November 2006 Archives

Never mind the fact that Hamas kept firing rockets into Israel after the "cease-fire"started, the MSM kept their powder dry until they could blame the real culprits:

JERUSALEM - Israeli troops shot and killed a Hamas-linked militant in a West Bank raid early Monday, endangering a day-old truce that stopped five months of Palestinian rocket fire and Israel operations in the Gaza Strip.

That was AP, who makes the absurd claim that the rocket fire actually stopped with the cease fire. Here's the headline from Al-Reuters:

Israel kills Palestinian gunman, woman despite truce

Bias? What bias?

From yesterday evening on Fox News (via Hot Air):

I want to make it abundantly clear: if there’s anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No young, bright individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of educational benefits. And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment. If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq.

A few folks were willing to give him a pass the last time. Not me, and I knew he'd repeat it sooner or later. To Charlie, our troops are greedy and/or desperate mercenaries who lack the civic spirit to join the military for altruistic reasons.

And we get some insight as to why he feels this way: "...as I did when I was 18 years old". Since the only reason Charlie joined was to escape his own poor neighborhood, that must be why everyone else joins. Very sad.

Maybe the lack of opportunity was what drove him to seek public office as well. You know, 'cause nobody would submit to being interviewed on Fox News if they had a decent career.

Do you really need to guess?

JERUSALEM - Israeli troops withdrew from the Gaza Strip as an unexpected truce took hold Sunday, but two major Palestinian militant groups, saying they had no intention of stopping their attacks, fired volleys of homemade rockets into Israel.

The rocket attacks by Hamas and Islamic Jihad tempered hopes for a lasting cease-fire, which was meant to end five months of deadly clashes.

What amazes me is that anyone expected otherwise.

A whopping 6%. I blame Bush.

I spent much of my Friday morning in Toys R Us, where the checkout line wrapped around the store twice. Several things on my list were sold out, and I arrived at 6:15 AM (They opened at 5). Although I found the rest of my list fairly quickly, I didn't make it out until past 9:30.

In contrast, the K-Mart I visited next was nearly devoid of shoppers, and the shelves were full. Stores that show small gains and even a decline from last year should engage in a little introspection. I don't shop at Wal-Mart or K-Mart for upscale items, I go there for bargains. Back to the basics, guys.

I sincerely hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I took time off to spend with TB and the kids. I think it was one of the most enjoyable Thanksgivings we've ever had.

I've stayed at arms' length from the news and blogs for several days. Did a little catching up this morning, it seems I've missed a little, although no more than I expected.

The previous week wasn't without local glitches, though. The weather on Thursday was awful, the stores were a trial on Friday, and our 5-year old Braun coffee pot died last wednesday.

The coffee pot was clearly the biggest disaster, as Braun stopped making the model we had, and their newer models aren't getting rave reviews. Most of the major retailers in my area have ceased carrying them as well. Wonder why?

After a couple hours' careful research, I settled on this model from Cuisinart. It rates well with Consumer Reports, has a small footprint, and I don't mind that it beeps.

Picked it up from Linens & Things in brushed stainless for 79.99 and they gave me a free pair of 1-liter carafes as a bonus. My only complaints are that the opening to pour water into is smaller than I would like, requiring more accuracy than I can usually muster at 4 A.M. - but it's a complaint I would make about several other models I saw at Linens & Things as well. And condensation collects on the underside of the lid, when opened, it drips down the back side of the unit.

On the plus side, it makes terrific coffee - every bit as good as the retired Braun. It seems quieter than other coffee makers I've owned, too. And best of all, the carafe doesn't dribble - a marked improvement over the Braun.

If you live in the Philly area and haven't taken the kids to see Santa yet, consider going to the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester next Saturday (We went yesterday, next weekend they'll repeat). Santa arrives in a helicopter, it's all very well organized, and not crowded at all. If you have the time and means for it ($35/person), you can also get your kids a ride in a helicopter as well - mine loved it, and so did TB. Note - the Museum's web page is currrently down, not a bad link. Just keep trying. Here's a cached version.

Over at Hot Air, watch the video of Charlie defending his proposal to reinstate the draft (something he's done before, if you'll remember).

Allahpundit couldn't follow it. Michelle couldn't follow it. It's mostly nonsense.

However....

It really sounds to me like he's suggesting that the troops aren't patriotic since money was all that lured them into service.

Added to Kerry's infamous moment of Freudian clarity and Murtha's characterizations, does that mean that Democratic leadership views the troops as stupid, lazy, cold-blooded mercenaries?

Maybe he'd like to eliminate pay, benefits, and bonuses to the troops. You know, so only the real patriots would want to serve be conscripted...

Well, good luck with that, Charlie.

Other bloggers confused by what Rangel said:

Conservative Blog Therapy
Jeremayakovka
Right Voices

After all, we've been thinking the same as Mort for some time now...

Update: Thanks for the link, Gary. And you don't need to steal it, you're welcome to use it anytime!

