A Little Game

What does one pine for what the other has not explained for its wherabouts?













A Clue

To a new year

Almost the Year's Last Post

One of my favorite blogs is powerline.com; smart, insightful, and took down Dan Rather with the truth, see his and mapes favorite site link. They provide a link that I found on realclearpoltics.com, realclearpoltics.com another phenom of a website(my morning read.) From mrc.org, there is a list of 2005's media highlights to amuse and befuddle yourself. I read it and reread pats, very disturbing the lack of objectivity of those entrusted to provide us with honest news and commentay. Here is one segment on Ted Turner I found scary, he is a tycoon and considered a brillant man:

Ted Turner: "I am absolutely convinced that the North Koreans are absolutely sincere. There’s really no reason for them to cheat [on nukes]....I looked them right in the eyes. And they looked like they meant the truth. You know, just because somebody’s done something wrong in the past doesn’t mean they can’t do right in the future or the present. That happens all the, all the time."
Wolf Blitzer: "But this is one of the most despotic regimes and Kim Jong-Il is one of the worst men on Earth. Isn’t that a fair assessment?"
Turner: "Well, I didn’t get to meet him, but he didn’t look — in the pictures that I’ve seen of him on CNN, he didn’t look too much different than most other people."
Blitzer: "But, look at the way, look at the way he’s, look at the way he’s treating his own people."
Turner: "Well, hey, listen. I saw a lot of people over there. They were thin and they were riding bicycles instead of driving in cars, but–"
Blitzer: "A lot of those people are starving."
Turner: "I didn’t see any, I didn’t see any brutality...."
— Exchange on CNN’s The Situation Room, Sept. 19.

The Tick is Immortal

I was watching Bravo's Heros, Villians and Vixans, and coming in at #16, the Tick. Very cool the Big Blue guy gets some props from an "artsy" station like Bravo. Of course it was a jury of his peers, few of them at that.

May not be positive, but funny

from the Trib's website:

Arrested development in Green Bay
December 29, 2005
"Well, at least the Packers' fans brought their `A' game Sunday against the Bears. Peace on Earth? How about disturbing the peace.According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Sunday at Lambeau Field was the busiest of the year for public safety officials and a high-water mark for the season with 25 fans arrested and 60 ejected. The totals eclipsed the Nov. 21 meeting of the Packers and Vikings, when police made 15 arrests and 52 people were ejected.
Sunday's arrests included possession of marijuana, underage drinking, unlawful conduct at a public event and resisting an officer. The newspaper reported that four were arrested for possession of marijuana while entering the stadium, four for underage drinking and 17 for unlawful conduct at a public event, four of whom also were arrested for resisting an officer.
The reasons the 60 people were ejected included: smoking in prohibited areas, urinating in inappropriate places, being highly intoxicated and disorderly and disrupting the fans around them. "
At least there were no acts of random bestiality...

Year in Review

It is that time of year, when various critics, pundits, and innocent civilians create their "best of" lists for the past year. So, being a rather intelligent, observant, and modest individual I am, here are my list of the best of 2005:

Best Movie: Magnificent Seven, I've watched this numerous times and continue to be amazed of the transformation of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece to the Old West can be as effective. The casting is perfect from Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Yul Brenner, and Eli Wallach (who looked Mexican!)
Best Record: Richard Cheese and Lounge Aganist the Machine APERITIF FOR DESTRUCTION, timeless, every song he does is immediately Richard's forever. His searing duet with Steven Hawking makes me cry everytime.
Best Book: The Art of War by Sun Tzu, I use this everyday in the classroom, very effective in education and influencing children.
Best Media Moment: after Katrina watching Lisa Daniels of MSNBC scream like a drunken harpy, "Who do we blame? Who do we blame?" Yes ladies and gentlemen, the next Katie Couric
Best Sports Moment: Charles Harris of the Chicago Bears intercepting Favra last Sunday for he Bears to win and clinch the Norse
Best Real Life Moment: any time with my wife, sappy but true
Best Reality TV Moment: hard to say, not my genre, but it would have to be Willy has been melting down on Celebrity Biggest Loser.
Best Moment to Witness in History: the evolution of Democracy in the Middle East. Years from now people will look back at this year ranking near 1989 as the year of impact. We will look at the spouting democracies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia (still a looong way to go), the Cedar Revolution of Lebanon, and the strides in Iraq. People will look back and vilify GW, curse the democrats who attacked him at every step(except the nutjobs on the left) and most of all, we will remember the exceptionally brave men and women who fought and died for our country.

You may have read at my blog and held your nose in disgust for my thoughts like smelling the diaper blowout my daughter had yesterday, both were rather epic. But the soldiers and their families mentioned above are part of a long line of courageous souls who make sure people like me don't get arrested, tortured, and butchered, that goes for all of us Americans. By the way, it also goes for a hell of a lot of people in the world.

Trouble on the Horizon

Some things are constant, buying gas/doing laundry are a necessary evil, the Kennedys are an overrated clan, and there is always some nutjob running a country somewhere. One of the current darlings with an ideology and nukes on the way, is in Iran, party guy Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Above Right
First, it was not a real election. For a country that has currently banned western music to goon squads aganist student free speech groups, it keeps things "real."
Second, the charming fellow on the right who looks rather polite, has publicy desired the eradication of Israel of the map, appartently he missed the UN mandatroy first year ruler class on how not to draw the ire of a very lethal Israeli military. read Lancing the Boil
"Europe’s policy about Iran’s nuclear program can best be summed up as “Hurry up, sane and Western Israel, and take out this awful thing — so we can damn you Zionist aggressors for doing so in our morning papers.”
The last is the growing desire for freedom of expression in a Islamicfascist thoecracy, I like what my favorite intoxicated writer, My Man Hitch in Will Iran's Meddling Come At a Cost? has to say with clarity
"Millions of Iranians have satellite dishes and relatives in the West; there is a
large and restive Kurdish minority that has been much encouraged by developments
in Iraq; feminist and other dissident movements are extensive. It is sometimes
argued that such groups do not want to be seen or painted as agents of the U.S.
government. Very well, then, here is a great project for American human-rights
and pro-disarmament and "civil society" groups to undertake. Whatever the case,
it cannot be that such a despotic and arrogant regime feels that it can meddle
everywhere without any cost to itself."

I told my students a couple weeks ago, and I really think it will happen, Israeli jets will fly through Iraq, bomb a few "mosques," thus eliminate the Iranian threat, for a few days.
By the way, this Time Person of We Like Because We're Smart and Know What's Best for You has claimed the Holocaust is a "myth", enough said!

