How Long And How Many?
You don't often hear any Congressmen or Senators demanding answers on how long the duration or how great the number of troops will be required in Bosnia, South Korea, or Germany. But you hear little other than those questions when the subject of Iraq comes up.

By Hugh Hewitt

Churches have no business harboring illegals
What happens when a criminal who seeks and receives sanctuary in a church in order to escape prosecution eventually leaves the church?

By Mike Gallagher

HUGO WANTS TO BE A DICTATOR - OFFICIALLY

Chavez Calls for an End to Term Limits
(CNSNews.com) - On the third anniversary of a recall attempt to oust Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the leader proposed several changes to his nation’s constitution, including a measure to eliminate term limits...

Dems Discredit the Troop Surge Report Before It Appears
Democrats already are questioning the truthfulness of an upcoming report from Gen. David Petraeus on the progress of President Bush’s troop surge strategy in Iraq...

Media Criticism of Murdoch Almost Killed Wall Street Journal Bid

CBS Blames Recently Bankrupt Airline for Being Stingy

Ups and Downs on Wall Street Send Journalists Panicking

The media worried about “Armageddon,” “recession” and market “crashing” last week in reporting on the “credit crunch” and mortgage defaults. CNBC’s Jim Cramer ranted that the Fed needed to cut interest rates and NBC’s Meredith Vieira asked if “Black Monday” was coming. It was a bumpy ride for viewers, too – hearing hype from one journalist and then a rational perspective from another. Read on.

From the Business Media Institute.

Rove Will Be Missed

By Hugh Hewitt

Karl Rove is many things to many people, but to any fair observer of American politics, he is a presidential aide with a unique and lasting role in history. As Newsweek's Jonathan Alter put it to me--and Alter is a man of the left--Rove is probably the most powerful presidential aide in history given his combination of influence and longevity.

What has often been overlooked in the explosion of Rove-related commentary surrounding Rove's announcement of his pending resignation is that the president's trusted aide is not only admired for his genius within the White House, but also greatly loved by staff and colleagues for his energy, his good humor and his kind-hearted approach to the people working for and near him.

Rove is widely feared and loathed on the left and in much of the media, but he is at heart a happy warrior, and his brilliance and capacity will be greatly missed in the final 18 months of the Bush presidency.

"In America, no other distinction between man and man had ever
been known but that of persons in office exercising powers by
authority of the laws, and private individuals. Among these last,
the poorest laborer stood on equal ground with the wealthiest
millionaire, and generally on a more favored one whenever their
rights seem to jar."

-- Thomas Jefferson --

"The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is
not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force
of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny
commence. If `Thou shalt not covet' and `Thou shalt not steal'
were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable
precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free."


-- John Adams --

WORKER’S WOES IN IRAN

"Mansour Osanloo, who heads the Tehran bus workers' union, was thrown into the infamous Evin prison for the third time last month, after a highly successful European trip on which he tried to inform his Western trade-union brothers of the mounting repression against Iranian workers.

During his previous incarcerations, Osanloo had been brutally tortured. Films were distributed showing bruises on his body, and his tongue had been slit.

One of Osanloo's fellow union organizers, Mahmoud Salehi of the Saqez Bakery Workers' Association, has been jailed in the city of Sanandaj (Kurdistan Province), where he is said to be in serious medical difficulties.

The International Trade Union Confederation and the International Transport Workers' Federation have appropriately called for pickets, protests, and letter-writing campaigns demanding the release of these two brave men.

So far as I know, no labor union is planning to demonstrate for them in this country, and certainly the American government has not said a word on their behalf."

-- Michael Ledeen

Tis a good thing Bush isn't president of Iran, then things would really be bad over there.

MEXICO'S DRUG PROBLEM

Ralph Peters writes, " Imagine if our country were so ravaged by drug cartels that the president sent the military into a third of the states to break the terror. That's where Mexico is today. We all pay the price."

In his piece entitled, 'THE IMPORTANCE OF HELPING MEXICO' he informs us that:

Narcotraficante infighting took over 3,000 lives in Mexico last year as the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels struggled for turf. With government officials and police officers facing the old choice of "silver or lead," out-of-control corruption plagued the country.

Entire states fell under the influence of the drug lords. Narco-violence spread to previously safe regions, such as Monterrey - the most prosperous city between the Amazon and the Rio Grande. By late 2006, Mexico faced its gravest internal crisis since the Revolution of 1910.

In response, Mexicans elected a tough president, Felipe Calderon. And President Calderon took action, ordering the army into nine states and deploying troops to cities such as Tijuana and the run-down resort of Acapulco.

But the drug lords are fighting back. Today, the level of violence transcends mere crime. Mexico faces a narco-insurrection. And its government needs help.

You can read more here...

All the more reason we need to control our borders.

UPON WHOM CAN WE RELY?

