A Time For Choosing

VDH: Losing at Home

2006-03-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

A must read by VDH:

At War With Ourselves
We're winning in Iraq. Let's not lose at home.

BY VICTOR DAVIS HANSON
Wednesday, March 1, 2006 12:01 a.m. EST

Last week the golden dome of the Askariya shrine in Samarra was blown apart. Sectarian riots followed, and reprisals and deaths ensued. Thugs and criminals came out of the woodwork to foment further violence. But instead of the apocalypse of an ensuing civil war, a curfew was enforced. Iraqi security forces stepped in with some success. Shaken Sunni and Shiite leaders appeared on television to urge restraint, and there appeared at least the semblance of reconciliation that may soon presage a viable coalition government.

But here at home you would have thought that our own capitol dome had exploded. Indeed, Americans more than the Iraqis needed such advice for calm to quiet our own frenzy. Almost before the golden shards of the mosque hit the pavement, pundits wrote off the war as lost--as we heard the tired metaphors of "final straw" and "camel's back" mindlessly repeated. The long-anticipated civil strife among Shiites and Sunnis, we were assured, was not merely imminent, but already well upon us. Then the great civil war sort of fizzled out; our own frenzy subsided; and now exhausted we await next week's new prescription of doom--apparently the hyped-up story of Arabs at our ports. That the Iraqi security forces are becoming bigger and better, that we have witnessed three successful elections, and that hundreds of brave American soldiers have died to get us to the brink of seeing an Iraqi government emerge was forgotten in a 24-hour news cycle.

Few observers suggested that the Samarra bombing of a holy mosque by radical Muslims might be a sign of the terrorists' desperation--killers who have not, and cannot, defeat the U.S. military. After the furor over Danish cartoons, French rioting and Iranian nuclear perfidy, the entire world is turning on radical Islam and the terrorists feel keenly this rising tide of opposition on the frontline in Iraq.

True, the Sunni Triangle, unlike southern Iraq and Kurdistan, is often inhospitable to the forces of reconstruction--but hardly lost to jihadists and militias as we are told. There is a disturbing sameness to our acrimony at home, as we recall all the links in this chain of America hysteria from the brouhaha over George Bush's flight suit to purported flushed Korans at Guantanamo Bay. Each time we are lectured that the looting, Abu Ghraib, the embalming of Uday and Qusay, the demeaning oral exam of Saddam, unarmored Humvees, inadequate body armor or the latest catastrophe has squandered our victory, the unimpressed U.S. military simply goes about what it does best--defeating the terrorists and training the Iraqi military to serve a democratic government. They stay focused in this long war, while our pundits prepare the next controversy.

The second-guessing of 2003 still daily obsesses us: We should have had better intelligence; we could have kept the Iraqi military intact; we would have been better off deploying more troops. Had our forefathers embraced such a suicidal and reactionary wartime mentality, Americans would have still torn each other apart over Valley Forge years later on the eve of Yorktown--or refought Pearl Harbor even as they steamed out to Okinawa.

There is a more disturbing element to these self-serving, always evolving pronouncements of the "my perfect war, but your disastrous peace" syndrome. Conservatives who insisted that we needed more initial troops are often the same ones who now decry that too much money has been spent in Iraq. Liberals who chant "no blood for oil" lament that we unnecessarily ratcheted up the global price of petroleum. Progressives who charge that we are imperialists also indict us for being naively idealistic in thinking democracy could take root in post-Baathist Iraq and providing aid of a magnitude not seen since the Marshall Plan. For many, Iraq is no longer a war whose prognosis is to be judged empirically. It has instead transmogrified into a powerful symbol that apparently must serve deeply held, but preconceived, beliefs--the deceptions of Mr. Bush, the folly of a neoconservative cabal, the necessary comeuppance of the American imperium, or the greed of an oil-hungry U.S.

If many are determined to see the Iraqi war as lost without a plan, it hardly seems so to 130,000 U.S. soldiers still over there. They explain to visitors that they have always had a design: defeat the Islamic terrorists; train a competent Iraqi military; and provide requisite time for a democratic Iraqi government to garner public support away from the Islamists.

We point fingers at each other; soldiers under fire point to their achievements: Largely because they fight jihadists over there, there has not been another 9/11 here. Because Saddam is gone, reform is not just confined to Iraq, but taking hold in Lebanon, Egypt and the Gulf. We hear the military is nearly ruined after conducting two wars and staying on to birth two democracies; its soldiers feel that they are more experienced and lethal, and on the verge of pulling off the nearly impossible: offering a people terrorized from nightmarish oppression something other than the false choice of dictatorship or theocracy--and making the U.S. safer for the effort.

The secretary of defense, like officers in Iraq, did not welcome the war, but felt that it needed to be fought and will be won. Soldiers and civilian planners express confidence in eventual success, but with awareness of often having only difficult and more difficult choices after Sept. 11. Put too many troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we earn the wages of imperialism, or create a costly footprint that is hard to erase, or engender a dependency among the very ones in whom we wish to ensure self-reliance. Yet deploy too few troops, and instability arises in Kabul and Baghdad, as the Islamists lose their fear of American power and turn on the vulnerable we seek to protect.

In sum, after talking to our soldiers in Iraq and our planners in Washington, what seems to me most inexplicable is the war over the war--not the purported absence of a plan, but that the more we are winning in the field, the more we are losing it at home.

Mr. Hanson is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and the author most recently of "A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War" (Random House, 2005).

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

"Don't Call Me An Islamophobe"

2006-02-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

It seems that that is now the rallying cry of those who reacted with hysteria at the prospect of an Arab country leasing terminal management duties at our ports. I am sure there are those who have called the critics “Islamophobes”, and it was wrong for them to do so. However, I have no sympathy for the opponents as they brought it upon themselves by reacting so hysterically when this story broke. There are questions that need to be answered about the deal, and the Administration has started to do so.

The opponents of the deal immediately jumped on the bandwagon that this was a horrible deal. The transaction was completely mischaracterized, and those mischaracterizations were used to prey on the fear Americans rightly have after 9/11. An Arab owned company has bought our Ports! Our ports have been “out sourced!” This is the worst political mistake the administration could make!!! This is the end of the Bush administration!!! At best it’s a horrid political mistake, at worst we may lose a city!!

All said before even 10% of the facts were known. The question those of us who withheld judgement have for those who were hysterical from the get go is simple: Why? Why didn’t you get the facts before you commented? Why did the potential of this deal send you over the edge? Why were you willing to attack the President without knowing any of the facts?

It may very well be that after review the deal shouldn’t go forward. But for heavens sake calm down. As for the opponents being upset about others being upset about their irrational response: tough. When you throw a hissy fit and act like a baby, that is how you will be treated. In the mean time, more responsible people will have a debate about the possible security implications of any foreign entity, whether from the Middle Eat or Great Britain, leasing terminals in our ports. When you are finished throwing your fit, you can join the conversation.

Update:

It seems that now, those who had a ridiculous knee jerk reaction to the story and commented before having all (or any) of the facts, are now using the "ineptitude of the administration" as a cover for their behaviour. Instead of an excuse how about just admitting you were wrong to prejudge the situation and to help whip the public into a frenzy? Although I link to Instapundit as an example this excuse is rampant amoung those who are now embarrassed to admit that their opposition to the deal really only boiled down to ethnicity.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Unreported Thwarting Of A Terrorist Attack on The US

2006-01-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

Italy has arrested three Algerians who were planning an attack more spectacular than that of the September 11th attacks. The attack was to be launched within the United States against stadiums, train stations etc. The story itself should be what makes the headlines, unless you are an avid reader of blogs, you have not heard this story. The mainstream media has blacked it out. Why? Why would the mainstram media in the United States not cover what is most likely the biggest story regarding homeland security and one of the biggest stories in general since September 11th, when international newspapers are screaming it across their front pages and leading their newscats with it? The answer lies in how the Italian authorities uncovered and foiled the plot: using wiretaps. That's right. It seems the largest terror plot on the US since September 11th was uncovered using the very method the Democrats and their allies in the media hope to impeach George Bush for if the Democrats manage to retake the house. How could the media allow the people of the United States to hear a story that would completely take the wind out of the impeachment sails? They can't, therefore you are not allowed to see a story that is treated as blockbuster news everywhere from China to Europe.

Read it here.

Powerline also commented on this story here.

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The Coming War With Iran

2005-12-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

The string of anti-Israel rants and the refusal to cooperate with the international community lead me to believe that Iran is not "months away" from having a nuclear weapon, but already have nuclear weapons. If the IAEA is willing and able to say that they believe Iran is only months away then the United States and the West should assume that Iran has nuclear weapons. Ariel Sharon has postured himself politically to be able to take in necessary action against Iran. Let the countdown begin, the war is coming and this time our "allies" had better be able to see the danger and join the coalition.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Predictable Press

2005-11-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

There have been dozens of articles like this one in the past few weeks. The press, in conjunction with renewed attacks by the Democrats, has been relentlessly trying to convince the American people that George Bush's Presidency is over. The bias is stunning. In fact, it can no longer be considered "bias" as that infers that the writer is at least attempting to be up the middle. The fact is the press during the past 5 years has turned itself into the propoganda wing of the Democratic Party. Each of these articles cited the same events: the death of 2,000 soldiers in Iraq, the indictment of Scooter (who?) Libby, and supposedly low approval numbers as evidence that the President is a lame duck, one year after recieving more voted than any presidential candidate in the history of the U.S. We are witnessing the press campaign for the Democrats in a mid term election. Oh well, what else is new?

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This is Fascinating

2005-11-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

This is a fascinating story, via LGF. After reading it, I searched the web and found a few more pages devoted to it here, here and here.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Comments Off

2005-11-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

Spammers have taken to leaving dozens of absurd, sometimes offensive comments, so I am turning comments off until I can find a remedy. If anyone knows of a way to stop this, please let me know. Otherwise comments will be limited to emails.

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Libby Indicted

2005-10-28T13:22:00.000-06:00

So a two year, multi-million dollar investigation ends with one person indicted for making false statements regarding an event (the publication of a name) that was never a crime to begin with. If Libby did lie he has nothing but his own poor judgement to blame. So after all the press hysteria we have a one man tragedy.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Happily, I Return To Blogging...

