Flipper Or Just A Blatant Liar?

I'm going to link to a post by kevinp at Blogs For Bush in two different posts here at The 4. It covers two different points, and neither one can be over stated. First up, we have John Flipper Kerry blustering about his Anti-Castro....ness. Wouldn't ya know it! He's still voting for something before the final vote which he, of course, votes against.

"I'm pretty tough on Castro, because I think he's running one of the last vestiges of a Stalinist secret police government in the world," Kerry told WPLG-ABC 10 reporter Michael Putney in an interview to be aired at 11:30 this morning.

Then, reaching back eight years to one of the more significant efforts to toughen sanctions on the communist island, Kerry volunteered: "And I voted for the Helms-Burton legislation to be tough on companies that deal with him."

It seemed the correct answer in a year in which Democratic strategists think they can make a play for at least a portion of the important Cuban-American vote -- as they did in 1996 when more than three in 10 backed President Clinton's reelection after he signed the sanctions measure written by Sen. Jesse Helms and Rep. Dan Burton.
There is only one problem: Kerry voted against it.

Now, does Kerry care that he's a pathetic liar? Hell no! He's lied this lie before!

Referring to the Helms Burton legislation in an excerpt from a Slate article quoted at Blogs For Bush:

Kerry aides told Wallsten that Kerry voted against the final bill because he disagreed with some technicalities added at the last minute, but that he voted for an earlier version of the bill. But every piece of legislation that comes before the Senate is subjected to a succession of votes, many of them tactical in nature. The only vote that counts is final passage. If it were otherwise, any legislator could claim to have voted for or against almost any bill, depending on the audience, and there would be no accountability at all.

His decision to highlight votes on procedural motions before the vote for final passage of a bill followed by this decision to highlight those procedural votes rather than the up or down vote is utter premeditated duplicitous political slight of hand. Looking at how he votes on final passage tells us, as opposed to how he votes procedural, EXACTLY what John Flipper Kerry finds most important! He'll send our troops to war, but he won't give them what they need to do the job. He'll recognize that Castro is a Stalinist thug hunk of crap, but he won't stick it to the bastard.

These aren't even isolated events. Look at his response to being confronted with the lies he's told about his past!

Supporting President Bush

Several days ago, I helped place phone calls to voters in my county in support of President Bush. Tomorrow night, I will do the exact same thing. This Tuesday I am planning to see President Bush at the Farm Progress Show. I stongly encourage all of you to contact your local RNC and ask what you can do to show your support for President Bush. Yard Signs, , Window Signs, Bumper Stickers, Volunteering Time, and Join Others in Greeting the President at his campaign stops. We've a long distance to fall in regards to the quality of our representation in the Federal Executive. Every little bit of effort counts!

Speak up, Alan!

Today, Alan Greenspan spoke about the fraudulent "retirement" scheme known as Social Security. Social Insecurity is nothing but a government-operated ponzi scheme. A bubble built on false promises. Like Enron, except that contributions are involuntary. Plain and simple. The system adds no value, so the benefits of people withdrawing from the system are paid for by the people paying into the system. The amount that you cough up for it is conveniently obscured by the fact that 50% of the money comes from your employer. The system works when the payers vastly outnumber the payees and the pyramind is growing. And just like every other pyramid, the system collapses when the trend reverses. That's due to happen in a decade or two.

One day, politicians are going to have to stop pussyfooting around this issue and deal with it. This is going to become a center stage issue in American politics, like Iraq is today. I don't know if it will be five years from now, ten, or twenty, but it will happen. Whatever happens, it's not going to be pretty. Ultimately, I expect the country to fall into two camps: those who want to reform or destroy the program altogether, and those who want to subsidize the program with federal income taxes to keep it intact. Politicians will have to start taking sides. Ultimately, I expect the "subsidize the program with taxes" side to win for one reason -- the payees vote at a much greater rate than the payers. Whatever happens, the solution is going to be very ugly and unfair for somebody.

Just once, I wish that a politician would communicate this issue to young people. The only politicians who ever court the young vote are Left Wing moonbats like Jerry Brown and Howard Dean. Politicians only visit college campuses to preach about saving the rainforest, socialized medicine, and putting dirty oil companies out of business. I'd like to see a politician visit a college campus and tell the students how badly they are getting cornholed by Social Insecurity instead.

Greenspan warns of abrupt and painful choices unless baby boomer pension benefits are trimmed

JACKSON, Wyo. - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday that the country will face ``abrupt and painful'' choices if Congress does not move quickly to trim the Social Security and Medicare benefits that have been promised to the baby boom generation.

Returning to a politically explosive issue that he has addressed a number of times this year, Greenspan said that it was wrong for the government to hold out the promise of more retirement benefits than it is capable of providing.

He said this issue was particularly critical given the impending retirement of 77 million baby boomers born in the two decades after World War II.

``As a nation, we owe it to our retirees to promise only the benefits that can be delivered,'' Greenspan said in opening remarks to a two-day conference sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City on the challenges posed by aging populations.

``If we have promised more than our economy has the ability to deliver, as I fear we may have, we must recalibrate our public programs so that pending retirees have time to adjust through other channels,'' Greenspan said. ``If we delay, the adjustments could be abrupt and painful.''

Greenspan, as he has done previously, suggested that possible changes would be raising the retirement age to receive full Social Security benefits, which currently is gradually increasing from 65 to 67.

For the Record

A transcript of John Kerry's testimony before the United States Senate, April 22, 1971, can be found here.

And the assault continues.

Can someone find out if this guy's daughter-in-law played softball with Jenna Bush's babysitter's cousin?



Col. George E. "Bud" Day, the man pictured to the left, is the most decorated officer since Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and was Senator John McCain's cellmate in the Hanoi Hilton. In John McCain's book, "Faith of My Fathers," McCain credits Day with saving his life (pg. 200). Col. Day is also one of The University of South Dakota School of Law's most prominent alumni, and gave the keynote address to the law school's class of 2004. The tale behind his Medal of Honor decoration is awe-inspiring.

Today, Col. Day weighed in on the controversy surrounding John Kerry and the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth, firmly on the side of the latter

The major issue in the Swiftboat stories is, and always has been, what John Kerry did in 1971 after he returned from Vietnam.

Kerry cast a long dark shadow over all Vietnam Veterans with his outright perjury before the Senate concerning atrocities in Vietnam. His stories to the Senate committee were absolute lies.. fabrications.. perjury.. fantasies, with NO substance. That dark shadow has defamed the entire Vietnam War veteran population, and gave "Aid and Comfort" to our enemies..the Vietnamese Communists. Kerry's stories were outright fabrications, and were intended for political gain with the radical left..McGovern, Teddy and Bobby Kennedy followers, Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, and the radical left who fantasized that George McGovern was going to be elected in 1972. Little wonder that returning soldiers from Vietnam were spit upon and castigated as "baby killers". A returned war hero said so....

Read more...

I guess ole Bud is lying too.

MTV Squashes Dissent

Rock the vote.

Dancehall star Beenie Man, who has recorded anti-gay songs in the past, was yanked from a concert associated with the MTV Video Music Awards this weekend after gay groups planned a protest, the network said Wednesday.

MTV pulled the Jamaican singer from the roster Tuesday after South Florida gay activists announced plans to protest Saturday's concert in Miami over some of his past lyrics, including "I'm dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays" and "Queers must be killed."

MTV Bars Beenie Man As Gays Plan Protest

Sometimes What Seems Important Really Isn't, eh?

Glenn Reynolds over at Instapundit reported 260,000 page views on Monday.

I was probably fifty of them.

I love that site. I think it's the best place on the web to find what i want to read about, although his obsession with nanotechnology bores me.

Anyway, this evening, in the midst of opining about Kerry and Bush and Vietnam and Radical Islam, he linked to a blog entry that is likely among the best pieces of writing I have ever encountered. You can read it here, and then read all about Caroline here.

Perspective.

From John Kerry's Book...

...comes this excerpt:

"in our opinion, and from our experience, there is nothing in South Vietnam which
could happen that realistically threatens the United States of America. And to attempt to
justify the loss of one American life in Vietnam, Cambodia, or Laos by linking such loss
to the preservation of freedom, which those misfits supposedly abuse, is to us the height
of criminal hypocrisy."

That sounds isolationist to me. The "freedom" of any man or woman is worth fighting for only if it impacts the United States. It's reasonable, I guess, and directly at odds with what is commonly termed "The Bush Doctrine", which states that oppressed people turn violent while free people turn productive, so American security benefits from the spread of freedom.

I wonder what Senator Kerry's opinion about that passage above would be today. It always puzzles me when American Leftists try to claim a deep caring for human rights when they oppose using our huge military might to provide those rights to people who aren't American.

