Overall, I thought this was a pretty solid article on Senator Thompson. It certainly refutes the argument that he is lazy. In fact, he comes across as a hard worker, a person who knew what he believed and followed those beliefs throughout his career.
The top security prison located in Florence, Colorado is home to some of the biggest terrorists known to our Country - Zacarias Moussaoui, Richard Reid, Ted Kaczynski, Robert Hanssen and Terry Nichols. The warden Ron Wiley, says his major mission however is inmates who were disrupting the population in other federal prisons. The prison has 475 inmates, but they are confined to single cells for at least 23 hours a day in sterile isolation and permanent lock down.
Brothels are legal in Nevada, but if some former prostitutes have their way that could change. It's an interesting dilemma. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has advocated having magnificent brothels open within the city limits of Las Vegas. But several former prostitutes have begun calling for an end to legalized prostitution. Melissa Farley, an anti-prostitution activist and researcher says that they may be getting close to seeing Nevada go the way of every other state in the nation and prohibit legal prostitution. I would be very surprised to see that happen to a $50 million dollar a year business in Nevada.
Protesters in Burma are losing hope that they will get any help from the international community. One demonstrator said it was the Monks who gave them courage. On Wednesday at least 10 people lost their lifes in demonstrations.
These are the cases that the Supreme Court will hear this term:
1. Guantanamo Detainees
2. Crack-Powder Cocaine Disparity
3. Lethal Injections
4. Voter ID
5. Child Pornography
6. Presidential Power
7. Investor Lawsuits
8. Louisiana Death Case
9. Government Bonds
The Court may also hear these cases:
1. D.C. Gun Ban
2. Execution of Child Rapist
Hopefully, this article by Juan Williams will finally put to rest the slander against Bill O'Reilly. Just another example of out of control media types, who want to make the news rather than report it. Williams supports what O'Reilly has been saying right along.
Tennessee Rep. Zach Wamp has an op-ed in the Tennessean in which he points out the reason that the State Children's Health Insurance Program was first adopted in 1997. The purpose of the bill was to bring health-care benefits to children of the working poor. The program was provided funding for ten years and needs to be renewed now. As Congressman Wamp says, he supported SCHIP in 1997 and supports renewing it now. But not in the present form, which is an attempt by the Democrats to begin the push toward nationalization of health care. One thing that Congressman Wamp points out that I have not heard anywhere else is that since the Democrats propose a 61-cent-per-pack increase in federal tobacco taxes, people need to understand what a bad policy it is to use a declining revenue stream to pay for a growing program.
After 16 years Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has written his autobiography called "My Grandfather's Son". The book will go on sale Monday. Among the points that Justice Thomas makes is that Anita Hill was a mediocre employee who was used by his political opponents. Thomas says that during the time that Hill worked for him, the only complaint she made to him was about his refusal to promote her. This should be a book worth reading.
Here is what Fire Society says the Dream Act proposes:
**gives amnesty to any illegal alien claiming to have arrived in the U.S. prior to age 16 and who has lived in the U.S. for five years.
**any illegal alien can apply, no matter the current age
**to apply an illegal must simply demonstrate that he is eligible. no concrete proof required
**By simply applying under the Dream Act, an illegal alien is immediately granted conditional lawful permanent residence
**Te conditional status can be converted to non-green car by completing two years of higher education or two years of military service within the next six years.
**If the illegal alien has already completed the two year study/service requirement at the time of application
**The bill also fast-tracks the path to full citizenship by counting time in conditional status toward the five year residency requirement for citizenship application.
**Illegal aliens who file an application for legal status under the Dream Act CANNOT be deporter
**Once an illegal alien receives non-conditional green card status, that legalized alien can then sponsor family members for legal green card status.
According to Fire Society, the Dream Act, which the majority whip, Dick Durbin has been pushing on the floor of the Senate, is nothing but an amnesty bill.
Jennifer Rubin has an article in Human Events raising questions for the Republican candidates. I'm going to list the questions that she asks because they are relevant:
1. Who will raise more money - John McCain or Fred Thompson
2. how big a check will Mitt Romney write to himself
3. Will Mike Huckabee translate his strong debate performance and polished speaking
skills into donations to launch him into the first tier of contenders
4. Can you win a campaign if you don't campaign
5. Will social conservatives coalesce around a single candidate
6. Will Romney's lead in New Hampshire fade
7. Will another candidate challenge Giuliani as the leader of the attack on Hillary Clinton
8. Will Newt get in
The Politico reports that Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will open a website by Monday in an effort to round up the $30 million in pledges that he says he needs to enter the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Newt will announce his intentions by October 21. Could get interesting.
The Democrats are turning into the gift that just keeps on giving. First, Hillary wants to give $5,000 to every newborn. Now Dick Durbin wants to phase out the U.S. food safety system and come up with a better way. It would seem to me, Senator, that you should have your plan in place before you get rid of the FDA.
I don't know what Hillary Clinton is smoking, but $5,000 for every baby born in the United States. The idea is that newborns would be given a $5,000 account that will grow over time, so when the youngster turns 18, if they have finished high school, they will be able to access it to go to college. Now let's see if I have this right. I should pay for your kid to eventually have money to go to college?
