Rants and Raves

Note To Fox: Butt Out of American Affairs

2006-05-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

As the President is set to deliver a speech to the nation regarding immigration reform, we have reports that Vicente Fox called President Bush with concerns. Well, in the most diplomatic terms of course, Bush should have told Vicente to butt out. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

The President has an opportunity tonight to turn around his immigration policy and stress border security and enforcement. I am fearful that the President will attempt to throw a bone to the American people and proceed full steam ahead with illegal immigration amnesty. That will be a huge mistake. However, the Bush administration is accustomed to making huge mistakes and tonight will probably be just one more.

Brokedown Middle Age Male

2006-05-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't been on the blogosphere for over a week. Seems that I am not twenty-five anymore and I pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve while at the fitness center that landed me flat in bed for almost a week. I am still limping and in pain.

The only one that I can think of who is more brokedown than me has to be George Bush. What is happening with this guy?

May He Rot In Hell

2006-05-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

A "Revelation"

2006-05-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said on Tuesday that high gasoline prices which have skyrocketed to a near record are a "crisis" for Americans.

"It is a crisis in the sense of the individual," Bodman told reporters after a meeting with Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi.

Let's hope that Mr. Bodman is not receiving any compensation as Energy Secretary. Gee, we have a crisis. What Mr. Bodman and the President need to be doing is jawboning the oil companies and presenting a comprehensive package of proposals to Congress that will make us not dependent on oil.

Semantics Nuanced to The Max

2006-05-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

As the boycotts proceeded across the nation, we have been subjected to the most incredible display of semantics. All the major media called these protests immigration protests and protests for immigration rights. This was also the spin by the illegal alien organizers.

Here's a clue. Immigrants that have legally come into the United States have all the rights that all Americans have. What we are talking about is illegal aliens seeking amnesty. If our politicans fall for this, then we are truly a nation without any leaders.

Moron of the Week: Gloria Romero

2006-04-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, there is to be a May Day Boycott by illegal aliens across the United States. This is an unbelievable display of chutzpah to say the least.The leaders of this boycott are attempting to make this about immigrant issues but nothing could be farther from the truth.

This boycott is about illegal aliens who are attempting to convince lawmakers to give them amnesty for illegally coming across a country's soverign border.

In sympathy with this attempt,Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero,D-Los Angeles, initiated and helped to pass a resolution that supports the so called Great American Boycott 2006. Ms. Romero truly qualifies for Moron of the Week.

Book Him Danno

2006-04-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

A Big Headed Hypocrite

2006-04-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

Ted Kennedy says the right things to his liberal constituents. He is for alternative fuel sources, against big oil, and greed. However, when he is faced with the opportunity to do something, Mr. Hypocrite draws the line.

Seems that the big headed Senator is opposed to Cape Wind that would build windmills and as the project states "use the clean,inexhaustable power of wind to provide three-quarters of the Capes and Islands' electricity." Only problem is that it would be located off Nantucket Sound and in view of the "Big Head's" mansion.

So it is being held up by this Senator because he doesn't like the view. Greenpeace has put out an interesting ad that illustrates the situation succinctly.

Greenpeace Ad

President Can't Get No Satisfaction

2006-04-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

You know the President's popularity is low when a has been rocker won't give up his room for the President of the United States. Seems that is exactly what fish lips rocker Mick Jagger did to the President. The veteran rocker hired the luxury Royal Suite at the five-star Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria, for June when the Stones are due to play a gig in the city.It happens that the President has a summit meeting there and had requested the room. The ever defiant rocker said no and I guess the President will have to look for a Motel 6.

President's Speech "Corny"

2006-04-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

President Bush today attempted to tell the American people that he felt their pain.It may not be enough. He did talk about making ethanol from corn but it seemed half hearted at best. He outlined several actions that he will take but they all do not get to the heart of the problem. As stated before, I think we need a revolution or as some have termed it another Manhattan project to rid us of the dependence on oil.

We as a nation have the technology and the resources to develop alternatives and do it in a relatively short time. We just need politicians with the vision to launch us into the next significant development in our country. Anything less will have us subject to greedy oil interests and Mideast countries.

President Just Doesn't Get It

2006-04-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

As the President's poll numbers continue to decline, we have the President in California telling the American people that our borders are secure and that we should accept amnesty for illegal immigrants. He also tells us that he feels our pain regarding gas prices but has no solutions.

It is clear that the President just does not get it and it appears that his administration is not going to make any meaningful policy changes. The American people are fed up with the lack of inaction and their message will be heard at the election booth soon.

Moron of the Week: Osama bin Laden

2006-04-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

This week's Moron of the Week is easy. It has to be the terrorist,murderer,and coward bin Laden. He issued a litany of diatribes today on Al Jazeera television. The surprising thing is that anyone listens to this terrorist thug,

Talk Is Cheap

2006-04-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

"We firmly stand today for resolving the problems in and around Tehran diplomatically rather than militarily. Increasing international pressure on Iran has no prospects," Russian foreign minister Ozerov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

Well,we now know where China and Russia stand in the continuing efforts to get Iran to stop its nuclear ambitions. And where is the President in all this? Did he make the point to tell Chinese President Hu that the threat of military action should be left on the table in order to deal with Iran? Has be communicated that with Putin?

How many rounds of negotiations does it take with Iran to understand that we are dealing with evil and not pragmatic or rational people? Talk is cheap and there seems to be plenty of that when it comes to Iran.

A New Revolution

2006-04-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

The launch of the Sputnik satellite by the Soviet Union in 1957 sparked a technological revolution in the United States that subsequently resulted in a launch of a satellite by the U.S. in 1958. This carried through to the first man on the moon missions by the United States in the late 1960s.

It is time for the President and/or Congress to declare a new revolution that will end our dependence on oil. By 2007, 100 percent of all new Brazilian cars may be able to run on 100 percent ethanol. Brazilian sugar-cane-fed biorefineries will be capable of producing sufficient ethanol to fuel new and old cars alike. There must be leadership on this critical issue. Why are we as Americans being left behind?

It can be done if there is the will to do so. We as Americans must demand this. It is time.

Interesting Headlines

2006-04-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said on Thursday he was seriously thinking about another White House bid in 2008 and will decide before the year is out. "I will make that decision toward the end of the year, but I'm thinking about it hard," Kerry said in response to a question at the Latin Economic Forum at the United Nations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

If the government doesn't build security fencing along the Mexico border, Minuteman border watch leader Chris Simcox says he and his supporters will. Simcox, whose civilian watch group opposes illegal immigration, said Wednesday he was sending an ultimatum to President Bush to deploy military reserves to the Arizona border by May 25 or his supporters will break ground for their own building project. "We're going to show the federal government how easy it is to build these security fences, how inexpensively they can be built when built by private people and free enterprise," Simcox said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday again raised the specter of U.S. designs to oust him and promised that his government will blow up his country's oil fields if the United States should ever attack. U.S. officials have repeatedly denied any military plans against Chavez, but also call him a threat to stability in the region.

Random Thoughts

2006-04-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

Is there a more egotistical, pompous ass than Donald Trump?...Speaking of asses,then there is Tom Cruise. Their baby finally arrived...I feel very sorry for that child...Aruba is not a place I would send my child...Natalee Holloway case has been botched by Inspector Clouseau Aruban types...Hurricane season is fast approaching...Immigration debate is hard to understand...How we are to let people enter illegally into U.S. is beyond rational thought...Gas prices continue to escalate while there is no government policy to deal with this crisis...President Bush seems to be on suicide mission with his presidency.

Mr. Hu Goes to Washington

2006-04-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Chinese President Hu Jintao's visits Washington on Thursday amid concessions and purchases by the Chinese. Christmas comes early for Bill Gates and other corporations.

China has recently announced a fresh crackdown on piracy of American movies and CDs. It also agreed to lift a ban on imports of U.S. beef and open up to imports of medical devices. And China's trade minister closed two big deals with Boeing and Microsoft,part of a $16-billion spending spree on American businesses this month.

All this as China remains a real obstacle to dealing with such rogue countries as Iran and North Korea. It remains to be seen whether the President will get tough with China in not only trade matters but critical matters of foreign policy.

Hamas Shows Where It Stands

2006-04-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

The killing of nine people in Tel Aviv on Monday by Palestinian militants are the latest example of how despicable and vile the extremists and Hamas are. Fresh off their succesful meeting in Iran and a committment of $50 million, Hamas today said that the suicide bombing was justified and blamed Israel.

It is extremely upsetting how these extremist groups can brainwash young seventeen and twenty year old Palestinians to take their lives and the lives of innocent people with them. Perhaps the leaders of Hamas should take their lives instead of asking these brainwashed youth to do their dirty work.

Moron of the Week: Exxon

2006-04-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

This week's Moron of the Week is not an individual but it well could be illustrated by the face of its past chairman, Lee Raymond, who received a $400 million severance package. This while gasoline prices continue to escalate.

