Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Newsweek Labels Bremer Incompetent: What do Iraqis Say?

Take a look at the June 29 post on this blog.

Optimists and skeptics alike were touched by the early handover and by Bremer's last words to the Iraqi people. Is there any doubt remaining that Rod Nordland of Newsweek is guilty of political partisanship?

Listening to Botox Pelosi babble on and on about George Bush's incompetence is irritating, and clearly demonstrates that her over-abundance of botox is balanced by her lack in statesmanship. But we can accept her drivel because she is part of the extreme left political machine.

However, the likes of Michael Moore and Rod Nordland are an entirely different matter. These two purport to be purveyors of objective news and analysis. Yet they ignore critical facts (270 mass graves found in Iraq, thousands of mutilated Iraqis, documented attempts by Saddam Hussein to procure nuclear weapons and components) to undermine the administration's case for war. They ignore the heroic efforts of thousands of Americans, Brittish, and Iraqis on the ground who are working to secure peace and prosperity for the next generation, and label them incompetent because terrorists are still busy terrorizing. They claim to be educating Americans, yet they appear to have a healthy disdain for Americans who fall to the right of center.

Fortunately, the blogger world offers us a clear view of what really is happening in the streets of Baghdad. That view is not always pretty, but it's a stark contrast to the vision that Moore and Nordland would like you to see.

US CPA Efforts Labeled "Incompetent"

Rod Nordland published an article today for Newseek under the title "Freedom's Reign". The article was little more than a second rate hatchet job comprised of regurgitated bashing of the United States endeavor in Iraq. It's clear that everyone has an opinion on the question of whether or not we should have invaded Iraq, and it's also clear that Mr. Nordland is of the opinion that we had no business liberating Iraqis from Saddam Hussein. I respect his opinion, but I take exception to his tactics of trashing every aspect of the US efforts in Iraq and his use of Michael Moore type distortions to try to make his point.

Mr. Nordland is hosting a "Live Talk" tonight with the purposes of discussing how best to transfer sovereignty to the new Iraqi government. Interestingly enough, Nordland's article makes no attempt to address the "how", it simply offers a hatchet-job on the "who". What follows is a letter from USANow to Rod Nordland:


    Mr. Nordland, I recently read your article and have several questions for you. You are hosting a Live Talk today on how best to transfer sovereignty, yet your article offers absolutely nothing on this topic. You simply engaged in the same recurrent American-loathing propoganda endorsed by the radical left and packaged it as new material. Given the claims you've made in your article, I'm left to wonder if you are qualified to host this Live Talk event.

    Do you understand that securing a country the size of Iraq is a daunting task? Do you understand that Iraq is now teeming with Syrian and Iranian insurgents? Yet you use the fact that US forces continue to face resistance as evidence that the Coalition Provisional Authority is "incompetent".

    Given your background in journalism, I would hope that even you would admit that you don't know the first thing about securing a nation. Yet you presume to know that current troop levels are sufficient, and the military is therefore failing because pipelines have been attacked. There is ample evidence that Iraqi unemployment is as low as it's been in years, yet you decry "double digit" employment. Teachers and doctors are receiving salaries unheard of in the former regime, yet you claim that "Materially, most Iraqis were better off under Saddam". The evidence I have seen contradicts your claim, so I'd be curious to learn of your sources. And finally, you close your slanderous tirade by labeling the CPA as "amateur nation-builders". Given the rarity of such circumstances, do you really believe that there is such a thing as a professional nation builder? How ironic that the author of an irresponsible propoganda piece has the nerve to label the coalition "incompetent". Unfortunately, I'd bet only the likes of Michael Moore are tickled by this type of irony.

    This morning, the world witnessed the ceremonial flag raising outside the Iraqi embassy in the United States. Rend Al-Rahim, Iraq's representative to the United States, was very hopeful about the future, stating that the new democratic system promises to give all Iraqis the opportunity to participate in the political process and to voice their concern. Perhaps her comments were diametrically opposed to your article because, unlike you, she isn't trying to push a political agenda.

