Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Pot, Meet Kettle?

This from here:
Many of the articles are presented in the Iraqi press as unbiased news accounts written and reported by independent journalists. The stories trumpet the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce insurgents and tout U.S.-led efforts to rebuild the country.

Though the articles are basically factual, they present only one side of events and omit information that might reflect poorly on the U.S. or Iraqi governments
So they are "basically factual"; and that is a crime? I guess that would be considered a crime to many in the MSM; after all, they have built a reputation on providing factual information, have they not?

And, they present only one side of events and omit information that might reflect poorly on the U.S. or Iraqi governments. Okay, Pot... I've got an assignment for you. Google the terms, "Marines die" or "suicide bomber" or "Abu Ghraib" and see how many MSM stories you get. Then google the terms "Iraq new schools" or "Iraq new hospitals" or "Iraq Kurds grateful" and see how many MSM outlets pick up those stories.

But according to the LA Times and the rest of the MSM, the story's not balanced unless there's something that slams the U.S. or its military or its mission. And if the entire story slams the U.S. or its military or its mission, then it doesn't require balance.

If the U.S. doesn't pay to have the positive things regarding Iraq reported, what other vehicle do they possess to get them out?

It certainly won't happen here

Bastards.

Sorry. That's the only word I can come up with for them lately.

(Filed under The Fifth Column)

Very telling...... very telling...

In what has become a typical move of the left, MN Publius hacked KVM's old Dayton vs. Kennedy website, deleted their archives, and left a snarky post reminiscent of a fifth grader in its place.

Typical of the left. If you're a lefty and you can't defeat a conservative with ideas, then sabotage their means of conveying that message.

Shameless. Absolutely shameless.

***UPDATE****
Andy from Residual Forces (a KvM contributor) adds:
An email was just received claiming responsibility. In what I would describe as irrational political exuberance, one of the MN Publius authors tried to play a practical joke on KvM. They say that they did not intend to delete all the old posts, but they are now gone. The damage is done.


(Filed under Moonbat Adventures)


In what is certainly a "culture of corruption"...

From here:
CHICAGO — A state lawmaker who didn't live in the district she represents was found guilty of using fake addresses on re-election paperwork and voter registration cards, and must resign.

Rep. Patricia Bailey was found guilty Tuesday of election fraud and perjury after a one-day trial.

"You never had a heat, electric, a telephone, a cable bill," Cook County Judge Diane Gordon-Cannon told the Chicago Democrat. "You never lived for 30 minutes inside your district."

Bailey, 52, first elected in 2002, faces up to five years in prison when sentenced Dec. 21. She wouldn't comment as she left the courtroom.

State law requires her to give up her 6th District House seat on Chicago's South Side, but prosecutors were working to determine whether she had to do so immediately or could wait until she was sentenced.

Bailey also will have to leave her job as a Cook County probation officer. She will be ineligible to hold a government job for five years after her sentence is completed.



What this story leaves out is Ms. Bailey's political affiliation. To paraphrase some of our democrat brethren, Ms. Bailey's behavior is emblematic of a "culture of corruption", from their influential leader of the world, to Bob Torricelli, to good ol Rosty to their current congressional leaders.

Yes, when it comes to a "culture of corruption", our good friends on the left side of the aisle appear to have written the book.

(Filed under limousine liberals)

I wonder... I just wonder...

From here:
ROME (Reuters) - Over 380 towns around the world joined forces on Wednesday to condemn the death penalty, as the United States prepared to carry out its 1,000th execution since reinstating capital punishment 30 years ago.

Rome's Colosseum, Brussels' Atomium, Madrid's Santa Ana Square, Buenos Aires' Obelisk and the Moneda Palace in Santiago were being lit up as part of the "Cities for Life" initiative, according to the organizer, the Catholic Sant' Egidio Community in Rome.

Many of the other towns and cities that have signed up to the initiative -- around half of them in Italy -- were hosting vigils or rallies to mark the day.

"Capital punishment supports a culture of death instead of fighting it, and puts the state on the same level as those who kill," said Sant'Egidio spokesman Mario Marazziti.

Which brings me back to the topic...

I wonder, I just wonder, how many of those anti-death penalty folks--I am anti-death penalty, myself, although there are times when I find it tempting to promote it--but I digress. I wonder how many of those anti-death penalty folks are also against yet another death penalty imposed on people who have not committed any crimes, nor were afforded any due process whatsoever before their sentence was carried out...

I wonder.

(Filed under Defense of Life)

That is just so much...BOLSHEVIK!

If this isn't the height of audacity. This is what happens when you deny the existence of God. It is then that one becomes 'god', at least in their own self-aggrandizing, warped imaginations. This from here:
Many environmentalists want a new pact in place by 2008 to help curb a rise in world temperatures. Businesses also want clear long-term climate rules as soon as possible to guide investments.

"What I've heard in the corridors is a range of years from 2008-10. That seems the ballpark that's being discussed" among governments, the U.N.'s Richard Kinley told Reuters during a climate change conference in Montreal.

What pinko-looney claptrap means of pushing a socialist agenda!! Adherence to the Kyoto Protocol couldn't control global temperatures any more than my ferret can control the rising and setting of the sun. But hey, don't let that get in the way of good propaganda.

BTW--if you believe any of this crap, I have a mighty fine parcel of swampland in the Sonoran Desert that I may be willing to part with. Let me know.

If this isn't telling of an agenda...

Headline from Reuters:


Bush to unveil new Iraq plan as violence continues


Just wondering why it couldn't just as easily have been:

Bush to unveil new Iraq plan as building of schools continue

Or...

Bush to unveil new Iraq plan as democracy moves forward

Or...

Bush to unveil new Iraq plan as millions wait to vote in upcoming elections



Bastards.


(Filed under The Fifth Column)

The Religion of Peace.... isn't

Uncle Ben from Hammerswing75 had some horrible news today...

It appears that a family friend of his parents, a peace activist from Britain, was abducted in Iraq along with other peace activists. From here:

Two others, Tom Fox, 51, of Clearbrook, Va., and long-time British peace activist, Norman Kember, 74, were also among those abducted, the group said in a statement Tuesday.

Arab satellite channel al-Jazeera broadcast images earlier in the day believed to be of the four captives.

The footage, rebroadcast on Canadian and American television networks, showed the four dishevelled Westerners seated with their backs against a wall. All appeared to be conscious.

According to the al-Jazeera report, a group calling itself the Swords of Righteousness Brigade claimed responsibility for the kidnappings and has accused the four of being spies working undercover as Christian peace activists.

The group said Tuesday its members were aware of the risks of doing humanitarian work in war-torn nations but “feel the threat does not outweigh the potential benefit of remaining.”

The CPT went on to say it was “very saddened” by the kidnappings, arguing it had worked for the rights of Iraqi prisoners who have been illegally detained and abused by the U.S. government.

“We were the first people to publicly denounce the torture of Iraqi people at the hands of U.S. forces, long before the Western media admitted what was happening at Abu Ghraib,” the group said in its statement.

Somehow, unfortunately, good intentions, no matter how noble in their geneses, are lost on the evil ones that those intentions target; and those evildoers maintain a nasty tendency of exploiting, or even downright scoffing or laughing at well-intentioned "benefactors." The old parable about the scorpion and the turtle comes to mind.

It is my sincere hope that these bastards are hunted down and shot. This may indeed go against what those being held captive were working for, but it remains my contention that there are some in this world that are simply beyond saving; whose evil and hate have completely consumed them.