This oil company last year made the biggest profit of any company ever, $36 billion, and its retiring chairman appears to be reaping the benefits. This is obscene and no one seems to be doing anything to ameliorate this escalating cost.

Greed and Corporate America

2006-04-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

As millions of American celebrate the religious holidays and turn inward to those things spiritual, we have those in corporate America who seem to be celebrating greed, one of the seven deadly sins. If you close your eyes, one can almost imagine that America is back in the Gilded Age where material excess was celebrated while the poor suffered.

The examples of this corporate greed are everywhere. Lee Raymond, retiring Exxon chairman is awarded a $400 million retirement package while gas prices continue to soar and big oil says there is no price gouging. The American middle class and lower income wage earners are being squeezed harder and harder in the pocketbook. The President has no plan to assist the Americans in this area as corporate greed becomes ever more obscene. Foget about social conscience or corporate goodwill.

Yet another example of corporate greed at the expense of basic human rights is Google who launced its services in China and agreed to self-censorship of its services to Chinese users. Google defends its position as an attempt to change the Chinese system from within; they claim that it is better to comply with the appropriate laws and be able to provide some kind of service, giving them a platform from which they can reach the people of China, rather than to break the law and get shut down entirely. Nice words but we have seen no changes in the Chinese.

The United States government has welcomed China as a trade partner with the hopes of bringing China into the world community. The only thing that has done has negatively increased our trade balance with China. And lest we think China has softened its foreign policy positions, one only needs to look to the current situation in Iran. China remains adamantly opposed to any actions against Iran and has called for more diplomacy.

It's left to be seen whether corporate America will abandon its greed and adopt some of the more spiritual virtues.

A Child Shall Lead Them

2006-04-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

This week as millions of Jews and Christians celebrate their religious holidays, I was struck by an article that speaks of compassion, forgiveness, and a child's words that show compassion and bravery that most of us can only imagine.

Five-year-old Kai Leigh Harriott was shot nearly three years ago by a man that had shot a gun while having an argument with people who lived on the first floor of the three-family house where Kai lived with her family. One of the bullets hit Kai -- then 3 -- as she sat on a third-floor porch with an older sister. The bullet shattered her spine, permanently paralyzing her from the chest down.

Now she sat in a courtroom this week and addressed the court and the man who shot her with these words-"What you done to me was wrong," she said to the man seated just 10 feet away. "But I still forgive him."

What a tremendous showing of compassion and forgiveness by a child who will never walk again.

Is This a Great Country or What?

2006-04-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

Vicente Fox must be splitting his sides laughing at the comedy and farce played out on our streets. He has a great situation. He gets rid of millions of low educated workers who come to the United States illegally and then send billions back to the Mexican economy. Is this a great country or what?

Fox is clearly trying to influence American politics and legislation while his proxies accuse the United States of "oppressive" treatment and laws for illegal immigrants. So Mexico must clearly be a liberal place that values protests and does not harshly punish illegal immigrants, correct?

Well, in Mexico, no immigrant is allowed to protest in the streets. Immigrants are forbidden from meddling or being involved in Mexican politics. No immigrant is allowed to become a federal lawmaker or a clergy member. And it is a crime to come into Mexico illegally. The list goes on.

Iran Proceeds With Its Nuclear Ambitions

2006-04-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, declared yesterday that Iran had produced its first batch of enriched uranium and would now press ahead with industrial-scale enrichment.Never mind that Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and never mind that Iran has not been transparent in its nuclear development. For those who believe that this group of religious zealots and thugs want nuclear power for peace, then I want to sell you some swamp land in Florida.

It seems clear that while Iran thumbs its nose, the world leaders are basically impotent. We have the ultimate "diplomat",Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, urging the parties to tone down their rhetoric. No matter that Iran has threatened Israel and others with its vile rhetotic and invective.

I read countless articles that military action will do nothing to deter Iran from its nuclear ambitions. Yet I hear no alternative solutions to the clear and present danger. So we wake up one day in the future and Iran has nuclear warheads and strike capability. Then what do we do?

The Realpolitiks of Immigration

2006-04-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

The recent immigration rallies are full of irony and hypocrisy. One is left one question regarding the large rallies? Who cares?

Numbers for an illogical and illegal cause should not dictate publicy policy or new legislation. I am struck at the many Mexican flags flying at these rallies. What irony that they fly a Mexican flag while they flee that country. What irony that Mexico does not pay its workers a decent wage. When is the last time that you have heard an illegal immigrant criticising Mexico?

And still we have no overwhelming support for protecting our borders and ensuring the security of them. What is it going to take for our politicians to realize what their duty is? It is not to pander to a small special interest group or be an advocate for people who are not even legal citizens of this country.

This debate should not be about immigration. Most people are in favor of immigration. They however believe that it is the right of every country to protect its sovereignty and determine how many immigrants will be let into the United States.This debate should be first and foremost how to control our borders. After that has been solved, then we can discuss illegal immigration.

An Absolute Outrage

2006-04-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this beautiful face. This child will never see his mother again because he could not get some moronic and arrogant 911 operator to send assistance to his home to help his mother. His mother died. This is an absolute outrage and these operators should be fired immediately. No if, ands, or buts.

The 5-year-old boy called 911 to report his mother had collapsed and was told by a dispatcher that he shouldn't be playing on the phone. When he called back about three hours later, an operator told him: “You shouldn’t be playing on the phone.”Police arrived after the second call.

So what is the lesson to be learned in Detroit? If you are a child and call 911 for assistance, don't expect any help.

Moron of the Week: Cynthia McKinney

2006-04-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

The Moron of the Week for this week is easy. It has to be the racist Congresswoman from Georgia, Cynthia McKinney. Seems the Congresswoman was stopped by a Capitol policeman for identity purposes and she hit the officer with her cell phone. After the incident, she screamed racism and racial profiling.This is not the first time that Ms. McKinney has played the race card. She sees a racist behind every bush.

This is a woman whose father in a past election loss was asked what was the reason for her loss and he spelled J-E-W-S. Seems this family is not only racist but also anti-semitic. It is also interesting to note that neither the Democratic leadership or the Black Caucus would defend her actions. This incident has been referred to a grand jury as to whether she will be charged with battery. Hopefully a jury will be able to determine if she is guilty of her deplorable conduct.

Play Ball

2006-04-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

With all the problems in the world, one thing is constant. In April, baseball begins again and every kids thoughts turn to the diamond as their favorite hero takes the field. If that was not enough, the most venerable golf tournament, The Masters, takes place. A lot of us get to stray from the awful news and watch men play a boys game. We also get to watch the Masters to see who will become the next star and wear the green jacket. Play ball.

Senate Immigration Compromise Bill Fails On Vote

2006-04-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

The immigration compromise bill that Senate leaders wanted to ram down the Senate's throat failed today on a key procedural vote.

President Bush at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on Friday said that..."an immigration system that forces people into the shadows of our society, or leaves them prey to criminals is a system that needs to be changed. "I'm confident that we can change our immigration system in ways that secures our border, respects the rule of law, and, as importantly, upholds the decency of our country." The president is heavy on rhetoric but light on substance when it comes to protecting our borders.

Our national security and protection of our borders should come first before we address the question of illegal immigrants.

Senate Comes Up With Immigration "Compromise"

2006-04-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

We now have mental midgets lke John McCain and Ted Kennedy who have fashioned an immigration compromise bill that would separate illegal immigrants into three categories with the ultimate goal of granting amnesty to 11-20 million illegal immigrants. By the way, if this ever became law, it would create a bureaucratic nightmare and billions of dollars in expense.

It is appalling that our elected officials are attempting to circumvent the rule of law and grant amnesty to those who illegally entered the United States. Lost in all of this dialogue and compromise is border security.

House of Representatives
Senate

Follow The Money to The Pork

2006-04-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

A private, nonprofit organization with 1.2 million members, has just published its "Pig Book" that lists what our legislators are doing with taxpayers money. It will make you sick.

Some of the lowlights of the Citizens Against Government Waste report:

* $13.5 million for the International Fund for Ireland, which helped finance the World Toilet Summit

* $6.4 million for wood utilization research in 11 states

* $1 million for the Waterfree Urinal Conservation Initiative in Michigan

* $500,000 for the Sparta Teapot Museum in Sparta, North Carolina

According to the group, the highest per capita spending was in Alaska -- $489.87 for each of the state's 663,661 residents, or $325.1 million. That is less than half of the per capita amount in 2005, a decrease CAGW says came about because Republican Sen. Ted Stevens is no longer chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

The group says it publishes the annual report in an effort to eliminate waste, inefficiency and mismanagement -- and the crimes they can promote.

House of Representatives
Senate

The Immigration Issue Broken Down: The Numbers

2006-04-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

During the 1990s, an average of more than 1.3 million immigrants — legal and illegal — settled in the United States each year. Between January 2000 and March 2002, 3.3 million additional immigrants have arrived. In less than 50 years, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that immigration will cause the population of the United States to increase from its present 288 million to more than 400 million.