The Washington Times is reporting that Religious conservatives are at odds over which of the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination should get their backing. Well, that's why you have primaries, and many candidates, so that everyone can make up their mind. I would expect that either Senator Thompson, Governor Huckabee or Senator McCain will prove satisfactory to religious conservatives. In the end it will be about beating Hillary. She will unite all Republicans.
Dick Morris, who I detest for his attacks on Senator Fred Thompson, has a question for Hillary Clinton and it actually is a reasonable question. Morris says:
"you base your healthcare proposal on the need to cover 47 million uninsured Americans. Since about a third of them are illegal immigrants and another third are eligible for Medicaid right now and just don't apply for it, aren't you overstating the problem?"The right figure for the number of Americans who do not have access to health insurance is much less than 47 million.
Congress approved legislation expanding SCHIPS far beyond what the President requested. This is a step, as Senator McConnell noted, toward universal health care. VETO THIS BILL MR. PRESIDENT!!!!
I don't know what is going on with Senator Thompson's campaign staff, but it is their job to make sure he is prepared for all issues. When he goes into a state, they should have an issues notebook ready for him, listing all issues that he may be asked about and suggesting possible answers for them. Even though the issue of the death penalty cases involved his home state of Tennessee, everyone should remember that Senator Thompson has spent more time outside of Tennessee the last several years, so he may not be as up to date on issues there as he would like to be. His staff, like some of the sites that purport to be helping him need to think about what they are doing. Instead of leaving him unprepared, and in the case of some of his organizations, alienating the public, they need to get on the ball and do the job, or get out of the spotlight.
I think the Republican candidates who failed to show for the debate tonight made a big mistake. McCain, Romney, Giuliani and Thompson should be ashamed of themselves. We can't afford to disrespect the minorities if we intend to win the White House.
Yesterday in New York, Doctor/Senator Bill Frist moderated a discussion among distinguished health leaders from around the world. As Doctor Frist points out in his blog, specific actions can be taken to reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality rates. Among the points made by Doctor Frist: Nearly 10 million children die each year from preventable or easily treatable causes; 2/3 of these children can be saved through simple, known, proven, inexpensive, interventions; each year 500,000 women suffer pregnancy-related deaths...but many of them could be prevented through basic health services.
William Kristol has a good comment in the Weekly Standard. He talked about watching the Democratic presidential debate last night, and found it to be encouraging because of the hope that it gives to the Republican party.Kristol correctly points out that the Democratic nominees have given Republicans a platform upon which to run: defeat in Iraq, permitting a nuclear Iran, illegal immigration, higher taxes, government control of health care, and more aggressive prosecution of the war on smoking than of the war on terror. Sounds like a good platform to me.
Mort Kondracke is not one of my favorite people. I find him to be pompous and arrogant, and usually not capable of coherent thought. Now he is making the argument that Congressional Democrats hold the political high ground in their battles with President Bush over the budget and SCHIP and plan to press their advantage to the hilt. How so Mr. Kondracke? Well, he cites Steny Hoyer who says Bush is now going to veto defensible Democratic spending measures. Defensible to who Mr. Hoyer? To the liberal Democrats? Maybe. Mort Kondracke needs to get out of Washington and talk to people other than Reid, Pelosi, Hoyer, and the foul mouthed Rahm Emanuel. He might be surprised at what people are saying.
Senator John McCain has released two new ads in New Hampshire. I thought they were both good, but the second one is powerful.
John Boehner, the House Minortiy Leader has a terrific op-ed on the Pork Barrell Stonewall going on in Congress.
I make no secret of my respect and admiration for Dr. Bill Frist. I consider him to be one of the greatest humanitarians of our time. The work he is doing now, I believe, will prove to be more important to the world than almost any other work that could be done.
If this story is true, this Umpire should be fired.
John Stossel, who I usually find puzzling, has an article talking about health care in this country. His argument is that Hillary's plan is a move in the wrong direction. He claims that the problem in America is that 250 million Americans have health insurance, and that no one wants to pay for his own medical care. Stossel seems to be saying that we should have less insurance coverage. I don't know if I agree with that. I think a consumer driven health insurance system is the answer.
We must continue to support the pro-democracy people of Burma. President Bush has once again called for tough new sanctions against the Burmese regime. The United Nations needs to follow through on this.
This article just supports my disappointment that the President did not veto this bill. How I wish he had. We need to call Harry Reid on this sham.
In my opinion, David Shuster's attack on Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn was unwarranted and reflects the problem with the MSM. Mr. Shuster should be immediately fired and MSNBC should apologize.
Newt Gingrich is getting ready to launch his American Solutions movement. On September 27, at 7 pm there will be a 90 minute workshop. It can be watched on Direc TV and Dish Network. It should be worth watching.
This is the interview that NPR has refused to broadcast. I think it is important that people have a chance to read it and judge for themselves and ask why?
INTERVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT BY JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS
Old Family Dining Room
10:58 A.M. EDT
Q Mr. President, thank you for joining us this morning. It's 50 years ago that events at Little Rock Central High School took place, as nine black children tried to enter that high school and federal troops had to be sent to protect them. Where do you think we are today in America in the fight for racial justice for all?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, we've obviously progressed because it is accepted that black children and white children are going to go to school together. I've thought about that. I went to the high school when I was -- since I've been President, and it struck me that an American President had to commit the 101st Airborne to get these kids into school. And it was a very ugly chapter in America. And we've progressed beyond that.
I think part of it has to do with social awareness, part of it has to do with the baby boomers coming of age. You know, a lot of people that are my age -- which happens to be 61 -- grew up rejecting this notion of a segregated society. I grew up in a town, Juan, where there was a white high school and a black high school -- that's Midland, Texas -- and of course, that no longer exists. So the structural change has happened.
I think hearts are changing as well in America, but there is still prejudice. And the role of the government is to open up opportunities for people and give people a chance to succeed. I mean, No Child Left Behind, for example, is a classic case of challenging this notion that certain kids can't learn, so let's measure to determine if they are learning and then correct problems early, before it's too late -- all aiming to give everybody access to the dream.
Q You know, today, the celebration 50 years later, also acknowledges the fact that a Republican predecessor of yours, President Eisenhower, decided to take that strong move of supporting racial integration. Why aren't you going to Little Rock today?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, I'm at the United Nations representing the country, talking about the great heart of America. And when it comes to dealing with issues like HIV/AIDS or malaria, it's my -- look, I hope people understand that I have competing obligations. Certainly my heart is in the right place.
Secondly, I did go to Topeka, Kansas, to celebrate the Brown decision.
Q Last week there was a large march in Jena, Louisiana -- you may have heard about it -- protesting the treatment of six black young people involved in a school fight. Fights broke out after; a noose was hung from a tree. Are events there a reflection of worsening race relations in the country, in your mind?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, I was saddened by the events. I would hope the hearts of children would grow beyond this notion about insulting somebody through hanging a noose -- which is an inherently bigoted response. And I'm not surprised of people's reaction, of the African American community reacting the way they did because this notion of unequal justice harkens back to a previous time in our history that a lot of folks, including me, are working to get beyond.
And so I wasn't surprised, Juan, of seeing the people on the streets. I was pleased that the march was peaceful. And beyond that, it's hard for me to comment because I don't want to get involved in an ongoing trial, but I do want to assure people that our Justice Department and appropriate branches in the Justice Department are monitoring the situation to make sure lives are safe, as well as to make sure that justice is fair.
Q Well, should the government get involved? Should you play a more active role there? Should the Congress, the Judiciary Committee in the House and the Senate get involved?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think this is a -- the charges were brought by a local prosecutor, and what the Justice Department ought to be doing is monitoring the civil rights violations, to the extent that there are some. Hopefully, this is going to be resolved in a fair -- in a way that says justice is equitable, that people will be treated fairly.
Q Bill Clinton used to say -- President Clinton -- that he had a Cabinet that looked like America. But, in fact, you've had a more diverse Cabinet, President Bush: Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Elaine Chao, Alberto Gonzales, Alphonso Jackson, Mel Martinez, Carlos Gutierrez, Norman Mineta. Were they the best people for the job or did you select them to send a signal about the necessity of racial diversity?
THE PRESIDENT: I've always tried to be an inclusive person, without sacrificing excellence. And with these individuals you've named I've been able to achieve sending a message that we're a diverse nation and that -- and at the same time I found people to do the job. I couldn't imagine Condi Rice not being the Secretary of State. She is a -- she's been a key advisor inside the White House and she's doing a fabulous job as Secretary of State. So it's a combination of being interested in sending a message that America is a diverse country and people -- you know, if you look hard enough, you can find people that are capable of doing the job in a fine way. And so I've looked hard and asked them to serve and I'm proud of their service.
Q You've appointed two people to the Supreme Court, both white males. Do you think that there should be greater representation, not only blacks and Hispanic, but women on that high court?
THE PRESIDENT: I do, absolutely; and as you might remember, put forth a woman who I thought would be a great Supreme Court judge. And she never really got out of the blocks. And it looked like it was going to be a -- it would be impossible for her to get out of the committee. So she gracefully withdrew her name. But I do believe so and I hope I have another pick. And obviously would seek excellence and diversity.
Q Mr. President, in black America we have skyrocketing rates of black-on-black murder; disproportionate incarceration rates; 50 percent dropout rates in high schools across the country; 25 percent poverty rate. Sitting here in the White House, how do you explain these problem trends?
THE PRESIDENT: I think there's a lot of conditions that create that. One is schools that have been inadequate and have failed. If you don't get a good education, Juan, your self-esteem drops or you become someone who says this society isn't meant for me. So focusing early on education -- focusing on education and excellence in early education is vital.
Secondly, I believe the breakdown of the family has affected people. The way you solve a lot of the problems is -- at least my solution has been to really empower those who can be most effective at helping people realize there are right and wrong in life, and that is the inner-city churches. I believe the faith -- I'm a strong believer in the faith-based initiative because it is the local pastor or the local church member or the local community organizer who is much more effective about convincing somebody that they need help, or convincing somebody that there's a better way that -- rather than government trying to do that.
