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Thursday, September 30, 2004

Real News From Iraq
This is an eye-opener. We all know that the media is (I know it should be 'are' but I just can't make myself do it) underreporting the good news from Iraq, but here are some details that surprised me.
"Samarra is a beaming success story over here," writes Lt. Col Jim Rose, a Tennessee Marine whose parents live in Old Hickory. "We were getting ready for a take-down there right after Najaf. We told the locals, 'Hey, see what happened in Najaf? Is that what you want? Cause we're coming.' It took the locals about two days to get the bad guys out."
Cool. That's the way it should work - and it is! Here's another:
Rose verified a message I received from another Marine officer in Iraq. He provided perspective missing in the media: "Those achievements, more than anything else - account for the surge in violence in recent days - especially the violence directed at Iraqis by the insurgents. Both in Najaf and Samarra, ordinary people stepped out and took sides with the Iraqi government against the insurgents, and the bad guys are hopping mad. They are trying to instill fear once again."
Who says the Iraqis hate us? Want more proof?
"The Najaf shrine - HUNDREDS of dead women and children were brought out after Sadr left," Rose wrote. "They (Sadr's supporters) rounded them up during the battle and brought them in to be executed. Why? Because they anticipated the Americans would eventually enter the shrine and walk into a media ambush. We never went in. The people of Najaf love us right now because of that. They hate Sadr and want him dead."
That is a story that needs to be reported. For anyone who's been following the war closely it may not be a surprise to learn that Iraqi militia executed hundreds of their own people to score PR points, but if the general public heard it, if it were widely reported, there would be a sharp increase in support for the war. Do you suppose that's why it's not being reported?


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Thursday, September 23, 2004

Ralph Peters
writes a scathing opinion piece in the New York Post today. He makes the points that should be made every day concerning the Kerry campaign.
Is there nothing Kerry won't say to win the election? Is there no position he won't change? Doesn't he care anything for the sacrifices of our troops in Iraq?

And if he does care about our soldiers and Marines, why is he broadcasting remarks that insist - against all hard evidence - that the terrorists are winning?

... He's reverting to form. Just as he lied about our troops three decades ago, encouraging our enemies of the day and worsening the suffering of our POWs in North Vietnam, today he's pandering to a new enemy.
This is the point I was making yesterday. The true Kerry is coming out - the multilateral, relativist, we're-no-better-than-anyone-else lefty - and I'm praying it will bring about his defeat.
In an election year, our engagement in Iraq is a legitimate topic for sober debate. But Kerry isn't serious. All he does is to declare defeat. He certainly doesn't want to be al Qaeda's candidate, but he's made himself into their man through his irresponsibility.

... The terrorists and their allies already intended to increase the level of violence in Iraq before November. But Kerry's pandering has encouraged them to pull out all the stops. I wish it were otherwise, that our election process had more integrity, but the truth is that every roadside blast and car bomb in Iraq is meant to support John Kerry.
Read the whole thing, it's a good one.


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Good News From Iraq
This post from Hugh Hewitt has 3 parts. First, the text of the latest Swift Boat ad - I won't include it here, but it deserves attention. What he did was not just "speaking truth to power," it was traitorous. Second, Hugh shares a wonderful email from an Army captain in Iraq. Here are some snippets:
Or ask my friend Jake who is stationed near An Nasiriyah. In one of his emails to me, he sent me a picture of him riding on a camel and this statement, "Here's me doing some crazy stuff with some of the locals. They are great people and so friendly. 90% of this country are people like these who simply want a safe country to live in." ...

But my favorite story to tell you is the one that Natalie shared. She told us about a convoy that was traveling in Baghdad yesterday and it was hit by an IED. Unfortunately, one of the vehicles was so close to the seat of the explosion that it injured two of the soldiers in the vehicle. A Mercedes who had passed the convoy, saw the explosion in his rear view mirror and turned around to double back. When he got there, he got out of his car to help. The soldiers, all pulling security now as the medic tried to tend to the wounded, pointed their weapons at him, unsure of his intentions. The Iraqi man put up his hands and said in broken English, "I'm here to help!" He pointed to his cell phone in his hand. "Please tell me who I should call for help." The soldiers lowered their weapons and gave him the number to call. In the meantime, another vehicle came up behind the convoy. An Iraqi man ran over to the exploded vehicle where the soldier lay on the ground. With his hands raised as well, he told them, "I am a doctor, please let me help." With tears in her eyes, Natalie told us that he probably saved that soldier's life.
By the way, that second story was shared in a Bible study of which the Army captain is a part. Finally, Hugh includes a story from an Iraqi blog. The blogger tells of his conversation with a member of the Iraqi Olympic soccer team. I'm sure you recall the press reports during the Olympics of Iraqi players' negative comments on the war and America. Well, as always, there's another side of the story.


