Commentary: A vote for Patty Wetterling can hurt children

By Dennis Prager

"I do not live in Minnesota.

Nor have I ever written a column about any congressional race.

But what Patty Wetterling, Democratic congressional candidate in Minnesota's sixth district, just did is so wrong, so dishonest, so low even for the generally negative tone of political advertising, and so injurious to children, that I am breaking a lifelong silence on congressional races to beg Democrats and others in her district not to vote for her.

This is not motivated by partisanship; I would even prefer a candidate to the left of her. Vote for the Green candidate if there is one; write in someone to the left of her. But to vote for Patty Wetterling is to harm political discourse and compromise our society's battle against child abuse." Read on.

The Beltway Retreat

The insurgents are hitting their targets--in Washington.

We need to be realist but not defeatist. We need to understand that there is a need of utmost urgency to deal with many of the problems of Iraq but we must not give in to panic.

So said Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih on Monday, in a BBC interview while in London for talks with Tony Blair. If only such statesmanship prevailed on this side of the Atlantic, where election politics and a spate of critical new books have combined to paint an increasingly desperate--and false--picture of what's happening in Iraq.

“It so happens that everything that is stupid is not unconstitutional.”
— Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

“I still can’t believe I’m a Republican. There are just certain things ingrained in our Jewish roots. Our fathers voted for Roosevelt, and we voted for JFK, Humphrey and Clinton. But the Democratic Party has changed.”

— David Zucker, director and producer

“We Democrats have a plan on Iraq, we would like... next year to be a year of transition where we redeploy our troops, move them out of harm’s way.”
— Chuck Schumer

“People in the good state of Missouri need photo identification to cash a check, board a plane or apply for food stamps. But the state Supreme Court has ruled that a photo ID requirement to vote is too great a burden on the elderly and the poor. Go figure. Public polls consistently show that an overwhelming majority of Americans—regardless of age, race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status—favor voter ID laws. And nearly half of the nation’s states have passed them. Yet a string of recent court decisions has blocked their implementation in some places, thus siding with Democrats and liberal special interest groups who would rather turn a blind eye to voter fraud... Showing ID is an incidental cost of voting, like having to buy a postage stamp for an absentee ballot, or feed the parking meter when you go to the polling booth. Poll taxes, by contrast, required a person to pay a fee every time he voted and were adopted for racially discriminatory purposes.”

—The Wall Street Journal

“Now it appears that voters are willing to turn over Congress to a party most of whose representatives voted against allowing the National Security Agency to surveil without a court order al-Qaida suspects when they place calls to persons in the United States and against allowing terrorist interrogations under rules supported by John McCain. We are weary, it seems, and ready to go back on holiday.” —Michael Barone

“Voters are still used to having the final word in an election. But that could change if the election next month degenerates into the decisions in voting booths quickly being fought over by often unelected judges and trial lawyers practicing scorched-earth tactics.”
—John Fund

"If you live your life calculating that it’s a mistake to do anything that might prompt murderers and savages to act like murderers and savages, you’ve basically decided to live under their thumb and surrender your civilization in the process.”
— Jonah Goldberg

"Democrats keep saying that Republicans are leading our country in the wrong direction. But if you listen carefully, the Democratic agenda can be boiled down to 3 R’s: Raise taxes, Retreat from Iraq, and Redefine marriage. Raise, retreat, and redefine. This agenda doesn’t reflect the priorities or values that the majority of Americans expect from the ‘People’s House’.”
—Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN)

Negotiations on Iran Sanctions Begin at United Nations

"The five permanent members of the Security Council have begun negotiations on a draft resolution that would impose sanctions on Iran's ..."

No fans of Murtha

"We cannot forgive Murtha for his acceptance of an award from one of the most America-hating groups in existence: Code Pink. This organization has nothing to do with cures for cancer or any other beneficial purpose; it is a Marxist-led organization with roots in the communist-led anti-war movement of the 1960s. Each Friday afternoon, they congregate outside Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C., and harass wounded troops and their families. What could be more despicable?" More.

North Korea's Supporters

Why China and Russia Opposed U.N. Sanctions

"North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-Il, is considered to be one of the most charismatic and despotic dictators in the world, whose personality cult is compared to Mao Tse-tung and Josef Stalin, and is rivaled only by his father's, Kim Il-Sung. And while his people starve, he's been building up the North Korean military to levels not seen since the Korean War. Anyone who speaks out at these practices are brutally tortured and/or executed. And now, Kim is saying that his military now has nuclear capabilitites. So the question remains, why did China and Russia oppose sanctions, and why do they resist their implimitation today. The answer is simple, China and Russia support dictatorships.

The People's Republic of China is one of the last major socialist dictatorships in the world. Despite the country's capitalist reforms, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to control the country with an iron fist. They control the media and block internet access, so that the only message heard by its people is whatever the CCP wants them to hear. Dissent is still brutally suppressed, and topics like Tibetan and Taiwanese independence and 1989 Tiannamen Suqare masssacre, are not allowed to be discussed. The rights of the people are not respected, or even acknowledged, and those who stand up for them are imprisoned, tortured, and executed. Despite its friendly face, China is still hard, cold, and uncaring.

Russia is not much better. Although the people have more say there than ever, Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has praciticed a freign policy that would shock any international relations expert. He shores up the dictatorship in Belarus, and continues to meddle in affairs in other former Soviet republics, such as Georgia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. His policy on independence movements is the same as China's, brutal suppression, as demonstrated in Chechnya. And while doing this internationally, domestically, Putin has taken control of the media and censors dissent. In short, Putin's administration can be compared to that of any Soviet dictator." More.

Taking Preemptive Action Against North Korea

"In light of North Korea's nuclear test, the United States and South Korea have agreed to develop a new contingency plan to take military action against North Korea in scenarios short of North Korea attack or in response to a catastrophic "collapse" in the North.