The New Soldier - Intro

Reiteration of Priorities Regarding Flipper's Past Behavior and Future Plans

If John Flipper Kerry hadn't blatantly prostituted his previous military service, it would not be an issue. As he has, and people who suffered his crap in the past have taken him to task on the specifics of his chest pounding, I see nothing wrong with watching and commenting upon the spectacle. However, I find his lying self-serving show trial style testimony before members of the U.S. Senate in 1971 far far more relevant to the Kerry of today. He is still a braggart. What's worse is that he is just as much a war politicizing traitor today as he was over 30 years ago. There is absolutely no excuse for using his status as a veteran of the Vietnam war to malign those whose lives were still at risk in the cause of defeating great evil. When we pulled our troops out of the region, the enemy took over. When they did, much blood was spilled and many people suffered. A couple-few million human lives were lost in Cambodia. Horrific! Kerry's allegations did not exist in a vacuum. The enemy used his rhetoric to demoralize and torture our captive soldiers. The American public suffered similarly as star power shadowed political machination. Kerry being a willing tool of the later as he cloaked himself as one of our heroes while painting them with demonic brush. Those same elements have found new blood and a new cause, rising to challenge our resolve in the conflicts we currently face. And look who's riding on their shoulders. I maintain that Saddam Hussein knew his options. He stood no chance against our military. He hid. He waited. For what? A free Iraq was Hussein's undoing, but Iraq in chaos held hope. Thugs killing American soldiers and Iraqi civilians in mass. Ungrateful cowards back seat driving the war effort. If only they kill more of our brave men and women. If only they prevent peace and prosperity for the country of Iraq. Then maybe the Americans will elect a dove. They'll pull our troops out of the region forsaking all they've bled and died for. They'll choose expedience over stability. Then as now, our challenges are an enemy in theater working in concert with an enemy within our ranks. In Vietnam, our enemy didn't have to defeat our military at their doorstep. Kerry was doing their job for them when he lied about his fellow soldiers in public spectacle. A few million people died, but look where it got him.

The Usamas of the world target the leaders of their own people who fail to fall in line as well as any outsiders who threaten their designs. Make no mistake. If they are victorious, those who sat idly by or attempted to thwart those who fought against them will either fall in line with their demands or suffer our fate as well. These are their terms. How many of our soldiers and how many of those depending on us for a chance at freedom have to die in order to further Flipper's career this time around? After November 2nd....hopefully none.

Did John Edwards "Betray" his Country?

Following up on Tim's post below, If George W. Bush "betrayed" his country by joining the National Guard, taking time off to work on a campaign, and requesting that he end his committment to the Guard early....then what does that say about John Edwards?

Christmas in January. Or was it February?

Instapundit has a nice sample of the every changing Christmas in Cambodia story. SEARED! SEARED! The newest retelling of this tale has "Christmas" occuring in "January or February".......I guess that makes it easier to end run around Kerry crew mate Stephen Gardner. It sure as hell doesn't make Nixon President in 1968. SEARED! I snicker every time I hear a donk talking head cry out for Bush to silence the swifties or blubber about sticking to the issues. That must be why they questioned Bush's service record over and over again. That must be why they threaten to do so again if the Swifties don't stop beating on poor little Flipper. That must be why Flipper "Reported for Duty" at the DNC convention, why he constantly surrounds himself with those few who served with him and can stomach his lies, that must be why he mentioned his service every freakin' time someone put a camera in his face. Want to discuss the issues, Flipper? Let's discuss your position on abortion, your vote against the partial birth abortion ban, your vote against increased penalty for killing a pregnant woman. Let's talk about your 35 minutes of not being able to "think" or "act" after the second tower was hit. Let's talk about your vote against funding for our troops after you voted to send them to war. Let's focus on whether you would or would not have taken out Saddam Hussein. Let's discuss Libya's decision to disarm. Let's discuss your record of trying to slash programs essential to America's security. Let's discuss your desire to kill economic growth by raising taxes. Let's discuss your total disconnect from those living on....well....less than the Heinz fortune when you sponsored raising the gas tax by 50 cents per gallon. Let's discuss Iran's nuclear weapons program. Let's discuss your idiotic remarks about bringing troops home within 6 months and how it gives our enemy a light at the end of their tunnel. Let's discuss whether that means more to you than the success of our mission. I know. I know. "Well when I was in Vietnam...." Save it.

Sure is quiet without Dave here

Which reminds me that:

- even though Dave is prolific when around, and

- The Valiant Elephant just totally rips when he's here,

- I am way too busy with work and other things to get in here and get to opining.

We need another wacko.

Surely there is someone out there who hits the Comment sections of blog frequently, or someone who started their own blog but cannot handle it alone, or someone who lurks here and thinks they might want to take a stab at bloggery the way we do it here.

Surely there is.

Is there?

Bush vs. Free Speech

The President is taking his lumps out there from the right regarding his call for 527 ads to end. I think I see the political gambit though:

a) Kerry folks will WAY outspend Bush partisans on 527 ads in the next 60 days, and hence

b) Bush wants to harangue Kerry into denouncing the 527s on his side. (as if...)

So I find myself not wanting to get into the President's kitchen about this, though I agree with most right of center opinion I have heard, which is that there should be NO RESTRICTIONS on political speech.

American RealPolitik: Bush vs. Free Speech

Flipper's Biggest Fans

A quick chuckle awaits you as you flash back in time and read some Partisan Media commentary on the Kerry Convention speech. It's retro, but worth the click.

"George Bush betrayed his country by not fighting in Vietnam."

John Kerry has yet to denounce.

Protein Wisdom

"Fancy lad"

Oy!

Democrats Set to Steal Election

Over 31,000 Democrats are registered to vote in New York and Florida. Reckon they figure if they take a shot at two ballots, they're bound to get one right.

Meet the Peeping Tom worm

What will they think of next?

"If your computer is infected and you have a webcam plugged in, then everything you do in front of the computer can be seen, and everything you say can be recorded," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "It would be like having a regular Web cam conversation except you wouldn't know you're taking part in it."

Man, what I'd pay for a .MPG of Howard Dean surfing SovietPlumpers.com.

The Register

DANEgerus must chew up some serious bandwidth...

...as he has one of the best collections of images and cartoons around, where Election 2004 is concerned. A veritable plethora, I dare say.

Here's my favorite at the moment:



Oy!

Click and starting scrolling: DANEgerus. Look for the Bandaids! And read some of the words, if you are so inclined.

John Kerry Has Friends...

...in Pyongyang.

North Korea called President George W. Bush an imbecile and a tyrant who puts Hitler in the shade, unleashing a stream of insults Monday...

Fine!

With an eye on U.S. vote, North Korea rails at Bush

Questioning Dole

You may have noticed two chuckleheads of the Leftist punditcracy named David Corn and Katrina vanden Heuvel out there in the past weeks questioning why Bushtypes are questioning Kerry's war record. Corn and venden Heuvel are editors at The Nation magazine.

JAWOHL!

The very same The Nation that appears below:



Read more here: NRO.

Yes, Virginia, there was a time when questioning a Presidential nominee's war record was permissible.

Blogs for Bush: Web of Connections

Meanwhile, I don't know if you saw the information The New York Times published connecting the Swiftboat Vets to the Bush Administration, you know, Texas oil money and all that jazz. I fouind is perpelxing that no one had ever drawn a web of connections between John Kerry et al. and the purveyors of that Bush Is Nazi MoveOn Org AWOL jazz that Big Partisan Media felt the need to parrot a few months back without commentary about the source of such ads and accusations.

Well, someone has traced the web.



Click to learn more: Blogs for Bush: Web of Connections. CAUTION: what you read there may shock you, as you surely never read about it in your local BPM rag.

Dole Questions Kerry's Vietnam Wounds

Now the charges have gravitas, as they say.

Former Republican Sen. Bob Dole suggested Sunday that John Kerry (news - web sites) apologize for past testimony before Congress about alleged atrocities during the Vietnam War and joined critics of the Democratic presidential candidate who say he received an early exit from combat for "superficial wounds."

Dole also called on Kerry to release all the records of his service in Vietnam.

Oy!

This is problematic for Democrats for two reasons:

a) Big Funded Media cannot ignore Dole the way they ignored those Nam-vets-turned-on-the-Bush-payroll-alkies, can they?

b) All those Left of Center folks who suddenly feel the need to support a decorated veteran over a service dodger have to reconcile their vote for Clinton over Dole eight years ago. Or, , they would would, if they had a conscience, but, as we know, a conscience is optional on all makes and models of American Leftist.

Yahoo! News - Dole Questions Kerry's Vietnam Wounds

Head East, Young Man!

The girlfriend and I are getting on a plane late tonight and flying to The People's Republic of Taxachusetts for a week. The cause? The marriage of my one and only brother. This is one of the weddings I've been talking about. It's sucking up every last bit of cash I have, but you DO NOT miss your brother's nuptuals, and you DO NOT skimp while you're there!

It's just not done.

So I have the cigars and the booze stowed away, bags packed, the girlfriend's brother watching the dog for us and a friend and neighbor willing to shoot any strangers he might find around the house while we're gone. Burglers be warned, he's more bloodthirsty than I am. That's why I asked HIM to watch the house. I'll be back in a week. To make this story short, don't expect anything from me while I'm gone. Family trumps the 'net every time without exception. Luckily, you still have Tim, TVE and Bayou to keep you informed!

