Theodore's World

John Walker Lindh, a 20-year-old American from California, was captured while fighting for the Taliban.

John Walker Lindh was sentenced to 20 years in prison as part of an agreement reached in July under which he pled guilty to one count of supplying services to the Taliban and a criminal information charge that he carried a rifle and two hand grenades while fighting against the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance.

As part of the plea deal, the government dropped all other counts in a lengthy criminal indictment, including one of the most serious charges -- conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals. CIA officer Johnny Michael Spann was killed in the Mazar-e Sharif uprising.

John Walker Lindh spent weeks on the USS Bataan, a Navy warship in the North Arabian Sea, being interrogated by U.S. investigators before he was transferred from the ship to a U.S. military post at Kandahar International Airport in Afghanistan. From there, he flew to the United States on January 23

Tom sent me this article, thank you Tom!! I thought you all might like to see it. It is long so I will put most of it here and then the rest at "Continue reading" further below....................................
The Truth about John Walker Lindh
By Robert Young Pelton

John Walker Lindh aka John Walker aka Suleiman Ferris aka Abdul Hamid aka The American Taliban is a person that I will mostly likely to be associated for some time to come. I am sure on my obituary there will be a bombastic note that I was “the journalist who “discovered” Lindh after the battle at Qali Jangi” (the afghans have that dubious honor) Many have told me that Lindh’s story was a big deal back in the States. I will never know, I was in Afghanistan covering combat operations with in the ongoing war against the Taliban for CNN so I will never have the chance to the get the full impact of finding an American professing his love for the Taliban.

To me Lindh was just an unpleasant arrogant kid who preferred to stay with his murdering friends. He was in the fact, the second Irish-American Jihadi I have met and interviewed. The first one was a one-legged psychopath who had been trained in the same camps and had fought in Kashmir, Kosovo, Bosnia, Chechnya and Liberia gave me his opinion. When I called him to discuss Lindh’s hejira, Aqil Collins simply called Lindh “a pussy”. When I returned from Afghanistan I was quite aware of the outrage he had caused. I only did interviews in which I spoke positively about Lindh in a deliberate effort not to influence his pending case. Privately I warned his lawyers to keep me off the witness stand because I would send their little Johnny to prison. Wisely Lindh copped a plea and I was spared months of inconvenience. Some people wanted a trial to get to the bottom of Lindh’s nefarious activties, among them the grieving family of Mike Spann. Lindh’s plea bargain denied them and the country of that truth finding.

So it was left to me to set the record straight. My decades of travels with jihadis and terrorists, my time with both the Taliban leadership, the Northern Alliance aka the United Front, Dostum’s forces and and based on my time spent during and after talking to the players involved with Qali Jangi leads me to believe that I am uniquely qualified to pass judgment on Lindh and to accurately describe who he was and what he was doing there. Now that Lindh’s father has decided to wrongly blame me for his son’s misery and seek clemency under false pretences, I feel its time to reveal the truth.

Quite simply in my opinion, Lindh was a terrorist, a member of what we call al qaeda and a man who chose to stay with killers even though he was afforded numerous opportunities to separate himself from his murderous associates. Twenty years in jail may be a blessing compared to how many of his friends have been dealt with since.

Frank Lindh cannot be blamed for the emotions behind his need to reinvent history or doing what he can to get his son out of jail. But he is lying. His son did not “love America”, he fought for bin Laden against us, his son is not “honest”, he lied to his parents and others. His son is not a “decent” young man; he trained to be a murderer. His son went to kill strangers in a stranger land. A spiritual quest? What part of grenades and AK 47’s can be described as spiritual? What part of patriotism is eating bin Laden’s food, listening to Usama’s droning hate-filled speeches against America and sitting obediently within strangling distance of our greatest single enemy? To think that the American public is that stupid is an insult. John Walker Lindh was an Arab speaking member of bin Laden’s terror legions. He called it Al Ansar (the correct term) we call them al Qaeda. He was never a member of the Taliban. Why because Lindh only spoke Arabic and English he would have been useless in a combat situation among Pashto or Dari speaking troops. I have seen Taliban ID cards and spent time with bin Laden’s “055 Brigade, “al Ansar” members and al qaeda. Lindh was exactly the person we were trying to kill in Afghanistan and now around the world. An educated, idealistic young Muslim who chose murder of innocent people as his path in life. He is no different that Mohamed Atta, Zarqawi or thousands of other terrorists that come from nice middle class families.

The elder Lindh would have us believe that somehow America supported what Lindh Jr and bin laden did at one time. Pure invention. Osama bin Laden never received any US CIA funding, he channeled Saudi money into what was then called the Office of Services and then into his own ventures. Yes the Taliban were mujahids but their draconian regime and support of bin laden made them pariahs long before Lindh went there. Later in the post Soviet era of Afghanistan the CIA would pay Massoud money to try and kill Bin Laden. Lindh Jr went there to kill the members of Massouds’ fighters. When the war broke out there was no clearer distinction of “with us or against us” than the forces of bin laden and the Taliban against the combined Afghan forces we called “the Northern Alliance. Lindh was on Bin Laden's side against us. Period. End of conversation.

Wild Thing's comment..........
First ....... Thank you Tom for sending this to me.

Give me a freakin break! I have had it up to here with liberal parents and John has that making excuses for their children's behavior. Taliban Johnny was caught red-handed in Afghanistan fighting US troops! He joined a joined a murderous cult and was plotting to murder other American citizens. If I were Bush I would use a request for clemency for a fire starter in one of the White House fireplaces and be done with it. Tell that piece of crap Dad to shove it! If John Walker Lindh had been executed, it would've put a damper on lots of traitor wannabes.

When this happened and they found this traitor, I was emailing on a regular basis several of the Marines that were on the USS Bataan. I was in contact with them before, during and after they took him prisoner. They wrote me of this traitor, of what happened at Kandahar Airport and of many things and their anger at this traitor as well as mine cannot be erased with appeasement and forgiveness. He was NEVER tortured by our troops and you can take that to the bank! He was beyond filthy they told me and yet they treated him according to all the rules for a prisoner. They got him cleaned up and who the heck would relish that job. So when I read that he was tortured it is just more lies from the left. And as for me, I would not care if he was. I am sick of treating these terrorists at any level with any knid of respect. This is NOT a war between another country and ours like WW11. This is WAR against all these Islamic terrorists so IMO no rules should apply.

What is shameful for this nation is the fact that this father spawned a son that turned on his own country and walked hand in hand with the very scum of the earth that caused 9/11! This father should be ashamed but of course he isn't. Instead he pleads, whines and lies and is an enabler to his son and to what his son did.

I agree with Lindh Sr that perhaps his son’s timing sucked. His son's need to run around Afghanistan looking to murder other Muslims would not have been that big a deal pre 9/11. Once he and his Arab jihadi friends heard on their BBC shortwave radio broadcasts that the US was coming…Well only the dumbest or the most resolutely criminal were going to stay for what was going to be a high tech, high ordnance ass whupping. Lindh chose to stay. He watched America’s B52 contrails in the sky, he felt the destruction American bombs dealt his friends and yet he stayed with his terrorist friends. When he fled to Kunduz he again chose to stay with his murdering friends and when a small group of foreign jihadis was chosen for a Hail Mary suicide mission to nearby Mazar i Sharif. Lindh was on board.

What you say? I thought poor Abul Hamid (Lindh Jr’s “jihad” name) was fleeing his evil master and seeking help. No. The group of around 460 jihadis that left Kunduz towards Mazar i Sharif were on their way to link up with Mullah Dadullah (now the leader of the Taliban military) in Balkh (just west of Mazar) and then attack the city while the US and Afghan forces were tied up in Kunduz monitoring the surrender. Yes, thousands of fighters did surrender peacefully but Lindh again chose to associate with a rag tag group of die-hards led by one of bin Laden’s lieutenants; Abdul Aziz, as well as the hardest core terrorists that comprised Saudi, Uzbek, Iraqi, Russian, Sudanese, Yemeni and Pakistani jihadis.

This group was stopped heading west early in the morning and had an armed standoff with afghan and US forces. (Yes Lindh’s group was fully armed during their purported “surrender” and they had no good reason to explain why they not going east towards Pakistan). The stand off was tense until bombers appeared overhead. Dostum drove by on his way to Kunduz and told them to be disarmed and taken to his garrison called Qali Jangi. Lindh during that entire time was within feet of western journalists and US forces and could have simply identified himself as an American. But he chose to stay in the company of killers. Lindh also knew that his cohorts were still secretly armed with pistols, rifles and even grenades tied by shoelaces and dangling around their groin area. A place where they knew Afghans dare not pat down.

The Uzbek terrorists among Lindh’s group were ecstatic. Qali Jangi was where they had trained under the Taliban and the storage rooms of garrison were literally overflowing with weapons confiscated and stored by the Taliban.

Upon arrival one of the Uzbeks immediately killed himself with a grenade while trying to murder what he thought was Dostum. It was Dostum's Intel officer (who survived) and a Hazara general was killed. This event was filmed and once again, despite the presence of western media and the casual atmosphere (prisoners were even being interviewed by CNN and others), Lindh refused to identify himself or ask for help.

Terrified and outnumbered by the false surrender the Afghan guards (there were only about 100 guards for the 460 prisoners) pushed the killers down into the basement of a fortified schoolhouse until they could be searched in the morning. That night in the cramped five-room basement there was an angry and desperate argument among the prisoners. The Saudis and Uzbeks planned an attack; they just needed a diversion to get to the weapons stored a few yards from the pink schoolhouse. The Pakistanis wanted to just surrender and go home. According to the survivors I interviewed, Lindh was an Arab speaking al qaeda member and had full knowledge of this discussion and he has yet to admit which path he was going to choose. Some insist that Lindh was among the main proponents of this violent action. I was not in that basement so I don’t know what happened. What I do know is that Lindh’s actions the next day would provide the damning answer.

The next morning two CIA officers went to Qali Jangi to interview the prisoners. Mike Spann and Dave Tyson arrived in separate vehicles. Tyson spoke a number of languages but Spann only spoke English. The prisoners were brought up one at a time. They were searched, bound with their turbans and then marched into lines inside the southern courtyard. Spann walked up and down the lines of prisoners. He asked an Iraqi mechanic who spoke English if there were any other prisoners who spoke English. The Iraqi pointed out the “Irishman”. Lindh had been told to say he was Irish in the camps to avoid problems. Spann had Lindh brought over away from the main group and put out a blanket for him. Spann and Tyson tried to talk to Lindh. Mike even calls him "Irish". Away from his peers Lindh just stares down. Mike pleads with Lindh to talk. Lindh remains hostile and silent.

Spann and Tyson play a clumsy game of “good cop, bad cop”. But one thing is clear; they offer Lindh a way out. Lindh is alone with two of his fellow countrymen with full knowledge of the violence that is about to happen. He says nothing. If there was ever one moment that will define one man and damn another this was it. Lindh is put back into the lineup and Mike Spann will die in the next few minutes as Uzbeks rush up from the basement, yelling Allahhuakbar detonate hidden grenades. The fighting begins. Lindh has once again has been given a clear choice between right and wrong and once again. He makes that clear choice again.

It is not know what Lindh and his fellow terrorists did for the next few days while fighting raged and Mike Spann’s still body lay there. Two Ak 47 bullet holes through his head. One straight down and one from left to right. When the afghan Commander Fakir used pleading, threats, then finally flame, explosions and flooding, to roust the killers, the first person that came up to negotiate on behalf of the jihadis was John Walker Lindh. The same murderous group that had shot and killed a clearly identified elderly Red Cross worker who went down to look for bodies a week earlier.

I had asked Dostum to bring me the prisoners. I wanted to interview and meet these men. At around midnight after Lindh and his 85 friends surrendered, two open trucks showed up filled with shivering, screaming jihadis. One truck load was unloaded in front of me. I photographed and talked to the men while a group of Special Forces soldiers watched from a distance, their guns at the ready. This was not the first false surrender they had suffered. One truck was full of moaning and crying men. Way in the back sat John Walker Lindh. He slowly hides from view in my series of photographs. Once he had a chance to identify himself and surrender but he chose to stay in the company of killers

A few minutes later Dostum’s cameraman runs into the living room and says there is an American. He shows me an image of Lindh repeating his name” John” on his Panasonic camera. My first impression is that whoever this American is, he needs help. Fast. I ask the Special Forces medic if he will bring his medical bag and come with me. We jump into a truck and I along with my cameraman and some SF team members go into the triage room. The doctor is whacking Lindh on the head trying to talk to him. I motion for the doctor to back off and ask if I can ask the questions. I clearly identify myself to Lindh as working for CNN. Lindh Sr forgets that all my initial questions are about his son’s health and if he wanted to contact his loved ones. Lindh Jr repeatedly states that he is not. I moved him to a private room so the medic can examine him properly. Downstairs the doctors hate these people. They have just murdered their compatriots in cold blood there will be no pity for the men left downstairs. They are all now dead or in Gitmo. Lindh will be the lucky one.

Upstairs Lindh and despite our attempts to improve his condition, he was yet again rude, arrogant and unhelpful. I still press him for someone to contact. He refuses. He is being given gentle medical care by a US medic who was busy killing his murderous friends a few days earlier. There is a myth that morphine somehow forces Lindh to talk. But his statements (some of them true and some of them false) begin well before and are consistent until I turn off my camera and tell him to sleep. I clearly identify to Lindh when he is given morphine (happy juice) and I ask no leading questions. My interest is simply understand who is he is and how he got there. In fact the reason Lindh talks to me is because he senses that I know about jihad, Muslims and his cause. He even asks me if I am a Muslim. I know jihadis and I know jihad. On tape I ask him if it is Ok for Muslims to kill other Muslims. He brushes me off saying the Koran deals with this. Finally I ask him what he thinks of his condition and decisions. He is unrepentant.

Despite his attitude and affections. I gave Lindh tea and cookies and once again ask him if he wants to contact his parents. He refuses. Finally I let him sleep and decide to take him home with me for his own safety. One of the special forces men, fresh from three weeks in combat, gave up his room so that Lindh could sleep in his bed.

The next morning he is taken to the Turkish School, rested, attended to and dressed in a clean pair of pajamas and out of my control. I know what happened to Lindh after that because I met some of the Marines that did it. He could have suffered much worse.

For an entire month I called Lindh’s parents and lawyers to provide the details of his capture and events surrounding the uprising. They refuse to call me back but his mother had time to chastise a gossip columnist for criticizing her relationship with her lawyer. During Lindh’s 15 minutes of fame, I respect my responsibility as a working journalist for CNN and do nothing that would influence his case. Despite my dark knowledge I tell his lawyers to keep me out of it. They play games and still I refuse. They smear me in pubic as an agent of the government and harass me in private. The waste $64,000 or CNN’s money and work the media to present me as a greedy story hungry freelance. I have made no additional money from Lindh’s story and never will. Now that Lindh’s father is now blaming me for his “exculpatory” interview and has restarted the negative spin. The gloves are off. The truth will prevail.

I don’t think about the evening of December 1 2001 that much. I continue to cover conflict and the actors within but on a recent motorcycle trip from the east coast to the west coast, I found myself passing through Victorville close to where "Johnny Taliban" is staying. The cold dirty wind and high mountain air reminded me of Afghanistan. I thought about Lindh, felt the air on my face and wondered how lucky Lindh is to be still alive. A privilege that Mike Spann, a real hero and American patriot will never have due to John Walker Lindh’s duplicity.

So for Mike’s sake, don't let John Lindh's PR and legal campaign change the fact that his son was the exactly the kind of person that fly aircraft into buildings, blow up American troops in Iraq and kill innocent Muslims on their "spiritual journey" to paradise. He was and is a terrorist.

To hell with John Walker Lindh and his murderous ilk. They have done nothing to advance the cause of Muslims and they have caused a world of heartbreak in their arrogant pursuit of senseless death. To support Lindh Sr’s naïve view of his son and his actions furthers that dark vision.

Posted by Wild Thing at 10:27 AM | Comments (12)

January 30, 2006

Bill Clinton’s $5K Handshake ~ Good Grief!

NewsMax
Sunday, Jan. 29, 2006 9:42 a.m. EST

Washed up baseball players can still make a killing by autographing baseballs for their old fans. For ex-president Bill Clinton, it's even easier to cash in on his political celebrity.

Mr. Clinton will be charging $5,000 a piece to New Zealand businessmen who want to spend an hour in his presence when he travels to Auckland next month.

Reports the New Zealand Herald:

"A small group can book an hour with the former president for $5000 a head and for that they will get a handshake and a photograph and a chance to mingle with the only Democratic president the win two terms in the last 60 years."

Mr. Clinton is offering a volume discount for groups of 50 or more - who will pay a mere $150,000 [$3,000 a head] for the honor of basking in his aura.

Clinton's handshake fee is in addition the $2,400 cost of attending the one-day business forum. [$1,895 if tickets purchased before Jan. 31.)

Other speakers include former Disney Corp. CEO Michael Eisner and Carly Fiorina, who used to run Hewlett Packard.

Mr. Eisner and Ms. Fiorina will apparently be shaking hands at no extra cost.

Wild Thing's comment......
Thank you Chrys soooo much for this darling doll graphic I love it.Chrys has a wonderful blog called Pettifog.

There is nothing about Bill Clinton that should be worth $5K or 5 cents.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 AM | Comments (8)

Hamas Demands Israel Change Its Flag

(IsraelNN.com) Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Zahar issued a demand Sunday evening that Israel remove the stripes from its flag.

"Israel must remove the two blue stripes from its national flag", Zahar said. "The stripes are symbols of occupation – they signify Israel's borders, stretching from the River Euphrates to the River Nile."

The Hamas official's comments followed Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz's assessment at the weekly Cabinet meeting that the newly elected terror group was "acting responsibly so far."

Zahar also told CNN's Late Edition that the world should not be asking Hamas to recognize Israel, but rather demanding that the Jewish State recognize that Muslims are the "owners of the land."

Wild Thing comment.......
What is next ? Will they be demanding that all Israelis must undergo surgery to remove the Jewish gene from their DNA? The rag-heads are sure getting uppity!! Keep talking Hamas....tick tick tick

Israel’s national flag is a blue Star of David set between two blue stripes was designed to resemble a Jewish prayer shawl which traditionally has stripes. So even that the terrorists have to lie about what the meaning is of the blue strips.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:05 AM | Comments (4)

Can Cindy Sheehan Be Denied Entry Back Into The U.S.?...PLEASE

In this photo released by Venezuela's Miraflores Press, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez embraces visiting U.S. peace activist Cindy Sheehan, left, whose son was killed in Iraq, and Elma Beatriz Rosado, the widow of slain Puerto Rican nationalist Filiberto Ojeda Rios during his national broadcast 'Hello President' in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2006. All three joined in condemning the government of U.S. President George W. Bush

Sheehan's trip was paid for by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Thousands of international activists have gathered in Caracas for the sixth World Social Forum, to protest against war, U.S. economic policies and of course meet other low lifes!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:52 AM | Comments (6)

Hershey, PA Must Just Love Mayor Ray Nagin or Not

Please CLICK
image above to hear the Ray Nagin song

In New Orleans, outside City Hall, Mayor Ray Nagin called for “black people … to come together. It’s time for us to rebuild New Orleans — the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans ... a majority African American city.”

Nagin further commented that “It’s the way God wants it to be. You can’t have New Orleans no other way.” While he was in the process of reading the Almighty’s mind, he added, “Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it’s destroyed and put stress on this country.” And he added, “Surely he doesn’t approve of us being in Iraq under false pretenses."

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:17 AM | Comments (2)

January 29, 2006

Is Dean On Our Payroll Or What?

From NewsMax
Sunday, Jan. 29, 2006 10:56 a.m. EST

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Sunday that Democrats who took money from Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff and who did something on behalf of those tribes have "a big problem."

Dean made the statement apparently unaware that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has reportedly done exactly that.

Under questioning by "Fox News Sunday's" Chris Wallace, Dean claimed that Democrats did no favors for Abramoff's Indian tribe clients:

"Nobody got anything out of the Democrats from Jack Abramoff," the top Democrat insisted. "No Democrat delivered anything and there's no accusation and no investigation that any Democrat ever delivered anything to Jack Abramoff. And that's not true of the Republicans."

But Wallace countered: "So if we find that there were some Democrats who wrote letters on behalf of some of the Indian tribes that Abramoff represented, then what do you say, sir?"
Dean's response: "That's a big problem. And those Democrats are in trouble. And they should be in trouble."

In November 2005 the Associated Press reported that Senate Minority Leader Reid had accepted tens of thousands of dollars from an Abramoff client, the Coushatta Indian tribe, after interceding with Secretary of the Interior Gail Norton over a casino dispute with a rival tribe.

Reid "sent a letter to Norton on March 5, 2002," the AP said. "The next day, the Coushattas issued a $5,000 check to Reid's tax-exempt political group, the Searchlight Leadership Fund. A second tribe represented by Abramoff sent an additional $5,000 to Reid's group. Reid ultimately received more than $66,000 in Abramoff-related donations between 2001 and 2004."

Questioned about the donations in December by "Fox News Sunday's" Wallace, Reid immediately turned testy.

Wild Thing's comment...........
ROTFLMAO. Open mouth, insert foot once again. YEEEEEHAAAAAAW
Remember his rant last week.....Not ONE RED DIME went to Democrats!"
It was a classic moment watching Dean back track and try to deny something he said within seconds of making the statement. Please let this loud mouthed cretin appear more often.

Here Howard, Lunch is on me............... haha

Posted by Wild Thing at 11:57 AM | Comments (11)

Carter calls for funding Palestinians

From the Jerusalem Post

A day after Hamas swept to an upset victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, former US President Jimmy Carter on Thursday said that Wednesday's voting had been orderly and fair.

"The elections were completely honest, completely fair, completely safe and without violence," the former president said.

Carter, who led an 85-member international observer team from around the world organized by the 'National Democratic Institute' in partnership with 'The Carter Center,' urged the international community to directly or indirectly fund the new Palestinian Government even though it will be led by an internationally-declared foreign terror organization.

"The Palestinian Government is destitute, and in desperate financial straits. I hope that support for the new government will be forthcoming," Carter said at a Jerusalem press conference.

He added that if international law barred donor countries from directly funding a Hamas-led government than the US and the EU should bypass the Palestinian Authority and provide the "much-needed" money to the Palestinians via non-governmental channels such as UN agencies.

"Regardless of the government, I would hope that potential donors find alternative means to be generous to the Palestinian people [even] if the donor decides to bypass the Palestinian government completely," Carter said, stressing that his main concern was to avert the "suffering" of the Palestinian people, which he said could lead to a new cycle of violence.

He noted that the heavily funded Palestinian Government would run out of money at the end of next month.

Hamas, the largest and most powerful of the Palestinian terror organizations, which advocates Israel's destruction, has carried out scores of bombings over the last five years of Palestinian violence, attacks which have killed hundreds of Israeli civilians.

Earlier Thursday, Israeli statesman Shimon Peres had opined in a radio interview that international aid to a Hamas-led government would likely be terminated.

The former Democratic president's comments came as US President Bush said that Hamas cannot be a partner for Middle East peacemaking without renouncing violence, reiterating that the United States will not deal with Palestinian leaders who do not recognize Israel's right to exist.

Carter, who has long supported the participation of Hamas in the Palestinian elections, voiced the hope that the Islamic terror group would act "responsibly" now that it had won the elections.

"My hope is that as Hamas assumes a major role in the next government, whatever that might be, it will take a position on international standards of responsibility," he said at the news conference, held at an east Jerusalem hotel.

Wild Thing comment.........
Every time Carter or Clinton mouth off, it takes me hours and hours to try to make myself feel this is America, the America I grew up in and LOVE! A draft dodger was actually a President of America the most powerful country in the world. Then add in all the crimes he did. and all the gates. And Carter continues to get away with all he says against America and Israel. They are both a disgrace to being a human being, to being an American.

The 85-member election observers team, which was led by Carter, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Blidt former Albanian President Rexhep Meidani and former Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio, included political and civic leaders from 22 countries around the world.

"It is now up to the elected leaders and representatives to construct genuinely democratic institutions and processes that will bring the peace and prosperity that the Palestinian people deserve, within a free and independent state," the group said in a preliminary report on the parliamentary elections issued Thursday.

"It is universally accepted that democratic elections and democratic governance are about employing peaceful means to achieve political goals," the report stated.

Posted by Wild Thing at 11:08 AM | Comments (8)

January 28, 2006

Colombia Busts Ring Linked to al-Qaida

Colombia Busts Ring Linked to al-Qaida
from Breitbart.com
Jan 26 11:22 PM US/Eastern
By JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press Writer

BOGOTA, Colombia

Colombia has dismantled a false passport ring with links to al-Qaida and Hamas militants, the acting attorney general said Thursday after authorities led dozens of simultaneous raids across five cities.

The gang allegedly supplied an unknown number of citizens from Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and other countries with false passports and Colombian nationality without them ever stepping foot in the country, the attorney general's office said in a written statement.

The counterfeited passports were then used to facilitate their entry into the United States and Europe.

Nineteen people were arrested in Thursday's raids, carried out in collaboration with U.S. authorities, the attorney general's office said. Officials at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota were not immediately available for contact.

An undisclosed number of those arrested are wanted for working with al-Qaida, the international terrorist organization headed by Osama Bin Laden, and the militant Palestinian group Hamas, said acting Attorney General Jorge Armando Otalora.

"We confirm that some of the arrestees are wanted for extradition for collaborating with terrorist groups al-Qaida and Hamas," Otalora told RCN television.

Four were Jordanian citizens were among those arrested, said Manuel Saenz, head of foreign immigration for the DAS secret police, on Caracol television. And eight are being sought by the United States for extradition, Otalora said.

The group apparently penetrated Colombia's federal bureaucracy and secret police. Three DAS officials and an employee of the national registry were among the arrested.

Saenz also said the group provided false passports for Spain, Portugal and Germany and other countries.

Authorities first suspected the existence of a criminal gang in 2002, when three Iraqi citizens were captured entering Colombia on false Israeli passports, the attorney general's statement said.

Following those arrests, the attorney general ordered wiretaps and an undercover investigation that led to the arrest of two Jordanian nationals, Jamal Abdel Mutte Hassan and Zaben Sultan Othman Yousef, who acquired Colombian citizenship illegally.

Both have since been convicted and are serving prison terms of eight years and 19 months respectively.

In Jan. 2004, two more suspected members, Amin Omar Said Ahmad and Karim Bahige Kharfan, were captured in Bogota and later extradited to the United States, where they were convicted of laundering more than $200 million.

Colombian authorities then went on high alert, and with the help of their U.S. counterparts, began to covertly trail and film suspects to unveil a criminal network.

The eight wanted by a U.S. Federal court in Florida on charges of abetting illegal immigration rings and collaborating with terrorist groups include one Jordanian national, Jalal Saadat Moheisen, and a DAS detective, Edilson Ramirez Gamboa.

The raids were carried out in the Colombian capital of Bogota and four other Colombian cities.

Authorities didn't say if any Colombian terrorist groups were involved.

There are three illegal, armed groups in Colombia that are on a U.S. list of terrorist organizations, and President Alvaro Uribe has occasionally warned that their existence fosters more violence.

In a speech in late 2004 to the United Nations in New York, Uribe said Colombia needs "the total commitment of the international community against terrorism in Colombia. The terrorism in one country feeds and strengthens terrorist networks throughout the world."

U.S. officials have long feared al-Qaida could take advantage of corrupt government officials and weak institutions to launch an attack from south of the border.

Much of the focus in South America, however, has fallen on the large Muslim community in Paraguay along the porous border with Argentina and Brazil.

Authorities believe as much as $100 million a year flows out of the region, with large portions diverted to Islamic militants linked to Hezbollah and Hamas.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:54 AM | Comments (5)

Sheehan to Feinstein: Filibuster Alito, Or I'll Run Against You

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CNSNews
By Melanie Hunter
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
January 27, 2006

(CNSNews.com) - Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan has threatened to run for Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) seat unless Feinstein filibusters Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

Sheehan, who was in Caracas, Venezuela Friday attending the World Social Forum, heard that several Democrats planned to filibuster Alito but that Feinstein, who is up for re-election in November, announced that she will vote against Alito but would not filibuster the nomination.

"I'm appalled that Diane Feinstein wouldn't recognize how dangerous Alito's nomination is to upholding the values of our constitution and restricting the usurpation of presidential powers, for which I've already paid the ultimate price," Sheehan said in a statement.

Sheehan became a national figure representing the anti-war movement after her son Casey was killed in Iraq and she stood vigil outside President Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch last summer demanding to speak face-to-face with Bush about her son's death.

Sheehan claimed Alito has "an extensive paper trail documenting the right-wing political agenda that he has actively advanced, not only as a high-ranking official in the Reagan Administration, but also as a judge."

She accused Alito of trying to restrict Congress' power and supporting "efforts to curtail privacy rights, including not only privacy from government surveillance and arbitrary arrest, but also other constitutional rights based on privacy, such as reproductive liberty for women."

Sheehan is scheduled to return from Venezuela on Monday and will travel to the nation's capital to take part in an alternative State of the Union event.

And what do you suppose is her alternative State of the Union event???

DC - CODEPINK DC and special guests Cindy Sheehan, Ann Wright and others will be getting started a little early with a surprise action at the Mott House. Afterwards we'll head over to Bus Boys & Poets to watch the State of the Union Address. Join us for a fun action and evening - we'll be out 'til closing.

People's State of the Union Action
Time: 3pm
Location: Mott House / 122 Maryland Ave., NE
(Equal distance from both Union Station and Capitol South Metro stations).
Confirmed Speakers:
Cindy Sheehan, Malik Rahim, Ann Wright, John Cavanaugh and more!

State of the Union Party
Date: January 31st
Time: 8pm
Location: Bus Boys & Poets

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Now wait it gets even better............

Senator Feinstein to Vote NO on Cloture ( will vote YES on Filibuster)
From her website.......

Senator Feinstein to Vote No on Cloture for the Nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced that she will vote no on cloture regarding the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

“Based on a very long and thoughtful analysis of the record and transcript, which I tried to indicate in my floor statement yesterday, I’ve decided that I will vote no on cloture.”

.

Bwa..hahahahahahahahahahaha

This is all just hilarious! I am having way too much fun.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (8)

January 27, 2006

NEW Video from RNC: "The PATRIOT Act: Connecting The Dots"

Remember when Harry Reid said..........."Senator Harry Reid (D-NV): “We Killed The PATRIOT Act.”

Here's what Reid is proud of: Trying to kill a vital law that breaks down the wall between intelligence and law enforcement, and makes it easier to prevent and detect attacks on America. Reid's boast shows how reckless the Democrats have become when it comes to safeguarding America.

Here is The RNC replies! tah dah!

RNC Releases New Television Ad On Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid's Obstruction Of The PATRIOT Act Entitled, "The PATRIOT Act: Connecting The Dots"

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee today unveiled a new television advertisement targeting the Harry Reid-led Democrat obstruction of the PATRIOT Act. The advertisement, entitled “The PATRIOT Act: Connecting The Dots,” will begin airing on national cable and local Las Vegas television stations this weekend. The ad will also be emailed to Republican grassroots supporters and is available for viewing now at www.GOP.com

Republican National Committee / 60 Advertisement

"The ad will also appear on national cable TV, and in Reid's home state of Nevada. When Democrats brag about undermining an important part of the War on Terror, we hold them accountable."

“The PATRIOT Act: Connecting The Dots”..........
....at GOP.com

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:47 PM

Great Video's Of Our Troops

.

Theodore's World is happy to bring you some video's from and by the troops. Just click on the titles to see each one.

Video's.... Bomb Saddam Die Terrorists Die Magic F-18 Ride Air Strike~Bitchin Ambush

The video titled "Ambush" is from
the front seat on a road in Baghdad
known as "Ambush Alley" where our troops
have come under repeated attacks.

The clip shows grenades exploding in front of
a private security vehicle and return gunfire is heard
in response to the attack. A still photograph,
taken after the attack, shows the damage to the vehicle,
operated by Blackwater USA, the private security outfit
hired by the State Department for such security detail missions.

