"Senator Steps In It

Barack Obama, after leading a charmed political existence, has suddenly become controversial.

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post

Surprise Drop in Oil?

Larry Kudlow on Oil Prices and the Free Market on National Review Online:
Free markets could soon deliver a much different energy scenario.

A substitute for victory

The Washington Times
By Tony Blankley

"Pray the American people never develop a taste for retreat and defeat."

"When Gen. Douglas MacArthur delivered his farewell address to Congress in April of 1951 after President Truman had fired the general during the Korean War, he gave advice that yet can be of value both to President Bush's Democratic Party war critics and to Mr. Bush and his generals: '[In war], there is no alternative than to apply every available means to bring it to a swift end. War's very object is victory, not prolonged indecision. In war there is no substitute for victory.'

At the time, Gen. MacArthur was criticizing Truman's decision not to seek victory in what was technically called a U.N. 'police action' in Korea.

While playing 'what if' games with history is destined to be mere speculation, it is worth noting that if victory had been gained over North Korea in the early 1950s, we probably would not be facing a nuclear stand off with North Korea in 2006. Of course, we will never know what price we would have paid in blood and lost life for such a victory back then. And unless and until the nuclear day with North Korea (or the terrorists it sells its nukes to) comes, we will not know the price of not gaining victory in the 1950s. The river of historical consequence runs deep and long." Read more.

"There is no question that we have failed to live up to the dreams of the founding fathers many times and in many places. Sometimes we do better than others. But all in all, the one thing we must be on guard against is thinking that because of this, the system has failed. The system has not failed. Some human beings have failed the system."

—Ronald Reagan

Liberty of Conscience

"Postmodern American man, steeped in moral relativism and doubtful of ascertaining truth, is a bundle of eclectic capacities and features—a far cry from the Founders' notion of human nature. They believed that each individual human is created in the image of God, with the stamp of that divine impress best seen in the fact that each of us is a morally choosing being, fully capable of knowing and distinguishing right from wrong.

Our Founding Fathers thus treated liberty of conscience, most particularly in regard to faith, as central to the project of freedom: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." The Founders believed our lives are not vehicles of pleasure but have moral consequence based on our chosen path of conscience and that government should follow our lead."

Excerpt from the Patriot Post.

African Summit Fosters Anti-US Sentiment
Forbes - USA
A summit of African leaders opened Saturday with a special welcome for the firebrand presidents of Iran and Venezuela, each visiting the poorest continent to ...

DOH!!!

Only 483 Guard Working on Mexican Border

BREITBART.COM

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

On the deadline to have 2,500 troops along the Mexican border, the National Guard said Friday that only 483 were in position and working with the U.S. Border Patrol as the Bush administration had directed.

But Guard officials said more than 2,000 others were somewhere inside the four southwestern border states, training or helping plan the deployment. He and Bush administration officials argued Friday that the presence of troops in those states spelled success in the first stage of the mission." Read on.

Suit: NBA Player Watching Porn, Drunk Before Crash

It's apparent "Ready Eddie" does not need viagara, just a little porn will do.

Claim Targets Minnesota Timberwolves' Eddie Griffin

(CBS) MINNEAPOLIS - On March 30, Minnesota Timberwolves center Eddie Griffin was drunk and masturbating when he crashed his luxury SUV into a parked Suburban outside a store in Minneapolis, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by the man whose Suburban was hit in the crash.

WCCO-TV obtained copies of 911 calls and store surveillance video of the incident, along with an accident report the police submitted to the state, reports WCCO-TV's Caroline Lowe.

Read on.

How long before Federally 'mandated' DWT laws?

A study calls phone use risky as driving drunk.

Drivers who talk on cell phones may be just as dangerous as those who drink.

That's the sobering conclusion of a study published yesterday by University of Utah researchers who monitored 40 men and women on a driving simulator.

Drivers using hands-free phones were no better than those with the handheld variety, confirming previous studies. That suggests New Jersey's ban on cell-phone driving, which allows hands-free use, is only partly effective.

How long before the Feds starting telling states to ban talking on cell phones while driving or else risk losing highway funding, much like they do with encouraging strict DWI laws?

Oh, ohhhhh....
RELATED:

Study: Even one drink can be dangerous

SEATTLE, June 30 (UPI) -- A University of Washington study warns that even a single strong drink can make a person "blind drunk" and impair the drinker's driving abilities.

Really folks, who did not already know that with even one drink SOME impairment would take place? May I see a show of hands?

GOP eyes U.N. for budget cuts as ill will grows
Republicans in Congress moved yesterday to cut U.S. contributions to the United Nations budget just one day before the world body is scheduled to lift a budget cap imposed by the United States and other donors and to resume spending as usual. More details.

US-Central America Trade Pact in Force for Guatemala
Washington File - Washington,DC,USA
"Guatemala is now ready to join El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua in full implementation of this agreement," US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said in a ...

"I don't know what it's like to feel like a loser. I guess I'd have to ask Congressman John Murtha or Senator John Kerry to find out what that must feel like."
—Mike Gallagher

Moral Innumeracy - Pure Moral Idiocy - Sheer Moral Depravity

"I doubt whether even Donald Rumsfeld will describe what has been done to two young American soldiers as a 'coercive interrogation technique.' But you never know. Some people wonder why I remain so concerned about torture, and the surrender of our moral standing with respect to this unmitigated evil. Maybe the news of captured, tortured and murdered Americans will jog their conscience. Or maybe it will simply reinforce the logic of torture-reciprocity endorsed by Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Gonzales... And so the cycle of depravity and defeat deepens..."

