Just a quick observation...

I listened to President Bush's news conference this morning, and I'm sure it's been well covered by many blogs out there. I just got back from a two and a half hour drive from vacationing in Detroit Lakes, and listening to the radio, I have a small, yet not insignificant observation. The top-of the hour radio newscasts played select snippets that appeared to play to their agenda, but for some reason the dinosaur media out a key element of Bush's address with regard to Iraq that he tried to hammer home no less than four times during the hour. Said Bush:

"Any sign that says we're going to leave before the job is done simply emboldens terrorists and creates a certain amount of doubt for people, so they won't take the risk necessary to help a civil society evolve in the country.

And this is a campaign __ I'm sure they're watching the campaign carefully. There are a lot of good, decent people saying: Get out now; vote for me; I will do everything I can to, I guess, cut off money is what they're trying to do to get our troops out.

It's a big mistake. It would be wrong, in my judgment, for us to leave before the mission is complete in Iraq."

Again, Bush hammered this point home time and time again today... not like it was merely a throwaway line. Why is not this substantive response to cut-and-run advocates seeing the light of day?

Geeze... I wonder...

(Filed under Iraq, War on Terror, the fifth column)

A good cause for any spare Ka-ching you may have...

As you may or may not know, Derek Brigham (From Freedom Dogs) is running for the Minnesota State Senate Seat in District 45 (I have a banner to his site on my sidebar). I personally know Derek, and he is without peer with regard to honor and character, and would make an excellent conservative voice to make a Republican majority in the Minnesota Senate that much closer to reality.

Why not mosey to his site and drop a coin or two in the kitty... it'll go a long way toward a positive change in the manner that the Minnesota State Senate conducts its business.

(Filed under elections)

Poor, poor hezbos...

(SARC ALERT)

There they are, again, minding their own business, being good citizens, building their roads and schools, when those mean Israeli Zionist pigs jump the Lebanon border and attack them!

That's what you'd think if you read the first few paragraphs of this story:

By SAM F. GHATTAS
Associated Press Writer

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Hezbollah fighters battled Israeli commandos who landed near the militants' stronghold deep inside Lebanon early Saturday, killing one soldier, in the first large-scale violation of the U.N.-brokered cease-fire between the sides.

Hezbollah said its guerrillas foiled the raid after a gunbattle, and the Israeli army said one soldier was killed and two were wounded, one seriously.

Witnesses said Israeli missiles destroyed a bridge during the raid - the first major violation of the U.N.-imposed cease-fire that took effect Monday following 34 days of fighting.

Yep...those peace-loving, love-the-world Hezbollah citizens were again trampled over by Israeli thug soldiers! Damn those Zionists!!

Or is that the story?

The Israeli army said the special forces operation aimed "to prevent and interfere with terror activity against Israel, especially the smuggling of arms from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah." It said the commando team completed its mission.

The army said such operations would be carried out until "an effective monitoring unit" of Lebanese or multinational troops was in place.

"If the Syrians and Iran continue to arm Hezbollah in violation of the (U.N. cease-fire) resolution, Israel is entitled to act to defend the principle of the arms embargo," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.

Hmmm... those believable Hezbos, famous purveyors of fine family Hezbollywood entertainment, say the attack was thwarted; while those nasty Israeli Zionists say that their mission was accomplished.... Who to believe... Just who is one to believe... (SARC OFF)

SO, if the Hezbos are getting re-armed and re-supplied by Iran and Syria, the Israelis are just supposed to wait around til they get bonked on the head again?

No doubt that will be the response of the U.N..

(from Cox & Forkum)

(Filed under Religion of Peace?)

Another Murtha Puff Piece...

But if you look at the McClatchy article closely, it will be more telling about Murtha's blind political ambition than his prowess in military strategy:

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - What a difference nine months makes.