Bears Win

The friggin Chicago Bears have swept the Packers, won the Norse, and clinched the number two seed(no wildcard!) Not bad for a team predicted #32 in league by Sports Illustrated. More babbling to come ...

Merry Christmas

Good Advice

I would like to extend some very good advice to any unintelligent reporter. Judging by the tone and language of Colts President Bill Polian today, be respectful. Tony Dungy's son, Jim, died this morning. The cause has not been revealed, nor should it matter. Dungy is a very respected coach in the league and his son's death should be handled as well. I hope those in the sports media are smart when they ask questions and search for answers. It is a pretty good bet knowing the passion of the men on the team and on its staff, the league wide as well, would blackball any dumb reporter. Our prayers are with his family with this tragedy.

Bears going to the Pro Bowl

Brian Urlacher
Olin Kreutz
Mike Brown
Nathan Vasher
Lance Briggs
Tommie Harris

Huh? Dirty Republican ohhhh, oops, thanks drudge

This is from Drudge:

CLINTON ADMINISTRATION SECRET SEARCH ON AMERICANS -- WITHOUT COURT ORDERCARTER EXECUTIVE ORDER: 'ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE' WITHOUT COURT ORDER Bill Clinton Signed Executive Order that allowed Attorney General to do searches without court approvalClinton, February 9, 1995: "The Attorney General is authorized to approve physical searches, without a court order"Jimmy Carter Signed Executive Order on May 23, 1979: "Attorney General is authorized to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order." WASH POST, July 15, 1994: Extend not only to searches of the homes of U.S. citizens but also -- in the delicate words of a Justice Department official -- to "places where you wouldn't find or would be unlikely to find information involving a U.S. citizen... would allow the government to use classified electronic surveillance techniques, such as infrared sensors to observe people inside their homes, without a court order."Deputy Attorney General Jamie S. Gorelick, the Clinton administration believes the president "has inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches for foreign intelligence purposes."Secret searches and wiretaps of Aldrich Ames's office and home in June and October 1993, both without a federal warrant.END

And this is from Byron York of National Review:

In her testimony, Gorelick made clear that the president believed he had the power to order warrantless searches for the purpose of gathering intelligence, even if there was no reason to believe that the search might uncover evidence of a crime. "Intelligence is often long range, its exact targets are more difficult to identify, and its focus is less precise," Gorelick said. "Information gathering for policy making and prevention, rather than prosecution, are its primary focus."

Bears Win, Let's Sweep the pack

GW is good

I just finished reading President Bush's speech from tonight, busy watching the Bear's game, and it was polite and polished. What amazes me is how polite and repectful he is to the anti-war movement, and gets spit at back in response. I can already the little children shooting venom back at the President,

I also want to speak to those of you who did not support my decision to send troops to Iraq: I have heard your disagreement, and I know how deeply it is felt. Yet now there are only two options before our country — victory or defeat. And the need for victory is larger than any president or political party, because the security of our people is in the balance. I do not expect you to support everything I do, but tonight I have a request: Do not give in to despair, and do not give up on this fight for freedom.

but he is right and they know it, we leave, we lose. And the blood of thousands will be on the hands of those who forced us to leave early, to bad they would never admit it.

This May Offend Some People

Despite my Libertarian leanings, I have no problem with Bush okaying wire taps post 9/11. I am a law abiding citizen who favors torture to save my children and friends overseas. I know there are very evil scumbags who like to see my wife in a burka and my daughters never educated. Think about it, these wiretaps would offend three groups of people:

1. The "We Hate Bush Because we Lost" crowd: this is made up of democrats unable to cope with the fact they ran two crap campaigns and got beat by team Bush/Cheney/Rove. GW could produce loads of evidence for his being necessary, but they'll complain. Why, jealous, bad upbringing, or think communism could actually work..
2. The "Terrorists" crowd: pretty much the bad guys. They love to see us tear each other down to help their cause. Your average terrorist is smart enough to know we actually have rights and respect mankind. Your run of the mill terrorist cares little except for thier objective, our demise, and appreciates any help along the way. Favorite movie would of course be Fahrenheit 9/11.
3. The "Yes, that happens to be aluminum foil on my head" crowd: your nutjob who thinks the fluoride in the water is there to keep you pacified, black helicopters are watching their everystep , and we never landed on the moon. Actually, their coded Star Trek laced conversations would be quite entertaining. "Ensign Smith to Ensign Gakori, the Klingon is aganist the wall and his phaser is set for love."

Funny Commercials

Right now, one of my favorite commercials would have to be the new Peyton Manning "D-Caff, D-Caff!" chanting to the waitress. But the best is in the end of the commercial when he mooches the apron of a server. Think about how many times he has had that done to him for a jersey.
The other commercial is the Miller Lite in court versus Bud Light series. The sublty of the young lawyer in jeans with a tweed jacket versus the older suit wearing stiffs is standard. But the best is when he brings in Flavor Flav and Gene Simmons as "experts." Even the "tastes great," "less filling" routine was nice tip to the old days.

Dastardly Fellow

forbin10 is a packers fan

just about sums it up

Although I am trying to become a better writer and provide some original thought. I read pieces like David Hanson's Lancing the Boil and really sums up the view of many Americans. In fact op-eds like this keep me rather humble. By the way, a new "silent majority" may be lurking in 06:

