Tuesday, September 14, 2004

And the Hits just keep on Comin'



Give Me a Break : How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media...Here's Ben Barnes (via PoliPundit):

To accept CBS's insistence the four documents from the early 1970s are authentic, you would have to believe the following:

(1) That the late Jerry Killian, Bush's commanding officer, typed the documents--though his wife says "he wasn't a typist."

(2) That Killian kept the documents in his personal files--though his family says he didn't keep files.

(3) That the disputed documents reflect his true (negative) feelings about Bush and a contemporaneous official document he wrote lauding Bush did not.

(4) That he typed the documents on a technically advanced typewriter, an IBM Selectric Composer--though that model has been tested and failed to produce an exact copy of the documents.

(5) That this advanced typewriter, which would have cost $15,000 or so in today's dollars, was used by the Texas National Guard and that Killian had gained the significant expertise needed to operate it.

(6) That Killian was under pressure to whitewash Bush's record from a general who had retired 18 months earlier.

(7) That Killian's superior, Maj. Gen. Bobby Hodges, was right when, sight unseen, he supposedly said the documents were authentic, but wrong when, having actually viewed the documents, he declared them fraudulent.

Now if you can't accept all that, there's another side. To believe the documents are forgeries, you have to believe this:

(1) The documents were typed recently using Microsoft Word, which produces documents that are exact copies of the CBS documents.

(2) There's no number 2. All you have to believe is number 1.


Ben Barnes

Even the Washington Post abandons CBS



Arrogance - rescuing America from the Media EliteThe final pillars of mainstream media support for CBS' untenable position are crumbling. Even the Washington Post has abandoned CBS' lost cause. Rather and his network are left swinging in the wind like sausages during crow season. Hey, that was kind of a Rather-seque simile, dontcha think?

One CBS memo cites pressure allegedly being put on Killian by "Staudt," a reference to Col. Walter B. "Buck" Staudt, one of Bush's early commanders. But the memo is dated Aug. 18, 1973, nearly a year and a half after Staudt retired from the Guard. Questioned about the discrepancy over the weekend, CBS officials said that Staudt was a "mythic figure" in the Guard who exercised influence from behind the scenes even after his retirement


Uhmmm, yeah, there's certainly something mythic about CBS' story. At least this signals it's open season on Pravda^H^H^H^H^H^HCBS.

WaPo: Expert Cited by CBS Says He Didn't Authenticate Papers

The bizarre candidacy of John Kerry



...He either perjured himself in his antiwar testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in admitting to committing atrocities or he actually committed those atrocities, which is worse...

...He was present at a meeting of the VVAW where assassinations of public officials were discussed. Whether or not he voted against them or left the meeting, he has never explained why...

...He was rated the most liberal senator in 2003 by the nonpartisan National Journal. And that doesn't even begin to tell the story of his egregiously anti-defense and anti-intelligence record for his entire 20 years in the Senate.

He has failed to denounce Michael Moore's deceits, but demands that President Bush denounce the Swiftees' truths.

He insists Iraq isn't part of the War on Terror yet claims that we've lost 1,000 people in the War on Terror...

...He refuses to release all his military and medical records and hides behind his biographer Brinkley, who contradicts him, saying Kerry alone possesses authority over his records.

He brutalized Vice President Cheney for saying America would be safer under Bush-Cheney but in the next breath, said he would make America safer...

...He says he won't delegate our national security to other nations, but never stops complaining, essentially, about Pres. Bush's failure to delegate our national security to other nations.


The bizarre candidacy of John Kerry

Zell Miller Speaks Out



In the Journal, Zell Miller responds to his critics including one former peanut farmer-turned-president.

...I charged that John Kerry is weak on national security, and I listed some of the many weapons systems he has opposed over the years. My critics tripped over themselves to point out that Dick Cheney opposed some of the same weapons systems when he was defense secretary.

But, like with so many things in life, timing is everything. Mr. Kerry was proposing the cancellation of many of these weapons systems at the height of the Cold War--the worst possible time to weaken our military strength. It would be comparable to a senator in 1943 proposing to scrap the B-29 Bomber or Sherman tank or Higgins landing craft. By contrast, Mr. Cheney waited until after we had won the Cold War to propose modernizing our forces and replacing older weapons systems. There's a huge difference. Whether it's the Cold War of yesterday or the war on terror today, Mr. Kerry has sought time and time again to weaken our military at the exact moment we need to show our strength...

...But for David Gergen and this newspaper's Al Hunt, among others, to call me a racist was especially hurtful. For they know better. They know I worked for three governors in a row, not just one: Carl Sanders, Lester Maddox and Jimmy Carter. They knew I was the first governor to try to remove the Confederate emblem from the Georgia flag. And by the way, when I called each of Georgia's former governors to tell them what I was about to attempt, Jimmy Carter's first question to me was, "What are you doing that for?"...


I will never trust John Kerry with my family's safety

Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota are trending Bush



The Boston Globe brings news that Kerry's position is as bad as Rather's, with the report that Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota are "trending" Bush:

"In short, Kerry is no longer expanding into Republican turf as much as he is defending his own.

Kerry's struggle to hold the Upper Midwest is one of the first problems Democrats mention when they describe their anxieties about the campaign -- especially faced with recent polls, such as one released yesterday by CNN/USA Today/Gallup that suggested Bush was leading Kerry in Wisconsin by 8 percentage points. Of the trio, Wisconsin is the site of the most intense campaigning, having supported Gore over Bush by less than 6,000 votes last time.

''Bush right now is smelling blood,' said former Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile."


Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota are trending Bush

Swiftboat Veterans: 3, Kerry: 0



Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John KerryThe spot report for John Kerry's Silver Star action has resurfaced at Bandit's Hideout, and it affirms the story told by the Swiftvets while contradicting the later two versions of his citation. Bandit, who has done yeoman work on Kerry's Viet Nam narrative, has posted scans of the two-page document from Newscentral.tv.
Fox News reports that this spot-action report was written by Kerry himself, ironically, since it supports the Swiftvet version of events for the engagement...

...Although it's difficult to see how this action should have resulted in a Silver Star, it would seem a commendation of some sort would be appropriate. It's all of the exaggeration, lies, and paperwork alterations after the fact that calls Kerry's character into serious question.


I no longer wonder why Mr. Kerry won't sign his Form 180 that would release all of his records.
Silver Star Spot Report Surfaces

Seen around the web



eBay: RARE 1961 IBM 72 SELECTRIC TYPEWRITER GREAT FOR FORGING

Fafblog: Damning interview with an IBM Selectric

Country Store:


Citizen-Journal: Obituary for the NY Times

Monday, September 13, 2004

Take action against Pravda^H^H^H^H^H^H CBS, Part II



The latest smear by CBS/Viacom against President Bush appears to be a blatant violation of federal election law.

If you're unfamiliar with the Rathergate scandal, here are two articles to get you up to speed: Sun Times: CBS Falls For Kerry Campaign's Fake Memo and American Spectator: Kerry Campaign & DNC Involved with Fraud?. They describe CBS' apparent attempts to influence the presidential election using forged documents and rigged testimony.

When given the chance to acknowledge and retract their story, they have refused. Thus, the proud "CBS News" brand, so valuable in years past, has continued on its slide to irrelevance. And, in the process, it's become a laughingstock.