Naturally I'm talking about oil, folks. Something that's cheaper and easier to get everywhere else on the planet - and as a result, domestic production is a rusting shadow of it's former self.

The good news is the Dems' regognition that given the lack of a mandate for their reign in Congress, there's a limited amount of punishment they can mete out:

Hot-button issues such as a tax on the oil industry's windfall profits or sharp increases in automobile fuel economy probably will not gain much ground given the narrow Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.

The bad news is that energy independence has a different meaning to the left than it should. Indeed, their plan is to discourage it:

Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in an outline of priorities over the first 100 hours of the next Congress in January, promises to begin a move toward greater energy independence "by rolling back the multibillion dollar subsidies for Big Oil."

The subsidies in question are intended to encourage domestic production, something that has become excessively cumbersome and costly due to decades of liberal regulation and roadblocking:

Topping the list for repeal are:

_Tax breaks for refinery expansion and for geological studies to help oil exploration.

_A measure passed two years ago primarily to promote domestic manufacturing. It allows oil companies to take a tax credit if they chose to drill in this country instead of going abroad.

Of course, these are going to be easy targets for the Democrats, as the oil companies are none too popular with folks on the right or left after posting record profits in recent quarters. I accept that I'm in the minority on this issue.

But a little common sense should be applied here. Shouldn't any legislation pitched as promoting "energy independence" make domestic harvesting and refining of oil cheaper and easier? Seems to me this will have the exact opposite effect.

Keep an eye on the horizon, though, as there are darker views on the oil companies that if acted upon, will serve to punish the poor and middle class even further:

Last spring, Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., said if the country is to reduce its addiction to oil and high energy prices it needs a "crash program" to develop more alternative energy sources, dramatically increase conservation and examine "whether or not we should break up the big oil companies."

Next year, Schumer assumes the No. 3 leadership position among Senate Democrats and will be one of the party's top strategists.

I'm tempted to quote Milton, who wrote several good passages about the petty behaviour the left's proposals demonstrate. Instead, I'm going to butcher a quote from Jean Baudrillard - originally in reference to Halloween, it easily and accurately adapts to our new Congressional majority:

There is nothing funny about the left. This sarcastic festival reflects, rather, an infernal demand for revenge by children on the adult world.

Yesterday gave us a couple of closely-related profiles in negativity:

Halfway around the world, a man driven by hatred performs an old ritual intended to cause ill toward President Bush:

Ki Gendeng Pamungkas slit the throat of a goat, a small snake and stabbed a black crow in the chest, stirred their blood with spice and broccoli before drank the "potion" and smeared some on his face.

"I don't hate Americans, but I don't like Bush," said Pamungkas, who believed the ritual would succeed as, "the devil is with me today."

Closer to home, a group of people driven by hatred performed an old ritual intended to cause ill toward President Bush:

WASHINGTON - Nancy Pelosi was unanimously named speaker-elect by House Democrats Thursday, the first woman set to take the post that is second in line of succession to the presidency.

Like Mr. Pamungkas, the Dems even had their own sacrifice, a carefully selected old goat offered up by a snake who crowed about the goat all week:

Nancy Pelosi, set to become the first woman to head the U.S. House of Representatives, suffered an embarrassing defeat on Thursday when fellow Democrats rejected her choice of a key foe of the Iraq war as her deputy.

At least the Dems had the good taste not to smear any of their sacrifice on their faces.

Added: Before I get tons of angry emails saying that these two events aren't even remotely similar - yes, I know, the Dems didn't use Broccoli. But Pelosi comes from a state that grows it. So there.

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Congo's rival presidential contenders fought gun battles in the capital Kinshasa on Saturday in the latest violence to mar historic elections meant to end a decade of war and chaos.

Not to make light of the absolutely awful situation in the Congo, but I just wanted to say that no matter how ugly our elections can be, we should remember that they could be far worse.

Just a small something to be thankful for...

Added: This is Congo's first Democratic election in 40 years. And it's an event worthy of watching as it unfolds. Read the whole story linked above, there are too many lessons to list.

Anyone who really believed that the left would behave better that the right regarding pork and spending discipline need look no further than Nancy Pelosi over the next two years to see if that faith was deserved:

"There's a long tradition where not only can you bring back your average pork as a member of Congress, but speaker pork gives you a lot of money, a lot of influence over the purse," said Julian E. Zelizer, a congressional historian at Boston University.

Pelosi, a Democrat, will be the first Californian to hold the post, and congressional watchdogs say they'll be observing her new spending clout with great interest.

There are "a lot of peeping chicks everywhere," said Tim Ransdell, executive director of the California Institute for Federal Policy Research in Washington, D.C. "And implicitly the House speaker has a nice war chest to start with."

Aides to Pelosi don't dispute that the state will benefit from a changing of the guard at the Capitol. "From the speaker's chair to committee chairs, Californians in Congress will have additional clout to help the home state," said Pelosi spokeswoman Jennifer Crider.

While it's possible that Rep. Pelosi has indeed repaired and will become the champion of responsible budgeting, Pelosi's own aides hint at the misplaced faith of the electorate. And the history of the California Representative suggests the type of pattern that politicians rarely abandon.

