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August
07, 2006
Libertarian
Commentary on the News, 30 July to 5 August, 2006
About
120 news items this week - from FND/RRND, Space War Daily, BBC News, CNS
News, WND, and even from local papers! Though still hot, the weather has
cooled off a bit, and the Rally is here - can't help but being a bit more
optimistic! On to the news.
The
Coming Fall of Europe
Well, let's start with Europe this week. Lots from the UK, mostly not
really great news, but things we can learn from.
Teenager
faces action over listings site
Guardian [UK]
"She started it as a hobby -- a listings website that was inspired
by Wikipedia and Craigslist. But 15-year-old Rosa Blaus' initiative appeared
to have backfired yesterday when she learned her website had infuriated
the company behind Yellow Pages. The teenager, who set up the Yellowikis
site with her father Paul Youlden, has been accused of attempting to pass
it off as a legitimate arm of the telephone directory. Yell, which owns
the Yellow Pages brand in the UK, this week confirmed that it was taking
legal action to force Miss Blaus to hand over the Yellowikis name and
the site's contents. ... Yell claims that Miss Blaus' site is infringing
trademark rights with its name, logo and business directory. The Yellowikis
site allows any company to add and edit its own listings, unlike Yellow
Pages, which has closed listings paid for by the advertisers." (08/02/06)
This sounds
like a great idea, and I hope it spreads to the US.
Mama's
Note: I agree, though I suspect the "phone company" here will
have the same itch to confiscate anything that even remotely resembles
competition.
UK:
Appeal judges attack control orders
Independent [UK]
"The Government has been rebuffed for the second time in the courts
over its use of control orders, amounting to virtual house arrest, for
terrorist suspects. The ruling by the Court of Appeal plunges the control
order regime, the centrepiece of recent anti-terror legislation, deeper
into crisis. Five weeks ago, the High Court denounced the controversial
restrictions on six terror suspects as a breach of their human rights
as they amounted to a deprivation of liberty. John Reid, the Home Secretary,
challenged the ruling, but the appeal judges inflicted a second defeat
on the Government." (08/02/06)
Can anyone
explain to me how this really differs from the Star Chamber and "carte
blanche" and all the other tools of tyranny that have been used over
the centuries, especially in European countries and the British Empire?
UK:
State clears cop, targets victim
Guardian [UK]
"A police marksman who wounded a suspect during an anti-terror
raid stumbled during the operation and accidentally fired his gun, the
police complaints bureau ruled Thursday, exonerating the officer of any
wrongdoing. ... [Mohammed Abdul] Kahar, 23, who was shot in the shoulder,
and his brother were detained, but released without charge after a week.
No bomb was found. ... Within minutes of the report's publication, police
arrested Kahar on suspicion of possessing child pornography."
(08/04/06)
This kind
of "accidental" shooting is anything BUT accidental. The cop
should be fired. Convenient, isn't it, how the charge on porn was pending
until after this announcement came out.
Mama's
Note: At best this was a NEGLIGENT discharge, perhaps unintentional, but
the product of poor training and poor self-control. The only legitimate
"accidents" with guns are a miss fire or jams, and lots of that
is from poor training and poor maintenance as well.
UK:
Peace activist elected to Labour National committee
Independent [UK]
"Walter Wolfgang, the veteran peace activist ejected from the
Labour conference last year for heckling the Foreign Secretary over Iraq,
has been elected to the party's ruling body. Activists voted him on to
the National Executive Committee in one of the six places reserved for
constituency members. He will be entitled to sit alongside Tony Blair
at NEC meetings and sit on the platform at the conference in Manchester
next month. Mr. Wolfgang, 83, a Labour member for 58 years, said he would
argue for immediate withdrawal of British troops from Iraq and against
replacing the Trident nuclear weapon system. He also denounced the Government
for failing to demand a ceasefire in Lebanon." (08/03/06)
I'm sure
that Blair is excited and pleased about this!
UK:
It's not cool to be clever
Guardian [UK]
"Teachers are being urged to stop using the word clever and talk
about successful children to curb school bullying. Union leaders said
hundreds of children were being targeted because they were considered
clever, and some bright students were refusing school prizes for fear
of being picked on by classmates. Simon Smith, a teacher from Essex, told
the Professional Association of Teachers conference in Oxford that being
clever was simply not cool among today's children. 'I have talked to various
pupils ... and being clever meant that you were boring, lacked personality,
were a teacher's pet and other things not polite enough to mention.' ...
The PAT, which has 34,000 members, passed a motion that stated: 'Conference
regrets that it does not appear to be cool to be clever.' Last year the
conference heard calls from members to delete the word 'failure' from
the educational vocabulary and replace it with the concept of 'deferred
success.'" (08/04/06)
I suppose
if children start getting targeted because they are good-looking, that
teachers will be forbidden to use words like "cute" and "pretty."
What an example of stupid liberalism which pays more attention to words
than to actions, and to perception than to reality. I'm SURE the bullies
won't attack kids who receive an award for being "successful"
rather than for being "clever." And don't let me start on "deferred
success." Ignoring failure in school means failure later in life,
whether in proper and decent private schools or in these aborted government-run,
theft-funded schools.
Mama's
Note: The only way to counter a bully is to stand up for yourself and
refuse to accept it. Children today are robbed of any avenue of self defense,
of course, especially in Europe.
UK:
Woman in doghouse over Jehovah's Witness sign
Reuters
"A British woman has been ordered by police to take down a sign
on her garden gate which read 'Our dogs are fed on Jehovah's Witnesses.'
Janet Grove, who owns a terrier puppy called Rabbit, insisted the sign
was a gentle joke to discourage callers at her front door. Her late husband
put the sign up more than 30 years ago when members of the church called
at their house on Christmas Day. But police were forced to act after receiving
a complaint. 'We were informed by a member of the public who found the
sign to be distressing, offensive and inappropriate,' a police spokesman
said. 'Officers attended the address and the sign was voluntarily taken
down.'" (07/28/06)
All of
us know that bobbies have NO sense of humor. I hope she puts the sign
back up again. I am thinking about doing it myself, and I don't HAVE a
dog anymore.
Mama's
Note: It took them 30 years to become "offended?" What a joke.
I don't need a sign, however. My bark is much worse than my dog's, and
he can't hold the shotgun.
France:
Paris bans thong bikinis, nudity at event
Lexington Herald Leader
"Worried about an excess of flesh visible on the banks of the
River Seine, Paris City Hall has banned thong bikinis, topless sunbathing
and nudity at the summer sand-in-the-city event known as Paris Beaches,
Le Parisien newspaper reported Saturday. Violators will be fined $48,
the report said. Thongs and 'monokinis' -- or bottom-only bikinis -- are
common sights on France's Mediterranean and Atlantic shores. Paris was
pushed to forbid 'indecent attire' because it could 'provoke temptation
and dangerous behavior along the bank of a river,' Pascal Cherki, mayoral
aide in charge of sports, was quoted as saying. City officials responsible
for Paris Beaches could not be reached for comment Saturday. It was unclear
why the ban was only imposed this year, the fifth year of the popular
event." (07/29/06)
This will
just bring the daring types out even more. Of course, this being Paris,
this prohibition will just cause an increase in "dangerous behavior"
instead of ending it.
Free
Speech, Good and Bad
Although there are periodically attacks on free speech, for the most part,
this is one freedom that is not in serious trouble. Of course, that is
partly because both Liberals and all but the most intolerant Conservatives
support it, at least most of the time.
