Feminist Anger: How Dare GOP Nominate a Woman!

Crabby feminists and unreconstructed liberals are out in full force attacking Sarah Palin. I love it. This was political jujitsu at its finest. Bait the opposition into attacking her experience, which reveals that the GOP VP has more experience than the Dem Presidential candidate. BTW, what makes Hillary more qualified than Sarah Palin?

The HuffPo has a gory, tabloid-style collection of Anti-Palin diatribes, screeds and screeches. If you want a quick summary of the left's opposition to her, go check it out. You can go to the drudge report to digitally fumigate your computer afterward.

Want even more laughs? Go here. Some gal named Hilzoy actually tries to say that Obama has executive leadership experience because he has run a presidental campaign for the last two years.

My response:
Thanks for the belly laugh! Being a candidate whose campaign eats money and craps BS is not executive or leadership experience.

Stay tuned folks, it's only going to get nuttier. And with Palooka Joe Biden in the mix, anything's bound to happen as he and the Messiah Kid campaign through the 57 states.

Real Hope and Change

It didn’t take long for the left to start crapping all over McCain’s VP pick. Their message is clear: “Identity politics is our domain: you’re trespassing! Only the Democratic Party can place women and people of color in high positions!” This, of course, flies in the face of the facts. Current and past Republican administrations “look more like America” than President Clinton’s did. Despite all that talk about hope, this pick has them scared.

The New Republic calls Palin an Astonishingly Arrogant Choice. They huff on about how the VP must be qualified to be president at a moment’s notice. What makes them think Hillary or Evan Bayh would fit that bill? Particularly laughable was the initial statement from the Obama campaign, which had the audacity to accuse her of having no experience!

“Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency,” Bill Burton, Obama campaign spokesman said in a statement that hit reporters inboxes at 11:47 a.m. EDT.

Given that the Democratic candidate for president is not qualified to be president, I don’t see this as an effective argument.

Honesty check: Would I be completely comfortable with the thought of a President Palin, with her current experience? No. But I would be even less comfortable with Palooka Joe and the Messiah Kid in the White House, so it’s all relative.

Yes, this takes some of the sting out of the GOP knock on Senator Obama’s lack of experience. But Sarah Palin has actually run a business and a state government. Mr. Obama hasn’t even run so much as a hot dog stand. She’s spent more time in Iraq than Obama has, so I’d say on foreign policy, it’s a wash.

Most importantly, McCain-Palin is a direct assault on Obama-Biden’s “Hope & Change” message. You want hope and change? Ms. Palin is a reformer who has actually done it at the state government level. You want bipartisanship? Obama talks about it, but McCain has actually done it (too many times, according to his conservative critics). For a great summary, read Thomas Sowell's latest commentary.

This election is now one of Democratic Words versus Republican Actions. There's hope.

Army Training, Sir!

This is why the Defense Department, and the US Army especially, is the most successful government institution in the US.

Facing a decreasing pool of eligible recruits, the Army has started a learning program for dropouts to get up to speed before going to basic training.

Hey, all you crabby leftists with smug bumper stickers wishing the DoD would have to hold bake sales to purchase their weapons take note: This is America's war machine picking up the education system's slack. Yeah, our teachers union dominated schools are failing, but don't worry, as usual, the Army's got our backs.

What other government institution has educated more people, giving them real skills and real-life experience? Has any other government department turned out more responsible, independent citizens?

This is how you stamp out poverty: by giving people a chance to lift themselves up by their bootstraps and earning their place in society. No handouts, no guarantees, just a shot at the pursuit of happiness.

And look at what the US Army is doing overseas. Twenty-something company grade officers are acting as mayor and sheriff in towns they never heard of 5 years ago. Enlisted medics are giving hope to the hopeless. Teenage Privates and Corporals are America's goodwill ambassadors. Majors, Colonels and Generals are nurturing government institutions in foreign lands.

Our victory in Iraq belongs to the US Army, Marines, Special Forces, with Navy Corpsmen and the US Air Force sharing the credit. President Bush is not responsible for Iraq success; US Army grit and determination is. They simply refuse to lose, and they never stop learning and adapting. They were given an impossible mission that our government did not prepare them for, but they gutted it out and gave us all a lesson in bravery and perseverance.

If only the rest of the federal government could serve the nation like the Defense Department and the US Army has.

Hooah!

All Not Quiet on the Russian Front

Progressives suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome declare a moral equivalence between Russia's actions and those of the US. This demonstrates the preposterous lengths to which some will go to discredit President Bush. Bush is not Putin and Georgia is not Iraq.

I especially love it when some enlightened liberal defends Russia by stating that Iraq is far away from the US but Georgia is in Russia's back yard. So then, it's OK to attack someone if they are in your "sphere of influence"? That didn't fly with the left in the 1980s when President Reagan set things straight in Central America, so why it it OK for Russia now? Blind rage against the Bush-Cheney machine has driven the left to illogic.

Despite all that, all we really need to do is look to Russia's former vassal states and see what their opinion is. Hint: It's not pro-Russian. Even retro-Soviet dictatorship Belarus is putting distance between itself and the bear.

All other arguments aside, what does this tell us? It tells us that former Soviet Republics have made an informed judgment call, and they reject Russian imperialism.

So, whose argument should we trust, Bush-hating leftists ensconced in the cushy confines of secure, democratic western society, or the former Soviet republics who sit uneasily upon the fault line and who will bear the consequences of their actions?

So go ahead, progressives. Keep defending imperialist Russia. You're all alone, and the people who know Russia best know you are wrong. You're so far left you've left your senses.

Evangelicals, Catholics Agree with 80% of What Obama Says

That didn't take long. Catholic Bishops are popping up all over to slap down Nancy Pelosi's ignorant comments regarding abortion and the Catholic Church. In no uncertain terms, the Bishops have stated that willful procurement of an abortion is a sin, and it always has been, going all the way back to the beginnings of Christian practice. I guess Madam Speaker has been too busy scheming against the president to read her catechism.

