MSM to Kerry's Rescue

Flipping through the cable news channels, everyone was talking about John Kerry's comments. CNN's tagline read, "What Kerry Meant" and (P)MSNBC's read, "The Great Distraction." So as usual, if Harry Reid makes million-dollar land deals or William Jefferson hides $50K in his freezer or Kerry says the U.S. military are uneducated idiots, they are simply a distraction from attacks on Bush.

*Update*
Powerline has more on how the media prefers to cover the story. Meanwhile, Drudge has a great photo made by our troops.

Kerry Disparages Troops - Again

John Kerry doing what he does best - belittle the U.S. Armed Forces. He told a group of students that if they studied, they would do well; if not they would get "stuck in Iraq." Youtube video here. What a guy.

Democrat Uses Drew Brees for Political Purposes

Democrats have no problem using anyone in a political ad if it helps their political objectives. Now in addition to Cindy Sheehan's use of her dead son, Drew Brees, quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, found out that his mother also decided to use him for her political purposes in running for a judge seat in the state of Texas. Seems like an ugly situation to me.

California is a Quagmire; Let's Pull Out

Victor Davis Hanson reminds us that we need to keep Iraq in perspective, despite the fact that the MSM expects an immediate Utopia.

As a fifth-generation Californian, I deeply love this state, but still imagine what the reaction would be if the world awoke each morning to be told that once again there were six more murders, 27 rapes, 38 arsons, 180 robberies, and 360 instances of assault in California — yesterday, today, tomorrow, and every day. I wonder if the headlines would scream about “Nearly 200 poor Californians butchered again this month!”

How about a monthly media dose of “600 women raped in February alone!” Or try, “Over 600 violent robberies and assaults in March, with no end in sight!” Those do not even make up all of the state’s yearly 200,000 violent acts that law enforcement knows about.

Read the whole article.

Michael Steele Picking Up Steam

Maryland Republican Michael Steele is gaining momentum in his race for the U.S. Senate (he mopped up opponent Ben Cardin in a debate on Meet the Press Sunday). This despite the fact that Dems outnumber Republicans 2-1 in the state. As Powerline notes, the Washington Post has moved from trashing George Allen to Michael Steele.

Steele just got the endorsement from Wayne Curry, a prominent black Democrat in Maryland. And Steele's ads are great. Check out this one (the second one).

Key Democratic Races Run to the Right

As the NY Times points out, Democrats in many key Congressional races are hoping to win their races by moving sharply to the right. Take for example Brad Ellsworth (D-IN). He received an 'A' rating from the NRA and has even signed Grover Norquist's "no tax hike" pledge. While a few Republicans are running to the Left (Lincoln Chafee), I believe the Dems will be more successful in this case because I believe most Americans have generally more conservative values.

Even if the Democrats take the House, I think there will be enough conservative Democrats that any really harmful legislation would be passed. And while I'm still confident the GOP will hold Congress despite the predictions of the MSM, the Senate is much more important because of the role it has in deciding new judges.

The Judge-less Election Debate

As Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard reminds us, one of the greatest achievements of the Bush Presidency is the reshaping of the courts towards originalist judges. Yet, he points out that there is no candidate emphasizing this issue in Congressional races.

Jim Webb is Done

When Jim Webb (D-VA) has to explain that the sexual act he describes in one of his novels is "not a sexual act," you know he's finished. The funny thing is that during an interview, Webb also
said that "This country's been breaking into pieces economically ..." I'm not sure where he has been the past few years, but we're not exactly in that shape.

Another Hit Piece on Allen

The Washington Post can't get enough of George Allen. This is probably the 10th front page article on the Republican Senator over the past 2 months, all of which were disparaging. It's that time of year again...

The Infallibility of Michael J. Fox

Ann Coulter was proven right again when she said months ago that Democrats like to showcase their causes through "victims" and then no one is supposed to have a right to respond to anything they might say. Rush Limbaugh has received a lot of criticism for having the audacity to say that Fox's statements were completely misleading.

At least now, Republicans seem to be countering the "Fox factor" with their own Missouri celebrities. Wizbang has the video.

How Some Aborted Babies Are Discarded in UK

Sure, this has caused an outrage among pro-life groups. But it is somewhat ironic that mothers who decide the life of their baby isn't important enough to keep would raise such a raucus. (Sorry, but I don't buy the "I just want a dignified death for my child" argument.)

One of the country's leading hospitals is throwing aborted babies into the same incinerator used for rubbish to save only £18.50 each time, it has emerged.

Addenbrooke's Hospital, in Cambridge, said it was no longer able to afford the dignified disposal at a local crematorium of foetuses from unwanted pregnancies.

Ten States With Worst Business Climate

The Tax Foundation has issued its list of the worst business climate states. It should suprrise no one that 7 of the ten are solidly Democratic, while the other three (Nebraska, Iowa and Ohio) are farm/rust belt states with restrictive quotas.