For some time, a large number of Americans have lived in an alternate universe where everything is supposedly going to hell. If you get up in the morning to read the New York Times or Washington Post, watch John Murtha or Howard Dean on the morning talk shows, listen to National Public Radio at noon, and go to bed reading Newsweek it surely seems that the administration is incommunicado (cf. “the bubble”), the war is lost (“unwinnable”), the Great Depression is back (“jobless recovery”), and America about as popular as Nazi Germany abroad (“alone and isolated”).
But in the real adult world, the economy is red-hot, not mired in joblessness or relegating millions to poverty. Unemployment is low, so are interest rates. Growth is high, as is consumer spending and confidence. Our Katrina was hardly as lethal as the Tsunami or Pakistani earthquake. Thousands of Arabs are not rioting in Dearborn. American elderly don’t roast and die in the thousands in their apartments as was true in France. Nor do American cities, like some in China, lose their entire water supply to a toxic spill. Americans did not just vote to reject their own Constitution as in some European countries.
The military isn’t broken. Unlike after Vietnam when the Russians, Iranians, Cambodians, and Nicaraguans all soon tried to press their luck at our expense, most of our adversaries don’t believe the U.S. military is losing in Iraq, much less that it is wise now to take it on. Instead, the general impression is that our veteran and battle-hardened forces are even more lethal than was true of the 1990s — and engaging successfully in an almost impossible war.
Nor are we creating new hordes of terrorists in Iraq — as if a young male Middle Eastern fundamentalist first hates the United States only on news that it is in Iraq crafting a new Marshall Plan of $87 billion and offering a long-oppressed people democracy after taking out Saddam Hussein. Even al Jazeera cannot turn truth into untruth forever.
Instead, the apprentice jihadist is trying to win his certification as master terrorist by trying his luck against the U.S. Marines abroad rather than on another World Trade Center at home — and failing quite unlike September 11.
Like it or not, wars are usually won or lost when one side feels its losses are too high to continue. We have suffered terribly in losing 2,100 dead in Iraq; a vastly smaller enemy in contrast may have experienced tens of thousands of terrorists killed, and is finding its safe havens and money drying up. Panic about Iraq abounds in both the American media and the periodic fatwas of Dr. Zawahiri — but not in the U. S. government or armed forces.
The world does not hate the United States. Of course, it envies us. Precisely because it is privately impressed by our unparalleled success, it judges America by a utopian measure in which anything less than perfection is written off as failure. We risk everything, our critics abroad almost nothing. So the hope for our failures naturally gives reinforcement to the bleak reality of their inaction.
The Europeans expect our protection. The Mexicans risk their lives to get here. Indians and Japanese want closer relations. The old commonwealth appreciates our strength in defense of the West. Even the hostile Iranians, North Koreans, Cubans, Venezuelans, Chinese, and radical Islamists — despite the saber-rattling rhetoric — wonder whether we are naïve and idealistic rather than cruel and calculating. All this we rarely consider when we read of anti-Americanism in our major newspapers or hear another angry (and usually well-off) professor or journalist recite our sins.
Al Zarqawi is in a classical paradox: He can’t defeat the American or Iraqi security forces or stop the elections. So he must dream up ever more macabre violence to gain notoriety — from beheading Americans on the television to mass murdering Shiites to blowing up third-party Jordanians. But such lashing out only further weakens his cause and makes the efforts of his enemies on the battlefield easier, as his Sunni base starts to see that this psychopath really can take his supporters all down with him.
The Palestine problem is not even worse off after Iraq. Actually, it is far better with the isolated and disgraced Arafat gone, the fence slowly inching ahead, the worst radical Islamic terrorists on the West Bank in paradise, Israel out of Gaza, and the world gradually accepting its diplomatic presence. The real hopeless mess was 1992-2000 when a well-meaning Bill Clinton, Madeline Albright, and Dennis Ross still deluded themselves that a criminal gang leader like Yasser Arafat was a legitimate head of state or that you could start to end an endless war by giving his thugs thousands of M-16s.
The European way is not the answer, as we see from the farcical negotiations over Iran’s time bomb. Struggling with a small military, unsustainable entitlement promises, little real economic growth, high unemployment, falling birth rates, angry unassimilated minorities, and a suicidal policy of estrangement from its benefactor the United States, Europeans show already an 11th-hour change of heart as we see in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and soon in France.
Europe’s policy about Iran’s nuclear program can best be summed up as “Hurry up, sane and Western Israel, and take out this awful thing — so we can damn you Zionist aggressors for doing so in our morning papers.”
The administration did not prove nearly as inept in the Iraqi reconstruction as the rhetoric of its opposition was empty. The government’s chief lapse was not claiming the moral high ground for a necessary war against a fascist mass murderer — an inexplicable silence now largely addressed by George Bush’s new muscular public defense of the war. In contrast, we can sadly recall all the alternative advice of past critics across the spectrum: invade Iraq in 1998, but get out right now; trisect Iraq; attack Syria or Iran; retreat to the Shiite south; put in hundreds of thousands of more troops; or delay the elections.
Donald Rumsfeld’s supposed gaffe of evoking “Old Europe” is trumped tenfold and almost daily by slurs that depict Abu Ghraib as worse than Saddam, Guantanamo as the work of Hitler, Stalin, or Pol Pot, Bush as the world’s greatest terrorist, the effort to democratize Iraq as unwinnable, and American troops terrorizing Iraqi women and children.
Most Americans may grumble after reading the latest demonization in the press of Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld, but they are hardly ready to turn over a complex Middle East to something like a President John Kerry, Vice President Barbara Boxer, Secretary of State Howard Dean, National Security Advisor Nancy Pelosi, and Secretary of Defense John Murtha — with a kitchen cabinet of Jimmy Carter and Sandy Berger.
So at year’s end, what then is happening at home and abroad?
For the last three years we have seen a carbuncle swell as the old Vietnam War opposition rematerialized, with Michael Moore, the Hollywood elite, and Cindy Sheehan scaring the daylights out of the Democratic establishment that either pandered to or triangulated around their crazy rhetoric. The size of the Islamicist/Baathist insurrection caught the United States for a time off guard, as was true also of the sudden vehement slurs from our erstwhile allies in Europe, Canada, and Asia. Few anticipated that the turmoil in Iraq would force the Syrians out of Lebanon, the Libyans to give up their WMDs, and the Egyptians to hold elections — and that all the killing, acrimony, and furor over these developments would begin to engulf the Middle East and threaten the old order.
In the face of that growing ulcer of discontent, we quietly kept on killing terrorists, promoting elections in Iraq, pressuring Arab autocracies to democratize, and growing the economy. All that is finally lancing the boil, here and abroad — and what was in there all along is now slowly oozing out, making the cure seem almost as gross as the malady.

Thanks

By the way, thanks to my brother for his plumbing advice

In Install, Therefore I Am

Bears Lose

I know this may not be a pro-Bear photo, but I do like the Bus and this is football weather, not on a carpet indoors.

Condi Rocks

I just read Sec. of State Condi Rice's Washington Post piece and I realize how good she is. She shows a respect for history and an understanding of the present. Whether or not she wants to be President is up to her, but I feel pretty darn good she is in Bush's ear.

Consider one example: For the first time since the Peace of Westphalia in
1648, the prospect of violent conflict between great powers is becoming ever
more unthinkable. Major states are increasingly competing in peace, not
preparing for war. To advance this remarkable trend, the United States is
transforming our partnerships with nations such as Japan and Russia, with
the European Union, and especially with China and India. Together we are
building a more lasting and durable form of global stability: a balance of
power that favors freedom.

As Truman once said, "The world is not static, and the status quo is not
sacred." In times of extraordinary change such as ours, when the costs of
inaction outweigh the risks of action, doing nothing is not an option.

