Brandon

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Blogger of the Year: Skye at Midnight Blue

Actions Speak Louder Than Words!

New Year's Eve is a good time to reflect on the year that was and take stock of important events and the people who contributed so much to making a difference.

With that in mind, I name Skye, at Midnight Blue as Blogger of the Year!

It's difficult to make an award of this type. There are so many excellent bloggers out there. Some may post more than Skye, others are as equally generous in providing backup in the comments sections of other's blogs as Skye who aptly earned the nickname: "Moonbat Slayer."

What earns Skye distinction above all others is her desire to turn words into action and to prove that one person can make a positive contribution in defending the principles and values we all talk about daily.

Skye Nests with Gathering of Eagles

In March 2007 Skye showed that willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty by leaving the comfort of her home in Philadelphia and fighting a cold as well as frigid weather to attend the first Gathering of Eagles in Washington, D.C.

The Gathering was inspired by patriotic Americans sick of a left wing media culture that insisted we were defeated in Iraq. This event was months ahead of the curve of the surge success that would be acknowledged by the "news" media late in September.

At Mike's America we proudly posted Skye's reports from the Gathering on the National Mall in downtown Washington (here, here, here and here) While many of our blogging friends also participated both at the scene and online, Skye understood that the success of one event was not sufficient to raise public awareness of the vital issues underscored at the first gathering.

So she set about doing her part to promote the second Gathering in May where the Eagles teamed with Rolling Thunder, a group of motor cycle enthusiasts and Vietnam Veterans who make an annual pilgrimage to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington to remember the fallen heroes from that ill-fated war.

Skye made the trip again to D.C. in September for another Gathering of Eagles. You can read all the Eagles related posts at her site Midnight Blue from this link.

Along the way she's met some very interesting people and created a unique personal network of likeminded patriots.

Skye meets uber blogger Michelle Malkin at the September Gathering of Eagles

Wearing her Flopping Aces T-shirt here's Skye at the Gathering of Eagles May 2007 headquarters with founding member Captain Larry Bailey, USN (retired)(bio here, books authored here) a former Navy SEAL and also organizer of Vietnam Veterans for Truth which was instrumental along with the Swiftboat Vets for Truth in getting out the truth about John Kerry during the 2004 presidential campaign.

Going Local for VICTORY!

Skye took the inspiration she received from these D.C. events and applied them at the local level where she has been instrumental in organizing and coordinating a group of pro-VICTORY activists demonstrating America's resolve in downtown Westchester, Pennsylvania on a street corner opposite from the usual defeatist, neosocialist, terrorist appeasing "peace" activists whose voice has been the only one heard for so long.

Christmas VICTORY demonstrators hold the high ground in West Chester, PA opposite the "peace" activists. (photos by Skye)

Skye's blogging has documented the growth of the pro-VICTORY movement in her local community (read her posts on that subject here). Skye has pioneered the use of video-blogging (or as she calls it: a "vlog") and captures the spirit of the pro-VICTORY crowd as well as the sour defeatism and anger of the left.

And she's not afraid to reach out to the defeatists and give those less angry a chance to interact. But that effort has met with stern rebuke from the leaders of the "peace" movement who regard any interaction with the enemy as treason.

Those "peace" leaders Skye's confronted have shown themselves to be suffering from a paranoia and self-induced delusion that makes the average Bush hater seem sane by comparison. One of their leaders, sent out the following email to their members:

Karen Porter
Director The Chester County Peace Movement
P.O. Box 1502,
West Chester, PA 19380-1502
(610) 344-0228
mailto:ccpeacemovement@aol.com
http://www.ccpeace.org/

One of you wrote me last week and suggested we "shun" the counter-protesters [editor:The pro-VICTORY group]. I wasn't quite ready to go to that extreme, but - after yesterday's spectacle on the corner - we must shun them.
...
"Shunning is the act of deliberately avoiding association with, and habitually keeping away from an individual or group. It is a sanction against association often associated with religious groups and other tightly-knit organisations and communities. Targets of shunning can include, but are not limited to apostates, whistleblowers,dissidents, people classified as "sinners" or "traitors" and other people who defy or who fail to comply with the standards established by the shunning group(s). Shunning has a long history as a means of organisational influence and control."

Remember now, this is from the leader of the "peace" activists, a genre of humans who demand tolerance for their dissenting view.

There's more. Ms. Porter goes on to describe the Pro-VICTORY folks:
Here's what the people on that street corner are NOT:

* NOT for the troops
* NOT for the war
* NOT for anything even arguably "good"

Instant replay:
* Picture the Civil Rights Movement - picture dogs on chains and
waterhoses on African Americans.
* Picture jack-booted guards in Nazi concentration camps.
* Picture jack-booted guards in the Soviet Gulag.

The word, "jack-booted" has been in my mind ever since these people first appeared. It means this:Cruelly and violently oppressive: "a revival of the aggressive, jack-booted militarism of the Thirties and Forties".

These people were trained by someone in vicious taunting, in vile language, in cruel tactics. They are dogs on chains. My guess is that at least a couple of them - if, in fact they were ever in the military, and we cannot even believe that - have been trained in the military or elsewhere (Blackwater-type organizations?) in the most vile interrogation tactics. They have been trained, folks, to do what they are doing - which is to break us down.

If you try to have a "friendly" and "peaceful" conversation with them, they have been trained to figure out a way to turn it on you. I have sensed this from the beginning - and have been trying to warn you. But some of you, in your sweet and loving ways, keep trying to talk with them. I'm not asking you now, but I'm telling you: DON'T TALK WITH THEM.
Peaceful Pro-VICTORY demonstrators "trained by Blackwater-type organizations?" Coo-Coo! What's next? Accuse the pro-VICTORY crowd of waterboarding the peaceniks?

As if the above wasn't enough.... More:
So who are these people [The Pro-VICTORY crowd], and what is behind it? Do I think it's more than one disgruntled person? Yes, I do. Without a private nvestigator or authorities investigating (for which I hope we never have cause), I firmly believe
there's "more to this picture":
* Some key elections are coming up - use your imagination.
* The war is growing more and more unpopular.
* This country uses private mercenaries - jackbooted thugs - and
has huge bases for them here in the U.S. for whatever the government wants to do TO us.
...
* They are TRAINED by someone.
* Are they paid? that's my guess - no proof, but I doubt they're doing this free.
* The "Christian right" is on a campaign that is every bit as dangerous as the "jihad" that some characterize extremist Muslims asengaging in. Remember, people who have "God is on tgheir side" will stop at nothing and truly believe that the ends justify the means - they can rationalize everything they do.
Trained and paid! No doubt by Blackwater and Halliburton! Secret bases? You see how hate warps the mind? And she thinks it may be necessary to hire a private investigator? Who is it that's trying to infringe on civil liberties here? There's more, much more, but it reads like the typical communist/pacifist manifesto from people more afraid of the Pro-VICTORY crowd and "right wing Christians" than the Islamists who actually DO want to murder us all.

This is the kind of pathology that Skye confronts cheerfully with a smile and an open hand to those who want to share their views on the life and death issues this nation confronts. And she documents it all with her video blogging (oops, Vlogs).

Skye's Example: One Person Makes a Difference

Skye started her personal VICTORY crusade earlier this year all on her own. Now, she's teamed up with folks like Rich Davis, who started the pro-VICTORY demonstration in West Chester all on his own.

Passion and a dedication to great ideals are never alone for long. They attract growing numbers of patriots who want to be on the right side of history and have their voice heard.

Jack booted thugs trained by Blackwater on secret U.S. bases, funded by Halliburton, gather in Westchester, Pennsylvania last fall. Note the blue bucket in the center. No doubt, they are about ready to start waterboarding the peaceniks! Oh, and There's our own Jennifer Gallagher (who comments at Mike's America) 2nd in from top left.

