Enlighten-America

Test

2007-05-07T15:07:00.000-05:00

Where Have All The Heroes Gone

2005-08-14T11:55:00.000-05:00

Why Casey Sheehan Died. Like many, we have been reluctant to write a post on the Sheehan story. Mike Hill refers to it as the Cindy Sheehan Problem. The fact that it has become the Cindy Sheehan story is instructive. The Sheehan news, as portrayed in the media, isn’t about an American soldier giving his life for his country, a bronze star winner and a hero, it’s about politics.

Don Surber wrote a post entitled Zero Heroes in response to the New York Times' piece Where Are The War Heroes?. The Times attributes the lack of well known military heroes from the war on terror to a complex set of reasons; but in the end blames President Bush and the Pentagon for the media’s “zero heroes” reporting.

The Times article, published on August 7, has a similar theme as our two postings on May 28; however, we reached a different conclusion as to why there are “zero heroes”. In our post, The Heroes of the War on Terrorism, we wrote:

What are the names of the heroes of our war on terrorism - of the wars in Iraqi and Afghanistan? Surely with news available 24/7 we should be able to rattle off a list of names…

And yet most of us can’t think of a single name of a service man or woman, connected to the war on terrorism, that hasn’t been tarnished in the media. Since the media covered the rescue of Pfc. Jessica Lynch and the death of Army Ranger, Pat Tillman, it’s been nothing but Lynndie England, Charles Graner and the others connected to Abu Ghraib.

Of course the Times' article makes sure the names of Lynch and Tillman are tarnished as well:

After the heroic tales of Pfc. Jessica Lynch and Sgt. Pat Tillman were largely debunked - with Private Lynch shown to have never fired a shot during her capture and rescue in Iraq, and Sergeant Tillman killed accidentally by fellow Americans, not the enemy, in Afghanistan - the Pentagon may have grown cautious.

Early reports indicated Sgt. Pat Tillman was killed by enemy fire, but has his sacrifice for his country been debunked? This is how we remember Tillman’s death initially being reported in the media – from MSNBC:

Pat Tillman, who gave up the glamorous life of a professional football star to join the Army Rangers, was remembered as a role model of courage and patriotism Friday after military officials said he had been killed in action in Afghanistan.

“Pat Tillman was an inspiration on and off the football field, as with all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror. His family is in the thoughts and prayers of President and Mrs. Bush,” Taylor Gross, a spokesman for the White House, said in a statement.

The Times mentions the Medal of Honor was awarded in a White House ceremony in April and the President’s praising of a Mexican immigrant soldier in a radio address and at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in June. Then the Times adds, “but these citations did not occur in prime time, nor have they been repeated.”

Curiously the media didn’t require a prime time presentation by the President or the Pentagon to tell negative military personnel stories. Again, from our May 28 post:

When the media weren’t fixated on the Abu Ghraib gang, we were blanketed with stories questioning the legitimacy of combat actions by Lt. Col. Allen B. West … and the marine filmed killing a terrorist in the battle of Fallujah; the check point shooting involving Italian reporter Giuliana Sgrena; and Lt. Ilario Pantano who shot two Iraqi terrorists in self defense.

Next we were bombarded with endless reporting and an unbelievable amount of hand wringing about a Koran that was not flushed down the toilet by an American serviceman at Guantanamo Bay.

It didn’t end there though. Sensing another opportunity to create a scandal, the media are working themselves into a lather because military personnel have touched detainee Korans…

Plenty of ink and air time for negative stories, but what about the story of the soldier awarded the Medal of Honor? We wrote:

On April 4, 2005 President Bush presented the Congressional Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House. Name the solider that was the recipient - the soldier cited for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty?

If you can’t remember his name, we are not surprised. Go to Time’s [Magazine] website and search their archives for Medal of Honor winner, you won’t find a single story on this hero. Enter Abu Ghraib and you’ll find 107 articles. Enter Guantanamo Bay you’ll have a choice of 148 articles. Search Newsweek’s archives – same result. Medal of Honor winner – no articles on the soldier winning the medal. Abu Ghraib - 140 matches. Guantanamo Bay – 108 articles.

The name you remember - Lynndie England: Time - 8 articles, Newsweek – 9 articles.

The Medal of Honor winner - Sergeant First Class, Paul Ray Smith. Time – 0 articles. Newsweek – 1 article, A War's Rising Toll, in which Paul R Smith was listed among those killed in action.

The New York Times article mentions Sgt Paul R. Smith received the Medial of Honor and even publishes one of the same photos we used in our post - Paul R. Smith – Medal Of Honor Recipient, but doesn’t bother to relate, as the Times would call it, his “heroic tale” or link to the U.S. Army's website devoted to the hero.

No, the media have settled on their hero for the war of terrorism – it’s Cindy Sheehan, a grieving mother who received The Call, not Casey Sheehan, the man that gave his life for his country.

(We highly recommend you read “The Call” on Verifrank, it puts the Cindy Sheehan story into perspective.)

Federal Funding For Education Soars, Results Don’t

2005-07-25T23:06:00.000-05:00

How often have you heard that President Bush or the Republican Congress is shortchanging our children by not adequately funding education? Then maybe you’d be surprised to learn:

The entire education budget has ballooned during the president's time in office. The Department of Education's budget has grown by 82.5 percent in real terms from $34.9 billion in FY2001 to $63.7 billion in FY2005. This is the largest increase of any president since Lyndon Johnson.

All well and good you say, but I’ve heard the Republicans are cheating “blue states” and the education budget this year has been cut to pay for “tax cuts for the wealthy”. Just because Corzine and his fellow travelers say it, it doesn’t make it so:

President Bush's 2006 budget asks for more of the same. Every state sees an increase in grant money, nearly 5 percent on average. The average state receives a level of grant funding that is more than 50 percent higher than when President Bush took office; no state has an increase less than 35 percent.

John Corzine and others in the Democrat party have predicted doom and gloom for the country unless we invest more in education. Invest as we know in the “progressive” dictionary means increase taxes. But, is it more money we need to “invest” to in order compete in the global economy?

According to OECD figures, the U.S. spends 78 percent more per student than Germany, 58 percent more than France, 31 percent more than Japan, and 71 percent more than the U.K. But despite these large spending differentials, American students perform no better than average on international comparisons of math and reading skills.

Property taxes have soared across the country and New Jersey holds the distinction for having the highest property taxes in the nation. The major cause:

From 1960 to 2000, inflation-adjusted spending on education in the U.S. nearly tripled, yet test scores show little improvement, dropout rates are high, and a large racial achievement gap persists.

The education industry has to be in a league of its own, producing less with more resources. Only a state subsidized industry could make such a claim:

Education economist Caroline Hoxby explains that public schools today are doing less with more: school productivity -- achievement per dollar spent -- declined by 55 to 73 percent from 1971 to 1999. Meanwhile, private and charter schools are boosting student achievement with lower expenditures per pupil than public schools. In other words, there is no consistent, systematic relationship between education spending and student outcomes.

Ken Adams has completed a statistical study on public school spending in New Jersey and finds no correlation between spending per pupil and student achievement in our state. New Jersey spends more per student than any other state and yet produces average results at best. Ken asks: How can we solve the differences in performance between schools? Here’s our answer:

Parents that recognize the correlation between educational attainment and achievement in life pass this message on to their children. Children learn directly from their parents whether or not to value education and studies show that when parents expect their children to do well in school, they do. People that value education and take advantage of educational opportunities earn more than those that don’t. No mystery here.

Now, what do we do about it? We ask the community leaders where parents and children don’t value education to lead or get out of the way. We hold people accountable. Those schools producing results should maintain current levels of funding; those that don’t should lose funding until results are achieved. Schools still not producing should continue to lose funding until they hit the same average per pupil spending as non-Abbott schools.

More money and ever more expensive school facilities are not the answer. The education industry was used the more money “for the children” to silence the average person through guilt, preventing most from saying enough is enough. Politicians have been happy to indulge this special interest group – the education industry - to buy votes and achieve political power.

Student performance directly tied to funding is the incentive needed to bring about the changes so desperately needed. Now who will step up to lead?

Saturday's Insight

2005-06-18T09:34:00.000-05:00

Democrats: Long On Blame; Short on Memory - After two days of trying to get me to download a virus (you get me once, shame on you -- twice, shame on me. It's not going to happen again, fellas and gals), some of my Lib "friends" are now blitzing me with Emails about how President Bush lied and got us into war. Never mind the terrorists hit us first; never mind that every Democrat on the planet was as fooled as the Republicans by the intelligence about WMDs (which turned out to be there after all); never mind that the Democrats were begging the President to go to war. So I'm going to treat you to a list of things prominent Democrats said before we went to war in Iraq. Read More >>

Help Catch a Killer - You may remember the story of SPC Jorge Estrada, who was murdered by a coward while home on leave from Iraq for the birth of his daughter. Fabian Urrea, the man who killed him, is still free. Read More >>>

No Protection for Children - A 10-year-old autistic boy was preyed upon by a sexual predator and subsequently molested. So why is his family being questioned and looked at with suspicion by the authorities involved? Why are they not doing their job and working to assure that this never happened to another child in a similar situation? Why are the authorities not working to rectify this incident? Florida-- What is going on?!?!?Read More >>>

Bye Bye Byrdie

2005-06-10T15:43:00.000-05:00

Here’s good news to the cause of good government. West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, styled by partisan Democrats as the “conscience of the Senate” and by those who are less biased as the last troglodyte in the body, could be defeated in his bid for his umpteenth term in the Senate. He’s up for election in 2006, and the latest polling in West Virginia indicates that an attack of sanity and judgment may, at last, be hitting an electorate that has routinely elected the 87-year-old Byrd to the Senate eight times with never less than 59 percent of the vote Full Article.

