When we've finally gotten serious about global warming, when the impacts are really hitting us and we're in a full worldwide scramble to minimize the damage, we should have war crimes trials for these b*stards -- some sort of climate Nuremberg." -- David Roberts, Grist Magazine

2) "What if another terror attack just before this fall's elections could save many thousand-times the lives lost? I start from the premise that there is already a substantial portion of the electorate that tends to vote GOP because they feel that Bush has "kept us safe," and that the Republicans do a better job combating terrorism. If an attack occurred just before the elections, I have to think that at least a few of the voters who persist in this "Bush has kept us safe" thinking would realize the fallacy they have been under. If 5% of the "he's kept us safe" revise their thinking enough to vote Democrat, well, then, the Dems could recapture the House and the Senate..." -- Russell Shaw at the Huffington Post

1) "Karl (Rove) is a shameless b*stard. This could explain why his mother killed herself. Once she discovered what a despicable soul she had spawned she apparently saw no other way out." -- Ex-CIA agent Larry Johnson

Also see,

The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes For 2005
The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes For 2004

Unfortunately, I have to respectfully disagree with my pal Hugh Hewitt who's peddling a line that I've heard quite a lot of late, that the 2008 nominations are going to be almost solely about national security. The only twist here is that Hugh seems to be using this line to sell Mitt Romney, which is a bit odd, since he's an inexperienced governor with no significant foreign policy experience. Here's Hugh:

"The simple fact is that the first post-9/11 contested primary season on the GOP side will be dominated by national security, not social issues, and understanding of the war against jihadism, whether from Sunni or Shia extremists, will be the key to capturing the Republican nomination.

Generals have often been accused of fighting the last war. Journalists these days seem intent on fighting the last campaign. The serious party is looking for serious debate on the war and the country's defenses. Romney's letter from 1994 will have as much impact as John McCain's role in the Keating Five controversy or Rudy's policies as an Associate Attorney General in the early '80s (did he sign off on the Bob Jones' brief?)

The same washing of the slate post 9/11 will even help Hillary get free of much of the Clinton-era dross, except the national security record of her husband. (Is Sandy Berger advising her?)

A handful of extreme pro-life activists allied with an even smaller number of radical bloggers aren't going to define the terms of the campaign of 2008 for the GOP. Not only are they immunizing Romney on the old issues, they are underscoring just how tone-deaf the MSM has become about the GOP grassroots."

Here's the thing: today, we have a President who has been steadfast on national security issues and not so hot on the domestic side. His combined approval rating at RealClearPolitics is 36.5% and not once this year has his approval rating gone north of 50% in any poll. So, long story short, not only are the Democrats and Independents unhappy with Bush, a significant chunk of the Republican base doesn't approve of the job he's doing either. So, if the litmus test is nothing more than a fresh face who's tough like Bush on national security, then that seems like a recipe for failure in 2008.

Moreover, may I note that while I hear a few people saying that nothing matters but national security -- usually by Rudy Giuliani fans which is a bit odd given that there are at least two candidates (Hunter and McCain) with better national security credentials than he has -- there also seems to be a significant portion of the base who are quite interested in fiscal conservatism, abortion, and illegal-immigration among other issues.

Let me also add that once you set aside Chuck Hagel along with perhaps Mike Huckabee and Sam Brownback if you want to stretch things a bit, the foreign policy positions of the candidates don't seem to be all that different except at the margins. In other words, if you put Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Duncan Hunter, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo and Newt Gingrich all in a room, they'd probably agree about 90% of the time on national security issues. Since that's the case, domestic issues would seem to take on greater, not lesser importance, because the candidates are so alike on national security.

PS: As far as the letter goes, it's not all that important in and of itself, but it is another piece of evidence that confirms something that is starting to become apparent about Mitt Romney: he's a chameleon and a flip flopper who tells people what they want to hear. When he's going up against Ted Kennedy, he talks like Lincoln Chafee. But, now that he has decided he wants to run for president, he talks like Rush Limbaugh. So, which is it? Wimpy, moderate Mitt or conservative Mitt -- or is it that he'll tell us whatever he needs to tell us to get elected and then we'll only get to see his true colors if and when he gets into office?

