Members of the Watcher's Council hold a vote every week on what we consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around the blogosphere. The most recent winning winning council post is The Bloody Borders Project by Gates of Vienna, and the most recent winning winning non-council post is Ex-Taliban at Yale: Another Changed Mind? by Neo-neocon. The full list of results for the latest vote is here, and here is the full list of all the nominees.

Posted by: Greg at 10:50 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Sen. Russ Feingrold -- who helped John McCain rape the First Amendment -- is now seeking to make an end-run around the Constitution again.

Congress should censure President George W. Bush for ordering domestic eavesdropping on U.S. citizens without a warrant, a Democratic senator said on Sunday.

Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin told ABC's "This Week" that he intends to push for a resolution that would censure the president for what he considers an unlawful wiretapping program authorized by the White House after the September 11 attacks.

Now there is no provision for the censure of the President in the Constitution, so I would hope that any attempt would be ruled out of order.

On what basis does Feingold want there to be a censure?

"The president has broken the law and, in some way, he must be held accountable," Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., told The Associated Press in an interview.

* * *

The five-page resolution to be introduced on Monday contends that Bush violated the law when, on his own, he set up the eavesdropping program within the National Security Agency in the months following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Bush claims that his authority as commander in chief as well as a September 2001 congressional authorization to use force in the fight against terrorism gave him the power to authorize the surveillance.

The White House had no immediate response on Sunday.

The resolution says the president "repeatedly misled the public" before the disclosure of the NSA program last December when he indicated the administration was relying on court orders to wiretap terror suspects inside the U.S.

"Congress has to reassert our system of government, and the cleanest and the most efficient way to do that is to censure the president," Feingold said. "And, hopefully, he will acknowledge that he did something wrong."

The Wisconsin Democrat, considered a presidential contender for 2008, said he had not discussed censure with other senators but that, based on criticism leveled at Bush by both Democrats and Republicans, the resolution makes sense.

The president's action were "in the strike zone" in terms of being an impeachable offense, Feingold said. The senator questioned whether impeaching Bush and removing him from office would be good for the country.

Russ, if you really believe that there is something impeachable here, censure is unacceptable (it is cowardly, in addition to being extra-constitutional). Why don't you just sign on with the House Moonbat Caucus and led your prestige to this proposal.

30 US House Representatives have signed on as sponsors or co-sponsors of H. Res 635, which would create a Select Committee to look into the grounds for recommending President BushÂ’s impeachment, Atlanta Progressive News has learned.

“There has been massive support for House Resolution 635 from a very vigorous network of grassroots activists and people committed to holding the Bush Administration accountable for its widespread abuses of power,” US Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) said in a statement prepared for Atlanta Progressive News.

* * *

Over 14% of US House Democrats now support the impeachment probe; almost 7% of all US House Representatives now support the probe. In December 2005, there were 231 Republicans in the US House, 202 Democrats, 1 Independent, and 1 vacancy, a clerk for the US House of Representatives told Atlanta Progressive News.

The best represented states on H. Res 635 are California (7), New York (6), Massachusetts (3), Georgia (2), Minnesota (2), and Wisconsin (2).

The current 30 total co-sponsors are Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA), Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), Rep. John Olver (D-MA), Rep. Major Owens (D-NY), Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ), Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), Rep. Martin Sabo (D-MN), Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA), Rep. John Tierney (D-MA), Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).

Wouldn't you be in fine company, Russ -- and it would really help you to get the support of the far-left moonbat wing of the Democrat Party -- the KOSsaks and DUmmies and all the rest of the extreme Lleft who haven't met an enemy of the United States tehy haven't embraced.

So have the courage of your convictions Russ -- and stand by the Constitution, if you really believe the President has committed High Crimes and Misdemenaors.

Or is this all a publicity stunt, designed to make you look good but accomplish nothing?

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Posted by: Greg at 08:51 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Ed Rendell and his staff think this behavior is acceptable. I want to know why no criminal charges have been filed.

An angry Gov. Ed Rendell took a tape recorder away from a newspaper reporter during an impromptu interview this week, refusing to give it back for several minutes, according to the paper.

According to an article Thursday in the Patriot-News of Harrisburg, reporter Brett Lieberman asked the governor Wednesday in Washington, D.C., how Rendell had asked former U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel to withdraw from the race for lieutenant governor.

Rendell on Tuesday told a radio reporter that he wished Hoeffel would withdraw from the race. Hoeffel had told Rendell three weeks earlier that he planned to run against the sitting lieutenant governor, Catherine Baker Knoll. Rendell told Hoeffel that he would support Knoll but did not ask Hoeffel not to run.

Lieberman's article said Rendell "angrily denied suggestions" that his word could not be trusted. He then said, "It's all B.S. You know it's B.S. It's politics," and shortly thereafter took Lieberman's tape recorder, refusing to return it for several minutes, according to the article.

Rendell called Lieberman several hours later and apologized for his remarks, saying he was frustrated by politics and insisting that he is a "straight shooter," according to the newspaper.

Rendell, who appeared with Hoeffel on Wednesday before he spoke with Lieberman, said he changed his mind after Democratic officials in southwestern Pennsylvania warned that Knoll, a Pittsburgh-area native, would offer his re-election campaign more geographic balance than Hoeffel, who, like Rendell, is from southeastern Pennsylvania.

"The governor is clearly a passionate person, and he's spent every day for the last 20 years being hounded by members of the media and being attacked by Republicans, and the question for people who live their life like that is not how come it happened, but how come it doesn't happen more often," said Dan Fee, Rendell's campaign spokesman.

Now let me get this straight -- the governor didn't like the question, so he ripped the tape recorder from the hands of a member of the working press. Could you imagine if this were done by a Republican -- someone like President Bush, Vice President Cheney, or even Karl Rove? We'd be hearing about theft, assualt, violation of civil rights, etc. But when a left-wing hack like Ed Rendell -- a union thug with a history of coordinating and instigating violence against his opponents -- engages in such behavior, it barely makes a blip on the press radar screen.

And you have to love the response of the campaign spokesman -- "the question. . . is not how come it happened, but how come it doesn't happen more often." You must be kidding! He's trying to turn this failure by a public official to restrain himself from attacking a reporter into a virtue because it happens so rarely!

But you see, this is not the first time something like this has happened.

Rendell has been involved in other confrontations with reporters, including grabbing the neck of a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter in May 1994 when he was the city's mayor. Philadelphia Daily News columnist Gar Joseph, in a Friday item entitled "Rendell 6, reporters 0," cites five other alleged physical confrontations with reporters from the Inquirer or Daily News.

In February 1999, the Daily News also reported that Rendell grasped a reporter's notebook after becoming angry during an interview.

If you or I had a record like this, we would be doing hard time in jail. Why is Ed Rendell above the law?

Pennsylvania, your choice is clear.

Vote for Lynn Swann -- a man of honor, decency, integrity, and self-control.

Posted by: Greg at 08:36 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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why should it be sufficient cause to fire a prison guard?

As if anybody needed more evidence of how difficult it is to fire a government employee, consider the case of Lovelock prison guard Amie L. Bianchini.

Ms. Bianchini was let go last November because prison authorities found out she and a fellow officer, Sean Hoferer, engaged in oral sex while on duty. The incident occurred in a bathroom at the prison while inmates were on lock-down status.

Mr. Hoferer quit his job once the incident was discovered. But Ms. Bianchini did not, so she was fired.

Had something like this taken place in the private sector, that would have been the end of the matter. But we're dealing with unionized public employees. So Ms. Bianchini fought her termination.

On March 2 a state hearing officer, Patrick Dolan, reinstated Ms. Bianchini with back pay. Under current prison regulations, Mr. Dolan found, the maximum penalty for Ms. Bianchini's actions is a 30-day suspension with pay.

Now, let's not be too quick to criticize Mr. Dolan. He is, after all, bound by state law and its various mandated parameters and procedures. But if regulations don't allow the dismissal of guards who are having sex while on duty, the state has a problem.

State prison officials say they will try to amend regulations so that guards can be fired the first time they are found having sex while at work. What a concept!

Watch the Nevada Corrections Association -- the union representing guards -- fight them tooth and nail.

You mean that sexual relations in the workplace -- even oral not-sex (after all, that was Bubba's argument with Monica) -- is not a private matter that is of no public concern?

Heck -- if we use the Clinton-Lewinsky precedent, this isn't even sufficient grounds for a suspension.

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Posted by: Greg at 08:10 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I can neither add nor subtract from these words from one of our fighting men.

'What I fight for'

I'm Sgt. Matthew Spencer, and this is my story.

As many of you are aware, there are husbands, fathers, brothers and sons, mothers, sisters, daughters and wives making a daily effort to make Iraq a better place.

