4/29/2008
Let’s be clear about one thing; Obama’s press conference today regarding Reverend Wright was nothing more than damage control. Obama said today that he found the statements that Wright made yesterday during his speech at the National Press Club offended him, and were antithetical to what he believes, and what his campaign is trying to achieve. That’s all well and good, but are we to believe that after twenty years of listening to Wright yesterday was the first time that Wright said things that were antithetical to what he believes?
Wright has indeed said in sermons at Trinity United that 9-11 were America’s chickens coming home to roost. Today, Obama found that statement to be offensive. Apparently, when Wright originally made the statement — just days after the 9-11 attacks when we had barely begun to bury our dead — it wasn’t all that offensive.
Let’s take a look at some of Obama’s press conference today.
Yesterday we saw a very different vision of America. I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday. I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992. I’ve known Reverend Wright for almost 20 years. The person that I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago.
Nonsense. Wright has been making these outrageous and divisive statements from the pulpit for at least seven years.
But when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS, when he suggests that Minister Farrakhan somehow represents one of the greatest voices of the 20th and 21st centuries, when he equates the United States wartime efforts with terrorism, then there are no excuses.
No, Senator, there are no excuses. There weren’t — or shouldn’t have been — any excuses when he made those statements from the pulpit either.
Last point. I’m particularly distressed that this has caused such a distraction from what this campaign should be about, which is the American people. Their situation is getting worse. And this campaign has never been about me. It’s never been about Senator Clinton or John McCain. It’s not about Reverend Wright.
[…] Snip […]
And the fact that Reverend Wright would think that somehow it was appropriate to command the stage for three or four consecutive days in the midst of this major debate is something that not only makes me angry, but also saddens me. [Emphasis added — Jim C]
Now we begin to get to the heart of the matter. The Wright issue has become a distraction. It has begun to sink the Obama boat. Obama touches on this a little more in the Q & A section as well.
QUESTION: What’s going to happen with these distractions that have taken you…?
OBAMA: Well, I want to use this press conference to make people absolutely clear that, obviously, whatever relationship I had with Reverend Wright has changed, as a consequence of this.
I don’t think that he showed much concern for me. More importantly, I don’t think he showed much concern for what we are trying to do in this campaign and what we’re trying to do for the American people and with the American people.
And, obviously, he’s free to speak out on issues that are of concern to him, and he can do it in any ways that he wants. But I feel very strongly that I want to make absolutely clear that I do not subscribe to the views that he expressed. I believe they are wrong. I think they are destructive. And to the extent that he continues to speak out, I do not expect those views to be attributed to me. [Emphasis added — Jim C]
“He didn’t show much concern for me. More importantly, I don’t think he showed much concern for what we are trying to do in this campaign…”. See, this whole Wright controversy wasn’t that big of a deal to Obama until it started to hurt his campaign. It wasn’t Wright’s offensive statements that prompted this press conference or his Philadelphia speech. It was the damage — or potential damage — that it is causing his campaign.
On another note, I was pointed to an interesting post from March at Bookworm Room today about Obama and his thin legislative record. Obama is a product of Chicago politics, not a different kind of politician. Here’s the take away ‘graph:
In other words, as many have long suspected, Obama is indeed nothing more than the product of the Chicago political machine. He’s smart, he’s photogenic, he’s manipulative, he’s a vicious political infighter, and he’s the product of someone else’s political vision and imagination.
Oh yeah, let’s not forget about Obama’sinvolvement with Rezco. There’s a whole lot about that mess that’s still to be found out.
From a March 6th IBD editorial on the matter:
Rezko was among Obama’s earliest supporters. In 1995, when Obama ran for a seat in the Illinois Senate, Rezko, through two of his companies, gave Obama $2,000. Obama won election in 1996 in a district that coincidentally included 11 of Rezko’s 30 low-income housing projects.
In 2003, when Obama said he’d run for the U.S. Senate, Rezko held a lavish fundraiser at his Wilmette, Ill., mansion. Rezko has raised a lot of money for Obama, who is returning $150,000 raised by Rezko and his associates and is giving $72,650 in Rezko contributions to charity.