2005-10-27T08:59:00.000-06:00

But the current political environment in nauseating. I will comment on "Plamegate" after there is an announcement by the special prosecutor. Until then I know as much as anyone in the media, zero, so there is no need to speculate. However I do have something to say about the Miers nomination and subsequent withdrawal. The actions of some conservatives on this have been unforgivable. I hope the insulated word warriors The Corner at NRO are proud of themselves. No doubt they will spend many hours patting themselves on the back telling themselves they are the guardians of "True Conservatism", protecting it from the lowly masses who felt Harriet Miers deserved enough respect to at least get a hearing. I have advice for the folks at NRO: get out amongst the people once in a while. You are as insulated from the world as any liberal college professor who has spent his entire life in school. By "out" I do not mean among other like minded pundits who are eager to pass out compliments in order to receive compliments, but average people who go to work 8 hours a day in professions that have nothing to do with law or politics. Internet sites like NRO are incestuous places where political debate goes to die.

I would have preferred Luttig. Was Harriet Miers the best nominee? We will never know because she didn't have a hearing. I can't wait for the NRO's reaction when Alberto Gonzales, or someone just as moderate as him, is the replacement pick. You reap what you sow. SO while many at NRO and other sites are congratulating each other, the millions of "everyday" Republicans who supported the President's nominee will continue to view the criticism as arrogant and elitist. Based on the arguments given by her opponents, I say they are right to do so.

I refer you to Hugh Hewitt for further comments on the treatment on Miers by the right.

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Blogging From Iceland

2005-05-23T09:35:00.000-06:00

I am currently in Iceland and I will return in about two weeks with many photos, so check back often. I will load the pictures when I return home!

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Unbelieveable Press

2005-05-18T08:48:00.000-06:00

When you read the text of questions asked of Scott Mclellan, the Press Secretary, please remeber that these are not Senate Democrats asking the questions, but members of the White House press who claim to be unbiased. Also keep in mind the backdrop to this conference is the false story published by Newsweek that led to riots and deaths in the Middle East. Powerline has a good list of the questions.

Remeber as well that before the election, the President held a press conference during which the media acted much like they did this time. The American people reacted negatively to such an obvious display of partisanship, and I suspect they will react the same way to this show.

Thye bad news is that so few people read newspapers or watch TV news that the temper tantrum thrown by the press will likely go unnoticed.
Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Radical Democrats, Dishonest Media and A Naive Newt

2005-05-13T08:09:00.000-06:00

Three really incredible stories in the news. Barbara Boxer has put a hold on the Bolton nomination after it was sent to the floor of the Senate for a vote. The Democrats have decided that they will essentially overrule the results of the election by not allowing anything to happen in the country for four years. No judicial nominees will go through and no appointments will go through. Apparently the blocking of everything they disagree with is their idea of Democracy. SOrt of the same as their claim that conservative voices on PBS is against the law.

In another related story, CBS has once again lied to the American people to support claims by the Democrats. This time they have butchered a Ken Starr quote to make it appear that he stated that the Republican bid to end the fillibuster of judges is a radical step and an attack on the judiciary. Of course he said no such thing, in fact his meaning was almost the opposite.

The third story involves Hillary Clinton's attempt to get who she has called an "Arch-Conservative" and a man who many conservatives looked upon as a hero to basically endorse her for President in 2008. Apparently she is doing a very good job. Newt get a clue, she is using you like she has used so many others for political gain in the past. Hillary uses Newt, Bill uses Preesident Bush Sr. We have seen it all before.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Bolton Vote Looks Good Today

2005-05-12T07:37:00.000-06:00

It looks as though Bolton will be confirmed. The comittee vote is today.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Democrats Go Further and Further Left

2005-05-12T07:26:00.000-06:00

Two amazing stories that show clearly the Democrats natural tendancy is toward a socialist government that controls free speech. The first story involves DNC chair Howard Dean endorsing a Socialist candidate for Senate in Vermont.

The second and in some ways more incredible story is that two Democratic Congressman are calling for an investigation into the hiring practices of PBS. WHy? Because they recently hired conservative voices, which the Democrats say might be illegal. Conservative voices on PBS are illegal? The Democrats constantly cry that Republicans threaten free speech. Yet the Democrats want to regulate political speech on the internet, re-enact the Fairness Doctrine and have now claimed that it is illegal to hire conservative voices on PBS.

This is a developing story on Drudge.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

President Bush In Georgia

2005-05-10T07:13:00.000-06:00

I enjoy reading about and posting on the President's trips to Eastern European countries more than most other events. Most Eastern Europeans, unlike their counterparts on the other side of the continent, understand and appreciate the role America plays in keeping them free. They understand the strength it takes for a leader to fight the naysayers and lead people, through force or diplomacy, to greater freedom. Unlike the average American college student, young people in Eastern Europe appreciate the sacrifice it takes to become and remain a free peoples. The countries and the people of Eastern Europe will be among our greatest allies in the future, and we will owe their allegiance to great men like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

More here.

It remains a truism that those who yearn for freedom continue to look to AMerica for guideance and hope, despite what the opposition party in this country might say.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Anti-Choice Party

2005-05-03T08:05:00.000-06:00

The Democrats often describe themselves as the party of choice, it has been their mantra for decades. They use the “choice” argument in an attempt to convince potential voters that they will free them from the shackles of the right wing fascists that make up the Republican Party. But the fact of the matter is time and time again, Democrats prove themselves to be the party of ever increasing government control, thus limiting the choice of average Americans. Are they pro choice on schools? No, they oppose vouchers which would give many parents the choice to remove their children from failing public schools. Are they pro-choice on guns? No, they in most cases oppose the right to bear arms, thus eliminating the choice to own a weapon. Are they pro-choice on Social Security? No, they oppose private accounts which would give younger workers the choice to open and maintain accounts with a small percentage of the money paid to Social Security. Are they pro-choice on smoking? No, Clinton started the war on tobacco which has now resulted in business being forced to eliminate smoking in their establishments. A private business owner no longer has the choice to allow smoking in a business he has invested his money and time in. Are they pro-choice in hiring practices? No, they have passed laws in state after state dictating who a manager can and can’t employee. If a person owns a business and a male employee decides that he will dress in women’s clothing and wear make-up, an employer cannot fire him, no matter the effect on his business. Are they pro-choice on the definition of marriage? No. State after state has voted down redefining marriage, yet the Democrats have rammed the issue through state courts and federal courts, in many cases overturning the choice of the majority with the opinions of a few.

On issue after issue the Democrats oppose you having any choice in your life. They rail against the Patriot Act because of the specter of government intrusion is private lives, yet they pass law after law, file lawsuit after lawsuit and oppose bill after bill that would take the government out of a person’s life. The only topic on which they are pro-choice is abortion. But the reality is that they are actually pro-abortion, not pro-choice. In Colorado they passed a bill that would effectively force all hospitals to provide abortion information to victims of rape, no matter the beliefs of the hospital. A Catholic hospital, although opposed to abortion, would be forced to give the patient the information on abortion no matter the fact that the founding principles of the hospital oppose abortion. The bill does not, of course, force the hospitals to provide information on other options such as adoption. The Republican Governor vetoed the bill, but it looks as if the veto will be overturned by the newly elected Democratic Senate and Congress. (Both elected by major hyper-donators from around the country that targeted the state). The Democratic State Senate in the state has also passed a smoking ban for every establishment in Denver. The Republicans managed to rewrite the bill to include only restaurants, thus saving decades old bars and Cigar bars from the ban, but the Democrats have now forced them back under the law.

The Democratic Party left unchecked would transform this country into a socialist state where every “choice” in a persons life would be made by the government. They are the anti-choice party.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

US Okays Israeli Bunker Busters

2005-04-28T10:57:00.001-06:00

This is good news, and I hope it means that “negotiations” with Iran are coming to an end.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

US Okays Israeli Bunker Busters

2005-04-28T10:57:00.000-06:00

This is good news, and I hope it means that “negotiations” with Iran are coming to an end.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Prager Agrees: McCain Must Go

2005-04-28T10:56:00.000-06:00

Dennis Prager has just stated on his show what I stated several days ago in this post; it is time for John McCain to go. He bases his opinion on McCain’s support for the disastrous campaign finance reform bill as well as his opposition to ending the Democrats filibuster of Appellate Court nominees.

It is not that he is not “Conservative enough” but that he has demonstrated profound moral confusion on major issues. Time for the Arizona Republican Party to introduce a strong candidate.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Bolton Accuser Admits Dishonesty

2005-04-27T14:06:00.000-06:00

LGF has the best coverage of this, but the jest of the story is that the person on whom the Dems are hanging their opposition to John Bolton has, to say the least, a credibility problem.

I am sure you are shocked
.
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It's Always 1974

2005-04-22T12:59:00.000-06:00

Yes, yes, yes... Fianlly someone has articulated it.

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More Clinton Corruption

2005-04-21T08:18:00.000-06:00

It is incredible. The depths of corruption in the Clinton organization is bottomless. The New York Sun is all over a story that the large mainstream media outlets seem to be ignoring for some reason. Gee, I wonder why?

A Democratic fund-raiser involved in Senator Clinton's 2000 campaign has offered a guilty plea to bank fraud charges and is likely to become a government witness at the upcoming federal trial of a top finance aide to Mrs. Clinton, David Rosen, court records obtained by The New York Sun show.

As part of an FBI investigation into alleged campaign finance reporting violations by Mrs. Clinton's campaign, the mystery witness secretly taped a conversation with Mr. Rosen in September 2002 and apparently tried to elicit statements from the former Clinton staffer about financial irregularities involving an August 2000 Hollywood fund-raising event.

Allegedly inaccurate reports about that event filed with the Federal Election Commission led to Mr. Rosen's indictment on four counts of causing false statements to be made to federal authorities. One count was dropped by a judge last month, but Mr. Rosen is scheduled to go to trial on the remaining charges at Los Angeles on May 3.

In the documents reviewed by the Sun, the name of the FBI informant is not disclosed. However, the records offer intriguing clues that suggest the mystery witness operated at the highest echelon of Democratic politics.

"The CW [confidential witness] is related to an extremely prominent and well-known political figure. It can be expected that the fact that CW was working in an undercover capacity for the FBI will become the subject of intense media attention," prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg wrote in a November 2004 memo asking a federal magistrate to keep the relationship under wraps.

