Let me begin by saying that I condemn this murder as both immoral and counterproductive. It cannot be justified -- even if the victim is probably responsible for the killing of more Americans than Osama bin Laden.

Authorities said they had a suspect in custody Sunday afternoon in the shooting death of George Tiller, a Wichita doctor who was one of the few doctors in the nation to perform late-term abortions.

Dr. Tiller, who had long been a lightning rod for controversy over the issue of abortion and had survived a shooting more than a decade ago, was shot inside his church here on Sunday morning, the authorities said. Dr. Tiller, 67, was shot with a handgun inside the lobby of his longtime church, Reformation Lutheran Church on the cityÂ’s East Side, just after 10 a.m. (Central Time). The service had started minutes earlier.

At the same time, I cannot feel any sadness over this murder, given that the victim is probably responsible for the killing of more Americans than Osama bin Laden.

And let me condemn the desecration of the church where the murder took place -- even though I find it scandalous that Reformation Lutheran Church has strayed so far its allegedly Christian character as to allow such a notorious killer to serve in a position of public leadership and ministry. Furthermore, I condemn the endangering of the other members of the congregation.

No, there is nothing positive about the murder of anyone -- not even a depraved killer like George Tiller. For really complete coverage, look to The Other McCain -- good commentary from Hot Air, Don Surber, Ed Driscoll, Gateway Pundit.

But this does raise an issue in my mind -- one that I believe every Christian ought to consider.

We believe that there is a just God in Heaven. We also believe that God is merciful. What, then, is the eternal fate of an individual like George Tiller, who professes faith in the Risen Christ even while living a scandalously sinful life? Will the God of Justice and Mercy show more of the latter or the former as such a one approaches the Judgment Seat? And if the answer is the latter, what does that tell us of the extent of God's mercy for each of us?

As for me, while I would gladly see him dealt with as justice demands, I yet hope that the balance swings towards mercy. After all -- if there is eternal hope for a blood-stained wretch like George Tiller, operator of a slaughterhouse for the most vulnerable of our fellow humans, then there is eternal hope for me as well.

Comments are open -- play nice, please.

Posted by: Greg at 11:38 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Well, the proposal has been brought to the school board in one district by the high school Student Council.

A Connecticut school district is considering a proposal to close schools on two Muslim holidays.

The Region 16 Board of Education is expected to take up the Student CouncilÂ’s proposal this week.

The board represents the towns of Prospect and Beacon Falls, Conn.

The resolution asks the board not to hold classes on the day that marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and on the day that concludes the annual observance of the pilgrimage to Mecca.

As a teacher, I have a really simple view on school calendar issues – does the proposal help or hinder school operations. That is especially true after sitting on the district committee that designed the calendar for the upcoming school year.

Is there a significant Muslim population in the district? Does keeping the school open on those Muslim holy days so significantly increase absenteeism that it impacts the operation of the schools due to low attendance? If the answers to these questions is YES, then close the schools on those days. If not, then donÂ’t. Ditto holidays for Jews and Hindus and Buddhists. But if such changes fail to improve school efficiency, then donÂ’t make the change.

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Now I realize that any case taken by the Supreme Court is more likely to see a reversal than affirmation – after all, SCOTUS is more likely to fix errors than give attaboys to circuit courts. But for a judge to have a 60% reversal rate does raise some red flags – especially when that rate may rise even further right before her confirmation hearings.

With Judge Sonia Sotomayor already facing questions over her 60 percent reversal rate, the Supreme Court could dump another problem into her lap next month if, as many legal analysts predict, the court overturns one of her rulings upholding a race-based employment decision.

Three of the five majority opinions written by Judge Sotomayor for the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals and reviewed by the Supreme Court were reversed, providing a potent line of attack raised by opponents Tuesday after President Obama announced he will nominate the 54-year-old Hispanic woman to the high court.

Of course, she has written some 380 opinions as a member of the Second Circuit. Only six have gone before the Supreme Court – but one has to be struck by the reversal rate, even if (as pointed out at PowerLine) the percentage is not out of the ordinary. Does anyone know what her overall rate of rejection by the Supreme Court is – not just cases where she wrote the decision, but also every other case on which she has participated as a judge and whether her position has been rejected or affirmed by the Supreme Court on appeal. I think such a statistic could be even more telling.

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HereÂ’s the clip.

HereÂ’s where she is right.

District courts are bound by the facts of a particular case. They are not bout broader questions of law – they are about the application of the law in a particular situation – and the interpretation of a particular judge of a particular law has no precedent value beyond that one courtroom.. The Circuit Courts (and the Supreme Court) are courts which hear appeals – and in doing so are taking a broader view of how to apply law for more than one particular case, but also for every other case that follows under that court’s jurisdiction (whether a particular circuit or the entire nation depends upon the court. As such, the rulings of an appellate court do make “policy” in a way that the decisions of trial courts do not. While her explanation is awkward, it has the virtue of being accurate – though the use of the phrase “where policy is made” justifiably sets off alarm bells for those who are concerned about activists courts.

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This is the one for all the marbles, folks – either they succeed in using the federal courts to impose gay marriage nationwide, or they hand the victory to their opponents.

Former Bush administration solicitor general Theodore Olson is part of a team that has filed suit in federal court in California seeking to overturn Proposition 8 and re-establish the right of same-sex couples to marry.

The suit argues that the state's marriage ban, upheld Tuesday by the California Supreme Court, violates the federal constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry. The complaint was filed Friday, and Olson and co-counsel David Boies -- who argued against Olson in the Bush v. Gore case -- will hold a news conference in Los Angeles Wednesday to explain the case. The conference will feature the two same-sex couples on whose behalf Olson filed suit.

The suit also asks the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to issue an injunction that would stop enforcement of Proposition 8 and allow same-sex couples to marry while the case is being decided.

"I personally think it is time that we as a nation get past distinguishing people on the basis of sexual orientation, and that a grave injustice is being done to people by making these distinctions," Olson told me Tuesday night. "I thought their cause was just."

