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The Lunch Counter
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Tuesday, February 28, 2006
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Monday, February 27, 2006
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Speaking before the Council on Foreign Relations, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld said "We meet today in the sixth year in which our nation has been engaged in what promises to be a long struggle against an enemy that in many ways is unlike any our country has ever faced. And in this war, some of the most critical battles may not be in the mountains of Afghanistan or the streets of Iraq, but in newsrooms -- in places like New York, London, Cairo, and elsewhere."
Consider this statement:
"More than half of this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media. . . we are in a media battle in a race for the hearts and minds of [Muslims]."
The speaker was not some modern-day image consultant in a public relations firm in New York City. It was Osama bin Laden’s chief lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahiri.
I hearken back to a time when Rumsfeld wanted an information arm in his quiver of weapons, one to effectively wage the propaganda war against bin Laden. The democrats came to bin Laden's aid and quickly shot down the notion with help from the domestic mainstream media. Another example of the consequences of fighting a war with one hand tied behind your back.
Update 3/27/06: Yes. And this is what you get when you give the enemy that advantage, a year later.
5:04:38 PM 
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In the not-in-the-mainstream-media department, Iraq's Interior Ministry forces captured a top aide to al-Qaida's leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi during a raid in western Iraq, state television reported Monday. Iraqiya TV identified the captive as Abu al-Farouq, a Syrian. It was reported that he was captured with five other alleged al-Qaida operatives in the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad. The raid was carried out by the ministry's counterinsurgency Wolf Brigade.
These are Iraqis, not Americans, taking the charge. It is after all, the plan.
3:57:03 PM
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 The next round of negotiations, based on the stall-proceed method which Saddam perfected (well he got away with it for over 12 years) seems to also be the MO of Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Stall the UN inspectors, for 3 years and counting, while continuing to refine uranium for nuclear warhead capability. The Russian 'deal' being accepted by Iran is the best and probably last hope for Iran to come to its senses and not provoke international sanctions, or more severe consequences. But no one is betting that that will happen. Not the IAEA or the White House, or Russia itself.
"It is regrettable and a matter of concern that the uncertainties related to the scope and nature of Iran's nuclear program have not been clarified after three years of intensive agency verification," said the report, obtained by Reuters.
Translation: Iran fooled us and evaded us so well for 3 years that we don't know what they're up to.
It said Iran had begun testing a cascade of 20 centrifuges at its Natanz pilot uranium-enrichment plant, pressing ahead with efforts to purify nuclear fuel.
Iran had also begun substantial renovations of Natanz's system handling UF6 gas, which is converted by centrifuges into enriched atomic fuel. It said the cascade of 20 centrifuge machines began to undergo vacuum testing on February 22.
The report came as the West reacted with deep skepticism to a tentative Russia-Iran deal on uranium enrichment intended to help resolve the dispute. The head of Iran's nuclear program said on Sunday that Tehran had reached a "basic" agreement with Moscow on a proposed joint venture to enrich uranium in Russia. But Russian officials were afterwards reported as saying Iran had so far made no commitment to renounce home-grown nuclear enrichment, as demanded by Russia and the major Western powers.
At the crux of Iran's argument is that they consider any treaty or agreement signed prior to Ahmadinejad's election to be void if they want it to be. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is one that he refuses to recognize.
Russia to Iran: Stop Enrichment
3:47:27 PM
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Sunday, February 26, 2006
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News of the fact that Saddam Hussein had WMD's when Bush and the rest of the world said he had them, has suffered the same journalistic fate that Al Gore's tirade in Saudi Arabia had. It has been quashed in the so-called mainstream media. Seized tapes, among tons of other booty found in Baghdad since the start of the war there, have yielded indisputable proof, in Saddam's own words, that Saddam had WMD's. The media's priorities has never been to print anything that would deter from the left's 'Bush lied people died' mantra. But don't simply believe me, find out for yourself.
This from [Power Line]
On Saddam's audio tapes, Saddam talks openly of programs involving biological, chemical and, yes, nuclear weapons.