I'll see you all in a week!

Old Guns and Cheap Ammo

Just to make sure people know where I'm coming from, I've never bought a new gun.

Part of the reason is finances. New guns, especially good guns, cost bookoo bucks. The other part is simply the fact that I like older guns. You will not find a new Springfield M1903. They stopped making them years ago. The only ones out there are used. You will not find a brand new SKS. They were replaced by the AK-47. So if you want an SKS, you have to buy it used.

However, buying used guns has it's disadvantages, wear and tear being formost among them. My old SKS is a Yugoslavian model, and it's probably 50 years old. I have no idea how many rounds have been put through that barrel. Hell, I've put over 5,000 rounds through my Marlin .22 since I got it, and I got it used.

And, of course, one of the side effects of putting that many rounds through the gun is that your accuracy eventually starts to degrade. And that's what I thought had happened to my SKS. I had put quite a few rounds through it, and I couldn't get any kind of decent shot groups. Hell, I had my girlfriend put rounds through it and she couldn't do any better. No matter what I tried, I just couldn't get any kind of consistancy in my shot groupings. And I know that I'm not that bad a shot, as my other shot groups with different guns can attest.

However, I never once thought about the ammo I was using. Analog Kid handed me two stripper clips of ammo, and I produced this:



You can count 'em if you want, that's twenty holes. I put my hand there to give you an idea of what the shot grouping was like. A twenty round shot group that fits under the palm of my hand.

Hot damn, there's life in the old gun yet! AK, you gotta let me know what kind of ammo that was. I'd say those are pretty good results.

Someone did their research!

Reader Rocky send me a link to this video, in which John Fonda Kerry describes his positions on Iraq. It's a big'un, so unless you have broadband I'd click on it and then cook dinner. But oh, it's worth it.

Someone did a LOT of research..... and the result is well worth it. Thanks, Rocky!

Military Medals

Time to be frank, if I may. I'm enjoying watching the Kerry camp spin and twist over John Fonda Kerry's Viet Nam service. Flipper knows that he can't run on his post-Viet Nam record, so he made his four months of service the major focus of his campaign. However, since he was an opportunistic slimeball from day one, the people who worked with him are ripping him to shreds.

And I'm loving every minute of it. Trust me, I'm sitting back and laughing my ass off as Team Kerry goes into a tailspin. From his lies to his flip-flopping on issues, every piece of news is turning out negative no matter how hard the fifth-column media tries to spin it. As for the mass media itself, it's loosing credibility every day. They've dropped the facade of non-partisanship and are openly attempting to get Kerry elected.

And they're failing. I love it.

However, I think that there's a whole lot of confusion regarding Kerry's service medals, how he got them, and what it means. So for those who haven't been in the military, here's a quick primer for ya.

Half of the medals awarded to service members are subjective. Bottom line.

The other half are medals that must be awarded for certain actions. The Army Service Ribbon for example. If you served in the Army, you wear it. The Army Overseas Ribbon is awarded to any Army soldier who serves a minimum of six months overseas. The National Defense Service Medal is awarded to anyone who served within specific time periods. All of these are examples of ribbons that must be awarded based on set standards. If you did x, you got the ribbon.

However, the other half of awards are more subjective. The criteria for the Army Achievement Medal reads:

The Army Achievement Medal is awarded to any member of the armed forces of the United States, or to any member of the armed forces of a friendly foreign nation, who while serving in any capacity with the Army in a non-combat area on or after 1 August 1981, distinguished himself by meritorious service or achievement of a lesser degree than required for award of the Army Commendation Medal. The Army Achievement Medal will not be awarded to general officers.

What is "meritorious service"? That can be anything the person writing up the medal wants it to be. Did you keep the crappers clean for a month? Did you completely revamp and overhaul the motorpool? Depending on who your CO is, whether or not your 1SG dislikes you, all of these things can have an effect on what award you can get. The criteria for the Army Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal are equally subjective. It's not just about what you did, it's about who put you up for the medal, and who approves the request. What one commander might consider worthy of an Army Commendation Medal, another commander might think worthy of only a Letter of Commendation, not even a medal.

And it is here that we get into the whole sticky mess about John Fonda Kerry.

Just to give you an idea about the subjectiveness of military awards, when I ETS'ed from my last unit, my team leader and squad leader put me in for a Meritorious Service Medal. In their minds, the work I had done, and the amount I contributed to the platoon and company rated an MSM. However, it was downgraded at the Battalion level to an Army Achievement Medal. Their reason? "Lower enlisteds don't get MSM's." My efforts and contributions to the unit were entirely subjective to the Battalion. Again, much of what decides an award is who writes it and who approves it. It was rare to see a lower enlisted soldier with an Army Commendation Medal. And yet it was just as rare to see an officer with LESS than an ACM. That was the way the politics worked at my unit. Rank and the buddy network trumped actual effort almost every time. It was a large part of the reason I got out of the active duty Army to begin with.

So, with that knowledge in mind, we need to find out who wrote up John Fonda Kerry's medal recomendations. We already know that Kerry wrote the after-action reports, but that doesn't mean much. He was the commander of the boat, he's SUPPOSED to write the after-action reports. However, as the commander of the boat, he's also in charge of writing up award recomendations, and he's the main link in the chain of APPROVING said medal requests. Did he embelish the reasons for the award? Did he out and out lie? Did the actions that the award is based on actually occur? This is the information that those of us who weren't there need in order to say whether or not the awards were based on fallacious merits.

Of course, we would be able to have this information if Kerry would fully release his military records, as President Bush did months ago. But Kerry still hasn't done that.

So where does that leave us? I myself can't say whether or not Kerry deserves a Silver Star, because I don't have the info I need. All I have is the story put out by John Fonda Kerry, and the statements of over 250 men who say he's lying.

250 to 1. Those aren't good odds for John Fonda Kerry.

So while I may not directly state that Kerry's medals are worthless, I will however defer to those men who worked with him, lived with him, and dealt with him for four months and twelve days.

And those men say that John Fonda Kerry is full of shit. I think that's all I need to know about Kerry's service.

Time to go Shooting

I'm going to be spending the rest of the day at the Range with AK, and then going for a motorcycle ride with Ari.

I'll see you all later!

Oh, Wonderful!

You just KNEW this was going to happen, didn't you?

In a statement released to reporters, Kerry's campaign announced it had "filed a legal complaint against Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) before the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for violating the law with inaccurate ads that are illegally coordinated with the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign."

So far the only rebuttles I've seen from the Kerry Team is slander and lies directed at SBVT, calling them drunks, addicts, liars, and crackpots. Not ONE SINGLE REFUTATION of their charges has been forthcoming. And now.... Kerry and Co. is simply trying to prevent them from having their say.

I guess the 1st Amendment is just as worthless as the 2nd for the Donks.

Found via Cap'n Jim.

Attention Texas Readers!

Cap'm Jim has an invitation to the West Houston Smoke and Powder Crawl VIII for you all.

9:00 Start - American Shooting Center, 16500 Westheimer, 77082 281)556-8086. Rifle/pistol at $7 per person, including a target and range officer (Not a target -- give him cigars if you like). For shotgunners, 25 Skeet or Trap ($7.39), Five Stand ($8.31) or 50 Sporting Clays ($22.17). The Shoot-out, at a one cigar buy-in, is slated.

12:30 - Lunch - Paul's Seafood & Oyster Boat, 1704 Highway 6 S, 77077-2804. 281)556-5086 As always, great fresh seafood and cigar-friendly people who (tho' under new management) actually invited us back.

3:00 - Caribe Tobacco, 14045 Memorial Drive, 77079. www.caribecigars.net. 281-293-9211 Kristofer's shop is new to the Houston cigar scene, but it (and the 3 zillion inch TV) is a must-stop with average to good prices and a very nice selection. 15% discount on cigars & accessories. Bayou City Smokers meets
(irregularly) at Caribe so some of them may join in.

4:15 - Cigar Vault, 1141 Uptown Park Blvd. @ Post Oak & 610. 713) 840-7612 CV sports overstuffed chairs and a nice selection of pipes and tobaccos as well as cigars. Great cigar selection, average to good prices and 10% discount for Crawlers.

5:30 - Croft's Pipe, Tobacco & Cigars 4722 Richmond, 77027. 713)785-4080 Great selection, average to very good prices improved by a 10% discount for Crawlers. Be sure to check out the house brand.

6:45 - Downing Street Ltd. 2549 Kirby Dr., 77019. (713) 523-2291 This is an opulent bar in what we would all like to believe is the classic English "club" style. Food runs to sandwiches and pub-type snacks but quality is excellent, the beverage selection is huge and this year they have "revamped" their scotches and whiskeys to feature the Best of the Best. The walk-in humidor is great though you will pay for the hard-to-find smokes. Manager Jeff Neal has dared us to find a cigar he can't match perfectly to a scotch. So come play stump the expert.

