Heavy-Handed Politics: November 12, 2006

GEORGE BUSH'S BETRAYAL AND DESTRUCTION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

Dr. Jack Wheeler writes:

"The worst fears of conservative Republicans in Congress came true Monday (11/13), six days after their November 7 wipeout. The tapping of Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) as RNC Chairman is confirming evidence that George Bush is intent on destroying the Republican Party.

The most stunning defeat the GOP suffered on election day was that of Michael Steele for the open Senate seat in Maryland. Here is a black Lt. Governor who is really smart, really articulate, and really conservative Republican. The Dems were desperate to see him lose and they succeeded.

Outgoing Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Ken Mehlman immediately recognized the value of Steele to the GOP and asked him to be his successor. Rove and Bush squashed the offer like a bug. Steele has been humiliated and is infuriated - he may drop out of politics now to the GOP's great loss.

Bush and Rove instead forced their choice of Martinez upon the party. Why? Because Martinez, a Hispanic, is a fierce advocate of amnesty for illegal aliens."

Who's McCain Trying to Fool?

McCain Joins Calls for Return to Conservative Principles --
"Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) Thursday encouraged the Republican Party to return to conservative principles of limited government and the rule of law.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the conservative Federalist Society in Washington, D.C., McCain said he was not discouraged by Republican losses in the U.S. House and Senate in last week's midterm election."

He's no conservative.

ENTITLEMENTS

From the Patriot Post

"The entitlements of Social Security and Medicare are growing fast—and far beyond solvency. Indeed, Republicans failed miserably in not passing meaningful reform this year. The latest numbers reveal the extent of their failure. Social Security alone has an imbalance of $13.4 trillion in 2006—up from $10.4 trillion in 2004. That’s the good news. Medicare has increased its debt by $8.9 trillion in the same span—from $61.6 trillion in 2004 to $70.5 trillion this year. The interest alone on the debt this year is $2.4 trillion. For context, the total GDP of the U.S. this year is $14 trillion. You do the math.

Of course, these figures are kept apart from the general budget deficit, since future obligations are not counted as current liabilities in the federal budget. Clever, no?

Raising the retirement age to 67 could solve more than a third of Social Security’s long-term deficits. Slowing the growth of benefits would also help. Perhaps most important would be the establishment of private retirement accounts for younger workers. It’s quite simple, actually, and succeeding with Social Security would be great encouragement for tackling the far bigger monster of Medicare."

And to think there are many out there who want to add to these woes by having a national health plan. Total insanity.

New biometric passports easily cloned

$200 microchip reader sold over Internet can copy document, photograph
--London Evening Standard

John Bolton: An Effective Force for U.S. Interests at the United Nations

"As U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton has proven a forceful advocate of American interests, a powerful voice for U.N. reform, and a staunch defender of the cause of human rights. He has worked closely with Congress, testifying no less than six times before House and Senate committees. Bolton has been an outspoken critic of corruption, mismanagement, waste, and inefficiency at a world body that receives several billion dollars a year from U.S. taxpayers. He has shaken up an institution that has for decades resisted change and cast a revealing light on an elite U.N. establishment that has long thrived amid a culture of complacency and secrecy." More.

Failure in Iraq Would Affect Region, World, Intel Officials Say

DefenseLink News Article
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2006 –"Failure of the coalition and Iraqi government to create a unified, peaceful Iraq would be catastrophic for that country and the region, and would embolden terrorists throughout the world, the directors of the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency said here yesterday.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, director of the CIA, and Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, director of the DIA, said that the coalition presence in Iraq is what’s keeping the country together, and an early withdrawal would cause a significant rise in violence.

'We are all acutely aware that Iraq today is far from peaceful,' Hayden said during his testimony. 'Let me say that no single narrative is sufficient to explain all the violence we see in Iraq today. There remains in Iraq today an active insurgency. There remains in Iraq today a broad and vicious al Qaeda offensive targeting us and innocent Iraqis. In Iraq today there is criminality and lawlessness on a broad scale. In Iraq today there are rival militias competing for power.' "

U.N. Says Sudan Terrorizing Civilians

New York Post Online Edition: KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) -- "The Sudanese army and government-backed militias are committing acts of 'inexplicable terror' against civilians, including children, in Darfur, the U.N.'s top humanitarian official said Saturday.

The accusations by Jan Egeland, U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, came as Sudanese officials indicated they might backtrack from a deal for a mixed U.N. and African peacekeeping force."

Canada sends tough message to North Korea

globeandmail.com HANOI — "Canada has joined the international effort to strip Kim Jong Il of his nuclear weapons program by dispatching a diplomat to Pyongyang to pressure the rogue regime."

Regions in Ethiopia, Kenya should be part of Somalia - Islamist

SudanTribune (MOGADISHU) — "Somalia’s Islamic leader wants the Somali regions of Kenya and Ethiopia to be part of Somalia, he said in a radio interview, reviving the idea of a 'Greater Somalia,' which caused tensions in the 1970s and was a cause of the war with Ethiopia." More details....

Former Russian spy poisoned in London plot

Sunday Times - Times Online: "SCOTLAND YARD is investigating a suspected plot to assassinate a former Russian spy in Britain by poisoning him with thallium, the deadly metal.

Aleksander Litvinenko, who defected to Britain six years ago, is fighting for his life in a London hospital. A toxicology test at Guy’s hospital last Thursday confirmed the presence of the odourless, tasteless poison."

