7/31/2006
And A Good Time Was Had By All
So, my weekend was a complete success. Saturday evening was spent with the nephews — trying to avoid being bound and gag until reinforcements could arrive in the form of grandparents. Young boy’s being what they are (full of far more energy than I), I can assure you it was quite a battle, I being outnumbered 3 to 1 and all.
Sunday was a far more relaxing affair. The Rocky Mountain Alliance had their semi - sort of - annual get together. Ben, his lovely wife, daughter Kyria and Ben’s mother Sandy were there. It was a delight to finally meet Clay’s wife Nancy as well. Richie D and his family were there, as were Mr. Bob and his crew. I hope to have pictures later. Good times… good times! I can’t wait to do it again next year!
7/28/2006
I’ve been looking over the 2006 congressional pork summary — keep in mind that this is a summary and doesn’t completely cover the magnitude of the issue. The congressional pork summary was put out by Citizens Against Government Waste or CAGW. It’s a enlightening bipartisan look into the world of Congressional earmarks or Congressional waste. I found CAGW’s site through porkbusters.org which is a site set up by blogger N.Z. Bear and Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit fame. Porkbusters is dedicated to halting Government waste.
The ladies and Gents over at porkbusters are no stranger to criticism either. Check out this comment by former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott:
I’ll just say this about the so-called porkbusters. I’m getting damn tired of hearing from them. They have been nothing but trouble ever since Katrina
I wonder if former Senate Majority Leader Lott regrets talking about his constituents like that?
I decided to cover — for my first post in the series — the pork in the defense budget. I think that right now there is no more important budget than the one that covers funding for our military men and women. There is no more important budget than the one that finances the GWOT, and there is — in my opinion — no room for wasteful spending in this all important budget. Of course, it looks like those in Washington don’t agree.
7/25/2006
Captain Ed brings to the attention of UN supporters that the UN was clued in on the Oil For Food program corruption back in 2000. The UN shrugged and continued on and refused to back their own sanctions against the dictator. Of course, later in 2003, during the invasion of Iraq when reams of evidence showed up they claimed they knew nothing about it.
An unidentified Swedish company informed the country’s embassy in Amman, Jordan, in 2000 that Iraq was demanding 10 percent “fees” on all deals as a way to circumvent U.N. sanctions on Saddam’s regime, according to a Swedish Foreign Ministry document published on the Web site of Swedish Radio.
The document was sent from the embassy in Amman to the Foreign Ministry and Swedish delegation at the
United Nations in December 2000, Swedish Radio said.The document stated clearly that the extra fees violated U.N. sanctions. But it was “clear that an open Swedish engagement in this issue would negatively affect other Swedish business opportunities” in Iraq, it said.
Anders Kruse, head of the Foreign Ministry’s legal division, said Sweden had forwarded the information to the U.N. committee in charge of sanctions and was told the extra fees were widely known. [ Emphasis Mine TR ]
Widely known by who? The US certainly didn’t know that our “allies” were stabbing us in the back and negating hard won action against Saddam. The autocrats at the UN, and our “allies” that sat and did nothing other than profit from the scandal have the blood of American GI’s and innocent Iraqi’s on their hands. Their complicity in the scandal allowed Saddam to rebuild his military capabilities, and continue to brutalize and starve his own people.
What’s even more disgusting is that those countries directly involved in the OFFP opposed the war in Iraq, and now want a part of the contracts to rebuild the country. From a Dec 2003 MSNBC article:
WASHINGTON - President Bush rebuffed growing criticism Thursday, most recently from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, on the U.S. policy banning opponents of the war in Iraq from receiving billions of dollars in reconstruction contracts.
“It’s very simple,” he told reporters at the White House after a Cabinet meeting. “Our people risked their lives, friendly coalition folks risked their lives, and therefore the contracting is going to reflect that.”
How anyone can sit there and demand multilateral action through the UN in any situation when it’s been proven that the thieves at the UN only have their own pocketbooks in mind is beyond me.
7/23/2006
The Rocky Mountain News recently spent a good deal of time with Major Beck. Major Beck is a Casualty Assistance Calls Officer. In short, he and those men he commands take on the horrible duty of notifying families of fallen Marines that their loved ones have passed away. Major Beck and his men do much more than that though, they also stand guard over the fallen until their laid to rest. As the article shows, this duty is much more than presenting a folded flag to the family and effects them profoundly. Weighing in at twelve pages (on line) this is a quite lengthly article, but well worth the read. It gives us an inside look at tradition, honor, and respect for our fallen in an age where it is all to common to use them as political props.
