Obama's offer to talk called a sign of failure.

What did he expect from Iran?

Personally, I would much rather be considered a "domineering power" by an enemy than "passive failure."

Even Ahmadinajad expects the US to CHANGE under Obama.

Obama Dozed, People Froze

42 Dead at last count! Where's FEMA? 1.5 million without power?
FEMA was on the ground within 3 days in New Orleans. Its been 5 days and still no FEMA.

EM Director Randell Smith is quoted as saying, "We've got people out in some areas we haven't even visited yet," Smith said. "We don't even know that they're alive."

Smith is also quoted as saying that FEMA is a "no show."

What's that? Here we are 5 days after the storm ended and still no FEMA?

Where's the media screaming about the lack of government action?

Fly over country isn't important enough for the media to cover.

Apparently its ok for white people to die....

Also, where's all of those concerned Hollywood types?

Even Australia has noticed this storm. Has Washington?

What You're NOT Hearing From the VLWM

(Since the VLWM refuses to acknowledge the situation unless a bomb goes off and people die)

Iraq's Provincial Elections
By: Daveed Gartenstein-Ross
IRAQIS GO TO THE POLLS -
On January 31, 2009, Iraqis will go to the polls to select their political representatives in 14 of the country's 18 provinces. This will mark the fourth time since 2005 that Iraq has held elections. Previous votes include January 2005 elections to select provincial representatives and an interim national assembly to draft Iraq's constitution (an election that Iraq's Sunnis largely boycotted); an October 2005 referendum on the national constitution; and parliamentary elections in December 2005. Iraq will also hold elections later this year for the national parliament, and to consider the U.S.-Iraq security pact.

FEAR OF VIOLENCE -
There have always been heightened concerns about the potential for violence when Iraq has held elections, and this year is no exception. However, levels of violence were surprisingly low on all three election days in 2005. This year, U.S. and Iraqi security forces are preparing for possible outbreaks of violence, particularly in the ethnically mixed Diyala province where tensions between the Arab and Kurdish population have simmered. Time reports that "U.S. commanders last week brokered a deal" for Diyala "that will see area security provided by a joint force of Iraqi-army and Peshmerga fighters, with U.S. troops present to make sure everyone stays calm."

TURNOUT -
There were initially concerns that turnout for the elections might be low since they were scheduled at the time of a traditional Shia pilgrimage to Karbala that typically draws hundreds of thousands of visitors. Shia religious and political leaders have been working with the pilgrims to facilitate voting. But despite the timing of the elections, it appears that there will be a large turnout on Saturday: a recent poll conducted by Iraq's government found that 73% of Iraqi adults intend to vote.

ANALYSIS

ANBAR ELECTIONS -
Once written off by U.S. intelligence officials as overrun by violent groups (in particular, al-Qaeda in Iraq) and unsalvageable, improvements in the majority Sunni Anbar province have been dramatic. Less than 1% of Anbar's population voted in the January 2005 election, due to the Sunni boycott of the elections and the threat of violence. The Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP), the only major Sunni party participating in the 2005 elections, won control of the province-but it has been criticized for failing to provide basic services. The Awakening movement is challenging the IIP in the upcoming election. There has been a great deal of mutual animosity during the political campaign, and some observers fear that "any hint of vote fraud could lead to 'profound instability' there."

THE KURDISH ANGLE -
Recognizing the potential for a shift in power, Kurdish leaders are going to great lengths to get out the Kurdish vote in provinces outside of Kurdistan, particularly Diyala and Ninawa. Kurdish officials intend to bus thousands of voters from Suleymaniya (in Kurdistan) to vote in Diyala's Khanaqin municipality elections. "Their names are registered here. They just work in Suleymania," said a Kurdish official.

THE BATTLE FOR BASRA -
Another hotly contested election is occurring in the oil-rich southern province of Basra, where over 1,000 candidates are vying for just 35 seats. Political campaigning by the four major Shia factions has been heavy. Recognizing the importance of Basra, senior Iraqi leaders (including prime minister Nouri al-Maliki) have traveled to the province to campaign on behalf of their parties.

IMPLICATIONS

A POWER SHIFT?
The religious parties, which have largely controlled the provincial governments until now, may decline in power. In a recent poll sponsored by the Iraqi government, "41 percent of respondents said they preferred secular candidates, while 31 percent said they would support candidates supported by religious parties." While this poll has been questioned, it is clear that the influence of Muqtada al-Sadr, once a major force in Shia politics, has waned. Time notes: "The Sadrists seem to have taken a cue from their lack of popularity and decided not to field candidates officially in the provincial elections. Instead, the Sadrists are quietly backing some candidates who maintain an association with the movement.... If candidates tied to the movement fail to make a decent showing in cities such as Basra, Amarah, Najaf and Karbala, the Sadrists' only official political power will be in the Iraqi parliament, where they hold 28 of 275 seats."

A SIGN OF RECONCILIATION?
Since Sunni turnout was low in 2005, Kurdish and Shia politicians have wielded a disproportionate amount of political power in mixed provinces. This election may more accurately represent the Iraqi population. The International Crisis Group's Robert Malley comments: "Whereas the January 2005 elections helped put Iraq on the path to all-out civil war, these polls could represent another, far more peaceful turning point. Despite likely shortcomings, they may begin to redress some of the most severe problems associated with the 2005 vote, assuring fairer representation of all segments of the population."

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross is the vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the director of its Center for Terrorism Research.

Truth from a child.

I'm reading the Generational Theft bill right now.

My daughter came in and asked, "Daddy, what are you reading?"

I explained that I was trying to find out where some money that the government was going to take from me, and from her when she's old enough to pay it, was going to be spent.

She said, "I don't want to give away any money." I replied that the government was going to take it from her, anyway.

"Well, how about if I'm in the government? Then they won't take it....."

She doesn't understand why I'm still laugh every time I recall this.

How true, how true.....

AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!

If this doesn't make you do the same thing, what the hell is wrong with you?


And just think, this is a separate spending bill. Obama still hasn't submitted his actual budget. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER OBAMA WILL ASK FOR IN OCTOBER!!!!

Some interesting thing in this "stimulus" bill. I guess that since the Democrats had trouble passing such things in real stand alone bills, they have to hide these thing in this monstrosity.

From Maggie's Farm
The Stimulus Bill ----- What follows are a number of the spending projects included in the economic stimulus bill passed by Democrats. This is not a complete list. Instead, it is an overview of some of the major items found in this bill in terms of spending. You can make your own judgments about the need for these expenditures. Feel free to share your thoughts with your elected members of the House and Senate.
Full text of the bill, H.R. 1 at http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_hr1_text.pdf
Here is a sampling of what is in the bill:

