August 7th, 2007
Back from a wonderful week on Mission Bay in San Diego with family and friends, and almost no news contact. But now it’s back to work.
We live in a seriously Kafkaesque world where reasonable and rational expectations are dashed by dissonant realities. A few cases in point.
The city of Santa Ana, CA has refused local urging to designate itself a “sanctuary city” and instead intends to continue to enforce laws against illegal immigration. Consequently, our “activists” have established a “hotline” ostensibly to help folks deal with the aftermath of a raid (the sad and broken families that result, unless of course the whole bunch returned to their country of origin) but, in reality, to provide as much of a heads up as possible to the objects of the immigration raid. That used to be considered aiding and abetting in the commission of a crime but now is seen by many on the left as “compassion.”
Point number two. I was watching and rooting for the Angels to beat the BoSox yesterday (anything that benefits my beloved NYY) on the local Fox Sports Network and, between innings, was treated to the latest State Farm commercial touting its auto insurance programs. It featured a series of vignettes with happy policyholders telling the camera how much they had saved on their premiums by switching to State Farm.
The thing was, every one of the six or so folks providing a testimonial spoke in very appropriate English…but with a Spanish accent! And then to top it off, the final voice over was by a male voice also speaking English with a Spanish accent.
Only in America.
Tags: california, immigration, society
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July 26th, 2007
Of whom do I speak? Most Democrats, of course, especially those of the liberal and vocal variety.
Atty. Gen. Gonzales is being raked over the coals on a number of issues all starting with the firing of seven U.S. Attorneys. You all know the story and the “outrage” being expressed by the likes of Diane Feinstein that these firings were “politically motivated.” D’uh. U.S. Attorneys are political appointees who serve at the pleasure of the current President, but you have all heard that countless times by now.
What continues to torque my skivvies whenever this story bubbles up again is that there is NEVER any mention, much less commentary, about the fact that in 1993, shortly after taking office, President Clinton fired all 93 then sitting U.S. Attorneys. Oops. But that wasn’t political, was it?
Speaking of politically motivated outrage, the commutation of Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s sentence is being spun as one of the most reprehensible Constitutional end-runs in history (forgetting the fact that it is the Constitution, itslef, that gives any President the power to commute sentences and grant pardons). Hillary Clinton has said:
“Today’s decision [to commute Libby’s sentence]is yet another example that this Administration simply considers itself above the law. This case arose from the Administration’s politicization of national security intelligence and its efforts to punish those who spoke out against its policies. Four years into the Iraq war, Americans are still living with the consequences of this White House’s efforts to quell dissent. This commutation sends the clear signal that in this Administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice.”
But since the Dems are talking major outrage here over the exercise of a Presidential prerogative, let us take a look at the list of pardons (396 total) and commutations of sentences (stopped counting at 60) issued by the good President Clinton.
The point here isn’t to dispute that Clinton did not have the power and right (he did), but that there was no major political outcry by Republicans.
[By the way, Hillary is a two-faced, hypocritcal beeyatch.]
Tags: democrats, news/current affairs, politics
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July 25th, 2007
Seventy-five tribal leaders gathered and vowed to fight al Qaeda in Iraq, its Islamic State front, and other insurgent groups.
Raids by Coalition forces resulted in the capture of 20 al Qaeda operatives. A series of raids near Taji in Salahadin province resulted in 16 al Qaeda captured, including “a foreign terrorist suspected of involvement in the May 2007 Samarra suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack,” while another four operatives were captured near Balad.
Two more raids in the north in Niwena province resulted in the capture of six al Qaeda operatives on July 21 and 22. The July 21 operation in the village of Bazran in Mosul resulted in the capture of five suspected terrorists. The July 22 operation resulted in the capture of an IED and kidnapping financier. In both cases, the Iraqi Army worked with U.S. Special Forces.
On July 18, U.S. Special Forces worked with elements of the newly formed 11th Iraqi Army Division and captured two members of al Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq. The two insurgents are believed to have been behind a July 18 roadside bombing that killed U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter in eastern Baghdad.
Elsewhere in Baghdad, U.S. troops killed three insurgents while they were emplacing a roadside bomb in the Rashid district on July 21. U.S. troops are currently in the process of clearing operations in the Rashid district. Also, U.S. forces captured seven insurgents during a raid in the eastern neighborhood of Zafaraniya.
This is the sort of info that the MSM ought be reporting to the American people on a regular basis, along with it’s daily suicide bomb reports and coalition/civilian body count.
[HT: The Weekly Standard]
Tags: iraq
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July 24th, 2007
Not too long ago I posted, now that there was evidence the surge was working, the Dems had begun discrediting Gen. Petraeus as a pre-emptive strike to his September testimony. In this regard, Dean Barnett hits the nail on the head again.
Tags: democrats, iraq
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July 24th, 2007
The execrable political hack John Kerry has taken a page from the playbook of the much more nuanced and, quite frankly, likable political hack, Bill Clinton when going on record as saying that there was no “bloodbath” after we abandoned Vietnam and that survivors of the “re-education camps” are doing rather remarkably well these days.
As the American public educates itself up, over and around the news blockade placed by the MSM, it has become necessary for the cut and run Dems to explain that the cuttin’ and runnin’ they brought about in Vietnam did not result in anything particularly ugly or nasty, lest we realize the same will be in store if the Dems have their way on Iraq.
At least 165,000 people perished in these re-education camps, but to his credit Kerry did specifically note he was talking about some of the “survivors.” Out of curiosity, how are the non-survivors doing, John? Perhaps you can look into how survivors of the Nazi concentration camps were doing 30 or so years later and maybe we would realize that Auschwitz and Birkenau weren’t on balance all that bad.