[A]s late as 2000, Saddam can be heard in his office talking with Iraqi scientists about his ongoing plans to build a nuclear device. At one point, he discusses Iraq's plasma uranium program — something that was missed entirely by U.N. weapons inspectors combing Iraq for WMD. This is particularly troubling, since it indicates an active, ongoing attempt by Saddam to build an Iraqi nuclear bomb.
"What was most disturbing," said John Tierney, the ex- FBI agent who translated the tapes, "was the fact that the individuals briefing Saddam were totally unknown to the U.N. Special Commission (or UNSCOM, the group set up to look into Iraq's WMD programs)."
Then there's the account given by Georges Sada, second in command in Iraq's air force:
He has written a book, "Saddam's Secrets," that details how the Iraqi dictator used trucks, commercial jets and ships to remove his WMD from the country. At the time, the move went largely undetected, because Iraq pretended the massive movement of materiel was to help Syrian flood victims.
Nor is Sada alone. Ali Ibrahim, another of Saddam's former commanders, has largely corroborated Sada's story.
So how was Saddam able to use his "cheat and retreat" tactics without being found out? He had help, according to a former U.S. Defense Department official.
"The short answer to the question of where the WMD Saddam bought from the Russians went was that they went to Syria and Lebanon," said John Shaw, former deputy undersecretary of defense, in comments made at an intelligence summit Feb. 17-20 in Arlington, Va.
"They were moved by Russian Spetsnaz (special ops) units out of uniform that were specifically sent to Iraq to move the weaponry and eradicate any evidence of its existence," he said.
ref: They Were Wrong, Bush Wasn't
8:27:23 PM
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One way to boost Pensacola's economy by at least $380 million is to vote to not renew the 1 percent local option sales tax. The fraudulent marketing of it is so noted. "Escambia County residents pay a 7.5 percent sales tax rate. On March 7, voters will decide whether to extend the 1-cent local option portion of that tax for another 10 years." There's no one cent anything. It is one percent, which by their own estimations means around 380 to 400 million dollars.
If renewed, the local option sales tax is expected to bring in about $380 million for the county and $57 million for the city during the next 10 years.
Sales tax issue up for vote. A major revenue generator for Escambia County and the City of Pensacola -- one that funds such things as roads, parks, ambulances, police cars and other public services -- comes to a countywide vote 10 days from now. [PensacolaNewsJournal.com - Local News]
11:46:44 AM
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Friday, February 24, 2006
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Thursday, February 23, 2006
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Aren't we looking a bit racist over this Dubai Ports World port deal thing? Let's be careful not to paint all Arabs as people that can't be trusted. Especially the UAE, who has been an integral ally in the war so far. It is unfortunate that the media's campaign to not tell the truth about what companies that 'operate' ports actually do, is actually fomenting this reaction. And, in this case specifically, the government owned company will be doing more to help in the war on terror than prior to the British/UAE transaction. Isn't it good to know you have global help, from a global shipper, not only in tracking shipments coming to and from this country, but also other points around the world? Especially, but not limited to, nuclear shipments. You want to lose that? If anything, our security is improved. But that is also not being reported.
To base a racist attitude on the fact that two of the 9/11 hijackers were from the UAE is no different than saying all Americans are terrorists, you can't let them run your ports because of Tim McVey and his crew. Like Rumsfeld said yesterday, you can't judge a country by the acts of two of its citizens, which is one of the themes surrounding this controversy.
And when the Sec. of Defense says there is no increased risk or danger connected to the port management deal, then that should be the end of it. This is not the time to stick our fingers in the eye of an ally. It's also not the time to act like a racist toward Arabs under an imagined security blanket. Actually, there is never a time to do that, to anybody. It is better to judge by the content of their character. I think a country who takes in our Navy and military to run the war from, and who since 9/11 has helped capture some on their own, is an ally that does not deserve the criticism it is getting.
