Unemployment Drops.
Ah well, the Democrats still have Iraq....for now.

Reagan II
This speech may have been missed by many. I promise it wasn't missed in the middle east. Mr. Reagan would be proud.

Victor Davis Hanson, On what this war is Not about.

We had a vote last autumn about going into Iraq. The Senate decided overwhelmingly to give the president the power to go to war — and even earlier it had passed domestic legislation to crack down on terror. All the present screaming about illegality and the excesses of the Patriot Act cannot change the fact that the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary were all involved, as they should be, in the present decisions to fight in Afghanistan, Iraq, and here at home against stealthy killer-cells. We have had plenty of time for our versions of Bob Lafollette and Charles Lindbergh, who screamed long, hard, and a little dishonestly to keep America out of its two World Wars.

Yet when war did come, at least their frenzy ceased and the nation closed ranks to defeat the enemy. So when Gen. Clark implies that President Bush knew in advance about 9/11 or when candidates Kerry and Dean insist that the effort in Iraq is characterized by deceit, illegality, and corruption, they and all those who repeat their slurs have crossed the line, and will only earn the wages of a George McClellan who likewise slandered Lincoln as a warmonger, lost the election, and then rightly ended up in bitter retirement.

It is time for Clark, Dean, Kerry and the rest either right now to advocate legislation to stop the war and bring the troops home — or to simply be quiet and support the effort of our soldiers. Any further hysteria about purpose rather than quibbling over tactics, and the American people will rightly conclude that such Democratic invective hurts America and helps its enemies, whose entire strategy of assassination and terror is aimed at appealing to the anti-war movement in the United States.

Vietnam is much evoked by the Democrats, who apparently believe the country was lost in 1973-4 when they cut off money for further support. So it is now the hour for them likewise to conjure up that time-tested Vietnam remedy by cutting off the money, bringing home the soldiers and calling it quits. If they really care about the troops at war, they must either support their efforts or bring them back — but not leave them in limbo as they damn their mission.

We are in a war and we are winning due more to the courage and superb character of our soldiers than to the popular mobilization and engagement of the American citizenry itself. We have the best military in the history of civilization, but we can still lose this war — unless we remember September 11, acknowledge the awful nature of our enemies, and always, always accept the truth that civilization itself hangs in the balance.

Its been an odd week for me. My wife decided to run my car through the wash with the antenna up. The car was quite clean, the antenna quite broken. Also broken was my link to talk radio on my hour and a half drive to and from work. No more Spike O'Dell or Don Wade and Roma in the morning.
No more Rush fill-ins at noon,
and no more Hugh Hewitt on the drive home.

In its place, the book tape version of April 1865, the Month that Changed America. Can't think of any book more timely, as we continue this war, than to contemplate the last time this country was under attack on its own soil, that time by its own people.

I was listening to the story of the brave and honorable Robert E Lee, as the Democrats attacked their own over a flag.
I was listening to the howling voices of capitulation, as Lincoln steadfastly kept his eyes on the goal of Union, above all else. In the present, the Democrats on the Senate Intelligence were caught politicizing the war.

I was hearing the voices of the thousands dying in The Wilderness, as today's press wailed over the loss of a few soldiers cleaning up the mess that is Iraq.

I guess, in many ways, I wasn't so out of touch after all.

The Tortoise and the Hare
The United States got to the moon in less than ten years. That was over 30 years ago.
China will launch its first moon probe in three to five years.
There's an a line from the Sputnik days, attributed to Lyndon Johnson: "I don't want to be lookin' up and seein' a damned Red moon!"
He may have been looking into a Chinese future.....

So What Caused the Fires?

Here's one look at a cause, from Hugh Hewitt.
My hope is that folks currently living in the People's Republic of California will take a hard look at what their Democrat led government has given them.

By the way, funny how Sen Barbara Boxer switched her vote on the Healthy Forest initiative after opposing it for so long.
To see just how vociferously she has opposed the initiative, just run a Google search with these four words.
Barbara
Boxer
Healthy
Forest.
Get past this week's stories, and look at her obstruction for over a year.
Ya think Southern California burning down around her had anything to do with her change of heart?

The Will to Win
I don't often quote extensively from the peices I post. I want folks to read the articles for themselves.
But this article from Friday's OpinionJournal is a keeper.

Here's and extended segment:
Incredibly, every Democratic Presidential candidate save Dick Gephardt and Joe Lieberman has opposed Mr. Bush's $87 billion request to fight the war. Senators John Edwards and John Kerry voted against this money to finish the war they both voted to start. Wesley Clark not only opposes the money but this week blamed Mr. Bush for failing to stop September 11. Of all people, a decorated Vietnam veteran such as Mr. Clark must understand that his words are heard not just in Des Moines and Nashua but in the Baathist bunkers of Tikrit and Fallujah.
We are not saying that these voices want the U.S. to lose. But their criticism is so virulent and unconstructive that it is clear they won't let themselves believe that America could win. Chasing Howard Dean to the left, Mr. Kerry is all but saying that if he becomes President the U.S. will withdraw post-haste. In Sunday's Democratic debate, the Vietnam war and protest veteran also divorced what is happening in Iraq from the broader war on terror. "And this war on terror is far less of a military operation and far more of an intelligence-gathering, law enforcement operation," he said.