SUV damaged in Baghdad ambush

These private security teams protect and
escort civilian leaders, such as Secretary of
State  and other members of the
State Department team.

In this case, a military escort is also
provided and leads the civilian car back
to the safety of the Green Zone.

Blackwater USA uses armored SUVs and
heavily armed bodyguards.

A total of four grenades explode in this video.
The gunfire heard is largely from U.S. military
forces providing cover for the escape.

YA special thanks to TomR, Sparks and LindaSOG for some of the Video's.

Posted by Wild Thing at 03:05 AM | Comments (5)

Allah FUBAR!

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Hamas chief Abdel al-Aziz Rantisi - who was killed by Israeli defense forces in Apri 2004l - took part in a Gaza rally in support of the Iraqi insurgency. Amid chants of "Death to America" and the burning of American flags by onlookers, Rantisi called on Iraqis to "strike and burn" U.S. troops, and "teach them the lessons of suicide actions."

Rantisi also wrote a 2003 article, published on a Hamas Web site, titled "Why Shouldn't We Attack the United States?" In the piece, Rantisi stated that, for Hamas, attacking America was not only "a moral and national duty - but above all, a religious one."

"There is no solution to the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. The initiative, proposals and International Conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility." -from Article 13, Peaceful Solutions "Allah is its goal, the Prophet its model, the Quran its Constitution, Jihad its path and death for the case of Allah it most sublime belief." -Article 8, the Motto of Hamas

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Senior Hamas official Mushir al-Masri has said that Hamas will not negotiate with Israel -- nor will it recognize Israel.

From the Jerusalem Post....Hamas's charter: The martyrs' oath:

"Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious...The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah's victory is realised...

The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine. The Muslim Brotherhood Movement is a universal organization which constitutes the largest Islamic movement in modern times...

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: 'The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him...'

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: 'The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him...'

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Hamas attacks Israel, it is the official government of the Palestinian people. It is no longer some rogue element hiding among the people. It is the people. Governments physically attacking other governments is an act of war. Israel will be justified in treating it as such.

President George W. Bush says the United States will not deal with Palestinian leaders who dispute Israel's right to exist. U.S. President George W. Bush said Wednesday that the United States would not deal with Hamas until the radical Palestinian Islamist group renounces its position for calling for the destruction of Israel.

YNetNews.com...........

Hamas: Bush won't dictate to us
Group spokesman tells Ynet Palestinians back Hamas positions on resistance to occupation, says group does not accept dictates from America. United State President George W. Bush's insistence on disarming Hamas constitutes a "blatant interference in Palestinian affairs," Hamas spokesman Sheikh Yasser Mansour told Ynet in an interview Thursday morning.
"We completely reject and do not accept Bush's remarks regarding disarming us," Mansour said. "Nobody can force us to disarm."
Q: Will you disarm, as is expected of a governing party and as President Bush demanded tonight?
"The question of arms is related to the occupation and we do not accept dictates from Bush or from anyone else. The arms, like everything else, are at the service of the Palestinian people and we won't give in to this blatant interference from Bush, whose remarks are not new, and were always against the Palestinians and their interests."

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Canada's Prime minister-designate Stephen Harper , who is to be sworn in Feb. 6, suggested today that his Conservative government won't accept Hamas as long as it continues to support terrorism and call for the destruction of Israel.

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Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, said that the victory of the Islamic militant group Hamas in Palestinian legislative elections was a "very, very, very bad result."

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Condi Rice,Well, there is an election to take place. And we have a policy that comes from a reality of what Hamas is and Hamas has done. The election will take place. It is going to be a Palestinian election with the Palestinians setting the rules for how that election takes place. And we'll respect that."......................HUH? Respect and Hamas in the same sentence????
More from Condi............"The Palestinian people have apparently voted for change but we believe that their aspirations for peace and a peaceful life remain unchanged."..............Condi can we talk? The Palestinian people" voted for Hamas. That's not a vote for "peace."

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Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu told the Likud faction in the Knesset Thursday,

"Before our very eyes, Hamastan has been established, the step-child of Iran and the Taliban. It's in firing range of our airport, our highways and cities. This has to be a day of soul searching because the writing was on the wall. The policy of giving land for free gave a prize to terror and a winning card for Hamas.

"How are Olmert and Peres getting ready for this challenge? They are moving the fence 500 meters closer to the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway (Beit Iksa). They gave more land to the Hamas state. Any land given to Hamas will give more of a front to fire upon us.

"This is a new and dangerous situation. Sharon said he wouldn't let Palestinians in Jerusalem vote. Olmert let them."

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Daniel Pipes has an excellent article..."Don't deal with terrorists"

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Jerusalem Post’s editor David Horovitz has written:

Some may seek comfort in the belief that an ascent to government could prompt a greater sense of responsibility, a move to moderation. But Hamas's intolerance is based on a perceived religious imperative. No believing Muslim, in the Hamas conception, can be reconciled to Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East. To deny that, for Hamas, is blasphemy. And that is the ideology to which the Palestinian people, for whatever reason and by their own free hand, have just tied their fate. That is the guiding ideology with which Israel and the West will now have to grapple.

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Wild Thing's comment..........
This tip toeing around the world's worst terrorist organization winning an election next door to our ally has got to stop. Palestinian's voted for terror not peace. Should al Qaida and the Taliban be given the freedom to campaign?
Hell no!
The words "Democracy" and "Hamas" should not be used in the same sentence...ever. If we have to resort to using the word "Democracy" when referring to these recent elections, that's just sad -- it's not Democracy; it's Tyranny, it's Terrorism.
What is next now from the terrorists huggers..........Jimmy Carter's "Habitat for Hamas" project perhaps? The victory of Hamas is an absolute endorsement of terrorism, it cannot be explained otherwise.

The hate runs deep, it is in their DNA and it is passed down to their children and their grandchildren.

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Prayers for Israel and Prayers for America

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...Please visit these blogs on the subject as well:
* AbbaGav
* Anti-Idiotarian
* My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
* Something....And Half of Something
* One Jerusalem

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If you like please continue on to read President Bush's Press Conference.......................

Press Conference of the President
January 26,2006

10:15 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Sorry to interrupt. (Laughter.) Thank you all very much. I look forward to answering some of your questions here in a minute. I'm also looking forward to going up to Capitol Hill next Tuesday to give my State of the Union address. I thought it probably best not to practice my speech in front of you here, so you'll pay attention to it when I deliver it. But I do want to give you some thoughts about what I'm thinking about.

First, I recognize we live in a momentous time. For those of you watching, we seem to have a mechanical flaw. (Laughter.)

Q That was an accident, right?

THE PRESIDENT: Are you wearing your helmets?

Q It's that renovation project.

THE PRESIDENT: Exactly. (Laughter.) I'll take it up with the First Lady. (Laughter.)

I'm going to remind people we're living in historic times, and that we have a chance to make decisions today that will help shape the direction of events for years to come. I'm going to continue to talk about an optimistic agenda that will keep -- that will remind folks we've got a responsibility to lead. We've got a responsibility to lead to promote freedom and a responsibility to continue to put policies in place that will let us be a leader when it comes to the economy in the world.

I recognize this is an election year, but I believe that we can work together to achieve results. In other words, I think we can set aside the partisanship that inevitably will come with an election year, and get some stuff done. And that's what I'm going to call Congress to do.

We've got -- must work together to protect our nation's security. I'm going to continue do everything within my authority to protect the American people. We're going to stay on the offense in the war against terror. We'll hunt down the enemies in Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere. We'll continue our terrorist surveillance program against al Qaeda. Congress must reauthorize the Patriot Act so that our law enforcement and intelligence and homeland security officers have the tools they need to route the terrorists -- terrorists who could be planning and plotting within our borders. And we'll do all this and at the same time protect the civil liberties of our people.

We're going to continue to lead the cause of freedom in the world. The only way to defeat a dark ideology is through the hopeful vision of human liberty.

Here at home, we're also -- we've got great opportunities. And to seize those opportunities, we have got to lead. Our economy is growing, it is strong. This economy has created millions of new jobs, yet it's an economy that is changing rapidly. And we live in a competitive world. And so policies must be put in place to recognize the competition of the global economy and prepare our people to be able to continue to compete so America can continue to lead.

Of course, we'll talk about fiscal policy in my State of the Union, talking about the Congress to be wise about how we spend the people's money and to make the tax cuts permanent.

I will talk about initiatives to make sure our health care and education and energy recognizes the realities of the world in which we live today and anticipates the problems of the world tomorrow so that we can remain competitive.

I will talk about the values that are important for our country. I'm going to remind people we show the character and compassion of America by taking focused action to confront disease and to help devastated areas of our country that have been -- areas that have been devastated by natural disasters, and ensure that medical research is conducted in a manner that recognizes the dignity of every human life.

I look forward to the speech, I really do. As you can imagine, it's an interesting experience to walk out there and not only talk to members of Congress, but as importantly, talk to the American people.

I'm also looking forward to the Senate finishing its business on the confirmation of Sam Alito. He's a man of character and he's a man of integrity. He understands that the role of a judge is to interpret the law. He understands the role of a judge is not to advance a personal or political agenda. Yesterday I had an interesting experience standing with his law clerks, and I could -- started reading the notes that, of course, were adequately prepared for me, and the first person said he's a Democrat who supports Alito; the second person was a person who voted Green that supported Alito; the third a left-leaning woman Democrat who supported Alito; the fourth person I talked about was somebody who worked in the John Kerry campaign who supported Alito. I was wondering, where are all those Republican clerks.

My point is, is that he has broad support from people who know him, people from both political parties, because he's a decent man who has got a lot of experience and he deserves an up or down vote on the floor of the Senate. I was interested in Ed Rendell's comments -- he's the Governor of Pennsylvania. He was the former Chairman of the Democrat National Committee. He did not like the way the debate was headed. He believed that Sam Alito should be confirmed. And so do I. The Senate needs to give him an up or down vote as quickly as possible.

Listen, thank you all for giving me a chance to share some thoughts with you. I'd be glad to answer some questions, starting with you, Terry.

Q Mr. President, is Mideast peacemaking dead with Hamas' big election victory? And do you rule out dealing with the Palestinians if Hamas is the majority party?

THE PRESIDENT: Peace is never dead, because people want peace. I believe -- and that's why I articulated a two-state solution early in my administration, so that -- as a vision for people to work toward, a solution that recognized that democracy yields peace. And the best hope for peace in the Middle East is two democracies living side-by-side.

So the Palestinians had an election yesterday, and the results of which remind me about the power of democracy. You see, when you give people the vote, you give people a chance to express themselves at the polls -- and if they're unhappy with the status quo, they'll let you know. That's the great thing about democracy, it provides a look into society.

And yesterday the turnout was significant, as I understand it. And there was a peaceful process as people went to the polls, and that's positive. But what was also positive is, is that it's a wake-up call to the leadership. Obviously, people were not happy with the status quo. The people are demanding honest government. The people want services. They want to be able to raise their children in an environment in which they can get a decent education and they can find health care.

And so the elections should open the eyes of the old guard there in the Palestinian territories. I like the competition of ideas. I like people who have to go out and say, vote for me, and here's what I'm going to do. There's something healthy about a system that does that. And so the elections yesterday were very interesting.

On the other hand, I don't see how you can be a partner in peace if you advocate the destruction of a country as part of your platform. And I know you can't be a partner in peace if you have a -- if your party has got an armed wing. The elections just took place. We will watch very carefully about the formation of the government. But I will continue to remind people about what I just said, that if your platform is the destruction of Israel, it means you're not a partner in peace. And we're interested in peace.

I talked to Condi twice this morning. She called President Abbas. She also is going to have a conference call today about the Quartet -- with the Quartet, about how to keep the process on the road to peace.

Steve.

Q If I can follow up, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q Are you cautioning Prime Minister Abbas not to resign? And --

THE PRESIDENT: We'd like him to stay in power. I mean, we'd like to stay in office. He is in power, we'd like him to stay in office. Sorry to interrupt. I knew this was a two-part question, so I tried to head it off.

Q Will this affect aid to the Palestinians? Will you be able to work with Hamas if they're -- assuming they take on a large share of the government?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I made it very clear that the United States does not support political parties that want to destroy our ally, Israel, and that people must renounce that part of their platform. But the government hasn't formed yet. They're beginning to talk about how to form the government. And your question on Abbas was a good one. And our message to him was, we would hope he would stay in office and work to move the process forward.

Again, I remind people, the elections -- democracy is -- can open up the world's eyes to reality by listening to people. And the elections -- the election process is healthy for society, in my judgment. In other words, it's -- one way to figure out how to address the needs of the people is to let them express themselves at the ballot box. And that's exactly what happened yesterday. And you'll hear a lot of people saying, well, aren't we surprised at the outcome, or this, that, or the other.

If there is corruption, I'm not surprised that people say, let's get rid of corruption. If government hadn't been responsive, I'm not the least bit surprised that people said, I want government to be responsive.

And so that was an interesting day yesterday in the -- as we're watching liberty begin to spread across the Middle East.

Let's see here. Yes, David.

Q Mr. President, good morning. I have a different question, but I'd like to pin you down on this point about Hamas because I don't think you've completely answered it. Are you ruling out dealing with a Palestinian government comprised, in part, of Hamas?

THE PRESIDENT: Dave, they don't have a government yet, so you're asking me to speculate on what the government will look like. I have made it very clear, however, that a political party that articulates the destruction of Israel as part of its platform is a party with which we will not deal.

Q Okay, can I --

THE PRESIDENT: No, it's --

Q But, sir, I'm sorry --

THE PRESIDENT: Well, it's unfair to the other people.

Q No, I'm just -- I'm just following up --

THE PRESIDENT: You're trying to hoard. (Laughter.)

Q I'm not trying -- I have a question about New Orleans, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: This is -- I agree with you. I can see the expressions on your colleagues' faces that it's --

Q Well, I hope it will be worth your time. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: They don't think so. (Laughter.)

Q The administration has rejected a local plan to rebuild New Orleans, and your administrator down there, Don Powell, said that the focus for federal money should be to rebuild for those 20,000 homeowners who were outside the flood plain. Critics, local officials say that that ignores so many people in New Orleans, the poorest of the poor, the hardest hit areas, people who didn't have flood insurance or didn't expect the levees to break. And they feel, sir, that this is a certain betrayal of your promise that New Orleans would rise again. So why did you reject it? And do you think that the people of New Orleans have to expect that there is a limit for the extent to which the city can be rebuilt?

THE PRESIDENT: The Congress has appropriated $85 billion to help rebuild the Gulf Coast. And that is a good start; it's a strong start; it's a significant commitment to the people whose lives were turned upside down by that -- by those -- by that hurricane.

Secondly, we have said that we look forward to the time when each state develops its recovery plan. I, early on in the process, said it's important for the folks in Mississippi to come forward with a recovery plan. And it's important for New Orleans and the state of Louisiana to work together to develop a state recovery plan. And the reason I said that is because I was aware that folks in Congress will want to spend money based upon a specific strategy. We've got to get comfortable with how to proceed. Those plans haven't -- the plan for Louisiana hasn't come forward yet, and I urge the officials, both state and city, to work together so we can get a sense for how they're going to proceed.

Now, having said that, I recognize there were some early things we needed to do to instill confidence. One of them was to say that we will make the levees stronger and better than before, and study further strengthening of the levees. In other words, I recognize that people needed to be able to say, well, gosh, we can't even get started until we got a commitment from the federal government on the levees.

A lot of the money we're spending is prescribed by law, but we also went a step further and proposed to Congress, and they accepted, the CDGB money so that monies can actually go directly to individual families that need help. We'll continue to work with the folks down there. But I want to remind the people in that part of the world, $85 billion is a lot, and secondly, we were concerned about creating additional federal bureaucracies, which might make it harder to get money to the people.

Q But is there a limit, sir?

Q I have five questions, sir. I hope you'll indulge me. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Two-and-a-half times more --

Q On the NSA eavesdropping program, there seems to be growing momentum in Congress to either modify the existing law or write some new law that would give you the latitude to do this, and at the same time, ensure that people's civil liberties are protected. Would you be resistant to the notion of new laws if Congress were to give you what you need to conduct these operations?

THE PRESIDENT: The terrorist surveillance program is necessary to protect America from attack. I asked the very questions you asked, John, when we first got going. Let me tell you exactly how this happened. Right after September the 11th, I said to the people, what can we do -- can we do more -- "the people" being the operators, a guy like Mike Hayden -- can we do more to protect the people? There's going to be a lot of investigation and a lot of discussion about connecting dots and we have a responsibility to protect the people, so let's make sure we connect the dots. And so he came forward with this program. In other words, it wasn't designed in the White House, it was designed where you expect it to be designed, in the NSA.

Secondly, I said, before we do anything, I want to make sure it's legal. And so we had our lawyers look at it -- and as part of the debate, discussion with the American people as to the legality of the program. There's no doubt in my mind it is legal. And thirdly, will there be safeguards for the -- to safeguard the civil liberties of the American people? There's no doubt in my mind there are safeguards in place to make sure the program focuses on calls coming from outside the United States in, with an al Qaeda -- from a -- with a belief that there's an al Qaeda person making the call to somebody here in the States, or vice versa -- but not domestic calls.

So as I stand here right now I can tell the American people the program is legal, it's designed to protect civil liberties, and it's necessary. Now, my concern has always been that in an attempt to try to pass a law on something that's already legal, we'll show the enemy what we're doing. And we have briefed Congress -- members of Congress. We'll continue to do that, but it's important for people to understand that this program is so sensitive and so important, that if information gets out to how it's -- how we do it, or how we operate, it will help the enemy. And so, of course, we'll listen to ideas. But, John, I want to make sure that people understand that if it -- if the attempt to write law makes this program -- is likely to expose the nature of the program, I'll resist it. And I think the American people understand that. Why tell the enemy what we're doing if the program is necessary to protect us from the enemy? And it is. And it's legal. And we'll continue to brief Congress. And we review it a lot, and we review not only at the Justice Department, but with a good legal staff inside NSA.

Yes.

Q What do you hear or your staff hear about releasing of photographs of Jack Abramoff with you, Mr. President? If you say you don't fear anything, tell us why you won't release them?

THE PRESIDENT: She's asking about a person who admitted to wrongdoing and who needs to be prosecuted for that. There is a serious investigation going on, as there should be. The American people have got to have confidence in the -- in the ethics of all branches of government. You're asking about pictures -- I had my picture taken with him, evidently. I've had my picture taken with a lot of people. Having my picture taken with someone doesn't mean that I'm a friend with them or know them very well. I've had my picture taken with you -- (laughter) -- at holiday parties.

My point is, I mean, there's thousands of people that come through and get their pictures taken. I'm also mindful that we live in a world in which those pictures will be used for pure political purposes, and they're not relevant to the investigation.

Q Do you know how many?

THE PRESIDENT: I don't have any idea.

I'm coming your way. Carl.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning. On the subject of Iran, what parameters might the U.S. be willing to accept Iran having a nuclear power program? And to the extent that you've said in the past that the United States supports the Iranian people, would you support expedited legislation, or a move that would send resources to such groups in Iran that might hasten regime change or democratic reform?

THE PRESIDENT: I have made it clear that I believe that the Iranians should have a civilian nuclear program -- power program under these conditions: that the material used to power the plant would be manufactured in Russia, delivered under IEEE -- IAEA inspections -- inspectors to Iran to be used in that plant, the waste of which will be picked up by the Russians and returned to Russia. I think that is a good plan. The Russians came up with the idea, and I support it.

And the reason why I think it makes sense is because I do believe people ought to be able to be allowed to have civilian nuclear power. However, I don't believe non-transparent regimes that threaten the security of the world should be allowed to gain the technologies necessary to make a weapon. And the Iranians have said, we want a weapon.

And it's not in the world's interest that they have a weapon. And so we are working hard to continue the diplomacy necessary to send a focused message to the Iranian government, and that is, your desires for a weapon are unacceptable. Part of that is -- part of that diplomacy was to provide an acceptable alternative to the Iranian desire to have a civilian nuclear power industry.

And secondly, we will support freedom movements all around the world. I constantly talked about today's reformers will be tomorrow's leaders, and therefore, we will work with groups that demand for people to be given the natural rights of men and women, and that right is to live in a free society.

Dana.

Q Mr. President, you talked about Jack Abramoff in the context of pictures, but it may not necessarily just be about pictures. He also had some meetings with some of your staff. So you remember, you ran on the idea of restoring honesty and integrity to the White House. So why are you letting your critics perhaps attack you and paint you with maybe a guilt by association? Why not just throw open your books and say, look, here is --

THE PRESIDENT: There is a serious investigation going on by federal prosecutors, and that's their job. And they will -- if they believe something was done inappropriately in the White House, they'll come and look, and they're welcome to do so. There's a serious investigation that's going on.

Q But, sir, don't you want to tell the American people look, as I promised, this White House isn't for sale and I'm not for sale?

THE PRESIDENT: It's hard for me to say I didn't have pictures with the guy when I did. But I have also had pictures with thousands and thousands of people. I mean, people -- it's part of the job of the President to shake hands and -- with people and smile. (Laughter.) And I do. And the man contributed to my campaigns, but he contributed, either directly or through his clients, to a lot of people in Washington. And this needs to be cleared up so the people have confidence in the system.

Yes, Peter.

Q Mr. President, the U.S. government has spent about $2 million to help promote the Palestinian Authority in the lead-up to this week's elections. I wonder, sir, whether you feel like it's consistent with your push to spread democracy around the world if the U.S. puts its thumb on the scale? Or are there moments when it's okay to compromise that because you want to keep organizations with a terrorist threat out of government?

THE PRESIDENT: I talked to Secretary Rice about the story that you're referring to, and what she told me was, is that this money was part of a USAID package that had been in the pipeline for a while. The -- kind of the allegation or the insinuation that we were funding a political effort just simply isn't the case, as far as I can tell.

Q It was designed to promote the image of the Palestinian Authority among its own people --

THE PRESIDENT: As I say, this money was part of a USAID package. We had -- I proclaimed, I made it very clear that Jim Wolfensohn was going to be in the region with an economic aid package to help the Palestinian people. Our programs are aimed to help the people. And --

Q I'm talking about who gets credit. Part of the thing was there would be no --

THE PRESIDENT: Obviously --

Q Credit would go to the Authority.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, well, our attempt was to help the Palestinian people through a active USAID program. And you saw the results of the election.

Q Why, then, not disclose the USAID involvement?

THE PRESIDENT: It is disclosed -- you just disclosed it. (Laughter.)

Elisabeth. Are you trying to help the man out there?

Q He's my colleague.

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, good.

Q Members of your administration have said that the secret eavesdropping program might have prevented the September 11th attacks. But the people who hijacked the planes on September 11th had been in this country for years, having domestic phone calls and emails. So how, specifically, can you say that?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, Michael Hayden said that because he believes that had we had the capacity to listen to the phone calls from those from San Diego to elsewhere we might have gotten information necessary to prevent the attack. And that's what he was referring to.

Q They were domestic calls --

THE PRESIDENT: No, domestic outside -- we will not listen inside this country. It is a call from al Qaeda, al Qaeda affiliates, either from inside the country out, or outside the country in, but not domestically.

Q Can I ask you again, why won't you release the photos of yourself with Jack Abramoff?

THE PRESIDENT: I just answered the question.

Yes.

Q Your explanation on the monitoring program seems to say that when the nation is at war, the President, by definition, can order measures that might not be acceptable or even, perhaps, legal in peacetime. And this seems to sound like something President Nixon once said, which was "when the President does it, then that means it is not illegal," in the areas involving national security. So how do the two differ?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I said yesterday that other Presidents have used the same authority I've had to use technology to protect the American people. Other Presidents -- most Presidents believe that during a time of war, that we can use our authorities under the Constitution to make decisions necessary to protect us.

Secondly, in this case, there is an act passed by Congress in 2001 which said that I must have the power to conduct this war using the incidents of war. In other words, we believe there's a constitutional power granted to Presidents, as well as, this case, a statutory power. And I'm intending to use that power -- Congress says, go ahead and conduct the war, we're not going to tell you how to do it. And part of winning this war on terror is to understand the nature of the enemy and to find out where they are so we can protect the American people.

There's going to be -- there will be a constitution -- there will be a legal debate about whether or not I have the authority to do this; I'm absolutely convinced I do. Our Attorney General has been out describing why. And I'm going to continue using my authority. That's what the American people expect.

Yes, Mark.

Q Mr. President, the Pentagon recently studied U.S. forces overseas and concluded that, between Iraq and Afghanistan, that the military was very seriously over-extended. Then Secretary Rumsfeld told us yesterday, well, that's really not what the study concluded. But this morning General Casey told us, in Iraq, U.S. forces there are stretched. Who's right here?

THE PRESIDENT: I haven't seen General Casey's comments, his specific comments. I will tell you this; that after five years of war, there is a need to make sure that our troops are balanced properly, that threats are met with capability. And that's why we're transforming our military. The things I look for are the following: morale, retention, and recruitment. And retention is high, recruitment is meeting goals, and people are feeling strong about the mission, Mark. But I also recognize that we've got to make sure that our military is transformed. And that's what's taking place right now -- we're transforming the United States Army so that capabilities and the threats are better aligned.

And I'll give -- go ahead.

Q It's not over-extended then?

THE PRESIDENT: The question is whether or not we can win victory in Iraq. Our troops will have what they -- I mean, our commanders will have the troops necessary to do that. The question is, can we help the peace in a place like the Far East? Absolutely.

And let me use the Far East as an example of what I'm talking about. There was some 30,000 troops on the South Korean peninsula. As you might remember, we reduced the amount of manpower, replaced it with technology. A lot of people -- some people at the time said, well, wait a minute, they're lessening their commitment to peace and security in the Far East by moving people out. I made the case that, no, what we're doing is replacing manpower -- we're transforming our military presence in South Korea to be able to meet the threats of the 21st century. And that's what you're seeing all throughout our military.

And so this is a time where we've been in theater for -- been in this war against terror for five years, and at the same time, transforming. And I think if you look at what our commanders are saying, and what are people like Pete Schoomaker are saying is that this transformation is going to make it more likely America will be able to continue in the out-years of doing what we need to do to keep the peace.

Yes, Holly.

Q Mr. President, do you think you need to be more aggressive with vetoing or at least threatening to veto more spending bills this year? I mean, every year you say, I want Congress to show spending restraint; this is important for our budget and our economy. But do you think they're doing enough? Do you need to be more aggressive --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I do think they are when they meet our budget targets. And here's the way -- let me finish, please. Here's the way it works: We sit down and say, here's what we'd like you to do. We'd like you to reduce non-security discretionary spending. We present a budget target, and they meet them. They have met those targets.

And I -- and I am pleased that I've got a working relationship with the Speaker and Leader Frist and other members of Congress to help meet those targets.

Go ahead, you've got a follow-up?

Q So, essentially, then, you think everything is going fine with the budget and there's no need to use a veto or anything like that?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm fully prepared to use a veto if they overspend. They've got a chance now to continue to show the American people that they're willing to be -- have fiscal discipline by voting on the reconciliation package in the House of Representatives. We've still got a lot of work to do, don't get me wrong. And I'll present a -- in the process of laying out a budget that will continue to eliminate programs that don't work or that are duplicative in nature, one that says we can cut our deficit in half by 2009 and make sure the American people still get their tax relief.

We don't need to be running up the taxes right now, in my judgment. And I think it is -- you know, people say, well, let's raise the taxes and balance the budget -- that's not how it works; they're going to raise your taxes, and they're going to continue to expand the government. And I understand that.

Now, in terms of how they spend the money, once they meet the budget targets, that's going to be an interesting discussion on Capitol Hill. That's about this business about earmarks and people making special deals in the budget. And they need to -- there needs to be earmark reform. And we look forward to working with responsible members on the Hill about earmark reform.

Yes.

Q Mr. President, last year your administration imposed a package of economic sanctions on North Korea. Now North Korea says it will not come back to the table in the nuclear talks unless those sanctions go. South Korea is warning of a dispute on the issue. Would you consider removing them, suspending them, making some gesture to get North Korea back to the negotiation table?

THE PRESIDENT: Actually, I think what you're referring to is the fact that we're trying -- that we are cutting off the transfer of monies generated by illicit activities. When somebody is counterfeiting our money, we want to stop them from doing that. And so we are aggressively saying to the North Koreans, just -- don't counterfeit our money. And we are working with others to prevent them from illicit activities. That's different from economic sanctions.

Q Fair enough.

THE PRESIDENT: And, no, we think it's very important for the North Koreans to come back to the table. There's a six-party talk framework that is hopeful and positive for them. It requires them to make some difficult decisions, and, of course, one of them is to get rid of their nuclear arsenal. But we're more than willing to -- and want the six-party talks to continue forward. I think the framework is a framework that can eventually yield to a peaceful settlement of the issue. But the other issue is one that I just wanted to make sure I clarify for you why we're doing what we're doing.

Jonathan.

Q You see this as completely separate then, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I think --

Q There's no room to suspend them or --

THE PRESIDENT: Well, if somebody is cheating on us, we need to stop it. I mean, the American people -- if we know people are counterfeiting our money, they expect the government to act. And there is no compromise when it comes to, you know, "Hey, come back to the table so you can counterfeit our money; just counterfeit 20s and not 100s, or whatever it is?" I mean, no. We are going to uphold the law and protect the currency of the American people.

Jonathan.

Q Stepping back from the immediate NSA debate that's going on right now, Vice President Cheney recently said that the White House is reasserting its executive power. Is the NSA program part of that effort? And what do you say to Democrats who charge that you are abusing your constitutional authority?

THE PRESIDENT: I would say that there has been a historical debate between the executive branch and the legislative branch as to who's got what power. And I don't view it as a contest with the legislative branch. Maybe they view it as a contest with the executive; I just don't. I view it -- I view the decisions I've made, particularly when it comes to national security, as necessary decisions to protect the American people. That's how -- that's the lens on which I analyze things, Jonathan. And I understand we're at war with an enemy that wants to hit us again. Osama bin Laden made that clear the other day, and I take his words very seriously. And I also take my responsibility to protect the American people very seriously.

And so we're going to do what is necessary, within the Constitution and within the law, and at the same time guaranteeing people's civil liberties, to protect the people. And that's how I look at this debate. Now, there's all kinds of people taking a step back and saying well, this is this, this is that. And I recognize throughout history, people -- there have been a debate about legislative power and executive power. Part of the questions asked here today kind of reflect that debate.

I'm going to leave that to the lawyers. I believe I've been hired by the people to do my job, and that's to protect the people, and that's what I'm going to do, mindful of my authorities within the Constitution, mindful of our need to make sure that we stay within the law, and mindful of the need to protect the civil liberties of the people.

Q Mr. President, though -- this is a direct follow up to that -- the FISA law was implemented in 1978 in part because of revelations that the National Security Agency was spying domestically. What is wrong with that law if you feel you have to circumvent it and, as you just admitted, expand presidential power?

THE PRESIDENT: May I -- if I might, you said that I have to circumvent it. There -- wait a minute. That's a -- there's something -- it's like saying, you know, you're breaking the law. I'm not. See, that's what you've got to understand. I am upholding my duty, and at the same time, doing so under the law and with the Constitution behind me. That's just very important for you to understand.

Secondly, the FISA law was written in 1978. We're having this discussion in 2006. It's a different world. And FISA is still an important tool. It's an important tool. And we still use that tool. But also -- and we -- look -- I said, look, is it possible to conduct this program under the old law? And people said, it doesn't work in order to be able to do the job we expect us to do.

And so that's why I made the decision I made. And you know, "circumventing" is a loaded word, and I refuse to accept it, because I believe what I'm doing is legally right.

Bob.

Q There are going to be hearings on Capitol Hill starting February 6th regarding --

THE PRESIDENT: Regarding that point, right. And Al Gonzales has recently given a speech laying out the administrative position, and I'm sure you analyzed it carefully.

Deans.