Think Saudi

"For many long years it was fair to describe the development of Saudi Arabia's foreign policy in terms of the 'dynamics of inaction.' The Wahhabi royal house followed an essentially cautious, awkward, defensive path of diplomacy, rarely taking the initiative, and prefering to remain in the shadowy realm of influence from behind the scenes. Recently, it appears, King Abdullah and his close aides have come to the conclusion that Saudi Arabia has to change gear and go into active mode in all the relevant spheres. Over the past few months, there has been a succession of developments that, together, have thrust Riyadh into a leading role. The Saudis are no longer waiting for anyone, but are forging ahead by themselves.

The Saudis have become critical of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in general, and in particular, of its Palestinian branch, Hamas. Prince Naif, Saudi's powerful interior minister, accused the MB of "ingratitude" after all the help the organization had received from Saudi when it was being persecuted in Egypt in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. When Hamas's Khaled Mashal came to Saudi for the Hajj pilgrimage he was chided for the extremism he displays. The informal alliance between Saudi Arabia and the Brotherhood is beginning to dissolve." Read more....

Winning Back the Turks

"Once considered one of America's closest allies, Turkey today is engulfed by growing anti-Americanism. A recent survey by the German Marshall Fund found that only 7 percent of Turks polled approved of U.S. policies, while 81 percent disapproved. The poll found that 56 percent of the respondents thought that U.S. leadership was 'very undesirable.'

The main cause of the current rift dividing Turkey and the United States is the war in Iraq.

The Turks opposed the war - not out of any love for Saddam Hussein, but because they feared it would lead to greater sectarian violence and strengthen Kurdish nationalism. Over the last three years, Turkey's worst fears have come true." Continue.....

Ramadan Shalah admits that Israels security fence is an important obstacle to the terrorist organizations

Intelligence & Terrorism Information Center:
"Ramadan Shalah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader, publicly admits that Israels security fence is an important obstacle to the terrorist organizations, and that if it werent there, the situation would be entirely different. The PIJ has carried out the greatest number of suicide bombing attacks during the past few years........."

THIS IS COOL

In an effort to find ways to chase, photograph and kill suicide bombers and destroy targets such as rocket launchers, an Israeli newspaper reported on Friday that Israel is developing an anti-militant "bionic hornet".

ROGUES AND RASCALS

When Recovery is the Enemy

"A single mother raised my 6 siblings and me, so I already knew how strong women are, and I also knew they could roar. They didn’t have to use the lives of the unborn to prove their mettle. Furthermore, the ghastly practice of pulling a fetus by its legs with a forceps until the head is visible, then, puncturing the skull with a sharp instrument in order to suck out the brain of the tiny being could never be viewed as an act of courage. By what stretch of the imagination is power derived from destroying a helpless fetus as it struggles for its first breath of air, instinctively expecting the maternal protection afforded by nature?"

Read more of 'When Recovery is the Enemy'.

Egalitarian Reformers and Liberty

"John Stuart Mill observed that

“the great creative individual … is capable of more wisdom and virtue than collective man can ever be.”

Whereas the classical liberals believed that great societies were made so by the actions of great individuals, today’s liberal egalitarians believe that great individuals are made so by just societies."

Continue reading this piece at The American Thinker.

Bush's nominees for judgeships to be conservative

"Even with Democrats controlling the Senate, President Bush will continue to nominate conservative judges such as Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney said yesterday."

Any international agreement with North Korea about its nuclear weapons must include a solid verification scheme, according to former United Nations chief weapons inspector Hans Blix.

Visiting Tokyo, Blix said negotiating an agreement without total verification could result in 'very unpleasant surprises,' because the world could be lulled into a false state of confidence.

He told reporters Friday that North Korea has demonstrated it cannot be trusted to abide by agreements on paper, thus on-site verifications are vital for any workable accord.

But the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency acknowledged it will be 'a hard nut to crack' to convince Pyongyang to allow inspections in a country he says has traditionally been hermetically sealed.

North Korea, after boycotting talks for more than one year, has agreed to return to six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, but no date has been set. The secretive Stalinist state conducted its first-ever nuclear test on October 9.

Comparing North Korea to Iran, Blix called North Korea an acute case requiring urgent negotiations.

Quoting CIA estimates, Blix said Iran appears to be five to 10 years away from producing a viable atomic weapon.

Said Blix: 'I'm sure that Iran watches very carefully what is happening in the Korean case, and if North Korea continues intransigence, then the Iranians might, perhaps, also tell themselves [to] stand fast and just go on, and eventually they might be forgotten.'

Blix added that it would be a mistake for Tehran to take that attitude."

CURRENT NORTH KOREA HEADLINE NEWS

S. Korea raps North
Toronto Sun - Canada
SEOUL -- South Korea said yesterday it will reverse its long-standing refusal to join international criticism of North Korea's human rights record and vote in ...

South Korean President's Approval Rating Plunges Over Economy ...
Voice of America - USA
... With an over-heated real estate market and a nuclear-armed North Korea dominating Seoul's headlines, Mr. Roh's support seems to be plunging, as he enters his ...

Bush urges tough line on North Korea sanctions
Irish Examiner - Cork,Ireland
US president George Bush today urged a tough line in implementing UN sanctions against North Korea for its recent nuclear test at a Pacific Rim summit, where ...

South Korea, China call on US, North Korea to show flexibility in ...
International Herald Tribune - France
AP. HANOI, Vietnam: Countries trying to convince North Korea to stop developing nuclear weapons showed Friday they still have differences in crafting a unified ...

Thoughts on the Election Results from a Soldier in Iraq

As heard on the Rusty Humphries Show
Hat tip to Psycmeistr's Ice Palace

Dear Rusty,
I know you probably get a lot of messages asking you to read stuff on your show, but I BEG you to read this...... I would like you to tell America exactly what they did to their soldiers on Tuesday, and what WE think about our countrymen right now.

