Friday, July 18, 2008
Confused yet?
I think a conventional narrative is slowly forming about Iraq something like the following:Perhaps to a brilliant mind like yours, VDH. As for me, I'm still trying to figure out why Americans continue engage in a death-wish for defeat for their own.I supported the successful three-week war. I opposed the flawed occupation. My principled criticism, however, led to the salvation of Iraq, which is important and necessary. Yet I did not support the idea of being in Iraq, but now don’t oppose it either. My model of intervention in Afghanistan was the proper one; difficulties there are due either to others’ improper implementation or an unwise diversion of resources to Iraq. If the president employs unilateral action, he should be more multilateral; if multilateral, he is an outsourcer and should by more directly involved and unilateral.Just remember the details of this narrative, monitor how it is modified to fit the daily pulse of the battlefield, and then almost everything we hear makes sense.
Perhaps it is a throwback analogous to other species feeling the need to eat their own young.
Posted by Leo Pusateri at 11:01 AM |
Labels:
Barack Obama,
defeatocrats,
Great Reads,
The Fifth Column
Monday, June 02, 2008
On the Day of Reckoning...
The "surge strategy" in Iraq, despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth on the left, is becoming an unqualified success.
To whom will Harry Reid answer, after declaring "The Iraq War is Lost?"
To whom will John Murtha answer, after falsely calling our soldiers cold blooded killers, labelling them "broken"?
To whom will Nancy Pelosi answer, after trying to attribute recent successes not to our men and women in uniform, not to the Iraqis, who are slowly but surely building a stable government from scratch, but to sworn enemies of the United States; Iran, specifically?
To whom will the democrat party (and their willing media accomplices) answer, after doing their level best at every level to sabotage our soldiers' efforts in Iraq in the court of public opinion, up to and including slander and out and out betrayal?
To whom will the democrat party answer?
The day of reckoning will be nigh, when people will realize the traitorous filth that resides in the democrat party.
And that day won't come a minute too soon.
Posted by Leo Pusateri at 5:46 PM |
Labels:
defeatocrats,
dhimmis in the news,
The Fifth Column,
TRAITORS
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The House Democrat Valentine to the American People
From a press release from Michele Bachmann (MN 6th CD)
“It is unconscionable that with America’s security on the line, the Democrats chose to spend Congress’ time on pointless partisan posturing. As a member of Congress I serve no higher duty than to help keep our friends, families and loved ones safe. The Protect America Act has been a critical part of the effort to prevent, interrupt and foil terrorist attacks. Yet with it set to expire in just two days, the Democrats refused to work with Republicans to reauthorize it.And the Christian Science Monitor reports that the dems in Congress are willing to let FISA die altogether. Yeah.. real smart.“The Protect America Act provides vital updates to the original 1978 FISA provision, allowing law enforcement and intelligence services to meet the threat posed by the enemies of today. For over six months house Democrats have refused to bring a comprehensive, long-term FISA bill to the floor.
“Even the Senate passed a bipartisan reauthorization bill. And the President cleared his schedule to ensure that terrorist chatter wouldn’t slip through the cracks while our intelligence officers awaited these important surveillance tools.
“But the Democrats were more interested in establishing commemorative weeks, honoring groups and taking cheap shots at Administration officials. About the most substantive thing they had planned for today were technical corrections to a 36-year-old fungicide bill. And so I joined my fellow house republicans in walking off the floor today in protest.
“America’s safety must come before partisanship. Democrats need to work with Republicans to pass long-term FISA reform. I hope that today’s Republican action will help propel a FISA bill onto the floor so we can get back to the business of protecting the American people.”
If we get another 9/11 or worse, lay the blame at the feet of Nancy Pelosi. 'Nuff said.
Posted by Leo Pusateri at 6:05 PM |
Labels:
defeatocrats,
limousine liberals
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Yes, Virginia, there are Republicans with spines...
Specifically, Harry Reid continues to choose to completely ignore all the successes made via the efforts of our troops, continuing rather to engage in the rhetoric and propaganda of defeat at all costs. Said Harry "The Undertaker" Reid today,
"We simply cannot buy victory in Iraq. This year has been the bloodiest year in the history of the war."Of course in that statement Reid refuses to acknowledge that the last few months, largely in part due to the efforts of our troops and their commanders, have produced some of the least number of civilian and military casualties since the war began!
And the willing shills over at CNN Radio News simply parroted Reid's propaganda on their top of the hour newscasts, with no mention of recent and not-so-recent successes.
Earlier this evening, I was at the SD 15 BPOU meeting, where I lamented that I see no Republicans countering the defeatist, seditionist rhetoric coming from Reid and the other traitorous democrat scum that inhabit the hallowed halls of Congress and the Senate.
