If Pinch Sulzberger ran the New York Times 60 years ago

(h/t to Curmudgeonly & Skeptical where there is a clearer copy)

More judicial misconduct or just more Miranda madness

Think Supreme Court appointments don't matter to ordinary Americans? Here is an example of what the Warren court's excessive concern for criminal's rights has wrought:

The confession of a man charged with kidnapping, raping and killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford isn't admissible in court, but the discovery of her body can be used as evidence, a judge ruled Friday.

John Evander Couey, a 47-year-old convicted sex offender, gave the confession to detectives, but also told them that he wanted to consult a lawyer. He wasn't given the opportunity to do so.

Jessica Marie Lunsford was found kneeling and clutching a stuffed animal, hands tied with speaker wire and fingers poking through the garbage bags in which she was buried alive in March 2005. Two days earlier, Couey told detectives he kidnapped, raped and killed the 9-year-old girl.

A killers confession should not be thrown out because of a procedural error. I contend the proper remedy to police or prosecution error or misconduct in most cases is either additional training or possibly criminal charges in the most eggregious of cases.

Generation gap in baseball

Many people have co-workers younger than themselves. Few deal with that situation to the extreme level Julio Franco does. Baseball Musings notes that 122 players on major leaguer rosters were born after Julio Franco made his major league debut.

House of Representatives condemns treasonous reporting. How'd your Congressman vote?

Today the House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the actions of various news media, lead by the New York Times, which disclosed specific methods used in combating terrorism. The vote should have been unanimous, but wasn't. Here is an article showing how each Congressman voted. It is broken down by state so it should be easy to find your representative. There are two congressman from Ohio running for higher office (Sherrod Brown running for U.S. Senate and Ted Strickland running for Governor) both voted against the resolution. Keep that in mind when you head to the voting booth in November.

Baseball All Star balloting

Today is the last day to vote for the Major League Baseball All Star game starting lineup. Click this link to vote. You can vote up to 25 times. Make up your own mind but here are a few suggestions:
AL
C: Joe Mauer - Currently hitting .392. Easiest pick in either league.
1B: Paul Konerko - While people are arguing between Giambi and Ortiz, Konerko is having another fine season with the bat and unlike the other two he is actually a first baseman.
2B: Brian Roberts - If Cano were not on the DL an argument could be made for him.
3B: Alex Rodriguez - Not having a typical A-Rod season but no other 3B is either.
SS: Miguel Tejada
OF: Ichiro, Manny Ramirez and Vernon Wells - Several young players merit consideration (Sizemore, Granderson, Rios, etc), but Wells is clearly more deserving.
NL
C: Paul LoDuca - You could argue for Michael Barrett.
1B: Albert Pujols - Prior to his injury was enroute to a season of historic nature.
2B: Brandon Phillips - Write in candidate. Utley is a better choice, but I want Phillips to get a lot of votes to embarrass Cleveland for giving up on him.
3B: Miguel Cabrera - Strong part of an improving team in Florida
SS: Jose Reyes - Has been tearing up pitching the last few weeks to emerge as best NL shortstop.
OF: Carlos Lee, Jason Bay, and Carlos Beltran - Two weeks ago I might have picked a couple different names.

The real fun starts after the fan voting is over. Then we get to argue over who got screwed so baseball could be sure every team is represented. Seriously, can you name a deserving player from Kansas City?

Thursday's links and comments

The terrorists in Iraq made a big mistake when they killed four Russian diplomats. Russians believe strongly in the concept of revenge. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered special services to "find and destroy" the killers of four Russian diplomats taken hostage in Iraq. In contrast, look at the muted response to the brutal mutilation and killing of two U.S. soldiers recently.

Scapegoating Guantanamo by Victor Davis Hanson is well worth reading.

I often mention Democrat nuttiness, well for a little balance here is an article on Michael Steele's Republican primary opponent, Daniel "The Wig Man" Vovak. This character (who I'm sad to admit grew up in the Cleveland suburbs) claims to have had his campaign manager place a curse on Steele.

"If Michael Steele withdraws from the Republican Primary, I will remove the curse my psychic campaign manager placed on him," said Vovak, a ghostwriter of movies and books. "Steele's curse will become stronger as the primary approaches. Life is not going to be pleasant for the self-described Man of Steele."

Peggy Noonan's columns are usually a good read and today is no exception. Like William F. Buckley, she will occasionally sneak a work into her column that I need to look up. Today she did so with a word to describe Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton. Media people keep saying, as Hillary gears up for her presidential bid, that her big challenge in 2008 will be to prove that she is as tough as a man. That she could order troops to war. That she's not girly and soft.

This is the exact opposite of the truth. Hillary doesn't have to prove her guy chops. She doesn't have to prove she's a man, she has to prove she's a woman. No one in America thinks she's a woman. They think she's a tough little termagant in a pantsuit. They think she's something between an android and a female impersonator. She is not perceived as a big warm mommy trying to resist her constant impulse to sneak you candy. They think she has to resist her constant impulse to hit you with a bat. She lacks a deep (as opposed to quick) warmth, a genuine and almost phenomenological sense of rightness in her own skin. She seems like someone who might calculatedly go to war, or not, based on how she wanted to be perceived and look and do. She does not seem like someone who would anguish and weep over sending men into harm's way.

Termagant? What does that mean? Ans: n : a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman. Okay, can't argue with that.

Bush's Decency Highlights Democrats Incivility by Seth Swirsky. Though I often wish President Bush would fight back against the scurrilous attacks from the left, in the end I am proud to see him stay above the fray.

Economy roaring at 5/6%

To further confuse the Federal Reserve as it attempts to control inflation without sending the economy into recession, the Commerce Department reported Thursday that our Gross Domestic Product was growing at a robust 5.6%. I blame the Bush tax cuts.

Monday's news and links

Sorry about the light blogging. We had a household of guests this weekend ranging from 88 years old to five years old. So, complaining about politicians took a back seat to family.

Continuing Friday's note about misbehaving mayors, we have the cokehead mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Of course, no mention in the article of Fabrizi's political affiliation (Dem).

John Fabrizi thinks he deserves a big pat on the back for having belatedly confessed that he's been a substance abuser during his three-year tenure as mayor.

What has this guy been smoking?

Er, never mind - we already know the answer.