Last November Rep. John P. "Jack" Murtha, D-Pa., thundered onto the national scene insisting that the U.S. military could accomplish nothing more in Iraq, could only make things worse. He called for pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq.

At the time, many of his Democratic colleagues considered his stance suicidal for their party when they're trying to regain control of Congress despite having long been seen as weak on national security.

Now, Murtha is one of the most popular Democrats around. In recent weeks he's raised money for Democrats campaigning in New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York and California. In Tennessee, he was former Vice President Al Gore's guest at a fundraiser for local Democrats. After Labor Day, Murtha will head back out on the road, helping up to four dozen of his party's candidates.

And in this last paragraph, you have Congressman Jack Murtha's entire raison d'etre (pardon my French). Long a congressional wallflower, and much akin to "Peace Mom" Cindy Sheehan, Jack Murtha is loving his new-found notoriety and hobb-nobbery with the loony left.

Damn the cost of his self-indulgence.

Damn the fact that Murtha's rhetoric is damaging our troops' morale.

Damn the fact that Murtha's rhetoric is giving aid and comfort to our enemies during a time of war.

Damn the fact that Murtha's "cut and run" rhetoric is making it more difficult for freedom-longing Iraqis to trust and cooperate with our troops, fearing that they will not stick around long enough to see the mission through, and that swift and sure retaliation will come if our troops leave. No, that is all secondary to the attention in which Murtha is basking from the loony, anti-American left.

Murtha is getting his. As far as Murtha goes, to hell with the rest of the world.

And in turn, Jack Murtha is giving aid and comfort to our enemies not seen since Jane Fonda sat in a Viet Kong gun turret; not even since the likes of Tokyo Rose and Axis Sally took to the airwaves in WWII:

"Everything I said has turned out to be true," Murtha said Wednesday, taking a break at his campaign headquarters in Johnstown. "You can't win militarily. Military leaders are now saying it publicly where they said it only privately before. I get standing ovations every place I go. The public is looking for a solution to this open-ended policy, which is killing kids."

Open ended? Since when is completing the mission we started, to help Iraqis be self-sufficient in maintaining their democracy, an "open-ended plan?" And standing ovations from whom, Jack Murtha? And for what? A premature cut-and-run stance that will certainly spell doom for Iraqis who are now trying to make democracy work? A premature cut and run stance that will serve to embolden our Islamofascist enemies and will cement their ideas regarding American resolve? A cut and run policy that will only embolden our enemies to try "bigger and better" ventures in their quest to defeat the United States?

And we're supposed to listen to you and follow your lead with regard to military strategy? And on top of that, we're actually supposed to feel safe about it?

Says Murtha:

"I'm on a mission here, and the mission is to help change the direction of the country," he said.

You certainly are on a mission, congressman John P. Murtha. You are on a mission to elevate your own damn political stature, and you're more than willing to throw our troops--hell--even our entire national security--under the bus in order to accomplish your ends.

So, tell me, Mr. Murtha... what does it feel like to sell your very soul?


Technorati Tags: Murtha, Iraq War, Irey, Elections

On the losing side of yet another issue...

Last time I looked outside, Minnesota was not Connecticut. Yet Becky Lourey seems to think that it is:

They are vying for the DFL nomination to face Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is heavily favored in his party's primary.

Lourey, a state senator from Kerrick, is tapping into an issue that hits close to home for her. Lourey's son, Matthew, was killed when his Army helicopter pilot was shot down in Iraq in 2005.

"We are becoming less safe in Minnesota because of this war," Lourey said at a Capitol news conference. "It is time for states to take an active role."

As governor, Lourey said she would attempt to bring Minnesota Guard troops home. She didn't give a specific timeline. She said she would form a coalition with other governors who want to assert a stronger state role in Guard deployments.

War politics played a heavy role last week in Connecticut, where Ned Lamont's anti-war message lifted him to a Democratic primary victory over incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman. Lieberman, a centrist now campaigning as an independent in the general election, has supported the war.