After all, who truly believes, after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that
the status quo in the Middle East was stable, beneficial and worth defending?
How could it have been prudent to preserve the state of affairs in a region that
was incubating and exporting terrorism; where the proliferation of deadly
weapons was getting worse, not better; where authoritarian regimes were
projecting their failures onto innocent nations and peoples; where Lebanon
suffered under the boot heel of Syrian occupation; where a corrupt Palestinian
Authority cared more for its own preservation than for its people's aspirations;
and where a tyrant such as Saddam Hussein was free to slaughter his citizens,
destabilize his neighbors and undermine the hope of peace between Israelis and
Palestinians? It is sheer fantasy to assume that the Middle East was just peachy
before America disrupted its alleged stability.


But my favorite quote is now under my blog title for a reason, because it now will resonate from the Sunni Triangle to the southern provinces of China.

"Unlike tyranny, democracy by its very nature is never imposed. Citizens of
conviction must choose it -- and not just in one election. The work of democracy
is a daily process to build the institutions of democracy: the rule of law, an
independent judiciary, free media and property rights, among others"

Clinton and Truth: still unknown to each other

The ever so narcsistic President Clinton has once again been supportive of the Bush Adminsitration on many levels, not really. Thanks to Jim Kouri at National Ledger, he reminded us of the Clinton/Gore vanity project and their disdain for Bush in his dropping Kyoto.
Problems with Kyoto:

The former president omitted to mention that many American economists advised US leader to not sign a global warming agreement that either hurt the US economically or that exempted developing nations – like China, India and Brazil, the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions – from emission cuts. As President Bush noted when he rejected the treaty early in his administration, Kyoto violated both of these provisions and thus would not garner Senate ratification and did not merit his support. Senator John Kerry who ran against Bush in 2004 cited the same reasons for rejecting Kyoto.

While Clinton indulged in his usual rhetorical denigration of Bush and his policies, he neglected to mention the fact that Russia's president also opposed Kyoto.

"The Kyoto protocol places significant limitations on the economic growth of Russia," said Andrei Illarionov, who advises President Vladimir Putin on economic issues. "Of course, in its current form, this protocol cannot be ratified,"

Clinton also failed to tell his audience of UN delegates and internationalists that his own Democrat Party opposed Kyoto when the Dems joined the GOP Senators and voted against the protocol by a resounding 95-0. The US Senate told Clinton, "[We} could not support any global warming pact that did not bind developing countries along with developed countries."

No US Senate will ever implement a protocol that so unfairly forces the US to reduce production and energy consumption while allowing polluters like Brazil, India, and particularly China to carry on relatively unaffected.

Not surprising is the fact that some US Senators understood Clinton was acting more out of self-interest than out of concern for the environment and so felt little guilt in opposing the Clinton Administration on Kyoto.

According to the November 1992 edition of the Enron corporate newsletter, "To The Point," the company looked forward to dealing with the incoming Clinton administration. The newsletter noted, "Senator [Al] Gore has been an avid proponent of a strong global warming policy that would lower greenhouse gas emissions."

And the Enron communiqué noted that Clinton and Gore's support of restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions "should provide a real opportunity for natural gas."

Enron stood to benefit from any government restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions because the company had ownership or financial stake in numerous natural gas and wind power technologies, which produce little or no greenhouse gas emissions.

While the Democrats have had success with linking President Bush to Enron, it was Clinton whom Enron had in its pocket. And Enron wanted Kyoto. In fact, Clinton's statement's on December 9, 2005 is a paraphrase of Enron executive Jeff Keeler's 2001 statement in the Amicus Journal, "You can do something meaningful on carbon without collapsing the economy or causing an energy crisis. We believed that before the Bush announcement [to not sign Kyoto]. We believe it now."

Even Clinton's friend British Prime Minister Tony Blair knew something was rotten in Denmark when Bill kept pushing Kyoto. Announcing that he would be "brutally honest" on the subject of the Kyoto Protocol and its future, Blair stated, "My thinking has changed in the past three or four years ... No country is going to cut its growth." Nations like China and India, picked to be this century's superpowers and notably not covered by the protocol, were "not going to start negotiating another treaty like Kyoto."

And his last paragraph is dead on:

As with most of today's liberals, Bill Clinton cares more for the goals of internationalists and less about the goals of his own country. He also displays a clear penchant for building himself up by tearing others down, a sure sign of immaturity. Like so many of his ilk today, while in other countries, he has no shame in criticizing -- even lying about -- his own country. But then again, Bill Clinton never had shame about anything.

The Tailspin Will Be Televised

I am quite sure the alleged democratic leadership is having an epic hissy fit on this ad. But alas, these are their exact words coming from their mouths.

What is the Barret Report?

This is a wonderful question and should get a real response. But like the Able Danger findings and 9/11 Commission's lack of desire to mention Able, you may not hear about it. A great piece at Townhall.com by Tony Snow describes the various misadventures of the inept Clinton Adminostration, yes to star struck democrats, their idol is very false.

Like most independent counsels, Barrett didn't set out on such a mission. He was assigned the duty of looking into whether former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros committed tax fraud in trying to cover up payments to a former mistress.
Yet, as published reports have indicated, he soon discovered that he was onto something much bigger. He found unsettling evidence that Justice Department officials were actively interfering with the probe and even conducting surveillance of Barrett and his office. Worse, there were indications that Team Clinton was using key players at the IRS and Justice to harass, frighten and threaten people who somehow got in the former president's way.
The pattern was set early on, when the White House sicced the FBI on Billy Dale, who had served as the director of the White House Travel Office since the days of John F. Kennedy. They mounted a baseless probe of Dale's finances, while chasing after his daughter, his sister and others. Dale was guilty of holding a job coveted by presidential pal Harry Thomasson. But rather than simply firing Dale, the Clinton White House chose to destroy him.
By all accounts, the 400-page Barrett report is a bombshell, capable possibly of wiping out Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential prospects. At the very least, it would bring to public attention a scandal that would make the Valerie Plame affair vanish into comical insignificance.
Democrats know this. Using provisions in the independent-counsel statute that permit people named in a report to review the allegations against them and file rebuttals, attorneys close to the Clintons have spent the better part of five years reviewing every jot and tittle of the charges arrayed against their clients and friends.

The article goes into what detail it can, but until it is completely revealed, we won't know the truth unless Congress makes the effort.

The 2006 World Cup Draw has been done, maybe the US could escape Group E:

Group A
Germany, Costa Rica, Poland, & Ecuador

Group B
England, Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago, & Sweden

Group C
Argentina, Ivory Coast, Serbia & Montenegro, & Netherlands

Group D
Mexico, Iran, Angola, & Portugal

Group E
Italy, Ghana, United States, & Czech Republic

Group F
Brazil, Croatia, Australia, & Japan

Group G
France, Switzerland, South Korea, & Togo

Group H
Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, & Saudi Arabia

54 years ago today, the sleeping dragon awoke

What a great movie

I just finshed watching Repo Man with the esteemed Emilio Estevez, and his role of Otto is a classic. Being a good quote-filled movie of the 80s, they did exist more than often, here are some of my favorites I got from
the Greatest Website in the World

Duke: The lights are growing dim Otto. I know a life of crime has led me to this sorry fate, and yet, I blame society. Society made me what I am.
Otto: That's bullshit. You're a white suburban punk just like me.
Duke: Yeah, but it still hurts.

