Devastating

I thought the Swift Vets should have left the medals alone and simply went after what Kerry did after he came home. Well, now they are there and it is devastating. There is nothing in the piece that is not factual.

Beware: No more timing your check-writing with your direct deposit!

One of the biggest complaints about the new plan is the fact that with Check 21, the length of time between when a check is written and when the amount is debited from the account – the "float" – will lessen. Consumers, then, will likely bounce more checks as the processing gets quicker.

The nonprofit group Consumers Union predicts that under the new system 7 million more checks per month will bounce than do now. Supporters of Check 21 dispute that number, however.

"Don't write a check unless the funds are already in your account," advises Consumers Union. "The checks you write will clear faster, but banks aren't required to speed up the time when they make funds available from the checks that you deposit."

Worse than You Think

I won't comment on about how Janet Jackson blames the president for the public's reaction to seeing her tit during the half-time show at the Super Bowl. But regarding the half-million dollar fine the FCC levied, listen to CBS' reaction and see if you can see the group-think at work at CBS:

The breast-baring song generated a record number of complaints to the FCC - more than 500,000.

CBS said it was extremely disappointed with the decision.

"While we regret that the incident occurred and have apologized to our viewers, we continue to believe that nothing in the Super Bowl broadcast violated indecency laws," the network said in a statement. "Furthermore, our investigation proved that no one in our company had any advance knowledge about the incident."

The World According to Ann Coulter

Her new book comes out in two weeks! I cannot wait; until then:

There is one reason CBS couldn't wait until just before the election to put these forgeries on the air: It would be too late. Kerry was crashing and burning – because of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. (Funny that the Swift Boat veterans haven't been able to get on Kerry PR agency CBS News.)

Despite a total blackout on the Swift Boat Veterans in the mainstream media, the Swifties had driven Kerry's poll numbers into the dirt long before the Republican National Convention – proving once again that it's almost impossible for liberals to brainwash people who can read.

Even the New York Times had to stop ignoring the No. 1 book on its own best-seller list, "Unfit for Command," in order to run front-page articles attacking the Swift Boat Veterans.

The "Today" show has given Kitty Kelley a chair next to Katie Couric until Election Day. (It's now Day Seven of Kelley's refusal to produce records concerning charges that she is in the final stages of syphilitic dementia.) At least they're more likely to get the truth in Kitty Kelley's book than in Doug Brinkley's "Tour of Duty." But Katie hasn't had time to interview the Swift Boat veterans.

CBS showcased laughable forgeries obtained from a man literally foaming at the mouth in order to accuse the president of malfeasance. But CBS would never put a single one of the 264 Vietnam veterans on the air to say what they knew about Kerry.

The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth show the role of the individual in history. It wasn't Republican strategists who finished Kerry off two months before the election; it was the American people. The Swift Boat veterans came along and kicked Kerry in the shins and no matter how much heat they took, they were brave and wouldn't give up. The veterans who served with Kerry told the truth and the American people listened (as soon as they managed to locate a copy of "Unfit for Command" hidden on one of the back shelves at their local bookstores).

CBS was forced to run a fake story so early in the campaign that it was exposed as a fraud – only because of the Swift Boat vets. These brave men, many of them decorated war heroes, have now not only won the election for Bush, they have ended Dan Rather's career.

Coalition of the Bribed and Coerced

John Kerry says he would bring NATO allies in to train more Iraqi troops. Meanwhile, the Bush administration is already doing so:

NATO allies agreed Wednesday to send hundreds of instructors to run a training center for Iraq's armed forces after addressing French concerns that had delayed a deal for a week.

France, Belgium, Germany and Spain have indicated they will not send instructors to Iraq and wanted to ensure that the bulk of the costs would be covered by participating nations.

Under the agreement, NATO will coordinate training of Iraqi officers outside the country, in addition to deploying about 300 allied instructors to Iraq to operate the academy outside Baghdad.

"We are very pleased that this step has now been taken," said NATO spokesman James Appathurai. "This assistance should be oriented to help Iraq build the capability of its government to address the security needs of the Iraqi people," Appathurai told reporters.

This is a 300% increase in NATO support; this significant breakthrough is just a footnote in WaPo today.

Strategery

The marks of a smart campaign:

President Bush’s political team is orchestrating a vastly larger advertising campaign than thought possible under federal law, taking control of millions in Republican Party funds simply by inserting the phrase “our leaders in Congress” in selected commercials.

The GOP strategy had gone unnoticed for weeks by Sen. John Kerry and the Democrats, who now may abandon their own less-cost-efficient approach to advertising.

For those not privy to presidential humor, when asked for one word to describe his presidency, Will Farrell (playing president Bush on SNL) answers, "Strategery."

Decisive Leadership!

In selecting the new Director of Intelligence, we have this:

In the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, four of the eight Democratic members voted against the nomination of Goss, the same who opposed his floor vote. All nine Republicans approved, and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, did not vote.

On the most important vote since the 9/11 Commission report was completed, John Edwards is absent.

Request for Blog Ettiquite Addition

Many of us (government employees) like to read blogs at work since they link to many news articles and important information relevant to our position. I think maybe we should start a new idea where people identify if their posts have links that are "not safe for work." This goes beyond the normal "explicit" line if you linke to a nude photograph or something violent/grotesque...but something you might read in say Maxim magazine or FHM and just link to it and then all of a sudden at work you have some movie star in their underwear.

Just a thought.

(No, this hasn't happened to me yet).

Wacky Conspiracy Theory

Here's one for everyone: what if the DNC actually planted the documents hoping the scandal would spin so poorly for John Kerry they will try to pull the Torricelli option for October?

What do you all think? Is that more crazy than thinking Karl Rove planted the docs?