At least this comment gets to the heart of the matter. Mr. Kerry is endorsing the pre-9/11 consensus on how to fight terrorism. Try to disrupt the terrorists if you can, but be ready to endure their blows and send the police and prosecutors to get them after the fact. We tried that once, and the result was 3,000 dead civilians.

It's time we all recognized the stakes. And the cost of putting politics ahead of country.

The Jewish Problem
The rise of anti Semitism, and worse, its acceptance by Liberal elites is on the rise. It is confronted head on in this column by Victor Davis Hanson.

Here's the main website for PATH, Positive Alternatives to Homosexuality.
For Christians struggling with this issue, this is a worthwhile site.

Limbaughs Fans Remain Loyal
No surprise, really.
Rush has one of the largest, and most loyal fan bases in history.

A Democrat Endorsement for George W.

Okay, okay. It's Zel Miller, who is Democrat only because he's always been a Democrat. But his reasons ring very true. Good article.

It's one of those news cycles where it seems like the whole planet is in chaos.
First the fires.
KFMB 760 out of San Diego has the most up to date coverage, complete with maps

Next: the impending solar storm, supposed to hit tomorrow.
As always, Space.com is the place to go for all information astronomical

And finally Iraq.

Fox news of course. TV and Web.Fair and Balanced.
Even when the world isn't.

Terri's Fight, an update

A Dislike Unlike Any Other? (washingtonpost.com)
The Bush Haters are coming out in the open, according to Howard Kurtz.

Terri's Fight! The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation
I had not been following this tragic story until I heard some details on late night talk radio.
The more I read, the more the mystery deepens.
Sign the petition to Jeb Bush to keep this woman alive.

The Final Victory: Malaysian Prime Minister Doing His Best Impersonation of Hitler
So, here is the Prime Minister of a major Asian nation getting a standing ovation for his anti semitic speech, and what does most American Media cover?
Kobe Bryant and semen stained panties, and an attack on an Evangelical Christian General. What does this tell you about media bias?
Oh wait. I take that back.
The LA Times did mention the Malaysian Prime Minister's bigotry. By comparing him and General Boykin!
What a staggering outrage.

Having fun on a dull night in the ER.
One of the past times in Emergency Rooms and on Psych units across the country is betting on BALs, Blood Alcohol Levels.
This has to be a record, except possibly in Wisconsin.

A Great Look at The Perils Liberal Commentators Face When They Go After Rush.
Today's 'Liberals': Close-Minded, Nasty and Fringe

Despite The News Hour's report, The Rush Limbaugh show is NOT on Hiatus. Rush is, but not the show.

Ah, the Media, again.
Mark Steyn does a great job looking at the media spin of the California Recall vote.
Here's a taste:

You gotta admire the way the media stayed on the Demo-crats' sinking California ship right to the very end. On the CNN Web site, even after Gray Davis had conceded, they were sticking to the loser's talking-points:



''Schwarzenegger, who, like Hitler, is a native of Austria . . .''

CNN? Oh, that's that network with Larry King, who, like the Son of Sam, is a native of Brooklyn. Used to be owned by Ted Turner, who, like the Cincinnati Strangler, is a native of Cincinnati. Now part of Time Warner, founded by the Warner Brothers, the oldest of whom, Harry Warner, like many Auschwitz guards, was a native of Poland.

Oh, and the truth?
Here it is, same article:
Just in case any Democrats have come back down to Planet Earth, here's what happened on Tuesday: The two Republican candidates -- Schwarzenegger and Tom McClintock -- pulled 62 percent of the vote between them; the Democrat, Cruz Bustamante, got 31.7 percent. The remaining 6 percent was divided among the other 132 candidates. Just to recap: Republicans 62 percent, Democrats 31.7 percent -- in the most liberal state in the nation. As long as all those angry voters keep expressing their anger by voting for Republicans over Democrats by two to one, I think I can live with it.

Yep.

Rush and Drugs
The first major hit piece is out on Rush Limbaugh, from Newsweek.
Here's a taste:

But Limbaugh’s story owes more to the “Wizard of Oz” than “The Scarlet Letter.” The man behind the curtain is not the God of Family Values but a childless, twice-divorced, thrice-married schlub whose idea of a good time is to lie on his couch and watch football endlessly. When Rush Limbaugh declared to his radio audience that he was “your epitome of morality of virtue, a man you could totally trust with your wife, your daughter, and even your son in a Motel 6 overnight,” he was acting.

