Dagney's Rant

"Dear Mr. President,

I do not understand the administration's position on the port deal with the U.A.E. company. You cannot make a sweeping declaration that a company in any part of the Arab world can be certified as safe. It cannot be done! The Arab world is full of Islamofacists who are becoming more and more sophisticated in not being detected, and there is no way you can guarantee that they will not infiltrate this company, and put our ports and our country at risk. Though it may be possible for the same to happen with an American company, it is almost certain to happen in an Arab company.

Please, Mr. President, do not make me agree with Chuckles Schumer, he's normally such a joke! On this issue, however, I do have to agree with him.

As a blogger, at Dagney's Rant, you should know I am a frequent fan of yours, and an avid supporter, but this issue tells me that someone in your administration is out of touch! This is a bonehead decision! I don't care what deal was made with whom to get this okayed, it must not be allowed! As it stands, history will show your presidency began a new dawn for democracy in the middle east. Please do not jeopardize that page in the history books, by bringing Arab companies into a position to allow irreparable harm to come to our shores! This is an accident waiting to happen!

With all sincerity,"

I did my part, did you do yours? The address is president@whitehouse.gov The more who write, the better the chance we'll be heard. My subject line read, "Please don't make me agree with Chuck Schumer!"

Has Anyone Seen This?

Was this a front page story in your daily newspaper? No? Really? Has anyone asked why not? Well, I am doing that now! [If you do not see "Secret Saddam Tapes Revealed", scroll down.] This story is not the real reason for this post. The real reason I am writing it is to ask the question that is really, as Major Dad would put it, the elephant in the room.

What has happened to journalism in America? Granted, it has been biased for many years. Many of us just didn't realize we were only getting editorials, not news stories, when Cronkite, et al were spoon feeding us their version of the truth. Those of us who did, felt powerless to correct them, when there was a monopoly of NBC, ABC, CBS & NYT. I think that the situation is worse than that, today. This past week has been an excellent example. I love Thomas Sowell's take on it;

"They are also angry that the news was not given to them more quickly, which prevented it from becoming the feeding frenzy of the Sunday television talk shows. Whether this delay was deliberate or otherwise, it is being called a "cover-up" in the media, as if there were some crime to cover up.

NBC White House correspondent David Gregory was shouting at White House press secretary Scott McClellan, as if Mr. Gregory's Constitutional rights were being violated. It was a classic example of a special interest demanding special privileges -- as if they were rights.

There is nothing in the Constitution or the laws that says that the media have a right to be in the White House at all, much less to have press conferences. "

It's fairly obvious that this brand of journalist, i.e., the D.C. corps, does not feel as though they have any responsibilities. They expect to be spoon fed their stories, but only if it might make President Bush or someone in his administration look bad.

Today, we must look to Drudge, Rush, Sean, & Laura, or bloggers such as LGF, Power Line for the truth about what's going on in Iraq, Afghanistan, even here at home! Power Line has an example of what I am talking about, particularly with respect to the media's response to Americans today;

"I was curious about her experience and I asked her about the flights. She immediately expressed her anger and frustration with what Americans did not know. She explained there were schools and sewer systems being built and soldiers going back tour after tour. She said she would do anything to get the word out because Americans just "don't have a clue." I explained that some of us do. She was obviously emotional over the media circus surrounding the war and it was clear this was discussed with the soldiers on these very long flights. She is very supportive and has been given letters and medals from some of the soldiers she has met. It was a captivating conversation. Even though I know the situation in Iraq is much better than I'm being told, it was still very emotional to hear first hand what has been going on in Iraq and with the soldiers. She is in Edina until March 1st when she leaves to go back to Iraq. She said she would be there now if she wasn't having minor health problems."

Laura Ingraham has some pictures of her recent visit to Iraq that are more than worth taking your time to look at here. Can someone please tell me why the MSM, who has the same access in Iraq as Ms. Ingraham, has never shown us photos like these?

Here's another question for you; why is it that MSM refuses to print the cartoon that started this sort of behavior?

"A Pakistani cleric announced a $1 million bounty for killing a cartoonist who drew the Prophet Muhammad as thousands joined street protests after Friday prayers.

