Self-righteous liberals
We were in the People’s Republic of Madison over the weekend, and stopped for breakfast at a Cracker Barrel. In their gift shop, they had a fan-type thing for kids of “Presidents of the US” with a spoke for each president. We noticed some self-righteous liberal had torn out George W. Bush. I wasn’t a big Bush fan, and even less of a fan of Obama or Clinton, but as a conservative, I don’t think my political disagreements give me the right to destroy a business’s property to express my displeasure. Typical of the left—their feelings take precedence over other people’s property rights. Like keying our car when it had a Bush sticker, or stealing Bush lawn signs and burning swastikas in the grass with weed killer—also from Madison in 2004.
ObamaCare is getting scary. The New York Times to the rescue!
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/stephaniegutmann/100002964/obamacare-is-getting-scary-the-new-york-times-to-the-rescue/
Excerpt: One of the worst culprits is America’s “physician culture” in which “meticulousness, not effectiveness, is rewarded” and there is “a unique understanding of professional obligations, specifically, the Hippocratic Oath’s admonition to ‘use my power to help the sick to the best of my ability and judgment’.” The problem here is that American doctors understand the oath “as an imperative to do everything for the patient regardless of cost or effect on others” thereby avoiding the inevitable movement toward “socially sustainable, cost-effective care”.
D.C. Council wants vouchers
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124743971109829635.html
So why do Democrats fight the program? Easy. It gets them teacher’s union votes AND keeps poor black kids poor, thus dependent on the government, thus voting Democrat. It’s a win-win for everyone—except the poor black kids, and who cares about them?
Limited ChoicesCan you get what you need in a government-run health-insurance market?
By Regina Herzlinger, PhD.
http://article.nationalreview.com/print/?q=ZDEwYjA4YjY3NDE4OTEyOTA1OWJmNjc2YWNiYTVlMzc
Dr. Herzlinger, from Harvard, is considered one of the leading experts on health care reform. I’m scheduled to be at a conference in November where she is the Keynote Speaker.
LAPD's Public Database Omits Nearly 40% of This Year's Crimes
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18194
If we don’t report it, it didn’t happen.
The Cost of Health Care Reform
http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/tanstaafl/#more-4238
But isn’t government cost-efficient?
CIA Had Program to Kill Al-Qaeda Leaders
Agency Didn't Tell Congress About Bush-Era Plan to Use Assassins
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/13/AR2009071302589.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter
Amazing. They were going to kill the people who are trying to kill us, without even reading them their Miranda rights! And they didn’t tell Congress? Wonder why? Maybe because Congress has a history of putting Americans at risk by blabbing about security issues, if it will get them some press?
Obama Plans Cash Infusion for Community Colleges
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/14/AR2009071400819.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter
Money! Money! Free Money! Step right up and get some free money! You, Sir, wouldn’t you like some free money? What’s that? You’re a taxpayer with a job? Oh, sorry—you provide the free money we are passing out.
Scapegoats in White Coats: Doctors are not to Blame for the High Cost of Medical Services
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18197
Got to blame someone.
Private Schooling for The Poor
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18199
Parents want what government can’t provide—worldwide.
People with too much time on their hands
Query from a reporter: Looking for New Yorkers playing "The Lying Down Game" -- the quirky internet sensation where people photograph themselves lying facedown in bizarre locations. If you or someone you know is playing this, I would love to talk to you and see some of your best shots. Looking to write a story ASAP so I look forward to chatting at your earliest convenience.
Sotomayor Attempts to Explain Racist "Wise Latina" Remarks
Update: Dems Misstate Sotomayor's Horrid Record
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/07/sotomayor-attempts-to-explain-racist.html
What’s the big deal. She has the essential qualification to be a judge, just as Roland Burris had the essential qualification to be seated in the US Senate, despite vows they wouldn’t seat anyone Blagojevich appointed. They both come from politically correct ethnic groups, and that’s all that matters, really. Qualifications are so last century.
The 'Cap And Tax' Dead End
By Sarah Palin
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/13/AR2009071302852.html
I’d still vote for her for President over BO.
The Pentagon's Wasting Assets
The Eroding Foundations of American Power
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65150/andrew-f-krepinevich-jr/the-pentagons-wasting-assets
This is long, important and scary—as if there weren’t enough things to scare you in today’s world.
A Personal Inequity
by Thomas Sowell
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/07/14/a_personal_inequity
Equality of opportunity does not guarantee equality of outcome, as the left wants.
Five Criticisms of George Bush That Could Be Better Applied to Barack Obama
http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnHawkins/2009/07/14/five_criticisms_of_george_bush_that_could_be_better_applied_to_barack_obama
My new slogan: Obama lied and the economy died!
Africa vs. the Arab World
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0709/bayefsky071309.php3
Aren’t double standards…racist?
BOOK REVIEW: Vietnam War's true victory
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/13/vietnam-wars-true-victory/
How Congress lost the Vietnam War.
The Balloon Deflates
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/711jfhea.asp
Excerpt: Gallup reports, "Thus far in 2009, 40 percent of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35 percent as moderate, and 21 percent as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in 2004." This despite two decisive Democratic election victories in the intervening years. Gallup also reported that 39 percent of Americans say their political views have become more conservative in recent years. Only 18 percent say they've grown more liberal. Similarly, a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll had Americans favoring smaller government with fewer services to a larger government with more services by 54 to 41 percent--a slightly more conservative result than in 2004. As Michael Barone summarizes the situation, "Americans seem to be recoiling against big government when it threatens to become a reality rather than a campaign promise."
Sotomayor and ACORN joined at the hip
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/07/sotomayor_and_acorn_joined_at.html
Surprise, surprise, surprise.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Bob's Political Digest July 13, 2009
I’m in Madison for some medical tests on the 13th, but have been sent a few interesting items.
Naval Academy Student Charged for Smuggling Pot Across Border
www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-navy-officer-pot-charges,0,1711283.story
Maybe he’ll get a judge with “empathy.”
The County and the School of Hate
http://townhall.com/columnists/DavidRStokes/2009/07/12/the_county_and_the_school_of_hate
Using our freedom to destroy our freedom
It's Getting Cold Out There
http://townhall.com/columnists/DebraJSaunders/2009/07/12/its_getting_cold_out_there
But they have faith, which is all that matters
Looking down on Palin
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090711/COLUMNIST14/907110341/-1/NEWS02
When Democrat governors quit mid-term, they get praised
Murder Map of NYC
http://projects.nytimes.com/crime/homicides/map?ref=nyregion
Safer in Baghdad. Of course, there were six murders over the 4th of July weekend in the Chicago area where I live, but thankfully, mostly on BO’s side of town.
Polar bear expert barred by global warmists
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/5664069/Polar-bear-expert-barred-by-global-warmists.html
Can’t recall if I ran this one. Sorry if this is twice. But isn’t this the administration that’s going to trust scientists? (Unless they don’t agree with BO of course.)
The EPA Silences a Climate Skeptic
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124657655235589119.html
Guess not.
Chicago schools report says Obama misled public about Duncan
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-07-12-chicagoschools13_N.htm?csp=24&RM
From a friend: Omigod! An article directly critical of The One in USA TODAY? Now this is truly a shocker. (But I am adjusting to the trauma and am OK with it now.) Dare we to hope that this will be the beginning of more enlightenment for the masses? –Del
(Just the usual liberal approach. Lower the standards, claim success and at the same time keep minorities poor & dependent on the government, thus voting Democrat. ~Bob)
Naval Academy Student Charged for Smuggling Pot Across Border
www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-navy-officer-pot-charges,0,1711283.story
Maybe he’ll get a judge with “empathy.”
The County and the School of Hate
http://townhall.com/columnists/DavidRStokes/2009/07/12/the_county_and_the_school_of_hate
Using our freedom to destroy our freedom
It's Getting Cold Out There
http://townhall.com/columnists/DebraJSaunders/2009/07/12/its_getting_cold_out_there
But they have faith, which is all that matters
Looking down on Palin
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090711/COLUMNIST14/907110341/-1/NEWS02
When Democrat governors quit mid-term, they get praised
Murder Map of NYC
http://projects.nytimes.com/crime/homicides/map?ref=nyregion
Safer in Baghdad. Of course, there were six murders over the 4th of July weekend in the Chicago area where I live, but thankfully, mostly on BO’s side of town.
Polar bear expert barred by global warmists
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/5664069/Polar-bear-expert-barred-by-global-warmists.html
Can’t recall if I ran this one. Sorry if this is twice. But isn’t this the administration that’s going to trust scientists? (Unless they don’t agree with BO of course.)
The EPA Silences a Climate Skeptic
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124657655235589119.html
Guess not.
Chicago schools report says Obama misled public about Duncan
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-07-12-chicagoschools13_N.htm?csp=24&RM
From a friend: Omigod! An article directly critical of The One in USA TODAY? Now this is truly a shocker. (But I am adjusting to the trauma and am OK with it now.) Dare we to hope that this will be the beginning of more enlightenment for the masses? –Del
(Just the usual liberal approach. Lower the standards, claim success and at the same time keep minorities poor & dependent on the government, thus voting Democrat. ~Bob)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Bob's Political Digest July 12, 2009
I’m out of town. But got to a computer and was sent some interesting things by my faithful correspondents.
Sarah 'Barracuda' Palin and the Piranhas of the Press
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/07/08/sarah-barracuda-palin-and-the-piranhas-of-the-press/
Good article on the press
Funny parody on Gov. Sanford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAFeLTchV8c&feature=email
Feds put limits on immigrant sweeps
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/07/11/20090711iceagreements0711.html What part of illegal don’t they get?
Cap & Trade will give the Govt. control of your house?
www.americanissuesproject.org/blogs/aip/archive/2009/07/08/if-you-don-t-hate-the-cap-and-trade-bill-let-me-show-you-section-304.aspx
Property rights? Not when your property belongs to the people!
Pelosi's mouse slated for $30M slice of cheese
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/12/earmark-less-bill-gives-pelosis-mouse-cookie/
Can’t be true. BO’s against earmarks.
Death of an old soldier
http://www.tricities.com/tri/news/local/article/band_of_brothers_hero_darrell_swifty_powers_dies/25556/
We're hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services.
I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell "Shifty" Powers.
Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you've seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.
I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle", the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat.
Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made.
Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 . . . " at which point my heart skipped.
At that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . . do you know where Normandy is?" At this point my heart stopped.
I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was, and I know what D-Day was. At that point he said "I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem." I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day.
I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said "Yes. And it's real sad because these days so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.
I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach, while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I'd take his in coach.
He said "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and still care is enough to make an old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.
Shifty died on June 17 after fighting cancer.
There was no parade.
No big event in Staples Center.
No wall to wall back to back 24x7 news coverage.
No weeping fans on television.
And that's not right.
Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Especially to the veterans.
Rest in peace, Shifty.
"A nation without heroes is nothing."
Roberto Clemente
Sarah 'Barracuda' Palin and the Piranhas of the Press
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/07/08/sarah-barracuda-palin-and-the-piranhas-of-the-press/
Good article on the press
Funny parody on Gov. Sanford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAFeLTchV8c&feature=email
Feds put limits on immigrant sweeps
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/07/11/20090711iceagreements0711.html What part of illegal don’t they get?
Cap & Trade will give the Govt. control of your house?
www.americanissuesproject.org/blogs/aip/archive/2009/07/08/if-you-don-t-hate-the-cap-and-trade-bill-let-me-show-you-section-304.aspx
Property rights? Not when your property belongs to the people!
Pelosi's mouse slated for $30M slice of cheese
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/12/earmark-less-bill-gives-pelosis-mouse-cookie/
Can’t be true. BO’s against earmarks.
Death of an old soldier
http://www.tricities.com/tri/news/local/article/band_of_brothers_hero_darrell_swifty_powers_dies/25556/
We're hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services.
I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell "Shifty" Powers.
Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you've seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.
I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle", the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat.
Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made.
Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 . . . " at which point my heart skipped.
At that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . . do you know where Normandy is?" At this point my heart stopped.
I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was, and I know what D-Day was. At that point he said "I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem." I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day.
I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said "Yes. And it's real sad because these days so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.
I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach, while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I'd take his in coach.
He said "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and still care is enough to make an old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.
Shifty died on June 17 after fighting cancer.
There was no parade.
No big event in Staples Center.
No wall to wall back to back 24x7 news coverage.
No weeping fans on television.
And that's not right.
Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Especially to the veterans.
Rest in peace, Shifty.
"A nation without heroes is nothing."
Roberto Clemente
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Political Digest July 11, 2009
Probably be off line traveling for a few days. ~Bob
Ginsburg: I thought Roe was to rid undesirablesJustice discusses 'growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of'
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=103457
Ginsburg: “Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion.” (Ja, ve vill get rid of the undesirables!)
Congress Targets Wealthiest Earners for Health Reform Funds
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/09/AR2009070902907.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter
in 2006, according to the IRS, the top 5% of wage earners—those making over $153,000—paid 60% of the income taxes. The bottom 50% paid 3% of the total tax bill. Maryland put in a special tax on millionaires—and discovered the next year that a lot of millionaires were no longer paying taxes in Maryland! The more the “rich” pay in taxes, the less the spend in the economy, the less they invest in companies that create jobs.
The Most Important Number in Politics Today
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/most-important-number/the-most-important-number-in-p-9.html?wprss=thefix
Excerpt: 45: That's the percentage of voters who believe that President Obama lacks a "clear plan for solving this country's problems" in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll. (Ah, give the guy a break. He’s got a plan. Change & Hope. Hope & Change. Who could want a better plan than that?)
HEALTH CARE: COMPETITION, NOT GOVERNMENT CONTROL
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18185
But government is all wise, efficient and non-political!
WHAT'S THE USE OF A SECOND STIMULUS WHEN SO LITTLE IS BEING SPENT FROM THE FIRST?
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18187
Why, to buy votes, of course!
The Expanding Fed Role
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10337
Excerpt: Once excess inventories are worked off and global commodity prices begin to rise again, inflation fears will come back quickly and people will rush to get rid of their dollars by buying "stuff." Unless the Fed can quickly extinguish all of the new money it has created, inflation will come roaring back. (Why we just bought a condo. Being debt-free isn’t good if there is inflation making your money worth less.)
Billions in Stimulus Aid Went to Obama-Supporting Counties
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/07/shocker-billions-in-stimulus-aid-went.html
The reports show the 872 counties that supported Obama received about $69 per person, on average. The 2,234 that supported McCain received about $34. Buying votes with our money—who would have guessed?