Is it hard being away from the ones you love? Of course it is. Nobody wants to be separated from those who love you and support you.

But as a two-time Iraq veteran, serving back-to-back rotations, I can truly say that there is a lot of good coming out of Iraq that you, the public, don't see. I would like to take a minute of your time and help you look through my eyes while I take you on a mission.

As you are traveling down an old, dusty, dirt road, the temperature is around 140 degrees, and you have 150 pounds of protective armor on you. You are driving a truck with a three-soldier crew, and you look out the thick armor windows. You see kids that are playing in the streets — with clothes on their backs and shoes on their feet.

All of a sudden, there is a big blast and a flash of light.

It is a roadside bomb. You and your crew are yelling at each other, thinking in the back of your mind, if I can hear my crew, then we are still alive.

Seconds feel like hours. You finally calm down and look back out that window and see those same kids, still playing as if nothing had happened.

They are smiling and laughing, not at us, but because they are having a good time — they finally have a school to go to, a ball to kick around and clothes to keep the hot sun off of their skin.

That is what I fight for. Being able to give something to those who did not have anything and expecting nothing in return.

I fight for my loved ones back at home because I would rather have the fight here than in my back yard.

I fight for my fellow brothers and sisters who have died, fighting for my freedom, and my way of life.

I fight because I believe things can change, and it must start sometime.

I fight so that my kids will not have to.

I fight because I am free.

I fight because I am a father, a husband, a brother and a son.

And I will fight till freedom is won.

Who is Sgt. Matthew Spencer?

A soldier's words help us remember the men and women behind war's headlines.

SGT. MATTHEW SPENCER, 26

U.S. Army, 101st Airborne Division

Hometown: Montgomery (Illinois)

1998 graduate of Aurora Christian High School

Married to Yvonne; father of four children, including baby Jolene, born March 2, while her father was serving in Iraq.

May God richly bless you, your family, and those with whom you serve.

Posted by: Greg at 08:03 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I cannot bring myself to weep over the murder of Tom Fox by the forces of terror in Iraq. Instead, I rejoice.

Some of you might find this statement shocking. If you do, I hope you read to the end of this post for an explanation.

Tom Fox, the Virginia peace activist who was taken hostage last year in Iraq, has been found dead, a State Department spokesman said last night. The FBI verified that a body found in Baghdad on Thursday morning was that of Fox, according to the State Department. It was not immediately clear last night when he had been killed or how. Nothing was said immediately about the circumstances leading to the discovery of the body.

Concern for Fox, a 54-year-old resident of Clear Brook, Va., who was kidnapped in November, had risen this week after he was not seen in the broadcast of a video of three fellow kidnapped Christian peace activists.

On Tuesday, al-Jazeera television aired the footage of the three other activists purportedly appealing to their governments to secure their release. A January video, in which Fox had appeared, said all the captives would die unless U.S. and Iraqi authorities released all prisoners held in Iraq.

Noel Clay, a State Department spokesman, said he had no information on the three other hostages. Clay said that "additional forensics" on Fox's body "will be done in the United States."

Fox disappeared Nov. 26 in Baghdad, along with Norman Kember, 74, of Britain, and James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, both of Canada. The four worked with Christian Peacemaker Teams, a Toronto- and Chicago-based group that opposes the Iraq war and has criticized treatment of detainees in U.S. and Iraqi jails.

All four had appeared in two earlier videos released by their captors, a little-known group called the Swords of Righteousness Brigade. The group has accused the four of spying for Western governments.

In Baghdad, a U.S. military spokesman, Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, said early Saturday that he had no information on the discovery.

Tom Fox was a Christian -- a Quaker who lived out the pacifism his reading of the Bible called upon him to live. He saw himself called to spread a message of peace and reconciliation. I admire that in him, even as I disagree with the belief that such radical pacifism is the proper response in the face of an implaccably violent foe. But Tom Fox was consistent with his beliefs.

Fox had recognized that his peace activities entailed possible danger. He had left instructions as to what should be done if he was kidnapped. "Under no circumstances did he want any violent efforts to rescue him," Maulden said.

Again, there is something to be admired in such a response to danger met in the service of Christ. It is similar to the Franciscan ethic in the Catholic tradition. I admire it, even as I do not believe myself called to it. I respect the commitment to non-violence that Tom Fox had, even though I reject the wishy-washy leftist view that it is the US and Britain who are responsible for the violence in Iraq, not the deposed dictator or the outside forces of terror who have flooded the country in an effort to sow murder, violence, and anarchy.

Ultimately, Tom Fox laid down his life as an example for his fellow man out of what I believe to be a profund and sincere commitment to Christ. In my book that qualifies as martyrdom, every bit as much as the deaths of those who died in the Colosseum nearly two millenia ago. And so I cannot bring myself to feel more than a passing sadness at his death, for I believe that the words of Christ to the Good Thief have also been spoken to Tom Fox -- "This day you will be with Me in Paradise."

How, then, can I do other than rejoice in the great reward that awaited Tom Fox as he passed from this world of tears into the eternal joy that is life eternal in the presence of our Heavenly Father?

It is my prayer that the martyrdom of Tom Fox speaks loudly to those who would otherwise take up the murderous false martyrdom urged on believers of Islam.

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Posted by: Greg at 06:31 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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There really isn't much of a story here. A group of protesters decided they wanted to enter private property to conduct their protests, despite being told they were not welcome. More to the point, they are making a specific attempt to undermine the religious teachings and practice of the religious group that owns the property. End of story.

More than 20 gay rights activists were arrested on trespassing charges Friday when they stepped onto the campus of Liberty University, the school founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.

Many of the activists were part of Soulforce, a Lynchburg-based group on its first stop of a nationwide "Equality Ride" tour to promote gay rights at the nation's conservative Christian universities and military academies. Most of those arrested were members of the tour, but the group also included supporters from other colleges and the community.

Invoking the memory of the civil rights movement, Soulforce member Jacob Reitan said: "We want to come to the school today to say, 'learn from history.'"

"We have a right to be here, because this school teaches that being gay is being sick and sinful," said Reitan, co-director of Equality Ride. "We have a right to question and to show how we are children of God."

You have the right to do so right until the moment you illegally set foot on the grounds of Liberty University to make your protest. At that point, you are nothing more than a common criminal.

Some 60 people, including 35 members of the Equality Ride bus tour, gathered for the late morning rally on a sidewalk outside the school's main entrance. A music group played guitars and sang 1960s peace songs.

The 20 activists who actually entered the campus were arrested immediately.

Several Liberty students spoke to the Soulforce members. But the group didn't always find support. Comparing homosexuals to drug users and adulterers, Liberty senior Tray Faulkner said the university disapproves of any alternative lifestyle. "I know you guys don't think it's a sin," he said. "We do."

Campus police charged all of those arrested with trespassing, and two faced additional charges of inciting trespassing. They were restrained in plastic handcuffs before being taken to a local magistrate.

All were released without bail later in the day, pending a court appearance April 3. The maximum penalty for the misdemeanor charge is a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Falwell, the university's chancellor, had warned the group that it would not be permitted on campus, saying he would not allow his school to be used for a media event aimed at raising money for gay rights.

"Neither will we permit them to espouse opinions or otherwise suggest beliefs or lifestyles that are in opposition to the morals and values that this institution promotes," he said in a statement issued earlier.

In other words, these folks had been warned to stay off the campus, though they had every legal right to protest off the school grounds. They were left alone until they decided to break the law.

The tour group, made up of young adults from around the country, has scheduled visits to 19 colleges and universities this month and next.

Monday, the tour plans to visit Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson's Regent University in Virginia Beach, where Reitan said the group was prepared for more arrests. The school this week withdrew its invitation to three events on campus, citing a fear that the visit would turn into a publicity stunt.

"If we get arrested, it just shows how close-minded that campus is," Reitan said.

No, Mr. Reitan -- it simply shows how lawless you and your group are. You demand the right to appropriate the property of others to make your point about your religious beliefs, while refusing to recognize the rights of others to live out their religious beliefs. You claim to be abut diversity, but when it comes right down to it, you believe that "diversity" means that everyone has to believe and act exactly the way you do.

Quite frankly, you and Soulforce are nothing but religious fascists who have a long history of criminal conduct and interference with the First Amendment rights of others (Soulforce has been known to disrupt religious services) as you attempt to impose YOUR interpretation of Scripture on others. It is my belief that you worship yourself and your genitals much more devoutly than you have ever worshipped God.

Here's hoping that they throw the book at you when you are convicted of this criminal act and the others you and your group are conspiring to commit.