In these cases, it may be truly said, that the only good terrorist, is a dead terrorist.


(Filed under Religion of Peace?)

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

In defense of life and parenthood... A SCOTUS litmus test in the making..

This from here:
:
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — To some, a never-enforced New Hampshire law requiring parental notification before a minor has an abortion is a backward step for women's rights. To others, it protects parents' right to know if their child is having an abortion.

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider those arguments Wednesday as it begins to weigh whether to reinstate a law that requires parental notification 48 hours before an abortion can be performed on a woman under the age of 18.

The 2003 law was struck down, days before it was to take effect, for failing to provide an exception to protect a minor's health. Under the law, parents or guardians must be notified either in person or by certified mail.

Supporters of the law say a provision that allows a young woman to go to a judge instead of a parent provides needed protection if her health is in danger.

Opponents, however, say the law's requirements could lead to dangerous delays and result in judges making medical decisions instead of doctors. They also view the law as an ill-disguised attempt by abortion opponents to chip away at Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion.

Sorry.. if a minor needs parental permission to down a tylenol for a headache, she also needs parental permission to have an abortion for "health issues." (if that isn't the biggest strawman of the pro-death left, then nothing is). Funny how euphamisms and circumlocutions spring eternal from the culture of death, isn't it?

At any rate this decision will certainly be telling of the future trends of SCOTUS. I sincerely hope that Judge Alito becomes Justice Alito before this case is decided.

(Filed under Defense of Life)

Salvation Army needs YOU!!!

According to Major Fones from the St. Cloud Salvation Army, Kettle donations this season will be more important than ever. Due to apparent "giving fatigue" brought about by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the local Salvation Army is down $20,000 in their year-to-date donations from last year, so it is imperative that they make it up with their bellringer/kettle collections... (pretty hard to do when bozos like these ban bellringers at their stores).

So again, folks, when you pass a kettle, anywhere, anytime, be so kind as to be extra generous with your donations. I can assure you the Salvation Army is the genuine article with a genuine mission to help others in their most dire times of need.

And btw--a donation to my personal kettle (click on the logo on the top-left column) would go toward defraying the costs (i.e., legal etc.,) of the national and regional Salvation Army offices.

I think this guy needs to run in '08

He would probably get my vote. This from here:
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, just back from Iraq, wants President Bush to give the American people details about the progress being made in that country - from military triumphs to the proliferation of cellphones and satellite dishes.
and:
"We do have a strategy," he said. "We do have a plan. I saw a strategy that's being implemented." Lieberman, who is one of Bush's strongest war supporters in the Senate, cited the remarks of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who last month told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the strategy in Iraq was to "clear, hold and build: to clear areas from insurgent control, to hold them securely and to build durable, national Iraqi institutions."
IMO, Lieberman, if he ran as himself, would be a shoe-in for the White House in '08. He would not only grab a wide swath of both centrist republicans and democrats, but would likely attract conservative republicans, as well. He's one of the few democrats who actually get it.  Pity that his current party wouldn't give him the time of day, much less the nod at a presidential bid. 

End of World Tomorrow! ...Europe hardest hit...

This from here:
The report was issued at the agency's headquarters in Copenhagen, coinciding with the first full day of debate at key UN talks on curbing the greenhouse gases that stoke global warming. In the 20th century, the average global temperature rose 0.7 C (1.25 F) as a result of burning coal, gas and coal -- the carbon fuels that are mainly to blame for the rise.

But the rise in Europe was 0.95 C (1.71 F), 35 percent higher, because of the continent's vulnerable location and smaller land mass, the EAA said. "Without effective action over several decades, global warming will see ice sheets melting in the north and the spread of deserts from the south. The continent's population could effectively be concentrated in the centre," EAA Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said.

The European Union is striving to limit the overall global rise in temperature to 2 C (3.6 F) by implementing the UN's Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse-gas pollution and encouraging the use of cleaner resources. But McGlade warned: "Even if we constrain global warming to the EU target of a two-degree (Celsius) increase, we will be living in atmospheric conditions that human beings have never experienced. Deeper cuts in emissions are needed."
Cats sleeping with dogs, democrats making it with republicans---OOOOOhhh the humanity!!!!

Curiously missing from their argument, however, are the temperature records from, say, five, ten, twenty, millenia ago, try even from a century and a half ago!

And what the hell got us out of our last ice age? Was it dinosaur flatulence? Were there wooly mammoths tooling around in stone-age SUVs?

Were Fred and Barney responsible for the global warming that took us out of the last ice age?? Or were their irresponsible driving habits responsible for the ice age itself?!?

Nahh... must have been something Bush did.

Monday, November 28, 2005

On Bush and Immigration

The entire text of Bush's speech this afternoon is here. One of the parts I found most interesting was this:
We face a different set of challenges with non-Mexicans that we -- who we catch crossing the border illegally. When non-Mexican illegal immigrants are apprehended, they are initially detained. The problem is that our detention facilities don't have enough beds. And so, about four of every five non-Mexican illegal immigrants we catch are released in society and asked to return for a court date. When the date arrives, about 75 percent of those released don't show up to the court. As a result, last year, only 30,000 of the 160,000 non-Mexicans caught coming across our southwest border were sent home.

This practice of catch and release has been the government's policy for decades. It is an unwise policy and we're going to end it. (Applause.) To help end catch and release, we need to increase the capacity in our detention facilities. Last month at the White House I signed legislation supported by the members of the Arizona delegation that will increase the number of beds in our detention facilities. We're also working to process illegal immigrants through the system more quickly, so we can return them home faster and free up bed space for others.

One of the most effective tools we have in this effort is a process called expedited removal. Under expedited removal, non-Mexicans are detained and placed into streamlined proceedings. It allows us to deport them at an average of 32 days, almost three times faster than usual. In other words, we're cutting through the bureaucracy. Last year we used expedited removal to deport more than 20,000 non-Mexicans caught entering this country illegally between Tucson and Laredo. This program is so successful that the Secretary has expanded it all up and down the border. This is a straightforward idea. It says, when an illegal immigrant knows they'll be caught and sent home, they're less likely to come to the country. That's the message we're trying to send with expedited removal.
I don't know if this is successful or not. As an educator, all I can say is that there are illegal residents who send children to our schools. And as educators, we are prohibited by law to divulge who those families are. Now I don't suspect that we have any families with Al Qaeda connections at the schools at which I work; but what if we did? The law states that educators cannot report families to INS or to Homeland Security. This, IMO, smacks of "the wall" put up between government agencies that led to the intelligence failures of the 1990s that reportedly enabled this.

Please hear me on this. I have no problem with immigration. It is the process of skirting the law in order to do so that I have a problem with.

Another issue I have some difficulty with is this:
Listen, there's a lot of opinions on this proposal -- I understand that. But people in this debate must recognize that we will not be able to effectively enforce our immigration laws until we create a temporary worker program. The program that I proposed would not create an automatic path to citizenship, it wouldn't provide for amnesty -- I oppose amnesty. Rewarding those who have broken the law would encourage others to break the law and keep pressure on our border. (Applause.)

A temporary worker program, by contrast, would decrease pressure on the border. I support the number of -- increasing the number of annual green cards that can lead to citizenship. But for the sake of justice and for the sake of border security, I'm not going to sign an immigration bill that includes amnesty. (Applause.)
I guess I'm just having trouble with the concept of allowing illegals to work legally after they have circumvented due process, and calling it something other than a form of amnesty. It's akin to catching someone robbing the local 7-11, and saying, "Okay--you can keep the carton of Marlboros, but then you better be on your way!"