Debbi: Duke, let's go do some crimes. Duke: Yeah. Let's go get sushi and not pay.

Kevin: There's fuckin' room to move as a fry cook. I could be manager in two years. King. God.

Miller: A lot o' people don't realize what's really going on. They view life as a bunch o' unconnected incidents 'n things. They don't realize that there's this, like, lattice o' coincidence that lays on top o' everything. Give you an example; show you what I mean: suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.
Otto: You eat a lot of acid, Miller, back in the hippie days?
Miller: I'll give you another instance: you know how everybody's into weirdness right now?...

J. Frank Parnell: Ever been to Utah? Ra-di-a-tion. Yes, indeed. You hear the most outrageous lies about it. Half-baked goggle-box do-gooders telling everybody it's bad for you. Pernicious nonsense. Everybody could stand a hundred chest X-rays a year. They ought to have them, too. When they canceled the project it almost did me in. One day my mind was full to bursting. The next day - nothing. Swept away. But I'll show them. I had a lobotomy in the end.
Otto: Lobotomy? Isn't that for loonies?
Parnell: Not at all. Friend of mine had one. Designer of the neutron bomb. You ever hear of the neutron bomb? Destroys people - leaves buildings standing. Fits in a suitcase. It's so small, no one knows it's there until - BLAMMO. Eyes melt, skin explodes, everybody dead. So immoral, working on the thing can drive you mad. That's what happened to this friend of mine. So he had a lobotomy. Now he's well again.

[Regarding tree-shaped air fresheners] Miller: Find one in every car. You'll see.

Bud: A repo man spends his life getting into tense situations.
Miller: The life of a repo man is always intense.

And this is their leadership?

I could go on piling on Dean for his juvenile comments on
his cheerful outlook for American success in Iraq. But ... aww heck, what a moron.
Please remember this was once the governor of Vermont. Vermont, maple syrup is their major export! We are supposed to take him seriously, he wanted an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. I have more awareness of consequence than the head of the DNC, and I'm a measly Social Studies teacher. Now some may comment, well if your so smart, why don't you be a politician. Honestly, I'm in the trenches trying to keep my kids afloat.
Another poster child for political narcissism, john kerry, Is now saying we're the terrorists. Wow, talk about a person we would want as Commander-in-Chief.

Kerry on CBS Face the Nation- And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be
going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and
children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the of the historical
customs, religious customs.

Well, it could be worse, at least we know they have started the suicidal rhetoric this early before the 06 midterm election.

Brown laying the proverbial wood on farve

Briggs is a pure headhunter

A

Bears beat packers, physically also

This doesn't even show the shot on farve from Mike Brown, strong safety!

missing remotes found stuck under ottoman

Wrigley

Maybe I went to far, oh well

In my classroom, I pick on three things: the klan, the nazis, and the packers. Reason being the first two are ignorant groups of people who use hate and violence to exist and are friggin' morons. Now the last of the trio, the evil packers, are obviously not a backward hate group, like moveon.org. But I did refer to them as "illiterate" yesterday. Something to the effect, wouldn't know what tot do if a book was thrown to them. Obviously I am having fun, the students know this, I'm waiting for a parent Monday morning tot have fun with.
Moving on , the Bears do play the drooling mouth breathing packers on Sunday and it is must win. Farve will come after them with shotgun formations and two to three step drops to keep the ferocious defense line at bay. But he has had our number far to often, time to turn the corners and get a huge win for Papa Halas.

Thank You Rosa

brave woman in real times
brave woman who will stand the test of time

I have this picture on my classroom door. When my students ask who she is, even the African Americans, I tell them who she is. They know what she did, but they also observe she doesn't look that menacing, little do they know the real power of civil disobedience.

Christmas comes early for the GOP

Rep. Pelosi has endorsed Rep. Murtha's plan for early exit of Iraq:
“We should follow the lead of Congressman John Murtha, who has put forth a plan to make America safer, to make our military stronger, and to make Iraq more stable. That is what the American people and our troops deserve.”

Full Text
Que in the wonderful photo above, this will provide the GOP with the full ammo to attack again, and will win in 06.

the Rachel Ray we didn't know, hubba hubba

Not only whould have voted for Bush, but she's from Indy

Like George W. Bush, for one. 50 thinks the president is "incredible ... a
gangsta." "I wanna meet George Bush, just shake his hand and tell him how much
of me I see in him," 50 told GQ. If the rapper's felony conviction didn't
prevent him from voting, 50 said he would have voted for Bush.

50 article
thanks drudge
by the way, that is Vivica A. Fox, ex-Arlington H.S.

Jumped the Gun

Alright, maybe I jumped on Michael Irvin a little to quickly. And maybe I am the terminal optimist, but his story on Monday Night Countdown that it was his friend's crackpipe sounded real. Trust me, I have been in similar situations, you want to help. So, I hope I'm right on my correction , if not, the penal league needs another deep threat.

The Bears are now 8-3

As much as things, some things stay the same ...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2238758
Updated: Nov. 27, 2005, 8:39 PM ET
Hall semifinalist arrested on outstanding warrant
ESPN.com news services
PLANO, Texas -- Former Dallas Cowboys receiver and current ESPN studio analyst Michael Irvin was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia after police searched his vehicle during a traffic stop, Plano police said Sunday.
Irvin
Irvin, a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for speeding in Irving after being pulled over Friday afternoon for speeding in Plano, the Plano Police Department said. Police spokesman Mike Johnson said he didn't know what kind of paraphernalia was found.
Irvin paid a fine on the speeding ticket and posted bond on the drug paraphernalia possession charge. He was released about an hour after he was pulled over.
"We are reviewing the facts of the situation and have no comment at this time," ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said.
In 1996, Irvin pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession in exchange for four years of deferred probation, a $10,000 fine and dismissal of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges.
Irvin, a member of three Super Bowl championship teams with the Cowboys and known as "The Playmaker" during his 12-year career with Dallas, retired in July 2000. He has been paired at ESPN with veteran host Chris Berman, Tom Jackson and Steve Young on the main set of Sunday NFL Countdown since 2003.
Irvin holds Cowboys records for catches (750), receiving yards (11,904) and 100-yard games (47), including a team-record seven in a row in 1991.
In September of this year, Irvin and former Cowboys teammates Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith were together added to the Ring of Honor together, a recognition of the players most associated with the Cowboys' last Super Bowl titles.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Socrates would be so proud

November 26, 2005
Teacher's vocabulary quiz slams Bush, GOP
Associated Press

BENNINGTON, Vt. -- A high school teacher is facing questions from administrators
after giving a vocabulary quiz that included digs at President Bush, Republicans
and the extreme right.
Bret Chenkin, a social studies and English teacher at
Mount Anthony Union High School, said he gave the quiz to his students several
months ago. The quiz asked students to pick the proper words to complete
sentences.