I asked Olson about the objections of conservatives who will argue that he is asking a court to overturn the legitimately-expressed will of the people of California. "It is our position in this case that Proposition 8, as upheld by the California Supreme Court, denies federal constitutional rights under the equal protection and due process clauses of the constitution," Olson said. "The constitution protects individuals' basic rights that cannot be taken away by a vote. If the people of California had voted to ban interracial marriage, it would have been the responsibility of the courts to say that they cannot do that under the constitution. We believe that denying individuals in this category the right to lasting, loving relationships through marriage is a denial to them, on an impermissible basis, of the rights that the rest of us enjoyÂ…I also personally believe that it is wrong for us to continue to deny rights to individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation."

Technically, the suit Olson has filed is against the governor, attorney general, and other officials of the state of California. Ultimately, Olson said, it's a question that will be decided in Washington, by the Supreme Court. "This is an issue that will get to the Supreme Court, and I think it could well be this case," he said.

Now let’s make it clear what this is about – it is about federalizing gay marriage. That Fourteenth Amendment claim is nothing short of a demand that the federal courts re-write the marriage laws of every state – an act of crass judicial activism that would constitute a case of macro-evolution of the “living Constitution”. And let there be no doubt that such a ruling would constitute the overturning of separate decisions by the people of thirty different states, federalizing as a right what has always been a state matter.

Let me deal with one of Olson’s arguments – “If the people of California had voted to ban interracial marriage, it would have been the responsibility of the courts to say that they cannot do that under the constitution.” He is, of course, correct in that observation – but when one considers that the purpose of the Fourteenth Amendment was to eliminate invidious racial discrimination, it is obvious that the decision in such a case would be compelled by the language and the history of the amendment. However, the redefinition of marriage from the traditional (and biologically based) “one man, one woman” configuration to “any two adults” does something different by actually altering the essentials of marriage.

What’s more, a decision in favor of Boies & Olson and their clients will have one additional effect – it will delegitimize the federal courts in the eyes of millions of Americans. And once our courts and their decisions are seen as lacking legitimacy, the legitimacy of the other two branches is also endangered. Will the issue of gay marriage ultimately be the one upon which the survival or dissolution of the republic hinges?

Ed Morrissey, however, points out a real possibility of a very different outcome.

However, Olson may have a more limited equal-protection case with the limited class of relief the California Supreme Court created in its decision. In this case, we have 36,000 citizens in single-sex marriages recognized by the state, while refusing to recognize any others. The only delimiter is the date of the decision. A federal court might find that a violation of the equal-protection clause and overturn Proposition 8, or at least the ruling. The danger here for Olson is that a federal court might take action that invalidates those existing marriages rather than forcing California to recognize gay marriage altogether.

Wouldn’t that be special. But my fear is that the those members of the court who look for “evolving standards” and “trends” will decide that five states approving gay marriage will trump the thirty that have come down firmly on the other side. And if that happens, it may well mean the end of our republic as we know it.

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Though at least a couple of domestic terrorists want to claim it does.

"Fifty-seven percent of white voters did not vote for Obama," Dohrn said. Referring to hers and Ayers new book, Race Course: Against White Supremacy, she said, "That was the impetus for writing this book. We've got a big job to do to change those numbers."

So, a racial disparity proves racism? I guess, then, that Dohrn and Ayers concerned about the level of racism exhibited by the black community, which did not vote for John McCain somewhere in the 95% range. You know, black supremacy would have to be a bad thing, right – even worse than what the alleged white supremacy shown by a mere 57% failing to vote for a black candidate for office, given the severity of the former. Unless, of course, one is such a racist that one is unwilling to hold blacks to the same standard which one holds whites.

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Ain't it something when reality mirrors advertising?

We've all seen this commercial (one of my all-time favorites).

Well, they may not be the size of schnauzers, but we do have some mini-cattle out there.

Walking through their lowing herd of several hundred cattle, Ali and Kenny Petersen were like two Gullivers on a Lilliputian roundup.

The half-sized cows barely reached Kenny's waist. The ranch's border collie stared eye-to-eye with wandering calves.

"Aren't they sweet?" asked Ali, 52, shooing Half-Pint, Buttercup and a dozen other cattle across a holding pen. "They're my babies, every little one of them."

The Petersens once raised normal-sized bovines on this stretch of Nebraska's rolling eastern grasslands, but with skyrocketing feed costs, the couple decided to downsize.

They bought minicows -- compact cattle with stocky bodies, smaller frames and relatively tiny appetites.

Their miniature Herefords consume about half that of a full-sized cow yet produce 50% to 75% of the rib-eyes and fillets, according to researchers and budget-conscious farmers.

"We get more sirloin and less soup bone," Ali said. "People used to look at them and laugh. Now, they want to own them."

Yipiyaiyay Mini Sirloin Burgers, Yipiyaiyo Mini Sirloin Burgers, Yipiyaiyay Mini Sirloin Burgerrrrrs, Yeah!

Posted by: Greg at 07:30 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Commenting on a recent NYTimes article, Merv from PrairiePundit neatly encapsulates the definition of an oft-used political term.

Wedge issue--one where Democrats don't have good talking points

That certainly beats the definition -- quite convoluted -- at Wikipedia. And it does neatly summarize how the term is used in political analysis today -- an issue which is illegitimate to raise in a campaign due to the fact that it favors the GOP because the people support it and the Democrat leadership opposes it.

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Since everyone wants to make his American Idol loss a gay/straight thing, I suppose it is time to comment on why my wife and I both voted against him (repeatedly).

It wasn't his sexuality. After all, we are both pretty gay-friendly -- indeed, I've spoken with only two non-family members on the phone this weekend, and neither of the two is straight. Indeed, one of them certainly qualifies as my best friend. So personal feelings about sexuality didn't do it.

Neither did religion. Both of us are seminary trained, and my wife was, for a time, pastor of a church in a liberal, gay-friendly denomination.

