Friday, April 30, 2004
IT'S SHOWDAY!!!!
From the TIB Network:EPISODE 7 goes out "live and direct" tonight on DATV in Dayton. If you are in the area, check us out, and feel free to call in. The number, showtimes, etc. are listed at the top of this page. Tonight's show will have a variety of themes, which we will be dealing with. Some include: The War on Terror, some Waffles, and other news of the day. Tune in, won't you? God bless,
Mark
Showing of Patriotic Sacrifice, or Attempt to Increase AntiWar Rhetoric?
From CentreDaily.com via the DrudgeReportABC newsman Ted Koppel's plan to devote tonight's "Nightline" to reading the names of the more than 700 U.S. servicemen and women killed in action in Iraq has stirred anger and praise, and prompted one media company to bar its stations from airing the program.
Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group said Thursday that the unique program is politically motivated and ordered its seven ABC affiliates, including WGGB in Springfield, Mass., not to air it.
Mark's Remarks
This could go either way. It is either an attempt to memorialize our war dead in good taste, to show the American people the folks who are dying for freedom. Or, it could be an effort to demoralize the support for the war, and to provide further aid and comfort to the enemy. Ted Koppel on GMA made it sound like the former, that he was trying to show Americans what they might be missing in not keeping up with the war, that some Americans are not as connected to the war. I just don't know. I think Sinclair may be on to something, but I do not think I would preempt the show, as it would get criticism from all sides, which it has; including from John McCain.I just have to ask: if this is meant to honor our troops and is not some type of ploy, why was it moved up to April Sweeps from the May 30 date it was set to air? Why are we just focusing on Iraq? Why don't we memorialize the dead in Afghanistan? Kosovo? Is it because Iraq is what the public is focused on, or is it a further attempt to separate Iraq from the larger War on Terror? I am not sure.
I do agree with Rush Limbaugh. In addition to memorializing and honoring our noble dead, why aren't we honoring the living? Too often times we wait til someone dies to honor them. Why aren't we showing pictures of the living, as well as the dead? Could this "memorializing" be an attempt at the Vietnam era tactic of bodycounting by the Partisan press to turn people against the war? I don't know.
All I do know is this. I don't wait til someone dies anymore to thank them. I see a member of our military out and about, I thank them....I don't just nod my head. I walk up to them and thank them for their service and for protecting us. We should be doing more of that, and when our noble soldiers come home, we need to honor them just as much as those who gave all.
NOT GOOD ENOUGH: UMass Idiot Apologizes to Tillman Family
From www.local6.comA University of Massachusetts at Amherst graduate student is apologizing to Pat Tillman's family.
Rene Gonzalez had written a column for the campus paper saying the football player-turned-soldier who died in combat in Afghanistan wasn't a hero -- but a "G.I. Joe guy who got what was coming to him."
Mark's Remarks
Your lame attempt at esoteric humor was in bad taste, and your apology is not good enough. Why don't you attempt to make good by doing something for our troops, you sad and pathetic ingrate! Your whole premise of Mr. Tillman was incorrect. This was a man who shunned attention based on his fame. You know, sir, if you actually read about Mr. Tillman, instead of just making judgements based on your own pathetic existence, you would maybe have not written the drivel you did. Instead, you held true to the liberal brainwashing you get at universities and refused to think for yourself. Congratulations, welcome to liberal stupidity.
This moron spat on the sacrifice of folks who were fighting for Mr. Gonzalez's freedom. You are a sad sack of liberal brainwashing, and you are a pathetic example of a graduate student. You went beyond poor taste, and I hope it follows you wherever you go.
Bowling over Michael "Miserable Failure" Moore
From the TIB Network:Remember Michael Miserable Failure Moore's exploitive movie, Bowling for Columbine, where he used the tragedy of Columbine to further his own agenda. Well, here is some testimony by the father of Rachel Scott, one of the first victims in the shootings, who was asked if she was a Christian. When she said yes, the assassins killed her. Here is what he had to say, and this blows away that moron and miserable failure Michael Moore and shows what an exploitive sack of trash he is. This was testimony before a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderfuldaughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers."I came across this and just wanted to share it with some readers....See, some people do get it-people are responsible for actions, not weapons, not Presidents.....and, more importantly, we cannot play the victim, we must learn from the tragedy...and, maybe there is something to his talk of spirituality and prayer, and letting God back in. Think on it...I just found it amazing.
"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart."
"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent."
"I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy-it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves.
"I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today":
Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.
What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs - politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws.
"Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts. Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers. The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched! We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored. We DO need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God!"
"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes-He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA - I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
I had a chance to hear Rachel's aunt and uncle, and her brother talk about the tragedy, as well as talk to her mother, when they came for an event at a school I taught at. It was a powerful testimony, and it touched many that day.
While Michael Miserable Failure Moore and others are out exploiting this, some are getting it and are working to change lives.
- Mark
9/11 Commission Update
From the New York Post:In a stunning snub, two Democrats on the 9/11 commission yesterday abruptly walked out in the middle of the Oval Office interview with President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Both early-departing panelists, former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey and ex-Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton, insisted they had prior commitments - but their sudden slip out the side door of the White House left Washington and some fellow commission members in shock.
Kerrey dashed to handle a private business matter - lobbying Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) for more money for his employer, the New School University in Manhattan.
Hamilton bolted so that he could introduce the Canadian prime minister at a ceremonial event at the Woodrow Wilson Center, which employs Hamilton as its director.
"I was surprised," fellow commission member James Thompson told The Post.
The sudden walkouts while Bush and Cheney were still testifying are all the more surprising because the commission had lobbied for months for unlimited time with the president with all 10 commissioners able to participate
Matt's Chat
Oh yeah...this is an important committee doing important work. Kerrey is off doing business deals with Senators and the Vice Chairman of the Commission is meeting with Canadians! Nice. Can the Democrats get serious about this? Please? Pretty Please? With Sugar On Top? No? Oh, well, I tried. Next time, Democrats, shut the %^&* up. Really.Mark's Remarks
Wow, it shows you how really concerned these partisan puppets are about their solemn duties on the Commission, eh? Hamilton goes to introduce the Prime Minister of Canada and Bob "hey, I'm a War hero, too, dammit!" Kerrey is out shilling for the company that employs him as a lobbyist. So much for trying to find the truth and answers above all else, eh? Sad and pathetic. Even the commissioners realize this is a waste of time, that their commission has become a national joke and disappointment. At least Gorelick didn't try to build any more walls.
This really is pathetic, and it angers me very much. This commission, especially Mr. Kerrey, made so much of the Administration stonewalling them; but then what does Kerrey do when he has the chance to talk to the Man himself? He walks out to go shill and be the pathetic partisan HACK lobbyist he really is. So much for serving the people, eh?
Sanity in the Senate: Internet Tax Ban Restored
From My Way News:The Senate voted overwhelmingly to restore a ban on taxing Internet connections for four years, stopping short of the permanent ban approved by the House.
The two chambers will try to work out their differences over an issue that pits a U.S. telecommunications industry trying to expand a range of services against state and local governments worried they could lose billions of dollars in tax revenue.
Congress first blocked state and local taxes on the services that connect consumers to the Internet in 1998. The ban lapsed while lawmakers tried to rewrite it and cover new high-speed and wireless connections, generally known as broadband.
The Senate settled its differences Thursday, voting 93-3 to restore the tax ban for 4 years.
...
Voting against the Senate bill were Democratic Sens. Jeff Bingaman, N.M.; Bob Graham, Fla.; and Frank Lautenberg, N.J.
Four senators missed the vote: Bob Bennett, R-Utah; John Breaux, D-La.; Jim Bunning, R-Ky.; and John Kerry, D-Mass.
Matt's Chat
I guess all those emails finally had an effect...This is a victory for all Internet users!
Mark's Remarks
WHAT?!?!? You mean the Senate actually took the time away from the pathetic ramblings of the self-styled Cicero Robert KKK Byrd and the drunken whining of Ted Kennedy to actually get done some business of the People? I am shocked and appalled.
Promptly after doing this, they returned to the regularly scheduled Slandering of the President and Giving Aid and Comfort to the Enemy (hiccup).
Resources
Information on the bill, S. 150, can be found here.
We Are Winning
From the US Department of State:There were 190 acts of international terrorism in 2003, a slight decrease from the 198 attacks that occurred in 2002, and a drop of 45 percent from the level in 2001 of 346 attacks. The figure in 2003 represents the lowest annual total of international terrorist attacks since 1969.
A total of 307 persons were killed in the attacks of 2003, far fewer than the 725 killed during 2002. A total of 1,593 persons were wounded in the attacks that occurred in 2003, down from 2,013 persons wounded the year before.
In 2003, the highest number of attacks (70) and the highest casualty count (159 persons dead and 951 wounded) occurred in Asia.