"I hope you are satisfied with what you have done...

Today in the mess hall, where there is usually jovial conversation, there was silence, long faces, and broken spirits... Everyone, to include all American soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, Iraqi Nationals, Bulgarian Soldiers, etc, etc... was speechless, tired, demoralized and stunned.... all ate in erie silence.....

Last night, while we watched the press conference with the President, there was utter discust, and the common feeling amongst us all that we soldiers are now the loneliest people on Earth.... we fight an enemy over here, and we have a country full of enemies to go home to that are our countrymen. We watched President Bush say his own political funeral, our commander and chief.. as well as ours..... He tried so hard to spin it, but... well.. there is no way to soften such a morale blow.

While you sit and Monday morning quarterback what we work so hard to do for you out here, just know that the spirit of your team is wounded..... YOU liberals, you America have done a great job of demoralizing us... Thank you.

Do us a favor though, when we do come home, spare us the ceremony....... We all now know that it is a bunch of crap, and what you think of us.......

I have to say that right now, I would rather be a pussy ass Frenchman, even though they have no will to fight, at least they have the balls to make a decision and stick with it...... They stuck to thier guns about staying out of this war, even if it was the wrong decision......America on the other hand, goes off half cocked, and when the decision appears to be a hard one, or something that might cost a little bit, they turn tail and run.....

WHAT A NATION OF PUSSIES!!!!

This week I am NOT proud to say that I am an American..........I think it is obvious why... See, we just have told the world that we are not a nation of people who are tough, and will fight for what we believe in... We have told the world that we are a giant coward that will shy away from any difficult challenge...

So, while you eat your cheetos, and sit there and watch your lazy ass get fatter, dumber and happier Joe Citizen.. Just remember this, I, and all my commrades payed a dear price to come this far and have you decide that we should fail...

Realize this, because of your action this week America.... do not expect so many men to be so willing to stand up for your next little whim just to be cut down in the middle of it all............

Realize this also.. you have just put a heavy price on the heads of us all...... Now that we are branded as cowards, we are an easy target, oh so inviting for the taking....... I swore to protect your children in your beds.... yet you fling the door wide open inspite of me to invite the scourge.... Well.... have it your way then.

Because of this, September 11th will soon be overshadowed by these same enemies.. my advice to you is get your lazy, self centered ass up and make peace with your God, and your family.. cause, time will come when they may not be there for you................Because you kicked me in the teeth, and so many others, I know I won't any more.. "

Aaron.

A Mystery Erupts At United Nations Over Greece's Cash

The New York Sun: UNITED NATIONS --
"After sinking millions of dollars into a failed joint project with the United Nations, the government of Greece is asking where its money went.

The country supplied $5 million for the U.N. Thessaloniki Center for Public Service Professionalism, which was established to promote the use of electronic publications in creating good government practices in the Balkans and former Soviet republics. But the outgoing U.N. undersecretary-general for management, Christopher Burnham, said in a letter to the Greek interior minister, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, that taxpayer funds Athens entrusted to the United Nations were ........."

[........ drumroll please .......]

[......... get this ......]

"....... misused and mismanaged." Continue reading.

“The first thing to be noted about Tuesday’s election returns is that they were not, in any serious sense, a Democratic victory. They were, however, a thoroughgoing Republican defeat. The Democrats had practically nothing to do with it. They had no policy proposals to speak of—least of all on Iraq, which they insisted was the central issue. But in a two-party system, if the voters decide to throw the rascals out, their only option is to throw the other rascals in. All the Democrats had to do was be there.”

— William Rusher

“The biggest winners in last week’s election were the enemies of the United States, who see the results as confirmation of one of their doctrines: the United States is weak and does not have the commitment to fight a protracted war.”

— Cal Thomas

“We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.” — Aesop

Racism by any other name

By Jonah Goldberg: "It's time to admit that 'diversity' is code for racism. If it makes you feel better, we can call it 'nice' racism or 'well-intentioned' racism or 'racism that's good for you.' Except that's the rub: It's racism that may be good for you if 'you' are a diversity guru, a rich white liberal, a college administrator or one of sundry other types. But the question of whether diversity is good for 'them' is a different question altogether, and much more difficult to answer." Continue....

Nancy's First Mistake

"As the new House majority caucus prepared to pick its leadership today, Democrats were trying to make the best of the inevitability of Nancy Pelosi as the party's first speaker in a dozen years. They have put out the word that she was not serious in endorsing Rep. John Murtha for majority leader. How much effort she has exerted for her longtime ally is irrelevant, but she has actively solicited votes this week.

The damage to her was irrevocable when she wrote her colleagues last weekend urging them to pick Murtha over Rep. Steny Hoyer. Close associates of Hoyer say her letter stunned him, and he was not alone. While Pelosi had made clear she would vote for Murtha, the public endorsement was unexpected." Read more of Robert Novak.

Iran, Hizballah Making Moves to Topple Lebanon, Expert Says
Jerusalem - Hizballah, Iran and Syria have been waiting for an opportunity to topple the Lebanese government, and they apparently believe the time has come, a Middle Eastern scholar says...

Pelosi Reminded About Her Pledge to �Clean House�
Judicial Watch, a government watchdog group, is urging soon-to-be House speaker Nancy Pelosi to reject Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings for chairmanship of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence because of his "ethical misdeeds and financial problems.�

Sen. Inhofe Blasts Climate Change 'Brainwashing'

"The U.S. Senate's most vocal global warming skeptic, James Inhofe, Thursday dismissed a U.N. meeting on climate change as 'a brainwashing session.'

Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican who will step down as chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee in January, told a news conference, 'The idea that the science (on global warming) is settled is altogether wrong.' " Read more....

Detroit Airport Arrest Reveals Nuclear Info.

"A man was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after officials say they found him carrying more than $78,000 in cash and a laptop computer containing information about nuclear materials and cyanide.

Sisayehiticha Dinssa, an unemployed U.S. citizen, was arrested Tuesday after a dog caught the scent of narcotics on cash he was carrying, according to an affidavit filed in court.

When agents asked him if he had any cash to declare, he said he had $18,000, authorities said. But when agents checked his luggage, they found an additional $59,000. When they scrolled through his laptop, they said they found the mysterious files.

At a court hearing Wednesday, Dinssa was ordered held in custody until at least until Monday at the request of prosecutors."

Ahmadinejad: Iran Ready for 'Final Step' on Nukes

"President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday Iran was about to take the 'final step' in a nuclear program which the U.N. has called on it to curtail and which the West fears may be used to make atomic bombs."

THE NEW, OLD FACE OF ASIA

"Bush will arrive in an Asia where North Korea has (somewhat) successfully tested a nuclear device, where Japan is openly discussing the merits of discussing the merits of a nuclear weapons program, South Korea seems to be coming into closer alignment with North Korea than with the United States, and China reportedly is shadowing U.S. carrier battle groups and planning to buy advanced carrier-based aircraft from Russia.

With its resources and priorities squarely centered on Iraq, the United States has paid scant attention to East Asia -- despite its involvement in six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program and trade negotiations with Vietnam, South Korea and China. Asia, as a result, has been left to develop in its own natural direction, without U.S. 'interference' and with emphasis more on regional concerns than global ones. The Cold War paradigm of global blocs has been swept away, and the post-Cold War sense of supreme and unchallengeable U.S. global hegemony has been shattered.

In other words, the 'old' shape of Asia is re-emerging. And when Washington once again has the need and ability to focus its attention there, U.S. leaders may find themselves on unfamiliar ground."

-- Stratfor Geopolitical Intelligence Report ("Strategic Forecasting, Inc.)

Read the complete article here.

Constitution 101: A quick refresher

"A Republican Congress was unable to restrain spending on handouts and goodies demanded by its constituents because there is no Constitutional brake on federal spending. Yet the legal fact is that some 80% of federal programs, agencies, and departments are unconstitutional, because there is no specific "enumerated" authorization for them.

The Constitution is addressed to the federal government. Its purpose was to specify - to enumerate - what the new government was permitted to do. The basic principle of the Constitution is: the government can only do what it is specifically authorized to do. If there is no enumerated authorization to do X, then it is illegal, unconstitutional, for the government to do X.

There is no Constitutional authority - no enumerated power - for the federal government to have a Department of Energy, a Department of Education, or Environmental Protection Agency. Every dollar they spend, every regulation they enforce, their entire existence as a whole, is illegal and unconstitutional." -- Dr. Jack Wheeler

UPDATE

In a follow up to the picture of John Kerry standing in the background (my original post and picture is here), where John is looking out of place and a bit sheepish, as the new Democratic leadership was walking the halls of the Senate chambers (apparently as a photo opp), Schumer appears to ask Kerry to leave, according to a UPI story.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- "U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer appeared to kick Sen. John Kerry out of a Democratic leadership walk in Washington, a reporter who witnessed the event said." Read more details here.

JOKE OF THE DAY

A woman married three times walked into a bridal shop one day and told the sales clerk that she was looking for a wedding gown for her fourth wedding.

"Of course, Madam," replied the sales clerk, "exactly what type and color dress are you looking for?"

The bride to be said: "A long frilly white dress with a veil."

The sales clerk hesitated a bit, then said, "Please don't take this the wrong way, but gowns of that nature are considered more appropriate for brides who are being married the first time - for those who are a bit more innocent, if you know what I mean? Perhaps ivory or sky blue would be nice?"

"Well," replied the customer, a little peeved at the clerk's directness, "I can assure you that a white gown would be quite appropriate. Believe it or not, despite all my marriages, I remain as
innocent as any first-time bride.

"You see, my first husband was so excited about our wedding, he died as we were checking into our hotel!"

"My second husband and I got into such a terrible fight in the Limo on our way to our honeymoon that we had that wedding annulled immediately and never spoke to each other again."

"What about your third husband?" asked the sales clerk.

"That one was a Democrat," said the woman, "and every night for four years, he just sat on the edge of the bed and told me how good it was going to be!"

ACLU Seeks Again to Block Wiretaps

"Warrantless wiretaps that the government says are necessary to fight terrorism pose a threat to American democracy, the American Civil Liberties Union said in court papers filed Tuesday.

The ACLU is asking the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reinstate a lower court decision that said the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program is unconstitutional." Read on...

NO GOOD CAN COME OF THIS.....

Near-Silent Start in U.S. for Al-Jazeera: "Al-Jazeera's English-language network is set to begin operation on Wednesday without any distribution by a major cable or satellite system in the United States.

The all-news network, based in Doha, Qatar, said it would be available to computer users via a broadband Internet connection. But despite months of trying and delays in its launch date, it named only four companies available in the United States that would offer it.

The network also has appeared to have changed its name. Formerly Al-Jazeera International, it was referred to as Al-Jazeera English throughout a news release issued on Tuesday."

A LITTLE LATE TO THE TABLE

N.Y. Times: Quick Iraq Withdrawal Not Good: "Many Democrats are arguing that a phased withdrawal of American forces from Iraq will spur the Iraqi government to assume more responsibility for securing the country.

