If it bleeds it leads
Many people have asked me over the past 24-hours what I thought about the
Israeli air strikes in Qana that resulted in dozens of civilian deaths. To which I answered, "I'm not surprised."
An apathetic answer to most, but not when you understand the true nature of the story. It's nothing new for terror organizations to hide behind civilians. I
mentioned it over the weekend and many bloggers like
Stop the ACLU and
Allahpundit have the visual proof.
It's the ultimate sadistic double-standard that fuels the Islamic rage and unfortunately our media's love of blood. Try to follow the understanding here...
Terror organization vows the death of Israel and western society.
Terrorist organization sends suicide bombers into crowded restaurants; kills hundreds.
Terrorist organization sends suicide bombers into crowded trains and buses, kills hundreds.
Terrorist organization kidnaps Israeli soldiers from Israeli territory.
Terrorist organization fires rockets into civilian heavy cities without the slightest military presence.
Israel fights back by attacking military installations and infrastructure.
The world tells Israel to restrain themselves.
Terrorist organization hides weapons and fighters next to civilians.
Israel drops leaflets warning civilians to leave.
Israel targets terrorist installations with resulting collateral damage.
The world rails on Israel for the death of civilians.
Am I missing something here, or has the mainstream media completely lost their ability to report the full story. The New York Times ran a
reaction story with the following lead that tells it all...
DAMASCUS, Syria, July 30 — The images of the dead children in southern Lebanon played across the television screens on Sunday over and over again — small and caked in dirt and as lifeless as rag dolls as rescuers hauled them from the wreckage of several residential buildings pulverized hours earlier by the Israeli Air Force.
But not once was there mention of the Hezbollah tactic of using women and children as human shields. In fact, not one wire reporter injected the truthful reasoning for the deaths of so many civilians. Surely a reporter wants to know who, what, when, where and
Why??? "Why" being the important question here.
But as
Sister Toldjah says, "Qana is like Israel's version of Abu Ghraib." The story of civilian deaths is far sexier when it comes at the hands of Israel, as opposed to Hezbollah. Just think back to the international outrage to Hezbollah firing rockets with reckless abandon into civilian neighborhoods in Israel. No, you aren't losing it, there was no outrage. Nor has there been outrage at the countless suicide bombings, the savage beheadings, and the random shooting of Jews in Seattle.
Could it be the mainstream media is anti-Semitic? Is this a case of where they just expect barbaric tactics from terrorists so they no longer report on them? Or could they be
milking the blood for those elusive ratings?
Michelle Malkin has more details on this story. But if you want my opinion on this issue, I'd suggest people focus more on how much Hezbollah regards human life. Then ask yourself if it's any surprise they would hunker down in a weapons bunker with scores of women and children with wire photographers’ two doors down. To them death is martyrdom and the American media is a propaganda utter waiting to get milked.
Writing on the wall
The religion of peace does it again!
As if you needed any more signs of the hatred running through the veins of Muslims, just take a look at what
happened in Seattle.
To your right is a yearbook photo of the gunman, courtesy of the Seattle Times.
Here's more...
"He said he hates Israel," said the source, who is part of the Seattle Joint Terrorism Task Force, which was called in to help investigate the shootings.
"He told the police that it was a hostage situation and he wanted us to get our weapons out of Israel," said one woman who heard the account from the wounded co-worker.Video here.
The sad thing is, this isn't an
isolated incident and only proves what most of us has been saying for quite some time now. Islamofacists are plotting the destruction of Israel and the western world. It's Hitler all over again!
Random thoughts on the Middle East
I've had some thoughts on the current conflict in Lebanon over the past few days and now just getting around to putting them in writing. Obviously this conflict, or "the greater war on terror" as I like to call it, changes daily. The headlines come large and small with news from every corner of the Middle East.
The latest report says
Hezbollah's leader is hiding in the Iranian Embassy. Earlier today it was the drive-by-media reporting
support for Hezbollah growing in the Arab world.
Which got me wondering about the concept of "support." I've documented
the liberals insatiable desire to see global terror succeed. I've been talking since day one at how the world reacts differently to a military response from Israel as opposed to acts of terror. Just read
John Pilger who calls Hezbollah fighters "noble." Or listen to the countless liberal pundits ramble about Israel's
disproportionate aggression and the exaggerated emotion over the Lebanese civilians killed in this conflict. What’s more alarming is the subliminal support democrats and the UN has been showing to Hezbollah over the past two weeks. Better yet, take a look at the message these nuts are sending all terror organizations as they quietly wish Israel would sit back and take it on the chin.
You've got Dennis Kucinich and John Kerry trying to negotiate. You've got Kofi Annan putting UN peacekeepers in trenches with Hezbollah fighters. And you've got whackos on FOX News suggesting we pay them money. Terror groups are no longer trying to kill non-Muslims because we believe in different religions, they're trying to kill us now because of how stupid society has become.