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Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Deterrence
Mark Goldblatt, in NRO today, lays out an excellent defense for the Iraq war. He concludes:
In the final analysis, the invasion of Iraq did more than enforce the conditions of Resolution 687. It did more than rid that country and that region of a sadistic dictator and his brood. These were worthwhile things to do in themselves. But, more importantly, the invasion served notice to our enemies worldwide: If you give us sufficient cause to doubt your intentions, we won't necessarily wait for the threat to materialize.

So far, that message has served us well.
And if John Kerry is elected, the impact of that message will be gone. Regardless of how tough Kerry tries to sound, his underlying worldview doesn't mesh with Bush's big stick. Once in office, Kerry will revert to "diplomatic solutions" and a "law-enforcement" strategy to "protect" America. It didn't work before, it won't work again. That's why Bush needs to be reelected.


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Monday, September 20, 2004

Cry Me a River
Saddam's begging for 'mercy'.

Pfft. Yeah, right. I'm getting all choked up here thinking about poor Saddam sitting in his cell. Breaks my heart.

Not.


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More Kerry Sports
I had no idea Kerry was so well endowed in the teeth department.


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Friday, September 17, 2004

Tiger Woods Stinks!
So do Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III. Tiger and Phil lost both their Ryder Cup matches today, 2&1 and 1-up. How does that happen?

Woods commented on his morning loss -
"We just didn't make enough birdies," Woods said. "I mean, geez, they made eight birdies in 14 holes and birdied six of the first eight holes. That is awfully impressive.

"But we were right there. We were only one down. I thought we could, if we could get it to even somehow, that might turn the momentum. We never got it to even."
Come on, Tiger, there's two of you. Shouldn't you be able to make birdies as well as you make excuses? By the way, you were one down after 11. Then you were 2 down, and then 3 down after 14. So you weren't really that close.

In the afternoon, Tiger and Phil did have a lead - 3 up through 5 - and choked it away. Bogeying the final hole to lose the match, 1-up. They had one birdie and 4 bogies for the round.

Davis Love III heaved all over his shoes on the way to a 5&4 loss (with Chad Campbell) in the morning. And then "recovered" to lose (with Fred Funk) 4&2 this afternoon. Sit him down, Hal!

Thankfully, we have Chris Riley and Chris Demarco playing. Riley and Stewart Cink got the only half-point from the morning matches. And DiMarco and Jay Haas were the lone American winners all day (3&2). Play those guys, please.


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"Like taking a political sign from a baby...."
How pathetic do you have to be to take a political sign from a little girl, tear it up, and reduce her to tears?

Very, very, very pathetic, that's how pathetic you have to be.


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Thursday, September 16, 2004

Big Meanies!
Democrat thugs ripped up the Bush/Cheney sign held by a 3-year old girl, leaving her in tears. Do you need any more reason to vote Republican?

(Hat tip: Drudge)


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Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Shop Somewhere Else
I like Target stores. Our family shops there often. Not any more.

Target will no longer allow Salvation Army bell ringers to stand outside their stores. Apparently, the Salvation Army has been an exception to Target's policy against solicitation. They are now too weary to continue beating back other requests from crazies like churches and Scout groups, so they're just saying no to everyone. I know Target thinks a lot of their charitable giving habits (see the Tiger Woods commercials), but apparently the SA doesn't fit into their plans. So, unless Target issues a press release saying they're giving a sizable check to the SA to make up for the lost revenue, I'm shopping elsewhere. Here are some options from Annette Bauer, a Salvation Army spokeswoman in the Twin Cities.:
Bauer said bell ringing will continue at Marshall Field's stores, which Target Corp. sold this year to May Department Stores Co. She said it also will continue at such retailers as Sears, J.C. Penney, Kmart, large grocery stores and Wal-Mart, among other stores.


