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June 30, 2007
Yippee It's Saturday ~ What A Week It Has Been!
LOL I saw this and just had to share it with you. Have a fun Saturday everyone.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (10)
Checking In With Our Troops
Spreading good will - Staff Sgt. Joe Filipek and other members of the U.S. Central Air Forces expeditionary band "Thunder Roll" feed infants during a visit to an orphanage near Camp Lemonier, Djibouti. The band was visiting the area for a five-day concert tour. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)
06/27/07 - U.S. Army Soldiers secure the area surrounding a fire burning within the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment's command point area at Forward Operating Base Warhorse in Iraq June 27, 2007. DoD photo by Senior Airman Steve Czyz, U.S. Air Force.
06/26/2007 - Mounted Patrol - U.S. Army Pfc. Arthur Wallace, a soldier from Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, secures communications equipment to the front of his vehicle with zip ties after a mounted patrol near the village of Mostowfi, Afghanistan, June 4, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Justin Holley
OAK HARBOR, Wash. (June 28, 2007) - An A-6 Intruder is lowered by a crane into place at the gateway display on Highway 20 at the north end of the city. More than 50 Sailors and civilians from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island volunteered their time to rehabilitate and paint the aircraft for its use as a display. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bruce McVicar
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (6)
Nancy Pelosi Invests In Iran-linked Company
Nancy Pelosi Invests In Iran-linked Company
Townhall
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has disclosed that she holds stock valued at up to $15,000 in Alcatel-Lucent (formerly Alcatel SA), a company with extensive investments in Iran and Sudan — nations that sponsor terrorism.
The disclosure of Pelosi’s holdings comes at the same time that legislation is making its way through the California legislature barring state pension fund managers from investing in companies, like Alcatel-Lucent, that do business with "terror-friendly" nations.
According to Divestterror.org, a citizens group pushing a South Africa-style disinvestment program to discourage companies from doing business in terror countries, Alcatel-Lucent’s investments in terror countries are so extensive that it is included on the organization’s “dirty dozen” list of offending companies. The organization estimates that the company has invested upwards of $300 million in terror sponsoring nations during the past five years.
According to Divestterror.org, Alcatel is aiding Iran’s terrorist activities by providing state controlled companies with data transmission and switching network capabilities. “These contracts have reportedly included the provision of hardware, software, technologies, and training to Iranian companies.” It is also installing an undersea telecommunications cable in Iran.
Prior to his overthrow, Alcatel carried out major fiber optic products for dictator Saddam Hussein in Iraq, despite U.S. government warnings to the French company that the project could advance Iraqi military capabilities.
Alcatel is currently “involved in similar telecommunications projects ranging from upgrading networks to the installation underwater fiber optic cables” in Sudan and Libya.
Criticizing Alcatel, former House Armed Services Committee Chairman and current GOP presidential contender Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) expressed his worry over Alcatel’s activities in a letter to President Bush. In it, he wrote, “I am concerned about potential transfers of technology or sensitive information to other countries with which Alcatel has business dealings, which have included Burma, China, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria.”
Wild Thing's comment...........
Brought to us by the party of ethics is in power.
......Thank you Beth at MVRWC for the link and article.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (12)
Ted Turner Says Media Has No Business Showing American Flag
Ted Turner says media has no business showing American Flag
Wild Thing's comment........
Why does he live here, why does he want to live in the USA if he thinks this way and all the other things he has said about our counrtry.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:40 AM | Comments (13)
June 29, 2007
Them Against Us ~ Penned by Rhod
Almost fifty years ago, in November of 1959, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" aired an episode entitled "Special Delivery". It was adapted from Ray Bradbury's story "Come Into My Cellar", which also appeared in periodicals under the title "Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in Your Cellar!". I was fourteen when I saw it. It scared the hell out of me.
In this tale, eleven-year old Tommy Fortnum receives a package of mushroom seeds in the mail from an undisclosed source. He's responded to an advert in a boy's publication for the seeds. To the bemusement of his parents, Tommy then raises a particularly delicious variety of mushroom in his home cellar. He's protective of his crop and very secretive. At the same time, Tommy's father, Hugh, notices subtle changes in his neighbors. They're different from their usual selves in important ways. They're belligerent, detached and hostile.
Hugh knows something is wrong and so does the viewer. There's a connection between the mushrooms and the altered states of the neighbors, but Hugh figures it out much too late. Tommy is distributing the mushrooms. Whoever eats them vanishes, and their bodies become animated shells inhabited by aliens. Hugh tries to warn his neighbors, but they scoff at him. They're content with the temptations and comforts of a summer's day while being slowly, peacefully replaced.
The screenplay doesn't tell us how this story ends. In the last scene, Tommy is shown with a mushroom to his lips, in a darkened cellar, calling to his father, who peers into the darkness from the top of the cellar stairs. Hugh's final horror and indignity is to be betrayed by his own son. Betrayal is a central theme in this story. It isn't chiefly, or even mainly, about aliens and conquest. It's themes are lying, betrayal, weakness, comfortable indifference and the delusion that, if things look the same, they are the same.
It's also a yarn about the feebleness of our defenses when everything seems stable and permanent, and how easily power and dominance can be exchanged by weakness, by simply doing nothing. Doing nothing, and being seen doing nothing, in a competitive universe, is an invitation to be superseded or colonized by other powers and ideas. Competition goes on all the time; there is no peace, only stasis, and competition for power often has no other motive than perceived weakness in the passive party.
Conservatives are familiar with these themes. We sense a fraud and a threat early in the game. It's this acute awareness of dishonesty and ubiquitous danger that modern liberals view as the conservative paranoid personality, as the alienated right-winger. This idea stems entirely from the reality that liberalism today is establishment and conformist, risk-averse, and sickeningly repetitive with its tired, shabby and devitalizing theories. We're diligent, skeptical, anti-ideological and strength matters to us. Not the strength to dominate others, but the strength to avoid being dominated by others. We wouldn't have eaten the mushrooms, but I'm getting ahead of myself here.
As far as we know, the invading entities in "Special Delivery" never resort to violence or force. Their current circumstances might have weakened them in some way, so they seek habitation elsewhere. We never see their real form. They simply exploit a weaker state of mind in humans, and avail themselves of an opportunity on earth. We know nothing about their ideas, but we know that they will win. And this is where my little screed intersects with politics and government, and the Bush/Kennedy Immigration Bill, which as of Thursday, June 27th, appears to be dead. It's a continent-sized cave of mushrooms, my friend, and they expected us all to partake. They still do, and the meal will be back in some other form.
We might as why we elect and pay people like Bush and Kennedy, Lindsey Graham and Trent Lott to be stupid and offensive when we get enough of it for free every day. Well, we don't elect them for those qualities, but that's what we get. Compensatory arrogance and megalomania grow in sanctimonious buffoons like Graham and Lott and Reid and Pelosi when we place them in public office, because they can't abide the real existential weakness that elected office beholds. We can dump them back into the common swarm of humanity from whence they came, and this simply cannot stand. They seek office for power, permanence and self-projection, and they need to solidify the fantasy of their immovability by staking their terrain in noticeable ways, like tomcats and coyotes.
If they would just express their bone-deep mediocrity by bloviating and squandering money, we might leave them alone. Give them a trillion dollars and two-thousand microphones, put them behind the chain link fence and walk away. But some times, like now, they sail off through a fogbank into some mental Sargasso Sea. They end up mired and becalmed, yammering to each other from their rotting deck chairs about some Big Idea, like The Great Society or immigration bills, and cursing the rest of us for declaiming their navigation skills and attentions spans.
Their last Big Idea, The Great Society, planted a fetid jungle of despair for millions, and the immigration bill is just as bad in the same grandiose ways. It won't work, for starters. It's too complicated and its assumptions too spurious for it work. It's a replacement for other un-enforced immigration bills, and contains new laws to replace identical but currently ignored old laws, and it has the potential for real mischief. It's the product of the end state of a political class past its prime; those who compose it are shockingly unaware of how ridiculous they seem to the rest of us. And even though the bill might be dead, they're plotting revenge strategies as I write.
Forget, for a minute, the multiple idiocies of the bill itself. It has an ethical flaw, too. It's packed with economic charity of the kind that fills the empty hearts of power-hungry politicians with instant virtue. Bush and others are possessed of a bizarre kind of charity, they need to give away things they do not own. Things like American sovereignty, like rational citizenship standards, like social benefits and sensible wage standards, and even more important, the legitimacy and validity of a government matured over 250 years, held together by dried blood and torn web gear, and legitimized by the "consent of the governed".
The President and others don't see America in this way. Their America is an economy without an ethos, a friction-free collection of buyers and sellers who can be manipulated and tuned by immigrant labor supplies, productivity and business interests. When necessary, this cynical vision of America can be ornamented with crap about "family values" not stopping at the border, but the simplified mercenary vision is really all there is. It wouldn't pass the approval of a hung-over, semi-comatose college freshman in his first Political Science course, but it's enough for George W. Bush, most of our elected side-show performers, and the fearful big business class of America.
Whatever happens with this great mess we call illegal immigration, it's likely that something shattering and revolutionary has happened in American politics. For the first time in seventy-five years, not since Herbert Hoover and Smoot-Hawley, has American government seemed so counterfeit, so weak and remote from the interests of lawful immigrant and native-born citizens, and so bent upon forcing its vision of American on Americans who don't buy it.
It's a time of great danger. When there's mass awareness of the political class as truly sinister in its assertion of itself against the people, a struggle will ensue, and there's no guarantee of victory for us in the long term. We can never forget that "freedom" is a dull and lifeless word until we attach a preposition to it. Freedom from. Freedom to. Freedom for. Freedom against. Freedom with. Action. We need to do something with our freedom, and not just declare ourselves as free. We didn't eat their mushrooms today, but the political hacks responsible for the meal are still there, perched like gargoyles on our backs. Maybe it's time for a Conservative Party.
Posted by Rhod at 03:55 AM | Comments (14)
Fairness Doctrine Hammered
Fairness Doctrine hammered 309-115
The Hill
The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from using taxpayer dollars to impose the Fairness Doctrine on broadcasters who feature conservative radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
By a vote of 309-115, lawmakers amended the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill to bar the FCC from requiring broadcasters to balance conservative content with liberal programming such as Air America.
At the end of Thursday’s debate, Democratic House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (Wis.) agreed with Republicans that the government should not regulate conservative radio hosts such as Limbaugh and Hannity......“We ought to let right-wing talk radio go on as they do now,” he said. “Rush and Sean are just about as important in the scheme of things as Paris Hilton.......”
Talk Radio and the Fairness Doctrine
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Wild Thing's comment........
LOL I thought this was so funny how they put this together and thought you all might get a kick out of it. Turn up the volume.
Rush and Sean are just about as important in the scheme of things as Paris Hilton, . . .
What role did Paris play in today's Senate Cloture vote? LOL
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (17)
Hey President Felipe Calderon ~ Stuff It!
Mexican president says vote 'a grave error'
chron.com ...for complete article
Mexico City
President Felipe Calderon of Mexico reacted sourly to news of the Senate's rejection of the proposed immigration law overhaul, calling the senators' action "a grave error."
"It's a grave mistake first because it's a problem that's not being confronted, and with this evasive action the U.S. Senate is making it worse," Calderon told reporters in Mexico City during a joint news conference with President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, who is finishing a two-day visit to the Mexican capital.
"Secondly, because to close the door on legal immigration, the only thing the Senate does is open the door to illegal immigration" the Mexican president said, according to an account published by the newspaper Reforma on its Web page.
Calderon repeated his "repudiation and rejection" of plans to build a wall along much of the U.S.-Mexico border.
More than a tenth of Mexico's 103 million people are estimated to live in the United States, many of them illegally. Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans, and others from Central America, continue to cross the border every year illegally in search of work.
Wild Thing's comment........
The “door to illegal immigration” was already wide open. Now that we’ve been able to prevent Kennedy and Bush from taking it off the hinges, maybe we can push it shut. Straighten out your own damned country, jerk. The president of Mexico has made a “grave error” in dumping his problems on the U.S.
Rush Limbaugh on Illegal Immigration
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:44 AM | Comments (13)
June 28, 2007
Can You Hear Me Now?
Conservatives, we did it. We held OUR Congress accountable, against seemingly a unsurmountable invasion backed by those who attempt to control with wealth and greed. Let them know forever more, this is OUR country, OUR government. The only power they have is what we lend them. And today we showed that WE are THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, where freedom exists because we are willing to fight for it. The political elites were shown that it is harder for them to pull the wool over our eyes than they thought and, maybe, they will now address the problem of border security before they try to force their will us. EVERY American who called their Senator and urged them to vote against this mostrosity deserves a thank you. I am going to call all the Senators who voted No and Thank them.
..this is one of those occasions when the truth "WE THE PEOPLE" are the government is very apparent--there is hope for the old Republic yet........
Now, to quote Duncan Hunter--------Let's Build That Fence...........
FINAL ROLL CALL: 46-53.
RINOS: Graham (R-SC), Gregg (R-NH), Hagel (R-NE), Kyl (R-AZ), Lott (R-MS), Lugar (R-IN), Martinez (R-FL),McCain (R-AZ), Snowe (R-ME), and Specter (R-PA).
It should be noted that the following Republicans switched their vote for “Yea” to “Na” from the bill earlier in the week. They include: Bennett (R-UT), Bond (R-MO), Brownback (R-KS), Burr (R-NC), Coleman (R-MN), Collins (R-ME), Craig (R-ID), Domenici (R-NM), Ensign (R-NV), McConnell (R-KY), Murkowski (R-AK), Stevens (R-AK), Voinovich (R-OH) and Warner (R-VA)
Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs ---46
Akaka (D-HI)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs ---53
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Brown (D-OH)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Grassley (R-IA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Landrieu (D-LA)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Not Voting - 1
Johnson (D-SD)
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 PM | Comments (18)
Lettuce Us Build The Wall
Tancredo Sends Head of Lettuce to Chertoff
WASHINGTON (CNN)
It’s not every day a presidential hopeful sends Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff a head of lettuce, but that’s what Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colorado, is doing Wednesday to show his disagreement with Chertoff’s recent comments on how failure of passing immigration reform might affect the agricultural industry.
Tancredo says he disagrees with recent comments Chertoff made that suggested if the immigration bill fails, the agricultural industry will suffer.
To prove his point he is sending Chertoff a head of lettuce, a fruit basket, and a card saying, “much, much more where this comes from.”
“The administration has taken hyperbole to a whole new level this time,” Tancredo said in a statement. “They are now trying to convince the public that without amnesty, the American people are going to starve?”
“The agriculture industry and the free market has managed to keep producing through floods, droughts, and $3.00 per gallon gas,” Tancredo added, “I doubt very seriously that a nominal increase in labor costs is going to be the end of lettuce as we know it.”
Wild Thing's comment........
LOL I love it! Awesome move by Congressman Tancredo! Tancredo has a humorous way of making his points
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (14)
Join Me in Sending Some Marines Emails
US Marine Colonel Simcock, the commander of USMC Regimental Combat Team 6 in Iraq, is asking for 6,000 positive emails to his Marines.
That's one email for each Marine in his RCT command. COL Simcock is concerned about the effect of the negative barrage that those Marines are getting through the electronic media. I've attached an excerpt from an interview with him. So far, they've only mustered 2,000 emails. That's a crying shame compared to the amount of crap I get daily in email.
Here's the address:
RCT-6lettersfromh@gcemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil
"If you're reading this email, then you can probably click on the
address, type a few words, and then hit "send" to be all done.
It doesn't have to be the Gettysburg Address.
Something as simple as "Hello, Marine. We thank you for what you're doing.
You are in a noble task. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Best wishes &get home soon" is more than sufficient.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)
Sean Hannity and Ohio Senator George Voinovich
Notes from Hot Air
"A travesty. He’s the personification of the bill’s ills: ignorant of and incurious about its weaknesses, confused as to what’s in it and what isn’t (per his comments about Kay Bailey Hutchison’s amendment), and worst of all brimming with arrogance at the nerve of conservative proles to be angry about this issue. This clip ought to push those confidence-in-Congress poll numbers into single digits, assuming they’re not there already.”“He also appears to have only the vaguest sense of what the Fairness Doctrine is. Rest easy tonight knowing that in these capable hands may rest the fate of the nation’s immigration policy.”
Wild Thing's comment..........
He hid behind his indignation in an attempt to hide how completely clueless he was about what was in the bill and how it would impact American taxpayers. He also used the "I won't be intimidated..." line, referring to We, The People Peasants who have been calling and emailing to say there will be a political consequence to his votes.
* Hot Air
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (6)
Rice Has Jumped The Shark ~ Again
JERUSALEM – U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice twice referred to Hamas as a "resistance movement" during a meeting with reporters from the New York Daily News earlier this month, but the newspaper did not report her remarks.
Rice's interview is transcribed in full on the State Department website.
Rice's statements mark the second documented time in recent months she called Hamas a "resistance movement" during unscripted chats with journalists.
Hamas is responsible for scores of suicide bombings, shooting attacks and rocket firings. It's classified by the State Department as a terror organization. The group's official charter calls for the murder of Jews and quotes widely from the anti-Semitic creed, the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion."
During the interview June 8 with the editorial board of the Daily News, Rice was asked about the recent history of democratic elections in the Middle East resulting in the rise to power of terror groups, such as Hamas.
Rice told the paper it was "very interesting to see Hamas trying to come to terms with no longer being really a resistance movement, but having to deal with politics."
Rice then referred to Hamas as a resistance movement a second time during then interview.
"A moderate Palestinian friend of mine said, 'You know, they (Hamas) used to be the great resistance, running the streets with their faces covered and going after Israel. And now, they look like a bunch of politicians who also can't make the sewer system work.'"
She went on to reference Hamas' terror cells, calling them the group's "military wing," which regularly carries out terror attacks, including shootings and firing of rockets into Jewish population centers.
"And they're (Hamas) clearly uncomfortable in that framework, which is part of why I think you see the military wing of Hamas trying to make this again about Israel and the Palestinians, not about the contestation of politics inside the Palestinian territories," Rice said.
A State Department spokesman could not explain why Rice called Hamas a "resistance movement." The spokesman confirmed the State Department had not changed its policy of classifying Hamas as a terror organization.
Rice, speaking to reporters in Berlin Jan. 18 about the situation of Palestinians prior to 2000, commented, "You had Hamas, of course, sitting out as a resistance movement, not at all, by the way, involved in the politics at all."
Rice's remarks at the time prompted some U.S. Jewish groups to demand an apology to victims of Hamas terror.
Wild Thing's comment..........
Rice sorry you are NUTS! Step aside and let someone that reads up on what the Hamas has done in this world, their agenda and what they darn sure will do in the future if allowed to do.
This administration has simply fallen apart, there is a total lack of leadership and rational thnking. No wonder Washington is out of control!!!
What a freakin’ mess. Thomas Jefferson is doing backflips in his grave. Jimmah legitimized the Ayatollah and helped to destroy the Shah. This woman is the first SOS to call Israel occupiers and legitimize terrorists who the Ayatollahs directly finance.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (12)
Reid Slams Thompson Instead Of 9/11 Inside Job Nut Cases!
Fred Thompson has suggested you are pandering to bloggers who he calls "fringe anti-American elements" who think that 9/11 attacks were an inside job, and that you're also encouraging our enemies. What's your response?
Reid: Mr. Thompson should get real and understand what's going on in our world. It appears he's very old fashioned and isn't in tune with the modern wave of communication.
Wild Thing's comment............
Rush calls him “Dingy Harry”, but when I see and hear him speak, I think “Church Lady” (Dana Carvey’s character). LOL Watch how much he blinks when being asked the question............. Reid must be using some new modern communication method of blinking in Morse Code.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (10)
June 27, 2007
RNC Refund attack ad
.
The only way to get the Senate Republicans to listen on amnesty is to speak their language--$$$$$.
Wild Thing's comment..........
Tom had a great idea. Print out the Bush Paso and send it to the RNC, I am also sending it to Bush and my Senators.
Also I think this video has a GREAT idea too.
* Hot Air
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (9)
Kudos To This 72 Years Young Jarhead! God Bless You Sir!
Ex-Marine, 72, Teaches Pickpocket a Lesson
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Bill Barnes says he was scratching off a losing $2 lottery ticket inside a gas station when he felt a hand slip into his front-left pants pocket, where he had $300 in cash.
He immediately grabbed the person's wrist with his left hand and started throwing punches with his right, landing six or seven blows before a store manager intervened.
"I guess he thought I was an easy mark," Barnes, 72, told The Grand Rapids Press for a story Tuesday.
He's anything but an easy mark: Barnes served in the Marines, was an accomplished Golden Gloves boxer and retired after 20 years as an iron worker.
Jesse Daniel Rae
Jesse Daniel Rae, the 27-year-old Newaygo County man accused of trying to pick Barnes' pocket, was arraigned Monday in Rockford District Court on one count of unarmed robbery, a 15-year felony.
Barnes said he had just withdrawn the money from a bank machine and put it in the pocket of his shorts before driving to the Marathon service station and Next Door Food Store in Comstock park, a Grand Rapids suburb.
He remembers noticing a patron acting suspiciously, asking the price of different brands of cigarettes and other items. While turned away, Barnes felt the hand in his pocket, so he took action.
"I guess I acted on instinct," he said.
Kent County sheriff's deputies said the store manager quickly came around the counter. The three of them struggled through the front door, where two witnesses said the manager slammed Rae to the ground and held him there.
"There was blood everywhere," said another manager on duty, Abby Ostrom, 25.
Barnes was a regional runner-up in Golden Gloves competition in the novice and open divisions before enlisting in the Marines in 1956.
He lived most of his adult life in Comstock Park with his wife, Patricia, before recently moving to Ottawa County. The couple have three children.
After retiring as an iron worker, he now works part-time as a starter at a golf course.
Barnes said he'd probably do the same thing again under the same circumstances, if for no other reason than what he would face back home.
"I wouldn't want my wife to give me hell for lettin' that guy get my money," he said with a smile.
Wild Thing's comment.........
First I have to say the article says...EX-Marine. There are no EX-Marines unless you are talking about John Murtha and he is one that should be an EX-Marine.
OK now to the story that I just LOVE. God bless our Marines at any age they are!!
Marine, Golden Gloves boxer, and iron worker! Talk about hitting the trifecta!
Semper Fi!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)
Bush to Speak at Islamic Center of Washington DC
On September 17, 2001, six days after the worst Islamic terror attacks ever on US soil, President Bush stood next to CAIR’s Nihad Awad at the Islamic Center of Washington DC, and pronounced ‘Islam is Peace’.
Today Bush is returning to the Saudi-funded Islamic Center, to address its rededication ceremony—and further legitimize radical Islamic groups masquerading as “moderates,” without once asking them to renounce their openly-expressed support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hizballah.
Wild Thing's comment........
I didn't like it back in 2001 and I like it even less today. This is just so WRONG! It is a slam in the face of every soldier and family member, and loved one of our troops today...... and to all of America's citizens that KNOW that this war is with Islam, and those that use it's teaching's to kill all non-moslems. And their hate for Jews and Christans not only here but around the world.
The "you are either for us or against us" from Bush has become no more then a campaign slogan instead of a charge into battle.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (12)
Vietnam Veteran ( 59 ) Disarms Gunman
A Hero Emerges From Monday's Tragic Shooting
(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY Monday's tragic events could have been much worse if it weren’t for a special customer inside a fast food restaurant.
Eric Fullerton may look small but he’s got a big heart and apparently some big muscles.
“I didn’t have time to think about being scared,” said Fullerton. “I wrestled the gun from him. I took the gun from him.”
When Curtis Allgier jumped out of a Ford Explorer and into the Arby’s at 1700 south and Redwood Road Eric Fullerton didn’t flinch.
He didn’t know police suspected Allgier of killing a corrections officer.
He just knew he wasn’t going to let him kill anybody else.
“I just instinctively did what needed to be done. He was going to kill that guy, and I wasn’t going to let him kill him,” says Fullerton.
“Everybody’s calling me a hero,” Fullerton said. “I’m not a hero; I just did what I had to do.”
The suspect, Curtis Allgier, is about three times bigger than Fullerton and he had a gun and a knife.
In fact Allgier actually cut Fullerton’s throat but that didn’t stop this Vietnam veteran from ending a deadly day.
“I can’t tell you how I did it or what I did,” Fullerton said. “I don’t know if it was adrenaline or if I had a guardian angel watching over me. I have no idea.”
He says, “I’m just glad the other guys alive and everybody got out safe.”
Wild Thing's comment..........
LOL, don't mess with a Vet! Let that be a lesson for all the punks.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (8)
June 26, 2007
Amnesty for ILLEGALS Bill Advances In Senate
vote 64-35
WASHINGTON (AP)
The Senate voted Tuesday to jump-start a stalled immigration measure to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants.
President Bush said the bill offered a “historic opportunity for Congress to act,” and appeared optimistic about its passage by week’s end.
The pivotal test-vote was 64-35 to revive the divisive legislation. It still faces formidable obstacles in the Senate, including bitter opposition by GOP conservatives and attempts by some waverers in both parties to revise its key elements.
Supporters needed 60 votes to scale procedural hurdles and return to the bill. A similar test-vote earlier this month found just 45 supporters, only seven of them Republicans. This time, 24 Republicans joined 39 Democrats and independent Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, to back moving ahead with the bill. Opposing the move were 25 Republicans, nine Democrats and independent Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., an architect of the bill, said he was proud of the vote, calling it “a major step forward for our national security, for our economy, and for our humanity.”
“We did the right thing today because we know the American people sent us here to act on our most urgent problems. We know they will not stand for small political factions getting in the way,” Kennedy said in a statement following the vote.
Tuesday’s outcome was far from conclusive, however. The measure still must overcome another make-or-break vote as early as Thursday that will also require the backing of 60 senators. And there is no guarantee that it will ultimately attract even the simple majority it needs to pass.
The Senate was preparing to begin voting as early as Tuesday afternoon on some two dozen amendments that have the potential to either sap its support or draw new backers.
Grouped By Vote Position CLICK to see list.............
YEAs -—64
Akaka (D-HI)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Brownback (R-KS)
Burr (R-NC)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Ensign (R-NV)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs -—35
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bunning (R-KY)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Enzi (R-WY)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Landrieu (D-LA)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Sununu (R-NH)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 PM | Comments (9)
Live Thread: Senate Amnesty/Cloture Vote TODAY on C-Span 2
Live Thread: Senate Amnesty/Cloture Vote TODAY on C-Span 2
If you get a chance to watch it I just wanted to let you know they have it on that channel.
A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murder is less to fear.
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 PM
In Country Outback Treats Our Troops and Torture House Found in Baqubah
A sign proclaiming Outback Steakhouse is displayed at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, June, 2007 For one night U.S. Army Soldiers at the base were treated to food from the restaurant. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Clifton)
.
Troops Find Execution House, Illegal Prison in Baqubah
DOD
BAQUBAH, Iraq, June 25, 2007 – Iraqi security forces and Task Force Lightning soldiers discovered an execution house and an illegal prison in the Baqubah neighborhood of Khatoon yesterday during the sixth day of Operation Arrowhead Ripper.
The two buildings were in the same area as a torture chamber and illegal courthouse linked to al Qaeda, which were found on the fourth and fifth day of the operation, officials said.
Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, discovered the execution house using information from local citizens, who said it had been used by al Qaeda. Soldiers searching the house found five bodies buried in the yard behind the building and bloody clothes in several rooms inside it.
Located nearby, a house had been converted into an illegal prison, with several numbered rooms and bars covering the building's windows. Several blindfolds were found inside.
Elsewhere in Baqubah, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, identified a house that was filled with explosives and had been booby-trapped. The soldiers cleared the area and destroyed the house through the use of attack aircraft and indirect fire.
"The fact that we continue to find these booby-trapped houses filled with explosives and torture chambers only reaffirms that al Qaeda has no regard for the safety and welfare of the people of Baqubah. They only want to see death and destruction," said Army Col. Gary Patton, chief of staff for Task Force Lightning.
Iraqi and coalition forces also discovered 10 weapons caches throughout Baqubah yesterday. These included four anti-tank mines, three rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 18 rocket-propelled grenades with boosters, 13 AK-47 assault rifles, nine hand grenades, two flak vests, thousands of rounds of ammunition and a box of al Qaeda propaganda.
Since the beginning of Operation Arrowhead Ripper, at least 58 al Qaeda operatives have been killed, 60 have been detained, 23 weapons caches have been discovered, 52 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed, and 17 booby-trapped structures have been destroyed.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (8)
Pentagon Presents Charlie Daniels With Highest Civilian Award
Charlie Daniels receives the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for exceptional public service in support of armed troops from Michael L. Dominguez, principal deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, during a visit to the Pentagon June 25, 2007. Dominguez said Daniels has performed for the troops in more than 20 different installations in countries across the globe.
Perhaps best known for his chart-topping platinum single, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” Daniels has played concerts for servicemembers at military installations around the world. The musician, who has been entertaining troops with his genre-blending style of country, blues and jazz for more than 35 years, says his life-long patriotism was born during World War II.
“I remember the day that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and I have taken patriotism into my heart, I have taken the military into my heart, and it has been there ever since,” Daniels said. “The more I go among the military, the more I am convinced that you folks are the best America’s got.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be able to come to wherever the military is, in whatever part of the world they happen to be in, to entertain them,” he said.
The two Pentagon officials who presented the framed award citation and medal to Daniels took turns thanking him for his decades of steadfast support for U.S. troops.
“This is an important opportunity for us to say ‘Thank You’ to Charlie Daniels for his very long service to the men and women in uniform,” Michael L. Dominguez, principal deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said. “He’s performed for them in more than 20 different installations in countries across the globe, volunteering his time to do what he does best, and to bring them a little bit of America and a little bit of ‘Thank You’ from the people of America for the service they provide for our country.”
In addition to visiting troops at bases in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Korea and elsewhere, Daniels started Operation Heartstrings in November 2005. The program to date has donated 100 Gibson guitars, as well as drums, keyboards, microphones, and more than 13,000 pieces of musical accessories to deployed servicemembers.
Brig. Gen. Mari Kaye Eder, deputy chief of Army Public Affairs, was elated to finally talk to the man who she’s been listening to since childhood.
“I’m thrilled to be here with Charlie Daniels; I grew up with him, though he doesn’t know that,” she said. “Every Sunday after church, my dad would play his records.”
Wherever Daniels goes, he has friends in uniform and throughout the vast network of armed service personnel and family members, Eder said. “It’s my honor to be here to represent just a few of them today,” she added.
Daniels’ multimedia CD and DVD offering titled “Live From Iraq” is set for release tomorrow. The Charlie Daniels Band recorded the music portion during the group’s 2006 visit to bases around Iraq, and the bonus DVD features concert footage and video of the band interacting with military members serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Addressing servicemembers gathered here, Daniels thanked the men and women in uniform for their service to their country. “I want to thank you for making America free,” he said. “Without you there would be no America.”
Wild Thing's comment.........
Well deserved! God Bless you Charlie Daniels ! You are a patriot. Something this country is getting shorter of each day.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (12)
Make Them Feel The Heat
Kill the Bill — Again
NRO
The fate of the bipartisan immigration deal now rests with a handful of senators who say that they are against it, but are inclined to vote to let the Senate take it up again. Do not be fooled. Any senator who votes to bring this legislation back to the Senate floor tomorrow is supporting it, and any contrary vote he casts later will be a scam designed to fool gullible voters.
The bill is unpopular, but powerful forces — businesses, journalists, officials in both parties, and racial pressure groups — are determined to push it through. They do not mind if a few senators vote against the bill for the cameras while greasing the track for it when it counts.
Senators who claim to oppose the bill say that they want a new debate on it so that they can improve it. But the broad outlines of this bill are set in stone. It provides amnesty for the 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants already here and invites an ongoing stream of “temporary” low-skilled workers. In exchange, proponents of tighter borders get the restrictions in current law, plus an empty promise that this time they will be enforced.