At the same time, pragmatically, this would allow us to keep those who choose to participate in the program, so it's a double-edged sword. In terms of principle, I am against it. However, I also realize in the short term that this may be the most pragmatic way available of trying to control the water that already has passed under the bridge.

Said Bush

We make good progress, but you know like I know, there's a lot more to be done. And we've got to continue to work together to get that done, and I'm optimistic that Congress will rise to the occasion. By passing comprehensive immigration reform, we will add to this country's security, to our prosperity, and to justice.

Our nation has been strengthened by generations of immigrants who became Americans through patience and hard work and assimilation. In this new century, we must continue to welcome immigrants, and to set high standards for those who follow the laws to become a part of our country. Every new citizen of the United States has an obligation to learn our customs and values, including liberty and civic responsibility, equality under God and tolerance for others, and the English language. (Applause.) We will continue to pursue policies that encourage ownership, excellence in education, and give all our citizens a chance to realize the American Dream.
It is my hope that the preceding two paragraphs were indeed made in the spirit of sincerity and resolve, vs. the hyperbole that we have all too often come to expect regarding this issue.

Ouch--that's gonna leave a mark!

This from here:

(CNSNews.com) - Angered by the broadcast of a secretly filmed public execution inside North Korea, the Stalinist state has accused the U.S.-based CNN television network of promoting Washington's "regime change" agenda.

Pyongyang also hinted at banning the network from future visits.

"We have allowed CNN in our country for news coverage several times and guaranteed the necessary conditions, but with the incident CNN has dug its own grave," North Korea's official KCNA mouthpiece charged in a weekend commentary.

"[CNN] aired a videotape which seriously misrepresented the independent and fair and aboveboard measures taken by the DPRK for enforcing laws, without confirming their truth," it said.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the reclusive regime's official name.

CNN earlier this month broadcast a documentary entitled "Undercover in the Secret State," showing footage reportedly smuggled out of North Korea by a defector.

In addition to scenes of a public execution by shooting, the program also showed footage depicting other abuses of human rights as well as signs of dissent inside the authoritarian state, including images of a dissident defacing a poster of Kim Jong-il.

The commentary lashed out at the network, calling it a "reptile" and a "trumpeter" for the U.S. administration.
CNN?!? A trumpeter" for the Bush Administration?

I guess the truth hurts, doesn't it? Especially when the entire foundation of your regime, much like many of the Stalinists before you, precariously exists on a steady diet of lies.

Just how hyped is the "Bird Flu"?

This from here
China this month confirmed its first three human cases of bird flu, two of which were fatal. The disease has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003.
But on further review:
Updated Sep 22, 2004
How many people get sick or die from the flu every year?
Each flu season is unique, but it is estimated that, on average, approximately 5% to 20% of U.S. residents get the flu, and more than 200,000 persons are hospitalized for flu-related complications each year. About 36,000 Americans die on average per year from the complications of flu. (emphasis mine)
Well, maybe I'm missing something, but at this time, I'm really wondering if we're spending too much emotion focusing on the "bird flu". Perhaps my skepticism stems from previous scares like this. I suppose I'll keep a cursory watch on this out of the corner of my eye, but I definitely won't lose any sleep over it.

Moonbat in waiting

From here:

Cindy "mother moonbat" Sheehan waits for throngs of admirers in a "book signing" in Crawford Texas. Heh...

(cue cricket sounds)...

Out of Hollywood's wildest "Wishful Thinking"....

Drudge has this story regarding TVs plans for the upcoming year:
  • ABC has two "post apocalyptic programs"
  • CBS is also weighing with two "End of America" programs..
  • Fox's exec VP Craig Erwich: "The creative community appears to be really inspired this year," he says. "It was an exciting time to be buying. I came away pretty encouraged about network TV."  
Yes, words of encouragement to live by. I would say more like a window to the soul of the wishful thinking of the moonbat left.


Filed under Moonbat Adventures)

Friday, November 25, 2005

More from the "religion of peace"

Fox News reports on an internet video that purportedly shows the planning and carrying out of the deadly wedding blasts at a Jordanian Hotel carried out by Zarqawi-led Al Qaeda adherents of the "Religion of Peace". Perhaps most telling of the article is this
The final scene shows the attack under way with a subtitle in Arabic saying "the holy warriors are watching the execution of the raid." Men are heard shouting "Allah u-Akbar," or "God is Great," as a big cloud of smoke rises from the scene.
Yes, I'm sure God was smiling as he saw innocent men, women and children, innocents of His creation, being blown to smithereens.

Bastards.

(Filed under Religion of Peace?)

A very merry Christmas, girls... from the Religion of Peace..

A South-African website has this story here:
Iraq seizes booby-trapped toys
24/11/2005 17:13 - (SA)

Baghdad - The Iraqi army said on Thursday it had seized a number of booby-trapped children's dolls, accusing insurgents of using the explosive-filled toys to target children.

The dolls were found in a car, each one containing a grenade or other explosive, said an army statement.

The government said that two men driving the car had been arrested in the western Baghdad district of Abu Ghraib.

"This is the same type of doll as that handed out on several occasions by US soldiers to children," said government spokesperson Leith Kubba.

It was not immediately clear when the find was made or the suspects arrested.
This story is also reported by ABC, and The Turkish press, among others.

As I have stated here, if this trend continues, Zarqawi and Co. will have soon overstayed their welcome. Soldiers whom I have spoken with who have been recently "in theatre" state that Iraqi civilians are becoming more and more bold in outing terrorist strongholds. Our efforts are working.

Now if our "friends" on the left would quit sabatoging those efforts at every turn, perhaps we could make even more headway.

It's a sorry state of affairs when circumstances necessitate fighting one war on two fronts.

(Filed under Iraq, Religion of Peace?)

Canadians better take heed... "Bono" doesn't like what you're doing.

From here:

Rock star Bono made a pre-election visit to Ottawa on Friday, offering harsh words for Prime Minister Paul Martin over his failure to firmly commit to increasing its foreign aid budget.

Bono has urged Mr. Martin to increase aid to 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product by 2015 — a target already adopted by most G8 countries.

"I am personally not just disappointed, I'm crushed, actually, because I really believed that the Prime Minister would do that," he said, noting Canada is the only country in the G8 to boast a surplus.

Well... knock me over with a feather. Canadians... looks like you better buck up. You have done gone and "crushed" an aging, has-been "rock star" who can't even vote in your country. Have you no shame?!?


(Filed under Moonbat Adventures)

The Grey Old Lady has gotten a bit senile...

American Future has a long, but well-worth reading chronology of the evolution of their editorial stance toward Iraq:
The New York Times on Iraq, 1993-2005

Baghdad forfeits the protection of the U.N. cease-fire resolution every time it violates the cease-fire terms. [January 21, 1993 editorial]

This page remains persuaded of the vital need to disarm Iraq. But it is a process that should go through the United Nations. [March 17, 2003 editorial]

A war can be lost because public opinion turns against its continued prosecution. The New York Times – the self-described “newspaper of record” – is among the world’s most influential opinion leaders. As shown by the cited quotations, the newspaper’s stance on Iraq underwent a complete transformation during the decade separating 1993 and 2003. While its editors never lost their fear of Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their prescription for countering the threat posed by the weapons was altered beyond recognition. In 1993, by arguing that cease-fire violations nullified U.N. protection, the Times affirmed the right of a victorious party to resume hostilities at its sole discretion if the party it defeated did not abide by the terms of the agreement to which it affixed its signature. Ten years later, the Times reversed its stance, asserting that the United States should not go to war without the approval of the United Nations. In so doing, the Times implicitly argued that going to war with the approval of a multilateral institution took precedence over the use of military force to expeditiously eliminate the threat posed by Iraq’s WMD.
I wonder if the wind will blow in yet another direction when the president has a "D" after her name.

h/t to Heartland.

