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January 31, 2005
Democrats: Success is Bad
Senate minority leader Harry Reid had something interesting to say about the Iraqi elections:
Reid welcomed Sunday's elections in Iraq, but said Bush should use the event as a "golden opportunity to change course." "President Bush needs to do much more to live up to his obligations as commander-n-chief in this new term," Reid saidLet's see, in the last three years we have seen two tyrannical countries turned into democracies, Lybia renounce its WMDs and the rest of the Middle East tyrants as nervous long tail cats in a rocking chair store.
...and Reid wants to change course?
Posted by bubba138 at 08:45 PM | Comments (0) |
Tennesee Politicians
What is it with Tenesee politicians? Last week it was state Senator John Ford, this week it is Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton:
Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton announced yesterday that he is the father of a 4-month-old son from a past relationship.Put aside the "out of wedlock" issue. What does this say to our high-schooler in whom we are desparately trying to encorourage condom use? Do you think students do not care about what the Mayor does? Think again:Herenton, 64, who is not married, said at a news conference that he had recently learned he is the child's father.
Student Felicia Rhodes says the mayor's public announcement about his private life sends the wrong message to her and her classmates. "This is someone we're supposed to be looking up to and he's made the mistake that many of our guys are making," Rhodes said.It is simple, boys. If you want to succeed in politics you are much safer keeping the rocket in the pocket.And while Herenton's unplanned parenthood is personal, Rhodes is worried about the negative effect it will have on the public. "What Mayor Herenton did might make a few younger guys be like 'If he can do it, I can do it. No problem. Get a girl pregnant and you get to run off.' That's probably what they're thinking," Rhodes said.
Posted by bubba138 at 12:06 PM | Comments (0) |
Who Said That?
Democrats must cross the values threshold. Democrats love issues, but we must remind voters we have a soul before we convince them that our policies make sense.Donnie Fowler did. It is making an impact, too:Democrats must find new voters. To return to power, Democrats must maintain the loyalty of traditional Democrats and recognize that huge parts of the electorate have arrived, changed, or shifted in our country over the last forty years.
Democrats must remember that voters don't live in Washington. Conventional wisdom and an aristocracy of consultants have created a national party that has lost the handle on what is truly important to voters and what is really happening in their lives. Local people know better. Let them lead.
On Monday, the 17-member Executive Board of State Democratic Party Chairmen will formally recommend to the 50 state chairmen on the DNC that Donnie Fowler become the next DNC chairman.Donnie has been around Demcrat politics for quite some time, so he nows how the machine works:
A white man with a charming southern accent, Fowler is less divisive than Dean, I'll give him that. More realistic, too. And well connected: His dad, Don, ran the DNC while Bill Clinton was president. Donnie Fowler also spent a little time in Silicon Valley representing the quasi-Democrats that make up tech's political leadership. That means he's well-versed in Progressive libertarian thinking and, just as importantly, he can raise money from folks who aren't New York investment bankers (Ickes' backers) or card-carrying members of the Progressive Nostalgia movement (Deaniacs).Who knows, Fowler might just be what the Democratic Party -- and this country -- really needs.
Update: More (alot more) here.
Update: Well shut my mouth! The executive committee may have recommended Fowler, but the full body of the Association of State Democratic Chairs gave them the Dean finger:
The party's presidential front-runner in 2003 won 56 votes from the state chairs and Democratic activist Donnie Fowler won 21 during a national conference call. The state chairs ignored a recommendation made Sunday by the executive committee to back Fowler. Other candidates' support Monday was in single digits...This does not bode well for the Democrat party. Anger and energy will not get them where they need to be in order to become attractive to voters once again. The Democrats problems are not a function of "the Internet, organizing strategy and his ability to energize new voters."The former Vermont governor will bring changes the state parties have asked for, said Brewer. Dean revolutionized Democratic politics in the 2004 presidential campaign with his use of the Internet, organizing strategy and his ability to energize new voters.
Sad. They still don't get it.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:37 AM | Comments (0) |
Repeal the First Amendment?
This should cause some concern:
Yet, when told of the exact text of the First Amendment, more than one in three high school students said it goes “too far” in the rights it guarantees. Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories.Somehow, somewhere, someone is going to blame this on Bush.The students are even more restrictive in their views than their elders, the study says.
When asked whether people should be allowed to express unpopular views, 97 percent of teachers and 99 percent of school principals said yes. Only 83 percent of students did.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:20 AM | Comments (0) |
Kerry, Go Home
Kerry was burning up the weekend shows illustrating exactly why I'm elated he is not president. Here is a telling excerpt:
MR. RUSSERT: Do you believe that Iraq is less a terrorist threat to the United States now than it was two years ago?So in a matter of thirty or so seconds the erstwhile presidential candidate told us the U.S. is simultaneously at higher risk and safer. I am not sure but that's nuance, right?SEN. KERRY: No, it's more. And, in fact, I believe the world is less safe today than it was two and a half years ago. And, you know, I think this is one of the difficulties of what I tried to carry in the course of the campaign. It is a difficult argument to carry in the middle of a war. After 9/11, in a war on terror, it is exceedingly hard as a challenger to carry the argument that the incumbent president and your country are not doing what's necessary to protect itself. But we are not...
MR. RUSSERT: Is the United States safer with the newly elected Iraqi government than we would have been with Saddam Hussein?
SEN. KERRY: Sure. And I'm glad Saddam Hussein is gone, and I've said that a hundred times.
Perhaps he discovered this wisdom while floating down the Euphrates.
Posted by bubba138 at 08:40 AM | Comments (0) |
January 30, 2005
Where Were You?
There are dates that stand out so well in history everyone remembers where they were. Such days happen for each generation. If you are in your fifties, you remember exactly where you were when you first heard Kennedy had been shot. Those in their forties remember clearly the hostage situation in Iran, the Challenger explosion. And most recently, we will all remember the day four planes were turned against us as deadly weapons by Islamic terrorists.
It is notable that each of those days are memorable due to great tragedy. Yet, some days stand out in history because of greater inspiration. World War II's Vday, the falling of the Berlin Wall, and today millions of Iraqis added to the immortal highlights of history.
Thirty years from now the world will look back on this day, and as if it were common knowledge, they will view it as the day Iraq became free. Kids will learn about this in history classes, and they will know without the U.S. this day would never have come. They will also be taught there was a significant number of Americans who did everything they could to prevent this day from happening.
Thirty years from now children will go to their grandparents and ask them, where you you on that day, the day Iraq voted? They will also want to know, "Grandma, Granpa, which side were you on? Did support freedom for the Iraqis, or did you protest against it?"
Well, which one were you?
Posted by bubba138 at 06:16 PM | Comments (0) |
January 29, 2005
The Voting Has Begun
I am watching Fox news right now and Alawi they are showing interim president Alawi casting the first vote.