$44 million for construction, repair and improvements at US Department of Agriculture facilities
$209 million for work on deferred maintenance at Agricultural Research Service facilities
$245 million for maintaining and modernizing the IT system of the Farm Service Agency
$175 million to buy and restore floodplain easements for flood prevention
$50 million for "Watershed Rehabilitation"
$1.1 billion for rural community facilities direct loans
$2 billion for rural business and industry guaranteed loans
$2.7 billion for rural water and waste dispoal direct loans
$22.1 billion for rural housing insurance fund loans
$2.8 billion for loans to spur rural broadband
$150 million for emergency food assistance
$50 million for regional economic development commissions
$1 billion for "Periodic Censuses and Programs"
$350 million for State Broadband Data and Development Grants
$1.8 billion for Rural Broadband Deployment Grants
$1 billion for Rural Wireless Deployment Grants
$650 million for Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Program
$100 million for "Scientific and Technical Research and Services" at the National Institute of Standards And Technology
$30 million for necessary expenses of the "Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership"
$300 million for a competitive construction grant program for research science buildings
$400 million for "habitat restoration and mitigation activities" at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
$600 million for "accelerating satellite development and acquisition"
$140 million for "climate data modeling"
$3 billion for state and local law enforcement grants
$1 billion for "Community Oriented Policing Services"
$250 million for "accelerating the development of the tier 1 set of Earth science climate research missions recommended by the National Academies Decadal Survey."
$50 million for repairs to NASA facilities from storm damage
$300 million for "Major Research Insrumentation program" (science)
$200 million for "academic research facilities modernization"
$100 million for "Education and Human Resources"
$400 million for "Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction"
$4.5 billion to make military facilities more energy efficient
$1.5 billion for Army Operation and Maintenance fund
$624 million for Navy Operation and Maintenance
$128 million for Marine Corps Operation and Maintenance
$1.23 billion for Air Force Operation and Maintenance
$454 million to "Defense Health Program"
$110 million for Army Reserve Operation and Maintenance
$62 million for Navy Reserve Operation and Maintenance
$45 million for Marine Corps Reserve Operation and Maintenance
$14 million for Air Force Reserve Operation and Maintenance
$302 million for National Guard Operation and Maintenance
$29 million for Air National Guard Operation and Maintenance
$350 million for military energy research and development programs
$2 billion for Army Corps of Engineers "Construction"
$250 million for "Mississippi River and Tributaries"
$2.2 billion for Army Corps "Operation and Maintenance"
$25 million for an Army Corps "Regulatory Program"
$126 million for Interior Department "water reclamation and reuse projects"
$80 million for "rural water projects"
$18.5 billion for "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy" research in the Department of Energy. That money includes:
$2 billion for development of advanced batteries
$800 million of that is for biomass research and $400 million for geothermal technologies
$1 billion in grants to "institutional entities for energy sustainability and efficiency"
$6.2 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program
$3.5 billion for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants
$3.4 billion for state energy programs
$200 million for expenses to implement energy independence programs
$300 million for expenses to implement Energy efficient appliance rebate programs including the Energy Star program
$400 million for expenses to implement Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Infrastructure Grants to States and Local Governments
$1 billion for expenses necessary for advanced battery manufacturing
$4.5 billion to modernize the nation's electricity grid
$1 billion for the Advanced Battery Loan Guarantee Program
$2.4 billion to demonstrate "carbon capture and sequestration technologies"
$400 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency (Science)
$500 million for "Defense Environmental Cleanup"
$1 billion for construction and repair of border facilities and land ports of entry
$6 billion for energy efficiency projects on government buildings
$600 million to buy and lease government plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles
$426 million in small business loans
$100 million for "non-intrusive detection technology to be deployed at sea ports of entry
$150 million for repair and construction at land border ports of entry
$500 million for explosive detection systems for aviation security
$150 million for alteration or removal of obstructive bridges
$200 million for FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter program
$325 million for Interior Department road, bridge and trail repair projects
$300 million for road and bridge work in Wildlife Refuges and Fish Hatcheries
$1.7 billion for "critical deferred maintenance" in the National Park System
$200 million to revitalize the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
$100 million for National Park Service Centennial Challenge programs
$200 million for repair of U.S. Geological Survey facilities
$500 million for repair and replacement of schools, jails, roads, bridges, housing and more for Bureau of Indian Affairs
$800 million for Superfund programs
$200 million for leaking underground storage tank cleanup
$8.4 billion in "State and Tribal Assistance Grants"
$650 million in "Capital Improvement and Maintenance" at the Agriculture Dept.
$850 million for "Wildland Fire Management"
$550 million for Indian Health facilties
$150 million for deferred maintenance at the Smithsonian museums
$50 million in grants to fund "arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn" through the National Endowment for the Arts
$1.2 billion in grants to states for youth summer jobs programs and other activities
$1 billion for states in dislocated worker employment and training activities
$500 million for the dislocated workers assistance national reserve
$80 million for the enforcement of worker protection laws and regulations related to infrastructure and unemployment insurance investments
$300 million for "construction, rehabilitation and acquisition of Job Corps Centers"
$250 million for public health centers
$1 billion for renovation and repair of health centers
$600 million for nurse, physician and dentist training
$462 million for renovation work at the Centers for Disease Control
$1.5 billion for "National Center for Research Resources"
$500 million for "Buildlings and Facilties" at the National Institutes of Health in suburban Washington, D.C.
$700 million for "comparative effectiveness research" on prescription drugs
$1 billion for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
$2 billion in Child Care and Development Block Grants for states
$1 billion for Head Start programs
$1.1 billion for Early Head Start programs
$100 million for Social Security research programs
$200 million for "Aging Services Programs"
$2 billion for "Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology"
$430 million for public health/social services emergency funds
$2.3 billion for the Centers for Disease Control for a variety of programs
$5.5 billion in targeted education grants
$5.5 billion in "education finance incentive grants"
$2 billion in "school improvement grants"
$13.6 billion for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
$250 million for statewide education data systems
$14 billion for school modernization, renovation and repair
$160 million for AmeriCorps grants
$400 million for the construction and costs to establish a new "National Computer Center" for the Social Security Administration
$500 million to improve processing of disability and retirement claims
$920 million for Army housing and child development centers
$350 million for Navy and Marine Corps housing and child development centers
$280 million in Air Force housing and child development centers
$3.75 billion in military hospital and surgery center construction
$140 million in Army National Guard construction projects
$70 million in Air National Guard construction projects
$100 million in Army Reserve construction projects
$30 million in Navy Reserve construction projects
$60 million in Air Force Reserve construction projects
$950 million for VA Medical Facilities
$50 million for repairs for military cemeteries
$120 million for a backup information management facility for the State Department
$98 million for National Cybersecurity Initiative
$3 billion for "Grants-in-Aid for Airports"
$300 million for Indian Reservation roads
$300 million for Amtrak capital needs
$800 million for national railroad assets or infrastructure repairs, upgrades
$5.4 billion in federal transit grants
$2 billion in infrastructure development for subways and commuter railways
$5 billion for public housing capital
$1 billion in competitive housing grants
$2.5 billion for energy efficiency upgrades in public housing
$500 million in Native American Housing Block Grants
$4.1 billion to help communities deal with foreclosed homes
$1.5 billion in homeless prevention activities
$79 billion in education funds for states

And then there's the socialized medicine and welfare that thy can't get passed any other way....

Via Gateway Pundit:

...thanks to the simple phrase slipped into the legislation, the new "stimulus" bill abolishes the limits on the amount of federal money for the so-called Emergency Fund, which ships welfare cash to states.

"Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated such sums as are necessary for payment to the Emergency Fund," Democrats wrote in Section 2101 on Page 354 of the $819 billion bill. In other words, the only limit on welfare payments would be the Treasury itself.

And :

The Democrats are also sneaking in the nationalization of healthcare in the package, via Power Line:

Kimberly Strassel takes a look and finds Democrats enacting "Obama's agenda of government-run health care -- entirely on the QT." Strassel finds that the bill dramatically expands the number of Americans who qualify for Medicaid:

Under "stimulus," Medicaid is now on offer not to just poor Americans, but Americans who have lost their jobs. And not just Americans who have lost their jobs, but their spouses and their children. And not Americans who recently lost their jobs, but those who lost jobs, say, early last year. And not just Americans who already lost their jobs, but those who will lose their jobs up to 2011. The federal government is graciously footing the whole bill. The legislation also forbids states to apply income tests in most cases.