Obama’s White House is Falling Down
http://www.thecanadianpress.com/about_cp.aspx?id=104
The view from Canada.
Marines' beasts of burden are again leading the pack
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-donkeys7-2009jul07,0,3448109.story
Democrats may not be much on joining the military to defend the values they talk about, but at least they are contributing their party’s symbol to the fight.
Obamanomics Supporters - Cracks in the Dike
http://townhall.com/columnists/LarryElder/2009/07/09/obamanomics_supporters_-_cracks_in_the_dike?page=full&comments=true
Cool-Aid starting to taste bad to a few.
What if Palin Were President?
http://townhall.com/columnists/DavidHarsanyi/2009/07/10/what_if_palin_were_president
Funny stuff
Administration Considers Bailout Funds for Small Businesses
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/10/AR2009071003206.html
Free money for everyone! No wonder my step-daughter voted for BO. If you make mistakes, someone else should have to pay for them, not you!
Top Corps Recruiter Getting More Selective
http://www.military.com/news/article/June-2009/top-corps-recruiter-getting-more-selective.html
Check out the general. Here’s an Hispanic female I’d support for the Court!
Nice story from a Marine buddy
Last night I was flipping channels (it's a guy thing, ya know?) and came across a program about what happens to people who win big in lotteries. One section of it, of which I had previously heard, caught my attention.
8 workers at a plant in Nebraska went in together on a lottery ticket. They won $22.1MM each. They quickly got themselves an attorney to help them figure out how to best handle the money and their fame, etc. Very common sense, oldfashioned Yankee pragmatism.
But past that.... 3 of them were refugees in this country, 2 from Viet Nam, 1 from some other place not identified. When one of the VN men was asked if he would now go back to Viet Nam where he would be rich beyond measure, he said no, he would stay here, where he is free. He then bought a new car, not too flashy, and a bigger house in the town where he already lived. He and the other VN sent money back for their families still there, and to refurbish the graves of their grandparents.
All 3 of them subsequently visited the homeless shelter of their town and contributed an unknown but apparently significant amount of money to help people there.
Meanwhile, several of the 8 continued to clock in at work, not because they particularly wanted to keep working, but because if they all quit at once it would have hurt the company's operations and made life more difficult for those still working.
These people represent the best of American traditions, both for native and foreign born Americans, and I think we can all be proud of them. It is people like them who are the bedrock of this nation, not the super-rich bank execs or the Hollywood hotshots or the intellectual elite. Thank God for them. –Del
Good e-mail going around:
Dear Folks:
This will probably not come across as politically correct, but please indulge this reflection from a grateful Blue Star Mom.....
June 25- Michael Jackson, gifted musician and songwriter, died in Los Angeles, California
June 25- 1st Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 501st Army Airborne Regiment, died in Afghanistan
June 26- Pvt. 1st Class Peter K. Cross, US Army 10th Mountain Division, died in Afghanistan
June 28- Pvt. Steven T. Drees, US Army 4th Infantry Division, died in Afghanistan
June 28- Staff Sgt. Timothy A. David, US Army 1st Cavalry Division, died in Iraq
June 29- Sgt. Edward C. Kramer, 120th Combined Arms, North Carolina National Guard, died in Iraq
June 29- Sgt. Roger L Adams, Jr., 120th Combined Arms, North Carolina National Guard, died in Iraq
June 29- Sgt. Juan Baldeosingh, 120th Combined Arms, North Carolina National Guard, died in Iraq
June 29- Spc. Robert L. Bittiker, 120th Combined Arms, North Carolina National Guard, died in Iraq
June 29- Sgt. Terry Lynch, US Army 10th Mountain Division, died in Afghanistan
July 1- Trooper Joshua Hammond, 2nd Royal Tank Division, British Army
July 1- Lt. Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, 1st Batal\lion Welsh Guards
July 2- Lance Corporal Charles S. Sharp, 2nd Battalion/2nd Division US Marines, died in Afghanistan
July 3- Corporal Nicholas Bulger, 3rd Battalion, Canadian Army, died in Afghanistan
July 4- Pvt. 1st Class Justin A. Casillas, 509th Army Airborne Regiment, died in Afghanistan
July 4- Pvt. 1st Class Aaron Fairbairn, 509th Army Airborne Regiment, died in Afghanistan
July 4- Master Corporal Charles-Phillipe Michaud, 2nd Battalion, Canadian Army, died in Afghanistan
July 5- Lance Corporal Dennis David, The Light Dragoons, British Army, died in Afghanistan
July 5- Private Robert Laws, 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment, British Army, died in Afghanistan
July 5- Lance Corporal Dane Elson, 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Petty Officer 2nd Class, Tony Michael Randolph, CSTC, US Navy, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Pvt. 1st Class Nicholas Gideon, US Army, died in Afghanistan
July 6- unidentified soldier, pending notification of next of kin, US Army, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Spec. Issac L. Johnson, US Army National Guard, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Spec. Chester Hosford, US Army National Guard, 33rd Infantry Brigade, died in Afghanistan
July 6- 2nd Lt. Derwin Williams, US Army National Guard, 33rd Infantry Brigade, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Captain Ben Babington-Browne, 22nd Engineering Regiment, British Army, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Master Corporal Martin Joannette, 3rd Battalion, Canadian Army, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Spec. Christopher Talbert, US Army National Guard, died in Afghanistan
July 7- , unidentified soldier, pending notification of next of kin, The Light Dragoons, British Army, died in Afghanistan
July 8- unidentified soldier, pending notification of next of kin, US Army, died in Afghanistan
This list is accurate as of 8 p.m. CST, July 8, 2009.
I just wanted to share their names and units with you. These guys probably will not get a world wide televised memorial service. But, we can take a moment to remember them. Please join me in a prayer for comfort and peace for their grieving families. Feel free to pass this on.
Mary Duty, President
Heart of Texas Chapter
Blue Star Mothers of America
Ginsburg: I thought Roe was to rid undesirablesJustice discusses 'growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of'
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=103457
Ginsburg: “Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion.” (Ja, ve vill get rid of the undesirables!)
Congress Targets Wealthiest Earners for Health Reform Funds
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/09/AR2009070902907.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter
in 2006, according to the IRS, the top 5% of wage earners—those making over $153,000—paid 60% of the income taxes. The bottom 50% paid 3% of the total tax bill. Maryland put in a special tax on millionaires—and discovered the next year that a lot of millionaires were no longer paying taxes in Maryland! The more the “rich” pay in taxes, the less the spend in the economy, the less they invest in companies that create jobs.
The Most Important Number in Politics Today
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/most-important-number/the-most-important-number-in-p-9.html?wprss=thefix
Excerpt: 45: That's the percentage of voters who believe that President Obama lacks a "clear plan for solving this country's problems" in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll. (Ah, give the guy a break. He’s got a plan. Change & Hope. Hope & Change. Who could want a better plan than that?)
HEALTH CARE: COMPETITION, NOT GOVERNMENT CONTROL
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18185
But government is all wise, efficient and non-political!
WHAT'S THE USE OF A SECOND STIMULUS WHEN SO LITTLE IS BEING SPENT FROM THE FIRST?
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18187
Why, to buy votes, of course!
The Expanding Fed Role
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10337
Excerpt: Once excess inventories are worked off and global commodity prices begin to rise again, inflation fears will come back quickly and people will rush to get rid of their dollars by buying "stuff." Unless the Fed can quickly extinguish all of the new money it has created, inflation will come roaring back. (Why we just bought a condo. Being debt-free isn’t good if there is inflation making your money worth less.)
Billions in Stimulus Aid Went to Obama-Supporting Counties
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/07/shocker-billions-in-stimulus-aid-went.html
The reports show the 872 counties that supported Obama received about $69 per person, on average. The 2,234 that supported McCain received about $34. Buying votes with our money—who would have guessed?
Obama’s White House is Falling Down
http://www.thecanadianpress.com/about_cp.aspx?id=104
The view from Canada.
Marines' beasts of burden are again leading the pack
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-donkeys7-2009jul07,0,3448109.story
Democrats may not be much on joining the military to defend the values they talk about, but at least they are contributing their party’s symbol to the fight.
Obamanomics Supporters - Cracks in the Dike
http://townhall.com/columnists/LarryElder/2009/07/09/obamanomics_supporters_-_cracks_in_the_dike?page=full&comments=true
Cool-Aid starting to taste bad to a few.
What if Palin Were President?
http://townhall.com/columnists/DavidHarsanyi/2009/07/10/what_if_palin_were_president
Funny stuff
Administration Considers Bailout Funds for Small Businesses
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/10/AR2009071003206.html
Free money for everyone! No wonder my step-daughter voted for BO. If you make mistakes, someone else should have to pay for them, not you!
Top Corps Recruiter Getting More Selective
http://www.military.com/news/article/June-2009/top-corps-recruiter-getting-more-selective.html
Check out the general. Here’s an Hispanic female I’d support for the Court!
Nice story from a Marine buddy
Last night I was flipping channels (it's a guy thing, ya know?) and came across a program about what happens to people who win big in lotteries. One section of it, of which I had previously heard, caught my attention.
8 workers at a plant in Nebraska went in together on a lottery ticket. They won $22.1MM each. They quickly got themselves an attorney to help them figure out how to best handle the money and their fame, etc. Very common sense, oldfashioned Yankee pragmatism.
But past that.... 3 of them were refugees in this country, 2 from Viet Nam, 1 from some other place not identified. When one of the VN men was asked if he would now go back to Viet Nam where he would be rich beyond measure, he said no, he would stay here, where he is free. He then bought a new car, not too flashy, and a bigger house in the town where he already lived. He and the other VN sent money back for their families still there, and to refurbish the graves of their grandparents.
All 3 of them subsequently visited the homeless shelter of their town and contributed an unknown but apparently significant amount of money to help people there.
Meanwhile, several of the 8 continued to clock in at work, not because they particularly wanted to keep working, but because if they all quit at once it would have hurt the company's operations and made life more difficult for those still working.
These people represent the best of American traditions, both for native and foreign born Americans, and I think we can all be proud of them. It is people like them who are the bedrock of this nation, not the super-rich bank execs or the Hollywood hotshots or the intellectual elite. Thank God for them. –Del
Good e-mail going around:
Dear Folks:
This will probably not come across as politically correct, but please indulge this reflection from a grateful Blue Star Mom.....
June 25- Michael Jackson, gifted musician and songwriter, died in Los Angeles, California
June 25- 1st Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 501st Army Airborne Regiment, died in Afghanistan
June 26- Pvt. 1st Class Peter K. Cross, US Army 10th Mountain Division, died in Afghanistan
June 28- Pvt. Steven T. Drees, US Army 4th Infantry Division, died in Afghanistan
June 28- Staff Sgt. Timothy A. David, US Army 1st Cavalry Division, died in Iraq
June 29- Sgt. Edward C. Kramer, 120th Combined Arms, North Carolina National Guard, died in Iraq
June 29- Sgt. Roger L Adams, Jr., 120th Combined Arms, North Carolina National Guard, died in Iraq
June 29- Sgt. Juan Baldeosingh, 120th Combined Arms, North Carolina National Guard, died in Iraq
June 29- Spc. Robert L. Bittiker, 120th Combined Arms, North Carolina National Guard, died in Iraq
June 29- Sgt. Terry Lynch, US Army 10th Mountain Division, died in Afghanistan
July 1- Trooper Joshua Hammond, 2nd Royal Tank Division, British Army
July 1- Lt. Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, 1st Batal\lion Welsh Guards
July 2- Lance Corporal Charles S. Sharp, 2nd Battalion/2nd Division US Marines, died in Afghanistan
July 3- Corporal Nicholas Bulger, 3rd Battalion, Canadian Army, died in Afghanistan
July 4- Pvt. 1st Class Justin A. Casillas, 509th Army Airborne Regiment, died in Afghanistan
July 4- Pvt. 1st Class Aaron Fairbairn, 509th Army Airborne Regiment, died in Afghanistan
July 4- Master Corporal Charles-Phillipe Michaud, 2nd Battalion, Canadian Army, died in Afghanistan
July 5- Lance Corporal Dennis David, The Light Dragoons, British Army, died in Afghanistan
July 5- Private Robert Laws, 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment, British Army, died in Afghanistan
July 5- Lance Corporal Dane Elson, 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Petty Officer 2nd Class, Tony Michael Randolph, CSTC, US Navy, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Pvt. 1st Class Nicholas Gideon, US Army, died in Afghanistan
July 6- unidentified soldier, pending notification of next of kin, US Army, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Spec. Issac L. Johnson, US Army National Guard, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Spec. Chester Hosford, US Army National Guard, 33rd Infantry Brigade, died in Afghanistan
July 6- 2nd Lt. Derwin Williams, US Army National Guard, 33rd Infantry Brigade, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Captain Ben Babington-Browne, 22nd Engineering Regiment, British Army, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Master Corporal Martin Joannette, 3rd Battalion, Canadian Army, died in Afghanistan
July 6- Spec. Christopher Talbert, US Army National Guard, died in Afghanistan
July 7- , unidentified soldier, pending notification of next of kin, The Light Dragoons, British Army, died in Afghanistan
July 8- unidentified soldier, pending notification of next of kin, US Army, died in Afghanistan
This list is accurate as of 8 p.m. CST, July 8, 2009.
I just wanted to share their names and units with you. These guys probably will not get a world wide televised memorial service. But, we can take a moment to remember them. Please join me in a prayer for comfort and peace for their grieving families. Feel free to pass this on.
Mary Duty, President
Heart of Texas Chapter
Blue Star Mothers of America
Friday, July 10, 2009
Bob's Political Digest July 10, 2009
Uncommon Detail Marks Rulings by Sotomayor
She Almost Oversteps Her Role, Experts Say
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/08/AR2009070804211.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Excerpt: "It seems an odd use of judicial time, given the very heavy caseload in the 2nd Circuit, to spend endless hours delving into the minutiae of the record," said Arthur Hellman, a University of Pittsburgh law professor and an authority on federal courts.
Senate Democrats Still Seeking GOP Support
Balance of Power Not Changed Much by Supermajority
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/08/AR2009070803884.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Excerpt: Democrats have a large enough majority to pass bills without any GOP support, but they are grappling with internal divisions on key issues such as health care, climate change and union organizing. In addition, caucus leaders and President Obama would like at least some Republican backing on key measures so they can say they are enacting a bipartisan agenda, which then-Sen. Obama made a cornerstone of his 2008 campaign.