Here's how you can help fight CBS' apparent attempts at election-rigging:

Boycott CBS Petition
Demand a Retraction from CBS News
File a complaint against CBS (may be down right now, for obvious reasons)

CBS Television Group
51 W 52nd St # 35
New York, NY 10019
(212) 975-4321
CBS News FAX is (212) 975-1998
60 Minutes Spokesperson: Kelli Edwards 212-975-6795

CBS News Comments
Answering machine: 212-975-3248 - Leave a complaint about CBS egregious use of fraudulent documents and rigged testimony

60 Minutes
524 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
Feedback line: 212-975-3247 - Call and complain about CBS' egregious use of fraudulent documents and rigged testimony

Email Leslie Moonves, President/CEO, CBS
Email Sumner M. Redstone, Chairman of Viacom/CBS
Email a complaint to the FCC

Suggestions for remarks (be polite, but stay on point):

"As a [prospective] shareholder, I'm extremely dismayed with CBS News' use of fraudulent memos and rigged testimony in order to influence the presidential election. Dan Rather and his associates have effectively destroyed what little brand equity remained with the CBS News name. These acts continue to decimate shareholder value and I believe that senior management must take action before the entire situation implodes. Thank you very much. My name is [ ] and my phone number is [ ]."

Sunday, September 12, 2004

Iraq Justified: a Strategic Analysis



The Pentagon's New MapThomas Barnett is a strategist at the US Naval War College. Since 1998 (in other words, for two administrations), he has advised the Department of Defense regarding global military strategy. He states, in possibly the clearest language I've seen, the driving reasons behind the invasion of Iraq.

Taking down Saddam, the region’s bully-in-chief, will force the U.S. into playing that role far more fully than it has over the past several decades, primarily because Iraq is the Yugoslavia of the Middle East-a crossroads of civilizations that has historically required a dictatorship to keep the peace. As baby-sitting jobs go, this one will be a doozy, making our lengthy efforts in postwar Germany and Japan look simple in retrospect...

...But it is the right thing to do, and now is the right time to do it, and we are the only country that can. Freedom cannot blossom in the Middle East without security... We are the only nation on earth capable of exporting security in a sustained fashion, and we have a very good track record of doing it.

Show me a part of the world that is secure in its peace and I will show you a strong or growing ties between local militaries and the U.S. military. Show me regions where major war is inconceivable and I will show you permanent U.S. military bases and long-term security alliances. Show me the strongest investment relationships in the global economy and I will show you two postwar military occupations that remade Europe and Japan following World War II...


The Pentagon's New Map

Letter to the Editor



Here is yet another letter to the editor of the local paper.

During his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention, John Kerry spent but a scant few minutes discussing his two-decade Senate record. During his career:

Kerry was wrong about the Soviets, opposing Reagan's arms buildup during the eighties. Kerry was wrong about Nicaragua, favoring appeasement of the pro-Communist Sandanistas. Kerry was wrong about Vietnam. Kerry was wrong about Iraq, taking multiple positions based upon political expediency.

Conversely, under President Bush's watch, the Pakistan nuclear parts network was crushed. Libya dropped its nuclear aspirations. Afghanistan is ready for its first elections. And Iraq is poised to become the Middle East's beacon of freedom, spreading the promise of democracy.

We are living in the nuclear age of terrorism. Indecision and poor decision-making could have tragic repurcussions for America.


Take action against Pravda^H^H^H^H^H^H CBS



Hhere's how to take action against CBS.

1) If you are a shareholder of Viacom, call 1-800-516-4399 (Investor Relations) and politely tell them that Dan Rather's fraudulent and biased reporting is destroying the brand equity of CBS News and hurting the value of the entire network. As a shareholder, you will not stand for someone destroying the CBS brand name.

2) If you are not a shareholder, call 1-212-258-6000 - press 6308 (not sure which one did it, but I got to the voicemail directory, say the name of Mel Karmazin, and leave a voicemail politely expressing your desire for CBS to rectify the situation immediately before what little brand equity remains with CBS News is completely eradicated).

Other names you can leave messages with: Sumner Redstone, Richard Bressler (CFO), Michael Fricklas, and William Roskin.

If you're stuck with what you should say, try the following:

"As a [prospective] shareholder, I'm extremely dismayed with CBS News' use of apparently fraudulent memos and ignoring testimony counter to the story they tried to tell regarding President Bush's Guard service. They have effectively destroyed what little brand equity remained with the CBS News name! These acts are decimating shareholder value and I believe that senior management must take action before the entire situation implodes. Thank you very much. My name is [ ] and my phone number is [ ]."

Be polite, but make your point!


Sign the petition and boycott CBS

Was the Beslan Massacre to have taken place in Maryland?



From JihadWatch, in November of 2003:

WASHINGTON -- The FBI is investigating a Saudi college student and his American wife who recently videotaped a Jewish school in Baltimore and said they sent the footage to Saudi Arabia, according to law enforcement officials and community leaders who know about the case.

The Saudi man, who came to the United States on a student visa four years ago, and his wife were seen videotaping an Orthodox school for girls, Beit Yakov, on Oct. 26 and fled after witnesses wrote down their automobile's license plate number, officials said. Law enforcement officials were contacted and later interviewed the couple, who said the video was intended for the man's parents in Saudi Arabia.


Was the Beslan Massacre to have taken place in Maryland?

Can't say they weren't warned...



I wrote the following email to the staff of "60 Minutes" on September 6, 2004. We can't say we didn't warn 'em.

Regarding the Ben Barnes story: I believe the New York Times has just reported that Mr. Barnes is a large individual contributor to the Kerry campaign. If the Swiftboat veterans are less credible because they took a contribution from a common contributor to Republicans, then Ben Barnes' status as the third largest contributor to Kerry's campaigns should render any direct testimony from him completely invalid.

And that's without even getting into Mr. Barnes' odd history as a "lobbyist".

The Barnes story, and your reports on this issue, are being carefully fact-checked in the blogosphere (e.g., http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/002430.php and http://blogspirator.blogspot.com/2004/08/exclusive-dirt-on-ben-barnes-claims_29.html ) .

The Swiftboat Veterans have already proven what kind of a force lies in the blogosphere. Simply from your sharedholders' perspective, I would suggest that you not further undermine your credibility as a news organization by publishing only half the Ben Barnes story. CBS' ethical reputation -- and market-share -- hinge on decisions like these. Fully disclosing Ben Barnes' history is a step in the right direction.

Regards, Doug

Saturday, September 11, 2004

Pravda and the Politburo



The CBS/National Guard documents are, without question, forgeries. The typeface is bogus (font, kerning, line-spacing, superscripts, and "auto-centering" of text) , the dates are bogus, and the key General mentioned had been retired for many months at the time they were purportedly written.

Worse, CBS sought and then ignored, direct testimony from the reputed author's son (a pilot who served with Bush), wife, and other key personnel who all disputed the possibility that the memo was authored by Killian. And CBS misled General Hodges in a phone interview, telling him the documents were handwritten. Further, Ben Barnes' (the key figure in the CBS story) own daughter dismissed her father's charges as "political and opportunist", motivated by the opportunity to cash in on a Kerry administration.

And yet, despite massive and conclusive evidence of fraud, CBS News is fighting, tooth and nail, to hold the line by claiming that the documents are real. These are not the traits of a news organization. These are the traits of unabashed propagandists: Josef Goebbels and Pravda come to mind.

The "CBS News Brand Name" has been destroyed



As the Powerline bloggers put it on the Hugh Hewitt show: CBS News needs corporate adult supervision from Viacom to set things straight. The CBS News brand, once the most valuable name in the business, has been utterly and completely eviscerated by this latest debacle.

CBS has no more credibility now than Pravda had in the days of the Politburo. And there's more to that analogy than you may think.

The Startling Ramifications



Frightening facts:

1) CBS' fact-checkers (Mr. Magoo and the late Ray Charles?) completely missed the fact that the documents were poorly-conceived forgeries;
2) Once the forgeries were discovered, CBS did not reinvestigate the documents or re-interview the witnesses in question;
3) CBS, instead, stonewalled and disavowed the very possibility that the documents could be false, using a defense known as the 'divine right of Kings' (Hugh Hewitt: "that defense hasn't worked in centuries, and it isn't working now");

Even more frightening:

This isn't the first time that CBS and other major media outlets have seemingly linked hands with the Democratic party and launched a coordinated attack on the GOP.