It looks like Kerry is already misunderestimating Bush for the debates. Check out this great observation from Dave J at Left Coast Conservative:

John Kerry Super dork"The big hang-up was George Bush wanted to get life lines, you know, so he could call somebody," the Democratic candidate for president quipped Tuesday while appearing on "Live With Regis and Kelly."

Looks like "Bush is a great debater" line just blew up. Now we are back to Bush is a dolt.

Jimmy Swaggart: Biggot, Bastard

Instapundit points us to this quote by Swaggart:

I'm trying to find the correct name for it . . . this utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. . . . I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died.

I have always hated this tactic by pastors to pander to the congregation by talking about everyone elses soul and sins instead of teaching his sheep how to improve their own lives. If you have a congregation of all single people, why talk about adultery all the time? Its sole purpose is to let people go home on Sunday "feeling holy" and it is the worst type of sin...the sin of arrogance. Remember, that is the first angelic sin and the first human sin: I shall be like the most high God (Satan); eat this and you will know everything God knows.

There is a better, doctrinal write up on this assinine statement of Swaggart at Evangelical Outpost.

Top 10 Signs Kerry Has already Lost the Election

From the great mind of da man over at GOP & the City:

10. Hillary sends email asking for donation to Hillary-2008
9. Gore keeps calling and giving concession speech advice
8. Edwards goes back to work in the Senate
7. Dan Rather calls to ask what he can do
6. Michael Moore calls him "a lousy candidate"
5. Mike Dukakis sends a "Welcome To The Club" FTD basket
4. No more Letterman, has to settle with a spot on Tony Danza's show
3. Is told to "shove it" by Teresa
2. Awarded 4th purple heart by Federal Election Committee

And the #1 sign it is over for John Kerry...
1. Even the hamster will not look him in the eye

Buried in the Sand: the Deception of America

Look for this coming out tomorrow.

Host: Mark Taylor
Audio: Dolby Stereo
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Studio: CYHL Pictures
Features: Factoids, Trailer
Length: 72 Minutes
Release Date: September 21, 2004

My Photo

Okay, Owen at Boots and Sabers (which should be one of your daily reads) plugged this site and I thank him for that; but in the same breath said my picture creeps him out.

So, I blew my picture up a little bit and want to hear from you. What are the creepier parts of the photo?

To give some background:

1. I am sitting at my kitchen table.
2. Those are white wooden blinds behind me.
3. I am wearing a beige hat underneath...
4. A dark blue Nautica hoodie.

Let's hear from you!

Digital Brownshirts News!

Be sure to check out Part I of our broadcast first at Kerry Haters.

Part II

Bounce over to Kitty Litter for Part III of this weeks news.

And Wild Bill runs the anchor leg this week with Part IV of the first installment of Digital Brownshirt News.

Thank you, Frodo

RATHER: Well, because I think [President Bill Clinton] is. I think at core, [Clinton]'s an honest person. I know that you have a different view. I know that you consider it sort of astonishing anybody would say so. But I think you can be an honest person and lie about any number of things.

O'REILLY: Really?

RATHER: Yes, I do.

My Friend Steve!

Check out Steve's new blog here! He's the best! He hosts a radio show and makes the gospel a apart of all his work. God Bless!

How can you pass up a blog by one of Margaret Thatcher's speech writers???

Who Couldn't Vote for this Man!

WOOF! Can I lick his boots???

Don't get any ideas Jed and Owen!



Thanks to GOP & College.

House of Pain

From a comment on Wizbang!:

Sing to House of Pain's Jump Around...

Let me begin
I came not to win
Battle me that's a sin
I won't tear the chads up
Swifties better back up
Try and play the role and James Carville will act up
Get up, stand up, come on!
Come on, throw your hands up
If you've got the feeling jump across the ceiling
CBS is a funk fest, Rather's talking junk
Yo, I'll bust em in the eye
And then I'll take the memos home
Feel it, funk it
Amps it are junking
And I got more rhymes than Michael Moore's at a dunking Donuts shop
Sure 'nuff I got props from the Dems on the Hill
Plus my mom and my pops

[Chorus]

I came to get down [2x]
So get out your vote and jump around
Jump around [3x]
Jump up Jump up and get down.
Jump [18x]

I'll serve your butt like John MacEnroe
If Hillary steps up, I'm smacking the ho
Word to Osama I won't drop bombs
I got more positions than the bible's got psalms
And just like the Prodigal Son I've returned
Anyone stepping to me you'll get burned
Cause I got ribbons and you ain't got none
So if you come to battle (don't) bring a shotgun...

For the Fallen

Brooks Poetry

David Brooks piece in the New York Times is pure poetry. You must check it out. Thanks, Pat.

PJ Hits a Home Run

Here is one of PJ O'Rourke's best pieces I've read in a while. His columns at Atlantic Monthly have been lacking, but he hits one out of the park in the Telegraph:

Why Americans Hate Foreign Policy

Americans hate foreign policy. Americans hate foreign policy because Americans hate foreigners. Americans hate foreigners because Americans are foreigners. We all come from foreign lands, even if we came 10,000 years ago on a land bridge across the Bering Strait.

America is not "globally conscious" or "multi-cultural." Americans didn't come to America to be Limey Poofters, Frog-Eaters, Bucket Heads, Micks, Spicks, Sheenies or Wogs. If we'd wanted foreign entanglements, we would have stayed home. Or - in the case of those of us who were shipped to America against our will - as slaves, exiles, or transported prisoners - we would have gone back.

Being foreigners ourselves, we Americans know what foreigners are up to with their foreign policy - their venomous convents, lying alliances, greedy agreements and trick-or-treaties. America is not a wily, sneaky nation. We don't think that way.