Put Away the Race Card. Dealing the race card, as Mansoor Ijaz does elsewhere on NRO, is not only insupportable (unless he has specific names he wishes to tie to racism) it won't win a single convert to the UAE deal. I find it appalling.... [And Another Thing . . .]
10:28:21 AM
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What was once beneath a gleaming gold dome, the 1,200-year-old Askariya "Golden" Mosque was reduced to rubble . No word if any Korans were damaged or flushed down any toilets, which would be widely condemned by Muslims everywhere. This mosque is not just another mosque. The Askariya shrine contains the tombs of two imams considered by Shi'ites to be among the successors of the prophet Muhammad.
How about another round of 4 yr old prison pics of humiliated terrorists in thongs to drum up more hate and unrest? I'm sure the ACLU will do their best in this department.
Related, maybe more than we know, Ahmadinejad uses saviour of Shia Islam as powerful tool in political arena. Two Babes and A Brain has more context to this story. Like Iran and Ahmadinejad.
8:09:03 AM
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Tuesday, February 21, 2006
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It's Economics 101. Sen. Frist's Supply-Side Lesson.
Bill Frist has a good USA Today opinion piece explaining the virtues of tax cuts.
Ever since the Senate approved the last major tax relief bill, in 2003, revenues have increased every year. In 2004, they went up 5.5%. Last year, they rose 14.5%, the largest increase in nearly 25 years.
Total government collections, in fact, increased more after President Bush's 2003 tax cuts than they did after President Clinton's 1994 tax hikes...
Republicans' decision to reduce taxes on capital gains and dividends provides a good case study in effective tax policy. When we enacted these measures in 2003, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that revenues would decline by $27 billion over the next two years. Instead, it turned out that the tax cut stimulated investment and increased revenues by $26 billion — a $53 billion difference.
[GOP Bloggers]
11:40:55 PM
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That this is a long war should not be news because Bush said as much 4 years ago. This from Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM)."
Terrorism “shows no moderation in its behavior and certainly no moderation in its tactics. It shows no moderation in its brutality,” Kimmitt told journalists at a February 21 briefing in Washington.
A long war against al-Qaida and similar terrorist groups is a main strategic concept underlying the Quadrennial Defense Review. (See related article.)
Kimmitt said that groups, such as Ansar-al-Islam in Iraq, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Abu-Sayyaf in the Philippines and others, are not hierarchical, but bound together by a radical, extremist ideology that seeks to push western influences from the region, then eliminate regional authorities that will not conform with their vision of governance and, finally, establish their own repressive regime.
General Kimmitt Outlines U.S. Strategy Against Terrorism. While the U.S.-led international military coalition continues to support Iraqi and Afghan efforts to build democratic societies, America also must gear up for the “long war” against terrorism, says Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of the U.S. military’s Central Command. Terrorism “shows no moderation in its behavior and certainly no moderation in its tactics. It shows no moderation in its brutality,” Kimmitt tells journalists in Washington. [US State Dept - Washington File]
11:29:33 PM
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Why Did UAE Ban Michelle Malkin's Site?.
By Debbie Schlussel
Why did the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ban Michelle Malkin's site? Was it her just outrage about the Dubai Ports World deal to control six of our ports? Or was it her publishing of the Mohammed cartoons and her thorough exposition of the global Islamic violence in response to the cartoons?
Regardless of the reason, it's yet another reason we can't let them control our ports. If they'll censor out her site from over there, what will they do when they are controlling vital points of entry and shipping here in America?
Not sure if they are censoring my site yet, but here's an e-mail I got from a reader in UAE:
Debbie, As usual, my daily dose of reality includes reading your own blog and that of Michelle Malkin. I presume that due to MM's open support of Denmark the site has now been blocked by Etisalat, the govt. owned service provider in Dubai, UAE. C'est la vie! [Debbie Schlussel]
12:53:53 AM
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Monday, February 20, 2006
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Hamas Renounces Treaty.
Here's another example why the Palestinian Arabs are not deserving of a state, and another example of why they cannot be trusted.
