2007 Worst Blog Award Results

Well folks, the final voting has come to a close in the Red Stater "Oklahoma's Worst Blog Of The Year" Award.
We had 86 votes total.
And the winner is.....

Sorry, there were no winners amongst this bunch of pathetic losers.
Thats right, the voting ended in a tie... actually several ties with no winner.
So, after a full two months of voting and trying to outdo each other on the insanity moonbat scale, plus coming here and voting for themselves multiple times... still no champion could be found, no victory can be claimed.

Only more mediocrity and pathetic self loathing can be found at our nominees blogs, too bad... I had such 'high hopes' for each of them, but little did I know that each is so inept as to not be able to break away from the rest.
Oh sure we could try and get down into the minutia of which one is slightly more or less lame, but in reality.... they all deserve the title.

Considering these most unusual circumstances... I think it is only fair to let each of the nominees claim a share of being the Worst Blog in Oklahoma 2007.
Please feel free to post the official moonbat award on your blog if you are one of the 10 finalists, or if you just feel your blog is deserving.
Also feel free to refer to any of the 10 finalists as one of the "Worst Blogs of the Year" 2007.

Here are the final results...
Oklahoma's WORST Blog 2007- Final Results.
# of votes in (?)

Blue Oklahoma
6% (5)
Kittenstomper
8% (7)
Sooner Thought
8% (7)
Okie Funk
25% (21)
Daily Kos (Oklahoma)
8% (7)
10,000 Fists
4% (3)
OK Center For Conscience
4% (3)
Photo Tune
8% (7)
JMBzine
5% (5)
Mahatma "X"
25% (21)

Total number of votes was 86.
Winners- 0
Losers- 10

Hunter Keeps Pressure On Romney's China Syndrome

Columbia , SC:
At a press conference held at the South Carolina State Capitol today, Presidential candidate and U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) again called on Bain Capital, a company founded by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, to drop its strategic partnership with Chinese defense contractor Huawei Technologies in a bid to buy U.S. defense contractor 3Com.
Hunter also called on Romney to use his continued influence with Bain to terminate the proposed merger between Huawei and 3Com, which, according to a report in today's Washington Times, would threaten U.S. national security.

"As the founder of Bain Capital, Governor Romney has an obligation to utilize his influence within the company to terminate the proposed merger between 3Com and Chinese defense contractor Huawei," said Hunter. "In light of China 's refusal to port several American naval vessels last week, it is increasingly more important that American military technology be protected from foreign companies, such as Huawei, that are closely aligned with the Chinese government."

The Washington Times reported today that U.S. intelligence agencies informed the CFIUS review committee, responsible for examining proposed foreign investment transactions, that a merger between 3Com and Huawei would threaten America 's national security. 3Com presently performs vital cyber-security work for the Department of Defense.

"This proposed deal, which Governor Romney can work to terminate should he choose to do so, is unpatriotic and damaging to national security," continued Hunter. As further detailed in a resolution introduced in the House of Representatives, Huawei has close ties to the military of Communist China and allegedly aided Saddam Hussein and the Taliban.

Earlier this month, Hunter sent a letter to Governor Romney requesting that he use his influence as the founder of Bain to terminate the company's partnership with Huawei, including the proposed merger with 3Com. Hunter, who is ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, has not received a response to the letter.

Rudy Giuliani Would Be Our Bill Clinton

From Townhall.com

By John Hawkins
Friday, November 30, 2007

"Perhaps the biggest oddity of the Republican primary season so far has been that GOP voters keep saying that they want another Reagan, the candidates keep comparing themselves to Reagan at every opportunity, and yet the man who is leading in the national polls, Rudy Giuliani, is about as far apart from Reagan as it's possible to get ideologically while still remaining in the Republican Party. Rudy Giuliani is no Reagan. What he is, and what he would be if he gets the nomination, is our Bill Clinton.

Consider a few things.

Yes, Bill Clinton was impeached for perjury, not for having an affair, but conservatives relentlessly bashed Bill Clinton throughout the nineties for cheating on his wife and degrading the office. Well, morally Rudy Giuliani is every bit as sleazy as Bill Clinton.

He has been married 3 times, which could be forgivable in a President, but he also cheated on his second wife with his current wife, Judith Nathan, and announced his separation from wife number two, Donna Hanover, to her and the world at the same time at a press conference.

This has seldom been discussed during the primary season, which is rather bizarre given that the biggest knock against Newt Gingrich that I heard when he was thinking about running -- from the readers on my blog and other bloggers privately -- was that they were disgusted by his affairs and shabby treatment of his former wife. Yet Rudy, whose Clintonesque private behavior is every bit as appalling as Newt's, has gotten a pass on the issue.

Folks, if you think that nominating a man as sleazy as Rudy isn't going to come back and bite the GOP in the general election after the way we complained about Clinton during the nineties, you're kidding yourself. Moreover, if you think it's out of the realm of possibility that Giuliani would diddle some intern in a back office somewhere once he got out from under the watchful gaze of his wife, you're giving him way too much credit. Any man who will cheat on his second wife will cheat on his third wife, too, if the opportunity presents itself.

The Clintons are also known for the shady cast of characters who surround them. We're talking about people like Sandy Berger, Anthony Pellicano, Charlie Trie, Norman Hsu, and Anthony Rodham. Well, there are early indications that Rudy Giuliani is just as careless as the Clintons about whom he hangs around with.

We already know about Bernie Kerik, Rudy's pal and business partner who is facing 142 years in prison, but Rudy also continues to be closely associated with Alan Placa, a Catholic priest who has been credibly accused by multiple former victims of child molestation.

How many of these people surround Rudy and do you really want to spend 2008 explaining them away, the way Dems have to try to explain away people like Sandy Berger & Norman Hsu?

Another thing that people often forget about Bill Clinton is that his biggest accomplishments, welfare reform, NAFTA, and balancing the budget, were near and dear to the hearts of Republicans, not Democrats. That brings us to Rudy Giuliani -- the real Giuliani, not the guy who keeps trying to convince everyone that he's a diehard conservative.

The truth is that Rudy Giuliani is not a conservative. He's a Rockefeller Republican, a RINO, a tougher, more charismatic version of Arlen Specter -- which is why it's mind boggling that so many conservatives who are furious at George Bush and senators like Lindsey Graham, John Warner, and Trent Lott for not being conservative enough are happily backing Giuliani.

Don't kid yourself: Graham, Lott, Warner, and George W. Bush are all CONSIDERABLY to the right of Rudy Giuliani. Just take a look at what National Journal said about Rudy, ...

"The National Journal's rating system put him at 56 percent conservative and 44 percent liberal on economic issues in 1996 and assessed him as liberal by 59 to 40 percent in looking at his social issues votes."

We're talking about a guy whose record is pro-abortion (even pro-partial birth abortion), pro-gun control, and pro-illegal immigration. We're talking about a guy who was endorsed by New York's Liberal Party in 1989. Rudy even personally endorsed Mario Cuomo and said he was open to endorsing Bill Clinton.

This is not a man who is going to make Republicans happy if he becomes President. Yes, he would be better than Hillary, but he would also break the hearts of conservatives over and over again on issues that we deeply care about if he gets into office.

Now, I want to be clear about something: if Rudy Giuliani captures the nomination, I will vote for him and I would strongly encourage you to do the same. But, I can't pretend to be even the tiniest bit enthusiastic about having Rudy as our nominee.

To the contrary, Rudy is a dangerous candidate for the GOP. He could potentially tear the fabric of the Republican Party asunder by alienating millions of pro-life social conservatives so badly that they may vote for a third party candidate or turn away from the Republican Party entirely. That means a Rudy Giuliani candidacy could seriously damage the coalition that has delivered so many victories for the GOP from 1980 forward.

Additionally, it's worth noting that while the "Rudy is the most electable candidate" shtick seems plausible at first glance, it's pure vapor -- no more solid than the "John Kerry is our most electable candidate" nonsense that Democrats bought into hook, line, and sinker back in 2004. Why is that? Because millions of pro-life Republicans would stay home in 2008 if Rudy is the nominee. Because it seems unlikely that a pro-abortion New Yorker running as a Republican could carry every southern state. Because, most importantly, he is not currently beating Hillary Clinton in head-to-head polls in any state that George Bush didn't win in 2004. In other words, he doesn't live up to the hype that says he's going to put several key blue states into play. So, if you take away the electability angle from Rudy Giuliani, what's left that makes him appealing to conservatives?

Put another way, if you love RINOS like Arlen Specter and Lincoln Chafee, Rudy may be a good choice for you. If you're sick of social conservatives and would like to see their agenda rejected, even if it risks turning large numbers of them off to the Republican Party, vote Rudy. If you think that Rudy is the most electable candidate and your only concern is beating Hillary, I don't think that you're right, but I do understand backing Giuliani for that reason. However, if that's not what you're looking for, there is still time to choose another candidate.

Long story short, conservatives who are backing Rudy should go into it "eyes wide open" and understand exactly what they're getting. They're getting a Republican Bill Clinton: an ethically compromised candidate that Republicans will constantly have to apologize for and who is destined to disappoint conservatives either by losing in 2008 or by winning and then opposing us on many of the issues we care about most once he gets into office."

I'm not Duncan Hunter, ...but I approved this message.
-red

Liberals Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

The batt.com (I'm not making that up) is afraid, ...very afraid of ONE MAN.
The Independent Student Voice of Texas A&M says that if YOU are a liberal democrat... errr I mean "Independent"..., then YOU should be scared too.
The horrifying details follow.

By Travis Holland:
Duncan Hunter is an underdog in the Republican presidential race.
He represents mainstream conservative views without the backing of more popular candidates.

"Hunter views a pullout of Iraq as a retreat in a very real war on terrorism. He advocates using more Iraqi troops in hot zones to replace Americans.

Hunter is pro-life and supports bills to create laws defining unborn children as living people. As president, he wouldn't support gay marriage and believes that marriage is an institution that should only be between a man and woman.

Duncan Hunter is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment - he has a record to prove it, and he hasn't simply jumped on the NRA bandwagon like so many other candidates.

For his healthcare plan, Hunter wants to experiment with a few pilot deregulated hospitals and use the lessons learned from them to deal with current system. He realizes that changes need to be made in the bureaucracy of the current system.

Hunter is against amnesty for illegal immigrants and says he will not support any bills granting it. He has been a strong supporter of border walls in Congress and has a perfect record of battling illegal immigration. Voters can be sure he would do the same as president.

Although he is far from a frontrunner in the presidential race, Duncan Hunter deserves consideration at the ballot box. For those in search of a straight shooting, mainstream conservative candidate who makes border security a top priority, Hunter would be a good pick.

Vineet Tiruvadi: Duncan Hunter is one of the presidential candidates not burdened with "being known" or "leading the polls." This Republican representative from California doesn't command the national limelight, which is surprising considering some of Hunter's more theatrical stances.

One of Hunter's favorite lines immediately wedged itself into my head. "China is cheating on trade." In addition to drawing the obvious parallels with a 7-year-old losing a video game, this simple line really embodies Hunter's campaign.

The American-Chinese relationship is stressed to say the least. Chinese growth is worrisome in light of some unethical practices. Protecting American industry and jobs, along with American values, is a reasonable platform. There are better ways to deal with the issue than uttering dramatic invectives. It doesn't seem like Hunter sees that.

Hunter tried to pull federal funding for Columbia University when it was preparing a forum for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Crazy though our Iranian friend may be, pulling funding from one of our nation's top universities because it provides a forum for varying perspectives is over the top.

With the international realm becoming more convoluted by China's up-and-coming economy, Iran's questionable goals, Iraq's unrelenting instability and other policy issues, it doesn't seem like Hunter will be able to objectively lead America's already misguided international policy. That should be enough to condemn him to the back alleys of the campaign.

But if cliché Republican stances on stem cell issues, education, "family values," and the war in Iraq are appealing, this guy fits the bill excellently.

Throw in an endorsement from Ann Coulter and this guy scares the hell out of me."

Funk's Funk Infects Oklahoma

Okie Funk asks a very perplexing question today in one of his weekly depressing rants from the septic tank Out Back.

"Another Depressing Report"
"So the question is simply this: Why are Oklahomans more depressed than people in most other states?"

Based on the Okie Funk blog being voted the most popular political blog in Oklahoma, I'd say Oklahomans are depressed from reading the mentally unstable rantings of a depressed underachieving socialist/communist/populist/liberal blogger, college professor.

In the few years I have been watching Okie Funk flounder in hatred and depression, I can only recall one post with any positive tone to it at all... RunAndrewRun about a socialist/communist running against Funk's arch enemy... Jim Inhofe. Funk LOVES Andrew Rice almost as much as he hates Jim Inhofe.

I would bet Funk a pepsi that 99% of those 'depressed' Okies are liberals considering conservatives in general have a more positive outlook on life (*and mental health) than democrats and liberals do... thats a fact jack. (*thanks mal)

So, stop reading Doc Hoc's depressing anti-Oklahoma and anti-American propaganda and get out of the doldrums Oklahoma. Stop voting democrats into office that only make your taxes higher and your chances of getting a better job less. Stop believing CNN, MSNBC and NPR and start thinking for yourselves. Start thinking outside that box of depression Funk tries to keep you in, week in and week out.

If indeed Oklahomans are more depressed and mentally unstable as Okie Funk claims, he has nobody to blame but himself.
-red

Temperature Reaches All Time Low

Somebody call "down below" and see if it has all frozen over.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

By Jerome L. Sherman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. John Murtha today said he saw signs of military progress during a brief trip to Iraq last week...

"I think the 'surge' is working," the Democrat said in a videoconference from his Johnstown office, describing the president's decision to commit more than 20,000 additional combat troops this year.

Of course Murtha's revelation which is about 3-6 months behind reality for the rest of us, is followed with about twenty "buts"... however one thing is clear, the democrats and AQI have lost the war in Iraq.
Global warming apparently has no effect on Satan's paradise, which as of now is closed due to extreme blizzard conditions.

Hunter to Clinton Debate Plant: "Thanks, Send More!"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 29, 2007

San Diego, CA - - - GOP Presidential candidate Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) today sent the following response to Senator Hillary Clinton who planted a member of her campaign staff in the audience to ask a question at the Republican debate last evening in Florida. The retired military general, who announced during his question that he was gay, asked the candidates about their position on the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding homosexuals serving in the military.

November 29, 2007

Dear Senator Clinton,

Regarding the "plant", retired Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr, that you sent to ask me the question at the CNN-YouTube debate last night in Florida …

Send more!!!

Merry Christmas,
Duncan Hunter

Hunter is currently campaigning in South Carolina and will be appearing on the Jim Bohannan nationally syndicated radio program this evening at 10:00 p.m. (EST).

# # #

CONTACT: Gary Becks (619) 334-1655, dlhunter08@yahoo.com

Hunter for President, Inc.
9340 Fuerte Drive
La Mesa, California 91941
United States

Make This Christmas "Made In America"

I would like to reach out to all Americans and Oklahomans in particular to join those of us already committed, in making all of your Christmas gifts "Made In The USA".
This isn't about politics, or shouldn't be... this is about doing something good for Oklahoma, good for America, good for your neighbor, good for your children and good for you.

Yes, it will take a little extra effort.
Most worthwhile things do.
Give it a try.

-red s tater

Here are some websites dedicated to American Made.
Buy Oklahoma Made

Buy American Made

How Americans can Buy American

General Kerr Gets Schooled By Duncan Hunter

Here is the General Kerr / Duncan Hunter exchange in it's entirety... From CNN.
Below that, are some more examples of the planted questions (and otherwise) that were knocked out of the park by Duncan Hunter in last nights CNN Youtube Republican debate including his Christmas challenge to you.

Anderson Cooper:
It's about attack ads. It's an interesting show starting at 11:00 East Coast time tonight.

All right, let's get back to the debate. Another question from a YouTube viewer. Let's watch.

Brigadier Gen. Keith Kerr (Ret.): My name's Keith Kerr, from Santa Rosa, California. I'm a retired brigadier general with 43 years of service. And I'm a graduate of the Special Forces Officer Course, the Commanding General Staff Course and the Army War College. And I'm an openly gay man.

I want to know why you think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians.

Cooper: I want to point out that Brigadier General Keith Kerr is here with us tonight. I'm glad you're here.

(Applause)

Again, the question to Congressman Hunter.

Hunter: General, thanks for your service, but I believe in what Colin Powell said when he said that having openly homosexual people serving in the ranks would be bad for unit cohesion.

The reason for that, even though people point to the Israelis and point to the Brits and point to other people as having homosexuals serve, is that most Americans, most kids who leave that breakfast table and go out and serve in the military and make that corporate decision with their family, most of them are conservatives.

They have conservative values, and they have Judeo-Christian values. To force those people to work in a small tight unit with somebody who is openly homosexual goes against what they believe to be their principles, and it is their principles, is I think a disservice to them. I agree with Colin Powell that it would be bad for unit cohesion.

(Red's SIDENOTE: From the "Don't Ask/Don't Tell" official policy... "would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.")

Cooper: I want to direct this to Governor Huckabee.

Thirty seconds.

Huckabee: The Uniform Code of Military Justice is probably the best rule, and it has to do with conduct. People have a right to have whatever feelings, whatever attitudes they wish, but when their conduct could put at risk the morale, or put at risk even the cohesion that Duncan Hunter spoke of, I think that's what is at issue. And that's why our policy is what it is.

Cooper: Governor Romney, you said in 1994 that you looked forward to the day when gays and lesbians could serve, and I quote, "openly and honestly in our nation's military." Do you stand by that?

Romney: This isn't that time. This is not that time. We're in the middle of a war. The people who have...

Cooper: Do you look forward to that time, though, one day?

Romney: I'm going to listen to the people who run the military to see what the circumstances are like. And my view is that, at this stage, this is not the time for us to make that kind of...

Cooper: Is that a change in your position...

Romney: Yes, I didn't think it would work. I didn't think "don't ask/don't tell" would work. That was my -- I didn't think that would work. I thought that was a policy, when I heard about it, I laughed. I said that doesn't make any sense to me.

And you know what? It's been there now for, what, 15 years? It seems to have worked.

Cooper: So, just so I'm clear, at this point, do you still look forward to a day when gays can serve openly in the military or no longer?

Romney: I look forward to hearing from the military exactly what they believe is the right way to have the right kind of cohesion and support in our troops and I listen to what they have to say.

(Audience booing)

Cooper: All right. General Kerr is -- as I said -- is here.

Please stand up, General. Thank you very much for being with us.

Did you feel you got an answer to your question?

Kerr: With all due respect, I did not get an answer from the candidates.

(Applause)

Cooper: What do you feel you did not...

Kerr: American men and women in the military are professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians.

For 42 years, I wore the army uniform on active duty, in the Reserve, and also for the state of California. I revealed I was a gay man after I retired.

Today, "don't ask/don't tell" is destructive to our military policy.

Every day, the Department of Defense discharges two people, not for misconduct, not for the unit cohesion...

Cooper: Wait, the mike is -- you've lost me. Is the microphone not working? Please, just finish your -- what is your question?

Kerr: Not for the unit cohesion that Congressman Hunter is talking about, but simply because they happen to be gay.

Cooper: OK. Senator McCain ...

KERR: And we're talking about doctors, nurses, pilots, and the surgeon who sews somebody up when they're taken from the battlefield.

Cooper: I appreciate your comments.

Senator McCain, I want to give you 30 seconds. You served in the military.

McCain: General, I thank you for your service to our nation. I respect it. All the time, I talk to our military leaders, beginning with our joint chiefs of staff and the leaders in the field, such as General Petraeus and General Odierno and others who are designated leaders with the responsibility of the safety of the men and women under their command and their security and protect them as best they can.

Almost unanimously, they tell me that this present policy is working, that we have the best military in history, that we have the bravest, most professional, best prepared, and that this policy ought to be continued because it's working.

(Red's Sidenote2- So everyone agrees with Duncan Hunter on this, except the Hillary campaign staffer with the microphone... no Not Anderson Cooper, the other one)

Another planted question referenced in the post below "CNN Debate Dictated by Democrats" came from Yasmin...

Cooper: Let's go to our next topic, which is foreign policy.

Our first question:

Yasmin: Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Yasmin and I hail from Huntsville, Alabama.

My question has to do with the current crisis in Iraq, as well as the U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.

After living abroad, personally, in the Middle East for a year, I realized just how much damage the Iraq war and the perception of invasion has done to the image of America. What would you do as president to repair the image of America in the eyes of the Muslim world?

Cooper: Thirty seconds, Congressman Hunter. The question is, how do you repair the image of America in the Muslim world?

Hunter: Cooper, Cooper, very simply, to the critics of America I would say this.

When you were faced with disease and starvation, the Americans brought food and medicine.

When you had earthquakes and tsunamis and floods, the Americans came and helped you.

And when you were threatened from outside, the Americans left the safety of their own homes to come and defend you.

I will never apologize for the United States of America.

(Applause)

The very first question of the debate immediately turned into a free-for-all brawl on immigration between Rudy's "sanctuary citiy" Vs Mitt's "sanctuary mansion" , after quickly confirming that neither Rudy nor Mitt can be trusted with the borders, it finally became Duncan Hunter's turn.

Cooper: Congressman Hunter?

Hunter: Yes. Cooper, a great debate. It's nice to listen to lots of statements about what the other candidates will do with respect to the borders.

I built that border fence in San Diego and it does work. It's a ...

(Applause)

You know, we built a double fence. We had the number one smuggler's corridor in America with most of the illegal aliens and most of the drugs that came into the entire country coming in through that number one corridor between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, California.

We built the double-border fence with a road in between, and we reduced the smuggling of people and drugs by more than 90 percent. And as a result of that, the crime rate...

(Applause)

... the crime rate in the city of San Diego went down by 53 percent by FBI statistic.

And as a result of that, I wrote the law that the president signed last October 26, incidentally, passed the Senate 80-19, that mandates 854 miles of double-border fence across Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Now, the administration has $800 million on hand right now, cash on hand. They haven't built a linear inch of that fence in Texas.

As president of the United States,
I will build the double-border fence,
all 854 miles,
in six months.

Cooper: Next question is ...

(Applause)

Hunter: That is my commitment.

(Applause)

And next (also a 'planted question')... this one about what the candidates will do to prevent poisonous toys from coming in from China.

Cooper: All right, let's have our next question from a YouTube viewer.

LeeAnn Anderson: My name is LeeAnn Anderson and I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and these are my kids Evan and May. Maya is from China and we adopted him to give her a better life. We never dreamed that she would that she'd be exposed to lead after leaving China, and now we find trains like this that are covered with lead in our home.

My question for the candidates are, what are you going to do to make sure that these kind of toys don't make their way into our homes and that we have safe toys that are made in America again and we keep jobs in America?

(Red's Sidenote- I can't help but point out here that in the video of her home with her children, she has the deadly toys in her hand and all around them everywhere, but doesn't bother to throw them out herself, instead asks... what is the government going to do?)

Cooper: Congressman Hunter, you have 30 seconds.

(Applause)

Hunter: China is cheating on trade, and they're using that $200 billion trade deficit over the United States to buy ships, planes and missiles.

They are clearly arming.
And it's in the interest of the United States...

(Applause)

... to stop China's cheating. My bill, incidentally, that's up right now would do that.

But what we all ought to do in this Christmas season, with about a month to go before Christmas is buy American.

That might hire the young person. That'll result in a...

(Applause)

You know, that just might keep your neighbor from losing his job, and it might help that young person coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan in uniform to have a job when they get back.

Let's buy American this Christmas season.

(Applause)

-red stater pledges to join Duncan Hunter in Buying American gifts for Christmas this year!
How about YOU?

CNN Debate Debacle Dictated by Democrats

Michelle Malkin has the complete unraveling of the CNN youtube Republican debate last night.
It seems now that the light of day is shown on the so-called unbiased and randomly chosen questions... the Democrat stench is everywhere you turn, along with their greasy fingerprints.