You lucky bastards. Kim du Toit is holding an Open House on Sept. 11th, (invitation only though) and then there's this Smoke and Powder Crawl. I swear, once I get out of Seattle, I'm going to go on as many trips as I can, just so I can experience half of what is available.

And if you don't enjoy a good cigar (hey, nobody is perfect) at least go to the range and meet some kick ass folks.

Beware the Outrage of an Anchor

Tom Brokaw is fuming.

"I am particularly outraged that the commission failed to choose anyone from NBC News personnel for a moderator's role."

Brokaw's parting shot: "For a commission that has assumed primary power in the exercise of the democratic process, you have a peculiarly autocratic style."

Haw!

And now: on to the next ad

Human Events Exclusive: A Swift Boat Vets Joined by POWs in Criticism of Kerry

Seen on Instapundit

Swift Boat Vets and the Media

I just got to listen to NPR for a couple hours, and watched some CNN and MSNBC this week. They NEVER mention the Swift Vets without mentioning Republican money. I have NEVER heard anyone mention Mike Moore or MoveOn's donors. Amazing.

On NPR they had a debate between two leftists and of course last night on CNN the same thing and what is odd to me is that very few in the media seem interested in learning if what the vets state is true.

The two guys on NPR were allegedly media critics. They actually agreed on this point:

"The MoveOn [AWOL] ad is much less disturbing because, unlike the Swiftboat ad, while MoveOn cannot prove its claim that Bush went AWOL, Bush cannot *disprove* it either."

Simply and utterly astounding.

The Council Has Spoken!

The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are Swift Boats vs. the Media by Alpha Patriot, and The Alston Story Goes Back Farther Than First Thought by Captain's Quarters. You can find all the results here.

Also, Ubique Patriam Reminisci has replaced Spiced Sass on the Watcher's Council. Take care Zee, I hope life goes well for you. Chadster, welcome to the party!

I really don't know how I managed to be included into this group. Their writing outmatches anything I put up for the most part.

Although I have gotten lucky once or twice.

Fahrenheit 9/11 and Its Impact on Military Morale

I hope that you are in a good mood and you're sitting down, because you probably won't be after reading This.

At what point can you start using the word "Treason"?

Calling all military folks

JimK needs some help.

I’m so thoroughly disgusted by Michael Moore’s new book of supposed letters from soldiers that I’ve decided to put my money...or more precisely, my time, where my mouth is.

I will assemble a counter to Moore’s book. Unedited, untouched except for the assemblage, a book of letters from soldiers that support the President and do not trust Mr. Moore.

If you are military and you are interested, or you have military family members who would like to participate, please send your letters to letters at moorewatch dot com. All hate mail will be deleted upon receipt, so save your energy, Moore-ons.

If you prefer to write old-fashioned snail mail letters, I will get a P.O. Box and make the address available. Email would be the best route though, since time is of the essence.

I will touch not a word of these letters. Not one. If you send a letter, you must be willing to allow me to publish it AND publish your name and branch of service, so independent people can verify that you are who you say you are and that you wrote what I say you wrote. EVERYTHING will be public and verifiable. I refuse to hide any aspect of this.

If we can’t get anyone interested in publishing it, we’ll publish it our damn selves. But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Get them letters written, folks.

Found via Drumwaster.

Flipper And the 527s

Bryon Scott of Slings And Arrows guest blogs at Blogs for Bush about Flipper's accusations against The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth:

Over the last week or so, a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has been attacking me. Of course, this group isn't interested in the truth -- and they're not telling the truth,'' Kerry said. ``Here's what you really need to know about them -- they're funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Republican contributor out of Texas. They're a front for the Bush campaign.

HAW!!!!! Who isn't telling the truth? Yesterday one of our retard trolls decided to pipe off with an article citing "documents" that "contradict" Swift Vet Larry Thurlow. Problem? According to Thurlow (and now Kerry) Flipper himself authored the after action report that the troll's link attempted to use in discrediting the man.

Here's the dig! Flipper can't counter these accusations so he's trying to burry the group of Vets who took issue with his self-touted and primary selling point for his candidacy - his military service. He calls them liars. AND He says that because the 527 Swift Vets for Truth has received 100,000 dollars from Republican donors, that makes them a front for the Bush campaign! FAIR ENOUGH FLIPPER! Join President Bush in condemning ALL 527 and soft money advertising! No?! Why oh Why NOT? Because Leftists are dumping tons of cash into these 527s. How much? According to Bryon's research at Opensecrets.org, George Soros has provided 4.5 MILLION DOLLARS to The Joint Victory Campaign. He isn't even the largest donor! He is one of 33 who have contributed more to that leftist 527 than Bob Perry (evil Swift Vet for Truth donating Republican) has given to the Swift Vets. How much more? Bob gave the SV4T $100,000. 41 out of the top 49 best funded 527 organizations are pro-Democrat or Anti-Republican. By Kerry's "logic", they are a "front" for his campaign! What a crock of shit this attack by Flipper is! Additionally, Donk 527 funding totals 176 million compared to Republican 527 funding which totals 10.8 million. Opensecrets.org lists Bush as raising $228,743,338 and Kerry as raising $186,593,248. That brings the totals for both to: Donks $363 Million, Republicans $198 Million. Party of the little guy, huh donks!? Right! Click the link to Blogs For Bush above and read the whole thing! GREAT work Bryon! Remember fellow Elephants:

Swift Vets, Republican Donor, $100,000.
Joint Victory Fund, Donk Donor, $4,500,000.
Total Funding for Donks - $363 Million
Total Funding for Republicans - $198 Million.

Great Stuff

The Watcher of Weasel's council vote is up, and there's some great writing there. Go ahead and check it out. I've already voted, so if you want to leave any comments feel free.

Let's get the Band back Together!

It's time.



This Saturday. 1000 hrs. Sam's in Everett. (11714 Airport Rd. Everett, WA)

God knows I need the practice! Sam's is less expensive than Wade's, although they don't have nearly as large a rental section. That's OK, I'll bring my guns and you can borrow those. Come one, come all!

I hate to keep testing...

...but I want to learn if this alternate Blog methodology werks.

Does it?

Random Thoughts

I was reading this Mark Steyn piece (which is a must read, as all of his are) and I suddenly remembered a quote from Lillian Hellman. At least, I think that's her proper name. Anyways, the part of Steyn's article that make me think of it was this:

As Stephens points out, European countries now have attitudes in inverse proportion to the likelihood of their acting upon them. They're like my hippy-dippy Vermont neighbours who drive around with "Free Tibet" bumper stickers. Every couple of years, they trade in the Volvo for a Subaru, and painstakingly paste a new "Free Tibet" sticker on the back.

What are they doing to free Tibet? Nothing. Tibet is as unfree now as it was when they started advertising their commitment to a free Tibet. And it will be just as unfree when they buy their next car and slap on the old sticker one mo' time. If Don Rumsfeld were to say, 'Free Tibet'? That's a great idea! The Third Infantry Division go in on Thursday', all the 'Free Tibet' crowd would be driving around with 'War is not the answer' stickers. When entire nations embrace self-congratulatory holier-than-thou moral poseurdom as a way of life, it's even less attractive. The Belgians weren't half as insufferable when they were the German army's preferred shortcut to France.

The quote, by the way is "There are those people who eat the world. And then there are others who just stand around and watch them eat it."

I think that's the perfect analogy for today's modern liberals. They wail and gnash their teeth at the thought of genocide in Sudan, but should Bush send in the 101st Airborn Division to stop it, you can bet your bottom dollar there would be protests held nationwide. They do nothing but complain, but when someone else actually steps up and DOES something about, they screech and cry foul. They talk about women's rights, but when Bush removed the Taliban and their oppressive regime, which regularly enslaved women, killed them for appearing in public without a male family member, and prevented them from working or going to school, Michael Moore was out there denouncing Bush with his chins all a-quiver. They talk about world peace, but when Bush removed the dictator responsible for over ONE MILLION DEAD ARABS, he's called Hitler.

Liberals don't want to actually DO anything, they just want to whine and snivel about it. They want to preen in their own supposed superiority, but when they're shown to be the cowardly, spineless oxygen thieves that they are, they scream and protest and break things. They'll demand action in grand terms, but when someone ACTS they throw a temper tantrum.

They'll watch others eat the world, and do nothing to stop it.

I Coulda Told You That

Seattle is the #1 Overpriced City to live in America.

Duh.

Let's see, high taxes, socialist politicians, stifling regulations on business, and a population too strung out on Prozac to care. Is it any wonder I want to get the hell out of here?

Found via DANEgerus.

By the way, Portland is #4. And New Jersey has THREE cities in the top ten! How the hell did that happen?

Oh, wait, nevermind. Just look at who they vote into office.

Movin' On Flipper Style

Matt at Blogs for Bush directs our attention to a new add from Moveon.never that both:

Attacks the President's military service.
AND
Asks the President to condemn an attack on Kerry's military service.

*snicker*

"George Bush used his father to get into the National Guard, was grounded and then went missing. Now he's allowing false advertising that attacks John Kerry, a man who asked to go to Vietnam and who served with dignity and heroism.

