Theodore's World

Pelosi hints at denying Bush Iraq funds
(AP)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said newly empowered Democrats will not give President Bush a blank check to wage war in Iraq, hinting they could deny funding if he seeks additional troops.

“If the president chooses to escalate the war, in his budget request, we want to see a distinction between what is there to support the troops who are there now,” she said in an interview broadcast Sunday.

“The American people and the Congress support those troops. We will not abandon them. But if the president wants to add to this mission, he is going to have to justify it and this is new for him because up until now the Republican Congress has given him a blank check with no oversight, no standards, no conditions,” said Pelosi, D-Calif.

Her comments on CBS’ “Face the Nation” came as Bush worked to finish his new war plan that could send as many as 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq and provide more money for jobs and reconstruction programs.
Bush is expected to announce his plan as early as Wednesday.
When asked about the possibility of cutting off funds, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer declined to say whether Democrats might do so, saying only that the current strategy clearly is “not working.”

“I don’t want to anticipate that,” said Hoyer, D-Md., on “Fox News Sunday.”

Some military officials, familiar with the discussions, say Bush at first could send 8,000 to 10,000 new troops to Baghdad, and possibly Anbar Province, and leave himself the option of adding more later if security does not improve.

“Based on the advice of current and former military leaders, we believe this tactic would be a serious mistake,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Wild Thing’s comment…….
IMO just saying the fact that the Speaker and Majority leader have publicly raised the possibility of defunding the war will massively boost the insurgents’ morale and put our troops in even more danger. The way they are talking it doesn’t even have to do with sending more troops. They really would love to stop the funding to our troops.
Just more proof that “we support the troops” has always been a lie. They have always hated the military and they always will. Stupid b!tch, she’s not hurting President Bush, she is hurting the soldiers & Marines in the field. Not that she’d care either way. They are hell bent on losing this war and they are letting the insurgents know it.
I’ll never understand why the Democrats, the media and many Americans are so eager to give those who have killed our soldiers… a free pass.
Once the first US soldier was killed-every American , regardless of how they felt before the war, should have been behind the effort. What kind of people let the killers of our troops go unpunished ? I’ll never understand what makes a Democrat tick-never.
The battle field is not just over in the middle east .. it’s also here at home
Dems mantra, “Don’t blame me, I voted for Stalin.”

Something to think about, US Troops in Iraq to the west of Iran. US Troops to the east of Iran in Afghanistan. US Fleet in the Persian Gulf in the Arabian Sea to the South of Iran. — Wild Thing

* General Casey is replaced by Lt Gen General David Petraeus as Commander, Multinational Force – Iraq. Gets fourth star.
* General Abizaid is replaced by Admiral William Fallon as CentCom.
* John Negroponte is replaced by Adm (ret) Mike McConnell, former Director of the NSA, as intel chief.
* Zalmay Khalilzad–an Afghan Pashtu Muslim–will be US ambassador to the U.N.
* Three US Navy battle groups are in the Persian Gulf.
* US Special Forces and Coalition naval assets are aiding Ethiopia’s efforts in driving Islamists out of Somalia.
* The US has released documents proving that Iran is materially aiding both Sunni and Shiite forces in Iraq.

These are great photos of our troops. Please CLICK HERE. It is really well done.
God Bless our Troops and keep them safe.

Peace activists beach at Bush
SFgate
About 1,200 peace activists lay in the sand to spell out “IMPEACH!” in 100-foot tall letters on San Francisco’s Ocean Beach Saturday. Their pointed message, aimed at President Bush, was engineered by local cabbie and travel writer Brad Newsham. He recruited volunteers from around the Bay Area to form the demand that stretched across the sand. Supporters of his “Beach Impeach” project photographed the event from a helicopter hovering overhead.

Maybe joan Baez could borrow that guy’s 12-string and lead them all in a singalong —Wild Thing

Wild Thing’s comment…….
This is has been done before, probably by their parents in the 60’s. They sure have no imagination. I guess they didn’t have enough people to spell out “WE’RE A BUNCH OF LOSER MOONBATS!!”
Oh sure, impeach President Bush because Caligula Clinton, your leftist role model was impeached.