Denmark, which first published the cartoons, temporarily closed its embassy and advised its citizens to leave Pakistan. "

Are we going to allow Islamofacist terrorists to win the day by not printing the ridiculous picture by which they excuse these deeds? Have the terrorists robbed us of our freedom? Oops, no...that would be George W. Bush robbing us of freedom, according to these same so-called journalists.

Without a free and unfettered press, we are in danger of losing the freedoms our forefathers laid out for us. Thank you, bloggers & talk radio, for insuring this does not happen. Thank you for your willingness to pick up the task today's journalists have left undone! [Ouch! Patting oneself on the back can be painful ;-) ]

Unfortunate Cheney Update, And More!

The Cheney hunting story seems to have taken on a life of its own...which is pathetic! So to update that portion of my previous post, I offer this from the Corpus Christi Caller Times (annoying registration required, so I'll copy/paste);

"SARITA - The Kenedy County Sheriff's Department feels at home with the Secret Service and the powerful people who go hunting on the Armstrong Ranch, but is out of its comfort zone with the media circus that the hunting accident involving Vice President Dick Cheney has attracted.

Sheriff Ramon Salinas III said no one in the federal government has told him or his deputies how to do their job. He was the one who decided not to go to the ranch to investigate until Sunday, the day after Cheney shot and wounded Austin lawyer Harry Whittington on a quail hunt. Salinas based the decision on witness accounts and advice from people on the ranch he knows and trusts, including a former sheriff.

"Everybody's been saying there's a cover-up from the time they heard about this," he said. "That is not true."

Salinas said he was barbecuing with his family at 5:30 p.m. Saturday when he received a call from sheriff's Capt. Charles Kirk.
"He told me he heard of a possible hunting accident on Armstrong Ranch," Salinas said.

Minutes later, Salinas got a call from a U.S. Secret Service agent.
"He said the reason he was calling was to officially notify the sheriff's department that the vice president was involved in that shooting accident."

Soon after, Salinas said, Kirk called him from the Armstrong Ranch gate. He told him he was there with a U.S. Border Patrol agent who didn't know what was going on.

"I told him don't worry about it. I'll make a call," Salinas said.
Salinas called Precinct 3 Constable Ramiro Medellin Jr., a former sheriff who lives on Armstrong Ranch and works as a ranch hand. Medellin called Salinas back and confirmed the incident was an accident.

It was at this point that Salinas decided to wait until the next morning to send Chief Deputy Gilberto San Miguel Jr. to investigate.

"We've known these people (witnesses) for years. They are honest and wouldn't call us, telling us a lie," Salinas said. "I talked to an eyewitness who said it was a definite accident. We knew Mr. Whittington was being cared for."

He told a Secret Service agent who called him that he would send San Miguel to the ranch at 8 a.m. Sunday.

Interviewing Cheney

San Miguel arrived at the Armstrong Ranch gate shortly after 8 a.m. After he reported to the Main House, his vehicle was inspected - a regular protocol on the ranch.

Then, he parked and was escorted by a Secret Service agent to meet Cheney.

"I was introduced to Mr. Cheney and I sat down and spoke to him about what had happened. I can tell you Mr. Cheney cooperated with me and explained everything," San Miguel said, refusing to go into detail about the 30-45 minute interview.

"I could tell he was still upset. He was very, very upset. He came, shook my hand and told me he was willing to cooperate with whatever I needed."

Mutual respect

Salinas and San Miguel said the Secret Service has utmost respect for their department, a relationship that has been refined through the years, through the vice president's visits to the area.

"They don't treat us like a backdoor police department, like someone under them," Salinas said.

Salinas said Cheney visits yearly and his department is contacted to assist with the motorcade.

"It's a multi-departmental effort," Salinas said. "It is DPS, Kleberg County, Border Patrol and us. We all help as a courtesy. They've (Secret Service) always told us they can't do this without our help."

Salinas said the same courtesies were afforded to "Daddy Bush" during his hunting visits. Others get courtesy services as well, San Miguel said.

"When undocumented immigrants' lives are at stake we escort the ambulance to the hospital. When people die, we do the funeral escort. We don't charge for these services."