—Andrew Sullivan

"A sense of proportion is clearly what we're lacking right now. We need to get it back quickly. Not five years ago, we were attacked by people who hold an ideology we're still having trouble getting our arms around. At first we were united, but now we're badly divided. Nothing more brightens the day of those who wish us harm than division."
—Tom Purcell

"It's like Deja Vu all over again"

"[D]uring World War II, the Japanese...gave their psychological warfare script to their famous broadcaster 'Tokyo Rose' and every day she would broadcast this same message packaged in different ways, hoping it would have a negative impact on American GI's morale. What was that demoralizing message? It had three main points: 1. Your President is lying to you. 2. This war is illegal. 3. You cannot win the war." —David Horowitz

And what has the American left and our media been telling us? Hmmmm.......

'The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.'
—Milton Friedman

'Political correctness is really a subjective list put together by the few to rule the many—a list of things one must think, say, or do. It affronts the right of the individual to establish his or her own beliefs.' —Mark Berley

'Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.'
—Plato

'Our country offers the most wonderful example of democratic government on a giant scale that the world has ever seen; and the peoples of the world are watching to see whether we succeed or fail.' —Theodore Roosevelt

Venezuela not fit for UN Security Council
El Universal - Venezuela
The United States disqualified Friday Venezuela and expressed support to Guatemala as candidate to a non-permanent post at the United Nations (UN) Security ...

NEWS HEADLINES

Reuters:
Senate to Consider Stem Cell Legislation

Reuters:
Pakistani Officials to Visit Gitmo

Reuters:
Worst over in northeast floods

Las Vegas Sun/AP:
Bush Takes Koizumi for Tour of Graceland

Reuters:
Military Investigates Rape, Murder of Iraqi Civilians

BBC:
Israel strikes new Gaza targets

Washington Times:
Legislative remedy for Gitmo will create political battle for midterms

Washington Times:
GOP eyes U.N. for budget cuts as ill will grows

Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Federal judge sides with sex offenders
Law blocked 2 days before it was to take effect

Boston Globe:
Massachusetts House backs minimum wage raise to $8

Washington Post:
Medicaid Rule Called A Threat to Millions

Boston Globe:
Nancy Reagan helps revive embryonic stem cell bill

Boston Globe:
Gains are seen against insurgency
Zarqawi's death exposed fighters, US military says

Chicago Sun-Times:
Burglar shot to death in struggle with homeowner

Washington Times:
Senate panel approves India nuke bill

Washington Post:
Rice, Russian Official Bicker Over Iraq at Private Lunch

Washington Times:
G-8 demands Iran's 'clear' response by next week

Las Vegas Sun/AP:
Ex-Judge Convicted of Indecent Exposure

Washington Post:
Ford Abandons Pledge On Hybrid Car Production

USA Today:
Japan's leader, Bush going to Graceland
Gesture to Elvis fan Koizumi marks two nations' closer ties

The Threat, or Lack Thereof, From Offshore Oil Drilling

The U.S. House vote to lift the 25-year old ban on offshore drilling has prompted praise from pro-business groups, but scorn from environmental activists who said it places the nation's coastlines at risk. The Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act would expand drilling options beyond the Gulf of Mexico, where searching for oil is already permitted. The bill would allow drilling more than 50 miles from the coast and gives states the power to allow drilling as close as three miles from the coast. The bill passed the House 232-187 on Thursday and must be passed by the Senate before heading to the president. Full Story

It's apparently only a threat to our shorelines when we drill 50 miles or more off our coastline, but not when Mexico or Cuba do it. That's probably because they are so much more advanced and skilled at it than we are.

Another Arab State Edges Towards Full Democracy
Women in Kuwait voted and ran for office for the first time on Thursday, a development seen as pushing the Middle East another step closer to full participatory democracy...

Dean Reduced to Heading Web Grassroots, Analyst Says
The chairmen of national political parties usually serve as major spokesmen on a wide variety of issues, but because of a series of controversial remarks, current Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has been reduced to heading up Internet grassroots, a political analyst told Cybercast News Service.

Venezuela's Chavez is bugbear in Mexico race
San Francisco Chronicle - CA, USA
Mexico City -- Hugo Chavez is not running for president of Mexico. But some days it's been hard to tell. The Venezuelan ...

Now if only we could get the Left to believe this

"[O]ur fathers were men—they were heroes and patriots—they fought—they conquered—and they bequeathed to us a rich inheritance of liberty and empire which we have no right to surrender."
—Noah Webster

PLAYING THE RACE CARD

Sen. Schumer: Immigration Issue GOP's 'Willie Horton': "Democrats leading their party's midterm election effort argued on Thursday that any Republican attempt to use immigration as a central campaign issue would backfire.

They cited Republican plans to hold hearings on illegal immigration around the country this summer, rather than passing immigration legislation in Congress, as a sign of the GOP strategy to motivate conservative voters.

