Fred on Eminent Domain

Fred discussing Eminent Domain:

Last week, California officials in National City voted unanimously to use eminent domain to take over more than 600 properties—including a nonprofit youth center dedicated to keeping local kids out of gangs and off the street. They plan to give this land to local private developers for a group of condominiums.

It’s said that a man’s home is his castle, but across America some property owners are being rooked by local bureaucrats and politicians and having their private property confiscated by local governments for the supposed public good.

...

Now, nearly two weeks ago, members of both parties in Congress introduced legislation in the House that would deny federal economic funding to state and local governments upon a finding that those governments had abused their power of eminent domain by seizing private property that would be used for private economic development. This is an important issue, and Members of Congress need to act to make sure that federal funds are not used to enable these sorts of takings of private property. Another option would be the reissuance of President Ronald Reagan’s Executive Order 12630, which directs federal agencies to “first do no harm” to property rights when issuing new regulations.

Our Founders placed respect for private property as a key principle when writing our nation’s Constitution, and the protection of private property resulted in the United States becoming the greatest economic power in the world and a beacon of freedom to all. This principle is even more important today, as homeownership has become an increasingly integral part of our citizens’ aspirations for a better future for themselves and their loved ones. If the Supreme Court will not protect our right to ownership, then political leaders must step up to the challenge.

Please read the rest at the link above.

Win, Fred, Win

Busy week

I will be a little busy this week. I don't know how much posting I will be able to get done. I promise to do as much as possible. Here is some good stuff I have come across in the last few days:


TexasFred - Tell Fred D. Thompson how you feel, that is a challenge to ALL my blog buddies.

Hillbilly White Trash - An open letter

Red State - Barack Dukakis Obama: Live from Iowa and Dem Whip says positive report from Petraeus would split Dem caucus


That's all for now.

Gingrich on the 2008 elections

Newt Gingrich gives his take on the elections an Fox:

Gingrich praised a few of the GOP frontrunners, including potential candidate Fred
Thompson, who he called "serious" and "formidable." Gingrich also confirmed reports that he and his wife had a "delightful" dinner with Thompson and his wife Jeri recently.

While he was critical of Sen. John McCain's ability to gain the GOP nod in 2008, he said Thompson, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney would all make a "very formidable opponent" for what he expects is a Clinton-Obama Democratic ticket.

I don't think we will face a Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ticket. There egos would not allow it.

If one of the front runners in the GOP field comes out with a sound plan we could keep the White House. I think Fred will be the most likely candidate to do this.

I like Newt's politics, and think he is waiting till Fred gets in to announce his support for him. I hope so anyway.

I believe Fred will get a lot of support from "important" people soon after announcing he is running.

Socialized Medicine Doesn't Work

So you don't believe me:

I was once a believer in socialized medicine. As a Canadian, I had soaked up the belief that government-run health care was truly compassionate. What I knew about American health care was unappealing: high expenses and lots of uninsured people.

My health care prejudices crumbled on the way to a medical school class. On a subzero Winnipeg morning in 1997, I cut across the hospital emergency room to shave a few minutes off my frigid commute.

Swinging open the door, I stepped into a nightmare: the ER overflowed with elderly people on stretchers, waiting for admission. Some, it turned out, had waited five days. The air stank with sweat and urine. Right then, I began to reconsider everything that I thought I knew about Canadian health care.

I soon discovered that the problems went well beyond overcrowded ERs. Patients had to wait for practically any diagnostic test or procedure, such as the man with persistent pain from a hernia operation whom we referred to a pain clinic — with a three-year wait list; or the woman with breast cancer who needed to wait four months for radiation therapy, when the standard of care was four weeks.

This was written by Dr. David Gratzer,

Read the rest at the link above. Government ran health care is not the answer. Government ran anything is not the answer.

Obama on the Hazelton ruling: 'a victory for all Americans'

Heaven help me, I have found something I agree with Hillary Clinton about. Senator Barack Obama is naive:

... the presidential hopeful praised the recent court decision overturning one city's attempt to protect itself from hostile foreigners filling their streets with drugs, crime and gangs as "a victory for all Americans."

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge James Munley overturned Hazleton, Pa.'s "Illegal Immigration Relief Act" in a 206-page opinion that declared states and municipalities have no authority to stem illegal immigration.

As WND reported, Hazelton passed an ordinance July 13, 2006, to deter housing owners from renting to illegals in an effort to reduce the crime and drain on city services associated with a large influx of illegal immigrants.

...

"Recently, the U.S. Senate failed the American people by blocking progress on immigration reform for the second time in two years,” he added. “We cannot put this off any longer. The ongoing problems with our immigration system are dividing our country, and distracting us from the work we need to do in other important areas such as health care, education and jobs.”

Failed the American people. Is he blind? Only 22% of Americans agreed with the bill. How could not passing this bill fail the people.

The division is between the "people" and our government officials on the illegal immigration issue.

Fred: Hazleton Immigration Decision

I don't know about you, but this does not sound like an "open borders" man to me:

Most Americans want something to be done about the illegal immigration problem we have in this country. They’ve been expecting the federal government to enforce the immigration laws already on the books. The federal government hasn’t done that, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the governments closest to the people – municipal and state – are looking to take action. This is an entirely proper role for these governments.

Back in 2006, the citizens of Hazleton, Penn., were noticing some troubling signs from an increase in illegal immigration in their community. This former coal-mining town was seeing an uptick in the number of murders, an increase in drug-related crimes and a school district bursting at its seams. In fact the tax-payer-funded English as a Second Language program there went from $500 a year in costs in 2001 to more than $1 million a year today.

The citizen of Hazleton demanded that something be done, and the Illegal Immigration Relief Act was introduced by the mayor and supported by the city by a vote of 4 to 1.

The ordinance was designed to reduce crime, the increasingly overcrowded schools, rising hospital costs, and escalating demand for city services that Hazleton was seeing due to an influx of illegal immigrants. The law would

*Deny licenses to businesses that knowingly employ illegal immigrants;

*Fine landlords $1,000 for each illegal immigrant discovered renting their properties;

*Require city documents to be in English only.

Let’s be clear about what’s going on here. No matter what some groups may be trying to do to muddy the water and portray Hazleton’s law as something playing to an uglier agenda, this law is not about legal immigration. This law is about dealing with the illegal immigration problem. The town’s mayor and city officials made this clear from the beginning, and it seems like they took a common sense approach.

Read the rest at the link.