CA:
Freelancer doesn't want mainstream job
San Francisco Chronicle
"Josh Wolf has one thing in common with Judith Miller, the last
journalist jailed by a federal judge: Both of them refused to disclose
confidential material sought by grand juries. Apart from that, Wolf, the
24-year-old San Francisco freelance journalist who was held in contempt
of court Tuesday, comes from a different world from Miller, the former
New York Times national security reporter who spent 85 days in federal
prison last year until she agreed to reveal who told her a Bush administration
critic's wife was a CIA agent. 'I'm not (interested) in making it in the
world of mainstream media so much as making it as an independent journalist,'
Wolf said in an interview last month. 'I see myself continuing to report
on the world around me. ... I have reservations in the way journalism
is approached.' While his Web site includes personal videos, Wolf said,
'a good portion of my work focuses on political dissent. That's what I've
established as a beat.'" (08/02/06)
This guy
sounds like he is a lot closer to us webizens than most of the media.
Expect something like this to happen soon to a blogger or other web-based
journalist. And expect the mainstream media to have no sympathy for whomever
it happens to.
Social
network sites face US ban
BBC News [UK]
"Children in the US could be banned from using social networking
sites in schools and libraries by a new law. The Deleting Online Predators
Act tries to limit the access paedophiles have to the networking sites
which have become hugely popular with minors. The act has already been
approved by a large majority in the House of Representatives. Critics
say the act is too broad and could mean a huge number of websites are
cut off from users." (07/31/06)
It is,
it always has been, and it always should be, the PARENT's responsibility
to cut off things like this. Yes, I know that some idiots are lousy parents
and won't do this - but utopia is NOT an option. Nor is government efficiency
that would really let a scheme like this work properly.
PA:
Man arrested for photographing cops
NBC 10 News
"Cruz, 21, told the NBC 10 Investigators that police arrested
him last Wednesday for taking a picture of police activity with his cell
phone. Police at the 35th district said they were in Cruz's neighborhood
that night arresting a drug dealer. Cruz said that when he heard a commotion,
he walked out of his back door with his cell phone to see what was happening.
He said that when he saw the street lined with police cars, he decided
to take a picture of the scene. 'I opened (the phone) and took a shot,'
Cruz said. Moments later, Cruz said he got the shock of his life when
an officer came to his back yard gate. 'He opened the gate and took me
by my right hand,' Cruz said. Cruz said the officer threw him onto a police
car, cuffed him and took him to jail." (07/27/06)
What a
stupid act by government agents. And what possible justification?
Mama's
Note: Not really "justification," of course, but I'm sure the
police don't want any pictures around in case of an "accident."
Feds
may demand Times' phone records
USA Today
"Federal prosecutors investigating a leak about a terrorism funding
probe can see the phone records of two New York Times reporters, a federal
appeals court ruled Tuesday. A panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals overturned on a 2-1 vote a lower court's ruling that the records
were off limits unless prosecutors could show they had exhausted all other
means of finding out who spoke to the newspaper. The judges said a grand
jury investigation of the disclosures wasn't likely to go anywhere without
help from the reporters or access to their records." (08/01/06)
I fail
to understand even the lower court ruling, much less this one. Either
free speech and a free press is a right or it is not.
Government-Run,
Theft-Funded Schools in Action
Summertime, and most schools are closed, but we still have a few items.
Study
disputes public school advantage
United Press Intl.
"U.S. private school students do better in reading and math tests
than their public school peers, a Harvard study released in Cambridge,
Mass., finds." The researchers claim a recent U.S. Department of
Education study of the same test results was flawed. The government study,
which fanned the flames of the school voucher debate when it was released
last month, said public school students did roughly the same as, and in
some cases better than, private school students in fourth and eighth grades.
Not only
can't they run education properly but they can't do simple tasks like
mathematical analysis of data. Big shocker, this, to those of us who have
long given up on the public schools.
Home
Front in All Our Wars
A little bit of Baghdad and Kabul spilled over into the US this week.
WA:
Jewish center shooter kills 1, wounds 5
Arizona Daily Star
"A man walked into a Jewish organization Friday afternoon and
opened fire, killing one woman and injuring at least five others before
he was arrested, officials said The gunman, who employees said claimed
to be a Muslim angry at Israel, forced his way through the security door
at the Jewish Federation after an employee had punched in her security
code, said Marla Meislin-Dietrich, a coworker who was not at the building
at the time." (07/31/06)
Apparently,
this outfit had all the high-tech security features that anyone could
want - but no one bothered to do something as gauche and evil as actually
have a weapon ready for self-defense.
Police
groups to hold summit on rising crime
USA Today
"Citing increasing concerns about violent crime, law enforcement
authorities are convening a national summit here next month to deal with
sudden spikes in homicides, robberies and assaults. Local police officials
and municipal authorities from more than a dozen cities, including Minneapolis,
Milwaukee, Louisville, Charlotte and Boston will meet Aug. 30 in Washington,
where the mayor and police chief recently declared a 'crime emergency.'"
(07/31/06)
Funny -
what is now viewed as a "sudden spike" used to be natural fluctuations
in the crime rate - before the days concealed weapons were common.
Mama's
Note: And, isn't it funny that nobody there is mentioning the fact that
the crime statistics for places like Vermont, Alaska and anywhere else
people easily and openly bear arms is significantly lower, and stays that
way.
White
House wary of war crimes charges
United Press International
"White House officials are drafting legislation to protect U.S.
personnel from certain war crimes prosecutions, The Washington Post reported.
The War Crimes Act of 1996 has Bush administration officials concerned
that officials and troops involved in handling terrorism detainee matters
could be accused of war crimes and prosecuted in U.S. courts, the newspaper
said. Senior officials are working on legislation that would provide protection
for U.S. Personnel involved in the terrorism fight, against prosecution
for past violations of the War Crimes Act -- which criminalizes Geneva
Conventions violations and could result in the death penalty in cases
in which detainees die from abusive treatment in U.S. custody."
(07/28/06)
Fortunately,
this bill will be fought very hard in Congress, and is unlikely to pass.
The big problem is that the administration may continue to ignore inconvenient
matters like the War Crimes Act. People should remember, too, that this
is just PROPOSED: there is plenty of time to file charges if they start
now!
Border
agents let fake IDs go through
Winona Daily News
"Undercover investigators entered the United States using fake
documents repeatedly this year -- including some cases in which Homeland
Security Department agents didn't ask for identification. At nine border
crossings on the Mexico and Canadian borders, agents 'never questioned
the authenticity of the counterfeit documents,' according to Government
Accountability Office testimony to be released Wednesday." (08/01/06)
Not only
that, but in at least one case where a BP officer has been found to be
accepting bribes to accept fake ID (apparently often a waste of money,
according to this story), it turns out that the BP guy is himself - an
illegal alien, using a fake birth certificate! Indeed, who will watch
the watchers?
Army
guard units said not combat ready
Imperial Valley Press
"More than two-thirds of the Army National Guard's 34 brigades
are not combat ready, mostly because of equipment shortages that will
cost up to $21 billion to correct, the top National Guard general said
Tuesday. Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum spoke to a group defense reporters after
Army officials, analysts and members of Congress disclosed that two-thirds
of the active Army's brigades are not ready for war." (08/01/06)
Much of
that equipment, of course, has been used up in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although
it may sound odd, considering the half-a-trillion dollars spent in the
Middle Eastern wars and occupation, but this is the result of doing things
on the cheap - spending capital and refusing to place the US federal government
budget on a war-footing basis. Bush's guns-and-butter policy makes LBJ's
look like a piker.
