Posted 11:20 AM by Steve
Healthcare:

Posted 4:50 PM by Steve
I propose a new NBA rule: 

Posted 6:08 PM by Steve
The people of the United States should demand transparency in the tax system of their government. 

Posted 5:19 PM by Steve
The United States and all it's states should outlaw "stalking for profit". Celebrities and athletes may have a different standards applied to their lives in terms of privacy, but those who prey upon them the so-called paprazzi should be controlled for stalking for profit just as any other stalker is punished. Celebrities and athletes should have as much right to control the use of their image as any one of us. Any such publication should require a signed consent document by said celebrity or athlete.  

Posted 10:35 PM by Steve
Congratulations Will Ferrell you have officially become Rich Little

It's easy to pick on George W. Bush. His every mistake was amplified and repeated ad nauseum by an openly hostile media.

Ferrell simply sides with the media's take on every major event during the presidency of George W. Bush and then does the SNL "Weekend Update" hatchet job on him.

Criticize the handling of the war on terror, but has there been a single attack on U.S. soil since 9/11? Criticize the Iraq War, but isn't Iraq far better off than it was under the totalitarian rule of Saddam Hussein who sponsored terror? Criticize the President for Hurricane Katrina, but did the failure of the government in that event not start a long overdue debate about the role of the government and it's actual responsibility in the event of natural disasters? Criticize him for the economy even though he repeatedly warned the congress about fannie mae and freddie mac and was IGNORED or called alarmist...Typical LIBERAL hypocrisy.

Will Ferrell shame on you. And congrats on the new career.

Posted 7:13 PM by Steve
PAC-10 DOMINATES BOWL GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sports announcers and biased "know it alls" around the (weaker) parts of the country ATE THEIR WORDS this season as once again the Pac-10 conference, (the conference of champions) swept their opponents in the bowl games this year!!!


BWAAAAAA-HAHAHA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!

Posted 9:05 PM by Steve
First of all I just want to say that my admiration and respect for President Bush went up a few notches when I saw his duck of the Iraqi shoes. Not unlike the classic look and smirk at Al Gore in the Presidential debate it was a moment that you can't script and it gives a little hint about the true character and real nature of the man.

Symbolically, shoes in Iraq are the equivalent of dog poop. That was about the worst insult conceivable for an Iraqi. . Similarly, the "Hail Mary" play of terrorist attacks, now known only as 9/11 was about the worst thing terrorists could conceive of. Of course, the loss of life was tragic, the symbolic effect powerful and the reality sobering, but creative Americans have already thought of far worse things that could have happened or may perhaps happen if terrorists are able to organize similar attacks.

Was it shocking? Yes. Was it terrorism of the most cruel and brutal kind? Yes. But like the shoes, America, as a whole, smirked and ducked a lot like it's leader. We have had brilliant success in the War on Terror effectively shutting down operations in a few terror havens. We have isolated and boxed in Iran and North Korea and forced the world to consider another option besides appeasement. Bravo President Bush!

Posted 9:25 PM by Steve
Leadership Gap?

The problem with this nation isn't with our leaders. It's with ourselves. We have become and nation of followers. We expect bailouts, tax-cuts and coddling from the nanny state. The dream of freedom that our founding fathers had is becoming a nightmare of whiny, needy liberals and faux-conservatives fighting over toys in the sandbox. You are your own bail out. You are your own tax cut. You are your own United States. This nation is founded by rugged individuals who had a pioneer spirit and a hatred of political and economic oppression. Slowly, these freedoms have been traded for the illusion of security to the point that we are neither free nor secure.

Posted 5:03 PM by Steve
OH-BUMMER


Well, people the market isn't sure the new guy knows what he is doing and neither am I.

Is it great that America has a black President? You bet!

Is it great that he is a left-wing radical and Joe Biden is his Vice President? Obviously not!

We shouldn't let social engineers decide who will lead us in times of extreme risk.

There are ways to make and protect money even when the markets are shaky as many did during the Jimmy Carter presidency.

At least Republicans have the decency and integrity to repsect the office even if we diametrically oppose the policies of the man...

Posted 2:18 PM by Steve
Any "immigration reform" bill that will meet the demands of the American people must contain the following:

1. Enforcement of current laws. It is still illegal to cross our sovereign borders illegally and this must stop. The required resources may be immense, but the medicine we need doesn't always taste good. The federalization of 15% of the National Guard could provide adequate coverage of the southern border of the United States until the 15,000 Border Patrol agents could be hired and trained to secure the border. Construction of detention facilities would created thousands of
jobs and staffing of such centers would create even more as those who illegally cross are captured, detained, and deported.

2. Current illegal aliens who are workers in the United States will receive a temporary work permit after they go through proper identification and background checks. This will be a permit to work in the U.S. for one year and requires a company or corporation to submit a temporary worker need request to D.O.J. The catch is that the one year permit will be good from a specific date and workers must identify themselves within six months to be eligible. If they do not identify themselves and are exposed they will be deported and/or detained until they can be processed, identified and background checked.

3. Those outside the U.S. who want to work in the United States can submit a request for temporary worker status which must be matched with a temporary worker need request from a company or corporation. This will allow a certain number of temporary workers to provide needed work. It will also allow for identification and background checks of individuals wishing to enter our country.

4. Those who cross the border illegally or refuse to comply with the temporary worker regulations will be deported and/or detained until they can be processed, identified and background checked. These individuals would thereafter be ineligible for temporary worker status. Companies or corporations would be legally liable for hiring invalid temporary workers with fines starting at $50,000 per occurrence and jail times for responsible parties up to fifteen years in prison.

Posted 2:41 PM by Steve
Watching the media hound, harrass and interfere with the police during the incarceration of Paris Hilton, I think it's clear that those who hold microphones and cameras think they own society and cannot be held accountable for their actions. Every member of the media who blocked the street should be arrested for obstruction of justice and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Posted 2:20 AM by Steve
Raising the minimum wage hurts the poorest Americans.

By mandating that business cannot determine what wages it will pay it's workers, the government of the United States of America has imposed an artificial cost upon consumers of American goods and services.

Business will increase the price of goods or services to compensate for the increased cost of doing business. This inevitably hurts the very people whom politicians think will benefit from minimum wage increases. Businesses that pay minimum wage operate in predominantly low income areas and thus the burden of the increased costs falls upon the poor.

If competition does not allow for Business to pass on increased costs, they may limit hours of workers who qualify for the increase or eliminate a certain number of the positions altogether. Thanks for getting me laid off Uncle Sam!

Now imagine you are a worker who started at a lower wage and has been given raises based on merit. Your hard work and years of service have paid off and your wage is at a level just above the new minimum wage. Suddenly, brand new workers, who have less experience and less job knowledge make nearly what you make. How is that fair?

Government should stay the hell out of the regulation business and allow the basic economic laws of supply and demand determine wages and prices.

Posted 1:29 AM by Steve
Demographics

Demographics really are THE most descriptive factor of a society. After all, it's not so much what a society does or how it does it that matters so much as who your society is that determines it's real future.

The extrapolation of simple demographics tells us that most of the birth rates in the Western world are too low to maintain their populations.

A society needs a birth rate of 2.1 to maintain it's population level. America currently maintains this rate and is treading water from a population standpoint. Most of the countries in Europe are well below us. Greece is a1.3 births per couple. Italy is at 1.2. Spain is at a paltry 1.1.

Meanwhile in the formerly "Third World", we have predominately Islamic nations like Niger (7.46), Mali (7.42), Somalia (6.76), Afghanistan (6.69), and Yemen (6.58). No those aren't the combined Olympic scores for the floor exercise. Those are the birth rates of those countries.

What this should tell you is that long before we have to deal with rising ocean levels and increased temperatures from gradual climate change, a dramatic change to the demographics of our world is happening. NOW. This very minute.

We needn't preoccupy ourselves with impending climate doomsday scenarios these will be problems faced by the Islamic World Theocracy or the Global Taliban Council in 2050.

Wake up and see the 500 lb. gorilla sitting in the corner or else go back to your sit-com and get ready to grow out your beard or wear a burkha.