'Republicans want to use this like Willie Horton in 1988 and gay marriage in 2004,' said Sen. Charles Schumer, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. 'It's no secret they want to use immigration as a political cudgel." Read on....

ARE YOU PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN?

A recent Gallup poll shows that 83 percent of a group it surveyed said they are very proud or extremely proud of being an American.

A recent Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll shows 24 percent of Democrats saying they would leave the United States (permanently) if given the opportunity.

Murtha Missionaries

Inside the Beltway - Nation/Politics - The Washington Times:

Just in time for the 2006 midterm elections, we learn that supporters of the 2004 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign against Sen. John Kerry are starting 'Murtha Lied' -- with a Web site 'and all the accouterments of a hotshot political campaign,' says the guiding force, retired Navy SEAL Capt. Larry W. Bailey of North Carolina.

Capt. Bailey informs fellow veterans in a memo we obtained that he's just opened a bank account in the name of 'Vets for Truth,' as 'we're going to need enough money to send our Operation Street Corner 'missionaries' into Rep. John Murtha's home district in Pennsylvania.'

Mr. Murtha, a veteran of the Marine Corps who has served more than 35 years in the House, has been the most outspoken member in Congress against U.S. war policy in Iraq. Keep an eye out for the veteran group's launch at www.bootmurtha.com."

Scarborough and Stossel Slam Al Gore and Global Warming

By Noel Sheppard

ABC’s John Stossel was a guest on MSNBC’s “Scarborough Country” Wednesday, and it is quite safe to say that he’s not buying into any of the recent alarmism concerning global warming. As a result, he and host Joe Scarborough had a lot of fun at Al Gore’s expense.

Read more.

Bolivia Laments Peru-US FTA

PRENSA LATINA

Bolivian Foreign Minister
David Choquehuanca




La Paz, Jun 28 (Prensa Latina) Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca lamented on Wednesday that despite widespread disapproval of the people, Peru"s outgoing Congress has ratified a free trade agreement with the US.

FTA Sanction Betrays Peru Farming

Choquehuanca also announced that the Bolivian government is arranging a trip by President Evo Morales to the US, in order to seek an extension of a preferential tariff regime for Bolivian products, which is scheduled to expire by the end of this year.

The Bolivian top official recalled that the free trade agreements affect the rights of the peoples of Colombia and Peru, which oppose them, and added that the Peruvian Parliament, which approved the treaty early Wednesday, is close to end its term.

He denied that Bolivia was isolating itself in the international scene by maintaining its view opposed to the FTA, as the Executive strives to broaden trade relations with all countries, not only with the US.

FAIR USE.

The Bright Side of Global Warming

By Simon Que

"Despite all the doomsday reports from environmentalists about global warming, there is reason to rejoice if the earth does get warmer. In his Anti-Environmentalist Manifesto, Lew Rockwell writes: 'There is no evidence of global warming, but even if it were to take place, many scientists say the effect would be good: it would lengthen growing seasons, make the earth more liveable, and forestall any future ice age." Read on.

No, proposal is political gesture that courts are not likely to uphold

Writing an opinion piece for the Charlotte Observer, Associate Professor Dr. Susan Roberts, teaching Political Science at North Carolina's Davidson College, and being quite critical of Pres. George Bush, had this to say:

"Adding credence to the idea that a flag-burning amendment is a calculated addition to the Republican agenda is the history of flag burning itself.

Flag burning was thrust into the public eye following an arrest of a young man during the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas. The man identified himself as a member of a group calling itself the Revolutionary Youth Brigade. He was charged with a violation of the Texas Desecration of Venerated Objects statute.

In 1989 the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed an appellate court decision that the man was within his First Amendment rights. Wasting no time, Congress passed the Flag Protection Act just months after the ruling. Wasting no time, the Supreme Court ruled that the Flag Protection Act was inconsistent with First Amendment freedoms and thus unconstitutional.

It seems unlikely that the Supreme Court would now uphold an amendment prohibiting flag burning, even with the change in the court's composition."

(hat tip to James Taranto, Opinion Journal)

Does anybody see anything wrong with this critical buffoonish line of thinking? Please tell me you do.

"It seems unlikely that the Supreme Court would now uphold an amendment prohibiting flag burning, even with the change in the court's composition."

Since when did the Supreme Court start overturning constitutional amendments? This is pretty pathetic for a "Dr." in Political Science at an American institution of "higher learning". I have the perfect
School Song for them.

"Nothing is more transparent than inauthentic expressions of faith: the politicians who shows up at a black church around election time and claps - off rhythm - to the gospel choir."
-- Sen. Barack Obama

Murtha and inducements
Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA
... Rep. John Murtha. As ... headlines. This has led not a few to wonder if Mr. Murtha's antiwar extremism isn't entirely selfless. Last ...

Murtha's Anti-War Role Could Imperil Him at Home
Human Events - Washington,DC,USA
John Murtha (D.-Pa.) appears to be suffering "Daschle-itis," a figurative disease which makes entrenched incumbents become national celebrities and, in the ...

Ellison Pulls Plug on $115 Million Gift to Harvard

Oracle CEO says that with Summers departing, he lost confidence in Harvard

Just days before University President Lawrence H. Summers steps down after losing the confidence of professors, Oracle CEO Lawrence J. Ellison announced that he has lost trust in Harvard University and will not carry through on a pledge made one year ago to donate $115 million dollars [sic] to create an institute to study global health initiatives.