NY lawmaker seeks criminal probe of NY Times. About time! However, it is not enough. As long as the government turns a blind eye towards the leaks, it emboldens others to curry favor with the media by leaking classified information. If a leaker is seen swinging by his or her neck there may not be a next one. As far as that newspaper goes I'd urge all decent Americans not to buy the rag. I doubt it would change their behavior as not many decent Americans buy it now.

I'm very luke warm to the idea of Mitt Romney being the Republican nominee for president. However, after nearly six years of no veto's and excessive spending, this headline may make me give him a second glance:

Romney vetoes $225m in spending

Going further around the bend, Murtha says U.S. poses top threat to world peace. When people go to the polls in November let this goof be the face of the Democrat party.

John Fund of the Wall Street Journal looks at Murtha and makes this assessment.

Worst of All Worlds
He's "a male Cindy Sheehan" and "a one-man wrecking crew" on ethics. Is Murtha the man to lead the Democrats?

Ben Stein is one of the more brilliant pundits out there and he is usually correct (except when he disagrees with me). Today he has a column titled "Why I Am a Republican." Worth reading even if it is a little rambling.

Governor Corzine in New Jersey gives us some insight into why Dems often don't work out when in the executive branch. They forget who they work for.

Did Jon Corzine have a Howard Dean moment? Impressed by the 6,000 or so union members noisily rallying before him, the governor said, "We're gonna fight for a fair contract." We? If he's on labor's side of the table during negotiations, who represents their employer, the taxpayers of New Jersey?

Spring break - Mayors Gone Wild edition.

Today we have a couple stories of mayors being arrested on different ends of the country.

Jersey City, New Jersey:

Residents of Jersey City got an unusual glimpse of their mayor-to-be in 2004 when a teen snapped a blurry photo seeming to show then-candidate Jerramiah T. Healy passed out naked on his front stoop. The latest story about Healy resonating in the state's second-largest city involves him being pepper-sprayed and arrested by police last weekend outside his sister's Jersey Shore bar.

San Jose, California:

Mayor Ron Gonzales rejected calls to step down after he was booked on fraud, bribery and conspiracy charges following a grand jury probe into a secretly negotiated garbage contract. Gonzales, 55, was released on a $50,000 bond after being indicted on six counts Thursday for allegedly brokering a backroom deal that cost taxpayers more than $11 million.

Predictably, the political affiliation of the miscreants was not considered newsworthy. The article on the Jersey City mayor never mentioned he was a Democrat and in the San Jose story that information was buried in the 15th paragraph.

Friday's various links and comments

Since 9/11 has faded from memory, a tactic of the left has been to claim that the administration has been fear-mongering. Well, I wonder how the arrests in Miami yesterday play into that theory? Reality is al Qaeda is still committed to attacking America as this proves:

Seven people arrested in Miami planned attacks on the landmark Sears Tower in Chicago and other buildings as part of pledge to al Qaeda to wage war against the United States, U.S. prosecutors said on Friday.

An indictment handed down against the men by a grand jury in south Florida said they sought to gain support from Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda in order to destroy FBI buildings in the United States. At least one of them also plotted to blow up the 110-story Sears Tower in Chicago.

I'm not usually a fan of people using biblical quotes to make a point because it is easy to find a chapter or verse and twist its meaning. In his column today, Michael Reagan uses a portion of the book of Ecclesiastes to speak about the horrific treatment of the two U.S. soldiers who were kidnapped last week.

The Biblical book of Ecclesiastes tells us tells us there's a time for everything, including a "time to love and a time to hate ... a time for war and a time for peace." There is also a time for rage, and in this time of war that time is now.

A little good news for the Bush administration this morning: Norm Mineta Stepping Down As Transportation Secretary.

From Jay Nordlinger's weekly Impromptus column we get this nugget:

When I saw the headline, I was slightly alarmed: “Europeans Support Bush on Nuclear Stance.” And the first line of the article went, “President Bush won solid European support Wednesday for his handling of escalating nuclear crises with North Korea and Iran . . .” I had to wonder, “Where did he go wrong?” Listen, if European support were our goal, we would have voted for Kerry. Remember the “global test”? The good senator from Massachusetts could pass it every time. But the Bible-thumpin’ gunslinger from Texas?

Here is today's funniest headline: Saddam ends hunger strike after missing lunch

It could be easy to read the news and get depressed about mankind. Read about the late Waldemar Kaminski and you see there is hope for us humans after all.

Wednesday's notes & links

The Washington Times gives us The real Jack Murtha. To give Murtha credibility, the media frequently refers to him as a defense hawk. This article reminds he is really only a hawk when it comes to spending money on defense items procured from companies lobbied for by friends and family.

With the Republicans holding a five seat majority in the Senate Dick Morris has a column titled: Tenn. may give Dems sixth senator they need. I think Morris is misreading the tea leaves on a few of the races he has leaning Democratic pick up. His mistake is in trusting polls this early in the game. People may be unhappy with the incumbent but that doesn't necessarily translate into support for a challenger. For example, in Ohio many of us are dissatisfied with Sen. Mike DeWine. However, that dissatisfaction stems from the liberal positions he has taken on some issues which means he will still be more acceptable than an extreme liberal like his challenger. Beyond that, I expect Ford will find that winning a statewide election is much more difficult than a gerrymandered congressional district.

Here is a restaurant I will never eat at: Fla. restaurant sells $100 hamburger. What sort of idiot pays that much for a burger?

E.D. Hill is outraged and wants to know why our politicians who fret about conditions at GITMO aren't as outraged as she is about our soldiers being brutally killed and mutilated.




(h/t Curmudeonly & Skeptical)

8th Grade Math test

I don't often do these silly tests, but this one seemed pretty good.

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Finally

To paraphrase a quote from the 38th president, Our long regional nightmare has ended.

Tuesday's links and comments

From the Wall Street Journal we get 'A White Individual' How the Voting Rights Act promotes racial polarization.

Dennis Prager answers the question "Why liberals fear global warming far more than conservatives do?" Read the whole thing, but the last paragraph is the best.

Here is today's stupid lawsuit:

A 14-year-old girl who says she was sexually assaulted by another user of MySpace.com sued the social networking Web site Monday, claiming it does not take sufficient steps to protect underage members. The girl says a 19-year-old man lied in his profile about being a senior on a football team to gain her trust and phone number.

It is sad that she was assaulted. But the responsibility for her meeting the creep is shared by her and her parents much more than some website. Guess what folks? Don't expect some website to raise your kid and don't expect the website to teach your kid not to take stupid risks. Maybe her parents could also take a moment out of their busy day and let her know that guys will lie.

