Military Budget submitted by Gates

I have found all the coverage of this to be almost identical. So, here are the hi-lights of his proposal:

1. halting production of the F-22 fighter jet

2*. scrapping a new helicopter for the president as he outlined deep cuts to many of the military's biggest weapons programs.

3. Spending on tanks, fighter planes, ships, missiles and other weapons accounted for about a third of all defense spending last year. But Gates noted more money will be needed in areas such as personnel as the Army and Marines expand the size of their forces. [...]

4. A new communications satellite would be scrapped

5. the program for a new Air Force transport plane would be ended.

6. The Army's $160 billion Future Combat Systems modernization program would lose its armored vehicles.

7. Plans to build a shield to defend against missile attacks by rogue states would also be scaled back.

8. speeding up production of the F-35 fighter jet, which could end up costing $1 trillion to manufacture and maintain 2,443 planes.

9. The military would buy more speedy ships that can operate close in to land.

10. more money would be spent outfitting special forces troops that can hunt down insurgents.

2*. President Obama will continue flying in a stripped-down Marine One helicopter that matches the tough economic times, because Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended that the controversial $13 billion program to develop a supped-up helicopter be canceled -- at least for now. Termination of the new Marine One program, whose costs escalated from an initially estimated $6.5 billion to $13 billion.Technology in the new helicopter geared toward keeping the president secure and allowing him to perform his duties uninterrupted while in the air contributed to the cost of the helicopter, which also was to include a small, functional kitchen and a bathroom.

(D)emocrats hate military voters

Amidst the shrill lies that "every vote should count" the (D)emocrats always... always... always invent rules that ban military votes but allow poor minorities to submit conveniently bundled "absentee" ballots from districts that always seem to have more (D)emocrat votes then voters. Deliberate sabotage of the democratic process by (D)emocrats is called "method".

Hans A. von Spakovsky : The Shameful Disenfranchisement of the Military in New York’s Congressional Race

...it is the military voters who will probably end up being disenfranchised and having their votes discounted, thanks to the irresponsible New York Board of Elections and the half-hearted actions of the Department of Justice.

The problem for military voters in places like Iraq and Afghanistan is that it takes so long for absentee ballots to make the trip by mail from county election officials in the United States to bases in combat zones overseas and back again. As a result, only a tiny percentage of their votes get counted. Non-profit groups examining the issue of ballot delivery times and federal agencies like the U.S. Election Assistance Commission all recommend that absentee ballots be mailed to military voters at least 45 days before they’re due. The Chief of Operations for the Military Postal Service Agency recommends at least 60 days.

In New York, ten counties make up the 20th congressional district, and nine of them sent their absentee ballots to overseas voters too late for them to be received and returned in time to count in this election.
...
The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, which is responsible for enforcing the federal statute that guarantees the right of overseas citizens and military personnel to vote by absentee ballot, contacted the New York State Board of Elections and requested that they issue their ballots sooner for this race. The two Republican members of the board voted to support this request. Yet the two Democratic members of the board, shamefully enough, voted against doing so. Were they trying to disenfranchise military voters?

Hans Bader : Crucial Military Votes Excluded in New York Special Election

The outcome of a special Congressional election in New York’s 20th Congressional District will likely turn on the illegal exclusion of up to 1,000 overseas military ballots, which otherwise would have tipped the race in favor of James Tedisco (R).
...
90 percent of the ballots will be tossed in the trash without ever being counted.
...
The exclusion of these ballots violates a federal law known as UOCAVA, but the Justice Department filed only a “Potemkin Village” lawsuit in response, seeking a brief, cosmetic extension of time for returning the ballots — an extension that will result in only a handful of the wrongfully-excluded military ballots being counted. The Justice Department could easily have sought and obtained broader, more meaningful relief, as it did on several occasions during the Bush Administration. But it didn’t want to, for partisan political reasons.

Victoria Taft : Democrats Block Military Votes In Another Close Election

... it is no secret that during real close elections, the Military’s Absentee ballots become the subject of scorn to Democrats, since Military members are known to usually favor Republicans.

