Another 527 For Bush

Want to help engage in a little bit more free speech to help the President and show John Kerry's unfitness for office? If yes, might I direct your attention to MoveOnForAmerica.Org

They have a couple of hard-hitting ads ready to go. Drop by for a look.

The first ad CLICK HERE TO VIEW (or "right click, then "save target as") will feature John KerryÂ’s role as a private attorney in 1982, when he secured freedom and parole for his client George Reissfelder who pled guilty to attempted murder of a police officer, bur never served his 15-year sentence because Kerry successfully secured his parole. The parole was in Florida because Mr. KerryÂ’s client had escaped during a furlough, just like Willie Horton. Once a free man, thanks to John Kerry, KerryÂ’s would-be cop killer client brazenly continued his life of crime as part of a Mafia-controlled drug ring.

The second ad, which will be aired at a later date CLICK HERE TO VIEW (or "right click, then "save target as") will feature the political alliance John Kerry has forged with Al Sharpton, focusing on Mr. Sharpton’s history, which was rarely mentioned during his 2004 run for president. Instead of the charismatic and witty Sharpton seen during his presidential bid, Americans will be educated about the real Al Sharpton, who recently blamed America for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Sharpton who called Adolph Hitler “a great man”; the Sharpton who urged college students to kill police officers; and the Sharpton leading the picketing of a white-owned store in Harlem [calling the Jewish owner a ‘white interloper”], resulting in the store being burned down by one of Sharpton’s followers, killing seven people. The ad will include footage of Sharpton in his own words, and Mr. Kerry’s hinting of Shartpon becoming part of a Kerry administration.

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Voluntary Pledge -- Patriotism Cannot Be Coerced

A resounding "Hurrah!" to the judges of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. They got a big one right this week when they struck down Pennsylvania's coercive Pledge of allegiance law. By mandating the Pledge by every child in every classroom, every day, in every school -- public or private -- the Pennsylvania legislature went too far. I think this makes it pretty clear that government can mandate that time be taken for the Pledge, but it cannot require any individual to say it. That was my argument in the Newdow case, and it was my argument here. It is my argument when students object to me leading the Pledge daily in my classroom.

The Supreme Court got it right in 1943. It is the hallmark of the American system that no official, high or petty, shall prescribe what is orthodox in matters of politics. Would that our legislators would remember that.

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Just A Reminder

This is why we fight the terrorists.



Three hundred fifty dead in Russia. Three hundred dead in Spain. Three thousand dead in the United States. And uncounted more dead worldwide.

Clasped in the hand of one of the victims of terrorists in Russia is the reason that such folks hate us. Never forget that -- they hate us because our faith is not theirs.

This is not an indictment of Islam. Most Muslims I know condemn such evil, and I believe them to represent the bulk of the Muslims around the world. In that belief I stand with George W. Bush. But let us never forget that those who would kill us are motivated by a warped version of that faith.

Now ask yourself -- which candidate for president do you trust to keep you safe from those who perpetrate such acts of barbarism?

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Slavery In California

"Slavery still exists, and I want to tell victims they should not tolerate it and should not be afraid to seek help."

A Filipino woman who won $825,000 in a lawsuit claiming a Hollywood executive and his wife enslaved her said the case should be a warning to others.

Nena Ruiz, 60, is a former schoolteacher from the Philippines who worked as a domestic servant for James Jackson and his wife, Elizabeth.

Jackson is vice president of legal affairs for Sony Pictures entertainment.

Of course the guy is in the entertainment industry. That segment of the Left Coast thinks itself superior to the rest of us. Why wouldn't this couple go abroad and pick up a slave for around the house?

A jury last week awarded [Ruiz] back wages and punitive damages, finding the Jacksons liable for involuntary servitude, false imprisonment, invasion of privacy, negligence and fraud. Jurors also found Elizabeth Jackson liable for assault and battery.

The Jacksons threatened to call the police and immigration authorities if Ruiz left and told her that she would be locked up and would never see her family again, said Dan Stormer, one of Ruiz's attorneys.

The Jacksons, in an attempt to insulate themselves from any damage award, filed for bankruptcy protection before the trial began. Even if that transparent abuse of the statute works, here's hoping that state and federal authorities will take legal action to put these folks in jail.

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Left Calls For Bush Assassination, But GOP Are Haters -- Right!

The Leftist protester carried a sign outside Madison Square Garden as President Bush prepared to speak last night.

"Where is John Hinckley when we really need him?"

The sign also depicted a bullet hole, ringed with symbolic red blood.

Asked about the sign, the man carrying it responded, "I told the Secret Service it is for everyone to interpret exactly how they want."

When asked how he interpreted the sign, the man who refused to be identified, said, "Gosh, I don't know."

"A guy with a badge wanted to know what the sign meant. I said I really did not understand -- it's just something that popped into my head."

That this man was left free to roam the streets by the authorities is shocking. But such sentiments are standard in the Leftist toolbox.

Could you imagine if a Republican expressed such a sentiment about John Kerry? How long would we hear about it in the media, and how quickly would the president be expected to denounce the sign. How fast would the protester have been hustled off to a cell and charged with a crime?

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Prayers For Clinton (Bet You Never Expected That!)

Bill Clinton is facing heart surgery. Current articles indicate that it will be next week, But I saw a news ticker a few minutes ago indicating that they will be operating tomorrow (Saturday, September 4) and that they will be doing an open-heart procedure. That tells me it is serious.

I don't like Bill Clinton politically. I believe he irreparably damaged and diminished the presidency. But I do not want him dead, and for the sake of his wife, daughter, and otehr loved ones I wish him a swift, complete recovery and a long, healthy, active, and productive life that continues on for another couple of decades. Common decency requires no less.