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Posted by: Greg at 06:05 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Doug Patton really tears into the teachings and actions of Democrat activist and pseudo-Christian cult leader Fred Phelps in a column today.

Fred Phelps calls himself a Christian minister, but his actions resemble a self-styled hatemonger with no room in his heart for the love of God or the forgiveness taught in ChristÂ’s Gospel.

Phelps has been a preacher (defrocked), a lawyer (disbarred) and a Democrat politician (never elected). Now, at age 76, his “church” is a congregation consisting of his 13 children and 50 grandchildren in a tiny compound in Topeka, Kansas. He is also the epitome of everything the elitist secular left would love to believe about every Christian conservative in America.

Phelps first foisted his annoying presence onto the national consciousness when Matthew Sheppard, a young homosexual, was beaten to death in Wyoming in 1998. Phelps and his “followers” protested outside Sheppard’s funeral service with signs that read “God Hates Fags.” That, in a nutshell, is Phelps’ entire message. Google those words and you will be taken right to the website of Phelps so-called church, Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka. That is actually the website address of the church: www.GodHatesFags.com.

On the home page of the web site, you will be treated to a tab labeled “Love Crusades,” wherein this sick soul lists the upcoming funerals he intends to picket. Over the years, the Westboro weirdoes also have found reasons (apparently somehow relating to homosexuality) to picket the funerals of Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, William Rehnquist, Coretta Scott King and Mr. Rogers. They have even protested at meetings conducted by Christian leaders like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and James Dobson because they do not share Phelps’ hatred of homosexuals.

Phelps once wrote to Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro, praising both for their intolerance of homosexuality and even offering to travel to Baghdad and Havana in support of their tyranny on the issue. Fidel declined the offer, but Saddam accepted and must have been amused at this crazy, white-haired, Mississippi-born American preacher standing on Baghdad street corners ranting against “fags.”

Now Phelps and his ilk have stuck their picket signs into a hornets’ nest. They are protesting at the funerals of American soldiers. At the recent service for a fallen young hero killed in Iraq, these deluded individuals showed up in Lincoln, Nebraska, with signs that read “Thank God for IEDs” (a reference to improvised explosive devices being used to kill American troops in Iraq) and “Don’t Pray For America.” Why? Because in Fred Phelps’ twisted worldview, God is punishing America for tolerating homosexuality.

This kind of paranoid hatred, focused like a laser beam on a group of people whose sin is no better or worse than that of you, me or the self-righteous Mr. Phelps himself, reminds me of a story I heard once about a group of newly converted Christians in China. Because of the Chinese governmentÂ’s intolerant policy toward Christianity, each of these new believers tore a single page from the only Bible they had to share among them. They meditated on that page of scripture and committed it to memory. In time, as they were scattered among the population and had no further contact with the Christian brothers and sisters who had the rest of the puzzle, they came to believe only in what their page of scripture taught them. Eventually, cults sprang up based on one page or even one passage of the Bible.

In the Chinese example, they had an excuse. They had only a small sliver of scripture to guide their faith. Fred Phelps has the entire Bible from which to discern the truth, and yet he has chosen to focus his attention on a few passages that clearly speak against the sin of homosexuality, while ignoring everything else, including the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, which scripture clearly teaches can wash away the sin of any and all believers.

Amen, Brother Patton.

Posted by: Greg at 05:45 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A group of Houston Muslims peacefully protested the Muhammad cartoons yesterday.

More than 100 Muslim men, women and children rallied Friday at City Hall to praise the Prophet Muhammad as a peaceful man and to criticize Danish cartoons portraying him as violent.

Organizers said they wanted Houstonians to understand who Muhammad was and what he means to Muslims.

"On the one hand (the cartoons) are an insult, like a punch in the stomach," said Hyder Ali Syed, a pharmacist and one of the organizers of Houston's Muslims for Peace and Justice, a newly formed coalition.

"On the other hand, the reverence we have for him stems from the fact that he taught us a way of life and all the positives that you can imagine," Syed said. "He reformed society and brought in so many changes for the good."

The coalition includes the Islamic Education Center, the Al-Ghadeer Education Foundation and Al-Murtaza. Participants, who included both Sunni and Shiite Muslims, chanted and marched around City Hall with signs bearing such slogans as "Islam Frees the Soul," "Please Draw Carefully — We (heart) Our Prophet" and "Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad — peace be upon them."

Good for them. They behaved like civilized human beings. I can disagree with them on the nature of their false prophet while still according them respect for having absorbed a sufficient amount of Western culture to not engage in the antics of their brothers and sisters back in the old country -- or even the radical Islamists in Europe who called for the murder of the cartoonists and those of us who published the cartoons.

However, I love the connection they try to draw here.

Protests over the cartoons swept the Islamic world in January and early February. Syed said they had discussed a local protest earlier, but were spurred into action by the Feb. 22 bombing of the Al-Askariya Mosque in Samarra, Iraq.

"We had one insult to our holy personality the prophet and now the mosque, where the descendants of the prophet are buried is destroyed," he explained.

But he told the gathering that it was not the time for animosity. Muslims need to encourage understanding between religions and be calm and open-minded, he said.

So what is the connection between Europeans drawing cartoons accurately depicting your religion's false prophet and your fellow Muslims destroying one of Shi'ite Islam's holiest shrine in an attempt to provoke a civil war? Is it your intent to blame America, Europe, and Israel for the barbarism of your own people? Or are you attempting to make a direct accusation without coming out and saying it?

So, Hyder Ali Syed, how about if you hold a rally next weekend protesting your fellow Muslims and their acts of violence -- like the destruction of the Al-Askariya Mosque, the beheading of hostages, or perhaps even 9/11. Maybe then I will come out and join you.

Posted by: Greg at 05:27 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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If the world feels a little cleaner this morning, this story could be the reason.

Former Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic has died in prison in The Hague, it has been confirmed.

He was being held by the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal.

His death has robbed his opponents of the chance to see his trial completed.

He is regarded by many as the architect of the ethnic cleansing policy which characterised the conflict in the Balkans in the 1990s.

The War Crimes Tribunal has ordered an inquiry into his death.

In a statement, the Tribunal said: "Milosevic was found lifeless on his bed in his cell at the United Nations detention unit.

"The guard immediately alerted the detention unit officer in command and the medical officer. The latter confirmed that Slobodan Milosevic was dead."

Officials said he appeared to have died from natural causes.

Milosevic, 64, had been suffering from a heart condition and high blood pressure.

While it is sad that there will never be a final verdict in his case, a much higher Judge has no doubt already passed sentence on this genocidal monster, and the eternal sentence is no doub already being served..

And the next time someone accuses George W. Bush of being a war criminal or committing genocide, point them towards Milosevic as an example of what actions REALLY constitutes those crimes.

Another, more extensive, article appears in the Washington Post.

Posted by: Greg at 04:54 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I'm headed back to school on Monday -- but I still have time for a couple more nights of rodeo (and four nights next week, for that matter).

In the mean time, why don't you folks link up here with some of your best? It's time for our regular all-weekend linkfest!

I won't set any limits on how many you can link back here -- I just ask that you be reasonable in terms of quantity.

No porn or ads, though.

And hopefully a few more trackbacks than Wednesday!

OTHER OPEN TRACKBACKS:
Conservative Cat -- Conservative Cat

Can You Eat an Ice Cream Bar and Blog? -- Blue Star Chronicles

Bacon Break — Dance Party Weekend -- TMH's Bacon Bits

Friday/Weekend Open Trackbacks -- The Liberal Wrong Wing

Big Bucks Extended Weekend Trackback Party & Linkfest Mar. 10-12 -- Stuck On Stupid

Friday Forum - It's All About Books -- The Median Sib

Roundup and Weekend OTA Open Trackbacks -- third world county

The Return of the Knucklehead Weekend Open Trackbacks -- Adam's Blog

Welcome Tiberius Gracchus / Weekend Open Post -- The Real Ugly American.com

Friday News Roundup -- The Uncooperative Blogger

Posted by: Greg at 08:27 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Time to focus in on one of my favorite sites -- Townhall.com, with its many great columns by conservative (and even some not very conservative) writers on politics and culture. Over the last two days, I've noticed a number of great columns -- even though Mike Adams has been silent.

So here goes, in no particular order.

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Todd Manzi writes on the Jay Bennish story, and raises the issue of who should determine what is said in the classroom. Is it the teacher, the district, or the taxpayer who foots the bill?

Who determines what a teacher can and cannot say? Many teachers like Bennish think it should be the teacher. The school districts think it should be them. Lawyers and teachers unions think it is the teacher. How about the taxpayer? IsnÂ’t there a reasonable expectation that the tax dollars funneled to government schools are not used for propaganda against the capitalist system that generated them?