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Kerry Press Conference?
It's been 46 days since John Kerry answered questions "on camera from a major journalist" (Hugh Hewitt keeps track for me). If and when he does, I would love to hear John Kerry respond to these questions:
6. You opposed the 1991 Gulf War even though Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, had invaded another country, and France and Germany had supported the war. In the current conflict no WMDs have been found, France and Germany oppose the action, and Saddam hadn't invaded another country. Yet you recently stated that knowing what you know now, you'd nonetheless authorize the use of force — even though you voted against funding it. Could you please reconcile these positions?

7. You acknowledge meeting with representatives of North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in Paris in 1970. Afterward you urged Congress to accept the North Vietnamese proposals. Please explain how this wasn't a violation of the Logan Act and, if you were still in the Naval Reserves at that time, how it wasn't a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibiting unauthorized communications with the enemy.

8. In several speeches before black audiences you've stated that a million African Americans were disenfranchised and had their votes stolen in the 2000 presidential election. There are no official or media investigations that support that statement. What evidence do you have to support the statement and if you believe a million blacks had their votes stolen, why haven't you called for criminal prosecutions and congressional investigations?
And these:
11. You once entertained supporting charter schools but backed off after teachers' unions objected. You were once critical of affirmative action but backed off after some civil-rights organizations protested. In June you stated you might appoint some pro-life judges but backed off the next day after abortion-rights groups expressed alarm. Could you please take this opportunity to assure voters that you'll be able to handle North Korea, al Qaeda, and Iran more successfully than you're able to handle the NEA, NARAL, and other interest groups?

14. You maintain that public schools aren't adequately funded. The D.C. public schools spend approximately $13,000 per pupil — one of the highest levels in the nation — yet its students' academic performance is among the worst in the nation. Could you please explain why you oppose parental choice in education?

a. Given that pursuant to court order the Kansas City public schools spent one billion dollars with no discernable improvement in academic performance, what is your definition of "adequately funded"?

15. In your convention speech, you stated that every terrorist attack would be met with an immediate response and you've also stated that you would emphasize a law-enforcement approach to the fight against terrorism. This is identical to the pre-9/11 U.S. approach to terrorism. Could you please explain how a pre-9/11 approach to terrorism will prevent another 9/11?

a. Please describe the lessons you've learned from 9/11.
Credit: Peter Kirsanow at NRO.


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Twins Win
Extending their division lead to 11.5 games over the under-achieving White Sox, the Twins pummeled the hapless Sox last night, 10-2. Johann Santana, the leading candidate for the AL Cy Young, pitched 7 shutout innings, giving up just 2 hits, to win his 11th straight decision and 10th straight start.

Only Curt Schilling (19-6) has a better record than Santana's 18-6, but Santana's ERA is much better (2.76 v. 3.35) and his strikeout total dwarfs Schilling's (240 v. 177). No contest.

And here's my quote of the day from Chicago center fielder Aaron Rowand after his team lost 10-2: "We didn't get the breaks."


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Not The First Time
Dan Rather's shoddy journalism is, it turns out, well practiced. In NRO today, Ann Morse recounts the story of a CBS documentary, "The Wall Within," which aired on June 2, 1988. It featured the gut-wrenching stories of 4 Vietnam vets. They described the horrible things that happened to them, or they were required to do. The stories related by these men have since been proven false. Only one of the four saw any combat, two of the four spent time behind bars for going AWOL.
The truth was uncovered by B.G. Burkett, a Vietnam veteran and author of Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of its Heroes and its History (with Glenna Whitley). ...
As Burkett notes, the records of all of these vets were easily checkable through Freedom of Information Act requests of their military records - something Rather and his producers simply didn't bother to do. They accepted at face value the lurid tales of atrocities committed in Vietnam and the stories of criminal behavior, drug addiction, and despair at home.
Later in the article, Ms. Morse adds, "Despite the growing evidence that he'd been had, Rather also continued to defend the documentary - which is now part of CBS's video history series on the Vietnam War." How many times should a "journalist" be allowed to produce this kind of crap and still be hailed as one of the best? Why hasn't Dan Rather long since been relegated to the ash heap of history? And CBS continues to represent this documentary as factual despite proof of the ooposite. It boggles the mind.


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Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Dating In DC
I found Mary Katherine Ham's dating account entertaining. A friend set up a meeting with another friend. But the friend didn't think about politics when planning the meet. (In our nation's capitol? How could he not?) Anyway, she's more than able to handle the situation and the lefty, sensitive male scurries away beaten.