(Filed under Iraq, Moonbat Adventures)

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Another thing for which I am grateful...

Today I spoke with Sergeant Major Alan Fones of the St. Cloud Salvation Army. We discussed what the Salvation Army does, and how it is funded. It's a remarkable organization (present in the St. Cloud area since 1896) that provides (just in the St. Cloud area) over 100 meals per day, and provides, if my memory serves me correct, 50 beds a night in emergency shelter for persons and families in the St. Cloud area. They also help with heating bills and rental assistance when funds are available.

Major Fones remarked that a high percentage of those individuals with families that they serve are actually gainfully employed, although they either don't earn enough, or they are going through other rough times (i.e., home foreclosure, unexpected medical expenses, etc.,).

Major Fones also stated that 70% of the cost of their programs, amounting to around $1,000,000 per year in capital expenses (only a very small portion of that goes to a paid skeletal staff--the remainder are volunteers), coupled with another million-and-a-half in donated food and clothing by area businesses and citizens, is locally generated, and that fully a third of their operating budget is generated by their volunteer Christmas Kettle bellringers. Another 30% of their funding comes from United Way and government grants.

After having visited their facility (they will be getting a new one, soon), I can say without reservation that these are dedicated, selfless people with a genuine driven mission to help others that may otherwise be marginalized in our society. They are truly a worthy charity.

As I said, The local Salvation Army counts on Kettle contributions for one-third of their operating expenses. This translates into a goal of $300,000 in loose bills and coins, just for the St. Cloud area.

So when you pass a Salvation Army Kettle this Christmas Season, please take the time to put in what you can. The stuff that folds is nice, too, and please give early and often. I can assure you that it is for a worthy cause.

And, if you feel so inclined, please click on my "personal kettle" on the upper-left hand corner of this blog. Your donation will go to the national and regional Salvation Army offices. These funds are then dispersed to local chapters in the form of insurance, legal aid, and other overhead expenses, which Major Fones stated are likewise indispensible in their mission.

P.S.S. When I wrote this post, I was unaware as to exactly how much the local Salvation Army counts on Kettle Collections; and even with Target Store's current program to collect "gift cards" for the National Salvation Army, this does little to nothing to actually help with the operating expenses of local Chapters. I would ask, if you are so inclined, to write a letter to Target to voice your displeasure with their decision to ban Kettle-ringers from their stores, and to once again honor their stated mission of being involved in their local communities. It costs Target nothing to allow this, and the benefits are inestimable.

They are conveniently located in Minnesota. You could probably call their offices tomorrow at (612) 696-3400.

Thanks.

(Filed under Good Works)

A Thanksgiving gift ... from Islamists who "get it"

This from here:
AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan's King Abdullah II urged his new prime minister Thursday to launch an all-out war against Islamic militancy in the wake of the triple hotel bombings earlier this month that killed 63 people.

In a letter to newly appointed Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit, Abdullah said the Nov. 9 bombings "increase our determination to stick to our reform and democratization process, which is irreversible."

"At the same time, it reaffirms our need to adopt a comprehensive strategy to confront the Takfiri culture," Abdullah said, referring to the ideology adopted by Al Qaeda and other militants who condone the killing of those they consider infidels.

This comes as welcome news. It is lucky for us that Al Zarqawi decided to have a major brain fart, and unmasked himself for the whole Islamic world to see. He is now reaping what he sowed, and it would appear that this may be the beginning of the end of Islamic indifference to atrocities committed by their radical brethren.

It's only too bad that it required an attack on their own in order for them to start seeing the light.

(Filed under Religion of Peace?, Iraq, World Affairs)

Want to catch up on what's happening,,,around the MOBosphere?

The Minnesota Organization of Bloggers is a group of what I would call tightly knit bloggers of varying political persuasions (though admittedly mostly conservative). A trip around the MOB blogroll (in the left column) will treat a reader with a variety of insights into national and local matters, as well as writing that will make you laugh until milk comes out of your nose.

Now there is a clearinghouse of the latest posts of the MOBosphere. The Minnesota Organization of Blogs put together by Doug Bass, has blog listings, as well as the last three posts of each blog in the MOB.

It's a great digest when you're on the run and you want to keep up with the vast amount of talent that's yours for the reading, in the "State where nothing is allowed." :)


(Filed under Fun with da MOB)

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Anything to help out a fellow-blogger


Surly Dave is calling on his readers to bring about some friendly pressure for the New MOB mayor to confer upon Dave an at once meaningless yet important sounding title.

Never let it be said that the Psycmeistr leaves his friends in a... errr... lurch.






Your Honor, you are so notified.

(Hey, I am a mob member, and I'm Sicilian-Italian.. it's gotta carry some weight).


(Filed under Fun with Da Mob)

Just one more aside.. and WOW...

Fellow St. Cloud blogger. Gary Gross at Let Freedom Ring had something happen that the rest of us bloggers can only dream about.. an avalanche of traffic from Instapundit for a link to this post that gave him more visitors in one day than I have gotten this entire year. I am jealous.


Congratulations, Gary!!

(Filed under Fun w/da MOB)

Happy Thanksgiving

A very happy Thanksgiving to all of our dear readers from all of us at the Ice Palace (yeah, I guess I can speak for all of my alleged "contributors" as well) :)

I wish all of you an abundance of God's blessings and good health throughout the coming Christmas season, and throughout the coming years.

And I can't say it enough... I am at once thrilled and humbled at the prospect of people taking time out of their busy days to read these screeds... For that I am truly thankful.

I'll try to blog once in a while this weekend, but probably not alot. I'll be helping my sister in law in Virginia, Minnesota complete her moving tasks..

Have a great weekend!

-Leo-

(Filed under Housekeeping)

Give to the MDE legal fund...

As I have written here, Minnesota Democrats Exposed is fighting a frivolous lawsuit filed in a lame attempt to out his/her true identity. This is a gross mis-use of our legal system, not to mention what I call a "jack booted tactic" to rain retribution by an intellectually-bankrupt "threatened" political enemy. I call on all who decry the "if you can't win in the arena of ideas, then kill them in court" mentality, to visit MDE and click on the "donate here" link on the blog's header.

(Filed under Fun with Da MOB, Moonbat Adventures)

I'm no King Banaian, but..

From here:

WASHINGTON — While the hurricanes of 2005 brought loss and suffering to hundreds of thousands of people, they also brought record profits for oil companies that benefited from higher prices while offshore rigs and pipelines were shut down.

The result has spawned some curious politics. Last week, Senate Republicans tucked a $4 billion dollar tax increase on giant oil companies into a bill providing $60 billion in tax cuts to victims of Hurricane Katrina, various U.S. industries and upper-middle class families.

The White House immediately vowed to veto the Senate bill, placing it in the awkward position of sacrificing tax cuts for millions of Americans in order to shield oil companies from higher taxes even after they racked up more than $32 billion in third-quarter profits.

Now, please feel free to tell me if I'm mistaken, but when the tax rate is increased on a corporate entity, just who ends up paying the tax? Higher taxes=higher costs of doing business. Higher costs of doing business=decreased profits. Decreased profits=bad report to shareholders. What's left to do? Raise prices. Who pays the tax? We do! Not to mention relaxed competition for foreign producers, who may be immune from this tax increase, and thus less-likely to hold the line on their own prices. And not to mention the decreased incentive for further production and exploration. Perhaps King can shed some more light on this, but at least that's my feeble understanding of economics.