Thoroughly dejected, I spent the night wondering when someone on the side of victory would come to the defense of our soldiers and their mission.
And then my friend Gary Gross came through and emailed me this tidbit from a floor speech by Senator Cornyn:
Tuesday, November 6, 2007So, I was happily wrong in my assertion that there are no Republicans with the cajones to stand up for our troops and their mission.
Mr. President, I want to join my colleagues from Georgia, Senator Chambliss and Senator Isakson, in talking about the news from Iraq. It's important as we discuss the challenges that we still face and that the Iraqi people still face in Iraq to talk about the complete picture.
And unfortunately, while we have heard much of violence in Iraq and the challenges that face us, we have not heard enough about the successes that the American military and our Iraqi allies are meeting with in that country. It wasn't that long ago that the surge that General Petraeus, the counterinsurgency strategy that he is the architect of and which he has executed was called a failure on the floor of the United States Senate.
It's ironic, looking back, that sometimes it's helpful to go back and learn from history. You don't have to go back very far; actually just the summer and the spring of this year when leaders on the other side of the aisle called the surge a failure. And the most ironic part of it is that General Petraeus, who is the commander of the multinational forces in Iraq, at the time said we haven't even started the surge yet. So let me have a few months.
Well, General Petraeus has now had a few months, and the surge has now had an opportunity to make a difference. And in fact, there is much positive news to report. I have to think that the biggest mistake the nay-sayers have made is to bet against the men and women of the United States military. That's always a mistake, because the the American military men and women have demonstrated that they can accomplish the goals that they set out to do, and they are making a tremendous difference in Iraq in eliminating terrorist strongholds as we continue to train the Iraqi military to take our place.
And as I've always said, Mr. President, we all want to bring our troops home. The question is: are we going to bring our troops home based on conditions on the ground and the Iraqis' ability to secure and stabilize their own country or are we going to do it regardless of the consequences in a way that will create the potential for a failed state in Iraq, another terrorist haven, and encourage our sworn enemies in Iran and elsewhere, embolden them to think that America cannot be trusted and America will turn its back on our allies?
Mr. President, in May, one of our senior colleagues said the surge was supposed to bring stability essential to political reconciliation and economic reconstruction. But he said at the time it has not, and it will not. One short month later the Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House in a letter to the President wrote, "as many had foreseen the escalation has failed to produce the intended results. The increase in US forces has had little impact in curbing the violence or fostering political reconciliation."
We even bore witness to atrocious ads run by organizations like moveon.org, slandering General Petraeus before he even had a chance to come here and report on the status of the surge in September. Well, Mr. President, the numbers don't lie. To the dismay of many Americans, some of my colleagues have chosen to conveniently gloss over and try to explain away the progress that's been made by General Petraeus' counterinsurgency strategy.
Far from being a simple increase in troops we learned, General Petraeus' strategy was a new way to attack the enemy in Iraq. That is utilize support from both local Iraqi citizens and tribal leaders to form an offensive against insurgent and terrorist groups. And this strategy has met with a resounding success. It's become a common story but one worth repeating that Al Anbar province, a Sunni strong hold, was virtually overrun and lost to American and Iraqi forces, because Al Qaeda basically had its way with that region, had terrorized the people so much that they would not stand up and fight them, and basically were being held as victims of terror.
Now, the so-called 'Anbar Awakening' has occurred. Tribal leaders have come forward and volunteered their people to serve in the Iraqi police force and the Iraqi security forces, and now Al Anbar province has essentially been rid of organized Al Qaeda strong holds. "The Washington Post" editorial page on October 14 recognized decreasing violence in Iraq and noted that the evidence of a drop in violence in Iraq is becoming hard to dispute.
In September, Iraqi civilian deaths were down 52% from August and 77% from September. The Iraqi health ministry and the associated press reported similar results, and we are thankful that American casualties are down as well. Numbers recently released by the Pentagon corroborate the progress occurring in Iraq. In and around Baghdad, the DOD reports, terrorist operations are down by 59%. Operations targeting Iraqi forces, more than 60%. Car bombs are down by 65%. Casualties due to enemy attacks are down by 77%. And violence during this last Ramadan period was the lowest in three years.
But perhaps the most convincing evidence that things, good things are happening in Iraq is the fact that the Iraqi people are beginning to move back into areas that they had previously left behind, hopeless that peace and security could ever be accomplished. According to recent news reports, even cab drivers are feeling it's safe tore drive around Baghdad neighborhoods where sectarian violence one made it impossible for them to enter.