The startling ramifications:

CBS does not have a news organization. They are the Pravda to the Democratic Party's Politburo. They continue to suppress the truth. They continue to stifle dissenting opinion. CBS News acts as though it is managed by Communists, Islamofascists, or complete incompetents. Either way, CBS News must be completely gutted and overhauled. The evisceration and reconstitution of CBS News will not be pretty. And it won't be televised.

Links to the DNC



According to the American Spectator, the Democratic National Committe (yes, that DNC) may have provided the forged documents to CBS.

If this turns out to be true, the DNC is a co-conspirator in a fraud of massive proportions. A fraud that would help them regain the American Presidency. A fraud designed to change the course of history.

What does it say about the Democratic party if it is so desperate that it is willing to use forged documents in pursuit of the presidency?

What does it say about a Democratic party if it conspired in a fraud so poorly conceived that it was exposed in a matter of hours?

What does it say about a Democratic party that stations anti-American cult hero Michael Moore in its Presidential box at its convention?

What does it say about the Democratic party whose leadership meets with groups tied to terrorists?. And then pushes their rogue agendas?

The Democratic Party is Dead



This is no longer your father's Democratic party. This is not the Democratic party of Reagan, Roosevelt, and Truman.

This is a Democratic party that has been subsumed by the Far Left. This is a Democratic party that has been hijacked by Anarchists, Communists, Islamofascists, and Hollywood.

And this is the party that the Anybody-but-Bush crowd has banked on. But the real Democratic party is no more. And now... there will be hell to pay.

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Consistent Track Record



A man of the peopleHugh Hewitt, once again, has demonstrated a mastery of historical detail that is completely (and ominously) germane to Kerry's fitness to serve as commander-in-chief.

IN THE SPRING of 1985 Ronald Reagan struggled with a Democrat-dominated Congress for authority to ship aid to the Nicaraguan Contras fighting the spreading grip of the Sandinistas on their Central American country... On the eve of a major Senate vote on the issue of aid, John Kerry and Tom Harkin jetted off to Managua for a weekend of intensive talks with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega...

Kerry was wholly wrong about Nicaragua, about the limits of American power, about the applicability of the Vietnam experience outside of Vietnam, indeed even about the lessons of the Vietnam War. Kerry's instinct in 1985 was appeasement of Ortega, and there is no reason to believe that his fundamental views, quite visibly revealed in his mission to Managua, have in any way evolved to a more mature understanding of the nature of America's enemies or the use of American power. John Kerry: Wrong about Vietnam. Wrong about the Sandinistas. Wrong about the Soviets. Wrong about Iraq. The wrong man with the wrong ideas at the wrong time.


One Weekend in April, a Long Time Ago...

Iran's first nukes possible within the year



I have a few simple questions for citizens and residents of the United States:

1) Is it acceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons, given their longstanding sponsorship of suicidal extremist terror groups?

2) If you answered no to #1, how should Iran's steady progress toward nuclear weapons be stopped, given the breakdown of diplomatic approaches (which most analysts see as stall tactics on the part of the Mullahs)?

3) If a military option to dismantle Iran's nuclear program is necessary, which candidate has the persistency and consistency to execute such a plan?

U.S. sounds alarm on Iran: First nukes possible within year

Could Beslan happen here?



Could what happened in Beslan happen in the US? Two months ago, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported on a fellow called Mohamad Kamal Elzahabi, a suspected terrorist who'd fought with his fellow jihadi in Chechnya and somehow wound up in Minnesota, where he'd applied for licences to transport hazardous materials and drive school buses...


Licensed for transporting hazardous material and driving school buses

The Portland '7' intended exactly this sort of slaughter for my neighborhood... for my hometown... for the community center where my little brother learned to swim... all because it's named the JCC, the Jewish Community Center.

The conversations ranged from inquiries about bomb making, to talk of cutting the heads off nonbelievers, to a desire to have "real" Muslim wives who would be willing to carry AK-47 assault rifles and be "ready to run and blow something up."

He [Jeffrey Leon Battle] had said he wanted to kill hundreds of Jews at a Portland-area synagogue or Jewish school...


Looking for a few "real" Muslim wives

Still wondering why Kerry won't sign a Form 180?



"How many [American] soldiers do you know who are exhibited as honorary war heroes in the Communist War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City? I know of only one, his name is John Kerry. This is hardly a qualification to be Commander-In-Chief of our Armed Forces..."

Kerry Unfit for Command

And JustOneMinute notes:

The President is not running on a service record he has nonetheless fully disclosed; John Kerry is running on a service record he has not fully disclosed...


And the hits just keep on comin'



[An interesting] analysis from the Small Business Survival Committee over at Townhall.com regarding John Kerry's voting record on small-business issues over the past 10 years... Kerry's voting record displays a remarkable hostility to small businesses... be sure to read the entire SBSC report to learn how a Kerry/Edwards administration would unleash its hostility towards small business.


For Small Businesses, Kerry's Help Has Never Been On The Way

38 days and counting



The Washington Post has an ... account of Kerry's August collapse, but for all the focus on tactics, the weakness of Kerry as a candidate is obvious from the fact that it has now been 38 days since Kerry sat down... for an in-depth interview that would be certain to bring up Kerry's whoppers about his Vietnam service. Kerry's still in the box he built from himself of fables of CIA men and hats and gun-running to Cambodia...


38 Days and Counting...

What the hell is he saying?



I need a big favor from someone. Please watch this John Kerry interview with MTV and explain what in the hell he is talking about. It has now been 38 days since Kerry has been interviewed by a real reporter.


National Guard



What do you really know about George W. Bush’s time in the Air National Guard? That he didn’t show up for duty in Alabama? That he missed a physical? That his daddy got him in?

News coverage of the president’s years in the Guard has tended to focus on one brief portion of that time — to the exclusion of virtually everything else. So just for the record, here, in full, is what Bush did...


The National Guard story, without the Spin

Forgery?



The [Boston] Globe story is itself based on last night's 60 Minutes report: "New questions on Bush Guard duty." The online version of the 60 Minutes story has links to the memos. Killian died in 1984; CBS states that it "consulted a handwriting analyst and document expert who believes the material is authentic." Reader Tom Mortensen writes:

Every single one of the memos to file regarding Bush's failure to attend a physical and meet other requirements is in a proportionally spaced font, probably Palatino or Times New Roman. In 1972 people used typewriters for this sort of thing (especially in the military), and typewriters used mono-spaced fonts.

The use of proportionally spaced fonts did not come into common use for office memos until the introduction high-end word processing systems from Xerox and Wang, and later of laser printers, word processing software, and personal computers. They were not widespread until the mid to late 90's.

Before then, you needed typesetting equipment, and that wasn't used for personal memos to file. Even the Wang and other systems that were dominant in the mid 80's used mono-spaced fonts. I doubt the TANG had typesetting or high-end 1st generation word processing systems.

I am saying these documents are forgeries, run through a copier for 15 generations to make them look old. This should be pursued aggressively.


Pop goes the "evidence"

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Cult of Death



The New York Times' David Brooks wrote a startling and eloquent op-ed that appeared in this morning's edition.

We've been forced to witness the massacre of innocents. In New York, Madrid, Moscow, Tel Aviv, Baghdad and Bali, we have seen thousands of people destroyed while going about the daily activities of life.

We've been forced to endure the massacre of children. Whether it's teenagers outside an Israeli disco or students in Beslan, Russia, we've seen kids singled out as special targets.

We should by now have become used to the death cult that is thriving at the fringes of the Muslim world. This is the cult of people who are proud to declare, "You love life, but we love death." This is the cult that sent waves of defenseless children to be mowed down on the battlefields of the Iran-Iraq war, that trains kindergartners to become bombs, that fetishizes death, that sends people off joyfully to commit mass murder.

This cult attaches itself to a political cause but parasitically strangles it. The death cult has strangled the dream of a Palestinian state. The suicide bombers have not brought peace to Palestine; they've brought reprisals. The car bombers are not pushing the U.S. out of Iraq; they're forcing us to stay longer. The death cult is now strangling the Chechen cause, and will bring not independence but blood.