Tuesday, June 29, 2004

May God Help Us

I've long suspected that the results of CNN polls are tainted by a disproportionate number of the bleeding heart set. Recent presidential polls on CNN show Kerry winning by a margin of 30 percentage points, when typical polls show Kerry in the lead by 2 or 3 points. Many other CNN polls show such a significant bias that I now second guess myself if I'm ever with the majority of respondents.

My suspicions are confirmed today with CNN's poll related to internet pornography. In their infinite wisdom, the Supreme Court decided today that attempts to prosecute pornographers who distribute their 'wares' to children are likely constitutional. The court believes that freely distributing pornography is covered by free speech. CNN created a related poll asking if the US should police pornography on the internet, and as of this morning 51% of respondents feel that no policing is necessary. I must be a prude because I don't want my children to have easy access to hard core smut from the comfort of my home.

Today's poll provides living proof that smut peddlers, ACLU attorneys, and extreme leftist Democrats make up a large share of the visitors to CNN's website. It's small wonder that Bush comes out on the short end of every CNN poll.

Latest Poll Results

Monday, June 28, 2004

Mission Accomplished: Iraqis Respond

In the wake of the handover of power to the new Iraqi government, Iraqi bloggers are expressing excitement and gratitude. Here are a few comments sure to make professional bleeding hearts like Michael Moore and John Kerry wince:

From messopotamian.blogspot.com

  • Hail our true friends, the Great People of the United States of America; The Freedom giving Republic, the nation of Liberators. Never has the world known such a nation, willing to spill the blood of her children and spend the treasure of her land even for the sake of the freedom and well being of erstwhile enemies.
  • Hail, Great El Bush, a leader not only of the U.S. but a true hero of mankind. And Hail Mr. Blair and the other Leaders of the Free World.


From www.roadofanation.com/blog

  • Thank you Mr. . primmer (Bremer) ,for being great president for Iraq all this time, Thank you for great job you did for Iraq ,we will never forget you , you will be always in our minds and harts. Thank you united state of America for your great Job you done here. Thank you coalitions forces for you brave work and supporting good.


From iraqthemodel.blogspot.com

  • I’ve noticed that most people I met in the streets were delighted by this news and I saw a lot of optimism on their faces. Some were sorry for the sudden depart of Abu Haider (Mr. Bremer) while I actually believe that he deserves a long vacation after his hard and long journey taking care of Iraq in this critical period.
  • “What happened was great, and the timing was so right” as described by many Iraqis.
    It’s a painful strike for terrorism and their allies.

Major Milestone Today


Note from Condi Rice including GWB's response.

Thursday, June 24, 2004

Senator Rockefeller: Mindless Parrot?

Senator Jay Rockefeller, Democrat from West Virginia, was interviewed on Fox News this morning. He naturally expressed his pessimism about Iraq, and stated that the Bush Administration did not think this through before we went to war. Here is a paraphrased recount of this conversation:

Fox anchor: "Do you think we should pack up and leave Iraq"?
Rockefeller: "No"
Fox Anchor: "Then, what would you recommend we do that would prove to be more effective than what we are doing today"?
Rockefeller: "The administration did not think this through before going to war".
Fox Anchor: "But I'm asking you where we should go from here"
Rockefeller: "Let me finish. I sat 40 feet in front of Bush when he tried to make the case for war. We are in the wrong country" blah blah blah blah blah

Apparently Rockefeller is so inept that he can't even suggest one single idea on how to improve the current situation. This guy is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and all he can do is parrot the Democratic party line about "this wasn't thought through"? The dimwit thinks that the Bush Administration should have been able to look forward 18 months and know precisely how terrorists would react, yet he can't even come up with one suggestion as to how to wage this war? Obviously the situation in Iraq is ugly and is not what the administration hoped for 18 months ago when this war was planned, but Forrest Gump could have provided more insight on 'where we go from here' than did Rockefeller this morning.

If this guy's last name was Smith or Jones, would he ever sniff the inside of Capital Hill?

Google News: USANow #1!

Well, sort of. Go to Google and type in usanow and look what link comes up #1! Three weeks ago one had to enter 'usanow + blogspot' to get a result (as if anybody would ever do that search). Two weeks ago 'usanow' alone worked, but we were buried on page 6 (apparently there are several other sites and organizations with usanow in their name). No longer, baby! 1st page, first link! Now if I can just figure out how to get people to go to Google and search for usanow.