The new revised plan - CONPLAN 5029 -focuses on preemptive action to thwart North Korean moves involving potential export of weapons of mass destruction.

Pentagon sources confirm that the new plan will be the first joint U.S.-South Korean plan to take action against North Korea even if the North does not invade or attack the South first." More.

Suit against Air Force Academy dismissed

"A federal judge yesterday threw out a lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force that contended evangelical Christian values were illegally pushed on Air Force Academy cadets." More.

United Nations a threat to Constitution

By JOHN RODGERS
Saturday, October 28

"The United Nations is a group of unelected bureaucrats responsible to no one except those who have appointed them. From September 1999 through the present, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has delivered a series of addresses openly calling for an end to national sovereignty, the creation of world law under a global government, and the unrestricted ability of the United Nations to intervene in the internal affairs of any nation. Previously, the U.N. had called for the imposition of several types of world taxation, a world central bank and a socialist-style redistribution of wealth.

There is a bill called the U.N. Reform Act in the Senate. As is often the case, dangerous legislation is given a nice-sounding name. This bill would actually give the United Nations more power over us by creating a "Peacebuilding Commission" within the U.N. which would serve as the implementing force for the internationalization of what were formerly the internal affairs of sovereign nations, including the United States. This commission would bring together U.N. Security Council members, major troop contributing countries, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, among others. This new commission would create the beginning of a global U.N. military. It would claim the right to intervene in any conflict anywhere in the world, bringing the World Bank and the IMF formally into the picture as well.

I do not favor using the U.S. military to enforce U.N. resolutions, as we are doing now. I think we should only go to war when the U.S. Congress declares war, having determined that war is an absolutely necessary last resort to preserving American lives, freedom and property. I also do not favor circumventing this concept through a U.N. "reform" which would have the United States become a major U.N. troop contributing country. Strengthening the U.N. while weakening our own defense is another recipe for disaster. I see the U.N. as a most serious threat to our Constitution, indeed, our very way of life.

While promoters of the United Nations are quick to claim that the U.N. works to promote peace, to protect human rights and to improve economic and social development throughout the world, it should be clear that the leaders of the U.N. are actively trying to concentrate as much power as possible into the organization which they control. Their desire for global power should be a warning to us to seek other ways to promote peace, to protect human rights and to improve economic and social development throughout the world. For the amount of money that we've funneled into the United Nations and enforcing its edicts, I think much more could have been accomplished (and less damage done) by other means."¹

Movement detected at North Korean test site

Seoul, Oct 28

The South Korean military has detected activities at North Korea's alleged nuclear test site, media reports citing military sources said Saturday. Read on.

Venezuelan IDs help terrorists enter U.S.

WorldNetDaily

"WASHINGTON – Venezuela, whose leader Hugo Chavez has stood with Iran against the U.S., is providing documents that could help terrorists infiltrate the U.S.-Mexico, charges a new congressional report on homeland security.

'Venezuela is providing support – including identity documents – that could prove useful to radical Islamic groups,' says the report of the subcommittee on investigations of the House Homeland Security Committee. 'The Venezuelan government has issued thousands of cédulas, the equivalent of Social Security cards, to people from places such as Cuba, Colombia and Middle Eastern nations that host foreign terrorist organizations.'

The documents can be used to obtain Venezuelan passports and American visas, which in turn allow the holder to elude immigration checks and enter the United States." Read more.

POOR NORTH KOREA ......

They truly are a basket case. You might say they are paranoid schizophrenic.

S Korea, US plan nuclear war: North
The Australian - Sydney,Australia
NORTH Korea today claimed the US and South Korea were planning a nuclear war against the communist state, accusing them of devising a war plan and stocking up ...

Cardin skips debate in Charles County

The Washington Times

"U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin last night skipped an NAACP-sponsored debate in Charles County, Md., a day after the Democratic Senate nominee stammered and stumbled during a faceoff with the Republican nominee, Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.

Debate organizers said they had expected Mr. Cardin to participate but his campaign had not made a firm commitment to appear with Mr. Steele and Kevin Zeese, the nominee of the Green, Libertarian and Populist parties.

Cardin campaign spokesman Oren Shur said that a scheduling conflict prevented the 10-term congressman from attending the debate at New Community Church of God in Christ in Waldorf.
'He's campaigning at community events in Prince George's County tonight and has accepted an invitation to debate at the statewide NAACP conference [in Baltimore] on Saturday,' Mr. Shur said. 'We expect to see Michael Steele there.'

Mr. Steele said last night that he would try to adjust his schedule to be there."

Webb Says His Novels ‘Inappropriate’ for News Radio
In an interview on Washington Post Radio Friday morning Jim Webb, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia, said excerpts of his novels are “a little bit inappropriate” to be read on news radio...

Funeral for a Tyrant

A morally disorienting gathering in Havana.

By Otto J. Reich

"This time the rumors are real: Castro is dying of stomach cancer. He may have already died, even before the funeral preparations were finished, so the news is not out. Confirmation of the terminal illness comes from the usual sources but in a non-conventional manner. The Cuban government has been summoning to Havana representatives of the major international media to negotiate the best seats, camera angles, and interviews with the despot’s political survivors, and to inform them of the ground rules for coverage of the state funeral."

Nicaraguan Congress votes to ban all abortions

Associated Press

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — "Nicaragua's Congress voted today to ban all abortions, including those that could save a mother's life.

If signed into law by President Enrique Bolanos, the measure would eliminate a century-old exception to Nicaragua's abortion ban that permits the procedure if three doctors certify that the woman's health is at risk."

U.S. wants to ban Iranian physicists

From JTA.org

"An American draft resolution at the United Nations calls for a ban on Iranians studying subjects related to nuclear development.