Half of Mexicans Reject Central American Immigrants

This is interesting. (link via Instapundit) Only 5% of Mexicans are in favor of increased immigration (compared to 17% in the US), while 51% of Mexicans want less immigration from Central America (vs 39% in the US).

I'm certainly in the minority of Americans (at least according to this poll), who are actually in favor of more immigrants. I believe in legal immigration, but I also believe that legal immigration is soooo difficult to the US, that it's completely unreasonable and in fact, almost impossible these days. Just ask most of our business leaders. We need to reform this.

At the same time, my point is that hypocrisy is pretty common these days.

Iran Formally Threatens Europe

This, taken from the WSJ: President Ahmalaklfjahaenarhoewejad of Iran threatened Europe last Friday:

We have advised the Europeans that the Americans are far away, but you are the neighbors of the nations in this region. We inform you that the nations are like an ocean that is welling up, and if a storm begins, the dimensions will not stay limited to Palestine, and you may get hurt. It is in your own interest to distance yourself from these criminals (Israel). . . . This is an ultimatum.

Will this push Europe closer to the US? Doubtful, at least for now. Easier to keep head in sand for the time being.

Michael J. Fox's Controversial Political Commercial

This is the best post I've read on the Michael J. Fox commercial in support of Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill. Because Fox is a "victim," no one is allowed to disagree with his position, despite his misleading implication that he (or others with Parkinsons) could be cured through federal funding of stem cell research.

*Update*
The one thing that I didn't realize earlier was that this is all about Amendment 2, a ballot initiative to outlaw human cloning in Missouri. The disingenuous part on Michael J. Fox is that he claims that outlawing cloning would limit embryonic stem cell research. He also falsely says that Jim Talent's support for the law would criminalize stem cell research. But Fox is a victim and therefore is off limits to anyone who challenges his false assertions.

Skilling Sentenced

Jeff Skilling was sentenced to 24 years for his role in the Enron scandal. I would like to see a similar sentence for those members of Congress who are pulling the same type of Ponzi scheme with the Social Security system.

The "Rising Star" Obama

Can we please stop talking about this guy as if he's the next greatest thing? I think he is a likeable and articulate guy, but as the American Thinker points out, Obama's views on foreign policy show his naivete in world affairs, particularly in the Middle East. Just because Obama doesn't sound like Hillary Clinton in rhetoric doesn't mean he doesn't share her views in substance.

State Department Hack Criticizes U.S.

Alberto Fernandez was forced to apologize this weekend for his anti-U.S. comments on Al Jazeera. This is a good reason that the top 200 people in every government department should be fired the instant a new administration takes office: their party allegiances and/or personal feelings take precedence over Administration policy. It is well understood that career lifers at the State Dept, FBI, CIA and other agencies have made U.S. policy more difficult under the Bush Administration.

Harold Ford is Done

Harold Ford, Jr., running for the U.S. Senate from TN, has very successfully portrayed himself as a disciplined, moderate Democrat. While he appears very articulate and polished, his judgement is perhaps one of the worst on Capitol Hill. RedState has the video of the beginning of his demise. This poor judgement was also why his staff has routinely criticized his sophomoric behavior (which included drunk dialing his press secretary at 3 am to get cheesesteaks and hitting on the young women of the Hill). The most telling part of his poor judgement was when he had a primetime speaking spot at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. However, Ford decided to make some freelance edits of his speech and the DNC pulled his spot from him.

If Ford kept his mouth shut and out of the spotlight, he had a chance. Unfortunately, this is not possible for Harold Ford. And that's why he will not win in Tennessee.

The French Civil War

What would the MSM say if 112 cars were torched every day in Iraq? Well, that is exactly what is happening in France, where [Muslim] youths are outwardly fighting French police. Maybe the French should "redeploy" its police and get out of the quagmire that has become the outskirts of Paris.

Schroeder: U.S. Christians Have "Similar Tendencies" as Islamofascists

I wonder if foreign powers had the same disdain for the U.S. under the leadership of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or Harry Truman because of their faith in God. Apparently that was the biggest problem with the U.S. that former German Chancellor Schroeder said:

"What bothered me, and in a certain way made me suspicious despite the relaxed atmosphere, was again and again in our discussions how much this president described himself as 'God-fearing'...We rightly criticize that in most Islamic states, the role of religion for society and the character of the rule of law are not clearly separated. But we fail to recognize that in the USA, the Christian fundamentalists and their interpretation of the Bible have similar tendencies."

I'm not sure what those "tendencies" are, but they certainly don't include trying to kill anyone who doesn't have the same religious beliefs. Christians allow judgement to reside with God.

Why Are Terrorists Siding with Democrats?

The Democratic position on Iraq is that 1) we are losing; 2) we can't win; 3) we're creating more terrorists by being there; and 4) we should exit as soon as possible.