Here's a line you should keep in your arsenal when discussing "equal pay" for women:
If women really do offer equal work for 23 cents less on the dollar, why does anyone bother hiring men?
I love it. Thomas Sowell would be proud.


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Washington Post finally gets the story
The Washington Post appears to be the first to actually list out the discrepancies with the obviously forged CBS "documents". Seems, too, that one of the experts that CBS touted as authenticating the documents has recanted at least part of the story, saying he only authenticated the signatures.

CBS is sticking to their story that these bogus "documents" are actually real. What morons.


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Sunday, September 12, 2004

Case Pretty Much Closed
This page by Joseph M. Newcomer pretty much puts any doubts to rest, I think: CBS continues to cling to a blatant forgery.

Or, let me put it another way: These documents are forgeries, and no reasonable person would assert otherwise. If you assert these documents to be authentic, you are either a blatant liar, utterly unreasonable, or willfully ignorant.

Nod goes to Little Green Footballs.


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Saturday, September 11, 2004

More on RatherGate
More Stuff: The PowerLine boys are keeping after this as only they can. They've posted a good point, that the whole CBS reaction is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. They point out that now CBS is defending themselves by quoting the badly misquoted Dr. Philip Bouffard. Dr. Bouffard has already gone on record as saying he has been grossly misquoted by the Boston Globe. I think that CBS is doing this because they don't know that the blogsphere has already completely debunked the Globe's article. Gets to my point below -- they are so "old media" that they don't realize that a Globe article that is less than 24 hours old has been debunked. CBS probably wrote their defense right as the article came out, and by the time their tired, old media bureaucracy approved the "defense", they were already scooped by the blogsphere.

I think at this point it is clear that CBS is simply so slow and utterly clueless about how this is playing out that they have no idea how foolish they look.


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I'm Having a Gas
I gotta say, I am having an absolute gas watching Dan Blather, er, Rather squirm like a frog in a hot frying pan. I mean, after looking at this animated gif file, how could any reasonable observer actually believe that these "documents" aren't utter forgeries? CBS and Blather are just ruining their credibility by "stickin' to their story". Someone at CBS will eventually stand up and say enough. It's just an egregious, very, very serious example of gross bias. These "documents" got lead story billing on 60 Minutes within a few days after a cursory glance as some pathetic forgeries. The Swift Boat vets have sworn affidavits and personal testimony and they were literally ignored by CBS for a month. And this isn't just trying to take down a corporate executive or something -- this is a naked attempt to influence a presidential election!

Rather is, I think, caught in a time warp. He doesn't have a clue about the power of the Blogsphere. He probably figured he could put these documents out there and that it would take months -- (read "until after the election") -- for anyone to even begin to question these documents. He thinks to himself "It would take me weeks or months to verify these." He probably figured they'd be shown on TV for a few seconds, and since the "documents" got locked in his desk, then all would be well. No one would see them, so no one could fact-check them.

Sorry, Dan, it doesn't work that way anymore. The pictures end up on the web, and inside of 24 hours, the thousands of people in the blogsphere see them, and it only takes one or two people to say "Uh, that doesn't look right", and then next thing you know, bloggers are getting emails from former Air Force Admin folks, typography experts, handwriting experts, and heaven knows who else, and the whole package is vetted and fact checked in about a day and a half. In that time, it becomes utterly, completely, painfully obvious that these "documents" are forgeries. But Rather, who can't conceive of such a thing happening so fast, can't understand or comprehend the power of the Internet.

Some lefties are arguing the conspiracy theory that Karl Rove "planted" these documents. Well, lets even assume that's true. That doesn't change the fact that Rather bought this clear fraud hook line and sinker. Even if Rove blatantly planted these amateurish forgeries, (a completely ridiculous notion on the face of it) Rather is still a complete buffoon.

Man, this is about as good as it gets.


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Friday, September 10, 2004

The Hoax
John Podhoretz provides a great summary of the CBS memos blunder, giving specific credit to the Power Line boys. (Way to go, guys!) He adds some info about Ben Barnes that I didn't know:
I thought on Wednesday that it was scandalous for "60 Minutes" to turn over a good deal of its time on Wednesday night to one Ben Barnes, a one-time Texas political powerhouse who now claims he got George W. Bush into the National Guard.

The problem is not, as some would have it, that Barnes has raised half a million dollars for Kerry. The problem is that Barnes has already lied about this on videotape, and I use the word "lied" without difficulty, where he says he pulled strings for Bush when "I was lieutenant governor of Texas."