But that's the idea. Because the death cult is not really about the cause it purports to serve. It's about the sheer pleasure of killing and dying.

It's about massacring people while in a state of spiritual loftiness. It's about experiencing the total freedom of barbarism - freedom even from human nature, which says, Love children, and Love life. It's about the joy of sadism and suicide.

We should be used to this pathological mass movement by now. We should be able to talk about such things. Yet when you look at the Western reaction to the Beslan massacres, you see people quick to divert their attention away from the core horror of this act, as if to say: We don't want to stare into this abyss. We don't want to acknowledge those parts of human nature that were on display in Beslan.

Something here, if thought about too deeply, undermines the categories we use to live our lives, undermines our faith in the essential goodness of human beings.

Three years after Sept. 11, too many people have become
experts at averting their eyes. If you look at the editorials and public pronouncements made in response to Beslan, you see that they glide over the perpetrators of this act and search for more conventional, more easily comprehensible targets for their rage.

The Boston Globe editorial, which was typical of the American journalistic response, made two quick references to the barbarity of the terrorists, but then quickly veered off with long passages condemning Putin and various Russian policy errors.

The Dutch foreign minister, Bernard Bot, speaking on behalf of the European Union, declared: "All countries in the world need to work together to prevent tragedies like this. But we also would like to know from the Russian authorities how this tragedy could have happened."

It wasn't a tragedy. It was a carefully planned mass murder operation. And it wasn't Russian authorities who stuffed basketball nets with explosives and shot children in the back as they tried to run away.

Whatever horrors the Russians have perpetrated upon the Chechens, whatever their ineptitude in responding to the attack, the essential nature of this act was in the act itself. It was the fact that a team of human beings could go into a school, live with hundreds of children for a few days, look them in the eyes and hear their cries, and then blow them up.

Dissertations will be written about the euphemisms the media used to describe these murderers. They were called "separatists" and "hostage-takers." Three years after Sept. 11, many are still apparently unable to talk about this evil. They still try to rationalize terror. What drives the terrorists to do this? What are they trying to achieve?

They're still victims of the delusion that Paul Berman diagnosed after Sept. 11: "It was the belief that, in the modern world, even the enemies of reason cannot be the enemies of reason. Even the unreasonable must be, in some fashion, reasonable."

This death cult has no reason and is beyond negotiation. This is what makes it so frightening. This is what causes so many to engage in a sort of mental diversion. They don't want to confront this horror. So they rush off in search of more comprehensible things to hate.


New York Times: Cult of Death

Picture credits: Little Green Footballs and Lileks Bleats

The Resume



Think about this for a moment or two.

Now say someone comes to you looking for a job. Right off the bat, you notice something strange about his résumé: It goes on for page after page about a job he held for four months, more than 35 years ago, but makes only the barest mention of anything he's done since. You have him in for an interview, and he can't give you a straight answer to any question about what he plans to do in the job if you hire him. Instead (to borrow a description from Joe Conason), he sounds like a bar-stool bore, with a bad habit of repeating the same lame boasts about that long-ago four-month stint again and again.

Still, you decide to check out his references. (John Edwards: "If you have any question about what John Kerry is made of, just spend three minutes with the men who served with him.") Some sing his praises quite extravagantly, but a greater number describe him harshly as a man of dubious character, and some accuse him of lying on his résumé. He acknowledges a few embellishments but refuses to provide you with documents that would shed light on the other accusations.

Would you hire this man? And would you fire an employee of four years' standing in order to create an opening for him?


The Resume

The 75



Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John KerryThe American Spectator had an interesting snippet about Kerry's own campaign staffers analyzing Unfit for Command... and finding 75 disagreements between the book and Kerry's records...

According to a Kerry campaign source, senior campaign advisers tasked two Washington-based campaign staffers to vet the recently published Unfit for Command.

"The purpose was to compare what that book had with what we had on file from Senator Kerry," says the campaign source, who said that the research project developed more than 75 instances where Kerry's recollections, previous remarks, or writings conflicted with the book's reporting.

"We took some of the most glaring examples, like the Christmas in Cambodia story, and presented them to senior staff, and we assume that those things were put in front of Senator Kerry," says the source. "We haven't heard a word about it. All we were told is that it was being taken care of."

The campaign source said that the book was not considered a "serious" problem for the campaign, because, "the media wouldn't have the nerve to come at us with this kind of stuff," says the source. "The senior staff believes the media is committed to seeing us win this thing, and that the convention inoculated us from these kinds of stories. The senior guys really think we don't have a problem here."?


Aside from the 75 areas of dispute, it's interesting to note the dismissal of the mainstream media: they "...wouldn't have the nerve to come at us with this kind of stuff...".

Hmmmm. I guess it's being taken care of.

Command Confidence

It's 2002 all over again



You know, if John Kerry weren't so darn electable, the Democrats would be panicking right now. Oh wait, he isn't and they are. Ever since the Iowa caucuses in January, two assumptions had guided the party: that its loathing of President Bush is shared by the country, and that John Kerry's Vietnam service is a huge political asset. It now seems clear that the headlines on Nov. 3 will not read "War Hero Wins by Default." Had the Dems ventured outside the liberal media echo chamber to read this column, they'd have seen this coming months ago


It's 2002 all over again

Tuesday, September 07, 2004

World War IV



Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John KerryFor some reason, the AP and the New York Times haven't fully documented the complete tragedy of the terrorist attack on the Russian school. If we didn't know better, we'd think they had a "more important" agenda. Although what would be more important than continued evidence of an ongoing World War escapes me.

Folks, this really is World War IV. John Kerry's 20 year record of anti-military and anti-intelligence efforts should completely disqualify him from any consideration of him as a war-time candidate. We... are... at... war. And the leadership of the Democratic party just doesn't seem to get it.

Warning: the following story, as reported in the U.K., is graphic.

THE full horror of the Russian school atrocity began to emerge yesterday as traumatised children told horrific tales of stabbed babies and brutal rapes.

It has also emerged that scores of the 323 who died - including many children - had been shot in the back.

While despairing soldiers and rescue workers moved among the growing pile of body bags, it was revealed that an 18-month-old baby had been repeatedly stabbed by a black-clad terrorist who had run out of ammunition.


They Knifed Babies, They Raped Girls

Uh oh



In a fresh blow to John Kerry's flagging presidential campaign, the Pentagon has ordered an official investigation into the awards of the Democratic senator's five Vietnam War decorations...

...The highly unusual inquiry is to be carried out by the inspector-general's office of the United States navy, for which Sen Kerry served as a Swift Boat captain for four months in 1968, making two tours of duty.

...to the consternation of campaign strategists, the US navy has now agreed to a request by Judicial Watch, a bi-partisan lobby group, for a full inquiry. Judicial Watch is calling for the Navy to report before the elections...

...A navy spokesman confirmed on Friday that the inspector-general's office at the Pentagon had authorised the inquiry. "It is the responsibility of all personnel to correct errors in official records," said the spokesman. Another official said privately: "There's a feeling that it's time to deal with this thoroughly, once and for all." ...


Pentagon to check Kerry war record

Uh oh, part deux



Sen. John Kerry's campaign biographer Douglas Brinkley said Sunday that if an ongoing Navy investigation into Kerry's military decorations turns up evidence of "purposeful" deception, it could spell doom for the top Democrat's White House bid...

...The presidential historian called on Kerry to authorize the release of his full military file, saying, "Clearly some of these military records should be made available to the press."


Brinkley: Navy Probe Could Doom Kerry Campaign



Uh oh, part tres



Let's examine the background of Kerry's refusal to lend his signature to a Form 180.

1) There is credible, eye-witness evidence that various incidents during the war were either fabricated or embellished (as outlined in the book Unfit for Command).

2) Kerry's campaign has repeatedly claimed that all records have been released, but that appears not to be the case, according to the mainstream press.

