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The Lunch Counter
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Thursday, April 27, 2006
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As seen on the tonight show, the President's 'third term' will concentrate on outreach. Thanks to Craig DeLuz for bringing this parody to us. Yes, Republicans have a sense of humor. See the video.
4:06:25 PM 
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NYT has the wrong headline. It should read 'Republicans turn into Democrats, offer $100 street money'. How asinine is it to think that $100 is going to solve the problem? For people who work for a living and drive a car, that hundred bucks wouldn't last until the next full moon.
Republicans are now showing the same disrespect for the American people as Democrats, trying to get votes with $100 of hush money. Fix the problem by increasing supply and let the people keep more of their own money.
Republicans Offer Plan on Gas Prices. The senators' proposals include a $100 "gas-tax holiday," investment in alternative fuels and an investigation of price gouging. By DAVID STOUT. [NYT > Home Page]
3:09:03 PM
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It worked fine last year, as does the now annual back-to-school tax holiday. If only big brother (pun intended) would similarly have a tax holiday on gasoline, and give up twenty-five or thirty cents of it temporarily. Like until actual supply is actually increased.
Gov. approves sales tax holiday. Gov. Jeb Bush today signed legislation authorizing Florida's second annual, 12-day, sales-tax holiday for hurricane preparedness. [PensacolaNewsJournal.com - Local News]
2:55:04 PM
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"If there is anything worse than partisan demagoguery, it is bipartisan demagoguery", says Thomas Sowell on the price per gallon hysteria. Politicians of both parties falling over each other to try buy votes rather than to 'come clean' and come back to economic reality, and fix the problem by increasing supply. It's that simple.
What has also happened in recent times has been that higher gasoline prices bring outraged charges of "gouging" by Big Oil. Some of the most emotionally powerful political words and phrases are wholly undefined -- "exploitation," "greed," "social justice" and the perennial favorite, "gouging."
Are the oil companies charging all that the traffic will bear? No doubt. But they were probably charging all that the traffic would bear when the price of gasoline was half of what it is today.
Even businesses that are losing money are charging all that the traffic will bear. Otherwise they could raise their prices and stop losing money.
His article entitled "Oily politicians" and is a must read, especially by our politicians.
GOP Bloggers has a quick study in economics 101 that is relevant to this subject, and how it is lacking in Washington.
10:43:36 AM
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Tire slashing Democrat operatives actually going to jail. Judge Michael B. Brennan exceeded the recommendation of prosecutors who asked for no jail time, but the judge saw voter suppression more serious than slashing tires. Can't argue with that.
JAIL TIME FOR TIRE-SLASHERS. Remember those unhinged Dem operatives in Milwaukee who slashed the tires of GOP get out the vote vans on Election Day in 2004? Finally, some justice: Four Democratic presidential campaign workers were sentenced to jail time ranging from four months... [Michelle Malkin]
1:53:21 AM
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I like Stephen Hawking's take on Al Gore and his upcoming film "An Inconvenient Truth".
You can hear Stephen Hawking every week on Point Five.
[Point Five]
And in the Huffington Post, Juliet Eilperin had this to say about Al Gore and his global warming campaign.
At this point, he just wants to force people to accept the fact that the globe is warming at a rapid rate, and take action to stop it.
Emphasis added, but is exactly what Al Gore is all about. But I don't beleive he has left the 2000 election behind him. He can wear that 'medal' for life.
12:09:14 AM
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Monday, April 24, 2006
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Let's see now. After flunking a polygraph, Mary McCarthy confesses. Now a friend contradicts her confession. No problem says the media. They'd rather use that than McCarthy's own confession. Talk about alternate reality, this is it.
Friend: CIA Officer Not Source on Prisons (AP).
AP - The CIA officer fired last week for unauthorized contacts with the media denies allegations that she provided information leading to The Washington Post's award-winning story on secret CIA detention centers, according to a friend speaking on her behalf. [Yahoo! News: Politics News]
9:54:20 PM
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With the cameras on, Rep. Cynthia McKinney proudly shows her ID at the State Capitol where she registered to run for re-election. This is good, progress noted. That's either a smile or she is about to eat the security guard alive.  Aaaaa
"McKinney flashed her Georgia driver's license at photographers in an apparent jab at the incident in Washington in late March. She allegedly struck a Capitol Hill police officer who stopped her for bypassing a security checkpoint at a House office building. A grand jury is weighing whether to bring criminal charges in the incident."