Rezko is known by the Chicago press as a “fixer” who can make things happen for a price. Little is done out of the goodness of his heart. He’s on trial for bilking up to $6 million from the people of Illinois through kickbacks while working for the administration of current Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Did Rezko find jobs for Obama supporters? That is one of the questions the Chicago press wanted to ask before Obama cut short a recent press conference.
Wright, Rezco, and Ayers. Obama sure doesn’t pick his friends and associates very well.
Tags: Democrats, Jeremiah Wright, Obama, Politics, Rezco4/27/2008
Thanks to Chris and Lisa at Blogs About, I’ve just upgraded the blog to Word Press 2.5. You all probably won’t notice any difference, but it does mean a little bit of work for me. So, bear with me while I make the neccessary adjustments to my templates and migrate my tags over to the new system.
Tags: Blogging, Stuff, Wordpress4/18/2008
The Temper Tantrum On The Left
The left is absolutely apoplectic over the fact that their candidates had to answer tough questions about things like character (Hillary and her Touzla lies, and Barack and his ties to terrorist Bill Ayers), “bittergate”, and racism (Barack and his ties to the racist Reverend Wright) in a debate to decide who will be the democratic party’s nominee for President.
I could understand the anger if these were the only issues covered in the debate, but they weren’t. They had nearly 50 minutes in which they debated other issues like Iraq, healthcare, raising taxes, and gun control.
Speaking of gun control; it surprised me, but both candidates admitted that the second amendment allowed for an individual’s right to own a gun. Of course, they both followed up by saying that state and local municipalities could over rule that constitutional right.
I wonder how these patchouli smoking tie-dyed crybabies are going to handle things when their nominee gets to the general election campaign. When the Barack will have to answer real questions rather than just debate insignificant policy differences between he and his socialist soul mate.
Tags: Democrats, Election, Politics4/16/2008
Dick Cavett is a sad little man. Really. In his latest offering of verbal diarrhea he attacks General Petraeus, President Bush, and Ambassador Crocker. It’s’ one thing to disagree with people on matters of policy, but to resort to ad hominem attacks is just plain wrong. Here is just a sample of his disgraceful column:
I can’t look at Petraeus — his uniform ornamented like a Christmas tree with honors, medals and ribbons — without thinking of the great Mort Sahl at the peak of his brilliance. He talked about meeting General Westmoreland in the Vietnam days. Mort, in a virtuoso display of his uncanny detailed knowledge — and memory — of such things, recited the lengthy list (â€Distinguished Service Medal, Croix de Guerre with Chevron, Bronze Star, Pacific Campaign†and on and on), naming each of the half-acre of decorations, medals, ornaments, campaign ribbons and other fripperies festooning the general’s sternum in gaudy display. Finishing the detailed list, Mort observed, “Very impressive!†Adding, “If you’re twelve.â€
Never in this breathing world have I seen a person clog up and erode his speaking — as distinct from his reading — with more “uhs,†“ers†and “ums†than poor Crocker. Surely he has never seen himself talking: “Uh, that is uh, a, uh, matter that we, er, um, uh are carefully, uh, considering.†(Not a parody, an actual Crocker sentence. And not even the worst.)
These harsh-on-the-ear insertions, delivered in his less than melodious, hoarse-sounding tenor, are maddening. And their effect is to say that the speaker is painfully unsure of what he wants, er, um, to say.
If Crocker’s collection of these broken shards of verbal crockery were eliminated from his testimony, everyone there would get home at least an hour earlier.
But I must hand it to his generalship. He did say something quite clearly and admirably and I am grateful for his frankness. He told us that our gains are largely imaginary: that our alleged “progress†is “fragile and reversible.†(Quite an accomplishment in our sixth year of war.) This provides, of course, a bit of pre-emptive covering of the general’s hindquarters next time that, true to Murphy’s Law, things turn sour again.
Back to poor Crocker. His brows are knitted. And he has a perpetually alarmed expression, as if, perhaps, he feels something crawling up his leg.
Could it be he is being overtaken by the thought that an honorable career has been besmirched by his obediently doing the dirty work of the tinpot Genghis Khan of Crawford, Texas? The one whose foolish military misadventure seems to increasingly resemble that of Gen. George Armstrong Custer at Little Bighorn?
Not an apt comparison, I admit.
Custer sent only 258 soldiers to their deaths.
Be sure to read Cassie’s take on all of this. It’s well worth the read.