Military
lawyers oppose "court" plans
Washington Post
"The military's top uniformed lawyers, appearing at a Senate hearing
yesterday, criticized key provisions of a proposed new U.S. plan for special
military courts, affirming that they did not see eye to eye with the senior
Bush administration political appointees who developed the plan and presented
it to them last week. The lawyers' rare, open disagreement with civilian
officials at the Pentagon, the Justice Department and the White House
came during discussions of proposed new rules for the use of evidence
derived from hearsay or coercion and the possible exclusion of defendants
from the trials in some circumstances." (08/03/06)
Open disagreement
is indeed rare, as it should be, given civilian control of the military
as a fundamental of our way of government - which indicates that this
is a very serious problem indeed, and the military is properly acting
to defend the Constitution - even against internal enemies - very internal,
like inside the Beltway. And that is as it should be - politicians no
longer take their oaths of office seriously, but at least some military
personnel still do.
Judge
delays Padilla terror trial
Joplin Globe
"A federal judge reluctantly agreed Wednesday to delay the trial
of al-Qaida suspect Jose Padilla and two alleged confederates on terrorism
charges until early next year after defense lawyers insisted they cannot
be ready any earlier. Padilla, 35, a U.S. citizen and former Chicago gang
member, was held without charges for 3 1/2 years by the U.S. military
as an enemy combatant. He was arrested in May 2002 at Chicago's O'Hare
International Airport, purportedly on an al-Qaida mission to detonate
a radioactive 'dirty bomb' in a major U.S. city." (08/02/06)
Hmmm. Just
who are these lawyers working for? This guy is very much in the Twilight
Zone - being "held without charges" means, in effect, he was
an Enemy Prisoner of War. (How many German and Italian POWs in WW2 were
held without charges for 3-4 years? Virtually all of them, even those
that had US citizenship.) Now, he is a "normal" accused man,
apparently, and more delays, though common, are still "justice denied."
Marine
hits Murtha with SLAPP suit
ABC News
"Rep. John P. Murtha was sued for defamation Wednesday by a Marine
Corps sergeant under investigation in connection with the deaths of Iraqi
civilians in Haditha. Lawyers for Frank D. Wuterich, 26, argue in a federal
lawsuit that the Pennsylvania Democrat falsely accused Wuterich of 'cold-blooded
murder and war crimes.' But they acknowledged during a news conference
that Murtha identified Wuterich's squad, but not Wuterich by name, when
speaking with reporters. 'His real problem is not his lawsuit against
me, it's defending himself in court,' Murtha told reporters Wednesday
while campaigning in his hometown, Johnstown, Pa." (08/02/06)
You know,
I pointed out at the time this happened that Murtha (and a lot of other
politicians) were forgetting themselves in judging what should be the
jury's decision - and I am glad to see that someone is calling this guy
(who has clearly forgotten his oath as a military officer - no doubt because
such things are "beneath" the exalted status of Congressmen)
on his remarks. I have to admit that it galls me that people see this
sergeant's actions as bad (calling it a SLAPP suit) when he has every
right to call this DC politico on it. As do we all!
Judges
deny asylum at widely varying rates
San Francisco Chronicle
"U.S. immigration judges grant asylum at vastly different rates
-- raising key questions about the uniform application of the law, according
to a new report released today. In San Francisco, Judge Anthony Murry
denied asylum in 87 percent of the 430 cases he heard from fiscal 2000
to the beginning of fiscal 2005, while Judge Miriam Hayward denied it
in 24 percent of the 662 cases she heard in the same period. The greatest
disparity found by the study -- conducted by the Transactional Records
Access Clearinghouse, a research center at Syracuse University that analyzes
federal staffing, spending and law enforcement on immigration -- was between
a New York judge who grants asylum 97 percent of the time and eight judges
who grant it in just 10 percent of cases." (07/31/06)
This generated
some talk on the radio this week - and gives us one more reason that judges
should, at best, be the equivalent of referees on the basketball court
- while the juries do the heavy lifting.
Crude
Prices Slip As Hurricane Fears Fade
Space War Daily
World oil prices fell on Thursday as concerns eased about a tropical
storm off the US Gulf coast, where many American oil rigs and platforms
are based, and hopes increased for an end to fighting between Israel and
Lebanon, analysts said. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for
delivery in September, dropped 91 cents to 74.90 dollars per barrel in
pit trading.
Up and
down; up and down. Panic and emotion drive prices on the oil market, and
therefore, prices at the pump.
Study
of '95 heat: more deaths near liquor stores
Chicago Sun-Times
[R]researchers from the University of Chicago and Ohio State , analyzing
the Chicago neighborhoods where 739 people died during the heat wave of
1995 . said they weren't surprised that fewer people in affluent neighborhoods
died during the July heat wave. But they set out to determine some of
the reasons why. For example, many people said the deaths happened because
of a poor response by the city and a lack of a social network in certain
areas, said Cagney, an assistant professor of health studies at U. of
C. They found that wasn't the case, largely because the heat wave happened
too quickly for family, friends and neighbors to realize they should be
checking on the elderly. But what they did find was that neighborhoods
with lots of liquor stores, bars and currency exchanges had higher death
rates. That's likely because those types of enterprises "are not
inviting to older residents,'' Browning said, and many stayed home. Neighborhoods
with thriving commercial districts, where elderly felt comfortable walking
about, offered more places to cool down and had fewer deaths. That was
the case even when factoring in race, sex or the age of an individual,
researchers said.
Gee. I
wonder what time-wasting GRTF-school professor thought up this correlation?
Currency exchanges and heat deaths? Why not cross check against Pentecostal
church buildings or dog-license violations or number of potholes per block?
This report shows that so-called higher education really is often piling
it higher and deeper.
Mama's
Note: Oh brother. They're putting a dress on a rat and calling it their
cousin... I don't really know how this weird correlation is possible,
but one of the things I've learned from 20 years of nursing is that most
elderly do not drink enough water. This is almost universal, actually,
with most of the population suffering from at least a slight degree of
dehydration. I've mentioned this before. The elderly are the worst, and
dehydration is more serious for them because they don't have the capacity
to bounce back. So, when it is hotter than usual, they can't cope. Those
who are "more affluent" would have coolers or air conditioning,
so they would be less affected by the heat, naturally. Those poor with
the good sense to find a place that was air conditioned, or otherwise
cooler, would do better than those who did not - and it wouldn't make
any difference what kind of business they found it in if they realized
it could mean their life. So, the relationship of deaths to the sort of
business in the neighborhood is suspect at the very least. As an excuse
for more "social engineering," of course, it makes perfect sense.
Mideast
Tarbabies
I've tried to break this large section up this week into parts dealing
with Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and the Lebanon War.
Afghanistan:
Car bomb kills 21
International Herald Tribune [France]
"A suicide bomber in a car blew himself up in a crowded town market
in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing 21 civilians, near where
NATO troops were on patrol, officials said. Thirteen people were also
injured in the blast at the market in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar
province, said provincial government spokesman Dawood Ahmadi. Some of
the victims were children, said Interior Ministry spokesman Yousef Stanezai.