And we both voted for Clay Aiken, assuming he was gay long before he came out of the closet, because we liked his style and were put off by the constant shilling of the judges for other contestants during that season.

So why not vote for Adam, and instead pick Kris Allen?

Easy. We didn't like the "hard sell" tactics of certain of the judges on the show. They were declaring Adam to be the winner weeks ago, even though it was not at all clear to us that he deserved the crown. I was fond of Danny & Allison -- indeed, I thought the final three should have been Adam, Allison, and Danny, with Kris disappearing when they reduced the crew to three. And of the final three, my pick would have been Danny because I liked his voice and his style. I thought Kris had the same sort of stuff going for him.

Which brings me back to Adam. Aside from the shameless shilling by the judges, there was one other problem -- Adam was too theatrical in his style. No, that isn't a code for "gay" -- it is a recognition that Adam has a long history as a stage performer, and that he sings and presents himself like a stage performer.. Indeed, his phrasing often reminded me of this.

Well, maybe not quite that bad, but Adam Lambert was just a little bit too precise in his delivery -- great for Broadway, not so much for pop or rock music. Even when he rocked out (and I'll concede, Adam gave some great rock performances) it all seemed a bit . . . artificial, sort of like the example above.

That doesn't mean that I wouldn't pay to see Adam Lambert -- I would, but probably not as a concert performer. If, however, he were to be the lead in just about any musical, I'd buy a ticket and go -- and be thoroughly pleased by his performance.

But who knows -- Adam may yet have a fantastic career as a solo artist. And I may yet become a serious fan. But my faith and his sexuality won't be factors in that change, either.

So when I see an analysis like this one, I simply have to laugh at how misguided those who put forth this thesis really are.

UPDATE: Lots of traffic on this one -- I'll open the comments for you. Play nice.

Posted by: Greg at 01:23 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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How low can he go?

Today he says this:

Obama recalled U.S. military history from the Revolutionary War through the Allied landing at Normandy, where he will travel next month to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day.

"It's about remembering each and every one of those moments when our survival as a nation came down not simply to the wisdom of our leaders or the resilience of our people, but to the courage and valor of our fighting men and women," Obama said. "For it is only by remembering these moments that we can truly appreciate a simple lesson of American life -- that what makes all we are and all we aspire to be possible are the sacrifices of an unbroken line of Americans that stretches back to our nation's founding."

Unfortunately, he's preparing to do this.

Perhaps the most controversial is a planned speech in which President Obama will formally apologize for American 'war crimes' during the Second World War. This would be particularly comforting to Europeans, who have long condemned American foreign policy actions, especially regarding civilians.

So let's make it clear -- he is willing to praise our heroic veterans today -- but will sell them out on foreign soil during his visit to Europe in June.

Just call it one more bit of proof that talk is cheap for Barry Hussein -- and that he is willing to say anything at any time if he thinks it is what his audience wants to hear.

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It is great to see the Democrat Party advance out of the nineteenth century – and move past the scourge of racism that overshadowed it for most of the twentieth century.

The city of Philadelphia, Miss., where members of the Ku Klux Klan killed three civil rights workers in 1964 in one of the eraÂ’s most infamous acts, on Tuesday elected its first black mayor.

James A. Young, a Pentecostal minister and former county supervisor, narrowly beat the incumbent, Rayburn Waddell, in the Democratic primary. There is no Republican challenger.

* * *

The city is 56 percent white, 40 percent black and 2 percent American Indian, according to the Census Bureau.

Once again, we see that a qualified black candidate who runs based upon qualifications rather than race can be elected in a majority white area -- even where Democrats are the prevailing political force and have been the main agents of racism (murderously so) for over a century and a half. So, let's move past the sort of focus on race that extends racism rather than eliminates it, and instead focus on love of country -- something which should unite all of us as Americans.

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When you are in a war zone, being in uniform is not always an option for combat.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday praised an Army soldier in eastern Afghanistan who drew media attention this month after rushing to defend his post from attack while wearing pink boxer shorts and flip-flops, Reuters reported.

Gates said in prepared remarks that he wants to meet the soldier and shake his hand the next time he visits Afghanistan.

"Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip-flops has a special kind of courage," Gates said in a speech to be delivered in New York.

"I can only wonder about the impact on the Taliban. Just imagine seeing that: a guy in pink boxers and flip-flops has you in his cross-hairs. What an incredible innovation in psychological warfare," he said.

Army Specialist Zachary Boyd, 19, of Fort Worth, Texas, rushed from his sleeping quarters on May 11 to join fellow platoon members at a base in Afghanistan's Kunar Province after the unit came under fire from Taliban positions.

A news photographer was on hand to record the image of Boyd standing at a makeshift rampart in helmet, body armor, red T-shirt and boxers emblazoned with the message: "I love NY."

This time there happened to be a photographer around when the need to fight came. I’ve heard that at Pearl Harbor there were sailors who rolled out their bunks and helped defend their ships against the Japanese – wearing boxers or less. After all, the enemy doesn’t give you a chance to dress when they attack – they want to kill you, and in or out of uniform you must stop them.

Posted by: Greg at 11:52 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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If youÂ’re like me, your computer is one more important tool during your work day. I know I depend upon my computer for a variety of tasks all day long in my classroom, everything from attendance and grading to communication to making tests and assignments. Heck, it is always great to be able to find the answer to a question when the kids leave you stumped.

But one of the nice things about my computer is that it can be checked out remotely when I have problems. The district has set up remote control software allowing the tech folks in the building and the district to troubleshoot without even coming to my room. By giving access to these folks, IT tech support people can troubleshoot computer issues in a fraction of the time.

Another benefit of accessing a computer remotely is access to files with remote desktop software. With a little bit of help, i can access files on my computer from other parts of the school. That is convenient as well, since if we are in a computer lab I can still do the work that I had been seeking to complete earlier in my classroom.