Win, Fred, Win

Advise for Fred

Texas Fred has some sound advice for Fred Thompson:

Sir, we aren’t as stupid as the Bush administration and politicians in general would like to believe, the voters of today are more well informed on the all around issues at hand than ever before, and this time around we’re going to be very demanding, very hard line in what WE want and expect from our elected officials…

Mr. Thompson, don’t beat around the bush, no pun intended, come out STRONG and take a stance in favor of America and her people, her LEGAL residents, tell the voters, nay, PROMISE the voters that YOU will enact every effort possible to totally secure our borders and coastlines and that you will authorize our immigration and Naturalization Service, as well as Border Patrol and various other allied agencies to begin a roundup of ALL illegals in this nation and that you will authorize the deportation of these illegals, make that promise and carry through WITH that promise and your place in American history is assured for the NEXT 200 years…

Take a look at this ‘testing the waters’ thing, and the ‘the waters are warm’ statement, both sound very down home and folksy, forget that, warm hell, get ‘em boiling, your voter support is there and can easily grow even stronger if you get a HARDLINE message out there that leaves NO wiggle room, with no way for the Dems and libs to interpret what you said and MEANT in any way other than what YOU intend for your message to be, take away every avenue of attack and the Dems will fall in defeat, make solemn promises to the Republicans and Conservatives of this nation and you will take this election in a landslide, if you take a 100% America 1st stance Sir, and if you promise to secure this nation as it should have been done immediately after the attacks of 9-11, and if you follow through on those promises, you will be remembered as a legendary figure in American politics…

I agree with his assessment. I support Fred. I believe he is the most conservative candidate that has a chance of winning it ALL. I think Fred needs to release a straight forward platform when he announces. That is what the American people want.

How much the hearings into fired US attornies are costing us

This from Red State:

I happen to have come across THIS little beauty from the Tony Snow press briefing of 25 July. Consider what the Dims are doing with YOUR money over this non-scandal, solely for the purpose of keeping bad Bush press in the fore so you won't notice that they CONTINUE to accomplish a whole lotta NOTHING in their sacred chambers:

"Executive Branch Investigations or Inquiries: 300 PLUS
Requests for Documents, Interviews, or Testimony: 400 PLUS
Officials who have testified: 550 PLUS
Oversight Hearings held: 600 PLUS
Hours spent responding to oversight requests: 87,000 PLUS
Pages made available to Congress for oversight: 430,000 PLUS"


Guess how many appropriations bills Congress has passed after 113
days of Senate sessions and 103 days of House sessions?

"ZERO"

Read the rest at the link.

It amazes me to see how far the Democrats will go to make Bush look bad. This is a non issue and they are going to keep it going as long as they can.

Should candidates drop out of the You Tube debate?

It looks like a few are thinking about it:

According to Marc Ambinder, Giuliani “will most likely opt out” because of “unspecified scheduling conflicts.” The New Hampshire Union Leader reports that Romney “isn’t sure yet whether he’ll participate…but he’s no fan of the format.”

A "You Tube" debate could be a very productive venture. The only problem is the one CNN ran was a joke. I am sure many reasonable questions were submitted. CNN did not use these. Instead they decided to go with Red State Update, or someone calling his gun his baby. Which I do not have a problem with calling a gun baby. I love mine too. I am sure there were many other questions submitted that dealt with the gun issue. I think the whole thing looked silly.

A You Tube debate would work, just not one put on by CNN.

I would not participate in a CNN You Tube debate either.

HWT: The Wa-Po probably thinks that this is an anti-Fred hit piece

I have a busy day ahead of me. I will try to post when I get a chance. Until then read this:

People who want to know what Fred Thompson thinks about an issue only have to look at his Senate record and his spoken and written commentaries. Fred Thompson isn't perfect and he's the first one who will tell you that. He has been off the reservation on a couple of issues, like campaign finance reform and tort reform, but which candidate in the race is right about everything all the time?

Read the whole thing at the link above. It will be well worth your time.

What a Lawyer thinks about WaPo's newest hit piece

From Paul at Power Line:

Today's Washington Post has a front-page story about Fred Thompson called "No Easy Verdict on Thompson The Lawyer: Cases Indicate Willingness to Defy GOP
Orthodoxy." The title is just plain silly. A lawyer's duty is always to his client, not to any political orthodoxy. Had Thompson not been willing to "defy GOP orthodoxy" when necessary to promote his client's interest (as where he argued against a search that found incriminating evidence), he would have violated the rules of his profession. Moreover, most of the legal positions the Post actually cites (e.g., having a client invoke the Fifth Amendment, winning reinstatement for an employee) do not defy any political orthodoxy.

Thompson's legal career as described by the Post has no implications for this election. We simply see an able lawyer fulfilling his ethical obligation through vigorous and often successful representation of those who put their trust in him.

Read the rest at the link above. It also talks about tort reform.

So, they are using the old "Fred is bad, because he is a good lawyer" bit.

I have notice something interesting with the attacks:

When they slam him about social issues he is nothing more than a dumb, lazy actor. When it is about something like this he is a shrewed, intelligent, hardworking lawyer.

Win, Fred, Win

Ah, the French

Watch this video:



http://view.break.com/335023 - Watch more free videos



What are they teaching in the schools over there?

H/T: Hot Air

Fred takes the lead in Alabama

In a Capital Survey Research Center poll:

Thompson, 64, an actor who was born in Sheffield and served in the Senate in 1994-2003, wasn't included in the list of possible Republican presidential candidates in a poll the center conducted May 4-6 and May 17-20.

He still hasn't officially declared himself a candidate. But in the July poll, 34 percent of those likely to vote in the Feb. 5 Republican primary said they would cast ballots for Thompson if the election were today.

That compares with 20 percent support for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, down from 29 percent in May; 11 percent for Sen. John McCain of Arizona, down from 23 percent; 7 percent for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, down from 15 percent; and 5 percent for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who got 7 percent in May.

Mike Hubbard, chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, said Thompson is "a true conservative."

I know a lot of people are saying Fred is not a true conservative. If he is not the most conservative candidate in the race, then who is?

Are you going to agree with everything he does? Probably not. I do not agree 100% with anybody. Fred is far and away the best candidate in this race.

I have to admit though, I think he needs to get in. I'm not saying my support is wavering. I will be there when he announces.

David Davis returns from Iraq

Congressman David Davis has just returned from a trip to Iraq:

Tennessee U.S Rep. David Davis returned from Iraq this week saying that U.S. troops are making significant progress there and feeling more confident than ever that now is not the time to start bringing them home.

“The men and women in uniform see that they are making a difference,” said Davis, R-Johnson City.

...

Davis said he was particularly impressed by the sight of Iraqi children coming up to American soldiers at a busy market and shaking their hands.