History is in the making.
Posted by bubba138 at 08:04 PM | Comments (0) |
January 28, 2005
It Would Have Happened Anyway
When the Berlin wall collapsed and freedom rang throughout Eastern Europe, Reaganites were quick to point to his policies and ideologies as the primary factor. All one need do was harken back to his epic, if not uncriticized, words "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
Yet despite all the evidence Reagans opponents did not want to yield one inch of ground to his legacy. Immediately after the fall, and even when nigh on twenty years had passed for reflection, anti-Reaganites insisted the Soviet Union fell because it was destined to do so. Reagan was blessed more in timing than anything else.
Now, as we embark upon a new vision for our world, one that holds the possibility of an entire world dominated by democracy, the same is already being said about Bush:
Bush's mistake isn't in trying to eradicate tyranny completely but in failing to see just how doomed it is.This is the belief that tyranny, left to its own devices, would have faded away without active, violent opposition. Keep your eyes open as this view expands in Democratic circles. Bush had no hand in this new world, they will argue. If anything, he ham-handed the situation and prolonged the twightlight of tyranny. Without Bush, it would have happened anyway, so there really is no Bush legacy to speak of.
Regardless of the spin, Reagan's death and funeral clearly illustrated the people of this country understood his legacy. That George W. Bush is having his legacy attacked in the same way should tell you something.
Posted by bubba138 at 02:59 PM | Comments (0) |
Worried About the Election?
Many are worried about the upcomming election in Iraq. Will there be more violence? Will the Shiites elect an fundamentalist Islamic government? Will the new Iraq prefer a continued American military presense? Or maybe...
Even if the election succeeds in producing a representative Iraqi government, that may be the most threatening outcome of all -- a direct, democratic challenge to the region, where kings, dictators and clerics traditionally rely on fear and force to hold onto power.Hmmm. Do you think that may have been the goal all along?"If it's a successful election, then everybody will be scared of it," said Ali Shukri, a retired Jordanian general and longtime advisor to the late King Hussein. "If everybody tries to take the Iraqi model, there will be upheaval in the region."
Posted by bubba138 at 02:35 PM | Comments (0) |
Things That Make You Go "Hmmm"
I don't know...Put on a wig, change the glasses...
I think Glenn may be playing both sides!
Posted by bubba138 at 01:35 PM | Comments (0) |
Howard Dean: DeJa Vu, All Over Again
You'll never guess who the front-runner for the post of DNC Chair is:
Few disagree that Dean, the former Vermont governor who was presidential front-runner for the Democrats throughout 2003, has surged into the early lead with about three-dozen endorsements from Democratic National Committee members.The question is which Democrats want to hear what Dean is saying. To many, it sounds the same as what lost them the last several elections: "if the Republicans are for it, we are against it.""Governor Dean has a lot of support and is picking up a lot of speed," said veteran DNC member Donna Brazile. "But there are a lot of us who are still undecided."
Dean has been saying the kinds of things Democrats want to hear, talking about running campaigns in every state and helping build local and state parties. But some Democrats worry the Northeasterner's high profile and sometimes sharp tongue are not what the party needs to expand its base to regions like the South and Midwest.
Some think just adding energy and vigor to the same old positions and strategies is going to do the trick:
"You have to oppose [President Bush], but from a strong framework," said Stan Greenberg, Democratic strategist and co-founder of Democracy Corps.These miss the point. Democrats are not a party for the express purpose of opposing Bush in particular and Republicans in general. I never thought I would say this, but James Carville is one of the few Democrats who is making any sense right now:
"It's got to be a larger message," Mr. Carville said yesterday at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.OP-position never wins elections. Positions do. Democrats need to clearly define their platform and do so by examining how they can best serve those whose votes they want.He said Democratic opposition can and should continue, as long as it is tied to a theme of reform and responsibility. Democrats, he said, could focus on government reform, corporate reform, fund-raising reform, foreign policy reform, improving the United Nations or improving methods to protect America.
Teachers are almost all Democrats, but they are a small portion of the electorate. Gays and Lesbians are almost all Democrats, but they are an even smaller portion. Union members are almost all Democrats, but there are fewer unions today than there were twenty years ago and they wield considerably less power. In other words, solid support from divergent interest groups is not going to get the Democrats what they once had.
Democrats need to craft positions that appeal to a broad base of America. Right now they are dying on the swords of narrow interest issues. For instance, gay marriage benefits a very small percentage of Americans, yet Democrats are rushing to impale themselves on it. More than 80% of all Americans call themselves Christian, yet when the Great Female Hope talked positively of religion she was lambasted by Air America callers. (Listening to Randi Rhodes all of a sudden become so pro-God caused me to consider perhaps hell had froxen completely over.) Open hostility to religion in general, and Christianity in particular is suicidal in America. (Again, if you do not believe Democrats are openly hostile to Christianity, listen to Air America for a week. Then get back to me.)
So what should Democrats do? (I thought I would never say this either) They should become politicians in the likeness of Bill Clinton. Faced with a country that was growing more and more tired of paying welfare year after year to able bodied people who had no intention of returning to work, Clinton introduced, signed into law and put into practice a sweeping welfare reform program. This was clearly a Republican issue. It was their baby, but Clinton adopted it and made it his own. In so doing, he got the credit. The public got what they wanted (fewer people on the public dole), the Republicans got what they wanted (less cash to deadbeats, oh, and more cash for guns), and Clinton got what he wanted (increased popular support). A triple win.
Democrats have an excellent opportunity to do as Clinton did with something that really matters: Social Security. Far too many Democrats are content with telling the voting public that Social Security is safe just the way it is. But any voter with a better than third grade education can understand that it is the only legal ponzi scheme in the nation and eventually it must fall under its own weight. So instead of spending so much energy scaring seniors the Democrats should introduce their own package and make it common sense enough that the majority of Americans buy into it. Make the Republicans look like obstructionists instead of the other way around.
"But it can't be done," you say. "We cannot make Social Security partly private and still ensure todays seniors are taken care of." To that I say: tough. Don't tell me what cannot be done. Instead show me what can. Voters put people in office to get things done, not to squak about how things cannot be done. Find a way. If the Democrats don't the Republicans will.
Posted by bubba138 at 01:01 PM | Comments (0) |
Social Security
Bush's plan to partially privatize Social Security has popular support:
A majority of Americans, including nearly one-third of Democrats, support President Bush's proposal to let workers voluntarily invest part of their Social Security payroll taxes in stocks and bonds, a nationwide poll shows.Fifty-one percent isn't much but it is a sight better than thirty-nine. The real question is how many polled are actuall voters?The survey, conducted by independent pollster John Zogby for the Cato Institute, shows 51 percent like the idea of owning individual Social Security investment accounts, while 39 percent oppose them. Support increases to 58 percent among workers younger than 50 — the target group for Mr. Bush's plan — and rises to 61 percent among workers younger than 30.