The resolution, a copy of which was obtained this week by JTA, would require countries to prohibit Iranians from studying physics and other subjects that could be used to advance the country’s nuclear program. Britain, France and Germany presented Russia and China with the draft Wednesday. It also calls for a ban on financial or technical assistance for Iran’s nuclear activities."

Salman Rushdie

Thoughts from Salman Rushdie:

"There are many reasons, and many different reasons, for the worldwide phenomenon of terrorism. In Kashmir, some people are joining the so-called resistance movements because they give them warm clothes and a meal. In London, last year's attacks were still carried out by young Muslim men whose integration into society appeared to have failed. But now we are dealing with would-be terrorists from the middle of society. Young Muslims who have even enjoyed many aspects of the freedom that Western society offers them. It seems as though social discrimination no longer plays any role -- it's as though anyone could turn into a terrorist."

-----------------------------

".... there's one thing we must all be clear about: terrorism is not the pursuit of legitimate goals by some sort of illegitimate means. Whatever the murderers may be trying to achieve, creating a better world certainly isn't one of their goals. Instead they are out to murder innocent people. If the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, for example, were to be miraculously solved from one day to the next, I believe we wouldn't see any fewer attacks."

------------------------

"One must not negate the basic tenet of all morality -- that individuals are themselves responsible for their actions. Upbringing certainly plays a major role there, imparting a misconceived sense of mission which pushes people towards "actions." Added to that there is a herd mentality once you have become integrated in a group and everyone continues to drive everyone else on and on into a forced situation. There's the type of person who believes his action will make mankind listen to him and turn him into a historic figure. Then there's the type who simply feels attracted to violence. And yes, I think glamour plays a role too."

----------------------------

"I am firmly convinced that there's something like a fascination with death among suicide bombers. Many are influenced by the misdirected image of a kind of magic that is inherent in these insane acts. The suicide bomber's imagination leads him to believe in a brilliant act of heroism, when in fact he is simply blowing himself up pointlessly and taking other peoples lives. There's one thing you mustn't forget here: the victims terrorized by radical Muslims are mostly other Muslims."

---------------------------------

"..... there are others like al-Qaida which have taken up the cause of destroying the West and our entire way of life. This form of terrorism wraps itself up in the wrongs of this world in order to conceal its true motives -- an attack on everything that ought to be sacred to us. It is not possible to discuss things with Osama bin Laden and his successors. You cannot conclude a peace treaty with them. They have to be fought with every available means."

From an August 2006 interview with SPIEGEL.

SHAME ON THEM

Don't they know he is the scourge of the United Nations? How dare they? Don't those young "Jooos" know anything? Do their parents vote Democrat? The Dems enjoy receiving a very significant number of the Jewish vote. The Dems have great disdain for him, and yet they give a standing "O"? What nonesense is this?

For US envoy to United Nations, a warm greeting
Staten Island Advance - Staten Island,NY,USA
John R. Bolton, the US ambassador to the United Nations, received a standing ovation last night from the packed congregation of Young Israel of Staten Island ...

THE WOLVES HAVE ASCENDED UPON US, ME THINKS

"'Cherish, therefore, the spirit of our people, and keep alive their attention. Do not be too severe upon their errors, but reclaim them by enlightening them. If once they become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress, and Assemblies, Judges, and Governors, shall all become wolves." -- Thomas Jefferson

Cleric in sex sermon furore

Aljazeera.Net

"Australia's most senior Muslim cleric has suggested that women who do not wear headscarves are to blame for sexual assaults, comparing them to uncovered pieces of meat.

Sheikh Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly, the mufti of Sydney's biggest mosque, said in a Ramadan sermon that sexual assaults might not happen if women wore a hijab and stayed at home.

Hilaly criticised women who 'sway suggestively', wear make-up and no hijab, or Islamic headscarf, for inviting sexual attack.

'If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the back yard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem,' Hilaly told about 500 worshippers, according to a newspaper translation."

SANCTIONS WON'T HELP NORTH KOREA

UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL - THE WASHINGTON TIMES

"Sanctions and other efforts to isolate North Korea are not the most effective way to deal with the nuclear threat it poses, a top U.N. official says.

'Without a dialogue we are not moving forward,' said International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohammed ElBaradei.

ElBaradei said that the North Korean nuclear test, which took place on Oct. 9, was a cry for help.
'They feel, rightly or wrongly, that they are isolated,' he said. 'For them the test is to say, 'We could do more harm if you don't talk to us.''

El-Baradei spoke Monday at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., at an award ceremony honoring his diplomatic accomplishments."

(Must of been one 'elluva' short ceremony, eh? - HH)

"Sanctions should be used to induce a change of behavior, he said."

Well, duhhha!

Read the rest here.

UPDATE: WSJ's Opinion Journal takes El-Baradei to task and pretty much confirms my position on El-Baradei.

UN Asks Oil Rich Countries to Help Poor Nations Develop

Voice of America - USA
By Cole Mallard.

"The United Nations has asked oil-rich countries around the world to help poor nations with their development. It ..." Read on...

What the h...? They are already helping them out. They are helping them export and spread hatred, Wahhabism, fanaticism, Islamofascism, jihadism, racism, and anti-Americanism. What more could you ask for?

North Korea Journal: North Korea: A Nice Place

At first I thought maybe this was written by Sean Penn, or Danny Glover, but it was written by some 23 year old person by the name of Gagan. (I'm assuming his last name is pronounced "gaggin", as in, "I'm gaggin' on his bullsh*t.") Well, maybe it is written by Sean and this is just his "Penn name." Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk:


North Korea Journal: North Korea: A Nice Place: "North Korea is a good place; however, I had to make a lot of effort to pay a visit this country. Since most of the part of North Korea is demilitarized, I did not feel easy to move around the city’s streets. It is really strange to be in the surroundings of Military people who keep staring at you while you visiting an attraction.