And just think. This is going to pass unless 100% of the Republicans show some backbone and get some of the "bipartisanship" that the new majority keeps talking about.....we got 11 Democrats in the House. Are there 11 Democratic Senators willing to take a principled stand for the future of America? Warner? Webb?
Or are you going to bend over for Reid.........?

Dhimmis Once Again Show True Colors

Editor's Note: House Democrats can ethically include hundreds of millions in the stimulus for ACORN and the dissemination of condoms but can't find it acceptable to name a bridge or a public works facility after someone who died providing defense of liberty? What does that tell us about their feelings about liberty??

Democrats Kill Bill that Honored Troops
S.A. Miller,
The Washington Times

House Democrats blocked a measure that would have required new roads, bridges and schools funded by the $825 billion economic stimulus to be named after US armed forces members killed in action. Democrats on the House Rules Committee nixed the amendment Tuesday in a party-line 9-3 vote. The same vote also took down four other Republican amendments that would have funded job training for veterans, stopping all the measures from being considered Wednesday by the full House for inclusion in the stimulus.

"For whatever reason, it was not to their liking," said Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, Michigan Republican, sponsor of the amendment that would have honored fallen troops.

Be careful to what or whom you pledge allegiance

Hollywood is ecstatic about the historical election of President Obama. They have found a new sense of commitment and service. Some pledge to free up to 1 million persons from slavery. Others pledge only to change their own lives. But where was this commitment before their choice for President was elected? Apparently this commitment to mankind magically appeared when the Democrats won an election. Their fellow man only matters when a Republican is not in office.

The video is not, in the main bad. Their ideals sound wonderful. And pledging to improve either ones self or helping other is a good idea. Doing good is its own reward.

But, at 3:50, this video becomes appalling. Either these people do not understand pledges, are willing to be forsworn, or willing to become a serf. Pledging their allegiance to a President is wrong. And they don't realize it. The messiah jokes have been just that, jokes....
No longer. These people look at President Obama as a savior.



All of them give up the ideal of freedom and pledge their allegiance and service to a person in the end of this video. We fought to leave that behind in 1776. Even the military pledges allegiance to the Constitution and is only sworn to obey those appointed over him if those orders are lawful. Never to a person or a government.

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) 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; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

Anthony, at Life of Anthony says it better than I (and I agree with every word). What he said:

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.

There is importance in those words, and if looked at carefully it will show exactly where my Allegiance lies. You see I am servant of, and aligned with Old Glory and everything she represents. No matter what tyranny's the Government may impose, the Flag still stands for freedom and is a reminder of the blood of patriot's who died defending her. I pledge my allegiance to the Republic, the idea of a nation of free men and women, where our say is the highest law of the land, and not the say of a dictator, a President, a Monarch. My allegiance and service go to America, not the government whom represents America. America is about exercising our God given rights, laid out in the Constitution and defended by Patriots. Without America there would be no government, but without a government, America would still stand. My service and allegiance goes to my fellow American, because I believe that everyone should take care of themselves, their families, but also take care of their fellow man, IF THEY CAN AND WITHOUT THE FORCE OF GOVERNMENT. Yes I believe in stewardship, but stewardship by Government force is slavery. And finally my allegiance and service goes to God, the creator of the World, who bestows upon me my right to freedom, to life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Here is the pledge these serfs should have been saying. And if they don't understand it, the words are explained as if a child was listening.




We must thank God that President Obama is ONLY a president and not a tyrant, for with people like these weak minded fools, our liberty would be even more at risk.

Bucking Bambi

"We shouldn't make policy decisions based on human rights and legal advocacy groups," said [USS Cole's former commander, Ret. Cmdr. Kurt Lippold] in a telephone interview. "We should consider what is best for the American people, which is not to jeopardize those who are fighting the war on terror - or even more adversely impact the families who have already suffered losses as a result of the war. "

Gitmo Judge Bucks WH Bid to Stall Trial

The chief of the Guantanamo war court Thursday spurned President Barack Obama's request to freeze the military commissions trying war-on-terror captives, and said he would hold a hearing next month for an alleged USS Cole bomber in a capital terror case.

Open Letter to GOP and Conservative Senators - Don't be Sen. Reid's Punk

Don't you find it embarrassing to be Senator Reid's punk?

Senator Mitchell, you are even admitting that you want to be Senator Reid's "special friend."

From RedState:

According to Roll Call, in his speech McConnell intends to outline a “post partisan path” to leadership that “could also provide a rallying cry for old-line Republicans to reassert their authority within the party”
McConnell has been favorably quoting Bob Dole on the need to compromise with the Democrats.

Senator Reid is bragging that some of you are going to be his bitches.

“We’re going to continue to try to encourage the majority here in the Congress to incorporate a number of our ideas,” said Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky at a briefing on Tuesday. (And if you do enact some of your ideas, this bill will be YOUR FAULT. No matter what the reality is.)

“I’m pleased with the way the Senate has been operating on the floor, pleased that we’re getting amendments offered, laid down, and voted on. And my assumption is that that’s the way we’re going to operate the rest of this Congress,” he added. (See my above about being someone's punk.)

In the end, the outcome in the Senate will likely turn on a few moderate Republican votes. Although moderate GOP ranks were diminished in 2008 elections, they still include Senator Grassley and Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.

“I’m not sure that we’ve yet achieved the right balance, the right mix between tax relief and spending programs,” said Senator Collins after a Senate GOP meeting with Obama on Tuesday. ( What mix of PORK and DEBT is the right one, Senator?)

“I’m also concerned that some of the provisions in the bill appear to be worthwhile programs but really have nothing to do with creating or preserving jobs or helping to turn the economy around,” she said. ( THEN HOW ARE THEY WORTHWHILE?)

But across the board, Republicans are praising the new president for contributing to a change in tone. (Of course he's changed his tone. You get more flies with sugar.....)

What Democrat spending programs, for which THEY will get the credit do you think will help America? Are you willing to betray your fellow Republicans in the House just so that you won't be called names?

Don't do it.


To help send this message to the GOP Senate, help the Don't Go Movement to send "a pair" to Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Democrat Quotes

Great Orators of the Democratic Party...
'One man with courage makes a majority.'
- Andrew Jackson

'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.'
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

'The buck stops here.'
- Harry S. Truman

'Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.'
- John F. Kennedy

And today's great democrats...

'It depends what your definition of 'IS' is?''
- Bill Clinton

'That Obama - I would like to cut his NUTS off.'
- Jesse Jackson

'Those rumors are false .... I believe in the sanctity of marriage.'
- John Edwards

'I invented the Internet'
- Al Gore

'The next Person that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary beads up their ***.'
- Joe Biden

' America is--is no longer, uh, what it--it, uh, could be, uh what it was once was...uh, and I say to myself, 'uh, I don't want that future, uh, uh for my children.' ''
- Barack Obama

'I have campaigned in all 57 states.
- Barack Obama

'You don't need God anymore, you have us democrats.'
- Nancy Pelosi (said back in 2006)

'Bill is the greatest husband and father I know. No one is more faithful, true, and honest than he.'
- Hillary Clinton (said back in 1998)

The comics ARE the reality

"nuff said

Send a thank you to the House Republicans

The House Republicans and 11 Democrats showed some spine today. The House passed Obama's Campaign Promise Fulfillment and Democrat Reelection Bill today.