First Lt. Sonia Nieves and her brother, Maj. Rafael Saenz, spent the last two years apart, but were able to reunite for Christmas in Baghdad’s International Zone.

Brother and sister soldier team reunites for Christmas in Baghdad
BAGHDAD – A brother and sister soldier team who had not seen each other for two years were reunited on Christmas Eve in the International Zone while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Maj. Rafael Saenz, an active duty battle major assigned to 1st Cavalry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas, and 1st Lt. Sonia Nieves, a reservist Health Services Advisor for the Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team assigned to the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion from Greensboro, N.C., were grateful they could spend time with family for the holidays in of all places, Iraq.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, they share a combined 39 years of Army service. Saenz is on his second stint with OIF and has been in-country this time for three months. Nieves has been here for eight.

“Walking around the FOB [Forward Operating Base] with my sister is like walking around with a politician! She knows everybody here and everybody here knows her,” said Saenz.

Saenz and Nieves had not seen each other since Christmas 2004.

“We had a great Christmas this year! We drove around the IZ, took pictures at the Crossed Swords, checked out the new embassy, went to shops at Camp Prosperity, looked at the 14th of July bridge and toured the palace,” said Nieves. “We talked about family and reminisced. It was nice to catch up and to see a familiar face.”

That familiar face needed a little luck to make the trip from Camp Liberty to see his sister in the IZ.

“This reunion almost didn’t happen,” said Saenz. “I had two ways of getting to here – fly by helo or via convoy – and both can be difficult to catch a ride on, especially on Christmas Eve!”

He tried both, and got bumped from both. He did eventually get a ride, but the trip was anything but uneventful.

“Luckily, I was able to jump on convoy with the 1st Cavalry Band that was traveling to the IZ to perform,” he said. “On the way we crossed paths with an Iraqi who had a gunshot wound to the shoulder. We stopped to render aid, picked him up and took him to the Combat Support Hospital.”

After pulling an all-night shift, Saenz started the trip at 9 a.m. and had to be back to work at 9 p.m. He said losing a few nights of sleep was worth it to be with family for the holidays.

“It is difficult being away from my wife and kids during the holidays, this is two years in a row now and it is hard,” said Saenz. “So it was so great to take this chance and meet up with my sister, spending time with her during this special time of the year means a lot.”

Soldiers from A Co., 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division talk with merchants in front of their produce store outside the city of Samarra. The meeting was an opportunity for the Soldiers to make it clear that they were fighting for the merchants’ security.

Paratroopers have say in word on the street
By Sgt. Michael Tuttle
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
SAMARRA — A group of 82nd Airborne Division Soldiers met with local merchants at their storefronts along Tar Tar Road outside the city to inform them about operations in the area.
The talks are part of efforts by A Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment to counter rumors and misinformation spread by insurgents to the local Iraqi public, said Capt. Adisa King, A Co. commander.

“It’s a chance to tell the public what we’re about,” said 1st Lt. Daniel Robbins, platoon leader. “We can give them information directly so they understand what our purpose is and that we’re fighting for their security.”

Robbins first made sure that the merchants understood the need for his platoon to block off the street in front of their stores while they spoke. He described the dangers of vehicle borne improvised explosive devices and explained why local drivers must stop at cordons.
The area near the businesses on Tar Tar Road has been a hot spot for insurgent activity, including five to eight IED attacks there per month, according to Robbins. The merchants were also informed of a large weapons cache uncovered recently in the area.
This exchange of information will hopefully build more trust and cooperation among the Soldiers and the locals.

“We are trying to gather information and learn about them, as well as make it clear why it’s important for them to fight the insurgency,” said Robbins.

Robbins handed out tip cards to the merchants that included his unit’s contact information in Arabic. He offered to help them if their businesses faced any type of threat.

“We will fight for you but we need you to help us out,” Robbins told a group of merchants before moving on. “You’re out here all the time. If you see anything, give us a call.”

The tips cards have been an effective way to continue communicating with locals.