The investigation

San Miguel said the case was not investigated as a criminal incident. He also noted that there were no 911 calls or radio transmissions between dispatchers and deputies because the calls went to the sheriff's home.

San Miguel and Lt. Juan Guzman interviewed Whittington at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial on Monday, San Miguel said. He wouldn't divulge details of that interview until the report was complete but said Whittington was in good spirits.

Salinas and San Miguel said no one told them not to make details of the incident public, nor were they told how to investigate.

The department has not released an incident report, but will do so, Salinas and San Miguel said. The crush of national media has slowed the department, they said.

"We'll get it, it just takes time," San Miguel said, adding that normally no details are divulged until the report is complete. "We want this report to be accurate."

Media frenzy

"We're just everyday small town people. We aren't used to this attention," San Miguel said as he and Salinas took a toll of the open records request faxes and phone call messages from the nation's largest media outlets: CNN, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, ABC News, and several others.

The calls from the media have been non-stop, they said. One business contact said it took her five hours to get an open phone line, San Miguel said. There are two phone lines at the department.

"It's been overwhelming for us," San Miguel said.

"They don't want to believe it's just an accident," Salinas said.
San Miguel and Salinas walked from their office to the empty front lobby, both taking a look from left to right.

San Miguel caught himself and laughed, remembering the mob of reporters who camped at the department Monday.
"See, we're even looking for them now."

Okay. Now that we have that garbage out of the way, can we PLEEAASE move on the more important matters?

I'm looking at Sean Hannity's program...oops...Hannity and Colmes program tonight. Dick Morris is apparently looking for a job in the next Donk leadership group...he must demand a huge retainer. He's suggesting the same bullcrap that so many of the left leaning sites have said, i.e. "Cheney was drunk", etc.

Flash for you, Dick, Shrillary still does not like you, so please read the above, and stop fishing for election jobs! If Slick Willie convinces her to hire you, we'll know what to expect!

Meanwhile, the good news is, for the first time in my memory, I agree with Chuckles...Schumer, that is....with his position on this issue;

"US Senator Chuck Schumer, who voiced concerns earlier in the week about the takeover, was joined in the letter by three other senators and three members of the House of Representatives.

"This United Arab Emirates government-owned and operated company could be perfectly qualified to operate ports around the world, but the question that needs to be answered is whether or not they can be trusted to operate our ports in this post 9-11 world," Schumer said.
"The administration needs to take another look at this deal."

The US Committee on Foreign Investment, which is part of the Treasury Department, approved the 6.8-billion-dollar deal between the ports' current British manager and Dubai Ports World, that will make the UAE firm manager of facilities in New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, Miami, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

"Handing the keys to US strategic ports to a regime that recognized the Taliban is not a sound next step in our war against terror," said Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. "

Agreeing with Chuckles is anathema to me but when he's right, he's right! Sorry Chuck, but RIGHT is RIGHT...despite yourself! So what is going to be done about it?

Pending....

Enough Is Enough!

We've had what?....36 hours? 48 hours? ...of the most ridiculous overboard coverage of Vice President Cheney's quail hunting trip? Mr. Cheney came clean to Britt Hume tonight on Fox News so can we please leave this ridiculous story and get to the real news stories?

I heard this one about the time this whole Cheney debacle came to the press awareness, and it occurred to me then, "Why in heaven's name is this flying under the radar?"

"A company in the United Arab Emirates is poised to take over significant operations at six American ports as part of a corporate sale, leaving a country with ties to the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers with influence over a maritime industry considered vulnerable to terrorism."

With all that is going on in the world, a company in the United ARAB Emirates............."

"The Bush administration considers the UAE an important ally in the fight against terrorism since the suicide hijackings and is not objecting to Dubai Ports World's purchase of London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co."

Not objecting? HUH? Okay, I grant you there are things we, the public, do not know, are not supposed to know, and since I'm not a liberal I am not going to create a conspiracy theory around this, but I've just got to be skeptical.

"The $6.8 billion sale could be approved Monday and would affect commercial port operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia."