I gotta tell you, some of the old info that has been recently dug up on Mitt is really disturbing from a conservative stand point. For example, this quote from Romney's debate with Ted Kennedy back in 1994 really bothers me a lot,

"I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush."

This is pretty bad, too,

"Romney aides, hoping to keep their candidate out of the controversy generated by the (Contract for America) and as far from Washington politics as possible, said he has not read it and has no plans to support it, the Globe says."

So, in 1994, Mitt Romney was anti-Reagan and anti-Contract with America, but now we can take him at his word when he says he's the "conservative candidate" in the race? Uh-huh...

Oh, what nauseating, feel good, liberal pap this is:

"Congratulations! You are the Time magazine "Person of the Year."

The annual honor for 2006 went to each and every one of us, as Time cited the shift from institutions to individuals - citizens of the new digital democracy, as the magazine put it. The winners this year were anyone using or creating content on the World Wide Web."

So, I'm "creating content on the World Wide Web." I guess that makes me a winner -- along with all the trolls, people doing porn sites, spammers, and the webmasters of conspiracy theorist blogs. Great -- what an honor.

Apparently, this silly, "Hooray, we all win! Aren't we special!" award came about because Time didn't want to choose Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,

"And Stengel said if the magazine had decided to go with an individual, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the likely choice. "It just felt to me a little off selecting him," Stengel said."

Here's an idea: if selecting Islamo-Fascists like Ahmadinejad is too unpalatable, then rewrite the rules so that the "Person of the Year" can't be a creep. How much sense does it make to set the award up to go to the biggest newsmaker of the year, positive or negative, and then chicken out when a genocidal, Holocaust denier earns the honor? They had this exact same problem in 2001 when Time chickened out and picked Rudy Giuliani over Osama Bin Laden as their person of the year.

Now personally, I'm glad that they picked Rudy over Osama, because Osama shouldn't be the "person of the year" anywhere except in hell, but why not go ahead and change the rules at this point?

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Some People seem to be upset that the US is using foreign aid to sway votes on the UN Security Council:

"Kofi Annan, the outgoing UN Secretary-General, expressed his frustration at the power the US wields over the UN in his parting speech last week. In a detailed analysis of 50 years of data, Harvard University's Ilyana Kuziemko and Eric Werker provide the clearest evidence yet that money is used by the council's richest member to grease the wheels of diplomacy.

Anti-poverty campaigners reacted angrily to the findings. 'Aid should go to the people who need it, not as a political sweetener,' said Duncan Green of Oxfam. 'In recent years most rich countries have been making progress on this, but showering bribes on developing countries just because they sit on the UN security council is clearly a step backwards.'

Charities often complain that the US uses its aid as a political tool, and this new evidence of what the authors call 'vote-buying' will raise fears about whether the surge of aid money that was promised at last year's Gleneagles G8 summit will be fairly spent.

Ten of the 15 seats on the security council are filled for two years at a time, by rotation. Kuziemko and Werker found that, in years when they have a seat, countries get an average of more than £8m extra in foreign aid from the US.

'I don't think it's surprising this goes on; but I wonder whether countries being aware that it goes on might have some salutary effect,' Kuziemko said.

Countries with a security council seat also receive an average of £500m extra from the UN itself, most of it channelled through its children's fund, Unicef, over which the US traditionally has been able to exert control. President George Bush recently provoked controversy by appointing a close political ally, former Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, as Unicef's chief.

When there is a controversial vote in prospect, the premium for countries with a security council seat is even higher. US aid surges by as much as 170 per cent, bringing in a £23m windfall, while the UN spends an extra £4m."

The reality is that there are so many poor countries out there that need our help that we can't help them all and truthfully, very few countries seem to appreciate the help we give them anyway. Just to name one very prominent example, we helped Afghanistan fight off the Soviets and were supplying the majority of their food -- and yet, where was Al-Qaeda based out of on 9/11/2001? Afghanistan.

So, were it up to me, every single dime of US AID -- other than the most basic emergency relief after major disasters -- would come with major strings attached to it. Our attitude should be, "You want our money? Then what are you going to do for us to earn it?" I'm not saying that we should get a dollar for dollar return on our money since that's obviously not going to happen with poor countries, but at a minimum, we should demand that these countries not bite the hand that's feeding them. If the government of country X wants to vote against us at the UN and have their state run media criticize us every day, well, that's fine, but we shouldn't be giving them foreign aid.