Once you stop laughing your ass off at that preview of the imminent donk implosion, you can take a peep at Flipper's "condemnation":

"I agree with Senator McCain that the ad is inappropriate," Kerry said in a statement released by his campaign. "This should be a campaign of issues, not insults."

Guess what? Kerry was for this particular "insult" before he was against it:

Saying he would defend Bush's decision to enlist in the Guard, Kerry rattled off a long list of Vietnam-era options that lumped Guard service in with draft-dodging.

"I've never made any judgments about any choice somebody made about avoiding the draft, about going to Canada, going to jail, being a conscientious objector [or] going into the National Guard," he told Sean Hannity. "Those are choices people make."

That's right. Kerry thinks going to jail or fleeing the country is the same as joining the National Guard. I wonder where Moveon.never got their spin?

Bush isn't behind the Swift Vets for Truth. Their advertisements aren't "false". They aren't pro-Bush. They are exclusively Anti-Kerry, and from what I've seen thus far *cough* Christmas in Cambodia *cough* "seared" *cough* "inaccurate" *cough*, rightly so. Kerry's condemnation is a flip flop on the issue of "insulting" one's military record. Bush also wasn't "missing".

This, however, has been a particularly flipity flop filled day or so for Flipper:

Troop Realignment? You guessed it! Kerry was foragainst that as well

Kerry today:

Finally, I want to say something about the plan that the President announced on Monday to withdraw 70,000 troops from Asia and Europe. Nobody wants to bring troops home more than those of us who have fought in foreign wars. But it needs to be done at the right time and in a sensible way. This is not that time or that way.

Kerry on August 1, seventeen days ago:

I think we can significantly change the deployment of troops, not just there but elsewhere in the world. In the Korean Peninsula perhaps, in Europe perhaps. There are great possibilities open to us.

*flip* How did Kerry get his first Purple Heart? That depends on whether you believe his recent recounting of events or perhaps the one in his friggin' Diary used for his authorized Biography!*flop*

Waffles anyone?

This has GOT to be a Rove plant!

So Sen. Tom Harkin is calling VP Cheney a coward for not serving in Viet Nam.

Vice President Dick Cheney's questioning of John Kerry's war record and his ability to protect America is "cowardly," Sen. Tom Harkin said Monday.

"It just outrages me that someone who got five deferments during Vietnam and said he had 'other priorities' at that time would say that," said the Iowa Democrat, a former Navy fighter pilot.

Harkin said he had seen clips of the vice president saying in Iowa last week that Kerry lacks a basic understanding of the war on terrorism.

He accused President Bush and his vice president of "resorting to dirty attacks on John Kerry's war record."

"They're running scared because John Kerry has a war record and they don't," said Harkin. "What he (Cheney) is doing and what he is saying is cowardly. The actions are cowardly."

OK, first of all is this: What part of "Kerry lacks a basic understanding of the war on terrorism" attacks Kerry's Viet Nam record? Can someone tell me how those two things are connected?

(crickets chirping)

Second of all, the very fact that the person attacking Cheney just happenes to have lied through his teeth about his own service is just too damn much.

That clearly is not an accurate picture of his Navy service. Though Mr. Harkin stresses he is proud of his Navy record -- "I put my ass on the line day after day" -- he concedes now he never flew combat air patrols in Vietnam. . . .

Mr. Harkin's Navy record shows his only decoration is the National Defense Service Medal, awarded to everyone on active service during those years. He did not receive either the Vietnam Service medal or the Vietnam Campaign medal, the decorations given to everyone who served in the Southeast Asia theater. "We didn't get them for what we did," Mr. Harkin says. "It's never bothered me."

Do the Donks have ANYONE who won't lie like a rug in order to regain power? Is there any Donks out there who won't toss their values or beliefs aside like bad habits in order to control this country? The very people castigating Cheney over his lack of Viet Nam service were the same people screaming "MILITARY SERVICE DOESN'T MATTER" when they had a draft dodging dope smoker running against two different war heros. Which is it, dipsticks? Does military service matter or not? Where was the outrage when Howard "I Got Out Of The Draft Because Of A Back Injury But I Can Still Go On A Ski Trip" Dean was trying to win the nomination? I guess military service didn't matter then either. Only when you run a candidate who is so worthless, weak, spineless, and completely without convictions that he has no political record of note does his four months of war service matter, I guess.

By the way, for those who care, George W. Bush spent more time on active duty learning how to fly figher jet planes than John Fonda Kerry spent in the military at all.

Found via (who else?) Instapundit.

Late posting today

In case you were wondering where we went to, Blogger took a dump on us today.

Just so ya know.

This is my test.

This is only a test.

Olympic Gripes

So, I want to know who the wise guy at NBC is who decided that the Olympic Games would be best watched if they only put them on late at night. Honestly, coverage doesn't start until 8:00 PM, and the actual competition doesn't end until around 11:30 to midnight. WHAT THE HELL?????

Gee, I wonder why more people aren't watching the games! Maybe it's because when you have to get up at the buttcrack of dawn, you're in no mood to sacrifice several hours of sleep! But I guess the braindead, slackjawed, half-wit drooling morons at NBC think that EVERYBODY stays up till midnight, even when they have to wake up way to damn early in order to get to work on time. And the COMMERCIALS! Every five minutes, and they make sure to put them in the most inopportune places. I'm personally boycotting each and every company I see a commercial for on NBC when I'm trying to watch the games. GEICO? No go. Nexium? Alka-seltzer, bitch! I got yer little purple pill right here, only it's not purple it's more of a tan-peach color, has five fingers, and is about to wrap itself around your scrawny neck!

Ya know what? Maybe I should just follow Steve's example and forgo the games entirely. I'm tired of pretending that women with more facial hair than me and voices that make Barry White sound positively sproano-ish aren't using performance enhancing drugs. It used to be the Eastern Bloc, because the Soviets were desperate to prove that they were better than America. East German females were shaving more often than my dad, and had voices that attracted such animals as bull moose and grizzly bears with their deep, delicate basso tones. "No, I do not use steroids. Now excuse, I must go wax my back." They'd give interviews where you could practically see the marks of the horseneedles they used to juice up. Now it's the Asian communists, and every one else out there who wanted to use the secret "drink". Do you think those Eastern Bloc coaches just left the sport? Hell no, they got hired by every other country looking to take a Tall Dog down, and they brought their magic bags of goodies with them. Training and nutrition can only go so far. Modern science is helping with the rest.

I'm not even going to mention Olympic "security".

There are a few sports I'd like to watch. Gymnastics, both women's and men's. I don't care what drugs are out there, I have yet to see a drug that turns people into a human Rubiks Snake. Equestrian. The shooting events. I mean, I can find any number of replays of the swimming, the diving, the syncronized diving (WTF??? Who came up with THAT?), but try to find the 100m air rifle competition and you're SOL. Same with archery, skeet shooting, and anything that might have to do with firearms or other tools that make the GFW's poop their pants. ("EEEK! BOW AND ARROWS! REGULATE! REGULATE!") And even if they DID show those events it would probably be at 1:30 in the morning while I'm sleeping.

Screw it, maybe I should just wait for the Winter Olympics. They haven't been as tainted as the Summer Olympics, except for Ice Skating, which has always been as crooked as the Mafia during Prohibition, and I never watch that anyways. I'm into the Biathalon.

(Cross-Country skiing and shooting, for those who don't know. Maybe an American will actually win it next time.)

The Liberal What???

Check this "News" piece out. It's from the AP. Dear me.

Bush Camp Controlling Admission to Events

Excerpts:

"But first, his audience at "Ask President Bush" heard a 21-minute speech from Bush."

"This was no town hall appearance before a cross-section of citizens."

"By contrast, most of Kerry's events are open to the public."

"But Kerry spokesman David Wade said that any member of the public can get a ticket..."

"Such dissent is never a problem for Bush."

"Bush's admission policy can leave the impression that the president has strong support wherever he goes."

"The crowd roared its approval throughout the speech. Some tickets were also given to union members. A few of them sat silently in the back rows."

Glenn Reynolds used to talk about this Scott Lindlaw chap now and again. That this story is filed under "News" by Yahoo! is telling.

Check out the URL to the story, even:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=2&u=/ap/20040816/ap_on_el_pr/bush_preaching_to_the_choir

Oy!

Thank an Aussie

For those who don't know, Iraq is still currently undergoing warfare in certain areas. There are insurgents from Iran and Syria who would love nothing more than for Iraq to fall on it's face. And most CERTAINLY they don't want the world to see a free and prosperous Iraq, in the form of it's finest atheletes, competing on the world stage in Athens.

So it would stand to reason that these insurgets would try to kill Iraq's Olympians before they got out of the country. However, as you may have noticed, Iraq's Olympians not only made it to Athens, but their soccer team is whumping up on it's opponents.

Because the Royal Australian Air Force made sure they got there safe.

Good on ya, mates!

Found at Dean's World.