There were 82 anti-US attacks in 2003, which is up slightly from the 77 attacks the previous year, and represents a 62-percent decrease from the 219 attacks recorded in 2001.
Matt's Chat
Don't let the naysayers from the Party of Lovetm fool you. We are winning. Furthermore, don't let them get away with telling you otherwise... The battle we fight here at home is the Battle of Perception. The media is all about ratings and money so don't count on them to be on our side on this one...Mark's Remarks
What? You mean we are actually preventing terrorism? No way! This cannot be true! Dan Rather says otherwise, as do others at CBS, ABS, NBS, CNBS, MSNBS and CNBS.
Well, folks...it is true. We are winning, even despite the Dimcan'ts wanting the war to go badly, wanting more soldiers killed, wanting more people out of work....We are winning the war on terror, we are getting it done. It is not easy, it is not without cost; but it is right...and it is working. God bless our President and our troops. Too often we gloss over saying thank you, but these brave men and women are getting it done. Unlike that idiot from UMASS Gonzalez, who said people like Pat Tillman and his comrades who gave all are not heroes, but in fact deserve to die; we here at WMD know that these men and women have given freely, and BECAUSE of their noble sacrifices, idiots like Gonzalez can live in freedom able to say this disgusting things he does. It is a shame, however, that he is such an ungrateful a$$. Most Americans, however, realize the sacrifice and pray for our soldiers.
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Request: Carnival Submission Time
From the TIB Network:I'm going to submit an article from WMD to the "Carnival of Bush Bloggers" on Blogs for Bush, but need YOUR HELP in picking an appropriate entry. I've opened up the page to all the postings from the last seven days. My only request is that it be about the national campaign for President. It can be a anti-Kerry (or Democrat) article or a pro-Bush (or administration) posting, but it has to be one or the other for it to qualify (my rules, not B4B's).
Thanks for your assistance. Please make your recommendations in the comments section.
- Matt
4/30 Update:
I submitted Mark's 20 Questions for John Kerry to the Carnival of Bush Bloggers decision makers. Good luck Mark!
Pelosi Will Continue Seeking Communion
From Yahoo News:House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., like John Kerry a Catholic who supports abortion rights, said Thursday she will continue to ask for Holy Communion in spite of Vatican opposition to pro-choice Catholics doing so.
"I fully intend to receive Communion, one way or another. That's very important to me," Pelosi told reporters during her weekly press conference.
A top Vatican cardinal said last week that priests must deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. The cardinal stopped short of saying whether it was right for Kerry to receive Communion, and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee quickly affirmed his support for abortion rights and took Communion the next day.
The head of a task force of U.S. bishops said Tuesday that Catholic politicians who advocate policies contrary to church teaching on abortion and other issues may risk sanctions that fall short of denial of Communion.
Matt's Chat
Here is the key point:"I'm certainly concerned when the church comes together and says it's going to sanction people in public office for speaking their conscience and what they believe," she said.Hey Botox...that's the WHOLE POINT! Either your faith means something to you or it doesn't. You can't nuance faith. You just can't.
And they call Bush an idiot...
Mark's Remarks
This is what galls me. These people equivocate and lie, basically turn their back on Christian teaching, but still want to be given Communion, and still get the political good pr for going to church, even as they go against most of what the church stands for? Nancy, if you really were brought up in so strict a household, open up that dusty Bible and see what the New Testament says about those who talk out both sides of their mouth, or about those who talk in words about faith but do not practice faith, who do not adhere to Christ's teachings. Just look it up, if you remember where the Bible is, Nancy.
WMD RSS Feed
From the TIB Network:A reader emailed to ask why we don't have an RSS feed. Well, actually, we do... WMD RSS Feed. I don't use feeds so I have no idea if this is actually working the way it is supposed to... If it isn't, please drop me a note and I'll look in to it a bit more...
- Matt
Show Prep
From the TIB Network:Just wanted to let the extended production team know that the "lid is on" for tomorrow's show. We may have enough material to do an "extra" segment or two which we'll use with some "Best of" video for an extra episode...
If you're in Dayton, OH tomorrow night, tune in to DATV at 7:00 PM
- Matt
Ohioans for Bush/Cheney
From the TIB Network:If you live in Ohio and are a supporter for the President, join the Ohioans for Bush/Cheney Yahoo! Group. Be sure to tell 'em that we sent you...
- Matt
Kerry, Enron and HALLIBURTON!
From the National Review Online:In late January, the Washington Post reported that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry raised more money from special interests and lobbyists over the previous 15 years than any of his Senate colleagues. But of all money Kerry has raked in from these donors — from oil and gas companies, HMOs, and the pharmaceutical industry, for example, and from his brother's Boston law firm and its related lobbying shop — two of the most politically profitable have been Enron and Halliburton
Matt's Chat
Lie after lie after lie after lie... I demand an investigation... If John Kerry is elected he'll show special interests the door alright...the door to the Oval Office itself.You can't make something a campaign theme if you are guilty of what you are preaching against. Of course, there is some nuance buried in the truth here somewhere... Uh-huh...
Mark's Remarks
Man, talk about a case of Do as I say but not as I do-itis. This guy is proving to be one of the most outrageous hypocrites in American history. He claims he is against special interests in politics, yet his record shows him to be a big dependent on them. He mentions Cheney and Halliburton, Bush and Enron; yet he takes money from them as well. He talks about Benedict Arnold CEOs, and HE IS MARRIED TO ONE!!! What in the world is this guy doing with ANY support? Oh wait, it is all about hating Bush....not about integrity and truth. My bad.
This guy and integrity goes down as a serious Miserable Failure. His Waffles are whoppers, not just nuance. The guy cannot seem to tell a straight story. Maybe it is the botox. Maybe he is spending too much time with supporters of Michael Miserable Failure Moore, who is also a miserable failure. Just like his favorite assembled body, the UN, is a miserable failure.
UNSCAM Update
From the New York Post:The vast majority of the United Nations' oil-for-food contracts in Iraq have mysteriously vanished, crippling investigators trying to uncover fraud in the program, a government report charged yesterday.
The General Accounting Office report, presented at a congressional hearing into the scandal-plagued program, determined that 80 percent of U.N. records had not been turned over.
The world body claims it transferred all information it had - including 3,059 contracts worth about $6.2 billion for delivery of food and other civilian goods to the post-Saddam governing body, the Coalition Provisional Authority.
But the GAO report also found that a database the U.N. transferred to the authority was "unreliable because it contained mathematical and currency errors in calculation of contract costs," the report found.
Matt's Chat
I am not surprised. The UN ran the program so poorly that it shouldn't surprise anybody that the documents aren't in order. The UN is a miserable failure at peacekeeping, and now it would appear that the organization isn't capable of humanitarian assistance either. What purpose does the UN serve these days? The world wonders...Mark's Remarks
I would look down at the
This is reprehensible. This whole scandal has shown the UN to be a miserable failure at peacekeeping, at recordkeeping, and most of all, in integrity. It has become nothing more than a Hate America First Club, where they are happy to funnel away our contribution (the largest in the World) to projects in places that hate us, and then even while they are taking our money, they are in bed with terrorist. The UN serves no purpose other than yet another example of a miserable failure. Nuff said.
An Observation
From the TIB Network:Is it just me or does John Kerry sound like a complete idiot? I've been reading transcripts of Kerry speeches and interviews and I have come to the conclusion that Democrats who call the President stupid need to look at their candidate. The man has a very hard time completing sentences. Between the lying/uncomfortable "tell" of his cough (fantastic analysis from Rush Limbaugh) to his stumbling/rambling sentences; the man has trouble communicating. At all. Period.
Here is an example from the Kerry interview on Hardball with Chris Matthews:
"KERRY: No-there's no question, Chris, about what I did. There never was. I stood up in front of cameras, in front of people, reporters. I think Tom Oliphant (ph) wrote a column today saying he was there. He saw what I did. He wrote about what I did.
People knew-there was no-you know, this is, I think, an effort by the Republicans to do what they always do. They did it to John McCain in South Carolina. They attacked him on an extraordinarily personal level.
MATTHEWS: Right.
KERRY: Challenged his patriotism and the quality of his service in prison in Hanoi.
They took on Max Cleland, challenged his commitment to the defense of our nation and his patriotism.
And now they're trying to do it to me. And I'm not going to let them do it. I'm going to-you know, it seems to me that it-it shows how desperate they are. I mean, they are-here they are, the president of the United States of America, the vice president, in the month of April attacking a not yet even completely nominated nominee personally...
MATTHEWS: Right."
We know what he is TRYING to say, but he can't seem to get it out. Democrats are going to be eating all that "Bush is an idiot" crap.