Q Sir, you said a few minutes ago the United States needs to continue to lead in the cause of freedom around the world, and yet in recent weeks, a couple of groups -- Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International -- have criticized the U.S. handling of terrorist suspects. They say that has undermined the U.S. voice as a champion of human rights, and even, perhaps, undercut a generation of progress in human rights. And my question, sir, is how do you -- how do you respond to that?

THE PRESIDENT: I haven't seen the report, but if they're saying we tortured people, they're wrong. Period.

Q Could you call on your Texas straight talk and make a clear and unambiguous statement today that no American will be allowed to torture another human being anywhere in the world at any time --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. No American will be allowed to torture another human being anywhere in the world. And I signed the appropriations bill with the McCain amendment attached on because that's the way it is. I know some have said, well, why did he put a qualifier in there? And one reason why presidents put qualifiers in is to protect the prerogative of the executive branch. You see, what we're always doing is making sure that we make it clear that the executive branch has got certain responsibilities. Conducting war is a responsibility in the executive branch, not the legislative branch.

But make no mistake about it, the McCain amendment is an amendment we strongly support and will make sure it's fully effective.

Let's see, Richard.

Q Mr. President, you mentioned earlier that this is an election year. Republicans [sic] are expressing great confidence that they're going to be able to take --

THE PRESIDENT: Who are?

Q The Democrats, I mean, they're expressing --

THE PRESIDENT: We already have the Congress. (Laughter.)

Q They say that they can use issues such as corruption and the war in Iraq and high energy prices against Republicans and against you. How much do you plan to go out and campaign --

THE PRESIDENT: I'm looking forward on the campaign, but I'm also looking forward to reminding people we have a responsibility to get some things done. And that's part of what the State of the Union is going to be about, but, no, I'm looking forward to getting out there. I've got one more off-year campaign in me as a sitting President, and I'm looking forward to it, Richard. As you know, I like to get out and tell people what's on my mind, explain to people we're a party with ideas, we know how to lead, that -- remind people of the stakes in the world in which we live, and that we have a plan to deal with them.

And we've got a good record here in Washington, D.C., and I'm looking forward to talking about the economy, for example. That seems like a debate worthwhile having -- not only what we have done to make sure that we've overcome a lot of hurdles, but how to make sure policies are put in place that this economic growth continues, and remind people we've added a lot of jobs since April of 2003, that the economy is pretty strong this year given the fact -- in spite of the fact there was high energy prices and storms. I look forward to debating people whether or not we ought to raise their taxes. I don't believe we should. Matter of fact, I think raising taxes will hurt the economy. And that's a debate I look forward to having with the people as we get closer to the 2006 elections.

And so, look, I don't blame people for saying, I'm confident about the elections. Can you imagine right here at the election year saying, I'm not very confident about the elections? (Laughter.) No wonder the Democrats are saying that.

But we've got a record, and a good one. And that's what I intend to campaign on, and explain to people why I've made the decisions I've made, and why they're necessary to protect the American people, and why they've been necessary to keep this economy strong, and why the policies we've got will keep this economy strong in the future. And this election is about peace and prosperity. And I intend to get out there and campaign.

Abril -- April.

Q Yes, Mr. President. Good morning.

THE PRESIDENT: You're going to have to speak loudly because somebody took your seat. Your name was on my seating chart, and you're not sitting down.

Q Isn't that a shame?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I mean, look, you're probably going to blame it on me. (Laughter.)

Q I'm going to let you pass that time.

THE PRESIDENT: Just trying to rattle you before you get going.

Q I know. Mr. President, as you're saying Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath is one of your top priorities.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q Why is it that this administration is not allowing the senior -- your senior staff that you conversated [sic] with prior to Hurricane Katrina, during and after, to testify, to interview or talk with congressional leaders? And why not push Michael Brown, who is now a private citizen, to go before them, as he is what many are calling a linchpin to the whole issue?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, let me make sure you have the facts. We have given 15,000 pages of White House documents to the investigators, congressional investigators; some -- I think it's 600,000 pages, administrative documents. We have sent a fellow named Rapuano to talk about -- he's a White House staffer -- to talk to the committee. There have been a lot of interviews. There have been public testimony.

As a matter of fact, we are so concerned about this that we've started our own investigation to make sure that lessons -- that we understand the lessons learned from this. This is a problem we want to investigate thoroughly so we know how to better respond on behalf of the American people.

And so we're fully cooperative with the members of the House in -- of the Senate, and we'll do so without giving away my ability to get sound advice from people on my staff. You see, April, here's -- and this is an issue that comes up all the time, and you might -- we've had several discussions like this since I've been the President. If people give me advice and they're forced to disclose that advice, it means the next time an issue comes up I might not be able to get unvarnished advice from my advisors. And that's just the way it works. But we've given thousands of pages of documents over for people to analyze.

Q Does that include Michael Brown?

THE PRESIDENT: Pardon me?

Q Does that include Michael Brown?

THE PRESIDENT: People who give me advice, it will have a chilling effect on future advisors if the precedent is such that when they give me advice that it's going to be subject to scrutiny.

Now, we've analyzed -- we've given out all kinds of pages of documents for people, and we're cooperating with the investigators. And that's important for the American people to know. What's also important is we want to know how we can do a better job. And so we're having a lessons-learned investigation, led by Fran Townsend. And -- anyway, we need to know.

Let's see here -- yes, Mark.

Q Sir, back on lobbying. Never mind about the photographs, but can you say whether --

THE PRESIDENT: It's easy for a radio guy to say. (Laughter.)

Q Can you say, sir, whether you were lobbied by Jack Abramoff or other lobbyists, and what your policy is about lobbyists meeting with senior staff?

THE PRESIDENT: You know, I, frankly, don't even remember having my picture taken with the guy. I don't know him. And this investigation will -- needs to look into all aspects of his influence on Capitol Hill, and if there's some in the White House, I'm sure they're going to come and knock on the door. But I -- I can't say I didn't ever meet him, but I meet a lot of people. And evidently, he was just like you were the other day, at a holiday party -- came in, put -- the grip-and-grin, they click the picture and off he goes. And that's just -- I take thousands of -- I mean, somebody told me I maybe take over 9,000 pictures this holiday season. And he obviously went to fundraisers, but I've never sat down with him and had a discussion with the guy.

Q Do you meet with lobbyists?

THE PRESIDENT: I try not to. Have I ever met with one? Never having met with one is a -- if I ever say that, sure enough, you'll go find somebody. But, no, I don't have them come in.

Now, when, for example, people are helping on issues -- like on promoting trade -- you bet, we bring them in and I say, thank you for promoting CAFTA; or, thanks for working on the vote; or, thanks for helping on tax relief. That may be -- if you consider that a meeting, the answer is, yes, I'm sure I have, in a roomful of people as we either thank people for success in policy or thank people for going out of their way to get a piece of legislation passed on the Hill.

Listen, thank you all very much. Looking forward to Tuesday evening -- I hope you are, as well. Thank you.

END 11:01 A.M. EST

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:44 AM | Comments (13)

January 26, 2006

Sen. John Kerry Calls For a Filibuster of Samuel Alito's Nomination

Kerry calling for a filibuster.......

CNN....................
WASHINGTON (CNN) --

Sen. John Kerry has decided to support a filibuster to block the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, CNN's Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry reported Thursday.

Kerry, in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum, was marshaling support in phone calls during the day, Henry said.

He announced his decision Wednesday to a group of Democratic senators, urging they join him, Henry said. Kerry also has the support of his fellow Massachusetts senator, Democrat Edward Kennedy.

Some senior Democrats said they are worried that the move could backfire.

Republicans need 60 votes to overturn a filibuster.

Senior White House officials said the move makes the Democrats look bad, and Republicans already have enough votes to overcome any filibuster attempt.

The posters at the Democratic Underground are orgasmic............

The Democratic Underground is threatning anyone that wants to be president in 2008 and does not have the balls to filibuster they will not support..this must be why Lurch is in a panic mode! hahaha too funny.

For those that can stand it, I couldn't.......here is the entire BS from Kerry at HIS site.....................

Then there is this....................

Democatic Sen. Johnson to Back Alito Jan 26 11:05 AM US/Eastern Democatic Sen. Johnson to Back Alito
Jan 26 11:05 AM US/Eastern
By JESSE J. HOLLAND
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito picked up his second Democratic supporter on Thursday, with Tim Johnson of South Dakota announcing he will vote for the conservative judge to become the nation's 110th justice.

Johnson joins fellow Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska as the only members of their party to announce Senate support for the conservative judge. Fifty-one Republicans are supporting Alito, guaranteeing his confirmation as the replacement for retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who throughout her years on the high court often has been a key fifth vote on contentious social issues including abortion, affirmative action and the death penalty.

WASHINGTON

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito picked up his second Democratic supporter on Thursday, with Tim Johnson of South Dakota announcing he will vote for the conservative judge to become the nation's 110th justice.

Johnson joins fellow Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska as the only members of their party to announce Senate support for the conservative judge.

Fifty-one Republicans are supporting Alito, guaranteeing his confirmation as the replacement for retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who throughout her years on the high court often has been a key fifth vote on contentious social issues including abortion, affirmative action and the death penalty.

.

* Michelle Malkin
* STOP the ACLU

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:08 PM | Comments (6)

Helen Thomas Babbles On and On and On.....

President Bush today again avoided taking a question from White House doyenne Helen Thomas during his 45-minute press conference, even though he took questions from every reporter around her front-row, center seat.

"He's a coward," Thomas said afterward. "He's supposed to be this macho guy. He'll take on Osama bin Laden, but he won't take me on."

Thomas, who worked as the UPI White House reporter for 57 years and is now a columnist, raised her hand every time the president was concluding an answer to a reporter's question, but he never called on her.

She had a few questions in mind, though. "I wanted to ask about Iraq: 'You said you didn't go in for oil or for Israel or for WMDs. So why did you go in?' "

She also had another question at the ready, just in case, this one about the president's contention that a 28-year-old wiretapping law known as FISA is out of date, which prompted him to order the National Security Agency to conduct a secret electronic surveillance program that Democrats contend is illegal.

"You keep saying it's a 1978 law, but the Constitution 200 years old. Is that out of date, too?"

Afterward, Thomas sat sullenly in her chair in the White House press work area, huddled in her leopard-print winter coat.

But as she left, she made a prediction: "He came on to my turf. I'll bet the next press conference will be in Room 450 of the EEOB," a theater-style room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where she would not be in the front row.

Wild Thing comment.........
Now wait a dog gone minute here....... "He won't take me on?" Hey Helen why would be want to. He is the President. Hellooooo Helen! Maybe he was afraid he would turn to stone if he looked directly at her.

"He came on to my turf." Actually Helen you are on the people's turf.

Just chill out Helen and remember the good ole days with Clinton............

What A Good Nights Sleep Will Do For A Person

Susan Estrich was on Fox News again the other day and looked well rested. giggle
All was well till she spoke. Now if she could just do something about her voice. It really grates and there is nothing she can do about it I guess. Then how about becoming a Republican. haha Well that is positive thinking you see. heh heh

When I get wrinkles and this is now in print. I plan on keeping every one of them. My husband said it would be ok when it happens so why not. hahaha
I am fine with others doing stuff like getting rid of them but things like that scare me, what if the doc was having a bad day. Yikes

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:27 AM | Comments (12)

Dems Pick Villaraigosa to Rebut State of Union, in Spanish

Photo of Antonio Villaraigosa with Kerry during the last Presidential election year...............

From BREITBART.COM

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will give the Spanish-language response to President Bush's State of the Union address on Tuesday, Democratic congressional leaders announced.

Villaraigosa has been seen as a rising Democratic star since his election in May as the first Hispanic in 133 years to lead Los Angeles, the country's second-largest city. He will deliver his remarks from his Los Angeles office, said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

"Mayor Villaraigosa is working hard to increase economic opportunity and provide affordable and quality education for the people of Los Angeles," Reid and Pelosi said in a joint statement Wednesday. "As the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles in more than a century, we are proud to have his diverse voice within the party."

The Democrats' English-language response is being given by newly elected Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.

Hispanics are the nation's largest minority group and a critical voting bloc that typically leans Democratic.

In the last presidential election, exit polls conducted for The Associated Press and television networks found Bush winning 44 percent of the Hispanic vote, up from 35 percent in 2000. Democratic Sen. John Kerry won 53 percent, down from 62 percent four years earlier for Democrat Al Gore.

Stop the presses............Just who is Antonio Villaraigosa????

Antonio Villaraigosa (then, Tony Villar) leading a protest to include the Communist organization "Committee to Free Los Tres" on the Steering Committee of the Chicano Studies Center. UCLA campus, May 23, 1974.

While on campus, Villar joined the UCLA chapter of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), and was part of its leadership by 1974. MEChA had only been founded as a regional movement in 1969, and in many ways, the UCLA chapter, and the radical Chicano student left today, is a direct product of Villar’s work then.

Villaraigosa refuses to repudiate the aims of Chicano separatists for a nation of Aztlan. Instead he hides behind the Museum of Tolerance, which is looking more and more like one of the old Communist Reeducation Camps.

Villaraigosa want illegal aliens to get taxpayer- provided college education!

Aztlan is the name Chicano activists have given California and the southwestern U.S., land taken from [sold by] Mexico after the War of 1848. Barbara Coe of CCIR said MEChA has distributed "anti-American hate literature on our campuses" and has attempted to "poison the minds of impressionable youth" with the assertion that the southwestern United States was stolen from Mexico.

Villaraigosa quotes....

" "I was chairperson of MEChA 20 some years ago," Villaraigosa said. "I'm proud of it. "

Villaraigosa sharply criticized unnamed Latino leaders for supporting legislation that denies driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. "They don't belong in office, friends," Villaraigosa said.

The current attitude of militant Hispanics toward the United States, the English language, European-Americans, and seizing control of the U.S. Southwest -- or Aztlan -- was revealed at a strategy session held in January 1995 at the University of California at Riverside under the title "Latino Leadership Summit Response to Prop 187."

Antonio Villaraigosa was also a speaker at that meeting. Among the many declarations uttered at the meeting which Villaraigosa did not repudiate were "English should be a foreign language"; "We are hostages in our own land, prisoners of war"; "We live under occupying alien force."; "We live in the annexed territories of Aztlan"; and "We're in a state of war ... a vicious threat to our existence."

Although Villaraigosa was and is a public official, he did not condemn the repeated calls for the establishment of an independent country of Aztlan or the references to this country as "AmeriKKKa" and the "United Snakes of America." In fact, Villaraigosa praised one of the participants, Jose Angel Gutierrez, Director of Mexican-American Studies Center at the University of Texas at Arlington, who has professed since 1970 that "Our devil has pale skin and blue eyes," and who once said at a MAYA (Mexican American Youth Organization, the forerunner to MEChA) meeting, "To the gringos in the audience, I have one final message to convey, 'Up yours, baby. You've had it, from now on.' "

Two of Antonio Villaraigosa's close friends are California State Senator, Richard Alarcon and his sister, Evelina Alarcon. Evelina Alarcon is Vice Chair of CPUSA (Communist Party U.S.A.) and is chair of the Southern California District of the Communist Party USA and is the Secretary of its National Mexican American Equality Commission. She also writes editorials for the communist "People's Weekly World."

Wild Thing's comment.........
Will someone also deliver a speech in Polish? There's a large voting block of poles in the US too. What about Italian? Or how about German, French, or Russian? Maybe he can even deliver it in Chinese and Japanese? I hear there are many immigrants in the US who came from those countries too. Oh yea I forgot, all these immigrants were decent enough to bother to learn the language. Like my parents did from Switzerland. hmmmmm Do you think our Forefathers are tired of turning over in their graves because of all the things the Democratic party does and says just about every day of the week?

I think everyone should take pride in their heritage and where and how their families came to this awesome country. They should pass down to their children the pride they had in coming here and the hope of a better future. And tell their children why this is the greatest Nation on earth and why we live in the land of the free. Teach them to respect our Military and the price they paid so we can live with the freedoms and security we have. To thank Veterans and why it is important never to forget what our Veterans have done for us and the world.

But to single out and encourage and pit one group against another. To demand and force on others a constant reminder of differences instead of oneness in ones land and country is not good. This kind of thing goes way beyond social get togethers of a Cinco de Mayo or Octoberfest, or when Italians, Greeks, Irish etc. celebrate.

"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism.... A hyphenated American is not an American at all... Americanism is a matter of the spirit, and of the soul...The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans...each preserving its separate nationality.... The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans.... There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American." Theodore Roosevelt

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:04 AM | Comments (6)

January 25, 2006

The United Nations Film "Broken Promises"

We all know how vile the U.N. is and as for me I believe it is one of our enemies. I just found out about it today and am glad that at least this film was made , it is a start to bringing to the world how awful the U.N. is. When Arafat died, Flags were flown at half mast at the United Nations, as the world body paid tribute to late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat ( TERRORIST) by granting him the same honours as a head of state!!! UN Secretary General “Kofi Annan said of Arafats death that he was "deeply moved". sheesh!!

Broken Promises.....the film
Executive Producers: David Bossie and Ron Silver
Written and Directed by Kevin Knoblock
Narrated by Ron Silver ( actor and he also voted for Bush, you may have seen him on Fox News a lot)

A powerful documentary, newly released to DVD, illustrates the U.N.'s disturbing record of failure, nearly from the moment of its founding.

Broken Promises: The United Nations at 60 was produced by the Citizens United Foundation and actor Ron Silver, who also narrates it.

While the film doesn't reveal any fresh U.N. scandals, it succeeds brilliantly in assembling the world body's catalogue of ineptitude and corruption into a single, easy-to-understand narrative.

Like any good documentary, the film's foundation is an extraordinary group of interviews with experts, scholars and notable figures. Through these interviews, the filmmakers successfully tell the story of U.N. failure from the world body's founding through its most recent tragedies and scandals.

But the film's most powerful moments are interviews with two victims of U.N. failure. The first is Eugenie Mukeshimana, a survivor of the Rwanda genocide. She recounts how she and her husband hid in separate houses as rampaging Hutus, bent on genocide, went from house to house, hacking her friends and neighbors to death with machetes. She describes surviving the initial onslaught even as the U.N. decided to pull 90 percent of its peacekeeping force out of the country. And she reveals that even as the U.N. sat by and did nothing, pro-Hutu radio stations were sponsoring the killings, featuring the most prolific murders on the air and urging Hutus to "stamp out the cockroaches." She laments her husband's murder and explains her fortunate escape.

Supplementing Eugenie's tale are interviews with General Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian commander of the U.N. force in Rwanda, and Ken Cain, who was then working as a civilian staff member with the U.N.'s Rwanda mission. General Dallaire recounts his request for permission to engage his forces in order to stop the slaughter and the U.N.'s subsequent rejection of his request, explaining the need to maintain the appearance of the world body's impartiality. The General describes how, after being forced to sit by and witness the slaughter, he took to leaving his base, alone and unescorted for hours on end, hoping to be killed.

The second interview with a U.N. victim is with Hasan Nuhanovic, a survivor of the effort by Serbs to exterminate Bosnian Muslims.

Hasan describes how, after fleeing the Serbs over the countryside, he and his family came to the U.N.-designated safe haven in the village of Srebrenica. There, Hasan found a battalion of Dutch troops operating as U.N. peacekeepers. After a short time, Hasan found himself working for the Dutch as a translator. For weeks, the Dutch troops and Bosnian locals knew that the Serbs would come. But the U.N. commanders promised that air support from NATO planes and the troops on the ground would protect the Bosnians.

When the Serbs did come, the air support did not. U.N. peacekeepers simply handed the Bosnians over to their executioners. Indeed, U.N. troops even forced Hasan's family to leave the protection of their base and walk into the arms of the Serbs while Hasan stayed behind. As the Serbs rounded up the Bosnians throughout the safe-haven, Hasan describes how the U.N. troops sat in their barracks, drinking beer and listening to music. Years later, Hasan still has not discovered where the Serbs buried his family.

Others interviewed for the film include Natan Sharansky, former dissident in the Soviet Union and Israeli cabinet minister; Former U.S. Senator George Mitchell; Cuban-born U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; Former Israeli Ambassador to the United National Dore Gold; and many others.

The film successfully weaves these tales of horror together with stories of U.N. corruption and scandal as well as a thoughtful discussion of the structural problems that are the recipe for the world body's on-going failure to achieve its core mission: protecting peace and security. As such, it's a must-see for anyone with an interest in the United Nations and the threat it poses to freedom in the 21st Century.

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:18 PM | Comments (4)

Help Be A Part of Letting Jack Idema Finish What He Started

Last week, I talked about the way in which the September 2004 trial which landed U.S. Special Forces soldier Jack Idema and his men in prison was actually conducted by the very terrorists he’d spent three years hunting down.

But there’s another side to the story of how Jack, Brent and Ed wound up in the infamous Pulacharke prison, and this involves elements within FBI and U.S. State Department, both of which have done everything within their power to hinder Jack Idema’s efforts to gain his freedom.

Idema’s problems, as those following this story know, appear to stem from his arrest of a senior Afghan judge, Sidiq, in July 2004. At this point in time, Jack was working with the Northern Alliance, operating a safe house where terror suspects could be held for interrogation prior to transfer to U.S. authorities. (There were fifty such safe houses in operation in Afghanistan, and their existence was not a secret from either the U.S. or Afghan authorities.) Although Idema knew the arrest of Sidiq might raise some eyebrows, he had good reason for believing the judge was a high-value suspect — At the time of the arrest, Sidiq was found to be in possession of the following items:

* Photographs of Sidiq with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
* Bomb plans
* Explosive detonators
* al-Qaida and Hezb-i-Islami documents and recruiting cards
* A letter from Taliban leader Mullah Omar

Unfortunately for Idema, the arrest of Judge Sidiq seems to have prompted the Afghan interim government to move against Jack and his men. Sidiq was, after all, an important man, and his detention perhaps alarmed not only those ‘ex’-Taliban who were now working with the interim government, but also those sections of the FBI and State Department who still cling to myths like ‘containment’ and ‘realpolitik’.
Idema, it should go without saying, is very much the sort of man who believes that terrorists cannot be appeased or given settlements — They must, he says, be captured or killed. This difference of opinion came to a head in the following way:

Instead of a “friendly meeting” the men were arrested at Kabul NDS Headquarters and turned over to former Taliban officials at NDS. When first “arrested,” the men were placed in the NDS’ underground torture chamber where Jack and Zorro were subjected to beatings until they were unconscious. Jack sustained a broken sternum, torn rotator cuffs, both eyes had detached retinas, etc. Major Ezmerai was electrocuted for days, and the screams could be heard throughout NDS. Syhail and Sherzai were beaten, threatened, and Sherzai finally drugged when he refused to sign a statement against Jack. Bennett was interrogated relentlessly, and threatened with death repeatedly shown a knife and told his ears and nose would be cut off. (To date Bennett has lost 8 teeth because of those beatings.) The torture was with the full knowledge and sanction of the FBI who were directing it, using the Afghans as proxies. FBI agents were at some points laughing about it in the hallway.

After the arrest of Idema and his team, the FBI assisted ‘former’ Taliban guards in torturing American citizens and the Northern Alliance soldiers who fought with us to liberate Afghanistan.

Then there’s the U.S. State Department, who have acted in a similarly illegal fashion throughout Idema’s imprisonment:

Sandra Ingram, Acting US Consul, not only refused to acknowledge Idema’s assertion [of his POW status], she refused to pass his request on to the appropriate authorities, and refused to provide him with a copy of the Geneva Conventions as required by law. Idema also asserted their POW status and right to protection to NDS, the FBI, and various Karzai officials.

Why? There are two reasons:

~ As stated above, there are those in the State Department, the FBI and the Karzai government who believe that the best way to deal with the Taliban is to incorporate them into the democratic process. To a very limited degree, this makes sense, though only if the Islamofascists are serious about renouncing violence. Judging by the bomb plans and detonators he was carrying at the time of his arrest, Sidiq clearly didn’t get the memo on that one.

~ There was Abu Ghraib. During the latter half of 2004, the people involved in Idema’s arrest feared the U.S. would take a propaganda hit by refusing to pursue any allegations of torture by its forces, however baseless those allegations turned out to be. By allowing the Taliban to stage a show-trail and imprison Idema, it seems likely that people such as Consul Sandra Ingram felt they could earn Muslim goodwill and remove an obstacle to the political games they were playing with the Karzai government and its ‘ex’-Taliban members at a single stroke.

It should go without saying that this is a shameful way for a Green Beret to be treated. After all, while the FBI and State Department in Afghanistan were playing politics, deciding on which Islamofascists it would be useful in the short term to ally themselves with, Jack was on a very different kind of mission. In his own words:

"You can’t fight terrorists with law enforcement and prosecution.........You can’t do it, they are animals– they are not human, just ask the families that lost their loved ones on 9/11. When the terrorists capture us they cut off our heads on television. When we capture them they complain that we don’t let them p*ss for twelve hours. Well, sorry about that motherf*cker, you were about to drive explosive rigged gas tankers into Bagram and kill 500 American soldiers in a ball of flames. You should be glad I didn’t defenestrate you. I believe that real Americans want real counter-terrorist operations, not bullsh*t press junkets and canned PR stories from PAOs that shot a gun once in their life on the basic training qualification range. I didn’t start this f*cking war, not the one with bin laden, nor the one with the press, they started it, but I will finish it, or die in the process."

Anyone reading this with their own blog can sign up for the weekly Free Jack Idema Blogburst by emailing Cao or Rottweiler Puppy for details. If you want to know more about the story, Cao’s Blog has a large section devoted to Jack Idema.

Finally, PLEASE NOTE: The SuperPatriots and Jack images on this site are used with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION and any use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US

Just a few of the many blogs that are involved:
* Cao’s Blog
* Big Dog’s Weblog
* Irate Nate
* Theodore’s World
* NIF
* Rottweiler Puppy

Posted by Wild Thing at 06:44 PM | Comments (2)

George Galloway To Uday Hussein " With You Till The End"

From Sky News

Video footage has emerged showing George Galloway shaking hands with Saddam Hussein's son Uday - a rapist, torturer and convicted murderer.

The video, obtained by The Sun, shows the Respect MP having a 20-minute meeting with Saddam's eldest son in an Iraqi palace in 1999.

In the video, Mr Galloway is seen to greet Uday, shaking his hand twice and calling him "Excellency".

He jokes about losing weight, going bald and failing to give up smoking cigars.

Mr Galloway also orders watching journalists not to publish parts of their conversation.

Finally, according to the paper, he taunts the United States and vows to stick with Uday "until the end".

The video was shot for an Iraqi TV station and was smuggled out of Iraq before the regime fell.

Uday beat and stabbed to death his father's personal valet and food taster, Kemal Hana Gegeo, and was briefly imprisoned by Saddam.

He also raped numerous women, and his victims are believed to have included a visiting Russian ballerina.

And as head of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, he oversaw the imprisonment and torture of Iraqi athletes who were deemed not to have performed to expectations.

Uday was shot dead by US soldiers in 2003. He was 39.

Uday, dubbed The Wolf by terrified Iraqis, is known to have killed thousands of people.

He began watching Saddam’s torturers at work at the age of four.

Depraved Uday enjoyed it so much he later had his own private torture chamber, where he toyed with screaming victims.

He was a mass rapist who set dogs on a 24-year-old woman who rejected his advances — then watched as she was ripped apart.

Footballers and athletes who failed to impress Uday faced death, torture or beatings when he ran both sports in Iraq.

Two sportsmen were thrown to their deaths from a 75ft bridge.

And a coffin-shaped “iron maiden” with spikes that impaled anyone in it was found near the Iraqi soccer HQ by allied troops.

Galloway met Uday in 1999 at the end of a two-month journey on a double decker bus through a number of Arab nations.

The tour was to highlight his Mariam Appeal, a cause to raise cash for a sick Iraqi girl.

A US senate report claims the charity received £300,000 in oil money from Saddam — which Galloway denies.

The meeting was shot for an Iraqi TV station run by Uday and was smuggled out of the country after the regime fell.

Galloway, his greying hair coiffed and wearing a dark suit, and tie, is shown being led into a room with his now-estranged Palestinian wife Dr Amineh Abu-Zayyad and business partner Fawas Zureikat.

The trio are warmly welcomed by Uday, who wears a badly fitting, shiny powder blue double- breasted jacket and dark trousers.

Galloway, showing he has met Uday at least once before, reaches out to shake his hand, saying: “Your Excellency, very, very nice to see you again.”

Uday replies in English: “Nice to see you.” Galloway goes on: “It’s almost one year since we met. How are you?” Uday replies: “You seem in very good health.”

Galloway says: “I lost weight, I’m very happy about that.”

Uday replies in Arabic through a bespectacled, gap-toothed translator: “Yes, I see you’ve lost some weight, so I think it’s better.”

Galloway, as if to an old friend, laughs: “It’s good, but unfortunately I’m losing my hair also.”

Uday chuckles: “Yes, I’ve noticed, especially on the left side. But I’m one step ahead of you, I’ve quit cigars, you are still smoking.”

In the stomach-churning manner familiar to Big Brother viewers, Galloway flatteringly replies: “People of good taste either used to to be, or still are, smokers of Havanas.”

Uday responds to the ego massage, saying: “That’s why we have opened this subject so we can call you to quit smoking.” Whenever Uday speaks, Galloway looks at him attentively and hangs on his every word.

And the politician, who campaigned against the war to overthrow Saddam tells Uday: “I’d like you to know that we are with you ‘til the end.”

Describing his recent tour, Galloway mentions several Arab countries. But when he starts speaking about Libya he turns and says: Please don’t publish this . . . if there are journalists . . . ”

The tape then cuts out. When it resumes, Galloway is talking about Egypt.

He boasts: “If we had stayed in Egypt one more week there might have been a revolution. There were tens of thousands of people in the street around the bus. And our bus was parked at night just next to the American Embassy.”

Galloway explains that the bus had “No Embargo On Iraq” emblazoned across it.

He goes on: “They had to look at our bus every day. It was making a few people nervous.”

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:34 AM | Comments (9)

"I will not cry in public, I will not cry in public, I will not....

Reuters Photo of Senator Harry Reid after Alito Vote

Tue Jan 24, 3:44 PM ET

Democratic Leader of the U.S. Senate Harry Reid (D-NV) pauses while talking about the results of the vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee of the nomination of Samuel Alito for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court while on Capitol Hill in Washington January 24, 2006. The committee voted in favor of Alito and will now send his nomination to the floor of the U.S. Senate for a full vote. REUTERS/Larry Downing

Wild Thing's comment.........
Dems are full of sour grapes as they are having a fit over Alito. They are experts at turning fine wine into vinegar.
Aww heck...they would botch vinegar too.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:29 AM | Comments (4)

January 24, 2006

Enemy Within Admires Enemy Without!

US anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan hails Venezuela's Chavez

Yahoo News

CARACAS (AFP) - Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan, mother of a US soldier killed in Iraq, joined more than 10,000 anti-globalization activists in Caracas, where she hailed Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chavez. "I admire him for his resolve against my government and its meddling," said Sheehan, who gained notoriety when she camped outside US President George W. Bush's ranch last year to protest the Iraq war. She said she hoped to meet Chavez later in the week.

Wild Thing comment.........
Screw YOU Cindy Sheehan!!!!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 07:45 PM | Comments (8)

Want To Know How Many Lives Destroyed by Roe vs. Wade?

Today is the 33rd anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision.

The Consequences of Roe v. Wade
45,951,133 Total Abortions since 1973

Now take a look at what President Reagan said about abortion...............

"Our nation-wide policy of abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy was neither voted for by our people, nor enacted by our legislators--not a single state had such unrestricted abortion before the Supreme Court decreed it to be national policy in 1973. [It was] an act of raw judicial power"...

"Make no mistake, abortion-on-demand is not a right granted by the Constitution. Nowhere do the plain words of the Constitution even hint at a "right" so sweeping as to permit abortion up to the time the child is ready to be born."

"We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life--the unborn--without diminishing the value of all human life."