Some of us may wonder if our own small efforts are worth the trouble? But after learning of Skye's example, each of us must know that whether we go out on the front lines of the political divide as Skye has done, or whether we stick to doing our own thing in our own way we make an impact. Our voices are being heard. We are not alone in our desire to see the flag of this great nation fly high in VICTORY.

The 2008 election will be a key battle determining our nation's course for years to come. Let Skye's example inspire you in the year ahead!

P.S. I haven't told her I would make this award. I encourage all of you who share my admiration for her efforts to visit Midnight Blue and congratulate her.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Huckabee "Jesus Juice" Turning Sour for GOP Voters?

The last time evangelical Christians pulled the lever for a presidential candidate just because he was an evangelical we got Jimmy Carter.

Is history about to repeat itself?

Huckabee's had a tough week as questions about his foreign policy experience, his immigration record as governor and his personal veracity continue to boil in the media.

But, Jonathon Martin, writing for the Politico, describes how Huckabee supporters in Iowa ignore all those questions: "they just like the guy."

Is liking someone enough?

Foreign Policy? Where's the Beef?

In the wake of Benazir Bhutto's assassination in Pakistan Mike Huckabee had a hard time finding Pakistan on the map. First he said it's in the Middle East, it's not. Then he said Afghanistan was on Pakistan's eastern border (that's where India is). And he was totally clueless that the martial law imposed by Pakistan's President Musharraf had been lifted weeks ago.

On Friday, Huckabee said: “We have more Pakistani illegals coming across our border than all of the other nationalities except those immediately south of the border."Again, not true.

His gaffes and missteps on critical foreign policy and national security issues raise the question of who is advising him, if anyone?

After criticism of his article in the journal Foreign Affairs where he insulted the supporters of President Bush by declaring the Bush White House had an "arrogant bunker mentality" Huckabee did not recall if he even wrote those words.

That statement raised questions about just WHO is advising the candidate and helping him formulate his foreign policy?

This week, Huckabee rattled off a list of names of people who he said were helping him on foreign policy issues. Prominent among them was former UN Ambassador John Bolton. On Thursday Huckabee said: "I've corresponded with John Bolton, who's agreed to work with us on developing foreign policy.”

Just one problem: John Bolton has never spoken to Mike Huckabee, nor agreed to help his campaign.“I’m not an official or unofficial adviser to anyone,” said Bolton. In fact, no one on the list of names which includes former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has come forward to say "yeah, I've been helping him."

Huckabee explains away his gaffes and factual errors by insisting that judgement and character are more important. But what does fabricating members of your campaign say about your character and judgement? Haven't we already seen the downside of another presidential candidate, also from Hope Arkansas, with a truth deficit?

Bob Dole Blasts Huckabee Bush Slam

Regarding Huckabee's insulting article in Foreign Affairs, 1996 GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole released this letter:
Dear Governor:

I’m puzzled by your gratuitous slaps at the President in the January/February issue of Foreign Affairs. By the way, I have no special ties to President Bush and I’m not involved in any presidential campaign.

Why have you joined the “Bush bashers?” I know Iowans fairly well and doubt those attending Republican caucuses will appreciate your critical comments. President Bush gets more than his fair share of criticism from the other side and many in the “mainstream” media. They all really must be heartened by your comments.

As a veteran, I worry about the future security of the good people of Iowa and all other Americans. We are engaged in a global war on terror which will not disappear because you imply a willingness, without any preconditions apparently, to sit down with the enemy. Sure we can all find fault with President Bush and his Administration on policy matters and phases of the Iraq policy. I doubt however Iowans will applaud second guessing more than five years after the agony of 9-11, particularly since you have been either silent or supportive during the interim as far as I can determine.

The Foreign Affairs piece is a perfect example of 20-20 hindsight, and wishful thinking in most instances. You make knotty foreign policy issues sound so easy if we would just change our ways. I never was a foreign policy expert though I followed it closely for nearly three decades under Democrat and Republican Presidents.

The great majority of Americans regardless of party, place liberty, freedom and security as top priorities. I’m certain you do too but I am troubled about some of the statements attributed to you in the Foreign Affairs article.

The administration is certainly not perfect, I cannot recall one, but I do not believe it should be your primary foreign policy target. We are a great, compassionate nation and I know you want to keep it so.

To win in 2008 we need to multiply, not divide.

Bob Dole
As Governor, Huckabee explained he did not support strong measures to control illegal immigration in Arkansas because: “I drink a different kind of Jesus juice.” One wonders if fellow evangelicals in Iowa, South Carolina and elsewhere have sipped enough of the Huckabee Kool Aid and are having second thoughts? We'll know soon enough.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Benazir Bhutto Assassinated in Pakistan

A sad day for Pakistan and the fight for freedom!

One of the last photos taken of Benazir Bhutto before the gunman/suicide bomber struck

Former Pakistani Prime Minister, and the first woman to preside over the government of a largely Muslim country, knew the risks when she returned to Pakistan. On her return to the country last October, she noted that a terrorist had kidnapped a child, rigged it with explosives and attempted to hand it to her in a blast that nearly killed her.

Today, the monsters succeeded in killing Ms. Bhutto and throwing Pakistan into chaos.

It's a sad day for Pakistan and a sad day for all those who worked hard under conditions of great personal danger to save Pakistan from extremism and death.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

The Spirit of Christmas Lives Year Round

"It's just another ordinary miracle today. Life is like a gift they say. Wrapped up for you everyday."
From "Ordinary Miracle" by Sarah McLachlan.

Saving Ala'a

At three years of age, Ala'a was found abandoned in the streets of Baghdad afflicted with Cerebral Palsy a condition where the mind is sound, but the body cannot respond normally.

When Capt. Scott Southworth and his Military Police unit visited the Mother Teresa Orphanage in Baghdad, a miracle occurred for at least one Iraqi child. Ala'a dragged his body alongside Capt. Southworth and a bond began which brought Ala'a new hope and enriched the life of Capt. Southworth.

Here's a part of the story, but please read it all:

GI saves Iraqi boy in long-shot adoption
By CARRIE ANTLFINGER
Associated Press
Dec 23, 2007

...Over the next 10 months, the unit returned to the orphanage again and again. The soldiers would race kids in their wheelchairs, sit them in Humvees and help the sisters feed them.

To Southworth, Ala'a was like a little brother. But Ala'a — who had longed for a soldier to rescue him — secretly began referring to Southworth as "Baba," Arabic for "Daddy."

Then, around Christmas, a sister told Southworth that Ala'a was getting too big. He would have to move to a government-run facility within a year.

"Best case scenario was that he would stare at a blank wall for the rest of his life," Southworth said.

To this day, he recalls the moment when he resolved that that would not happen.

"I'll adopt him," he said.
Adopting a handicapped child from a foreign country who requires lifelong care is not an easy committment to make and even harder to fulfill. But Capt. Southworth persisted.

Southworth's decision was cemented in spring 2004, while he and his comrades watched Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of the Christ." Jesus Christ's sacrifice moved him. He imagined meeting Christ and Ala'a in heaven, where Ala'a asked: "Baba, why didn't you ever come back to get me?"

"Everything that I came up with as a response I felt ashamed. I wouldn't want to stand in the presence of Jesus and Ala'a and say those things to him."

And so, in his last weeks in Iraq, Southworth got approval from Iraq's Minister of Labor to take Ala'a to the United States for medical care.
...
A local doctor, a cerebral palsy expert, a Minneapolis hospital, all said they would provide Ala'a free care. Other letters of support came from a minister, the school district, the lieutenant governor, a congressman, chaplain, a sister at the orphanage and an Iraqi doctor.

"We crossed political boundaries. We crossed religious boundaries. There was just a massive effort — all on behalf of this little boy who desperately needed people to actually take some action and not just feel sorry for him," Southworth says.

He mailed the packet on Dec. 16, 2004, to the Department of Homeland Security.

On New Year's Eve, his cell phone rang. It was Ala'a.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked him.

"I was praying,'" Ala'a responded.

"Well, what were you praying for?"

"I prayed that you would come to take me to America," Ala'a said.