The foreign-born population of the United States is currently 33.1 million, equal to 11.5 percent of the U.S. population. Of this total, the Census Bureau estimates 8-9 million are illegal immigrants. Other estimates indicate a considerably higher number of illegal immigrants.

Approximately 1 million people receive permanent residency annually. In addition, the Census Bureau estimates a net increase of 500,000 illegal immigrants annually.

The present level of immigration is significantly higher than the average historical level of immigration. This flow may be attributed, in part, to the extraordinary broadening of U.S. immigration policy in 1965. Since 1970, more than 30 million legal and illegal immigrants have settled in the U.S., representing more than one-third of all people ever to come to America's shores.

At the peak of the Great Wave of immigration in 1910, the number of immigrants living in the U.S. was less than half of what it is today, though the percentage of the population was slightly higher. The annual arrival of 1.5 million legal and illegal immigrants, coupled with 750,000 annual births to immigrant women, is the determinate factor— or three-fourths— of all U.S. population growth.

White House
House of Representatives
Senate

The Immigration Issue Broken Down

2006-04-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

It is the right of every country to enforce its borders and establish orderly immigration numbers and requirements for anyone wishing to come to the United States. A country cannot maintain national security or the costs to immigration if it continues to allow illegal immigration. That is what we have today. We are at a crisis and the politicians seem intent on continuing this farce at a great risk to our country.

As some have observed, it ..." might not seem justified that tens of millions of illegal immigrants are allowed to break the laws of the country that they wish to seek benefits of, while millions yet are still waiting to abide by the law and legally immigrate to the US. " One of the strongest instances of illegal immigration harming the US economy and workforce is through displacement. Displacement is responsible for an estimated two million American job losses a year and occurs when "established workers, whether natives or iimmigrants, lose their jobs to new immigrants, often illegal newcomers, who will work for substandard wages".

An example of this can be found in the California tomato industry, where a group of unionized legal border crossers had been working as tomato croppers for many years. These workers were making $4.00 an hour in 1980. During that year, the tomato growers decided to hire a group of illegal immigrants who were willing to work for $3.35 an hour. The original legal workers were not willing to lower their wages and were onsequently forced out of the tomato industry in San Diego County. Unfortunately, this illegal workforce importation is mostly harming the "least skilled segment of [the country's] labor force that is already having the greatest difficulty finding employment".

This is the dirty little secret to illegal immigration. While the President says that illegal immigrants do jobs no Americans won't do, it is that Americans will not work for wages that are under the table and below minimum wage. Big business is content with this because they hire cheap labor and exploit not only the system but the workers they hire. It is a travesty.

Moron of the Week: Stephen Harper

2006-04-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

The subject of this Moron of the Week sickens and disgusts me that as a civilized country, Canada and its Prime Minister can allow the continued killing of seal pups.The Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, may not be a moron but his continued support of this disgusting and inhumane activity is beyond moronic.

Here are the facts regarding this practice:

1. The hunters prefer to use spiked clubs called hakapiks to crush the seals' skulls, rather than possibly damage the pelts with bullet holes.

2. Animal rights activists claim the fishermen often skin the seals alive or leave some pups to die if they are not immediately knocked unconscious.

3. The Humane Society has had high-profile allies in celebrities like Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills McCartney, who traveled to the Gulf of St. Lawrence two weeks ago to pose with the newborn pups.

In a video message from London, the McCartneys proposed that Canada could end the slaughter by offering a license buyback program to sealers.

4. The hunt brought $14.5 million in revenue last year, after some 325,000 seals were slaughtered. Fishermen sell their pelts, mostly for the fashion industry in Norway, Russia and China, as well as blubber for oil, earning about $60 per seal.

What more can be said regarding such an inhumane enterprise?

Follow The Money:The Immigration Issue Broken Down

2006-04-01T18:27:00.000-08:00

It is interesting to me that the debate on the proposed immigration issue has skirted the border security issue and instead focused on the supposed "right" of illegal immigrants. Vincente Fox has injected himself into the American body politic in a way that is expressly prohibited in Mexico by its constitution. Hypocrisy is rampant in this debate.

Could it be that Mexico is so adamant regarding illegal immigrants to the U.S. because of the enormous amount of money that flows back to Mexico? In 2005, Mexicans in the United States remitted some $20 billion home. That's 3% of Mexico's entire national income. For the 6% of Mexican households that receive remittances, these funds can mean the difference between extreme poverty and an income roughly in line with the Mexican average.

It is clear that Mexican President Vicente Fox is pressing George W. Bush so hard for amnesty and guest-worker programs. But it doesn't constitute sufficient reason for Bush to accede.

Mexico is suffering from a comprehensive failure of political and economic leadership. They expect the U.S. to assist them by this flow of illegal immigrants. Ultimately, Mexico must correct its failed economic policies.

Teddy Roosevelt's Prophetic Words

2006-03-31T17:47:00.000-08:00

The following quote from Teddy Roosevelt succinctly summarizes the immigration issue. He probably would be lambasted today for those words by the politcally correct police.

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...

There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt, 1919

Proposed Immigration Legislation Will Show Where America Stands

2006-03-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

I believe that the Bush presidency is bankrupt. Finished. The latest evidence of that is the absolutely ridiculous endorsement by the President of the McCain-Kennedy Immigration bill.

We are being treated to a real life Alice In Wonderland scenario where up is down and right is wrong. The President along with John McCain and Ted Kennedy are basically providing amnesty to the 11 million or more illegal aliens and basically saying to the hell with our national security.

This debate by the proponents of the bill is also anti-intellectual. They accuse anyone against their proposal as being racist or a xenophobe. How convenient to do this when you don't have rational or logical answers.

Israeli Elections

2006-03-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

Israelis voted Tuesday to bring to power a new centrist party, Kadima, which is committed to a further pullout from the occupied West Bank. In the lowest voter turn out ever, the election results indicate an electorate that may be willing to compromise further with the Palestinians.

Although I am in favor or compromise and negotiations, I am not sure that it is in the interest of Israel to deal with the devil. The Palestinians in a democratic election voted for a terrorist organization, Hamas, to run the government. They must now suffer the consequences of their actions.

The Likud party headed by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who warned against any new withdrawal as a victory for Palestinian terrorism won only 11 seats and found itself once again on the fringes of Israeli politics after decades of being at the heart of things. Netanyahu,in my opinion, understands that you never gain anything by dealing with evil.

Time will tell how significant this election is to Israel and the mideast.

Student Strikes In France Ilustrate One Thing

2006-03-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

At least one million people marched in French cities and unions staged a one-day national strike on Tuesday, urging the government to scrap a youth jobs law in one of France's biggest protests in decades.Unions and student groups said 3 million people took part in rallies across the country, including 700,000 in central Paris, where police used tear gas against hundreds of youths who threw bottles and Molotov cocktail petrol bombs.

I am not advocating the violence that has occurred as a result of the student and labor strikes due to the new jobs law in France. However, one thing does impress me. The students in France are willing to protest and voice their opposition.

Here in the United States, we have some very troubling things happening on university campuses and the students are silent. Where are the protests by students at Yale that has admitted a former Taliban official? Where are the student protests at Northwestern University that continues to employ an anti-semitic professor. Nothing.

And Yet Politicians Don't Want To Face True Immigration Reform

2006-03-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

Two teams of government investigators using fake documents were able to enter the United States with enough radioactive sources to make two dirty bombs, according to a federal report made available Monday.

The investigators purchased a "small quantity" of radioactive materials from a commercial source while posing as employees of a fictitious company and brought the materials into the United States through checkpoints on the northern and southern borders, according to a Government Accountability Office report prepared for Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Norm Coleman, a Minnesota Republican.

This report should frighten all Americans and yet we have politicians who do not want to address the border security issue or even call illegal immigrants illegals.

Trouble In Afghanistan

2006-03-26T16:53:00.000-08:00

Amidst news that the Afghan Muslim turned Christian may be released soon, there is a very troubling aspect to this story. We have lost American lives and spent billions in a country that is governed by Sharia law. That law,on which the Afghan constitution is partly based, rules that conversion away from Islam must be punished by death if the accused person fails to revert.

There are many questions regarding this issue that are troubling. Why didn't we take a more forceful approach at the drafting of the constitution to not having Sharia law being included in the Afghan Constitution? Why would we continue to pour money into Afghanistan with a constitution that does not belive in freedom of religion as one of the most fundamental freedoms of man?

The hypocrisy of these Islamic leaders is overwhelming. They rioted and killed because of cartoons that did not respect their religion while they now are calling for the death of this Afghan man because of his exercise of religion. It is preposterous.

A solution must be reached and it must not be couched in ambiguities. The American people will not tolerate this while our soldiers are being killed in a land that does not value such fundamental rights.

