What a Spectacular Crock!

What a Spectacular Crock!

The record shows that John Kerry will switch sides on an issue for politcal expediency. Most people would call this unprincipled political opportunism. Nancy Benac of the Associated Press calls it, "nuanced."

What's Really At Stake?

What's Really At Stake?

That Iraq may lack WMD's after all is a side issue. The Iraq was was about the future. And who we elect in November will influence the security of the civilized world for centuries.

"Things in the Middle East are hard precisely because the stakes there are gargantuan. But so are the rewards: The sanctuaries and patrons of murderers, suicide bombers, and terrorists are shrinking with the destruction of the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. Autocracies like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Syria are terrified of consensual government in Iraq precisely because they are aware of its implications for their own deprived citizens.

Meanwhile millions — from Libya and Pakistan to North Korea and Iran — watch intently. They wonder whether this new United States is about to run out of gas and return to the old appeasement of the last twenty years, when crafting nukes on the sly, blowing up Americans, and terrorizing innocents earned (at the worst) a televised remonstration expressing "concern" and "disappointment." On the other hand, wonder the world's opportunists, is this new — and often unpredictable — United States going to completely change the rules of engagement, to prevent the conditions that would lead to another September 11? "

BBC Reporters Stand Up For Dishonesty

BBC Reporters Stand Up For Dishonesty

"Thousands of British Broadcasting Corp. employees took out a full-page newspaper ad Saturday voicing support for the chief executive who resigned after a judge harshly criticized a BBC report alleging the government exaggerated evidence on Iraqi weapons."

The rot at the BBC clearly will not be cured by the resignations of its top two directors and the pathologically dishonest reporter, Andrew Gilligan.

My cure, pull all public funding.

Those Nasty Attack Dogs Are At It Again

Those Nasty Attack Dogs Are At It Again

If John Kerry really believes that George Bush is exaggerating terrorist threats for political gain, then I suppose Kerry's votes to end production of the B-1, the B-2, the F-15, etc, are justifiable. However, if you believe that nearly 3000 Americans were killed on September 11, 2001, then you can't be comfortable with John Kerry's consistent efforts to weaken our military and our intelligence services.

"Even after the first World Trade Center bombing, Senator Kerry voted to gut intelligence spending by $1.5 billion for the five years prior to 2001. In 1996, he voted to slash defense spending by $6.5 billion. Both bills were so reckless that neither had any co-sponsors willing to endorse his plans."

It Runs In The Family

It Runs In The Family

To stand out against the background corruption of French politics, this must have been really bad.

" In a serious blow to President Jacques Chirac and the future of his governing party, former Prime Minister Alain Juppé was convicted Friday of corruption in a party scheme to create phony City Hall jobs here during part of Mr. Chirac's mayoralty.

Mr. Juppé, 58, one of Mr. Chirac's closest confidants and his preferred successor if he does not seek a third term, was sentenced to an 18-month suspended prison term and disqualified from public office for 10 years."


Will any of those guys who got Saddam bucks burn?

Democrats are Hypocrits. Yawn.

Democrats are Hypocrits. Yawn.

Guess what? The Democrats greedily pursue money from the "special interests" they disparage.

"While Senator John Kerry regularly promises to stand up to "big corporations," his campaign has taken money from executives on Wall Street and those representing the telecommunications industry, which is under his purview in Congress. Mr. Kerry denounces President Bush for catering to the rich, but he has depended more heavily on affluent donors than the other leading Democrats except for another populist, Senator John Edwards."

No Evidence of Political Bias in CIA WMD Analysis

No Evidence of Political Bias in CIA WMD Analysis

This won't satisfy Ted Kennedy, whose criticism of the Iraq War was cooked up in Massachussetts for the purpose of winning elections, but Congressional and CIA investigators agree, the intelligence communities conclusion that Iraq had WMD's was not colored by political pressure from the Bush Administration.

"There was pressure and a lot of debate, and people should have a lot of debate, that's quite legitimate," said Richard J. Kerr, former deputy director of the CIA. "But the bottom line is, over a period of several years," the analysts' assessments "were very consistent. They didn't change their views."

Incidentally, no permutation of this story appears in the New York Times.

Eight and a Half Years for Murder for Cannibalism

Eight and a Half Years for Murder for Cannibalism

According to his attorney, Armin Meiwes had no "base motives" when he killed and ate his victim.

And to the presiding judge, Volker Muetze, there is nothing base about "the wish to make another man part of himself. Meiwes reached this bonding experience through the consumption of the flesh."

Clark Seeks Support From Terrorists

Clark Seeks Support From Terrorists

"I wish I could be there with you in person," Clark told the Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America. "I hope I will have your support in the months and years ahead."

The group is currently under investigation by the FBI for providing material support to terrorism.

Skin Too Thin?

Skin Too Thin?

Many conservative commentators refer to John Kerry as "French looking." That's because when President Bush's press secretary jokingly referred to the junior senator from Massachussetts as "looking French," he grossly overreacted, as did his wife.

Now we have further evidence of his hypersensitivity. When RNC Chairman Ed Gillespsie said that Kerry's voting record was one of, "one of advocating policies that would weaken our national security."

"It's a fight, let's face it," Kerry said of Gillespie's remarks. "They don't hesitate to dig down dirty and deep." He called Republicans "attack dogs."

If he's going to react so indignantly to such gentle prodding, then what's he going to do when people really go after him?

Morton Kondracke points out that John Kerry has opposed the B-1 bomber, the B-2 stealth bomber, the Apache helicopter, the Patriot missile, F-15, F-14, the Harrier jump jets, and the Aegis air-defense cruiser.

He also voted to strip $300 million over five years from the CIA and in 1994 proposed to cut $1 billion from the program that coordinates counterterrorism activities.

John Kerry Started Business the Old Fashioned Way, By Stealing

John Kerry Started Business the Old Fashioned Way, By Stealing

John Kerry cites his brief experience as a small businessman as proof of his capacity to understand entrepreneurialsim. But, the founder of David's Cookies accuses John Kerry of stealing his business from him.

“Some guy who called me up was John Kerry, in ’79 or ’80,” Liederman recalled. “He said he wanted to come down and talk to me about franchising. He came to the office and said he had an incredible space in Boston, which was Faneuil Hall. He said he needed some plans and some layouts and all sorts of things to get the approval of the landlord.”

“So I gave him the layout, the package, and he went back and I didn’t hear from him for six or seven months.”

"One day Liederman got a call from someone who said they’d seen one of his stores in Faneuil Hall. Not having a store in Boston, Liederman decided to have a look for himself.

“It was a direct, 100-percent knock off of David’s Cookies,” said Liederman, from the appliances to the shop’s design to the cookies themselves. “If you had walked into a David’s Cookie’s store in Manhattan at the same time he opened ‘John’s Cookies’ in Boston, you couldn’t tell the difference.”

Hasn't He Done Enough Damage?

Hasn't He Done Enough Damage?

Howard Dean's fortunes plummeted after Algore's endorsement. Now, Al's coming back.

Would You Trust Your Security to the French?

Would You Trust Your Security to the French?

When John Kerry and Howard Dean and John Edwards and Wesley Clark say that we should subordinate our security to the United Nations, they mean to give veto power to the French. Would you trust the French?

"Thomas Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize winning columnist of The New York Times, could write this with a straight face: “It’s time we Americans came to terms with something: France is not just our annoying ally. It is not just our jealous rival. France is becoming our enemy.”

Eeeew! Gross!

Eeeew! Gross!

Pictures of the Taiwan exploding whale.

Still not as good as this exploding whale.

Bush is a Liar!

Bush is a Liar!

Here's a surprise. Paul Krugman doesn't believe David Kay's assertion that the failure to find WMD's was purely an intelligence failure and that George Bush bears no responsibility.

"True, Mr. Kay still claims that this was a pure intelligence failure. I don't buy it."

And, he cites as his source the reliably unbiased (teehee) Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Perhaps the anti-semitic Krugman can explain how every other intelligence service in the world also got it wrong, including the French, the Germans and the Russians.

Multi-faceted, or Two Faced?

Multi-faceted, or Two Faced?

Jonah Goldberg recounts the variety of conflicting positions the Democrats have taken over the years.

Sample: "Let's start in that order. First there's the 1990s Howard Dean. He's the centrist "fiscally conservative" former governor of Vermont who implored Bill Clinton to join NAFTA and admit China to the WTO. That Howard Dean spoke fondly of Newt Gingrich and favored curtailing Medicare spending. He's the one who denounced the Iowa caucuses as the playthings of special interests."

Is Saddam Surprised Too?

Is Saddam Surprised Too?

Every intelligence service in the world believed Iraq had WMD's. Saddam believed it too.

"Bush was misled by the CIA and the other intelligence agencies, which had been reporting for years that Saddam's regime was armed with such "weapons of mass destruction." Saddam was deceived by his own military scientists, who kept assuring him -- perhaps out of fear of losing their lives if they didn't -- that the weapons were being produced."