Low comedy from deep within the Muslim world, newly represented by double talking terrorists. Just yesterday, Hamas came into power. As I noted, its first order of business was to indemnify itself—rhetorically, if not legally—from the obligations of Oslo, and to assert that, no, the nation of Israel does not have the right to exist in this world. Despite Hamas’ being essentially a successor government (and thus required under international law to abide by treaties to which the previous government acceded), the party has renounced any treaty that recognized Israel.
Can you guess what the second order of business was? That’s right: to condemn Israel’s decision to cease sending cash to the Palestinian Authority. Specifically, $42.2 million. Since the PA and its new Hamas bosses run almost entirely on the swiftly-eroding goodwill of the rest of the world (terrorism doesn’t pay very well), Hamas is now demanding that Israel reconsider its decision to cut funding. A representative said: “This is a faulty decison, and the Israelis must reconsider their decision. It will only increase hatred.”
[GOP Bloggers]
10:05:13 AM
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TRACKING THE CARTOON JIHAD. Click for interactive Google map of Cartoon Jihad demonstrations, riots and deaths: Via Lasting News (hat tip: John Little). *** Previous: Cartoon Jihad: The map... [Michelle Malkin]
1:39:02 AM
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Sunday, February 19, 2006
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This may not rise to the level of importance as a hunting accident in Texas, so you probably won't see it mentioned elsewhere, but a new fatwa in Iran states that religious law does not forbid use of nuclear weapons.
"Within the six months [of Ahmadinejad's presidency], all the achievements of former president Khatami in the international arena have been lost. Through strange proposals and radical approaches, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad managed, in a very short time, to get the world to forget all about bin Laden. Now all eyes are on the Islamic Republic, and everyone is talking about the danger it [poses]. Two weeks ago, the strategy of assaulting [foreign] embassies was formed as well. America regards Iran and Syria as being behind the recent violent incidents, including the setting fire to embassies in Islamic countries. Mr. Ahmadinejad has managed to take the place of bin Laden..."
10:40:26 AM
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Bryant Gumbel's view of sports, and what in his opinion constitutes a 'real' sport, is the second prong in his monologue that got my attention last week. The first was the political comparison of a bigot likening the winter Olympics to a GOP convention. His second beef is the legitimacy of winter sports as Olympic sports.
Sportsmanship is a component of sports. I was moved to tears when I saw a young Korean figure skater fall on the ice. In what would have finished the routine for most competitors, she got back up, finished the routine, and won the silver medal for her country and skating partner. A better example of sportsmanship and determination does not exist. It was truly an event of Olympic proportion. Now contrast that to sports of a different color (color is important to Mr. Gumbel), like professional basketball's Olympic moment when Ron Artest and his teammates ran into the stands to beat up fans. I suppose that is something he can better identify as a sport and sportsmanship.
10:21:32 AM
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Saturday, February 18, 2006
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Editors Correction: Below was my knee-jerk reaction to the mainstream media's portrayal of the UAE/British port transaction. What makes this a correction is that after getting some actual facts about the event, that happened last year btw, The Lunch Counter is now supportive of the deal. Since 9/11/2001, we have no stronger or more strateigically important ally in the war on terror. The additional 'help' that will also come with the deal will be enhancing, not degrading our security. I guess you could say I was against the deal before I was for it.
Permitting a company from the United Arab Emirates to be in charge of any of our ports, let alone the ports of New York and New Jersey, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Miami is, by any measure, increasing the risk of a breach in security, IE. another attack. The issue of who controls our ports during wartime, when the enemy comes from that part of the world, need not be determined by the Department of Treasury. If you believe that is OK, then you also have to believe that it would be OK to let a Mexican company take control of our border with them.
This is no more a treasury issue than nuclear technology is an issue for the Department of Commerce. That debacle, courtesy of the late Ron Brown and Madeline Albright (the Clinton years), gave communist China and North Korea a 25 year forward leap in nuclear weapons technology, making them the threat that they are today.
Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating a truck driving school, where Muslims are turning out in record numbers to obtain commercial driving licenses with hazardous material certification. Are you beginning to see dots being connected?