But something is amiss here. As Rush Limbaugh pointed out on his radio program yesterday, the terrorists are trying everything possible to get rid of George Bush and the Republican Congress by increasing the violence and even sharing video with the Left in the MSM. Why wouldn't terrorists want Bush to win re-election, since they apparently are winning and increasing their numbers for their jihad?

The truth here is obvious - the terrorists think they are getting their butts kicked and they believe the Democrats would offer an easier alternative.

CNN's Jane Fonda Moment?

CNN proudly stated that it had "exclusive footage" of terrorists' sniping and killing a U.S. soldier in Iraq and aired footage of the scene this week. Now the House is asking the Pentagon to disallow CNN embedded reporters with the military. After all, doesn't the enemy have enough propaganda outlets without U.S. media providing another one?

Preview of Baker-Hamilton Commission

Powerline has a post on Michael Rubin's preview (here) of the Baker-Hamilton Commission on American Policy in Iraq. Unfortunately, this "bipartisan commission" seems like a 9/11 Commission redux:

Take the four subordinate expert working groups: Baker and Hamilton gerrymandered these advisory panels to ratify predetermined recommendations. While bipartisan, the groups are anything but representative of the policy debate...Many appointees appeared to be selected less for expertise than for their hostility to President Bush's war on terrorism and emphasis on democracy.

Let's look at a few of the "experts" on the panel:

Raad Alkadiri: "has repeatedly defined U.S. motivation for Iraq's liberation as a grab for oil."

Raymond Close: "is actually a member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, which, in July 2003, called for Vice President Dick Cheney's resignation for an alleged conspiracy to distort intelligence, which they said had been uncovered by none other than Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV. The following summer, Close posited that 'Bush and the neocons' had fabricated the charge 'that the evil Iranian mullahs inspired and instigated the radical Shia Islamist insurgency.'"

Chas Freeman: Jim Baker's former ambassador to Saudi Arabia; stated in the antiwar documentary Uncovered: The War in Iraq, "that the Bush administration had fabricated its justifications for war."

Other experts: "a plaintiff in the January 17, 2006, lawsuit against the National Security Agency for its no-warrant wiretap program and a think-tank analyst who had not traveled beyond the Green Zone on her only trip to Iraq in September 2003, but nonetheless demonstrated her open mind by declaring the Iraq endeavor a failure in an interview with a German magazine just days before the commission's inauguration."

One other important point is that when the Commission travelled to Baghdad, only one member ever left the Green Zone. I just hope that this isn't the chance Baker uses to let down the Iraqi people for the second time in 15 years.

Goodbye Tax Cuts; Hello Protectionism?

The one major flaw of the Bush Administration is its failure to show 1) that his tax cuts have actually raised government revenue dramatically; and 2) the free-trade policies have created a record low unemployment rate of under 5%.

As Larry Kudlow explains, Bush's economic policies (including tax rates) could be reversed as early as 2007 if Democrats were to take Congress. Even though the tax cuts were extended through 2010, a new balanced budget law that included pay-go rules could force Congress to raise rates as soon as the law is passed.

Another interesting tidbit: those who know the economy the best, investors and entrepreneurs, are the most supportive of Bush's economic policies. That should tell you something.

Jim Webb's Towelhead Comment

Tell me that the MSM wouldn't have this comment all over the news if it were spoken by George Allen (R-VA). His opponent Jim Webb said:

"Towel-heads and rednecks — of which I am one. If you write that word, please say that. I mean, I don't use that pejoratively, I use it defensively. Towel-heads and rednecks became the easy villains in so many movies out there."

So now he's use the 'n' word extensively in his books; he's written about pedophilia episodes; he's spoken poorly of Ronald Reagan - and no one seems to criticize anything he does or says.

What Happens When Soldiers Leave Iraqi Cities

This seems to be the Democratic plan to Iraq. Based on the results of Amarah since the British troops left the city in August, this strategy is doomed to fail.

Probable Democratic Leaker Suspended

House Intel Chair Peter Hoekstra has suspended a Democratic staffer after the staffer requested the NIE document just three days before parts of it appeared in the NYTimes.

Democrats are saying that's unfair. I guess they should be allowed to leak if it might hurt President Bush. But then again, this is about the same slap that Sandy Berger received...

*Update*
Democrats are "appalled" that the staffer was suspended...especially since the worst the staffer did was leak classified national intelligence while hurting President Bush. Shouldn't he win a Congressional Medal or something?

Dems to Borrow to Fund Campaigns

I had no idea this was legal - to borrow to fund campaigns. What bank wouldn't be willing to lend money to the DNC or RNC when they know they will be paid back? Sounds like a slippery slope.