Attempting to reinvigorate his campaign by reigniting the crackpot vote, Howard Dean predictably howled, "They clearly tried to gin up every piece of intelligence to try to get us to go into that war."

The shinking pool of crackpots responded. "Now can we talk of impeachment?" asked LA Times columnist Robert Scheer.

David Kay has already answered that.

Brokaw: A lot of the president's political critics are going to say, "This is clear evidence that he lied to the American people."

Kay: Well, Tom, if we do that, I think we're really hurting ourselves. Clearly the intelligence that we went to war on was inaccurate, wrong. . . . I think if anyone was abused by the intelligence, it was the president of the United States rather than the other way around.

Brokaw: The president described Iraq as "a gathering danger." Was that an accurate description?

Kay: I think that's a very accurate description.

Did Democrats Actually Read David Kay's Report?

Did Democrats Actually Read David Kay's Report?

The gap between what David Kay actually said, and what Democrats are saying he said is quite wide. Charles Krauthammer dissects both.

They Never Learn

They Never Learn

Oh, what was that bumper sticker that liberals were so proud of a few years ago? I remember. “Bombing for peace is like fornicating for virginity.” Only, the word they chose wasn’t fornicating. It was that other “f” word. Anyway, liberals either have a short attention span or don’t really pay that much attention to them selves because, if they did, they wouldn’t be fighting racial stereotypes by trying to institutionalize racism.
Of course, by institutionalized racism I mean racial preferences. Washington House Bill 2700 was introduced to overturn a vote of the people and restore racism to college and university admissions. Five years ago, the voters of Washington, by a huge majority, chose to abolish racial preferences and racial handicapping in hiring and admissions at Washington’s colleges and universities. And now, those who lost are advocating that Initiative 200 be overturned by the legislature.
"We all would like to live in a world where race doesn't matter," declared Nate Caminos, the University of Washington student lobbyist, without a trace of intentional irony. "We feel that we have yet to reach that point."
Gail Stygall, a faculty member at the University of Washington huffed that, "College classrooms should reflect the society in which they operate."
Somehow, I don’t think that Ms. Stygall would go so far as want to have a faculty or an administration that reflects the ideological diversity of the society that pays her salary, otherwise, 60% of her colleagues and bosses would oppose her in this matter.
This drive to reinstate a system of racial spoils runs against the tide of experience. Five years ago, these same hand wringing leftists predicted that our universities would become unbroken oceans of white faces. That certainly hasn’t happened at WSU. And the University of Washington’s most recent freshman class is the most ethnically diverse ever.
They even sank so low as to predict that the state’s football teams would be unable to recruit quality athletes because our universities would become known as racist. No doubt this was an effort to sway the beer swilling sports bar vote, but even that has turned out wrong. Washington State University’s football team has completed the finest three-year run in the school’s history with a recruiting class that was brought to Pullman immediately after I-200 passed.
But, it really doesn’t matter how the football team does, or precisely what the racial ratios are on a campus. Awarding preferences or imposing hindrances upon people based upon their ethnicity is simply wrong morally and it is bad social policy.
Whatever fancy word is chosen for racial preferences, such as “affirmative action,” the ugly truth is that such programs are compensatory racism. These policies would be defensible only if the actual victims and perpetrators of racism were having their roles reversed. Instead, modern racial preferences attempt to hold whole classifications of people responsible for sins committed by ancestors.
Where else in society would we punish children for the sins of their fathers, or their great great grandfathers? And tell me, what did Asians or Jews do to deserve marginalization? When racial handicappers try to “make classrooms reflect the society in which they operate,” it is those two groups that tend to be over represented in universities, not whites.
And, there is evidence that racial preferences tend to harm the very groups who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of these policies. Economist Thomas Sowell has documented increased failure rates among blacks in higher education attributable to racial preferences. Because of the competition among schools for black students, when racial preferences are given to black students, those students tend to land in colleges above their level of preparation. A student who might prosper at Washington State University may flunk out at Harvard. A student who might have prepared himself for a successful life after college with a Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington can end up over his head at the University of Washington.
When admissions are equally merit based, then students of all colors will be sorted, not by their skin color, but by their academic preparation.
So lawmakers have three things to consider before passing this bill. First, it’s morally wrong. Secondly, it is counter productive as social engineering. And third, since 60% voted to get rid of racial preferences last time, overturning it could cost legislators their seats.

The Revenge of McAwful

The Revenge of McAwful

Terry McAuliffe has not yet shown that he can build anything, but he's shown that he's just the jackass to knock a barn down.

John Kerry, A Manly Man

John Kerry, A Manly Man

George Will points out that John Kerry's success is a renunciation of the feminzed politics.

"Leadership, Lord says, presupposes some element of ``such traditionally manly qualities as competitiveness, aggression or, for that matter, the ability to command.'' Because ``leadership that is not prepared to disadvantage anyone is hardly leadership at all.''

Kerry told New Hampshire that he had seriously disadvantaged people: ``I've been a prosecutor. I've sent people to jail for the rest of their life.'' He punctuated this manly indifference to syntax by noting that he is a gun owner who supported the 1996 welfare reform. It repealed the entitlement Aid to Families with Dependent Children."

Did the Democrats Save Themselves?

Did the Democrats Save Themselves?

Despite the fact that John Kerry has a less engaging personality than Al Gore, a voting record to left of Ted Kennedy, and a botox paralyzed face, Democrats view Kerry as the man who will save them from the "very liberal" wing of the party as represented by Howard Dean.

John Kerry, Average Guy

John Kerry, Average Guy

The always entertaining Anne Coulter points out that: "Kerry's life experience consists of living off other men's money by marrying their wives and daughters. For over 30 years, Kerry's primary occupation has been stalking lonely heiresses. Not to get back to his combat experience, but Kerry sees a room full of wealthy widows as "a target-rich environment." This is a guy whose experience dealing with tax problems is based on spending his entire adult life being supported by rich women."

Especially telling is that, when John Kerry wanted to marry his second meal ticket, Theresa Heinz and her $700 million, he did not get a divorce. Instead he had his first marriage annulled, despite the fact that it had produced two children, thus making his children technically bastards.

The BBC's Self-Immolation

The BBC's Self-Immolation

An independent commission absolves British PM Tony Blair of any wrongdoing in the David Kelly suicide affair and places the blame firmly upon a dishonest BBC.

Tony Blair has demanded an apology.

Naming Names

Naming Names

Iraq's Daily Newspaper published a list of foreign politicians and journalists named by Saddam's oil agency as recipients of bribes from Saddam.

Hint: Lots of French and Russian names.

Can the New York Times be Far Behind?

Can the New York Times be Far Behind?

It may be attributable to competition from the Washington Times, but over the past couple of years, the Washington Post has been significantly less obviously a propaganda organ of the Democratic Party. It supported and continues to support Bush on the Iraq war, and today, it published an editorial explaining so-called "jobless recoveries" in a manner that absolves George W. Bush, or any president of responsibility. Kudos to the Post.

"This is not the first jobless recovery. In 1991-92 the economy grew steadily, but job growth was almost nil. The reason for such recoveries, as a study by the New York Fed argues, is that the structure of the economy is changing faster than previously. In the 1970s and '80s, unemployment was roughly 50 percent "cyclical": Recessions drove firms to lay off workers and recoveries drove them to hire workers back into the same jobs. Now, by contrast, the "structural" component of unemployment accounts for most job losses: Technological and organizational shifts are driving firms to close jobs down permanently, and laid-off workers are having to look for entirely new work. That takes time. Firms have to create jobs they never had before, which takes longer than re-creating old ones. As a result, the new structural nature of unemployment means that job creation lags in the early stages of a recovery."

"The bigger question is whether jobless recoveries are a bad thing. They are, after all, the flip side of good news. There is less cyclical unemployment these days, so recessions are milder; fewer jobs are being created now because fewer jobs were destroyed during the downturn. Moreover, a jobless recovery means, by definition, that each worker is producing more. Higher productivity, in turn, is the best promise possible of higher wages and employment in the future. Just look at the past decade: The jobless recovery of 1991-92 ushered in the longest economic expansion of the postwar period, which drove unemployment down to previously unheard-of levels, and fueled improvements in poverty, crime and other social indicators."

Now, It's The BBC That Should Be Investigated

Now, It's The BBC That Should Be Investigated

"A judge cleared British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government Wednesday of dishonorable behavior in the death of a British expert on Iraqi weapons."

Weapons expert David Kelly committed suicide after the BBC revealed that he was the source of a report critical of Tony Blair. Supposedly, Blair wanted intelligence on Iraq "sexed up" to justify war.

It later developed that it was the BBC that was sexing things up and had greatly exaggerated what Kelly had told them. I don't think the BBC would survive similar scrutiny with its reputatio intact.

Update, the BBC did not survive the scrutiny with its reputation.