On another google-related note, the remainder of this post is intended to try to get Google to stop pushing ads for J*hn K*rry on USANow. You may have noticed that there have been links to DNCPartners.com and to the NYTimes. Apparently all you have to do is mention his name and the Google web crawlers assume you must be of the pro K*rry mindset. So this is my arcane attempt to wake up the Google web crawlers (because apparently the keywords in my blog template aren't doing the trick). Hopefully these words will generate advertisement links which more fairly represent the political stance of USANow:


Elect George Bush! Elect George Bush! Republican, conservative, Christian, Catholic, pro-life, faith, hope, love, charity, United States of America, freedom, democracy, liberty, capitalism, equality, justice.

Hopefully in short order this site won't be polluted with advertisements for the most liberal senator this nation as seen in years (who shall remain nameless lest Google starts pumping ads for him again).

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

LULAC Gets Their Man

For decades, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has been working to protect the rights of Latin Americans. Given the fact that Hispanics have long been a minority in this nation, it is understandable that an organization like LULAC would work hard to ensure Hispanics received proper representation in business and government

However, LULAC's tactics related to the hiring of the new HISD superintendent are clearly hypocritical. As noted in a previous USANow post, Mary Ramos, deputy Director of LULAC stated: "I want it to be a Hispanic so we can cure the dropout problem. If it's not a Hispanic there will be a tremendous outcry". Why does Ms. Ramos feel that an African America, Asian, or Anglo would be unfit to cure the dropout problem? Why is Ms. Ramos threatening outcries if LULAC doesn't get their way? Because HISD is now majority Hispanic, so LULAC apparently believes that the majority should rule. It is curious that LULAC has fought to ensure minority rights for decades, but now uses majority-rule line of thinking to push for a Hispanic Superintendent.

With the hiring of Abe Saavedra as interim Superintendent, LULAC has achieved their goal. But according to today's Chronicle article, Ms. Ramos is not pleased with the selection of Mr. Saavedra due to his legal troubles in Corpus Christi. Perhaps in the future she would better represent the Hispanic community (and all communities, for that matter) by fighting to ensure HISD chooses the next Superintendent based on professional qualifications, regardless of that person's race, color, or religion.

To be fair to Mr. Saavedra, LULAC's Deputy Director from Corpus Christi believes Saavedra is the right man for the job. Said Mary Helen Salazar yesterday regarding Mr. Saavedra's legal woes, "He was done wrong in Corpus Christi because he's Hispanic". I suppose it is this type of victim mentality that earns one a Deputy Director spot in LULAC.

On a side note, Mr. Saavedra arrived in Houston yesterday stating that he wants HISD to be "as inclusive as it can be". Then, speaking in Spanish, he thanked Houstons' Hispanic community for bringing him to Houston. Mr. Saavedra, over 40% of your students and well over 50% of Houstonians don't speak Spanish. Let's hope this first day on the job is not indicative of your ability to be "inclusive".

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Sentiments from Iran: How Should Americans Respond?

Iran is obviously eager for a power vacuum to develop in Iraq so that Islamic theocracy can be easily exported. It has been reported that Iran has moved 4 divisions to the border of Iraq, and that recently several British servicemen were taken captive. These men apparently crossed over into the Iranian side of the Shatt al-Arab waterway which borders Iraq and Iran. (As an aside, it's been reported that these men were deploying devices which would aid in the detection of Iranian vessels used to sabotage Iraq's oil terminals.)

Just how strong is the Iranian desire to wage war on the west? Is their intent to simply undermine US policy, or do they have larger aims? Is Iran simply an Islamic theocracy with a small number of terrorists, or is the entire Islamic theocracy in Iran a terrorist organization? Read this excerpt from an article from geostrategy-direct.com and draw your own conclusions:

    The suicide recruitment effort which has enlisted 10,000 volunteer, is being directed by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, loyal directly to Khamenei. Officials said the IRGC wanted the first target to be the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. "We will burn the roots of the Anglo-Saxon race," Hassan Abbasi, director of the Center for Doctrinal Studies, said. Meanwhile, Arab diplomatic sources said Iran's military has moved troops to the southern Iraqi border over the last week.