The donation would have been the largest in Harvard's history, but Ellison said Tuesday that with Summers gone, he has lost faith in the University to properly administer the funds.

"The reason I didn't finish my gift to Harvard was because of the way Larry Summers suddenly left Harvard. I lost confidence that that money would be well spent," Ellison said, according to the Daily Telegraph of Britain. More.

Ethiopia says Somalia 'a threat'

BBC NEWS - Africa: "The new leader of the Islamist group that controls much of southern Somalia is a threat to Ethiopia, says Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys was head of al-Itihaad al-Islamiya, a group accused of having links to al-Qaeda.

Ethiopia helped Somalia's now interim president, Abdullahi Yusuf, defeat al-Itihaad in the 1990s.

The United States has said it will not deal with Mr Aweys, because of 'links to terrorism', a charge he denies." More.

Mexico vote may give Latin America left new victory

Reuters.com: "MEXICO CITY - A combative champion of the poor is the slight favorite to win Mexico's bitterly fought presidential election on Sunday and extend a left-wing revival in Latin America right up to the U.S. border.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has a razor-thin lead in polls over conservative ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon, raising fears of unrest if the loser in a close vote cries foul and challenges the results.

Lopez Obrador worries many in Mexico's rich elite and middle class who believe he could wreck the economic stability won by conservative President Vicente Fox, and line up with other Latin American leftists in challenging U.S. policies.

Although Lopez Obrador insists he has no anti-American ax to grind and will keep the economy steady, he wants to overhaul government in favor of the poor in a nation where at least half the population lives on less than $5 a day.

'We can't live with such economic and social inequality. It is not acceptable, it is not fair, that a few have everything and the majority lives without even the most basic needs,' Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday."
Read on.

Thank You, New York Times

Belgium Wants No Part of Secret Money Tracking Program

(CNSNews.com) - In an attempt to distance itself from the controversy over the U.S. secretly monitoring the financial activities of those with suspected ties to terrorists, Belgium has asked its intelligence coordination agency to look into whether the country's laws have been violated by the secret program. The U.S. subsidiary of Belgian-based Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) has collected confidential data and given it to the U.S. government. The preliminary results of the investigation show that only the U.S. subsidiary was involved with the secret program, leading the Belgian government to conclude that no further investigating is necessary.

COMMENTARY

Foreign Aid to Africa
By Walter E. Williams

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with other G-8 leaders, have called for the doubling of foreign aid to African nations by 2010. The idea that foreign aid is a route out of poverty and political instability is not only bankrupted but a cruel and evil hoax as well…

Dean: ‘We’re About to Enter the ‘60s Again’
America is about to revisit one of the most turbulent decades in its history, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told a religious conference on Tuesday. “We’re about to enter the ‘60s again,” Dean said, but he was not referring to the Vietnam War or racial tensions...
Read on.

Neutering the Net

Why Microsoft, Amazon, and other charitable organizations want to regulate the Internet into prosperity.

Is there any debate that gets things more fundamentally ass-backwards than the current battle over "net neutrality"? The sort of preemptive regulation at the heart of proposed legislation rarely works out well, especially in fields where technological change is the rule and not the exception.
Read on.

Previous posts on this subject can be seen here, and here.

Media Confidence Index Stays Low Despite Consumer Optimism

Consumer confidence and new home sales are up, but TV journalists haven't seemed to notice. The U.S. economy and its consumers keep defying their dire predictions of recession and housing collapse. Read more.

Just keep on predicting failure and doom and gloom; eventually, you'll get it right. As the saying goes, 'Even a broken clock is right twice a day.'

Israeli attack begins in Gaza

ISRAEL last night began an attack on Gaza in retaliation for the weekend assault in which two soldiers were killed and a third captured by Palestinian militants. The Israeli operation was also aimed at freeing the soldier. Read on.

Montenegro becomes 192nd member of United Nations
OhmyNews International - South Korea
... General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday admitting the newly independent Republic of Montenegro as the 192nd member of the United Nations. ...

Think Progress » Paper Retracts Report that Murtha Called U.S. the Greatest Threat to World Peace

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has retracted its false report that Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) called the United States the greatest threat to world peace:

Correction: An article in Sunday’s editions misinterpreted a comment from U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., at a town hall meeting in North Miami on Saturday. In his speech, Murtha said U.S. credibility was suffering because of continued U.S. military presence in Iraq ,and the perception that the U.S. is an occupying force. Murtha was citing a recent poll, by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, that indicates a greater percentage of people in 10 of 14 foreign countries consider the U.S. in Iraq a greater danger to world peace than any threats posed by Iran or North Korea.

The purported quote was seized upon by right-wing pundits, who claimed that Murtha had put “all Americans in danger” and was “in the thrall” of anti-American activists. Now they need to correct the record and let their viewers know that Murtha was quoted erroneously."

UN closer to ending impasse over reforms
Scotsman - United Kingdom
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Rich and poor nations moved closer on Tuesday towards ending an impasse over UN management reforms that threatened to leave the ...