I keep asking myself, are these leaders really that dumb? And how in the heck do they get into these positions with such reckless folly? Democrats are still committed to their anti-Iraq War stance, even though this conflict has proven the War on Terror knows no boundaries and has permeated the borders of virtually every nation on earth. Islamic radicals are killing Christians in the Sudan; Somali Muslims are threatening to invade Ethiopia. Jihidi's are blowing up trains in India and making threats in the Philippines and Indonesia. Hamas and Hezbollah target civilians and certainly don't hide their desire to evict all non-Muslims from this planet. And as if you needed any more clues, al Qaeda continues to fuel suicide bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan. But these fools don't get it. They still believe it's our fault and it's our job to negotiate. They believe we should fight fair and we sure as heck can't detain anyone closely associated with terror.
Seriously folks, support for Hezbollah and terror is far wider than you could imagine. The good news, depending how you look at it, is most of the support comes from intelligence, or lack thereof. Take the trigger-happy media who isn't afraid to remind everyone of the civilian death toll. The editors and reporters aren't asking questions, they're just following blindly the propaganda trail. Which takes me to my next thought...
Why isn't anyone reporting the fighting tactics of Hezbollah? All we hear about is an Israeli missile hits this building or air strikes kill civilians. Has anyone not associated with Hezbollah or the UN ever thought to ask why Hezbollah does their fighting behind civilians? We all know they like to kill innocent Israelis. As was stated on
Instapundit, "the difference is that Israel causes civilian casualties when it misses its targets, Hezbollah causes civilian casualties when it hits its targets." Why else would Hezbollah lob rockets into civilian heavy cities with no sign of the IDF?
Stories about
Hezbollah rockets hitting an Israeli Hospital rarely get play, but Lebanese blood is front and center every morning. Which also makes me wonder, how can that not piss off the people of Lebanon? Seriously, watch FOX News one day. For my liberal friends it won't kill ya as long as it's not Bill O'Reilly. What you'll see on FOX is the IDF firing their weapons in fields and hilltops, far from civilian populations. But you'll never see Hezbollah exercising the same tactic. More than likely, they walk to the roof of their apartment building and fire off some Katyushas to locations they have no control over. They don't care if they hit those IDF installations...their goal is to terrorize civilians.
And they certainly don't care about the Lebanese people. It's not rocket science to know a rocket launching location is a target. Which is why so many civilian buildings are hit each day by the IDF. Which is also why this fight is extra tough for Israel, because they go to great lengths to avoid civilian deaths. To sum it up...Hezbollah is the wimpy guy who throws something at the stronger opponent and then hides behind a wall of his people. And the news media is like the teacher who doesn't see who started the fight but blames the tougher opponent for fighting back.
It really makes you wonder who's looking out for the Lebanese people? They say they support Hezbollah, but it's Hezbollah who is putting them on the front lines.
I don't wish to see innocent people die. Nor do I wish to see cities destroyed in the process. But if that's the way Hezbollah wants to fight, the Lebanese people and the drive-by-media need to report it accurately. The Lebanese people are being used as a human shield and yet liberal ignorance is driving support to the very group dedicated to the death of so many in this conflict.
Where's Osama?
Great read from Anne.
On Sunday, John Kerry said of Israel's war against Hezbollah, "If I was President, this wouldn't have happened," adding, "we have to destroy Hezbollah."
But wait a minute -- Hezbollah didn't attack us on 9/11! Wouldn't fighting Hezbollah distract us from the urgent task of finding Osama bin Laden?
Democrats can't come out and admit that they refuse to fight any war in defense of America, so they utter the "Where's Osama?" incantation to pretend that they'd be doing something. To wit: dedicating the entire resources of the U.S. military to locating Osama bin Laden.
Hillary's campaign a bust
We need some humor every now and then in our lives. So I was happy to see the
Museum of Sex providing Republicans and conservatives with a little chuckle this morning.
Rush Limbaugh first mentioned this on his radio show and I couldn't resist the follow up post. Get the details at
The Corner.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- New York, NY- July, 26 2006-- A presidential bust of Hillary Clinton is set to be unveiled at the Museum of Sex on August 9, 2006 at 10 am. Accentuating her sexual power and bolstered by the presidential seal, The Presidential Bust of Hillary Rodham Clinton: The First Woman President of the United States of America will be officially open for public viewing on August 9 for a limited six week run.Two things to note...
First, sexual power certainly doesn't come in the form of a bust making Mrs. Clinton look 100-years-old. Are they serious or did Anne Coulter get a hold of artist Daniel Edwards?
Second, claiming a Hillary Clinton Presidential victory could come back to bite these folks in their ass. But regardless, thanks for the visual humor!