Posted 1:46 PM by Steve
The Faithful HereticA Wisconsin Icon Pursues Tough Questions

Some people are lucky enough to enjoy their work, some are lucky enough to love it, and then there’s Reid Bryson. At age 86, he’s still hard at it every day, delving into the science some say he invented.
Reid A. Bryson holds the 30th PhD in Meteorology granted in the history of American education. Emeritus Professor and founding chairman of the University of Wisconsin Department of Meteorology—now the Department of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences—in the 1970s he became the first director of what’s now the UW’s Gaylord Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies. He’s a member of the United Nations Global 500 Roll of Honor—created, the U.N. says, to recognize “outstanding achievements in the protection and improvement of the environment.” He has authored five books and more than 230 other publications and was identified by the British Institute of Geographers as the most frequently cited climatologist in the world.
Long ago in the Army Air Corps, Bryson and a colleague prepared the aviation weather forecast that predicted discovery of the jet stream by a group of B-29s flying to and from Tokyo. Their warning to expect westerly winds at 168 knots earned Bryson and his friend a chewing out from a general—and the general’s apology the next day when he learned they were right. Bryson flew into a couple of typhoons in 1944, three years before the Weather Service officially did such things, and he prepared the forecast for the homeward flight of the Enola Gay. Back in Wisconsin, he built a program at the UW that’s trained some of the nation’s leading climatologists.
How Little We Know
Bryson is a believer in climate change, in that he’s as quick as anyone to acknowledge that Earth’s climate has done nothing but change throughout the planet’s existence. In fact, he took that knowledge a big step further, earlier than probably anyone else. Almost 40 years ago, Bryson stood before the American Association for the Advancement of Science and presented a paper saying human activity could alter climate.
“I was laughed off the platform for saying that,” he told Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News.
In the 1960s, Bryson’s idea was widely considered a radical proposition. But nowadays things have turned almost in the opposite direction: Hardly a day passes without some authority figure claiming that whatever the climate happens to be doing, human activity must be part of the explanation. And once again, Bryson is challenging the conventional wisdom.
“Climate’s always been changing and it’s been changing rapidly at various times, and so something was making it change in the past,” he told us in an interview this past winter. “Before there were enough people to make any difference at all, two million years ago, nobody was changing the climate, yet the climate was changing, okay?”
“All this argument is the temperature going up or not, it’s absurd,” Bryson continues. “Of course it’s going up. It has gone up since the early 1800s, before the Industrial Revolution, because we’re coming out of the Little Ice Age, not because we’re putting more carbon dioxide into the air.”
Little Ice Age? That’s what chased the Vikings out of Greenland after they’d farmed there for a few hundred years during the Mediaeval Warm Period, an earlier run of a few centuries when the planet was very likely warmer than it is now, without any help from industrial activity in making it that way. What’s called “proxy evidence”—assorted clues extrapolated from marine sediment cores, pollen specimens, and tree-ring data—helps reconstruct the climate in those times before instrumental temperature records existed.
We ask about that evidence, but Bryson says it’s second-tier stuff. “Don’t talk about proxies,” he says. “We have written evidence, eyeball evidence. When Eric the Red went to Greenland, how did he get there? It’s all written down.”
Bryson describes the navigational instructions provided for Norse mariners making their way from Europe to their settlements in Greenland. The place was named for a reason: The Norse farmed there from the 10th century to the 13th, a somewhat longer period than the United States has existed. But around 1200 the mariners’ instructions changed in a big way. Ice became a major navigational reference. Today, old Viking farmsteads are covered by glaciers.
Bryson mentions the retreat of Alpine glaciers, common grist for current headlines. “What do they find when the ice sheets retreat, in the Alps?”
We recall the two-year-old report saying a mature forest and agricultural water-management structures had been discovered emerging from the ice, seeing sunlight for the first time in thousands of years. Bryson interrupts excitedly.
“A silver mine! The guys had stacked up their tools because they were going to be back the next spring to mine more silver, only the snow never went,” he says. “There used to be less ice than now. It’s just getting back to normal.”
What Leads, What Follows?
What is normal? Maybe continuous change is the only thing that qualifies. There’s been warming over the past 150 years and even though it’s less than one degree, Celsius, something had to cause it. The usual suspect is the “greenhouse effect,” various atmospheric gases trapping solar energy, preventing it being reflected back into space.
We ask Bryson what could be making the key difference:
Q: Could you rank the things that have the most significant impact and where would you put carbon dioxide on the list?
A: Well let me give you one fact first. In the first 30 feet of the atmosphere, on the average, outward radiation from the Earth, which is what CO2 is supposed to affect, how much [of the reflected energy] is absorbed by water vapor? In the first 30 feet, 80 percent, okay?
Q: Eighty percent of the heat radiated back from the surface is absorbed in the first 30 feet by water vapor…
A: And how much is absorbed by carbon dioxide? Eight hundredths of one percent. One one-thousandth as important as water vapor. You can go outside and spit and have the same effect as doubling carbon dioxide.
This begs questions about the widely publicized mathematical models researchers run through supercomputers to generate climate scenarios 50 or 100 years in the future. Bryson says the data fed into the computers overemphasizes carbon dioxide and accounts poorly for the effects of clouds—water vapor. Asked to evaluate the models’ long-range predictive ability, he answers with another question: “Do you believe a five-day forecast?”
Bryson says he looks in the opposite direction, at past climate conditions, for clues to future climate behavior. Trying that approach in the weeks following our interview, Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News soon found six separate papers about Antarctic ice core studies, published in peer-reviewed scientific journals between 1999 and 2006. The ice core data allowed researchers to examine multiple climate changes reaching back over the past 650,000 years. All six studies found atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations tracking closely with temperatures, but with CO2 lagging behind changes in temperature, rather than leading them. The time lag between temperatures moving up—or down—and carbon dioxide following ranged from a few hundred to a few thousand years.
Renaissance Man, Marathon Man
When others were laughing at the concept, Reid Bryson was laying the ground floor for scientific investigation of human impacts on climate. We asked UW Professor Ed Hopkins, the assistant state climatologist, about the significance of Bryson’s work in advancing the science he’s now practiced for six decades.
“His contributions are manifold,” Hopkins said. “He wrote Climates of Hunger back in the 1970s looking at how climate changes over the last several thousand years have affected human activity and human cultures.”
This, he suggests, is traceable to Bryson’s high-school interest in archaeology, followed by college degrees in geology, then meteorology, and studies in oceanography, limnology, and other disciplines. “He’s looked at the interconnections of all these things and their impact on human societies,” Hopkins says. “He’s one of those people I would say is a Renaissance person.”
The Renaissance, of course, produced its share of heretics, and 21 years after he supposedly retired, one could ponder whether Bryson’s work today is a tale of continuing heresy, or of conventional wisdom being outpaced by an octogenarian.
Without addressing—or being asked—that question, UW Green Bay Emeritus Professor Joseph Moran agrees that Bryson qualifies as “the father of the science of modern climatology.”
“In his lifetime, in his career, he has shaped the future as well as the present state of climatology,” Moran says, adding, “We’re going to see his legacy with us for many generations to come.”
Holding bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston College, Moran became a doctoral candidate under Bryson in the late 1960s and early ’70s. “I came to Wisconsin because he was there,” Moran told us.
With Hopkins, Moran co-authored Wisconsin’s Weather and Climate, a book aimed at teachers, students, outdoor enthusiasts, and workers with a need to understand what the weather does and why. Bryson wrote a preface for the book but Hopkins told us the editors “couldn’t fathom” certain comments, thinking he was being too flippant with the remark that “Wisconsin is not for wimps when it comes to weather.”
Clearly what those editors couldn’t fathom was that Bryson simply enjoys mulling over the reasons weather and climate behave as they do and what might make them—and consequently us—behave differently. This was immediately obvious when we asked him why, at his age, he keeps showing up for work at a job he’s no longer paid to do.
“It’s fun!” he said. Ed Hopkins and Joe Moran would undoubtedly agree.
“I think that’s one of the reasons for his longevity,” Moran says. “He’s so interested and inquisitive. I regard him as a pot-stirrer. Sometimes people don’t react well when you challenge their long-held ideas, but that’s how real science takes place.”—Dave Hoopman

Posted 11:37 PM by Steve
Democrats the party of the poor?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-campaign-planes,0,4666247,print.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

Posted 1:17 PM by Steve
The Credit racket.

I have excellent credit and I have worked to improve it to that level and to keep it that way. To do this I have been forced to "play the game". I open up lines of credit and buy things with credit in order to "establish a credit history". Despite this, I see many fairness and transparency issues in the credit "racket" as I like to call it.

1. Simply never being late on a payment or not borrowing is looked at as a derogatory information. If you have no bad information, the creditors should not legally be able to discriminate against you.

2. Creditors should have to provide people with a written notice that will inform them of any actions that will lower their score in any way. The score should remain the same until the person confirms in writing that they accept the consequence of their action. For instance, if Joe Schmo opens up a new credit card because it has a better rate, his credit score may actually go down even though a company just let him borrow money! That is ludicrous.

3. Also inquiries should not lower the score of the individual. This is a total racket set up by the creditors to exploit the people who borrow. If it is NOT good to NOT borrow (see #1), then you cannot also make it NOT good to borrow!! Inquiries with intent to purchase could be looked at as legitimate inquiries.

4. Derogatory information should be accessible and, with the skyrocketing of identity theft cases, the burden of proof should lie with the creditor if the issue is contested.

Posted 3:43 AM by Steve
Sheryl Crowe is stupid.

Those now touting "Global Warming" as the latest doomsday scenario to frighten mankind were the same simplistic and warped people who touted the "population bomb" which mistakenly predicted mass worldwide starvation by the year 2000. (They also have changed their minds four times in the past century on whether mankind's imminent demise will be due to global warming or ice-ages...)


These people are anti-Capitalist Pro-Socialists who believe in the consolidation of power and the "redistribution" of wealth.What the I.P.C.C. has never admitted or even addressed is the affect of solar output on climate temperature variations. Our planet has experienced extreme temperature variations from the beginning with or without the presence of human beings. Long after we have left this planet and/or are extinct on Earth the climate will experience change.The data shows that there have been warmer and cooler periods in the Earth's recent history. The I.P.C.C. simply ignores the Medieval Warm Period because the increase in temperature does not conveniently coincide with the Industrial Revolution, which is the period in which they say the damage was done. It also happenedto be the period of the greatest growth in wealth of our planet. Coincidence?