Southworth almost dropped the phone. Ala'a knew nothing of his efforts, and he couldn't tell him yet for fear that the boy might inadvertently tell the wrong person, upending the delicate process.
...
Ala'a's English has improved and he loves music and school, math and reading especially. He gets mad when snow keeps him home, even though it's his second favorite thing, after his father.

At first, he didn't want to talk about Iraq; he would grow angry when someone tried to talk to him in Arabic. But in the fall of 2006, Scott showed Ala'a's classmates an Arabic version of "Sesame Street" and boasted how Ala'a knew two languages and could teach them.

Soon he was teaching his aide and his grandmother, LaVone.

LaVone is a fixture in Ala'a's life, supporting her son as he juggles his career and fatherhood. One day, she asked Ala'a if he missed his friends in Iraq.

Would he like to visit them?

Big tears filled his eyes.

"Well, honey, what's the matter?" asked LaVone.

"Oh, no, Grandma. No. Baba says that I can come to live with him forever," he pleaded.

"Oh, no, no," he grandmother said, crying as well. "We would never take you back and leave you there forever. We want you to be Baba's boy forever."
...
But Ala'a — who picked out his own name, which means to be near God — knows he's where he belongs. Southworth always says Ala'a picked him, not the other way around. They were brought together, Southworth believes, by a "web of miracles."

Ala'a likes to sing Sarah McLachlan's song, "Ordinary Miracle," from "Charlotte's Web," one of his favorite movies. His head and body lean to one side as he sings off-key.
Ordinary Miracle
Sarah McLachlan
(music video here)

It’s not that unusual
When everything is beautiful.
It’s just another ordinary miracle today.

The sky knows when its time to snow,
Don’t need to teach a seed to grow.
It’s just another ordinary miracle today.

Life is like a gift they say
Wrapped up for you everyday;
Open up and find a way
To give some of your own.

Isn’t it remarkable?
Like every time a rain drop falls,
It’s just another ordinary miracle today.

Birds in winter have their fling
But always make it home by spring.
It’s just another ordinary miracle today.

When you wake up everyday
Please don’t throw your dreams away;
Hold them close to your heart
Cause we’re all a part
Of the ordinary miracle.
Ordinary miracle

Do you want to see a miracle?
ohh ohh ohh, ohhh ohh ohh...

It seems so exceptional
That things just work out after all.
It’s just another ordinary miracle today.

Sun comes up and shines so bright
And disappears again at night.
It’s just another ordinary miracle today.
ohh ohh ohh, ohh ohhh ohh...
It’s just another ordinary miracle today.



Ala'a and "Baba" home in Wisconsin. Just another ordinary miracle brought about by extraordinary men and women in the U.S. military.

Thank you Cajun Tiger and Wordsmith for bringing this Christmas miracle to our attention!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas



Silent Night
By Father Josef Mohr & Franz X. Gruber
Played here by: Michael Allen Harrison from Fireside Carols

Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in Heavenly peace
Sleep in Heavenly peace

Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from Heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born

Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy Holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth


Throughout the year, we're buffeted by storms both political and natural. But today in the South Carolina Lowcountry all is quiet. Whever you are and whatever your faith, I hope that the spirit of Christmas brings you Joy and Peace today and throughout the year to come.

Merry Christmas from Mike's America.

Direct link for 'Slient Night' MP3

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Huckabee for Stronger Military, Stronger Families

Gee... Where have we heard this before?

[note:] I was going to go all Christmas for the next several days. But seeing as how Mike Huckabee is campaigning today and attending fundraisers, this news story is appropriate as well.

When Mitt Romney visited Mike's America in November, he laid out the three pillars of his plan:
1. Strengthen our military (100,000 more troops and upgraded equipment) 2. Strengthen our economy (No taxes on savings or investments for those under $200,000 income) and 3. Strengthen our families (support traditional marriage).

Mitt Romney's been saying this since at least May, as his web site documents.

And now the Huckster:

Huckabee: Stronger Military, Families

Dec 22 04:16 PM US/Eastern
By LIBBY QUAID
Associated Press Writer

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee appealed to Iowa conservatives on two fronts Saturday, calling for a stronger military and stronger families.

Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who jumped to a lead in Iowa polls earlier this month, wants a drastic increase in regular forces to ease the strain on National Guard and reserve units being called up for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We need to have a larger regular force to make sure we are capable if we do have to go into battle, and let's pray to God that we don't," Huckabee told about 120 people in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
...
On his final stretch of campaigning before the Christmas holiday, Huckabee underlined his lifelong opposition to abortion and gay marriage, issues that will likely drive many churchgoers to the Jan. 3 caucuses in Iowa. He spent Saturday traveling the western edge of Iowa, the most conservative part of the state.

Funny how Huckabee omitted the third pillar of Romney's plan for a better America, which is to strengthen the economy by keeping taxes low. Seems Huckabee's habit of raising taxes in Arkansas (There wasn't a tax he didn't like --video here)is a hard one to break.

Let's recap: So far, Huckabee has stolen Barack Hussein Obama's foreign policy ideas, John McCain's long standing demand for more troops in Iraq and now Mitt Romney's stronger America program.

What's next? Take a page from the Ron Paul nutroots and suggest the September 11th attacks were an inside job?

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Hillary's "Experience" Getting Her into Trouble in Campaign

The Mistress of the "politics of personal destruction" can't seem to help herself!

With the Norman Hsu/Chinese funny money fundraising scandal as a backdrop, I visited Little Rock, Arkansas in September to retrace the steps of other Clinton scandals, particularly with an eye to Hillary's participation in them.

What I learned was that Hillary's fingerprints were all over the misdeeds that ran all the way to the White House. No wonder she hasn't wanted anyone to see many of her records in the Clinton Liebrary.

Hillary's "experience" with campaigning has also drawn a fair amount of attention in the past few weeks. Voter's across the country are reminded that this was the woman who said that any criticism of her or her husband Bill, or any attempt to hold them accountable to the same standard they daily demand of others was an example of "the politics of personal destruction."

And yet, when it comes to the slime ball politics of personal destruction, no one does it better than Hillary.

Anatomy of a Clinton Smear

Here's the modus operandi for the Clinton attacks. The candidate herself is not the one seen to be doing the sliming. A second or third tier campaign advisor does the deed and is prepared to fall on his or her sword and resign after making an apology that also restates the original smear.

Obama A Drug Dealer?

The best illustration of the Clinton "experience" in this brand of slime politics is raising questions about Obama's admitted drug use. In New Hampshire, Bill Shaheen, husband of the current Governor, himself a candidate for U.S. Senate and a National Co-Chair for Hillary's campaign raised questions with a subliminal racist undertone by wondering whether Obama sold drugs. All the while insisting that his comment was not an attack, but that the Republicans would be making it an issue if Obama was the nominee!

Oh those wrascally Wepublicans! They made him do it!

The comment made the earlier Hillary campaign questions about Obama's essay in Kindergarten (in INDONESIA, a largely Muslim nation...) seem mild by comparison. Hillary rushed to apologize to Obama personally and her campaign put out this statement: "Senator Clinton personally apologized to Senator Obama this morning, and reiterated that this was not anything that came from the campaign or that we condone," Clinton's New Hampshire spokeswoman Kathleen Strand said in a statement.

And yet, that same day, Hillary's Chief Strategist Mark Penn was on the MSNBC show Hardball and again referenced the charge by using the word "cocaine" twice. Here's a short clip of that video.

And even now, Media Matters, the left wing media attack machine which Hillary Clinton claims to have started, is keeping the story alive with a Friday post on what is now an eight day old story.

If this wasn't such a nasty, racist smear we might almost admire the artful way in which the deed was done and the story given new life so that more and more voters will be wondering: "Did Obama deal drugs? Was he a Coke Head?"

What's next? Remember the Bob Novak November column that said Hillary's campaign is sitting on "scandalous" information but wouldn't release it? Will someone in Hillary's camp now leak it that Obama is currently still using drugs? Who knows.