An affidavit filed by a Los Angeles-based FBI agent, David Smith, said the informant began working with the FBI in July 2002."The CW states that s/he is active in fundraising for the Democratic Party. CW assisted in the U.S. Senate campaign of Hillary Clinton. S/he was involved in the planning of the Clinton Gala," Mr. Smith wrote in January 2003. "The CW is the target of an FBI investigation on unrelated bank fraud charges. S/he has since signed a plea agreement, and has agreed to cooperate in this case."

Needless to say, if this case involved President Bush or a Republican Senator, the media would be howling and Democratic lawmakers would be calling for impeachment, censure etc... Since however it involves the ever corrupt great white hope of the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, the media and the Democrats are silent. The Sun is leading this story because other media wants it to go away.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Andrew Sullivan: Karl Rove/Republicans Behind Selection of new Pope

2005-04-20T13:43:00.000-06:00

This is incredible. Andrew Sullivan has just claimed on the Michael Medved Show that Karl Rove and the Republicans were behind the selection of the new Pope. Sullivan hates the new Pope because Pope Benedict XVI will not allow gay priests, gay marriage etc... Everything that Andrew Sullivan says is colored by the fact that he is gay.

This is incredible. Karl Rove is, according to the left, the most powerful man in the universe. I hope that his statements are broadcast far and wide for people to hear. The fact of the matter is Andrew Sullivan is a crackpot who is able to turn a phrase. Sorry to all those who have some respect for the man, but anyone who will claim that Republicans and Karl Rove are behind the selection of a Pope has lost his moorings.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Fonda Spit On By Vet

2005-04-20T09:38:00.000-06:00

I am sorry, but this is funny...

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What Really Happened in Oklahoma City?

2005-04-20T08:34:00.000-06:00

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but there seems to be a lot of unanswered questions regarding the Oklahoma City bombing. In reading this article on Fox News, these paragraphs stood out:

Some argue the FBI should have looked harder at phone records they used to track McVeigh and Nichols. The records might hold ignored or missed clues that call for a wider investigation, especially the number of calls McVeigh made to the Philippines.

“It's amazing to me that not more has been made of those phone records,” Johnston said.

Repeated calls were made from Terry Nichols' home to a place called Star Glad Lumber in the Philippines.

“Star Glad Lumber is operated by a man whose brother and cousin were both notorious terrorists, splinter groups of the Abu Sayyaf terror group in the Philippines,” according to Johnston, the attorney.

Nichols also repeatedly called a boarding house in Cebu City, an establishment that has been linked to 1993 World Trade Center bombing mastermind Ramzi Yousef (search). The same kind of ANFO fertilizer fuel bomb was used in New York and in Oklahoma City.

Huh? McVeigh and Nichols both made calls to overseas numbers known to be connected with well known Islamic terrorists before they blew up a US Federal building? This is the only act of terror on US soil in the past few years NOT attributed to Islamic radicals?

If it weren't for the pathetic foreign policy record of the Clinton Administration I would brush all notion of a conspiracy aside. But given Clinton's obsession with his own legacy, particularly in regards to Middle East peace, I do not think it out of the realm of possibility that Mr. and Mrs. Clinton decided to, for the sake of their own lagacy and theur future political aspirations, pass the problem of Islamis terror to the next administration. Considering the repeated attacks we suffered without retaliation, it seems clear that the Clintons were either unwilling or unable to deal with the threat closing in on our shores.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

More Scandal At The United Nations

2005-04-20T08:15:00.000-06:00

Incredible, yet if you are a Democrat you believe that our Ambassador to this corrupt collection of dictators and bureaucrats should cowtow to it's every whim, and that the national security of the United States should rest in it's hands. More fantastic work by Claudia Rosett:

Since the U.N.'s self-described dawn of integrity three years ago (one of several such sunrises since Mr. Annan became secretary-general in 1997), we have seen the sex-for-food scandal in the Congo, featuring the rape of minors by U.N. peacekeepers, which continued well after press disclosures last year prompted a U.N. internal investigation. We have seen theft at the World Meteorological Association, scandal in the U.N. audit department, the resignation over sexual harassment charges of the refugee high commissioner Ruud Lubbers, turmoil within the Electoral Assistance Division, and allegations of corruption involving the U.N.'s Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization. We have seen rebellion by the U.N. Staff Union against "senior management, and a raft of resignations by senior U.N. officials who nonetheless linger on the premises on official salaries of a dollar a year, plus the various perquisites and connections the place affords.

Biggest of all, we have seen the former Oil for Food relief program for Iraq blow like Krakatoa. The program's executive director, Benon Sevan, has been accused by the U.N.-authorized inquiry, led by Paul Volcker, of engaging in a severe conflict of interest. Among other items, Mr. Sevan was found to have been receiving large mysterious payments from his pensioner aunt in Cyprus. The U.N. Secretariat sent out secret hush letters to major U.N. Oil for Food contractors, Saybolt and Cotecna, hired by the U.N. to inspect Saddam's oil and food deals. Congressional investigators and Mr. Volcker's team have since discovered that not only was there far too little inspecting required by the U.N., but that the awarding of U.N. contracts to both parties was done in violation of the U.N.'s own procedures.

We have learned step by step--via details unearthed by the press, not conflict-of-interest disclosures by the U.N.-- that the secretary-general's own son, Kojo Annan, received payments during the course of the program from one of the Oil for Food contractors on the receiving end of last year's U.N. hush letters, Switzerland-based Cotecna Inspections SA. Last month the Volcker inquiry, in an interim report, said these payments routed through various conduits might have totaled more than $480,000.

We have seen signs that Saddam, via Oil for Food, corrupted officials and businessmen worldwide--though apart from legal investigations in the U.S., this aspect of the scandal in countries such as Security Council member states Russia, France and China, not to mention such crossroads of Saddam's commerce as Switzerland and Syria, has barely been scratched.

Now we have the charges by U.S. prosecutors that Koreagate's Tongsun Park shuttled millions in bribe money from Saddam Hussein to two high-ranking U.N. officials, referred to in the complaint as "U.N. Official #1" and "U.N. Official #2." Outside the U.N., the hunt is on to discover the identities of this duo.

Simply incredible.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

New Pope Elected...

2005-04-19T10:28:00.000-06:00

Not yet announced...

Joseph Ratzinger

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The Bolton Vote

2005-04-19T08:16:00.000-06:00

Frank Gaffney has a column in today's Washington Times in which he lays out a strong case for the confirmation John Bolton as UN Ambassador:

John Bolton is eminently qualified. He has worked for years — including in the first Bush administration and through the current presidency, as well as the years between — on matters directly relevant to his future assignment. Even his critics acknowledge Mr. Bolton is deeply knowledgeable about the organization and reform of the U.N., coalition-building diplomacy and some of the most pressing problems confronting this country and the U.N. — notably, state-sponsorship of terror and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

If Mr. Bolton is confirmed it may be the best thing to happen to the United State's relationship to the UN in decades.

The New York Times is reporting that Slow Jow Biden will ask that the vote on Bolton's confirmation be delayed. Is there anything that the Democrat's aren;t willing to obstruct. Has anyone considered the possibility that besides being over qualified for the job as ambassador, Mr. Bolton was the most likely nominee to be obstructed and opposed by the Dems, thus allowing Rove and company to paint the Dems as complete obstructionists, not just of judicial nominees but of everything this administration is trying to do? Of course the power hungry Dems have been more than willing to oblige the administration in the pointless obstruction.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Not A Dime More

2005-04-15T15:47:00.000-06:00

Will we have to support Republican candidates in the next election? With the exception of John McCain we will. But I am tired of spinleless Republicans letting the radical left roll them on the floor of the Senate floor. Hugh Hewitt has posted that many of his listeners are contributing 9 cents to the NRSC to send the point that if they do not break the filibuster they will get not a dime more of support. It is a great, inexpensive way to send a powerful point, and I encourage everyone to do it.

Contribute here and then send you Senator an email explaining your contribution.

We must make the point and then regalvanize the party because the only person who gains in this is Hillary Clinton.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Above It All "Independents" Waiting To Be Served

2005-04-15T15:30:00.000-06:00

It seems to me that many people who call themselves "independent" do so in the attempt to portray themselves as above the partisan political frey. They hand down judgements on day to day political fights as if they are the great all knowing intellectuals watching the children bicker. Glenn Reynolds is the king of this type of patronizing, condescending rhetoric. In this post, Reynolds links to another "independent" who states that comments by Senator Frist on the floor of the Senate will "drive he and other independents into the arms of the Democrats". First if one comment by a Republican Senator will "drive you into the arms of the Democrats" you are not as independent as you would like people to think you are. Second the political parties do not operate to please you. Yes each party wants to have a "big umbrella", but we have a two party system. If you do not like one platform plank of a particular party you work from within that party for change, as a member. If you are unwilling or unable to commit, then you will watch from the outside as the mojority forwards their agenda.

Being unable or unwilling to commit to a party and work for change is not a virtue.

Moral of the story: Get over yourselves.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Chirac: Defeat of EU WIll Benefit America

2005-04-15T10:02:00.000-06:00

After Gerhard Schroeder's anti-Bush themed campaign for re-election it has become obvious that when a European politician is in trouble, playing the anti-American card is the strategy of choice, and Jacques Iraq is a master at using it to his advantage.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

McCain To Vote With Democrats

2005-04-15T08:22:00.000-06:00

John McCain has said that he will vote against ending the filibuster of judges, that he will in fact vote with the Democrats. I have stated time and again that McCain is not a politician to be trusted by the Republican Party, and this is a perfect example of why. The fact of the matter is that the Democrats know that the only battleground they have left on which to make in roads with what amounts to a socialist agenda is the judiciary branch. They cannot get there agenda passed by the consent of the people, therefore they rely on judges to impose their will on the American people.

John McCain is a man addicted to media attention. He seeks to do anything he can to bring more favorable press coverage of himself. He knows the press will lavish praise on him when he votes against the Republicans, and there is nothing he could do to make the press happier than to take an action that would allow the Democrats to fill the judiciary with liberal judges, as the media is pushing the same agenda as the judges.