Perhaps the most telling story of increased security in Baghdad is one told by the Iraqi people themselves. According to an Associated Press article from this past weekend, thousands of Iraqi refugees who previously fled their homes in heir home country. While it's easy for skeptics to doubt numbers and statistics, it is nearly impossible to say not long ago Iraqis living in a foreign country now feel safe enough to come home. this clearly indicates that there are good things happening in Iraq. And around Baghdad. The AP reports that in a dramatic turnaround, more than 3,000 Iraqi families driven out of their Baghdad neighborhoods have returned to their homes in the past three months as sectarian violence has dropped.
The article goes on to quote one refugee who returned home to his neighborhood of Qadra. In Qadra, he said, about 15 families have returned. He said, "I've called friends and family and told them it's safe to come home." Where there was one widespread fear among Iraqi citizens, we're now seeing something new -- hope. Hope for a better and safer future. Nothing confirms this more than the return of refugees and the testimony that they've given that it is becoming safer in Iraq, while not yet safe.
No one is saying that the job has been completed, but surely an honest, objective appraisal would acknowledge the improvements in the security situation in Iraq as de demonstrated not only by these statistics, by these testimonials from Iraqis themselves. These heart-warming accounts of families reuniting in neighborhoods which not long ago had been written off as hopeless and businesses opening their doors is an important lesson for us all.
This strategy employed by this new commander, General Petraeus, has worked, and it's continuing to work. The efforts of our military men and women who have put their hearts and souls into this mission are now paying dividends and producing results. These security gains are not a fluke. What we're seeing is a direct result of a carefully designed strategy which includes ramped-up counterinsurgency operations, increased efforts to foster cooperation and reconciliation among local tribes and our continued backing of the hard work of the American military and our support for their families.
As we're presented with funding requests by the Pentagon to bring about a stable and peaceful Iraq, we are ensuring that our soldiers have the resources they need to bring peace and stability to a tumultuous land. And my hope, Mr. President, is that we will not use the funding request from the Pentagon for continued support for our troops as another political football, as has been used in the past, particularly in the face of such hopeful and promising news, for which I would expect that we would be grateful and to thank our men and women in uniform and their families who have sacrificed so much to help bring this about, along with our Iraqi allies.
General Petraeus told reporters this past weekend that, in general, we think there are no Al Qaeda strongholds at this point. While he was quick to remind us that they are still a potent threat, his assessment of the progress in Iraq can be nothing but reassuring. Mr. President, I shudder to think of what would have happened had we listened to the nay-sayers months ago who said, we have to withdraw all our troops, even before the surge was able to be fully im implemented. So far, we have voted 59 times on Iraq-related resolutions, most of which are non-binding Sense of the Senate resolutions.
59 times we have voted, even before the surge had a chance to be implemented. Now we see once again what a mistake it is to bet against the men and women of the United States military and thank goodness those resolutions were not successful and thank goodness our American soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, coast guard were able to carry out this new plan under the leadership of General Petraeus, and we now see at least some hope in a land where hope was in short supply.
So, Mr. President, although many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle prejudged the surge strategy and continue to oppose our efforts in Iraq, some of whom call even today for cutting off funds to support our troops, we see now substantial evidence of progress, and it is my continued hope that these positive developments may yet change the tone of the national dialogue on the global war on terror, including the campaign in Iraq.
It's time for all members of this body to take an objective look, not through our political lens, not through a lens which sees only to the next general election, but look objectively at what our troops are accomplishing in Iraq instead of focusing only on the challenges. We should at least be honest enough to acknowledge the accomplishments. Not the least of which are the indisputable gains in security that have been made through their sacrifices. I, for one, am proud to recognize and applaud the undeniable achievements of our troops in Iraq.
Their hard work and their tireless dedication has reminded us that a stable and peaceful Iraq is within reach. It's my fervent hope that my colleagues will join me in acknowledging and honoring the successes achieved by our military personnel and renew their support for them, for their commander, and for the counterinsurgency strategy that is bearing fruit and to always remember their family -- families here at home who wait for their loved one to return as soon as their mission is accomplished.
Rather, there is a media cabal that is so hellbent on pushing their agenda that they haven't the balls to present an opposing view that runs counter to their defeat-at-any- cost-so-we-can-crucify-Bush template.
Between the media and the democrats, I feel as if I have ceased being a citizen of America, and am instead a citizen of Wonderland.
The active sedition on the part of not only a critical mass of American citizens but of elected officials sworn to defend the Constitution is getting to be all too surreal.
Where the hell is the looking glass?
Posted by Leo Pusateri at 10:51 PM |
Labels:
defeatocrats,
Iraq,
The Fifth Column
Monday, September 10, 2007
Regarding the Petraeus Report
For a great compendium of my sentiments, please check out Colonel Joe Repya's assessment over at True North.