Looking for some good software to allow that sort of remote access? Consider trying Proxy Pro 6 -- its 256-bit encryption is the highest in its class, and it will allow you to both access your files remotely and have remote tech support. Isn't that just what your workplace needs?

Posted by: Greg at 09:59 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The silence is deafening, as John Hawkins points out at RWN.

(moonbat on) If Barack Obama had ever served in the military, maybe he wouldn't be so callous about sending American troops to their deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq. How many funerals of the men he has sent to their deaths has Barack Obama attended? Guess he's too busy stealing the Iraqis oil and trying to start a war with Pakistan. Oh, and why hasn't he caught Osama Bin Laden yet? Maybe he's too busy giving speeches to his adoring fans in the media, who never challenge him on anything he does in foreign policy.

And it just gets better and better. That's why John is one of the best and brightest we have in the blogosphere today.

Posted by: Greg at 11:57 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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As the greatest generation continues its march to eternity.

A Navajo Code Talker who was part of the original group recruited to develop what became an unbreakable code that confounded the Japanese during World War II has died.

John Brown Jr. died early Wednesday morning at his home in Crystal, N.M., according to his son, Frank Brown. He was 88.

Several hundred Navajos served as Code Talkers during the war, but a group of 29 that included Brown developed the code based on their native language. Their role in the war wasn't declassified until 1968.

Brown received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001 along with other members of the original Code Talkers. Less than a handful are still alive.

In an acceptance speech on behalf of the Code Talkers, Brown said he was proud that the Navajo language bestowed on them as a Holy People was used to save American lives and help defeat U.S. enemies.

As Code Talkers and Marines, he said they did their part to protect freedom and Democracy for the American people.

"It is my hope that our young people will carry on this honorable tradition as long as the grass shall grow and the rivers flow," Brown said, according to a CNN transcript.

On December 7, 1941 Brown was playing basketball when he heard word of Pearl harbor. He quickly signed up after being approached by a Marine recruiter. What happened next is nothing less than amazing.

Brown signed up and was sent to Camp Pendleton, intent on defending the United States against the Japanese. After he arrived for training, his all-Navajo platoon was told they were there for a special mission — to devise a secret code in their native language.

Navajo Code Talkers used their language to transmit military messages on enemy tactics, Japanese troop movements and other battlefield information in a code the Japanese never broke. Code Talkers took part in every assault the Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945, according to the Naval Historical Center in Washington.

After the war, the Code Talkers were told to keep their work a secret.

And they did – so secret that it was the late 1960s before their story was told to the public.

The Navajo nation has ordered its flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of John Brown, Jr. It is a fitting tribute. He was a man who showed that great things can be accomplished by ordinary men doing what is needed when confronted by extraordinary challenges. May he rest now, after what was a lifetime of service to this country and to his people, gone from among us but honored still.

And let us never forget what he and his fellow Code Talkers did.

Posted by: Greg at 11:40 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It is time for serious consideration of impeachment.

In a move aimed at healing the rifts of American foreign policy decisions, President Obama will make a trip to Europe next month, including a trip to Dresden, Germany. The trip will consist of several stops and the President will meet with the President of France and the Chancellor of Germany. Also slated are several policy speeches.

Perhaps the most controversial is a planned speech in which President Obama will formally apologize for American 'war crimes' during the Second World War. This would be particularly comforting to Europeans, who have long condemned American foreign policy actions, especially regarding civilians.

This speech will also be welcome in Germany, who had over 12,000,000 of its citizens killed during the war. Mayor Johann Krupp of Augensburg in Saxony stated to DW that the speech will "help my great-uncle's soul rest. He burned to death during the Dresden bombings."

Oh.

My.

God!

Not only were the policies pursued in winning WWII correct, the entire subsequent development of the notion of a kinder, gentler form of warfare has been a moral cul-de-sac that requires the US to endanger its own troops while encouraging the enemy to hide behind and among civilians – while doing nothing to materially increase the security of the United States. And what’s more, those who think that the US somehow owes an apology to – of all nations – GERMANY over our actions during the Second World War neglects to consider that the United States spent incredible amounts of money to rebuild our vanquished foe AND provided American troops as the bulk of Germany’s defense for the next few decades as the Russian Bear stood ready to gobble up the western half of that nation during the Cold War.

And as for you, Mayor Krupp, I’d lay odds that your great-uncle was a fervent supporter of the Nazi regime and its policies – in which case I’m sure his soul is suffering the same sort of fiery torment that his body did as we liberated your nation from itself.

Speaking as an American, I can only label this latest course of action by the Ob-amateurs in the White House to be a disgrace of historical proportions. Indeed, it makes me wish we had a parliamentary system so that We the People could vote him out of office immediately for his attempt to draw a moral equivalence between the Allies and the Axis powers.

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After all, a man with good judgment would never have picked this inept imbecile to stand a heartbeat away from the presidency.

President Obama is so "distracted by his vice president's indiscipline" that he has been forced to rebuke privately Vice President Joe Biden, according to a new book by Newsweek journalist Richard Wolffe, who interviewed Obama a dozen times.

"He can't keep his mouth shut," Wolffe quotes a "senior Obama aide" as saying of the gaffe-prone Biden in "Renegade: The Making of a President," set for release June 2.

As evidence, Wolffe reports that during the presidential transition period, Biden insulted Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama's closest friends and confidantes. Jarrett had been considered Obama's top choice to fill his vacated Senate seat in Illinois, but took herself out of the running just hours after Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich allegedly told a wiretapped conference call he would not heed any Obama recommendation without a payoff.

"Soon after Jarrett pulled out of consideration for the Senate seat, the senior transition team met to discuss Cabinet picks," Wolffe writes.

"Biden tried to compliment Jarrett after one contribution. 'You should be in the Senate,' he quipped. After the meeting, as everyone returned to their offices, Obama stopped Biden to warn him not to say anything like that again. 'It's not funny,' he told him."