President Bush is right that a terrorist only has to be lucky once. So why should we be making it easy for them? Get mad, get involved, write your state and federal representatives and tell them you want a qualified U.S. company doing that work, if not the Department of Defense or Homeland Security. No contracts with a bearing over our security should be outsourced. To the UAE, we have to cover our own ports ourselves. Nothing personal.
9:20:48 PM
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Friday, February 17, 2006
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Painful as this might be, just for a moment, hearken back to the last two presidential elections in Florida. Didn't Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton fly down here, alleging that voters were being 'dis-enfranchised' because they couldn't find their voting precinct for whatever reason. I believe the revised voting laws here call these provisional ballots, designed to not 'dis-enfranchise' people who vote in the wrong precinct. I think Ann Coulter is being slighted by Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton, outspoken supporters for the 'every vote counts and count every vote song.' In Florida no less. Jesse, there's still a lot of work for you down here.
As I understand it, Ms. Coulter voted in the wrong PRECINCT, not a different state, not even a different city.
12:55:39 AM
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Muslims Dominate Missouri Truck Driving School; Raided by FBI.
By Debbie Schlussel
Are potential Islamic terrorists trying to get commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) and hazardous materials hauling certificates? You bet, they are. In droves.
The latest is the South Central Career Center Truck Training Program in West Plains, Missouri, near Kansas City. A whopping 60% (SIXTY PERCENT!) of those who took a CDL test there from May 2004 to December 2005 had Mid-East names. Hello? . . .
And, as usual, your tax dollars probably paid the bill. That particular truck driver's school is run by Missouri's West Plains public school district, as part of vocational training. Watch the well-done, frightening video news report.
Fortunately, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (a fancy name for a group that hasn't done much) raided the school, and the Missouri Highway Patrol has blocked the school from testing new students or issuing further licenses. Well, it's about time. What took so long?
The school district has suspended the director of the truck school AND one of the CDL testers. Previous, similar investigations in other states, like Utah, have uncovered testers helping illegal aliens pass the test.
We've noted multiple times that two members of Detroit's alleged Al-Qaeda cell also took CDL tests and tried to get HazMat hauling certificates. A tax-funded Arab welfare agency, dominated by Muslims, paid thousands in "job-training" money to get the men the lessons. When FBI agents raided the men's apartment after 9/11, they found a pre-printed cheat sheet with answers to the test. [Debbie Schlussel]
12:11:13 AM
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Thursday, February 16, 2006
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Is Mr. Gumbel nuts or just crazy? Is his observation that of a racist or merely an observer? After all, it is the winter games. There's a load of insensitive remarks one could make regarding race and sports, as well as politics, such as what NAACP's Julian Bond says of the blacks on the President's Cabinet. Who's fault is it Mr. Gumbel, that blacks don't happen to go for skating or skiing, or curling? To liken it to a GOP convention, presumably without the wait staff present (a la Howard Dean) adds a derogatory racial component befitting a bigot. Is that what you are Bryant Gumbel? His quote below.
"Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don’t care about them and won’t watch them ... Because they’re so trying ... Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something’s not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what’s called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won ... So if only to hasten the arrival of the day they’re done, when we can move on to March Madness — for God’s sake, let the games begin."
What was that dream again about character and skin color?
8:31:37 AM
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How about this, The Lunch Counter's Ross Calloway, Dr. of Cheesesteakology, calls for the immediate closure of the U.N. Another tumor removed from the geopolitical globe.
UN calls for immediate closure of Guantanamo. The United Nations has called on America to close its detention centre at Guantanamo Bay "without further delay", saying all detainees should be brought to trial or released. [Telegraph News | Breaking News]
7:16:56 AM
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"The reason was the tests and the evaluations that they were doing. We wanted to make sure we knew what we were announcing. You need conclusive information." That was the explanation as to why the delay in notifying the media. Sounds reasonable to me. That's why it took overnight and into the next day before Cheney felt they had the facts right about the condition of his hunting partner, Harry Whittington, before notifying the media. But those words (above) weren't exactly Dick Cheney's. Those words are from Sen. Harry Reid's press secretary, Tessa Hafen, explaining why she waited 3 days before notifying the media about Harry Reid's stroke, not his friend's stroke, his stroke. And I don't recall republicans or the media going ballistic over their decision to wait until they knew what they were announcing, like has been going on for 4 days now, and counting.