The amendment process has been carefully choreographed so that these basic features of the deal will not be changed. Amnesty now, enforcement later: That is what the senators are going to be voting on, and it is not going to change. Anyone who objects to that formula needs to kill this bill and start over.
For senators who are professing to wait to see what the final bill looks like before taking a position, the wait is over. The final bill will represent the will of its drafters and defy the expressed will of their constituents. The only way to prevent that inevitable finale, is to bring the curtain down now.
Over the weekend, Senator Ted Kennedy made a prediction about his bill that pointedly shared the political blame for it: “I believe we will pass the bill, and I think we have good support among the Republican party.”
Wild Thing's comment...........
“King Harry” is keeping the amendments secret from the Senate AND THE PEOPLE! Then the friggen idiot will denigrate those who complain for not knowing what’s in the bill!!!!!!!!!!!
Harry Reid has sent the following letter to Republican Senators who earlier today expressed their objection to the return of the immigration bill to the Senate floor:
Dear Senators Cornyn, Vitter, Dole, Sessions and DeMint: CLICK HERE to read his letter
This is a very big deal, because it means that several senators on the fence, who had felt that their amendments were the make-or-break factor in the bill, won't know whether their amendments are in the ones approved by McConnell.
It is despicable what they are doing. There won't be 50 United States in 20 years, under our current Constitution. The next generation will curse the last, for cavalierly throwing away our 225 year legacy, all for momentary personal greed and power lust.
La Raza members freely admits that Mexicans are colonizing America, and they know there's no one in the Bush administration who has any intention of stopping it.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (7)
’Democrat voters in training’
........Or we can call them low-life slimeballs that sneak into a country, break numerous laws, and then drop babies that they can then hold up as human shields, to avoid the consequences of the laws they broke?
Caption from WT:
"We demand you open the border so Al Queda can come in disguised as farm workers!"
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)
Episode 5 of the Al Qaeda Soap Opera
Episode 5 of the Al Qaeda Soap Opera brought to you by National Banana
There are 6 of these and some of us in the Cotillion have split them up to show different ones at our blogs.
It is a unique soap opera told from an extremist's point of view.
This one is Sands of Passion - Episode 5
* also posting these is my dear friend Beth at Blue Star Chronicles
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (3)
June 25, 2007
In Country With Our Troops At FOB Kalsu and Al Asad
Saintsations sensational at FOB Kalsu
By Sgt. Marcus Butler, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division
KALSU, Iraq – The New Orleans Saintsations were able to spread some cheer during their visit to Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, June 23.
The Saintsations partook in a meet-n-greet as well as performed a variety of dance routines and audience participation skits.
Arriving that morning, the Saintsations began their visit by walking around FOB Kalsu talking and joking with the servicemembers before their show began.
“We are so honored to be here today to perform for you,” said Dianne, one of the Saintsations. “We came here to support you, our troops, to show you that we love and appreciate everything that you do for us.”
“This event was a great morale booster for everyone,” said Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Cortes, 725th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division and San Juan, Puerto Rico, native. “From start to finish, the show was awesome, especially when the Saintsations called up people to dance.”
After the show, the Saintsations posed for photos and all sat down and signed pictures, calendars and even t-shirts to show the Soldiers how much they care.
“All of the Saintsations that visited FOB Kalsu came on their own accord. There was no one forcing them to come here, they all volunteered,” said Capt. Michael Schulte, 725th BSB, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.
To thunderous applause, the Saintsations exited stage left leaving behind wonderful memories and smiles on the crowd’s faces.
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Story and photo by Cpl. Zachary Dyer
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (FWD)
AL ASAD — A Marine on the ground in Iraq needs to be able to count on a friend or two. He has the Marine to the right, but he also has Marines flying a few thousand feet over head that he can count on.
The Marines of Marine Attack Squadron 231, known as the “Ace of Spades,” are making sure they do everything they can to provide the Marines outside the wire with the close air support they need.
Flying AV-8B “Harriers,” the Aces have been supporting their fellow Marines since they arrived aboard Al Asad in the middle of March.
“The Harrier’s role is to provide close air support to the Marines on the ground,” said Maj. Mark Riedy, the Aces’ executive officer. “Recently things have quieted down, so when we go out there we’re searching various points for enemy activity, suspicious activity, (Improvised Explosive Devices) and those types of things. We pass that information along to the Marines on the ground, and then if we have troops in contact we are there to support them.”
Since their arrival, the Aces have succeeded in adapting to the deployed environment and fulfilling their mission, according to Lt. Col. Brian Annichiarico, the VMA-231 commanding officer.
“I think the Marines have done fantastic,” said Annichiarico, a Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., native. “This is the first squadron deployment in a few years, and everybody was chomping at the bit to come. We tried to prepare them mentally as much as we could to come over here, and they have far exceeded my expectations. They’re just phenomenal.”
Previously, the Aces have deployed with Marine Expeditionary Units, and there are stark differences between a deployment with a MEU and a deployment as a whole squadron to Iraq.
Besides flying off a 13,000 foot runway instead of the flight deck of a ship, and the extreme heat, the Aces had to adjust to an increased operational tempo. The pilots of VMA-231 have flown an average of 40 hours per month during their deployment, which is about four times what they would fly back in the states, according to Riedy, an Allentown, Pa., native.
The Aces have flown almost 1,700 hours and have supported over 940 joint tactical air requests since they deployed to Al Asad.
Both Annichiarico and Riedy say they are proud of the way their Marines have adapted to their new environment and their new deployment.
“As long as they see us launching and dropping ordnance and coming back, they stay pretty motivated,” said Riedy. “We’ve been trying to make a habit out of telling them what we’re doing, showing them maps, showing them areas that we’re going to. Telling them that it’s not just about dropping bombs, that we’re out there providing support to the Marines.
It is not the work of just a few Marines that has made the squadron successful in Iraq, but the efforts of every person that allows the Aces to do what they do best, according to Annichiarico.
“You have a circle out there, and anywhere you touch the circle something will break down,” said Annichiarico. “If a maintainer doesn’t fix a jet or a helicopter, then that helicopter or jet can’t fly, and the guys on the ground don’t get the support. If they guys on the ground don’t get the support they need, then there may be additional risks that you accept, and so on and so forth. It never ceases to amaze me how that whole chain works. The reason it works so well is because of the individual efforts of the Marines out there.”
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (10)
Chavez Warns of Resistance War With U.S.~ Get a life Hugo!
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - President Hugo Chavez urged soldiers on Sunday to prepare for a guerrilla-style war against the United States, saying that Washington is using psychological and economic warfare as part of an unconventional campaign aimed at derailing his government.
Dressed in olive green fatigues and a red beret, Chavez spoke inside Tiuna Fort - Venezuela's military nerve-center - before hundreds of uniformed soldiers standing alongside armored vehicles and tanks decorated with banners reading: "Fatherland, Socialism, or Death! We will triumph!"
"We must continue developing the resistance war, that's the anti-imperialist weapon. We must think and prepare for the resistance war everyday," said Chavez, who has repeatedly warned that American soldiers could invade Venezuela to seize control of the South American nation's immense oil reserves.
U.S. officials reject claims that Washington is considering a military attack. But the U.S. government has expressed concern over what it perceives as a significant arms build-up here.
Chavez - a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro - told soldiers the Washington was trying to weaken and divide Venezuelan society, including the armed forces, without resorting to combat.
"It's not just armed warfare," said Chavez, a former army officer who is leading what he calls the "Bolivarian Revolution," a socialist movement named after 19th-century independence hero Simon Bolivar. "I'm also referring to psychological warfare, media warfare, political warfare, economic warfare."
Under Chavez, Venezuela has recently purchased some $3 billion worth of arms from Russia, including 53 military helicopters, 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles, 24 SU-30 Sukhoi fighter jets.
Last week, Chavez said he is considering arms purchases, including submarines and a missile-equipped air defense system, as he prepares for a tour of Russia, Belarus and Iran.
"We are strengthening Venezuela's military power precisely to avoid imperial aggressions and assure peace, not to attack anybody," he said Sunday.
Opposition leader Julio Borges condemned the president's interest in acquiring weapons, saying the government should focus on reducing violent crime in Venezuela, which has one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America.
"This isn't resolved with military purchases and foreign tours," Borges said. "This is resolved with the determination of having a country with justice."
Wild Thing's comment............
All Hugo has to do is send 5 million troops to the U.S.A. and Bush, Graham, Kennedy, Reid, Lott, Kyl and McCain will give them permanent resident status with the Z-visa.
hmmmmm is this a multiple choice????
"Fatherland, Socialism, or Death!
I will pick death for YOU Hugo. How about that.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (16)
Hillary Campaign Finance Felonies Caught on Video
History was made in Paul v Clinton when this smoking gun video of Hillary Clinton's phone call to Peter Paul on July 17, 2000 was introduced June 21, 2007 as evidence of Hillary's illegal misconduct, for the California Appeals' Court review of Hillary's First Amendment protection for her illegal fundraising solicitations in 2000.
This tape was withheld by the U.S. Attorney in New York from 2001 until April 11, 2007, when it was released to Paul's attorneys at the US Justice Foundation, depriving three federal investigations of this evidence of Hillary Clinton's role in the campaign finance frauds for which her finance director David Rosen was indicted in 2005.
'Smoking Gun' Clinton Tape Released to Public
(CNSNews.com) .....for complete article
The video described in a civil suit as "smoking gun" evidence that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) committed felonies became available on the Internet Friday.
On the tape the former first lady and leading Democratic presidential contender is heard speaking in 2000 with Hollywood mogul Peter Paul, comic book icon Stan Lee, and director Aaron Tonkin about a massive fundraising event for her 2000 Senate race. Paul spent about $2 million of his own money to produce the event but later had a fallout with the Clintons.
If she helped to plan the event, it could legally constitute a direct hard money donation to Clinton's Senate campaign, rather than to her joint fundraising committee called New York Senate 2000. If that is the case, the donation from Paul would be 10 times the legal limit of $2,000. Knowingly soliciting a contribution of $25,000 or more is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
The conversation appears to show Clinton actively helping to plan the event. The suit alleges that she violated federal campaign finance laws by directly soliciting a contribution from Paul.
"And you know, Aaron, I'm so grateful because I know how hard you've worked on it because it's your constant effort and outreach," Clinton is heard to say over a speaker phone. "You know, I talked with [celebrity singer] Cher and she was just great. Said she was really so excited. And I hadn't talked to her so you must have done a really good job selling it to her."
At no point did Clinton suggest that the event and the Paul donation were not going directly to her campaign, even as the other three in the conversation referenced it repeatedly.
Tonkin later is heard to say, "We've got people like Cher and others that have really never done anything before that are like coming out in full force knowing this is for your Senate race, it's unbelievable."
"I'm just thrilled," Clinton answers. "I'll check in with you from time to time because I know that putting something like this together is challenging even when people are enthusiastic and looking forward to doing it. It's still, there's so much work that's involved."
Wild Thing's comment............
The Clintons are riddled with crimes and they keep going on and on and on. I wonder if just once they will be taken down for all their crimes. They should be, they should have been long ago. I would also love to see a film of them conspiring to murder all those folks they’ve had murdered.
.......Thank you Jack for sending the article to me.
Jack's blog.....Conservative Insurgent
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (10)
June 24, 2007
Heroes Interviews
Marine Corps Sgt.Maj. Bradley A. Kasal mp3 (4MB) - WDAY AM 970
Please CLICK link to listen to the fantastic interview. Thank you so much.
Thank you Sgt. Maj. Bradley Kasal.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (4)
In Country With The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
Wonderful video with great music and photos.
These are some of our Heroes, deployed to Mosul, Iraq, with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
Thank you Pfc. Bradley Clark for the link to your blog. And thank you for serving our country.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (2)
The Ride of the Headless Heartless Horsemen.......
.........socialism, globalism, communisim.......Treason.
Just this............ they ALL said the following and for many of them it meant nothing.........................
"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I about to enter. So help me God."
From Bob Lonsberry
And here is his BIO
It’s not even about illegal aliens anymore. It’s about the relationship between the government and the people.
It’s about who wears the pants in the family.
And right now, the president and a whole bunch of others are confused about that. See, they think they’re in charge. They think it’s their country.
They think they’re going to tell us what to do.
Well, they’ve got another think coming. This time they’ve got a fight on their hands.
The background is illegal immigration and the years of treasonously incompetent government which have allowed it to turn into the biggest threat to our country and its future. It takes some doing for an issue to rival militant Islam as a danger to the United States, but illegal immigration does.
And that is completely the fault of the federal government. Stretching back to the late 1980s, and accelerating to light speed under George W. Bush and the Republican Congress, government negligence turned a blind eye to border security and the flood of illegal aliens into the country. Instead of dealing with the problem, the government facilitated it. Instead of being rounded up and deported, illegal aliens were guaranteed an ever-larger pool of government services.
The United States became Mexico’s welfare and medical system and the federal government did absolutely nothing to protect the interests or territorial integrity of the nation. As cultural dilution and antagonism became rampant, the government was uncaring and impotent. It was national suicide by governmental neglect.
American wages were suppressed, American taxes were raided, American communities were endangered, American values were suppressed, American culture was spat upon. Entire communities were lost to illegal newcomers who were invaders, not immigrants. A centuries-old American model of immigration was thrown out for a divisive new pattern which has already effectively lost the United States sovereignty over portions of its own territory.
We face cultural and financial bankruptcy because the president and Congress failed to uphold their oaths of office. They have ignored the rule of law by refusing to enforce the written law. We have a border, we have immigration laws, and the federal government has ignored them both.
And only after years of complaint and rising public upset did the government begin to do anything. But even then it was mostly manipulation for political gain. It has been a scripted dance in which the people have demanded and the politicians have manipulated and in the end they get our dollars and our votes and we get the back of their hand. And the illegal immigration problem festers into malignancy while they twiddle their thumbs.
Now there is a bill.
Now, they tell us, is the time to act. And their bill is the only thing that can be acted upon. Negotiated in secret, amended in secret, demanded in public. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up. It’s time to pull the wool over our eyes and they’re impatient, afraid that delay will lead to scrutiny and defeat.
In the name of helping us, they are about to kill us.
And a tiny group of senators, in league with the president, have agreed to ramrod this through. And to defuse the nation’s roaring disapproval they are taking a tone of authority and power their offices do not provide them.
The president who is sure one more of his stammering speeches will convince the nation to change its mind. The Democrat senator who is essentially calling the American people racists. The Republican senator who is going to “do something” about talk radio, the only place political correctness and government intimidation have not yet completely choked out the voice of the people. All are miffed that the people have not rolled over and obediently accepted the superior enlightenment of the Washington fat cats.
And that’s what brings us to today’s fight. Not just to stop an immigration bill that is poison to our national interests, but to knock down the politicians whose arrogance has presumed they could cram down the throats of average Americans a piece of legislation that every measurement of public sentiment shows they don’t want.
They said “Yes,” we said “No,” now they have raised their voices and furrowed their brows and pointed their fingers and said “Yes” again. It’s as if they are the masters and we are the servants and they have reminded us to know our place.
Well, the fact is we do know our place.
We are at the top of the political food chain. We are the people the Preamble is talking about. We are the United States of America – they aren’t. It is supposed to be government for, of and by the people, not imposed on the people.
The job of every member of Congress is to represent the wishes of the people of his state or district. Period. It is not to impose a will, or coerce an opinion, it is to do what the people want.
And the people don’t want this immigration bill.
Not by a damn sight.
And the president and Congress who do not honor that wish have don’t need a lesson just in immigration policy, they need a lesson in American democracy.
And they are about to get it.
Secure the border. Make it impenetrable. Shut off the influx of illegal aliens. Begin cleaning up the mess in our schools, jails, hospitals and streets caused by illegal aliens. Actively seek and deport illegal aliens and their families, particularly those involved with welfare and crime. Change the 14th Amendment to get rid of anchor babies. Passionately promote a national program of culture and language education and assimilation.
Then, after a couple of years, talk about legalization and pathways.
But secure the border first and foremost.
And actively take down every candidate and party that pushes forward this asinine immigration bill.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)
But Jesse Why Don't You Protest GANGS !
Jesse Jackson arrested at gun protest
CHICAGO -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson was arrested Saturday at a demonstration outside a south suburban gun shop and charged with one count of criminal trespass to property.
Jackson was arrested when he refused to move away from the entrance to Chuck's Gun Shop in Riverdale, police said. He has protested with other community activists outside the shop in recent weeks after a 16-year-old honor student was gunned down on a city bus.
Police said the shooting was gang-related but the teen was not the intended target.
Jackson, who says the gun shop's proximity to Chicago provides gang members and criminals easy access to firearms, has used the protests to call for stricter gun laws.
Two teens have been charged as adults with taking part in the May shooting of Blair Holt, an honor student at Julian High School.
Wild Thing's comment........
Blaming the gunshop for the kids death is like blaming the sewers for the fact that Jackson’s full of $hit.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (14)
Duncan Hunter on GITMO
Keep Prison Open
Fox6
Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-52nd District) says Khalid Sheikh Mohammad could be coming to a military base near you. "Those places include the Brig at Miramar, places that have been disseminated by the democratic leadership. They include places like the Brig at Pendleton." he said Friday.Hunter points to a list he says was created by Congressional Democrats in Washington.
It lists our two local brigs as potential sites to house some of the nearly 400 detainees. Hunter does not want to see that happen.
But others, like Richard Quinonez, disagree. He lives near Miramar but is not concerned.
"They've gotten away with a lot of stuff at Guantanamo Bay that the public has been shocked to hear about, so maybe instead of keeping that type of thing at a distance," Quinonez suggested, bringing them here could be an improvement.
Critics think the prison violates the principals of democracy and hurts our country's world image.
"It is basically inflaming Muslims and others around the world against us. It makes our soldiers less safe," said Michael Ratner, President of the Centre for Constitutional Rights.
But Hunter stands by his pledge to try to keep those prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
"We should keep them isolated from the criminal population in this country," he said.
Wild Thing's comment.........
Duncan Hunter will never cave in to the media and liberal politically correct crowd.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (6)
June 23, 2007
Thank You Senators Sessions, DeMint, and Vitter
Wild Thing's comment............
Just this, gosh I LOVE this! I have such respect for these men that are taking a stand for us, for we the people and for America.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (8)
Teddy Kennedy sings... en Espanol!
Appearing on the Piolin radio show in support of immigration "reform", aka a massive amnesty for illegal aliens, Senator Teddy Kennedy broke into song... in Spanish
Wild Thing's comment...........
Getting drunk and drowning a lady does strange things to a person. Memo to Ted Kennedy: This is your liver speaking, “please back away from the bar.”
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (17)
Checking In With Our Troops ~ Thank You!
The Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing is the first Air National Guard unit in the country to fly the F-22 Raptor. The transition from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the F-22 took place June 20.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (9)
Can a good Muslim be a good American?
I got this from a friend of mine in an email and wanted to share it with you. Plus it will tick off the Moslems that lurk and read this blog. heh heh......Wild Thing
This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.
The following is my reply:
Theologically - no. . . . Because Muslims allegiance is to Allah, The moon God of Arabia.
Religiously - no. . . Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256) (Koran)
Scripturally - no. . . Because Muslims allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.
Geographically - no . . Because Muslims allegiance is to Mecca, to which they turns in prayer five times a day.
Socially - no. . Because Muslims allegiance to Islam forbids them to make friends with Christians or Jews.
Politically - no. . Because Muslims must submit to the mul lahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel, Christians and the destruction of America, the great Satan.
Domestically - no. . . Because Muslims are instructed to marry four Women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34 )
Intellectually - no. . . .. Because Muslims cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Christian Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.
Philosophically - no. . .. . Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran does not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.
Spiritually - no. .. . . Because when we declare "one nation under God," the Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent names. - - - Therefore after much study and deliberation.... Perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. - - - They obviously cannot be both "good" Musli ms an d good Americans.
Call it what you wish, but it's still the truth.
It will come a day soon when it will be a matter of life and death; then you will believe it.
The more we Christians, Americans and our Jewish brothers understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future. The religious war is bigger than we know or understand.
And Barack Hussein O bama, a Muslim, wants to be our President? You have GOT to be kidding! Wake up America!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (14)
June 22, 2007
Pelosi Website says Sure we Fund the Troops er ah Canadian Troops
Take a look at the pic on Pelosi's website (it's a flash thing, so wait till it comes around but there is a screen cap below) where she touts how "the House is providing the largest increase in veterans’ funding in history". The picture?
That of a Canadian officer, all epaulets have "CANADA" in gold lettering on the epaulets on the part nearest the sleeve.
Can you believe it?Good grief!!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:07 PM | Comments (6)
College Education For Illegal Aliens
A college education for illegal aliens
Washington Times
It's no secret that the Senate immigration bill rewards 12-20 million illegal aliens with immediate amnesty. What is less well known is that the bill also allows illegal aliens to receive in-state tuition rates at public universities, discriminating against U.S. citizens from out of state and law-abiding foreign students.
These provisions are buried deep in the Senate bill. They are part of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act section.
(please.....see my link in my comment further down about the Dream Act)
The DREAM Act is a nightmare. It repeals a 1996 federal law that prohibits any state from offering in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens, unless the state also offers in-state tuition rates to all U.S. citizens. On top of that, the DREAM Act offers a fast track to U.S. citizenship for illegal aliens who attend college.
On its own, the DREAM Act never stood a chance of passing — even in the Senate. Every scientific opinion poll on the subject has shown over 70 percent opposition to giving in-state tuition benefits to illegal aliens.
Not surprisingly, the DREAM Act languished in committee for five years — until the opportunity arose to hitch it to the Senate's "comprehensive" immigration bill of 2006. Now, Sen. Edward Kennedy and his allies have added it to this year's amnesty bill, too. They know that the only way to slip such bad legislation past the American people is to bury it in a comprehensive bill.
Wild Thing's comment............
The D.R.E.A.M. Act is a bill that was introduced in Congress on August 1, 2003, by Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah.
The one thing American taxpayer money DOESN’T seem to go to is HELPING AMERICANS. Missions to TERRORISTS in Hamas, Fatah, etc. etc. etc. We are being treated as worker bees to provide the honey for whomever our elitist politicians wish to pander to. It’s beyond disgusting ... And this kind of nonsense must stop.
They have changed the standards of getting a college education...in that they believe it is a "right" instead of a "privilege". The minute that happened.....it all went to hell in a handbasket. Minorities get first choice and priority status.....regardless of whether they really want it or not.
Is there ANYTHING in this bill that doesn't mess with Americans?? I do not understand how those who are sworn to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution can use it as toilet paper.
This is an article from last year that I never saw before today.
States Grapple With In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants
Posted by Wild Thing at 09:55 AM | Comments (10)
Ignacio Ramos reported in 'emaciated' condition
A video of when this all happened that sent Ramos and Compean to prison.
Ignacio Ramos reported in 'emaciated' condition
Congressional aide says Border Patrol agent 'languishing in solitary'
A congressional aide who visited Ignacio Ramos in prison said the convicted Border Patrol agent appeared emaciated, losing more than 30 pounds in solitary confinement.
Ramos, who is appealing his 11-year sentence for the non-lethal shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler, has been in a "special housing unit" since he was beaten by inmates in February at the medium-security Federal Correctional Complex in Yazoo City, Miss., said Tara Setmayer, spokeswoman for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.
"He was very happy to see me, but, overall, he was very emotional," Setmayer said. "He is demoralized. Languishing in solitary for 135 days takes its toll on anyone."
The men who bloodied Ramos with kicks from steel-toed boots are in the same unit, Setmayer said.
Although the prison tries to make a distinction, she noted, "the protective measures are punitive, so he suffers all of the same restrictions as those there for disciplinary reasons."
A lockdown had been implemented prior to Setmayer's visit June 11, and Ramos had not received a hot meal in two days, Setmayer said.
Ramos' wife, Monica, visited him Monday and reported he was in the same condition.
Charles Smith, spokesman for the Yazoo City prison, said he could not comment on Ramos, or any prisoner, without the prisoner's written permission.
Ramos and Border Patrol colleague Jose Compean are serving sentences for their actions in the shooting of drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila-Aldrete as he fled back to Mexico after driving across the border with 742 pounds of marijuana in February 2005. U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton gave the smuggler immunity to serve as the government's star witness and testify against the border agents. While under immunity, the smuggler was caught in another drug delivery, but the judge sealed that information from the jury.
Setmayer also visited Ramos just days after the February assault, witnessing his injuries first hand.
"It was one of the most emotionally intense things I've ever experienced," she said. "The hardest thing was walking out of the facility while they were handcuffing him and taking him away."
Setmayer said that while she didn't have to see bruises this time, she saw an "emaciated officer."
"It just emboldens us even more so," she said of congressional efforts on behalf of the agents, including a resolution calling for pardons. "It was encouraging for him to find out our efforts are moving forward full steam ahead."
Rohrabacher has requested a hearing on the case before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight. Among its aims, the panel wants to examine possible influence by the Mexican government on the case. Sutton has said he is willing to testify.
The Mexican Consulate sought the prosecution of Ramos and Compean, and also Hernandez.
Setmayer said her office has been "stonewalled" by the Department of Justice in an attempt to get details of Davila's immunity agreement and of a second attempt by him to deliver a load of marijuana across the border.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security subcommittee, also is examining the case.
Setmayer said more Congress members have signed on to a bill by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., that calls for the two agents to be pardoned.
She pointed out the case has received attention recently amid discussion of whether President Bush should pardon convicted former White House aide Lewis Libby. Presidential candidates Hunter and Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., have asked how the president can consider pardoning Libby if he doesn't pardon Ramos and Compean.
Rohrabacher says he will not endorse anyone for president who doesn't commit to pardoning the two agents.
Wild Thing's comment............
This is just so wrong!!!! It used to be there were good guys in the white hats that rode in to town. Well most had white hats, except for Hopalong Cassidy. The good guys tracked down and found the bad guys, and the town and Mayor of the town cheered the good guys on.
More and more the world is turned upside down, and the local Mayor ( our government for the most part) gives favor to the bad guys and punishes the good guys.
He was sentenced to 11 years for shooting an illegal alien drug dealer in the ass. HE should have got a medal, not prison. What has happened here to this man is obscene.
If either of these men, Ramos or Compean die because of where they are, their treatment or from anything that happnes to them while they are in prison, I put the full blame for their death on anyone at any level that could have put a stop to this insane judgement and punishment of these two Border Agents.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (10)
White House Near Decision To Close Gitmo
Washington
Forbes.com
The Bush administration is nearing a decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detainee facility and move its terror suspects to military prisons elsewhere.
Senior administration officials said Thursday a consensus is building for a proposal to shut the center and transfer detainees to one or more Defense Department facilities, including the maximum-security military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where they could face trial.
President Bush's national security and legal advisers had been scheduled to discuss the move at a meeting Friday, the officials said, but after news of it broke, the White House said the meeting would not take place that day and no decision on Guantanamo Bay's status is imminent.
"It's no longer on the schedule for tomorrow," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council. "Senior officials have met on the issue in the past, and I expect they will meet on the issue in the future."
Previous plans to close Guantanamo ran into resistance from Cheney, Gonzales and former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. But officials said the new suggestion is gaining momentum with at least tacit support from the State and Homeland Security departments, the Pentagon and the Intelligence directorate.
Cheney's office and the Justice Department have been against the step, arguing that moving "unlawful" enemy combatant suspects to the U.S. would give them undeserved legal rights.
In Congress, recently introduced legislation would require Guantanamo's closure. One measure would designate Fort Leavenworth, located about 30 miles northwest of Kansas City in northeast Kansas, as the new detention facility.
Another bill would grant new rights to those held at Guantanamo Bay, including access to lawyers regardless of whether the prisoners are put on trial. Still another would allow detainees to protest their detentions in federal court, something they are now denied.
Gates, who took over the Pentagon after Rumsfeld was forced out last year, has said Congress and the administration should work together to allow the U.S. to imprison permanently some of the more dangerous Guantanamo Bay detainees elsewhere so the facility can be closed.
Military officials told Congress this month that the prison at Fort Leavenworth has 70 open beds and that the brig at a naval base in Charleston, S.C., has space for an additional 100 prisoners.
Rice has said she would like to see Guantanamo closed if a safe alternative could be found. She said during a trip to Spain this month that the United States "doesn't have any desire to be the world's jailer."
"I don't think anyone wants to see Guantanamo open one day longer than it is needed. But I also suspect nobody wants to see a number of dangerous people simply released out onto the streets," she said.
On Thursday, two Democratic lawmakers, Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida and Sen. Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, told a human rights commission that Guantanamo must be closed if the United States is to regain credibility and authority on human rights.
"The damage done to the United States goes beyond undermining our status as a global leader on human rights," Cardin said. "Our policies and practices regarding Guantanamo and other aspects of our detainee policies have undermined our authority to engage in the effective counterterrorism measures that are necessary for the very security of this country."
Officials say that Bush, who also has said he wants to close the facility as soon as possible, is keenly aware of its shortcomings.
His wife, Laura, and mother, Barbara, along with Rice and longtime adviser Karen Hughes, head of the public diplomacy office at the State Department, have told him that Guantanamo is a blot on the U.S. record abroad, particularly in the Muslim world and among European allies.
Earlier this month, former Secretary of State Colin Powell called for the immediate closure of the prison, saying it posed an untenable foreign policy risk and was irreparably harming the U.S. image abroad.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said in statement that "removing the stain Guantanamo has left on our foreign policy" is long overdue.
"It also goes a long way toward returning America's moral authority in the world and addressing the mistakes which have set us back in the fight against terrorism," said Kerry.
Update:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A White House meeting planned for Friday about the future of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility has been canceled after The Associated Press reported the Bush administration was "nearing a decision" to close the center.
National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said there would be no meeting Friday, but he would not comment on the reasons for the cancellation.
Officials from the White House, the Pentagon and the Justice and State departments denied the AP report.
"The administration is not 'nearing a decision' on changing our long-held policy to shut down Gitmo in a responsible way," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. "There is no meeting tomorrow."These and other steps have not been completed. No decisions on the future of Guantanamo Bay are imminent, and there will not be a White House meeting tomorrow," he said.
Johndroe later told CNN that a meeting had been set but was canceled.
Wild Thing's comment..............
Alcee Hastings!! The guy that was impeached and thrown out as a federal judge for corruption?! Hahahahaha! You can’t make this sh*t up!! Is anyone actually running this government, or is it like a derelict ship with no helmsman?
And what the heck is that about with Laura and Bush's mom and their input about this. Sorry but I have nothing against Laura at all, but she is not the person I voted for to be President. Since that part of the first article is from the AP it may or may not be true about Laura and Barbara's input.
But one thing for sure with the UPDATE article, the White House obviously has lied. Can't these people learn how to lie better especially when it is in the press. Or did they change their minds because it was leaked to the press, who knows.
Between these two articles it reads like a Kerry flip flop. They had a meeting planned, no there was no meeting planned.....well there was a meeting planned but we cancelled it. HUH????
I hope Bush listens to Cheney and says NO to closing Gitmo. But if he doesn't then Bush is letting the likes of Kennedy, Reid, Powell and others run our White House. I didn't like reading that Bush wants to close it, that concerns me a lot.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (15)
Blind People Have Superior Memory Skills
Blind People Have Superior Memory Skills
Live Science
Blind people are whizzes at remembering things in the right order, scientists now find.
In the absence of vision, the world is experienced as sequences, explained neurobiologist Ehud Zohary of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. For instance, to identify otherwise indistinguishable objects, such as different brands of yogurt that vary only in their labeling, the blind typically place objects in arrangements of their own making and give mental tags for each of them, such as “the second item on the left.”
Zohary and his colleagues reasoned that since the blind constantly use memory strategies to remember things are, that “practice makes perfect,” giving the blind superior memory skills for other tasks.
The scientists tested 19 congenitally blind and 19 sighted people in two memory tasks. In the first, the volunteers heard a list of 20 words and had to recall them. In the second, they had to remember not just the words, but their order in the list as well.
Blind volunteers recalled 20 to 35 percent more words than sighted ones did, indicating a better memory overall. Their greatest advantage, however, was the ability to remember roughly twice as many more words in sequences according to the right order, findings detailed online June 21 in the journal Current Biology.
