Thursday, August 31, 2006

State of Our Nation

Evaluating the present administration and the future of our nation.

While our President continues to fight for us against an ideology that intends on ending our way of life, our democratic "friends" on the left believe it is time for a "change in direction". Many have argued that this country is in part responsible for the strife that has evolved thruout the middle east since President Bush took office in 2000. While there may be valid points that this situation has escalated during our current presidents terms, there is plenty of evidence to substantiate that this corrupted ideology has been developing/evolving for decades. While our national security is in a critical state at this time, and no one knows when we will be attacked again, it is inevitable that it will happen. On what scale, and what form of an arsenal that will be used, one can only guess.

A STRONGLY DIVIDED NATION

When the political pendulum began to swing in 1994 with the "Contract with America", conservatives took control of the house, then the senate, and eventually the presidency. While we could spend hours of debate on how and why the nation swung to the right, I believe that each political ideology on both the left and the right went (strongly) in two different directions. While the democratic party has been reeling from their loss of power that they maintained for the better part of forty years, and a portion of that party moved radically to the left, republican conservatives embraced their newfound position in many ways that moved the nation further to the right.

To make matters worse, each time that President Bush was elected, the left has made accusations that were beyond reasonable peoples beliefs. The snake-oil the democrats will try to sell this November will be that some how the Presidents foreign policy has made this nation less safer and (with no plan of their own except cut and run) the left believes we need to change direction.They seem to think that the road to security is thru appeasement and more diplomacy. And that is exactly how we got here in the first place.

We can go back to Jimmy Carter and the 444 days of hell Iran put us through, that show the weakness of a party who preferred to talk. How many times under Clinton have we had agreements with North Korea, Palestinians, and others only to have those "promises" broken simply because we had no teeth. The democratic party wants us to continue to embrace the United Nations and their pathetic excuse for a security force, and the results have been nothing but failure after failure.

While the conservatives on the right, (and many moderate democrats), understand that we are in a global war against a corrupted ideology who's ONLY goal is to exterminate us, our democratic "friends" on the left are determined to regain the power they lost, bring all the troops home and wait for the terrorist to come to a city near you. And this is what they claim is a "change in direction" .

If we drink this "snake-oil" in November, it may well be the poison apple we may never be able to recover from. Can you say "Allah-Amerika"

Rovin

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Very Lite Blogging

I am currently working in Sacramento till the 30th, so I might not git to post much.

Found a pc here at the hotel and will try to get a word in when I git home from work.

95 degress here, so the work takes it's toll.

Rovin

Friday, August 18, 2006

NSA Wiretapping / Dems Demise

Scott Johnson and Paul Mirengoff at Powerline rebut the decision of Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in the NSA case here and here.

The democratic party seems to be convinced that they want to take this important national security issue head on. I'm not sure what motivates them to expose such a weakness. While many in this nation may be (justifiably) impatient with the conflicts on the ground in Iraq, most understand what is at stake. The Lefts policy of "change in direction" isn't anything more than "Let us have a go at it" and "we can do better". Their "fold the tent" and bring the troops home now attitude is a recipe for disaster and the weakness in our armor the terrorist are looking for.

And this is a Global War on Terrorism-- and the left just refuse to admit it.

Anna Diggs Taylor, (a Jimmy Carter appointee), and the ACLU,Greenpeace, and Christopher Hitchens gang have got their hands full on Constitutional Law and Presidential Powers in a time of war.

Bring it on!

Update: The Justice Department said the National Security Agency's terrorist surveillance program authorized by President Bush was "an essential tool for the intelligence community" in the nation's ongoing war on terror. It called the program "a critical tool that ensures we have in place an early warning system to detect and prevent a terrorist attack. "In the ongoing conflict with al Qaeda and its allies, the president has the primary duty under the Constitution to protect the American people," the department said. "The Constitution gives the president the full authority necessary to carry out that solemn duty, and we believe the program is lawful and protects civil liberties."