As a reminder, Pelosi verbally pandered on earmark reform but was too too busy picking out drapes to study for the test. And the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste gives her a lifetime score of 13.

And with President Bush's reluctance to use his veto power... well, all I gotta say is get ready for the spending spree.

Now that campaign rhetoric is no longer necessary, they can stop pretending:

WASHINGTON - Legislation aimed at President Bush's once-secret program for wiretapping U.S.-foreign phone calls and computer traffic of suspected terrorists without warrants shows all the signs of not moving ahead, notwithstanding President Bush's request this week that a lame-duck Congress give it to him.

Senate Democrats, emboldened by Election Day wins that put them in control of Congress as of January, say they would rather wait until next year to look at the issue. "I can't say that we won't do it, but there's no guarantee that we're going spend a lot of time on controversial measures," Democratic Whip Richard Durbin of Illinois said Thursday.

In Senate parlance, that means no.

Of course, we knew this all along, didn't we? Indeed, rather than risk accidentally finding out what the terrorists are up to, the Democrats would rather follow Conyer's dream of endless investigations and impeachment:

Indeed, rather than move to authorize the program, Democrats said they would push in January to investigate how the program had been run and would seek legislation to restrict or ban outright the use of wiretaps without warrants.

Representative John Conyers Jr., the Michigan Democrat who is all but assured of taking over the House Judiciary Committee, has been one of the fiercest critics of the program and some other counterterrorism operations, saying he considers them abusive and potentially illegal infringements on civil liberties.

The shedding of such tears for the trampled rights of terrorists in far-away countries is because they care, folks. They care.

Update: To those in unwrapped territory eagerly anticipating that the new Congress will sate their hate-driven lust for presidential blood, the operative word is "Joyous".

Apparently, they take their fences much too seriously in OK.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Friday he would step down as Palestinian prime minister if that would persuade the West to lift debilitating economic sanctions.

Now if he can convince the rest of his pals to join him, we might have something.

In case you didn't know, there are still 8 seats yet to be decided in the House of Representatives But in Ohio, the will of the people apparently takes a back seat to other pursuits:

Rep. Deborah Pryce (news, bio, voting record), a member of the House Republican leadership, is ahead in her central Ohio race by 3,536 votes. In the Columbus, Ohio-area, elections officials are delaying the count of more than 9,000 provisional ballots by one day so it doesn't disrupt the much-vaulted Ohio State-Michigan football game on Nov. 18.

Elections officials in that district will start counting Nov. 19.

Last time I checked, today is only the 10th - and the game (which apparently is more important than the election) isn't until the 18th.

Hey, folks - what's wrong with starting today?

Lieberman says "Call me a Democrat".

C'mon, is anyone really surprised?

Praise for the outcome of the election from Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. And a smidgen of taunting, too:

The U.S. president's policy had enabled the militant group to achieve their goal of fighting more Americans, said the al-Qaida leader. "We haven't had enough of your blood yet," he told the U.S.

He called on Bush to remain "steadfast in the battlefield" so al-Qaida would have more opportunities to fight U.S. soldiers.

"We call on the lame duck (Bush) not to hurry up in escaping the same way the defense minister did," he said, referring to the removal of Donald Rumsfeld as Defense Secretary following the Democrats' victory in Midterm elections.

"They are getting ready to leave, because they are no longer capable of staying," the al-Qaida leader said.

"Remain steadfast in the battlefield you coward," he called on the U.S president.

Via Instapundit, this from the American Thinker:

Two days after the mid-terms, the New York Times discovers that Democrats can be corrupt, too. Who knew?

If the NYT had their heart in it, though, shouldn't they have written "Representative Alcee Hastings of Florida, the disgraced former federal judge who was impeached on bribery charges and removed from the bench"? You know, like they do for all the Republicans?

Just asking...

Although not well-rested. Yesterday was my youngest daughter's birthday - 5 years old. As you might expect, it was a big night in our home - decorations, presents, balloons, movies, Barbie dolls, cake, ice cream, and sodas well into the night. It was worth it, though. I'll accept tired - before I left for work, I noticed she was smiling in her sleep.

The morning after...

Dems have the house, and the Senate is 49-49 with 2 seats yet to be decided but leaning left. Here's the scorecard:

Losers:

Democratic Party - The exit polls show that folks didn't vote for Democrats. They voted against Bush. This is indisputable. There's no mandate for the left no matter how they spin it.

Republican Party - lost big, no way to spin it otherwise.

Nutroots - The Kos "kiss of death" has a still unblemished record. The overwhelming slapdown of Lamont shows that unhinged isn't a winning strategy. Of course, they won't see it that way. The foul and unhinged Jane Hamsher uses a little creative transference to claim the defeat she contributed to is responsible for all the victories she had nothing to do with:

But the wave of Democratic victory that is happening across the country would not be happening if the Lamont campaign did not step forward and change the narrative for Democrats. Despite the fact that Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer and Bill and Hillary Clinton planted a big, fat knife in Lamont's back and sneered at Democratic voters, the the blue victories that are happening are a direct result of this battle.