What really caught my eye though was this provocative statement in the WashingtonTimes article:

"The push for the Democratic Party is to have a new position on abortion," said Steve Waldman, editor of the religious Web site beliefnet.com. "When you look at Catholics and Evangelicals, you see that they agree with 80 percent of what [Mr. Obama] says, but there's this stumbling block with abortion."

I couldn't believe my eyes. How could this man, Steve Waldman, of a web site called beliefnet.com, say such an ignorant thing?!

Answer: He's ignorant. And his web site is a squishy, perfumed bog of it's-all-good spirituality that does harm to every religion it features. Do you love your God and your faith? Then stay away from this empty, flowery, New Age wisp of nothingness. There might be a few feel-good prayers there, but if you need serious spiritual guidance, go see your pastor or rabbi.

Now, back to this absurd statement that Catholics and Evangelicals agree with 80% of what Mr. Obama says:

Do Catholics and Evangelicals support Mother Earth worship proposals like cutting carbon emissions 80% by 2050, effectively rewinding our economy back to the frontier days?

How about Obama's belief in socialistic government solutions over free market ones to cure every perceived ill?

Do Christians want a nanny state instilling values in their kids, or would they rather do it themselves and tell the bureaucrats to butt out?

Do Catholics oppose school vouchers and school choice, as Mr. Obama does?

Do Evangelicals support President Obama reaching out to anti-semitic wackjobs like Ahmedinejad of Iran?

No! The answer to all of the above is No. I don't know what Steve Waldman's religion is, but I suspect it's feel-good progressivism with some Gaia worship thrown in. Seems he's recently found a new messiah as well.

He sure loves preaching the Democratic Gospel, calling all Christians to abandon their evil conservative ways and join with the gay marriage, pro-abortion, Hollywood values Democratic party. It's a natural fit, right? Nancy Pelosi thinks so.

Reusable Toilet Paper, and other Liberal Ideas

Reusable toilet paper is not a joke. This comes courtesy of an e-mail from Senator James Inhofe's staff. Senator Inhofe (R) of Oklahoma uses his position on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to combat the global warning madness and the wackadoos who aid and abet it. Oklahoma's other senator is Dr. Tom Coburn. We should all say a prayer thanking God for the good people of that state for blessing us with two such outstanding public servants.

This is where leftist environmentalism is leading us: Don't use toilet paper, use old rags to save a tree. Why don't we all just walk around in cloth diapers? Then nobody would ever have to waste water by flushing a toilet. Better yet, we could wipe with our hands like the superior cultures of the Middle East do! If we could get over the body odor thing, we would save even more water by eliminating all that senseless showering.

Here's the original e-mail. Enjoy the laugh!

Reusable Toilet Paper? ‘Family Cloth” or ‘Family Wipes’ urged as eco-friendly replacement for toilet paper – Yahoo Answers & Green websites tout new eco-friendly alternative!

Excerpt: The purpose of the family cloth is to reduce the waste created by toilet paper. The environmentally unfriendly aspects of toilet paper happen before it arrives at your home. Trees are destroyed for the necessary pulp and large amounts of chemicals are used to turn the wood pulp into the soft, fluffy, white tissues we like to use. In addition, those darn packages of t.p. are big and a lot of fuel is burned getting them to their destination. These concerns are causing people to ditch their toilet paper and use a family cloth instead. Eco-friendly families usually start out trying different cloths. Old t-shirts are the most popular source for family cloth pieces. Using them for a family cloth prevents them from becoming yet another piece of landfill. Cotton t-shirt material is soft and very absorbent. They also receive high ratings from female users because they don't leave any of that annoying tissue dust after usage. For those unfamiliar with the family cloth, the name is somewhat misleading. No one seems to be certain where the term originated but is not an accurate title. Family members do not share a single cloth for their bathroom wiping needs. Each family has their own method, but most often a stack of clean cloth strips are left near the toilet in the bathroom. After use the family cloth is placed in a bucket. Every few days the contents are washed.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080424091000AAXmmhe

How to Store Used ‘Family Wipes’

Excerpt: Some families find it easiest to put a small wet bag in their bathroom - either just laying on the floor near the toilet, or hanging from a nearby doorknob, cabinet knob, or hook. One friend actually hangs her bag from the toilet paper holder. My family keeps a small version of a diaper pail in the bathroom just for wipes. It's a 2-gallon stainless steel garbage bag with a step-pedal to open the lid. Wally loves depositing his wipes in there after we're done cleaning him up!

http://living.wallypop.net/infohowtoclothwipes.html

How to Wash Soiled ‘Family Wipes’

Excerpt: If you have kids in diapers, wash with the diapers. If you don't have kids in diapers, I recommend washing wipes separately from the rest of your laundry. Wash in hot, dry in the dryer. You may add whatever laundry additives you desire - chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach, tea tree oil, lavender oil, stain remover, whatever.

http://living.wallypop.net/infohowtoclothwipes.html

How to Use Cloth Wipes (Family Wipes, Toilet Wipes) (Sold on Wallypop.net – “Supporting a natural lifestyle”

Excerpt: OK, this is not nearly as gross as you might be imagining. Give it a try, you'll see what I mean! But, really, you might be wondering, how do I use these? Using cloth wipes for urine-only visits to the bathroom is so simple it's hardly worth mentioning. Go, wipe, and then toss the wipe into whatever container you prefer. Using cloth wipes for other toilet visits is not any more difficult, but there is a certain ick factor involved. Consider how much waste you're willing to leave on your children's diapers or wipes when you toss them in the pail. Use the same standards for yourself. Shake, scrape, swish, or squirt off anything you don't want in your laundry, and then toss the wipe into the pail or container. (Personally speaking, we just wipe and toss in the pail.)