I meant to link to this a week ago and forgot, but it is still worth sharing. Baseball Crank did a table called A Little Demographics which looks at birth rates of countries with at least 20 million people. He compared the population data to the size of the country and made some interesting observations. Here is one, click the link for the rest:

2. The eye-popping figures for Bangladesh really stick out - there's no country on earth close to Bangladesh's overpopulation problem. Bangladesh squeezes half the population of the United States into a land mass smaller than Iowa.

Here is the latest case of a judge who needs to be thrown off the bench.

Judge Dismisses Child Rape Case After Attorney Late For Court
'Don't Treat Me Like A Punk,' Judge Says

I'm all for punctuality and believe respect for our court system demands being there on time. That doen't mean you reward the defendant with a dismissal out of spite. She could have found the prosecutor in contempt and thrown him in jail for a day. Instead she showed more disrespect to our judicial system than the tardy prosecutor.

Monday's news and links

If you missed Meet the Press yesterday here is the transcript. Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) was on the show and made a complete fool of himself. In attempting to make the case to withdraw from Iraq he had the following to say about where our troops should be redeployed:

MR. ROVE: Congressman Murtha said, “Let’s redeploy them immediately to another country in the Middle East. Let’s get out of Iraq and go to another country.” My question is, what country would take us? What country would say after the United States cut and run from Iraq, what country in the Middle East would say, “Yeah. Paint a big target on our back and then you’ll cut and run on us.” What country would say that? What country would accept our troops?

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: What’s your response?

REP. MURTHA: There’s many countries understand the importance of stability in the Middle East. This is an international problem. We, we use 20 million barrels of oil a day. China’s the second largest user. All these countries understand you need stability for the energy supply that’s available in the Middle East. So there’s many, many countries.

MR. RUSSERT: Who?

REP. MURTHA: Kuwait’s one that will take us. Qatar, we already have bases in Qatar. So Bahrain. All those countries are willing to take the United States. Now, Saudi Arabia won’t because they wanted us out of there in the first place. So—and we don’t have to be right there. We can go to Okinawa. We, we don’t have—we can redeploy there almost instantly. So that’s not—that’s, that’s a fallacy. That, that’s just a statement to rial up people to support a failed policy wrapped in illusion.

MR. RUSSERT: But it’d be tough to have a timely response from Okinawa.

REP. MURTHA: Well, it—you know, they—when I say Okinawa, I, I’m saying troops in Okinawa. When I say a timely response, you know, our fighters can fly from Okinawa very quickly. And—and—when they don’t know we’re coming. There’s no question about it. And, and where those airplanes won’t—came from I can’t tell you, but, but I’ll tell you one thing, it doesn’t take very long for them to get in with cruise missiles or with, with fighter aircraft or, or attack aircraft, it doesn’t take any time at all. So we, we have done—this one particular operation, to say that that couldn’t have done, done—it was done from the outside, for heaven’s sakes.

Okinawa! Okinawa? Doesn't he realize the Japanese people have been urging us to get our Marines off the island of Okinawa already? Making it even worse he cited the fact that Clinton followed his advice to abandon Somalia in 1993. How'd that work out again? Oh yeah, the country is a hot bed of Islamic fanaticism and that decision was noted by Osama bin Laden as evidence that the U.S. didn't have the backbone to fight terrorism. We should all be thankful that we now have a president who knows better than to seek advice from someone like Murtha.

The Party of Retreat and Defeat. It is a little long, but well worth reading. A good look at what happened to the party of John F. Kennedy and Scoop Jackson.

Is Al-Jazeera Less Biased Than The New York Times? Sadly, the evidence points to an affirmative response to that question.

Mary Katherine Ham has a column titled "SHAME." Just as Bob Dole asked "Where's the outrage" in the 1996 campaign, one could ask today "Where's the shame." Before we developed this aversion to being judgmental, shame was a very useful human emotion.

Don't count on inheritance, warns AARP. Basically, the AARP did a survey on inheritances which got predictable results. Dad and Mom aren't going to make up for a failure to save for your own retirement. They did not attempt to explain why, but my guess would be it is the same thing that is bankrupting Social Security - the ever increasing life expectancy. If Dad and Mom live 20 some years after retirement they're going to spend their money. Good, they earned it let them enjoy it while they can.

Sunday's news and links

Unless I'm forgetting someone, Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) is the first official candidate running for president in 2008.

The Delaware Democrat spoke to more than 100 people gathered at an event organized by Strafford County Democrats.

"I'm running for president -- flat out," he said, adding his party should learn to be more blunt. "The next Democrat, whether it's me or Sen. Clinton or John Kerry, whomever -- the Democratic nominee -- they'd better be able to ante up right in front of the American people two things: security and faith," he said.

There are advantages and disadvantages to announcing your candidacy early. Obviously, being a declared candidate helps kick off the fund raising so necessary to wage a national campaign. Additionally, this assures him more of the media attention which has to help with name recognition. However, the bright lights of the media now have more time to expose the various warts that we all have as humans.

Peter Bronson writes for the local newspaper, The Cincinnati Enquirer. He should be nationally syndicated. Here's his column from today.

I wouldn't take any bets on this guy's life expectancy.

Ayatollah's grandson calls for US overthrow of Iran

Unlike his grandfather who hung out in France during his revolution, Hossein Khomeini's call is all the more startling as he made it from Qom, the spiritual home of Iran's Shia strand of Islam, during an interview to mark the 17th anniversary of the ayatollah's death.

This is a load of crap.

The family of a Yemeni prisoner said to have committed suicide at the United States Guantanamo Bay prison is refusing to bury him, demanding an investigation into his death. The dead prisoners' families do not believe that the men, devout Muslims, took their own lives. They said this was a major violation of the Islamic faith.

So they're asserting that he didn't commit suicide because it's against the rules. Guess what? Suicide is against the rules in lots of religions and unhappy people from all those religions (including Islam) have chosen suicide since the beginning of time.

Here is today's bad idea:

While naming Navy ships is a job that originates with the service’s secretary and the executive branch, Virginia Sen. John W. Warner appears to be trying to perform the task himself. The Republican has asked Congress to name the Navy’s next aircraft carrier after Gerald Ford, the nation’s 38th president.