For any Republican who believed that John McCain would be a strong horse in the next Republican primary, think again. Even if a miracle agreement is reached between the two parties and the constitutional option is not needed, McCain's admitted intent to vote with the Democrats is enough to keep the Republican base from supporting him.

Overall this is very bad for the Republican Party, which has a tendency to split over ideological reasons anyway. For an example look at the recall election in California, where a significant number of Republicans were willing to risk the election of a Democrat to support a Republican candidate whom they felt was the true conservative, although he had no chance of winning.

If McCain manages to split the base over this issue, he will give the Democrats, and presumably Hillary, an opening in the next election.

There are times to take a stand, and there are times to follow the lead of the party for the good of the country and the party, Senator McCain makes the wrong choice too often. I think it is time for a Republican challenger in Arizona to show Mr. McCain the door, and I will be willing to donate to the cause.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Feds Round Up Over 10,000 Fugitives

2005-04-14T11:46:00.000-06:00

Not a bad start for Mr. Gonzales. This is really an incredible story that deserves more attention.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Prager Interviews Arrogant, Oblivious Clinton Administration Official

2005-04-13T11:35:00.000-06:00

I usually very much enjoy the Dennis Prager show. Dennis is a reasonable, well spoken host who covers a very wide range of topics. Today however, he hosted a guest who angered me more than any guest I have ever had the misfortune to hear. The guest was ex-UN Ambassador Nancy Soderburg. She has just written a book (I will not link to it)and was presumably on the show to hock for it. After repeating the litaany of pre-elecetion Democratic talking points re: Iraq (it was as if she had been locked in a closet since last September), she began to talk about the Bush Administration's failure with North Korea. She stated (I will paraphrase) that the Bush Administration has failed because it refuses to participate in one on one talks and negotiate. She stated that the North Koreans are the most "annoying" negotiating partners because they always cheat. She stated that it was no surprise that they cheated on the 1994 agreement and that the Clintaon Administration was aware of their cheating.

Apparently the coarse of action she and the previous administration believe the Bush Administration should negotiate with a country they know will cheat, grant them concessions knowing they cheat and then pretend, as the Clinton Administration did, that all is well while hoping the regime collapses.

If the American people would like another eight years of ultimate deferance to multi-lateralism, then they should elect Billary again in 2008.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Tolerant, Intellectual Left

2005-04-13T08:49:00.000-06:00

Most on the left believe they are intellectually superior to Conservatives. They believe they are more cultured, more tolerant, more enlightened. They cling to Europe as a model because they believe that European values are far superior to the American values that are embodied by conservatives in this country.

This is, I think, is a perfect example of the modern left's culture and tolerance.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

President Bush Shown Photos Of Iranian Nuclear Facilities

2005-04-13T08:31:00.000-06:00

I have stated before that it is a matter of when, not if Israel will strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Ariel Shron's visit to the United States and his apparent show and tell of Iranian facilites with President Bush may be the precursor to an attack. The fact is Israel cannot allow Iran to become a nuclear power, for if it does Israel faces the prospect of a sudden nuclear attack. If this story is accurate, Sharon may be readying his staunchest ally for what is to come, and for what would in almost any scenario lead to US involvement.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Kerry Blow's CIA Officer's Cover

2005-04-12T13:11:00.000-06:00

Call the special prosecutor, John Kerry has blown the cover of a CIA Officer. Where is the outrage on the left?

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

James Lileks: A Closet Model Railroader??

2005-04-08T12:12:00.000-06:00

This is the text of an email I sent to Lileks today. I believe I have discovered a new side of him:

James,

I am a fan of your website, your columns, books and even your segement on Hugh's show. I have spent many hours sifting through your website and one of my favorite sections is "Ghost Signs". I am also a model railroader (I am only 29, so needless to say I occupy a very small demographic in the model railroading world). I was flipping through some detail sheets in my favorite hobby store the other day when I came across a sheet of paper signs for purchase. The signs were faded brick signs to be used in detailing structures on the layout. Essentially you would cut the signs out, glue them to the side of your model structure and, Voila!, you have an instantly weathered sign for your structure. As I looked at the sheet of signs for sale, I realized that I had seen several of the images before. It took me a minute, but I soon realized that several of the images were exact duplicates of images on your website. I found images of these sheets on line and have included links to the images on your site followed by links to the sheets of images for sale. For example:

Link to your site:
Your sign

Image of sheet of signs for sale (look at top right corner of sheet):
sign for sale

Your site:
Lileks

Image of signs for sale:
sign for sale

Your site:
Lileks

Sign for sale:
for sale

Your site:
Lileks

Signs for sale:
for sale

If you would like to browse through all 18 sheets of signs for sale to find other matching images go here
and scroll through the AIM Products links.

Now how is this possible? The images aren't similar, they are exact. If it is assumed that many copies of the same sign were painted what are the chances that the signs would have weathered exactly the same way? Zero.

There are only four possible explanations:

1) AIM products ripped the images off your site.
2) You ripped the images off the AIM site
3) You and the AIM products rep phtographed the same signs in the same towns at approximately the same time
4) You are a closet model railroader and are the evil genius behind AIM Products.

I am leaning towards #4. Don't be ashamed James. Be proud of your hobby. At most railroad conventions I am the only person who doesn't get a senior citizen discount on my ticket, yet I am not embarrassed. Model railroaders are a proud, pro-American, patriotic group. They are also not politically correct, look at the figures for sale for example:

figures 1
figures 2
figures 3
figures 4
figures 5

Nude sunbathers

Most interestingly, look at how Preiser (a German company) represents Americans with it's figurines:
Americans

a redneck, an Hasidic Jew, a hobo, an overweight black lady and a protestor. I believe that is a pretty interesting commentary on how the Germans view Americans.

I plan on posting this email and outing you as a closet model railroader on my blog.

Mostly political, but I do post images of some of my structures there occasionally as well.

Anyway, thought you might find this all entertaining. I plan on nominating you for the next NMRA ambassador, I think you will make a good one.

Marlin Huston

Lileks - More than Just Hummels

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

John Paul II Is Laid To Rest

2005-04-08T08:37:00.000-06:00

Simply incredible...

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Socialist Canadian Dream Begins to Crumble

2005-04-06T08:20:00.000-06:00

... as we knew it would. For those of you who do not know, it turns out that Canada's Liberal government is as crooked as, well, the UN... Captain Ed has been all over the story.

Next up, the EU.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Schiavo Talking Points Memo: Was it Fake?

2005-04-06T08:15:00.000-06:00

Of course it was fake. The only reason the poorly drafted memo on no letterhead with no signature had any credibility was that the mainstream media gave it credability hoping to discredit Republicans. If you step back from the situation it is absurd to believe that it isn't fake. No letterhead, no signature, wrong bill number, poorly written and brought to the attention of the press by Democrats. I could have produced the memo. Why would anyone doubt the Democrats would produce a fake memo? Do they not lie, distort and demogogue on a daily basis. This type of forgery should be expected from that party.

Update:

Oops. Well when you are wrong you are wrong, and I, along with a lot of other people were wrong. It turns out that the memo was written by a Republican staffer to Mel Martinez, who had denied he was the author all along. He has resigned. Powerline has more.

I still stand by my above comments on the current condition of the Democratic Party.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Good News From Iraq

2005-04-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

This, it seems, would deserve a lot of attention, but then again good news from Iraq is categorically ignored by the mainstream media.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Berger to Plead Guilty

2005-04-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

Sandy Berger, former National Security Advisor to Bill Clinton, will plead guilty to taking classified documents from the national archives. There are still documents missing. Why is this important? Because Hillary is gearing up her run for the presidency, and if you would not like four or eight more years of activities like we saw during the Clinton Administration and like that of Sandy Berger, then Republicans must galvanize against her ambitions.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

I'm Back

2005-03-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

Computer and hosting problems are taking a toll, but hopefully all is well now.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

End Of The Line For Terry Schiavo

2005-03-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

Terry Schiavo will die by starvation and dehydration...

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Iraqi Citizens Defeat Terrorists

2005-03-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Let's hope we see more of this...

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Schiavo Ordered To Die

2005-03-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

So the culture of death in this country has managed to go beyond even the boundaries of the Gronigen Protocol and order the death by starvation of Terry Schiavo. Though her family has begged and pleaded for her life, this innocent woman has been sentenced to die a death that would be considered cruel and unusual if inflicted on a serial rapist or murderer.

Why are so many Democrats eager to see Terry Schiavo die? Because they relate this case directly to what they consider to be the supreme right of all human beings, the abortion of children up to the moment of birth. If the value of human life were upheld in this case, it would be harder for them to convince Americans that an unborn child has no worth.

Lest anyone on theright be fooled, the Democrats and the liberals see this as they see every matter, through a political lens. They will consider Terry Schiavo's slow, cruel death as political victory.

This is a sad day for America. This is the day when America took the moral debasement that allows the killing of unwanted babies to the next level. May God have mercy on this country.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Bush the Radical

2005-03-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

John Podhoretz has a good article on the radicalism of President Bush. Radical in that he is will to break the stagnation in this country's and with the appointment of Paul Wolfowitz to the President of the World Bank, the worlds foreign policy establishment. President Bush is a very radical President. He refuses to accept the status quo, preferring a dangerous road toward progress to the safe road of stability without progress.

In domestic affairs he is as radical as he is in foreign policy. The President seeks to eliminate modern liberalism as we know it, to end the nanny state through the (slow) development of an ownership society. Privatization of Social Security would be the first small step toward eventually reducing that program to bare bones. Slashes in Medicare the first step toward a more private medical industry. Faith Based programs as the first step in the reduction in government give away programs. He is actively attempting to reverse the decades old trend of ever an expanding government nanny state by proving to people that they are better off controlling their finances and their life than the government. Once people realize that they can make more money, have better health care and be more secure with less government, it will be very hard for the government to take that freedom and control away in the future.

This is why Conservatives who scream that Bush is a big government Republican are missing the point. Yes, he expanded prescription drug benefits to seniors, but if he had not passed a Republican version of the bill, in the next few years Hillarycare would gain momentum. You may not like the Medicare bill, but you have to admit that while he has passed the package he is working on eliminating the root causes of high health care costs and high prescription drug costs.

This is also why he is so hated by liberals. He is seeking to shake up their domestic establishment in the way he has shaken the establishment in the foreign policy world. They believe the government should control our lives, and he is single handedly setting their utopian ideas back decades.