Rep. McKinney Files to Run for Re-Election (AP).
AP - Amid a swarm of television cameras, U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney arrived at the state Capitol on Monday to file for re-election.
[Yahoo! News: Politics News]
4:18:39 PM
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Sen. Arlen Specter is not alone in his ignorance of economics when it comes to a term called profit margin. He and other Democrats who are leading the charge for taxing 'windfall profits' haven't a clue what they are talking about. Until and unless an investigation can show that a company, any company, not just an oil company, have adjusted prices so as to increase the profit margin from say 8% to some point significantly and artificially higher, then there is no gouging and no windfall profits. But never let it be said that Specter, like most Democrats, never met a tax on capitalism that he didn't like.
Fact is, the more product you sell, the more dollars you will gross. And, as long as costs remain the same, the profit margin will remain the same as well. The oil industry's profit margins are around 8%, and they always have been. 8% of of a million dollars and 8% of a billion dollars, and 8% of 100 billion dollars is still 8 percent. They are not 'making' any more, they are collecting more dollars, but not more of their share that their normal business can provide.
The oil industry is unique in that, no matter what happens, people need what they sell. Oil is not an optional commodity, same as food is not an optional commodity. Because our oil supplies have been inadequate for decades, and demand has only increased, the oil companies will continue to sell every bit of product that they can produce. And if you always sell out, you will always have record dollars. Not necessarily record profit margins. People like Arlen Specter should be ashamed of the way they demagogue the effects of decades of not producing our own oil supplies to the point that today over half of the oil we consume is imported, for their own political advantage.
The oil companies have been investigated over and over again by feelgood politicians like Specter and Schumer for price gouging. And guess what, they have never found evidence of institutional price gouging. Like most other economic issues in this country, the government (public) school system has dumbed down a major part of the population to the point that they haven't a clue of the difference between profits and profit margins and how supply and demand affect prices.
The problem is not that we are addicted to oil any more than we are addicted to air and food. What is true is these politicians are addicted to votes and will do whatever it takes to get them.
Sen. Specter: Tax Oil Co. Windfall Profits [NewsMax.com]
8:46:52 AM
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Saturday, April 22, 2006
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CIA officer  Mary O'Neil McCarthy is the source for the secret prison 'leak' that was in the New York Times. And what's this being fired stuff about? You mean it's not a against the law to give up secret information from the CIA? I see some consistency here. It's not a felony to crash our borders, so why should divulging national secrets be a felony? Border crashers are not stopped, and nothing is secret any more. Especially if used to undermine the country and the administration as she did.
Mary McCarthy was appointed by National Security Advisor Samuel R. (socks) Berger in 1998. Sandy Berger you will recall was caught and then admitted to illegally removing and shredding some documents from the National Archives. The reason he was there was to prepare President Clinton for the 911 Commission's investigation. The documents in question were those relating to terrorism and binLaden. He called it an honest mistake.
This is not a whistle-blower. This should be a felon, with some R&R at the Graybar Hotel. The weather is great at Club Gitmo this time of year. And it is built to withstand hurricanes, for her uninterrupted vacationing pleasure. She could commiserate with the other prisoners about their attempts to harm our country during war time. And it is Nancy Pelosi (D) left coast who is running her mouth about a culture of corruption that exclusively belongs to the republican party.
4:03:10 PM
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Friday, April 21, 2006
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The only message the Democrats seem to agree on is their positioning as the 'opposition party,' a label that easily lends itself to the term obstructionist, because it is. It is their default policy starting point, no matter what the subject. If it is something that Bush is for, then they are against it. If Bush were to say that we should call our mothers every Sunday, you can bet that the democrats in Washington would not support it.
To the contrary, the DNC and the ACLU would be portraying it as some form of far right wing Christian cabal or some such, and accuse Bush of trying to distract the country from the 'real' problems, like there was 'no WMD's'.
Democrats: No Single Message Sums Us Up (AP).
 AP - Ask Democratic leaders to identify their party's election-year message and you get everything but consensus.