Posted by bubba138 at 07:39 AM | Comments (0) |
Experts...
You have got to love 'em
(Hat tip via Hoystory)
Posted by bubba138 at 07:26 AM | Comments (0) |
January 27, 2005
Vive L'Differance
MaryBeth says what I wanted to but couldn't because I haven't the verbal skills.
Posted by bubba138 at 08:31 PM | Comments (0) |
Goodbye United Nations?
Smash has posted an email that Secretary of State Condolezza Rice sent to State Department employees this morning. One thing in particular stuck out for me:
In these momentous times, American diplomacy has three great tasks. We will unite the community of democracies in building an international system that is based on our shared values and the rule of law. We will strengthen the community of democracies to fight the threats to our common security and alleviate the hopelessness that feeds terror. And we will spread freedom and democracy throughout the world. That is the mission that President Bush has set for you and me, and the great mission of American diplomacy today.Are we talking about a new international organization consisting exclusively of democratic nations? It sure looks like it, and if this is the case, the U.N. could very well be doomed.
Face it, without U.S. support the U.N. cannot stand. They depend largely upon U.S. funds, meet on U.S. soil, its representatives and employees are somehow exempt from paying U.S. parking tickets...the list goes on.
Those who oppose the Bush administration will scream that this is just more evidence of the President's empire building. They should be comforted, however. According to them, Bush is an imbicile. The task of creating a new international organization committed to freedom through democracy is enormous and requires the highest order of diplomacy. And, as they have wasted no breath reminding us, Bush is anything but a diplomat. Someone of the President's obvious limited intelligence could never get anything like this off the ground...
Could he?
Posted by bubba138 at 02:44 PM | Comments (0) |
Suicide By Train...Reprise
As if one train derailment wasn't enough:
A 25-year-old man was arrested Thursday after police spotted him parked in his SUV on the train tracks in what appeared to be a suicide attempt, police said.Apparently this happens more often than we think.Irvine police Lt. Jeff Love said it was not known if the man, Tigran Kashkarian, of Aliso Viejo, Calif., was trying to copy the train derailment in Glendale, Calif., on Wednesday. Eleven people were killed in that chain-reaction crash, which started when a passenger train hit the SUV of a man who told authorities he wanted to commit suicide.
Thursday's Irvine incident began at about 4 a.m. when a caller alerted police to the SUV parked diagonally on the tracks on Jeffrey Road, just south of the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway. A train was due in the area at 4:30 a.m. Police responded and saw a dark gray GMC Yukon XL stopped on the tracks. The driver drove away upon seeing the officers.
A slow-speed pursuit continued onto the San Diego (I-405) Freeway and then to the 23000 block of Peralta Drive in Laguna Hills. The driver refused to get out of the SUV and officers put him in touch with an Irvine police dispatcher who talked to him for 30 minutes, Love said.
Posted by bubba138 at 01:46 PM | Comments (0) |
The Continuing Gay Marriage Saga
The legal challenges to the Federal Defense of Marriage Act that were recently filed in Florida have been dropped:
After deciding that lawsuits challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act may be counterproductive, a lawyer who had been championing the gay marriage cause withdrew several legal challenges from Florida courts.This is a good move for both sides of the debate. The battle over gay marriage is not going to be won in the courts, but it very well could be lost there. Instead, this issue will be decided in the hearts and minds of the voters.Ellis Rubin, an attorney for numerous Florida couples, said he did not want to risk allowing a conservative court set a legal precedent upholding the Act, which, among other things, allows states that prohibit same-sex marriage to refuse to recognize gay marriages performed in states that do not. Rubin said he based his decision on the fact that the appeals court that hears Florida cases is notoriously conservative and on a recent decision by the US Supreme Court not to hear a challenge to Florida's anti-gay adoption policies.
That doesn't mean the legal challenges are over, of course:
The legal fight over same-sex marriage has shifted to Southern California now that a lawsuit filed by a gay couple from suburban Orange County is the only remaining challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act.Let's not forget that California's Proposition 22 (which defines marriage as between a man and a woman) passed with an overwhelming majority. Even in this liberal state, people (by an almost 2 to 1 ratio) believe gay marriage is out of bounds. Gilbert stands the chance of setting the precedent that the previous lawyer, Ellis Rubin, feared.Christopher Hammer and Arthur Smelt plan to be in U.S. District Court on Thursday as their attorney argues that the federal law, as well as California's Proposition 22, are violations of civil rights akin to slavery or denying women the right to vote.
Gilbert, who said his arguments are different from those used in Florida, said he will appeal if he loses before the federal judge in Santa Ana.
"I'll fight all the way to the United States Supreme Court if these plaintiffs are willing to fight," he said.
Posted by bubba138 at 12:10 PM | Comments (0) |
Counting the Dead
Gunner over at Target Centermass links to this article on recent arrests in France:
A total of 11 suspected Islamic militants have been detained in Paris this week by intelligence agents who believe they have foiled an operation to send volunteers to fight against the US army in Iraq, officials said.There certainly seems to be no shortage of Muslims ready to go fight the great Satan in Iraq. The mission is glorious, to be sure. After all we get daily press reports on how effective the insurgents have been. Every day there are attacks and bombings and intrigue.They were arrested as part of an anti-terrorist investigation launched last September after evidence emerged of a so-called "Iraqi network" recruiting Islamic militants to fight US forces there.
One of those held is considered by police to be a recruiter of young men willing to fight in Iraq. He was described as the brother-in-law of a a member of a terrorist group which was dismantled on the eve of the 1998 football World Cup which France hosted.
Two of his charges were said to be on the point of leaving for Iraq.
Le Monde newspaper reported that the detainees included the "spiritual chief" of the group -- named only by his initials F.B. -- who has been known to the intelligence services for several years. Another was detained at Orly airport on his return from a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Intelligence agents believe there are between 15 and 30 French nationals with the insurgents in Iraq, and that four have been killed in clashes with the US army.
Islam is being fearlessly defended by brave warriors and they are making a difference. Just yesterday the press could barely restrain its jubilation as it trumpeted "Deadliest day of the war for U.S." What is more, "The day's deaths brought to at least 1,416 the number of members of the U.S. military who have died in Iraq, according to the Associated Press."
All this cannot but encourage Muslims to book their tickets quick and get a piece of the action. But while the press has no qualms reporting daily the number of Americans killed, they seem to have problems telling us on a regular basis the number of insurgents that fall to the vastly superior training, equipment and strategy of the colalition forces. Do you know how many are now discovering their 72 virgins are a myth? Any guesses? I didn't think so. This little factoid just does not seem to be important enough to report by our Western media.