Mr. President, you are in my prayers tonight.

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An Interesting Election Scenario

How about a tie in November? The folks at USA Today offer us just such a scenario, all that has to happen is a New Hampshire and West Virginia loss for Bush in November, with no other changes from 2000. Depending upon Senate and House votes, we could even see a Bush/Edwards administration if the Senate swings to the Democrats. Other changes could give us a minority-popular vote president, as in 2000.

Let's hope we don't get any of these convoluted scenarios. Just make sure you work to get George W. Bush elected in November.

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Kerry Medal Fraud Under Navy Investigation

Well, now it isn't just the Swift Boat Heroes raising questions of John Kerry's fraudulent medals. Now it is the US Navy. And since we've been told by Kerry apologists that we must accept the Navy's decision on the question of awards, this makes it clear that we "mean-spirited partisan Republicans" are absolutely right to question Kerry about the awards he won and the circumstances under which he got them.

This relates to potential fraudulent claims about the medals listed on his DD214. A Navy spokesman confirms that Kerry's Silver star should not have the combat V decoration listed in the (three different) citations he has for it. According to the Navy,

The Navy has never issued a Combat V at any time for the Silver Star.

Whose responsibility was it to make sure the the form was correct? John Kerry's, before he signed it to attest that it was accurate at the time of his discharge. That he did not raises a question of either carelessness or deliberate fraud. Similarly, the Vietnam Service Medal listed on his DADDY should include only one campaign star, because he was not in Vietnam long enough to serve in five of the seventeen campaigns eligible for the medal and the stars listed on the form. Again, it was Kerry's responsibility to have checked the document and seek correction.

What he has done instead is posted multiple citations for the incorrect Silver Star and for his Bronze Star with Combat V (apparently accurate), and documentation claiming the inaccurate Silver Star and the inaccurate Vietnam Service Medal with four stars. Either he as negligent in doing so, or he is committing fraud. What's more, his decision to keep the documents posted in the face of questions indicates a continued pattern if deception.

When Admiral Mike Boorda committed suicide over the wearing of an improper award, Kerry is quoted as follows:

“Is it wrong? Yes, it is very wrong. Sufficient to question his leadership position? The answer is yes, which he clearly understood,” said Sen. John Kerry, a Navy combat veteran who served in Vietnam.

It is therefore reasonable now for Americans to question Kerry's fitness for leadership, in light of this medal fraud. He also made a statement especially relevant to the election choice we now face, given his heavy reliance upon his Vietnam service and claims of heroism.

“The military is a rigorous culture that places a high premium on battlefield accomplishment,” said Sen. John F. Kerry, who received numerous decorations, including a Bronze Star with a "V" pin, as a Navy lieutenant in Vietnam.

“In a sense, there's nothing that says more about your career than when you fought, where you fought and how you fought,” Kerry said.

“If you wind up being less than what you’re pretending to be, there is a major confrontation with value and self-esteem and your sense of how others view you.”

Of Boorda and his apparent violation, Kerry said: “When you are the chief of them all, it has to weigh even more heavily.”

John Kerry is seeking to be the true "chief of them all," the Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces. How much more heavily should these demonstrably false awards weigh in selecting our nation's leader?

I have no doubt that Kerry will continue to shame himself and the heroes of Vietnam (and all who served in the military) by laying claims to fraudulent and unearned decorations. They are no more than props to him, and have never been anything else. His actions in 1971, when he claimed to have "given back" his medals by throwing them over a fence is the first example. His display of these same medals in his Senatorial office and frequent reference to them in Senate speeches is a second use of them as props. Today they are props for a Presidential campaign, designed to shield all post-Vietnam actions from question or attack.

We now know that the claimed medals are, in part, a fraud. Admiral Boorda's erroneous wearing of a medal led to suicide as a method of redeeming himself from the dishonor he had brought upon himself and the Navy. But we all know that Kerry will not take such a course of action, for he has proved time and again that he is a man without honor. The American people must tell him that we recognize this character flaw in November.

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Blogger Is Now Working!

I tried to post something no less than three times yesterday, only to have it eaten. I'l try again now.

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Whining Pseudo-Minister Objects to Convention "Crosses"

Are those crosses on the podium and the small table next to it at the Republican National Convention? According to "Rev." James Forbes Jr. they are -- and he wants it stopped RIGHT NOW!

"I believe it is an image of two crosses," Forbes said. "This is an unusual and inappropriate use of religious symbols in a political campaign."
< SNIP >
Forbes said the images of crosses on the wooden platform make him wonder if the Republicans are trying to cater to a specific bloc of religious voters.

As I look at the two pieces of furniture, I see some things which could be crosses. But it is really just the normal outcome when you alternate different types and tones of wood in a geometric design. And since the pieces probably belong to Madison Square Garden, I suspect this was out of the control of the GOP.

And by the way, Forbes is senior minister at the Riverside Church, a feel-good New-Agey place popular among liberals. If the name rings a bell, that is because Bill Clinton preached there during the worship service the day before the Republican Convention began, urging the liberal faithful on as they counter the GOP with an allegedly non-partisan liberal campaign. I guess that Forbes thinks Jesus is a registered Democrat.

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African-American, Republican, And Proud

I keep hearing from folks on the left side of the aisle that we Republicans are a bunch of intolerant racists who don't welcome minorities in our party. My buddy northstar over at The People's Republic of Seabrook has hammered on this theme repeatedly, especially how the delegates to the convention are not a diverse group.

Well guess what -- he doesn't have far to go to find out that he is wrong. After all, LaMarque, Texas is only about a 20 minute drive from our shared hometown. That's where he'll be able to meet Geraldine Sam.