Reid's stroke was only 6 months ago. They didn't forget, they just don't like the administration and all that they do. Yawn.
7:07:14 AM
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Was on Al Franken's website recently, making a response to something in his blog. I got a choice piece of hate mail, not over what I said, but over the signature line I often use. Credits to Ann Coulter because it's one of her great lines. But it brings out the very best in the far left. And I was reminded of one of Al Franken's Hate Mail Of The Day post he did a few weeks ago. The writer's response is to this line: "Liberals can't just come out and say they want to take more of our money, kill babies, and discriminate on the basis of race."
For your information. I am an extreme liberal. I paid $20,000 in personal income tax last year. How much did you pay? Probably nothing you sorry sack of shit. "Kill babies," you mean a fertilized blastocyst which is NOT a baby, but I'm sure you haven't gone to college so you're too stoopid to understand what's at stake. Everyone knows, and it's been shown in a recent study, Republicans are racists so don't give me that discriminate on the basis of race shit because we know you're white and you don't want to compete in the job market with blacks or women. So shut the fuck up racist.
Another government school success story. And probably not a Bush supporter.
1:30:21 AM
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Wednesday, February 15, 2006
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That is what Texas ranch owner and host, Katharine Armstrong, said when asked why she contacted the local paper with the news of the unfortunate hunting accident involving Vice President Cheney and Harry Whittington. (And btw, a prayer for Harry Whittington's quick recovery.) It was because she felt that accuracy was important. David Gregory and the other obnoxious White House 'correspondents' need to realize that the news does not revolve around THEM. Especially when accuracy is important. Besides, I'm still waiting to hear any of them ask Scott McClellan what he thinks of Al Gore's comments in Saudi Arabia last week. How silly they make themselves look.
3:56:25 PM
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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice uses the F word (Freedom) over Iran. Just the kind of steadfastness in principle and purpose that is needed. Any bets the self-proclaimed 'opposition party' will deride her for such an objective?
Rice Wants $75M to Support Iran Democracy. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants Congress to give $75 million in an emergency spending bill to support democracy in Iran. By foxnewsonline@foxnews.com. [FOXNews.com - Politics]
11:01:29 AM
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What the Hunting Accident Kerfuffle Is Really All About.
Tony Blankley discusses an unexplored angle on the VP Cheney hunting accident.
In the absence of any pressing news these days -- other than Iran's nuclear weapons development crisis, the election of Hamas terrorists in Palestine, ongoing worldwide Muslim riots and killing in reaction to a cartoon, Al Gore's near sedition while speaking in Saudi Arabia, the turning over of our East Coast ports to be managed by a United Arab Emirates firm, the criminal leaking of vital NSA secrets to the New York Times, Mexican military incursions across our southern border, the Iraqi crisis, Congress's refusal to deal with the developing financial collapse of Social Security and Medicare, inter alia -- the White House press corp has exploded in righteous fury over the question of the vice president's little shooting party last weekend.
As I understand the profound concern of the ever-alert White House reporters, they smell a constitutional crisis because the shooting party failed to alert the media of the accidental shooting down in Corpus Christi, Texas. Well, actually, they did alert the Corpus Christi media -- but that didn't count. Unless the exalted ones have been formally informed by an official government press secretary, no public communication has technically occurred. For great commentary on the elitist groupthink that pervades the Washington press corps, read it all.
[GOP Bloggers]
10:49:44 AM
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Tuesday, February 14, 2006
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AP - A comparison of a White House investigation into Hurricane Katrina released Thursday, and a Feb. 15 House report:
[