We don't think much at all, thank God. Start thinking and pretty soon you get ideas, and then you get idealism, and the next thing you know you've got ideology, with millions dead in concentration camps and gulags. A fundamental American question is: "What's the big idea?"

Americans would like to ignore foreign policy. Our previous attempts at isolationism were successful. Unfortunately, they were successful for Hitler's Germany and Tojo's Japan. Evil is an outreach programme. A solitary bad person sitting alone, harbouring genocidal thoughts, and wishing he ruled the world is not a problem unless he lives next to us in the trailer park.

In the big geopolitical trailer park that is the world today, he does. America has to act. But, when America acts, other nations accuse us of being "hegemonistic," of engaging in "unilateralism," of behaving as if we're the only nation on earth that counts.

We are. Russia used to be a superpower but resigned "to spend more time with the family." China is supposed to be mighty, but the Chinese leadership quakes when a couple of hundred Falun Gong members do tai chi for Jesus.

The European Union looks impressive on paper, with a greater population and a larger economy than America's. But the military spending of Britain, France, Germany, and Italy combined does not equal one third of the US defence budget.

When other countries demand a role in the exercise of global power, America can ask another fundamental American question: "You and what army?"

What army indeed.

Show that Spirit!

This adorable little girl shows her spirit with a Patti Labelle inspired hairdo fashioned by her mother with hangers. Thanks, Alpha Patriot!



Let's hope she doesn't encounter any Kerry supporting fatcat IUPAT union gangsters like this little girl.

MEOW!

This picture was taken only moments before Kitty pulled a matrix move on the attacker doing a roundhouse to the hand, taking the gun and killing the bastard dead.

Kitty Litter left a very nice message for me the other day and I wanted to make sure everyone that comes here knows to read her site EVERYDAY! I know its more likely that all my readers come from HER site...but for those that don't, check her out!

Votergasm

Owen at Boots & Sabers links us to a wonderful site asking people to make a simple pledge:

There are three levels of the Votergasm Pledge.

1. Citizen: I pledge to withhold sex from non-voters for the week following the election.
2. Patriot: I pledge to have sex with a voter on election night and withhold sex from non-voters for the week following the election.
3. American Hero: I pledge to have sex with a voter on election night and withhold sex from non-voters for the next four years.

There is also a "hot-or-not" feature where you can upload your picture and people will rate if you look more like an "ass or a trunk" (i.e. republican or democrat). What fun!

NOTE: I did send an email to the site founder asking her to put a safer-sex disclaimer on the front page...should be responsible!

More Moveon Propaganda

Hop over to factcheck.org and read their analysis of the Assault Weapons Ban that expired this week:

This latest ad from Moveon PAC is about as misleading as it can be. Through words, graphics and sound effects, it invites viewers to think that the expiration of the ban on 19 semiautomatic assault weapons will allow people legally to buy fully automatic machine guns that can fire "up to 300 rounds per minute." That's false.

It has been illegal to buy a machine gun without federal clearance since 1934, and remains so.

The ad also claims that Bush "will let the assault weapon ban expire," which is misleading. In fact, Bush spoke in support of the ban during his campaign four years ago and his spokesman said as recently as May of last year that he still supported it. It was Congress that failed to consider extending the ban and didn't present Bush with a bill to sign.

Check out the rest here.

for Kitty!

My Mic Sounds Nice, Check One...

My mic sounds nice, check two

My mic sounds nice, check three

Are you ready?

Should Dan Rather Be Fired?

O'Reilly is a pompous ass, but he made a great point interviewing Juan Williams tonight. He said he did not believe Dan Rather is a liar, but he was misled--and he tied it to the WMD issue where Bush was misled by evidence that was later found false.

So when someone says, "Bush Lied!" ask them, "Should Dan Rather be fired and rebuked because of these documents? If they believe that Bush lied about WMD based on documentation sourced by the CIA and every intelligence agency in the free world and should not be elected because of it, then Dan Rather should be fired--stripped of his journalistic credentials--and be repudiated by the industry and never be able to work "in this town again."

Slutwear (a.k.a Wet Seal)

Wild Bill talks about the demise of slutwear in the fashion industry:

I usually do not post on what is going on in the fashion world, but I could not resist this one. It is about time women started dressing more like the beautiful women that they are instead of the whore slut look that has inundated today’s fashions and teen culture. It seems that fashion designers have realized woman want to return to grace not to the street corners.

From Reuters, 'Slutwear' Is So Last Year on New York Runways. Godfrey Deeny, senior fashion critic at Fashion Wire Daily says, "The slut is out now. She's dead." Commenting on the new looks for next year Deeny says, "It's very ladylike, it’s not jump-into-bed fashion."

Does this mean their will be a new woman's movement that aspires to return to the pursuit of GRACE? A woman of GRACE will earn more respect any day over an easy slut. For the ladies out there looking for 'Mr. Right', he is looking for a woman of GRACE, 'Mr. Right Now', is looking for a one-night-slut.

Susan Estrich, who I really love outside of an election year, discusses slutwear here.

Andrew Sullivan: Half Redeemed

I don't know if I can give this man a voice until after the election since he is stumping for Kerry using his cock as a dowrod.

But he defends us bloggers very well in the latest edition of the New Republic:

Blogging's comparative advantage has nothing to do with the alleged superior skills of bloggers or their higher intelligence, quicker wit, or more fabulous physiques. The blogosphere is a media improvement because the sheer number of blogs, and the speed of response, make errors hard to sustain for very long. The collective mind is also a corrective mind. Transparency is all. And the essence of journalistic trust is not simply the ability to get things right and to present views or ideas or facts clearly and entertainingly. It is also the capacity to admit error, suck it up, and correct what you've gotten wrong. Take it from me. I've both corrected and been corrected. When you screw up, it hurts. But in the long run, it's a good hurt, because it takes you down a peg or two and reminds you what you're supposed to be doing in the first place. Any journalist who starts mistaking himself for an oracle needs to be reminded who he is from time to time.

