Blair "Astonished" by U.S. Media Coverage of Memos

Tony Blair denied U.S. media reports that a decision to go to war with Iraq was already made by 2002. Blair also said that he was "a bit astonished" at the U.S. media coverage of a single memo, which had no context for what was contained therein.

Welcome to the U.S. media world, Tony. Just like in the UK, a story doesn't have to be true to be reported - as long as it might hurt President Bush.

Time to Reveal Sources

Time magazine will comply with a court order to reveal the identity of the sources in the Valerie Plame affair. Daly Thoughts has an interesting take on why the Feds aren't going after Bob Novak. I happen to agree with this theory.

On another note, a judge also ordered four reporters in the Wen Ho Lee case to reveal their sources on Tuesday.

I will not shed a single tear for reporters forced to reveal "anonymous" sources. There have never been consequences for reporters to go with a story based on these sources, which are often complete B.S. (or imaginary). The only people who suffer are others whose reputations and careers are destroyed. So cry me a river over your First Amendment rights. (After all, it is your favored judges who are doing away with the Constitution anyway.)

Democratic/Media Critique of Bush Speech

The Astute Blogger reminds Democratic and media critics of Bush's speech that the use of the terms Al Qaeda and 9/11 in the same thoughts should not be surprising. After all, they were mentioned several times in the Iraq War resolution on which Congress voted.

Student Gets 'F' For Mentioning God

World Net Daily reports that an atheist professor at Victor Valley Community College in California gave Bethany Hauf, a freshman student, an 'F' for mentioning the "G-word" in her paper that examined the role of religion in the government.

The professor told Hauf that she "might as write about the Easter Bunny." Ahhh, colleges: those bastions of free speech.

State-Funded Exhibits

In light of the Supreme Court's decision not to "establish religion" by government dollars, Ann Coulter lays out all of the special exhibits brought to us by the goodness of taxpayer funds. My favorite:

"Kiss it." – governor of Arkansas to state employee (Don't know who that could have been...)

Iranian President a Hostage Taker?

Gateway Pundit has some very interesting information on the new Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It appears that the new president of Iran helped with hijacking the U.S. embassy in Iran in 1979. My Pet Jawa has more.

This is amazing if true - as it appears. I wonder if the EU would even care in their little game of footsie they are playing.

Your Taxes Hard at Work, Courtesy of the USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its investigative report to the AP under the Freedom of Information Act, but still do not know what led to the tiger attack on Roy Horn (of Siegfried and Roy).

And to think that some people believe our tax dollars are being wasted on pointless investigations...

Saudis Captured Entering Iraq

Iraqi police captured two Saudi nationals sneaking into Iraq via the Syrian-Jordanian border triangle, according to reports.

About a year ago I was contemplating how best to round up all the world's terrorists. My suggestion was for President Bush to challenge them to a sword fight to the death in the middle of the desert somewhere. I figured that a large enough group would be stupid enough to show up - and then we could eliminate them pretty quickly by dropping a bomb.

While my suggestion was half in jest, it seems that this is exactly what's happening in Iraq. Terrorists from all over are coming to Iraq for the final showdown. Every day we kill a terrorist is a new victory; let's just hope that we let our military and Iraqi citizens finish the job.

CNN Reaction to Bush Speech

I have to laugh whenever I listen to the CNN folks rant aimlessly about President Bush. Last night they criticized Bush for not calling the terrorists in Iraq the PC term "insurgents," for the erroneous belief that the only reason we went to war was to find stockpiles of WMD and for daring to mention the term 9/11. Somehow the mere mention of 9/11 implies that it was Saddam who flew the airplanes into the World Trade Center.

Media bias? What media bias?

No More Brainstorming Allowed in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has decided that the use of the term "brainstorming" is demeaning to people with brain disorders and can therefore no longer be used. From now on, people will be having "thought showers."

At least they are using their "thought shower" time (and taxpayer money) wisely.

Too Good To Be True, But It Is

An investment group in the town of Weare, New Hampshire seeks to build a hotel and museum (featuring the decline of property rights) on the site of Justice Souter's home.

"The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development."

There is no better way to teach the justices about property rights.

Bush's Speech

Overall I thought President Bush's speech was very good. He gave some great content and background and also asked the American people to stay strong during the difficult times. I think Bush needs to do more of this type of speech to counter some of the moonbats in Congress and in the MSM. Most importantly, the military knows that their commander-in-chief is no jellyfish and will not cut and run.

While flipping through the channels for commentary, I landed on (P)MSNBC and heard John Meacham of Newsweek's comment that Bush said that our "progress in Iraq was uneven." He seemed shocked that Bush seemed to be admitting for the first time that he has made mistakes in the war. (It was a stretch, to say the least.) Then Chris Matthews went on to say how Iran has made great strides in its recent democratic election! How he can stay on the air is beyond me...

Media Still Can't Shake Americans' Resolve

This recent Washington Post poll must be very disappointing to the MSM - only 12% of Americans believe that the U.S. should pull forces out of Iraq, while 88% believe that forces must remain until order is restored to Iraq.

The survey found that only one in eight Americans currently favors an immediate pullout of U.S. forces, while a solid majority continues to agree with Bush that the United States must remain in Iraq until civil order is restored -- a goal that most of those surveyed acknowledge is, at best, several years away.

Also, the number of Americans who believe that actions in Iraq have made the U.S. safer rose from 47% to 52% in the last few weeks. Not good news for liberals or the MSM...

Taiwanese VP: We Deserve Invitation to U.S.

Annette Lu, Taiwan's Vice President, said in an interview that China would not dare invade the island before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She also wondered why Taiwanese leaders have not received inviations to the White House.

``Frankly speaking, both of us deserve an invitation to visit Washington, D.C.,'' the vice president said, noting that their visits to U.S. soil are sharply restricted.

``If Mr. Arafat, if the Dalai Lama, can go, why can't we? We are freedom fighters,'' Lu said, referring to the deceased head of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the exiled religious leader of Tibet. ``Both of us received many awards in terms of freedom or human rights or peace. We certainly deserve an invitation.''

She has a good point. I think the problem with Taiwan is that it is simply too successful, despite attempts by China to prevent its success. Despite the enormous Chinese military buildup and its intent to "take back" Taiwan, people around the world look at the wealth of Taiwan and seem not to care about its freedom.

Berlin Wall Memorial To Be Razed

See no evil, hear no evil.

Apparently that is the motto of the Leftist German government, which has no intention of stopping the bulldozing of the Berlin Wall Memorial on July 4, when the lease expires.

Alexandra Hildebrandt, director of the private Checkpoint Charlie Museum, said a demolition crew has been scheduled to arrive at the site of Checkpoint Charlie at 4 a.m. next Monday to remove the memorial, made up of 1,067 crosses representing people killed trying to escape from East Berlin.

This is a dumb idea, not only from a historical perspective, but also from a business perspective. There is a reason that tourists visit the museum - they want to know about the evils of Soviet communism and the museum doesn't lie.

Those who choose not to remember history...

If the Article Doesn't Say "Conservative," It is Liberal

I always get a kick out of supposed news stories that discuss actions by political action groups. Any time a conservative group addresses an issue, the article never fails to use the term "conservative" to describe the group, thus discounting anything they wish to say.

As this article about Sen. Bill Frist's (R-TN) campaign funds clearly shows, there is an absence of the adjective "Liberal" to describe the liberal group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Thus, the article leads readers to believe that this group is something other than a partisan hatchet group used to dirty the opposition.

The charge is ridiculous, but that's beside the point. If you read "conservative," you know a group is conservative. If there is no adjective, you know a group is liberal.