3) Lipscomb's reporting indicates that a Navy spokesman implied that there are at least 94 unreleased pages in Kerry's file.

4) Kerry's hagiographer, Brinkley, has publicly stated that Kerry should sign a Form 180 and release his records.

This all boils down to a simple conclusion, in my opinion. The file has not been scrubbed, otherwise it would have been released to destroy the Swiftvets' claims.

Therefore, there must be some data in the file that supports the Swiftvets, in my estimation.

I vant to be alone



Polipundit notes:

It has now been one month and four days since John Kerry last answered questions from a real reporter.

Can he go all the way to election day without telling us whether his "searing" memory of being in Cambodia is true? Or why every eyewitness disagrees with his claims of enemy fire during the incident he used to obtain his first Purple Heart? Or why his Silver Star mysteriously has a V for valor, in contradiction to Navy regulations? Or why he won't file form 180 and release his military records? Or why he won't make his journals, which form much of the basis for the book Tour of Duty, public?"


Still in Hiding

President Schwarzenegger



I am going to go out on a limb here: I don't think Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is ever going to be president of the United States.

But Schwarzenegger's performance last week at the Republican National Convention in New York had the political world buzzing about the possibility, however remote. Speaking in a packed convention hall before a national television audience estimated at 20 million households, Schwarzenegger delivered an inspirational ode to freedom, immigration, enterprise and the American Dream...


President Schwarzanegger

Heard around the web



"Kerry decided to make Vietnam the centerpiece of his campaign for one clear reason: Imagine him without his military record -- he would just be another liberal from Taxachusetts," (Kerry Biogapher Douglas Brinkley)

"Kerry tells bookstores not to carry the O'Neill book and tells TV stations not to run the vets' ads, all the while stating, 'BRING . . . IT . . . ON!'" (Jay Nordlinger)

"A couple of days {18 Feb 69} before his second Purple Heart, Kerry was also operating with Bob Hildreth, officer in charge of the accompanying boat {PCF-72}. It was a day Hildreth would never forget. Kerry was the lead boat, with Hildreth behind. There was a small hole in a line of fishing stakes. Kerry's boat slipped through first. When Hildreth's boat started through, a mine went off, and then at least five rockets were fired at the boat. Standard doctrine and procedure when a boat was under such intense fire was for accompanying boats to stand and fight or return and provide fire support. According to Hildreth, Kerry simply fled, providing neither fire support nor even mortar support. Instead, Hildreth and his gallant crew were left alone to fight their way out of the ambush--which Hildreth has never forgotten: 'I would never want Kerry behind me. I wouldn't want him in front of me either. And I sure wouldn't want him commanding our kids in Iraq and Afghanistan.'" (John O'Neill)

"After voting for the war, but against funding it, after saying he would have voted for the war even knowing everything we know today, my opponent woke up this morning with new campaign advisers and yet another new position." (President Bush)

Monday, September 06, 2004

"A Kerry Administration would pose... a National Security threat"



Journalistic Fraud: How The New York Times Distorts the News and Why It Can No Longer Be TrustedInsight Magazine's John Wambaugh logically breaks down the Kerry campaign and its implications for a Democratic administration.

Wambaugh states that a Kerry administration would, in itself, pose a dire national security threat to the US. Why?

Because a Kerry administration would incorporate Kerry's long-time backers: Left-wing anti-war, anti-military, anti-Patriot act, anti-Intelligence, pacifists, appeasers and the 'Blame America' crowd. And that's without even mentioning the Democratic leaderships' odd meetings with Islamic groups affiliated with terrorists. Read on.

John Kerry faced major challenges at the beginning of this election cycle: first, the popularity and credibility George W. Bush had with the American people post 9/11; second, his anti-war movement with Jane Fonda - to include abusive statements about the 2.6 million American soldiers that served during the Vietnam War; third, his abysmal anti-national security voting record; and fourth, his failure to leave a legislative footprint in the Senate after being there twenty years...

In response to these challenges, Kerry settled on a strategy that maligned President Bush's military service and undermined the peoples' trust in Bush as Commander-In-Chief. At the same time, this strategy called for Kerry promoting himself as a war hero as a calculated offset to his anti-war activities and his extreme anti-national security voting record...

...It's a sad day for the United States when Middle East Terrorist Organizations use the film Fahrenheit 911 and the statements of Left-Wing Democrat Leaders to support the recruiting of terrorists...

...A Kerry Administration would pose, in itself, a National Security threat to the United States... Why? Because a Kerry Administration would incorporate Kerry's long time supporters: Left-Wing anti-war, anti-military, anti-Patriot Act, anti-intelligence gathering people, pacifists, appeasers and the blame America first crowd. These Kerry supporters would be far more interested in dismantling the U.S. military and turning our national security over to the U.N. than in aggressively going after global terrorism.


Kerry's Strategy To Undermine Bush

The Bush Doctrine



The Bush Doctrine:


1. We will fight for freedom. We reject moral relativism.

Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom -- the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time -- now depends on us. Our nation -- this generation -- will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

2. The friends of our enemies are also our enemies.

Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.

3. We reserve the right to hit our enemies before they strike us.

The war on terror will not be won on the defensive. We must take the battle to the enemy, disrupt his plans, and confront the worst threats before they emerge. In the world we have entered, the only path to safety is the path of action. And this nation will act.

4. We will not negotiate with those who continue to support terrorism.

Every leader actually committed to peace will end incitement to violence in official media and publicly denounce homicide bombs. Every nation actually committed to peace will stop the flow of money, equipment, and recruits to terrorist groups seeking the destruction of Israel, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah...


The Bush Doctrine

My Letter to 60 Minutes



In anticipation of the long-discredited Ben Barnes story ('Ah got Bush into the National Guard'), the following note was emailed to CBS' 60 Minutes.

Regarding the Ben Barnes story: I believe the New York Times has just reported that Mr. Barnes is a large individual contributor to the Kerry campaign. If the Swiftboat veterans are less credible because they took a contribution from a common contributor to Republicans, then Ben Barnes' status as the third largest contributor to Kerry's campaigns should render any direct testimony from him completely invalid.

And that's without even getting into Mr. Barnes' odd history as a "lobbyist".

The Barnes story, and your reports on this issue, are being carefully fact-checked in the blogosphere (e.g., http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/002430.php and http://blogspirator.blogspot.com/2004/08/exclusive-dirt-on-ben-barnes-claims_29.html ) .

The Swiftboat Veterans have already proven what kind of a force lies in the blogosphere. Simply from your sharedholders' perspective, I would suggest that you not further undermine your credibility as a news organization by publishing only half the Ben Barnes story. CBS' ethical reputation -- and market-share -- hinge on decisions like these. Fully disclosing Ben Barnes' history is a step in the right direction.

Regards, Doug


Out of the Kitchen



The Chicago Sun-Times pillories the Democratic candidate for his inability to roll with the punches. Address the criticisms? Nope. Sign a Form 180 to release all records? Nope. Debate the two approaches? Nope. Kerry's answer is to talk about serving in the National Guard versus serving on a Swiftboat. Hmmmm....

...less than 60 minutes after President Bush gave a sober, graceful, droll and moving address, Kerry decided to hit back. In the midnight hour, he climbed out of his political coffin, and before his thousands of aides could grab the garlic from Teresa's kitchen and start waving it at him, he found himself in front of an audience and started giving a speech. As in Vietnam, he was in no mood to take prisoners: ''I have five words for Americans,'' he thundered. ''This is your wake up call!''

Is that five words? Or is it six? Well, it's all very nuanced, according to whether you hyphenate the ''wake-up.'' Maybe he should have said, ''I have four words plus a common hyphenated expression for Americans.'' I'd suggest the rewrite to him personally, but I don't want him to stare huffily at me and drone, "How dare you attack my patriotism." ...