Although the expedient political advantages in such a move are more than evident at face value (i.e., "get even" with the "greedy" oil companies); to my understanding, feeble as it is, this "feelgood" measure will only serve to apply upward pressure on the cost of oil and gas, and will only serve to further damage our economy in both the short and the long run.


(Filed under Energy Madness)

Reporting for... err duty

From Fox News:
Kerry Gets Jury Duty, Elected Foreman Wednesday, November 23, 2005

BOSTON — Sen. John Kerry's public profile and prosecutorial past didn't spare him from performing that most mundane of civic responsibilities — jury duty. Kerry was not only chosen this week to sit on a jury in Suffolk Superior Court, but also was elected foreman.
Fast forward to 2008:

"It was seaaared... seaared in my mind... Christmas, 2005.. I was in Cambodia (err.. John--that was Suffolk)...err.. yeah.. Suffolk...

(enter Suffolk Juror Veterans for Truth)




Curtain.

Another adventure in the life of the left-winged moonbat...


From here:
CRAWFORD, Texas — A dozen war protesters were arrested Wednesday for setting up camp near President Bush's ranch in defiance of new local bans on roadside camping and parking.

About four hours after the group pitched six tents and huddled in sleeping bags and blankets, McLennan County sheriff's deputies arrested them for criminal trespassing.

Another dozen or so demonstrators left the public right of way after deputies warned them they would be arrested.

The protest was set to coincide with Bush's Thanksgiving ranch visit.

The arrests were made by more than two dozen deputies who calmly approached the demonstrators in their tents and asked if they wanted to walk out on their own or be carried. Two chose to be carried. They were to be taken to jail for booking.

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan wasn't among the protesters Wednesday because of a family emergency in California, but she planned to be at the camp later in the week.(emphases mine)

Heh... likely excuse!
(on phone) "Hi... yes, this is mother moonbat... you what? Ohh.. you're in Crawford now..? That's nice. Uhh huh? Ohhh... where am I? Well.. you see, I kinda like had this... err.. family emergency... yeah... errr uhh...I was, err.. like in the middle of making this tofu turkey? Yeah... the ones that were, like, on sale at Mother Earth co-op.. and...uhh... it like, burned really bad and... uhhh.. we had smoke damage... and uh... I'm waiting for the insurance adjustor... No, no... don't wait on my account...you go right ahead! We can't have my... err... our agenda sidetracked... What? The police are coming? Well... you just give 'em hell.. and I'll take the credit...errr.. I'll be with you in spirit? K? Well.. the insurance adjustor should be here any minute., ..so... like, I gotta kinda get going.. Oh... be a dear and tell that cute jailer at cellblock 8 I said hi, and tell her that I think she's like, really hot. Hugs n kisses, now! (click)

They lied.

From here (subscription may be required)
ALBRIGHT (February 18, 1998): Iraq is a long way from Ohio, but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face, and it is a threat against which we must and will stand firm.

BILL CLINTON (February 17, 1998): Or we take some ambiguous third route which gives him yet more opportunities to develop this program of weapons of mass destruction and continue to press for the release of sanctions and continue to ignore the solemn commitments that he made. DEAN (January 31, 1998): Iraq is an international outlaw. I'm not sure China is one, but I'm quite sure Iran and Iraq are.

SANDY BURGLAR (February 18, 1998): He will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. And someday, some way, I am certain, he will use that arsenal again, as he has ten times since 1983.

PELOSI (November 17, 2002): Saddam Hussein certainly has chemical and biological weapons, there's no question about that.

ROCKEFELLER (October 10, 2002): There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years. We also should remember, we have always underestimated the progress that Saddam Hussein has been able to make in the development of weapons of mass destruction.

BIDEN (August 4, 2002): We know he continues to attempt to gain access to additional capability, including nuclear capability. There is a real debate how far off that is, whether it's a matter of years, or whether it's a matter of less than that. And so there's much we don't know.

REID (September 18, 2002): Saddam Hussein in effect has thumbed his nose at the world community. And I think that the president's approaching this in the right fashion.

TIM RUSSERT (September 15, 2002): Do you believe we could have disarmament without regime change? HILLARY: I doubt it. I can support the president. I can support an action against Saddam Hussein because I think it's in the long-term interests of our national security.

JOHNNY "THE BRECK GIRL" EDWARDS (January 7, 2003): Serving on the intelligence committee and seeing day after day, week after week, briefings on Saddam's weapons of mass destruction and his plans on using those weapons, he cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons. It's just that simple.(emphases added)

BAYH (March 17, 2003) : Bill, I support the president's efforts to disarm Saddam Hussein. I think he was right on in his speech tonight. The lessons we learned following September the 11th were that we can't wait to be attacked again, particularly when it involves weapons of mass destruction. So, regrettably, Saddam has not done the right thing, which is disarm, and we're left with no alternative but to -- but to take action.

Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?

This from here:
QUINCY, Mass. — Thousands of low-income Massachusetts residents will receive discounted home heating oil this winter under an agreement signed Tuesday with Venezuela, whose government is a political adversary of the Bush administration.

A subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company will supply oil at 40 percent below market prices. It will be distributed by two nonprofit organizations, Citizens Energy Corp. and the Mass Energy Consumer Alliance.

The agreement gives President Hugo Chavez's government standing as a provider of heating assistance to poor U.S. residents at a time when U.S. oil companies have been reluctant to do so and Congress has failed to expand aid in response to rising oil prices.

U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., met with Chavez in August and helped broker the deal. He said his constituents' needs for heating assistance trump any political points the Chavez administration can score.

"This is a humanitarian gesture," Delahunt said, speaking after a news conference with Venezuelan officials outside the home of a constituent who will receive heating aid.

I hate our current energy situation. I hate having to deal with people who would just as soon see the people in your nation rot or die but take our money just the same. That's why I am so adamant that we tap our own domestic oil reserves, wherever we can find them. I just wish our elected Minnesota Republican representatives would see things the same way.

In the "With friends like these.... Department...

Fox news has This story:
Iranian Leader Wants U.S. Pullout Wednesday, November 23, 2005

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's supreme leader urged the Iraqi president on Tuesday to seek a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, saying the American presence harms the country.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who is paying a three-day visit to Iran, a country the United States accuses of meddling in Iraq but that is closely allied to Iraq's new Shiite and Kurd-dominated leadership.

But with a friend like this, does the new Iraqi leadership need any enemies?

Also, Do you think that the Iraqis have only the most pure, altruistic intentions for their Islamic neighbors, or do you think that this call may be possibly due to the fact that the Iranian leadership is quite uncomfortable with the U.S. presence breathing down their neck and wrecking their buzz?

(Filed under Iraq, World Affairs)

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

MDE under attack?

It would appear that Minnesota Democrats Exposed, an anonymous blogger whose identity is largely unknown by those on the left and right side of the aisle alike, is attacked via lawsuit, apparently in an attempt to have his host server out his/her name. The controversy apparently centers around a photo originally posted on IMP that was removed upon request of MDE's web host via Inside Minnesota. Despite MDE's timely removal of the photo in question, IMP has proceeded with a lawsuit. Mayor Doug has sounded a clarion call for other Minnesota bloggers to come to MDE's side, in supporting MDE with a legal defense fund. The folks at KAR have also come to MDE's defense, as has Kevin Ecker

I am not a legal scholar by any stretch of the imagination, but it is clear to me that the agenda of Inside Minnesota Politics is unmistakable: that is to stifle debate through jack-booted tactics vs. the natural engagement of debate in the arena of ideas that is the blogosphere.