The homosexual General (Kieth Kerr) who asked the question on homosexuals serving in the military works for the Hillary Clinton campaign.

The girl who asked what the punishment should be for an abortion if Roe V Wade were overturned is a John Edwards supporter.

The so-called Log Cabin Republican questioner is a Obama supporter.

The woman letting her kids play with deadly leaded toys while she asks WHAT Republicans are going to do about it... is a prominent Union activist in the Edwards camp....

The kid that asked the gun question and caught the tossed rifle.... a film maker and not a lifetime member of the NRA as he claimed... and on it goes. Of course denials are flying in all directions, the Hillary Clinton campaign claims they had no idea General Kerr was going to do that and CNN claims they had not bothered to simply google General Kerr where they would have found that he was a part of the John Kerry campaign in 04 and currently works for Hillary.

The candidates handled themselves professionally and answered every single one of the loaded questions without hesitation.
I have but one question.

Where are those guys with the taser guns when you really need them?

Clinton Opposed Military Force In Iraq From The Beginning

Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.

Their purpose is to protect the national interest of the United States, and indeed the interests of people throughout the Middle East and around the world.

Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons.

I want to explain why I have decided, with the unanimous recommendation of my national security team, to use force in Iraq; why we have acted now; and what we aim to accomplish.

Six weeks ago, Saddam Hussein announced that he would no longer cooperate with the United Nations weapons inspectors called UNSCOM. They are highly professional experts from dozens of countries. Their job is to oversee the elimination of Iraq's capability to retain, create and use weapons of mass destruction, and to verify that Iraq does not attempt to rebuild that capability.

The inspectors undertook this mission first 7.5 years ago at the end of the Gulf War when Iraq agreed to declare and destroy its arsenal as a condition of the ceasefire.

The international community had good reason to set this requirement. Other countries possess weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. With Saddam, there is one big difference: He has used them. Not once, but repeatedly. Unleashing chemical weapons against Iranian troops during a decade-long war. Not only against soldiers, but against civilians, firing Scud missiles at the citizens of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iran. And not only against a foreign enemy, but even against his own people, gassing Kurdish civilians in Northern Iraq.

The international community had little doubt then, and I have no doubt today, that left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again.

The United States has patiently worked to preserve UNSCOM as Iraq has sought to avoid its obligation to cooperate with the inspectors. On occasion, we've had to threaten military force, and Saddam has backed down.

Faced with Saddam's latest act of defiance in late October, we built intensive diplomatic pressure on Iraq backed by overwhelming military force in the region. The UN Security Council voted 15 to zero to condemn Saddam's actions and to demand that he immediately come into compliance.

Eight Arab nations -- Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman -- warned that Iraq alone would bear responsibility for the consequences of defying the UN.

When Saddam still failed to comply, we prepared to act militarily. It was only then at the last possible moment that Iraq backed down. It pledged to the UN that it had made, and I quote, a clear and unconditional decision to resume cooperation with the weapons inspectors.

I decided then to call off the attack with our airplanes already in the air because Saddam had given in to our demands. I concluded then that the right thing to do was to use restraint and give Saddam one last chance to prove his willingness to cooperate.

I made it very clear at that time what unconditional cooperation meant, based on existing UN resolutions and Iraq's own commitments. And along with Prime Minister Blair of Great Britain, I made it equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully, we would be prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning.

Now over the past three weeks, the UN weapons inspectors have carried out their plan for testing Iraq's cooperation. The testing period ended this weekend, and last night, UNSCOM's chairman, Richard Butler, reported the results to UN Secretary-General Annan.

The conclusions are stark, sobering and profoundly disturbing.

In four out of the five categories set forth, Iraq has failed to cooperate. Indeed, it actually has placed new restrictions on the inspectors. Here are some of the particulars.

Iraq repeatedly blocked UNSCOM from inspecting suspect sites. For example, it shut off access to the headquarters of its ruling party and said it will deny access to the party's other offices, even though UN resolutions make no exception for them and UNSCOM has inspected them in the past.

Iraq repeatedly restricted UNSCOM's ability to obtain necessary evidence. For example, Iraq obstructed UNSCOM's effort to photograph bombs related to its chemical weapons program.

It tried to stop an UNSCOM biological weapons team from videotaping a site and photocopying documents and prevented Iraqi personnel from answering UNSCOM's questions.

Prior to the inspection of another site, Iraq actually emptied out the building, removing not just documents but even the furniture and the equipment.

Iraq has failed to turn over virtually all the documents requested by the inspectors. Indeed, we know that Iraq ordered the destruction of weapons-related documents in anticipation of an UNSCOM inspection.

So Iraq has abused its final chance.

As the UNSCOM reports concludes, and again I quote, "Iraq's conduct ensured that no progress was able to be made in the fields of disarmament.

"In light of this experience, and in the absence of full cooperation by Iraq, it must regrettably be recorded again that the commission is not able to conduct the work mandated to it by the Security Council with respect to Iraq's prohibited weapons program."

In short, the inspectors are saying that even if they could stay in Iraq, their work would be a sham.

Saddam's deception has defeated their effectiveness. Instead of the inspectors disarming Saddam, Saddam has disarmed the inspectors.

This situation presents a clear and present danger to the stability of the Persian Gulf and the safety of people everywhere. The international community gave Saddam one last chance to resume cooperation with the weapons inspectors. Saddam has failed to seize the chance.

And so we had to act and act now.

Let me explain why.

First, without a strong inspection system, Iraq would be free to retain and begin to rebuild its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs in months, not years.

Second, if Saddam can crippled the weapons inspection system and get away with it, he would conclude that the international community -- led by the United States -- has simply lost its will. He will surmise that he has free rein to rebuild his arsenal of destruction, and someday -- make no mistake -- he will use it again as he has in the past.

Third, in halting our air strikes in November, I gave Saddam a chance, not a license. If we turn our backs on his defiance, the credibility of U.S. power as a check against Saddam will be destroyed. We will not only have allowed Saddam to shatter the inspection system that controls his weapons of mass destruction program; we also will have fatally undercut the fear of force that stops Saddam from acting to gain domination in the region.

That is why, on the unanimous recommendation of my national security team -- including the vice president, the secretary of defense, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the secretary of state and the national security adviser -- I have ordered a strong, sustained series of air strikes against Iraq.

They are designed to degrade Saddam's capacity to develop and deliver weapons of mass destruction, and to degrade his ability to threaten his neighbors.

At the same time, we are delivering a powerful message to Saddam. If you act recklessly, you will pay a heavy price. We acted today because, in the judgment of my military advisers, a swift response would provide the most surprise and the least opportunity for Saddam to prepare.

If we had delayed for even a matter of days from Chairman Butler's report, we would have given Saddam more time to disperse his forces and protect his weapons.

Also, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins this weekend. For us to initiate military action during Ramadan would be profoundly offensive to the Muslim world and, therefore, would damage our relations with Arab countries and the progress we have made in the Middle East.

That is something we wanted very much to avoid without giving Iraq's a month's head start to prepare for potential action against it.

Finally, our allies, including Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain, concurred that now is the time to strike. I hope Saddam will come into cooperation with the inspection system now and comply with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. But we have to be prepared that he will not, and we must deal with the very real danger he poses.

So we will pursue a long-term strategy to contain Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction and work toward the day when Iraq has a government worthy of its people.

First, we must be prepared to use force again if Saddam takes threatening actions, such as trying to reconstitute his weapons of mass destruction or their delivery systems, threatening his neighbors, challenging allied aircraft over Iraq or moving against his own Kurdish citizens.

The credible threat to use force, and when necessary, the actual use of force, is the surest way to contain Saddam's weapons of mass destruction program, curtail his aggression and prevent another Gulf War.

Second, so long as Iraq remains out of compliance, we will work with the international community to maintain and enforce economic sanctions. Sanctions have cost Saddam more than $120 billion -- resources that would have been used to rebuild his military. The sanctions system allows Iraq to sell oil for food, for medicine, for other humanitarian supplies for the Iraqi people.

We have no quarrel with them. But without the sanctions, we would see the oil-for-food program become oil-for-tanks, resulting in a greater threat to Iraq's neighbors and less food for its people.

The hard fact is that so long as Saddam remains in power, he threatens the well-being of his people, the peace of his region, the security of the world.

The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi government -- a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people. Bringing change in Baghdad will take time and effort. We will strengthen our engagement with the full range of Iraqi opposition forces and work with them effectively and prudently.

The decision to use force is never cost-free. Whenever American forces are placed in harm's way, we risk the loss of life. And while our strikes are focused on Iraq's military capabilities, there will be unintended Iraqi casualties.

Indeed, in the past, Saddam has intentionally placed Iraqi civilians in harm's way in a cynical bid to sway international opinion.

We must be prepared for these realities. At the same time, Saddam should have absolutely no doubt if he lashes out at his neighbors, we will respond forcefully.

Heavy as they are, the costs of action must be weighed against the price of inaction. If Saddam defies the world and we fail to respond, we will face a far greater threat in the future. Saddam will strike again at his neighbors. He will make war on his own people.

And mark my words, he will develop weapons of mass destruction. He will deploy them, and he will use them.

Because we're acting today, it is less likely that we will face these dangers in the future.

Let me close by addressing one other issue. Saddam Hussein and the other enemies of peace may have thought that the serious debate currently before the House of Representatives would distract Americans or weaken our resolve to face him down.

But once more, the United States has proven that although we are never eager to use force, when we must act in America's vital interests, we will do so.

In the century we're leaving, America has often made the difference between chaos and community, fear and hope. Now, in the new century, we'll have a remarkable opportunity to shape a future more peaceful than the past, but only if we stand strong against the enemies of peace.

Tonight, the United States is doing just that. May God bless and protect the brave men and women who are carrying out this vital mission and their families. And may God bless America.

President Bill Clinton
December 16, 1998

"I supported the president when he asked for authority to stand up against weapons of mass destruction in Iraq," he said in May 2003, the same year he was quoted praising Bush's handling of the war.

In a June 2004 article in Time magazine, Clinton also suggested that he would have acted the same way Bush did.

"So, you're sitting there as president, you're reeling in the aftermath of (Sept. 11), so, yeah, you want to go get (Usama) bin Laden and do Afghanistan and all that. But you also have to say, 'Well, my first responsibility now is to try everything possible to make sure that this terrorist network and other terrorist networks cannot reach chemical and biological weapons or small amounts of fissile material. I've got to do that.' That's why I supported the Iraq thing," he is quoted telling the magazine.

Endorsements Key To Presidential Election

It seems that special interest groups are once again taking control of our election process.
One candidate stands out as being endorsed by just too many controversial extremists groups and therefore he must be discounted, discredited and generally discarded... can't recall his name.
But first, let's run down the top candidates and their supporters.

Ron Paul gets the United Hookers endorsement to add to his Potheads of America supporters.
Rudy gets the "I cheated on my wife" vote. (Bill Clinton support pending)
Fred gets the "trophy wife" and cardiologists vote.
Mitt has the "I've got more wives" vote all wrapped up.
Hucklebee gets the "marry your cousin" vote (he's from Arkansas).
John McCain gets the sympathy vote, and that's about it.
Hillary is endorsed by the LPGA, snap-on tools and the first black President (pending DNA tests).
John Edwards is brought to you by "Breck" the $400 haircut shampoo of Presidents.
Hussein Obama... has the "names that sound like terrorists" vote all locked up.
Dennis Kucinich has the full endorsement of "pretend people" from outer space... and Shirley McClain.
"Jihad Joe" Biden has the hopes and dreams of al Qaeda squarely on his shoulders.
Poor Tom Tancredo doesn't have the endorsement of anybody...

Which brings us to the only candidate the media is ashamed to tell you about.
His endorsements are just too scandalous and shocking to put on the news.

He is loved by the military, and has a son who just returned from Iraq (2nd tour).
He has the endorsement of the "Republican wing of the Republican party" so says the Missouri Republican Assembly.
He has an A+ rating from the NRA
He has the full backing of those living on the US side of the only 15' tall Double Fence (he built) between Mexico and America.
He is a champion for the unborn.
China hopes you never hear his name again.
Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck support him... (scandalous!)

But his name escapes me....

US Turns Mosul Int'l Airport Over To Iraqis

Occupiers or Liberators?
Ninewa, Nov 26, (VOI) – Four years after being converted into a U.S. military base, Mosul International Airport will soon reopen for civilian flights and will launch its first flight for pilgrims traveling to the holy land in Saudi Arabia.

Ninewa Governor Darid Muhammad Kashmola told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) that preparations are underway to reopen Mosul airport and indicated that the inaugural flight will carry pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
In a phone call with VOI, Nour al-Din al-Hayali, a member of parliament from the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF), said that he had committed himself to raising the issue of the Mosul airport in the Iraqi parliament. "This structure is Mosul's lungs and vital artery for local resident who are willing to travel to Baghdad and abroad, especially given the current difficult circumstances facing road transport," al-Hayali indicated.
Meanwhile, the media director in Mosul said that preparation work on the road leading to the airport and the terminals will soon be completed. "Work includes a project to line the road with trees, which we embarked upon on Saturday," the director added.
An official source from the Iraqi Airways, the national airline of Iraq, said that preparations are in their final stages. "Extra electricity lines and X-ray scanners have been installed, and a new staff has been appointed," according to the source.
Moreover, several meetings were held between the Hajj (Pilgrimage) Authority and Iraqi Airways to coordinate pilgrimage flights, scheduled to start on December 2, 2007.
Iraqi Airways is currently updating the airport's construction and equipment, including the terminals, watchtowers and other facilities, the source added.
Established in the 1950s in southern Mosul, the airport operated civilian flights until 2003, when the Multi-National Force (MNF) turned it into a military base. Only recently has the U.S. forces made the decision to hand it over to Iraqi authorities.
Mosul, the capital city of Ninewa province, lies 405 north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Oklahoman Helps Net al Qaeda Weapons Smuggler

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, captured 13 suspected insurgents during a nighttime air assault mission in Sayafiyah, a small village outside of Salman Pak, Nov. 24.

One of the detainees was a high value individual (HVI), who was a member of al-Qaida in Iraq wanted for weapons smuggling and financing attacks on Coalition forces in Salman Pak and Al Ja’ara.

“According to our intelligence, the insurgent we apprehended was an expert bomb maker and VBID (vehicle borne improvised explosive device) maker,” said 1st Lt. Matthew Barwick, from Lanham, Md., fire support officer for Co. B. “By apprehending him, we have taken a very dangerous person off the streets and made the area safer.”

During the course of the operation Co. B Soldiers cleared eight houses and barns while searching for the suspects.

“The operation went perfectly,” said Spc. Lyle Johnson, from Comanche, Okla., an indirect fire specialist in Co. B. “We cleared all of our objectives and got the No. 1 HVI and 12 of his partners. We did all of this without firing a shot, so I’d say it was a good operation.”

The 1-15th Inf. Regt. is part of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

(By Spc. Ben Hutto, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

MOSUL — The Qayyarah Bridge, which spans the Tigris River in Iraq’s Nineveh Province, was repaired and opened to traffic just three days after a section was destroyed by a truck bomb, Nov. 23.

BAGHDAD — Based on a tip from a concerned citizen, Iraqi Security Volunteers in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District led Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division to a building containing a large weapons cache, Nov. 24.

The Archer

My pal over at The Local Malcontent has this excellent piece, reprinted here in it's entirety.
Thanks Mal, for bringing this story to us.

"An Iranian student at a Canadian university has been accused by fellow bloggers of being a government agent and by the Iranian regime of being "the number one source of anti-Iran news from the Iranian blogosphere for the neo-con media."
Nonetheless, Arash Kamangir says he has no intention of stopping.

Last night, I emailed Arash Kamangir to see if he'd write a post especially for this blog.
Later on, I realized the magnitude of what I asked him: He is a very busy student, and immediately, I regreted imposing upon him. Then I found this PM post on his blog.

I urge all 12 of you loyal Local Malcontent readers to take a moment and read this post, please, and to make Kamangir.net a daily stop in your blogger browsing, for the truth within Iran.

Well worth it! As you may infer, there are dangers in both the real world and this electronic blog-world, for independent, fair-minded Iranian bloggers. Therefore, "Arash Kamangir" is a nom-de-plume, for safety's sake. But in a side note, look up "Arash Kamangir" on Wikipedia, for an inspirational, mythological story on Kamangir.

May I present for your reading pleasure, Mr. Arash Kamangir:

"You can’t lose your temper in the Iranian blogosphere - and whatever you do, you mustn’t lose your sense of humor.

We Iranians generally have one of the sharpest and most resilient senses of humor that I have ever seen. Some theories relate that to the decades of oppression, during which people have only been able to use indirect methods to express themselves.

Even today, you only need to ride the bus in Tehran to hear the latest rumors about the Ayatollahs and the regime through the jokes people trade and laugh at. But if you try to move from humor to a more direct way of expressing your opinions, you’ll likely end up crossing a couple of the unspoken red lines and eventually people will start yelling at you.

A lack of free speech has basically halted constructive discussion from developing and years of dictatorship have caused massive resentment, even among the ordinary people.
What makes things worse is the fact that hundreds of thousands of Iranians have been killed during these years, some executed by the regime and some killed on the various fronts of the supposed war "to conquer Qods [Israel]". This has made all political argument incredibly sensitive - lives have been lost for every point argued.

As a result, any successful discussion with a group of Iranians has to start with a long introduction through which one has to clearly declare his positions on key issues.
And if you dare to express your views in a public forum, it’s incredibly easy to be accused of being "on the payroll of the Islamic Republic", "being an apologist", or at the other end of the spectrum "a warmonger Iran-hating traitor".

The majority of the accusations come from sincere people who are irritated by politics and political games. But then there are the the opportunists, bloggers who thrive on accusing others in order to promote their image as the "reasonable observer" - throwing horrible accusations at those who dare to speak out on sensitive issues.

I have been accused of being on the Islamic Republic payroll in the past on multiple occasions. Most of the people who made those accusations are now amongst my good blog-friends. That’s because we sat down - either virtually or in person - and talked it out. Then came the accusations of being anti-Iran activist, including charges of "involvement in a filthy plot against Iran".

When I started blogging, on October 17th, 2004, about three years ago, my goal was to improve my English towards helping me score higher in the upcoming TOEFL exam, which I had to pass as a step in my admission to the Canadian university in which I am a graduate student. In those early days, and months, Kamangir was a lonely blog somewhere on the outskirts of the blogosphere. Soon after my wife and I came to Canada, I started writing about politics more explicitly.

On February 25th, 2006, a post I had written about a blast in a shrine in Iraq attracted the attention of high-traffic bloggers. The next day, after the number of hits of my blog jumped to 600, from the steady 25 of the past year, I had mixed feelings of joy and horror.

The best move I made was on May 1st, 2007, when I started writing a Persian blog as well. As of today, according to Alexa, half the visitors of my blogs visit Persian Kamangir. I have shifted a large portion of my efforts to my Persian blog in order to have the opportunity communicating with the Iranian youth. As we discuss issues of mutual interest such as human rights and fanaticism I am able to glean a lot of information about Iran through Persian blogs, comments and emails.

The result of this communication is translated into English and published in my English blog.
My efforts to help the flow of information from the Iranian blogosphere into the English-speaking audience and media has deeply irritated those who want to build a wall of denial to hide their atrocities.

As a result, on October 27th, 2007, Alef, a website known to be owned by a high-ranking conservative Iranian MP, published a piece about my blog. The report referred to my ongoing research on the state-run media’s incomplete quote from the Norwegian Foreign Minister’s speech at the United Nations University in Tokyo.

"He claims that the sentence ‘West must be more concerned with their own arsenal, rather than pointing at Iran and North Korea’ is made up. The blogger mentions that he will follow the story with the Foreign Ministry of Norway", wrote the author. The piece then followed with mentioning my real name accompanied by two pictures of me and describing me as "a resident of Canada whose blog is frequently referred to by the media and the warmonger neo-con blogs (including Pajamas Media and Gateway Pundit)".

It followed, "His blog is the number one source of anti-Iran news from the Iranian blogosphere for the neo-con media. The content translated by him, regarding President’s speeches, Iranian missiles, stonings, executions, the social security project, and so on, have been enthusiastically followed by the neo-con blogging networks. During last few months, he has increased his presence in the Persian blogging atmosphere, and also Iranian social networks, in order to direct anti-Iran content."

While public disclosure of my real name, in connection with my blog, has jeopardized my safety, it wasn’t the first time this vital information is spoken of publicly. On May 6th, 2007, another expat Iranian blogger disclosed my real identity for the first time in a post on his blog.
One of the pictures of me used in Alef’s piece is in fact a rare picture I had used in my biography in an academic journal paper related to my engineering degree. Earlier, the other blogger referred to that paper on his blog, when mentioning my real name.

I wasn’t surprised to find him accusing me of being involved in a "big filthy plot" against Iran in a Persian online community a short while after Alef’s piece came out.In a society so politicized, it is important to pierce through the layers of confusion and look at what is happening at the core.
The fact is that Iran is rapidly deteriorating in terms of many measures of civilized life (the last one was being ranked 162 among 168 countries in terms of freedom of press, by RSF). But that’s just the tip of the iceberg — there’s the terror of the sharia police, the increasing drug use among young people, and other social problems.

In the international arena, Iran is on the verge of war because of its president’s behavior and because the Islamic Republic seems obsessed with what it calls "peaceful nuclear technology."
In this environment I say - let’s talk with those who are willing to talk and ignore those interested in accusations and flame-throwing.

With my homeland falling apart so rapidly, losing one’s temper or getting offended by flames and throwing in the towel is the last luxury we can afford. We Iranians need to harness any tool for constructive discussion we can get our hands on, and right now, the Internet and the blogosphere is the best forum available."

Arash "Kamangir" is an Iranian graduate student living in Canada. He named his blog after the legend of a heroic archer who saves Iran.

Duncan Hunter Has Cool Hair

Who are YOU going to vote for in the primary?
Check out this great little homegrown video about all of the Republican candidates for President.
(Music- World Turned upside Down - Coldplay)
Then check out Duncan Hunter further.


(note: video ends at 4:50, hit stop)

Below is a very short clip on Duncan Hunter's America... which sounds a lot like my America, how about you?



Below is a very short video on what the Chinese are spending YOUR money on...
Have you heard about this from any of the OTHER so called conservative candidates?

Gohunter08
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Willing Suspension Of Disbelief?

By Jeff Jacoby Boston Globe Columnist / November 25, 2007

THE NEWS from Iraq has been so encouraging in recent months that last week even the mainstream media finally sat up and took notice.
Can the Democratic Party be far behind?

In a story titled "Baghdad Comes Alive," Rod Nordland reports in the current Newsweek on the heartening transformation underway in the Iraqi capital:

"Returning to Baghdad after an absence of four months," he writes, "I can actually say that things do seem to have gotten better, and in ways that may even be durable . . . There hasn't been a successful suicide car bombing in Baghdad in five weeks . . . Al Qaeda in Iraq is starting to look like a spent force, especially in Baghdad."

The signs of life, Nordland acknowledges "grudgingly" - his word - are undeniable.

"Emerging from our bunkers into the Red Zone, I see the results everywhere. Throughout Baghdad, shops and street markets are open late again, taking advantage of the fine November weather. Parks are crowded with strollers, and kids play soccer on the streets. Traffic has resumed its customary epic snarl. . . . The Shorja bazaar in old Baghdad, hit by at least six different car bombs killing hundreds in the last year, is again crowded with people among the narrow tented stalls. On nearby Al-Rasheed Street, the famous booksellers are back in business . . . People are buying alcohol again - as they always had in Baghdad, until religious extremists forced many neighborhood liquor shops to close."

Newsweek's isn't the only big media voice bringing tidings of comfort and joy from the Iraqi theatre.