Background on environmentalist’s war on toilet paper

Excerpt: Ready to Rethink Toilet Paper for Earth Day?
Forests Being 'Slaughtered for Toilet Paper,' Actress Declares

Flashback: NYC Environmentalists Eliminate Toilet Paper in Effort to Save the Planet
Introduction of the Flush Toilet Deplored at Earth Summit
Dry Toilet Conference Declared a Success by Organizers
Diaperless Babies Seen As Earth-Friendly Solution
Flush Toilets Called "Environmental Disaster"
Philadelphia Plumbers Union Pipes Up About Waterless Urinalshttp://www.uswaternews.com/archives/arcconserv/6philplum4.html
Ready to Rethink Toilet Paper for Earth Day?

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_042407/content/01125116.guest.html

Liberal Fantasies -- Conservative Reality

Bruce Walker has written an encouraging piece in the American Thinker.

He's been tracking results of the bipartisan Battleground Poll since 2002, and points out that Conservative/Liberal self-identification has consistently been roughly 60% conservative, 40% liberal.

He goes on to analyze why these data are so at odds with popular perception. Short answer: Those to the left of center run from the liberal label while conservatives proudly self-identify. He also provides examples showing how skewed polling questions make America look more liberal than it actually is.

I believe this to be true. America is not a liberal nation, and recent off-cycle elections bear this out. Yes, I know, Democrats won them all. But the winners ran not as proud progressives, but as gun totin', bible thumpin' conservatives.

Republicanism may be on the ropes (and rightly so due to the gross malfeasance of its political practitioners) but Conservatism's heart still beats in the American breast.

Now, is there anybody in the GOP smart enough to capitalize on this information?

Pope Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi, who understands Catholic teaching better than the Pope, assured Tom Brokaw this weekend that her pro-abortion beliefs in no way conflict with her religion. She's wrong. The Catholic position? Abortion a sin.

Pelosi, the Kennedys, Biden, and every other pro-abotion Catholic politicians oppose their church. And don't give me that "I'm not pro-abortion, I'm pro-choice" argument. You're either for it or you're against it!

Pro-abortion Catholic politicians are arrogance personified. And not for opposing their church, but for the weasel way they do it. If you're going to oppose your church's tenets, fine. This isn't the dark ages. But at least defend your position on it merits. Don't try to twist a 2000 year old belief held by billions of people.

The Pope, at 80 years old and with decades of theological study under his belt is wrong. Those great religious thinkers Pope Pelosi and Monsignor Kennedy are right. Oh, also, every printed word going back to early Christian writing of the second century? They're all wrong too. Pope Pelosi said so.

And they dare call President Bush arrogant?

Hot Air has a short, meticulously researched post on the issue. Please go read it if you want to see just how wrong Madam Speaker is on this issue.

Mile High Madness

Protesters started protesting the DNC Convention before it even started. Seems the city of Denver set up an old warehouse to process arrestees and left-wing kooks are comparing the facility to Gitmo and accusing the city government of fascism.

"We don't need another Gulag or Stalag or prison or whatever you want to call it," protester Larry Hales said.

Of course, it's not a fascist gulag. It's merely a holding pen for the poop throwing monkeys everyone anticipates will be rampaging through the streets of the Mile High City. But I love it when nutty leftists turn on their own kind.

Denver is a liberal enclave where illegal immigrants make themselves at home while the homeless roam free in their natural state. Mayor John "The Looper" Hickenlooper is a politically-correct progressive who has steered Denver on a leftward course. I'm sure it pains him to be compared to President Bush.

The Democratic party has been egging on these rabid monkeys for years, and now the monkeys are coming home to roost, pouring out their righteous anger against their erstwhile benefactors. It is amusing to hear them use outlandish rhetoric, vulgar name-calling, and buffoonish accusations of constitution shredding against their fellow progressives. This should make for an interesting convention. Here are a couple of links for those wanting an undiluted dose:

http://colorado.indymedia.org/node/424
http://www.recreate68.com/

Reporters Conflicted on Iraq Success

The New Republic reports good news from Iraq. I love the grudging good news reports that come from Liberal bastions like the NY Times and the New Republic. Of course, when the Bush haters report on improvements in Iraq, there's usually a backhand agenda lurking. This time, its Joshua Hammer gleefully reporting that "mercenaries" are taking big pay cuts and going unemployed due to the decreasing violence.

See how this works? Find a bright spot, but then use it to poke Bush, Halliburton, Blackwater, whomever supported this damned war! Iraqis are *Gasp* making their own oil contracts with other sovereign nations! This flies in the face of the whole Bush-Cheney oil stealing plot, so the press spins it negatively.

Mookie Al Sadr is turning his operation into a politico-charity joint, but Bush is criticized. What was the president supposed to do, go over there and kill him with his bare hands? The Iraqi Army decimated Sadr's forces; he had no options left, but of course, the press characterized it as Sadr offering a cease-fire.

Whatever. His guns are now silent, and this is often how insurgencies end. Those still alive who want to put down weapons are invited into the political process. You can't kill 'em all. Progressives should understand that, but they would rather feign ignorance and stick it to the president.

So now comes a reporter using good news to slam the security professionals who helped create this positive situation. That's the trend nowadays, isn't it? People like Josh don't put masculine values on a pedestal, they denigrate them. Probably to mask their own feelings of inadequacy.

Blaise Pascal said it best: "Men blaspheme what they do not know."

Adult Supervision

Every presidential ticket needs at least one credible candidate, and the Democrats have finally accomplished that. Joe Biden is a man of substance and stature. Love him or hate him, he's always got an opinion and it is usually well-informed, if not sometimes indiscreet. He's that rare politician who can be bitingly funny, warm, distinguished, and average Joe all at once.

I have a grudging admiration for Biden. I don't agree with him often, but his positions are always well thought out and well-reasoned. I like him because unlike most oily politicians, he comes off real and sincere. There's no guile, just Joe, telling it like it is. Here's a Biden quote from the Davos forum last year:

"You Europeans use George Bush's excesses as an excuse for your own lack of commitment. You've been reluctant to do anything apart from criticize America---get over it."
-- Reported on a blog, on the subject of the 2004 Davos conference in Switzerland

Biden's ACU rating (American Conservative Union benchmark--Higher the percentage, more conservative) is around 13%. Senator Obama's is around 7%, so this is a very liberal ticket, which should make the Democratic rank and file quite happy.