The number is staggering. It makes one wonder, if this was more widely published would the steady stream of volunteers dry up? Dying for a cause you believe in is one thing. Flying halfway across the globe to be nothing more than a bullet sponge is quite another thing altogether.
Posted by bubba138 at 10:56 AM | Comments (0) |
Pets or Kids?
This made my jaw drop (via the Professor):
Today, children no longer represent investments; instead, they have become pets - objects of luxury consumption. However, the pet market segment is very competitive. It is characteristic that the birth rate decline in the 1980s, and especially in the 1990s, was accompanied by soaring numbers of dog-owners in cities. While in the past dog-owners were predominantly retirees, today there are many young couples that have consciously decided to have a dog instead of a baby. These are mainly young professionals who have come to a conclusion (whether right or wrong) that they lack either time or money to have a child. Thus, they invest their emotional surpluses into animals.This is a phenomenon I have personally observed in my own sphere of reflection. There are several young couples I know (and not a few older ones as well) that have chosen to forgoe child bearing. And every one, to a couple, are devout pet lovers.
This is not to pass any moral judgement upon their choice, but Pavel Kohout has put a fine point on the subject. Are we, as a race, moving to the point where we see our children as little more than pets? Is it possible that there are other than economic factors that have created this cultural shift?
The Bible says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Inherent in this concept is that animals were not created in the image of the divine. This key distinction demands the conclusion that mankind has an inherent value far above that of animals.
In the last hundred or so years, however, Western culture has shifted more and more to the empirical, rejecting -- piece by piece -- every article of faith. Today, it is now accepted (mandated?) as absolute truth that mankind's creation was no different in process nor value than that of earthworms.
Europe, once the center piece of Christianity, is now the bleeding edge of secular progess. According to a recent Boston Herald article, "At current fertility rates, Europe's population is set to fall from 728 million in 2000 to 597 million in 2050, an 18 percent drop, according to UN figures." Is it a coincidence that the more secular it becomes -- the less humans are regarded as divine in their making -- the more the fertility rate drops? This is certainly supported by Mr. Kohout's observation:
Nevertheless, some estimates suggest that one in three births in France occurs in a Muslim family. That would explain, among other things, why France has a much higher birth rate (about 1.7 children per woman) than Spain or Italy. Stripped of this influence, the French birth rate would be around 1.2 children per woman, which is a figure similar to those in the countries of South and East Europe.It is a sure bet that a main difference between the religious Muslims and secular French is an intimate identification with the divine.
Make no mistake, I am in no way arguing that a drop in either the population or the fertility rate is a bad thing. Those are just games with numbers. My concern is with the source, the base reason, for the drop in reproduction. If it is nothing more than a matter of economics, fine. On the other hand, if it is the result in a significant cultural change in how we value human life, that is something about which to be genuinely concerned.
Update: It seems to me that those who fight so hard to "educate" us unwashed masses about the dangers of overpopulation are generally the same crowd that is vehemently against industrialization and globalization. Yet, "No industrialized country still produces enough children to sustain its population over time, or to prevent rapid population aging."
Who'd a thunk industrialization would be the very solution to overpopulation?
Posted by bubba138 at 09:55 AM | Comments (0) |
January 26, 2005
Sista, Please
As if our outspoken Senator is not already an embarrasment enough, now she fancies herself a novelist:
Chronicle Books has acquired the rights to a novel by United States Senator Barbara Boxer of California. The yet untitled book, to be written with Mary-Rose Hayes, who has written several novels, will be published in November 2005. The authors are represented by Frederick Hill of Frederick Hill/Bonnie Nadell Literary Agency. This is Senator Boxer's first novel.Bill at INDC has an, umm, advance excerpt.The novel will tell a tale of personal friendships and betrayal, political in-fighting and pragmatism. The novel follows Ellen from her days as an idealistic college student, through romantic entanglements, to a difficult marriage to a rising political star. When her husband is killed, she steps into his campaign for the Senate and is elected. On the eve of a crucial senate vote, her personal and political worlds collide when her right-wing adversaries recruit her former lover to sabotage her credibility and career.
Posted by bubba138 at 03:42 PM | Comments (0) |
Wanted
This cannot be real, can it?
Posted by bubba138 at 02:35 PM | Comments (0) |
Mount St. Helens Update
Mount St. Helens has not been very prominent in the news lately, but that does not mean the mountain has gone to sleep:
Four months after the volcano stirred back to life, drawing curiosity seekers from across the country, the bulging new oblong dome inside the crater has ballooned to 350 feet high, with nearly a 50-degree slope in places.It certainly is a fun show to watch, especially from a safe distance -- like in San Diego.The dome now contains enough solid material to fill KeyArena more than 100 times. At the peak of the flow, molten magma was being transformed into new rock pushing skyward at a rate of 11 yards per day.
Then earlier this month, an unexpected and significant explosion — the biggest since October — caught researchers by surprise and appears to mark some sort of transition on the sleeping giant's path to regrowth.
Posted by bubba138 at 02:09 PM | Comments (0) |
Senate Confirms Rice as Secretary of State
The protestations of Boxer and company have (of course) turned out to be much ado for nothing:
Condoleezza Rice was confirmed as secretary of state on Wednesday as a large majority of senators swept aside objections from some Democrats that she be held accountable for mistakes in the Iraq war.It should tell Boxer something that she was outvoted 2:1 within her own party -- but it won't.She was confirmed on a bipartisan 85-13 vote, overriding some Democrats who said she repeatedly deceived Congress and was responsible for decisions they said have mired the United States in a conflict that has hurt efforts to fight terrorism worldwide.
Posted by bubba138 at 11:06 AM | Comments (0) |
January 25, 2005
Screwing the Values Vote
I did not buy into the post-election analysis that the President was re-elected on values. However, the Democrats do have some room to make up when it comes to preserving traditional family values. Here is a great example:
He keeps two homes and two families, alternating between two women whose children he fathered.Oh, but that isn't the best of it. Check this out:"I live back and forth,'' Ford testified in a recent court hearing.
Some days, Ford said, he lives with ex-wife Tamara Mitchell-Ford and the three children they had together. On others, he stays with his longtime girlfriend, Connie Mathews, and their two children.
Ford is battling a suit by a third woman, Dana Smith, who is trying to increase his court-ordered support of a 10-year-old girl he fathered. Smith, a former employee under Ford when he was General Sessions Clerk, won a 1996 sexual harassment verdict against him.
The Memphis Democrat heads a Senate committee that guides the state's child welfare policies, and for the past year he's tried to make use of a law he authored that keeps court-ordered support lower when a father is financially responsible for other children.This guy has six children by three women, sexually harassed one woman and is in charge of the Senate's child welfare comittee. He is authoring laws that directly enhance the state of his pocket book while shafting his own children. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this?