A spokesman for NATO-led Canadian forces in Kandahar, Maj. Scott Lundy,
said NATO troops had a patrol moving through area where the blast happened,
but no troops were hurt. ... Also Thursday in Kandahar province, two roadside
bombs three hours apart killed one Canadian soldier and wounded four."
(08/03/06)
The only
possible LOGICAL reason I can see for attacks like this is the Maoist-style
idea that killing large numbers of civilians - and innocent ones to boot
- is supposed to persuade the rest of them that the regime (and the occupation
forces) can't and won't protect them, so that they join with the rebels
(in this case, the Taliban, which of course preys on the civilians even
more). It is certain that the suicide driver could tell if his bomb was
going to take out NATO troopers.
US
to send 11,000 troops to Afghanistan
CNN
"The Pentagon announced Wednesday that a combat brigade of the
82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will deploy to
Afghanistan late this year as part of the next rotation of forces. The
deployment, to include the 82nd Airborne headquarters staff and various
unidentified support units, will total about 11,000 soldiers, the Pentagon
said. The announcement gave no indication that this would represent either
an increase or a decrease in U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, which currently
stand at about 22,000." (08/02/06)
Not enough
or too many? Like Iraq and Somalia, I am more and more convinced that
Afghanistan should have NO central government, not even a watch tower
with a telephone to call for help from outside.
Mama's
Note: Yes! And just as soon as it's set up in those places, let's get
rid of ours too!
Afghanistan:
Occupation troops kill 25
940 News [Canada]
"A Canadian military convoy was rocked Friday by two roadside
bombs in southern Afghanistan, one day after Canada suffered its highest-ever
number of casualties in the south Asian country. There were no Canadian
injuries or apparent equipment damage. It wasn't immediately clear whether
there were civilian casualties. ... Word also emerged Friday that Afghan-and
U.S.-led coalition forces had come under fire by Taliban insurgents in
Helmand's Nahr Surhk district, northeast of the town of Gereshk, while
conducting a cordon and search mission just west of where the Canadian
convoy was hit. At least 25 Taliban were killed during the Thursday attack,
according to a coalition statement." (08/04/06)
Unfortunately,
Canada has far less tolerance for casualties than the Taliban does. And
the Taliban is clearly on the offensive, while Canada is still thinking
about breakfast. Meanwhile, the supposed national Afghan government is
totally out-to-lunch, and American forces (and other Coalition forces)
are just sorta wandering around, apparently.
UNSC
sets deadline on Iran nuke work
Bismarck Tribune
"The U.N. Security Council passed a weakened resolution Monday
giving Iran until Aug. 31 to suspend uranium enrichment or face the threat
of economic and diplomatic sanctions. Iran immediately rejected the council
action, saying it would only make negotiations more difficult concerning
a package of incentives offered in June for it to suspend enrichment.
... Because of Russian and Chinese demands, the text was watered down
from earlier drafts, which would have made the threat of sanctions immediate.
The draft now essentially requires the council to hold more discussions
before it considers sanctions. The draft passed by a vote of 14-1. Qatar,
which represents Arab states on the council, cast the lone dissenting
vote." (07/31/06)
Looks like
history repeating itself again - the UN waters down its demands, and things
go on pretty much as usual - and nothing happens, for now. I fully expect
another extension the end of August, unless Iran really does something
strange in Lebanon with Hezbollah.
US
agency hid Iraq reconstruction costs
LA Daily News
"The U.S. State Department agency in charge of $1.4 billion in
reconstruction money in Iraq used an accounting shell game to hide ballooning
cost overruns on its projects in Iraq and knowingly withheld information
on schedule delays from Congress, a federal audit released late Friday
has found. The agency hid construction overruns by listing them as overhead
or administrative costs, according to the audit, written by the Special
Inspector-General for Iraq Reconstruction, an independent office that
reports to Congress and the Pentagon. Called the U.S. Agency for International
Development, or USAID, the agency administers foreign aid projects around
the world. It has been working in Iraq on reconstruction since shortly
after the 2003 invasion." (07/30/06)
As one
crook was supposed to have said when asked why he robbed banks: "Because
that is where the money is." Corruption in government, even in the
State Department, and especially in AID, has to be taken for granted.
Expect some hand-slapping, and a few more transfers of money to foreign
unnumbered accounts as a result of this investigation.
US
adding 3,700 troops in Baghdad
Denver Post
"The U.S. Military said Saturday that it is moving about 3,700
troops with fast, light-armored vehicles into Baghdad to try to quell
violence in the capital. More American soldiers are expected to follow,
military officials said. The 172nd Stryker Brigade, which had been due
to leave Iraq after a year's assignment, will be sent from the north to
Baghdad, Gen. George Casey Jr., the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said."
(07/30/06)
This is
less than expected last week, when 5,000 was bandied about. (Maybe requirements
in Afghanistan are causing a reduction.) A Stryker Brigade is probably
the best tool for the job, but leaving these guys (and the few gals in
the unit) stuck in the Mideast for a lot longer will NOT be welcome news
for a lot of soldiers and families. Will it succeed? At this point, doubtful.
The alternative? Let civilians arm themselves more freely and defend themselves
against the Jihadists that don't care who they kill.
Iraq:
Four US Marines killed; attacks continue
Amarillo Globe News
"Four U.S. Marines were killed in a Sunni Arab insurgent stronghold
west of Baghdad, and pressure mounted in parliament Sunday to replace
the interior minister because of the security crisis in the capital. Also
Sunday, a U.S. F-16 jet dropped two precision-guided bombs on a building
near Baghdad used by militants affiliated with a group believed responsible
a mortar-and-rocket attack in Baghdad's mostly Shiite district of Karradah
last week that killed at least 31 people, U.S. officials said. Two militants
and a child were killed in the airstrike, and four suspects were arrested,
the United States said." (07/30/06)
It really
bothers me that we are using F-16s as law-enforcement tools; it could
be a hard habit to get rid of. (Imagine Waco with F-16s instead of just
a CEV.) But the killing continued on apace, as stories below explain.
Attacks
across Iraq kill more than 70
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
"Bombings and shootings killed more than 70 people in Iraq on
Tuesday in a surge of bloodshed as U.S. forces prepare to take back Baghdad's
streets from gunmen. The dead included 20 Iraqi troops, a U.S. soldier
and a British soldier. The American soldier, who was assigned to the 1st
Armored Division, died 'due to enemy action' in Anbar province west of
Baghdad, the U.S. command said." (08/01/06)
My - only
48 dead civilians for 22 dead legitimate targets on this day.