Moron of the Week: Judge John Connor

2006-03-25T18:04:00.000-08:00

Lest we think that the judicial system is looking after the welfare and protection of our children, one only needs to look at the horrible record of one Ohio Judge John Connor. This moron recently gave no jail time to a man who admitted to sexual battery of two young boys over a three-year period. No jail time. Period. This is a judge who also let a man out early for DUI who went out and killed two young adults while you guessed it DUI.

The outrage against this moron cannot be properly put into words. We have definitely in this country lost our moral compass. This judge should be impeached and kicked off the bench but that attempt has failed. Why? We have those in favor of the judge saying that plea agreements and deals are just part of the judicial system. Well, I for one don't give a damn what is normal. This is not protecting the most vulernable in our society, our children. It is time for a change in this country. It is time to stop making excuses and do something about these judges that abrogate their judicial responsibilities. By the way, this judge has been arrested for DUI eight times and convicted twice. And yet we have politicians and newspapers in Ohio defending this moron. Why?

Afghan Christian Likely To Be Released

2006-03-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

An Afghan Christian facing possible execution for converting from Islam was likely to be released from jail "soon," a senior government official said following huge Western pressure over the case.

"He is likely to be released soon," the official said, adding there would be a top-level meeting on the matter Saturday.

We Liberated Afghanistan for This?

2006-03-23T19:01:00.000-08:00

President Bush said Wednesday that he is "deeply troubled" that an Afghan man is being tried for converting to Christianity.

Abdul Rahman, 41, faces a possible death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago. He has been charged with rejecting Islam, a crime under this country's Islamic laws. Bush said in a speech that a young democracy is growing in Afghanistan, but he's concerned about the case.

Nails for Yale

2006-03-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

As reported in this blog as well as many others, the admission of Taliban official Sayeed Rahmatullah Hashemi to a special student program at Yale has outraged Yale Alumni and the public at large. One emailer who protested the admission said the following - "I won’t give Yale one red cent this year, but maybe I will give them a red fingernail instead!"

She was referring to the Taliban’s policy of pulling the fingernails off of Afghani women who dared to wear fingernail polish. Some of these women even had their thumbs sliced off as punishment. To date, Mr. Rahmatullah has not apologized or taken responsibility for his support of this brutal regime, though he told the Times he wished he’d been "a little bit softer" in his advocacy.

If you’d like to show your outrage at Yale’s decision to admit the Taliban’s spokeman, join me as well as others in "giving Yale the finger." It would be disgusting– not to mention really painful — to mail your own fingernails, but you can buy glamorous, decadent, shameless-hussy-scarlet press-on nails (ask for "nail tips") from any drug store or beauty shop. They’re cheap; a box costs about $5.00.

Send them to the following along with a polite (or not-so-polite) email or letter explaining what you think of their decision to admit Rahmatullah:

Richard Shaw
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions
Yale University
New Haven, CT 06520 USA

Alexis Surovov email: alexis.surovov@yale.edu
Asst Dir of Annual Giving Programs
( This nice guy called people retarded for expressing disagreement with Yale. )

What’s more, you can also send a nice red fake nail or ten to Yale’s president at:

President Richard C. Levin
Woodbridge Hall
Yale University
New Haven Connecticut 06520
email: richard.levin@yale.edu

Sex Offender Free of Prosecution

2006-03-21T16:14:00.000-08:00

ORLANDO, Fla. - State prosecutors decided Tuesday to drop charges against a former Tampa teacher accused of having sex with a 14-year-old middle school student. The decision means Debra Lafave won’t go to trial and the victim won’t have to testify. Prosecutors announced the decision hours after a judge rejected a plea deal that would have meant no prison time for Lafave. “Quite frankly, if the allegations against the defendant are true, the agreed-upon sentence shocks the conscience of this court,” said Marion County Circuit Judge Hale Stancil.

I am appalled and disgusted that the Florida prosecutors would dismiss this case against this sex offender. Judge Stancil showed enormous moral clarity and courage by refusing to agree to the plea deal for this sex offender.

This is only the most recent example that shows that perpetrators can get away with abusing children while justice is dismissed. These prosecutors showed disdain for the system and acted as cowards by not allowing this case to be tried.

Eminent Domain: Part 3

2006-03-20T19:36:00.000-08:00

As discussed in the previous post, the cases that expanded the takings clause in regard to eminent domain involve two Supreme Court cases. They are Berman v. Parker, 348 U.S. 26 (1954) and Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff (1984). They serve as the antecedents to the pivotal Supreme Court case decided in 2005.

Without dealing with these cases in detail, it is of interest to note certain points in these cases. the Berman case revolved around the District of Columbia to redevelop slum areas and for the possible sale or lease of the condemned lands to private interests.

In the Berman case, it was noted:

"That Act provided both for the comprehensive use of the eminent domain power to redevelop slum areas and for the possible sale or lease of the condemned lands to private interests.

In discussing whether the takings authorized by that Act were for a "public use," the Court stated:

"We deal, in other words, with what traditionally has been known as the police power. An attempt to define its reach or trace its outer limits is fruitless, for each case must turn on its own facts. The definition is essentially the product of legislative determinations addressed to the purposes of government, purposes neither abstractly nor historically capable of complete definition. Subject to specific constitutional limitations, when the legislature has spoken, the public interest has been declared in terms well-nigh conclusive. In such cases, the legislature, not the judiciary, is the main guardian of the public needs to be served by social legislation, whether it be Congress legislating concerning the District of Columbia . . . or the States legislating concerning local affairs. . . . This principle admits of no exception merely because the power of eminent domain is involved. . . ."

With the subsequent Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff (1984), the Supreme Court has approved generally the widespread use of the power of eminent domain by federal and state governments in conjunction with private companies to facilitate urban renewal, destruction of slums, erection of low-cost housing in place of deteriorated housing, and the promotion of aesthetic values as well as economic ones. In Berman v. Parker, a unanimous Court observed: "The concept of the public welfare is broad and inclusive. The values it represents are spiritual as well as physical, aesthetic as well as monetary. It is within the power of the legislature to determine that the community should be beautiful as well as healthy, spacious as well as clean, well-balanced as well as carefully patrolled." For "public use," then, it may well be that "public interest" or "public welfare" is the more correct phrase. Berman was applied in Hawaii Housing Auth. v. Midkiff, upholding the Hawaii Land Reform Act as a "rational" effort to "correct deficiencies in the market determined by the state legislature to be attributable to land oligopoly." Direct transfer of land from lessors to lessees was permissible, the Court held, there being no requirement "that government possess and use property at some point during a taking." "The 'public use' requirement is . . . coterminous with the scope of a sovereign's police powers," the Court concluded.

It is apparent with these two Supreme Court cases that the power of eminent domain was greatly augemented through some tortured reasoning according to the critics. However, the pivotal case came before the court in 2005. That case will be discussed in full in subsequent posts.

Moron of the Week: Michael Gross

2006-03-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

There is still much discussion regarding Yale's decision to admit as a student a former Taliban official. It is interesting that the Yale president and other university staff have acted as cowards refusing to publicly debate their reasons for admitting this former Taliban.

We now have Yale alumni appearing on shows denouncing Yale and wondering why they would admit this former Taliban official. Here is what one Yale alumnus, Debbie Bookstaber, had to say on Scarborough Country:

BOOKSTABER:" I‘m very disappointed. I‘m disappointed that Yale is keeping silent on this and I‘m also disappointed that there are some that would paint this as a partisan issue. This isn‘t a partisan issue. This is a common sense issue. Yale needs to explain why it is they made a decision to recruit a spokesman for one of the most misogynist regimes in history."

And then we have Michael Gross, a civil rights attorney, that says the following:

GROSS: "The Taliban is terrible. They made a horrible error. They don‘t know how to handle their women. And they.

SCARBOROUGH: What was the horrible error?

GROSS: They harbored Osama bin Laden when we warned them don‘t harbor this man or we‘re going to bomb everybody in your country. And we did. And if that‘s the way you think you win hearts and minds with guns and bombs .."

This moron reduces the Taliban to not knowing how to handle its women? Mr. Gross, what about the thousands of people that they killed and mutilated? What about the women that they denied education? What about the women who had their fingernails pulled out or fingers cut off for wearing polish?

So Mr. Gross, you are a moron who would defend Yale and the Taliban. Maybe you ought to talk to some Afghan women before you make moronic comments.

Neverland No More

2006-03-18T18:58:00.000-08:00

Trains once packed with laughing children no longer roll around the grounds. The arcade that pulsed with rap music, the curse words edited out, has fallen silent. No one waits at the gate with ice cream for youngsters to arrive. After years of rumors about its demise, the fantasy playland Michael Jackson created as a celebration of childhood and a retreat from his troubles is going dark.

May Michael Jackson stay in Bahrain away from American children. The closing of Neverland symbolizes an end to this pervert's existence in the U.S.

Spring

2006-03-17T17:07:00.000-08:00

With the world seeming to go mad, it is nice to know that there are some things that are still a constant. Here in Tallahassee, the dogwoods are blooming and spreading their sweet fragrance. The weather is gorgeous,the humidity is wonderful,and the temperature is nice. These things are too often ignored for the much larger things of the world.