More lies from the Kerry Camp

David Alston, a Kerry supporter and former member of Kerry's swiftboat crew, talks about the time Kerry won his Silver Star.

Alston recalled: "I know when John Kerry told Del to beach that damn boat, this was a brand-new ball game. We wasn't running. We took it to Charlie."

Gosh! A war hero! Alston proves it! Uh....

No.

"In addition to Kerry's Silver Star PCF-94's performance on February 28 also earned Bronze Stars for Tommy Belodeau and Mike Medeiros and Navy Commendation Medals with Combat V Devices for Del Sandusky, Fred Short, and Gene Thorson." - Douglas Brinkley
All of the crew, it seems, were decorated for their actions that day, noticeably absent was David Alston.

Alston, contrary to his story, was nowhere near the swiftboat when Kerry beached it. He had been wounded two weeks prior and was replaced by Gunner's mate Fred Short.

Alston wasn't there. Alston was never there. Alston was recouperating in a hospital when the incident happened. And Captain Ed even has a photo to prove it.

More lies from the Kerry team. *sigh* Is anyone even surprised? I didn't think so.

Hat tip to DANEgerous.

About. Damn. Time!

This should have been done about two years ago, at the latest.

The United States reportedly plans to pull 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia in the largest restructuring of its global military presence since World War II.

Two-thirds of the reductions will be made in Europe, most of them military personnel stationed in Germany who will be sent back to U.S. bases, the Financial Times reported Saturday.

The only reason we had that many troops in Germany was to counter the Soviet threat. That threat died in the early 90's. Ergo, the reason to keep troops in Europe was gone. But as usual, politics kept them there, which may or may not have been a bad thing. I know that a lot of troops enjoyed being stationed in Germany, some met their wives there, some extended tours of duty there. But it was high time we pulled most of our forces out of there. All we really need is a skeleton crew on important bases, just to keep them operational and ready to recieve troops should the need arise. We do NOT need two divisions stationed there.

And just to make this clear - part of my relief over this is a bit more vengeful in nature. We've been funding European defense for too long, it's time they either walked on their own or fell flat on their faces. Part of the money being spent is going to fund an anti-American administration in Germany, and seeing Schroder get blamed for the loss of US dollars would make me smile. It's well past time that Europe realised they cannot treat the USA like their own private piggybanks.

Bring troops home, saving money, and backhanding an anti-American asshole? That's a trifecta.

The Band of What?

Kerry has been trying to brush his Senate record under the carpet during his whole campaign, relying instead on his four months in Viet Nam. At every stop, if he's not kissing babies he's talking about his "war record", and bring out a small group of men who he calls his "Band Of Brothers".

Well, first it was Viet Nam Vets Against John Kerry speaking out. The DNC smear machine cranked up, calling them "crackpots", "drug addicts", what have you. Anything to shut these guys up, it was fine and dandy with the Kerry team.

Then came SwiftVets for Truth. The feces-slingers on Team Kerry went into overdrive, throwing more crap than a sewage treatment plant, bringing lawsuits, yelling, namecalling, anything they could. Of course, none of Kerry's team ever tried to refute the charges. They only threatened to sue. It continues to this day, the lies, the slander, the abuse, and the intimidation. Luckily, the Donk's smear machine isn't working as well as they would hope. Millions have seen the SwiftVet's commercial.

Then out came Viet Nam Special Forces Against Kerry. Are we detecting a trend, here? It seems that every veteran's group wouldn't trust John Fonda Kerry as far as they could throw him. Him AND his Swiftboat combined.

And now we have POW/MIA Family Members Against John Kerry.

I think that this paints a damn clear picture. 99.9999999% of people who were involved in Viet Nam wouldn't piss on Kerry to save his life. That's all I need to know about John Fonda Kerry's "service". Of course, any questions about Kerry's service could be cleared up IF he would release his military records as Bush has already done. But Kerry is refusing to do that. Gee, I wonder why?

I'm willing to hazard a guess.... it's because Kerry isn't fit to salute a Private much less be CinC. And all the Viet Nam vets I've spoken to confirm that fact.

Open Seat on the Council

As you might have figured out, this blog is part of the Watcher of Weasel's Council. The Council gets together once a week to submit, then vote on blog entries from the previous week as well as blog entries nominated by council members. It's a good way to get some exposure to your blog, as well as a way to recognise some truly great writing. If you'd like to be a part of it, here's your chance.

There's an opening on the council. Head on over, check out the rules, and put your name in the hat.

The Council Has Spoken!

This weeks winners in the Watcher of Weasel's council are The Black Widow Women: Female Terrorists by Terrorism Unveiled, and Someday, Some Way by Cold Fury. You can find all the results here.

Say what ill you will about John Kerry...

...but at least he has the benevolence to assist the victims of Hurricane Charley.



Yahoo! News needs you know that.

History shows again and again...

...how nature points up the folly of men.



Gusts to 145 mph.

In other gay news...

...Laverne and Shirley get Walk of Fame stars.

Ann Coulter On The Press Attention Given The Swift Vets

"If memory serves, the last book Democrats tried this hard to suppress was the Bible." Masterful! When it was Bush and "AWOL", they took every insinuation against the man as gosple truth until it was beaten into the ground that no such events transpired. With Flipper....just the opposite. Now it's time to kill the messenger. The Swift Vets message must be paid for to be heard. It can't be the topic of discussion for the talking heads. Look for them to endorse silencing them for un 527 like conduct. They took great personal risk in interjecting without hiding behind an incorporation, making it a bit more difficult for the donks to sue their pants off without looking like the thugs they are. Let's see how long that matters to them. They've already sent threatening letters to TV stations that aired the Swift Vets ad. The major media is beyond partisan at this point. They have, with unbending will, branded these men extremist partisans who's message is unworthy of consideration. Criminal.

Help Flipper Do A REAL 180

Iowa Presidential Watch suggests that we help John "I don't fall down! That son-of-a-bitch knocked me down." Kerry release his military records by sending him a Form 180. Mark Noonan at Blogs for Bush posted on this already and "keiser" from the comments for that post suggests that we email the online form to Kerry via his online Senate Office and point him to the following link:

http://www.archives.gov/research_room/vetrecs/

I wonder if Kerrry regrets making his service and all the lies he told along with it the major selling point for his candidacy. Too late now.

As Iran inches closer to possessing fissile material...

...this piece about Israel's destruction of the French-built Osiraq reactor in Iraq seems like pertinent reading.

If you've a mind for more, I give you Steven den Beste, via whom the first piece came to my attention. Also you may want to check out den Beste's latest article, a post about the future of the insurgency in Iraq.

Speaking of Spokane...

...watch this video.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-CHANgesssssss!

Life has certainly gotten interesting for me as of late. You might have noticed that my frequency of posting has gone down. For right now, expect it to stay down, because I'm as busy as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.

Plans are being laid down to get me the hell out of this city by the end of the year (or as close to it as possible). I have two weddings to go to this year, and between trying to raise enough cash for that plus do what needs to be done around here, I'm swamped.

And other plans are coming into play - you might remember my futile attempts to rejoin the Army, and how my eyes kept me out. Well, if the Lord works in mysterious ways, the US Army has him beat hands down.

At 1 PM this afternoon, I raised my right hand and joined the Army Reserve. I'll be placed into a unit based out of Spokane, WA. Traveling to and from drills will be somewhat boring for a few months, but I'll make do until I'm living closer to there.

For those who care, my MOS is 91W. Medic. I'll have to be retrained within a year (since my old MOS consisted more of hurting people than trying to heal them). As far as I know, I'll do my training at Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. Cap'n Jim, I might be meeting you face to face a bit sooner than I expected!

So my life continues to change. I'm not going anywhere for a few months, but by mid-December, hopefully this joint will be jumping! The Raging Girlfriend and I will either land in Spokane or Northern Idaho when all is said and done. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared. Change is always difficult in some way, even if you know the change needed to happen.

So.... deep breath... eyes forward... let's go!

Jeff Garcia says: "I'm not gay."

I'm so conservative I make Newt Gingrich look like George McGovern, and I must say that I don't understand the shame associated with being gay. At the same time Governor McGreevey is falling on his sword and the big thing about it is that he is homosexual, Philly sports coverage is rife with clips of Cleveland Browns quarterback Jeff Garcia adamantly denying that he is gay. Earlier this week, one time teammate Terrell Owens said he suspected Garcia is.

I don't get it. It's 2004. Why does anyone care any more?

I cannot imagine anyone I know doing what Garcia has done - holding a new conference to deny being gay.

Who gives a shit?

MercuryNews.com | 08/12/2004 | Garcia: Owens' comment `untrue'

A Trip For Flipper Down Memory Lane

Brought to you by Vietnam Vets for the Truth.

Trusting Brutal Dictators

Saddam's Uranium Stockpile Enough to Yield 142 Nukes

Five hundred tons of yellowcake uranium ore stored at Saddam Hussein's al Tuwaitha nuclear weapons research laboratory near Baghdad could have been enriched to produce 142 nuclear weapons, a prominent British physicist has determined.