"I think that the Democrats want us to come to the table to eat the crumbs, but Republicans want us to come and eat at the banquet," said Geraldine Sam of Lamarque, Texas, who is one of 20 black Republicans in the Texas delegation this year.

We've had a 70% increase in minority delegates this year, up to 17% of the delegates at the convention. Not a bad percentage, given the Democratic lock on the black vote. And while we lag behind the Democrats in the percentage of minority delegates, that might just be because we don't have affirmative action delegations with fixed percentges from each state that must be a racial minority, elderly, homosexual, or disabled.

Geraldine Sam is part of the wave of the future, an African-American woman in the GOP who has made it into the leadership of the party on her own merits, not by quotas. Other African-Americans are sure to follow, according to other observers of the trend.

"I do think Democrats have taken blacks for granted," said Cynthia Jenkins, an African-American delegate from Irving, Texas. Jenkins helps run the pro-GOP African-American Leadership Council in Dallas, which has produced eight delegates for the convention.

"There is a significant increase in participation here at the national convention — there are grassroots here," she said, though she did not estimate the number of African-American Republicans today. "In the next four years you will see another increase (of African-Americans)," she said.

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Hypocritical Democrats

In all the Democrat bluster over the "Purple Heart" band-aids, this glaring bit of hypocrisy leaped out at me, uttered by Terry McAuliffe.

"It is inexcusable for a delegate to mock anyone who has ever put on a soldier's uniform," said Democratic Chairman Terry McAuliffe.

Well, Terry, how much more inexcusable is it for a party chairman to mock an individual who wore the uniform of his country and was honorably discharged on time? Especially when that chairman's candidate had his discharge mysteriously delayed six years.

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Say What?

Clearly a member of the "Head-Up-His-But"-American community.

"Just because you are a terrorist, does that mean you are a communist? I guess that is the best thing I can say," explained Zack, the protestor from California.

"I don't think it's much different from McCarthyism really, it's kind of the same thing, you know. It's going on now. It's like anybody you can claim is a terrorist -- they are screwed," Zack said.

"So everyone out here [protesting] is being pointed to as a terrorist and everybody that has got something to say -- is trying to do something about it -- is a terrorist. They are just trying to be people and doing what they do, you know. I just think it's getting all messed up" he added.

Could someone tell me what this guy just said?

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Schrock Quits

Congressman Ed Schrock (R-VA) resigned from Congress yesterday in the face of a accusations that he is a homosexual. The website blogactive.com has conducted a smear campaign against the congressman for the last few weeks, based on his failure to adhere to the gay agenda. It seems that the rights to privacy and freedom of conscience that the militant homosexual community demand are only available to liberals. After all, they felt no need to out a predatory homosexual like Jim McGreevey, merely someone whose politics they despise.

I'm deeply saddened by this development, because I knew Ed Schrock growing up. Ed and his wife, Judy, were neighbors when I was a kid. Judy was a teacher at my school, and I remember holding their son when he was just a few days old. They were, and I presume still are, good people. My prayers are with them at this difficult time.

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Calling Leftists On Their Shameful Actions

Hurrah for Radley Balko!

Some stories just need to be told in the author's original words.

The afternoon's drama came toward the end of the panel, with this skinny kid sitting in the front row, who happened to be donning a bright red t-shirt with the Soviet hammer and sickle. I wanted to call him out from the start. I just felt a little crass about it. But as the panel wore on, it continued to gnaw at me. It dawned on me that I or the lefists on the panel would have had no problem calling the kid out if he'd been wearing a t-shirt with neo-Nazi regalia. And he applauded vigorously when the lefties spoke, and sat on his hands when the rest of us spoke, meaning of course that he wasn't wearing the shirt with any sense of irony.

So when he finally raised his hand during the Q&A, I decided that --what the hell -- I might as well point out how silly he looks advertising a belief system rooted in slavery and murder. He asked an unrelated question, which I think the Green Party guy answered. I then chime din, recommending to the kid that he read Anne Applebaum's Gulag, the Pulitzer winning book which documents the horrors of the Soviet work camps. He didn't seem to get it.

So I added, "I know Soviet chic is hip right now, particularly on college campuses. But you really ought to think about the message you send by wearing that shirt. It has all the charm of a swastika."

With that, Hillsdale poly sci Professor David Bobb added, "you're associating yourself with the deaths of 100 million people..."

The kid then interrupted Bobb, with obvious agitation, "Yes, I know all about the history of the Soviet Union."

To which Bobb replied, "Oh, so you know that you're being insulting."

Boos and jeers flited up from the crowd. By the time we had dinner, the kid had thrown a sweater over the t-shirt.

Maybe we need to do such things more loudly and more often.

(Thanks to SCSU-Scholars.)

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Kerry Supportter Attacks Bush Backer

Disagreeing with a Democrat apparently merits physical assault. The Daily Recycler has this great video of the whole thing from Everett, Washington. And notice, it is unprovoked.

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Does Kerry Have Boorda's Sense Of Honor?

Yesterday I brought up Thomas Lipscomb's article about the irregularities surrounding John Kerry's awards from Vietnam. Today he brings up another interesting tidbit related to that issue. It seems that John Lehman, the Reagan administration Navy Secretary whose signature appears on at least one of the revised citations, has no recollection of signing the document.

Asked how the citation could have been executed over his signature without his knowledge, Lehman said: "I have no idea. I can only imagine they were signed by an autopen." The autopen is a device often used in the routine execution of executive documents in government.

This makes it look more likely that the Lehman citation for the Silver Star with the illicit combat V, and possibly the Lehman citation for one of the Bronze Stars, was not authorized and is therefore a fraudulent document.

Who is responsible?

How did the narratives get changed?

Will Kerry release his entire file now?