An About Face for Iran?

2006-03-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran said Thursday it was prepared to talk directly with the United States about Iraq, a major shift for a country that has long avoided negotiations with what it calls the "Great Satan."

The offer appears to reflect the desire of at least some top Iranian officials to relieve Western pressure over Tehran's nuclear program in return for help on Iraq, which is sliding ominously toward civil war.

The Bush administration said it would talk with Iran - but only about Iraq, not nuclear issues.

Eminent Domain: Part 2

2006-03-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

The use of eminent domain has evolved over the years and the Supreme Court has addressed many issues relating to eminent domain.

The cases coming before the Supreme Court can be put into three categories of takings or eminent domain that comply with the public use requirement, though it is in the nature of things that the boundaries between these categories are not always firm.

The first two are relatively straightforward and uncontroversial. First, the sovereign may transfer private property to public ownership--such as for a road, a hospital, or a military base. Examples of this are Supreme Court cases Old Dominion Land Co. v. United States, 269 U. S. 55 (1925)and Rindge Co. v. County of Los Angeles, 262 U. S. 700 (1923). Second, the sovereign may transfer private property to private parties, often common carriers, who make the property available for the public's use--such as with a railroad, a public utility, or a stadium. Cases involving this category are National Railroad Passenger Corporation v. Boston & Maine Corp., 503 U. S. 407 (1992) and Mt. Vernon-Woodberry Cotton Duck Co. v. Alabama Interstate Power Co., 240 U. S. 30 (1916).

The third category is where the Supreme Court has expanded the takings clause or eminent domain tremendously. The justices have interpreted "public ownership" and "use-by-the-public" as sometimes too constricting and impractical.

Thus, the the Court has allowed that, in certain circumstances and to meet certain exigencies, takings that serve a public purpose also satisfy the Constitution even if the property is destined for subsequent private use. Examples of Supreme Court cases are Berman v. Parker, 348 U. S. 26 (1954)and Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff, 467 U. S. 229 (1984). While expansive, the cases did not expand the takings clause to a degree that is unprecedented with the case that came before the Court in 2005.

This case will be discussed and its subsequent impact in later posts.

Iran to World: Shove It!

2006-03-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's supreme leader issued a tough line on his country's suspect nuclear program Tuesday, saying it is "irreversible" and any retreat would endanger the Islamic republic's independence.

The confrontational tone from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, set Iran on a collision course with the West as the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council debated how to deal with fears Tehran is seeking to develop atomic weapons.

Eminent Domain: First In A Series

2006-03-13T06:55:00.000-08:00

Eminent domain generally conjures up the government or a municipality invoking the right of eminent domain in order to build a highway or other public facility.

However, it is increasingly and alarmingly being used by governments to run people out of their homes so private developers can come in and enhance the tax base of a city. As the saying goes,one only needs to follow the money. People from the east coast to the west coast are increasingly being run out of their homes by local governments.

So what is the origin and legal basis of eminent domain? In the United States, the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution requires that just compensation be paid when the power of eminent domain is used, and requires that the property be taken for "public use". These requirements are sometimes called the "takings clause."

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Most courts have interpreted "just compensation" to be the fair market value of the condemned property. Over the years the definition of "public use" has expanded to include economic development plans which use eminent domain seizures to enable commercial development for the purpose of improving the community. [1] Critics contend this perverts the intent of eminent domain law and damages personal property rights. Supporters contend that it is necessary to the improvement of communities in many situations in which transactions costs will prevent private parties from reaching efficient use of land.

In the 1950s, the common use of eminent domain was the purchase of some 42,000+ miles of rights of way needed for construction of our Interstate Highway system. This was in most people's opinion clearly for the public good.

The posts to follow on this subject will show how the 2005 Supreme Court case has accelerated eminent domain actions by local governments. It is clearly an example of the political underbelly that most of us would not want to see.

Moron of the Week: Hillary Clinton

2006-03-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

If I have ever seen a political opportunist, it is one Hillary Clinton, the tooth challenged senator from her new home of New York. At a rally of Irish immigrants, Ms. Clinton said that proposed immigration legislation would create a police state.

To use this kind of hyperbole in regard to the immigration issue is an insult to rational thought and political discourse. Of course that has never stopped the toothy Ms. Clinton.

We are faced with politicians as Ms. Clinton unwilling to call those who come across our borders as illegal immigrants or even that they are breaking the law. It is absolutely ridiculous. We are faced with not only national security threats and increased costs due to this illegal immigration that politicians like Clinton want to ignore. So she gets my Moron of the Week award and I am sure she will be competing for more.

Butcher of Balkans Dead

2006-03-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

Former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic, the so-called "butcher of the Balkans" being tried for war crimes after orchestrating a decade of bloodshed during his country's breakup, was found dead Saturday in his prison cell. He was 64.

The death of Milosevic is a reminder that there is evil in this world and it must be met with firm resistance. There are those in the world community that somehow believe that there is no true evil or negotiations will resolve any conflicts. You can't negotiate with the devil.

President Just Doesn't Get It

2006-03-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The collapse of efforts by a Gulf Arab company to manage U.S. ports may send a worrying message to Middle East allies, U.S. President George W. Bush said on Friday, a day after his stinging defeat on the deal.

"In order to win the war on terror, we have got to strengthen our relationships and friendships with moderate Arab countries in the Middle East," Bush told newspaper editors.

In a possible repercussion, the United Arab Emirates broke off talks on a free trade agreement with the United States the day after the ports deal fell apart.

President Bush apparently just doesn't get it. Meanwhile he has his lackeys out accusing opponents of being anti-Islamic xenophobes. The American people should not be apologetic about being concerned about national security. The UAE can hardly be called a long term ally. It seems Bush is on a mission to destroy his party.

President's Political Capital Spent

2006-03-09T13:39:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of his second term, President Bush indicated that he had considerable political capital and intended to spend it in his second term.

It is clear to me that he spent it like a drunken sailor on shore leave. He decided for whatever reason to fight for the Dubai Port deal while the American people were saying that national security was paramount with them. He lost with a resounding thud today as his party leaders met with him and told him that this deal was dead.

He also has shown a lack of clear leadership after Hurricane Katrina. The people of New Orleans are fed up and the American people cannot understand how this can happen in America.

The Democrats have no clear advantage either but it is clear to me that President Bush has left his party out to dry and it may become even more clear after the midterm elections. Political capital is a precious commodity and the President misspent his recklessly.

UAE To Transfer Its Operations to U.S."Entity"

2006-03-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON- United Arab Emirates-owned DP World said Thursday it would transfer its operations of American ports to a U.S. "entity" after congressional leaders reportedly told President Bush that the firm's takeover deal was essentially dead on Capitol Hill.

"Because of the strong relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the United States and to preserve that relationship ... DP World will transfer fully the U.S. operations of P&O Operations North America to a United States entity," Edward H. Bilkey, DP World's chief operating officer, said in a statement.

House Republicans Show Resolve Against Port Deal

2006-03-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - In a double-barreled repudiation of President Bush, House Republicans pressed legislation Wednesday to block a Dubai-owned firm from taking control of some U.S port operations while Democrats clamored for a vote on the issue in the Senate.

“We believe an overwhelming majority will vote to end the deal,” said Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, whose attempt to force the issue to the floor brought the Senate to a late-afternoon standstill.

Blame the Victim

2006-03-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

The death of a 25-year-old woman in Brooklyn on Feb. 25 is a horrible death that is being described by police as one of the most horrific murders they have ever seen. The woman was a forensic-science student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

We are now witnessing another horror. There are some in the media that are blaming the victim for her own death. There are imbeciles such as a Boston talk show host saying that she made a mistake and should not have been in the bar alone. This is an unbelievable attempt to blame the victim and ignore the true evil of the person who committed this heinous act. This imbecile and others should be called to task for their remarks and not allowed to get away with such deeply offensive statements.

Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows: The Saga of Bill and Hillary

2006-03-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

I guess Bill and Hillary never discuss anything of significance. What a dysfunctional couple and marriage:

Hillary Clinton, a leading opponent of DP World's takeover of some US port operations, was this week forced to admit that she did not know her husband had advised Dubai leaders on how to handle the growing dispute.

Mrs Clinton's own senatorial financial disclosure forms reveal that her husband earned $450,000 giving speeches in Dubai in 2002. Officials from the UAE also donated between $500,000 and $1m to fund Mr Clinton's presidential library in Arkansas.

It was part of an effort by the emirates, said a person close to UAE officials, to forge a close relationship with a former US president who is influential and highly regarded in the region.

