Bob Barker Retiring After 50 Years on TV

By SANDY COHEN
My Way News

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Bob Barker is heading toward his last showcase, his final "Come on down." The silver-haired daytime-TV icon is retiring in June, he told The Associated Press Tuesday.

RE: Kerry ripped for Iraq, education remark

I believe behind closed doors, Kerry is probably getting ripped by his own party. Elections are all about turnout and motivating a party's base... The liberal base is already fired up, whereas the conservative base is somewhat depressed and pessimistic. Remarks like what Kerry made can only help the Republicans.

With regard to what Kerry said, it was stupid and typical Kerry. If he runs for president again, he just gave his opponents, both Democrats and Republicans, plenty of ammo to use against him in '08.

Medicare For All

By David Hogberg
The American Spectator

While Rep. Stark's AmeriCare bill may be too ambitious to be passed any time soon, it does give us a useful guide to how the Democrats would tackle health care. Any proposal will move toward forcing everyone to buy health insurance, providing overly-generous coverage, and increasing bureaucratic meddling. To sell it, they will employ a smokescreen of "lower costs." But don't be fooled. In the long run, programs like AmeriCare will increase costs and exert more government control over your health care decisions.

Fundraising by Dole for GOP in high gear

Big money needed for tough election fights
By Mary M. Shaffrey
Winston-Salem Journal

WASHINGTON

The election is still a week away, but most experts say that if Republicans lose control of the Senate, it will have little to do with Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and a lot more to do with the national political climate.

KFC to stop using trans fats

New York starts hearings on banning them
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK

KFC said yesterday that it would stop frying chicken in artery-clogging trans fats, but New York restaurants being urged to do the same say that it is not so easy.

KFC's announcement, which won praise from consumer advocates, came an hour ahead of a public hearing on a proposal that would make New York the first U.S. city to ban the unhealthy artificial fats.

NASA says Hubble repair mission is a go

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA will send a space shuttle to repair the 16-year-old Hubble Space Telescope, agency Administrator Michael Griffin announced Tuesday, reversing his predecessor's decision to nix the mission.

Foxx refusing to tape debate if reporters allowed in studio

By Bertrand M. Gutierrez
Winston-Salem Journal

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th, is refusing to tape a debate Wednesday with her Democratic opponent, Roger Sharpe, unless reporters are barred from the broadcast studio.

Jim Longworth, the debate moderator, said yesterday that he agreed to Foxx's request. The debate will be broadcast on the program Triad Today on Sunday, two days before Election Day.

Classic Kerry

Face the Nation (CBS News) - Sunday, December 4, 2005

Sen. KERRY: Let me—I—first of all, there is so much more that unites Democrats than divides us. AndDemocrats have much more in common with each other than they do with George Bush's policy right now. Now Joe Lieberman, I believe, also voted for the resolution which said the president needs to make more clear what he's doing and set out benchmarks, and that the policy hasn't been working. We all believe him when you say, `Stay the course.' That's the president's policy, which hasn't been changing, which is a policy of failure. I don't agree with that. But I think what we need to do is recognize what we all agree on, which is you've got to begin to set benchmarks for accomplishment. You've got to begin to transfer authority to the Iraqis. And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the—of—the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not...

Schumer: Election a Referendum on Richard Nixon :-)

By Scott Ott, Editor-in-Chief, ScrappleFace.com
News Fairly Unbalanced. We Report. You Decipher.

(2006-10-31) — New York Sen. Charles Schumer, chairman of the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee, said today that next Tuesday’s Congressional elections are shaping up to be “more and more a referendum on former President Richard Nixon.”

The remarks come a day after Sen. Schumer received significant media coverage for saying that the election is increasingly becoming a referendum on George W. Bush, although Mr. Bush has promised to serve out his final term as president, and has no immediate plans to seek a seat in the House or Senate.

Kerry ripped for Iraq, education remark

From AP:

White House press secretary Tony Snow said... "This is an absolute insult."

Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran and President Bush's 2004 rival, fired back. He said he had been criticizing Bush, not the "heroes serving in Iraq," and said the president and his administration are the ones who owe U.S. troops an apology because they "misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it."

"This is the classic GOP playbook," Kerry said in a harshly worded statement. "I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did. I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium."

One week before the midterm elections, the two parties are searching for any edge amid indications Democrats could take back the House and possibly win control of the Senate.

Snow was asked about the comment which Kerry made during a campaign rally Monday for California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides. The White House spokesman was clearly ready, consulting his notes to read a fuller account of Kerry's statement and unleashing a sharp attack.

The Massachusetts senator, who is considering another presidential run in 2008, had opened his speech at Pasadena City College with several one-liners, joking at one point that Bush had lived in Texas but now "lives in a state of denial."

Then he said: "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

Kerry Belittles U.S. Troops

What a loser.

Trick or Treat

Fox News

If you are a satanist or pagan in prison in Great Britain — you get Halloween off. The Daily Mail cites official documents saying devil worshipers and other devotees of the dark side will be excused from their work assignments today out of respect for their religious beliefs — and so the government won't be sued.

Pagans can choose two days off per year from eight of their festivals. Christians can have three days off — Christmas, Good Friday and Easter. Muslims get 26 days off — including all of Ramadan.

Remembering the Gipper...

“Sometimes it seems [the news media] are less interested in legitimate news than they are in proving their knowledge and wisdom is superior to ours. The most frustrating thing is when I have the facts to prove them wrong but cannot reveal those facts without endangering security or wrecking some plan we’re engaged in.”

Ronald Reagan

District 91 candidates tackle issues

By Gerald Witt
Greensboro News-Record

WENTWORTH — State Rep. Bryan Holloway, a Republican from King, will face another King resident trying to unseat him on Nov. 7 to represent the 91st District in the N.C. House of Representatives.

Holloway, a political consultant, will face Ed Gambill, a Democrat and CEO of Anvil Media Services. Holloway is 29. Gambill is 59.

The 91st District covers all of Stokes County and southwestern Rockingham County. It's primarily rural but includes the towns of King, Danbury and Walnut Cove in Stokes and Mayodan and Madison in Rockingham.

In 2004, Holloway won 56 percent of the votes, or 11,083 votes, over Democrat Robert Mitchell. At that time, Holloway and Mitchell taught across the hall from each-other at West Stokes High School. Holloway has since left teaching.

State House members make $13,951 a year. Representatives spend about half a week in Raleigh when the legislature is in session. Sessions last about six months in odd-numbered years and three months in even-numbered years.

Blue's return to legislature could shake up speaker race

He held the post in 1991, narrowly lost to Black
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RALEIGH

The unexpected return of the "simple country lawyer from rural Wake County" - as Dan Blue likes to call himself - could complicate what is expected to be a contentious race for House speaker in 2007.

PAPER: Americans snub invitation to pay $500,000 for Clinton birthday party...

By SHARON CHURCHER
Daily Mail

When America's liberal elite were offered the chance to pay up to $500,000 each (about £260,000) to attend Bill Clinton's 60th birthday extravaganza tonight - with the added promise of a private Rolling Stones concert - a packed house was expected.

Wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea sent out about 10,000 invitations to Hollywood tycoons, movie stars, captains of industry and Wall Street - with all proceeds to go to the former President's charitable foundation.

Those who pledged the top price were promised the 'Birthday Chair Package', with the best seating for the concert as well as a chance to have photographs taken with Mr Clinton during a round of golf and a three-day series of cocktail, brunch and dinner parties.

The minimum price, with inferior concert seats and no brunch, was set at $60,000 (£31,000). But with many rich Democrats sending their regrets, The Mail on Sunday can reveal that last Wednesday the Clintons drastically slashed prices to $12,500 (£6,500) for one reception and the concert, or $5,000 (£2,600) for just the Stones.

Second Dancer Claims Alleged Duke Lacrosse Rape Victim Said to Bruise Her: 'Go Ahead, Put Marks on Me'...

Oct. 30, 2006 — The second dancer in the Duke rape case has said for the first time that the accuser told her to "go ahead, put marks on me" after the alleged attack.

CHRIS FRANCESCANI and EAMON McNIFF
ABC News Law & Justice Unit

Rush's E-mail to Katie Couric

Katie Couric sent Rush an e-mail asking for a clarification...

Thanks, Katie, I'll try to make it simple:

I believe Democrats have a long history of using victims of various things as POLITICAL spokespeople because they believe they are untouchable, infallible. They are immune from criticism. But when anyone enters the POLITICAL arena of ideas they forfeit the right to be challenged on their participation and message.

I have not met Mr. Fox, do not know him. I have admired his work in film and TV and his appearances on Letterman were howlers. I have nothing personal against him. But I believe his implication that only Democrats want to cure disease(s) is irresponsible (as I believed about John Edwards assuring voters Christopher Reeve would walk if only John Kerry were elected). I think this is ultimately cruel and gives people who suffer these terrible afflictions false hope.

Prosecutor Yet to Interview Rape Accuser

The district attorney prosecuting three Duke lacrosse players accused of raping a woman at a team party said during a court hearing Friday that he still hasn't interviewed the accuser about the facts of the case.

"I've had conversations with (the accuser) about how she's doing. I've had conversations with (the accuser) about her seeing her kids," Mike Nifong said. "I haven't talked with her about the facts of that night. ... We're not at that stage yet."

Nifong made the statement in response to a defense request for any statements the woman has made about the case.

"I understand the answer may not be the answer they want but it's the true answer. That's all I can give them," the prosecutor said after the hourlong hearing.

Defense lawyers said outside court that they found Nifong's statement surprising.