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Another Attempt To Slime Bush Service Misses The Mark

Former Texas lieutenant governor Ben Barnes has said he regrets using his influence to get George W. Bush (and other sons of prominent families and campaign donors) into the Texas Air National Guard. Lefties will cry that this shows Bush's service was illegitimate -- but they are wrong. In fact, the video of the senior Democrat actually discredits the man himself, as well as the Kerry campaign he is closely associated with here in Texas. And it also shows that there was no intervention by former president George H. W. Bush, then a congressman, to get Dubya into the unit. Notice what he says about who he helped.

"I became more ashamed of myself than I've ever been because the worst thing I did was get a lot of wealthy supporters and a lot of people who had family names of importance into the Guard and I'm very sorry about that and I apologize to you and the voters of Texas," Barnes said.

In other words, he helped folks from both sides of the political aisle -- and he makes no effort to implicate the former president in his accusation, as he would assuredly have done if the senior Bush had requested a favor. This was how he acted as a matter of course when he became aware of a member of a prominent family seeking to get into the Guard.

But there is also an admission of his own corruption as a public official, and the rot that infected 9and still infects) the Democrats today.

"I got a lot of other people in the National Guard because I thought that's what people should do when you're in office: You help a lot of rich people," Barnes said.

But hold it, sir, I thought that the Democrats were the party of the little people. You mean that it isn't -- that it is really the party of the wealthy special interests? Or was it simply you who is personally corrupt?

And is your corruption and bias towards the rich why you are a key Kerry supporter in Texas, and a major fundraiser for him?

Posted by: Greg at 03:18 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Who Writes These Things?

The following two headlines showed up on my home page at EV1.net.

Survey: 9-11 Families Split on RNC in N.Y.

Survey: 9-11 Kin Don't Want RNC in N.Y.

I'm going to try to find out who is responsible for the headlines -- them or AP.

Why my interest? Because the articles are identical -- and refer to a bogus study of 339 family and friends of WTC victims sponsored by the New York Times. So which is it? Are they split, or opposed?

And why do I call the survey bogus? The problem is that the there is no clearly defined pool of people to survey (does our initial universe of survivors include all colse family members and friends, and how do we determine who is close enough to be a survivor), therefore we don't know if the sample is random. And since the survey excluded the families and friends of Pentagon and Pensylvania victims, it isn't really a survey of 9/11 kin like the headline states. In other words, we can't be sure of the reliability of the survey because it is flawed from the get-go.

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Look Who Is Ahead In The Electoral College

According to CNN, it's George W. Bush who is ahead in the electoral college, with a 274-264 vote lead.

With the exception of Massachusetts neighbor New Hampshire, the president is holding on to every state he won in 2000. That said,

About a dozen states remain extremely competitive and are widely considered too close to call. Leading that list are Ohio, Florida, Nevada and Missouri, where Bush holds a narrow lead, as well as Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Pennsylvania, which now lean toward Kerry.

West Virginia and Arizona are also competitive, but Democrats concede that those state now fall into the Bush column. Likewise, Oregon and Washington state could ultimately back either candidate, but Kerry is currently building a strong base of support in the Pacific Northwest.

The race in Ohio remains extremely fluid, and both campaigns remain highly organized in the Buckeye State. All four principals -- and most of their wives -- have campaigned there at least once over the past two weeks.

So there is hope -- because we haven't even gotten the convention bounce yet.

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Another Israeli Betrayal?

It appears that once again we have once again been stabbed in the back by the Israelis, who have placed a spy in the heart of our government to ferret out our secrets. The suspected spy works for Douglas J. Feith, the undersecretary of defense for policy. He is the third ranking official at the Pentagon. According to CBS and the Associated Press,

The investigation centers on whether the employee in Feith's office passed secrets about Bush administration policy toward Iran to the main pro-Israeli lobbying group in Washington, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which then allegedly gave them to the Israeli government, one official said.

If accurate, the guilty parties should be executed for spying during wartime. If involved, AIPAC needs to be closed down. And the foreign aid budget for Israel needs to be zeroed out -- and diplomatic relations downgraded.

We will not stand for such activity from a putative ally which survives on the largesse of the US taxpayer.

Posted by: Greg at 02:23 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Kerry Medals -- Plus A Point I Raised

Thomas Lipscomb raises the issue of Kerry's medals in a different way today, noting that there are some definite irregularities in the documentation. These are:
1) Silver Star with combat V -- the Navy does not issue them that way, but researcher B.G. Burkett notes that veteran-impostors often have paperwork claiming that they received such an award.

"I've run across several claims for Silver Stars with combat V's, but they were all in fake records," he said.

2) Three defend citations for the Silver Star -- each issued by a different authority, with a different description of the events.

Maj. Anthony Milavic, a retired Marine Vietnam veteran, calls the issuance of three citations for the same medal "bizarre." Milavic hosts Milinet, an Internet forum popular with the military community that is intended "to provide a forum in military/political affairs."

Normally in the case of a lost citation, Milavec points out, the awardee simply asked for a copy to be sent to him from his service personnel records office where it remains on file. "I have never heard of multi-citations from three different people for the same medal award," he said. Nor has Burkett: "It is even stranger to have three different descriptions of the awardee's conduct in the citations for the same award."

2) Two different certificates for his Bronze Star -- again, with different narratives and issued by different authorities.

So far, there are also two varying citations for Kerry's Bronze Star, one by Zumwalt and the other by Lehman as secretary of the Navy, both posted on johnkerry.com.

3) Kerry's DD215 authorizes four combat stars for his Vietnam Service Medal -- despite serving in only two of the eligible campaigns.