The DSCC's optimism about winning the Senate is apparently contagious as the DNC is going to pony up an extra $5-10M for the Senate committee, according to sources familiar with the previously reported arrangement between the two campaign orgs. While the DNC doesn't have $10M to just toss around to another campaign committee, the DNC apparently has decided to go into debt to come up with the extra cash DSCC Chair Chuck Schumer has been pleading for from DNC Chair Howard Dean. The actual amount of the loan the DNC is taking out is not known as the committee holds out hope they can raise nearly everything they need before the election. But a line of credit has been opened.

It seems to me that things are not as rosy for Dems as the MSM is making them appear.

Dow Closes Above 12000 For First Time

A new high for the Dow Jones. Hmm...the Democrats are going to have to find another reason why the economy is awful. Unemployment rates? Growing deficits? No, those won't work either. I suppose they can always say that because home values are starting to decline, Bush is responsible for that...

Judge Orders Cheney to Release Visitor Log

A Bill Clinton-appointed federal judge, Ricardo Urbina, has ordered Dick Cheney to release all his visitor logs to the Washington Post, so that they can create a nice little October surprise just before the election.

Who says judges aren't political?

Eastwood's Flags of Our [Liberal] Fathers

I haven't seen Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, but I have been wondering why a seemingly pro-American patriotic war movie would get such rave reviews from the MSM and film critics (who generally do not like such red-blooded patriotism). Debbie Schlussel has seen it and, although she hasn't printed a formal review yet, she says the movie is as she feared. She says that it comes from a "pro-Jap" perspective and does not reflect the Republican values of Dirty Harry.

ABCNews Still Doesn't Understand Tet

ABCNews has another article that discusses how Iraq today could be like the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. What the news media still does not understand is that the Tet failure was a complete screwup by the MSM (and not US strategy) for not accurately portraying the American military victories - and this is what led to the ultimate demise of Vietnam.

Again, Bush is right when he says Tet might be similar to Iraq. While we are making significant progress, the MSM is doing it's best to convince us we are failing. And beating ourselves, frankly, is the only way the U.S. will ever lose a war.

No More "Outsourcing of Jobs?"

When companies began using foreign countries like China and India to become more cost effective, it was "all Bush's fault" that we were losing jobs. Now, Bush might face accusations of imperialism, as this NYTimes article points out. Americans are increasing finding themselves taking jobs of foreigners.

Iraq =Vietnam? Hardly.

ABCNews is going with another eye-catching, but misleading headline: "Bush Accepts Iraq-Vietnam Comparison." In response to George Stephanopolous' question about whether Al Qaeda's current tactics are similar to the Tet offensive, Bush replied:

"He could be right, there's certainly a stepped-up level of violence, and we're heading into an election."

Of course, everyone knows that the Tet offensive was a terrible military loss for the Communists and Viet Cong. However, what they were able to do was propagandize and force a minority of weak-kneed U.S. politicians to duck tail and run. And in that sense, I have no doubt this is what Bush means when he says it could end up being similar to Tet. In fact, his very next statement follows:

"George, my gut tells me that they have all along been trying to inflict enough damage that we'd leave. And the leaders of al Qaeda have made that very clear. Look, here's how I view it. First of all, al Qaeda is still very active in Iraq. They are dangerous. They are lethal. They are trying to not only kill American troops, but they're trying to foment sectarian violence. They believe that if they can create enough chaos, the American people will grow sick and tired of the Iraqi effort and will cause government to withdraw."

But of course, to the typical Leftist, Bush just said Iraq=Vietnam=failure. Just what they were hoping for...

Here's another great exchange between Bush and Stephanopolous.

China Builds Border Fence: Where is Kofi?

China, the bastion of Human Rights, is building a fence to keep out North Koreans from entering the country.

I seem to recall a country that wanted to build a fence along its border to keep out illegal foreigners and the UN quickly condemned it as a violation of human rights, or some such effect.

Can All the Polls Be Screwy?

Powerline posts to this analysis by GOP pollster David Winston that shows a material difference in the sampling used by almost every major poll and the actual historical electorate on election day. In short, Winston believes that, if we use historical figures, then all these polls are skewed. The only way they are accurate is if there is a dramatic shift in the percentage of GOP/Dems who turn out this year.

Still, Powerline insists that all the polls can't be wrong. I disagree - I've seen enough polls that are so biased in their techniques that I have trouble believe a single poll. I suppose that in order to share my skepticism, you have to believe that the vast majority of the MSM who conduct these polls are biased to show Bush and the GOP in a more negative light than is the case. Hmm...that really doesn't seem too far-fetched, does it?

Iraqi Intelligence Services Strategy in 2001

Captain's Quarters has a good post on the mission of the Iraqi Intelligence from a translated document written in 2001. The following are the five key points:

A. Prepare a public relation plan that aims to clarify the rights of Iraq, and bring up what is related to the Palestinian cause, and the call to strike the presence and interests of America.