Discord on Health Care Dulls Luster of New Pacts
Allies Sour on Effort as Obama Woos Industry
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/08/AR2009070803884.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Excerpt: The Obama administration, hoping to boost its health-care reform effort with financial concessions from the hospital and pharmaceutical industries, is instead confronting deep dissension on several fronts within Democratic ranks and possible defections among key constituencies.
Oil From Stone: Securing America's Energy Future
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18180
Energy Independence? Nah. We’d rather fund regimes that fund terrorists.
So Much for 'Energy Independence'
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124693284425203789.html
Energy Independence? Nah. We’d rather fund regimes that fund terrorists.
Excerpt: The U.S. gets about 98 times as much energy from natural gas and oil as it does from ethanol and biofuels. And measured on a per-unit-of-energy basis, Congress lavishes ethanol and biofuels with subsidies that are 190 times as large as those given to oil and gas.
Videos: Getting it clear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgN1_6tUd7U
Motivating
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFeHoMhuz7A&feature=related
Islamists Sabotage Assimilation of Somali-Americans
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/islamists-sabotage-assimilation-of-somali-americans/
The Jihad next door.
Forgetting Sarah Palin
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=32635
Maybe the economy is all her fault? Yeah, that’s it. Alert the media!
DeMint Amendment to Audit Federal Reserve Blocked by Senate Leadership
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tRQHsXujpo&feature=player_embedded
Transparency? We don’t need no stinkin’ transparency!
Quote:
I'm all for cap ‘n trade; it's a nifty idea. Simply splendid. Positively stupendous. Brilliant beyond brilliant. I just have a different take on the whole notion. I prefer very stringent caps on taxes and spending, coupled with a 2010 trade-in of the entire U.S. Congress. ~ Kyle-Anne Shiver
She Almost Oversteps Her Role, Experts Say
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/08/AR2009070804211.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Excerpt: "It seems an odd use of judicial time, given the very heavy caseload in the 2nd Circuit, to spend endless hours delving into the minutiae of the record," said Arthur Hellman, a University of Pittsburgh law professor and an authority on federal courts.
Senate Democrats Still Seeking GOP Support
Balance of Power Not Changed Much by Supermajority
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/08/AR2009070803884.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Excerpt: Democrats have a large enough majority to pass bills without any GOP support, but they are grappling with internal divisions on key issues such as health care, climate change and union organizing. In addition, caucus leaders and President Obama would like at least some Republican backing on key measures so they can say they are enacting a bipartisan agenda, which then-Sen. Obama made a cornerstone of his 2008 campaign.
Discord on Health Care Dulls Luster of New Pacts
Allies Sour on Effort as Obama Woos Industry
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/08/AR2009070803884.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Excerpt: The Obama administration, hoping to boost its health-care reform effort with financial concessions from the hospital and pharmaceutical industries, is instead confronting deep dissension on several fronts within Democratic ranks and possible defections among key constituencies.
Oil From Stone: Securing America's Energy Future
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18180
Energy Independence? Nah. We’d rather fund regimes that fund terrorists.
So Much for 'Energy Independence'
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124693284425203789.html
Energy Independence? Nah. We’d rather fund regimes that fund terrorists.
Excerpt: The U.S. gets about 98 times as much energy from natural gas and oil as it does from ethanol and biofuels. And measured on a per-unit-of-energy basis, Congress lavishes ethanol and biofuels with subsidies that are 190 times as large as those given to oil and gas.
Videos: Getting it clear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgN1_6tUd7U
Motivating
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFeHoMhuz7A&feature=related
Islamists Sabotage Assimilation of Somali-Americans
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/islamists-sabotage-assimilation-of-somali-americans/
The Jihad next door.
Forgetting Sarah Palin
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=32635
Maybe the economy is all her fault? Yeah, that’s it. Alert the media!
DeMint Amendment to Audit Federal Reserve Blocked by Senate Leadership
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tRQHsXujpo&feature=player_embedded
Transparency? We don’t need no stinkin’ transparency!
Quote:
I'm all for cap ‘n trade; it's a nifty idea. Simply splendid. Positively stupendous. Brilliant beyond brilliant. I just have a different take on the whole notion. I prefer very stringent caps on taxes and spending, coupled with a 2010 trade-in of the entire U.S. Congress. ~ Kyle-Anne Shiver
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sometimes I wish I was a Techno Geek
Comcast finally got my e-mail service back up yesterday. They couldn’t say why it was down. Then in the middle of a business conference call last night, I lost both Internet and phone service, which are through Comcast, but not TV.
I had to hunt up the call-in code and get back on with my cell, then have the doctors on the call waste their time bringing me up to speed. About five minutes later, I heard dial tone, and it was back up.
This morning, I was on line to send something to my office, when it happened again. Phone and Internet—but not TV—out for about five minutes, then back up.
I have no idea if this was a local outage or just me, so I don’t know if the Comcast tech who took five hours to install our cable last Thursday screwed it up, or it’s just Comcast’s usual efforts to keep customers alert.
I was already frustrated last night with technology. I tried to hook up a DVD player to our bedroom TV. With the regular red-white-yellow cables, I get sound, but only a B&W picture. With an S-Cable, I get a color picture, but no audio. Huh? So the DVD player & the TV are OK. It must be a cable issue, which I’m too dumb to figure out. Any suggestions, please send to me at tartanmarine@gmail.com.
In the Corps, I was trained as a Radio Relay tech, a bad fit if there ever was one. Having a high GCT doesn’t compensate for lack of natural aptitude. But in the Corps, if you couldn’t get it to work, you could drop it on the deck, then ship it to higher echelon for maintenance. Maybe that’s why, after tech school, they sent me to the 10th Marines, and arty outfit with no Radio Relay gear, which used me as an FO. Say, maybe Comcast hires former Marine techs who were like me?
I’m not an “early adaptor” of technology. I view it as a tool, not a toy. I didn’t have a cell phone until 2002. I didn’t have a TV, VCR or microwave until after I left the senate in ’82. I don’t have a blackberry or iPhone, and have never opened the blue tooth that came with my cell phone. I’ve taken maybe a dozen pictures with my phone, but never figured out how to get them out of it.
I’m on Facebook & Linkedin because friends keep asking me to link to them, but I don’t use it. And I don’t send tweets to twits on twitter.
Increasingly I find technology and software has so many features I’m not interested in, that it’s impossible to use—the multitude of stuff I don’t want blocks the things I need, or makes them difficult to find and use. Forget “user-friendly.” Most are “user-hostile.”
And don’t get me started on my view of companies whose idea of customer service is to dump you into voice-mail-hell.
My motto is, “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean it’s worth doing.”
So, yes, the word “dinosaur” comes to mind.
I had to hunt up the call-in code and get back on with my cell, then have the doctors on the call waste their time bringing me up to speed. About five minutes later, I heard dial tone, and it was back up.
This morning, I was on line to send something to my office, when it happened again. Phone and Internet—but not TV—out for about five minutes, then back up.
I have no idea if this was a local outage or just me, so I don’t know if the Comcast tech who took five hours to install our cable last Thursday screwed it up, or it’s just Comcast’s usual efforts to keep customers alert.
I was already frustrated last night with technology. I tried to hook up a DVD player to our bedroom TV. With the regular red-white-yellow cables, I get sound, but only a B&W picture. With an S-Cable, I get a color picture, but no audio. Huh? So the DVD player & the TV are OK. It must be a cable issue, which I’m too dumb to figure out. Any suggestions, please send to me at tartanmarine@gmail.com.
In the Corps, I was trained as a Radio Relay tech, a bad fit if there ever was one. Having a high GCT doesn’t compensate for lack of natural aptitude. But in the Corps, if you couldn’t get it to work, you could drop it on the deck, then ship it to higher echelon for maintenance. Maybe that’s why, after tech school, they sent me to the 10th Marines, and arty outfit with no Radio Relay gear, which used me as an FO. Say, maybe Comcast hires former Marine techs who were like me?
I’m not an “early adaptor” of technology. I view it as a tool, not a toy. I didn’t have a cell phone until 2002. I didn’t have a TV, VCR or microwave until after I left the senate in ’82. I don’t have a blackberry or iPhone, and have never opened the blue tooth that came with my cell phone. I’ve taken maybe a dozen pictures with my phone, but never figured out how to get them out of it.
I’m on Facebook & Linkedin because friends keep asking me to link to them, but I don’t use it. And I don’t send tweets to twits on twitter.
Increasingly I find technology and software has so many features I’m not interested in, that it’s impossible to use—the multitude of stuff I don’t want blocks the things I need, or makes them difficult to find and use. Forget “user-friendly.” Most are “user-hostile.”
And don’t get me started on my view of companies whose idea of customer service is to dump you into voice-mail-hell.
My motto is, “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean it’s worth doing.”
So, yes, the word “dinosaur” comes to mind.
Bob's Political Digest July 9, 2009
U.S. Marine Corps Col. Kenneth L. Reusser, R.I.P.
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/06/29/us-marine-corps-col-kenneth-l-reusser-rip/
If, like me, you are sick of reading about the honors and grief over our most famous child molester, this tribute to a true hero will lift your spirits. The comments are great as well. Members of the MSM hate this stuff, because in their hearts they know they could never measure up.
They died for us: A Jackson Five you never knew
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=303457
Great column
House Republican Recruitment Shines
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/070809morning-fix-house-republ.html?wprss=thefix
Change we can believe in coming?
A Tangled Web: Part II
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/07/08/a_tangled_web_part_ii
More sense from Dr. Sowell
Palin Coverage Unfair?
Quote from a column in the Washington Post: Fifty-three percent of those polled said that the coverage of Palin was "unfairly negative" while 28 percent described the coverage as "about right" and nine percent said it had been "unfairly positive". Ya think?
U.S. MEDICAL BANKRUPTCIES A MYTH; PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY RATE HIGHER IN CANADA
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18175
Don’t confuse me with the facts, my mind’s made up!
Obama's Health Reform Ship Flounders
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichaelGerson/2009/07/08/obamas_health_reform_ship_flounders
Excerpt: “To pass his health proposal this year, Obama would first need to violate his word. As a presidential candidate, he pledged that "no one making less than $250,000 a year will see any type of tax increase" -- the most memorable number of the 2008 campaign. Taxing health benefits would certainly cross this very bright line and add to the public stock of cynicism.” (It may not be that hard—no one with a brain believed him. ~Bob)
In Retooled Health-Care System, Who Will Say No?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/07/AR2009070702745.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Even the MSM is starting to ask questions.
Putin's Patsy?
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=331860725862397
Will he learn? Nah…BO knows everything!
Coming Soon: The Nightmare From Up There
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=481278
Excerpt: “In most cases, though, waiting lists are no laughing matter. Former Canadian Member of Parliament Belinda Stronach steadfastly opposed any privatization of Canadian health care while in office. Yet in 2007, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she effectively opted out of her beloved public system in order to have surgery in California. For most Canadians, such medical tourism is not an option.”
An Apology to Honduras is in Order
http://prwatcher.blogspot.com/2009/07/jinsa-report-905-apology-to-honduras-is.html
BO only apologizes for the rest of us
Justice Yemen-style: Paedophile who raped boy, 11, shot in the head in front of hundreds of spectators
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1197900/Justice-Yemen-style-Paedophile-raped-boy-11-shot-head-hundreds-spectators.html
How would Michael Jackson have been treated there?
Muslim extremists jailed for arson attack on Mohammed book publisher's home
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1198111/If-choose-live-country-live-rules-says-judge-jails-Muslim-extremists-arson-attack-publishers-home.html
Spine in the UK
The New York Times reports that . . . Even many students and alumni of the Western-oriented business school where Mr. Obama gave the graduation address on Tuesday seemed merely respectful, but hardly enthralled. ‘We don’t really understand why Obama is such a star,’ said Kirill Zagorodnov, 25, one of the graduates. ‘It’s a question of trust, how he behaves, how he positions himself, that typical charisma, which in Russia is often parodied. Russians really are not accustomed to it. It is like he is trying to manipulate the public.’ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/world/europe/08russia.html
Quote:
“If your child is majoring in something that ends in 'Studies,' you better not turn their bedroom into a den, because that one is coming home after college." --Bert Prelutsky
Interesting e-mail making the rounds—I don’t know who to credit. ~Bob
Ed McMahon died this week. He was a great entertainer, but prior to his stage accomplishments he was a distinguished Marine Corps fighter pilot in WWII earning six Air Medals. He was discharged in 1946 and volunteered to fly again in the Korean War. He joined the CA Air National Guard and was later promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
Farrah Fawcett died this week after a long career in Hollywood as an actress. After she was diagnosed with cancer, she became an activist for cancer treatment and devoted her last remaining years encouraging people to seek treatment. She documented her plight on film and used it to encourage others to stay positive and upbeat despite their diagnosis and suffering.
Karl Malden died this week after a long career in Hollywood as an actor. He also served in the US Air Force during WWII and also served on the US Postal Service committee to review and recommend commemorative stamps. In 2005, the US House of Representatives authorized the US Postal Service to rename a Los Angeles post office the Karl Malden Postal Station.
Michael Jackson died this week. He was perhaps one of the greatest singers of modern time. He will also be remembered for his eccentric lifestyle that included sleeping with a chimpanzee, living in a carnival-like atmosphere at Neverland, his fascination with Peter Pan, and his numerous masks and costumes. He also admitted to finding pleasure sleeping with young boys and paying out millions of dollars in settlements to the families of these boys despite being acquitted by a court on one allegation of sexual molestation.
QUESTION 1) - Which of the above did the House of Representatives declare a moment of silence for today? (Hint - It wasn't the first three)
QUESTION 2) - Which of the above’s family received a personal note of condolence from President Obama? (Hint - It wasn't the first three)
Need we say more??
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/06/29/us-marine-corps-col-kenneth-l-reusser-rip/
If, like me, you are sick of reading about the honors and grief over our most famous child molester, this tribute to a true hero will lift your spirits. The comments are great as well. Members of the MSM hate this stuff, because in their hearts they know they could never measure up.
They died for us: A Jackson Five you never knew
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=303457
Great column
House Republican Recruitment Shines
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/070809morning-fix-house-republ.html?wprss=thefix
Change we can believe in coming?
A Tangled Web: Part II
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/07/08/a_tangled_web_part_ii
More sense from Dr. Sowell
Palin Coverage Unfair?
Quote from a column in the Washington Post: Fifty-three percent of those polled said that the coverage of Palin was "unfairly negative" while 28 percent described the coverage as "about right" and nine percent said it had been "unfairly positive". Ya think?