Kerry's Web site also carries a DD215 form revising his DD214, issued March 12, 2001, which adds four bronze campaign stars to his Vietnam service medal. The campaign stars are issued for participation in any of the 17 Department of Defense named campaigns that extended from 1962 to the cease-fire in 1973.

However, according to the Navy spokesman, Kerry should only have two campaign stars: one for "Counteroffensive, Phase VI," and one for "Tet69, Counteroffensive."

Lipscomb also points out another interesting anomaly, one that I have wondered about since I posted about Kerry's potential UCMJ problems on Monday. Did John Kerry complete his Naval Reserve obligation? Noting that the Washington Post's Michael Dobbs has discovered that only six of 100 pages from Kerry's personnel file have been released to the public, Lipscomb asks why Kerry was not discharged from the Naval Reserve until 1978, even though his obligation should have been up on June 30, 1972. George W. Bush completed his Air National Guard obligation on time and was honorably discharged, but Kerry's was delayed for SIX YEARS! Did KERRY make his drills, or was he AWOL? Was there some other issue? Given the scrutiny of Bush's service, doesn't Kerry deserve equal scrutiny? What is in those 94 pages?

The Burkett quote at the end of the article sums it up well.

"The multiple citations and variations in the official record are reason for suspicion in itself, even disregarding the current swift boat veterans' controversy."

UPDATE: The guys at QandO blogged on this same topic and point up this little gem from National Review, dealing to Adm. Boorda's suicide after discovering he had inappropriately been wearing an unauthorized combat V. Senator Kerry apparently gave a couple of interviews on the matter.

Veterans said yesterday that although they would take offense at someone falsely wearing a "V" combat pin, they couldn't see how this could drive Navy Adm. Jeremy Michael Boorda to suicide.

“Is it wrong? Yes, it is very wrong. Sufficient to question his leadership position? The answer is yes, which he clearly understood,” said Sen. John Kerry, a Navy combat veteran who served in Vietnam.

and

“The military is a rigorous culture that places a high premium on battlefield accomplishment,” said Sen. John F. Kerry, who received numerous decorations, including a Bronze Star with a "V" pin, as a Navy lieutenant in Vietnam.

“In a sense, there's nothing that says more about your career than when you fought, where you fought and how you fought,” Kerry said.

“If you wind up being less than what you’re pretending to be, there is a major confrontation with value and self-esteem and your sense of how others view you.”

Of Boorda and his apparent violation, Kerry said: “When you are the chief of them all, it has to weigh even more heavily.”

Since John Kerry wants to be the REAL chief of them all, we need full disclosure now!

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You Can't Argue With Facts -- So Kerry Supporters Ignore Them

I've been dealing with Kerry supporters who want to trash the Swift Boat Heroes and their charges against John Kerry. While some just want to call names, some are genuinely convinced that they are right in their support of John Kerry, and that Kerry was right those many years ago to lay charges of war crimes and atrocities at the feet of the men who served in the United States military in Vietnam. Mackubin Thomas Owens presents his response to such folks on National Review Online.

Owens argues that the charges of atrocities are unsubstantiated and contradictory. He makes a special point of documenting that the tales that Kerry repeated from the Winter Soldier hearings were never substantiated, and that

When the Naval Investigative Service (NIS) attempted to interview those who allegedly had witnessed atrocities, most refused to cooperate, even after assurances that they would not be questioned about atrocities they may have committed personally. Those who did cooperate never provided details of actual crimes to investigators. The NIS also discovered that some of the most grisly testimony was given by fake witnesses who had appropriated the names of real Vietnam veterans.

This is documented in Guenter Lewy's seminal book, America in Vietnam, as is the failure of a similar Army investigation to produce any actual evidence of such atrocities. Similarly, Owens points out that the accusations of widespread war crimes are patently untrue.

And it was, after all, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese who turned hamlets into battlefields. The Communist practice of 'clutching the people to their breast' was a violation of the Geneva Convention of 1949, which prohibits a combatant from using the civilian population as a shield: 'The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations.' And while the Hague Convention IV (1907) prohibits the attack or bombardment of inhabited areas that are not defended, it is the general practice of states to treat a town occupied by a military enemy as a defended place, subject to attack.

That the official U.S. position was to avoid indiscriminate attacks on civilians is indicated by a 1966 directive from the U.S. military command: "Firing on localities which are undefended and without military significance, is a war crime." Clearly, the U.S. command attempted to abide by the principle of discrimination, but the method of fighting employed by the enemy made discrimination difficult in practice.

In short, the very tactics of the Communists in violation of international law created a situation in which the tactics used were within the scope of international law!

He also points out the contradictions inherent in the position Kerry took in 1971 and that he takes now. In 1971, the American soldier was a creature of whom Americans should be afraid,

a monster in the form of millions of men who have been taught to deal and to trade in violence. . .; men who have returned with a sense of anger and a sense of betrayal which no one has yet grasped.

Today those soldiers is one of a band of brothers who nobly fought for America, men of whom we should be proud. The two positions cannot be reconciled, but Kerry seeks to hold to both.

And let me add a note on the hypocritical irony of Kerry and his defenders. John Kerry's defenders are always quick to point out that Kerry had a right to protest the war. Owens notes that the Swift Boat Heroes don't disagree with that point, but rather with Kerry's words and his methods. But today it is that Kerry himself who will not concede that same right to his comrades -- unless they support him. Dissent appears to be a one way street for the Left, as usual.

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Feeling Better

I've been down with a nasty bg these last few days, hence my absence from the blogosphere.

Here's hoping I can make up for lost time!

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Parole Revoked For Marine's Killer

I blogged about the parole of white supremacist scumbag murderer Donald Worth Riley last month. He is one of the worthless pieces of of crap that murdered Marine Cpl. Tarron Dixon two days following his return from the Persian Gulf War in 1991, because they wanted to "f*ck with some niggers."