On Tuesday, The New York Times led its front page with a good-news headline - "Baghdad Starts to Exhale as Security Improves" - and a large photo of an Iraqi bride and groom, bedecked in wedding finery and accompanied by a band. Below that: a picture of smiling diners at Al Faris, a restaurant on the Tigris riverbank that is booming once again. Inside, across four columns, another photo showed an outdoor foosball game in Baghdad's Haifa Street, once dubbed the "Street of Fear" because it was the scene of so many lethal sectarian attacks.

In another Page 1 story the day before ("U.S. Says Attacks in Iraq Fell to the Level of Early Last Year"), the Times recounted some of the auspicious data: civilian fatalities down 75 percent in recent months, Iraqi security-force casualties down 40 percent, total weekly attacks nationwide down nearly two-thirds since June.

The Los Angeles Times, too, fronted a story on the promising developments, reporting on an "unexpected flowering of sectarian cooperation" in which "Sunnis and Shi'ites are joining hands at the local level to protect their communities from militants." The results, reported the paper from the rural community of Qarghulia on Monday, "are palpable. Killings are down dramatically and public confidence is reviving."

Of course things could still change for the worse. In the Middle East there are few guarantees. Neither the US military nor the Bush administration plans to dust off that "Mission Accomplished" banner anytime soon.

Still: "By every metric used to measure the war," as The Washington Post editorialized on Nov. 18, "there has been an enormous improvement since January." The Post credits this achievement to American soldiers in Iraq, to General David Petraeus, "and to President Bush, for making the decision to launch the surge against the advice of most of Congress and the country's foreign policy elite."

With the media at last paying attention to the progress in Iraq, shouldn't leading Democrats think about doing the same? Perhaps this would be a good time for Hillary Clinton to express regret for telling Petraeus that his recent progress report on Iraq required "a willing suspension of disbelief" - in effect, calling him a liar. Perhaps Senate majority leader Harry Reid should admit that he may have been wrong to declare so emphatically: "This war is lost, and the surge is not accomplishing anything."

All of the Democratic presidential candidates have been running on a platform of abandoning Iraq. At the recent debate in Las Vegas, they refused to relax their embrace of defeat even when asked about the striking evidence of improvement. They continued to insist that "the surge is not working" (Bill Richardson), that "the occupation is fueling the insurgency" (Dennis Kucinich), and that the "strategy is failed" and we must "get our troops out" (Barack Obama).

Blind opposition to war that seems lost is understandable.
But can Democrats be so invested in defeat that they would abandon even a war that may be winnable?
With developments in Iraq looking so hopeful, this is no time to cling to a counsel of despair.

Search For The Real Conservative Continues

Conservatives seem to be staggering around in the dark looking for the real conservative candidate to vote for in the 2008 Presidential election.
In the Fox News Debate, Chris Wallace opened the questioning with the question yet to be answered... "Who is the most conservative Republican candidate?"

We know it's certainly not Rudy or McCain, ...and Mitt Romney's stance on guns, stem cell research and socialized healthcare disqualify him as a real conservative. Fred Thompson comes close but also fails the test on a couple of issues like leaving abortion up to the states. Many also wonder about Thompson's health and energy level for a job that ages men like a time machine. Ron Paul isn't even a Republican and so the media's newest darling Mike Huckabee has been dubbed the real conservative in the race.
However, in his Washington Post piece today, Bob Novak confirms what many of us already knew... Mike Huckabee is not a true conservative by any measure.

The False Conservative:

By Robert D. Novak
Monday, November 26, 2007; A15

Who would respond to criticism from the Club for Growth by calling the conservative, free-market campaign organization the "Club for Greed"? That sounds like Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich or John Edwards, all Democrats preaching the class struggle. In fact, the rejoinder comes from Mike Huckabee, who has broken out of the pack of second-tier Republican presidential candidates to become a serious contender -- definitely in Iowa and perhaps nationally.

Huckabee is campaigning as a conservative, but serious Republicans know that he is a high-tax, protectionist advocate of big government and a strong hand in the Oval Office directing the lives of Americans. Until now, they did not bother to expose the former governor of Arkansas as a false conservative because he seemed an underfunded, unknown nuisance candidate. Now that he has pulled even with Mitt Romney for the Iowa caucuses and might make more progress, the beleaguered Republican Party has a frightening problem. (...more)

You know that old saying that often times 'what we are seeking the most is usually right under our noses all the time'?
There is only one candidate that nobody dares question his conservative credentials.
One candidate that has no skeletons in the closet, no hidden agenda and no crazy conspiracy theories to explain.
There is one candidate who not only served in Vietnam, but his son has served in Afghanistan and Iraq as well.
One candidate who not only says he will secure the borders but has actually built the only fence along the border to secure the border... and it works!
One candidate who has been named "The Republican Wing of the Republican Party" by the Missouri Republican Assembly.

So the real question is ...when are these conservatives like Bob Novak, Sean Hannity and the rest going to discover Duncan Hunter?
More importantly, when are YOU going to discover Duncan Hunter?
Hopefully not after it's too late.

-red

Cooking With Duncan Hunter

As we all prepare our favorite recipes this holiday season, we can rest assured that those would-be terrorists down at sunny Club Gitmo are doing just fine... as we see on this episode of "Cooking with Duncan Hunter".



In addition, on Ramadan the guests at Club Gitmo are served lamb, dates and honey as part of their holiday meals...with extra large portions to make up for the daily fast.
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Nobody Wants To Play With Jihad Joe Anymore

"Jihad Joe" Biden is in Des Moines Iowa whining and complaining that "nobody wants to play with us anymore".

Of course Jihad Joe is referring to his claim that the rest of the world doesn't want to 'play' with America because America lacks 'credibility'.

"Until we solve the situation in Iraq, we have no credibility to solve problems with more dangerous places in the world,” said Biden, “If you remove that boulder that is Iraq, the rest of the world is going to follow us again. Nobody wants to play with us anymore.”

Senator Biden doesn't get out much these days... running for president takes a lot of time. That could be the only explanation for how Biden could have missed speeches and talks from BOTH the newly elected leaders of Germany AND France where they said just the opposite.

Both the German-American and the broader transatlantic relationship have improved considerably because of an increased emphasis on discussion and dialogue. It started with President Bush’s trip to Mainz and Brussels last February, and under Chancellor Merkel's leadership, momentum has picked up.
"I had the privilege of being present at the meetings between President Bush and Chancellor Merkel. They met for extended discussions on a wide range of subjects. The President and the Chancellor have a very good rapport and have developed a close friendship."

OR newly elected French President Zarkozy's glowing speech praising America and proclaiming the great friendship between the two countries...
Today as in the past, as we stand at the beginning of the 21^st century, it is together that we must fight to defend and promote the values and ideals of freedom and democracy".
"Together we must fight against terrorism".
"For me, failure is not an option. Terrorism will not win because democracies are not weak, nor because we are not afraid of this barbarism".

So if not Europe, then who does Jihad Joe Biden want America to 'play' with that doesn't want to 'play' with America?
September 11, 2007- During the Petraeus Report hearings while General David Petraeus was being called a "liar", Joe Biden reached out to 'play'... with THE ENEMY. At this critical time when al Qaeda was hoping desperately for a democrat pullout in September... Joe Biden was just the man to give them hope...
Al Jazeera- 9/11/07:
Sen. Joe Biden:..."The "surge" strategy can not succeed, as national Iraqi leaders were not committed to reconciliation between sectarian and ethnic groups."
"It's time to stop the surge and bring the troops home"

Instead, the surge is being termed a "great success", tribal leaders had reconciled with sectarian and ethnic groups to help defeat al Qaeda, Iraqis are flooding back into their country from refuge by the hundreds of thousands and FREEDOM is taking hold in Iraq. Joe must have missed this news also. Too busy I'm sure.

It seems very clear that the only people Jihad Joe Biden is worried about not 'playing' with America any more are the Jihadists themselves. Biden cares more about what terrorists think of America than what Americans think of America as evidenced by his own statements. Except for his loyal flock of "fly in the dark" followers that is.

Joe Biden needs to be worrying about what Americans are starting to think about Joe Biden.
It's the democrat party and people like you (Joe) that nobody wants to 'play' with anymore, if democrats are sensing a lack of respect and credibility they need to look in the mirror before pointing the finger at America.

Note to America; Keep...correction GET Joe Biden AWAY from Pakistan.

The Folly Of Democrats On Iraq Becoming Obvious

By Charles Krauthammer

"It does not have the drama of the Inchon landing or the sweep of the Union comeback in the summer of 1864. But the turnabout of American fortunes in Iraq over the past several months is of equal moment -- a war seemingly lost, now winnable. The violence in Iraq has been dramatically reduced. Political allegiances have been radically reversed. The revival of ordinary life in many cities is palpable. Something important is happening.

And what is the reaction of the war critics? Nancy Pelosi stoutly maintains her state of denial, saying this about the war just two weeks ago: "This is not working. . . . We must reverse it." A euphemism for "abandon the field," which is what every Democratic presidential candidate is promising, with variations only in how precipitous to make the retreat.

How do they avoid acknowledging the realities on the ground? By asserting that we have not achieved political benchmarks -- mostly legislative actions by the Baghdad government -- that were set months ago. And that these benchmarks are paramount. And that all the current progress is ultimately vitiated by the absence of centrally legislated national reconciliation.

I can understand Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the No. 2 commander in Iraq, saying that the central government needs to seize the window provided by the surge to achieve political reconciliation. We would all love to have the leaders of the various factions -- Kurd, Shiite, and Sunni -- sign nice pieces of paper tying up all the knotty questions of federalism, de-Baathification and oil revenues.

What commander would not want such a silver bullet that would obviate the need for any further ground action? But it is not going to happen for the same reason it has not already happened: The Maliki government is too sectarian and paralyzed to be able to end the war in a stroke of reconciliation.

But does the absence of this deus ex machina invalidate our hard-won gains? Why does this mean that we cannot achieve success by other means?

Sure, there is no oil law. But the central government is nonetheless distributing oil revenues to the provinces, where the funds are being used for reconstruction.

Sure, the de-Baathification law has not been modified. But the whole purpose of modification was to entice Sunni insurgents to give up the insurgency and join the new order. This is already happening on a widening scale all over the country in the absence of a relaxed de-Baathification law.

As for federalism, the Kurds are running their own region, the Sunni sheiks in Anbar and elsewhere are exercising not just autonomy but control of their own security, and the southern Shiites are essentially governing themselves, the British having withdrawn in all but name.

Why is top-down national reconciliation as yet unattainable? Because decades of Saddam's totalitarianism followed by the brutality of the post-invasion insurgency destroyed much of the political infrastructure of the country, causing the Iraqis to revert to the most basic political attachment -- tribe and locality.
Gen. David Petraeus' genius has been to adapt American strategy to capitalize on that development, encouraging the emergence of and allying ourselves with tribal and provincial leaders -- without waiting for cosmic national deliverance from the newly constructed and still dysfunctional constitutional apparatus in Baghdad.

Al-Qaida in Iraq is in disarray, the Sunni insurgency in decline, the Shiite militias quiescent, the capital city reviving. Are we now to reverse course and abandon all this because parliament cannot ratify the reconciliation already occurring on the ground?

Do the critics forget their own arguments about the irrelevance of formal political benchmarks? The transfer of power in 2004. The two elections in 2005. The ratification of the constitution. Those were all supposed to be turning points to pacify the country and bring stability -- all blown to smithereens by the Samarra bombing in February 2006, which precipitated an orgy of sectarian violence and a descent into civil war.

So, just as we have learned this hard lesson of the disconnect between political benchmarks and real stability, the critics now claim the reverse -- that benchmarks are what really count.

This is to fundamentally mistake ends and means. The benchmarks would be a wonderful shortcut to success in Iraq.
But it is folly to abandon the pursuit of that success when a different route, more arduous but still doable, is at hand and demonstrably working."

How can democrats manage to hold on to defeat until November of 08?
I dunno' either, but it should be fun to watch!
-red
Update- There are two exceptions to the above... besides Joe Lieberman who isn't really a democrat any more... One is Engram at Back Talk blog who has been documenting the war and comparing the facts to the democrat talking points for years now (Engram is a democrat Research professor) The OTHER is Dave at Oklahoma Lefty Blog here in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Lefty took me up on my challenge to support the war from the left just about a year ago now and has stuck it out through thick and thin to now witness success... proving that there are sane democrats and liberals out there... but finding them is a bit tricky in the ocean of insanity that is the leftwing antiwar blob-o-sphere.

God Bless both you guys... you are true leaders, the democrat party would be well served to take your examples of debate, civility and professionalism... not to mention patriotism.
-red s tater

Hunter Calls China "cheaters", Details Plan for Jobs in America

Duncan Hunter is the only candidate with a plan to take on China in the world market and create great new jobs right here in America. Listen to what Hunter has to say and see if you don't agree, ...then I'll buy you a cup of coffee to wake you up.


For Duncan Hunter's detailed plan on China and creating new robust JOBS here in America...



click HERE.

“American workers are the most productive and innovative labor force in the world. Unfortunately, they are asked to compete in an unfair environment against other workers who make only a fraction of a living wage and are employed by companies that face few, if any, responsibilities to the environment or the long-term prospects of their employees.
Our domestic manufacturers are forced to compete against foreign companies that benefit from their country’s currency and regulatory regimes. Ominously, China is cheating on trade and using billions of American trade dollars to build ships, planes and missiles at an alarming rate while, at the same time, taking millions of American jobs. I will reverse this “one-way street” with a new policy of fair trade for the American worker." - (from goHunter.com)

For videos of Duncan Hunter on all of the issues click HERE.
For information on Duncan Hunter for President or to donate


click GoHunter08

100,000s' of Iraqis Enthusiastically Return Home

Thanks to Amy Proctor for the story.

Iraqis who fled their country because of the war are returning by the hundreds of thousands to Iraq from Syria, Egypt and Jordan because of the improved security. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is providing the free bus and flight travel:

Residents welcome their relatives who have just returned from Syria after arriving in Baghdad November 21, 2007. REUTERS/Mahmoud Raouf Mahmoud (IRAQ)

The return is dramatic. Baghdad has been transformed:

Iraqi refugees are returning home in dramatic numbers, concluding that security in Baghdad has been transformed. Thousands have left their refuge in Syria in recent months, according to some estimates.

The Iraqi Embassy is organizing a secure mass convoy from Damascus to Baghdad on Monday for refugees who want to drive back. Embassy notices went up around the Syrian capital yesterday, offering free bus and train rides home.

Saida Zaynab, the Damascus neighborhoods once dominated by many of the 1.5 million Iraqi refugees, is almost deserted. Apartment prices are plummeting and once-crowded shops and buses are half empty.

Syria has absorbed the lion’s share of Iraqi refugees since the US-led invasion and subsequent insurgency, with the rest going to Jordan, Egypt and other countries around the region. They, too, report a growing number of returnees.

Hussein Ali Saleh, the director of the National Theatre in Baghdad, who is staging Iraqi plays for refugees in Damascus, said that his audience was disappearing. A month ago the al-Najum theatre near the Syrian central bank building was filled with 400 Iraqis every night. Now barely 50 turn up.

“In the last month, 60 per cent of the Iraqis I know have returned,” he said. “The situation has been changed completely. They all want to go back. Even my own family back in Baghdad is telling me the situation is much better.”

Most Iraqis interviewed by The Times seemed enthusiastic rather than despondent. “Throughout history Baghdad has fallen many times but she always rose up again,” Abu Ibrahim said. “We all know this and that’s why we return. We return to rebuild Baghdad now.”

Someone needs to tell Harry Reid and John Murtha.

Thanks again to Amy for this great news from Iraq!

Okie Funk Calls for Second Hole to Drain Boat

Did you ever see those Three Stooges or Laurel and Hardy movies where they get a hole in their rowboat and try to figure out out to drain it? Okie Funk must have seen this movie and took them seriously.

Funk leads the way here in Oklahoma in wrongheaded thinking. With revenue in Oklahoma taking a small one month downturn, Funk is calling to hit the tax-increase panic button. That's right, retail sales were down in October which meant that sales tax revenue to the state went down. For one month. This happens frequently and a one-month drop is not any indicator for what the following month(s) will bring, however it is enough for short-sighted socialists and communists to demand raising taxes on the very people who drive those sales numbers.

It is this kind of stifling backward thinking that has kept Oklahoma from blossoming into the great state it could become for 100 years now.
If it moves, tax it... if it grows, regulate it and if it stops moving,... subsidize it. -(Ronald Reagan)
This is the mentality of Funk and the new socialist Democrat party.

Oklahomans spent less money in October, so Funks answer is to give us even less to spend in future months by raising our taxes.

Okie Funk provides Oklahomans with the best reason to vote against Democrats, not for them as he suggests. Thank God he is just a college professor and not in any position to actually do anything.
Imagine if a company operated this way...any month that sales drop, they raise their prices next month. How long would that company be in business?

Well that is what Funk is proposing for Oklahoma... you didn't have enough money to buy stuff last month so were gonna raise your taxes so you have even less next month. Brilliant! Not.
Now I know why they say those that can't actually "do".... get hired to "teach" instead.
He writes...

"Republicans cut taxes to ensure vital government programs do not receive adequate funding. The underlying philosophy is to eventually privatize most aspects of government, such as public schools and colleges, making corporations richer on the backs of hard working people. Under this system, the extremely wealthy, America’s new oligarchy, call all the shots, and democracy becomes just another historical event rich people can study about in their plush private schools."

I'm not sure if this is an attack on Republicans or private schools... or just an attack on logic and common sense. I guess there are no Democrat children in private school, only Republicans can afford that? LOL And government programs don't often get cut... if ever. Tax cuts put money in the pockets of those who paid taxes... so they can spend it thereby increasing sales and tax revenue to the government far more than increasing taxes on declining sales.

Sounds to me like Funks big plan is to simply tax Republicans (conservatives) and give it to Democrats (socialists).

And people wonder why after 100 years of this kind of backward politics Oklahoma is where it is? Near the bottom or last in every category.

This reminds me of the old movies where one of the guys would accidentally shoot a hole in the bottom of their boat, and to drain the water out... the other one shoots or drills a second hole in the bottom of the boat.
Brilliant.
-red

Former Renta-Jihadi Warns Wannabes

Ahmad Abdullah Al-Shaie

Below is a story from a young Saudi man who was recruited to go and fight against the Americans in Iraq and his message to others considering joining the Jihad.

He was shocked (to say the least) when he learned that the Iraqis were NOT treating the 'insurgent' groups like al Qaeda and Hamas like liberators but instead were turning against them and killing them and siding with the Americans. He warns other young men NOT to be taken in by the lies and deception of these terrorist groups promising martyrdom and instead just delivering death and destruction.

This story is further evidence that radical Islam is losing credibility and the US is gaining victory in Iraq.

BURAIDAH, 23 November 2007 — A young Saudi, who was brainwashed to fight in Iraq where he narrowly escaped death and suffered scarring to his face and hands in a failed suicide attack, recently called on young Saudis not to follow in his footsteps and be wary of militant groups in Iraq.

Ahmad Abdullah Al-Shaie, a young Saudi from Buraidah who describes himself as a victim, told Al-Riyadh newspaper that he was brainwashed into going to and fighting in Iraq. “The Iraqis who were supposed to train me and prepare me to fight the occupation tried to kill me by making me an unwilling suicide bomber,” said Al-Shaie, who was tricked into driving a truck full of explosives.

In 2005, Al-Shaie went to Iraq to fight American troops. The leader of his group, Abu Abdul Rahman, asked him to drive a gas tank to a place in the Al-Mansour district of Baghdad. The Saudi youngster said he was suspicious why he had been chosen. He had no experience, did not know his way around, and felt an Iraqi would have been better suited.

The young Saudi had arrived in Iraq to undergo military training to take part in the insurgency. “We thought the Iraqis were on our side. I never doubted them, as I used to see them fasting and praying. I thought they were doing jihad and it never crossed my mind that they may want to kill me,” said Al-Shaie.

On the day he was to deliver the truck, Al-Shaie was shown how to maneuver it. Iraqi fighters guided him through Baghdad and when they reached a certain point they (the Iraqis) sped off in a waiting car.

Al-Shaie recalls the moment when he was left alone. “I continued driving. After around 500 meters, the truck exploded. It was a nightmare. I couldn’t believe what had happened. Twelve people died and many were injured,” said Al-Shaie, adding that later he learned that his truck, which was carrying 26 tons of liquid explosives, was aimed at bombing the Jordanian Embassy.

Al-Shaie arrived in Iraq in 2005 after meeting an old friend, who told him about jihad and stories of fighters in Afghanistan and Chechnya. The friend showed him a “fatwa” permitting Saudis to go to Iraq to fight without the approval of their parents and the ruler of the country.

In the last 10 days of Ramadan in 2005, Al-Shaie told his parents he was going camping. “I knew that if I told them about my real intentions they would have objected. We went to Syria where we met a Saudi called Abu Abdullah,” he said, adding that all of the people he met used nicknames and never their real names.

In Syria, he was introduced to a Syrian man called Mazin, who arranged for his passage into Iraq. “When we entered Iraq, we met two young Iraqis carrying two Yemenis, who were wounded in Falluja. The Iraqis told us to move on before sunrise, otherwise the Americans would come after us,” said Al-Shaie.

In Iraq, Al-Shaie and his group met the leader of foreign Arab fighters. “His name was Abu Aseel and asked us if we wanted to be martyrs. None of us raised our hands because we had all come to fight and not to kill ourselves,” said Al-Shaie.

The group was told of the rewards given to martyrs in Islam. However, the group remained unconvinced. Their passports were taken from them and they were handed $100 each and sent to the Al-Anbar province where they joined a group of 40 Arab fighters.

“After one week, we went to Ramadi where we were supposed to be getting training... We complained to the leader of the camp that we weren’t getting any training. He just said we would be taken to Baghdad the next day,” said Al-Shaie, adding that an explosives expert called Abu Omar Al-Kurdi received the group in Baghdad.

It was in Baghdad under Al-Kurdi that Al-Shaie was tricked into driving the truck on that fatal morning. After the truck he was driving exploded, the young Saudi, having sustained burns, was taken to the Abu Ghraib Prison Hospital.

After one month, US officials handed Al-Shaie and a group of other young Saudis into the custody of the Saudi government.

Al-Shaie says he does not know the fate of his friend, who brought him to Iraq. He believes he may have died fighting. “The conditions in Iraq are very difficult... We were brainwashed and were used by these people,” he said.

“Most Saudis in Iraq have gone because of fatwas permitting them to fight. However, we all know that the Kingdom’s Higher Scholar Committee has not approved these decrees. Many young Saudis that went to Iraq have been influenced by what they see on websites and hear in cassettes,” he said.

“The Iraqis are not happy with foreigners fighting in Iraq. They think we’re interfering in their internal business,” he said. “I advise young Saudis not to go to Iraq.”

Good advice... unless of course Jihad Joe Biden and the other Democrats are right when they claim the insurgents have won and American has lost... but those nasty cuts and burns look pretty real to me.
-red

Iraqis Taking Charge Of Their Security

Friday, 23 November 2007
BAGHDAD — Iraqi citizens are taking back their streets from extremists by taking security into their own hands.

The Iraqi Security Volunteer program, an Iraqi project funded by the government of Iraq, allows volunteers from local communities to protect their own neighborhoods.

The ISVs receive a three-day training program at Coalition Outpost War Eagle where they learn some basic vehicle checks and how to conduct themselves on the streets, as well as weapons training with an AK-47.

“When you have local citizens patrolling their own streets, they have a sincere interest in keeping it safe,” said 1st Lt. John Suh, 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment.

According to Suh, a native of Harrington Park, N.J., these volunteers are residents of the neighborhoods they have been tasked to provide security to, and that’s precisely the advantage when hiring local residents.

“People are staying out longer at night and the stores are remaining open longer,” he said. “Thanks to this program, people are feeling a sense of security.”

Market in Baghdad Nov 5 2007 Reuters photo.