One example: "I wish Bush would be (coherent, eschewed) for
once during a speech, but there are theories that his everyday diction charms
the below-average mind, hence insuring him Republican votes." "Coherent" was
considered the right answer.
Principal Sue Maguire said she hoped to speak
to anyone who complained about the quiz and any students who might be concerned.
She said she also would talk with Chenkin. School Superintendent Wesley Knapp
said he takes the situation seriously.
"It's absolutely unacceptable," Knapp
said. "They (teachers) don't have a license to hold forth on a particular
standpoint."
Chenkin, 36, a teacher for seven years, said he isn't shy about
sharing his liberal views with students as a way of prompting debate, but he
said the quizzes are being taken out of context.
"The kids know it's
hyperbolic, so to speak," he said. "They know it's tongue-in-cheek." But he said
he would change his teaching methods if some are concerned.
"I'll put in
both sides," he said. "Especially if it's going to cause a lot of grief."
The school is in Bennington, a community of about 16,500 in the southwest
corner of the state.

my take:
I have taught middle school Social studies for the past five years, I came in after the Bush/Gore fiasco and was entertained by the last election. But one thing I will not do is allow my political beliefs to known or affect my teaching. It's simple:
If I tell my kids I am Republican and spout Republican talking points/propaganda, they will either
a) become GOPers because they may be foolish enough to respect my views, highly doubt the respect angle, or
b) become democrats out of spite and to go aganist me because I am the evil authoritarian figure, most likely.

A real teacher will keep thier political views out of the classromm, except, except for the common belief that our job/duty/most of all responsiblilty is to teach our children to think for themselves. If you want to be some cheap liberal thug and use a methane rich line as Chenkin did

"sharing his liberal views with students as a way of prompting debate."

No, that is the cheapest, lamest cop-out like some student pinched for cheating, "Oh, I got called out on this one, so make up this song and dance." More or less he is a second rate teacher betraying the rest of the profession.

and who ever thought of Buckley as a prophet

We know the jajaweed of Sudan is commiting geonicide on Black Christians in Sudan, a little more to dwell on ...
November 25, 2005
Christians Afoot
By William F. Buckley

I am mindful that Samuel Johnson enjoined the preachers of his time not to
inveigh against those who were absent from church on Sundays by scolding those
who were not absent. Notwithstanding Dr. Johnson's stricture, I here berate
those who fail to heed the atrocities in China and North Korea, by appealing to
those who have heeded these barbarisms, drawing attention to the inattention
that the Christian world seems to be paying them. There is no means of putting
away from memory the experience of the Jews in the last century, objects of
discrimination of various and imaginative kinds, culminating in genocide.
Meghan Clyne of the New York Sun cites a report on North Korea compiled by
David Hawk, the author of "Hidden Gulag: Exposing North Korea's Prison Camps."
Hawk and his South Korean researchers obtained dozens of eyewitness accounts of
persecutions of Christians.
President Bush, in his speech in Japan last
week, didn't say that Christians in North Korea were in large numbers
imprisoned, but he spoke of "satellite maps of North Korea (that showed) prison
camps the size of whole cities."
Michael Cromartie, chairman of the U.S.
Commission on International Religious Freedom, which issued Hawk's report,
"called on Mr. Bush to include the specific findings of the North Korean report
in his diplomatic discussions with Chinese and South Korean officials ... and to
urge leaders of both Asian nations to take a firmer stand against their
communist neighbor." He is proud of the report, citing the difficulty in
bringing together reliable information from within that ideological mudhole.
The report tells, among many other accounts, of a woman in her 20s who was
washing clothes in a river. A fellow washerwoman saw a small Bible fall out of
her basket and reported her to the authorities. She was executed by firing
squad.
That martyr got off lightly. Nine years ago in South Pyongan
province, a unit of the North Korean army was assigned the job of widening a
highway connecting Pyongyang to the nearest seaport. Demolition of a house
standing in the way revealed, hidden between two bricks, a Bible and a list of
25 names: a Christian pastor, two assistant pastors, two elders and 20
parishioners. The 25 were all detained and, later that month, brought to the
road construction site, where spectators had been arranged in neat rows. The
parishioners were grouped off to one side while the pastor, the assistant
pastors and the elders were bound hand and foot and made to lie down in front of
a steamroller. As if following a script written in early Roman history, they
were told they could escape death by denying their faith and pledging to serve
Dear Leader Kim Jong II and Great Leader Kim Il Sung. They chose death.
Ms.
Clyne quotes Mr. Hawk's report: "Some of the parishioners ... cried, screamed
out, or fainted when the skulls made a popping sound as they were crushed
beneath the steamroller."
Anti-Christian activity is not as rabid in China,
but it is everywhere evident, and it has not been noticeably reduced by recent
rumors that the Vatican may withdraw the papal nuncio from Taipei and move him
to Beijing. The Vatican has so far persisted in recognizing the state of Taiwan,
which is something most other diplomatic entities shrink from doing. As everyone
knows, the determination by the Chinese to obtain sovereignty over Taiwan is of
a pitch comparable to the Vatican's devotion to St. Peter's Basilica.
The
Vatican's desire for diplomatic relations with Beijing makes almost difficult
any remonstrance over Chinese treatment of Catholics, though such is being
attempted, as when the Italian newsweekly L'Espresso published a two-page
article based on an interview with two Chinese priests. The article had not
identified the priests, out of fear for their safety, but authorities
interrogated the reporter's interpreter to learn their names. The priests have
since been arrested.
In the interview one of the priests spoke of a previous
detention, during which attempts were made by Chinese authorities "to evaluate
whether I had become patriotic." China is officially and aggressively atheist,
and such Christianity as is vestigially permitted is doctrinally emasculated.
(Christ did not rise from the dead; his mother was not a virgin.) Worship is
allowed, according to one Associated Press dispatch, "only in
government-controlled churches, which recognize the pope as a spiritual leader
but appoint their own priests and bishops. Catholic Chinese who meet outside
sanctioned churches are frequently harassed, fined, and sometimes sent to labor
camps."
The government's Catholic Church claims 34 million believers. The
Cardinal Kung Foundation, a U.S.-based religious monitoring group, says the
unofficial church of Chinese loyal to Rome has 12 million followers.
How
ought western diplomats to have treated Nazi officials in pre-war Germany? There
is enduring speculation on that subject, but none, we'd guess, that argues that
simply to ignore religious persecution is one acceptable way to confront it.