The whole article is here.

Tragedy in Government School

Teen Dies in School Fight

I am going to be a jerk in this post. First, I want to ask everyone pray for the family of this boy who was beaten to death in a government high school in Tennessee. This sort of violence is completely unacceptable and those involved should meet swift and harsh justice.

Having said that, I was struck by the bio: 14 Year Old Eight Grader...I believe most people are 11 or 12 in 8th grade, so what's the deal here? After the investigation into his murder is completed, someone needs to explain whay a 14 year old was in a middle school!

People need to start pulling their kids out of state run, government schools and pool together and teach them at home. The fact a 14 year old is in 8th grade is a complete failure of our socialist school system.

His death is tragic and makes me sick to my stomach. Beyond that, his parents, to keep his death from being a vain gang related death, should use this incident to champion reform of the way our children are educated.

UPDATE: For someone who took Calculus in High School, I can't even add! Thanks, Kip for the correction. It's still ridiculous that this guy was beaten to death in a middle school bathroom.

$3 Dollar Bills

HEADLINE: CBS Stands By Claim of Bush National Guard Payoff

DATELINE: WASHINGTON

BODY:

Faced with the second major controversy this month about its reporting on President Bush's National Guard service, CBS News on Friday defended its report that President Bush had used $3 bills to bribe Texas Air National Guard officials in 1973.

The latest dispute erupted after the CBS News program "60 Minutes II" reported earlier this week that Bush had used several thousand $3 bills to buy the silence of National Guard officials who were questioning whether he had met his service obligations. The program featured color photocopies of some of the currency allegedly used to pay the bribes.

Conservative critics on the Internet immediately cried foul, claiming that there was no such thing as a $3 bill, and some news organizations later quoted "experts" as expressing doubt that such a denomination ever existed.

Claims were also made that the bills were "doctored" versions of recent $5 bills. Some of the bills, while containing 3's in each corner, bear the text "FIVE DOLLARS." The bills contain portraits of former President William Jefferson Clinton that appear roughly one centimeter left of center on the face of the bills.

The right-wing critics contend that the Treasury Department did not begin printing currency with left-of-center portraits until the mid-1990s. They also argue that Clinton's portrait would not have appeared on currency in 1973, 20 years before he became president.

The critics also assert that the copies of the bills were produced by color imaging and printing methods that weren't available three decades ago.

CBS has declined to say where the bills came from, but has said they came from "solid sources."

On Friday's "CBS Evening News," anchor Dan Rather said that "no definitive evidence" had emerged to prove the currency was not authentic.

"As with the earlier memos, if any definitive evidence comes up, we will report it," Rather said.

The show broadcast an excerpt of an interview with Terry McAuliffe, a currency expert, who said that the $3 bills were genuine. In Friday night's report, McAuliffe said, "I've handled a lot of cash in my life, and I can't say that I've never seen a $3 bill. These bills look real to me. But if they aren't real, then I'm sure Karl Rove had something to do with them."

The CBS report stated "with absolute certainty" that the disputed currency could have been produced by the government in the early 1970s.

According to CBS, its sources in the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing had confirmed that the government had the capability of producing $3 bills in 1973. Rather said that "Treasury officials acknowledge that the government was able to print a '3' just as easily as it could print a '1', '2', or a '5.'"

Independent experts consulted by the Amalgamated Press appear to share this view. A leading practitioner of numerology said that "the number '3', like the other Arabic numerals, has been around a long time." According to the numerologist, who requested anonymity, the number '3' dates back to at least the 6th century AD, and perhaps earlier. "There's no question the United States government was aware of the number before 1973 and easily could have put it on legal tender," she said.

The CBS program also pointed out that several of the documents found in Bush's official National Guard files used the number '3'. The number appears, for example, in the date "1973," the year some of the documents were created.

"These documents demonstrate conclusively that the number '3' was available for use by the government in the early 70s," said CBS's Rather, who reported both the Friday segment and the earlier "60 Minutes II" piece.

Noting that Clinton was born in 1946, CBS's consulting experts also stated that it was entirely possible that the future president could have posed for a portrait before 1973.

Nevertheless, the network's right-wing critics continued to deny the possibility that the $3 bills were real.

One blogger's online post exclaimed: "It's RIDICULOUS that we're even DISCUSSING the possibility of a $3 bill. Haven't you ever heard of the phrase "queer as a $3 bill"? It only makes sense because there is NO SUCH THING as a $3 bill!!!"

Responding to this claim, a CBS spokesman said, "The credibility of our news organization should not be called into question by the homophobic rants of people in pajamas."

Reached by telephone late last night, the blogger declined to comment on whether he was wearing pajamas.

— George Conway is an attorney in New York City who is familiar with the default settings in Microsoft Word. From National Review

The Gathering

I left late with my beagle, Dutch, in tow. I drove down the Baltimore/Washington Parkway banging out to "Ghetto Music" by Outkast. Once on New York Avenue I get cut off by some idiot lady in an SUV trying to make a U-turn at a major intersection and have to slam on my brakes and hit my horn. I turn to the police car next to me and say, "what are you gonna do?" He said I was speeding! Lame.

I had no trouble finding the rally or parking as I pulled up behind a truck with telling bumperstickers.



I got out of the car and spoke with a wonderful woman from Virginia with two beautiful little boys. We talked for a moment and I let the kids pet Dutch. The kid showed me a pictoral story he drew in the van about how Kerry is bad for America. I was impressed because it was not based on talking points--he knew what a true lie was and how liars should not be president. I told the lady that I was impressed with the next generation of republicans--she said that was all her husband's doing (jokingly).