Strong words. While the goal of the Bush administration is to destroy terrorist organizations, the goal of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps is to destroy all western society - every man, woman, and child.

So how do we, as a nation, respond to this threat? In the run-up to the recent Iranian "elections", Senator Kerry sent a letter to Iran's press agency stating how the US will improve "collaboration with other countries" if he's elected. Kerry apparently doesn't have a problem with Iran's mullahs and their stance on the west, and wants to win the favor of the Iranians. Perhaps he can add Ayatollah Khamenei to his list of "world leaders" who want to see him victorious in November?

While Kerry appeased, what did Bush do? After the election he stated "I join many in Iran and around the world in condemning the Iranian regime's efforts to stifle freedom of speech, including the closing of two leading reformist newspapers in the run-up to the election." Bush sees the Iranian threat brewing, Kerry does not. Bush wants to meet terrorist regimes head on, Kerry does not. Bush inspires fear within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Kerry does not.

So who do you want leading our great nation, the mullah appeaser or the man feared by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps?

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Bush Economy Continues to Sizzle

US industrial output surged 1.1% in the month of May, faster than economists had projected. In addition, factory utilization rose to 77.8%, the highest level in 3 years.

New jobs, high productivity, recovering stock market, low interest rates, and surging industrial output all serve testimony to the fact that the US economy is very strong. It is now clear that the the Kerry campaign has absolutely no basis upon which to attack this administration's economic record.

It's anybody's guess as to whether or not the Kerry campaign will adjust their message, but it's clear that the economy-bashing will lose traction as more and more Americans come to realize that the administration's economic policies have proven effective.

Heinz Kerry Funding Web Site which Praises Hizbullah

In what might be the most startling example of the Left Gone Wild, it was reported yesterday that the H. John Heinz III fund of the Heinz Family Foundations are financial contributors to a website which glorifies Hizbullah suicide bombers!

Opinionjournal.com broke this story 2 days ago about the Womens eNews website article which praises Hizbullah suicide bombers. The story focuses on the widows of the murderers, and the great lengths Hizbullah goes to financially support their families. Here is one excerpt, from a widow in Lebanon: "He was martyred on the 10th of February 1995. He was 21 years old," she says. "Thank God he died according to the objectives of Hizbullah." This woman thanks God that her husband died killing others? Womens eNews endorses this line of thinking, and Teresa Heinz Kerry supports Womens eNews?

Here's another quote: "Completely dependent on Hizbullah, women such as Zoorgoof are directly threatened by the United States' recent calls for Hizbullah to dismantle." So the United States is the bad guy here because we want to shut down Hizbullah? I guess this is just another case of the heartless Bush administration wanting to wage war on defensless women.

Can you imagine a 1945 article which chastises the United States for dismantling the Nazi party? Of course not, because fanatical leftists weren't running the media 60 years ago, nor were they hellbent on destroying our nation as we know it. But today we have liberal judges striking any reference to God from our society. We have politicians promoting class warfare by demonizing the wealthy. We have the ACLU fighting to ensure all lifestyles are protected except heterosexual Christianity. We have activists preaching "racism" when preference is not given to their race. We have activist judges overturning congress to ensure a woman's right to suck the brains out of a partially delivered baby. But in what may be the most shocking development, we have liberal websites, supported by the wife of the Democratic nominee for President, glorifying one of the most deadly terrorist organizations of our time.

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Attack on Bush's Foreign Policy Without Merit

"Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change" (DMCC), a new organization comprised of former diplomatic and military officials, announced that they will release a statement tomorrow that is critical of George Bush's policies and presidency.

In an article published by CNN, Phyllis Oakley, assistant Secretary of State under Bill Clinton and deputy State Department spokesperson under Ronald Reagan, offered these insights about the to-be released statement:
  • "We are on the wrong track and we need a fundamental change"
  • The statement reflects a "growing concern, deeply held, about the future of the country's national security.
  • The statement calls for the defeat of President Bush, although it does not endorse any specific candidate.
  • DMCC members "have spent their lives working to erect the stature and posture of the U.S. as a leader in the world...and we simply see that edifice crumbling.