But in a front-page story in the New York Times, a number of military officers – including critics of the Bush administration’s Iraq policies – challenge this view and say a withdrawal could intensify the conflict." More....

Cheney Asks Judge to Drop CIA Leak Case

"Vice President Dick Cheney asked a federal judge Tuesday to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him by a former CIA operative who says the White House leaked her identity to the press.

Cheney's attorneys criticized the lawsuit in court papers, saying it invented constitutional rights, intruded on national security discussions and came two years after the statute of limitations had expired." Continue...

The Clintons James Carville: Democrats Should Fire Howard Dean

"Democratic political strategist James Carville said Howard Dean should be fired as chairman of the Democratic Party, comparing him to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in his level of incompetence." More...

FOLLOW THE MONEY

"Now, having found ways to make money from the Kyoto system, some industry sectors have a vested interest in the uninterrupted perpetuation of the controls the treaty established. These business opportunists and energy innovators likely will emerge as powerful and increasingly vocal partners for environmental activists, as the clock winds down on Kyoto." -- Stratfor Public Policy Intelligence Report (Strategic Forecasting, Inc.)

The "Tolerant" Ban on Religion

By Michael Medved
Townhall.com

"Pop music legend Sir Elton John recently told an interviewer: 'From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate.'

His main objection to institutionalized faith involves its alleged lack of tolerance. 'I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people,' he declared. His comments actually reveal the profound hypocrisy among politically correct secularists. He decries religion for its intolerance, yet no major religious leaders would dare to echo his words, saying: 'From my point of view, I would ban secularism--or atheism--completely.'

In modern Western societies like the United States devout Christians co-exist comfortably with adherents of other faiths, and with those who practice no faith. It's non-believers who intolerantly seek to 'ban' or dismantle organized religion, not people of faith."

Right on, Mr. Medved. (Bold emphasis mine - HH)

Gaza rocket kills Israeli; retaliatory strike launched

insider.washingtontimes.com: "SDEROT, Israel -- Rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into the town of Sderot yesterday killed an Israeli woman, critically injured two persons and narrowly missed the home of Defense Minister Amir Peretz, raising pressure on the government to order the army back across the border.
Israeli warplanes raided the Gaza Strip overnight, hours after the Palestinian rocket attack.
The retaliatory attack followed a promise by Mr. Peretz to hit back and a warning that militants would 'pay a heavy price.' "

House race pits Murtha vs. ethics

House Democrats will decide today whether to install as their majority leader one of the most scandal-tainted members of Congress.

Today's vote on Rep. John P. Murtha -- whom likely Speaker Nancy Pelosi enthusiastically supports -- comes 10 days after Democrats seized control of the House and Senate after promising to clean up the corruption that they said had become a hallmark of the ......

Top general hits pullout plan by Democrats

insider.washingtontimes.com: "The top U.S. commander for Iraq rejected yesterday proposals from Senate Democrats to immediately pull troops from Iraq or do it on a specific timetable starting in March.

'Our troops' posture needs to stay where it is as we move to enhance the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces,' Gen. John Abizaid, the head of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, 'and then we need to assess whether or not we can bring major combat units out of there.' " More....

Bush warns North Korea against nuclear proliferation

"US President George Bush today warned North Korea against transferring nuclear weapons or material to other countries, saying such an act would be considered a “grave threat” to the United States.

The stand-off over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme tops the agenda in most of the meetings the president will have during his eight-day, three-nation Asian trip, which kicked off with a speech in Singapore."

The U.N. Deception


"This is the New World Order, the globalists will overthrow the United States Consitition to replace it with a UN Constitution! A one world government, being setup by globalist elites; George Bush Senior, Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Pope Benedict, all of these elites and many others call for a one world governance!"

So says the author who put this clip together. It is a long video clip. I did find it interesting. It touches on NGO's, their roles, CFR (Council of Foreign Relations), its' role, environmental issues, its' masked agenda, and much more.

Previous posts to my website, referring to the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), which was mentioned in this video, can be found and read here:

Hey, John ....... Why the Long Face ??

Kerry can only watch as Reid and Schumer storm the Senate...
(Link via Drudge)

Reuters - Former U.S. Presidential candidate John Kerry (background L) watches on as incoming U.S. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (C)(D-NV) walks alongside his party colleagues on Capitol Hill November 14, 2006. Reid, a moderate Nevada Democrat, was elected by colleagues on Tuesday as U.S. Senate majority leader for the 110th Congress that will convene in January. The other top positions are (2ndL-R) Vice Chair of the Conference Charles Schumer (D-NY), Secretary of the Conference Patty Murray (D-WA) and Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL). REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES)

“In the end more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free.”

—Edward Gibbon

"Leaving Iraq will be worse than leaving Vietnam, not necessarily in terms of bloodshed, though that will be no comfort to those who will be slaughtered, but because the jihadist threat today is more dangerous than the Soviet threat then. Despite lacking--so far--in similar capabilities to the Communists, our enemies more than make up for it with an insatiable bloodthirsty ruthlessness."

-- Josh Manchester

Moral Purification: Why intellectuals love defeat.

BY JOSH MANCHESTER

"James Carroll, recently writing in the Boston Globe, wondered if America could finally accept defeat in Iraq, and be the better for it, comparing it to Vietnam:

But what about the moral question? For all of the anguish felt over the loss of American lives, can we acknowledge that there is something proper in the way that hubristic American power has been thwarted? Can we admit that the loss of honor will not come with how the war ends, because we lost our honor when we began it? This time, can we accept defeat?