“These were little kids that were coming up and thanking the American soldiers,” Davis said. “They felt that comfortable, to actually go speak to the soldiers. And to see the young Iraqi boys and girls going up and interacting with the soldiers tells me the soldiers must be there every day so they feel like they are part of the community.”

...

The group also met with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and other military leaders who assured them that the situation on the ground is improving, Davis said.

“It’s not as bad as you see in the national news,” he said.

This is why I am in favor of staying in Iraq:

“One of the generals said, ‘Congressman, there is a 5-year-old lying in a bed tonight somewhere in America that will be over here fighting this war in the future if we don’t finish it now,’ ” Davis said.

“He said we have to win this battle now so that Americans don’t have to be here for generations to come.”

I did not say that I was in favor of staying the course. I think we should get more aggressive. We need to face the facts, Al Qaeda is not going to stop.

Red State Update made the debate.

Watch this clip.

Red State Update with Jackie and Dunlap is funny. But how in the hell did they make it in the debate?

Now watch this one.

Does CNN think these two are really like that? Can they not tell they are acting? I just saw the clips, so I don't know if they are actually treating this as anything but a comedy clip. If not, they may want to go back to journalism school.

I like a good comedy routine as much as anyone. I'll check out Red State Update from time to time to see what these two are up to. But, does this type of stuff need to be on a presidential debate.

You can check out the website here.

The scary thing for me is; I would rather Jackie win than anyone who was on stage that night.

This is unbelievable

A court in Maryland has released a child molester because they could not find an interpreter:

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Charges against a man accused of repeatedly raping and molesting a 7-year-old girl were dismissed last week because the court could not find an interpreter fluent in the suspect's native West African language.

OK, he is from West Africa, but:

Mahamu Kanneh, a Liberian native who received asylum in this country and attended high school and community college here, according to The Washington Post, was denied a speedy trial after three years awaiting a court-appointed interpreter who could speak the tribal language of Vai.

He made it through high school and attended college here. Wonder how they found an interpreter? The answer is they did not have to:

A court-ordered psychiatrist determined that Kanneh, despite his functional facility with English — he originally spoke with detectives in English, The Post reports, needed to have Vai spoken in order to understand the proceedings
against him.

He spoke well enough to make it through school and discuss the case with the detectives.

Oh yes:

FOX News spoke with a man who claimed to be Kanneh in a five-minute phone conversation on Sunday in English. He said the allegations against him were false and the dismissal of the charges was "a good thing." Asked if the accusations were true, he responded, "I said what I had to say" and hung up.

How hard is it to find an interpreter you ask:

The Washington Post wrote in its article that in just one night reporters were independently able to identify three Vai translators available to assist in the case...

This is inexcusable.

A video every gun owner should watch

Watch it here. It is over 7 minutes long, but well worth it:

Here is a video about the rampant corruption of the New Orleans city government and its police force. After Katrina the government of the city of New Orleans ordered their police to confiscate privately owned firearms. The NOPD complied with the order with gusto. Police took advantage of the opportunity to loot firearms from the citizenry most of which wound up in the officer's private collections or were sold by the cops to pawn shops or gun stores throughout the
Southeast.

I agree with HWT on this one:

There is no excuse for this behavior and there is no forgiveness for this behavior. Every cop who behaved in this way deserves death and only death. Each and every one of them should be stood up against a wall and have his brains blown out by a firing squad.

If I were to encounter this kind of thing in the aftermath of a natural disaster I would resist with deadly force even if I knew that I would be killed. When cops do this kind of thing they stop being the enforcers of the law and become just another filthy criminal street gang and cops who act in this way have no rights which any civilized person is bound to respect.

I don't know what to add. Well I do, but I do not want to use that kind of language on this blog.

I WILL NOT GIVE UP MY GUNS!

Max Blumenthal at the College Republican National Convention

I was made aware of this post by Blumenthal a few days ago:

On July 13, 2007, I visited Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where the bodies of American soldiers killed in Iraq were freshly interred. Afterwards, I headed across the street to the Sheraton National Hotel, owned by right-wing Korean cult leader Sun Myung-Moon, to meet some of the war's most fervent supporters at the College Republican National Convention.

...

Yet when I asked these College Repulicans why they were not participating in this historical cause, they immediately went into contortions. Asthma. Bad knees from playing catcher in high school. "Medical reasons." "It's not for me." These were some of the excuses College Republicans offered for why they could not fight them "over there." Like the current Republican leaders who skipped out on Vietnam, the GOP's next generation would rather cheerlead from the sidelines for the war in Iraq while other, less privileged young men and women fight and die.

I would just like to respond to this post.

Our military is voluntary for a reason. It insures that all members have a desire to be there. This is the major reason it is the best military force in the world. I know you may dispute that fact but it is truly the best.

Some people in society are "cut out" for the military and some are not. The fact that members of the Convention are not serving or planning to serve is moot. Would you serve in Afghanistan? I doubt it, even though the Democrats are saying we should be there.

Myself, I served in the US Navy aboard the USS West Virginia, SSBN 736. I have the distinct honor of being a plank owner of this wonderful submarine. I was a Missile Technician assigned to work on the Trident II D-5 Nuclear Missile. When you are a few hundred feet below the ocean's surface it is important that every man aboard that ship wants to be there. The Navy can not assign you to a submarine either. You have to volunteer for that too.

Let me make another point. I was not "less privileged". I had every opportunity to go to college. I decided the Navy was where I belonged.

All in all I spent well over a year underwater to ensure that people like this could go around and act like idiots.

Where is all our money going

Murtha is getting hit pretty hard on the "$1 million earmark to establish the Center for Instrumented Critical Infrastructure" he has requested:

The Department of Energy is denying Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) claim that it supports his $1 million earmark request for a project in his district aimed at protecting the nation’s natural-gas pipelines.

...

DoE spokeswoman Anne Kolton said yesterday the earmark is not a program
that meets the department’s “mission critical” threshold, noting it was “inconsistent” with the department’s 2008 budget.

Anti-earmark crusader Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) challenged the earmark on the House floor Tuesday, asking if the “mysterious” Center for Instrumented Critical Infrastructure even existed because he and his staff couldn’t find a website for it. Flake’s challenge failed, 98-326.

...

According to DoE spokeswoman Kolton, the same earmark was included in a 2007 appropriations bill, and that DoE leadership decided against supporting it then. The 2007 continuing spending resolution stripped out all the earmarks, so Murtha attached it to this year’s bill.

There has to be a way to stop this insane policy of wasting the taxpayer's money. I know it has become"business as usual" but it can not continue like this.