Iraq:
Bombings, shootings kill at least 52
Boston Herald
"Bombings and shootings across Iraq killed at least 52 people
today, including 24 people in a bus destroyed by a roadside bomb. The
attacks further damage the U.S.-backed government's efforts to establish
control over the country. The bus, carrying many Iraqi soldiers, was struck
in the northern industrial city of Beiji, killing everyone on board, said
Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari. ... Elsewhere, a car bomb
targeting a police patrol killed one policeman and six civilians in Muqdadiyah
.... A roadside bomb narrowly missed a car belonging to the Ministry of
Electricity, killing one civilian and wounding another in eastern Baghdad,
police said. Gunmen in two cars raided a mosque west of Baghdad, killing
a cleric and his brother. ... A suicide attack was foiled when soldiers
fired at a car trying to slam into an army convoy in Baghdad. The car
exploded, killing the driver but nobody else, police said. And two insurgents
were killed when a roadside bomb they were planting on a highway detonated
prematurely in Karma .... Bombs exploded on a soccer field Wednesday killing
11 young people, and at least 42 other people -- two of them Americans
-- died elsewhere in sectarian or political violence. Still, the president
said plans are on track for Iraqis to take over security. The two homemade
bombs went off on a soccer field in the mostly Shiite district of Amil
in west Baghdad, killing both players and spectators ranging in age from
15 to 25, police 1st Lt. Maitham Abdul Razzaq said. Yesterday, gunmen
dressed in military fatigues burst into the offices of the Iraqi-American
Chamber of Commerce and a nearby mobile phone company, seizing 26 people
in a daylight raid ..." (08/01/06)
A ratio
of only 25 civilians for 27 dead enemy - the "insurgents" had
a good day. The bus appears to be a legitimate military target, at least.
It does bring into question the security along the route and the wisdom
of using buses instead of armored vehicles. When we condemn Israel for
killing too many civilians (a justified condemnation, I might add), we
should remember that the Islamists they (and we) are fighting kill a far,
far higher ratio of civilians, and we and the Israelis wear uniforms,
unlike the Hezbollah and other Islamist irregular forces. And maybe someone
wiser than I can explain why a soccer field is a bombing target. The kidnapping
may be entering a new cycle of increased activity.
Commander:
Insurgent attacks up in Iraq
Sunbury Daily Item
"Insurgent attacks have risen in western Iraq but Iraqi troops
are beginning to take responsibility for a bigger area of Iraq's most
troubled province, the top Marine commander in Iraq said Wednesday. Maj.
Gen. Richard C. Zilmer said most of the recent increase in attacks in
Anbar province occurred around the provincial capital of Ramadi. Progress
in pacifying the Sunni Arab-dominated province has lagged far behind most
of the country." (08/02/06)
This is
probably one of the reasons that the Iraqis think they can take over more
of the security - if they can do it even in Anbar, the other three troublesome
provinces are doable, also. (Remember that there is very little violence,
relatively, in the remaining 13 or so provinces, especially in Kurdistan.)
The success in Anbar does explain, in part, the increase in attacks, as
the "insurgents" try to regain some control.
Key
Democrats united on Iraq pullout
CNN
"In a show of election-year unity, top congressional Democrats
have sent a letter to President Bush calling on him to change an 'open-ended'
policy on Iraq that they said has not worked. Twelve Democrats, including
the Senate and House minority leaders -- Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada and
Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California -- signed the letter, which was delivered
to the White House on Sunday." (07/31/06)
Clearly
a political event, and while these twelve might be "united,"
the rest of the Democratic Party is not - particularly Senator Clinton.
At the same time, this letter itself is pretty "open-ended"
- indicating that even this dozen is not all that united.
Rumsfeld
does U-turn, to testify at Iraq hearing
MSNBC
"Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld late Wednesday reversed
a decision to skip a public hearing on Capitol Hill and said he will testify
at a session on the Iraq war. The move came after hours of criticism and
pressure from Senate Democrats who urged him to come before the Senate
Armed Services Committee to answer questions about the administration's
Iraq policies." (08/02/06)
Most likely,
as with the Democratic letter above, a political year decision. Of course,
if Congress had its act together, they could have just ordered him to
appear - but politics prevents that, too, so "urging" is necessary.
Iraq:
Gunbattles erupt in Mosul
Scotsman [UK]
"Heavily armed militants fought gunbattles with U.S. and Iraqi
troops in the restive northern city of Mosul on Friday in which four policemen,
including a top officer, and four insurgents were reported killed. In
Hadhar, a town 90 km (55 miles) south of Mosul, a suicide bomber drove
a car packed with explosives into a crowd of policemen watching a football
match, killing 10 people, including seven civilians. Twelve were wounded."
(08/04/06)
As another
news story points out, this province is one of the four "restive"
ones, and "heavily armed" is in the mind of the reporter. The
"militants" continue to kill many more civilians than they do
police or soldiers. Today the toll seems to be 11 civilians or "insurgents"
dead for 7 enemy soldiers/police.
Probe
backs allegations against Marines
Utica Observer-Dispatch
"An initial U.S. Military probe supports allegations that American
Marines deliberately shot 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha last November,
a Pentagon official said Wednesday. The Marine Corps and Navy prosecutors
are now reviewing the evidence to determine whether to recommend criminal
charges. That decision may be weeks away, and the lawyers may ask investigators
to probe further, two officials said." (08/02/06)
In civilian
terms, this isn't even the equivalent of a grand jury indictment, although
to listen to the radio you would think they'd been found guilty. This
is one of several news items related to investigation and prosecution
of possible war crimes or just plain crimes by US troops, all of which
need to be resolved properly, and if they are guilty, punished swiftly.
Accused
US soldiers refuse to testify
Houston Chronicle
"Four U.S. soldiers accused of murdering Iraqi detainees refused
to testify Thursday at a military hearing, where witnesses described how
one of the victims spat blood as he lay dying and another was covered
in brain matter. The four invoked their right not to testify for fear
of incriminating themselves at the hearing to determine if they should
be court-martialed for the May 9 shooting deaths. Instead, their attorneys
submitted sworn statements and rested their case on the third day of the
hearing. The defendants -- Pfc. Corey R. Clagett, Spc. William B. Hunsaker,
Staff Sgt. Raymond L. Girouard and Spc. Juston R. Graber -- initially
said the three detainees were killed because they tried to escape, but
military prosecutors have said they were freed before being shot."
(08/04/06)
Funny -
when a civilian refuses to incriminate themselves, the media falls all
over themselves to remind their readers of how wonderful the Fifth Amendment
is - but not when soldiers do the same thing. Yeah, soldiers have rights
too - and it is up to the prosecutors to prove their case beyond a reasonable
doubt, just as if they were in a court room in New York or Denver. If
these soldiers HAVE betrayed their nation, their cause, their comrades,
and their oaths by murdering these detainees, they deserve punishment.
But, like civilians, they are innocent UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
Six
Marines charged in Iraq assault case
ABC News
"Six U.S. Marines were charged with assault late on Thursday in
connection with suspected assaults on several Iraqi civilians in Hamdania,
days before the alleged kidnapping and murder of an Iraqi civilian there.
Three of the Marines charged with assault Thursday, Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins
III, Cpl. Trent Thomas and Lance Cpl. Jerry Shumate Jr., have already
been charged with murder, kidnapping and conspiracy in the April 26 killing
of 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad. They are being held in the brig awaiting
hearings in that killing, according to Capt. Amy Malugani, a Camp Pendleton
spokeswoman. Three others, Lance Cpl. Saul Lopezromo, Pfc. Derek Lewis
and Lance Cpl. Henry Lever, were each charged with one count of assault.
The alleged assaults on April 10 came to light during the murder investigation,
according to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service." (08/04/06)
As with
the previous story and the soldiers, these Marines are innocent until
proven guilty - charges mean nothing more than when ANY of us are charged
with a crime. Hopefully trials will proceed quickly.
Data
Contradicts Notion of Widespread Iraqi Civil War
CNS News
A vast majority of Americans say they expect the current sectarian
violence in Iraq to become a full-scale civil war, but U.S. Military data
compiled in Iraq indicates that over a two-month period ending on July
21, most of the violence happened in just four of Iraq's 18 provinces...