7/21/2006
Glenn Greenwald Accuses The Right Of Being Hateful.
He should really look at some of his buddies on the left that he links to. Now here’s an example of hate and intolerance. Too bad for Mr. Greenwald’s argument that it’s coming from one of his leftist anti-Christian buddies.
So we know that Glenn Greenwald turns a blind eye to hatred and intolerance coming from his own side of the aisle. What are some of the examples he uses when accusing the right of hatred, rhetoric, and intolerance? Well, one of the first ones he points to is a link by Instapundit to this piece from Investors Business Daily:
Sen. John Kerry has spent a career taking the side of America’s enemies. His call last week for a pullout from Iraq was the latest evidence he is unfit to serve in the Senate — never mind the White House.
Kerry’s proposal to withdraw us completely from Iraq by July of next year was resoundingly defeated in the Senate by a vote of 86 to 13. And just days before, he said the deadline should be the end of this year.
But Kerry’s idea is the exact opposite of what he was calling for in late 2003 while running for president. Back then he was accusing President Bush of planning to prematurely withdraw from Iraq.
“I fear that in the run-up to the 2004 election the administration is considering what is tantamount to a cut-and-run strategy,” Kerry told the Council on Foreign Relations. He said it would be “a disaster and a disgraceful betrayal of principle” to allow “a politically expedient withdrawal of American troops.”
That’s one of but many Kerry flip-flops, but he’s been consistent over the years in siding against the U.S. in war.
Oh dear me, the shame of it all. Accusing John Kerry of flip-flopping when… oh wait, he did flip-flop on the issue.
The next blogger that Mr. Greenwald takes on is Michelle Malkin. What could she possibly have done wrong? Well, she published posters reminiscent of those seen during WW II. These have a bit of a different message though, they take certain members of the MSM (NYT & LAT) to task for publishing information about top secret intel programs. Here are a couple of examples of the posters she published (which he linked to under the word hateful):
Once again, Greenwald’s description looks pretty ridiculous. Of course, that’s another thing that many on the left excel at — ridiculous over-hyped descriptions of those of us on the right.
7/20/2006
As many of you know, I, in the past have had my life turned upside down by illness. There is not much that has helped more than hearing from my friends and family through words of support and encouragement.
Now we hear that there is one of our hero’s that could use some encouragement:
Corp. Johnathan L. Benson, 21, a North Branch son, was severely injured in Iraq on June 17 and admitted to Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on June 21.
His parents, Marjorie and Steve were in the office at the Texas medical center last week, along with Staff Sgt. Marty Martinez for an interview with the Post Review.
It’s a very difficult time for this young man and his family, and they are very much in need of support from folks back home.
Yet, while there is the hint of anguish in their voices, Benson’s parents are full of pride in their son and hope for a brighter future for him.
Benson is a 2003 graduate of North Branch High School. During his years at NBHS, he played football, soccer and track and enjoyed working with the school plays. He joined the Marines right out of high school. His destiny was to be sent to Iraq, where he sustained injuries twice.
He was in his second tour of duty in Iraq in June when he was injured by a blast from an IED (Improvised Explosive Device)–more commonly known as a roadside bomb–that struck the vehicle in which he was riding near Habbaniyah, Iraq.
His family said a Navy corpsman riding behind them helped save his life, along with others.
In his first tour, Benson received a Purple Heart for injuries with shrapnel. He received his second Purple Heart for his injuries at Habbaniyah. He lost his left leg and part of an arm and has numerous internal injuries. “He’s in serious condition,” said his mother from Texas,” but he still has his sense of humor.”…
But, Corp. Benson has a long road ahead of him and his mother’s heart’s desire is that people back home will show concern and support by writing to him during this long, long process of recovery.
If you would like to send Johnathan a card of
encouragement, write to:Corp. Jonathan Benson
c/o Marine Liaison
Brooke Army Medical Center
3851 Roger Brooke Drive
Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6200
Let’s do what we can to flood this hero’s hospital room with cards of support! If you have a blog link to the story. If you don’t have a blog, spread this story and address around via email.