Liberals support acts of terror
I'm not sure if you all heard about this or not. It didn't make major waves throughout the MSM, but it should piss you off!
Ohio Congressman and peacenik
Dennis Kucinich came on "Your World with Neil Cavuto" yesterday touting his
house resolution calling for President Bush to appease the Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon.
According to Kucinich, the resolution is calling upon the President "to appeal to all sides in the current crisis in the Middle East for an immediate cessation of violence and to commit United States diplomats to multi-party negotiations with no preconditions."
The best translation I can come up with is this...negotiate with terrorists. Of course, I don't speak coward very well, so it could also be a call of apology to Hezbollah. Either way, Kucinich and other liberals have now taken this war on terror a step lower for the Democratic Party by legitimizing Hezbollah, Hamas, al Qaeda and other terror organizations in a call for negotiations with US diplomats.
I hear Jimmy Carter and Jane Fonda already have their bags packed.
Kucinich went on
blaming the Bush administration for the violence and for what he sees as a failure to step in.
The Administration seems content to sit on the sidelines as a full-blown regional war breaks out. What are they waiting for, the Apocalypse?
Actually Dennis, the Bush Administration is
sending aid to Lebanon and weapons to Israel as we speak. It was a strong and supportive move from an administration unafraid to face global terrorism.
But Kucinich seems to think he, John Kerry, or one of the other hippies from the party of appeasement can put an end to the violence. What he and the rest of his crew don't seem to understand is Hezbollah doesn't want peace. They didn't want it when they fired missiles unprovoked into civilian heavy Israeli cities. They didn't want it when they kidnapped Israeli soldiers. And they certainly don't want it coming from a man who looks like Pee Wee Herman.
Which got me thinking of the following cartoon posted on
hambone
You have a nation that has suffered countless attacks since the founding of their Jewish state. You have these terror organizations that do nothing but spew hate while hiding behind "their" people. You have Hezbollah and every other radical Islamic organization dedicated to the destruction and death of Israel and western society. And yet Dennis Kucinich and his party just doesn't seem to get it. Which leaves you wondering, who do these guys support?
Moonbattery has more that makes you wonder...
Yet Democrats continue to rely on heavy Jewish support. Some mysteries defy comprehension.
Blame it on Bush
Anti-Israel/American protestors have been out in full force with plenty of blame to fling around. All of this comes as the
first U.S. aid package arrives in Lebanon.
Here's more...
Will someone remind these people it was
Hezbollah who kidnapped an Israeli soldier and
fired rockets into Israeli cities to start this conflict.
The falling house
Learn more about the falling house over at
Urban Marinade.
Islamofacists demonstrate peace
Islam is the
religion of peace.
It's a religion of understanding, non-violence and one that stands against racism. And monkey's might fly out of my butt! Whoaaaaa.... Schwing!
But seriously folks, supporters of Radical Islam
waxed poetic in San Francisco, New York, and DC. They dressed like terrorists, chanted anti-Semitic slurs and posted signs with slogans like "Islam will dominate" and "Allah will destroy Israel." And these tool sheds can't understand why their religion is misunderstood?
"The protest was organized by Al-Awda (a group devoted to dismantling Israel and replacing it with a Palestinian state), A.N.S.W.E.R. (a communist group) and a coalition of other Islamic and socialist organizations."In other words, the last thing these organizations want is peace. Bet the MSM has avoided that one!
Rightwinged.com,
Gateway Pundit and
Michelle Malkin touch more on the racial harmony.
At the back of the Hill has details of a solidarity rally for Israel this Sunday.
Community Wide Solidarity Rally for Israel
Sunday, July 23rd, noon
Justin Herman Plaza, Downtown San Francisco
at the foot of Market Street and the Embarcadero)
Free the nutjobs!
Since we're on the conversation of setting people free, I should touch base on the protesting that went down in San Francisco yesterday. Without missing a liberal beat,
anti-Israel protestors took to the streets outside the Israeli Consulate during a rally to blast Israel's military action against Hamas.
The wackiest part of this story is most of them were Jews!
When you're done laughing at what seems like a perfectly sensible joke, I should remind you this is San Francisco we're talking about. Unfortunately, the Bay Area has been known to have some over-the-top ideology. This is the same city that wants to take away its citizens right to bear arms and the same city that doesn't want a U.S. military. But one has to ask themselves, how on earth could a Jew decry defensive action against a militant terror organization that has stated its mission is to eliminate Israel and all Jews?
Fortunately
Michelle Malkin reports of some rallies in support of Israel.
The scary part of this story is most of these people believe in what they are supporting. The flag "Free Palestine" was raised as far as the eye could see in SF. And there are real people out there who believe, somehow, Israel is holding these terror groups hostage.
While out on the town Friday night, we came across a group of coworkers drinking the night away. They were quite friendly and a joy to hangout with. But somehow I found myself in a conversation with a woman from Ireland. And she was exasperated at the Israeli response. I asked her if she didn't believe Israel should defend themselves from years and years of terror, to which she responded, "No."