But most importantly, if Mr. Obama is elected, at least we'll have some adult supervision when the phone rings at 3 am.

Global Warming (Despite Cooler Temperatures)

Looks Like 2008 may end up being the coolest year of the young century. Imagine that, in the midst of all this global warming...

China became the world's biggest polluter in April of this year... Self-righteous USA critics have yet to shift their scorn eastward.

We could be in for more cooling for the next decade or so. Doesn't Mother Nature know the science is settled?

BBC reports all this grudgingly, and inserts all manner of caveats and finger shaking scolds, admonishing us naive global warming deniers to not let our guard down.

This is all temporary! Professor Dinglebulb from the Department of Settled Pseudoscience has a computer model that shows the earth catching fire in 2018 unless we forsake our SUVs, cut industrial output by 75%, and recycle our own feces. China and the rest of the the non-western countries are exempt, of course.

Many of the more enlightened Gaia worshipers who follow the Reverend Al Gore are the very same people who mock God and make fun of us bible clinging hicks who worship him. They aver religion is a scam devised by crafty pastors to threaten and control their fearful flocks. Meanwhile, these same concerned global citizens calculate their carbon footprint (examine their conscience) and buy carbon offsets (purchase indulgences) while hanging on Al Gore's every admonition (listening to the preacher) and demanding we all change out polluting ways (repent!). Believe us, don't believe your senses (have faith).

My religion has historical eye-witness testimony and roots that go back thousands of years--theirs was started by an angry and imperious former Vice President who refuses to debate his critics. So who's callin' who naive?

Senator Schumer: The Mouth That Roared

According to Reuters, California is mulling whether to investigate Senator Charles Schumer's role in the IndyMac Bank Failure.

The megaphone mouth senator, who's been known to knock down grannies and trample small children who have the misfortune of being between him and the press, can often be found lecturing us, finger in air and reading glasses perched professorially upon his noble proboscis. Even by grandiose senatorial standards, this guy is full of himself (and other substances).

Schumer sent a letter to the FDIC expressing concerns abut IndyMac's solvency. Problem is, his letter contained confidential inside information, and he publicized the letter (What good is it to do something if you can't grandstand?). This caused a good old fashioned bank run, only Jimmy Stewart wasn't around to save the day like in the holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life."

Now IndyMac employees have filed a complaint with the California Attorney General's office. Schumer's defenders claim this is merely Republican "swift boating." Pointing out that the aggrieved party's PR firm has conservative clients, including those who "swift boated" that great Naval hero, John Kerry.

One small wrinkle though: The California Attorney General is Jerry Brown, formerly known as Governor Moonbeam. This is not a man who crawls in bed with conservatives, but his office is seriously considering the issue.

I think a court docket would be the perfect stage for the Senator from Egoville, NY

Americans (Heart) Georgia

Slate Magazine has a good article on Georgia written Ilan Greenberg, a man who has spent considerable time in that country. He lightheartedly explores the country's charms to explain why Americans, and Russians, love the place so much. It's a good read. Check it out!

Reporters For Hope and Change

Reuters went to bat for its candidate, hoping to give him a boost after the shellacking Mac gave him at Saddle Back last weekend. It probably felt more like Brokeback to the Senator from Chicago.

Anyway, Reuters published a subtle little piece on patriotism and the presidential candidates. In it, they call white America racist and questions its patriotism.

Here's the first excerpt:

The U.S. presidential election presents a sharp contrast between two types of patriotism: John McCain stands as a war hero. His rival Barack Obama calls Americans back to the can-do spirit of the nation's founders.

When in the heck has Obama ever "called Americans back to the can-do spirit of the nation's founders"? On winning in Iraq? Lowering the price of gasoline? On encouraging Americans to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps? No, No and No. He does just the opposite. He's a community organizer turned senator peddling big government solutions and socialistic schemes like "economic justice." This opinion disguised as news also implies that John McCain is just standing there, like a marble war memorial statue, sword raised, not invoking the can-do spirit of our nation's founders. Do the Obama worshipers who wrote this really believe their own crap?

The next excerpt is even better, serving up a big slice of racial stereotyping.

Black Americans have fought in all the country's wars but their loyalty has been questioned because many black leaders have criticized U.S. policies on race and some whites assume historic discrimination against them, which includes slavery, would have undermined their commitment to U.S. ideals.

"Conservative whites look at them (blacks) as unpatriotic and yet if you look at the constitution and the history, the black community has been trying to make that constitution work for everybody," said Ronald Walters, professor of politics and government at the University of Maryland.

Walters contrasted what he called "bumper sticker patriotism" with what he said was a struggle many African Americans had engaged in to make the country a real democracy.

Whiteys are "bumper sticker patriots" who question the patriotism of blacks (the "real patriots.")

We don't need this kind of divisive trash, especially when it is served up by the press in support of their chosen candidate. This racial pot-stirring by the hacks at Reuters dishonors the memory of the brave men and women of all races and cultures who have served, fought, and died side-by-side for this country.

Women Drivers in Baghdad

More signs of normalcy in the beleaguered but recovering Iraqi capital. As the anti-woman jihadis retreat, women drivers are reclaiming their place in the drivers seat.

Samira Hussein, 36, walks out of the supermarket and slips behind the wheel of her car in the Karrada Maryam area of Baghdad near the heavily protected Green Zone.

It is a scene that is played out day after day in countries all around the world, but in Iraq, even simple tasks for women such as running errands and driving are deeply significant. Hussein, a mother of four, stopped driving in late 2003 as security in Baghdad deteriorated – but got behind the wheel again earlier this year.

“A car driven by a woman was like a goat chased by wolves,” she said. “The gangs who kidnapped and car jacked [citizens] were running everything.”

"[Now] I’m comfortable driving my car because I have more freedom. The streets are well protected and security forces are deployed everywhere.”

In the last few years in Baghdad, women have feared leaving their homes – let alone getting in a car alone – as militias struggled for power in the city.