I pass the expected counter-protestors (18-30 years olds) gawking and yelling profanities to the Vietnam Vets quitely practicing their right to assemble and protest. There were a handful of Viet Nam veterans with them and I want to thank them for their service for the country. But there were not many.



Dutch and I walked closer to the rally to hear a woman speaking; she spoke about honor and loyalty and drew many applause from the crowd.



I head over to the registration booth where I meet two wonderful women and one fine young man manning the booth. I asked how much the bumperstickers and pins cost.




They said they are free and take what you will use and display (what charity!). I insisted on giving them $20 dollars and took a picture of them. They were with Viet Nam Vets Against John Kerry.



Strolling around the lawn Dutch became mesmorized by a horse (something he'd never seen before).



I began to notice that these were not "protestors." These were citizens with a legitimate beef.



They were not the Generation Next crowd at the bottom of the steps chanting hateful slogans when they are too young to know anything. I see men and women PROUD that they served in Viet Nam.



They wear their pins and uniforms and flags.



They held placcards with succint statements whose message was as powerful as its brevity.



He called us rapists; He called us murderers; He called us traitors; Kerry is Phoney.



I listened to the sermon by a chaplain that drew tears in the eyes of Vets who to this day felt robbed of their sacrifice because of people like John Kerry that used popular sentiment to further their political aspirations.



I also bumped into people my age, college aged folks and asked them, "are you counter-protestors working undercover?" ABSOLUTELY NOT!



What a breath of fresh air to see people who are there simply to pay their respect to those who fought for our freedom. I shook the hands of three men and thanked them saying, "I wasn't alive during Viet Nam, but I know that I am free today because of the sacrifices you and your friends made."



The air there was aged, filled with smells and vibes I will never understand. The look, feel and fraternity of these vets is distinctly different than the "Greatest Generation" with their VFW hats and such.



What was familiar was the breeze of Americanism; the smell was intoxicating and overwhelming; it smothered any funk coming from the granola kids at the bottom of the hill who refused to listen to people who might have something to say. Thank goodness for DC's finest.



This was not a political rally.



It claimed to be a rally against Kerry, but it was a rally against the haze of liberalism over history--that they refuse to allow hippies who did not fight define their contribution to the survival of our ideals of freedom and liberty.



These are people who refuse to be robbed of what they gave blood and tears to obtain: our respect, gratitude and a fair hearing of their opinions.

Give this Guy a Medal

WOW! I have never seen such keen analysis; only people blinded by ideology (i.e. Dan Blather and See B.S.) would say this doesn't raise suspicious about the documents authenticity...

The author of this analysis is looking for bandwidth support. Since Andrew Sullivans bandwidth is gold-plated, I suggest he donate!

Analysis

Vocabulary Lesson

Owen at Boots & Sabers points us to a new term coined by Jay Nordlinger to replace the unrepresentative "suicide-bomber": Islamikaze.

Assault Weapons Ban Expires

First, I've always thought that the term, "assualt weapons" was repetitive. Alpha Patriot weighs in on this issue:

Second, it is the expiration of the most useless (indeed, damaging) piece of legislation in history, the Assault Weapons Ban. Yet who supports the highly unpopular ban? Kerry, of course:

Evidence notwithstanding, there are many who want to renew the ban. John Kerry has offered up the argument that assault weapons are not needed for hunting, so the government can and should ban them. Kerry said last week, "I support the Second Amendment. I've been a hunter all my life." In April his spokesman said, "John Kerry used assault weapons in the military, so he understands that they're not meant for hunting dove or deer."

It's scary when a man who may well become President of the United States thinks the Second Amendment — which says, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" — refers to hunting, not self-defense.

Precisely.

Pray for Blessing for Chris Muir

Day by Day cartoonist Chris Muir is facing tremendous challenges with cancer in family members. Please pray daily for their survival, recovery to full health and for Chris in his support for them.

You are in my prayers, Chris...hope you are back soon! Here is his message:

2004 Anti-teror Awards by Men's Journal

Um, I agree with this list except one; you guess who I think sucks:

Intro by John McCain: "All the heroes of 9-11 and the war on terrorism that began that day, have reminded us what courage really looks like."

1. The First Responders: Passengers of Flight 93.

2. The Protector: Police Commissioner, Ray Kelly.

3. The Warrior: "Texas Good ol' Boy," Tommy Franks.

4. The Truth Teller: Clinton Counter-terrorism Czar, Richard Clarke

5. The Advocates: The 9-11 Widows, "the Jersey Girls."

6. The Enforcer: French Judge who "Lockes up more terrorists than anyone else," Jean-Louis Bruguiere

7. The Terrorist Hunter: Special Ops Vet, William McRaven

8. The Educator: Mountaineer, Greg Mortenson

9. The Civil Disobedient: College Student, Nathaniel Heatwole

10. The Innovator: Marine, David Karcher

11. The Warriors: Men and Women, The American Soldier (picture of Pat Tillman shown)

Um, if you guessed the lizard, Richard Clarke, counter-terrorism czar that did anything BUT prevent terrorism, you guessed right!!!

Second place goes to that Franco-frog Judge...whoever he is!

Selectric 1971 versus Word 2004

Do you think someone could produce something almost identical with Microsoft Word 2004 document from a document typed in 1971 with a typewriter that didn't even have the same font? Note: New Times Roman was a typefont of the London Times copyrighted to Microsoft in the 80's.

I ask you to look and THINK! What do you see? Do you see something suspicious or do you see whatever Dan Rather tells you?

Thanks Little Green Footballs by way of Instapundit.

Palantino type (another Word font) is showcased. Thanks Kitty and Pat at Kerry Haters.