Friday's Insight

2005-06-10T07:04:00.000-05:00

Thursday's Insight

2005-06-09T07:02:00.000-05:00

Voting is now open for Greatest American. - Voting is now open for the Greatest American. Make your voice known. As a matter of fact I urge you to copy and paste this piece into an email and send it to everyone on your mailing list!! Vote for your favorite from the top 25 finalists on the Web at AOL, via a toll-free phone call, or by text messaging. The Top 5 vote getters will be unveiled on Discovery Channel on Sunday, June 19, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Read More >>>

D Stands for Democrat - The mantra of the Democrats has been, "We're smarter than you!" The media and his "supporters" painted John Kerry as an intellectual elite northern liberal and President Bush was the dumb southern redneck. Kerry's grades from Yale were finally released, however, and it trumps all the Democrats have said for the past 5 years. Read More >>

Closing the Book on Mark Felts - No wonder he went undercover. And no wonder he denied his duplicity for so many years. Mark Felts was a convicted felon. He was convicted for authorizing illegal break-ins at homes in 1972 of people associated with the radical Weather Underground movement--the very kind of crime he exposed as "Deep Throat." Read More >>>

Tuesday's Insights

2005-06-07T12:27:00.000-05:00

Monday's Insights

2005-06-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

AL-ZARQAWI is dead? - Adnkronos International is reporting that Al-Zarqawi died last friday. If he truly has died from a US Attack he will go down in history as a hero to extremists. Will his death cause a rise in violence in the Middle East? Should we be happy he is dead? Should we be sorry that we didn't get to try him as a mass murderer? Should we be worried about what his death will do to the Middle East? Read More >>>

All Jihad, All the Time! Just No Disturbing Sheep Images, Please! - This is really a good one. Apparently it's haram (i.e, it ain't kosher) to kill an animal (in this case a sheep) in any torturous and painful way, but it's perfectly halal (i.e., okie-dokie) to go around lopping people's heads off. Don't ask me, ask the kooks at Al-Jazeera. Read More >>

Three Liberals Walked Into A Bar - As a hobby I enjoy surfing the web for sites that give me something to write about and tonight I found just that. Democrats.com is full of lovely blog posts, including the one I found entitled "The Conservatism Disease." Despite all the grammatical and spelling errors, it was... well... typical. Read More >>>

GOP Insight

2005-06-05T14:59:00.000-05:00

Who is "The Greatest American"? - On Sunday, June 5th, Discovery Channel?s Greatest American show will start presenting the 100 nominees who were nominated by America. The show will air every Sunday in June and after the first airing Americans across the country will be able to place their vote for who should be selected the Greatest American of all. Read More >>

The WMDs WERE There! - It looks like the US has every reason to be afraid -- VERY afraid. Seems the UN has been doing a little spying on activities in Iraq without our knowledge (what are friends for, anyway?) and they're able to pinpoint, to some degree at least, where the weapons were. But not what happened to them -- although they can guess. Read More >>>

Howard Dean Doesn't Work For A Living Either - I guess when your job title is "Chairman of the Democratic National Committee" you have a right to be bitter. Dean remarked that Republicans don't work for a living but because I deal in reality, I beg to differ with him. Read More >>>

Bush's Benefit Increase

2005-04-30T10:30:00.000-05:00

Only In American

2005-04-26T14:42:00.000-05:00

The Blue States Conservatives has a post by USMC-Vet about a Los Angeles Hispanic television station that has put up this billboard along a California freeway. As you’ll note, the ad touts Noticias 62 as being broadcast from Los Angeles, Mex ico.

USMC-Vet, a resident of “the People’s Republic of New Jersey”, does a great job of explaining the import of the billboard and the story behind this brazen marketing program. A veteran of the Gulf war, you can also find the Vet posting over at The Word Unheard.

Meanwhile, Democrat Senator from Massachusetts Teddy Kennedy is commemorating the first anniversary of the Abu Ghraib scandal. And as the WSJ, Best of the Web would add - Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.

And speaking of the WSJ, Best of the Web:

More than 700 people joined religious leaders and Democratic politicians at two rallies yesterday to denounce Christian conservatives' use of a Louisville church as a platform to advocate prohibiting filibusters against judicial nominees.
Speakers called both the assault on filibusters and the injection of religion into politics "un-American" threats to religious freedom and to constitutional checks and balances.
The larger of the two rallies, designed to counter a telecast from Highview Baptist Church last night, took place at Central Presbyterian Church near downtown Louisville.

Cross posted on Enlighten-NewJersey.

Social Security - Get With The Program

2005-04-04T23:33:00.000-05:00

Runaway Spending

2005-04-02T17:08:00.000-05:00

Social Security Debate Begins

2005-02-03T12:17:00.000-05:00

To help educate the public about the President's Social Security plan, the RNC has launched a new Web site: www.preservingsocialsecurity.com. This web site is to provide up-to-date news, facts and ways for people to get involved in the debate.

President Bush - State Of The Union Address

2005-02-02T23:21:00.000-05:00

Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, fellow citizens:

As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of government share a great privilege: we have been placed in office by the votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege we share with newly elected leaders of Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Ukraine, and a free and sovereign Iraq.

Two weeks ago, I stood on the steps of this Capitol and renewed the commitment of our Nation to the guiding ideal of liberty for all. This evening I will set forth policies to advance that ideal at home and around the world.

Tonight, with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans going back to work, with our Nation an active force for good in the world — the state of our union is confident and strong. Our generation has been blessed — by the expansion of opportunity, by advances in medicine, and by the security purchased by our parents' sacrifice. Now, as we see a little gray in the mirror — or a lot of gray — and we watch our children moving into adulthood, we ask the question: What will be the state of their union?

Members of Congress, the choices we make together will answer that question. Over the next several months, on issue after issue, let us do what Americans have always done, and build a better world for our children and grandchildren.

First, we must be good stewards of this economy, and renew the great institutions on which millions of our fellow citizens rely.

America's economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized nation. In the past four years, we have provided tax relief to every person who pays income taxes, overcome a recession, opened up new markets abroad, prosecuted corporate criminals, raised homeownership to the highest level in history, and in the last year alone, the United States has added 2.3 million new jobs. When action was needed, the Congress delivered — and the Nation is grateful.

Now we must add to these achievements. By making our economy more flexible, more innovative, and more competitive, we will keep America the economic leader of the world.

America's prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite of the federal government. I welcome the bipartisan enthusiasm for spending discipline. So next week I will send you a budget that holds the growth of discretionary spending below inflation, makes tax relief permanent, and stays on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009. My budget substantially reduces or eliminates more than 150 government programs that are not getting results, or duplicate current efforts, or do not fulfill essential priorities. The principle here is clear: a taxpayer dollar must be spent wisely, or not at all.

To make our economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a rising generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher, test scores are on the rise, and we are closing the achievement gap for minority students. Now we must demand better results from our high schools, so every high school diploma is a ticket to success. We will help an additional 200,000 workers to get training for a better career, by reforming our job training system and strengthening America's community colleges. And we will make it easier for Americans to afford a college education, by increasing the size of Pell Grants.

To make our economy stronger and more competitive, America must reward, not punish, the efforts and dreams of entrepreneurs. Small business is the path of advancement, especially for women and minorities, so we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits. Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back, by irresponsible class actions and frivolous asbestos claims — and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms this year.

To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make health care more affordable, and give families greater access to good coverage, and more control over their health decisions. I ask Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health care agenda — with tax credits to help low-income workers buy insurance, a community health center in every poor county, improved information technology to prevent medical errors and needless costs, association health plans for small businesses and their employees, expanded health savings accounts, and medical liability reform that will reduce health care costs, and make sure patients have the doctors and care they need.

To keep our economy growing, we also need reliable supplies of affordable, environmentally responsible energy. Nearly four years ago, I submitted a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages conservation, alternative sources, a modernized electricity grid, and more production here at home, including safe, clean nuclear energy. My Clear Skies legislation will cut power plant pollution and improve the health of our citizens. And my budget provides strong funding for leading-edge technology — from hydrogen-fueled cars, to clean coal, to renewable sources such as ethanol. Four years of debate is enough — I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy.

All these proposals are essential to expand this economy and add new jobs — but they are just the beginning of our duty. To build the prosperity of future generations, we must update institutions that were created to meet the needs of an earlier time. Year after year, Americans are burdened by an archaic, incoherent federal tax code. I have appointed a bipartisan panel to examine the tax code from top to bottom. And when their recommendations are delivered, you and I will work together to give this Nation a tax code that is pro-growth, easy to understand, and fair to all.

America's immigration system is also outdated — unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country. We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people who want only to provide for their families, and deny businesses willing workers, and invite chaos at our border. It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists.

One of America's most important institutions — a symbol of the trust between generations — is also in need of wise and effective reform. Social Security was a great moral success of the 20th Century, and we must honor its great purposes in this new century. The system, however, on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join together to strengthen and save Social Security.

Today, more than 45 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, and millions more are nearing retirement — and for them the system is strong and fiscally sound. I have a message for every American who is 55 or older: Do not let anyone mislead you. For you, the Social Security system will not change in any way.

For younger workers, the Social Security system has serious problems that will grow worse with time. Social Security was created decades ago, for a very different era. In those days people didn't live as long, benefits were much lower than they are today, and a half century ago, about 16 workers paid into the system for each person drawing benefits. Our society has changed in ways the founders of Social Security could not have foreseen. In today's world, people are living longer and therefore drawing benefits longer — and those benefits are scheduled to rise dramatically over the next few decades. And instead of 16 workers paying in for every beneficiary, right now it's only about three workers — and over the next few decades, that number will fall to just two workers per beneficiary. With each passing year, fewer workers are paying ever-higher benefits to an ever-larger number of retirees.