However, besides the demilitarized area, I visited some nice attractions in this country. And I must say that they all do have a special charm to attract visitors from all across the globe."

Needless to say, I am not convinced; and won't be traveling there ... soon ... in this lifetime.

Ford's Father Tries to Block Media Coverage of Pro-Life Event -- 10/26/2006

"The father of a U.S. Senate candidate on Tuesday tried to dissuade a Tennessee news station from filming a news conference critical of his son, according to the pro-life event's organizers.

Brian Johnston, an organizer with Tennessee Right to Life, called a news conference outside the Memphis campaign offices for U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., a Democrat running for U.S. Senate." More.

City’s Lawsuit Against Gun Dealers, Manufacturers Allowed to Proceed
"An Indiana judge ruled Wednesday that the city of Gary may proceed with its lawsuit against 16 gun manufacturers and six Indiana gun dealers, a gun-control group reported. One year ago, President Bush signed a bill intended to protect the gun industry from politically motivated lawsuits stemming from the criminal misuse of their products, but that didn’t stop the Gary lawsuit from proceeding..."

‘Mayors Against Illegal Guns’ Preparing Their Assault
"More than one hundred of the nation’s mayors are breathing new life into the gun control movement. The 'Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,' meeting Thursday in Chicago, is laying the foundation for a national effort to "convince Congress to take ideology out of law enforcement.”

North Korea Warns South Korea Over Backing U.S. Sanction

Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) -- "North Korea said it will make South Korea 'pay dearly' should it join United Nations sanctions imposed on the communist country for ignoring international demands and carrying out a nuclear test on Oct. 9.

The threat, which came in a statement by Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland released by the state-controlled Korea Central News Agency late yesterday, North Korea's first warning to the South since the UN Security Council on Oct. 14 imposed sanctions.

'If the South Korean authorities end up joining U.S.-led moves to sanction and stifle, we will regard it as a declaration of confrontation against its own people,' the statement said. 'South Korea will have to pay dearly and be held responsible if international sanctions joined by the South bring forth destructive results in inter-Korean relations.' " Read on.

A Quick Synopsis on How North Korea Went Nuclear

A quick tutorial and timeline of how North Korea developed their nuclear program can be found here.

N Korea Elicits a Sexual Response From S Korea

Motel Bookings, Condom Sales Surge Post Nuke Test

As tends to be the case in disasters and crises, sales of condoms and reservations at motels surged in the wake of North Korea’s nuclear test on Oct. 9. One online hotel reservations site reports that everything is completely booked up through the end of the month in what it calls an “exceptional” flood of guests. If there is apathy about security among Koreans, there is also a silent terror seeking release in sex.

'Fiasco' at United Nations Exposes Hugo Chavez as a Farce

Editorial
El Universal, Venezuela

"Is it possible that Chavez will manage to deceive other presidents and the world in general on so many issues? How could he, for instance, bring himself to speak of human rights, when in his own country he has ordered the deaths, imprisonment and systematic persecution of his political adversaries? Or it is that they are not deceived, but instead put up with such lunacy to continue basking in the benefits of having such a rich 'friend'? What happened at the U.N. reveals that by all means, there are many with him, but that the great majority of countries understand that the present Venezuelan government is a great danger to humanity.

Venezuela failed to win a single round of voting against Guatemala, and we can now be certain that we will not win. The government's failure to step aside from the fight when it became clear that Guatemala had an average 30 vote advantage dismayed those who hunger for Venezuela to act in accord with democratic and diplomatic principles. It is virtually assured that a third country will now emerge from a new Latin American agreement. Neither Guatemala – which certainly deserved to win – nor Venezuela, which in its fancy to obtain power acted like an evil child wishing to spoil the aspirations of another - will enter the U.N. Security Council.


It would also be proper to determine the amount of money Venezuela spent to obtain each of the votes from countries that promised their supposed support. With absolute certainty, several hundred million dollars was spent on 70 of the most expensive votes in history.

Finally, it is clear to us that what has occurred is only the beginning of a fiasco on the international stage that has been preceded by the defeats of Ollanta Humala in Peru and Lopez Obrador in Mexico [Left-wing presidential candidates from those nations that Chavez had backed, but who lost]." Read more here.

CHOICES

"You should always think of yourself as the guardian of two invaluable gifts — the gift of life and the gift of choice. You will make an infinite number of choices in your lifetime, and the quality of those choices will for the most part determine the quality of your life." -- Robert Ringer, author

Are we afraid to speak?

“Why is it that many, if not all, of us think twice before we say what we really think or believe? Have we been silenced by the popular hecklers? Are we afraid? Is there a cultural inquisitor who stalks us all? Then, why is it that so many of us who know better about so much that we see around us cower and speak in hushed, mousy voices?” —Justice Clarence Thomas

I am assuming this is a rhetorical question. The answer, Justice Thomas, is because of the disease called political correctness. And it can be debilitative. -HH

“The public welfare demands that constitutional cases must be decided according to the terms of the Constitution itself, and not according to judges’ views of fairness, reasonableness, or justice.”

—Justice Hugo Black

“People unfit for freedom—who cannot do much with it—are hungry for power.”

—Eric Hoffer

“If we move in mass, be it ever so circuitously, we shall attain our object; but if we break into squads, everyone pursuing the path he thinks most direct, we become an easy conquest to those who can now barely hold us in check.”

—Thomas Jefferson

Commentary

Should We Trade at All?
By Walter E. Williams
There are only a handful of products that Americans import that cannot be produced at home and therefore create jobs for Americans. No one denies that international trade has unpleasant consequences for some workers. They have to find other jobs that might not pay as much, but should we protect those jobs through trade restrictions? The Washington-based Institute for International Economics has assembled data that might help with the answer…

Federal Appellate Court to Hear Oral Arguments Tomorrow on Michigan's Partial-Birth Abortion Ban

ANN ARBOR, MI—On October 26, 2006, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, Ohio will hear oral argument on the ACLU and Planned Parenthood legal challenge to the Michigan Legal Birth Definition Act, a state law that would ban the grisly partial-birth abortion. The arguments will take place in Room 636, Sixth Floor East Courtroom during the morning session which begins at 9 AM.