Smoke and Mirrors Might Work with Social Security

Jack Kemp discusses the latest victory for President Bush on Social Security, despite the fact that the media has almost entirely ignored it. Several Republican leaders in both the Senate and the House are going to introduce legislation that would allow for today's "surplus" Social Security funds to be invested in individual accounts, thus stopping the raid for general government revenue.

This tactic is obviously just a game of smoke and mirrors, but since the government can successfully keep an unfunded liability off its books, why not an asset to fund that liability? At last, the bill would bring the unfunded liability question to the forefront in Congress and the "transition cost" issue and other empty arguments will fall apart.

As Ankle Biting Pundits suggests, it is politically extremely difficult to be in favor of continuing to raid the Social Security surpluses to fund general revenue. Nancy Pelosi, who explicitly favors raiding the fund, is simply clueless.

Truly a brilliant GOP strategy.

Renaming Schools, continued

Last week the Republic of Berkeley School Board voted 3-2 not to change the name of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School to Sequoia Elementary School. This decision overturns the previous intention of the Board to change the name because Thomas Jefferson owned slaves.

Someone should have reminded the town a while ago that Sequoia also owned black slaves, as did a young Irish-born philosopher and bishop for whom the city is named.

Scalia on Supreme Court Ruling

John Hawkins has the quote of the day from Antonin Scalia in discussing the Supreme Court opinion on the Kentucky courthouse exhibit of the Ten Commandments.

This is what happens when justices decide on their own that the Constitution changes over time to the norms of the day. (Apparently they are not aware of the amendment process.)

I just finished reading Justice Scalia's dissent. (See opinion here; dissent begins on p. 45.) If you have the time, it's worth the read. In his articulate way, Scalia excoriates the Court's opinion that this governmental invocation of God violates the Establishment Clause.

One last thought: In a way, a little controversy is a good thing, as it refocuses the public on the importance of Bush's judicial nominees.

Supreme Court: No Ten Commandments at Courthouses

Chalk up another victory to the, ahem, "moderate voice" of Sandra Day O'Connor. Today in a 5-4 ruling, the Court found that two exhibits in a Kentucky courthouse that displayed the Ten Commandments were illegal because they promoted a religious message.

When are they going to declare our calendar illegal - and even the Constitution itself? They mention God and imply that there is a higher divinity in this world. How can we stand for that?

Another absurdity from the clowns in black dresses.

Definition of a Winner

Investors Business Daily had a nice article today on Lou Gehrig. Being a Red Sox fan, I don't have too many Yankee players on my list of role models. But this guy is a true All-American guy and a reminder that attitude is everything in life.

Above all, he was honorable. Gehrig was the first athlete to appear on a box of Wheaties. Then General Foods paid him to drop his affiliation with the breakfast of champions in favor of one of its products, Huskies. On a radio appearance he was asked what made him so strong, and, by force of habit, he blurted out "Wheaties."

He wrote to General Foods, offering to return the money. The company refused — it actually earned more publicity with the flub than it would have if he'd made no mistake.

60% Believe Newspapers Biased

In a recent Pew Poll, 60% of all Americans believe that newspapers are biased and 75% believe that they are more concerned about maintaining circulation than keeping readers informed (I didn't know they were incompatible).

I wonder who the people are that believe newspapers are unbiased.

Ex-Hostage Hires Bounty Hunters For Revenge

Swede Ulf Hjertstrom, who was kidnapped in Iraq alongside Australian Douglas Wood, has hired bounty hunters to track down his kidnappers and eliminate them.

"I have now put some people to work to find these bastards," he told the Ten Network today.

"I invested about $50,000 so far and we will get them one by one."

All I can do is wish him luck. That's probably what the terrorists need to experience.

This Land is Government's Land

In light of the outrageous Kelo Supreme Court decision this week, Wizbang wondered how long it would take for politicians to start blackmailing landowners to develop land "appropriately" or get that land revoked.

Boston Mayor "Mumbles" Menino seems to be getting in on the act early to get what he wants. The Boston Globe reports that Menino singled out the land permits of a Chicago family. The slippery slope seems to be getting icier by the day.

Iran Election Reactions

Regime Change Iran has reactions from the Iranian election. It looks like an extreme ultra-conservative won the vote and security forces are on alert to prevent any popular demonstrations.

History's Largest WMD Trial Begins

The trial of 13 Al Qaeda members are now being tried in Jordan for a foiled chemical attack that could have killed 80,000 people. It's scary to think that they were very close to achieving that objective. Gateway Pundit has the details.

Allstate Terminates Employee for "Anti-Gay" Article

J. Matt Barber, a manager for Allstate, was recently fired after two human resource managers confronted Barber with a story he wrote for Mens News Daily that advocated against gay marriage.

The precedent raises an interesting dilemma for bloggers: if a company knows an employee is blogging about controversial or political opinions, what should the company do? Does free speech still apply? I believe that's one reason that many of the most popular bloggers are either self-employed or work for an industry (such as a university) where commentary is highly encouraged.

Just another reason that I prefer not to advertise my name on my blog.

Supersized Fraud

Michelle Malkin has the rundown on Morgan Spurlock's (director of "Super Size Me") new tv/documentary series, which is really just an advocacy commercial for Islam in America and how we need to adapt to their needs.

Another wannabe Michael Moore in motion...

Karl Rove's Comments

The White House stands behind Karl Rove's comments, as they should. The reason that Liberals are so upset is that they do not want Republicans to remind Americans how Liberals would handle terrorism if they were in charge.

The outrage shown by Dem leaders like Hillary Rodham shows that what Rove said is accurate. Democrats are more angered at Karl Rove for telling the truth than they are at slandering and maligning the military (see: Dick Durbin, Ted Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid,...).

Oprah Playing the Race Card

What happens when a black celebrity shows up to a Parisian salon after it's closed and is denied entry? She plays the race card. (Thanks to BF for the link.)

A spokeswoman at Winfrey's Harpo Productions confirmed the Daily News version of the story, saying that the incident was "Oprah's 'Crash' moment" -- a reference to the film in which racism unfolds in complex, subtle and surprising interactions. Winfrey also contacted Hermes' U.S. president to inform him of the incident. She plans to tell the story on her show when it returns from hiatus in September.

I have some advice for Oprah: learn how to tell time!

Some Irony for Justice Breyer

American Thinker has a great post on yesterday's 5-4 Supreme Court decision that essentially eliminated any notion of U.S. property rights. In a 1999 death penalty case, Justice Breyer looked towards Zimbabwean law (that role model of humanitarian rights) as part of an international review. Perhaps he also looked towards Zimbabwe when he thought about U.S. property rights yesterday. According to the AP:

Rights groups showed a smuggled video Thursday of hundreds of thousands of poor Zimbabweans living in the open in the winter cold after the government tore down their homes in what it describes as an urban renewal project.

At news conferences in Africa and at the United Nations, more than 200 international human rights and civic groups said the campaign, known as Operation Drive Out Trash, was "a grave violation of international human rights law and a disturbing affront to human dignity."

The irony is rich, isn't it?

Abizaid, Rumsfeld Slam Kennedy

Notice the headline from the NYTimes: "U.S. General Sees No Ebb in Iraq Rebels' Fight." This interpretation could only come from the media. Anyone who watched the exchange between Sen. Kennedy and Rumsfeld/Abizaid would have noticed that they harshly rebuked the Senator for his view that Iraq was a "quagmire."

The Times also could have said "Iraqi Prime Minister Pleads for No Deadline." Or, it could have said, "Gen. Abizaid pleads for Congress to Continue Support for Soldiers." But the Times has no interest in spreading the news; it would rather try to disprove a point made by VP Dick Cheney, who recently said he believed the insurgency was in its last throes. Incidentally, Gen. Casey also said that he believed that, due to its lack of focus and support, the insurgency was not "winning," but that was irrelevant to the times.