While Baghdad still faces serious security concerns, signs of normalcy have returned to the capital, including women getting behind the wheel. While there are continuing threats and attacks, Baghdad has lately witnessed its lowest levels of violence since 2004.

We'll know they're finally over the hump when every Iraqi TV commercial features smart, savvy women and wimpy, clueless men.

Oxymoronic Republicans for Obama

I saw a Republicans for Obama bumper sticker the other day and couldn't help laughing out loud. Republicans for Obama is an oxymoron. Oil and water, fire and ice. Impossible.

Then I stumbled across a news article about this craze that featured two "Republicans" who are supporting the O Man. Former GOP Senator Lincoln Chaffee, who put down the bong long enough to vote for John Kerry in 2004, and Jim Leach, former Iowa Congressman who always looks concerned, have jumped on the Obama bandwagon. Neither man is a conservative, and both were voted out of office, so this isn't a big, bold move ala Alabama Senator Richard Shelby becoming a Republican back in the 90's.

Chris Matthews may get a tingle up his leg and the caterpillars on Keith Olbermann's forehead may dance with delight, but according to Pew Research, the GOP base is getting behind McCain. If this is the best the "Republicans for Obama" movement has to offer, Mac doesn't have much to worry about.

I chuckle at the Obama supporters who also claim to be Republicans. I can don a cape and call myself Batman, but that don't make it so. This is like Baptist preachers for prostitution, Firemen supporting house fires, A Mormon booze and cigarette aficionado club, lambs voting to put the wolf in charge...

The GOP stands for conservatism over liberalism, strict interpretation of the constitution, lower taxes, anti-abortion, strong military posture, unabashed displays of patriotism, private sector solutions instead of big government ones, tort reform, and the welfare of students over that of teachers unions. Senator Obama stands for none of these things.

I don't doubt the sincerity of "Republicans for Obama." I just doubt their ability to label themselves properly. If you used to refrain from eating meat, but you now snarf steaks and pork chops, you can no longer call yourself a vegetarian. Anyone who votes for someone so opposed to the basic conservative tenets of the GOP can no longer honestly call themselves a Republican.

This is media created hype. If it walks like a Democrat and quacks like a Democrat... It's probably a Democrat trying to duck the truth.

Right Europe

There may yet be hope for Olde Europe. The Frances and Germanys (Left Europe) still look down their snoots at the poorer, grittier Eastern cousins (Right Europe) whom they grudgingly let into their club as junior partners. But the Polands, Romanias, and Baltic States may end up being their salvation. One immediate benefit of the East's reintegration is that Europe no longer has a testosterone deficiency, although there is still an east (mucho) - west (nada) imbalance.

Poland and the Baltic States do not share France and Germany's conciliatory attitude towards Vlad the Impaler. Here's what Polish President Lech Kaczynski had to say about France and Germany's craven response:

This position by the two countries is due to "the historical experiences and interests of corporations" that are looking to make "big money" in Russia.

Kaczynski has hit the nail on the head. Recall that Gerhard Schroeder, former German Chancellor, now works for Russian Gazprom. For corporatist Europe, it's all about the money: Deutschmarks Uber Alles. It guided their dirty conduct in the UN-Iraq Oil for Food scandal, and it guides them now. It's all about oil and money. What President Bush is accused of, Left Europe is actually doing, and the Right Europeans, God bless them, have called them on it.

Why the disparity between Europe's West (Left) and East (Right)? Eastern Europeans bear fresh scars of Russian oppression. They remember not having freedom, so they cherish it. Meanwhile, Western Europeans are the lazy, entitled teens lounging beneath the US security umbrella, all the while criticizing it and the parents who built it.

Unlike their Western cousins, Eastern Europeans share our values and actually like us. They know the world is not sunshine and lollipops. Romanians are outside the wire guarding some of our bases in Afghanistan. Georgia had the third largest contingent in Iraq. Right Europe actively seeks our training assistance and military cooperation. They want our military hardware and know-how.

They will need it. When the spam hits the fan, it will be Right Europe, not effete, effeminate Left Europe that saves the continent.

Political Joke of the Day

This one is courtesy of uncle Silverfiddle:

I was talking to a friend of mine's little girl the other day. I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied, 'I want to be President!' Both of her parents are liberal Democrats and were standing right there. So then I asked her, 'If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?'

She replied, 'I'd give houses to all the homeless people.'

'Wow - what a worthy goal.' I told her, 'You don't have to wait until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take you over to the grocery store where this homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward a new house.'

Since she is only 6, she thought that over for a few seconds. While her Mom glared at me, she looked me straight in the eye and asked, 'Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?'

And I said, 'Welcome to the Republican Party.'

Her folks still aren't talking to me.

Don't Feed the Crocodile (or Bear)

Two great men: President Ronald Reagan and Sir Winston Churchill.

I love quotes, and I love it even more when I find one famous person paraphrasing or quoting another. Here, President Reagan does a riff off of Sir Winston. Both were staunch critics of appeasement. Wise words that we would do well to heed today.

"To sit back hoping that someday, someway, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last--but eat you he will!"
–Ronald Reagan

“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile–hoping it will eat him last.”
- Sir Winston Churchill

That goes for feeding bears, too...

Obama, Infanticide & Other Evils

David Freddoso, Bane of the Obama left for daring to dirty the Obamessiah's brilliant white robes, has written an excellent article about Obama's support for infanticide. He begins by describing a nurse's eye-witness account of cradling a four month old baby boy, victim of a botched abortion, and watching him die because Illinois law and hospital staff permitted it.

I think abortion is abhorrent, and words can't do justice to the evil of the Illinois infanticide law. But other things in the article caught my eye as well:

The hospital where the botched abortion turned into a baby killing is Christ Hospital, which is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The sick and the dying must be the only thing keeping Our Heavenly Father from zapping that facility and everything in it to a crisp. Jesus turned over the tables in the temple over less than this. WWJD? He sure as hell wouldn't put his name on a building where practitioners inside kill babies.