If you are an attorney familiar with copyright law, please contact MDE.

(Filed under Moonbat Adventures)

What a difference a couple of generations make...

From John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address, 20 January, 1961.
Vice President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, President Truman, reverend clergy, fellow citizens, we observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning—signifying renewal, as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago.
The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe—the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.
We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage—and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
This much we pledge—and more.
To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do—for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.
To those new States whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom—and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.
To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required—not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
Right now, I think ol' JFK is rolling in his grave.

(Filed under Moonbat Adventures, Iraq)

Would that they defend the unborn with such vigor

From here:
Humane Society Sues Over Poultry Slaughter
Nov 21 6:14 PM US/Eastern

By LIBBY QUAID AP Food and Farm Writer

WASHINGTON

Chickens and turkeys should be covered by the same law as cows, pigs and other animals when they are slaughtered, the Humane Society of the United States said in a lawsuit filed Monday against the Agriculture Department.

Before becoming T-bone steak or pork ribs, livestock must be stunned or otherwise unable to feel pain, according to the federal Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. However, the Agriculture Department maintains that the 47-year-old law does not apply to poultry.

The Humane Society argues that common methods of slaughtering poultry are not only cruel; they increase the risk of contamination that leads to food poisoning. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.

Typically, birds arriving at a slaughterhouse are dumped from their crates onto conveyor belts, then shackled upside down on a conveyor line, the Humane Society said. The humane slaughter act specifically prohibits shackling and hanging of conscious animals by their legs, the Humane Society said.

I wonder.. I just wonder how many of the Humane Society are equally opposed to the pain that these other living beings feel. Do not these most helpless among us deserve at least the same deference as cows, pigs, chickens, or other animals?

Government Taxpayers Take over another pension plan...

From here:
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. Taxpayer-funded bailout program said these two companies were among the subsidiaries of St. Louis-based Falcon Products that filed for bankruptcy protection in January of this year.

The PBGC Taxpayers, which insures private defined-benefit pension plans, said that a bankruptcy court has ruled that the companies met all the criteria under federal law to transfer their pension liabilities to the pension insurance programTaxpayers.

The PBGC estimates that together the two pension plans being taken over are 44 percent funded, with about $26 million in assets to cover nearly $59 million in benefit promises. The agency said it Taxpayers will be liable for $31.6 million of the $33 million shortfall. (Edits, emphases mine)
Question: why doesn't the taxpayers government just take on all pension plans. Where's the incentive for these corporations to keep these plans solvent?

Radio Program to focus on persecuted Christians...

Click here to listen live to Joseph Farah interview Todd Nettleson, spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs. Listen live today from 2pm-6pm CST, to hear more about the estimated 160,000 Christians who are martyred each year, and the rise in numbers of persecuted Christians around the globe. (Filed under V.O.M.)

In a humanitarian gesture by the Bush administration....

From here:
ANAHEIM, Calif. — President Bush is set to make the traditional pardon of a Thanksgiving turkey today. But this bird isn't heading to some petting zoo. It's going to Disneyland.

The 35-pound Tom Turkey will be grand marshall of the Disneyland Thanksgiving Day parade.

And the big bird is flying west in style. After the reprieve on the White House lawn, the turkey and its alternate will be given a police escort to a Washington-area airport.

From there they'll fly first-class to Los Angeles. After the parade duties are over, the turkeys will live out their days at a Disneyland ranch.

The good folks at Freedom Dogs have released an advance photo of the now-pardoned turkey:

(Filed under fun stuff, Rinos)

Time to right some wrongs...

From here:
DeLay Attorneys to Ask Judge to Dismiss Charges Tuesday, November 22, 2005 AUSTIN, Texas — Attorneys for Rep. Tom DeLay are hoping a judge will dismiss the conspiracy and money laundering charges against DeLay so the former House majority leader can regain the powerful seat. DeLay will appear in court again Tuesday, this time before a new judge who will decide whether the criminal case should continue to trial.
While it is my fervent hope that these spurious charges will be dropped, that should and must not be the end of it. Countersuits must necessarily be filed, accompanied by aggressive bi-cameral paper trail investigations to see who was behind these charges. Democrats have as of late made it a sport to file trumped up charges as a means to sidetrack and disrupt progress in all levels of government, and this practice must stop. A mechanism must be formed to punish those who would engage in this type of malfeasance and blatant abuse of prosecutorial power, as it is clearly not in the best interests of this nation.

The worst thing that the Republicans could do in this case would be to let bygones be bygones. This lunacy must stop.

Monday, November 21, 2005

Out of both sides of their mouths...

HINO (Husband In Name Only) says this.

Now WINO (Wife In Name Only) says this. You see, WINO wants to run for president in 2008.

WINO no doubt took HINO to the woodshed, as evident by here. Heh.


(Filed under Moonbat Adventures, Iraq)

A lesson in contradictions?

During a drive about town this weekend, I noticed a "rusted speck" of a Subaru, with the  "usual complement" of bumper stickers; among them, the obligatory "What Would Wellstone Do?"; "Envision Peace", "War is Not the Answer" and "Impeach Bush". Perhaps, most curiously, at the bottom left just above the rusted bumper was the sticker that loudly proclaimed,

I refuse to give up my freedoms!.

This led to the nearly-uncontrollable urge to jump out of my car, run up to the moonbat and ask, "Just how in the hell do you think you got those freedoms, Bozo?!?"

Some people's kids.


(filed under Moonbat adventures)

A worthy effort

RED FRIDAYS —– Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the “silent majority”. We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions.

Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV — let’s make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once “silent” majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.

The first thing a soldier says when asked “What can we do to make things better for you?” is…We need your support and your prayers. Let’s get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear some thing r ed every Friday.

IF YOU AGREE — THEN SEND THIS ON

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE.

THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED—- SO WEAR RED! —

 

(h/t to Residual Forces)


(Filed under Iraq, Heroes).

Simutaneously interesting and illustrative

From WaPo:
Officials Probing Whether Raid in Mosul Killed Zarqawi


By Ellen Knickmeyer and Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, November 21, 2005; A11


BAGHDAD, Nov. 20 -- An Iraqi police commander said Sunday that U.S. and Iraqi officials were certain that seven men who fought to the death in a house in northern Iraq were members of al Qaeda but were still trying to determine whether one of them was Abu Musab Zarqawi, the Jordanian insurgent leader.

U.S. and Iraqi forces remained deployed around the site of the three-hour gunfight Saturday at a house in the city of Mosul, north of Baghdad. Children stayed home from class on Sunday, a school day in the Islamic world, and other residents kept off the streets, presumably fearing that more fighting might result from the heavy military presence in the city.

Joint forces backed by U.S. military helicopters had surrounded the house after receiving a tip that led them to believe that Zarqawi might be inside, the governor of Nineveh province, Duraid Kashmoula, said Saturday.

As Iraqi soldiers and U.S. Special Forces advisers went into the building, grenades rained down from the roof, wounding 11 of them, according to a U.S. Army officer near where the raid occurred. Multiple explosions collapsed the building, and two American Special Forces troops were killed, he said.