The report allegedly focuses criticism on the BBC for failing to monitor the work of its journalists, in particular Andrew Gilligan, whose reports for the Today programme started the row. It also says that Dr Kelly killed himself after being "publicly disgraced".

Intelligence Failure?

Intelligence Failure?

Jonah Goldberg warns that George Bush needs to hold somebody responsible for the the intelligence failures that led him to believe that Iraq had large stockpiles of WMD's.

"If we go by the best information available right now, it appears that George W. Bush was substantively wrong when he told the country that Saddam had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and that Saddam was well on his way to developing a nuclear weapon.

This is a hugely important fact with grave consequences for the United States and the world. Unfortunately, very few of our political leaders seem willing or able to deal with it in a straightforward manner."

They're Ain't Enough Room in this Town For Both of Our Egos

They're Ain't Enough Room in this Town For Both of Our Egos

Bill O'Reilly isn't about to let data confuse him. His book is the top seller, sales data be damned. Sure, Hillary and bouncer Al Franken have sold more books, but they're cheaters.

David Kay is NOT Calling Bush a Liar

David Kay is NOT Calling Bush a Liar

Democrats are so eager to disparage Bush, that they're distorting what David Kay is saying. Today, he gets to put his own words in his mouth. Will anyone listen?

So Why Did We Go Into Bosnia Again?

So Why Did We Go Into Bosnia Again?

Human Rights Watch says that Saddam's human rights abuses did not justify war.

In its annual World Report, the New York-based Human Rights Watch also said:


Human rights are deteriorating in Afghanistan due to a reliance by US-led forces on warlords to defeat Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters

The Bush administration uses threats to national security to justify putting executive action in the United States above the law

Russian authorities justify the war in Chechnya as their contribution to the war on terror, while European and other governments ignore appalling human rights abuses there

There was a "moment of hope" in Africa with African leaders trying to stop regional wars and the associated abuses, through bodies like the African Union

Hmmm. Why don't I see anything about Robert Mugabe?

French Politicians on Saddam's Payroll

French Politicians on Saddam's Payroll

Of course, we new this all along, but it's great to see the documentation.

Now This Matters

Now This Matters

Libya has surrendered all of its nuclear weapons development equipment and tons of documents. Did you hear about this? Of course not. The press was too busy guessing the order of finish in New Hampshire.

If the shipment had arrived on Thursday, Jim McDermott and Madeleine Albright would have accused Bush of timing it for political purposes.

Only After the Press Apologizes to Dan Quayle

Only After the Press Apologizes to Dan Quayle

The Dallas Star-Telegram thinks that the press owes Howard Dean an apology. "The reason we owe this man (whom, by the way, I do not support for president) an apology is because we say that we want our presidents to be one of us. But when they act like one of us, then we beat them up and say they are not acting presidential."

What a crock! Not all of us are worthy of being president. We elect people who are better than us. I know very few people whom I would trust as a City Councilman, including our entire City Council.

Outsourcing Not a Threat After All?

Outsourcing Not a Threat After All?

Fear sells better that fact, and I don't expect anyone to be moved by reality, especially in an election year. But, it turns out that outsourcing actually creates jobs in this country. "Like the fears that surrounded NAFTA, those around offshoring are mostly baseless. While offshoring is definitely an economic trend, there is no statistical evidence pointing to the massive employment drain activists call the "coring out" of America's best jobs. In fact, recent studies show that the opposite is true: While offshoring may displace some workers in the short term, in the medium and long terms it represents a net benefit for both domestic businesses and their workers. In fact, the greatest threat from outsourcing is that its opponents will use it to force a new wave of protectionism."

Plus, it's much better foreign aid that paying off dictators.

Al Franken Attacks Heckler

Al Franken Attacks Heckler

The last time Dean faced a heckler, he started singing at him. That might have been more cruel than Al Franken's violent attack, but the bloated pseudo-comedian might have to answer legally for this one.

Science on the Trail of Restless Leg Syndrome

Science on the Trail of Restless Leg Syndrome

Someday, mankind will be rid of this scourge. And our health care bills will soar.

Now this is something you should be worrried about.

Kerry's Ideological Cowardice

Kerry's Ideological Cowardice

Mickey Kaus paints a picture of John Kerry as a opportunist who will jump from rhetorical cover to ambush anyone when he sees votes.

Dean Stiffs Des Moines Deli

Dean Stiffs Des Moines Deli

Howard Dean's screaming retreat from Iowa was so rushed that he failed to pay a local deli shop for sandwiches.

Desiring Exploitation

Desiring Exploitation

Thomas Sowell points out that those evil multinational corporations that outsource low-skilled jobs overseas are doing the world a favor.

"By and large, multinational companies pay about double the local wages in Third World countries. As for "exploitation," the vast majority of American investment overseas goes to high-wage countries, not low-wage countries."

What Do Arabs Think of America?

What Do Arabs Think of America?

Walid Phares reminds us that there is not a monolithic Arab opinion. The sort of opinion that will make CNN is that of people like Asad Abukhalil, a California teacher: "When Bush speaks of Democracy, I call on all Arabs through TV to rush to the shelters. It is war!" He continued his "analysis" of the speech. Instead of human rights he said: "jails are being and will be built in the region and in Iraq."

And, there is also the quietly skeptical view. But, there is also the joyous view, in Kuwait, Iraq and among the reform movement in Iran, there was joy.

Wesley Clark's One Core Belief

Wesley Clark's One Core Belief

I can't recall a candidate who seemed to enter politics believing nothing and who manufactured strongly held positions out of nothing, simply to fit a niche. Sure, Democrats have adjusted their beliefs to conform to the demands of the special interests groups who form the Democrat coalition. Several Democrats have switched from pro-life to pro-abortion because no Democrat can win the nomination without the abortion vote. But a candidate who invented a whole new ideology to conform to the caricature of the party whose nomination he seeks? Only Wesley Clark has managed to sink to that depth of pandering.

But, Peggy Noonan has finally identified his one core belief. "Gen. Clark gives off the vibrations of a man who has no real beliefs save one: Wes Clark should be president. The rest--the actual meaning of his candidacy--he seems to be making up as he goes along. It seems a candidacy void of purpose beyond meeting the candidate's hunger. He is passionately for the war until he announces for the Democratic nomination facing an antiwar base, at which point he becomes passionately antiwar. He thanks God that George Bush and his aides are in the White House, then he says they're the worst leaders ever. Anyone can change his mind; but this is not a change, it's a swerve, and without a convincing rationale. Last week, Brit Hume asked Gen. Clark when it was that he'd "first noticed" that he--Gen. Clark--was a Democrat. There was laughter, but that was a nice big juicy softball. Gen. Clark flailed and fumbled. Later he blamed Mr. Hume for being a Republican agent."

Maybe We Should Investigate John Kerry Too

Maybe We Should Investigate John Kerry Too

Democrats are jumping all over David Kay's remarks that US intelligence was apparently mistaken in its conclusion that Iraq had WMD's. If so, we should also investigate every other nation's intelligence service, considering that they all believed the same thing.

And, if it turns out that the CIA was wrong, perhaps we should look into those politicians who tried to dismantle the CIA and did succeed in weakening it - politicians like John Kerry.

The Haughty, French-Looking John Kerry, 33 Years Ago

The Haughty, French-Looking John Kerry, 33 Years Ago

In his own words, sort of.

Some things never change.

There's No Saving Dean

There's No Saving Dean

Not even his embarrassment in Iowa can stop Dean from saying really stupid things. He's now claiming that Iraqis were better off under Saddam.

How Many Sins Should Vietnam Service Cover?

How Many Sins Should Vietnam Service Cover?

John Kerry breathed life into his comatose campaign by reminding everyone that he's a war hero. How much cover should that give him for the dispicable public record he's assembled since returning?

Not nearly enough, according to Stephan Sherman. He started squandering that legacy as soon as his feet touched American soil again.

"In his book "Stolen Valor," B.G. Burkett points out that Mr. Kerry liberally used phony veterans to testify to atrocities they could not possibly have committed. Mr. Kerry later threw what he represented as his awards at the Capitol in protest. But as the war diminished as a political issue, he left the VVAW, which was a bit too radical for his political future, and was ultimately elected to the Senate. After his awards were seen framed on his office wall, he claimed to have thrown away someone else's medals--so now he can reclaim his gallantry in Vietnam."

"As co-chairman of the Senate investigating committee, he quashed a revealing inquiry into the POW/MIA issue.."

Nothing is Too Ridiculous For Our Courts

Nothing is Too Ridiculous For Our Courts

According to US District Judge Kathryn Vratil, the rhyme "Eenie meenie minie moe," she said over the intercom, "pick a seat, we gotta go," "could be reasonably viewed as objectively racist and offensive," and said a jury would have to decide "whether the rhyme was racist, or simply a benign and innocent attempt at humor."

Baffled? That's a good sign for you. A normal person would find it ridiculous. Check here to find out more.