* * *

On the Today Show, Bennish said, “My job as a teacher is to challenge students to think critically about issues that are affecting our world and our society.”

Many parents might think BennishÂ’s job is to teach their children geography.

Manzi has a point here, though I think he drops the ball at the end. He clearly does not know that teaching critical thinking skills is part of the social studies standards in most states, and that Bennish is therefore partially correct -- teaching critical thinking IS his job in a geography class. Unfortunately, Bennish isn't doing that, as I discussed earlier. But it is, ultimately, the taxpayers and their elected representatives who should set what is to be taught, as long as the school system is taxpayer funded.

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John Stossel notes that he has pissed off the teachers unions by shining a spotlight on what is wrong in American education. He notes that they don't refute his data, merely attack the messenger.

Instead, teachers' unions announced that Wednesday (3/ , they will hold demonstrations against me and ABC in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, and elsewhere. One police permit suggests the crowd outside my office will number 750-1,000 people. It should be interesting.

"We want to make sure that ABC hears the voices of incredibly hard-working teachers," says the union website, quoting New York City's UFT President Randi Weingarten. "The network needs to hear how unfair and biased those of you in the trenches believe their broadcast to have been."

I'm sorry that union teachers are mad at me. But when it comes to the union-dominated monopoly, the facts are inescapable. Many kids are miserable in bad schools. If they are not rich enough to move, or to pay for private school, they are trapped.

It doesn't have to be that way. We know what works: choice. That's what's brought Americans better computers, phones, movies, music, supermarkets -- most everything we have. Schoolchildren deserve the joyous benefits of market competition too.

Unions say, "education of the children is too important to be left to the vagaries of the market." The opposite is true. Education is too important to be left to the calcified union/government monopoly.

Which is, of course, one reason I'm glad that I don't have to be a union member down here in Texas. Now if only he will focus in on the politicians who don't know squat about education -- they make some real stupid policy decisions that need light shed on them.

MORE AT: GOPBloggers

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Linda Chavez points to another problem with the ports, overlooked in the hub-bub about Dubai Ports World -- the corrupt, mobbed-up labor union that controls hiring at most of the ports in the United States.

Regardless of whether or not a Dubai-owned company manages operations at these ports -- currently the source of much hand-wringing in Washington -- many of those with the most direct access to the billions of tons of cargo that move through those ports owe their jobs to the mob.

How can that be? It all has to do with the peculiar institution of the union hiring hall. No matter who owns or operates the ports, the union, not the employer, actually assigns workers to jobs. You can't work unless you carry a union card. And on East Coast and Gulf ports, the union card belongs to the International Longshoreman's Association (ILA), one of the most mobbed-up unions in the country.

In July 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) against the ILA, which targets the entire 31-member ILA executive council, including the president, secretary-treasurer, executive vice president, general vice president and more than two dozen others.

* * *

Among the top recipients of ILA PAC money in the last few elections were Sens. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, Robert Menendez, D-NJ, Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY, all of whom represent states with important ports. Some of these same senators are among the chief critics of the Dubai port deal, but they are noticeably silent when it comes to mob influence in the union that actually controls who works on these ports.

Union bosses who would rob their members of pensions and health benefits, extort money to secure jobs on the docks, and use the docks to run gambling, loan sharking and other illegal enterprises could just as easily facilitate terrorists hoping to slip agents or weapons into the country, perhaps unwittingly, for the right price. But few in Washington seem to have considered the risk. The Dubai deal is not the only port issue that deserves more congressional scrutiny; ILA corruption surely deserves a close look as well.

I guess that since they give money to Democrats, we won't hear these same Democrats raising a stink about the threat to security that organized crime represents. After all, the union has already purchased the right Congressmen and Senators.

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Marvin Olasky presents a list of books that might help the reader understand Islam -- both the radical version and its more benign-appearing moderate cousin.

Since 9-11, I've received numerous letters like this recent one: "What can be done to help educate people on the dangers that radical Islam poses to Western civilization? I don't think this ideological conflict will go away."

No, it won't. It is likely to be for the first half of the 21st century what the Cold War was for the last half of the 20th -- a long, subtle struggle with occasional days of fire. How to educate folks? Use of all media will be needed, but here's a list of books I've read and found useful. There are many more that I haven't read.

First, to understand radical Islam, some sense of basic Islam is essential, and that starts with the Quran. Muslims insist that unless you've read it in Arabic, you haven't read it. Maybe so, but in theology as well as in horseshoes, leaners are better than nothing, so I'd recommend either reading a translation on the Internet or buying the new Quran translation by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem that came out last year in paperback from Oxford University Press.

The list that follows is comprehensive and accessible -- and the information the books contain should help anyone with an open mind understand why we need to fight the terrorists and promote Western values in the Islamic world.

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Brent Bozell raises the question of media bias -- outright anti-Catholicism, as a matter of fact -- in Katie Couric's interview with Tom Monaghan regarding his plans to form a town which is infused with Catholic values.

You'd think Katie Couric would aspire to be an anchorwoman for all the American people now that CBS appears to be wooing her for the Throne of Rather. So why did she have to be so rough on Thomas Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, for being a Catholic?

Monaghan has an extraordinary American story. After struggling badly with his brother in a failing pizza business, he bought his brother out in 1960 and, by the 1980s, had accumulated amazing riches. He was enjoying them, too, all the gaudy trappings of success, and then he read the book "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. Reading about the great sin of pride, his life changed dramatically. He stopped concentrating on material things, instead focusing his energies, and his wealth, in pursuit of spiritual good. He poured millions upon millions of dollars into pro-life and Catholic philanthropy. Among other ventures, he founded Ave Maria University. After facing zoning problems with his first location in Michigan, Monaghan struck a deal in southern Florida, not to merely build a Catholic college, but a truly Catholic town, open to anyone aspiring to live in communion with traditional values.

That, of course, is when he earned the ire of Katie Couric. Monaghan and his developer partner Paul Marinelli appeared on the three network morning shows on March 3, but whereas ABC and CBS were calm, Couric's performance on NBC was so harsh it was jaw-dropping.

* * *

Couric betrayed her secular liberal allegiances by baldly concluding the interview: "Well, we'll probably be following this story, because I know the ACLU is, too." Then she laughed.

Even today, other religions have started up communities founded on their beliefs. In southwestern Iowa, some New Age Hindus have created the town of Maharishi Vedic City, a religious center based on the principles and teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. There's been no dire civil-liberties alert from Couric yet, even though the city has banned the sale of non-organic food and the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

Stop the presses! Get Couric on the line! Civil rights at risk! Intolerance and bigotry afoot! Oh, wait ... wait. You said Hindus? Oh, never mind.

But don't you understand, Brent? Hindus are a part of the new, diverse America that left-wing moonbats and bimbos like Katie Couric are so fond of. Catholics -- at least ones who actually believe what the Catholic Church teaches -- are alien to America and never to be trusted. I'm surprised she didn't use this old Thomas Nast cartoon as a graphic.

Who says that anti-Catholicism is dead in America?

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Loredana Vuoto reviews Michael Deaver's new anthology, Why I Am a Reagan Conservative.

In Why I Am a Reagan Conservative, Deaver compiles personal accounts by conservative icons on how Reagan shaped their conservative beliefs. This fun, easy-to read book gives great insight into the thought of some prominent conservatives such as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, former GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole, ReaganÂ’s Attorney General Edwin Meese III, Congressman Henry Hyde and Senator Rick Santorum, as well as columnist Robert Novak and film critic Michael Medved.

Many of these conservatives were drawn to the simple, pragmatic truths of conservatism. They perceived the harm of big government, which corroded individual responsibility and stifled initiative. The ever-expanding welfare state of the 1970s proved detrimental to the economy and was responsible for many social ills such as high unemployment, increased teen pregnancy and the decline of marriage. They realized that government was not the solution to societyÂ’s woes, but the overarching problem.

* * *

Reagan’s greatest contribution to modern conservatism is that he helped to redefine a movement that had become ideologically and politically bankrupt following the Great Depression and World War II. Many of the conservative leaders of that era—for example, Robert Taft and Herbert Hoover—championed isolationism, protectionism and a xenophobic nationalism that no longer resonated with the public. Reagan (along with other key figures before him such as William F. Buckley and Barry Goldwater) modernized conservatism, thereby making it appealing to broad swaths of the electorate.