U.S. MEDICAL BANKRUPTCIES A MYTH; PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY RATE HIGHER IN CANADA
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18175
Don’t confuse me with the facts, my mind’s made up!
Obama's Health Reform Ship Flounders
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichaelGerson/2009/07/08/obamas_health_reform_ship_flounders
Excerpt: “To pass his health proposal this year, Obama would first need to violate his word. As a presidential candidate, he pledged that "no one making less than $250,000 a year will see any type of tax increase" -- the most memorable number of the 2008 campaign. Taxing health benefits would certainly cross this very bright line and add to the public stock of cynicism.” (It may not be that hard—no one with a brain believed him. ~Bob)
In Retooled Health-Care System, Who Will Say No?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/07/AR2009070702745.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Even the MSM is starting to ask questions.
Putin's Patsy?
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=331860725862397
Will he learn? Nah…BO knows everything!
Coming Soon: The Nightmare From Up There
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=481278
Excerpt: “In most cases, though, waiting lists are no laughing matter. Former Canadian Member of Parliament Belinda Stronach steadfastly opposed any privatization of Canadian health care while in office. Yet in 2007, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she effectively opted out of her beloved public system in order to have surgery in California. For most Canadians, such medical tourism is not an option.”
An Apology to Honduras is in Order
http://prwatcher.blogspot.com/2009/07/jinsa-report-905-apology-to-honduras-is.html
BO only apologizes for the rest of us
Justice Yemen-style: Paedophile who raped boy, 11, shot in the head in front of hundreds of spectators
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1197900/Justice-Yemen-style-Paedophile-raped-boy-11-shot-head-hundreds-spectators.html
How would Michael Jackson have been treated there?
Muslim extremists jailed for arson attack on Mohammed book publisher's home
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1198111/If-choose-live-country-live-rules-says-judge-jails-Muslim-extremists-arson-attack-publishers-home.html
Spine in the UK
The New York Times reports that . . . Even many students and alumni of the Western-oriented business school where Mr. Obama gave the graduation address on Tuesday seemed merely respectful, but hardly enthralled. ‘We don’t really understand why Obama is such a star,’ said Kirill Zagorodnov, 25, one of the graduates. ‘It’s a question of trust, how he behaves, how he positions himself, that typical charisma, which in Russia is often parodied. Russians really are not accustomed to it. It is like he is trying to manipulate the public.’ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/world/europe/08russia.html
Quote:
“If your child is majoring in something that ends in 'Studies,' you better not turn their bedroom into a den, because that one is coming home after college." --Bert Prelutsky
Interesting e-mail making the rounds—I don’t know who to credit. ~Bob
Ed McMahon died this week. He was a great entertainer, but prior to his stage accomplishments he was a distinguished Marine Corps fighter pilot in WWII earning six Air Medals. He was discharged in 1946 and volunteered to fly again in the Korean War. He joined the CA Air National Guard and was later promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
Farrah Fawcett died this week after a long career in Hollywood as an actress. After she was diagnosed with cancer, she became an activist for cancer treatment and devoted her last remaining years encouraging people to seek treatment. She documented her plight on film and used it to encourage others to stay positive and upbeat despite their diagnosis and suffering.
Karl Malden died this week after a long career in Hollywood as an actor. He also served in the US Air Force during WWII and also served on the US Postal Service committee to review and recommend commemorative stamps. In 2005, the US House of Representatives authorized the US Postal Service to rename a Los Angeles post office the Karl Malden Postal Station.
Michael Jackson died this week. He was perhaps one of the greatest singers of modern time. He will also be remembered for his eccentric lifestyle that included sleeping with a chimpanzee, living in a carnival-like atmosphere at Neverland, his fascination with Peter Pan, and his numerous masks and costumes. He also admitted to finding pleasure sleeping with young boys and paying out millions of dollars in settlements to the families of these boys despite being acquitted by a court on one allegation of sexual molestation.
QUESTION 1) - Which of the above did the House of Representatives declare a moment of silence for today? (Hint - It wasn't the first three)
QUESTION 2) - Which of the above’s family received a personal note of condolence from President Obama? (Hint - It wasn't the first three)
Need we say more??
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Bob's Political digest July 8, 2009
California’s Nightmare Will Kill Obamanomics
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=email_en&sid=aTKrn1jUJwdE
Nah. The public still thinks you can get something for nothing.
Defiant NY Senate Democrats sit through Pledge of Allegiance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9kDhDktYOI
Must be a banana republic.
Of NICE and men
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124692973435303415.html
How Britain keeps health care costs low.
On Health Care (and Everything Else), What is the American Way?
http://www.businessandmedia.org/commentary/2009/20090701090418.aspx
Why Government-run health care will go bankrupt.
A Tangled Web
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/07/07/a_tangled_web
The brilliant Dr Sowell on race and “disparate impact.” I’m planning to sue the NBA, because they clearly discriminate. This can be proved the same way other discrimination cases are proved: whites, Asian, Hispanics, Native Americans and women are all underrepresented on NBA teams, based on their % of the population. Thus, clearly and legally, the NBA discriminates in hiring on the basis of race, gender and ethnicity.
Making History
In appreciation of our country's founders and its greatest living historian.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124656447523887753.html
Great column on the Glorious Second.
Stuttering Stimulus
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=331771901584018
The stimulus was about buying votes and rewarding the faithful, not about the economy.
Amber Alert for Hillary Clinton
http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2009/07/amber-alert-for-hillary-clinton.html
Has Obama outfoxed the Clintons?
Ride the Thunder
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=101840
New history on the last days of the Vietnam war
Obama’s first five months
http://www.theospark.net/2009/07/observations-of-presidents-1st-five.html
Scary compilation
Col. Bud day (MOH) on torture
http://www.expressjetpilots.com/the-pipe/showthread.php?t=31604
A man who knows first hand.
I Still Hate You, Sarah Palin
http://article.nationalreview.com/print/?q=NDE3MmE5MDVmMGM1YjQ2NmVhMjJkN2I2ZTcxMzhlNjU=
Satire. I think. Who knows anymore.
Obama’s Collage paper Surfaces
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/07/college-paper-shows-obama-was-raging.html
About what you’d expect from the average shallow left-wing kook
Moving e-mail that is circulating:
June 30, 2009
Everyone,
I wanted to share something that just happened tonight. I was sitting at the gate in the Washington-Baltimore airport waiting on my flight to Charlotte. The plane was at the gate. While we were waiting for the attendant to announce the boarding for our flight, I saw about a dozen Transportation Security Agency uniformed personnel head to the departure ramp. I was concerned there was a problem, meaning a delay. Just what I needed!
Several of us moved to the observation window to see if we could see anything going on outside. That is when I saw a lone uniformed Marine standing at the bottom of the ramp leading from the cargo hold of the aircraft to the ground. I thought to myself how this small delay for me was nothing compared to the sacrifice a Marine and his family made for our nation.
There were more and more people gathering to see what we were looking at down on the tarmac. The people were quiet, but not silent. I looked down the concourse and saw other small groups gathered close to the other observation windows looking down at the conveyor and the small detail of Marines that had appeared. They were part of the funeral detail or an Honor Guard. In the distance there was a hearse, another vehicle, and a police car. As they drove to the bottom of the ramp, I knew the remains of a Marine, in a flag draped casket, were about to be moved from the aircraft and into the hearse. It is customary for uniformed members of the armed services to salute any American flag as it passes...especially when it is covering the remains of one of our fallen warriors.
The people standing around me were mostly civilians, but I could tell they wanted to be respectful, they just did not know how. I had no idea if that Marine's family was down below in one of the vehicles. I couldn't have the family, or those Marines, look up and see a bunch of people standing from above...staring. When I saw the pall bearers (Marines) move to the bottom of the ramp, I had to do something.
It has been four years since I retired from the Army, but duty called. I turned and faced everyone in the terminal, and in my loudest command voice, turned and faced everyone in the terminal, and in my loudest command voice, I told everyone the remains of a Marine were about to be unloaded from the aircraft, and it is customary for everyone to stand and be silent as the body is moved. Believe it or not, everybody, as far as I could see, stood up and the entire terminal became quiet. I then said as loudly as I could, that all current and former service members, in or out of uniform, were authorized to render the hand salute, and all civilians were to place their hand over their hearts. As soon as the tip of the flag draped coffin appeared, I bellowed out "Pre-sent...ARMS" and you could hear a pin drop except for the multitude of arms going over their hearts. The entire terminal was silent...no talking, no announcements over the PA, silence...only silence.
The casket traveled down the ramp. All the US Air employees servicing the aircraft and unloading baggage stopped and stood silently with their hands over their hearts. The police officer was saluting. The Marines picked up the casket and placed it gently into the hearse, then closed the rear door.
Inside the terminal, I gave the command to "Or-Der Arms". When I turned around, there were literally hundreds and hundreds of people standing silently...all over the terminal...at all the gates on our side of the concourse, as well as all the gates on the opposite side. I noticed every woman, of child bearing age either had tears in her eyes, or running down their cheeks...and a lot of fathers did too. I was taken back. People still care. During the next 10 minutes, a lot of former service members, fathers of soldiers, and a few moms came and thanked me for letting them know what to do. I didn't do anything compared to that Marine. People want to be led to do what is right. America still cares. America still has gratitude. The American spirit is not dead. We don't need to apologize to anyone for who we are. I don't know who that Marine was, where he served, or how he died. All I know is that he raised his right arm, took the oath, put on that uniform, and did his duty. That's good enough for me. I don't know how he died, or where he was going. All I know is that his dreams for a better life are over. Somewhere tonight there is a grieving wife, or mother, or father...and their pain has just begun. I began this evening concerned that I might be inconvenienced. Tonight I am safe, my family is safe, the worst thing that might happen to me is a little inconvenience. I am safe because of the sacrifices that Marine made. I am safe due to the sacrifices that all our brothers in arms have made since 1776.
His duty is over. Our duty is not. It is not our duty to simply stand and pay respect as a fallen soldier passes. Our duty is to remain steadfast that our Armed Forces not be committed to harm's way recklessly, that they be properly housed, trained, and led. We need to do our duty to provide our young men and women with the best equipment, not simply with weapons and armor that is "good enough".
I wish I knew the family of that Marine to say thanks. I wish I could let them know that for a few minutes, in an airport terminal of one of the busiest airports in the United States of America, a group of Americans rendered an honor to their son. I doubt it could take the edge off their loss, but I think it wouldn't hurt.
It made me think. It made us all reflect for a few minutes. Gratitude.
Thank you brave Marine for one last gift...Hooah...Semper Fi.
Ken Robertson
LTC, USAR, Retired Reserve
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=email_en&sid=aTKrn1jUJwdE
Nah. The public still thinks you can get something for nothing.
Defiant NY Senate Democrats sit through Pledge of Allegiance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9kDhDktYOI
Must be a banana republic.
Of NICE and men
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124692973435303415.html
How Britain keeps health care costs low.
On Health Care (and Everything Else), What is the American Way?
http://www.businessandmedia.org/commentary/2009/20090701090418.aspx
Why Government-run health care will go bankrupt.
A Tangled Web
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/07/07/a_tangled_web
The brilliant Dr Sowell on race and “disparate impact.” I’m planning to sue the NBA, because they clearly discriminate. This can be proved the same way other discrimination cases are proved: whites, Asian, Hispanics, Native Americans and women are all underrepresented on NBA teams, based on their % of the population. Thus, clearly and legally, the NBA discriminates in hiring on the basis of race, gender and ethnicity.
Making History
In appreciation of our country's founders and its greatest living historian.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124656447523887753.html
Great column on the Glorious Second.
Stuttering Stimulus
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=331771901584018
The stimulus was about buying votes and rewarding the faithful, not about the economy.
Amber Alert for Hillary Clinton
http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2009/07/amber-alert-for-hillary-clinton.html
Has Obama outfoxed the Clintons?
Ride the Thunder
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=101840
New history on the last days of the Vietnam war
Obama’s first five months
http://www.theospark.net/2009/07/observations-of-presidents-1st-five.html
Scary compilation
Col. Bud day (MOH) on torture
http://www.expressjetpilots.com/the-pipe/showthread.php?t=31604
A man who knows first hand.
I Still Hate You, Sarah Palin
http://article.nationalreview.com/print/?q=NDE3MmE5MDVmMGM1YjQ2NmVhMjJkN2I2ZTcxMzhlNjU=
Satire. I think. Who knows anymore.
Obama’s Collage paper Surfaces
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/07/college-paper-shows-obama-was-raging.html
About what you’d expect from the average shallow left-wing kook
Moving e-mail that is circulating:
June 30, 2009
Everyone,
I wanted to share something that just happened tonight. I was sitting at the gate in the Washington-Baltimore airport waiting on my flight to Charlotte. The plane was at the gate. While we were waiting for the attendant to announce the boarding for our flight, I saw about a dozen Transportation Security Agency uniformed personnel head to the departure ramp. I was concerned there was a problem, meaning a delay. Just what I needed!
Several of us moved to the observation window to see if we could see anything going on outside. That is when I saw a lone uniformed Marine standing at the bottom of the ramp leading from the cargo hold of the aircraft to the ground. I thought to myself how this small delay for me was nothing compared to the sacrifice a Marine and his family made for our nation.
There were more and more people gathering to see what we were looking at down on the tarmac. The people were quiet, but not silent. I looked down the concourse and saw other small groups gathered close to the other observation windows looking down at the conveyor and the small detail of Marines that had appeared. They were part of the funeral detail or an Honor Guard. In the distance there was a hearse, another vehicle, and a police car. As they drove to the bottom of the ramp, I knew the remains of a Marine, in a flag draped casket, were about to be moved from the aircraft and into the hearse. It is customary for uniformed members of the armed services to salute any American flag as it passes...especially when it is covering the remains of one of our fallen warriors.
The people standing around me were mostly civilians, but I could tell they wanted to be respectful, they just did not know how. I had no idea if that Marine's family was down below in one of the vehicles. I couldn't have the family, or those Marines, look up and see a bunch of people standing from above...staring. When I saw the pall bearers (Marines) move to the bottom of the ramp, I had to do something.
It has been four years since I retired from the Army, but duty called. I turned and faced everyone in the terminal, and in my loudest command voice, turned and faced everyone in the terminal, and in my loudest command voice, I told everyone the remains of a Marine were about to be unloaded from the aircraft, and it is customary for everyone to stand and be silent as the body is moved. Believe it or not, everybody, as far as I could see, stood up and the entire terminal became quiet. I then said as loudly as I could, that all current and former service members, in or out of uniform, were authorized to render the hand salute, and all civilians were to place their hand over their hearts. As soon as the tip of the flag draped coffin appeared, I bellowed out "Pre-sent...ARMS" and you could hear a pin drop except for the multitude of arms going over their hearts. The entire terminal was silent...no talking, no announcements over the PA, silence...only silence.