This plan is not a "stimulus" plan. This is money that the Democrats want to use to enact all their repressed wishes before the public wises up. Have you noticed that the most of the money hits the public just before the 2010 elections? The Democrats could care less about this "emergency" and is using scare tactics to push through the biggest power steal in American history. They know that the economy will right itself, especially within a couple of years. They just want to take advantage of this crisis to accrue power. Like Rahm Emmanuel said, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste."

Obama knows that he needs to be seen fulfilling his campaign promises or the Democrats will get more heat from the left. His attempts at "bipartisanship" are nothing more than a smoke screen. This is a case of "good cop/bad cop" with Obama being the good little "centrist" cop and the Pelosi/Reid regime being the bad cop. However, the financial meltdown killed the economy and any possibility of higher tax income to pay for his pet projects. And then the bailouts happened.

Remember, the bailout was a Bush idea, and therefore, at best, a necessary evil. Then, Obama and Co. realized that they could hijack the idea and spend that money any way they wanted. There's no pork IN the bill. The ENTIRE BILL IS PORK.

Who cares about Blago. This is corruption.

So, THANK YOU HOUSE REPUBLICANS. And you too, you eleven brave Democrats.

Catch and Release Won't Work for Terrorists

The Laws Of War Have Served Us Well
Our armed forces shouldn't have to play catch and release.
By David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey

This week, President Barack Obama signed an executive order to close the terrorist detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay within the year. It was a symbolic repudiation of the Bush administration's policies, but Gitmo is not the crucial issue. The real question is whether Mr. Obama will uphold the legal architecture necessary to continue the war against al Qaeda and its jihadist allies.

What Mr. Obama's national security team will quickly discover is that the civilian criminal-justice system is an inadequate tool to deal with terrorists. President Bush's policies -- particularly treating captured terrorists as unlawful enemy combatants and employing a military court system to try them -- were dictated by the very real need to defend American citizens, not by disdain for the rule of law.

The Bush administration chose the law-of-war paradigm because the international law of armed conflict gives the U.S. maximum flexibility to meet the jihadist threat, including the right to attack and destroy al Qaeda bases and fighters in foreign countries. The alternative legal framework, the civilian criminal-justice system, is unsuitable for several key reasons. Civilian criminal suspects quite obviously cannot be targeted for military attack. They can be subjected only to the minimum force necessary to effect an arrest. They cannot -- consistent with international law -- be pursued across national boundaries. And finally, they are entitled to a speedy trial in a public courtroom. These rules cannot be ignored or altered without constitutional amendment.

In addition, the type and quality of evidence necessary for convictions in civilian courts is simply unavailable for most captured terrorists. One federal district judge recently concluded that although the government's information on one detainee was sufficient for intelligence purposes -- that is, he presumably could have been targeted for deadly attack -- it was insufficient to hold him without trial.

Trying senior al Qaeda leaders for relatively minor offenses ancillary to their major war crimes (like Al Capone for tax evasion) also is not the answer. Even if convictions and punishments could be obtained in this way, the cause of justice and historic closure requires the perpetrators to be charged with their worst offenses. This view informed the Nuremberg prosecutions.

Many have advocated for the creation of a U.S.-based national security court. Such a court would certainly be subject to constitutional challenge, and likely could not handle the sheer number of detained enemy combatants. A few hundred detainees at Guantanamo is one thing, but U.S. forces have captured and processed thousands of prisoners in the war on terror, and still hold upward of a thousand al Qaeda fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan, with many more to come in the years ahead.

Some changes to the Bush policies are obviously inevitable. But what Mr. Obama must keep in mind is that the laws of war form a relatively seamless web. Different elements -- military detention and prosecution, and robust rules of engagement driven by combat necessities -- reinforce each other. So while he may grant detainees additional due process rights (the courts have already established a right to habeas corpus proceedings for those at Guantanamo), he must continue a system of
military detention for most of the captured fighters.

That's because the law of war requires that enemies be "granted quarter" -- meaning prisoners must be taken if they surrender. But if these prisoners cannot be held until hostilities are concluded and must be released only to fight again, the military would be consigned to a deadly game of catch and release. Without a viable detention regime, the U.S. cannot fairly ask its soldiers to risk their lives in combat any more than we can send in troops with defective equipment.

Since routinely prosecuting captured terrorists in the civilian courts is unrealistic, some sort of military court system for the detainees must be retained, regardless of whether they are called military commissions or special courts martial. This renvigorated military court system must be directed to begin prosecuting those captured enemy fighters that have committed war crimes against American troops or civilians. The fact that none of the individuals now held in U.S. custody in Iraq or Afghanistan has been brought to justice, even in situations where there is sufficient evidence to prosecute them, is historically unprecedented and a slap in the face of the U.S. troops fighting this war. Giving de facto immunity to war criminals is also inconsistent with international legal norms.

Republicans like Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who have criticized some Bush policies, must make their voices heard here.
This system of detention and military trials must also apply here at home. We cannot limit the military legal paradigm to overseas operations. Al Qaeda has already successfully targeted American territory, and may do so again. Foreign fighters entering the U.S. to carry out attacks should not have rights superior to those on distant, more conventional battlefields. Not only does this double standard create exactly the wrong incentives for our enemies, but it is legally unsustainable. The Supreme Court has indicated a willingness to extend constitutional protections to detainees held where the United States exercises a sufficient level of control, and this ruling can easily be extended beyond Gitmo.

Finally, the new administration cannot behave as if the military justice system for detainees is shameful, like some crazy uncle in the attic. These are legitimate laws of war and should be treated as such.

Mr. Bush's opponents have denigrated this system for nearly eight years. Many of them have now assumed power, and with power comes responsibility -- especially when it comes to protecting Americans from their enemies.

Messrs. Rivkin and Casey are Washington, D.C., lawyers who served in the Justice Department under Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

We Made History

From the mind of a patriot
and he nails it.

I have to thank my bro Bigg Bill for this one.