This story is about a Democrat - Murtha. I am not confident that things like this are happening on both sides.

Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman responds to Hillary's questions

Hillary had some questions about the Pentagon's plans to exit Iraq:

In a stinging rebuke to a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman responded to questions Clinton raised in May in which she urged the Pentagon to start planning now for the withdrawal of American forces.

...

Clinton has privately and publicly pushed Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Peter Pace two months ago to begin drafting the plans for what she said will be a complicated withdrawal of troops, trucks and equipment.

"If we're not planning for it, it will be difficult to execute it in a safe and efficacious way," she said then.

The response:

The Pentagon told Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton that her questions about how the U.S. plans to eventually withdraw from Iraq boosts enemy propaganda.

...

"Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia," Edelman wrote.

He added that "such talk understandably unnerves the very same Iraqi allies we are asking to assume enormous personal risks."

Not Ready for the "Old Folks Home"?

Get a load of this:

JOHANNESBURG, July 17 -- Former South African president Nelson Mandela plans to announce on Wednesday the creation of "the Elders," a group composed mostly of retired global leaders that will seek to tackle urgent world problems unfettered by the politics of any one nation, officials with the group said.

It will have about a dozen members, including former president Jimmy Carter, former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan and retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. Among the organizers of the effort have been rock star Peter Gabriel and British airline mogul Richard Branson, who has used meetings at his Caribbean getaway, Necker Island, as an incubator for creation of the group.

That ought to make things in the world better, huh. Maybe, if your a left wing lunatic or a terrorist.

Update 7:11 pm:Neal Boortz is "fed up" with Islam

Atlas Shrugs has the story here:

Boortz: You don't have a word of condemnation in you until the non-Islamic world rises up and starts to make it clear that we are fed up with your damned religion. We've had it up to here.

And somebody, like I said yesterday, somebody needs to grab the Muslim world by the shirt collar, backhand it a good one, knock it into the damn corner and say straighten up or we're gonna eradicate you beetles from the face of the Earth. . .

If you would like to hear it, be sure to hit the link above. She links to the audio.

Update: This was recorded in October 2006.

The Bird Feeder…

How true:

I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed.

Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food.

But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.

Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table…everywhere.

Then some of the birds turned mean:

They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket.

And others birds were boisterous and loud:

They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.

After a while, I couldn’t even sit on my own back porch anymore.

I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone.

I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio.

Soon, the back yard was like it used to be, quiet, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.

Now lets see, our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, free education and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen.

Then the illegals came by the millions.

Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services, small apartments are housing 5 families, you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor, your child’s 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn’t speak English..

Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box, I have to press “one” to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than “Old Glory” are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.

Maybe it’s time for the government to take down the bird feeder.

I got this from Texas Fred.

I think it is great. How about you?

Tax Relief is killing the economy, no wait

The Dow Jones Industrial average closed today above 14,000:

NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street moved soundly higher Thursday, sending the Dow
Jones industrials to their first close above 14,000, as investors kept jitters about the economy at bay and focused on a string of upbeat earnings reports.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index also had a record close.

...

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow rose 82.19, or 0.59 percent, to 14,000.41. The blue chip index throughout the session danced around the 14,000 mark, having first reached it on Tuesday but pulling below the milestone before the close. The Dow's advance Thursday again put the index above 14,000 but didn't propel it past the trading high of 14,021.95 set this week.

Here is CNN's report:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Dow finished just a hair above 14,000 for the first time ever, helped by positive earnings news, while investors overlooked minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting and comments from Fed chief Ben Bernanke.

...

Returning to Capitol Hill for a second day of testimony, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke touched on a number of issues during a question and answer session with a Congressional committee.

Bernanke said that the central bank needs more economic data before it is convinced that inflation is moderating and warned that the recent losses in the subprime mortgage sector could hit $100 billion and posed a threat to consumer
spending.

They just can't stand it, can they?

Tax cuts work. Always have, always will.

Update: Large cache of weapons found in an apartment in Dallas

The story:

DALLAS Federal sources tell CBS 11 News that law enforcement officers have confiscated a large cache of weapons found in an apartment near the federal
building in downtown Dallas.

...

Police are still taking inventory of all the weapons seized. Among those discovered were two AK-47 rifles, an Uzi 9 millimeter submachine gun, a TEC-9 submachine gun, a 40 millimeter ordnance launcher, a handheld ordnance launcher, and about 500 rounds of ammunition.

His name, religion, national origin was not given. This was:

As of 7 p.m., authorities had not yet arrested anyone, but were searching for the tenant of the apartment.

Authorities tell us the tenant travels to the Middle East frequently and just returned from there this morning.

Sound "fishy" to you? Me too, but don't worry:

However, authorities say there is no reason to suspect terrorism as a motive.

Check out Ace of Spades take here.


Update: They are legal:

"They were legal, which means they were not fully automatic, and he was not prohibited from owning them, meaning he was not a convicted felon," Mr. Crowley said.

The grenades were hollowed out and thus inert.

Fred takes a commanding lead in Georgia

Fred takes a 14 point lead in this Insider Advantage/Majority Opinion survey:

Republican presidential primary:

(Fred) Thompson: 36%
Giuliani: 22%
McCain: 10%
Romney: 9%
Huckabee: 7%
Gilmore*: 2%
Brownback: 1%
Others: 1%
Undecided: 12%

* Poll conducted prior to Gilmore announcement of leaving the
race.

This is good news.

Win, Fred, Win

The Great Global Warming Swindle Parts 5-8

Here is the last 4 parts:

Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8

Well there you have it. All 8 parts.

Enjoy

The Great Global Warming Swindle Parts 1-4

I am putting these together in two posts. The first 4 are here:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

38th Anniversary

Anniversary of what you ask? Mary Jo Kopechne died thirty eight years ago today.

Israel grants immunity to the entire leadership of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades

The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the declared military wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization, have carried out hundreds of terror attacks in Israel:

Officials from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office told Palestinian negotiators the entire leadership of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorist group is now immune from Israeli anti-terror operations, senior Palestinian officials told WND.

The Brigades – the declared military wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization – took responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel the past three years. Statistically, the Brigades carried out more anti-Israel terror attacks emanating from the West Bank since 2005 than any other group, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Earlier this week, Olmert granted amnesty to a list of 178 Fatah militants that WND reported comprise the senior leadership of Fatah's declared military wing, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

What do these terrorists have to do to get it:

Olmert's office this weekend issued documents for 178 Fatah fugitives to sign, pledging their resignation from any so-called paramilitary organizations and promising to refrain from terrorism. The wanted militants also must spend a week in a PA holding area and must restrict their movements to the area in which they reside for three months. After a three-month period, they can move freely throughout the West Bank. Since most wanted militants have been confined to their residential areas the past few years anyway due to the threat of Israeli operations, the deal effectively grants them freedom of movement for the first time.