AARON BEARD
Associated Press

Interview: Camille Paglia

From Salon.com:

Mark Foley was never on the radar of anyone outside the small circle of news junkies. So his fall and banishment from Washington were nothing but a drip in the torrential flood of current geopolitical problems. The way the Democratic leadership was in clear collusion with the major media to push this story in the month before the midterm election seems to me to have been a big fat gift to Ann Coulter and the other conservative commentators who say the mainstream media are simply the lapdogs of the Democrats. Every time I turned on the news it was "Foley, Foley, Foley!" -- and in suspiciously similar language and repetitive talking points.

After three or four days of it, as soon as I heard Foley's name, I turned the sound off or switched channels. It was gargantuan overkill, and I felt the Democrats were shooting themselves in the foot.

Don't be deterred by the source; this interview offers some interesting insight. I think everyone here on the BP will find something thought-provoking about this piece. Kool-Aid drinkers on both sides should be prepared for confusion.

When it comes to labels, the GOP is liberally effective

Some might argue that what the GOP has really mastered is the language of obfuscation and misdirection, a willingness to unmoor words from their meanings — as in its shameless attempts in recent years to co-opt the language of the civil rights movement as a weapon against affirmative action. Good point. But the truth of the language is not what I'm here to talk about. Its efficacy is.
Consider the party's masterpiece. Of all the terms it has arrogated unto itself (values, tradition, patriotism) and all those it has used to jab the competition (secular, culture wars, moral relativism), its best work is embodied in one word: liberal.

— Leonard Pitts

RE: "You Are!" "No, You Are!"

Strother -> "I should've remembered Steve and Tanya's last 'debate' when she regressed to elementary school after running out of party-line/Bush administration talking points."

When did wanting America to kick butt and win in Iraq become a political talking point? Doesn't that say more about you and your beliefs than it does mine? If you want to equate kicking butt and winning with Republicans and Bush, then I'm more than happy to accept that compliment. The question is what does that say for liberals and Democrats?

-> "Tanya, sometime you and I should have a conversation about some words and concepts we've mentioned here, like courage and strength - generally non-wussy things."

We're having a conversation right now about some words and concepts. I don't know what else you want me to say.

Match Game

Fox News

In South Carolina, Republican Karen Floyd is a mother of twins who is running an outsider's campaign against college professor and administrator William Kanes for the job of State Superintendent of Education.

So imagine her surprise when she learned that her opponent had received a $100 campaign contribution — from Floyd's own stepmother. It turns out the Democrat Kanes worked with Floyd's father for many years and is a family friend.

Floyd's stepmother says her belief that an educator should be superintendent led her to make the contribution. But she adds she never would have done it if she had known it would be made public.

Since that happened, Floyd's father has written a matching contribution to his daughter's campaign.

Inconvenient Truth

Fox News

Al Gore ridiculed the environmental views of Seattle-area Republican Congressman Dave Reichert this week during a campaign stop with Reichert's Democratic opponent. After Seattle's mayor said Reichert does not believe humans cause climate change — Gore equated global warming skeptics with people who believe the earth is flat and think the moon landing was a fake.

But Gore apparently was misinformed about Reichet. The congressman's Web site says he makes decisions based on the assumption that global warming is man-made. Reichert has in fact voted against drilling for oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge — and opposed a measure to amend the Endangered Species Act.

Prince of a Guy

Fox News

Georgetown University — the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit college — which has Bill Clinton among its distinguished graduates — has accepted a $20 million donation from a Saudi prince in order to put on workshops regarding Islam, address U.S. policy toward the Muslim world and encourage other Islamic studies. The prince's name is now on the school's center for Muslim-Christian understanding.

But Georgetown apparently doesn't understand or approve of some Christian groups — including InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship and Crossroads Campus Christian Fellowship. Georgetown has revoked their affiliations, removed them from the school's Web site and —according to World Net Daily — told them to leave campus.

The Cost of War

From Nicholas D. Kristof:

For every additional second we stay in Iraq, we taxpayers will end up paying an additional $6,300... In the run-up to the Iraq war, Donald Rumsfeld estimated that the overall cost would be under $50 billion. Paul Wolfowitz argued that Iraq could use its oil to “finance its own reconstruction.” But now several careful studies have attempted to tote up various costs, and they suggest that the tab will be more than $1 trillion — perhaps more than $2 trillion. The higher sum would amount to $6,600 per American man, woman and child.
… We’re spending $380,000 for every extra minute we stay in Iraq, and we can find better ways to spend that money.

Meanwhile, so-called conservatives are in favor of continuing this effort?

RE: RE: "Paris Syndrome"

Strother opines: "For whatever reason, it seems that many of these xenophobic stories reported here in the good old USA are courtesy of our paranoid friends over at Fox News, so this report really isn't surprising. I assume that their audience eats it up like Freedom Fries, so it must pay to seek out this sort of BS."

This came from Brit Hume's "Political Grapevine" segment... Hume lost his composure a few times while he was reading this because he thought it was funny. Don't take things like this so seriously... I'm sure the people who watch Fox News thought it was funny, like me. :-)

Bush: GOP Will Stand Down as Democrats Stand Up :-)

By Scott Ott, Editor-in-Chief, ScrappleFace.com
News Fairly Unbalanced. We Report. You Decipher.

(2006-10-26) — President George Bush, at a White House news conference yesterday, assured Americans that “Republicans will pull out of Congress as soon as Democrats are ready to govern and protect our nation, and not one day sooner.”

Why Withdrawal from Iraq Is the Worst Option

By Michael Rubin
AEI

As violence spreads in Iraq, politicians are right to change course. But abandoning the Iraqis should not be an option. Rather, coalition strategy should address the rule of law directly, and remain cognisant that the war in Iraq has broader repercussions. While many in Britain and Europe believe war in Iraq to be illegal, they should not sacrifice ordinary Iraqis on the altar of anti-Americanism.

"You Are!" "No, You Are!"

Sorry, this is all my fault. I should've remembered Steve and Tanya's last 'debate' when she regressed to elementary school after running out of party-line/Bush adminstration talking points. Tanya, sometime you and I should have a conversation about some words and concepts we've mentioned here, like courage and strength — generally non-wussy things.

Is Strother a wuss? :)

Strother -> "And there you go. 'Yeah, being in Iraq was probably a mistake, but I don't have the courage to say it. I must speak loyally of the team.'"

Since my team is the United States of America, yeah, I will speak loyally of my team. Why do liberals like yourself call yourselves "progressives" when on domestic policy, you view this country like we're living in the Great Depression and on foreign policy, you view this country like we're going through Vietnam. Like your quote above, you're still stuck on 2003 when we went into Iraq. I'm focused on today and the future.

-> "The only reason why we should stay in Iraq is because we demolished their infrastructure and we owe it to them to rebuild it — that is if the Iraqi people even want our "help" anymore."

There you go again, "we demolished their infrastructure" and it's all our fault. Since the jihadists are the culprits in demolishing Iraq's infrastructure, it would be nice if you had the courage to blame them for once, not America.

-> "The more I read what you write, the more I'm convinced that you're a nationalist rather than a conservative."

I'm a proud American first and foremost. The more I read what you write, the more I'm convinced you are a wuss. :)

RE: Let's win this thing...

Tanya: Do you want us to win in Iraq or not? We're there; let's win the d**n thing and then we can get out... You're a quitter; I'm not and this country's not... Say it (The Iraq War) was a mistake, so what? We're there now; let the military do its job and kick some butt, then we can get out.

And there you go. 'Yeah, being in Iraq was probably a mistake, but I don't have the courage to say it. I must speak loyally of the team.'

The United States Department of Defense is called the United States Department of Defense for a reason. How are we defending ourselves in Iraq? We're not. The only reason why we should stay in Iraq is because we demolished their infrastructure and we owe it to them to rebuild it — that is if the Iraqi people even want our "help" anymore.

The more I read what you write, the more I'm convinced that you're a nationalist rather than a conservative.

Bush to make rare campaign visit

From the BBC:

President George W Bush is due to visit the state of Iowa, in the country's heartland, to campaign with Republican Congressional candidate Jeff Lamberti. The visit comes amid a growing debate over whether the president should or should not be campaigning harder in the 7 November mid-term elections.
...The White House desperately wants the Republicans to win, to keep control of Congress - but many Republican candidates have made it plain that they do not see the president as a vote winner in their districts. Many have turned down the opportunity for Air Force One to touch down near them and those who have entertained the president have tended to do it in private, raising funds from the party faithful but keeping publicity to a minimum.
...One insider told ABC News "we want to keep our fingerprints off this mess."

Dems' favorite Halloween costume: Patriot

After some of us began to ask which part of the war on terrorism Democrats support, Larry Kudlow put the question directly to Rep. Barney Frank on CNBC's "Kudlow & Company." Frank said: "What part of the war on terrorism do I support? I voted for war in Afghanistan."

On "60 Minutes" last Sunday night, aspiring House speaker Nancy Pelosi denounced the war in Iraq as not "part of the war on terror." The war on terror, she said "is the war in Afghanistan."

So that's it. The one part of the war on terror -- or "so-called war on terror," as New York Times so-called columnist Bob Herbert calls it -- Democrats even pretend to support is the war in Afghanistan.

Ann Coulter

Bush signs Mexico fence into law

From the BBC:

US President George W Bush has authorised 700 miles (1,125km) of new fencing along the US-Mexico border, in a move to curb illegal immigration. Mr Bush said the US had not been in control of the border for decades.
Illegal immigration is expected to be a major question in next month's US mid-term elections.
Mexican officials have opposed the fence, with outgoing President Vicente Fox calling it "shameful" and likening it to the Berlin Wall.