Kashmoula said four of the fighters inside died while resisting the assault, and three others blew themselves up with explosives rather than be captured. A woman was also found inside with the words "suicide bomber" marked on her chest, officials said. Brig. Gen. Said Ahmed Jubouri, a police commander in Mosul, said the force of the suicide blasts destroyed the house.

Zarqawi is the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, a group allied with the larger al Qaeda organization and that is believed responsible for many suicide attacks in Iraq.

Kashmoula said U.S. officials retrieved the remains and were investigating whether Zarqawi was among the dead.

U.S. military officials believe it is possible that Zarqawi was killed in the raid but will not know with certainty until DNA tests are run, said a U.S. military intelligence official involved in Iraqi issues.
I know, we've been down this road before, but it would certainly be a great shot in the arm to the morale of our troops, along with being a blow to democrats.

And now, for the illustrative part:

(Scene in WaPo press room:

Knickmeyer: "Geeze... looks like they might've gotten Zarqawi. I don't want to report it..
Ricks: "Yeah... geeze.. that would be good news on the fight in Iraq. I don't want to report it, .either.

Knickmeyer: Yeah.. but someone else will report it, then...

Ricks: Hey--I know.. I just picked this one up off the wire--let's add this:

Meanwhile, a U.S. soldier was killed by small-arms fire Sunday near the capital. The soldier was assigned to the Army's Task Force Baghdad. A Marine, assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division, died of wounds suffered the day before in Karmah, near a village outside Fallujah, the military reported. In the southern city of Basra, a roadside bomb killed a British soldier, the British Ministry of Defense said.
Knickmeyer & Ricks: "YESSSSS!"

Scene ends with Knickmeyer and Ricks giving each other the "high-five.")


Curious, isn't it, how folks in the MSM see no need to "balance" bad news with the good; but they nonetheless find it irresistibly necessary to "balance" good news with the bad.


(Filed under Iraq, Moonbat Adventures)

Saturday, November 19, 2005

GOPers in the US Senate-- Can you hear the sucking sound?

It's the sound of the life being sucked out of your base. Folks are becoming more and more disillusioned. I heard from some GOP faithful at today's endorsement convention that 2006 will be a difficult year to be elected, and that Republicans will need more than ever to shore up their base. Do you possibly think that doing what we elected you to do may go toward doing just that?

Perhaps you can take a queue from your bretheren in the House.

(Filed under RINOs0

The "Ox" gets the nod... Part Two

Senate District 15 Republican delegates, on a 38-17 initial vote, endorsed Dan "The Ox" Ochsner for their candidate to replace outgoing St. Cloud Mayor-Elect Dave Kleis's Minnesota Senate seat.

The endorsment gave Dan Ochsner the nod over SCSU Aviation professor Jeff Johnson, a jet aviator and former business owner, who gave a well-prepared, well-polished power-point enhanced stump speech.

Jeff Johnson was also backed by Dan Severson, who described Johnson as "tenacious, hard driving" personality with consistent conservative values. SCSU's College Republicans also gave a resounding endorsement of Johnson (who happens to be one of their campus advisors). Johnson gave an emotional appeal for his candidacy, based curiously more on his original ideas on national security issues, such as overcoming hand-held rocket launchers employed by terrorists, avian flu, etc., (as applied to Minnesota) but touched little on Minnesota bread-and-butter issues. He did present a good idea to employ GPS technology to track sexual offenders. Johnson ended his speech with a play on emotions, with visuals citing a conversation he had with Deena Burnett, widow of St. John's graduate Tom Burnett, one of the heroes who went down on a flight over Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, and told of the pledge he made to Deena to fight for security issues for Minnesota.

Despite the fact that it was a very well-polished speech, and the fact that Mr. Johnson had some well-thought ideas, his focus was mostly on national issues vs. the local issues at hand. I have no doubt in my mind that he would make a viable candidate running for a national office.

Dan Ochsner was backed by Dave Kleis and Sue Ek. Kleis gave a resounding endorsement of Ochsner, saying that Ochsner has already developed working relationships with the movers and shakers in St. Paul by virtue of his morning talk show here in St. Cloud. Ochsner is also active in the local chamber, as well as with the Minnesota Office of Tourism. Ochsner knows and has a working relationship with the governor, as well as with many senators and congressman currently in St. Paul. Kleis characterized Ochsner as a candidate who could "hit the ground running" and could not only win in the special election (supposedly to be held on December 27), but could also hang on to the seat in the November 2006 elections. Sue Ek (endorsed GOP candidate for the seat of outgoing Minnesota 15B Representative Joe Opatz) also gave a sound endorsement of Ochsner, noting that he was MCCL endorsed, and emphasizing "The Ox's" consistent conservative views that he espouses day in and day out on his show.

The difference between the speaking styles of Ochsner and Johnson were night and day. Where Johnson was well-polished and professional, Ochsner presented himself as an "everyday Joe", with no spit and polish, no power point presentation, and plenty of lighthearted humor. With no podium on which to place his speech (which a reliable source states that he penned last night) "the Ox" opted to sit down at a table on the stage (which was rather refreshing in its own right). Ochsner was all business, however, in outlining the issues. He stressed his pro-life, pro marriage stance, and vowed that he would vote for anything that strengthens those issues, and vote against anything that would weaken those issues. He also expressed his support to change committee rules, so that all bills brought before the Minnesota senate would be given a due up-or-down vote, instead of being stonewalled by a powerful few. He also stated his intention to work toward tort reform in Minnesota.

Aside for the raison d' etre for the convention, the entire compliment of GOP candidates for the U.S. 6th Congressional district were on hand to stump their stuff. Jay Esmay gave his usual good stump speech on the notion that much like Mark Kennedy and John Kline, Jay could use his newcomer status to his advantage. He spoke of being "the real article", and that he would strive to combat the "obfuscation" practiced by democrats with regard to the Iraqi war and other issues. Additionally, Jay expressed that in being a newcomer, he would not need to defend any unpopular legislative decisions and could be viewed by voters as a "fresh start". In a later conversation with Jay, he confided that he feels he is the only candidate that is "allowed to be (him)self", as the other congressional candidates needed to move to the right in order to receive delegate endorsement. Esmay answered in the affirmative when asked whether he supported having access to ANWR, offshore drilling opportunities, and other domestic sources of energy.

Jim Knoblach also gave a great speech, noting how he was an "electable conservative that gets things done". Knoblach co-authored the Minnesota Defense of Marriage Amendment (Yours truly had a hand in that, but I'll tell that story another time). Also, as the chair of the Bonding Committee, Knoblach stated that he cut 40% off of the bonding budget. In his first year as the Chairman of the powerful Minnesota House Ways & Means Committee, Knoblach put together the 2003 budget that all but erased a 4.5 billion dollar budget deficit, "without raising taxes." Knoblach also cited his leadership on the Minnesota Republican Campaign Committee as being instrumental in giving the State of Minnesota House a Republican majority. He also emphasized his ability to win big against formidable opponents in an area that has not, at least traditionally, reliably voted republican. If elected, Knoblach vowed to tackle social security, immigration, and what he sees as the erosion of our Constitutional rights. In a later conversation, Knoblach also supported the opening of domestic sources of oil, including ANWR and offshore drilling opportunities.