Hat Tip: Chad The Elder @ Fraters Libertas
7/17/2006
From the “will someone please tell this guy to shutup” files… Over the Fourth of July weekend or state disgrace Ward Churchill spoke to a group of students at the Mid Atlantic Radical Book Fair. In his speech he mocked a 9-11 stewardess by saying she was “tweezed” until she submitted to fly the plane into a building.
“You do remember, the incident which the terrorists overpowered the stewardess on the aircraft and tweezed her eyebrows with his tweezers, until she screamingly submitted to fly the plane into a building remember that one?” Joked Churchill. “Tweezers… tweezed into submission.”
Please do not mis-understand what I’m about to say. I am a firm believer in freedom of speech. It’s what gives me the right to publish this blog. However, that being said, sometimes people need to be muzzled. Muzzled, in that we don’t invite them to speak to groups anymore. Now of course, if Ward want’s to go stand out on a street corner and make an idiot of himself that’s his problem. But, the citizens of Colorado shouldn’t have to pay him $100,000 a year to teach this stuff to our kids and we certainly shouldn’t have to pay this guy $100,000 a year to go around the country on speaking tours. ‘Nuf said.
Hat Tip: Mile High Rev.
7/14/2006
I Wonder When Lichtblau Will Cover This?
The Democrats have started their own domestic spying program. There’s just one problem though; George Bush did it to stop Islamofacists from creating another hole in our skyline. The Democrats have done it to win an election. Yeah, that’s right, to win an election. This information comes from a canvassing tip page on their own website. Here are some of the things that they tell their canvassers to look for:
Bumper stickers or window decals: What issues are brought up? Do they indicate issue preferences? Do they indicate particular values? Religious items: Do they have any religious items in view? What can you tell by the nature of their religious display? Family: What type of family do they have? For example, if they have small children, child care, education, and the future of our economy may be important to them. If they are an older couple, health care issues may be important, etc. Job: What does the person do for a living? For example, if they are a teacher, what might that indicate about their values and daily concerns? What about a tradesman or laborer? Toys in sight Football, basketball, or soccer ball Religious symbols U.S. flag Well tended flower garden Expensive car
License plate Out-of-state Collegiate Environmental Child abuse prevention Veteran Disabled Bumper stickers Hate is Not a Family Value Rainbow flag My child is an honor student at… NRA Buy American Support our Troops Active Duty Military Veteran Union Police or Fire Department Religious
That’s great, it covers just about everyone. The problem is, I don’t want my friends on the left side of the aisle prying into every little detail of my life. The next thing they’ll be looking for is my shoe size. What benefit could this information possibly have? The only information that the canvassing page gives in regard to this question is this:
Discuss the issues which are important to your neighbors. You can get an idea of what those issues are by looking for the following to give you more insight….Things to think about while you are out talking with your neighbors: Take a quick look around. What do you see and what might it tell you about the person whose home you are visiting? What might each of the cues listed below tell you about the voters who live there?
We know that the Democrats have been trying to reach out to the religious right for some time now. According to Lorie Byrd from www.townhall.com
Last year Democratic Senators and staffers were coached to speak in “moral terms.†The problem Democrats have had in speaking to religious voters is not in choosing the correct terms to use, but rather it is in the schizophrenic nature of their positions on the role of religion in politics.
In November of 2005 Democrat party head Howard Dean encouraged Democrats to frame things in terms of morality saying “Most important, we will talk about Democratic values, which are America’s values. The vast majority of Americans believe it is immoral to lets kids go hungry…Americans believe it is immoral that not everyone has some kind of health insurance. We agree … Americans believe that it is immoral to leave huge debts to our children and grandchildren. We agree.â€
There are two problems with this strategy though; first of all, anyone who watches the actions of those in the Democratic party knows that this is all just talk. They say one thing and do something completely different. They say that they care about the values of religious voters and then they go and obstruct efforts to limit the definition of marriage to one man and one woman. They say that they care about the values of religious voters, and then they go and do everything they can to provide abortion on demand all the way up to the third trimester.
The second problem is that they try to limit the voices of those religious leaders that are allowed to participate in the debate on the issues of the day. For example, it is perfectly okay for ther Reverend Jessie Jackson and the Reverend Al Sharpton to step up in front of congregations and speak out on the issues of the day. But Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Franklin Graham are not.