He is in many respects the most radical President we have had in many, many decades.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Another Leftist Myth Exposed As Lie

2005-03-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Castro continues to be the darling of the Left in America. Actors swoon and leftists cheer the dictator because they say, he has withstood decades of American threats and he leads his country peacefully. One aspect of Cuban life that leftists love to point to in the Communist dictatorship is the state run health care system, which they say, is the envy of the world. They tout Castro's free medical care for his people as the a model to which America should aspire. Well, as with any dictatorship, the propaganda never matches the reality. Pictures from inside a Cuban hospital have been released on the internet and I think it is safe to say that no Communist loving lefty in America would want to be treated in the rooms in the pictures. Captain Ed has posted many of the pictures. They are stomach churning to say the least. Keep them in mind the next time one of less than well educated friends, or a Hollywood actor tries to sell you on Cuba's medical system. See the pictures here.

By the way, has the American Left, which is now in control of the Democratic Party, ever been right on any large societal issue?

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Tyrants of the Middle East: The Bell Tolls for Thee

2005-03-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

I think it is safe to say at this point that the tide is beginning to turn in the Middle East. The one million strong anti-Syrian/Pro-Democracy rally yesterday in Beirut was unprecedented in the history of the modern Middle East. The numbers were overwhelming and the message will be heard by the Assad government, the mullahs of Iran, the dictator in North Korea and by every other tyrant in the world. The message sent by the brave Iraqis on January 30th was that individuals have the power to overcome their dictators, defy terrorists and control their destiny. Is there still a long way to go? Absolutely, but the elections in Iraq and the protests in Syria will mark the beginning of the end of tyranny in the Middle East.

The Lebanese people are on the verge of overthrowing their occupiers. If that can happen, the dominos will begin to fall more rapidly. Young Iranians yearning for freedom may then have the confidence to rise up against the mullahs, paving the way youth driven reform through that country as well. Claudia Rosett, the reporter who uncovered the UN oil for food scandal, is in Beirut covering the protests for the New York Sun. She was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt yesterday. She states in the interview that the protestors want President Bush to keep speaking out for freedom and against Syrian occupation of their country. They understand that the President’s repeated call for Democratic reform in the Middle East are play a significant role in the progress being made in their country. The reformers in the Middle East know what many Americans do not. That if President Bush had not been steadfast in his determination to uproot Saddam Hussein, if he had given in to the UN, the anti war forces around the world or to our good friends in France and Germany, that the progress that has been made would never have been made. Voices around the world, once skeptical of the President’s policies are now beginning to see that President Bush may be their best hope for freedom. They are beginning to understand that it is he, not the anti-war protestors, not the UN, not the French, but President Bush and the coalition of the willing who has their best interest in mind, and they are willing to give him the credit that is due.

Though the millions yearning for freedom around the world understand the importance of the Presidents actions in Iraq, millions in this country and in Europe do not. To this point, those who hate the President have accused him of being an Imperialist warmonger. If the movement we have seen in Iraq and Lebanon continues, the vitriolic hatred spewed at the President will make it extremely difficult for his critics to rewrite history as they did with Ronald Reagan. However, if the President does not aid the revolution in Syria, and the momentum towards freedom dissipates, he runs the risk of being labeled, believe it or not, the President who did too little to help reformers in the Middle East. For more background read here, here and here.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Surprise!! Election Coverage Three Times Harder on President Bush

2005-03-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

This was obvious to anyone watching. At least to those not blinded by hate of the President. Though it was obvious, the numbers are pretty staggering. It is a miracle that the man was able to overcome the press and win re-election.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Enormous Demonstrations In Beirut

2005-03-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Enormous anti-Syria demonstrations in Lebanon. The pictures must be seen to be believed.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Israel To Strike Iran's Nuclear Facilities?

2005-03-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

I have said before that it is a matter of when, not if. If the United nations is, as the Times of London article suggests, the only hope to avoid a strike, then fire up the jet engines, because it is going to happen. The United Nations is an inept organization that has no moral authority. It also has no power to intimidate. After 12 years an 17 resolutions that amounted to nothing, the regime in Iran has surely learned to pay no attention to the United Nations. After all, Saddam not only ignored the resolutions, he used corrupt UN officials to line his pockets and reconstitute his weapons programs. Iran needs only time to complete a nuclear weapon, and they know that the UN will do nothing if not buy them time.

Iran has already rejected i the incentive package offered to them by the US and European countries. The process of referall to the UN Security Council for sanctions could take monthS, MONTHS ISRAEL KNOWS IT DOES NOT HAVE.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Anti Terror Package Passes in London

2005-03-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

British parliment has renewed a sweeping anti-terror package sought by Tony Blair that will give the British government sweeping powers to fight terror. The bill is gives the British government much more power than the Patriot Act gave the US government, allowing them to detain anyone suspect of terror ties without trial.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Fred Kaplan: Seeing the World The Way He Wants

2005-03-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

...and hoping you know too little to disagree. Kaplan claims that the Presdient has flip-flopped on Iran because he has announced that the United States will join France, Germany and England at the negotiating table with Iran. Flip-flopped? Apparently the label that was pinned on his man Kerry during the election still burns Fred Kaplan, as he is still looking to label the President as the true flip flopper. This is what Kaplan offers as proof that the President has flip-flopped:

Don't look now, but it seems that George W. Bush is committing diplomacy. The New York Times reports today that Bush has agreed to join France, Britain, and Germany in their nuclear-arms talks with Iran. This marks a major reversal for Bush, who until now has refused to negotiate with any Iranian officials, arguing that to do so would reward them for bad behavior.

A flip-flop? Really? Hardly seems fair to call what the Presdient has vbeen saying since well before the election a flip-flop. It seems that to this point the anti-Iraq war crew has yet to grasp the strategy for Iran. The President was very smart for having the European countries lead the negotiating charge against Iran. Now when it is time for the metal to meet the flesh, the European countries who opposed the Iraq War will have no way a wiggling out of their duties in Iran. After all they will have been the primary players in the lead up to any confrontation with Iran. They will either have to play ball or be exposed as the spineless hypocrites they are. The President knows that the negotiations with Iran will fail. They have in fact rejected the incentives offered in negotiations already. The fact the the United States has officially gotten on board with negotiations more likely signals the end of that stage of the game, not the beginning. France and Germany and even England will have to be pushed into the next stage, and the President wants to make sure he has positioned himself in a way that will allow the US to do the shoving at a time of our choice.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Trouble For Churchill

2005-03-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

It seems that each new day brings more facts about Ward Churchill to light. He is now accused of plagiarism, as well as threratening the professor he plagiarized. Of course CU is planning on buying him out instead of just firing him. It seems that once a professor reaches tenure he is untouchable, no matter his actions. For kicks let's have a very quick review of what we know about Mr. Churchill:

1) He called the Victims of September 11 "Little Eichmans" in an essay written the day after the attacks
2) He has lived his academic life a fraud, claiming to be a member of various Indian tribes, a claim that would have allowed him to get his current University post
3) He has now been accused (with a report that seems to prove his guilt) of plagiarism
4) The professor he apparently plagiarized also states that the honoable Mr. Churchill threatened her

A creep is a creep, and the longer Mr. Churchill is in the news, the more skeletons from his past will be exposed. Let us suppose for a moment that Churchill had been a conservative who stated on September 12th, 2001 that all Arabs were "Little Hitlers" who contribute nothing to the wprld but death and despair, and that they deserved to die at American hands. Would he have had a job come spring semester?

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Syria: In or Out?

2005-03-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

Of Lebabnon, that is. At this point, Syria has declared they will leave Lebanon, but it is far from certain. Assad's government is fighting for it's own survival, and the retreat from Lebanon would be the final nail in it's coffin. Tech Central Station has a very good article on goings on in Lebanon, and Wretchard at The Belmont Club continues to be weeks ahead of the main stream press in his analysis.

On the other side of the coin, the boys at Slate are bound and determined to convince the world that nothing has changed in the Middle East. If they gave a fair analysis of events, they would be forced to dace the question that so many on the left have had to face since the lections in Iraq: Was President Bush right all along? That would be entirely too painful for them, so they would rather in fact, root for the status quo to hold, at least until a Democrat can be elected to office.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Muslims Issue Fatwa Against Bin Laden

2005-03-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

This is certainly a change. Muslims in Spain have issued a Fatwa AGAINST Bin Laden. Let's hope this becomes a trend.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Will Vietnam Be the Next Iraq?

2005-03-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

fantastic question posed by Claudia Rosett in today's OpinionJournal. Claudia Rosett is a fantastic journalist. She almost sigle handedly uncovered the huge UN Oil for Food scandal, and she is on the front edge of geopolitical events again with her article today. She discusses the fact that the winds of change that are blowing through the Middle East (thanks to the American President) are also beginning to blow through Vietnam. Read this article in it's entirety and pose the challenge to your friends who opposed the invasion of Iraq: Will Vietnam be the next Iraq?

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Slow Posting

2005-03-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the slow posting the paswt week. As the news around the world heated up, my internet connection decided not to work anymore. Hmm. That is very bad news for a blogger. I should be (hopefully) back up and running on a full time basis soon.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

January 30th Was the First Domino

2005-03-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

Not only are the other domino's falling, the President's fiercest critics around the world are beginning to admit that it was the election in Iraq, the election that would not have happened had they gotten their way, that has led to the earth shattering changes we have seen in the Middle East. There are some who continue to ignore reality, but to many the link between the Iraq elections and the changes in the Middle East is clear.

We are living in historic times.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Arabs' Berlin Wall Has Crumbled

2005-03-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

To say the least, the events in the Middle East since the elections in Iraq on January 30th are incredible and fast moving. It seems that the Berlin Wall of the Middle East is indeed crumbling, if it hasn't already crumbled. In case you have been in a cave the past two weeks, Michael Barone had a nice summary of the events of the past two weeks yesterday. Read it here.

Today, Mark Steyn continues the analysis (with a nod to a blog, Little Green Footballs) in the London Telegraph.