Well, here we go.
I'm a Christian.
Been one for years.
Have been proud of it.
Still am proud of it.
Despite Jimmy Swaggart.
Despite Jim Baker
Those core values haven't changed just because a media preacher falls.

I'm a conservative.
Been one for years.
Have been proud of it.
Still am.
Despite Bill Bennett
And yes, despite Rush Limbaugh.
Those core values don't change just because a media voice falls.

I'm deeply concerned about Rush and his drug problem.
If Oxycontin is what he is addicted to, he has a hard, hard road ahead of him.
It's a road he'll be on for a lot longer than thirty days.
More like thirty years.
I know.
I've been doing substance abuse counseling for a long time.
I've been hearing the stories for years.
And they are similar to what I've heard so far about Rush.
Chronic, excruciating pain from a back injury.
Flexeril (Cyclobenzeprine) doesn't cut it.
So the doctor prescribes Vicoden, or Oxycontin.
It works....for awhile.
Then the pain starts to break through, so you take more.
Then you take more, because when you quit, you go through withdrawals.
Wanna know about the withdrawal symptoms? Check Here

The addiction grows, until you are no longer in control.
It truly does control you.
Oh yeah, and the pain that started the addiction ball rolling?
Still there.
Still excruciating.
You've just added another kind of pain on top of it.
So,
Rush has asked for prayers.
He's got 'em.
From this Conservative Christian, anyway.

Spider in the Basement.
Okay, here's the thing.
Spiders freak me out.
Phobia would not be too strong a word.
We have a Wolf Spider in our basement ceiling.
I'm the ony one who's seen it, and it took awhile to figure out what kind of spider it was.
Now I'm sure.
Until I find it, the blogs will be short and to the point.
We've named the spider Herman.
I suspect Hermanitta might be more appropriate however.
Gotta go.
Hermanitta wants to use the computer, and I aint gonna try to stop her.....

China in Space
Arthur C Clarke may once again have proven prophetic.

Fans can't get OU Tickets

I know, you think this is a local story about Oklahoma Football. But the fact is, unless you are very, very wealthy, or willing to max out a credit card, it is impossible to take a family of four, or even a family of one, to a major sporting event in this country.

We've come to accept that, but it doesn't make it right.

Remember CAIR, the Council on Islamic Arabic Relations? Just after 9/11, you saw them as the representatives for political correctness on Hardball, Crossfire, the Sunday shows etc.
Haven't heard much lately.
Here's why.

The Good News From Iraq, and Where to Find It.

A Defense of Mel Gibson's New Movie, from an Orthodox Rabbi
Finally, I believe the attacks on Mel Gibson are a mistake because while they may be in the interests of Jewish organizations who raise money with the specter of anti-Semitism, and while they may be in the interests of Jewish journalists at the New York Times and elsewhere who are trying to boost their careers, they are most decidedly not in the interests of most American Jews who go about their daily lives in comfortable harmony with their Christian fellow citizens. You see, many Christians see all this as attacks not just on Mel Gibson alone or as mere critiques of a movie, but with some justification in my view, they see them as attacks against all Christians. This is not so different from the way most people react to attack. We Jews usually feel that we have all been attacked even when only a few of us suffer assault on account of our faith.

Right now, the most serious peril threatening Jews, and indeed perhaps all of Western Civilization, is Islamic fundamentalism. In this titanic 21st-century struggle that links Washington, D.C. with Jerusalem, our only steadfast allies have been Christians. In particular, those Christians that most ardently defend Israel and most reliably denounce anti-Semitism, happen to be those Christians most fervently committed to their faith. Jewish interests are best served by fostering friendship with Christians rather than cynically eroding them. Rejecting flagrant anti-Christianism on the part of Jews claiming to be acting on our behalf would be our wisest course as a community. Doing so would have one other advantage: It would also be doing the right thing.

— Radio talk-show host, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, is president of Toward Tradition.

I think when the history of this time is finally written, one of the primary sources will be Victor Davis Hanson. Once again, a needed perspective.

And speaking of the New McClellan, here's what he said a couple of years ago, at a Republican fund raiser.
My favorite quote:
You see, in the Cold War we were defensive. We were trying to protect our country from communism. Well guess what, it's over. Communism lost. Now we've got to go out there and finish the job and help people live the way they want to live. We've got to let them be all they can be. They want what we have. We've got some challenges ahead in that kind of strategy. We're going to be active, we're going to be forward engaged. But if you look around the world, there's a lot of work to be done. And I'm very glad we've got the great team in office: men like Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condolzeezza Rice, Paul O'Neill--people I know very well--our president, George W. Bush. We need them there, because we've got some tough challenges ahead in Europe.

I couldn't agree more.

Goodbye Galileo
There have been few unmanned missions more successful than Galileo's tour of Jupiter and its moons.

Here is an official denial of the story.
It would make sense for the US to deny it, especially if it turns out to be true.