According to Suh, the program overall has proven to be a success in Adhamiyah District.

“This is a short-term fix,” said Suh. “The ultimate goal is to transition these ISVs into Iraqi Policemen. So, a few months down the road, we’re trying to place them in the Iraqi Police Academy. In the end, this short-time initiative will create sustainable security solutions by transitioning them into IP.”

For Asef Abd Hadi Mosa Al Jabori, an ISV in Shabatkar neighborhood, being in this program gives him the opportunity to serve his community and he enjoys it.

“Become a police officer in the future is something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.

According to Al Jabori, though ISVs have been successful providing security, they still need the help of Coalition Forces.

“We need them to stay here a little longer until our skills and knowledge match our present need for security,” he said.

(By Spc. Elvyn Nieves, Multi-National Division – Baghdad)

Coats For Kids In Home Stretch

Important news From The McCarville Report Online...

The annual "Coats For Kids" program that seeks to provide a warm winter coat for every Oklahoma City School District elementary school student who needs one is in its home stretch for this year.

Donations in any amount can be sent to Coats For Kids, 900 North Klein, Okahoma City, OK 73106, or dropped off at any MidFirst Bank location.

Every dollar donated goes to buy coats; there is no administrative overhead. The program is operated by the district using volunteers who sort and deliver the coats to elementary schools.

"Here's Your Sign"

I don't know how many of you out there are old enough to remember or are fortunate enough to have learned about the old Burma Shave signs along the highways and byways of America and in particular along Route 66 here in Oklahoma, but they were once one of the most popular advertising campaigns ever.

It went something like this, you are driving along with the family and see a series of small red signs safely place along the right shoulder of the road about 100 feet or so apart... maybe more or less depending on the terrain etc., and these signs told a clever story, in rhyme usually, and always ended with "Burma Shave' on the final sign.
Once you read a couple of series... you couldn't wait to see the next ones. It made travel more fun.
Here are a couple of actual examples...

"Don't take the curve /
at 60 per /
We hate to lose /
a customer /
Burma Shave"

and...
"Henry the eighth /
sure had trouble /
short term wives /
long term stubble /
Burma Shave"

Okay one more...
"He stepped on the gas /
instead of the brake /
I'm pretty sure /
That's his last mistake /
Burma Shave"

So, you get the idea.
I heard that the Duncan Hunter campaign is considering the possibility of bringing back this great American iconic marketing strategy in his 2008 presidential bid. A group of Hunter supporters submitted the idea which is currently under review.

Don't be toooooooo surprised if you see a new version of that fabulous slice of classic Americana show up on a street near you in approved legal locations only of course!
Here are just some of the signs being considered...

Lower taxes.../
Higher Fence.../
Win the war.../
He sure makes sense./
Duncan Hunter08

All the candidates /
Looked the same /
Till one great man /
Rose to fame /
Duncan Hunter08

My vote won't count /
He thought with dismay /
Till he voted for Hunter/
on election day /
Duncan Hunter08

When punching a chad
You best be thinkin'
Don't look away /
And Don't be blinkin'
Vote responsibly !
Hunter08

If ya' don't vote for Hunter /
Ya' best beware /
Of skyrocketing taxes /
and Hillary-care /
Duncan Hunter08

Looking for a Prez that's great? /
Don't tempt fate /
No need to wait /
On this, there's really no debate /
Vote Duncan Hunter in oh eight

Who to vote for /
what a quandry /
Vote Duncan Hunter /
No dirty laundry.
GoHunter08

The polls all say
he's way behind /
Political hay /
is a state of mind /
Break out today /
and you will find /
...Duncan Hunter
GoHunter08

Feel free to submit your best effort in my comments area... if it's good, I'll make sure it gets to the right people.



Happy motoring !
-red

UPDATE:
More... fun with roadside signs!

Huckabee's not the deal /
His platform has lost it's appeal /
There's only one man /
That conservatives can /
proclaim is certifiably real.
-Duncan Hunter 08

Warning: Election ahead /
Not Rudy or Mitt or Fred /
Will beat Hillary /
and keep us all free /
From taxes and socialized med /
Vote Duncan Hunter for President 08

The voters get weak in the knees /
When polls don't go as they please /
Put down the tissues /
Decide on the issues /
and Hunter will win it with ease /
GoHunter08

Looking for a Prez that's great? /
Don't tempt fate, no need to wait /
on this there's really no debate /
Vote Duncan Hunter in 08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Donate to /
the Hunter cause /
while we take /
a commercial pause /
He enforces immigration laws /
GoHunter08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The polls all say /
He's way behind /
Political hay /
Is a state of mind /
Break out today /
and you will find /
...Duncan Hunter.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Support the Troops /
Not Terrorist groups /
Build The Fence /
Just Common Sense /
China's cheating /
So Buy American... /
...and give 'em a beating /
DuncanHunter08.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Build the Fence?
"Dun" did it.
Win The War?
Sure we "can"
Find Osama?
Call the "Hunter"
Duncan Hunter for President 08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Don't read this sign /
And try to drive /
Let riders do it /
and stay alive !
GoHunter08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Voting in 08? /
Choices not that great? /
On one you've not heard /
a discouraging word /
His victory you can help create! /
Vote Duncan Hunter for President
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Election up ahead ! /
It's Rudy or Mitt or Fred ? /
An upset in the makin'... /
Hunter brings home the bacon /
GoHunter08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He served in Vietnam /
his son served in Iraq /
He'll win the war, yes ma'm /
Before our troops come back /
Duncan Hunter for President-08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He built the fence /
that cut back crime /
He'll build the rest /
in 6 months time /
GoHunter08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

They'll wonder where /
All the aliens went /
How he cut taxes back /
and shrunk the gover-n-ment /
How he won the war in Iraq /
and gave China a hint /
Hunter's on the right track /
for our next President /

Vote Duncan Hunter 08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

China isn't trading fair /
We had better best beware /
One man has the plan to fix /
The deficit he'll surely nix /
Jobs and growth he will create /
Vote Duncan Hunter in oh eight.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Republicans to the left did shift /
Rudy, Mitt and Fred, all three /
Leaving voters a little mift /
For siding with Ted Kennedy /
But one man on the right does sing /
Before it gets too tardy /
Lets all get back to the Republican wing /
Of the grand old Republican Party
Duncan Hunter08


Time out


































































































-by red s tater





Polls Got You Down?






































































































-red-s tater

Hillary Alert


































































































Debate This





































































































-red s tater

Score Another One For the Pre-Born

The Texas Courts have nudged the pro-abortion (pre-natal homicide) folks down that very slippery slope which they so dread with every fiber of their former embryonic lives.

"The Supreme Court has emphasized that states may protect human life not only once the fetus has reached viability but 'from the outset of the pregnancy,'" the court said.
"The Legislature is free to protect the lives of those whom it considers to be human beings."

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas laws allow the killing of a fetus to be prosecuted as murder, regardless of the fetus' stage of development, but they do not apply to abortions, the state's highest criminal court has ruled.

Wednesday's ruling by the Court of Criminal Appeals rejected an appeal by Terence Lawrence, who said his right to due process was violated because he was prosecuted for two murders for killing a woman and her 4- to 6-week-old fetus.

The court ruled unanimously that state laws declaring a fetus an individual with protections do not conflict with the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling that protects a woman's right to an abortion.
"The Supreme Court has emphasized that states may protect human life not only once the fetus has reached viability but 'from the outset of the pregnancy,'" the court said. "The Legislature is free to protect the lives of those whom it considers to be human beings."

Lawrence's appeal argued that he should not have been prosecuted for the death of the fetus because it was not viable. Supreme Court precedent in abortion cases has established that states have no compelling interest to interfere before a fetus would be old enough to live outside the mother's womb, he said.

However, the court said abortion precedent is based on the premise that a woman wants to have the procedure.

"The 'compelling state interest' test, along with the accompanying 'viability' threshold, has no application to a statute that prohibits a third party from causing the death of the woman's unborn child against her will," Presiding Judge Sharon Keller wrote

SLOWLY THEY TURNED,... INCH BY INCH, ...STEP BY STEP.
I don't think it will take too long nor would it be too difficult to make the argument that ALL preborn babies should be considered 'worthy of protection' of their life as human beings by the legislature (and as a result the courts), and anyone wanting to kill them had better have a darned good reason. With the announcement this past week that ADULT skin stem cells have all the same potential as embryonic stem cells, the 'pre-natal homicide' crowd had better grab hold of something and hang on tight... it's gonna get a little more slippery real soon.

-red

"We The People..."

Earlier this year, the masses of this great country rose up and took a stand against a detestable amnesty bill that was heading to Congress. The PEOPLE of this country, by their patriotism and passion, helped change the direction of this country. It stands as a testament to what we can do as a people when we stand up for what we believe in.

There are many great challenges facing our country. As I write this, I am remembering the 1/3 of my generation that has been murdered thanks to Roe vs. Wade. I am reminded of our out of control trade deficit. I am reminded of the toll illegal immigration is taking on our economy, and the hundreds of human beings who are sold into slavery over the American/Mexican border. I am reminded of an out of a Congress that is out of control in spending, with more and more of our freedoms being threatened. As the 2008 election comes around, we are at a place where we either do or die. Do we stand up for what we believe in? Or do we allow appeasement to rule once again, leading us further towards despair and defeat?

At the time of this writing, the National Right to Life has endorsed a candidate that has openly expressed his opposition to a Constitutional ban on abortion. Pat Robertson has endorsed the most socially liberal Republican candidate. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association has endorsed a candidate that supported anti-homeschool legislation in Arkansas and supports the big public education platform of the National Education Association. Bob Jones has endorsed a candidate that has flip-flopped on every important issue. Although there are many respectable qualities about these organizations and individuals, they are unfortunately holding up Republican candidates that will either lose because of their lack of conservative credentials (placing Hilary Clinton in the White House), or who will falter on upholding conservative principles if elected.

We the people have decided to stand up again.

We the people have decided to make our voice heard.

We the people will not bow to a small elite who thinks they can run our country better than we can ourselves.

We the people are standing up for a candidate who has proven his commitment to the important issues of our time including abortion, border security, American jobs, keeping our country safe from bad trade deals, national security, and leaving behind a country more independent of its government.

We the people endorse Congressman Duncan Hunter 2008

It’s morning again in America one more time.

Visit http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/DuncanHunter2008/ to sign our petition, and join your voice among the people who have decided to endorse Duncan Hunter for President.

11/16/2007 11:05:12 PM PST by thelastinkling
Lovingly reposted by Red S Tater.

BBC Discovers "Something Missing"

"SLOWLY THEY TURNED, ...INCH BY INCH, ...STEP BY STEP."
The latest light bulb to become illuminated in the news media comes from all places... the good 'ol BBC.

Washington Diary: Changes In Iraq
Wednesday November 21 2007
By Matt Frei
BBC News, Washington
Have you noticed it too?
It dawned on me some time last week.
Something is missing from the front pages of my newspapers and the headlines of our TV bulletins. There was a picture that was so common and had become such an ingrained part of my electronic wallpaper that I almost stopped noticing it, until I noticed its absence.
I'm talking about the murder and mayhem of Iraq. It has stopped being big news not because it has stopped being interesting, but because it has stopped happening to the same extent.
All the indicators for violence are down.

But Matt can't go without hoping...

Before I go on, let me add the provisos: overall, 2007 will still be the most violent year for US troops since the 2003 invasion. Iraqis are still dying in unacceptable numbers. And there is no suggestion that the decline in bloodshed is a permanent trend.

Military commanders on the ground are very careful not to crow about the successes. Nor is the White House doing so. They are hoping that the facts will eventually speak for themselves.

In the past, boastful words have turned to dust almost as soon as they were uttered.

Matt must admit however that the surge has worked...

So what has caused this decline?
An extra 30,000 US troops on the ground since the beginning of the so-called surge have certainly made a difference.

Shuttered Baghdad markets have re-opened for business. Silent streets have come to life with the sound of children playing football and mothers yelling for attention. The din of normality has trumped the silence of fear.

In Anbar province - which used to be the heart of the insurgency - Sunni leaders are fed-up with the high-handed brutality of al-Qaeda's fighters, deemed to have abused their hospitality and outstayed their welcome.

They have become unwanted house guests and, although the Sunni leaders still eventually want the Americans to leave, they see the al-Qaeda heavies as the greater menace.

But Matt can't simply give up hope for defeat that easily...

This conversion may have come too late for Iraq. It may only work in conjunction with extra troops on the ground, many of which are due to come home anyway as their rotations end in the spring.
Then the guns could easily come out of the attic again and the violence could spike, especially if Iraq's hapless political masters do not use the window of opportunity to patch up their differences and do what they were elected to do: govern the country.

Oh yes, they will govern, the only question is, will you in the media ignore it the way you admit you have done every other success in Iraq so far?

Notice that Matt points out that every paper and tv news organization isn't reporting on violence and death in Iraq (because it isn't happening) BUT fails to question WHY his and other news organizations fail to report the "phenomenal success" of the surge and other good news from Iraq?
Another light bulb for another day perhaps...
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Iraq Pullout Now Would Be "Madness"

"It would be madness."
"Let us make sure that now we are winning in Iraq, we do win (and) we don't snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory by... stupidity."

November 21, 2007 - 4:49PM
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has again taken aim at Labor's pledge to pull combat troops out of Iraq, saying it would be "political stupidity" to do it anytime soon.

Downer said the US-led coalition was finally "winning" the war in Iraq. To withdraw troops when progress was now being made would be "madness", he said.

"I feel that we are at long last, making real progress in Iraq," Downer told reporters in Singapore, where he is attending the East Asia Summit.

"There is a very substantial decline in the level of violence in Iraq.

"The last thing we want to do - just at the point of making real progress - ... is a sudden change, a 180 degree change of policy on Iraq, which would only lead to a regression back to the violence we had before.

"It would be madness. Let us make sure that now we are winning in Iraq, we do win (and) we don't snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory by political stupidity."

Labor plans to withdraw the 500 combat troops Australia has in southern Iraq if it wins government, leaving around 1,000 still in Iraq and the Middle East.

Meanwhile on the other end of the earth, Jihad Joe Biden, Wild Bill Richardson, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and 99.999% of the dhimmicrats are indeed that stupid and indeed that "mad".
Over here though, we just call it "Bush Derangement Disorder" to be polite.

Hybrid Hoax Hits Hollywood

"Gas Guzzlers Get New Lives As Tire Smoking Hybrids" - NOT!

WICHITA, Kansas (CNN) -- "On a beautiful, crisp late fall afternoon, rock icon Neil Young took his 1959 Lincoln Continental for one last spin before a team of mechanics ripped out its gas-guzzling engine to make way for an electric motor."

The same moonbats that told us in 1974 that we all had to get rid of our muslecars because the Ford Pinto and other micro-plastic piles of flaming junk were the environmentally safe and gas mileage cars of the future, have a new scheme just as sure to fail. Don't be 'fueled' by this.

Today you can get a Pinto at the junk yard for about $200 or a restored one for maybe $2,000. On the other hand a fully restored 1969 Hemi Cuda or Z-28 Camaro can be worth about a cool million bucks at the Barrett Jackson Car Auction.

Now, there is a new company that for "only" $40,000.00 will remove that big engine from your classic car and make it virtually worthless by installing a bio-diesel/electric hybrid engine combo.

You will be able to impress your moonbat greeny friends and maybe get your picture in the paper for destroying a classic car, but as far as actually helping the environment... not so much.

But I do have to give this guy credit, he knows marketing and he knows that the left will buy anything and pay any amount just to say they are 'green'.

The story falsely claims that these cars will perform as well as they did before with the new engine combo... which is not true. First, they haven't even built the first one yet and have no idea what it will do. I do know this however...
There is not a hybrid diesel/electric combo on the market that can out perform an American V8 engine in a street car in the quarter mile, which is the true standard for performance of a hotrod. There is not an electric motor that even comes close. Diesel engines operate at lower RPM and have a narrower power band than their gasoline counterparts, so the transmission and rearend gear ratios must be changed to accommodate this fact, something not mentioned in the article, probably because the designer hasn't gotten that far and figured that out yet. There are other problems as well.

As far as the "tire smoking" part, what self respecting environmentalist would promote setting tires on fire to save the environment? NONE, but they know it is just a false advertising claim designed to attract novice or unsuspecting newbies with no experience in such matters.

This is a sales con-job of the highest degree and Hollywooders are lined up to pay $40k to ruin their cars. Someone should start a company that fixes cars back to the way they were after this guy gets done with them (for $80k).

Having built several custom cars and race cars over the years, the first rule when doing something new and radical is "there will be problems", bugs to work out... and lots of them. These cars will not be like something that rolls off the showroom floor. Putting an untested engine combination in an old classic car is certain to be riddled with unsolvable issues yet to be discovered by these "pie-in-the-sky" Dr Frankensteins who think it's just a matter of taking the old engine out and putting the new one(s) in...presto! LOL

I predict that a full year from now, Neil Young will STILL be trying to get the thing to run right.

It's typical of the lefty environmentalists who've never ridden in a muslecar nor have never been to a drag strip, yet try and tell those of us that have, all about the 'performance' of their latest scheme to improve on something that is already perfect.

He claims his car will get 100mpg when it's completed and not lose any performance. I've got some great swamp land down in the swamp that you might be interested in to build a house on also. $40k will buy quite a few tanks of premium gasoline and even at only 15 mpg, it would take a very very long time for it to break even, much less save you money at the pump. $40k will buy you almost 1,000 tanks of gas, and at only10mpg is still over 200 miles per tank or nearly 200,000 miles total!

They did it to us with the Pinto in 1974 and they are trying to do it again in 2007.
Don't fall for it folks, unless you have an extra $40k lying around to throw away on destroying a classic car for anyone else to ever enjoy.

UPDATE: In case you are thinking that you are gonna' set me straight on how fast diesels are, if you try and compare a turbocharged or supercharged diesel using nitrous oxide boost to a stock Camaro on gasoline...(see comments, lol) the Camaro still wins.... easily.
A stripped down, tube chassis, ultra tricked out diesel race truck that is supercharged and uses nitrous is capable of mid 10 second ET's (Elapsed Time) in the quarter mile.
An NHRA Stock Eliminator class 69 Camaro with a single original 4bbl carb runs in the high 9 second range on gasoline. They both weigh about 3,000lbs. Nearly a full second in the quarter mile is "light years" in drag racing terms.
source: NHRA National Records.

Put a supercharger and some nitrous on that Camaro and it will run in the high 6 second range, something no diesel or electric car has EVER accomplished yet hundreds of Camaro's and muslcecars across the country HAVE.

Now, if you tell me that a diesel electric hybrid might get better mileage than a muslecar at the cost of performance, okay fine... that's debatable. But when you start telling me that it will out perform that muslecar... then you are a liar.
End of story.

More pics of our dragster...


Letting fans get up close and personal is our specialty!

Democrats To Claim Victory In Iraq Soon

Top 10 Reasons Democrats Will Claim THEY actually Won the War in Iraq-

10- Dennis "The Menace" Kucinich- by his going to Syria and telling the enemy that the US is wrong, we can't win the war and don't have the support of the American people but we do have the support of aliens from other planets, the enemy ...just quit.

9- "Jihad Joe" Biden- by going on Al Jazeera on Sept 11 (2007) and telling the enemy that the US is wrong, can't win the war and don't have the support of Iraqis... so the enemy thought they won ...and quit.

8- When Harry met Nancy- By trying to de-fund and undermine the war effort at every opportunity, they provided the grit and resolve our military needed to win in Iraq.

7- John Kerry-Heinz- (served in Vietnam), Noticed that they simply ran out of people to kill in Iraq, ...so they quit.

6- Globalgore- Due to global warming, the enemy in Iraq got too hot and ...just quit. It had nothing to do with our military or George Bush or other democrats- it was all Al, he invented 'victory' you know.

5- Jack "Murda" Murtha- By accusing our military of torture, murder and other war crimes, the enemy got scared ...and quit. (Murtha was only kidding of course).

4- Ted "hicup" Kennedy- Threw a big kegger for the enemy complete with dancing virgins and got them all drunk, loaded them into his car and drove it off of a bridge, ...so they quit.

3- John "Pony" Edwards- His hair was perfect. (of course they quit)

2- Barack "Yes" Obama- The idea of a 'former' Muslim named Hussein in the white house scared them ...and they quit.

The #1 reason Democrats will claim they won the war- Hillary Rob'em Clip'em- Even the terrorists don't hate America enough to want another 8 years of Hill & Billy in the white house, ...so they quit.

Phoney AP Journalist Faces Charges in Iraq

New York AP- The US military says it has "convincing and irrefutable evidence that Bilal Hussein is a threat to stability and security in Iraq as a link to insurgent activity" and called Hussein "a terrorist operative who infiltrated the AP."

On the morning of April 12, 2006, Hussein was out buying bread for breakfast when he heard a blast on a nearby street in Ramadi, according to the AP investigation. He dashed home and allowed several strangers to follow—as was customary to offer shelter during unrest in the city. Marines later arrived and used Bilal's apartment as a temporary observation post.

Hussein told the AP he was later taken into custody by the Marines who also confiscated equipment including a laptop and satellite phone. The guests he invited into his apartment amid the chaos were also detained.

On Monday, Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary said two guests in the apartment that day were "suspected insurgents" and that one of them later was convicted in a court of having a phony ID. It was unclear whether he remained in custody or was released.

"We believe Bilal Hussein was a terrorist media operative who infiltrated the AP," he said. "MNF-I possesses convincing and irrefutable evidence that Bilal Hussein is a threat to security and stability as a link to insurgent activity."

Morrell said an investigative hearing into the case by the court is scheduled to begin on or after November 28.

Hussein was detained April 12, 2006 after marines entered his house in Ramadi to establish a temporary observation post and found bomb-making materials, insurgent propaganda and a surveillance photograph of a US military installation.

Morrell said Hussein, who was part of an AP photo team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2005, had previously aroused suspicion because he was often at the scene insurgent attacks as they occurred.

He said other evidence, which he would not describe, came to light after his detention "that makes it clear that Mr. Hussein is a terrorist media operative who infiltrated the AP."

Maybe Mr Hussein can provide information on the whereabouts of one Jamil Hussein who was suspected about a year ago of providing phoney news reports on unsubstantiated bombings and attacks to the Associated Press and other media outlets who used those stories to bolster claims of a 'civil war' in Iraq.
-red

Chavez, Ahmadinejad In Love With Hating Bush

In the "no good can come from this" department...

By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer Mon Nov 19, 7:28 AM ET

TEHRAN, Iran - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made his fourth trip to Iran in two years on Monday, state media reported, as the two countries sought to strengthen ties while their leaders exhort the international community to resist U.S. policies.

Tehran is in a bitter standoff with Washington over its nuclear program, which the U.S. fears is a cover for a weapons program but which Iran insists is peaceful.

Meanwhile, the U.S. accuses Chavez of being a threat to stability in Latin America, while the Venezuelan leader is constantly criticizing U.S. "imperialism" under Bush.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, said Sunday the two leaders would sign economic deals and memorandums of understanding in economic fields, and an agreement on small and medium enterprises.

In July, the two countries broke ground to start building a jointly owned petrochemical complex in Iran, with 51 percent of it in Iranian ownership and 49 percent to be owned by Venezuela. The two also began construction of a second petrochemical complex in Venezuela, at a total combined cost of $1.4 billion. No details on the ventures have been disclosed.

The two nations believe their petrochemical partnership will help Iran access markets in Latin America and Venezuela would get access to energy markets in Asia, especially India.

During Chavez's previous visit in July, the two countries signed some 20 economic and trade agreements. Since 2001, they have signed over 180 trade agreements, worth more than $20 billion in potential investment, according to IRNA.

Democrat Boat Taking On Water

The 'titanic' [sic] effort by the left and democrat party to lose the war in Iraq and thus label George W Bush the "worst President ever" has hit a major iceberg.