On the other hand....speaking of conspiracy theories, these commercial ports are intrinsic to our fiscal, not to mention our physical, well-being. So what is to be made of this?

"DP World said it won approval from a secretive U.S. government panel that considers security risks of foreign companies buying or investing in American industry. "

I have blogged to a farethewell about government efficiency being an oxymoron, so why would this make me concerned? Hmmmm..."secretive U. S. government panel...." Any questions? Hat Tip: Lago]

Another story that flew under the MSM's radar was this one.

"Former U.S. vice-president Al Gore told an audience yesterday that the U.S. government committed "terrible abuses" against Arabs after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that most Americans did not support such treatment.

Gore said Arabs had been "indiscriminately rounded up" and held in "unforgivable" conditions. He said the administration of President George W. Bush was playing into al-Qaida's hands by routinely blocking Saudi visa applications. "

Now why isn't MSM touting this story? Could it be because Algore is so out-of-control in his ridiculous statements that they dare not claim him as one of their own? After all, there will be primaries held all over the country this coming spring, not to mention the mid-terms in November. [Shhhhh...don't let America know our leaders are nutcases!]

There are so many stories in the news this week that SHOULD take precedence over the Cheney Quail Hunt, but MSM has seen fit to fixate on this one story only.

Could someone please explain to me why they insist that we still consider them a relevant source for our news?

Hunters Are Laughing!

The flap over Cheney's hunting trip is giving all of us who are hunters a great big chuckle! I cannot believe how ridiculous this is becoming! Attention, MSM fools:

"It's not critical. It's not serious," Banko said at a morning briefing. He said admitting Whittington to the trauma-intensive care unit was "a fairly common procedure" for a patient hit by a spray of the small pellets.

"I don't know how much spray he has got," Banko said. "My understanding from the physicians is that after you get peppered, sometimes they need to do exploratory surgeries if it gets lodged in a little deeper. Sometimes it's tweezers."

My husband has been peppered by his dad and his best friend, who also got one of his dogs. I've been peppered by strangers who were hunting near me. It is common. It is NOT unusual. Especially in this case. The gentleman who was peppered [ NOT SHOT] by Vice President Cheney had not announced his recent return to the hunt, and the VP didn't even know he was there! If anyone is at fault, it is the so-called "victim". So in the interest of public information, I offer these simple realities about hunting.

1) Bird shot, the load in a round used by bird hunters, are miniscule.

2) They are big enough to kill a small bird, but not a human, unless you hold the gun against someone's gut or head!

3) When shot from a shotgun, the pellets spread a "pattern". Once in awhile, someone may be in the range of that pattern without the knowledge of the hunter! My guess is that none of you eastern lib reporters have ever been in the woods to know how that could easily happen.

Judging from the ridiculous questions that MSM peppered Scott McClellan today, what really bothered them was that they were not the first to know of the incident.

"The accident was not reported publicly by the vice president's office for nearly 24 hours, and then only after the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported it Sunday. Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride said the vice president's office did not tell reporters about the accident Saturday because they were deferring to the ranch owner to announce what happened on her property."

Why, you may ask?

"Hunting parties are not required to report accidents, said state Parks and Wildlife spokesman Tom Harvey. The state penal code requires people to report fatalities, which would be investigated by law enforcement."

This is so common, if every incident were reported, the police would not have time for anything else! So please, people! Get a grip.

Disappointed?

Should I take back my vote for you, Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM)? Before we left New Mexico, both my husband and I voted for you. I saw you as a strong conservative in an abysmally liberal & corrupt state. You were the only female veteran in Congress, and a vote for you seemed to be a no-brainer from everything I had learned about you. In fact, when we heard that you were asking for more information in the NSA surveillance I jumped to your defense when my husband was directing expletives at your news conference. I told him to wait and see, maybe you were just hoping to learn who the leaker was...but that proved to be untrue...or did it?

"I had serious concerns and questions about this program when it was initially reported. Those concerns grew in recent days as the Attorney General answered questions and did not answer others in the Senate."

What would you like him to say, Rep. Wilson? Want him to tell our enemies what we are doing to track them so they can avoid our intelligence efforts? You continue;

"We must conduct a complete review of this program. There are serious questions that need answers, and we are starting to get those answers."