Find out how one woman found the rhyme so offensive that it "triggered a seizure" that left the plantiff "bedridden for days."

If nonsense like this weren't so paralyzing and costly, it would be laughable. Instead, it should make you want to cry.

There' Still Hope For Democrat Self-Immolation

There' Still Hope For Democrat Self-Immolation

A great many Republicans were disappointed with Howard Dean's poor showing in Iowa. We were counting on Dean to drag the Democratic Party down to a historic electoral disaster this November.

But, the haughty, French looking John Kerry is now suffering from exposure. No longer a face in the pack, people are paying attention to him and he's beginning to sink as a result.

So, the prospect of a Democratic catastrophe is still possible.

You're Next Bashar

You're Next Bashar

As he left his post as head of the coalition weapons search team, David Kay asserted that Saddam's stockpile was in Syria.

Bashar Assad had better be a little more cooperative unless he wishes to suffer Saddam's fate.

When Liberalism Holds Sway

When Liberalism Holds Sway

George Will points out that San Francisco has as about as many Republicans as camels. The place is run by the the extreme left wing of the Democratic party. It's a mess.

To Win, Kerry Will Have to Distance Himself From Himself

To Win, Kerry Will Have to Distance Himself From Himself

Howard Dean is criticizing John Kerry for being too liberal. He is also an obvious political opporunist, seizing upon issues when they are popular, then washing his hands of them when they no longer work to his advantange.

"For example, at the end of the cold war, Mr. Kerry advocated scaling back the Central Intelligence Agency, but after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, he complained about a lack of intelligence capability. In the 1980's, he opposed the death penalty for terrorists who killed Americans abroad, but he now supports the death penalty for terrorist acts. In the 1990's, he joined with Republican colleagues to sponsor proposals to end tenure for public school teachers and allow direct grants to religion-based charities, measures that many Democratic groups opposed. In 1997, he voted to require elderly people with higher incomes to pay a larger share of Medicare premiums."

Sputter, Sputter, Wheeze

Sputter, Sputter, Wheeze

Wesley Clark's campaign couldn't stay out of trouble even when the bright lights were on Iowa. Now that he's getting attention, he's sinking like a stone.

"Last week, when Dean was still a colossus and most of the Democratic field was in Iowa, Clark was busy in New Hampshire preparing himself for the role of the anti-Dean. That was a heady time of surging poll numbers as the brainy warrior in the Andy Williams sweaters moved into a clear second place."

Colin Powell Finds the French Annoying

Colin Powell Finds the French Annoying

I guess this is what' called on-the-job training. Colin Powell has discovered that the French are a pain in the ass.

This Guy Graduated Number One at West Point?

This Guy Graduated Number One at West Point?

Byron York asks a fair question - Is Wesley Clark trying to be a bad candidate? Asked at the recent debate about computer program he was paid $500,000 to sell to the government, he didn't seem to know much about it. Asked about his embrace of radical leftist Michael Moore, he struggled like Brer Rabbit at times and at others, seemed fearful of offending the tar baby.

Of course, none of this was his fault - it's the fault of Fox News.

Howard Dean's Lastest Paranoid Conspiracy

Howard Dean's Latest Paranoid Conspiracy

Now, Republicans are going to steal votes using the internet. Now, wasn't it the Deaniacs who were supposed to be the computer geeks?

Howard Dean isn't alone. Paul Krugman and the New York Times are also suffering fits of paranoia. Why don't they get as worried when Democrats register illegal aliens or falsify absentee ballots?

Old News, But Worth Repeating

Old News, But Worth Repeating

No, George Bush did not cause the recession. It started under Clinton. The real story here is that Democrats denied that the economy was in the slightest peril. Who would you trust to fix your car - the mechanic who correctly diagnosed the problem, or the one who denied a problem even existed?

Kerry's Most Troublesome Opponent Might Be John Kerry

Kerry's Most Troublesome Opponent Might Be John Kerry

Dean's electability problem was his rhetoric. John Kerry's problem is his record.
See here and here.

Rich Lowry: "Kerry, of course, has struggled with his vote in 2002 to authorize the Iraq War. "We did not empower the president to do regime change," Kerry said of the resolution on "Meet the Press" last summer. Actually, the Kerry-supported resolution specifically cited regime change as a goal, and Kerry also voted to make regime change U.S. policy in 1998. That's two Kerry votes in favor of regime change, but who's counting? The Massachusetts senator has similar trouble with other prior votes, making him the first candidate in U.S. history to run a presidential campaign against himself."

Michael Grunwald: "In all likelihood, they would hammer Kerry for his opposition to mandatory minimum sentences for dealers who sell drugs to children and for voting against the death penalty for terrorists. They would mock his efforts to provide cash benefits to drug addicts and alcoholics, and his onetime opposition to a modest work requirement for welfare recipients. They would trash him for supporting more than half a trillion dollars in tax increases-including hikes in gas taxes and Social Security taxes on ordinary Americans-while accepting free housing and other goodies for himself from friendly influence-peddlers. They would even point out that, when Kerry served as lieutenant governor under one Michael S. Dukakis, Massachusetts famously furloughed more than 500 murderers and sex offenders under a program Kerry later defended as tough."

Charles Krauthammer is Mourning the Demise of Dean Too

Charles Krauthammer is Mourning the Demise of Dean Too

Turns out I'm not the only Republican despairing over Howard Dean premature self imolation. Charles Krauthammer was hoping he'd be the nominee too.

"Dean as Democratic nominee promised not just happiness, but glory: a Republican landslide of biblical proportions. Big majority in the House. And so many coattailled new senators that Bush could have begun repopulating the Supreme Court with 42-year-old conservatives (like Miguel Estrada) who would serve forever.

The future looked so bright, and now it is so clouded. Why, even the White House could not bring itself to give up the Dean dream. The president's State of the Union address contained not one but two zings at Dean, although by the time the speech was delivered, Dean was no longer even a likely Democratic nominee. Bush said first that we are safer with Saddam caught, then added, to sustained applause, that America would never ask others (i.e. the United Nations) for permission to defend itself."

It's Easy Enough to Raise Taxes

It's Easy Enough to Raise Taxes

Let’s play Jeopardy. The answer is, “Because we can recall legislators.” Now, you have to supply the question. In this case, the correct question would be, “Legislators get elected with a simple majority of votes. So why can't school levies pass that way?” It was the question that opened the article in this and every other paper I read Tuesday regarding the Washington House of Representatives vote to amend the Washington constitution and lower the threshold for public school levies.
Currently, school levies require a 60% supermajority for passage. The Washington House would like to lower that to 50% plus one vote. And the question is, why aren’t school levies treated like other issues that require only a simple majority for passage? There’s actually a very good answer and it was not the one given by the reporter who wrote the story. While the hurdle may have been set high during the Great Depression to protect farmers, it is not a vestige of that era anymore than Social Security is.
Once it’s done, we cannot undo a school levy. Once passed, a levy sticks to us like a tar baby. On those rare occasions when a school levy fails on the first try, the school board will take another crack at us as soon as it is convenient. I’ve never yet seen opponents of a school levy given an opportunity to overturn it after the levy has passed. And levies can be taxation without representation. By the time the levy expires, it’s likely that a good many of the citizens who voted for it will have died or moved away, leaving the tax burden to people just coming of voting age or newly arrived who never had an opportunity to vote for or against. A supermajority makes it more likely that a majority of those who voted in favor are still around to pay the bills.
We should never imagine that democracy is about majorities getting whatever it wants. There must be checks upon what the majority may foist upon the minority. Just as in the television show “Survivor,” I’d like to see Ted Kennedy voted off the continent. But even if I could persuade every other American to join me, we would not have the legal authority to enforce it. There must always be limits to the power a majority can exert. Read the Bill of Rights. It’s all about limiting the power of the majority.
And it’s not as though school districts are suffering. Even with the 60% requirement, Washington school districts get what they want on the first try 86% of the time. And, when bonds fail, school boards put the issue before the voters again and again until it does pass. This does impose additional costs. But, they could save money by holding school levy elections on the same day as general elections More on that later.
Often, forcing school districts to face the voters more than once is a good thing. Here in Pullman our school board had gotten very complacent about what they asked of the voters. Pullman voters passed levies like automatons. Then one day, the school board asked for a new elementary school to replace an apparently sound preexisting school. Supposedly, the playground at the old school was too small.
The voters had the good sense to reject this nonsense and the school board had to re-draft their request. Ultimately, a much better argument was presented to the voters, and the bond passed. Today the kids attend a shiny new school.
As it is, school boards already manipulate results by fiddling with the dates of levy elections. Have you ever noticed that they are always held on really weird dates? Have you ever voted in a school levy on the first Tuesday in November? Probably not. We have one here coming up in February. And I’ll be voting for it. But the selection of the date offends my principles. By holding school levy elections out of season, turnout is kept down and those who do vote are those most likely to vote “yes.” A school levy that can’t win 60%, even with the school board manipulating the playing field probably needs to be written better or explained better. Washingtonians appreciate education sufficiently to supply 60% majorities to well crafted, genuinely needed levies.

