Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Politicians - failing the tests
I'm sure these are the same guys who implored President Bush to implement the 9/11 Commission Report without compromise.
I guess I missed something [sarcasm off]...
I guess I missed something [sarcasm off]...
At the American Thinker, Michael J. O'Shea writes:
"Defeating Al Qaeda in Iraq is defeating Al Qaeda - period. Its leaders have proclaimed Iraq the mother of all battlefields where America - not it - will be destroyed.
Yet some in Congress scoff at Al Qaeda's threat in Iraq, saying it represents a mere 10% of Iraq's terrorists: 10%? What percent of a body's cells have to be cancerous to kill that body? What percent of a country's population has to have AIDS for that country to die or wish it would?
Yet Congress wants to leave Iraq so it can chase Al Qaeda elsewhere - when Al Qaeda rushes to Iraq to fight the US there? No attacks on American soil because Al Qaeda chooses to fight the US on Iraqi soil - and Congress wants to bail?"
Politicians - and their Pork
If this is an example of their tightening up, it certainly doesn't show much...
I found this at the Club for Growth website:
"Washington - Even though the Democratic majority vowed to return Congress to a path of fiscal responsibility, the 2008 appropriations bills were stuffed with wasteful pork projects. While Representatives John Campbell, Jeff Flake, Jeb Hensarling, Scott Garrett, and David Obey (1 amendment) offered 50 amendments to strip outrageous pork projects from the appropriations bills, only one amendment, offered by Rep. Jeff Flake, passed."
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The Media - Behind the scenes
There are eight million ways to promote an agenda.
This is but one of them.
A split screen "discussion" doesn't mean the issue is equally perceived beyond that split screen...
This is but one of them.
A split screen "discussion" doesn't mean the issue is equally perceived beyond that split screen...
In the Wall Street Opinion Journal, Brian S, Wesbury tells how it's done:
"If one guest or expert is a 'bull,' then the other must be a 'bear,' to keep things fair. Or, if there is a single guest on air, the host often takes the other side of the issue in order to keep things balanced. Get some sparks between guests, a little argument here or there, and it's even better for the ratings. The bigger the audience, the better the show, that's the way the advertisers see it. It's basic supply and demand.
But this idea of presenting both sides of an issue, while entertaining, informative and seemingly balanced, may paradoxically create a warped perspective of the economy.
For example, the most recent Wall Street Journal economic forecasting survey, from July, shows that 49 out of 60 forecasters expect real GDP to grow at an average annual rate of 2%, or faster, in 2007. Of the remaining 11 forecasters, only two expect growth of less than 1%, and only one expects a recession. For 2008, the forecasters are even more optimistic, with none expecting recession."
Politicians - Hillary Clinton
So which is it?
Wouldn't you think that some reporter just might ask?...
Wouldn't you think that some reporter just might ask?...
In the Washington Post, Beth Fouhy reports on some quotes:
"'I would certainly take nuclear weapons off the table,' she said in April 2006.
Her views expressed while she was gearing up for a presidential run stand in conflict with her comments this month regarding Obama, who faced heavy criticism from leaders of both parties, including Clinton, after saying it would be 'a profound mistake' to deploy nuclear weapons in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
'There's been no discussion of nuclear weapons. That's not on the table,' he said.
Clinton, who has tried to cast her rival as too inexperienced for the job of commander in chief, said of Obama's stance on Pakistan: 'I don't believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or non-use of nuclear weapons.'"
Politicians - Hillary Clinton (& Bill)
Just maybe, in the case, truth will hurt.
That is, if it actually gets to come out...
That is, if it actually gets to come out...
At the New Media Journal, Ben Barrack reports:
"The Equal Justice Foundation, a foundation that supports whistle blowers, is sponsoring the first ever documentary on Hillary Clinton which could reveal an iceberg capable of doing as much damage to the Clintons as was done to that early 20th century luxury liner that many believe was commandeered by hubris. EJF is launching its support for Clinton mega-donor turned whistle blower Peter Paul's landmark civil suit Paul v Clinton with its 'Truth Boat Hillary' campaign, intended to publicize the mountain of evidence it has assembled on the frauds Hillary directed to win and keep her Senate seat."
Politicians - John Edwards
Slippery as usual...
Ben Smith reports at the Politico:
"Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards recently defended taking a lucrative book contract from a publisher controlled by Rupert Murdoch -- whose News Corp. empire Edwards has sharply criticized -- by insisting that 'every dime' of his $500,000 advance went to charity.
Left unmentioned by Edwards, however, was that Murdoch’s HarperCollins paid portions of a $300,000 expense budget for the book to Edwards’ daughter and to a senior political aide, Jonathan Prince."
Monday, August 06, 2007
The Media - Caught spying
In this case, I can probably argue both sides.
Investigative journalism certainly has a place.
On the other hand, I wonder if these would be the same journalists that object to government spying, or having to reveal their "anonymous" sources...
Investigative journalism certainly has a place.