Lourey drew parallels between herself and Lamont.

"You look at that race and the winner is a businessman. I am a business woman. The winner was anti war and I am a peace advocate," Lourey said. "There is a relationship here."

I feel for the sacrifice that Becky's son made. If my kid was killed, I too would be grieving like there is no tomorrow. But I would also honor his sacrifice, as well as those soldiers who are left behind in theatre, by honoring their mission.

Again, get it straight--being a "peace advocate" has nothing to do with garnering a lasting peace; especially given the enemy we are fighting today.

A true peace advocate who knows history knows that the only way to peace when faced with a bloodthirsty, non-principled enemy is to A. Obliterate the enemy; or, B. Make it so painful for the enemy to wage war so as hostilities cease.

Just as there was no negotiating with Tojo's Japanese during WWII until they felt the pain and threat of nuclear warfare, there is no negotiating with Islamo-fascists who will not rest until nearly all of the world is Muslim and the remainder are put into dhimmi servitude.

But tell that to the likes of Lourey or Jack Murtha.

It still isn't safe to vote democrat.

Regarding the World Trade Center Movie...

Well, it's Mrs. Meister's and my tenth wedding anniversary today, so we spent a lot of time together.

One of our activities was to go see World Trade Center, starring Nicolas Cage (see a good review here).

Seeing as how it was directed by Oliver Stone, I thought that there would have to have been a bash-Bush element or a kook conspiracy moment here, but I was happily mistaken. The movie was politically neutral, save for one aspect.

When the towers came down, and the movie was showing world reactions to the Islamo-fascist attack on our shores, one key element was missing: That being the reactions of the Islamo-fascists themselves.

Movies have the power to lift and rally a nation like no other medium. One only needs to look at works such as Mrs. Miniver or In Which We Served to see the power of Hollywood to call attention to the enemy and rally our nation around a noble purpose.

Oliver Stone had a golden opportunity to do that in this movie--it would have only taken around 10 seconds of footage, but its potential in rallying Americans to support our war against islamofascism would have been immeasurable.

But of course, Hollywood, being what it is, cannot bring itself to call our attention to just exactly who our enemies are. That would be politically incorrect.

All I can say is, thank G-d the likes of John Ford was around in WWII.

More love and kisses...from our left coast brethren...

With leftists screaming for freedom and justice everywhere, what is it with their fascination and love for oppressive dictatorships, who violate human rights as easily and as routinely as one may say, "pass the salt?"

Leave it to the San Francisco Sentinel to lend credence to this inscrutable paradox, with a "happy birthday" tribute to one of the world's premiere murderous dictators and violators of human rights (CAUTION: Please have a barf bag at the ready!):

Happy Birthday Fidel

San Franciscans honor the life of the world's
longest reigning revolutionary leader

Members of Dance Brigade perform a dance ode to honor the life of Cuban President
Fidel Castro at Dance Mission Theater on Saturday.
The event was co-sponsored by Casa Cuba Resource Center.
Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

By Luke Thomas

August 14, 2006

Cuba's President Fidel Castro, the world's longest reigning leader, celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday from the confines of a hospital bed after undergoing surgery stemming from reported gastrointestinal bleeding.

In honor of Castro's achievements - a socialist revolutionary who overthrew the corrupt government of Fulgencio Batista in 1959 and led the transformation of Cuba into a one-party socialist republic - San Franciscans across the political divide paid tribute to Castro during a spectacular evening ensemble of music, song, dance and poetry, including poetic recitals from San Francisco Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman.

Dance Brigade headlined the evening's lineup performing a graceful mix of dance to a rhythmic assortment of Cuban standards while archival film footage of Castro was simultaneously projected onto a 30 foot canvass screen.

Krissy Keefer, Dance Brigade co-founder and Green Party candidate for the 8th U.S. Congressional District, wrote the performance' accompanying monologue.