Former Senator Bob Kerrey Endorses Hillary, Admires B. HUSSEIN Obama's Muslim Heritage

Earlier this month, not one, but two workers on Hillary's Iowa campaign were fired after sending out emails suggesting that Obama might be a Muslim and wondering if he was some sort of "Manchurian candidate" for Muslims.

Next, we get the campaign statement: "There is no place in our campaign, or any campaign, for this kind of politics," Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle said in a statement Wednesday. "A volunteer county coordinator made the mistake of forwarding an outrageous and offensive chain e-mail. This was wholly unauthorized and we were totally unaware of it."

Hillary Clinton looks on as former Senator Bob Kerrey "endorses" Hillary in Iowa, December 16.

Just this past week, former Senator Bob Kerrey (a member of the 9/11 Commission) endorsed Hillary Clinton, but went out of his way to praise Obama's Muslim heritage and repeatedly used Obama's middle name which is Hussein (same as in Saddam Hussein).

"His name is Barack Hussein Obama," said Kerrey. I know that middle name is seen as a weakness by Republicans, but I don't think it is.

Again with the Republicans. See a pattern here?

Hard to deny that such tactics are not fully authorized by the campaign when the candidate is standing next to you as you dish the dirt!

As with previous slimes, the the apology is the next step. Then, Kerrey went on televison and not only repeated what he said but also added that Obama attended a Muslim madrassa in Indonesia and repeated the Iowa line about an “Islamic Manchurian candidate” .

When it Comes to Slime, Edwards Gets a Dose Too!

In this same week, Elizabeth Edwards, wife of candidate John Edwards and herself terminally ill, said: "Republicans should scare us in a lot of ways." Perhaps she ought to worry a bit more about what the Clinton slime machine has in store for her and her husband if John Edwards starts to advance in the polls.

The Clinton slime machine effort regarding Edwards was cartoonish. Using the National Enquirer which is owned in part by Clinton backer Robert Altman, who worked in the first Clinton Administration and is hoping to be Treasury Secretary in a Hillary Administration.

The Enquirer story on Edwards was the usual sort of trailer trash gossip that might appeal to many Dem voters.

No apology this time. Just wait your turn John Edwards. The "experienced" Clintonistas will get to you when the time comes.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Condi Rice to Mike Huckabee: Go Huck Yourself!

Well, she didn't say THAT it in public, but she did say:

Rice Rejects Huckabee Criticism
Associated Press
Dec 21 11:43

Rice: 'Ludicrous' To Call Foreign Policy Arrogant and Unilateral

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a brief foray into politics, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday denounced comments by a leading Republican presidential candidate that the Bush administration's foreign policy is arrogant and unilateral.
"The idea that somehow this is a go-it-alone policy is just simply ludicrous," she said at a State Department news conference. "One would only have to be not observing the facts, let me say that, to say that this is now a go-it-alone foreign policy."

Her remarks came in response to a question about criticism from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who has surged in the polls to become a front-runner in the upcoming Iowa caucuses for the GOP presidential nomination. Huckabee recently said the administration's foreign policy was characterized by a "bunker mentality."

Rice did not mention Huckabee by name in her response and at first declined to respond, saying dismissively: "Look, I don't comment on other people's comments. I don't have time, all right. I really don't have time to worry about this."

But she then launched into a vigorous defense of the administration's multilateral diplomatic efforts on Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran, and pointed to improving ties with traditional allies in Europe, some of which were strained by the Iraq war.

"We have right now probably the strongest trans-Atlantic relations ... I would say in a very long time," Rice said, noting in particular Britain, France and Germany.

"We're working with allies in Europe, Russia and China on Iran. The (NATO) alliance is mobilized together in Afghanistan," she said. "We had 50-plus countries at Annapolis to launch the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. We're working together with allies in Lebanon.

"I can go on and on and on and on," Rice concluded. "And so, I would just say to people, look at the facts.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Why All the Global Warming Alarmism?

Hint: It's not to save the planet!

  • Former Vice President Al Gore (November 5, 2007): “There are still people who believe that the Earth is flat.” (LINK) Gore also compared global warming skeptics to people who 'believe the moon landing was actually staged in a movie lot in Arizona' (June 20, 2006 - LINK
  • CNN’s Miles O’Brien (July 23, 2007): The scientific debate is over.” “We're done." O’Brien also declared on CNN on February 9, 2006 that scientific skeptics of man-made catastrophic global warming “are bought and paid for by the fossil fuel industry, usually.” (LINK)
  • On July 27, 2006, Associated Press reporter Seth Borenstein described a scientist as “one of the few remaining scientists skeptical of the global warming harm caused by industries that burn fossil fuels.” (LINK)
  • Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the IPCC view on the number of skeptical scientists as quoted on Feb. 20, 2003: “About 300 years ago, a Flat Earth Society was founded by those who did not believe the world was round. That society still exists; it probably has about a dozen members.” (LINK)
  • Andrew Dessler in the eco-publication Grist Magazine (November 21, 2007): “While some people claim there are lots of skeptical climate scientists out there, if you actually try to find one, you keep turning up the same two dozen or so (e.g., Singer, Lindzen, Michaels, Christy, etc., etc.). These skeptics are endlessly recycled by the denial machine, so someone not paying close attention might think there are lots of them out there -- but that's not the case. (LINK)
  • The Washington Post asserted on May 23, 2006 that there were only “a handful of skeptics” of man-made climate fears. (LINK)
  • ABC News Global Warming Reporter Bill Blakemore reported on August 30, 2006: “After extensive searches, ABC News has found no such [scientific] debate” on global warming. (LINK)

Why make such absolute statements? It's because the wheels of the global warming express are coming off. Every year, more and more people are learning that the alarmist and absolutist statements of the global warming zealots are nothing more than scaremongering and political cover for an effort to hamstring the U.S. economy and give more power to the U.N.

Earlier this week Curt pulled another skin off the onion of the great global warming hoax. And if I can toss in another cliche, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Here's the iceberg, and it isn't melting:

excerpts from:
U.S. Senate Report: Over 400 Prominent Scientists Disputed Man-Made Global Warming Claims in 2007
Senate Report Debunks "Consensus"
December 20, 2007

UN IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri urged the world at the December 2007 UN climate conference in Bali, Indonesia to "Please listen to the voice of science.”

Background: Only 52 Scientists Participated in UN IPCC Summary

The over 400 skeptical scientists featured in this new report outnumber by nearly eight times the number of scientists who participated in the 2007 UN IPCC Summary for Policymakers. The notion of "hundreds" or "thousands" of UN scientists agreeing to a scientific statement does not hold up to scrutiny. (See report debunking "consensus" LINK) Recent research by Australian climate data analyst Dr. John McLean revealed that the IPCC's peer-review process for the Summary for Policymakers leaves much to be desired. (LINK)

Proponents of man-made global warming like to note how the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the American Meteorological Society (AMS) have issued statements endorsing the so-called "consensus" view that man is driving global warming. But both the NAS and AMS never allowed member scientists to directly vote on these climate statements. Essentially, only two dozen or so members on the governing boards of these institutions produced the "consensus" statements. This report gives a voice to the rank-and-file scientists who were shut out of the process. (LINK)

The most recent attempt to imply there was an overwhelming scientific "consensus" in favor of man-made global warming fears came in December 2007 during the UN climate conference in Bali. A letter signed by only 215 scientists urged the UN to mandate deep cuts in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. But absent from the letter were the signatures of these alleged "thousands" of scientists. (See AP article: - LINK )

The science has continued to grow loud and clear in 2007. In addition to the growing number of scientists expressing skepticism, an abundance of recent peer-reviewed studies have cast considerable doubt about man-made global warming fears. A November 3, 2007 peer-reviewed study found that "solar changes significantly alter climate." (LINK) A December 2007 peer-reviewed study recalculated and halved the global average surface temperature trend between 1980 - 2002. (LINK) Another new study found the Medieval Warm Period "0.3C warmer than 20th century" (LINK)

A peer-reviewed study by a team of scientists found that "warming is naturally caused and shows no human influence." (LINK) - Another November 2007 peer-reviewed study in the journal Physical Geography found "Long-term climate change is driven by solar insolation changes." (LINK ) These recent studies were in addition to the abundance of peer-reviewed studies earlier in 2007. - See "New Peer-Reviewed Scientific Studies Chill Global Warming Fears" (LINK )

With this new report of profiling 400 skeptical scientists, the world can finally hear the voices of the "silent majority" of scientists.