The casket traveled down the ramp. All the US Air employees servicing the aircraft and unloading baggage stopped and stood silently with their hands over their hearts. The police officer was saluting. The Marines picked up the casket and placed it gently into the hearse, then closed the rear door.
Inside the terminal, I gave the command to "Or-Der Arms". When I turned around, there were literally hundreds and hundreds of people standing silently...all over the terminal...at all the gates on our side of the concourse, as well as all the gates on the opposite side. I noticed every woman, of child bearing age either had tears in her eyes, or running down their cheeks...and a lot of fathers did too. I was taken back. People still care. During the next 10 minutes, a lot of former service members, fathers of soldiers, and a few moms came and thanked me for letting them know what to do. I didn't do anything compared to that Marine. People want to be led to do what is right. America still cares. America still has gratitude. The American spirit is not dead. We don't need to apologize to anyone for who we are. I don't know who that Marine was, where he served, or how he died. All I know is that he raised his right arm, took the oath, put on that uniform, and did his duty. That's good enough for me. I don't know how he died, or where he was going. All I know is that his dreams for a better life are over. Somewhere tonight there is a grieving wife, or mother, or father...and their pain has just begun. I began this evening concerned that I might be inconvenienced. Tonight I am safe, my family is safe, the worst thing that might happen to me is a little inconvenience. I am safe because of the sacrifices that Marine made. I am safe due to the sacrifices that all our brothers in arms have made since 1776.
His duty is over. Our duty is not. It is not our duty to simply stand and pay respect as a fallen soldier passes. Our duty is to remain steadfast that our Armed Forces not be committed to harm's way recklessly, that they be properly housed, trained, and led. We need to do our duty to provide our young men and women with the best equipment, not simply with weapons and armor that is "good enough".
I wish I knew the family of that Marine to say thanks. I wish I could let them know that for a few minutes, in an airport terminal of one of the busiest airports in the United States of America, a group of Americans rendered an honor to their son. I doubt it could take the edge off their loss, but I think it wouldn't hurt.
It made me think. It made us all reflect for a few minutes. Gratitude.
Thank you brave Marine for one last gift...Hooah...Semper Fi.
Ken Robertson
LTC, USAR, Retired Reserve
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Bob’s Political Digest July 7, 2009
Robert McNamara, Architect of Vietnam War, Dies at 93
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/06/AR2009070601197.html?hpid=topnews
Evil SOB said in his memoirs he knew the war was hopeless. But he continued to serve and send the boys anyway. Not like he couldn’t resign in protest, because he needed the money to support a starving family. It was married LCpls who’s families were starving. Actually, recent history based on now open North Vietnamese sources say the war was very winnable. Was lost because the anti-war movement convinced a spineless Democrat Congress to abandon our allies.
A Free-Market Approach to Health Care Reform
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18167
Free Market? “Free” is only popular in Washington when it means someone else pays for it, not when it means freedom to choose.
When the Government Runs Health Insurance
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Columns/2009/July/070109RanthumCapretta.aspx
It amazes me that people who complain constantly about the cost overruns at the Pentagon, the terrible customer service at the Department of Motor Vehicles and the inefficiency of the US Postal Service want the same kind of government bureaucrats making decisions about their health care.
Weary Palin Sought to Regain Control
Unease in Spotlight, Family Concerns Sparked Decision
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/04/AR2009070402761.html?wpisrc=newsletter
My advice to Gov. Palin back in November (see blog post of predictions) was to forget about 2012. She had, in my view, two ways forward. One was to finish her term and wait for a chance to run for the US Senate. If she built a national reputation for both competency and helping Republican candidates she might have a shot in 2016 or 2020—she’s still young enough. The other option was to do the Huckabee thing and make herself a conservative TV/radio/publishing star.
What Did Rep. Conyers Know?
Wife's Bribery Plea Raises Questions About Michigan Democrat
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/04/AR2009070401016.html?wpisrc=newsletter
More of that Republican “Culture of Corruption” Queen Nancy told us about back in ’06. What? He’s a Democrat & a member of the Black caucus? Oh, never mind.
Hot Dogs and Fireworks, or Unalienable Rights?
http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/tsegel/2009/ts_07061.shtml
From a Marine buddy: This short essay (825 words) is just a wonder in itself, and deserves to be read by every American with an IQ over 90. It is a very mild (perhaps too mild) call to arms, to waken people just as Thomas Paine did before the Revolution. I have highlighted (the Cap & Trade) paragraph which should serve as a loud trumpet call all by itself. But it's not the only point of interest. Nobody in the media seems to want to point out that appointing 20+ "czars" to directly oversee various government functions is an enormous power grab by the White House, a real revamping of how the government is supposed to work that really amounts to a violation of the separation of powers the Founders focused on so closely.
Anybody who doesn't at least have some discomfort with the way this is going has indeed drunk the Kool-Aid and will be shocked beyond belief if this junk is allowed to pass and the consequences hit us all like a freight train in the not-so-distant future.
If you don't have the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mails of your congressional representatives, you really need to get them soon, and start contacting these people on a regular basis to tell them they will not be in office again if they don't stand up now and start really representing our interests, not just their own or those of their Party's leadership. –Del
Ol' Stupid begins to notice things
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/03/ol-stupid-begins-to-notice-things/?feat=home_headlines
Ya think? Nah, they’re still blaming Hoover for a depression that started in Europe, and which FDR’s policies lengthened.
US-Russian Arms Negotiators "Under the Gun," Might Temporarily Bypass Senate Ratification for Treaty
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/03/ol-stupid-begins-to-notice-things/?feat=home_headlines
Senate? Constitution? We don’t need no stinkin’ constitution…..
Will Government Health Care Bring Down Costs?
http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/social-cost/#more-4116
Hint: Is anything the government does less expensive than when done privately?
Fed money may benefit Russian-backed firm
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/05/us-tax-dollars-may-aid-russian-earmark-eyed/?source=newsletter_must-read-stories-today_photo_feature
Bi-partisan BS
Stop dumping money into a large hole
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/in_the_know_should_the_government
Satire—though it’s hard to tell the difference today
Obama’s WTF war
http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/11885-Obamas-WTF-War!.html
No surprises here.
70-Year-Old Reservist, Surgeon Returns To Iraq
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106214966
Terrific Story
Obama's spending blitz worries Powell
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/04/spending-blitz-worries-powell/?source=newsletter_must-read-stories-today_headlines
Better late than never, I guess.
Muslim youths shout abuse, throw rocks at gay man in...Minneapolis
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026832.php
Confusing for the politically correct—to be Islamophobic or homophobic. They’ll have to just pretend it didn’t happen. Better than Iran, where they hang Gays.
After an increase of "wife-killings... on the pretext of adultery," Syria allows for tougher penalties for honor killings -- two years in prison!
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026823.php
Boy, they are really cracking down! What would the Prophet think?
Obama II vs. Obama I
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTZhMDZjYjNiMGZiZWE3NTkxNDNjYzQwYmQxZWM5MGE=
The campaign meets the reality
A Family's Valor, a Nation's Freedom
Why would a 61-year-old civilian (orthopaedic) surgeon volunteer for Iraq?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124649175841883047.html
Endorsing Palestinian apartheid
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3739588,00.html
Maybe because Hitler, being for big government, wasn’t so bad in the left’s view.
A Thug’s Primer
How to win liberal friends and oppress your people.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MjE1ZmZiZGYyNjhmNzYyN2EwNWQwNjE4MTk2NDZmMGI
This would be funny if it wasn’t so true.
Quote:
When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators. - O'Rourke, P. J.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/06/AR2009070601197.html?hpid=topnews
Evil SOB said in his memoirs he knew the war was hopeless. But he continued to serve and send the boys anyway. Not like he couldn’t resign in protest, because he needed the money to support a starving family. It was married LCpls who’s families were starving. Actually, recent history based on now open North Vietnamese sources say the war was very winnable. Was lost because the anti-war movement convinced a spineless Democrat Congress to abandon our allies.
A Free-Market Approach to Health Care Reform
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18167
Free Market? “Free” is only popular in Washington when it means someone else pays for it, not when it means freedom to choose.
When the Government Runs Health Insurance
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Columns/2009/July/070109RanthumCapretta.aspx
It amazes me that people who complain constantly about the cost overruns at the Pentagon, the terrible customer service at the Department of Motor Vehicles and the inefficiency of the US Postal Service want the same kind of government bureaucrats making decisions about their health care.
Weary Palin Sought to Regain Control
Unease in Spotlight, Family Concerns Sparked Decision
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/04/AR2009070402761.html?wpisrc=newsletter
My advice to Gov. Palin back in November (see blog post of predictions) was to forget about 2012. She had, in my view, two ways forward. One was to finish her term and wait for a chance to run for the US Senate. If she built a national reputation for both competency and helping Republican candidates she might have a shot in 2016 or 2020—she’s still young enough. The other option was to do the Huckabee thing and make herself a conservative TV/radio/publishing star.
What Did Rep. Conyers Know?
Wife's Bribery Plea Raises Questions About Michigan Democrat
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/04/AR2009070401016.html?wpisrc=newsletter
More of that Republican “Culture of Corruption” Queen Nancy told us about back in ’06. What? He’s a Democrat & a member of the Black caucus? Oh, never mind.
Hot Dogs and Fireworks, or Unalienable Rights?
http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/tsegel/2009/ts_07061.shtml
From a Marine buddy: This short essay (825 words) is just a wonder in itself, and deserves to be read by every American with an IQ over 90. It is a very mild (perhaps too mild) call to arms, to waken people just as Thomas Paine did before the Revolution. I have highlighted (the Cap & Trade) paragraph which should serve as a loud trumpet call all by itself. But it's not the only point of interest. Nobody in the media seems to want to point out that appointing 20+ "czars" to directly oversee various government functions is an enormous power grab by the White House, a real revamping of how the government is supposed to work that really amounts to a violation of the separation of powers the Founders focused on so closely.
Anybody who doesn't at least have some discomfort with the way this is going has indeed drunk the Kool-Aid and will be shocked beyond belief if this junk is allowed to pass and the consequences hit us all like a freight train in the not-so-distant future.
If you don't have the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mails of your congressional representatives, you really need to get them soon, and start contacting these people on a regular basis to tell them they will not be in office again if they don't stand up now and start really representing our interests, not just their own or those of their Party's leadership. –Del
Ol' Stupid begins to notice things
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/03/ol-stupid-begins-to-notice-things/?feat=home_headlines
Ya think? Nah, they’re still blaming Hoover for a depression that started in Europe, and which FDR’s policies lengthened.
US-Russian Arms Negotiators "Under the Gun," Might Temporarily Bypass Senate Ratification for Treaty
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/03/ol-stupid-begins-to-notice-things/?feat=home_headlines
Senate? Constitution? We don’t need no stinkin’ constitution…..
Will Government Health Care Bring Down Costs?
http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/social-cost/#more-4116
Hint: Is anything the government does less expensive than when done privately?
Fed money may benefit Russian-backed firm
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/05/us-tax-dollars-may-aid-russian-earmark-eyed/?source=newsletter_must-read-stories-today_photo_feature
Bi-partisan BS
Stop dumping money into a large hole
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/in_the_know_should_the_government
Satire—though it’s hard to tell the difference today
Obama’s WTF war
http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/11885-Obamas-WTF-War!.html
No surprises here.
70-Year-Old Reservist, Surgeon Returns To Iraq
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106214966
Terrific Story
Obama's spending blitz worries Powell
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/04/spending-blitz-worries-powell/?source=newsletter_must-read-stories-today_headlines
Better late than never, I guess.
Muslim youths shout abuse, throw rocks at gay man in...Minneapolis
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026832.php
Confusing for the politically correct—to be Islamophobic or homophobic. They’ll have to just pretend it didn’t happen. Better than Iran, where they hang Gays.
After an increase of "wife-killings... on the pretext of adultery," Syria allows for tougher penalties for honor killings -- two years in prison!
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026823.php
Boy, they are really cracking down! What would the Prophet think?
Obama II vs. Obama I
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTZhMDZjYjNiMGZiZWE3NTkxNDNjYzQwYmQxZWM5MGE=
The campaign meets the reality
A Family's Valor, a Nation's Freedom
Why would a 61-year-old civilian (orthopaedic) surgeon volunteer for Iraq?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124649175841883047.html
Endorsing Palestinian apartheid
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3739588,00.html
Maybe because Hitler, being for big government, wasn’t so bad in the left’s view.
A Thug’s Primer
How to win liberal friends and oppress your people.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MjE1ZmZiZGYyNjhmNzYyN2EwNWQwNjE4MTk2NDZmMGI
This would be funny if it wasn’t so true.
Quote:
When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators. - O'Rourke, P. J.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Comcast...Down Again!
We've just moved, so, naturaly I've lost e-mail service with our not-so-friendly local cable monopoly, Comcast. We called and they say...drum roll...they don't know why. They've put in an order and I should hear in 24 to 48 hours. Which is what they said last time when it took them over a week to restore my service. And they didn't know why it was down.
BTW, it only took two service techs 5 hours to install our cable, requiring me to take vacation time.
So ig you've been trying to reach me on my Comcast account, try my Gmail account. They have competition, so are much more reliable.
Gee, won't it be wonderful when health care and everything else is a government monopoly, sort of a cross between Comcast and the DMV? It'll be kind of like the Soviet Union, without the charm.
If Comcast wants a monolopy in your community--fight it.
"I have seen the future...and it doesn't work at all!"
BTW, it only took two service techs 5 hours to install our cable, requiring me to take vacation time.
So ig you've been trying to reach me on my Comcast account, try my Gmail account. They have competition, so are much more reliable.
Gee, won't it be wonderful when health care and everything else is a government monopoly, sort of a cross between Comcast and the DMV? It'll be kind of like the Soviet Union, without the charm.
If Comcast wants a monolopy in your community--fight it.
"I have seen the future...and it doesn't work at all!"
From a reader in Brazil
Dear Mr. Hall,
How are you?
I've been reading your posts quite regularly, although I rarely comment on them.
I'm writing you to keep you informed about the political situation in Latin America.
This history is about Honduras, a tiny country in Central America. Perhaps Americans are misinformed about what is going on there and how important that is for the future of the continent. So I would kindly suggest you to post this text in your blog.