You know, I also believe that one of the problems in the African American community is there hasn't been asset accumulation -- in other words, assets have not been passed from one generation to the next. I remember going to a Mississippi automobile plant and a lot of the workers there were African Americans. And I asked them, did they have a 401(k)? And most of the folks raised their hand. I talked to some people afterwards, they said it was the first time they had ever had any assets, anybody in their family had accumulated assets that they could pass from one generation to the next. And I believe that government policy that encourages ownership will help address some of the frustrations inside parts of our country, and therefore proposed personal savings accounts as a part of the Social Security to make sure that the poor person was capable of -- had the ability to realize compounding rate of interest, which wealthier people do, but also had some assets.
So there is a variety of reasons why the statistics you cited are real. And the key is not to lose focus about it, not to forget. And so whether it be educational excellence or ownership or -- ownership of homes or ownership of assets, the administration has pushed hard to empower the individual.
Q Mr. President, the Supreme Court ruled this year that school districts in Louisville and Seattle can't engage in even voluntary plans to achieve school integration. Are you concerned that America's schools are growing more segregated, even as our population is more diverse and we are part of a global economy?
THE PRESIDENT: We don't want to be segregated as a society. We want there to be kids growing up understanding each other as a result of mingling in the school halls, for example. That's why I'm a school choice advocate. And I am public school choice advocate where schools are falling, and I believe in giving students the scholarships to be able to go to whatever school their parents think they ought to go to, very similar to the scholarship program here in Washington, D.C.
Q Mr. President, the Republican candidates for President have decided not to participate in a Hispanic issues debate; several Republicans have also pulled out of a debate later this week scheduled to discuss issues of concern to the black community. Jack Kemp has said that if the party -- what's going on with this party? Do they plan to have their meetings only in suburban country clubs? Newt Gingrich says the party is writing off whole swaths of America. Is this a turn away from minority outreach on the part of Republicans?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I think you'll see the nominee of the party -- whoever he is will head into the African American community with a positive message and, frankly, a good record as a result of compassionate conservatism. I mean, remember, we're the ones who confronted this education system that just shoves kids through the system without questioning. We're the ones who insisted upon disaggregation of results so that we could determine whether or not the African American kid was learning at the same rate as the white kid. And as a result of this intense focus on results, there's an achievement gap that's beginning to narrow.
So we've got a good record. More black people own homes today than ever before. I think that's an accurate statistic. And so -- and black entrepreneurship is on the rise. And so we've got a good record. And people shouldn't shy away from going into the African American community or the Latino community.
Q Well, I think people in the black and Latino community might say, what happened in Katrina, where poor people -- especially poor black people -- abandoned in that situation?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. First of all, you know, our first response at all levels of government was to save people. And we had helicopters flying night and day, pulling people off the roof. And I made a comment down in New Orleans, I said those young kids reaching out of the helicopter didn't ask, are you black or white? They said, you're a fellow American, we're here to save you. Nearly 30,000 people were saved off the roofs.
The response at all levels of government was not adequate. And the fundamental question now is, how do we make sure that the federal response is used properly by state and local authorities? We've spent about $114 billion, or we've sent $114 billion in the pipeline. And there's still a lot of unspent money. And there's a lot of housing money that's unspent.
And the fundamental question, Juan, is, who's responsible? I felt like the responsibility lay with us to write the check to help recovery. I believe it's up to the local folks to make sure that the plans and the zoning laws are in place so that people actually can get that money and rebuild their lives.
Q Mr. President, illegal immigrants report that they're facing increased pressure from Homeland Security as well as local authorities after the failure of a national immigration reform bill. Is immigration now a civil rights issue, and are you doing anything to try to get that reform back on track?
THE PRESIDENT: As you know, I'm a strong advocate for comprehensive reform. I never felt we could adequately enforce the border unless we had a temporary guest worker program that would take pressure off the border. And, you know, I never -- and I knew we needed to address the issue that there's 11 million people here, more or less, that are undocumented, and we needed to do it in a way that was not amnesty, but also realistic enough not to kick them out of the -- feel like we could kick them out of the country; it's just not going to happen.
I was disappointed when the bill went down. You know, I'm not sure there's an appetite in Congress to take up the issue again. But I'll tell you where the pressure is going to come. It's going to come from employers who can't find people to do the work that they need done -- whether you're picking peaches somewhere or apples somewhere. These growers or hotel workers simply are going to run out of people to do those jobs, particularly as this economy continues to expand. And that pressure is going to be -- starting to move into Congress at some point in time, and the Congress is going to have to address this issue again.
Q Mr. President, Donovan McNabb, the Eagles' quarterback, recently said that black quarterbacks are under more scrutiny that white quarterbacks. Do you think that's true in all American life? As you observe our country, do you see that blacks are under more intense scrutiny, subject to greater criticisms?