Copyright 2005 Universal Press Syndicate

Line Up Another Democrat for the Pres Run

N.M. Gov Admits He Wasn't Baseball Pick

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.
Gov. Bill Richardson is coming clean on his draft record _
the baseball draft, that is, admitting that his claim to have been a pick of the
Kansas City A's in 1966 was untrue.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/11/24/D8E325882.html

After reading this article, it pretty takes an arrow out of the quiver of the GOP attack machine. He has been a quiet name mentioned and would be at least an idela VP canidate. Don't forget he has been getting tougher on immigration, another hot issue.

why it feels good to be a faithful Bears fan

Happy Thanksgiving

Put aside your differences for today, play some football, call a loved one, drink some cheap beer and bite your brother.

Adults Not Allowed to Make Choices .... Again

Carmel council bans smoking in restaurants
Vote is 4 to 3; ordinance takes effect March 1

By Lesley Rogers Barrett

CARMEL, Ind. -- Smokers can still light up in most taverns, but Carmel restaurants will go smoke-free under restrictions narrowly approved Monday by the City Council.
With a vote of 4 to 3, Carmel became the first Hamilton County community to approve a smoking ban. The Indianapolis City-County Council passed a similar smoking ban in May, and last month the city of Greenfield approved a ban. All three ordinances will take effect March 1.

SMOKING ORDINANCE
Beginning March 1, smoking will be banned at most Carmel restaurants, at some taverns and at places such as shopping malls, health-care facilities, child-care centers, common areas of residential buildings and laundromats.Cigar bars and taverns that don't allow customers under 21 and don't employ anyone under 21 are exempt. Some family-owned and -operated businesses are exempt, as are private clubs.The fine is $50 for first-time offenders of the ordinance. Subsequent violations carry fines between $75 and $500.

Anti-smoking advocates praised the ordinance, saying it will improve the health of employees and patrons. Robert Lubitz, a doctor at St. Vincent Hospital, said secondhand smoke is the third-leading cause of preventable death.
"Smoking causes deadly diseases, and it robs the health of our community," Lubitz said.
Several Carmel tavern owners spoke at the meeting, offering a range of opinions. Kevin Rider, owner of Woody's Library Restaurant, 40 E. Main St., will have to go smoke-free under the ordinance because he allows patrons under 21 in the restaurant portion of his establishment.
However, taverns like Mickey's Irish Pub, 13644 N. Meridian St., and Old Town Tavern, 29 W. Main St., can continue to allow smoking.
There was a push to include all taverns in the ordinance, but the council ended up exempting establishments that don't allow patrons or employees under the age of 21.
Rider said he's disappointed in the ordinance, which he said creates an uneven playing field. But he said he expects his restaurant business to increase.
"I'll find ways to exploit the no smoking," Rider said.
Mickey's owner Bill Adkins said if the council approved a ban to include all taverns, he would immediately sell his 11-year-old business.
He said he tried a "smokeless Thursdays" promotion last year, but ended up losing money. "The nonsmokers did not come," Adkins said.
But Carmel resident Emily Walesky said she would go out to taverns and restaurants more -- and spend more money -- if they were smoke-free.
"I have asthma," Walesky said. "I cannot breath when other people around me choose to smoke."
Lynn Resinger, Indianapolis, called the ordinance a "forced compliance law" and said it takes away the rights of Americans.
"People have become so complacent with their freedom . . . they are giving it away to the government," Resinger said.
Fines begin at $50 for a first-time violation, and the ordinance will be enforced by the Department of Community Services and the Carmel Fire Marshal. Police officers will not enforce the ordinance.
Voting in favor of the ordinance were council members Brian Mayo, Fred Glaser, Ron Carter and Mark Rattermann. Council president Kevin Kirby and members Rick Sharp and Joe Griffiths voted against the measure.

Vasher Sets Record

The Interceptor ran a missed field goal back 108 yards to set an NFL record. Bears are now 6-3, the schedule now gets nastier than a DNC meeting discussing Bush43.

you could wish to be this energetic at this age

I have been in the bar business since 92, and I've met plenty of interesting characters along the way. Any bartender worth thier weight in Rose's Lime juice will tell you that fact. But the lovely couple you see in the picture are just outsanding. Every Friday or Saturday night they are in the annex dancing and flirting with other couples.

They're not married, just two people who found each other as life moved on. She has her red wine and artsy outfits, she painted a picture for my first born, and he has a cigar and his suspenders. Every once and while he wears one of those rastafari hats with the fake dreds.

The smiles you see are as genuine as are they.

Oh When the Saints, Come Marching In ... to LA Baby!

Hey Coach, I can see my house in the OC from here! After reading this article, and Benson's hissy fits, the writing is on the wall. Talking about turning your back on someone.
from: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2219883