A Kerry Foreign Policy

I am watching Meet the Press with Madeline Albright...she is tongue twisting and spinning her way through the entire interview.

Her claim is that Bush messed up the Iraq occupation. Okay, I will grant her that. Bush himself admitted that he "miscalculated" the insurgency that occured because of such a swift victory.

What surprises me is this matter-of-factness with democrats that if they were in control, everything about the war on terror would have been roses. So let's look at that:

1. Democrats claim that they would have focused all their attention on al-Queda and put many more troops in Afghanistan. But many believed, and have history to show, that bin Laden's goal was to bog us down into a Viet Nam style conflict like the Russians found themselves in during the 1980's. Putting tens of thousands more troops in Afghanistan would have played right into Bin Laden, al-Queda and the Taliban's hands.

2. Democrats claim that they would have gotten Germany, France and Russia on board for the war in Iraq. Setting France and Germany aside since it's been demonstrated they were paid-off by Saddam Hussein, let's look at Russia. Were the democrats with the leadership of Clinton and the statecraft of Madeline Albright able to get Russia on board with Kosovo and Bosnia? Absolutely not! So did they not have a coalition?

3. Lastly, Kerry and the democrats slam Bush on his inability to predict the future and see an insurgency (even though he prevented a humanitarian crisis, refugee exodus and Saddam attacking Israel). Kerry thinks he could have managed the occupation perfectly. I ask that you look how well Kerry manages things as an executive; look at his campaign staff. The man cannot even do damage control over 250 vets pissed off over what he did 30 years ago. No one on his staff could predict this even though the Swift Vets announced their intentions in April. No one on his staff could have predicted a successful Republican National Convention with a bounce. So Kerry's sound management skills goes after Bush's Air National Guard record!

So we see Kerry's wonderful management skills complimented with his staff's mystical ability at soothesaying. Faced with bad polls, he goes after a non-issue, like he accuses Bush of doing by going after Saddam Hussein while 1/4 of al-Queda is still running loose in Afghanistan. We see the Clintonian style of management in John Kerry; and America, as much as they love the "idea" of Clinton, are smart enough to know that you cannot fight a war based on how someone feels when they are approached for a survey in the mall or on a telephone--a person who just paid $30 to fill up their Geo Metro is going to say, "I don't like how this country is going."

We see that John Forbes Kerry cannot even manage an election...let alone a war. He had to fire everyone from his primary campaign (which he only one because he trotted the person he saved in Viet Nam around the country); he failed to get a convention bounce out of a convention the democrats managed and failed to forsee the attacks on his anti-war stances, his Lt. Governorship to Michael Dukakis and his horrible senate record...and he's suppposed to know how to handle a war?

Not on your life.

Letters from Afghanistan

My friend from college writes more on her experience in serving her country and our new found allies in Afghanistan:

Dear friends and family,

I hope you’re well – happy and healthy. Thank you for all the emails of concern. I’m quite touched by them. But you can rest easy that life here is not as crazy as it seems. I’m not dodging rockets, sporting bullet proof vests, or crouching in bunkers.

In fact, as once explained to me, it’s more the poverty that I’m struck by. Dirt roads, free flowing sewage, and beggars in burqas mark the landscape more than any signs of fighting or instability.

Amid the poverty is juxtaposed this surreal richness that adds an element of humor if not irony to the experience. Take my new home for example. Located in one of the nicest neighborhoods, I live in a complex that contains two houses and an annex that in total can comfortably accommodate eight people. In order to comply with UN standards, the complex employs four guards; a cleaner or two; and a house manager. As the only “Dari” speaker, I have the task of managing the workers, so I find myself bossing them around to “pick up this” and “clean up that”. Though tiring, I’m quite amused by this role as it confirms the colonial nature of my existence here. Of course, by virtue of speaking the local language, the colonial aspect is marginally diminished but I like to compare myself to the mulatto, who neither fits as subject nor colonist but desperately strives for the latter. I only await the day that I cease referring to the staff as “people” and instead start complaining about “the help”.

But the real richness comes in the form of Pakistani trucks that illegally export Afghan timber and import AK-47s. These trucks serve as my new obsession as they are the most beautiful machinery I’ve seen in my life. While the vehicles are typical of the region (poor, old, polluting…), the designs and colors the artists paint on the truck is incomparable: Intricate floral scenes and geometric shapes with beads and dainty chains adorn the trucks, such that they jingle when driving past. Everyday, I commute past customs where the trucks pull over for their routine inspection, and I longingly gaze at the masterpieces that block Kabuli traffic – a magnificent way to start the day!

Perhaps the most surreal aspect of my life is the gym I attend regularly. Housed in the Coalition Forces compound, the gym is fairly modest by US standards, with a dozen or so aerobic machines cramped in a small room with questionable circulation. Most of the trainers are military, as demonstrated by their crew cuts and “Army” t-shirts. But just in case I had my doubts, they enter the gym with their weapons. So as I sweat away the kabobs I shouldn’t have eaten, my fellow exercise enthusiasts take off their holsters and set aside their machine guns. I’ve fancied talking to them but am afraid I will say something horribly offensive, thereby warranting them to shoot me, and in my exhausted state, I figure its best not to take any chances.

Though I have so much more to share (like stories of my old roommate who unpacked his gun outside of my bathroom or the random text messages I receive to rejoice and praise Allah), I see I have written quite a bit for one letter and so I will end this now. Thank you again for supporting me in this fixation of mine of Afghanistan.

Eppur si muove!

Wizbang, going for the blogging gold, writes a stirring piece about the impending triumph of blogging over mainstream media:

Legend has it that, as [Galileo] rose from his coerced confession and declaration that the Earth was the center of the universe, and all revolves around it, he said under his breath "Eppur si muove" - "and yet it moves."

