US Interest in Central Asia Focuses on Dirkadirkastan Kazakhstan

(CNSNews.com) – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s visit to former Soviet states in Central Asia has focused fresh attention on Dirkadirkastan Kazakhstan, where Washington’s stated policy of balancing strategic interests and promoting democracy will be tested in the months ahead... More details.

On the frontiers of junk science...

The European Union and the UN International Telecommunications Union are again trying to wrest governance of the Internet from the United States, ITU head Yoshio Utsumi recently revealed. The U.S. response was swift: "We will not agree to the United Nations taking over management of the Internet," said State Department official David Gross. (Al Gore, progenitor of the Internet, was unavailable for comment.)

The EU-niks say they're proposing a new "cooperative model" management of the Internet and the way domain names are assigned. One of the primary reasons for such a takeover, says EU spokesman David Hendon, is that many countries "just cannot accept that the Americans have control of the Internet in their countries."

We might reply that we "just cannot accept" that Libya, Sudan and Iran were allowed seats on the UN Human Rights Commission, or that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's family personally profited from Saddam's Oil-for-food debacle, or that UN troops in the Congo are fond of raping and pillaging. The UN's dubious commitment to assure continued freedom of speech and commerce on the Internet, taken in combination with national security threats posed by cyber-terrorism, leave no doubt but that the U.S. must retain control.

From The Federalist Pat.

CHANCELLOR MERKEL

Now that Gerhard Schröder has agreed to step down (he blasted Bush and Blair in the process) and conservative Angela Merkel of the Christian Democrats takes over as chancellor, we can only hope that Germany will get its act together. The hope, of course, is that Merkel would be a reformer, and tackle labor interests and take on Germany's top heavy welfare program.

The unfortunate reality of it is she felt cornered into reaching an agreement with the Social Democrats, the party of departing Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, because of her narrow victory, and the poor showing in general, of her Christian Democratic party.

The result of this is, she will be constrained as the Christian Democratic leader of a Social Democratic government because of this agreement with the opposition. We can still hope. At any rate, I do believe our diplomatic relationship with Germany will improve.

What is good for the goose?

Chicago is considering a proposal to trim fatty goose and duck livers from restaurant menus, with the City Council's public-health committee considering the outlawing of foie gras. This proposal didn't arise out of concerns for the health of the public, but the health of the goose. "Our culture does not condone the torture of innocent and defenseless creatures, and we as a society believe all God's creatures should be treated humanely," said Alderman Joe Moore, addressing the committee. Holly Cheever, a veterinarian who spoke at the Chicago hearing, said she thought the city should "take a stand against such outrageous and heinous cruelty" by banning the sale of foie gras. "Even in the worst cases," Ms. Cheever said, referring to treatment of other animals for food production, "nothing touches this in terms of the cruelty involved."

From: The Federalist

Pollyanna, Pollyanna ! Where's Pollyanna ?

"We are all members of one human family that has inherited a planet rich in resources. We each have an equal claim to its land, minerals and raw materials. ... To assure equitable benefits every individual and institution should seek to balance rights and responsibilities. The long-term goal must be to restructure social institutions so that there is equitable return for services, efficient balance of supply and demand, and fair benefits from our mutual claims to Earth's natural bounty. One possible way to equitable benefits is for those who own land, oil, gold or other minerals to pay a 2 percent royalty each year on their income from these resources to a fund that will then provide the homeless their inheritance or stake in their planet. All will then join in responsible care of Earth."

---Earth Magna Charta by John McConnell, founder of the equinox version of Earth Day

Who Knew?

Who knew there were SUV's back then?

University of Oregon scientists say prehistoric global warming may have saved the Earth from greenhouse sterilization.

The global warming from massive atmospheric pollution involving carbon dioxide and methane might have caused "mass kills" of wildlife, according to the study to be presented during the Geological Society of America's annual meeting Oct. 16-19 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The research by Gregory Retallack, professor of geologic sciences, involved a worldwide compilation of thousands of exceptionally well preserved fossils of various life forms believed to have been preserved in environments unusually low in oxygen, highly saline, very cold or extremely dry.

What was not suspected until the new compilation was the global distribution of other fossil deposits of the same ages.