Former President Ford is a good guy by all accounts, but that is not reason enough to name a ship after him. We have erred in the past in naming carriers after politicians (Stennis, Vinson) mainly because they had a history of voting for more spending. Carrier battle groups are used as the forward deployed image of the United States and the name of the carrier should evoke certain historical thoughts. We should name aircraft carriers for great leaders of our nation from the past or pivital battles from American history. Look at the names of some current and some retired carriers and decide which ones evoke the right image of American military might. USS NIMITZ (CVN 68), USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73), USS MIDWAY (CV 41), and USS AMERICA (CV 66) send one message while USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70), USS JOHN STENNIS (CVN 74) send a decidedly different message. Which group would you place the idea of naming an aircraft carrier after Gerald Ford?

Coulter-mania on Hot Air by Michelle Malkin

Ann Coulter has been in the news the past couple weeks as her new book is hitting the stores and touching nerves. Michelle Malkin has an internet show called Hot Air and this week it focuses on Coulter-mania. Whether you think Coulter sometimes goes too far (which she occasionally does) or not, you have to laugh at the final line of the show.

Friday's various links and comments

For those who think the courts don't matter, I offer this article for them to consider.

The Constitution does not require the government to forfeit evidence gathered through illegal "no knock" searches, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday, in a far-reaching ruling that could encourage police with search warrants to conduct more aggressive raids.

While the abortion issue is the highest profile mistake of the Supreme Court of the last 50 years, the advocacy of criminal rights has probably affected more people directly. Starting with the Miranda decision, courts have ruled repeatedly that any procedural error on the part of police automatically results in either dismissal of a criminal case or exclusion of evidence found during a tainted search. I've long thought that situations should be considered individually and in most of these cases the correct remedy is not to affect the case at hand but rather to take administrative action on the cop who erred. Depending on the experience level of the officer and the nature of the mistake corrective action could range from requiring additional training all the way to removal from the force. However, dismissing charges against a criminal because a warrant was filed incorrectly or because a policeman failed to read a criminal their rights is beyond stupid. Hopefully, this ruling is a sign that the Roberts' Court will lead to a return of judicial common sense.

Jonah Goldberg examines the Democrat "position" on Iraq and labels it: Winning Is Not an Option. Sad commentary on a once proud political party.

In the House of Representatives a bill was voted on with this title: BILL TITLE: Declaring that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary. So, the bill was a resolution declaring that we will win. You'd think that would pass unanimously, right? Nope. 153 congresscritters voted for losing the war. I wonder how many were for entering the war who now are against the idea of winning.

Think you know presidential trivia? James Taranto, who pens a Best of the Web column for the Wall Street Journal, is off today and instead has published a presidential trivia quiz. Good luck.

Here is a "let's celebrate the 2nd Amendment" article.

Willie Brown said he thought he was back in a foxhole in Korea on Thursday morning when a burglar stood at the door to Brown's bedroom.

"He said, 'I got a knife, don't move,'" Brown recalled.

"I reached behind my back and whipped my gun from under my pillow and said, 'Take this .38,' and I blasted him." The man, wounded, uttered "Whoops," Brown said, and fled down the stairs. Brown pursued, and fired a second shot, striking the intruder as he jumped through a broken window.

Thursday's notes and links

The always brilliant Victor Davis Hanson uses the example of Socrates to demonstrate how the selective enforcement of the law is bad for society.

Aaron Gleeman has a link to a great video clip of the bat boy in Minnesota tackling some moron who ran onto the field.

While here in the U.S. we have the occasional idiot who runs on the field and disrupts and some people who take sports too seriously, we have nothing on the fans of soccer and the World Cup in particular.

Two football fans have been shot dead in Thailand for cheering too loudly during the World Cup. They roared when Italy scored their first goal and a man at a nearby table asked them to quieten down. A heated argument followed and the man pulled out a handgun and shot the football fans at point blank range.

An example of class: Bush Apologizes for Poking Fun at Reporter With Vision Loss.

Bush called on Los Angeles Times reporter Peter Wallsten and asked if he was going to ask his question with his "shades" on. "For the viewers, there's no sun," Bush said to the television cameras.

But even though the sun was behind the clouds, Wallsten still needs the sunglasses because he has Stargardt's disease, a form of macular degeneration that causes progressive vision loss. The condition causes Wallsten to be sensitive to glare and even on a cloudy day, can cause pain and increase the loss of sight.

Wallsten said Bush called his cell phone later in the day to apologize and tell him that he didn't know he had the disease. Wallsten said he told the president that no apology was necessary and that he didn't feel offended since he hadn't told anyone at the White House about his condition.

I don't like the sounds of this:

The nation's Roman Catholic bishops signed off Thursday on a new English translation for the Mass that would change prayers ingrained in the memories of millions of American parishioners. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted at its biannual meeting for a new translation after a brief but vigorous debate over several small changes in wording. The 173-29 vote on the Order of the Mass was aimed at satisfying Vatican calls for a translation that's closer to the Latin version.

Don Surber is spot on in his takedown of those in Congress who would abandon the cause in Iraq after having voted for the initial action. Kerry should make up for his ‘mistake' I was going to copy and past a portion, but decided not to, so go read the article.

Wednesday's notes & links

Fred Barnes says "Don't Call It a Comeback" regarding the president's approval numbers.

PRESIDENTS RARELY RECOVER from second term slumps, but President Bush may be on the verge of at least a modest upturn and perhaps a strong recovery. For sure, his plunge in job approval over the past year has been halted. The Bush decline in 2005 and 2006 was caused, in part, by intensified terrorist attacks in Iraq, the failure of his Social Security reform initiative, and bad luck in the form of hurricane Katrina and the Dubai ports deal. The president's approval rating in the Gallup Poll plummeted from 51 percent on the day of his second inauguration to 31 percent in May, 16 months later. But in recent days, Bush has been blessed with good news. Last week, Americans found and killed the chief jihadist in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, eliminating the top strategist and operational leader of the insurgency. And on Monday, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald informed Karl Rove, one of Bush's most influential advisers, that he has no plans to seek an indictment of Rove in the case of a CIA official whose name was disclosed to the press. Zarqawi's death thrilled the White House. The clearing of Rove evoked a sigh of relief.

Scalia Sparks Debate Over Role of Judges Both On Bench and Off. Nothing really new but an interesting read regarding the justice who understands the role and limitations of the judiciary.

Here is a story of political corruption from the nations capital.

D.C. Council members have long distributed to family and friends special license plates that have accrued more than $20,000 in city parking fines, which the plate owners likely will not have to pay.