Today, conservatism has become the dominant political and cultural force in the country. This was shown in November 2004, when George W. Bush won re-election to a second term, making him the first two-term Republican president since Reagan. Moreover, the GOP controls both houses of Congress. Conservative thought pervades the marketplace. Think tanks like the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation continue to thrive and produce ground-breaking work. The Wall Street Journal's editorial page, The Weekly Standard and National Review produce some of the finest and most influential political commentary in the country. And conservative radio talk-show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Laura Schlessinger dominate the airwaves. The same holds true for the Fox News Channel, which has leapfrogged both CNN and MSNBC in the number of television viewers and overall media clout.

Conservatism is on the march. Whether it will ultimately triumph is anyoneÂ’s guess. But one thing is for certain: ReaganÂ’s leadership and charisma were primarily responsible for the movementÂ’s current success. For this, he deserves the gratitude of conservatives everywhere.

One of the questions I hope is dealt with is that of the nexus between Reagan conservatism and neo-conservatism. Are they, ultimately, compatible? Given the continuing expansion of government (much of it in the name of national security), how much influence does Reagan conservatism have today, and how can it again become ascendant?

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Well, the Ditch Bitch finally admits it .

It seems that the protests of "Saint Cindy Sheehan, Our Lady of the Martyred Soldier" has made it clear that her protests have nothing to do with her son, Case, who was killed in Iraq.

MODERATOR: Cindy, here's a question for you... "Over the past several months you've become a lightning rod for the anti-war movement, and a polarizing figure for military families. Is this what Casey would have wanted? Or are you doing this for yourself?"...

...CINDY SHEEHAN: I'm doing this for... the troops to come home.

(applause)

CINDY SHEEHAN: And... I'm not doing this for Casey. Casey's already dead. I wish I would have done it for Casey before he was killed.(emphasis added)

Let's not forget -- Casey reenlisted knowing that he would be sent to Iraq -- and supported the mission there. He was a hero before he died, is a hero after death, and the exploitation of his good name by those who oppose his choice and the sacrifice he made is hideous.

And that Mama Sheehan stands upon the dead body of her son to use him as a pulpit to preach against what he believed is truly vile.

By the way, Cindy -- when will you buy Casey's headstone? His grave is still unmarked. But you can afford a new convertible. It is really clear that you aren't doing this for Casey -- you are doing this for you.

Your 15 minutes are up, woman -- and your allegedly unquestionable moral authority has evaporated.

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Will hate crime charges be pending against these church burners?

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Two Birmingham college students have been arrested and a third is being sought in the string of church arsons that destroyed or damaged nine rural churches in Alabama last month, federal law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because details are under court seal and the formal announcement is to be made later, said the two are being charged with conspiracy and individual counts in the arsons at five Bibb County churches and four in west Alabama.

Arson investigators scheduled an afternoon news conference at the Tuscaloosa airport to discuss the arrests.

Federal law officers said the two arrested were students at Birmingham-Southern College, and the third person being sought was described as a student at another Birmingham school.

The two in custody were brought to the federal courthouse in Birmingham for their initial appearance before a federal magistrate.

It will be interesting to see what traits these three mutts share in common. I won't speculate, but I have some suspicions.

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Looks like Dan Patrick stomped his competition in SD 7.

Calling his victory the start of a revolution, radio talk-show host Dan Patrick on Tuesday won the Republican nomination to succeed state Sen. Jon Lindsay, trouncing three politically experienced opponents.

Patrick, in his first bid for elected office, used his name identification from more than 20 years as a local TV and radio personality to win the District 7 nomination without a runoff.

With most precincts reporting, Patrick had 68 percent of the vote. State Rep. Peggy Hamric claimed a distant second at 17 percent.

"The revolution started tonight," Patrick said. "The people of SD7 want their party to stand up and take action on the issues that are important to them. I hope Republicans in Austin realize this is not isolated to SD7."

Two of his opponents, Hamric and state Rep. Joe Nixon, conceded in phone calls to Patrick. The third, former Houston City Councilman Mark Ellis, said he would support Patrick as the GOP nominee.

Hamric and Nixon will give up what had been safe House seats.

The District 7 race was closely watched and became the most competitive and expensive state legislative battle. The four contenders spent a combined $1.5 million in the heated race. The district is solidly Republican, so Patrick will be the favorite in November against Democrat F. Michael Kubosh.

Patrick said he will focus on property tax relief, overall spending and immigration.

The retiring incumbent, a major league RINO, is already attacking his probable successor.

Lindsay, who endorsed Hamric as his successor, has said that Patrick will "have to change his ways" to succeed in the Senate.

For example, Patrick has argued that the Senate should do away with the rule that requires a two-thirds vote for a bill to be brought up for debate.

"That's how we keep composure on that side of the rotunda. It's a good rule. It causes everyone to think through what they are attempting to do," Lindsay said.

John -- this vote is a stunning repudiation of the "business as usual" approach that you practiced for years. The notion that the majority should act like a majority may stun you, but it is common sense to your average Texan.

The Lindsay-loving Houston Chronicle is already out to get Dan, though. Look at this column in today's paper.

It will be fascinating to watch how Patrick strives to make an impact in Austin. Will he roll up his sleeves in committee work and find all the "fat" he claims is in the budget?

Occasionally a freshman demagogue has come along who declined to do that but who made a grand stand for cutting taxes when the day for the final budget vote came.

They don't last long. Their colleagues tend to find a convenient place to cut the budget: in the demagogue's district.

At least as fascinating will be how Patrick meshes his radio station with his political career.

He has used the station brilliantly in his campaign. How would he use it to govern?

Would he offer air time to Senate colleagues to gain favor? Would he attempt to get them on the air so that listeners can press them for pet measures?

One senator already expressed concern that with Patrick as part of a caucus, now-private discussions may become talk-show fodder.

Patrick is a self-proclaimed Christian, so he is presumably aware of two types of leadership in the Church.

There are prophets and bishops.

Prophets — and false prophets — prosper on the airwaves.

But bishops do better in conclaves.

But then again, Rick Casey and the Chronicle despise all things conservative.

Too bad for them that Texans don't.

Give 'em hell, Dan!

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Looks like all the folks who said support was weak for Tom DeLay didn't know what they were talking about. He won 62% of the vote in a four-way race for the GOP nomination, handily defeating his opponents.

Still facing legal battles, U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay won a pivotal political fight Tuesday by defeating three challengers in the Republican primary for his Houston-area seat.

Opponent Tom Campbell, former general counsel for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, fell short of forcing the former House majority leader into a runoff.

DeLay won 62 percent of the vote in the 22nd Congressional District, which covers parts of Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend and Galveston counties, according to the totals from 97 percent of precincts.

"I have always placed my faith in the voters, and today's vote shows they have placed their full faith in me," DeLay said in a written victory statement. "This race was about who can effectively represent the values and the priorities of the people in this district, and I'm proud to have earned, and overwhelmingly kept, that trust among Republican voters."

"Not only did they reject the politics of personal destruction, but they strongly rejected the candidates who used those Democrat tactics as their platform," he added.

In second place with 30 percent of the vote was Tom Campbell, former general counsel for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Lawyer Mike Fjetland and former teacher and oil industry credit manager Pat Baig each took less than 5 percent.

"I'm kind of shocked," Fjetland said at the Fort Bend County Republican Party's Primary Night soiree at the Ragin Cajun restaurant in Sugar Land. "I'm very concerned about the future of the Republican Party."

Yes, Tom DeLay ran behind his traditional 82-86% of the primary vote -- but he has never had three opponents before.

One political scientist has this to say.

DeLay's totals show that "nearly 40 percent of an ideologically committed (Republican) vote has decided to bail on him," said Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson. "He still has a hell of a fight in the general election."

I'm going to disagree with this assessment.

Delay has always had about 15% of the district Republicans opposing him. That is how a non-entity like Fjetland did as well as he did in his earlier races against DeLay. We also had a heavy cross-over vote this time around -- I recognized about 10% of those at my precinct as partisan Democrats. After all, when you ask someone if they are coming to vote in the Republican primary and get a response like "Never before, never again, but this time yes," you can be pretty sure that they are not a part of the GOP base.

But I do think there is 20% of the GOP base that opposed Tom DeLay because of his legal troubles, wanting a solid GOP candidate like Campbell to ensure that the seat will be held by a Republican in the event that DeLay's legal troubles continue or get worse. Most of this last group will support Tom DeLay in November.

And the remaining 62%? We don't want outsiders picking our Congressman for us. We don't care if it is Ronnie Earle, the Democrat National Committee, or these guys.

Coming to churches, bowling alleys and living rooms near you: The Big Buy: How Tom DeLay Stole Congress.

As former House Majority Leader DeLay readied himself Tuesday to accept his party's nomination for another congressional term in Washington, D.C., two Texas filmmakers announced plans to release a scathing documentary in DeLay's Sugar Land district, criticizing the popular politician. Tentative plans also call for a screening in Houston, they said.