Krissy Keefer, co-founder of Dance Mission Theater

Keefer explained how the performance piece Happy Birthday Fidel came into being.

"The actual Dear Fidel piece was originally created last year when we did the first Cuba-Caribe festival and I did it as a tribute to Fidel Castro because Cuba and Castro were being so heavily attacked by [Secretary of State] Condoleeza Rice and the Bush administration.

"So the piece we performed tonight, Happy Birthday Fidel, was inserted to commemorate Fidel's 80th birthday, which is being celebrated around the world.

"When we asked artists to perform they clamored to the event because in San Francisco Fidel Castro and the Cuban revolution have a big place in peoples hearts in terms of their social activism. They recognize the contributions of the Cuban people and Fidel have made on behalf of all the people of the world."

Jack Hirschman

FIDEL CASTRO
by Jack Hirschman
(reproduced with permission)

The president of the other America has fallen ill
and it is his birthday. We wish him Happy
Birthday and a speedy recovery.

By the other America, we don't simply mean
his brothers and sister in Venezuela, Bolivia,
Chile, Peru, Brazil, Haiti and the like.

We mean also the 37 million people living destitute
and in misery in these disunited States, of whom
six million kids go to bed hungry every night,

while a murder machine waves the false flag of security
and makes war on the poor of the world.
What is more insecure than the empty belly of a child?

The president of the other America knows that there is
a poverty that is the wealth of the world. Viva the poverty
of Cuba that makes even the comrade on the cross applaud.

Viva the dignity of Cuba, whose island arms stretch
all the way to the equality of love that is Africa.
There is a man who has understood that life is worth

nothing if it is not free, and freedom nothing if it is not
consciousness of necessity---principled, palpable and priceless.
That is Fidel. That is fidelidad. Be well, commandante. Feliz cumpleanos.

Lichi Fuentes group with Carolyn Brandy and Donna Viscovos

Daniel Alvarenga and Maria Medina

Jose Navarrete

Jose Malina

Dottie Payne

Phil Hutchings

Cindy O'Hara, activist for the Cuban Five

I don't know how the San Francisco Sentinel was before this, but their new ownership has definitely laid down the gauntlet with this one. Perhaps the most disheartening photo of them all...

Hope and pray, little one, that your parents never get their way.

(Filed under moonbat adventures, the fifth column, limousine liberals)

Something smells rotten in Denmark... not to mention the U.S.

Co-blogger extraordinaire at Murtha Must Go!--as well as Let Freedom Ring and California Conservative--Gary Gross-- brings up some very interesting points about the Muslim cell-phone afficionados whose charges of a terrorist plot were dropped yesterday:

* Houssaiky and Abulhassan were stopped by sheriff’s deputies for a traffic violation Aug. 8;

* Houssaiky and Abulhassan were arrested after the deputies found 12
cell phones, $11,000 cash, airplane passenger lists and information on
airport security checkpoints in their car;
* Houssaiky and Abulhassan acknowledged buying about 600 phones in
recent months at stores in southeast Ohio;
* Houssaiky and Abulhassan “initially gave deputies different names
than appeared on their IDs”; and
* Houssaiky and Abulhassan “changed the story when deputies asked
for contact information” after telling deputies that they were
buying the phones for “for a relative’s construction business”.

We also know that the three men arrested in Michigan (a) were from Texas and (b) bought a significant number of their phones in Wisconsin.

That’s the strangest string of lies I’ve heard in ages. Law enforcement did what I would’ve expected them to do. Their actions are perfectly justified in my opinion. But our friends from CAIR don’t think so.

Here’s what they’re concerned about:

Muslim American groups call such arrests a rush to judgment that reflects increased targeting of Arab Americans since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The number of reported incidents of harassment, violence and other forms of discrimination against American Muslims has soared in recent years, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.