And God only knows that Joe Biden has made Dan Quayle look like a rocket scientist. What possessed Obama to pick the moron for the Vice Presidency s beyond ..

I just wonder – has the jockeying for the number 2 slot in 2012 already begun?

Posted by: Greg at 11:34 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Good grief – closing Gitmo was one of the man’s campaign planks going all the way back to the beginning of his run for president. How can the Obama Administration, through the White House press secretary, now claim that closing Gitmo was a “hasty decision”?

"I don't doubt that the President--and I think he'll say this tomorrow--that we've made some hasty decisions that are now going to take some time to unwind. And closing Guantanamo Bay obviously is one of those decisions," he added.

Oh, wait – now Robert Gibbs claims that he was referring to Bush Administration decisions being hasty. But clearly that his words referred to President Obama’s decision to set a deadline for closing the detention facility for America’s terrorist foes without any plan for replacing it or dealing with the jihadi swine detained there. The only possible conclusion? It is Ob-amateur hour in the White House.

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Another planned terrorist attack on American soil, another group of Muslim perps.

Four men arrested for an alleged plot to bomb a New York synagogue and Jewish community center are expected to appear in federal court Thursday, the U.S. attorney's office said.

The men also wanted to use surface-to-air missiles to fire at U.S. military planes, said a criminal complaint filed this week in White Plains, New York.
"Four individuals were arrested for planting bombs in front of two [Jewish facilities] in the area," said Raymond Kelly, New York City police commissioner.

Three of the four were jail converts to Islam, while the fourth is highly sympathetic to the faith. And, of course, the goal was more dead Americans, and more dead Jews in particular. What other religion in this country sees its adherents plot such attacks with such frequency – especially when viewed in terms of the relative frequency to their numbers in society at large? None – just the so-called Religion of Peace. At what point do we as a nation acknowledge that this so-called faith cannot co-exist

And, of course, the Left has already begun to speak out loudly – on behalf of the terrorists and against the American government. What next? A liberal chorus of “It’s the Jews’ fault?

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This time my hero so neatly encapsulates the reason that the John Edwards scandal was not nearly so hot in press as the Mark Foley and Larry Craig scandals were.

After Obama had been nominated and Edwards was history, a few press grandees conceded that yes, maybe there was a legitimate story there, but such a sordid tale was never going to tickle the fancy of their refined sensibilities. Oddly enough, this consideration never seems to come into play with, say, Mark Foley, the Florida Republican hounded from public life after some overly tender emails to one of the more fetching Congressional pages, or Larry Craig, the Republican senator caught playing some ill-advised footsie with an undercover cop in the Minneapolis airport men’s room. Admittedly, these sex scandals are less “sordid” than Senator Edwards’: for one thing, there’s no sex in them—just some unrequited cyber-billets- doux in Foley’s case, and a bit of club-footed George Michael stall-divider semaphore in Larry Craig’s. British Tories at least have the consolation of the career-detonating sex scandal; Republicans have to make do with the career-detonating no-sex scandal.

Remember. Mark Foley wrote some weird emails to a teenager. Larry Craig may or may not have sought companionship in an airport bathroom. John Edwards trotted out his dying wife as a campaign prop at the same time he was boffing a pretty skuzzy campaign contractor and funneling campaign cash into her bank account to pay for their child.

Put differently, Foley acted creepy and Craig stupid as they inched across some moral boundaries. Edwards, on the other hand, blew across any number of moral, ethical, and legal lines like a turbocharged rocket sled. Somehow, though, the media was only interested in getting the Republicans while giving the Democrat a free pass. But maybe it wasn’t the politics, as Steyn suggests, but instead the fact that the Foley and Craig scandals were PG-12 and the Edwards scandal was NC-17 – and the latter certainly wasn’t fit for a family newspaper.

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Barack Obama speaks the truth – but somehow I don’t think he means this statement in the sense that it is actually true.

President Barack Obama plans to say in his speech Thursday that the U.S. lost its way in fighting terrorism over the last eight years by failing to trust its institutions and values, according to an administration official.

How do I think this statement is true? Simply put, too many people abandoned trust in government and the values of patriotism during a time when we were at war yet kept safe by our leaders and our military. Because the president and his senior aides concentrated on keeping America safe, those who don’t really believe in American values and institutions were able to use those values and institutions to undermine the war effort by claiming that success constituted proof there was no real threat to America – and that world opinion should matter more than American safety. The result? America became so lost and confused that we elected the most anti-American Congress in my lifetime and the most under-qualified president in our nation’s history on a platform that consisted mainly of a call to undo the policies that have kept our nation safe since 9/11.

That is, of course, what I’d like Dick Cheney to have said in his reply to Barack Obama – along with announcing his candidacy for president in 2012. But I’ll settle for accepting that Obama is right -- America is truly lost since he was elected.

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I won't say anything about who I want to win or who I think will win. I've written nothing about the show, and had planned to keep it that way.

However, the performance by Rod Stewart has broken my resolve.

Don't -- please don't -- for the love of God don't -- sing Maggie May again.

Collect your books and get on back to school? How about collect your walker and get on back to the nursing home? That is a young man's song -- and you aren't any more.

But here's the song -- a favorite from my childhood some three-and-a-half decades ago -- when you were in your prime.

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I cannot help but be struck by the case of Daniel Hauser. It is, dare I say, a heart-wrenching case.

But I'm struck by the arguments used by the courts to justify the move to force treatment.

He's not old enough to decide. This is a life and death decision beyond the years of a 13-year-old. Either his parents or the government must decide what is in his best interests, because he lacks the maturity to know.

However, if this were a pregnant 13-year-old girl (or even younger) named Danielle Hauser, and the medical decision on a matter of life and death were about abortion, we'd here about matters of "right to choose", "bodily integrity" and "not imposing anyone's morality" on her.

Why the difference?

At least in this case, the kid is deciding merely to risk his own life, not take the life of another human being.