What legitimate reason can there be for "special license plates" for council members, let alone family and friends?

I've long believed that a large part of the Iraqi insurgency was fueled by neighboring nations (Syria and Iran) fearful of the idea of democracy spreading. Here is an article supporting that notion, Iran’s agents arrested in key Iraqi province.

Some 50 Iranians along with an Iranian security forces commander have been arrested by Iraq’s security forces in the central province of Diyala, an Iraqi television channel reported. The arrests were made during a raid jointly by American and Iraqi forces late Sunday in the town of Baquba, 65 kilometres north of the capital, the Salahuddin television station reported. Those arrested were believed to be behind a spate of kidnappings and murders in an effort to further strain ethnic tensions in Iraq.

Why wasn't this the lead item in national news?

This is kind of funny. Betsy Newmark has a post about a candidate for Supreme Court in North Carolina who is so outrageous both parties are urging voters not to vote for her.

She refers to the Democratic state party leader as "der Fuhrer." And that is her own party! And now she refers to a black Republican, Vernon Robinson, running against Brad Miller for the House as a "good slave" or an "Uncle Tom." Classy.

I am normally very supportive of the police. However, I have seen a trend in recent decades toward discouraging citizens from defending themselves or their property. Here is another example.

A Framingham man is being called a hero by some and a criminal by police. James Copp reportedly swung a baseball bat at a man who was trying to break into his car over the weekend. The alleged thief suffered minor injuries. Neighbors said Copp is a hero for fighting back, but police said it still amounts to assault. They told the MetroWest Daily News that they had no choice but to charge him.

No, they did have a choice. They could have chosen to use common sense. If someone is breaking into my car, or my house or threatening me or my family I have every right (heck a responsibility) to assault the daylights out of him.

Flag Day

I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

As you go through this day and see the flag consider our history. Think of those who sacrificed all to reach the point of our original 13 Star Flag:


Then consider those who fought in the Civil War, the bloodiest war in our nation's history, to save this country. Here is the flag they carried into combat:


Today, for all our faults, people from around the world wait in long lines to gain admission to our country to live under this Flag:


Remember it isn't just the Flag, but equally important are the ideals of the American way of life represented by the Flag. To me our Flag is actually a visible embodiment of the United States Constitution. Salute the Flag, respect the Flag not just today but everyday.

Tuesday's news

The president took a little time out of his busy schedule to visit Iraq.

A couple news items on the legal front. Apparently, there will be no charges against Karl Rove in the silly Plame Affair. However, in an unrelated case Kennedy pleads guilty. That's a double whammy for the loony left.

Bilbray Sworn in to Replace Rep. Cunningham. Dems were counting on picking up that seat as part of their "strategy" to regain control of Congress. In his first floor speech, Bilbray fire a shot across the bow of the amnesty crowd.

"We did not enjoy the situation or appreciate the problem that created the vacancy," Bilbray said. "But let me say quite clearly -- what is obvious in the last few months is the greatest scandal in America is not that one man broke the law, but that 12 million illegal immigrants are in this country and Washington isn't doing enough about it."

Here is another instance of the left not letting the facts get in the way of the point they want to make.

A union-prepared leaflet claims that a Republican candidate for governor used his influence to win a tax break benefiting his company that was "signed into law by President Bush in 1997."

One problem: Bush didn't become president until 2001. Democrat Bill Clinton was in charge in 1997.

Denise Cadreau, political director for the AFL-CIO, acknowledged Tuesday that the union made a mistake on its leaflet knocking Republican candidate Dick DeVos, who led Amway and its parent company, Alticor Inc., from 1993 to 2002. "The date is correct, based on Common Cause," she said Tuesday, referring to a lobbying organization. "It's just somehow a 'by President Bush' got tossed in there."

Yeah, I wonder how. Separately, why is the AFL-CIO (or any other union) interjecting themselves in political races.

Webb wins Senate primary race in Va. This will make for a very interesting race. Six years ago when Webb was still a Republican he endorsed George Allen's candidacy for the senate. Now, he is the Democrat nominee against Allen. Watch the Dem's pour money into this race. Allen is considered a strong potential candidate to run for president in 2008. If he loses this reelection bid his chances in 2008 go right to zero. Unlike other Republican candidates up for reelection this year Allen is not distancing himself from President Bush or the effort in Iraq. Webb has tied his decision to switch parties to the Iraq war. That make this race a bit of a referendum on the war.

More abuse of our legal system

Some lousy lawyer brings us this case of abuse of the legal system.

A man who was beaten by employees of a store he was trying to rob is now suing. Police say Dana Buckman entered the AutoZone in Rochester, New York, last July, brandished a semi-automatic pistol and demanded cash. That's when employees Eli Crespo and Jerry Vega beat him with a pipe and held Buckman at bay with his own gun.

Now Buckman is suing the auto parts store and the two employees who beat him, claiming they committed assault and battery and intentionally inflicted emotional distress.

Of course they assaulted you, ya moron. You were threatening them with a gun. People suing others in this manner should be charged with attemped theft because that is precisely what he is trying to do. He is just using a lawyer instead of a gun this time.

Saturday's news and links

A lot of political articles as we head towards the November elections.

Republican Chafee taking fire from right and left. No kidding, he is too goofy for the right and not goofy enough for the left.

The 'Kweisi Problem'. Maryland Democrats are having a problem with black voters realizing they've been taken for granted.

But in his current incarnation, running in the Democratic primary for Maryland's open Senate seat, Mfume has declared war on his own party. The Democrats' sin, in his view, is to have turned their backs on his candidacy -- and on the aspirations of black Democrats. "The party has to practice what it preaches," he says. "We preach inclusion, but when the test comes, [Democrats should] at least fake it."

I don't know if this guy has a chance, but at least someone is challenging Rep. Kennedy in his reelection bid.

Saying Rhode Island doesn’t need "a congressman who needs a babysitter," Rumford Republican Edmund Leather announced he will challenge Rep. Patrick Kennedy for the 1st District seat in the House of Representatives.

Accusations Fly in Va. Democratic Primary. Nothing like your opponent having a nasty primary fight.

One Democrat calls his rival the "anti-Christ of outsourcing" U.S. jobs and argues that he's trying to buy a win in the Virginia primary.

The other fires back, labeling his opponent a sexist who is hostile to affirmative action and is, at heart, a Republican.