“Today’s Democratic politicians flood the airwaves declaring that victory in Iraq and elsewhere in the ideological fight of our generation is impossible, they call for the immediate withdrawal of our troops which would eventuate a humanitarian and national security disaster, they sabotage our commander-in-chief at every turn, and they denounce American soldiers as war criminals. And this is for a war they voted for. The sad truth is that, since Vietnam, the only time the Left in this nation wins is when America loses. We are engaged in a generational war, an ideological struggle every bit as threatening as our challenges last century with fascism, Nazism and Communism. Can we rely on presidential candidates from the Left such as Barack Hussein Obama or Hillary Clinton? Not with the demonstrated and continued ignorance and irresponsible perspective of the Democrats. They are our enemies’ allies. Put on your flash goggles on America, the Democrats are coming.” —Buzz Patterson

GOOD SENSE

“We should always remember that our strength still lies in our faith in the good sense of the American people. And that the climate in Washington is still opposed to those enduring values, those ‘permanent things’ that we’ve always believed in... Washington is a place of fads and one-week stories. It’s also a company town, and the company’s name is government, big government... In the discussion of federal spending, the time has come to put to rest the sob sister attempts to portray our desire to get government spending under control as a hard-hearted attack on the poor people of America.” —Ronald Reagan

WHAT'S AT STAKE? FUNDING AND JOBS

“Global warming has become a big-ticket item in the eyes of its supporters. At stake are research funds, jobs and the ability to control lives all over the globe. Most climatologists agree that over the last century, the Earth’s average temperature has risen about one degree Celsius. The controversy centers around the source of the temperature change—manmade or natural causes. Global warming alarmists hold the view that it’s manmade emissions of CO2 that’s driving climate change, and they seek to suppress any dissent suggesting other causes... This kind of suppression of different ideas and dissent is simply the tip of a much larger iceberg that has many of its roots on today’s college campuses. Suppression of ideas is far more dangerous to our civilization than manmade global warming—real or imagined. Given the horrible history of brutal attempts to silence people who have different ideas or dissent from the conventional wisdom, those of us in the academic and scientific communities ought to openly repudiate and condemn the efforts to silence global warming skeptics. This is particularly so in light of the mounting evidence that manmade CO2 emissions have little or nothing to do with climate change.” —Walter Williams

HEALTHY WISCONSIN: ITS' TIME HAS COME

The time has come for Wisconsin to change its' mascot and its' image from the badger to the guinea pig.

“It’s time to amend the Wisconsin football song so we can cheer on the Badger State’s politicians as they move toward health-care socialism. The Wall Street Journal editorial-page editors are upset that Wisconsin’s state Senate passed ‘Healthy Wisconsin’, which will give health insurance to every person in the state. Of course, the Journal editors are right in saying that the plan is ‘openly hostile to market incentives that contain costs’ and that the ‘Cheesehead nation could expect to attract health-care free-riders while losing productive workers who leave for less-taxing climes.’... I say, let Wisconsin try it! Their suffering will be for the greater good... Wisconsin can show the other 49 states what ‘universal’ coverage is like. I feel bad for the people in Wisconsin. They already suffer from little job creation, and the Packers aren’t winning, but it’s better to experiment with one state than all of America.” —John Stossel

BORED WITH ITS' REAL PURPOSE, ELECTED OFFICIALS STRIVE 'TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE'

“Maintenance is necessary but boring, and since government is made up of human beings who abhor boredom, few elected officials or high-level managers are all that interested in this mundane task. Instead, they want to do big, exciting, bold new things—things they can claim for their own... No longer does government exist for the purposes of maintenance and upkeep. Instead, it is seen as a means—perhaps the only significant means—of healing social flaws and reweaving the social fabric. In the process, as the social scientist Nathan Glazer once said, we have become more interested in having government do the sorts of things nobody knows how to do (cure poverty) and less interested in ensuring that government master the sorts of technical tasks it used to do pretty well.” —John Podhoretz

GOVERNMENT CONTROL SELDOM WORKS

“[W]hy were housing prices going up so fast, in the first place? A number of studies of communities across the United States and in countries overseas turned up the same conclusion: Government restrictions on building. While many other factors can be involved—rising incomes, population growth, construction costs—a scrutiny of the times and places where housing prices doubled, tripled, or quadrupled within a decade shows that restrictions on building have been the key. Attractive and heady phrases like ‘open space,’ ‘smart growth’ and the like have accompanied land use restrictions that made the cost of land rise in many places to the point where it greatly exceeded the cost of the homes built on the land. In places that resisted this political rhetoric, home prices remained reasonable, despite rising incomes and population growth. Construction costs were seldom a major factor, for there was relatively little construction in places with severe building restrictions and skyrocketing home prices. In short, government has been the principal factor preventing the ‘affordable housing’ that politicians talk about so much.” —Thomas Sowell

HAVE WE LOST OUR WAY?