The Noose Tightens for Saddam
What will Dean, Kerry, Clark et al complain about when we have him? I'm sure they'll think of something.

Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for this post from one who was in Iraq
and understands why we went in, and why we must finish the job.

A short quote:
ONE OF SADDAM'S SECURITY AGENTS WAS SENT TO QUESTION A SHI'I IN HIS HOME. THE INTERROGATION TOOK PLACE IN THE LIVING ROOM IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MAN'S WIFE, WHO HELD THEIR THREE MONTH OLD CHILD AT HER BREAST. A QUESTION WAS ASKED AND THE THUG DID NOT LIKE THE ANSWER; HE ASKED IT AGAIN, SAME ANSWER. HE GRABBED THE BABY FROM ITS MOTHER AND PLUCKED ITS EYE OUT. AND THEN REPEATED HIS QUESTION.

WORSE THINGS HAPPENED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE, INDEED WITH THE PARTICIPATION, OF SADDAM, HIS FAMILY AND THE BATHIST REGIME. THAT ALONE CONVINCES ME THAT WE WERE RIGHT TO INVADE, AND WE SHOULD HAVE SOONER. THOUSANDS SUFFERED WHILE WE WERE MESSING ABOUT WITH FRANCE AND RUSSIA AND GERMANY IN THE UN. EVERY ONE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE, BUT FRANCE AND THE U.N. WERE MAKING MILLIONS ADMINISTERING THE FOOD FOR OIL PROGRAM. WAS THAT THE REASON FOR THE DELAY, I DO NOT KNOW, BUT THERE IT IS.

Bottom of the Ninth
Robert Alt at National Review gives the best analysis of the decision, and why it may go to the Supreme Court.
Here's my favorite part, right at the beginning:
In the pantheon of liberal jurisprudence, there are few courts that can hold a candle to the Florida supreme court, which, during the fateful 2000 election, acted as if it was uniquely empowered to rewrite Florida election law from the bench. There is one court, however, that will not give up its title as the most-liberal and most-reversed court in the country so easily. Such titles must be earned over time, and this court, which has worked long and hard to truly deserve this title, will not be supplanted by such a relative newcomer. I am speaking, of course, of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals — a court which Monday issued a temporary injunction postponing California's recall election based on a clear misapplication of the U.S. Supreme Court's Bush v. Gore decision.

9th Circus Issues a Silly Ruling
Here's a good read on what will likely happen in the next few days.

Middle School Teacher Suspended for Showing 9/11 video
What a sad commentary on our schools.

The Israeli ambassador to the UN Speaks the Truth.
And the UN doesn't want to hear it.

Lileks on 9/11/03.
What a great piece from James Lileks.
Here's a sample:
Two years later I take a certain grim comfort in some people’s disinterest in the war; if you’d told me two years ago that people would be piling on the President and bitching about slow progress in Iraq, I would have known in a second that the nation hadn’t suffered another attack. When the precise location of Madonna’s tongue is big news, you can bet the hospitals aren’t full of smallpox victims.

A wonderful entry, one of the reasons likeks is one of the top bloggers.

Smiling From the Womb
My favorite section:


Pioneering scanning techniques have produced astonishing images from inside the womb which show babies apparently smiling and crying.

Experts believe the breakthrough could lead to advances in baby health for a whole range of conditions, including Down's Syndrome.

The pictures offer a new insight into foetal behaviour.

The ultra-sound scanning techniques capture images which show the foetuses yawn, blink, suck their fingers and seem to cry and smile.

Up to now, doctors did not think infants made such expressions until after birth and believed they learned to smile by copying their mother.

The procedure has been pioneered by London obstetrician Professor Stuart Campbell at the Create Health Centre for Reproduction and Advanced Technology.

His pictures reveal foetuses moving their limbs at just eight weeks.

The new techniques, known as 3D and 4D scanning, allow for far more detailed examination of the foetus.

"There are many questions that can now be investigated," said Prof Campbell.

"Do babies with genetic problems such as Downs Syndrome have the same pattern of activity as normal babies?

"Does the foetus smile because it is happy, or cry because it has been disturbed by some event in the womb?

And do they feel betrayed by a nation that views them as nonhuman and allows them to be slaughtered by the thousands?

9/11/01 Tributes
Two wonderful tributes, on this day, 9/10/03.
We lost so much, yet gained much too.
First, a long, but moving tribute. 7 megs. Takes a while to download.

The other, Can't Cry Hard Enough, is haunting. Still one of the most moving tributes I've seen.

Miguel Estrada: Victory for a Smear. from of all places, The Washington Post

A Nifty News Site: Newslink.org
I came across this site while searching for a live broadcast of the Oklahoma-Alabama game.
Still didn't find an internet link to the game. Did find this though.

The Ten Commandments
Been thinking alot about the whole fuss in Alabama. I think this editorial by JIm Pinkerton pretty much sums it up for me.