The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor Michigan, is asking the appellate court to overturn the lower federal court ruling, which struck down the ban and denied its prime sponsor, Standing Together To Oppose Partial-birth-abortion (“STTOP”), to intervene in the lawsuit.

Read more at the Thomas More Law Center website.

Is Hillary Using 9/11 To Expand Federal Role in Health Care?

By Amanda Carpenter
Human Events

"There are signs in the Senate record of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.) that she has never abandoned her dream of federalizing the U.S. health care system.

In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Clinton has pushed an escalating series of proposals to make the federal government the funder and regulator of new health care programs for “first responders” and others who may suffer ailments as a result of the attacks."

CNN's War on the Economy

As the election nears, CNN is pushing the “war on the middle class” throughout its broadcasts. According to its reporters and anchors, workers might as well give up, despite a great economy. And the American dream? Forget about it. Read about CNN's War on the Economy in it's entirety here.

Israel forces continue missile hunt in Gaza

WorldTribune.com: "GAZA CITY — Israel's military is continuing operations in the northern
Gaza Strip in an attempt to prevent missiles strikes on the Jewish state.

Israeli infantry and armored units, backed by attack helicopters, have been searching for Palestinian missile squads and arsenals in the northern Gaza Strip. So far, the army has reported the elimination of one such squad."

Ad says Democrats push ’homosexual agenda’

MSNBC.com: "EVANSVILLE, Ind. - An embattled Indiana congressman has launched a new campaign ad that warns a vote for his Democratic opponent could trigger a shift in House leadership and advance a “homosexual agenda.”

In the one-minute radio ad paid for by Friends of Rep. John Hostettler, an announcer impersonating Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” character says a vote for challenger Brad Ellsworth would be a vote for California Democrat Nancy Pelosi as House speaker.

“Pelosi will then put in motion her radical plan to advance the homosexual agenda, led by Barney Frank, reprimanded by the House after paying for sex with a man who ran a gay brothel out of Congressman Frank’s home,” the narrator says."

Mexico's Cartel Wars: The Threat Beyond the U.S. Border

"The U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security subcommittee recently issued a report on the increasing security risks along the U.S.-Mexican border. The report, which focuses on the Mexican drug cartels and the threat they pose to citizens and law enforcement on the U.S. side of the border, cites the cartels' use of military weapons and mercenaries with advanced military training, as well as their affinity for brutality and gratuitous violence.

Violence stemming from the drug cartels has existed for decades in many parts of Mexico. What is new is the fact that cartel violence is now spilling over onto the U.S. side of the border. However, although the House report -- by the Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Investigations -- focuses on the current risks in the border area, the threat posed by the cartels already is making its way farther north. If left unchecked, the fighting can eventually be expected to erupt more widely in nonborder areas, affecting unprepared law enforcement agencies and even civilians." Read the rest here.

FAIR USE.

Switzerland imposes sanctions on North Korea
Swissinfo - Switzerland
The cabinet says it will introduce sanctions as of Thursday on North Korea over its reported nuclear weapons test earlier this month. ...

US seeking North Korea-style sanctions against Iran
Irish Independent - Dublin,Ireland
The United States is seeking North Korea-style sanctions against Iran, according to diplomats at the UN. The official say the US ...

Putin urges caution in dealing with North Korea
Reuters.uk - UK
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea should not be backed into a corner over its nuclear test if the global community wants to resolve the crisis over the North's ...

Drug raid yields Los Alamos documents

Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON - A drug raid on a Los Alamos scientist's home in New Mexico turned up what appeared to be classified documents taken from the nuclear weapons lab, the FBI said Tuesday.

Police discovered the documents at the scientist's home while making an arrest in a methamphetamine investigation, according to an FBI official in Washington who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case."

70-year-old ex-SAS soldier dares to tackle four muggers and wins

This is London:

"A 70-year-old former British soldier who fought guerillas in Aden and Triad gangs in Hong Kong showed four muggers how it doesn't pay to mess with the SAS.

[snip]

'This joker, I was able to grab his elbow, crouch down and throw him over my shoulder. He landed on his back on a fence and squealed like a stuck pig.'

CRASH! As one went down another moved in and Douglas thought he saw him reaching for a knife. The Birmingham-born divorcee, who has a daughter and three grandchildren, said: 'I had the measure of him but I slipped on some wet leaves as he came for me and bashed my face badly on the concrete.'

'I saw his boot coming towards my face and I thought: 'No you don't, sunshine.' I grabbed his leg and twisted it until he too was screaming out in agony.'

'Then I got to my feet and kicked him in the chest.' " Read more.

Youths in Paris torch bus as authorities fear civil unrest

Telegraph: "A gang of youths forced passengers off a bus in a Paris suburb yesterday before setting it alight and then stoning fire fighters.

The attack - which happened in broad daylight on Sunday - is the latest in a string of similar disturbances in housing estates surrounding the French capital.

They come amid rising tensions as the anniversary approaches of widespread rioting and car torching that forced France to declare a state of emergency last October."

Venezuela says looking for way out of U.N. seat impasse

Reuters.com: "CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela's ambassador to the United Nations told Reuters on Tuesday the South American nation was looking for a way to resolve an impasse with Guatemala in a contest for a U.N. Security Council seat.

Bolivian President Evo Morales said during a visit to the city of El Alto, near La Paz, that Venezuela had already decided to withdraw from the competition and make way for Bolivia to be a candidate."