It started in cyberspace, the new frontier of mass communications. The three people who run Powerline first started speaking of the inconsistencies of the memos, the incredible difficulty involved in creating such works with 30-year-old technology. They stood up to the mighty juggernaut that is CBS and pointed out these flaws. "Eppur si muove!" they cried.

But there was no answer from the juggernaut.

Others took up their cause, and did their own investigations. Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs approached from the opposite direction. He recreated the memos in question using modern technology available to nearly everyone today, and produced virtually identical memos. Everything matched, nearly down to the finest point. He pointed this out to CBS and all who would listen. "Eppur si muove!" he cried.

But there was no answer from the juggernaut.

Even more voices were raised. Law Professor Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, renowned as the Blogfather of the whole online weblog community, spoke up. Hugh Hewitt, radio talk show host and blogger, cast his voice against the memos. Roger Simon, journalist and blogger, weighed in against CBS. Numerous other respected blogs - the collective authors of The Command Post, INDC Journal, Shape of Days, our own Kevin and Paul of Wizbang, The Captain's Quarters, The Daily Recycler, the Ace of Spades HQ, Rather Biased, Kerry Spot, and countless too many others to mention - all started shouting truth to power. "Eppur si muove!" they cried. "Eppur si muove!"

But there was no answer from the juggernaut.

Have We Learned?

A repeat of my Watcher's Council award winning post in rememberance of 9/11 and the choice we face; will we celebrate our fallen heros by showing them that we've learned our lesson?

____________________________

HELP IS ON THE WAY..



Fellow Americans,



While you plunge to your death please remember that John Forbes Kerry will go after the terrorists...after you hit the ground.



And those terrorists will be tried in U.S. Courts (where O.J. Simpson received American Justice) as criminals with hundreds of attorneys from the Middle East, Germany and France defending them; and, since Kerry does not support the death penalty for terrorists, will spend the rest of their lives in jail contemplating their actions.



Remember, these are criminals and your death resulted from an act of murder, NOT war.



Rest assured, sir, as you fall to your death, that the Kerry Doctrine will do its best to avenge your death but will do nothing to prevent it.



R.I.P.

Kerry Spokesman Moonlights for Rather

Dan Rather, Republican

I must admit, shamefully, that I have not been diligent in reading my friend Tyler's exceptional blog--Red Line Rants. He was gone for a week supporting our paciderms in New York City. But he came back strong...particularly with this little what if:

If Dan Rather were on our side, you could more or less apply his statement about these Killian documents to the debate over the existence of Iraqi WMDs...

"This report was not based solely on recovered documents, but rather on a preponderance of evidence, including documents that were provided by unimpeachable sources, interviews with former Republican Guard officials and individuals who worked closely back in the early 1990s with Tariq Aziz and were well acquainted with his procedures, his character and his thinking.

In addition, the documents are backed up not only by independent handwriting and intelligence experts but by sources familiar with their content. Contrary to some rumors, no internal investigation is underway at the Pentagon nor is one planned."

A Nation for Me

Bouncing through Alpha Patriot I found this week's winner of the Watcher's Council, Chadster's: It's not the Thought, It's the Dream that Counts.

I want to see an America that is ready for me, where I can live out my personal ambitions and dreams. I believe Pres. Bush sees that America. He may have some misguided ideas as to how that dream can be “helped", but they all do. The difference is the dream. Is it possible for me to live my version of the American dream? In the two Americas, no. In the one nation under God, yes. In Kerry’s poll-pleasing welfare state, no. In Bush’s decisive leadership of a free nation, yes.

First Wedding on the Temple Mount Since Christ

Arutz Sheva reports:

For possibly the first time in over 1,930 years, a Jewish wedding ceremony of sorts was held on the Temple Mount this afternoon. The groom, from a Jewish town in eastern Judea, placed a ring on his young bride's finger in front of a group of friends, and then recited the traditional blessing on the wine. Muslim Waqf officials, usually very vehement about not allowing Jewish prayers to be said at the site, sufficed with a weak protest. The couple's friends accompanied the new family with singing and dancing.

An aura of mystery surrounded the event. Students at the groom's yeshiva refused to answer questions about the ceremony - though it is known that a "follow-up" real wedding ceremony will be held this evening.

Gays for Guns

Armed Gays Don't Get Bashed!

An interesting twist on the Gods, guns and gays issue: Gays taking up arms to defend themselves against hate and fervently supporting the 2nd Amendment. You go girls!

Check out the boys here.

Couldn't They?

From David Limbaugh's great column today:

Almost since the day many of them voted for the resolution authorizing the president to attack Iraq, the Democrats have been obstructing and hurling nonstop invective at President Bush. Couldn't these people, just once, have put partisanship aside and applauded our progress in Iraq? Couldn't they have celebrated the ouster of the brutal dictator? Couldn't they have rooted for our troops to be greeted as liberators instead of lying in wait like panting dogs to gleefully pronounce that the Iraqi people didn't want us there? Couldn't they have shrieked with horror along with us at Saddam's mass graves? Couldn't they have quit playing politics at least long enough to give the world the impression we had a united front here in the United States?

FAKE!

The documents are fake. I looked at them all day and just cannot believe that they are real with all the discrepencies. WorldNetDaily did a great piece outlining all the issues with the Bush memos giving credit to the great Little Green Footballs and Powerline Blog.

Now DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe says that Karl Rove is behind the memos!

meltdown.

Television in Iraq

You won't find this story on 60 Minutes:

Since its launch in June, al-Sharqiya, the upstart Iraqi channel that produces "Labor and Materials," has been introducing reality TV to a nation that was used to anything but during Saddam Hussein's three decades in power.