One thing was clear: Gen. Abizaid stated that the troops' morale is in jeopardy because of Congressional talk here in the U.S.:

General Abizaid had just returned from a visit to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, where he said he was surprised at how many American commanders and soldiers asked whether the military was losing support at home for their missions overseas. "It was a real concern," he said.

Perhaps we should take Abe Lincoln's advice:

"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged."

Quick administrative note

I'm not quite sure what happened to the font color today; it seems to have changed from blue to gray...sometimes these computer servers have a mind of their own. I'll look into the problem.

Taliban May be Surrounded

Let's hope it's true that we've got those Taliban holdouts in our sights.

Afghan and U.S. forces surrounded an area in southwestern Afghanistan on Thursday where senior commanders of elusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar could be hiding, Afghan officials said.

Supreme Court: You Have No Property Rights

Today's Supreme Court decision is absolutely stunning. In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that local governments can seize private property and resell it to other people if it benefits the government via increased tax revenue.

I'm speechless. This is private property that will be sold to another private owner simply to increase the amount of tax revenue.

What in the world happened to our Constitution? I guess it can be trampled if it benefits the government. Maybe now people will realize why Bush's judicial nominees are the most important issue in this country.

Blogger reactions:

Nashville Files: "the decline of a once great nation."

Knappster: "The nine political hacks in black dresses have screwed us again." (Actually, it only took five, unfortunately.)

Esoterically.net: "Does it surprise anybody that the Republican-controlled Supreme Court ruled today in favor of big business and against homeowners?" (Unfortunately, Mr. Leftie didn't realize that it was the LIBERALS who sided with the government over the people!)

Professor Bainbridge: This proves "just how essential it is that Bush pick somebody reliably - and permanently - conservative when there's an opening."

Instapundit: Expresses his beliefs on the political implications.

The Therapist: Ruth Bader Ginsberg's house to be demolished in favor of a homeless shelter (unfortunately it's satire).

Flag Burning Amendment Looks Dead

It appears that the flag burning amendment introduced in Congress will not pass the Senate. It's a simple case of bending over (if you revere the flag and would like to see it protected) vs. bending over backwards (if you're a terrorist and want protections for the Koran and your "rights").

At least there will be a vote to let Americans know where each Senator stands.

Karl Rove on Democratic Reaction to 9/11

Ankle Biting Pundits quotes Karl Rove from a speech he gave at a fund-raiser this week, which shows the main difference between Democrats and Republicans on dealing with terrorists.

For many who voted for President Bush, this is the only reason to vote. People like Dennis Miller, who was once a Hollywood liberal, decided he didn't want to be blown up by a terrorist and voted for Bush. Yet Democrats still haven't learned.

The Worst Bill You Never Heard Of

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) has introduced the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, which would allow native Hawaiians to self-government. Under the bill, native Hawaiians would be designated a "tribe" under the Indian law system and would constitute approximately 20% of the population.

This would be the first time in our nation's history that we have created an extra-constitutional race-based government out of a group of American citizens. Moreover, were this bill to become law, this new race-based government would be allowed to deny its constituents the protections afforded by the 1st, 5th and 14th Constitutional Amendments because they would not apply to the new "tribal government."

This is all about money. Hawaii is one of the most heavily taxed states in the nation and it sees the economic advantages of Indian tribes that don't pay federal taxes. By allowing a self-government, Hawaii would let a huge part of its population avoid paying taxes, while still likely receiving a healthy stipend from the U.S. government.

Mexican Authorities Arrest 9-11 Suspect

Amer Hakyel, whom the U.S. has suspected of complicity in the 9/11 attacks, was arrested by Mexican authorities in Baja.

That's funny - I thought the terrorists would never conceive of travelling across the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

No Wonder There Aren't Many Islamic Banks

In an effort to bolster growth in the Islamic financial sector, Muslim bankers want to set up a global Islamic bank.

"Officials have said the bank will operate in keeping with Islamic laws, which means no interest would be paid or charged on deposits and loans."

I would love to get a loan from this bank, but I'm afraid it won't be in business very long.

Durbin's Half-a$$ed Apology

Red State does a great job of covering the something-of-an-apology by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) for comparing the U.S. military to genocidal killers.

Today Rush Limbaugh had a fascinating flashback to Trent Lott's "insensitive" statements at Strom Thurmond's birthday celebration, which forced Lott to apologize five times and resign his leadership position. The bottom line is that 1) nearly every media outlet had the Lott comments on the front page for a week; 2) Every Democratic leader demanded an apology; and 3) When Lott apologized five times, Democrats refused to accept his apology and forced Lott's resignation.

The most interesting quotes from the Democratic leadership said that "if a Democrat said something this insensitive, we would call on that person to resign."

Let's see if that happens to Durbin...(don't hold your breath).

Islamic Group Wants to Use Koran to Take Oath

An Islamic group is asking judges in North Carolina to allow people to use the Koran when taking an oath and claims that the use of the Bible represents an inappropriate state endorsement of religion."

This is a difficult issue because one might argue that taking an oath on a book to which one has no allegiance would give him an excuse not to be truthful. I believe that people who would use the object of the oath as an excuse would likely not choose to tell the truth anyway.

The bottom line is that this issue has to do with the desire of Islamic groups to replace the Judeo-Christian founding philosophy of our nation with Islam. And for that reason, I would oppose any replacement of the Bible with the Koran.

Terrorists Fighting Each Other in Iraq

I wish that people like Chuck Hagel would read these articles before he tells us how we're losing the Iraq War. This piece from the NY Times seems like good news to me, as the terrorists are now fighting each other.

Bill Roggio has much more on this story.

Minutemen Receive Warm Welcome in Texas

There was "no shortage of volunteers" as the Minutemen gathered in Goliad, Texas this week to help protect our borders.

And of course, "civil rights" leaders seem to believe that illegal aliens have the right to come into this country whenever and however they chooose. Che Lopez compares the Minutemen to the KKK and adds that they are, "Just basically racially profiling people. Pulling them out of their cars. Intimidating them." Lopez, however, appears to be a member of the Southwest Workers Union, which calls for open borders. No mention from the reporter about that fact.

Maybe I should get my coon skin cap and head down there for a few days...

Bush vs. Bush on Social Security

Say it ain't so, President Bush. If President Bush is truly pushing for Social Security "reform" without any provision for private accounts as this article suggests, he will hand the Democrats another significant victory.

A Social Security "reform" bill without private accounts means higher taxes and lower benefits...and we still throw money down a sinkhole with no way to generate real returns for workers. This is the Democrat plan for everything, and sadly, President Bush seems close to adopting it.

I know it's not a done deal yet, but what a fiasco. I hope the GOP members in the House kill the bill entirely. Bush should just stand by his plan and let the public decide who is obstructing. Instead, he's snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

*Update*
Blogs for Bush writes that the AP wrote a misleading headline and that the White House is not backing off of personal accounts. All I can say is shame on me; I should know better by now than to believe anything the MSM has to say about Bush policies.

Humanizing Saddam

The upcoming issue of GQ will feature an expose on Saddam Hussein, from what he eats to his views on love and U.S. Presidents (he likes Reagan, despises the Bushes and is indifferent towards Clinton). Five returned guardsmen who guarded Saddam have given some information on Saddam's captivity to GQ and the media is eating it up.

Be prepared for a complete "humanization of Saddam" campaign. He's really not a bad guy - he has good qualities and bad qualities, just like all of us. Watch the Left end up on the wrong side of another issue that most Americans believe is a farce.

Iranian Election Analysis

Publius Pundit says that everyone knows the elections were rigged, but the real story is that voter turnout was so dismal that the government has zero legitimacy among the people.

Very interesting, though not surprising.

Who's Screwing Up America?