I predict that all the talk surrounding illegal immigration will hush dramatically as soon as the upcoming elections are over. For politicians, regardless of what side they're on, immigration talk is mainly about getting votes. Further, anyone who thinks that this 700 mile fence along the 2000+ mile border we share with Mexico is going to go very far in solving our immigration problems is delusional. It's simply a gesture from our government to say, 'See? We're addressing the problem. And by the way, vote for me!'

RE: "Paris Syndrome"

As with most stereotype-based travel horror stories, there's usually only a little bit of truth and a whole lot of hype involved. Here, it sounds like the tourists are the nutjobs, I mean problems. I've never been to Paris, but my mom and sister have. They found Parisians to be friendly and helpful.

For whatever reason, it seems that many of these xenophobic stories reported here in the good old USA are courtesy of our paranoid friends over at Fox News, so this report really isn't surprising. I assume that their audience eats it up like Freedom Fries, so it must pay to seek out this sort of BS.

JERSEY COURT OPENS DOOR TO GAY MARRIAGE...

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey's Supreme Court opened the door to gay marriage Wednesday, ruling that homosexuals are entitled to the same rights as heterosexuals, but leaving it to lawmakers to legalize same-sex unions.

The high court gave lawmakers 180 days to rewrite marriage laws to either include same-sex couples or create a new system of civil unions for them.

“Paris Syndrome”

Fox News

...some Japanese tourists who go to Paris are so shocked by the unfriendly Parisians and scruffy streets that they need psychological counseling. A French newspaper says about a dozen a year are driven to seek help.

A psychologist says a third get better immediately, a third suffer relapses, and the rest have psychoses. Extreme examples include two women who believed their hotel room was bugged and there was a plot against them, a woman who thought she was being attacked by microwaves, and a man who became convinced he was really Louis XIV.

The phenomenon is called "Paris Syndrome" and was first detailed in a French psychiatric journal two years ago.

Pork Policy

Fox News

While Iraq and the economy appear to be the big issues driving the elections around the country — in Arizona there is an issue that has sparked passion, big money campaigning and big name endorsements — what to do about pregnant pigs. Proposition 204 would require bigger, more comfortable pens for pregnant pigs.

Groups on both sides of the issue have spent about a million dollars each. Proponents are airing undercover video showing cramped conditions. And they have recruited legendary Sheriff Joe Arpaio and equally legendary radio personality Paul Harvey to their cause.

Opponents have their own video — and a study that disputes a claim that pregnant sows in cramped pens produce piglets that exhibit higher levels of stress. Billboards by opponents call the referendum "hogwash."

Voter Registration Fraud?

Fox News

Federal authorities in Kansas City are investigating suspected voter registration fraud tied to the "Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now" — known as ACORN. Election officials say there are at least 15,000 registration cards with problems such as questionable information, and bogus names, addresses and social security numbers.

ACORN — which is associated with liberal causes — is also under scrutiny for similar problems in St. Louis and several other states. ACORN is blaming the errors on what it calls "honest mistakes." But the group's national spokesman admits some of its paid employees may have turned in false registration cards to make it appear they were actually working.

ACORN's work in Missouri is tied to its support for a ballot initiative that would raise the minimum wage.

Aljazeera Interview

Fox News

The State Department publicly supported Alberto Fernandez after he apologized for making anti-American comments on the Arab network Aljazeera last Friday. But now it appears it was not the first time he'd done it.

The National Review Online says that Fernandez gave another interview to Aljazeera on September fifth — and said: "We should admit that there's an American haughtiness and stupidity." He also says the U.S. made "a lot of mistakes" in the Middle East. And he adds: "Today, no doubt, Americans ... are trying intentionally to encourage hell in the Arab world."

The Beltway Retreat

The insurgents are hitting their targets--in Washington.

Wall Street Journal

We need to be realist but not defeatist. We need to understand that there is a need of utmost urgency to deal with many of the problems of Iraq but we must not give in to panic.

So said Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih on Monday, in a BBC interview while in London for talks with Tony Blair. If only such statesmanship prevailed on this side of the Atlantic, where election politics and a spate of critical new books have combined to paint an increasingly desperate--and false--picture of what's happening in Iraq.

As the critics describe it, all of Iraq is in chaos, its new government isn't functioning, the U.S. is helpless to act against these inexorable forces, and it is only a matter of time before we must pack up and leave in abject defeat. "We're on the verge of chaos, and the current plan is not working," declares Senator Lindsey Graham, in one of the purer expressions of this elite inconstancy. Just what Mr. Graham would do about this, he doesn't say; but in the land of blind panic, the sound-bite Senator is king.

Yes, the Iraq project is difficult, and its outcome dangerously uncertain. The Bush Administration and its military generals have so far failed to stem insurgent attacks or pacify Baghdad, and the factions comprising Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government have so far failed to make essential political compromises. But the American response to this should be to change military tactics or deployments until they do succeed, and to reassure Iraqi leaders that their hard political choices will result in U.S. support, not precipitous withdrawal.

Wednesday Funnies :-)

David Letterman: “Top Ways the Country Would Be Different If a Woman Were President”: On our currency, “In God We Trust” will be replaced with “You Go, Girl!”; NASA’s Mars mission cancelled, replaced by mission to Venus; Wars would be over as soon as someone breaks a nail; Library of Congress changed to Oprah’s Book Club; Terror Threat Level colors are plum, mauve, fuchsia, periwinkle and pink; Inaugural speech urging the nation to “moisturize”; Mandatory prison sentence for leaving the toilet seat up.

Jay Leno: The population of the United States is now at 300 million. It should be 400 million by Christmas. ... In a related story the population of Mexico is now at 38 people. ... There is an initiative in the state of Nevada to legalize small amounts of marijuana. This is the first time marijuana and initiative has appeared in the same sentence. ... Opponents are afraid of the crime element that legalization would attract to the state. Yeah, between the hookers, alcoholics and degenerate gamblers those are the last people you’d want coming into the state. ... North Korea might be testing a second nuke soon. This one could be more powerful than the first one—meaning it could blow up two mailboxes instead of one. ... According to a report by the World Energy Experts, North Korea is so short of electricity that the whole country switches off at 9 o’clock. The electricity is shut off at 9 o’clock. So it’s a country where few people speak English, they have power outages all the time, they’re ruled by a funny looking guy with a strange accent—it’s like California without the traffic. ... Bill Clinton was recently asked about rumors he has once again been unfaithful in his marriage. Many Democrats are concerned with this and have warned him about it. When asked, Bill said that there was nothing to the rumors. One thing we know, when Bill Clinton denies something—we can take that statement to the bank! ... Senator Hillary Clinton says that she would be in favor of legalized torture on terrorists to get information that we need. That’s bad news for Bill!

White House Courts Vote of Amnesia Victim :-)

Rove Masterminds Latest Electoral Strategy
The Borowitz Report

A man who found himself in Denver with absolutely no memory of who he was or how he got there has now found himself at the epicenter of the midterm election campaign, as the White House moved aggressively today to court his vote.

The amnesia victim, who was known only as "Al" and could not recall any recent events, was instantly pegged as an "ideal voter" by G.O.P. political strategist Karl Rove, who flew the man to Washington today for a private meeting with President Bush in the White House.

"Here's a guy who has no memory of Iraq, Tom DeLay, Jack Abramoff, or Mark Foley," Mr. Rove told reporters today. "From where I sit, I think we have a chance at getting this guy's vote."

According to White House aides, the amnesia victim's meeting with the president went well, and was capped by Mr. Bush presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"The guy didn't seem to know exactly why he was getting it," one aide said. "But then again, the same could be said of a lot of past recipients."

Mr. Rove said that given the president's success with "Al," the White House was currently putting together a national database of amnesia victims to help get them to the polls on November 7.

"Our message to the amnesiacs is clear," Mr. Rove said. "You may not remember anything else, but please remember to vote."

Let's win this thing...

Strother -> "You completely missed my point and misread my post, but I'm really not surprised. You're simply drunk on party-line punch, and your inebriation prohibits you from recognizing faults within your own team (and the evenly distributed absurdity of American politics in general). If you happen to have a sober moment any time soon, go back and re-read what I actually said. It might make some sense to you then."

I responded to what you wrote; nothing more, nothing less. Maybe you were drunk from your party-line punch when you babbled on that post like you usually do.

-> "In your mind regarding party affiliation, Republicans will be virtuous and Democrats will be evil. On that note (and speaking of dream worlds), maybe it is true that most people dream in black and white."

Terrorists, jihadists, dictators, child killers are evil; the Democrat Party as a whole are just clueless.

-> "Regardless of what you've been led to believe (and what an increasing amount of Americans are finally figuring out), the war in Iraq still has nothing to do with Osama Bin Laden, no matter how many times you and others mention it alongside his infamous name."

Actually, the leadership in al Qaeda has said that the War in Iraq is their central front in their holy jihad. That's why they are trying to recruit members to come to Iraq to defeat the US.

-> "He's probably thrilled that the US is spending all that time, money, and manpower there rather than on finding him."

If he's dead, then he's not thinking anything; if he's alive, he's thinking how good he had it when Clinton was in charge.

-> "Plus, terrorists like Bin Laden are happy to use the whole 'American occupation of Iraq' slant to recruit more nutjobs to join their ranks. Yeah, lots of good we're doing in Iraq, Tanya."

So you believe appeasing terrorists will stop al Qaeda from recruiting more terrorists; we did that during the 90's and we ended up getting 9/11.

-> "The war is a waste of time, effort, tax dollars, and lives (not necessarily in that order), all of which could be utilized in ways to better address the real issues regarding potential terrorism on US soil."