[Yahoo! News: Politics News]
8:10:58 AM
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Saddam Paid "Arab Fedayeen".
The latest translation from jveritas indicates that during the Iraq war, Saddam paid the "Arab Fedayeen" volunteers--i.e., terrorists--just as he paid members of Iraq's own military. This document is dated April 4, 2003. For reference, it was April 9, 2003, when Baghdad fell and the statues of Saddam were toppled:
In the Name of God the Most Merciful The Most Compassionate Republic Of Iraq Directorate of the General Military Intelligence No 9/39/1/
Date: 4 April 2003
Secret
To: The 8th Directorate
Subject: Order
The secret and urgent letter of the Presidential Secretariat K-1997 on 29/3/2003 including… The order of The President The Leader to the armed forces God protects him and according to the following:
The Volunteers Arab Feedayeen will be treated the treatment of the solider in the army (Special Forces) regarding the salary and benefits.
Please review and take what is necessary.
Signature
Staff General
Director of the General Military Intelligence
April 2003
This isn't a big surprise; Saddam was encouraging volunteers to come from other Arab countries and there obviously was plenty of military cooperation. But it's interesting that the Arab Fedayeen were so fully integrated into Saddam's forces that they were paid salary and benefits on the same basis as Iraq's own troops. (Or were supposed to be paid, anyway.) It would be interesting to know whether some of the Arab Fedayeen volunteers were terrorists who had been trained in Iraq's camps prior to the war; it would also be interesting to know whether Saddam continued to fund the Fedayeen as "insurgents" after his regime fell. [Power Line]
7:43:50 AM
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Wednesday, April 19, 2006
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Tony Snow would probably be a good press secretary. But Mark Levin would be more fun watching him treat the haughty White House press corp as they deserve.
TONY SNOW FOR PRESS SECRETARY?. That's the buzz. Tune in to Tony's show starting now.... [Michelle Malkin]
9:56:04 PM
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Harry Reid is suggesting that Bush take the lead instead of building consensus in Europe and Asia when it comes to dealing with Iran. Yeah, Harry didn't mention China. Doing that would have blown his whole phony point. I seem to recall him saying precisely the opposite before our going into Iraq. It is clear that there is only one reason Reid has a problem with the way Bush is handling the situation. It's because Bush is in the White House and his party is not.
He still hasn't made the leap to original thought in producing a reason to vote for a Democrat. I am convinced that their page one from their playbook is the whole book, which is that everything the opponent wants to do is not only wrong but it is also damaging. Well, page two is to personally attack the opponent, but it's on the reverse of page one so it's still a one page playbook.
Reid Blasts Bush During Reno Visit (AP). AP - The Bush administration is relying too heavily on other countries in the international effort to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, according to Sen. Harry Reid. [Yahoo! News: Politics News]
4:58:25 PM
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Monday, April 17, 2006
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The educational system in this country is geared toward job security rather than teaching students. Not just any students, but students who need it most. That system fails everyone, the student and parent, and this country. They are taking the required tests, but they are not reporting all the scores. By thwarting the law, these 'educators' are perpetuating incompetence, that is if educating students is your priority. If job preservation is your priority, then it was a good day.
States Help Schools Hide Minority Scores (AP).
 AP - States are helping public schools escape potential penalties by skirting the No Child Left Behind law's requirement that students of all races must show annual academic progress.
[Yahoo! News: Politics News]
1:55:38 PM
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad publicly rejected an appeal from U.N. nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei yesterday, saying Iran will not retreat "one iota" on its uranium enrichment. Sounds like negotiations are over, at least as far as Ahmadinejad is concerned. Iran also said it would help finance the militant Palestinian government, Hamas, who along with 600 other militant Muslims promised never to recognize Israel. Question now is, how long will it take to come to the realization that diplomacy has failed?
Some won't admit that a diplomatic solution isn't always possible, despite the fact that Mahmoud has framed it (his uranium enrichment program) as a national identity issue, a new-found (in his mind) national pride. Meanwhile, Iran is going nukes and supporting terrorist states and terrorists. Last hope for reason would be for China and Russia to somehow get Ahmadinejad to reconsider his stance. Don't hold your breath on that happening. They are competing for Iran's oil.