Climate changes natural, not due to global warming
MSU State News - East Lansing,MI,USA
It appears that some people disagree with my comments in the article "Planetary Meltdown," (SN 6/23), that global warming is not as big of a deal as the 2008 ...

Murtha claims he was misquoted
Uniontown Herald Standard - Uniontown,PA,USA
US Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Johnstown) says he was quoted out of context on two recent occasions. The first occasion, he said, was ...

Dominica, Venezuela to set up boundary commission
Stabroek News - Georgetown,Guyana
Dominica and Venezuela have agreed to set up a joint commission to address the issue of delimitation between the two countries, Dominica's Prime Minister ...

Peru Congress ratifies free trade pact with the United States
PlanetSave.com - Portland,ME,USA
LIMA, Peru (AP) _ Peru's Congress overwhelmingly voted to ratify a free trade pact with the United States early Wednesday following a six-hour debate that was ...

RELATED:
Not all in Peru are sold on US trade
Miami Herald - FL,USA
A Peru-US free-trade accord offers export growth, but Peruvian farmers fear their livelihoods will be ruined. LIMA ...

Senate warms to 'border first'
Key backers of the Senate immigration bill said yesterday they are willing to consider a compromise that would delay the guest-worker program and "amnesty" portions until the borders have been secured. More...

They’re their own worst enemies: See Murtha, Times self-destruct

BostonHerald.com: "Prosecute The New York Times and censure Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.)? I have a better idea: Sit back and watch them self-destruct.

Murtha and The New York Times have done more to aid the fight for Republicans to retain their House and Senate majorities in the last couple of days than Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman could possibly do all year.
But no one, not even the guys who are so devoted to the GOP that they wear elephants on their ties, should be cheering.

What has been lost by Murtha’s rantings and the Times’ irresponsibility can never be regained by electoral victory in the fall. But nor will they regain what they have lost by their own words and actions - the moral high ground."

Representative John Murtha (D-CutAndRun)
Lone Star Times - Houston,TX,USA
Pennsylvania Democrat John Murtha has been busy shooting off his mouth in recent weeks, bashing the Bush Administration and disparaging our efforts in Iraq. ...

Daily News - eluniversal.com:
"President Hugo Chávez threats to expel from Venezuela US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents by accusing them of spying have not been carried out. As a result, they still work in the country, DEA Administrator Karen Tandy declared Monday.

'We never left,' the director of the agency operating in 85 countries around the world for anti-drug efforts, stressed.

Instead, Tandy clarified, the parties are preparing a memorandum of understanding for joint anti-drug efforts.

Her remarks were made during the submittal of the 2006 United Nations (UN) World Report on anti-drug efforts in Washington, when replying to a reporter about DEA strategy to operate again in Venezuela, AP quoted.

Based on the report submitted by Antonio María Costa, the UN director for drugs and crime affairs, Venezuela is a transit for drug traffic. In 2004, 31.2 tons of cocaine, twice the amount of 2000, was seized."

FAIR USE

Commentary: The left's defining down of evil

When you hear the words 'oppression,' 'genocide,' 'racism,' or even 'torture' or 'rape,' do you immediately recoil as you always did? I don't. While I hate those evils as much as ever, I no longer assume the term always describes the reality." Read more commentary.

Commentary: Bush deceives on border

WorldNetDaily:

Many of President Bush's supporters continue to write to me saying I am not being fair to him on the border issue.

With White House press secretary Tony Snow attacking WND by name for its 'splashy' stories on the border, it's no wonder.

But here are some facts – many of which may be deemed 'inconvenient' by the White House, and, if Tony Snow or President Bush himself would like to address them, they are more than welcome.

Until recently, Bush's rhetoric and actions on the border and illegal immigration meshed. Essentially, he told the American people they were too lazy to work, and the country needed cheap labor from Mexico. This was his rationalization for five or six years of border-security neglect.

Now, however, Bush is sounding a different tune. Last month, in outlining his 'comprehensive immigration reform plan,' he said: 'First, the United States must secure its borders. This is a basic responsibility of a sovereign nation. It is also an urgent requirement of our national security.'

There's just one problem. He's not sincerely working toward that goal. Even if the president's current border security proposals are implemented, the U.S. will still not have secure borders because neither his plan nor the Senate bill he supports includes enough Border Patrol agents, enough fencing, enough equipment and new technology to secure the border." Continue.

Gang expert backs Tancredo charges

Retired cop says Mexican drug cartels rig elections to take over U.S. cities

WASHINGTON – Rep. Tom Tancredo's charge that Mexican drug cartels are buying up legitimate businesses in U.S. cities to launder money and using some of the proceeds to win local mayoral and city council seats for politicians who can shape the policies and personnel decisions of their police forces, has been backed up by a veteran gang investigator.

Richard Valdemar, a retired sergeant with the L.A. County sheriff's department and a longtime member of a federal task force investigating gang activity, went beyond the charges made by Tancredo, the chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus who has led the fight to secure America's southern border.

In fact, he cited first-hand experience in investigating attempts to take over seven cities in Los Angeles County – Southgate, Lynwood, Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, Hawaiian Gardens and Huntington Park.

He also told WND in an exclusive interview that he has since become aware of similar efforts by Mexican drug cartels throughout the Southwest – in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas.

Had enough now?