“Normally 20 to 30 percent of the brain is basically devoted to vision. With the congenitally blind, you have this brain area, the visual cortex, not getting its natural input,” Zohary told LiveScience. “We had shown that congenitally blind people appeared to be using the visual cortex for other needs, and now we may be seeing part of how this area is getting used for other functions, to maybe be more involved in memory and language processes.”
Wild Thing's comment..............
About 14 years ago, I woke up one morning and as I was washing my face I noticed I could not see anything out of my right eye. I mean nothing, no light nothing. Closing my left eye and trying to see from my right eye...... there was zero vision, just total blackness.
First my heart jumped a beat, fear and what the heck is going on feeling consumed me for about 2 or three minutes. My very first thought was my husband and oh how much I wish I did not have to let him know, because I knew he would worry. Then our dear animals and being a pianist there was that too. Then I knew that my husband was in the kitchen and I didn't want to worry him. So I put my makeup on, finished getting ready for work and went to the kitchen.
When he sat down I told him quietly that I could not see anything out of my right eye. No it did not hurt, there was no real pain. I had retired from modeling, acting, singing, dancing and the entire scope of showbiz that I had been in for so many years, and had opened a gift shop/ tea room in Malibu, Calif. where we lived. So he dropped me off at my shop and went on to his own job on a film he was doing stunt work on. He was very concerned and I was too, but I knew one of us had to keep cool or we would send each other into panic mode.
The eye doctor was called, appt. made. While waiting for my appt. my other eye also went blind. So now I had total blindness in both eyes. Not fun to say the least. I had the best customers in the world in my little shop and they would come in and help me wait on customers, help make change at the front desk and even answer the phone. I would make attempted jokes about not being able to see because I didn't want them to think I had given up and I hadn't.
Well the eye doctor was not good, he told me I had a 75-25 chance of getting MS and that my blindness had to stem from the MS that must be waiting dormant or something to occur.
I stood up and said thanks for your time and I started to walk out. LOL He stopped me and said to make sure he wanted to send me to UCLA to the neurological dept. to the top Doctor to get examined.
The fun started, the brain MRI was done, very tuff because you absolutely cannot move and barely breath or the film would be fuzzy. The UCLA neurological doc looked at the MRI, tested me with the point the finger thing and how many fingers am I holding up, etc. Nothing, Nada, Zippo was seen. But I felt great, otherwise very healthy.
It came down to one diagnoses from him. I had Optic Neuritis in both eyes, It is an infection of the nerve from the back of the eye to the brain. My brain MRI showed no brain tumor, that was good, and none of what is called the “silent” plaques which it would have had if I had MS or MS starting in my body. Something I did not know about MS so that was interesting. The chance of getting MS was not 50-50 but 75-25 NOT to get it. The blindness would just take time to go away as the infection healed.
He was right, I do not have MS, my blindness went away, but it took a full 1 year and 7 months. It took another 4 + years to be able to drive a car once my Peripheral vision returned.
I go once a year to an eye specialist to be checked out and I am doing great. Sometimes my eyes ache but gosh I am online between my blog and my work that I do and someone's eyes could easily ache from long hours at a computer.
All of this to say that this article I found very interesting. As I read it I wondered if even though my blindness was not permanent, thank God, but the way I think as my husband kids me about even though he loves it is almost regimented, order in all things and everything in it's place comes from like this article says too....... a mental labeling of things and able to remember things almost in a list format. I was like that before I went blind but it became stronger afterward.
If our dog and kitty play in the living room and in doing so manage to move something around, a light piece of furniture like a stool, I will automatically put it back ...in order..... without even thinking about it. I can see every item on every shelf, every book in the book shelves and know how many books to the right or left a certain book is with my eyes closed.
hmmmmmm I just think it is interesting how God prepares us for all things even if we don't know it, and how maybe there are things about each of us, that we have at our fingertips to use if an event happens in our life where we may need a certain kind of ability.
Over the years from visiting so many VA hospitals, and talking to the Veterans that were seriously injured to the point where many had to make life changes in how they did things. One thing stands out, there is an inner strength from each of them to cope and make those life changes to go on. Sure they have bad days, but everyone does, theirs are just magnified because of the added pressure of having to do things differently. There inner strength is not only important to them but it is felt by all around them. They make a difference in this world by being the person they are and learning to cope however they can. I admire them so much, more then words can say that would be adequate for how I respect them for meeting their challenges head on.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)
In Country with Operation Arrowhead Ripper
In Baqouba, 60 klicks northeast of Baghdad, American heroes valiantly begin the surge with Operation 'Arrowhead Ripper' isolating terrorists outside the city limits.10,000 soldiers, attack helicopters and armoured fighting vehicles began the offensive against al Qaeda. Today, at least 41 al Qaida terrorists were killed and several bomb and weapon caches destroyed.
In Baqouba, Sunni ‘militants’ pose for Reuters
.
Wild Thing's comment........
To our awesome troops we humbly thank you. To Reuters, nudge here for you, maybe if you had a gun along with your camera you could take out a few of the insurgents when they pose for you. I know I would be tempted to shoot them if I was a Reuters photographer. OOHRAH!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (7)
June 21, 2007
Congress Hits Record Low ~ 14% Rating
New Gallup data show confidence in Congress at all time low
Just 14% of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in Congress.
This 14% Congressional confidence rating is the all-time low for this measure, which Gallup initiated in 1973. The previous low point for Congress was 18% at several points in the period of time 1991 to 1994.
By way of contrast, 69% of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the military, which tops the list.
The current 14% confidence rating for Congress is down from 19% last year and is the lowest in Gallup’s history, surpassing the 18% confidence in Congress measured in 1991, 1993 and 1994.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (10)
Marcus Luttrell Answers To ROE
RE: Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell
NRO
by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
Smith is a contributing editor for NavySEALs.com. A former U.S. Marine rifle squad leader, parachutist, and shipboard counterterrorism instructor, Smith writes about military/defense issues and has covered conflict in the Balkans, the West Bank, and Iraq.
The interview further down is from NRO and Smith is the interviewer.
Marcus Luttrell and his three buddies had to make an impossible decision. Afghani goat herders disrupted their secret mission to track a Taliban leader. Killing them would be a violation of the ROE (Rules of Engagement). Holding them would reveal their position. Letting them go would likely bring the Taliban upon them.
Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, and the desperate battle in the mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. But it is also, more than anything, the story of his teammates, who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left-blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers.
A six-foot-five-inch Texan, Leading Petty Officer Luttrell takes us, blow-by-blow, through the brutal training of America's warrior elite and the relentless rites of passage required by the Navy SEALs. He transports us to a monstrous battle fought in the desolate peaks of Afghanistan, where the beleaguered American team plummeted headlong a thousand feet down a mountain as they fought back through flying shale and rocks. In this rich , moving chronicle of courage, honor, and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers one of the most powerful narratives ever written about modern warfare-and a tribute to his teammates, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Luttrell, who’s riveting new book ‘Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10’ is fast top seller, talks to Breitbart.tv in front of the U.S. Capitol about courage, the consequence of decisions, and the meaning of his Navy Cross.
If you don't have trust in us as a military, as a fighting force, as special forces; then I don't understand why you would send us over there.I use the analogy — and I'm not trying to insult anybody — but an interviewer asked me that same question; and I was like, 'Look, how long have you been married?'
He was like, 'ten years.'
I was like, 'Do I come into your bedroom and tell you how to make love to your wife? No I don't. Alright? I assume you know how to do it.'
I've been doing this [being a special operations warfighter] for a long time. So have the generals and the admirals and the colonels who tell me how to fight. So I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't come onto our battlefield and tell us how to win this war.
We know how to do it. It's our job.
If you're a politician, you deal with politics.
I'm a soldier. I deal with war.
Wild Thing's comment............
I agree let the soldier deal with war and stop messing with our troops missions, their minds and their morale.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (18)
GOP challenges Bush on immigration reform
GOP challenges Bush on immigration reform
latimes
House Republicans, in opposition to Senate bill, also detail ways they think U.S. has failed on border and law enforcement. With no chance of passage, the measure underlines the party's split.
WASHINGTON
In a sharp rebuke to President Bush, House Republicans unveiled legislation Tuesday that would bar illegal immigrants from gaining legal status in the U.S., require tamper-proof birth certificates for Americans and make English the nation's official language.
The measure's core principles include gaining control of the border and enforcing existing immigration laws. It does not provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, as the Bush plan does.
The House bill stands virtually no chance of becoming law, or even advancing, in the Democratic-controlled Congress. Still, it casts in bold relief the split between Bush and many fellow Republicans in the immigration debate.
The bill surfaced one day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), working with the White House, resurrected efforts to pass the broader legislation Bush wants.
The authors of the House bill also are pushing for a congressional resolution detailing ways in which they think the federal government has failed to enforce immigration law and has made it easier for illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S.
"The current illegal immigration crisis is a direct result of this and previous administrations failing to enforce or adequately enforce at least eight immigration laws," the resolution said.
The bill's authors, Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), said it was meant to challenge the immigration bill the Senate planned to return to this week.
That measure, King said, goes "against the wishes of the American people."
In another sign of GOP restiveness over immigration, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) introduced a resolution Tuesday calling on Bush to enforce existing immigration laws in order to halt "the lawlessness at our borders."
Sessions has been a vocal critic of the Bush approach to revamping immigration laws. The president, however, travels to Alabama this week to headline a fundraiser for the senator.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel rejected the criticism that the administration has been lax in border enforcement. As one example, he cited a sharp rise in funding under Bush for stricter border control.
In 2001, enforcement funding totaled $4.6 billion; that has increased significantly. In his latest budget request, Bush is seeking $11.8 billion.
Stanzel also noted that the Senate bill included border security goals that would have to be achieved before other aspects of the overhaul could proceed.
Reid wants the Senate to decide the fate of the immigration bill one way or the other before Congress breaks for its July 4 recess. But even if the measure passes the chamber, it faces an uncertain fate in the House.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has told administration officials that she will not take up the bill unless about 70 Republicans are brought on board to help pass it.
The bill unveiled Tuesday is the equivalent of a warning flag that conservatives intend to fight for those Republican votes.
"It seems a formal way of putting proponents on notice that there will be resistance from those quarters in the House," said Roberto Suro, director of the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center.
He added that the number of cosponsors the bill attracted could act as "an indication of how many votes there are to oppose something that resembles the Senate bill or … includes the legalization program."
The measure would require that 18,000 border patrol agents be deployed by Dec. 31, 2008. Currently, the force totals about 12,000.
It would also require the full implementation of US-VISIT, a program that is meant to track entries and exits at all ports of entry but that has fallen short of that goal.
U.S. citizens would be affected by many of the changes proposed for work site enforcement, including mandatory checks of all employees' eligibility and a nationwide electronic system for tracking birth and death records.
Smith, one of the bill's authors, said it would allow for greater information-sharing among the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration and the Department of the Treasury to identify illegal immigrants.
Wild Thing's comment.........
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel rejected the criticism that the administration has been lax in border enforcement. As one example, he cited a sharp rise in funding under Bush for stricter border control.
Hey, Scotty-boy, you're really gonna have to do better than that. We're onto your pathetic Clintonistic snow jobs regarding your "efforts".
When a sitting President will not listen to the voice of the people, and continually goes out and pushes a proposal that would reward criminal behavior, flood our social services, and create a voting block dedicated to reacquiring large areas of our country, that is not securing our borders and enforcing our current laws the security..........then why are we sending our troops into danger to fight the enemy on foreign lands when the President demands to let them in unfettered through our open borders.
Every politician needs to remember the preamble to the Constitution starts We the People Not We the elected few. Don't insult us with your pathetic justifications of absolute and willing failure. You're out of your league when it comes to explaining your slick little shenanigans to the conservative blogosphere.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (12)
June 20, 2007
Bush Weighs Reaching Out To Moslem Brotherhood
The muslim brotherhood motto:
“Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur’an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.
Bush Weighs Reaching Out To ‘Brothers'
New York Sun
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is quietly weighing the prospect of reaching out to the party that founded modern political Islam, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Still in its early stages and below the radar, the current American deliberations and diplomacy with the organization, known in Arabic as Ikhwan, take on new significance in light of Hamas's successful coup in Gaza last week. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is widely reported to have helped create Hamas in 1982.
Today the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research will host a meeting with other representatives of the intelligence community to discuss opening more formal channels to the brothers. Earlier this year, the National Intelligence Council received a paper it had commissioned on the history of the Muslim Brotherhood by a scholar at the Nixon Center, Robert Leiken, who is invited to the State Department meeting today to present the case for engagement.
On April 7, congressional leaders such as Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the Democratic whip, attended a reception where some representatives of the brothers were present. The reception was hosted at the residence in Cairo of the American ambassador to Egypt, Francis Ricciardone, a decision that indicates a change in policy.
Should Mr. Bush ask his diplomats to forge new channels to the Muslim Brotherhood it would also be a recognition of the gains their parties have made in elections in the last three years.
Nonetheless, administration officials this week also stressed that no decisions have been made as to a new initiative. One leading European Islamist, Tariq Ramadan, who is the grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, is being denied a visa to assume a professorship he has been offered at Notre Dame University. The policy debate inside the administration is also contentious, with law enforcement agencies such as the FBI skeptical that the Muslim Brotherhood is not clandestinely more involved in supporting violent jihad than the organization's emissaries let on.
Arguing against a new policy on the brothers today will be a Hudson Institute expert on Islam, Hillel Fradkin. Mr. Fradkin declined to comment on his presentation ahead of the meeting. A colleague of his at the institute who has also taken a skeptical view of the brothers, Zeyno Baran, did say she was worried about a new direction by the Bush administration.
"The thinking is that to deal with terrorism, we need to deal with Muslims who will take care of their communities so there will not be people here and there doing terrorism," she said.
"So we treat the brotherhood like an umbrella organization, like the Council on American Islamic Relations or the Islamic Society of North America. You make them partners. They might Islamize the Muslims, but it's okay because they can think or do what they want as long as they are not violent. That is the misunderstanding and mistake."
Wild Thing's comment...........
So, he’s reaching out to Ted Kennedy, illegal aliens, and the Muslim Brotherhood. Wonder when he will “reach out” to his base?
The Al Qaeda is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. You cannot reach out to these people, for one thing if you do reach out to them you will only appear to be weak. That might be one true thing we can agree on with the Muslim Brotherhood, I can agree with that. Reaching out to them IS weak and simply aid's them in their agenda.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been active in the US since the 1960s. Its goals have included propagating Islam and creating havens for Muslims in the US, and integrating Muslims The Muslim Brotherhood is reportedly behind all the sharia nonsense in Minnesota lately with the cab drivers etc.
The architect of the Sept. 11 strikes, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, told U.S. interrogators that he was drawn to violent jihad after joining the Brotherhood in Kuwait at age 16 and attending its desert youth camps.
Muslim activists who know current and former Brotherhood sympathizers in this country say bitter opposition to Israel is a key part of Brotherhood beliefs. Law enforcement sources say hundreds of current and former members and supporters nationwide are under federal investigation for alleged financial support of Hamas and other Palestinian groups deemed terrorists by the U.S. government.
According to a transcript provided by the Investigative Project, a Washington terrorism research group. "Conquest through dawah, that is what we hope for," said Qaradawi, an influential Qatari imam who pens some of the religious edicts justifying Hamas suicide bombings against Israeli civilians. "We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America, not through the sword but through dawah," said the imam.
He named the Muslim Students Association (MSA) and has opened a headquarters complex built on former farmland in suburban Indianapolis. With 150 chapters, the MSA is one of the nation's largest college groups.
Of course this is just a tiny part of the information on the Muslim Brotherhood. But to reach out to them knowing what we all know about them, how they are already in our country, their ultimate agenda to take over this country and the world............. I just don't understand why we can't have a clean line drawn against our enemy and the enemy of the world.
Posted by Wild Thing at 11:45 AM | Comments (14)
See The Commercial of Hillary and Bill's Spoof of Soprano's Ending for Her Campaign Song
Hillary and Bill Spoof the Soprano's Ending on the Hillary Campaign Song
Hillary's presidential campaign on Tuesday unveiled its new campaign song with a Web video that spoofs the final scene of the popular HBO mobster series.
The scene: A diner and a jukebox. A nostalgic song. A long fade to black. It worked as a finale for "The Sopranos."
In the new Clinton clip, Hillary Clinton, like Tony Soprano, spins through the musical selections in a diner in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., near her home in Chappaqua.
Where's Chelsea?" Sen. Clinton asks. Outside a car tire hits the curb. "Parallel parking," President Clinton replies.
"How's the campaign going?" he asks.
"Well, like you always say, focus on the good times."
"So what's the winning song," he presses.
"You'll see."
"My money is on Smash Mouth," he says. "Everybody in America wants to know how it's going to end."
"Ready?" Hillary asks.
The scene fades to black.
But, no, unlike the Sopranos, it's not over. You can click to hear Dion's song. A new page pops up. The most prominent word stands out against a red background:
"Contribute."
Wild Thing's comment..........
This is so weird, here we have America's most criminal draft dodger EX President and his wife. The couple that brought us one criminal 'GATE ' after the other, one dead body after the other in their rise to powe,r and to stay power. All the lives they destroyed in their trail to the White House and what do they decide to use for a commercial????
A copycat version from a hit TV Mafia series, the Soprano's!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (15)
U.S. To Give More Aid to Hamas ~ Just Damn
Here is my suggestion for a "donation"to the Hamas
Hamas: We'll obtain emergency U.S. aid
After seizing American weapons in Gaza, 'hopes' more arms provided to West Bank
JAFFA, Israel – The Hamas terror group will obtain emergency aid the U.S. announced it will provide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization.
"Like the American weapons in Gaza we told you will come to Hamas, also the weapons and aid the Americans are giving to Abu Mazen (Abbas) as part of their conspiracy against us in the West Bank will find its way to the Palestinian resistance and Hamas," said Abu Abdullah, a senior operational member in Gaza of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades, Hamas' so-called "military wing."
The terror leader, speaking from the Gaza Strip, said Hamas was "swimming" in American weapons it seized last week when it gained control of Fatah bases, including Fatah's major Ansar complex – where American-provided weapons were delivered and stored – and Abbas' presidential guard complex.
Abu Abdullah today was responding directly to an announcement yesterday by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice the U.S. will resume "full assistance to the Palestinian government," lifting an economic and political embargo against the Palestinian government enacted after Hamas came to power in March 2006.
Rice said she will ask Congress to rework a previous $86 million aid package to Abbas that was lowered following concerns by some lawmakers that some of the money would end up financing terrorism. Congress in April only approved about $59 million of the aid package and stipulated the money cannot be used to purchase weapons. Rice intends to request Congress now grant the full $86 million.Rice also said the U.S. would contribute an additional $40 million to the United Nations to help Palestinians, particularly in the Gaza Strip, which is now controlled by Hamas.
According to Palestinian and Israeli diplomatic sources, the bulk of the $86 million is slated to be used to fund Force 17, which serve as de facto police units in the West Bank and previously patrolled the Hamas-seized Gaza Strip.
Many members of Force 17 are also openly members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group, which took responsibility together with Islamic Jihad for every suicide bombing in Israel the last two years.
Hamas' Al Aqsa Television last week broadcast footage of Hamas gunmen brandishing American assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, rocket launchers and ammunition the U.S. reportedly provided to Fatah over the past few months. Hamas fighters also showed what they said were 10 American-provided armored personnel carriers the terror group said it seized from U.S.-backed Fatah security compounds it took over Tuesday.
Abu Abdullah last week commented, "We informed you many times we would obtain all American arms brought to Gaza.""We have no worries about running out of weapons or ammunition thanks to your American government," said Abdullah.
Besides obtaining American weapons, terrorist groups, including Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committees, claim they seized large quantities of CIA security files stored at major Fatah compounds. Terror leaders claimed the files contain, among other information, details of CIA networks in the Middle East.
"The CIA files we seized, which include documents, CDs, taped conversations and videos, are more important than all the American weapons we obtained the last two days as we took over the traitor Fatah's positions," said Muhammad Abdel-El, spokesman for the Hamas-allied Popular Resistance Committees terror group.
The Committees has been accused of carrying out anti-U.S. attacks, including a 2003 bombing of an American convoy in Gaza that killed three U.S. contractors.
Hamas' Abu Abdullah said, "Now our job is to study these files, which are already showing that they are crucial for our fight against the Zionists and anyone who collaborates with them, including the Americans."
Wild Thing's comment............
Good grief, STOP FUNDING Terrorists!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (12)
Mexico and U.S. to discuss health plan for ILLEGALS
Mexico, U.S. to discuss health plan for migrants
MEXICO CITY
The health ministers of Mexico and the United States are to work out a joint strategy Tuesday for caring Mexican migrants suffering health problems along the border, the Mexican Health Ministry said on Monday.
The final plan will be sent to the U.S. Congress that is now in recess, the ministry said in a statement.
Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said he began talking about the health plan for migrants with his U.S. counterpart Michael Leavitt a few weeks ago in Geneva, Switzerland, at the World Health Organization headquarters.
"The plan would guarantee basic medical help for thousands of future migrants as they cross the border," Cordova said.
According to statistics from Mexican and U.S. governments, around 500,000 people enter the United States illegally via its border with Mexico each year.
Mexican illegal migrants reach the U.S. border in a variety of ways, many of them dangerous, such as crossing the Texas desert in harsh climatic conditions and risking the attack of poisonous animals, or being hidden in secret compartments inside vehicles facing the risking of suffocation.
Cordova said the health plan would apply to migrants suffering from serious injuries or chronic diseases, who, in that condition, would be repatriated and receive treatment via the Seguro Popular (People's Health Insurance) in hospitals on the border.
Wild Thing's comment..........
Yeah, “undocumented Americans” were getting claustrophobic in the tunnels, and wet crossing the Rio Grande. Anyone willing to guess what is next? A bridge across the border?
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (11)
Illegals Using Fire To Clear Border
Illegals light border fires to sidetrack U.S. agents
washington times ....for complete article
U.S. Border Patrol agents seeking to secure the nation's border in some of the country's most pristine national forests are being targeted by illegal aliens, who are using intentionally set fires to burn agents out of observation posts and patrol routes.
The wildfires also have resulted in the destruction of valuable natural and cultural resources in the National Forest System and pose an ongoing threat to visitors, residents and responding firefighters, according to federal law enforcement authorities and others.
In the Coronado National Forest in Arizona, with 60 miles of land along the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. Forest Service firefighters sent in to battle fires or clear wild land fire areas are required to be escorted by armed law enforcement officers.
Armed smugglers of aliens and drugs have walked through the middle of active firefighting operations, the authorities said.
The Border Patrol's Tucson, Ariz., sector, which encompasses most of the Coronado National Forest, has the highest incidence of cross-border violators in the nation.
Nearly 500,000 illegal aliens were apprehended last year -- more than 30,000 a month. In addition, nearly 100,000 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of $200 million, was seized as it was hauled through the Coronado National Forest.
Wildfires are being set by alien and drug smugglers, authorities said, to create a diversion in an attempt to gain undetected access across the border. The fires correspond to a dramatic rise in assaults against Border Patrol agents — up more than 100 percent over last year.
Wild Thing's comment...........
They know that if the Border Agents do their job, they’ll end up in jail. Bring in a couple helicopter gunships and lets see who starts the fires next time.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (6)
June 19, 2007
Kennedy: Immigration Reform Critical to National Security ~ HUH??
Kennedy: Immigration Reform Critical to National Security
fox boston
U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy said Monday that failing to pass immigration reforms would push illegal immigrants into isolation and create breeding grounds for homegrown terrorists.
Kennedy pointed to several European countries where he said alienation and immigration problems has led to terrorist acts. "Just look what happened in Great Britain, with the isolation of the communities," Kennedy said at a meeting of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. "Look what has happened in France. Look what has happened in Germany. Look where the cells are in terms of al-Qaida. They're all in different communities, which failed to assimilate individuals."
The Massachusetts Democrat is a leading proponent, along with President Bush, of legislation that would grant millions of illegal immigrants lawful status, while tightening border security and creating new measures for weeding illegal workers off of job sites. The legislation has stalled in Congress amid criticism -- especially from conservatives -- that it gives lawbreakers amnesty.
But Kennedy said passing such legislation was critical to the country's national security, among other arguments.
"Why is it that virtually no Muslims in India are members of al-Qaida. Has anybody asked that question?," Kennedy asked. "It's because they all feel they're included."
Wild Thing's comment...........
"Why is it that virtually no Muslims in India are members of al-Qaida. Has anybody asked that question?," Kennedy asked. "It's because they all feel they're included."
This guy is oblivious to reality. Islamic violence is widespread in India. Has he ever heard of Kashmir? And um Ted please DO try to keep up!!!!
Al-Qaida declares holy war on India
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/06/09/al_qaida_declares_holy_war_on_india/
And then there is France and of course thats why the French are not eager to add more imigrants. Belly up to the bar again, Swimmer. This is the funniest phony claim yet coming out about this bill.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (20)
Hooray Queen! Hooray Salman Rushdie!
Rushdie Suicide Bomber Attack Threat
sky news
A Pakistani minister says Muslims would be right to carry out suicide attacks over author Salman Rushdie's knighthood.
Religious Affairs Minister Mohammed Ijaz ul Haq told the country's parliament: "The West is accusing Muslims of extremism and terrorism."
"If someone exploded a bomb on his body he would be right to do so unless the British government apologises and withdraws the 'Sir' title."
In Multan, effigies of the writer and the monarch have been burned by about 100 students carrying banners and chanting "Kill Him! Kill Him!"
Lawmakers in Islamabad have passed a resolution calling for the honour - given in the Queen's Birthday Honours List - to be withdrawn.
Britain's fist Muslim peer, Labour's Lord Ahmed, said he was "appalled by the decision".
"I am appalled that someone like Salman Rushdie, who has been very provocative and insulting to Muslims and Christians, has been knighted," he told Sky News.
There are many other good British writers, such as JK Rowling, who makes a huge contribution to British society, who could have been knighted.
"It seems like a deliberately provocative action."
The knighthood was also greeted with fury in Iran, which accused the UK of "anti-Islamism" by honouring the "detested" author.
Sir Selman caused outrage in the Islamic world with his book The Satanic Verses, in which he was accused of blaspheming the prophet Mohammed.
He was forced into hiding when an order to kill him - a fatwa - was issued and has only just returned to public life.
The fatwa was issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989.
Iranian government officials declared in 1998 that it would not support the order, but some say it is irrevocable.
Wild Thing's comment............
I see they are too cowardly to threaten the person responsible for knighting Rushdie. Good on her for doing it
"The West is accusing Muslims of extremism and terrorism."
... And we're going to kill innocent victims to prove them wrong!
Officials say the knighthood is an insult to the religious sentiments of Muslims.
Oh good grief what isn't!
If the Queen is indeed sending a message, good for her!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (12)
Clay Pigeon To Be Used To Defeat The Will Of The American People
Rare Tactic May Allow Immigration Votes
Washington Post ........ for complete article
WASHINGTON
Only in the arcane world of the U.S. Senate could a quirky gambit known as a "clay pigeon" make the difference between passage of an important immigration measure and its death at the hands of opponents.
Democratic leaders hope the complex maneuver _ which makes use of the Senate's labyrinthine rules to insist on votes on amendments _ will frustrate conservatives' attempts to derail the embattled immigration bill, instead putting it on a fast track to passage next week.
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he would revive the bill to legalize as many as 12 million unlawful immigrants late this week. To do so, though, he needs backing from 60 senators, and a way to guarantee votes on a tentative list of 22 Republican and Democratic amendments whose consideration is seen as vital to satisfying key waverers.
The tactic gets its name from the target used in skeet shooting, which explodes into bits as it is hit. In the Senate, an amendment is the target, and any one senator can demand that it be divided into separate fragments to be voted on piecemeal.
Under the tentative plan, Reid as early as Friday would launch his target _ an amendment encompassing all 22 proposals _ and shoot it into its component pieces. The Senate would then vote on ending debate on the immigration measure, which would take 60 votes and limit discussion of the bill to 30 more hours. After that interval, all 22 amendments would have to be voted on, with little opportunity for foes to interfere.
Ironically, the move is usually used by mavericks _ not leaders _ to slow down legislation, not free it from a procedural thicket.
It's a brilliant way to gum up the works," said Robert B. Dove, a Senate rules expert who was the chamber's referee for 36 years.
The maneuver appears to be a relatively modern innovation; Dove said he first became aware of it in the early 1970s, when then-Sen. Jim Allen, D-Ala., a master of parliamentary procedures, used it against a bill pushed by the then- majority leader, Sen. Mike Mansfield, D-Mont.
"I remember people being dazzled when he did this," Dove said.
Reid's plan has its risks, chief among them further inflaming the vocal conservative opponents who have vowed to do whatever they can to kill the immigration measure.
Wesley Denton, a spokesman for Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., called the plan a "stunning" effort by Reid "to choke off debate and handpick amendments." He threatened that Republicans would unleash the same tactic on the majority in the future.
"I've seen ideas like this really backfire. You pay a price for this kind of thing," Dove said, noting that the Senate functions almost entirely on consensus. "It can be done _ I've seen it done _ but it's a difficult maneuver."
Wild Thing's comment.........
Notice how they use the word “Immigrant” instead of illegal. They’ve already done this without any hearings. Wrap your mind around that. No cost estimates, no testimony, no investigation, no staff work . . . just boom, here’s a bill, let’s pass it, only our nation at stake.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (8)
Military Spouses Targets of ID Thieves
Military families the target of 'Red Cross scam'
ID thieves telephone next of kin and report bogus battlefield injury
msnbc
Military families make a tempting target for con artists, especially when a spouse is deployed overseas in a war zone.
Last week, the American Red Cross issued a warning to all military families to be on guard against a new scam in which the caller claims to be from the Red Cross. That caller could be an identity thief, trying to snag a loved one’s personal information.
“Unfortunately there are some people out there who are doing this very cruel scam,” says Devorah Goldburg, a senior officer with the American Red Cross. “We know of one case and there are likely more.”
In that case, Goldburg tells me, a woman whose spouse is deployed overseas got a call from “a young-sounding woman with an American accent” who said she was with the Red Cross.
The caller said the woman’s husband was hurt in Iraq and was evacuated to a hospital in Germany. Treatment could not start, she claimed, until the paperwork was completed.
The caller then asked to verify the husband’s Social Security number and date of birth. That’s everything an ID thief would need to open credit cards or take out loans in her husband’s name.
Because her husband is deployed in the United Kingdom, not Iraq, the wife quickly realized this was a scam and did not provide that information. She contacted the Family Readiness Group about the incident.
Lying to a military family is a crime
When told about this scam, Blake Draheim, a soldier at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Wash. responded, "We’re out here serving our country. Why try to steal our identity? We're out here fighting for you.”
All of the services have programs in place to inform military families about the types of scams directed at them.
“It is a horrific thing to do,” says Shari Lawrence, Deputy Public Affairs Officer for Army Human Resources. “We take this very seriously.”
It’s also a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, for a person to falsely pretend to be a member or an agent for the Red Cross for the purposes of soliciting, collecting or receiving money or material.
NEVER give out a Social Security number or date of birth to an unknown caller. In fact, you shouldn’t even confirm that your family member is deployed.
Remember; military doctors would never delay treating an injured soldier because they did not have identifying information, such as SSN or date of birth. That’s a sure sign the call is a scam.
Wild Thing's comment..........
There should be a special punishment for the people doing this. Families iand loved ones of those in our military serve our country too in a very special way. And for someone, anyone to do this kind of thing to them is unforgivable.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)
Wounded Soldier Reaffirms Commitment To Fight
Wounded Soldier reaffirms commitment to fight
By Pfc. Bradley J. Clark, 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq
Soldiers reenlist in the Army everyday, but for one Soldier with the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, reenlisting was an experience far from ordinary.