B. Work to commit some nations like France, China, Russia and Japan to economical agreements that make the implementation of the smart sanctions to have negative effect to the interests of these nations.

C. Strengthen our embassies with new remarkable staff that is can go toward new windows in the international relations.

D. Make a list of the citizens including those who are in the Apparatus that have in their names foreign accounts and do the procedures to protect these accounts from any enemy action.

E. Insist that that Iraq money will stay local.

To a large extent, Saddam succeeded in this mission. His only failure is that he was toppled from power, and even for that, he seems to be getting some sympathy from all over the world, including the American Left.

Jim Webb's Pedophilia Episode

One of the key Democratic hopefuls in the Senate race is VA candidate Jim Webb. The media loves to play up his tenure as Navy Secretary in the Reagan Administration (despite his disparaging remarks of Reagan and his policies afterward). Moreover, the media has made loud noises about George Allen's supposedly racist tendencies and use of the 'n' word (which supposedly took place while he was in college).

What the media has not revealed are some truly disturbing episodes in Jim Webb's books that he authored. In this case, he describes an episode of pedophilia which to almost all people, is far more disturbing than anything said to-date in this campaign.

I wonder why the media doesn't ask those "what if's" of Webb, like "What if Jim Webb is really a closet pedophile?" You get the point. If George Allen authored this book, he would not be allowed to sit in the Senate today.

The Weldon "Scandal"

Another "anonymous" leak about a Republican "scandal" shouldn't surprise anyone anymore - after all, we're just a couple of weeks from an election. The interesting line from this article is the following:

"I don't know what to believe anymore, they lie so much," said Ries, holding a sign linking Weldon to current and former Republican colleagues Tom DeLay, Mark Foley and Bob Ney - all of whom have been embroiled in career-ending scandals.

Ok, there have been at least as many high profile Democratic scandals (Harry Reid, Alan Mollohan, William Jefferson, Bob Menendez, and the TN Democratic Party), but not a single one of them gets mentioned. Business as usual in the MSM.

PS - if C.R.E.W. is behind the complaint, this is becoming a very effective far-left wing group for the Dems - this is the same group that held onto the Foley investigation for 6 months before leaking it.

"A Nice Gesture for Charlie"

IF the Democrats win the House (which I still don't believe, despite the naysayers), Charlie Rangel will be in charge of the Ways and Means Committee (including tax policy...goodbye tax cuts once they sunset). However, there is a way for GOP lobbyists to get an appointment with Rangel. As Bob Novak explains:

Republican-oriented tax lobbyists are interpreting late-campaign solicitations as a requirement for a ticket to enter the office of Rep. Charles Rangel as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in a Democratic-controlled House. Both free-lance and corporate lobbyists have received telephone solicitations for Rangel's leadership PAC (political action committee), which distributes funds to Democratic congressional candidates who need them. Rangel is virtually unopposed in his Harlem district. The lobbyists, who give almost exclusively to Republicans, are told that the contribution would be ''a nice gesture for Charlie.''

Cindy Sheehan: Pornographic Peace Mom

When you try to become popular by ruthless means as Cindy Sheehan has done, you should be very careful about not having many skeletons in your own closet.

"Cindy (Sheehan) was in Crawford when a process server found her and handed over the lawsuit that would end her marriage. Cindy Sheehan had a boyfriend who is a major anti-war activist, Lew Rockwell. Cindy Sheehan took refuge with a computer that became her companion day and night. Cindy Sheehan’s former sister-in-law says “Cindy had become addicted to online chat rooms of a pornographic nature. She had many men communicating with her. ” When she left her home, she also left behind evidence of her pornography addictions and her dalliances. The Sheehan family’s deterioration was punctuated by painful evidence of Cindy’s liaisons in hundreds of explicit e-mails and instant messages. (pp. 170-172)"

John Hawkins has more.

Democratic Corruption Scandal in TN

Yet another corruption scandal for Democrats (collective yawn from the MSM).

Imagine the following scenario: during the height of election season, a high-placed Republican donor is discovered to have looted millions of dollars from the retirement funds of individuals and companies he manages, and then contributes more than $70,000 to his state GOP party. When the fraud is discovered, the state party not only refuses to give the money back to the victims, but characterizes calls from Democrats to return the ill-gotten gains as “a cheap Democratic ploy” – even as top GOP elected officials in the state demand that their party return the money.

Barry Stokes, who did far more damage than Jack Abramoff ever did, since he actually stole millions from state pension funds in Tennessee. Unfortunately, no one really cares about Democratic scandals. Oh yes, and the Democratic Party in TN refuses to return the embezzled funds. Of course, if this news gets covered at all, the Democrats can kiss their desired Senate seat goodbye (along with their Senate hopes).

Read about the corruption at Front Page Mag.