"Lowered levels of oxygen can kill fish and other creatures in marginally aerated environments, and also preserve their carcasses from dismemberment and decay," said Retallack. He said data from carbon anomalies and microscopic leaf pores indicate some "killer greenhouses" produced intolerable levels of more than 10 times the modern level of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

He said the widespread death and burial of animals and their carbon created fossil bonanzas and may have saved the planet from heat sterilization.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International

Another reason to hate France

The American Thinker

Running low on reasons to hate France? Here’s another one: Rwanda. I’m not talking about the blame poured on the U.N. and the West in general for negligence; I’m talking about France actually helping commit genocide.

France not only trained and armed the Hutu genocidaires in advance of the genocide, it armed them, gave them safe harbor, refused safe harbor to Tutsis, and sent its own troops into Rwanda to defend the Hutus during the genocide of the Tutsis. Article.

U.S., Syria border clashes reported

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- The Bush administration is reportedly considering incursions into Syria as it tries to stem the flow of arms and fighters for the Iraqi insurgency. More details.

From Tammy Bruce:

........ But another kicker for me is the nature of the president's rhetoric lately. Right after September 11, it was "you're either with us or with the terrorists." Well, we know Syria is with the terrorists, but not only does that not matter, President Bush has managed to morph from Jimmy Carter, to Sally Field and now he seems to be channeling Mr. Rogers. He asks Syria, one of the most oppressive and murderous regimes on Earth, to "be a good neighbor"!!!

From wanting terrorists "dead or alive" to asking them to be "good neighbors," is a striking shift in attitude. I don't know if we're seeing the real GWB or if he has been in DC long enough where he has slumped into being a typical politician.

I'm afraid either way, if our new national security policy in dealing with terrorist nations is to ask them nicely to be good neighbors, we're in a lot of trouble.

Where, oh where, has my Cowboy gone?

HOUSE OF WORSHIP

BY THEODORE DALRYMPLE

A scientist blames America's problems on religion. Go read his article.

Speaking with President Bush

The media has been blasting GW's interview with some of our military personnel in Iraq and calling it a staged event. One of those who were selected to be part of the group to be interviewed is a little "p---ed off " about the medias characterization of the event.

He blogged:

Yesterday, I was chosen to be among a small group of soldiers assigned to the 42ID's Task Force Liberty that would speak to President Bush, our Commander-in-Chief. The interview went well, but I would like to respond to what most of the mass-media has dubbed as, "A Staged Event."

First of all, we were told that we would be speaking with the President of the United States, our Commander-in-Chief, President Bush, so I believe that it would have been totally irresponsible for us NOT to prepare some ideas, facts or comments that we wanted to share with the President.

We were given an idea as to what topics he may discuss with us, but it's the President of the United States; He will choose which way his conversation with us may go.

We practiced passing the microphone around to one another, so we wouldn't choke someone on live TV. We had an idea as to who we thought should answer what types of questions, unless President Bush called on one of us specifically.

You can read his entire post here.

This is laughable because the medias whole modus operandi in news reporting is staged, as is the case here.


Reporter Michelle Kosinski and her choreographers were caught staging this live report. She was talking about the devastating flood waters in Wayne, NJ and was in a canoe, when unexpectedly two men walked by in front of her; they were only ankle deep in water as they waded past.

I gotta tell ya folks, my disdain for the media grows daily - exponentially. I don't watch televison news anymore; and I haven't for quite some time now. I -- just -- can't -- do -- it.

SOCIALIZED MEDICINE -THE HOLY GRAIL?

£150 million spent, but NHS still fails cancer patients in Scotland

DELAYS in treatment for patients with two of Scotland's deadliest cancers are getting worse despite millions of pounds of new Executive spending, it was revealed yesterday. Full story.

"[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them."

--- Candidus

"The Bush tax cuts have been good for all Americans and low unemployment reflects that truth."

"Indeed, all policy efforts to reduce gaps between races and sexes have failed from Presidents Johnson to Clinton, hile politicos and economists pontificate endlessly about what do to reduce said gaps. Now, conservative commentator and economic analyst Jerry Bowyer argues that the way to reduce those black/white gaps was to, well, elect and re-elect George W. Bush. As Bowyer points out, 'The current black unemployment rate is at its lowest point since the recession year of 2001. Black unemployment is also lower than the average for the Clinton years. It is lower than the average of the past 15 years. It's also considerably lower than the 30-year average, which is about as far back as this particular statistic goes.' "

From: The FedPat

Regarding the redistribution of your income...