It at once amazes and depresses me that elected officials of the United States of America, sworn to protect America and its Constitution, would, along with their political party of choice, so go out of their way to attempt to engineer the surrender of our nation during a time of war. Even so far out of their way as to label General David Petraeus, a man who has invariably served his nation with honor, a traitor.
Said Harry Reid,
"Before the report arrives in Congress, it will pass through the White House spin machine, where facts are often ignored or twisted, and intelligence is cherry-picked," said Reid.
Reid even had the audacity to call Petraeus a liar!:
"He has made a number of statements over the years that have not proven to be factual," Reid said.
Talk about a fucking pot calling the kettle black! Never, in my born days, would I expect such traitorous--YES I SAID IT--TRAITOROUS behavior coming from elected public officials supposedly sworn to protect and defend the United States!
And yes, I WILL continue to question their patriotism, and so should any American who has the courage to look at their rhetoric and actions in an honest light.
The time for BDS and selling out our nation is passed. I call on every American to proclaim loudly and clearly to the leadership of the democrat party: YOU ARE TRAITORS!
Perhaps Congress in 1798 had a good idea when they passed the Alien & Sedition Acts.
To go out of their way as they do to undermine our mission during a time of war tells me unequivocally that there are those in the democrat party who must clearly hate this country. So much, in fact, that they are willing to hate it clean out of existence.
Posted by Leo Pusateri at 10:05 PM |
Labels:
defeatocrats,
The Fifth Column,
TRAITORS
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Houston, we have a problem.
As significant as what Clyburn said is the way he said it. According to Clyburn, a strongly positive report by Petraeus would be "a real big problem for us." Clyburn's candor may be commendable, but it's unfortunate that the Dems regard strongly positive news from Iraq as a problem.
Pretty sorry state of affairs when you have the party in power during wartime openly pining for our subjugation to third-world savages.
If this isn't illustrative of why it hasn't been safe to vote democrat, and why we can only continue to do so at our own peril, nothing is.
Posted by Leo Pusateri at 6:25 PM |
Labels:
defeatocrats,
democrats,
The Fifth Column
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
White Flag-a-Thon to be held today in the Senate!
(CNSNews.com) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is demanding that Republicans allow Democrats an "up-or-down -- yes or no -- vote on the most important issue our country faces" -- the Iraq war.
In a speech on the Senate floor Monday, Reid told Republicans that Democrats have no intention of backing down on their effort to "transition" the Iraq mission, which means withdrawing U.S. troops. (READ: SURRENDER!--ed.)
Previous efforts to withdraw U.S. troops have failed multiple times in both the House and Senate because of Republican "obstruction," Reid said.
"I would like to inform the Republican leadership and all my colleagues that we have no intention of backing down. If Republicans do not allow a vote on Levin-Reed today [Monday] or tomorrow, we will work straight through the night on Tuesday," Reid said.
Senator Reid, if you and yours had spent half the energy not backing down against terrorists as you do your own President, we would have damn near won the war by now!
Reid said all senators will have a chance to "speak their mind."
"Those of us who are ready to end the war will make our case to the American people. Those who support the status quo are welcome to equal floor time to make their case. Let the American people hear the arguments. Let them see their elected representatives engaging in a full, open and honest debate. Let them hear why Republicans are obstructing us on this amendment.
By all means--please let the American people know why it is important to obstruct your surrender-monkey bill! Let the American people know that the democrat party is more than willing to allow America to bend over and take it up the ass from terrorist elements. Let the American people know without equivocation that the democrat party stands for and owns the defeat of America by third-world savages!
Please, Senator Reid!! We're counting on you!

****UPDATE*****
For those of you who claim that there has been "no progress" in Iraq:
(via Riehl World View).
Posted by Leo Pusateri at 1:50 PM |
Labels:
defeatocrats,
psycmeistr photoshops,
The Fifth Column
Thursday, May 03, 2007
A worthwhile petition! (bumped)
Posted by Leo Pusateri at 11:53 PM |
Labels:
defeatocrats,
The Fifth Column
Regarding "shoving things down one's throat."
Posted by Leo Pusateri at 9:26 PM |
Labels:
defeatocrats,
The Fifth Column
Saturday, March 31, 2007
A new venture...
That's why Gary Gross, ChicagoRay and I (there may also be some late comers) have bounded on a new adventure in blogging:
The FOT-Wa Blog!
It's still in its infancy, and has a ways to go, but I opened it officially last night.
I'll still be posting here at The Ice Palace, but I really wanted to concentrate on what the MSM is all too hesitant to report--the systematic dismantling of our nation's short- and long-term security by people who loathe the very nation they live in. And it ain't just about democrats, either.
I hope you check it often!
--------------------------------------------
Posted by Leo Pusateri at 12:11 AM |
Labels:
defeatocrats,
FOT-WA,
Great Blogs,
The Fifth Column