In what should be obvious to even the most casual reader, calling for the defeat of George Bush in a 2 horse race is endorsing a candidate. The claim otherwise greatly undermines any credibility this group may have, and calls into question any recommendations made by the DMCC.

In an effort to shed more light on this group and their personal biases, let's take a closer look at Phyllis Oakley, who seems to be the informal spokesperson of the group. Oakley has held various foreign services/diplomatic positions over the past 20 years. Before she resigned from the Foreign Service (over a disagreement with Madeleine Albright related to the bombing of a Sudanese pharmaceutical plant in 1998), Ms. Oakley provided testimoney to Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, of which John Kerrey was a member. Her presentation summarized the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research assessments of international threats to the United States. Here are some excerpts from her presentation:
  • "We cannot protect all Americans from all dangers, but we must remain vigilant and aggressive in our efforts to identify and ELIMINATE threats to our safety as well as our security."
  • The spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) was listed as the #1 security concern, and Iraq was listed #1 on the list of WMD threats to the US. The presentation stated "There should be no doubt that Saddam will try to rebuild his WMD programs at the earliest possible opportunity. There should be no doubt that Saddam will attempt to capitalize on perceived differences of opinion among our allies on this issue."
  • In order to halt the spread of WMD, "effective diplomatic intervention, informed by targeted and timely intelligence, is the key to limiting the transfer of critical technologies and equipment.


In summary, Oakley knew Saddam Hussein was an imminent threat, stating Iraq would rebuild WMD at the "earliest possible opportunity". She stated that the US must ELIMINATE threats to our safety and security. Putting 1 and 1 together, a rational person would expect Oakley to advocate the elimination of Saddam Hussein as a threat. Unfortunately, Oakley doesn't follow her own advice, but rather states that diplomacy and intelligence are sufficient to stop the spread of WMD. Frankly, I'll rely on diplomacy if we're talking about international trade or environmental issues, but if we're talking about WMD in the hands of a lunatic like Saddam Hussein, I'll rely on the United States military.

With this backdrop, it is clear that Ms. Oakley is quite adept at identifying threats but clueless as how to address those threats. She understands the threats of terrorism and WMD, but prefers a foreign policy that's long on bark but short on bite. Little wonder that she's disenchanted with President Bush.

Stay tuned to your favorite media outlets tomorrow so you too can read the collective wisdom of toothless, pacifist, Kerry supporters disguised as "Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change".

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Cure to Dropout Problem: Hispanic Superintendent

Houston Independent School District (HISD) is searching for a new Superintendent. The current Superintendent, Dr. Kaye Stripling, is expected to resign. Her resignation will open up the top job in the nation's 7th largest school district, and will spawn a nation wide search to find the best person for this job.

As one might expect, the laundry list of qualification requirements is lengthy. Obviously, candidates must have experience as teachers, principals, and district administrators. Dr. Stripling, for example, has served as principal at 3 schools and worked in district level administrative positions for 15 years prior to being named HISD superintendent.

Although Dr. Stripling has not resigned yet, some political activists in Houston are already expressing their opinions regarding the new Superintendent. One might expect to hear that the new Superintendent have a Doctorate in Education. One might expect to hear that the new Superintendent must have previous experience as a Superintendent at a smaller school district. However, one does not expect to hear that the new Superintendent must be Hispanic. But that's the battle cry of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

Here is what Mary Ramos, state Deputy Director of LULAC, has to say about the new candidate: "I truly want it to be a Hispanic so we can take care of the dropout problem. If it's not a Hispanic, there will be a tremendous outcry, I can guarantee you that."


Mary Ramos

Please tell me, Mary, how are Hispanics uniquely qualified to lead school districts? How are Hispanics uniquely qualified to handle dropout problems? Does LULAC really believe that a 16 year old kid in an HISD school is going to think twice about dropping out because a Hispanic is in charge of the district? Exactly what is it about Hispanic candidates that makes them better candidates? Is there some District Administration gene that is unique to persons of Hispanic origin?

Perhaps Mary doesn't buy into all that bunk that our nation's founding fathers wrote in the Declaration of Independence. Or perhaps she's unaware of the contents. So as a public service reminder for Mary and the rest of LULAC, here is a brief excerpt from our nation's Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Ms. Ramos, those words were written over 200 years ago and still hold true today. Our nation is great today because millions of political, civic, and corporate leaders have held them dear. For you to espouse such blatantly racist views is an insult to your fellow Hispanics, and to every man and woman who have fought to make this nation great.