Well, the parole was revoked after board members followed state law and met with Dixon's parents, as requird by state law. A hearty "Well Done" to them.

Unfortunately, they granted Riley a short date for the next parole hearing -- meaning that he gets another chance for parole from his life entence next year. Which also means that Dixon's parents will again have to go before the board to oppose letting this scumbag out of prison early.

No word on what action will be taken to shorten the sentence of life without her father given to Dixon's daughter, who was born after his murder.

And Riley, I know you and your wife come nosing around here from time to time, as I DO check to see where visitors come from. If you REALLY have something to say that would present your side of the story, feel free to do it here -- if you have the guts to do so.

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Bible Can Remain In Mosher Monument -- For Now

You may recall that some weeks ago I commented on the case of the Bible outside the Harris County Civil Courthouse. It is part of a monument to philanthropist William Mosher, erected by the Star of Hope Mission on the courthouse grounds some 50 years ago. Recently, a federal judge ordered the Bible removed.

Today was the deadline for the Bible's removal.

Until the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals acted today.

The Word of God gets a temporary reprieve.

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United States Code, Title 10, Chapter 47, Article 104

Seems like John Kerry might have a little legal problem still hanging over his head, according the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

ART. 104. AIDING THE ENEMY

Any person who--

(1) aids, or attempts to aid, the enemy with arms, ammunition, supplies, money, or other things; or

(2) without proper authority, knowingly harbors or protects or gives intelligence to or communicates or corresponds with or holds any intercourse with the enemy, either directly or indirectly;

shall suffer death or such other punishment as a court-martial or military commission may direct.

Now according to this document on Kerry's own website, Kerry was promoted to Lieutenant on January 1, 1970, and placed on inactive reserve status on January 3, 1970. He remained on that status until his transfer to the inactive Standby Reserve on July 1, 1972. Kerry was not discharged until February 16, 1978.

You may be asking how these two bits of information relate.

In April 1971, Kerry testified before the Senate that he met with representatives of the North Vietnamese government and the Viet Cong in Paris in May 1970. They discussed diplomatic means of ending the war. Upon his return to the United States, Kerry then worked to implement the plans he discussed with these enemy representatives during time of armed conflict. Kerry also served as a leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War during this time, and the group sent several other delegations to meet with the enemy leadership. Kerry himself did so during the summer of 1971.

Thus it would seem that Kerry committed a clear violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice -- and that the statute of limitations is still running on this. That may be why the Kerry campaign twice glosses over the period after his transfer to inactive status, here making it appear that he was out of the Navy completely and here skipping over the thirty months by making it appear there was a break in his service. But the official document referenced above tells the true story about his service, and points out this glaring problem.

I guess this raises a couple of questions in my mind. Should George W. Bush formally issue John Kerry a pardon for this offense? Or will Kerry pardon himself if he becomes president? Does this constitute a "high crime or misdemeanor" for impeachment purposes? Or should Kerry be recalled to active duty, prosecuted and either imprisoned or executed under this provision of the UCMJ?

A big "thank you" to AmericanThinker.com for this one.

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So THIS Is What She Meant By UnAmerican

You may remember that billionairess Teresa Heinz Kerry declared some of us to be "unAmerican" a few weeks back, and then told a reporter to "shove it" when he dared to ask what she meant. Well, we finally have the answer, through her son Chris Heinz.

According to Heinz,

"Un-American traits are things like voter suppression, lying about people and their records.... It's been happening in American politics for years; it's not just Bush-Cheney, but they are a big part of it...

Apparently he doesn't include multiple voting, dead voting, military vote suppression, and lying about the president's National Guard service to be unAmerican -- since these are all Democrat tactics. He even has the audacity to complain about the amount of money spent by th Bush campaign, despite the free access of Kerry surrogates to the Soros fortune.

And then, having complained about falsehoods about people and their records, Heinz said

"They have misled the American people on the economy and on the war, and someone has to point that out."

Which is, of course, a bald-faced lie about the Bush record.

But what REALLY rankles them?

"And I think what happened in Florida, with the vote count, what Bush and his supporters did there, was un-American, from beginning to end," Heinz said.

And so the big lie about the GOP, the President, and the Florida election continues -- but that isn't unAmerican, since only Republicans can be unAmerican, if you live in a Heinz Kerry sort of world.

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The Next Governor of New York?

New York Secretary of State Randy Daniels is very clear about which party offers the best opportunity to blacks today -- his own, the GOP. And while he thinks that we could stand to do more outreach to the black community (a sentiment I share), he is right when he says

"Anytime a party [Democrats] gets 90 percent of the vote, the other party didn't show up to compete, and there is no way you can win if you don't compete," said Daniels, a Democrat who turned Republican about two years ago and co-leader of the state's Republican convention delegation.

Daniels is often mentioned as a potential Pataki successor. I think he sounds like a keeper to me.

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When Will Kerry's Treasonous Lies Be Covered?

Harold W. Andersen of the Omaha World-Herald raises the issue many of us want dealt with in the media -- Kerry's denigration of his fellow Vietnam vets during the war. After all, Kerry accused them of war crimes, despite the fact that he was never in a position to see such things from his swift boat. Here are some details from his April 23, 1971 testimony before the US Senate

First,

Kerry said that "they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam . . . ."

Kerry described such incidents as "crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with a full awareness of officers at all levels of command." Such conduct, he testified, reflected "the absolute horror of what this country, in a sense, made them do" and was "accepted policy by many units in South Vietnam."