It would be easy to pass her off as another dumb hippie dropout filled to the eyelids with THC. But this young lady was an attorney.
I asked her why Israel shouldn't fight back and she replied that "Israel is oppressing Palestine." I then asked her how? I mean, if someone claims oppression, there has to be some evidence of the fact. She couldn't answer. She just said, they're oppressed and the terrorists have no other choice but to kill innocent people. Surely an attorney, whose job is to cut through bullshit, would be able to smell this propaganda from here to Dublin. But this poor lawyer could not. Needless to say, you can bet I won't be calling her to represent me in court anytime soon.
The point is, the world we live in is full of crap. You have to be smart enough to cut through it and know the truth. Israel has been the strongest ally of peace in the Middle East since the country was established. Hezbollah, Hamas, al Qaeda, The Taliban, Syria, and Iran have all dedicated their mission to the elimination of this Jewish state and western civilization. To oppose the Israeli action in this global war on terror is to surrender to the genocidal thugs of radical Islam.
More photos from SF, courtesy of the Oakland Tribune...
Free liberals
I noticed the above bumper sticker on a car in front of me while driving to work this morning. Now, living in the whacko liberal Bay Area, you get used to seeing absurdity like this on a daily basis. The same guy had a "Free Iraq" bumper sticker as well. This goes to show you the mindset of someone who thinks Iraq was a free nation under Saddam. I guess the democratically elected government, the Iraqi constitution, and women voting for the first time are all a big imperialist smokescreen.
For the record, Hawaiian citizens voted 17 to 1 to accept statehood. Now that's what I call freedom!
Hezbollah on the run
So I woke up this Friday with one goal in mind...write about the current Israeli conflict. I got the inspiration last night while at dinner with friends. When it was brought up in discussion, most of my friends reacted with shock at the Israeli offensive. To which I responded, if you've been battered relentlessly year after year, you'd snap at some point as well.
The
news from the Middle East keeps changing by the minute with Israeli raids targeting Hezbollah. An Israeli gunship was hit off the coast of Beirut and Iran is now threatening Israel to leave Syria out of it.
Allahpundit is tracking all the details over on Hot Air.
People need to understand the nature of this conflict. Israel has lived with terror on a daily basis from groups supported by Hamas, Hezbollah and the Palestinian Authority. There comes a point when the sovereign nation of Israel has to defend themselves. But with our 'hungry-for-ratings' news agencies, the story will often get lost between the sexy headlines. This conflict is being called a "Middle East Crisis," and an "Israeli Offensive." Both of which invoke the idea that there is some fault on the part of Israel and their involvement is somehow equal to that of Hezbollah and Palestine.
But the true nature of that idea is false. Sure, Israel has gone on the offensive against Hamas and Hezbollah, known terror supporting movements. But the offensive comes from years and years of provocation. On top of all that, Israel has cease-fire agreements with Lebanon and the PA that have long been ignored by militants of these two terror groups. And now both terror organizations have gone on separate raids into Israeli territory and kidnapped several Israeli soldiers. So one has to ask, who was provoked here?
Some liberals are
blaming Bush while others are suddenly
calling for a "peace broker."But there's one problem with that concept. Diplomacy will never work with these guerrilla terror groups. This quote sums up the ideology of their movements... "Israel is our enemy and every Muslim must make a sacrifice," said Fadi Haidar, 36. "As time goes by, they will all realize that Sayyed Nasrallah is right and is working in the interest of Muslims."
One cannot find diplomatic resolution when one side doesn't believe in your right to exist. And so the offensive by Israel is more than just retaliation for years of innocent bloodshed, it's an Israeli struggle for survival. Iran has made it no secret they wish to wipe the country off the map and these militant groups have also dedicated their movement to that ultimate goal.
Michelle Malkin is following with some reader reaction.
Iowa Voice offers an obligatory post about Israel.
And so while you're reading the blogs and news reports, keep in mind how deep this conflict runs. Keep in mind the levels to which Israel has withdrawn from land, signed peace accords, signed cease-fire agreements, and operated with the utmost level of diplomacy in a volatile region. And ask yourself this last question... if there is ever to be peace in the Middle East, is it Israel's responsibility to die, or fight back against this terror ideology?
Plame embarrassed; sues Republicans
Take a good look at this Who's Who in America photo courtesy of
Wizbang. Now
read the Novak report that came out yesterday essentially dismissing any charges of wrong doing by the Bush administration.
And now we have
Valerie Plame suing Vice President Dick Cheney, his former top aide and presidential adviser Karl Rove saying they conspired to destroy her career.