Do you want us to win in Iraq or not? We're there; let's win the d**n thing and then we can get out. The jihadists know they can't beat us on the battlefield; they do know they can defeat us at home with this battle of wills we are having. They hope that with every attack in Iraq, people like you will rise up here in America and throw in the white towel. You're a quitter; I'm not and this country's not.

-> "Your beloved Republican president decided to fight the War on Terrorism by invading Iraq. It was a mistake. 'Staying the course' when the course was based on a mistake is a mistake. One could even argue that staying the course determined by a mistake is insane."

This is why I say the Democrat Party as a whole doesn't want us to win in Iraq. You would rather have Bush be defeated than for us to win. You prove my point when I said, "Bad news for America is good news for us Democrats." Say it was a mistake, so what? We're there now; let the military do its job and kick some butt, then we can get out.

RE: RE: On Osama's Endorsement

You completely missed my point and misread my post, but I'm really not suprised. You're simply drunk on party-line punch, and your inebriation prohibits you from recognizing faults within your own team (and the evenly distributed absurdity of American politics in general). If you happen to have a sober moment any time soon, go back and re-read what I actually said. It might make some sense to you then.

In your mind regarding party affiliation, Republicans will be virtuous and Democrats will be evil. On that note (and speaking of dream worlds), maybe it is true that most people dream in black and white.

Regardless of what you've been led to believe (and what an increasing amount of Americans are finally figuring out), the war in Iraq still has nothing to do with Osama Bin Laden, no matter how many times you and others mention it alongside his infamous name. He's probably thrilled that the US is spending all that time, money, and manpower there rather than on finding him. Plus, terrorists like Bin Laden are happy to use the whole 'American occupation of Iraq' slant to recruit more nutjobs to join their ranks. Yeah, lots of good we're doing in Iraq, Tanya. The war is a waste of time, effort, tax dollars, and lives (not necessarily in that order), all of which could be utilized in ways to better address the real issues regarding potential terrorism on US soil. Your beloved Republican president decided to fight the War on Terrorism by invading Iraq. It was a mistake. 'Staying the course' when the course was based on a mistake is a mistake. One could even argue that staying the course determined by a mistake is insane.

RE: On Osama's Endorsement

Strother -> "Nice try, Tanya — but of course, Osama wouldn't say such a thing. Is Osama scared of Republicans? I doubt it. Matter of fact, he's had pretty good luck during our Republican president's time in office. American status quo and "staying the course" continue to pave surprisingly safe routes for him. Sometimes I think that Dubya and Osama appear to be a lot like Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf, if you remember the old Looney Tunes series. Oh, yeah, but I forget — Bin Laden's on the run, right?"

Since Osama is either dead or holed up in a cave, yep, he is scared of Bush & the Republicans. Let's see, when Clinton (D) was president, Osama was able to openly travel from country to country; under Bush (R), he's either dead or holed up in a cave. You're a perfect example of a liberal living in a dreamworld. Why don't you just join the rest of us rational people in the real world for a change; you might like it.

-> "Tanya, the fact is that your party — the Republicans — are currently experiencing what Mr. Lieberman would classify as "Joe-mentum." Admit it: you're scared."

Am I scared of liberals in power; you bet I am. Liberals can't be trusted with the national security of this country. Lieberman is one of the few liberals who understands what is at stake with regard to national security.

-> "One could even say that Democratic victories (and the upcoming Democratic president to be elected in 2008) could create a harsher environment for Bin Laden."

Yeah, he could have to sit face-to-face with Jimmy Carter over brunch. You're right, that would be rather harsh.

-> "After all, catching/killing him while our government is led by Democrats (or with a Democratic president) would help confirm — in the minds of politically fence-sitting Americans — that Dubya and his closest associates will go down in history as one of the worst administrations in American history."

Your man, Clinton (D), had several chances in 8 years to capture or kill the man; he didn't have the gonads to do it. Don't lecture me about how a government led by a Democrat president will capture/kill Osama; you had your chance and you blew it (no pun intended) BIG TIME!

-> "Further, those associated with his capture would be Real American Heroes (somewhat like the ones beer commercials praised before 9/11.)"

So, I guess you are expecting Bono to capture him since that is who you consider a hero.

-> "Regardless of whether you agree or not, you have to realize that it will behoove Dems to pull out all the stops, catch Osama —The Face Of Islamic Terrorism — thus highlighting all of Bush's grand failures in The War On Terror. Don't put it past politics to sufficiently motivate challengers in accomplishing a very, very valuable goal."

It behooves the Democrats to pull out of Iraq and claim defeat, then blame Bush. As with Somalia, the faces of Islamic Terrorism will be beholden, claim victory, and then start attacking us again at home because they will say we lack the will to win. I believe the Democrat Party as a whole don't want us to succeed in Iraq; they come across as believing, "Bad news for America is good news for us Democrats."

On Osama's Endorsement

Nice try, Tanya — but of course, Osama wouldn't say such a thing. Is Osama scared of Republicans? I doubt it. Matter of fact, he's had pretty good luck during our Republican president's time in office. American status quo and "staying the course" continue to pave surprisingly safe routes for him. Sometimes I think that Dubya and Osama appear to be a lot like Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf, if you remember the old Looney Tunes series. Oh, yeah, but I forget — Bin Laden's on the run, right?

Tanya, the fact is that your party — the Republicans — are currently experiencing what Mr. Lieberman would classify as "Joe-mentum." Admit it: you're scared.

One could even say that Democratic victories (and the upcoming Democratic president to be elected in 2008) could create a harsher environment for Bin Laden. After all, catching/killing him while our government is led by Democrats (or with a Democratic president) would help confirm — in the minds of politically fence-sitting Americans — that Dubya and his closest associates will go down in history as one of the worst administrations in American history. Further, those associated with his capture would be Real American Heroes (somewhat like the ones beer commercials praised before 9/11.) Regardless of whether you agree or not, you have to realize that it will behoove Dems to pull out all the stops, catch Osama —The Face Of Islamic Terrorism — thus highlighting all of Bush's grand failures in The War On Terror. Don't put it past politics to sufficiently motivate challengers in accomplishing a very, very valuable goal.

Celebs Who Claim They're Green but Guzzle Gas

TMZ.com

Hybrid cars are all the rage in Hollywood. Celebrities drive them like they're a badge of honor. You save a few gallons of gas, you save the planet. Right? Well, not when you hop on a private jet and burn enough fuel to propel NASCAR through 2050.

Of course, the stars need to go here and there. The location shoots, the fabulous vacations, etc. But that's why God created United Airlines. G-IV's, on the other hand, were created in the image of precious celebs.

Gore motorcade to global warming event: 3 motorcycles, 2 limousines and a DODGE truck!

Al Gore visits Berkeley, charges up Prop. 87 rally
SAYS MEASURE TO FUND GREEN ENERGY HELPS TACKLE CLIMATE CRISIS

By Rick Jurgens
MediaNews

Former Vice President Al Gore appeared in Berkeley on Monday to lend his celebrity and reputation as a crusader against global warming to a measure on California's Nov. 7 ballot that would tax oil companies to raise $4 billion for green energy projects.

``I'm here to change peoples' minds on the climate crisis and to support Prop 87,'' Gore called to a group of reporters after he emerged from the ``100 miles per gallon'' Toyota Prius that brought him to a noontime rally in a sun-drenched park behind Berkeley's City Hall.

His motorcade also included three motorcycles, two limousines and a Dodge Ram 1500 light duty truck.

TERROR RULES STREETS

'P.C.' COWARDICE DOOMS FIGHT AGAINST IRAQ'S KILLERS

By Ralph Peters

October 24, 2006 -- WHETHER the issue is domestic law and order or fighting foreign wars, the great fallacy of the left is the belief that protecting the "human rights" of killers is more important than the elementary human right of the vast majority - the innocent - to live unmolested by murderers and fanatics.

NEWSWEEK Admits It Erred Predicting Coming Ice Age in 1970's - Now Claims Manmade Global Warming is Certain...

Remember Global Cooling?
Why scientists find climate change so hard to predict.

By Jerry Adler

Oct. 23, 2006 - In April, 1975, in an issue mostly taken up with stories about the collapse of the American-backed government of South Vietnam, NEWSWEEK published a small back-page article about a very different kind of disaster. Citing "ominous signs that the earth's weather patterns have begun to change dramatically," the magazine warned of an impending "drastic decline in food production." Political disruptions stemming from food shortages could affect "just about every nation on earth." Scientists urged governments to consider emergency action to head off the terrible threat of . . . well, if you had been following the climate-change debates at the time, you'd have known that the threat was: global cooling.

Mea Culpa

Fox News

The public editor of The New York Times says he was wrong to support the paper's release last June of a story exposing the government's efforts to track terrorists by monitoring financial data. Byron Calame writes he now believes the article should not have been published for two reasons — the apparent legality of the program, and the absence of any evidence that anyone's private data had been misused.

Calame writes he was embarrassed that while the story asserts many people already knew about the effort, the headline contradicted that by calling it a "secret" program. He says he allowed what he called the "vicious criticism of The Times by the Bush administration" to trigger his instinctive affinity for the underdog and enduring faith in a free press.

Remembering the Gipper...

“Evil still stalks the planet. Its ideology may be nothing more than blood lust; no program more complex than economic plunder or military aggrandizement. But it is evil all the same. And wherever there are forces that would destroy the human spirit and diminish human potential, they must be recognized and they must be countered.”

Ronald Reagan

RE: marijuana, tobacco, etc.

Those are mighty bold claims. Any proof you'd like to post?

Simple chronology should suffice.