The American people - Just wait and see - once their terms start, watch every single promise for civility fall by the wayside as they go for pocketbooks and the White House with a vengeance.

So, were there any winners? Yes. Now that the party of surrender is in charge, expect the terrorists to step up activities. Indeed, Hamas is calling for attacks against us as I write this. Expect this sentiment to spread as the world wakes up to Speaker Pelosi.

I'll have more later, but that's my impression after 2 cups of coffee.

For Florida Governor. I guess he was right about not needing the President's help.

over Santorum

over Steele with 1% in. Don't really know how they can do it...

I bet they're not enjoying this at Fire Dog Lake.

Ready to go - got a roast in the oven that I'm monitoring by wireless thermometer, the kids are watching cartoons in the next room, got a cold one right next to me, and the lovely TB graciously gave me permission to do this.

I'm watching Fox News for coverage, will probably switch to CNN occasionally for their take. Will be monitoring about a dozen web sites, including Polipundit, Red State, Hot Air, Yahoo news, AP, and others.

Just to get started, what the talking heads have mentioned already:

Stock market is up! Some are speculating it's anticipation of Dems taking the house, but there's plenty of other things going on in business news. For example, Boeing was up 4.37 on news that FedEx cancelled their Airbus A380 order in favor of 777s. I think much of the market had already taken the polls favoring Dems into consideration, but watch it soar tomorrow if the GOP keeps both houses.

Duh - Fox says Harris in Fla will lose - that's news?

Bush at 41% approval - Clinton by comparison at 44%. Things are never as dreary as you think.

vote Dem or die?

Early returns favor Dems - not unusual or worrisome.

Oak Leaf - Turnout not as high as expected.

TLB - What, Delaware doesn't exist?

6:14: Still not a lot of good data out there yet - so if posting is slow, that's why...

6:30: This probably won't get very exciting until about 7:30-8:00. I'm working on setting up a few more sites to track...

6:38: Roast at 134 degrees - I will take a break for dinner when it reaches 160.

Polipundit is down - "Error establishing a database connection!" Hope it's temporary... Yup, they're back.

6:46: Fox talking heads all seem to agree early exit polls "out of whack"

6:50: Stop the ACLU has the early poll numbers. Thanks for saving my fingers!

7:11: Will be off the air for a while - food comes first!

I'm back - but I'm not. I've decided to go back to individual posts. This looks like it will be too long of a night to continue, and long posts in MT are a pain to keep up with. If you followed earlier, thanks!

Hope you all voted - there's still time in many places if you haven't.

I'll be live-blogging most of the evening starting around 6:00 P.M. EST until I get so tired I can't see the monitor anymore.

Look for a new post around that time!

If we get a discussion going in comments, I'll try to get TB to join in. Of course, I'll be there as well.

See ya in a half hour!

LB

At least they're telling us in advance where they're going to do it:

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- More than 4,000 ACORN members, volunteers and canvassers wearing red T-shirts will blanket 20 cities, reaching hundreds of thousand of residents of low-income neighborhoods across the nation Tuesday in a massive get-out-the-vote effort. Raising the minimum wage is a key issue in four states: Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, and Ohio.

In Ohio, ACORN's get-out-the-vote campaign workers will have knocked on 900,000 doors in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Dayton and Akron by the end of the campaign.

To help ensure fair elections, ACORN will work with Project Vote, the NAACP and other organizations that will monitor polling locations in minority neighborhoods in five states: Maryland, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan and Colorado. Voting rights lawyers and advocates will help identify and solve problems such as voter intimidation by partisan challengers, improper ID requests and machine glitches. Staff attorneys will respond with advice and, if appropriate, litigation to problems reported from advocates, volunteers and voters.

"To help ensure fair elections..." Good thing I'm not drinking milk - I'd have sprayed the monitor! Anyway, keep an eye out for the red shirts - at least we'll be able to identify these Democratic Party sponsored election fraud specialists.

Oh, this part was especially funny:

IN MARYLAND, ACORN will help monitor 75 precincts in Baltimore City as part of a program organized by the NAACP. The precincts were chosen because they had a high concentration of recently registered voters whose information the state was unable to verify. ACORN, Project Vote, and the Advancement Project reached a settlement with the State of Maryland that established procedures allowing these individuals to vote.

Recently registered and unverifiable, eh? Wonder where those came from?

As comical as it sounds, though, this is deadly serious stuff. Changing the makeup of government should be based on the will of the American people - not bogus folks ACORN made up, not non-citizens, not dead people.

Let's hope that there's plenty of folks watching ACORN tomorrow.

Tomorrow, while we're all furiously scanning the news for hints of how the election may be going, some folks will be spending a painful day in a hospital. Thank goodness there are some folks who didn't forget:

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Players for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be a big hit when they visit hospitalized veterans Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the James a. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, Fla., to celebrate Veterans Day.