Accusations fly freely in the Democratic primary between decorated Vietnam veteran and Reagan-era Navy secretary Jim Webb and former Internet industry lobbyist Harris Miller. The winner Tuesday will face first-term Sen. George Allen, a potential 2008 presidential candidate.

For a laugh on a Saturday afternoon, we have this headline: Gingrich says he'll run for president if nomination's open.
I consider Gingrich a very intelligent person, but he has absolutely no chance of being elected president.

If the thought of Gingrich deluding himself into believing he has a chance at the presidency wasn't funny enough, how about this. Rep. John "Cut and Run" Murtha wants to be the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives if people are dumb enough to elect more Dem's than Rep's in November. Like many conservatives, I get frustrated by the failings of some Republicans in the House and especially the Senate. However, when I consider who will be in the House leadership if Dem's get a majority I realize how important it is to ensure they don't. Imagine Nancy Pelosi, John Conyers, John Murtha, Henry Waxman, Pete Stark and others of their ilk in charge and pretty soon Denny Hastert seems awfully competent.

Why all the different reactions to al-Zarqawi's demise?

There was general agreement amongst sane people that al-Zarqawi was evil incarnate and a key leader of the terrorists in Iraq which have been killing our soldiers, Iraq police, and Iraqi civilians in an attempt to prevent a stable democracy from forming. Why then are there so many divergent positions and statements in response to the trash being taken out?

You have some who see this as clearly good news and go on to explain how it will help.
In A Good Day's Work Why Zarqawi's death matters, Christopher Hitchens sums up the position of those who see this a good news.
Daniel Henninger's Wall Street Journal article A Moral Victory The meaning of Zarqawi's death dispels the notion that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi represented the word of God.
Then you have a number of articles by organizations either emotionally or politically committed to our failure in Iraq. These articles are all notable for one word midway through the headline or the first sentence - BUT.
Reuters: Zarqawi found, but bin Laden still eludes US.
Tom Lassetter of Knight Ridder Newspapers: The killing of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a stunning victory for U.S. forces, but Iraq remains a nation beset by deeply rooted problems that threaten to push it deeper into chaos.
Zarqawi Killing Great, but Pull Troops, Say Kerry, Murtha.
Actually, Kerry and Murtha seem relatively sane compared to some of their congressional colleagues.

Some Democrats, breaking ranks from their leadership, today said the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab Zarqawi in Iraq was a stunt to divert attention from an unpopular and hopeless war.
"This is just to cover Bush's [rear] so he doesn't have to answer" for Iraqi civilians being killed by the U.S. military and his own sagging poll numbers, said Rep. Pete Stark, California Democrat. "Iraq is still a mess -- get out."
Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, Ohio Democrat, said Zarqawi was a small part of "a growing anti-American insurgency" and that it's time to get out.

Hey, Dennis if the insurgency is growing, how do you explain the fact that more and more Iraqi's are assisting the coalition forces in rooting out the problem including providing the tip which led to Zarqawi.

You would at least think the response of relative of al-Zarqawi's victims would be uniformly
pleased to see him dealt with, but you'd be wrong.
The son of Paul Johnson Jr. who was beheaded by al-Qaida terrorists seems to have a reasonable response:

"The anniversary of my dad's death is right around the corner," said Johnson, a Port St. John resident. "Hearing this pretty much shocked me, but it was a nice shock. I'm glad he's dead. I hope he rots in hell, to tell the truth."

On the other end of the insanity scale you find the father of Nicholas Berg.

Michael Berg, whose son Nick was beheaded in Iraq in 2004, said on Thursday he felt no sense of relief at the killing of the al Qaeda leader in Iraq and blamed President Bush for his son's death. Asked what would give him satisfaction, Berg, an anti-war activist and candidate for U.S. Congress, said, "The end of the war and getting rid of George Bush."

Al-Zarqawi Dead

Realizing there is nothing humorous about death, I couldn't help but think of Belushi saying "Neidermeyer - Dead" as I typed that headline.

Back to the news. . . It has been reported that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, head scumbag terrorist in Iraq, was killing today. It would be hard to calculate the numbers of deaths that can be attributed to this guy. Besides the dozens he killed personally, including taped beheadings, he directed many bombings such as the hotel bombing in Jordan. I can not bring myself to wish that he rest in peace. Instead his send off is a bitter rot in hell.

The question now is what effect this will have in Iraq. The head has been cut off the snake. Will it grow a new head or will it flop around directionless? I would predict some initial upswing in violence by his followers. The Iraqi people should be more willing to come forward and cooperate in putting down the insurgency. Hopefully, our forces will press the issue now while they are off balance.

Wednesday's notes & links

Ben Stein is always a compelling and insightful read. His column today, Let's Stand for Something, is no exception.

Bill Sammon of the The Examiner notices the obvious in his column: President Bush’s victories receiving little attention.

A little humor this morning. Jefferson promises he has 'an honorable explanation' Anyone who believes his explanation is asked to contact me for a discount price on a bridge in Brooklyn.

The last item made me laugh, this one makes me angry. Officer at Fort Lewis calls Iraq war illegal, refuses order to go. If I remember correctly, during time of war violation of UCMJ Art. 85 Desertion and Art. 87 Missing Unit Movement is punishable by death. With this turd being an officer that punishment is even more appropriate as he could be leading others to commit the same act.

FBI Investigating Ill. Mayor for Bribery

NILES, Ill. (AP) -- The FBI is investigating allegations that the longtime mayor of this northern Chicago suburb took bribes from an insurance agency in exchange for pressuring village businesses to buy policies, court records show. Federal agents Tuesday raided the insurance agency owned by the late Ralph Weiner, who had been a close friend of Niles Mayor Nicholas Blase, according to documents obtained by the Chicago Tribune before they were sealed by a court order.

A politician in ethical trouble and the article makes no mention of political affiliation. Hmmm? You know what that means.

Ted Kennedy thinks you're a bigot. Well, actually he only thinks you're a bigot if you think guys should marry girls and vice versa.

Will no one turn to Ted Kennedy and say, "Sir, have you no decency?" The six in 10 Americans who oppose gay marriage (and the majority who in the latest Gallup poll support a constitutional amendment to protect marriage) do not deserve to be denounced as bigots by their own elected officials.

In Are you able to obey this law?, John Stossel looks at how the law of unintended consequences makes complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act so difficult for employers.

Tuesday's links and comments

The Wall Street Journal has an article titled "Fitzgerald, Scooter and Us" which looks at the Scooter Libby case and how the prosecutor wants to use one of their articles to bolster his case.