He went on

"The Army says they never leave their wounded," Kerry said. "The Marines say they never even leave their dead. These men have left all the casualties and retreated behind a pious shield of public rectitude. They've left the real stuff of their reputations bleaching behind them in the sun . . . ."

Such comments clearly demonstrate why so many veterans hold Kerry in contempt. He slimed them, making them out to be monsters. And he claimed to be a witness to attrocities that he could never have witnessed during his three-hour cruise. . .er. . . four-month abbreviated tour of duty. Kerry built his career upon falsehoods which left "the real stuff of their reputations bleaching . . . in the sun . . . ."

And check back with Andersen next week -- he promises more on the subject, from men in a position to know what ground combat was really like in Vietnam.

Posted by: Greg at 04:34 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I Guess It Doesn't Count If The Victim Is A Christian.

We've all been bombarded with PC propaganda about the need to be sensitive to members of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as women and homosexuals. But it seems that such tolerance doesn't apply if you are a Christian. At least not in the People's Republic of Massachusetts, at MIT.

A devout Christian working at MIT claims co-workers wore phony clerical collars, called him Jesus and blasted the Rolling Stones' ``Sympathy for the Devil'' during a 15-year campaign of harassment and ridicule against him.
In a discrimination lawsuit pending in federal court, machinist Mark A. Peterson contends supervisors at the school's Lincoln Lab in Lexington joined the harassment, "openly telling jokes about God" and refusing to reprimand workers who spit in his coffee and left a noose on his workbench.

Now think about it -- what would happen to an emplyee who came to work wearing a turban or a burqa to harrass a Muslim employee? If a Hindu employee were refurred to as "Hare Krishna" in the workplace? And I don's need to guess about the noose, given that we had firings here in Harris County over one left in the locker of a black man.

But that isn't all.

"Employees and/or supervisors at MIT Lincoln Lab have harassed Peterson because of his religious beliefs (Christian), including assaulting him with a chemical, vandalizing and stealing his property, tampering with the machines he was working on and making verbal threats," the suit says

Furthermore, Peterson was forbidden to bring his Bible to work with him, a restriction which violates federal law.

Somehow I doubt that liberals are going to flock to this man's cause. And where are the prominent Massachusetts exponents of tolerance on this one?

Posted by: Greg at 04:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Dems Concerned About Illegal Coordination?

Well, they claim they are.

But what is this little tidbit from AmericanThinker.com?

The Democratic Party is partnering with MoveOn.org, People for the American Way, Campaign for America's Future, and dozens of other groups representing millions of Americans to organize a massive public mobilization. On Wednesday, May 14, join us by calling and emailing your representatives in Congress to let them know that the majority of Americans oppose more irresponsible tax cuts that go overwhelmingly to the wealthiest sliver of Americans.

At least that is what a post on the Democratic Party WomenÂ’s Vote Center says.

Sounds like collusion to me! After all, this WomenÂ’s Vote Center is an official part of the DNC.

Posted by: Greg at 04:11 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Democrat Teresa LaPore Creates Another Confusing Ballot

We all remember Teresa LaPore, whose butterfly ballot confused elderly and incompetent voters in palm Beach County in 2000. Well, she has done it again!

Seems she has decided to require voters to "connect the arrow" rather than simply using a standard "fill the circle" technique that most Americans are familiar with. This could be a real problem, because

"People do the crazier things when they're asked to connect the arrows," said Stephen Ansolabehere, a former director of the Voting Technology Project, a collaboration between CalTech and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

I guess they are already prepping for Kerry's post-defeat strategy.

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Kerry Hypocrisy On Falsehoods In Media

Confessed war criminal John Kerry and his cohorts have attempted to get Unfit for Commandbanned as part of his campaign against the Swift Boat Heroes. According to his campaign,

“No publisher should want to be selling books with proven falsehoods in them.”

The Manchester Union-Leader has a great response to this:

Oh, really? What about Bill Clinton’s memoir, which contradicts his sworn testimony about Monica Lewinsky? And does that standard apply to films as well? If so, shouldn’t the campaign have tried to prevent theaters from running Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which is filled with lies?

So come on, John, let the denunciations begin!

Posted by: Greg at 06:01 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Homosexual Seeks To Force Marriage On Catholic School

Seems like we have one more example of how the homosexual marriage debate is really about making a direct assault on orthodox Christianity. Doug Neff, a religion teacher at Oakland's Bishop O'Dowd Catholic High School was not renewed because of he and his partner went to San Francisco for one of the cities faux-marriages. Now he is trying to force the school to give him his job back.

"What kind of message does it send to students if a teacher loses his job because he's gay?" he asked.

I'll answer -- it sends the message that the Church really believes what it teaches about the sacrament of marriage.

And while Neff disclaims any intent of suing, that is belied by the (rejected) complaint he fired with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing . That indicates a propensity to take legal action here. Don't be surprised to hear that one activist group or another is filing suit on his behalf.

Religious institutions ought to be free to set their employment standards based upon religious criteria -- and that should not be limited by any statute, given the broad language of the First Amendment. I remember teaching at a Catholic school a few years ago and having language in my contract insisting that any marriage I enter be canonically valid, on pain of immediate termination. Conduct that caused scandal was also cause for dismissal. Seems to me that this guy crossed that line.

And as a religion teacher, he should know that.

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There Is An Ad In Here Somewhere

I'm sure someone in the advertising department for Ranier Beer is already writing up the proposal. After all, that was the bear's preferred brand.

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Of All The Arrogant Demands!

Omar Garcia is one of the damp-vertebraed invaders that crosses our borders on a regular basis. He is a criminal, violating our nation's immigration laws. And like so many criminals, he fell victim to another criminal, who stole his wallet and money. There would be nothing to report if that was it.