So, wait a minute! Hmmm...maybe my vote was better placed than I thought! Methinks you are successfully using the predictable response of the MSM, and that my original gut instinct might have been correct after all, Rep. Wilson.

"At the same time, the Administration regularly and systematically briefs Intelligence Committee members about highly classified programs which, if compromised, could cause tremendous damage to national security."

Am I reading "if the leaks are coming from these sectors, we must learn who they are."? I hope so.

"I have spent enough time in the world of intelligence to know that it is very common for published reports in this field to be inaccurate. That’s not intentional; it’s just the nature of covering secrets. The inaccuracies cannot be corrected by the people who run the programs.

Effective oversight has to start with the facts. The facts must come from the National Security Agency, the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence."

She didn't say the Judicial Committee, did she? That is where Leaky...oops Leahy was sent after having been kicked off the Intelligence Committee because of previous leaks he'd fed the NYT. Yet that is the committee in front of whom Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales was summoned last week.

Ms. Wilson, if my hunch is correct, and you are using the predictable response of the MSM to gain support in your liberal state, while at the same time getting to the bottom of the leaks, my hat is off to you, Ma'am! In fact, we still own land in your state, and since they refuse to allow me to show my voter registration card, I could theoretically still vote for you in November! You go, Girlfriend!

Spreading Democracy via NBA

One of the many ways America spreads her influence around the world is through sports, in particular through the NBA. As we watch our San Antonio Spurs play, it's always fascinating to realize how international our World Champions really are; Manu Ginobli & Fabrizio Oberto (childhood pals) from Argentina, Tony Parker from France, Sean Marks from New Zealand, Rosho Nesterovich & Beno Undrih from Slovenia, Tim Duncan of The Virgin Islands. We've all heard about Houston's Yao Ming, from China, and the list goes on.

I cannot speak for other teams, but our Spurs are intimately involved in community activities in San Antonio. They don't just play basketball; they visit injured service men and women at BAMC (we pronounce it Bamcee), they mentor needy children, they attend all sorts of community functions, and are revered by most citizens of San Antonio. You see as many "Spurs" bumper stickers as you see "Support Our Troops" magnets on cars around San Antonio. Our team is never caught up in the scandals and misbehavior other teams are famous, or infamous for doing! Nor do they sport outrageous tattoos, hair-dos (hair-don'ts, IMHO), or piercings.

They return home during the offseasons, taking with them a love of America and her people. We are better off, as a country, for their talents. The Spurs are truly champions, on and off the court, and we're blessed to have them as a part of our community. Thank you, Pops, for a great group of guys.

Seething From The Left....soon!

The Left is going to lose another important state governorship! This one will really hurt them, too!

"Republican challenger Lynn Swann has caught Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, a new Pittsburgh Tribune-Review/WTAE-Channel 4 Keystone poll shows.

Swann, who trailed Rendell by 20 points five months ago, has jumped to within three points -- a statistical tossup. More than half -- 54 percent -- of voters questioned believe it is time for a change in the governor's office. About two in five -- 39 percent -- said they believe Rendell deserves re-election.

The telephone survey of 497 registered voters in Pennsylvania, released late Thursday, has an error factor of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. "

Lynn Swann is a classy, intelligent Hall of Famer who has been extremely successful in the business world. That is just what we need more of in politics; successful businessmen with an understanding of budgeting, management, marketing! Like George Bush, Mr. Swann will understand that high taxes mean low employment opportunities. He has just recently got the word out that he's running, but it didn't take long for him to catch up with Rendell, who has been a flop as governor. Rendell's predecessor was Tom Ridge, understandably a hard act to follow, but Rendell's lack of leadership has hurt PA.

All that is good and right with Lynn Swann is not what is really going to hurt the left, however. What is, you may ask? Silly you. Lynn Swann is a black REPUBLICAN! Oh...MY GAWD, say the Left! Loud and screeching, they are proclaiming, "Another one escaped the plantation!"

The hypocrisy of the left is legendary, but their attitude about the black portion of our population goes WAY beyond logic. I have posted to a faretheewell about it. You can choose any of my archives, but this is just one example!