On the other hand, I wonder if these would be the same journalists that object to government spying, or having to reveal their "anonymous" sources...
IDG News Services, Robert McMillan reports:
"Dateline NBC Producer Michelle Madigan was publicly outed at the Defcon security conference in Las Vegas Friday after show organizers were tipped off that she was trying to film show attendees with a hidden camera.
Madigan ran from the show after organizers publicly threatened to escort her from the event at the beginning of a 4 p.m. conference session by noted hacker HD Moore. "She literally kicked the door open," said 'Priest,' a show official who declined to be identified. 'She made the mistake of running. Had she taken it like an adult, she would have been treated with kid gloves, treated with respect.'"
Al Gore - "The Assault on Reason"
Al Gore has a new book out...
Harry Stein reviews it:
"Yes, it’s logically inconsistent and self-serving and unbelievably sanctimonious, but there’s a lot of that going around. What ultimately makes the book so disturbing is that something pretending to be a brief for reason and comity is so unbelievably small and mean-spirited. It is less an argument than an extended tantrum. Reading it is often like being locked in a room with a madman.
Even more than most partisan commentators today (and of course there are more than a few on the right), Gore is blind to how recklessly he abuses facts and applies double standards, not to mention to his own viciousness."
Pat Boone - Opinion Columnist
He likes the Court's decision...
Pat Boone has strong feelings on this subject:
"Partial-birth abortion is so repulsive and vile that a majority of the Supreme Court correctly concluded what most Americans already believe – that the taking of the life of a fully developed child by sucking its brains from its skull is reprehensible as murder and should be forbidden.
And the justices didn't stop there, either. Their ruling turned attention to the medical profession itself.
Justice Kennedy wrote, "It is reasonable for Congress to think that partial-birth abortion undermines the public's perception of the appropriate role of a physician during the delivery process during which life is brought into this world."
Indeed."
About that "Energy" bill
I don't really have room for all of the quotable paragraphs in this editorial...
Investors Business Daily doesn't think much of it:
"Her bill is a stripped-down version of the Senate bill and doesn't include things like renewable energy mandates and raising fuel-economy standards. But while it rewards trial lawyers, a companion energy tax punishes American consumers with $15 billion in taxes to pay for tax credits for renewable energy. When liberals aim for the rich, they hit Joe Sixpack between the eyes.
Sterling Burnett , a senior fellow of the National Center for Policy Analysis, points out that families earning between $10,000 and $25,000 per year spent 13% of their earnings on energy. Those earning more than $50,000 pay just 4%.
The bill also holds $1 billion in new spending to promote 'clean energy' in developing countries. Presumably this includes buying solar panels and windmills for China, which qualifies as a 'developing' country under the greenhouse-gas-cutting Kyoto Accords.
Beijing has other ideas, planning 40 new nuclear plants for the next 15 years and 562 coal-fired plants in less than half that time. And it's seeking oil resources offshore, just like the Russians.
As we diddle and debate, Chinese geologists are helping the Cubans drill test oil wells 45 miles off Florida's coast. China's offshore energy sector is growing 15.3% a year. Chinese companies have deals with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and have submitted a bid for a tract off Jamaica."
Immigration - Incarcerated Illegals
So, why weren't they doing this all along?...
Ryan Orr reports in the Victorville Daily Press:
"In the past year and a half, county corrections officers have interviewed more than 4,200 suspected illegal immigrants and have placed immigration holds on just over half of them, with investigations still pending on many others.
As soon as they serve out their sentences they are turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to be deported."
Only in America - It's a tough world
I'd need to see the landscape and the politics before rendering an opinion...
I found this at Breitbart.com:
"Towbin got permission for a 100-foot pole in 2006, and the city has approved eight other flagpoles of that height or higher. Assistant City Attorney Bill Henry, however, said Towbin acknowledged last year that the council could revisit the decision if it bothered neighbors.
'We think it's arbitrary that they decide who gets it and who doesn't,' Towbin said Thursday, adding that noise meters he put at a neighboring house didn't support complaints about loud flapping."
Friday, August 03, 2007
An Interview with General David Petraeus
If you click on the link, you'll have to scroll down for the English translation...
The Q&A is with Frédéric Pons. Here's some of it:
"Do you have enough time to succeed ?
We are challenged by time. This is an exceedingly tough endeavor, one with countless challenges, some of which I highlighted above. None of us, Iraqi or American, are anything but impatient and even frustrated with where we are at this point. But there are no shortcuts. Success in an endeavor like this is the result of steady, unremitting pressure over the long haul. It’s a test of wills, demanding patience, determination, and stamina from all involved.
What do you hope to be able to tell Congress is September when you testify with Ambassador Ryan Crocker?
I feel privileged to soldier again alongside America’s servicemen and women and our Coalition and Iraqi partners. As Commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq, I carry a rather heavy rucksack as I conduct my duties, but I do feel fortunate to have some of the world’s best troopers helping me carry the load. And I could not ask for a better diplomatic wingman than Ambassador Crocker. He is truly a national asset, a first-rate diplomat with extensive experience in this part of the world, including two previous tours in Baghdad and service in other regional embassies. Ambassador Crocker and I have repeatedly said that, when we return to testify before Congress in September, we will provide a forthright, comprehensive assessment.