(Hat tip)
Posted by bubba138 at 02:36 PM | Comments (0) |
Despite the Violence
week before democratic elections are scheduled in Iraq, U.S. soldiers seized several stockpiles of weapons.That's certainly encouraging, however, this article contains what seems to have become boilerplate text for every article that has anything to do with Iraq:The soldiers came across the weapons late Sunday afternoon, and CNN reported that five people, including an Iraqi police officer, were detained in Baghdad as a result of the findings.
...they found grenade launchers, A-K 47's, artillery rounds, cell phones, bomb detonators, rockets and machine guns. Also found were eight Iraqi police uniforms.
Despite the spike in violence in recent weeks, no plans have been made to change the election.It is commonly accepted knowledge that the goal of the increased violence is to put off (or more to the point completely eradicate) elections in Iraq. So in essence the press is continually stating "Unexplainably, despite the spike in violence in recent weeks, the coalition is not caving into the insurgent's wishes."
Posted by bubba138 at 12:46 PM | Comments (0) |
Splatter Painting
Looking at this painting I was struck by the sheer audacity of the person who tossed a bucket of paint against a canvas to call this art. I was again struck by the thought that some "highly sophisticated" collector is apt to pay thousands of dollars for a piece they can easily create themselves for about $25.00 and a trip to Home Depot.
It brings to mind what a large faction of the Democrat party calls politics. Barbra Boxer, fresh from an all but uncontested re-election victory in California put on a display so audacious last week that it has taken me several days to find the words to comment on it. Just as there are hundreds who would pay good money for the painting pictured here, there are thousands who think Boxer's behavior is a display of effective politics. Further, Boxer's supporters view themselves every bit as sophisticated as the artsy crowd (I'd be willing to bet a good portion of them are in both groups).
But the reality here is that Boxer is doing absolutely nothing to move our nation forward, nor is she representing the interests of her state. Being against everything the administration wants merely because they are the other party is ineffective at best and more times than not destructive for the nation and for her party. While the Democratic base loves it, and sees it as a rallying cry, the center of America -- the population that actually decides elections -- sees it for what it is: partisan mudslinging, and they don't like it.
Boxer's seat is safe. As Canellos puts it, she "served notice that, having just been elected to a third term with her highest percentage so far, she is eager to fill the role of the Senate's most outspoken Democratic partisan." And unless California Democrats get their act together and put forward a candidate who is both moderate and competent, there is little chance of her losing her seat next time either. That makes her a safe bet to be the Democrat's attack dog for quite some time.
However, Boxer's behavior is indicative of what we have seen from the Democrats in the last three election cycles. In each one they have lost seats in both the Congress and the Senate. They do not -- or refuse to -- see the big picture. Boxer's seat may be safe in California, but antics like hers can (and probably will) cost the Democrats a seat in another state.
The source of Boxer's problem in particular and those of the Democrats in general is that of identification. When a person looks at his or her world, he or she instinctively places some people in the "friends" category, some in the "I don't know," and the balance go in the "enemies" column. This we all have in common. What separates us is in who we choose to place in each column. The Democrats have places Republicans squarely into the "enemies" category. In doing this they have classified a third of all Americans as enemies. Simply put, Americans do not vote for candidates that view Americans as their enemy.
Republicans have been steadily growing in power and influence over last twenty years. The Democrats have seen this and every year they've asked themselves the same question, "How do we stop the Republicans?" The problem is, they are asking the wrong question. Instead, they should be asking themseleves, "How can we serve the people? How can we meet their needs?"
Until the Democrats start asking those questions, and coming up with real answers -- unslanted by special interest bias -- they will continue to lose favor with America.
And that would be bad for us all.
Update: Looks like a nnumber of Democrats are jumping on the Boxer bandwagon:
Senate Democrats who oppose President Bush's Iraq policy spoke today against Condoleezza Rice's nomination to be secretary of state, signaling that they intended to vigorously oppose the administration's foreign policy despite their minority status.This would be the same Ted Kennedy of which the previous article said:Senators Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Carl Levin of Michigan, Mark Dayton of Minnesota and Evan Bayh of Indiana all said that Ms. Rice, President Bush's national security adviser, should not be elevated to secretary of state.
Old-fashioned political meanness is relatively rare on the left these days...Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York are the Republicans' favorite whipping boy and girl, but they are primarily deal-makers, more popular with their GOP colleagues than the grass roots of either party would believe possible.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:20 AM | Comments (0) |
January 24, 2005
What Goes Up Must Come Down
Some years ago I had a friend who would consistantly answer the question "What's up?" with a flippant, "The Hubble telescope."
Unfortunately, that might not be be the case for long:
Either a robotic or shuttle-based servicing option reportedly would cost in excess of $1 billion. That pricetag is viewed by the White House, according to sources, as not affordable given other high-priority and more expensive efforts, such as the return-to-flight of the space shuttle program, as well as moving forward on NASA's Moon, Mars and beyond agenda.White House plans to scuttle Hubble is part of NASA's 2006 budget request, sources said, with some money in the budget allocated to using a propulsion module coupled to Hubble for its safe but destructive deorbiting.
Posted by bubba138 at 11:54 AM | Comments (0) |
Robot Warriors
Things just got harder for the insurgents in Iraq:
The US military is planning to deploy robots armed with machine-guns to wage war against insurgents in Iraq.I guess we aren't too far from this.
Eighteen of the 1m-high robots, equipped with cameras and operated by remote control, are going to Iraq this spring, the Associated Press reports.A US officer who helped test the robot said it was a more accurate shot than the average soldier because it is mounted on a stable platform and takes aim electronically.
"It eliminates the majority of shooting errors you have," said Staff Sgt Santiago Tordillos.
Posted by bubba138 at 08:33 AM | Comments (0) |
The End is Near
Jonny Carson is dead and we have peace in Israel.
Be ready.
The end times are most definitely here.