Numerous liberal groups stepped up to sponsor the film's expected release in early May, including Houston's Pacifica radio station, KPFT-FM (90.1). The film will rely heavily upon releases in small venues and at a few select theaters.

Filmmakers Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck spent three years following the path of Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle's criminal investigation, which resulted in indictments against DeLay and two political associates.

And I hope every penny spent to produce and show this film is counted as a contribution to Nick Lampson and the Democrats -- making most of the expenditures illegal under federal and state campaign laws.

And, of course, i think this is exhibit #1 in Delay's case for dismissal of the charges against him AND the disbarrment proceedings against Ronnie Earle.

Let me say this -- We, the Constituents of Texas Congressional District 22, will pick our Congressman.

The rest of you can go to hell.

UPDATE: Tom DeLay has this to say, emphasizing the point I made above.

"I'm honored . . . to defend this district from the funding and activism of America's most radical Democrats," he said. "Liberal activists like Barbra Streisand, George Soros and Nancy Pelosi all have a dog in this fight, and his name is Nick Lampson."

Especially if you think back to how the Democrats aced out a popular local minority politician who actually lives in the 22nd District.

OPEN TRACKBACKS/LINKFESTS: Adam's Blog, Conservative Cat, Freedom Watch USA, Bacon Bits, Stuck on Stupid, Cao's Blog, Right Wing Nation, Basil's Blog, Jo's Cafe, Don Surber

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Yesterday was primary day in Texas.

I was up at 0400 to get ready to be at the polling place at 0600. Shower, shave, drive to the poling place.

At 0600, I and only one of my staff arrived torunn the polling place. One was ill, and so called to let me know she couldn't come. One bopped in around 0630, in time to still be some help.

Polls opened at 0700. About 0720, my last poll worker arrives -- had to take the girls to school. It really isn't a problem, since we've only had five voters by this point, including me and my staff.

We had a slow day -- only around 135 voters -- but 50 folks early voted. I don't know what the Donks got over at their polling place, but I suspect the numbers were smaller. That's why I had time to post intermittently yesterday, since we had long stretches of no voters at all.

We shut down promply at 1900, and held the precinct convention at 1930. The participants were the usual suspects -- me, the guy who was my predecessor and his wife, and one of the local activists and his mom. All rsolutions passed, and we were out by 1957. Turned in the voting supplies and computers at 2045, and was home by 2145, having stopped to pick up dinner for my darling wife and I.

And collapsed into a sound sleep once the last bite was done.

I'll look up the results in a few minutes and post on them.

* * *

In the mean time, folks, it is time for my Wednesday Linkfest -- go ahead and link to me with anything interesting.

You know how it works -- you link to this post and send a trackback, and your post will display here. So link away -- I won't set a maximum number of items you can link with here, but I would hope that you would consider exercising prudent judgement on the matter. No porn, please, and no advertising -- just interesting stuff.

OTHER OPEN TRACKBACKS/LINKFESTS: Adam's Blog, Conservative Cat, Freedom Watch USA, Bacon Bits, Stuck on Stupid, Cao's Blog, Right Wing Nation, Basil's Blog, Jo's Cafe, Don Surber

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Vic over at Darth Apathy found this little bit on an Indymedia site.

The Rachel Corrie Memorial Committee of Victoria Invites you to a pancake breakfast at DennyÂ’s Restaurant Sunday March 12 , 2006 10 am.

The Public is invited to a memorial pancake breakfast at DennyÂ’s Restaurant on Douglas Street near Finlayson, 10 am, Sunday March 12, 2006 to celebrate the life and untimely death of Rachel Corrie, Peace Activist with the International Solidarity Movement.

There will be a reading of selections from Ms. CorrieÂ’s letters and diary, followed by a ceremony at Topaz Park, where a stone cairn will be erected in her honour.

Attendees are encouraged to wear their keffiahs, and to dress in black.

No weapons, drugs, or alcohol please.

http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/

ISM offers many ways for you to get involved in the struggle for Palestinian freedom. Whether youÂ’re thinking of traveling to Palestine to work with us, or youÂ’d like to work to educate your community about the reality in Palestine, we welcome your involvement.

I'm utterly speechless.

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Dan Frazier is scum, exploiting dead military personnel over the objections of their family members. And he intends to keep making a profit off the dead bodies of dead soldiers, sailors, and airmen, no matter what.

That is why Yvette Burridge is fighting for legislatitonzier an to stop Frazier and other war profiteering ghouls like him.

An Acadiana mother has a message for anti-war protestors. She wants them to stop profiting from the death of her son. And, it's a fight she's hoping to take to Washington, D.C.

The mother of a Marine killed-in-action tells how she hopes to protect her son's name.

Yvette Burridge has been spending every free moment on the internet, fuming over one site in particular - carryabigsticker.com, which promotes and sells anti-war and anti-President Bush paraphernalia.

Why is she angry? Burridge's son, Marine Private First Class David Paul Burridge was killed in Iraq in 2004 when a suicide bomber attacked his convoy.

Now, his name and the names of other fallen military personnel are listed on anti-war stickers and t-shirts, all of which read, "Bush lied, they died."

Yvette Burridge says it is something she doesn't want to be associated with and knows her son doesn't want to be associated with it either.

Burridge claims she is not alone, saying the families of other fallen soldiers are disgusted over this website and other anti-war sites that profit from their loved one's deaths.

And so Burridge is seeking to protect the good name and honorable service of her son and other American heroes through legislation banning the exploitation of the names and images of war dead without the permission of their survivors. Such legislation is pending in Oklahoma.

Not that the objections of family members matter to a scumbag like Frazier, who makes money by treading on the corpses of those killed in the war on terror.

Meanwhile, the owner of the website - carryabigsticker.com says he will not remove any soldier's names from his products.

Dan Frazier says he's a firm believer in freedom of speech and feels that if soldiers are going to be listed, all of them need to be listed, and remember all of them and treat them all equally.

Dan Frazier says his intention is not to be disrespectful to any of the fallen soldiers, and he is sorry some families feel that he is.

It isn't a question of feelings, Mr. Frazier. It is a question of fact.

Contact him and let him know what you think.

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In a continuation of the scandal at Houston's city hall, Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado has stepped aside from that position (but not her City Council seat).

"I intend to temporarily Â… step aside from the office of the mayor pro tem pending the outcome of the grand jury investigation," said Alvarado at MondayÂ’s news conference. "I did nothing improper and IÂ’ve accepted responsibility."

Hopefully the people of of Houston will end Alvarado's career at the first opportunity.

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Has Iran committed an act of war against the US by supplying the Iraqi terrorists with weapons to attack American troops -- including specially designed bombs with the ability to pierce American armor?

U.S. military and intelligence officials tell ABC News that they have caught shipments of deadly new bombs at the Iran-Iraq border.

They are a very nasty piece of business, capable of penetrating U.S. troops' strongest armor.

What the United States says links them to Iran are tell-tale manufacturing signatures — certain types of machine-shop welds and material indicating they are built by the same bomb factory.

"The signature is the same because they are exactly the same in production," says explosives expert Kevin Barry. "So it's the same make and model."

U.S. officials say roadside bomb attacks against American forces in Iraq have become much more deadly as more and more of the Iran-designed and Iran-produced bombs have been smuggled in from the country since last October.

"I think the evidence is strong that the Iranian government is making these IEDs, and the Iranian government is sending them across the border and they are killing U.S. troops once they get there," says Richard Clarke, former White House counterterrorism chief and an ABC News consultant. "I think it's very hard to escape the conclusion that, in all probability, the Iranian government is knowingly killing U.S. troops."

Screw their nuclear program -- if this is actually the case, then the Iranians are engaged in intentional acts against American military personnel. Time to take action.

MORE AT: Vince Aut Morire, Captain's Quarters, Generation Why?, Ace of Spades, Dread Pundit Bluto, Protein Wisdom, Confederate Yankee, Jawa Report

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But what else can you call this?

A University of North Carolina graduate from Iran, accused of running down nine people on campus to avenge the treatment of Muslims, said at a hearing Monday that he was "thankful for the opportunity to spread the will of Allah."

Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar was accused of driving a sport-utility vehicle through the Pit, a popular campus gathering spot, injuring nine people Friday. None of the victims was seriously hurt.

University Police Chief Derek Poarch said Taheri-azar told investigators he intentionally hit people to "avenge the deaths of Muslims around the world." In a 911 call after the incident, Taheri-azar said he wanted to "punish the government of the United States for their actions around the world."