So here is the result: Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before. For example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to come up with an extra 200 billion dollars to keep the system afloat — and by 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than 300 billion dollars. By the year 2042, the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If steps are not taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be drastically higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government programs.

I recognize that 2018 and 2042 may seem like a long way off. But those dates are not so distant, as any parent will tell you. If you have a 5-year-old, you're already concerned about how you'll pay for college tuition 13 years down the road. If you've got children in their 20s, as some of us do, the idea of Social Security collapsing before they retire does not seem like a small matter. And it should not be a small matter to the United States Congress.

You and I share a responsibility. We must pass reforms that solve the financial problems of Social Security once and for all.

Fixing Social Security permanently will require an open, candid review of the options. Some have suggested limiting benefits for wealthy retirees. Former Congressman Tim Penny has raised the possibility of indexing benefits to prices rather than wages. During the 1990s, my predecessor, President Clinton, spoke of increasing the retirement age. Former Senator John Breaux suggested discouraging early collection of Social Security benefits. The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan recommended changing the way benefits are calculated.

All these ideas are on the table. I know that none of these reforms would be easy. But we have to move ahead with courage and honesty, because our children's retirement security is more important than partisan politics. I will work with members of Congress to find the most effective combination of reforms. I will listen to anyone who has a good idea to offer. We must, however, be guided by some basic principles. We must make Social Security permanently sound, not leave that task for another day. We must not jeopardize our economic strength by increasing payroll taxes. We must ensure that lower income Americans get the help they need to have dignity and peace of mind in their retirement. We must guarantee that there is no change for those now retired or nearing retirement. And we must take care that any changes in the system are gradual, so younger workers have years to prepare and plan for their future.

As we fix Social Security, we also have the responsibility to make the system a better deal for younger workers.And the best way to reach that goal is through voluntary personal retirement accounts. Here is how the idea works. Right now, a set portion of the money you earn is taken out of your paycheck to pay for the Social Security benefits of today's retirees. If you are a younger worker, I believe you should be able to set aside part of that money in your own retirement account, so you can build a nest egg for your own future.

Here is why personal accounts are a better deal. Your money will grow, over time, at a greater rate than anything the current system can deliver — and your account will provide money for retirement over and above the check you will receive from Social Security. In addition, you'll be able to pass along the money that accumulates in your personal account, if you wish, to your children or grandchildren. And best of all, the money in the account is yours, and the government can never take it away.

The goal here is greater security in retirement, so we will set careful guidelines for personal accounts. We will make sure the money can only go into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds. We will make sure that your earnings are not eaten up by hidden Wall Street fees. We will make sure there are good options to protect your investments from sudden market swings on the eve of your retirement. We will make sure a personal account can't be emptied out all at once, but rather paid out over time, as an addition to traditional Social Security benefits. And we will make sure this plan is fiscally responsible, by starting personal retirement accounts gradually, and raising the yearly limits on contributions over time, eventually permitting all workers to set aside four percentage points of their payroll taxes in their accounts.

Personal retirement accounts should be familiar to federal employees, because you already have something similar, called the Thrift Savings Plan, which lets workers deposit a portion of their paychecks into any of five different broadly based investment funds. It is time to extend the same security, and choice, and ownership to young Americans.

Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is to honor and to pass along the values that sustain a free society. So many of my generation, after a long journey, have come home to family and faith, and are determined to bring up responsible, moral children. Government is not the source of these values, but government should never undermine them.

Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.

Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research can help us reach that goal, by developing treatments and cures that save lives and help people overcome disabilities — and I thank Congress for doubling the funding of the National Institutes of Health. To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit of others. We should all be able to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a commodity. America will continue to lead the world in medical research that is ambitious, aggressive, and always ethical.

Because courts must always deliver impartial justice, judges have a duty to faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. As President, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate men and women who understand the role of courts in our democracy, and are well qualified to serve on the bench — and I have done so. The Constitution also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial nominee deserves an up-or-down vote.

Because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we must never turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the opportunities of America. Our government will continue to support faith-based and community groups that bring hope to harsh places. Now we need to focus on giving young people, especially young men in our cities, better options than apathy, or gangs, or jail. Tonight I propose a three-year initiative to help organizations keep young people out of gangs, and show young men an ideal of manhood that respects women and rejects violence. Taking on gang life will be one part of a broader outreach to at-risk youth, which involves parents and pastors, coaches and community leaders, in programs ranging from literacy to sports. And I am proud that the leader of this nationwide effort will be our First Lady, Laura Bush.

Because HIV/AIDS brings suffering and fear into so many lives, I ask you to reauthorize the Ryan White Act to encourage prevention, and provide care and treatment to the victims of that disease. And as we update this important law, we must focus our efforts on fellow citizens with the highest rates of new cases, African-American men and women.

Because one of the main sources of our national unity is our belief in equal justice, we need to make sure Americans of all races and backgrounds have confidence in the system that provides justice. In America we must make doubly sure no person is held to account for a crime he or she did not commit — so we are dramatically expanding the use of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction. Soon I will send to Congress a proposal to fund special training for defense counsel in capital cases, because people on trial for their lives must have competent lawyers by their side.

Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an America that is safe from danger, and protected by peace. We will pass along to our children all the freedoms we enjoy — and chief among them is freedom from fear.

In the three and a half years since September 11th, 2001, we have taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans. We have created a new department of government to defend our homeland, focused the FBI on preventing terrorism, begun to reform our intelligence agencies, broken up terror cells across the country, expanded research on defenses against biological and chemical attack, improved border security, and trained more than a half million first responders. Police and firefighters, air marshals, researchers, and so many others are working every day to make our homeland safer, and we thank them all.

Our Nation, working with allies and friends, has also confronted the enemy abroad, with measures that are determined, successful, and continuing. The Al Qaeda terror network that attacked our country still has leaders — but many of its top commanders have been removed. There are still governments that sponsor and harbor terrorists — but their number has declined. There are still regimes seeking weapons of mass destruction — but no longer without attention and without consequence. Our country is still the target of terrorists who want to kill many, and intimidate us all — and we will stay on the offensive against them, until the fight is won.

Pursuing our enemies is a vital commitment of the War on Terror — and I thank the Congress for providing our servicemen and women with the resources they have needed. During this time of war, we must continue to support our military and give them the tools for victory.

Other nations around the globe have stood with us.In Afghanistan, an international force is helping provide security. In Iraq, 28 countries have troops on the ground, the United Nations and the European Union provided technical assistance for elections, and NATO is leading a mission to help train Iraqi officers. We are cooperating with 60 governments in the Proliferation Security Initiative, to detect and stop the transit of dangerous materials. We are working closely with governments in Asia to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and nine other countries have captured or detained Al Qaeda terrorists. In the next four years, my Administration will continue to build the coalitions that will defeat the dangers of our time.

In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder. If whole regions of the world remain in despair and grow in hatred, they will be the recruiting grounds for terror, and that terror will stalk America and other free nations for decades. The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom. Our enemies know this, and that is why the terrorist Zarqawi recently declared war on what he called the "evil principle" of democracy. And we have declared our own intention: America will stand with the allies of freedom to support democratic movements in the Middle East and beyond, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else. That is one of the main differences between us and our enemies. They seek to impose and expand an empire of oppression, in which a tiny group of brutal, self-appointed rulers control every aspect of every life. Our aim is to build and preserve a community of free and independent nations, with governments that answer to their citizens, and reflect their own cultures. And because democracies respect their own people and their neighbors, the advance of freedom will lead to peace.

That advance has great momentum in our time — shown by women voting in Afghanistan, and Palestinians choosing a new direction, and the people of Ukraine asserting their democratic rights and electing a president. We are witnessing landmark events in the history of liberty. And in the coming years, we will add to that story.

The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian territories are showing the power of freedom to break old patterns of violence and failure. Tomorrow morning, Secretary of State Rice departs on a trip that will take her to Israel and the West Bank for meetings with Prime Minister Sharon and President Abbas. She will discuss with them how we and our friends can help the Palestinian people end terror and build the institutions of a peaceful, independent democratic state. To promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for 350 million dollars to support Palestinian political, economic, and security reforms. The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach — and America will help them achieve that goal.

To promote peace and stability in the broader Middle East, the United States will work with our friends in the region to fight the common threat of terror, while we encourage a higher standard of freedom. Hopeful reform is already taking hold in an arc from Morocco to Jordan to Bahrain. The government of Saudi Arabia can demonstrate its leadership in the region by expanding the role of its people in determining their future. And the great and proud nation of Egypt, which showed the way toward peace in the Middle East, can now show the way toward democracy in the Middle East.

To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder. Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region. You have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian Accountability Act — and we expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom. Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror — pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium re-processing, and end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.

Our generational commitment to the advance of freedom, especially in the Middle East, is now being tested and honored in Iraq. That country is a vital front in the War on Terror, which is why the terrorists have chosen to make a stand there. Our men and women in uniform are fighting terrorists in Iraq, so we do not have to face them here at home. And the victory of freedom in Iraq will strengthen a new ally in the War on Terror, inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran, bring more hope and progress to a troubled region, and thereby lift a terrible threat from the lives of our children and grandchildren.

We will succeed because the Iraqi people value their own liberty — as they showed the world last Sunday. Across Iraq, often at great risk, millions of citizens went to the polls and elected 275 men and women to represent them in a new Transitional National Assembly. A young woman in Baghdad told of waking to the sound of mortar fire on election day, and wondering if it might be too dangerous to vote. She said, "hearing those explosions, it occurred to me — the insurgents are weak, they are afraid of democracy, they are losing. … So I got my husband, and I got my parents, and we all came out and voted together." Americans recognize that spirit of liberty, because we share it. In any nation, casting your vote is an act of civic responsibility; for millions of Iraqis, it was also an act of personal courage, and they have earned the respect of us all.