Oh, how we love making history, so let me count the ways...
America elected its first 1/16th African president...
The most unqualified man to ever seek the Oval Office, won...
It took only hours after the election for “change” to become a third Clinton administration...
66 million Americans didn’t care about his blank résumé, his laundry list of crooked terrorist friends, his hidden Kenyan birth, his overt racism, or his locked away college records...
America learned that nobody is responsible for validating an individual’s constitutional eligibility for the highest elected office in our land...
The freest people known to mankind have democratically opted for secular socialism...
America elected the people responsible for our financial crisis, to fix what they broke...
America voted to bring another 9/11 to our shores...
I’m sure that in time we will make even more history over the coming weeks and months. Nancy Pelosi has already rewritten a hundred year old set of House rules so that her agenda won’t get bogged down by pesky opposition across the aisle. Chicago Machine brothers have already launched a House attack on 232 year old Second Amendment rights. The fed is well on its way to out-tyrannizing Hugo Chavez in the race to see who can nationalize the most private industries first.
We did make history on January 20, 2009, and this is only the beginning. Some things really are going to “change...”
The unalienable right to life at the foundation of freedom, will be permanently replaced with a mother’s right to kill
The unalienable right to personal liberty has been trumped by what some call a “greater common good”
The unalienable right to individually define and pursue happiness has outlived its luster and Americans have chosen a right to free stuff, at someone else’s expense, instead Americans love to be loved. So no more taking sides when tyrannical dictators rear their ugly heads around the globe, even if they rattle their saber at the good ole USA. We don’t want to offend anyone, including terrorists.
Can’t we all just get along?
America has elected Rodney King president. Don’t laugh... Obama has no more on his résumé than Rodney does... and the two share a vision of how to keep America safe from those who live for the death of America. Hope is not a strategy, but nobody seems to care about that reality.
History Made – Now What?
Today, Barack Hussein Obama will become America’s 44th resident of the White House. Since the US Constitution says he can’t be president, he will be the first resident of government housing to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. That’s historical... agreed!
But what comes next? What other kinds of “change” can we anticipate?
An Administration Full of Fall Guys
By appointing a third Clinton administration, Obama has attempted to insulate himself from his impending failure.
Nancy Pelosi believes that she is actually running the country now. She knows that Obama is not up to the task, since he tipped his hand by surrounding himself with Clinton flunkies. Everything that goes wrong, every campaign promise he fails to keep, every policy initiative that ends in disaster, will fall at the feet of the people who will fail him in his hour of great need.
As Obama has accomplished throughout his life, no matter how many racists, terrorists, criminals, leftist thugs and ignorant politicians he has associated with, he has never been held accountable for any of it.
His supporters think he had nothing to do with his twenty years of ill-fated associations. He was a victim in all of it, not an active participant. No matter the mountain of evidence against him, people are willing to turn a blind eye when it comes to holding Obama accountable for even the most blatant transgressions.
When national security is turned inside out by incoming Obama “change,” Bush’s DOD Secretary Gates will get the blame.
When the world’s tyrants challenge Obama’s lack of resolve, Hillary Clinton will get the blame. After all, she is wholly responsible for all foreign entanglements now, as Secretary of State...
When the economy tanks even further, it will be the fault of the new economic genius who couldn’t even remember to pay his own taxes.
When terrorists walk American streets and fill your local courtroom after being set free from Club Gitmo, it will be the fault of completely unqualified Homeland Security token female, Janet Napolitano, who has not even an hours experience in the field of security.
Leon Panetta, who has NO intelligence operations experience whatsoever, will take the fall for the next intelligence debacle that brings the next 9/11 to American soil.
The entire Obama administration is made up of partisan political neophytes and Clinton has-beens who have NO qualified experience in the areas they have been appointed to.
As a result, the Obama administration is poised to be an abstract failure of historical proportions. But Obama is set up to walk away unscathed, without responsibility, because as the press has been telling us for months now, Obama has only enough experience to realize that he has no experience for the job at hand. He has surrounded himself with experienced fall guys... Too bad they have no experience in the fields they were chosen for...
History in the Making
A few hours from now, the most inexperienced individual to ever seek the Oval Office will sit in the Oval Office, surrounded by equally inexperienced partisan hacks too ignorant to even know that they have been set up to take the fall for numerous coming Obama policy failures.
The Obama press worked for two years to create a “messiah-like” public image of Obama and they have worked every minute since to lower expectations they now fear to be too high...
But how long did Americans really think freedom could be protected by only 2% of the population willing to put on a uniform and stand a post, while Washington leftists worked around the clock to undermine every military mission?
How long do Americans think America’s most productive 25% of the nation (who pay 86.27% of the federal hog trough tab) will foot the bill for the other 75% of Americans who can’t resist the urge to bite the hand that feeds them?
When $4 trillion in new federal debt fails to “bailout” a nation no longer interested in bailing itself out, what next?
When those who pay taxes in America run for cover in foreign markets that will reward them for their productivity instead of penalizing it, who will foot the bill in America then?
It’s official... Americans have indeed made history, as the dumbest electorate on earth. When the bill for “change” comes due, what’s their next trick?
Congratulations! It took the freest people on earth only 232 years to vote themselves into desperate economic calamity and national collapse at the hand of people who have never held an honest job, employed a single soul, produced a single thing, turned a penny’s profit or met a single payroll.
But there is a silver lining....
66 million Americans will no longer have to pay their mortgage, or car note. There will be a free big screen TV for every household. They will have that big new boat they always wanted and the era of working for a living is over....
Or so they thought when they voted for Obama.... This 66 million Americans will be the most angry when they figure out what they have done.
I’d like to say that I’m not the kind to say “I told ya so...” But this one, I will enjoy gloating over... Some folks have to learn the hard way and there is no time like the present for such a quick lesson in reality.
Enjoy the inauguration! Sorry to blow sunshine up your skirt, but it’s all down hill from here...

He Froze to Death

Algore testified before Congress today. About Global Warming. I was supposed to be in a meeting with National Park Service this morning, but the meeting was cancelled due to weather.

It got so hot in DC, the roads froze.


Brings to mind the story about the farmer and his mule. A farmer was plowing a field of popcorn in the middle of the summer. The temperature continued to rise through the day, and suddenly, the popcorn started popping. Well, that old mule saw all that popcorn, thought it was snow, and laid down and froze to death.

Defending the Defenders

Too bad our Warriors can't count on the same treatment from our government.
From UCI
Jerusalem Post
by Caroline Glick

Last week, the IDF issued an unprecedented directive. All Israeli media outlets must obscure the faces of soldiers and commanders who fought in Operation Cast Lead. Henceforth, the identities of all IDF soldiers and officers who participated in the operation against the Hamas terror regime in Gaza are classified information. The IDF acted as it did in an effort to protect Israeli soldiers and officers from possible prosecutions for alleged war crimes in Europe. The army's chief concern is England.

In England, private citizens are allowed to file complaints against foreigners whom they claim committed war crimes. Based on these complaints, British courts can issue arrest warrants against such foreigners if they are found on British territory and force them to stand trial.

Over the past few years, a number of active duty and retired IDF senior officers were forced to cancel visits to Britain after such complaints were filed against them in sympathetic local courts. Following the IDF's move, on Sunday the government announced that Israel will provide legal assistance to any IDF veteran prosecuted abroad for actions he performed during his service in Gaza. The legal assistance will include representation, investigation of the allegations made against veterans, attempts to have the charges against them dismissed and defense at trials.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who brought the decision before the full cabinet, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and their colleagues all asserted that by committing the state to defending its warriors, they were fulfilling their sacred duty to protect Israel's protectors. Unfortunately, both the cabinet decision itself and our leaders' statements missed the point.

LAST WEDNESDAY, an appellate court in Amsterdam ruled that the Dutch lawmaker and leader of the anti-jihadist Dutch Freedom Party Geert Wilders must stand trial for the alleged "crime" of inciting hatred against Muslims with his short film "Fitna," released last year. In "Fitna," Wilders juxtaposes verses from the Koran with Islamic terror attacks, mosque sermons inciting believers to murder non-Muslims, and proclamations by Islamic clerics that Muslims must kill all the Jews, conquer the world and subjugate non-believers.

Will wonders never cease? A government protecting its defenders from prosecution by asshats with no life. Pity that we will never see a similar program here anytime soon.

More from MachoSauce Productions - The Pledge?

When was the last time you saw one of these Hollywood sunshine patriots pledge their allegiance to this Republic?

Victory is Certain

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars to be treated and appreciated by their nation.”—George Washington.

The armed forces of the United States, with cooperation from Coalition Forces, have achieved victory in Iraq.

The American flag has been raised over our Embassy in Baghdad. We have turned over control of the Green Zone and 13 of 18 provinces, including al-Anbar, to the Iraqi Government. The Baghdad airport is open for commercial air travel. Coalition combat-related casualties are at their lowest levels since 2003.