Bottom line, the Donks, a.k.a., the Left, are losing ground with our fellow Americans who are black. They are, by far and large, Christians, and pro-life. LaShawn is my favorite expert in this regard. If you have any questions, she and Michelle Malkin are the keepers of the truth in this arena. Dadgum! Wish I'd gone to CPAC!

News For A Happy Dance!

Generally speaking, when I am perusing the news items of the day, I see items that 1) make my blood boil, 2) make me want to tear my hair out, or 3) make me shake my head in wonderment that such idiocy is even published. Today I found an item that made me want to do the "happy dance"!

"The $415 million federal study involved nearly 49,000 women ages 50 to 79 who were followed for eight years. In the end, those assigned to a low-fat diet had the same rates of breast cancer, colon cancer, heart attacks and strokes as those who ate whatever they pleased, researchers are reporting today.

"These studies are revolutionary," said Dr. Jules Hirsch, physician in chief emeritus at Rockefeller University in New York City, who has spent a lifetime studying the effects of diets on weight and health. "They should put a stop to this era of thinking that we have all the information we need to change the whole national diet and make everybody healthy."

The study, published in today's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, was not just an ordinary study, said Dr. Michael Thun, who directs epidemiological research for the American Cancer Society.

It was so large and so expensive, Dr. Thun said, that it was "the Rolls-Royce of studies." As such, he added, it is likely to be the final word."

That last sentence caught my attention! Over the years, we've seen a plethora of studies; one says eggs are bad for you, and within a few months another emerges to say they're good for you. Who are we to believe? I think I'll do my happy dance first, and then continue to follow the advice the Bible suggests, all things in moderation. I'll also quit 2nd thinking everything that goes in my mouth. It will eliminate a lot of stress!

On Another Topic

The scrutiny continues into the dealing of anyone in Washington D.C. with a "R" behind their name.

"Rep. John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), who was elected House majority leader last week, is renting his Capitol Hill apartment from a veteran lobbyist whose clients have direct stakes in legislation Boehner has co-written and that he has overseen as chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

The relationship between Boehner, John D. Milne and Milne's wife, Debra R. Anderson, underscores how intertwined senior lawmakers have become with the lobbyists paid to influence legislation. Boehner's primary residence is in West Chester, Ohio, but for $1,600 a month, he rents a two-bedroom basement apartment near the House office buildings on Capitol Hill owned by Milne, Boehner spokesman Don Seymour said yesterday. Boehner's monthly rent appears to be similar to other rentals of two-bedroom English basement apartments close to the House side of the Capitol in Southeast, based on a review of apartment listings."

Any Republican in D.C. knows, I hope, that they are under a microscope, and behave accordingly, as Congressman Boehner appears to be doing. The story talks about concerns small business owners have, and are lobbying in favor of; items such as the small business tax cuts and the minimum wage issue. Since these are issues 95% of GOP legislators are on the same side as the lobbiers, there's no issue here.

My real question is why there's no emphasis being placed on Harry Reid's shenanigans? This man redefines political opportunism, if not outright graft and corruption, but the MSM treats him as though he was pure as the driven snow!

"It turns out that while more than a few congressional relatives derive financial benefit from their proximity to power, Harry Reid, the Times said, "is in a class by himself."

In the last four years alone, firms with Reid family ties have collected more than $2 million in lobbying fees.
"So pervasive are the ties among Reid, members of his family and Nevada's leading industries and institutions that it's difficult to find a significant field in which such a relationship does not exist," the paper said.

For instance, the Nevada Democrat once sponsored an environmental bill that he touted as a bipartisan measure to protect the ecosystem and help the economy in America's fastest-growing state.

But as the Times reported: "What Reid did not explain was that the bill promised a cavalcade of benefits to real estate developers, corporations and local institutions that were paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbying fees to his sons' and son-in-law's firms, federal lobbyist reports show."

How does this sort of thing fly under the radar? This is where bloggers must come in and fill the void! I'm adding my flappy bird 2 cents worth!

Reprehensible Behavior

I guess we should not be surprised by the callous and rude behavior of the left today, but why did they have to show their depravity at the funeral of a good woman?