"Settlement money from the historic 1990s tobacco lawsuit isn't exactly being used for its intended purpose—tobacco-prevention and cessation programs. Tobacco companies were extorted out of $246 billion over 25 years to be divided among the states and DC for these helpful little programs. However, in the last five years, only five percent of the $41 billion received thus far has been spent on fighting the 'epidemic.' Some of the more outrageous expenditures include Michigan's providing $2,500 scholarships for college students; North Dakota's spending on water resources and flood-control projects; and New York's buying golf carts and an irrigation and sprinkler system for a public golf course in Niagara County. The 'redistribution' award, however, goes to North Carolina for giving 75 percent of its settlement money to tobacco growers."

Source:FederalPat
(Emphasis mine - H.H.)

It appears the tobacco settlement was, as many suspected, a scam; just another way to line the pockets of trial lawyers; and another way for states to waist money on to raise money for various social programs that we cannot live without.

Homeland Security News

A bill to create a federal border militia is being sponsored by several Congressmen from border-area states. This bill is, due in part, in response to the efforts of the Minutemen. The Minutemen, by the way, recently arrived at the Texas border.

No surprise to HeavyHanded, Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar wants them out.

In this bill, members of the federal miltia would be sworn officers, with law enforcement experience, and acting under the supervision of local authorities. According to Cuellar, each state would decide, on their own, the federal militia's duties and their deployment, and whether they should arm them.

This bill would also require the federal miltia to be residents of their jurisdictions. Cuellar sees the Minutemen as not only agitators, but outsiders. The bill provides for a sizeable paltry $100 million over several years to allow for the hiring, neutering training and the equipping of the officers.

It does not look like the politicians are taking the border issue all that seriously.

Iranian militants in power stir fears

By Bill Gertz

The rise of militants to power positions in Iran is raising new worries about Iranian military forces' deploying new weapons that threaten oil supplies or future long-range nuclear or chemical missile strikes. More.

Frist to take on border bill first

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said yesterday that the Senate will tackle border security and interior immigration enforcement before turning to the broader question of immigration reforms and a guest-worker program

Greatest Movie Line Ever?

(This post rolled up.)

Well, some might disagree, but it's got to be right up there at the top. Short clip.

From DEBKAfile: The terrorist assault on Nalchik - the most extensive terrorist assault ever carried out on a whole city – was not the last. So far, 80 deaths are officially reported

October 13, 2005

Putin gave shoot to kill orders and had the town sealed off Thursday afternoon, Oct. 13, hours after some 300 terrorists swept through the capital of the Caucasian Muslim republic of Kabardino-Balkaria bordering on Chechnya and mounted simultaneous raids on 3 police headquarters, federal military bases, a gun store and the regional airport. The police HQ caught fire, another police building was besieged and hostages were taken.
More...

Freedom on Display .....

...........From the country that the American left likes to hold up as an example that we should emulate.........

Privately grown produce seized by police
The National Revolutionary Police carried out early morning raids last week at the Egido market in Old Havana, seizing three truckloads of fruits and vegetables grown by private farmers. More.

US fears full-blown terror threat
The United States is worried the violence in Thailand's deep South could develop into full-scale international terrorism if not tackled quickly, said US ambassador Ralph Boyce. Mr Boyce voiced Washington's concern during an unscheduled meeting with Justice Minister Chidchai Wanasathit at Government House yesterday.

Bush Immigration Agenda Likely Not to Fly

With an energy bill in place - however flawed - and hearings to come fairly soon for his second Supreme Court nominee, President Bush may be about ready to turn to his next top priority: reforming immigration law.

By Tom Elias
Freelancenews.com

Of course, the president’s idea of reform may not mesh with those of many other interest groups, even though he’s trying to please almost all of them at once.

The Bush immigration proposal calls for combining toughened border enforcement with a program of legal “guest workers” who would go home after a set period of years. One idea his aides have floated would legalize undocumented immigrants already here at least for some period of time.

It’s a package that pleases almost no one, from the Minutemen volunteers who patrolled parts of the Arizona and California borders with Mexico this spring and summer to immigration advocates who want amnesty and full citizenship made available to illegal immigrants already in this country. More.

More Palestinians killed in internal strife this year

For the first time since intifada began, more deaths were reported from inner clashes than in fighting with Israel.

