Ooops, I spoke too soon about that press release....

A must look by Dog of Flanders. Only fpor Tom, Scott, Mark and other real men. We do produce other things than chocolate and beer ya know.

Ok ok, my level has recently sunk to rock-bottom. Tomorrow I will post something sane.

Guess this was just one of those unsolicited opinions.

A must read op ed by Rumsfeld in, yes, the New York Times.
Hat tip to Mark at A New Birth of Freedom.

Nice comment by de Villepin today:
"Terrorism didn't exist in Iraq before," Dominique de Villepin told Le Monde newspaper. "Today, it is one of the world's principal sources of world terrorism."

No, terrorism didn't exist before, it didn't need to because there was a much larger threat to keep people in line, abject terror. Which one targets more of the population, hmmm...let's see, how many did Saddam kill in a year vs. how many killed in terrorist attacks in the past year in Iraq?

Hey guys, I bet that you all thought that I was kidding about getting some conservative speakers at Bowdoin. Nope, just so happens that I have been working the Student Affairs Department and just got a response from the Chairman of the Maine College Republicans, who luckily for me, happens to be at Bowdoin. Check out the site. Andrew Sullivan apparently spoke at Colby last week. Jonah Goldberg has implied that if I can get him invited, he will come. With his unique humor, he may be better received by a college age audience in particular, though I'd love to see Sowell or anyone else of that caliber speak up here.

Here's an entertaining exchange between Neal Boortz and some poor unsuspecting lefty. I particularly like the way Boortz finished this one. How many times have we all had this same conversation...

The anti-Bush sentiment in Europe, coupled with ongoing terrorist attacks, could persuade other coalition members to call it quits, just as Spain has. With Kerry in the White House, relations with Europe (at least the non coalition states) would likely improve, which might make it more difficult for AQ to sever the ties between The US and Europe.


I think that this is the key part of the argument one way or the other.
First of all is anti-Bush sentiment in Europe equal to anti-America sentiment? Yes and no. Yes, as long as Bush is in power. No, if we want to become more like Europe. We have a vision, based on our experience of the way that the world works, they have a vision based on their experience (damned if I can see it, but let's say for argument's sake) and they are not the same. Scott, you are the one that said appeasement has never worked in the history of Europe. Never. It really doesn't matter if it is more difficult for AQ to sever ties between America and Europe if we have better relations, because better relations rest on us "becoming more like Europe", or taking direction from them, with the particular countries in question. They won't have to sever relations, because we'll all be more concerned about the money that we're getting, or the economy being strong, (a la until 9/11) than we are what AQ is planning. Hell, it won't just give them more time to get nuclear weapons, it'd give them more people to get it from! We're the only ones breathing down everyone's necks to try to secure the west. Yeah, there's co operation in Europe, because we are FORCING it, not because we are saying "pretty please" like Kerry would. How do I know he would, because he's a flip flopper, he's Clintonian in that way, he rolls with the polls....they'd have him under their French little finger so fast it would be scary.

With Kerry in the White House relations might improve ONLY because Kerry would pander to the Europeans, or at least make it look like he is (which has always been my parents' contention, Bush isn't "diplomatic" enough in his dealings). Kerry's latest contention is that he would have done just this, been more able to "get the UN on board". Knowing as we do, the dealings that France, Germany, and Russia in particular made with Iraq, I personally don't think I'd particularly want them in Iraq. They have too many reasons to gain if Iraq was to fail in it's quest for democracy.

I think it is important to understand that there is a difference between Afghanistan and Iraq for this reason. The real difference is who had an interest in the outcome. Nobody cared if we were going into Afghanistan really, no natural resources to fight over, no loss for Europe. Iraq, well that's different. If, as we have seen, there were that many barrels of oil exchanged with Russia in Iraq, doesn't it lead you to believe that maybe those countries protesting have more to lose than just Iraq? What back door deals have been made with Iran, Syria, China, North Korea? (Ooops, I forgot, Clinton already gave China what they needed...)

No, seriously, though, the argument is somewhat of a mute point since it depends on whether we are recognizing Iraq as part of the "War on Terror", which we do, or not which the Europeans don't for the most part.