In part II of his series "Worst President Ever", research professor Engram at his Back Talk blog reminds those on the left of another catchy phrase... "don't count your chickens before they're hatched".

Engram points out...

Here is an "analysis" from the left that appears on page 1 of today's Washington Post:

The war in Iraq seems to have taken a turn for the better and the opposition at home has failed in all efforts to impose its own strategy. North Korea is dismantling its nuclear program. The budget deficit is falling. A new attorney general has been confirmed despite objections from the left.

The article goes on to say that Bush's approval ratings have not yet improved, but the dramatic change in Iraq is still a new development, and people are not yet sure that it will last. Moreover, because of the media we have, Americans don't appreciate the fact that we have apparently won a dramatic victory over al Qaeda, which was directly responsible for the massive increase in violence that occurred there. If this secret ever gets out, and if violence remains low, Bush's numbers will improve. More importantly, his historical standing will be greatly solidified.

Here is another analysis from the left (the pretty far left). The author is described like this:

Robert Dreyfuss is an independent investigative journalist in Alexandria, Virginia. He is a regular contributor to Rolling Stone, The Nation, The American Prospect, Mother Jones, and the Washington Monthly.

Those are some serious left wing credentials, so I think it is fair to say that he has special insight into the left wing mind. And this is what he has to say about that style of thinking:

All in all, violence in Iraq has dropped precipitously since late summer. With Al Qaeda declared dead, former Sunni resistance fighters wearing American-supplied uniforms, and the Mahdi Army lying low, killings in Iraq are way down. The security situation in Iraq is far better than it's been at any time since 2005. Many American antiwar critics, who are invested in the notion that no good news can come out of Iraq and who (secretly or openly) revel in the Bush administration's Iraqi failures, are reluctant to admit that things are getting better.

Perhaps they worry that, if the situation in Iraq improves, the prospect of Democratic gains at the polls next November will diminish. Perhaps they've convinced themselves that Iraq's ethnic and sectarian divide is so enormous that partition is the only solution, and that Iraq doesn't deserve to be a country anyway. Perhaps their distaste for President Bush (which I share) is so all-consuming that they fear any improvement in the situation will be credited to the President -- something they can't tolerate.

If so, that's perverse.

That it is. But that's the much diminished and very sad condition of today's left (which, in a bygone era, was motivated by much worthier ideals)."

For more see Engram's "Worst President Ever" Part I

It's very clear that the big boat is taking on water and the democrats are rearranging the drapes.. errr deck chairs, ...while the band plays on.

How committed are they to defeat in Iraq? Totally and completely.
In spite of all of the stories about success and good things coming out of Iraq... Soonerthought runs to the Guardian for a steaming plate of defeat. Brilliant !

MEMO TO LEFTWING ANTI-WAR BLOGGERS...

Now would be a good time to not panic, but start looking for one of the exit signs and work your way to the nearest life boat or dingy.
Pansy liberals first please, but women and children fear not... the democrats will send a boat back for you real soon.
Right after they take a poll, debate, plan, raise taxes, get environmental impact estimate and build one.

Lets watch to see the shifting democrat position as this news catches up to them.
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Iraqi Christians and Muslims: "Come Home"

If you only read one thing today, make it Michael Yon's piece "Come Home".



Come home, come home, Ye who are weary come home;
-Will L Thompson "Softly and Tenderly"

It's True: Iraq is a Quagmire !

Sunday, November 18, 2007

By Jack Kelly:

We're floundering in a quagmire in Iraq. Our strategy is flawed, and it's too late to change it. Our resources have been squandered, our best people killed, we're hated by the natives and our reputation around the world is circling the drain. We must withdraw...

No, I'm not channeling Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. I'm channeling Osama bin Laden, for whom the war in Iraq has been a catastrophe. Al-Qaida had little presence in Iraq during the regime of Saddam Hussein. But once he was toppled, al-Qaida's chieftains decided to make Iraq the central front in the global jihad against the Great Satan.

"The most important and serious issue today for the whole world is this third world war, which the Crusader-Zionist coalition began against the Islamic nation," Osama bin Laden said in an audiotape posted on Islamic Web sites in December 2004. "It is raging in the land of the Two Rivers. The world's millstone and pillar is Baghdad, the capital of the caliphate."

Jihadis, money and weapons were poured into Iraq. All for naught. Al-Qaida has been driven from every neighborhood in Baghdad, Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, the U.S. commander there, said Nov. 7. This follows the expulsion of al-Qaida from two previous "capitals" of its Islamic Republic of Iraq, Ramadi and Baquba.

Al-Qaida is evacuating populated areas and is trying to establish hideouts in the Hamrin mountains in northern Iraq, with U.S. and Iraqi security forces, and former insurgent allies who have turned on them, in hot pursuit. Forty-five al-Qaida leaders were killed or captured in October alone.

Al-Qaida's support in the Muslim world has plummeted, partly because of the terror group's lack of success in Iraq, more because al-Qaida's attacks have mostly killed Muslim civilians.

"Iraq has proved to be the graveyard, not just of many al-Qaida operatives, but of the organization's reputation as a defender of Islam," said StrategyPage.

Canadian columnist David Warren speculated some years ago that enticing al-Qaida to fight there was one of the reasons why President Bush decided to invade Iraq. The administration has made so many egregious mistakes that I doubt the "flypaper" strategy was deliberate. But it has worked out that way. It may have been a mistake for the United States to go to war in Iraq. But it's pretty clear now it was a blunder for al-Qaida to have done so.

You may not be aware of the calamities that have befallen al-Qaida, because our news media have paid scant attention to them.

"The situation has changed so unmistakably and so swiftly that we should be reading proud headlines daily," said Ralph Peters, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. "Where are they?"

Richard Benedetto was for many years the White House correspondent for USA Today. Now retired, he teaches journalism at American University in Washington, D.C.

When U.S. troop deaths hit a monthly high in April, that was front-page news in most major newspapers, Mr. Benedetto noted. But when U.S. troop deaths fell in October to their lowest levels in 17 months, that news was buried on page A-14 of The Washington Post and mentioned on Page A-12 in The New York Times. (The Post-Gazette put the story on the front page.)

"I asked the class if burying or ignoring the story indicated an anti-war bias on the part of the editors or their papers," Mr. Benedetto said. "While some students said yes ... most attributed the decision to poor news judgment. They were being generous."

Mr. Peters suspects the paucity of news coverage from Iraq these days is because "things are going annoyingly well."

Rich Lowry agrees. "The United States may be the only country in world history that reverse-propagandizes itself, magnifying its setbacks and ignoring its successes so that nothing can disturb what Sen. Joe Lieberman calls the 'narrative of defeat,' " he wrote in National Review.

If what Mr. Peters, Mr. Benedetto and Mr. Lowry suspect is true, it must have pained The Associated Press to see a correspondent write Wednesday: "The trend toward better security is indisputable." It'll be interesting to see which newspapers run the AP story, and where in the paper they place it.

"We've won the war in the real Iraq, but few people in America are familiar with anything other than its make-believe version," said the Mudville Gazette's "Greyhawk," a soldier currently serving his second tour in Iraq.

Jack Kelly:

Jack Kelly writes a nationally syndicated column, chiefly on national security issues.

Hat tip to mason at ACOC for the heads-up.
-red s tater

Emotional 2007 NHRA Awards Ceremony

As anyone who has visited this blog very often knows, aside from moonbat hunting and fishing for low-lying libtards, I love the great American born sport of drag racing.

It all started when my older brother took me out to Sand Valley Raceway on the west side of OKC, off Council Road back in the mid 1960's.
They had me at hello.

The NHRA 2007 Awards Banquet aired on ESPN2 today.
Sure I usually try and watch it, but they all seem about the same... boring and usually stiff but professional. But with all of the events, tragedy, losses and excitement of the 2007 season, this was no ordinary blah blah awards banquet.

In my view, Funnycar Champion Tony Pedregon stands out as having delivered perhaps the most compassionate and heartfelt acceptance speech I have ever heard in sports- period.
I've never really been a Tony Pedregon fan, in fact I've always viewed him as a bit over reactionary and over competitive to the point of being unthankful and ungracious having once driven to a Championship while working for John Force Racing, then being a bit snippy after leaving John Force Racing.

But 4 years of being on his own has brought out a different Tony Pedregon, along with losing a close friend and competitor Eric Medlen and almost losing his former boss and competitor John Force and the death of NHRA and Hotrod magazine founder Wally Parks within a few months time.
What fans saw on ESPN2 today was a great Champion. Thanking everyone, not from notes and not any rehearsed way, just dotting every "i" and crossing every "t", Tony gave credit to his entire crew and 'luck', recognized his competitors individually, discussed the evolution and commitment of his sponsor Q Oil, dedicated the Championship to the memory of Eric Medlen and to his former boss John Force, tears flowing, but Tony marched on without seeming anything but thankful and sincere, he talked about what a great sport NHRA drag racing is, that someone...anyone can do it, ...can reach their dream. He spoke directly to John Force urging him to come back and do battle and expressed his sincere thanks to all the fans.
I will never look at Tped the same way ever again, no matter how mad I get at him for something he says at the end of a 330mph run.

"The next championship, ...the next race, ...the next round, that's what drives drag racers."
-- Tony Pedregon

Congratulations to all of the 2007 NHRA Powerade World Champions.
T/F- Tony Schumacher US ARMY Top Fuel Dragster
F/C- Tony Pedregon Q Horsepower Oil Nitro Funnycar
P/S- Jeg Coughlin Jegs Mailorder Parts Chevrolet Cobalt Pro Stock
P/SM- Matt Smith Torco Racing Fuel Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle

Notes From The septic tank Out Back

Okie Funk/ Notes From The (septic tank) Out Back, has really outdone himself this time.
While it's easy to pick apart most any of his irrational, illogical posts, this one is begging for it.

The 'Funky' celebration of the Oklahoma Centennial post starts with his pondering about the future of Oklahoma...

"Will this future remain driven by an oppressing, extreme right-wing ideology that inhibits economic growth and stunts the quality of life here? Or will the state’s citizens realize Oklahoma and the nation need to chart a different course, a course that gives government back to the real people who have made this place work the last 100 years?"

Uhhhm, excuse me professor Kurt, I hate to interrupt your leftwing rant, but I have a question sir.

You said that Oklahoma has been ruled by an "oppressing ideology that inhibits economic growth and stunts the quality of life"... which you are indeed correct on this (rightwing excluded), so my question is... Are you not aware that Oklahoma has been ruled for the past 99+ years by a Democrat majority in both the house and senate until the election just one year ago and not ruled by "right-wingers"?

By your assertion of "oppressive rule" in your very first paragraph, you blew your entire argument for voting Democrat.

But the fun continues...
Funk states that the "ideology here on the prairie has always been based on the psychological dysfunction of self-loathing and the mindless idolatry of rich, powerful people."

Are you (doc hoc/Funk) aware that Oklahoma ranks among the top in charitable donations?
Are you aware that Oklahomans have a long standing reputation for being just the opposite of what you described?
Unless of course you are referring to "overpaid, self loathing, mindless college professors"... then you might be right.

Next, Funk claims there is a virtual grapes of wrath exodus from the Republican party... and shame to be a conservative abounds...
"I know staunch, Oklahoma conservatives who have left Bush and the Republican Party in disgust and horror. We all know these new stories of awakening, these “ironic points of light,” in the words of W.H. Auden, though the state’s right-wing reporters and editors try to hide it because, as always, they must hide their shame."

Apparently the good professor didn't see what just happened in Louisiana politics or he wouldn't be quite so glib. Louisiana as you all know had been controlled (like Oklahoma) by Democrats since about 1492 in their case and blamed ALL of their problems with hurricane Katrina (and everything else) on Republicans. In their very recent elections a month ago... they overwhelmingly voted....GUESS WHAT ? (hint: not democrat).

As well, I don't see any reporters hiding anywhere... nor have I ever heard a single Republican say they have any intention of voting for any Democrat, Oklahoma or otherwise... (and I'll bet I know more "staunch Republicans" than Okie Funk ever dreamed of) however, I can name some Oklahoma Democrats who voted Republican in the last election and have expressed no desire to change in 08... Toby Keith being just one. (yes he is a Democrat)

Funk says Oklahoma liberals say... "You deserve decent wages and decent health care. You deserve decent schools and colleges. You deserve, and your children deserve, a chance at the American Dream. This progressive message resonates today from Lawton to Tulsa to Oklahoma City to Idabel to Newkirk to Guymon."

Funk offers no plan or idea for how to make any of this happen however... except for us all to vote for another 100 years of the same "oppressive rule" he describes in his first paragraph.

Decent wages come from having a policy that is friendly to big corporations there Funk, liberals and Democrats in general are anything but 'friendly' to big business.
Decent healthcare is already available to all Oklahomans and I have listed nearly 50 locations in OKC alone to get FREE or low cost healthcare of any nature. Thats not good enough for the socialist/communist Funk.
It's free everything provided by the government that he promotes as the key to Oklahoma's future.
Decent schools and colleges come not solely from the government, but come from taxes derived from thriving business. No business = no tax revenue... no revenue = no gov funding.
Apparently Okie Funk seems to think the American Dream is merely getting everything FREE from the government dole.

Funk points to "Imperial President" Bush's "horrible" approval rating of 24% as a positive sign things are going to turn around for socialist Democrats in Oklahoma... apparently also unaware of the Democrat led Congress approval rating of just 11%... Meanwhile, OJ Simpson has a higher rating than the Democrat controlled congress with a 16% approval. Yet, this is somehow good news for Democrats according to Funk.

Funk concludes...
"So 2007 is an important year for Oklahoma, true, but 2008, an election year, is decisively more important.
After the last land run reenactment, after all the corporate hoopla, after the last fireworks display, Oklahomans need to get busy to bring about major political change here. Let us make 2008 known as the year Oklahoma stopped the right-wing scams and restored the dreams of its hard working people."

After taking one last shot at the very people who provide those "higher wages" he claims to be in support of and insulting the same people who will be funding any of his big government programs he is recommending... he has the nerve to use the word...
"scams".
How ironic considering that is all Okie Funk/dochoc does... is scam.

-red
Update: Not to be outdone, Soonerthoughtless proves that he can personally outvote the 3, maybe 4 other voters who rate blogs at blognetnews-Oklahoma and then congratulate himself generously.... what was it Okie Funk said above... ohhh yes, "the psychological dysfunction of self-loathing".

Up Close And Personal: Duncan Hunter

Getting to know Duncan Hunter...

What item most reminds you of where you came from? "Letters and articles by my Dad written over the past 60 years."
What were your best and worst grades or subjects in school? Favorite college subject was contract law. No answer on worst subject.
What pets live in your home? Two black Labs, Boo and Hunter
What is the last work of fiction you've read?
"The Democrats' proposal to balance the budget."
What task at home needs tending? "Finishing the rebuilding of our house that burned down -- a big task."
Alternate career choice? Outdoor writer
Favorite food to cook? Chicken fried venison
Desert island necessity? "Mrs. Hunter"
Favorite reality TV show? Watches Versus, previously called the Outdoor Life Network Favorite fitness activity? Hunting, fishing and hiking
Worst habit? "Not turning off the Outdoor Life Network (now called Versus) before I go to sleep"
Hidden talent? "Making rifle scabbards out of leather"
What time is "sleeping in?" 7:30 a.m.
What was your last music purchase? Favors country and gospel
What car or cars do you drive? "Suburban with 274,000 miles on it"

Red's favorite Duncan Hunter quotes...

"If you can get over my fence, we'll sign you up for the Olympics"

"I don't belong to any organized religion, I'm a Baptist"

"Ted Kennedy seems to have the most influence over the top 3 Republican candidates, ...it's time to move AWAY from the Ted Kennedy wing of the Republican Party"

Duncan Hunter III To his 1st grade school teacher...
"My name is Duncan Hunter and my grandpa is going to be President.",
..."that's nice" said his teacher, ...
(Duncan III) "so, can I count on your vote?"

Duncan Hunter Bio-

Since first being elected to Congress in 1980, Duncan Hunter has devoted himself to ensuring that our military is second to none, securing our nation’s borders, and protecting American workers from unfair competition. Hunter works on these issues because he believes that America’s greatest strength is our freedom and its protection requires our effort in all areas.

A Vietnam veteran, Duncan Hunter served in the 173rd Airborne and 75th Army Rangers and, after coming home, utilized the G.I. Bill to attend Western State University Law School in San Diego (now Thomas Jefferson School of Law). While completing his degree, Hunter supplemented his income by working in farming and construction, and opened a storefront legal office after graduation where he began serving many in the Hispanic community, often without compensation.

In 1980, Hunter was asked to mount a challenge for the Congressional seat held by 18-year incumbent Lionel Van Deerlin. Despite the district having a 2-to-1 Democrat registration, Hunter won the seat in an upset. Coming to Washington, Hunter successfully sought a seat on the House Armed Services Committee where he could work on America’s national security needs. Serving on this committee throughout his career, Hunter became Chairman of the full committee in 2002, overseeing a $532 billion defense budget. During his chairmanship from 2002-2006, and now as Ranking Member of the committee, Hunter focuses his efforts on providing President Bush with the necessary resources to win our nation’s military conflicts, protecting our men and women in uniform, and developing modernization initiatives that will move new and more effective technologies into the field of battle.

Living in a border community, Hunter also came to Congress to make securing the California-Mexico border a top priority. Hunter’s goal was to make the region safe for communities on both sides of the border by providing the necessary resources to our border enforcement agencies. September 11th, however, made border security a national security issue and Hunter responded by leading efforts in Congress to seal a porous border susceptible to illegal aliens, drug trafficking and terrorism. Hunter’s efforts have resulted in over 59 miles of fencing and border infrastructure to date in San Diego County. Hunter also wrote the Secure Fence Act, extending the San Diego fence 854 miles across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. These fence provisions were signed into law by President Bush on October 26, 2006.

On the House Armed Services Committee, Hunter has protected U.S. defense jobs in aircraft, ship repair, machine tools, textile, steel and titanium to ensure that what he calls the “Arsenal of Democracy,” the U.S. industrial base, is maintained to provide security in time of war. Hunter’s other legislative priorities include retaining and increasing jobs across this nation, providing tax relief to hard-working families, keeping our promises to America’s veterans, protecting Social Security for present and future generations, and promoting strong family values.

Hunter resides in East San Diego County with his wife Lynne where they, like many of their neighbors, just completed re-building their Alpine home after it was lost in the October 2003 wildfires. In 2006, Duncan and Lynne celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary; they have two sons, Duncan Duane, who served two tours in Iraq in the U.S. Marine Corps, and Sam Hunter, a business student at San Diego State University. Duncan D. and his wife, Margaret, have three children, Duncan Lee, Elizabeth Grace and Sarah Louise, and reside in Lakeside, California. Sam was married on Valentine’s Day 2004 to the former Theresa Heger of Jamul and they had their first child, Marin, in October of 2006.

War, Lies and Videotape, A Democrat Plan for Defeat

Here is your democrat party position on the war in Iraq as detailed by Senator Jihad Joe Biden as recently as October 2007...


Here is what lefty reporter Michael Ware said about the dangers of the democrat position on pulling US troops out of Iraq back in March 07.


In July of 07 while democrats were proclaiming "the war is lost", news reports from previously anti-war reporters told a different story was unfolding...


Later in July 07, Centcom reports that the surge is indeed working...


September 07, al Qaeda in Iraq being "wiped off the map"... as General Petraeus was being called a liar by democrats like Jihad Joe Biden on al Jazeera News and by Hillary Clinton in Washington...


And what are those in Iraq saying NOW in November 2007?


Summary:
Democrats said the surge wouldn't work, couldn't work, that the war was lost, that al Qaeda in Iraq was fiction or simply the result of America being there.
Democrats like Jihad Joe Biden said that the standing up of the Iraqi military is impossible and that nobody believes that it will ever happen.
Well it did happen and yet democrats are still trying to cling to that last sliver of possible defeat even in the face of total victory by the US and Iraq against al Qaeda and Iranian 'insurgents'.
On September 11th 2007 during the Petraeus Report hearings, while Hillary Clinton was calling General Petraus a liar, Joe Biden was quoted on Al Jazeera...
"He (US Senator Joe Biden) said the "surge" strategy could not succeed as national Iraqi leaders were not committed to reconciliation between sectarian and ethnic groups." "...it's time to stop the surge and bring the troops home."

What does YOUR democrat party think about Jihad Joe Biden?



I have documented the success of the surge and the defeat of al Qaeda along with the Mahdr Army story including the rise and fall of the so-called civil war as detailed by Research Professor Engram at Back Talk, and even the main stream media is now forced to admit that democrats were totally wrong about Iraq. Democrats now have no where to go but to cling to that last hope of defeat for America in Iraq even as US troops are in fact beginning to draw down and the Iraqi forces take control of their country.

From the democrat debate on CNN last night Bill Richardson (D) NM said "the surge isn't working".
No Bill, the surge has already 'worked'... film at 11:oo
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Ron Paul vs Duncan Hunter vs Dennis Kucinich

What is the difference between Duncan Hunter and Ron Paul or between Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich?

One of these men believes in America and is proud of our military... the other two, not so much.


Vote for the man who believes in the greatness of America, not the men who only believe in democrat talking points.

Speaking of democrat talking points based on lies, here is Dennis Kucinich vs Duncan Hunter on the same subject. Kucinich sounds exactly like Ron Paul... or is it the other way around?



As you can see, this second video was from July 4th 2007. Since that time Al Qaeda has been proven to have been the root of the so-called civil war in Iraq and has also been all but defeated since that time. Violence is down in Iraq and the US is winning the war. Kucinich was dead wrong then just as Ron Paul is dead wrong now. The facts tell the truth and support Duncan Hunter's position.

Before you write Duncan Hunter off... remember that he won the Texas Straw poll in September.
Duncan Hunter represents the "Republican wing of the Republican party" according to the Missouri Republican Assy. Duncan Hunter represents me.
GoHunter08

YOUR democrat Party In Action

Washington D.C.
pdf fax file
From the desk of the former chairman and current ranking member of the Armed Services Committee: 11/15/07-

"The Iraq funding bill passed by Democrats Wednesday night includes one of the most devastating provisions ever passed during a military conflict.

Page four of the bill states "none of the funds ...may be used to deploy any unit to Iraq unless the President has certified in writing to the committee on Appropriations and Armed Services ...at least 15 days in advance of the deployment that the unit is "fully mission capable".

Today, our military operations in Iraq involve dozens of units moving across the Iraq border every 24 hours. These units may be aircraft called from aircraft carriers off the coast, or the airbase at Incirlik, Turkey or special forces, seal or ranger teams, or special explosive teams or any number of other specialized reaction forces.

Thus, the democrat "notify and wait 15 days" provision will, should it become law, endanger our troops in Iraq by prohibiting supportive or reinforcing units from coming to their aid in a timely fashion.

In this war against terrorism, targets are acquired which present only small windows of opportunity, sometimes involving minutes, some involving hours. For the democrat leadership to require a 15 day waiting period for reaction forces is a remarkable disservice to every American in Iraq."
-Duncan Hunter

The bill passed 218-203 (214 dems and 4 reps FOR and 188 reps and 15 dems AGAINST)... yet NOT a word of this in last nights debate.


One question that might have been asked at the democrat debate last night but wasn't... Considering the bill just passed by you all in congress which would put US troops in severe danger, how can Americans ever trust any of you to be the Commander in Chief of that same military?

Just curious...
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Bill O'Reilly With Duncan Hunter on The Factor Tonight

Presidential Candidate Duncan Hunter enters the No-Spin Zone tonight with Bill O'Reilly on Fox News. This is the Number ONE most watched cable news program in America and should provide Hunter with a great opportunity to touch base with the "Republican Wing of the Republican Party". Check local listings for times and/or set your DVR/VCR etc.