“We have gotten calls fairly frequently,” Robbins said. “Sometimes they’re scared to give us information on the street and feel safer talking on the phone.”

I saw this at Google and just had to put this graphic with this Satire, it is so funny and the Satire is funny too. The image was called ” Coke-heads praying”. At first when I saw it I thought it was a row of Coca Cola bottles in the background…but look closer…….hahaha——Wild Thing

Muslims Protest Fast Food Franchise

Satire

Written by Ayers Lampblack, a retired columnist and news editor, grain elevator weigh scale operator and Ernest Borgnine stunt double. He makes his home in Cosmos, Minn.
Human Events
CHICAGO—The debut of a new theme restaurant in suburban Chicago featuring a menu of foods forbidden by Islamic law and waitresses clad in revealing uniforms has sparked an uproar among local Muslims who claim the restaurant is an affront to Islam.
The December 27 opening of a Burqa King franchise in Winnetka and the subsequent furor over the establishment’s dining theme has drawn the attention of local Muslim clerics and activists, and aimed a spotlight on former Bush Administration Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Officials with Winnetka Holy Outreach to Counsel and Advise Islamic Religious Sects (WHOCAIRS) announced Wednesday that they would organize a demonstration and prayer vigil outside the newly opened restaurant near the intersection of Tower and Foxdale Road to protest what one organizer called the restaurant’s “insensitivity to culinary diversity.”

“Not only can Muslims not sit at the lunch counter here, Muslims cannot even enter this den of humiliation,” said WHOCAIRS Executive Director Ibrahim Bertrand-Reynolds. “This establishment represents a new low in offensiveness.”

Critics noted the Burqa King menu, which features a variety of haram, or unlawful food in Muslim culture, includes frog legs and pork rinds as appetizers; slabs of barbecued pork ribs, blood sausage and ham as entrees; and desserts made from gelatin produced from pork byproducts. All fried food served at Burqa King is cooked in lard, which contains pig fat and is subsequently forbidden by Islamic law.
The restaurant serves beer and has applied for a liquor license with plans to open a full-service bar on the premises. Traditional Muslims are not permitted to consume alcohol except for medicinal purposes.

“To offer only food that is not halal (lawful) is just another egregious example of the indignity we must endure,” said Omar al Akbar al Abdul, an imam from nearby Northbrook

The manager of the restaurant, 53-year-old Craig Baker of Champaign-Urbana, admitted al Akbar al Abdul and others were entitled to their opinion but said he was not considering any changes in response to the planned protests. “These people need to get a hobby or something. I mean, it’s a restaurant, OK?” said Baker. “Besides, what are they gonna do, like, saw my head off with a dull knife on the Internet?”

The nature of the food at Burqa King is not the only thing upsetting area Muslims. Waitresses are required to wear abbreviated burqas with sheer veils, stockings and garters, and high heeled shoes, revealing more of their bodies than the traditional garment worn by many Muslim women.

“This is a great disgrace upon the burqa and the modesty of our women,” said Abdul al Omar al Akbar, a Muslim activist from Chicago. “Humiliating Muslim women in such a way is not in keeping with our long tradition of forbidding women from learning to read, drive or balance a checkbook.”

There is also speculation that political overtones accompanied the opening of this particular Burqa King. Al Akbar al Abdul questioned whether the restaurant was located in Winnetka as a way of honoring Rumsfeld, who was born there in 1932.

“I cannot remain silent when this Satan [Rumsfeld] is honored by the opening of such an offensive establishment,” said al Akbar al Abdul, who threatened additional prayer protests on the H Concourse at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport if the restaurant is not forced by village officials to change its menu or close.

Others in the religious community were less concerned with the establishment. “I keep Kosher, they don’t keep Kosher. This bothers me why?” said Rabbi Shlomo Garfinkle with the Temple Bnai Shalom synagogue in Skokie. Jews also do not eat the types of food offered on the Burqa King menu, but Garfinkle failed to understand the intensity of the furor. “All this mishegas over a menu? I don’t eat pork either, but I have better things to do.”

Wild Thing’s comment…..
It’s getting harder and harder to recognize the parodies these days.