It's not that those extra forces from France, Germany, and Russia wouldn't help us, it's that they won't.

Following this logic I believe that AQ has much more to gain from Kerry being in the White House than they do from Bush. I can see the point that after four more years, as firm as Bush stands if AQ keeps up the pressure then in 2008, there could be a huge tilt left, but if in that four years Iraq starts to see success as a democratic form of government, and Iran continues toward democracy as they are, it's too late, they've lost ground in their largest holdout, and that's why they are so desperate in their attacks in Iraq right now.

A friend of mine made an interesting point yesterday. We were talking about the ramifications of the Spain elections, and the point came up the the Spain electorate essentially just told Al Qaeda that they should attack us just before our presidential election in November, in hopes to achieve similar results. His point was that perhaps Al Qaeda would rather have Bush in office rather than Kerry. This sounded preposterous to me at first, but it's interesting when you think about it. If AQ is looking in the long term to defeat us, it may be easier for them to do this if they can completely isolate us from the international community first. The best way to do this would be to continue to attack coalition members other than the US with Bush still in the White House. The anti-Bush sentiment in Europe, coupled with ongoing terrorist attacks, could persuade other coalition members to call it quits, just as Spain has. With Kerry in the White House, relations with Europe (at least the non coalition states) would likely improve, which might make it more difficult for AQ to sever the ties between The US and Europe. AQ has shown considerable patience in the past. It might be that the answer to the question "Who would Osama vote for?" is different than you may think.

This day is filled with bad news...maybe I will go get some Guinness after all. Actually, the heck with that, a whiskey sounds more appropriate after reading this.

DAMN IT ALL! I'M SO SICK OF THESE MONSTERS! NOW THEY'VE BOMBED A HOTEL IN BAGDHAD.

Being Irish and all that, Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Have some champ for dinner tonight...mmmm!
BTW,
Do us Irish still get extra kisses on this day?

Kerry's campaign makes a typically vague statement trying to distance themselves from Dean's comment's with a "that's not our position" comment.

Well, that clarifies what your position is, doesn't it? While Dean is despicable and moronic, at least he has the guts to say what he believes. Kerry's so much more the politician.

Article here via Drudge.

That this is even a discussion makes me sick.
Dr. Dean can go away now please.

And why, oh why, do I have to share a name with John Kerry? Bloody hell, it makes me cringe.

Brilliant.

This could be the beginning of the end for the mullahcracy in Iran. We can hope. Yeah, George W. Bush is such an idiot...

Foreign leaders for Kerry website.

Let me paraphrase this little article on guess what? A terror threat in France!

Dear France,
We know that you thought that by trading arms with us for oil and money, by blocking the UN resolution to go to war with Iraq, that your appeasement would pay off.
Thanks for the gifts, but we're here to win.
"The Terrorists"

Imagine that!

Who believes this?

Kerry speaking in West Virginia:

He blamed Gore's loss in West Virginia on his failure to respond to Republican criticisms of his stance on gun control in the state, where hunting and legal firearm ownership are part of the social fabric.

Kerry said that won't happen to him. "I'm a gun owner. I've been a hunter since I was about 12 years old," he said. "My position is very clear. I support the Second Amendment."

The truth lies here.

Not to beat a dead horse, but here's an excellent op ed by Mark Steyn.

Best line: "Put a baguette in it."

In this story via Drudge, we find that Israel and us lonely Americans seem to be the only ones willing to aggressively fight terror.
Here's hoping that Israel is able to decimate Hamas...

Maybe we should put up the flag of Israel. They just lost another 10 people, and if you add up all of the ones that they've lost to terrorists, I'm sure it would easily add up to Spain's 200, but at least they have learned the lessons of appeasement.

Huh. Imagine that. Those giant, dumbass, enviropussy windmills aren't very efficient and are about 2.5 times more expensive than nuclear power.

Who'd have thunk it?

Me.

One line stood out to me in this CNN piece on the Spanish election.

[Zapatero said he wanted "cordial" ties with Washington but "magnificent" relations with France and Germany.]

You've got it, Zapatero. We'd be more than happy to leave you to rot in "post modern" Europe with those other morally and intellectually bankrupt nations. Enjoy your Socialist utopia while you can. It will be a cruel irony the day you realize that you helped usher in the second Islamic conquest of Spain.