Iran Promises $50 Million in Aid for Palestinian Government. Iran said it would give $50 million in aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government after the U.S. and the European Union froze financing. By NAZILA FATHI. [NYT > Home Page]
8:16:58 AM
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Sunday, April 16, 2006
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7:26:55 PM
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Friday, April 14, 2006
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Michael Steele is used to the racially and politically motivated attacks foisted upon him by the opposition party, the Democrats. The worst of them are yet to come. He is Black, Republican, and is connecting with voters. He has also been the target of a Watergate Style burglary and fraud, perpetrated by two employees (now former employees) of Democratic Senatorial Committee Chairman Charles Schumer. Watch how the Democrats treat him in his bid to take the seat of retiring Sen. Sarbanes, D-Md. And don't expect a sympathetic ear from the likes of the NAACP or the Congressional Black Caucus, for them being Republican entirely cancels out being Black.
Indeed, a strategist hired by the Democratic National Committee who polled black Maryland voters has issued a stern warning to the party: "Steele's messaging to the African-American community has clearly had a positive effect - with many voters reciting his campaign slogans and his advertising.
Democrats Fear Michael Steele; Plan Smear Attacks. [GOP Bloggers]
4:51:51 PM
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Thursday, April 13, 2006
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Glad this video came out.  I saw it on C-Span as it happened and it hit Murtha right between the eyes and he was speechless. In 60 seconds, Sgt. Seavey took Murtha to the woodshed for his characterizing the military as having bad morale while showing how shallow Murtha's support for his military really is. Rep. John Murtha had absolutely nothing to say to his constituent, who was also a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. It's the most missed minute in television history.
SMACKING DOWN JOHN MURTHA. Wade Zirkle, war vet who served two tours in Iraq with the Marines before being wounded in action, takes on Rep. John Murtha in the Washington Post today (hat tip: Allah and readers): Murtha undoubtedly knows full well that the... [Michelle Malkin]
2:39:10 PM
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Why is it that neither NATO or the UN can muster any help for the people of Darfur? Has their problem with Muslim extremists at home effectively knocked the knees out of them both?
NATO says has no plans for Darfur ground force (Reuters).
 Reuters - NATO is discussing its possible future involvement in Sudan's violent Darfur region but has no plans to send a military ground force, an alliance spokeswoman said on Monday.
[Yahoo! News: Politics News]
2:24:33 PM
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Wednesday, April 12, 2006
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With respect to the families of the first heroes who found themselves on the front lines of this war, this transcript is the last words of the terrorists. Nobody I know cares a wit about their last words. The words I remember are "lets roll" and will stay that way until all of those Islamic terrorists become slop for the hogs. 
I can understand the pain that the survivors of those brave passengers go through whenever reminded of that day. But I also feel that too many in this country have forgotten the savagery of terrorists, and I'm afraid, have forgotten that we are still in this war. This war is on and we are all on the front line. It's time we all act like it.
849 X 563, original size
The final words. The following are extracts from the cockpit recording of the last 31 minutes of United Airlines Flight 93. [Telegraph News | International News]
10:33:09 PM
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Tuesday, April 11, 2006
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Two weeks after the UN warns Iran not to enrich uranium, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has 'good news'  for the world regarding Iran's nuclear program. "I am officially announcing that Iran has joined the group of those countries which have nuclear technology. This is the result of the Iranian nation's resistance," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a televised address.
He also added that the West "has to respect Iran's right for nuclear energy."
Now that he has answered the will of the world with a middle finger, what's a civilization to do? Remembering North Korea, and knowing Ahmadinejad, there are but two sides to this dilemma, you have to trust Ahmadinejad when he says he only wants to enrich uranium for electricity production, like the Clinton administration trusted North Korea to not make nuclear weapons, OR you believe he will continue his pursuit to make nuclear weapons. The doves pictured in the background setting for his speech is 180 degrees from his intent.
White House reacted by saying that Ahmadinejad's statement takes Iran in the wrong direction toward meeting UN agreements. And although they are in diplomatic mode towards resolving the issue, Bush also said that nothing is off the table.
U.S. Denounces Iran's Uranium Announcement (AP).