FM: Syrians feel 'noose tightening' over UN report

UN to report on Hariri killing; security sources: The murder imperils Assad; top Syrian official kills himself.

The Finest Court in the Nation ?

Hooray for Michigan justice.

BY PATRICK J. WRIGHT

MIDLAND, Mich.--Among the people recently mentioned as potential U.S. Supreme Court nominees, Maura Corrigan and Robert Young were relatively unknown. But both are noteworthy representatives of what may be the finest court in the nation.

LOOKING IN A MIRROR....SEEING FOOT.....

IN MOUTH......

"Sometimes the people who talk the most know the least." ---Howard Dean

"The Constitution's framers intended to restrict central authority to the few areas that could not be handled by states. The drafters would be horrified at how the present court misapplies what they designed." —Doug Bandow

"Democrat leaders jumped on DeLay in ways meant to advertise their own 'virtue.' House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi...said DeLay represents a 'culture of corruption' and hopes a 'level of shame would set in on the Republicans.' I'm glad Pelosi has reintroduced the words 'corruption' and 'shame' to the political vocabulary, for who would know more about those subjects than the Democrats, who shamelessly defended the corruption of the last Democrat president, William Jefferson Clinton."

---Cal Thomas

BORKISM....

"I think this idea that it's important to have a woman's perspective, or something of that sort, begins to treat the Supreme Court like a legislature, in which...all groups have to be represented in some way. And that's exactly the wrong message to send. The court is not supposed to be a legislature. It's been a legislature for too much of our history."

---Robert Bork

D.C. government employees reward themselves

By Jim McElhatton
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The D.C. government employees tasked with providing care to the city's poor have taken home nearly half of the more than $1 million in bonus money awarded by the District during the first half of fiscal 2005.

Nearly 400 employees in the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) received approximately $479,000 in extra money in their paychecks from Oct. 1, 2004, to March 31, 2005, according to D.C. Office of Personnel records.

Citywide, the D.C. government awarded 565 bonus payments for $1.06 million.
D.C. City Council member Adrian M. Fenty, chairman of the council's Committee on Human Services, which oversees the Department of Human Services, yesterday said he's going to conduct an inquiry of the department's bonuses.

"The Department of Human Services is not one of our better-running agencies right now," said Mr. Fenty, Ward 4 Democrat and mayoral candidate. "We're going to do a full scrubbing of this."

More.

Iraq amends charter to draw Sunnis
The Iraqi National Assembly yesterday approved last-minute changes to the draft constitution in an attempt to attract Sunni support before Saturday's nationwide referendum on the charter.

Blair's own watchdog tells him to rethink anti-terror law

SWEEPING proposals to allow police to detain terror suspects without charge risk infringing human rights and could be struck down as illegal, a government-appointed watchdog warned yesterday.

"The immigration issue has nothing to do with race, ethnicity, religion, or country of origin insofar as I am concerned. Rather, it is a simple question of numbers, costs and perhaps most importantly, social and cultural cohesion."

---Rep. Tom Tancredo

"When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law."

--- Frederic Bastiat

"The more laws, the less justice." --- Marcus Tullius Cicero

"The more laws, the less liberty." --- HeavyHanded

"A legislative act contrary to the Constitution is not law."
--- Justice John Marshall

"It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." --- David Hume

Conservative Group Urges Bush to Withdraw Miers Nomination
(CNSNews.com) – A conservative legal group says it is withholding its support of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers and called on the president to withdraw the nomination...

Syrian Interior Minister Commits ‘Suicide’ Ahead of UN Report
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) – Syria’s interior minister committed suicide in his office on Wednesday, just weeks before the release of a U.N. that may implicate Syria in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri...

Fannie Mae Scandal Grows and Networks Do Nothing
Network news is still missing a financial scandal that is exponentially larger than Enron. Fannie Mae’s $10.8 billion accounting debacle that has helped slice $30 billion in value from the company grew worse on September 29 when The Wall Street Journal reported investigators had “found new accounting violations, including evidence that the company may have overvalued assets, underreported credit losses and misused tax credits…” Despite this, ABC, CBS and NBC still talked about past events at Enron more than current events at Fannie Mae.