To be frank, no. In Mr. Carroll's fantasyland, the United States is deserving of defeat, and through some sort of mental gymnastics, that defeat is honorable, because it smacked of hubris to ever have fought in the first place.

I contend instead that the ultimate dishonor will be to leave hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions, of Iraqis to violent deaths; and that this is far too large a price to pay for Mr. Carroll to feel better." Continue reading.....

Crew: Murtha 'Most Corrupt'

"Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) questioned soon-to-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's, D-Calif., commitment to eradicating corruption with her endorsement of one of the most unethical members in Congress, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., to be majority leader of the House of Representatives."

Murtha is offended by this, I guess.

Sen. Reid Backed Bridge Near His Property

"Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., backed funding for a bridge between Nevada and Arizona that could affect the value of property he owns nearby.

[This from the Majority Leader-elect of the party that is going to do away with corruption and pork barrel and have complete openess and transparency never seen before in American government. Uh, huh.]

The planned span over the Colorado River between Laughlin, Nev., and Bullhead City, Ariz., got an $18 million boost in last year's massive federal transportation bill.

Reid, who's in line to become Senate majority leader after last week's election, owns 160 acres of undeveloped property in Bullhead City, several miles from the proposed bridge sites.[how convenient] Development is booming in the area and local officials in Laughlin and Bullhead City support a new crossing to ease traffic on the one existing bridge. They also expect it would add to property values.

Reid aides said his support for the bridge has nothing to do with his ownership [noooooo, of course not] of the Bullhead City property, which he values between $500,000 and $1 million on his annual financial disclosure forms. His spokesman said he had no plans to develop the property."

Donald Rumsfeld Hit With 'War Crimes' Suit

Donald Rumsfeld Hit With 'War Crimes' Suit: "Civil rights groups filed a suit with German prosecutors on Tuesday seeking war crimes charges against outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for the alleged abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prisons.

In addition to Rumsfeld, who ran the U.S. defense department for nearly six years, the suit also names U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, former CIA director George Tenet and high-ranking military officers."

Netanyahu: Iran Preparing Another Holocaust

"Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran’s nuclear goals, and the fanaticism of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, pose a threat not only to Israel, but to the entire Western world.

The former prime minister compared the growing threat of Iran to the rise of Nazism before World War II, and he wonders why no one seems to be taking the threat seriously.

'It’s 1938, and Iran is Germany,” Netanyahu said, 'and Iran is racing to arm itself with atomic bombs.” Haaretz newspaper reports that Netanyahu repeated that line as a chorus during an address Monday to the United Jewish Communities General Assembly." More.

I share Netanyahu's bewilderment. Then you contrast that story with this story from the International World Tribune: UN nuclear agency finds unexplained plutonium and enriched uranium traces in Iran waste facility.

VIENNA, Austria: International Atomic Energy Agency experts have found unexplained plutonium and highly enriched uranium traces in a nuclear waste facility in Iran and have asked Tehran for details, an IAEA report said Tuesday.

The report, prepared for next week's meeting of the 35-nation IAEA, also faulted Tehran for not cooperating with the agency's attempts to investigate suspicious aspects of Iran's nuclear program that have led to fears it might be interested in developing nuclear arms.

And it said it could not confirm Iranian claims that its nuclear activities were exclusively nonmilitary unless Tehran increased its openness.

"The agency will remain unable to make further progress in its efforts to verify the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran," without additional cooperation from Tehran, said the report, by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.

Unexplained? Like these findings should be a surprise to anyone. What the hell? I feel like I'm living in an alternate universe. Doesn't anyone take Iran seriously?

Pelosi draws fire for backing Murtha

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is under fire from fellow Democrats and outside liberals for publicly backing Rep. John P. Murtha's bid to become majority leader, saying that the presumed speaker's acts have cast doubt on her party's promise to clean .....

Weird ............ But true

Britons critical of Christless Christmas
Christian and Muslim Britons joined forces yesterday to tell city officials to stop taking the Christianity out of Christmas, warning them that this simply fuels a backlash against Muslims.

Proposed Iraq pullout lacking specifics

The White House yesterday rejected Democrats' proposals for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq as lacking specifics or "meat on the bones," as President Bush met with the Iraq Study Group, which is seeking to advise the administration on ways to .....

Defenses on subs to be reviewed

Navy officials confirmed yesterday that an aircraft carrier battle group failed to detect a Chinese submarine that surfaced within weapons range of the USS Kitty Hawk. Anti-submarine defenses for the carrier battle group will be reviewed as a result, they .....

North Korea News

North Korea to dominate agenda at 23-nation defense meet
Jakarta Post - Jakarta,Indonesia
KUALA LUMPUR (AP): North Korea and its nuclear threat were expected to dominate talks launched Tuesday in Malaysia by top military officials from the US, Japan ...

North Korea dominates agenda at 23-nation defense meeting in ...
ABC2 News - Baltimore,MD,USA
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- North Korea and its nuclear program dominated talks launched in Malaysia on Tuesday among military leaders from 23 countries, the ...

Pope Urges Peaceful Fix to North Korea Crisis
Zenit News Agency - Rome,Italy
13, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI appealed for a peaceful solution to the crisis caused by North Korea's nuclear program, and for an increase of humanitarian ...

U.S. has something to prove.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES : "U.S. must prove it's a staying power." An excellent piece by Mark Steyn.

NEWS HEADLINES

Mel Martinez to Head RNC

Election outcome boosts embryonic stem cell work

He's Back: Rather Returns to Television

Health Care, Oil, Deficit on Democrats' Radar, Clinton Says

Giuliani Downplays Democratic Victory

Democrats Say They'll Identify 'Pork-Barrel' Spenders

Majority Leader John Murtha?