"Abraham Lincoln recognized that we could not survive as a free land when some men could decide that others were not fit to be free and should therefore be slaves. Likewise, we cannot survive as a free nation when some men decide that others are not fit to live and should be abandoned to abortion or infanticide. My Administration is dedicated to the preservation of America as a free land, and there is no cause more important for preserving that freedom than affirming the transcendent right to life of all human beings, the right without which no other rights have any meaning."

- President Ronald Reagan : "Abortion and the Conscience of a Nation", 1983

Wild Thing's comment.........
Years ago I when I was getting my nails done the woman doing my nails told me how she had just had an abortion. This woman had an adorable 9 year year old son. I had been going to her for 4 years. I asked her why did she get an abortion????
She was single and got pregnant from a man she had a few dates with. She informed me it was no big deal that this was her 11th abortion!!!!
I sat there in silence, shocked. Then I asked her why didn't she use some form of birth control since there were so many out there. Get this............ She responded that it was easier to take her chances and then IF she got pregnant she could just have an abortioin.
When she finished doing my nails, she was going to give me my next appointment. I told her no thanks I was not going to fund her abortions and that I would be going elsewhere.

I am adopted, I was 3 weeks old and I will be forever grateful to my biological mom for doing what she did. She was young, just out of highschool but she wanted me to live and have a chance in life. No I have never contacted her and do not wish to, not because of disrespect but because of it. She went on with her life and I had my own with awesome parents that adopted me. I was given her photo and was told her story of what happened. It is a love story that ended abruptly when the man two years older then she was killed serving our country in the Military.

Even if I was not adopted I would be against abortion. IT IS WRONG!

It's stripping away the child's natural right to live. Next time you look at a little child think about if that child was aborted. It wouldn't have even had the chance to live and have a life... can someone make that decision for the unborn child?

I believe that once the child is conceived it starts growing and is developing every second into the person that it will be for the rest of its life. It really is a living person. I don't know how anyone can say it isn't when you look at it. At 2 weeks, it starts to grow brain cells. And at 8 weeks, it is entirely formed with hands, arms, legs, feet, all of it. If that's not a person, then I don't know what is, why not just say it's okay to kill a child that's 8 or 9 years old if you decide you can't afford him, or don't want to deal with him. That is how awful abortion is.

History is full of examples of unwanted children who were conceived and became historical figures and legends of human history.You don't know if you've aborted the next Michelangelo, Monet, Vermeer, Bach, Beethoven, Galileo, Newton or Einstein. And heck just wonderful human beings that want a chance at life.

* BIG DOG's Weblog

Posted by Wild Thing at 11:25 AM | Comments (9)

John Kerry Promised 359 Days Ago ( tapping my foot here) Well Kerry????

U.S. Veteran Dispatch noted in 1996: “Kerry's testimony, it should be noted, occurred while some of his fellow Vietnam veterans were known by the world to be enduring terrible suffering as prisoners of war in North Vietnamese prisons. Kerry was a supporter of the ‘People's Peace Treaty,’" a supposed ‘people's’ declaration to end the war, reportedly drawn up in communist East Germany. It included nine points, all of which were taken from Viet Cong peace proposals at the Paris peace talks as conditions for ending the war.”

As chairman of the Select Senate Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, created in 1991 to investigate reports that U.S. prisoners of war and soldiers designated missing in action were still alive in Vietnam, Kerry badgered the panel into voting that no American servicemen remained in Vietnam.

Hanoi Kerry was still a USNR officer while he:
* gave false hearsay testimony to Congress
* negotiated with the enemy
* helped the US lose a war
* abetted in the deaths of our troops
* created a hostile environment for all servicemen

Kerry has still not released his full military file as promised on the Tim Russert show. Transcript from the show, dated January 30th, 2005

Kerry promised, on national TV, to sign form SF-180 AND release his full military records to the public. He has yet to do so. President Bush signed his Form 180 in 2004.

MR. RUSSERT: Many people who've been criticizing you have said: Senator, if you would just do one thing and that is sign Form 180, which would allow historians and journalists complete access to all your military records. Thus far, you have gotten the records, released them through your campaign. They say you should not be the filter. Sign Form 180 and let the historians...

SEN. KERRY: I'd be happy to put the records out. We put all the records out that I had been sent by the military. Then at the last moment, they sent some more stuff, which had some things that weren't even relevant to the record. So when we get--I'm going to sit down with them and make sure that they are clear and I am clear as to what is in the record and what isn't in the record and we'll put it out. I have no problem with that.

MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?

SEN. KERRY: But everything, Tim...

MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180?

SEN. KERRY: Yes, I will. But everything that we put in it, Tim--everything we put in--I mean, everything that was out was a full documentation of all of the medical records, all of the fitness reports. And I'd call on those who have challenged me, let's see their records. I want to see the records of each of those people who have put up a challenge, because some of them have some serious questions in them, and it hasn't been appropriate...

MR. RUSSERT: So they should sign Form 180s for themselves as well?

SEN. KERRY: You bet.

359 days have passed since you promised America to sign your Form 180 and release all of the information surrounding your discharge from the United States Navy.

After making this promise to America, you then stated to the Boston Globe that had in fact signed it, and further promised that "very, very shortly, you will have a chance to see it."

You have broken these promises John.

You did not release all of the information surrounding your discharge from the United States Navy, claiming that you released what the Navy sent.

America would like to see your signed 180 John. America would like to see whether you did in fact allow for full disclosure. Show us that you checked the box for an "undeleted report of separation," John, and not the one that deletes that information.

Did you release all of your records John, or did you keep some secret?

The answer to that question seems obvious. America knows you kept the discharge secret. America knows you are lying. How did that discharge change after Carter pardoned all draft dodgers and traitors to this country?

The Navy said they had over 100 pages they could not release without Kerry's authorization. The biggest question of all remains unanswered. What type of discharge did Kerry originally receive? Remember, Kerry had his discharge re-issued after Carter granted a pardon to Vietnam vets.

It’s time that he free the rest of his military record, and completely free his 180 to live up to the promise he made to the American people on the Tim Russert show.

You can send your own letter to Hanoi Kerry reminding him of his promise.

Kerry's testimony before Congress was crystal clear: It's part of the Congressional record and tape recorded for posterity. His actions in testifying before Congress and in leading the VVAW gave great aid and comfort to the enemies of freedom. Only God Almighty knows the entire toll Kerry's actions had on the lives of the men he sold out, and on the innocent people of South Viet Nam who perished. My eyes well up with tears when I consider the years so many of our finest and bravest men suffered from injuries that were inflicted upon them by the enemy emboldened by Kerry's rhetoric. The names on the wall. The ones we will never know. Their blood cries out from the ground.

He became a celebrated organizer for one of America's most extreme appeasement groups, Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He consorted with the likes of “Hanoi” Jane Fonda and Ramsey Clark, Lyndon Johnson’s radical former attorney general.

Cao has formed a blogburst group regarding this called Free Kerry's 180. If you want to join the blogroll for Free Kerry’s 180 just go to Cao's Blog and join, or email Cao
The blogburst is every Tuesday. All you have to do is encourage Kerry to set his 180 FREE.

You can make whatever post you like about it, in your own words how you feel or whatever you want to say. I truly feel it is important for us not to let Kerry off the hook. We all know if the tables were turned, the media and the rest of the left would never let us hear the end of it.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:07 AM | Comments (8)

January 23, 2006

Actor Discusses Support for Troops & Iraqi Children

Many American troops have taken it upon themselves to reconstruct schools and gather learning tools for the children of Iraq.

Their efforts have been met with immense gratitude from the local Iraqis and their children.

Actor Discusses Support for Troops, Iraqi Children
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2006 – When not appearing on the CBS show "CSI: New York" as Detective Mac Taylor, actor Gary Sinise devotes much of his time to raising support for U. S. troops. Sinise, who is planning his third trip to Iraq with the United Service Organizations, appeared on ABC's "This Week" today to talk about his new venture to help the children who have felt the effects of the war in Iraq.

On his last trip to Iraq, Sinise accompanied a U. S. military unit that remodeled an Iraqi school. He watched the troops transform what had been a cinder-block, dirt-floor structure into a building with concrete floors, windows and fans, he said.

"It was not much, but to these kids and those Iraqis who had been living there with this school, it seemed like a brand new place," he said.

Sinise said seeing the school being remodeled and witnessing the gratitude of the Iraqi children at the school and when he rode with troops on convoys motivated him to come home and found the program, Operation Iraqi Children.

Operation Iraqi Children provides a way for Americans to send school supply kits to Iraqi children. Sinise and author Laura Hillenbrand founded the program in March 2004.

"It's a way for you to support the children by sending pencils, beanie babies or soccer balls," Sinise said. "That all started because of one of those convoys I was on. "

Sinise said his experience playing Lt. Dan, an injured Vietnam veteran, in the movie, "Forrest Gump," helped him identify with the troops he met with in Iraq.

Servicemembers today have much more support than during the Vietnam War, he said, noting that it's important to maintain that support because military service is a sacrifice that should not be taken lightly.

"It's an honorable thing to serve your country," he said. "We need those volunteers; we need those defenders. "

Operation Iraqi Children is a partner in the Defense Department's America Supports You program that showcases America's support for the men and women of the armed forces and the myriad ways the country is expressing that support.

.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:07 AM | Comments (8)

January 22, 2006

Mensa Test ~ Try It You Might Like It

I took the MENSA Intelligence Test

According to MENSA, if you get 19 + of these, you are a "genius".
Only 2 MENSA members achieved full marks. See how well you do.

Scoring: 1 to 5 is Average, 6 - 11 Somewhat Intelligent, 12 to 18 Intelligent, 19 + Genius

My score : 27 of the 33

It was fun you might like to try it.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:33 PM | Comments (12)

Protesters To Attend Funeral of Chief Warrant Officer Kyle Jackson of Sarasota

Kyle Jackson died near Al Sukar, Iraq, on January 13, 2006 when his OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York

Twenty-eight-year-old Chief Warrant Officer Kyle Jackson died while flying a helicopter in Iraq. Kyle’s father, Gary, says Kyle loved helicopters even as a child. His dream of flying came true when he joined the US Army.

from our local paper, the Sarasota Herald Tribune about Kyle Jackson.....................

"Thank you," for starters. Kyle Jackson died on behalf of his country -- all of us. It's an act of extraordinary sacrifice that most Americans, so removed from battle, are never called on to make. Jackson and his family have thus given far more than their share. We owe them a debt of gratitude and remembrance for their immeasurable loss.

The death of Jackson, an Army helicopter pilot, represents more than a war casualty; he was also a son, father and husband -- roles that go to the heart of society. His absence casts a giant shadow, but his children can take inspiration from the way he lived.

In their grief, we hope Jackson's family can count on the community's help -- just as the community counted on his.

But it cannot be where a family can be left alone in their time of grief and pride as well in their son.
Because of people like what you will now read about.

Sarasota Herald Tribune
Anti-gay group to protest at soldier's funeral

Westboro Baptist Church plans to picket, but Patriot Guard group says it'll protect family.

By WILL ROTHSCHILD

SARASOTA -- The Sunday funeral service for a Sarasota soldier killed in Iraq could be turned into a spectacle of screaming protesters from an anti-gay group and the roaring Harley-Davidsons of a nationwide veterans organization.

For the second time in a month, members of the Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas-based group which claims the United States is being punished by God for being friendly to homosexuals, plan to protest in Southwest Florida. The group, whose Web site says the country should outlaw sodomy and impose the death penalty for offenders, protested the newly formed Gay Straight Alliance at Port Charlotte High School last month.

This time, Westboro is taking aim at the funeral of Army helicopter pilot Kyle Jackson, 28, who was killed Jan. 13 when his helicopter was shot down by insurgents near Mosul, Iraq.

Westboro claims to have held more than 22,000 anti-gay demonstrations since 1991. But in the past year it has tried to connect its anti-gay rhetoric to the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, holding protests at more than 20 soldier funerals across the country.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of Westboro pastor Fred Phelps, said the group had already planned to be in Tampa this weekend for a protest of Gay Straight Alliance groups there.

"And then here came this opportunity to help the people of Sarasota connect the dots, and they certainly deserve that opportunity," Phelps-Roper said. "We're going to remind them that there is a God and a heaven and a hell and a day of choice."

Phelps-Roper said America is "feeling the sword of God" because it is pro-gay. A disapproving God "has become America's terrorist" and is sending soldiers home in body bags as proof, Phelps-Roper said.

Fred Phelps claims the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States were God's punishment on a "gay-enabling" nation.

"From the beginning, Phelps' group has been the single most vicious anti-gay group in America, bar none," said Mark Potok, who directs hate group investigations for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a Montgomery, Ala.-based civil rights organization.

"But in recent years," Potok added, "Phelps has spiraled downward into utter madness. He is a walking hate crime."

The funeral protests have been roundly criticized by communities across the country. Some communities and states have gone so far as to consider drafting legislation to stop them.

Potok said the Southern Poverty Law erty Law Center is trying to determine if any such legislation could be crafted to pass constitutional muster.

Kyle Jackson's father, Gary Jackson, said sheriff's officials alerted him to the protest.

"I expected stuff like this," Jackson said. "What it is, is they want to take advantage of the high media situation to make their statement."

He said his son's funeral will go on without a problem.

"Kyle is an American hero," he said. "The bigger stir they make, the bigger the hero he becomes. It won't hurt my feelings; we will deal with it. We have a great and caring community here and this is something that is in God's hands."

Westboro Baptist Church consists mostly of Phelps family members; only one other family in Topeka has joined the church.

Phelps has 13 children, but four are estranged from their father and have nothing to do with the church, according to Potok.

Phelps-Roper said about 10 church members plan to be at Jackson's funeral, planned for 1 p.m. Sunday at Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail.

If they want their message heard, they'll have to raise their voices above the din of perhaps hundreds of motorcycle engines.

The Patriot Guard is a nationwide coalition of veterans formed last year in direct response to Westboro's picketing of soldier funerals.

Their goal is to shield the family and friends of the soldiers from seeing or hearing Westboro's screaming, sign-waving protesters. The Patriot Guard tries to position its members between where the Westboro group demonstrates and the path of mourners.

"We're not counterprotesters or protesters," said Clayton Murphy, a Patriot Guard coordinator and a Coast Guard veteran who lives in Tampa. "We're there for one objective only and that's to protect the family.

"... We'll fire up the engines and drown them out so other people don't have to hear their hatred."

From their totally sick website
It is a PDF file just to let you know..........I will do the best I can do put what it is on here in case you cannot open a pdf file.

Westboro Baptist Church
3701 SW 12" St. Topeka, Ks. 66604 785-273-0325 www.godhatesfags.com
Friday, January 20,2006

AMENDED NEWS RELEASE
(Supplemental info: background, photos, audio sermons & hymns, and video footage -- available free at:
mvv.godhatesfags.com, godhatesamerica.com, fredthemovie.com, and hatemongers.com).

Thank God for IEDs
(Improvised Explosive Devices)

God Himself Has Now Become America's Terrorist, Killing Americans in Strange Lands for "Brokeback Mountain Fag Sins.

WBC to picket funeral of Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle Jackson
- at 1 p.m., Sunday Jan. 22, at Phillipi Mansion,
5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida.

Killed in Iraq for America's fag sins and bombing WBC in a terroristic effort to silence our anti-gay Gospel preaching by violent intimidation.

America bombed our church with an IED made by fag students at Washburu U. in Topeka. In his retaliatory
wrath, God is killing Americans with Muslim IEDs:

God Almighty killed Army CWO Jackson. He died in shame, not honor - for a fag nation cursed by God: Cast into Hell with his soldier pals.

They turned America Over to fags;
They're coming home
In body bags.

They come night & day, steel-gray cargo planes, bringing IED dead. America became WBC's terrorist. Now God Himself is America's Terrorist.

Kyle's wife Betsy Jackson.....................

For three days after Army officials told Betsy Jackson her husband had been killed in an Army helicopter crash in Iraq, she didn't get out of bed or greet visitors.

She was inconsolable because she had lost her soulmate.

Then she realized that her husband would be upset that her grief was preventing her from being a good mother to their 2-year-old daughter Keira.

"I have to be there and be strong for her," Betsy Jackson said Tuesday evening, wrapped in a blanket on her mother's couch. "It's not going to be easy, but I'm going to do it for Kyle."

Kyle Jackson was an intelligent man and good father who meticulously prepared for everything -- even his death.

The pair met as teenagers. To get Betsy, then 15, to go out with him, Kyle Jackson made a heart-shaped pizza and arranged the toppings on it to make a face. It worked.

They dated through high school. The couple stood out: He had a green Mohawk and she had purple hair. Even back then Kyle knew he wanted to be a pilot.

They stopped dating, and he went into the Marine Corps. They got back together and married three years ago.

Kyle Jackson joined the Army mid-January 2002 to get flight training.

When he got orders to go to Iraq in October he simply told Betsy, "It's my job, and that's that."

He wanted to go to Iraq to support his "brothers," the close-knit group of 19 men who also piloted two-seat armed OH-58D Kiowa helicopters.

Betsy Jackson said her husband had great respect for Mitchell Carver, the co-pilot from North Carolina who also died in the crash. They were roommates for several weeks when they first got to Iraq.

Their helicopter crashed Friday after Iraqi insurgents shot at it, the Department of Defense said. Jackson and Carver were supporting a group of Iraqi police who were under fire, family said.

Betsy and Keira returned to Sarasota to live with Betsy's mother while Jackson fought in Iraq.

And here is a video from the Tampa Bay News....VIDEO.....

Just look on the right side of the screen for VIDEO and click on it.

Here are comments from those who knew Kyle some from the video.............

Gary Jackson, Kyle’s Father:
“I'm so proud of him, it was a huge loss. He could have done so much for the country.”

Kyle took pride in being a husband and father of two girls. On Friday the 13th, it all came to an end. When his parents watched reports of a helicopter crash in Iraq on national television, they worried it was their son.

Gary Jackson, Kyle’s Father:
“She had been very anxious for an hour. I think she could feel it. I was cold during that time, I told somebody I felt like I was freezing to death.”

Four hours went by without a call. They thought they were ok, but then the phone rang with the devastating news.

Gary Jackson, Kyle’s Father:
“They were ambushed from several directions at the same time, they were set up. I think the whole thing was a set up.”

Kyle is described as fearless, yet funny.

Gary Jackson, Kyle’s Father:
“He had a sparkle in his eye and he was always trying to make everyone laugh.”

A hero until the end, doing what he loved most.

Gary Jackson, Kyle’s Father:
“I believed the angels came down and carried him away when it was his time.”

Kyle’s wife Betsy understands her husband’s sacrifice, but says he will be deeply missed.

Wild Thing's comment...........
There has to be a special place in hell for people belonging to the Westboro Baptist Church and their leader Phelps.

The Patriot Guards are a wonderful group. I thank you for all your efforts.

They objective first is : Honor and Respect

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:17 AM | Comments (20)

January 21, 2006

President of Greatness ~ Ronald Reagan

Twenty-five years ago today, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th President of the United States of America.

President Reagan walked the high ground and
stayed the course. I am forever thankful for his strengths
and knowing the cost of our Freedom and NOT allowing others
to change their calling.
~ Wild Thing

Some quotes by President Reagan:

We dare not shirk our responsibility to keep America free, secure, and at peace. - Ronald Reagan, State of the Union Address, January 25, 1984.

America must remain freedom's staunchest friend, for freedom is our best ally.
- Ronald Reagan, Second Inaugural Address, January 21, 1985.

We must restore America's ability to defend itself and fulfill its responsibilities as a trustee of freedom and peace in the world...
- President Ronald Reagan, Radio Address to the Nation on Administration Policies, August 25, 1984.

There must be no wavering by us, nor any doubts by others, that America will meet her responsibilities to remain free, secure, and at peace.
- Ronald Reagan, Second Inaugural Address, January 21, 1985.

My fellow citizens, our Nation is poised for greatness. We must do what we know is right and do it with all our might. Let history say of us, "These were golden years—when the American Revolution
was reborn, when freedom gained new life, when America reached for her best."
- Ronald Reagan, Second Inaugural Address, January 21, 1985.

So, let me today speak for a united people. Let me say simply: We're Americans. We love this country. We love what she stands for, and we will always defend her.... We live for freedom -- our own, our children's -- and we will always stand ready to sacrifice for that freedom.
- President Ronald Reagan, Remarks at the Annual Convention
of the American Bar Association, July 8, 1985.

How can we not believe in the greatness of America?
How can we not do what is right and needed to preserve
this last best hope of man on Earth? After all our struggles
to restore America, to revive confidence in our country,
hope for our future, after all our hard-won victories earned
through the patience and courage of every citizen, we cannot,
must not, and will not turn back. We will finish our job.
How could we do less? We're Americans.
- Ronald Reagan, State of the Union Address, January 25, 1984

"The house we hope to build is not for my generation but for yours. It is your future that matters. And I hope that when you are my age, you will be able to say as I have been able to say: We lived in freedom. We lived lives that were a statement, not an apology."

"Every lesson of history tells us that appeasement does not lead to peace. It invites an aggressor to test the will of a nation unprepared to meet that test. And tragically, those who seemingly want peace the most, our young people, pay the heaviest price for our failure to maintain our strength." - Governor Ronald Reagan, Speech, Sept. 15, 1972.

* Michelle Malkin
* Mike's America
* STOP the ACLU
* The Political Teen

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:20 PM | Comments (6)

What Is The Truth About Murtha's Medals

Murtha’s Mangled Medal Stories
Found here at Media Research Center

by L. Brent Bozell III
January 17, 2006

Since November, the media have carried Rep. John Murtha around on their shoulders like a conquering hero for his opposition to the war in Iraq. They’ve thrown around the words “war hero” like clowns throwing candy at a parade. Murtha was broadcast far and wide attacking Vice President Cheney for his five deferments from Vietnam, suggesting these chicken hawks don’t like any suggestions about how to fight a war.

If Murtha were a Republican accusing a Democrat like this, we know what would happen. The so-called nonpartisan, objective, “mainstream” media would either (a) totally ignore him as an irrelevant, obscure House wacko, or (b) investigate his own military record to see if he earned all the “war hero” talk. And if discrepancies were found, all hell would break loose. And if you don’t believe me, just ask John O’Neill and the Swift Boat Vets for Truth, who underwent first (a) and then (b) when they challenged John Kerry.

But Murtha is a Democrat accusing a Republican. So it fell to the Cybercast News Service, (CNSNews.com, which I founded), and reporters Marc Morano and Randy Hall to look into the Murtha military record. What they found were a lot of similarities to the military record of John Kerry.

Like Kerry, Murtha’s medals came for surface wounds that never caused his evacuation from the battlefield, and like Kerry, he attempted to get his medals by political manipulation, in Murtha’s case, through then-Rep. John Saylor. But Saylor’s office felt it was odd for Murtha to seek medals for “superficial lacerations.”

Murtha also told differing stories about when and where he was wounded in action. A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story reported in 2002 that Murtha had facial lacerations. In 1994, the Uniontown (Pa.) Herald-Standard quoted Murtha saying he was “wounded in the arm” for one medal and “my knee was banged up and my arm was banged up when a helicopter was shot down” for the other. Then, Morano and Hall uncovered a June 1, 1967 report in the Johnstown (Pa.) Tribune-Democrat quoting from a letter from Murtha to his wife describing his injuries as being "struck in the ankle" by a "shot that ricocheted off the helicopter."

Since there were so many similarities to Kerry – including the fact that author Morano was also one of the first reporters on the Swift Boat Veterans story – the left predictably threw an ugly fit. It was not long, then, for Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne to load his air-rifle for rhetorical battle. “I underestimated the viciousness of the right wing,” he began.

Even before he gets started, we know where he’s going, don’t we?. Liberals want to insist when they tout a “war hero” making their anti-liberation of Iraq talking points, it’s 100 percent beyond the pale of decency to investigate him. They want the world to know that when a “war hero” acceptable to them disagrees with President Bush, everyone must stop, shut up, and listen like an old E.F. Hutton commercial.

Dionne sounds just like his hero Bill Clinton as he proclaims to be maddened by “the unblushing hypocrisy of the right wing and the way it circulates...personal vilification to abort honest political debate.” As if that weren’t enough, there’s also this: “Moreover, the right has demonstrated that its attitude toward military service is entirely opportunistic.”

Now here is where we should all acknowledge our partisanship – I oppose the Clintons and the Kerrys, and Dionne favors them. But can Dionne honestly state that the left wing (and “objective” smearers like CBS) have not resorted to “personal vilification” on the military record of George W. Bush? Can he honestly ignore that the left has vilified the World War II military service of Bob Dole in 1996 (Robert Ellis in The Nation) and George H. W. Bush in 1992 (Sidney Blumenthal in the New Republic)?

More importantly, how dare anyone on the left accuse any conservative of attitudinal opportunism where military service is involved. Military service didn’t matter a bit to them when Bill Clinton was running, but was vitally important when Kerry was their man in 2004. They felt George W. Bush’s National Guard record was a scandal in 2000, but also didn’t want the media poring over Al Gore’s Vietnam service as a journalist. Four years later, there they were again, poring over Bush’s Vietnam-era service record.

It’s fair to state that on some investigative stories, only conservatives want the tough, thorough report, and on others, only liberals are really jazzed about it. But what about the public interest? A media revering the words “objective,” “nonpartisan,” and “mainstream” would investigate both Republicans and Democrats when politicians start dragging out their war records.

And here is another article on the same topic.............

Murtha's War Hero Status Called Into Question
Found at CNSNews.com

Wild Thing's comment..........
Like Kerry, Murtha has made a big political issue out of his Vietnam service. He should sign his form 180 and release his military records. If he were a Republican, the media would be screaming their heads off demanding that he make his records public.
How many times have you heard that Murtha was a "hero" and deserved respect....at the SAME time as he is behaving like a traitor and under suspicion by the ethics committee? Murtha has used his war service as his "blood earned right" to criticize the war and the President and the war. There would be only one way to end the questioning.....
Please note that Kerry has still failed to fully release his records, too. Murtha, like Kerry -- ran on his military record..... He made a freaking career of his "military service", his sacrifice recognized by his TWO Purple Hearts........
I don't think it's asking too much.

Murtha is not honorable! Once ANYONE attacks his fellow brother in arms, no matter what his heroics; no matter what his medals, he looses all rights to that brotherhood of men! He is fair game, and if found to be a liar like John Kerry, then he needs to be exposed and forced to prove he earned the medals. Otherwise they have no meaning!

A May 12, 2002, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article reported that "Marine Corps casualty records show that Murtha was injured in 'hostile' actions near Danang, Vietnam, on March 22, 1967 and May 7, 1967. In the first incident, his right cheek was lacerated, and in the second he was lacerated above his left eye. Neither injury required evacuation."
Yet on Murtha's web site he claims he received all his Vietnam decorations in 1966 Helluva combat intel guy...got his medals before he was wounded????

If we do nothing and say nothing as some want to do, Muthra gets re-elected almost unopposed for the next two years Muthra gets to continue to destroy the moral of our troops from the floor of the house. Murtha expects us to respect his "present" based on his "past" (as did Kerry). Besides, if he is one of the people questioning others' ethics, then his should be open for scrutiny as well. We have 160,000 troops over in Iraq that Murfa has made every hour more dangerous for them. Then there is the message of weakness and division that Iran and our other enemies hear. Murfa's military service allows him to stake out the high moral ground and shriek his unamerican BS! If he misrepresented his service record he needs to be knocked off the hill.

It will be interesting to see where this goes.

If Col Murtha wanted to quash this, he could release the records.

As President Reagan said, "Trust, but verify".

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:27 AM | Comments (16)

January 20, 2006

Flag Burning ~ And It Was Our Flag and Others

My husband and I live in a quiet neighborhood. You might even say it is like a Norman Rockwell picture, with children on bikes and people walking their dogs in a peaceful place. Older families and young famlies starting out, each wanting a place that has not only the look but the feeling of security and safety. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, (6/26/05) the sun was shining and the birds were singing. You go outside to grab the newspaper and find...

.

YOUR AMERICAN FLAG, BURNT AND LYING ON THE GROUND. The cord to raise the Flag on the pole is also burned and singed. Several other homes had Flags burned as well, and many were attached to their homes (ours is on a pole in the front yard), also the Flag at the Country Club in our Association of home owners was burned.

I just froze, standing there with chills running up and down my spine. It felt like someone had stabbed not only me right in the heart but every man in my family that has served our country, and every Veteran. That was all I could think of, that someone had driven a knife right in all my Vets hearts and souls. My next thought was how do I tell my husband. He is a Vet and I hated that he was going to see this. But I had to tell him and when I told him I sobbed and we just held each other for a few minutes outside as we looked at what had happened. And the anger we had, well we were shaking we were so mad.

Why burn flags and set firebombs? Well, they told deputies they burned the flags because they are anarchists and don't agree with several U.S. government policies, including the war in Iraq.

Some of the flags were attached to houses, that means they endangered lives to express their hatred of this Country.

And... they were even dumb enough to brag to the arresting officers about what they did.

Sheriff's report statement: Baber and Richard were driving around the neighborhood in the early hours and stopped at several houses, dousing flags in kerosene and raising them up flag poles. At least one house was damaged.

Richard told deputies he also tried to set a car on fire by soaking a tennis ball in gasoline and shoving it in the gas tank. The ball wouldn't fit, he told deputies, so he doused the car's exterior with gasoline and tried to ignite it, but that didn't work either, according to sheriff's reports.

Why burn flags and set firebombs? Well, they told deputies they burned the flags because they are anarchists and don't agree with several U.S. government policies, including the war in Iraq.

"I hate Americans," one of them told a deputy, according to reports.

Baber and Richard burned the flags at homes in the **** **** subdivision, where they live with Baber's parents, then set fire to a flag at its clubhouse, said Lt. Chuck Lesaltato, a spokesman for the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

"Our deputies came up on them as they were returning to their car," he said.

The stupid moonbats were charged with several counts of arson, criminal mischief and possession and manufacture of a fire bomb.

A judge set bail at $101,120 for Baber, who was described in reports as a lookout, and $402,120 for Richard. Baber posted bail Monday night, but Richard remained in jail.

Richard was carrying a red gas container, the sheriff's reports said. Deputies also found several beer bottles filled with kerosene, stuffed with rags, in a car parked nearby.

.

The parents of Scott Baber came to our home on Sunday July 31, 2005. It is interesting to my husband and myself, because on Friday July 29, 2005 I received a letter in the mail from the State Attorney's office about Scott's arraignment coming up. They said they wanted to apologize for what their son did. But they proceeded to make excuses for him as well as for Brian Richard. They told us their son never would have done what he did if he had not been drunk. They denied that Scott said he was the one that did that. There they stood lying to us about what his son had done, and then wanting us to understand his drunkenness was what caused him to burn our Flag. As we stood there and they did most of the talking, I thought my husband was going to punch the husband out a couple of time. They were arrogant and total liberals. They were not humble with their apology at all. More like trying to feel us out on our feelings to know how I might be writing my statement to the court.

I asked the parents if Scott was in jail and they said no he was at home. I told them they should use that opportunity to tell Scott what the Flag stands for, the lives that were lost in the wars, men giving their all so that he could live in the freedom that we people in this country enjoy. How the Flag is carried into battle, tell him of the raising of the Flag at Iwo Jima and other battles, and wars where the Flag may have been tattered and torn as the soldier carried it and placed it in the ground, how it stands for so much that has no financial cost, but the sacrifices of those defending it for us. Then I was shocked again as I head the father of Scott Baber say that Scott knew about the Flag and that Scott was a patriot. A patriot of what? Of terrorisim ?