John Hawkins polls some conservative bloggers and comes up with a list of who is screwing up America. I would have added Elliott Spitzer.

Kerry's Military Records

Power Line has obtained copies of the form 180s that John Kerry signed to release his complete military records on a 1-time basis to the Boston Globe, the LA Times and the AP. Yet these organizations refuse to make the entire records public.

Perhaps a deal to only write about certain portions of the records? I don't know the answer, but Kerry's actions only continue to raise questions rather than answer them.

9/11 Families Want "Freedom" Museum Cancelled

It looks like Take Back the Memorial is gaining some real traction. Many families are now expressing their disdain for the newly planned memorial.

Dozens of relatives of people killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks are opposing plans for a freedom museum at ground zero, saying it would spoil the site's solemnity by injecting controversy and political debate.

"It doesn't belong at a memorial," said Charles Wolf, whose wife, Katherine, died in the World Trade Center collapse. "You wouldn't put a debate about Nazism and authoritarianism at Dachau."

MSM Description of Saddam Hussein

I just heard ABC News correspondent Ann Compton describe Saddam Hussein on the top-of-the-hour news. This was her introduction: "He ruled Iraq for decades and by some accounts, he was a brutal dictator..."

Does she really have to say this? Isn't this like saying Osama is "by many accounts, a terrorist?" I don't think she will prejudice the jury if she uses the term "brutal dictator." Give us a break and be honest for a change.

Fake Documents Get Foreigners into Nuclear Plant

Does Homer Simpson guard our nuclear plants these days? This story reminds me of when an Albanian exchange student/spy visits Springfield's nuclear plant and Homer gives him the floor plans.

Sixteen foreign-born construction workers with phony immigration documents were able to enter a nuclear weapons plant in eastern Tennessee because of lax security controls, a federal report said Monday.

This almost ranks up there with the Richardson Energy Dept. under Bill Clinton when we handed our secrets to the Chinese....almost.

FBI Sees No Difference Between Crime and Terrorism

This article from the Washington Post today is disturbing. The FBI still doesn't seem to understand or care about the differences between a regular criminal attack and a terrorist attack:

In hundreds of pages of sworn testimony obtained by The Associated Press, senior FBI managers argued repeatedly that Middle East and anti-terrorism experience aren't required for promotion and that they see little difference between solving a traditional crime and a terror attack.

"A bombing case is a bombing case," said Dale Watson, the FBI's terrorism chief in the two years after Sept. 11, 2001. "A crime scene in a bank robbery case is the same as a crime scene, you know, across the board."

The FBI is still a disfunctional organization and the culture needs to change. It seems to me that terrorism experience would be pretty handy in solving a terror attack, but then again, I'm not in the FBI.

Maybe Bush Can Send Flowers to Save CAFTA

As I have mentioned previously, it is inexplicable that there is not overwhelming support for CAFTA. If the U.S. economy has proven anything since World War II, it is that free trade helps all nations. Yet somehow, support for CAFTA has collapsed, much of which appears to be caused by plain and simple obstructionism by Democrats.

Some Democrats state their true reasons for their opposition to CAFTA, however:

"They [Bush Administration officials] don't write, they don't call, they don't send flowers," said Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher, California Democrat and chairwoman of the House New Democrat Coalition.

That sounds like a rational reason for Democratic opposition.

Clinton Joins the "Close Gitmo" Chorus

And it all started with a fake story from Newsweek. This weekend Bill Clinton joined the bandwagon of people who said,

"[Guantanamo] either needs to be closed down or cleaned up." "It's time that there are no more stories coming out of there about people being abused."

I'm sure Bill knows about the freedom of the press - the U.S. can't prevent anyone from writing false stories as Newsweek had done to start the ridiculous torture claims.

Clinton also seems to have forgotten about his duties as commander-in-chief in wartime:

"I still don't think you can just hold these people forever," he said. "I think sooner or later you've got to move or let them go... it is just inimical to a free society."

Clinton forgets that even the Geneva protections allow enemies to be held until the conflict is over. Maybe Bill would allow the terrorists to share his house in Chappaqua with him and whoever else might be living there this week.

Iraq Hostage Handles Crisis with Class

Douglas Wood, the Australian engineer held hostage in Iraq, apologized to President Bush and Australian Prime Minister Howard for comments he made while under duress during his captivity. He didn't complain or blame others for his capture and insisted that the Coalition's policies are the right ones.

"I'm proof positive that ... the current policies of the American and Australian governments are the right ones," Wood said.

"I think the quicker we hire, recruit, train police and the Iraq Army up to speed, then, when they're fully engaged and ready, they can start going around door to door and start developing confidence in the Iraq population," he said.

That's class.

Bush has "Done More Than any American President" for Africa

Bob Geldof, father of the Live Aid concert and architect of Live 8, admits that President Bush has done a lot for Africa in an article in Time.

Actually, today I had to defend the Bush Administration in France again. They refuse to accept, because of their political ideology, that he has actually done more than any American President for Africa. But it's empirically so.

Maybe Geldof just doesn't know how "evil" Bush really is...perhaps Bush is trying to take over the continent for its diamond mines or something.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! Enjoy a beer and a barbecue today...

Bush Says Leaving Iraq Not an Option

In President Bush's radio address Saturday morning, he said that bringing troops home is what the terrorists want and that is not an option.

More interestingly, AP writer Jennifer Loven shows her true colors:

Bush's radio address is part of a series of appearances and speeches in the coming weeks aimed at countering poll ratings that are near their lowest levels on both the Iraq war and the economy.

Bush's radio address is part of a ploy to "counter poll ratings?" I'm not sure we're you've been all your life, Ms. Loven, but Saturday morning radio addresses are regular events. But thanks for your valuable insights...

EU To Be Embarrassed on Kyoto Commitment

New emissions data from Europe shows that targets being sought in the Kyoto accord are unlikely to be met.

Figures from the European Environment Agency show that only France, Germany, Sweden and the UK have any hope of cutting their energy use in time to meet their targets and that most countries are now falling well behind.

Chris Green, the Lib Dems' environment spokesman in the European parliament, said: "The upward trend in European emissions is very worrying. These figures put in doubt the EU's commitment to fighting climate change.

Somehow it's probably all the fault of the U.S.

Romney Blamed for "Attack" on Gays

Joshua Friedes, a pro-gay advocate with the Right to Marry Coalition of Massachusetts, accused Gov. Mitt Romney for a "mean-spirited, inhumane and cruel ... attack on gay and lesbian families."

Romney wants to put a ballot initiative for citizens to vote on whether to outlaw gay marriage and civil unions. Friedes added, "This new step is very out of line with Massachusetts voters." If that is the case, then there should be no problem if the question appears on the ballot for voters to decide.

Howard Dean Should Thank Sen. Durbin

Radio blogger reviews Durbin's remarks in detail and comes to two conclusions:

1) Sen. Durbin is digging himself an ever deeper hole with his new lies,
2) Howard Dean is happy again, as the Democrats found a new Jackass of the Day.

Incidentally, the "FBI memo" that Durbin used to base his remarks is highly dubious, according to Fox News:

One knowledgeable official familiar with the memo cited by Durbin as well as other memos said the FBI agent made no such allegation and that the memo described only someone chained to the floor. Anything beyond that is simply an interpretation, the official said.

The worst thing about this whole episode is that Durbin and the media need to make up their own facts to try to lose the war and bring down the U.S.

Simpsons Friday

Today's news seems to be mostly rehash - Durbin is a traitor, another person died in Iraq, blah blah,...so I figured I'd just go with some Simpsons quotes instead.

Teacher: Alright, here are your exams. 50 questions. True or false.
Homer: True.
Teacher: Homer, I was just describing the test.
Homer: True.
Teacher: Look, Homer, just take the test and you'll do fine.
Homer: False.