The new programming, which also includes soap operas, "Tom and Jerry" cartoons, sports analysis, music videos and original sitcoms, has captivated a populace desperate to escape the endless reminders of car bombings, kidnappings and assassinations on the all-news Arab networks.

An upcoming drama series on al-Sharqiya called "The Looters" will feature families who grew rich off the spoils of ransacking after the U.S.-led war last year. Another show, called "Iraq's Most Melancholy Home Videos," will capture the reactions of Iraqis watching footage of former neighbors now living abroad. "Blessed Wedding" will follow a young couple as they get married, go on their honeymoon and adjust to domestic life together.

"The Iraqis were not used to these kinds of programs," said Alaa Dahan, 37, the director of al-Sharqiya, the country's first privately owned satellite TV station. "But we have to depend on the reality, to focus on the reality, particularly what happened after the war, both the positive and negative sides."

WICTORY WEDNESDAY

Please help re-elect our commander-in-chief! Please donate and volunteer to the campaign not only of Bush but of any Republican running for office; we need sweeping majorities to defeat Democratic obstructionism.

Andrew Sullivan Meet David Brock

Andrew Sullivan is the latest casualty to left-wing bomb throwing blinded solely by his homosexuality; he believes his ability to marry another man is the most important obstacle our nation faces. Blinded by his dick, he shows how a singular issue will blind people to all the rest as he denounces conservatives and republicans thusly:

I CANNOT SUPPORT HIM IN NOVEMBER: I will add one thing more. And that is the personal sadness I feel that this president who praises freedom wishes to take it away from a whole group of Americans who might otherwise support many parts of his agenda. To see the second family tableau with one family member missing because of her sexual orientation pains me to the core. And the president made it clear that discriminating against gay people, keeping them from full civic dignity and equality, is now a core value for him and his party.

Or by comparing conventioneers to Orwellians citizens of North Korea (who eat each other):

When your convention pushes so many different messages, and is united with screaming chants of "U.S.A.", and built around what was becoming almost a cult of the Great Leader.

Andrew Sullivan still doesn't understand, because he cannot have a certificate endorsing gay sex, why anyone would love their country over their party.

Andrew Sullivan is "family" but is a bastard none-the-less.

Another Viet Nam Kerry Ad!

Well, this one is very good!



Check out the site at Viet Nam Vets Against Kerry. And if you still think that only these vets feel betrayed by John Kerry, you can check out these other sites:

Swift Vets
Hanoi John
Against Kerry
Vets Against Kerry
Viet Nam Special Forces Against Kerry
John Kerry...War Hero?
Winter Soldier
Viet Nam Vets Against John Kerry
POW MIA Families Against John Kerry

A Google search will produce 100s more.

Unilateralism

Um, someone forgot to show this map to John F. Kerry and the democrats...



Thanks Poliblog.

Chinese Campaign Contributions

Well, I talked about John Kerry taking money from Communist China in my Real Manchurian Candidate. Looks like the news is picking up this topic as well:

Washington, D.C., public interest group has released FBI documents it says indicates Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry accepted laundered contributions from the Chinese government during his 1996 Senate re-election campaign.

The organization Judicial Watch also contends that in exchange for the donations, Kerry might have arranged meetings between federal government officials and Chinese aerospace executives.

"These disturbing FBI documents raise further questions about Sen. Kerry's involvement in what looks like a quid pro quo -- cash for meetings -- with the communist Chinese," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement.

The Kerry campaign had no immediate comment.

Read the rest here; thanks Instapundit.

More 527s

Crush Kerry points us to Move on for America with two more commercials. I have to admit that I don't care for these ads. Anything untrue in them? No. They just lack something stylistically:



What do you think?

A Great Joke

A powerful senator dies after a prolonged illness.
His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
"Welcome to Heaven," says St. Peter.
"Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem.
We seldom see so high an official around these parts,
you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."
"No problem, just let me in," says the guy.
"Well, I'd like to but I have orders from higher up.
What we'll do is have you spend
one day in Hell and one in Heaven.
Then you can choose where to spend eternity."
"Really, I've made up my mind.
I want to be in Heaven," says the senator.
"I'm sorry but we have our rules."
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator
and he goes down, down, down to Hell.
The doors open and he finds himself in
the middle of a green golf course.
In the distance is a club and standing
in front of it are all his friends and other politicians
who had worked with him.
Everyone is very happy and in evening attire.
They run to greet him, hug him,
and reminisce about the good times they had while
getting rich at the expense of the people.
They play a friendly game of golf and
then dine on lobster and caviar.
Also present is the Devil, who really is a very friendly guy
who has a good time dancing and telling jokes.
They are having such a good time that,
before he realizes it, it is time to go.
Everyone gives him a big hug and waves while the elevator rises.
The elevator goes up, up, up and the
door reopens on Heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.
"Now it's time to visit Heaven."
So 24 hours pass with the head of state
joining a group of contented souls
moving from cloud to cloud,
playing the harp and singing.
They have a good time and, before he realizes it,
the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.
"Well then, you've spent a day in Hell and another in Heaven.
Now choose your eternity"
He reflects for a minute, then the senator answers,
"Well, I would never have said it,
I mean Heaven has been delightful,
but I think I would be better off in Hell."
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and
he goes down, down, down to Hell.
Now the doors of the elevator open and
he is in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.
He sees all his friends, dressed in rags,
picking up the trash and putting it in black bags.
The Devil comes over to him and lays his arm on his neck.
"I don't understand," stammers the senator.
"Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and
club and we ate lobster and caviar and danced and had a great time.
Now all there is, is a wasteland full of garbage
and my friends look miserable.
The Devil looks at him, smiles and says,
"Yesterday we were campaigning...
Today you voted for us!"