- Matt
Mark's Remarks
OK, first of all, I have been saying this guy sounds like a fool for months. Matt simply wrote it first. :)
Secondly, MR. KERRY, FOR THE LAST TIME: every time I see a Bush person on TV, read their speeches, they go out of their way to congratulate you on your service and Vietnam, and they MAKE IT CLEAR they are not attacking that. Are you so unconfident of your service that you must make up attacks? Are you so unconfident in the rightness of your voting record that you have to deflect attacks ON YOUR VOTING RECORD, not your military service; with victim playing and empty headed comments? Are you so much of a two faced person that you will say Vietnam service should not be used to attack an opponent (your defense of Clinton in the 1990s), yet you did it just this week with attacks on Bush, Cheney, and Co. Come on, Mr. Kerry, actually make an effort to sound relevant and rational.
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
OK, I'll Play Too
From Democrats Give Conservatives Indigestion:This seems to be going around the blogosphere, so I thought I'd join in. Via [DGCI], where I first saw it.
Grab the nearest book.
Open the book to page 23.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
Matt's Chat
Well, my bookcase is right next to my computer at WMD HQ, and the closest book to me is "Every Man A Tiger" by Tom Clancy with General Chuck Horner (ret. USAF). Page 23, Paragraph 5:"Horner wondered if the "pair of eyes" shared the CINC's joy."Unfortunately, that is not what I have been reading lately. My boss loaned me her copy of Against All Enemies by Richard Clarke. My first impressions aren't suitable for publication here. My Saturday reading between students is "Endgame: The Blueprint for Victory in the War on Terror" by Fox News military analysts LGEN Tom McInerney (USAF ret.) and MGEN Paul Vallely (US Army ret.) and is MUCH better.
4/29 Update
Mahatma tells us what book is on his desk and what liberals should be reading.
9/11 - 3/11 Link
From FOX News:Spanish officials made a direct link between the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the United States and the March 11 attack on trains in Madrid by indicting a Moroccan fugitive believed to have participated in both terror cases.
Judge Baltasar Garzon said Amer Azizi helped organize a meeting in northeast Spain in July 2001 that key plotters in the U.S. attacks, including suspect suicide pilot Mohamed Atta, used to finalize details.
Azizi was initially included in an indictment Garzon handed down in September against Usama bin Laden and 34 other terror suspects. Azizi was charged then with belonging to a terrorist organization.
The new indictment charges Azizi with actually helping plan the Sept. 11 attacks. Garzon accused Azizi of multiple counts of murder — "as many deaths and injuries as were committed" on Sept. 11.
Matt's Chat
Another one down...Mark's Remarks
I think this hold up even under the (snicker, guffaw) tight standards of the Palm Tree arguments, Matt.
The sad part is that Spain caved. They have encouraged more of these attacks. They will be partly responsible for a rise in terror, because they did nothing but turn tail and run. I stand by that statement.
Who Said It?
From Yahoo News:"If you read the reports it looks as if the Saddam regime had nothing to do with it. They did nothing wrong, it was all the UN," he told reporters in some of his bluntest comments yet on the matter.
"Some of the comments that I have been read have been constructive and thoughtful. Others have been rather outrageous and exaggerated," he said.
Matt's Chat
That would be our good friend Kofi Annan talking about UNSCAM. Mr. Annan thinks we should all forget about what the UN did and focus on Saddam. Isn't that convenient NOW?It gets better:
"We had no mandate to stop oil smuggling," Annan said. "There was no way the UN could have stopped it."Oh, so it was OUR fault, now... OK, let's talk about your son, Kofi...
He said some of the smuggling was done overland in trucks through northern Iraq, where the United States and Britain at the time patrolled a "no-fly" zone -- and a similar zone in the south -- that kept the regime hemmed in.
"They were driving the trucks through northern Iraq to Turkey," Annan said. "The US and the British had planes in the air. We were not there. Why is all this being dumped on the UN?"
Annan has also been put on the defensive because of revelations that his son Kojo worked for a company, Cotecna, that was contracted to work under the programme.Which means you were in a position to do favors for your son and/or his company.
"There is nothing in the accusations about my son. He joined the company even before I became secretary general," the UN chief said. "Neither he nor I had anything to do with the contract for Cotecna."
What else you got? That's what I thought...keep trying though, these chats are pretty amusing.
Mark's Remarks
Yes, Kofi, Saddam was involved...but so were you...So was your son...so were your subordinates, charged with doing the just work of getting food to the Iraqis, not taking kickbacks.
And no mandate to stop smuggling? Come on, Kofi, you are sounding like an equivocating third grader who is caught in a lie. Surely you have better excuses in the UN handbook than this, right?
And laying blame on the people who removed your cashflow? Kofi, talk about an ignorant and illogical argument. You did, like, go to college, right?
And you can't honestly think there are no conflict of interest issues with the whole Cotecna thing? I mean, do you think just because you are head of a crooked Hate America First Club that you shouldn't at least know a little about ethics? Come on, Kofi, say something almost rational, I dare ya.
Abuse Allegations Confirmed
From CBS News:The pictures 60 Minutes II obtained show an Iraqi prisoner who, according to the U.S. Army, was told to stand on a box with his head covered and wires attached to his hands. That prisoner was told that if he fell off the box, he would be electrocuted. In another photograph, prisoners' bodies were stacked in a pyramid - one body had a slur written in English on his skin.
Despite the charges against American soldiers, Kimmitt says Americans shouldn't lose faith in the military – since the investigation is focused on a small number of soldiers, and doesn't reflect the conduct of the vast majority of U.S. forces.
"Frankly, I think all of us are disappointed by the actions of the few," says Kimmitt. "Every day we love our soldiers but frankly, somedays we're not always proud of our soldiers...It's a small, small minority of people we're talking about here, less than a dozen out of the 150,000 who are serving honorably and proudly over here....The Army is a values-based organization. We live by our values. Some of our soldiers every day die by our values and these acts that you see in these pictures may reflect the actions of individuals but by God it doesn't reflect my army."
Matt's Chat
This is a disgusting revelation, but BGEN Kimmitt's right...the bulk of our forces are performing admirably and honorably. Those who aren't should be dealt with most severely, as it appears will happen as these guys are facing court-martial.Mark's Remarks
Most of our forces are working hard, despite negative and demeaning treatment from the Press and the ignorant Lefties at home. 99% of our men and women are going above and beyond, and as usual, what does big media do? They highlight the 1% or so of abuses!!!!! Are you as sick of this nonsense as I am? This stilting of coverage while paying lip service to supporting our troops is growing tiresome. Part of the reason I did not catch this broadcast, as I don't watch the networks much anymore, since they don't give much in the way of truth anymore, either.
Iraqi FlagGate
From the AP:Iraqi leaders presented a new national flag Wednesday after protests that a version unveiled earlier this week resembled the flag of Israel.
The new design was more or less the same as the one announced earlier this week: two blue stripes along the bottom with a yellow stripe between them, and a crescent above them in a white field.
But the stripes and crescent were a considerably darker shade of blue than the original version published in an Iraqi newspaper, which showed the stripes as being light blue.
Many said the light blue stripes were reminiscent of the light blue bands on the Israeli flag. Hundreds of university students in Mosul demonstrated against that version Wednesday.
Matt's Chat
For other "alternative" flags suggested by Allah Pundit, click here and here. Classic.
Interesting Question
From Thomas R. Schwieterman's Letter to the Editor of DDN:Glut of information won't help war effort
Vietnam was the first televised war in the mid-'60s and early '70s. For 10 years, night after night, the war was brought into our living rooms with film of combat, bombing raids and graphic pictures of our wounded soldiers. Civilians were caught up in it also.
Did we then, and do we now, need this much information imbedded in our brains?
We have become armchair quarterbacks. Americans are very opinionated and have developed strong beliefs.
Have we commercialized war for profit for our news reports? Night after night, we get satellite feeds so we can get a more personal look at our war on terrorists.
During WWII, with no TV, only radio and newsreels in movie theaters provided communication between America and Europe. A handful of combat photographers brought back photos and silent movies to remind us of the horrors of war.
There were no riots and marches in Washington. Where were the liberals, the doves, the left-wingers and the protesters?
America was undivided — "all for one and one for all."
America may never win another war on the battlefield again, because of the war at home between Americans and our sanity, as war is continually brought forth in such a graphic and tragic manner.
Sometimes what we really don't know doesn't harm us. In fact, it may help us.