I've been working alot, so blogging has not been a happenin' thing of late.
My apologies. As the year goes on, be sure to check in, as new articles will be posted.
Please see the description at the top of the page. Remember, this blog is updated as family priorities permit.

Being Unfriendly at Work A Protestant Belief?
Now, I agree with much of this Reuters story. But this little tidbit below is just a bit much:

ROOTED IN PROTESTANT BELIEFS


This impersonal attitude at work is rooted in Protestant beliefs of putting emotion aside at the office, Sanchez-Burks said in a telephone interview this week.


The American style of keeping things impersonal at the workplace is virtually confined to the United States, he said.

Speaking as a life long "protestant" I'm hard pressed to find anywhere in Scripture or tradition "the Protestant beliefs of putting emotion aside at the office."
Not that Reuters might have a religious bias or anything....

Blogs From Iraq
An end run around the mainstream media bias. Blogs directly from soldiers in Iraq. Great stuff!

The Enemy Within
by Victor Davis Hanson

Once again VDH hits it on the head. Sadly, the only Democrat who may be listening is Joe Leiberman, and who's listening to him these days?

What does all this mean? Western societies from ancient Athens to imperial Rome to the French republic rarely collapsed because of a shortage of resources or because foreign enemies proved too numerous or formidable in arms — even when those enemies were grim Macedonians or Germans. Rather, in times of peace and prosperity there arose an unreal view of the world beyond their borders, one that was the product of insularity brought about by success, and an intellectual arrogance that for some can be the unfortunate byproduct of an enlightened society.

I think we are indulging in this unreal hypercriticism — even apart from the election-season antics of our politicians — because we are not being gassed, or shot, or even left hot or hungry. September 11 no longer evokes an image of incinerated firemen, innocents leaping out of skyscrapers, or the stench of flesh and melted plastic, but rather: squabbles over architectural designs, lawsuits, snarling over Mr. Ashcroft's new statutes, or concerns about being too rude to the Arab street.

Such smug dispensation — as profoundly amoral as it is — provides us, on the cheap and at a safe distance, with a sense of moral worth. Or perhaps censuring from the bleachers enables us to feel superior to those less fortunate who are still captive to their primordial appetites. We prefer to cringe at the thought that others like to see proof of their killers' deaths, prefer to shoot rather than die capturing a mass murderer, and welcome a generic profile of those who wish to kill them en masse.

We should take stock of this dangerous and growing mindset — and remember that wealthy, sophisticated societies like our own are rarely overrun. They simply implode — whining and debating still to the end, even as they pass away.

The Anti-Catholic, anti-Christian bias Continues

In The Midst of All The Strife
Gay Bishops, Terrorists, World War III.
But all is right with the world, as Oklahoma is once again ranked No. 1.
As it should be.
Eat your heart out, Hugh Hewitt.

The Wikipedia
I would like to introduce everyone to The Ultimate online Encyclopedia.
If you don't agree with an article, or feel something is inaccurate, feel free to change it.
This is not your father's Encyclopedia. Lots of fun though.

DR. DAVID HILL

Bloggers won’t match Limbaugh

Very good points. He's right.
The thing is, no blogger worth his keyboard would even try to compete with El Rushbo.

Arnold IS IN!!!!!
Oh, am I gonna be draggin' tomorrow morning, cuz I just gotta see Arnold make the announcement tonite.

Travels With Tom
If there was anything to make me stop blogging, it may be the thought of sharing the blogosphere with none other Tom Daschle.
Lord have mercy.

The List Keeps Growing, as the Rift Widens.

Statements from Mainstream Anglicanism Worldwide
Statement from Archbishop Akinola on the Election of Gene Robinson
Statement from Archbishop Drexel Gomez

I added a new Perma-link on the right. California Insider is the best site to find the latest on the circus known as the California Recall.

Response From the American Anglican Council to The Vote
I couldn't say it better myself, and won't try:

The Episcopal Church USA has shattered the Anglican family. With the approval of Canon Gene Robinson's election by the Episcopal House of Bishops, the Episcopal Church has departed from the historic Christian faith. We reject this action of our Church.

We now face a profound pastoral crisis that will leave many Episcopalians searching for an answer for the deep pain that has been inflicted upon them. They are experiencing an overwhelming sense of loss and in some cases betrayal by this General Convention.

In response to this tragedy, the Anglican mainstream Bishops in the Episcopal Church have said that they will appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury as well as the Primates of the Anglican Communion for Godly direction and emergency intervention. The majority of the Primates have already said that they "anticipate convening an extraordinary meeting at which they too will respond to the actions of General Convention." Many Bishops will also be scheduling special diocesan conventions to determine how they will respond, as dioceses, to this devastating unilateral action of the Episcopal Church. In early October in Plano, Texas, the AAC will hold a pivotal meeting of Anglican mainstream parishes in order to chart our future.