5:34:49 PM
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LIBERAL WAR ON TERRORISM HEATS UP: DELAY FINALLY CAPTURED writes Ann Coulter. If only liberals were half as angry at the people who flew planes into our skyscrapers as they are with Tom DeLay, we might have two patriotic parties in this country.
8:27:38 AM
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Monday, April 10, 2006
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ACCESS, CAIR: Muslims and Unlimited Immigration.
By Debbie Schlussel
When the big pro-illegal alien protests happened, a couple of weeks ago (and again, today), I thought it was common knowledge that Muslims and Arab activist groups urged attendance and attended in not so small numbers. Apparently, it is news to some.
After the protests, Monica Piper from Free Republic sent me this photo of members of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) in the Detroit protest and linked to some of my work over the years on this group.
But it was not news to me. I've been writing about ACCESS (See also, here, about ACCESS' sponsorship of the Michigan Divestment Conference regarding Israel) and its work--some of it illegal--on behalf of illegal aliens for years, including Medicaid fraud and evading federal agents looking for foreign students. And, by the way, despite this, top Immigration officials (from ICE-Immigration and Customs Enforcement, like Michigan/Ohio Special Agent in Charge Brian Moskowitz a/k/a "Abu Moskowitz") officials constantly attend ACCESS events and dinners.
I've also been writing about the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR's "work" against tougher immigration standards. And then-Arab Senator-and CAIR supporter--Spencer Abraham's work (at the behest of Arab American Institute's Jim Zogby) to oppose computer tracking of immigrant students (BEFORE 9/11).
As for CAIR AND ACCESS, the photo below shows not only CAIR-Michigan Executive Director Dawud Walid (to the right of Muslim Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick, Mother of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick), but ACCESS President & Lawyer/ACLU Board Member Noel Saleh, a Plaintiff is the ACLU NSA lawsuit and a lawyer on the ACLU lawsuit against the Patriot Act. (Saleh is the goateed, sunglasses-wearing White man standing just behind him.)
Saleh openly stated he gave money to Hezbollah and represents a number of accused terrorists. He has been thrice-disciplined (once-suspended) by the Michigan Bar. As for Walid, I saw him cheer on the Imam of the Hezbollah Mosque when he and federal officials declared that Hezbollah was not a terrorist group. Cheeks-Kilpatrick recently took a propaganda junket to the Middle East paid for by the extremist American-Arab Chamber of Commerce.
These are the friends of unlimited illegal immigration. They are not America's friends.
(Thanks to Michelle Malkin on the tip for the photo of Walid, Saleh et al at yesterday's rally.) [Debbie Schlussel]
4:51:48 PM
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Not only are the jobs still being created, but there are now more higher paying jobs being created. Critics of the administration have always said that those employment gains, over 5 million now, didn't mean anything because they were all 'burger flipper' jobs. No disrespect to the burger flippers out there, but just so you understand how little some Democrats think of you and your occupation. Despite these increases in better paying jobs, burger flippers, and cheesesteak makers are still needed.
US economy's latest output: better jobs. The newest job numbers show that businesses are expanding opportunities in high-wage fields.
 [Christian Science Monitor | Top Stories]
4:46:27 PM
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Saturday, April 08, 2006
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The legacy media liked it better when they thought they had a leak. Now they realize they've just been had.
 This declassification and behind closed doors release of some formerly secret information, information which, along with the 911 Commission, debunks media darling Joe Wilson, might cause some to re-think their purpose in journalism. Straying too far from the facts might catch you in the end. Seems to be happening a lot lately to the New York Times.
Special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald characterizes a rebuttal, or fighting back with facts, as an effort to discredit his biggest critic of the time, Joe Wilson. The presumption here is that media has chosen to believe Wilson's version which is not supported by the 911 Commission's findings, and the White House, and security agencies around the world.
6:44:27 PM
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Time for a short history lesson on the virtues of tax cuts v tax increases. What Bush's critics were saying about his tax cut proposals turned out to be exactly and completely wrong. The economy reacted to them the way Bush and any other real economist said they would. For example this from former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich three years ago.
Former Clinton Labor Secretary, Robert Reich - January, 2003
"His latest round of proposed tax cuts won't create jobs and won't grow the economy."
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