One of Iraq's leading democracy and human rights advocates is Safia Taleb al-Suhail. She says of her country, "we were occupied for 35 years by Saddam Hussein. That was the real occupation. … Thank you to the American people who paid the cost … but most of all to the soldiers." Eleven years ago, Safia's father was assassinated by Saddam's intelligence service. Three days ago in Baghdad, Safia was finally able to vote for the leaders of her country — and we are honored that she is with us tonight.

The terrorists and insurgents are violently opposed to democracy, and will continue to attack it. Yet the terrorists' most powerful myth is being destroyed. The whole world is seeing that the car bombers and assassins are not only fighting coalition forces, they are trying to destroy the hopes of Iraqis, expressed in free elections. And the whole world now knows that a small group of extremists will not overturn the will of the Iraqi people.

We will succeed in Iraq because Iraqis are determined to fight for their own freedom, and to write their own history. As Prime Minister Allawi said in his speech to Congress last September, "Ordinary Iraqis are anxious … to shoulder all the security burdens of our country as quickly as possible." This is the natural desire of an independent nation, and it also is the stated mission of our coalition in Iraq. The new political situation in Iraq opens a new phase of our work in that country. At the recommendation of our commanders on the ground, and in consultation with the Iraqi government, we will increasingly focus our efforts on helping prepare more capable Iraqi security forces — forces with skilled officers, and an effective command structure. As those forces become more self-reliant and take on greater security responsibilities, America and its coalition partners will increasingly be in a supporting role. In the end, Iraqis must be able to defend their own country — and we will help that proud, new nation secure its liberty.

Recently an Iraqi interpreter said to a reporter, "Tell America not to abandon us." He and all Iraqis can be certain: While our military strategy is adapting to circumstances, our commitment remains firm and unchanging. We are standing for the freedom of our Iraqi friends, and freedom in Iraq will make America safer for generations to come. We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out. We are in Iraq to achieve a result: A country that is democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbors, and able to defend itself. And when that result is achieved, our men and women serving in Iraq will return home with the honor they have earned.

Right now, Americans in uniform are serving at posts across the world, often taking great risks on my orders. We have given them training and equipment; and they have given us an example of idealism and character that makes every American proud. The volunteers of our military are unrelenting in battle, unwavering in loyalty, unmatched in honor and decency, and every day they are making our nation more secure. Some of our servicemen and women have survived terrible injuries, and this grateful country will do everything we can to help them recover. And we have said farewell to some very good men and women, who died for our freedom, and whose memory this nation will honor forever.

One name we honor is Marine Corps Sergeant Byron Norwood of Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the assault on Fallujah. His mom, Janet, sent me a letter and told me how much Byron loved being a Marine, and how proud he was to be on the front line against terror. She wrote, "When Byron was home the last time, I said that I wanted to protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged me and said: ‘You've done your job, mom. Now it's my turn to protect you.'" Ladies and gentlemen, with grateful hearts, we honor freedom's defenders, and our military families, represented here this evening by Sergeant Norwood's mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood.

In these four years, Americans have seen the unfolding of large events. We have known times of sorrow, and hours of uncertainty, and days of victory. In all this history, even when we have disagreed, we have seen threads of purpose that unite us. The attack on freedom in our world has reaffirmed our confidence in freedom's power to change the world. We are all part of a great venture: To extend the promise of freedom in our country, to renew the values that sustain our liberty, and to spread the peace that freedom brings.

As Franklin Roosevelt once reminded Americans, "each age is a dream that is dying, or one that is coming to birth." And we live in the country where the biggest dreams are born. The abolition of slavery was only a dream — until it was fulfilled. The liberation of Europe from fascism was only a dream — until it was achieved. The fall of imperial communism was only a dream — until, one day, it was accomplished. Our generation has dreams of its own, and we also go forward with confidence. The road of Providence is uneven and unpredictable — yet we know where it leads: It leads to freedom.

Thank you, and may God bless America.

Downsides to Blogging

2005-02-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

Instapudit says "there are two downsides to blogging. One is that it can fill up your time, one five-minute chunk after another. The other -- much worse -- is that it forces you to pay attention to the news, which is usually depressing, infuriating, or frightening, or some combination of all three."

We've had the same thoughts. Then we think maybe the news is more depressing, infuriating and frightening than needs be, because people don't pay enough attention to the news and take action to make things better. So, for at least the time being we will keep blogging. If nothing else, we're learning a lot.

Maybe There Is Hope After All

2005-02-01T13:03:00.000-05:00

It’s nice to find a journalist with an open mind. Excerpts below from Mark Brown’s Sun-Times column - What if Bush Has Been Right About Iraq All Along? Read the whole piece, it has a surprise ending.

Maybe you're like me and have opposed the Iraq war since before the shooting started -- not to the point of joining any peace protests, but at least letting people know where you stood.

You didn't change your mind when our troops swept quickly into Baghdad or when you saw the rabble that celebrated the toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue, figuring that little had been accomplished and that the tough job still lay ahead.

Despite your misgivings, you didn't demand the troops be brought home immediately afterward, believing the United States must at least try to finish what it started to avoid even greater bloodshed. And while you cheered Saddam's capture, you couldn't help but thinking I-told-you-so in the months that followed as the violence continued to spread and the death toll mounted.

By now, you might have even voted against George Bush -- a second time -- to register your disapproval.

But after watching Sunday's election in Iraq and seeing the first clear sign that freedom really may mean something to the Iraqi people, you have to be asking yourself: What if it turns out Bush was right, and we were wrong?

It's hard to swallow, isn't it?

You’ve Had Your Say, Now Sit Down

2005-02-01T09:46:00.000-05:00

Howard Dean, stumping in New York to be the Head of the Democratic National Committee, had this to say:

"I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for, but I admire their discipline and their organization.”

Well, we don’t like your tone Dr. Dean, you’ve had your say, now shut up and sit down!

The Democrats dodged a bullet when they wisely passed on Dean as their Presidential nominee last year. But we are beginning to believe they have a death wish. Hate and anger drove the Dean Presidential campaign in 2004 and in part John Kerry’s. And we see how well that worked. What makes them think it will work any better this go around? Declaring your hate for about half of your fellow citizens may turn off more than a few people.

Can you imagine a Republican leader making a similar remark – I hate the Democrats and everything they stand for? We can’t. The closest we can imagine is a Republican leader saying, I hate the terrorists and everything they stand for. Now be honest, don’t we have a good point?

While we’re on the subject, conventional wisdom has been that Dean lost his primary bid because of his “I have a Scream Speech”. We disagree. Dean lost the Iowa caucuses and then made the infamous speech. Had he won Iowa, we believe we would have taken New Hampshire. Dean lost Iowa because of his arrogant and angry demeanor and the tipping point in Iowa came with his “you sit down” rant.

A Not So Sober Justice

2005-02-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

Alice Robie Resnick, a state Supreme Court Justice was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence after several motorists called to report an erratic driver on an interstate.

Resnick failed field sobriety tests and had her driver's license automatically suspended because she refused to take a blood-alcohol content test. Resnick has been a justice since 1989 and is the court's only Democrat.

Yes, we know it can happen in the best of political parties. But it just seems as though the Democrats have more than their fair share.

Leading Democrat Claims Social Security In Crisis – Calls For Private Sector Investment

2005-01-31T17:13:00.000-05:00

With the number of elderly Americans set to double by 2030, the baby boom will become a "senior boom." So first and above all, we must save Social Security for the 21st century.

Today, Social Security is strong. But by 2013, payroll taxes will no longer be sufficient to cover monthly payments. And by 2032, the trust fund will be exhausted, and Social Security will be unable to pay out the full benefits older Americans have been promised.

The best way to keep Social Security a rock-solid guarantee is not to make drastic cuts in benefits; not to raise payroll tax rates; and not to drain resources from Social Security in the name of saving it.

Specifically, I propose that we commit 60 percent of the budget surplus for the next 15 years to Social Security, investing a small portion in the private sector just as any private or state government pension would do. This will earn a higher return and keep Social Security sound for 55 years.

Now, these changes will require difficult but fully achievable choices over and above the dedication of the surplus. They must be made on a bipartisan basis. They should be made this year. So let me say to you tonight, I reach out my hand to all of you in both houses and both parties and ask that we join together in saying to the American people: We will save Social Security now.

Who are we quoting - Bill Clinton – State of the Union Speech - January 19, 1999

Did you hear the Democrats and their fellow travelers calling Bill Clinton a liar when he said Social Security needed to be saved? Or that he was just paying off his wealthy Wall Street friends when he suggested a portion of Social Security funds be invested in the private sector?

No of course not. There is a difference of course – Clinton’s idea would have given the government ownership and control of the private sector Social Security investments and any tax surplus. President Bush’s idea would give the taxpayers ownership and control of the money. Loss of government power and control over taxpayer money is something the Democrats can not tolerate.

As the Democrats fight President Bush on Social Security reform, launch campaigns to scare seniors into believing their benefits will be cut and younger workers that the risky scheme will leave them destitute in old age, ask yourself, who are they fighting for? Are they fighting for you or for the government?

Democrats Use Public Employees To Sir Up Fear Over Social Security

2005-01-31T15:20:00.000-05:00

Enlighten-New Jersey has a post Stirring Up Fear Over Social Security that has two interesting stories to tell:

The first is about a taped telephone message one of their readers received explaining that their congressman supported the President’s Social Security reform plan that would cost taxpayers $2 Trillion and cut future benefits by 47%. The call recipient was given a toll free number to call their congressman to complain about his support for the plan. The number was not in operation, but was traced back to the American Federation of Teachers.