Are Environmentalists Racists?

Are Environmentalists Racists?

Hmmm. A genetically engineered mosquito that displaces natural mosquitos and doesn't transmit malaria? Scientists are working on it. Environmentalists are against it.

Considering that most of the 300 million people who are sickened each year by malaria are people of color, could environmentalist opposition be labelled racist?

Scientists are also developing honey bees that are pesticide resistant. That would solve many problems, including African Killer Bees and mites.

Killing Fellow Muslims is Bad PR Al Qaeda Decides

Killing Fellow Muslims is Bad PR Al Qaeda Decides

Al Qaeda has become its own worst enemy as its attacks in Iraq are killing scores of fellow Muslims. So, we should expect a reductionin violence in Iraq. No doubt, this too is bad news for the Democrats.

"New articles in al Qaeda's biweekly Internet magazine Sawt al-Jihad, or "Voice of Jihad," are urging al Qaeda supporters to stay out of Baghdad and concentrate on hitting U.S. military targets in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, according to terrorist expert Rita Katz, whose SITE Institute monitors al Qaeda propaganda on the Internet.

"My instructions to the people of the peninsula [Saudi Arabia], young as old, men as women, is to fight Americans in their homes and the people of Yemen should fight the Americans in their bases, battleships and their consulates," wrote an al Qaeda propagandist named Muhammad bin al-Salim in an article titled "Do Not Go To Iraq."

Yeah, But Will They Lose the Orange Beanies?

Yeah, But Will They Lose the Orange Beanies?

Howard Dean's handlers have learned just how far they can ride a tide of hatred and are trying to soften the madman's image. But, will Deaniacs stop wearing their stupid orange stocking hats. Stocking hats or brown shirts, uniformed political extremists make Americans nervous.

Iowa's Wisdom

Iowa's Wisdom

I personally had a hard time imagining that all those hog farmer and soybean growers were going to vote for Howard Dean. It turned out that they didn't.

I think that perhaps, Dean and his minions fell into the trap of paying too much attention to themselves and forgot that they had to bring others along.

"Experienced politicians and reporters here were bemused by Deanites, wearing their trademark orange stocking caps, roaming the streets of Des Moines and other Iowa cities. These excited activists were misinterpreted as the vanguard of a political revolution. Buying into the erroneous theory that polls were valueless in this caucus state, the experts underestimated the impact of Dean's accumulated gaffes.

Of all Dean's bizarre comments, his opponents felt the most damaging was his statement that mass killer Osama bin Laden deserves a fair trial. While the war in Iraq fueled the Dean phenomenon, its limitations as his overriding campaign issue were reflected in Iowa's entrance polls. Caucus-goers disapproved of the war by 3 to 1, and those that considered it the top issue strongly backed Dean. But they comprised only 14 percent of all voters."

Democratic Party Hysteria

Democratic Party Hysteria

Democrats imagine a boogeyman hiding under every bed and in every closet. His name is Karl Rove.

"Marriage" Just a Term of Art?

"Marriage" Just a Term of Art?

Wesley Clark said it. He really did. I couldn't have made this up. He said it to The Advocate, a homosexual magazine.

The Advocate: "I know your son was married recently. If your son had been born gay, would you want him to have the same rights that he enjoys today?"

General Clark: "I would want him to have the right to have a stable relationship. But whether you call it marriage or not is up to the church or the synagogue or the mosque. And it’s up to the state legislatures. I think marriage is a term of art. It’s a term of usage. But the legal side of it is not: It’s not negotiable."

France Bans Beards

France Bans Beards

Yes, it's true. In their campaign to wipe out all vestiges of religions, the French are considering banning beards.

The Clintons Get Their Revenge

The Clintons Get Their Revenge

Howard Dean spent a lot of time disparaging the Clinton era. You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask on that old Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with Clinton.

Surely, Somebody's Building Those Houses

Surely, Somebody's Building Those Houses

2003 was the best year for housing construction in 25 years. Isn't somebody building those houses. There are more people working now than at any time history.

Are Iowa's Cows Afraid of Catching Mad Howard Disease?

Are Iowa's Cows Afraid of Catching Mad Howard Disease?

Howard Dean spent two years in Iowa. It was about two weeks too long. When they got close to the caucuses, they had second thoughts. George Will explains.

Dean is a problematic product because the fuel that launched his rocket -- a combustible brew of anger, pugnacity, moral vanity and intellectual condescension -- severely limits the apogee of his trajectory. Television enforces intimacy with candidates and presidents -- they are in America's homes nightly. Many intense Democrats have had the fun of picnicking on Dean's ideological red meat but are now flinching from the prospect of having, or of asking less-partisan Americans to have, prolonged intimacy with Dean's sandpapery personality and equally abrasive agenda.

Gratuitously abrasive. Not only does he promise to raise middle-class taxes, he breezily acknowledges that because of his protectionism, "prices will go up at your local Wal-Mart."

Now That He Has The Culture of Hate Locked Up

Now That He Has The Culture of Hate Locked Up

Howard Dean seems to have topped out now that he has the hate-filled kook wing of the party locked up, but the antics that secured that crowd don't appeal to Democrats who consider themselves sensible. Can he change? He's going to try.

"Dean's strategy shift, the second in as many weeks, comes as the onetime front-runner is fighting to regain momentum. A loss in New Hampshire could signal the beginning of the end of a campaign that only weeks ago seemed almost invincible, Democratic strategists say, though Dean has vowed to stay in the race until the end of the primaries."

Who is MoveOn.Org?

Who is MoveOn.Org?

When MoveOn.Org caught holy hell for comparing Bush to Hitler, then blamed the Republicans the embarassment it caused them. Who are these people really? See for yourself here.

Oil on Mars?

Oil on Mars?

The moronic notion that George Bush want to explore Mars for oil has a second adherent. Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune has signed on.

He joins Joe Conason in the tin foil beanie brigade.

Is The Peaceful Revolution Underway?

Is The Peaceful Revolution Underway?

Iran's entire government is going to resign if the mullahs don't back down.

Howard Dean, We Knew Him Well

Howard Dean, We Knew Him Well

Jonah Goldberg declares that Howard Dean has "Jumped the Shark." Wanna know what that means? Click here.

Hint: He ran out to the crowds, waved a flag around, wore one of his campaign's cute yellow hats, peeled off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "You know something?" Dean asked the crowd. "If you had told us one year ago that we were going to come in third in Iowa, we would have given anything for that."

Or maybe this will help: He then let loose what could only be called a primal scream: "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!"

OK, it could be called other things, too. But whatever it was, he sounded like he meant to go to a proctologist but accidentally visited a chimney sweep instead.

Did Democrats Experience a Fit of Sanity Monday?

Did Democrats Experience a Fit of Sanity Monday?

I still think that Howard Dean did himself in, but the Wall Street Journal thinks that Democrats decided to step back from the brink on their own.

Will Bush Win California?

Will Bush Win California?

The Democrats might really be heading toward a Mondale/McGovern disaster if Bush can win California, as this Field Poll predicts.

The Man From Hate

The Man From Hate

Timothy P. Carney explainss that Howard Dean stands for the smug liberal elitists who can't believe that a cowboy boot wearing Texan is their president, and really has no idea what "ordinary Americans" are like.

As Bill Clinton was "the man from Hope [Ark.]," Howard Dean is known in some GOP circles on Capitol Hill as "the man from Hate."

Because Dean is out of touch, and doesn't really know any of these people — the people who have built America — he is unable to simply disagree with these folks. He instead disdains their values, because he doesn't know good people who revere God and family above all else.

Record Jobs

Record Jobs

Did you know that more Americans were working last month than at any time in history?

Does Paul Krugman know this? Apparently not. He's still mad.

Hey Paul! Call Howard Dean.

Dean Just Wants to Have Fun

Dean Just Wants to Have Fun

Turns out Howard Dean wasn't really being maniacal after the Iowa caucase, he was just having a little fun.

Poor Margaret Cho

Poor Margaret Cho

Gee, all she did was ridicule, besmirch and smear a popular president, using the foulest language possible. And now, some people tell her they disapprove and her feelings are hurt. Must be some of that crushing of dissent that liberals complain about. They can say whatever they want, as crudely as they want, but if anybody disapproves, then we're denying them their free speech rights.

Clark Disparages Kerry's Military Record

Clark Disparages Kerry's Military Record

Clark shows that, not only is he a little crazy, but he has no class, by belittling John Kerry's military service.

"It's one thing to be a hero as a junior officer. He's done that, I respect that," Clark said. "But I've got the military experience at the top as well as at the bottom."

Is This Too Good To Be True?

Is This Too Good To Be True?

Supposedly, Winston Churchill's pet parrot still lives - and still parrots Winston Churchill.