President Manuel Zelaya, a “chavista” (a follower of Hugo Chávez ideas) tried to propose his reelection. According to the Constitution of Honduras, that is impossible.
So he proposed a popular referendum to do it any way.
Honduras Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Attorney General declared the referendum unconstitucional and ilegal.
Zelaya tried to use the Army to do it by force, the commanders refused and Zelaya discharged them.
Hugo Chavez decided to help his friend and produced the voting cards and ballot boxes in Venezuela, sending them to Honduras. He also called the military chiefs of Honduras gorillas and traitors, menacing to move his own Army.
Zelaya received the material from Caracas and started distributing the ballots with taxis
The Supreme Court asked the arresting of Zelaya. He renounced. The renouncement was accepted by Congress, and the president of Congress was announced to assume the Presidency, as stated by the Constitution.
Zelaya was send in exile to Costa Rica. Hugo Chávez send one of his airplanes to move Zelaya from Costa Rica to Nicaragua and started together with Daniel Ortega (a former guerrillero Sandinista), Evo Morales from Bolivia and Rafael Correa from Ecuador a international movement to put Zelaya back in power in Honduras.
Hugo Chávez influence in Latin America is growing with no limits. He controls or influences all left-wing governments in Latin America, from Nicaragua to Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.
He is also insuflating revolt in Peru, and supporting the narco-guerrilla of FARC in Colombia. Although Brazil is too big for him, our leftist president is accessary and supportive of his actions.
What all of the so called bolivarianists have in common?
They use democracy to implode democracy from inside out. That is what Chávez calls bolivarianism. Once in power, they will silence the opponents, they will manipulate press, they will have no respect for the Rule of Law or any contracts, they will let the state control or nationalize private companies, controlling also the financial power sources of their nations, they will use popular support to install tyranny, to perpetuate themselves in power.
That was supposed to move international opinion in support of the Honduras Congress, but what we see now is on contrary, international support for Manuel Zelaya.
And when Honduras called Barack Obama for help, Obama also asked for the restitution of power to Manuel Zelaya.
Obama is now on the same side as Daniel Ortega and Hugo Chávez, the most anti-americanist dictators that ever lived on this continent.
Instead of the Rule of Law, Obama chose bolivarianism.
A single gesture of America would help Honduras get out of this crisis, but Obama and Clinton’s policy will unfortunately will break Honduras Congress and let Hugo Chávez gain a little more power.
Take a look at this picture, and you will see people from Honduras asking Barack Obama to defend their Constitution and Freedom, and not to support Chávez. The other pictures shows the people asking for democracy. Please not the little CNN poster, translated in Honduras as Chávez News Network after the biased repports of the channel on the crisis.
So do not believe when you hear that there is a Coup in Honduras. The only coup is being orchestrated by Zelaya, Chavez and other bolivarianists, the nightmare of democracy and freedom.
And now Obama is on their side.
Best regards,
Fernando Sampaio
PS: Just got “Liberty and Tyranny” from Mark Levin via Amazon.com. I think is essential reading for everybody interested in politics, in the US or anywhere.
*****
Why would we expect our President not to meddle in the affairs of another country, when he can be on the side of the statists and big government? ~Bob
How are you?
I've been reading your posts quite regularly, although I rarely comment on them.
I'm writing you to keep you informed about the political situation in Latin America.
This history is about Honduras, a tiny country in Central America. Perhaps Americans are misinformed about what is going on there and how important that is for the future of the continent. So I would kindly suggest you to post this text in your blog.
President Manuel Zelaya, a “chavista” (a follower of Hugo Chávez ideas) tried to propose his reelection. According to the Constitution of Honduras, that is impossible.
So he proposed a popular referendum to do it any way.
Honduras Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Attorney General declared the referendum unconstitucional and ilegal.
Zelaya tried to use the Army to do it by force, the commanders refused and Zelaya discharged them.
Hugo Chavez decided to help his friend and produced the voting cards and ballot boxes in Venezuela, sending them to Honduras. He also called the military chiefs of Honduras gorillas and traitors, menacing to move his own Army.
Zelaya received the material from Caracas and started distributing the ballots with taxis
The Supreme Court asked the arresting of Zelaya. He renounced. The renouncement was accepted by Congress, and the president of Congress was announced to assume the Presidency, as stated by the Constitution.
Zelaya was send in exile to Costa Rica. Hugo Chávez send one of his airplanes to move Zelaya from Costa Rica to Nicaragua and started together with Daniel Ortega (a former guerrillero Sandinista), Evo Morales from Bolivia and Rafael Correa from Ecuador a international movement to put Zelaya back in power in Honduras.
Hugo Chávez influence in Latin America is growing with no limits. He controls or influences all left-wing governments in Latin America, from Nicaragua to Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.
He is also insuflating revolt in Peru, and supporting the narco-guerrilla of FARC in Colombia. Although Brazil is too big for him, our leftist president is accessary and supportive of his actions.
What all of the so called bolivarianists have in common?
They use democracy to implode democracy from inside out. That is what Chávez calls bolivarianism. Once in power, they will silence the opponents, they will manipulate press, they will have no respect for the Rule of Law or any contracts, they will let the state control or nationalize private companies, controlling also the financial power sources of their nations, they will use popular support to install tyranny, to perpetuate themselves in power.
That was supposed to move international opinion in support of the Honduras Congress, but what we see now is on contrary, international support for Manuel Zelaya.
And when Honduras called Barack Obama for help, Obama also asked for the restitution of power to Manuel Zelaya.
Obama is now on the same side as Daniel Ortega and Hugo Chávez, the most anti-americanist dictators that ever lived on this continent.
Instead of the Rule of Law, Obama chose bolivarianism.
A single gesture of America would help Honduras get out of this crisis, but Obama and Clinton’s policy will unfortunately will break Honduras Congress and let Hugo Chávez gain a little more power.
Take a look at this picture, and you will see people from Honduras asking Barack Obama to defend their Constitution and Freedom, and not to support Chávez. The other pictures shows the people asking for democracy. Please not the little CNN poster, translated in Honduras as Chávez News Network after the biased repports of the channel on the crisis.
So do not believe when you hear that there is a Coup in Honduras. The only coup is being orchestrated by Zelaya, Chavez and other bolivarianists, the nightmare of democracy and freedom.
And now Obama is on their side.
Best regards,
Fernando Sampaio
PS: Just got “Liberty and Tyranny” from Mark Levin via Amazon.com. I think is essential reading for everybody interested in politics, in the US or anywhere.
*****
Why would we expect our President not to meddle in the affairs of another country, when he can be on the side of the statists and big government? ~Bob
Why we fight on this Independence Day
From http://www.jihadwatch.com/. I recommend you subscribe to their e-newsletter and support their efforts. Published with their permission.~Bob
Why we fight on this Independence Day
1. Freedom of religion, and non-establishment of religion
What we must defend:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." — First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
What we must defend it against:
"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth." — CAIR co-founder and longtime Board Chairman Omar Ahmad (he denies saying it, but the original reporter stands by her story)
"I wouldn't want to create the impression that I wouldn't like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future." — CAIR's Ibrahim Hooper
The Muslim Brotherhood “must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and Allah’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.” — Mohamed Akram, “An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America,” May 22, 1991
2. Freedom of speech
What we must defend:
"Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..." — First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
"Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..." — First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
What we must defend it against:
"In confronting the Danish cartoons and the Dutch film 'Fitna', we sent a clear message to the West regarding the red lines that should not be crossed. As we speak, the official West and its public opinion are all now well-aware of the sensitivities of these issues. They have also started to look seriously into the question of freedom of expression from the perspective of its inherent responsibility, which should not be overlooked." — Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference
"Pakistan will ask the European Union countries to amend laws regarding freedom of expression in order to prevent offensive incidents such as the printing of blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and the production of an anti-Islam film by a Dutch legislator..." — Daily Times, June 8, 2008
3. Equality of rights before the law
What we must defend:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." — Declaration of Independence
What we must defend it against:
"The indemnity for the death or injury of a woman is one-half the indemnity paid for a man. The indemnity paid for a Jew or Christian is one-third the indemnity paid for a Muslim. The indemnity paid for a Zoroastrian is one-fifteenth that of a Muslim." — 'Umdat al-Salik, o4.9
"Thus if [a] Muslim commits adultery his punishment is 100 lashes, the shaving of his head, and one year of banishment. But if the man is not a Muslim and commits adultery with a Muslim woman his penalty is execution...Similarly if a Muslim deliberately murders another Muslim he falls under the law of retaliation and must by law be put to death by the next of kin. But if a non-Muslim who dies at the hand of a Muslim has by lifelong habit been a non-Muslim, the penalty of death is not valid. Instead the Muslim murderer must pay a fine and be punished with the lash....Since Islam regards non-Muslims as on a lower level of belief and conviction, if a Muslim kills a non-Muslim…then his punishment must not be the retaliatory death, since the faith and conviction he possesses is loftier than that of the man slain...Again, the penalties of a non-Muslim guilty of fornication with a Muslim woman are augmented because, in addition to the crime against morality, social duty and religion, he has committed sacrilege, in that he has disgraced a Muslim and thereby cast scorn upon the Muslims in general, and so must be executed....Islam and its peoples must be above the infidels, and never permit non-Muslims to acquire lordship over them." — Sultanhussein Tabandeh, A Muslim Commentary on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
4. Governments deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed
What we must defend:
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." — Declaration of Independence
What we must defend it against:
Non-Muslims have "absolutely no right to seize the reins of power in any part of God’s earth nor to direct the collective affairs of human beings according to their own misconceived doctrines." If they do, "the believers would be under an obligation to do their utmost to dislodge them from political power and to make them live in subservience to the Islamic way of life." — Syed Abul Ala Maududi, founder of the Pakistani political party Jamaat-e-Islami
Never surrender. Never submit. Never be silenced. Freedom and independence forever.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Bob's Political Digest July 6 2009
To repeat: Because I circulate an item I find interesting does not mean I agree with or approve all, or even part of it.
We moved this past weekend, so I didn't post much. Between vacation, moving, work and some health issues, haven't had time to write much of my own--sorry. ~Bob
U.S.: American Soldier Captured in Afghanistan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070200741.html?hpid=topnews
Prediction: They will make demands that are impossible to meet, then murder him, probably by beheading. And the world wide voices that screamed about how some rogue American soldiers humiliated Muslims at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq will be silent.
Affirmative Action Debate Roils Naval Academy
New Plebe Class Has Record Ratio of Minorities; Diversity Effort 'Dumbing Down' Corps, Professor Says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070202588.html?hpid=topnews
The reason this is news is that he dared to say what everyone knows.
White House Reporters Grill Gibbs
http://www.breitbart.tv/white-house-reporters-grill-gibbs-over-selected-questions-for-obama/
Taken them long enough to start to catch on.
Helen Thomas: Not Even Nixon Tried to Control the Media Like Obama
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=50445
How dare the press criticize The One?!!!
Why It's Easy to Steal From Medicare
Arrests in Detroit and Miami are another argument against importing to the rest of the health economy the model that enabled these scams.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124649425934283347.html
After the crooks get their fill at the stimulus bill feed, they can hope for government-run health care.
Social Security audit finds dead people getting checks
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/politics/story/71069.html
“Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.” -Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)
"FEAR" Note From a Cop / Scott Wagner is a Police Academy Commander
http://current.com/items/90307446_fear-note-from-a-cop-scott-wagner-is-a-police-academy-commander.htm
Scary stuff.
The Dirty Joke From Minnesota
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/06/the-dirty-joke-from-minnesota/
Just proves that Democrats are more patriotic and vote move often…several times in one day.
We moved this past weekend, so I didn't post much. Between vacation, moving, work and some health issues, haven't had time to write much of my own--sorry. ~Bob
U.S.: American Soldier Captured in Afghanistan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070200741.html?hpid=topnews
Prediction: They will make demands that are impossible to meet, then murder him, probably by beheading. And the world wide voices that screamed about how some rogue American soldiers humiliated Muslims at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq will be silent.
Affirmative Action Debate Roils Naval Academy
New Plebe Class Has Record Ratio of Minorities; Diversity Effort 'Dumbing Down' Corps, Professor Says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070202588.html?hpid=topnews
The reason this is news is that he dared to say what everyone knows.
White House Reporters Grill Gibbs
http://www.breitbart.tv/white-house-reporters-grill-gibbs-over-selected-questions-for-obama/
Taken them long enough to start to catch on.
Helen Thomas: Not Even Nixon Tried to Control the Media Like Obama
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=50445
How dare the press criticize The One?!!!
Why It's Easy to Steal From Medicare
Arrests in Detroit and Miami are another argument against importing to the rest of the health economy the model that enabled these scams.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124649425934283347.html
After the crooks get their fill at the stimulus bill feed, they can hope for government-run health care.
Social Security audit finds dead people getting checks
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/politics/story/71069.html
“Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.” -Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)
"FEAR" Note From a Cop / Scott Wagner is a Police Academy Commander
http://current.com/items/90307446_fear-note-from-a-cop-scott-wagner-is-a-police-academy-commander.htm
Scary stuff.
The Dirty Joke From Minnesota
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/06/the-dirty-joke-from-minnesota/
Just proves that Democrats are more patriotic and vote move often…several times in one day.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Bob's Political Digest July 2, 2009
Marines launch major offensive in Afghanistan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070103202.html?hpid=topnews
Excerpt: “Once Marine units arrive in their designated towns and villages, they have been instructed to build and live in small outposts among the local population. The brigade's commander, Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson, said his Marines will focus their efforts on protecting civilians from the Taliban, and on restoring Afghan government services, instead of a series of hunt-and-kill missions against the insurgents.”
Return of the very successful CAP strategy from Vietnam. Having served briefly with a CAP unit, I think this is encouraging.
After Call from Senator's Office, Small Hawaii Bank Got U.S. Aid
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063004229.html?wpisrc=newsletter
I repeat: When politicians run the economy, decisions are made on the basis of politics, not economics.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warns of revenge on pro-democracy states
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/5698913/Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-warns-of-revenge-on-pro-democracy-states.html
Lucky for us, under BO the US no longer qualifies as pro-democracy.
Australia: Egyptian stabs stepdaughter 20 times with a butcher knife: "I stabbed the slut. I wanted to kill her, but unfortunately she's still breathing."
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026781.php
More of the “shared values” BO says we have with Islam.