The thing is that George W. Bush was sworn into the National Guard in May 1968. Ben Barnes didn't become lieutenant governor until 1969.
Ha! Ben must've taken lessons from John Kerry. "That's how you do it, Ben. And be sure to mention Jenjis Khan, that always gets 'em."


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Thursday, September 09, 2004

Malone a Wolf?
I must confess, I wouldn't mind seeing Karl Malone in a Timberwolves uniform. Malone is one of those guys you hate if he's on the other team, but love if he's on your team.


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Rather Blather and Bogus Documents
Looks like Dan Rather's big scoop on Bush's alleged "desertion" from Air National Guard duty is totally based on fake documents. Naturally, the PowerLine Boys are all over it.

This is really great stuff. The blogsphere rocks, doesn't it? In less than twenty four hours after the publishing of these "documents", bloggers and their readers have completely blown a hole in the authenticity of these documents and exposed them as the forgeries that they clearly appear to be. And bad forgeries at that. CBS is standing behind their story, claiming that the documents were authenticated by a mysterious, unnamed expert. I wonder how long that BS story will hold up.

I had a good laugh over this one. Somebody is making a fool out of Dan Rather, and that makes me a very happy man.

Update: Little Green Footballs takes his good old MS Word and types out the memos. Guess what. They are exactly the same as the CBS documents. LGF actually superimposes them on top of each other. They are basically identical save for the "aging" of the "original". More of the same here. Yet more here.

Can there be any doubt here? This is delicious. Now we get to watch Rather and CBS squirm.

More Updates: As Powerline points out, even the AP isn't buying this pile of baloney, and if the AP ain't buying it, ain't nobody gonna buy it.

Hugh Hewitt is on the case as well.

Is it just me, or are we Minnesotans just kicking butt in the blogsphere or what?

And of course Scrappleface, in his inimitable way, captures the essence of the whole thing. Now that's funny.

The Hits Just Keep on Rollin': Now, looks like CBS is feeling the heat. Clearly these jokers were so eager to get dirt on Bush that they jumped at these "memos" without questioning them at all. They claim the "documents" were validated by "experts". Pttt. Yeah, right. CBS was schnookered in their zeal to nail Bush. Heck I wouldn't be surprised if this were conservatives that dumped this bucket of turds on Dan Rather's desk. This is just delightful. I am loving every minute of Rather looking like a clown. And you have to know that ABC News loved publishing this story. If I were the other networks, I'd be eating Rather and CBS alive over this. In the end, I think this will be a net good for the President.


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Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Stolen Honor
Stolen Honor: A documentary exposing John Kerry's record of betrayal

One of those websites that you want distributed far and wide.

"Jenjis Khan". Sheesh.


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Leave Me Alone
Very well put, Gary. I couldn't agree more. The very, very last thing I want is a politician "fighting" for me. What I want is for them to leave me alone.

The only people I want "fighting" for me are the US Marines, the US Army, the US Navy, and The US Air Force. Them I want fighting the terrorist, yes, for me.


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War on Terror not a Racket
From the Steyn article that you finally linked to:

"...the war on terror isn't some racket cooked up to boost Halliburton profits but a profound challenge to America and the world."


That's really it in a nutshell, yet again. The War on Terror is a real thing, and the left thinks its just a bid racket to beef up Dick Cheney's portfolio.



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"We Will Fight"
Look at this exchange between a Democrat voter and John Edwards (hat tip: Kathryn in the Corner) -
But at that gathering he was also confronted by a supporter who feared that he and Mr. Kerry had not batted away Republican claims about their records.

Katie Simenson, 41, a massage therapist, accused the Democratic ticket of letting Republicans suggest that Mr. Edwards had taken frivolous cases as a lawyer and that Mr. Kerry was a waffler and soft on defense.

"They're going to run you right over and make you look like idiots," Ms. Simenson said.

Mr. Edwards sought to answer, promising " to fight every day between now and Election Day" and assuring her that Mr. Kerry "is strong, courageous and he is a fighter."

"And I like to believe I am the same thing," he said. But Ms. Simenson shook her head.

"We will - don't shake your head! - we will fight,'' Mr. Edwards continued. "No, we will fight every way we know how. But we are fighting for you, we are not fighting with these politicians. George Bush wants to fight with politicians. We are fighting for you. We want to make your life better - don't argue with me, let me finish. We're going to stand up - I let you talk, let me finish - we're going to stand up for the things that we believe in."