Media Won’t Rest until Taxes Are Raised
We’re fighting terrorists. We’re rebuilding the Gulf Coast. “Can we do all this without tax increases?” is the media refrain. In post-Katrina tax coverage, 59 percent of network news stories suggested raising taxes. They turned to everyone from Bill Clinton to the man on the street make the case.

The Lie of the Day

"No honorable person can deny the contribution of Islam to humanity and its development."

---Mahmoud Al-Zahar, Hamas leader, 2nd in command only to overall Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, in an interview with WND.

FEEL THE LOVE

Al-Qaida wants to 'spread the love' in GazaGlobal jihad group distributes leaflets calling for Muslim unity

JERUSALEM – Muslim groups worldwide should unite and show each other love so the infidels can be conquered and Islamic law can be enforced on all of humanity, said a pamphlet reportedly signed by al-Qaida and distributed in Gaza.
The leaflets were the latest sign the global jihad group managed to infiltrate the Gaza Strip while the border with Egypt was open after Israel's withdrawal from the area last month. More.

What's Wrong with Conservatives?

Joseph Farah writes:

"I've been challenging "conservatives" to look in the mirror to understand why they keep losing ground.

It's not that conservatives are bad people. In fact, they may be too kind for their own good and the good of the country – too accommodating, too tolerant, too patient, too forgiving, too busy.

It's not the heart of conservatives that is in the wrong place. It's a fundamental problem with tactics.

I think conservatives might actually be ready to reinvent themselves and their movement.

That will be an absolute requirement for effectiveness in the future.

What's wrong with "conservatives"?

Think about it. What are they trying to do? "Conserve." They are fighting a strictly defensive battle with their political and cultural opponents – trying only to hold on to some of their values and political accomplishments of the past.

When have you ever seen a war won that was fought strictly on defense?

What are the objectives and goals of the conservative movement?

It would appear they are limited to holding back the onslaught of socialism and tyranny, slowing down the trends, placing their fingers in the dikes that are close to bursting and washing them away.

When have "conservatives" ever won a meaningful, long-term struggle in the history of mankind? Never.

Only those who have clear goals and objectives have any hope of realizing their dreams.

Stopping the other side is not a goal. Slowing the loss of freedom is not an objective.

We need goals like our Founding Fathers had:
1.building a shining city on a hill that would be a light to all nations;
2.expanding freedom;
3.empowering individuals, communities and states to govern themselves;
4.breaking the bands that tie us to the old world and the old way of doing things;
5.striving for independence and sovereignty;
6.living in peace and in obedience to our Creator.

The Founders were not "conservatives." They did something no other people in the history of the world had done – threw off the shackles of foreign despotism and put those shackles right on their own new government to ensure liberty would triumph.

There are lessons in what the Founders achieved that are relevant to us today. I would suggest you consider Americans today are under a yoke of oppression from Washington that rivals anything the colonials experienced in the 18th century.

The question is: Are conservatives ready to get radical?"

The Left Has a Lock on Journalism

Tuesday's column by the [NY] Times' libertarian-leaning columnist John Tierney comes with the usual Times' head-scratcher of a headline, "Where Cronies Dwell." But the text box gets to the point: "The left has a lock on journalism and law schools."

From behind the TimesSelect paid-content firewall, Tierney writes that while he thinks journalists do try not to impose their personal prejudices on their stories, the real bias resides in what sort of stories they aren't writing. "Journalists naturally tend to pursue questions that interest them. So when you have a press corps that's heavily Democratic -- more than 80 percent, according to some surveys of Washington journalists -- they tend to do stories that reflect Democrats' interests. When they see a problem, their instinct is to ask what the government can do to solve it."

Later Tierney notes: "A lot of young conservatives and libertarians have simply given up on the traditional media, either as a source of news or as a place to work. Instead, they post on conservative blogs and start careers at magazines like The Weekly Standard and Reason, knowing these credentials will hurt their chances of becoming reporters for 'mainstream' publications -- whereas a job at The New Republic or The Washington Monthly wouldn't be a disqualifying credential."

(An MRC study from 1989 showed how that liberal trend continues once reporters actually gain media positions: "News reporters overwhelmingly prefer contributing to liberal opinion journals, writing 315 articles in the last 42 months, compared to 22 in conservative ones.")

Source: TimesWatch

A more honest assessment than you normally get from the left on this subject. Many want to (cough, cough) deny there is any bias in the media.