...That seems to be the way John Kerry likes it. Americans should be free to call Bush a moron, a liar, a fraud, a deserter, an agent of the House of Saud, a mass murderer, a mass rapist (according to the speaker at a National Organization for Women rally last week) and the new Hitler (according to just about everyone). But how dare anyone be so impertinent as to insult John Kerry! No one has the right to insult Kerry, except possibly Teresa, and only on the day she gives him his allowance...


Kerry's showing he just can't take the heat

Sunday, September 05, 2004

"Lies and half-truths"



Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John KerryThe shrill and intellectually dishonest Susan Estrich claimed in a recent column that the Swiftboat Veterans were "assassins" and that their charges were "lies and half-truths".

The central premise of Susan's column is this statement:

...all the newspapers and news organizations that investigated the charges of the Swift Boat assassins found them to be full of lies and half-truths...


She then goes on to recommend spending the Democratic war-chest on such voter-relevant issues as the current administration's past drinking habits (despite the fact that the Left already pursued that course of action... four years ago). And that's the best tactic she can come up with. In a near-hallucinogenic flight of fancy, she goes on to invent her own Swiftie-like groups ("George Bush's Former Female Friends for Truth").

Back in the real world, we can ask: what do the Swiftboat Veterans claim? And why didn't Susan Estrich address a single one of their "lies and half truths"?

"It is a matter of public record that John Kerry lied before Congress when he falsely portrayed his fellow service personnel in Vietnam as rapists and baby killers."

Kerry, himself, said that his broad-brush Congressional comments were, "a little bit over the top" - as close to an admission of falsehood as we'll likely get. Point for the Swifties.

"[We] believe that [Kerry's] testimony endangered our prisoners of war."

Paul Galanti, a Navy Pilot who spent seven years in Hanoi as a POW, said as much: "...during torture sessions, [Galanti] said, his captors cited the antiwar speeches as 'an example of why we should cross over to [their] side.'". Point for the Swifties.

The book "Unfit for Command" raises several eye-witness issues with Kerry's war stories, including "Christmas in Cambodia" and his first purple heart.

Kerry's campaign has backtracked on both of these issues. Regarding Christmas in Cambodia, "[the] Kerry campaign responded, initially, that Mr Kerry had always said he was 'near' Cambodia. Then a campaign aide said Mr Kerry had been in the Mekong Delta 'between' Vietnam and next-door Cambodia - a geographical zone not found on maps". And several other versions of the story, including CIA drop-offs months later, have arisen. Point for the Swifties.

Regarding the first purple heart, Kerry's own campaign has again backtracked. According to Fox News, "Kerry received a Purple Heart for wounds suffered on December 2nd, 1968. But an entry in Kerry's own journal written nine days later, he writes that, quote, he and his crew hadn't been shot at yet, unquote. Kerry's campaign has said it is possible his first Purple Heart was awarded for an unintentionally self-inflicted wound.". In other words, the first Purple Heart was, shall we say, bogus. Point for the Swifties.

"Winning three Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star and the Silver Star in four months is rare. We have received letters from countless veterans outlining serious injuries -- far more serious than any Kerry sustained -- who said they did not seek a Purple Heart, because they did not feel it was warranted by the minor nature of their wound. In any case, the Senator’s full disclosure of his military records will shed light on the truth."

Over 250 Swiftboat veterans, many of them eye-witnesses to the events in question, oppose John Kerry. Perhaps 15 or less support him. Full disclosure of Kerry's records -- by signing a Form 180 -- will clear up the remaining issues.

There are a bunch of lies and half-truths floating around, but none that I can find on the part of the Swiftboat Veterans.

The title "Michael Dukakis' campaign manager" says pretty much all you need to know about Susan Estrich. Feel free to write Susan with your thoughts.

Susan: when will John Kerry sign a Form 180, so we can clear up the remaining "lies and half-truths"?

SBVT FAQ

John Kerry's Biggest Problem



Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry<Exactly what is John Kerry's most formidable problem in marshaling support for his campaign? J.B. Williams diagnoses Kerry's reactions to the Swiftboat crisis and mentions an ominous surprise that may be waiting in the wings. If true, it could throw a few more anvils on the desk of his sinking candidacy.

...John Kerry’s biggest problem is John Kerry. He can’t run on his Senate career because his voting record is opposite to his campaign rhetoric. He can’t run on his ability to run anything, a company, a state, a municipality, a Girl Scout troop, because he has never run anything. And now, he can’t run on his self-proclaimed hero status because despite the fact that he has a dozen or so willing to stand with him in this effort, there are more than 250 standing opposed, and they won’t go away.

There’s more: former POW’s tortured with his pictures and words in captivity have a September surprise of their own for Kerry.

Kerry’s implosion is completely self-inflicted and it was completely predictable. Snared by his own web of lies and cornered by all the bridges he burned over the years, he is in serious trouble... ...Kerry is depending on the American people not noticing that through his barrage of counter attacks, he has yet to answer a single charge.


John Kerry's Biggest Problem Is John Kerry

John Forbes Dukakis



Is any sort of criticism of John Kerry valid? Or are all critiques "smears" and "lies"? Glenn Reynolds asks some poignant questions.

It's hard to criticize John Kerry these days. Apparently, every criticism of him is unfair. At least, we're not supposed to criticize his time in Vietnam -- or even what he's said about Vietnam more recently -- because that would be a "smear" (even when the Kerry campaign admits, as it has regarding Kerry's Christmas-in-Cambodia claims, that he hasn't been telling the truth)...

...One question for voters -- among many, many others that we're apparently not supposed to be asking -- is this: If Kerry can't run a campaign, how can he run the Presidency?


John Forbes Dukakis

Pataki



I missed Governor George Pataki's speech but just had a chance to read it. Great stuff. Here are some highlights:

Almost four years ago, George W. Bush raised his right hand and took the oath of office. And from the first, he showed us something we hadn't seen in a while. When he said he was going to do something, he meant it. And then he did it. Given recent history, that's amazing.

He inherited a recession. And then came September 11th. But George Bush said he would turn around the economy and create new jobs. He said he'd do it. And he did.

He said he would cut taxes on the middle class and ease the tax burden on all Americans. He said he'd do it. And he did.

He said he'd help small businesses, protect Social Security and expand home ownership. He said he'd do it. And he did.

He said he'd apply tougher standards to our schools. He'd help our seniors get the prescription drug coverage they need. He said he'd do it. And he did.

And George Bush said he'd fight to allow the power of faith to help our young and help our troubled. He said he'd do it. And he did. There's much more, but you get the point.

...

Where does Senator Kerry stand on [the terrorist attacks]? In Boston, he said that in the future "any attack would be met with a swift and certain response."

Well, respectfully, Senator, that's not good enough. We've already been attacked, time and again.

And President Bush understands we can't just wait for the next attack. We have to go after them, in their training camps, in their hiding places, in their spider holes, before they have the chance to attack us again.

...

Senator Kerry says, "America should go to war not when it wants to go to war but when it has to go to war."

Well, Senator, the firefighters and cops who ran into those burning towers and died on September 11th didn't want to go to war. They were heroes in a war they didn't even know existed. America did not choose this war. But we have a president who chooses to win it.


Demos: Can we panic now?



The Left-leaning pundits are starting to sound the alarm claxons. Others are simply rearranging the deck chairs on the sinking vessel that is the Kerry campaign. What is that off in the distance... is that a Swiftboat?

He's a good closer! In Massachusetts! For Kerry, the race is at worst very close, and there's plenty of time. I'd be more confident of his ability to pull himself out of his rut, though, if I could think of any instance when he's aggressively campaigned over a sustained period before an electorate that wasn't overwhelmingly Democratic and actually moved the needle significantly in his direction. I can't. If anyone out there can, please let me know. ...


Can we panic now?

Saturday, September 04, 2004

Liberty's Century



Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry, and the Bush HatersThe president's speech was outstanding. By the end of the first half hour, though, I was not expecting much. I was a bit bored. It sounded, as the analysts put it, like a typical State of the Union speech. But the president warmed up in the second half... and was outstanding.