THE PRESIDENT: It's an interesting question. I heard him say that, and you know, it's a -- if he was under scrutiny yesterday, he was scrutinized positive because he had a great game; I mean, this guy can play. You know, it's hard for me to tell, Juan. I'm sure there are cases where somebody feels like the criticism, the harsh criticism comes because expectations aren't being met or because -- let me just say that -- like, for example, Condi Rice. I don't -- you know, she gets criticized. I don't think she would tell you that she's been criticized more than any other Secretary of State because of her race. Maybe she would. I don't think so. I've never heard her complain about it. But I'm sure there are cases where people -- I remember the day where people said there's never going to be a team with a black quarterback, and all of a sudden, people like McNabb are showing what a ridiculous statement that was.
And so I would hope that's not the case. And I'm sure that a person like Donovan McNabb, who's an honest guy, is just sharing what he thinks, which is okay.
Q Mr. President, just to shift for a second as we conclude, the Iranian president, Ahmadinejad, is coming to the U.N., but he's also going to be at Columbia University.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q Do you think that Columbia is right to welcome him and give him the opportunity to speak to its students?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, I hope -- I mean, this is a place of high learning, and if the president thinks it's a good idea to have the leader from Iran come and talk to the students as an educational experience, I guess it's okay with me.
I'm a little -- you know, the problem is Ahmadinejad uses these platforms to advance his agenda, which is, I suspect in this case, is he doesn't want America to really know his true intention. I'll be curious to hear how he describes his views of the Holocaust. I'll be curious to hear how he answers the question -- you know, that our [sic] intention is to destroy Israel.
Ours is a great country. I mean, if you really think about it, he's the head of a state sponsor of terror. And yet, an institution in our country gives him a chance to express his point of view, which really speaks to the freedoms of the country. I'm not so sure I'd offer the same invitation, but nevertheless it speaks volumes about really the greatness of America. We're confident enough to let a person come and express his views. I just hope he tells everybody the truth.
Q Mr. President, there's a new book, "Evangelical President," quotes you as saying, "Hillary Clinton will defeat Barack Obama."
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q Is that what you think?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, I probably shouldn't have opined publicly about it since I'm not that great a political prognosticator to begin with. I believe she's going to be a formidable person in the primaries because she's got a national reach. And I'm not sure I can call the elections since I've never participated in a Democratic primary in my life. I do think we can defeat either candidate in the general election in November of 2008.
Q A final thing, Mr. President. You've said that you don't want to comment about any American knowledge of Israel's attack on Syria. This week, do you have anything more that you can offer us, the American people, on this subject?
THE PRESIDENT: I really don't, Juan. Thank you.
Q Well, Mr. President, thank you for giving us this time.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, sir.
Q I appreciate it.
THE PRESIDENT: Good job.
Q Thank you, sir.
Now this nut case says that the nuclear issue of Iran is now closed and Iran will disregard UN resolutions imposed and demanding suspension of its uranium enrichment. Surprise, Surprise!!
Warren Jeffs was convicted of being an accomplice to rape and could get life in prison for forcing a 14 year old girl to marry her 19 year old cousin. Funny the 19 year old hasn't yet been charged.
Now the State of Virginia has indicted Michael Vick on two state charges that could get him more prison time if convicted. What a waste of taxpayer money, because even if he is convicted, they will sentence him to time concurrent with the Federal time. Why bother. Let the Feds handle it.
Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell said Al-Qaida continues to recruit Europeans for explosive training in Pakistan because Europeans can more easily enter the United States without a visa. Nice.
Mike Bloomberg is the NRA's number one enemy and Giuliani is trying to pander to the NRA to get their support. Any surprise that they disagree?
With all the problems in our Country today, you would think that a respected organization like the Episcopalians could find a way to work this problem out.
Ed Morrissey at Captains Quarters put this in perspective. A lot of us thought this would happen. Here is what the Iranian state news agency reported on Ahmadinejad's speech:
Despite entire US media objections, negative propagation and hue and cry in recent days over IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's scheduled address at Colombia University, he gave his lecture and answered students questions here on Monday afternoon.
On second day of his entry in New York, and amid standing ovation of the audience had attended the hall where the Iranian President was to give his lecture as of early hours of the day, Ahmadinejad said that Iran is not going to attack any country in the world.
Before President Ahamadinejad's address, Colombia University Chancellor in a brief address told the audience that they would have the chance to hear Iran's stands as the Iranian President would put them forth.
He said that the Iranians are a peace loving nation, they hate war, and all types of aggression.
Referring to the technological achievements of the Iranian nation in the course of recent years, the president considered them as a sign for the Iranians' resolute will for achieving sustainable development and rapid advancement.
The audience on repeated occasion applauded Ahmadinejad when he touched on international crises.
At the end of his address President Ahmadinejad answered the student's questions on such issues as Israel, Palestine, Iran's nuclear program, the status of women in Iran and a number of other matters.
This editorial in the Washington Times really points out a major problem with all of the Republican candidates for President. What are they thinking? How in the world can they snub Tavis Smiley? Their claim of busy schedules is ridiculous. Find time guys, or give up on making any inroads among minorities.
One of the most respected conservative columnists, Cal Thomas has an excellent article in Real Clear Politics about the sham presented yesterday at Columbia University. As Mr. Thomas said, he would not be as bothered by the Columbia Administration's action if they and other like minded universities had a consistent policy toward those they invited to speak. Mr. Thomas has it right.