Moron of the Week: Richard Shaw

2006-03-05T15:02:00.000-08:00

If anyone wants an example of how some of our universities have lost their moral compass, you only need to look to Yale University. It seems that this so called "elite" university saw fit to admit to its freshmen class a former Taliban spokesman, 27-year-old Sayyid Rahmatullah Hashemi. He served as a diplomat for the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Richard Shaw, Yale's dean of undergraduate admissions, is quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying that ..."Yale had another foreigner of Rahmatullah's caliber apply for special-student status."We lost him to Harvard," and "I didn't want that to happen again." What???? What kind of caliber student are we talking about? This man was the spokesman for a fanatical regime that hated Jews, killed many people, destroyed ancient archeological artifacts, subjugated women, and welcomed Usama bin Laden to its country.

He in an interview with John Fund of The Wall Street Journal in 2001 was an apologist for the Taliban and its regime. He said in the interview that Usama bin Laden was " a "guest" of his government and said it hadn't been proved that bin Laden was linked to any terrorist acts, despite his indictment in the U.S. for planning the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. He said that if the embassy bombings were terrorist acts, then so was the Clinton administration's firing cruise missiles into his country in an attempt to kill bin Laden. "You killed 19 innocent people," he told us. " This imbecile showed his true character when at a speech for the Atlantic Council..." Mr. Rahmatullah was confronted by a woman in the audience who lifted the burkha she was wearing and chastised him for the Taliban's infamous treatment of women. "You have imprisoned the women--it's a horror, let me tell you," she cried. Mr. Rahmatullah responded with a sneer: "I'm really sorry to your husband. He might have a very difficult time with you."

As Mr. Fund states in his article..."he willingly and cheerfully served an evil regime in a manner that would have made Goebbels proud. That he was 22 at the time is little of an excuse. There are many poor, bright students--American and foreign alike--who would jump at the opportunity to attend Yale. Why should Mr. Rahmatullah go to the line ahead of all of them? That's a question Yale alumni should ask when their alma mater comes looking for contributions."

How about Yale admitting a woman that was subjugated by the Taliban? I guess that did not cross the mind of Mr. Shaw as he admitted this former Taliban.

The Voice of A "Religious" Nut

2006-03-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahri criticized the West for its insult to Islam's prophet, complaining in a video broadcast Sunday on Al-Jazeera that the Prophet Mohammed and Jesus "are not sacred anymore."

Referring to the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that have been printed in a number of European newspapers, al-Zawahri said: "They did it on purpose and they continue to do it without apologizing, even though no one dares to harm Jews or to challenge Jewish claims about the Holocaust nor even to insult homosexuals."

Al-Zawahri, wearing a black turban and seated in front of a curtained window, spoke insistently and waved his right hand to emphasize his words.

Is Chertoff Out?

2006-03-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

In the aftermath of the public revelation of the presidential "teleconference" and mounting criticism of the performance of Michael Chertoff, Administration sources told HUMAN EVENTS magazine today that the secretary of Homeland Security has "only a few days left" in the Bush Cabinet.

As one source acquainted with the former federal prosecutor and U.S. appellate judge said under promise of anonymity, "They will give [Chertoff] a little time so it won't hurt his reputation too much, but he's probably got only a few days left."

Will Port Deal Sink Bush?

2006-03-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

Most Americans oppose allowing a Dubai company to run some U.S. ports, even as a majority understands the U.S. would continue to control port security, according to a new FOX News poll. One in four sees the United Arab Emirates as a strong ally, but most either disagree or are unsure. In addition, the poll shows Republicans have lost ground on the issue of terrorism, and by a wide margin voters now think it would be better for the country if Democrats win control of Congress in this year’s midterm election.

Bush Warned of Possible Levee Break Prior to Katrina

2006-03-01T17:18:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage.

Bush didn't ask a single question during the final briefing before Katrina struck on Aug. 29, but he assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: "We are fully prepared."

Proponents Of Port Deal Using Disgusting Tactics

2006-02-28T18:50:00.000-08:00

Those readers to this blog probably know I have had a pro Bush bent. I believe up until recently that the President has done a good job in the war against terror.

That has changed since the announcement of the Dubai Port World deal. I am disgusted by the proponents that are attempting to brand those against this port deal as raving racists and xenophobes. While there may be some of that, I believe that the majority of those who oppose this deal are doing it for the sole reason of national security.

In fact the proponents are using anti-intellectual arguments and are resorting to vicious attacks against those who oppose the port deal. No matter that there are many military advisers and others that are opposed to the port deal due to national security.

This port deal should be sunk and fast.

And We Want Them To Operate Our Ports?

2006-02-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

Visa Requirements

The requirements of obtaining a tourism visa to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its seven emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah) are that you are not a citizen of Israel, and that your passport is valid for at least 6 months before your arrival.

Something Rotten In Washington

2006-02-27T15:28:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (AP) - Citing broad gaps in U.S. intelligence, the Coast Guard cautioned the Bush administration that it was unable to determine whether a United Arab Emirates-owned company might support terrorist operations, a Senate panel said Monday.

The surprise disclosure came during a hearing on Dubai-owned DP World's plans to take over significant operations at six leading U.S. ports. The port operations are now handled by London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

"There are many intelligence gaps, concerning the potential for DPW or P&O assets to support terrorist operations, that precludes an overall threat assessment of the potential" merger," an undated Coast Guard intelligence assessment says.

Moron of the Week: Robert Kimmitt et. al.

2006-02-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

"People don't need to worry about security. This deal wouldn't go forward if we were concerned about the security for the United States of America," Bush told reporters as he met his Cabinet this week. This patronizing statement by the President is clearly indicative of how out of touch the administration is with the concerns of the American people.

The ploy by the adminitration to paint all opposition as racist is also disgusting. This has nothing to do with racism. It has to do with a history of violence and terrorism from those in the mideast that cannot be ignored.

My moron of the week goes to Robert Kimmitt who was the chair of the Committee on Foreign Investments in the U.S.(CFIUS) This committee approves all foreign investments through a review process. For this committee to approve this deal without a forty-five day period to examine this deal and its implications for national security boggles the mind.

It is also unbelievable that Mr. Kimmitt and others did not understand that this would not be a concern for the American people. Mr. Kimmitt should share the Moron of the Week with his boss, Secretary of the Treasury John Snow, the rest of the CFIUS committee and of course the President.

No Wonder Lawyers Are Below Car Salesmen

2006-02-25T20:40:00.000-08:00

The most respected legal strategist in the Swiss bank dispute has come under attack from other lawyers after requesting more than $4 million in fees — a sum that would make him the highest paid attorney to work on the case.

The lawyer making the request, New York University law professor Burt Neuborne, gained respect and prominence for refusing to take any fees for his work in achieving the $1.25 billion settlement in 1998 with the Swiss banks accused of withholding Holocaust-era deposits. More than a dozen lawyers litigated the case, several of whom told the Forward that they assumed Neuborne had continued to work pro bono.

Neuborne's application for fees, filed December 19, is for work he has done since 1999 in administering the settlement fund as lead settlement counsel. He was appointed to the position by the federal judge in the case, Edward Korman.

Homeland Security Objected At First to Port Deal

2006-02-25T18:15:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Homeland Security Department objected at first to a United Arab Emirates company's taking over significant operations at six U.S. ports. It was the lone protest among members of the government committee that eventually approved the deal without dissent.

The department's early objections were settled later in the government's review of the $6.8 billion deal after Dubai-owned DP World agreed to a series of security restrictions.

The company indefinitely has postponed its takeover to give President Bush time to convince Congress that the deal does not pose any increased risks to the U.S. from terrorism.

White House Digs In While Criticism Continues

2006-02-24T16:06:00.000-08:00

The Bush administration said Friday it won't reconsider its approval for a United Arab Emirates company to take over significant operations at six U.S. ports. The former head of the Sept. 11 commission said the deal "never should have happened."

Opponents, including the agency that runs New York and New Jersey ports, took their case to court, while the company, Dubai Ports World, stepped up efforts to change the minds of congressional critics.

The president's national security adviser said the White House would keep trying to persuade lawmakers - there's more time since the company offered to delay its takeover - but the administration wouldn't reconsider its approval.

"There are questions raised in the Congress, and what this delay allows is for those questions to be addressed on the Hill," Stephen Hadley said. "There's nothing to reopen."

Thomas Kean, a former Republican governor of New Jersey who led the bipartisan probe of the Sept. 11 attacks, said the deal was a big mistake because of past connections between the 2001 hijackers and the UAE.

UAE Agrees to Delay Port Deal

2006-02-23T22:50:00.000-08:00

A United Arab Emirates company offered Thursday to delay part of its $6.8 billion takeover of most operations at six U.S. ports to give the Bush administration more time to convince skeptical lawmakers the deal poses no security risks.

The surprise announcement relieves some pressure from a standoff between President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress, which has threatened to block the deal because of the UAE's purported ties to terrorism.

Under the offer coordinated with the White House, Dubai Ports World said it will agree not to exercise control or influence the management over U.S. ports pending further talks with the Bush administration and Congress. It did not indicate how long it will wait for these discussions to take place.