It is time to heed the advice from our first President. Our future warriors need to see how much we appreciate the sacrifices of our current warriors. It is time to tell our young warriors they won this one. They completed their mission. They did what we asked. They did a good job.

They won.

Someone has to say it; they damn sure deserve to hear it.

A coalition of pro-troop organizations has been formed and together we intend to hold a Victory in Iraq Celebration in Washington DC on April 4, 2009. We will acknowledge and honor the sacrifices made by the members of the US military and their families to achieve this victory. We will publicly acknowledge the veterans in attendance for their efforts in achieving this victory and thank them. The members of our coalition include Move America Forward, EaglesUp, Gathering of Eagles, Band of Mothers and one of the top-rated military weblogs, (milblog), Blackfive.net. We have the support and backing of the milblog community as a whole.

We have arranged for a screening of “Warriors; The Film”, based on the book “Warriors”. The director and several Marines who took part in the film will be guests and will participate in a Q&A after the screening.

Scheduled speakers include Melanie Morgan from Move America Forward, Captain Jerry Coffee, longest held Viet Nam POW and motivational speaker, Jeff Emanuel, a combat journalist with first-hand knowledge and experience with the successes made in Iraq; Nikki Mendicino, George Mason University student, POW/MIA activist, and “every veterans’ kid sister”, and Navy OIF veteran Coby Dillard. Tentatively scheduled speakers include former SSgt David Bellavia, Iraq veteran, Silver Star recipient, MOH nominee, and author of “House to House” a first hand account of the second battle for Fallujah who has returned to Iraq several times as a journalist.

We are seeking endorsements and sponsors to help fund this event. All sponsors will have prominent displays of their logos at the event using their banners and flags. We will provide links to your site from our member websites during the 2 month promotional period. (February to April). Posts to websites used to update event information will mention specific sponsors by name with admonitions to the readers to “go thank each one”.

The event is scheduled to last 10 hours and we anticipate the number of attendees to exceed 75,000. Events of this size and scope are televised live via CSPAN, and we expect significant media coverage during the event. We anticipate web-cast capabilities with live chat and live streaming over the internet to deployed troops.

The event will attract a cross-section of people, primarily blue-collar and military, (veteran and active-duty, and families), and will also attract a large portion of the normal springtime tourist traffic which usually increases in April.

Donations are deductible as charitible contributions. (Note:this link will open a pdf document from the IRS). Click the "Donate" link on the leftside of the page and put "V-I Day" in the message box. Any amount will help.

Congratulations to our new President from some of those fans across the pond.

LONDON DAILY MAIL editorial: On Obama's victory A victory for the hysterical Oprah Winfrey, the mad racist preacher Jeremiah Wright, the US mainstream media who abandoned any sense of objectivity long ago, Europeans who despise America largely because they depend on her, comics who claim to be dangerous and fearless but would not dare attack genuinely powerful special interest groups. A victory for Obama-worshippers everywhere. A victory for the cult of the cult. A man who has done little with his life but has written about his achievements as if he had found the cure for cancer in between winning a marathon and building a nuclear reactor with his teeth. Victory for style over substance, hyperbole over history, rabble-raising over reality. A victory for Hollywood , the most dysfunctional community in the world. Victory for Streisand, Spielberg, Soros, Moore, and Sarandon. Victory for those who prefer welfare to will and interference to independence. For those who settle for group think and herd mentality rather than those who fight for individual initiative and the right to be out of step with meager political fashion. Victory for a man who is no friend of freedom. He and his people have already stated that media has to be controlled so as to be balanced, without realizing the extraordinary irony within that statement. Like most liberal zealots, the Obama worshippers constantly speak of Fox and Limbaugh, when the vast bulk of television stations and newspapers are drastically liberal and anti-conservative. Senior Democrat Chuck Schumer said that just as pornography should be censored, so should talk radio. In other words, one of the few free and open means of popular expression may well be cornered and b eaten by bullies who even in triumph cannot tolerate any criticism and opposition. A victory for those who believe the state is better qualified to raise children than the family, for those who prefer teachers' unions to teaching and for those who are naively convinced that if the West is sufficiently weak towards its enemies, war and terror will dissolve as quickly as the tears on the face of a leftist celebrity. A victory for social democracy even after most of Europe has come to the painful conclusion that social democracy leads to mediocrity, failure, unemployment, inflation, higher taxes and economic stagnation. A victory for intrusive lawyers, banal sentimentalists, social extremists and urban snobs. Congratulations America !

”

Rahouey


Perhaps this is from an expatriate.
h/t Curmudgeonly and Skeptical

HAMAS CONDEMNED BY THE GENEVA PROTOCOLS

Many blogs have covered the most recent conflict between Israel and HAMAS. Cries of "War Crimes!" have arisen from both sides. Well, here is the rule by which said crimes are judged:

From StrategyPage, by Scott Schneider:

The "Geneva Protocol" in question is the "Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War." This lays down the "law" for situations where an army finds itself fighting non-conventional forces that themselves operate from within civilian areas: The Fourth Geneva Convention goes into great and elaborate detail about how to assign fault when military activities take place in civilian areas. Those who are actually fighting the war are not considered "protected persons." Only civilians are granted the status of "protected persons" whose rights cannot be violated with impunity.

The Fourth Geneva Convention convicts Hamas, the Jenin terrorists, Al Aqsa, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah, and all of the other terrorist groups that hide among civilian populations, in one sentence: This sentence makes up the entirety of Part 3, Article 1, Section 28.

It reads: "The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations."

This sentence appears in the Fourth Geneva Convention precisely to deal with situations like the ones the Israelis faced.

..."the party to the conflict in whose hand protected persons may be, is responsible for the treatment accorded to them by its agents."

...because the terrorists do set up in civilian areas, they are wholly responsible for what happens to their "protected persons" - that is, the civilian population where they hide out.

That's what the very next sentence of the Fourth Geneva Convention says: "the party to the conflict in whose hand protected persons may be, is responsible for the treatment accorded to them by its agents."

Let's translate: The "party to the conflict" here is Hamas, Islamic Jihad, al-Aqska, etc.


This is mainstream thinking about Geneva Convention issues, by noted legal scholars. The Palestinians fight from within civilian areas- therefore civilians - who knowingly support and give aid to the terrorists- lose any and all immunity from Geneva Convention rights - and that would include human shields. Israel is therefore in no violation according to the Geneva Conventions - whereas the Palestinians, if they had been signatories- would have no rights of protection, since in Jenin, and in other places where there is conflict, they have abrogated those rights to which they are claiming that Israel is violating.

Talking Smack

Secretary of Defense Gates just freakin' pwns the Russians in response to a Senate hearing question concerning the recent Russian Navy visits to Venezuala:

The secretary said nonchalance was the best response to the Russian ship visits.

"In fact if it hadn't been for the events in Georgia in August, I probably would've tried to persuade the president to invite the Russian ships pay a port call in Miami because I think they would've had a lot better time than they did in Caracas," he said.

"But basically I think at 40-dollar (per barrel) oil, the Russian navy does not bother me very much," Gates added.

"It's important for us to keep perspective about their capabilities," he said.

"When they complained about our escorting their Blackjack bombers to Venezuela, I wanted to say that we just wanted to be along there for search and rescue if they needed it."

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Gates is 'da man!

h/t BlackFive

GTMO - As seen firsthand

"I recently visited the detention facilities at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and was dismayed at what I saw."