As events in the Middle East continue to unfold and the future of the world begins to change, it seems that many Americans have no idea the impact of the events half a world away. The changes we are seeing in the Middle East are the precisely the changes that have to happen if we are to "defeat" the forces behind September 11th. Those who opposed the invasion of Iraq must now face the fact that they were wrong and that the events that have happened would never have happened had the President listened to their council. For many who opposed the war, this reaslity will never set in. They have yet to come to grips with the fact that they were wrong about Vietnam, Reagan's opposition to the Soviet Union, Reagan's spread of Liberty in Latin America, and the First Gulf War. Many who have spent their life on the wrong side of history will continue to rationalize their positions by declaring that the United States is the source of all evil. That's fine, while they wallow in their self absorbed misery, leaders like President George W. Bush will continue to transform their world for the better, and those who support their policies will not that they too have helped advance the march of freedom.
Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Lebanon's Syrian Backed Government Has Resigned!

2005-02-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

Holy Toledo I can't believe it. This is earth shattering! The effects of the liberation of Iraq continue to resound through the Middle East!

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Suicide Bomber Kills 110 in Iraq

2005-02-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

The terrorists are losing, but still have the ability to be deadly. This AP article also includes this incredible statement about a prior suicide bombing:

The deadliest previous single attack occurred Aug. 29, 2003, when a car bomb exploded outside a mosque in Najaf, killing more than 85 people, including Shiite leader Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim (search). Although officials never gave a final death toll, there were suspicions it may have been higher.

Of course they do not specify US or Iraqi officials, but given the timeframe of that attack, US officials would have been in charge. The insinuation that the United States would withold real casualty numbers goes back to Vietnam (of course) and is disgusting, but little more can be expected from the AP.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Boiling Point In Lebanon

2005-02-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow may prove to be another historic day in the Middle East...

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Domino Effect of Freedom

2005-02-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

Powerline has a roundup of the effect of the War in Iraq in the greater Middle East.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Putin: Clueles About America/Freedom

2005-02-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

This story has to be read to be believed. Can the leader of one of the largest and most powerful countries in the world actually be this misinformed?

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Iran/Russia Reach Nuclear Deal

2005-02-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

This isn't good news, and brings to mind this post from only a week ago. I think the countdown has now officially begun.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Bush Recieves A Warm Welcome In New Europe

2005-02-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

After days of chilly receptions in old Europe, where liberty has been replaced with equality and the freedom bought with American blood is taken for granted, President Bush recieved a very warm reception in New Europe. The "too cultured to fight for anyone's freedom (including thier own)" French, and the "forever guilt ridden so we will hate all militaries including our own" German's were not to be bothered by a visiting "war monger", who has added tens of millions to the roll call of people's who freedom AMerica is responsible for. In Bratislava, who's country introduced President Bush by comparing him to Ronald Reagan, thousands stood in snow and blustery winds for hours waiting to hear President Bush speak:

At last President George W Bush found some European fans yesterday. After three days of muted receptions, Mr Bush received a far cheerier welcome behind the old Iron Curtain as enthusiastic Slovaks applauded him for visiting them on the last stop of his tour across the continent.

Thousands of Slovaks defied swirling snow and a bitter wind to wait for several hours to hear Mr Bush speak in the heart of their capital, Bratislava.

"We love him," said Arlena Turceanova, a 47-year-old lawyer, bursting with the pride felt by many Slovaks that Mr Bush chose their little country for his third and last stop. "He is president from a great country. It is wonderful that he comes here."

The Slovak prime minister, Mikulas Dzurinda, set the tone when he introduced Mr Bush to the crowd with an implicit comparison to the late Ronald Reagan, who devoted much of his presidency to combating and denouncing the Soviet Union. For the White House, it was a reassuring reminder that Mr Bush's stock remains high in New Europe, as Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary, famously described the more recent East European members of the EU and Nato.

The rally also provided the perfect image to end the four-day tour. A sea of Slovak and American flags fluttered above the crowd in the city's neo-classical central square as Mr Bush hailed Slovakia's move to democracy as part of his cherished "march of freedom".

What is the primary difference in "Old Europe" and "New Europe"? New Europeans are still grateful for the freedom they have. They cherish it, they embrace it, and they remember who stood with them in their darkest hours, while Old Europeans resent the fact that their once powerful nations must rely on the United States for their common defense.
Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Model Railroad Blogging!!

2005-02-26T20:03:00.001-07:00

Another weekend, more model railroad blogging. Both of these structures are scratch built with wood. The first is an original structure, The Sunset Inn Brewery. This took about one week to complete. The corrugated metal roof was hand cut and weathered. The water tank is also scratch built. The figures are from Woodland Scenics.

Sunset Inn
Originally uploaded by Marlin Huston.

This "Rock City" barn is also scratch built, and the lettering is taken from a picture of an actual barn in Western Ketucky.

rockcity
Originally uploaded by Marlin Huston.

A Time For Choosing - "The Speech"

2005-02-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

This blog is of course named after an address delivered by Ronald Reagan on October 27, 1964, (broadcast on NBC) on behalf of Barry Goldwater. The speech, "A Time For Choosing" rallied conservatives and raised over $8 million for the Goldwater campaign. It soon became known as "The Speech", because of the enormous impact it made on the country and on Ronald Reagan's career. Although many of his speeches are among the most memorable in the history of American politics, A Time For Choosing is still considered to be one of the best if not the best speech of his career. Many of the philosophies outlined in the speech became the foundation of Ronald Reagan's Presidency. Although the speech is now 40 years old, it is as relevant today as the day it was first delivered. The differences between Republicans and Democrats and conservatives and liberals are just as true (even more so in many cases) as they were in 1964, and the last few paragraphs in particular set forth the same moral choices Americans must make today. Remove the word communism and replace it with terrorism and this speech could be delivered by President Bush as a campaign speech highlighting the differences between he and his opponent and their parties.

"The Speech"

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Ann Coulter On the "gannon" Scandal

2005-02-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Enough said...

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Missile Defense Test A Success

2005-02-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Another successful test of the US Missile Defense...

Like always, however, Canada seems to be scared of success.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Pressure Mounts Against the Syrian Government

2005-02-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

The pressure is mounting and it is a grassroots movement like seen in the Ukraine. It seems to be inspired by the successful election in Iraq.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Pope Rushed To Hospital With Relapse...

2005-02-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

A developing story...

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

An Interesting Debate

2005-02-24T06:19:00.000-07:00

Mark Steyn's column from yesterday has sparked an interesting debate. He believes that the President's visit to Europe is like:

"ex-girlfriends: if you're still deluding yourself you can get her back, every encounter will perforce be fraught and turbulent; once you realise that's never gonna happen, you can meet for a quick decaf latte every six – make that 10 – months and do the whole hey-isn't-it-terrific-the-way-we're-able-to-be-such-great-friends routine because you couldn't care less. You can even make a few pleasant noises about her new romance (the so-called European Constitution) secure in the knowledge he's a total loser."

Indeed. I think we can all agree that the European Constitution is a total loser, but Austin Bay believes that the success in Iraq marks the end of Chirac and Schroeder. To come to Austin Bay's conclusion you have to believe that European's want change. I believe Austin Bay would be hard pressed to find any evidence of that in the past 40, 50, 60 years. No, this will not be the end of Chirac and Schroeder. Chirac will admit that Bush has been successful in the Middle East by wooing another country or region to join with him to "counter-balance" the United States. Unfortunatley it looks as if, to use Steyn's analogy, France's new boyfriend will be China. So averse is France to change that it is willing to join with an oppressive communist regime in order to stop the one force of change in the world: the United States.

When the EU fails, and it will, and when demographics catch up to France and Europe as a whole, and they will, Europe will once again be in need of saving, and they will once again be asking for their first boyfriend, the United States, to bail them out, and most likely we will. And afterwards? The French and Europeans will once again pretend that they are superior, and they will once again put an ad in the personals for a new companion.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Der Spiegel: Bush May Be Right

2005-02-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

The German newspaper Der Spiegel has a word of warning for German's who plan to protest President Bush's visit: that he, just as another hated American President, Ronald Reagan, may be right.

Like Bush's visit, Reagan's trip was likewise accompanied by unprecedented security precautions. A handpicked crowd cheered Reagan in front of the Brandenburg Gate while large parts of the Berlin subway system were shut down. And the Germany Reagan was traveling in, much like today's Germany, was very skeptical of the American president and his foreign policy. When Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate -- and the Berlin Wall -- and demanded that Gorbachev "tear down this Wall," he was lampooned the next day on the editorial pages. He is a dreamer, wrote commentators. Realpolitik looks different.

But history has shown that it wasn't Reagan who was the dreamer as he voiced his demand. Rather, it was German politicians who were lacking in imagination -- a group who in 1987 couldn't imagine that there might be an alternative to a divided Germany. Those who spoke of reunification were labelled as nationalists and the entire German left was completely uninterested in a unified Germany.

We have now, as we had in 1987, a President that refused to back down or be swayed by the relentless crticism of the press. What did the strength of the President reap for the world then? The end of the Soviet Union and te fall of the Berlin Wall. What will it reap for us now? The tide in the Middle East seems to be turning a meere weeks after the first democratic election in the Middle East. History will judge President Bush, but at this point it seems that the most important event of this new century wasn't the events of September 11th, but the election in Iraq.
Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Ward Churchill Admits He Is Not A Native American

2005-02-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

Ward Churchill has admitted that he is in fact, not a Native American:

Churchill did address the issue of his ethnicity, admitting that he is not Native American.

"Is he an Indian? Do we really care?" he said, quoting those he called his "white Republican" critics.

"Let's cut to the chase; I am not," he said.

The only reason this is important at this juncture is that he has stated over and over that he is a Native American, and he was most likely hired because of the background he claimed. Maybe this will give the University of Colorado a legal reason to throw him out. I had stated that he should not be fired, but now that he has admitted to lying about his credentials, I believe it is necessary.

Is it any surprise that such a rabid anti-American is also a liar?

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Taliban Joining Afghani Democracy

2005-02-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

It seems that the Taliban in Afghanistan are choosing to accept the US backed amnesty deal offered by the government of Hamid Karzai. Since they were unable to disrupt last fall’s Presidential election, the attacks against US and coalition forces have waned, and senior leaders of the Taliban have come forward to negotiate what amounts to a surrender, in exchange for a voice in the new government.