Thomas R. Schwieterman
Dayton
Matt's Chat
Interesting question...let's debate in the Comments Section... Personally, I don't think it is the amount of "information" we are getting, but rather the quality and quantity "analysis" that goes along with it.Mark's Remarks
It is not necessarily the amount of information, but the kinds of information we are getting. When things were peaceful all over Iraq, including Fallujah, what did we hear? "another (as in 1) soldier died today...." in (name your type of terrorist attack here). We heard next to nothing about the hundreds of schools being rebuilt, about the work to help distribute food and resources to Iraqis. Now, we hear only about Fallujah and Najaf. What about the North of Iraq, where things are going better, except when Syrians send terrorists over the border. What about other communities, where things are peaceful and the Iraqis are docile and simply waiting for us to hand over power and quit occupying their country. Where is that coverage? It doesn't exist, because it would not help liberals. You see, when you are part of Big Media aka the Partisan Press(tm) you can control through editing board which stories see the light of day. That is how they control perception. There are a few times when they have to report positives, but mostly they will do anything to confirm their own elitist asperations and ideas. Thank goodness for alternative sources, where we can see the facts and make our own decisions, not have them spoonfed to us in a distilled way from libs like Rather(not watch), Jennings, and Co.
Although, the writer makes a great point. Some of what the Partisan Press is doing would violate the standards of coverage set in WWII by their own god, FDR. Isn't reporting some of the details and showing all these protestings giving aid and comfort to the enemy? FDR and his generation thought so....Something to think about, that is, if the Partisan Press ever thinks.
4/25 Dayton Daily Democrattm
From the pen of Jeff Bruce, editor of the Dayton Daily News:[Bush] also called for the end to the "death tax," which drew a rousing round of applause, a departure from the rules of decorum journalists routinely obey. This should tell you something about the nature of the audience, hardly the "liberal media" you hear so much about on talk radio. (Footnote: During the last presidential election, Bush got twice as many endorsements as Al Gore.)
Matt's Chat
Jeff would like for us to believe that the Partisan Mediatm is actually conservative, but aside from FoxNews and a couple of newspapers and magazines; it looks pretty liberal to me.Everybody ought to be behind eliminating the death tax. Cheering for that doesn't mean you're a rabid member of the Republican Attack Squadtm. It means you don't like that tax. And as evidence for "proving" that there is no liberal bias in the media, that is pretty weak, Jeff, even for the editor of the Dayton Daily Democrattm.
In regards to Jeff's footnote, that can't be right... Has anyone out there got some actual evidence that indicates that the President actually got more endorsements. Of course I'm assuming Jeff means endorsements from the Partisan Mediatm and not talk show hosts like Rush and Hannity. Because as we all know, talk shows aren't "real" media. Uh-huh...
15:45 UPDATE:
On the other hand, this is a particularly well received message from the editorial board. Householder appears to not be a good guy and certainly is a RINO. Then again, Mark and I both are supporters of Ken Blackwell for Ohio's next governor.Mark's Remarks
Jeff, no wonder the Daily News has become a sad parody, and the only awards you all win anymore are for Hal McCoy's writings on the Reds. Your paper has become nothing more than a liberal rag....Come on Jeff, at least other papers will hide the sarcasm and liberal bias.
Hey Jeff, are you for the Death tax? No? Then you must be a conservative, right? Come on, Jeff, anyone who is for the death tax either is a hardcore lefty (see John Kerry, Maxine Waters, Ted "Chappaquitick" Kennedy) or is plain stupid. For once, Jeff, if you are against the death tax, you probably made your first decision that made sense.
Also, Jeff, as an editor, you really should be a little more objective and less of an a$$ in your writing. If this is the editor standards at DDD, then anyone could get on there, even an illiterate 10 year old dog blind in one eye.
If your little bit of bile was to make us believe the Press isn't bias toward the left, sorry, Jeff, it was a miserable failure.
AS TO HOUSEHOLDER, even before this whole flap, even before the governor candidates were announced, I didn't like this guy. He has a record as a RINO and in conversations with my state reps' offices, they don't like him either. He is just like Hillary, working in dirty tricks and subversion, instead of doing the people's business for Ohio. And yes, I support Blackwell, because unlike the job Householder has done in leadership, Blackwell as SecState has actually gotten things done in Ohio.
Moonbat Research
Bill from INDC Journal has conducted some very serious research and has shared his results with us. Previous research can be found here.I'll be adding INDC to the BlogRoll now...
Matt
More UNSCAM
From the Opinion Journal:It's looking more and more as if one of the best reasons to get rid of Saddam Hussein was that it was probably the only way to get rid of Oil-for-Food. The problem wasn't simply that this huge United Nations relief program for Iraq became a gala of graft, theft, fraud, palace-building and global influence-peddling--though all that was quite bad enough. The picture now emerging is that under U.N. management the Oil-for-Food program, which ran from 1996-2003, served as a cover not only for Saddam's regime to cheat the Iraqi people, but to set up a vast and intricate global network of illicit finance.
And though much debate has focused on the list published this past January in the Iraqi newspaper Al Mada--cataloguing some 270 individuals and entities world-wide alleged to have received illicit oil vouchers worth millions from Saddam--the Al Mada list may be the least of it (apart from the last name of the executive director of the Oil-for-Food program himself, Benon Sevan). Dwarfing the Al Mada list for size, scope and menace was the U.N.-piloted mothership, the entire $111 billion U.N. Oil-for-Food program. Supplied by Iraq's oil wells, the sums involved in Oil-for-Food's transactions were so enormous that even the routine rounding errors of a few hundred million here or there easily rivaled, for example, the $300 million or so in family money believed to have given Osama bin Laden his terrorist start.
Matt's Chat
NO WAR FOR OIL!For the love of...
Why isn't this on the news? This is bigger than Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, and Martha Stewart all rolled in to one. Why doesn't the Partisan Mediatm care about this story?
I DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION! BIG MEDIA! LIE AFTER LIE AFTER LIE AFTER LIE!
Get with it people...
14:30 UPDATE:
Spoons has a handy chart to explain why there is little to no Partisan Mediatm coverage.Mark's Remarks
So now the UN wasn't just cheating Iraqi people out of food, they were setting up Saddam (and possibly al Queda's?) global network of money. The UN is nothing more than an Italian laundromat or casino, nothing more than money launderers. How shameful, how sad....
Even sadder is the lack of coverage given by the Partisan Press(tm)! They love to talk about scandal, but only when it involves sex, a Republican, or a combination of both. Where is the journalistic spirit? Even better, where is the integrity? Sadly, both have been subjugated to not bring out the truth. And why?
The reason is one of John Kerry's big points is that France and other nations did not join us. The UNSCAM scandal shows the reason they didn't want to join us in Iraq wasn't philosophical, it was financial. This blows a gaping hole in Monsuier Kerry's idea that we need to reconcile with noble allies who acted out of 'conscience,' or knowing that the war was a bad idea, whatever Kerry spouts out of either side of his mouth each day. The REAL REASON was they did not want to lose a cash cow. This shows Kerry as not getting it, George W. Bush as right to ignore France and go in, and could turn the election.
The Press, not wanting a President who actually takes action over giving flowery speeches and photo ops hand wringing, is seeking to control the flow of information. In other words, they think the American people are too stupid not to find other sources of information. How does it feel to be thought of as stupid, fellow citizens? Hold Big Media and their pals on the Left here and abroad accountable.
CREPES SUZZETTE! LIE AFTER LIE AFTER LIE.....I DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION! SACRE BLEU!
How to Buy a French Veto
From the New York Post:ANYONE who pines for genuine international multilateralism would do well to follow the bribes now being uncovered in the United Nations' Oil-for- Food scandal.
Why did France and Russia oppose efforts to topple Saddam Hussein's regime? And why did they press constantly, throughout the '90s, for an expansion of Iraqi oil sales? Was it their empathy for the starving children of that impoverished nation? Their desire to stop the United States from arrogantly imposing its vision upon the Middle East?
It now looks like they it was simply because they were on the take. Saddam was their cash cow. If President Bush has suffered some discredit over his apparently false - but not disingenuous - claims of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, the lapse is minor compared to the outright personal selfishness and criminality that appears to have motivated many of those who opposed his efforts to rid the world of one of its worst dictators.
Matt's Chat
Dick Morris nails it. Go read the whole thing. And remember, this is from a former Clinton guy...Mark's Remarks
Dick Morris was a scumbag, really. He was nothing put an arrogant poster with claims of godhood. Now, after being abused and used by Hillary, Bill and Co., he has seen the light. And, as with a lot of Americans, 9/11 changed him. He realized some things he may not have before. Dick Morris is on it, now, and I cannot wait to get his new book, Rewriting History, if for nothing else, then the cover.
As to this story, France and Russia were on the take. If the UN were worth anything at all, there would be sanctions. If Russia and France had any honor left in their governments, they would apologize and join the fight. However, no one, especially the World Partisan Press, has held their feet to the fire. Heck, it was a guy like Bill O'Reilly who encouraged a boycott, and it has been reasonably successful. We need to hold these folks accountable.
No wonder they voted against us. They were fleecing us the entire time. Well, I think we remove any aid we gave to either nation, and see how quick these idiots change their tune.
Dem Lame Idea of the Day: INFILTRATION!