Additionally,the climate experienced a significant drop in temperature between 1500 A.D. and 1900 A.D.,sometimes called a mini-"Ice Age"?. The steady increase from the low temperature atabout 1625 AD corresponds to the same time period the I.P.C.C. claims human behavior started affecting the climate. In reality, the upslope is simply a natural cycle and eventually the Global temperature will start to level off until the next cyclical climatic event. Also ignored by the I.P.C.C. is the Maunder Minimum, a 70-year period during which the sun had virtually no sunspot activity at all. Looking at a timeline we can see that the Maunder Minimum occurred precisely at the time of our last Ice Age?. The inference is clear, it was the variation in solar output that caused the little Ice Age and in all probability caused the Medieval Warm Period too.

Carbon 14 isotopes are used as a proxy for solar activity prior to 1600 AD and this indicates a high levelof solar activity during the medieval period, resulting in climatic warmth. and also areduced level of solar activity during a cold period known as the Sporer Minimum? centered around 1350 A.D.Climatic history contains two serious difficulties for the "Global Warming" theory:
1. If the Medieval Warm Period was warmer than today, with no human greenhouse gas contribution, what would be so unusual about modern times being warm also?
2. If the variable solar output of our sun caused both theMedieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age, would not the stronger solar output ofthe20th century account for most, if not all, of the claimed 20thcentury warming?

Both propositions pose a serious threat to continued public acceptance of the "Global Warming" theory as advanced by the I.P.C.C.. This is because the new findings in solar science suggested that the sun, not greenhouse gases, were the primary driver of 20th century climate trends. The power of the sun to modulate our climate has been reinforcedby a large body of recent research that shows it is not only the cyclicalwarming and cooling of the sun (manifested by the 11 year sunspot cycle)causing our climate to change but also changes in the solar spectrum towards the greater ultra-violet radiation compared with visible or infra-red light. The problem with the Global Warming theory is that it is based on questionable conclusions on questionable data on many levels. In other words, it is guesswork about guesswork.

1. If in fact the global temperature is increasing is it due toincreased greenhouse gas or increased solar output?
2. If in fact it is greenhouse gas that is responsible for theincrease in temperature, is reasonable to conclude that it is man's meager 1 to 1.5% contribution that is causing the increase?

The Earth may indeed be on a warming trend due to higher solar output. But it's industrialization and mankind that "chicken-littles" of the left ultimately NEED to pin the blame on. They have LOST THE DEBATE on the political front and the military front and now their only retreat are places where unproven theory can safely incubate: Academia and media-driven hysteria.

Posted 3:48 AM by Steve
More on Virginia Tech.

Gun control may have killed people on the Virginia Tech campus.

A few years back, a student with perfectly legal concealed carry permit was dismissed from class and the issue brought about a debate which, naturally, led to banning of guns on campus. This is no surprise on liberal college campus.

It is my contention that, with students basically defenseless against this type of assault, this gun ban may have actually killed the very students it was supposed to protect.

Common sense is thrown out the window when people's freedoms are eroded. Are we to rely on the government to protect us and our most innocent citizens at all times? They obviously failed us on a grand scale on 9/11. They failed us in school shootings and other random violence all over the country.

It is the very liberal lack of faith in the natural goodness of people that leads to the restrictions on their freedoms. Liberals believe people are bad so they take away their guns. Liberals believe the wealthy are bad so they take away their money. Liberals believe corporations (basically just groups of people in business) are bad so they restrict and hamstring them.

Conservatives believe in the natural goodness of people. Or more succinctly, they believe in free will (or man's ABILITY to choose good) Conservatives believe the wealthy are good (just like other people) and assume that they will save, spend or invest their money inevitably helping others. Conservatives believe corporations are good because they employ thousands of people and create goods and services people want and need.


Common sense backs the conservative viewpoint here. Most people expressed shock, sorrow and disgust at the murders on the Virginia Tech campus. People always say that those who commit these atrocities are "crazy" or "on something". It's a sort of knee-jerk response because we all realize it takes extraordinary circumstances to drive someone to this extreme. Most people have a natural aversion to killing other humans. A small percentage of the society are actually sociopaths who can easily harm others. I'm not ready to dismiss these killers as "crazy" or "under the influence" of drugs. That may be a cop-out. Conservatives believe in free will and "free" swings both ways. An otherwise normal person under extreme circumstances may choose to do something this horrible. In WWII, otherwise normal Germans joined the Third Reich and participated in genocide. Today, otherwise normal African commit tribal violence on vast scales with utter disregard for innocent women and children. Free will is a dangerous thing. This is why having a moral and ethical society is so important. If our youth grow up in a society that nurtures judeo-christian values and ethical behavior most of them will be good people. That is America today. If our youth grow up in a moral vacuum populated with O.J. Simpson, Marilyn Manson and Britney Spears, First person shooter video game violence, media (movies, games, Internet) filled with nihilistic nonsense we are in deep trouble.

If you handed a 9mm to every person (student and faculty) on campus of Virginia Tech I guarantee that far fewer people would be dead on campus today.

Posted 5:37 AM by Steve
Virginia Tech


A tragic event has occurred on the campus of a university in our nation. Over 30 students and faculty lie dead at the hand of an evil person. This selfish, disgusting human thought his sorrow and pain was worth more than the lives of other individuals.

This event should make us all take pause and try and grasp how lucky we all are to be alive. We don't have to be. Life is a rare and precious commodity in our universe.

A stray comet could wipe all of us out in the blink of an eye. A massive hurricane, earthquake or volcano could kill thousands or hundreds of thousands.

We all need to cherish the time that we have because it gives us another precious thing, a thing MORE precious even than life itself. That thing is choice. Life gives us the ability to choose what we think, say, do and become. If confronted by evil, we have the ability as human beings to take a stand.

Before the "healing" can begin we need to acknowledge that a wound that needs healing has occurred. We need to suffer a little. Before the "forgiveness" can occur it must be clearly stated that an evil act that requires "forgiveness" has happened.

Posted 3:53 AM by Steve
What is the deal with torture movies?

"Saw", "Tourista", "The Hills Have Eyes".

These are just a few examples of recent films where the main attraction seems to be torture. One human inflicting pain on another human. This phenomenon is certainly strange.

Why are Americans so engrossed by depravity both in terms of violence and sex? This is perhaps a natural and expected reaction to the weakness so rampant in our coddled and luxurious society. Movies filled with mindless killing and violence, played for laughs or titilation of a pampered and soft audience. Suburban youth trying to emulate the posturing of a "gangsta" culture that is as much a figment of the imagination as June Cleaver's lily-white 1950's household was.

When Rome fell, it fell from within long before it fell from outside invasion. It fell to it's appetites for excess, which became markedly more and more depraved and repulsive as the empire crumbled.

Is the measure of our art the measure of our soul as a society?

On a related note, what is the deal with young couples bringing toddlers and young children to these types of films? At what point should this be considered child abuse?

Posted 2:43 AM by Steve
Athiests have some far-out beliefs:

They use questionable reasoning, i.e., the reasoning of man to determine the existence of something supernatural.

The main gist of their argument is that it doesn't make "sense" that God exists. They have no need of God considering that, in their minds, all the mysteries of the universe are merely scientific problems to be solved. They don't think of anything beyond the conventional confines of the infinitesimal percentage of the universe that they fully understand. To me atheism is the equivalent of one sea sponge saying to another, "How do you know their is air above the surface of the ocean? You can't prove it."

We are all sponges in this debate, some of us have a bit of a larger perspective than others.

The main problem with denying the existence of God is this: Compared to what?

What other "sensible" universe are these atheists comparing our universe to?

Posted 10:17 PM by Steve
The appalling weakness of (red-state) America...


One has to wonder at the fact that the opponents of the war in Iraq (or as I like to call them the supporters of Saddam Hussein Islamic socialist Baath regime and supporters of terrorism) lament the number of deaths in the war in Iraq but what would they have done in WWII?

Would their retreat and defeat mantra have been as popular with the left in America? Would the media have seized on every piece of bad news?

WWII saw an astounding 291,000 battle deaths of American soldiers. Many of the individual battles such as Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima were costlier in terms of American lives than the entire conflict in Iraq so far. Would the left try and undercut the strategy of the commander-in-chief?
Would the media publicize every celebrity or psuedo-celebrity comment on the war? Would they question the military "intelligence" each time a life was lost?


I wonder.

Posted 4:50 AM by Steve
Behold:

Posted 2:33 AM by Steve
Open letter to all the intrepid hikers/climbers extreme winter sports people out there:

When you climb a mountain (even a relatively easy one) in the middle of winter you might die and nobody should feel the least bit sorry for you.

You are making a dangerous decision with your own life and, unfortunately, the lives of the various search and rescue personnel as well.

If you decide to climb a mountain it is your responsibility to inform the proper authorities of your intentions and intended route, get expert advice, train and make sure you can handle extreme conditions and be well equipped to handle an emergency if it should occur.

Posted 12:30 PM by Steve
As protesters gather to play politics, it's important to realize exactly what it is that these people who claim they are compassionate want.

These "one-world" socialists think that Iraq was better off under the totalitarian regime of Saddam Hussein who beat, tortured, raped and murdered Iraqis to the tune of a minimum of 1,000,000 Iraqi citizens.

No one is happy with the incessant terrorist attacks and roadside bombs in Iraq, but to leave the country in a volatile state would be extremely irresponsible and dangerous. The vacuum must be filled with a positive, democratic government to allow the Iraqi people to thrive in peace for the first time in decades.