Hat Tip: Lex
4/15/2008
Hamas MP And Cleric: “We Will Conquer Europe, And From There The Two Americas”
In a sermon broadcast on Al-Aqsa TV on Friday, Hamas MP and cleric Yunis Al-Astal had this to say:
Yunis Al-Astal: Allah has chosen you for Himself and for His religion, so that you will serve as the engine pulling this nation to the phase of succession, security, and consolidation of power, and even to conquests thorough da’wa and military conquests of the capitals of the entire world. Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesized by our Prophet Muhammad. Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam, and has planted the brothers of apes and pigs in Palestine in order to prevent the reawakening of Islam – this capital of theirs will be an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread through Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, and even Eastern Europe.
I believe that our children or our grandchildren will inherit our Jihad and our sacrifices, and Allah willing, the commanders of the conquest will come from among them. Today, we instill these good tidings in their souls, and by means of the mosques and the Koran books, and the history of our Prophets, his companions, and the great leaders, we prepare them for the mission of saving humanity from the hellfire on the brink of which they stand. [Emphasis mine - Jim C]
4/9/2008
Our own Joshua Sharf has jumped into the fray. He has decided to run for Colorado House District 6. He’s running in the primary against Rima Barakat — a terrorist apologist with no conservative credentials. So, I’m proud to announce my support of Joshua for CD-6. I will be doing whatever I can to help get him through the primary and then on to the general.
In other news, it’s time for a new Letters from Home project. This time I will be collecting letters for the Navy. I’ll be sending them off to the USS Russell — DDG-59. So, just like last time, please send generalized supportive emails to me, and I will make sure that they get to the men and women aboard the Russell. When you send your email, please be sure and put “Letters from Home” in the subject line. We’re aiming for about 250 emails, so I’m hoping to have them collected and packed up by the end of the month. As with last time, anything you all can do to help spread the word would be greatly appreciated.
By the way, they have their own blog there on the Russell. There’s some great writing going on there! Their crew gives you a good close look at life aboard a modern destroyer at war.
4/8/2008
Today Navy Petty Officer Michael Monsoor was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for the brave actions he took on September 29th 2006. Here are the President’s remarks from the ceremony today.
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, and welcome.
The Medal of Honor is America’s highest decoration for military valor. Over the years, many who have received the medal have given their lives in the action that earned it. The name of Petty Officer Michael Anthony Monsoor will now be among them.
In September 2006, Michael laid down his life for his brothers in arms. Today, we remember the life of this faithful Navy SEAL. And on behalf of a grateful nation, we will present Michael Monsoor’s family with the Medal of Honor that he earned.
I welcome the Vice President. Secretary of Defense Gates, thank you for coming. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Peake; Secretary Don Winter of the Navy; Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and wife, Deborah; General James Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Annette; Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, and wife, Ellen; Senator John McCain; Congressman Ed Royce; Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez.
Previous Medal of Honor recipients, thank you for joining us.
I appreciate Chaplain Burt; Navy SEALS — the finest warriors on the face of the Earth; the Monsoor family, and everybody else.
The Medal of Honor is awarded for an act of such courage that no one could rightly be expected to undertake it. Yet those who knew Michael Monsoor were not surprised when he did. This son of Orange County, California, grew up in a family where helping others was a way of life. Mike’s father was a Marine; his mother a social worker. Together, they raised their four children to understand the meaning of service and sacrifice.
From a very early age, Mike showed the strength of his own convictions. Apparently going to kindergarten wasn’t one of them. Mike had no complaints after the first week of school — until someone broke the news to him that he had to go back the next week. (Laughter.) Many mornings, Mike refused to put on the nice clothes for school. Instead, he insisted on wearing mismatched outfits. Mike’s mother soon discovered there was no stopping the determined young boy from mixing plaids and stripes. And years later, there would be no stopping an even more determined young man from donning a uniform of Navy Blue.
In some ways, Mike was an unlikely candidate for the Navy. He suffered from terrible asthma as a child. On some nights, his coughing fits would land him in the hospital. But Mike would not lie low for long. He strengthened his lungs by racing his siblings in the swimming pool. He worked to wean himself off his inhaler. He built himself into a superb athlete — excelling from sports like football to snowboarding.