Before they finally left I looked them both in the eyes, hard and said........"I want you both to know with every atom in your being that your son should be sent to Gitmo as far as I am concerned. He owes every Veteran an apology and you can tell him from us that he burned the Flag of a home of a Veteran and a family where every man has served in every branch of the Military and fought in every war from WW11 up to now. One of my Uncles lost a leg in the Battle of the Bulge, another served on the Chosin Reservoir, and cousins in Vietnam and the list is long but their blood was shed and that Flag represents every war they all fought in for YOU to be free and safe. "

How do I feel about what has happened ? There is a different feeling when a person has had threats made to them, property damaged, someone coming on our property to do harm to our property. It is an insecure feeling, of will this happen again, will these two get angry enough again to do more damage and where will they draw the line as to how extensive their evil deeds will be the next time. It is one thing to disagree with a war our country is in, it is one thing to wish Bush was not President, but it is another to take the action that these two did. What they did was a violent act and yes one of terrorism. They did not burn their own flag in their own yard, NO, they chose to go around our neighborhood and burn others Flags.

Seems pretty cut and dried to me, these two hate Americans and tried to firebomb America. Simply put, they are domestic terrorists and should be treated as such.

Everyone got involved, the Sheriff, a wonderful Detective that had just come back from serving in Iraq, the Assistant State Attorney, the Attorney General and homeland security, also the FBI. It was amazing how everyone of those on this case helping us was a Veteran. Even the President of our Association is a Disabled Vietnam Vet.

The man we bought the Flag and pole from is a Vietnam Vet, a wonderful man. We called him the following Monday bright and early and told him what had happened. He said he had heard about it on the news but did not know we were one of the victims.

UPDATE:
I am telling about this now because I did not have a blog when this happened and I want to share the update of what has happened.

So far they have only dealt with Scott Barber. What happens to the other boy will be next in a few months I think. We keep getting updates in snail mail from the State Attorney's office. We received the update letter today and the contents are below.........

Scott Barber:
Charges: Principal to arson first degree ( occupied structure) - 3 Counts
Possession of fire boimb
Principal to criminal mischief ( $200 or less) - 4 counts

On 12-20-05, the defendent entered a plea and was sentenced on the charges of Count 1, 2, 3 - Principal to arson first degree
Count 4 - possession of fire bomb
Count 5, 6, 7, 8 - Principal to criminal mischief.
At that time the court entered the following sentence:
Sentenced as youthful offender- adjudicated guilty - CT 1,2,3 - 56 months residental program, 50 hours of public service work per year (5 hours per month) (25 hours at a Veterans Organization, continue counseling, letter of apology, restitution, DNA sample, court costs;
CT 4 - 6 months county jail, 4 1/2 years probation;
CT 5,6,7,8, - 60 days county jail.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:28 AM | Comments (14)

Washington Post Looses A Round

From Breitbart.com

The Washington Post shut down one of its blogs Thursday after the newspaper's ombudsman raised the ire of readers by writing that lobbyist Jack Abramoff gave money to the Democrats as well as to Republicans.

At the center of a congressional bribery investigation, Abramoff gave money to Republicans while he had his clients donate to both parties, though mostly to Republicans.

In her Sunday column, ombudsman Deborah Howell wrote that Abramoff "had made substantial campaign contributions to both major parties," prompting a wave of nasty reader postings on post.blog.

There were so many personal attacks that the newspaper's staff could not "keep the board clean, there was some pretty filthy stuff," and so the Post shut down comments on the blog, or Web log, said Jim Brady, executive editor of washingtonpost.com.

"We're not giving up on the concept of having a healthy public dialogue with our readers, but this experience shows that we need to think more carefully about how we do it," Brady wrote on the newspaper's Web site. "There are things that we said we would not allow, including personal attacks, the use of profanity and hate speech."

From Washington Post.com
The Editors Discuss Site Policies, Design and Goals
Posted at 04:22 PM ET, 01/19/2006
Comments Turned Off

As of 4:15 p.m. ET today, we have shut off comments on this blog indefinitely.

At its inception, the purpose of this blog was to open a dialogue about this site, the events of the day, the journalism of The Washington Post Company and other related issues. Among the things that we knew would be part of that discussion would be the news and opinion coming from the pages of The Washington Post and washingtonpost.com. We knew a lot of that discussion would be critical in nature. And we were fine with that. Great journalism companies need feedback from readers to stay sharp.

But there are things that we said we would not allow, including personal attacks, the use of profanity and hate speech. Because a significant number of folks who have posted in this blog have refused to follow any of those relatively simple rules, we've decided not to allow comments for the time being. It's a shame that it's come to this. Transparency and reasoned debate are crucial parts of the Web culture, and it's a disappointment to us that we have not been able to maintain a civil conversation, especially about issues that people feel strongly (and differently) about.

We're not giving up on the concept of having a healthy public dialogue with our readers, but this experience shows that we need to think more carefully about how we do it. Any thoughtful feedback on that (or any other issue) is welcome, and you can send it to executive.editor@washingtonpost.com.

Thanks,
Jim Brady
Executive Editor, washingtonpost.com

UPDATE, 7pm: As you might expect, we're getting a ton of e-mail on this, and while I can't answer those e-mails individually, I'll address the two main points being made, that 1) we're afraid of being criticized and, 2) that were no personal attacks, profanity or hate speech in any of the comments.

On the first point, washingtonpost.com has done an awful lot to be as transparent as possible. We've started a ton of blogs, we've linked out to bloggers who are writing (often negatively) about Post content and we've made journalists from The Post and post.com available to answer questions online on a daily basis. So I find it hard to make a case that we're unwilling to be criticized. What we're not willing to do is allow the comments area to turn into a place where it's OK to unleash vicious, name-calling attacks on anyone, whether they are Post reporters, public figures or other commenters. And that's exactly what was happening. That leads into the second complaint. The reason that people were not routinely seeing the problematic posts I mentioned were that we were trying to remove them as fast as we could in order to preserve the reasoned arguments many others were making. We removed hundreds of these posts over the past few days, and it was becoming a significant burden on us to try and keep the comments area free of profanity and name-calling. So we eventually chose to turn off comments until we can come up with a better way to handle situations like this, where we have a significant amount of people who refuse to abide by the rules we set out.

Wild Thing's comment...........

This reminds me of something..... The first computer I bought was in 1997. I had been watching MSNBC and CNN about the Clintons.Night after night, day after day the endless sickening things they did. I was so outraged at all the 'gates' and the crimes, dead bodies surrounding their rise to power to keep them in power and their disrespect for our White House, our Military etc. I had to get a computer. The first day I had it I asked the man that hooked it all up for me........" how do I get to MSNBC to their forums they call them on TV?" He had no clue what I was talking about but he showed me how to do a search to find it and I was all set. I thanked him and told him I had some dragons to slay. Always a girl of action haha I spent the first 5 hours ( that felt like 15 minutes online) searching for information to back up what I wanted to say. I knew it my gut they were criminals but I wanted quotes, dates etc.

Next I headed to MSNBC and started in. Chose a name to use and zap, pow,bang, k-boom I was having a ball. I was ranting to beat the band and telling how I felt about Bill and Hillary. Then I asked someone that was agreeing with me how did he post articles and photos. He was kind enough to tell me in an email and a whole new world opened up to me.

Back to the point sorry. haha What does this have to do with a newspaper online having to close their blog? Because in all the ranting I did, in all the furry of anger and rock solid rage that I had in me, not once did I personally attack another poster. I knew it would diminish the character I was trying to show was missing in the slime of the Clinton's. The attacks I noticed came all from the left to all of us posting truth about Bill and Hillary. The attacks were vile, and they sometimes included threats. Physical threats to some of us, enough so that even MSNBC moderators sent emails to those of us getting them telling us they had banned the poster for a time out and the rest was up to us how we wanted to handle it. Many evenings I would sit and post with tears streaming down my face from the hurtful things posted to not only myself but to others and the ones being attacked a lot were Veterans and good people. I noticed something, even though I was crying, the attacks only made me more determined and stronger. It amazed me how this happened.

So why if the Blog at the Washington Post experienced the horrors from the left did they not just become stronger. More determined to take a stand instead of shutting down. True shutting down makes a bold statement too, but it is also a form of giving in which is more like taking two steps back instead of forward. I consider it a compliment if the left attacks. It means nerves are being hit and success has occurred.

It is a fact that liberals are mean and vicious. They have learned well over the years that they cannot win on honor, they have none. They cannot win with the truth, that is foreign to them. They DO win by being bullies, by hate speech and saying the word fight over and over again. They win because they have the media on their side to promote their lies and propaganda. They specialize in hate speech and slander. They thrust their finger in ones face and raise their voices to try to intimidate those they are speaking to and have used the monotone voice like Hillary does of the old Communist regime leaders as they did their speeches to their followers on the streets in Russia.

I am not surprised the Washington Post shut down a blog of theirs, just disappointed in them for their weakness. The left will look at it as a win, a victory believe me, and not be shamed by it at all.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:15 AM

January 19, 2006

Top Ten Things The Dems Don't Want You To Know About Their Ties To Jack Abramoff

HYPOCRISY n.: An Act Or Instance Of Such Falseness

10. Larry Noble, Executive Director Of The Center For Responsive Politics, A Non-Partisan Government Watchdog Group, Says Democrats Are Just As Caught Up In The Abramoff Scandal. Noble: "I Would Say, Broadly Defined As A Question Of The Tribes' Buying Influence In Washington, It Includes Democrats." (Donald Lambro, "Dean Denies Party Ties To Abramoff," The Washington Times, 1/11/06)

9. 39 Of 44 Senate Democrats, And 1 Of 1 Senate Independents, Have Accepted Contributions From Abramoff Affiliated Lobbying Firms And Indian Tribes. (Charles Hurt, "Dorgan Returns Abramoff Money," The Washington Times, 12/14/05)

8. Abramoff Affiliated Lobbying Firms And Indian Tribes Have Contributed Over $3.1 Million To Democrat Party Interests Between 1997 And 2004. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 1/17/06)

"Of The 18 Largest Recipients Of Tribe Contributions Directed By Abramoff's Group, Six, Or One-Third, Were Democrats." (Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Derek Willis, "Democrats Also Got Tribal Donations," The Washington Post, 6/3/05)

7. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) Used Abramoff's MCI Center Skybox For Fundraisers In 2002 And 2003, Without Proper Reimbursement. (Sharon Theimer, "Lobbyist Helped Draft Harkin Letters To Interior," The Associated Press, 12/3/05)

6. Sen. Harry Reid's (D-NV) Former Legislative Counsel, Edward Ayoob, Was "Team Abramoff's" Top Democrat. While Working With Abramoff, Ayoob Held Fundraisers For Reid And Contributed Nearly $40,000 To Democrats. (Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Derek Willis, "Democrats Also Got Tribal Donations," The Washington Post, 6/3/05; The Center For Responsive Politics Website, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 1/17/06)

5. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) Has Received $14,891 From Abramoff Affiliated Lobbying Firms And Indian Tribes. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

4. Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), A Member Of The Democrats "Clean House Team" To Propose Lobbying Reform, Took A Trip To Northern Mariana Islands Improperly Paid For By Jack Abramoff. (Larry Margasak, "Records Say Travel By Two Democratic Lawmakers And Two Delay Aides Paid By Lobbyist And Firm," The Associated Press, 5/3/05)

3. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) Used Abramoff's MCI Center Skybox For A Fundraiser In 2001, Without Proper Reimbursement, And Accepted More Than $10,000 In Contributions From "Team Abramoff" Lobbyists After Reviving One Of Their Issues. (John Solomon and Sharon Theimer, "Abramoff Investigator Used Lobbyist's Skybox, Helped Client," The Associated Press, 12/1/05)

2. Abramoff Affiliated Lobbying Firms And Indian Tribes Contributed More Than $1.2 Million To The DNC, DCCC, And DSCC. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 1/4/06)

1. Democratic Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) And Byron Dorgan (D-ND) Are Reportedly Part Of "First Tier" Of Lawmakers Being Scrutinized By Justice Department In Influence Peddling Investigation. (Donald Lambro, "Dean Denies Party Ties To Abramoff," The Washington Times, 1/11/06)

Yesterday, ( January 18,2006) the Democrats signed a declaration to rid the Congress of corruption and save the day. This sounds like one of those ‘promise rings’ type of measures that gives Democrats a good photo-op and makes it look like they are accomplishing something. Photo above is from C-Span

Wild Thing's comment.............
Reid and Polosi took out a pen and piece of paper and say they now have struck a''pledge'' with America that they (the RATS) will now take the government back from the evil corrupt Republicans by ''pledging'' to the people that they are for ''honest leadership and open government''. All we have to do is put them back in the Whitehouse and give them the Congress and Senate back and everything we'll be fine again!! Then they took out this giant pen and piece of paper and all the reporters took pictures of them signing their'' pledge to America''!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)

With The Democrats Hypocrisy Has No Limit

The Democrats marched over to the Library of Congress for a staged signing ceremony. Ironically, the LoC website says the venue may not be used for political events. But nonetheless, the Dems staged an event at the Library of Congress where they signed a pledge "committing them to honest leadership and open government."
Now did they not know that the Library of Congress is not allowed to be used for political purposes! ?!
The Library of Congress Guildlines

And this.......
Nancy Pelosi, has been claiming in recent weeks they want to ban lobbyist gifts to lawmakers. Well, isn't it interesting that Nancy Pelosi voted AGAINST a provision in 1995 which would have banned lobbyist gifts to members of Congress!

Washington Post.........
Congressional Democrats today( January 18, 2006) laid out a plan to change what they called a Republican "culture of corruption" in Washington, trying to secure a political advantage even as they wrestle with ethics charges against their own lawmakers.

Wild Thing comment...............
It is EXACTLY the same thing the GOP Leadership outlined at their presser yesterday. Exactly. As usual our Junk Journalists did NOT even cover what the Republican plan was before hyperventilating about the Dems.

And then on "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace last weekend,

Harry Reid refuses to hold himself to the same standards he holds for Republicans, or even the standards of his fellow Democrats, who have returned donations they received connected to embattled lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Reid was unable to admit his hypocrisy for being connected to Abramoff, and once again refused to return the donations he's received:

WALLACE: ... One of the biggest scandals in Washington right now involves Jack Abramoff, a lobbyist who's under investigation, and his clients.

It turns out that you received $66,000 in campaign contributions from Abramoff and his clients. Some of your colleagues...

REID: Chris, Chris...

WALLACE: May I ask the question?

REID: Don't try to say I received money from Abramoff.

REID: I've never met the man, don't know anything...

WALLACE: But you've received money from...

REID: Make sure that all your viewers understand — not a penny from Abramoff. I've been on the Indian Affairs Committee my whole time in the Senate.

WALLACE: But you've received money from his firm. You've received money from some of his clients. The question I'm asking if I may get the question out, Senator. Some of your colleagues, both Republican and Democrats, have given back campaign contributions that had any taint of Abramoff to it. Are you going to do so?

REID: Well, first of all, Chris, make sure that — again, I'll repeat, Abramoff gave me no money. His firm gave me no money. He may have worked a firm where people have given me money. But I have — I feel totally at ease that I haven't done anything that is even close to being wrong.

And I'm going to continue doing what I've done for my entire tenure in Congress. My record — any money that I've received — it's a federal law. You can look who gave it to me, how much, when they gave it to me, and what their occupations are.

So don't lump me in with Jack Abramoff. This is a Republican scandal. Don't try to give any of it to me.

Harry Reid Says GOP Makes Mafia Blush
Human Events Online

In a mass e-mail today publicizing his "Jack Abramoff Rule" to bar lawmakers and staffers from receiving gifts, meals and travel from lobbyists, Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid discusses past threats on his life and tells supporters that the GOP's "'K Street Project' is a shakedown machine that would make the mafia blush."

He explains, "Republicans will be introducing their own ethics legislation. Quite frankly, having Republicans trying to clean up the mess in Washington would be like asking Jonh Gotti to clean up organized crime."

Before drawing comparisons between Republicans and mobsters, Reid tells his supporters of his troubles as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, which was "being overrun by organized crime."

In those years, Reid said, "there would be threats on my life, FBI stings and even a car bomb placed in my family's station wagon."

But, those experiences are incomparable to what he alleges is happening today. "I have been in public service for over 40 years and never been as disillusioned as I am today. ... What is happening in Washington is every bit as corrupt as when Las Vegas was run by the mob, but the consquences for our country are worse."

Below is the full text of the e-mail sent by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on behalf of Reid

Wild Thing's comment..........
Poor old Harry seems to have forgotten the corrupt Clintons, Al Gore and the Chinese, the Daleys of Chicago, the Kennedy Machine, and Lord knows how many other examples of Dems distorting the democratic process!
This is ONLY a Republican scandal you say Harry???? huh? Patrick Kennedy was the second highest recipient of the Abramoff money, and he sure is no Republican. Abramoff was an equal opportunity kind of guy.

Dems are the "do as I say, not as I do", or the "It applies to you, but not to me" party.

I have been in public service for over 40 years and never been as disillusioned as I am today. In 1977, I was appointed chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. It was a difficult time for the gaming industry and Las Vegas, which were being overrun by organized crime
During the next few years, there would be threats on my life, FBI stings and even a car bomb placed in my family's station wagon. What is happening today in Washington is every bit as corrupt as when Las Vegas was run by the mob, but the consequences for our country are worse. These Republicans have created the most corrupt government in our history. Their "K Street Project" is a shakedown machine that would make the mafia blush. We cleaned up Las Vegas, and we will clean up Washington DC.

Today, Democrats from Howard Dean in Ohio to Nancy Pelosi and me in Washington are declaring our commitment to a government as good and honest as the people it serves. To achieve that vision, this morning we introduced the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act. Our tough, real reforms go beyond the public relations fixes Republicans suggest.

For example, a key proposal in the Act, known as "The Jack Abramoff Rule," will ban staff and members from receiving gifts, meals and travel from lobbyists. This is not just about talking the talk; we are going to walk the walk, right now. Last night I told my staff that even though this bill is not yet law, our office will follow its provisions starting today. I am going to lead by example, and I challenge George Bush to do the same.

Join me, Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, and hundreds of Democratic elected officials from around the country by signing the Honest Leadership Pledge. Our goal is to have one million Americans join us in this commitment to honest government:

http://www.dscc.org/honestleadership

Republicans will be introducing their own ethics legislation. Quite frankly, having Republicans trying to clean up the mess in Washington would be like asking John Gotti to clean up organized crime.

There is a price to pay for the culture of corruption, and we can see it in almost every major issue facing our country. Big Oil, protected by Republicans, reaped $100 billion in profits in 2005 while middle class families are paying more for gas, heat and other needs. Take the state of health care. There are the HMOs that benefited from the $10 billion slush fund in the Medicare bill. On the other side are seniors who face gaps in their coverage and skyrocketing prescription drug costs.

And then there is our national debt. On one side are the special interests and the multimillionaires who have received tremendous tax breaks over the last five years. On the other side are our children and grandchildren who will pay for these tax cuts when they inherit billions in debt.

We are seeing what happens when lawmakers and lobbyists conspire to put the needs of special interests before the needs of the American people. Democrats will put a stop to the culture of corruption -- period.

Join us and sign the Honest Leadership Pledge today by visiting:

http://www.dscc.org/honestleadership

Thank you,

Harry Reid

P.S. I know similar emails are being sent today by a variety of Democratic organizations. If you are receiving multiple emails on the same topic, it is only because this issue is so important, we are banding together, as a party, to address this issue in one voice.

Miss Carpenter is Assistant Editor for HUMAN EVENTS.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:24 AM | Comments (4)

January 18, 2006

Let's Join In Helping Jack Idema NOT The Taliban Terrorists

Ever met a Hero? I have met thousands of them and I am still meeting them. They are the men and women that have served our country and keep my butt safe every day of every week of every year. They take risks you cannot imagine, more real then in some movie on the big screen. The leave loved ones back at home and pray they will wait for them.

Ladies and gentlemen I have written about a man named Jack Idema, a Special Forces Operator and his Task Force Saber 7. And I will continue to till he and his men are free.

One aspect of the case of illegally-imprisoned Special Forces soldier Jack Idema that I've stressed time and again is that the first 'trial', at which Jack, Brent and Ed were sentenced to between eight and ten years in prison, was a complete travesty. Of course, given the effeminate shrieking from human rights hustlers that accompanies even the slightest deviation from due process, some people might conclude that Idema and his men received a fair enough hearing, and that a kind of rough justicfe was done. This was certainly the impression MSM were keen to convey in their coverage of the trial.

Here's the BBC, who seemed to find it all
rather amusing:

There is no doubt that some hearings descended into almost comical chaos, with
witnesses having stand-up rows with Idema and the other Americans. And the
prosecution seemed to base most of its case on accusation rather than
evidence.

Translation was another problem - some of those chosen were not up to what was a difficult job.

... So what's it to be? The travesty the Free Jack campaign claim, or the somewhat rowdy, but basically sound, trial MSM were witness to?

Well, a good place to begin putting our side of the story is with the trial judge, 'former' Taliban member Abdul
Baset Bakhtyari:

The original motion, like all motions filed, was ignored by Bakhtyari, who
claimed the Interim Criminal Code, was merely a guideline, not really law, and
that the laws of his former Taliban government would be applicable.

That's not really a good start, is it? Because, as a generally-accepted rule, judges don't get to choose which legal system they're going to try a case under. More to the point, since Idema and his men had spent the preceding three years hunting, capturing and killing members of the Taliban, it seems almost laughable to suggest that Bakhtyari could have been viewed as even remotely qualified to preside over the case. The phrase 'conflict of interest' doesn't even begin to describe this situation.

So much for the judge. What about the prosecutor, Abdul Fatah? After all, it was his job to assemble and present the case against Idema and his men -- Surely if this had been done in a fair and even-handed manner, Judge Bakhtyari's scope for mischief would have been severely curtailed?

Well, some hope. Prosecutor Fatah, you see, was an ex-KGB man, who'd worked for the Soviets during their occupation of Afghanistan. Here's an example of how he conducted the case against Jack and his men:

Then Fatah would pass the note up to prosecutor Dawari, who would then walk
right up to the Judge's bench and hand it to him while Jack, or later, one of
the attorneys, would be talking. Bakhtyari would then read the note, and make
some wild ruling. Regardless of how many times the defense objected or yelled
about the secret communications, Bakhtyari would just ignore the complaint.

... And so much for the prosecutor. What about a defence team? Well, although Idema and his men finally managed to acquire a U.S. lawyer, John Tiffany, to represent them, the state of play in the early stages of the trial was rather
different:

Bennett finally got a female Afghan lawyer in September 2004, ten days before
the final verdict. She met Bennett ONE TIME for 20 MINUTES. She promptly
informed Bennett that if she represented him Bakhtyari would not allow her to
speak because she was a woman, and he did not normally allow women to appear
in his court without a Burka. Then she dropped the real bomb-- if she appeared
in court for Bennett, she would be murdered.

Now, if the Islamofascist judge, the resentful, ex-KGB prosecutor and defence lawyers placed under threat of death should they appear in court weren't enough, there's also the complete lack of evidence against Idema and his men.

Let's be clear about this. I'm not saying the evidence presented by the prosecution was weak, or flawed, or fell apart under cross-examination. The prosecution simply produced no evidence against Jack Idema whatsoever. No
photographs showing marks of the torture Idema supposedly committed, no sworn-in witnesses. Nothing.

Even more galling, when Idema and his men attempted to present evidence that, in a normal courtroom, would have cleared them, the following occurred:

Jack read the law about being able to call a witness and Bakhtyari said,
"ok, call your witness." Fatah handed a secret note up once again.
This time to Prosecutor Dawari, who read it, smiled, then handed it to
Bakhtyari. The Taliban Judge read the note, chuckled, then said, "We will
save calling witnesses until the next hearing and you can do it then, this
hearing is finished." After four more hearings, and a verdict of guilty,
the defense had still not been allowed to call a single witness or ask a
single question of any of the terrorists who said the were hung upside down at
the first "press conference" which Bakhtyari later called a hearing.

Let's put all of this together. Here we have a 'trial' in which:

• The judge is a member of the terrorist organisation the defendants were
  hunting
  
• The judge threw out the law of the land and tried the case under a
  completely different legal system
  
• The prosecutor conferred with the judge, passing secret notes and
  whispered advice to him
  
• Lawyers for the defence were threatened with death if they appeared in
  court
  
• No evidence of any kind was offered by the prosecution in support
  of the charges they brought against Idema and his men
  
• The defence were never allowed to present any evidence or call any
  witnesses

Question: What best describes the September 2004 trial? A shameful miscarriage of justice? Or, as the BBC would have it, 'almost comical chaos'? The answer to this one should really be a no-brainer.

So what can we do about this? Well, for bloggers, there's the weekly Free Jack Idema Blogburst. We are still really, really, really desperate for more people to get involved with this --The only way we can help Jack, Brent and Ed is by getting the truth about the case out to as many people as possible. Obviously, the more of us there are posting on this topic, the greater chance there is that our voices will be heard.

Anyone wishing to sign up for the Free Jack Idema Blogburst should email :
Cao or
Rottweiler Puppy for details.
If you want to know more about the story, Cao's Blog has a large section devoted to Jack Idema. There's also a timeline here, and, of course, a huge amount of information is available over at SuperPatriots, without whose work none of us would have learned about Jack's story.

Finally, PLEASE NOTE: The SuperPatriots
and Jack images on this site are used with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION and any
use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US

jack idema
afghanistan
Technorati Search for Jack Idema

The Free Jack Idema Blogroll:

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Posted by Wild Thing at 07:40 PM

Blue Angels Fly By

Time runs the table, and yet.....

in one small moment,
the sky rests,
and the clouds open into blue.

Silence falls in circles
and the Sunlight carries a soft
dream

..down..down beside me
....drifting from a scream
of freedom, high above.

A bright moment...

.... Time falling.
..... upon the wind

A gift from the sky.
..gift of a Hawk!
.......the feather in my hand,
as I smile.

I touch the gift...
and walk away.

It has been a good day.
~ by Wild Thing

.

Wild Thing's comment..................
Thank you Sparks for sending me this email from TomR.
TomR I love the Blue Angels and have been able to see them about 11 times. Before moving to Florida three years ago, we lived in Las Vegas for 6 years after living in Calif. for many years. So while living in Vegas we were invited several times to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. and got to see them. It was such an honor to meet some of the men that flew and be able to welcome others home from serving in Iraq.
Thank you again for these awesome photos, I just had to share them on here because they are so special.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:04 AM | Comments (6)

Sex In Bedroom Is OK But No TV

A-hem, now who only has sex in the bedroom?

Reuters- Quick! Move that TV into the den!

ROME (Reuters) - Thinking of buying a TV for the bedroom? Think again -- it could ruin your sex life. A study by an Italian sexologist has found that couples who have a TV set in their bedroom have sex half as often as those who don't.

"If there's no television in the bedroom, the frequency (of sexual intercourse) doubles," said Serenella Salomoni whose team of psychologists questioned 523 Italian couples to see what effect television had on their sex lives.

On average, Italians who live without TV in the bedroom have sex twice a week, or eight times a month. This drops to an average of four times a month for those with a TV, the study found.

For the over-50s the effect is even more marked, with the average of seven couplings a month falling to just 1.5 times.

The study found certain programs are far more likely to impede passion than others. Violent films will put a stop to sexual relations for half of all couples, while reality shows stem passion for a third of couples.

Wild Thing's comment...........

There probably is a even a newer study that says sex in the bedroom cuts TV watching in half. Hmmmm I wonder which came first.............. the lack of sex, or the TV? heh - heh

What the heck is wrong with those taking the survey anyway. Who in their right mind would choose TV over sex. Well wait a minute there are some shows I love but hey that is what the tape machine is for isn't it? Sports is the only thing I can think of that would need to be seen as it happens. And why is the bedroom to that survey the all and be all. They obviously have no imagination or spontaneity.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:41 AM | Comments (4)

January 17, 2006

Dems Wear Cloak Of Spite

CNSNews.com) -

As announced last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to meet today -- Tuesday -- to vote on the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. But it's not going to happen as planned.

Despite protests from Republicans, Democrats on the committee have pushed back the Judiciary Committee vote by one week, to Tuesday, Jan. 24, invoking their right to do so under Senate rules.

And this from National Review Online:

Democrats, anticipating that Alito ultimately will be confirmed, are trying to deny the White House that victory as long as possible, particularly in the days before the State of the Union address President Bush is to deliver Jan. 31. Although Senate rules do not enable them to defer the confirmation vote until after the speech, Democratic senators would like to reduce the victory period immediately before the speech, one of the broadest public stages the president commands each year.

Posted by Wild Thing at 05:04 PM | Comments (7)

The Constitutional Record of President Clinton

Clinton's Presidency = Dereliction Of Duty

But wait.....let's hear from Hillary first.

Hillary Clinton slams Bush White House in Harlem....entire article at link.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sen. Hillary Clinton on Monday blasted the Bush administration as "one of the worst" in U.S. history and compared the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to a plantation where dissenting voices are squelched.

The House "has been run like a plantation, and you know what I'm talking about," said Clinton, D-N.Y. "It has been run in a way so that nobody with a contrary view has had a chance to present legislation, to make an argument, to be heard."

"We have a culture of corruption, we have cronyism, we have incompetence," she said. "I predict to you that this administration will go down in history as one of the worst that has ever governed our country."

Now check this out at Cato Institute:
Dereliction Of Duty: The Constitutional Record of President Clinton

It is very long so here is part of it...........................

The Clinton administration has repeatedly attempted to play down the significance of the warrant clause. In fact, President Clinton has asserted the power to conduct warrantless searches, warrantless drug testing of public school students, and warrantless wiretapping.

Warrantless "National Security" Searches

The Clinton administration claims that it can bypass the warrant clause for "national security" purposes. In July 1994 Deputy Attorney General Jamie S. Gorelick told the House Select Committee on Intelligence that the president "has inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches for foreign intelligence purposes." [51] According to Gorelick, the president (or his attorney general) need only satisfy himself that an American is working in conjunction with a foreign power before a search can take place.

The warrant clause was designed to give the American people greater security than that afforded by the mere words of politicians. It requires the attorney general, or others, to make a showing of "probable cause" to a magistrate. The proponents of national security searches are hard-pressed to find any support for their position in the text or history of the Constitution. That is why they argue from the "inherent authority" of the Oval Office--a patently circular argument. The scope of such "authority" is of course unbounded in principle. Yet the Clinton Justice Department has said that the warrant clause is fully applicable to murder suspects but not to persons suspected of violating the export control regulations of the federal government. [52] If the Framers had wanted to insert a national security exception to the warrant clause, they would have done so. They did not.

The Clinton administration's national security exception to the warrant clause is nothing more, of course, than an unsupported assertion of power by executive branch officials. The Nixon administration relied on similar constitutional assertions in the 1970s to rationalize "black bag" break-ins to the quarters of its political opponents. [53] The Clinton White House--even after the Filegate scandal--assures Congress, the media, and the general public that it has no intention of abusing this power.

Attorney General Reno has already signed off on the warrantless search of an American home on the basis of the dubious "inherent authority" theory. [54] The actual number of clandestine "national security" searches conducted since 1993 is known only to the White House and senior Justice Department officials.