At their home in Studio City, Ed Begley Jr. points out to wife Rachelle Carson that a curling iron is a power waster.

Actor Ed Begley Jr. Hollywood’s most devoted environmentalist
STUDIO CITY – Eco-crazed actor Ed Begley Jr. and his wife just finished bickering about how much energy her hair-curling iron wastes. Now he’s boiling water for soup on a sun-heated oven in the drought-tolerant backyard of their two-bedroom solar-powered home.

“Oh, he’s insane!” scoffs Rachelle Carson, his annoyed better half.

The pretty, blond actress and Pilates instructor rolls her eyes again at the eccentric rumpled man of the house, clad in his “uniform” – organic cotton Of the Earth khaki shorts, white Costco T-shirt and socks.
If Begley hadn’t loaned his generator-equipped stationary bike to a friend, he’d demonstrate how he both exercises and creates electricity for breakfast.

“You pedal for 15 minutes and you have enough power for the 2½ minutes it takes to toast toast,” he explains, as the manicured missus loudly groans.

Their California ranch-style home is behind a white picket fence made of recycled plastic milk jugs.
Begley has 117 solar panels on his roof since 1990, catches rainwater in a giant vat to irrigate his organic vegetable garden, often commutes by bike (he once pedaled in tux to an Academy Awards party), owns an energy-generating windmill in the desert, and sells Begley’s Best biodegradable housecleaning products in between acting gigs.
When he travels, Begley prefers to drive across country – he owns a Toyota RAV4 electric car and Prius hybrid – instead of taking planes because “at 31,000 feet burning kerosene with no trees to mitigate that CO2, there’s pollution from flying, folks.”
No wonder he keeps unplugging his wife’s hair-curling iron in the bathroom when she leaves it heating up for 20 minutes. She, in turn, yells at her beloved and plugs it back in for another 20 minutes.

“They take two to three minutes to fully get as hot as they’re going to,” Begley booms. “Do you know how much wattage they take? It’s like leaving a light bulb on for a week!”

“He’ll tell you the wattage for everything,” the 46-year-old Carson drolly says. “Yeah, he’s fascinating at a party. He really is. A total nerd.”

“This is 80 watts!” exclaims Begley, holding a magnifying glass to read the hair curler’s small print. “Let me go get the other one! You use two, right?”

There’s a new countertop fashioned from recycled Coca-Cola bottles in the small kitchen with the 10-year-old Kenmore fridge, but conservationist Begley shuns more improvements. He even jury-rigged a piece of metal as a handle for their 1980s range so they can keep the appliance.

“We should throw it away,” Carson disgustedly says.

“No we shouldn’t!” Begley retorts. “What will happen to this old metal, honey? Where will it go? I’m not going to have it put in a landfill.”

Besides, they have that outdoor sun oven, a catalog-ordered contraption of solar panels that heats up to 375 degrees. It’s on a rolling cart Begley made from scrap wood, which comes in handy when the sun moves.

“I have to come out every hour or two to re-aim it,” Begley says. But instead of consuming gas to, say, boil water or simmer lentils, the energy is “free from the sun.”

“Better wear your sunblock,” Carson cracks, her blue eyes tearing from the glare of the oven’s metallic ray-catchers.

Begley says the 117 60-watt solar panels that cost about $35,000 in 1990 provide the bulk of the home’s power. His electric bill is about $600 a year. The rooftop panels hook up to 10 large batteries in the garage and an inverter transforms the sun’s light to electricity for house and car.

Begley uses recycling bins for everything from discarded crossword puzzles to junk mail. Nopte the labels on the tubs…..white paper …color paper.

Recycling tubs are scattered throughout the home, and Begley points out you aren’t really recycling unless you buy recycled goods. “Exhibit A!” he announces, hoisting a 12-pack of recycled toilet paper stored in the garage.
Back in the kitchen, Carson asks her waste-not spouse if a small empty bottle with a liquid dropper from medicinal herbs goes into recycling or garbage.

“The glass part goes into recycling. The other thing you can reuse if we need an eyedropper. Leave it there. I’ll clean it up.”