The AAC is committed to remaining part of the Anglican Communion and will find a way for mainstream Anglicans in the Episcopal Church to stay in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. We call on all Christians to join us now in prayer, seeking God's word and will for the Anglican Communion.

We stand united with hundreds of millions of Christians worldwide in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord. This simple, profound and life-transforming truth cannot be changed by any human vote.

A bit more on the vote being stalled, from the Washington Times

A Reminder of What We Are Fighting For
In case you forgot, view this song. Then say a prayer.

The Vote is Stalled
I hope this isn't true. No matter how you feel about the vote, this isn't the way for it to be stopped.

The First Gay Bishop in the Episcopal Church
Well, the House of Deputies just voted by almost two thirds to make Robinson a bishop. It could very well split the Episcopal Church.
Here's the story from FoxNews.
And here's the statement from a sizable part of the Anglican Communion.

The Truth About OPEC
from Claudia Rosette

A Bishop Speaks Out on Anti Catholic Bigotry in the Senate

The 9/11 Report

I know, I know. I'm one of the few people outside of Washington who will actually wade through the entire report.
For those of you sane people who don't want to do that, here and here are two great summaries from National Review.

An Important Perspective From Victor Davis Hanson

These are still perilous times. But if anyone on September 12, 2001, had predicted that 22 months later there would still be no repeat of 9/11; that bin Laden would be either quiet, dead, or in hiding; that al Qaeda would be dispersed, the Taliban gone, and the likes of a Mr. Karzai in Kabul; that Saddam Hussein would be out of power, his sons dead, and an Iraqi national council emerging in his place; that troops would be leaving Saudi Arabia, Arafat ostracized, and Sharon seeking negotiations; that new Middle East agreements under discussion — and all at a cost of fewer than 300 American lives — then he would surely have been written off as a madman.

STOP THE PRESSES!!!
Study Reveals Democrats Favored in News Stories!

We never would have guessed....

And in a follow up to the above.
Public Wants Patriotic but Unbiased Media, Study shows.

Americans want their journalists to show some patriotism, respect the public, increase accuracy and lessen bias, according to a poll from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press released yesterday.
Seventy percent of the respondents said news organizations should embrace "a decidedly 'pro-American' viewpoint," the poll stated; among conservative Republicans, that figure stood at 85 percent. In comparison, 51 percent said the organizations "stand up for America."

Ahem. Excuse me while I go turn on Fox News Channel.

Here is a pair of stories on the rumbling on Bush's right.
I hope Karl Rove is listening.
Tony Blankley and George Will

Gephardt's 16 Words
Great editorial by Bill Kristol, on 16 words from a speech by Dick Gephardt. These are words that will come back to haunt the Democrats.

"George Bush has left us less safe and less secure than we were four years ago."

Amazing.

The World Turned Upside Down
I can't believe I'm posting an editorial by Bill Maher, and agreeing with most of it.
Here's a quote:

Maybe he's a lousy governor, but he was the one elected by voters who bothered to show up at the polls. Their efforts shouldn't be undone by disgruntled shoppers signing a petition on their way out of Target.

Anyone who thinks this recall is some great affirmation of democracy should review early American history. This is precisely the kind of direct involvement by the howling masses that the framers wanted to avoid.

By the way, Trivia Time Fans:
The heading for this post is from a song, played at a pivotal point in American History.
Any guesses?

Can a Practicing Catholic Be a Federal Judge?
Apparently not, at least according to the Senate Democrats
Guess this definitely counts out Evangelicals too.

My Kind of AntiWar site.

California Recall
Let the carnage begin!
Believe it or not, I'm really not in favor of this.
Yes, Gray Davis is a terrible governor
Yes, California needs major overhaul.
But there is just something about overturning an election like this that unsettles me.

A Somewhat Begrudging Acknowledgement of the Power of the Blog.

The Iraq Question
3 articles published today tell the story of Mr Bush's 16 words. Bet you won't hear any of this on Nightline.
First, Robert Bartley, from OpinionJournal.com

Next, a warning to Democrats, From Richard Benedetto in, of all places, USAToday.

And, finally, Bob Novak with the story of Uranium yellowcake in Niger.

Okay, something you should know about me.
I read.
Alot.
Everything.
Voraciously.
Left, Right.
Up, Down.
You name it.
Once in a while I come across a book that makes me stop and reevaluate much of everything else I've read on a topic
That's what Ann Coulter's new book Treason does.
Here's a test.
What is your initial reaction to this name from history. Senator Joseph McCarthy?
More than likely, the same as mine.
Here are some words that come to mind.
Hatemonger
Out of control
Witch hunt.
Blacklist.
You may find other words after reading Ann Coulter's book.
Oh, by the way.
One of the main sources she cites is a thing called The Venona Project.
If you are like me, you've never heard of it.
We should have.
Often.
Below is the opening paragraph describing the project, from the National Security Agency's website.