This isn’t harassment, people. The Michigan duo were arrested for a traffic violation. The reason why other charges were filed was because they showed a consciousness of guilt, first by lying about who they were buying the throwaway phones for, then for giving the police names that didn’t match their ID’s. Does CAIR think that we should just ignore these things because they’re Arab Americans and chalk it up to a string of unfortunate circumstances? (Read the rest here)

(Filed under Religion of Peace?, War on Terror)

....The difference? Ohhh.. about six inches...

Disrespect for life at its most vulnerable and innocent stage among the culture of death knows no bounds.

Jill Stanek has a piece at World Net Daily:

On July 20, police in Hialeah, Fla., were called to a crime scene where at least two eyewitnesses later identified a person who zipped a moving baby gasping for air into a biohazard bag and dumped the baby in the trash.

Twenty-seven days later, that murderer has not been arrested.

Furthermore, witnesses have alleged additional crimes of obstructing justice and tampering with evidence.

But the wrinkle is these crimes were committed at an abortion mill by a clinic worker, and the victim was a live aborted baby. The wheels of justice move slowly, sometimes never, when it comes to crimes committed by abortionists.

While the Born Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 clarified that a living baby, no matter what gestational age or circumstance of birth, is a legal person, Miami-Dade state attorneys have been reticent to press charges against the Hialeah baby's murderer.

In fact, they are still questioning whether a murder was committed at all.

Hialeah Deputy Police Chief Mark Overton told me the medical examiner has determined the baby was born alive.

But he and other sources have told me that state attorneys are now investigating whether the baby was viable.

If the baby is gasping for breath, like some fish out of water, would it not behoove those standing by to act in a lifesaving manner?? Can not anyone call this a cruel and barbaric act? Although cruelty and barbarism do not in any way give justice to the heinous acts that surrounded these circumstances:

This is an irrelevant point, even though at 23 weeks of age the baby was potentially viable. In no other arena do homicide investigators wonder before prosecuting how long victims might have lived on their own had they not been murdered.

Here's the sequence of events, told to me by another source within the Hialeah Police Department who wishes to remain unnamed.

On July 19, an 18-year-old went to A Gyn Diagnostic Center at 3671 West 16th Avenue in Hialeah to start a late-term abortion procedure. Laminaria (seaweed sticks that look like matchsticks) were inserted into her cervix to slowly force it open. Laminaria expand when wetted.

Workers told the girl to return to the clinic the morning of July 20 to finish the abortion.

She arrived at 9:30 a.m., complaining of abdominal pain. She was told the abortionist, allegedly Frantz Bazile, had not yet arrived and to wait in the recovery room.

Sometime between 2-2:30 p.m., while still waiting for Bazile, she gave birth to a baby, with at least one clinic worker allegedly present. Both saw the baby gasping for air and "moving like a normal baby would move," stated the source.

After five minutes, a staffer came in to the room, cut the umbilical cord, put the living baby in a red biohazard bag and threw the baby in the trash. Overton confirmed this person was clinic owner Belkis Gonzalez.

...Throwing a living, breathing, human baby "into the trash" like yesterday's New York Times? And no murder was committed? Jill Stanek continues:

That same day, someone anonymously called 911 and reported a baby was born alive at the mill and killed. When police arrived, the clinic was closed for the day, so they could not go inside.

On July 21, an informant gave police the mother's name, and she provided enough information to get a search warrant.

On July 22, police served a search warrant at the abortion mill but could find no baby.

On July 29, police received a tip that the baby was back inside the clinic. The tipster said workers had placed the baby on the clinic roof while police were searching the clinic and put the baby back in the trash when they thought the coast was clear.

The police returned, finding the baby's decomposed body in a box they had previously searched.

All Hialeah Police Department officials to whom I have spoken are adamant this is a homicide case.

Overton went so far as to say if state attorneys come back with anything other than homicide charges against Gonzalez, "I will make a request to have the case reviewed by a higher authority and go to the media, regardless of the outcome."