I think this is a mistake that will be disastrous for Israel in the future. Olmert is bending over backwards to make nice with high ranking members of a group that wants Israel gone.

It is my belief that Fatah is not much better than Hamas.

A letter to President Bush

By Eli E Hertz:

I would start with the notion that your administration will not 'do business' with terror organizations and those who call for the destruction of Israel, or at best, suggest to toss the "Jews to the sea."

This brings me to Fateh, the main faction of the PLO for whom Mahmoud Abbas is the driving force and was one of its founding members. This is the organization and leadership that the administration relies upon to bring functional democracy, freedom and peace to the region.

Mr. President, it takes little effort to learn what Fateh is all about. Its constitution calls under Article 12 for the "Complete liberation of Palestine, and obliteration of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence."

As for how it will achieve its goal to wipe Israel off the map, Fateh's constitution, Article 19, minces no words:

"Armed struggle is a strategy and not a tactic, and the Palestinian Arab People's armed revolution is a decisive factor in the liberation fight and in uprooting the Zionist existence, and this struggle will not cease unless the Zionist state is demolished and Palestine is completely liberated" [italic by author]

Read the rest of the letter at the link above. We must assist Israel at all cost. It would probably have been better if Hamas were the ones in charge of the Palestine state. There is no doubt they hate Israel, and will not pretend they are going to cooperate with the peace talks.

Gun Free Zone

I found this video over at Hillbilly White Trash. It is worth the 2 minutes it takes to watch.

Wamp and Cantor calls for a reprimand of Ellison

As you all know Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress compared President Bush to Adolf Hitler and leaving the impression the administration may have rigged the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Today Congressmen Wamp and Cantor called for a reprimand:

On recycled paper, the Congressman today wrote in a letter to Speaker Pelosi [pdf], calling for this reprimand:

Even if Representative Ellison now asserts that he was not implying that 9/11 was orchestrated by the administration, the comparison he draws between Hitler and the President of the United States is disgraceful. It is intolerable that a member of the United States Congress would choose to exploit the worst attack on American soil as a means of political rhetoric.

The only problem is, she agrees with Ellison. I would not look for this to be followed through with, even though it should be.

My favorite Thompson bumper sticker

This has got to be my favorite one. Go to the link to read Texas Fred's post, Fred Thompson is coming to Texas.

OSHA backs off "explosives safety" proposal

On July 9th I posted a story about OSHA making it impossible for ammo manufacturers and dealers to stay in business, here.

On Monday, July 16 this article came out on the NRA website:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it will significantly revise a recent proposal for new “explosives safety” regulations that caused serious concern among gun owners. OSHA had originally set out to update workplace safety regulations, but the proposed rules included restrictions that very few gun shops, sporting goods stores, shippers, or ammunition dealers could comply with.

Gun owners had filed a blizzard of negative comments urged by the NRA, and just a week ago, OSHA had already issued one extension for its public comment period at the request of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. After continued publicity through NRA alerts and the outdoor media, and after dozens of Members of Congress expressed concern about its impact, OSHA has wisely decided to go back to the drawing board.

Working with the NRA was Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-MT):

Working with the NRA, Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-MT) planned to offer a floor amendment to the Labor-HHS appropriations bill this Wednesday when the
House considers this legislation. His amendment would have prohibited federal funds from being used to enforce this OSHA regulation.

Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO) helped out too:

Also, working with the NRA, Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO) gathered signatures from 25 House colleagues for a letter, dated July 11, expressing concerns about this proposed OSHA rule. The letter called the proposal “an undue burden on a single industry where facts do not support the need outlined by this proposed rule” and “not feasible, making it realistically impossible for companies to comply with its tenets.”

This is good, but we had better keep our eyes open.

Olbermann is set to host Aug. 7th Democratic debate

I bet the candidates are loving this:

Keith Olbermann, whose biting, pull-no-punches commentaries on MSNBC’s "Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” have been known to spike the blood pressure of their targets—ask Fox News’ belligerent right-winger Bill O’Reilly—will moderate the AFL-CIO Presidential Candidates Forum in Chicago on Aug. 7. The forum, with the seven leading Democratic candidates, will be broadcast live from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. CDT (7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. EDT) on MSNBC and XM Satellite Radio.

Wonder how tough the questions will be?

Will a hate crimes bill be added onto the defense bill?

It will if Sen. Edward Kennedy gets his way:

Sen. Edward Kennedy's "hate crimes" plan – feared by Christian leaders as a way to censor biblical condemnations of homosexuality – has been proposed as an amendment to a defense spending bill, a maneuver opponents are calling "shameless" and "manipulative."

The Kennedy plan, which earlier was introduced as separate legislation, would classify gender and sexual orientation as specially protected classes of people under federal law. Opponents say it would require law enforcement personnel to become "thought police" to determine whether a crime already addressed by existing law could be prosecuted under an enhanced standard of "hate crime."

Why put it on the defense bill?:

The White House already has suggested the proposal is unneeded and a veto would be in order if it is approved. But Kennedy has proposed inserting it
into the defense appropriations plan, which Bush wants to pass.

"The maneuver is one clearly calculated to put the president in the position of ending up vetoing a defense appropriation," Mathew Staver of Liberty Counsel told WND.

...

"Here's the Cliff Notes of what so called 'hate crime' legislation has already done IN AMERICA," she wrote. "This is no longer up for debate. Here are the facts."


*Madison, Wisconsin. David Ott, a former homosexual, was arrested for a "hate crime" for sharing his testimony with a homosexual at a gas station. He faced a $10,000 fine and one year behind bars. Seven thousand dollars in legal fees later, [he] was ordered to attend re-education classes at the University of Wisconsin conducted by a lesbian.

*St. Petersburg, Florida. Five Christians including two pastors were arrested at a homosexual rally for stepping onto the public sidewalk instead staying caged in their officially designated "free speech zone."

*Elmira, New York. The Elmira police arrested seven Christians for praying in a public park where a homosexual festival was getting started.

*Crystal Lake, Illinois. Two 16 year old girls are facing felony "hate crime" charges for the content of their flyers.

*Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Arlene Elshinnawy, a 75-year-old grandmother of three, and Linda Beckman, a 70-year-old grandmother of 10 (along with
nine others), were arrested for sharing their faith on the public sidewalk.

Why don't they just go ahead and try to make it illegal to be a christian.