Saddam has been removed from power and from that standpoint an important mission was accomplished. It's vital that we finish the task and make a positive difference in the Middle-East.

Labels: What exactly are you protesting?

Posted 12:54 PM by Steve
Must be global warming

RECORD EVENT REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY0718 AM EST FRI JAN 26 2007...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE SET AT KENNEDY... A RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF 9 DEGREES WAS SET AT KENNEDY TODAY AT 647 AM. THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 9 SET IN 1994.

Posted 1:26 PM by Steve
If you are "anti-Bush" what exactly are you FOR?


1. Jummy Carter-esque appeasement of our enemies (which history has shown will invariably lead to a larger conflict later)?

2. Higher taxes?

3. A shitty economy?

4. Totalitarian dictators in Middle-eastern states who support terrorism?

5. Not controlling the borders of our own country?

6. Activist Supreme Court justices?

Being "anti" something isn't a policy. ..

Posted 12:08 PM by Steve
Record cold, snow forecast for Los Angeles area...


Must be global warming...

Posted 2:19 AM by Steve
Open letter to New Line Cinemas:

FIRE BOB SHAY!

Make "The Hobbit" with Peter Jackson and pay him what he deserves for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy or I'll never pay to see another New Line Cinemas movie again!!!

Thanks, Steve

Posted 4:25 AM by Steve
Possibly the biggest security breach in American history

Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Tom Davis (R-VA) released the following statement today on a committee report that sheds important new light on Sandy Berger’s theft of classified documents from the National Archives. The report makes it clear that the full extent of Mr. Berger’s document removal can never be known, and consequently the Department of Justice could not assure the 9/11 Commission that it received all responsive documents to which Mr. Berger had access.

“My staff’s investigation reveals that President Clinton’s former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger compromised national security much more than originally disclosed,” Davis said. “It is now also clear that Mr. Berger was willing to go to extraordinary lengths to compromise national security, apparently for his own convenience.
“The 9/11 Commission relied on incomplete and misleading information regarding its access to documents Mr. Berger reviewed. No one ever told the Commission that Mr. Berger had access to original documents that he could have taken without detection.
“We now know that Mr. Berger left stolen highly classified documents at a construction site to avoid detection. We know that Mr. Berger insisted on privacy at times to allow him to conceal documents that he stole. One witness with a very high security clearance believed he saw Berger concealing documents in his socks.
“Mr. Berger’s review of documents did not conform to the usual requirements for reviewing classified documents in a secure facility and under strict supervision. The Archives staff’s failure to contact law enforcement immediately and their contacts with Mr. Berger about the missing documents compromised the law enforcement effort.
“The compromised law enforcement effort contributes to reduced confidence that the 9/11 Commission received all the documents it requested. The execution of a search warrant before Mr. Berger knew there was an investigation would have either located additional documents or enhanced confidence that he stole no others than those he admitted to taking.
“The public statements of the former chief of the public integrity section, Noel Hillman, were incomplete and misleading. Because Mr. Berger had access to original documents that he could have taken without detection, we do not know if anything ‘was lost to the public or the process.’
“The Justice Department’s assertion that Mr. Berger’s statements are credible after being caught is misplaced. One wouldn’t rely on the fox to be truthful after being nabbed in the hen house. But the Justice Department apparently did.”

Posted 12:19 AM by Steve
A Convenient Hoax: Climate change fear-mongers use psuedo-science to further political agendas. or, "Watermelon marxists are green on the outside, red on the inside."

To say the climate of the Earth is changing is like saying the Sun is putting out heat and light. The climate of the Earth is ALWAYS changing. It always has...

In fact, not one conclusive piece of evidence of has been shown to prove that Earth is significantly warming beyond the normal trends associated with climate change. Yet, how many man hours and how much time has been devoted to this latest hoax/crisis? How many panels have been convened and to what degree are government resources being used to combat this phantom?

Any change in worldwide temperature could be caused by a variety of factors and is certainly not limited to atmospheric make-up.Some of these factors include:1. Variation in solar output2. Land mass arrangement or plate tectonics3. cosmic ray induced ionization of the atmosphere4. Volcanism (or natural changes to atmospheric make-up)For these "eco-chicken-littles" to run around shouting, "The Sky is Falling!" is laughable. Especially since some of these same people were biting their nails about an impending ice-age in the early 1970's and warning the capitalists of the world about the mass worldwide starvation and overpopulation by the year 2000.The make-up of the Earth's atmosphere and the impact of the so-called "greenhouse effect" has been greatly exaggerated as has man's impact by the left wing eco-terrorists.

Posted 5:20 PM by Steve
Bye Bye Denver!

As a Portland fan it's not without a certain amount of glee as I watch that franchise fall into the same pattern of mistakes as the Blazers a few years ago.

"The Answer" will henceforth be known as "The Cancer" as his acquisition by the Denver Nuggets for the solid Andre Miller and Joe Smith will doom that franchise to "make the playoffs" purgatory.

Loaded with thugged-out talent, Denver will fall prey to the character issues that plagued the "Jail-Blazers" who employed the likes of Rasheed Wallace, Gary Trent, J.R. Rider, and Damon Stoudamire.

For years, the Blazers hovered around excellence but never had the fortitude to get over the top. Nuggets fans, get ready for a long and frustrating ride. We'll check back with you during the "re-building" phase.

Posted 1:18 AM by Steve
Winning and Losing in Iraq

Part I

It's time to respond to the critics of Operation Iraqi Freedom who mainly seem to be arguing that a psychotic, corrupt despotic totalitarian dictator with terror ties is preferable than the current situation in Iraq.

First, let's talk about conditions in Iraq before Operation Iraqi Freedom. Iraqi civilians were dying at an appalling rate. The Iraqi government, controlled by Saddam Hussein, was growing closer to dangerous international terrorists groups such as al-Queda. The Iraqi government had provided and continued to provide refuge, training, weapons, intelligence and logistical support to international terrorist groups both within the country and beyond it's borders. The Iraqi government had found a way to circumvent the U.N. Oil for food program by allowing unethical agents of various nations to trade in a black market based on valuable oil vouchers. The vouchers which were to be used for food and or medical supplies only soon became a currency by which terrorism was funded. The sanctions had failed.

Let's examine the situation in Iraq now. Iraqi civilians are still dying at an appalling rate. Terrorists operate freely within the borders of Iraq and the U.S. military forces are tasked with an almost impossible job. Keeping themselves alive while avoiding being murdered by terrorists who have no regard for life, be it the life of others or their own. As tragic as this may sound, it is far preferable to the first scenario for a variety of reasons.

First of all, it is a valuable exercise of military power. This event proves that the United States is willing to invest time, dollars and blood to remain a dominant superpower in the world. Secondly, it eliminates a major state sponsor of terrorism in a region blighted by terrorists and fanatics. Thirdly, it brings the promise of freedom for 50 million Iraqi citizens who are among the more sophisticated arabs in the area. The benefits of this should be self-evident. If Iraq embraces democratic capitalism they will become a super-power in the Middle East with an

The critics of the war are quick to point to every piece of bad news or every set-back in Iraq and say "We are losing." Have we fallen so far? Now, the spoiled children of the left think that anything less than a panacea which brings instant utopia to Iraq is "losing". Without a shred of understanding, these defeatists not only see only bad news coming from Iraq they actually wish it to occur for political reasons. They seek to appear compassionate to the troops while belittling every positive step they take.

Posted 4:01 PM by Steve
Krazy Kramer

Michael Richards rant at the comedy club is like every other event:x being blown out of proportion by the media vultures who must invent stories to survive.

The fact is that Richards has long been known for a controversial comedic style dating back to the days of Andy Kaufman where he plays upon the the uncomfortable and awkward. Watch the video of the fake fight where Kaufman starts not being his character in the middle of a sketch.

Richards is not a stand-up comic and when he was heckled he tried to be outrageous and insulting with the intent of shutting the guy up. It didn't work and he lost the audience. If it hadn't been on video it would be a non-issue.

Now instead idiots like Al Sharpton are chiming in on the issue and acting as if they are marching for civil rights in the 1960's.

Individuals do stupid things. Some of them are racist. A vast majority of Americans do not tolerate racism.

Posted 10:42 PM by Steve
HA HA HA! Shame on you phony Republicans! You deserve defeat almost as much as lousy Democrats. At least THEY admit they are only interested in power and further infringement on the rights of Americans.

If you aren't fiscally conservative you don't deserve the title of Republican and you deserve to be voted out of office. If you can't adequately defend the actions of your president you deserve to be voted out of office. If you betray the public trust in any way you deserve to be voted out of office. Shame on you, Republicans.

You allowed the only thing worse than yourself to be elected to represent the American people.

Posted 7:41 PM by Steve
52nd coolest October on record (1895-2006).

All regions near to or below normal temperature (first time since February 2003 with no regions above average temperature).

What warming?

Posted 1:22 AM by Steve
John Kerry's shameful statements were bad enough. His assertion that the men and women of the Unites States armed forces serving our country overseas and risking their lives in defense of our nation are lacking in education is not only wrong, it's insulting and arrogant. But...make no mistake, it's WHAT HE BELIEVES.

His lame attempt at spinning it as a "botched joke" is even worse. It's worse because it's so clearly a lie. It's worse because it's an attempt to obscure his real belief system. We saw a bit of the real John Kerry slip out. We saw just how much contempt this wealthiest of Senators feels for the very people that keep him and his family safe at night.