Afterward, Ms. Simenson pronounced his answer a "typical politician response," but said she would grudgingly vote for Mr. Kerry.
Man, who chose this guy for the Dem ticket? That response couldn't be more lame! "Fight"? They're always fighting. Against whom or what? And, "We want to make your life better." Could there be any more clear statement defending the nanny state? Leave me alone, Johnny, I'll take care of my own life.


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More on Gungate
The Kerry Campaign has this to say about Kerry's illegally received gun. Suddenly Kerry's a gun lover, after years of trying to pass gun control legislation? Flip-flop, flip-flop!

Kerry cosponsored S1431 that would ban any gun that has "a grip, a thumbhole stock, or any other characteristic that can function as a grip." (See Section SEC. 2; (H) (ii) and (b)(42))

See that thing Kerry is "gripping" with his right hand in the picture? That's what the above describes. Either he wants to ban that gun, or he co-sponsors really badly and imprecisely written legislation.

Either way, he's no supporter of Second Amendment rights. And as to being an "avid hunter", well, yeah, right. We believe that. Right. Sure.



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A Brief but Storied Career
The Boston Pilgrims let me go because I was All Glove, No Bat.


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Tuesday, September 07, 2004

Delta Boots Marine
This will get your dander up and make you never want to fly Delta again.


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AP Rags on Bush. Do they rag on Kerry?
I wonder if the AP is looking as hard into Kerry's records as they are into Bush's.

Probably not.


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Kerry wanted to ban the illegal gift he got yesterday.
Kerry, wielding a gift he illegally received yesterday, sponsored a bill to make said gift illegal. I got a big laugh out of this one. Sometimes Drudge just cracks me up.


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Telegraph | News | 'Innocent religion is now a message of hate'
Wow. Don't often here one Muslim calling out the murderers in their midst like this too often. Good to see after the utter repulsiveness of Beslan.


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How to Win Allies and Influence Countries
Captain's Quarters (another fantastic Minnesota Blogger) has a great summary of Kerry's traveling comedy tour from the weekend.

One of Kerry's big deals is that he says he's the guy to get all the other countries in the world to like us again. Apparently his method of doing this is to insult all of our existing allies. The Captain notes:

"[Kerry] called the contributions of allies such as Britain, Italy, Poland, and South Korea "the phoniest thing I've ever heard," saying that they had "500 troops here and 500 troops there," despite these countries having thousands of troops -- especially Britain, which stations tens of thousands in Iraq and had 40,000 at the beginning of the war fighting alongside America. "


I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.


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Saturday, September 04, 2004

The Russian School
This may be a bit controversial, but I find what those scumbag terrorists did in that Russian school to be worse than what they did on 9/11.

Ralph Peters has an interesting quote about it, that I got via The Corner:


"If Muslim religious leaders around the world will not publicly condemn the taking of children as hostages and their subsequent slaughter -- if those "men of faith" will not issue a condemnation without reservations or caveats -- then no one need pretend any longer that all religions are equally sound and moral."


Guess we'll find out right now if Islam truly is a "religion of peace".


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The Chap
Gary, if there ever was a web site made just for you and me, The Chap is clearly it. I am, indeed, "alarmed at the sartorial standards exhibited by today's youth".


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Glenn Reynolds is the King
Glenn Reynolds is easily the King of the Blogsphere. His Instapundit blog is probably the most widely read, quoted, and linked to blog there is.

And there's a reason for the -- mainly because he writes terrific stuff like this about how poor little John Kerry won't broach any criticism. Great stuff.

Earlier in the year, I was worried that President Bush wasn't going to win. Now, I am growing quite confident that he'll win, and maybe even win big. I watched his speech Thursday night, and while it wasn't rousing or firey, it was just plain competent. Both Bush and Cheney just exude competence, sound judgement, and level headedness. Kerry exudes muddleheadedness, narcissism, and elitism. Edwards just exudes whatever it is that makes girls swoon over football players and not a whole lot more. (Edwards whole persona just screams out "empty, silly, vacuous lightweight wuss" to me, but what the heck do I know.) Together, they make up a pair that inspires little confidence. (I see as many "Say No to Bush" bumper stickers as I do "John Kerry for President" ones. That tells me something).