Here comes Fred

Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) expects Fred's long awaited announcement to come in the next couple of days:

Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) said Monday that he expects former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) to soon join the race for the White House.

“My view is that he’ll enter the race at some point just in the coming days,” said Wamp, a key supporter of Thompson.

This is good news. I feel it is time for him to join the fun.

One thing I noticed in this story:

The lawmaker said the actor turned senator turned actor did not want to join the race too soon but is “doing everything a presidential candidate should do.”

Every time his description is given it's, actor turned Senator turned actor. The only stories that shine a light on the fact he is a very accomplished lawyer is in the hit pieces.

Mideast peace conference

Earlier today President Bush called for a Mideast peace conference:

Declaring a "moment of choice" in the Middle East, President Bush said Monday he would call Israel, the Palestinians and others in the region to a peace conference aimed at restarting stalled talks and moving faster toward a Palestinian state.

Such a session could result in Israelis sitting at the same conference table as countries such as Saudi Arabia that do not recognize Israel diplomatically.

Bush said the conference, open to countries in the region that support a two-state solution to the long Israeli-Palestinian standoff, would be headed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Of course he will be giving the Palestinians a boatload of money:

Bush voiced strong support for Abbas and his moderate government. He noted that the United States has pledged more than $190 million in direct assistance to the Palestinians, most of it already approved, and that the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a quasi-governmental unit, was making another $228 million available in loan guarantees.

Bush also announced that his administration would "make a direct contribution of $80 million to help Palestinians reform their security services."

That is 270 million Dollars from the US.

Does this administration truly believe they can stop the fighting that has been going on between Israel and the Palestinians for so long?

Free college for illegals

At least ten illegal immigrants will be attending classes at the University of New Mexico:

At least 10 undocumented students from Colorado will get to attend classes at the University of New Mexico this fall, with many not having to pay for tuition or books.

A new Colorado law prohibits state colleges from providing in- state tuition to undocumented immigrants.

In New Mexico, the state is barred from denying education benefits based on immigration status, said Terry Babbitt, director of admissions for the University of New Mexico.

While New Mexico's state financial aid is intended for residents, Poudre High School counselor Isabel Thacker in Colorado found a way for her students to
receive in-state tuition, plus scholarships to cover it.

A full year of tuition at UNM, or 12 credit hours per semester, costs $4,570.80, said Alex Gonzalez, associate director of the scholarship office at UNM. An institutional
scholarship available to undocumented students covers $5,000 of their tuition and book expenses.

As long as we are bending over backwards to accommodate illegals, they will keep coming.

Thompson is playing it smart

I have noticed many people complaining about Thompson taking his time getting in. Captain Ed has a theory about this:

Everyone wants to know why Fred Thompson hasn't officially declared his candidacy yet. After all, with Jim Gilmore's departure, the Republicans have an empty podium for the next debate. Why doesn't Fred jump in and start getting tested?

One answer could be that Fred wants to hit the hustings in the top spot -- and that's he's building his coalition carefully before his launch. US News reports that Fred has had some success in getting evangelical groups to consider supporting him, reaching out to one group that could give him instant momentum. At Heading Right, I look at advantages he might have over some of the other GOP candidates, and the strategy of holding cards close to the vest until one gets a winning hand.

I think he is playing it smart. Ace of Spades has an interesting thought:

Obviously he'll have to announce eventually, but one can hardly fault him for continuing to see how long his stealth offensive continues gaining ground.

Furthermore, look at McCain's millions, all pissed away, for nothing. Thompson joked that he had already saved fifty million dollars by delaying his announcement this long, but it's not really a joke, is it?

We all know he is running.

Win, Fred, Win

Does it Matter Who Joe Wilson Endorses

Joe Wilson has endorsed Hillary. My first thought was who cares.

As popular he is with the "extreme" left wing of the party, he may be able to throw a few votes her way.

Please Welcome My Guest.

If you check in with me from time to time, you know there are times I can not post. I love to blog and would do it all the time, but unfortunately I have to pay the bills. To assist me I have invited a guest (bubby1962) to help me out. Please welcome him.

Stop Iran Now

We have to the face facts. We must takes the necessary steps to deal with Iran, and we need to do it now. Iran is going to be a problem for us. Hell they already are. How about this, or this?

We know they want to destroy us. They have told us as much.

They assist Al-Qaeda with training, supplies, and various other support.

If we choose to ignore the threat that Iran poses now, we will pay for it later.

Republican politicians had better start pinching pennies

Reuters has this story up:

In the past three months, Democratic presidential candidates raised an estimated $81.2 million compared to about $46.6 million for Republicans.

Of course this being Reuters, they blame the war:

Republicans, gloomy over Iraq and other issues, are contributing far less to their party's presidential candidates than Democrats are giving to theirs, raising questions about Republican prospects in 2008.

We all know what is doing this, don't we amigos.


Go here to get Michelle Malkin's take on this.

Be sure and read the comments on her post. Did you get the opinion the war was causing this? Me neither. I noticed something I liked in there tough - Win, Fred, Win.

If this is true, damn.

World Net Daily has a story up that is almost unbelievable:

A reporter embedded with the U.S. military in Iraq reports a government official has recounted a new atrocity by al-Qaida: several instances in which terrorists baked a young boy, then invited his family to lunch with the victim as the main course.

The report is from Michael Yon, a Special Forces soldier who returned to Iraq to report on the successes there, inspired, he told radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt, by a "news cycle that seems to pander toward the terrorists."

...

"Speaking through an American interpreter, Lt. David Wallach, who is a native Arabic speaker, the Iraqi official related how al-Qaida united these gangs who then became absorbed into 'al-Qaida.' They recruited boys born during the years 1991, 92 and 93 who were each given weapons, including pistols, a bicycle and a phone (with phone cards paid) and a salary of $100 per month, all courtesy of al-Qaida. These boys were used for kidnapping, torturing and murdering people," said Yon's dispatch, "Bless the Beasts and Children."

"At first, he said, they would only target Shia, but over time the new al-Qaida directed attacks against Sunni, and then anyone who thought differently. The official reported that on a couple of occasions in Baqubah, al-Qaida invited to lunch families they wanted to convert to their way of thinking. In each instance, the family had a boy, he said, who was about 11 years old," Yon continued.

"As Lt. David Wallach interpreted the man's words, I saw Wallach go blank and silent. He stopped interpreting for a moment. I asked Wallach, 'What did he say?' Wallach said that at these luncheons, the families were sat down to eat. And then their boy was brought in with his mouth stuffed. The boy had been baked. Al-Qaida served the boy to his family."

'Nobody lifted a finger'

I am at a loss for words. I hope this is found not to be the case. But I am afraid it is true.