She didn't seem to have a problem with her husband, Joe Wilson's entry in "Who's Who" which clearly stated her name. Nor did she have any problems when Wilson issued a report against the administration...a report that was generated by her CIA link. Nor did she have any problems with Wilson's openness about his marriage to someone within the CIA.
So now that the jokes on her and Joe Wilson, she sues the Bush administration to try and cover her ass. Unfortunately the media will run with it and the
real message of "no criminal activity" will be lost in the liberal spin. There it goes...........
Media spins Novak report
I learned Valerie Plame's name from Joe Wilson's entry in "Who's Who in America."
That was the detail that hits liberals below the belt. As I said yesterday, Robert Novak's revelation of this detail proves Valerie Plame's name was not released as a part of some grand conservative scheme to discredit Joe Wilson or undermine Mrs. Plame's CIA status. It turns out Joe Wilson's own reckless ego was to blame.
Read the full Novak story here...
My Role in the Valerie Plame Leak StoryCalifornia Conservative is breaking down the entire report and relating this to past commentary from Wilson and Fitzgerald. Nicely done!
Rightwinged.com has a link to a photo of the "Who's who in America" entry as well as a neat bit on the Daily Koz...those suckers.
But one thing I am noticing from MSM coverage is the usual spin related to such a topic. It goes something like this. Here is a direct quote from Robert Novak's weekly report... "A conclusion can be reached that my sources did not commit a crime in revealing Plame's role in instituting the mission to Niger of her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson. That is a letdown for the enemies of President Bush who have tried to magnify this story."
But what did I hear last night while watching the 11 p.m. news? 'Karl Rove named as source in Valerie Plame scandal.' There was no mention of a main source yet to be revealed. There was no mention of the CIA's Bill Harlow. And there certainly was no explanation that none of the sources - known to Fitzgerald independent of Novak - violated the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.
The
Associated Press story continues with the blame Rove angle.
Again, none of the mainstream press seems too concerned that Plame's identity had long been public knowledge. None seem to realize Robert Novak's report only proves Rove and Harlow may have confirmed Plame's CIA status. And none seem too concerned to let the general public know neither Rove nor Harlow broke any law. So what is their point? Is this just another spin cycle in which the liberal press hopes the average American won't actually read the Novak report?
The Washington Post's
Howard Kurtz even tries to belittle the case...suggesting we have more important things to think about.
And remember Howard Dean's response...
'His (Rove) real sin . . . is leaking the name of an intelligence operative during a time of war,' Dean said on NBC's 'Today' program. 'He doesn't belong in the White House.' "Interesting...does that mean Howard Dean will apologize to Rove now that Novak's report is out? Doubt it. And don't expect anything positive from the media. The AP did their part in spinning the story and now this case will get pushed under the carpet by high-up news directors. Just remember, sometimes your worst enemy in Washington is your own ego. Love yourself Joe Wilson!
Novak: breaking liberal backs
Drudge is reporting...
Bob Novak, My Leak Case Testimony: 'I learned Valerie Plame's name from Joe Wilson's entry in 'Who's Who in America'
Bob Novak will break his silence tomorrow night in two separate interviews with FOX News Channel, the Drudge Report has learned. Novak will appear on Brit Hume (6pm/et) and Hannity & Colmes (9pm/et).
California Conservative notes the momentous report.
Iowa Voice can hear the liberal heads rolling as we speak.
Here's my last take on this subject...
Liberals finger BushThe New York Times hinted darkly that Fitzgerald's revelations "point to Bush and Cheney as setting in motion a leak campaign to the press that ended in Plame's blown cover."I can't explain how big this is in terms of absolving President Bush, Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. The culprit turns out to be Joe Wilson, Plame's anti-Bush husband. And the reasoning is becoming even clearer after Wilson's vacation/op-ed was debunked by the Presidents declassifying of the NIE. This also goes to explain why liberals made such a funk over the declassifying of the estimates.
In a nutshell, Joe Wilson wanted to damage President Bush. Naturally, he was a big anti-war guy and donated heavily to Democrats. He used his CIA wife, Valerie Plame, to get a trip to Niger to try and prove Bush used false pretenses for war. But when it became clear Wilson's fact-finding mission was suspect and the National Intelligence Estimate proved him wrong, he leaked his own wife's covert identity. My guess is he did so in an attempt to further damage the credibility of the President to cover his own partisan blunder.
Regardless, hours and hours have been spent investigating this case. Pages and pages of newsprint have been used to convict Bush, Libby and others without evidence. And thousands of dollars went into this case in an attempt to damage the pre-war credibility of our President. Do you think the press will spend half the time and effort printing the truth now that Novak is talking? Don't hold your breath.
Serial blasts rock Mumbai
The "Religion of Peace" strikes again...
Seven blasts rocked suburban trains in Mumbai on Tuesday evening, Police Commissioner A N Roy has said. The police control room has reported that 139 passengers have been killed and more than 300 injured. PTI reports that the blasts took place in a span of 30 minutes in first class compartments of suburban trains.