Bush Administration Eases Limits on Same-Sex Schools

FOX News: "WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is giving public schools wider latitude to teach boys and girls separately in what is considered the biggest change to coed classrooms in more than three decades.

After a two-year wait, the Education Department issued final rules Tuesday detailing how it will enforce the Title IX landmark anti-discrimination law. Under the change taking effect Nov. 24, local school leaders will have discretion to create same-sex classes for subjects such as math, a grade level or even an entire school.

'Some students may learn better in single-sex education environments,' said Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. 'These final regulations permit communities to establish single-sex schools and classes as another means of meeting the needs of students.'

'Every child should receive a high quality education in America and every school and district deserves the tools to provide it,' she said."

Anti-War Groups Trying to Rally Active-Duty Troops Against War

FOXNews.com: "WASHINGTON — Anti-war groups are trying to rally active troops to speak out against the war in Iraq — a political tactic they hope will sway voters Nov. 7.

A small group of active-duty members opposed to the war created a Web site last month intended to collect thousands of signatures of other service members. People can submit their name, rank and duty station if they support statements denouncing the U.S. invasion.

The electronic grievances are then passed along to members of Congress, according to the Web site.

'Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home,' the Web site says."

US jails Egypt pair for slavery

BBC News

"Two Egyptians have been jailed by a US court after pleading guilty to enslaving a 10-year-old Egyptian girl at their south California home.

Abdel Nasser Ibrahim was given three years in prison while his ex-wife, Amal Motelib, received a 22-month sentence.

They were also ordered to pay more than $76,000 (£40,500) to the girl for two years of forced labour during which she served the couple's family of seven.

She worked 16-hour days and was denied access to education, prosecutors said.

Ibrahim and Motelib will be deported after serving their sentences, officials said.

'The young victim in this case was subject to inhumane conditions that included both physical and verbal abuse,' US Attorney Debra Wong Yang said.

The girl, who is now 16, has been granted a visa allowing her to stay in the US."

Kidnapped Spanish photographer freed

BBC NEWS: "A Spanish photographer who was kidnapped in the Gaza Strip has been released, it has been confirmed.

Emilio Morenatti, 37, who works for the Associated Press news agency, spent less than a day in captivity.

He was seized by gunmen who emerged from a white Volkswagen car, after he left his flat in Gaza City.

The photographer, who has been taken by Fatah officials to the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said he was tired but unharmed."

France accused on Rwanda killings

BBC NEWS: "A former senior Rwandan diplomat has told a tribunal that France played an active role in Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

Former Rwandan ambassador to Paris Jacques Bihozagara said French involvement stemmed from concerns about its diminishing influence in Africa.

France has denied playing any role in the 100-day frenzy of killing in which 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died.

After the hearings, the Rwandan panel will rule on whether to file a suit at the International Court of Justice."

The Don't Show Me State

The liberal assault on voter ID laws.
"People in the good state of Missouri need photo identification to cash a check, board a plane or apply for food stamps. But the state Supreme Court has ruled that a photo ID requirement to vote is too great a burden on the elderly and the poor. Go figure.

Public polls consistently show that an overwhelming majority of Americans--regardless of age, race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status--favor voter ID laws. And nearly half of the nation's states have passed them. Yet a string of recent court decisions has blocked their implementation in some places, thus siding with Democrats and liberal special interest groups who would rather turn a blind eye to voter fraud." More.

Ceremony to accompany border fence bill signing

The Washington Times: "Congress yesterday sent the bill to build 700 miles of fencing on the U.S.-Mexico border to President Bush, who will sign it in a ceremony Thursday morning in the White House Roosevelt Room.

The decision to have a public ceremony is a reversal for the Bush administration, which had appeared reluctant to tie itself so publicly to the enforcement-only measure. Although Mr. Bush had committed to signing the bill, aides had said consistently over the past few weeks there would not be a signing ceremony.

But Republicans in Congress had demanded a public signing, with leaders saying the bill is a major accomplishment that will help their re-election prospects." Read on.

Michael J. Fox Ads Inaccurate, Steele Says

"Actor and activist Michael J. Fox has been raising eyebrows by appearing in political ads endorsing candidates who support embryonic stem cell research, but a U.S. Senate candidate from Maryland is questioning the accuracy of Fox's statements.

In a new ad, Fox endorses U.S. Rep. Ben Cardin, a Democrat and candidate for the U.S. Senate. Fox charges that Republican candidate Michael Steele 'would put limits on the most promising stem cell research.' Cardin, he says, 'fully supports life-saving stem cell research.'

But Steele pointed out Tuesday that in July Cardin voted against a measure that would have allowed expanded stem cell research that did not destroy human embryos.

Steele said in a statement a Maryland newspaper, the Frederick News Post, reported on Sept. 6 that Cardin 'opposes suggestions that stem cell research is acceptable if the embryo isn't destroyed.' " Read on.

Gaza Terror Like Volcano Waiting to Explode, Israeli Officer Says

Jerusalem - "The security situation in the Gaza Strip is like a simmering volcano, and there is therefore no end in sight to anti-terror military operations there, an Israeli army officer told Cybercast News Service."

No kidding ..............

Pelosi Doesn’t Understand War on Terror, Hastert Says
The United States cannot win the global war on terror if U.S. leaders don’t understand it – and Rep. Nancy Pelosi does not understand it, as evidenced by her comments on Sunday's "60 Minutes," House Speaker Dennis Hastert said on Tuesday...

Zogby: Chavez Holds Huge Lead in Poll

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez enjoys a huge lead in his effort to win re-election to another six-year term as president, a new University of Miami School of Communication/Zogby International poll shows."

Oliver North Warns of Daniel Ortega

"Oliver North, the former White House aide at the heart of the Iran-Contra controversy, commented Monday on presidential elections that could return Daniel Ortega to office, warning Nicaraguans against returning to a past of war and foreign intervention.