Hey! Relax Guy! He only had parts essential to assembling gas centrifuges for enriching uranium burried in his scientists' back yard with instructions to hold until inspections were no longer an issue. Poor sovereign brutal dictator.

Bizarrity in New Jersey!

Governor McGreevey is resigning.

Know why?

Here's what's bizarre: if you were to guess that he's leaving office because one of his aides broke the governor's leg trying fend off the governor's unwanted sexual advances, and if you were to further posit that said harassed aide is another man, you might not be far off.

Yes.

Odd.

The Education President

One of Flipper's biggest flip flops involves the No Child Left Behind legislation he voted for and now blasts the Bush administration for enacting. Nevermind that Ted Chappaquiddick sponsored the bill. He and flipper were "duped". LOL So how is NCLB working out?

According to City Journal's Sol Stern:Though attacked and belittled, George W. Bush’s education reforms represent real progress.

It sounds like it's pissing off some teachers. Guess it sucks to be held accountable for what you get paid to do. Of course, the Donks have a big lie for this issue as well. The "unfunded mandate":

The biggest falsehood that critics have promulgated against NCLB is that the bill represents an “unfunded mandate,” in that it doesn’t provide enough money to bring kids up to the standards it imposes. New York Times columnist Bob Herbert is typically dismissive. “It’s hard to believe the president ever intended to adequately fund the No Child Left Behind Act,” he writes, right after checking in with that objective source, Ted Kennedy. “Mr. Bush fights ferociously for the things he really cares about: enormous tax cuts for the wealthy, for example, or launching a war against Iraq. He has never showed a similar passion for the public schools.” In fact, the Bush administration will spend a whopping 49 percent more on public education this year than the Clinton administration did in its last year in office. In just four years, the Bush team will quadruple what the Clinton administration spent on reading programs over eight years.

Get kids to read. Test them for reading and math. Make schools compete for funding.

Guess which one of those our teacher's union owned Donk party has the largest problem with? Yep. Competition. They don't want kids to go where the educators succeed. They took some teeth out of the President's plan. Perhaps we can remove a few more of them from the legislature this time around. That and, of course, Re-Elect President Bush.

Jeff Jarvis...

...is comparing John Kerry's Swiftboat lies to - - - Howard Stern ???

It's all very mindboggling. In his opinion, that Kerry lied doesn't matter because we're not electing a Pope.

He's taking a brutal beating in his Comments section for it.

Read it here, if you wish.

Attornies Kerry & Edwards

DANEgerus has posted an ad that needs to be chuckled at (even if it is kinda scary).

Picture of the Week

Yes, I just got a new camera.

Yes, I have grown weary of politics.

Yes, I saw the piece on InstaPundit about how great it is that Panera Bread now has wi-fi access so you can go get a cruller and coffee and surf the web while you snack.

And yes, I was going to pen a long thought here about how utterly, well, gay it is to pack up one's laptop and head to some cafe to sip capuccino and look for used books on Amazon.com.

And yes had I felt like typing about that I'd have also mentioned how rude it is to buy six bucks worth of food then sit at a table for ninety minutes pointing and clicking when there are real live people who'd like to sit down and talk to other real live people instead of taking up space falling even deeper in love with their computers, for Chrissakes.

I hope the Dear Reader doesn't get too offended by this but really: what kind of maladjusted dork actually looks around the house / apartment and says "Hmmmm. Think I'll pack up the Toshiba and head to Panera for a sesame beignet and green tea." ???

I mean, who does that??? Probably the flavor of dweeb who calls his laptop something like "Jenny" or "Old Reliable" instead of "the Toshiba".

God I weep for my fellow twisted man.

Freud used to say that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Well, sometimes a cafe should just be a cafe. What's next? Wi-fi at church, so one can cruise eBay during a boring sermon?

But I don't feel like typing about that drek.

So here's your picture of the week (or the day, if I don't feel like railing against techno-numbskulls tomorrow).

Swallowtail at the Slimy Homestead

 

Two more handprints

One on the face of John Fonda Kerry, and one to the collective face of the tranzi Left.

Let's start with Kerry first, shall we? Because there's yet another veterans group coming out against him: Viet Nam Special Forces Against Kerry.

In retrospect one must in reality question why Kerry filmed his supposed escapades in Vietnam, a tactic that obviously smacks of exploitation and calculation. I spent one year in Vietnam as a combat veteran and I never saw any soldier carry an 8-mm camera. If John really wanted to do something important why didn't he document with his camera all the atrocities he said that he witnessed and were committed by the hoards of Ghengis Khan he so blatantly accused in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971? The murdering, rapists ....Your fathers, sons, friends, and relatives, our young fighting men who fought with so much bravery because they loved America! Where was his bravery then? He was so against the war what better chance to prove his accusations but on film? No his real reasons for carrying that camera have become very obvious to most veterans and to many Americans. John Kerry is into only one thing and that's John Kerry's political aspirations. THINK AMERICA!

Back in September 2002, Kerry told then-New York Times columnist (now executive editor) Bill Keller "I have no intention of using" his Vietnam home movies, which Kerry shot with an 8-mm camera, for campaign purposes. But contrary to that promise, those films have been used in Kerry’s TV ads and were heavily featured during the Democratic convention. Can you say Flip Flop? No I'm tired of that idiotic name for what John Kerry does, the real word is called LYING.

Ouch. That's GOTTA hurt!

And the handprint on the left's face? Well, specifically those on the left who claim that since we had inspectors in Iraq, he couldn't have made any nuclear weapons.

Here's a clue to those idiots: Inspections don't work.

Iraq War critics have argued that Saddam's uranium stockpile was safe because it was subject to once-a-year inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

But the IAEA was also in charge of monitoring North Korea's nuclear program right up until 2002, when Pyongyang announced it would begin producing nuclear weapons.

Tell me again how Saddam couldn't do anything, just like North Korea?

(slap slap slap!) Both slaps brought to you by Steve.

The Iranians have themselves a new toy

While the EU dicks around:

Iran's defense ministry said on Wednesday it had carried out a field test of the latest version of its Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile which defense experts say can reach Israel or U.S. bases in the Gulf.

Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani said last week Iran was working on improvements to the range and accuracy of the Shahab-3 in response to Israel's moves to boost its anti-missile capability.

How will you know when Iran is really close to having missiles that can carry nukes?

When Israel bombs them, I guess .

My Way - News

Meteor Shower Tonight

Good year for it.

The 2004 Perseid Meteor Shower

The hat

James Lileks has a few word about Kerry & Cambodia.

If Kerry’s story is a lie, it’s significant, but not because we have a gotcha moment – gee, a politician reworked the truth to his advantage, big surprise. This is much larger than that. This is like Bush insisting that he flew an intercept mission with the Texas Air National Guard to repel Soviet bombers based in Cuba, and later stating that this event was “seared in his memory – seared” because it taught him the necessity of standing up against evil governments, such as the ones we face today. In other words, it would not only be a lie, but one that eroded the political persona he was relying upon in the election. Kerry has made Vietnam central to his campaign. If he’s making crap up, it matters. But the story of the CIA agent he ferried into the Heart of Darkness gives the gotcha a curious twist; as lawyers say on TV courtroom dramas, it goes to state of mind. What sort of man bedecked with genuine decorations feels compelled to manufacture a story like this one?

I agree with Lileks when he says, in effect:

"A politican lied. Wow."

But this story does illuminate the scene nicely, doesn't it? Kerry's campaign threatened to sue any station that ran the Swiftboat ad. Someone hacked into Barnes and Noble and changed the ad for the book. DNC hitmen have threatened to reveal divorce and other personal information about the Swiftboat vets. The Boston Globe ran a story (that was then picked up by wire services) that claimed one of the vets had retracted his claims about Kerry. That turned out to be errant. No front page spot for the vets in the NYT or WaPo yet.

Three things seem clear:

a) John Kerry will say anything in front of those adoring throngs on the campaign trail,

b) John Kerry believes no one else is paying attention to his proclamations, and

c) in the case of Major Media, he's right about b).

Dunno.

Maybe Major Media are part of his adoring throngs.

LILEKS (James) The Bleat

Albert Gore III

Poor John Kerry. He just can't stop lying!

Your assignement for this evening

Print this out, copy it, and forcefeed it to the first idiot to brays about a "stolen election" or "selected not elected".

The Commission's report failed to note that elections in Florida are the responsibility of 67 county supervisors of election. And, in all but one of the 25 counties with the highest ballot spoilage rates, the election was supervised by a Democrat-the one exception being an official with no party affiliation. In fact, most of the authority over elections in Florida resides with officials in the state's 67 counties, and all of those with the highest rates of voter error were under Democratic control.

Of the 25 Florida counties with the highest rate of vote spoilage, in how many was the election supervised by a Republican? The answer is zero. All but one of the 25 had Democratic chief election officers, and the one exception was in the hands of an official with no party affiliation.

The majority report argues that much of the spoiled ballot problem was due to voting technology. But elected Democratic Party officials decided on the type of machinery used, including the optical scanning system in Gadsden County, the state's only majority-black county and the one with the highest spoilage rate.