Phil Krinke also made an appearance. Krinke spoke of the need to defend our civil rights, mainly our Second Amendment rights, as well as the rights of the taxpayers to have their money spent in a responsible manner. Krinke gave a stirring speech in which he related what he held was a true story in Iraq, in which a 5 year old Iraqi girl stood in the street, blocking a convoy, while holding a beanie-baby doll given to her by a U.S. Soldier. The leader of the convoy got out of the humvee, and asked her to move, several times, but the girl refused. Finally, as the story goes, the girl pointed to an IED planted in the roadway. Krinke emphasized the importance of our mission in Iraq, and the need to counteract those who would have us "cut and run". I wanted to speak with Mr. Krinke afterward, but he had left quickly after the end of the convention. It is my guess that Mr. Krinke didn't feel that his chances with these voters were good, especially since two of his challengers come from this very area.

Michelle Bachmann gave what I like to call her "June Cleaver on steroids" speech. Now, just to set the record straight, I do not say this in a disparaging manner toward Bachmann. Sporting a "permasmile" (which I take it she gets from her very nature, which exudes unbounded energy), Bachmann touted herself as making up for those who "lack the guts to lead." Bachmann, who has raised a total of 23 foster kids, as well as her own five biological children, presented herself as a passionate pro-lifer. She touted her expertise in the tax arena, both as a state legislator and as a tax lawyer. She wants federal laws passed that would raise federal taxes only by public referendum, and she also expressed limiting the scope of the judiciary as another of her main priorities. In a private conversation later, Bachmann expressed dismay and "suprise" that Mark Kennedy was against accessing domestic sources of oil (specifically ANWR;) even though this has long-known to be Kennedy's Achille's heel with many conservatives. Bachmann stated that she had spoken to many conservatives that were disappointed in Kennedy's stance on this issue, and told me that she personally thought that the stance was irresponsible in a time of high energy need and war. She told me that if she was elected, she would continue to press for more domestic oil production and discovery.

As I have stated before, I believe that we have a great field of candidates from which to choose, and whomever receives the final nod from delegates will serve us well. There are no bad choices in the field.

Curiously, one of the highlights of the affair was a chance to re-aquaint myself with Commander Jeff Howe, of Rockville, who just two days ago returned from a 17-month deployment in Iraq with the Minnesota National Guard.

Being the great American that he is, Commander Howe stated that it was his intention to soon take a delegation from his Unit to Mississippi, where my son happens to be currently training. Jeff wants to bring the expertise that they have enmassed in being able to spot trouble situations, as well as signs of IEDs, and relate their experience to those of the Minnesota National Guard who will soon be deploying. Howe related that although he put in the request, he was not sure if the Guard would approve the funding to be able to make it happen. I assured him that if there was anyone I could contact as a parent of a soldier to make it happen, to let me know. (I will pass this information on to my readers, as well)

Howe related that he lost a man in combat on the turret of a humvee. Howe also opined that if that Humvee was equipped with a $17,ooo electronic remote turret, that the soldier's life would probably have been spared, although he acknowledged that fitting all humvees with that technology would have been expensive. Howe did state that he believes that the current crop of humvees are as adequately armored as is currently possible, but that the technology that the terrorists are currently using to make bombs make nearly any kind of available armor practically useless, as the technology is such that the schrapnel, as he put it, virtually "melts through" the armor plating.

Howe's wife was also on hand. At the end of the festivities, Howe was thanked for his service, and his lovely bride, in tears, was grateful to have him in her arms again.

Thank you, Jeff Howe--for your brave service, and for continuing to help our soldiers' cause!

And congratulations, Dan "The Ox" Ochsner, our next Minnesota State Senator from St. Cloud!

(Filed under Elections, Heroes, Iraq)

The Ox Gets the Nod (Part One)

Senate District 15 Republican delegates, on a 38-17 initial vote, endorsed Dan "The Ox" Ochsner for their candidate to replace outgoing St. Cloud Mayor-Elect Dave Kleis's Minnesota Senate seat.

The endorsment gave Dan Ochsner the nod over SCSU Aviation professor Jeff Johnson, a jet aviator and former business owner, who gave a well-prepared, well-polished power-point enhanced stump speech.

I'm in the middle of blogging more details.. I'll have them within another 15 or so minutes.

Off to the endorsing convention

I'm taking my laptop, I'm not sure if SCSU has free wi-fi or if you need a password to get on it.

I'll try to live blog, if not, I'll take notes and get back to you!

Friday, November 18, 2005

In a stroke of pure genius!!!

In what I would term a pure stroke of genius, Republicans in the House called the democrats' bluff proposed by John Murtha yesterday:

The House on Friday overwhelmingly rejected calls for an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq, a vote engineered by the Republicans that was intended to fail. Democrats derided the vote as a political stunt.

"Our troops have become the enemy. We need to change direction in Iraq," said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a Democratic hawk whose call a day earlier for pulling out troops sparked a nasty, personal debate over the war.

The House voted 403-3 to reject a nonbinding resolution calling for an immediate troop withdrawal

Perhaps the most telling "Pot meet Kettle" moment was:
Democrats said it was a political stunt and quickly decided to vote against it in an attempt to drain it of significance.

"A disgrace," declared House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "The rankest of politics and the absence of any sense of shame," added Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat.
No. moonbats--a political stunt is when you use soldiers as a political football while they are in harm's way as a means of gaining political advantage. Absence of any sense of shame is when an ex-democrat CIC calls our soldiers' mission a mistake on foreign soil--in a muslim country, nonetheless! The rankest of politics is when the DNC continues to perpetrate a known lie, damn the consequences, in order to embarrass a president simply for the reason that there is a "R" next to his name.

What the Republican majority did today was to call you demo-tramps out for the bastards that you are.

I sincerely hope you choked on that vote.

Bastards.

****UPDATE**** 11/19/2005 3:27pm

Captain Ed has a great blow-by-blow description of last night's proceedings here.

(filed under moonbat adventures, Iraq)



Will you get a load of this?

Gads... do you believe this????
AMMAN, Jordan — The Mideast's most feared terrorist (Zarqawi) sought Friday to justify a triple suicide bombing on Amman hotels that killed 59 civilians, insisting he did not deliberately target a wedding party and appealing to Muslims to believe that he was not attacking them.


Kinda like this scene from Animal House...

After he smashes the guitar, Blutarsky hands Stephen Bishop (~I Gave My Love a Cherry~) the remaining splinters and says, "err..sorry".

(Filed under Iraq, Religion of Peace?)

Tuition Dollars at Work

From here:
A part time professor at Warren Community College stands by some controversial comments he emailed to a student there that have raised eyebrows around the country.

John Daly, an adjunct English professor, said Thursday he believes the war in Iraq will end only when American soldiers turn their guns on their commanders.

"The only possible end for the war is not going to be from our politicians, who represent corporations," Daly said. "We're going to stay in Iraq and occupy the middle east as a profit source that will only change when the students at WCCC who are sent there to die for oil profits decide they're not going to die there."

Daly said he was a member of International ANSWER, an anti-war group. He e-mailed WCCC freshman Rebecca Beach on Sunday, responding to her request to tell his students about a campus visit by retired Lt. Col. Scott Rutter.
Yes, we all know that International ANSWER is a commonsense, mainstream organization, with not a shread of radicalism within its ranks (And if you believe that, I have some swampland in Arizona that I can sell you for a mighty fine price). Yet, the good professor shows no compunction about calling the kettle black:
"The administration at WCCC believes Rebecca Beach is an innocent student acting alone, but I recognized her literature right away as being part of a national right-wing movement," Daly said. "Her group is an ultra right-wing, possibly fascist, group."
Folks, I don't think you can find a better example of hypocrisy if you searched the world over. But does that really surprise anyone?


(Filed under Moonbat Adventures)

***UPDATE****
Just in case you were thinking of taking a class under Professor Daly's tutellage, here is link to let you know what his students are saying about him.