"The outspoken Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ripped into President Bush during his short speech, ostensibly about the wife of Martin Luther King Jr."

Mr. Lowery was not the only one, either.

"Former President Jimmy Carter later swung at Bush as well, not once but twice. As he talked about the Kings, he said: "It was difficult for them then personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretaps." The crowd cheered as Bush, under fire for a secret wiretapping program he ordered after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, again smiled weakly. "

Hey, Jimmy boy! "...they became the target of secret government wiretaps." Did you forget who ordered those secret government wiretaps? It was your buddy Bobby Kennedy, then Attorney General under JFK! Hellllooooo! He was NOT a foreign enemy! Martin Luther King was, to the Democrats back then, a highly subsersive enemy within America, Mr. Carter!!!

"On October 10, 1963, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy committed what is widely viewed as one of the most ignominious acts in modern American history: he authorized the Federal Bureau of Investigation to begin wiretapping the telephones of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. "

President Bush made them look like the buffoons they are, by the class and sincerity he displayed. He did not use the dais as a stump speech, instead he put the emphasis and focus where it belonged.

"To the King Family, distinguished guests and fellow citizens. We gather in God's house, in God's presence, to honor God's servant, Coretta Scott King. Her journey was long, and only briefly with a hand to hold. But now she leans on everlasting arms. I've come today to offer the sympathy of our entire nation at the passing of a woman who worked to make our nation whole.

Americans knew her husband only as a young man. We knew Mrs. King in all the seasons of her life -- and there was grace and beauty in every season. As a great movement of history took shape, her dignity was a daily rebuke to the pettiness and cruelty of segregation. When she wore a veil at 40 years old, her dignity revealed the deepest trust in God and His purposes. In decades of prominence, her dignity drew others to the unfinished work of justice. In all her years, Coretta Scott King showed that a person of conviction and strength could also be a beautiful soul. This kind and gentle woman became one of the most admired Americans of our time. She is rightly mourned, and she is deeply missed. "

The more these people show their true colors, the better off we are on the GOP side. But I have to ask again, why on earth would you classless, crude and depraved idiots choose to show yourselves at this woman's funeral? You should be ashamed! Come November, the polls are going to show you the error of your ways.

Culture of Death?

Who would believe in this day and age, people were in hiding for their very lives because they had drawn a cartoon?

The cartoonists, many of whom had reservations about the pictures, have been shocked by how the affair has escalated into a global “clash of civilisations”. They have since tried, unsuccessfully, to stop them being reprinted.

A spokesman for the cartoonists said: “They are in hiding around Denmark. Some of them are really, really scared. They don’t want to see the pictures reprinted all over the world. We couldn’t stop it. We tried, but we couldn’t.”

Oh, I forgot, for Islamofascists, "this day and age" is circa 1100 a.d.! They would love to take the Western world back to those glory days of Islam. That was then this is now! Christians get a crucifix in a jar of urine, do you remember any Christians acting like this?

"Thousands of Muslims rampaged Sunday in Beirut, setting fire to the Danish Embassy, burning Danish flags and lobbing stones at a Maronite Catholic church as violent protests over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad spread from neighboring Syria."

My favorite voice of reason and sanity from Iraq's Muslim community is Alaa, of The Mesopotamian who says this about the controversy;

"In this respect I would like to draw attention to the statement issued by the venerable Al-Sistani, who while deprecating the blasphemous sacrilege, nevertheless clearly lays the blame on the extremists and Takfiris for the harm done to the image of Islam in the World, and need I remind you of the religious status of Al-Sistani. The rage of the Islamic world would be far more appropriate if it is directed against those who blow up mosques during prayer time, kidnap murder and torture innocent travelers, and all the other repertoire of atrocities committed in the name of Islam, It is this that is the real blasphemy and real affront to the name and reputation of our religion and its great founder the Prohpet (PBU), and not some silly cartoons in an obscure Danish paper that nobody would have noticed were it not for this artificial uproar of which the real agenda and purpose is all too apparent ."