My advice to Ms. Ramos: If you really think that it is essential for School District Superintendents to be Hispanics, I'll gladly draw you a map to Monterrey or Tijuana. I can guarantee that the Superintendents of those cities are Hispanics. In the meantime, I hope and pray that HISD hires the most qualified person for the position, be they black, white, Hispanic, or Samoan.

Small Tribute to Ronald Reagan

USANow offers prayers and condolences to the Reagan family. As a very small tribute, here is a quote from Reagan that summarizes his legacy very well:

"Let's set the record straight. There is no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there is only one guaranteed way you can have peace -- and you can have it in the next second -- surrender."

This quote is a great reminder of how fortunate this nation is that George Bush won the 2000 election. Otherwise, we'd still be shrugging off September 11, 2001, surrendering to those who would destroy us.

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

Morrissey Comments No Surprise

Alternative rock singer Morrissey interrupted his Dublin concert on the day former President Reagan passed away, and announced the news to his fans. For reasons only understood by Irish fans of Morrissey, the audience cheered at the news. Morrissey then offered his opinion, stating that he wished it was George W. Bush who passed away, and not Reagan.

This comment is clearly morbid and inappropriate, and may come as a shock to every American with the exception of Nancy Pelosi (who is likely kicking herself because she didn't say it first). But let's consider the source. As a long time Smiths (Morrissey's old band) and Morrissey fan, I've long been puzzled, humored, and at times sickened by his lyrics. He is clearly a tortured soul, and it should come as no surprise that his homosexual lifestyle places him at odds with George Bush. Here are a few samples of Morrissey's lyrics:

"I've come to wish you an unhappy birthday. Because you're evil and you lie, and if you should die, I might feel slightly sad but I won't cry".

"I said 'No', and then I shot myself. So drink, drink, drink and be ill tonight".

"Girlfriend in a coma, I know, I know, it's serious. There are times when I could have 'strangled' her".

"Margaret on the guillotine, because people like you make me feel so tired. When will you die? When will you die?"

These snippets only scratch the surface of the deranged thoughts which Morrissey presents as song lyrics. Strangely enough, his music is considered excellent by those of who enjoy alternative music. His morbid lyrics are often accompanied by upbeat melodies which, combined with Johnny Marr's guitar (when the two played together with The Smiths), serve as the basis for some truly great music.

So while Morrissey's strange lyrics and great music have sold millions of records and attracted a large following, even his biggest fans place little creedence in his political rhetoric. Unlike Bono of U2, who has long championed political causes, Morrissey is an obscure oddball whose comments may even help the Bush campaign. After all, do fence-sitting Americans really want to join the political side which wants to see their presidential rival dead?

Friday, June 04, 2004

248,000 More Reasons to Vote for Bush: Kerry Wrong Again

US nonfarm payroll numbers were just announced, and 248,000 new jobs were created in May. This is 28,000 more jobs than economists were expecting. To top it off, April's numbers were revised upwards to 346,000 new jobs, and March was revised upwards to 353,000 new jobs!

The US economy has created nearly 1.2 million jobs YTD, which means we're on a pace of over 2.8 million new jobs for the year. Although these numbers are not seasonally adjusted, it's clear to anybody with any economic sense that these numbers are outstanding. Contrary to the rants of Bush critics, this is not a jobless recovery. Tax cuts are working, and Americans are going back to work.

Of course, Bush and the administration weathered the storm 4 months ago, when liberal politicians were chastising him for boldly predicting 2.6 million new jobs in 2004. Said John Kerry in response to Bush's 2.6 million new jobs prediction: "I've got a feeling this report was prepared by the same people who brought us the intelligence on Iraq". Well, Mr. Kerry, what say you now? Any other dim-witted comments that serve no purpose other than to undermine this administration? The silence is deafening.

Thank you, George Bush, for shutting up the liberal spin machine, and for again making John Kerry look like a moron.