Posted 5:23 PM by Steve
If the Modern media was reporting:





"Troops freeze without adequate supplies, 19,000 G.I.'s dead in Roosevelt's quagmire"

The Ardennes, Belgium
January 16th 1945

Posted 5:23 PM by Steve
If the Modern media was reporting:





"Troops freeze without adequate supplies, 19,000 G.I.'s dead in Roosevelt's quagmire"

The Ardennes, Belgium
January 16th 1945

Posted 1:15 PM by Steve
I hope the point I was trying to get across in my last post was clear.

It is without any semblance of loyalty, patriotism or even common sense, that the anti-war left wingers seize upon any piece of bad news coming from Iraq and attempt to use it as political capital.

Look at some headlines from the liberal media:

"Deadliest month in Iraq", "90 G.I.'s killed in Iraq in October", etc.

Imagine June 7th 1944 headline with today's media:

"Day One slaughter: 400 casualties an hour in Roosevelt's War"




Again, it must be clearly understood that I have no problem with people questioning, criticizing, or otherwise disagreeing with the policies and actions of the federal government. I think dissent is a right of the American people. The same free and democratic society that comes up with the best solutions to economic and social problems will also generate innovative and creative solutions to handling terrorists in Iraq.

Dissent, however, is not the same as sedition and treason.

Critics of the war must understand and admit that there are inevitable consequences to ANY war. Therefore, unless they are true pacifists and oppose war in all situations it is not valid or logical to criticize a war simply because of the inevitable consequences.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Make no mistake, terrorists are the enemy of freedom and those who unfairly criticize Bush and Operation Iraqi Freedom are the friends of al-Queda. A vote against Bush and Operation Iraqi Freedom is a vote FOR al-Queda.

Posted 2:30 AM by Steve
Why the Democrats retreat and defeat strategy amounts to using the deaths of brave servicemen and women in Iraq as political cannon fodder to try and gain political power:

I cannot think of a better use of the phrase "useful idiots", which was coined by Joseph Stalin speaking of the western critics of the United States Anti-Communist policy of the 20th century, than to refer to vociferous and rabid critics of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the proactive response of President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to the terrorist attacks of the early 21st century.

Without any semblance of loyalty, patriotism or even common sense, these left wing idealogues seize upon any piece of bad news coming from Iraq and attempt to use it as political capital (with the media aiding and abetting every step of the way) in order to gain power and attempt to undermine a successful policy which has at minimum prevented another attack like September 11th on American soil.

It must be clearly understood that I have no problem with people questioning, criticizing, or otherwise disagreeing with the policies and actions of the federal government. I think dissent is a right of the American people. Dissent, however, is not the same as sedition and treason. I criticized President Clinton's handling of Somalia, but I certainly didn't want his mission to fail. I didn't desire the brutal dragging of a dead marine through the streets because I could use it to make Clinton look bad.

Yet, this is exactly the attitude of the left. They couldn't WAIT to call Iraq a "quagmire". They couldn't wait to report civilian and military casualties.

I cannot abide political opportunism. I cannot abide piling on. I cannot abide when criticizing goes beyond the bounds of our nation and begins to bring aid and comfort to our enemies.

Critics of the war must realize that there are inevitable consequences to war. Therefore, unless you oppose war in all situations (true pacifism) it is illogical to criticize a war in general because of it's inevitable consequences such as casualties or duration or strategic errors.

In other words, the war should not be criticized simply for being war. If the criticism is valid it should be addressed. In the case of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the opposition is based not on a valid critique of the strategic concept but on previously existing opposition that was there PRIOR to the war.

The disingenuous use of the horrors of war to campaign against "BUSH" and the Republicans is simply shameless political opportunism. The terrorists in Iraq, yes, many of the same al-Queda that Democrats said weren't in the country simply listen to the litany of complaints coming from the left and seek to make them appear prophetic. Watching this situation unfold it brings to mind the old phrase: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Make no mistake, terrorists are the enemy of freedom and those who unfairly criticize Bush and Operation Iraqi Freedom are the friends of al-Queda.

Posted 3:32 AM by Steve
Democrat Hypocrisy

The hypocrisy of Democrats is simply stunning. They whined about any right-wing criticism leveled at President Clinton regarding his lack of judgement, lying, and misuse of power in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. They said it was "nobody's business".

Now the same issues arise against a Republican: In this case Congressman Mark Foley and what happens? Foley is condemned by Democrats and Republicans alike.

The difference? Principled Republicans will criticize members of their own party when they do things they don't like. Democrats circle the wagons and try and protect their own while labeling others intolerant or "mudslingers". The switch their views 180 degrees when it comes to defending their candidate while happy to "cast the first stone" when it is a member of the opposing party.

Posted 4:51 PM by Steve
Yes, the officiating was terrible in the Oregon Oklahoma game, but if anything Oregon got the worst of it, including:


1. The pathetic non-call that allowed a pushoff on Walter Thurmond for a touchdown.

2. For not reviewing the supposed fumble by Jonathan Stewart.

3. For giving Peterson two extra yards on a spot that created a goal-line defensive situation for the Ducks which Peterson took in for the score.

Oregon turned the ball over way too many times against Oklahoma or it wouldn't have even been close.

Oregon is turning the ball over as we speak as they get trounced by a very sharp Cal team.

Posted 11:40 AM by Steve
The feeding frenzy has begun and the left smells blood in the water. Representative Marc Foley's disgraceful and shameful behavior was the match that lit the bonfire of a full fledged assault on Republicans by the media. Let's not forget our "honorable colleagues" from across the aisle and their indiscretions:

10. Sen. Daniel Inouye. The 82-year-old Hawaii Democrat was accused in the 1990s by numerous women of sexual harassment. Democrats cast doubt on the allegations and the Senate Ethics Committee dropped its investigation.

9. Former Rep. Gus Savage. The Illinois Democrat was accused of fondling a Peace Corps volunteer in 1989 while on a trip to Africa. The House Ethics Committee decided against disciplinary action in 1990.

8. Rep. Barney Frank. The outspoken Massachusetts Democrat hired a male prostitute who ran a prostitution service from Frank’s residence in the 1980s. Only two Democrats in the House of Representatives voted to censure him in 1990.

7. Former Sen. Brock Adams. The late Washington Democrat was forced to stop campaigning after numerous accusations of drugging, assault and rape, the first surfacing in 1988.

6. Former Rep. Fred Richmond. This New York Democrat was arrested in 1978 for soliciting sex from a 16-year-old. He remained in Congress and won re-election—before eventually resigning in 1982 after pleading guilty to tax evasion and drug possession.

5. Former Rep. John Young. The late Texas Democrat increased the salary of a staffer after she gave in to his sexual advances. The congressman won re-election in 1976 but lost two years later.

4. Former Rep. Wayne Hays. The late Ohio Democrat hired an unqualified secretary reportedly for sexual acts. Although he resigned from Congress, the Democratic House leadership stalled in removing him from the Administration Committee in 1976.

3. Former Rep. Gerry Studds. He was censured for sexual relationship with underage male page in 1983. Massachusetts voters returned him to office for six more terms.

2. Former Rep. Mel Reynolds. The Illinois Democrat was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault with a 16-year-old. President Bill Clinton pardoned him before leaving office.

1. Sen. Teddy Kennedy. The liberal Massachusetts senator testified in defense of nephew accused of rape, invoking his family history to win over the jury in 1991.

Posted 4:53 AM by Steve
From a psychological standpoint, Bill Clinton's irritation and defensiveness about tough questions during a FoxNews interview show that he is vulnerable and feels some level of guilt for his role in allowing Islamic terrorist attacks on American soil.

I think an intelligent person like Bill Clinton can point to specific examples of many actions he took to try and make America safe. Clearly, while some of his actions may have been effective, America was not made safer by Bill Clinton. Conservatives, "neo-cons" and even moderate or centrist Democrats rightly criticized Bill Clinton for a weak, unfocused, and appeasement-based foreign policy.

As Winston Churchill said: "Am appeaser is one who feeds the crocodile hoping it will eat him last." This lesson is one that is lost on the left and will be repeated for all of history.

The left has a fundamental misunderstanding of their enemies and a childlike naivete about the nature of man.

Many philosophies can drive man to war. We have seen the totalitarian collectivist ideals of communism and fascism put the world to the test in wars that covered continents, but it takes uniquely perverted kind of religious fervor to drive men to sacrifice their own lives in terrorist acts aimed to destroy innocent lives and non-combatants.

Another great Churchill quote is: "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."

I think President Bush and most clear thinking Americans recognize that this phrase perfectly defines our enemy. We are dealing with fanatics.

These people saw the wishy-washy, do-nothing Clinton foreign policy as a weakness and vulnerability. They exploited it.

These people are threatened by President Bush and his so-called "Cowboy Diplomacy". Good.

If these people aren't feeling threatened we are doing something wrong. It is said that for evil to flourish all it takes is for good men to do nothing.
If you don't actively cultivate and maintain your garden, weeds will grow.

The left believes that poverty and poor human rights are the cause of the troubles of the Middle East. In reality, these are actually symptoms of the underlying problem. The real problem is the presence of totalitarian theocracy in these countries.

Until the world is willing to denounce Islam in it's present form as a violent and intolerant religion, we will have fanatics. Remember, they can't change their minds and they won't change the subject.