Sandy Berger and the Culture of Corruption

Andrew McCarthy at the National Review reminds us of the long-forgotten criminal actions of Sandy Berger and asks why it has taken the GOP so long to start an investigation into his destruction of classified security documents. Oh yes, I'm sure Democrats would have responded just as weakly had it been Karl Rove who was guilty of stealing and destroying those same documents.

Nearly Unanimous: GOP Will Lose Big

It's hard to find pundits who are optimistic about the GOP's chances this year. Recently, three conservative pundits that I respect all say the GOP is doomed. Brit Hume, Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes (his new downbeat article here) are all on board that the GOP will likely lose both the House and the Senate. Meanwhile, President Bush and Karl Rove are quite optimistic.

I fail to believe any of these polls. They are often constructed to provide desired results, both by the questions asked and the sample used. The results are then often used to "prove" pre-conceived hypotheses. Polls were proven to be terribly wrong in 2004 (which resulted in Dems screaming election fraud). Finally, the GOP still has a huge money advantage, which it will use in the final three weeks of the campaign.

"If the election were held today..." is meaningless. The fact is they are held the first week in November and GOP strategy revolves around this fact. I don't know who will win next month, but I will put my money on Karl Rove and President Bush over any number of meaningless polls.

News vs. Editorials

Editorial pages bashing Bush is nothing unusual. But the following "news article" by AP writer Tom Raum is nothing but an editorial rant with zero news value. Apart from the fact that Raum is wrong about Bush's rationale for going into Iraq (he obviously never read the resolution that Congress voted on), this is just an idiot reporter's opinion who poses as a news journalist.

John Kerry's Rationale in Bizarro World

John Kerry appeared on FoxNews Sunday with Chris Wallace and reminded us what we have in store if the Democrats ever take control again. Just a few tidbits:

-Our dealing with N. Korea is much weaker because Bush is failing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kerry's solution? He would have "bilateral talks" with N. Korea (ie. Clinton's 1994 plan, part II) and pull out of Iraq. That will show Kim Jong Il how tough the U.S. is whenever things get difficult.

-We "knew" the North Koreans were cheating on their obligations under Clinton, but that was ok because we had inspectors there, we had dialogue, we had them in a box, they were enriching uranium and he claims that their bombs today are all plutonium (or something crazy like that)....blah blah.

-He also tried his best Clintonian approach, once scolding Chris Wallace, "You can't make a statement like that..." I think every Democrat will use this approach with Fox when they decide they don't like a certain question or statement.

-Wallace pointed out that in 2004 ( a year after the Iraq War started), Kerry still would have gone to war despite not finding WMDs there. But now of course, he has decided to flip-flop to the other side. (Big shock.)

-There is still absolutely no terrorism or Al Qaeda figures in Iraq. Hmm...

-Bush is evil; he caused all the evil in this world and that's why we're isolated. He never used allies or built a "coalition" (and that's why a bilateral approach to N. Korea would be better...).

-On why Democrats should want Kerry for President in 2008, despite his failure in 2004: 2004 was a long time ago and a "very different time"; we (Kerry) made some tactical misjudgements; we thought the truth was out there but apparently it wasn't (because the media was all controlled by Bush); the Swiftboat Veterans lied and that's why he lost.

Interior Dept. Bans Conservative Blogs

The U.S. Interior Department apparently has blocked its employees from visiting conservative blogs. I have no problem with agencies or companies blocking certain websites if they are not essential to business, but one would think that at least one liberal blog would also be banned. The American Thinker has more.

Perhaps it was some IT geek and the agency's management doesn't know what's going on. Regardless, it seems like a typical Democratic tactic. (Remember when bitter Dems removed the "w" from government keyboards before Bush came to office?)

Harry Reid's Corruption, Cont'd.

I didn't read this earlier, but Captain Ed has the real meat of the Reid story, in which he made a nice fat profit on an undisclosed land deal.

Another interesting fact comes to light in this article. Rory Reid, Harry's son and a lawyer/lobbyist who worked for Nevada's largest legal firm. Lionel Sawyer & Collins represented more than a few clients whose business became Harry Reid's Senate business, but that isn't news. In fact, his other three sons also worked for the same firm and did some lobbying as well. Rory, however, is a special case. Rory got himself elected to the Clark County Board of Commissioners in November 2002, which makes zoning decisions for Las Vegas and its environs.

Why is this important? It was a zoning change that allowed Reid and his partners to sell their parcels in 2004 to developers after being allowed to build a shopping complex on the land. So far, the exact timing of that zoning change has not yet come to light, but the coincidence looks very suspicious.

*Update*
Still quiet on the MSM about Reid's corruption. And unlike what Dems would do if any major GOP figure had even the slightest hint of impropriety, the GOP will never insist on an investigation.

Goodbye Air America

This is what happens when Left-wing nuts try to go into business.