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The Mosquito magnet trap is an easy-to-install device for your yard. This handy device provides you with mosquito-free coverage for an area of around an acre. Best of all, it is a product that can be operated any time, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It uses octenol as an attractant to draw the insects to it, increasing its ability to catch all the insects that come and swarm around your yard. Here in Houston, that is something that is really needed

Mosquito magnet has something else important going for it -- it has a fully-staffed customer service and support department that is always ready to help you. They are more than willing to work with you, and even provide online troubleshooting to help with mosquito magnet repair if you have any sort of difficulty operating the device. They can also help you replace parts and will even do little things like provide replacement manuals -- and if you are like me you will lose the manual. Their site will even help you figure out where to place your mosquito magnet! It is customer service like that which can make or break a company -- and in this case certainly makes the product one that you might give serious consideration to purchaing if you are in need of insect control in your yard.

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After all, if non-traditional, cross-racial casting is such a good thing for the bio-pic of Frank Sinatra, why not have a white guy play the slain civil rights icon? As such, I may have to join Debbie Schlussel in her call DreamWorks to give serious consideration to casting the very white, very blond Wilson as the lead.

Are you offended by the suggestion? If so, IÂ’m sure you must be equally outraged by the suggestion of Jamie Foxx as OlÂ’ Blue Eyes. After all, there is something quite silly about such casting decisions in historical or biographical features.

This puts me in mind of a discussion I had over 20 years ago when I was doing a graduate fellowship with the Coro Foundation in St. Louis. When a couple of my colleagues argued that race shouldnÂ’t matter in casting decisions, I caused quite a stir when I made the following observation.

“Sometimes race really does matter. After all, no one is going to cast me as Chaka Zulu, and there would be an uproar if someone did. When you are dealing with historical facts, such things as race and gender can and do make a difference. And since the original historical person was a white peasant girl, no matter how talented a black actress is she just cannot play Joan of Arc.”

Friends, that isn’t racism. It is common sense. Otherwise we will see such absurd things as Ben Stiller playing Barack Obama, or Morgan Freeman as Ronald Reagan. And while a bit of gender bending by John Travolta in Hairspray might be good clean fun, do we really believe that audiences will suspend their disbelief sufficiently to allow Nathan Lane to play Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in a movie – and should they even be asked to do so?

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Do you want a job in New York? After all, it is the Big Apple, and there are a lot of industries that are headquartered tehre. And like they say, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. But how do you get that job? New York jobs are easy to get if you know where to look -- or can get the right guidance. That is where realmatch.com can help you out, because they have access to jobs in any number of fields -- and you certainly need a leg up in this time of economic difficulty. So check them out to find your job.

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My darling wife, as some of you know, makes use of a wheelchair whenever she is out in public due to a medical condition that limits her physical stamina and stability. That said, she is a very clear minded and lucid thinker whose brain is not limited even as her body is. That is why I have spend the day absolutely livid over the disgusting insult directed at talented conservative columnist and pundit Charles Krauthammer by TimeÂ’s infinitely less talented Joe Klein.

“There’s something tragic about him too,” Klein said, referring to Krauthammer’s confinement to a wheelchair, the result of a diving accident during his first year of medical school. “His work would have a lot more nuance if he were able to see the situations he’s writing about.”

Whoa!

While Krauthammer may not be able to walk, he can see perfectly well, thank you very much. His disability in no way limits his ability to see what he is writing about.

On the other hand, Joe Klein clearly suffers from some sort of mental or social defect that limits his ability to think clearly or give respect to the disabled. Bravo to the many conservatives, like John Podhoretz, who have rushed to KrauthammerÂ’s defense.

Closing question – what does Joe Klein think about the music of Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, and Ronnie Milsap?

UPDATE: Klein apologizes -- by slamming his critics and his victim instead of expressing honest contrition. What a scumbag! I heartily endorse the sentiment expressed by Tom Maguire at JustOneMinute -- Stand Up, Joe Klein, So We Can Kick Your A**.

H/T Hot Air, Commentary Blog, Weekly Standard, Marbury, PoliGazette, TheBlogProf, Fausta, Jules Crittenden, OTB, The Corner, Betsy

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Potentially, according to this analysis.

Eric Fedewa, vice president of global powertrain forecasting for the auto consulting firm CSM Worldwide in Northville, Mich., said the changes will make pickups so much more expensive that they will be used almost exclusively for work.

In other words, Barack Obama may be incredibly pro-choice when it comes to abortion, but not when it comes to the vehicles you are able to drive. The increased CAFÉ standard will constitute a hidden federal tax on every vehicle, and price you right out of the market for what you really want.

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A couple of weeks ago, I asked the following questions after reports surfaced about the US military burning Bibles sent to Afghanistan.

I’m curious – will there be riots in the streets over this? Will there be an investigation of who gave the order, and apologies to offended Christians like happened when it was falsely reported that a Koran may have been desecrated at Gitmo? Or since Christians don't riot or issue fatwas, will the US government simply ignore the offense given? And will the liberals who expressed outrage that soldiers might share the Gospel with Muslims express their revulsion at this act of official desecration of Christian religious texts by the US government?

ABCNews reporter Jake Tapper is covering the story now, and offers this question.

On May 5, Army spokeswoman Major Jennifer Willis told Reuters that at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan "the Bibles shown on Al Jazeera's clip were, in fact, collected by the chaplains and later destroyed. They were never distributed."

Today, Christian Broadcasting's David Brody says "the Bibles were burned because the rules on the base say that all garbage is burned at the end of the day. But just asking here; if the U.S. Military seized a stack full of Korans, would they be burned? You think that might cause a little outrage in the Muslim world?"

Indeed, how quickly would a court martial ensue for those involved in burning a stack of Korans?

Seems to me that the time has come for us to move from the notion of turning the other cheek and instead consider that it may be time to look to the words of Christ found in Luke 22:36.

“But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.”

After all, our own government has seen fit to burn the book accepted as Scripture by the overwhelming majority of Americans in order to curry favor with the enemies of America.