Todays Washington Times reports:

White House spokesman Tony Snow said that the Bush administration's program, implemented after the September 11 terrorist attacks, is "firmly grounded in law and regularly reviewed to make sure steps are taken to protect civil liberties" and that the administration "couldn't disagree more" with the judge's ruling. "Last week, America and the world received a stark reminder that terrorists are still plotting to attack our country and kill innocent people," Mr. Snow said. "United States intelligence officials have confirmed that the program has helped stop terrorist attacks and saved American lives.

"The program is carefully administered, and only targets international phone calls coming into or out of the United States where one of the parties on the call is a suspected al Qaeda or affiliated terrorist," he said. "The whole point is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks before they can be carried out. That's what the American people expect from their government, and it is the president's most solemn duty to ensure their protection."

Demise = Democratic Party

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Great Conversations Need Recording

From Powerline:This morning on Bill Bennett's radio show, he and Alan Dershowitz had an excellent discussion of the conflict in Lebanon. Unfortunately, they share our pessimism at the outcome. More than that, they discuss the broader implications of the conflict, and pose the question whether any liberal democracy can effectively combat a conscienceless foe that doesn't mind--indeed, welcomes--civilian casualties. And the question of what happens when that conscienceless foe, like Iran, possesses nuclear weapons, is also raised. The clip is ten or eleven minutes long: Click here for link

Monday, August 14, 2006

BREAKING NEWS

Fox News is reporting that "10 Katyusha Rockets Explode in South Lebanon, IDF Says", The report also notes that the rockets were fired at IDF positions inside Lebonon.

Updates coming: Looks like the hidden-amongst-the-sheep have slithered away.

2 Fox News reporters kidnapped in Gaza

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Masked Palestinian gunmen ambushed a car carrying a Fox News crew in Gaza City on Monday and kidnapped two journalists, according to witnesses and Fox.
"We can confirm that two of our people were taken against their will in Gaza," Fox News said in a statement.

A Fox employee in Gaza, who declined to give his name because he was not authorized to release information about the incident, said reporter Steve Centanni, a U.S. citizen, and a cameraman from New Zealand were kidnapped. Links here, and here.

Update: Michelle Malkin has coverage and updates

Update 2: CAIR Calls for Release of Fox Journalists in GazaAug 14 2:00 PM US/Eastern........ link

Friday, August 11, 2006

GWOT UPGRADING DRAMATICALLY

First and foremost, let's call them what they are. 'Islamic Fascists'

Muslim Group Upset by Bush's Use of 'Islamic Fascists'

Bush called the attempted terrorist attack "a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation."Nihad Awad, executive director of CAIR, believes Bush should not even mention Islam when referring to the would-be terrorists.

Middle East expert and Islamic history expert Daniel Pipes told Cybercast News Service that Awad's claim is a "debatable proposition."

Pipes praised Bush specifically for his use of the phrase "Islamic fascists."

"For the president to articulate who the enemy is so clearly and unambiguously is a huge step forward," Pipes said. "You cannot diagnose and treat a disease without first identifying and naming it. So, a strategist cannot defeat an enemy without first identifying it and naming it."

OLMERT HAS A KENNEDY,KERRY,MURTHA MOMENT

Olmert faces backlash over Lebanon warFri Aug 11, 2006 7:29am ETSome Israeli military commanders said an expanded ground offensive, authorized by Olmert and his security cabinet on Wednesday, should not have been put on hold.

They accused Olmert of denying the army a chance to gain more ground militarily to secure a ceasefire that would be more favorable to Israel and less so to Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Excellent Round-up of the GWOT:

The 7 Fronts Of the War On Terror

By YOUSSEF IBRAHIMAugust 11, 2006

"The jihadist skirmishes burning around the world are flaring into a larger firestorm in the summer of 2006, a situation that will surely intensify as we approach the fifth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001."

complete story in the NY Sun HERE

And Bill Bennett brings reality to all of this maddness:

"Yes, Israel’s war is our war. About this, our mutual enemies have no doubt. The same cannot be said of the international community. Now is the time for Israel to clean Hezbollah out of the Middle East, just as we are trying to clean al Qaeda out of everywhere else they have planted their soldiers. This is a long haul, and a dangerous war, but it will be longer and made more dangerous with appeasement and ceasefires being urged upon Israel and, for that matter, the United States."