Why is an organization that professes to be Christian allowing this barbaric practice on its premises? Probably has something to do with federal funding.

This is why I oppose all "faith based initiatives," regardless of who sponsors them. In every church and state argument, the specter of The Church controlling The Government is invoked. The cleared danger is The Government controlling The Church. Based on its track record, I don't want my government anywhere near my religion.

How could something like this happen in the Midwest? I know people in Illinois, I have family there. It is a state full of hard working, churchgoing, small town people with traditional values. How could they let such a law pass? Political apathy in the face of the corrupt Chicago Democratic machine that controls the state's politics. That seems to be the only answer. Dirty big city pols are so disgusting that people can't stand watching the political debauchery, so they turn off politics and go back to work.

Edmund Burke said all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. The good citizens of Illinois have proven that out. But in this case, evil also had help from a phony religious organization, the Illinois Legislature, and a young constitutional lawyer who defended it all named Barack Obama.

UN Back to Iraq

More good news from Iraq:

Earth Times reports that Iraq and the United Nations signed "a landmark agreement for reconstruction, development and humanitarian assistance."


We've cleaned out the bad neighborhood, time for the international social workers to come in. This is another positive milestone that shows our military efforts are bearing fruit. The international community getting involved gives it a stake in the country's success, which means the bad-mouthing and sniping from them should slow down.

"The strategy signals a real moment of opportunity in Iraq, with greater stability, a clear will to recover, a growing UN presence and better access to many areas," said David Shearer, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Iraq.

"We plan to see faster implementation on the ground and stronger policy guidance in Baghdad." Iraq's Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation Ali Babab, said the agreement represents an important step in Iraq's recovery process. "It brings the whole UN organization together in partnership with Iraq and its people, to reduce poverty, foster growth and consolidate democracy in our country," he stated.

I slam the UN all the time, but this is the kind of feel-good stuff they are good at: Rebuilding societies and their institutions, fostering political and social reconciliation, handing out medicine and aid. But they can't do it without our military success. We should be proud, even if they give us no credit.

So we should wholeheartedly support the UN's efforts in Iraq. Just keep them away from the women and children... and any deals involving oil or food.

Lessons from Russia & Georgia

Teddy Roosevelt was right: "Speak softly and carry a big stick":
Georgia isn't the only former vassal state discomfited by Ivan's gaze. The Stans and other regions with names unfamiliar to us have been building their own economies, cooperating on energy and making deals with other neighbors, but they've been doing it quietly. Georgia impetuously jumped into Russia's carefully planned trap, setting back their heady post-Soviet progress.

Speak softly and carry a big stick, Pt 2:
A corollary to President Roosevelt's maxim is don't write checks you're not prepared to cash, even if you're a superpower. President Bush made a wonderful speech in Tbilisi back in 2005 extolling Georgians' virtues. He assured them the American people stand with them. It was beautiful and inspiring, but now it's all just so many scattered words... His administration is now trying to make good on those words. I pray they succeed.

Doing something poorly is often worse than doing nothing at all:
Leftist here and abroad have won the propaganda war against the US. They had plenty of help from their fellow travelers in the press who trumpeted our every mistake. Our credibility is shot, we have no moral authority. It's not right, but that's where things stand. What affect will this naked aggression have on our already shaky "Freedom and Democracy" agenda? Will other states teetering on the brink be more likely to throw in with us, or will they decide it's easier to bow and scrape to regional thugs and local potentates?

Military might matters. International organizations don't.
"If you build it, they will come" is from that Kevin Costner movie, Field of Dreams. In the real world it's more like, "If you build it, someone bigger will take it away from you." Despite what the "citizens of the world" say, it's still a Hobbesean world where life is nasty, brutish and short. Can the UN help? No. Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has veto power over any resolution, which really doesn't matter anyway since UN resolutions have the value of toilet paper. If you have something worth keeping, you better have the means and the will to defend it.

We can't count on Europe
A weak collection of pacifistic states who depend on a ruthless military power for its energy needs have no influence over that ruthless military power. Russia will be rewarded for this aggression. Who will punish them? The Western Europeans? Remember how they dithered while Bosnia burned? They can't scrape together enough arms and willing men to organize a hunting party. Besides, Vlad the Impaler will pinch the gas pipe off, and winter is on the way. Mustn't anger the bear.

If you're not upset about this you need to dig a little deeper...

Pull Our Troops Out Now!!!

I was stationed there and I used to believe in the mission...

It's time to bring all the troops home. Sure, leave a base that will serve as an air bridge for points further east, but it's time to bring 'em home.

The war is over. Some danger may still loom, but major fighting is finished. Besides, we're spending billions per year keeping our forces over there. We've trained 'em and armed 'em. It's time their duplicitous government and weak, untested military sink or swim on their own and stop lounging under our security umbrella. Our rapid withdrawal will be just the wake up call they need to get serious and grow up.

We ousted an evil dictator but get no gratitude for it. We saved them from the savagery they visited upon one another and rebuilt their economy and infrastructure. Despite this, all they can do is criticize us. Government cooperation on all but the simplest of things is becoming increasingly problematic. Besides, we don't really have that much in common anyway. We share few common values and the religious differences are stark. Our garish displays of Christianity are offensive to a great majority of the population.

They're getting too cozy with their bigger neighbor to the east whose government funds terrorism and sticks a finger the the West's eye every chance it gets. They were slaughtering each other not so many years ago, but now our host is depending more and more on this dangerous neighbor despite our warnings. Our host's new friend to the east also has empirical ambitions. Flush with oil money, he dispatches armed forces to sow chaos in neighboring countries. But our host is too dependent on him to do anything about it.


Yup. It's time to leave...


... Europe, that is.

Salmonella and the Government

Tomato farmers are suing the government over the big tomato ban declared by the FDA. Seems the ban caused them to take a pretty big loss. You can read about it at Bloomberg.


As a crabby critic and small-government fiscal conservative, I don't know what to think. The government took action to keep people from getting sick, but caused financial damage to innocent farmers in the process...