Dennis Prager examines liberal reactions to the proposed amendment to clarify the fact that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Understanding the Red state/Blue state breakdown of the country and the Electoral College, it is obvious that the Dem nominee in 2008 needs to pick off a large state from the Republicans. With that in mind, Real Clear Politics has an article titled "Can Hillary Win Florida or Ohio in '08?"

Byrd set to become longest-serving senator. Let's hope this is one record never to be broken. Regardless of party affiliation I'm against the idea of lifetime legislators. However, I'm also against term limits as I don't want an arbitrary limit on who we can vote for in an election.

Earlier today I mentioned Rep. Tom Tancredo's strong showing in a Michigan straw poll. Here is an op-ed he wrote on the current impasse between the Senate and the House over immigration reform.

The United States Congress stands at a historic crossroads on immigration policy. Two roads diverge. Will the nation get another amnesty program or will it get secure borders to halt illegal entry into our country? House Republicans must choose, because they can’t have both.

As they say, read the rest.

Immigration Reform and its impact on politics

There are several things to watch to see how people feel about the illegal immigration issue. The most visible way people communicate with politicians is at the ballot box. In California there is a special election taking place to replace the crooked Duke Cunningham. The Democrat candidate, Francine Busby was considered to be doing well by making the campaign more about Cunningham's corruption than policy. Then last week she made a comment to an illegal alien at one of her rallies:

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, a man at a rally told her he'd like to help with the campaign, but "I don't have papers." She responded, "You don't need papers for voting." Later she said she had merely meant to say, "that you do not have to be a registered voter to help the campaign."

With the Dems being known as the party of voter fraud her comment undermines her attempt to campaign as the anti-corruption option. If she gets trounced, you can chalk it up to those comments and the fact that most folks want the law (including immigration laws) obeyed.

The second signal voters are sending to politicians comes from Michigan.

Rep. Tom Tancredo's get-tough-first attitude on immigration reform is having a positive impact on his possible presidential run in 2008. The Colorado Republican won tonight's GOP straw poll in Macomb County, Mich., located in the Detroit metro area.

Any voter who knows of Tancredo only knows him because of his strong stance on securing our borders. For a basically one issue candidate to beat out the big names like McCain, Rice, Giuliani, Romney, etc. says how people feel about that one issue. Also, it is very telling that Mr. Amnesty - John McCain came in tied for fifth with Newt Gingrich.

Bottom line, this is an issue voters care about. If the Republicans lose their majority in the House or Senate, the loss will be traceable to ignoring the concerns of the base on this issue. If Republican senators pat themselves on the back for being able to please Ted Kennedy and his ilk they aren't keeping the vote of people like me.

Monday's news and links

Sometimes I know I'll like an article just based on the title. This is one of those times: Throw the U.N. on the Ash Heap of History

"The United Nations has proven that it does not have the backbone to stand against tyrants, that its members abuse its systems for short-term gain, that it is careless with the money it’s given, that its employees and contractors cannot be wholly trusted to execute its lofty ambitions, and that even its humanitarian efforts are undermined and shortchanged as a result," says Shawn. If it were a private corporation, it would be deemed a criminal enterprise.

In Beyond the Hillary Hype discussing Hillary Clinton's presidential ambitions, Armstrong Williams writes: "Although she hasn’t officially announced her desire to run for President, it is clear she will do so. Thankfully she cannot win back the White House for the democrats, and there are three reasons why: She's too liberal, too conservative, and severely under qualified." He goes on to explain each of those reasons.

The Washington Post has an article today explaining some of the details of the Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) bribery case.

Parade Magazine has an article titled How We Make Marines. Well worth reading. (H/T CDR Salamander)

Some sad news today on the health of Casey Coleman, longtime sideline reporter for the Cleveland Browns. A man of strong faith, Coleman is dealing with this news as one would expect.

Casey Coleman, who has staged a mighty and public struggle with pancreatic cancer, received devastating news from his doctors Friday: He has inoperable tumors in his liver and has months to live. Coleman visited the Cleveland Clinic on Friday, hoping a clean bill of health would allow him to return next week to "Wills and Coleman in the Morning" on WTAM AM 1100.

The longtime Cleveland sports broadcaster, who has been fighting pancreatic cancer for eight months, was typically upbeat even in the face of such a grim prognosis. "The good news is that I don't have to have that hernia operation I scheduled," Coleman joked with friends. "I've already had five more months than I was supposed to, and I'm grate ful for that time," Coleman said Sunday night after returning from his daughter Kayla's Bay Village High School baccalaureate cere mony. "The doctors say I have anywhere from three months to nine," said Coleman who will continue his chemotherapy to slow the disease. "I'm going to squeeze out all the time I can."

Coleman said he is look ing forward to being the official starter at the Walk for Hope on June 24 at Cahoon Park in Bay Village. All proceeds will benefit research to fight pancreatic cancer. For more information go to www.pancan.org/clevelandwalk.

Keep him and his family in your prayers.

While some pretend there is no War on Terror or that the invasion of Iraq was solely based on false information, there seems to be a matter of some concern in Canada. Like it or not, Islamic fanatics are at war with the west.

Bob Uecker has a stalker?

Is there anyone you'd be more surprised to find out they're being stalked than Bob Uecker? Uecker files restraining order against woman. Now that's an underachiever. How low must your self-esteem be to stalk a guy who had a lousy six year career in the major leagues 40 years ago and a lousy sitcom on television (Mr. Belvedere) which also lasted 6 years.

Friday's various links and comments

A constituent has some hard questions for Lindsey Graham regarding his efforts on behalf of illegal immigrants. Actually, the author is really asking Sen. Graham to be even half as helpful to an immigrant who followed our laws as he is to those who flaunt our laws.

Three years later, when Eugen's visa was about to expire, my dad called me in a panic. "I'm about to lose the hardest working tech I've ever had."

We spent a year calling and writing every office we could think of, including yours, Sen. Graham. Your office has his information right now. But what did you and your amnesty allies do for Eugen? Nothing. No extensions, no change in visa status. And so they left. Eugen and Alina did something millions of other legal immigrants have done. They kept their word. They obeyed the law. And now, they're waiting, hoping that eventually the red tape will be cut and they can return to America and to the lawful employers who need them.

If only Eugen were a criminal. If only he were willing to break our immigration laws, then you'd be falling all over yourself to help him.