"The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government. But the Constitution, which at any time exists, 'till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People is sacredly obligatory upon all."

---George Washington

Janice Rogers Brown Would Be Better, Group Says(CNSNews.com) - Concerned Women for America, a conservative public policy group, says it cannot endorse Harriet Miers’ Supreme Court nomination at this time, even though the group expressed “cautious optimism” when President Bush nominated her last week. CWA said Judge Janice Rogers Brown is “notably more qualified” than Harriet Miers to sit on the Supreme Court...

Health Officials Paint Grim Picture Regarding Flu Pandemic(CNSNews.com) – U.S. and U.N. health leaders on a fact-finding visit to Southeast Asia have given ominous warnings about the likelihood of a global human influenza pandemic triggered by bird flu. Even the wealthiest countries are ill prepared, according to their grim assessments...

FBI Denies University Bomber Tied to Terrorism(CNSNews.com) – The head of the FBI investigation of a suicide bombing at an Oklahoma University football game said the investigation has yielded no information tying the bomber to terrorist activities, despite Internet reports to the contrary...

Forest Service, bowing to court, embraces Scrooge
A federal court ruling in favor of environmentalists is forcing the Forest Service to suspend more than 1,500 permits for activities ranging from fire prevention to Boy Scout meetings and also is threatening to delay cutting of the Capitol's Christmas tree...

Kilgore vows to thwart illegals
Jerry W. Kilgore said yesterday that he would use state troopers to enforce laws against illegal aliens in Arlington County or any other locality that fails to do so, if he is elected governor.

Merkel pays price to lead Germany
Conservative leader Angela Merkel was assured of becoming the country's first female leader yesterday when Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder bowed out during power-sharing talks that ended weeks of gridlock.

Powerline commenting on Arlen Specters' implication that the constitution may be too complicated for Harriet Miers when he said, "When you deal in constitutional law, you're dealing in some very esoteric, complicated subjects that require a great deal of background," Specter said. "The jurisprudence is very complicated, and I will be pressing her very hard on these issues."

"Yes, it's very complicated to explain why the Constitutional right of "privacy," which the document never mentions, means that states can't prohibit abortion, which the document also never mentions--except, of course, during the first three months of pregnancy--but only starting in 1973, after Supreme Court justices, legislators, and pretty much everyone else failed to notice anything about abortion in the Constitution for around 180 years. Yes, that's esoteric and complicated, all right."

Kinda' Surprising ..............

Justice Thomas is often accused as being a puppet of Justice Scalia, but this chart shows Thomas and Scalia were in full agreement in 68% of cases in the 2004-05 term

The two justices who most often agreed fully were William Rehnquist and Anthony Kennedy; they did so 77% of the time.

Souter and Ginsburg agreed fully 71% of the time.

ON MIERS

This fairly sums up my thoughts on the Meirs selection:

"The very fact that Harriet Miers is a member of an evangelical church suggests that she is not dying to be accepted by the beautiful people, and is unlikely to sell out the Constitution of the United States in order to be the toast of Georgetown cocktail parties or praised in The New York Times. Considering some of the turkeys that Republicans have put on the Supreme Court in the past, she could be a big improvement. We don't know. But President Bush says he has known Harriet Miers long enough that he feels sure. For the rest of us, she is a stealth nominee. Not since The Invisible Man has there been so much stealth. That's not ideal by a long shot. But ideal was probably never in the cards, given the weak sisters among the Republicans' Senate 'majority.'... The bottom line with any Supreme Court justice is how they vote on the issues before the High Court. It would be nice to have someone with ringing rhetoric and dazzling intellectual firepower. But the bottom line is how they vote. If the President is right about Harriet Miers, she may be the best choice he could make under the circumstances."

--—Thomas Sowell

"Two decades of research produced a consensus among social scientists of both left and right that family structure has a serious impact on children, even when controlling for income, race, and other variables. In other words, we are not talking about a problem of race but about a problem of family formation or, rather, the lack of it. The best outcomes for children—whether in academic performance, avoidance of crime and drugs, or financial and economic success—are almost invariably produced by married biological parents. The worst results are by never-married women... The upshot of these studies is that America is confronted by a form of poverty that money alone can't cure. Many of us think social breakdown is a result of racism and poverty. Yes, they are factors, but study after study shows that alterations in norms and values are at the heart of economic and behavioral troubles. That's why so much research boils down to the old rule: If you want to avoid poverty, finish high school, don't have kids in your teens, and get married."