We saw it in 2000 in the close race between Al Gore and George W. Bush in the Florida recounts.

It was seen again in 2004 in Georgia.

Now, Democrats are once again denying our Troops their right to have their votes counted ...

Uncle Jimbo : Military voters screwed in NY race

It seems the Two Democrats on the NY State Board of Elections voted against sending absentee ballots to Iraq & A-Stan soon enough for them to get back and be counted. They chose purposefully to screw our troops. The two Republicans tried to do the right thing, but the Dems, and you gotta figure they knew how those votes would go, decided F**k the troops.
...
If anybody wondered why the military trends Republican you can chalk it up to shite like this and the shameless attempts by The Obama, The Lummox Murtha, The House Harridan Pelosi and The Thin-lipped, Milquetoast, Cream-in-the-coffee, Cadaver Reid to lose the war in Iraq. I'm sure those two douche Elections Board members support the troops, just not their right to vote against Democrats. 2010 can't come soon enough, we gotta get a filibuster capability locked in the Senate and start chipping away at the House as well. I want divided government so the bastards can't destroy the whole country.

Cross Posted at DANEgerus

Why I carry a gun, author unknown

PEOPLE ASK WHY? Why I own a Gun My old grandpa said to me son,' there comes a time in every man's life when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' caps and usually it's when he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin'. I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed. I don't carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place. I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world. I don't carry a gun because I'm evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world. I don't carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government. I don't carry a gun because I'm angry. I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared. I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon. I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy. I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a cowboy. I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love. I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate. I don't carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me. Police Protection is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves. Police do not protect you from crime, they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess. Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'. .author unknown (but obviously brilliant) ********************************************** A LITTLE GUN HISTORY In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. ------------------------------ In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. ------------------------------ Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated. ------------------------------ China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated ------------------------------ Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. ---- ------------- ------------- Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. ------------------------------ Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. ----------------------------- Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million. ------------------------------ It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own Government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now in: List of 7 items: Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent. Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent. Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)! In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns! While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort, and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it. You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens. Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late! The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson. With guns, we are 'citizens'. Without them, we are 'subjects'. During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED! If you value your freedom, please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends. The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental. SWITZERLAND ISSUES EVERY HOUSEHOLD A GUN! SWITZERLAND 'S GOVERNMENT TRAINS EVERY ADULT THEY ISSUE A RIFLE. SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!! IT'S A NO BRAINER! DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL LAW ABIDING CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET. I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment!

I do not know if the "facts" are correct. From everything I know they sound reasonable.

Call me crude if you wish.

But this just made me laugh my ass off. Especially this:



Oh hell, I'm stealing that.

Doing what's right

Is not normally the State Department's M.O. Which is why we have to do it ourselves.

The State Department has made a decision to make an Iraqi translator, Jasim, wait another three years for a visa. One of the reasons that the denial was issued was that, Jasim, as part of the Kurdish Peshmerga, infiltrated Uday Hussein's organization to steal data and then stole Uday's car to escape. He was captured, tortured, and then released six years later when Saddam let all the prisoners go on the eve of the Invasion in 2003.

The theft of Uday's car is looked upon as criminal and not political.

What. A. Crock. Of. Shit. I knew that Foggy Bottom was damn near worthless even when Condi Rice was running it. Hell, the State Department is notoriously liberal from the bottom up, and constantly making decisions based on political motives. But this really gets my dander up.

If you have someone risking his life to help America for years, and by all accounts saving the lives of US Soldiers with his actions, the least you could do is let the guy come over here!

But no, I guess saving American lives and befriending US Armed Forces, including the Commander of Multi-National Forces Iraq isn't enough. I wonder if he had held up a sign saying "BUSH LIED" once or twice that he'd have gotten in? Perhaps thrown a shoe or two at US leaders in Iraq?

Here is the link to the contact email form.The main switchboard phone number is here: 202-647-4000 The Press Office is (202) 647-2492 Contact Congress.