....
Over 400 prominent scientists from more than two dozen countries recently voiced significant objections to major aspects of the so-called "consensus" on man-made global warming. These scientists, many of whom are current and former participants in the UN IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), criticized the climate claims made by the UN IPCC and former Vice President Al Gore.

The new report issued by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s office of the GOP Ranking Member details the views of the scientists, the overwhelming majority of whom spoke out in 2007.

This blockbuster Senate report lists the scientists by name, country of residence, and academic/institutional affiliation. It also features their own words, biographies, and weblinks to their peer reviewed studies and original source materials as gathered from public statements, various news outlets, and websites in 2007. This new “consensus busters” report is poised to redefine the debate.
...
The distinguished scientists featured in this new report are experts in diverse fields, including: climatology; oceanography; geology; biology; glaciology; biogeography; meteorology; oceanography; economics; chemistry; mathematics; environmental sciences; engineering; physics and paleoclimatology. Some of those profiled have won Nobel Prizes for their outstanding contribution to their field of expertise and many shared a portion of the UN IPCC Nobel Peace Prize with Vice President Gore.

Additionally, these scientists hail from prestigious institutions worldwide, including: Harvard University; NASA; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR); Massachusetts Institute of Technology; the UN IPCC; the Danish National Space Center; U.S. Department of Energy; Princeton University; the Environmental Protection Agency; University of Pennsylvania; Hebrew University of Jerusalem; the International Arctic Research Centre; the Pasteur Institute in Paris; the Belgian Weather Institute; Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute; the University of Helsinki; the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S., France, and Russia; the University of Pretoria; University of Notre Dame; Stockholm University; University of Melbourne; University of Columbia; the World Federation of Scientists; and the University of London.

The voices of many of these hundreds of scientists serve as a direct challenge to the often media-hyped "consensus" that the debate is "settled."

400 Scientists who insist that the "science" of man made global warming is NOT settled. They can't all be wrong. So again, why the rush to impose a socialist and one world government solution to a problem that may not exist?

Time of Testing for Rudy Campaign

It's been tough sledding for the Rudy campaign lately. As I pointed out earlier in the week, Romney and Huckabee are getting all the attention. And Rudy is continuing to slip in nationwide polls.

Even the candidate is under the weather. Rudy's plan had to return to the Chesterfield, Missouri airport Wednesday night as the candidate became ill with flu-like symptoms. He was taken to a hospital in St. Louis where he is apparently doing well after a check up.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director and former editor-in-chief of the Hotline, goes into more detail about the ups and downs of Rudy's campaign and the great unknown for the future:

Whither Rudy?
Giuliani's camp struggles with an Iowa-New Hampshire conundrum
By Chuck Todd
Political Director
NBC News
Dec. 18, 2007

These should be great days for Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign.

With long shot Mike Huckabee supplanting Mitt Romney as the frontrunner in Iowa, the early state fight among the Republicans is a jumbled mess. And that's the exact same scenario that the Giuliani campaign has been counting on for its big state delegate strategy to work.

And yet, there's something amiss right now with Giuliani's effort.

Perhaps it was fitting that during the last Republican debate, Giuliani's podium was off to the side, almost out of the picture. Save from a few negative stories in the New York tabs and the tough "Meet the Press" interview earlier this month, Giuliani has seemed to shrink away from the current campaign narrative.

His camp tried to insert Giuliani back into the mix with speech last weekend in Florida. The speech read well, though how the campaign chose to showcase it was just plain odd.
...
I get the idea of the speech and the symbolism surrounding Florida. But why not speak on a Monday, and drive the news chatter for the rest of the week? Or why not do it on a Thursday and get people talking over the weekend? Saturday news events can get lost, and this one, in particular, was about trying to get the press to refocus its Giuliani narrative (which was getting lost) and they did it on the hardest day to make news.

But let's forget the critique of how the speech played, and let’s delve into why the Giuliani folks felt they need to do it.

Between the religious fireworks started by Huckabee and Romney and the Clinton campaign's panic attacks, Giuliani is barely registering on the press corps' radar.

He hasn’t made either Iowa or New Hampshire a priority, though he hasn’t totally ruled out campaigning in either state either.

So the question is, did Giuliani's camp miscalculate this decision to "kinda, sorta" campaign in the early states? One can sense the conflict in how the campaign goes about putting together its Iowa and New Hampshire itineraries.
...
In hindsight, Giuliani should have either made a full bore effort in every state or skipped the first two states altogether.

Of course, part of Giuliani's pitch has been that he's the most electable Republican and "electable" candidates can't skip participating in swing states like Iowa and New Hampshire.

This may be why Team Rudy decided they couldn't totally call in sick. So then, why not seriously contest both states?
...
Giuliani seems to be a candidate without a home right now. Florida’s Jan. 29 primary can’t come soon enough. But there's good news for Giuliani, with Iowa and New Hampshire being so chaotic currently; exactly the scenario he needs to coalesce the large states.

Al Gore tried this strategy in ’88, and while he became a player in the campaign late in the cycle, he couldn’t close the deal. Giuliani’s trying something that’s never been done before. But we have a calendar that we’ve never had before so the idea of something out of the ordinary happening is entirely possible.
...
Still, Giuliani needs to figure out how to be relevant in the news cycle between now and Jan. 9. Because his lead is slipping in the national polls and because Iraq and terrorism have been trumped by immigration, the economy and character as issues, the Giuliani camp is having a hard time selling the press on the idea that Iowa and New Hampshire are about winnowing the GOP field between Giuliani and an anti-Giuliani candidate.

It’s not that clear-cut and unless the Giuliani folks can work some magic between now and then, they need to hope Rudy catches fire in New Hampshire, pulls a surprise third place showing in Iowa, chaos reigns supreme in both states, or Hillary Clinton takes off.

Don't forget, there’s been no greater campaign asset for Giuliani than the threat of Hillary Clinton as president.
I've been a fan of Rudy's for many years. He has certainly added some pizazz to the earlier portion of the campaign but seems to be MIA lately. Whether he can turn that around before the January 29th Florida primary remains to be seen. With Romney, Huckabee and now McCain in New Hampshire getting so much attention Rudy will have an even more difficult time getting noticed.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

More Good News from Iraq

More bad news for defeatist Dems and Al Queda!

The latest quarterly report, mandated by Congress as a condition of war funding for Iraq, is out. It's bad news for those who still insist the surge isn't working, or that U.S. troops are mired in a civil war or that there is no political progress.

What a shame! We're actually winning.

What is winning? As defined by President Bush and stated at the beginning of the report:

Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq
December 2007
Report to Congress
In accordance with the
Department of Defense Appropriations Act 2007
(Section 9010, Public Law 109-289)
Department of Defense (PDF)

The strategic goal of the United States in Iraq remains a unified, democratic and federal Iraq that can govern, defend and sustain itself and is an ally in the war on terror.
...
The number of security incidents has fallen significantly and is now at levels last seen in the summer of 2005. Although ethno-sectarian violence continues to be a concern, overall civilian casualties, enemy attacks and total improvised explosive device attacks have decreased markedly over the reporting period.
What Americans care most about and are anxious to see is further proof of the decline in violence. Three charts illustrate that perfectly:


Much of the report deals with the phony benchmarks insisted upon by Democrats in Congress as a condition for war funding and an excuse for insisting on withdrawal if the benchmarks are not fully met. Though it has not happened in precisely the way Democrats attempted to define it, progress has occurred on the political, economic and security front.