“Ohhh, no!” Carson protests.

Begley uses a stopwatch to time his wife in a shower, though he says he never did that before. Usually, he knocks on the door to let her know how many gallons of water she’s wasting.

“He says, ‘How long are you going to be in there?’ I say, ‘The more you ask me, the longer I’m staying.’ ”

Begley has certainly raised the celebrity eco bar, at least on his tree-lined street in the San Fernando Valley. On this day, he walks out of his recycled front gate and meets former TV host Bill Nye “The Science Guy,” who lives a few doors down and is out for a walk. The two chat in another language about Nye’s new solar-powered water heater.

“Got to keep up with the Begleys,” Nye says.

Wild Thing’s comment…..
Recycled toilet paper??? Gag.
These lefties are all the same, NUTS! Remember Michael Moore flying around in a private plane criticizing rich people.

Drill ban sought for Alaskan park
Legislation has been tabled in the United States aimed at making a ban on oil drilling at a wildlife refuge in Alaska permanent.
BBC
Wildlife campaigners are hoping the new Democrat-led Congress will adopt such a move, which has been rejected on several occasions in the past.
The legislation would make about 500,000 hectares of land along the Alaskan coast a protected wilderness.
It is rich in wildlife but also has more than 10bn barrels of oil.
To many environmentalists the area represents probably the ultimate wild place in need of protection.
It has been compared to the Serengeti nature reserve in Africa because of its abundance of wildlife – polar bears, oxen, caribou and millions of migratory birds.
But it is also thought the area could supply up to one million barrels of oil a day at peak production.
US President George W Bush has said repeatedly that he believes it is possible to protect the environment while still allowing drilling to take place.
He believes the area is essential for lessening US dependence on foreign energy sources.
Entire article HERE

Wild Thing’s comment……
I love animals and you all know I love bears especially. But there is also the factor of common sense. We have tons of oil here in America and because of enviro’s we do not drill here like we should. I have no answers as to how it can be done, but my gut feeling would be to do what we can to get our own oil and not be at the mercy of other counties for our oil like we are now. The Dems wants us to depend on foreign oil along with some Rhino’s. The Dems are jumping on this right away.
Thank you Billy of Billy O’Blog for the link.

Dem Letter to President Bush:
“We stongly encourage you to reject any plans that call for our getting our troops any deeper into Iraq”