WorldNetDaily:

There's a reason a pet will continue to use your finest oriental rug as a urinal – it's because you clean the rug instead of removing the pet. If the pet is cute, perhaps cuddly, wags its tail and slobbers – it enjoys an 'avoid paying the consequences for its actions card.' In brief, you're loyal to a carpet-wetting mutt that will wag its tail at anyone with a bone. Such is the case with liberal Democrats and Republicans alike. Blind ideology trumps the courage and conviction of voters to do what is right.

Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker were kidnapped, tortured and slaughtered while on patrol. Their mutilated bodies were found dumped on the roadside and wired with bombs.

Just so we're on the same page, by mutilated I mean: They had their eyes gouged out, their limbs had been hacked off, they were beheaded and some reports indicate their genitals had been removed and stuffed in the mouths of their severed heads. Their bodies had been savaged to the point of not being recognizable – DNA testing was needed to ensure proper identification.

Were there rushed resolutions put forth by Congress condemning this animalism? Of course not. What we saw was John Kerry, D-Mass., from the bowels of Congress (sarcasm intended), lecturing the newly formed Iraqi government on its need to engage in self-help – while lecturing America on its need to 'cut and run.' His timeline for 'cutting and running' had gone from Dec. 31 at the beginning of the week to July 2007 three days later – showing even his diatribes are fraught with indecision." Read more commentary.

McKinney Campaign Website Uses Racial Slurs, Critic Says
(CNSNews.com) - Prominently featured on a Georgia Democrat's campaign website are messages of support from people who refer to Republicans as “good ol’ boy cracker-crats” and call a former Democratic opponent “an Oreo black candidate.” Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) recently accused Capitol Police of harassing her because she is African-American...

John Murtha, a threat to world peace
renewamerica.us - Washington,D.C.,USA
Leave it to Leftist Congressman John Murtha to take a cheap shot at our troops and at America, at every opportunity. Leave it to ...

The Palestinian Agenda: Suicide

By Michael Medved
Beyond the News

It's possible to understand the agenda of Islamic terrorists in Iraq, but how do you explain the aims of Palestinian terrorists in Gaza? In Iraq, so-called insurgents want to influence U.S. public opinion--hoping their continued killing will lead to American withdrawal, providing a chance to seize power against the demoralized forces of Iraqi democracy.

In Gaza, however, the Israelis already left the territory, but random rocket attacks--totaling several hundred every month--have only intensified. The Palestinians know these attacks won't drive six million Israeli Jews from their cherished homeland: in facing more than 80 years of ceaseless Arab terrorism, the Jewish population of Israel has multiplied twenty fold, rather than declining. By investing in these daily attacks, rather than building farms or factories, Hamas and their allies show that they crave suicide more than statehood.

Connie Chung Sings .... and poorly at that.

The married couple, Connie Chung and Maury Povich had their short-lived talk show, Weekends with Maury & Connie canceled. It was their first attempt at working together on a national program. And it was a failure.

Connie sings a farewell and the only thing missing is the barking dogs. The video is here.
Connie Chung Sings

California Port Closed after Possible Terrorist Threat Found

(CNSNews.com) - Port Hueneme in California was closed Monday after a possible terror threat was discovered on a cargo ship carrying bananas from Guatemala, press reports say. The message, found written in marker on a metal pillar of the ship, read: 'This nitro is for you Mr. George W. Bush and your Jewish cronies.' The message was discovered by a dock worker at the port. Port Hueneme is located 60 miles north of Los Angeles and is the only commercial deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco used to import and export automobiles, produce and forest products."

"One of these days they are going to remove so much of the 'hooey' and the thousands of things the schools have become clogged up with, and we will find that we can educate our broods for about one-tenth of the price and learn 'em something that they might accidentally use after they escape."

—Will Rogers

Commentary

Redeployment rumblings - The Washington Times: "You gotta hand it to these guys: 'redeployment' is ingenious. I'll bet the focus-group consultants were delirious: 'surrender,' 'lose,' 'scram,' 'scuttle ignominiously,' 'head for the hills' all polled poorly but 'redeploy' surveyed well with all parts of the base, except the base in Okinawa, where they preferred 'sayonara' -- that's 'redeploy' in any language. The Defeaticrats have a clear message for the American people. Read da ploy: no new quagmires.

This is the most artful example of Leftspeak since they came up with 'undocumented immigrant.' In fact, if it catches on, I'll bet millions of fine upstanding members of the Undocumented-American community now start referring to themselves as Redeployed Mexicans." More.

Iran urges UN action to stop "defamation" of Islam - Yahoo! News

GENEVA (Reuters) -
Iran backed efforts by Islamic states on Thursday to get the
United Nations new Human Rights Council to counter what they call 'defamation of religion' around the world.

But Canada accused the Iranians of discrediting the Council by including in their delegation the state Prosecutor-General who Ottawa says was linked to the arrest and death in Tehran of a Canadian woman journalist.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told the 45-member Council, holding its first-ever session, that freedom of expression 'should not constitute a pretext and a platform to insult religions and their sanctities."

More details at Yahoo! News

Lawmaker wants feds to probe N.Y. Times - Yahoo! News

Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON - The chairman of the House
Homeland Security Committee urged the Bush administration on Sunday to seek criminal charges against newspapers that reported on a secret financial-monitoring program used to trace terrorists.