And when one considers that Iraq has made more progress under extraordinarily difficult conditions than Democrats have made as they close out the legislative year in comfy Washington, we can only wish that someone would apply benchmarks to Democrats instead of the other way around.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

GOP 2008: Playoffs to Begin in 16 Days

Rudy Big Loser in Huckabee-Romney Fight!

Mitt Romney's campaign site has a counter that marks the days, hours, minutes and seconds before the Iowa Caucus on January 3, 2008 which kicks off the start of the caucus and primary season for the 2008 presidential election. As of Tuesday, December 18, it stands at 16 days befoer the fun begins.

The header at Mike's America marks a daily countdown to South Carolina's GOP presidential primary on January 19th . As of Tuesday, it's 32 days to polling day for the GOP's "First in the South" contest.

While those clocks tick away and in between holiday celebrations the campaigns of GOP presidential hopefuls race to get their message out and their campaigns organized.

Here's a look at the playing field as of today:

Huckabee, Romney Sucking Oxygen from the Room
But watch out! John McCain is sneaking up!

Fred Thompson had a good week last week with his refusal to partcipate in the puppet show of hands at the Iowa Debate. But that was last week. And it was sandwiched in between weeks where both Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney have dominated GOP news coverage.

Mike Huckabee (campaign web site) continues to be the wild card in early 2008 contests. But his support reflected by the Real Clear polling averages in both Iowa and South Carolina has leveled off as it has for the other candidates.

The man in the best position to capitalize on any "Stop Huck" movement in the electorate is Mitt Romney, who is second to Huckabee in Iowa and South Carolina averages but maintains his lead in New Hampshire.

There's no question that Romney has had a couple of good weeks, in part because of Huckabee. First, Romney gave what was widely regarded as an excellent speech on religion at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library on December 6th. Next Huckabee handed him an early Christmas present by making the bigoted remark about Mormons believing Jesus and the Devil were brothers.

Lately, Romney struck back at the Huck for insulting President Bush with his article in the journal Foreign Affairs where Huckabee suggested that the Bush White House had an "arrogant bunker mentality." Romney demanded Hucakbee apologize to President Bush and has said in campaign remarks that “The language he chose is the language you’re hearing from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.”

If any other GOP candidate made a similar statement, it got lost in the noise.

It's clear that the Huckabee boomlet has given Romney a tactical advantage. Should the Huck-bubble burst he will benefit most. Monday's SC Rasmussen poll backs that up showing Huckabee has fallen from the lead and is now tied with Romney at 23% each. Meanwhile, today he's campaigning hard in South Carolina as he is in all the early states.

McCain Not Finished!

McCain needed some good news and this week, he got it. Building on an earlier endorsement from the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper he received a spate of newspaper endorsements in both Iowa and New Hampshire. Perhaps even more newsworthy was the endorsement of Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT).

John McCain made New Hampshire, which holds it primary five days after the Iowa Caucus, a must-win for his campaign. And from the latest RCP New Hampshire polling averages that doesn't look as difficult as it did a month ago. McCain has rocketed to second place behind Romney. A win, or even strong second-place finish would give McCain the "big mo" going into South Carolina where he has settled into 5th place.

Where's Rudy?

The big unanswered question in all this is where is Rudy Giuliani? He gave an excellent speech in Florida on December 15th laying out his vision for America and proclaiming he's "Tested. Ready. Now." It got some notice but was mostly lost in the noise over Huckabee and Romney. It may have been a mistake for Rudy to hope that Huckabee and Romney would weaken each other with negative attacks. It seems their exchanges have hurt Giuliani more than each other.

Rudy was never serious about winning Iowa, but it now looks like he may have been outflanked in New Hampshire by the surging John McCain. Rudy is reported to be scaling back efforts in New Hampshire and erecting what he hopes will be a firewall of support in Florida, bypassing South Carolina in the process.

That may be his best option as he still maintains a slight lead in Florida with Huckabee closing in and Romney beginning to tick up as well. It's always been part of Rudy's plan to use Florida's primary on January 29th as the springboard to victories in big Super Tuesday states on February 5th.

The question is, with all the attention going to contests in these early states, will Huckabee, Romney or McCain slice off enough Rudy support in Florida to prevent Rudy from getting that must-win throwing his entire strategy into disarray? Or, if that race is very tight, will Super Tuesday then become an exciting, nail-biting free for all?

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Guess Who?

Hint: It was nine years ago today. Long before the September 11th attacks:

I want to explain why I have decided, with the unanimous recommendation of my national security team, to use force in Iraq, why we have acted now and what we aim to accomplish.

Six weeks ago, Saddam Hussein announced that he would no longer cooperate with the United Nations weapons inspectors, called UNSCOM. ...The inspectors undertook this mission, first, seven and a half years ago, at the end of the Gulf War, when Iraq agreed to declare and destroy its arsenal as a condition of the cease-fire.

The international community had good reason to set this requirement. Other countries possess weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. With Saddam, there's one big difference: he has used them, not once but repeatedly -- unleashing chemical weapons against Iranian troops during a decade-long war, not only against soldiers, but against civilians; firing Scud missiles at the citizens of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iran -- not only against a foreign enemy, but even against his own people, gassing Kurdish civilians in Northern Iraq.

The international community had little doubt then, and I have no doubt today, that left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again.
...
I made it very clear at that time what "unconditional cooperation" meant, based on existing U.N. resolutions and Iraq's own commitments. And along with Prime Minister Blair of Great Britain, I made it equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully, we would be prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning.

Now, over the past three weeks, the U.N. weapons inspectors have carried out their plan for testing Iraq's cooperation. The testing period ended this weekend, and last night, UNSCOM's Chairman, Richard Butler, reported the results to U.N. Secretary General Annan. The conclusions are stark, sobering and profoundly disturbing.
...
So Iraq has abused its final chance. As the UNSCOM report concludes -- and again I quote -- "Iraq's conduct ensured that no progress was able to be made in the fields of disarmament. In light of this experience, and in the absence of full cooperation by Iraq, it must, regrettably, be recorded again that the Commission is not able to conduct the work mandated to it by the Security Council with respect to Iraq's prohibited weapons program."

In short, the inspectors are saying that, even if they could stay in Iraq, their work would be a sham. Saddam's deception has defeated their effectiveness. Instead of the inspectors disarming Saddam, Saddam has disarmed the inspectors.

This situation presents a clear and present danger to the stability of the Persian Gulf and the safety of people everywhere. The international community gave Saddam one last chance to resume cooperation with the weapons inspectors. Saddam has failed to seize the chance.
...
The hard fact is that so long as Saddam remains in power, he threatens the well-being of his people, the peace of his region, the security of the world. The best way to end that threat once and for all is with the new Iraqi government, a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people.
...
Heavy as they are, the costs of action must be weighed against the price of inaction. If Saddam defies the world and we fail to respond, we will face a far greater threat in the future. Saddam will strike again at his neighbors; he will make war on his own people. And mark my words, he will develop weapons of mass destruction. He will deploy them, and he will use them. Because we are acting today, it is less likely that we will face these dangers in the future.

December 16, 1998

I'm sure you've guessed by now. Here's the link to the full statement in the Clinton Library and National Archives. Perhaps we have a better idea of why Hillary wants to keep as much of that archive off limits? Too many reminders.

If you're a liberal reading the above, perhaps for the first time, you might be having some difficulty now. Maybe a slight headache in the left temporal lobe of your brain? How can this be? You thought it was Bush who lied to us about Saddam Hussein being a threat to the world with weapons of mass destruction. Did the then Governor of Texas and then Halliburton President Dick Cheney have some secret power over Bill Clinton? Another Monica perhaps?

Or was President Clinton just trying to appease all those nasty Republicans in the U.S. Congress who were busy impeaching him?

If it's easy to forget or dismiss the words of President Clinton above, it's probably easier to forget that senior Senate Democrats from Daschle, John Kerry and Carl Levin also sent President Clinton a letter in October, 1998 demanding that the U.S. "respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."