The second tells about a Social Security claims representative from Seattle that recently testified before an all-Democrat Senate panel. The SS claims representative stated that SSA employees have been told that Social Security is in a crisis that only private accounts can salvage. He said the employees "have been directed to share this message with the public at every opportunity." He said: "I do not believe it is proper for public funds or public employees to be used to stir up fear" and push the White House agenda.

The President has not put forward a Social Security reform plan and has only spoken of allowing younger workers to put a portion of their SS taxes into private accounts. This is not a plan, it is an idea. It’s impossible to cost out or determine benefit reductions without knowing the scope and details of an actual Social Security reform plan. So the scare campaign by the public school teachers union is bogus.

Social Security Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart said in a statement, "I have never, nor will I ever, ask or direct Social Security employees to promote or advance any specific proposal for Social Security reform." So you can make what you will of the guy from Seattle’s story.

Amazing isn’t it, the Dems had to spend taxpayer money to bring in someone from Seattle to make their point. If SSA employees had been directed to share the “Social Security is in crisis and only private accounts can save it” message, couldn’t the Senate Democrats have found someone say, in D.C. to testify?

We agree, public employees are being used to stir up fear and push an agenda - the agenda of public employee unions and the Democrats.

Enlightened? We don’t Think So

2005-01-31T10:28:00.000-05:00

Ah, Europe is so enlightened compared to the United States. At least that’s what we hear from our “elite” fellow citizens and our European “friends.” This despite our best efforts to turn that problem around.- Enlighten-America blog and all.

Well, we may need to rethink this enlighten bit, if this is what it means. Enlightened, we don’t think so. Just another example of government control taken to the absurd.

We Almost Agree With Ramsey Clark On One Point

2005-01-30T19:35:00.000-05:00

When news reporters are dismissive or derogatory about a left-winger, you know they must really be out there. Especially when it deals with the United States and Iraq.

The news, when it found its way back to the United States, caused something of a stir. A few news reports were inquisitive — and some were skeptical — but most were simply dismissive or derogatory. "There goes Ramsey Clark again," they seemed to say. "Isn't it a shame? He used to be attorney general of the United States and now look at what he's doing."

We can’t say we have ever found ourselves in agreement with Ramsey Clark on anything before, but in this one part of his Iraqi Dictator Has Been Demonized column, he nearly nails our opinion.

However, we would have said: Isn’t it disgusting? He used to be attorney general of the United States and now look at what he's doing - defending evil incarnate and comparing the leaders of the United States to the Butcher of Baghdad.

Think we are being a bit hash, see the excepts below or the entire column here.

The United States, and the Bush administration in particular, engineered the demonization of Saddam, and it has a clear political interest in his conviction. Obviously, a fair trial of Saddam will be difficult to ensure — and critically important to the future of democracy in Iraq. This trial will write history, affect the course of violence around the world and have an impact on hopes for reconciliation within Iraq.
Saddam has been held illegally for more than a year without once meeting a family member, friend or lawyer of his choice. Although the world has seen him time and again on television — disheveled, apparently disoriented with someone prying deep into his mouth and later alone before some unseen judge — he has been cut off from all communications with the outside world and surrounded by the same U.S. military that mistreated prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay.
The United States has destroyed any hope of legitimacy, fairness or even decency by its treatment of the former president and its creation of the Iraqi Special Tribunal to try him.
Finally, any court that considers criminal charges against Saddam Hussein must have the power and the mandate to consider charges against leaders and military personnel of the United States, Britain and the other nations that participated in the aggression against Iraq, if equal justice under law is to have meaning.

Kerry “Over-Hyped” – Not Iraqi Elections

2005-01-30T12:19:00.000-05:00

Some came on crutches, others walked for miles then struggled to read the ballot, but across Iraq, millions turned out to vote Sunday, defying insurgents who threatened a bloodbath.

But Senator John Kerry (D-MA), in an interview on NBC's Meet The Press said "It is hard to say that something is legitimate when whole portions of the country can't vote and doesn't vote. No one in the United States should try to over-hype this election. I believe the world is less safe today than it was two and a half years ago.”

PoliPundit asks “Why is this guy on Meet the Press? He’s the losing presidential candidate.” Why indeed. He has nothing to offer but negativity. Even George Soros who spent $26 Million dollars to help elect Kerry says “Kerry did not, actually, offer a credible and coherent alternative.'' So when his biggest financial backer doesn’t think he is credible or coherent, why should anyone care to hear his pessimism and his failed campaign rhetoric? We think Kerry is “over-hyped” and the majority of the American people thought so too.

Now on to the good news from the Reuters report about the Iraqi election.

Baghdad's mayor was overcome with emotion by the turnout of voters at City Hall, where he said thousands were celebrating. “I cannot describe what I am seeing. It is incredible. This is a vote for the future, for the children, for the rule of law, for humanity, for love," Alaa al-Tamimi told Reuters.
Western Baghdad polling stations were busy, with long queues of voters. In Sadr City, a poor Shi'ite neighborhood of northeast Baghdad, thick lines of voters turned out, women in black abaya robes in one line, men in another.
In the so-called "triangle of death," a hotbed of Sunni insurgency south of Baghdad, turnout was solid. In Baquba, a rebellious city northeast of Baghdad, spirited crowds clapped and cheered.
In the shrine city of Najaf in the Shi'ite heartland, hundreds of people walked calmly to polling stations. "This is a wedding for all Iraqis. I congratulate all Iraqis on their newfound freedom and democracy," said Jaida Hamza, dressed in a black Islamic veil that also hid her face.
In mainly Shi'ite Basra, Iraq's second biggest city, hundreds of voters queued patiently at polling centers. "I am not afraid," said Samir Khalil Ibrahim. "This is like a festival for all Iraqis, smiling after he voted.
In Mosul, scene of some of the worst insurgent attacks in recent months, U.S. and local officials said turnout was surprisingly high. One of the first to vote was President Ghazi al-Yawar, a Sunni Muslim Arab with a large tribal following, who cast his ballot inside Baghdad's fortress-like Green Zone. "Thanks be to God," he told reporters, emerging from the booth with his right index finger stained with bright blue ink to show he had voted. "I hope everyone will go out and vote."
In Falluja, the Sunni city west of Baghdad that was a militant stronghold until a U.S. assault in November, a steady stream of people turned out, confounding expectations. Lines of veiled women clutching their papers waited to vote. "We want to be like other Iraqis, we don't want to always be in opposition," said Ahmed Jassim.

Australian PM Howard Defends U.S.

2005-01-30T10:43:00.000-05:00

The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard lashed out at "old Europe", describing criticism of the U.S. as "unfair and irrational", as global tensions grow over the Iraq war and free trade.

During a vigorous panel debate on U.S. global relations at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, several European officials attacked President George W. Bush's Iraq policy, but Mr Howard stood up to defend his ally.

Good on ‘em!

Shoulder-Fired Missile Sting In Nicaragua

2005-01-27T01:15:00.000-05:00

Nicaraguan police, with U.S. assistance in a sting operation, thwarted black marketeers trying to sell SA-7 shoulder-fired missiles capable of downing commercial aircraft earlier this month, raising fears that some missiles already have been sold to terrorists. U.S. officials think the missiles are being provided by elements of the Nicaraguan military.

The sting has sounded alarm bells through the Bush administration for a number of reasons. The arrested men thought they were selling missiles to terrorists in Colombia and were willing to sell to Islamic terrorists.

Also, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in November had won what he believed was a firm agreement from Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos to destroy about 1,000 remaining SA-7s. Some in the Bush administration now suspect the military is double-crossing Mr. Bolanos.

NYT: Freedom Doesn't The Bills

2005-01-24T15:12:00.000-05:00

Our sister blog, Enlighten-New Jersey has a funny spoof on this nutty New York Times column. Here

Is it just us or does Joyce Purnick’s column in today’s Metro section of the New York Times make absolutely no sense? The column begins with these two paragraphs:

In his inaugural address on Thursday, President Bush repeatedly invoked freedom and liberty, telling his fellow citizens that spreading liberty around the world was "the calling of our time."

The more direct needs of people back home got five presidential sentences. Mr. Bush never spoke about, say, the freedom of knowing that the rent will be paid, that the refrigerator will be full, that car payments or a round-trip subway ride won't be a burden. Health insurance got merely a glancing reference.

President Bush - Inaugural Address 2005

2005-01-20T14:57:00.000-05:00

Vice President Cheney, Mr. Chief Justice, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, fellow citizens:

On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed.

At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical - and then there came a day of fire.

We have seen our vulnerability - and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny - prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder - violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat. There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.

We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.

America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation's security, and the calling of our time.

So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

This is not primarily the task of arms, though we will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary. Freedom, by its nature, must be chosen, and defended by citizens, and sustained by the rule of law and the protection of minorities. And when the soul of a nation finally speaks, the institutions that arise may reflect customs and traditions very different from our own. America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way.

The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations. The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it. America's influence is not unlimited, but fortunately for the oppressed, America's influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom's cause.

My most solemn duty is to protect this nation and its people against further attacks and emerging threats. Some have unwisely chosen to test America's resolve, and have found it firm.

We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: The moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies.

We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people. America's belief in human dignity will guide our policies, yet rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators; they are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed. In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty.

Some, I know, have questioned the global appeal of liberty - though this time in history, four decades defined by the swiftest advance of freedom ever seen, is an odd time for doubt. Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of our ideals. Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul. We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery. Liberty will come to those who love it.

Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world:

All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.

Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country.

The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it."

The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to trust them. Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.

And all the allies of the United States can know: we honor your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help. Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom's enemies. The concerted effort of free nations to promote democracy is a prelude to our enemies' defeat.