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Views from Iraq - The Untold Story

In the wake of the removal of Saddam Hussein from power, Iraqis are already enjoying a marked improvement in personal freedom. Although it's obvious that Iraq is a very dangerous place, it is also obvious that a large number of Iraqis are wealthier, more free, more optimistic, and more driven to pursue democracy than ever before. This is quite clear after a quick review of the Iraqi blogs that are popping up daily.

Here are a few excerpts taken from Iraqi blogs:

From http:\\iraqataglance.blogspot.com
  • *I heard that the governor of Basra promised to arrest and punish anyone trying to breach the peace in the city (pointing to Muqtada's thugs).. Basra is now safe and secure . The ICDC and IP are everywhere.

  • Inspite of all the events and hard time we are passing through due to those extremists and terrorists, many officials and teachers ( like me!) Obtained new furniture, new electric equipments and other things.. We neglected our house for many years, we couldn’t do anything to repair it because of the lack of money, but now we did it up, it is repaired completely, painted, furnished with nice curtains and new chandeliers.. The view became so lovely that a person feels very relaxed and comfortable.. We also planted several kinds of flowers and plants that made the garden so beautiful..All of these changes came after the liberation, we are so happy with the new Iraq in spite of the difficulties.. But as the saying goes .. No gains without pains..

From http://www.roadofanation.com - selected quotes from Iraqis asked about the new president and prime minister:

  • Hi ….. it’s a new start for us ..we hope every thing be good .
    Thank you
    Ali .
    Hello,,,,,as a Kurdish I feel very happy for all ,and I am happy 2 for all one Iraq .
    Kawa .S.J
    Hi …..as an Iraqi I feal great ,this time is our time .
    Hassan M.
    We all see this is the first step only ,but “one mile trip start with step”.
    Rana Mansor.
    Great peoples and educated ,we depend on them to prepare for the elections .
    Dr. Jamal said
    Yes I agree with Dr.jamal ,we depend on them to prepare for the elections.
    Dr.Abas Al jnabi.
    Hello.i love what I saw on TV they were great ,hope to see good work soon.
    Luma Ahmed.

From http://sunofiraq.blogspot.com:

  • The situation in Al-Falluja still with war and no news from any one in Al-Falluja it is under USA Army circle.
    I know we will win with (USA and UK) help and we will build the New Iraq.
    Long live USA….. Long live New Iraq…Long live UK.

From http://hammorabi.blogspot.com
  • Above all those who are going to be in responsible jobs (in the new government) should forget about their ethnic origin or religious back ground and the party they belong to. They should work for their country as Iraqis only. No difference in this matter whether they are Kurds or Arabs or Turkman or Assyrian or Shia or Sunah or Christian or any one else.


Obviously, not every Iraqi will express such optimistic sentiments. However, after reviewing upwards of 2 dozen sites it's clear that the majority of Iraqis are optimistic about the future, they are already earning higher wages, and they have a positive view of the US and the coalition. For my money, if I want to gauge the success of the US policies on Iraq, I'll take a good Iraqi blog way before some lame Michael Moore film.

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Judge Phyllis Hamilton - Part III

Apparently, there is not enough time in the day to catalog all of the morally bankrupt rulings issued by Judge Phyllis Hamilton. No wonder Clinton nominated her - there's absolutely no liberal cause she doesn't love.

In recent posts, USANow has documented her preference to remove any and all obstacles to a woman's right to murder her unborn. The cruelty and horror of Partial Birth Abortions are minor by-products of a woman's right to make whatever "medical decisions" she wants. In addition, Hamilton has issued a ruling upholding a public school district's right to force students to practice Islam in school for 3 weeks.

Are there any limits to her lack of moral character? Does she ever issue any judgement that supports common, everyday, American values? Apparently not. Earlier this month, two gay men sought to post their provile on www.adoption.com as potential adoptive "parents". Adoption.com, as you would expect, refused to post the profiles of the two homosexuals. So the homos sued and had the good fortune that their case landed in the court of Phyllis Hamilton. Naturally, Hamilton ruled in favor of the gay men, stating that adoption.com was discriminating based on sexual orientation.

It seems that an organization would be able to create a valuable service like adoption.com in such a manner that supported traditional, accepted, normal family values. Obviously, Hamilton doesn't see it that way. I think all would agree that homosexuals should not be discriminated against with respect to employment, college admissions, etc. However, is should also be crystal clear to anyone with a brain that two gay men cannot be classified as "prospective adoptive parents".