And of course let's not forget that Democrats in the House voted overwhelmingly for the passage of the Iraq Liberation Act and the Senate passed it unanimously.

It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime. Iraq Liberation Act of 1998
It Took a Bush To Get the Job Done

Despite all the Democrat chest thumping and Bill Clinton bomb dropping Saddam still remained a threat with weapons of mass destruction well into the Bush Administration. It took the resolve of President Bush leading our allies in the successful effort to remove Saddam and place Iraq on the path to democracy long demanded by both Democrat and Republican elected officials.

Reading Clinton's statement today, it seems lost in a time warp. With Democrats who previously clamored for the removal of Saddam Hussein continuing to oppose the successful effort to do just that and bring Iraq back into the family of nations.

My how time flies when you are having fun! And how easy it is for some to forget what is no longer convenient to remember.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

A "Hucked Up" Foreign Policy

Mike Huckabee: Not ready for prime time!

Until recently, I was prepared to like GOP Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. His folksy, humorous way in the presidential debates was refreshing. But he is the first to admit that he has little foreign policy experience. He recently joked: "I may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.”

Sorry Mike, but we are not electing a Quipper in Chief, but a Commander in Chief charged with the most serious life and death responsibilities. And from the piece below, it's clear I'd say Huckabee hasn't done much deep thinking on the issue either.
America's Priorities in the War on Terror
Islamists, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan
By Michael D. Huckabee
Foreign Affairs , January/February 2008

Summary: The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out. In particular, it should focus on eliminating Islamist terrorists, stabilizing Iraq, containing Iran, and toughening its stance with Pakistan.
Read the whole thing. Huckabee goes on to describe how we need to take the Islamist threat seriously, but also reach out to moderate Muslims and foster democracy. What did he do? Visit the White House web site, pick out one of President Bush's strategy papers, scratch Bush's name off the plan and write his own at the top?

But Huckabee doesn't just parrot Bush Administration talking points. He's all for making nice with Iran and invading Pakistan. Hmmm... heard that before too haven't we? (here and here). If GOP voters were so keen on voting for Obama's naive, weak and dangerous foreign policy they still have time to re-register and vote in the Democrat primaries.

Not content to parrot Bush or Obama, Huckabee also steals a page from the McCain playbook by re-running the "not enough troops in Iraq" bit and saying we should have supported the plan by General Eric Shinseki, the former army chief of staff who recommended sending hundreds of thousands more troops into Iraq from the beginning. Hindsight may be wonderful, but it's not leadership.

But what makes me even madder is how Huckabee's article is being reported:
Huckabee Sees WH 'Bunker Mentality'
By LIBBY QUAID

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Mike Huckabee, who has joked about his lack of foreign policy experience, is criticizing the Bush administration's efforts, denouncing a go-it-alone "arrogant bunker mentality" and questioning decisions on Iraq.

Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor now running for the Republican presidential nomination, lays out a policy plan that is long on optimism but short on details in the January-February issue of the journal Foreign Affairs, which is published by the Council on Foreign Relations. A copy of his article was released Friday.

"American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out," Huckabee said. "The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. My administration will recognize that the United States' main fight today does not pit us against the world but pits the world against the terrorists."

In one specific criticism, Huckabee said Bush did not send enough troops to invade Iraq. And he accused the president of marginalizing Gen. Eric Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, who said at the outset of the war that it might take several hundred thousand U.S. troops to control Iraq after the invasion. "I would have met with Shinseki privately and carefully weighed his advice," Huckabee said.
I can't tell you how mad this made me. President Bush has undertaken one of the most difficult and boldest national security programs in the last 50 years. At every step along the way his efforts have been obstructed by blind Democrat oppostion to nearly every policy that has been so successful in keeping this nation safe during the years since the September 11th attacks.

Huckabee's words are a personal insult to those of us who have poured both heart and soul into support for President Bush and stood by him on the road to VICTORY when others were abandoning him for political gain.

Besides, as pointed out above, we already have one candidate in the GOP race who has been on the record with many of these points for years: John McCain. And at least McCain's got solid national security experience. We don't need another Bush critic in the GOP race.

When it comes to Huckabee: JUST SAY NO!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Barney Cam Captures White House Christmas

See the video here and save the soundtrack of MP3's. Even Former British Prime Minster made a cameo appearance.

Mrs. Laura Bush sits with Barney and Miss Beazley before the White House Christmas tree, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2007, in the Blue Room of the White House.


Barney finds a red Christmas decoration on the State Floor of the White House, while looking at all the holiday decorations Wednesday. Nov. 28, 2007.

Barney and Miss Beazley take a close look at the 2007 white chocolate gingerbread White House in the East Room, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007, with a likeness of themselves on the roof.

Barney & Miss Beazley play with their soccer ball in the snow on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007.

Iowa GOP Debate

Hard to believe, but the Moderator, Editor of the Des Moines Register, made the CNN debate You Tube debate look professional by comparison.

Two Winners, One Loser:

  • Winner: Mitt Romney, who effectively countered Huckabee's Arkansas record by pointing out his strengths in education and on the immigration issue with his record as Governor of Massachusetts. The focus group assembled by Frank Luntz clearly thought Romney won (video here).
  • Winner: Fred Thompson, who refused to play the silly "raise your hand" game on a question about global warming and challenged the moderator to allow longer answers to that complex question. She refused.
  • Loser: Carolyn Washburn, the Editor of the Des Moines Register who moderated the debate. Instead of facilitating the give and take among the candidates that illuminates the differences between them Ms. Washburn seemed obsessed with time keeping and control. Hard to believe anyone could make CNN look good, but she managed. Michelle Malkin had the best line:
    "She’s no plant, but she sure is a stick in the mud."
The debate transcript is here.

The Fred Thompson smack down, along with excellent commentary by Charles Krauthammer is here:

Also, excellent commentary by Dean Barnett at the Weekly Standard captures my thoughts exactly, so save me the typing by clicking here.

Mid December Quick Takes

So many stories, so little time!

Most Popular Search Item at Mike's America

The hits started coming in November looking for the Christmas puzzle. Link to a full size version and the answers is here.


Figure out which Christmas Carol is described by the picture.

Now, back to the serious stuff...

Romney endorsed by National Review

The nation's premier journal for conservative thought has endorsed Mitt Romney for President.

Our guiding principle has always been to select the most conservative viable candidate. In our judgment, that candidate is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. Unlike some other candidates in the race, Romney is a full-spectrum conservative: a supporter of free-market economics and limited government, moral causes such as the right to life and the preservation of marriage, and a foreign policy based on the national interest. While he has not talked much about the importance of resisting ethnic balkanization — none of the major candidates has — he supports enforcing the immigration laws and opposes amnesty. Those are important steps in the right direction.

National Review
Meanwhile, the New Hampshire Union Leader has endorsed John McCain and in a separate commentary concludes that Mitt Romney cannot win because of his flip flops on many of the same issues National Review cites above.

The Weekly Standard has been having some fun with Romney's executive style and offers the following paroday letter of how CEO Romney might compose his speeches.
Full size version here.

Mike Huckabee Qualified on Foreign Policy? No, but he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express in Iowa Last Night!

Perhaps one reason why National Review endorsed Romney is that the editors were underwhelmed, or concerned, with Mike Huckabee's utter lack of foreign policy experience.

Huckabee's Holiday Inn Express Campaign
National Review Online: Surging GOP Hopeful's Foreign Policy Views Don't Stand Up To Scrutiny

...Don Imus, on his resurrected radio show, queried Huckabee the other day about his foreign-policy experience. Huckabee not so humbly invoked Ronald Reagan, who also, according to the former Arkansas governor, ascended to the presidency with no foreign-policy experience. As Powerline’s Paul Mirengoff has pointed out, this is - to say the least - an inapt analogy. Ronald Reagan lived and breathed the global fight with the Soviet Union for decades, and had been an important voice on the right on foreign policy long before he was president.