A Miami-Dade state attorney told me his office has no comment. I hope they are working to present the airtight homicide case this asphyxiated baby deserves rather than working to poke holes in it.

When it comes to abortion, however, it seems increasingly difficult to distinguish between legal and illegal homicide.

Calling these murderers barbaric would certainly be an understatement.

Yet they continue to walk free??

BTW, with reference to the title... what is the difference between what is described here and a partial birth abortion?

Ohh.. around 6 inches.

(Filed under defense of life)

Sorry, I'll take Collin Peterson...

This moonbat whacko makes Cindy Sheehan look intelligent:

A long-shot challenger in western Minnesota’s congressional district made sure reporters knew his latest arrest brings to near 100 times that police have taken him into custody.

Erik Thompson, challenging long-time U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson in the Sept. 12 primary election, distributed a news release last week saying he was just arrested in Nye County, Nev., protesting nuclear weapons.

Thompson said he was protesting the danger of nuclear weapons, which he said exposes “a quarter million service men and women and untold hundreds of thousands of its own civilian citizens to nuclear fallout.”

He is running against the Iraq war and other American military actions, not Peterson.

“I want to give the citizens of this district the only chance they will ever have to vote against these wars,” he added.

Certifiable. Just. Certifiable.

Klein does the right thing...

On August 6th, I wrote this letter to Representative John Kline (MN-2nd CD)

Congressman John Kline
101 W. Burnsville Parkway #201
Burnsville, MN 55337
August 6, 2006

Dear Congressman Kline:

I am a Republican delegate, and have been a supporter of yours throughout your campaigns, but I feel compelled to call your attention to what I believe is an egregious error in judgment.

As you may or may not know, like you, I am a parent of a deployed Iraqi Freedom soldier. I took grave exception with Representative Jack Murtha's (PA-12) wholly premature remarks regarding the incident at Haditha, in effect pronouncing them guilty of "cold blooded" murder before facts were brought forth, before investigations were completed, and even before official briefings on the matter. To this date, charges against these Marines have yet to materialize, and there is evidence to suggest that the video tape from which Time Magazine took their "evidence" for their story that brought Haditha to light may have been spurious in origin. Additionally damning to the prosecution of this case is the refusal for the residents to allow the exhuming of the dead so as to allow autopsies of the bodies to corroborate accounts.

These egregiously premature pronouncements of guilt fly in the face of the Haditha Marines' Constitutional rights to presumption of innocence and entitlement to due process, and poison the waters of impartiality pending the outcome of facts and investigation.

As a result of Murtha's pronouncement of guilt, I started a blog two days after his 17th May, 2006 statement, entitled, "Murtha Must Go!" (http://murthamustgo.blogspot.com) to call to light not only Murtha's brazen disregard for the wellbeing and Constitutional rights of soldiers, but also to the fact that his rush to judgment may have unjustly given more fodder for our enemies to recruit other terrorists.

In a way, I expected such harsh, cavalier treatment of our soldiers’ rights from a democrat. Machiavellian politics come as easily for them as can a killer whale attack a baby seal.

But I was totally disheartened to learn that you, too, appeared to rush to judgment in the Haditha incident. Comments such as,

"I was saddened, surprised and outraged that this could happen," Kline said. He said he thought the incident would be regarded as "a horrific aberration" for the Marines."
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501732.html)
smack of presumption of guilt almost as egregiously as do Murtha's pronouncements.

Why the need to rush to judgment? Why didn't you at least put qualifiers in your statement, such as "If the facts bear out that this actually happened, it would indeed be tragic."

Mr. Kline, I have always thought of you as a man of honor, and I still think that you are. However, you will be even more so in my eyes if you take steps to retract what can only be described as an unwarranted premature implication of guilt on our Marines. Even if they are eventually charged and found guilty, such premature assumptions are a travesty to the rights that Marines and soldiers everywhere strive to protect.