As to these nations on the UN Security Council, if they want foreign aid from the United States, then we should require them to vote our way on every important issue, pure and simple. If they don't like that, no problem, there are plenty of other poor nations who can use our help.

It amazes me that a movie like Pursuit of Happyness could actually get made because it breaks all of Hollywood's rules. There are no special effects; the dad, Will Smith, is a better parent than mom -- and he makes it on his own, without getting any lucky breaks, help from the government, liberals, or Affirmative Action. Moreover, even though there are plenty of white, rich men in the movie, they're portrayed not as racists, but as generally decent folks who like Will Smith's character because he's smart, works hard, and has a great attitude (Imagine that!).

In short, it's a movie about putting your nose to the grindstone, being persistent, not making any excuses, and doing whatever it takes to succeed even when life gets in the way -- and life gets in the way a lot during the movie. Smith's character, who is based on real life success story Chris Gardner, is constantly beset with adversity. He gets into business selling overpriced bone scanners and struggles desperately to make ends meet when he can't convince doctors to buy his product, which is considered a luxury item. The financial problems get so bad that his wife leaves. He's kicked out of his apartment, his car is towed by the city, and he and his young son become homeless. Yet, Will Smith's character stays in a Dean Witter internship, with no pay, because it's a tremendous opportunity.

No matter how many times life plants a kick squarely in his ribs, Smith's character sucks it up, soldiers on, and keeps fighting to make an opportunity for himself and his son. Was his dogged persistence rewarded? You'll have to watch the movie to see -- and let me encourage you not just to watch the movie, but to take your teenage kids with you to watch the movie. In fact, this movie should be mandatory viewing in every high school classroom in America because it teaches kids the truth: that the difference between success and failure, as often as not, isn't luck, it's gut wrenching hard work and determination.

Granted, this movie doesn't sound like it would be all that exciting, but it's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time and I give it a thumbs way, way, way up!

If moonbat George Monibot were an American, this quote would have earned him a top 10 spot in the most obnoxious quotes of 2006:

"There was one proposal in Sir Rod Eddington's report to the Treasury with which, when I first read it, I wholeheartedly agreed. He insists that "the transport sector, including aviation, should meet its full environmental costs". Quite right too: every time someone dies as a result of floods in Bangladesh, an airline executive should be dragged out of his office and drowned." -- George Monibot

Domestic

Top Democrats: No More Troops

The Hottest Potential Contender For The 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination, Barack Obama, Has Been Drawn Into His First Scandal

After Bankruptcy Filing, Recriminations Fly at Air America -- Al Franken Leaving To Run For Senate (Free New York Times Reg Req)

Gingrich: Imams Should Have Been Arrested

Newt Gingrich:'Wait and See' On 2008 Bid

Hunter Touts Border Security During Iowa Visit

Foreign

Mahmoud Abbas Attempted To End The Current Hamas-Led Government And Call For New Elections. Hamas Responded By Rejecting Any Participation In Early Elections, And Fatah Responded By Attempting To Assassinate The Hamas Foreign Minister

Shaky Hamas Vs. Fatah Ceasefire Takes Hold

France To Pull 200 Troops Out Of Afghanistan

Indonesian Tsunami Donations Help Islamic Sharia Police Lash Women In Public

Huge Islamic Driven Rape Increase In Norway

Columns

Michael Fumento: The Chicken Littles Were Wrong: The Bird Flu Threat Flew The Coop

Mark Steyn: And Merry Xmas To You All

Barry Rubin: US Primacy Lives (Free Jerusalem Post Reg Req)

John Fund: Why Barack Obama May Not Run

Mark Cromer: Extremist Latino Rhetoric Flares In The Background

Left-Overs

An Indian Runner Who Won A Silver Medal In The Women's 800 Meters In The Asian Games This Month Has Failed A Gender Test And Is Expected To Be Stripped Of The Medal

Home Intruder Fatally Shot

After Surviving 20 Million Years, China's White Fin Dolphin May Be Extinct

Website Of The Day: Peace Through Strength PAC