Attending will be wide receiver Joey Galloway, defensive end Dewayne White and center John Wade, who are scheduled to visit the hospital at 2 p.m., signing autographs, presenting patients with souvenirs, and helping brighten the day for those who have sacrificed so much for the cause of freedom. The Buccaneers are the 2005 NFL South Division Champions and won Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 with a 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

The Buccaneers players will visit the James A. Haley VA Medical Center, 13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in advance of Veterans Day, bringing team pennants for all the patients and footballs for severely wounded Iraq War veterans at the Tampa VA Polytrauma Center.

I've never been a Tampa Bay fan. But at least for tomorrow, I will be.

And thanks to the DAV for setting it up!

Update: But wait! There's more! Now I get to be a fan of the Ravens, too!

BALTIMORE, Nov. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Players for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens will be a big hit when they visit hospitalized veterans Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Baltimore VA Medical Center in Baltimore, Md., as part of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Celebrity Entertainment Program.

Ravens running back Musa Smith, fullback Justin Green and offensive lineman Jason Brown are scheduled to visit the hospital at 11 a.m., signing autographs, presenting patients with souvenirs, and helping brighten the day for those who have sacrificed so much for the cause of freedom. The Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in 2001 defeating the New York Giants 34-7.

The visit by the Ravens players to the Baltimore VA Medical Center, 10 North Greene Street, will be their first as part of the DAV Celebrity Entertainment Program. They join other NFL teams, Major and Minor League Baseball players, NASCAR drivers, country music singers and others participating in the program. They are generously donating their time to remember the men and women who sacrificed greatly in defense of liberty.

"We are proud to welcome the Baltimore Ravens to our Celebrity Entertainment Program," said DAV National Commander Bradley S. Barton. "I know that their visit to the Baltimore VA medical center will bring a great deal of joy to the men and women veterans being treated there. Many of these wonderful veterans rarely get visitors. They have sacrificed a great deal to defend our nation's liberty, and they should get the respect and care they deserve."

Update 2: Bears!

CHICAGO, Nov. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Players for the NFL's Chicago Bears will be a big hit when they visit hospitalized veterans Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, Ill., as part of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Celebrity Entertainment Program.

Wide receiver Rashied Davis and defensive end Copeland Bryan are scheduled to visit the hospital at 11 a.m., signing autographs, presenting patients with souvenirs, and helping brighten the day for those who have sacrificed so much for the cause of freedom. The Bears have won nine football championships, including Super Bowl XX. The team has 26 members enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the most of any team.

The latest Pew poll is generating a lot of discussion. Ken Mehlman is issuing press releases. Rush Limbaugh even mentioned Captain Ed's analysis on the air a little while ago.

I don't know if the polls are accurate, just as I don't know about previous polls. Certainly plenty of folks have spent lots of time shooting holes in them - folks who know lots about how polls work. But it sure does look like a trend to me.

So I'm happy to see it. Good news excites the base and helps the GOTV effort, which will be the deciding factor in the election.

And don't forget to vote tomorrow!

Hey CREW, if you folks are still into attacking churches, how's about checking this out?

NASHVILLE -- In his race for U.S. Senate, Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. (D) has been outspent by millions, and his image has been battered by a barrage of negative ads, including the now-infamous spot with a blonde floozy that has been pulled off the air. Several polls show him trailing.

But being an underdog has its own righteous appeal, and the campaign used that status yesterday not only to rally voters but as evidence that God had looked with favor upon the Democratic campaign.

The fact that they are still in the race despite the odds, Ford told an African American crowd at Mount Zion Baptist Church here, was evidence that "we got something else at work."

"I think the congressman said something wise -- we got another manager in this race," Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) told the group.

(crickets chirping)

um, guys?

(crickets chirping)

I thought so.

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat weighed in yesterday with their thoughts on the Murtha - Irey Congressional race, and it's not pretty (H/T Irey campaign). Unlike the NYT editorial endorsing Lamont, this one actually talks about the candidate they endorse - and they have little nice to say about him besides approving of his "cut and run" war stance. Emphasis added:

On his famous love for pork:

While we endorse the local congressman in his re-election bid, we fear the spending spree that might result from a shift in power...

On his smearing of the troops, which has made him very unpopular with the military:

We would also urge Murtha to sit down with area veterans who clearly have different views on the Iraq conflict than he does.

On his alignment with the moonbat wing of the Democratic Party:

We are frightened by Murtha’s willingness to align himself with California Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Clearly, Murtha is hoping that relationship paves the way for his ascension to a position of higher power in the House. But we don’t believe our region’s values match well with Pelosi’s, and we don’t see much good coming for the 12th district – even if the relationship benefits the congressman.

Beyond that, Murtha has endeared himself to liberals on both coasts – raising money for his allies in California, New England and elsewhere. We hope he can keep these “friends” and their spending ways in check if the Democrats retake the House.

They even acknowlege how corrupt he is, hoping he can restrain his urges:

But we urge him to remain faithful to his fiscally and socially conservative western Pennsylvania roots – even if it costs him in personal gain and national influence.