Memo to John Kerry: Don't mess with Colin Powell.

Even most Bush haters don't believe he's any kind of a "puppet" of the administration. No equivalency in the argument here.

Assclown. Imagine that: "operations were conducted in ways that sometimes risked injuring civilians." In a war? No way!



Stupid fuck.

A quote from Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission:

"It is clear that using force is not the answer to resolving the conflict with terrorists,' Prodi said. 'Terrorism is infinitely more powerful than a year ago,' and all of Europe now feels threatened, he told the paper."

Stupid fuck.


EDIT: You beat me to the punch Kerry, but I'm leaving my post up too because I'm pissed.

Read it and weep.

This part in particular, Michael, should show you where our fears of an EU began....

"Wars such as that which has occurred in Iraq only allow hatred, violence and terror to proliferate," he said.

The head of the EU executive arm, European Commission chief Romano Prodi, agreed, in an interview published by Italy's La Stampa newspaper Monday.

"It is clear that using force is not the answer to resolving the conflict with terrorists," Prodi said. "Terrorism is infinitely more powerful than a year ago," and all of Europe now feels threatened, he told the paper.


Think these guys ever talk to the Alaas, Omars, Mohammeds, Zeyads, Alis, ad infinitum in Iraq? I don't. Interesting how our response of strength has kept our country free of attacks internally for two and a half years, but Europe is more scared than ever and it is in full appeasement mode.

Of course the pol sites are full of lament over Spain today. There are many interesting theories floating around, the one that pleases me most is the idea that this will be a wakeup and mobilization call for those in Europe that TRULY stand with us against terrorism. As many have pointed out, whether it was AQ or Basque it was terrorists, it isn't that the socialist party won, it is that they won on a platform of appeasement to terror.

On another topic...there was this post regarding Rumsfeld yesterday, and after poor Tom was trying so hard to keep it together at a family dinner as his parents railed against his hero last evening I thought that he'd enjoy this...

From NRO's Corner:
So Rumsfeld is under attack for having a piece of the plane that crashed into the Pentagon on display in his office. Blogger Jeff Jarvis says what needs to be said:

”Well, I say he should keep it there. And he should give it to his successor, who should never forget whom we're fighting and what we're protecting. And I'll go farther: Take a piece of debris from the Towers and put it in the lobby of the FBI under a sign that says, "Remember." Take a piece of the debris and put it in the Office of Homeland Security under a sign that says, "Never again." Take a piece of that day and put it in the Oval Office and drill it into the wall so every President from now on will remember his or her first and most important job: protecting the people of America. And while we're at it, why not take a piece and put it in a frame and give it to every congressman and every newspaper editor and every network news head and send one to every delegate in the U.N. with a sign that says, "This is what we are fighting for.""

Now you know why I love Jeff Jarvis. Jeff Jarvis is a self described liberal. He, like Zell Miller, remembers what the word liberal really means, it shares roots with the word liberty.

With the amazing success of the film "The Passion of the Christ" and despite the fact that all of the beautiful people in Hollywood tooled on it, this was inevitable.

Ladies and Gentlemen, BREAKING NEWS:
AL QAEDA THANKS SPANIARDS.

Scott, I watched BBC. How DARE you be so naïve! Noooooo, nothing on the demos in Iran and Syria. But check out the last paragraph on how PM Aznar is thanked for an excellent record as Prime Minister and wartime leader.

Europe is lost. Europeans have become sheep.

This is a black, black day. I'm very sorry for the victims, Tom, but I wouldn't mind if you removed the Spanish flag. Clement Atlee is in charge now. Worse, Neville Chamberlain.

This is a good thing, sends the right message. I have seen some reports over the last few months discussing a U.S. foray into the Bekaa Valley to crush Hizbollah. Assad must be feeling a bit like Muammar Khadaffi about now.....

Damnit! If this is true.....

Official Says He Was Told To Withhold Medicare Data

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Some good news in the war on terror. Protests in Iran and Syria(!). Yeah, George W. Bush is such an idiot...

Now, if only we could see some of this Europe. Lead on, Michael!