Frankenmuth, Mich., native, Pfc. Daniel Weber, cavalry scout, 2nd Platoon, Troop B, 1-9 Cav., reenlisted June 13 only hours after being involved in an improvised explosive device attack in Mosul, Iraq.
“I was planning on reenlisting that day for a while now,” said Weber. “Why should I let something like this change my mind?”
Weber’s company commander, Capt. Bradley Nelson, was in a convoy heading to Forward Operating Base Marez for a meeting and Weber just hitched a ride so he could reenlist.
“We were riding along just fine when we heard over the radio that Delta Troop was in some trouble, so we decided to turn around and help them out because we had a medic with us,” said Weber.
When the convoy had decided to turn around, Weber, along with his fellow Soldiers, was surprised at what happened next.
An improvised explosive device detonated right beside their vehicle.
The concussion of the blast rattled through the vehicle, blowing Weber out of the vehicle.
“I knew we got hit,” said Weber. “I thought I was dead. I slid on the concrete for at least 20 meters.”
As Weber lay on the ground his adrenaline began to take control of him.
“I couldn’t feel my legs, but I realized I had to stand up and get back to my truck for cover,” recalls Weber.
Weber ran over to his commander and helped him back into the vehicle and then recovered his driver’s weapon.
“The blast forced my door open all the way trapping the driver in the vehicle,” said Weber. “As I helped him fix the door I could feel my sleeve stick to my arm and that’s when I knew I was hurt.”
The convoy regrouped and rushed to an Iraqi military base nearby, where Weber was seen by U.S. Navy doctors.
“The docs thought my arm was broken but they weren’t sure, so they cleaned me up and rushed me over to the Iraqi troop medical center for an X-ray,” said Weber.
Weber’s X-ray came back negative.
Right after Weber received the results of his X-ray, Nelson told him that he could be on a flight to FOB Marez, if he still wanted to reenlist.
“My sergeant asked me if it was something I still wanted to do,” said Weber. “I want to re-up to get the guys that did this.”
After a short helicopter ride, Weber landed and reenlisted on the landing pad.
“After it was all done, everyone came up to me and thanked me for my service and reenlisting,” said Weber. “Colonel (Stephen) Twitty thanked me and then (Command) Sergeant Major (Stephan) Frennier gave me a coin and thanked me. After that (Lieutenant) Colonel (Keitron) Todd and (Command) Sergeant Major (William) Beever thanked me.”
Weber’s family might have mixed emotions about what happened, but they all share pride for him and what he is doing.
“My two brothers are in the military and both of them are extremely proud that I decided to reenlist,” said Weber. “My wife and mother were shocked and worried, but in the end, they are also very proud of me.”
Weber chose to reenlist for several reasons.
“My wife is going to school, so I wanted to stay in to help support her,” said Weber. “I also did it because I love my job and I love all the outstanding support I get from everyone.”
Weber reenlisted for six years.
.
Wild Thing's comment..............
Our country is blessed to have the best military in the world. Not only for our power which is awesome and our training which is extensive. But also because of the might of each and every one of our service members. The might, will, determinationi and love of their families and our country.
They want to be a part of making sure our country remains the land of the free and secure for their families, loved ones and for all. There is a special inner being that comes with those who serve, something those that say no to serving don't have. Something that sets them apart from all the rest.
We honor them and their service for we know without them and our Veterans from all the wars we would be nothing as a country and as a people.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (18)
June 18, 2007
Must See Video ~ What really happened in the Middle East
This is a must see video .....................
http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened/
....Thank you so much Melissa for showing me this video.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (7)
Israel Not Cuba or Belarus On Blacklist for Human Rights Reform with UN~?!?
Castro and Lukashenko to Celebrate Human Rights Council Reform Package
UnWatch
Contrary to all the promises of reform issued last year, the proposal released today by Council President Luis Alfonso de Alba targets Israel for permanent indictment under a special agenda item: “Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories,” which includes “Human rights violations and implications of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and other occupied Arab territories”; and “Right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.” No other situation in the world is singled out — not genocide in Sudan, not child slavery in China, nor the persecution of democracy dissidents in Egypt and elsewhere. Moreover, the council will entrench its one-sided investigative mandate of “Israeli violations of international law”—the only one not subject to regular review after a set term—by renewing it “until the end of the occupation.”At the same time, the proposal eliminates the experts charged with reporting on violations by Cuba and Belarus, despite the latest reports of massive violations by both regimes. As for the experts on other countries — on Burundi, Cambodia, North Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Liberia, Burma, Somalia and Sudan — all of these may soon be eliminated, as threatened by the Council majority comprised of dictatorships and other Third World countries, under a gradual “review” process. Pending their fate, all experts will be subjected to a new “Code of Conduct,” submitted by Algeria in the name of the African group, designed to intimidate and restrict the independence of the human rights experts.
Wild Thing's comment........
So let's see the International standards will be set by the most murderous thugs!!!! And not Israel that has only fought back these vile terrorists.
"the Israeli occupation of Palestine and other occupied Arab territories"
Occupation, how can it be an occupation? Israel took that territory during wars that they didn't even start. That's the way it's worked throughout human history, to the victors go the spoils. It's Israeli territory now and they don't have to give anything back to anyone.
The first arab sponsored terrorist attack upon Jews occurred in 1920, long before the establishment of Israel and long before there were any so-called palestinians. In 1929 arab mobs massacred over 100 Jews, 67 of them in 1929 Hebron massacre alone, an ancient community where Jews lived among arabs peacefully for centuries. Many of the corpses were mutilated by arabs. So apparently fighting back is a huge No No for the UN. I am not surprised, just more disgusted at at UN for doing this.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (11)
Awesome Letter From The Desert ~ A Must Read
I recently attended a showing of "Superman 3" here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorioum we use for movies as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem the music stopped.
Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.
Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter as everyone sat down and expected the movie to start.
Here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier stood at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand Soldiers ..........
'...and the rockets red glare, bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?'
It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.
Chaplain Jim Higgins .
LSA Anaconda is at the Balad Airport in Iraq, north of Baghdad
Wild Thing's comment...........
This is from Letters from the Desert blog. I loved it, it was so touching and wanted to share it with you all.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)
In Country With Our Troops
FOB HAMMER
Following in your parents’ footsteps takes on new meaning for a 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat team Soldier.
Pfc. Stephanie McCulley, a combat medic with 3rd HBCT, from Uniontown, Pa., followed the steps of her grandfather, who raised her. They both served in the Army. They both served in combat, and they both earned a Bronze Star Medal as a private first class.
“My grandfather raised me,” said McCulley. “He was more of a dad than a grandfather. I lived with him and my grandmother from the age of 2 until I graduated high school.”
Ronald Jobes instilled a strong sense of patriotism in McCulley at a young age.
“He would always put up a flag for my grandmother on her birthday because it was the same day as Flag Day,” said McCulley. “I remember that he fell and broke some ribs twice, but he still did it. It was very important to him.”
The man who McCulley affectionately called “Pap Pap” is much more than a patriotic father figure, however.
During World War II, Jobes fought with the 398th Infantry Division in France. From January 1945 to March 1945, Jobes routinely volunteered for dangerous night patrols to hinder the Nazi defensive preparations in his sector. Jobes went out an average of three nights a week for three months. His service and commitment did not go unnoticed by his superiors. As a private first class, Jobes was awarded the Bronze Star for his exemplary performance in Eastern France.
“I didn’t even know I had been awarded the thing until I re-enlisted for my second tour,” said Jobes. “We didn’t have a formation or anything like that. We just did our duty as best we could. Every patrol was pretty much the same. I don’t recall any one time that I earned it, but they gave it to me.”
Sixty-two years later, Jobes’ granddaughter would earn the same award for her service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
For McCulley, receiving the same award as her grandfather was a special moment.
“I think it is interesting that we both received our awards as privates first class,” said McCulley. “Col. (Wayne) Grigsby told me my grandfather would be proud after he pinned it on me. I couldn’t help but smile after that. “
While on a combat patrol with her platoon, the lead convoy vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. McCulley reacted instantaneously.
Leaving the safety of her humvee, she ran through the thick smoke with her section sergeant, Staff Sgt. Michael Henderson, from Vidor, Texas, to the disabled.
“I felt the IED before I heard it,” explained McCulley. “They train us to wait and let Soldiers bring the casualties to us, but I knew if anyone was alive in that truck; they were barely alive. I didn’t have time to wait. I didn’t feel much at the time. I just hopped out of our truck and ran to the truck.”
Henderson was not surprised to make it to the vehicle with McCulley by his side.
“She did what she was trained to do and then some,” said Henderson. “I knew she wouldn’t stay in the truck. That’s just the type of Soldier she is.”
Two of the three Soldiers in the vehicle were dead, but the third was alive.
Henderson and McCulley quickly freed him from the wreckage and went to work stabilizing the seriously wounded soldier.
“It’s important to remember that neither of them knew what was on the other side of that cloud,” said Capt. Steven Hemman, their team leader in the 3rd HBCT, from St. Louis. “Both of them could have run into small-arms fire or a secondary IED, but they didn’t think about that. Their only thought was getting to that vehicle and taking care of their battle buddies. I think that says something about them both.”
Hemman, who was there and nominated both Soldiers for the Bronze Star, was impressed with McCulley’s performance.
“I can’t say enough about how she performed,” he said. “I know without a doubt that if she had not performed how she did we would have lost three Soldiers that day.”
Sacrifices of a sole bread winner : Single father labors in Iraq for kids at home
By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI, Iraq - Nearly three years ago during his first tour to Iraq, things were a little different for Sgt. Chester Temple, a supply specialist for Battery A, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment.
He had a wife and twin premature babies to worry about - a boy, Trey, and girl, Abbey, who weighed just a little less than three pounds each and could fit in the palm of his hands.
Shortly after their birth, he had flown home to Fort Hood, Texas on emergency leave to see them for the first time but then had to return to Iraq. Later, when his tour was over in early 2005, his wife moved far away leaving him custody of the ailing twins. Eventually, a painful divorce left him a single father raising his children.
For his second deployment to Iraq, Temple had to leave his son and daughter in the care of his parents, who live in Killeen, Texas.
"The kids are doing really well now, they're nearly three years old and healthy," said Temple, who calls Fort Hood his home. "I had no worries leaving them with my parents. I'm glad to know that my babies are being taken care of."
He said he worried more when his children were younger and dealing with health issues. It's easier now.
"My son has become a chunk, getting big," Temple said. "His sister was always bigger than he was, but now he's outgrown her. But they're both healthy and happy."
Temple's father is a retired Soldier and his mother now works at home with her own business, processing physician's orders for nursing homes via computer. They are able to easily watch Abbey and Trey and take turns doing so, Temple said.
"My parents are great people. I was raised by the best," he said. "I really appreciate what they're doing for me and the sacrifices they're making at home. I've got pretty good kids and they're not that hard to manage," added Temple. "They're communicating well now and can tell you when they're hungry and thirsty."
"I also call them on the phone," he added. "They tell me they love me and miss me. Trey will usually tell me what he's watching on TV and Abbey will look at the phone trying to figure out how I got in there."To stave off depression and keep his mind off his family, Temple said he often keeps himself busy so the time goes by quicker.
"The best thing to do is for me to engulf myself in my work," said Temple. "When I can't contain thinking about them, a telephone call always softens things up and makes it easier to cope. It can be lonely (without your family), but I joined the military for a sense of pride-my family heritage." Temple noted that not only did his father retire from the Army, but both of his grandfathers, most of his uncles and three brothers have all served in the military.When he gets back home from this deployment, Temple said he has a lot of things he wants to do with his kids. Most of the things they like to do together involve being outdoors, but there is one special place he likes to take them.
"They love to look at the animals at the zoo in Waco," said Temple. "I plan on taking them first to the zoo and then out to eat."For Father's Day this year, Temple said he hopes to convey a simple message to people who ask him why he's in Iraq when he could instead have chosen another career path that would have allowed him to have been home with his kids.
"I love this," he said. "Too often the American people as a whole forget the price that's been paid for freedom. They'll take the freedoms they have for granted and lay them by the wayside.
"People in Iraq have never had true freedom before, but you can see they love the taste of it," Temple said. "We're helping them to get those freedoms. Everybody needs to think about that, especially when so many people have laid their lives on the line for it."
Wild Thing's comment..........
Love it when we share the stories of our troops and how they are doing. Each one has their own story to tell. I am so proud of all of them.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (2)
Iraqi Air Force Another Step Closer To Being On Their Own
Iraqi Air Force makes milestone landing at combat outpost
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Air Force landed a milestone mark towards independence Wednesday by flying an Iraqi government official to a combat outpost in east Baghdad.
A UH-1 Huey, flown by members of the Iraqi Air Force Military Transition Team flew Iraqi Minister of Defense Ali Allawi to Combat Outpost “Old Mod,” marking the first time an Iraqi aircraft has landed there.
The UH-1 Huey consisted of one Iraqi pilot, one American pilot and one American gunner, said U.S. Army Sgt. Class Eric D. Radecki, the operations noncommissioned officer-in-charge for the 1st Brigade, 11th Iraqi Army Division’s MiTT, which is comprised of members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
“Prior to this you’d see a lot of higher ranking Iraqis flying on American birds,” Radecki said. “Now that they’re flying on Iraqi aircraft, it’s one more step to doing things on their own, without our support.”
Wild Thing's comment........
Good and the more they do things themselves the better it is going to be. Our soldiers have worked very hard training them.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)
June 17, 2007
Thank You Happy Fathers Day
Male members from the Joint Task Force and Australians located in Baghdad got together to celebrate Fathers' Day in Iraq.
My father has passed away but this is one of my favorite photos of the two of us. We both loved the fall and winter months and he would always held me build a snowman. He was a man of honor and loved this country. He is the one that taught me why we live in the land of the free and took us on many trips around the United States to show me the historical places like Arlington, Washington D.C., Mount Vernon etc. to teach me as much as he could about this very special country, America.
It was Fathers who preserved our Freedom from tyrants in WWII.
It was Fathers who froze at the Chosin, preserving our Freedom
It was Fathers who went to a far away place called Vietnam to preserve our Freedom
It was Fathers who went to Grenada, Panama, Iraq and now the War today.
Thank you to all Fathers for Protecting and Defending us through the years
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY
Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.
Father's Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all honored on Father's Day.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:57 AM | Comments (5)
America vs. The Massive Presidential Pardon (Amnesty)
Wild Thing's comment...........
It’s not amnesty. It’s a massive Presidential Pardon. Bush wants to pardon 20 million illegal aliens which include gang members, felons, child molesters, fraud perpetrators, drug runners, smugglers, and the jihadists who have sneaked across the border etc.....but won’t pardon a handful of border patrol agents and law enforcement officials or Libby.
It is amazing to me that Bush has managed to infuriate the only people in this country who still supported him, conservatives. Talk about a tin ear!
Bush has failed to uphold the laws of the land that he swore an oath to uphold. It’s carpe diem time inside the beltway. It’s the Subversive UnAmerican Latino organization lobbyists that have more “clout” with our President than ‘We The People’ do. I never thought I’d see this happen. NONE of us did!! Not this evil bill nor how it is all encompassing.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (18)
Lou Dobbs on Amnesty Insanity
Lou Dobbs has been discussing the Open borders for a long time now. I am going to post some of his videos where he has also discussed the Amnesty bill as well.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM
The Worst Parts Of The Amnesty Bill
Say hello to the peoples republic of America if this bill passes.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM
Illegal Amnesty Plan May End U.S. Sovereignty
This is from May 17th of this year.
The new amnesty plan proposed by Capitol Hill is part of a larger agenda to integrate the United States and Mexico.
The political leadership envision no restriction to the flow of poor workers and goods into the United States. And guess who will pay for all of it.
A shocking report on plans to eliminate the mexican border, and bankrupt the U.S. taxpayer
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (11)
June 16, 2007
Lott:"Talk radio is running America.We have to deal with that problem"
Comments by Republican senators on Thursday suggested that they were feeling the heat from conservative critics of the bill, who object to provisions offering legal status.
The Republican whip, Trent Lott of Mississippi, who supports the bill, said: “Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that problem.”
At some point, Mr. Lott said, Senate Republican leaders may try to rein in “younger guys who are huffing and puffing against the bill.”
Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, welcomed the president’s support for more spending on border security, but said, “There’s no reason why we should be forced to tie amnesty to it.”
Representative Duncan Hunter of California, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, scorned such linkage. “The idea that we will have border security only if it’s paid for by illegal immigrants is unacceptable,” Mr. Hunter said.
.
Wild Thing's comment........
Ah, Trent, you know don’t you that the founders never envisioned that Congress would “RUN” the country. Did you know that Looney Lottie?? HUH? Did you just forget that? Naw, you know it, you just don't care.
This is very disturbing that he thinks something has to be done about talk radio. Talk radio as it stands now consists of people exercising their rights to free speech. The hosts and callers are all speaking out on issues of the day. Hmmmm People are paying attention. Can’t have that according to Trent Lott. He sounds like Hillary Clinton and Hugo Chavez. I remember the speech she gave about “stealing profits” for big gov’t programs. Is Trent Lott going to take talk radio from us? Coiffured Invertabrate from the Great State of Mississippi....is not qualified to shine Rush's shoes.
I called Sen. Lott’s DC office, I told the women that answered that I was one of the “little people”. Then went on to tell her to please give a message to Trent. I was polite to her but she knew I was not a fan of her boss nor the amnesty bill.
One other thought, Lott is also showing his elitist attitude and just how he views the very people who put him in his lofty seat. He sees the people as just someone to be led around by the nose. The level of gall and total disregard for the voting public is astonishing. Aside from the security and sovereignty of our nation, the political calculus is of this shamnesty dumbfounding. These morons are legislating themselves (Republicans) into permanent minority status and destroy the great American economy in the process.
Talk radio is running America???? Screw you Trent Lott. I say One nation, under God and listening to Rush and Laura with liberty and Arturo Fuente cigars for all.
This tells me one thing - our voice needs to be even louder - to offset the spineless republicans.
Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
Chief of Staff
bret_boyles@lott.senate.gov
Office: 202 224-6253
Trent Lott Fax # 1-202-224-2262
Amnesty hotline number
1-800-417-7666
U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121
U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121
White House comments: (202) 456-1111
Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep
Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Sen. Martinez 202) 224-3041
Sen. Nelson (202) 224-5274
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (202) 224-2541
Trent Lott (R-MS) (202) 224-6253
Jon Kyl (R-AZ) (202) 224-4521
Richard Burr (R-NC) (202) 224-3154
Sam Brownback (R-KS) (202) 224-6521
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) (202) 224-3521
Norm Coleman (R-MN) (202) 224-5641
Kay Hutchison (R-TX) (202) 224-5922
Johnny Isakson (R-GA) (202) 224-3643
John Sununu (R-NH) (202) 224-2841
John Warner (R-VA) (202) 224-2023
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (13)
Preview Of What Is To Come
Southwest Border Courts Swamped With Immigration-Related Felony Cases
Fox News ....for complete story
WASHINGTON
Immigration-related felony cases are swamping federal courts along the Southwest border, forcing judges to handle hundreds more cases than their peers elsewhere.
Judges in the five, mostly rural judicial districts on the border carry the heaviest felony caseloads in the nation. Each judge in New Mexico, which ranked first, handled an average of 397 felony cases last year, compared with the national average of 84.
Federal judges in those five districts — Southern and Western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California — handled one-third of all the felonies prosecuted in the nation's 94 federal judicial districts in 2005, according to federal court statistics.
While Congress has increased the number of border patrol officers, the pace of the law enforcement has eclipsed the resources for the court system.
Judges say they are stretched to the limit with cases involving drug trafficking or illegal immigrants who have also committed serious crimes. Judges say they need help.
Wild Thing's comment.........
Just a preview of what is to come...all brought to you by your Federal government....and all funded by the U.S. taxpayer. But Whoraldo says that illegals commit far less crimes than us evil lawless Americans.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (11)
China Arming Terrorists
Inside the Ring
China Arming Terrorists
Washington Times .....for complete article
New intelligence reveals China is covertly supplying large quantities of small arms and weapons to insurgents in Iraq and the Taliban militia in Afghanistan, through Iran.
U.S. government appeals to China to check some of the arms shipments in advance were met with stonewalling by Beijing, which insisted it knew nothing about the shipments and asked for additional intelligence on the transfers. The ploy has been used in the past by China to hide its arms-proliferation activities from the United States, according to U.S. officials with access to the intelligence reports.
Some arms were sent by aircraft directly from Chinese factories to Afghanistan and included large-caliber sniper rifles, millions of rounds of ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades and components for roadside bombs, as well as other small arms.
The Washington Times reported June 5 that Chinese-made HN-5 anti-aircraft missiles were being used by the Taliban.
According to the officials, the Iranians, in buying the arms, asked Chinese state-run suppliers to expedite the transfers and to remove serial numbers to prevent tracing their origin. China, for its part, offered to transport the weapons in order to prevent the weapons from being interdicted.
The weapons were described as "late-model" arms that have not been seen in the field before and were not left over from Saddam Hussein's rule in Iraq.
U.S. Army specialists suspect the weapons were transferred within the past three months.
The Bush administration has been trying to hide or downplay the intelligence reports to protect its pro-business policies toward China, and to continue to claim that China is helping the United States in the war on terrorism.
John Tkacik, a former State Department official now with the Heritage Foundation, said the Chinese arms influx "continues 10 years of willful blindness in both Republican and Democrat administrations to China's contribution to severe instability in the Middle East and South Asia."
Mr. Tkacik said the administration should be candid with the American people about China's arms shipments, including Beijing's provision of man-portable air-defense missiles through Iran and Syria to warring factions in Lebanon and Gaza.
Wild Thing's comment...........
Notice that Iran's strongest allies are all Communist dictatorships (Russia, Venezuela, North Korea). And to think, Komrade Herr Klintoon traded them military technology for campaign funds. And the Bushies apologized to China after they shot down our plane. Shouldn’t it be vice versa? (And we never got the plane back, either.) And they have allowed Chinese military officials to board U.S. naval ships.
They have nuclear warheads pointed at the West Coast.
Now they’re trying to poison us with knockoff toothpaste.
Red China is our enemy, and their support for terrroists, while not at all surprising, is just one more reason we should keep their corrupt goods out of our country.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)
A Star Is Born!!
Paul Potts sings Nessun Dorma
Being interviewed, he says “my voice has always been my best friend, if I was having problems with bullies at school, I always had my voice to fall back on, I don’t really know why people bullied me, I was always a little bit different, so I think that’s the reason sometimes that I struggle with self confidence.
Paul is a mobile phone salesman in Carphone Warehouse from South Wales. By day he sells mobile phones, his dream is to spend his life doing what he feels he was born to do.
Paul entered into the competition Britain's got talent, and on Saturday 9th June 2007, he proclaimed to the world all he wanted to do was to sing opera.
Paul has always wanted to sing as a career, but confidence has always been a difficult thing for him, he's always found it a little difficult to be completely confident in himself.
He sang Nessun Dorma and had not only audience members in tears within minutes through the emotions of his singing, but no doubt the whole of the UK in tears, he sang with such emotion, it was his time to shine on stage, and that he most definately did.
A Standing ovation greeted Paul as he walked out from the sliding doors, the crowds screamed.
After his performance Simon Cowell said "so you work at carphone warehouse in the day and you did that, I wasnt expecting that one, this was a complete breath of fresh air, I thought you were absolutely fantastic".
Once his amazing performance was over, another standing ovation, Amanda Holden the female judge in tears again, all the audience was clapping with hands in the air.
Pavarotti - Nessun Dorma
Wild Thing's comment.........
I adore Opera, I grew up going to the Opea often, and many times we had some of the singers in our home for the duration of the Opera they were performing in our city.
Vilmar sent this to me the two videos above and I love it and just had to share it with you all.
I love research so after I got this from Vilmar I found that Paul had a MySpace.
Here it is........... http://www.myspace.com/paul_potts
.......Thank you Vilmar for sending this to me!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (7)
June 15, 2007
U.S. CRAPitol~ OMG LMAO and YIKES!
U.S. Capitol Full of Crap Washington
People around the country have long complained that politicians are full of it. Now their workplace is too. The story, apparently broken by Roll Call, is that on Wednesday, workers found at least three piles of poo (yes, actual poo) in the hall on the Senate side of the building, and possibly some more in a gallery overlooking the Senate chamber.
There have been piles of questions about this - some have speculated it was an accident by a kid (who must have really had to go), that it was some political statement by one or more adults judging by the sheer amount of doody, or maybe it was brought from elsewhere since nobody spotted the offender(s) in action. The Capitol Police (and unfortunate janitors) have no suspects yet.
Can anybody on the Hill give us some more info?
In any case, we really hope that someone gets to the bottom of this.
Wild Thing's comment......
How disgusting but hilarious at the same time. The 21st century version of the Boston Tea Party. Oh gosh think of all the one liners for this one. hahahahhaa I know I shouldn’t be laughing, but I am...loudly. Their ALL full of crap. I’ll bet if they look at it very closely, they will find their name tags are still attached.
Illegals, making the poo that Americans won't.
John Kerry reporting for doody.
Flush the Senate
Ted Kennedy and his Bean Burritos?
Posted by Wild Thing at 07:17 PM | Comments (5)
Bush Says Illegals Are the “vulnerable and exploited
Bush says as Congress fails to pass immigration bill, problem grows worse
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Left for dead a week ago, legislation to strengthen border security while bestowing legal status on millions of illegal immigrants is showing signs of life. President Bush said on Friday it's time for Congress to act.
"Each day our nation fails to act, the problem only grows worse," the president said at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast. "I will continue to work closely with members of both parties, to get past our differences, and pass a bill I can sign this year."
Bush, at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast, said, "We must meet our moral obligation to treat newcomers with decency and show compassion to the vulnerable and exploited, because we're called to answer both the demands of justice and the call for mercy. Most Americans agree on these principles," the president said. "And now it's time for our elected leaders in Congress to act."
Wild Thing's comment..........
OMG...... Bush says illegals are the “vulnerable and exploited”!
Add to that his outright LIE about how many people are FOR this travesty. I heard on Rush Limbaugh this morning that ONLY 20% of the people ....want this thing. Bush talks and acts like it is in reverse and that it is 80% that want it. I HATE lies and I know the Dems lie but when I hear it from our side it makes me sick to my stomach!!!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:17 PM | Comments (11)
“The Thing that Wouldn’t Die!” - Senators to Revive Immigration Bill
Kennedy discusses immigration reform legislation during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 14 2007. From left are, Los Angeles radio host Eddie "El Piolin" Sotelo, Kennedy, Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif.
Senators to Revive Immigration Bill
WASHINGTON - Key senators tentatively agreed on a plan to revive a stalled immigration bill on Thursday, aided by President Bush's support for a quick $4.4 billion aimed at "securing our borders and enforcing our laws at the work site."
Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Republican and Democratic supporters of the bill were presenting their proposal to the Senate's top two leaders, who in turn arranged an early evening meeting to discuss it.
Precise details to be presented to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were not disclosed.
In general, according to officials familiar with the discussions, Republicans and Democrats would each be accorded roughly a dozen chances to amend the measure, with the hope that they would then combine to provide the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by die-hard opponents. The officials who described the emerging plan did so on condition of anonymity, saying the negotiations had been conducted in private.
The legislation has generated intense controversy, particularly for provisions envisioning eventual citizenship for many of the estimated 12 million immigrants now in the country unlawfully. The bill also calls for greater border security and a crackdown on the hiring of illegal employees.
"We're going to show the American people that the promises in this bill will be kept," Bush said, two days after launching a personal rescue mission.
Any agreement is subject to approval by Reid, who has said repeatedly it is up to Bush and Republicans to line up the votes needed to advance the measure if it is to be brought back to the Senate for debate. Reid, who has expressed misgivings about elements of the bill, sidetracked it last week after supporters gained only 45 of the 60 votes needed.
Republicans accounted for only seven of the 45 votes, and Reid said earlier this week, "We'll move on to immigration when they have their own act together."
Bush's decision to personally announce support for the accelerated funding reflected concerns expressed by Republican senators at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Several told him their constituents doubted the government was capable of following through on a commitment to enforce immigration laws.
In a letter sent to Bush before the meeting, Georgia Republican Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson wrote,
"This lack of trust is rooted in the mistakes made in 1986, and the continued chaos surrounding our immigration laws. Understandably, the lack of credibility the federal government has on this issue gives merit to the skepticism of many about future immigration reform."
Under the legislation as drafted, money for border enforcement would be collected gradually as illegal immigrants pay the fines and fees needed to achieve legal status. The letter asked Bush to secure the border before other elements of the immigration measure go into effect, and the president agreed in his remarks to the Associated Builders and Contractors.
"One common concern is whether the government will provide the resources to meet the goals in the bill. They say, `It's fine to talk about it, are you actually going to do something?'" he said.
"To answer these concerns I support an amendment that will provide $4.4 billion in immediate additional funding for securing our borders and enforcing our laws at the work site," he said.
"By matching our benchmarks with these critical funds, we're going to show the American people that the promises in this bill will be kept."
Two Republican supporters of the legislation, Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jon Kyl of Arizona, had previously proposed advanced funding.
"The moment the presidential signing pen meets the paper these funds will be available," Graham said in a statement welcoming Bush's remarks.
But Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., an opponent of the legislation, took a different view. "I appreciate the effort to fund border security, but there's simply no reason why we should be forced to tie amnesty to it. If the administration was serious about fulfilling the border security promises, then this funding should have been supported all along, not offered at the last minute to attract votes to a bad bill."
Even a decision to return the bill to the Senate floor does not guarantee its passage, given the intense opposition. "We've got people out there on both sides really ready to burn the place down," said Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the second-ranking Republican. "I don't think we ought to let that happen."
The calendar, too, presents obstacles to any attempt to pass the measure before the Senate begins a scheduled vacation in two weeks. Should they choose, critics of the immigration measure could slow progress on other measures Reid wants debated in the next two weeks. The effect would be to further reduce prospects for passage of the immigration bill.
Wild Thing's comment..........
If we thought if was over, it only just began. This is the height of arrogance! They've basically declared war on the electorate. They do so at their own peril.....they have already been warned there will be political consequences for their actions.
When this ends and I hope it does in doing the right thing, we are going to find out one way or the other which of these Senators cares for the American People and who cares for violating American Laws.
Even a decision to return the bill to the Senate floor does not guarantee its passage, given the intense opposition. "We've got people out there on both sides really ready to burn the place down," said Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the second-ranking Republican. "I don't think we ought to let that happen."
Gee whiz Senator Lott why bring back the bill then? He hears the people telling him that he ought not sell our country down the river but proceeds full steam ahead. Sh*t happens Senator Lott and I hope you get your fair share of it.
Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity
Precise details...were not disclosed.
The officials who described the emerging plan did so on condition of anonymity, saying the negotiations had been conducted in private.
Who the hell do these senators think they are?,on both sides of the aisle.
“Precise details to be presented to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were not disclosed.”
The “details” are obvious. Republicans can present 10 amendments that Kennedy knows will be voted down. Dummies can present 10 amendments, pre-approved by Kennedy, that will all get majority approval.
Then, both sides will agree that the process was fair and the bill should get an up or down vote.
Sure looks fair to Kennedy!
But Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., an opponent of the legislation, took a different view. "I appreciate the effort to fund border security, but there's simply no reason why we should be forced to tie amnesty to it. If the administration was serious about fulfilling the border security promises, then this funding should have been supported all along, not offered at the last minute to attract votes to a bad bill."
Thank you, Sen. DeMint, for declaring what thinking citizens everywhere know.
The elitists in Washington believe we're going to swallow this last-ditch attempt to force shamnesty down our throats. They really have contempt for us.
(*Senators up for re-election in 2008)
* Alexander (R-TN)
Bennett (R-UT)
* Cochran (R-MS)
* Coleman (R-MN)
* Collins (R-ME)
* Cornyn (R-TX)
* Craig (R-ID)
* Domenici (R-NM)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
* McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
* Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stevens (R-AK)
* Warner (R-VA)”
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (12)
Dueling RINOs Alert
McCain Criticizes Romney's Abortion Record
WASHINGTON
Fox News
Republican John McCain's campaign criticized rival Mitt Romney's abortion record anew Wednesday, circulating a video showing the then-Massachusetts governor reiterating his vow to uphold the state's abortion-rights laws.