I've referred
to this story several times, as there is no reason to doubt the data being
released. And as I have said before, bad as the killing in Iraq is, it
does not come anywhere near the level of a real civil war, at least not
yet.
Israel
OKs 48-hour air activity halt
New York Post
"Israel suspended air attacks on south Lebanon for 48 hours in
the face of widespread outrage over an airstrike Sunday that killed at
least 56 Lebanese, almost all of them women and children, when it leveled
a building where they had taken shelter. The announcement -- made by a
State Department spokesman with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in
Jerusalem -- appeared to reflect American pressure on Israel to make some
concession after the strike." (07/30/06)
As I discuss
in the next story, there is a lot to question about this - and it appears
that the Israelis are at least investigating (and giving Rice a sop).
UN
council: "Shock" over Lebanon deaths
Indianapolis Star
"The U.N. Security Council called Sunday for an end to the violence
in Lebanon and deplored Israel's airstrike on a house in the village of
Qana which killed 56 people, almost all of them women and children. A
presidential statement, approved unanimously by the 15-member council
in an emergency session, expressed 'extreme shock and distress' at the
Israeli attack early Sunday morning but stopped short of condemning it.
The council said it 'strongly deplores this loss of innocent life and
the killing of civilians in the present conflict.'" (07/30/06)
They had
to stop short of condemning it, because it is highly likely that Hezbollah
intentionally set this entire thing up, so that Israel would target the
building - by placing a missile battery at the site. Unlike hospitals
or museums or churches/mosques, there is no symbol that says "this
isn't a legitimate military target." That does NOT excuse the IDF
from attacking with weapons that could so easily wipe out these people
- if indeed all the dead are innocent. That is why you have more than
one type of military force at your disposal: a commando raid or any other
number of ways of attacking could have created a far less deadly situation.
Gaza:
Arabs storm UN compound
MSNBC
"Palestinian protesters stormed the U.N. compound in Gaza City
on Sunday during a protest against Israel's bombing of a building in southern
Lebanon that killed around 60 people, witnesses and U.N. staff said. Hundreds
of members of Islamic Jihad militant group, some throwing stones and others
firing rounds from assault rifles, attacked the compound at the end of
a rally, witnesses said. At least two people were wounded." (07/30/06)
Surely
of any agency, the UN has nothing to do with the Israeli attack (see article
above), but in the violence-saturated Islamic-Arabic societies in places
like Gaza, this means nothing. Similar riots, we recall, happened about
Danes drawing cartoons of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) And following deaths in
Afghanistan - this is typical, NOT unusual. And it does nothing except
give Israel and others an excuse to dismiss them as hopeless kill-heads.
Israel
approves wider ground offensive
Fayetteville Observer
"Israel's prime minister declared Monday there would be no cease-fire
with Hezbollah guerrillas, saying 'we will not give up on our goal to
live a life free of terror.' His Security Cabinet approved widening the
ground offensive. Although Israel suspended most airstrikes on south Lebanon
for 48 hours, its warplanes struck deep inside the country early Tuesday.
They hit an area that is a stronghold of Hezbollah guerrillas, witnesses
said. Warplanes also hit Hezbollah fighters battling with soldiers near
the border as the guerrillas fired mortars into Israel." (07/31/06)
It appears
that the Lebanese government and army are allies of Hezbollah, either
coerced or voluntary, and appear to actually be integrated with them to
some degree.
Bush
looks to UN for Mideast solution
Quincy Patriot Ledger
"President Bush acknowledged growing international pressure for
an immediate Middle East cease-fire Monday but dismissed any idea of simply
'stopping for the sake of stopping' without a plan for lasting peace.
Bush said the United States was working with allies for a United Nations
Security Council resolution to get a 'sustainable cease-fire, a cease-fire
which will last' -- but not necessarily anything immediate." (07/31/06)
I assume
that he is joking and playing political games.
Lebanon:
Israel expands bombing
Bryan-College Station Eagle
"Israel's pounding of Hezbollah positions across Lebanon expanded
Friday with missiles targeting bridges in the Christian heartland north
of Beirut for the first time, an attack that further isolates Lebanon
from the outside world. Five civilians were killed and 19 wounded in the
airstrikes north of the capital, Lebanese security officials said. A Lebanese
soldier and four civilians were killed in air raids near Beirut's airport
and southern suburbs, security officials and witnesses said. The destruction
of four bridges on the main north-south coastal highway linking Beirut
to Syria further sealed Lebanon from outside links, as the Israeli naval
blockade and earlier strikes against roadways have largely closed off
other access points." (08/04/06)
After the
"break" earlier in the week and a general lull, the air attack
appears to be back in full force. It is clear that Israel is treating
Lebanon itself as a co-belligerent of the Hezbollah forces, a position
with which the US apparently agrees (next story).
Administration
Not Holding Lebanese Gov't to Account
CNS News
The Bush administration has made it clear that it holds Hizballah and
its sponsors in Syria and Iran responsible for the Middle East conflict,
but it has refrained from criticizing the Lebanese government and army
despite their open support for the terrorist organization...
I really
don't understand why Lebanon's government is being spared - it seems clear
that they have (by DC definitions) joined the "axis of evil"
- although it might be as an unwilling participant, as with Finland in
WW2.
Members
of UN Body Say Israel's Military Actions Motivated by Racism
CNS News.com
A United Nations committee dealing with racism took time out from its
normal schedule Thursday to discuss Israel's military campaign in Lebanon,
despite appeals by Jewish groups and concerns raised by an American member
that it was stepping outside its mandate...
Another
example of what a joke UN deliberations in ANY area are - like the Human
Rights council made up mostly of nations with the world's worst records
on rights, so the racism council seems to be made up of some of the most
racial-based regimes in the world. Israel may be practicing some internal
racism, and some racism in the West Bank and Gaza (according to some correspondents),
but what is going on in Lebanon doesn't seem to have much to do with racism
- they are shooting back at people who were shooting at them.
The
North American Union
Mexico continues to heat up, with the election more than a month behind
us. And new opportunities arise in Cuba.
Mexico
City: Protesting along the Paseo
Los Angeles Times
"Runner-up presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador
called on hundreds of thousands of supporters at a rally Sunday to set
up encampments in the central square and along miles of the capital's
most famous boulevard until a federal tribunal orders a recount of the
July 2 election. The popular leftist alleges that a conspiracy of government
and big business steered the election to conservative Felipe Calderon,
the unofficial winner by a margin of less than a percentage point. ...
Hours after the rally in downtown's central square, or Zocalo, tents began
springing up on two major avenues through the capital. One of them, the
14-lane Paseo de la Reforma, was partially blocked for miles by 8 p.m.
Lopez Obrador promised to live among the protesters in 47 encampments
that sprouted Sunday along the heavily traveled Avenida Juarez and Paseo
de la Reforma, a Parisian-style boulevard of ritzy hotels, the US Embassy,
government offices, and roundabouts that circle statues of the Roman goddess
Diana, Christopher Columbus and Mexico's Angel of Independence."
(07/31/06)
Mexico
does NOT have, to my knowledge, an Electoral College - so one major problem
develops: a thin margin is suspect and when the country is already so
badly divided, makes chaos more likely. This looks like they are planning
for a long struggle.