Were the millions who tried to escape Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and either perished or ended up in refugee camps (“boat people”) better off after we bailed on Vietnam? How better off are the survivors of the Khmer Rouge’s “killing fields”? Were the 1.7 t0 2.3 million that were murdered (including women and young children) and dumped into mass graves better off? Not so much, I’d say.
But I suppose it depends upon what your definition of “bloodbath” is.
Tags: democrats, iraq
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July 24th, 2007
Liberal Democrats remain one of the stupidest species on the planet. Recently they tried to attach an amendment to a defense authorization bill that would have brought all of the Guantanamo Bay detainees to the U.S.
Fortunately, that bill never got to a vote but, get this, a Republican alternative prohibiting such a move overwhelmingly passed the Senate the following week and every Democrat sponsor of the original amendment voted for the Republican alternative. So not only are they stupid, but cowards as well, not having the backbone to stand up for their principles. But of course the only principle exhibited by liberal Dems these days is that of doing and saying whatever it takes to get elected even if that means adopting ridiculous far-left positions in order to keep your lunatic, but ever vocal, fringe happy.
Imagine what most Americans would conclude if asked whether it was a good idea to move the terrorists we house at Gitmo to prisons on American soil. I think I can safely say that the answer would be a resounding “What are you, crazy!” except for perhaps in an enclave or two in upper Manhattan and in the Bay area.
The good sense of the vast majority of the Americans would cause them to rebel against the notion of having these types of people voluntarily moved amongst us.
Tags: democrats, news/current affairs, politics, terrorism
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July 23rd, 2007
More evidence that the tide is turning in Iraq. Couldn’t find this story in my local paper, however.
UPDATE: Americans are nevertheless beginning to realize progress is being made despite the fact that this news is typically buried beneath the “Lindsay Lohan Report”. By the way, since when has a 7 point increase been described as “inching up”?
Tags: iraq
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July 21st, 2007
The FBI is investigating a human smuggling operation that is designed to bring Iraqis and other Middle Easterners across our southern border (that would be the Mexican border) at $20,000-25,000 a pop.
Must be some poor Afghani family looking for a better life and willing to do a job an American just won’t do.
Tags: immigration
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July 21st, 2007
The Democrats are so remarkably beholden to their left wing nutroot base that they again place political considerations ahead of the security of our nation.
Case in point. Recall the “Flying Imams” and the “Fort Dix Six.” The latter were the group plotting to kill soldiers at Fort Dix and were thwarted by the Circuit City clerk who viewed their jihadist video and reported it to the authorities. The former were removed from a U.S. Airways flight after their behavior was reported to the flight crew.
The imams have filed a pending discrimination lawsuit against the passengers who reported them. In response, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has introduced an amendment to a security bill that would protect citizens from being sued for reporting suspicious activity.
However, this amendment is being held up by the Democrats in Congress, specifically Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, because it will encourage racial profiling. Of course, if we’re open to being sued for money damages if we report suspicious behavior to the authorities, it will discourage actions like those that resulted in the apprehension of the Fort Dix Six.
Pelosi, Reid and the lot of them are very simply partisan hack idiots who cannot be trusted to protect this country from attack.
Tags: democrats, terrorism
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News and Views RTH! Style
July 24th, 2007It’s a very busy day for me with one of our dogs in the vet hospital (for Meatbrain, that’s “veterinary” not “veterans” ), two appellate issues to analyze and brief and prepping to spend a week on the water in San Diego with the family Hounds! But some light social commentary is always in order.
Lindsay Lohan will be dead before she hits her 25th birthday. Sorry, not so light, is it. She’s been picked up again for DUI, what is it, two weeks after getting out of rehab, and while she has a prior DUI charge pending. The cocaine found in her pocket during booking isn’t going to help matters. Can you imagine if she was actually old enough to drink legally?
Although she has her defenders who explain that she’s young and oh, such a great actress, the bottom line is that Lindsay is an accident that has already happened. Remember when we were being told that Michael Jackson was just as normal as you and me, just with a bit more cash in the bank. You don’t hear that anymore now that he’s officially changed races and moved to Bahrain, where I guess he believes Muslim sensibilities are so much more open to eccentric behavior, including sleeping with pre-pubescent boys.
No. Lindsay Lohan is a drunk, drug abusing narcissistic loser who made some cute movies when she was a child but has now pretty much torpedoed her career. Good riddance. My only hope is that when her train wrecks, it crashes into Brittany Spears.
* * * * *
Every once in awhile this idea pops into my head, so I figure it’s about time to write it down.
Here’s the setup: I like Rudy Giuliani as a presidential candidate. He’s a straight shooter, who has his priorities in order with keeping this country safe and fighting terrorism at the top of the list. That’s why I can look past his stated pro-choice position (made easier by the fact that he has clearly stated he would appoint judges in the mold of Scalia and Roberts). But whenever he, and pretty much every other pro-choice candidate, makes the comment that despite the fact he is personally antiabortion, he will not impose his personal moral beliefs on anyone else, or when Hillary righteously intones that she wishes to keep abortion safe, available and rare (or whatever), I begin to wretch.
I simply don’t understand how you can have heartfelt personal convictions on an important moral issue but then not believe that those convictions ought be applied to others. It makes no sense to me. How is that any different than a candidate saying he finds racism morally repugnant, evil and abhorrent, but would not dream of imposing his personal moral convictions concerning racism on others. What would the response of the American people be to something like that? “Oh, sure I understand. If a person wants to refuse to rent to, or offer a job to, someone simply because they’re African-American, that’s their own personal moral choice.”
As to Hillary, I would ask her to identify what other constitutional right we should ensure is only “rarely” exercised.
Tags: commentary, politics, pop culture
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