UPDATE: Guest Host Laura Ingraham. Duncan Hunter calls for President Bush to pardon Campeon and Ramos by Thanksgiving.
Forget the symbolic pardoning of a turkey, make this Thanksgiving pardon meaningful.

Duncan Hunter on Drivers Licenses for Illegals, NO - Period.

Presidential candidate Congressman Duncan Hunter today reaffirmed his long-held position that as President he will not support any legislation that provides drivers licenses for illegal immigrants. In recent weeks, Senator Hillary Clinton has stated that she was both for and against providing drivers licenses to those here illegally, with her latest decision falling on the same day that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer announced that he was abandoning his controversial plan to issue licenses to undocumented immigrants.

“This is not a subject that our political leaders should be going back and forth on,” stated Hunter. “All aspects of combating illegal immigration are important, but the ramifications are higher when we are discussing areas where opportunities are actually being created for those illegally in our country to be provided with a form of identification accepted nation wide.

“At tonight’s Democratic debate, I expect Senator Clinton to once again state her position on this important issue based on who is in the audience and what they will like to hear. I disagree with that philosophy and I believe it is simply irresponsible. Voters should have a clear understanding where the candidates stand on this important issue. With me, people know where I stand and they know that just as I have always opposed providing driver licenses for illegal immigrants, I will continue to do so as President.”

During his 27 years in Congress, Hunter has consistently voted against providing any forms of benefits to those who illegally enter the United States and he is a current cosponsor of two pieces of legislation prohibiting providing drivers licenses to illegal immigrants:

H.Res. 800- a resolution stating that that States should not issue driver's licenses or other government-issued photo identification to aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States.

H.R. 4160- legislation withholding highway funds from those states which issue a driver's license or identification card to illegal aliens.

Hunter has consistently emphasized the need to strictly enforce our immigration laws, rejected all calls for amnesty and is the author of the Secure Fence Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Bush last October, establishing 854 miles of double fence along the smuggling routes of California, Arizona and Texas.

Words Not Heard In The Democratic Debate

If you were one of the very-very few people that watched the big Democrat Party Presidential Debate on CNN last night, you heard a lot about what they think is wrong with America, but nothing good to say the least. It's too bad none of them caught this speech last week, considering it was made directly to most of them.

"What makes America strong is the strength of this ideal of liberty and freedom that is shared by all Americans and by all those who love her because they love freedom".

"My generation did not love America only because she had defended freedom. We also loved her because for us, she embodied what was most audacious about the human adventure; for us, she embodied the spirit of conquest. We loved America because for us, America was a new frontier that was continuously pushed back—a constantly renewed challenge to the inventiveness of the human spirit"

"America's strength is not only a material strength, it is first and foremost a spiritual and moral strength. What made America great was her ability to transform her own dream into hope for all mankind".

"Today as in the past, as we stand at the beginning of the 21^st century, it is together that we must fight to defend and promote the values and ideals of freedom and democracy".

"Together we must fight against terrorism".

"For me, failure is not an option. Terrorism will not win because democracies are not weak, nor because we are not afraid of this barbarism".

"We must fight against proliferation. Success in Libya and progress under way in North Korea shows that nuclear proliferation is not inevitable. Let me say it here before all of you: The prospect of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons is unacceptable. The Iranian people is a great people. It deserves better than the increased sanctions and growing isolation to which its leaders condemn it. Iran must be convinced to choose cooperation, dialogue and openness. No one must doubt our determination".

"From the very beginning, the American dream meant proving to all mankind that freedom, justice, human rights and democracy were no utopia but were rather the most realistic policy there is and the most likely to improve the fate of each and every person".

"America did not tell the millions of men and women who came from every country in the world and who—with their hands, their intelligence and their heart—built the greatest nation in the world: "Come, and everything will be given to you." She said: "Come, and the only limits to what you'll be able to achieve will be your own courage and your own talent." America embodies this extraordinary ability to grant each and every person a second chance".

"Here, both the humblest and most illustrious citizens alike know that nothing is owed to them and that everything has to be earned. That's what constitutes the moral value of America. America did not teach men the idea of freedom; she taught them how to practice it. And she fought for this freedom whenever she felt it to be threatened somewhere in the world. It was by watching America grow that men and women understood that freedom was possible".

"The men and women of my generation heard their grandparents talk about how in 1917, America saved France at a time when it had reached the final limits of its strength, which it had exhausted in the most absurd and bloodiest of wars.
The men and women of my generation heard their parents talk about how in 1944, America returned to free Europe from the horrifying tyranny that threatened to enslave it.

"The men and women of my generation remember the Marshall Plan that allowed their fathers to rebuild a devastated Europe. They remember the Cold War, during which America again stood as the bulwark of the Free World against the threat of new tyranny.
I remember the Berlin crisis and Kennedy who unhesitatingly risked engaging the United States in the most destructive of wars so that Europe could preserve the freedom for which the American people had already sacrificed so much. No one has the right to forget. Forgetting, for a person of my generation, would be tantamount to self-denial".

It's interesting that all these words had to come from someone not on the stage with Wolf Blitzer last evening, but instead of all places, the New President of France Nicolas Zarkozy speaking before the US congress.

Diplomats Now Scrambling For Iraq Jobs

Follow up on an earlier story...
Duncan Hunter solves problems.
He doesn't need 14 committees and 23 focus groups to do it either.





Example:
Remember a couple of weeks ago when the US Diplomats were refusing to go on assignments and serve in Iraq?
Duncan Hunter knew of qualified men who would be proud to fill that role and continue serving their country in the process and suggested that we FIRE all of the Diplomats that refused to serve.

Well surprise surprise surprise, now we have a story reporting that nearly half of the open positions have been suddenly accepted by the current 'refusing' Diplomats and the rest are expected to be filled shortly... (or else).

By AMY DOOLITTLE

November 12, 2007

Foreign Service officers by late last week had volunteered for about half of the 48 Iraq posts that need to be filled next year, according to State Department sources, prompting speculation the department may not need to resort to the directed assignments it threatened.

About 200 mid- to upper-level officers were notified last month that they could be called to serve one-year deployments in Iraq if they don’t volunteer. The department said it needs to find 48 volunteers by Nov. 13 or it will issue directed assignments to fill the vacancies.

A department spokeswoman said State will announce this week how many volunteers it has and whether directed assignments will be necessary.

Some officers have said they would quit or retire rather than accept a directed assignment to a post in Iraq. Only officers with serious medical conditions or who lack the proper clearance can be excused — others who refuse to go could be fired.

Some lawmakers were adamant that State should continue to operate on a volunteer basis, no matter what the cost. Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., a top minority member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Congress should increase cash incentives to officers to keep it that way.

“If additional incentives are needed, maybe that’s what we need to consider,” he said. “I don’t think we should put people in the position of going or retiring. I think volunteering with perhaps some significant incentives would work.”

Currently, Foreign Services officers deployed to Iraq receive danger and hardship pay totaling 70 percent of their basic salary. Many also earn additional pay for working long days and weekends.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, said he has little sympathy for Foreign Service officers who are resisting the call to serve in Iraq. Reluctant State employees should be replaced with wounded warriors recovering at Walter Reed and Bethesda medical centers, he said.

“When the State Department appears to be filled with reluctant personnel, let’s turn to those who have bravely followed the American flag in the most dangerous of assignments,” Hunter said.

“They are veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters and you can be sure that when called on for difficult assignments, they won’t convene a town meeting to protest. Especially for those whose mobility has been impaired by wounds, State Department positions — not only in Baghdad but around the world — will provide excellent jobs as well as avail our nation of their enormous talent.”

Interesting that there is no mention by DOOLITTLE that Duncan Hunter is a Republican Presidential candidate, you can bet if Hillary had come up with this plan, the word "Presidential" would have been applied frequently and liberally.

Of course those on the left called Hunter an idiot for his ultimately effective and clever recommendation.

Getting things done, quietly and efficiently... Duncan Hunter08 for President.

Soonerthought Wrong. Boomers Right

Sooners v Boomers:







A Left VS Right Comparison
Most of us who went to public school in Oklahoma know the history and definitions of Sooners and Boomers. I say 'most' because Soonerthought blog defines it as, "arrived first" but that may not be fair since I don't know if he went to school here or not... so we'll just give him the benefit of the doubt... name aside.

Elias C. Boudinot, son of Elias Boudinot, encouraged the abandonment of old tribal customs concerning property ownership. He felt that progress and the Indian economy would be served by opening the Territory to white settlement. In 1878 Boudinot published a letter in the Chicago Times. It announced that, because the 1866 treaties provided for government purchase of unoccupied Indian lands, those lands were public domain and therefore would become available to homesteaders.

On with the story...
For those who may not know, the readers digest (short) version of it is that there were these land runs (racing on horse, wagon, and on foot) as Oklahoma Territory was opened for settlement, the one rule was... you can't leave early and break the rules, just because you disagree with the rules or don't care about the rules.

But I digress, before the Sooners ever had a chance to sneak in across the boundaries and hide until the others caught up before 'claiming' their free land, the 'Boomers' as they were called had been trying and pressuring the government to open the Oklahoma Territory up for business development, trade, settlement and opportunity... sometimes illegally doing so, themselves for years.
Boudinot agreed with this idea obviously.

Following the building of the Railroad right across the Oklahoma Territory (some claimed illegally) and the resulting pressure on the Government, the Boomers won out and the Land Runs came about.

It was then that the Sooners as they were called, cheated the system for free stuff while it was the Boomers who had actually pressed the system for that opportunity. The Native American Indians weren't exactly given a say in the matter, but that's for another post.

Today 'Sooners' has a completely different meaning to most folks, I suggest we change the meaning of Boomers to reflect the upcoming growth boom in Oklahoma.

Since statehood Oklahoma has been controlled and governed by the 'sooners' mentality, cheating the system and riding on the promises of free stuff.... until now.
In the past two elections, Oklahoma has changed direction... the pro-business, pro-growth, low tax, 'Boomers' are almost in charge of the House and the Senate for the first time in history.

Let's give the Boomers the next 100 years and I'll bet ya' something gets done around here.

BTW- Wouldn't 'Boomers' be a good name for an Okla pro sports team?
And, before anyone thinks I'm bashing OU, God Bless the Sooners and the Cowboys...
and NO, I'm not in favor of excessive use of "public domain" laws today...
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IRAQ: The Rest of The Story Ahead of the Curve

Research Professor Engram at Back Talk Blog has posted part 3 of his analysis on Al Qaeda & Iran in Iraq titled "The Muqtada al Sadr Maneuver Part III".
If you want to be light years ahead of the curve (and the media) on Iraq, read this excellent and well researched view on whats 'going down' in downtown Baghdad and all points beyond.

For the rest of the story and background...
The Muqtada al Sadr Maneuver Part II (Nov. 11 2007)
The Muqtada al Sadr Maneuver (October 2006)

While the anti-war liberals are still debating whether Al Qaeda is even in Iraq, Engram documents that they are losing badly, how they are losing and why they are losing.
The (Shia) Mahdi Army and Muqtada al Sadr (pictured above) responded to al Qaeda's (Sunni) attempts to provoke civil war (bombing the Golden Mosque 2/22/06) by killing up to 50 young male Sunni's virtually per day (or night as the case may be) resulting in the media declaring Iraq in a "civil war".
The Mahdi Army later 'stood-down' in cooperation with the US in the elimination of al Qaeda in Iraq beginning in Jan 07 with the "SURGE", (squashing Democrats hopes of a civil war) but has strong ties to Iran and still considers the US their enemy, but in the process lost most hope of controlling Iraq themselves. Engram compares them to not much more than a "mafia" type group currently given a choice to quit or die or be prosecuted by the Iraqi government unless left unchecked. With Iranian backing, they may be able however to hang together long enough provide the anti-war liberal media just enough death and destruction photos to keep their hopes alive... for a while.
Oh yes, America is winning the war... make no mistake about that, but now you have the "rest of the story" as to why/how that is so.

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Say No To EMBRYONIC Stem Cell Candidates

While much of the data points to advancements from ADULT stem cell research, EMBRYONIC stem cells have provided no projected additional benefits to date despite considerable efforts. Yet the pro-abortion crowd and Democrats have been beating the drum demanding government funding for the destruction of human embryos (previously conceived humans) for research for some time now.

We know why, ...for as long as that Embryo is considered just a mass of cells, (and not a human being) abortion is safe and sound in the minds of pro-abortionists. If it were simply about curing disease, Adult stem cells show promise but get no support from the left thus exposing their agenda.
Most conservatives, I submit, would agree with the following statements.

We know that every one of us started life as an embryo. An embryo is a human organism. An embryo is a human being at the earliest stage of development.

The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:

“The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being’s right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death.”

No self respecting conservative would vote for one of these pro-abortion, pro-Embryonic Stem Cell liberals....right?

Well hold on there sparky, you better take another look at ALL of your top Republican Presidential Candidates. Pew Forum: Candidates on Stem Cell Research.

How about Rudy Guliani's position on destroying human embryos for science:
“Giuliani supports loosening restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and generally broadening such research,” The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

“John McCain and Giuliani said they support embyronic stem cell research although they both hedged their answers by saying that was true only as long as cells weren’t being created for the express purpose of destroying them,” WaPo’s Politics Blog.

See also here, here, and here.

And consider the following exchange between Giuliani and Chris Wallace of Fox News:

WALLACE: The reason I ask is when you were asked in the last debate about stem cells, embryonic stem cell research, you said you could support it except when it was a matter of creating a life to take a life.

The implication there seems to be that you think of that frozen embryo as a life.

GIULIANI: There are rights that have to be evaluated, and then . . . .

WALLACE: But can I ask you directly: Do you think of that frozen embryo . . . .

GIULIANI: I don’t look at it that way. I don’t think it’s for me to decide. I can’t decide when life begins. All that I can decide is, you know, what are the constitutional issues? What are the legal issues? How do you deal with these things?"

So Rudy Guliani and John McCain support embryonic stem cell research, but how about recent pro-life convert Mitt Romney?
Here is how the Governor of Massachusetts dances around this issue very carefully but still manages to step directly into the mess and support embryonic stem cell research funded by the government. Romney opposes stem cell research that involves CLONING, but NOT stem cell research from "other sources" just like McCain and Guliani.
From an op-ed piece written by Mitt Romney himself:

"Stem cell research does not require the cloning of human embryos. Some stem cells today are obtained from surplus embryos from in-vitro fertilization. I support that research, provided that those embryos are obtained after a rigorous parental consent process … Known as altered nuclear transfer, this method could allow researchers to obtain embryonic stem cells without the moral shortcut of cloning and destroying a human embryo. A bill that includes methods such as these and bans all human cloning would receive my full support".

In other words, it seems, Romney was opposed to cloning, not embryonic stem cell research, as such.This is not consistent with his statement that, "He Has Not Supported Public Funding For Embryo Destructive Research".

Just for the sake of conversation, where does the media's favorite new conservative Mike Huckabee stand on embryonic stem cell research?
Huckabee supports using "surplus" embryos from in-vitro fertilization for research just like McCain, Guliani and Romney.

Here is a list of all the candidates (Democrat and Republican) on this issue... Only 4 of the 17 presidential candidates are against embryonic stem cell being used for science experiments.

Only one of those 4 remaining candidates has served in the Army Rangers (yes, Vietnam) and is currently the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, has built a fence between Mexico and the US, has sponsored the FAIR TAX bill, proposes a mirror tax on China and other trade partners to even the trade deficit and has a son serving in the Marines in Iraq as we speak.

Only one of these 17 candidates has been called "The Republican Wing of the Republican Party" by the Missouri Republican Assembly....

That candidate is Duncan Hunter.

The Pew Forum says...
"Duncan Hunter supports the use of adult stem cells, harvested without destroying human embryos, as integral to the pursuit of regenerative treatments and cures for disease. He opposes the use of embryonic stem cell lines for research. He voted against the proposed Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which would have expanded the stem cell lines eligible for federal funding for research.
"Hunter has made ending abortion a top priority. As president, he would support a constitutional amendment making all abortions illegal. He has sponsored numerous anti-abortion bills in Congress, including the Right to Life Act, which would have conferred all rights of personhood at the moment of conception. Another, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2006, would have required abortion providers to inform pregnant clients that a fetus feels pain after 20 weeks and to offer anesthesia for the fetus".

Remember these facts as you make your decision on selecting your next Presidential hopeful in the upcoming primaries.
The man (or woman) who will be leading our country forward for the next 4 or 8 years.
Leading us toward a more secure, independent America and away from abortion and socialism or otherwise?

Remember Duncan Hunter for President.

The Only Republican Who Can Beat Hillary

From Townhall.com

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 2:07 PM

"The Only Republican Who Can Beat Hillary"

While the spotlight of attention is fixated on The Big Three Republican candidates, the only candidate that can actually keep the Oval Office out of Ms. Hillary Rodham's purse waits quietly overlooked even by conservative pundits who should know better. With a little less fauning over the Three Emperor's clothes and a little more carefull thought, even a budding young strategist could figure it out. Only Duncan Hunter can beat Hillary in '08. Here's why.

The conservative commentators and party strategists are making the MAJOR mistake of looking at the current group of eight candidates and asking which can beat the others. THAT winner may not be able to beat Hillary, the presumed Dem candidate, in November '08. Instead, the hypothetical future run of each Republican against Hillary must be analyzed and compared. The one who emerges from that war gaming as having the best chance against her is the one that the pundits and the people need to get behind NOW. We look at the future, then work backwards to today. Let's look at The Big Three.

A Republican winner MUST win almost the entire South.
Mitt Romney could never do that against Hillary. The South is The Bible Belt, and most of it is Baptist Country. Baptists and southern Presbyterians would have too much of a problem with Romney's Mormon religion. They would either sit out the election or support a third party movement as Dr. James Dobson has suggested may be necessary. We can eliminate Romney as any serious threat to Hillary. That leaves Guiliani and Thompson in the so-called "Top Tier".

Rudi Guiliani would also have serious problems in the South. He is Catholic, a northeasterner, and very liberal on some issues. But his biggest problem may be in Texas. This state's 34 electoral votes absolutely MUST be carried for any Republican to win and many Texans are slowly waking up to the fact that Rudi is now part of Bracewell and Guiliani, the Houston law firm that is intimately involved in the NAFTA superhighway being planned that will run from deep in Mexico, to Laredo on the Mexican border, up into the Midwest USA, and into eastern Canada. His firm brokered the deal that will bring in the huge construction firm of CENTRA in Spain to do the work. The biggest issue in this election year just may be the borders/security issue. And if we are angry that President Bush has been reluctant to seal our southern border, we will be even more angry when we realize that President Rudi won't seal it either. Both men are New World Order all the way. Second, Republican women in Texas may be just independent enough, that, given the choice between a man they can't accept and a woman, they might vote for Hillary just because "it's our turn!" Third, an independent party threat by the Christian Right would be a possibility with Rudi just as it would be with Romney. Finally, the really big state that MUST be carried by any Republican is California. It's electoral votes would be lost to Hillary according to most pundit thinking today. I believe that thinking is accurate for a Guiliani ticket. We can eliminate Rudi as a winner in November, and Pat Robertson's endorsement of him was a big mistake.

The one remaining member of the "Top Tier" Republicans is Fred Thompson.
He could win the entire South including Texas. He could win most of the western States except Washington and Oregon. Could he win California? Maybe - because he is recognized as a popular actor. And California currently has a Republican Governor - also an actor. But Fred Thompson's biggest problem and biggest unknown is his health. His fight with cancer has ravaged him. He looks very old and very tired. His age, his slowness, his almost haggard looks may cause voters to abandone him in the upcoming primaries. The stress of campaigning may make his cancer come roaring back. Voters may reason, that, even were he to make it to the White House, his health may kill him after one year in the most stressful job on Earth. He has been slipping rapidly in most polls lately.

We can thus eliminate the "Top Tier" three and can safely eliminate the "Bottom Tier" four of Tancredo, McCain, Paul, and Huckabee.
I eliminate Huckabee because, though he is rising in polls via christian evangelical favor, these polls measure Republican versus Republican and say nothing about his chances against Hillary. He would lose California to her. We are left with the remaining of the "Bottom Tier", Duncan Hunter.

Why would Hunter be the best choice left in the absence of Thompson?
First, Hunter can and would win the entire South including Texas.
He is a true Reagan conservative and a Baptist.
There would be no talk of a third party movement.
Even without Florida, the South would give him 133 electoral votes (Louisiana will go Republican this time as a legacy of Hurricane Katrina).
He would win most western states except Washington and Oregon.
This would bring his total to 197 (hold on California for now).
If he could win Iowa and Missouri, the total would be 215.
Another 55 electoral votes would put Hunter over the top at 270 - the minimum number needed to guarantee a majority win of the 538 total in a 2 party race.
Well, guess what - California has 55 electoral votes! Could Hunter win California?
He is the only one of the eight candidates who is actually FROM California having represented his San Diego district for 27 years.
And, that 27 years is the longest service among any of the candidates in any of their public careers (Dems included). Being from a state generally gives a candidate an extra 7% to 10% advantage going in.
Hunter was in the Army Rangers, served in Vietnam, and has a son currently serving a third tour in Iraq.
These facts will practically guarantee him the entire 1 million votes from military service personnel in California provided, of course, that the Republican Party doesn't let liberals prevent those votes from being counted as happened in 2000 and in 2004! Hunter also served on the House Armed Services Committee for his entire 27 years in the House . He was it's chairman for the last 4 years until January '07 when Dems took control of it.
Hunter's military experience and background in international military affairs just might also land him the State of Florida for it's large base of military voters.

Additionally, Duncan Hunter is the only Republican who, as of this writing, has actually won anything in this election season.
He surprised everyone in the South Carolina and Texas straw polls recently.

Finally, Hunter's strong stand on border security has been proven repeatedly. He led the building of a successfull double fence system over 59 miles of California's southern border. It has cut illegal immigration by 91%. It has cut drug trafficking similarly. He is the ONLY Republican candidate who has actually done something real and tangible about our 1,800 mile southern border as he wrote and led passage of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 in the House. It passed in the Senate and President Bush signed it over a year ago. It mandates that double fence be built along 854 miles of our southern border.
After all this time, Bush and Michael Chertoff have only seen 5 miles of double fence finished.
It's enough for photo-ops but little else.
President Hunter would ensure that the project will be completed.

A Hunter ticket with Huckabee, Tancredo, or Brownback would thus put the Republican Party in it's best position to beat the Liberal Socialist Party candidate, Ms. Hillary Rodham next November.

I believe that millions of other conservatives are seeing these same factors (maybe not all the factors together) and are poised to thrust Duncan Hunter into prominence because of the Spring primaries.
His rise will surprise everyone - especially the conservative pundits who need to get their blinders off NOW and begin to support him.
Sean Hannity's "Stop Hillary Express" will become the "Guarantee Hillary Victory Express" if he refuses to even interview any but the top 3 or 4 favorites and ignores the only Republican who can actually beat her.

--Ray Curtis, Monday November 12, 2007

List of Must Win States with Their Electoral Votes:
Virginia - 13, North Carolina - 15, South Carolina - 8, Georgia - 15, Tennessee - 11, Alabama - 9, Mississippi - 6, Arkansas - 6, Louisiana - 9, Texas - 34, Oklahoma - 7, Iowa - 7, Missouri - 11,
North Dakota - 3, South Dakota - 3, Nebraska - 5, Kansas - 6, Montana - 3, Wyoming - 3, Colorado - 9, New Mexico - 5, Arizona - 10, Utah - 5, Nevada - 5, Idaho - 4, Alaska - 3,
California - 55.

track back
Nominate Duncan Hunter and I will personally deliver Red State Oklahoma's 7 electoral votes if I have to personally knock on every single door myself.
-red

Happy 100 Oklahoma !

A blogging friend is doing a terrific job of celebrating Oklahoma's Centennial with passion and class and this is just shameless promotion on my part since there is no way I could compete.
God Bless ya' The Local Malcontent, Oklahoma is lucky to have bloggies like yours and men like you.
Keep up the great work!
(Image of Granite Exhibit from 1964 NY Worlds Fair)

"Where Else But Heaven?"