"Let Kofi Annan condemn Israel. Let ex-State Department officials wring their hands. Let the Security Council issue its condemnations if it must. But at the end of the diplomatic doublespeak and the denunciations of editorial writers here and abroad, let the countries on the frontlines, fighting for their existence, act like any normal country would under attack and save themselves. In so doing, they will save those who also strive to be normal, democratic, and free. For if Iran’s “frontline” succeeds, Israel and the U.S. will cease to exist on the globe below which Hezbollah’s rifle is held. And al Qaeda will cheer the outcome for its newfound ally."

William J. Bennett (Bennetts complete article here)

side-note: I wouldn't let UNFIL and France forces provide security for my mule!
Why would Isreal?

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Source of "Smoke" Located


Breaking News!

I have found the source of Adnan Hajj's (former Reuters photographer) smoke.

note: (I added a little more smoke to Ed's picture and I think I did a better job than Hajj)

And you all thought Hajj got all that "smoke" from photo-shopping? Ha! :)

Captain, you gotta stop being such an "inspiration" to all them photographers.


Update: The Best "Photo-Gate" analisis I have found is HERE



Monday, August 07, 2006

Rude Awakening


I woke up at 3 am this morning to a sound I had not heard so close to home. A sort of gurgleing sound out the back deck. Grabbing my maglight and the .38, I stepped out onto the deck and creeped over to the rail. Before I could click on the flashlight, this "critter" not 30 feet away, let out a blood-curdling scream. No, I didn't shoot my foot.

I got the flashlight turned on just in time to see its tail and ass going over the hill and down to the lower property. Instead of firing off a warning round that would have certainly woke up the neighborhood, I just screamed back at that lion that sounded like a cross between a grizzly and a bull elephant. And then I did it again, louder. Every hair on this fellers body was on edge.

Now this cats been around for the better part of a month and my good friend and neighbor Matt has heard it several times and couldn't understand why I hadn't. I sleep pretty sound and my bedroom's farthest away from the back property, but this time it was different.

I am a hunter, and they used to say "seeing a mountain lion in the wild was a once in a lifetime experience". But there's been a moratorium on killing these critters in California for over 30 years. Dave, (a fish and game employee) told me that the population has grown to almost un-manageable conditions.

To clarify, I did not intend on shooting this cat, (especially with a .38), unless it was coming at me. The .44 or the Weatherby would be a more appropriate weapon. But if my "roar" didn't move this critter to other grounds, something will have to be done sooner or later.

This was close enough for my body.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Photo-shopping Terrorism Wars





It appears that the "propaganda media" has been to photo-shop class.Links here, here, here, and here.




Maybe we should re-visit Haditha?

Update: From Hot Air

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Agreement Reached with Bolton,France

U.S., France Agree on Draft Cease-Fire Resolution to End Mideast Violence
Saturday, August 05, 2006

UNITED NATIONS — The United States and France agreed Saturday on a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for an end to the fighting between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, but would allow Israel to defend itself if attacked, officials said. U.S. Ambassador John Bolton and French President Jacques Chirac's office confirmed that agreement had been reached.

An official with knowledge of the document said the draft calls for a "full cessation of violence" between Israel and Hezbollah, but would allow Israel the right to launch strikes if Hezbollah attacks it.

"It does not say immediate cessation of violence," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the draft had not yet been made public.

That appeared to be a major victory for the U.S. and Israel. France and many other nations had demanded an immediate halt to the fighting without conditions as a way to push the region back toward stability.

"We're prepared to continue to work tomorrow in order to make progress on the adoption of the resolution but we have reached agreement and we're now ready to proceed," Bolton said. "We're prepared to move as quickly as other members of the council want to move."

Now can some one tell me how a recess-appointed "bully" can find a way to get an agreement with France to bring about a peace process? Jean-Claud-Kerry must be really scratching his head.

UPDATE: My (belated) blogroll addition of the Belmont Club has some of the best commenters on this "Franco-American" deal.