The women's suffrage movement began around 1885. Most of the constitutional amendments that spelled the doom of the constitutional republic were enacted between that time and 1930, roughly. Those would include the sixteenth (the income tax, ratified in 1913), the seventeenth (senators elected by popular vote, ratified in 1913), the eighteenth (prohibition, ratified in 1920), and the nineteenth (women's suffrage, ratified in 1920). The degenerate interpretation of the fourteenth amendment by the Supreme Court occurred roughly around the time of the nineteenth amendment.

It is axiomatic that women, in general, base the whole of their political agenda on majority rule and safety. Look at most female politicians' rhetoric and you will find those two core elements. Look at who women vote for, and you will find those two to be the foundation of that politician's campaign.

It is also well established that democracy will result in tyranny and the closer we move toward a more participatory form of it, the more tyrannical our government will become. Those who complain the loudest about the excesses of the Bush Administration with regard to civil liberties would do well to realize they are simply reaping the fruits of the democracy they have sown.

It appears that you're right about the'more tar' thing, but it seems that marijuana tar acts differently than tobacco tar (and, theoretically, may be helpful)

Different studies show different results. For instance, this website seems to find both equally harmful. But it isn't just the issue of "tar" that concerns me. Marijuana smoke contains three to five times more carbon monoxide than tobacco smoke. Carbon monoxide is a leading cause of heart disease, right behind plaque. Also, long-term carbon monoxide exposure has been linked to Alzheimer's, indicating any helpful benefit that could be obtained from pot smoking might be negated by the exposure to carbon monoxide. In all, if THC does benefit Alzheimer's, I'll have mine in a pill, thanks.

marijuana, tobacco, etc.

From Steve: American drug laws are schizophrenic and illogical.

I agree.

...all this micromanagement didn't start until we began toying around with participatory democracy and universal suffrage. In fact, the entry of women into the political arena was the harbinger of the loss of a laundry list of freedoms.

Those are mighty bold claims. Any proof you'd like to post?

But to the article's specific references, does one have to smoke pot to get the benefit?

I don’t think so. From what I read in the articles, it's just about getting the THC.

I believe I read once that smoking pot is probably even more harmful to your lungs than tobacco. Apparently the resins (or "tar") in marijuana smoke are far heavier and do more permanent damage to lung tissue. The article didn't mention synthetic THC either. I wonder if that works as well.

Faintly remembering a well-publicized 'marijuana vs. tobacco' debate not too long ago, I Googled and found this regarding marijuana tar from MSNBC at (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12943013/). It appears that you’re right about the ‘more tar’ thing, but it seems that marijuana tar acts differently than tobacco tar (and, theoretically, may be helpful):

U.S. study sees no marijuana link to lung cancer

Marijuana smoking does not increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer, according to the findings of a new study at the University of California Los Angeles that surprised even the researchers. They had expected to find that a history of heavy marijuana use, like cigarette smoking, would increase the risk of cancer. Instead, the study, which compared the lifestyles of 611 Los Angeles County lung cancer patients and 601 patients with head and neck cancers with those of 1,040 people without cancer, found no elevated cancer risk for even the heaviest pot smokers. It did find a 20-fold increased risk of lung cancer in people who smoked two or more packs of cigarettes a day...
Previous studies showed marijuana tar contained about 50 percent more of the chemicals linked to lung cancer, compared with tobacco tar, Tashkin said. In addition, smoking a marijuana joint deposits four times more tar in the lungs than smoking an equivalent amount of tobacco.
"Marijuana is packed more loosely than tobacco, so there's less filtration through the rod of the cigarette, so more particles will be inhaled," Tashkin said in a statement. "And marijuana smokers typically smoke differently than tobacco smokers — they hold their breath about four times longer, allowing more time for extra fine particles to deposit in the lung." He theorized that tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, a chemical in marijuana smoke that produces its psychotropic effect, may encourage aging, damaged cells to die off before they become cancerous.

So, again, it seems that smoking marijuana may not be a part of the big 'drug problem' that it has been perpetuated to be (other than the fact that marijuana is something that many criminals traffic to generate income), or smoking tobacco continues to prove itself to be comparatively harmful, or both. I do recall research proving that nicotine can be helpful to those suffering from dementia. But, unlike the Alzheimer's/marijuana research results, it doesn't appear that nicotine would have any use as a late-life, preventative drug for Alzheimer's-related dementia.

The article didn't mention synthetic THC either. I wonder if that works as well.

You’d think that natural and synthetic THC of the same dosage would yield the same result. From a pure ‘cost/benefit analysis’ perspective, natural THC would seem to be cheaper to manufacture, don’t you think?

RE: Marijuana may stave off Alzheimer's

If we must micromanage people's personal habits through laws, shouldn't we at least get it right?

Does that mean you accept the fact that we must engage in the micromanagement? I certainly don't. American drug laws are schizophrenic and illogical.

I know you probably don't want to entertain this, but all this micromanagement didn't start until we began toying around with participatory democracy and universal suffrage. In fact, the entry of women into the political arena was the harbinger of the loss of a laundry list of freedoms.

But to the article's specific references, does one have to smoke pot to get the benefit? I believe I read once that smoking pot is probably even more harmful to your lungs than tobacco. Apparently the resins (or "tar") in marijuana smoke are far heavier and do more permanent damage to lung tissue. The article didn't mention synthetic THC either. I wonder if that works as well.

The pope of Princeton

Having previously informed us that infanticide, if performed in a timely fashion, is compatible with die Neue Ethik of which he is a champion, the professorial pride of New Jersey is now turning his attention toward correcting the moral misapprehensions of Middle America.

In a recent column in the Guardian, [Peter] Singer draws on the philosophies of John Stuart Mill and HLA Hart, the sexually explicit temple carvings of India and international anti-discrimination laws in a meandering attempt to disguise the fact that he has no intention of even beginning to explain why the view that homosexuality is immoral is incorrect. Considering that the assertion of this flawed legal foundation is supposedly the central point of his article, the omission is astounding and its curious absence goes a long way toward explaining some of Singer's other, equally convincing lines of reason.

Vox Day

As usual, homosexuality apologists will read way too much into this article. It appears to be a rebuttal, not a position piece. I found it interesting for its exposé of the dichotomy of arguments use to defend homosexuality and abortion.

I doubt Vox is suggesting that homosexuality should be made illegal, first because he is a libertarian and second, because he likes to play provocateur. Earlier, he offered the argument that the same reasons for supporting homosexual marriage could be given for supporting polygamy.

Vox seems to enjoy exposing a logical progression, also known as the slippery slope. The fact that A leads to B which inevitably leads to C always seems to escape modern social liberals. The question is: do modern liberals miss the obvious progression because they lack the mental capacity, or is it that people who lack the mental capacity to see obvious outcomes will inevitably become liberals?

Marijuana may stave off Alzheimer's

From CNN:

Smoking pot may stave off Alzheimer's disease.
New research shows that the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of the disease by preserving levels of an important neurotransmitter that allows the brain to function. Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California found that marijuana's active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can prevent the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from breaking down more effectively than commercially marketed drugs. THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer's patients, the researchers reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

I originally read about this in the October 27 issue of The Week magazine, which went on to explain the following: "In lab tests, THC completely blocked the formation of the damaging protein, while the major Alzheimer's drugs only impeded it by up to 22 percent, even at twice their usual doses."

Interesting.

Hey, don't get me wrong: I like a cold beer, good red wine, and the occasional gin and tonic. But while research like that described above continues to vindicate users of marijuana, alcohol — which actually kills people — is the legal recreational drug available most everywhere in the world. If we must micromanage people's personal habits through laws, shouldn't we at least get it right?

You can take the boy out of democracy, but you can't take the democracy out of the boy.

I'd like to see the "Bono vs. Reagan" universal poll, though. It could be surprising.

And we all know that what the majority believes is always true, right?

Poll: Is U2 Better Than Four Doctors and Ronald Reagan?

Tanya: "My point was here they were asking the taxpayers to give more money to Africa when they took their music business to another country to avoid paying those taxes. If an American company did that, every liberal and protectionist here in the states would be up in arms and somehow blaming Bush and the Republicans."

Who's talking about Bush and the Republicans? Anyway.

The point is that U2 is hardly an Irish business. They're only 10% an Irish business. They are made up of four Irishmen, who each live in Ireland and pay Irish income tax, which is fair. The business makes 90% of its revenue elsewhere in the world. The business is international, even if the organization's band members are Irish.

Employees of ethical companies are constantly encouraging people to give. Meanwhile, at work, they look for ways to improve and grow their business. Look at Bill Gates, for example. Should he not be able to explain why he chooses to personally give away large sums of money to legitimate causes while doing what it takes to maintain Microsoft's industry-leading position?

"Not slighting U2, but the efforts made by Reagan alone has improved far more lives than you obviously care to understand."

I don't slight any powerful man who can do something good with his good fortune. I'd like to see the "Bono vs. Reagan" universal poll, though. It could be surprising.

RE: RE: Bono, U2 hit sour note in move to cut their tax bill

Strother -> "Further, U2 is clearly an international business. U2 business practices are legal, and they are within the realm of what any reasonable and ethical business would decide to do."

I didn't say what U2 was doing was illegal. My point was here they were asking the taxpayers to give more money to Africa when they took their music business to another country to avoid paying those taxes. If an American company did that, every liberal and protectionist here in the states would be up in arms and somehow blaming Bush and the Republicans.

-> "Bono and Company do more than their fair share of contributing to those in need. I would say that they more than pay for their "pet causes." One could argue that the four men of U2, in the massive scale of their philanthropy, have probably saved more lives than four average physicians. Not slighting any physician anywhere, but the efforts made by those four individuals alone have improved lives more than you obviously care to understand."