From the New York Times:It is accepted as an article of faith among protesters planning to demonstrate against the Republican National Convention this summer that agents seeking to undermine their efforts have infiltrated their ranks. But now the protesters are talking about infiltrating the convention to undermine the event itself.
"Really?" said Kevin Sheekey, president of the New York City Host Committee, when told that protesters were talking about flooding the ranks of volunteers to disrupt convention operations.
The city is obligated to find a total of 8,000 New Yorkers to volunteer to help things run smoothly, and would-be protesters are hoping that by signing up, they can work from the inside during the convention, scheduled Aug. 30 through Sept. 2.
"A lot of people are talking about it in general," said William Etundi Jr., a founder of counterconvention.org, a Web site that serves as a bulletin board for anti-convention activities. "The Republicans are coming to New York City, so maybe the real New York should come to them."
Matt's Chat
I was watching an episode of The West Wing last night on Bravo. The episode featured the character of Toby meeting with a group of protesters. These protesters were so lame that Toby had to protest himself just to get some satisfaction out of the event. I think this sort of "Trojan horse" approach is a lot like that: LAME.Mark's Remarks
The Left has completely lost it. They think of this not as a campaign but as a war. HELLO! We have war, over in Iraq. This is not war.....grow the heck up.
Secondly, if John Kerry is such a great candidate, why the need for dirty tricks? Isn't this same type of "infiltration" and such the crime of Richard Nixon and Co.? Doesn't this idea run counter to the notions of free speech and rights to assemble peacefully? Where is the ACLU? Where are the folks saying this is dirty tricks? Oh, wait, it is the Left, and we know the Partisan Press (tm) LOVES the Left, if for nothing else just to take up airtime with hot air, signifying nothing.
Village Voice: Kerry Must Go
From the Village Voice:With the air gushing out of John Kerry's balloon, it may be only a matter of time until political insiders in Washington face the dread reality that the junior senator from Massachusetts doesn't have what it takes to win and has got to go. As arrogant and out of it as the Democratic political establishment is, even these pols know the party's got to have someone to run against George Bush. They can't exactly expect the president to self-destruct into thin air.
With growing issues over his wealth (which makes fellow plutocrat Bush seem a charity case by comparison), the miasma over his medals and ribbons (or ribbons and medals), his uninspiring record in the Senate (yes war, no war), and wishy-washy efforts to mimic Bill Clinton's triangulation gimmickry (the protractor factor), Kerry sinks day by day. The pros all know that the candidate who starts each morning by having to explain himself is a goner.
Matt's Chat
If, as a Democrat, you lose the Village Voice vote, you got PROBLEMS. As Mark Noonan would say, it is another great day to be alive, American and Republican.Mark's Remarks
One of the MOST leftist papers in the nation turns on you, how sad it must be for Dumocraps to realize now that they picked a guy who has more holes in his record than swiss cheese. He can't even cover anything up, because more scandal and stupidity fly from his mouth daily.....Of course, it does not help that his party has been wrong on every major issue for the last 25 years.....
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
FALLUJAH
The Command Post - Iraq Page has all you need.Matt's Chat
It is about time. Negotiating with terrorists is not a good idea...certainly not US policy...or rather, shouldn't be...Mark's Remarks
It is past time we went into that place and begin to take out the animals who are holding up the peace process and the rebuilding of Iraq. Terrorists do not understand negotiation, they do not deserve negotiation...Where was the consideration when they dragged our dead citizens through the streets? Where was the consideration for others when they killed children in a bus with car bombs? There was none. They do not understand anything but strength, and it is high time we show them some....Godspeed boys, take em out.....
Iraq/alQuaeda Link Exposed
From Yahoo News:Jordanian officials first reported April 1 that a terrorist operation had been thwarted, but the government provided few details and the news attracted little international attention. Raids and arrests continued for several weeks. On April 20, four militants were killed and three arrested in a firefight in Amman.
In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle during a U.S. visit last week, Jordan's King Abdullah II said his government continued to investigate what amounted to "a major, major operation."
"It would have decapitated the government," he said.
Calm descriptions
Shown in a casual interview setting Monday night, detainees Azmi al-Jayousi and Hussein Sharif Hussein provided calm descriptions of a plot they say was hatched in Iraq and forged in Syria and Iraq.
Matt's Chat
You are not reading this. There are no links between Iraq and any terrorist groups. I am Baghdad Bob and I return you now to your regularly scheduled blogging...If you listen real close you'll hear an amazing silence from the left on this issue...
Mark's Remarks
Listens for Liberal response/ statement: (cricket) (cricket).....(cricket) (cricket)....
Nada, nathan, nothing. They are sitting on this story because it proves them wrong again, and liberals hate to admit they are wrong. They still refuse to admit Reagan won the Cold War even while they thought it would go on forever, instead using Chernobyl or Gorbachev as the main factors for the end of the Cold War....WRONG!
This story needs wide distribution. There are ties between Iraq and al Queda. Iraqi documents showed it (see archives of WMD) as well as this story where the thwarted perpetrators talk about how the plot came from Iraq.
Now THAT's A Birthday
From the Vodka Pundit:None of the usual latenight blogging today – I'll be asleep. Birthday dinners here mean three hours of food, four hours of drinking, and 30 minutes before passing out, spent in bed, moaning, wishing we weren't too full and drunk to have some riotous birthday sex. It's what we always do for each other's birthdays.Indeed, as Glenn Reynolds would say...go read how this tradition got started. Stephen is one lucky guy...
Melissa, of course, is to blame/credit for starting the tradition.
Speaking of Birthdays, Mark Chimes in....
(phony sniff sniff) I went up to my friends' house on Sunday, April 25, my birthday...and all I got was a dinner at Mio's and a bit of extra work for show prep...Those (phony sniff) Conservative Cockroaches don't care about me...(sniff, sigh)... Even though, I did not tell them it was my birthday, and even though I did not tell them I wanted to do anything, and even though they offered me the choice of doing something else.....because, you see, they should cater to me even when I don't say anything....(realizes what he is saying, then slams his head into the wall to clear out the hamster spirits)
Really, I wish I had the tradition this guy does...woohoo....of course, if I did, you all wouldn't have me around so much blogging, I would be....um....busy and stuff (woohoo!)
However, Forrest Gump did say in "Gumpisms: the Wit and Wisdom of Forrest Gump", Piece of Mind over piece of @$$..... heh....
Note to Matt and D: Guys, don't take above b.s. seriously...I was merely satirizing the pathetic ramblings of someone else...... sniff sniff..... :)
Timmerman: Saddam's WMDs Have Been Found; Media Doesn't Care
From Insight:New evidence out of Iraq suggests that the U.S. effort to track down Saddam Hussein's missing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is having better success than is being reported. Key assertions by the intelligence community that were widely judged in the media and by critics of President George W. Bush as having been false are turning out to have been true after all. But this stunning news has received little attention from the major media, and the president's critics continue to insist that "no weapons" have been found.
In virtually every case - chemical, biological, nuclear and ballistic missiles - the United States has found the weapons and the programs that the Iraqi dictator successfully concealed for 12 years from U.N. weapons inspectors.
Matt's Chat
This isn't new information. What is shocking is how few people actually know this stuff. The media continues to filter what gets reported without the full content and/or context of the real story. Are they doing it for some sort of political gain? Who knows. The thing is that the media is not getting the job done; hence the rise of alternative media.Timmerman lays it all out for you. Go read it. And read all the supplemental material. Especially if you are one who believes that going in to Iraq was the wrong decision or if you are one of those who thinks "Bush lied." I'm starting a new meme: the media lied.
Mark's Remarks
Yes, the Big Partisan Press is the true MISleader. The MORONS at (just can't seem to)moveon.org are the true Misleaders. Read this article...it opens eyes, it reveals things the Partisan Press is sitting on, because it would destroy the arguments of the Loonatic Left like Sean "Shanghai Surprise" Penn, Tim "I can't Write for Crap" Robbins, and George Soros and Co. And we can't have liberal lies crushed, because what else would they run on? They have no vision, no clarity, no backbone.
Extremists and the Politicos Who Love/Hate Them
From Balloon Juice:[T]he radical [expletive deleted] on the right in Kevin's picture are somehow acceptable or less offensive by comparison. They are not- but they are not accepted into the mainstream of the Republican party, whereas Kevin's Democrats have spent years cultivating and embracing the hatred exhibited by Waters and the women above, harnessing it for their own short-term political game.
And for that, they should be ashamed.
- John Cole
Matt's Chat
Go check out the whole post. A very good point to be made and John makes it pretty well.There are extremists in both parties, but the mainstream Republicans don't generally give the radicals a stage. Democrats had Howard Dean (D-Scream) and Dennis Kucinich (D-Pluto) IN THEIR PRIMARIES this time...and the liberal activists get a lot more Democratic publicity than the right wing nuts.