Apu: Yes, yes, I know the procedure for armed robbery. I do work in a convenience store, you know.

Homer: All right, let's not panic. I'll make the money by selling one of my livers. I can get by with one.

Marge: Please. You have to protect my husband.
Wiggum: Where on my badge does it say anything about protecting people?
Lou: Uh, second word, Chief.
Wiggum: Thanks a lot, Princeton Pete.

Homer: They turned the Navy into a floating joke. They ruined all our best names like Bruce and Lance and Julian. Those were the toughest names we had! Now they're just...
John: Queer?
Homer: Yeah, and that's another thing! I resent you people using that
word. That's our word for making fun of you! We need it!

Mr. Burns: Woah, slow down there maestro. There's a *New* Mexico?

Moe: Hi, my name's Moe. Or as the ladies like to refer to me, 'hey you in the bushes.'

Homer: Okay, I'm never going to win Father Of The Year. In fact, I'm probably the last guy in the world to have kids... wait, let me rephrase that. I love my kids. I'd do anything for Bart and Lisa.
Judge: And Margaret?
Homer: Who? Lady, you must have the wrong file.
Marge: She's talking about Maggie.
Homer: Oh, Maggie. I've got nothing against Maggie.

Bush Poll Numbers at New High

In an exclusive Bizblogger poll, President Bush's approval ratings are at 80% - his highest ratings since 9/11. (The poll was conducted among 5 people, 4 of whom are registered Republicans and 1 of whom was a registered Democrat.)

That's about how fair the latest "opinion polls" have become, including the latest poll from CBS and NYtimes. That's right - those trusted sources...Need I say more?

Halliburton to Build New Facility at Gitmo

This is hilarious. What does President Bush amid the Left/Media calls for closing down Guantanamo Bay? Announce that Halliburton is going to build a new $30 million detention facility there. Take that, you pompous media and terrorist-loving Democrats. I love it.

U.S. "Torture" the Same as Hussein?

Jawa Report reminds us what torture really is - and the fact that most Democrats (and even a few Republicans) have created a moral equivalence between interrogating terrorists and torture is repugnant. (Via Daily Pundit.)

Under Democratic definitions, I suffered through torture as a child. Some nights I had to sleep in humid weather without air conditioning. Other times I had to go to bed without dessert. Often I faced duress over having to finish my school homework. I never noticed it until the Democrats have helped me recognize it for what it was - I was tortured as a child. Woe is me.

It appears that Wizbang also was tortured in New England's Guantanamo recently.

100 People Who are Screwing Up America

Bernard Goldberg's book, "100 People Who are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken is #37)," which comes out on July 5, looks like a good read. See the full list here.

Goldberg names names, counting down the villains in his rogues' gallery from 100 all the way to 1 -- and, yes, you-know-who is number 37. Some supposedly "serious" journalists also made the list, including the journalist-diva who sold out her integrity and hosted one of the dumbest hours in the history of network television news. And there are those famous miscreants who have made America a nastier place than it ought to be -- a far more selfish, vulgar, and cynical place.

More Good News from Iraq

One of Zarqawi's top henchmen captured. Muhammad Khalaf Shakar, also known as Abu Talha, was captured in the Mosul region on June 14. Shakar is "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s most trusted operations agent in all of Iraq."

Let's count how many times we hear this report on the news today.

More on the World Trade Center Memorial

From LGF:

The International Freedom Center, now notorious for their plan to install a large “Why The World Hates America” exhibit at the site of the former World Trade Center with input from Human Rights First, the ACLU, and radical leftist Columbia professors, has issued a new statement that makes their agenda even more clear; Take Back The Memorial has a devastating, must-read point-by-point response.

Cox & Forkum’s Allen Forkum also has some on-target comments.

The Long-term Democrat Decline

John Hawkins shows the significant decline of Democrats in the Senate over the past 40 years - a very interesting chart.

The Democrats are still a long way from the bottom, in my opinion. And comments like Dick Durbin's this week (who refuses to apologize), comparing the U.S. military to genocidal dictators, will only hasten Democratic irrelevance...aren't the Democrats at least slightly embarrassed?

Kofi Considers Resigning

Hey, if the MSM can play with vague responses, so can I. Remember last week when Bush told Neil Cavuto that he's always looking at alternatives in response to Cavuto's question about closing Guantanamo? The media responded joyfully with headlines, "Bush Considers Closing Gitmo," "Bush Open to Possibly Closing Guantanamo," etc.

At today's press conference, a reporter asked Kofi Annan whether he would resign if the Volcker Commission determined that Kofi withheld important information. Annan's answer was interesting - for the first time he simply responded with, "that is speculative," rather than denying the possibility of resigning.

So get out the MSM translation device: "Kofi Considers Resigning."

Virginia is Not For Tax Lovers

From the WSJ:

In Virginia's primary races Tuesday, several Republicans who voted for the biggest tax increase in the commonwealth's history in 2004 faced single-issue anti-tax challengers. The most vocal of those pro-tax incumbents was so embattled that he withdrew from the race. Another was trounced, two-to-one, by a twentysomething political neophyte. Two others barely won, and in the statewide contests to select the GOP's Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General nominees, the tax hike defenders were upset by anti-tax challengers. Several other tax-raising Republicans beat back challenges more comfortably, but we suspect they also got the voter message.

GOP taxpayers had reason to be upset because they now know the $1.4 billion tax increase was sold under false pretenses. Democratic Governor Mark Warner -- who had won in 2001 on a no-new-taxes-pledge -- argued that it was necessary to balance the state budget even as the reviving economy was creating a new revenue surge. This year Virginia is sitting on a $1.5 billion surplus thanks to a 14% rise in tax revenues.

Will this surplus now be returned to taxpayers? Will it be used to kill the state's hated car tax, as Republicans once promised? Guess again. Mr. Warner and the legislators are spending the new money as fast as it comes in.

I find it very interesting that many Democrats think Gov. Warner is their "Great Hope" as a Senatorial, Vice Presidential or even Presidential candidate. And that should surprise no one - he loves to raise taxes, even when they're not needed. And the fact that Virginia has a few jellyfish Republican legislators somehow makes Warner "bipartisan."

What to do with Gitmo Prisoners, Part II

Red State offers the best idea on what to do with the terrorists at Guantanamo. The ACLU should be ok with it...

Candidates and Vietnam

After Bill Clinton's experience (or lack thereof) in Vietnam, I have no idea why "Vietnam service" still gets so much attention for Presidential candidates. Nevertheless, Baseball Crank does a great job of summarizing the future candidates and whether they served or received deferments. (Hat tip: In the Agora).

The Castro-mobile?

Babalu Blog says that when Fidel Castro visits henchman Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, he will be riding in a specially-made vehicle - and lots of people will be outraged.

Oh, Those Tolerant Europeans

A mosque near Rotterdam, Netherlands was burned to the ground earlier this morning by anti-Muslims. And the U.S. is supposed to be intolerant of Islam?

How Senator Durbin Views the Military

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin (IL) spoke on the floor of the Senate last night and expressed his candid views about the military yesterday: he compared the actions of the U.S. military to the actions of the Nazis, the Soviet gulags and Pol Pot. Dinocrat reminds us what Pol Pot did with one picture.

This is becoming more amazing by the day. It seems that our military is now no better than the worst dictatorial killers of the 20th century. And that, according to one of our highest lawmakers.

There is only one way we will lose the war on terror - if Senators like Durbin hand victory to the terrorists on a silver platter.

{Link to MG's Open Post.}

*Update*
Newt Gingrich appeared on Fox & Friends this morning and was outraged about Durbin's statements. He said they were despicable and Durbin's words show that he cares more about terrorists than he does about U.S. soldiers.