"Oklahoma Rising"


"Unanswered Prayers"


"Birthday Bash"


"Oklahoma is #1"



Images lovingly lifted from The Local Malcontent.

Red's Challenge To Core Conservatives

Why would YOU NOT vote for Duncan Hunter?

If you are a liberal Democrat, I can understand why you would be against building the fence along the border in 6 months, against winning the war, against lower taxes, against life, against the military and basically against America in general... but for the life of me, I do not understand WHY in the wide world of sports anyone who calls themselves a conservative would vote AGAINST Duncan Hunter.

So tell me, if you consider yourself a conservative... give me one reason, one issue, that would make you vote for anyone other than Duncan Hunter.

You don't think he can beat Hillary?
I didn't realize that was the only issue, but if thats how you feel... I say let's debate that.

If you think it takes a liberal Republican from NY to defeat a liberal Democrat from NY then you must be from NY or you've been listening to the NY press.
Duncan Hunter has been defeating liberal Democrats in a state (CA) far to the left of NY, and he's been doing it WITHOUT compromising core conservative beliefs.
In fact, if CA were any more to the left of NY, it would be out in the middle of the Pacific ocean.
Yet Duncan Hunter has gotten re-elected every term since Reagan was President!

We don't have to compromise conservative ideals to defeat Hillary Clinton or any Democrat for that matter... nor should we.
Conservative ideas will defeat Democrats... Duncan Hunter best represents true conservative ideas.
The Missouri Republican Assembly in their official endorsement of Duncan Hunter said he is the "Republican Wing of the Republican Party".

If you truly want to defeat Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, (and I believe you do) then do it with real conservative values...not with compromise, do it with Duncan Hunter in 08.
The Real Deal.

Comments Invited.
-red
UPDATE: NEW Glenn Beck video with Duncan Hunter, see the interview that I raved about last week.


Beck/Hunter interview
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part5
Part6
goHunter08

Liberals Beware: The Tancredo Ad

Here is the Tom Tancredo ad that is sure to get the Democrats panties all in a bunch.
WAY TO GO TOM !
YOUTUBE has issued an 18 and older warning to the ad. ! Shocking.


The ad depicts the very real possibility that someone, anyone, can stroll across our border from the south, and if they so desire, end up with a backpack bomb at a major shopping mall.
The ad points out that there is a more dangerous threat to America from not building the fence and enforcing our borders than the simple flood of illegal immigration and the tremendous burden on our system it is causing.

I like Tom Tancredo, BUT only one man promises to get the fence built (all 856 miles) in 6 months.
"If you can get over my fence, we'll sign you up for the Olympics" -Duncan Hunter

goHunter08

Consider Duncan Hunter On The Issues

Since the ISSUES are what should determine who you vote for (or against) in an election, here is Duncan Hunter... on the issues. (links to complete record at bottom of this post from ontheissues.org)

Duncan Hunter Ratings:
ACLU: 7% (indicates very conservative)
American Conservative Union: 92%
Americans for Better Immigration: A+
Americans for Tax Reform: 88.5%
Campaign for Working Families: 100%
Christian Coalition: 100%
Concerned Women for America: 100%
Eagle Forum: 100%
Family Research Council: 100%
Federation for American Immigration Reform: 100%
Gun Owners of America: A
NARAL: 0% (indicates a pro-life record)
National Federation of Independent Business: 100%
National Rifle Association: A+
National Right to Life Committee: 100%
National Tax Limitation Committee: A
National Taxpayers Union: B

ISSUES A-Z

ABORTION:
Q. Do you agree that the day Roe V Wade is repealed would be a good day for America".
A. Hunter- "Yes"
Voted YES on restricting interstate transport of minors for abortions, allowing for exemptions to the law if the life of the minor is in danger or if a court in the minor's home state waive the parental notification required by that state.
Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except to save mother's life.
Rated 0% by NARAL indicating a strong pro-life record.
Do you agree with Mrs. Reagan on Embryonic Stem Cell research from government funding?
"No. ...I'd like to show Mrs. Reagan the alternatives, which are adult stem cells". Source: 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007
BUDGET & Economy:
Voted YES for the Balanced Budget amendment and Line Item Veto.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act:
A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative line-item veto to restore fiscal responsibility to an out-of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses.

CIVIL RIGHTS:
Voted YES on amendment banning same sex marriage.
Voted YES on making the Patriot Act permanent.
Voted YES on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Voted YES on protecting the flag from desecration.
Voted YES on banning gay adoptions.
Voted YES on ending preferential treatment by race for college admissions.
Rated 7% by the ACLU

BUSINESS:
Rated 83% by US COC indicating a pro-business voting record.
Mission statement of the US COC- "To advance human progress through an economic, political and social system based on individual freedom, incentive, initiative, opportunity, and responsibility."

EDUCATION:
Voted YES to allow prayer in schools during the war on terrorism.
Voted YES to require states to test students.
Voted YES on vouchers.
Sponsored Constitutional Amendment to allow prayer in schools:
"Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer . Neither the United States nor any State shall compose the words of any prayer to be said in public schools.

"To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: Neither the United States nor any State shall establish any official religion, but the people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, or traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed. Neither the United States nor any State shall require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity, prescribe school prayers, discriminate against religion, or deny equal access to a benefit on account of religion".

ENERGY and OIL:
Zero taxes for alternative energy sources.
Voted NO on keeping the moratorium on offshore drilling for oil.
Voted YES on scheduling permitting for new oil refineries.
Voted YES on the Bush Cheney Energy policy.
Voted NO on prohibiting drilling in ANWR.
Voted NO on implementing the Kyoto protocol.
ENVIRONMENT:
Voted NO on increasing AMTRAK funding by $214million over the existing $900million.
Voted YES on thinning of forests to prevent fires.

FAMILIES & CHILDREN:
Voted YES on reducing the marriage tax
Voted YES on nationwide AMBER alert system.
Rated 100% by the Christian Coalition indicating a pro-family position.
The Families Reinforcement Act:
"Child support enforcement, tax incentives for adoption, strengthening rights of parents in their children’s education, stronger child pornography laws, and an elderly dependent care tax credit to reinforce the central role of families in American society".

FOREIGN POLICY:
Voted YES on deterring foreign arms transfers to China.
Voted YES on reforming the UN by restricting US funding.
Voted NO on permanent normal trade relations with China.
Voted NO on trading Cuba travel ban for prisoner release.
Voted NO on $156million for 3rd world debt reduction.

GUNS and the 2nd Amendment:
Duncan Hunter has an A+ rating from the NRA.

HEALTHCARE:
Voted NO on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare Part D
Voted YES on limiting malpractice lawsuits to $250k
Voted YES on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs.
Voted YES on small business associations for buying health insurance.
Voted YES on subsidized private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage.
Voted YES on banning physician assisted suicide.
Voted YES on allowing tax exempt medical savings accounts.
Against socialized medicine.

HOMELAND SECURITY:
Strong Pro-military voting record.
"I've been chairman of the Armed Services Committee for the last four years. I've helped to rebuild national defense. We have worked hard to make sure that our people have enough pay, that they've got the ammunition & equipment, while at the same time looking over the horizon to look at the new threat of an emerging China and an Iran that is pursuing nuclear weapons and a Korea that already has some and is moving to get the means for delivery. So a strong national defense is what I would pursue."
Voted YES on adopting the recommendations of the 9/11 commission.
Voted YES to allow commercial airline pilots to carry weapons.
Voted YES on deploying SDI.

IMMIGRATION:
Q: Should we change our Constitution to allow men like Mel Martinez, born in Cuba, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, born in Austria, to stand here some night as candidates for president?
HUNTER: (We haven't seen any endorsement yet). ...That's a no.
On the Border...
"In my town of San Diego, we build the border fence. When we built that fence, we had a border out of control, and we built that fence. And it's a double fence. It's not that little scraggly fence you see on CNN with everybody getting over it. We had massive murders on the border, massive illegal immigration, massive importation of drugs. I built that border fence. We brought down the smuggling of people and narcotics by more than 90%. I wrote that law that extends the San Diego fence for 854 miles across AZ, NM, & TX. One way to bring down crime in every state is to have an enforceable border. That means let's build that border fence. When people want to come into this country, let's ask them to knock on the front door".

On the Border Fence:
"If you can climb over my fence, we'll sign you up for the Olympics"

• Voted YES on building a fence along the Mexican border. (Sep 2006)
• Voted YES on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project. (Jun 2006)
• Voted YES on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment. (May 2004)
• Voted NO on extending Immigrant Residency rules. (May 2001)
• Voted NO on more immigrant visas for skilled workers. (Sep 1998)
• Rated 100% by FAIR.

The INTERNET and Technology:
Hunter sponsored the Anti-Spamming Act:
Title: "To protect individuals, families, and Internet service providers from unsolicited and unwanted electronic mail".
Voted YES on banning internet gambling by credit card.
Voted YES on promoting commercial human space flight industry.

JOBS:
Strong pro-business growth record.
Voted No on increasing the minimum wage to $7.25/hr.
Voted YES to end offshore tax havens and promote small business
Rated 20% by the AFL-CIO indicating an anti-Union voting record.
Supports Incentives to businesses to create jobs...
The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act:
Small business incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages.

PRINCIPALS AND VALUES:
Hunter signed the Contract with America:
"As Republican Members of the House of Representatives and as citizens seeking to join that body, we propose not just to change its policies, but to restore the bounds of trust between the people and their elected representatives. That is why, in this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer instead a detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.

Within the first hundred days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given a full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote, and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny:
1. The Fiscal Responsibility Act: Balanced budget amendment & line item veto
2. The Taking Back Our Streets Act: More prisons, more enforcement, more death penalty
3. The Personal Responsibility Act: Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending
4. The Families Reinforcement Act: Use tax code to foster families
5. The American Dream Restoration Act: Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes
6. The National Security Restoration Act: No US troops under UN command; more defense spending
7. The Senior Citizens Fairness Act: Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings
8. The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act: Incentives to small businesses
9. The Common Sense Legal Reforms Act: Limit punitive damages
10. The Citizen Legislature Act: Term limits on Congress

Further, we will work to enact additional budget savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included in the legislation above, to ensure that the federal budget will be less than it would have been without the enactment of these bills. Respecting the judgment of our fellow citizens as we seek their mandate for reform, we hereby pledge our names to this Contract with America. Source: Contract with America 93-CWA1 on Sep 27, 1994
"I don't belong to any organized religion, I'm a Baptist"- Duncan Hunter.

SOCIAL SECURITY:
The Senior Citizens Fairness Act:
Raise the Social Security earnings limit, which currently forces seniors out of the workforce; repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security; and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance to let older Americans keep more of what they have earned over the years.

WAR and PEACE:
Q: You talk about standing up the Iraqi military and that at some point soon they may be able to replace some American troops. The Bush administration has been saying the same thing for four years. Why should we believe that this replacement is going to start happening any time soon?

A: Hunter- Because the Iraqi forces that were running a couple of years ago are standing and fighting. We've got to get all 129 Iraqi battalions into military operations--most of them have been in there by now.

Q: What would you need, as president, to win the war in Iraq?
A: HUNTER- The key to winning in Iraq is standing up the Iraqi military. There are 129 battalions in the Iraqi army. We need to make sure that every one of those battalions moves into an operational setting, gets a 3- or 4-month military operation in a contentious zone. At that point, they can move into the combat field. They can start displacing American units. And America's heavy combat units can rotate out. That's the right way to leave Iraq. Source: 2007 Republican Debate in South Carolina May 15, 2007
"Right now, Iran is moving equipment into Iraq that is being used to kill Americans. Iran has crossed the line, and the United States has absolute license at this point to take whatever actions are necessary to stop those deadly instruments from being moved across the line, being used in explosives, roadside bombs, inside Iraq.
We should not get to the edge of the cliff on this enrichment of uranium, and plutonium to be used for a nuclear weapon in Iran. The United States needs to move very quickly".
VOTED YES on declaring Iraq part of the war on terror with no exit date.
Voted YES on authorizing military force in Iraq (and stands behind that vote).
Voted NO on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo.

WELFARE:
Limit welfare to two years and cut welfare spending.
The Personal Responsibility Act:
Discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for additional children while on welfare, cut spending for welfare programs, and enact a tough two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility.

Duncan Hunter's complete voting record and quotes on...
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
Jobs
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty

NO OTHER CANDIDATE can claim to represent the "Republican Wing of the Republican Party" more than Duncan Hunter.
So says the Missouri Republican Assembly in their endorsement of Duncan Hunter for President. Why support a pretender just because they are against Hillary Clinton when you can support the real deal and defeat the entire Democrat party.

Huckabee Not The Real Conservative That Media Claims

The media likes to portray Mike Huckabee as the most genuine conservative up and comer candidate in the Republican field. Oklahoma Lefty asked me my opinion on Huckabee which prompted me to this post.

We all know that Rudy, Mitt and McCain all have liberal leanings which concern red stater values voters like myself. Huckabee is being sold to us a the real deal conservative... but consider just who is doing the selling and what their definition of a 'conservative' is.

Here is Mike Huckabee on TAXES... see if he sounds like any conservative you know...


Duncan Hunter is for making the Bush tax cuts permanent and opposes any new taxes, plus Hunter is a sponsor of the FAIR TAX plan.

Mike Huckabee has said he supports the fair tax... and every OTHER tax proposal as well however. The Club for Growth takes a close look at Huckabee's 10 year tenure in Arkansas, and it's not pretty.
UPDATE:11/13/07- BATESLINE has this followup story confirming the Club for Growth analysis today.

On illegal immigration Huckabee tries to straddle a 40 feet wide 20 feet tall double fence.
He says he wants to enforce the laws but...

"What does make sense is a revision of our laws, one giving those here illegally a process through which they pay a reasonable fine in admission of their guilt for the past infraction of violating our border laws and agree to adhere to a pathway toward legal status and citizenship"

.
i.e. Pay the gov some $$$ and go to the front of the line... ahead of those that applied for citizenship LEGALLY. (THIS is Bush's Amnesty bill)

Huckabee sponsored the Southern Governors Association bill to "IMPORT FARM WORKERS FROM MEXICO to America. Huckabee's bill would...

"Implement a farm labor system, based on the agreement between Canada and Mexico, which will provide an orderly, efficient way to import farm workers."

Sound like any conservative YOU KNOW OF? Me neither.

Duncan Hunter says "If you can climb over my fence, we'll sign you up for the Olympics".
Hunter is the author of the US/Mexico Fence Bill signed into law by President Bush and supports tough enforcement of our borders and immigration laws.

We are still over a full year away from the 2008 elections... so please, TAKE THE TIME and compare Duncan Hunter to all the candidates on all of the issues and vote for the best candidate NOT the best known candidate.

Looking for the "REAL DEAL" Republican conservative?
The Missouri Republican Assembly say's Duncan Hunter truly represents the "Republican Wing of the Republican Party".

Find out why that is so and perhaps you too will support Duncan "The Real Deal" Hunter for President.
UPDATE: November 26 2007- Bob Novak writes this piece on Mike Huckabee being the "False Conservative".
goHunter08

Outing And Denying The Real Deniers

Which is worse... denying the existence of the threat from man-made global warming and our ability to impact it ?
OR
...denying the existence of the threat from Islamo-fascism (the Jihad) and our successes against it?


If alGore and the left are correct, unless we all start driving golf carts (except al of course), then the world is toast in maybe 50 or 100 years... and there is no threat to America from The Religion of Peace, ...no need for borders ...and no way to win Bush's illegal war, so we need to get the troops out of the middle of the 'Iraq civil war' and home to fight fires and cleanup after hurricanes and pickup trash and litter.

If we go ahead and believe alGore (and the left) ...and they are WRONG, then it doesn't matter what we're driving because America won't be around in 50 years... (well maybe as the Islamic Democratic State of the Americas).

Let's just say for the sake of this discussion that the 'RIGHT' is correct and the facts back it up... (I'll get to what if the 'right' is wrong a little later).

Engram at Back Talk exposes the deniers...

It is strange to me that many on the left fancy themselves to be objective analysts fighting against the deniers of the world because they are 100% convinced that Al Gore's apocalyptic global warming vision has been scientifically established and that al Qaeda in Iraq is a neocon myth. To them, anyone who has any doubts about the impending environmental apocalypse and who believes that al Qaeda is our enemy in Iraq is an anti-science, close-minded neocon warmongerer.

After correctly pointing out the drop in civilian casualties, civilian violence and US military casualties while confirming the cooperation between Shia and Sunni and Americans and Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police and concerned citizen groups... Engram wonders how in the world liberals can STILL deny the above and cling to their global warming 'scam'? (Founder of the Weather Channel's word not Engrams)
He asks...

"What explains the drop in violence according to those on the left, who want to pull out all the stops to fight the wretched evil of global warming while denying any significant role for al Qaeda in Iraq?"

If the well documented massive reduction in violence has NOTHING to do with Al Qaeda (the same Al Qaeda that attacked us on 9/11) and the surge plan, then the massive reduction in violence is because of WHAT then? Coincidence? Just another random group of meaningless sequential isolated incidents? LOL

Some on the left claim that they have just simply ran out of people to kill in Iraq. With reports of citizens flocking back into Baghdad and other neighborhoods by the thousands, there should be plenty of opportunity to terrorize... knocking the "nobody to kill" argument down takes about 2 seconds.

On the other hand, we have numerous global climate scientists along with the highly respected FOUNDER of the Weather Channel calling man-made global warming the "Greatest Scam in History".

Again, assuming algore is right, even if the planet has warmed up a tenth of a degree in the past 100 years, who says that is necessarily a BAD thing...?
Imagine the wildlife and plant growth in areas previously too cold or harsh and dry... imagine the beauty of a tropical paradise... no more ice scrapers and salt on the streets... the left ignores even the possibility that good could come from globalwarming as well as the facts that man has little or nothing to do with it.

And yet the left has the nerve to call us "deniers".

The answer is obvious to the question at the top... If we (on the right) are wrong, the planet could turn into a tropical paradise and if they (on the left) are wrong, they are taking us straight into Hell on earth.

Save The Planet, ...(starting with America) - Vote accordingly in 2008.

The Patriotic Left Celebrates Veterans Day

Let's check in around the 'patriotic' liberal left blob-o-sphere here in Oklahoma for their big tributes of thanks to our brave military on Veterans Day...they LOVE the military, right?

Okie Funk- Notes from the Septic Tank Out Back, .... a post on the outrage of HR1804 and for Veterans Day he posts ...cricket noise.
SoonerThought- it was 'Joe Biden Day', say's this about the contributions of our brave heroes in the military... cricket noise.(*UPDATE on Soonerthoughtless below)
Daily Kos- posts Vote for Andrew Rice... and on our veterans, ...cricket noise.
Kittenstomper-... Insults Native Americans during Native American Heritage Month and says this about our great veterans...(cricket noise)
Mahtma X- Outrage and (cricket noise)
Photo-Tune- About Veterans Day... has a photoshop cartoon of .... cricket noise.
Blue Oklahoma- Promotion of the "peace festival" and some .... cricket noise.
10,000 Fists- Complaining about the TAFB sign promoting 'freedom' and some good old fashioned cricket noise.
JMBzine- Selling anti-Centennial T-Shirts to raise money (no not for the troops) to fight AGAINST the military... and of course cricket noise about Veterans Day.

Ahh yes, good old patriotism from the left (and "Independents").
But of course I would NEVER question their patriotism... since there is no question about their lack of it nor any question about their hatred for the military and America either.
And we've got the cricket noise to prove it.

VOTE for the Worst Blog in Oklahoma for 2007 over in the RIGHT sidebar...
and watch the scramble to get something (anything) posted to cover their tracks.

* UPDATE: 7:24pm Monday Nov 12th. Soonerthought he had better post something fast at the last second today... exactly as predicted above! These moonbats are so darned predictable... and cute when they try and "act patriotic". His phoney "thank-you" to the troops is laced with sarcasm and hatred and disrespect... but what did we expect, a sincere post thanking the military?
Not on your life. LOL
-red s tater

Big 'Ol Civil War in Iraq, Who Said That.?

The Main Stream News media is doing a one-eighty on the 'big 'ol civil war' in Iraq and you are here to see it happen.
If you want to know what was happening in Iraq months ago... watch the Main Stream News Media and unless there was a car bombing today, you'll be a couple months behind.
If you want to know what's happening NOW, visit Marie's Two Cents, Iraqi Freedom, Centcom or one of the many great military links over in my sidebar.... if you want the big picture and to know what is going to happen in the near future, go to Engram's Back Talk for the very latest original analysis based on the very latest data... months before it appears in the news.

Example: You will be hearing reports in the news very soon that sounds like the media has never considered Iraq to have been in a real civil war all along... but make no mistake what you are hearing is a complete turn-around from the "big 'ol civil war' talk MSNBC and the rest have been feeding us... until now. I encourage each of you to read Engram's entire well thought out and documented piece on what has actually been going on in Iraq... and you'll be better prepared to predict the future.

From Engrams latest Post on Muqtada al Sadr: Pt-2

Thousands Return to Safer Iraqi Capital

By STEVEN R. HURST

BAGHDAD (AP) — In a dramatic turnaround, more than 3,000 Iraqi families driven out of their Baghdad neighborhoods have returned to their homes in the past three months as sectarian violence has dropped, the government said Saturday.

Saad al-Azawi, his wife and four children are among them. They fled to Syria six months ago, leaving behind what had become one of the capital's more dangerous districts — west Baghdad's largely Sunni Khadra region.

The family had been living inside a vicious and bloody turf battle between al-Qaida in Iraq and Mahdi Army militiamen. But Azawi said things began changing, becoming more peaceful, in August when radical anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his Mahdi Army fighters to stand down nationwide.

So we went from a "big 'ol civil war" to a "bloody turf battle" without blinking an eye.

Engram has more... much more, from of all places, the BBC,

Optimism grows in Iraq
BBC News-
Is Iraq getting better? The statistics say so, across the board.

Over the past three months, there has been a sharp and sustained drop in all forms of violence. The figures for dead and wounded, military and civilian, have also greatly improved.

All across Baghdad, which has seen the worst of the violence, streets are springing back to life. Shops and restaurants which closed down are back in business.
...
The setback dealt to al-Qaeda and affiliates has had a knock-on effect in the Shia communities too.

The often massive, indiscriminate bomb attacks for which they were blamed, and which used to hit Shia areas on a daily basis, have now become a rarity.

The huge drop in bomb attacks has removed one of the main raisons d'etre for the Mehdi Army, the most active Shia militia in Baghdad.

Engram hit's the nail on the head...
Here is where you encounter the great divide between those who believe in the incorrect "civil war" scenario (according to which these Sunni "extremists" were sending suicide bombers against Shiites because of "raw hatred") and those who have educated themselves about al Qaeda's actual plan, which was to bring the Shiite militias down on the Sunnis -- that is, to incite a civil war -- in order to destabilize the Iraqi government and to send the Americans home with their tails between their legs.
That brilliant plan nearly worked, and if you don't think so, just look at your own reaction to what was happening in Iraq when things were at their worst.
And just look at how the Democrats were reacting.
But George Bush decided not to "cut and run", and now look:

On Friday, near Samarra to the north of Baghdad, fighters from a Sunni faction called the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI) launched a surprise attack on positions held by al-Qaeda in the area.

Police said the IAI killed 18 al-Qaeda militants and captured 16 others.

Shortly afterwards, another Sunni group known as the 1920 Revolution Brigades launched a similar operation against al-Qaeda at al-Buhriz in Diyala province, also north of Baghdad.

They captured 60 al-Qaeda suspects and handed them over to the Iraqi army, amidst scenes of rejoicing in the town's streets.

These also were events that simply could not have happened until recently.