Today, I also speak anew to my fellow citizens:

From all of you, I have asked patience in the hard task of securing America, which you have granted in good measure. Our country has accepted obligations that are difficult to fulfill, and would be dishonorable to abandon. Yet because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom. And as hope kindles hope, millions more will find it. By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well - a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world.

A few Americans have accepted the hardest duties in this cause - in the quiet work of intelligence and diplomacy ... the idealistic work of helping raise up free governments ... the dangerous and necessary work of fighting our enemies. Some have shown their devotion to our country in deaths that honored their whole lives - and we will always honor their names and their sacrifice.

All Americans have witnessed this idealism, and some for the first time. I ask our youngest citizens to believe the evidence of your eyes. You have seen duty and allegiance in the determined faces of our soldiers. You have seen that life is fragile, and evil is real, and courage triumphs. Make the choice to serve in a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself - and in your days you will add not just to the wealth of our country, but to its character.

America has need of idealism and courage, because we have essential work at home - the unfinished work of American freedom. In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty.

In America's ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence. This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights. And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country, we will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance - preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society. By making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny, we will give our fellow Americans greater freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous and just and equal.

In America's ideal of freedom, the public interest depends on private character - on integrity, and tolerance toward others, and the rule of conscience in our own lives. Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self. That edifice of character is built in families, supported by communities with standards, and sustained in our national life by the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people. Americans move forward in every generation by reaffirming all that is good and true that came before - ideals of justice and conduct that are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

In America's ideal of freedom, the exercise of rights is ennobled by service, and mercy, and a heart for the weak. Liberty for all does not mean independence from one another. Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love. Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another, and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth. And our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time.

From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many. From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our generation advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?

These questions that judge us also unite us, because Americans of every party and background, Americans by choice and by birth, are bound to one another in the cause of freedom. We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes - and I will strive in good faith to heal them. Yet those divisions do not define America. We felt the unity and fellowship of our nation when freedom came under attack, and our response came like a single hand over a single heart. And we can feel that same unity and pride whenever America acts for good, and the victims of disaster are given hope, and the unjust encounter justice, and the captives are set free.

We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom. Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability; it is human choices that move events. Not because we consider ourselves a chosen nation; God moves and chooses as He wills. We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul. When our Founders declared a new order of the ages; when soldiers died in wave upon wave for a union based on liberty; when citizens marched in peaceful outrage under the banner "Freedom Now" - they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled. History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty.

When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public and the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, a witness said, "It rang as if it meant something." In our time it means something still. America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our strength - tested, but not weary - we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.

May God bless you, and may He watch over the United States of America.

Paying Respect To A Terrorist

2005-01-08T16:47:00.000-05:00

Former President Jimmy Carter and former Governor of New Jersey Christine Todd Whitman paid their respects today at the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at his former headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Carter and Whitman will act as observers during tomorrow’s Palestinian presidential election.

Arafat is the father of modern terrorism, the United States is engaged in a war against terror and two former U.S. leaders stop to pay respects at this terrorist’s grave. What can we say?

Keyboard Organizer

2005-01-08T14:16:00.000-05:00

Gizmo Of the Day
Looking to eliminate some clutter around your PC. – then the Keyboard Organizer may be your answer. Just lift the lid of the fully functioning keyboard to find built-in storage compartments for note pads, pens and pencils, paper clips, business cards, rulers and even a specially shaped area with spindle for CDs. The storage compartment does not interfere with keyboard functionality, which works even when it is in a raised position. At 18" x 8" by 1.5" high the Keyboard Organizer is only 1/10th of an inch thicker than a standard keyboard. Available in corded, USB and cordless models ranging in price from $19.95 to $69.95.

Grandstanding Senators – The Country Be Damned

2005-01-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

In our post yesterday on the Alberto Gonzales hearings we said “wouldn’t it be nice if our Senators cut the grandstanding and just did what was best for the country? It’s hard to imagine they actually believe most of their own arguments. Maybe we will be proved wrong”. Before the hearings we predicted that Senators would spend most of their time listening to themselves talk and very little on listening to answers. Well, our predictions were right on target. Some selected quotes from the Senate hearings below:

"The policies include this nominee's role in developing interpretation of the law to justify harsh treatment of prisoners, harsh treatment that's tantamount to torture. America's troops and citizens are at greater risk because of those actions, the terrible repercussions throughout so much of the world. The searing photographs from Abu Ghraib have made it harder to create and maintain the alliances we need to prevail against the vicious terrorists who threaten us. And those abuses serve as recruiting posters for the terrorists." Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
"Would you not concede that your decision and the decision of the president to call into question the definition of torture, the need to comply with the Geneva Conventions, at least opened up a permissive environment of conduct?" asked Richard Durbin(D-IL)
Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), told Gonzales that policies he supported or helped formulate "have been used by the administration, the military and the CIA to justify torture and Geneva Convention violations by military and civilian personnel."
"The previous attorney general ran the most secretive Justice Department in my lifetime," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY). "Will you continue the John Ashcroft 'my way or the highway' approach, which often led to embarrassment?"
"You know there are going to be times when the attorney general of the United States has to enforce the law of the United States. He can't be worried about friends or colleagues at the White House. His duty is to all Americans," said Leahy, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Senator Joe Biden harangued Gonzales for sidestepping tough questions, "This is not about your intelligence, this hearing is not about your competence, it's not about your integrity - it's about your judgment and your candor," he said. "We're looking for candor, old buddy. I love you, but you're not very candid so far." But Biden used up his allotted time with this unpunctuated sermon leaving Gonzales no time to speak, much less speak with candor.

A lot of talk about torture, Geneva Conventions and candor. What does this have to do with Alberto Gonzales and his fitness to be Attorney General? In reality nothing - it’s about the Democrats trying to draw a straight line from Abu Ghraib prisoner treatment to Gonzales to President Bush. Why would U.S. Senators want to do that? In our opinion it’s because they care more about tarnishing the President than the truth. It’s because they care more about grabbing personal power than protecting the country.

We wonder which one of the grandstanding Senator’s actually disagree with the following conclusion reached by Alberto Gonzales in the infamous January 22, 2002 memo to President Bush.

You have asked for our Office’s views concerning the effect of international treaties and federal laws on the treatment of individuals detained by the U.S. Armed Forces during the conflict in Afghanistan. In particular, you have asked whether certain treaties forming part of the laws of armed conflict apply to the conditions of detention and the procedures for trial of members of al Qaeda and the Taliban militia. We conclude that these Treaties do not protect members of the al Qaeda organization, which as a non-State actor cannot be a party to the international agreements governing war. We further conclude that the President has sufficient grounds to find that these treaties do not protect members of the Taliban militia. This memorandum expresses no view as to whether the President should decide, as a matter of policy, that the U.S. Armed Forces should adhere to the standards of conduct in !hose treaties with respect to the treatment of prisoners.

The memo’s summary seems pretty straight forward to us, al Qaeda and the Taliban militia are not covered under international treaties that governing war.

So why would these Senator’s want to paint a picture of the United States breaking treaties and international law, of torturing prisoners at the behest of the President? We used to believe our leaders would do what they believed was best for the country. These Senators are making it very hard for us to continue that belief. Do these Senators actually believe their own charges? We’ll see how they vote on Gonzales' confirmation.

You can find all of the “controversial” Gonzales memos here for a more in-depth understanding

Kerry’s Iraq Publicity Tour

2005-01-07T11:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we sent Jim Geraghty over at the National Review’s TKS (The Kerry Spot) our post “Kerry Cheered in Baghdad?”. Today he posted, “Did Kerry Make His ‘Blunders’ Comment at an ‘Informal Lunch?”, using all of the citations and links found in our post, but apparently he formed a different impression. (It would have been nice if he had linked to us or even given us a hat tip – but we’ll forgive him this time)

Anyway, we disagree with Geraghty’s take on Senator Kerry’s junket to the Middle East. It would appear to us that Kerry’s purpose for his foreign tour, including his trip to Iraq, is about publicity for John Kerry. It’s about giving Kerry a platform to criticize President Bush and U.S. foreign policy. It gives him a platform to say “I told you so” in front of reporters all too eager to give Kerry positive press and slam President Bush.

Kerry’s statements from Iraq are the same as those he made during the presidential campaign and are not based upon “seeing the situation himself”. Can anyone spend two days in Iraq, or anywhere for that matter, and really understand the situation. So we will not, as Geraghty suggests, “give [Kerry] a round of applause for heading over to Iraq and seeing the situation for himself.” Kerry’s comments are not constructive and are made to advance John Kerry and not the United States.

Geraghty also says “the message you get from that headline is clear - Kerry was applauded when he decried the Bush team's blunders.” Well, first the headline said Kerry was cheered and not applauded, but either way the headline is not accurate. Nowhere, in any report of the Senator’s tour, was anyone cited as cheering or applauding Kerry in Iraq for anything. The headline gives a completely false impression. It suggests that Kerry’s negative views and comments about Iraq are being praised or lauded by some group, presumably U.S. soldiers or the Iraqi people. In our opinion, reporting of this nature is intentionally misleading and is used to undermine our effort in Iraq and President Bush’s foreign policy in general.

Finally, Geraghty says from this [the Chronicle report], it's not clear whether Kerry said "horrendous judgments" and "unbelievable blunders" in front of the troops, or in front of "a small group of reporters and representatives of nongovernmental organizations." Frankly we don’t think it matters if Kerry’s comments were in made in front of the troops or behind their backs. He made them publicly and they were reported around the world. Our troops will certainly be aware of them as will our enemies. Whose morale has Kerry been more likely to boast with his comments – the Iraqi coalition’s or the terrorists/insurgents’? Is this taxpayer funded publicity tour in the best interest of the United States? We think not. We also think as Kerry's tour progresses his true motives will become quite clear.