Mark's Remarks
The extreme Right wingers I know still do not curse Presidents to hell (as Ms. Waters did), nor do they come up with untrue charges of desertion...I am sure some are out there, but again, as Matt said, they don't get a large audience or have as much large support as the whackos on the left. We don't hold up intolerant, racist whackos like Waters or Rangel as leaders, we call them extremists and move on. Libs love this crap, more and more; and it is sad. Quite sad.
Could These Be Kerry's "Foreign Leaders"?
From the Boston Globe:Kerry, who as the son of a diplomat spent some of his childhood at a boarding school in Switzerland, fits the bill of the multilateral candidate. He has served nearly two decades on the Senate foreign relations committee. Unlike Bush and Clinton, former governors who had to be tutored on foreign policy during their campaigns, Kerry has conferred frequently with foreign leaders over the years. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, for instance, he conducted a ''listening tour" of the Middle East, meeting with Sharon, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, even Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at his compound in the West Bank.
Matt's Chat
The plot thickens...Mark's Remarks
Yes, I am sure Kerry loves Arafat...both of them like illicit affairs and marriages of convenience.
Listening tours.....what is this? I want to hear how much you hate America, so I know someone else blames America first besides American liberals?
I, for one, am sure Sharon was not impressed.....he doesn't like appeasement very well, does he, Mr. Arafat?
Kerry: ABCNews Works for RNC (?)
From the Washington DispatchAfter a disastrous performance tring to explain this story on ABC’s Good Morning America John Kerry ripped the microphone off his lapel in frustration and let go with this.
“God, [ABC is] doing the work of the Republican National Committee.”
When did ABC sign on as a part of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy?
For those of you who missed it, the transcript is now available.
Matt's Chat
Glenn Reynolds asks if this is a meltdown and I'm not so sure that THIS was the meltdown. Notice the past tense. Kerry's campaign has been a disaster from the beginning. The only thing he had going for him is that he wasn't Howard Dean. That isn't going to help him now that he is squaring off against President Bush. The "Anybody But Bush" crowd isn't large enough to get Kerry elected and he has no new real ideas.Mark's Remarks
When Liberals Feast on Themselves....I love it...Kerry pulls the whiny victim card again, and it is captured live on sound....When will this guy understand the idea that you don't say stupid things until after they take the mike off? This is twice now...first there was the "dirtiest group of people" comment directed at supporters of Bush; now there is this....I wonder, will Charlie and Diane be so blind to the many Kerry gaffes on the record in the future? I hope not, because there is one thing the media hates: being labelled as working for Republicans, ie, not liberal. I hope there is a huge backlash, because there is little more fun politically than to watch liberals hack each other alive....
Mr. Kerry, if you don't have the stones to take honest criticism of conflicting statements you made, and you don't have the stones to take debate ON YOUR RECORD IN THE SENATE, then why did you enter the race? You don't have the skin for this, you don't have the vision, and you definately don't have the backbone.....
Justice Opens MemoGate
From the New York Times:The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into accusations that Republican Congressional aides stole sensitive Democratic memorandums, and the department has tapped David N. Kelley, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, to lead the politically charged case, officials said Monday.
The decision to bring in Mr. Kelley, rather than have prosecutors in Washington pursue the case, came after lawmakers from both parties urged the Justice Department to appoint an independent prosecutor to avoid the appearance of a conflict.
The department said in a letter dated Monday that it was confident that Mr. Kelley would conduct the investigation "in a thorough, fair, impartial and professional manner." Several leading Democrats applauded his appointment, with Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York saying it was "a very good first step."
The opening of the criminal inquiry increases the significance of the case, which has provoked open hostilities between Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in their continuing battle over President Bush's judicial nominations.
Matt's Chat
The Democrats strategy as revealed in the Hannity memo is being executed. This investigation must be conducted swiftly and impartially. With the appointment of a hotshot lawyer from Manhattan, I am convinced that neither will happen. The Democrats will want to drag this out as long as humanly possible so they can point fingers at Republicans. Manhattan is the capital of modern-day liberalism and a bastion of "Democratic ideals" so I don't hold much faith that it will be a fair hearing.Look folks, it comes down to this: the Democrats failed to secure their side of the system. If accounts are indeed accurate, no "hacking" was involved. I'd be curios to hear what exactly the Democrats think they have here.
The political implications of the content of those memos is the real story. Democrats have allied themselves with special interests to smear the President. This isn't some "Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy" theory in reverse. The content of those memos make that quite clear.
Mark's Remarks
As usual, the media stays away from the meaningful content and goes for the lowest common denominator. Instead of investigating ALLEGED wrongdoing by those who acquired the memo, WHY AREN'T WE INVESTIGATING THE DERAILMENT OF THE BUSINESS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BY DUMOCRAP SENATORS? Hmmm? Can you feel the friggin frustration here?
Look the Libs have been exposed, it is there for the media to read and actually report on it. Conservatives, as usual, have done the job of investigating the story, Big Media. Yet, you don't even take this gift, even though it represents the politicizing of many issues and represents the sinister strategy of the Left, a strategy NOT DESIGNED TO HELP AMERICAN INTERESTS OR HER CITIZENS, but a strategy designed to simply incite discord and supposedly help them to gain power. If this does not show people that the Lib Leadership doesn't care about America or her people, nothing will. Winning isn't everything. There are some things such as ethics. Libs might want to look them up.
As to this lawyer, I am not enthused. As Matt indicated, Manhattan is the bastion of Liberalism on the East Coast. Therefore, I am sure this will be a Bin Vineste investigation, that is, big on smear, little on facts.
Monday, April 26, 2004
WMDtv: Episode 6
From the TIB Network:Episode 6, which Mark and I did live on April 16th is airing in reruns TONIGHT at 6PM on DATV.
- Matt
NKU SGA Post
From the TIB Network:I've noticed an increase in hits to WMD on the Northern Kentucky University Student Government Association election fiasco. The post you are looking for can be found here.
Thanks for dropping by and feel free to comment.
- Matt
UPDATE: Bush Pushes for Broadband Tax Ban
From The AP via MyWay NewsPresident Bush on Monday urged Congress to slap a permanent ban on taxes consumers pay for high-speed Internet hookups called broadband. During a speech in Minnesota, he also touted proposals to make electronic medical records the norm and move hydrogen fuel technology from the lab to the showroom.
"There are jobs being created during this period of economic transition," Bush told about 2,000 community college, business and other leaders attending the American Association of Community Colleges annual convention in Minneapolis.
Mark's Remarks
Yep, this merely confirms the idea that Bush does not care about the people, that he is EVILtm!Seriously, this President is doing more to expand electronic services to people than has been done, and is working hard to keep access open to people regardless of income, and to keep such access from being taxed. He is opening doors, showing vision, while the Dumocraps can't seem to get past failed economic plans of Jimmy Carter (for that, check out Kerry's so called Job Creation plan and look at Jimmy's...then look at the amazing results of Jimmy's plan).
Matt's Chat
I don't care who takes credit, I just don't want to pay taxes on my internet access. Period. Got it?
Cheney Gives Speech, McAullife Shows Hypocrisy
From the AP via Yahoo NewsVice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) said Monday that John Kerry (news - web sites) "has given us ample grounds to doubt" his judgment on national security even as the Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) chairman urged the White House to stop such attacks.
"Call off the Republican attack dogs," DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe told reporters in Washington.
Mark's Remarks
The big news here is not Cheney's speech, which pretty much mirrors the outstanding one he gave earlier this season, telling the truth about KERRY'S RECORD, not attacking his patriotism, but TALKING ABOUT HIS RECORD.No one has attacked his military service, Mr. McAwful, but yet you still bring it up ad nauseum and say people are attacking it. Is that all you have, sir, 3rd grade he said/they said games? The facts of the matter are that every person who has talked from the Bush campaign has said they honor his service, they just disagree with everything he did after it. That is more than can be said for your tone in dealing with issues involving your opponent, Mr. McAwful.
No, the real news here is the blatant hypocrisy Mr. McAwful is showing in his comments. He talks about calling off the "Republican Attack Dogs." Mr. McAwful, why don't you do the same with the Media Fund, the MORONS at moveon.org, and the other 527s you are subtly coordinating with in a united effort at smear. Why don't you call off the attack dogs on the Left who went after the President's service, oh wait, you did that too, didn't you? Why don't YOU start focusing more on issues than smear? Oh wait, you can't because you have no core and no vision....my bad....
And here is some more of McAwful's hypocrisy....Remember, he was a Friend and Supporter of Bill Clinton, who avoided service in Vietnam, even the ROTC:
McAuliffe noted Kerry's release last week of his military record, detailing the actions as commander of a swift boat in the Mekong Delta that led to him being awarded three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star.Source
During the Vietnam War, Bush served in the Texas Air National Guard, but did not participate in combat. Cheney received student deferments.