Posted by bubba138 at 07:53 AM | Comments (0) |
January 21, 2005
A New Face in the Blogosphere
Faye M. Anderson is now blogging and that has Cobb all a-twitter. It is always good to hear clear, reasoned voices in the din of the 'sphere. Today she graphically illustrated the biggest scam of the 2004 elections -- 527 organizations:
Consider: ACT and the Media Fund went through nearly $200 million. This is more than voting rights groups, "credentialed organizations" (ACT speak for national and local groups with ongoing relationships with targeted voters) have spent since President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 nearly 40 years ago. For a fraction of what the 527s spent in one election cycle, established voter empowerment groups:Pointing out the ineffectiveness of 527s is a favorite pastime here at Slings & Arrows, so I like the direction I see from Ms. Anderson.Closed the racial gap in voter registration and turnout
Beat back the Republican juggernaut in runoff elections in Louisiana in 2003 and 2002
Helped Democrats take back the Senate in 1986
Posted by bubba138 at 02:37 PM | Comments (0) |
Peace in Israel
Efforts towards peace are continuing and Mahmoud Abbas leadership, though still largely unproven, seems to be moving in the right direction:
Thousands of armed Palestinian police took up positions in the northern Gaza Strip today to prevent attacks on Israel, and Islamic militants said they were suspending rocket fire -- major steps toward a possible truce after more than four years of bloody Mideast conflict.Abu Mazen's biggest challenge in his new role as leader of the Palestinian cause is the continual choice he needs to make between true peace and theatrical pandering. Deploying Palestinian law enforcement to prevent attacks on Israel indicates he truely wants to arrive at a solution.Sharon sent messages to Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia to mark the Eid al-Adha holiday, which began Thursday. Sharon wrote that he hopes the entire region will be blessed by peace and prosperity, Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said.
Abbas responded that the two sides should work together to reach a peace agreement.
"We are extending maximum effort to carry out our obligation to stop violence against Israelis everywhere," Erekat said. "We urge the Israeli side to return to the negotiating table so we can have a declaration of a mutual cessation of violence."
The question remains, what will he do when (not if) Hamas decides not to respect him?
Posted by bubba138 at 02:15 PM | Comments (0) |
Dobson and Spongebob
While I think demonizing cartoon characters is downright silly (see Teletubbies, Falwell) I completely agree with Hugh Hewitt. I have not yet been able to find a transcript of Dobson's comments and I suspect that -- when taken in context -- they are not as inflamatory as the reaction has been. Hugh points out:
I don't know if I agree with Dobson on this issue as I don't know what he said and I haven't seen the video or its accompanying materials. But it seems to me unusual that Dobson drew such immediate and harsh commentary while the big bloggers have been unusually quiet on Harvard's Lawrence Summers venture into gender politics and genetic dispositions. Kevin Drum's light slap on the wrist seems to reflect a general tone of "that's just Larry," that excuses the most powerful man in academia's verbal pratfall.I guess media bias exists everywhere -- even the blogosphere.
Posted by bubba138 at 12:42 PM | Comments (0) |
Jesse Jackson: King of the World?
Jesse Jackson is making noises indicating he's going to make a run for the Mayor of Chicago. His platform? The Daley political machine is corrupt:
Asked if he believes Jackson's strident attacks against Daley are a prelude to a 2007 campaign for mayor, Carothers said, "It's a precursor. He wants to be king of the world."You are not going to find many who disagree that Daley politics are less than above board. But I am hard pressed to understand how Jackson would be an improvement.On Wednesday, Jackson leveled the latest in a string of broadsides against Daley and what he called the mayor's acquiescent City Council.
He warned that unless somebody in Chicago "grabs these scandals by the horns" and cleans up the mayor's "corrupt and phony program," Daley could become the Democratic poster boy for a Republican-controlled Congress hell-bent on dismantling affirmative action nationwide.
Jackson pointed to last week's guilty plea by James Duff and a string of revelations by the Chicago Sun-Times as evidence that Daley has allowed Chicago's program to be manipulated by the politically connected at the expense of legitimate minorities.
Posted by bubba138 at 12:17 PM | Comments (0) |
January 20, 2005
Axis of Evil Still Operating
Have you, like me, wondered where the Iraqi insurgents get their seemingly endless supply of weapons and intelligence? Well, wonder no more:
The following are excerpts from the televised confessions of Muayed Al-Nasseri, who commanded Saddam Hussein's "the Army of Muhammad" throughout 2004. The confessions were aired by the Iraqi TV channel that operates from the UAE, Al-Fayhaa TV, on January 14, 2005.Muayed Al-Nasseri: Yes, sir... Many factions of the resistance are receiving aid from the neighboring countries. We in the Army of Muhammad... The fighting has been going on for almost two years now, and there must be aid, and this aid came from the neighboring countries. We got aid primarily from Iran. The truth is that Iran has played a significant role in supporting the Army of Muhammad and many factions of the resistance. I have some units, especially in southern Iraq, which receive Iranian aid in the form of arms and equipment.
Interrogator: You're referring to units of the Army of Muhammad?
Muayed Al-Nasseri: Yes. They received money and weapons. As for other factions of the resistance, I have reliable information regarding the National Islamic resistance, which is one of the factions of resistance, led by Colonel 'Asi Al Hadithi. He sent a delegation to Iran from among the people of the faction, including General Halaf and General Khdayyer. They were sent to Iran in April or May and met with Iranian intelligence and with a number of Iranian leaders and even with Khamenei.
Interrogator: You mean they personally met with Khamenei?
Muayed Al-Nasseri: According to my information, they met with him personally, and they were given one million dollars and two cars full of weapons.
Oh, but Iran is not the only country helping to make Iraq the paradise it is today:
Cooperation with Syria began in October 2003, when a Syrian intelligence officer contacted me. S'ad Hamad Hisham and later Saddam Hussein himself authorized me to go to Syria. So I was sent to Syria. I crossed the border illegally. then I went to Damascus and met with an intelligence officer, Lieutenant-Colonel "Abu Naji" through a mediator called "Abu Saud." I raised the issues that preocupied Saddam Hussein and the leadership. There were four issues: First, the issue of the media; second, political support in international forums; [third], aid in the form of weapons, and [fourth], material aid, whether it is considered a debt or is taken from the frozen Iraqi funds in Syria.It is nice to know we have friends in the neighborhood.Through the Ba'th party- The Arab Socialist Ba'th Party operates in Syria with complete freedom. It maintains its relations and organizes the Ba'th members outside Iraq. The Syrian government is fully aware of this, and the Syrian intelligence cooperates fully, as well as the Ba'th Party, in Syria.
Posted by bubba138 at 06:02 PM | Comments (0) |
Playground Politics
Posted by bubba138 at 10:24 AM | Comments (0) |
Americans and the Oil-for-Food Scandal
It is old news that American citizen Vincent Samir has been convicted of illegally being Hussein's front man here in the U.S. in exchange for a share of Iraqi oil profits. Now we find out that former Vice Presidential candidate Jack Kemp as well as former President Jimmy Carter had intimate dealings with Samir.
Let me go right out on record and say that if these men did do anything illegal, they should pay for it. That being said, does anyone else find it interesting that the focus of the U.N. SCANDAL has now turned on Americans? How many French, German or Russian officials have borne such scrutiny? Why are we not seeing indictments overseas?