NFL, Coliseum in preliminary stages for return to L.A.
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- The NFL and city officials have reached a preliminary agreement on terms to bring a team back to the Los Angeles Coliseum, commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Thursday.
But Tagliabue, in a 15-minute session with reporters on the steps of City Hall, didn't identify a potential tenant or speculate when Los Angeles might get the team.
He also spoke positively about a team playing at a facility proposed for the Angel Stadium parking lot in Anaheim and didn't rule out the Rose Bowl in Pasadena as a possible home field, either.
As Tagliabue entered a limousine, he was asked if he could assess the significance of what he had just announced. He replied, "I'd rather not try."
The commissioner did say: "It's the first time we've had agreement on term sheets. We're one step closer, two or three steps closer. Whether it's 2009, 2010, or 2000-whatever, our goal is to have definitive agreements on all subject matters well before our league meetings in March."
The Los Angeles area, the second-largest television market in the country, has been without an NFL team since the Raiders moved from the Coliseum back to Oakland and the Rams moved from Anaheim to St. Louis before the 1995 season.
After announcing plans in the spring of 1999 to put an expansion team in the Coliseum, the NFL was unable to reach an agreement with the Los Angeles backers and instead awarded the 32nd franchise to Houston that October.
Houston businessman Bob McNair and his backers offered to pay $700 million for the new franchise and spend another $310 million on a stadium, making it the NFL's first billion-dollar deal. The Texans began play in 2002.
Tagliabue said significant progress has been made in the past year regarding the Coliseum. His statement came following a meeting with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and before a session with Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle.
"I think the critical thing now is we're at the point where it's recognized, certainly by us, that the time is right," Tagliabue said. "We have to get agreements finalized. We'll be pursuing agreements in Anaheim. We're going to work with both communities for an agreement."
He said there have been no in-depth discussions on whether the region would get an expansion or existing team.
Tagliabue said last month that future expansion was unlikely anywhere but Los Angeles.
He also said it was important to make sure Southern California, the nation's top-ranked college team, was comfortable with any agreement, since the Trojans have made the Coliseum their home since 1923.
Tagliabue planned on meeting with USC coach Pete Carroll later Thursday. The commissioner met with Gov. Arnold Schwarzennegger late Wednesday.
Tentative plans call for the NFL to finance construction of a $500 million stadium inside the Coliseum, home to the Rams from 1946-79 and the Raiders from 1982-94.
City Councilman Bernard Parks said after listening to Tagliabue that he believes the Coliseum will eventually get an existing team rather than an expansion team.
"The NFL is going to have a say on who's going to come here. The Coliseum has no role in selecting a team," Parks said.
Asked when it might happen, Parks replied: "I don't know. Nobody's signed anything. They've got to say they're coming."
That being said, Parks expressed optimism.
"In my judgment, I don't believe these business people waste their time and money," he said. "They've spent a lot of time and money."
While Tagliabue didn't rule out the Rose Bowl, the Pasadena City Council voted 5-2 with one abstention last June to pursue a plan for the stadium that doesn't involve the NFL. Carson dropped out of contention in May when city officials decided to build a mall on its proposed site.

To France

you reap the seeds you plant

19-13 = Norse Lead

Outstanding effort on behalf of the Monsters of the Midway, they won with the big D. Mr. Tillman, left, you are very back in top form. And it looks like Mooch will have to do just that to get hometown Super Bowl tickets. Oh yeah, other great news , the pack is 1-6.

Ahh! Attack of the droll Senator

Well, Sen. Bayh finally sold his soul. First it was his attacks on Chief Justice Roberts, what a great ring to it; now his daring and risque laced speech in New Hampshire:

"I'd like to begin this evening by sharing some good news with all of you," Bayh
said, revving up the hard-core, sellout crowd. "In just about three years, the
Bush era will be over. Done. Finished."

Dare to take a risk, Senator. Technically yes, and hopefully a new Republican will take our country to a new and further the improved level we are on. I care little for the remarks of American-bashing euros, jealous, or the fearful left, hateful at best.

Bayh criticized the Bush administration for "needless division, misplaced
priorities and ineptitude"

And senator bayh shows the class from which our future leader should show.-- somewhat stronger language than he's been using lately, even in all-Democratic settings.

"President Bush sought our nation's highest office pledging to be a uniter, not
a divider, and has proceeded to divide this country more profoundly than any
time since the Vietnam War," Bayh said, eliciting long applause.

Only because a very bitter democratic party has yet to admit it dropped the ball in 2000 & 04. Before you give the conspiracy laced rhetoric of Ohio and Florida, don't, it just didn't happen.
The point I am getting at is once again the leadership of the democratic party is showing no real leadership because there is no message no signs of solution no signs of making things better.

Look at his themes: from DLC(Democratic Leadership Council)

unity - not when you condemn the man who won a majority of the last vote. You push away the right leaning middle. The uncalled for name calling and disrespect shown by the Democratic leadership reflects on the party.

opportunity - look at the complete success of his 21st Century Scholarship, only 25% actually graduate from college.

real security - try harder, please. What is your defintion, sell missle technology to the Chinese like President Clinton.

accountability - for a party that yet to accept its failures of the past, there is no sign of any real change.
My point is, he is tragically unspectacular. He is a cookie cutter canidate.

http://http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051030/NEWS01/510300517

Question of Faith

I read the article about the three Christian girls beheaded. In my readings of history and modern events, I could never figure out how people are willing to kill in the name of God. And it could be Allah, Jehovah, Vishnu or whomever, there is no real reason. The underlining reason always goes back to the financial gain of one over the land or resources the other possess. I challenge anyone to look at any military conflict over the past thousand years, strip away the window dressing they call "holy war" or any conventional at that, and you'll find either side has some form of financial consideration.
Of course, who you believe is the bad guy is another question. Look at the War in Iraq; are we there to colonize the sandbox, no. Did Sadaam Hussian attempt to conquer other countries to improve his oil supplies and become a world power? Yes. I'll leave it there for replies.

Tale of Two Men

I know this is few days late, but it really shows the glaring level of intellect and class of these two men. This is regards to Senators Reid (D) Nev, on left and Frist (R) Ten, on right, on the Miers withdrawl. Nd no, I did not mean to place the pictures in a political sense. What really strikes me is how immature and uneducated Reid apperas. His inflammatory remarks tragiclly shows how low the demos are reaching. It also shows how much trouble the demos are in because if this ther best, its no wonder President Bush owns them. Dr. Frist on the other hand, sounds as educated and as dignified as a leader shoudl be. Okay, the Terry Schivo diagnosis was a huge stretch, but still ...

October 27th, 2005 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
today made the following statement:
“Harriet Miers has asked the President
to withdraw her nomination to the Supreme Court. I respect her decision and
appreciate her service to our country.
“I look forward with anticipation to
the President naming the next nominee quickly.
“We remain ready to fulfill
our duty to provide advice and consent on judicial nominees. And the Supreme
Court still awaits its next justice--a highly qualified nominee who is committed
to upholding the Constitution and who believes in the limited role of a judge to
interpret the law and not legislate from the bench."

Reid on Miers Withdrawal
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Washington, D.C. –
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement on Harriet
Miers’ withdrawal of her nomination to the United States Supreme Court.
“The
radical right wing of the Republican Party killed the Harriet Miers nomination.
Apparently, Ms. Miers did not satisfy those who want to pack the Supreme Court
with rigid ideologues.
“I had recommended that the President consider
nominating Ms. Miers because I was impressed with her record of achievement as
the managing partner of a major Texas law firm and the first woman president of
the Texas Bar Association. In those roles she was a strong supporter of law firm
diversity policies and a leader in promoting legal services for the poor. But
these credentials are not good enough for the right wing: they want a nominee
with a proven record of supporting their skewed goals.
“In choosing a
replacement for Ms. Miers, President Bush should not reward the bad behavior of
his right wing base. He should reject the demands of a few extremists and choose
a justice who will protect the constitutional rights of all Americans.”

thanks to their websites:
http://reid.senate.gov/
http://frist.senate.gov/