This is fantastic news, and it seems to mirror the rumor of something that is happening in Iraq with the remnants of the former Baathist regime.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Australia To Boost Iraq Deployment

2005-02-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

John Howard continues to be the most reliable US ally in the war in Iraq. John Howard plans to INCREASE the number of Australian troops in Iraq...

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

North Korea May Return To Six Party Talks

2005-02-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

If you ignore a child throwing a temper tantrum, eventually they will learn that it will do no good to misbehave. And so it goes with North Korea...

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Israel Must Be "Prepared For An Air Strike on Iran"

2005-02-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

Given Iran's clear ambition and work to produce a nuclear weapon, and given that their stated goal is the destruction of Israel, and given that Israel announced just days ago that they believe Iran to be within six months of producing a nuclear weapon, this statement by the head of Israel's Air Force should come as no surprise. Most analysts seem to believe that because of the size and the nature of Iran's nuclear program, an air strike alone would not suffice. However, noone knows what intelligence they or the United States is working with.

I think it is time to get down to brass tacks. If Israel honestly believes that Iran is within six months of having a weapon, they will strike. Major General Eliezer Shakedi said it all when he said"

"We have a job to protect the citizens of Israel," Shakedi said. "I hope that there won't be a war - but you know, no one knows."

They take the job of protecting the citizens of Israel very seriously. They know Israel will be targeted by Iran almost immediately after they develop a nuclear weapon. They will strike. There are several questions that arise:

1) Will the United States be involved in an overt way or will we simply be helping to coordinate the strike and sharing intelligence behind the scenes?

2) Will ground forces be involved?

3) Is there an agreement between the United States and forces within Iran that will allow for the uprising that has been brewing there for years to happen, with thesupport of the United States. Could the United States have some agreement with anti-regime elements within the military structure of Iran?

The United States does not seem to be preparing for any sort of ground invasion of Iran, although it cannot be ruled out. It would be much less taxing on the United States military to support an uprising with the help of elements within the Iranian military and government. This is a problem that has been brewing for a long time. It would be difficult for the administation to sell an attack on Iran, but if Israel launched the attack and the people of iran revolted against the Mullocracy, military aid would be called for and sent by any number of countries. Remember that France, England and Germany are leading the front against Iran in the UN. If there was a strike by Israel and a revolt by the people of Iran, it would be difficult for even France to justify not helping the revolt.

So in the end there could be regime change in Iran, initiated by an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facility, led by the people of Iran, and supported by the United States and European countries.

Is this far fetched? I think we will know in weeks, not months.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Syria To Pull Troops From Lebanon

2005-02-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that the fact that Syria has announced that it will "soon" take steps to remove tens of thousands of it's troops from Lebanon after 16 plus years of occupation deserves a little more attention than it has gotten thus far. Perhaps the "old media" and the blogosphere is being cautious, as Syria has yet to detail exactly what it plans to do. Since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Lebanese have pured into the streets by the thousands to protest the Syrian occupation. They feel that Syria and the pro-Syrian Lebanese government was behind the assassination. It is interesting that this is starting to feel like the Ukranian revolution of just a few months ago, when the people forced a new election after the Russian backed candidate won in an obviously rigged election, over the pro-West candidate. The Lebonese people are demanding that the pro-Syrian government resign. I assume that means that they want an election. This story, which has been developing for the past week has taken a very interesting turn and is worth watching. If we begin to see the Lebanese demanding free and fair elections it will be earth shattering, and it will have to be credited to the free and fair elections that just took place in Iraq. Freedom is it seems, truly on the march.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Secret Bush Tapes Revealed!!!

2005-02-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

And the question is: So What? Although it will be interesting to see of the same people who demonized Linda Trip are ready with their late night jokes and relentless insults for the man who secretly taped the President. Somehow I think not.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Israel Releases 500 Prisoners As "Good Will" Gesture

2005-02-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

Of course and unfortunately the only question that comes to mind is when will the next wave of suicide bombers begin? Israel has approved a historic pull-out of the Gaza strip, will redefine it's borders and has released 500 prisoners. WHat will the new Palestinian government do? Let's hope with the death of the world's oldest terrorist the times have changed, and the "good will gestures" given by the Israeli's will not result in the continuation of the Intifada started by Arafat after Camp David.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Large Demonstrations held In Lebanon

2005-02-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Itg seems that the freedom is a very contagious disease. Thousands of Lebanese citizens have taken to the streets to demand that the Lebanon's pro-Syrian government resign. Lebanon has been occupied by Syria since at least 1990. Let's hope the uprising continues, and the Lebanese manage to throw the Syrians out of their country.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Hunter S. Thompson Commits Suicide

2005-02-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

Hunter S. Thompson killed himself with a shotgun blast to the head in his Pitkin County, Colorado home.

May God be with his family.

I have a sort of generic sorrow for him and his death. In my lifetime he has been nothing more than another washed up America hater left over from the 60's, but there is sympathy to be had for his family.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

N Scale Model Railroad Blogging!!

2005-02-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Boxandcrate
Originally uploaded by Marlin Huston.

Another weekend which means model railroad blogging! This Northeastern Scale Models Box and Crate factory is one of the few structures I didn't scratch-build. I actually started the kit several months ago, but just completed it this weekend. Total modeling time was about 15 hours. This is a small industry structure that will have it's own siding on a future layout.

Israel Approves Historic Withdrawals

2005-02-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

Israel has approves historic withdrawals from the Gaza Strip and has begun to plan for the future borders of the Israeli state:

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's (search) Cabinet began charting Israel's future borders in a historic session Sunday, giving final approval to a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip (search) and a revised route for the West Bank separation barrier that would move Israel's border closer to that of its original frontier.

With the vote, an Israeli government agreed for the first time since capturing the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war (search) to dismantle some of the dozens of Jewish settlements it has built there. However, approving the route of the barrier, Israel acted unilaterally on what was to be a key issue in peace talks with the Palestinians, and signaled it will keep a chunk of prime West Bank land close to Jerusalem, including two large Jewish settlement blocs

Well, very interesting, but as always with events in Israel we will have to wait to see how violent the reaction from Hamas and Hezbollah will be.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

US In Secret Talks With "Insurgents"

2005-02-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting story that could very well amount to absolutely nothing, but if there is truth to it it will be good news. Apparently the United States is in secret talks with the leaders of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq, who are willing to negotiate for a place in the government:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers are conducting secret talks with Iraq's Sunni insurgents on ways to end fighting there, Time magazine reported on Sunday, citing Pentagon and other sources.

The sudden change in the attitude of the Sunni insurgents can be attributed to the successful election in Iraq.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Alan Greenspan Supports Private Social Security Accounts

2005-02-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

In his semi-annual testimony to Congress, Alan Greenspan stated that he supported the idea of private accounts, but warned against the borrowing that might be necessary for the transition:

"I think the existing structure is not working," Mr. Greenspan told members of the committee, declaring that private accounts would be "a good thing to do" but urging lawmakers to "start out slowly" and be wary about the trillions of dollars in additional federal borrowing that might be necessary.

"If you're going to move to private accounts, which I approve of, I think you have to do it in a cautious, gradual way," he said.

Very well then, cautious and gradual is better than never at all. If it is necessary to raise the cap for long term solvency, an idea I am not sure is true, then do so while establishing private accounts.

More than an argument about Social Security, this is a debate over political philosophy. George Bush wants to give the people of this country more ownership of their life and reduce the power and the influence of the government. Democrats actuallt derive their power by keeping the government central to the lives of as many people as possible. Many of the "I am a more pure conservative than you" crowd (look to the NRO for many, many examples) have whined and cried that George Bush is a big government conservative. He is now attempting to reduce the governments role in the country's biggest give away program, enabling people to have control over their own future.

I read an article several months ago ( I will post it later) about the President's plan to end liberalism as we know it. Essentially it argued that his plans for an "ownership society" would change the rules of the political game we are all used to. The article was written long before the idea of private accounts came to the forefront. As he continues through his second term we will likely see this administration reducing the power of the government more than the size of the government. Yes there will still be a Social Security Administration, but it will controll less and less of a persons retirement account, therefore people will be less dependant on the government, opening the door for further changes (elimination?) to the system long term.

A note about the role of bloggers in this debate. Sadly the "big" blogs have been almost silent on this issue, choosing to spend most of their time playing full-time media watch-dogs and promoting their various tv appearances. Hugh Hewitt, Instapundit (yes I know Glenn Reynolds had one column the other day), Powerline, etc... have devoted almost no time to the Social Security debate. they have hundreds of thousands of readers per day and could help to influence those readers, yet they choose to concentrate their efforts on helping take down an unknown (except to those hard core news junkies) CNN executive (I agree that he should have been fired for his comments). I believe we are at a cross roads for the blogosphere. So far the blogs have become known for taking down people in the media, and yes Trent Lott for a rather inocuous comment. So the blogosphere as a whole is known as a sort of attack mechanism. I believe there is a role for that, but is there not a role for the blogs in helping educate the public on very important issues of the day?

No one can deny the power the blogoshpere had with pushing the Swift Vet story during the campaign, why could it not have the same effect on the Social Security debate? Is the answer that that sort of debate nets a blogger less tv and radio time?

I had a blog before there were blogs. There were only a few readers and communication was really limited to email, although posting was available later on. With those limitations there was still good debate on important issues, something we seem to be getting further and further away from.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The AP Misleads On Social Security

2005-02-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

The headline of this AP story could not be more misleading, it reads: "Bush May raise Taxes for Social Security".

Reading that one would assume that the President is considering raising the payroll tax to cover the cost of "fixing" Social Security. You have to read past the headline to realize that what he actually said was that the option of raising the cap past the current $90,000 more quickly than it would normally rise to cover inflation:

Asked directly, Bush said he would not bar raising the $90,000 cap, although he does not want to see the payroll tax rate go up.

In the very next paragraph in fact, the President states that he is not open minded about raising the payroll tax:

"The one thing I'm not open-minded about is raising the payroll tax rate. And all the other issues go on the table," Bush said in the interview, according to an account in Wednesday's New Haven (Conn.) Register.

So is he really raising taxes to cover the costs of Social Security? No. One could argue that it has the same effect because an earner is taxed at the same rate on more of his money, but it is not the same as if the President said he was going to raise the payroll tax from 12.5% to 15%.