Democrats May Proceed With Caution on Immigration

Syria Will Help, If US Admits Failure

Robert Gates Expected to Keep Up War on Terror

Democrats' pledge for negotiated drug prices raises doubts

Israeli PM Cautions Against Hasty US Withdrawal From Iraq

Palestinian Groups Call For ‘Merciless Strikes’ Against Americans

Democrats Cast McCain As an ‘Opportunist’
The Democratic National Committee, responding to Sen. John McCain’s suggestion that he will run for president in 2008, issued a statement on Sunday "welcoming" him to the race – and asking "which McCain" will be running...

Abrupt US Withdrawal Would Be ‘Utterly Disastrous,’ Iraqi Leader Says
Baghdad – An abrupt withdrawal of American troops from Iraq would be a “disaster for Iraqis and for the region,” Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for National Security Dr. Barham Salih told Cybercast News Service in a one-on-one interview in his offices in Baghdad Sunday...

China sub secretly stalked U.S. fleet

insider.washingtontimes.com: "A Chinese submarine stalked a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in the Pacific last month and surfaced within firing range of its torpedoes and missiles before being detected, The Washington Times has learned.

The surprise encounter highlights China's continuing efforts to prepare for a future conflict with the U.S., despite Pentagon efforts to try to boost relations with Beijing's communist-ruled military."

Iran's Ahmadinejad Calls For Alternative To United Nations

"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday called on Asian states to seek an alternative to the United Nations for resolving world conflicts. 'I think that we should not focus all our hopes on ineffective bodies which are severely under the influence of bullying powers and instead look after a plan for a new order in the international scene,' Ahmadinejad said in a meeting of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) held in Tehran.

Ahmadinejad blamed the UN for not having been capable of taking 'one single positive step' in realising the rights of the Palestinian nation just because of the veto right of the US and Britain in the Security Council."

Ahmadinejad slams United Nations Security Council

albawaba.com: "Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that it was shameful for the United Nations Security Council to open a case on Iran's peaceful nuclear activities.

President Ahmadinejad made the remark while addressing......"

N. Korea blasts new Japanese government for sanctions

YONHAP NEWS: SEOUL -- "North Korea on Monday denounced Japan for imposing sanctions against it, calling the Japanese government a 'puppet of U.S. imperialists.'
The accusation came about a week after the communist state said it would be better for Japan to stay away from international negotiations on the North's nuclear weapons program."

Gas chamber horror of North Korea's gulag

Family Care Foundation partner Helping Hands Korea assisting North Korean Refugees: Gas chamber horror of North Korea's gulag: "A series of shocking personal testimonies sheds light on Camp 22 - one of North Korea’s horrific secrets. Among them:

Witnesses have described watching entire families being put in glass chambers and gassed. They are left to an agonising death while scientists take experimental notes.

Kwon Hyuk, who has changed his name, was the former military attaché at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing. He was also the chief of management at Camp 22. Hyuk claims he now wants the world to know what is happening." Continue reading.

South Korea Refuses to Fully Uphold UN Sanctions on North Korea

VOA News: "South Korea says it will not formally join a U.S.- led coalition aimed at preventing international traffic in weapons of mass destruction. Seoul declined the U.S. request as it announced its plan for implementing punitive

United Nations sanctions passed after North Korea's nuclear weapons test last month."

UNITED NATIONS MILITARY, POLICE DEPLOYMENT REACHES ALL-TIME HIGH ...

PressZoom.com - Global News Service - News and Press Release Distribution
Amsterdam, Netherlands

"United Nations peacekeeping deployment reached a historic high at the end of October, with 80,976 military and police personnel and some 15,000 civilians serving in peace operations around the world.

Currently the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations leads 18 different missions in Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Europe and Asia."

On the Fall of the Wall, US Elections and Guatemalan Birth Rates

Paul Belien writes in The Brussels Journal: "Anti-American feelings are growing in Europe. I think these feelings will exacerbate in the coming years for three reasons, all of which have to do with the current crisis in Europe:
(1) Its welfare states are on the brink of implosion;
(2) Its moral and legal order is collapsing, while the influence of radical Islam is growing;
(3) Its nation-states are falling apart."

Read what else he has to say here. It is a short but interesting read.

Danish Victory: Radical Imam Leaves!

From The Brussels Journal:
By Filip van Laenen

"The controversial imam Raed Hlayhel, who was very active one year ago stirring up hatred against Denmark in the Arab world, has announced that he is leaving Denmark and will never come back:

'I have always said that if the Danish courts do not punish the newspaper Jyllands-Posten [for publishing the Muhammad cartoons] I will leave this country. And I will never come back.'

As far as I know nobody has asked him to come back yet…"
I don't suspect any will.

Lawmakers From Both Parties Pledge to Cooperate in Washington

Pledges of bipartisan cooperation rang from the Capitol to the White House, with newly empowered Democrats pledging to tone down rhetoric and go about the people's business.
Read on...

UN peacekeepers die in Haiti

Gunmen in Haiti shoot dead two Jordanian peacekeepers amid growing local opposition to the UN force. Read on...

Islamists 'take key Somali town'

The Islamic Courts militia takes the town of Bandiradley from a pro-government warlord, reports say. Read on...

US 'open to Iran talks on Iraq'

The White House will consider talking to Iran and Syria about their role in Iraq's future, its chief of staff says. Read on...

Republicans Lost Because They Lost Their Way

"We are hearing all sorts of reasons why the GOP got, in George Bush's word, 'thumped.' We're told it was Iraq, or that it was the incompetence and corruption of some of its members. Some cited the unpopularity of the president, implying that it rubbed off on the House members who went down to defeat last Tuesday.