Leftist
protest paralyzes Mexico City
Arizona Republic
"Mexico braced for further unrest after leftists protesting the
disputed presidential election blocked the main boulevard in Mexico City
on Monday, snarling rush-hour traffic in the center of the world's second-largest
city. Hundreds of camping tents filled Reforma Avenue, completely shutting
down traffic to the country's financial district and museums, as supporters
of presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador pressed their demand
for a recount of the July 2 election results. The blockade affected eight
miles of Reforma Avenue, a stretch that includes the U.S. Embassy, the
Mexican stock market, Chapultepec Park, the National Anthropology Museum
and other tourist attractions. With more than 3 million cars and about
20 million people, Mexico City, the most-populous metropolitan area after
Tokyo, is a traffic nightmare even on a good day." (08/01/06)
In addition
to no Electoral College, Mexico is centralized in much the way that France
is, rather than on the more dispersed model of the United States, Canada,
or even the UK or Germany.
Mexican
government wants protest halted
Yahoo! News
"The national government urged Mexico City officials Wednesday
to clear the streets of protest camps supporting leftist Andres Manuel
Lopez Obrador's battle to be declared winner of last month's disputed
presidential election. The camps put up Sunday have blocked the main avenues
in the capital's financial and cultural heart, snarling traffic, hurting
business and causing Mexico's stock market and currency to falter."
(08/02/06)
Government
action may very well lead to more violence.
Mexican
Tribunal Denies Full Recount
BBC
Mexico's electoral body has rejected a request by left-wing candidate
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for a full recount of votes from July's disputed
election. Instead, the electoral tribunal's seven judges ordered a partial
recount. Protesters blocked the entrance to the tribunal, after the decision
was announced. "If there is no solution, there'll be revolution,"
they shouted. Representatives of Mr. Lopez Obrador walked out of the tribunal's
session in protest.
I just
wonder how long this can go on before the violence really explodes. Even
a small-scale civil war or rebellion in Mexico would completely change
the dynamics of the border situation and immigration issues with the US:
expect vast numbers of refugees that make the 12 million or more illegals
in the US now look small, coupled with massive gang control and warfare,
especially in the border region, and smuggling of weapons from the US
into Mexico at a very great rate - and much of it purchased with Norte
Americano drug and oil money.
Cuba:
Castro hands reins to brother
Miami Herald
"Fidel Castro temporarily relinquished his presidential powers to
his brother Raul on Monday night and told Cubans in a statement that he
had undergone surgery. The Cuban leader said he had suffered intestinal
bleeding, apparently due to stress from recent public appearances in Argentina
and Cuba, according to the letter read live on television by his secretary,
Carlos Valenciaga." (07/31/06)
The end
of the era - of 47 years of Cuban and Caribbean history is approaching.
Imagine what an explosion of economic development and freedom could develop
if Cuba rejects communism when Castro is no longer on the scene. At the
same time, I am trying to figure out what "stress" these public
appearances would cause this severe ulceration.
Castro
says he's stable after surgery
Sonora Union Democrat
"Fidel Castro said Tuesday that his health was stable after surgery,
according to a statement read on state television, as the Communist government
tried to impose a sense of normalcy on the island's first day in 47 years
without Castro in charge. Castro, who temporarily handed power to his
younger brother Raul on Monday night after undergoing intestinal surgery,
indicated the surgery was serious when he said: 'I can not make up positive
news.'" (08/01/06)
So where
is he? He is well enough to dictate or write these statements, but not
to even read them for audio? Raul is apparently not very well liked, much
less "loved" or "worshipped" as some claim Fidel is
- although stories from Christians in Cuba tell a very different story.
Cuba:
Few expect change under Raul
Boston Globe
"With an ailing Fidel Castro temporarily ceding power to his younger
brother, many Cuba watchers yesterday cautioned that Raul Castro is as
much of a hard-liner as his brother and downplayed the prospects for meaningful
change at home or improved relations with the United States. Fidel Castro,
the revolutionary icon who has thumbed his nose at Washington while ruling
with an iron fist for nearly a half -century, was quoted in a statement
read on state television last night saying his health was stable and that
he was recovering from intestinal surgery earlier in the day. Although
his illness is at least his third serious health scare since 2001, this
is the first time in 47 years that the 79-year-old Castro has publicly
handed over governance, prompting a flurry of speculation about the future
of the communist island 90 miles south of Florida." (08/02/06)
Of course
Raul is "only" 75, so he is not going to be around that much
longer than Fidel, even if the Cubans continue to follow the Communist
practice of a gerontocracy and use older and older leaders. I saw at least
one suggestion (by a conservative columnist) that makes sense to me: if
Castro retires or dies, even IF Raul is a hard-liner, use it as an excuse
to end the embargo, encourage Americans (especially Cuban-Americans) to
flood the island with products and money and tourists and ideas and who
knows what could happen? The 51st State? Perhaps. It could seriously damage
the Mexican tourist economy, certainly.
Cuba:
Bush calls for regime change
Washington Times
"U.S. President George Bush has issued an invitation to Cubans
to work for 'democratic change' as the country's 79-year-old leader Fidel
Castro is ill. ... 'We will support you in your effort to build a transitional
government in Cuba committed to democracy, and we will take note of those,
in the current Cuban regime, who obstruct your desire for a free Cuba,'
Bush said in a statement." (08/04/06)
Gee - does
that mean that we'll be occupying Cuba next? After all, we haven't done
that since the 1950s, have we? But rest assured that this will sway votes
in South Florida.
The
2006 Political Campaigns
A few tidbits from various races and activities.
TX:
LP candidate fights "third party" image
Dallas Morning News
"The biography on James Werner's Web site exclaims that the Libertarian
gubernatorial candidate is just 'a regular guy.' That wasn't his idea.
'My Webmaster put that up there,' Mr. Werner said, laughing. 'He said,
'I think you're just a regular guy -- in a good way.'' In an unusual governor's
race featuring three attention-getting politicians and a highly quotable
entertainer, Mr. Werner is indeed the regular guy -- hardly known and
barely mentioned. But he says that's an advantage. 'I always thought that
I could just do it better than the people who do it for a living,' the
candidate said by phone from his office in Austin." (07/30/06)
Of course,
James isn't alone - dozens of LP statewide candidates across the nation
face the same problem, like Tom Gerber in South Dakota, fighting to even
be invited to the most public and widely-broadcast debates.
SD:
Poll says voters oppose abortion ban
Sioux Falls [SD] Argus-Leader
"Amid the often hostile rhetoric that pierces South Dakota's closely
watched abortion debate, a new survey shows that more residents of the
largely conservative state oppose a ban on the pregnancy-ending procedure
than support it, though that would change if exceptions for cases involving
rape and incest were allowed. According to the statewide poll, conducted
for the Argus Leader and KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, 47 percent of voters
polled would vote to reject the ban, compared with 39 percent who would
vote to keep it. Another 14 percent were undecided. Support for the current
form of the abortion ban came equally from men and women and matched the
statewide 39 percent. The political breakdown showed only 23 percent of
Democrats support the proposed law, while 51 percent of Republicans and
43 percent of independents back it." (07/31/06)
These and
other polls need to be taken with a very large grain of salt - since these
are often in the form of "push polls" in which the questions
are intentionally misleading. Those for candidate races not only do not
list anything but the two old party candidates, but don't have a way to
record a preference for the other candidates even when that preference
is volunteered by the respondent. And as you can see from this tidbit
of the story, they don't even bother to list the other two recognized
political parties in the state in this poll. South Dakota polls have been
getting more and more wrong in recent years.