Oh, you're going to make me weep (NOT). By your statement, I would assume you are a BIG Ronald Reagan fan for the untold millions he helped liberate with the defeat of Soviet Union. Let me use some of your last sentence: "Not slighting U2, but the efforts made by Reagan alone has improved far more lives than you obviously care to understand."

Peel away the rants, and Robinson has valid points

Vernon Robinson is his own worst enemy. -His mouth - not his ideas - prevents him from winning elections. Unchecked, uncensored and unfettered, it is seriously hampering his efforts to beat U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, D-13th District, on Nov. 7.

If you have the stomach (and the time) to sift through Robinson's debate with Miller on WXII.com, you can find actual ideas underneath the layers of rubbish.

Scott Sexton

RE: Bono, U2 hit sour note in move to cut their tax bill

Now THAT'S being hypocritical.

Maybe, but I would rather take them to task for their unapologetic Marxism.

Bono, the rock star and campaigner against Third World debt, is asking the Irish government to contribute more to Africa.

Of course he is. It puts him in the way of yet another shameless power-monger who finds personal satisfaction in stealing from others. And he does it in the name of charity. Now there's your hypocrisy.

RE: Bono, U2 hit sour note in move to cut their tax bill

Lead guitarist David Evans earlier this month defended the move as a sensible decision for a group that makes 90 percent of its money outside Ireland. "Our business is a very complex business," Evans said on Dublin radio station Newstalk, breaking the band's silence after weeks of public criticism. "Of course we're trying to be tax-efficient. Who doesn't want to be tax-efficient?"

Exactly. To really understand the complexities of U2's business dealings, you have to understand the economics of music royalties. The taxing of convoluted international music royalty rates is a topic unto itself. Further, U2 is clearly an international business. U2 business practices are legal, and they are within the realm of what any reasonable and ethical business would decide to do.

Tanya: I like how these people expect others to pay for their pet causes while they just move their money elsewhere. Now THAT'S being hypocritical.

You're confusing the individual members of U2 with the business of U2. The individuals of U2 are still Irish citizens and pay Irish taxes. Each of them makes a lot of money and pays a lot of taxes.

Bono and Company do more than their fair share of contributing to those in need. I would say that they more than pay for their "pet causes." One could argue that the four men of U2, in the massive scale of their philanthropy, have probably saved more lives than four average physicians. Not slighting any physician anywhere, but the efforts made by those four individuals alone have improved lives more than you obviously care to understand.

Bono, U2 hit sour note in move to cut their tax bill

Bono, the rock star and campaigner against Third World debt, is asking the Irish government to contribute more to Africa. At the same time, he is reducing tax payments that could help pay for that aid.

BLOOMBERG NEWS

I like how these people expect others to pay for their pet causes while they just move their money elsewhere. Now THAT'S being hypocritical.

Free Speech Not Allowed in Hallways and on Doors?

Fox News

The chairman of the philosophy department at Marquette University has removed a posted quote from humorist Dave Barry, from the office door of a Ph.D. student. It said, "as Americans we must always remember that we all have a common enemy, an enemy that is dangerous, powerful and relentless. I refer of course to the federal government."

But Professor James South says he received several complaints about the quote — which he called "patently offensive" — so he took it down. South wrote in an e-mail: "While I am a strong supporter of academic freedom, I'm afraid that hallways and office doors are not 'free-speech zones.'"

Novak: Dems on Track to Pick Up 20 House Seats...

The recent approval of military tribunal legislation, port security, and border security are now empty events that lack the punch so badly needed for a GOP fourth quarter comeback. Everything has been sucked down by the Foley affair.

With hopes of the late comeback faded, the Republican strategy has changed from that of a quarterback on a fourth-quarter come-from-behind mission to that of an overwhelmed emergency medical technician performing triage on several dying patients. The only thought now is to minimize losses by plugging whatever holes can be plugged. Late decisions have to be made about who lives and who dies. The GOP has to decide where it can win, and it cannot afford to waste time or resources on those who cannot be saved. At this point, the best indication of how races are going is where the money is being spent.

If the election were held today, Democrats would gain control of the House of Representatives. Republicans -20, Democrats +20

Wednesday Funnies :-)

Jay Leno: As of [yesterday], the population of the United States has reached 300 million people. This is either attributed to a strong democracy or really weak border control. ... Mexico said today it plans to take the dispute about building a fence along its border with the United States to the United Nations. The United Nations traditionally has been against building fences between countries because, as you know, the UN believes fences are for sitting on. ... All around the world people were reacting to North Korea’s nuclear testing. The U.S. condemned it. China said it was wrong. France surrendered. ... According to Kim Jong-Il’s biography, they say he has been constantly accused of dishonesty, drunkenness and sexual excess. So if he lived here, he could be in Congress. ... The Army has changed their slogan to “Army Strong”. Other countries are following with their military. Ireland’s slogan, “Bar Fight!” China is “One Billion”. France of course is “Helping invading armies feel at home for over 100 years.” ... Saddam Hussein has now been on trial for over one year. One year? If this trial was in L.A., he’d be out golfing by now. ... There have been snowstorms back east. The snow is so deep in some areas that even Al Gore cancelled his speech on global warming. ... John Kerry says that he deserves a second chance to run for president. I say if his wife can afford it, why not? ... Bill Clinton came out in support of the estate tax last week. Clinton said that some people think he should leave all his money to his daughter when he’s gone, but he doesn’t think he should. He said he should spend it now on other people’s daughters when he’s still alive.

Carter blames Bush for everything

Here's what I don't understand, Carter portrays himself as this great human rights activist, and yet, he seems not to care about the poor people starving to death in North Korea or in other dictatorial regimes; why is that? He's always blaming America about everything, but I haven't heard him say one word about those people in North Korea who are having to eat tree bark to survive. How about the people in Iraq when Saddam was in power; did Carter say anything about those people who were being put into shredders? Carter is a phony and a pretty pathetic one at that.

RE: Carter Blames Bush For Korean Crisis

Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday night that an agreement he brokered 12 years ago for North Korea to halt nuclear weapons development is "“in the wastebasket."

A number of people have answered this. Ann Coulter's response was the most complete that I've read, but they all amount to the same thing. The Carter Administration consistently employed appeasement and non-confrontation with regard to foreign policy. This "agreement" was nothing more than a formalized arrangement allowing the Carter Administration to ignore what North Korea was doing.

I was in the military when this was going on and I paid close attention to what was going on at the time. I remember this well. Carter and company spent all their time sucking up to communists in Asia and denigrating those who criticized them.

Leave it to a dimwitted liberal doofus like Carter to blame the Bush Administration's rhetoric for this. Isn't it interesting that all the foreign policy chickens coming home to roost in the last four or five years seem to have their roots in the administrations of Democrats?

Carter Blames Bush For Korean Crisis

Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday night that an agreement he brokered 12 years ago for North Korea to halt nuclear weapons development is “in the wastebasket." Carter contends the Bush administration turned its back on the deal and labeled the isolated nation part of an “axis of evil.”

I don't remember Jimmy Carter as president. As an ex-president, he comes across as a dork and a sore loser.

“Height of Stupidity”

Fox News

The council in the east London town of Romford has spent almost $19,000 preparing a 300-page report aimed at finding out who was making sheep noises — who kept calling out "baaa" — during a planning meeting a year ago.

The Telegraph Online reports it happened during a discussion of whether a mobile home could be placed on a farm housing rare breeds of horses and sheep. The "baa"-ing upset one councilman so much he started an investigation — which is said to have narrowed down the list of suspects to four — including one man who is no longer on the council so couldn't be punished anyway.

Those under scrutiny will be interrogated by a subcommittee next month. One suspect calls the investigation "the height of stupidity" and says it is "an extremely expensive example of the worst kind of council bureaucracy."

Great Britain and Guantanamo Bay

Fox News

Great Britain and several other nations have been highly critical of the U.S. terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay — the British foreign secretary last week demanded that it be closed — but it turns out that almost no one — including Great Britain — will take in the prisoners that these nations want to see released.

The Washington Post reports British officials rejected a U.S. offer to transfer 10 former British residents back to the U.K. And The Post says virtually every country in Europe has refused to either grant asylum to Guantanamo prisoners or take them into custody.

Holiday Cheer

Fox News

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid is taking more heat today for his financial decisions. The Associated Press reports Reid used campaign donations to pay for holiday gifts for workers at his $750,000 Washington D.C. condo. Federal election law prohibits using campaign funds for any housing costs. Reid calls it a "clerical error" and is promising to reimburse his campaign.

Reid has also announced he is amending his ethics reports following an AP story that he did not properly account for a Las Vegas land deal that allowed him to collect more than a million dollars for property he had not personally owned in three years.

"A Sweet Family Story"

Fox News

The campaign staff of Senator Hillary Clinton says that more than 10 years after her original claim — it turns out she was not named after the famous mountain climber — Sir Edmund Hillary — after all.

A campaign spokeswoman has confirmed what has been suspected by many since 1995 — when after meeting with the first man to scale Mount Everest — Mrs. Clinton said her mother had told her she had read about Sir Edmund Hillary while pregnant in 1947 — and decided Hillary would be a nice name for her daughter.

The problem with the story is that Sir Edmund didn't become famous until 1953 — when Hillary Rodham was five-years-old. That didn't stop Bill Clinton from re-telling the tale in his biography.

But the senator's campaign now tells The New York Times "it was a sweet family story her mother shared to inspire greatness in her daughter." The news is of particular embarrassment to The New York Times — which has repeatedly published the Hillary myth as fact — and did so as recently as six days ago.