Update:
Police arrested members of an Islamic group in India.
More:
New Delhi TV |
Times of IndiaVideo:
from the BBCIndia Uncut and
Mumbaihelp are both helping friends and family stay in touch.
Pajamas Media has complete coverage and
Gatewaypundit is following as well.
And as
Josh Manchester so eloquently states...the bastards have done it again!
My heart goes out to those in India affected by this terror attack. And it underscores our need to continue this global fight against terrorism.
Jihadwatch says the bombings show signs of being the work of Kashmir jihadists. And leads me to continue to ask, if Islam is the "religion of peace," where is the outrage from the Muslim world?
I sit here in America where the MSM and activists are hitting our heads against the wall trying to convince us Islam is peaceful. After such attacks, they claim this is the work of a small minority and we should not judge based on these actions. But within the same breath, they condemn our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan to stop this terror movement.
If Islam is a peaceful religion, than those who uphold that aspect of Islam need to be the loudest voice condemning these attacks. If the world is to understand the peaceful version of Islam, Muslims around the world need to unite with us against Islamic jihad.
Kapil's Korner is a blogger from Mumbai and his feelings mirror my sentiments.
"The series of blasts in Mumbai are shocking and cowardly attempts to spread a feeling of fear and terror among our citizens."
Court: Raid on Jefferson legal
A federal judge in Washington
ruled today that the FBI raid on Rep. William J. Jefferson's Rayburn House suite was constitutional, saying that barring searches of lawmakers' offices would turn Capitol Hill into "a taxpayer-subsidized sanctuary for crime."
You mean
it's not already?The problem is, most of the corruption you'll ever read about is when Democrats spend years and years trying to indict Republicans without evidence (see Rush Limbaugh and Tom Delay). And even when they can't convict, it'll be played up so large in the media the general public won't know the difference.
If it wasn't for Judge Hogan, Pelosi and crew would still be posturing with arrogance about this raid on one of their own. In fact, I find it odd that CNN is avoiding this story right now like the plague. You can only imagine the coverage had this been a Republican.
California Conservative touched on this not long ago with term called "situational journalism."
In "situational journalism" coverage of Republican corruption feeds into the Democrat Party talking point of a "culture of corruption." In the coverage of Democrat corruption, the news media help the Democrats by putting the cops on trial instead of the crooked politician who stuffs his freezer with his ill-gotten gains alongside the Bird’s Eye frozen peas.
Sister Toldjah has more and
JawsBlog asks an even more logical question...
But doesn't the fact that there was a (legal) warrant issued for the search make the search legal as is?
It would seem so Jaws. But even Republicans were extolling some level of elitism. "The American people should be deeply concerned that a decision to conduct a raid on Congress was made consciously and evidently at high levels inside the Justice Department and the FBI," said former Rep. Bob Walker, R-Pa.
Face it Congress, you're not above the law!
Gentrification: A nasty word?
We're gonna stay local with this next post because there's an issue that's been bugging me for a few days and I have to get it off my chest.
I just got done reading my latest issue of
Jack London News, a local neighborhood publication. One of the new features of this pub is a "letters to the editor" section where readers and residents can chime in on our local issues. Before I get to the letter that set me off, let me lay some groundwork for you.
I live in the waterfront warehouse district of Jack London Square in downtown Oakland. The district has an industrial history and is home to the Port of Oakland. But the last few years has seen an explosion of residential lofts, apartments, shopping and entertainment venues. It's quite a unique neighborhood where yuppies rub elbows with artists, produce warehouses sit next to modern lofts, Amtrak shares the rails with freight trains and high-end restaurants sit next to chicken and waffle stands.
One of the businesses that calls Jack London home is Mingles. Mingles is a hip-hop club located about 4 blocks from our apartments right in the heart of the Jack London entertainment area. Mingles obviously draws large crowds on weekends, and because of the nature of their business, many leave intoxicated. This has resulted in many shootings, robberies, fights, vandalism and public disturbance.
The latest issue of Jack London News included a letter from an anonymous reader regarding Mingles. Here is the copy...
"I am a 62 year old white woman living in the Jack London District. Since moving here 9 months ago, I have followed your coverage of and efforts to close/modify Mingles. It makes me sick! I intend to go to hearings, write letters, etc. in support of Mingles. I further intend to recruit other like minded folks in this effort. While it is true neither I nor anyone I know goes there, that is not the point. I moved to Oakland largely for it's diversity. I ended up in Jack London area because I require an accessible modern apartment close to BART. I did not move to this area to help it further gentrify and push out the folks who were here long before me."