MN:
House race features two very different women
Fox News
"In Minnesota, two women who couldn't be more opposed in their
political views are running for an open U.S. House seat that has become
one of the most coveted of the midterm election. Patty Wetterling, a member
of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota, is proudly pro-choice
and proposed last year that the United States should be able to start
withdrawing its troops from Iraq by Thanksgiving 2006. Her opponent, Republican
state Sen. Michele Bachmann, is the architect of legislation that would
make gay marriage in Minnesota unconstitutional. She is very antiabortion
and used to pray and counsel outside abortion clinics in college."
(07/31/06)
The DFL
is (like the CSU in Bavaria and the CDU in the rest of Germany) affiliated
with, but not a part of, the national Democratic Party - thus the contrast
is even greater (no "Southern Democrats" in the DFL).
PA:
Republicans donate to Green Senate hopeful
All Headline News
"Carl Romanelli, a Green Party candidate for the Pennsylvania
Senate, said Monday that Republican donors probably gave him most of the
$100,000 that he spent gathering signatures, to qualify for his placement
on the Nov. 7 ballot. The Democratic front-runner in the race, Bob Casey,
accused Republicans of 'trying to steal the election' by helping a candidate
who would likely win voters who would otherwise have voted Democratic."
[FND editor's note: Casey just shot himself in the foot. He just told
Pennsylvania's voters that their votes are his, not theirs ... a really
stupid thing to say to people whose support you want - TLK] (08/02/06)
Sadly,
Tom, too many voters behave too stupidly to see this is an insult. Clearly,
third parties are influencing elections more and more, and this is making
some unexpected "allies" and some unintended consequences, especially
in local elections.
MoveOn
endorses House, Senate Democrats
Raw Story
"Liberal website and political action committee MoveOn.org, long
critical of the Democratic position on Iraq, has announced today that
it is supporting the current position of party leadership, RAW STORY has
learned. Further, the group has called for a 'change in power' in Congress,
essentially announcing support for the party in the upcoming 2006 elections.
This morning's Wall Street Journal reported that Democratic leadership
was divided -- or worried -- about the group's growing clout."
[FND editor's note: So Tweedle Dum should simply be replaced by the Dee
variant, according to MoveOn. Plus ca change ... - SAT] [FND additional
editor's note: Nothing really new here. MoveOn has always been a Democrat
PAC, and nothing ever shifts that. In 2002, I got appeals from MoveOn
to vote for a pro-war Democrat rather than for either of two antiwar candidates
for US Senate in my state - TLK] (08/01/06)
Oh, and
we are supposed to be surprised? No matter how critical of Dems they may
be, they are never going to endorse the GOP or Libertarians.
CT:
Lieberman in fight of life as primary nears
Concord Monitor
"When U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut stopped to campaign
at a busy brewpub in New Haven, Conn., Friday, Linda Rogozinski was perched
at the bar. As far as Lieberman was concerned, though, she was sitting
on the fence. Rogozinski, a scientist at Yale University School of Medicine,
voted for Lieberman in his three previous Senate races. But he can no
longer count on her support -- a sign of the troubles Lieberman confronts
as he struggles to avoid defeat in a Democratic primary Tuesday that has
focused squarely on the war in Iraq. ... Even if Lamont wins, it will
represent only the first round in their duel: Lieberman has said he will
run as an independent in the general election if he loses the Democratic
nomination." (08/02/06)
I heard
Sean Hannity yesterday praise Lieberman as a "true liberal"
who is nevertheless a "nice guy" and "good on national
defense" - then three hours later heard Lieberman himself apparently
call for immediate US withdrawal from Iraq - so it seems as if the primary
has caused him to change his "rock-solid" philosophy for the
sake of getting reelected. He knows the chances of reelection as an independent
are very small.
Senate
rejects estate, minimum wage bill
CBS News
"The Senate late Thursday rejected, 56-42, a bill fusing the cut
in estate taxes with a $2.10 increase over three years in the $5.15 minimum
wage. The bill also would have revived a host of expired tax cuts, including
a business research and development credit and deductions for state sales
taxes, college tuition and teachers' classroom supplies. Republicans needed
60 votes to advance the measure, which passed the House last Saturday.
For Republicans, the combination could have diluted a campaign issue for
Democrats who say the GOP has prevented an increase in the minimum wage
for nearly a decade. It simultaneously would have advanced the estate
tax, which may have an uncertain future if the Republicans lose seats
in the November elections." (08/04/06)
This travesty
of a bill was pure and smelly election-year posturing. Even the Senate
couldn't stomach it, with their stainless-steel linings. Gridlock is a
wonderful thing.
TX:
Court leaves DeLay on ballot
Buffalo News
"A federal appeals court panel on Thursday refused to let Texas
Republicans replace Tom DeLay's name on the November congressional ballot.
The finding upheld a July ruling by a federal judge that the ballot must
list Delay, who won a March primary before resigning from Congress on
June 9. He now lives in Virginia but is awaiting trial in Texas on money-laundering
and conspiracy charges in connection with legislative campaigns in 2002.
Republicans want to pick another nominee to face Democrat Nick Lampson
in November." [Editor's note: Naturally, the press left out the
fact that Lampson and whomever appears on the GOP line will also face
Libertarian nominee Bob Smither - TLK] (08/04/06)
Again,
I see this as nothing but a condemnation of corrupt Texan electoral practices
- every other state I know of provides for parties to nominate replacements
for people who die, resign, or otherwise are unable or unwilling to run,
right up until the time that the ballots are printed.
Tobacco
firm joins smoking ban fight
Arizona Republic
"Cigarette-maker R.J. Reynolds is expected to invest millions
in Arizona to defeat a strict statewide smoking ban on the November ballot
and support a compromise measure that would strike down more restrictive
local ordinances, such as the one in Tempe. The maker of Camel, Kool and
other cigarette brands told Wall Street last week that it would spend
$40 million on campaigns in Arizona, Missouri, California and Ohio. In
Arizona, the company is the primary financial backer behind the Arizona
Non-Smoker Protection Act, which will be on the November ballot as Proposition
206. As of May 31, the company had contributed $193,000 of the $204,000
raised by the campaign for that initiative." (07/31/06)
Everyone
decries this, but even cigarette manufacturers have a right to try and
preserve their industry and their market, as much as any downtown business
association or state petroleum marketers association does.
More
News and Commentary on Page 2 Our Right To Defend Ourselves
on page 2.
(Mama's
Note: I'm so sorry! The link was not changed for page two last week. Here
it is if you want to see it.)
Nathan
Barton is writing this from a wonderful place in the West, which might
be in the Black Hills of South Dakota or Wyoming, or might be in one of
the Four Corners States. Exactly where it is, the breezes blow with the
scent of liberty, and the sound of the pines or the pinions is the sound
of freedom. For thousands of years, people have fought and died for the
liberty that Americans in the great spaces of the West enjoy, and he writes
these commentaries in the hopes that continued generations will be able
to do so, until the end of Time.
Be sure
to visit my blog, Liberty's
Outpost.
Special
Feature! Add your signature to the NEW
Declaration of Independence
By Robert Greenslade
Several
people have asked about buying Gadsden Flags (the rattlesnake "Don't
Tread on Me flags used by the June 23d Movement and other Property Rights
Organizations: you
can get them for $10.00 plus shipping here.
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