"F**k Hitler! F**k the Nazis!" she still says.

Peter Oram bought her for his pet shop after Churchill died in 1965. But he was forced to move her into his home after she kept swearing at children.

For the last 12 years, she has lived at Mr Oram's garden centre in Reigate, Surrey.

Centre worker Sylvia Martin said: "If truth be told, Charlie is looking a little scruffy but she is very popular with the public. We are all very attached to her."

Bloody Red Meat Always Attracts Predators

Bloody Red Meat Always Attracts Predators

I saw and heard my first Howard Dean speech last night and I have to disagree with Mark Steyn. Steyn describes Dean as a sane man trying to act crazy. Nope, he was too convincing. He really is crazy.

Aside from the fact that he can remember the names of more states than Ted Kennedy, the one thing that was clear from his speech was that Howard Dean really is a hot head. He's not faking it.

And, like all good hot heads, he finds others to blame for his failings. Most observers opined that Howard Dean's fall from grace had to do with his propensity for saying really stupid things in front of television cameras. But that's not how Howard Dean sees it. It was all the attacks launched against him because he was the front runner. Perhaps, but what I recall of those attacks was that his rivals simply reminded people of Howard Dean's own words. He essential wrote and sometimes taped his opponents' negative ads.

Fit Teddy For A Tinfoil Beanie

Fit Teddy For A Tinfoil Beanie

It isn't just that Democrats use foul language that sets them apart from Republicans. It's that they embrace the kooks in their party.

Just a couple of days removed from spouting off once again on his loopy conspiracy theories, Ted Kennedy was on the podium at John Kerry's Iowa victory celebration.

"We love Iowa!" Kennedy thundered. I wonder, could he find Iowa on a map?

Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!

Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!

I was hoping that Dean could postpone his implosion until August. Even if Kerry or Edwards or Clark is the eventually nominee, Bush still wins. The first two think that this is the great depression and Clark is clearly nuts. But, if Dean had been the nominee, the Democrats were in for a defeat of Biblical proportions. That would have been great.

Screwing Up, Right Down To The Wire

Screwing Up, Right Down To The Wire

Dean struts into a Martin Luther King celebration and thinks that it's all about him. The organizers didn't agree.

Dean's reaction - it's the media's fault. "You know why I wasn’t able to attend this event,” Dean said, “because you guys are behaving so badly you’ve got to get a new life.”

Democrats Too Stupid To Vote?

Democrats Too Stupid To Vote?

By their own estimation, 80% of Democrats consider themselves too ignorant to cast an informed vote.

An Crazy Man Pretending to be Sane?

An Crazy Man Pretending to be Sane?

Another must read column by Mark Steyn - this one about Wesley Clark. Why must Mark Steyn be read? It's gems like this: "I would say Howard Dean is a sane man pretending to be crazy. Whereas Mr. Clark gives every indication of a crazy man pretending to be sane."

Or, how about this one.

But what shifts him from unprincipled and thoughtless to the out-of-his-tree category is stuff like this:
"If I had been president, I would have had Osama bin Laden by this time." And: "I'm going to take care of the American people. We are not going to have one of these incidents. I think the two greatest lies that have been told in the last three years are: You couldn't have prevented September 11 [2001] and there's another one that's bound to happen."
Normal presidential candidates just don't say things like this. By "normal," I mean candidates like Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton.

Why is the Truth So Elusive For Democrats?

Why is the Truth So Elusive For Democrats?

Howard Dean was asked why he took a day off from campaigning to spend a day in Georgia with Jimmy Carter: “When the former President of the United States asks you to go to church with him on a Sunday before the caucuses, I think you probably take that up.”

“I didn’t invite him, but I’m glad he came,” according to Carter. “He called me on the phone and said he’d like to come worship with me. … He called and asked me if it would be all right.”

Can You Still Vote For Wesley Clark After Seeing This?

Can You Still Vote For Wesley Clark After Seeing This?

To appreciate why this is repugnant, look here or here.

Moore is the guy who was most upset that the 9/11 attacks did the most harm to residents of states that voted for Al Gore. It would have been better if Texas had been attacked.

"Many families have been devastated tonight. This just is not right. They did not deserve to die. If someone did this to get back at Bush, then they did so by killing thousands of people who DID NOT VOTE for him! Boston, New York, DC, and the planes' destination of California -- these were places that voted AGAINST Bush!"

No WMD's Hurts Credibility?

No WMD's Hurts Credibility?

"The Bush administration's inability to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq -- after public statements declaring an imminent threat posed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein -- has begun to harm the credibility abroad of the United States and of American intelligence, according to foreign policy experts in both parties."

So say's today's Washington Post. To which I answer, with whom? German intelligence believed that Saddam already had the bomb. The French and Russians had to be the most surprised, considering all the help they had given to Saddam's WMD program.

I'll never forget the European Union meeting at which British Foreign minister Jack Straw declared to a room full of his peers from other countries, the intelligence service of every country in the EU knows that Saddam had nuclear weapons, and not one minister contradicted him.

If we were wrong, then all of them were wrong too. Their balls were just smaller.

It's Jimmy Carter's Fault

It's Jimmy Carter's Fault

The Iowa caucuses, one more thing to blame on Jimmy Carter.

"DES MOINES, Jan. 18 — Exactly 28 years ago Monday, a little-known former governor of Georgia named Jimmy Carter polled just shy of 30 percent support in Iowa's precinct caucuses. He came in second, nine points behind "uncommitted," but the national news media proclaimed him the clear winner of the year's first presidential nominating contest, if only because he had finished so far ahead of everyone else.

Mr. Carter spent that caucus night not in Iowa, but in New York City, so he could be available for all three network news programs the next morning: none of them had sent anchors to Des Moines. Because he went on to win not only the Democratic nomination but also the White House, nothing about this state's politics has ever been quite the same."

Did you pick that up? No anchors were in Iowa that day. That's because it meant nothing. It still deserves to mean nothing, but this is the slow news period, between the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl, and the networks need to manufacture news. You can't always depend up Laci Peterson or Michael Jackson after all.

Martin Luther King, Conservative Republican?

Martin Luther King, Conservative Republican?

Paul Greenberg recounts how those of us who have consistently adhered to Dr. Martin Luther King's vision, are now categorized as "conservatives."

"I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
Point to one word of that paragraph that encorages racial preferences or midnight basketball.

Debra Saunders Picks Her Nominee

Debra Saunders Picks Her Nominee

"I want a Democratic nominee who bemoans "America's gluttony for fossil fuel," unfazed by the embarrassing fact that he owns a Cessna."

"I want to understand how a man can be so brave that he earned a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts in Vietnam, yet he then can be so craven that when he protested the war, he threw away other people's medals in protest."

Yep, Debra Saunders wants old granite face to win the Granite State primary.

Read the whole column.

It's Worse for the Democrats Than I Thought

It's Worse for the Democrats Than I Thought

Check out this line for Bob Novak's column today: "..it is Kerry who has been the hot candidate.."

John Kerry? Hot?

So far, John Kerry has resembled Al Gore, but with Gore's engaging personality.

Novak cites a week in which Howard Dean looked even less presidential than ever, the most notable incident being Howard Dean bullying an old man who asked him to be more civil.

I Don't Know Art, But I Know What I Hate

I Don't Know Art, But I Know What I Hate

Somehow a Madonna caked in elephant shit does seem like art compared with this filth in Sweden.

"The exhibit consists of a boat floating in a rectangular basin filled with red water, carrying a portrait of Palestinian suicide bomber Hanadi Jaradat and "Snovit" (Snow White in Swedish) written on the side.

Jaradat attacked a restaurant in the Israeli city of Haifa in October, blowing herself up and killing 21 others."


The "art" was vandalized by the Israeli ambassdor to Sweden.


"I called the Israeli ambassador to Sweden, Zvi Mazel, yesterday and thanked him for his stand against the growing wave of anti-Semitism," the prime minister said.

"I told him the government stands behind him on this issue. We have been witness to mounting anti-Semitism world-wide and in Europe particularly, and the phenomenon is getting worse."

Give him my congratulations too.

Ted Kennedy's Tin Foil Beany View of the World

Ted Kennedy's Tin Foil Beany View of the World

Somebody (there's no evidence Ted Kennedy can actually write) translated Ted Kennedy's ranting into English. The Washington Post published it for all the world to laugh at.

Not surprisingly, Kennedy's ghost writer interprets Paul O'Neill's words as Paul O'Neill said they shouldn't. O'Neill has made it plain that Bush's get rid of Saddam plans were simply a continuation of Clinton's policies.

Dissed by Dean, Dowdy is Pouty

Dissed by Dean, Dowdy is Pouty

Maybe he didn't want to dwell on argyle or earth tones, but whatever the reason, Howard Dean stood up Maureen Dowd in Iowa. How awful, to go all the way to Iowa, where they have pigs and stuff, and then have Howard Dean forget to call.