Mike Huckabee, by contrast, cut his teeth on typical state-level fare in Arkansas and on weight-loss and wellness programs. This is probably why he felt compelled to quip to Imus, “And the ultimate thing is, I may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.” (Powerline also points out that he used the exact same line on Imus a year earlier when foreign policy came up.) This won’t do.

Huckabee did give a long speech on foreign policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in September. It combined a superficial rendering of conventional foreign-policy wisdom - which of course included many unfair criticisms of President Bush - with Huckabee’s inimitable folksy delivery. The former governor’s bottom line was that we should be nicer to other countries.
...
On Iran, Huckabee is at his most troubling. He accuses the administration of “proceeding down only one track with Iran: armed confrontation.” This is false, and the kind of rhetoric you’d expect from DailyKos bloggers, not a Republican presidential candidate. Huckabee thinks it has been a lack of diplomatic engagement that has soured our relations with Iran: “We haven’t had diplomatic relations with Iran in almost 30 years, my whole adult life and a lot of good it’s done. Putting this in human terms, all of us know that when we stop talking to a parent or a sibling or a friend, it’s impossible to accomplish anything, impossible to resolve differences and move the relationship forward. The same is true for countries.”

This is the kernel of Huckabee’s foreign policy. He wants to anthropomorphize international relations and bring a Christian commitment to the Golden Rule to our affairs with other nations. As he told the Des Moines Register the other day, “You treat others the way you’d like to be treated. That’s to me the fundamental issue that has to be re-established in our dealings with other countries.”

This is deeply naïve. Countries aren’t people, and the world is more dangerous than a Sunday church social. Threats, deception, and - as a last resort - violence must play a role in international relations. Differences cannot always be worked out through sweet persuasion. A U.S. president who doesn’t realize this will repeat the experience of President Jimmy Carter at his most ineffectual.

Other than the general impulse to be nicer, Huckabee’s views are the uneven grab bag to be expected from someone who hasn’t thought much about foreign policy.
...In sum, conservatives should have worries about the depth and soundness of Mike Huckabee’s foreign-policy views. And staying at a Holiday Inn Express is not going to be enough to allay them.

Combine that with Huckabee's desire to close the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and no longer permit waterboarding of terrorists (see below) and you have a candidate that is not perhaps ready for prime time.

Ex CIA Officer: Waterboarding Works!

Amazing how Democrats seem more intent on handcuffing the people whose job it is to keep us safe and prevent another terrorist attack than they do about handcuffing the terrorists who want to kill us.

The latest example is the brouhaha over the destruction of the interrogation tapes of the two times waterboarding was used to interrogate the very worst terrorist monsters who had refused to talk until then. Somehow, it's ok to shot these monsters, just don't pour water in their nose?

Anyway, senior Democrats in the House of Representatives were informed about these procedures in 2002 and raised no objection. Now that their Code Pinko allies are upset about it, Democrats rush to the microphones to complain.

One of the usual objections is that waterboarding doesn't yield reliable information. Not so according to the Ex-CIA agent who conducted the interrogations of Abu Zubayda:

Coming in From the Cold: CIA Spy Calls Waterboarding Necessary But Torture
Former Agent Says the Enhanced Technique Was Used on Al Qaeda Chief Abu Zubaydah
ABC News
December 10, 2007

...In the first public comment by any CIA officer involved in handling high-value al Qaeda targets, John Kiriakou, now retired, said the technique broke Zubaydah in less than 35 seconds.

"The next day, he told his interrogator that Allah had visited him in his cell during the night and told him to cooperate," said Kiriakou in an interview to be broadcast tonight on ABC News' "World News With Charles Gibson" and "Nightline."

"From that day on, he answered every question," Kiriakou said. "The threat information he provided disrupted a number of attacks, maybe dozens of attacks."
Zubaydah is now reported to be at the Gitmo facility along with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Ponder this:

Kiriakou said, "A former colleague of mine asked [Zubayda] during the conversation one day, 'What would you do if we decided to let you go one day?' And he said, 'I would kill every American and Jew I could get my hands on...It's nothing personal. You're a nice guy. But this is who I am.'"

Perhaps Harry Reid, who has been busy these past few days trashing the CIA for destroying these tapes and depriving Democrats of the opportunity to turn this affair into another Abu Ghraib hate-America propaganda-fest would like to offer Zubayda a place to stay at his house?

The Los Angeles Library Tower was one of those attack targets. The attack was foiled because Zubayda and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (who sawed off Daniel Pearl's head with a knife in this video) were waterboarded.

Anyone who says that we should not waterboard these monsters as a last measure to gain information to stop attacks should go to the Library Tower and the site of other foiled plots and explain to the occupants why America would be a better place if they were dead at the hands of terrorists!

Global Warming "Baby Tax"
For anyone in denial about the true nature of the socialist scheme masquerading as environmentalism, this should be a wake up call.

Baby tax needed to save planet, claims expert
By Jen Kelly
News.Com.Au
December 10, 2007

A WEST Australian medical expert wants families to pay a $5000-plus "baby levy" at birth and an annual carbon tax of up to $800 a child.

Writing in today's Medical Journal of Australia, Associate Professor Barry Walters said every couple with more than two children should be taxed to pay for enough trees to offset the carbon emissions generated over each child's lifetime.

Professor Walters, clinical associate professor of obstetric medicine at the University of Western Australia and the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth, called for condoms and "greenhouse-friendly" services such as sterilisation procedures to earn carbon credits.

It's never been about saving the planet. Global Baloney has always been a scaremongering scheme to force the imposition of socialism and one world government on the West. The result would be a weakened United States less able to act and lead to protect the world from the evil which swirls daily around us all.

Meanwhile, if you haven't see the list of what Global Warming alarmists claim will happen to the planet if we don't listen to their scaremongering, see this. Over 600 links of
often contradictory "news" reports.

Al Gore: Was He Lying Then? Is He Lying Now?

"Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to completely deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power."
Al Gore, September 2002

From the speech he delivered in Oslo, Norway upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize:

"We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency — a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here."
Al Gore, December 2007

Bubba Going Ballistic Over Hillary's Tumble in Campaign
As usual, it's someone else's fault!

Bill Clinton to aid Hillary's campaign
BY KENNETH R. BAZINET and THOMAS M. DeFRANK
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
December 12th 2007

Insiders say Bill Clinton is furious at some of the decisions made by wife's campaign team.

Bubba to the rescue!

Alarmed by his wife's slide in the polls and disarray within her backbiting campaign, a beside-himself Bill Clinton has leaped atop the barricades and is furiously plotting a cure - or coup.

"She's in big trouble and he knows it," a top Democratic operative and Hillary Clinton booster told the Daily News.

Sources familiar with the ex-President's thinking say he doesn't believe his wife's situation is desperate. But he's unhappy with her operation - once hailed as a juggernaut - and concerned she could lose the Democratic nomination without major alterations in strategy and staffing.

Bill Clinton is mulling "a lot of different ideas and a lot of different scenarios to fix this," an official who regularly speaks with him said. "He will come up with literally dozens of ideas. The trick will be to figure out the most important one or two to get her out of this downtrend."

Another Democrat with close connections to the Clinton campaign describes Bill Clinton as "very engaged and very agitated. He's yelling at [chief strategist] Mark Penn a lot."
...
As Barack Obama has steadily narrowed Hillary Clinton's once-impregnable lead, friction inside her headquarters has flared. One post-Thanksgiving meeting erupted into finger-pointing over the loss of her advantage.

"They all want to kill each other," said a source aware of the closed-door meeting.

The backstabbing involves several high-level people in the campaign, including Penn, Mandy Grunwald, Ann Lewis and Howard Wolfson, sources said.

Penn maintained, "It's a totally false story."

"It's a totally false story" in Clinton-speak means it's absolutely true!

Bill Needs to De Stress at the Liebrary/Massage Parlor

Bill's been working too hard. Time to head back to Little Rock where the taxpayer subsidized penthouse at the top of his Presidential Liebrary awaits:

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