Saturday, November 11, 2006

The Decline and Fall of Western Civ for 11 Nov.

The Decline and Fall of Western Civ.: Barbarians have Crashed the Gate
After reading: wash, rinse and repeat.

  • Sixteen people were arrested after neo-Nazis, some shouting "Sieg Heil", rampaged through a Germany city and destroyed wreaths placed to mark the anniversary of the 1938 Nazi pogrom against the Jews, according to the Times Online.

    Police in the eastern city of Frankfurt on Oder said the group had launched an attack last night, shortly after a memorial service by community and Jewish leaders at a monument where a synagogue once stood.
    The neo-Nazis trampled floral wreaths placed at a memorial stone to the synagogue in the city on the Polish border. The synagogue was destroyed 68 years ago in the Nazis’ Kristallnacht, or "Night of Broken Glass."
    I noted yesterday that Time reported a lawsuit in Germany will seek a criminal prosecution of former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and other U.S. officials for their alleged role in abuses at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo. It seems German law provides "universal jurisdiction" allowing for the prosecution of war crimes and related offenses that take place anywhere in the world. It's unclear if German neo-Nazis will receive the same treatment under the law as American neo-Cons.

  • Reuters reports a colossal, swirling storm with a well-developed eye is churning at Saturn's south pole, the first time a truly hurricane-like storm has been detected on a planet other than Earth, NASA images showed on Thursday.

    The report may have sparked outrage among the newly elected Democrat Congress, who would be expected to immediately blame President Bush for being a human racist because he failed to order school buses to evaluate victims to Uranus. Mayor Ray Nagin unavailable for comment.

The Associated Press today ran a number of strangely focused stories. Perhaps life is somehow less brutal in the koom-by-ya world ruled by liberals:

  • Warm and fuzzy Cold War icon Ortega trades Marx for God. Daniel Ortega returns to Nicaragua's presidency a shadow of the fiery revolutionary who in Cold War times vowed an endless fight against a U.S. government determined to overthrow him.

    Where would Danny be now without Groucho?

  • Post-Taliban Kabul blossoms for the rich! Eight-year-old Sajjad's kite struggles upward. It's nothing grand - a plastic bag salvaged from a heap of garbage and fashioned into a diamond shape. But it's a symbol of change in Kabul, five years after the Afghan capital was freed from a Taliban regime that believed activities such as kite-flying would distract youngsters from studying the Islamic holy book, the Quran.

    "We are praying for the poor people to have houses like us," he said. "But everything belongs to God. God knows better who should be given property and who shouldn't. God gave us this property and we built our houses. We are praying that God will look more favorably on the poor."

  • Christian Population Falls in Holy Land.

    "Most of the Christians here are either in the process of leaving, planning to leave or thinking of leaving," said Sami Awad, executive director of the Holy Land Trust, a Bethlehem-based peace group. "Insecurity is deep and getting worse."
1918 Inverted Jenny stamps
1918 Inverted Jenny Stamps

  • A Florida voter may have unwittingly lost hundreds of thousands of dollars by using an extremely rare stamp to mail an absentee ballot in Tuesday's congressional election, a government official said on Friday, according to Reuters, AP. The envelope is in a box that by law can't be opened.

    The 1918 Inverted Jenny stamp, which takes its name from an image of a biplane accidentally printed upside-down, turned up on Tuesday night in Fort Lauderdale, where election officials were inspecting ballots from parts of south Florida. Only 100 of the stamps have ever been found, making them one of the top prizes of all philately.

  • The USS Anzio provided assistance to a vessel in distress in the Arabian Sea, approximately 140 miles off the coast of Pakistan on Nov. 10, while conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the area, reports the public affairs office of the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (CUSNC).

    The 24 person crew of motor vessel SINAA, a 35 meter Iranian-flagged dhow from Kubala, Iran, contacted the Anzio on bridge-to-bridge radio asking for assistance. The motor vessel’s crew said they needed water and fuel.