Burr Donates Foley Contribution To Hospital

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr has given a $1,000 political contribution from disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley to a children's hospital.

N.C. Congressional Candidates Debate Sex

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- A tense and often awkward discussion about sex was part of Tuesday's WXII12.com debate between two congressional candidates in Winston-Salem.

Rep. Brad Miller and his Republican challenger Vernon Robinson -- vying for the 13th Congressional District seat -- spent much of their first debate on topics ranging from pornography to the congressional page scandal.

John Conyers Book Watch

Here's a blueprint of what Conyers will do if he's the chair of the House Judiciary Committee...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A report by House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers and the Democratic staff, "George W. Bush versus the U.S. Constitution", is now available in book form, with an introduction by Ambassador Joseph Wilson, whose wife, Valerie Plame, is a former CIA agent, outed and harassed by the Administration, and a Foreword by Congressman Conyers.

Robert Weiner, Conyers’ former press secretary who later worked as a senior public affairs director in the Clinton White House, is being made available to discuss the new Conyers book and report published by Academy Chicago Publishers.

All polls indicate that Iraq is the top issue in the coming elections. The book of the House Judiciary Committee’s report outlines "deception, manipulation, torture, retribution, and cover-ups in the Iraq War and illegal domestic spying."

Nurse sues over ticket for anti-Bush bumper sticker

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- A woman who was ticketed for having an obscene anti-Bush bumper sticker filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday against a county in the state of Georgia and its officials.

As Talk Radio Wavers, Bush Moves to Firm Up Support

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 — On an overcast Friday morning last month, White House aides ushered an influential group of conservative radio hosts into the Oval Office for a private audience with the president.

U.S. Population Clock Projection

This is pretty neat...

Tight Senate Squeeze

By David Hogberg

Sorry to say, but things still look rather bleak. Democrats look poised to take the House, and if election night is a "tsunami" for Democrats like 1994 was for the Republicans, they will almost surely pickup the Senate too. However, three weeks is still a long time in politics, so no point in getting too depressed until after the ballots are counted.

Oh ye of little faith

The jig is up. The non-proliferation bluff has been called by a second-generation socialist dictator and the nuclear powers who so jealously guarded their destructive privilege for decades are revealed to be holding nothing. This really should not be surprising, given that none of the countries who developed or are believed to have developed nuclear weapons had ever had their programs attacked during their various development periods.

Furthermore, of the 15 nations which possessed significant nuclear weapons programs but did not go on to complete a functional weapons system, only Iraq was ever attacked. So, the odds that the Nuke Club was speaking loudly and carrying nothing were always weighted heavily in Kim Jong-il's favor, the infamous Axis of Evil speech notwithstanding.

North Korea's nuclear test - assuming that it was, in fact, nuclear - was not merely a massive blow to the credibility of the Nuke Club, but also highlighted the nonsensical nature of the case for a military strike against Iran. Indeed, when one takes the time to consider the justification for the current Iraqi occupation, it quickly becomes apparent that the Iranian nuclear program can be as easily justified and on the very same grounds.

Vox Day

I still have very mixed feelings about Iran and North Korea having nuclear weapons. There is, as Vox argues, very little we can (or probably should) actually do about either of them. However, the idea of two demonstrably lunatic nation-states having the capability to render everything in a large land area into its component, atomic parts and leaving said areas uninhabitable for two thousand centuries causes an understandable emotional reaction. I guess one of the problems I have in resolving this on an intellectual level is the fact that the very thing that prevents us from solving the problem in a decisive manner is missing from the national will of these two countries, or more accurately, from the ethos of the despots who run those countries. We will not employ a massive nuclear strike simply because we understand the long-term consequences. (And no, I don't agree with Vox's prior assertions that such a tactic would fail. That's a matter of scope and not of tactic).

As for whether the modern state of Israel is the same as the one prophesied in the Bible, who knows? I tend to doubt that a quasi-Marxist state run by the secularist Jewish descendants of the Pharisees is what the Prophets or God had in mind. But to Vox's point, if you're pro-Israel because you believe it serves the same purpose as the canary in the coal mine, then your alarm at Iran's saber-rattling is well-founded. However, if you are pro-Israel simply because it encapsulates the Holy Land, then your best bet is, don't worry, be happy.

Can we talk?

There are very few saints among people of any race, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. None should be above criticism.

Increasingly, however, there are tighter and tighter restrictions on what you can say about more and more groups. San Francisco radio talk show host Pete Wilson discovered this recently when he criticized a city Supervisor and his female friend -- but not lover -- who had a baby together.

The man is gay and the woman is a lesbian, so they are not lovers in a committed relationship.

Raising a child is no piece of cake, even when the parents are married and committed to staying together. Raising a child where there is no stable, committed relationship may be cutting edge stuff but Pete Wilson's point was that a child is not an experiment.

Thomas Sowell

Visiting the population centre of US

From the BBC's Matthew Davis:

Here in Edgar Springs the United States does not feel like a country of 300 million people. This is a blink-and-you'll-miss it kind of town - with a population of 190, little more than a petrol station and a few dozen houses at an isolated crossroads on the edge of the Mark Twain National Forest. Six years ago, Edgar Springs experienced a brief moment of acclaim, when the US Census Bureau proclaimed it the new "population centre" of the US. That is the notional point at which a flat-surface representation of the US would balance if everyone counted in the 2000 census stood up in their homes.
The distinction - calculated every 10 years as an aid to understanding population distribution - is marked by a small plaque outside the town's cemetery. But really this swathe of the Mid-Western Bible Belt is more like the hole at the centre of a "population bagel."

'Micro' Quake Leads To Rude Awakening In Forsyth County

My wife was shaken awake by this and first thought it was a loud boom of thunder. I and my son both slept through it. I guess he's taking after me in that respect — when I'm out, I'm out.

Today on wxii12com: Robinson vs. Miller

From the WSJ: (Rep. Brad) Miller and (Vernon) Robinson will debate today at 2 p.m. The debate will be presented live on WXII TV's Web site, www.wxii12.com.

Tune in for the fun!

Scarves and Turbins OK

Fox News

And ...a British Airways employee in London says she plans to take legal action against her bosses after being suspended from work for two weeks.

Her offense—wearing a crucifix around her neck. The company says the cross violates its dress code, which prohibits jewelry. But that same code allows Muslims and Sikhs to wear headscarves and turbans.

One British cabinet minister is slamming the airline — calling its decision "loopy."

More Guns Less Crime?

Fox News

In a culture of school shootings and other violence on campus — a man in Utah thinks he has a partial solution. So while the State Education Association held its convention in Salt Lake City over the weekend —he offered public school employees a class to help them get a concealed weapons permit. Clark Aposhian told the Deseret Morning News that he had about two dozen people sign up for the class.

While federal law prohibits weapons at schools — Utah law says schools cannot prevent people with concealed-weapons permits from packing heat.

Educational Effort

Fox News

Wal-Mart under attack by a group that wants to unionize its workers — is fighting back — and the attackers don't like it one bit. Wal-Mart has engaged in voter registration drives for its associates and handed out voter education materials.

But the campaign director for WakeupWalmart.com says the company has "declared war on the Democratic party" and is trying to defeat Democrats who are critical of Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar tells FOX News the company is merely engaged in a non-partisan educational effort to inform its employees what politicians are saying about Wal-Mart — good and bad.

Censured but Reelected

Fox News

Former Republican Congressman Mark Foley resigned in disgrace after revelations of his lewd computer messages to a former house page became public — and has been universally disavowed by the GOP.

But a Democratic congressman who actually had a homosexual affair with an underage House page and remained an honored figure within the party right up until his death Saturday is being praised as a "pioneer" for gay rights.

Former Massachusetts Congressman Gerry Studds was censured for his actions by the House in 1983 — but he never apologized — in fact defended the relationship — and was re-elected six times. Congressman Barney Frank said Studds gave people "the courage to be who they are." Ted Kennedy said Studds “changed Massachusetts forever and we'll never forget him." And Congressman William Delahunt said "even now, his legacy is alive and well in the halls of Congress."

Nervous Harry...

The Washington Prowler

Democrats in the Senate are worried in the wake of their leader Sen. Harry Reid's shady land deal, that the full details of his relationship with lobbyist Jack Abramoff will soon come to light.

Remembering the Gipper

“We Americans are blessed in so many ways. We’re a nation under God, a living and loving God. But Thomas Jefferson warned us, ‘I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.’ We cannot expect Him to protect us in crisis if we turn away from Him in our everyday living. But you know, He told us what to do in II Chronicles. Let us reach out to Him. He said, ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land’.”

Ronald Reagan

Foxx, Sharpe keep close to parties' platforms

They both list key concerns as Iraq war, economy and immigration during campaign stops

By Bertrand M. Gutierrez
Winston-Salem Journal

The Iraq war, economy, immigration and accountability have been discussed as key concerns by U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th, and Democratic opponent Roger Sharpe during campaign stops in Northwest North Carolina.

Voters in the region's 5th Congressional District can choose either candidate in the Nov. 7 general elections as their representative.

Why U.S. citizens wear hats... :-)

GOP Congress Moves National Election Date to March :-)

By Scott Ott, Editor-in-Chief, ScrappleFace.com
News Fairly Unbalanced. We Report. You Decipher.

(2006-10-15) — With polls showing that Republicans could lose their majority in Congress in November, the GOP-controlled House and Senate yesterday voted to move the national date for Congressional elections to March 15, 2007.

RE: No Winner Here

Military mom turned peace activist Cindy Sheehan announced yesterday that she was a finalist for the Nobel Peace Prize at a book signing in Texas...Sheehan was not the winner.