Even the Washington Post, and Dana Milbank, one of the most liberal media types in Washington occasionally get a story corret. Milbank pointed out that Ahmadinejad said "for hundreds of years, we've lived in friendship and brotherhood with the people of Iraq." As Milbank says, that's true as long as they don't count the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s when a million people died. And of course there's the little matter of the 500 years of fighting during the Ottoman Empire. Milbank went on to point out some of the other ridiculous remarks made by Ahmadinejad regarding their treatment of women, and his claim that Iran doesn't have any homosexuals. Although I don't like to recommend to anyone that they read Milbank, who is a real hack, or the liberal WaPo, this article is the exception, and I recommend that you read it.
The Wall Street Journal has an excellent op-ed by Bret Stephens in which he deals with the arrogance and conceit of the Columbia Administration, specifically referring to the remarks of John Coatsworth, acting dean of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, when the Dean said "if Hitler were in the United States and ...if he were willing to engage in a debate and a discussion to be challenged by Columbia students and faculty, we would certainly invite him." WOW!!! the sheer arrogance of that statement is almost overwhelming, especially if you watched the pitiful performance of the faculty of Columbia and the student body. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Ed Morrissey of Captains Quarter (one of the best blogs around) has a post about how unpopular MoveOn.org's ad about General Petraeus was. Maybe there is still a hope for fairness in this country.
As a senior citizen, I find myself paying particular attention to the position of the various Presidential candidates on an issue that is very important to me – health care. I have read Hillary Clinton’s health care plan from cover to cover. I have also read the plans of other candidates such as Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Mitt Romney.
As a conservative Republican, I want no part of universal health care, so I immediately rejected Hillary’s, Barack’s, and Edward’s plan. Mitt Romney’s plan also was not what I was looking for. As I began to research the various other candidates, I kept coming back to one person, Governor Mike Huckabee. Why? Aside from the fact that Governor Huckabee is an extremely attractive candidate to me as a genuine conservative republican candidate, his view on health care are exactly what I am looking for. I believe that health care will be one of the top five issues in the Presidential campaign, and how the candidates handle it will determine the future of health care in America.
I like what Governor Huckabee says, and find myself agreeing with him on most important health care issues. Governor Huckabee, like most Americans, recognizes that the health care system in this country is irrevocably broken. I also firmly support his statement that we don’t need universal health care, what we do need is to get serious about preventive health care. Americans weigh too much. We need to get our children off of the sofas, away from the computers and onto the athletic fields. That is an important start. We also need to refocus our attention in our schools on getting our kids fit. Physical fitness can be taught in school, as can healthy eating habits.
I believe as does Governor Huckabee, that an effort such as this in our school systems will pay dividends in healthier children, and subsequently healthier adults. Once we get serious about preventive health care, such as exercise and healthy eating habits, we will find that the billions of dollars now being spent on chronic disease will be drastically reduced.
I also agree strongly with Governor Huckabee’s statement that we need to reform medical liability. This, in my opinion, is one of the major hurdles to affordable health care. Our legal system is out of control, and we need to find a way to get rid of frivolous lawsuits and cap outrageous jury awards. We also need to get health care record keeping into the 21st century. Being able to take your health insurance with you when you change jobs is another important issue to me. But perhaps the most important issue that I find myself in complete agreement with Governor Huckabee about is I don’t want the government in charge of my health care. I want the consumer to have control over and be in charge of their own health care. Deciding who your doctor is going to be and what treatment you will receive is of vital importance to me.
Of all the candidates I have listened to on this very important issue, Governor Huckabee has it right.
My good friend John LeBoutillier has another good article about the terrorist President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He correctly points out that no one, not the White House, not Congress, not the mainstream media, not talk radio, not even Fox News ever mentions that most of the remaining 52 American hostages from the 1979 crime against our embassy people in Iran are certain that Ahmadinejad was one of their captors. Read John's article at www.Newsmax.com. As always, he raises the issues that everyone else is afraid to talk about.
This is sure to stir up controversy. The Bush administration has said that the only way to permanently fix social security is through some combination of benefit cuts and tax increases. I can hear the screams now. I have been saying that for years, but no one wants to go down that road. People need to do the math.
Mike Tyson pleads guilty to drug, DUI charges. So what else is new.
Michael F. Cannon wrote an op-ed in the New York Post in which he said SCHIP is a senseless program. The problem as Mr. Cannon sees it is that many families simply substitute SCHIP for private coverage. He also argues that SCHIP is not cost effective. I agree with him.
Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarter reports that Dan Rather's lawsuit has made him a laughingstock among his peers. That doesn't surprise me at all. Dan Rather has been a laughingstock for quite some time as far as I'm concerned.
The Iraqi government needs to get their act together. First they put out the story that the Blackwater Guards fired unprovoked, based on a videotape that they haven't shown anyone else,then the Iraqi government goes onto say in another report that there will be security woes if Blackwater USA leaves Iraq The same security vacuum is reported by yahoo news.