"I have indicated that as governor, I am absolutely committed to my promise to maintain the status quo with regards to laws relating to abortion and choice, and so far I've been able to successfully do that," Romney says, answering a question at a May 27, 2005, news conference the day he vetoed the state's stem cell legislation.
He adds: "My personal, philosophical views about this issue are not something that I think would do anything other than distract from what I think is a more critical agenda" that includes jobs, education and health care.
As a GOP governor of a liberal state, Romney repeatedly vowed not to change state abortion laws. He supported abortion rights as recently as two-and-a-half years ago, even though he insists he has always personally opposed the practice.
.........popcorn anyone? heh heh
Wild Thing's comment........
LOL I just thought this was funny. I don't care for these guys so this whole thing had me laughing.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (7)
Harry Reid Slanders Army on Army's Birthday
Reid labels military leader 'incompetent'
the politico
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "incompetent" during an interview Tuesday with a group of liberal bloggers, a comment that was never reported.
Reid made similar disparaging remarks about Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said several sources familiar with the interview.
"We want them to vote and vote and vote again" on Iraq, said a senior Democratic senator, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss party strategy. "They are going to have to vote on Iraq until they are sick of it."
The tougher-talking Reid is taking a decidedly harder line on Iraq at a time when anti-war activists are stepping up their criticism of Democratic leaders for not forcing a quick end to the conflict in Iraq.
Besides his comments about Pace and Petraeus, the Nevada Democrat also announced that he wants to hold more votes on ending or scaling back the U.S. military presence in Iraq.
Wild Thing's comment.......
LOL oh really Harry? How come you aren't running for President? Huh Harry? LMAO Have a nice day Harry....NOT!
Harry is a coward, I dare you, heck I double dare you Harry to say those words to a soldier or directly to the faces in person to Pace and Petraeus.
UNFRIGGINBELIEVABLE that Harry POS Reid is a senator in The United States of America. It is bad enough for the hippie lefties to say something like this, but when those in our governement say this kind of thing. It is absolutely unforgivable!!!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (16)
Terrorists Doing Their Thing in Gaza
Wild Thing's comment...........
I hope they kill each other off, then the Jews that left Gaza can come back. Americans should see this video. Watch it and think about the what if's. What if we have leaders continue that give arms to these terrorists as we have been doing in Israel. What if the mosques we have on our land prove to be what so many had let us know about that they teach hate and are gathering places for terrorists.
Could we be seeing bombs going off in our streets, at our outdoor cafe's and in our shopping Mall's one day? We sure could and it is not that hard to imagine it happening anymore.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (11)
Not A Lot Of Testosterone In The Room
"Democracy Fest 2007" with Howard Dean and John Edwards or a day waiting for CAPTIONS
LOL they sure love Gore don't they. Well go ahead and run Al!
How about this for a caption for it.........
Evil capitalist slum lord: "You MUST pay the rent!"
Evil Poor loyal Democrat: "But I CAN'T pay the rent!"
Evil capitalist slum lord: "You MUST pay the rent!"
Uncle Sam: "I'LL pay THE rent!"
Poor loyal Democrat: "MY HERO!"
This woman felt the need to put on a puppet show - for an audience of adults.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (2)
June 14, 2007
Flag Day and U.S. Army Established Today
When I see the colors of the flag, I think of how many lives were lost and how many people were injured so that I can say the pledge of allegiance to the flag today. I think of the wars where young men fought and where young men died. I have an American Flag on a flag pole outside my bedroom window. As the flag billows proudly in the wind, I can hear the sweet sound of freedom and liberty.
The history of Flag Day
The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America's birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as 'Flag Birthday'. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as 'Flag Birthday', or 'Flag Day'.
And it is also.............
Since its birth on 14 June 1775—over a year before the Declaration of Independence—the United States Army has played a vital role in the growth and development of our Nation. Soldiers have fought more than 10 wars, from the American Revolution through the Cold War, the Gulf War, to the current War on Terrorism. This 232nd Birthday is a recognition of The Army's history, traditions, and service to the Nation, a Call To Duty, 232 Years of Service to Our Nation.
"The U.S. Army is a brotherhood of warrior leaders dedicated to the cause of freedom. To me, celebrating the Army's Birthday is celebrating my freedom and brotherhood," said Capt. Chris Joyner, North Carolina National Guard public affairs officer.
Fort Bragg held a 11th Annual Army Birthday 10-miler.
Spc. Richard Rogers, a food service specialist in the 37th Engineer Battalion, was running the Army Birthday 10-Miler for his second year in a row, he said. "I placed third in last-year's race," said Rogers. "I want to get under an hour. I've been practicing."
Staff Sgt. Marco Rodriguez, a shop foreman with C Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, said he ran an Army 10-miler in Afghanistan last year in 1:10:00. "This time I hope to finish in an hour," said Rodriguez.
Sgt. German Sanchez, A Troop, 3rd Battalion, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, was just hours away from answering the call to duty in Iraq when he ran the 10-miler. "I figured I'd leave with a bang," said Sanchez, "I think I ran it in about 112 minutes; I was shooting for 120 minutes."
Afterward, participants were invited to help celebrate the Army's 232nd birthday with the cutting of the birthday cake by Thornal. The Army's official birthday is June 14.
Thanks to American Soldiers, freedom’s light shines as a beacon throughout the world. We will never be able to tell you enough how very proud we are of you. Thank you for your service, for your sacrifices, and for your abiding devotion to something greater than self. God bless each and every one of you and your families, God bless our magnificent Army, and God bless America.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)
Sessions Has List of 20 Loopholes in AMNESTY Bill
Senator Sessions Releases List of 20 Loopholes in the Senate Immigration
Alabama Republican Party
U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) released a list of 20 loopholes in the comprehensive immigration bill today which reveals that the bill is fatally flawed and will not establish a functioning immigration system in the future.
The list of loopholes includes flaws effecting border security, chain-migration and assimilation policies. The list exposes the lack of serious attention given to ensuring that the legislation fixes America’s failed immigration system.
“I am deeply concerned about the numerous loopholes we have found in this legislation. They are more than technical errors, but rather symptoms of a fundamentally flawed piece of legislation that stands no chance of actually fixing our broken immigration system,” Sessions said. “Many of the loopholes are indicative of a desire not to have the system work.”
For example, one loophole in the “enforcement trigger” fails to require the U.S. VISIT system – the biometric border check-in/check-out system established by Congress in 1996, but never implemented – to be fully functioning before new worker or amnesty programs begin. Without the system in place, the U.S. has no method of ensuring that workers and their families do not overstay their visas.
Another flaw in the legislation prevents the benefits of merit-based immigration from taking full effect until 2016. Until then, chain migration into the U.S. will actually triple, compared to a disproportionately low increase in skill-based immigration. As a result, the merit-based system in the bill is only a shell of what it should have been.
A third loophole in the bill allows immigrants to avoid demonstrating a proficiency in English for more than a decade. Illegal aliens are not required to learn English to receive full “probationary benefits” of citizenship. Passing a basic English test is only required for the third Z-visa renewal, twelve years after amnesty is granted.
Sessions will highlight many of the loopholes contained in the list this week during Senate debate on the immigration bill.
Please CLICK HERE to be taken to the Alabama Republican to see the full list of the 20 loopholes
Wild Thing's comment.......
Jeff Sessions will be long remembered for his work to quite literally save the Republic. I can only imagine the heat that he receives every day from the Quislings who are demanding he stop supporting the people.
If our elected officials (including the current administration) have refused to adhere to the past bills and laws, why should we even consider trusting them to enforce the laws in this new (abhorrent) bill?
Example:
In October of last year - one billion dollars was allocated to build a 700+ mile fence to secure our borders. Only ten miles at the most has been built in the past eight months. So what happened to the BILLION dollars (and the 690 more miles)? Ask Senator John McCain........
McCain: Can't Explain Why We Didn't Build The Fence
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (6)
Border Reality
This new fence is extremely tough, and resists cutting. Attacking the fence would have to be done right out in the open, in full view of cameras. This type of fence, on the U.S. side of the government road, will give the USBP a barrier to patrol, instead of forcing them to chase illegals around 100,000 square miles of wide-open frontier land, which is a fool's errand. Everywhere this modern multiple fence system has been built, crossings by illegals drop to almost nil.
This is how it's being built in San Diego county, along the last 14 miles out to the ocean. The total cost of the entire fence from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific would be about 5 billion dollars, or what we spend medicating, hospitalizing, educating, and incarcerating illegal aliens just about every month. In other words, the fence would pay for itself immediately.
Unauthorised arrivals” have risen from less than 200,000 a year in the 1980s to more than 800,000 annually. More than half of illegal immigrants are Mexican; another fifth are from elsewhere in Latin America.
U.S. Constitution, Article 4 Section 4:
"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion;"
Invasion: \In*va"sion\, n. [L. invasio: cf. F. invasion. See Invade.] [1913 Webster]
1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass.
Here is what the border looks like where the runway mat wall exists. Mexico begins on the other side of the ineffective rusty wall, which actually helps the smugglers, by hiding their movements until the occasional USBP vehicle has driven out of sight.
This is how "the game" is played. Smugglers hide on the other side of the wall with their dope and/or their illegals, out of sight of the USBP. They wait for the highly visible white BP vehicle to drive over the distant hills. Lookouts with cell phones and walkie-talkies report on the current locations of the BP units. They know with certainty that "the coast is clear" for an hour or two, and the smugglers and illegals hop the fence and run into the scrub only 50 yards away. From there, they are out of sight, and they walk 1-2 miles to holding houses. Then they wait for nightfall, and are picked up and driven in vans to LA or San Diego.
....
Also about the fence what about using a little “enhancement” like non-lethal electric fencing. And add trained German Shepherds and quarter horses and souped-up 4WDs available on request.
(betwwen those 2 fences it would be a great training run for dogs and training for US military & NG & Reserves)
Live alligators and sharks too for any “damp” areas!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (9)
Bush Lobbies Senate On Immigration and Lott Mouths OFF
Bush lobbies Senate on immigration Washington Times
President Bush visited with Senate Republicans behind closed doors yesterday, promising that he will follow through on border security, pleading with them to give his immigration plans a second look and trying to overcome hard feelings that arose from his recent charge that opponents are guilty of trying to "frighten people."
"We've got to convince the American people that this bill is the best way to enforce our border," Mr. Bush said after an hourlong lunch with the senators. "I believe without the bill that it's going to be harder to enforce the border."
The bill is stalled for now, the victim of a collapse last week, and Democrats say Mr. Bush must prove that he can deliver 20 votes in support of the bill before they will put it back on the schedule. Mr. Bush is struggling to win those votes and has come under fire from Republicans who say he must first do more to prove he is serious about enforcement.
One idea that seemed to gain immediate traction among the Republicans was for Mr. Bush to send up a new emergency-spending bill to fund border security.
"If we're really going to get support for this bill from the American people there's got to be some restoration of trust," said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Georgia Republican, who sent a letter with fellow Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson proposing the spending bill. "There's got to be some effort shown on the part of the administration before I think there's going to be a sufficient number of folks deciding to move this bill forward."
One key question is how to go forward even though several amendments have already cut at the grand bargain -- including limiting the guest-worker program and making it easier to deport those who don't qualify for legalization -- and several other difficult amendments could pass before the bill is final.
One top opponent, Sen. Jeff Sessions, said Mr. Bush's appearance yesterday helped smooth things over. He said it made it "very much less likely we'd have hard feelings or personal animosity."
Mr. Bush didn't escape unscathed, though. Addressing reporters after the lunch, he called the issue "highly emotional" -- irking Mr. Sessions, Alabama Republican, who said that assessment sounded "as if people who don't agree with me are irrational or emotional."
Although the mood on the Senate side was collegial, House Republicans are gearing up for a battle with their party leader, with one saying Mr. Bush should just accept that he lost.
"The task of this administration needs to be to accept defeat of the Senate amnesty bill and get on with the task of stopping the bleeding on our southern border and applying all our resources to workplace enforcement," said Rep. Steve King of Iowa, the top Republican on the House Judiciary immigration subcommittee.
Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott, Mississippi Republican, said those amendments will simply disappear when the House and Senate go to conference.
"No big deal -- you pitch those before you get to the Rotunda," he said.
But that is just what those who oppose the bill fear.
"I'm really disturbed Trent Lott would say: accept an amendment, he'll pitch it in conference," Mr. Sessions said. "Whose side is he on?"
Wild Thing's comment...........
Trent Lott is a perfidious, weasely, backstabbing hack! Now they are more bolden claiming that they never intend to enforce the laws that they make and swear to uphold anyway, all they wish to do is to declare millions of illegals, murders, felons, rapists, forgers, violent criminals, gang bangers, drug runners, etc. LEGAL AMERICANS so they can continue to "do the jobs that ordinary Americans refuse to do....and, oh, yes,.... support their families."
Get that guy out of there!!!!
If this bill ever makes it to conference the open borders crowd will get everything they want while Americans get the shaft. “Willing worker, willing employer” means massive displacement in every sector of the economy.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (10)
DeMint, Other Senators Put Pressure On Bush
Today, the attached letter (PDF) was sent to President Bush by nine U.S. Senators urging him to fulfill the border security provisions listed in the Senate immigration bill whether the legislation passes or not. Each border security trigger in the bill can be implemented under current law without any need for new legislation from Congress.
SCpols.com
For more on this letter, visit Senator DeMint's website here:
http://demint.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=JimsJournal.Detail&Blog_ID=63
Dear Mr. President:
We respectfully ask that your Administration enforce the border security laws that have already been authorized by Congress regardless of whether the Senate passes the immigration reform bill. The bill assumes that several critical border security benchmarks can be achieved within 18 months. These security triggers are already authorized under current law and can be completed without the immigration bill. We believe these enforcement measures are vital and should not wait until Congress passes additional immigration reforms.
Securing the border is the best way to restore trust with the American people and facilitate future improvements of our immigration policy.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R - South Carolina), Tom Coburn (R - Oklahoma), Mike Enzi (R - Wyoming), David Vitter (R - Louisiana), Jim Inhofe (R - Oklahoma), Jim Bunning (R - Kentucky), Charles Grassley (R - Iowa), John Ensign (R - Nevada) and Jeff Sessions (R - Alabama).
Wesley M. Denton
Communications Director
Office of Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC)
202-228-5079 direct
Wild Thing's comment........
These are all Republican Senators , not only that but no Rhino's either are on the list of those who are opposing Bush and Amnesty for illegals who have invaded and stolen identities.
If a person says they love America there is no way I will believe them if they are a Dem. or a Rhino.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (5)
Nationwide Network of Radical, anti-U.S. Islamic Centers
Private undercover team exposes nationwide network of radical, anti-U.S. Islamic centers
insight magazine ...for complete article
Hundreds of Islamic centers in the United States have become a hot-bed of extremist activity; they promote violence, terrorism and hatred against America.
“Our initial investigation has concluded there are between 400 to 500 radical Islamic centers in the U.S.,” said David Gaubatz, the director of counterintelligence and counterterrorism for the Society of Americans for National Existence. “In those places, they preach an extreme version of Islam that says America and the West is the enemy. They espouse violence, hatred and the need for terrorism.”
“They are teaching what they call Jihad Qital, which means physical jihad,” Gaubatz said. “They’re teaching violence and hatred of the United States.”
“The ultimate goal for those at Dar Al-Hijrah is to instill Sharia law in the U.S. and have America adhere to the Islamic faith,” he said. “They want America to be an Islamic state.”
Gaubatz maintains that he and his team of field workers at the Mapping Shari’a in America Project are not only focusing on major metropolitan areas. Although there is plenty of Islamist activity in cities such as Detroit, Dearborn, Michigan and Washington, he says radical Muslims are also establishing education and religious centers in small towns.
“They’re branching out and teaching the Jihadist ideology in small towns across America, especially in rural areas in places like Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina,” Gaubatz said.
He says that a terrorist atrocity on U.S. soil similar to what happened on 9/11 is inevitable unless Americans take decisive measures.
“If we let our guard down, another 9/11—maybe even something worse—is going to happen again,” he said. “We need to be proactive rather than reactive.”
Wild Thing's comment..........
And what pray tell is our Government doing about this? Well, members of these radical centers that are here illegally will get Z (Amnesty) Visas. Then our government will wholeheartedly protect their civil rights and help them to bring their families over.
It is all part of a master plan. The Islamofascists will see how stupid that we are and will feel so sorry for us that they will decide not to kill us. ( being sarcastic of course) .
Seriously though, I am glad to konw there are groups investigating all of this. And I still have some trust in our government that they are listening to these reports and doing what they have been good at thanks to the FBI and other parts of our Homeland Security. But please how about closing the borders while you're at it. Thank you ever so.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (9)
June 13, 2007
LeAnn Rimes Surprises Injured Iraq Vet with Wheelchair-accessible Van
LeAnn Rimes hands the keys to a brand new Chevrolet to Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Peter Reid on June 7, 2007, in Nashville, Tenn. His wife, Michele Reid, right, and his full-time caregiver, Brian Kroen, look on. Chevrolet and Rimes teamed up at the Country Music Association Music Festival to present the vehicle to Reid, who was selected by the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, a nonprofit organization providing assistance to wounded and disabled veterans from the war on terror. The Chevrolet Uplander was modified to accommodate Reid’s wheelchair.
Iraq veteran Peter Reid has gotten a boost from LeAnn Rimes.
A 2004 mortar attack in Iraq's Anbar province left Reid, a Navy Seabee, partially paralyzed, blind in one eye and dependent on a motorized wheelchair. He also suffered a brain injury, and bits of shrapnel remain in his head and body.
Reid hadn't left his Palm Bay house for months because it took two people to lift him into and out of his van.
Now he's looking forward to shopping trips with his wife, Michele, because of a gift from Rimes.
Last week in Nashville, Tenn., the 24-year-old country singer who grew up in Garland, Texas, handed Reid the keys to a new wheelchair-accessible van.
Chevrolet, the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes and Rimes, a supporter of the veterans group, teamed up to present the van to Reid.
"She's wonderful," Reid said of Rimes after returning Monday to Florida. "She walked up to me like I was part of her family. She said, 'Pete, come with me. I have something for you.' I went out and there was the van. It was quite a surprise."
The Chevrolet Uplander is equipped with an automatic door and wheelchair ramp, allowing Reid to maneuver his wheelchair into and out of the van.
While in Nashville, Reid and his wife attended a Rimes concert and her fan-club breakfast.
Wild Thing's comment.........
I am not positive but I think she did this last year as well. I love hearing about stories like this happening. God Bless her and Navy Seabee Peter Reid.
God bless our troops and a huge thank you for all you do.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (25)
The Case of Mexico v. United States of America
Bush Sides With Mexican Killers Against U.S.
By Cliff Kincaid
June 12, 2007
The State Department’s top legal adviser told international lawyers on June 6 that President Bush is so committed to the primacy of international law that he has taken his home state of Texas to court on behalf of a group of Mexican killers. The Mexicans had been sentenced to death for murdering U.S. citizens, including young children.John B. Bellinger III, legal adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, cited the case, Mexico v. United States of America, in trying to convince the attorneys that the administration is doing what it can to enforce international law in U.S. courts.
In the case, Bush has come down on the same side as the U.N.’s International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ruled 14-1 on behalf of Mexico against the U.S. The ICJ was headed at the time by a judge from communist China, who also ruled against the U.S.
Bellinger’s extraordinary speech, coming at a time when Bush is under fire for failing to protect America from a Mexican invasion of illegal aliens, demonstrates how the President has been working on behalf of Mexican interests–in this case, convicted Mexican killers claiming their “rights” were violated under a treaty–against the interests of his own nation. When the implications of the Mexico v. United States case are widely known, it can only further harm the administration’s chances for an amnesty-for-illegal-aliens bill.
Conservatives have shown, through derailing the bill, that they are not content to play dumb or go to sleep when the issue involves American sovereignty.
Kincaid goes on to say...............
Many Americans are not aware that the Mexico v. United States case, also known as the Avena decision, was decided against the U.S. by the U.N.’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) and that the Bush Justice Department sided with the ICJ. What’s more, the Bush Justice Department took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court in order to force U.S. states to legally recognize the “rights” of Mexicans who kill Americans on U.S. soil. A decision from the Supreme Court is pending.The case was taken to the ICJ by the government of Mexico on behalf of 51 of its citizens who had carried out these murders in the U.S. The argument advanced by Mexico on behalf of the killers was that they were not afforded a timely opportunity to meet with Mexican representatives in the U.S. known as consular officers. This was said to be required under the Vienna Convention.
Current figures show 124 foreign nationals on death row in the U.S. Fifty-five of those are from Mexico. Most of them are on death row in California or Texas.
Kincaid continues .................
How did the President do this? On February 28, 2005, Bush simply made a “determination” and assumed the power to tell the states what to do.He declared, “I have determined, pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States, that the United States will discharge its international obligations under the decision of the International Court of Justice in the Case Concerning Avena and Other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States of America), 2004 I.C.J. 128 (Mar. 31), by having state courts give effect to the decision in accordance with general principles of comity in cases filed by the 51 Mexican nationals addressed in that decision.”
The Bush Justice Department argued that the president has the power to do whatever he wants to do. “In particular circumstances, the President may decide that the United States will not comply with an ICJ decision and direct a United States veto of any proposed Security Council enforcement measure,” it said. “Here, however, the President has determined that the foreign policy interests of the United States justify compliance with the ICJ’s decision.”
But Bush’s home state of Texas decided that Bush did not have that power.
Here is the International Court of Justice Press Release 2004/16. And here’s additional information at FindLaw, including a link to the actual judgement of the court, as well as the individual opinions of the justices.
.
Wild Thing's comment............
Before I would have had a very difficult time believing this. But after Bush verbally attacked his conservative base for wanting him (Bush) and the rest of our leaders to obey our existing laws on immigration, his lack of passion to get the fence built and his non existence of making sure our borders are secure..........well, reading this article only adds to my concern about what on earth is he doing???? This is an outrage to the max!!!!
Regarding Bush and his dedication to giving Amnesty to illegals, there are multiple possibilities why he is doing it, and what the end game is. But rest assured it is not to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Nor is it intended to benefit American citizens.
And then there are also the Border Patrol Agents, Campeon and Ramos are left twisting in the wind.
I lived in Texas for a few years, Dallas, Texas. That is where I met Bob Hope while I was in a show at SMU and he asked me to go to Vietnam with his tour to entertain the troops. I have many fond memories of living there. It is a great State and the people that live there are the some of the friendliest I have ever met in all the places I have lived.
They love America and are very patriotic, they appreciate our military and are vedry aware of the cost of our Freedom. Everything there is bigger then life in so many ways.Even writing that has me with a big smile on my face.
In thinking about all the things I mention now, and how when Bush was elected he was a Texan, and now he is something else.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (16)
Immigration Officials Arrest 100 Illegal Workers in Raid on Oregon Food Plant
Immigration Officials Arrest 100 Illegal Workers in Raid on Oregon Food Plant
Fox News
PORTLAND, Ore.
Federal agents on Tuesday raided the offices of a food processing plant suspected of employing hundreds of illegal workers who used Social Security numbers that belonged to other people or were made up, authorities said.By Tuesday morning, approximately 100 workers had been placed under administrative arrest to be processed for possible deportation, an official with the Department of Homeland Security said. More arrests were expected, the official said.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to talk about the case ahead of a news conference scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
According to an affidavit filed by Maximillian Trimm, a special agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, only 48 of nearly 600 employees at the Fresh Del Monte Produce fruit and vegetable processing plant had valid Social Security numbers.
Prosecutors said a federal grand jury had indicted three people on criminal charges, but the indictment remained under seal.
The raid at American Staffing Resources Inc. offices at the plant was based on an investigation by ICE and the Social Security Administration that began in January, the official told The Associated Press.
Separate American Staffing offices also were searched, along with a Fresh Del Monte office, officials said.
A federal judge authorized agents to search for evidence of violations such as hiring illegal aliens, identity theft and Social Security fraud, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Portland.
Federal prosecutors said that 20 of the Social Security numbers being misused belonged to people older than 60, and that 29 belonged to dead people.
Aeryca Steinbauer, spokeswoman for CAUSA Oregon, an immigration rights group, was outside the Del Monte plant as agents were interviewing workers, but she said she had not been able to talk to any of them.
From the United States Attorney Karin J. Immergut
District of Oregon
Press release.....a pdf file
from the press release......
"Based on this affidavit, the Magistrate Judge authorized ICE and Social Security agents
to search for evidence of the following federal crimes: hiring illegal aliens; harboring illegal
aliens; encouraging illegal aliens to reside in the United States; identity theft; immigration
documents fraud; and Social Security fraud. The United States Attorney’s Office will make no
further comment regarding the ongoing criminal investigation at this time.“Today’s enforcement action is part of ICE’s continued efforts to investigate employers
who facilitate the hiring of undocumented workers,” said Leigh Winchell, Special Agent in
Charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Seattle. “No employer, regardless of industry or
location is immune from complying with the nation’s laws.”
Wild Thing's comment...........
Interesting to note here that enforcing EXISTING LAWS works just fine and dandy. When they decide to do it! Hello Bush, Kennedy, Graham, McCain, Kyl , Reid, etc. are you paying attention???? Oh I forgot they want to give the illegal's a tamper proof ID. Now someone tell me how a “tamper proof ID” will stop this? And the illegal's are just “undocumented AMERICANS” according to Harry Reid.
Just let law enforcement and the Boarder Patrol do their jobs. New laws will not work if the old laws cannot even be enforced.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)
The Looking Glass
To the women of Israel
Jewish World
Israel Diary
by Aviva Kashuk
" I bought one of those little magnifying mirrors some months ago. It was one of the most frightening experiences of my life.I had no idea what my face really looked like. There were holes, red splotches, little lines and crevices in places on my face that I had no idea existed. I didn't know what to do about it.
My family and I had recently moved back to the United States after living in Israel for nine years. I never noticed these types of things in Israel. Somehow, facial lines, faded clothes and worn shoes fit into the fabric of life in the Holy Land. Here in the States, those same things glared liked red sirens.
Once I moved back here I realized that the clothes on our lift -- the "good ones worth keeping" -- were not good, or worth keeping.
They matched the lines on my face, which I now thought weren't good or worth keeping either.
Here in my corner of America, I have noticed spas or salons on pretty much every commercial block in a 20-mile radius. I haven't been in one yet, but they beckon me with each peek into that dreadful mirror. I overheard my 10 and 12 year-old daughters discussing with their new classmates how many times they had their nails "done." My kids had a big lead for last place.
I started thinking about some of the women I left behind in Israel and the lines on their faces. Did they notice?
The woman who has 14 children and makes it to the Western Wall every morning at sunrise, no matter the weather, to cry out for the sake of the Jewish people.
The grandmother who swam across Lake Kinneret to raise money for autistic children.
The woman who opens her home for thousands of soldiers to thank them and give them honor.
The women who lived in a tent near the Tomb of Rachel with their children to insure that the Israeli Government would protect it.
The women of Gush Etzion who produced extraordinary musicals to heighten the spirits of women suffering from the destruction of bombings.
The women who have taken in families from Gush Katif, providing shelter, food and comfort, in already crowded homes.
These are not women who frequent spas. These women are too busy "earning their stripes."
These are the women who live in Israel, raise their families in Israel, and deal with all that the Land and the politics dole out to them. These are the women who by virtue of living in Israel, "hold our place in line" for the time when we choose to visit, or make aliya.
These women have no fear of that dreadful mirror. The lines on their faces represent lines of love, giving, caring, sharing, struggle, sacrifice, and commitment to the Jewish people, and the One Above.
To the women of Israel, we thank you."
Wild Thing's comment............
This was beautifully written and I wish a lot of American women could read this. Not all, but there are far too many that base their whole lives, their entire existence on plastic surgery, botox on their faces and who designed their shoes.
I put photos of women in the IDF even though the article is about any woman in Israel. There were no photos with the article and I thought the women of the IDF were also perfect examples of this article.
Thank you to Linda of Something...and Half of Something for sending this article to me. And thank you too for women like Lynn, and Yankeemom , LindaF of Right as Usual blog, SondraK of SondraK blog, that could easily have been mentioned in this article as to how they make a difference in this world.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (6)
Teachers from Mexico to Help Fill Positions in Utah School Districts
Teachers from Mexico to Help Fill Positions in Utah School Districts
KSL.com
Several Utah school districts have just hired a total of 12 new teachers from Mexico. The State Office of Education has been working on the plan for almost a year. This is part of an agreement Governor Huntsman made with Mexico when he visited there a couple years ago.
School districts say they're happy about it. The teachers will be filling positions that districts can't seem to staff right now. At the same time, the teachers will help a growing population of Hispanic students in the state. School districts are having a harder and harder time finding elementary school teachers, science and math teachers.
Human Resources Director for Granite School District Mike Fraser says, "Right now, as we speak, we still have 30 elementary positions to fill."
But the Granite District has just filled three of those spots with teachers from Mexico. "We think it's going to be very exciting," Fraser says. "These are very qualified teaching candidates who are proficient in English."
The Granite district was one of four school districts in Utah to send employees to Mexico where they interviewed over 50 teachers that the Mexican Consulate had pre-screened. Other districts include Salt Lake, Tooele County and Davis County.
"Each school district selected three teaching candidates to bring back to Salt Lake City," Fraser says.
Most of the 12 teachers will speak English in the classroom with the exception of those hired for dual immersion programs. The Granite District says the teachers will be a great help to Spanish-speaking students and their parents, who often feel left out of their child's education.
"They're very intimidated to come to the school, show up at parent-teacher consultation because of that language barrier," Fraser explains.
Mark Peterson with the Utah Office of Education says, "If the teacher happens to be teaching math or science or whatever, if they speak Spanish, it's a bonus."
The three teachers Granite hired all have at least six years of experience and one has her MBA. The state says it's glad to have that kind of quality from anywhere. Peterson says,
"At the moment, Utah can use highly qualified teachers wherever we can get them from, which is why the districts are out recruiting out of state, and this is just a little further out of state than normal."
The teachers will arrive in early August. They'll make a salary of around $35,000, compared to about $12,000 in Mexico. The state is helping the teachers get a temporary work visa which would allow them to stay here up to three years.
Wild Thing's comment..........
One of my friends applied to teach in New Orleans. Over 1900 qualified applicants for about 100 jobs. So it isn't a teacher shortage.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (14)
Senate GOP Urges Bush to Secure Borders
Senate GOP Urges Bush to Secure Borders
washingotn post.com
Senate Republicans pressed President Bush to show a more determined commitment to border security when they met behind closed doors today during a rare presidential appearance on Capitol Hill.
The meeting was described as cordial, even jovial, but Bush's efforts to rally GOP support for his sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws did not appear to win any converts.
"We're off the bill. We ought to stay off the bill for awhile," said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), one of the legislation's sternest critics.
Bush and senior administration officials painted the meeting as a rescue session, coming five days after the tenuous compromise on immigration collapsed on the Senate floor. Bush made an impassioned plea for the legislation.
Following the meeting, Bush told reporters that he understands "this is a highly emotional issue, but . . . now is the time to move a comprehensive" immigration bill. He added that Senate proposal "is the best way to enforce our border. I believe without the bill that it's going to be harder to enforce the border. The status quo was unacceptable."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) marveled at the president's passion and commitment.
But, he said, "We didn't expect anyone to stand up and holler that they had an epiphany."
Apparently, they didn't.
"We . . . have lost credibility in Washington on the issue, and I think before the American people will really ever get behind an immigration policy, they're going to have to feel that Washington is truly going to follow through on what it says," said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.).
Much of the conversation revolved around steps Bush could take to convince the public his administration was serious about border security laws that have already passed Congress. Georgia's two Republican senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, appealed to Bush to quickly send up a multi-billion request to fund not only the border security provisions in the pending bill, but also additional funds for detention beds, border fencing and vehicle barriers approved last year.