Note to President: Do Not Lecture Us

2006-02-23T18:16:00.000-08:00

President Bush is close to risking a major disaster for his party. It does him no good to lecture the American people and to tell them not to worry about the port deal. He is playing the "race " card when he exclaims that he is surprised that Americans are critical of an ally like the UAE and yet were not critical of the British. Well, Mr. President if you don't understand that, then you really are out of touch. We as Americans have seen that we should worry. This deal should be dropped and dropped now for the very reason of national security.

Complete the Port Deal and They Will Love Us

2006-02-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - President Bush was unaware of the pending sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates until the deal already had been approved by his administration, the White House said Wednesday.

Defending the deal anew, the administration also said that it should have briefed Congress sooner about the transaction, which has triggered a major political backlash among both Republicans and Democrats.

Treasury Secretary John Snow said failure to complete the transaction would send the wrong message overseas.

"The implications of failing to approve this would be to tell the world that investments in the United States from certain parts of the world aren't welcome," Snow told reporters Wednesday following a speech in Connecticut to a fuel cell manufacturer. "That sends a terrible message."

A Killer Gets A Reprieve

2006-02-21T19:59:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO - The state on Tuesday postponed indefinitely the execution of a condemned killer amid a court battle over the state's method of lethal injection and the role doctors may play in the death chamber. Morales was condemned in 1983 for killing 17-year-old Terri Winchell, who was attacked with a hammer twenty three times, stabbed and left to die half-naked in a vineyard.

We are left with this absurd abuse of the eight amendment against cruel and unusual punishment by this killer and his attorney and the issue that this coward may feel some pain during the execution. This is disgusting and cries out for a quick resolution.

Did this animal think about the pain he was inflicting on this young girl? Have we as a society lost our moral compass?

Port Deal A Loser for Bush and American People

2006-02-21T15:06:00.000-08:00

Bush called reporters at about 2.30 ET aboard Air Force One to issue a very strong defense of port deal. He also said he would veto any legislation to hold up deal and warned the United States was sending 'mixed signals' by going after a company from the Middle East when nothing was said when a British company was in charge... Lawmakers, he said, must 'step up and explain why a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard.' Bush was very forceful when he delivered the statement... 'I don't view it as a political fight,' Bush said.

I am dumbfounded that the Bush administration would attempt to continue to defend the operations of some of our major American ports by the UAE. This is a no brainer in my mind. When there is any question regarding the security of our country, we should err on the side of caution. We cannot let oil dictate such an important issue as the security of our nations ports. This deal must be stopped and the veto overridden if Bush dares to veto any bill nixing this stupid deal.

Moron of the Week: Al Gore

2006-02-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

Lost in the press feeding frenzy of the Cheney shooting was the speech in Saudia Arabia by former Vice President Al Gore. Grabbing a lucrative speaking fee, Mr. Gore apologized to the Saudis for American transgressions after 9/11.

In part he said ..."that the U.S. government committed "terrible abuses" against Arabs after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that most Americans did not support such treatment". He further stated that.." Arabs had been "indiscriminately rounded up" and held in "unforgivable" conditions. The former vice president said the Bush administration was playing into al-Qaida's hands by routinely blocking Saudi visa applications."

Well, Mr. Gore, please apologize for yourself if you so choose but please don't be so arrogant as to apologize for the American people. If there are any apologies to be done, why don't you apologize for your pathetic behavior and pandering?

Please don't let the lack of facts stand in your way of making a buck. I mean after all you did invent the internet, didn't you? Do us a favor and go back to Tennessee and run for dog catcher.

Another Cowardly Act

2006-02-18T14:33:00.000-08:00

Eleven people were killed and an Italian consulate was burned in Libya on Friday night during protests to denounce the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.

There also was a "high number" of injuries, said an official with the Italian Embassy in Tripoli.

Cowardly Religious Thugs Offer $1 Million Bounty to Kill Cartoonist

2006-02-17T16:21:00.000-08:00

Mohammed Yousaf Qureshi, prayer leader at the historic Mohabat Khan mosque in the conservative northwestern city of Peshawar, announced the mosque and the Jamia Ashrafia religious school he leads would give a $25,000 reward and a car for killing the cartoonist who drew the prophet caricatures _ considered blasphemous by Muslims.

He also said a local jewelers' association would give $1 million but no representative of the association was available to confirm the offer.

"Whoever has done this despicable and shameful act, he has challenged the honor of Muslims. Whoever will kill this cursed man, he will get $1 million from the association of the jewelers bazaar, 1 million rupees ($16,700) from Masjid Mohabat Khan and 500,000 rupees ($8,350) and a car from Jamia Ashrafia as a reward," Qureshi told about 1,000 people outside the mosque after Friday prayers.

A Real Entrepreneur

2006-02-17T04:17:00.000-08:00

PENSACOLA, Fla. - A middle school gym teacher let children sit out his class if they paid him $1 a day, collecting perhaps thousands of dollars, officials said Thursday. Terence Braxton, 28, turned himself in on bribery charges and was released without bail.

This Just In: France Wakes Up

2006-02-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

France has for the first time explicitly accused Iran of using its nuclear programme as a cover for clandestine military nuclear activity.

Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told French TV no civilian programme could explain Iran's activity.

Iran says it resumed small-scale uranium enrichment work last week, after the UN nuclear watchdog reported it to the Security Council.

San Francisco Supervisor: We Don't Need Military

2006-02-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

A San Francisco Supervisor,Gerardo Sandoval,elected by the people of San Francisco held an interview last night in which he said the United States should not have a military. If there ever was a moron and an imbecile, then this guy is at the top.

Partial transcript:

ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: This is Alan in New York. Should we not have military?

SANDOVAL: I don't think we should have a military. Absolutely.

COLMES: We shouldn't have a military? Wait a minute. Hold on. The United States should not have a military?

SANDOVAL: What good has it done for us in the last five years? That's right. What good has it done us...

HANNITY: Good grief.

SANDOVAL: ... in the last five years.

COLMES: Gerardo, wait a second.

SANDOVAL: We think about the billions that we're spending in Iraq right now, if we spend it on schools. We should not...

COLMES: The United States should not have a military?

SANDOVAL: That's correct.

COLMES: Are you kidding me?

SANDOVAL: The United States should not have a military. All in all, we would be in much, much, much better shape.

COLMES: You've got to be kidding me. We should have no military, we should have no ability to defend ourselves, we should have no armed forces in this country?

SANDOVAL: Well, we shouldn't have a military that goes abroad and starts wars.

COLMES: You just said we shouldn't have a military. I don't want to give — I'm speaking out very forcefully to you, because I don't want to give the impression that Democrats hate the military or don't want a military. We may disagree with certain wars, like the ones fought now.

SANDOVAL: No, but you said should we give up.

COLMES: But to say that we shouldn't have a military is absolutely absurd. It's incredible. That's a ridiculous fringe point of view.

HANNITY: That's exactly what I was thinking, Alan. Welcome to San Francisco.

SANDOVAL: If you're saying that we don't have a right to defend ourselves that's different from we shouldn't have a military.

COLMES: What do you want to defend ourselves — what do you want to defend ourselves with?

SANDOVAL: Well, you got cops. It's called the Coast Guard. There's lots of things different.

Iran to World: Go to Hell

2006-02-14T20:57:00.000-08:00

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran on Tuesday resumed feeding uranium gas into centrifuges for nuclear-fuel enrichment after a break of 2-1/2 years, stoking a diplomatic showdown with the West which suspects Tehran secretly seeks to build atomic bombs.

Iran earlier on Tuesday announced it was deferring until next week talks on a Russian proposal to defuse the standoff, but gave no sign it was ready to stop purifying uranium on its own soil -- the key element in Moscow's plan.

Cheneys Got A Gun

2006-02-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Sometime in the near future.

Location: Oval Office

Aide: Mr. President, the Vice-President here to see you.

V.P Cheney: "Good morning Mr. President."

President: "Morning Dick. I heard about your weekend."

V.P.: "Yes sir. I bagged 6 quail."

President: "No, Dick, I meant about the shooting."

V.P.: "Oh, yes sir, I almost bagged an attorney."(chuckling)

President: "Now I know why they call you Dick, Dick."

V.P.: "Well, I think he will be ok. A few buckshot never hurt anyone."(more chuckling)

President: "Well Dick (emphasis on Dick), the only ones that are happy are the boys at the NRA".

Vice President: "I think I will be heading back to my secure bunker."

President: "Good idea Dick."

Moron of the Week: Jimmy Carter

2006-02-12T16:13:00.000-08:00

My moron of the week has to be that toothy incompetent ex-president Jimmy Carter. Instead of using decorum and statesmanship, Mr. Carter chose to use the funeral of Coretta Scott King to throw grenades at President Bush.

The last time I checked, Mr. Carter was one of the worst presidents that we have had. Remember double digit inflation and the Iranian hostages? Mr. Carter,you would be well advised to build houses instead of trying to tear down people that are much better than you.

Do We Want This Clown To Have A Bomb?