Just asking.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:47 AM | Comments (0) |
Exit Polling
I ran out of gas. I, I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD:
In a report to explain how early exit polls could be so far off from the actual results, the two firms blamed their problems on youthful, inexperienced poll takers, more motivated Democrats, early leaks of raw numbers by bloggers and a failure to follow interviewing rules.Oh, Jake... Jake, honey...Among the explanations offered by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International, the two polling firms that were hired by a consortium of news organizations: Mr. Kerry's supporters were more likely than Mr. Bush's voters to agree to participate in exit poll interviews.
Polling errors were found to be made more frequently by younger interviewers, about half of whom were 34 or younger.
Early preliminary polling data collected during Election Day that was not supposed to be made public was leaked to blogger Web sites and suggested a wider Kerry lead than he actually had.
All kidding aside (yeah right) if these guys cannot make it in the polling business they can take comfort in the fact that their skill for deflecting responsibility uniquely qualifies them for employment at CBS.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:25 AM | Comments (0) |
Gay Marriage: A Test of State's Rights
Those on both sides of the issue knew it was going to happen, and now it has:
Massachusetts right now is the only state that allows gay marriage, but Wilson and Schoenwether want their home state of Florida to recognize their union, too. Their attempt to get that recognition, though, was soundly rejected Wednesday when a judge dismissed their lawsuit, upholding a federal law that lets states ban same-sex marriages.Ever since the President called for a Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), the mantra -- no scream -- from the pro-gay marriage cadre has been, "Let the states decide!" Now we learn if they really meant it, or if that was just a smoke screen to advance the pro-gay agenda just a little bit further.The ruling was described by legal experts as the first of its kind.
"This is a legal shot heard 'round the world," said attorney Ellis Rubin, who filed the lawsuit on the women's behalf. "But we are not giving up. ... This case is going to be resolved in the U.S. Supreme Court, and I have said that since the day I filed it."
Regarding an interview the President gave to the Post recently, Sullivan said this:
We should also refrain from any attempt to force any state to recognize a gay marriage from another state (of course that's different from a state voluntarily recognizing such marriages). We should practise moderation, just as the Senate is practising moderation. We already have civil marriage rights in one state. Massachusetts.This is an excellent opportunity for him, and others who have voiced the same "state's rights" rhetoric to back up their words by voicing opposition to Ellis Rubin's appeal.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:06 AM | Comments (0) |
Black Politics is a New Game
As one insider says, "Black people can no longer be looked upon as monolithic, and nobody understands this better than President Bush. He has quietly made very big strides by getting funds to faith-based organizations because the Republicans have discovered that the black churches are ready to do serious work."In other words, Republicans have discovered that the morality trumpeted by the evangelicals who were so important to their victories in November is shared by the black church community, which has always been conservative on issues regarding personal conduct.
Posted by bubba138 at 08:50 AM | Comments (0) |
January 19, 2005
Dirty Business by the Dirty Water
The Backcountry Conservative has a round-up of dirty-bomb related news.
Posted by bubba138 at 03:36 PM | Comments (0) |
January 18, 2005
What's On Your Mind?
A dentist found the source of the toothache Patrick Lawler was complaining about on the roof of his mouth: a four-inch nail the construction worker had unknowingly embedded in his skull six days earlier.OUCH!A nail gun backfired on Lawler, 23, on Jan. 6 while working in Breckenridge, a ski resort town in the central Colorado mountains. The tool sent a nail into a piece of wood nearby, but Lawler didn't realize a second nail had shot through his mouth, said his sister, Lisa Metcalse.
Posted by bubba138 at 12:47 PM | Comments (0) |
Short-age?
WANTED - Little people:
BOSSES at the Beeb have a big problem - there aren't enough dwarf actors for the new Doctor Who series...I suppose it could be worse, though. At least there are no remakes of Wizard of Oz in the filming stages.Show executive producer Russell T Davies said: "It's very difficult to employ persons of restricted growth when, as our producer Phil Collinson says, 'Bloody Gringotts and the Chocolate Factory are filming at the same time'."
P.S. I thought I had heard the best of PC, but really, isn't "persons of restricted growth" a little over the top?
(Hat tip)
Posted by bubba138 at 12:37 PM | Comments (0) |
Is Peace in Israel Possible?
I am a skeptic when it comes to there ever being a lasting peace in the Holy Land, but this is heartening:
Palestinian security forces intend to disarm militant factions as part of a plan to prevent attacks on Israelis, a senior Palestinian security official said on Tuesday.It sure sounds good, but what remains is to see if actions follow the words."The instructions are clear ... Weapons that don't belong to the Palestinian police are illegal. So wherever illegal weapons are found, we will collect them," Nafe told Reuters.
Militants from Abbas's own Fatah movement have defied his appeal, as have Islamist groups like Hamas that are sworn to destroying Israel and which boycotted the elections he won on Jan. 9 to succeed the late Yasser Arafat.
"Hamas has no choice but to respect the choice of the Palestinian people, otherwise it will lose support," Nafe said.
Update: Progress? Perhaps:
A leader of a militant group linked to the mainstream Fatah Party said Tuesday his group would stop attacks inside Israel as a gesture to new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.Zachariya Zubeidi, the most prominent West Bank figure in the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, announced the halt as Abbas was in Gaza trying to negotiate a cease-fire to be honored by the militants.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:52 AM | Comments (0) |
Who Is the Village Idiot?
George Washington offered the shortest inaugural address to his fellow countrymen. In his first, he had stunned them by announcing that he would not accept a salary (only John F. Kennedy in recent decades has been similarly inexpensive). In his second, however, with a similar spirit of economy, he produced a mere 135 words. Yet, if inclined, George W. Bush could comfortably beat that record in Washington on Thursday. He might legitimately stand up and state in five blunt words: “I own this town now” and then sit down again.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:34 AM | Comments (0) |
January 17, 2005
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Not my words, but right on the mark:
A little less than a century after slavery’s end, King rose from obscurity proposing a radical idea — a colorblind society. While he knew he’d never see it in his lifetime, he gave his life for equal justice. King would surely be disappointed by liberal elites and career politicians who exploit his vision for their own gain. He’d be alarmed that his so-called successors consistently fail to address urgent matters in the black community, such as the cycle of poverty associated with black illegitimacy and the high rate of black-on-black crime. King would be dismayed to know that:70% of black children are born out of wedlock.
85% of black children living in poverty are raised in single parent households.
94% of all black homicide victims are slain by other blacks.
Low-income black children are condemned to failing government-run schools because black politicians are beholden to teachers’ unions.
Posted by bubba138 at 03:26 PM | Comments (0) |
Groan
Kate Stelnick may weigh only 100 pounds, but her appetite is remarkable. The college student from Princeton, N.J., is the first to meet a restaurant's challenge by downing its six-pound hamburger — and five pounds of fixins' — within three hours.Say it with me: "PEPTO-BISMOL"...nobody had finished the big burger in the three-hour time limit since it was introduced on Super Bowl Sunday 1998. In addition to the meat, contestants must eat one large onion, two whole tomatoes, one half head of lettuce, 1 1/2 pounds of cheese, two buns, and a cup each of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish, banana peppers and some pickles.