"I never got the five minutes with him. Which left me five minutes to think about why his candidacy was sputtering."

I don't recommend it, but if you want to know what passes for thought with Maureen Dowd, go ahead.

Cough, Sputter, Gag!

Cough, Sputter, Gag!

After months of insulting the Clintons and disparaging their 8 years in the White house, Howard Dean is trying to get their endorsement.

WWII Recon Photos to be Made Available Online Monday

WWII Recon Photos to be Made Available Online Monday

This should be very cool.

Under the digitalization project announced Saturday, some 5 million Royal Air Force photos of Western Europe will be available to the public on the Web site www.evidenceincamera.co.uk., archivists said. The site did not appear to be accessible on Saturday.

And I Want to Know Why Wesley Clark Was Fired

And I Want to Know Why Wesley Clark Was Fired

Wesley Clark, standing the stage with the vitiriolic anti-American activist Michael Moore suggested that he might make George W. Bush's military experience an issue. Fine, if Wesley Clark wishes to disparage the millions of Americans who have served in the National Guard, that's his business. But, I want to know why Wesley Clark was fired as Supreme Commander of NATO. All I know is that it had to do with issues of character.

As General Hugh Sheldon, the man who fired him noted: "I've known Wes for a long time. I will tell you the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm a Republican or a Democrat. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."

Eating Their Own

Eating Their Own

Baathist dead enders, or possibly an Al Qaeda goon, killed a couple of dozen civilians in Baghdad today.
Surely this sort of thing will shove more Iraqis into our camp. What greater contrast could there be distingushing the Islamist view of the world and ours.

Where Did a Billion and half Chinese Come From?

Where Did a Billion and half Chinese Come From?

The "Friends" has been banned in China because it's "too sexy."

Now, I wouldn't blame them if they banned it for being too vapid.

Eat the Rich

Eat the Rich

In a column that is logically irrefutable, George Will reminds us why we need federalism.

"Favored by sportsmen around the world, [Buck Knives] have been made in San Diego since Hoyt Buck arrived there in 1947. By next year they will be made in Idaho, where the firm's immediate savings will include $500,000 in workers' compensation costs and a 60 percent decrease in utility bills.

The owner of five Hungry Howie's Pizza franchises near Fresno scrapped plans to add five more, with up to 70 new jobs, when energy costs tripled and workers' compensation quadrupled. Multiply the businesses that do not come to, stay or expand in California and you have ... Argentina, which in 1900 had a per capita income as high as Canada's. Or sub-Saharan Africa, which In 1950 had per capita income as high as Southeast Asia's. Government -- especially bad government -- matters. In the late 1990s it helped drive roughly 200,000 Californians from the state each year."

Will the Gun Issue Bury Democrats Again?

Will the Gun Issue Bury Democrats Again?

Both "red states" and "blue states" overwhelmingly favor the Second Amendment.

Brit Exonerated for "insensitive" Bin Laden Joke

Brit Exonerated for "insensitive" Bin Laden Joke

When a colleague had asked Colin Rose why he had used so much force to throw some keys down a metal chute at the jail in Lowestoft, eastern England, Rose had quipped: "There's a photo of Osama bin Laden there."

Colin Rose was fired for insensitivity.

He challenged his dismissal and won.

Calling Joseph Wilson

Calling Joseph Wilson

So, International Atomic Energy Agency has determined that the uranium oxide found in the Netherlands came from Iraq.

Hmmm. I'll bet that they can determine precisely where it was mined by trace mineral analysis. Wouldn't it be interesting if it was found to come from Niger?

Maybe Joseph Wilson should have done more than simply drink sweet tea while he was doing his "investigation."

Yum Yum

Yum Yum

Some people smoke cigarettes. Others prefer fried brain sandwiches.

Wanna make your own? Here's one recipe.

But don't blame me if you get mad cow disease. I woudn't tough this stuff.

The Right Thing to Do

The Right Thing to Do

President Bush's proposed immigration reform may be hurting his fundraising, but it's the right thing to do. No person of good-conscience who travels to Basin City, Washington in the winter could continue to believe that our current immigration laws are defensible. Vast tracts of dilapidated mobile homes provide minimal shelter for the laborers who pick our fruit and tend our vegetables.
These people are there, living under intolerable conditions, for two reasons. First, we need them. Our fruit needs to be picked, much of it by hand. We like to eat cherries and we like to drink apple juice. We want fresh asparagus, and when we barbecue hamburgers in our back yards in the summer, we want to top those burgers with slices of Walla Walla Sweet onions. Americans want those things. But, we don’t to pick the fruit. Secondly, they are trapped there during the off-season because if they were to return home during the winter, illegal re-entry into the United States is expensive, risky or both. Better to hunker down and winter in a central Washington shantytown than risk getting caught trying to get back in.
I am neither a physicist nor a labor economist, but I do know that nature abhors a vacuum and when jobs are left available, somebody will fill them. Americans don’t want to hoe vegetables and pick fruit for six months out of the year. But there are millions of Mexicans eager to do so. And with only an imaginary line drawn in the sand to keep them away from the jobs, they come.
When you enter these people’s homes, you get a sense of what they have left behind. You see the sort of grinding poverty that few Americans can even imagine. Large families are squeezed into an ancient mobile home just 8 feet wide by 30 feet long. These trailers are constructed to have only a kitchen, a living room and one bedroom. But often, five, six or more people try to live in one of these homes. These families frequently hang sheets from the ceiling to give themselves a little extra privacy. There is little food on the shelves. They rely upon the kindness of strangers to carry them from one agricultural season to the next.
And yet, they are there because it is better than what they left in Mexico.
I have been in their houses. I know how they live. I know what makes their lives what they are. And, I know how their lives can be made easier. Immigration reform of the type proposed recently by President Bush is absolutely the best solution.
He has tasked Congress with working out the details, but basically he proposes that Mexican guest workers be permitted into the country to take jobs that Americans simply won’t do. And there are plenty of those jobs. And, just as importantly, it permits these guest workers to travel safely back to Mexico once their work is done in the United States.
We had a somewhat similar system forty years ago when I worked in the tomato fields of central California. It was called the bracero program. The program had its flaws, but it was much better than what we have now. The braceros were brought legally into this country by contractors who struck deals with farmers. These contractors often swindled the workers, but that is a soluble problem. Without exception, the braceros I worked with liked the system. They came to the United States, and in just a few months made far more money than they could have hoped to make in an entire year in Mexico.
And, when the season was over, they could return to their families. Today, illegal immigrant farm workers either have to leave their families behind, or try to smuggle them all into the United States.
The current situation is the worst of all possible worlds.
Another likely consequence of trapping migrant workers on this side of the border during the agricultural off-season is crime. When there is no work, there is boredom. Boredom does not excuse crime, but idle hands are the devil’s workshop.
Among the more simple-minded criticisms of the president’s proposal is that it rewards people who have broken our laws. Well then, we are all being rewarded for lawlessness every time we eat an apple or steam a pot of asparagus.
We need to stop being such hypocrites.

Wesley Clark Give the Washington Post the Creeps

Wesley Clark Give the Washington Post the Creeps

The Editors of the Washington Post are very uneasy about Wesley Clark.

On matters of domestic policy, there remains an unsettling sense that Mr. Clark is a vessel into which any number of Democratic strategists and experts are pouring their policy prescriptions. By the accounts of many in the cadre of former Clinton administration officials who have helped conduct his crash course on domestic policy, Mr. Clark is a quick study who is engaged in shaping these positions. Yet at times he seems to still be mastering the basics. For instance, he told the Manchester Union Leader the other day that he would oppose any restriction on a woman's right to abortion, even well past the point of viability. Mr. Clark's comments reflected an apparent effort to stay on the right side of an issue that is a litmus test for many Democratic primary voters, but they demonstrated an understanding of the abortion debate unbecoming a potential president. >

The Post exhumes a fine example of Wesley Clark's consistency on the war, "I don't know if I would have or not. I've said it both ways."
But of course, now he says that he hasn't. He can't be be consistent about his inconsistency.

Former Clinton Stooge Too Dirty, Even for Democrats

Former Clinton Stooge Too Dirty, Even for Democrats

Chris Lehane plays dirty. He learned at the knee of Bill Clinton. He works for Wesley Clark. He plays dirty. Big surprise.

OH NO!

OH NO!

Damn! You mean Howard Dean might not be the Democrats' nominee after all?

"It's a four-way tie," Dr. Dean said in a call to CNN's "Larry King Live." "We can't tell who's going to win. All we can do now is work our you-know-whats off."

Champions of Justice is On The Air

Champions of Justice is On The Air

Oh, I can't want to hear Robert Kennedy junior's tedious squeaky voice. Or Al Franken's repetitive insults. Progress Talk Radio is about to hit the airwaves.

Michael Harrison, the founder and editor of Talker's Magazine doesn't expect it to last.