Smart ID WiFi Detector

2005-01-07T08:25:00.000-05:00

Gizmo Of the Day
How do you go about finding a Wi-Fi hot spot, anyway? You could go to the trouble of booting up your laptop and then watching to see if it detects one or more nearby. But there is an easier way – a WiFi detector that will check to see if there are any Wi-Fi signals present before you power up the laptop. Smart ID Technology has just introduced its second generation WiFi detector, the Trekker - the first commercially available auto-alert Wi-Fi detector on the market. The original Smart ID Detector received great user reviews, so if you have the need, you might want to check out their new Trekker.

Boxer Rebellion

2005-01-06T15:16:00.000-05:00

Democrats turned Congress' quadrennial counting of electoral votes today into a hoo-ha over purported election problems in Ohio, forcing the House and Senate to consider a challenge to the presidential count for only the second time since 1877.

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) was joined with Representative John Conyers (D-MI), ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Stephanie Tubb-Jones (D-OH), and 29 other Democratic members of the US House in challenging the Ohio presidential election results. See how House and Senate members voted.

A report prepared by Conyer’s staff, Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio?, was sent to Senator Boxer, along with a letter singed by 24 House Democrats, asking for her support in the Senate for a challenge.

Sen. Boxer wrote a letter to Rep. Tubbs Jones that said in part , "I have concluded that objecting to the electoral votes from Ohio is the only immediate way to bring these issues to light by allowing you to have a two-hour debate to let the American people know the facts surrounding Ohio's election.” Letter here.

Senator Kerry said in a statement, "While I am deeply concerned about the issues being highlighted by my colleagues in Congress and citizens across the country and support their efforts to highlight the need to ensure voting rights, I will not be joining their protest of the Ohio electors."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) declined to answer reporters' questions directly about whether she supported the move. But she, too, spoke during the House debate, saying of the challengers, "This is their only opportunity to have this debate while the country is listening."

Did you notice that when questions are raised about election irregularities, they always seem to happen in voting districts controlled and run by Democrats? If there were any problems or voting rights issues, who caused them? More grandstanding by our “leaders” – we hope you will let them know your opinion concerning their actions.

Update: Human Events Online says: Two days ago, on January 4, 2005, the Michael Moore published a new letter to Senator Boxer and other Senators reminding them that they didn't object to the electoral vote count four years ago, and requested that they rise and object to the vote count from Ohio today. Today, in fact, Senator Barbara Boxer just objected to the Ohio vote count.

Kerry Cheered In Baghdad?

2005-01-06T13:11:00.000-05:00

You often hear about the blurring of opinion and reporting in the media, but how about “reality based“ vs. “just make stuff up” reporting. This is the headline in the San Francisco Chronicle today - Kerry cheered in Baghdad, decries Bush team's 'blunders.'

You can read reports covering the Senator’s trip to Iraq from the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Agence France-Presse and even the San Francisco Chronicle’s own piece and you’ll not see find a single reference to anyone cheering. True enough, you’ll find many references to Kerry “decrying” Bush’s “blunders”, but cheering – who in the heck are we suppose to believe was cheering? U.S. soldiers, throngs of Iraqi people, the terrorist and insurgents or maybe just a small group of reporters?

Anyway, we hope Kerry is booed in Boston when he returns home. His remarks in Iraq show a complete lack of judgment and leadership in time of war. Just one more instance of grandstanding by a U.S. Senator. Excerpts below.

Sen. John Kerry arrived in Baghdad yesterday for a two-day, on-the-ground assessment of the situation in Iraq. He was scheduled to meet with U.S. diplomats, intelligence officials and military commanders; senior members of the interim government; and Sunni and Shiite Muslim political figures.
Kerry also met with about 20 soldiers based in his home state and was approached by several U.S. soldiers to pose for photographs and sign T-shirts while he was eating in a hotel restaurant.Kerry asked the soldiers what he should tell Congress about the war in Iraq and was told that "the good work that they are doing is not getting reported in the United States."
During a meeting with reporters Kerry attacked what he called the "horrendous judgments" and "unbelievable blunders" of the Bush administration. The mistakes, he said, included former U.S. occupation leader Paul Bremer's decisions to disband the Iraqi army and purge the government of former members of Hussein's Baath Party. Both moves are widely believed to have fueled the largely Sunni insurgency.
"What is sad about what's happening here now is that so much of it is a process of catching up from the enormous miscalculations and wrong judgments made in the beginning," he said. "And the job has been made enormously harder."
"No insurgency is defeated by conventional military power alone," he said. "Look at the IRA," the Irish Republican Army, which fought a decades long guerrilla war against the British in Northern Ireland before a Catholic- Protestant power-sharing government was put in place. "It was defeated by a combination of time and political negotiation."
"Mistakes have been made," he said. "Now it's a different time and different set of judgments that need to be made. I need to understand it, so I can make the judgments. That's why I'm here, to see and hear firsthand what the dynamics are."
"But we are at war, and I think you can't really make all the judgments that you need to make without digging in."

A Wave of Criticism

2005-01-06T11:10:00.000-05:00

Thomas Sowell in his article, a wave of criticism, makes the excellent point that complaints concerning U.S. aid to the tsunami victims are based upon attitude and not fact. Excerpts below

Two questions: First, what country has done the most to help the victims of this natural disaster? Second, what country has been criticized most for not doing enough? The answer to both questions is the United States of America.
No matter what we do, it is always possible to do more. But "more" is not the standard to which any other country is held. “More" is the demand -- and the criticism -- that can always be made. We are not compared to other people. We are compared to an ideal that human beings have never met. No consistent principle is involved in these criticisms, just attitudes.
Decades ago, Eric Hoffer wrote: "Nowhere at present is there such a measureless loathing of their country by educated people as in America. Reasons may be cited but the flimsiness of many of those reasons betrays the fact that what is really involved are attitudes.”
A recent example is a denunciation of the United States as a "land of penny pinchers" by New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof. Why? Because, aside from highly publicized tragedies like the tsunami, "we're tightwads who turn away as people die in greater numbers" around the world from things like malaria and AIDS.
Incidentally, in all of Mr. Kristof's waxing indignant about the ravages of malaria, there is not one word about the banning of DDT, which has led immediately to a resurgence of malaria that has taken lives by the millions, as a result of propaganda campaigns against DDT by environmental busybodies.
Apparently it is not the principle of saving lives lost to malaria that is crucial, but the opportunity to score points against the United States. Green extremists get a pass. So do bungling and corrupt foreigners, including the United Nations.

Alberto Gonzales – No Treaty With Al Qaeda

2005-01-06T07:31:00.000-05:00

Today begins the confirmation hearings for Alberto Gonzales and it will be interesting to see the usual suspects in full attack mode. Senators “asking tough questions” or should we say, making long-winded speaches with stinging accusations, all delivered in mock horror. Most of the time spent on listening to themselves talk and very little on listening to answers.

Is it just us, or do these hearings have nothing to do with eliciting information to make an informed decision, but everything to do with scoring political points? Wouldn’t it be nice if our Senators cut the grandstanding and just did what was best for the country? It’s hard to imagine they actually believe most of their own arguments. Maybe we will be proved wrong.

In the mean time, read this great article at National Review Online written by Andrew C. McCarthy. Excerpts below, but read the entire article: Should We Make a Treaty with al Qaeda? here.

[Today] the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for [Alberto] Gonzales. Critics are urging committee Democrats to question the nominee aggressively on the benighted administration policy of no Geneva protections for terrorists whose lives are singularly dedicated to annihilating Americans. Fair game, one supposes, but no senator should be allowed to take up the torch without at least answering a simple question: Do you favor a treaty with al Qaeda?
The inarguable, inconvenient fact is we have no such treaty. Al Qaeda is not and, indeed, cannot be among Geneva's high contracting parties. It is not a country. The U.S. has for over two decades expressly rejected a treaty — the 1977 Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions — that would have vested terrorists with Geneva protections. I hate to spoil the party, but if we're going to have such a treaty with al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, it will have to be a new one.
Under Article III of the Constitution, the consent of two thirds of the Senate's membership is required before a treaty can be approved. Although we haven't yet been able to arrange getting President Bush and Emir Zarqawi together for a signing ceremony, getting the senators on record — especially given the caviling over Gonzales — could really get the ball rolling. So let's ask them. All of them. Plain and simple, so the folks back home know just where you stand: Do you favor a treaty with al Qaeda?
Does anyone think there are 67 yea votes on that one? How about ten? How about one? No. The fact is, outside a lunatic fringe, there's not a politician in America who would support something so absurd.
The next attorney general's position on this matter is not a radical view. It's America's view. So ask away — it'll be good for all of us to know where everyone stands.

Drive Time "Best Mug"

2005-01-06T06:28:00.000-05:00

Gizmo Of the Day
Chosen as the best mug by the Wall Street Journal, the Drive Time “Best Mug” eliminates many of the problems of other travel mugs. When the lid is closed the mug is spill proof. When the lid is turned to open, the beverage flows freely. For lefties the Drive Time "Best Mug" easily converts into a left-handed model. The double-wall stainless insulated mug holds 18 ounces of coffee or your favorite beverage. It comes in cool colors too.

Blog Briefs - Jan. 5

2005-01-05T18:39:00.000-05:00

Instapundit: Tsunami Update
The French resent the prominent American role.

Little Green Footballs: We stingy Americans
Private U.S. Aid for Tsunami Tops $200M. An email from Naomi Ragen points out that last year, Saudi Arabia raised more than $150 million for the families of suicide bombers. To help their Muslim brothers and their devastated families in Southeast Asia, the oil-rich country is contributing $30 million.