When I read this story, I thought ok, just another politician trying to find his own niche. But I guess the thing that bothers me about these kind of stories is why would you claim to be an outsider in order to get to be an insider? There is something wrong with that logic, in my opinion. You have to know how to work with the people in Washington to get anything accomplished. Seems to me that Romney is trying to hide from his past, and that won't work.
The U.S. Military accused Iran of smuggling surface-to-air missiles and other advanced weapons into Iraq for use against American troops. If this is true, what more proof do we need to stop Iran?
Michael Barone has an article well worth reading in Real Clear Politics today. Mr. Barone points out the failure of Democrats to force the United States out of Iraq. He also points out that the United States, following the plan of General Petraeus, has begun to see a return on success. And that's another loss for the dominant narrative of defeatist Harry Reid that we are headed to defeat in Iraq. Not so fast Mr. Reid.
Ed Morrissey, of Captain's Quarter had an interesting article about George Soros, the liberal guru, who is trying single-handedly to lead the liberals to victory over the American public. According to this article, Soros has bankrolled groups involved in the manipulation of elections. He says he has ended funding to voter-drive organizations, but he still heads a secretive rich-mans club called "Democracy Alliance". He also has bankrolled MoveOn to the tune of $5 million over the last three years.
One of my favorite journalists, Salena Zito has an interesting post in Townhall.com. In her article Salena points out that for many conservatives the red meat is the economy, and their standard-bearer is the Club for Growth, led by it's president Pat Toomey. The Club for Growth focuses on spending, taxes, trade, regulation, school choice and tort reform. So who won't the Club for Growth back in the GOP Presidential race? For sure they won't back Senator John McCain or Governor Mike Huckabee. The flip side of that is that Toomey's group gives high marks to Rudy Giuliani
My thanks to my friend River West for providing this article. This has got to be one of the most outrageous laws I have ever heard of. What is Congress thinking? According to Larry Pratt of NewsWithViews.com The Veterans Disarmament Act has already passed the House. What would this act do - simple, it would place any veteran who has ever been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) on the federal gun ban list. Clinton did exactly the same thing when his administration illegitimately added some 83,000 veterans into the National Criminal Information System. The new proposed law is even broader. As I said, to do this to Veterans who have served our country is outrageous. It is up to all of us to help fight this battle. Call your Congressman and Senator. Tell them to stop the Veterans Disarmament Act Now.
Check out the Steelers Report Card for Week 3. The Steelers are off to a 3 and 0 start, beating San Francisco yesterday 37 to 16.
Robert Bluey has an interesting article in Townhall.com, urging President Bush to dust off his veto pen. Bluey claims that Greenspan's criticism of the administration's fiscal record couldn't have come at a better time. I, for one, would like to see the President use his veto pen, instead of threatening, and then ultimately signing the bill, like he did the Ethics Bill. Republicans need to see some fight from this Admnistration, not just threats.
According to this article by Kevin McCullough in Townhall.com, Ahamdinejad has not yet taken the visit to Ground Zero off of his schedule, leading McCullough to believe that he still intends to engage in this outrageous appearance. McCullough is inviting all New Yorkers to meet him at Liberty Street and Broadway at 9 AM Monday to meet the evil terrorist. I hope everyone does just that.
As Marc Ambinder says "Remember all of this --almost all of this--goes to help Democrats." The AFL-CIO will announce that its executive board approved a $53 million budget for its2008 political program. I can't believe that this kind of garbage is still being permitted.
Marcel Marceau, the famous French Mime has died in Paris. I always loved to watch him. What a talent he was.
The Florida Democratic Party will stick with the January 29 Presidential primary. They really don't have a choice unless they want to pay for their own primary. And that is not going to happen. So now, all Democratic voters in Florida have been disenfranchised by their National Party. Smart idea guys!!
A column today by The Time's public editor, Clark Hoyt said that Moveon.Org should not have received the standby rate that it was given for it's ad about Army General David Petraeus. According to Hoyt, MoveOn should have paid $142,083 instead of the $64,575 that it was charged. MoveOn.org has now announced that they will pay the difference. Too bad that legal action can't be taken against them for this slander against our military.
Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton, a candidate for President of the United States, says that she will not vote for any more money to fund our troops in Iraq without a plan to start bringing U.S. troops home. These Democrats just continue to amaze me. So what do we do Senator Clinton, leave our troops over there without equipment, food, supplies or anything else just because you can't get your way. Outrageous!!!
FAIR TAX AIN'T FAIR EITHER?
Real Tax Reform Please
Though it is true our present tax code is convoluted and far too high I see nothing fair-minded about the proposed ‘fair tax’ either. Both are a roué!
Americans For Fair Taxation.org wish to levy a tax that collects 23 cents on every dollar spent is outrageous....Do they realize how many times a single dollar exchanges hands every day? Or how many times a single product changes hands every day as well?
Let us compare their idea this way....... Keeping in mind the Gross National Income indicates the majority of citizens earn $39,452.74 per lets go shopping.....A purchase of $10.00 worth of groceries would need an additional $2.30 to cover the Federal ‘fair tax’ plus a city sales tax of 7 or 8 cents per one dollar as well. That almost equals the price of a gallon of milk or one gallon of gasoline?