The provisions in this year's bill alone would cost $6.2 billion.
Nine other Republican senators delivered a letter to the president, suggesting a push now to secure the borders could yield political dividends on a future bill.
"We respectfully ask that your Administration enforce the border security laws that have already been authorized by Congress regardless of whether the Senate passes the immigration reform bill," the letter reads. "Securing the border is the best way to restore trust with the American people and facilitate future improvements of our immigration policy."
Bush's visit to Capitol Hill came as Senate Majority leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) has urged him to deepen his involvement in the fight for the legislation. But some Republicans have charged that Reid was simply goading the president, setting Bush up to take full responsibility for the measure's defeat.
The rescue mission that Bush is embarking on may well be too little, too late. Reid said yesterday that he is willing to bring the immigration bill back to the Senate floor after passage of a major energy bill, probably late next week. But he wants an agreement to limit the amendments to be considered and the time for debate, which would take unanimous consent. A single senator could thwart that demand, and Sessions suggested that opponents of the bill are not about to agree to those conditions, no matter how hard Bush pushes.
Without unanimity, any move to bring the bill to a final vote would take at least five days. The architects of the plan are confident that with 60 firm votes lined up to block any filibusters, Reid would have no choice but to make good on his pledge to try again.
But Reid has made it clear that he would rather dedicate the remaining days on the Senate's calendar to addressing issues considered more pressing by the Democratic base, particularly soaring energy costs and the war in Iraq. After the July 4 recess, the Senate will have only a few weeks to plow through 11 critical spending bills before the August recess.
Bush put pressure on Reid today in his remarks. "I would hope that the Senate majority leader has that same sense of desire to move the . . . bill that I do and these senators do," he said, "because now is the time to get it done."
Wild Thing' comment.........
Great line mentioned on Rush today : Hoover Dam was built, largely with manual labor, in 5 years and one year under budget. The Empire State Building was built in just over 400 days.
Why can't a piddlin' 800 mile fence be built in a year? Every day day we delay the border fence the problem gets bigger. Can’t those fools understand that simple fact of life?
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (8)
June 12, 2007
Court Rules in Favor of Enemy Combatant
On December 12, 2001, AL-MARRI was arrested as a material witness in connection with the investigation of the September 11 Attacks. AL-MARRI was subsequently indicted by a grand jury sitting in this District for the unauthorized possession of 15 or more access devices -- credit card numbers -- with the intent to defraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(3).
President denied authority to detain civilians in U.S.
The Justice Department said on Monday that it will ask the full 12-member Fourth Circuit Court to reconsider en banc the panel decision in Al-Marri v. Wright (Circuit docket 06-7427).
The Fourth Circuit Court, in a 2-1 ruling on Monday, declared that President Bush did not have the authority to order the military to seize and indefinitely detain a civilian who was taken from his home in Peoria, Ill. For the Qatar national who has been held by the military since 2003, the Court said, "military detention...must cease." The ruling barred military detention of any civilian captured inside the U.S., but the Court said it was limiting its decision to those who are in the country legally and have established connections here.
"The President cannot eliminate constitutional protections with the stroke of a pen by proclaiming a civilian, even a criminal civilian, an enemy combatant subject to indefinite military detention," the Court said.
The panel concluded that it would grant al-Marri habeas relief, though not immediate release. It said the government had accused him -- though not with formal charges -- of "grave crimes." The case was returned to a federal judge in South Carolina with instructions to order the Pentagon to release al-Marri from military custody ....
"within a reasonable period of time to be set by the District Court. The Government can transfer al-Marri to civilian authorities to face criminal charges, initiate deportation proceedings against him, hold him as a material witness in connection with grand jury proceedings, or detain him for a limited time pursuant to the Patriot Act. But military detention of al-Marri must cease."
Later, in 2003, he was declared an enemy combatant, and transferred to the U.S. Navy brig in Charleston, S.C., from which he challenged his detention. He lost in a U.S. District Court, in a decision overturned on appeal Monday.
The key part of the ruling on presidential powers declared:
"Even assuming the truth of the government's allegations [against al-Marri], the President lacks the power to order the military to seize and indefinitely detain al-Marri....[W]e have found no authority for holding that the evidence offered by the Government affords a basis for treating al-Marri as an enemy combatant, or as anything other than a civilian....The President's constitutional powers do not allow him to order the military to seize and detain indefinitely al-Marri without criminal process any more than they permit the President to order the military to seize and detain, without criminal process, other terrorists within the United States, like the Unabomber or the perpetrators of the Oklahoma City bombing."
"In light of al-Marri's due process rights under our Constitution and Congress's express prohibition in the Patriot Act on the indefinite detention of those civilians arrested as 'terrorist aliens' within this country," the majority said, "we can only conclude that in the case at hand, the President claims a power that far exceeds that granted him by the Constitution."
In an opinion written by Circuit Judge Diana Gribbon Motz, the Court said:
"We do not question the President's war-time authority over enemy combatants; but absent suspension of the writ of habeas corpus or declaration of martial law, the Constitution simply does not provide the President with the power to exercise military authority over civilians within the United States."
Wild Thing's comment........
Think about thousands of Al Qaeda attacking in America and the precedent set by this court. The precedent is that our military guys would be breaking the law by taking up arms ahgainst Al Qaeda infiltrators. Somehow, I just can’t applaud that jurisprudence.
This decision is flatly, undeniably and ridiculously WRONG, not correct. An enemy combatant is one no matter where we find him or what his country of origin, even when he is found in the US and was born here. He can still be a member of the Iranian army or al-Quaida, and they are our enemy, and we can shoot them, detain them or whatever we want when we are at war with them. To think otherwise is to allow the enemy sanctuary INSIDE the US that we would not give them on the battlefield. They have it backwards.
The court’s ruling is limited to (a) civilians, who are (b) citizens or legal residents of the U.S., and (c) are seized within the 50 states.
If Bush has his way and gets the Amnesty bill resurrected passed, this will be a bonanza win for every al Qaeda operative who is presently here illegally. Overnight they will be declared legal residents entitled to the multi-million dollar pro defenses that every America-despising liberal law firm will be fighting to provide.
This decision isn't an expression of our strength as a nation, but an expression of our abject weakness. We are dying as a nation. We are beset by parasites that hang dripping from the national jugular.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (7)
Pedal To The Metal!
Border Patrol Seeks Recruits At NASCAR
The U.S. Border Patrol hopes a NASCAR sponsorship will help it recruit 9,000 new agents.
The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines all have sponsored cars.
"It was just a matter of time that the Border Patrol got involved," said Robert Richardson Jr., who drives the U.S. Border Patrol No. 28.
A Saturday NASCAR Busch Series race at the Nashville Superspeedway marks the fourth race for the car, which is getting more attention than its rookie driver.
The Border Patrol has hired about 1,500 agents since it began recruiting last year after President Bush announced plans to add 6,000 agents at the country's Mexican border. The agency needs another 3,000 to replace agents who are retiring.
In the meantime, National Guard troops have been sent to the border while the new agents are being recruited and trained. More than 6,000 troops, including hundreds from Tennessee have gone to the border in the past year.
The NASCAR sponsorship will run for 25 races at a cost of $950,000.
Officials said the deal gives them visibility in areas of the country, like the Southeast, where the Border Patrol doesn't have a presence and may be little known.
"Never in our 83-year history have we had this ambitious of a hiring campaign," said Assistant Border Patrol Chief Michael Olsen, who planned to attend the race on Saturday to talk with prospective recruits.
At last week's race in Dover, Del., Olsen said, he talked to between 50 and 100 people who were eligible and interested in joining. Only about one in 30 applicants actually becomes an agent.
Richardson said he has enjoyed the added attention the car has given his team.
"They're serious about what they're doing for the nation, and we're serious about what we're doing for our race team," he said.
Wild Thing's comment..........
This is a battle for hearts and minds and NASCAR fans are some of the most pro-America people. Great demographic to get the word out. If the car wins, the driver gets global face time and you can bet La Raza won’t be mentioned favorably.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (15)
A Very Special Thank you and Prayer for One of Our Own Here at TW
Congratulations to a brave man, one of the sons of a dear friend of our blog.
This is not just a blog but a little home online and we all take such pride and gratitude in those that are serving our country.
Here is the message from Rhod that I wanted to make sure you all got to see. It is also in the post about Special Forces but it might not be seen so I wanted to make sure you all got to see it.
Thank you Rhod and please let your son doing this know how proud of him we are and that our thoughts and prayers are with him every day.
Wild Thing
Thank you everyone. Of the 365 who applied, only 123 (I think) made the grade. His brother told me they covered about two hundred miles with ruck in the 28 day selection process.Apparently names were called during the last formation, and those called retired to a room, where they believed the news would be a rejection.
Then the major cranked up Sadler's "Balland of the Green Berets" and there wasn't a dry eye in the room.
He's going to learn Arabic for his field of operations. Very troubling along with the pride.
Thanks to everyone once again. There isn't a guy or gal here who isn't a Special Force to me and to America. We're all part of this resistance. Every one of us.
Posted by: Rhod at June 11, 2007 06:40 PM
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (5)
June 11, 2007
Bush ~ " I'll see you at the bill signing."
Bush Vows to Get Immigration Bill Passed
SOFIA, Bulgaria
June 11
As he heads home from an eight-day European swing to face a hostile Congress, President Bush today lashed out at Democrats for holding a vote of no confidence on his attorney general, and vowed to get his stalled immigration legislation passed, saying, “I’ll see you at the bill signing.”
But while the president has been gone, his already diminished clout on Capitol hill has seemed to deteriorate further. The immigration bill was put on hold when Republicans revolted. He was forced to withdraw his nomination of General Peter Pace to be chairman of the military’s joint chiefs of staff to avoid a bruising nomination fight. Mr. Bush put the blame on Congress.
On immigration, Mr. Bush is facing a backlash in his party’s conservative wing, whose members decry the bill as amnesty. On Tuesday, he plans to attend the Senate Republican policy luncheon on Capitol Hill — a rare step for a president who typically has lawmakers come to him at the White House — in an effort to revive the measure.
“I’m under no illusions about how hard this is,” he said, adding that he was disappointed that the measure had been “temporarily derailed.”
Mr. Bush did not do much lobbying from afar. While on Air Force One Friday evening, on the way from Poland to Rome, he telephoned three top Republicans: Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the party leader; Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, the whip, and Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, an architect of the bill.
“The political process sometimes isn’t pretty to look at,” Mr. Bush said. “There’s two steps forward and one step back. We made two steps forward on immigration, we took a step back, and now I’m going to work with those who are focused on getting an immigration bill done and start taking some steps forward again. I believe we can get it done. I’ll see you at the bill signing.”
Wild Thing's comment............
This whole mess is still such a shock to me. I grew up respecting our laws, respecting those in authority and that I suppose makes it why I have a hard time understanding why a person does not obey our laws. I don't get it, how does a person hold a position of power at any level and not see that blatantly ignoring existing laws and pushing for something that favors those that break our laws weakens our country. An d that is just for starters how bad this is for Ameirca and it's future.
Bush needs to re-read The Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Here we go again! Mr. President, we’re not going away either.
U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121
U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121
Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep
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Posted by Wild Thing at 09:44 AM | Comments (15)
Democrats Favorite Republican Colin Powell Shame On You
Powell: U.S. should talk with Syria, Iran
WASHINGTON, June 10 (UPI) -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell recommends the United States engage in talks with Syria, Iran and other Middle East nations.
Speaking to Tim Russert on NBC's "Meet the Press," Powell said such talks should no be to solve a particular problem or crisis du jour but to have a dialogue with the people involved in the region in many ways.
"And so I think it is shortsighted not to talk to Syria and Iran and everybody else in the region and not for the purpose of making a demand on them, and I'll only talk to you if you meet the demand that I want to talk to you about," he said.
And then there is this as well................
Colin Powell: Close Guantánamo Prison Camps
Miami Herald
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday he favors immediately closing the Guantánamo Bay military prison and moving its detainees to U.S. facilities. The prison, which now holds about 385 war-on-terror captives, has tarnished the world's perception of the United States, Powell said.
''If it was up to me, I would close Guantánamo. Not tomorrow, but this afternoon. I'd close it,'' he said.
''And I would not let any of those people go,'' he said. ``I would simply move them to the United States and put them into our federal legal system. The concern was, well then they'll have access to lawyers, then they'll have access to writs of habeas corpus. So what? Let them. Isn't that what our system is all about?''
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said Congress and the Bush administration should work together to allow imprisonment of some of the more dangerous detainees elsewhere so the military camp at the remote U.S. Navy base in Cuba can be closed.
The Defense Department estimates it would take about three years to conduct 60 to 80 military trials, if the administration authorizes that many.
Wild Thing's comment........
First let me say I am not a fan of Powell, never have been. I saw through him before GW Bush was elected President the first time. Powell was making statements to the press he would not mind working for Gore when he was elected President. Then Gore lost and Bush gave Powell a job. What the heck was that, keeping your enemies close maybe? Not my cup of tea thank you ever so. I want a different kind of person in my Foxhole, not someone whose allegience is wishy washie. Powell also counciled against Gulf War I , because we might have 30,000 KIAs going up against that “elite” force known as the Republican Guard.
Sooooooo to Powell......It will never again be "up to you." So fade away already. You are so 5 minutes ago. You had your chance to make a difference and you botched it.
Powell wants us to talk to the two terrorist states most responsible for the murders of American troops in Iraq????? Good grief, and a BIG ole WTF applies here!!!!
My only idea about communicating with Syria and Iran would be a message delivered by Air Mail, from 30,000 feet up that would certainly be appropriate.
``I would simply move them to the United States and put them into our federal legal system. The concern was, well then they'll have access to lawyers, then they'll have access to writs of habeas corpus. So what? Let them. Isn't that what our system is all about?''
Yeah, there's a great idea - - turn the WOT into a lawyer-infested circus, complete with a clown car packed with scumbag liberal activist judges.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (12)
In Country With Our Awesome Troops ~ They Rock!
Rock down to Iraq
Wild Thing's comment...........
I love to see your guys doing things like this. They work so hard, and sacrifice so much for all of us.
You guys are fantastic, thank you so much for all you do.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (2)
NBC Joins in Global Warming Hysteria
NBC to Give Gore 75 Hours of Free Air Time
NBC Universal will devote a whopping 75 hours of air time to showing Al Gore’s "Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis.”
And if Gore decides to run for president in 2008, the event would be "one of the largest ever, if not the largest, in-kind contributions to a presidential campaign,” according to The Media Research Center’s NewsBusters.org, a Web site dedicated to combating liberal media bias.
In addition to devoting all of NBC-TV’s Saturday, July 7 prime time to the concerts, CNBC will carry seven hours of coverage from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. EDT, Bravo will show the concerts around the world for 18 hours beginning at 8 a.m. EDT, and the Sundance channel and the Universal HD channel will air the concerts for 22 hours each beginning at 4 a.m.
Also, NBC Universal’s mun2 will run a two-hour show at 5 p.m. and Telemundo will air a one-hour special at 7 p.m. On top of all that, MSNBC will broadcast special coverage of the concert events throughout the day.
According to a press release from NBC, "this monumental music event will bring together more than 100 of today’s hottest artists and two billion people to focus the world’s attention on this global climate crisis and what can be done to reduce global warming.”
The concerts will take place in New York, London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hamburg, Istanbul, Johannesburg and Rio de Janeiro. The musical acts participating include Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Melissa Etheridge, Bon Jovi, Kanye West, John Mayer, Black Eyed Peas and Duran Duran.
The press release concludes:
"Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by The Alliance for Climate Protection and its Chair, former Vice President Al Gore, to move individuals, corporations and governments to take action.”
Wild Thing's comment...........
Wonder if Sheryl Crow will be handing out single squares of toilet paper to the crowds? Never ever will I understand the mindset of following the crowd. Do all these people really believe this bunk???? There are a lot of professionals out there saying this is all a bunch of BS, people that even spent time working with Gore at the beginning and then after researching it found it was a LIE, a complete lie. But the media has some weird sick agenda to push this lie and for what?
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (10)
June 10, 2007
Officer Recommends Dropping Haditha Charges Against Marine
From Capt. Stone's statement at the conclusion of his Article 32 on May 15th...
"I have never lied and have worked at all times to assist as best I could to shed light on what I knew and when I knew it. The most frustrating thing is the reality that even looking at this whole matter through 20/20 hindsight, I know I was trying to help."My firm belief that there was no law of armed conflict violation was the foundation for what actions I did take as well as action I did not take."
Officer recommends dropping Haditha charges against Marine (Capt. Randy W. Stone)
(AP)
Charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis in the town of Haditha should be dismissed, the investigating officer in the case has recommended.
Capt. Randy W. Stone, 34, is one of four officers accused of failing to report and investigate the deaths of the men, women and children in a deadly sweep on a chaotic day of battle in the village.
His attorney, Charles Gittins, said Saturday that investigating officer Maj. Thomas McCann concluded in a report to the commanding general overseeing the case that Stone should not face trial and the matter should be handled administratively.
The recommendation is non-binding. A final decision will be made by Lt. Gen. James Mattis, the commanding general overseeing the case.
Stone faces up to 2 1/2 years in prison and dismissal if his case goes to trial and he is convicted.
Camp Pendleton spokesman Lt. Col. Sean Gibson declined to comment until Mattis makes his final decision.
Stone is one of four officers charged with dereliction of duty. Three enlisted Marines are charged with murder. All belonged to the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Wild Thing's comment.........
Seems to me that, at a minimum, this says something about everything else. If there was no demand that an investigation was required, then there were no circumstances screaming “demand.” In short, AT THAT TIME everyone and his brother was viewing the events of Haditha Day as “what war really looks like.”
All the witnesses are terrorists, or those that give aid to the terrorists. This whole thing never should have
been investigated at all. This is WAR and dang-it, let our troops alone to fight this war. All this interferrence and catrering to the terrorists to look into this is NOT good for our troops. Not good at all.
God Bless our Marines!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (16)
Jalapeno chocloate, anyone?
Hershey's Move To Mexico
On a warm May weekend in this Central Valley town, the irony was thick.
As usual, the annual Chocolate Festival was drawing hordes of fun-seekers. But Hershey Co., Oakdale's biggest employer and the nation's biggest candy company, is closing its plant here, eliminating all 575 jobs. The company will open a factory in Monterrey, Mexico, to handle the production.
One man at the festival wore a T-shirt that said on the front: "Where did 'the great American candy bar' go?" Asked for the answer, he whirled around to display the back: "Mexico!"
For Hershey workers in Oakdale, globalization is no longer an abstraction.
Like many Americans, they suddenly face questions as immediate as how to make a living and as far-reaching as whether 20th-century manufacturing skills will count for much. Production at the plant here is to be phased out by the end of the year.
When she heard the news, Mabel McNaught, a school custodian, wondered how her family would recover. Her husband, Philip, 50, is a forklift driver at the plant, and she figures that finding another job nearby with similar pay and benefits won't be easy. "I was devastated," she said. "I just started crying."
The 113-year-old company has described the plant shutdown as part of a "global supply-chain transformation." Overall, about 3,000 of Hershey's 13,000 workers will lose their jobs, including as many as 900 in the company's hometown of Hershey, Pa. By 2010, Hershey says, the moves will save shareholders as much as $190 million annually.
"The financials are compelling," chief executive officer Richard H. Lenny told a meeting of market analysts in February, saying labor costs in Mexico are 10 percent less than in the United States.
Asked about the negative publicity that would come with the plant closures, he said the decisions were "gut-wrenchingly difficult - but in the best interests of the business."
Hershey has been an Oakdale fixture since 1965. Over the years, the plant on the edge of town has churned out nut-studded chocolate bars and uncounted millions of chocolate Kisses.
At times, the community of 18,000 is infused with the scent of chocolate, although it competes with the aroma of tomato sauce from the ConAgra processing plant down the road.
This month, the company lowered its projected 2007 earnings, citing high dairy prices. And, like other domestic candy companies, Hershey complains about government agricultural supports keeping the price of sugar at least double the level in foreign markets.
"The candy business has been laboring under this burden for a number of years," said Ray Jones, a director at Dechert-Hampe, a marketing consultant specializing in candy and confections.
In addition, Hershey has old plants that are tough to overhaul - "inefficient legacy infrastructure," in the words of Lenny, the chief executive. The company sees lucrative markets in places such as China, where it has introduced green-tea-flavored Kisses, and in Mexico, where it plans to feature "locally relevant nut flavors" in its Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
"None of that is good news for Oakdale", said Jones, the marketing consultant.
Wild Thing's comment...........
Another American “institution” down the drain. Mexico isnt known as the cleanest place in the world. I dont want a Chocolate bar from there. If they keep on sending jobs to Mexico why do we still get the illegals from Mexico?!?!?
I have been opposed to NAFTA and all the similar crap for years and years;not that ANY of the politicians cared.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (17)
DeMint Puts Immigration On The Campaign Trail
DeMint Puts Immigration On The Campaign Trail
It was only a matter of time that immigration would become a major platform issue.
And U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., was the one to strike the pose despite not being up for election for another three years.
His campaign released the results of an online immigration survey this week that showed 97 percent of South Carolina respondents believe the current Senate bill will not solve illegal immigration problems and 95 percent don't support it.
DeMint hit several of the state's key cities last week trying to gauge reactions to the proposed Senate bill that calls for increased border security, increase penalties for businesses hiring undocumented workers and the opportunity to gain citizenship over a period of years.
The majority of the people at these events have been outspoken critics of the immigration bill and its supporters. The general feeling is that Congress won't do any of the previsions of the bill, and it will lead to blanket amnesty.
"This isn't shocking to me," DeMint said in a statement. "After traveling the state last week and listening to constituents talk about this bill, I am convinced the vast majority of South Carolinians do not support amnesty for illegal immigrants."
The survey was placed on DeMint's campaign site, which previously had not been updated since his 2004 victory over Democrat Inez Tenenbaum.
However, dissatisfaction over immigration in South Carolina has led to several rumblings amongst conservative activists about running candidates against Republican incumbents, so it is not surprising that DeMint's team is making it a campaign issue for him.
DeMint has been an outspoken critic of the immigration bill. He offered nine amendments to the bill since it was introduced in May, and each one failed to pass. Those bills ranged from eliminating Z visas to requiring full border security before amnesty could be given.
"This proves to me that the Senate isn't serious about responsible reform," he said.
This week, his campaign e-mailed an immigration survey to more than 10,976 South Carolina voters. As of Thursday, 2,518 votes were tallied from South Carolina IP addresses.
It showed 98 percent said illegal immigration was a serious problem, 96 percent don't support amnesty, 98 percent said borders must be secured and 96 percent said businesses need to be held accountable when verifying Social Security numbers.
"I know this online survey isn't a scientific representation of the electorate, but it is a good indication where a number of grassroots activists in South Carolina stand on this issue," DeMint said.
Wild Thing's comment...........
I realize this could not happen, BUT I would LOVE to put this whole thing for a vote from the citizens of the USA. Yes, why not, let US speak how we want this to be handled. NO lobbyist can effect my thoughts and decisions. No LaRazza can tell me how to vote, or Soros either for that matter.
"However, dissatisfaction over immigration in South Carolina has led to several rumblings amongst conservative activists about running candidates against Republican incumbents, so it is not surprising that DeMint's team is making it a campaign issue for him."
And that is the ONLY WAY to put the fear of God in the ones that are traitors that are pushing this bill.
It is just up to us to do it. Call your local Republican office and tell them point blank that you will neither send money or support candidates that propose or vote for pro-illegal laws.
Let We The People VOTE on this, and my gut tells me it will be a majority vote for following the law that exist for immigration.
And thing we need is a constitutional amendment that provides for the recall of US Senators. Because right now we might as well all have this stamped on our foreheads......
Illegals: representation without taxation--------Citizens: taxation without representation
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)
McCain: Time short for immigration bill
Time short for immigration bill
Republican presidential hopeful John McCain (news, bio, voting record) said Saturday that time is running out on overhauling immigration policy.
"We've got other things to do in the Senate," McCain told reporters. "Hopefully we can come to an agreement, but in all candor — a little straight talk — time is not on our side."
McCain also challenged opponents of the plan to step up.
"The status quo is de facto amnesty — fact," the Arizona senator said. "So for us to do nothing and celebrate the fact that we stopped this legislation, well then those who have a better idea can give it to us. We can consider it and move forward."
A comprehensive plan supported by McCain, President Bush and a group of bipartisan senators fell 15 votes short of the 60 needed on Thursday in a critical test to limit debate and allow a vote on the measure itself. As a result, many in Washington have declared major immigration changes are dead for now.
McCain, though, said it was possible to pass a bill.
He spoke after a town hall event in Newton, where immigration dominated discussion and McCain spent much time defending the stalled proposal.
Opponents of the legislation, he said, are not listening to the public.
"People want us to resolve this issue. The majority of Americans support a comprehensive approach to it," McCain said.
Immigration is a frequent topic at McCain's campaign events in Iowa, where precinct caucuses are expected to launch the presidential nominating calendar in January.
"This is a burning issue," he said. "Every town hall meeting I have there is this kind of deep concern. But there's also a desire to see us do something. They wonder, 'Why won't you fix it?' That's why they send us to Washington. To fix things."
Wild Thing's comment............
What is so hard about enforcing the laws already on the books? We fine employers who hire illegals. We have excellent information gathering at our disposal. We find illegals, we send them back home. We build a fence, and we monitor that fence to keep them out. This should be the plan. Dry up their sources of income and they will have to go home. Are they that thick-headed?
“This is a burning issue,” he said. “Every town hall meeting I have there is this kind of deep concern. But there’s also a desire to see us do something. They wonder, ‘Why won’t you fix it?’ That’s why they send us to Washington. To fix things.”
We didn’t mean for you to make it worse dumba$$.
"The status quo is de facto amnesty — fact," the Arizona senator said
Only because people like you, Senator, refuse to uphold the laws...even thought you raised your right hand and swore to do so. Table this treacherous monstrosity and enforce the existing Laws that you have intentionally ignored!!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (10)
Making of a Special Forces Soldier
For over 40 years, Army Special Forces trainees have roamed the pine forests of central North Carolina in an elaborate and unusual military exercise known as Robin Sage. This final two-week test in a yearlong journey to receiving the trademark green beret requires the soldiers to recruit and train a guerrilla force.
They are in high demand not only in Iraq and Afghanistan but also for low-visibility missions in festering trouble spots around the world. They specialize in commando raids on terrorists, training foreign troops, and raising guerrilla forces.
Last year, the Pentagon rolled out a plan to add a total of 13,119 military and civilian personnel to the current force of 46,223 by 2013. That's a very tall order since the great majority of those who try out fail to pass the arduous training. It is a challenging task to quickly expand the country's most elite units—whose members are carefully chosen and groomed at great expense—without jeopardizing the force's high mental and physical capabilities.
While the training is physically demanding, the premium is on finding recruits with the right combination of mental and personality traits. Selection chief Maj. Ed Flick said a battery of psychological tests is administered, and the officers go through additional role-playing exercises to test recruits' reactions in different settings.
On a crisp morning, for instance, trainees awoke from a late-night march and four hours' sleep to be sent to the log pit, where they worked in teams to balance and maneuver telephone poles on command until they were exhausted. Instructors yelled at the laggards, the only time in the entire month when they receive such hectoring.
"Most often we want to see how they do with no feedback," Flick said, "because we are looking for people who can operate without constant guidance in uncertain environments."
Once selected, the soldiers are trained in special operations techniques. A course in survival, evasion, resistance, and escape is now mandatory for all trainees, instead of for just officers. The training includes prisoner and hostage situations.
For complete article you can go here, it is several pages long and really interesting.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (13)
June 09, 2007
Edwards Wants To Feed The Terrorists Peace Corps er ah Human Shields
Peace Corps Part of Edwards Terror PlanNYSun
Senator Edwards is outlining a new national security strategy that includes the creation of a 10,000-person civilian peace corps to stem the tide of terrorism in weak and unstable countries.
Mr. Edwards's plan, which he presented in Manhattan yesterday, comes less than a week after he called President Bush's war on terror a "bumper sticker slogan" and said the current national security strategy has not made America safer.
The plan Mr. Edwards presented yesterday — which he dubbed "A Strategy to Shut Down Terrorists and Stop Terrorism Before It Starts" — calls for a 10,000-person "Marshall Corps" to deal with issues ranging from worldwide poverty and economic development to clean drinking water and micro-lending. He said investing in those areas would shore up weak nations and help ensure that terrorism does not take root there. That, he said, would allow the country to stop potential terrorists before they even join the ranks.
More Here if you can stand it
Wild Thing's comment.........
Good grief! You can’t make up this kind of stuff. Edwards the hippie thinker in a suit. If I'm fighting terrorists, I want to be with the Marine Corps!
He has absolutely no understanding of our enemies at all. Not even a little. He seems to think a person can sit down with a terrorist, break bread with them and maybe by being soooo nice, warm and fuzzy will be able to turn the terrorist into a huggie bear instead of what they are and their agenda to destroy all of us.
Edwards and a lot of the Dems. think we can just talk and talk about things and eventually terrorism will be defeated. Obviously all Edwards thinks that's necessary to bring the jihadists to their knees is to blast 'em with that damned Disney song..."It's a small world after all, It's a small world after all, it's a small, small, worlllllllld."
Yeah, that oughta do it
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (18)
Bush Hopes To Revive Immigration Bill
From left are, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. (AP Photo)
Bush hopes to revive immigration bill
President Bush, trying to recover from a stinging setback on immigration, will personally try in a visit to the Capitol next week to revive the embattled plan for legalizing millions of unlawful immigrants.
Bush's scheduled lunch on Tuesday with GOP senators is part of a campaign by the White House and allies in both parties to placate or outmaneuver conservative Republicans who blocked the broad immigration measure this week. They said Friday they would try again to reach accord on the number of amendments the dissidents could offer.
Opponents of the bill promised to continue fighting all such efforts.
Several Senate conservatives continue to say they have not been allowed to offer enough changes to the bill. Some of their proposals would make it easier to detect and deport immigrants who have overstayed their visas or committed other violations.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., a key opponent, said the bill as written "still unfairly burdens taxpayers, doesn't ensure secure borders and guarantees amnesty" for illegal immigrants.
The bill's supporters say DeMint and other critics will oppose the measure no matter how many amendments are accepted. Nonetheless, they agreed Friday that some type of peace accord with the conservatives is essential if the measure is to return to life.
"If we're able to come up with a list of amendments that could take two or even three days to complete, 10 years from now or 100 years from now who will care that it was an extra three days if we can achieve the result that we're talking about?" said Sen. Jon Kyl , R-Ariz.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., told reporters he was hopeful because the Senate "is a chemical place. There's a flow to activity here. The tide comes in and goes out. And once in a while, the stars get lined up correctly, and we move ahead."
Sen. Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif., complained that critics continue to use the word "amnesty" to refer to proposals to legalize immigrants who agreed to pay fines, learn English and, at some point, briefly return to their home countries before obtaining lawful status in the U.S.
"I've listened to talk show hosts drumming up the opposition by using this word 'amnesty' over and over and over again," she said. In her 15 years in the Senate, Feinstein said, "I've never received more hate or more racist phone calls and threats."
Wild Thing's comment............
This is not over yet. They won't give up this easily. Bush wants this because he is a globalist with his eyes tuned into large multinational corporations. Bush is going to put everything on the line to get this bill passed.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (18)
A Salute To A Good Man ~ General Peter Pace
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace
Gen. Peter Pace to Retire as Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman
WASHINGTON — Marine Gen. Peter Pace will retire as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced on Friday.
Gates said while he intended to renominate Pace for another two-year term as chairman, after consulting with congressional leaders, the confirmation hearing was likely to be "a backward-looking and very contentious process."
"The focus of his confirmation process would have been on the past, rather than the future," Gates said at a press conference at the Pentagon.
Instead, Gates he will recommend that President Bush nominate Adm. Mike Mullen, chief of naval operations, as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Pace has been either chairman or vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs for the past six years.