Warrantless Searches of Public Housing

In the spring of 1994 the Chicago Public Housing Authority responded to gang violence by conducting warrantless "sweeps" of entire apartment buildings. Closets, desks, dressers, kitchen cabinets, and personal effects were examined regardless of whether the police had probable cause to suspect particular residents of any wrongdoing. Some apartments were searched when the residents were not home. Although such searches were supported by the Clinton administration, Federal District Judge Wayne Anderson declared the Chicago sweeps unconstitutional. [55] Judge Anderson found the government's claim of "exigent circumstances" to be exaggerated since all of the sweeps occurred days after the gang-related shootings. He also noted that even in emergency situations, housing officials needed probable cause in order to search specific apartments. Unlike many governmental officials who fear demagogic criticism for being "soft on crime," Judge Anderson stood up for the Fourth Amendment rights of the tenants, noting that he had "sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution" and that he would not "use the power of [his] office to override it, amend it or subvert it." [56]

The White House response was swift. President Clinton publicly ordered Attorney General Reno and HUD secretary Henry Cisneros to find a way to circumvent Judge Anderson's ruling. One month later the president announced a "constitutionally effective way" of searching public housing units. The Clinton administration would now ask tenants to sign lease provisions that would give government agents the power to search their homes without warrants. [57]

The Clinton plan was roundly criticized by lawyers and columnists for giving short shrift to the constitutional rights of the tenants. [58] A New York Times editorial observed that the president had "missed the point" of Judge Anderson's ruling. [59] Harvard law professors Charles Ogletree and Abbe Smith rightly condemned the Clinton proposal as an open invitation to the police to "tear up" the homes of poor people. [60]

Warrantless Drug Testing in Public Schools

The Clinton administration has defended warrantless drug testing programs in the public schools. In March 1995 the Supreme Court heard arguments on whether public school officials could drug test student athletes without a warrant or any articulable suspicion of illegal drug use. The Department of Justice sided with the school authorities, arguing that the privacy rights of individual students were outweighed by the interest of the school in deterring drug use by the student body generally. [61]

Solicitor General Days, arguing for the government, claimed that the school district "could not effectively educate its students unless it undertook suspicionless drug testing as part of a broader drug-prevention program." [62] Days maintained that the Fourth Amendment's requirement of individualized suspicion would "jeopardize" the school's drug program. Justices Sandra Day O'Connor, John Paul Stevens, and David Souter expressed skepticism about that claim and pointed out that if the Supreme Court followed the Justice Department's reasoning, America's public school students might well end up receiving less constitutional protection under the Fourth Amendment than do convicted criminals under correctional supervision. [63]

The Clinton administration supports warrantless drug tests in other contexts as well. Thus, when Republican presidential candidate Robert Dole said, during the 1996 campaign, that he would subject welfare recipients to warrantless, suspicionless drug tests, President Clinton quickly followed suit with his own approval of such an initiative. [64]

Warrantless Wiretapping

The Supreme Court has recognized that electronic surveillance, such as wiretapping and eavesdropping, impinges on the privacy rights of individuals and organizations and is therefore subject to the Fourth Amendment's warrant clause. [65] President Clinton, however, has asked Congress to pass legislation that would give the Federal Bureau of Investigation the power to use "roving wiretaps" without a court order. [66] The president also fought for sweeping legislation that is forcing the telephone industry to make its network more easily accessible to law enforcement wiretaps. Those initiatives have led ACLU officials to describe the Clinton White House as "the most wiretap-friendly administration in history." [67]

It is unclear why the president made warrantless roving wiretaps a priority matter since judges routinely approve wiretap applications by federal prosecutors. According to a 1995 report by the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, it had been years since a federal district court turned down a prosecutor's request for a wiretap order. [68] President Clinton is apparently seeking to free his administration from any potential judicial interference with its wiretapping plans. There is a problem, of course, with the power that the president desires: it is precisely the sort of unchecked power that the Fourth Amendment's warrant clause was designed to curb. As the Supreme Court noted in Katz v. United States (1967), the judicial procedure of antecedent justification before a neutral magistrate is a "constitutional precondition," not only to the search of a home, but also to eavesdropping on private conversations within the home. [69]

President Clinton also lobbied for and signed the Orwellian Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, which is forcing every telephone company in America to retrofit its phone lines and networks so that they will be more accessible to police wiretaps. [70] The cost of that makeover is expected to be several billion dollars. Any communications carrier that fails to meet the technology standards of the attorney general can be fined up to $10,000 per day. The passage of that law prompted Attorney General Reno to marvel at her newly acquired power: "I don't think J. Edgar Hoover would contemplate what we can do today." [71] That is unfortunately true. In the past, law enforcement had to rely on the goodwill and voluntary cooperation of the American people for investigative assistance. That tradition is giving way to a regime of coercive mandates. [72] (snip)

President Clinton and the Legislature

President Clinton claims the Constitution gives him the unilateral power to attack other countries whenever he deems that course of action appropriate. Over the last four years, he has authorized missile attacks against Iraq, ordered air strikes in Bosnia, and threatened to invade Haiti. In each instance the president claimed that it was unnecessary to seek any constitutional authorization from Congress.

The Framers of the Constitution gave the war power careful consideration. Although in the European countries of the 18th century the war power was commonly vested in monarchs, the Framers made a deliberate decision to leave the war-making power with the national legislature, not the president. [114] Article I of the Constitution states that "Congress shall have the power . . . to declare war." The president was to exercise his article II responsibilities as commander in chief within the framework established by the Constitution. The American executive would direct the military operations that the people's representatives in Congress had authorized.

When President Clinton threatened to invade Haiti, 10 prominent legal scholars sent him a letter to remind him of the constitutional boundaries of his office:

The President may not order the United States Armed Forces to make war without first meaningfully consulting with Congress and receiving its affirmative authorization. . . . In our view, those principles, as well as your oath of office, require you to follow President Bush's example in the Persian Gulf War: to seek and obtain Congress's express prior approval before launching a military invasion of Haiti. [115]

President Clinton ignored that letter and came perilously close to commanding U.S. forces to attack the Haitian military. [116]

Haiti was not an isolated incident. The Clinton administration has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to use military force without congressional authorization. In September 1996, for example, President Clinton ordered a cruise missile attack on Iraq. [117] The president characterized that attack as a "retaliatory strike" because Iraqi forces were engaged in murderous activity in an "exclusion zone" that President Bush had created, on his own authority, in 1991. (Recall that Congress only authorized U.S. military forces to expel the Iraqi military from Kuwait; President Bush created exclusion zones on Iraqi territory for the Kurdish people after the successful conclusion of Operation Desert Storm.)

President Clinton's rationale for his Iraqi missile attack is extremely distressing because it perfectly illustrates the dangerous propensities that the Founders apprehended at the Constitutional Convention. The Framers wanted the legislative branch to have the war power because of the ambitious tendencies of the executive branch. As James Madison noted, "The executive is the branch of power most interested in war, and most prone to it." [118] James Wilson, though an advocate of a strong presidency, approvingly observed that the new constitutional system "will not hurry us into war" since the war-making power "will not be vested in the power of a single man." [119]

* Michelle Milken ......"HILLARY'S MLK DAY DEMAGOGUERY"

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:23 AM | Comments (6)

January 16, 2006

I Will Follow You Rodger of Curmudgeonly

I am new at being a blogger. I had my little website for one year and then just could not stand not being able to post my rants and rages and cheers as I felt them. So my wonderful blog Mom, Linda at Something....and Half of Something helped me do my blog. She has been the best teacher in the world.

The year that I had my website and no blog I would cruise the net looking at blogs, reading, learning and seeing such awesome people with hearts of passion for what is right or what should be right and not wrong with this ole world and especially America. Whew that was one hell of a long sentence. haha

There were (and still are) many places I would go to every day, there is was one known as Curmudgeonly & Skeptical. I would have that laugh I needed after being ticked off at a Dem. It is owned by Rodger and he makes his points with the visual and cuts right to the chase. Rodger is making a difference in this world and I am honored to know him.

Long story so I will make it short. Rodger had problems with his blog getting it to let him post etc. I am so new at this I do not know all the ins and outs of the different blogs and how they are set up. But it had to be hell, pulling hair out time for him to go through. Wanting to post and not be allowed to.

His new address for his Blog

I just want to thank you Rodger for sticking in there and not giving up. I am sorry you had to go through any kind of stressful thing, you did not deserve it.

Thank you

Posted by Wild Thing at 04:19 PM | Comments (7)

Harry Reid Spouting Off - Aren't His 15 Minutes UP Yet?

The Salt Lake Tribune
01/14/2006

Americans are asking serious questions about what is happening in government, and they are right to be disappointed by what they see. Never before in our history have we seen such corruption. It's not only the scandals at the House, Senate and White House that are contributing to the corruption, but the corrupt priorities of lawmakers, too.

Washington has become a place where special interests rule. It's now a city where the powerful and the well-connected get taken care of and everyone else gets left behind.

The problem is Washington is run by leaders who put their own political interests ahead of America's interests. Wined and dined by their well-connected friends, these individuals have forgotten who they really work for. There's a price to pay for this corruption, and it's the American people who are forced to pay it. Year after year, they see special interests get the perks, while their priorities go unaddressed.

Consider 2005. Last year, the United States Congress did not pass a single item of legislation to make health care more affordable, to create high-paying, quality jobs, to help seniors live more secure retirements or to help middle-class families make ends meet.

Now, look what the Republican Congress did manage to do. It supported billions of dollars in tax breaks for special interests and multimillionaires and paid for them by cutting student loans and health care for seniors.

Is it any wonder Americans are fed up with how Washington works?
This New Year, Democrats resolve to clean up Washington, so America's government can once again focus on priorities of America's people.

(Rest of article is below)

Wild Thing's comment.......
Harry what are we going to do with you and all your BS
Harry you are part of the problem!

We have a plan to put an end to business as usual in the nation's capitol. Democrats want to shine a bright light on the relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers, and clean up the system of quid pro quo and pay-to-play politics that gave rise to Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay.
Honest leadership isn't a partisan goal. It is the key to a stronger union. When leaders work together in a bipartisan manner and put progress ahead of politics, there is no limit to how far America can go.
We can have an economy that creates jobs with good pay and pays down the debt. We can kick our dependence on foreign oil. We can help middle-class families make ends meet, and we can protect Americans, whether the threat is terrorism, avian flu or a disaster like Katrina.
In a few weeks, President Bush will deliver his State of the Union address. When he does, I want you to ask yourself, is this the best America can do - a government where the special interests come before the people? Or can we do better for your family and friends?
---
U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, is the Senate Democratic Leader.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:05 AM | Comments (11)

January 15, 2006

Hang em' High

I guesss I missed it, but I have always wondered how the heck did Code Pink get their $600,000 check to the insurgents to our enemy. I mean I just could not see how Medea Benjamin, and Gayle Murphy or one of the others in their sicko group just flew over there, walked up to an insurgent and handed them the check and gave them a pinko hug.

So I looked around for it late last night. Maybe I am the only one in the world that did not know but just in case here it is. I will NEVER understand why Waxman and those with Code Pink are not executed for TREASON.

REP. HENRY WAXMAN INVOLVED IN CODE PINK'S AID TO THE 'OTHER SIDE' IN FALLUJAH

Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman (California) is reported to have given a letter to antiwar activists to facilitate their delivery of aid to the 'other side' in Fallujah, Iraq.

The leftist online publication Peace and Resistance, in an article published January 1 2005, said that Rep. Waxman had written a letter addressed to the American ambassador in Amman, Jordan to help ease transit through Customs of $600,000 worth of medical supplies and cash collected by the anti-American groups Code Pink and Global Exchange. According to the groups' leader, Medea Benjamin, the aid is destined for the "other side" in Fallujah.

The letter was being carried by Fernando Suarez Del Solar, an antiwar activist whose Marine son, 20-year-old Jesus A Suarez del Solar Novaro, was killed in Iraq on March 27, 2003 when he reportedly stepped on an American cluster bomb fragment.

Mr. Suarez is being accompanied on the trip by fellow parents of soldiers killed in Iraq, as well as several family members of those killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

One Iraqi, when informed that parents of American soldiers killed while liberating his country were giving aid to the "other side" in Fallujah, asked, "what kind of people would help those killing their own sons and daughters?"

That's a question the House Ethics Committee should be asking Rep. Waxman.

Peace and Resistance Story or see full article below.....................

Published on Thursday, December 30, 2004 by the Inter Press Service
http://uruknet.info?s1=2&p=8523&s2=01

ESCONDIDO, California - Fernando Suarez del Solar is a busy man. He is busy opening boxes, counting pills, counting bandages; he is busy checking everything in the boxes that come addressed to him from all over the United States.

Suarez stops for a moment. "There are other boxes," he says, "many of them in San Francisco, in New York, in Chicago. So many boxes."

He could be doing other things. It is holiday time, after all, and the Mexican immigrant could be out shopping for his grandchildren; he could be out enjoying the unusually balmy weather.

But he needs to be checking these boxes. Like Suarez, their contents will be heading for Iraq, on a mission that memorialises his only son, Jesus, one of the first soldiers to die in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Jesus died Mar. 27, 2003, after stepping on an unexploded U.S. cluster bomb. An advocate for the poor in his native Mexico, his father, who departed Monday, has been an outspoken advocate and tireless campaigner against the war ever since.

"This trip is a very special one for me," Suarez tells IPS. He has been to Iraq before, last year, to visit the site where his son was killed. But this time is different.

"This year I am coming with something. I have something to give. Last time I came with my pain, my loss and my tears. This time I have medicine for the children of Iraq."

Suarez will be accompanied by his wife Rosa, Jesus' mother. This is not what the couple expected to be doing when they moved their family from Tijuana, Mexico seven years ago.

"This is her first time," says Suarez. "I really pushed her to go."

When I ask Rosa, a trim, sophisticated woman, about this, she says yes, she is going, but looks rather nervous.

Suarez is part of a small band of military parents -- mostly mothers -- whose children have been killed since Washington led the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, and who are heading for the Jordan-Iraq border to hand off donated medicine and other medical supplies to doctors in the refugee camps along the border.

Suarez will be accompanied by members of three families who lost relatives in the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, as well as members of San Francisco-based human rights group Global Exchange ( http://www.globalexchange.org/ ) and the Los Angeles-based peace group Code Pink, ( http://www.codepink4peace.org/ )who are sponsoring the trip.

The half-million dollars in medical supplies and cash that they will deliver have been donated by humanitarian aid groups, doctors and other Americans around the country, who responded to Internet appeals. The donations are for children's hospitals, adds Suarez.

Jodie Evans of Code Pink, speaking to IPS from her office in Los Angeles, called the outpouring of support from average Americans amazing. "People are grateful to be able to do something, to help," she says. "Over a thousand people have sent us small donations or walked in off the street."

According to Evans, many people were moved to donate after November's U.S. military siege of Iraq's city of Fallujah. Some aid has already been sent to the displaced residents of that city, with additional support going to refugee camps and children's hospitals.

The delegation will travel to Jordan from Dec. 27 to Jan. 4, and plans to hold a press conference and a candlelight vigil with Jordanian peace groups on New Year's Eve.

Suarez sifts through the medicines in the boxes. There are pills, band-aids, dressings. He hopes to hand it, and more, to Iraqi doctors -- but that might not be possible.

"When we get there, one of two things will happen," he says. "We put it all in our bags like backpacks and carry it in or, two, Customs opens the bags and I have to show them my letters."

Suarez will carry a letter from Democratic Senator Henry Waxman, an outspoken critic of the war, who represents parts of Los Angeles, close to the Suarez home in Escondido. Suarez hopes the letter, addressed to the U.S. ambassador in Amman, Jordan, will ensure needed cooperation.

A third option -- that the U.S. military has sealed the border and will refuse the groups entry on orders from the Pentagon -- is also a possibility.

"But I hope not," says Suarez.

"The last time I went to Iraq," he adds, "the Pentagon called up another California Senator, Sen Javier Vincera who was supporting me, to tell him to tell me that I would not be welcome in Iraq," and if he did go, they would not assure his safety.

In response, Suarez called a press conference to question the Pentagon's motives. "I said, 'whatever happens, Bush is responsible'," he recalls. The Pentagon backed down and declared him welcome.

Last year, as part of his voyage to see where his son died, Suarez visited ordinary Iraqis and children's hospitals. It was an experience he found profoundly moving, one that inspired him to return to help Iraqi children.

"The Iraqi people were so good to me, so beautiful."

At the hospitals he saw youngsters dying from the lack of medicine and learned that a number of others had been killed picking up unexploded cluster bombs or when trying to hand them in to U.S. soldiers.

The bombs look like tennis balls or beer cans, Suarez explains. And when the children try to give them to U.S. soldiers, they are shot on the spot -- military orders.

Cluster bombs, munitions that scatter hundreds of small "bomblets" over a wide area, are designed to inflict high numbers of casualties. "I asked a colonel why they couldn't clean up the cluster bombs, and I was told, confidentially, that they couldn't, there were too many."

And then Suarez's voice gets hard.

"They say Saddam had illegal weapons. Jesus died because of an illegal weapon. Cluster bombs are illegal under the Geneva Conventions."

The story of Jesus A Suarez del Solar Novaro and the cluster bomb that killed him is not a pretty one and despite what must be hundreds of tellings, his father's anger and grief are still just under the surface, tightly controlled.

Jesus had moved with his family to Escondido when he was 14 to fulfil his dream of becoming a U.S. Marine and joining the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to combat narco-trafficking along the U.S.-Mexico border. That dream died Mar. 27, 2003. Just 20 years old, Jesus left behind a young wife and an infant son.

"Jesus was walking like this," says his father, imitating a crouching walk, "when he stepped on a cluster bomb."

But Suarez found out this part of the story only much later. At first, he and his family were told Jesus had been shot in the head, an image that horrified his parents. Later, he was told his son had stepped on an Iraqi mine and there was an investigation pending.

But a reporter with the 'San Diego Union Tribunè newspaper called Suarez to confirm elements of a story he was writing and told him his son had stepped on an unexploded ordinance, information that Bob Woodruff of ABC News later confirmed because he had been embedded with the soldier's unit.

According to the Union Tribune, Jesus lay wounded for two hours, bleeding out. He died en route to hospital.

"I can understand the confusion at first," says Suarez, "but why continue to lie to me?"

It took two weeks for the military to return his son's body for burial, and they refused to let the father see it until the remains were at the mortuary.

The day of the funeral, Suarez asked to spend time alone with his son. Armed with university training in forensic medicine, he examined the corpse and found that, indeed, something had ripped through the right side, removing pieces of hand, foot, upper thigh and groin.

"At that point," says Suarez, I knew."

And now his fury is palpable.

"The Americans dropped about 20,000 cluster bombs. Only 20 percent exploded. My son didn't die in the front lines from enemy fire; he died because of the military's negligence."

"You know," Suarez del Solar says thoughtfully, enunciating every word, "there are people who say I give aid and comfort to the enemy. I never spoke with Bush, he never sent me anything, but the people of Iraq I met, THEY comforted ME for my loss! I have yet to see the enemy."

In the shadow of the glass case that holds his son's picture, as well as the Mexican and American flags, Suarez del Solar goes back to organising medicines, in the hope that some Iraqi parent will not have to do what he has done -- bury a child killed in the war.

Posted by Wild Thing at 11:38 AM | Comments (8)

Broncos Defeated The Patriots Saturday Night~ Tah dah!

Five takeaways by Denver allowed them to post a 27-13 victory over the defending champion New England Patriots. Mike Anderson scored twice and Rod Smith added another while Jason Elam added two field goals.

The Broncos now advance to play in the AFC Championship game next weekend against either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Indianapolis Colts, pending the results of Sunday's game.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:41 AM | Comments (2)

---

January 14, 2006

Plutonium Hugger Ahmadinejad Glows or So He Says

'Divine mission' driving Iran's new leader
By Anton La Guardia
(Filed: 14/01/2006)

As Iran rushes towards confrontation with the world over its nuclear programme, the question uppermost in the mind of western leaders is "What is moving its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to such recklessness?"

Political analysts point to the fact that Iran feels strong because of high oil prices, while America has been weakened by the insurgency in Iraq.

But listen carefully to the utterances of Mr Ahmadinejad - recently described by President George W Bush as an "odd man" - and there is another dimension, a religious messianism that, some suspect, is giving the Iranian leader a dangerous sense of divine mission.

In November, the country was startled by a video showing Mr Ahmadinejad telling a cleric that he had felt the hand of God entrancing world leaders as he delivered a speech to the UN General Assembly last September.

When an aircraft crashed in Teheran last month, killing 108 people, Mr Ahmadinejad promised an investigation. But he also thanked the dead, saying: "What is important is that they have shown the way to martyrdom which we must follow."

The most remarkable aspect of Mr Ahmadinejad's piety is his devotion to the Hidden Imam, the Messiah-like figure of Shia Islam, and the president's belief that his government must prepare the country for his return.

One of the first acts of Mr Ahmadinejad's government was to donate about £10 million to the Jamkaran mosque, a popular pilgrimage site where the pious come to drop messages to the Hidden Imam into a holy well.

All streams of Islam believe in a divine saviour, known as the Mahdi, who will appear at the End of Days. A common rumour - denied by the government but widely believed - is that Mr Ahmadinejad and his cabinet have signed a "contract" pledging themselves to work for the return of the Mahdi and sent it to Jamkaran.

Iran's dominant "Twelver" sect believes this will be Mohammed ibn Hasan, regarded as the 12th Imam, or righteous descendant of the Prophet Mohammad.

He is said to have gone into "occlusion" in the ninth century, at the age of five. His return will be preceded by cosmic chaos, war and bloodshed. After a cataclysmic confrontation with evil and darkness, the Mahdi will lead the world to an era of universal peace.

This is similar to the Christian vision of the Apocalypse. Indeed, the Hidden Imam is expected to return in the company of Jesus.

Mr Ahmadinejad appears to believe that these events are close at hand and that ordinary mortals can influence the divine timetable.

The prospect of such a man obtaining nuclear weapons is worrying. The unspoken question is this: is Mr Ahmadinejad now tempting a clash with the West because he feels safe in the belief of the imminent return of the Hidden Imam? Worse, might he be trying to provoke chaos in the hope of hastening his reappearance?

The 49-year-old Mr Ahmadinejad, a former top engineering student, member of the Revolutionary Guards and mayor of Teheran, overturned Iranian politics after unexpectedly winning last June's presidential elections.

The main rift is no longer between "reformists" and "hardliners", but between the clerical establishment and Mr Ahmadinejad's brand of revolutionary populism and superstition.

Its most remarkable manifestation came with Mr Ahmadinejad's international debut, his speech to the United Nations.

World leaders had expected a conciliatory proposal to defuse the nuclear crisis after Teheran had restarted another part of its nuclear programme in August.

Instead, they heard the president speak in apocalyptic terms of Iran struggling against an evil West that sought to promote "state terrorism", impose "the logic of the dark ages" and divide the world into "light and dark countries".

The speech ended with the messianic appeal to God to "hasten the emergence of your last repository, the Promised One, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace".

In a video distributed by an Iranian web site in November, Mr Ahmadinejad described how one of his Iranian colleagues had claimed to have seen a glow of light around the president as he began his speech to the UN. "I felt it myself too," Mr Ahmadinejad recounts. "I felt that all of a sudden the atmosphere changed there. And for 27-28 minutes all the leaders did not blink…It's not an exaggeration, because I was looking.

"They were astonished, as if a hand held them there and made them sit. It had opened their eyes and ears for the message of the Islamic Republic."

Western officials said the real reason for any open-eyed stares from delegates was that "they couldn't believe what they were hearing from Ahmadinejad".

Their sneaking suspicion is that Iran's president actually relishes a clash with the West in the conviction that it would rekindle the spirit of the Islamic revolution and - who knows - speed up the arrival of the Hidden Imam.

Wild Thing's comment............
I think this idiot, this deranged person does relish confrontation with the West. He is really asking for it. They claim to have seen a "glowing light" around their president? Give me a break! There might yet be a bright glow around him, but not quite what he was thinking.
This is a dangerous man. Even more troubling, this is a dangerous man in a position of some power. I have to wonder this. After they watched what happened to Saddam the only thing that would seem to make them so bold is hidden nuclear weapons that we aren't aware of.
Mr Ahmadinejad telling a cleric that he had felt the hand of God entrancing world leaders as he delivered a speech to the UN General Assembly last September. The UN General Assembly is a podium for the worlds nitwits.This jerkoff Ahmadinejad, Chavez , Mugabe , Morales , and a host of others , should be totally banned and not allowed to come anywhere close to US airspace. If the try to anyway, shoot them down.

Posted by Wild Thing at 11:55 AM | Comments (20)

Hillary Clinton mixes with Harry Belafonte

The New York Observer is reporting that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) will appear Thursday at a luncheon with Calypso singer turned Bush-bashing liberal activist Harry Belafonte. The luncheon is an awards ceremony given by the Children’s Defense Fund, a liberal interest group.

Belafonte gained recent attention by calling President Bush the “world’s greatest terrorist” while visiting Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez. Belafonte was joined on the Venezuela trip by a group of outspoken liberal Americans, including actor Danny Glover and Princeton University Professor Cornel West.

“No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says,” Belafonte told Chavez, “we’re here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people ... support your revolution.” Belafonte finished his appearance on Chavez’s television and radio broadcast with the shout in Spanish, “Viva la revolucion!”

It will not be the first time that Hillary Clinton has appeared with Belafonte after the 78-year-old singer has made controversial remarks. In September, Belafonte told the Congressional Black Caucus that the Bush foreign policy “has made a wreck of this planet”.

“I’m always in Africa,” Belafonte ranted, “and when I go to these places I see American policy written on the walls of oppression everywhere.” Sen. Clinton was the next speaker at the event. Following up, she noted, “What Harry said is so important.”
As reported by Cybercast News Service, during a civil rights march in Atlanta last August, Belafonte called prominent African-American officials in the Bush administration, such as Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, “black tyrants.” He has also compared the Bush administration to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany and, in 2002, described then-Secretary of State Powell as a “house slave.”

The Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, a conservative black leader, accused Belafonte of treason. “Harry Belafonte’s hatred of President Bush is causing him to embrace America’s enemies,” the Rev. Peterson said in a press release. “I also believe that his actions are treasonous as described by Article Three, Section Three of the U.S. Constitution, which says that ‘adhering to our enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort’ constitutes treason."

Wild Thing's comment.........
My Father always taught me "You are who you associate with." Hillary is doing just that as always. And why not, two communists together at the Children’s Defense Fund, a liberal interest group. How perfect they are together............yep makes one proud of two such great Americans. NOT! Go away Hillary and you can take Belafonte with you. Maybe a cabana in Cuba.

Posted by Wild Thing at 10:57 AM | Comments (5)

January 13, 2006

Nudity During Sex Invalidates A Marriage ~ HUH?

From Middle East Times
January 8, 2006

CAIRO -- An Egyptian cleric's controversial fatwa claiming that nudity during sexual intercourse invalidates a marriage has uncovered a rift among Islamic scholars.

According to the religious edict issued by Rashad Hassan Khalil, a former dean of Al Azhar University's faculty of Sharia (or Islamic law), "being completely naked during the act of coitus annuls the marriage".

The religious decree sparked a hot debate on the private satellite network Dream's popular religious talk show and on the front page of Sunday's Al Masri Al Yom, Egypt's leading independent daily newspaper.

Suad Saleh, who heads the women's department of Al Azhar's Islamic studies faculty, pleaded for "anything that can bring spouses closer to each other" and rejected the claim that nudity during intercourse could invalidate a union.

During the live televised debate, Islamic scholar Abdel Muti dismissed the fatwa: "Nothing is prohibited during marital sex, except, of course, sodomy."

For his part, Al Azhar's fatwa committee chairman Abdullah Megawar argued that married couples could see each other naked but should not look at each other's genitalia and suggested that they cover up with a blanket during sex.

Wild Thing's comment..........
Maybe couples should keep their socks on?....or a Hat? .....or Shoes? hmmmmm...........
It's quite obvious this particular cleric never got any, and he doesn't want anyone else to get any either. How selfish. I don't know if the cleric is married but I'd hate to be his wife. Well here is my answer to the stinky ole cleric of the so called "religion" (CULT) of peace................

CLICK above image to hear music

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:07 AM | Comments (10)

January 12, 2006

DemoRATS Bring NEW Meaning To The Word Lowlife Scum

GRAHAM: ...Are you really a closet bigot?
ALITO: I'm not any kind of a bigot, I'm not.

GRAHAM: No, sir, you're not. And you know why I believe that? Not because you just said it -- but that's a good enough reason, because you seem to be a decent, honorable man. I have got reams of quotes from people who have worked with you, African American judges -- I've lost my quotes.

Judge Higginbotham -- I don't know where they're at. But glowing quotes about who you are, the way you've lived your life; law clerks, men and women, black and white, your colleagues who say that Sam Alito, whether I agree with him or not, is a really good man.

You know why I believe you when you say that you disavow those quotes? Because the way you have lived your life and the way you and your wife are raising your children.

Let me tell you this: Guilt by association is going to drive good men and women away from wanting to sit where you're sitting. And we're going to go through a bit of this ourselves as congressmen and senators.

People are going to take a fact that we got a campaign donation from somebody who's found out to be a little different than we thought they were -- and our political opponent's going to say, "Aha, I got you!"

And we're going to say, "Wait a minute. I didn't know that. I didn't take the money for that reason."

And you know what? I'm going to believe these senators and congressmen for the most part, because that's the way we do our business. We meet people here every day. We have photos taken with people -- and sometimes you wish you didn't have your photo taken.

But that doesn't mean that you're a bad person because of that association.

Judge Alito, I am sorry that you've had to go through this. I am sorry that your family has had to sit here and listen to this.

Wild Thing's comment.............
Sen Graham's voice cracked when he offered the apology to Mrs. Mrs. Alito, the man known as Kennedy that is grilling your husband is just a drunken pig with delusion of grandeur who murdered a young woman over 35 years ago. He is not fit to shine your husband's shoes.

How Kennedy of all people can dare to be critical of anyone is beyond my comprehension. He should have been in jail many years ago.

I am SOOOOOoooooooooo done, so totally done with the left and their behavior, beliefs and treatment of others. Then add into that factor that I truly believe they need to be punished for their treason to America and to our Military.

* Michelle Malkin

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:42 PM | Comments (8)

F-16 Pilots Get New Ear Piece

From Blackanthem Military News
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah, January 11, 2006

A new earpiece is set to be implemented among Hill's F-16 pilots affording them better hearing protection and an improved mission focus.

The 4th Fighter Squadron's "Fighting Fuujins" will receive the new Attenuating Custom Communication Earpiece System this month. The earpiece was developed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base by the Battle Space Acoustics Department. The Department is part of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Human Effectiveness Directorate.

"The new system should increase communication intelligibility for our pilots," said Capt. Eydin Hansen, Aerospace physiologist with the 75th Aerospace Medicine Squadron. "Currently the pilots are using foam earplugs and headsets with speakers that offer 8-12 decibels of protection, while sacrificing communication intelligibility."

Currently, pilots are having a hard time hearing tones, many associated with air traffic controllers and ground-based controllers. The new earplug system costs less than $600 per person and is made from deep ear canal impressions from the pilots. It has a speaker system giving the pilots something similar to that used with an iPod, ultimately providing better clarity while giving them 25 to 30 decibels of protection.

This technology was initially designed for the ground crews and then adapted for the state-of-the-art F-22A Raptor. Hill pilots are excited to be using the next generation of hearing protection and communications device in the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Capt. Dax Cornelius, 4th Fighter Squadron Demo Team member, said that while performing he experiences violent negative and positive G-forces and most of the time his earplugs tend to fall out.

"We'll be flying with one plug in and one out," he said. "It can be very distracting to have the radio blast in one ear and not in the other," said Captain Cornelius. "This new system is really going to allow us to focus on the mission rather than the peripherals."

By Shad West
75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:15 AM | Comments (8)

January 11, 2006

Democrats The Party of TREASON

From the Code Pink Website...................

Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) met with leaders of the anti-American group Code Pink last week at the anti-Operation Iraqi Freedom meeting in Arlington, Virginia hosted by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.)

Code Pink posted pictures of the meeting along with a statement indicating they will be working with Rep. Murtha to deliver "kindness and support to the wounded soldiers" at Walter Reed.

Code Pink has given $600,000 to the terrorists in Fallujah, participated in war crimes tribunals against America and has called American soldiers "killers" on their website among many treasonous actions.

Text of Code Pink's statement on meeting Rep. Murtha:

Thank You Congressman Murtha! CODEPINK co-founder Gael Murphy and DC coordinator Allison Yorra met with Congressman Murtha to thank him for his courageous stand on Iraq. We presented him with our pink badge of courage and pink flowers sent by CODEPINK members nationwide. Rep Murtha was very appreciative of these gestures and requested that we ask legislators to support H.J Res 73 (Murtha's resolution). He also requested that we use additional donations for the wounded at Walter Reed. DC CODEPINK along with other peace groups involved in the weekly vigil at Walter Reed recently delivered baskets of goodies to the wounded at Walter Reed. Together, with Murtha's office, we will be continuing this outpouring of kindness and support to the wounded soldiers from CODEPINK.