....or how about considering $100.00 of groceries purchased gleans $31.00 in Federal ‘fair tax’ and the city tax making the total tax equal a half of a tank of gasoline.....
....to say nothing of all the middle men who touch a product each paying said per dollar....No Thank You. There is nothing fair here. The Americans For Fair Taxation.org still grows the government richer while hurting more citizens.
We do not even know the effect this Federal ‘fair tax’ will have on the Gross National Product (GND)....which under the present horrible income tax shows the GNP per capita $.84 per $1.00. The ‘fair tax’ supporters made no mention of city, school districts, county and state property taxes which must also be subtracted from ones annual income.
Though I certainly want a well staffed and funded federal government we must remember we Republicans expect both tax cuts and cuts in government spending regardless of the tax collection system used. However taxes to fund said must be fair to everyone.......Were they suggesting a quarter of a cent on $10.00 spent perhaps I might consider their arrogance.....
....the ‘fair tax” flaunted implication is that one could spent as much as or as little as one wanted but I fear that attitude in its self has the potential to decrease the economy's growth quite rapidly. That is not fair either.
Think less tax – Less control - Less government spending – with fewer programs funded by all government agencies...including state, county and city....
....not less spending by our citizenry but less taxation!
Written by river west, iFrist Volunteer Leader
By now all of us have heard over and over again about the bias of the liberal media. I often think about it and wonder if there is anything we can do to correct the problem, or to at least begin to take some positive steps to counteract this unfair bias. Today I read an article in Newsbusters.org that has caused me to take a fresh look at the issue of the media bias.
Time magazine is carrying a story headlined “Was John Paul II Euthanized?” In and of itself, that’s a pretty outrageous headline. As a Catholic, it sure got my attention. Then I began to read the article and I became outraged. The gist of the story by a reporter named Jeff Israely cites “a provocative article” in the Italian media that an intensive-care specialist concluded that John Paul’s death was caused by what the Catholic Church itself would consider euthanasia. She bases this conclusion on her medical expertise and her own observations of the ailing pontiff on television.”
As Newsbuster correctly points out, this sounds really familiar doesn’t it? It hasn’t been that long since Senator Bill Frist was savaged by all of the liberal media for his comments in the Terri Schiavo case. You all remember the Terri Schiavo case don’t you? I sure do. I live in Florida and it was in the newspapers down here for months. Everyone had an opinion. Believe me, there were no undecideds in Florida on the Terri Schiavo case. Just to refresh your recollection, Terri Schiavo was the unfortunate young lady who had suffered a massive brain injury and had been in a nursing home in Florida for years. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, who had already moved on with his life, had a girlfriend and children to his girlfriend, wanted to remove the feeding tube from Terri, to take away all substance with the inevitable result of ending Terri’s life.
The problem in this case was that Terri Schiavo’s parents and siblings claimed that she responded to them, and that she was not in a persistently vegetative state, as her husband insisted. Now, it doesn’t really matter which side you agreed with. That isn’t the purpose of this article. What does matter is that reasonable people could and did differ about Terri Schiavo’s situation. Everyday Floridians got involved on both sides of the debate. The Florida legislature tried to intervene. Governor Jeb Bush tried to get involved. The Florida Courts eventually ruled in favor of Michael Schiavo, prompting Terri’s parents and siblings to turn to the Federal government. Congress, led by Senator Frist and Congressman Tom DeLay passed legislation asking that Terri be kept alive while further studies were conducted. The President rushed back from Texas to sign the bill.
Here is where the media really got into the act, and in fact, took over the whole matter. Senator Frist, a prominent heart and lung transplant surgeon, made a speech on the floor of the Senate, and said that he had reviewed a video tape of Terri Schiavo for approximately an hour, and based on his observations only, questioned whether she was in a persistently vegetative state. The media blasted him, time after time.
Now let’s compare what Jeff Israely said as he begins his article
“In a provocative article, an Italian medical professor argues that Pope John Paul II didn’t just simply slip away as his weakness and illness overtook him in April 2005. Intensive care specialist Dr. Lina Pavanelli has concluded that the ailing Pope’s April 2 death was caused by what the Catholic Church itself would consider euthanasia. She bases this conclusion on her medical expertise and her own observations of the ailing pontiff on television, as well as press reports and a subsequent book by John Paul’s personal physician.
“Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), a renowned heart surgeon before becoming Senate majority leader, went to the floor late Thursday night for the second time in 12 hours to argue that Florida doctors had erred in saying Terri Schiavo is in a "persistent vegetative state."
"I question it based on a review of the video footage which I spent an hour or so looking at last night in my office," he said in a lengthy speech in which he quoted medical texts and standards. "She certainly seems to respond to visual stimuli."
My favorite football team the Pittsburgh Steelers ran their record to 3 and o with a 37 to 16 thumping of the San Francisco Forty-Niners. Go Steelers.
First Iraq wants Blackwater USA out of Iraq, because of unsabstantiated claims by Iraqi officials that Blackwater acted improperly in protecting a State Department convoy. Now these same Iraqi officials say that Blackwater's exit would create a "security vacuum". They can't have it both ways. Either you want Blackwater out, or you work to correct any problems and let them provide the security that is needed.
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