Read the whole editorial. It's painfully clear what the Tribune-Democrat is saying here - "Murtha sucks, but vote for him anyway 'cause he's a Democrat."

The Tribune-Democrat's editorial staff has surely reached new lows when their bias toward the left causes them to endorse a candidate whom they acknowlege is unsuitable in most ways. Do they really believe the voters in Johnstown are dense enough to buy it?

Update: Those troops that Murtha rushes to condemn have a few thoughts about cutting and running (H/T Captain's Quarters). The Tribune-Democrat is right, the troops simply don't agree with Murtha.

Via Little Green Footballs, a revealing view of Ned Lamont's base:

It certainly fits the pattern I've noticed among some Lamont supporters. I'm not ready to put a label on it, save to say that even just a small hint of it here and there is certainly disturbing and sad.

The nutroots know how utterly unappealing these views are to most Americans, and some are trying to keep a lid on any open discussion that may cast them in a bad light. Right now, in some places, if you use a normally acceptable far-left greeting such as "Gaza is a gulag", you might be answered with "...let’s leave this subject alone until next Wednesday. Please."

How very sad.

As some of you know, I try to keep the blogroll short. Over the past few days, I've dropped several, and added several others. There are lots of good blogs out there, the changes are due to changing tastes and discovery of new places to hang out. And it's not an echo chamber exercise - I often disagree with the views on listed blogs, but find them worthwhile nonetheless.

These are blogs and sites I recommend, and I encourage you all to check them out.

LB

Sorry for being down - the hosting service needed to do some maintenance on the server and took a little longer than anticipated.

If anyone emailed in the last three hours, chances are I didn't get it. Please resend!

LB

If something that even hints at a success for the administration rears it's ugly head, count on our supportive MSM to cast it in the worst possible light. Via CBS News:

(CBS/AP) In a world sharply divided on Iraq since the U.S.-led war began in 2003, Saddam Hussein's death sentence Sunday unleashed fears of fresh violence and new questions about the fairness and impartiality of the tribunal that ordered him to hang.

Underscoring the fault lines that split the international community and widened the divide between Muslims and Christians, Islamic leaders warned that the verdict could inflame those who revile the United States — undermining U.S. policy in the volatile Middle East and inspiring terrorists to strike.

"The hanging of Saddam Hussein will turn to hell for the Americans," said Vitaya Wisethrat, a respected Muslim cleric in Thailand, where a bloody Islamic insurgency is raging in the country's south.

"The Saddam case is not a Muslim problem but the problem of America and its domestic politics," he said. "The Americans are about to vote in a midterm election, so maybe Bush will use this case to tell the voters that Saddam is dead and that the Americans are safe. But actually the American people will be in more danger with the death of Saddam."

Stepping up to the plate for their pals.

Dan Rather is on Fox News as I write this, he's questioning the timing. Hope someone got video - I'll link if it's out there.

Via AP/Yahoo:

TULSA, Okla. - Some gas station owners in Oklahoma are dropping the Venezuelan state-owned Citgo brand, saying sales have dropped significantly since the Venezuelan president criticized President Bush in a speech last month.

Just to refresh your memory, Chavez called Bush "the devil". In other news, Chavez may very well be on the way out. Publius Pundit has the details. He's apparently far behind in the polls, in spite of the smiles and window-dressing at his campaign appearances.

Hopefully Chavez will soon be able to retire from evil dictatoring and settle down with a like-minded woman:

That's assuming, of course, that most of Venezuela doesn't move to Miami.

Like it would be a surprise to anybody:

On Tuesday, when this page runs the list of people it has endorsed for election, we will include no Republican Congressional candidates for the first time in our memory. Although Times editorials tend to agree with Democrats on national policy, we have proudly and consistently endorsed a long line of moderate Republicans, particularly for the House. Our only political loyalty is to making the two-party system as vital and responsible as possible.

Pulling out the stops for their pals.

A major milestone in Iraqi history is reached as its most barbaric and murderous leader receives justice - Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to hang by the neck until dead for his crimes against humanity. He deserves worse, IMO.

Via AP/Yahoo:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein was convicted and sentenced Sunday to hang for crimes against humanity in the 1982 killings of 148 people in a single town, as the ousted leader, trembling and defiant, shouted "God is great!"

As he, his half brother and another senior official in his regime were convicted and sentenced to death, Saddam yelled out, "Long live the people and death to their enemies. Long live the glorious nation, and death to its enemies!"

Some feared the verdicts could intensify Iraq's sectarian violence after a trial that stretched over nine months in 39 sessions and ended nearly 3 1/2 months ago. Clashes immediately broke out Sunday in north Baghdad's heavily Sunni Azamiyah district. Elsewhere in the capital, celebratory gunfire rang out.

"This government will be responsible for the consequences, with the deaths of hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands, whose blood will be shed," Salih al-Mutlaq, a Sunni political leader, told the al-Arabiya satellite television station.