Go read the rest. Its not what you expect.

And make sure you read the comments, too. Very interesting.....

National Taxpayers Union

An organization whose time has come.

Here's your toolkit to fight the Stimulus Hoax.

GOP member objects to Rush Limbaugh description of the GOP leadership.

And for that reason, conservatives will continue to be in the minority. Rush opined that President Obama is more afraid of him than he is of the Republican Congressional leadership.
Representative Gingrey objected.

From the Politico:

Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., did not take kindly to this assessment in an interview with Politico Tuesday.

“I think that our leadership, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, are taking the right approach,” Gingrey said. “I mean, it’s easy if you’re Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks. You don’t have to try to do what’s best for your people and your party. You know you’re just on these talk shows and you’re living well and plus you stir up a bit of controversy and gin the base and that sort of that thing. But when it comes to true leadership, not that these people couldn’t be or wouldn’t be good leaders, they’re not in that position of John Boehner or Mitch McConnell."

Rush responded to Politico, "I'm sure he is doing his best but it does not appear to be good enough. He may not have noticed that the number of Republican colleagues he has in the House has dwindled. And they will dwindle more if he and his friends don't show more leadership and effectiveness in battling the most left-wing agenda in modern history. And they won't continue to lose because of me, but because of their relationship with the grassroots, which is hurting. Conservatives want leadership from those who claim to represent them. And we'll know it when we see it.”

Perhaps Boehner and Cantor have gotten the message, however. They are urging Republicans to oppose the "stimulus pork, um, package."

Democrats seem nervous about a lack of support from the GOP. There are 56 Democratic Senators and 255 Democratic Representatives. They have no need for GOP support. Why are they seeking GOP support for something that they could take COMPLETE credit for. Unless, of course, some Democrats either won't support their new President or they expect the results of the "stimulus package" to be a failure.

Democrats are warning that Republicans will continue to be pegged as obstructionists and the “party of ‘no’” if they are unwilling to negotiate. (If the Democrats have a full majority, how can the GOP be obstructionists?)

“The American people rejected the Bush economic policies of the past eight years that resulted in millions of jobs lost and Republicans now have an opportunity to work with the President and Democrats to move our country forward,” said one Democratic aide. “It would be a shame if Republicans choose to promote the same policies instead of listening to the overwhelming majority of Americans who support swift action on the House bill.”

The Democrats continue to use revisionist history to bolster their agenda. Nobody was complaining about the Bush economy during the housing boom. It was only after the DEMOCRATS took power that the economy nose dived. I have not heard of any majority that wants "swift action" on ANY bill. It is the Democrats that are supporting Bush's recent failed policies of bailouts and governmental interference.


Update:

Top 20 Fast Facts about the House Democrats Trillion Dollar Spending Plan

From the House Republican Leader John Boehner comes information that you won't find in the news:

For a taste of just how badly Capitol Hill Democrats have strayed from the vision of a bipartisan plan to get our economy moving again, take a look at these 20 fast facts about their bloated plan:

1. The $825 billion package slated for a House vote later this week will exceed more than $1.1 trillion when adding in the interest ($300 plus billion) between 2009-2019 to pay for it.

2. The Capitol Hill Democrats’ plan includes funding for contraceptives; regardless of where anyone stands on taxpayer funded contraception, there is no question that it has NOTHING to do with the economy.

3. The legislation could open billions of taxpayer dollars to left-wing groups like the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), which has been accused of voter fraud, is reportedly under federal investigation; and played a key role in the housing meltdown.

4. Here are just a few of the programs and projects that have been included in the House Democrats’ proposal:

· $650 million for digital TV coupons.

· $600 million for new cars for the federal government.

· $6 billion for colleges/universities – many which have billion dollar endowments.

· $50 million in funding for the National Endowment of the Arts.

· $44 million for repairs to U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters.

· $200 million for the National Mall, including $21 million for sod.

5. The plan establishes at least 32 new government programs at a cost of over $136 billion. That means more than a third of this plan’s spending provisions are dedicated to creating new government programs.

6. The plan provides spending in at least 150 different federal programs, ranging from Amtrak to the Transportation Security Administration. Is this the “targeted” plan Democratic leaders promised?

7. Even though the legislation contains at least 152 separate spending proposals, the authors of the plan can only say that 34 have any chance at keeping or growing jobs.

8. Just one in seven dollars of an $18.5 billion expenditure on “energy efficiency” and “renewable energy programs” would be spent within the next 18 months.

9. The total cost of this one piece of legislation is almost as much as the annual discretionary budget for the entire federal government.

10. The House Democrats’ bill will cost each and every household $6,700 in additional debt, paid for by our children and grandchildren.

11. The bill provides enough spending – $825 billion – to give every man, woman, and child in America $2,700. $825 billion is enough to give every person in Ohio $72,000.

12. $825 billion is enough to give every person living in poverty in the United States $22,000.

13. Although the House Democrats’ proposal has been billed as a transportation and infrastructure investment package, in actuality only $30 billion of the bill – or three percent – is for road and highway spending. A recent study from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that only 25 percent of infrastructure dollars can be spent in the first year, making the one year total less than $7 billion.

14. Much of the funding within the House Democrats’ proposal will go to programs that already have large, unexpended balances. For example, the bill provides $1 billion for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) – a program that already has $16 billion on hand. States also are sitting on some $9 billion in unused highway funds – funds that Congress is prepared to rescind later this year.

15. All board members of the “Accountability and Transparency Board” created by this legislation are appointees of the President; none will be appointed by Congress.

16. A scant 2.7 percent, or $22.3 billion of the overall package, is dedicated to small business tax relief.

17. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that the legislation increases by seven million the number of people who get a check back from the IRS that exceeds what they paid in payroll and income taxes.

18. The “Making Work Pay” tax credit at the center of the plan amounts to $1.37 a day, or about the price of a cup of coffee.

19. Almost one-third of the so-called “tax relief” in the House Democrats’ bill is spending in disguise, meaning that true tax relief makes up only 24 percent of the total package – not the 40 percent that President Obama had requested.

20. $825 billion is just the beginning – many Capitol Hill Democrats want to spend even more taxpayer dollars on their “stimulus” plan. In fact, the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. David Obey (D-WI), told Roll Call earlier this month, “I would not be surprised to see us go further on some of these programs down the line.”

Furthermore, an update at Gateway Pundit posts this from Read the Stimulus.org:
(Tell me again how the Democrats aren't weak on national security.)

Kristen wrote this after scanning the 1588 page piece of legislation:

What caught my eye on first pass was how embarrassingly miniscule is the spending for Homeland Security items as compared to spending on things related to climate change and the environment, for example, but also the multiple billions in other areas to set up more entitlement programs for Democratic constituencies.

A TOTAL of 1.1 billion is allocated for only 4 Homeland Security areas (starts 1/2 way thru pg. 103, goes to start of 105):
Customs/Border
100 million for seaports, non-invasive equipment/salaries
150 million for land border entry ports, repair/construction of facilities
TSA/Aviation
500 million for explosive detection equipment
Coast Guard
150 million to remove obstructive bridges, if they have projects ready to go
FEMA
200 million for emergency food and supply distribution
(total of 1.1 billion)

This is in contrast, for example, to....