Both the IAI and the 1920 Revolution Brigades used to be insurgent groups themselves, fighting alongside al-Qaeda against the multinational forces and Iraqi government troops.

Professor Engram has held fast to his analysis that there was never a genuine civil war...close maybe, ...but no cigar. Now it appears the main stream media may lay claim to having that same opinion all along!

But he isn't upset...quite the contrary,
"I'd like to believe that my long standing theory about that will soon become so obvious to everyone that they will think they have held to that theory all along (and that they never really embraced the alternative "civil war" scenario). That's how it seems to be happening in the mainstream media (the same media that has long denied any significant role for al Qaeda in Iraq), and that's fine with me".

ME TOO Engram, me too...
Great work!
But one quick question for NBC, MSNBC, Chris Mathews and Keith Olbermann... (and the rest of the MSM) do you STILL think that calling it a civil war was your "Walter Cronkite moment", or looking back, wasn't it more of a Dan Rathergate Moment?
Just curious...
red s tater

Native American Veterans

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2007 as National American Indian Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities".

Today is also Veterans Day.
Be sure to visit the Official
Native American Heritage Defense Dept. Website

Native American military service.

Lt. Woody J. Cochran holding a Japanese flag, New Guinea. A Cherokee from Oklahoma and a bomber pilot, Lieutenant Cochran earned the Silver Star, Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal. April 1, 1943.
American Indian Select List number 190.

An Indian Technique: Code Talkers ___Here's a good discussion of the use of the Native Indian tongue for secure communications during World Wars I and II. - Text only - From OCMH Study 57, Military-Connected Contributions of American Indians to the Culture Heritage of the Nation, Prepared by William Gardner Bell - http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/topics/natam/code.htm

The Civil War in Indian Territory ___Get brief overviews of Cherokee and Choctaw participation in the Civil War and a good account of the Confederate General, Stand Watie. - Text only - From Indian Territory - http://members.aol.com/ciiisiii/cherokeepage/cherokee2.htm

Congressional Medal of Honor ___Following a history of Native American participation in 20th U.S. military conflicts and a list of the five native Medal of Honor recipients, you'll find some excellent information about the Navajo Code Talkers in World War II. - Text only - From Medal of Honor - http://www.medalofhonor.com/NativeAmericans.htm

Creek Indians in WWII ___The author has extracted information regarding Creek soldiers who fought in the U.S. military during World War II. It isn't a pretty website, but the data is there. - Text only - From Anne E. Gometz - http://www.rhus.com/ww2.html

Fallen Warriors Remembered, Native American Military Heroes ___This page acknowledges the courage and heroism of Native Americans in U.S. wars and conflicts up to, and including, the current situation in Iraq. - Illustrated - From Medal of Honor -
http://www.medalofhonor.com/NativeWarriors.htm

Three Marine Corps women reservists, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Left to right: Minnie Spotted Wolf (Blackfoot), Celia Mix (Potawatomi), and Viola Eastman (Chippewa).
U.S. Marine Corps photograph, October 16, 1943.
American Indian Select List number 194.

Images of Indian Scouts ___These photos were taken at Ft. Huachuca in 1942. Click on any or all of them to see an enlarged image. - Illustrated - From the U.S. Army Center of Military History - http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/topics/natam/idnscts.htm

L to R: Corporal Jim Lane, John Rope, and Kassey Y-32.Ft. Huachuca, Arizona (April 1, 1942) Signal Corps Photo #28 by Carl Gaston

Indian-Citizen Soldier: Lieutenant Colonel Edward E. McClish ___ McClish was a guerrilla leader in World War II. "Colonel McClish played a personal part in contributing to the final victory in the Pacific." This brief page provides information about the man. - Text only - From the U.S. Army Center of Military History - http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/topics/natam/mcclish.htm

Native Americans in the U.S. Military ___"American Indians have participated with distinction in United States military actions for more than 200 years. Their courage, determination, and fighting spirit were recognized by American military leaders as early as the 18th century." From this page you can link to four related pages; three concern the Navajo Code Talkers and one lists Native recipients of the Medal of Honor.- Text only - From the United States Department of Defense - http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-1.htm

Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts ___"One of the toughest units in the U. S. Army was the Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts. This elite group was recruited in 1870 from black people living in Mexico. The army selected them for their superbly honed frontier tracking skills, superior marksmanship and first rate horsemanship. They served gallantly in Texas during the Indian Wars,
but today few people have heard of them." - 1 image - From Medal of Honor -
http://www.medalofhonor.com/IndianScouts.htm

Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts___"The Seminole-Negroes were descendants of escaped slaves. They settled among the Seminole Indians of Florida." Learn about their distinguished service in both the Mexican and United States armies and what became of them. - Text only - From the Superintendent, Fort Davis National Historic Site, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior - http://www.coax.net/PEOPLE/lwf/scouts.htm

Transmitting Messages in Choctaw ___This is a copy of a message sent from the Colonel of the 142d Infantry to the Commanding General of 36th Division, 23 January, 1919. It's in regard to the problem of Germans intercepting telephone communications and the possibility of using the Choctaw language to pass information. - Text only - From the U.S. Army Center of Military History - http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/topics/natam/wwi-choc.htm

United States Volunteers - Indian Troops ___This is an index of Native American units in the Civil War. - Text only - From "A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" by Frederick H. Dyer - http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/topics/natam/dyer.htm

The brave contributions to our freedom and security by native American Indians are an important part of American history and America's future.

From packagesfromhome.org...

"Native Americans have a long history of distinguished and loyal Service to our Country. Family members are typically very supportive but unfortunately, some families live in remote areas that make it difficult or impossible for them to send frequent letters and support packages to their loved one who is serving in Harm's way in the War Against Terrorism... and many do not even know that Packages From Home exists to help them support their deployed family member! Packages From Home therefore conducts a Native American Outreach at powwows and gatherings.

Are you Native American or do you know a Native American family who has a deployed family member? Many families who live on remote reservations or who do not have Internet access are unaware that their soldiers can receive free care and comfort packages from Packages From Home while they are deployed. The goal of this Outreach is to let Native American family members know about this important resource that can supplement their own support of their loved one. At each powwow we attend, sign up forms are available so family members can request Packages From Home send care and comfort packages to their relative who is fighting in the War Against Terrorism - there is no charge to the soldier or his/her family.

If you have questions or if you would like to help out (volunteer) at a powwow (giving out information and sign up forms) please contact Laureen Chischilly-Keyonnie, our Native American Outreach coordinator. Laureen is of the Diné (People), and can be reached at laureen@packagesfromhome.org . Laureen's son Marcus is a proud Marine currently deployed to Iraq, and Laureen's vision is that every Native American serving our great Country receives every bit of support possible: from his family, his friends, and PACKAGES FROM HOME".

God bless all our veterans and also those who are currently serving as well as the future brave Americans yet to serve.

God Bless America.

-redstater

What Planet Are These People On?

If you haven't voted (lately) in the 2007 Oklahoma Worst Blog of the Year competition, we are winding down to the final weeks and some of the competitors have 'left the planet'.
Maybe they are what Dennis Kucinich claims he saw.

On Veterans Day weekend, when the rest of the free world is thanking our veterans and enjoying the wonderful freedoms and great life they have provided for us... Bloggers like Sooner Thought head off to planet Gloomandoom, or Okie Funk's planet 'OhtheOurtrage', Mahatma's 'Planet X' or Kittenstomper's planet 'URAracist'.

First is SoonerneverhadaThought, who rarely posts an original thought of his own, again posts someone else's essay on how...

"Historians in the future will debate at what point in time the United States started its descent from a world symbol of prosperity and freedom to a crumbling, divided military power intimidating other nations with its imperialistic prerogatives."

(quote used for educational and informational purposes only-source at soonerthoughtless blog)

The author of the piece reprinted by SoonerneverhadaThought, went on to his assertions that America had tried to win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people by carpet bombing them.
Nice... and yet these moonbats wonder how in the world we could think they hate the military...happy veterans day to you two...too. Morons.
I hope a veteran never has to look upon the despicable faces of either of you.

Meanwhile, Okie Funk... (at least he posts his OWN words, moonbatty though they are) heads off to planet Oh-Theoutrage, over a new proposed followup bill to HR1804 that Doc Kurt claims does nothing but create racism and hatred.

"Our new laws solve nothing on a larger scale when it comes to the millions of undocumented workers in this country. Meanwhile, the new laws make the state seem intolerant and unwelcoming."

Sorry DocHoc/Kurt, our new laws have solved a great deal in Oklahoma where they were designed to solve problems... HR1804 never claimed to solve the national problem with the border but instead showed other states that they too have control over what goes on within each state's border. Illegals are leaving Oklahoma on their own, without anyone hating them or even telling them. HR 1804 was working even before it became law a little over a week ago.

While Okie Funk (dochoc/kurt) is wrong about nearly everything he posts... at least it's an original thought (in most cases) SoonerneverhadaThought however, almost NEVER posts his own words but generally, by and large, posts OTHER peoples thoughts along with a not so clever phrase like Great post by: etc. etc as in "see I was right", or "I agree".
Now that's some clever blogging folks...(not) zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Mahatma X Files- I encourage you to put on your tinfoil hat and stop by briefly.... pretty dark scary stuff that makes no mention of thanking any veterans... thats for sure... I'll just call this one "Planet X".

Longshot Update: Kittenstomper has obviously been over to Okie Funk's blob, got outraged and ran back to his blob to post about the racist immigration law in Oklahoma... "ohhh the outrage" at planet "URAracist".
Unfortunately (and perhaps ironically) he used an image of native Americans holding US military weapons and American made rifles titled "Homeland Security" and talks about the racism of sending illegals home because of them being "of questionable pigmentation".
Hmmmm, kittenstomper must have missed that day of school where they talked about the Mexican American War... and how native Americans had been fighting against the Mexican army for decades prior... defending the border and many Apache and Navajo joined in the fight against Mexico.

So, apparently Native Americans (of "questionable pigmentation"?) are racist against Mexicans because of their skin color. However history tells us that Native Americans were fighting the Mexicans over border issues even before the white man came along.
Brilliant Moonbattery at it's finest. Well played kittenstomper, well played. lol

Why is it that those who run around calling everyone else a racist usually turn out to by the only racist around?

My vote this week will go to whichever one of these copycats sees this post and scrambles to be the first to get a "veterans day" post up quickest, in order to cover their tracks and "support the troops".

Too many choices and not enough time... ahhh the life of moonbat hunting.

Vote today for the2007 Oklahoma WORST BLOGGER OF THE YEAR... over in the RIGHT sidebar> >

Have You Thanked A Veteran Today?

"Veterans Day provides our nation the opportunity to reflect thankfully on the sacrifices of those who have served the cause of freedom.

In the last century more than 619,000 Americans in uniform were killed on battlefields around the world protecting our nation and our way of life.

We cannot thank them all sufficiently.

It is beyond human capability to grasp the enormity of what they gave so the rest of us might enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We can, however, reflect on the unique quality of America 's veterans and their service.

From Bunker Hill to New Orleans, Gettysburg to San Juan Hill, Belleau Wood to Normandy, Chosin Reservoir to Khe San, Desert Storm to Kabul, Baghdad to Fallujah, American veterans have represented the finest of human qualities.

"Greater love hath no man than he who lays down his life for another" is what the Bible tells us.

Our veterans have made that sacrifice unflinchingly, with a character that General Douglas MacArthur described as "stainless."
They make the sacrifice for their comrades in arms, their "buddies" and the immediate mission at hand.
But in a greater sense they have made the sacrifice for millions of Americans whom they do not know and who do not know them.

And uniquely, American veterans have not brought subjugation to the nations they prevailed in, but rather brought freedom.
From the Philippines to Japan , to Germany , to El Salvador and Panama, America has never coveted another nation, but has only asked that freedom be followed and that the institutions of freedom be established, often with American aid.

All of us, secure in America 's blessings can honor our veterans today.

We can do this by thanking them personally,
by involving ourselves in the many organizations that serve veterans and their families and,
finally, we can follow their model of selflessness by helping our fellow citizens wherever we see a need."

San Diego, CA - - - Presidential candidate and current Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Duncan Hunter.

Must See TV: Glenn Beck With Duncan Hunter

Tonight at 7pm eastern (6pm central) time on CNN Headline News, Glenn Beck hosts the "Republican wing of the Republican party" candidate for President, Duncan Hunter for an hour of proof that Hunter is the right man at the right time for America.

Forget about voting for one of the top 4 Rino's, have a listen to Duncan the Real Deal Hunter and vote for genuine conservative ideals and values, not for appeasement.

You can preview many of Hunters previous interviews here at Red S Tater including the "Wit and Wisdom of Duncan Hunter" featuring his best quotes.

So, BEFORE you make up your mind (a full year ahead of time) give Duncan Hunter a listen.

On Oklahoma's Cox cable... it's channel 47 in OKC.... replay at 8pm central, or set your DVR's.
This oughta' be GREAT !


Post Show UPDATE: Relaxed, calm, confident and hopeful. What a great American.
Favorite quotes from the interview:

"It would be our greatest tragedy if... after defeating communism and socialism in the Soviet Union and elsewhere, ...that America were to slide into the swamp of socialism ourselves."

"Rudy is pro gun control, ...he is the guy who will be in South Carolina or somewhere, ...pulling that 30/30 out of your truck."

Favorite President:
"George Washington.... he didn't blame all his problems on the previous administration".

Complete transcript from The Glenn Beck Radio program interview with Duncan Hunter on 11/02/07
-red stater

Things Getting Sticky For Rice

The McCarville Report has information that Oklahoma's Democrat golden boy Andrew Rice (D) may not even make it to the general election and a chance to defeat arch enemy Senator Jim Inhofe (R) if some Democrats get their wish.

At least two Democrats with actual experience are eye-ing running against Rice in the primaries and judging by his 'platform', resume and his friends in the blob-o-sphere, a little experience should be more than enough to make Rice run Andrew run alright.
Back into hiding that is.
-red

Hillary Clinton Documents Withheld From Public

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- "Sen. Hillary Clinton's rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination are accusing her of delaying the release of records from her husband's administration.."

Are you getting ready for 4-8 years of a return to Clinton lies and secrecy?
Well Hillary certainly is as she and the Clinton political machine delays and avoids the opening of millions of pages and thousands and thousands of emails documenting Hillary's activities during her husband BJ's reign of sex, lies and missing videotape.

Here is the story from CNN News along with typical Clinton spin to answer the ever mounting demand for the release of this vital information.

Even Barack Obama knows that another Clinton in the white house spells disaster for America.

Socialized medicine, drivers licenses for illegal aliens, open borders, higher taxes, income redistribution and corruption... America can't afford a Democrat in the white house, much less another Clinton.

Update: Meanwhile local extreme leftwing bloggers just like Joe Lieberman referred to yesterday are trying to spin unaccounted for items at the Reagan Library as some big conspiracy...
This from the article at CNN on the subject...

"Library officials told auditors that "the collection contained approximately 100,000 items, yet the library systems only had information to locate and account for approximately 20,000 items," Brachfield said.

"This does not automatically mean the approximately 80,000 remaining items are missing. The vast majority may very well be safely located within the library's storage facilities. ... Some of these items may be missing or stolen, or none of these items may be missing or stolen."

Control deficiencies at the library created an environment that could potentially have been exploited, Brachfield said."

Sloppy inventory control? Sure.
Rightwing conspiracy...hardly.


Stuffing documents down your pants and destroying them later...(Sandy Berger) now that is NOT a problem, right Soonerthought?
-red

NEW FEATURE: Open Comment Friday

That's right folks, it's Red Stater 'Open Comment Friday', when I turn off the comments moderation and open it up for you to post your comments freely without any hassle or delays.

Good open debate is always welcome here, but on Fridays especially so.
Tell me where I'm wrong and I'll give you a quick lesson in what's right.

I've certainly given you plenty to comment about this week, so keep it clean and on topic for that particular thread or else I will go back and remove your efforts of best laid plans gone bad. Abuse the system too much and you ruin it for others. I will use you as an example, you have been warned.

Freedom of speech like this won't be found at ANY of the extreme leftwing blogs, but only at Red S Tater's Red Stater blog.

UPDATE: 9:00 am- ALERT ! At 5:36 am we already had an example of why this is a bad idea, "Did you marry your 11 year old sister?"

Since the last 4 or 5 comments posted here and at The Better Half from this person have referenced 'incest', I'm getting a little concerned for his young daughters safety and well being (which he also frequently mentions).
Personally I've maybe referenced the term about 4 or 5 times in my lifetime, it seems disturbing that someone would have such a fascination with it.

If anyone knows this person, please contact the local child welfare or child services department and have this looked into. Not to punish someone who disagrees with me, (I could care less) but for the sake of his children who should not be subjected to the things that he so freely and easily exposes that he is obviously obsessed with at some level.

If it helps a child who is being abused, then this was a good idea after all.
-red
UPDATE- 9:30pm Comment Moderation Enabled.

Joe Lieberman Rips Dems and Moonbat Bloggers

WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Lieberman on Thursday painted a dim picture of his party, saying Democrats have given up their moral authority on foreign policy because they are more concerned with opposing Republicans than doing what is right.

Joe Lieberman (D, I)— who has run for the top spot in the Oval Office as well as the No. 2 — is unique in the Senate, having won re-election last year following a Democratic primary election defeat tinged with anti-war sentiment. He ran a rare successful independent campaign by stumping largely on his foreign policy stance in support of the Iraq war and against terrorism. Lieberman has maintained his Democratic affiliation, caucusing in the Senate with Democrats.

Lieberman said "Democrats aren't being guided by principle, but partisanship".

"Even as evidence has mounted that General Petraeus' new counterinsurgency strategy is succeeding, Democrats have remained emotionally invested in a narrative of defeat and retreat in Iraq, reluctant to acknowledge the progress we are now achieving, or even that that progress has enabled us to begin drawing down our troops there," he added

On the amendment to name the Iranian Republican guard as a terrorist group that Democrats opposed Lieberman said while he thought the amendment would be a no-brainer, what resulted was a "case study in the distrust and partisan polarization that now poisons our body politic on even the most sensitive issues of national security."
He said left-wing blogs offered "wild conspiracy theories," and the amendment had "nothing that could be construed as a green light for an attack on Iran."

"There is something profoundly wrong — something that should trouble all of us — when we have elected Democratic officials who seem more worried about how the Bush administration might respond to Iran's murder of our troops, than about the fact that Iran is murdering our troops".

"There is likewise something profoundly wrong when we see candidates who are willing to pander to this politically paranoid, hyper-partisan sentiment in the Democratic base, even if it sends a message of weakness and division to the Iranian regime," Lieberman said in a thinly veiled swipe at Clinton's Democratic challengers.

"wild conspiracy theories"... "politically paranoid, hyper partisan sentiment in the Democratic base"...sound familiar Okie Funk, SoonerThought, Mahatma X, ... etc?
OUCH!

-red

'Show-Me State' Shows the Way

MISSOURI REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY ENDORSES DUNCAN HUNTER FOR PRESIDENT

* * "Hunter is a true social conservative and honestly
represents the Republican Wing of the Republican Party,"* *

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 7, 2007

San Diego, CA- - - Congressman Duncan Hunter's presidential campaign continues to gain momentum as he received another endorsement, this time from the Missouri Republican Assembly (MRA) at their quarterly membership meeting. A member of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies, the MRA voted to endorse Hunter's campaign for President in
the upcoming Missouri Republican primary as he represents a strong conservative choice among the other candidates seeking the Republican nomination.

"Congressman Hunter is a true social conservative and honestly represents the Republican Wing of the Republican Party," stated Chris Brown, MRA state President.
"When you add together Duncan Hunter's commitment to the military, American jobs, and fighting for family and life issues, there is no better choice for President.
America needs Hunter's integrity, courage and proven leadership".

The MRA works to unite conservatives, both economic and social, whose interests range from tax cuts and reform to national defense, from pro- life to education concerns, from Second Amendment to national sovereignty, and for the advancement of traditional Republican values.

While other candidates are seeking ways to appeal to conservative voters within the party, Hunter's principles, values and consistent 27-year voting record in Congress on Republican issues clearly shows that he represents the conservative choice for the party.

"I thank the Missouri Republican Assembly for their trust and I appreciate their endorsement", stated Hunter. "As I travel across our great country, I am finding more and more that my message of a strong national defense, enforcement of the border, the protection of American jobs, lower taxes and the sanctity of life is what Americans want in a candidate.
The Missouri Republican Assembly is looking for someone that will have the same priorities they have in the Oval Office and I am happy to work with them on these important issues".

Hunter will be serving as the Grand Marshall in the San Diego Armed Services Veterans Day Parade this weekend before traveling to Nevada where he will participate in a Veterans Day parade in Reno and attend scheduled events in Elko.

CONTACT: Gary Becks (619) 334-1655, dlhunter08@yahoo.com
Hunter for President, Inc.
9340 Fuerte Drive
La Mesa, California 91941
United States
-End-

I call on everyone in the Oklahoma Republican party to endorse this great American for President of the United States and stop pandering to the left by supporting the big 3 pretenders.

- red stater

Give Democrats What They Want

Democrats have been telling us since 2003, that before a politician supports the war, he/she needs to send their son/daughter to fight in that war. (see Chickenhawk n.)

Okay.
Duncan Hunter is running for President.
Duncan Hunter's son is in the Marines, currently serving in Iraq and has also served a tour in Afghanistan.

In 2004, Democrats nominated what they called... a 'war hero' for President.

He served in Vietnam, alright, unfortunately it turned out that he protested the war to the point

that his picture still hangs in the N Vietnamese (Communist) National Museum... as a hero.

Okay... that didn't work out like Democrats had planned.

Duncan Hunter is running for President and proudly served in Vietnam as an Army Ranger.
He is the former Chairman and current ranking member of the Armed Services Committee.


He didn't hang out with Jane Fonda, but he does still has have his war medals of honor.

In 2008, we have the opportunity ...no ....responsibility to give the Democrats what they've always wanted... no ...demanded.

A genuine legitimate war hero, who's son is a genuine war hero, currently serving the country.

VOTE HUNTER 08... ...."Do it for the Democrats".

-redstater

Duncan Hunter: The Real Deal

A few short and to the point videos (and one audio) on Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter...
"The Real Deal". NO OTHER CANDIDATE is more concise, to the point and represents true conservative ideals better than our next President, Duncan Hunter.

Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity decide on best candidate in only 12 seconds.


Duncan Hunter on The Laura Ingraham Show...(audio) 9 minutes


Duncan Hunter on silencing conservative talk radio and "great Americans". 1:18


On conceding conservative ideals for just for the sake of votes... "We need to move AWAY from the Ted Kennedy wing of the Republican party". 1:11


China summed up in 29 seconds...


Ted Hayes reads letter from Duncan Hunter on Amnesty and immigration...3:14


30 seconds on the US/Mexico Fence Bill authored by Duncan Hunter...


Hunter on pardon for US border guards Compean and Ramos... 3:39


Hunter on Iran... in 38 seconds...


Quotes Ronald Reagan... "We should err on the side of life"...on Terri Schiavo case. 7 seconds



Duncan Hunter calling on conservative BLOGGERS... 44 seconds



Glenn Beck transript and support for Duncan Hunter

The Wit and Wisdom of Duncan Hunter

-red stater

Two Quick Questions for Biden and Hillary

Liberal Media bias Example # 4million
I have just one simple question (maybe two) for Presidential wanna-be's but currently Senators, Joe Biden and Mrs. Hillary Clinton that you will NEVER EVER see either of them asked by the leftist media.
It is a logical question based on their statements and the facts following their statements that, to not ask this question "requires one to engage in the willing suspension of disbelief" and/or have a bias.
First, Senator Biden. In light of your statements (link below) back on September 11, 2007 , which were broadcast and published proudly on Al Jazeera...directly to the enemy sir...

"He (US Senator Joe Biden) said the "surge" strategy could not succeed as national Iraqi leaders were not com