Yup, that's the definition of a traitor.

What Constitutes "Gay Bashing?"

The NY Daily News apparently believes that anyone who is religious is a "gay basher," and they use Chicago White Sox player Carl Everett as an example. (Thanks to JB for pointing it out.) First, the article begins with a good old fashioned anti-Christian routine:

"The world already knows Carl Everett believes dinosaurs never roamed the planet. After all, there's no mention of them in the Bible."

(Translation: you Bible readers out there are just plain idiots to believe the Book explains the world.)

But here is Carl Everett's money quote:

"Gays being gay is wrong. Two women can't produce a baby, two men can't produce a baby, so it's not how it's supposed to be. . . . I don't believe in gay marriages. I don't believe in being gay."

The article is subtly telling us that this is a foolish (or "gay bashing") opinion rather than a deeply held value about the family unit and God's will. Just as the Bible doesn't mention dinosaurs, the article is also trying to tell us that we don't know God's intent when it comes to gay marriage.

While Carl Everett is never particularly eloquent, his statement hardly constitutes "gay bashing." What is more telling, however, is the newspaper's views about the Bible.

Is Washington Selling Out Israel on Iran Nukes?

Many in Israel feel that Bush's backing of Mohammed El-Baradei as the IAEA director shows that the U.S. has given up on the chance that Iran's nuclear ambitions can be deterred before it builds a weapon. According to Debka,

Israel thus finds itself alone in the ring with the Iranian nuclear menace. Nothing now remains to stop Tehran attaining its goal of a nuclear bomb or bombs by the end of 2006 or early 2007 - except for the extreme eventuality of direct Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

I still find it hard to believe that the Bush administration would acquiesce to Iran's nuclear desires, but why it decided to change course and back El-Baradei is a tough question to answer. They wouldn't do it without getting something significant in return.

No Free Speech for Republicans

At a graduation day speech at Santa Monica College, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was shouted down by liberals in the audience. Liberals only permit free speech when they agree with a speaker, which is why Americans view most liberals as whiny sore losers.

Kofi: Looking More Guilty Every Day

Don't expect to see this on the tv, but it appears that Volcker's commission is now scrambling to investigate allegations that Annan is more directly linked to the Oil for Food Scandal than previously reported.

Paul Volcker says he and his U.N. Oil-for-Food gumshoes are "urgently investigating" new evidence that Secretary-General Kofi Annan knew a lot more than he's let on about the lucrative contract awarded to a company, Cotecna, that had retained his son Kojo.

We can understand Volcker's sense of urgency — because if a newly uncovered memo is accurate, it completely undercuts the most important finding of his Independent Inquiry Committee report three months ago.

The Volcker group said that no evidence linked Annan to the U.N.'s multimillion-dollar deal with Cotecna. But the memo, first disclosed by The New York Times, looks to be just that.

It's dated Dec. 4, 1998 — one week before the firm got the contract. In it, Cotecna Vice President Michael Wilson — a friend of both Kofi Annan and his son Kojo — writes that he'd recently had "brief discussions with the SG and his entourage" about the contract. And that Kofi & Co. advised him that "we could count on their support."

To be sure, Cotecna has admitted that its officials held at least two private meetings with Kofi Annan before the contract was awarded. But both the secretary-general and Cotecna's chairman, Elie Massey, claimed that the company's interest in joining the Oil-for-Food program was never raised.

The 1998 memo says otherwise.

Moreover, part of the memo suggests strongly that Kojo Annan was present at the summit of Francophone leaders where the meeting with his father took place, although it does not say whether he was at the meeting. And Kofi Annan has denied knowing that his son was employed by Cotecna.

I would love to see the media reaction if Kofi is found guilty. They would likely be as shocked as they were when Bush was re-elected.

Spitzer's (Un)Ethical Conflicts

The editorial of the day: The NY Sun discusses Eliot Spitzer's conflicts of collecting political donations from people who have interests in Spitzer's legal cases. The article also suggests that Godfather Spitzer takes action against Republican nemeses, but Spitzer is doing his best to protect H. Carl McCall, a fellow Democrat. No surprise.

Chirac Paying Off Terrorists?

Although I haven't found the proof myself, Iraq blogger Hammorabi says the following:

The French TV Channel 5 stated today that a ransom of 75 millions US Dollars was paid to Haiyat Ulama Moslemen of Hareth Al-Thari to release the French journalist Florence Aubenas. The TV stated that this ransom was paid to save Jacque Chirac in the next election. FA was kidnapped in Jan 2005 by one of the terrorists group which has a link with Al-Thari group. Althari is like the God-father for the terrorists groups and the outside negotiations with the kidnappers always occur through him and his group.

Still a good story - even better if it's true.

Celebrating Flag Day

Michelle Malkin has a few links that are good reminders to honor Old Glory...so honor the flag today. And for you liberals, try not to burn one today...

China: Still Communist

Microsoft now censors its MSN China website for words that are forbidden by users in the communist nation - like "freedom," "human rights" and "democracy."

Sites that allow the public to post comments are told to either censor themselves or face penalties.
Microsoft appears only too happy to aid and abet a dictator in suppressing people's freedoms. I hope that the technology gets hacked.

Another Reason to Love Budapest

Budapest, already as nice a capital city as any western European capital (and 70% cheaper), is going to vote on erecting a bust of Ronald Reagan in City Park. (Hat tip: Alpha Patriot).

"Although he never visited Hungary, Ronald Reagan was the American president who most contributed to the democratic changes in this country," said Democratic Forum councilman Laszlo Szoke. "He was one of the most meaningful conservative politicians who helped end communism.

They couldn't pick a better guy for a monument.

Kyoto Having Reverse Effect in New Zealand

According to Peter Berg, president of the Forest Owners Association, government policies that attempt to comply with Kyoto protocols have increased deforestation in the nation, as areas of harvest are increasingly turned into those for dairy or livestock.

Mr Berg said that government policy was triggering deforestation because of "the liability forest owners potentially face if, after harvest, they don't replant forests originally planted before 1990. This could be paying up to $25,000 a hectare."

It should be fun to watch the Kyoto requirements unfold. My guess is that the cheating will make OPEC countries look like saints.

Budget Deficit to be Lower than Forecast

Remember that big bad budget deficit that was originally forecast to go up indefinitely? The White House today said the current $427 billion budget deficit will be revised downward to an expected $350 billion, according to economists. The reason is a booming economy and good old fashioned supply-side economics: reduce taxes on saving and investment and you get more of them.

Larry Kudlow points out what would happen if spending were actually restrained:

Fiscal year-to-date withheld tax receipts are up a respectable 7.3 percent. But the real story is a 35 percent gain in non-withheld income, meaning capital gains, dividends, and self-employed unincorporated businesses. This is the fullest impact of the Laffer curve.

But spending is too high. Tax cuts on dividends and cap gains may pay for themselves. Conceivably the budget gap could fall below $300 billion. But if discretionary spending ex-defense and homeland security were held to Bush's 1 percent instead of 6.4 percent, then the deficit would be approaching $250 billion, or only 2% of GDP

.
If spending were restrained, we might actually have to start thinking about how to spend those budget surpluses again.

Pro-family Churches in Canada May Lose Tax Exempt Status

A Canadian gay rights advocate is pressuring liberal politicians and Prime Minister Paul Martin to reconsider the Catholic Church's tax exempt status because of its position against gay marriage. The group claims that the Church's position advocates a specific partisan position and therefore should lose its tax-exempt status.

I'm surprised the ACLU hasn't already tried this B.S. in the U.S., but I'm sure it will be coming soon. And I'm sure the Left will happily embrace it.

Michael Jackson Comments

Case closed. The groundhog didn't see his shadow. Spring is here. Let's move on.