While there is some validity to all these complaints, they miss the mark by ignoring the real cause of the Nov. 7 electoral disaster – the fact that Republicans had stopped acting the way Republicans are meant to act, and began acting as clones of big-government, big-spending Democrats."

Bush's Sellout of America

"It becomes more apparent by the moment that Mr. Bush is a one world globalist; that without announcing his intentions, Bush has decided to support creation of a North American Union and he will do it through a process of governmental regulations never having to bring the issue before the American people for a clear referendum or a vote.

The Bush group has decided to backdoor creation of a North American Union that would erase our borders with Mexico and Canada and would create several super regional governing bodies with jurisdiction over the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court.

How sad this is for America!" Read more.

New Congress to Target NSA Program

"Legislation aimed at President Bush's once-secret program for wiretapping U.S.-foreign phone calls and computer traffic of suspected terrorists without warrants shows all the signs of not moving ahead, notwithstanding President Bush's request this week that a lame-duck Congress give it to him."

Lieberman Won't Rule Out GOP Change

Lieberman made it clear to Tim Russert today that he plans to stick with the Democrats. However, he told Russert he won't rule out caucusing with the GOP, if circumstances warranted the move. That would make it a 50-50 split, with Vice President casting any tie breaking vote.

DNC Slams Sen. John McCain

"The honeymoon is over for Sen. John McCain -- even before it began.

'If the reports are correct, we welcome John McCain to the race,' said DNC Communications Director Karen Finney. 'The question is, which McCain is running: the McCain who called right-wing extremists like Jerry Falwell an evil influence, or the McCain who spoke at Liberty University as he attempted to cater to the far right in advance of a presidential run? Or the McCain who opposed overturning Roe vs. Wade or the McCain who said he would support South Dakota's ban? As an opportunist who supports the Bush Administration's failed policy in Iraq and changed his mind on tax cuts, a woman's right to make her own decisions about her health care, and campaign finance reform, it's hard to tell which John McCain will enter the race.' "

Feingold decides against 2008 presidential bid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "Sen. Russell Feingold, a leading liberal in Congress and an outspoken foe of the Iraq war, announced on Sunday that he would not seek the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

'I'm sure a campaign for president would have been a great adventure and helpful in advancing a progressive agenda,' wrote Feingold, who is from Wisconsin, in a letter e-mailed to supporters and posted on his Senate campaign web site.

'At this time, however, I believe I can best advance that progressive agenda as a senator with significant seniority in the new Senate serving on the Foreign Relations, Intelligence, Judiciary and Budget committees,' the three-term senator said."

Democrats say will push for Iraq withdrawal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "Democrats, who won control of the U.S. Congress, said on Sunday they will push for a phased withdrawal of American troops from Iraq to begin in four to six months, but the White House cautioned against fixing timetables.

'First order of business is to change the direction of Iraq policy,' said Sen. Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who is expected to be chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in the new Congress.

Democrats will press President George W. Bush's administration to tell the Iraqi government that U.S. presence was 'not open-ended, and that, as a matter of fact, we need to begin a phased redeployment of forces from Iraq in four to six months,' Levin said on ABC's 'This Week' program"

Charlotte Observer: Gaston County commissioners: No funds for illegal residents

"Gaston County commissioners have directed county officials to stop funding programs for undocumented immigrants in what marks the Charlotte region's most aggressive measure against illegal immigration.

The resolution, passed Thursday by the all-Republican board, blames people living here illegally for a variety of social ills, and also orders county officials to limit their ability to live and work in the county.

Some officials charged with enacting the resolution say it would have little effect, but commissioner John Torbett, who introduced the measure, said it was necessary to protect taxpayers.

'Is it right for people that are not citizens of this country to receive tax dollars through services that have been paid for by people that are citizens of this country?' he said. 'If we can determine that taxpayer dollars in Gaston County are going to provide services for illegal residents, then we need to stop as much of that as humanly possible.'

Critics say the resolution only encourages hysteria over the immigration issue."

Democrats to 'revisit' law creating border fence

"Democrats will look again at the legislation mandating 698 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border and might seek to scrap the plan altogether when they take control of Congress next year.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi Democrat, told reporters this week that he expected to 'revisit' the issue when he becomes chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee in the 110th Congress.

Mr. Thompson said the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) new border enforcement program, known as the Secure Border Initiative or SBI Net -- which includes monitors, cameras and other integrated surveillance systems -- is a viable alternative to fencing.

'We might do away with it, or look at [integrating it into] SBI Net,' he said. 'A virtual fence rather than a real one.'

President Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff have voiced similar concerns about building the fence."

Illegal who 'slew actress' hid in N.Y. dungeon lair

"The 19-year-old illegal alien accused of slaying New York actress Adrienne Shelly for fear of deportation lived in a dungeon-like lair, hiding with his unlawful-immigrant relatives.

Diego Pillco, originally from Ecuador, is accused of killing independent-film actress Adrienne Shelly, who police say he hanged over her shower rod after knocking her on the head."

Rosie O'Donnell: Don't fear terrorists

'You can walk through life believing in the goodness of the world, or walk through afraid of anyone who thinks different than you'.

"TV host Rosie O'Donnell says there's no reason for Americans to fear terrorists because they are just moms and dads like us."

Terrorists announce plans to attack U.S.

JERUSALEM – "Four terror groups here, including militants from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, which the U.S. considers moderate, warned today America is now officially a target for attacks both in the region and abroad."

Pelosi's constituents demand impeachment

Impeachment of Bush and Cheney would set up Pelosi as President.

Saturday, November 18, 2006