Pace, a Vietnam War veteran, will turn 62 in November. He will leave his post when his term ends on Sept. 30, 2007.
Wild Thing's comment..........
I'll miss General Pace. He seemed a steady hand. The man is a Marine and he just got his ass kicked unjustly. You will be missed.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:47 AM | Comments (15)
Propaganda Only Works For Pro Terrorists Like The Left
NBC: Jihadists posing as Americans online to try to help foster anti war sentiment
Wild Thing's comment...........
The only people that would believe this propaganda BS are liberals seeking this kind of stuff out and then passing it off as truth. The left sure works hard with their terrorists friends to destroy the morale and the missions of our awesome troops. God willtake care of them in the end, and all of us can do what we can to get the word out about these vile people doing this kind of thing.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (5)
F-15 Landing With Just One Wing ~ Awesome!
Check out this amazing account of an F-15 surviving a mid-air collision and then landing on just one wing!..........
http://shock.military.com/Shock/videos.do?displayContent=138052&ESRC=navy-a.nl
This is awesome!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (4)
June 08, 2007
President Bush Signs Secure Fence Act
President Bush Signs Secure Fence Act
The Roosevelt Room
The White House
President George W. Bush signs H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence Act of 2006, in the Roosevelt Room Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006.
"Thank you all. Thanks. Please be seated. I'm pleased that you all are here to witness the signature of the Secure Fence Act of 2006. This bill will help protect the American people. This bill will make our borders more secure. It is an important step toward immigration reform."
"I appreciate the Vice President joining us today. I thank the Deputy Secretary, Michael Jackson, of the Department of Homeland Security. Rob Portman -- he happens to be the Director of OMB. I want to thank Ralph Basham, who is the Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. David Aguilar is the Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol.I appreciate the fact that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has joined us, as well as House Majority Leader John Boehner. I appreciate them coming in from their respective states as I sign this piece of legislation. I want to thank Congressman Peter King, who's the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in the House of Representatives. I appreciate you being here, Peter.
Ours is a nation of immigrants. We're also a nation of law. Unfortunately, the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades and, therefore, illegal immigration has been on the rise. We have a responsibility to address these challenges. We have a responsibility to enforce our laws. We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility seriously."
Wild Thing's commment.........
His complete speech HERE if you care to read it. Too bad it took this long for him to get around to doing this. Too bad because even though this is a good thing, the disappointment of what HE has put this nation through in taking this long is unforgivable and I will NOT forget.
"Ours is a nation of immigrants.Demonstrably untrue.
We're also a nation of law.
Also demonstrably untrue.
Unfortunately, the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades and, therefore, illegal immigration has been on the rise.
Finally a true statement.
We have a responsibility to address these challenges.
So do it.
We have a responsibility to enforce our laws.
So do it.
We have a responsibility to secure our borders.
So do it.
We take this responsibility seriously.
Demonstrably untrue.
So few sentences. So much bullsh**.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:22 PM | Comments (14)
Cough - Cough- Spit
Senators Hope to Revive Immigration Bill in Future
myfoxKansasCity
The lawmakers who failed Thursday to win a key vote on the immigration reform bill before the Senate said on Friday that they will continue to push the bill forward and believed they could still find a compromise that would pass.
"We are not giving up. We are not giving in," Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., told reporters. He is the chief Democrat at the negotiating table for the immigration bill.
"When it is recognized by the American people that the Senate has not acted (on immigration), I believe there is going to be a wave of support for what we have been trying to do," said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who also is on the negotiating team.
The bill, which had been widely criticized, died on a procedural motion Thursday night. But Republican Sens. Specter, Jon Kyl, Lindsey Graham and Mel Martinez were all upbeat after a vote to end debate failed 45-50, failing to reach the 60-vote threshold to move toward final passage.
Despite the fact that it was primarily Republicans who voted against the maneuver, all the GOP lawmakers who spoke with FOX News were upbeat that the legislation could be revived soon — even within a matter of weeks,
Graham said he talked extensively with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and is confident the bill will return for senators to take another crack at developing a comprehensive plan to legalize millions of foreigners living unlawfully in the United States.
"I know where the votes are for final passage. ... We're going to get this done," Graham said, adding that the topic is not going to go away. "All I can say is, if you name a post office, you're going to be talking about immigration."
"There are ways we can do this," Reid said later. "There can be an agreement on the number of amendments. Hopefully we can do that in the next several weeks. We're very close."
Kyl, the chief Republican negotiator, told reporters on Friday that he believed a list of about 10 amendments would satisfy the concerns primarily on his side of the aisle, and that those could be considered in no more than three days on the Senate floor.
Kyl, of Arizona, called on Senate leaders to give the time to the bill -- which in the short-term might seem large, but in the long-run would seem small.
"Who will care whether it was an extra three days if we can achieve the result that we're talking about?" Kyl asked.
Reid said support for the bill exists across the country despite repeated polls showing growing opposition to the thrust of the bill and many of its specifics — particularly on the issues of legalization for illegals here now, a guest worker program and chain migration.
"There are a lot of good things in this bill," Reid said. "I'm a creature of the Senate. I understand we live by the rules that govern this body. I accept that. We're going to do everything we can to pass this bill as soon as we can. When is that? I don't know, but we're going to work hard and try to put aside the hurt feelings that we have. The country needs and the Senate needs to do this."
Upon leaving, both men shook bill sponsor Kyl's hand and showered him with praise and encouragement, saying the bill would get done. Gutierrez promised, "We're going to get there. No problem."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed that the Senate was close to passage of this bill. McConnell, R-Ky., said the bill failed because Democrats tried to rush it, not allowing Republicans to offer key amendments — like tougher border security measures and legalization process for illegal immigrants — that could win over opponents. All but seven Republicans voted against ending the debate.
Wild Thing's comment........
"When it is recognized by the American people that the Senate has not acted (on immigration), I believe there is going to be a wave of support for what we have been trying to do," said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who also is on the negotiating team.
So says Arlen Specter from his alternate-universe in space. Uh, Arlen, the American people DID speak up. And you lost, you jerk.
in other words........
The American People be damned!
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:14 PM | Comments (15)
For Now Amnesty Bill Is DEAD! Now To Get the Fence Built!
WASHINGTON
Fox News
A broad immigration bill to legalize millions of people who are in the U.S. unlawfully suffered a stunning setback in the Senate, costing President Bush perhaps his best opportunity to win a top domestic priority.
The bipartisan compromise championed by the president failed a crucial test when it could not attract even a simple majority for an effort to speed its passage.
Supporters could muster only 45 votes Thursday to limit debate and speed the bill to final passage, 15 short of what was needed on the procedural maneuver. Fifty senators voted against cutting off debate.
Most Republicans voted to block Democrats' efforts to advance the measure.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat who had made no secret of his distaste for parts of the bill, quickly pulled it from the floor and moved on to other business, leaving its future uncertain. He insisted that the bill was not dead, but a crowded Senate calendar complicates its prospects.
"I, even though disappointed, look forward to passing this bill," Reid said.
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, said Democrats tried to rush the bill.
"I think we're giving up on this bill too soon," McConnell said.
The legislation would tighten borders and institute a new system to prevent employers from hiring undocumented workers, in addition to giving up to 12 million illegal immigrants a pathway to legal status.
Conceived by an improbable coalition that nicknamed the deal a "grand bargain," the measure exposed deep rifts within both parties and is loathed by most Republican conservatives.
All but seven Republicans voted against ending debate, with many arguing they needed more time to make the bill tougher with tighter border security measures and a more arduous legalization process for unlawful immigrants.
All but 11 Democrats supported the move, but they, too, were holding their noses at provisions of the bill. Many of them argued it makes second-class citizens of a new crop of temporary workers and rips apart families by prioritizing employability over blood ties in future immigration.
Still, they had argued that the measure, on balance, was worth advancing.
"We can all find different aspects of this legislation that we differ with," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the leading Democratic architect of the bill.
He held out hope after the vote that the measure would survive. "Doing nothing is not an alternative," Kennedy said. "This issue isn't going away."
"I believe that we will yet succeed," said Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, a framer of the bill who was one of few in his party who backed the procedural move.
The defeat for the compromise was the culmination of an extraordinary week of ups and downs for the contentious immigration measure, which mirrored the tumultuous process that went into crafting it.
Kennedy partnered with Republican Sen. Jon Kyl and several centrists to craft a bill that melded conservative themes of tougher border security and limiting immigration with the liberal goal of legalizing those who are in the U.S. unlawfully and welcoming future arrivals.
A broad immigration bill to legalize millions of people in the U.S. unlawfully failed a crucial test vote in the Senate Thursday, a stunning setback that could spell its defeat for the year.
The vote was 45-50 against limiting debate on the bill, 15 short of the 60 that the bill's supporters needed to prevail. Most Republicans voted to block Democrats' efforts to bring the bill to a final vote.
The legislation, which had been endorsed by President Bush, would tighten borders, institute a new system to prevent employers from hiring undocumented workers in addition to giving up to 12 million illegal immigrants a pathway to legal status.
Conceived by an improbable coalition that nicknamed the deal a "grand bargain," the measure exposed deep rifts within both parties and is loathed by most GOP conservatives.
Senate Majority Harry Reid, D-Nev., who had made no secret of his distaste for parts of the bill, said earlier he would move on to other matters if the immigration measure's supporters didn't get 60 votes Thursday night.
The defeat set off a bitter round of partisan recriminations, with Democrats and Republicans each accusing the other of killing it.
Most Republicans voted against ending debate, saying they needed more time to make the bill tougher with tighter border security measures and a more arduous legalization process for unlawful immigrants.
All but a handful of Democrats supported the move, but they, too, were holding their noses at provisions of the bill. Many of them argued it makes second-class citizens of a new crop of temporary workers and rips apart families by prioritizing employability over blood ties in future immigration.
Still, they had argued that the measure, on balance, was worth advancing.
Wild Thing's comment.........
Bush-McCain-Kennedy’s sell-out-America agenda has been temporarily derailed.
Quick - someone get Trent Lott some smelling salts!
Thanks to millions of real Americans for voicing our disgust for this bill. Those 20 million could bring in 200 million to the U.S.
Not building a fence and passing that Amnesty bill would turn America into a 3rd world socialist hell hole.
The Bush- McCain-kennedy Amnesty bill will give Amnesty to 20 million illegals. Those 20 million will be allowed to bring to the U.S.A their extended family so that’s another 200 million illiterate, poor, Marxists who will turn the U.S.A into a socialist hell hole like Venezuela or Cuba.
Also many Islamic terrorists are and have been getting into the U.S.A through the southern border.
I know it’s just a breather, but can we celebrate this wonderful moment, just for a night? We all worked very hard, spent a lot of money on long distance phone calls and I’m sure, lost some sleep. Let’s take tonight and just pat one another on the back and say “Thank you my brother, Thank you my sister”.
The early vote had 33 members of the Senate voting for cloture.
The most recent vote had 45 members voting for it.The arm-twisting and favor-trading must have been huge!
If the pro-amnesty supporters know that they can change 12 votes in that short of time, they’ll keep pushing this bill - albeit in a more behind the scenes manner.
Time to take names and vote them all out of office.
Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Nay
Allard (R-CO), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Nay
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Bennett (R-UT), Nay
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Nay
Bond (R-MO), Nay
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Not Voting
Bunning (R-KY), Nay
Burr (R-NC), Nay
Byrd (D-WV), Nay
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Nay
Clinton (D-NY), Yea
Coburn (R-OK), Not Voting
Cochran (R-MS), Nay
Coleman (R-MN), Nay
Collins (R-ME), Nay
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Corker (R-TN), Nay
Cornyn (R-TX), Nay
Craig (R-ID), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Nay
Domenici (R-NM), Nay
Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Not Voting
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Nay
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagel (R-NE), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Not Voting
Kennedy (D-MA), Yea
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
Landrieu (D-LA), Nay
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Lott (R-MS), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Nay
McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Nay
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Smith (R-OR), Nay
Snowe (R-ME), Nay
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Stevens (R-AK), Nay
Sununu (R-NH), Nay
Tester (D-MT), Nay
Thune (R-SD), Nay
Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Nay
Webb (D-VA), Nay
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea
And this LINK is where they voted for the various MOTIONS to be added or taken away from the Amnesty BIll.
Teddy Kennedy Republicans:
Graham, Hagel, Lugar, Martinez, McCain, Specter, Voinovich, Lott
God bless Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama! He fought this thing
from day one and never gave up.
There were over 700,000 petitions and faxes to the Senate. When we add in the estimated phone calls, contacts and calls to the Senate it far exceeded 1 million or more!!!
If you listened to the floor speeches after the vote on C-Span, then you know that the battle is not over. They will
bring amnesty back -- sooner rather than later. But for now, let's celebrate America and the hard work we all did to stop this Amnesty Bill. We The People spoke out loud and clear across America and our voices and non funding for any Political party that promotes this was heard and rang out across our land in bold Red, White and Blue.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (14)
Border Patrol on Amnesty
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (4)
How Eisenhower Solved Illegal Border Crossings ~ Operation Wetbacks
How Eisenhower solved illegal border crossings from Mexico
George W. Bush isn't the first Republican president to face a full-blown immigration crisis on the US-Mexican border.
Fifty-three years ago, when newly elected Dwight Eisenhower moved into the White House, America's southern frontier was as porous as a spaghetti sieve. As many as 3 million illegal migrants had walked and waded northward over a period of several years for jobs in California, Arizona, Texas, and points beyond.
President Eisenhower cut off this illegal traffic. He did it quickly and decisively with only 1,075 United States Border Patrol agents - less than one-tenth of today's force. The operation is still highly praised among veterans of the Border Patrol.
Although there is little to no record of this operation in Ike's official papers, one piece of historic evidence indicates how he felt. In 1951, Ike wrote a letter to Sen. William Fulbright (D) of Arkansas. The senator had just proposed that a special commission be created by Congress to examine unethical conduct by government officials who accepted gifts and favors in exchange for special treatment of private individuals.
General Eisenhower, who was gearing up for his run for the presidency, said "Amen" to Senator Fulbright's proposal. He then quoted a report in The New York Times, highlighting one paragraph that said: "The rise in illegal border-crossing by Mexican 'wetbacks' to a current rate of more than 1,000,000 cases a year has been accompanied by a curious relaxation in ethical standards extending all the way from the farmer-exploiters of this contraband labor to the highest levels of the Federal Government."
Years later, the late Herbert Brownell Jr., Eisenhower's first attorney general, said in an interview with this writer that the president had a sense of urgency about illegal immigration when he took office.
America "was faced with a breakdown in law enforcement on a very large scale," Mr. Brownell said. "When I say large scale, I mean hundreds of thousands were coming in from Mexico [every year] without restraint."
Although an on-and-off guest-worker program for Mexicans was operating at the time, farmers and ranchers in the Southwest had become dependent on an additional low-cost, docile, illegal labor force of up to 3 million, mostly Mexican, laborers.
According to the Handbook of Texas Online, published by the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas State Historical Association, this illegal workforce had a severe impact on the wages of ordinary working Americans. The Handbook Online reports that a study by the President's Commission on Migratory Labor in Texas in 1950 found that cotton growers in the Rio Grande Valley, where most illegal aliens in Texas worked, paid wages that were "approximately half" the farm wages paid elsewhere in the state.
Profits from illegal labor led to the kind of corruption that apparently worried Eisenhower. Joseph White, a retired 21-year veteran of the Border Patrol, says that in the early 1950s, some senior US officials overseeing immigration enforcement "had friends among the ranchers," and agents "did not dare" arrest their illegal workers.
Walt Edwards, who joined the Border Patrol in 1951, tells a similar story. He says:
"When we caught illegal aliens on farms and ranches, the farmer or rancher would often call and complain [to officials in El Paso]. And depending on how politically connected they were, there would be political intervention. That is how we got into this mess we are in now."
Bill Chambers, who worked for a combined 33 years for the Border Patrol and the then-called US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), says politically powerful people are still fueling the flow of illegals.
During the 1950s, however, this "Good Old Boy" system changed under Eisenhower - if only for about 10 years.
In 1954, Ike appointed retired Gen. Joseph "Jumpin' Joe" Swing, a former West Point classmate and veteran of the 101st Airborne, as the new INS commissioner.
Influential politicians, including Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson (D) of Texas and Sen. Pat McCarran (D) of Nevada, favored open borders, and were dead set against strong border enforcement, Brownell said. But General Swing's close connections to the president shielded him - and the Border Patrol - from meddling by powerful political and corporate interests.
One of Swing's first decisive acts was to transfer certain entrenched immigration officials out of the border area to other regions of the country where their political connections with people such as Senator Johnson would have no effect.
Then on June 17, 1954, what was called "Operation Wetback" began. Because political resistance was lower in California and Arizona, the roundup of aliens began there. Some 750 agents swept northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day. By the end of July, over 50,000 aliens were caught in the two states. Another 488,000, fearing arrest, had fled the country.
By mid-July, the crackdown extended northward into Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, and eastward to Texas.
By September, 80,000 had been taken into custody in Texas, and an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 illegals had left the Lone Star State voluntarily.
Unlike today, Mexicans caught in the roundup were not simply released at the border, where they could easily reenter the US. To discourage their return, Swing arranged for buses and trains to take many aliens deep within Mexico before being set free.
Tens of thousands more were put aboard two hired ships, the Emancipation and the Mercurio. The ships ferried the aliens from Port Isabel, Texas, to Vera Cruz, Mexico, more than 500 miles south.
The sea voyage was "a rough trip, and they did not like it," says Don Coppock, who worked his way up from Border Patrolman in 1941 to eventually head the Border Patrol from 1960 to 1973.
Wild Thing's comment.............
Times certainly have changed. For one thing the title of the operation...."Wetbacks".
I can just imagine a President or any politician saying that today in this world of PC ruling
everything.
But it all the same Ike was not going to pussy foot around with these illegal trash coming
into our country and I liked reading about it and thought you might too.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (10)
Duncan Hunter Answers Question About Amnesty Bill
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)
Jackie Mason da' Man!!
Wild Thing's comment...........
I love Jackie Mason, this is another of his awesome take on things, see what he says abou HIllary, Edwards and Memorial Day. Thank you Jsckie you are fantastic!
* Beth at MVRWC ...thank you so much Beth, I am a big fan of Jackie Mason.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (2)
June 07, 2007
Let's Go Kill People, But PC Demands Don't Hurt Their Feelings
Hello Sailor: But these pilots can appreciate Caroline's charms too
PC brigade ban pin-ups on RAF jets - in case they offend women and Muslims
Daily Mail
In killer heels and little else, they have a definite deadly charm.
But the risque images of women that have decorated warplanes since the First World War have been scrubbed out.
The Ministry of Defence has decreed they could offend the RAF's female personnel.
Officials admitted they had no record of any complaints from the 5,400 women in the RAF.
But commanders are erring firmly on the side of caution and "nose art", as it is known, has been consigned to the history books.
Harrier jump jet bombers currently launching daily airstrikes against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan have been scrubbed clean to comply with the orders.
Critics said the MoD should be focusing on more important issues - such as the quality and quantity of equipment available to British forces sent off to war.
Nose art first appeared on warplanes during the First World War and enjoyed a golden age during the Second World War when thousands of American fighters and bombers were decorated with pictures of glamorous women.
Military commanders tolerated the practice as a morale booster.
Famous examples include the Memphis Belle, a U.S. Army Air Force B-17 bomber that was the subject of a 1990 Hollywood movie.
Many RAF units picked up the practice from the Americans.
Nose art enjoyed another surge in popularity during the 1991 and 2003 Gulf Wars, when risque images appeared on many British warplanes.
The decision to ban the images followed a visit by glamour models to southern Afghanistan before Christmas. During the trip they signed paintings of themselves on RAF aircraft.
Commanders decided the images were sexist and insisted there was no place for them in the modern armed forces.
There was also concern that they could cause offence in a muslim country where until 2001 all women were forced to wear the head-to-toe burkha in public.
Glamour model Lucy Pinder, 23, who visited the RAF detachment at Kandahar last November and signed a painting of herself on a Harrier jet, said such images were only "harmless fun".
Show Time: A saucy mistress atop a missile
"It's very flattering and it's nice that they get to do something that takes their minds off things for a while," she said from her home in Winchester, Hampshire.
Conservative MP Phillip Davies said: "Has the MoD really got nothing better to worry about at a time when there are serious concerns over equipment and resources available to our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan?"
Wild Thing's comment.........
Maybe they should just all put pictures of pigs on their planes. I don't think this is good news at all. The British have surrendered.
This is so silly to stop doing this. What is going to be next to stop bombing because that is not politically correct to these people either???? Nose art is harmless and gives a lot of support to our troops, it helps the morale of the military as well, at least I think it does.
In many places they can't display our COLORS on conquered territory and they can't display pin ups in their barracks all because they 'might' offend someone else's sensibility. As for the blood spent by those who fought for gained ground or for those who survived relaxing in their barracks or tents, who may want to look at a pin up to remind themselves what they are fighting for and what they have waiting back HOME, well their sensibilities just don't friggin count!!
PC will be our doom!!
One of the reasons you see at the top of this blog the image ....PC Free Zone Gazette, is because I am against PC. It has done much more harm then any good in this world. It has gotten out of hand and is used as a rule of communication, advertising and now these last few years we have seen over and over again PC used in how to fight a war and how to deal with the enemy and at the same time PC is putting our troops in more danger.
This came to me with this story in my email from a Vietnam Vet friend and he said I could share his words with you.He served tours in both the USMC and USAF (1954-1967).
"Bob Hope show had both Marylin & Jayne Mansfield. Jerry Colonna and some accordion playing juggler. Hope wearing a Korean Papa-san hat, a Looooong Korean white clay pipe, Crew chief one piece fatigues covered in squadron patches and swinging a golf club. Girls wearing not much and freezing their asses off for our entertainment. He (Hope)could have yelled out “duckshit” and we would have roared laughing. His risque jokes about Chico village just outside the base caused us to go hysterical. I finished watching the show just in time to head towards the "Witch's Teat" for nighttime guard duty. If, IF there is a heaven, Mr.Hope is occupying a seat with a fantastic view."
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (16)
Remove Roadblocks to Oil Production Here In the USA
Please stay off of the gas
Washington Times ...for complete article
Rolling into the busy summer driving season, Congress just can't seem to resist the urge to scapegoat oil companies. Just before Memorial Day weekend, Congress held another in what has become a seemingly interminable number of hearings into "big oil's" role in high gasoline prices and threatening to punish the industry for making a profit.
World oil prices are not set by big oil companies in the U.S., but rather by supply and demand conditions in the market, as often manipulated by state-run oil companies -- who own most of world's oil -- in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia.
Even in the face of congressional hostility and forced nationalization of foreign owned oil and gas deposits, the industry has done its best to increase oil reserves -- tripling the oil and gas wells operating in the U.S. since 2000.
By contrast, rather than helping consumers, Congress' actions have reduced available gasoline and made us depend more on foreign oil.
For instance, in the 1980s Congress instituted a "Windfall Profits Tax" (WPT) on the oil industry. The results were predictable to any student taking high school economics but evidently not to Capitol Hill --
A 1990 Congressional Research Service report found that between 1980 and 1987 "The WPT reduced domestic oil production between 3 and 6 percent and increased oil imports between 8 and 16 percent."
Congressional grandstanding, berating oil companies while the cameras roll and threatening to break them up if they don't do something to reduce prices, will do nothing to help drivers. By contrast, Congress could take concrete steps to help consumers at the pump, perhaps not by tomorrow, but in the future.
Removing roadblocks to new oil production, reducing restraints on refining capacity, and improving the investment climate by forgoing punitive, unproductive taxes on oil company profits would be a legacy for which Americans now and in the future could honor and thank Congress.
Wild Thing's comment.........
So let's see, I guess we will just go back to the Carter plan. Gas rationing, long lines, and a terrible way of life. Yea, that's a good idea.
Try this; build refineries, explore our own oil reserves, and decrease the amount of state and federal taxes on gas.
The demand is out there, the supply has been bottle necked by the environmentalist communists that want to break our economy, to control our lives. They will succeed if we don't stop this crap.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (11)
Hey Moslem Did You Wash Your Hands er ah Feet?
Controversy At U Of M Dearborn
University of Michigan Dearborn announced on Tuesday plans to renovate two bathrooms with foot baths.
School officials said the project is estimated to cost $25,000.
The renovation will accommodate the school's Muslim students Muslims ritually wash their hands, hair, and feet five times a day before prayer.
But some are opposed to the school's decision, saying it's too much money to spend for one group.
University officials said Metro Detroit is home to more than 200,000 Muslims, and must accommodate its students' religion.
Plans for the renovation are scheduled to begin later this year in August.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (14)
Fred Thompson On Illegal Immigration
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (6)
June 06, 2007
Harry Reid and Undocumented Americans????
Reid - Undocumented Americans?
First they were illegal aliens, then illegal immigrants then undocumented immigrants...Now they are UNDOCUMENTED AMERICANS!!?? WTF?
....Thank you Mark for the headsup on this.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:31 PM | Comments (19)
Follow The Money ~ No Surprises Here
Foundations bankrolling advocates for aliens
Washington Times
Wealthy philanthropic foundations are helping bankroll the pro-immigration movement, while groups advocating for tighter control of U.S. borders say they take a more grass-roots approach to raising money.
The Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation and Democratic activist George Soros are among the liberal funders that have donated millions of dollars to pro-immigration groups, as the Senate continues its debate on a contentious bill that would overhaul the nation's immigration policy.
Three of the nation's biggest and most influential pro-immigration groups -- the National Immigration Forum, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) -- collectively received more than $3.25 million from Ford Foundation since 2005.
The three advocacy groups generally support the proposed Senate bill which would give many of the estimated 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the U.S. a path to citizenship.
The bill also would allow aliens here to bring close family members into the country.
Wild Thing's comment..........
It is always interesting to me how just following the money speaks volumes as to the how and why something happens. WE all know about Soros funding the Democrat's agenda in many areas. We all know how La Raza was a big part of making up the Amnesty bill ( hey Bush I said the A word! 
!) and now we also see how they, La Raza are also funding this thing along with others.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)
Illegal Aliens Show Their Gratitude
Illegal aliens and their offspring show their true colors in Los Angeles filmed March of this year
Wild Thing's comment.............
But....a-hem...... Mel Martinez claims that "...this immigration bill will be the salvation of the Republican Party."
Hey Martinez shut up, you can leave too along with your illegal friends!!!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (12)
Not Once But Twice Deported and Back Again in Fatal Accident
Driver In Fatal Accident Previously Deported
RALEIGH, N.C. <<<<<<.....see VIDEO at link
There is new information about a man accused of driving drunk and crashing into two cars Monday morning on I-40.
Federal authorities say the driver, who first said he was Michael Delatorre, is really Ricardo Contreras.
Immigration and Custom Enforcement officials say Contreras is in the country illegally, and that he had been picked up by ICE officials in California and deported twice in April of 2004.
ICE officials have placed a detainer on him at the jail.
Contreras made his first court appearance today.
State Troopers say he was driving while impaired and crossed the median on I-40, slamming into two cars.
The driver of one of those two cars, 54-yea-old George Smith of Cary died at the scene.
Prosecutors say Contreras could face more charges. State Troopers say the SUV he was driving was stolen from the Charlotte area.
The percentage of Hispanics arrested for drunken driving is much higher than their population percentage.
Hispanic advocates say more education is needed.
One state lawmaker says he's tired of excuses from government officials. He says this is proof our immigration system is severely flawed.
State Representative George Cleveland is steamed knowing the man who caused the wreck is not only here illegally, but has been booted from the U.S two times before.
"We're illegal alien friendly with our policies," said Jacksonville Republican George Cleveland.
Rep. Cleveland has introduced several bills aimed at clamping down on illegal immigrants, but his measures have not gotten anywhere.
He wonders how many lives need to be lost, how much money spent until the public says enough is enough.
"For us as taxpayers to put this guy in jail for 20 years, at $25,000, $27,000 a year, it's insane, and deporting isn't working either, we need to secure the border," Cleveland said.
For it's part, advocacy agency El Pueblo is busy trying to educate Latinos on the dangers of drinking and driving.
"It's events like these motivate us to keep doing the work that we do," said Irene Godinez, El Pueblo's public safety specialist.
El Pueblo and the state are working together to try to cut down on DWI cases in the Hispanic community, including an ad campaign aimed at Latino radio and tv stations.
But is the message getting across? El Pueblo says they have a pressing challenge because of a growing population.
"So even though it may seem that the community is not listening, its just the fact we believe that there is new immigrants coming in, so it's just a constant work," Godinez said.
We also have information on the passenger in Contreras' vehicle. He was also here illegally, and had been deported once before in 2000 from Texas. Federal officials picked him up from the hospital today
Wild Thing's comment.......
Our stupid ass bleeding heart Congress Critters have NO concern for the number of crimes, rapes, murders, robberies, fatal crashes, care thefts, etc, etc, etc.... these illegal aliens are responsible for. They just want to earn their freaking illegal vote.
This country is suffering more deaths and financial costs from illegal immigration than fighting the war against Islamist murderers.
This illegal immigration amnesty bill posing as a “reform” measure - could be the trigger for the 21st century “Boston Tea Party”.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)
Republican Debate Moments
Rep. Duncan Hunter, the Alpine Republican who is pursuing his party's presidential nomination, did the ultimate Tuesday night in branding the three front-runners as unworthy.Shouldn’t the GOP nationally be following that Arnold Schwarzenegger example in California?
REP. HUNTER: No. (Laughter.) And let me just say, you know, I look at Governor Romney, Mayor Giuliani, my good friend John McCain. Governor Romney joined with Bill Clinton for the 1994 gun ban when I was fighting that. Mayor Giuliani stood with him at the White House on that. Governor Romney has passed what I consider to be a major step toward socialism with respect to his mandated health care bill. John McCain is standing strong with Ted Kennedy on this Kennedy- McCain-Bush border enforcement bill.I think the guy who’s got the most influence right here with these three gentlemen is Ted Kennedy. And I think we need to move away from the Kennedy Wing of the Republican Party.
Tancredo said top White House adviser Karl Rove once told him the same thing when he was at odds with Bush. Asked whether the current president would play a role in his own administration, Tancredo said, “I would have to tell George Bush exactly the same thing Karl Rove told me.”
The lawmaker noted that he disagreed with Bush on many things, not just his signature issue of immigration. Tancredo also mentioned the prescription drug bill and No Child Left Behind as other examples.
The lawmaker, who is running a long-shot bid for the White House, also held no punches when it came to immigration, reiterating that he would campaign against any Republican who is supporting the bipartisan legislation currently making its way through the Senate.
“I am willing to do whatever is necessary to try to stop this piece of legislation,” Tancredo said at the New Hampshire debate. “And that includes go after any Republican that votes for it, because the Republicans can stop this.”
And Fred Thompson was on Hannity and Colmes
Wild Thing's comment...........
One of the things that also stood out to me during the Debate, was when one of the people in the audience asked Mitt Romney why his website had English and Spanish if he was against Amnesty. If you click on the link and look at the top. Then click on the words Espanol and his page comes up with his son Craig Romney doing a whole speech in Spanish. Or just click HERE to see and hear it.
When they all were asked at the debate how they felt about making English the Language of the USA, Tom Tancredo spoke up immediately and said YES. He also said when asked about Romeny's website if he would do that kind of thing and he said NO. I applauded him when I heard that.
We REALLY need to stop this press #2 for Spanish BS and show people they need to truly be Americans. There are so many other languages of those that have come here legally, people from Germany, Italy, France, Greeece that all those people have made an effort to learn English, why make the exception all the time for those speaking Spanish. I am sick of it!!!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (8)
June 05, 2007
The Good ~ The Bad and the Ugly
Below are statements made in the amnesty fight:
The GOOD
“This administration has a case of ‘the slows’ on border enforcement. If we have border enforcement, we will be able at that point to start to regulate the internal problem that we’ve got....This 2,000-mile porous border, incidentally, is our biggest homeland security problem -- it’s not just an immigration problem, it’s a homeland security problem. We need to build the border fence. We need to have a Border Patrol that is big enough to get the job done, and we need to be able to ask people when they want to come into America, knock on the front door, because the back door is going to be closed.”