After reading this letter it is clear to me this woman either does not live in the district, or she isn't spending time here on weekend nights. The fact is, she clearly has no clue what the residents of this district see and hear on a weekly basis coming from this venue. We had a shooting on my street corner that came directly from a fight at Mingles. We've witnessed public urination, vandalism and fighting of patrons coming and going to this club. And we certainly can't sleep through the sideshows that occur every single Friday and Saturday night. I truthfully don't care what type of club Mingles is, this business is not lending a positive environment to our neighborhood. If it were a knitting club and raging grannies got out of control every night, I'd be pissed at that as well (after a good laugh of course).
But what bugs me even more about this letter is this woman's disdain for gentrification. I hear this word tossed around quite a bit out here. Most Bay Area residents harbor some type of hatred for this concept. As you see in her letter, this woman says she came to Oakland for its "diversity." But she seems to suggest gentrification can't include being diverse and uses the word like profanity. To that I say, baggage!
There are two sides to this argument and you'll rarely hear both. Letting developers go into a neighborhood of low-income housing where residents take pride in their neighborhood and proceed to push those residents out is wrong. But that's not the case here. Jack London is the epitome of revitalization.
What I saw was a rough neighborhood made up of empty industrial buildings breading waste and despair. There was nothing diverse about Jack London because there were no people who dared go into the district.
But we then saw developers come in and turn it into a beautiful, unique, and vibrant mixed-use district. We see a neighborhood that has created jobs, created a sense of community, created pride in Oakland, and saved architectural gems from certain decay. And quite frankly, without this "gentrification," Jack London would've remained that waterfront cesspool brewing crime, drugs, and prostitution. But with development, as I prefer to call it, we have opened the Oakland waterfront for everyone to enjoy. Which is a true celebration of diversity.
So the moral of the story is, the only people who were pushed out of the district were either bums or criminals. And most of the residents and business owners putting money, heart and effort into this neighborhood will not stand for the illegal activity coming from Mingles. Asking a business to have a positive affect with their neighbors is not profane nor is it a bad thing. To me, it's something to embrace.
Foot-in-mouth syndrome
"I've had a great relationship. In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking," - Senator Joe Biden.Here's the
video courtesy of CSPAN and
Delaware Online.
As
Michelle Malkin says, I don't really think we should break out the PC police and publicly flog
Biden for his remarks. But there is a real peculiar silence coming from the liberal politicians and media.
"If this were a Republican, you KNOW the far left would be howling about it." says
Iowa Voice. There would be an independent investigation, the ACLU would be filing a lawsuit and leftist pundits would be calling for a resignation. The Daily Koz would literally blow up.
Remember how these people reacted to
Rush Limbaugh's comments about Donovan McNabb and the media's affection with black quarterbacks? He
was fired for simply stating something that is true...the sports media gushes over black quarterbacks and coaches. It's not a racist comment but a fact that the media has long tried to draw attention to a deficiency of minority QBs and of the late, minority coaches. I applaud their efforts for action, but it was the conservative radio host that got canned for simply pointing it out.
But I digress, Biden made this off the cuff comment because he's simply an idiot. He's done it before and will probably do it again. He got
called out by Princeton for making stupid statements and thankfully is getting called out by Indian-Americans for this one. He's not a racist, but not very eloquent either. Too bad the liberal media won't use the same standards with Biden that they used with Rush.
Threat? What threat?
It's nice to see the Democratic National Appeasement Committee is up to their usual submissive ways. I realize they don't have a clue when it comes to foreign policy, but their groveling has also taken on a domestic flavor.
Over the past few weeks, I've watched liberals far and wide delude an assortment of threats and secrets like a used car salesmen. Here's a run down of the warped reasoning coming from the cut-and-run party...
A jihadi
terror ring is busted in Toronto after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, with assistance from CSIS - Canada's spy agency, arrested seventeen Canadian residents. "This group took steps to acquire three tonnes of ammonium nitrate and other components necessary to create explosive devices," said Assistant Commissioner Mike McDonell. "To put this in context, the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people took one tonne of ammonium nitrate." Get all the details from
Michelle Malkin.
Typical of the anti-war liberal politicians and pundits, many suggested this was nothing more than a group of radicals living in a dream world, unable to carry out their attacks. Liberal bloggers and alterna-media took a New York Times approach to
question the legality of the operation. And liberal anti-war whackos defended the
civil rights of these terrorists and claim this is an attack "against the democratic and human rights of oppressed people in Canada."
Moving on...
The U.S. has found over 500 chemical weapons in Iraq since 2003. The story proves once and for all that Saddam did in fact have WMD, lied to weapons inspectors and lied about disarming. I touched on how the
media forgot to report this very big discovery.