---John Leo

"[J]udges...should be always men of learning and experience in the laws, of exemplary morals, great patience, calmness, coolness, and attention. Their minds should not be distracted with jarring interests; they should not be dependent upon any man, or body of men."

---John Adams

MS 13 Plans to Kill American Police Officers on 10/30

"Federal agents believe they've intercepted intelligence from the notorious Mara Salvatruchas gang who seem to be planning to assassinate federal and local police in the coming days."

10/8/2005
KGBT 4 TV

"They have forwarded a safety memo to area authorities.

In the intelligence bulletin obtained by Action 4 News, a confidential informant in Virginia claims the Mara Salvatruchas have designated October 30 as "Kill A Law Enforcement Officer Day".

The memo cites the informant as someone who's provided reliable information in the past.

Reliable or not, Valley police aren't taking chances. In Hidalgo, chief Vernon Rosser believes everyone has their guard up." Full details.

EU's KISSIN' COUSIN

It's called the "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America," and the plan will effectively erase the borders with Canada and Mexico.

Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America
Bill Daniels Activity Center, Baylor University
Waco, Texas
March 23, 2005

President George W. Bush walks with Mexico President Vicente Fox, left, and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin upon their arrival Wednesday, March 23, 2005, at the Bill Daniels Activity Center at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. [White House photo by Eric Draper.]

Why aren't we hearing about this? Where's the outrage?

On March, 23, 2005, President Bush, Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin met at the Bush’s Crawford ranch and in Waco, Texas, to reaffirm their commitment to a "common security perimeter" encompassing the three nations. The plan is intended to open the borders, facilitating the free flow of trade commodities while lifting the restrictions on immigration that inhibit workers from enjoying gainful employment throughout North America. Called the "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America," the plan will effectively erase the borders with Canada and Mexico.

The agreement is going forward on the fast track and is scheduled to be implemented by 2010." More details.

According to a report in the World Peace Herald, "In Mexico, attention is fixed on different questions about the partnership -- which Mexican officials refer to as the Security, Prosperity and Quality of Life Partnership.

'Why has the initiative not included funding provisions for reducing the economic gap between Mexico and the United States and Canada?' asked a Mexican reporter of Chertoff and Gutierrez." (Emphasis mine -HH)

Is this agreement really in our best interests? The EU does have some rationality behind it. Many are small countries lacking resources, armies, etc. and see a union of sorts to their benefit economically and from a security standpoint. If only they could work it so that each country's sovereignty remains intact, there's some legitimate logic behind the idea.

In this kind of arrangement, for the U.S., what is our derived benefit? In large part, all three countries are pushing the idea of security, border control, etc. as a key component to the agreement ... certainly a selling point to the American people.

But are we just merely being held hostage by the other two countries - 'We will do nothing to help with border security unless you "sell your soul"?

-MORE LINKS-

1.Canadian Announcement:
Prime Minister of Canada: Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America Established

2. White House Announcement:
Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America Prosperity Agenda

3. Mexico's Announcement:
Joint Statement by Bush, Fox, and Martin

4. U.S Department of Homeland Security
Press Releases
Fact Sheet: Security and Prosperity Partnership

5. Building a North American Community, the Selling of America
Commentary
By Deanna Spingola

6.CFR's Plan to Integrate the U.S., Mexico and Canada
By Phyllis Schlafly

"The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has just let the cat out of the bag about what is really behind our trade agreements and security partnerships with the other North American countries. A 59-page CFR document spells out a five-year plan for the 'esand security community' with a common 'outer security perimeter.... [ie] wide-open U.S. borders between the U.S., Mexico and Canada."

7. Beware the Secret Heart of the EU

"This consequence of past treaties, and now the discredited EU constitution, are clear. Strip away the thousands of words and the real purpose of the constitution is obvious. The EU would no longer be the servant of the member states. It would have become their master. Every previous treaty was a small step along that road.

Europe has a long history of failed attempts to unite it. Each has ended in disaster of one kind or another. Each has produced some form of political or military ruination – sometimes both."

(HeavyHanded wonders if this is the direction we want to take.)

8. Treasonous agenda of the Council on Foreign Relations
By Devvy Kidd
WorldNetDaily