650 million allocated for additional digital-to-analog TV converter boxes for the states (BTW, this is on top what the states already allocate themselves for this....Chicago, where I live, has a current program in place, my daughter just got a $40 box for "free"). See page 51.
Or, 400 million for ocean habitat restoration and mitigation (page 52)
Or, 600 million for addl satellites with climate sensors to mitigate climate change (52)
or, 140 million for climate date modeling equipment (52)
(total of ~1.8 billion on pages 51-52 alone)

Small peanuts, I know, compared to the multiple billions being allocated to other depts. but it does give you an idea of the mindset of Democratic House members.... "Let's use the media to lambast Bush on his FEMA debacle, his lack of attention to "our nations port security," etc., but when given the opportunity to actually improve these areas..... no priority spending needed!

Arggghhhhhh.

200 million for FEMA? Isn't FEMA that agency about which they complain couldn't get the job done? Don't they think that FEMA needs more help? Or could those complaints have just been more hot air added to the hurricanes....

Richmond makes the big leagues

The BlogFather links to a Richmond Times-Dispatch article on the infamous non-existent gun show loophole.

Now he just needs to read the VCDL website.....

Al-Arabiya gets the word from The One.

President Obama has given his first formal interview as President to the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya network, presenting a conciliatory image to the world and backing away from any confrontation.




Excerpts from the transcript:
And so what I told him is start by listening, because all too often the
United States starts by dictating -- in the past on some of these issues --and we don't always know all the factors that are involved. So let's listen.

Right, the US has been dictating to the Middle East whenever we have been involved with the numerous peace proposals. We never listen...that's our problem...Carter "dictated" that the Shah should be replaced by a terrorist ayatollah and then, of course there was all that dictating at Camp David. Reagan, Bush, Clinton, all dictators of peace.....

I think Hillary Clinton has expressed this in her confirmation, is that if we are looking at the region as a whole and communicating a message to the Arab world and the Muslim world, that we are ready to initiate a new partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interest, then I think that we can make significant progress.

I think its clear by now that the Muslim world has little "respect" for the US. And as to "mutual interest", how does one have mutual interests with absolutist organizations like HAMAS?

My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect. But if you look at the track record, as you say, America was not born as a colonial power, and that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that.

If the Muslim world does not understand that yet, then THEY are the ones that refuse to understand. 50,000,000 Muslims liberated. Tyranny fought on behalf of Muslims from Croatia to Afghanistan. And relationship with the Muslim world 20-30 years ago was TERRIBLE. 1979? Remember a certain hostage crisis brought about the missteps of another President that refused to see reality? 1989? Conflict with Libya, terrorism, and Salman Rushdie under threat of death.

I think that you're making a very important point. And that is that the language we use matters. And what we need to understand is, is that there are extremist organizations -- whether Muslim or any other faith in the past -- that will use faith as a justification for violence. We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith's name.

This answer was based on a question about the term "islamic fascism.: Of course the language we use matters. He implies that Bush "painted with a broad brush," which of course, he did not. Bush was very careful in stating that the majority of Muslims were peaceful. He bent over backwards trying to demonstrate his belief that Islam was "peaceful" against all evidence. Even with a five year decrease, over 100,000,000 Muslims approve of "suicide bombings."
And then, Obama has to bring up "other faiths." Yep, I've been following the new about those suicide bomber nuns and murderous Buddhists.

Peace will arrive when the jihadists renounce the intention to rebuild the caliphate. Until then, this is all smoke and mirrors. When the Muslim world agrees with the Western world on the same definition of peace, then we will see the end of terrorism. Jihadists have the long view. They believe that the West will eventually capitulate and Islam will be the dominate force/religion in the world.

And with refusal of the West to stand up to the Muslim demands for separate sharia-based communities, and for Muslim demands that western communities adapt to them instead of the immigrants assimilating into their new countries, I believe that they may be right.

Unless the West starts to take the words of the faithful as spoken, and the words of the Koran as written, the West will continue to misunderstand. "Radical" muslims are nothing more than faithful Muslims that believe that the Islamic faith must be exercised as it was under Mohammad. They believe that if Muslims "return" to the pure faith, mu slims will triumph. Arafat said such things. HAMAS and Hezbollah and Al Qaeda say such things. The Muslim Brotherhood says such things. And the "moderates" do nothing. Because they cannot dispute the "fanatics" with writings from the Koran. The Koran backs up the "fanatics" and the moderates do not wish to be ostracized and targeted. Even if a small percentage of Malaysians agree with the "radicals", that's 19 million people.

Negotiation does not work when a) one side does not negotiate in good faith, which in fact, is based on Koranic instructions to the faithful when negotiating with non-believers and b)one side wants nothing more than your death or capitulation.

Obama is living in a dream world. If he was a Muslim while living abroad, then he will be considered an apostate. And if he was not a Muslim, he's just another infidel. Treaties and negotiations are allowed, but, only with the goal of advancing Islam.

While the majority of Muslims want to live in peace, unless they assimilate in their new countries, even peaceful Muslims want their communities to change to a sharia based community, and thereby destroying the very western ideals and freedoms that originally let them move to that country.

Until the Islamic world rejects the ideals of Jihad or the West loses, there will be no peace.

h/t Gateway Pundit and Politico

UPDATE: The Palestinians respond to the One's message of Al-Hopiya, Al-changiyah

Compromise to close non-existent loophole passes committee

Gun Show Loophole Compromise passes Senate committee and heads to Senate Floor

From the Star City Harbinger

(This is cross posted from their comment section. )

There are so many incorrect things in this.

One - There is NO gun show loophole. VENDORS, by law, are arms dealers and are regulated. This law will regulate private transactions between private citizens and only within the gun show. This is only a precedent to then restrict sales anywhere between citizens. Two - It was protested by any and every citizen tired of the government trying to restrict 2nd Amendment rights, not just “Republicans with loyalties to the NRA.” Three - The Virginia Tech shootings are a straw argument since the shooter followed all laws and his background WAS CHECKED. Four - This isn’t a country/city split. This a fight of 2nd Amendment supporters vs gun controllers. Many urban citizens utilize their right to buy and sell private property.

This “compromise” is nothing of the sort. Weapons of all sorts are still being bought and sold by private citizens. Instead of beating a dead horse about a non-existent loophole, why don’t these politician state what they really mean? They want all private sales to be held through a dealer, thereby increasing the cost and inconvenience of the transaction. Who pays for the background check? Why should a dealer subject himself to liability by putting out a background check on guns that he himself will not be selling? Will it be mandatory that dealers do the background checks when requested? What if there are no nearby FFL’s? What if you want to sell or give a firearm to a friend or family member? Or receive one in a will?

And how would a law enforcement agency find out about these transfers unless the firearms were registered?

For all of the Brady Campaign’s statistics on how many gun sales have been stopped by background checks, only 7 have resulted in arrests. How soon will it be, since this state appears to be turning “blue”, before gun or ammo registration is mentioned to ensure that “keeping firearms out of the hands of convicted felons and the mentally ill ” is necessary.

The whole point of the 2nd Amendment was to ensure an armed populace. A weapon is an inanimate object. If used in a criminal act, hammer that person and throw him in prison for a long time. If a person is mentally unstable enough to be restricted from having a weapon, institutionalize that person for their own and our safety. If the court system had decided that about Cho, no background check would have been necessary. He would have been safely in the hospital.

How far do we go to ensure “safety?” According to the Brady Campaign, all weapons should be restricted. Some want to repeal the 2nd Amendment. If you look at Australia and England, one will see that crime rates have skyrocketed.

2nd Amendment supporters are tired of the incremental attacks on our liberty. As the saying goes, “If you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile.”