But something else occurred after this story came out. Suddenly, liberals that were so concerned about the lack of WMD in Iraq wanted to ignore these particular WMD...in Iraq. Suddenly, a WMD in Iraq had to be officially recognized by the DNC. From Allen Colmes to John Kerry to Nancy Pelosi, all became experts on chemical weapons and quickly pointed out these weren't the weapons "they" were talking about. Liberals are still claiming there were no WMD in Iraq to this day, even though by their own defining a chemical weapon is a WMD. Make no mistake, as long as WMD are found while the Bush Administration is in office, liberals will pass them off as old and harmless. It doesn't matter how many innocent people these particular warheads could kill, Democrats will never accept them. Because to accept any WMD in Iraq would be to accept Bush was actually right!
Moving on still...
Seven people are taken into custody in Miami after a sweep by law enforcement authorities. The sweep was in connection with an alleged plot against targets that may have included the Sears Tower and assorted Federal buildings in South Florida.
Michelle Malkin again has all the details.
Rather than applaud authorities for stopping this potential homegrown terror attack, liberals claim these guys were a joke. I've heard pundits on FOX and CNN both suggesting we had no right to arrest these individuals because they "didn't even have weapons."
Liberal bloggers think we should leave them alone because they had a box of bubble gum and anti-American whackjobs again claim we're only after those darn people with different colored skin. And as usual, liberals are suddenly experts on terror threats and now claim an uncanny ability to judge the legitimacy of homegrown terror cells. But if we stick with this "they had no weapons," "they're no threat" philosophy, wouldn't that exonerate the 9/11 terrorists, who didn't have their weapons until the final minutes of their operation? I'll never get it, but then again, I'll never be a liberal.
Shall we continue...of course!
The New York Times in doing what they do best,
exposes a secret counterterrorism program that probes international wire transfers. Anxious to expose the evil Bush administration, the Times states over and over their heartfelt feelings of letting Americans know about this "top secret," "far-reaching" program. But then someone does something the Times never expected...they printed the legality of the program. Here's an excerpt...
The Supreme Court held in United States v. Miller (1976) that there is no right to privacy in financial-transaction information maintained by third parties. Doh! And then something else funny happened...the public got pissed at the Times.
But just like their liberal counter-parts in Washington and on the blogs, the Times backpedals in hopes of dismissing the severity of the story. A week after Eric Lichtblau's story claims "Bank Data Secretly Reviewed by U.S. to Fight Terror," Lichtblau says on CNN "It is by no means a secret." Huh??? You've got the executive editor of the New York Times claiming the moral high-ground in letting the public know of this "secret," and then a week later they claim it wasn't a secret after all? Wow...I just can't keep up with all this backpedaling, groveling, and delusion. Before you know it, some of these nutjobs will claim
the War on Terror is phony.
Celebrate America
I just got done with morning updates and now I'm about to spend a wonderful July 4th with my wife and friends here in Oaktown. I wish you all a happy 4th as well and hope everyone takes some time today to remember what Independence Day is truly all about.
On July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from Britain, a Democracy was born and freedom reigned. And each year on July 4, we celebrate our freedom with family and friends. But as you know, not everyone out there is celebrating America. Many in fact hate the concept of freedom and democracy.
Open the papers today and you'll see a slew of editorials using this great day of appreciation as a chance to politicize the state of affairs in our nation. I'm looking at an editorial page right now that has not one, but three editorials bashing our country.
The first talks of how successful we have been as a former colony, but warns to be careful of the path we currently follow. Or to put it in laymen's terms, we don't like George Bush.
The second is another Bush attack from our 39th president, Jimmy Carter. You see, Mr. Carter doesn't like the fact that our nation has secrets...ooohhhhh! Mr. Carter doesn't believe in secrets and thinks Independence Day is the perfect time to make peace with al Qaeda and open the front doors of the NSA. Which I find interesting, because we only hear from Jimmy Carter when he has a chance to politicize a day of celebration (or in the case of Cloretta Scott King, a day of morning).
The last is a Washington Post editorial using this great day to wave the American flag as a reminder that you can burn it too. The Post spends more time defending our right to burn our most patriotic symbol of freedom than they do denouncing terrorism. In a bit of irony, the Post refuses to run a disparaging cartoon against Islam for fear of offending Muslims, but encourages the burning of Old Glory on July 4th, our most patriotic day in America. Lovely!
So aside from the Post, the New York Times, Jimmy Carter, and the rest of the MSM...I say God Bless America. Let's celebrate her magic and the freedoms she brings us each and every day!
Not so breaking news
The New York Times is
defending their decision to expose a secret counterterrorism program. But you'll never guess the reasoning.
"Hundreds, if not thousands, of people know about this," executive editor Bill Keller said several days after the leak. I'm not kidding folks, the editors of the Times claim the reason they published this story was because people already knew. Huh???
The writers of the story followed a
similar backpedaling model as they tried to explain their reckless disregard for national security.
Michelle Malkin brings it all together.
As Chris Berman would say..."rumbling, bumbling, stumbling and Woop! Fumblerooski by the New York Times!