Stop the Fairness Doctrine

Go here to sign a petition to show you do not want to see them destroy your first amendment rights.

Global Warming Part 7

Here is part 7 on the series. I will link to all 8 in a single post as soon as HWT gets #8 up.

Updated: Rethinking The War on Terror

First off, let me say this: I support the killing of terrorists.

I have been a staunch supporter of the war since the beginning. It has become apparent that we must rethink the direction we should take. I have read various opinions on the matter. This is the best analogy I can think of:


The reason Iraq has turned into such a disaster is because we can not completely devastate the enemy. The reason for this is we are not allowed to attack there supply lines, training facilities, or planning centers. Why? Because these are not located in Iraq. These are in Iran, Syria, etc...


As long as we are unwilling to hold the governments supporting these terrorists into account, the battle will continue.


It is time to make a decision. Are we going to pull out of Iraq now; Are we going to continue doing as we have been; or are we going to fight this as a war.


If we pull out I feel Iraq will devoured by the same outside forces that are supplying the terrorists. Many people will be murdered and/or tortured. I think it will make it easier for them to carry out their attacks here in the US, and in Europe. Now they are concentrating on our forces in Iraq.


Can we continue on the same path we are on now? I don't think we can. Many in the GOP are losing faith in the fight. I am willing to give the "surge" a shot. I am not confident it will work though. If not we can no longer follow this path.

If we were to decide to take this war up a notch and go after the countries aiding the terrorists, we may be able to salvage victory. There are a few problems with implementing this plan though. Number one being that the majority of the American people do not trust the president any longer. Another problem is Congress. Could you imagine their reaction if we try to hold Iran and Syria to account for their role in this mess.

The bottom line is this: We are at a point were a decision is going to have to made. Do we leave and allow Iraq to be destroyed or do we take the fight to EVERY country supporting terrorism.


I have my opinions about Afghanistan too. But Pakistan would not like them.


I would appreciate your input. Please leave me a comment to let me know your thoughts.

PLEASE, support our troops.

Is it Hillary's race to lose?

Jim Addison seems to think so:

The old joke about opera is that it "isn't over until the fat lady sings." She seems to be warming up in the contest for the Democratic nomination, as no one seems to be able to catch Senator Hillary Clinton, according to Gallup

...

Edwards is stuck in the mud. It should be noted he raised less money in the 2nd quarter than John McCain, and the political obiturarists have been busy preparing for the demise of the Arizona Senator's campaign. My bet is Edwards is out before McCain.

Obama also appears to have topped out. Despite the enthusiasm of his supporters and the huge amounts of money he has raised, his lack of experience and substance just doesn't seem able to attract more than the roughly 25% of likely Democratic voters who have backed him since he announced his candidacy.

Of course, as American folk philosopher Yogi Berra cautioned, "It ain't over 'til it's over," but the curtain will come down soon on Hillary's challengers unless one of them finds a way to shake up the race soon.

I am not as confident as he is, but she is way out in front.

Tancredo to Propose an Immigration Bill

Finally, Tom Tancredo is set to propose his own Immigration Bill- "Optimizing Visa Entry Rules and Demanding Uniformed Enforcement":

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) on Wednesday announced plans to introduce
legislation that would overhaul the U.S. immigration system by placing tighter
restrictions on legal immigration and increasing pressure on illegal immigrants
currently in the country to leave.

"Throughout the immigration debate, out of touch amnesty-only critics
of enforcement have tried to hide behind their cry of 'what is your solution?'
Well this week we will show them and the president what immigration reform
should look like and what the American people deserve," Tancredo said in a
statement announcing the proposal.

Tentatively dubbed the Optimizing Visa Entry Rules and Demanding Uniformed Enforcement (OVERDUE) bill, Tancredo's proposal would "restor[e] America's immigration system to more traditional numbers and encourages the assimilation of America's most recent great wave."

...

Tancredo's proposal uses indirect measures to encourage undocumented residents to leave on their own. The bill would eliminate "chain migration," tighten the employment-based green card category, and limit automatic birthright citizenship to those with at least one parent who is a citizen or legal permanent resident.

Other provisions of the proposal include suspending the Visa Waiver Program and prohibiting states from granting in-state tuition to illegal immigrants, according to a summary provided by Tancredo's office.

It also requires federal immigration authorities to assist state and local law enforcement officials in enforcing immigration laws. The bill does not include provisions addressing the construction of a fence along the U.S. border with Mexico, because the funding for the fence has already been approved by Congress and including it in this bill would be "redundant and unnecessary

Could this be the bill that the "anti-amnesty" crowd is looking for? If I had to pick the person in Congress to write such a bill it would be Tancredo, that is for sure.

When can we expect this bill:

The final version of the bill is still under construction by Tancredo's office and should be submitted to Congress later this week.

Is This What "Sicko" Wants?

Is this what universal health care is all about? These pictures were e-mailed out of Havana, Cuba by a doctor.

Many more photos here.

Notice the mattress on the bottom photo above.

While Cuba has some very nice hospitals (reserved for the elite), this is the care that "average" citizens receive.

Updated: Part 5 -Global Warming

Hillbilly White Trash has Part 5 of The Great Global Warming Swindle up.

Parts 1 through 4 are here.

Enjoy.

Update: Part 6

MSM Just Don't Get It

I was unaware of the fact that McCain was dropping in the polls and fundraising because he supports the war.

I am glad Bob Schieffer informed me:

As I was flipping through the channels this morning I caught "Washington Bob" (Thats what CBS calls him) giving his political analysis of why John McCain was failing in the GOP primary polls. While the commentator mentioned immigration as a possibility, Bob Schieffer only honed in on the Iraq debate as THE reason why McCain is doing poorly.

This is insane. John McCain supported the war when he was among the front runners. He started his downhill spiral with the Amnesty Bill. It is the Amnesty Bill that destroyed his changes. His willingness to team up with Ted Kennedy on this bill has prevented him from becoming the president, plain and simple.

Deficit has been cut in half

Bush said his tax relief plan would cut the deficit in half by 2009. He was wrong. It will be cut in half in September 2007:

The nation's budget deficit will drop to $205 billion in the fiscal year that ends in September, less than half of what it was at its peak in 2004, according to new White House estimates.

I have been critical of the president on several issues. Tax Relief is not one of them.

If only we could get spending under control.

Do as I say, not as I do

Mike Gallagher's article about Borris Miles' hypocrisy:

Lone Star State lawmakers came to their senses and passed legislation that becomes effective September 1st. From now on, there will be no “duty to retreat” and men (and women) can defend themselves.