He described the rationale for Afghanistan and Iraq - and the difficulty of the decision-making process. He, and many others, are convinced that freedom in Iraq will ignite Democracy and it will spread like wildfire throughout the Middle East. The only safety we can hope to achieve is by destroying dictatorships and fascist regimes, not only to disrupt the flow of WMD compontents, but to liberate entire populations.

The president's mentor in this regard is none other than Ronald Reagan, who was equally convinced that the Soviet Union would collapse once its constituent states tasted freedom. This approach requires a visionary... and someone with steadfast conviction.

Despite the vocal and long-running opposition of the Left (Senators Kerry and Kennedy come to mind), Reagan's instinct proved right. As will President Bush's belief that this is "Liberty's Century". Once again the Left has been Left Behind. They've been wrong throughout history, and they will continue to be wrong. And that is why they must be defeated again.

Some highlights of the president's speech.

...My opponent takes a different approach. In the midst of war, he has called American allies, quote, a "coalition of the coerced and the bribed." That would be nations like Great Britain, Poland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, El Salvador, Australia, and others--allies that deserve the respect of all Americans, not the scorn of a politician. I respect every soldier, from every country, who serves beside us in the hard work of history. America is grateful, and America will not forget.

...Not long ago, seven Iraqi men came to see me in the Oval Office. They had X's branded into their foreheads, and their right hands had been cut off, by Saddam Hussein's secret police, the sadistic punishment for imaginary crimes. During our emotional visit one of the Iraqi men used his new prosthetic hand to slowly write out, in Arabic, a prayer for God to bless America. I am proud that our country remains the hope of the oppressed, and the greatest force for good on this earth.


What we're fighting against



Lest Michael Moore and Al Franken forget, this is what we are trying to avoid on our soil.

Extremists who value nothing, not even the lives of innocent children.

What will it take for the Left to understand the stakes? Will it take a nuclear weapon detonating in New York City? How can the Left not understand that equivocation and nuanced approaches will result in a nuclear holocaust if the enemy is not struck with massive force and punishing persistence?

Slothower on Iran



Having studied the Middle East for some time now, Slothower's opinion is that the center of fundamental Islamic terrorism was never Iraq; it was Iran. Iran is feeling very threatened in its determination to build and obtain nuclear facilities and weapons. Iran's government, ruled by
radical fundamental clerics, knows a showdown is coming over its nuclear program, especially if President Bush is reelected as president.

With U.S. military bases in Afghanistan, to the east of Iran, and U.S. military bases in Iraq, to the west of Iran, the ruling clerics of Iran believe the United States and Israel are readying themselves to strike the Iranian nuclear facilities after the election. Rather than wait,
Iran is threatening its own preemptive strike and may bring on the battle before the presidential election in order to damage Bush's reelection possibilities.

Slothower thinks this is an extremely dangerous situation, and Iran's control of al-Qaeda and radical Shiites in Iraq make this a powder keg that could explode at any time. He is on guard for something to happen before the election. He can't imagine Iran would be so foolish as to
pick a fight with the most powerful nation on earth. But the clerics may believe Iran can gain strategic long-term benefits if it can damage President Bush's reelection chances. Slothower is sure they will try to commit an act of terror between now and the election; he prays each
night that he is wrong.

With all these factors weighing on the stock market (and Slothower's mind), the Fed is not letting me sleep any better at night.


Here's my take on Iran and the Election: if not dealt with quickly, Muqtada al Sadr will rise from the ashes once again with his "Religious Militia". Whether in Sadr City or Najaf, he will attempt (with Iran's backing) to wreak havoc with the new government. This will allow the Left to raise the "quagmire" issue once again, breathing new life into Kerry's campaign.

What does it say about the Kerry campaign that its most effective strategy is to have our avowed, mortal enemies succeed?

Slothower on Iran

Selling out on core issues



Even the San Francisco Chronicle (not what I would term a bastion of conservativism) has labeled the Democratic party... sell-outs.

...A New York Times/CBS News poll in July found that three-quarters of Democratic voters and 86 percent of Boston delegates opposed the war in Iraq... The same poll found that 19 percent of GOP voters and 3 percent of GOP delegates oppose the war...

That's the central difference between the GOP and the Democrats: The Democrats were willing to -- no, they chose to, by nominating Kerry -- sell out their core issue in order to beat George W. Bush.

That's how fanatical their hatred is.

Republicans, on the other hand, are willing to lose an election for a cause they believe in. Bush knew when he began that the war in Iraq could cost him the election, but he did what he thought was best. And he still isn't flinching...

...Kerry won the nomination because many Democrats believed they had to pick a pro-war candidate in order to beat Bush. They were able to look at Kerry's vote against the Persian Gulf War and determine that he did not believe his 2002 Iraq vote and does not mean the pro-war statements he has made during the campaign.

Some of the very folks who bellow, "Bush lied," are crossing their fingers in the hope that Kerry lied...


San Francisco Chronicle: Deserving victory

Vets for Sale?

In honor of Kerry's speech to the veterans, Ralph Peters blistered the content of the speech and the substance of the man himself.

...Before getting to a few examples of his breathtaking cynicism, let's put two crucial questions to the junior senator from Massachusetts:

First question: Sen. Kerry, will you admit that you lied to Congress and the American people when you stated that our troops routinely committed atrocities, and that rape, torture and murder were sanctioned by our military chain of command?

Second question: Will you apologize to our Vietnam-era veterans for the lies you told?

This means a direct, no-waffling, public apology. Will you tell our vets, the living and the dead, that you're sorry?

Of course not. John Kerry wants to have it both ways. But he isn't going to get the military vote. Perhaps the best line making its way around veterans' Web sites these days is: "A Kerry defeat would be the welcome-home parade we never had..."


Ralph Peters: Vets for Sale?

Friday, September 03, 2004

Senatorial Jeopardy



If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat: Crushing the Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on ItHello, and welcome to Senatorial Jeopardy!

Doug: Alex, I'd like Senatorial Critiques for $200.

Alex: "This Senator said the following about John Kerry's 1984 defense proposals, '...ill-advised, and I think some of them are stupid in the context of the world we find ourselves in right now..."

Doug: "That would be John Kerry... oops, I mean, 'Who is John Kerry'?"

Alex: That is correct!

Back When Kerry's Views Were Ill-Advised and Stupid

Give 'em Zell



From DailyRecycler, a full Windows Media video replay of Zell Miller's speech at the RNC, which pounded Kerry deservedly and mercilessly.

Fact-checking Snopes' Ass



...Kerry still explicitly called for the outright cancellation of:

NUCLEAR FORCES
* MX Missile --- Cancel --- $5.0 billion
* B-1 Bomber --- Cancel --- $8.0 billion
* Anti-satellite system --- Cancel --- $ 99 million
* Star Wars [sic] --- Cancel --- $1.3 billion
* Tomahawk Missile --- Reduce by 50 per cent --- $294 million

LAND FORCES
* AH-64 Helicopters --- Cancel --- $1.4 billion
* Division Air Defense Gun (DIVAD) --- Cancel --- $638 million
* Patriot Air Defense Missile --- Cancel --- $1.3 billion

NAVAL FORCES
* Aegis Air-Defense Cruiser --- Cancel --- $800 million
* Battleship Reactivation --- Cancel --- $453 million

AIRCRAFT
* AV-8B Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft --- Cancel --- $1.0 billion
* F-15 Fighter Aircraft --- Cancel --- $2.3 billion
* F-14A Fighter Aircraft --- Cancel --- $1.0 billion
* F-14D Fighter Aircraft --- Cancel --- $286 million
* Phoenix Air-to-Air Missile --- Cancel --- $432 million
* Sparrow Air-to-Air Missile

Just taking the last section, as somebody who's been working on fighter jets and air-to-air weapons for the last decade, I can't even imagine how our armed forces would be able to operate today if Kerry's advice had been heeded. Certainly we would not have been able to fight the Gulf War, or Afghanistan, or the liberation of Iraq. More likely, we'd have a small caretaker force today, something more resembling Canada or one of the lesser Euro states.