Rep. Peter King cited The New York Times in particular for publishing a story last week that the
Treasury Department was working with the
CIA to examine messages within a massive international database of money-transfer records." More.

Supreme Court to hear Bush environment case

"WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court agreed Monday to consider whether the Bush administration must regulate carbon dioxide to combat global warming, setting up what could be one of the court's most important decisions on the environment.

A dozen states, a number of cities and various environmental groups asked the court to take up the case after a divided lower court ruled against them.

They argue that the
Environmental Protection Agency is obligated to limit carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles under the federal Clean Air Act because as the primary 'greenhouse' gas causing a warming of the earth, carbon dioxide is a pollutant." Yahoo News

JOHN FUND ON THE TRAIL
Opinion Journal - Princeton,NJ,USA
... ethics. Is Murtha the man to lead the Democrats? Two ... the enemy.". Mr. Murtha has been sticking his foot in his mouth a lot lately. ...

Please stop the insanity

"Murtha says USA poses top threat to world peace; more dangerous than North Korea, Iran..."

Dump Murtha. Vote Irey. Donate to Diana Irey if the spirit moves you (and your wallet allows you.)

A HISTORY LESSON: Who was America's first President?

George Washington, right?

Technically, no.

Who then?

Answer: John Hanson (1715-1783). He was an American patriot and the first President of the United States.



"He was the heir of one of the greatest family traditions in the colonies and became the patriarch of a long line of American patriots – his great-grandfather died at Lutzen beside the great King Gustavus Aldophus of Sweden; his grandfather was one of the founders of New Sweden along the Delaware River in Maryland; one of his nephews was the military secretary to George Washington; another was a signer of the Declaration; still another was a signer of the Constitution; yet another was Governor of Maryland during the Revolution; and still another was a member of the first Congress; two sons were killed in action with the Continental Army; a grandson served as a member of Congress under the new Constitution; and another grandson was a Maryland Senator. Thus, even if Hanson had not served as President himself, he would have greatly contributed to the life of the nation through his ancestry and progeny.

As a youngster he began a self-guided reading of classics and rather quickly became an acknowledged expert in the juridicalism of Anselm and the practical philosophy of Seneca – both of which were influential in the development of the political philosophy of the great leaders of the Reformation. It was based upon these legal and theological studies that the young planter – his farm, Mulberry Grove was just across the Potomac from Mount Vernon – began to espouse the cause of the patriots.

In 1775 he was elected to the Provincial Legislature of Maryland. Then in 1777, he became a member of Congress where he distinguished himself as a brilliant administrator. Thus, he was elected President in 1781. Was John Hanson the first President of the United States?

The new country was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation. This document was actually proposed on June 11, 1776, but not agreed upon by Congress until November 15, 1777. Maryland refused to sign this document until Virginia and New York ceded their western lands (Maryland was afraid that these states would gain too much power in the new government from such large amounts of land). Once the signing took place in 1781, a President was needed to run the country. John Hanson was chosen unanimously by Congress (which included George Washington). In fact, all the other potential candidates refused to run against him, as he was a major player in the Revolution and an extremely influential member of Congress.

As the first President, Hanson had quite the shoes to fill. No one had ever been President and the role was poorly defined. His actions in office would set precedent for all future Presidents. He took office just as the Revolutionary War ended. Almost immediately, the troops demanded to be paid. As would be expected after any long war, there were no funds to meet the salaries. As a result, the soldiers threatened to overthrow the new government and put Washington on the throne as a monarch. All the members of Congress ran for their lives, leaving Hanson running the government. He somehow managed to calm the troops and hold the country together. If he had failed, the government would have fallen almost immediately and everyone would have been bowing to King Washington.

Hanson, as President, ordered all foreign troops off American soil, as well as the removal of all foreign flags. This was quite a feat, considering the fact that so many European countries had a stake in the United States since the days following Columbus. Hanson established the Great Seal of the United States, which all Presidents have since been required to use on all official documents. President Hanson also established the first Treasury Department, the first Secretary of War, and the first Foreign Affairs Department. Lastly, he declared that the fourth Thursday of every November was to be Thanksgiving Day, which is still true today.

The Articles of Confederation only allowed a President to serve a one-year term during any three-year period, so Hanson actually accomplished quite a bit in such little time. He served in that office from November 5, 1781 until November 3, 1782. He was the first President to serve a full term after the full ratification of the Articles of Confederation – and like so many of the Southern and New England Founders, he was strongly opposed to the Constitution when it was first discussed. He remained a confirmed anti-federalist until his untimely death.

Six other presidents were elected after him - Elias Boudinot (1783), Thomas Mifflin (1784), Richard Henry Lee (1785), Nathan Gorman (1786), Arthur St. Clair (1787), and Cyrus Griffin (1788) - all prior to Washington taking office. Why don't we ever hear about the first seven Presidents of the United States? It's quite simple - The Articles of Confederation didn't work well. The individual states had too much power and nothing could be agreed upon. A new doctrine needed to be written - something we know as the Constitution.

George Washington was definitely not the first President of the United States. He was the first President of the United States under the Constitution we follow today. And the first seven Presidents are forgotten in history."