2006-02-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

Tehran (dpa) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday that the Palestinians and "other nations" will eventually remove Israel from the region.

Addressing a mass demonstration in Tehran - one of many organized throughout Iran to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the Islamic revolution - he once again questioned the Holocaust "fairy tale".

"We ask the West to remove what they created sixty years ago and if they do not listen to our recommendations, then the Palestinian nation and other nations will eventually do this for them," Ahmadinejad said in a ceremony marking the 27th anniversary of the Islamic revolution.

Chirac Bows to the Extremists

2006-02-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

French President Jacques Chirac has condemned as "overt provocation" decisions to reprint cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad.

As another French publication printed the cartoons, Mr Chirac said any subject matter that could hurt other people's convictions should be avoided.

But Denmark's PM said it was not for the government to censor the media.

Slavery Never Existed In The United States

2006-02-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

If the above statement was being taught or advocated by a professor in an American University, I wonder how long it would be before the professor were terminated? And yet Northwestern University is allowing a professor who says that the holocaust never happened to continue to use their web site to spread this anti-semitic poison.

The university president offers a weak condemnation of the professor instead of firing this degenerate. The president cites freedom of speech and tenure issues. However, this has nothing to do with freedom of speech or tenure. This has to do with a supposedly reputable university having the moral clarity and purpose to terminate a man that is so far out of the academic and human mainstream.

And where are the alumni, faculty , and students? There is supposedly a petition being circulated but that seems to be the extent of any protest.
-----

"A Northwestern University professor known for denying the Holocaust happened has publicly sided with Iran's hard-line president, who has been on a campaign against Israel. Engineering professor Arthur Butz said Friday that he agrees with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks calling the Holocaust a "myth." Butz said his comments supporting the president recently were published by the English-language Tehran Times and Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency.Butz, a tenured professor whose views have been known in the United States for years, is being promoted by Iranian news sources as one of the world scholars who support Ahmadinejad's views on the Holocaust. "I congratulate him on becoming the first head of state to speak out clearly on these issues and regret only that it was not a Western head of state," Butz said in a Mehr news report. He posted the same comments on his Northwestern-provided Web site."

Petty Politicians, Partisan Politics, and Lack of Class

2006-02-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

The funeral for Coretta Scott King yesterday illustrates the pettiness and lack of class by some ex-politicans and black leaders.

The most petty of them all was the former incompetent President Jimmy Carter who wouldn't know the truth if it hit him in his fish mouth. It is sad to see someone as pathetic as Carter attempt to impugn George Bush's character. Carter in part said the following:

"Former President Jimmy Carter later swung at Bush as well, not once but twice. As he talked about the Kings, he said: "It was difficult for them then personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretaps." The crowd cheered as Bush, under fire for a secret wiretapping program he ordered after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, again smiled weakly. Later, Carter said Hurricane Katrina showed that all are not yet equal in America."

This while there is not one scintilla of evidence that the lack of Katrina response was racially motivated.

The Dirty Truth

2006-02-08T16:24:00.000-08:00

It is not widely known that the Danish cartoons were published in September, 2005. They were recently distributed by cleric thugs throughout Syria and Iran to foment violence.

Now these same thugs and zealots are going to hold a Holocaust cartoon contest in Iran. According to these miscreants, they are holding "... the competition to test whether the West extends the principle of freedom of expression to the Nazi genocide as it did to the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. " These are the same thugs that condemned freedom of the press with the Danish cartoons and now are advocating freedom of expression.

Birds Of A Feather...

2006-02-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accepted an invitation to visit Cuba from President Fidel Castro , in gratitude for Cuba's support of Iran's nuclear program, the official Granma newspaper said on Tuesday.

Ahmadinejad accepted the invitation in Tehran from Cuban Ambassador Felipe Perez Roque. During his visit, the Iranian leader will attend the September 11-16 Non-Aligned Summit in Havana, the daily said. On Saturday in Vienna, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria voted against a resolution of the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran to the UN Security Council over a nuclear program the West suspects is weapons-oriented.

A Picture Tells A Thousand Words

2006-02-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

Muslim Protests Over Danish Cartoons

Moron of the Week: Robert Jensen

2006-02-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

My Moron of the Week award goes to Robert Jensen, a professor at the University of Texas. I watched an interview last night with him in which he stated that the United States is a terrorist state. This from a professor that is supposedly teaching classes at this university. He did not say in his opinion but stated it as fact that the United States is a terrorist country.

I am not aware of any world organization that has the United States listed as a terrorist organization. How morons like this can be in responsible positions is beyond me.

Bond Comments On GOP

2006-02-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

Julian Bond, head of the "nonpartisan" NAACP delivered a speech at Fayettville State University on Thursday in which he stated in part that "The Republican Party would have the American flag and the swastika flying side by side...". He also characterized Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell as tokens.

I guess the fact that the Bush administration has appointed more minorities to positions of authority than any other presidential administration is an example of tokenism. Mr. Bond seems stuck in the 60s with his rhetoric and attitude.

His swaztika comments are totally out of the sphere of acceptable discourse and have no place in political discourse. If the NAACP had any guts, they would censure Mr. Bond for his denigrating and outrageous comments.

CNN Censorship

2006-02-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Outrage over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad erupted in a swell of protests across the Muslim world Friday, with demonstrators demanding revenge against Denmark and death for those they accuse of defaming Islam's holiest figure.

In Iraq, the leading Shiite cleric denounced the drawings first published in a Danish newspaper in September, one of which depicted the prophet wearing a turban shaped as a bomb. But the cleric also suggested militant Muslims were partly to blame for distorting the image of Islam.

CNN has now resorted to censorship in its broadcasts regarding current stories as the above. If you watched any CNN news today regarding the Muslim protests over the cartoons and cariactures of Muhammed, you would have seen that CNN pixillated the cariacture of Muhammed. What an unbelievable action by a network that supposedly prides itself on its news department.

CNN has essentially acceded to the Muslim demands and become the western arm of Al Jazeera. If the newspapers and news organizations were to censor everything that offended someone's personal, moral, or religious sensibility, we would be left to live in a country like Iran. For CNN to give into these religious zealots and fanatics demonstrates how low they have gone.

A Tragedy That Calls Out For Closure

2006-02-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

A twenty-seven year old mother and her nine month old baby were laid to rest yesterday. They had been murdered in the Massachusssets town of Hopkinton on Jan. 22. Both had been shot to death. Over five-hundred mourners grieved as mother and baby were laid to rest in the same casket.

This story is tragic enough but becomes even more so when it was learned that the husband and father had left for Britain around the time of the murders. Born in Britain, Neil Entwistle, remains there. He chose not to attned the funeral and say farewell to his wife and child?

What kind of human being would not attend the funeral? I had the misfortune to hear a defense attoreny on CNN last night speculate that he was probably grieving. What???

Neil Entwistle is being listed by the police as a person of interest in the investigation. Whatever the outcome, we do know that he does not deserve to be called human.

Whoever murdered his wife and child,the question to be asked is what kind of animal would choose to murder an innocent baby? I pray that the murderer will be apprehended soon and get what he deserves. We do know that the mother and baby are together forever.

President Soft On Some Issues

2006-02-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

President Bush's State of the Union address last night was soft in my opinion on certain issues that need more attention.

Regarding the recent elections in the mideast and the victory by Hamas, there was one sentence in the speech:"The Palestinian people have voted in elections - now the leaders of Hamas must recognize Israel, disarm, reject terrorism, and work for lasting peace." I don't think that is enough and I would have hoped that he would have been more direct and forceful.

Regarding Iran, he did discuss the current situation but here again I think he should have been more forceful. We cannot leave any ambiguity with the maniacs that are running Iran.

The last issue was immigration. Although he did call for more border protection, I believe that the President is very soft on illegal immigration. We must gain control of our borders and stop this ridiculous politcal correctness toward illegal immigration.

Unbelievable Cruelty

2006-01-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

I almost cannot post this but hopefully there will be others that will sickened as I and will attempt to put pressure on those that commit these horrible acts. As an animal lover and the owner of a Cocker Spaniel, I cannot fathom those who would kill a dog for food. It is difficult to put into words my revulsion at these acts.

PARIS (AFP) - "France's Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) appealed to Chinese President Hu Jintao to put an end to the cruel slaughter of dogs, which it blasted as an affront. The SPA does not set itself up as a judge of a country and its culture, but is asking for animals to be killed in a dignified way," the SPA said.

"Millions of dogs (in China) are hanged, beaten with sticks and butchered while they are still alive," it said in a press release.

The organisation added that it had tried to get French media to accept an advertisement as part of its campaign against dog butchering, but the picture -- of an animal being cut to pieces in a pool of blood -- was so graphic that it had been rejected by every newspaper.

The upcoming Chinese New Year on Sunday ushers in the Year of the Dog. Up to 10 million dogs are slaughtered every year in China, many killed slowly and cruelly to supposedly enhance the meat's flavour, according to animal rights groups."