In July 1995 the Intelligence Community ended a 50-year silence regarding one of cryptology's most splendid successes - the VENONA Project. VENONA was the codename used for the U.S. Signals Intelligence effort to collect and decrypt the text of Soviet KGB and GRU messages from the 1940's. These messages provided extraordinary insight into Soviet attempts to infiltrate the highest levels of the United States Goverment.

A little history lesson.
Most people over 30 are familiar with a famous couple that was executed for spying in the fifties?
Do you believe Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were Communist Spies, beyond doubt?
Your answer to that will reveal alot about your political leanings,and your news reading habits.
Have you noticed the defense of the Rosenbergs stopped a few years ago?
Probably not. Noone made a big deal about it.
The mainstream media simply didn't mention the names any more.
The defense stopped in 1995, the year The Venona Project was made public.
Any guess what Julius Rosenberg's codename was, according to intercepted KGB messages?
LIBERAL.
Go figure.

California Recall
Nope, its not a car they are trying to recall, it's the Democratic Governor, Gray Davis.
Great theme song for the recall, too!

Robert Zubrin says We Should Go to Mars, soon.
He's right. We should.

Reflections Upon Constitutional Revision

Peter Wood looks at the "Affirmative Action" ruling last week, and its' ramifications.

William Buckley takes a great look at the inner workings of the Supreme Court's decision striking down Sodomy laws.
I don't disagree with the decision, believe it or not.
I do strongly disagree with its reliance on that good ole "prenumbra of privacy" clause, first visited upon us by Roe v Wade.

PollingReport.com is now on the right hand side of the page.
Great Site.

Roe v Wade To Be Reversed?
A novel approach, to say the least.
Norma McCorvey, the Roe of Roe v Wade. In Case you don't know who she is, here is her website.
And here's the story, from ABC.

Have You Forgotten? Most Americans Haven'tJed Babbin on War & Security on National Review Online

More on General Schoomaker
From MSNBC, lunch with Tommy Franks:
He has long been good friends with Gen. Tommy Franks, the Rumsfeld favorite who, as head of U.S. Central Command, led the battle for Afghanistan and Gulf War II. According to a Chicago Tribune story last March, Franks was having trouble coming up with a good war plan for Afghanistan — Rumsfeld thought his initial ideas were too bulky and time-consuming— until he had a crucial lunch in Tampa, Fla., with Schoomaker.

And here is a fascinating paper written by General Schoomaker.

And one more, a brief biography of General Schoomaker

Peter Schoomaker May Head Army
A Huge Story for a whole bunch of reasons. George Washington is not such bad company to be in.

The French Maintain Their Image

What's the old saying from high school?
Rude
Crude
and Socially Unacceptable.
What a wonderful description of the French these days.

It is springtime in Paris for Justine Henin-Hardenne after her nerve ultimately held in an epic French Open semi-final that ended with Serena Williams losing her Grand Slam domination and also being loudly booed off court by an outrageously partisan French crowd

The Resignation of Howell Raines
Most folks probably don't know Howell Raines. But he led The New York Times through 9/11/01 magnificently.
Then, he led the paper right off a cliff.
So, exit Mr Raines, stage left.

A Story From Rick Santorum
Senator Rick Santorum’s Commencement Speech at St. Joseph’s University, May 28, 2003.
Thanks to Katherine Jean Lopez of National Review for directing me to this profound story.

In your rebellion against culture, God does not call on you to be successful. He calls on you to be faithful. In 1998, I was on the floor of the United States Senate debating the override of the president’s veto of the partial birth abortion bill. The next morning was to be the vote. We did not have the votes to override the president’s veto. The debate had ended that night, it was eight o’clock. The senate was wrapping up, but there was something inside me that felt that I had to say more, even though there was no one left in the chamber besides the presiding officers. I went back in the cloakroom and called my wife. She picked up the phone and we have six little children and they are all seemingly at once crying in the background, and I said, “Karen, the vote’s tomorrow. We are not going to win and everybody’s gone. But something tells me I need to say more.” And through the din of the children crying, she said, “well, of course, it that’s what you need to do, do it.”

So I went to the presiding officer and said, “I’ll only be a few minutes, I don’t want to keep you late.” Over an hour and a half later, I finished my talk.

So when I say a brief story, you know what I mean. And we finished up the senate and closed it down, and the next day the vote came, not one vote changed. But five days later, I got an e-mail from a young man at Michigan State University. And this is what the e-mail said: “Senator, on Thursday night I was watching television with my girlfriend. We were flipping through the channels and we saw you standing there on the floor of the United States Senate with a picture of a baby next to you. And so we listened for a while and the more we listened the more we got interested in what you were saying. After a while I looked down at my girlfriend, and she had tears running down her face. And I asked her what was wrong, and she looked up at me and said, ‘I’m pregnant, and tomorrow I was going to have an abortion, and I wasn’t going to tell you, but I’m not going to have an abortion now.’”