One last quote from Churchill: "One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half."

Posted 2:50 PM by Steve
Each day that passes makes the ridiculous, childish antics and senseless violence of Muslims appear more and more barbarous and irrational.

The irony is that the validity of the Pope's comments are confirmed by the violent protests and attempted intimidation by the Muslims.

Posted 8:57 PM by Steve
Muslims reveal much by their violence

It is becoming clear that Islam is NOT a religion of peace.

Many of the followers of Islam believe "submission" and "peace" are the same thing.

Mohammed commanded his followers to spread by the sword the faith he preached.

This very day, somewhere in the world, Islamo-fascist terrorists are plotting attacks and still trying to spread their religion with fear, oppression and intimidation.

They will not succeed.

The latest excuse for violence used by the Muslims are relatively innocuous comments by Pope BenedictXVI. The Pope in a lecture to science representatives at the University of Regensburg spoke about statements made by the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus.

Remember, these are comments recorded in a discussion between 1394 and 1402 during the siege of Constantinople.

The irony is that Muslims react violently to prove that they aren't violent. It's as if they feel exempt from all rationality when it comes to these issues. The idea that the west "creates" this reaction in the Islamic community with it's criticism is the worst kind of circular argument.

If Islam is peaceful, why do so many Muslims remain silent when terror and threats of terror are used on a daily basis? If Islam is peaceful, why do relatively moderate Muslims feel the need to "warn" the west when legitimate criticism is leveled against the followers of Islam and those who rationalize terrorist acts in the name of Islam?

Posted 12:45 PM by Steve
As the anniversary of September 11th comes and goes, it becomes apparent with the memorials, moments of silence and documentaries that this was a major event in U.S. history. I tend to look at the event not as a single attack or blow to the psyche of the nation but an indicator of how much trouble we are in.

I see people wearing wristbands saying "We will not forget". Well, good...I wouldn't expect you WOULD forget an event like this. I think it's more important to ask "What exactly are you not forgetting?"

I would like to see a united sentiment in this nation not about what they remember or forget but about what they will do about it.

I would like to see Americans wearing wristbands that say We will Win. Instead of a moment of silence maybe we should have a moment of primal screaming like the army of William Wallace on the battlefield in the film ""Braveheart"".

Instead of a documentary on the "Path to 9/11" which seeks to lay blame at the feet of the government, how about a film that shows the courageous and patriotic fight of Americans to defeat their new enemy (Islamo-fascist terrorists) in fields abroad?

Instead of concentrating on the negative, our vulnerabilities and failures, why not devote ourselves to the positive mission of overwhelming the rest of the world with the spread of democratic capitalism and freedom? Instead of pessimistic articles about "Are We Safer?" how about some new, innovative ideas on how to transform the political landscape of our enemy into a place where terrorism cannot thrive. It is well documented that the best way to prevent death and human misery is to increase standards of living and to elevate human rights. In the 2oth century, democide or death by one's own government took 170 million lives. War and terrorism killed a mere 40 million. The greater threat is totalitarian governments.

Posted 4:03 AM by Steve
Muslims (and liberals....hmmm, isn't it weird that liberals always end up on the same team as the enemies of America?) would be better served by condemning Islamo-fascist terrorism than by criticizing George W. Bush. and Tony Blair.

These recent thwarted threats only serve to prove just how spot-on Blair and Bush were (and are) in their policies including Operation Iraqi Freedom. Extremism is terrorism. It's the desire to induce political change through violence and the deliberate targeting of civilians. In the world that we live in, for Muslim groups to "warn" anyone can only be seen as attempted intimidation, thinly-veiled terrorist propaganda and implied violence. If the terrorists aren't outraged and plotting attacks we are doing something very wrong. Hopefully we will capture and arrest all of them. Maybe some will escape. Some might even succeed in a terrorist attack..So what?

Is that a valid reason for being passive, politically correct or groveling to these fanatics? Of course not!!! Aggressive or passive they will hate us and our western values EITHER WAY. To appease those who desire our destruction is insanity. It is a policy of defeatism, defeat and retreat.

We should be actively slapping the beehive of extremist Islam to bring the fanatics and primitive screw-heads out of the wood works. Oh, and if you have a problem with the term "primitive screw-heads" please stop right now and go watch Nick Berg's execution and beheading.

Viewing such videos and seeing the general behavior of many of these Islamo-fascist terrorists it becomes possible to understand why many view these people as disgusting sub-human savages.

Posted 12:36 PM by Steve
CONNECTIONS

Bush has presided over a solid, growing economy (despite the Clinton recession and the terrorist attacks of 9/11) and Bush’s policies have led to important victories in the Middle East in Iraq and Afghanistan. The unfortunate fact is that absurd claims by the left make good copy.

I suppose the media can only report so much good economic news. Important, strategic military victories quickly bore a public with a miniscule attention span. The vast improvement in human rights conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan made maybe a few DAYS of headlines? Contrast that to the weeks and months the media spent fussing over Abu-Graib. The news, like any other commodity, is market-driven and new lows in content are a fact of life. Without absurd claims, there is no controversy. Without controversy, there is no story. Without a story there is no drama. Without drama there is no race.

We hear from the extremists that the War in Iraq was a “mistake”, based on lies or false intelligence. Despite what the senate panel says a preponderance of evidence exists that shows a connection between Saddam’s regime and al-Qaeda. President Bush made very clear in his speech after the 9/11 attacks that we would make no differentiation between terrorists and the regimes that support them. Bush received bipartisan support for his speech.
State sponsorship of terrorism includes refuge, weapons, training, logistical support and intelligence. We have definitive proof that BOTH Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan provided al-Qaeda with ALL of these things.



The following facts are undisputed and among the evidence presented to the 9/11 commission:

1985: The mastermind behind the hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship, Abu Abbas, was harbored and welcomed by the Iraqi regime.

1988: More than 5,000 Kurdish men, women and children are massacred in the village of Halabja by Saddam Hussein’s forces using weapons of mass destruction. (Similar weapons have since been discovered in Iraq since Operation Iraqi Freedom)

1992: Iraqi intelligence documents list Osama Bin Laden as an Iraqi intelligence asset.

1993: A non aggression pact between Iraq and al-Qaeda is formed. The rift between secular and
Islamic extremists in the Middle East has all but disappeared.

1994: Deputy Director of Iraqi intelligence confirms that Osama Bin Laden requested arms and training from Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi regime.

1995: Abu Hajer al Iraqi, a senior al-Qaeda leader, met with Iraqi intelligence officials.

1996: A phone call between al-Qaeda-supported Sudanese military officials and the head of Iraq’s chemical weapons program was intercepted by the NSA.

1997:Abu Abdallah al Iraqi, a member of al-Qaeda, went to Iraq to help in obtaining weapons of mass destruction.

1998: The Clinton administration’s justice department indicted Iraq for providing “assistance” to al-Qaeda’s weapons development program.

1999: A senior Clinton administration counter terrorism official said that the U.S. government was “sure” Iraq had supported al-Qaeda chemical weapons programs in 1999.

2000: September 11th hijacker Khalid al Mihdhar was photographed with an Iraqi intelligence agent in Kuala Lumpur en route to a meeting at which the terrorist attacks of the USS Cole and the World Trade Center were planned and discussed.

2001: Satellite images show al-Qaeda members traveling to a compound in Iraq, a compound financed in part, by the Iraqi regime.

September 11th, 2001: The World Trade Centers in Manhattan, in the heart of New York City become ground zero for the worst terror attacks in American history. Attacks were carried out by members of al-Qaeda.

2002: Senior al Qaeda member, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, operated openly in Baghdad and received medical attention with the knowledge and approval of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq.

2003: Prior to the war in Iraq, it was suspected that Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq harbored and supported Abdul Rahman Yasin, the Iraqi weapons expert who mixed the chemicals for the
1993 World Trade Center attack. This was confirmed in documents found in postwar Iraq.




Until recently, the belief that Iraq and al-Qaeda had connections was not a partisan matter. President Clinton was among the most vocal critics of Saddam Hussein’s regime saying in 1998 that , “outlaw nations and an unholy axis of terrorists, drug traffickers, and organized international criminals” would be “more lethal if we allow them to build arsenals of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them.” He went on to say that “there is no more clear example of this threat than Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.” President Clinton also reiterated the Iraqi regime’s role with in the botched attempt to assassinate President Bush while he was visiting Kuwait.

FLIP FLOPS:
The most egregious flip-flop was that of counter terrorism official Richard Clarke. Yes, this same man who said that the U.S. government was “sure” Iraq had supported al-Qaeda chemical weapons programs in 1999, later said, in 2004, “There’s absolutely no evidence that Iraq was supporting al-Qaeda, ever.” This bold-faced lie is all the more stunning considering that Mr. Clarke isn’t refuting the veracity of the intelligence he is denying it’s very existence!
Al Gore: During the 1992 Presidential campaign, Gore attacked the first Bush administration for disregarding Saddam Hussein‘s “brutal terrorism” and of ignoring Saddam’s “murderous ambitions”. Gore went on to make over a dozen specific references to Iraq-sponsored terrorism while citing a RAND corporation study that concluded that “an estimated 1,400 terrorists were operating openly out of Iraq.”
Again, in 1992, Gore said that Saddam Hussein was a “major danger to the region and to U.S. interests.” and that he was “seeking technologies for weapons of mass destruction” in addition to offering “state payments to terrorists.”
Now, comically, Gore rails against the Bush administration saying that “The evidence now shows clearly that Saddam did not want to work with Osama Bin Laden at all, much less give him weapons of mass destruction.”
A notorious Democrat flip-flopper, Wesley Clark said “Certainly there’s a connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda.” in 2002. Then as a candidate for President, Clark stated, “there is no connection on that.”
John Kerry, who voted to authorize the war in Iraq now says that the war in Iraq has made us “less safe” saying the “global war on terrorism has actually been set back.” So… WHY did you vote for it Mr. Kerry?
Senator Hillary Clinton said during a speech on the senate floor that Saddam Hussein has given “aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al-Qaeda members.”
Later, Sen. Clinton would criticize the war in Iraq and question President Bush’s veracity in a speech on the senate floor demanding to know “what the president knew and when he knew it.”