And I'm opening comments on this one, so folks can respond here if they wish.

Posted by: Greg at 11:00 AM | Comments (27) | Add Comment
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Are you looking for a new web hos tfor your site? There are lots of reasons for doing so, of course, but they all add up to one thing on some level -- you are not happy with your current host and want to make a change. This is especially true with folks using free blog hosting services, since there are limitations to such sites and sites hosted on them may not be taken seriously by some folks. Well. there are a lot of things you might want to consider as you look -- and there is a great web hosting rating website full of web hosting articles that you might want to consider before making your choice. After all, they are a clearinghouse for a lot of information about web hosting. I know that I never considered a point made by one article I saw that the presence of certain "bad sites" on a hosts servers might lead to the blacklisting of my site as well. That would be a disaster for building my traffic at my site -- and would be worse for an ecommerce site. So if you are looking to make a change, drop by and do some research first. You won't be sorry.

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But then again, some folks are simply pathetic losers. Russ Feingold proves he is one of them.

Republicans are trying to pass legislation in the next few weeks to kick off the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Ronald ReaganÂ’s birth, and the only hurdle appears to be Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), who is refusing to let the Senate vote on the bill.

Seems that Feingold has a somewhat more controversial resolution creating panels to study the treatment of German and Italian Americans and Jewish refugees during World War II. That he wants passed. Knowing his proposal canÂ’t stand alone, heÂ’d prefer to insult the memory of an American president by delaying the proper commemoration of his birth.

Why, I wonder, doesnÂ’t Feingold seek to attach his resolution to the appropriation for maintaining some historical site connected to FDR, who implemented the policies that the Senator wants studied? Seems like that would be more appropriate.

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As a child he was a hero to me.

As an adult he has become an object of scorn.

But regardless, Teddy Kennedy is a human being, and I join with his friends and family in rejoicing at this news.

Sen. Edward KennedyÂ’s brain cancer is in remission, and the Massachusetts Democrat is expected back in the Senate after the Memorial Day recess, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

As much as I would love to see him out of the Senate, IÂ’d rather that neither death nor ill health were the vehicles by which that happened. May the remission be complete and extended.

UPDATE: Harry Reid is an idiot -- the story is apparently baseless. Heartbreaking, and needlessly cruel. So my prayers continue for a miracle to touch Senator Kennedy's life.

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And have no doubt – that is precisely what he is seeking. After all, if you are going to make the decision to prosecute for the reasons given by Lanny Davis, then there is no other way to view the matter than as a political show trial.

I have changed my mind about the need to indict former Vice President Dick Cheney for complicity in illegal torture.

His insistence on putting himself on multiple TV programs and conservative radio talk shows, not only defending torture but offering the defense that it worked, has changed my mind. Not only that - he went on to attack Mr. Obama as weakening the United States in the war on terrorism because Mr. Obama immediately announced that torture would no longer be allowed.

Dem's fighting words. They are also, in my view, reckless and irresponsible. They seem to be laying down a marker that in case, God forbid, there is a terrorist attack, Mr. Cheney can be the first to blame it on Mr. Obama's policies and say, "I told you so."

For all the words that follow attempting to somehow justify trying Cheney – and only Cheney – it still comes back to Cheney’s daring to dissent from the Obama orthodoxy on enhanced interrogation and how to deal with detained jihadis. Such temerity cannot be allowed to stand in the eyes of Lanny Davis, and merits the use of the full weight of the federal government to destroy one of those whose experience renders him among the best qualified to judge the policies of the new administration.

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Even if the president and his subordinates do not take most of AmericaÂ’s immigration laws seriously, at least they do seem interested in ridding the country of those illegal immigrants who break other laws.

The Obama administration is expanding a program initiated by President George W. Bush aimed at checking the immigration status of virtually every person booked into local jails. In four years, the measure could result in a tenfold increase in illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes and identified for deportation, current and former U.S. officials said.

By matching inmates' fingerprints to federal immigration databases, authorities hope to pinpoint deportable illegal immigrants before they are released from custody. Inmates in federal and state prisons already are screened. But authorities generally lack the time and staff to do the same at local jails, which house up to twice as many illegal immigrants at any time and where inmates come and go more quickly.

The effort is likely to significantly reshape immigration enforcement, current and former executive branch officials said. It comes as the Obama administration and Democratic leaders in Congress vow to crack down on illegal immigrants who commit crimes, rather than those who otherwise abide by the law.

Of course, every single illegal immigrant violates our nation’s laws by virtue of their presence on our soil. That said, I can accept the notion that it is best to get rid of the more serious lawbreakers among them. Still, it is too bad that there is a reluctance to work to remove every illegal from our soil – especially at a time that we are seeing so many leave voluntarily for economic reasons.

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So much for the strength of the Democrats.

Nearly half of Nevadans have had enough of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as the powerful Democrat heads into his re-election campaign, a new Las Vegas Review-Journal poll finds.

About a third of the state's voters would re-elect Reid if the 2010 election were held today, according to the poll, but 45 percent say they would definitely vote to replace him. Seventeen percent would consider another candidate.

The findings are echoed by another poll question about Reid's popularity that finds the four-term incumbent to be a polarizing figure in his home state.

Half of Nevada voters had an unfavorable view of Reid, while 38 percent had a favorable view and 11 percent a neutral opinion.

Imagine that – the top Democrat in the Senate is being repudiated by a plurality of voters in his home state, even without knowing for sure who his opponent(s) will be. That, my friends, betrays a serious weakness of both the man and his party.

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And no doubt it will again be rejected by the Palestinians, who are unwilling to accept IsraelÂ’s perfectly reasonable precondition for making it happen.

Netanyahu did say Palestinians should govern themselves and he is ready to start talks right away as long as Palestinians immediately recognize the Jewish state.

"We don't want to govern the Palestinians, we want to live peacefully, we want them to govern themselves absent a handful of powers that could endanger the state of Israel. And to this end there is a clear goal, the goal has to be an end to conflict," Netanyahu said.