Michelle Malkin: Home Loans for Illegal Aliens, Pt. II

Remember [when Michelle] wrote about illegal alien home loans nearly two years ago? Now, government officials in Wisconsin have made it even easier for immigration outlaws to settle in:

In a pilot program described as the first of its kind, an agency created by the state government is making it easier for illegal immigrants in Wisconsin to obtain mortgage loans. Immigrants who do not have Social Security numbers - a common requirement for loans - can use an alternative government-issued tax number to get financing for new homes, under the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) program.

TKS: Will Barbara Boxer Challenge Electoral College Result On The Floor Of The Senate?
Apparently MSNBC reported this earlier, but now there's a story saying Sen. Barbara Boxer is denying that she has reached a decision on whether to object to the results of the Electoral College.

MSNBC reporter Chip Reid reported this afternoon that Boxer was likely to challenge, but the network has not posted a story online. Rush Limbaugh also made a similar comment during his radio program Wednesday.

I am also informed by a Republican source that John Kerry has stated he will not be taking part in a formal protest of the Ohio electors.

More Votes Than Voters

2005-01-05T13:23:00.000-05:00

The tighter than tight race for Governor in Washington is a real debacle. The first ballot count showed Republican Dino Rossi winning by 261 votes, a subsequent machine recount had Rossi winning by 42. The last recount conducted by hand, ended with the Democrat, Christine Gregoire winning by 129 votes.

Now we learn the number of ballots counted in King County outnumbered the list of voters who voted by 3,539. Also, an unknown number of provisional voters, some of whom may not even have been registered to vote, improperly put their ballots directly into vote-counting machines at polling places. This according to King County's elections superintendent.

No election is ever perfect, but when there are more ballots cast than voters and the difference is greater than the margin of victory – it’s a fiasco. Washington State law limits the number of recounts to three – so maybe a revote is in order.

Creative Nomad Muvo Slim

2005-01-05T09:35:00.000-05:00

Gizmo Of the Day

Looking for an inexpensive, lightweight mp3 or Audible player for use during your commute or workout, then the Creative Nomad Muvo Slim might just be for you. The Slim is about the size of a credit card and weighs just over 1.5 ounces. It is compatible with both MP3 and WMA files, has a built-in FM radio and a voice recorder. The unit has a 256 MB storage capacity and uses super-fast USB 2.0 connectivity for file transfer and battery charging. The battery is rated at 17 hours of continuous play and can be found at many of the usual suspects for less than $100.

Social Security – Keep the Wage Cap

2005-01-05T06:33:00.000-05:00

There are many ideas swirling around about how to “fix” Social Security. Eliminating the wage cap is one often talked about. In our opinion this is a horrible idea. It’s just another one of those stick it to the “wealthy” plans. Sticking it to the “wealthy” never seems to us to be a very fair way to treat our fellow citizens, but as in all these “tax the rich” schemes, the truly wealthy are never touched.

The rich derive their wealth and incomes from sources other than wages – property, stock and bond investments – sources of income not taxed under Social Security. People that have high incomes from wages, often for a brief period in their lives, are the ones that pay the penalty under these “tax the rich” programs.

Social Security produces a lousy return on investment for many American workers as it is now. Eliminating the wage cap will not improve the program’s long term sustainability, but will certainly hurt the individual trying to save their own money for retirement, not to mention the potential negative repercussions to the economy.

Read Bruce Bartlett‘s The Stealth Tax. Excerpts below.

Since the Social Security system was created, the payroll tax has applied only to a portion of total wages. Originally, the limit was $3,000, which Congress raised from time to time. Since 1972, the wage base has been indexed and rises automatically each year. This year, it was $87,900. Starting on Jan. 1, the taxable wage base will rise to $90,000.
As it is, there is already an increasingly tenuous relationship between [Social Security] taxes paid and benefits received by workers with incomes equal to or greater than the taxable base. According to the Congressional Research Service, in 1980 a retiree with lifetime earnings at or above the Social Security wage cap got back all of his and his employer's contributions in 3.1 years. By 2000, it took 24.9 years, and by 2010 it will take 35.3 years. Under current projections, a worker retiring in 2030 will need 55 years worth of benefits to get back all his contributions.
If the cap is removed and benefits are limited to current levels, the return for workers taxed at the maximum will become nonexistent. This means that Social Security will no longer be a pension system to which one earns benefits, but will instead be nothing but a welfare program.
Of course, another consequence of raising the cap is that it will constitute a massive marginal tax rate increase. The top rate on wages will, in effect, rise by 12.4 percent, raising the de facto top rate from 38 percent to more than 50 percent (including the 2.9 percent Medicare tax, which has applied to all wages since 1993).
Even if benefits are frozen, the revenue gain from lifting the wage cap isn't that great. According to Matt Moore of the National Center for Policy Analysis, it would only increase the life of the Social Security trust fund by seven years.

Portable Headphones

2005-01-04T15:40:00.000-05:00

Gizmo Of the Day

Looking for a better set of headphones for your iPod or other portable? (Those iPod ear buds hurt our ears.) Check out the headphone buying guide and reviews at HeadRoom. We like the
Sennheiser PX100 – they’re lightweight and fold up like a pair of glasses. They deliver great sound quality and comfort without draining battery life.

Update: The Enlightened niece took our advice and ordered the PX 100’s to go with her new iPod. She just called to say they arrived today and that they sound awesome.

Blog Briefs - Jan. 4

2005-01-04T14:14:00.000-05:00

The Belmont Club: Livery but sick and green

The tsunami relief effort continues to be a US-Australia effort, with Singapore now in and coordinating closely with the US and Australia.

Though almost none of the food, supplies and logistical systems to provide relief for tsunami victims have come from the United Nations, it appears important to the organization that what has arrived bare the colors and stamp of the UN.

UN representatives have said that while it was a good thing that the Australians and Americans were running the air ops into tsunami-wrecked Aceh, for cultural and political reasons, those Australians and Americans really "should go blue." In other words, they should switch into UN uniforms and give up their national ones.

Just One Minute: Krugman - Save Social Security Last

Paul Krugman continues his defense of the Social security status quo with a ringing call to Save Social Security last.

Little Green Footballs: Iran Reports US Overflights

It comes from Iranian government sources, so skepticism is in order: U.S. spy planes spotted over nuke sites.

Michelle Malkin: Good Morning, Mickey Kaus

Jimmie at The Sundries Shack notes Mickey Kaus's belated discovery of Norm Mineta's treachery. Seems Kaus was unaware of Mineta's role in assisting the ethnic grievance industry shakedowns of airlines whose crew members engaged in threat profiling immediately after 9/11.

Turf Wars

2005-01-03T14:30:00.000-05:00

Tuff wars at the federal level, state and city level.

Turf War - Federal
If only we had more Senators like Peter Fitzgerald of Illinois that took a stand against corruption and pork.

Turf War – State
Kansas Supreme Court ruled today that the state must spend more money on public schools.
Kansas currently spends $2.7 billion annually on education from kindergarten through high school, under a formula that gives districts extra dollars for special needs, such as programs for poor and minority children. In addition, Kansas' 301 school districts now raise more than $570 million a year from property taxes. The Kansas high court said the state's school finance formula is based not on what it actually costs to educate students ``but rather on political and other factors not relevant to education.'' [Could one of those "other factors" be what the citizens can afford?]

Turf War - City
Ed Ehlen wanted an environmentally friendly lawn, so he installed artificial turf at his new, $4 million home. But Gulf City, FL officials refuse to grant Ehlen a certificate of occupancy until the plastic grass is removed.

Staple-less Stapler

2005-01-03T08:15:00.000-05:00

Gizmo of the Day

You'll never need staples with this little gadget on your desk. The Staple-less Stapler joins your papers by punching a small, neat hole in your documents and folding the remaining flaps together for a secure binding.

Hero Bracelets.Org

2005-01-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

Hero Bracelets.org has created a bracelet to memorialize the brave men and women that have lost their lives in Iraq. The organization's goal is to donate a minimum of $2 from the purchase of each bracelet to the Fallen Heroes Fund, a non-profit, non-political fund instituted to provide aid to these families.

Each Hero Bracelet is engraved with the name, rank, hometown and date of death of an American soldier lost in Iraq. It is engraved on black anodized aluminum and can be easily fitted to any wrist.

Sounds like a great idea. We hope they can expand their concept to those killed in Afghanistan, as well as, those wounded in both conflicts. These soldiers and sailors should also be remembered and supported.

Help is On the Way – To the U.N

2005-01-02T14:13:00.000-05:00

A secret meeting was held in Richard C. Holbrooke’s Manhattan apartment to save Kofi Annan and rescue the U.N. Charges of corruption in the Iraq oil-for-food program, evidence that U.N. peacekeepers in the Congo had run prostitution rings and raped women and teenage girls, and formal motions of no confidence in the organization's senior management led to Mr. Annan’s self-described "annus horribilis."

Mr. Holbrooke believes “the U.N. cannot succeed if it is in open dispute and constant friction with its founding nation, its host nation and its largest contributor nation.. The U.N., without the U.S. behind it, is a failed institution”

Welcome to Enlighten-America

2005-01-01T13:46:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year 2005 and welcome to the Enlighten-America blog.

We hope over the course of this New Year to highlight the issues, politics and opinions the folks of the blogosphere will find of interest and to offer all a forum for discussion.

We believe a democracy functions best when citizens consider a wide range of opinions, including those that challenge their viewpoint. We also believe people can reinforce or disagree with other’s ideas and positions in a manner that promotes greater understanding. We want Enlighten-America to be a site where that happens.

We will also look to bring attention to the lighter side of life with anything that catches our eye as interesting, new or unique. We hope you will visit us often and contribute your ideas and thoughts. Thanks for taking a look.

Best of health and happiness in 2005!