Stelnick did it all in two hours, 54 minutes.
Posted by bubba138 at 03:09 PM | Comments (0) |
The "Reality-Based" Community Yes/No Quiz
John Hawkins does a little reality-testing on the "reality-based" community:
1) Do you think a significant percentage of prominent Republicans would secretly like to see the US become a theocracy?That's just the beginning. Go read the thirty other questions he has for our brothers and sisters that inherently have a firmer grasp on reality than we "faith-based" people.2) Do you believe it was a mistake to go to war in Afghanistan?
3) In your opinion, is it a myth that American soldiers were spit on when they returned from Vietnam?
4) Michael Moore's distribution group, Front Row Entertainment, received help marketing "Fahrenheit 9/11" in Lebanon from the terrorist group Hezbollah. Do you believe that was appropriate?
5) Do you think you can be a patriotic American and support Iraq's anti-occupation resistance?
6) Do you think there is a significant chance that the capture of Saddam Hussein was timed to help George Bush politically?
7) In your opinion, is there a significant chance that Diebold is rigging elections in order to help the GOP?
8) Is George Bush more "evil" than Saddam Hussein?
9) In your opinion, is there a significant chance that Republicans rigged some of the Senate races in 2002?
10) Was Ingrid Newkirk right when she said, "There is no rational basis for saying that a human being has special rights. A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. They're all mammals"?
Posted by bubba138 at 02:44 PM | Comments (0) |
Serpentine Diplomacy
Posted by bubba138 at 02:23 PM | Comments (0) |
See More Hurts
As you sit there getting your panties in a wad over Seymour Hersh's claims that we are invading Iran next week, keep in mind:
Oh, and do not forget this choice quote: "I admire Clinton — he was the first president since World War II to bomb white people"
Posted by bubba138 at 01:45 PM | Comments (0) |
Something to Watch Closely
I am not yet going to comment on this, but it is something to watch very closely:
Services for 47-year-old Hossam Armanious, his 37-year-old wife, Amal Garas, and their two daughters were to take place at the St. George & St. Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church, a Christian congregation where the family was active...Published reports over the weekend said investigators were examining religious messages Armanious had posted in an Internet chat room, and mourners in Jersey City on Sunday said the killings may have been religiously motivated.
Monir Dowoud, president of the American Coptic Association, told 200 people outside the family's church on Sunday that "Muslim terrorists" were responsible.
Prosecutors downplayed any religious motive and local Muslims vehemently disputed the claim. The regional head of the Coptic church cautioned against a rush to judgment.
Posted by bubba138 at 07:55 AM | Comments (0) |
January 13, 2005
Could It Be?
I read the headline and did a double-take. I read it again, and yep it still said the same thing:
I am shocked that the Democrats who have a stranglehold on this state are finally beginning to understand they cannot continue to pick the pockets of the voters that put them in office. But this is not only a result of the governor's popularity. After all, these very same politicians still held on to a tax-raising mindset before the last election -- and because of creative districting every incumbant still retained his or her seat.Democrats wary of raising taxesIn a sign of California's uneven economic recovery and changing political landscape, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's vow this week that higher taxes are "out of the question" barely raised a peep in a state with a $9.1 billion deficit...Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata of Oakland said Thursday he wouldn't rule out higher taxes but added: "If we jump up right now and say the ... cure is more money, people are going to stop listening to us."
Governor Schwarzenegger's public observation that "153 of California's congressional and legislative seats were up in the last election and not one changed parties," has scared the Democrats more than anything else.
In a state that has a Republican to Democrat ratio of 5.7 to 7.1 it is incredulous that the Democrats have double the number of State Senators than the Republicans. If the state does get redistricted more fairly, state Democrats will be forced to take new positions or get the boot.
Posted by bubba138 at 07:23 AM | Comments (0) |
January 10, 2005
A Psalm of the Sons of Lebanon
I am this week taking an impacted college level course on the book of Psalms. One of our assignments is to write a psalm of our own, reflecting our own spiritual journey. I thought I would share mine with you all as well.
Father, why have you turned your favor from me,
why have you closed your ears to my cry?
All myself have I given to you,
to you I make a sacrifice of my life
To your kingdom have I pledged myself,
for your glory do I labor
How is it you said, "I will lift him up,"
and "I will make him my messenger"
Everywhere I look, you have passed me by,
and I am left behind in all things
Reveal to me, Lord, my failings,
where have I come short?
Just as the wind escapes my grasp,
so your glory eludes me
Even as I desire your face,
instead I seek my own
Set me free from my sin;
look not upon my weakness
Under the weight of my sin I cannot walk,
pressed down I cannot stand,
nor crawl for lack of strength
Save me from myself, Lord;
without you salvation cannot be attained
So shall I rest in your mercy
and by your great love will I survive
Praise shall illuminate my path,
and my way made clear in worship
I know my Lord is for me;
I will hope in Him alone
Remembering His goodness to me,
and His everlasting love
I cannot see what the Lord has planned,
nor can I change what He has ordained
The Lord will lift me up when he sees fit,
and His name will be glorified
Posted by bubba138 at 06:58 PM | Comments (0) |
Tsunami Illustrated
Banha Aceh before:
And after:
More photos here.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:28 AM | Comments (0) |
Back to Blogging?
Well, sort of. It is no mystery that the infection from the blog-bug has lost some of its power over me.
But, it is Monday, and January, and one thing this blog does is force me to maintain my writing skills, so I return without reluctance but motivated more by discipline than inspiration.
Over the last two years, the main goal of this blog had been to do what little I could to help maintain a conservative hold on the government. That being secured, I have been at a loss for subjects on which to comment. The political discourse over the last two months has not excited me, because it seems little more than worthless backbiting and squabbling to no real effect.
I will continue to blog, but I expect the direction of my commentary to change some. Which direction that will be is not yet clear to me, but I hope you will join me for the ride.
Posted by bubba138 at 08:36 AM | Comments (0) |
January 07, 2005
Some New Newsom
San Francisco Mayor Gary Newsom (who tried to enhance the institution of marriage by illegally allowing weddings between same-sex couples) and his wife are filing for divorce:
In a joint statement issued Wednesday by the mayor's office, the Newsoms cited the strain posed by their high-profile, bicoastal careers as the reason for the split.So much for being the hottest new couple in politics."It is with great sadness that we announce today that we have decided to end our marriage. Unfortunately, the demands of our respective careers have made it too difficult for us to continue as a married couple," they wrote.
Posted by bubba138 at 02:33 PM | Comments (0) |