But interestingly enough, Obama tried to make it sound like Israel, and not the two terrorist organizations that serve as the voices of the Palestinians, is the problem. In this he is merely parroting the opinion of an international community that has never really rejected anti-Semitism and therefore fails to note that Israel has been in a 60 year battle for its existence against Arab aggression. To insist that both sides begin with a recognition of the other’s fundamental right to exist and govern itself is not a burden – it is a minimum precondition for good-faith discussion of every other point.

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Remember the Clinton Administration? You know, when there was a spike in the number of audits of conservative groups and administration opponents – often at the apparent instigation of Democrat public officials both inside and outside of the executive branch. Well, President Obama has raised the specter of such shenanigans again in a thoroughly inappropriate way, as noted by ol’ Insty himself, Professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds.

At his Arizona State University commencement speech last Wednesday, Mr. Obama noted that ASU had refused to grant him an honorary degree, citing his lack of experience, and the controversy this had caused. He then demonstrated ASU's point by remarking, "I really thought this was much ado about nothing, but I do think we all learned an important lesson. I learned never again to pick another team over the Sun Devils in my NCAA brackets. . . . President [Michael] Crowe and the Board of Regents will soon learn all about being audited by the IRS."

I’d like to believe that Barack Obama was only joking when he made this unfortunate quip. But we’ve already seen the administration turn the dogs on those who have dared to oppose Obama’s plans and policies, to the point of officially questioning the patriotism who have other views on the stimulus package or the Chrysler bailout. Is it too hard to imagine a series of tax audits of White House “enemies” – especially after the favorable treatment given to the tax scofflaws nominated to office by Obama?

Many of us questioned ObamaÂ’s readiness to be AmericaÂ’s Chief Executive during last yearÂ’s campaign. This is just the sort of move that serves to reinforce those questions.

Posted by: Greg at 11:23 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The last time I checked, the primary process was all about selecting the best candidate for office. It only works if those involved are free to support the candidate of their choice – provided they do, in fact, get behind the eventual nominee of the party. That’s why the tactic adopted by Brian Moran in the Democrat primary for governor in Virginia is a potentially damaging one to the entire process.

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Brian Moran is hammering his Democratic primary rival Terry McAuliffe for backing Hillary Clinton instead of Barack Obama throughout much of the presidential race.

The Moran campaign is hoping a new 60-second radio ad running on black radio stations in Virginia will remind African-American voters — likely to be a crucial voting block in the June 9 Democratic primary — of McAuliffe's full-throated support for Clinton.

"Terry McAuliffe may have a lot of big money for his campaign, but don't let that hide the truth," the ad's narrator says. "The truth is, Terry McAuliffe led the campaign that ran the '3 a.m.' attack ad against Barack Obama. McAuliffe worked to put up the ads that questioned Obama's ability to be president."

Frankly, I know of no one who questioned ObamaÂ’s ABILITY to be president. On the other hand, a lot of folks on the Democrat side had serious questions about his READINESS to be president based upon his relative lack of experience. It is interesting to note that McAuliffe became a strong supporter of Obama after Hillary Clinton got out of the race for the nomination. In that, he proved to be a loyal Democrat.

Of course, if Moran wants to argue that those who didn’t support Obama from the beginning are not good Democrats, that’s fine. It will serve the GOP well in the general election, when the Republicans seek to woo those who are more moderate and inclined to hear the GOP message – and those who are already becoming disaffected with Obama’s policies.

Posted by: Greg at 11:22 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I wonder, though, precisely what sort of Islam will be taught at this university.

A group of American Muslims, led by two prominent scholars, is moving closer to fulfilling a vision of founding the first four-year accredited Islamic college in the United States, what some are calling a "Muslim Georgetown."

Advisers to the project have scheduled a June vote to decide whether the proposed Zaytuna College can open in the fall of next year, a major step toward developing the faith in America.

Imam Zaid Shakir and Sheik Hamza Yusuf of California have spent years planning the school, which will offer a liberal arts education and training in Islamic scholarship. Shakir, a California native, sees the school in the tradition of other religious groups that formed universities to educate leaders and carve a space in the mainstream of American life.

And may I say that this last point could be the most important. Will we begin seeing the development of a Muslim leadership born, raised, and educated in an environment of American religious pluralism who are therefore open to that way of life? Or are we going to see the development of a radical elite educated in this country, who are trying to mainstream the worst that Islam has to offer (as exemplified by American Muslims convicted of jihadi terrorist activities)? I am hoping for the former, which I believe would benefit both America and Islam.

Posted by: Greg at 11:18 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Were it not for Alec BaldwinÂ’s threats of violence against political opponents. Instead, IÂ’m actually much more amused by this threat of violence against Baldwin by a politician.

Alec Baldwin's joke about getting a Filipino mail-order bride provoked a sharp response in the Philippines, with one senator saying Monday that the "30 Rock" star faces violence if he ever visits.

Baldwin, 51, who is divorced with a teenage daughter, said in a May 12 interview on "The Late Show" with David Letterman that he would love to have more children.

The Emmy-winning actor quipped that he was "thinking about getting a Filipino mail-order bride at this point ... or a Russian one."

Baldwin has been involved in a bitter dispute with his ex-wife, Oscar-winning actress Kim Basinger, over custody of their 13-year-old daughter, Ireland.

Philippine Sen. Ramon Revilla said Monday that Baldwin's comment was "insensitive and uncalled for" and an insult to millions of Filipinos.

He called the actor "arrogant" and said he is apparently unaware that the Philippines has a law against mail-order brides.

"Let him try to come here in the Philippines and he'll see mayhem," Revilla said, using a local idiom that implies the speaker will personally administer a beating.

What I particularly love is that Baldwin has pissed of the Filipino version of Chuck Norris. HereÂ’s hoping that Senator Revilla administers a good ass-kicking when he gets the chance.

Posted by: Greg at 11:17 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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