Henry Lamb writes:

“A substantial number of Americans, perhaps a majority, believe that government should dictate where people live, what their housing structures should look like, and how they should be constructed. They believe it is right for government to dictate what curriculum children should study in school. They believe it is right for government to dictate which land should be cultivated, and which land should not be touched by humans. They believe it is right for government to dictate the kind of automobiles that are available for people to purchase. Simply put, a substantial number of Americans believe it is right for government to dictate how people should live. They believe that government should ‘engineer’ society. How different is this modern attitude from the belief system that led Americans into war to defeat the Nazis’ efforts to engineer society. How different is this modern attitude from the belief system that led our founders to declare that the Creator, not government, endowed people with equal rights to ‘...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ How different is this modern attitude from the notion that legitimate government is empowered only by the consent of the governed. Society has been successfully engineered to believe that the goal is no longer freedom, but the control of government, which means the control of society, to fit the agenda of the controlling party. The idea of entering public service as an elected official in order to limit the power of government, and maximize the freedom of individual citizens, is an obsolete concept.”

Is he right? We do seem to have become overly dependent on government and want them to take care of us at every turn.

“To live in the presence of great truths and eternal laws, to be led by permanent ideals—that is what keeps a man patient when the world ignores him, and calm and unspoiled when the world praises him.”
-- Honore De Balzac --

“Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness.”
-- Samuel Adams --

Anti-Shari’a March Banned, But ‘Spontaneous’ Actions Likely
Activists in Denmark, Britain, Germany and elsewhere have been planning a peaceful demonstration outside the European Parliament in Brussels on the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, under the slogans, “Enough is enough -- no shari’a here -- Stop the Islamisation of Europe.” But late last week, the Brussels mayor banned the protest...

Academics Contribute Most to Obama

"Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama received about $1.5 million in contributions this year from college professors and others in the education field, outpacing the party's front-runner, Sen. Hillary Clinton, who got $940,000 from academics."

Republicans Warn of Tax-and-Spend Democrats

"Democrats view tax hikes as a 'quick fix to any and every problem, no matter how big or small,' and American taxpayers should worry about attacks on their wallets, Republican leaders are warning."

Agents to Patrol Border and Build Fence

"As if U.S. Border Patrol agents didn’t have enough on their hands, the agency is asking them to volunteer their help in building fences along the U.S.-Mexican border."

Disputes with FBI Impede Terrorism Probes

"WASHINGTON -- Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ignored or dropped leads and at times entire cases involving terrorist activities because of disputes with the FBI, says a report by federal officials released Monday."

DHS Granting Millions for Surveillance Cameras

"The Department of Homeland Security is handing over millions of dollars to local governments to buy high-tech surveillance camera networks to combat terrorism."

Analysis: Karl Rove's Timing Is Perfect

Karl Rove's decision to leave the White House at the end of the month makes perfect sense.

WEAK OR PROFITABLE? WE REPORT, YOU DECIDE

This should make the lefties happy:
*Stocks Mixed After Weak Wal-Mart Earns

But wait, maybe not:
*Wal-Mart Profit Jumps but Outlook Cut

US safety board, Mattel recall 9 million toys made in China
(AFP)

Mattel Recalling More Chinese-Made Toys
(AP)

Liberals Vow to Undo Changes to Terrorist Surveillance Law

But wait. I thought the Dems controlled both Houses. How come they allowed it to pass in the first place?

Robert Bluey's response to this is:

Democrat leaders in the House and Senate are invoking the threat of “Big Brother” in an attempt to undo the changes Congress made to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before leaving for August recess.

The modifications, which will expire in just six months, patched the so-called “terrorist loophole” in FISA that was hampering the intelligence community’s collection of information on terrorists in foreign countries. Intelligence agencies were spending critical time seeking court approval for surveillance of foreign persons outside the United States due to outdated provisions in FISA.

Because the new law is only a temporary fix, the Bush Administration could face a steep hurdle to make it permanent. Many of the moderate or Blue Dog Democrats who supported the changes will face pressure from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) when it comes to the floor next time.

Pelosi has already directed Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D.-Mich.) and Intelligence Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D.-Tex.) to draft a new version before the law expires. “Many provisions of this legislation are unacceptable, and, although the bill has a six month sunset clause, I do not believe the American people will want to wait that long before corrective action is taken,” she wrote in an Aug. 4 letter, shortly after the House vote.

We will see if she can strong arm the Blue Dog Dems to accept her vision. Read more from Robert Bluey.

Christianity Sucks and Islam is Awesome?
By Doug Giles

"Man, don’t cha love how mainstream media and their soft-brain disciples make Christians out to be fish-stickered, bug-eyed equals to incensed Islam? If you were to accept as true what some atheists, secularists and prattling gay activists say about Christians, you’d think the church is chomping at the bit to chop off some heads of unbelievers, glory to Gawd! Yep, if you were to believe the barf belched out by the BS brokers on the Left, you’d stagger away Kool Aid drunk with the belief that there is little disparity between conservative Christians and militant Muslims."

Is The "M" Word The Same As The "C" Word?

Tolerance is NOT the same as acceptance.

Austin Hill discusses the most recent "debate" between theDemocrat presidential hopefuls and their reluctance to talk about gay marriage, but preferred to use the terms 'civil unions', and 'legal rights' instead.

He writes:

Bottom line: Americans believe that a “marriage” is, necessarily, a relationship between one man and one woman. And however tolerant or accepting our culture has become of homosexuals and homosexual couples, at this point in time we simply aren’t ready to change the definition of marriage.

Read the rest of his column here.