    As part of MSO, coalition forces have a long standing tradition of helping mariners in distress by providing medical assistance, engineering assistance and search and rescue efforts.

  • AFP reports Iran's Arabic language television station broadcast footage it claimed showed a US aircraft carrier cruising in Gulf waters it said was taken by an unmanned Iranian drone.

    "A source in the Revolutionary Guard said the drone carried out its mission without US fighter pilots reaching it," the television said.
    It is unclear if Iranian television reported U.S. Navy rescue efforts.

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Video: F4U Corsair Gun Camera Footage

Video: Marine Corps Museum Dedication

Friday, November 10, 2006

The Decline and Fall of Western Civ for 10 Nov.

The Decline and Fall of Western Civ.: Barbarians have Crashed the Gate
Be Afraid. Be very afraid.

  • The Daily Mail reports the former British Ministry of Defense UFO project chief warns 'Aliens could attack at any time.'

    "The X-Files have been closed down."

  • Here's the latest attempt to insure the U.S. will never again be able to secure its national interests. Time reports a lawsuit in Germany will seek a criminal prosecution of the former Defense Secretary and other U.S. officials for their alleged role in abuses at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo.

    Keeping in mind that liberals are liberals no matter how they try to hide it, please note there has been no international action made to legally pursue terrorists who have routinely beheaded victims and targeted civilians.

  • A purported audio recording by the leader of Iraq's al Qaeda wing gloated over the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, as a top U.S. general said the military was preparing to recommend strategy changes, reports Reuters.

    Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri, said in the recording posted on the Internet on Friday that the group had 12,000 armed fighters and 10,000 others waiting to be equipped to fight U.S. troops in Iraq.

    "I tell the lame duck (U.S. administration) do not rush to escape as did your defense minister...stay on the battle ground," he said.
    "I swear by God we shall not rest from jihad until we...blow up the filthiest house known as the White House," the voice on the recording said.

  • AP reports Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed in a new audio tape Friday to be winning the war faster than expected in Iraq and said it had mobilized 12,000 fighters who had "vowed to die for God's sake."

    "The al-Qaida army has 12,000 fighters in Iraq, and they have vowed to die for God's sake," a man who identified himself as Abu Hamza al- Muhajir said.
    "We will not rest from our Jihad until we are under the olive trees of Rumieh and we have blown up the filthiest house _ which is called the White House," al-Muhajir said. It was not clear what Rumieh was referring to.

  • An audio clip purportedly recorded by the leader of Iraq's al Qaeda wing, has been posted on the internet gloating over the resignation of US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and boasts that the group has 12,000 armed fighters ready to fight US troops in Iraq, reports the Daily Mail.

  • Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday called U.S. President George W. Bush's defeat in congressional elections a victory for Iran, reports Reuters.

    "This issue (the elections) is not a purely domestic issue for America, but it is the defeat of Bush's hawkish policies in the world," Khamenei said in remarks reported by Iran's student news agency ISNA on Friday.
    "Since Washington's hostile and hawkish policies have always been against the Iranian nation, this defeat is actually an obvious victory for the Iranian nation."

  • British authorities are tracking almost 30 terrorist plots involving 1,600 individuals, the head of Britain's MI5 spy agency said, adding that many of the suspects are homegrown British terrorists plotting homicide attacks according to Fox News.

  • In a preview of things to come, student leaders at a California college have touched off a furor by banning the Pledge of Allegiance at their meetings, saying they see no reason to publicly swear loyalty to God and the U.S. government, reports Reuters.

    "The fact that they have enough power to ban one of the most valued traditions in America is just horrible," Zoldos said, adding she would attend every board meeting to salute the flag.
    Happy birthday Marines! It's time to remember our country's fallen heroes on Veterans Day.

Have a great weekend all, and remember this: the liberals are back in charge.