But not every elected official in Texas voted for this legislation. One of the spineless wonders who voted against the Texas law is a Democrat from Houston named Borris Miles.

Miles voted vote against House Bill 284, joining a small group of dissenters who amazingly saw fit to deny a Texan the ability to use lawful force against a criminal.

What he did when he found two men in his house:

While Miles was fixing a leak on the second floor of a home he’s building in the Houston area, he told police he heard a noise downstairs. When he went to investigate, he discovered two men trying to steal copper.

What do you suppose this anti-gun, bleeding heart liberal did when he confronted two bad guys trying to steal copper from him? Do you think he retreated?

He did not. In fact, I’ll give you a clue as to what Rep. Borris Miles did: “BANG!”

That’s right, this hypocritical Democrat pulled out his gun and promptly shot one of the copper burglars.

Here is the best part. The law (that passed) that allows him to do this, does not take effect until September. The same law he voted against. So:

Bearing in mind that the new “Castle Doctrine” law doesn’t take affect until Sept 1st, I wonder if Borris Miles might face criminal charges for shooting a guy in his own house?

The only thing more delicious than witnessing yet another Democrat’s rank hypocrisy would be to see a legislator go to jail for breaking a law that he voted to uphold.

Democrats do this all the time.

They are special. They deserve to live one way, while everyone else have to live the way they decide is "best" for us.

Al Gore can fly all over the world or live in a house that uses twenty times the amount of energy as our homes use. Then preach to me about buying gas to get back and forth to work, or using a certain type of damn light bulb.

Edwards can make all the money he wants, or own several large estates, while telling me that the rich are to blame for all my problems.

Clinton can lie under oath, but Libby can't. (Oh I'm sorry "not remember")

This is just another example of the way Democrats have been acting for years.

McCain Update

Yesterday I posted about the departure of Terry Nelson and John Weaver from John McCain's campaign.

Today we have this from Marc Ambinder:

At least ten senior staff members are gone or going. Besides ex-mgr Terry Nelson, ex-strategist John Weaver, they include McCain's political director, his finance director, Mary Kate Johnson, Nelson's deputy and Weaver's deputy.

McCain also lost his Nevada state director, and campaign advisers said they expected Jon Seaton, McCain's Iowa director and national field director, to quit in the next week.

Adios, John.

Have You Heard?

Syrian Troops Penetrate 3 Kilometers into Lebanese Territories:

Syrian troops on Thursday reportedly have penetrated three kilometers into Lebanese territories, taking up positions in the mountains near Yanta in east Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

The daily Al Mustaqbal, citing sources who confirmed the cross-border penetration, did not say when the procedure in the Fahs Hill overlooking Deir
al-Ashaer in the Rashaya province took place.

The sources said Syrian troops, backed by bulldozers, were fortifying positions "in more than one area" along the Lebanese border, erecting earth mounds and digging "hundreds" of trenches and individual bunkers.

Michael Totten inquires:

This happened immediately before I left town for two days. When I returned I was surprised to find no mention of this whatsoever anywhere else in the media. I assumed the story had to be false. How could Syria invade three kilometers into any region of Lebanon without triggering a diplomatic and media storm?

So I asked Michael Young, opinion page editor at Beirut’s Daily Star, if the story was bogus.

“It is true,” he said, “but the problem is that the 3 kilometers are in isolated areas, so that it isn't making headlines. However, the UN will be discussing border issues this week, I think, and that will be brought up. The Syrians are ratcheting up the pressure, but with the attack against UN troops in the south, they are, as one UN official put it, playing with fire.”

The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler has a good take.

The Middle East is a powder keg waiting to be ignited.

We need to stop screwing around and deal with these threats before it is too late. Which may already be the case.

Erick at Red State Interviews Fred

Yesterday I linked to Red State for comments by Fred. This was part two of a three part interview. Since I cannot hear enough from Fred, here is the whole thing:

On Saturday, while touring Florida meeting with voters across the state, Senator Thompson and I chatted for about thirty minutes on the phone. We discussed Iraq, the Los Angeles Times hit piece against him, Scooter Libby, what his first act as President would be, and several other topics. Senator Thompson also gave his thoughts on this question: can a President actually govern as a fiscal conservative in this day and age?

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Enjoy

Win, Fred, Win

Abortion Study Shows Promise

Young adults a leaning more toward a "pro-life" position:

Younger voters, especially women, are embracing a pro-life position in surprising numbers and in sharp contrast to attitudes that held sway 15 years ago, according to a new study.

...

Over 30,000 survey interviews were conducted in the state between 1992 and 2006. Participants were asked: "On the debate over abortion policy, do you
consider yourself to be pro-life, pro-choice or somewhere in between?" Those who gave a definitive answer were then asked how strongly they held their view.

Results in 1992 were largely in step with what study authors Christopher Blunt and Fred Steeper call the "self-interest hypothesis." Women and men under 30 were the most ardently "pro-choice" (39 percent) and the least likely to be strongly "pro-life"( 23 percent).

Today, by contrast, among the current generation of 18- to 29-year-olds, 36
percent say they are strongly "pro-life," while just 18 percent say they are
strongly "pro-choice," the study authors said.

The trend was particularly evident among women in that age bracket. Forty 40 percent identify themselves as strongly "pro-life" and only 20 percent as strongly "pro-choice."

The beginning of the end for McCain?

I have posted that the Amnesty bill would destroy Senator McCain. This Could be the end for him:

WASHINGTON (AP) - John McCain's campaign manager and chief strategist quit Tuesday, the second major staff shake-up in a week for the Republican presidential candidate who trails his rivals in money and polls.

In a statement, the Arizona senator said Terry Nelson and John Weaver offered their resignations, "which I accepted with regret and deep gratitude for their dedication, hard work and friendship."

Oh, that is not all:

One Republican directly connected to today's events said that Mark Salter, McCain's long-time chief of staff and co-author of his five books, had also left the campaign payroll.

Sorry John, but the base of the Republican Party can spot a Rino when we see one.

Fred responds to LA Times hit piece

Listen to Fred at Red State, here. If the best they can do is lie and make silly accusations, then Fred will be hearing this come January 09- Hello Mr. President:

First, since the Los Angeles Times article came out, it's been pointed out that Senator Thompson had never acted as a cowboy and thus could not have related a story Ms. DeSarno claims he related. That bit of the article has now mysteriously disappeared from the Los Angeles Times article.

Second, Thompson had not gone to work at Arent Fox, the firm from which Thompson was allegedly hired, until several months after the abortion rights group claims it hired him through Arent Fox.

Read the hit piece here.

Win, Fred, Win