After enlisting in the Navy, he began preparing for the ultimate test of physical endurance: SEAL training. Less than a third of those who begin this training become SEALs. But Mike would not be denied a spot. In September 2004, he earned the right to wear the Navy SEAL trident.
The newly minted frogman became a beloved member of the SEAL team community. His teammates liked to laugh about the way his shiny Corvette would leave everybody in the dust. But deep down, they always knew Mike would never leave anybody behind when it counted. He earned their confidence with his attention to detail and quiet work ethic. One of Mike’s officers remembers an instructor once asking after an intense training session, “What’s the deal with the Monsoor guy? He just says, ‘Roger that,’ to everything.â€
When Mike deployed with his team to Ramadi in the spring of 2006, he brought that attitude with him. Because he served as both a heavy machine gunner and a communications operator, he often had a double load of equipment — sometimes more than a hundred pounds worth. But under the glare of the hot desert sun, he never lost his cool.
At the time, Ramadi was in the clutches of al Qaeda terrorists and insurgents. Together, the SEALs and the Army 1st Battalion of the 506 Infantry Regiment took the offense against the enemy. The SEALs carried out a broad range of special operations — including providing sniper cover in tough urban conditions, and conducting raids against terrorists and insurgents. Overall, Mike’s platoon came under enemy attack during 75% of their missions. And in most of these engagements, Mike was out front defending his brothers.
In May 2006, Mike and another SEAL ran into the line of fire to save a wounded teammate. With bullets flying all around them, Mike returned fire with one hand while helping pull the injured man to safety with the other. In a dream about the incident months later, the wounded SEAL envisioned Mike coming to the rescue with wings on his shoulders.
On Saint Michael’s Day — September 29, 2006 — Michael Monsoor would make the ultimate sacrifice. Mike and two teammates had taken position on the outcropping of a rooftop when an insurgent grenade bounced off Mike’s chest and landed on the roof. Mike had a clear chance to escape, but he realized that the other two SEALs did not. In that terrible moment, he had two options — to save himself, or to save his friends. For Mike, this was no choice at all. He threw himself onto the grenade, and absorbed the blast with his body. One of the survivors puts it this way: “Mikey looked death in the face that day and said, ‘You cannot take my brothers. I will go in their stead.’â€
Perhaps the greatest tribute to Mike’s life is the way different service members all across the world responded to his death. Army soldiers in Ramadi hosted a memorial service for the valiant man who had fought beside them. Iraqi Army scouts — whom Mike helped train — lowered their flag, and sent it to his parents. Nearly every SEAL on the West Coast turned out for Mike’s funeral in California. As the SEALs filed past the casket, they removed their golden tridents from their uniforms, pressed them onto the walls of the coffin. The procession went on nearly half an hour. And when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten.
For his valor, Michael Monsoor becomes the fourth Medal of Honor recipient in the war on terror. Like the three men who came before him, Mike left us far too early. But time will not diminish his legacy. We see his legacy in the SEALs whose lives he saved. We see his legacy in the city of Ramadi, which has gone from one of the most dangerous places in Iraq to one of the most safest. We see his legacy in the family that stands before us filled with grief, but also with everlasting pride.
Mr. and Mrs. Monsoor: America owes you a debt that can never be repaid. This nation will always cherish the memory of your son. We will not let his life go in vain. And this nation will always honor the sacrifice he made. May God comfort you. May God bless America.
Come on up. And now George and Sally Monsoor will be here — a Military Aide will read the citation.
The citation is read:
The President of the United States, in the name of the Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor, posthumously, to Master At Arms Second Class, Sea, Air and Land, Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006.
As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army sniper overwatch element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent-held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element’s position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
4/2/2008
Michael Gerson has a great column about Obama’s extremist position on abortion in today’s Washington Post. Here’s the take away ‘graph.
But Obama’s record on abortion is extreme. He opposed the ban on partial-birth abortion — a practice a fellow Democrat, the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, once called “too close to infanticide.” Obama strongly criticized the Supreme Court decision upholding the partial-birth ban. In the Illinois state Senate, he opposed a bill similar to the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which prevents the killing of infants mistakenly left alive by abortion. And now Obama has oddly claimed that he would not want his daughters to be “punished with a baby” because of a crisis pregnancy — hardly a welcoming attitude toward new life.
That anyone – especially a man who claims to be a Christian — would say that an unplanned baby is punishment is disturbing.