But the thief died in a drowning accident in the Rio Grande. Garcia's family was notified that, based upon the wallet, Omar was dead. They claimed the body and buried it on Thursday -- only to be called by their loved one on Saturday.

And now the family is mad -- at the US. For its trouble, they want financial restitution for the funeral expenses. And to have US authorities pick up the body and get it to the right family. Oh, yes, and legal status that will put him on the path to citizenship.

Family members at first said they planned to sue Texas authorities for negligence, but backed off that claim Monday evening. They said instead they'd prefer for Garcia to avoid deportation back to Mexico.

"The only thing I want is that they leave my son alone so that he can work," said Garcia's father, Omar. "I ask that they put his papers in order."

I've got a better deal for you. We'll ship your son back to you at your expense, waive criminal charges against him, and place him and the rest of the family on the immigration watch list so that you can never enter the US legally.

And then we seal our southern border with the troops being redeployed from Europe and Asia..

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How Kerry Should Have Responded

Now I do not make any secret of the fact I dislike John Kerry. I believe his admitted war crimes Vietnam and his post-Vietnam actions and writings constitute aid and comfort to the enemy and render him Unfit for Command, as the Swift Boat Heroes state. The Democrat's decision to threaten legal action to silence the members of his former unit only adds to that impression.

Now comes the Kerrey with brains, the one who is the real war hero -- former Senator Bob Kerrey. Rather than fulminate and hit his opponents with brown books full of smears, Kerrey actually lays out a case why John Kerry is fit for the office of commander in chief. I don't particularly agree with him, based upon the reasons I outlined above, but he does make some legitimate points. And rather than demand that the opposition be silenced, Bob Kerrey acknowledges that the ads are legal and no different in kind or quality from those of left-leaning 527 groups. And he is willing to let the American people decide for themselves what is accurate and relevant (though he does slip in a call for more speech regulation under the guise of campaign finance "reform").

That is what John Kerry should have done. If he had nothing to hide and a substantive record to run upon. That the Kerry campaign chose otherwise demonstrates that the candidate has something to hide and little (if anything) in the way of national security credentials to run upon.

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McGreevey Must Go Now

By now the whole world (except for maybe a few stone-age tribes people hiding in the depths of the Amazon rainforest) knows that New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey is gay. My response to his orientation? Compassion for his family and friends, sadness for him, and outrage that he is playing politics with his resignation date.

I mean, let's be honest here -- his sexual orientation is irrelevant to most of us. Even those conservatives who support an amendment to ban gay marriage have, for the most part, no real objection to a homosexual in public office. What we have an objection to is any politician having a sexual relationship with a subordinate and making hiring/promotion decisions based upon that relationship, as McGreevey has apparently done. That is, ultimately, the reason that the governor announced his impending resignation.

A resignation of this sort contains the implicit recognition that an officeholder is too damaged to continue in office. McGreevey's delayed resignation leaves the people of New Jersey witha damaged, ineffective chief executive for three months, until November 15. On what basis, then, does McGreevey delay that resignation for over three months? The answer is POLITICS. If he resigns now, there will be a special election to fill the remainder of his term as governor. Polling data shows it likely that a Republican would win, which would also negatively impact the Kerry campaign in the state. And so McGreevey, who was the mastermind behind the illegal replacement of Bob Torricelli as senate candidate in the name of offering the people of New Jersey a "choice" wants to deny those same people any role in selecting their governor before the fall of 2005, leaving them with a governor who has never faced a statewide electorate for 14 months. That is simply wrong. Jim McGreevey must go now.

Posted by: Greg at 01:55 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Why We Need The Electoral College

I'd never read Jeffrey Gardner of the Albuquerque Tribune before today. I feel bad about that, because he wrote a charming, amusing, and laser-precise defense of the Electoral College today. I don't know whether he is liberal, conservative, or somewhere in between -- it is still the best defense (for the layman) of that institution I have ever seen.

He begins with a lovely hypothetical, directed at the typical EC detractor.

Next time you hear some free spirit say she wants to rid us of the Electoral College take her outside, look skyward and try to spot a big jet flying high overhead. Traveling east or west - it makes no difference.

Have her close her eyes and imagine her favorite presidential candidate on board the plane napping or reading a fascinating article in Newsweek or maybe plugged into an iPod listening to the whining lyrics of John Cougar Mellencamp.

Tell her to gin up a good mental image of said candidate, because that's about as close as she'll get to that candidate, should the Electoral College close its doors.

Gardner then goes on to explain how the high concentration of voters in a relatively few counties and states, combined with the diffusion of voters throughout the rest of the US, would result in a continuous focus on the folks in the smaller area served by a few major media. Using the famous red/blue map from the 2000 election, he points out that the battle would be fought primarily in the few areas that were blue on the map, because they contain nearly as many voters as the rest of the country.

He concludes

The genius of the Founding Fathers, he points out, was their design for a system which makes every state and region of the country important to the election of a president. As a nonresident of New York or Los Angeles, I'm not ready to cede my nation to those who live near an ocean. I like the fact that New Mexico Republicans can mess with liberals' heads with a pledge thing - as they did during Vice President Dick Cheney's recent visit to Rio Rancho - and make some noise nationwide. I like that Kerry and Edwards' train did more than whistle through the state.

Take away the Electoral College's ability to confer a presidential sheepskin, and that train blows through here faster than a tender moment between the Clintons.

Unfortunately, the contrast between the red and blue areas will intensify with the coming election. But that will further underscore the wisdom of the Electoral College.

It's a safeguard that ensures candidates can't take express trains through our state, on their way to bigger voting pools in Orange County or New York.

And as the resident of securely Republican Texas (near America's 4th largest city), I agree -- for I don't want my vote taken for granted, either.

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