Source: Marshall Hall Foundation, Inc.
Reference: Grant, George, "The Forgotten Presidents" (excerpted from "The Patriot's Handbook").

FAIR USE

Mt. Soledad Case Goes To Supreme Court

I received this email from John Stephenson stating that "Mt. Soledad Case Goes To Supreme Court" and asked I share this news, so here is his email.

Yesterday evening the City Attorney in San Diego along with Mayor Jerry Sanders decided to take the Mt. Soledad case to the Supreme Court of the United States. I have already assembled one of our Supreme Court teams to file briefs on behalf of the Members of Congress that we represent, as well as ACLJ Members across the country in this important case. It appears at this time that the City will be asking for both a stay of the Ninth Circuit decision as well as a petition for writ of certiorari. The stay of the decision will allow the monument to remain while the litigation is pending at the Supreme Court. The petition for certiorari will ask the Court to grant plenary review of the Ninth Circuit decision.

Generally, under Supreme Court practice, the Circuit Justice in charge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has the authority to grant the stay. In this case, the Circuit Justice is Anthony Kennedy. Justice Kennedy can either grant the stay, deny the stay, or refer the stay to the entire Supreme Court for determination. It takes five votes to obtain a stay. In order for the case to be reviewed by the Supreme Court on the merits, it only takes four votes.

Yet another example of the failure of socialized medicine....

Revealed: the true scale of NHS cancer waiting times

THE shocking extent of cancer treatment delays in Scotland has been revealed in official new figures.

Despite repeated promises and billions of pounds invested, the hospital-by-hospital breakdown reveals some patients are waiting more than a year between GP referral and treatment.

Ministers last night admitted the situation was "unacceptable". Health minister Andy Kerr ordered health boards to explain the lengthy delays and widespread variations.

But one of Europe's leading cancer specialists, Professor Gordon McVie, said the NHS could provide "no excuses" for routinely delaying potentially life-saving treatment.

And one health board, NHS Lothian, issued an unreserved apology for a bowel cancer patient waiting over 300 days between referral and treatment.

Cancer claims the lives of 15,000 Scots every year, and one in three people will fall prey to the disease. Ministers have made combating cancer one of their top health priorities, and rapid treatment is seen as an essential plank in that strategy.

• Eighteen out of 32 hospitals forced bowel cancer patients to wait an average of two months or more to receive treatment. In the most extreme case, a patient at Monklands hospital in Airdrie was finally treated 335 days after being referred for treatment by a GP.

• Patients diagnosed with bladder, prostate and kidney cancer suffered extraordinary delays. The 13 patients treated at Glasgow Royal Infirmary waited an average of 168 days for treatment. A patient at Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary waited 379 days.

• Six breast cancer patients at Belford hospital, Inverness, waited an average of 80 days before getting treatment for a disease that becomes virtually incurable if it spreads.

Brian Cavanagh, chairman of NHS Lothian, said: "This is completely unacceptable. I have already asked for a report into how this occurred and have asked for an assurance from the University Hospital Division that it will not happen again."

Mike Grieve, Director of Operations, University Hospitals Division, NHS Lothian, added: "I would like to apologise unreservedly for this lengthy delay."

"Long waits are unacceptable. If a patient's condition demands immediate access to treatment, I would expect that need to be recognised by clinicians and acted upon appropriately. Patients should be diagnosed and have their treatment according to their individual clinical need and personal needs."

Professor Gordon McVie, consultant to the European Institute of Oncology, said: "For the majority of common cancers there is cut-and-dried, five-star evidence to suggest that delay in treatment will affect prognosis and the likelihood of a cure." Full story.

Something I've Noticed......

Have you ever noticed that whenever a country's leader does not adhere to the inane policies of the wackos on the left he or she is a "lap dog" of the U.S.?

Venezuela's Chavez Calls Peruvian President-Elect 'Lap Dog' of US
Voice of America - USA
... nationalist candidate Ollanta Humala. As a result of the spat, Peru and Venezuela withdrew their ambassadors. After the election ...

The Insanity of Global Warming is Everywhere You Look

As the batter steps into the batters box and nervouslly wiggles his bat awaiting the 100 + MPH fastball from the pitcher, much like a small twig under a magnifying glass in the bright hot sun, one can see small traces of smoke emitting from the precsion-crafted piece of lumber, held in his hands, due to global warming.

Oops. wrong story. That's my version. For the real story by ESPN - USA: "... The ongoing championship series between CWS title virgins Oregon State and North Carolina shows that global warming has come to college baseball. ..." you can go here and read this: Effects of global warming seen in Rosenblatt Stadium.

Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
-- Winston S. Churchill

Commentary: Wages of defeatism

The Washington Times
By Oliver North

"Regrettably, Messrs Kerry and Murtha are but the most visible and strident members of an increasingly ambitious cult of catastrophe. Though they claim to 'support the troops,' this is no 'loyal opposition.' Instead, their party -- and a pliant press corps -- have pushed this dynamic duo to the fore in demanding that the U.S. abandon Iraq and forgo any hope for success in the Global War on Terror. To them, and the broader capitulationist cabal to which they belong, there shall be no 'good news' from the battlefield, every American casualty is regarded as a campaign issue and only critics of the war have credibility." Read on.