Equality on Trial by Thomas Sowell
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/07/01/equality_on_trial
Excerpt: For the fourth time in six cases, the Supreme Court of the United States has reversed a decision for which Judge Sonia Sotomayor voted on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. If this nominee were a white male, would this not raise questions about whether he should be elevated to a court that has found his previous decisions wrong two-thirds of the times when those decisions have been reviewed? Is no one supposed to ask questions about qualifications, simply because this nominee is Hispanic and a woman? Have we become that mindless?
Who Railroaded the Amtrak Inspector General? by Michelle Malkin
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2009/07/01/who_railroaded_the_amtrak_inspector_general
More “change you can believe in.”
The below is from a Marine vet who sends interesting items. I added the headline. ~Bob
Should we just pull the plug?
Recently, while enjoying a couple of days in the Pacific Northwest, I thought how nice it was NOT to be hooked up to the internet. Day in and day out I find my blood pressure rising as I read and listen to the pending doom and gloom covering this place we call planet earth. Lots of garbage going on both at home and away. Wouldn't it be easy, I think to myself (every so often), to just pull the plug and let the world pass me by so I don't have to deal with it! Just sit back and smell the roses so-to-speak. It really wouldn't be that hard to do. Just tune out! Having served my country, there is a temptation to believe that I've done my share and it is now time for me to pass the torch on to others. But it doesn't work that way. I think we all owe it to ourselves (and especially this country) to stay engaged. Like it or not, the barbarians are at the gate. We all have a role to play. We don't all have the same answers, but we do indeed recognize the fact that there are issues out there that need to be addressed. Sitting back and letting others take care of things just isn't an option. It won't work. We need to collectively raise our voices to ensure a sense of balance is taken on behalf of this great experiment called the United States of America. The ball is in our court. Don't sit back and think someone else is going to take care of things. It doesn't work that way. The only thing I would suggest is that we be a little more civil towards one another because we are all in the same boat. Personally, I think the immediate answer to kick-start change is to throw all the incumbents out and start over. Send a strong message that "we" (the people) control the government. Professional politicians need to be served notice. Sure, some of the good politicians will find themselves on the street, but the neat thing is they can always come back. But they can come back on OUR terms! When/if they return, they will hopefully return with an attitude adjustment in place. And that will be good for all. So stay engaged! Open up your mind and listen to those who have various solutions. As I've said time and again, no one party has a monopoly on good ideas or patriotism. Debate the issues and then take action. Stop this negative momentum that is attempting to change the basic character of this nation. The United States has a good character. You can see it in that simple lovely document called the Constitution of the United States of America. Read it some time. There is no other way around the challenges facing us now! We must meet the issues head on. This country has the greatest doctors, engineers and farmers in the world. We can do anything we put our minds together to do. But we must have collective good will going that embraces diverse (but constructive) opinions. I think we have steered ourselves off course by forgetting the fundamentals. Ships can be effectively sailed by a diverse crew. While crew members may do things in different ways, as long as whatever needs to be done is correctly accomplished, the ship will arrive at the desire destination, at a reasonable time. We need to come together in order to brace ourselves for the storm that is brewing. --Greg
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070103202.html?hpid=topnews
Excerpt: “Once Marine units arrive in their designated towns and villages, they have been instructed to build and live in small outposts among the local population. The brigade's commander, Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson, said his Marines will focus their efforts on protecting civilians from the Taliban, and on restoring Afghan government services, instead of a series of hunt-and-kill missions against the insurgents.”
Return of the very successful CAP strategy from Vietnam. Having served briefly with a CAP unit, I think this is encouraging.
After Call from Senator's Office, Small Hawaii Bank Got U.S. Aid
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063004229.html?wpisrc=newsletter
I repeat: When politicians run the economy, decisions are made on the basis of politics, not economics.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warns of revenge on pro-democracy states
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/5698913/Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-warns-of-revenge-on-pro-democracy-states.html
Lucky for us, under BO the US no longer qualifies as pro-democracy.
Australia: Egyptian stabs stepdaughter 20 times with a butcher knife: "I stabbed the slut. I wanted to kill her, but unfortunately she's still breathing."
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026781.php
More of the “shared values” BO says we have with Islam.
Equality on Trial by Thomas Sowell
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/07/01/equality_on_trial
Excerpt: For the fourth time in six cases, the Supreme Court of the United States has reversed a decision for which Judge Sonia Sotomayor voted on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. If this nominee were a white male, would this not raise questions about whether he should be elevated to a court that has found his previous decisions wrong two-thirds of the times when those decisions have been reviewed? Is no one supposed to ask questions about qualifications, simply because this nominee is Hispanic and a woman? Have we become that mindless?
Who Railroaded the Amtrak Inspector General? by Michelle Malkin
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2009/07/01/who_railroaded_the_amtrak_inspector_general
More “change you can believe in.”
The below is from a Marine vet who sends interesting items. I added the headline. ~Bob
Should we just pull the plug?
Recently, while enjoying a couple of days in the Pacific Northwest, I thought how nice it was NOT to be hooked up to the internet. Day in and day out I find my blood pressure rising as I read and listen to the pending doom and gloom covering this place we call planet earth. Lots of garbage going on both at home and away. Wouldn't it be easy, I think to myself (every so often), to just pull the plug and let the world pass me by so I don't have to deal with it! Just sit back and smell the roses so-to-speak. It really wouldn't be that hard to do. Just tune out! Having served my country, there is a temptation to believe that I've done my share and it is now time for me to pass the torch on to others. But it doesn't work that way. I think we all owe it to ourselves (and especially this country) to stay engaged. Like it or not, the barbarians are at the gate. We all have a role to play. We don't all have the same answers, but we do indeed recognize the fact that there are issues out there that need to be addressed. Sitting back and letting others take care of things just isn't an option. It won't work. We need to collectively raise our voices to ensure a sense of balance is taken on behalf of this great experiment called the United States of America. The ball is in our court. Don't sit back and think someone else is going to take care of things. It doesn't work that way. The only thing I would suggest is that we be a little more civil towards one another because we are all in the same boat. Personally, I think the immediate answer to kick-start change is to throw all the incumbents out and start over. Send a strong message that "we" (the people) control the government. Professional politicians need to be served notice. Sure, some of the good politicians will find themselves on the street, but the neat thing is they can always come back. But they can come back on OUR terms! When/if they return, they will hopefully return with an attitude adjustment in place. And that will be good for all. So stay engaged! Open up your mind and listen to those who have various solutions. As I've said time and again, no one party has a monopoly on good ideas or patriotism. Debate the issues and then take action. Stop this negative momentum that is attempting to change the basic character of this nation. The United States has a good character. You can see it in that simple lovely document called the Constitution of the United States of America. Read it some time. There is no other way around the challenges facing us now! We must meet the issues head on. This country has the greatest doctors, engineers and farmers in the world. We can do anything we put our minds together to do. But we must have collective good will going that embraces diverse (but constructive) opinions. I think we have steered ourselves off course by forgetting the fundamentals. Ships can be effectively sailed by a diverse crew. While crew members may do things in different ways, as long as whatever needs to be done is correctly accomplished, the ship will arrive at the desire destination, at a reasonable time. We need to come together in order to brace ourselves for the storm that is brewing. --Greg
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Bob's Political Digest July 1, 2009
Today's collection of interesting stuff:
The Troop Drawdown Could Be Costly for Iraq
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124631741892070801.html
Medical Liability Reform
http://www.protectpatientsnow.org/site/c.8oIDJLNnHlE/b.5282693/k.247E/Newsletter.htm
Estimates vary, but it’s clear that a large chunk of the burgeoning health care costs come from not only the soaring cost of malpractice insurance, but even more so from defensive medicine—tests and procedures doctors order that are needed only to protect themselves from lawsuits in the one in ten thousand chance. But with the League of Leftwing Lawyers occupying all leadership spots in both branches of Congress and the White House, reform has about the chances of a topless beach opening in Iran.
Alice in Medical Care by Thomas Sowell
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/06/30/alice_in_medical_care
There goes Sowell again, confusing politics with economic facts.
A 'Fix' We'll Likely Regret by George Will
http://townhall.com/columnists/GeorgeWill/2009/06/30/a_fix_well_likely_regret?page=2
More good sense on Health Care
The Economic Impact of the Waxman-Markey Cap-and-Trade Bill
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18149
Democrats stomp poor, ship jobs overseas. Change you can believe in.
EPA May Have Suppressed Report Skeptical Of Global Warming
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/26/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5117890.shtml
Excerpt: Less than two weeks before the agency formally submitted its pro-regulation recommendation to the White House, an EPA center director quashed a 98-page report that warned against making hasty "decisions based on a scientific hypothesis that does not appear to explain most of the available data." Obama lied and the economy died.
Deregulation can help solve education budget crisis
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/109060.php
What? And throw Democrat bureaucrats out of work just to help kids?
Quote
To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.--Thomas Jefferson (considered the founder of the Democratic Party!)
No Country for Burly Men
How feminist groups skewed the Obama stimulus plan towards women's jobs
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/659dkrod.asp?pg=1
by Christina Hoff Sommers—excerpt:
“It is now four months since the bill was signed into law. A recent Associated Press story reports: "Stimulus Funds Go to Social Programs Over 'Shovel-ready' Projects." A team of six AP reporters who have been tracking the funds find that the $300 billion sent to the states is being used mainly for health care, education, unemployment benefits, food stamps, and other social services. According to Chris Whately, director of the Council of State Governments, "We all talked about 'shovel-ready' since September and assumed it was a whole lot of paving and building when, in fact, that's not the case." At the same time, the Labor Department's latest (June 5) employment report shows unemployment rates of 8 percent for women and 10.5 percent for men. "Unprecedented" is what Harvard economist Greg Mankiw called the new 2.5 percentage-point gender gap. "It's the highest male-female jobless rate gap in the history of BLS [Labor Department] data back to 1948," said Mark Perry.”
“There is great room for debate over the effectiveness of government stimulus programs, and over how much impact a focused "shovel-ready" spending program would have achieved by now. What is not debatable is that changes in the American economy and workforce are favoring service sectors where women are abundant and that the current severe contraction is centered on sectors where men, especially working-class men, predominate. That an emergency economic recovery program should be designed with gender in mind is itself remarkable. That, in current circumstances, it should be designed to "skew" employment further towards women is disturbing and ominous.”
Bangladesh: Widow whipped 202 times, man whipped 101 following cleric's fatwa against them for "anti-social activity"
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026776.php
More of the Common Values BO thinks we share with Islam.
Minn. court rules for Franken in Senate fight
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063002200.html?hpid=topnews
Just what the Senate needs, another clown.
Obama's political play should shock no one
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-21-jun21,0,1177440.column
This was in the Chicago Trib while I was away.
The Troop Drawdown Could Be Costly for Iraq
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124631741892070801.html
Medical Liability Reform
http://www.protectpatientsnow.org/site/c.8oIDJLNnHlE/b.5282693/k.247E/Newsletter.htm
Estimates vary, but it’s clear that a large chunk of the burgeoning health care costs come from not only the soaring cost of malpractice insurance, but even more so from defensive medicine—tests and procedures doctors order that are needed only to protect themselves from lawsuits in the one in ten thousand chance. But with the League of Leftwing Lawyers occupying all leadership spots in both branches of Congress and the White House, reform has about the chances of a topless beach opening in Iran.
Alice in Medical Care by Thomas Sowell
http://townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/06/30/alice_in_medical_care
There goes Sowell again, confusing politics with economic facts.
A 'Fix' We'll Likely Regret by George Will
http://townhall.com/columnists/GeorgeWill/2009/06/30/a_fix_well_likely_regret?page=2
More good sense on Health Care
The Economic Impact of the Waxman-Markey Cap-and-Trade Bill
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18149
Democrats stomp poor, ship jobs overseas. Change you can believe in.
EPA May Have Suppressed Report Skeptical Of Global Warming
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/26/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5117890.shtml
Excerpt: Less than two weeks before the agency formally submitted its pro-regulation recommendation to the White House, an EPA center director quashed a 98-page report that warned against making hasty "decisions based on a scientific hypothesis that does not appear to explain most of the available data." Obama lied and the economy died.
Deregulation can help solve education budget crisis
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/109060.php
What? And throw Democrat bureaucrats out of work just to help kids?
Quote
To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.--Thomas Jefferson (considered the founder of the Democratic Party!)
No Country for Burly Men
How feminist groups skewed the Obama stimulus plan towards women's jobs
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/659dkrod.asp?pg=1
by Christina Hoff Sommers—excerpt:
“It is now four months since the bill was signed into law. A recent Associated Press story reports: "Stimulus Funds Go to Social Programs Over 'Shovel-ready' Projects." A team of six AP reporters who have been tracking the funds find that the $300 billion sent to the states is being used mainly for health care, education, unemployment benefits, food stamps, and other social services. According to Chris Whately, director of the Council of State Governments, "We all talked about 'shovel-ready' since September and assumed it was a whole lot of paving and building when, in fact, that's not the case." At the same time, the Labor Department's latest (June 5) employment report shows unemployment rates of 8 percent for women and 10.5 percent for men. "Unprecedented" is what Harvard economist Greg Mankiw called the new 2.5 percentage-point gender gap. "It's the highest male-female jobless rate gap in the history of BLS [Labor Department] data back to 1948," said Mark Perry.”
“There is great room for debate over the effectiveness of government stimulus programs, and over how much impact a focused "shovel-ready" spending program would have achieved by now. What is not debatable is that changes in the American economy and workforce are favoring service sectors where women are abundant and that the current severe contraction is centered on sectors where men, especially working-class men, predominate. That an emergency economic recovery program should be designed with gender in mind is itself remarkable. That, in current circumstances, it should be designed to "skew" employment further towards women is disturbing and ominous.”
Bangladesh: Widow whipped 202 times, man whipped 101 following cleric's fatwa against them for "anti-social activity"
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/026776.php
More of the Common Values BO thinks we share with Islam.
Minn. court rules for Franken in Senate fight
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063002200.html?hpid=topnews
Just what the Senate needs, another clown.
Obama's political play should shock no one
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-21-jun21,0,1177440.column
This was in the Chicago Trib while I was away.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Keeping faith with the ARVN vets
This is from a friend and Marine Vietnam vet, who runs a small charity helping wounded ARVN soldiers and kids in Vietnam (http://www.thevhf.org/). They were our allies, and paid a high price for trusting that Americans would keep their word and stand beside them. I fear those who have stood with us in Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to pay the same price for trusting the words of American politicians. ~Bob
The ARVN
I have had comments from other vets, especially the ones who served in '65-'67, about the very poor quality of the ARVN troops they encountered. No doubt those recollections are valid, as were some of the news programs and other reports that were severely critical of ARVN units.