With greatest sincerity,

Leo J. Pusateri, Jr.
Founder/Editor
Murtha Must Go!! (http://murthamustgo.blogspot.com)

Now today, I read this:

A Republican congressman apologized yesterday to the Marines under investigation in the killings of two dozen civilians in Haditha, Iraq, last November, saying that statements he made about the case were taken out of context and that he did not mean to imply the Marines were guilty of wrongdoing.

Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) issued the apology as part of an agreement with lawyers for Marine Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, who alleged that Kline had damaged Wuterich's reputation.

Wuterich had threatened to sue Kline as well. But Zaid said yesterday that Kline responded to a settlement request within an hour of its arrival Aug. 4. Kline wrote that news outlets used incomplete statements that gave the false impression that he had concluded the Marines broke the law.

"I am, of course, very concerned regarding any allegations surrounding misconduct by U.S. troops in Iraq," Kline wrote in his statement. "Such allegations must be taken seriously, but we should never rush to judgment before all the facts are known and the military criminal justice process is completed."

Kline, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said he was briefed on Haditha by Marine Brig. Gen. John F. Kelly, the legislative assistant to the Marine commandant. At the time of the briefings, the official investigations were not complete, and Kline emphasized that "conclusions have not been reached."

"As a retired Colonel in the U.S. Marines, I am especially proud of the sacrifices our men and women make day in and day out, especially in combat situations," Kline wrote. "And as a Marine officer, I would never want to publicly insinuate, implicitly or explicitly, that I have prejudged what took place that day on the battlefield or afterwards."

(***UPDATE***)More on what Klein said here:

"Some news outlets have promoted incomplete statements attributed to me that gave the false impression that I have concluded those involved committed unlawful acts," Kline said in the statement provided by his office.

Now, what about Congressman Jack Murtha, who found it necessary to proclaim that our Marines killed in cold blood, without reading reports, or without even receiving any official briefings.

Wuterich, through his lawyers, has denied any wrongdoing in the Haditha case. None of the Marines involved has been charged.

Wuterich took the unusual step earlier this month of filing a federal lawsuit against Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), alleging that statements Murtha made about the Haditha deaths were libelous. Murtha said after the lawsuit was filed that he did not mean to prejudge Wuterich, but the representative has not responded to a settlement offer that seeks a similar public apology, according to Wuterich's attorneys, Mark S. Zaid and Neal A. Puckett. The lawyers set last Friday as a deadline for Murtha's response.(emphasis added)

Since the "deadline" has been passed, it looks as if Jack Murtha, in his arrogance, will not take Congressman Kline's lead and apologize for his comments in which he prematurely judged Marines guilty of the incident at Haditha.

Color me unsurprised.

Pave Lebanon--put up a parking lot. NOW.

F'n bastards:

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said Monday that his guerrillas achieved a "strategic, historic victory" against Israel _ a declaration that prompted celebratory gunfire across the Lebanese capital.

Israel's prime minister, however, maintained the offensive eliminated the "state within a state" run by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese civilians jammed onto roads to stream back to war-ravaged areas Monday after a the cease-fire halted the fighting that claimed more than 900 lives.

For the first time in a month, no rockets were fired into northern Israel, but few Israelis who fled the war were seen returning and Israel's government advised them to stay away for now.

Nasrallah said Hezbollah "came out victorious in a war in which big Arab armies were defeated (before)."

He also said now was not the time to debate the disarmament of his guerrilla fighters.

Nasrallah, speaking on the day a cease-fire took effect _ ending 34 days of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel _ called Monday "a great day."

"We are today before a strategic, historic victory, without exaggeration," he said in a taped speech on Hezbollah's al-Manar TV.

Yeah.... and my grandfather was the queen of England, you puke.

For our mission in Iraq, trust is key...

(Cross-posted at Murtha Must Go!)

According to CENTCOM,

BAGHDAD — The Coalition commander responsible for operations in the Iraqi capital is optimistic about what he has seen since operations to quell sectarian violence here started.