All I have are questions:

Could the ban and the tracking down the source have been done more efficiently?

Do we need the USDA to guarantee the safety of our food supply? Read Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" before answering.

Could private enterprise do the job better? Would you trust a business more than the government, especially after the mortgage mess and Wall Street financial bacchanalia that have cost us dearly? The business and finance people damn near wrecked our economy and so far we haven't seen too many people pay for it.

On the other hand, businesses really guard their reputation. When's the last time a car spontaneously combusted, ala the late 60's Corvaire? Businesses do have a financial incentive to not harm the consumer.

Is it a good idea to routinely get fresh food from all over the world? Would consuming only regionally grown food be a better alternative? That is the progressives' answer, and they are not always wrong. Think about it: If a local grower poisons some people his business probably wouldn't survive the fallout. Also, I haven't heard of any salmonella cases originating from a Saturday farmers market.

I don't have the answers, but I urge you to ponder these issues if you care about the proper role of government. Sorry this wasn't funny.

Whatever Happened to Free Tibet ?

I remember back a few years seeing Free Tibet bumper stickers on progressive Saabs and hippie VWs. Tibet is still in China's clutches, Russia is busy slapping around it's former vassal states, but the world is focused on the supposed crimes of George Bush.

I can understand the argument that we never should have invaded Iraq, although I think that point is now moot. I can also understand those who think war is wrong and who insist that might doesn't make right.

What I can't understand is those on the left who criminalize the Iraq invasion but see nothing wrong with Ivan putting a knife to Georgia's throat because she runs a competing pipeline and cozies up to Uncle Sam.

Who champions the whole "Iraq as disaster" meme? Scared, jealous neighbors who don't want their own despotic teacups turned over, and peace-at-all-cost Europeans who were profiting nicely from the Saddam-era status quo. And American progressives who used to stand for freedom have jumped right in.

Can't these progressives see the illogic in protesting the Iraq invasion but giving China and Russia a free pass every time they brass knuckle a neighbor or support oppression in Africa because they need the natural resources and subservient political allies?

Here are a few examples of Bush-bashing progressives defending Russia's naked aggression:

magnifco1000 wrote:

The bottom line, the former Soviet Republics have all been sent a message. You have to make peace with Russia, like it or not, and forget the siren call of supposed wealth and riches from the West. It's the call of opportunists and when push comes to shove, they won't be there for you anyway.

Now, substitute "former Soviet Republics" with "Arab Countries" and "Russia" with "the US" and you see how very unprogressive this statement is!

jvandeswaluw1 wrote:

I would like to wish that George Bush had the same common sense as the Georgian leader; retreat when you know that you can't win. It took the Georgian leader only a few days to realize this; Bush doesn't realize this after more than six years! But George has always been a slow learner.

Another progressive cheering at the retreat of a sovereign nation in the face of a foreign invasion, and wishing his own government would retreat in shame as well.

jellybean1 wrote:

Georgia invaded a breakaway region which is protected by Russia. Russia responded with military actions against Georgia. Georgia retreated because of defeat, and declared cease-fire.

This guy swallowed Ivan's propaganda hook, line and sinker. He's the same brain surgeon who routinely labels "kool-aid drinker" anyone who believes anything the President says.

All this madness detracts from human rights disasters that flourish due to world inattention and inaction: Reporters languish in Cuban dungeons. Darfur rapes and killings continue, Russia bullies it neighbors, human trafficking... And Tibet still isn't free. So rail against President Bush and our actions if you must. That is your constitutionally-guaranteed right, and government always bears watching. But please stop ignoring and even excusing brutality from other world actors.

I know progressives will never embrace President Bush, but is it too much to ask them to at least embrace intellectual honesty?

Wildlife Alert--Experts Wrong Again

More proof that the "experts" can be wrong on the mysterious ways of nature.

Breitbart reports that wildlife experts just found over 125,000 gorillas in the Republic of Congo that they previously did not know existed. The creatures had been considered almost extinct.

If scientists can miss a group of gorillas big enough to fill a small city, how can they know what the temperature of the planet is supposed to be?

Eagles, Bears & Peaceful Europeans

Olde Europe, like the rest of the world, has been focusing on megalomaniac George Bush and his dictator destroying (or oil grabbing) dreams. The US is the biggest threat to world peace, these angry lambs bleat.

Well, Russia want a piece of that, and not for the peace and democracy reasons President Bush cites as his motives. No, this is classic Russian brute-force on the move in Georgia. This is the brutish thug in a vodka stained wifebeater grabbing his woman by the hair and dragging her back in the house because she dared talk to the mailman. Russia is the hairy ape that tells his woman, "If you try to leave me I'll kill you."

The US has broken some furniture on the world scene, but compare: Ecuador just told us to leave. We're packing up our anti-drug operation and leaving. Panama and the Philippines told us to leave, and we left. Ditto for bases we had in Spain, Greece and Uzbekistan. Has Russia ever voluntarily quit any country? And what are Russia's motives for her actions?

The US ostensibly acts to protect international shipping lanes and the movement of goods for global commerce, defense of liberal democracy and human rights, and to ensure the free flow of oil. Yes, it is about oil. Try running a world economy without it. And no, these are not altruistic acts: The US benefits from an orderly world system.

Russia acts to protect her "near abroad." From what I understand, this Nietzsche-esque will to power has to do with classic Russian values, paranoia and patriotism that can really only be understood after reading a stack of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky novels. Russia is not like any other country around her. She knows it and feels most secure with a fat belt of subservient vassal states surrounding her. Stop and ponder for a moment just how grotesque that really is...

Meanwhile, Olde Europe couldn't scrape together enough men and arms for a hunting party. Remember how we had to go into Bosnia because the Euros were too busy dithering? Russia is the heavily armed bully that has his pacifist neighbors to the west cowering in fear: Ivan stomps and roars, furrowing his bushy eyebrows and the Euros shiver and piddle down their legs like inbred dogs. And it's not just the military threat. Europe depends on Ivan's good graces to keep the oil and natural gas flowing from the east.