This has led to a general belief that the South Vietnamese soldiers were always overall a poorly trained and badly led bunch, who tried to avoid fighting whenever they could, and didn't fight well even when they had to.
But this is actually an unfair and false legend, for reasons many of us just don't know about.
In the '60-'68 time frame, there were many units that were poorly trained and poorly led, officer commissions were obtained through politics and bribes, intra-military politics ran rampant, and only a minority of the units, such as their Rangers, Marines, and some others, were really good, tough soldiers. (A unit of their Rangers held part of the line at Khe Sanh, and performed very well there.)
However, during Tet '68 they seemed to pull together and fought well against the attacks. (ARVN units actually retook more of the territory of Hue than Marines did, in fighting just as nasty as the Marines went through.)
After Tet, a lot more South Vietnamese came off the fence and decided that they really didn't want the North to come down and take them over, enlistments in the Army went way up, training got a lot better, and the general quality of the South's military began to improve noticeably in '69-'71. Of course, that was when the number of Americans serving up front was declining all the time, so there weren't that many opportunities for us to see the ARVN doing better.
By '72, when we were gone, the number of subpar units in the ARVN had become a minority, and many units were excellent, their 1st Division for one. And when the Easter Invasion hit from the North, 200,000 NVA regulars in several divisions, with 400 tanks, much better artillery than we'd left for the ARVN, and AA missiles and guns to shoot down the South's planes, they wound up in a series of large pitched battles that were as intense but a lot longer lasting than any we ever fought. The siege of An Loc was a kind of ARVN Alamo, went on for weeks and weeks, destroyed the city completely, but the cut off ARVN fought like tigers and refused to surrender. They stopped NVA tanks by jumping on them under fire to stuff grenades in the view slits. US Advisors were there to witness it all, and there are some good books about it.
But of course by then the media (both US and international) didn't have that much interest in what went on, there were very few reporters on the ground any more, so the coverage of all this was minimal at best.
But by the final invasion of '75, with NVA forces twice as big as in '72, superbly equipped and supplied from massive bases in Cambodia, the ARVN were on limited fuel and ammo, half their tanks were down for repairs that depended on spare parts they couldn't get any more, and they started to fold under the blitzkrieg. Their President made a poor decision to start an unplanned retreat, and things when to hell in just a few days, leading to the panic scenes of soldiers running after planes and hanging onto chopper rails in Da Nang. (What you didn't hear about were the radio calls from VN Marine units in the hills, who never surrendered and fought to the death.)
So it all went to pieces, but there were still some heavy duty battles, such as the 18th Division under General Le Minh Dao at Xuan Loc holding off three times their number of NVA and inflicting massive casualties on them as they tried to get past them to Saigon. Finally the NVA bypassed them, and when ammo ran out, the General surrendered them and himself (even though the US would have gotten him out), and he became one of the longest prisoners of the war, 18 years in "re-education".
These are the things not many of us heard about, but in all fairness have to take into account now. I know personally more than a few South Vietnamese veterans, who fought hard and have the wounds to prove it, many of whom also spent a lot of time in the terrible camps after the war, where the death rate was 30% from starvation, overwork, and disease. They deserve our respect, and after all, they were our comrades in some sense, who got left in the lurch when Congress cut off their critical supplies and we broke the promise made at the Paris Accords to come to their aid if there was an invasion again.
For anyone who doesn't know it, I go back to Viet Nam to help the crippled ARVN vets who lead really tough lives there, still under laws that discriminate against them, their kids, and grandkids. Go to http://www.thevhf.org/ if you have any interest in this.
Del
The ARVN
I have had comments from other vets, especially the ones who served in '65-'67, about the very poor quality of the ARVN troops they encountered. No doubt those recollections are valid, as were some of the news programs and other reports that were severely critical of ARVN units.
This has led to a general belief that the South Vietnamese soldiers were always overall a poorly trained and badly led bunch, who tried to avoid fighting whenever they could, and didn't fight well even when they had to.
But this is actually an unfair and false legend, for reasons many of us just don't know about.
In the '60-'68 time frame, there were many units that were poorly trained and poorly led, officer commissions were obtained through politics and bribes, intra-military politics ran rampant, and only a minority of the units, such as their Rangers, Marines, and some others, were really good, tough soldiers. (A unit of their Rangers held part of the line at Khe Sanh, and performed very well there.)
However, during Tet '68 they seemed to pull together and fought well against the attacks. (ARVN units actually retook more of the territory of Hue than Marines did, in fighting just as nasty as the Marines went through.)
After Tet, a lot more South Vietnamese came off the fence and decided that they really didn't want the North to come down and take them over, enlistments in the Army went way up, training got a lot better, and the general quality of the South's military began to improve noticeably in '69-'71. Of course, that was when the number of Americans serving up front was declining all the time, so there weren't that many opportunities for us to see the ARVN doing better.
By '72, when we were gone, the number of subpar units in the ARVN had become a minority, and many units were excellent, their 1st Division for one. And when the Easter Invasion hit from the North, 200,000 NVA regulars in several divisions, with 400 tanks, much better artillery than we'd left for the ARVN, and AA missiles and guns to shoot down the South's planes, they wound up in a series of large pitched battles that were as intense but a lot longer lasting than any we ever fought. The siege of An Loc was a kind of ARVN Alamo, went on for weeks and weeks, destroyed the city completely, but the cut off ARVN fought like tigers and refused to surrender. They stopped NVA tanks by jumping on them under fire to stuff grenades in the view slits. US Advisors were there to witness it all, and there are some good books about it.
But of course by then the media (both US and international) didn't have that much interest in what went on, there were very few reporters on the ground any more, so the coverage of all this was minimal at best.
But by the final invasion of '75, with NVA forces twice as big as in '72, superbly equipped and supplied from massive bases in Cambodia, the ARVN were on limited fuel and ammo, half their tanks were down for repairs that depended on spare parts they couldn't get any more, and they started to fold under the blitzkrieg. Their President made a poor decision to start an unplanned retreat, and things when to hell in just a few days, leading to the panic scenes of soldiers running after planes and hanging onto chopper rails in Da Nang. (What you didn't hear about were the radio calls from VN Marine units in the hills, who never surrendered and fought to the death.)
So it all went to pieces, but there were still some heavy duty battles, such as the 18th Division under General Le Minh Dao at Xuan Loc holding off three times their number of NVA and inflicting massive casualties on them as they tried to get past them to Saigon. Finally the NVA bypassed them, and when ammo ran out, the General surrendered them and himself (even though the US would have gotten him out), and he became one of the longest prisoners of the war, 18 years in "re-education".
These are the things not many of us heard about, but in all fairness have to take into account now. I know personally more than a few South Vietnamese veterans, who fought hard and have the wounds to prove it, many of whom also spent a lot of time in the terrible camps after the war, where the death rate was 30% from starvation, overwork, and disease. They deserve our respect, and after all, they were our comrades in some sense, who got left in the lurch when Congress cut off their critical supplies and we broke the promise made at the Paris Accords to come to their aid if there was an invasion again.
For anyone who doesn't know it, I go back to Viet Nam to help the crippled ARVN vets who lead really tough lives there, still under laws that discriminate against them, their kids, and grandkids. Go to http://www.thevhf.org/ if you have any interest in this.
Del
Today's Political Digest
Reality Sets In
White House Drafts Executive Order to Hold Detainees Indefinitely Fearing battle with Congress that could stall Guantanamo closure, administration drafts order that would embrace Bush claims that certain people can be detained without trial for long periods under laws of war.
More shared values with Islam
Last Friday marked the 3rd anniversary of the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. A citizen of Israel and France, Gilad was only 18 years old when he was captured by Hamas. Over his 1,095 days in captivity he has yet to be allowed a mere single message from his family; Hamas having denied even the repeated requests of the International Committee of the Red Cross. To mark his third year away from friends and loved ones, the Consulate General of Israel in New York has created a video based on the book Gilad wrote when he was 11, "When the Shark and the Fish First Met."
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102623615088&s=225&e=001N52JatRPlkFzGUpGJCo2HjwVKo-DdDurXSCUwUhC2hF2pe44rB2zYNiqrlul8GqVbG1y_wSowixtGIMwcpwtztIp8fdWlIK1ijnJFVpvrfg0DGCWA4Q4CA==
New clashes in Iran as standoff worsens with West
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090628/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_election;_ylt=Ajzn10QXjKr43IrA9n9mCjWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJoaHBobzdqBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNjI4L21sX2lyYW5fZWxlY3Rpb24EY3BvcwMyBHBvcwM4BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA2JyaXRhaW5hc3NhaQ--
I predicted BO would be the new Jimmy Carter. Iran seems to agree.
Why Health Reform is Bound to Fail
http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/why-health-reform-is-bound-to-fail/#more-3978
The system is so complex, no one fully grasps it fully--especially politicians campaigning on simple slogans. This is a must read!
The Obamacare horror story you won't hear
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=573226
This came out while I was on vacation. What is so sickening is how sanctimonious Obama & crew are about helping the poor. Mostly, they want them to stay poor and dependent on the government, thus voting democrat.
Dissecting the Kennedy Health Bill
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124536864955329439.html
High Court Rules for White Firefighters in Discrimination Suit
Ruling Reverses High-Profile Decision by Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062901608.html?hpid=topnews
A blow against racism
Tax Oppression Index Ranks America in Bottom Half of Industrialized Nations
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18143
And it’s going to get worse—from the people who complain about jobs going overseas.
The Albany-Trenton-Sacramento Disease
How three liberal states got into deep trouble with 'progressive' ideas.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124597150183556945.html
Coming soon to a location near you.
World's 65 and older population to triple by 2050
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=130&sid=6911425
Lucky for me, I don’t expect to be here then.
Tilting at Green Windmills
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18137
The Pain in Spain falls mainly on the Plain (plain taxpayers, that is)
Propane & the Pickens Plan
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/t-boone-pickens/propane-and-the-pickens-p_b_219724.html
Green American energy? Nah.
Ahmadinejad Demands Apology From Obama
Iranian Warns Against Further Criticism
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/25/AR2009062500774.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter
Boy, I’m surprised. Who could have predicted that BO’s kissing up to Ahm-a-nut-job wouldn’t work out? Time for more groveling, I guess.
Government Health Plans Always Ration Care
Europe offers a glimpse of the future if President Obama and congressional Democrats have their way.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124588779662250705.html
But they know that….
Lynching in Kenya: A routine crime
http://www.economist.com/world/mideast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13876716
Lucky for these people they were able to throw off British rule.
Slamming Palin
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) would like to amend that little joke he made earlier this week about Sarah Palin when he said he wished it had been the Alaska governor who had gone missing instead of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.
"Too bad, if a governor had to go missing, it couldn't have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin," Kerry told a group of civic and business leaders on Tuesday, according to the Boston Herald. That, of course, was before he and the rest of us learned Sanford had lost himself in Argentina with his secret mistress.
White House Drafts Executive Order to Hold Detainees Indefinitely Fearing battle with Congress that could stall Guantanamo closure, administration drafts order that would embrace Bush claims that certain people can be detained without trial for long periods under laws of war.
More shared values with Islam
Last Friday marked the 3rd anniversary of the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. A citizen of Israel and France, Gilad was only 18 years old when he was captured by Hamas. Over his 1,095 days in captivity he has yet to be allowed a mere single message from his family; Hamas having denied even the repeated requests of the International Committee of the Red Cross. To mark his third year away from friends and loved ones, the Consulate General of Israel in New York has created a video based on the book Gilad wrote when he was 11, "When the Shark and the Fish First Met."
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102623615088&s=225&e=001N52JatRPlkFzGUpGJCo2HjwVKo-DdDurXSCUwUhC2hF2pe44rB2zYNiqrlul8GqVbG1y_wSowixtGIMwcpwtztIp8fdWlIK1ijnJFVpvrfg0DGCWA4Q4CA==
New clashes in Iran as standoff worsens with West
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090628/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_election;_ylt=Ajzn10QXjKr43IrA9n9mCjWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJoaHBobzdqBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNjI4L21sX2lyYW5fZWxlY3Rpb24EY3BvcwMyBHBvcwM4BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA2JyaXRhaW5hc3NhaQ--
I predicted BO would be the new Jimmy Carter. Iran seems to agree.
Why Health Reform is Bound to Fail
http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/why-health-reform-is-bound-to-fail/#more-3978
The system is so complex, no one fully grasps it fully--especially politicians campaigning on simple slogans. This is a must read!
The Obamacare horror story you won't hear
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=573226
This came out while I was on vacation. What is so sickening is how sanctimonious Obama & crew are about helping the poor. Mostly, they want them to stay poor and dependent on the government, thus voting democrat.
Dissecting the Kennedy Health Bill
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124536864955329439.html
High Court Rules for White Firefighters in Discrimination Suit
Ruling Reverses High-Profile Decision by Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062901608.html?hpid=topnews
A blow against racism
Tax Oppression Index Ranks America in Bottom Half of Industrialized Nations
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18143
And it’s going to get worse—from the people who complain about jobs going overseas.
The Albany-Trenton-Sacramento Disease
How three liberal states got into deep trouble with 'progressive' ideas.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124597150183556945.html
Coming soon to a location near you.
World's 65 and older population to triple by 2050
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=130&sid=6911425
Lucky for me, I don’t expect to be here then.
Tilting at Green Windmills
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18137
The Pain in Spain falls mainly on the Plain (plain taxpayers, that is)
Propane & the Pickens Plan
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/t-boone-pickens/propane-and-the-pickens-p_b_219724.html
Green American energy? Nah.
Ahmadinejad Demands Apology From Obama
Iranian Warns Against Further Criticism
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/25/AR2009062500774.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter
Boy, I’m surprised. Who could have predicted that BO’s kissing up to Ahm-a-nut-job wouldn’t work out? Time for more groveling, I guess.
Government Health Plans Always Ration Care
Europe offers a glimpse of the future if President Obama and congressional Democrats have their way.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124588779662250705.html
But they know that….
Lynching in Kenya: A routine crime
http://www.economist.com/world/mideast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13876716
Lucky for these people they were able to throw off British rule.
Slamming Palin
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) would like to amend that little joke he made earlier this week about Sarah Palin when he said he wished it had been the Alaska governor who had gone missing instead of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.
"Too bad, if a governor had to go missing, it couldn't have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin," Kerry told a group of civic and business leaders on Tuesday, according to the Boston Herald. That, of course, was before he and the rest of us learned Sanford had lost himself in Argentina with his secret mistress.
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