So much for the Vast Right Wing Conspieracy disenfranchising voters. Kinda hard to toss out ballots when you're not in charge of doing the tossing out!

Both the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post "hardly bastions of Republicanism" as Harris has pointed out found that, if anything, county officials were too permissive in whom they let vote, and this largely was to the benefit of Al Gore.

In November 2001, a ballot-by-ballot analysis by a consortium of newspapers (the media consortium included The Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Tribune Company, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, The St. Petersburg Times, The Palm Beach Post and CNN. The group hired the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago in January to examine the ballots) shows that Bush would have won the election clean if he'd let Florida go ahead with the partial recount that Gore wanted.

Wham, bam, thank you very much. Found via The Rott.

Protest Warriors Photo Exhibit

This is just great stuff.

Oh, and click here to choose a video of the Protest Warriors at The Today Show. The last minute is really very humorous. Real broad smile building stuff.

Linky Love

Just some things I had to link to.

One: I need to get one of these for my girlfriend. (if permalinks are shot, go to "One for the boys" entry on Aug. 7th)

Two: I don't know why, but this particular photoshop job makes me laugh every time I see it.

Three: The Scope fund that Kim du Toit came up with for a few of our boys has just paid dividends. Go check it out. Happy hunting, troops!

Communists for KERRY

Oy!

No, really.

Click it.

Saudi Government Cleared in 911 Commission Report

At least that's how Kelley Beaucar Vlahos of Fox News reads it. I haven't come across it yet in my reading, and I don't know Kelley so I'll follow up on this with some cites from the report when I come across them. If anyone wishes to post excerpts in the comments, I'll include them as I follow up.

"Nonetheless, last month's release of the Sept. 11 commission report vindicated the Saudi government of any role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks upon the United States.

The Big Greasy Crap Monster's lie fest attempted to implicate the Saudi Government in the attacks of 9/11. If Vlahos is right, and the report clears them, I am not suprised. No one should be. First of all, 4F is the biggest of liars. Second, the Saudi government is one of the primary targets of Usama's Al Qaeda. One of their goals is to replace the rulers of the the "holiest of muslim lands" with rulers that they consider true to their brand of Islam.

The left have set Saudi Arabia up as scape goat for the 911 attacks. They've deluded their supporters into this position. The Saudi's are irresponsible in my opinion. Until recently, they've done little to curb the rise of radical Islam in their midst even encouraging those eminations in the spirit of freedom with reckless disregard for what happens when such rhetoric resonates among those of hostile temperment. They enjoy our money. Destroying us would put a dent in that bit of give and take. Usama doesn't mind. It's his position that the current Saudi rulers can join us. Were the Donks to run the show, there would be little support among their constituency for the current leadership in SA. If they fall, who do you think will attempt to fill the void? Who do you think will stop them? I suppose that depends on who the CIC is when the shit hits the fan.

Kerry's Newest Flip Flip On Iraq

Are you an anti-war candidate? "Yes" says the Flipper. Not anymore! Now, he would have voted the same knowing what he knows now.....or so he says. We'll see which way the winds blow tomorrow. He also had questions about "rushing to war"........where was he during our history with Iraq. We have video of his flippy flopping over the years.....does he wake up in the morning with no knowledge of his past like in the movies? Of course not. He just says whatever he thinks will make the most people happy with him on any given day. He did vote to authorize the war.....before he admitted to being an "anti-war candidate" before he voted against funding for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.....before he said he would have voted to authorize war. And that's just a portion of his waffling. There is a whole video of his idiotic contortions on the subject. He also blubbered something about "faulty intelligence". Surely he couldn't be referring to Joe Wilson's lies about Saddam's attempt to purchase yellow cake. Perhaps he was referring to charges that Bush knowingly used bad intel, but then he'd have to be dumb enough to have completely ignored the Senate Intelligence Committee's Report on intelligence leading to OIF that cleared President Bush of any wrong doing. Of course he threw in something about not letting France, Germany, Russia, and friends run the show. He ignored the Russian President's admission that they warned us about Hussein's regime plotting attacks on the U.S. and generally bloviated like any vapid, lying, inconsistent, power mad jackass would. Business as usual for Flipper.

My how I yearn...

...to have Europeans vet our foreign policy decisions.

Bush Is The First President To Fund Stem Cell Research

Whether you agree with his decision to do so or not, President Bush is the first to fund embryonic stem cell research.

Remember that next time some donkey tells you he "banned" it. :)

Doug Giles

Ouch!

My ClashPoint is this: John Kerry’s political track record is what you should be eyeballing. You see, it’s not just his grinning would-be Veep; not his Hollywood hepatitis C crowd; not his Jurassic rock stars. It’s not even his ‘Nam war films [which we now know Kerry himself shot during staged re-enactments of the action]. It’s what he has stood for, the last two decades, the ultra-left record of his time in the U.S. Senate.

You know, the facts that he has so ardently tried to hide, and not his current “look the other way” fabrications. Facts like: over the last 20 years Senator Kerry has voted again and again to cut spending on the military and on the intelligence services, in stark contrast to his “I will be strong militarily” bluster.

No you won’t, Senator. You never have been and never will be.

RTWT

Sometimes I laugh at our visitors from the Left.

This guy Mikelx seems like a decent sort of a fellow, though warped politically. I think if a Leftist guy or gal shows up here talking in a relatively civil tone, without trolling, we should act hospitably toward him or her.

You know?

I am, however, always amazed when people like him say "Bush has to malign Kerry because he cannot run on his record!" and then when you ask them to elaborate, all they can do is malign Bush. Some Bush voters will vote Bush because he ain't Kerry. Some Kerry voters will vote Kerry because he ain't Bush. Why do the Left spend so much time saying the former is lame when they practice the latter?

Red. Curtain. Of. Blood.

The next time someone says "Oh, that won't happen here in America", tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine.

More Kerry Lies? Who woulda thunk it?

Powerline has the down and dirty details. Here's a recap:

If there is a consistent[ly] repeated story by John Kerry about his Vietnam experience, it is his story about how he and his boat spent Christmas Eve and Christmas of 1968 illegally present in Cambodia and, listening to President Nixon's contrary assurances, developed "a deep mistrust of U.S. government pronouncements." See Exhibit 24, Kranish book, p. 84. The point of his story was that his government and his commanders were lying about Kerry's presence in Cambodia on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. During a critical debate on the floor of the United States Senate on March 27, 1986, Senator John Kerry said:
Mr. President, I remember Christmas of 1968 sitting on a gunboat in Cambodia. I remember what it was like to be shot at by Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge and Cambodians, and have the President of the United States telling the American people that I was not there; the troops were not in Cambodia.

I have that memory which is seared -- seared -- in me . . . .

Exhibit 25, Congressional Record - Senate of March 27, 1986, page 3594.

By way of further example, Kerry wrote an article for the Boston Herald on October 14, 1979:

"I remember spending Christmas Eve of 1968 five miles across the Cambodian border being shot at by our South Vietnamese allies who were drunk and celebrating Christmas. The absurdity of almost killed by our own allies in a country in which President Nixon claimed there were no American troops was very real."

See Exhibit 26.

The Christmas in Cambodia story of John Kerry was repeated as recently as July 7, 2004 by Michael Kranish, a principal biographer of Kerry from The Boston Globe. On the Hannity & Colmes television show, Kranish indicated that Kerry's Christmas in Cambodia was a critical turning point in Kerry's life.

The big problem? It's all bullshit.

The story is a total preposterous fabrication by Kerry. Exhibit 8 is an affidavit by the Commander of the Swift boats in Vietnam, Admiral Roy Hoffmann, stating that Kerry's claim to be in Cambodia for Christmas Eve and Christmas of 1968 is a total lie. If necessary, similar affidavits are available from the entire chain of command. In reality, Kerry was at Sa Dec -- easily locatable on any map more than fifty miles from Cambodia.

By the way.... Guess who was president in 1968? It wasn't Nixon. It was LBJ. Another lie from Kerry.

This guy is slimier than a leech, and more dangerous.

Interesting news

Now that the Kerry Smear Campaign is trying to figure out how to smear the SwiftVets for Truth, I wonder what they're going to say about this?

Prior to the Democratic national convention in Boston, journalists in both mainstream and ethnic press queried Vietnamese in the United States and in Vietnam on their views of the two presidential candidates. The contrast is startling.

Back in the United States, however, residents like Pauline Tran in Fairfax, Va. said that she would vote for Bush. Kerry, she said, was an anti-war activist and was part of the reason why South Vietnam was defeated. Others said they will vote for Bush to punish Kerry.

In a Cali Today poll, 90 percent of Vietnamese Americans said they would vote for Bush, and only 10 percent said they would vote for Kerry.

The people who fled Viet Nam after the fall of Saigon know who caused the USA to lose the war. They know who stabbed both our troops and them in the back.

Lemme give ya a guess. His name starts with "J" and ends with "Kerry".

Via Cap'n Jim