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Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Video: WW II Training Film; How to Fly a P-47

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Combat Camera: Soldiers Search Buhriz

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Michael Smith, a platoon leader with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, briefs fellow soldiers before starting a mission near Baqubah, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Michael Smith, a platoon leader with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, briefs fellow soldiers before starting a mission near Baqubah, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jason Kovic, with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, talks to his driver before starting a mission near Baqubah, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jason Kovic, with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, talks to his driver before starting a mission near Baqubah, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins

U.S. Army soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team conduct a mission in Buhriz, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins U.S. Army soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team conduct a mission in Buhriz, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins

U.S. Army 1st. Sgt. Dain Harrison, of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, interacts with children during a mission in Buhriz, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins U.S. Army 1st. Sgt. Dain Harrison, of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, interacts with children during a mission in Buhriz, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins

Iraqi children smile as their picture is taken outside of the village leader's home in Buhriz, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. The leader is meeting with U.S. Army soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins Iraqi children smile as their picture is taken outside of the village leader's home in Buhriz, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. The leader is meeting with U.S. Army soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Michael Smith, right, a platoon leader with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, speaks with the village leader during a mission in Buhriz, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Michael Smith, right, a platoon leader with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, speaks with the village leader during a mission in Buhriz, Iraq, Nov. 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins

COMBAT CAMERA More Combat Camera Imagery on THE TENSION

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Monday, November 6, 2006

Combat Camera: Tue 7 Nov. 2006

Without taking his eyes off of his sector of watch, U.S. Army Pfc. Thomas Somers (center), assistant gunner, smiles in appreciation after receiving a coin for outstanding performance from Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Riling (left), at the Yusufiyah Power Plant, Iraq, Nov. 1, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Rodney FolienteWithout taking his eyes off of his sector of watch, U.S. Army Pfc. Thomas Somers (center), assistant gunner, smiles in appreciation after receiving a coin for outstanding performance from Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Riling (left), at the Yusufiyah Power Plant, Iraq, Nov. 1, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Rodney Foliente

U.S. Army Spc. John Powell, from the 561st Military Police Company, Fort Campbell, Ky., and attached to the 10th Mountain Division, greets an Afghan national policeman before inquiring about suspicious activity in the area in Bagram, Afghanistan, Oct. 29, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. CloudenU.S. Army Spc. John Powell, from the 561st Military Police Company, Fort Campbell, Ky., and attached to the 10th Mountain Division, greets an Afghan national policeman before inquiring about suspicious activity in the area in Bagram, Afghanistan, Oct. 29, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. Clouden

A U.S. Marine with Alpha Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5 provides security as fellow Marines conduct a patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, Oct. 28, 2006. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Chad SimonA U.S. Marine with Alpha Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5 provides security as fellow Marines conduct a patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, Oct. 28, 2006. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Chad Simon

Spc. Ricky Halterman, from the 20th Infantry Regiment, prepares to fire a 120 mm illumination round to spot insurgents in Mosul, Iraq. This photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Cindy Haught Spc. Ricky Halterman, from the 20th Infantry Regiment, prepares to fire a 120 mm illumination round to spot insurgents in Mosul, Iraq. This photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Cindy Haught

Sgt. Katherine Tripp, from the 982nd Signal Company, prepares for a mission in a Stryker vehicle, departing from Forward Operating Base Marez, Iraq. This photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Cindy HaughtSgt. Katherine Tripp, from the 982nd Signal Company, prepares for a mission in a Stryker vehicle, departing from Forward Operating Base Marez, Iraq. This photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Cindy Haught

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The Decline and Fall of Western Civ for 6 Nov.

The Decline and Fall of Western Civ.: Barbarians are Crashing the Gate
After reading: wash, rinse and repeat.

  • The Sun-Sentinel reports Elections Offices in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade County released voting figures on Monday of early voting and absentee ballots that have been cast in Tuesday's elections. In the tri-county area, 12.7 percent of all registered voters have already voted. Read it.