—Rep. Duncan Hunter (R.-Calif.), South Carolina Republican Presidential Debate, May 15
“The bill contains a new ‘Z visa’ that allows those who entered our country illegally to stay here permanently without ever returning home. This rewards people who broke the law with permanent legal status, and puts them ahead of millions of law-abiding immigrants waiting to come to America. I don’t care how you try to spin it, this is amnesty”
—Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), statement on Senate office website, May 17
“Amnesty for 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants isn’t a ‘narrow slice’ Mr. President, it’s the whole darn pie. What part of illegal does the President not understand? The American people want us to secure the border and crack down on the No. 1 incentive for illegal immigration, which is illegal employment. They don’t want another amnesty.”
—Chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus, Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), Austin American-Statesman, May 30
“We should scrap this ‘comprehensive’ immigration bill and the whole debate until the government can show the American people that we have secured the borders—or at least made great headway.”
—Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R.-Tenn.), op-ed on National Review Online, May 18
“Sen. McCain and his allies seem to think that they can dupe the American public into accepting a blanket amnesty if they just call it ‘comprehensive’ or ‘earned legalization’ or ‘regularization.’ Unfortunately for them, however, the American people know amnesty when they see it. The President is so desperate for a legacy and a domestic policy win that he is willing to sell out the American people and our national security. If Sen. McCain and Sen. Kennedy spent as much time working on improving border security as they did poll-testing creative euphemisms for amnesty, America would be a much safer place.”
—Rep. Tom Tancredo (R.-Colo.), statement on House office website, May 17
The BAD
“I think the fence is least effective. But I’ll build the goddamned fence if they want it.”
—Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.), interview with Vanity Fair, June 2007
“The bottom line here is that if the bill doesn’t pass, another 10 million illegal aliens are going to come here in the next five years anyway. So the chaos we have now will double. The new immigration bill is unfair to those who’ve obeyed the rules. It is dangerous if not tightly controlled. And it is definitely amnesty. But if the bill does not pass, things will get even worse in America.”
—Bill O’Reilly, Fox News’s “O’Reilly Factor,” May 18
“The bipartisan immigration deal announced today is a step in the right direction toward reaching a final, comprehensive immigration bill....The agreement ... is an improvement from last year’s bill. The way you make good laws is to have people from both sides of the aisle come together, and this was a highly committed group that came together to work on these issues that aren’t in the best interest of any particular political party, but rather in the best interest of the American people.”
—Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R.-Ga.), statement on Senate office website, May 17
“For weeks, senators and administration officials worked to forge a bill that secures our border, creates workable and effective interior and workplace enforcement, realistically deals with the people illegally here, and designs a truly temporary worker program that responds to the nation’s fluctuating labor needs. In these meetings, Republicans insisted on achieving certain milestones in interior and border security. . . . Republicans also insisted on an effective and enforceable electronic employment verification system that would prevent employers from hiring illegal workers and provide stiff penalties for those who violate the law. . . . What we have shown is it that a bipartisan consensus is possible. The American people will have to determine if it is what they want. But for me, failing to try is not a solution. "
—Sen. Jon Kyl (R.-Ariz.), op-ed in the Arizona Republic, May 20
“We support the immigration reform compromise worked out in the Senate for a few simple reasons. It strengthens our national defense. It makes our economy more competitive and flexible. It enhances the rule of law and promotes national unity.”
—Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R.) and former Republican National Chairman Ken Mehlman, op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, May 31
The UGLY
“If you want to scare the American people, what you say is the bill’s an amnesty bill, that’s empty political rhetoric, trying to frighten our citizens....Those determined to find fault with this bill will always be able to look at a narrow slice of it and find something they don’t like. If you want to kill the bill, if you don’t want to do what’s right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it.”
—President Bush, speech at the Glynco, Ga., federal law enforcement training center, May 29
“We’re gonna tell the bigots to shut up!”
—Sen. Lindsay Graham (R.-S.C.), receiving an award from the National Council of La Raza, March 2007
“F*** you! I know more about [immigration reform] than anyone else in the room.”
—Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.) to Sen. John Cornyn (R.-Tex.), during a private negotiation meeting on the immigration bill, May 17
“Some people just don’t like Mexicans -- or anyone else from South of the border. They think Latinos are freeloaders and welfare cheats who are too lazy to learn English. They think Latinos have too many babies, and that Latino kids will dumb down our schools. They think Latinos are dirty, diseased, indolent and more prone to criminal behavior. They think Latinos are just too different from us ever to become real Americans....Where once the xenophobes could advocate forced sterilization and eugenics coupled with virtually shutting off legal immigration from ‘undesirable’ countries, now they must be content with building walls, putting troops on the border, rounding up illegal aliens on the job and deporting them, passing local ordinances to signal their distaste for immigrants’ multi-family living arrangements, and doing whatever else they can to drive these people back where they came from.”
—Linda Chavez, nationally syndicated column, May 25
“I understand that some people think it’s not tough enough. Maybe they want people thrown in jail for 10 years or they want people executed.”
—Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, interview with Newsweek, May 18
Wild Thing's comment............
History has shown again and again that amnesty only results in more illegal immigrants. What was that phrase about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?
No amnesty. Enforce the damned laws that we already have.
See the general attitude of the a-holes in elected office. Its impossible to deport, its impossible to build a wall and secure the border, its impossible to police the companies that hire the illegal worker. Hiring illegals is itself illegal.
This bill gives amnesty to all the employers who hired illegal aliens.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (18)
McCain Warns Illegal Immigration Enforcement Could Lead to Riots
John McCain chosen to lead the First Annual
“Char the Gringo’s Car Day”
Just when the dust was beginning to settle following President Bush's latest assault on common sense, in which he accused conservatives of "spreading fear" by being honest about amnesty, Senator John McCain decided that fear mongering was not such a bad tactic after all. In fact, McCain decided that fear mongering was essential in trying to sell his amnesty snake oil to a skeptical and increasingly suspicious public.
On June 2, McCain rolled out his fear-based defense of amnesty on the campaign trail in Le Mars, Iowa. Responding to a question about deportation of illegal aliens, McCain delivered the following dilly: "In case you hadn't noticed, the thousands of people who have been relegated to ghettos have risen up and burned cars in France,'' McCain said. "They've got huge problems in France. They have tremendous problems. The police can't even go into certain areas in the suburbs of Paris. I don't want that in the suburbs of America.''
Wild Thing's comment...........
McCain’s warning us? Threatening us? It was really nice of him to 'encourage' them! Unbelievable!!! Who the hell is supporting this mental nutcase anyway????
“They will riot”, is just one of the latest of the many defenses for this moronic bill. You will hear many more before this is over, “dividing families”, Obama is still on that one, “living in the shadows”, is a hard sell when you have a million protesting in the streets. This bill is evidence that the socialism is no longer just creeping in this country, it is going full speed.
McCain and the rest who favor this travesty are despicable and yep that includes Bush.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (20)
“The Fridge set me up!”
Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., was indicted Monday on 16 counts related to a long-running bribery investigation on counts including racketeering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury on Monday indicted Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson on 16 charges relating to a long-running investigation into bribery, racketeering, obstruction of justice and money laundering.
Calling it a "broad range of serious crimes," federal prosecutors called the case one about "greed, power and arrogance."
"The 16-count indictment alleges a pervasive pattern of self dealings, bribery and corruption by Mr. Jefferson, in violation of his oath of office, of his duty to the United States Congress in which he served, and of the duty to the citizens of the United States," said Chuck Rosenberg, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The officials said the investigation spanned from the United States to Africa and alleged it involved a number of occasions of criminal conduct by Jefferson, including bribing businessmen in a congressional building and promising a businessman that he would bribe a Nigerian official.
Washington, D.C.—Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today following the federal indictment of Congressman William Jefferson of Louisiana:
“The charges in the indictment against Congressman Jefferson are extremely serious. While Mr. Jefferson, just as any other citizen, must be considered innocent until proven guilty, if these charges are proven true, they constitute an egregious and unacceptable abuse of public trust and power.
“As we have demonstrated in implementing tough ethics reforms and passing tough lobbying reforms already this year, Democrats are committed to upholding a high ethical standard and eliminating corruption and unethical behavior from the Congress.”
Wild Thing's comment...........
In a separate statement, Former Vice President Al Gore thanked Congressman Jefferson for protecting US currency from global warming. Heh heh
While Mr. Jefferson, just as any other citizen, must be considered innocent until proven guilty
This of course doesn't apply to US Soldiers and Marines. Just as Murtha.
Democrats are committed to upholding a high ethical standard and eliminating corruption and unethical behavior from the Congress.
Hahahaha!
Let's see 16 counts, up to 200 years in the Big House ....but will he get those or not. augh!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (6)
New Haven Approves ID Cards For Illegal Immigrants
ID cards for illegal immigrants approved by New Haven Board of Aldermen
(New Haven-WTNH) _ New Haven's aldermen voted 25-1 in favor of a city issued identification card for illegal immigrants.
The card will provide all holders access to city services and would allow illegal immigrants to open bank accounts. The program is being touted as the first of its kind in the country.
Opponents of the card say it will encourage more illegal aliens to come to New Haven.
Wild Thing's comment............
A president and Attorney General committed to upholding the constitution and the law could end this sort of nonsense in no time. But Bush will probably ask Gonzales to get a copy of the New Haven policy so he can implement it nation wide.
If the highest laws in the land are just ignored, then we're heading toward anarchy and lawlessness on a level we've never experienced in our lifetimes.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)
Maps Say A Lot ~Take a Look
And then in comparison look at this map.............
Secure borders?? How are the terrorist's getting in and how many of them are included in the illegals coming in to our country. I know this map is a few years old, I wish they would update it. But it gives us an idea anyway.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (6)
June 04, 2007
McCain Challenges Rivals On Immigration
McCain Challenges Rivals On Immigration
(AP) CORAL GABLES, Fla.
Sen. John McCain has a message for other Republican presidential candidates: Opposing an immigration bill for political gain will only worsen the problems of undocumented immigrants and an unsecured border.
McCain plans to talk about the bill at an event here Monday, and excerpts of his prepared remarks take aim at other Republicans in the race.
"I would hope they wouldn't play politics for their own interests if the cost of their ambition was to make this problem even harder to solve," McCain said in the prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press.
He is delivering his remarks in the Miami area, which has large Hispanic and Haitian populations considered sympathetic to immigrants.
McCain is alone among major Republicans seeking the presidency in pushing for a compromise bill that would provide border security while allowing a path to legalization for many of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants.
Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani — McCain's chief rivals — oppose the measure to varying degrees, even though they have made statements in the past in which they appeared to support a similar measure the Senate previously considered.
"I make one pledge to you that I will keep no matter what. I will never conduct my campaign in such a way that it makes our country's most difficult challenges harder to solve. I hope you will hold all candidates to that same standard. Pandering for votes on this issue, while offering no solution to the problem, amounts to doing nothing," McCain said. "And doing nothing is silent amnesty."
President Bush supports the bill, as does Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, who also serves as general chairman of the Republican National Committee. The issue has divided Republicans, many of whom criticize the bipartisan bill as rewarding illegal behavior.
McCain stresses, however, that undocumented immigrants who declare themselves have to pass a criminal background check, pay fines and taxes, learn English and meet other requirements before eventually being offered the possibility of citizenship.
"Critics of the bill attack this as amnesty and a special path to citizenship that is denied to lawful immigrants. Both charges are false," McCain said.
Wild Thing's comment............
If this isn't the most convoluted, twisted BS that I've ever read on the subject, then I don't know what is.
Sure Senator McCain. Those of us are against Amnesty purely for ‘policial gain’. But you Senator McCain are really brave making these remarks in MIAMI FLORIDA. Aren’t you the one pandering for political gain Senator?
It is hard to keep track of the insults hurled at opponents of amnesty - has McCain called us racists yet, said that we don’t want to do what is right for America and are lying to scare people, or implied that the only thing that would appease us is the execution of all illegal aliens?? If not, he better get a move on - the other faux conservatives are beating him at his own game.
McCain is deluded if he thinks there's a majority interested in making things easier for illegal aliens to stay here.
And McCain's pushing for giving the OK to illegals is not new.......... There was this...........March 2006
John McCain SCREAMS AT 9/11 FSA MEMBERS FOR OPPOSING HIS BILL TO GIVE AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (8)
"We support the troops but not the mission" ~ See What Troops Think About This BS
NBC reporter embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq for 4 years asks them if they buy the "We support the troops but not the mission" mantra. The answer is "NO."
....Thank you to all our troops!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (3)
Charlie Daniels's Latest ~ America The Passive
America The Passive
The people who first came to America were not content to stay on the eastern half of America, bountiful as it was, they had to see what was on the other side of the big river and no one was going to tell them any different.
America was not willing to be taxed by England without any representation by Ping George and the Parliament, so they set about breaking the ties that bound.
American workers got tired of being treated like company property and they formed trade unions to set things right.
Martin Luther King could never have accepted the black race not receiving the rights guaranteed them under the Constitution and gave his life to make a better life for the millions who would reap the benefits of his sacrifice.
American history is full of examples of brave men and women who stood up and said, "This ain't right and I'm going to do something about it". America had guts and will and the energy and sense of fair play to change things.
What's happened? Is America becoming a herd of sheep, driven by self serving politicians with government hand outs and big businesses who move factories and outsource work to foreign countries and still expect us to buy their products? Businesses who want to dilute the labor market to keep wages down by importing and legalizing millions of unqualified workers, while the American tax payer bears the brunt of their greed?
We are bombarded by dire warnings of global warming by jaded politicos and spoiled Hollywood stars who insist that we give up our comforts while they make not the slightest change in their bloated lifestyles.
The biggest newspaper in the country prints downright lies and Senators and Congressmen endanger the lives of brave young men and women in harm's way for nothing more than political gain.
The price of health care has gone through the roof and we sit here wringing our hands and wondering when it¹s going to get beyond the financial reach of many Americans.
Our politicians tell us that Social Security is slowly going broke and they are trying to add twenty million people to its roles.
Where is the outrage, where is the common sense? It's certainly not in Washington D.C. and never will be.
The greatness of this nation is in its people, their will, their determination and their willingness to act.
Other than Almighty God, the strongest force in this nation is public opinion and if America doesn't begin to let that opinion be known in the voting booth and beyond, we are going to lose some of our most precious freedoms and much of the prosperity of this great nation.
What a pity.
Pray for our troops
What do you think?
God Bless America
Charlie Daniels
June 1, 2007
......Thank you Charlie Daniels! Charlie is right, and I think the Conservatives have had enough and we are now doing what we can to show our disgust. I pray our efforts will be heard, I know the GOP and RNC are feeling the pain of low donations. And that may be the thing that speaks volumes to them of our disgust.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (7)
June 03, 2007
Rest in Peace, Brave Warrior ~ Rest in Peace
Memorial Service for Joe Anzack, 20, kidnapped & killed in Iraq recently
Votive candles, flowers, messages and other offerings adorn a sidewalk shrine in honor of Army Cpl. Joseph Anzack Jr., including a photo of him in his high school football uniform. Joe was a 20-year-old soldier found dead last week after an ambush in Iraq. There was a public funeral service at his old high school in Torrance, Calif., Friday, June 1, 2007. Joe, a private first class who was promoted to corporal after his death, was to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery. The Army gunner vanished with two other soldiers May 12 when their combat team was ambushed about 20 miles outside of Baghdad.
The door of Joseph Anzack's home is adorned with a yellow ribbon and sign that says, 'United We Stand'.
Devin Week, 19, said he was on Anzack's wrestling and swim teams at South High School, and had known him since he was a freshman.
"He wanted to be in the military as long as I've known him," said Week, who met up with the procession in front of Rice Mortuary. "I brought flowers today and said goodbye. Earlier, I was angry at the war. We have no choice but to support it - our good buddies are out there. It's sad that it takes this to make the war real."
Outside South High School, hundreds flooded into the athletic field for the 5:30 p.m. service. Many milled outside, watching from behind a chain-link fence.
Nine-year-old Molly Blank hugged her grandfather, Jim Reinhardt.
"He lived one block from us," said Reinhardt, 79.
David Adams, 21, said Anzack was one class behind him in high school.
"He was a real nice guy, a real intense athlete," Adams said. "Seeing everyone's faces, his dad's face in the limo - it hits pretty hard. I just respect how much he gave for his country."
Wild Thing's comment...........
Thank you, soldier. I’m grateful for your service and sacrifice. I will not forget you.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (8)
Every Friday in The Pentagon is Memorial Day ~ Media Won't Tell About This
Every Friday in The Pentagon is Memorial Day
God Bless ALL of you, & ALL WHO SERVE IN HARM'S WAY.
McClatchy Newspapers
This is written by Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a year tour of duty in Iraq and is now back at the Pentagon.
Here's Lt. Col. Bateman's account of a little-known ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday morning.
It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for America Web site.
"It is 110 yards from the "E" ring to the "A" ring of the Pentagon. This
section of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is
broad, and the lighting is bright. At this instant the entire length of the
corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all
crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands
here."This hallway, more than any other, is the `Army' hallway. The G3 offices
line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner. All Army. Moderate
conversations flow in a low buzz. Friends who may not have seen each other
for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew.
Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air
conditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this area.
The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares."10:36 hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of
the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the
building. This clapping is low, sustained, hearty. It is applause with a
deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the
hallway."A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in
the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the
first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are
still suppurating. By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a
private first class."Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as
they applaud, soldier to soldier. Three years ago when I described one of
these events, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The
applause a little wilder, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in
the burden ... yet."Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair,
also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the
sentiment. We have all been there now. The soldier's chair is pushed by, I
believe, a full colonel."Behind him, and stretching the length from Rings E to A, come more of his
peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field
grade officer."11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I
laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. `My hands hurt.'
Christ. Shut up and clap. For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has
come down this hallway - 20, 25, 30. Fifty-three legs come with them, and
perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts."They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a
private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the
generals. Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their
chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this
hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and
smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of
them seem amazed and are smiling shyly."There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her
19-year-old husband's wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband
is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never
shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps
more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given
on their son's behalf. No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is
ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger
wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd
have themselves been a part of this parade in the past."These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers,
and we welcome them home. This parade has gone on, every single Friday, all
year long, for more than four years." Did you know that? The media hasn't
told the story.
Wild Thing's comment............
With so much happening in our world and especially in our country it means even more to hear of things that show us once again why America is the land of the free and truly the home of the brave. This could be filed under little known facts and how sad that is that it is little known. No thanks to our media for being too busy telling us the latest on Paris Hilton instead of the remarkable men and women that serve our country.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (6)
Terror Plot Foiled at JFK Airport ~ 4 Charged and 3 Arrested
Fox News
Three people were arrested and one other was being sought in connection to a plan to set off explosives in a fuel line that feeds John F. Kennedy International Airport and runs through residential neighborhoods, officials close to the investigation said.
The plot, which never got past the planning stages, did not involve airplanes or passenger terminals, according to the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the arrests had not yet been announced.
A senior law enforcement official told FOX News that of the three arrests, one was in New York and two were in Trinidad. The New York suspect has been identified as Russell Afreitas, a former JFK employee who allegedly planned to attack the airport's fuel supply because he thought he could do more damage than attacking a passenger terminal. Afreitas is a Muslim U.S. citizen from Guyana.
In carrying out the alleged plot, Afreitas unknowingly recruited an FBI informant, and surveillance on Afreitas began.
One of the other suspects arrested in Trinidad was identified as Abdul Kabir, a member of Parliament of Guyana.
The pipeline targeted in the plot carries fuel from a facility in Linden, N.J., to the airport. Other lines service LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
three men accused of plotting to attack John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York were linked to one of the most wanted al Qaeda leaders, Adnan Shukrijumah, known to have operated out of Guyana and Trinidad.
Wild Thing's comment..........
The 4th man that got away, there’s NO telling where that diabolical monster is.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)
June 02, 2007
Thank you ~ 500,000 Hits
I started my blog September of 2005, and just noticed this morning that my stats
show I have had over 500,000 hits. That means that since each person only gets counted
one time no matter how many times they come to this blog, there have been 500,000 various people that have visited my little blog since I began.
So a huge thank you and to those of you that are regulars and making such awesome comments
and showing me links and just so many things you all do contributing to this little home
online YOU are very much a part of this blog and why it has been accepted so well.
The count also counts the icky Moslems ( I found out they truly hate it spelled like that- heh heh), so let's see should we thank them too for when each different one decided to peek in? Naw, let's not! haha I will just wish for them a nice NAKBA ( means catastrophy to a Moslem and boy howdy do they ever hate that word)
Also a special thank you to my BlogMom Linda at Something.....and Half of Something. And to my Blog Uncle Vinnie at Vince aut Morire blog. And to Jack of Conservative Insurgent, SondraK and Beth at MVRWC, and Beth at Blue Star Chronicles and Rodger at Curmudgeonly & Skeptical for all your support.
For all of you.........I wish I could list ALL of you that have commented and trackbacked and sent me emails and for all your kindness and friendship to me. It has meant more then I can ever thank you enough for. I love you all dearly!!!
And to our awesome troops, those that email me, those that can peek in here, we love you all, and support you always, thank you for all YOU do!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:57 AM | Comments (11)
Quayle’s revenge????
U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful and New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the Silicon Valley Leadership Summit in Santa Clara, California May 31, 2007. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith
Another angle of it......
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was in Silicon Valley announcing her high tech innovation agenda Thursday, but maybe her campaign staff first needs to spring for a spell check on their computers.
The Democratic front-runner stood before a crowd of 200 CEOs and valley insiders Thursday at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group's annual business climate summit announcing the theme of "New Jobs for Tommorrow."
Duffy Jennings, spokesman for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, said the banner came from the Clinton campaign. By tomorrow -- please note spelling -- someone will be getting a memo and a dictionary.
Wild Thing's comment.........
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
I think she just found her campaign song she was asking for........ ROTFLMAO
The sun'll come out
Tommorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tommorrow
There'll be sun!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (6)
Bush Expressed Hope of Changes Reduce Need For Fence
Bush accuses conservative critics of fear-mongering on immigration
SanLuisObispo.com
In an exclusive interview with McClatchy Newspapers, Bush expressed his determination to fight for changes that would let millions of illegal immigrants gain legal status. He cast the debate as a struggle over America’s soul and its reputation as a welcoming nation.
"I’m deeply concerned about America losing its soul. Immigration has been the lifeblood of a lot of our country’s history," the president said during an interview on Air Force One. "I am worried that a backlash to newcomers would cause our country to lose its great capacity to assimilate newcomers."
Bush underscored his commitment to the proposed overhaul — despite harsh criticism from some conservatives — as he traveled to Georgia for a speech that blasted the legislation’s critics.
"I’m sure you’ve heard some of the talk out there about people defining the bill. It’s clear they hadn’t read the bill. They’re speculating about what the bill says, and they’re trying to rile up people’s emotions," he told an audience at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, near Brunswick. "If you want to kill the bill, if you don’t want to do what’s right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it, you can use it to frighten people. Or you can show leadership and solve this problem once and for all."
Some of the most vociferous criticism has come from conservative talk-show hosts who usually back the president. Commentator Rush Limbaugh has told his listeners that the legislation would doom the Republican Party and the nation.
Bush hopes to push it through Congress with help from a bipartisan group of lawmakers that includes Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., a liberal stalwart, and Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., a staunch conservative. The president said he had no hesitations about working with Kennedy despite their sharp differences over Iraq and other issues.
"The reason why is, he can get the job done," Bush said aboard Air Force One.
"When you grow up in Texas like I did, you recognize the decency and humanity of Hispanics. And the truth of the matter is, a lot of this immigration debate is driven as a result of Latinos being in our country," he said. "I have seen firsthand the beautiful stories of people being able to take advantage of opportunity and make solid contributions to our society."
He said Americans had nothing to fear from large-scale immigration from Latin America.
"There is an element of our society that is worried about two Americas," he said. "Our ability to welcome newcomers and the system’s capacity to assimilate them has been one of the great powerful traditions of America. It works, and it will work this time. People shouldn’t fear our capacity to uphold our motto: E Pluribus Unum."
The Latin phrase means "Out of many, one."
Addressing one of the most sensitive issues in the measure, Bush expressed hope that the changes would reduce the need for a fence along the border with Mexico.
The bill requires the completion of at least 370 miles of fencing, along with other security measures, before any temporary worker program can go into effect, but doesn’t specify how much of the border ultimately will be fenced. Congress approved legislation last year calling for 700 miles of fence.
Wild Thing's comment...........
America had its GREAT DEPRESSION
What we’re seeing here today is ...
THE GREAT INVASION.
We simply want the rule of law upheld and our nation secure.
So, in 2000, conservatives busted their asses to stop Gore from taking the Presidency away from Bush.
In 2003, we supported Bush against the anti-war "Bush lied" moonbats.
In 2004, we supported Bush when Dan Rather tried to smear Bush's honorable service in the TANG.
There were other times when we backed the President when he was under an unprecedented assault from liberal hate and the Democrats, his judicial picks, his SS reforms...
So how does Bush repay us.
Why, he repaid us by continuing to reach out to these same scumbags that want to display his head over the fireplace and bearskin rug.
We overlooked his Medicare Part D boondoggle, his Harriet Meier's, his Dubai Ports dealing, his LBJ spending spree that makes Slick look fiscally conservative * cough 30 billion for AIDS in Africa cough *
But the line in the sand has been drawn. All Americans do not support the AMNESTY that the President is promoting, to please the WSJ and the US Chamber of Commerce, as well as corporate trans-nationals and big business. And securing our borders is now almost a second thought, THAT speaks volumes of how much our leaders want to make our Nation secure. They don't.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (16)
Bill Grants Amnesty to Gang Members, Fugitives
America Under Seige: The Crippling Consequences Of Illegal Immigration
President Bush is sending 6,000 National Guardsmen to the US-Mexico Border, as America struggles with the question of immigration enforcement and reform.
There are 12 million illegal aliens in the United States as of March 2006.
Eighty-five percent of all illegal aliens are from Mexico.
Illegal aliens who commit criminal offenses are costing the American taxpayer billions of dollars a year. Illegal aliens are 50% more likely to take advantage of public benefits at a high cost to American taxpayers. The high cost of providing specialized education to the children of illegal aliens has become prohibitive for the taxpayer.
And some facts remain constant:
* illegal aliens, who are often referred to by proponents of illegal immigration as “law abiding”, and “hard working” once they get here, are not “law abiding” or “hard working” once they arrive in the United States
* no matter how the immigration laws are reformed, illegal aliens will continue to cross our borders because they are not the law abiding sort in the first place. The numerous amendments to the U.S. Immigration law since 1965 have proven this fact.
Bill Grants Amnesty to Gang Members, Fugitives
By Congressman Jeff Miller
News Blaze
No, No, No! Why can't the Senate hear the voices of the American public? Could it be that they are so engrossed in pontificating that they can't hear the very people that elected them? Or, is there another reason?The Senate's "grand bargain" on immigration isn't a bargain for anyone involved, especially law abiding Americans. Since last week, my offices have been inundated with calls from outraged constituents expressing opposition to the proposal.
Amnesty pardons those who have broken a law. Ignoring the fact that illegal aliens are working in the United States illegally, and making them eligible for legal status and citizenship is de facto amnesty. And if past is prologue, it is clear that this amnesty proposal will encourage even greater numbers of aliens to enter our country illegally. Simply put, we cannot continue to allow our immigration laws to be violated and ignored- illegal aliens are by definition criminals.
I'll give you a mere three reasons showing that the Senators who drafted the bill do not have the interest of the American people at heart.
* Besides giving general amnesty to all the illegals, the bill specifically grants amnesty for gang members and for fugitives who have been ordered deported by an immigration judge, but have refused to leave. There are over 30,000 illegal-alien gang members in over 33 states, who would only have to sign a "renunciation of gang affiliation" to be granted amnesty. These are the same folks who are destroying our neighborhoods with the use of guns, drugs, and other violent means. Do you want them as your neighbor?
* Second, the Senate bill allows the government only one business day to conduct a background check to determine whether an applicant is a criminal or terrorist. The federal government does not have a comprehensive, searchable database with all the treacherous people in the world that it can quickly reference for background checks. The whole point of immigration laws is to know who is coming into our country.
* It is important to remind folks that it was just during the 1986 amnesty that Mahmoud "The Red" Abouhalima was granted legal status upon forged documents. He became the terrorist leader in the 1993 terrorist attack against the World Trade Center.
Wild Thing's comment..........
To add insult to injury, President Bush still refuses to Pardon our two Border Patrolmen. Unbelievable! This is not incompetence, it is much worse. This is the planned destruction of the republic.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:45 AM | Comments (6)
U.S. Military Launches Strike Against Al Qaeda Target in Somalia
U.S. Military Launches Strike Against Al Qaeda Target in Somalia
Fox News
The U.S. military executed a strike against a suspected Al Qaeda target from a Naval warship off the coast of Somalia Friday, a U.S. official confirmed to FOX News.
It is not know whether the intended target(s) were hit.
This military action comes six months after the U.S. launched two airstrikes in the troubled East African nation against terror suspects sought in connection to the the 1998 Al Qaeda bombings of U.S. Embassies in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (3)
Robert DeNiro from a Saturday Night Live Skit on Terrorists ~ LOL
Talk about politically incorrect!!!
Love it! I posted this last year but it is so funny. And I thought we could all use a hearty laugh.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM
June 01, 2007
Laura Ingraham Took Bush to the Woodshed Yesterday Morning ~ Good One
This photo has nothing to do with a audio clip, but I think it is wonderful that Laura went to see our troops in person to thank them. So I wanted to show it to you.
Laura Ingraham' s call to arms. "Enforce The Law!", Laura is screaming with America at the United States Senate and Bush Administration to stop the lying about amnesty.
Please CLICK THE LINK TO HEAR THE AUDIO. It is excellent!!! She is hot on this subject and I have been listening to her every morning on the radio.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (13)
Basic Rifle Marksmanship
..........Thank you LLoyd
I love this!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (6)
RNC fires phone solicitors ~ LMAO
RNC fires phone solicitors
May 31, 2007
Washington Times
There has been a sharp decline in contributions from RNC phone solicitations, another fired staffer said, reporting that many former donors flatly refuse to give more money to the national party if Mr. Bush and the Senate Republicans insist on supporting what these angry contributors call "amnesty" for illegal aliens.
"Everyone donor in 50 states we reached has been angry, especially in the last month and a half, and for 99 percent of them immigration is the No. 1 issue," said the former employee.
Wild Thing's comment.........
Damn I love this, we have spoken and the saying money talks comes to mind. I am one of those former donors, months ago I told them NO WAY and that I would not support a political party loaded with RHINO's, and a party that did nothing to secure our borders. Sorry to have to enjoy this but this is music to my ears - let the backstabbing sellout traitors go fish.
Republicans have always been the grown ups. The problem is that instead of being for border security first and forcing the Dems to either come to their side of fight against popular opinion, they sidle up to Kennedy and call the base bigots.
Bush and RINOs are ruining the party and the RNC responds not by fighting them but by firing the callers and adjusting to the lack of response.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 AM | Comments (16)
Murtha Resorts To Threats Over His Earmarks
From CNN.......
Congressional Democrats and earmarks, concludes: "the democrats promised reform. It's not happening."
Also:
* "What does congressman Murtha have to say in defense of the National Drug Intelligence Center here in Pennsylvania? Surprisingly, nothing at all."
* "A Murtha Spokesman told us the requests had all been submitted. They are available for review with the committee. Then we got another e-mail saying that he was mistaken, those earmarks aren't available for review after all."
Wild Thing's comment........
Of course Murtha being a Democrat will not get more then a slap on the wrist for anything wrong he ever does.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:44 AM | Comments (6)
“When we get people who are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaeda terrorist than they are with protecting the United States against people who are absolutely committed to do anything they can to kill Americans, then I worry,” - VP Dick Cheney
A toast to each of you 