On The Clinton Rape Allegation

Poliblog has a rundown of blogger reaction to the Edward Klein story about Clinton's rape, resulting in the conception of Chelsea.

I'm not a fan of Clinton ethics, but unless there is clear proof for an act of this nature, I have to dismiss it as self-interest promotion. I don't take the Dan Rather / Left-wing Media argument about it being the "seriousness of the charge" that counts. No proof - no sense in saying it. Juanita Brodderick, on the other hand,...

What to do with Gitmo Prisoners

All the latest B.S. on closing down Guantanamo on yesterday's Sunday news programs made me think about what to do with the roughly 500 prisoners if the prison did close down (which is still plainly idiotic, even if the idea comes from a Republican).

Some people might think to relocate the terrorists in other U.S. prisons. I have a better idea: replace the 45 Democratic Senators and 203 Democratic House members in Congress, which would take care of half of the prisoners. They couldn't be any worse than those members they are replacing. Now we only have 250 left to deal with - I'm still trying to figure out what to do with them...suggestions are welcome.

*Update*
Thank God for Dick Cheney. He tells it like it really is - that the detainees at Gitmo are bad people (i.e. killers). Tonight he will appear on Hannity & Colmes, where he will say something the rest of the media has not: that of the people released from Gitmo, 9 or 10 of them are back on the battlefield trying to kill Americans.

More blood on the hands of the ACLU, Amnesty International, and Democrats in Congress who portray these prisoners as innocent victims.

You'll Never Out-Satan America

From Mark Steyn, via Viking Pundit.

The point is the world's Muslims seem entirely cool with Infidel Bob razing a mosque. Unlike the fallout over Newsweek's fraudulent story about the Quran being flushed down a toilet, no excitable young men went bananas in Pakistan; no western progressives berated Mugabe for his "cultural insensitivity." And sadly most of the big shot Muslim spokespersons were still too busy flaying the Bush administration to whip their subjects into a frenzy over Hatcliffe Extension's pile of Islamic rubble.

Kill civilian Muslims with car bombings? No problem. Destroy a mosque? Oh well. Allow an American to hold a Koran incorrectly as he's giving it to a terrorist prisoner? Burn the whole damn country down!

Blair vs. Bush on the Environment

Bob Novak discusses Tony Blair's behind-the-scenes actions to get Bush to go along with the Kyoto treaty. I'm pretty sure that Kyoto has zero chance of getting through Congress, but the interesting quote about the treaty comes from Margot Wallstrom, VP of the European Commission: The Kyoto Protocol is "not a simple environmental issue . . . this is about international relations, this is about economy -- about trying to create a level playing field."

This is the old socialist line that life is "more fair" if every economy grows at a slower rate together than if one economy (the U.S.) continues to get wealthier. Welcome to socialism.

Nick Cannon: The Pro-Life Rapper

We don't always associate rappers with conservative ideas, but Nick Cannon might be changing that, as a new advocate of the pro-life movement.

The feature song entitled "Can I Live", on the album by the same name, is being praised by advocates of the culture of life for its powerfully pro-life statement....

The video, skillfully directed by Cannon himself, beautifully dramatizes the torment and the uncertainty as Cannon's own mother arrives at a "Women's Health Clinic" (abortuary) in the late seventies with the obvious intention of ending the life of her child. Cannon himself appears in the video clad in white, symbolically portraying the person of the as-yet unborn child, and giving voice to his own implicit right and desire to live.

As Say Anything notes, this well-made video, probably won't win him many friends in the entertainment industry.

Quick Note

Just a quick note: I will not be blogging this weekend. I encourage you to use my recommended links on the sidebar for your blogger news.

Fonda: Guilty as Traitor

I never read the Jane Fonda's new book, so this article at Frontpage Mag is as close as I will get. It is a long article, but after reading it, I have no doubt that Fonda could have been hanged for her treachery. I'm surprised she hasn't encountered more veterans who spit on her during her book tour. She was truly the lowest form of life for her actions and still does not come close to admitting her mistakes.

Greatest Americans

As you may know, Discovery Channel is running a special on the 100 Greatest Americans, according to viewers. Although it's always tough to argue the absolute greatest, many of the people on the Discovery list are absolutely ridiculous.

John Hawkins did a great job of summarizing the list of 20 greatest, according to those on the Right and those on the Left.

My list of the 20 greatest Americans are as follows (there are 2 duos):

20) William Clark & Meriwether Lewis
19) Albert Einstein
18) Alexander Graham Bell
17) Milton Friedman
16) Wilbur & Orville Wright
15) Eli Whitney
14) George Mason
13) Thomas Paine
12) Dwight Eisenhower
11) Henry Ford
10) Ronald Reagan
9) Andrew Carnegie
8) Harry Truman
7) Franklin D. Roosevelt
6) Thomas Jefferson
5) Alexander Hamilton
4) Ben Franklin
3) John Adams
2) Abe Lincoln
1) George Washington

I'm sure there are a few other people that could make the list (including GW Bush, though it's too early to include him now). Still, I feel very comfortable with this list for the Top 20.

*Update*
John Hawkins provides his list for the top 100. There are a couple names on the list that I need to actually look up.

Help on WTC Memorial

Debra Burlingame, who blew the whistle last week on the Far Left's attempt to take over the WTC Memorial and turn it into a politically correct exhibit has set up Take Back the Memorial. I urge everyone to visit the site and send a brief email to any of the links in order to register your opinion that the Memorial remain a tribute to the victims and reminder of terrorism rather than a B.S. exhibit of anti-Americanism.

[So unless you want to see how "America has stifled man's freedom throughout history" whenever you go to the Memorial, I suggest you register your opinion...]

Everyone Should Support CAFTA

Why the Central American Free Trade Agreement hasn't received overwhelming support is beyond me. Conservatives who believe in efficient markets and free trade should love the reduction of tariffs. Democrats who after 9/11 claimed that the attacks were caused partly by our ignorance of the poverty in third world countries should love that we are addressing a problem to raise the wealth of poorer nations. Even protectionists who are afraid of losing jobs overseas should love it because at least the products made in Central America (vs. China) would likely use American materials. As David Keene points out,

If you buy a shirt today that was made in Honduras or Nicaragua, there is a greater than 70 percent chance that it is made of U.S.-produced fabric; the chance that a competing product from China would be made of U.S. components is less than one-tenth of 1 percent.

Even Jimmy Carter gets it! He told lawmakers that the pact is important to help protect and promote democracy in the Western hemisphere. Absent the looney left's absurd notion that Central Americans really oppose CAFTA, the deal is a no-brainer to Left and Right alike.

Yet for some reason the bill seems unlikely to have the support necessary to pass Congress. What a shame.

On William Pryor's Confirmation

This is just a brief reminder that it's ok to gloat every once in a while, especially when one considers who lost in the confirmation battle. (Hat tip: Polipundit)

Gun Ownership a Human Right?

Canadian Joe Katzman at Winds of Change looks at the situation of Zimbabwe and comes to the conclusion that owning a gun should be a global human right like freedom of speech and religion. He has a point.

Boston Globe: Kerry's Apologist

The Boston Globe editorial page today does its best to defend its hometown Jane Fonda, John Kerry. The whole piece is simply anti-war, pro-Kerry propoganda, but here is one obvious example:

Kerry has said that he may have used a poor choice of words when he cited other veterans' reports of atrocities as being ''in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan." But his basic analysis was sound: Vietnamese and Americans were dying needlessly because the war was a mistake, and US policymakers allowed it to continue even though they were aware that their strategy for victory was failing.

Kerry's basic analysis was not accurate and it was not just a "poor choice of words:" Kerry accused his colleagues of war crimes while we were still at war. It was not that "Americans were needlessly dying."