  • Wall Street roared back Monday, erasing its losses of last week after private-equity buyout deals involving companies such as Four Seasons Hotels Inc. (FS) and OSI Restaurant Partners Inc. (OSI) revived investors' belief that stocks still have room to run. The Dow Jones industrials shot up 119 points, according to AP. The gains came a day ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, though the prospect of a power shift in Congress didn't seem to unnerve investors.

    "I think what you're seeing on the tape is a reflection of the amount of money that has been raised in the private equity pools and that money is starting to go to work," said John O'Donoghue, co-head of equities at Cowen & Co.

  • AP also reports the price of gasoline has fallen to its lowest level in more than 10 months. The federal Energy Information Administration said Monday that U.S. motorists paid $2.20 a gallon on average for regular grade last week, a decrease of 1.8 cents from the previous week.

  • Al Qaeda terrorists planned to use "dirty bombs" to blow up the Heathrow Express or a Tube train passing under the Thames, a court heard today, according to the Daily Mail.

    The catastrophic results would have produced "another black day for the enemies of Islam and victory for the Muslims."

  • Reuters reports a Palestinian suicide bomber blew herself up near Israeli troops on Monday in a Gaza town where Israeli forces had killed two women acting as human shields for militants, residents said.

  • Here's 13 more good reasons why the U.S. must never relinquish control over the Internet to the U.N. The campaigning group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Monday listed 13 countries it labelled as "enemies of the Internet" ahead of a 24 hour campaign in favour of free access to the web, reports AFP.

    The 13 countries are: Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Myanmar, China, North Korea, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Uzbekistan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan and Vietnam.

  • AP reports the USS Intrepid, the aircraft carrier that survived World War II bomb and kamikaze attacks, got stuck in the mud in the Hudson River on Monday as tugboats tried to pull it from its berth.

  • First Borat, now Bond and Saddam Hussein. Web saboteurs have posted info on Wikipedia claiming Daniel Craig, the new 007, and Saddam Hussein are dead. Sky News reports it is the third bout of Web vandalism to hit the online encyclopedia in less than a day.

  • Slate tells us about the real and strange Kazakh customs that Borat didn't mock.

  • Last and surely least ROO TV presents News for Blondes video.
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LSD: Living in the Sixties Democrats

John Kerry
"He was for the joke before he was against it."

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."
Michael Barone, writing in Real Clear Politics, says the problem with Democrats is that they are still stuck in the `60s. Those two sentences quoted above and spoken by John Kerry last week, tell a lot about the mindset of many -- not all, but many -- Democrats who supported him for president in 2004 and who, as this is written, are looking forward to Democratic victories this week. One thing they tell us is that Kerry's mindset is still back in the Vietnam era.

Barone says no one is "stuck in Iraq" unless he or she volunteers. The educational and economic levels of our military personnel are higher than those of civilians in the same age group. It appears Kerry was thinking back to the late 1960s, when there was a military draft and a college dropout could find himself drafted and "stuck" in Vietnam.

Kerry's explanation for his bizarre refusal to apologize for two days and then his grudging off-camera apology was that he was trying to make a joke about the stupidity of George W. Bush (even though Kerry's grades at Yale were slightly lower than Bush's). But his words were not wholly out of line with previous statements by him and other Democrats characterizing American troops as perpetrators rather than heroes.
There was Kerry's 1971 "Genghis Khan" testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as his December 2005 statement that troops were "terrorizing" women and children. Sen. Dick Durbin likened American service members to Nazi storm troopers and the Khmer Rouge, and Sen. Edward Kennedy suggested that Abu Ghraib under our "new management" was comparable to Saddam Hussein's regime of torture and murder.
Kerry and his buddies feel they know best who our heroes should be . . . and they should not be members of the American military, who are portrayed as depraved or incompetent. They should be the antiwar protesters, the professors and intellectuals, the sophisticated elites who know better than ordinary Americans and the servicemen and women what's in the world's best interest.

Barone says our heroes should be people who believe that fighting those who want to destroy us only makes them madder and that withdrawal will assuage their grievances so they will leave us alone. It turned out that withdrawing from Vietnam did not cause us irretrievable damage. Barone asks will we be so lucky if we leave Iraq too soon?