Taheri-azar, 22, appeared in Orange County District Court on nine counts of attempted murder and nine counts of assault.

His bail was set at $5.5 million and he was assigned a public defender, but he said after the hearing: "The truth is my lawyer."

And the truth is that we have had a low-grade Islamic terrorist attack on an American college campus, but no one wants to call it terrorism.

Well, that isn't quite true -- no one in an official capacity wants to call it terrorism. Students at UNC are not so hesitant.

On campus, UNC students held what they called an "anti-terrorism" rally. "We don't want terrorism here, and we're not going to stand for that where we live and where we go to school," said Kris Wampler, a student at UNC and member of the College Republicans, which helped organize the rally.

About 50 students attended the rally, including several Muslim students who debated with organizers and said Taheri-azar had not been linked to any terrorist group.

One Muslim student tried to discount the connection to terrorism.

"When you think in terms of a global context, this was an isolated incident," said student Khurram Bilal Tariq, 22.

While that is true, that does not meant that we are dealing with a terrorist attack -- just that we are dealing with a terrorist attack. It simply means that we are dealing with someone who is engaging in terrorism independent of the larger groups. UNC student Stephen Mann put it well.

"If you try to hurt someone in the name of a cause, that's terrorism," he said.

While I might polish that statement just a little bit, I think he is essenially correct.

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Posted by: Greg at 04:23 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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ItÂ’s a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world except for Lola.

Hood College is reviewing its homecoming rules after a lesbian was crowned king, a college official says.

But Jennifer Jones, the 21-year-old senior who beat out three men for the honor, says her victory last month was a plus for the private liberal-arts college.

"It is cool that Hood allows people to be themselves," Jones, of Newark, Del., told The Frederick News-Post. "If people didn't want me to be king, they wouldn't have nominated me and voted for me."

Waves of discontent are still rippling through the 2,100-student campus in western Maryland more than two weeks after Jones was crowned at the Feb. 18 homecoming dance, the News-Post reported Monday.

One student sees it as a very simple question.

"She is not a man," said Singleton Newman, a 22-year-old senior who was among the queen candidates. "It is a gender issue, and she is a woman."

And I really think that is fundamental. Sometimes gender/sex does matter.

Posted by: Greg at 03:17 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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One attendee at Sunday nights Academy of Friends AIDS fundraising gala in San Francisco made this unintentionally funny comment.

Caralee Schmitt, who attended the event with her husband, marveled at the cowboy couture on display Sunday, which she had never seen growing up in Bozeman, Mont.

"My father was a cowboy, but not at all like these kind of cowboys," said Schmitt, who lives in South San Francisco.

Must.

Not.

Go.

There.

Posted by: Greg at 02:58 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Each week, Watcher of Weasels seeks out the best posts from around the blogosphere. The winning entries are determined by a jury of 12 writers (and The Watcher) known as "The Watchers Council."

The Council have submitted their choices from among last week's nominated posts.

Council Member Entries: Done With Mirrors took first place with Our George.

Non-Council Entries: Michael J. Totten garnered the most votes with his post from Iraq called The Beginning of the Universe.

Posted by: Greg at 11:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A very long time ago, most folks learned that if you regularly take money from someone, they can pretty well set any condition upon its continued receipt. For most of us, that lesson came in the form of parents punishing us by not paying us our allowance.

College and university administrators, along with law professors, are so far removed from the real world that they had forgotten this lesson that most folks learn by the time they are about seven-years old. The Supreme Court had to slap them upside the head with a unanimous 2x4 to re-teach that lesson.

The Supreme Court, in a case stemming from the military's policy toward gays, unanimously upheld today a federal law forcing colleges and universities to permit military recruiting on campus over their objections.

The universities, specifically law schools, had argued that making them host military recruiters on campus or lose federal funding was a form of "compelled speech" that made it appear that they were endorsing the government's exclusion of gays in the military, thus violating their rights of free speech and expression under the First Amendment.

What these over-educated idiots failed to recognize was that nobody was compelling these schools to do anything. All they had to do was get off the federal teat, and the requirement would disappear (presumably -- but more on that later). No, they wanted that cash and the right to cut the strings that went along with it. In that, they remind me of an old episode of the Andy Griffith Show, in which Opie argued he should get his allowance without doing any chores, since an allowance is money kids are "allowed" to have.

After all, nobody requires these schools to take federal grants for research, Pell grants, guaranteed student loan money, or other federal government cash that flows into their coffers. All they need to do is spend the endowment money to provide financial aid, and get private grants for research projects, and they would be free of the requirement to allow military recruiters on campus. No cash, no chores.

Chief Justice Roberts, writing for a unanimous court, swept their arguments aside.

The law, called the Solomon Amendment, "neither limits what law schools may say nor requires them to say anything," Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for the court. "Law schools remain free under the statute to express whatever views they may have on the military's congressionally mandated employment policy. . . .

"Nothing about recruiting suggests that law schools agree with any speech by recruiters and nothing in the Solomon Amendment restricts what the law schools may say about the military's policies," Roberts wrote.

The law regulates conduct, not speech, the court said. And unlike flag-burning, which is protected under prior decisions, the hosting of recruiters is not "expressive" conduct that sends out a message as a form of protest.

More to the point, their argument was bound to fail for the same reason that a school that claimed that ending seregation was compelled speech and a violation of freedom of association (and implicitly, freedom from association) would be bound to fail. In fact, these arguments parallel the arguments of segregationists quite nicely. Heck, upholding their position would have undone Title IX and the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that ended segregation in higher education.

And having brought such a frivolous argument forward, they got a decision that goes well-beyond what they complained about.

The U.S. Supreme Court sharply rebuked America's far-left law professors today, ruling unanimously (that's 8-0, Justice Sam Alito having joined the court too late to participate) that Congress was within its authority to withhold federal funding from law schools that discriminate against military recruiters. In the case, Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights, the court actually went further (citations omitted):

The Constitution grants Congress the power to "provide for the common Defence," "o raise and support Armies," and "o provide and maintain a Navy." Congress' power in this area "is broad and sweeping," and there is no dispute in this case that it includes the authority to require campus access for military recruiters. . . .

This case does not require us to determine when a condition placed on university funding goes beyond the "reasonable" choice offered in Grove City and becomes an unconstitutional condition. It is clear that a funding condition cannot be unconstitutional if it could be constitutionally imposed directly. Because the First Amendment would not prevent Congress from directly imposing the Solomon Amendment's access requirement, the statute does not place an unconstitutional condition on the receipt of federal funds.

That is, Congress could force colleges and universities, even if they receive no federal funding, to treat military recruiters equally. It's very impressive that Chief Justice John Roberts, Rumsfeld's author, was able to command unanimous support for such a sweeping decision.

In other words, Congress is within its power to require each and every college and university to allow recruiters on campus REGARDLESS OF THEIR TAKING FEDERAL MONEY. Not only did they roll snake-eyes in this crap shoot, the dice burst into flames and exploded when they came to rest on the table.

UPDATE: This gem from Chief Justice Roberts' opinion is pointed out by the proprieter of Okie on the Lam in LA

"Â…Nothing about recruiting suggests that law schools agree with any speech by recruiters, and nothing in the Solomon Amendment restricts what the law schools may say about the militaryÂ’s policies. We have held that high school students can appreciate the difference between speech a school sponsors and speech the school permits because legally required to do so, pursuant to an equal access policyÂ… Â…Surely students have not lost that ability by the time they get to law school."

Ouch!

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Posted by: Greg at 01:56 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 Alito's just a little too busy defending himself in the 3rd Circuit, still trying to weasel out of his Judicial Misconduct Complaint

Posted by: JimBD at Wed Mar 8 16:37:09 2006 (GoE0N)

2 Wrong, Jim. He was not seated when the case was heard.

Now feel free to get back on your knees for the loon in PA, now that you are done wasting bandwidth here.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Wed Mar 8 17:43:48 2006 (EqS+g)

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Don't you think that should get me a place on her blogroll?

Compare this post on Rhymes With Right with this post on Michelle Malkin's site.

Looks like I beat her to the punch by several days. Maybe it has something to do with my decision to invite Andrew to submit something about the Peace Studies controversyfor publication the day the Washington Post story came out.

I'm not making any sort of accusation -- just noting that I scooped her.

Posted by: Greg at 09:23 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Could you imagine the outrage if a white candidate ever told a white audience that his political oponents "don't look like us"?

Well, the racist buffoon who runs New Orleans, Ray Nagin -- the guy who left school buses to flood and residents to drown -- is being much more specific about his vision for a "chocolate city".

In a speech organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People civil rights group, Nagin discussed the recovery of New Orleans and explained the complicated absentee voting procedures for those who have not returned to the city.