His statements are similar to someone today telling the Arab world that we torture and kill all our prisoners, which puts Americans in great danger if they are captured....wait, according to the media, that's patriotic. Never mind; I guess John Kerry was really patriotic.

Simpsons Friday

Homer: No TV and no beer make Homer something something.
Marge: Go crazy?
Homer: Don't mind if I do!

Bart: Cool! A lie detector! Lisa is a dork. Lisa is a dork.
Lisa: Dad, make him stop!
Homer: Well according to this he's telling the truth.

Chief Wiggum: Sarah, you’re as lovely as the day I first arrested you.
Sarah: Oh, Clancy!
Chief: You know, I planted that crystal meth just to meet you. I was so shy...
Trent Steel: You like Thai?
Homer: Tie good. You like shirt?

Chief Wiggum: Did you trace the phone number?
Lou: Sure did, chief.
Chief Wiggum: 555… aww, it’s gotta be phony.

Homer: Dammit. I'm no supervising technician. I'm a technical supervisor. It's too late to teach this old dog new tricks.

Hypnotist: You are all very good players.
Team: We are all very good players.
Hypnotist: You will beat Shelbyville!
Team: We will beat Shelbyville.
Hypnotist: You will give one hundred and ten percent!
Team: That’s impossible. No one can give more than one hundred percent. By definition that is the most anyone can give.

Homer: Oh, everything's too damned expensive these days. This Bible cost 15 bucks! And talk about a preachy book! Everybody's a sinner! Except this guy.

Milhouse: Remember when he ate my goldfish, and then you lied to me and said I never had any goldfish. But why did I have the bowl, Bart? Why did I have the bowl?

Homer: Awww, twenty dollars… I wanted a peanut!
Homer’s brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts.
Homer: Explain how.
Homer’s brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services.
Homer: Woo-hoo!

Milhouse: I'm free next weekend. There's plenty of Milhouse to go around!

Flanders: Son-of-a-diddly!

Amnesty Calling for Kidnapping of American Leaders

Captain's Quarters has a great post on the part of the Amnesty International report that went largely ignored - the part that advocated the kidnapping Bush, Rumsfeld and other American leaders (with obvious diplomatic immunity) for trial in front of the International Criminal Court.

Castro, Hussein, Chavez, Kim Jong-Il? Nah, they're ok. Let's just stick with the U.S. leaders, who are so obviously oppressing the entire world with their evil.

Amnesty should just say what they really believe - that the U.S. doesn't deserve to exist - things have gotten that ridiculous.

Philadelphia to Require African History Class

I have no problem with African history, but it's not such an important requirement for students to succeed in life that it should be a requirement to graduate. From the Detroit Free Press:

In what could be a unique move nationally, the Philadelphia School District will require every high school student to take a separate course in African and African-American history to graduate, starting with September's freshman class.

I have a better idea: let's teach them about the U.S. Constitution first (well, after the students learn to read and write) and then go from there.

A New Yorker Kind of Guy

Ben Stein unloads on Thomas Bass, who recently wrote an article in the New Yorker entitled, "The Spy Who Loved Us" in the May 23, 2005 issue. The article shows the reverence western media had (and in many cases, still has) for Time magazine correspondent and Communist spy, Pham Xuan An, who helped to kill thousands of civilians and U.S. soldiers and ultimately help defeat the U.S. in Vietnam.

In this article, which I would guess to be about 8,000 words or more, there is not one hint, not one whisper, of sympathy for the American soldiers who fought and died or were maimed in Vietnam. Not one sliver of anger at a man who took American money and helped kill Americans. Not a word about the mass murder of civilians during Tet.

If the New Yorker is one of the flagships of the Mainstream Media fleet, they are sailing in maddeningly disloyal, contemptuous waters and obviously have been for a while. Small wonder the media gloried in Mark Felt and Watergate last week. In those days, Americans actually trusted the Mainstream Media. The New Yorker piece by Prof. Bass makes it clear how wrong we were. He's a fine writer but a man whose piece lacks any moral compass at all. And what of the fellow journalists in Saigon cheering him on? Now we know a bit more about why the war turned out as it did.

Armed Robber Shot by Business Owner

Chalk one up to small business owner, Alfonso Gonzales, a 72 year-old owner of Discount Cleaners in Indianapolis. After an armed man attempted to rob him at gunpoint, Gonzales pulled out his own gun and critically wounded the man. Another example of a gun owner protecting his own property, just as the Constitution envisioned.

My guess is that his business won't be robbed again in the near future.

A Supply-Side Success Story

Daniel Mitchell of the Heritage Foundation compares the success of the 2003 tax cuts vs. the 2001 tax cuts and points out that "supply-side" cuts work better because they promote additional economic activity. While the 2001 tax cuts generally offered no economic growth impact, most of the components in 2003 were significantly pro-growth:

1) Accelerated child tax credits – No pro-growth impact. The child tax credit was increased to $1,000 per eligible child. This provision did nothing to improve economic performance since the credits were not tied to economic activity.

2) Reduced tax on new business investment – Significant pro-growth impact. The legislation immediately reduced the “depreciation” tax on new business investment and also expanded the amount of investment that small businesses could “expense” in the year when the cost was incurred, meaning no tax on new investment.

3) Accelerated income tax rate reductions – Significant pro-growth impact. The 2001 legislation included income tax rate reductions, but most of those reductions were postponed until 2004 and 2006. The 2003 tax cut made those lower tax rates effective immediately.

4) Reduction in double-taxation of dividends and capital gains – Significant pro-growth impact. The legislation included provisions that reduced the double-tax on both dividends and capital gains to 15 percent. These reductions took place immediately, thus ensuring no incentive to postpone pro-growth activity.

5) Payment to the states – Moderate anti-growth impact. The 2003 tax legislation included a $20 billion spending increase to subsidize state government spending. This provision resulted in a transfer of resources from the productive sector of the economy to the government.

Our Border Security? It's Just Fine

How in the world was this guy allowed into the country? (hat tip: Tim Blair)

Granted, photos can often be misleading but I might have had a question or two for him - like why he had a bloody chainsaw and was wearing a bullet-proof vest, for example.

Judicial Nominees McKeague and Griffin to Get Votes Today

According to ABC News, David McKeague and Richard Griffin, two of Bush's nominees to the 6th circuit court (as well as appeals court nominee William Pryor), will receive confirmation votes today on the Senate floor. The two were being filibustered by Michigan Democratic Senators Levin and Stabenow. As Ace of Trump points out, the wording of the announcement is rather peculiar:

As a bonus, the Senate will confirm on Thursday Michigan nominees David McKeague and Richard Griffin, nominated to the 6th Circuit in Cincinnati, said Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

Bonus? Getting votes for nominees is a "bonus" even though they're not "extraordinary?" Apparently ABC knows perfectly well that the great Senate "compromise" was never intended to mean what the Democrats said it means and the filibusters should continue. Hey, at least they're being honest...well...candid.

Handling the Koran vs. Handling the U.S. Flag

This document issued by the Department of Defense in January 2003 has detailed instructions on how to handle the Koran with care at Gitmo. (Thanks to JB for the link.) The media should read it and shut up.

a. Clean gloves will be put on in full view of the detainees prior to handling.

b. Two hands will be used at all times when handling the Koran in manner signaling respect and reverence. Care should be used so that the right hand is the primary one used to manipulate any part of the Koran due to the cultural association with the left hand. Handle the Koran as if it were a fragile piece of delicate art.

c. Ensure that the Koran is not placed in offensive areas such as the floor, near the toilet or sink, near the feet, or dirty/wet areas.

It would be nice if Islamofascists gave the same treatment to the U.S. flag. Instead, they make videos of themselves shredding it and shouting negative statements about America.