Posted 12:26 PM by Steve
I think it's time that we revisit the responses in Iraq after the Iraqi people were liberated from under Saddam Hussein's tyranny:

Voices of freedom are rising across Iraq. News accounts show liberated Iraqis welcoming American and coalition troops. Their voices have been silenced for too long, but now they are beginning to be heard inside Iraq and around the world.
VOICES OF FREEDOM

“Smiling citizens crowded every street around the American positions. There was a constant stream of people willing to give information and loudly condemn Saddam. American soldiers who a day before had been in close combat were now basking in the cheers and applause, their arms tired from returning friendly waves.” Time, 4-14-03

“There were women and children in the crowds, but only the men did any talking. They would say the word Saddam and spit. Or run up to U.S. soldiers and shout 'George Bush good.'” Time, 4-14-03

“The American people, particularly the movie stars against us being here, need to see this. These people need us. Look how happy they are.” Sergeant Reuben Rivera in Iraq, Time, 4-14-03

“It confirms why we're here. This regime, all it does is honor itself. They build these huge lavish living quarters for the select few, but the rest of the country lives dirt-poor.” Lt. Col. Rock Marcone, USA Today, 4-8-03

“The unit's interpreter, Khuder al-Emiri, is a local hero, a guerrilla leader who was forced to flee… in April 1991 after leading a failed uprising against Saddam Hussein. Word of Mr. Emiri's arrival spread through town by way of children's feet. Their hero was with the Americans and the crowd believed the marines' intentions were good. They began to chant in English. 'Stay! Stay! U.S.A.!'” New York Times, 4-8-03

“The euphoria nearly spilled over into a riot. Children pulled at the marines, jumped on their trucks, wanting to shake their hands, touch their cheeks. A single chicken hung in the butcher's window and still the residents wanted to give the Americans something, anything. Cigarette? Money?” New York Times, 4-8-03

“You are owed a favor from the Iraqis. We dedicate our loyalty to the Americans and the British. We are friends." Iraqi Ibrahim Shouqyk to Marines, New York Times, 4-8-03

“For years we have lived oppressed lives here. Sunday was a day we had prayed for and now we are free of Saddam’s rule.” Qusay Rawah, a student in Basra, Daily Mirror, 4-8-03

“The whole Iraq will be happy if the news about Saddam’s death is confirmed.” Hussein Al-Rekabi, Iraqi exile of 30 years now in Kuwait, Arab News, 4-8-03

“For some, it was a day to hand flowers to British soldiers stationed in armored vehicles at a traffic circle or to gawk at British troops patrolling the city on foot beside their armored vehicles. For others, it was a day to vent rage at icons of the former authority.” Washington Post, 4-8-03

"'Ameericaah?' a little girl asked a Marine who had entered her village and taken a defensive position as others began to search homes. The streets were deserted. People peered around their gates. The Marine smiled, wiggled his fingers in the girl's direction and her fear - and that of the rest of the townspeople - melted. Within minutes people had left their houses and began to shake hands with the Marines. Liberation from the strictures of the regime of...Saddam Hussein had come for a nameless village just a few miles from downtown Baghdad." United Press International, 4-7-03

"The reception that we received by the Iraqis have been mainly positive. Many children have come up to me wanting to hold my hand. Many of the British troops have been kissed by the children as they’ve gone by. Now, a few people have motioned to go back or to leave but they’re certainly in the minority." Travis Fox, washingtonpost.com, 4-7-03

“The Marines here are still concerned some Iraqi fighters remain. ‘Keep away from the area,’ scream the loud speakers in Arabic. ‘It is for your security. The coalition forces will not hesitate to shoot you.’ But hundreds ignored that, surging forward to greet the Marines with an emotional celebration in this predominantly Shia Muslim town.” CNN Correspondent Bob Franken, 4-7-03

"The closer the marines got to Baghdad, the warmer their reception. Troops soon encountered cheering crowds, with some people giving the thumbs-up sign. ‘You go to Baghdad, and then I am free,’ an Iraqi man told one soldier." U.S. News and World Report, 4-14-03

"We shall never forget what the coalition has done for our people. A free Iraq shall be a living monument to our people's friendship with its liberators." Hojat al-Islam Abdel Majid al-Khoi, Wall Street Journal, 4-7-03

“When some (Iraqi paramilitaries) fled, civilians from the nearby Shia Flats slum poured onto the streets in support of the British attack. Some shouted and cheered, greeting the British soldiers with waves, thumbs up and smiles. Other surrounded and attacked the fleeing Fedayeen Saddam forces.” Washington Times, 4-7-03

“Believers (should) not to hinder the forces of liberation, and help bring this war against the tyrant to a successful end for the Iraqi people…. Our people need freedom more than air (to breathe). Iraq has suffered, and it deserves better government." Ayatollah Ali Mohammed Sistani, Wall Street Journal, 4-7-03

“The cool, cement walls were welcome relief from the blistering afternoon heat. The colonel walked across a worn rug and sat at the far end of the room, next to the community patriarch, an old man who stayed mostly silent. The patriarch's eldest son, 63-year-old Said Brahim, served as ambassador. ‘We are so happy to see the Americans forces,’ Mr. Brahim told a Marine translator.” Detroit News, 4-7-03

“Hundreds of people poured out to welcome and shake hands with the soldiers. Women in chadors hovered in the background, as soldiers talked and joked with civilians and let some boys look through their gunsights. A jubilant crowd of about 100 Iraqis surrounded two British tanks near a Saddam mural and cheered the soldiers inside, giving one soldier a small bunch of yellow flowers.” Associated Press, 4-7-03 "

Ayatollah Ali Mohammed Sistani is...the undisputed A'alam al-ulema (the most learned of the learned) of the mullahs who minister to the religious needs of Shiites, 60 percent of Iraq's population. This week he will resume lectures, banned by the Saddam regime for seven years, at the oldest Shiite seminary. "As dusk fell yesterday evening, only a small girl dressed in rags could be seen on the streets of Jazirah al-Hari. She approached a [British] tank standing guard at one end of the village, and said: 'My parents will not come, but we need water.' The tank driver leant down and gave her a bottle of water. 'This is why we've come, isn't it?' he said." The Daily Telegraph (UK), 4-1-03

"U.S. troops [are] getting a very warm welcome from the local Shia population. Now naturally, the Shiites...have no love lost for the Iraqi leader President Saddam Hussein. They have been very repressed by him in the past. And obviously...what they believe to be a continuous presence that they can count on, interest from the U.S. troops is something that they are quite happy to see." Ryan Chilcote, CNN correspondent, 4-2-03

"Hundreds of Iraqis shouting 'Welcome to Iraq' greeted U.S. Marines who entered the town of Shatra....'There's no problem here. We are happy to see Americans,' one young man shouted. The welcome was a tonic for soldiers who have not always received a warm reception despite the confidence of U.S. and British leaders that the Iraqi people were waiting to be freed from Saddam Hussein's repression. 'It's not every day you get to liberate people,' said one delighted Marine." The Independent (UK), 4-1-03

"Saddam has given us nothing, only suffering,' said Khalid Juwad, with his cousin, Raad, nodding in assent. Mr. Juwad said he had four uncles who were in Hussein's jails, and he said he had deserted from the Iraqi Army three times in recent years. 'If the Americans want to get rid of Saddam, that's O.K. with me,' he said. 'The only thing that would bother me is if they don't finish the job. Then Saddam will come back, like he did in 1991.'" New York Times, 3-31-03

We've been waiting for you for 10 years. What took you so long?’ said an Iraqi man who, along with more than 500 others, surrendered near the Rumaila oil fields. Many had written such phrases as ‘U.S.A. O.K.’ on their arms or hands. Some even tried to kiss the hands of the nervous young Marines guarding them.”Newsday, 3-24-03

“Ajami Saadoun Khlis, whose son and brother were executed under the Saddam regime, sobbed like a child on the shoulder of the Guardian’s Egyptian translator. He mopped the tears but they kept coming. ‘You just arrived,’ he said. ‘You're late. What took you so long? God help you become victorious. I want to say hello to Bush, to shake his hand. We came out of the grave.’”The Guardian, 3-22-03

“As Iraqi Americans reach out to their relatives in Baghdad and Basra, in Kirkuk and Irbil, some are hearing words they never thought possible: Iraqis are speaking ill of Saddam Hussein. They're criticizing him out loud, on the telephone, seemingly undeterred by fear of the Iraqi intelligence service and its tactics of torture for those disloyal to the Baath Party regime. ‘I was shocked,’ said Zainab Al-Suwaij, executive director of the American Islamic Congress, a nonprofit group in Cambridge, Mass., that promotes interfaith and interethnic understanding. ‘It's very dangerous. All the phones are tapped. But they are so excited.’”Los Angeles Times, 3-24-03