Misplaced outrage notwithstanding, this may be a precurser of the changes Islam needs to face before we can end the war on terrorism. Christianity survived reformation and renaissance, Judaism survived Christianity, and now it is time for the Muslim religion to decide whether its future will be with the Islamofacists, or with sane moderate Muslims like al-Sistani and my friend Alaa. For the sake of the western world, I am going to pray for the success of al-Sistani and Alaa. We will recognize the positive change when Palestinians begin to cherish their children as Iraqis and Americans do, and stop raising them to be suicide bombers.

Guilt Trip

I am officially on a guilt trip...for a very odd reason. Last night I attempted to check out this blog to see what, if any comments I might have, only to be told that I had been restricted from access to my OWN SITE! I'm still not completely sure why, but I did get a potential reason from a local radio show this, morning. That is the point that this "guilt trip" begins.

As we were heading to the boat launch on Port A for another day of fishing, I heard a local computer help talk show....I thought, hmmm, perhaps they can tell me if some silly tweeking I'd done with my security on the laptop could have been at fault. I'm very leery of some of the automatic updates on security programs. So I called the number they advertised, and was put online with the hosts. One of the hosts I'd heard about, from my friend Major Dad. His name is Jim Lago. I wish I could remember the name of the other players on the program, but I am experiencing a classic senior moment in that regard.

Long story short, I had told them I was trying to access my blog, and was asked what the name of the blog was, I replied "Dagney's Rant". Mr. Lago was heard to say, "NO WAY! I read your blog every day!!".

At that point, my guilt trip began. I promise to try to blog-post more often! Honest! I look at my measly "Flappy Bird" rating, having been a "Large Mammal", and I know that it is no one's fault but my own. You see, I'm a conservative, and I take blame on myself, instead of trying to blame others for my failing!

America's Entrepreneurial Spirit

America's spirit, what makes America different from any other country on Earth, is its entrepreneurial spirit. That spirit is now triumphing over the mess the left and its union buddies have made of our public schools. Despite the constant fight against the idea of vouchers and school choice, there are businesses springing up all over the US to combat the abysmal education our kids are getting in public schools! We've all heard of Sylvan Learning, but they are just one of many examples! Alternative schools are sprouting up all over America as well.

The most important trend in education in America is homeschooling. More and more parents are reluctant to turn their children's education over the the public school system. I thank them for their bravery and sacrifice, for they must find a way to make ends meet with only one bread winner in the family. For this, I hold them in the next to highest esteem. They are 2nd only to our armed forces for their contribution to saving our America and her freedoms! We cannot compete in the international markets with the quality of students our public schools are turning out! Thanks to Grizzly Mama, I've got some links for anyone wishing to learn more about home schooling:

http://learninfreedom.org/colleges_4_hmsc.html
http://www.nhen.org/toc/toc-index.asp
http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1
http://www.nheri.org/index.php

If you want to know why parents choose home schooling, try this link.

Beware, unions, you are a dying breed, and there are always ways around the constant dumbing down of our children that you and your leftist and feminist pals have been doing for at least 40 years! Unions are a dying breed because of the entrepreneurial spirit. Whether or not you are a union member, but especially if you are, ask yourself this question, "How would you like the slacker working next to you to get the same pay as you, the industrious hard worker?"

I could choose any segment of American life and make a point as to how and why I believe the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in America, and why that spirit is going to defeat not only liberalism, but Islamofascism as well. Instead, I'll let a socialist Brit make my point.

"For the past five years, America has been led by a president who is clearly not up to the job — a man who is not just inarticulate, but lacking in judgment, intelligence, integrity, charisma or staying power. Yet America as a nation seems to be stronger, more prosperous and self-confident than ever. "

Now, as you know, if you've ever been here before, I believe this is a pack of nonsense! The fact that our President is a Harvard MBA is enough for me to make my point, and show Anatole the error of his ways;

This anarchic spirit was summed up by Ronald Reagan: “The ten most dangerous words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help you’.” In Europe, by contrast, the public expect government to solve all problems, and the media try to hold politicians accountable for everything. The result is a culture of dependency that extends far beyond the welfare state, to business and to the worlds of education, medicine, arts and science. "

Well, maybe you do "get it", Anatole, but just don't know it!