Reynold's piece highlights this obsession with biography. "I went to Vietnam, therefore I'll be a great Commander-in-Chief". And my personal favorite is the "I went to Vietnam, and the rest of you who didn't didn't actually serve, and may very well be traiterous" riff. Reynolds rightly points out that this latter argument insults all the Baby Boomers who didn't serve at all, all the Baby Boomers who did serve, but didn't go to Vietnam, and all National Guard member who ever served anywhere or who are serving now. Not really a winning argument.

Here's my view: I don't, at this point, much care if you went to Vietnam or not. If you did serve in some capacity, I'm glad and appreciative. If you didn't, well, okay. But if you actively avoided service or truly dodged the draft, then we have a problem. If you went to Vietnam, put yourself in for medals you didn't really deserve, especially Purple Hearts for "band-aid wounds" and then used those Purple Hearts to weasle out of your year tour there, then we have a problem. If you came back from Vietnam and perjured yourself in front of the Senate, saying that the entire US Military was committing war crimes and atrocities in the manner of "Jenjis Khan" then we have a problem. If you take your medals and through them back in the face of the government that gave them to you, then later claim they weren't really your medals, and then go around bragging about winning the medals, and then it turns out that you got all your medals for valor under, well, really dubious circumstances, then we have a problem.

Reynolds points out that Kerry wants to "take one" the Swift Boat vets and answer their charges. And this is why Kerry is just so bad as a candidate. Can he possibly actually believe he can benefit from that? The Swift Vets are on target and totally right: Kerry's service is weasely, and doesn't sound good when the truth is revealed. He's clearly hiding his medical records which -- I am quite sure -- will show that his "Purple Hearts" weren't really wounds in the traditional sense. "Taking on" the Swiftboat vets would be suicide -- give his staff credit for realizing this. And of course, Kerry is blaming his staff for any troubles. It can't be that he wants to brag about serving in Vietnam, but that his service there is less than honorable. It can't be that he's the kind of guy that brings a movie camera to Vietnam to re-enact his "exploits" so he can show them to potential girl-friends and potential voters. It can't be that he's the kind of guy that seeks out miniscule Purple Hearts so he can beat feet out of Vietnam and abandon his "Band of Brothers".

So let's summarize. Kerry is a war hero, but he committed atrocities, and all his "Band of Brothers" did too, until he wants to run for President, and then all the troops in Vietnam are heroes, and so is he.

That's great stuff. The Kerry Campaign is approaching comical levels. When will the Lefties get it and finally realize that a Massachusettes liberal isn't really the best choice to put forth as a Presidential candidate?


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Thursday, September 02, 2004

Twins Magic Number is
The Twins' Magic Number is, if I have the right standing here in front of me, 20.


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Steyn! (linked)
Just wondering if you knew how to use Google. Guess not.

Here's the link to the Steyn article.


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I'd Love to Read Steyn...
...if you had provided the link, Gary. ;-)


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More "Can't Imagine Kerry...."
President Bush visits the NY City Fire Department.

Just like the picture of Bush with the baby, chalk this up to another story you can't imagine being written about Kerry.


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Hanoi John
Is this the topic of the next Swift Boat Vets ad?


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The Left
This is disgusting.


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Playing Poker
Mark Steyn has an excellent analysis of George Bush's skills as a poker player and a politician.
young George "was a very avid and skillful poker player" when he was a business administration student and that "one of the secrets of a successful poker player is to encourage your opponent to bet a lot of chips on a losing hand. This is a pattern of behavior one sees repeatedly in George W. Bush's political career."

Indeed one does. In the months following Lifson's observation, the president sat back as John Kerry's consultants, the Iowa caucus voters, the Democratic Party at large, and the media convinced themselves that the one card that trumps Bush's leadership in the war on terror was Kerry's four months in Vietnam, and then bet everything on it.
They just lost that hand.
As you well know, Mark Steyn is also a must-read. Don't miss this. He finishes with,
So after six rough months, Cool Hand Bush still has most of his chips, and John Kerry is riffling through empty pockets. The likely outcome this November is an increased Republican majority in the House, a couple of extra Senate seats, and a second term for Bush. I might be wrong. Anything is possible. But the reluctance of all the European and most of the American press to admit the possibility that Bush isn't a loser suggests that they too got way overinvested in John Kerry's very weak hand.
From Mark's mouth to God's ears.