The latest poll gives Ortega, a Sandinista leader who headed the leftist government that fought Washington-backed Contra rebels in the 1980s, an edge in the Nov. 5 vote." Read on.

"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

-- Thomas Paine

Iraq urges coalition not to panic, run

Coalition troops must stay in Iraq and not give way to defeatism or panic in the face of hostile public opinion, Iraq's deputy prime minister said after meeting British leaders yesterday. More.

SEEK OUT ... AND DESTROY

“Evil still stalks the planet. Its ideology may be nothing more than blood lust; no program more complex than economic plunder or military aggrandizement. But it is evil all the same. And wherever there are forces that would destroy the human spirit and diminish human potential, they must be recognized and they must be countered.”

—Ronald Reagan

Solving Problems

“If you think political spin and political gamesmanship are the answers to this country’s problems, then vote for the Democrats. Some leading Democrats have already announced that they plan to impeach President Bush if they get control of the House of Representatives. In other words, in the middle of a war, they are prepared to bog down the administration in domestic political and legal hassles, putting the winning of the White House in 2008 ahead of winning the war on terrorism. There was a time when we all understood that, whatever we might think of a President, we still had only one President at a time and that wholesale obstruction and undermining of him was obstruction and undermining of the United States in the face of its enemies.”

-- Thomas Sowell

Controlling the Political Forces

“The people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities... If the next centennial does not find us a great nation... it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.”

—James A. Garfield

Analysis: North Korea's slippery slope

United Press International

"A South Korean official who had worked with North Korean counterparts on the Kaesong industrial complex just north of the South Korean border confirmed the outlook of mid-level officials. He is in his forties and said that when he and his colleagues spoke privately with their North Korean peers they made it clear they knew their system was unsustainable. They looked to a transformation along Chinese lines.

Mongolia has maintained the diplomatic ties it had with North Korea from the communist era. Mongolian leaders believe they could help North Korea transform its system, especially its economy, because of their own experience emerging from communist central planning." READ THE REST.

MoveOn.org Urges People to Skip Work on Election Day

"The liberal activist group, MoveOn.org is urging people to skip work on Nov. 7 and volunteer to call voters in 30 competitive districts in an effort to get more liberals to show up at the polls."

Chavez, U.S. Face Off in Nicaragua Election

CORINTO, Nicaragua -- "One day last month, an aging ship registered in North Korea docked at the port of Corinto on Nicaragua's Pacific coast.

As cranes unloaded 8,000 tons of fertilizer -- a big chunk of Nicaragua's needs for the year -- farmers lined the dock watching the precious cargo that would sell for as much as $5 per bag below the normal price.

The cargo, destined mainly for supporters of Nicaragua's leftist presidential hopeful, Daniel Ortega, was sent by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in an effort to spread his left-wing, anti-American message in Latin America." Read the rest here.

Sudan expels top United Nations envoy

Globe and Mail - Canada
Khartoum -- The Sudanese government yesterday ordered the chief UN envoy out of the country after he wrote that Sudan's army had suffered major losses in ...

Muslim veils prompt bans across Europe

When Nora Labrak arrived at a private employment agency in the summer near the French city of Lyon, the first question she was posed was not about her resume.

North Korea is not done yet

Bruce Klingner has a good analysis piece on North Korea and their ploy of using contradicting messages to keep the 'global community' off balance.

Mr Klinger is the Korea analyst for Eurasia Group, the world's largest political-risk consultancy.

You can read it at the Asia Times Online.

Democrats' agenda found!

A must read for those conservatives who are thinking of sitting out this election, or voting for Dems this time around - "to send a message" ... and "punish" them (Repubs) ... "to teach them a lesson."

You are going to punish - yourself? And others ... in order to punish them? What kind of muddled thinking is this, son?

"It's finally been found: the agenda the Democratic Party would pursue should it take control of Congress Nov. 7. For those voters who have been confused about what exactly the Democrats would do if they were to take power, things have just gotten a lot clearer."

Please read the rest: Democrats' agenda found!:

"Border Patrol agents sentenced to prison

"11-12 years for shooting drug-smuggling suspect in buttocks as he fled across frontier"

U.S. immigrants pose TB threat

"From coast to coast, more cases found raising fears of new drug-resistant strain"

Good Karma

I received this via e-mail; I'm not sure of it's origin or if it really is something the Dalai Lama actually said. Nonetheless, it carries a good message:

"This is what The Dalai Lama has to say for 2006."
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements
involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R’s:
..Respect for self,
..Respect for others and
..Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a
wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate
steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for
your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the
current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your
love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order
to get it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

THE INSANITY OF GOING GREEN

Tell me again why we want to be like Europe? Blue Crab Boulevard directs us to a story at the Daily Mail and it's a pathetic story about "the brave new world of environmental nanny-statism."

Meet Britain's first recycling martyr... the man with a criminal record for using the wrong bin: A householder has told of his despair at being landed with a criminal record for putting a scrap of paper in a bin bag meant for bottles and cans.

A pox to European influence.

When Liberals Shoot Children

By Kevin McCullough
"Given the right circumstances, liberal feminists, activist lawyers, and judges who should be impeached for their lack of judgement - will first allow and then defend the cold-blooded shooting of an innocent child.

They did so this week." Continue.

Will Muslim Immigration destroy Western Democracy?

"To answer this question, we have to look at whether Islam is compatible with democracy. Democracy means rule by the people. It is a form of government designed for the rule of a nation state. Rule of the people in practice means rule decided by the ballot box. Implicit is the acceptance that the majority of the people will decide what laws will be passed through their representatives in Parliaments or Congress. It also assumes that the loyalty of the people will reside in the nation state and each citizen is expected to contribute to the welfare of their nation state. It means that the people must agree that the majority has the right to rule. Unfortunately, Islam has teachings that go against these conditions that make democracy difficult at best, impossible at worst.