Are you pessimist or optimist?
We are not optimists and we are not pessimists. We are realists. We will provide unvarnished assessments of the situation and honestly answer questions, just as I have done with you today."
Politicians - Senator Lindsey Graham
Flip-Flop. Now "serving the people"?
I'll wait to see the results...
I'll wait to see the results...
At AmericanThinker.com, Janet Levy tells about it:
"Apparently the backlash and political implications for Graham were significant enough for him to reconsider his position and co-author with Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AK) an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spending bill. Last Friday, the Senate passed the $3 billion in emergency spending for immigration and border enforcement. The Graham-Pryor amendment stipulates that the U.S. government must achieve full operational control over the U.S.-Mexico border. It requires an increase in the number of border patrol agents for a total of 23,000, allocates funding for 45,000 detention beds to end "catch and release" procedures that set illegal aliens free for lack of detention space, and calls for the acquisition of four unmanned aerial vehicles and 105 ground-based radar and camera towers. Further, the amendment provides for the expedited removal of illegal aliens. It also addresses visa overstays by requiring detention under Department of Homeland Security provisions and allows local law enforcement to obtain immigration status information in sanctuary cities, municipalities that have adopted a non-cooperative stance with federal immigration enforcement laws. In a complete volte-face, Graham said that he likened the passing of his amendment to "having been robbed 12 million times and finally getting around to putting a lock on the door." He is now advocating better electronic employee verification systems, merit-based entry requirements and assimilation programs that include learning English. "
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Politicians - Hillary Clinton
Why is everything about Hillary so clouded in secrecy and subterfuge?...
If accurate, the information at Jeremayakovka's blog, certainly doesn't give comfort:
"If what I have received is a true and accurate copy, then here is one of the most anticipated revelations yet of the 2008 presidential election: Hillary Rodham's 1969 senior thesis at Wellesley College.
Back in 1993, shortly after she acceded to the role of First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband requested that Wellesley guard her thesis from public scrutiny -- a request with which the college administration complied. Since then efforts to gain access to 'THERE IS ONLY THE FIGHT' have proven less than successful. If what I have received, however, is a true and accurate copy, then public access to the Democratic presidential candidate's first intellectual formation has finally arrived."
"Express Kidnappings"
America has fast food, drive-by shootings, and now, express kidnappings...
At TownHall.com, Douglas MacKinnon discusses the latest, and it's ties to illegal immigrants:
"Illegal immigration however, represents a growing threat to our nation in a number of areas. Not the least of which, being crime. As an example, the police and people of Houston, Texas, are now dealing with organized gangs of illegal aliens from Mexico who are carrying out “express kidnappings” of the local citizens.
An “Express Kidnapping” being when someone is snatched off the street, driven to an ATM to drain their account, forced to have a family member bring down any money or valuables in the home as ransom, and then many times, still shot in the head and left by the side of the road. My wife’s family has fallen victim to a number of these kidnappings.
“Express Kidnappings” have been perfected in Mexico City, Caracas, Venezuela, and a number of large South American cities, and are now being exported to our nation. If you have not heard of them, don’t worry, they will soon be coming to your town."
Chistian Martyrs?
This is a tough issue; however, this writer seems to have a good point...
Peter Worthington writes in the Toronto-Sun:
"The martyr complex exists among Christians as well as Muslim suicide bombers. Doubtless the Korean Christians exude sincerity, courage and probably forgiveness. But that's not the point. They shouldn't be there.
The Taliban are not Iroquois whom French Jesuits once felt faith-bound to rescue from paganism -- and suffered torture and death as a consequence. Those were different times, and one would think we, or the church, would have learned a lesson.
Apparently not. Christian groups should be discouraged from dabbling in regions where their religious faith is not appreciated, and where others are required to risk their lives to save them when inevitably they are kidnapped, to be used as political bargaining chips."
Demographics - The Population Curve
Population up; population down.
Is the pendulum swinging?.
(I don't like the picture.)...
Is the pendulum swinging?.
(I don't like the picture.)...
I found this article at Economist.com:
"Numbers are still growing; but recently—it is impossible to know exactly when—an inflection point seems to have been reached. The rate of population increase began to slow. In more and more countries, women started having fewer children than the number required to keep populations stable. Four out of nine people already live in countries in which the fertility rate has dipped below the replacement rate. Last year the United Nations said it thought the world's average fertility would fall below replacement by 2025. Demographers expect the global population to peak at around 10 billion (it is now 6.5 billion) by mid-century.
As population predictions have changed in the past few years, so have attitudes. The panic about resource constraints that prevailed during the 1970s and 1980s, when the population was rising through the steep part of the S-curve, has given way to a new concern: that the number of people in the world is likely to start falling."