“’Me and my husband, an old man, have to stay at home because we are afraid. We want the American government to remove Saddam Hussein from power and kick these soldiers out of these hills.’”Fatma Omar, San Francisco Chronicle, 3-24-03

“‘We're very happy. Saddam Hussein is no good. Saddam Hussein a butcher.’” Abdullah (only identification available), as he welcomed U.S. troops in IraqAssociated Press, 3-21-03“I have been waiting for this for 13 years. I hate him more than American government because I told you the Iraq government killed many people from Iraq. They just put (my brother) in jail for a year. After this, they killed him because he don't want to go to the army because his brother is American citizen, and his brother lives in United State.”Ayid Alsultani, WFIE-14 television station in Evansville, Indiana, 3-24-03

“‘(The trip) had shocked me back to reality.’ (Some Iraqis) told me they would commit suicide if American bombing didn't start. They were willing to see their homes demolished to gain their freedom from Saddam's bloody tyranny. They convinced me that Saddam was a monster the likes of which the world had not seen since Stalin and Hitler. He and his sons are sick sadists. Their tales of slow torture and killing made me ill, such as people put in a huge shredder for plastic products, feet first so they could hear their screams as bodies got chewed up from foot to head.”Kenneth Joseph, anti-war demonstrator who traveled to Iraq with Japanese human shield volunteers, UPI, 3-21-03

“I was shocked when I first met a pro-war Iraqi in Baghdad - a taxi driver taking me back to my hotel late at night. ‘Don't you listen to Powell on Voice of America radio?’ he said. ‘Of course the Americans don't want to bomb civilians. They want to bomb government and Saddam's palaces. We want America to bomb Saddam.’ … The driver's most emphatic statement was: ‘All Iraqi people want this war.’… Perhaps the most crushing thing we learned was that most ordinary Iraqis thought Saddam Hussein had paid us to come to protest in Iraq. Although we explained that this was categorically not the case, I don't think he believed us. Later he asked me: ‘Really, how much did Saddam pay you to come?’” Daniel Pepper in an article “I was a naive fool to be a human shield for Saddam,” Sunday Telegraph, 3-23-2003

“As US forces push deep into Iraq, farmers and remote villagers are greeting them with white flags and waves. But the ground forces, backed by massive artillery and air support, are encountering pockets of resistance from Iraq's military. One man, about 30, yesterday ran from a field towards a US convoy shouting insults about Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Other men and boys stood in fields waving white flags. In keeping with the local Muslim custom, no girls or women appeared from their houses.” Lindsay Murdoch in southern Iraq, The Sun-Herald, 3-23-2003

“….The return of the Americans to Safwan was also an occasion for hope, even if mixed with wariness. ‘Saddam finished!’ shouted another young [Iraqi] man, who gave his name as Fares. ‘Americans are here now.’ His friend, Shebah, added, in broken English, ‘Saddam killed people.’” Washington Post, 3-23-03 “Coming into Basra as part of a massive military convoy, I encountered a stream of young men, dressed in what appeared to be Iraqi army uniforms, applauding the US marines as they swept past in tanks.” BBC reporter, 3-22-03

"Ajami Saadoun Khlis, whose son and brother were executed under the Saddam regime, sobbed like a child on the shoulder of the Guardian's Egyptian translator. He mopped the tears but they kept coming. 'You just arrived,' he said. 'You're late. What took you so long? God help you become victorious. I want to say hello to Bush, to shake his hand. We came out of the grave.'" The Guadian, 3-22-03

“As hundreds of coalition troops swept in just after dawn, the heartache of a town that felt the hardest edges of Saddam Hussein's rule seemed to burst forth, with villagers running into the streets to celebrate in a kind of grim ecstasy, laughing and weeping in long guttural cries. “‘Oooooo, peace be upon you, peace be upon you, peace you, oooooo,’ Zahra Khafi, a 68-year-old mother of five, cried to a group of American and British visitors who came to the town shortly after Mr. Hussein's army appeared to melt away. ‘I'm not afraid of Saddam anymore.’” New York Times, 3-22-03

"We've been driving since dawn today in southern Iraq, and so far we've come across scores of Bedouin herdsmen. We've been greeted by friendly greetings of ‘inshallah’ and ‘salaam aleikum’…we've seen both women and men waving greetings and shouting greeting to the U.S. troops.” Radio Free Europe correspondent Ron Synovitz, 3-21-03

"They told me that Saddam Hussein is not allowing anyone to leave Baghdad. I don't fear the Americans. I was in Baghdad in the war in 1991 and I saw how surgical an operation it was. Saddam Hussein has persecuted everyone except his own family. Kurds, Arab Shiites, Turkoman - everybody has suffered. But our country was a rich country and we can be rich again.'” Financial Times Information, 3-21-03

"These are US Marines being greeted if not with garlands, with hand shakes by residents of the town in the deep-south corner of Iraq.” CBS News, 3-21-03

"One little boy, who had chocolate melted all over his face after a soldier gave him some treats from his ration kit, kept pointing at the sky, saying 'Ameriki, Ameriki.'" Associated Press, 3-21-03

"Milling crowds of men and boys watched as the Marines attached ropes on the front of their Jeeps to one portrait and then backed up, peeling the Iraqi leader's black-and-white metal image off a frame. Some locals briefly joined Maj. David 'Bull' Gurfein in a new cheer. 'Iraqis! Iraqis! Iraqis!' Gurfein yelled, pumping his fist in the air... "....A few men and boys ventured out, putting makeshift white flags on their pickup trucks or waving white T-shirts out truck windows....'Americans very good,' Ali Khemy said. 'Iraq wants to be free. Some chanted, 'Ameriki! Ameriki!' "Gurfein playfully traded pats with a disabled man and turned down a dinner invitation from townspeople. 'Friend, friend,' he told them in Arabic learned in the first Gulf War. "'No Saddam Hussein!' one young man in headscarf told Gurfein. 'Bush!'" Associated Press, 3-21-03

"Iraqi citizens were shown 'tearing down a poster of Saddam Hussein' and Dexter Filkins of The New York Times was interviewed, saying that Iraqis he had seen were 'hugging and kissing every American they could find.'" NBC Nightly News, 3-21-03

"Here was a chance to stop and I clambered down, eager to get a first word from an Iraqi of what he thought of this whole affair. 'As salaam alekum,' I said in the traditional greeting, then ran out of Arabic and quickly added, 'Do you speak English?' No go. But with a fumbled exchange of gestures we slowly managed to communicate. Thumbs up for the American tanks, thumbs down for Saddam Hussein. Then he pointed north into the distance and said 'Baghdad.'" Reuters, 3-21-03

"A line of dancing Kurdish men, staring directly into the mouth of the Iraqi guns less than a mile away, defiantly burned tires, sang traditional new years songs and chanted, 'Topple Saddam.' "March 21 is the Kurdish New Year....And bonfires have long been a symbol of liberation in this part of the world. 'We're celebrating [Nawroz] a national holiday,' said Samad Abdulla Rahim, 22. 'But today we also celebrate the attack on Saddam.' "Many expressed hope that deadly fire would light the night sky over Baghdad in the days ahead, bringing an end to the Kurd's epic 30-year struggle against Hussein and his Baath Party. 'I can't wait for the U.S. planes to come and liberate Kirkuk,' said Shahab Ahmed Sherif, a 33-year-old Kurd who had fled the oil-rich city four days earlier." Copley News Service, 3-21-03 Unidentified Iraqi man: "Help us live better than this life. Let us have freedom." ABC World News Tonight, 3-21-03

Posted 12:09 PM by Steve
Victories in the war against Islamo-fascism

- In 2002, officials disrupted a plot by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, to crash hijacked airplanes into targets on the U.S. West Coast.

-In mid-2004, officials discovered a plan to bomb urban targets in the United Kingdom.

-Terrorists involved in a well-advanced plot to attack targets in Karachi, Pakistan, were detained in the spring of 2003.

-A plan to use hijacked commercial airplanes to attack London's Heathrow Airport was disrupted in 2003.

-A plot to attack ships in the Persian Gulf was foiled in late 2002 and early 2003.

-One of the plotters involved in the plan to attack ships in the Gulf was also part of a foiled plot to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

-After a plan to blow up tall buildings in the U.S. was disrupted, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said he directed his operatives to attack the buildings because they were too tall for victims to jump out of, ensuring they would die by smoke inhalation.

-In early 2004, a captured al-Qaida facilitator revealed a plan to send suicide truck bombers into Camp Lemonier, a Marine Corps base in the African nation of Djibouti. This information caused security at the base to be enhanced.

- In his speech, Bush said Mohammed and a terrorist named Yazid provided vital information on al-Qaida's efforts to obtain biological weapons that allowed officials to capture two other terrorists involved in producing anthrax for al-Qaida.

Each one of these incidents demonstrates how dealing with Islamo-fascist terrorism as a serious threat has led to a safer world.

Each time a terrorist plot is foiled, the resources, training and personnel of the terrorist groups is depleted. Each time they grow weaker while we as a society grow stronger. Each time we defeat them, we increase our understanding of the depraved and perverted mind of the terrorist.