Saddam and his seven co-defendants were on trial for a wave of revenge killings carried out in the city of Dujail following a 1982 assassination attempt on the former dictator. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Islamic Dawa party, then an underground opposition, has claimed responsibility for organizing the attempt on Saddam's life.

In the streets of Dujail, a Tigris River city of 84,000, people celebrated and burned pictures of their former tormentor as the verdict was read.

The death sentences automatically go to a nine-judge appeals panel, which has unlimited time to review the case. If the verdicts and sentences are upheld, the executions must be carried out within 30 days.

A court official told The Associated Press that the appeals process was likely to take three to four weeks once the formal paperwork was submitted.

During Sunday's hearing, Saddam initially refused the chief judge's order to rise; two bailiffs pulled the ousted ruler to his feet and he remained standing through the sentencing, sometimes wagging his finger at the judge.

On FNN, they're reporting lots of celebrating. Below is a picture of celebrating in Sadr city:

This is people protesting against the verdit Tikrit.

But remember, this isn't over. We'll see more of Saddam as the appeal plays out.

Here's something that tickled me:

Before the session began, one of Saddam's lawyers, former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, was ejected from the courtroom after handing the judge a memorandum in which he called the trial a travesty.

Chief Judge Raouf Abdul-Rahman pointed to Clark and said in English, "Get out."

Others blogging about the verdict:

Stop the ACLU
Hot Air
Gateway Pundit
Patterico
Blue Crab Boulevard
Polipundit
Ankle Biting Pundits
The Wide Awakes
Iowa Voice
Mary Katharine Ham
Junkyard Blog
Flopping Aces
Ed Driscoll
Tim Blair
Pajamas Media
Sister Toldjah
Captain's Quarters

When you see a link to a story titled:

Naked man arrested for concealed weapon

Don't click on it unless you really need to know. Ick.

Update: This must be the season for naked criminals (and waffles, too!):

Nude couple's feud ends at Waffle House

That's what the headline should be. But instead, we get:

US military newspapers to demand Rumsfeld's resignation

As if the military runs the papers and reflects the views of the troops. It does not, and yet the story has already found the most ignorant and gullible to prey on:

– The US military — every branch — is asking that Donald Rumsfeld be fired. Now. And so are the pro-military newspapers that serve them.

News to you folks: These are civilian papers. They are not written, edited, or published by the U.S. Military. Editorial content like this, this, this, and this are not reflective of the views of the actual military members that the papers are marketed to.

Instead of reading something into this story about the troops that simply isn't there, you should be asking instead why the premier publications marketed to a military audience is willfully trying to undermine the troops' chain of command. That's the real story. And if you missed it, then you just didn't want to see it.

Update: Bryan at Hot Air finds another gullible soul - though I think Sullivan is being gullible by choice.

And in his world, as you might expect, we're just as bad if not worse.

The good news is the ringing endorsement he gives to the movie "Obsession: The Threat of Radical Islam":

"This film has to be seen to be believed."

Hopefully lots of folks will take Glenn's advice.

Early yesterday morning I emailed another blogger on an unrelated topic, but included my thoughts on the NYT's story:

I'm staying away from the NYT nuke story for now. The article was clear that the documents were pre-gulf war, I think some of the arguments being made on the right are a little thin. More info is sure to come out, maybe I'll be proven wrong. I hope so. Right now, though, I see this as a negative, albeit a minor one that probably won't have much effect on the election.

I think the Times' story hasn't even lived up to my mild prediction, as apparently the story hasn't gained much traction. Indeed, Dan Riehl notes:

More than 12 hours after the New York Times dropped perhaps what they thought was a nuclear bomb on the Bush administration four days before the coming election, a look at Google News puts the story at second tier status with no more than 265 additional stories linked to the breaking news.

The argument from the left that this somehow helped Iran will sway few outside the BDS echo-chamber. Iran has worked on their program for years with plenty of help, it's unlikely these old Iraq documents will help them.

As for the right side, while I feel that there should now be some increased attention to all the captured documents, the notion that the Times has somehow validated all 48,000 boxes of them is somewhat silly. I would like to think we can come up with a better vetting standard than the New York Times. (yes, I know, Ed isn't being entirely serious with this. But he was among the first to say it, and many other blogs are flogging this as if it's a big "gotcha", and I simply don't think it is.)

Folks on my side are also hyping the fact that the documents place yet another dagger in the heart of the "BushLied" meme. ""Iraq is a year away from building a nuclear bomb" was supposed to be a myth, a lie that Bush used to trick us into war."

True, but there were more than enough daggers in that heart already, and yet the "BushLied" meme is still alive and well. It's a comforting and fun rallying cry for the anti-Bush/anti-war crowds, they're not going to stop beating that drum no matter how much truth they ignore. Just this week, Kerry repeated it:

John McCain ought to ask for an apology from Dick Cheney for misleading America. He ought to ask for an apology from the president for lying about the nuclear program in Africa.

Of course, when the higher levels on the left still say it, the low will follow. For example, this deserter:

"The whole story behind it, it all feels like a big lie," Glass said. "I ain't fighting for no lie."