PS - if you disagree with USANow, ask yourself this question. How would you like to find yourself, at the age of 12, as the adopted child of two gay guys? Wouldn't you be pissed that some judge forced an adoption agency to allow a gay couple to adopt you? Cub Scouts would be a real hoot on the father-son campouts. Your wedding day would be just grand as two "Dads" walk you down the aisle. A district judge has absolutely no business enforcing her moral perversions on a defenseless child up for adoption.

Another Sad Day

Thanks to Judge Phyllis Hamilton, Planned "Parenthood" (read Planned Infanticide) is now able to resume providing Partial Birth Abortions. According to Hamilton, who was nominated to the Northern District of California by Bill Clinton, the Partial Birth Abortion Ban act passed by Congress recently "poses an undue burden on a woman's right to choose an abortion".

Undue burden? Sorry Phyllis, we wouldn't want to place any "burdens" on a woman and her doctor as they work to partially remove the child from his/her mother's womb and subsequently crush its skull. I mean, what business it is of the government's how/where/when a woman destroys her offspring? Who cares if the baby is partially delivered in the 8th month, only to have its skull crushed?

Of course, Planned Infanticide lawyer Beth Parker was joyous, exclaiming that the ruling sends a "strong message" to Ashcroft and Bush. She stated that the government shouldn't be "intruding" on "medical decisions".

What a sad day when idiots like Hamilton and Parker, who think crushing the skull of an 8 month old unborn baby is a "medical decision", are in positions of influence and power.

PS - On March 5th of this year, as part of research to determine the medical necessity of partial birth abortions, the administration subpoenaed the records of hundreds of women who have received abortions across 6 offices of Planned Infanticide. The records were requested in a manner in which all names would be removed.Phyllis Hamilton denied the request! She said the request was "burdensome". Gee, too much work for you, Phyllis? I'd hate to clutter up your busy docket with such "burdensome" activities. And she calls herself a judge? She blocked the efforts of others to conduct the research necessary to determine the validity of new legislation. When the legislation ultimately passed, she issued a ruling against it. Hamilton is not interested in due process, she is not interested in the truth, she is not interested in serving the public....she is purely interested in advancing her personal, liberal agenda. What a travesty it is that Hamilton is a federal judge.

Judge Phyllis Hamilton - Part II

After reading USANow's summary of recent judgements made by Judge Phyllis Hamilton, Federal Judge in the Northern California District, one would understandably question her qualifications. On the surface, her actions are politically motivated and run contrary the concept of a fair and unbiased judiciary. So let's dig a little deeper. Is Hamilton a "one trick pony" in this regard, driven soley by a passion to enable the murder of the unborn? Or is she consistently irrational and counter-cultural?

IN late 2003, Hamilton issued a 22 page ruling which upheld the rights of the Byron Union (Public) School District to force students to practice Islam for a 3 week period. Excelsior Elementary School in Byron California offered the course as part of the state of Californias World History and Geography curriculum. Although the course is mandatory, the method of teaching is not. So Brooke Carlin, 7th grade teacher at Excelsior, required students to adopt Islamic names, to recite prayers in class, memorize verses from the Quran, and had them simulate Ramadan. Students were encouraged to adopt phrases such as "Allah Akbar" (God is Great in Arabic), and were required to fast during lunch as part of the Ramadan simulation.

A rational and competent judge would obviously rule in favor of the plaintiffs (in this case, Christian students and their parents). After all, California judges have already issued rulings to strike "under God" from the Pledge of Allegience. Unfortunately, neither "rational" nor "competent" seem to fit Hamilton, as she dismissed the lawsuit.

Conservatives can rest easty, however, knowing that the great attacker of all religious activity, the ACLU, will come to the aid of the plaintiffs. Formal religion + public schools = ACLU lawsuit. In what may come as no surprise, the ACLU is silent. They're not opposed to forcing Islam down student's throats. According to the Anti-Christian Legislative Union, reciting "Allah Akbar" is OK - just don't ever, and I mean EVER say "Thank you Jesus" in a public school.