Paul O'Neill is a Fool, According to Paul O'Neill

Paul O'Neill is a Fool, According to Paul O'Neill

Daniel Henninger chronicles O'Neill's buffoonery since this bood, "The Price of Loyalty" came out.

The man who sought advice from Bono was taken clearly befuddled on "60 Minutes'" when Ms. Stahl suggests his account of the president is unflattering: "Hmmm, you really think so?"

Clearly, O'Neill couldn't find his butt with both hands, even if you drew him a map. So, it's no surprise that Ted Kennedy thinks he's such a great guy. As part of a speech during which the hero of Chappaquidick claimed that the Iraq war was just a vote-getting stung, Teddy had this to say about O'Neill "I happen to know Paul O'Neill. . . . He's a person of great integrity, intelligence and vision. . . . It is easy to understand why he was so concerned by what he heard about Iraq in the Bush administration."

O'Neill is the only guy in town as befuddled as Teddy.

Oops!

Oops!

Al Gore gave a rip-tooting speech in New York this evening claiming that George Bush isn't doing enough about global warming.

Considering that it's below zero in New York tonight, many New Yorkers might agree - well, sort of.

Clark Wasn't Fired?

Clark Wasn't Fired?

According to Hugh Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Wesley Clark was fired. That's been the conventional wisdom ever since it happened. But now, Wesley Clark claims it didn't happen.

Is Clark a liar, delusional, or both?

For the Sake of the Clinton Legacy, Dean Must Lose

For the Sake of the Clinton Legacy, Dean Must Lose

Dean isn't running for president, he's running against Bill Clinton for the soul of the Democratic Party, and Bill doesn't like it.

"The former president remains a compelling and popular figure among many Democrats, and his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, is a rising star and possible candidate for president in 2008. But his enduring impact as president, already compromised by personal scandal, would be diminished if just four years after he left office Democrats moved away from the policies he prescribed."

"It's exceedingly important to a president's legacy that he live on in his party's history," says Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at the University of New Orleans and author of Tour of Duty, a new book on the Vietnam experiences of presidential contender John Kerry."

"In some conversations, Clinton has been "ticked off" by Dean's comments about him and "new Democrats," according to three former White House aides who didn't want to be identified. They say he has expressed exasperation and "befuddlement" about the wisdom of some of the stands Dean is taking and his dismissive description of Clinton's tenure as "damage control."

America First, Party Second

America First, Party Second

Zell Miller, and roughly a dozen or so prominent Georgia Democrats, stood with George Bush and helped raise money for his re-election campaign.
But hey! Wesley Clark has Michael Moore and Dean has Carol Mosely-Braun.

Remember Yellowcake?

Remember Yellowcake?

Supposedly, Saddam didn't have it. Now, it appears he did.

Clark Continues to Corner the Bubblehead Demographic

Clark Continues to Corner the Bubblehead Demographic

Michael Moore is endorsing Wesley Clark. Okay, that's Moore's business. But Wesley Clark is proud of it!

Giving the Public What It Wants

Giving the Public What It Wants

Liberals tell us that he filth poured out by Hollywood is just satisfying the consumer's demands. So why is it that liberals are so unhappy about the inroads conservatism is making into mass media?
The latest incusion is Dennis Miller. Unlike Al Franken, Dennis Miller wasn't hired by liberal network to inflict a message on the public. Dennis Miller was hired because CNBC expects viewers to tune in.

Question: What will liberals do when nobody tunes in to hear Al Franken?

Howard Kurtz Analyzes Howard Dean, and Others

Howard Kurtz Analyzes Howard Dean, and Others

He's "abrasive," "flinty," "cranky," "arrogant," "disrespectful," "yelling," "hollering," "fiery,"
"red-faced," "hothead," "testy," "short-fused," "angry," "worked up" and "fired up"

And that's from just two profiles in the left-leaning Washington Post.

Careless Clark: Unprepared, Unprincipled or Both?

Careless Clark: Unprepared, Unprincipled or Both?

Gee, this running for president stuff is harder than Wesley Clark thought.

The Washington Post chronicles just a few of Wesley Clark's flubs.

"Shortly after the new year, Wesley K. Clark told the editorial board at a local newspaper here that no terrorist attacks would occur in the United States if he is elected president. The next day, the retired Army commander scaled back his promise. "Nobody can guarantee anything in life," he said."

"Then there was the issue of abortion. Asked whether he would nominate an antiabortion judge to the Supreme Court, Clark told a local reporter here that he did not have "litmus tests." Then he called the reporter back to say he would not make such an appointment."

Former Al Gore stooge, Chris Lehane excuses Clark's gaffes thusly, "He's not giving poll-tested, antiseptic answers. The public gets the idea that he's a straight talker."

A straight talker who can't get his thought straight?

Carol Mosely-Braun Quits the Race

Carol Mosely-Braun Quits the Race

And, she's endorsing Howard Dean. Considering that polls show her attracting 0% of the vote in both Iowa and New Hampshire, I'm sure she'll be a big help to Dr. Dean.

In truth, this can't help Dean much. Her endorsement carries no voters with it and I'm not sure that having pictures of yourself with Carol Mosely-Braun will be all that helpful.

Peggy Noonan Fears For the Future of the Democrat Party

Peggy Noonan Fears For the Future of the Democrat Party

Can the Democrats be saved from themselves? Peggn Noonan hopes so. Sure, she's a Republican, but she believes that America needs two healthy parties to sustain a healthy democracy. She fears that Howard Dean might spell the end of Democrat viability.

"I am a conservative and do not hope for a Democratic victory, but I do hope for a Democratic fight, and I think Mr. Dean would lose in a rout. He seems too odd, too politically immature and too essentially ungrounded to be president."

I don't share her concern. I think that for us to have two viable parties, the Angry Left must be repudiated and what better way for that to happen than for Howard Dean to lead the Democrats to a biblical rout. That way, the Democrats will understand that they can no longer follow Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton and James Carville into oblivion.

Republicans have purged their kooks. Every election Republicans are asked to condemn some strawman and repudiate an intemperate comment by a fellow Republican. Meanwhile, Democrats stand by idiots like Kennedy and Dean. The Democrats can't even muster the courage to stand up to a charlaton like Al Sharpton when he demands reparations.

A 65-35 popular vote defeat and a 50 state sweep should inspire a little introspection among the Democrats.

Iraq is Recovering Nicely

Iraq is Recovering Nicely

Bill Evers returns from Iraq and gives his account of how things are going. It's going very well.

In summary:
It's gratifying
It's busy
It's not Afghanistan
It's not as scary as it looks on TV

Yes, soldiers are still dying there, but they're not dying for nothing.

Addicted to TV, and Suing

Addicted to TV, and Suing

If any more proof was needed that we have too many lawyers, this story should provide it. Tim Dumouchel of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin asked to have his cable service disconnected. The cable company sort of lost track of the request and continued to supple service to his house, free of charge for 4 more years. In that interval, he, his wife and his children became addicted. His kids got lazy, his wife got fat and he started drinking again.

So, he's suing Charter Communications


I guess nobody told him that he could disconnect his own television anytime he wanted.

Howard Dean, Defender of Wife Beaters

Howard Dean, Defender of Wife Beaters

Howard Dean claims that George Bush is not hard enough on domestic violence. But, when he had an opportunity, he took the side of a wife beater against his victim.

Is Kennedy Trying to Make Dean Look Rational?

Is Kennedy Trying to Make Dean Look Rational?

Ted Kennedy has apparently fallen off the wagon again and is suffering DT's.

"WASHINGTON - The Iraq war was a "political product" marketed by the Bush administration to win elections, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said in a speech Wednesday."

Uh huh!

This makes Dean's accusation that George Bush had prior knowledge of the September 11 attacks seem almost sensible.

This Just In! Howard Dean is not a Liberal!

This Just In! Howard Dean is not a Liberal!

David Broders says so. And, he cites a book on the candidate in which he can detect no liberal bias. Of course, he cites Molly Ivins as a credible news source on George Bush.

Believe it When You See it

Believe it When You See it

Former Congressman Dick Armey once said that conservatives believe it when they see it and that liberal see it when they believe it.

Walter Williams produces a mountain of data that contracicts what liberals believe. You are now free to see the truth.

Example: "Here's my question: If millions of high-paying jobs are leaving the country only to be replaced by millions of low-paying jobs, what prediction would you make about the trend in our standard of living? It would have to be in steep decline, but the facts don't square with that. Per capita GDP, the population divided into the value of goods and services produced, is one of the methods used to gauge the standard of living. The historical trend, including today, is a rising American standard of living. In fact, our per capita GDP in 1980 was $21,500 and, as of 2002, it was $36,000 -- a 59 percent increase. So how can it be that we're becoming a nation of low-pay hamburger flippers?"

Dean's Hoof in Mouth Disease

Dean's Hoof in Mouth Disease

Jonah Goldberg distill as few of Howard Dean's more illuminating verbal misteps. Not fumbles of the mouth, but fumble of the mind.