The Damning of Harry Reid by the LA Times

If you want some quick facts on the shady dealings of Harry Reid, look no further than this article from the LA Times (no friend to the GOP either). If Reid were up for re-election this year, I highly doubt the people in Nevada would send him back to Washington.

The Stratasphere has more on this crooked land deal. Making money off of property that one doesn't even own is not uncommon to Democrats though - I seem to recall one female senator from NY making 100 times her money in cattle futures (oh, in ten months' time). Who knew Hillary was a professional Wall Street trader?

Democrat Shocker: They're Better on Missile Defense!?

Sometimes people say something that is just so absurd that I'm not sure how to respond. Here is Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) on C-Span (courtesy of el Rushbo):

We also need a safety net for the American people, and that is a missile defense system that works, not one that's just deployed, but one that's operational. People know that we have deployed a missile defense system. I supported that, but not one that works, and, you know, we need to have a Congress that's going to hold the administration accountable, not allow it to pull the missile defense system out of the normal testing regime and not one that is an embarrassment right now that we know can't work.

So the Bush Administration failed us on missile defense and Democrats are supposedly the party to correct it? Wow, I've heard some whoppers...

Of course, we have this Guardian article from Sept. 11, 2001 (published before the attacks) that shows us exactly where Dems stood on the issue.

Harry Reid: Uh oh...

Not that anyone in the MSM cares about Democrat scandals, but this one about Harry Reid seems pretty damning...reminds me something of Whitewater. But alas, no one cares...

Where is Kofi on North Korea

I'm waiting restlessly for Kofi Annan to hear his reactions on the North Korea nuclear test. (Not really.) In fact, I would give 3-1 odds that says he makes a statement more towards urging restraint, calm and understanding than towards condemning the Commie North. Regardless, a condemnation from the UN is about as useless as its policy towards Iran.

Anti-Chavez Rally in Venezuela

Some good news in Venezuela - a massive anti-Chavez rally that seems to go uncovered in the U.S.

One Brief Thought on Hastert

One final thought on Foleygate: if the GOP forces Hastert to step down, they are completely insane. They forced out Tom DeLay despite the fact that Harry Reid has done worse (accept Abramoff contributions, free boxing tickets and helped a lobbying firm that employed his sons). What did it get the GOP? Nothing except more fodder that they are corrupt. The same will happen if Hastert goes. Corrupt Democrats don't resign and never pay a price. For once, the GOP needs to act a little more like Democrats.

Budget Deficit Shrinking Quickly

The US budget deficit shrunk to $250 billion, according to CBO reports. This is just under 2% of GDP, which is lower than anyone predicted just a few years ago and is also lower than the average deficit over the past 25 years. Not bad for an administration that inherited a internet bubble burst, corporate scandals and 9/11.

The enormous increase in tax revenue (12% over last year) is credited with the deficit decrease. Funny - I thought those tax cuts were supposed to decrease government revenue?

Mexico To Complain to UN Over Wall

This is pretty funny - now I know why Iran and North Korea couldn't care less about the UN repercussions. Mexico, frustrated by the audacity of the U.S. to keep its neighbors out illegally, is planning on taking the matter to the UN. I'm sure U.S. citizens will quickly pull a U-turn on the wall if Kofi Annan demands us to do so...

State Department Losing Latin America

Ollie North has a must read post today at Townhall, which shows the relative uselessness of the U.S. State Department. It appears that Nicaragua will soon fall again to Leftist strongman Daniel Ortega. Nicaragua would be just the latest domino to fall to a Marxist leader, with others not far behind. Notwithstanding the fact that this might make John Kerry happy (at least based on his positions to undercut U.S. efforts in the 80s), the U.S. State Department needs to wake up and actively join anti-Communist groups in their election efforts. That is, if we still want a democratic Latin America in the next decade.

Bush 41: Democratic Takeover Would be "Ghastly"

George HW Bush speaks candidly about the potential of a Democratic takeover of Congress:

"This is more than party versus party, it is the idea that if we have some of these wild Democrats in charge of these committees it will be a ghastly thing for our country," Bush said.

The Democrats, he said, "just have a very different view ... and they'd be pushing all kinds of crazy legislation."

Why Does Page Need a Lawyer??

Foleygate seems to be getting more like Plamegate with each passing fact (except that he was right to resign because what he did was sleazy and unethical). But as Drudge is reporting, this seems like it might well have been a teenage prank.

More importantly, the page in question, Edmund Jordan, just hired Timothy McVeigh's lawyer, Stephen Jones. One has to wonder why the victim here would need a lawyer. Yes, it's possible that he wants to be sure he is protected or perhaps even look for a monetary settlement. But it also seems possible to me that this page had a key logger of some sort and was secretly recording the messages of Congressman Foley. The secret recording of a phone call with someone without the other party's knowledge is criminal, as (I believe) is the recording of IM conversations. It's possible that the only one who broke a law here is the page. (Although as I said, the sleaze still resides with Foley.)