Beyond all reason and logic, there are still people who will take this woman seriously.

She has successfully made the transition from merely annoying to completely pathetic.

Oh, the humanity!

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., was determined to please his base with a new law before November's election, no matter how flawed or misguided it might be.

Frist must have a very small base because I haven't heard a peep from anybody about the dangers of internet gambling.

Steve opines: "The Feds are helping the states stomp out the competition with their state-run gambling monopolies (a.k.a. lotteries) and the heavily taxed and regulated state-sanctioned casinos."

And don't forget about them going after the video poker industry in stores...

"The Reagan Revolution is well and truly dead. The Republicans have become the party of statism. So the question is, will they beat the Democrats to a complete implementation of an authoritarian state?"

Sometimes I wonder if the Reagan Revolution actually started at all.

No Winner Here

Fox News

Military mom turned peace activist Cindy Sheehan announced yesterday that she was a finalist for the Nobel Peace Prize at a book signing in Texas. But the committee in charge of selecting the winner never reveals the list of nominees, raising the question of how Sheehan knew she'd been nominated? And what's more…national blogs that take bets about who will win the prize didn't even have Sheehan on the list.

And as you know by now—Sheehan was not the winner.

Liberal Talk and News Radio Network Air America Files for Bankruptcy

Fox News

Air America, the liberal talk and news radio network today filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after negotiations with one of the company's creditors broke down. The filing, made in U.S. District Court in Manhattan listed liabilities in excess of $20 million and assets of only 4 million.

Air America was launched back in March 2004 with programming to counter-balance politically conservative talk radio. It reportedly owes outspoken on-air personality Al Franken over $300,000. The company plans to keep operating while it reorganizes.

Americans are playing poker online? Oh, the humanity!

Of the myriad policy crises churning on the horizon -- entitlement insolvency, illegal immigration and runaway federal spending among them -- congressional Republicans chose to spend the little political capital they have left on an Internet gambling ban.

With brick-and-mortar casinos in nearly every state and card games breaking into network television, millions of moralists found it unbearable that Americans were wagering about $6 billion per year on the Web. That their neighbors might be playing poker or placing sports bets from the comfort of their desk chairs demanded federal intervention. "Ban it!" they cried. "Misguided citizens will lose their homes! Their children will starve! Families will be destroyed!"

Never mind the folly of legislating leisure. (That Prohibition thing was a rousing success, wasn't it? And certainly, no sports wagering takes place outside of Nevada.) Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., was determined to please his base with a new law before November's election, no matter how flawed or misguided it might be.

Thank goodness we've got the GOP to look after this important issue for us.

The article addresses the offshore protectionism, but it doesn't address the onshore racketeering. The Feds are helping the states stomp out the competition with their state-run gambling monopolies (a.k.a. lotteries) and the heavily taxed and regulated state-sanctioned casinos.

The Reagan Revolution is well and truly dead. The Republicans have become the party of statism. So the question is, will they beat the Democrats to a complete implementation of an authoritarian state?

Re: In which Steve offers a mea culpa

Steve opines: "This is twice now that I have followed someone down the rathole of a splintered argument. My self discipline is slipping. ... I have also been guilty of following a circular argument for more than one circuit. Bad Steve. Bad, bad Steve. ... Finally, I have committed the sin of reacting to a non sequitur. I am so ashamed. ... I'm guilty as charged, I'm sorry and I promise to do better."

I still don't know what you're talking about...

In which Steve offers a mea culpa

This is twice now that I have followed someone down the rathole of a splintered argument. My self discipline is slipping.

I have also been guilty of following a circular argument for more than one circuit. Bad Steve. Bad, bad Steve.

Finally, I have committed the sin of reacting to a non sequitur. I am so ashamed.

I'm guilty as charged, I'm sorry and I promise to do better.

RE: RE: Judge removed from hearing cases while being investigated for misconduct

The timing of this may be politically motivated, but I'll bet that they found themselves a witch.

Does that make the witch hunt acceptable? Can these guys claim the moral high ground because they waited 15 years and a party switch to go after Badgett? If he was such a jerk, why didn't they go after him when he was a PD or when he worked in the DA's office? The answer is simple: he was a Democrat and Democrats control the legal system in this part of the state. He was a member of the club. There is ample evidence that being a member of the club gets one a free pass for all sorts of objectionable behavior.

The lesson here is that it almost always pays to be nice, especially if you have successfully switched parties and finally won an election as a result. Local politics is too personal of a game to act disrespectful to those you work with and judge on a daily basis.

I would much prefer a judge who is objective and consistent. If doing that makes him a jerk or if he hurts some poor criminal's feelings in the process, tough beans. Get over it. Being nice is wonderful if you're selling cars or painting houses, it's highly overrated in the realm of law enforcement. In any case, all we have to go on is the highly debatable claims of the lawyer who filed the grievance and the bureaucracy, also under the thumb of the political machine, that asked him to recuse himself.

I don't know Mark all that well. He did an incorporation for me a long time ago and I've had some dealings with him while I was still active in the Stokes GOP leadership. I'm not about to go into a lengthy defense of him here. I believe he might be the first Republican judge ever in District 17B. If not, he is one of a very very few. I know the Democrat political machine that makes up the judicial system in this area. I know that the fact that Badgett switched parties was bad enough for them. The fact that he actually sits on the bench is probably unbearable. This has nothing to do with Badgett's qualifications or actions with regard to the judiciary. This is a political smack-down and lynching, nothing more, nothing less.

RE: I hate it when that happens

Steve opines: "Ok, Andy, you got me. I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. Having Tucker post under a pseudonym was pretty slick. Having him pretend to be a right-winger was even slicker. Having him pretend to be a Coulter fan was unmitigated genius. Well done. I love a good practical joke."

What in the world are you talking about??? I haven't talked to Tucker since he left the firm at the end of June.

If U.S. Leaves, Al-Qaeda Will Not Inherit Iraq

In making the case for an open-ended American military presence in Iraq, the Bush administration and its supporters have deployed various worst-case scenarios of what will occur in the event of a military withdrawal. The most important of these is the assertion that Iraq will become a terrorist haven if the United States leaves.

In a recent speech at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld painted a very grim picture. Rumsfeld asked his audience to "[i]magine the world our children would face if we allowed [Ayman] al-Zawahiri, [Abu Musab] al-Zarqawi, [Osama] bin Laden, and others of their ilk to seize power or operate with impunity out of Iraq." According to the defense secretary, the answer is obvious: "They would turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was before 9/11 - a haven for terrorist recruitment and training and a launching pad for attacks against U.S. interests and our fellow citizens."

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad warned that a post-Saddam, post-U.S. Iraq would be even worse than Afghanistan. In an interview with Rich Lowry of The National Review, Khalilzad painted only two possible outcomes in Iraq. In the optimistic scenario, the U.S. achieves all of its political objectives, including the establishment of a functioning Iraqi democracy. Realistically, this requires an American presence for several more years. Khalilzad's alternative scenario, though, is too horrible to imagine: "Al-Qaeda taking over part of Iraq and from there expanding to the rest of Iraq or beyond the region and the world."

President George W. Bush also seems convinced that Al-Qaeda could take over if U.S. troops are withdrawn from Iraq. In a speech to U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen on November 30, he pointed to Al-Qaeda's stated objective to gain control of Iraq. Following an American military withdrawal, the president warned, "They would then use Iraq as a base from which to launch attacks against America."

There is ample reason to doubt these claims. In a recent essay in The Boston Review, MIT's Barry Posen explained that the U.S. could not even be certain that a civil war, if one were to occur, would be a strategic boon for Al-Qaeda. More to the point, the U.S. does not need 150,000 troops in Iraq to pursue Al-Qaeda. The Zarqawi network is not going to be defeated by civil policing and neighborhood patrols.

Christopher Preble and Justin Logan

What Will Stop North Korea

By Charles Krauthammer

It shall be the policy of this Nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.

-- President John F. Kennedy, Oct. 22, 1962

WASHINGTON -- Now that's deterrence.

Harry's Hang Up

Posted by TOM BEVAN

The details surrounding the Las Vegas land deal of Minority Leader Harry Reid that exploded onto the scene Tuesday afternoon may or may not turn out to be unethical. The most fascinating part of the story so far, at least to me, is the one that's been least commented on: the hang up.

RE: Judge removed from hearing cases while being investigated for misconduct

Sorry about the delay in responding to this particular post, but it wasn't until a recent conversation that I was reminded of who this Badgett guy is.

Steve said: Mark had the audacity to switch parties a few years ago. The amusing irony is that the guy doesn't act any differently than he did when he was a Democrat...

Judge Badgett finally found the right party for him. And yes, I don't think he acts any differently than he did before. Matter of fact, a couple of the Democrats I know didn't think enough of him to vote for him because he was "such an @$$hole." Those sentiments come from Badgett's actions nearly 15 yrs ago, and I doubt he's changed any. Maybe he's even worse.

From the article: "Dummit said that the investigation is a witch hunt."

Steve: Ya think so, Capt. Obvious?

The timing of this may be politically motivated, but I'll bet that they found themselves a witch.

From the WSJ article: "there are allegations of coercing guilty pleas, berating defendants, and embarrassing clerks..."

From the AP as reported on WFMY2.com:
Badgett is accused of "forcing guilty pleas from defendants, berating them in court, and embarrassing court clerks."

The lesson here is that it almost always pays to be nice, especially if you have successfully switched parties and finally won an election as a result. Local politics is too personal of a game to act disrespectful to those you work with and judge on a daily basis.