Army Maj. Gen. James Thurman, commander of Multi-National Division - Baghdad, said forces have been concentrating on four major hot spots.

Essentially, the concept calls on Coalition and Iraqi forces to cordon off an area and search each street, house by house, Thurman said.

Al-Doura, a mixed Shiia and Sunni area, is one of the hotspots. The area had 20 sectarian murders one night before the operation started. The plan zeroes in on reducing the number of murders, kidnappings, assassinations and car bombs, Thurman said.

Al-Doura has about 135,000 people living in more than 16,000 homes. Iraqi forces carry most of the water in the operation. They search the mahalas – neighborhoods – that are causing the problems. “We’ve dropped the violence down to near nothing,” Thurman said.

[SNIP]

The civil work is key to getting the Iraqis to stop the cycle of tit-for-tat sectarian murders. Iraqi officials in al-Doura are clearing the garbage from the streets, dismantling illegal roadblocks and engaging with district and neighborhood advisory councils. The people in the mahalas have confidence that life will improve for them, and that the government is the way forward, Thurman said.

Once the Iraqi security forces clear the neighborhood, Iraqi police hold the area and Iraqi officials work to ensure the essential services – electricity, water and sewage – are working in those areas. Other local officials work to ensure economic opportunity in the area.

“The Battle of Baghdad is about perception and building trust and confidence in the average citizen of Iraq,” Thurman said.

Pray tell, Mr. Murtha, who claims to "support the troops more than anyone else," how can we expect to gain the trust of the "average citizen of Iraq," when you keep on telling them that you want us out of there?

How can the "average citizen of Iraq" possibly trust our soldiers enough to help them with their mission, when folks like Congressman Murtha call for their premature "re-deployment", thus leaving the "average citizen of Iraq" to the devices of those who no are no doubt presently taking notes as to which families are currently helping our soldiers?

So is Mr. Murtha hurting our troops and their mission, and placing our troops in even greater danger via his call for a premature pullout?

You're damned right he is!

Even RINO Christopher Shays agrees:

Mr. Shays has little patience with those, like Rep. John Murtha, who insist that America's presence is only causing harm: "John Murtha knows that we left them with no army, no police, no border patrol. Now we've got about 40% of the country able to handle itself with new police, new border patrol, new army. . . . The [Iraqi] army is hungry to go into Baghdad and clean it up." Mr. Shays puts the case against immediate withdrawal in stark terms: "What is the message about America's resolve? If you kill 2,000 to 3,000 of our troops, we're out of there. That's a target that any terrorist can reach.

All the more reason why Congressman Jack Murtha is downright dangerous. Dangerous to Iraqis who desire freedom. Dangerous to our troops' mission. And dangerous to the troops themselves.

He deserves nothing less than to lose this November, if not tried for outright sedition.

For those of you who can't afford a skateboard...

There's Parkour..(forgive the French rap music)

Assault on Cartoons...

In the latest bout of cartoon hijinx, Communist China has decided to ban the Simpson's, Mickey Mouse, and Pokemon from its primetime lineup.

Is it because of of those cartoons leading to what they see as the degredation of Chinese society?

Well, not exactly...

China has banished Homer Simpson, Pokemon and Mickey Mouse from prime time. Beginning Sept. 1, regulators have barred foreign cartoons from TV from 5 to 8 p.m. in an effort to protect China's struggling animation studios, news reports said Sunday. The move allows the Monkey King and his Chinese pals to get the top TV viewing hours to themselves.

Foreign cartoons, especially from Japan, are hugely popular with China's 250 million children and the country's own animation studios have struggled to compete. Communist leaders are said to be frustrated that so many cartoons are foreign-made, especially after efforts to build up Chinese animation studios.

Just another testament to the failures of communism. They can't even get cartoons right without stealing it from capitalist countries.