For the good of the country, Democrats should quit the LSD and Let the Sixties Die.

Democrats Stuck in the '60s
By Michael Barone
(RCP) -- You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." Read it.

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Soldiers in Iraq Say Pullout Would Have Devastating Results

The Tension Wire
From the wire:

Media pundits all seem to know exactly what "the American people" want. Many of these same talking heads would have you believe the war in Iraq is done . . . it's time to pull out and leave the past behind.

Writing in In The Washington Post today, Josh White reports the one thing the war is not, however, is finished, dozens of soldiers across the country said in interviews. And leaving Iraq now would have devastating consequences, they said.

Most mainstream news reports say the war in Iraq a major issue at the polls, many soldiers said the United States should not abandon its effort here.

Here's what some soldiers in Iraq are saying:

"Take us out of that vacuum -- and it's on the edge now -- and boom, it would become a free-for-all," said Lt. Col. Mark Suich, who commands the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment just south of Baghdad. "It would be a raw contention for power. That would be the bloodiest piece of this war."
"Pulling out now would be as bad or worse than going forward with no changes," Capt. Jim Modlin, 26, of Oceanport, N.J., said. "Sectarian violence would be rampant, democracy would cease to exist, and the rule of law would be decimated. It's not 'stay the course,' and it's not 'cut and run' or other political catchphrases. There are people's lives here. There are so many different dynamics that go on here that a simple solution just isn't possible."
"This is a worthwhile endeavor," said Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of Multinational Division North and the 25th Infantry Division. "Nothing that is worthwhile is usually easy, and we need to give this more time for it to all come together. We all want to come home, but we have a significant investment here, and we need to give the Iraqi army and the Iraqi people a chance to succeed."
Capt. Mike Lingenfelter, 32, of Panhandle, Tex., said that U.S. troops have earned the trust of residents in Tall Afar over the past couple of years and that leaving now would send the wrong message. His Comanche Troop of the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment is working with Iraqi forces to give them control of the city.
"It's still fragile enough now that if the coalition were to leave, it would embolden the insurgents. A lot of people have put their trust and faith in us to see it to the end. It would be an extreme betrayal for us to leave."
Soldiers in Iraq Say Pullout Would Have Devastating Results
FORWARD OPERATING BASE SYKES, Iraq, Nov. 5 (washingtonpost.com) -- For the U.S. troops fighting in Iraq, the war is alternately violent and hopeful, sometimes very hot and sometimes very cold. It is dusty and muddy, calm and chaotic, deafeningly loud and eerily quiet. Read it.

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Sunday, November 5, 2006

Combat Camera: Mon 6 Nov. 2006

November 2, 2006; A sniper from the Jalalabad Provincial Reconstruction Team looks for enemy activity along the hilltops near Dur Baba, Afghanistan. This photo by Cpl. Bertha A. FloresNovember 2, 2006; A sniper from the Jalalabad Provincial Reconstruction Team looks for enemy activity along the hilltops near Dur Baba, Afghanistan. This photo by Cpl. Bertha A. Flores

November 1, 2006; A Soldier from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 125th Field Artillery Regiment, Minnesota Army National Guard, at the Convoy Support Center in Scania, Iraq, practice-fires a non-lethal laser. This photo by 1st Lt. John Mastbergen November 1, 2006; A Soldier from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 125th Field Artillery Regiment, Minnesota Army National Guard, at the Convoy Support Center in Scania, Iraq, practice-fires a non-lethal laser. This photo by 1st Lt. John Mastbergen

October 31, 2006; A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carries Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division on a mission in Afghanistan. This photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. CloudenOctober 31, 2006; A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carries Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division on a mission in Afghanistan. This photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. Clouden

October 30, 2006; Sgt. 1st Class David, from the 25th Infantry Division, searches for weapons caches near the village of al Buwatir, Iraq. This photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet October 30, 2006; Sgt. 1st Class David, from the 25th Infantry Division, searches for weapons caches near the village of al Buwatir, Iraq. This photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet

October 27, 2006; Soldiers from the 1st Armored Division conduct an early morning raid in Ramadi, Iraq. This photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock October 27, 2006; Soldiers from the 1st Armored Division conduct an early morning raid in Ramadi, Iraq. This photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock

October 26, 2006; Olivia, a military working dog, sleeps beside her trainer inside a Stryker vehicle after a mission in Mosul, Iraq. This photo by Tech. Sgt. Michele A. Desrochers October 26, 2006; Olivia, a military working dog, sleeps beside her trainer inside a Stryker vehicle after a mission in Mosul, Iraq. This photo by Tech. Sgt. Michele A. Desrochers

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Counterbalance for Sun 5 Nov.

San Fran Nan
The buzz inside the Beltway outside the mainstream:

  • Nancy Pelosi reemerges! House control at stake, President Bush campaigned Sunday in endangered Republican districts across GOP-friendly middle America. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), hoping to become the first female speaker, stumped for Democratic challengers in the left-leaning Northeast, reports AP.

  • SFGate.com reports House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi warned that a Republican victory Tuesday would prolong the U.S. involvement in Iraq another 10 years, as she embarked on a final push in a campaign that could make her speaker.

    Despite the healthy economy, low unemployment rate, and fact that not one terrorist attack has occurred on U.S. soil since 9/11, Pelosi slimed the government:

    "This is a freak show, and it has to come to an end," Pelosi said. "This is about a Congress and White House whose purpose is to concentrate wealth into the top 1 percent of our country at the expense of the middle class."

  • Kevin McCullough, writing at Townhall.com, tells us why we should believe John Kerry.

    John Kerry hasn't tucked tail and run this fast since his third "purple heart" in Vietnam. Then he wanted to get out of the free fire of the Viet Cong, now he wants out of the free fire of truth and analysis. Nonetheless the world should take note of John Kerry, because this week he has given us all an indisputable truth.
    John Kerry should be believed - not for the substance of what he says mind you - but because of what it reveals about him personally that he would pull the curtain back and let us all see what he really thought.
    Liberals always have to dance around the truth, because nobody will vote for them based on what they truly believe. And every now and then when we get a peek at what their beliefs, we are reminded why we can never let them be in charge again!

  • Thomas Sowell, writing in The Washington Times, says a long-standing joke at election time is that if someone were to run under the name "None of the above," that candidate would win. This year, the Democrats are running as "None of the above" and polls show that they may well win the House of Representatives and perhaps the Senate.

    Some clever people say that Democrats will have two years in which to discredit themselves in Congress before the 2008 elections. But clever people have led many nations into catastrophes. Is this the time to experiment with "None of the above"?
    Voting for a moderate Democrat for the House of Representatives can mean putting extremists like Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, Dennis Kucinich and Charles Rangel in charge of the House, where all spending bills and all impeachment bills originate.
    Some people are justifiably angry at some of the Republicans in Washington. But voting to vent your emotions will have national and long-lasting consequences, both through lifetime judicial appointments and through the prospect of seeing the United States denied the resources needed to fight international terrorists at a time when our future and our children's future are on the line as never before.

Some final notes:

  • The European Union urged Iraq on Sunday not to carry out the death sentence passed on Iraq's former leader Saddam Hussein after his conviction for crimes against humanity, reports Reuters.

  • AP reports the head of the GOP Senate campaigns on Sunday sought to deflect growing criticism about the war in Iraq, saying her party will prevail in Tuesday's elections partly because "Democrats appear to be content with losing."

    While Democrats still don't have a plan, they do have differing opinions on the plan they do not have:

    Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said, "Democrats want to win the war, which is why we want to change the strategy."
    Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said, "My plan would be to focus on getting Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida ... and begin redeploying troops out of Iraq where they are fueling terrorists and return to fighting the war on terror."
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