The problem with Islam is that it teaches loyalty to the Muslim Ummah (nation) first. For them, the world is divided people of many religions who happened to live in different countries. For the rest of us, the world is divided into different countries who happened to have people of many religions.

That is why Muslims have set up an Organization of Islamic States. But there are no Organization of Christian or Buddhist or Hindu states. This loyalty to the Muslim Ummah results in world wide Muslim protests whenever any Muslim country is attacked by any non-Muslim nation, no matter how justified. When the Taliban shielded Osama bin Laden and refused to give him up after September 11, the Americans attacked.

Predictably, Muslims went livid with rage that fellow Muslims were attacked by a non-Muslims. They chose to believe in any conspiracy theory no matter how ridiculous to justify their reflex action of opposing non-Muslims attacking Muslims. Of course, it goes without saying that they don't shed a tear in sadness or wag a finger in anger when Muslims kill Muslims, no matter how brutal. What matters for them is who does the killing and not the reasons for war. Muslims have killed more Muslims than did the Israelis. But there was not a speck of sadness or anger from the Muslim world. This biasness is hard-wired in their minds by Islam.

Thus accepting Muslim immigrants means accepting people whose loyalty will not lie with the host country. If the numbers of Muslims are small, the problem is not serious. But with their high birth rates, a tipping point will be reached in which the viability of the western nation states will be compromised." Read the rest of the essay by Ohmyrus at Faith Freedom International.

Somalia bans swimming for women at beach

Yahoo! News
MOGADISHU, Somalia - "An Islamic court has banned women from swimming at the main beach in Somalia's capital, the latest step to impose strict religious rule that has sparked fears of an emerging, Taliban-style regime.

Sheikh Farah Ali Hussein, chair of a northern Mogadishu Islamic court, said Friday that the ban applies only to the northern Mogadishu Leedo beach, where families usually go on weekends to play and relax.

'We stopped women from swimming because it is against the teaching of Islam for women to mingle with men, especially while they are swimming,' Hussein said.

Since sweeping to power over much of southern Somalia in June, the Islamists have banned movie viewing, publicly lashed drug users and broke up a wedding celebration because a band was playing and women and men were socializing together. They also have introduced public executions.

Somali women usually swim fully clothed as swimsuits are generally frowned upon. Somali men, however, swim in trunks, at times bare-chested or wearing vests.

'They cannot prevent us from our right to swim in the sea. What is wrong with us enjoying ourselves like men? That is clear discrimination,' Miriam Isse told The Associated Press as she watched others swimming in the Indian Ocean."

Women candidates receiving threats

Khaleej Times Online
MANAMA — "Much concern is mounting in political and other circles as female election candidates have reportedly started receiving anonymous threats and blunt mobile messages urging them to back out from next month's parliamentary and municipal polls in Bahrain.

The anonymous mobile messages, according to Dr Muneera Fakhro, who is one of the candidates, are specifically urging women candidates to withdraw their registration papers to avoid clashing with Islamic principles.

She told Khaleej Times yesterday that these messages are very upsetting for women candidates. They have been worrying about many things recently, including how best to convince people in a male-oriented society to vote for them and also how to secure the political endorsement and financial backing of recognised political societies.

Dr Fakhro and other female candidates have already filed official complaints in this connection to the Supreme Council for Women and urged the SCW to address this issue and ensure that women candidates are not intimidated in any way.

The SCW, she pointed out, is very influential as it is chaired by the First Lady Shaikha Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa and is committed to supporting and empowering women in all spheres including politics.

Dr Fakhro has also called upon the Ministry of Islamic Affairs to tackle the matter as well as the Ministry of Justice to take appropriate action as it is the official supervisor of the parliamentary and municipal polls.

Dr Fakhro claimed that some conservative scholars (Salafi) are behind the threatening mobile messages because many of them are strongly opposed to the idea of women participating in these polls, slated for November 25.

'We have five weeks remaining for voting day and I now fear tougher negative campaigns against women candidates. This is because despite the openness of Bahraini society, there are many people who are still against the political empowerment of women,' she said."

Girls as young as 9 living in the streets in Iran

"Tehran, Iran, Oct. 21 – Girls as young as nine are running away from their homes and living on the streets in Iran, according to a classified report issued by the Ministry of Education.

The report was made public by several Persian-language news websites run by former government officials.

It notes that there is an exceptionally high number of run-away girls near Iran’s holy cities of Qom and Mashad.

Iran has one of the highest record of runaway girls and women in the world.

The state-run news agency ILNA reported in July that there were some 300,000 run-away women and girls in Iran and that 86 percent of girls who ran away from their homes for the first time were raped. The majority of such victims are rejected by their families if they choose to return after having been raped." - - Iran Focus

Weldon comes out swinging

"Labeling himself an underdog in an increasingly bitter race, U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.) mounted a furious attack on Democratic opponent Joe Sestak in the pair's final debate yesterday. My opponent..."

BREAKING NEWS

We are biased, admit the stars of BBC News

It was the day that a host of BBC executives and star presenters admitted what critics have been telling them for years: the BBC is dominated by trendy, Left-leaning liberals who are biased against Christianity...

Who woulda' ever thunk it?

Britain's race chief warns of violence over veil row

"The row in Britain over Muslim women wearing the veil could trigger riots and worse, the country's race relations watchdog chief warned.

Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, said the divisions exposed in the debate that his dominated British media for more than two weeks risked sparking 'fire' on the streets.

He said the friction between communities risked becoming 'the trigger for the grim spiral that produced riots in the north of England five years ago. Only this time the conflict could be much worse'.

'All the recent evidence shows that we are, as a society, becoming more socially polarised by race and faith,' Phillips wrote in The Sunday Times newspaper." More.