Take taxes, for example. As an illegal Eugen could have kept all the tax money he's paid Uncle Sam since 2000. Thanks to you, illegals who've been working off the books for 10, 15 or even 20 years only owe three years of back taxes. Better still, they get to pick which three years. Such a deal!

Eugen also made the mistake of paying his Social Security taxes. Unless his status changes, he'll never see a penny of that money. But if he'd committed Social Security fraud to get his job, your immigration bill would reward him by applying the profits of that fraud toward his future Social Security benefits. And because Eugen is a skilled worker who earns middle class wages, he won't qualify for the billions in Earned Income Tax Credit dollars you voted to give illegals entering your amnesty program.

Then there's the biggest insult of all Eugen respecting our border and waiting for the right to return, all the while watching millions of others violating our borders and receiving special treatment from politicians like you.

Why, Sen. Graham, should a handicapped Romanian TV repairman have more respect for our laws and our borders than you do?

Good question, why should anyone respect our laws when our elected representatives show so little regard for them.

How do government handouts (you know money previously taken from taxpayers) work out? Here is one example.

Why are President Bush's approval ratings low? Here is a main reason: Bush shuns Republicans' stand to return illegals

Mr. Bush drew praise yesterday from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a key Democrat on the issue. He said Mr. Bush was "right on the mark" in telling Congress to get a broad bill done.

Bush's popularity is down because he is losing what should be his base. Here is a clue for ya Mr. President if Ted Kennedy says you're "right on the mark" on any issue you need to reexamine your position.

Ben Stein puts the alleged mistakes in Iraq in historical context. I disagree with Stein's assertion that Iraq was a mistake, but once you get past that he is right on in stating that "mistake" pales in comparison to other mistakes in the past.

Some have said I don't criticize Republicans. It is true that I don't bother covering Republican misdeads that much, but that is because the media has no problem fitting those stories into the evening news but time or space seems to run out before they can get to crooked Dems. Or if the newspaper does tell the story of a misbehaving Dem there isn't room to include party affiliation. Anyways, here is a Republican candidate I'm urging people NOT to vote for in the coming election.

Republican Jim Galley, who is running for Congress as a “pro-traditional family” candidate, was married to two women at the same time, defaulted on his child support payments and has been accused of abuse by one of his ex-wives.

We have close to 300 million people in this country. Out of that group both parties should be able to find qualified, honest candidates who don't beat their wife and are able to figure out if they are divorced or not before getting married to someone else.

Lastly, our long national nightmare begins today. In other words, schools out for Summer break.

Haditha and Ishaqi

Various left and right wing blogs, radio and tv commentators, and politicians have been talking about alleged military atrocities in the Iraqi cities of Haditha and Ishaqi. I haven't bothered blogging about these stories (except to condemn the despicable Rep. Murtha for quickly assuming guilt and attempting to use the incident for political gain). The main reason I didn't write on these cases is because I remember the famous words of the legendary Civil War general from Ohio, William Tecumseh Sherman. Sherman quite correctly said "War is Hell." I don't say that to offer a blanket excuse to any soldier who commits any act during war. Rather I bring that quote up to remind people that when the decision is made to engage another country in war you are also deciding to have things happen that people in civilized society would condemn. Our soldiers are human not robots. They respond to stress and fear. It is foolish to expect them not too. I supported the decision to go to war to deal with the threat that Iraq posed as a nation state which actively supported terrorism. My eyes were open to the fact that deciding to deal with Iraq meant we would get some results we don't like. The alternative would have been a far worse result.

I have not seen final reports and obviously don't know the specific facts of the case. I am fairly certain the final report will be vastly different from the initial leaks and media reports. I will guarantee that what happened in Haditha will not be classified as a "cold-blooded murder" as Murtha claimed.

Regardless of the final report, keep these soldiers in your prayers, now and on their return to civilization.

Thursday's links and comments

Here are a few articles for a Thursday evening:

I've become convinced that there are no real "hit men." Or maybe there just aren't any that will kill four people and a dog for just 100 bucks. Consider this couple who were trying to "help" their son by hiring someone to kill his wife and children.

Two grandparents in Lake County, Fla., were arrested for allegedly offering a hit man $100 to kill their three grandchildren, daughter-in-law and the family's pet dog, according to Local 6 News. Lake County deputies said Robert Jackson, 60, and his wife, Versie, 59, traveled to a Best Western hotel Tuesday to meet a hit man -- who was an undercover law enforcement officer.

Apparently, Al Gore hasn't heard of the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and thinks he needs to run against George Bush in 2008.

Gore: Bush is 'renegade rightwing extremist'

Separately, speaking for right wing extremists everywhere, I wish Bush was extreme.

The Wilson/Plame affair gets even stranger As if that were possible.

As bad as legislation coming from the Senate has been on immigration they are up to something far worse. Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act sponsored by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) is rearing it's ugly head again. Tim Chapman has an article about this disgustingly racist piece of legislation which include the sad fact that 5 Republican senators are co-sponsoring this garbage.

Continuing the Democrat trend of complaining that they couldn't possibly have lost previous election instead of coming up with actual ideas to appeal to voters, we have another crackpot theory that the last election was stolen. RFK Jr. Charges GOP Stole 2004 Election

In a cover story for Rolling Stone Magazine, due to hit the stands tomorrow, Kennedy says Republicans prevented more than 350,000 voters -- the overwhelming majority of them Democratic -- from casting ballots or having their votes counted on election night.

Given that the election was decided by a mere 118,607, Kennedy theorizes that the alleged stolen votes would have been enough to have put John F. Kerry in the White House.

In his article "Was the 2004 Election Stolen?," Kennedy presents evidence of outright fraud that may have shifted more than 80,000 rural votes from Kerry to Bush.

The primary culprit behind the widespread barriers to voting, Kennedy charges, was Ken Blackwell, now the Republican candidate for governor of Ohio, who allegedly used his powers as secretary of state to purge tens of thousands of eligible voters from the rolls, create long lines in Democratic precincts, and oversee a rigged recount.

The only problem with this idiot's assertion, is the fact that every verified case of election fraud in 2004 was committed by Democrat activists. Sadly, the people likely to read that magazine are also probably dumb enough to believe Kennedy's BS.

In the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan opines that America may be ready for a new political party. Interesting reading but I don't think there is much chance of a third party displacing one of the two existing major parties.

A frequent complaint from Democrats in recent years has been "outsourcing." Which makes it all the more ironic that one of the bluest states (NY) had to outsource for a U.S. Senator.