The most obvious lessons are trite ones: To protect peace, you must be prepared for war. Depending too much on others for basic needs like energy is not a good thing.

Robert Kagan has explained it much better than I. He wrote an article in Policy Review called Power and Weakness that explores and explains the divergent philosophies of Europe and the US. Europe is where we have always wanted them to be: Prosperous, free and at peace with one another and the world. They are living happily in a Kantian peace bubble that we helped build. But outside that bubble (and now intermittently intruding upon it) it is still a good -vs- evil Hobbesian world of "continual fear and danger of violent death; and [makes] the life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." God bless Europe for her successes, but she must address the violent Hobbesian world that now presses in on her Kantian bubble.

The less obvious, but more important lesson is one of unity. Unity of thought and action. Can Western Civilization reconcile its diverse world views and form a coherent strategy, an 80% solution, that at least gets us all pointed in the same direction? To quote Franklin "We must all hang together or assuredly we shall all hang separately." Or, if you prefer, Rodney King: "Can't we all just get along?"

Battles of ideas are preferable to ones with weapons, but when one side has all the arms or the other side refuses to fight, the debate is over and it's the rule of the gun.

Can we artfully blend sweaty American firepower with European sophistication and diplomacy? Can we agree on what we believe and hold dear? Do we have the will to defend it?

Bush as Batman: A Summary

Powerful protector or Ominous oppressor?
 

Victim of his own success...

What price victory?
 

Good -vs- Evil

I find the whole Bush as Batman phenomenon quite interesting. I agree that Bush is Batman: He believes in good and evil and has earned nothing but opprobrium for relentlessly fighting the latter. Here are links to what I think are the two best articles on the subject.

Father Raymond J. de Souza doesn't compare the President to Batman in his National Post article, but he does set the stage for the debate. He places the movie's central theme in stark philosophical terms of not just a struggle between good and evil, but a struggle against the nihilism that says there is no such thing as good or evil:

This Batman comes with the bonus of some of the more combustible questions in philosophy. What is evil? Is there a moral order built into our world, or is to speak of such a moral design delusional?

Andrew Klavan makes the best case of Bush as Batman over at WSJ On-Line:

Like W, Batman is vilified and despised for confronting terrorists in the only terms they understand. Like W, Batman sometimes has to push the boundaries of civil rights to deal with an emergency, certain that he will re-establish those boundaries when the emergency is past.

And like W, Batman understands that there is no moral equivalence between a free society -- in which people sometimes make the wrong choices -- and a criminal sect bent on destruction. The former must be cherished even in its moments of folly; the latter must be hounded to the gates of Hell.

The true complexity arises when we must defend these values in a world that does not universally embrace them -- when we reach the place where we must be intolerant in order to defend tolerance, or unkind in order to defend kindness, or hateful in order to defend what we love.

When heroes arise who take those difficult duties on themselves, it is tempting for the rest of us to turn our backs on them, to vilify them in order to protect our own appearance of righteousness. We prosecute and execrate the violent soldier or the cruel interrogator in order to parade ourselves as paragons of the peaceful values they preserve. As Gary Oldman's Commissioner Gordon says of the hated and hunted Batman, "He has to run away -- because we have to chase him."

Despite the protestations of modern-day relativists, it is a good -vs- evil world.  Even the Hollywood fantasists stumble upon that truth every once in awhile.

Rock On, President Batman!

Kook Bait Alert!

Senator Obama threw a little kook bait in the water the other day to try and reel the nutroots back in. According to Breitbart, he blamed Vice President Cheney for our current energy crisis. Mr. Obama is far too smart to believe his own BS, but it sure does play well with the wackadoo wing of the Democratic party.

Here's the money quote:

"President Bush, he had an energy policy. He turned to Dick Cheney and he said, 'Cheney, go take care of this,'" Obama said. "Cheney met with renewable-energy folks once and oil and gas (executives) 40 times. McCain has taken a page out of the Cheney playbook."

Here is the far left, Bush-Derangement-Syndrome explanation for high oil prices. This one is so much more plausible and satisfying than the old "supply and demand" explanation:

VP Cheney and his "Big Oil" Cronies in cahoots with Halliburton have talked President Bush into turning up that secret oil price dial under his desk. Of course, the president had to take off the headphones he was using to eavesdrop on our phone calls so he could hear what the Vice President was saying.

These actions were a result of Cheney's unprecedented secret meetings with those sinister oilmen. Never before had there been secret meetings in the White House. Every administration up to this one has released every jot and tittle of every administration activity and acted with complete openness.

Most sinister of all, VP Cheney was covertly consorting with these greedy oilmen to help formulate energy policy. A serious and honest administration would have consulted openly with environmentalists and candlestick makers.

Finally, did you know Dick Cheney shot a man in Reno just to watch him die?

Governments Make More on Oil than "Big Oil" Does

Here's a little perspective on Big Oil's obscene profits. The first excerpt comes from left coast flagship Los Angeles Times, of all places. Their criticism of raising corporate taxes left me slack-jawed:

We hate spending $60 on a fill-up as much as the next person, but we don't think Exxon or its outsized profits should be the impetus for bad policy. As we've said before, it's a bad idea to pile more taxes onto oil companies for supposedly excessive profits. Exxon already faces a stiff tax bill -- nearly 50% of its taxable income went to the government in the most recent quarter. Increasing the price of success could discourage the company from making high-risk, high-reward bets on new supplies and technologies, which is the opposite of what the country needs.

The Tax Foundation points out that Big Oil is paying record taxes as well. What the demagogic politicians don't tell us is that Uncle Sam's cut of those record profits is almost 50%! Add in all taxes big oil paid to all governments, and one sees that governments are making more money off of petroleum than the oil companies are!

Here's the chart from the tax foundation. My HTML skills aren't the best, so if the chart is unreadable just go to the tax foundation's web site:

"Big Oil" made $20 Billion in net profits last quarter. "Big Government" made $47 Billion. Who's calling who obscene?