Nagin, who sparked controversy recently by saying New Orleans would become a "chocolate city" again, told the mostly black audience of about 50 people that the election could bring a sea change to New Orleans politics, which has been dominated by blacks for more than two decades.

"There are 23 candidates running for mayor. Very few of them look like us," he said. "There's a potential to be a major change in the political structure in New Orleans."

Nagin is trailing Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu (son of a former mayor of New Orleans and brother of a current US Senator from Louisiana) and , who is white, so he needs to flog the race card at every opportunity.

And I guess I must be deaf -- I haven't heard a single complaint from the NAACP or any major black leader about this blatantly racist appeal for votes. Surely such condemnations have been made. Haven't they? Or perhaps the words of Martin Luther King have been repudiated by the black establisment, and are we now to judge people based upon the color of their skin and not the content of their character.

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Posted by: Greg at 04:34 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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You see, it really comes down to a question of following the Constitution.

And this proposal doesn't.

President Bush plans to send proposed legislation to Congress on Monday that would allow him to control spending by vetoing specific items in larger bills, a Bush administration official said.

The president, who has not vetoed any legislation during five years in office, asked Congress in his State of the Union address to give him line-item veto power.

Bush plans to announce that the proposed bill is headed to Congress during his remarks at the morning swearing-in ceremony for the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made.

Both Republican and Democratic presidents have sought the power to eliminate a single item in a spending or tax bill without killing the entire measure.

And I fully support giving the line-item veto to the president. But it cannot be done via legislation.

Afte all, as this article itself points out, the SUpreme Court has spoken on the matter.

President Clinton got that wish in 1996, when the new reform-minded Republican majority in the House helped pass a line-item veto law.

Two years later, the Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional because it violated the principle that Congress, and not the executive branch, holds the power of the purse.

Sorry folks, you need to do this via an amendment, not via statute. It really is that simple.

Follow the Constitution.

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Posted by: Greg at 04:17 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I've never denied the existance of good, decent, patriotic Muslims. I'm glad to read this story, and I hope there are many more like this in the weeks and months to come.

Holy Toledo, we have terrorists in Ohio. But here's the good news: They were caught before they could blow up anyone because the FBI got a phone tip - from someone in the Islamic community.

That's right - the same American Islamic community that has been scorched for failing to condemn terrorism now gets credit for reporting three alleged terrorists in Toledo.

The FBI indicted Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan Othman El-Hindi and Wassim Mazloum on charges of plotting to use improvised explosive devices to kill U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Amawi also was charged with threatening to kill the president. They pleaded not guilty.

* * *

Morckel said many details cannot be revealed about the investigation or the phone tip that led to the latest arrests. "But if you look at the London bombings, people in their community knew about the men who did that and didn't report anything."

Toledo is a different story. It has a large Muslim population that has been part of the city even longer than the Toledo mosque has been a landmark beside Interstate 75. So long that many think of themselves as Americans first.

Some have sons serving in Iraq, who could be killed or maimed by bombs from Toledo. "We are harming ourselves," imam Farooq Aboelzahab told the Los Angeles Times.

In that same story about Toledo Muslims, Dorothy Mehki said, "I don't want a whole yard full of flags in our yard to prove that we are Americans. That is silly. There are good Americans, and there are bad Americans."

True. And some of the best are American Muslims.

Most Muslims in this country are decent people. Most are highly moral individuals. I may have little respect for their religion, but I have great respect for them as human beings.

And I hope we see a lot more of them dropping a dime on the terrorists in their midst.

Posted by: Greg at 05:38 AM | Comments (61) | Add Comment
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Medical professionals do not want to work with these evil freaks, and so it is impossible to fully staff "treatment" facilities for them.

The $388-million facility sprawled on the desolate outskirts of this Central Valley town was intended to answer a pressing problem: what to do with hundreds of repeat pedophiles and rapists in California who have served their prison terms but are deemed too risky for release.

This was to be a hospital dedicated primarily to such "sexually violent predators," who can be lawfully detained for mental health treatment.

It was the first state mental hospital built in more than half a century, and few amenities were spared. Shiny keyboards and drum sets now grace private music rooms. Woodworking and printing studios resemble professional shops. A Native American sweat lodge is in the works.

Treatment, however, is in short supply.

Despite vigorous recruiting efforts, not enough nurses, doctors and technicians want to work at this remote outpost. As a result, six months after the 1,500-bed hospital opened to the speeches of lawmakers, only about 170 patients have moved in. More than 400 sexually violent predators await transfer from Atascadero State Hospital near San Luis Obispo.

And hundreds of other beds, which could be filled with patients with other mental disorders, remain unoccupied in a system that otherwise is badly overcrowded.

The largely empty Coalinga State Hospital embodies twin problems of the state's mental health system: its struggle to hire licensed staffers and its difficulty accommodating sexual offenders, who some experts say don't fit conventional definitions of mental illness.

No release date -- no need for treatment/special state hospitals.

But on the bright side, I think we may have found the perfect residence for Bill Clinton if he ever becomes "First Lady". I bet they have saxophones in those music rooms.

Posted by: Greg at 05:27 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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He should have gotten the maximum sentence for his betrayal of the public trust.

Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who collected $2.4 million in homes, yachts, antique furnishings and other bribes on a scale unparalleled in the history of Congress, was sentenced Friday to eight years and four months in prison, the longest term meted out to a congressman in decades.

Cunningham, who resigned from Congress in disgrace last year, was spared the 10-year maximum by U.S. District Judge Larry Burns but was immediately taken into custody. He also was ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution for back taxes and forfeit $1.85 million in valuables he received.

Cunningham accepted money and gifts including a Rolls-Royce and $40,000 Persian rugs from defense contractors and others in exchange for steering government contracts their way and other favors.

Federal prosecutors sought the maximum and his attorneys asked for mercy, but Cunningham, choking up as he addressed the judge, focused on accepting blame. "Your honor I have ripped my life to shreds due to my actions, my actions that I did to myself," he said.

"I made a very wrong turn. I rationalized decisions I knew were wrong. I did that, sir," Cunningham said.

I think the judge summed up my view of this individual and his crimes quite nicely.

"You weren't wet. You weren't cold. You weren't hungry and yet you did these things," Burns said. "I think what you've done is you've undermined the opportunity that honest politicians have to do a good job."

Given Cunningham's age, perhaps we will get lucky and see this be, in effect, a life sentence -- which i believe should be the minimum for such self-serving misdeeds.

Posted by: Greg at 02:42 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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And they even named you after his mom.

MADONNA is trying to buy a house overlooking the Sea of Galilee at the place where followers of her Kabbalist faith expect the Messiah to reappear to herald world peace.

Representatives of the 47-year-old US singer have been cold calling home-owners in the picturesque mountain retreat of Rosh Pina and offering to pay any price to secure a property on her behalf.

The star — who was raised an Italian Catholic but adopted the Hebrew name Esther several years ago — wants the house to turn it into a Kabbalah study centre where followers can pore over the mystical texts.

When she made a highly publicised trip to Israel 18 months ago she visited many sites important to Kabbalah.

Kabbalists believe that the Messiah will appear at Safed and walk to Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, travelling along the ravine that cuts through Rosh Pina.

But at least her soul is striving in the right direction.

She could have become a Scientologist.

Posted by: Greg at 02:30 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Well, here's another fellow who has eaten the fruit of Mohammad's poisonous tree.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Authorities say 23-year-old Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar drove a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee into The Pit at the UNC-Chapel Hill campus around noon Friday, injuring five students and a visiting scholar.

Police intend tocharge Taheri-azar, who graduated from UNC in 2005, with nine counts of attempted murder and nine counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, said Capt. George Hare of the UNC Department of Public Safety.

The FBI joined the case because Taheri-azar, a native of Iran, "allegedly made statements that he acted to avenge the American treatment of Muslims. The ongoing investigation will work to confirm this," said Special Agent Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman in Washington.

Six people were taken to UNC Hospitals with minor injuries, hospital spokesman Tom Hughes said. Five had been treated and released late Thursday afternoon, while one person was still undergoing treatment but was not expected to be admitted. Three other people declined treatment on the scene, according to police.

Authorities later found the vehicle on Plant Road near Franklin Street and Taheri-azar was taken into custody. Authorities said that drugs and alcohol are not believed to have been involved.

A student who witnessed the event, said that the SUV was going between 40 and 45 mph when it hit the students at the Pit, which is located in an open area surrounded by two libraries, a dining hall and the Frank Porter Graham Student Union on campus.

We have a confession from an admitted terrorist. Let's get him to a military tribunal immediately.

Posted by: Greg at 02:27 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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