Virginia Senate Sleaze: The 'N' Word

I'm still boggled (well, not really) about the media's completely one-sided unfairness in the Virginia Senate race. The story of George Allen (R) being accused of using the 'N' word thirty years ago is front page news. Meanwhile, as Larry Elder points out here and John Hawkins previously posted here, his opponent Jim Webb (D) gets a free pass, despite the same allegations and numerous examples of his use of the word in his own books that he wrote.

Liberal Idea of Free Speech

Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minutemen project that protects our borders, was invited to speak by College Republicans at Columbia University. Liberals showed him their tolerance of free speech. Powerline has it here.

Such tolerance for opposing viewpoints...

Abu Ghraib Part II: Mark Foley

I ask myself every election cycle how the Republicans can win when the overwhelming sentiment in the news coverage favors Democrats. (Remember those forged CBS documents in 2004 or the DUI charge in 2000?) It happens every election and this year is no different. Unfortunately, when you get a Mark Foley story, it remains on the front pages for months and there's not much the party can do but fight back. Just as in Abu Ghraib, the MSM would produce one new picture or thought every day for several weeks, claiming that it was news. The same will happen with Mark Foley, as new emails / instant messages are produced, new pages come forward, etc. I am quite sure this will last at least another month.

In fact, some Democrats are simply flat out lying about the Mark Foley story, hoping that no one challenges them on it. Republicans still have a chance, but unless GOP candidates fight back strongly, we might as well get used to impeachment proceedings over the next two years.

Britain: We Don't Want Gitmo Detainees Back

One might ask what would happen to the terrorists if we gave the ACLU, Europeans and Democrats what they wanted and closed the prison at Gitmo. We would simply return the detainees to their respective countries, right? Unfortunately, no country wants these terrorists back. As the Guardian explains:

The United States has offered to return nearly all British residents held at Guantánamo Bay after months of secret talks in Washington, the Guardian has learned.

The British government has refused to accept the men, however, with senior officials saying they have no legal right to return. Documents obtained by the Guardian show US authorities are demanding that the detainees be kept under 24-hour surveillance if set free - restrictions that are dismissed by the British as unnecessary and unworkable.

I don't blame the Brits for not wanting their terrorist countrymen, but perhaps they will now simply shut up about Gitmo once and for all.

Democratic Solution on Iran (by Ted Koppel)

Although not specifically speaking as the Democratic mouthpiece, Ted Koppel articulates their position on Iran rather well.

What, then, can the United States do to prevent Iran from developing nuclear technology? Little or nothing. Washington should instead bow to the inevitable.

But this should also be made clear to Tehran: If a dirty bomb explodes in Milwaukee, or some other nuclear device detonates in Baltimore or Wichita, if Israel or Egypt or Saudi Arabia should fall victim to a nuclear "accident," Iran should understand that the U.S. government will not search around for the perpetrator. The return address will be predetermined, and it will be somewhere in Iran.

This is idiotic. Essentially his position is to sacrifice potentially millions of Americans - but if it happens, then we will retaliate (assuming of course, we find the perpetrators and the anti-war crowd doesn't come up with another reason to bow to our enemies).

Unfortunately this is a popular strategy of the Left (not to mention the Europeans). Would you risk your life to the reasonableness of the Islamic leaders in Iran? What is Koppel smoking?

Colorado Researchers Say Hurricane Danger Over This Year

Remember what they were saying a year ago? It was just after Katrina, and democrats as well as the European media contingent, huddled together to blame GW as the cause of Hurricane Katrina. They claimed it was global warming that caused it, and since GW never signed Kyoto (never mind that 99% of those countries that signed it aren't anywhere near spitting distance of their targets), you get the idea. The thought was that every year would see more and more hurricanes and natural disasters. At least that's what much of the world hoped would happen.

Anyhoo - one year on and where are we? Today, Colorado State researchers have come out, revising their forecasts downward, saying:

No more major hurricanes are expected to form in the Atlantic Ocean this year.

In addition, according to James Franklin of the National Hurricane Center of Miami:

No hurricanes have made landfall in the U.S. this year, the first time in five years.

I'm sure the world will continue to find plenty which they can pin on GW, but at least he should be spared one hurricane season.

The Foley Fiasco

I think everyone agrees that, similar to what Gary Studds, Barney Frank and Bill Clinton should have done, Rep. Mark Foley definitely should have resigned. The question I have is why this wasn't reported by newspapers who had the story last year. The other question is whether these emails are supposed to be the same - and if not, why they were altered.


Gateway Pundit smells a Rat - a Democ-Rat. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter even if it was a trap - people don't like pedophiles (well, except for NAMBLA and other far-Left ACLU types, of course). Foley gladly stepped into the trap and now the Dems can pretend to be the "party of values," which, however ludicrous, makes people forget about William Jefferson hiding $50K in cash in his freezer.