Hmmm. Kerry might have been right about this particular fellow - he's obviously not applied himself to his studies. Point is, though, the article in the Times turned out to be a big, fat, hairy zero.

If this is the best the NYT can muster, maybe Tuesday won't be such a disaster after all.

Oh - something struck me as I read the response to the article by Rep. Hoekstra, specifically this paragraph:

"With respect to the possibility that documents may have been released that should not have been released, I have always been clear that the Director of National Intelligence should take whatever steps necessary to withhold sensitive documents. In fact, as of today the DNI had withheld 59 percent of the documents that it had reviewed, and has become more risk-averse over time. If the DNI believes that the documents that were released were in the safe 40 percent, imagine what the 60 percent being withheld must contain.

Am I the only one who thinks Rep. Hoekstra isn't waxing rhetorical? And could the media be sedate in their coverage of this because they fear being thrown off track by that "60 percent"?

Just asking...

H/T to KnightHawk for this chilling view of how terrorist leaders are viewing the prospects of a Democratic Party win next week:

Muhammad Saadi, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad in the northern West Bank town of Jenin, said the Democrats' talk of withdrawal from Iraq makes him feel "proud."

"As Arabs and Muslims we feel proud of this talk," he told WND. "Very proud from the great successes of the Iraqi resistance. This success that brought the big superpower of the world to discuss a possible withdrawal."

Nancy Pelosi recently suggested on "60 Minutes" that the insurgency would stop if only we left. Not so, say the terrorists:

WND read Pelosi's remarks to the terror leaders, who unanimously rejected her contention an American withdrawal would end the insurgency.

Islamic Jihad's Saadi, laughing, stated, "There is no chance that the resistance will stop."

He said an American withdrawal from Iraq would "prove the resistance is the most important tool and that this tool works. The victory of the Iraqi revolution will mark an important step in the history of the region and in the attitude regarding the United States."

Once shown that their tactics are a success, what incentive would they have to stop? Why would a winning team throw away their playbook?

If the left wins, it will be a victory indeed - if you're a terrorist.

Gateway Pundit has the latest on the voter fraud in St. Louis. Should this turn out to be widespread, imagine the effect next tuesday. "Culture of corruption", indeed.

Ken Mehlman needs to update his list.

Which reminds me, I've been meaning to add Gateway Pundit to the blogroll. There - that's it!

But this is really funny.

From Kerry's website earlier:

Statement of Senator John Kerry

As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: my poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop.

I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended.

It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy. I don’t want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues. I will continue to fight for a change of course to provide real security for our country, and a winning strategy for our troops.

"I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative..." - In other words, "It's a shame that the troops (and the rest of you ignorant peasants as well) are too lazy and uneducated to understand the finely nuanced humor from my superior intellect."

This is as forced an apology as I've ever heard. And the addition of swipes at the right just give the impression that he hasn't had a change of heart since he made the "I don't apologize" speech yesterday. He's sorry anyone was offended, but not sorry he said it.

Even if, as he says, was making a joke about Bush, it would still warrant an apology. I've griped about the level of discourse in politics before, nowhere is it more of a problem than among our elected officials. The decline of statesmanship in Congress over the last thirty years is truly shameful. As a country, we deserve for our elected officials to set standards for dignity and grace. They can and should disagree - just act like adults.

Making jokes about the troops or the president in this manner is simply juvenile. It shows a distinct lack of maturity and character. The inability to offer a simple and contrite apology when necessary is a serious flaw - one that Kerry seems determined to display over and over.

Nope - this didn't cut it.

Here's a sad tale about someone who probably would have cheered Kerry's meltdown as a good thing for the left. That is, he would if he hadn't been so busy with problems of his own:

A US lawyer who released information in 2000 about President George W Bush's drunken driving conviction has been arrested after he dressed up as al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and waved a fake gun at traffic.

Police in South Portland, Maine, arrested Thomas Connolly, 49, of Scarborough, Maine, and charged him with criminal threatening.

An earlier version of the story (now removed) included this:

Police said the costume included plastic dynamite, grenades, and a replica of an AK-47 assault rifle.

The earlier version also stated that Mr. Connolly has been doing this kind of thing for years, frequently donning a George Bush Mask and dancing around on overpasses. This fellow didn't just snap yesterday, folks. He's been simmering in a BDS stew for a very long time.

Now you might think that someone this disturbed would be a loner - after all, what kind of family would out up with a guy who hates Bush so much that he dresses up in terrorist garb to harrass motorists? Just to prove that there really is someone out there for everyone:

His wife has described him as "marvelously eccentric."

This should give hope to sane singles everywhere. If he can find and keep a mate, then truly nobody should have to be alone if they don't wish it.

Connolly ran for Governor of Maine in 1998, and is considered a hero by many on the left for releasing details about George Bush's DWI back in 2000.

Sometimes we all wonder at the lunacy of the leading lights of the left without remembering that someone out there approves of and supports these "real men". Connolly is one such supporter.