"This is the comparison we're willing to have," he said. "When John Kerry was in that swift boat with people firing upon him, where were George Bush and Dick Cheney?"
All I can say is, Terry, they were not like you and Bill, protesting and giving aid and comfort to the enemy...They were serving.....
And, when did Kerry release anything new on his military record? He still has not released what he promised to do on Meet the Press, yet here you are acting as if he has revealed something we didn't know...Come on Terry, this is too easy.....
Sheesh, these folks are delusional...especially when you consider it was THEIR PRESENT CANDIDATE John Kerry, who said in 1996 that Vietnam and service therein should not be an issue, that it was a painful memory for veterans and it should not be used as a wedge issue.....yet, who is bringing it up ad nauseum? Kerry, and his surrogates....
Must be more lying, disguised as nuance or something.
Kerry Medal Controversy: More Waffles
From ABC NewsContradicting his statements as a candidate for president, Sen. John Kerry claimed in a 1971 television interview that he threw away as many as nine of his combat medals to protest the war in Vietnam.
"I gave back, I can't remember, six, seven, eight, nine medals," Kerry said in an interview on a Washington, D.C., news program on WRC-TV called Viewpoints on Nov. 6, 1971, according to a tape obtained by ABCNEWS.
Throughout his presidential campaign, Kerry has denied that he threw away any of his medals during an anti-war protest in April 1971.
Calling it a "phony controversy" instigated by the Republican party, Kerry said on Good Morning America today that he has always accurately said what took place. "I threw my ribbons. I didn't have my medals. It is very simple."
But Kerry told a much different story on Viewpoints. Asked about the anti-war veterans who threw their medals away, Kerry said "they decided to give them back to their country."
Kerry was asked if he gave back the Bronze Star, Silver Star and three Purple Hearts he was awarded for combat duty as a Navy lieutenant in Vietnam. "Well, and above that, [I] gave back the others," he said.
The statement directly contradicts Kerry's most recent claims on the disputed subject to the Los Angeles Times last Friday. "I never ever implied that I did it, " Kerry told the newspaper, responding to the question of whether he threw away his medals in protest.
"I'm proud of my medals. I always was proud of them," he told Jennings in December, adding that he had only thrown away his "ribbons" and the medals of two other veterans who could not attend the protest.
Mark's Remarks
OK, Johnny Boy, which is it? Really, this doubletalk pandering you call nuancing is getting old!This man has no core. Back in 1971, when it was hip to be a rebel throwing away medals, he said he did it. Now, years later, when it looks bad, nope, I didn't throw 'em away....then he changes the reasons for why he didn't throw the Medals away....it was either 'I was proud of them' or ' they were in New York and I couldn't drive back to get them'.....
This guy is spineless, and he is a panderer. Either he betrayed his fellow protesters by telling them he threw away his medals when he did not, or he betrayed his own integrity by claiming medals he threw were his when they were not. Which is it?
We cannot trust this guy to get his own story straight. How can we expect him to run a country?
Matt's Chat
Personally, I don't think this is an "issue" worth spending a whole lot of time on... Let me be direct: I appreciate Kerry's service to his country when he was in Vietnam. I loath his disservice when he returned. I really could care less if he threw his medals, ribbons, or somebody elses. I just don't.On the other hand, Kerry seems to make a lot out of his service in Vietnam. I really don't think Kerry's performance thirty years ago has any bearing on this campaign. Nor do I believe his performance in Vietnam has any bearing on the issues. His political career does.
Kerry, since returning from Vietnam, has been a leftist, anti-war, anti-military hack. I'd rather spend my time exposing Kerry's Senate record. But we can't really do that because Terry McAwful and Kerry's cronies seem to think that is attacking Kerry's patriotism. Whatever...I would think smearing the President with false allegations of desertion and AWOL would be more akin to attacks on patriotism.
Note to Democrats: caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware. You folks had the opportunity to put up several guys who had a better chance and you blew it. Not that I mind much...
Teresa Against Abortion Before She Was For it?
From the New York Daily NewsTeresa Heinz Kerry says she's pro-choice but believes abortion is "stopping the process of life," it was reported yesterday.
"My belief - and I maybe am very wrong - is that women, generally speaking, do not want to have abortions," Heinz Kerry said.
"With the exception of people who are mindless - and there will always be mindless people of both sexes - most women wouldn't want to," she added.
Heinz Kerry once said that she was "not 100% pro-choice," but told the magazine that now the issue is black and white for her.
"I ask myself if I had a 13-year-old daughter who got drunk one night and got pregnant, what would I do. Christ, I'd go nuts," Heinz Kerry said.
Asked if he shares his wife's views, Kerry told Newsweek, "I do not know the answer to that. We've never - she's never had to vote."
Matt's Chat
Mark says it better than I would...Mark's Remarks
John Kerry--"I do not know the answer to that (if he and Teresa share the views on abortion). We've never-she's never had to vote."
OK, Mr. Kerry, my question is: do you ever, like, you know, talk and stuff? I mean, come on, your wife has embarrassed you AGAIN and you are trying to cover up for it. She's never had to vote!? Come on, take a stand, you know, show some backbone.
And, isn't it funny, Teresa makes a better anti-abortion argument than some anti-abortion people I know: 'most women do not want to have abortions.' Then why do they? Could it be because they are bombarded with neo-feminist propaganda that you support that states it IS NOT a life? Isn't your stance a bit hypocritical, when you accept support of the crowd that says abortion is not about life but a choice, but yet you yourself, Ms. Heinz-Kerry, say that it IS ending a life?
Wow, more lies, doubletalk and nuance.....I simply cannot imagine this guy as a President, can you?
Internet Access Tax Ban
From Yahoo! News:Sen. John McCain is working to revive a bill banning taxes on Internet connections, a measure that bogged down last year amid worries that state and local governments could lose billions in tax revenue.
Senators have been battling since a temporary ban ran out nearly six months ago.
McCain, R-Ariz., the chairman of the Commerce Committee, would propose banning taxes for four years on services that connect the consumer to the Internet, said congressional officials speaking on condition of anonymity Friday. States exempted from the original ban, enacted in 1998, would be given three years to eliminate their taxes. States that tax DSL connection services would have two years to end their levies.
Congress first barred taxes on Internet connections in 1998. Technologies never envisioned then now let consumers enjoy faster services, download movies and music and leave their wired connections behind. Some companies have started offering traditional telephone services using Internet technology.
While rewriting the ban on Internet access taxes, House lawmakers broadened it to cover DSL, satellite and cable hookups.
Matt's Chat
I'm 100% behind this ban. However, here is something I hadn't considered before:The issue divides Senate Republicans, some of whom believe the federal government has no business telling state and local governments how to tax telecommunications.My response to this argument is that the Internet has greater reach than the local region or state. But then again, so does the telephone. I'm not sure how I feel about that. All I know is is that I am not a fan of Internet taxes. Anywhere. But especially on my bill...
Mark's Remarks
After a late winter/early spring of not impressing me much, Senator McCain has finally got behind something that makes sense. 'We don't need no stinkin' internet taxes.'
Saturday, April 24, 2004
Black Women Target Rap
From My Way News (AP):Maybe it was the credit card that rap superstar Nelly swiped through a woman's backside in a recent video. Here at Spelman, the most famous black women's college in the country, a feud has erupted over images of women in rap videos, sparking a petition drive and phone campaigns.
Nelly planned to visit Spelman earlier this month for a charity event enlisting students for a bone marrow registry. But the rapper canceled the appearance after hearing that a protest was in the works because of his videos - especially "Tip Drill," the one with the credit card, which also shows men throwing money between women's legs and women simulating sex acts with each other.
Misogyny in pop music, especially hip-hop, has been around for years. What's new, students say, is an explosion of almost-X-rated videos passed around on the Internet or shown late at night on cable channels like Black Entertainment Television, also known as BET.
Never before, students say, have the portrayals of black women been so hypersexual and explicit.
Matt's Chat
It is about time. This has been getting out of hand for quite some time. I'm sure there are liberals out there who think all this is just plain good fun; the reality is that this stuff is affecting The ChildrenTM and I always thought that meant something to you folks.Mark's Remarks
All I can say is, IT IS ABOUT TIME!!!! I am sick and tired of being bombarded with this garbage, of visual representation and words! When you allow behavior like this to be infused into culture, it denigrates women and their role.... The rap 'artists' can claim all they want it is only entertainment, but crime statistics about African American violence and mistreatment of women, including mistreatment across the board regardless of race show that this denigration of women in music is having an effect.
It is about time someone in the Black community took up arms against the denigration of women and the barbarism inherent in rap culture.