Despite what you read in Snopes, that's the kind of military John Kerry wanted the United States to have the last time we were facing an enemy dedicated to destroying and/or enslaving us.


Fact-checking Snopes' Ass

Before it's too Late



Today's Chicago Tribune editorial as concise and excruciatingly accurate, in my opinion. Pre-emption, in today's world, must be a tenet of our defense policy if the United States is to survive.

The widely admired report of the Sept. 11 commission includes several cautionary passages for those who reject taking this war to the enemy as aggressively as possible--even if our intelligence reports may be flawed, even if our allies disagree, even if we can't fully comprehend the risks. As one passage puts it: "Once the danger has fully materialized, evident to all, mobilizing action is easier--but then it may be too late." ...

...The issue that most divides them is that [Kerry] sees terrorism as a mortal menace that he would answer with "a swift and certain response." The other [Bush] envisions the militarily aggressive--and, if need be, unilateral and pre-emptive--attack on terrorism overseas.


Taking the War to the Enemy

Navy Challenging a Kerry Medal?



How did a supposedly non-existent medal show up on John Kerry's web site? I doubt we'll be getting answers from the candidate any time soon.

[Chicago Tribune's] Thomas Lipscomb has been a hound dog on questions surrounding Kerry's Silver Star, and now he gets results. In his third story on this, he mentions Judicial Watch:

"A legal watchdog group, Judicial Watch, has issued a statement, which may be read at www.judicialwatch.org, that reads, 'Kerry should remove [the] Silver Star citation from his internet site pending review by [the] U.S. Navy.' It raises other questions about the Web site records as well."...


and:

The United States Navy is challenging the authenticity of Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam War medals, in a development that could prove to be the most damaging yet to the embattled Democrat's presidential campaign.

A Navy spokesman is calling Kerry's Silver Star citation with Combat V "incorrect" as it appears on his campaign web site, explaining in an interview with Chicago Sun-Times reporter Thomas Lipscomb that the Navy has never issued a Combat V at any time for the Silver Star.


PENTAGON INSPECTOR GENERAL CONTACTS SECRETARY OF THE NAVY ABOUT KERRY AWARDS and Navy Challenging Kerry's Medals

Talk about yer smears



'Be sure to share this with all your Guard and Reserve friends:

"George Bush betrayed his country by not fighting in Vietnam"
-- Mary Anne Marsh, Democratic campaign strategist (Hannity & Colmes, Aug 23, 2004)

Ms. Marsh apparently did not offer her views on Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Tom Harkin or Al Hubbard.'

Tim Russert admits Kerry is losing

Thursday, September 02, 2004

Kerry Campaign begins to Implode



American Soldier, by Gen. Tommy FranksIf you hadn't heard, there's been a major shakeup in John Kerry's campaign staff.

Kaus is skeptical that Joe Lockhart can help the faltering Kerry Campaign. So am I. I'm skeptical anyone can help Kerry now (short of force majeure in the economy or Iraq). In fact, his campaign must be in deeper trouble than I thought because a shake-up at this time is a tremendous admission of weakness. The reason, no matter what anyone says, is the Swifties. Despite whatever cover the media is giving, they are winning because they have the (majority) of the facts on their side. And their attack has not really gone away. Other events may push them off the front page, but the damage is done. No one is looking at Kerry the same way anymore. And they shouldn't.


The Faltering Kerry Campaign

Impressions of Wednesday Night: Zell & the Veep



Holy cow! Democrat Zell Miller's speech was the most powerful and angry convention speech I've ever heard. Fire, brimstone, and an utter evisceration of Kerry's Senate record. He wrote the same kind of speech that I would have written, only orders of magnitude better.

In a nutshell: Kerry's woeful record in the Senate is his own worst enemy.

I don't know whether any left-leaning moderates would have flipped to Bush based upon Miller's speech, but as Peter Jennings announced, he threw "red meat to the crowd."

By contrast, VP Dick Cheney's speech came off like he was a soft-spoken Uncle spinning some yarns over the holidays. The best part:

[Kerry's] back-and-forth reflects a habit of indecision, and sends a message of confusion. And it is all part of a pattern. He has, in the last several years, been for the No Child Left Behind Act and against it. He has spoken in favor of the North American Free Trade Agreement and against it. He is for the Patriot Act and against it. Senator Kerry says he sees two Americas. It makes the whole thing mutual - America sees two John Kerrys.


Where's Eliot?



Flashback one month. New York's ubiquitous attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, had just laid down the law to the GOP convention.

Democratic state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer on Thursday warned Republicans not to "dare" use the memory of 9/11 for political purposes when they convene for their convention in New York City next month. "Do not go there," Spitzer said at a breakfast he sponsored for the New York delegation at the national convention Thursday. "We have seen in the 9/11 report how many errors were made and opportunities were missed. No one, and I mean no one, should use it for politics."...."we will not let you do it."


Uhmmm, Eliot, the convention speakers appreciate your advice. You can now go back to chasing headlines and further positioning yourself for a run at the Governor's office.

Kerry's Impossible Task



TechCentralStation:

The position taken by John Kerry vis-à-vis the Vietnam War is simply untenable; and he is not likely to find any satisfactory way to resolve it, because to do so would be to make himself comprehensively unpalatable to the American electorate...

The position taken by John Kerry vis-à-vis the Vietnam War is simply untenable; and he is not likely to find any satisfactory way to resolve it, because to do so would be to make himself comprehensively unpalatable to the American electorate.




Of Swift Boats... and Double Standards


The entertaining Vodkapundit spells out the hypocrisy of the mainstream media.

• Kerry campaign lawyer Bob Bauer and Democratic National Committee counsel Joe Sandler also represent 527s -- not illegal, but doesn't it deserve a little scrutiny?
• Jim Jordan, John Kerry's campaign manager until last November, works for three of the 527s.
• Harold Ickes, an executive committee member of the Democratic National Committee, heads the Media Fund.
• Bill Richardson simultaneously chaired the Democrats' national convention and a 527.
• Michael Meehan became Kerry's spokesman after running NARAL Pro-Choice America's "soft money" programs.
• Zack Exley went from being a MoveOn.org executive to the Kerry campaign.

Now I must go into Ron Popeil Mode and say, "But wait, there's more!"

• Fred Baron, chairman of Kerry Victory 2004, who gave $50,000 to Richardson's 527.
• Stephen Bing, John Edwards's top donor, who contributed $8 million to 527s.
• Susie Buell, Kerry vice chairman, who raised more than $100,000 for the campaign and gave more than $1 million to 527s.
• Lewis Cullman, a major DNC donor who raised more than $100,000 for the Democratic Party and gave $1.65 million to 527s.

Today's bullet points come to you courtesy of Benjamin Ginsberg, the lawyer who once served as outside council to President Bush, but was forced out due to media scrutiny over his connection to the Swift Boat Vets.


Ginsberg's article, published in the Washington Post of all places, is instructive.

...If the media clamor that President Bush renounce the $500,000 Swift boat ad is fair, how many reporters asked Kerry whether he would request his 527s to cease their $63 million in negative ads? Also, wouldn't an unbiased press corps have gotten John Edwards to release his list of major fundraisers, as the Bush-Cheney campaign voluntarily did? ...

...In a 50-50 nation, how do the media square this imbalance with the claim of being objective, fair and nonpartisan? The double standard in reporting on 527s suggests that some of the withering scrutiny visited on the Swift boat veterans should be directed inward.


Swift Boats and Double Standards

Franken Explodes!



As reported by Powerline, Al Franken was involved in an, ahem, altercation at the RNC. Click the pic to see Powerline's reporting.

Scary

Franken Explodes!