Terrorists Quote CODE PINK Propganda As Justification For Killing American Troops
In the recent article, “Tribal backlash against insurgents aids US in Iraq” by Antonio Castaneda reporting from Samara, Iraq published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Dec 3, 2005, you see the following revelation:

Last year, al-Qaida in Iraq, led by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab Zarqawi, openly operated in Samarra, and the group's black flags fluttered from rooftops until U.S. forces regained control.

U.S. soldiers heard some Samarra residents speak openly of the right of "legitimate resistance" to the American presence.

Where do terrorists get the concept of their “right of legitimate resistance” allowing them to kill not only American military personnel, but innocent women and children in hospitals, mosques and markets?

From Code Pink, an alledged peace group that continually tells terrorists that they have a right to kill Americans, as well as innocent Iraqi women and children.

Where has Code Pink told the terrorists that they have such rights? In the “Beirut Communiqué”, the “Declaration of the Jury of Conscience” of the World Tribunal on Iraq and on the CODE PINK website.

CODE PINK Endorsement of "Resistance" in the “Beirut Communiqué”

In Beirut, Lebanon, September 17-19, 2004, the meeting was titled “Where Next for the Global Anti-War and Anti-Globalization Movements?, An International Strategy Meeting”. The “CONFERENCE COMMUNIQUE” of the Global Anti-War Movement declared:
“We support the right of the people of Iraq and Palestine to resist the occupations.”
CodePink:Women for Peace co-founder Gael Murphy is listed as an endorser of the conference and communiqué.

Right mouse click here and “Save Target As” to save the Beirut Communiqué to your disk as a PDF file. If you like.

In the summer of 2005, in Istambul Turkey, another such “people’s tribunal” called the World Tribunal on Iraq was held.

“Finding #11 of the “DECLARATION OF JURY OF CONSCIENCE” can be summarized as:
“When the armed resistance commits certain acts of desperation against the brutal occupying forces it is legitimate and justified.”
Click and page down slightly to see Finding #11 at this site

Here’s an excerpt of Finding #11 from the WTI Declaration:

11. There is widespread opposition to the occupation. Political, social, and civil resistance through peaceful means is subjected to repression by the occupying forces. It is the occupation and its brutality that has provoked a strong armed resistance and certain acts of desperation. By the principles embodied in the UN Charter and in international law, the popular national resistance to the occupation is legitimate and justified.

You can also go HERE and confirm that Code Pink, Veterans For Peace and United For Peace and Justice all “Endorse” the WTI and it’s findings.

Kill A Soldier, CODE PINK Is What Understands

Caught with their pink slips showing, Code Pink will deny that their endorsements include the killing of our troops. But make no mistake about it, Code Pink understood that it did in fact endorse killing. Another co-founder of Code Pink, Jodie Evans was a participant in the WTI. Her description of her participation during the WTI was posted at Code Pink, since removed but widely achived on left wing sites such as AlterNet.

Here is Jodie’s blog entry “Testimonials of Resistance” on how she could not kill a soldier herself, but when the terrorists do, she understands:

We must begin by really standing with the Iraqi people and defending their right to resist. I can remain myself against all forms of violence, and yet I cannot judge what someone has to do when pushed to the wall to protect all they love. The Iraqi people are fighting for their country, to protect their families and to preserve all they love. They are fighting for their lives, and we are fighting for lies.

Wild Thing's comment.............
"Code Pink has given $600,000 to the terrorists" andother link HERE.
I remember when they did this an even a fraction of that would finance IEDs to kill American forces or other innocents.

Funny ( NOT) that she can say this- "We must begin by really standing with the Iraqi people and defending their right to resist. I can remain myself against all forms of violence, and yet I cannot judge what someone has to do when pushed to the wall to protect all they love.", but if GWB and his warmongering crowd (in which I proudly count myself!)do this to protect the American people, then suddenly we're a bunch of baby killers. Go figure. They get to love their families and country but we're not accorded the same belief. Oh, sorry!!! I forgot for a moment they're socialists and don't believe in allowing Americans the right of self defense and self determination

Never forget, about a year ago our soldiers on the ground in Iraq got tired of being picked off by the terrorists holed up in holy Fullajah and finally cleaned them out. Within days, Cindy Sheehan and her pals at Code Pink Cindy and her pals at Code Pink began to raise money for their "freedom-fighting heroes".

And check this out while you are at it. In the first few paragraphs you will see of course the names of Cindy Sheehan and Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney but of course. sheesh! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

United States. Resolution 1368:

Calls on all States to work together urgently to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these terrorist attacks and stresses that those responsible for aiding, supporting, or harboring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these acts will be held accountable.

From Article III, Section 3 of the United States Constitution:

Clause 1: Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

Clause 2: The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

And I repeat this...............

If all of this isn't TREASON I don't know what the fuck is! As Clause 2 states, Congress has the power to punish traitors to America and therefore our Representatives and Senators should most definitely be strongly prevailed upon to go after these individuals and their backers. This will contionue to have my blood boiling, that "Code Pink" and other such organizations are directly aiding those terrorists who are trying to kill our servicemen and women in Iraq without any consequences here at home other than negative publicity.

A very long time ago I read a book called......"A Man Without A Country". It's been a long time ago, but I remember reading of a man who declared he "hated his country", in a court of law. He was then sentenced to life on a ship, never landing on land, and never having a country to claim as his own. It was an enlightening experience, and the man suffered unbelievably as a result. I'm sure there can be a lot of flaws found in this story, but it does makes one think a little bit more about what their country means to them and what are true criticisms, and what are selfish whinings.

"Breathes there a man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land..."

.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 PM | Comments (8)

Let's Hear From People That Fought Alongside Jack Idema

Let's call on the testimony of people Jack Idema fought alongside in the battle to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. These are the men of the Northern Alliance (properly, the United Front), and to understand how they fit into Jack Idema's story, it's necessary to understand a little of their long and honourable history defending Afghanistan from Her enemies.
Much of this success can be attributed to one person, Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud. Though sneeringly described as a 'warlord' by MSM, Massoud was actually a highly educated and moderate man who believed passionately that the future of Afghanistan should be both democratic and free of fanaticism. Fortunately for the Afghan people, Massoud was also a military genius, responsible for inflicting a staggering 60% of the total casualties suffered by the Red Army during the Soviet occupation.
After the Russians were expelled, Massoud set up democratic rule in the regions of Afghanistan his forces controlled, spending the remaining years of his life struggling to remove first the murderous Hekmatyar, then the Taliban, from power.

You can read about Massoud's life here, but what must be understood about this remarkable man is that he, as well as those who followed him, are exactly the kind of people we need on our side in the WOT.

Here's Massoud on democracy:

The future government should be formed through elections by the people. Men and women should take part. The only form of government, which can balance the different ethnicities, is democracy.

Here is Massoud's reaction to the Taliban's demand that he leave Afghanistan after they seized power:

Is it just that when we were in Kabul leading the country, when we had the people's consent, we promised to protect them, to defend our independence and to take care of Afghanistan and its people and now that these people are in great danger we would leave them? Is this really justice? I do not think it is justified. I will stay in this country until my last breath and resist. I am convinced that, God willing, Afghanistan one day will be free.

Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Lion of Panjsher, was assassinated by al-Qaeda suicide bombers on 9th September, 2001.
Two weeks after that Jack Idema arrived in Afghanistan. He, and hundreds of other Special Forces soldiers, were under orders from coalition leaders to train and equip Northern Alliance forces in order to remove the Taliban. This, of course, was exactly the sort of work that Idema specialised in -- After stints in Haiti, El Salvador, Thailand and Lithuania, he was one of the most capable men in the world at pulling ragged, ill-equipped armies together into crack fighting units. You can read press reports archived at SuperPatriots which detail some of the work Jack did with the Northern Alliance here, here, and here.

See, although MSM were chiefly interested in Idema during 2001, the Northern Alliance troops he trained and served alongside for three years deserve a hearing too. They're brave soldiers, most of whom have spent their whole adult lives fighting for a free and democratic Afghanistan. What's more, several of them were tortured, tried and imprisoned alongside Jack, Brent and Ed in September 2004.

One of these men, Major Ezmerai Amin, has this to say about Idema and the state of Afghanistan under Karzai:

Commander Massoud was right. But Massoud told us to follow his way, and I have dedicate my life to follow the way of Massoud because to save my country and the world. And my commander has too. This is why our people follow Jack, because he follow Massoud's way. One time when I was still in Pulacharke I was very sad, and I said to Jack, fuck Massoud, because we follow Massoud's way we are in prison. Then Jack remind to me that Massoud would never give up, he would keep to fight to make real freedom not freedom only for the rich people. We talked about how Massoud would not allow a road to be built to his village until all the country had roads. But this government, they buy rich cars and build roads to their villages while people are still starving and with no doctors.

Major Amin, like the other Afghans imprisoned with Jack, was released after their case went to appeal a year ago --Jack, Brent and Ed should have been freed at that point too, but the U.S. State Department and FBI put pressure on the Karzai government to illegally continue their detention. What's worth noting, though, is that Major Amin pays Jack Idema the highest complement he can -- He compares him to Massoud, modern Afghanistan's greatest hero.

Then there's Lieutenant 'Zorro' Rasuli:

Actually, Jack took me with him for just one month from General Atta, but I don't know why he trust his life, his power, and everything on me, but I can say one thing; after the death of our leader Commander Massoud he will now be my commander on the rest of my life, and in any place I'm waiting for his orders.

Zorro means this. After he was released along with the other Afghans convicted with Idema, he elected to remain in prison until his three American compatriots are free.

So, question: if Idema were nothing more than a mercenary out to make a quick buck, why is it that he inspires such loyalty among Northern Alliance troops? The answer to this one should be obvious -- The Afghan soldiers Idema trained and fought with see, in him, a similar commitment to rid the world of terrorism as the one they feel.

Here's New Yorker writer, Jon Lee Anderson, offering us an insight into how this camaraderie played out during the war to remove the Taliban from power:

On the way down the mountain, Jack, who was armed and wearing full combat regalia, clambered onto one of the mujahideen tanks with a tin of white paint and a brush. He wrote, "N.Y.P.D." on the tank's green steel carapace. The mujahideen smiled obligingly and asked to borrow his paint. In lacy Farsi script they added the words "Dear Massoud, we will follow your way."

Right now, three of men who fought that war are stuck in prison at the behest of the State Department. Meanwhile, just this week, President Karzai begged Taliban scumbag-in-chief Mullah Omar to 'get in touch if he wanted peace'.

It's difficult, not to conclude that something's going badly wrong with a war in which we offer amnesty to the chief architects of 9/11, while imprisoning the men who risked their lives to bring these animals to justice.

Anyone reading this with their own blog can sign up for the weekly Free Jack Idema Blogburst by emailing Cao or Rottweiler Puppy for details. I'd urge everyone to do this.

If you want to know more about the story, Cao's Blog has a large section devoted to Jack Idema. There's also a timeline here, and, of course, a huge amount of information is available over at SuperPatriots, without whose work none of us would have learned about Jack's story.

Finally, PLEASE NOTE: The SuperPatriots and Jack images on this site are used with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION and any use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US

* Big Dog's Weblog
* Cao's Blog
* Rottweiller Puppy

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:00 PM | Comments (4)

UPDATES ON: Insane Howard Dean Sunday Morning on CNN’s Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer

US Newswire

"There are no Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, not one, not one single Democrat. Every person named in this scandal is a Republican. Every person under investigation is a Republican. Every person indicted is a Republican. This is a Republican finance scandal. There is no evidence that Jack Abramoff ever gave any Democrat any money and we’ve looked through all of the F.E.C. reports to make sure that’s true…I know the Republican National Committee would like to get the Democrats involved in this. They're scared. They should be scared. They haven't told the truth. They have misled the American people, and now it appears they're stealing from Indian tribes. The Democrats are not involved in this.”

Wild Thing's comment........
Hey Howard, your brain lives in a liberal fairy tale:

Read it and weep Howie!

40 Of The 45 Members Of The Senate Democrat Caucus:
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) Received At Least – $22,500
Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) Received At Least – $6,500
Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) Received At Least – $1,250
Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) Received At Least – $2,000
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) Received At Least – $20,250
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Received At Least – $21,765
Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) Received At Least – $7,500
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Received At Least – $12,950
Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) Received At Least – $8,000
Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ) Received At Least – $7,500
Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) Received At Least – $14,792
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) Received At Least – $79,300
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) Received At Least – $14,000
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Received At Least – $2,000
Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) Received At Least – $1,250
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) Received At Least – $45,750
Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) Received At Least – $9,000
Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) Received At Least – $2,000
Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) Received At Least – $14,250
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) Received At Least – $3,300
Senator John Kerry (D-MA) Received At Least – $98,550
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Received At Least – $28,000
Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT) Received At Least – $4,000
Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) Received At Least – $6,000
Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) Received At Least – $29,830
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) Received At Least – $14,891
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) Received At Least – $10,550
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) Received At Least – $78,991
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) Received At Least – $20,168
Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) Received At Least – $5,200
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) Received At Least – $7,500
Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) Received At Least – $2,300
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) Received At Least – $3,500
Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) Received At Least – $68,941
Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV) Received At Least – $4,000
Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) Received At Least – $4,500
Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) Received At Least – $4,300
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Received At Least – $29,550
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Received At Least – $6,250
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) Received At Least – $6,250

UPDATE.........January 11,2006

The Washington Times

Dean denies party ties to Abramoff
By Donald Lambro
THE WASHINGTON

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean says that Democrats took no money from Jack Abramoff in the lobbying scandal, but a public-interest group official said yesterday that they did accept contributions from the lobbyist's clients, who were trying to buy influence. Mr. Dean has stepped up attacks on Republicans, charging, "Every person named in this scandal is a Republican." "Every person under investigation is a Republican. Every person indicted is a Republican. This is a Republican finance scandal," Mr. Dean said Sunday on CNN's "Late Edition." But Republican officials and a major public-integrity group counter his assertion with a growing list of Democrats who have received contributions from American Indian tribes represented by Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to tax evasion and fraud in connection with his lobbying activities. "What our list shows is that both Republicans and Democrats received contributions from Indian tribes that were represented at one time by Jack Abramoff," said Lawrence Noble, executive director and general counsel for the Center for Responsive Politics. "So the answer to Dean depends on how you define scandal," Mr. Noble said. "I would say, broadly defined as a question of the tribes' buying influence in Washington, it includes Democrats." The political news wire the Hotline has compiled a list of nearly three dozen Democrats who have received campaign contributions from Abramoff-related tribes. More than a dozen of them to date have refused to give back the money, saying that the contributions were legal. Leading the list of Democrats is Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who has received $61,000 in campaign contributions from various donors with links to Abramoff. His office has said he will not return any of the funds because they "were part of lawful fundraising." Other Democrats listed who have refused to return Abramoff-linked money include Sens. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Patty Murray of Washington and Ron Wyden of Oregon. Some of the Democratic senators who have returned a portion of the money from Abramoff clients or donated it to charity include Max Baucus of Montana, Maria Cantwell of Washington, and Kent Conrad and Byron L. Dorgan of North Dakota. A top aide to Mr. Dean defended the assertion that "as far as we know," no Democrats were directly or indirectly part of the influence-buying scandal that is under a Justice Department investigation. "Indian tribes are not criminals. Jack Abramoff is a criminal who did not give any money to Democrats," said Karen Finney, the DNC's spokeswoman. But Mr. Noble said Abramoff may have had a hand in who received money from the tribes he represented. "We assume that Abramoff gave the tribes a list of names of members [of Congress] who should receive contributions," Mr. Noble said.

And take a gander at these :
An NRSC Report Shows That Nearly 90 Percent Of Senate “Democrats Have Taken Abramoff-Related Money.” “The NRSC has begun circulating among fellow Republicans new reports showing that all but five of the chamber’s 44 Democrats have taken Abramoff-related money. In addition, the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have taken more than $1.2 million, according to records provided to The Washington Times.” (Charles Hurt, “Dorgan Returns Abramoff Money,” The Washington Times, December 14, 2005)

“If The Democrats Are Alleging That Republicans Are Guilty Of Any Wrongdoing, They’re Sitting In The Same Boat.” “Democrats have run two television advertisements in Montana, castigating Burns for his activities on behalf of Abramoff, but as the lobbyist’s taint spreads, its political impact may dissipate, said Brian Nick, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. ‘If the Democrats are alleging that Republicans are guilty of any wrongdoing, they’re sitting in the same boat,’ he said. ‘It just becomes a nonstarter.’” (Jonathan Weisman and Derek Willis “Democrat On Panel Probing Abramoff To Return Tribal Donations,” The Washington Post, December 14, 2005)

Tribal Clients And Associates Of Jack Abramoff Have Contributed Over $3.1 Million To Democrat Party Interests Between 1997 And 2004. (Campaign Finance Analysis Project Website, www.campaignfinanceanalysisproject.com, Accessed December 2005; Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed December 2005)

National Democrat Party Affiliated Committees Received Over $1.2 Million From Indian Tribe Clients And Lobbying Associates Of Jack Abramoff. (Campaign Finance Analysis Project Website, www.campaignfinanceanalysisproject.com, Accessed December 7, 2005; Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed December 7, 2005; Internal Revenue Service Website, www.irs.gov, Accessed April 21, 2005)

The Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Received Over – $430,000
The Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Received Over – $629,000
The Democrat National Committee (DNC) Received Over – $177,000

Incumbent Senate Democrat-Affiliated Campaign And Leadership Committees Received Over $729,000 From Indian Tribe Clients And Lobbying Associates Of Jack Abramoff*. (Campaign Finance Analysis Project Website, www.campaignfinanceanalysisproject.com, Accessed December 7, 2005; Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed December 7, 2005; Internal Revenue Service Website, www.irs.gov, Accessed April 21, 2005)

Posted by Wild Thing at 09:08 AM | Comments (12)

Crank up the Volume

Just click away for some laughs.

Bank

Bomb Iraq

Ned's Call

Phone

Sand

Posted by Wild Thing at 08:11 AM | Comments (2)

January 10, 2006

Coffee An Aphrodisiac

Caffeine May Boost Female Sex Drive
By LiveScience Staff

posted: 09 January 2006
08:04 am ET

Caffeine motivates female rats to have more frequent sex, a new study suggests. But don't start guzzling more coffee just yet.

Scientists gave 108 female rats a moderate dose of caffeine. The caffeine shortened the amount of time it took the females to return to males after a first romp, indicating they were more motivated to do it again.

Loading up on more caffeine is not expected to improve human sex drive in most cases, however.

"These rats had never had caffeine before," said study leader Fay Guarraci, an assistant professor of psychology at Southwestern University. "In humans, it might enhance the sexual experience only among people who are not habitual users."

The research could help scientists better understand sexual motivation, however.

"Understanding the circuits that control this behavior will help us understand how the brain works and what part of the brain mediates motivation because sexual behavior is a motivative behavior," Guarraci said.

Wild Thing's comment........
Well now I never knew this, but it is ok with me. haha I do love getting a Carmel Frappacino Venti. YUM.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:24 AM | Comments (4)

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R.-Ala.) Took Kennedy To Task

Kennedy Asserts Alito Is Racist....from Human Events Online

Among Sen. Teddy Kennedy's many complaints about Samuel Alito, the one that caught the attention of Republicans today was his assertion that Alito is a racist.

"In Alito's 15-years on the bench, Judge Alito has not written one single opinion on the merits in favor of a person of color who alleged race discrimination in the workplace."

Moments later, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R.-Ala.) took Kennedy to task, leaving the liberal Massachusetts senator shaking his head.

Sessions cited three cases in which Alito demonstrated that "all Americans receive equal protection of the laws, regardless of race."

Among them:

U.S. v. Kithcart: In this case, Alito said the Constitution doesn't allow police officers to racially profile black drivers. His opinion, citing a violation of the 4th Amendment, stated: "The mere fact that Kithcart is black and the perpetrators had been described as two black males is plainly insufficient. ... Officer Nelson could not justifiably arrest any African-American man who happened to drive by in any type of black sports car."

Brinson v. Vaughn: Alito ruled that the Constitution don't allow prosecutors to exclude black jurors. In his ruling, Alito granted the prisoner's habeas petition. He said the Constitution guarantees "that a state does not use peremptory challenges to remove any black juror because of his race. Thus, a prosecutor's decision to refrain from discrimination against some African-American jurors does not cure discrimination against others."

Zubi v. AT&T: Alito authored the lone dissent in which he called for an expansive view of civil rights laws. In this case, the plaintiff sued his employer for firing him on the basis of race. While the majority ruled against the plaintiff's claim based on the time it had taken him to bring his case, Alito rejected that argument. The Supreme Court later vindicated Alito's view in a unanimous decision.
Mr. Bluey is editor of Human Events Online.

Wild Thing's comment.......
Acutally Kennedy asserted that a Mr. Alioto was a racist. The numbnut can't even get his name right. Not only is Alito not a racist, but he wouldn't leave a woman to drown so he could salvage a political career. love it when Sessions hands Kennedy his a$$ like this. Tah dah!

Mary Jo Kopechne was unavailable for comment.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:34 AM | Comments (4)

Money Connected To Harry Reid

From the Las Vegas Review Journal.............

Senator arranged for grant now involved in indictment of pastors

WASHINGTON -- The money that led to the indictment this week of two Las Vegas pastors and the wife of one of them came from federal grants arranged by Sen. Harry Reid in September 2001, a Reid spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Moving to distance Reid from a possible scandal, aide Tessa Hafen said the senator sought the money on behalf of a nonprofit social services agency and not for the churches or persons who have been accused of mishandling the money.

"The money was administered by the Department of Justice, and it went to the agency in Nevada (Alliance Collegiums Association of Nevada)," Hafen said.

The Rev. Willie Davis, the longtime pastor of Second Baptist Church, and his wife, Emma, were indicted Tuesday on fraud charges with an associate minister, the Rev. McTheron Jones.

They are accused of spending $330,000 from federal grants on themselves although the money was intended for halfway houses for prison inmates in Southern Nevada.

The indictment identifies Willie Davis as president of the Alliance Collegiums Association of Nevada board of directors.

In late 2002, Emma Davis became executive director, and Jones was assistant director.

According to the indictment, a grant of $423,000 was approved for the alliance in September 2002.

The indictment charges the defendants of using the grant money to benefit themselves.

A Reid relationship with the Second Baptist Church surfaced in 1997, when the senator donated $250 to the church where Davis was and still is pastor.

The money came from John Huang, who was convicted of making illegal contributions to the 1996 re-election campaign of President Clinton.

hmmmm isn't this MONEY laundrying?

At about the same time, Reid donated another $250 from Huang to the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Las Vegas.

Reid said he made the contributions to the churches instead of returning the money to Huang because he did not think Huang deserved it.

Hafen said Reid has not made contributions to Davis or his church since 1997.

Reid has attended services at the Second Baptist Church "about three or four times" since 1997, Hafen said.

"He says hello to the pastor (Davis) when he goes to the church, but apart from that, the only other time he has seen him was in May when he met with about 30 or 40 ministers to organize a faith-based summit," Hafen said.

Update from the Las Vegas Review Journal.... I am not going to post untruth's abut keep it factual at all times............. CORRECTION ON 09/30/05 -- A story in Thursday's paper incorrectly said that Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., had not contributed money to the Second Baptist Church in Las Vegas since 1997. Reid gave the church $100 in December 1999, $500 in November 2002, $200 in September 2002 and $500 in February of this year from his campaign and political funds, as allowed by Senate rules. The story also mischaracterized the actions of a Reid staff member who discussed a federal grant that was tied to an indictment of church officials this week. Spokeswoman Tessa Hafen gave information about the grants in response to questions.

Wild Thing's comment......
When Harry Reid goes to churches he does not contribute his own money. He contributes John Huang's money.
Most folks I know contribute their OWN money. In some cases 10% of their income as the Bible asks. I guess the Dems just do everything different. Naw ya think? haha

Now let's see it kind of breaks down like this...........
Republican money fraud=bad
Democrat money fraud=good
How to be a good A Democrat for Dummies 101 shall we say. sheesh!

And let me just for fun point this part out again. haha
The money came from John Huang, who was convicted of making illegal contributions to the 1996 re-election campaign of President Clinton.
Oh this is just to good to be true .. LOL!!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:14 AM | Comments (4)

January 09, 2006

Military Wife Speaks Out To Cindy Sheehan

Taken from National Military Family Association Please look further down in this post at "Continued" for the entire writing or go to the link to read the entire statement.

The fact that my husband is on military deployment in Iraq does not make me unfortunate........ there is a misconception that having my husband away on a military deployment makes me unfortunate. Please do not consider me unfortunate! Consider, just for a moment, that I might be incredibly blessed.

..........I'm on a journey that is unveiling a beautiful level of self-confidence. I believe that I am at a time in my life where God has my full attention to teach me what he feels I need to learn.

My circumstances may be demanding from time to time, yet I have never fallen from grace into a forgotten, subpar state of being. I, most definitely, am not unfortunate.

Wild Thing's comments............
There are wives and there are a-hem wives, and there are mothers and then there are breeders. Cindy Sheehan is a breeder. She shows no respect for her son. And I would bet she did not show him respect when he was alive.

This is so wonderful what this Military wife wrote. A woman like this stands along side her husband and knows he is making a difference in this world. He is a part of history, and she in being supportive makes the hardship of sacrifice a little bit easier for her husband. Cindy Sheehan will never understand that. She USES our Military to get her 15 minutes of fame. She uses her son's service and death to draw attention to herself. Cindy is aiding the enemy with each breath she takes and every word she utters. What a difference in these two women.

Compassion's OK, but please hold the pity
By Emily J. Bari

The fact that my husband is on military deployment in Iraq does not make me unfortunate. I don't enjoy being the poster child for pity.

When my husband, Dan, left for a deployment to Iraq with the Minnesota Army National Guard 10 weeks ago, I became a bit of a celebrity. As the wife of a deployed soldier, I experienced an outpouring of handshakes, hugs, e-mails and phone calls.

Yet as the first couple of weeks passed, I felt physically drained as I was emotionally adjusting to Dan not being around. My fatigue forced me to slow down the pace of life, and my senses heightened as my mind began to relax. I would write to Dan about every drop in temperature; the multiple shades of red, orange, and gold that appeared with autumn; and my delight in the season's first tasty cup of rich hot chocolate. But there was something else I noticed.

Pity.

If you've ever been through tough circumstances, perhaps you've also noticed that compassion and pity are two emotions that evoke very different facial expressions, motivations and actions.

Although my closest friends, family members, and brothers and sisters at church continue to support me as they always have, it's become apparent that some people relate to me as if I were a crippled wife and an unfortunate woman.

When people ask me how I'm doing, some expect a conversation dripping with despair. They even seem disappointed when, instead of sharing depressing stories of unimaginable loneliness, I simply tell them I made two big pancakes for dinner last night and I figured out how to fix the squeaky dryer.

A military deployment is indeed a very difficult lifestyle adjustment. I cried my heart out when I realized the bed sheets no longer smelt like Dan. I turn on radios and televisions in multiple rooms because sometimes it's too heartbreaking to listen to the silence. Without my husband next to me, I often feel exposed.

Yet there is a misconception that having my husband away on a military deployment makes me unfortunate. Please do not consider me unfortunate! Consider, just for a moment, that I might be incredibly blessed.

First, I married a man with extraordinary courage and dedication, a man who loves me so well while so far away, and a man I can wholeheartedly flaunt to my future children as a hero.

Secondly, personal character is tested in mediocre amounts when driving in rush hour or waiting in the urgent care clinic lobby. While every circumstance is a test of character, my situation has thrown me into the deep end of the character pool. I'm on a journey that is unveiling a beautiful level of self-confidence. I believe that I am at a time in my life where God has my full attention to teach me what he feels I need to learn.

So do not pity me. Have compassion for me, encourage me and help me if you want. I will do the same for you. My circumstances may be demanding from time to time, yet I have never fallen from grace into a forgotten, subpar state of being. I, most definitely, am not unfortunate.

Emily J. Bari, a communications contractor, lives in Plymouth.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (4)

Vice President Cheney Handling The Press

Vice President Dick Cheney uses a cane during a tour of the Harley Davidson plant in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. Jim Ziemer, right, CEO of Harley Davidson and Karl Eberle, middle, vice president and general manager host the tour.

Vice President Dick Cheney gets a round of applause after addressing troops at a rally at Fort Leavenworth Friday, Jan. 6, 2006, in Leavenworth, Kan.

"I'm using a cane today, and it's driving the press nuts. (Laughter.) They keep asking my staff what happened to the Vice President, is it serious? And so I said, no, Secretary Rumsfeld bit me in the ankle. (Laughter.) Not to worry. (Laughter.) But don't tell him I said that. (Laughter.) "

Wild Thing's comment........
I love Cheney's sense of humor. And also President Bush's sense of humor. With all the stress aimed at them and then to hear them joke like this makes my day. In a way it is like a little slap to the Dems. hahahaha

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:14 AM

January 08, 2006

Vietnam Veteran Speaks Out at Town Hall Meeting Held By Traitors to America

Vietnam veteran, General Wagner, stepped up to the microphone and confronted Democrat Reps. Jim Moran and John Murtha at a town hall meeting in Arlington, Va., earlier this week.

General Wagner....click image to see the video and then applaud and cheer for this man!

I visit Walter Reed [Army Hospital] and talk to the young soldiers with their legs blown off. I know you do, too. I can't find one in a dozen that don't believe that they are fighting for a noble cause and are fighting to go back. And I think it's a disgrace when members of our Congress --just as they did in 1975 when they sold out the south Vietnamese--are selling out our soldiers today in Iraq!

Wild Thing's comment..........
General Wagner has served this country and it makes me furious that years later he still has to stand up to the left, to the traitors to America and defend our Troops and our Nation. He deserves better then that, he deserves to have an America that supports our troops, that supports the War against terrorists and the war to bring Freedom to others. He deserves to be applauded NOT applause going to Moronic Moran as you have seen in the video. He deserves for every person in that audience to stand up and cheer HIM, and thank him and welcome him home. I have zero tolerance for the left and have no intention of weakening in any way about how I feel about them. Thank you General Wagner, and Welcome Home!

* Michelle Malkin
* Mudville Gazette has the full transcript.

Posted by Wild Thing at 10:10 AM | Comments (13)

Iran Removing U.N. seals At Atomic Research Sites

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Sunday it was preparing to remove U.N. seals at some nuclear research and development sites, despite strong Western opposition to its decision to resume atomic research halted over two years ago.

It would be the second time in five months that Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is peaceful, removed some seals put in place by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

European Union and U.S. officials have said the move, which follows Iran's resumption of uranium processing at its Isfahan plant in August, will jeopardize efforts to find a diplomatic solution to Iran's atomic ambitions and could accelerate calls for its case to be sent to the U.N. Security Council.

"We will remove the seals and we have announced that we are ready to start research from tomorrow," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a weekly news conference.

"It depends on the IAEA to announce its readiness as this will take place under the agency's supervision," he added.

A resumption of atomic research and development would mean that all of Iran's nuclear programme, much of which was put on hold as part of negotiations with the EU that started in late 2003, was active once again apart from the actual enrichment of uranium at its unfinished Natanz facility.

Uranium enrichment is the most sensitive part of the nuclear fuel cycle since it can be used to produce bomb-grade material as well as nuclear reactor fuel.

Iran has not publicly disclosed what activities it plans to resume on Monday. Diplomats and analysts say atomic research and development could involve some laboratory tests of uranium enrichment and the assembly of enrichment centrifuges.