The White House made clear that just because the President said the option of raising the cap was on the table did not mean the President embraced the idea. This must be the path the Democrats and the liberal elite want the President to take because the AP goes out of it's way in this article to cite a vague economic analysis as saying that if the cap were lifted entirely the Social Security system would be okay for the next 75 years:

If Congress did nothing but lift the cap entirely and therefore subjected all wages to the tax, Social Security would be financially balanced for 75 years, though the system would again face trouble after that, according to one economic
analysis

fair enough and according to another analysis ( more details are apparently not needed to make it into the AP, so why should I provide them for A Time For Choosing?), the best solution is the creation of private accounts.

We have the opportunity to create a great security blanket that reflects the age in which we live with the creation of Social Security. It would give ownership to individuals and provide them with the opportunity to use a very small portion of their social security account to determine their own financial fate. The Democrats oppose it because they fear the public weaning itself off the government, and thus their party losing more power.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Put the Security Back In Social Security

2005-02-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

More on the Social Security front. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis) had an article in yesterday's USA Today on the benefits of private social security accounts, also discussed here on A Time For Choosing. Rep. Ryan states:

By giving younger workers the option of putting a significant part of their wages — say, 6% on average — into personal accounts they own and investing in a secure, government-approved retirement fund, we can eliminate long-term Social Security deficits.

In fact, personal accounts help reduce the need to cut future benefits or raise taxes to restore solvency to Social Security. And the larger the personal accounts, the less Washington will have to resort to such steps. This is because, over time, sizable accounts cover more of the program's benefit obligations, as future retirees draw on the savings and interest that have accumulated in their personal accounts for their retirement. (Contrast this with the current system, where retirees rely on current workers' payroll taxes.)

Evaluating legislation I introduced last year, the chief actuary of Social Security determined that large accounts would even erase Social Security's $10.4 trillion unfunded liability — what the program promises today's workers but cannot pay. To deal with the "transition costs" of diverting money into private accounts, we should make offsetting cuts in other government spending.

Not only are personal accounts crucial to sustaining Social Security for future generations, they also deliver a much better return on workers' investment. Currently, Social Security delivers a below-market return of 1.5% for beneficiaries. When my children retire, they will receive a negative rate of return. On the other hand, the Thrift Savings Plan — the retirement savings plan that serves federal employees and members of Congress — consistently delivers returns ranging between 4% and 11%, depending on the investment fund chosen. President Bush has mentioned this plan as a model for personal accounts.

So far as I can see, the only people who stand to lose on privatized accounts are Democrats eager to keep spending the money being paid in by younger workers. As I stated before if I were allowed to put 4% of what I poay into a private account and averaged 8% return from now until I retire I would amass a nestegg of over $1 million. One million dollars. Is that enough to retire on? No, but is one million dollars more than I expected to recieve from Social Security. It is important to remember that the plan would be optional. If for some unknown reason a persion did not want to take advantage of the plan, they could continue to draw the 1.5% interest on their money that the normal plan draws and risk receiving nothing after they retire from the bankrupt system.

Please contact you legislators and tell them that you want private accounts, otherwise the politicians in DC will be more than happy to continue to spend your money and leave you with nothing.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Chaos At CBS News

2005-02-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

The fallout from the story on George Bush's National Guard story continues as the New York Observer is reporting there is internal chaos at CBS News. Those who Les Moonves asked to step down after the release last month of the "internal report" conducted by CBS News have yet to step down, and have instead hired lawyers, and are threatening to sue.

I hope the lawsuits fly and the internal workings of CBS News are exposed for all the world to see. Drudge is on the story. Now that this part of the story is out in the open, more will surely come out in the next few days.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

President Bush Uses Social Security To Appeal To Youth

2005-02-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

I have stated several times in the past that the Democrats opposition to private Social Security accounts could have a much deeper and long term impact on the party than people believe. Perhaps the pundits, talking heads and yes, bloggers, that are past the age of say, 35, do not understand how this issue is discussed among younger working people. It has caused great debate and although this is by no means a scientific survey, even among my acquaintances that did not vote for the President in the last election, the idea of allowing individuals some control over even a small portion of their Social Security is very popular. While the talking heads may not recognize this, the White House does and the President has begun to appeal directly to the younger generation of workers.

Why is this idea so popular with the younger generation? First of all, before the idea of private accounts was proposed, my wife and I never calculated social security into any retirement plan. We assumed that when we retired there would be no social security, and in fact we still make the assumption that Social Security as we know it will not exist. So the fact that a private account would contain money "safe" from the government, that we could invest and nurture and even pass along to our children is very appealing. Secondly we basically grew up with the internet and feel comfortable using it to direct our money as we see fit. We do this now with our 401-k's. We simply log in to our account, see our account summary and move money around as we see fit... 24 hours per day, seven days a week if we so choose. Although the details of the plan have not yet been clarified, I imagine that a private social security account would work much the same way. You set the percentage to be put in the account every month, you log in and you invest it in the available funds as you see fit. Easy. In the past three years my wife and I have averaged close to a 20% return on her account and a 15% return on mine. Why should we not be allowed to keep a small portion of the money we pay into social security in an account so that we can grow it as we see fit? If I can make 15% or 10% or 5% on my own money and develop a nest egg, why should I not be allowed to do so? The fact is that if I were allowed have a private account that grew as it should, I would be willing and able to forego the monthly social security payments after retirement just to "keep" the funds in the private account.

The Fox News article linked above contains this paragraph:

However, while the Bush team and like-minded Republicans may be selling, not every young American is buying. Polls indicate that younger Americans believe Social Security won't be available to them when they retire but at the same time, they are unsure about whether to privatize some of the program and risk losing some of their promised benefits

As far as that is comprehensible, it is ridiculous. So young people are afraid of losing some of the promised benefits that they do not believe will be available at all?

If the paragraph accurately summarizes the poll, then the administration needs to focus more on younger voters to educate them on what the private account would actually mean. If you are afraid or you do believe that social security will not exist when you retire then you should be demanding that the government allow you to set aside money in a private account that you would own. That is the only way to guarantee that you receive some benefit from the program after retirement.

This program would be a boon for Americans and for the idea of the "ownership society". As we slowly loosen the grip the government has on our lives we will see greater economic freedom in this country. Setting aside a small portion of social security into a private account would be a great place to start.

More on this a little later.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

North Korea Makes It's Demands

2005-02-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite like reading the state run media of a Stalinist country for entertainment. North Korea released it's demands for ending the "nuclear issue of the north":

Prompt Measures for Solution to Nuclear Issue between DPRK and U.S. Urged
Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- The Headquarters of the People's Movement for the Withdrawal of the U.S. Forces in south Korea on February 10 reportedly issued a commentary titled "North's possession of nuclear weapons is a legitimate self-defensive step of a sovereign state". Recalling the announcement of the DPRK that it will indefinitely suspend its participation in the six-party talks and has produced nuclear weapons against the U.S. hostile policy, the commentary demanded the U.S. take an immediate measure for a solution to the nuclear issue between it and the DPRK.
The commentary went on:
Has the north made nuclear weapons as it wanted them? No, it is entirely due to the United States. With economic blockade added to war threat, the north had no other choice but to arm itself with self-defensive power.
If the U.S. truly wants a solution to the "nuclear issue of the north", it should take the following measures at once:
Firstly, it should replace the armistice agreement between the north and the U.S. with a permanent peace agreement and withdraw its forces from this land.
Secondly, it should promptly retract its economic blockade policy against the north which has lasted over half a century.
Thirdly, it should officially declare that it will not lay any obstacle in the way of the Korean nation solving the reunification question independently by its own efforts under the banner of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration.
The U.S. should clearly know that only when it takes these measures first can there be an advance in the settlement of the so-called "nuclear issue of the north". Otherwise, it is not entitled to talk about the north's possession of nukes or something more formidable.

Fortunately for the world we are planning to do pretty much the opposite of North kore is demanding. The United States is planning to increase it's measures to cut off the few remaining avenues of income left to Mr. Kim, namely counterfeiting and arms sales.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

Iraqi Election Results

2005-02-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

The results of the Iraqi Election have been announced and it certainly seems like good news:

Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims won nearly half the votes in the nation's Jan. 30 election, giving the long-oppressed group significant power but not enough to form a government on their own.

The Shiites likely will have to form a coalition in the 275-member National Assembly with the other top vote-getters the Kurds and Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's list to push through their agenda and select a president and prime minister. The president and two vice presidents must be elected by a two-thirds majority.

A coalition governement will have to be formed. Fantastic. Turn-out was higher than previous estimates too:

Of Iraq's 14 million eligible voters, 8,456,266 cast ballots for 111 candidate lists, the commission said. That represents a turnout of about 60 percent, several points higher than the predicted 57 percent.

So nearly the exact same percentage of eligible voters voted in Iraq's election, under the threat of death, as voted in the last US Presidential election, a turn-out that was considered historic for the US, where the only problem was the occassional inconvenience of having to stand in a long line. To Susan Sarandon and the rest of the brain trust on the left that may seem the same as being threatened with death, but it certainly is not.

So what of the naysayers now? 60% of the eligible voters voted, the elections were ruled fair by the United Nations, and a coalition government consisting of the Shi'ites, Kurds and others is starting to form the first Democratically elected government in the Middle East.

Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton where are you?

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

New Comment Format

2005-02-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

Blogger is offering a new comment format, and I have decided to take advantage of it. The new format offers a pop-up comment window and allows readers who are not members of blogger to post a comment under their own name. With the old system if you were not a blogger member, you had to post under "anonymous". I hope you enjoy the new system.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

United States Flying Unmanned Drones Into Iran

2005-02-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

A splash on Drudge...

Let's hope it's true. The best defense is a good offense.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.

The Political Impact of the Blogosphere

2005-02-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

Micahael Barone has written an article on the political impact of the blogosphere. Noone can deny the impact of blogs during the last election cycle. The speed at which they expanded in both depth and breadth is almost unbelieveable. Michael Barone sums up the political impact this way:

So what hath the blogosphere wrought? The left blogosphere has moved the Democrats off to the left, and the right blogosphere has undermined the credibility of the Republicans' adversaries in Old Media. Both changes help Bush and the Republicans.

Considering the Democratic Party has never been further left on the political spectrum, and the old media has, for the first time in it's history, been held accountable for it's bias, his point is hard to argue with.

Be sure to check the current posts for updates.