In April of that year, a little girl was born and given up for adoption. She is four years old today. Now according to the world, when I spoke on the floor of the senate that night, I had failed. I did not succeed. But God gave me a gift that many of you as you stand and fight the causes that you believe in may never get, he gave me the gift of knowing that faithfulness to what you believe in can lead to wonderful acts and wonderful miracles. Be faithful, God will reward you, he will be faithful to you.

The Bible as Technicality,
and worse, an excuse to let a murderer escape the death penalty.

Lucky Duckies and Class Warfare
Nice look at what the tax cut already means for those poor, misbegotten souls who aren't getting the Child Tax Credit refund.
Hint: In order to have a REfund, you have to have paid in to the FUND.

Mel Gibson's New Movie: This Isn't Road Warrior IV
The nerve of this man. Imagine making a movie about the Crucifixion of Jesus, based on a literal reading of the four Gospels!
Here's a description and quote from one the movies critics:

The ad hoc scholar's group that produced the report was assembled by Eugene Fisher of the bishops' conference and Rabbi Eugene Korn of the Anti-Defamation League, and comprised a mix of nine Jewish and Christian academics. One of the signers, Amy-Jill Levine of Vanderbilt University, describes herself as "a Yankee Jewish feminist ... with a commitment to exposing and expunging anti-Jewish, sexist and heterosexist theologies."

That's a relief. For minute there I thought this "scholar's group" was interested in the truth.
Movie comes out in eight months, just in time for Lent.....Can't wait to here Ms. Levine's review after she has actually seen the darn thing.

Rights for the Unborn
This cover story from newsweek is a biggie. If you want the facts, read this. Pretty good for Newsweek, pretty bad for abortionists.

BBC:Hard, hard left
What is with the British Broadcasting Company? Once one of the premier news organizations on the planet, now simply another hard left mouthpiece. Sad, very sad.

The Episcopal Church: Hard Left.
Couldn't say it better than this:

As Bishop Moore's theology professor pointed out long ago, the Episcopal Church has always been a big tent that shelters free thinkers. This is what makes it attractive to people like me. But it's one thing to tolerate dissent, and something else again to have a leadership incapable of using "evil" in a sentence without also including the word "simplistic." Episcopalians seem to do a good job of reaching out to the American Muslim community. Perhaps the denomination should consider creating an outreach program for conservatives. If nothing else, the effort would sensitize church leaders against using certain buzz words that conservatives find offensive. ("Texan" employed as a term of insult should head the list.)

In the meantime, it is easy to see why the predicted resurgence of church membership in the wake of 9/11 may not materialize — and that, even if it does, mainline Protestant denominations will be the last to realize any lasting gains. We can best honor Bishop Moore by recognizing his passing as the end of an era. The gospel of Social Action had its exhilarating moments — especially during the heyday of the civil-rights movement — but it soon degenerated into a mélange of warmed-over Marxism and Euro-complacency. We Christians who drifted away from the church in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s certainly don't want to be told that we must repudiate our strengths and learn to identify ourselves as victims. Been there, done that.

This Isn't the 60's Anymore
Rockford College, Rockford Illinois had quite a commencement Saturday. Here's the transcript of Christopher Hedges' speech, with boos inserted. You can also hear the whole spiel, if you want. He was booed off the stage, rightfully so.
If you choose to listen, listen to the end. The garbled comments at the end are worth hearing.

The Chosun Journal
The next time someone around you sneers at calling North Korea part of the Axis of Evil, send them to this site. Hitler could have taken lessons from this bunch.

I would seriously draw your attention to today's InstaPundit, by Glen Reynolds.
Every link is worth a look.

Cuba Facts .com
Great site on what's really going on in Cuba, with a complete list of political prisoners.
Any question what Elian's mother would have wanted?

Operation Enduring Response
After wading through Michael Moore stuff in the last post, I'm compelled to present something a little more uplifting. This site is a letter writing campaign for our troops. Worth a look.

Bowling For Michael Moore's Sanity
This review of the "mockumentary" Bowling for Columbine is worth reading. Far more worthwhile than anything I've heard Michael Moore say....ever.
But don't take my word for it. Read for yourself here.

Will Someone Please Tell These People To Shut Up?

The Clintons are back.

Sidney Blumenthal -- much-hated former Clinton aide, ethically challenged former journalist -- $850,000 advance in hand, has a new book out on May 20, attacking everyone who ever attacked him or the Clintons, rehearsing once again the old right-wing conspiracy, every attack on them, answered. The right wing conspiracy revived, answered, again.

Hillary's book is next.

Could someone please tell these people to shut up?

Who said this?
Rush Limbaugh? Nope
Newt Gingrich? Nope.
None other than Susan Estrich, who ran Michael Dukakis' campaign.
Great article.

Total Lunar Eclipse
Doesn't happen often, should be very cool.