It is okay for Democrats such as Bill and Hillary Clinton and Al Gore to give political speeches from the pulpit, but when Conservatives try to distribute voter guides in the church lobby Democrats cry foul.
We as a country and the Democrats as a party need to make a decision. Either it’s okay for everyone to participate in the debate, or no one does.
Until the Democrats realize the contridictions and transparency of their actions and take steps to correct them, their actions will be seen as the hypocrisy that it is.
Hat Tip: Lorie Byrd @ Townhall.com
7/3/2006
I had originally written quite a bit more about the differences between WW II and our current war. However, because of operator error, I lost that portion of the post. These things need to be said though, so here goes.
There are two other reasons that the left is pulling away from the fight and our troops. Here they are:
This of course is a wrong headed reason. Our military never lost a major battle on the battlefield there. We lost Vietnam here at home. The loony left in academia and in Washington did the same thing in the sixties and seventies that they are doing now. They turned away from the fight, and turned away from the troops. That’s why we lost the war.
The radical left in academia, anti-war groups, and in Washington are so angry over their inability to be voted into office and maintain power that they seem to be willing to do anything to get back into power. These groups also hate George W. Bush so much that they are willing to do anything to bring him and the republicans down, even if it means putting their own countrymen in jeopardy.
Like I said last night, the only solution to this situation is for these groups to start putting their country first. Quit the petty attacks for cheap political points, and realize that we are at war, and nothing but winning that war is important right now.
7/2/2006
A New Tool To Look At The History Of WW II
Ok, I admit it, I am a history junkie. I am particularly interested in the amazing bravery of those that fought in the pacific theater during WW II. Historic battles such as the battle for Leyte Gulf, and the unparalleled bravery of those that fought at Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal.
I have now found a new tool to help peer into the history of those troubled years; Google Earth. It’s amazing to look at historic battlefields such as Tarawa, and Iwo Jima — where brave young men raised the flag to signal to the rest of the troops that that bloody mountain had been taken and American troops were in command.
You can even see some of the historic airfields of WW II. Airfields such as Wake Island, Henderson Field in Guadalcanal, and Tinian, where an American bomber loaded “Little Boy” and dropped it on Hiroshima and then days later loaded “Fat Man” to be dropped on Nagasaki. Many people have forgotten that these two bombs probably saved thousands of American and Japanese lives. At the time, the only other possibility for ending the war was an all out invasion of Japan. This invasion would have undoubtedly cost tens of thousands of American and Japanese lives. As horrible as the destruction was in these two cities, the death toll was far less than the fire bombings of Tokyo, and Berlin. The death toll was also certainly far less than what would have happened if we had had to invade Japan.
The role of the bombings in Japan’s surrender, as well as the effects and justification of them, have been subject to much debate. In the U.S., the prevailing view is that the bombings ended the war months sooner than would otherwise have been the case, saving many lives that would have been lost on both sides if the planned invasion of Japan had taken place.[5] In Japan, the general public tends to think that the bombings were needless as the preparation for the surrender was in progress in Tokyo.[6]
The opening act of the US involvement in WW II; the attack on Pearl Harbor, has many parallels to our current war against Al Qaeda and Islamofacism. Both involved militant crazies intent on world domination. Both opening acts involved diabolical sneak attacks on the military and civilian populations. Both attacks cost nearly 3,000 lives, and both attacks stirred a peaceful nation to fight back and fight back hard.
[rant] The one unfortunate difference is that during WW II Americans didn’t back away from the fight, and they certainly didn’t back away from supporting our troops who were in harms way getting a little payback. Here, today in 2006 we have Americans such as Cindy Sheehan, John Murtha, and many other left wing Democrats backing away from both the fight and our troops.
How do we rectify this difference? Put your country first. That doesn’t mean walk lock step with everything the administration does. Heaven knows I’ve been critical of this administration on many issues ranging from illegal immigration to out of control spending. What it does mean is stop the petty attacks for political points, and most of all — in the case of Haditha — don’t convict our troops of mass murder before the investigation is even completed. God forbid, if the accusations surrounding Haditha are true, we need to recognize that these men are a very small fraction of the forces we have on the ground and in combat. 99.999% of our troops are doing a bang up job under horrible conditions. [/rant]