Re-enlistment News
From My Way News (AP):Despite the shrapnel wounds Staff Sgt. William Pinkley suffered during his tour in Iraq, the 26-year-old is joining other soldiers who are re-enlisting at rates that exceed the retention goals set by the Pentagon.
As of March 31 - halfway through the Army's fiscal year - 28,406 soldiers had signed on for another tour of duty, topping the six-month goal of 28,377. The Army's goal is to re-enlist 56,100 soldiers by the end of September.
Pinkley re-enlisted for three more years, citing the camaraderie and the challenge of a new assignment.
Matt's Chat
Doesn't sound like we need a draft to me. And it sure doesn't sound like this is a "death tax." These guys are great Americans! Thanks for getting it done...Mark's Remarks
As usual, Schmucks like Rangel and Co. are full of garbage...they do not give our men and women enough credit.....They are doing the job, and doing it well, despite the venomous attacks of those who care only for their own power grabbing, who really don't care about soldiers......As evidenced in an antiwar mob in California outside a military base....A wife of a soldier came out and asked them, 'why are you doing this? You know what you are doing to us and our children? We have loved ones over there, don't you know how this affects them?' She was shouted down by people more concerned with looking hip and being cool protesting than by people who gave a darn about her husband or the family he is leaving behind. Reprehensible, and it shows you what the protesters really care about: the sounds of their own voices.
Iraq Development
From Yahoo News (AFP):The US civil administrator in Iraq (news - web sites) Paul Bremer announced steps to reinstate some former members of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s disbanded Baath party in the new army, as well as in schools and universities.
Bremer made the announcement in a rare televised address to the nation that appeared aimed at rallying Iraqi support as the US-led coalition battles a dogged insurgency by both Sunni and Shiite Muslim militants.
Amid mounting concern over the poor performance of Iraqi security forces during recent attacks, the US overseer said more former members of Saddam's military would be allowed to join the ranks of the new army.
He also announced measures to speed up the reinstatement of thousands of teachers who lost their jobs because they were once Baathists, even though they were often forced to join the former dictator's party.
Matt's Chat
If there is to be a brave new world in Iraq, integration of former Baathists is going to be important. I thought they should never have been disregarded because lower level officials/soldiers/etc. weren't in it for Saddam and when it came to making a choice, they made the right one. If there folks can pass a background check and want to lend their expertise to the effort, I say let them.Mark's Remarks
This is one of those things that are necessary but not all good when rebuilding a nation. Patton did it in Germany, and MacArthur did it in Japan, bringing back former members of the old regime to help get a handle on things. However, as it was done in Germany and Japan, so it must be done here: make clear to these Baathists that the days of torture and such are over, that they will not have unending power ever again, that they will have to work through campaigning to get power, and do a good job. Otherwise, we just set up the domino to fall again. However, I do not believe that will happen. It did not in Germany or Japan, so history tells us this has some precedent that it will turn out in a positive way.
Request: Blogger/Blog*Spot Expert
From the TIB Network:I need some advice/knowledge from someone who knows something about archiving. Specifically, I don't think our permalinks are working on WMD and I think it has something to do with our archiving; but I haven't been able to figure it out. Any help would be appreciated!
- MATT
Friday, April 23, 2004
Kerry and Benedict Arnolds
A reader (thanks Lisa!) emails with a link to Business Week Online:John Kerry has had tough words on the Presidential campaign trail for "Benedict Arnold CEOs" who export U.S. jobs. But according to the May, 2003, financial disclosure form he's required to file with the U.S. Senate every year, the Democratic candidate has stock in several multinationals that have outsourced work overseas -- General Electric (GE ), Procter & Gamble (PG ), and Verizon (VZ ), among others.
Such holdings, through trusts Kerry inherited, account for a sizable part of his portfolio. Kerry, whose assets are estimated at more than $1 million, was required to declare only monetary ranges, but the records show holdings in U.S. companies that outsource jobs of at least $125,000 and possibly as much as $650,000.
Kerry's wife, Teresa, has an even larger stake in such companies -- at least $10 million, held in the H.J. Heinz III Marital Trust, which she inherited from her late first husband, John Heinz. According to the disclosure, the trust invested over $1 million in IBM (IBM ) the same year it laid off more than 15,000 workers. Not exactly an endorsement for Kerry's argument that companies should "no longer be able to surprise their workers with a pink slip instead of a paycheck." The fund also invested between $1 million and $2 million in insurance giant AIG (AIG ) in 2002, the same year it set up an offshore-development center.
"SILLY COMPARISON." The Kerry camp makes a distinction between his and his wife's assets, asserting he has no financial stake in those holdings. They also point out that the Massachusetts senator has no say in the investments held in his family trusts. "It's a silly comparison," says Kerry senior adviser Michael Meehan. "Senator Kerry has a plan to crack down on companies who send jobs overseas."
Matt's Chat
Silly comparison indeed... When a candidate chooses to bite the hand that feeds him, one must wonder how badly he'd bite our nation's economy. Just asking...Mark's Remarks
And, just like other good liberals, he will enable these companies to escape via loopholes, just as some of his liberal predecessors did....Don't you just love the smell of Kerry and Liberal Hypocrisy in the blogosphere?
What a hypocritical, lying piece of crap.
Mark Has 20 Questions for John Kerry
From the TIB Network:
1.Why is it, Senator Kerry, that you used a lack of income tax disclosure against an opponent in 1990, but you will not disclose your wife's tax returns?
2. Speaking of finances, how do you honestly say that you will pay back the multi-million dollar loan you took out on your half of a home you and your wife own in Beacon Hill? Especially considering that according to records your worth is between -$100,000 and $200,000? And, consider your salary is between 100,000 and 200,000? Do you honestly expect us to believe your wife won't be assisting?
3. Why is it that you did not chastise your surrogates like Terry McAuliffe for doggedly going after President Bush's military records, yet you consider it a personal attack when people ask for yours, especially after YOU PROMISED to release them?
4. Why is it that, if you are so much more of an environmentalist than President Bush, that:
You own the largest gas guzzling private jet,
You have 5 mansions that eat resources,
You have a fleet of SUVs that troll your grounds,
You own a giant yacht that eats gas,
And you are against windfarms in the wind rich region of Cape Cod, because they would lower your property values and obstruct your "view?"
5. If you are so strong on defense, why does YOUR VOTING RECORD show that you have voted against every major weapon system we now use?
6. Back to the environment: Why are you and Democrat colleagues holding up the bill that would fund anti-erosion efforts along the Mississippi River?
7. If you are so supportive of troops in Iraq, then why did you vote FOR the war but AGAINST the money to outfit and supply our troops? And please, explain it a little better than "I voted for it before I voted against it."
8. If you believe we need intelligence and a strong defense, then why did you vote for every budgetary reduction in these two areas, AND introduce a budget amendment gutting intelligence funding to the point your own Democrat Brethren spoke out against you?
9. Why did you talk about dismantling the CIA?
10. If you believe in tax relief, then why have you voted for every tax increase measure you have come across?
11. If you love your fellow vets so much, why did you call them "murderers" and "Ghengis Khans" in testimony broadcast worldwide, even to Hanoi?
12. Following up on that, why have you not repudiated that testimony, especially since it has been shown that most of the Winter Soldier Accounts you based your assertions on were either totally fraudulent by people who never served?
13. Why is it that you defended Bill Clinton when he was under attack for not serving in Vietnam, but you attack Vice President Cheney and Karl Rove for not serving; and via Surrogates, you attack President Bush? Especially since, it has been shown, Clinton weaseled out of an ROTC pledge and basically fled the country? Hmm?
14. If you want to protect children, then why did you make a pot smoking gesture when "Puff the Magic Dragon" was sang during one of your rallies?
15. If you are so concerned about outsourcing, then why is it that your wife's company (in which you are a big stockholder) outsources 57 of its 79 factories?
16. Why is it that you claim your economic plan will create 10 million new jobs over four years, especially when economists are forecasting that is the growth rate regardless of planning? Are you attempting to take credit for something you will have nothing to do with?
17. Why are you saying your economic plan is proven successful, when only 2 studies out of hundreds done on it say so?
18. Why are you advocating an economic and job creation plan that proved unsuccessful for the Carter Administration, and which had disastrous results for our economy?
19. Why are you advocating trade strategies that have proven damaging to the economy, going back to Tom Jefferson's tariff (punitive tariffs)?
20. Isn't it the People's business to know if a candidate is more influenced by foreign citizens/leaders than by Citziens of the US? If you think so, then why did you say it was none of a citizen's business when he asked you what leaders you had spoken with?
The answers, to these and many other questions is simple: John Kerry is a spineless, coreless political hypocrite who will say and pander anything to get elected. He has no vision, he has no core. That is why he is going back to strategies that have never worked: cut and run internationalist appeasement and typical liberal tax and spending. He is not a visionary, he is not a leader. He is simply wrong.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)