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
The start of the new Congress brings us opportunities to work together on the critical issues confronting our country. No issue is more important than finding an end to the war in Iraq. December was the deadliest month of the war in over two years, pushing U.S. fatality figures over the 3,000 mark.
The American people demonstrated in the November elections that they do not believe your current Iraq policy will lead to success and that we need a change in direction for the sake of our troops and the Iraqi people. We understand that you are completing your post-election consultations on Iraq and are preparing to make a major address on your Iraq strategy to the American people next week.
Clearly this address presents you with another opportunity to make a long overdue course correction. Despite the fact that our troops have been pushed to the breaking point and, in many cases, have already served multiple tours in Iraq, news reports suggest that you believe the solution to the civil war in Iraq is to require additional sacrifices from our troops and are therefore prepared to proceed with a substantial U.S. troop increase.
Surging forces is a strategy that you have already tried and that has already failed. Like many current and former military leaders, we believe that trying again would be a serious mistake. They, like us, believe there is no purely military solution in Iraq. There is only a political solution. Adding more combat troops will only endanger more Americans and stretch our military to the breaking point for no strategic gain. And it would undermine our efforts to get the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. We are well past the point of more troops for Iraq.
In a recent appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee, General John Abizaid, our top commander for Iraq and the region, said the following when asked about whether he thought more troops would contribute to our chances for success in Iraq:
“I met with every divisional commander, General Casey, the Corps commander, General Dempsey. We all talked together. And I said, in your professional opinion, if we were to bring in more American troops now, does it add considerably to our ability to achieve success in Iraq? And they all said no. And the reason is, because we want the Iraqis to do more. It’s easy for the Iraqis to rely upon to us do this work. I believe that more American forces prevent the Iraqis from doing more, from taking more responsibility for their own future. ”
Rather than deploy additional forces to Iraq, we believe the way forward is to begin t he phased redeployment of our forces in the next four to six months, while shifting the principal mission of our forces there from combat to training, logistics, force protection and counter-terror. A renewed diplomatic strategy, both within the region and beyond, is also required to help the Iraqis agree to a sustainable political settlement. In short, it is time to begin to move our forces out of Iraq and make the Iraqi political leadership aware that our commitment is not open ended, that we cannot resolve their sectarian problems, and that only they can find the political resolution required to stabilize Iraq.
Our troops and the American people have already sacrificed a great deal for the future of Iraq. After nearly four years of combat, tens of thousands of U.S. casualties, and over $300 billion dollars, it is time to bring the war to a close. We, therefore, strongly encourage you to reject any plans that call for our getting our troops any deeper into Iraq. We want to do everything we can to help Iraq succeed in the future but, like many of our senior military leaders, we do not believe that adding more U.S. combat troops contributes to success.
We appreciate you taking these views into consideration.
Sincerely,­­­­
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Wild Thing’s comment…..
I didn’t know that Pelosi was a military strategist!
Face it Dems ( Pelosi and Reid ) , the only thing you care about here is the $300 billion that you’d rather spend on your socialist Utopia and power grabbing entitlements.
The Democrats don’t give a DAMN about the casualties. None of the Leadership of your Party does. The Democrat “leadership” wants Bush to fail in Iraq, because they think that will help them win the White House in 2008. The Democrats’ interests are aligned with the terrorists and insurgents.
I don’t know what all is going on, but I just came home to Obama commenting outside the White House about how is is opposed to the surge. Apparently the President told him he understood his position but disagreed, and guess who gets to call the shots.
Meanwhile, why was Obama there? sheesh!

U.S. to give Abbas forces $86 mln in power struggle
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Bush administration will provide $86.4 million to strengthen security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, expanding U.S. involvement in Abbas’s power struggle with Hamas, documents showed Friday.
Fighting between Abbas’s Fatah faction and the Hamas, the ruling Islamist group, has surged since talks on forming a unity government collapsed and Abbas called for early parliamentary and presidential elections. Hamas accused Abbas of mounting a coup.

The U.S. money will be used to “assist the Palestinian Authority presidency in fulfilling PA commitments under the road map (peace plan) to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism and establish law and order in the West Bank and Gaza,” a U.S. government document said

.

The document said Lieutenant-General Keith Dayton, the U.S. security coordinator between Israel and the Palestinians, would implement the $86.362 million program “to strengthen and reform elements of the Palestinian security sector controlled by the PA presidency.”

The U.S. money will provide Abbas’s presidential guard with training and non-lethal equipment, including vehicles and uniforms, people familiar with the plan said.
Israeli officials said Washington had already helped organize shipments of guns and ammunition to the presidential guard from Egypt and Jordan, and that
The money for the presidential guard was initially earmarked for U.S. aid programs in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but those programs were “canceled or suspended after Hamas took power earlier this year,” the U.S. document said.

Hamas says its own “Executive Force” has nearly 6,000 members and will also be expanded. Hamas receives funding from Iran and other Islamist allies.

Wild Thing’s comment…..
Good grief, this is a good thing???? NO WAY! Abbas is a terrorist! A living breathing axis of evil!
I wished someone in the Adminstration had read this:
Terrorists associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party who have been firing rockets from the Gaza Strip into nearby Jewish towns are loyal to Abbas and commit their attacks in accordance with Fatah, the northern Gaza leader of Fatah’s declared “military wing” told WND in an interview.
You can read the article ……
Rocket-launching terrorists loyal to Abbas
Or maybe they have but just don’t care!
I am not a soldier but if I was, I would NEVER give my enemy any way possible to gain strength to help kill those on my side (in this case Israel), those that are fighting the same enemy that I am fighting. Israel has been our friend, we darn well better show consistency in being theirs. Loyalty wanes when it is a one-way street!
What good does it do to be the most powerful country in the world and we are, if we do not use that power, that strength to show total support to our friend Israel.