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Zell!
You're right, Zell does rock! He was fantastic! I didn't see his speech live last night, but I think I've seen and heard so many highlights that I haven't missed much. But I did see him lay into Chris Matthews on "WhiffleBall" (Laura Ingraham's term). It was hilarious! Matthews was actually cowed into shutting up. "Get outta my face!" Zell Miller is a man.

I listened to Laura's show on the radio this morning - something I look forward to more and more - and she was coming to the realization that Zell Miller was a big hit with women. They loved him because they're hungry for a man who is a man.

Also, Rod Dreher has a great Corner post today. Here's the killer part:
If you ask me, I think Zell just dug up the stinking corpse of the effete Carter presidency, and rubbed it all over John Kerry. On the national security issue, and to a lesser extent the God thing, Zell reminded Reagan Democrats why they became GOP voters in the first place.
Rod Dreher has been added to my list of read-everything-he-writes authors.


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Zell Rocks!
Last night was the first night I watched the Republican National Convention. I watched the Miller and Cheney speeches.

Let me tell you, that Zell Miller just rocks! Why the heck isn't he a Republican? I guess he pretty much is, as he's not running for re-election. That speech was awesome! He was on fire! I loved the part when he just ripped the Democrats a new one for thinking ours is an Army of Occupation, not an Army of Liberation. Cuts right to the heart of the matter. It was truly fun to watch, and I loved it. There are rumblings that it was too over the top, etc., and of course the lefties are going to brand it as crazed and hateful. Screw 'em. If a speech that stands up and argues that America fights -- and should fight -- for freedom and justice in the world doesn't play in Peoria, then we are all in big trouble. Miller was terrific, and I agreed with every word he said. I loved, too, his tribute to the solder, saying how it is the solder that guarantees our freedom to protest, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. The left never, ever, ever, realizes or acknowledges this.

And I gather that afterwards, Miller was on Hardball, hosted by the awful, obnoxious Chris Matthews. Matthews was the one that beat up on Michelle Malkin a week or two ago, despite not having even read her book. Mrs. Malkin has a great post about it, including some great zingers by Miller, most along the lines of "Shut up and let me answer the question". (Mrs. Malkin also posts links to the speech and to the video of the interview afterwards. Miller just rocks. I love a man that doesn't take crap from the likes of bullies like Matthews).

Cheney wasn't as firey as Miller, but I sure like the guy. He just oozes gravitas, confidence, and competence. He's not slick and pretty like the inexperienced John Edwards. He's just capable, strong, steady, and marvelously avuncular. His best line was "Senator Kerry says he sees two Americas. He makes the whole thing mutual --America sees two John Kerrys." The guy is clearly comfortable in his skin, and just a strong man of character. And he does get this marvelous, impish grin when he's needling the Lefties. Gotta love that.

Personally, I am starting to think that Bush will win this thing. Hugh Hewitt has an interesting post about the signs of a desparate candidate, with Kerry already ringing the bell on two of the three. Hewitt also points out that Kerry hasn't done an on camera interview in over a month. At this point, Kerry just looks like a buffoon. (The whole convention waving their arms going "flip-flop, flip-flop!!" simply can't be helping matters). The lefty press will do everything they can to prop the guy up, but the foundation of sand for this Massachusettes Liberal is melting away. As John Edwards asked me to, I've "spent three minutes with the men that [Kerry] served with in Vietnam," and they think he's a lying, traiterous weasel. What am I to make of that?

Anyway, I thought it was a great night, and I look forward to hearing the President tonight.


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Bush is a Real Man
This is the kind of stuff that just endears me to President Bush. Can you imagine how utterly awkward and out of place Kerry would look holding that baby? W looks exactly like a man should when holding a precious little baby.


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Wednesday, September 01, 2004

Zell Miller
John J. Miller of NRO interviews Sen. Zell Miller prior to tonight's speech. Here's my favorite part.
NRO: Cynthia McKinney, the former congresswoman, has reemerged in Georgia as the Democratic nominee in Georgia' 4th congressional district.

MILLER: Yes, she has.

NRO: Any thoughts on that?

MILLER: They're not printable.



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The Bush Twins
Watching the Bush girls on TV last night put me in mind of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
After listening one morning to their effusions on this subject, Mr. Bennet coolly observed,

"From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I have suspected it some time, but I am now convinced."
Actually, I don't want to be too hard on them but you've got to admit, that was pretty silly.


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The Corner
Why do we read the Corner? It's the letters.


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