Posted by Wild Thing at 09:51 AM | Comments (4)

January 07, 2006

Washington, D.C. 'Out of Iraq' Town Hall Meeting Today

Write up HERE
To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor

Contact: Karen Bradley, 202-669-3927; or Christine Yorty, 703-447-6726

News Advisory:

WHO:
-- David Swanson, moderator, co-founder, After Downing Street

-- Allan J. Lichtman, history professor, American University

-- Lila Rajiva, author of Abu Ghraib and the Media, The Language of Empire

-- Cliff Kindy, Christian Peacemaker Teams

-- Kevin Zeese, peace activist, Democracy Rising

-- D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (invited)

WHAT: Out of Iraq Town Meeting

WHEN: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 7

WHERE: Washington, D.C. Town Hall, Busboys and Poets, 14th and V Streets N.W., Washington, D.C.

WHY: To educate Americans about the need to end the U.S Occupation of Iraq.

Grassroots activists will hold "Out of Iraq Town Meetings" in more than 100 locations across America on Saturday, Jan. 7. Several will feature members of Congress, including Bobby Scott, Diane Watson, Jim McDermott, Adam Smith, Bob Filner, Martin Sabo, Jim Moran, Marty Meehan, and John Murtha.

Others will include candidates, elected officials, and leaders of the peace movement, including Gold Star Families for Peace founder Cindy Sheehan, and Constitutional Law Expert John Bonifaz. The events will focus on ending the war, however many will address Congressman John Conyers' resolutions to censure and investigate President Bush and Vice President Cheney and to create a select committee on impeachment.

PDA Director Tim Carpenter said: "Progressive Democrats of America is proud to be working with grassroots organizations across the country to mobilize and organize a broad-based coalition to call for an end to the Occupation of Iraq and demand action from Congress to investigate the lies of the Bush administration and their conduct regarding the Iraq War."

National Sponsors: Backbone Campaign, Progressive Democrats of America, After Downing Street, Democracy Cell Project, Cities for Peace, MilitaryFreeZone, Operation Ceasefire, Montgomery County Progressive Alliance, United for Peace and Justice, U.S. Tour of Duty, Hip Hop Caucus, Democracy Rising, World Can't Wait, Global Exchange, WakeUpLaughing.com, Gold Star Families for Peace, Peace Majority Report, Bring Them Home Campaign, United Progressives for Democracy, 20 20 Vision, Peace Action, America in Solidarity, CODE PINK and others.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:44 AM | Comments (2)

Largest Troop Deployment from CT to Head to Afghanistan

from Eyewitness News

NEW HAVEN (AP) -- The largest troop deployment from Connecticut is scheduled for this weekend as 500 Connecticut National Guardsmen head out.

On Saturday, they will be bused to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where they will spend three to five weeks in training. From there, they will be deployed to help rebuild Afghanistan.

The 500 soldiers and members of their families were given a send-off last night at Yale University's Payne-Whitney Gymnasium.

The Connecticut National Guard says it's represents the largest deployment of Connecticut guardsmen since the start of the war on terrorism in 2001.

The 500 troops come from 135 of Connecticut's 169 municipalities. No Connecticut National Guardsmen are currently in Afghanistan, but 46 are serving in Iraq.

Wild Thing's comment.............. God Bless each and every one of them and keep them safe.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:27 AM | Comments (4)

January 06, 2006

Pelosi: Iraq Not ‘Major Front’ in Terror War

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) denounced President Bush’s most recent statements on the War on Terrorism by saying the White House lacks "a real plan for success.”

Pelosi, commenting via press release on Bush’s Tuesday speech at the Pentagon, said "candor was not one of President Bush’s New Year’s resolutions.”

The Calif. Democrat claims Bush diverted attention and resources from the war on terrorism to wage "his war of choice in Iraq,” which Pelosi said, "removed the focus from Afghanistan and the real war on terror.”

"Bush has allowed the Taliban and their al Qaeda (sic) allies to continue to attack our troops,” Pelosi said. "President Bush also failed to admit that a lack of post-war planning in Iraq has allowed the insurgents to remain a threat nearly three years after the invasion.”

As previously reported by NewsMax, Pelosi recently backed the proposal by Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) for a swift redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq over six months, but other party leaders did not endorse it and House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) publicly opposed her.
Pelosi opposed the war, arguing that Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat to the United States.

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (2)

January 05, 2006

Murtha Should Surrender The Right To Be Called A Marine

Jack Murtha says " Don't Join the Military"

Democratic Party "defense hawk" Rep. John Murtha is racheting up his criticism of the war in Iraq, by urging young men and women not to join the military - a position apparently shared by his close congressional ally, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Asked during an interview broadcast Monday night if he would "join the military today," the decorated Vietnam combat veteran told "ABC's Nightline" - "No."

Murtha kept his answers brief, allowing "Nightline" interviewer John Donovan to spin his comments.

"I think you're saying the average guy out there who's considering recruitment is justified in saying 'I don't want to serve'," Donovan offered. "Exactly right," Murtha shot back.

Murtha's position is apparently shared by San Francisco Democrat Pelosi, whose constituents voted last November to have the city ban military recruiters from public high schools.

Pelosi defended the vote a few days later, explaining to Fox News host Neil Cavuto: "What the city of San Francisco was talking about was honesty and recruitment in terms of what these young people are promised and what they are told in that recruiting and that there should be some daylight shed on that."

After Murtha caused a stir later the same month with his call for an "immediate redeployment" of U.S. troops out of Iraq, Newsweek reported that he and Pelosi had stage managed the entire episode:

"Pelosi was anxious to open a second axis of attack on Iraq - and was aware of [Murtha's] growing antagonism toward the war," the magazine's Howard Fineman revealed.

"The two met and agreed that he would make his case in private to the party conference. After that, on his own, he would introduce a resolution calling for withdrawal of troops from Iraq 'at the earliest practicable date.'" The scheme, Fineman said, called for "Pelosi and the other liberals [to] keep their distance, while their own Marine charged up the Hill."

By December, however, Pelosi could no longer contain her enthusiasm for Murtha's anti-war offensive, announcing in a press release:

"We should follow the lead of Congressman John Murtha, who has put forth a plan to make American safer, to make our military stronger and to make Iraq more stable."

Wild Thing's comment........
If Chesty were around good ole Chesty would have bitch-slapped him! Murtha is an embarrassment to the Corps. He is one case where "Once a Marine, always a Marine" does NOT apply.

The Democrats have positioned themselves as the anti-war party and the anti-military party. They have put themselves in the risky position of having to pray for defeat and disaster if they are going to win. But hey they will never win again! Hear me Dems that send me emails of hate and no I will still be selective in allowing your posts to appear you freakazoids!

Murtha is obviously suffering from ASS -- Acute Schumer Syndrome -- fascination with being in front of a television camera and hearing himself pontificate. The vile thing about it is that what he says can be heard around the world. GRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Please click on Photo below of some of our troops to see video titled....."Our Heroes"..........

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:27 AM | Comments (14)

January 04, 2006

“One shot one kill”. That's the sniper's creed.

Toby Harnden in Ramadi
(Filed: 01/01/2006)
Gazing through the telescopic sight of his M24 rifle, Staff Sgt Jim Gilliland, leader of Shadow sniper team, fixed his eye on the Iraqi insurgent who had just killed an American soldier.

His quarry stood nonchalantly in the fourth-floor bay window of a hospital in battle-torn Ramadi, still clasping a long-barrelled Kalashnikov. Instinctively allowing for wind speed and bullet drop, Shadow's commander aimed 12 feet high.

A single shot hit the Iraqi in the chest and killed him instantly. It had been fired from a range of 1,250 metres, well beyond the capacity of the powerful Leupold sight, accurate to 1,000 metres.

"I believe it is the longest confirmed kill in Iraq with a 7.62mm rifle," said Staff Sgt Gilliland, 28, who hunted squirrels in Double Springs, Alabama from the age of five before progressing to deer - and then people.

"He was visible only from the waist up. It was a one in a million shot. I could probably shoot a whole box of ammunition and never hit him again."

Later that day, Staff Sgt Gilliland found out that the dead soldier was Staff Sgt Jason Benford, 30, a good friend.

The insurgent was one of between 55 and 65 he estimates that he has shot dead in less than five months, putting him within striking distance of sniper legends such as Carlos Hathcock, who recorded 93 confirmed kills in Vietnam. One of his men, Specialist Aaron Arnold, 22, of Medway, Ohio, has chalked up a similar tally.

"It was elating, but only afterwards," said Staff Sgt Gilliland, recalling the September 27 shot. "At the time, there was no high-fiving. You've got troops under fire, taking casualties and you're not thinking about anything other than finding a target and putting it down. Every shot is for the betterment of our cause."

All told, the 10-strong Shadow sniper team, attached to Task Force 2/69, has killed just under 200 in the same period and emerged as the US Army's secret weapon in Ramadi against the threat of the hidden Improvised Explosive Device (IED) or roadside bomb - the insurgency's deadliest tactic.

Above the spot from which Staff Sgt Gilliland took his record shot, in a room at the top of a bombed-out observation post which is code-named Hotel and known jokingly to soldiers as the Ramadi Inn, are daubed "Kill Them All" and "Kill Like you Mean it".

On another wall are scrawled the words of Senator John McCain: "America is great not because of what she has done for herself but because of what she has done for others."

The juxtaposition of macho slogans and noble political rhetoric encapsulates the dirty, dangerous and often callous job the sniper has to carry out as an integral part of a campaign ultimately being waged to help the Iraqi people.

With masterful understatement, Lt Col Robert Roggeman, the Task Force 2/69 commander, conceded: "The romantic in me is disappointed with the reception we've received in Ramadi," a town of 400,000 on the banks of the Euphrates where graffiti boasts, with more than a degree of accuracy: "This is the graveyard of the Americans".
"We're the outsiders, the infidels," he said. "Every time somebody goes out that main gate he might not come back. It's still a running gun battle."

Highly effective though they are, he worries about the burden his snipers have to bear. "It's a very God-like role. They have the power of life and death that, if not held in check, can run out of control. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

"Every shot has to be measured against the Rules of Engagement [ROE], positive identification and proportionality."
Staff Sgt Gilliland explains that his Shadow team operates at the "borderlines" of the ROE, making snap judgements about whether a figure in the crosshairs is an insurgent or not.

"Hunters give their animals respect," he said, spitting out a mouthful of chewing tobacco. "If you have no respect for what you do you're not going to be very good or you're going to make a mistake. We try to give the benefit of the doubt.

"You've got to live with it. It's on your conscience. It's something you've got to carry away with you. And if you shoot somebody just walking down the street, then that's probably going to haunt you."

Although killing with a single shot carries an enormous cachet within the sniper world, their most successful engagements have involved the shooting a up to 10 members of a single IED team.

"The one-shot-one-kill thing is one of beauty but killing all the bad dudes is even more attractive," said Staff Sgt Gilliland, whose motto is "Move fast, shoot straight and leave the rest to the counsellors in 10 years" and signs off his e-mails with "silent souls make.308 holes".

Whether Shadow team's work will ultimately make a difference in Iraq is open to question. No matter how many insurgents they shoot, there seems no shortage of recruits to plant bombs.

Col John Gronski, the overall United States commander in Ramadi, said there could not be a military solution. "You could spend years putting snipers out and killing IED emplacers and at the political level it would make no difference."

As they prepare to leave Iraq, however, Staff Sgt Gilliland and his men hope that they have bought a little more time for the country's politicians to fix peace and stability in their sights.

Hat Tip to:
Emigre With A Digital Cluebat

Wild Thing comment…………….
Those that have known me for awhile know that I am a big fan of our Military snipers. There is something about the lying in wait for just the right moment. The having to be totally still and not move so you don’t give away your location and not to let on that you even exist no matter what the elements are coming down on you. Whether is it ugliness of bad weather, where every breeze, every leaf nearby means something, and the bugs, the snakes you name it, to not be able to move..……well I can only imagine how difficult that must be. To be totally one with your weapon and know the zone of the ultimate and complete concentration.

To make that one perfect shot, that takes out the enemy in one swift blow. The feeling of knowing what that shot means to so many and how your steady aim is counted on by your brothers fighting with you, and your country back at home. Understanding with every breath you take the cost of life and the price of death.
The traits of a good sniper being able to be totally physically still for long periods of time, even when the body may begin to cramp up, and the need to have excellent camouflage techniques. By his actions to be able to save countless lives. Thank you Staff Sgt Jim Gilliland!

The Silent Soldier
By G.A.Codling

A soldier crawls along a forest floor
A match grade barrel to do his chore
Blending with the woodland scene
He leaves no trace of where he's been

A single task occupies his mind
To the outside world he is blind
One single task, one single goal
Only his mission occupies his soul

He moves into the open grass
The enemy patrol makes a searching pass
although they look, they can not see
the man moving out from a distant tree

One hour, two , three then four
He only moves a few feet more
Zero hour is getting near
He knows his target will soon appear

A single man he has been sent to kill
and on his hands this man's blood will spill
The moment is now, the target's in site
Taking up the first pressure the shoot feels right

One ounce more on the trigger sear
The bullet races away like a high speed spear
It races throw the air with a thunderous crack
There's a fountain of blood as it exits the man's back

The silence is deafening theirs not a single sound
as the shooter removes the case of the single spent round
His task now done he fades back in to the wood
His only trace is a body wear a man once stood.

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:38 AM | Comments (2)

Do Not Underestimate Jack or Bloggers That Support Him

Because I believe that when we send someone in our Military to do a job we should back them up. And we should never leave anyone behind, not ever. We should NEVER use our service members for making deals with other counties as was done in the Vietnam War with American POW’s, nor now in this war on Terror, this war against Islam and it’s terrorists!

Jack Idema has served this country and served it well! He deserves better then he is getting. Proven innocent several times in the court in Afghanistan and yet not free.

His Special Ops and SF background includes more than two dozen SF, Special Ops, police, counter-terrorist and classified courses and schools. He is an expert in counter-terrorism, intelligence asset development, and hostage-rescue, with more than 25 years' experience in all of these. He's currently employed by the Counter-Terrorist Group U.S. (CounTerr Group) as a CT Operator in a direct action capacity against international terrorism, specifically, Al Qaeda and related terrorist groups.

CounTerr, aka CounTerr Group, is an organization based in the US that leads counter-terrorism activites in support of US government initiatives. Counter Group conducts training, organization, direct action, HUMINT, and advisory services to foreign and domestic agencies. Counter Group has been in operation , in various forms, in various countries, for approximately 27 years. Counter Group began deploying personnel to Afghanistan and other countries just weeks after 9/11 as part of the effort to combat Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and other terrorist forces such as the Taliban. Counter Group's foreign operating group and CONUS personnel worked in conjunction with Commander Massoud's Northern Alliance, which were primarily responsible for the liberation of Afghanistan with US Army Special Forces and Special Ops units.

For more than 27 years Jack Idema has defended his country in Latin America, South America, Eastern Europe, Africa, the Mid-East, South East Asia, Central America, and finally, South West Asia. For more than a quarter of a century Jack has worked in counter-terrorists projects and activities which may never be known or written about but which have kept America and its allies free from oppressors and terrorists.

In a letter dated January 7, 1976, Colonel Charlie A. Beckwith, School Commandant, who became famous as the Commander of Delta Force, commended Jack on his "perseverance":

" During that selection course you excelled by meeting every requirement set upon you, whether it be arriving at your objective on schedule, navigating across hazardous terrain, evading detection or leading an ambush. The initiative you took and the motivation you showed in attaining every objective of a course that was designed to be impossible to complete reflects greatly upon yourself and Special Forces."
[Signed,] Charlie A. Beckwith
Colonel, Infantry
Director, Special Forces School

.

One of the most galling aspects of the campaign to free U.S. Special Forces soldier Jack Idema and his compatriots, Brent Bennet a journalist Ed Caraballo, from their illegal detention in Afghanistan has been the attitude of big media toward the case. Over the past weeks, I've written a great deal about the failure of MSM and human rights groups to shine a spotlight on either the abuses Idema and his men have suffered, or the fact that he is being held illegally, following an appeal that overturned the original guilty verdict against him.

Certainly, the fact that the media has failed to report Jack's conviction was overturned, or that the ex-judge he detained was, in fact, linked to senior terrorists, or that the witnesses who accused him of torturing them were proved to have lied -- Certainly, these are the most serious failures in big media's reporting of the case. But they're not the only errors MSM have made.

See, if you do a search for 'Idema' over at the BBC, the $6b news organization returns a total of 16 hits all which are filled with references to 'bounty hunters', 'vigilantes' and 'secret prisons'. Over at the Guardian it's the same, with another 16 stories, all concerned with Idema's arrest and trial. This is a pattern that you'll find repeated time and again across almost the whole of MSM. It's as if, prior to his arrest in July 2004, Jack Idema simply didn't exist.

... But why should this be surprising? After all, didn't Jack Idema first come to the media's attention after his arrest? Wasn't the trial in September 2004 the first time anyone outside of the secretive world of Special Ops had heard of him? Well, in a word, no:

In the dusty courtyard outside, Jack, an American special adviser to the Afghan military, treated Afghan injuries, stitching a fresh bullet wound in one man's lower leg. Even without anesthesia the soldier was thankful for the treatment. As the Green Beret wiped the blood splatters from his face a dozen Afghan fighters looked on, they have never had this kind of support in 23 years of war.

This passage, originally written for United Press International during Operation Anaconda, features an early sighting of Idema, hard at work with Northern Alliance troops as they fought the Taliban in 2001. Note that, at this time, the press weren't questioning Idema's credentials --He's correctly identified as an 'American special adviser' and 'Green Beret'. Also bear in mind that most of the stories quoted from today have been quietly disappeared from their original locations -- Were it not for the fact that the SuperPatriots have maintained copies of the material, much of it wouldn't be easy to find on the internet today.

A year later, and another UPI report on the near-capture of none other than Osama bin-Laden again places Jack Idema in the thick of the action:

'I immediately suspected Bin Laden was one of them' says Jack, the American advisor to the Afghan Northern Alliance who was first informed about the location of the fugitives on December 18 while he was on a trip to Jalalabad. 'Only the top of Al Qaida would be protected and treated in that way.'

And, from the same piece, Idema's position in the Northern Alliance is detailed:

General Hazrat Ali and Commander Sami Ali worked with Jack for three years, calling him their greatest ally and friend against al-Qaida and the Taliban. It was those fiercely independent yet loyal troops that had followed Jack into the Kut Tangai mountains after approval from General Mohammed Fahim, Minister of Defense, in search of bin Laden. This was the last time Osama bin Laden was ever spotted.

And again. This time around, UPI are reporting on Idema's involvement in the rescue of high-ranking Afghan officials from a terrorist attack:

"Jack," as the special advisor to the Afghan military is known, managed to rescue the President of Afghanistan's Ariana Airlines, Robullah Amain, who had escaped from the mob and was surrounded in a terminal office. Along with seven Afghan commandos, Jack rescued Amain, Haji Timor the airport manager and five others and escorted them to safety. An ISAF spokesmen claimed that a small team of British soldiers supposedly helped to save the national airline executive from certain death. Ariana President Robullah Amain confirmed that in reality, it was an American Green Beret and his Afghan soldiers.

And, finally, a report on the assistance Idema brought to victims of the Nahrin earthquake in 2002:

Wearing a khaki-and-brown, U.S. flag patch on his shoulder, sporting a beard and carrying an assault rifle, Jack drove through Nahrin in a local van with a translator asking people if they needed help. He'd already bandaged more than 30 children by the afternoon and used up five boxes of field dressings - and quite a few happy-face bandages. Jack, who began visiting the village late last week, stopped in one tent Saturday to see a baby who was born while her mother, Sharifa, was buried under the rubble. Eight months pregnant when the Monday evening quake hit, Sharifa crouched for an hour on her hands and knees under the rubble to protect her newborn until they were rescued. Sharifa asked Jack, who also treated her back injury, to name the daughter: He chose "Suzzana," or "new beginning" in the Dari language [Suzzanaya Viktoria as her full name]. "I thought I was dead and I thought the child was dead for sure," the mother said as Jack tenderly examined the infant to check an eye infection he had treated the day before.

So let's put all this together. Far from being a 'mysterious figure' (as the BBC called him at the time of his trial), Jack Idema is a man who was:
- Well known to the media during the course of his work in Afghanistan.
- Was repeatedly referred to as an 'American special advisor' and an 'advisor to the Northern Alliance' by the media who later denied all knowledge of him.
- Was known to Generals in the Northern Alliance who described Idema as their 'greatest ally and friend against al-Qaida and the Taliban'.Led the hunt for bin-Laden.
- Led Afghan commandos in a rescue of senior Afghan officials.
- Is a hero to the ordinary Afghans he rescued from their earthquake-devastated villages.

So why, when the BBC are called on to write up a profile of Jack Idema, do they introduce him in the following way:

Idema always claimed to be a defender of American values, a patriotic ex-special forces soldier working on the front-line of the US war on terror, with the full backing of the Pentagon. There are plenty of people who never believed him. Others say they did - and now regret it.

And why do so many of the search results for 'Idema' only refer to material from the point of his 2004 arrest onwards?

Well, Idema's arrest and trail made for a good news item; exactly the kind of thing the post-Abu Gharib media were looking for. Here, they had the story of a 'rogue' U.S. soldier 'torturing innocent' Afghans in a 'private jail'. To many left-wing journalists, this must have seemed like a gift from heaven.

But here's the thing: if MSM had told the full story, the one detailing Jack's hunt bin-Laden, his service with the Northern Alliance during Operation Anaconda, his rescue of government officials, his bandaging injured Afghan children as they cheered his name -- If MSM had told that story, well, then, people mightn't have been so quick to swallow the line they were being fed about Idema hanging prisoners upside down in his (non-existent) basement.

More to the point, people might be more willing to listen to those of us who are pleading for Jack Idema and his men to get a fair hearing today.

So what can we do? Well, anyone reading this with their own blog can sign up for the weekly Free Jack Idema Blogburst by emailing Cao and tell her you want to join the Free Jack Idema Blogburst or Rottweiler Puppy for details. I'd urge everyone to do this!!

If you want to know more about the story,
Cao's Blog has a large section devoted to Jack Idema. There's also a timeline here, and of course a huge amount of information if available at  SuperPatriots.US, without whose work done none of us would have learned about Jack's story.

Finally, PLEASE NOTE: The SuperPatriots and Jack images on this site are useds with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION and any use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US.

Big Dog's Weblog
Cao's Blog
Rottweiler Puppy

You can also contact the following people and make your feelings known:

Secret US EMBASSY Fax: – 301-560-5729 (Local US Fax: Goes RIGHT TO

Ambassador)



<strong>c/o US Ambassador Ronald Neuman</strong>

6180 Kabul Place

Dulles, VA  20189-6180



US Consul Russell Brown – 011-93-70201908 (Fired)



US Consul Addie Harchik- 011-93-70201908 (denied them water and mail at

Thanksgiving)



US Embassy Translator Wahid – new – 011-93-70201902



US Embassy Translator Bashir Momman–  011-93-70201923



US Consul (friend of Jack's Now fired) Dawn Schrepel– 011-93-70201908



Embassy of Afghanistan (Good guys, Northern Alliance)

2341 Wyoming Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20008

Ph: 202-483-6410, Fax: no. 202-483-6488

Website:  http://www.embassyofafghanistan.org/



Ambassador Massoud Khalili (wounded with Massoud)

Islamic State of Afghanistan

Embassy of Afghanistan

New Delhi, India



H.E. Said Tayeb JAWAD (Afghan Ambassador- powerful in US)

Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington

2341 Wyoming Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20008

Tel: (+1-202) 483 6414

Fax: (+1-202) 483 9523



Mr. Jahed Hamrah, Consul General <strong>(pro-Taliban)</strong>

CONSULATE GENERAL OF

AFGHANISTAN IN NEW YORK

360 Lexington Avenue,

11th Floor New York,

New, York, NY 10017

Tel.: (+1-212) 972 2276 or 972 2277

Fax: (+1-212) 972 9046



Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld                         

Secretary of Defense                                            

1000 Defense Pentagon – Room # 3E880

Washington, DC 20301-1000

Ph: (703) 692-7100

Fax: (703) 697-9080



Lt General William Boykin                                 

Deputy Undersecretary

of Defense for Intelligence

1800 Defense Pentagon – Room # 3E836

Washington, DC  20301   

Ph: (703) 697-0170

Private Fax: (703) 697-9080



Stephen Cambone

Principle Deputy Secretary for Intelligence

1800 Defense Pentagon – Room # 3E

Washington, DC 20310-0100



General Peter J. Shoomaker

Chief of Staff, Department of the Army

200 Army Pentagon – Room # 3E528

Washington, DC 20310-0200

Ph: (703) 695-2077  / Fax: (703) 614-5268



The Honorable John D. Negroponte

Director National Intelligence

New Executive Office Building

725 17th Street, N.W., Room 4203

Washington, DC 20503



The Committee

On Homeland Security

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington,  DC 20515



Chairman Peter Hoekstra

Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

H-405, U.S. Capitol

Washington, DC 20515-6415;

Office: (202) 225-4121 /  Fax: (202) 225-1991

Toll Free: (877) 858-9040



M. Cherif BASSIOUNI

Independent Expert of the Commission on Human Rights

On the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

UNOG-OHCHR

CH-1211 Geneva 10

Ph:      +41(0)22 917 97 27 Fax:   +41(0)22
917 90 18

Email:  jwillems@ohchr.org   
www.ohchr.org



Senator Steven Saland (Jack's Rep and Neighbor)

9 Jonathan Lane

Poughkeepsie, NY  12603



Senator Elizabeth Dole  (Jack's Rep)              

United States Senate

310 New Bern Avenue, Suite 122

Raleigh, NC  27601

Ph: 919.856.4630

Fax: 919.856.4053            



Senator Elizabeth Dole  (Jack's Rep)

United States Senate

555 Dirksen Office Building

Washington, DC  20510

Ph: 202.224.6342

Fax: 202.224.1100             



Senator Richard Burr (of Interest)

United States Senate

217 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC  20510

Phone: (202) 224-3154 / Fax: (202) 228-2981



Senator Bill Nelson (in the fight on Jack's Side)

United States Senate

Hart Senate Office Building

Room 716

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: 202-224-5274  / Fax: 202-228-2183

FL Fax 407-872-7165



Senator Dianne Feinstein (Bennett's Representative)

United States Senate

Hart Office Building, Room 331

Washington, D.C. 20510

(202) 224-3841



Representative Mike McIntyre (Jack's Representative)

United States Congress

2437 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC  20515

Phone: (202) 225-2731 / Fax (202) 225-5773



Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (reference Captain Bennett- CA citizen)

State Capitol Building

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: 916-445-2841 / Fax: 916-445-4633

Posted by Wild Thing at 02:09 AM | Comments (3)

January 03, 2006

Victory Is A Dirty Word To Commie Albright

In an interview posted on the Democratic National Committee's web site, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says she doesn't like the way President Bush "repeatedly" talks about achieving victory in the Iraq war.

The rest of the story below at " Continued".............

Wild Thing's comment.........
BWAHAHA.........ole Albright the troll. The stupid comments she makes and from the most unqualified and ineffectual Secretary of State in our entire history. And she gave North Korea the nuclear bomb while toasting champagne with Kim Jong Il a few years back as she said " Victory". And let's not forget how she pushed the UN's Oil For Food program too.

While Albright served as Secretary of State, the terrorists attacked U.S. interests repeatedly, yet she and President Clinton were totally feckless in dealing with these attacks. September 11, 2001 was the culmination of years of neglect by Albright and Clinton. President Bush has turned the tide toward democracy in the Middle East by liberating approximately 50 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan. The recent free election in Iraq was a positive milestone in world history, and the lesson has not been lost on average citizens of the remaining non-democratic countries of the Middle East and the world. President Bush has been quite successful in rectifying the negligence of Secretary Albright and her former boss.

..."You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival."

Winston Churchill
First Speech as Prime Minister
May 13, 1940
to House of Commons

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:03 AM | Comments (4)

Sen. "Swimmer" Opens His Trap

More than a week after the story was exposed as a hoax, Sen. Ted Kennedy has yet to apologize for touting false claims from a University of Massachusetts student who said officials from the Department of Homeland Security visited his home and repeatedly interrogated him after he tried to obtain a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's "Little Red Book."

In mid-December, the unidentified student instigated the hoax by describing the phony grilling to reporters for the New Bedford Standard-Times. The story appeared on Dec. 17, the day after the New York Times reported that the Bush administration was monitoring the phone calls of U.S. residents suspected of communicating with terrorists abroad.

In a Dec. 22 op-ed piece for the Boston Globe, however, Kennedy conflated the Times report along with the U. Mass student's bogus allegation to blast the Bush administration for what he insisted was an illegal invasion of privacy.

"Just this past week," Kennedy wrote, "there were public reports that a college student in Massachusetts had two government agents show up at his house because he had gone to the library and asked for the official Chinese version of Mao Tse-tung's Communist Manifesto. Following his professor's instructions to use original source material, this young man discovered that he, too, was on the government's watch list."

"Incredibly," the top Democrat fumed, "we are now in an era where reading a controversial book may be evidence of a link to terrorists." He demanded "a thorough and independent investigation of these activities."
However, on Dec. 24 the Times-Standard reported:

"The UMass Dartmouth student who claimed to have been visited by Homeland Security agents over his request for 'The Little Red Book' by Mao Zedong has admitted to making up the entire story."

The revelation left Sen. Kennedy uncharacteristically silent.

Asked if he shouldn't have verified the incendiary account before citing it in print, Kennedy spokeswoman Laura Capps insisted to the Boston Globe: "Even if the assertion was a hoax, it did not detract from Kennedy's broader point that the Bush administration has gone too far in engaging in surveillance."

Wild Thing's comment........
Mary Jo Kopechne, was unvailable for comment. This whole thing about the hoax has me laughing! OH it is a hoax but that is OK because it is Kennedy. Good grief!

Posted by Wild Thing at 12:11 AM | Comments (6)

January 02, 2006

Theodore's World Predictions For 2006

Nancy Pelosi will elope with Osama Bin Laden. They'll divorce months later when she discovers that he is too "Pro America."

Sean Penn will write a new book called "Little Sean and His Friend Abdul." It will be the first pop up book where bits of Abdul get spread all over the room. Of course, it will become a huge hit. Sean will win an Oscar just for his interviews--but will be embarrassed to learn that the academy thought he was "playing retarded."

Noam Chomsky will write a new book. It will have 200 pages of the same three sentences: Bush Lied. Screw America. America is Evil. It will become a cult classic.

Nancy Pelosi will marry Noam Chomsky but divorce him a short while later after discovering that he is too "Pro America."

Cindy Sheehan will draw 10,000 people to a protest when she declares: "If Bush doesn't withdraw our troops, I'll set myself on fire." Unfortunately, 9900 of the visitors will bring gasoline and matches.

Camp Casey visitors will mysteriously disappear due to some unknown substance called "Crawford Quicksand."

Steven Speilberg inspired by the critical acclaim from his movie, ''Munich,'' will make a movie depicting the plight of the poor 9/11 hijackers. He will then go on a campaign defending the hijackers' families and their right to reclaim the hijackers' frequent-flier miles.

Hollywood will launch a new film called ''Here's Christianity.'' It will feature three actors defecating on a crucifix for ninety minutes and will be nominated for six Golden Globes. No pork rinds will be served at the theatre for fear of offending Muslims. (side note by Wild Thing.....do any of you remember when there was a work of so called art that many of us wrote letters, made phone calls about that had a crucifix in a glass with urine in it? We were told it was art and I am not sure but nothing was done about getting rid of the so called art work)

After undergoing a lot of scrutiny, U.N. Secretary Kofi Annan will announce that he will forego his salary from the United Nations and live exclusively on bribes.

The New York Times will merge operations with Al Jazeera. Six months later, problems will emerge when the Times finds Al Jazeera to be too "Pro America."

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco will write a new book called "Governors Who Cry Too Much."

Any you want to add to the list?

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:19 AM | Comments (2)

January 01, 2006

Bronco's Win - Nice Start for the New Year- Tah Dah!

Three Tatum Bell touchdowns gave the Broncos a 23-7 New Year's Eve victory over San Diego. John Lynch contributed with two sacks and two forced fumbles. Denver finished the regular season with a 13-3 record.

Posted by Wild Thing at 01:54 AM