Be polite, be professional, be unwavering in letting them know they are going to be hearing a lot more about this bureaucratic issue that could easily be resolved.

Read up on it, and please call.

Busy as all get out

So, the Mrs. and I fed about 80 people yesterday. Went to an event down near Madison. We had been told to expect about 100 people at the event. Some folks bring their own food, so we figureed that we should be prepared for 60-80 people to actually want to buy lunch.

We had over 300 people show up. The poor event manager was just standing there with her jaw on the floor. The past two years they'd had 100 people show up. Today it tripled. The Mrs. and I sold out of food in half an hour, and we still had people lined up who I had to turn away.

Ah well, that's life.

As a side note, I'm still running around like a chicken with my head cut off, and will be for the next couple of months.

Surprise factor = 0

But it's nice to see SOMEONE finally say it.

You've heard this shocking "fact" before -- on TV and radio, in newspapers, on the Internet and from the highest politicians in the land: 90 percent of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the United States.

-- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it to reporters on a flight to Mexico City.

-- CBS newsman Bob Schieffer referred to it while interviewing President Obama.

-- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said at a Senate hearing: "It is unacceptable to have 90 percent of the guns that are picked up in Mexico and used to shoot judges, police officers and mayors ... come from the United States."

-- William Hoover, assistant director for field operations at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, testified in the House of Representatives that "there is more than enough evidence to indicate that over 90 percent of the firearms that have either been recovered in, or interdicted in transport to Mexico, originated from various sources within the United States."

There's just one problem with the 90 percent "statistic" and it's a big one:

It's just not true.

I had a discussion at work with someone about this. You cannot buy automatic weapons in the USA without a Class 3 license, which are heavily regulated. You can't go down to your local gun store and pick up a full-auto AK-47. You can't go buy grenades or RPG's.

The sad part is that this woman was actually shocked to learn that fact. But at least I opened her eyes just a little bit.

Wuzzafukisdis?

Oh, there had better be some heads rolling on this one.....

The U.S. Justice Department filed a motion Wednesday to drop its case against former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, who was convicted of seven felony counts of corruption last fall.

Attorney General Eric Holder decided to abandon the case due to prosecutorial misconduct -- one Justice Department source called the stunning turnaround a "black eye" on the department and the FBI.

Stevens was convicted last year of lying on a Senate disclosure form in order to hide $250,000 in gifts he received from an oil company executive and friends.

Only after the conviction did allegations of FBI misconduct come to light. The judge in the case has repeatedly delayed sentencing Stevens, and at one point he held prosecutors in contempt. Justice Department officials later replaced the trial team.

Well, how fucking convenient. I'm tellin' ya, this raises a whole host of questions, none of them good.

Given that the prosecutorial misconduct is bad enough that the entire case might get dumped, what actions were done by the prosecuting team?

The timing of this trial is also suspicious, given that the Democrat American Communist Party tried (at least partly successfully) to tie Stevens around the neck of Sarah Palin?

Are the convictions against Stevens going to be dropped, or just the ongoing case? IS there even an ongoing case?

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......

The gun ban list courtesy of Dad

Government's New Gun Ban List Is Out:

Alan Korwin - Author Gun Laws Of America GunLaws.com 3-12-09

Here it is, folks, and it is bad news. The framework for legislation is always laid, and the Democrats have the votes to pass anything they want to impose upon us. They really do not believe you need anything more than a brick to defend your home and family. Look at the list and see how many you own. Remember, it is registration, then confiscation. It has happened in the UK, in Australia, in Europe, in China, and what they have found is that for some reason the criminals do not turn in their weapons, but will know that you did. Remember, the first step in establishing a dictatorship is to disarm the citizens. Gun-ban list proposed. Slipping below the radar (or under the short-term memory cap), the Democrats have already leaked a gun-ban list, even under the Bush administration when they knew full well it had no chance of passage (HR 1022, 110th Congress). It serves as a framework for the new list the Brady's plan to introduce shortly. I have an outline of the Brady's current plans and targets of opportunity. It's horrific. They're going after the courts, regulatory agencies, firearms dealers and statutes in an all out effort to restrict we the people. They've made little mention of criminals. Now more than ever, attention to the entire Bill of Rights is critical. Gun bans will impact our freedoms under search and seizure, due process, confiscated property, states' rights, free speech, right to assemble and more, in addition to the Second Amendment. The Democrats current gun-ban-list proposal (final list will be worse): Rifles (or copies or duplicates): M1 Carbine, Sturm Ruger Mini-14, AR-15, Bushmaster XM15, Armalite M15, AR-10, Thompson 1927, Thompson M1; AK, AKM, AKS, AK-47, AK-74, ARM, MAK90, NHM 90, NHM 91, SA 85, SA 93, VEPR; Olympic Arms PCR; AR70, Calico Liberty , Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle or Dragunov SVU, Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, or FNC, Hi-Point20Carbine, HK-91, HK-93, HK-94, HK-PSG-1, Thompson 1927 Commando, Kel-Tec Sub Rifle; Saiga, SAR-8, SAR-4800, SKS with detachable magazine, SLG 95, SLR 95 or 96, Steyr AU, Tavor, Uzi, Galil and Uzi Sporter, Galil Sporter, or Galil Sniper Rifle ( Galatz ). Pistols (or copies or duplicates): Calico M-110, MAC-10, MAC-11, or MPA3, Olympic Arms OA, TEC-9, TEC-DC9, TEC-22 Scorpion, or AB-10, Uzi. Shotguns (or copies or duplicates): Armscor 30 BG, SPAS 12 or LAW 12, Striker 12, Streetsweeper. Catch-all category (for anything missed or new designs): A semiautomatic rifle that accepts a detachable magazine and has: (i) a folding or telescoping stock, (ii) a threaded barrel, (iii) a pistol grip (which includes ANYTHING that can serve as a grip, see below), (iv) a forward grip; or a barrel shroud. Any semiautomatic rifle with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds (except tubular magazine .22 rim fire rifles). A semiautomatic pistol that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine, and has: (i) a second pistol grip, (ii) a threaded barrel, (iii) a barrel shroud or (iv) can accept a detachable magazine outside of the pistol grip, and (v) a semiautomatic pistol with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds. A semiautomatic shotgun with: (i) a folding or telescoping stock, (ii) a pistol grip (see definition below), (iii) the ability to accept a detachable magazine or a fixed magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds, and (iv) a shotgun with a revolving cylinder. Frames or receivers for the above are included, along with conversion kits. Attorney General gets carte blanche to ban guns at will: Under the proposal, the U.S. Attorney General can add any "semiautomatic rifle or shotgun originally designed for military or law enforcement use, or a firearm based on the design of such a firearm, that is not particularly suitable for sporting purposes, as determined by the Attorney General." Note that Eric Holder, wrote a brief in the Heller case supporting the position that you have no right to have a working firearm in your own home. In making this determination, the bill says, "there shall be a rebuttable presumption that a firearm procured for use by the United States military or any law enforcement agency is not particularly suitable for sporting purposes, and a shall not be determined to be particularly suitable for sporting purposes solely because the firearm is suitable for use in a sporting event." In plain English this means that ANY firearm ever obtained by federal officers or the military is not suitable for the public. The last part is particularly clever, stating that a firearm doesn't have a sporting purpose just because it can be used for sporting purpose -- is that devious or what? And of course, "sporting purpose" is a rights infringement with no constitutional or historical support whatsoever, invented by domestic enemies of the right to keep and bear arms to further their cause of disarming the innocent. Respectfully submitted, Alan Korwin, Author Gun Laws of America Forward or send to every gun owner you know... Watch This, If You Want More Proof: YouTube - CNN- A partial list of gun rights groups: Gun Owners of America Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership FREEDOM=GUNS National Rifle Association Second Amendment Committee Second Amendment Foundation Second Amendment Sisters Women Against Gun Control