Victory? No Mention of It!

The Iraq Study Group released its report today. No mention of victory. Kind of like when we left Lebanon after Hezbollah slaughtered over 200 Marines, when James Baker was President Reagan's Chief of Staff.

Over at The Corner the inimitable Mark Steyn says shame on you, Baker Group, you have "adopted the pathologies of the enemy". Read the whole thing.

There Is Only So Much (Nurturing) A Guy Can Take!

Six-year-old Jon to his three-year-old sister Sara, upon seeing her once again playing with her baby dolls: "Sara, babies don't rule this world; they only rule 42 percent of it!"

Gates Emboldens The Enemies Of The U.S.

There is rejoicing tonight amongst our terrorist enemies around the world. The new Secretary of Defense has emboldened them with his testimony today before the U.S. Senate. Hugh Hewitt has a summary, followed by an essay on why we will miss Donald Rumsfeld.

Another Child Murdered; Another Case Where Drugs Are Part of the Lifestyle

I have unsuccessfully tried to convince Instapundit and others that drugs or alcohol are involved in about ninety per cent of child abuse cases, and that those who argue that drug abuse is a victimless crime are trying to fit the facts into their ideology, rather than actually knowing the facts. The facts are that drug abusers leave a long trail of victims, especially if they have families. I am for harsh penalties and treatment. Give the families a chance to live without the person who is dragging them down, and make sure he or she follows a rigorous treatment plan before reuniting him with the family.

CNN has a story today about the death of the five-year-old boy in the CNN photo above.

Higher Power?

The brilliant satirist Scott Ott, otherwise known as Scrappleface, today takes aim at the Iran Study Group report which is due out this week (even though leakers have aleady been giving us bits and pieces for several days. Here is the full Scrappleface piece from today:

December 4, 2006
LEAK: Iraq Study Group Offers Bush 12-Step Plan
by Scott Ott

(2006-12-04) — The Iraq Study Group report, available at major bookstores and the White House on Wednesday, will recommend a 12-step plan to get Iraqis to rise up and take control of their country, according to the panel’s regularly-scheduled daily leak.

The new plan would accomplish the main objective of the U.S. military presence in Iraq — a graceful exit.

An unauthorized draft copy of the classified report, released to al Qaeda through the The New York Times today, draws on the popular 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as a strategic template.

“It really redefines military intervention in terms our society will find more tolerant and sensitive,” said an unnamed source. “We start by admitting that America is powerless over Islamic terrorists and that the Iraq war has become unmanageable.”

The Iraq Study Group has come to believe that “a power greater than the U.S. could restore sanity to the situation,” according the draft of the report. “We call upon President Bush to make a conscious decision to turn our foreign policy over to the care of a higher power, in this case Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.”

Photo image courtesy of Okie on the Lam.

An ACLU Nativity Scene!

The Young Conservatives of Texas have got it right. They plan to put on display an ACLU Nativity Scene next week in Austin. There will be no Jesus. Gary and Joseph will be there, along with the three wise men, Lenin, Marx, and Stalin. There will also be a terrorist shepherd, and an angel in the form of Nancy Pelosi. h/t Stop The ACLU

U.N. "Peacekeepers" Guilty of "Widespread Sexual Abuse of Children"

The United Nations is having a conference Monday regarding the problem of U.N. peacekeeping troops sexually abusing children in countries where the troops are supposed to be protecting the vulnerable. According to the BBC the assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations acknowledges that "sexual abuse is widespread." The UN's own figures show 316 peacekeeping personnel in all missions have been investigated, resulting in the summary dismissal of 18 civilians, repatriation of 17 members of Formed Police Units and 144 repatriations or rotations home on disciplinary grounds. The photo above is of a Liberian teenager and her baby, which she alleges resulted from abuse by a U.N. Peacekeeper. h/t Blue Crab Boulevard

More On the Old Media's Use of Stringers Tied To The Insurgency

Want another example of lies being spread throughout the world by the old media? Here is one from the L.A. Times. h/t One Oar In The Water

The Old Media Continues To Run With Rumors, If It Fits Their Biases

Remember Dan Rather? The blogosphere is buzzing with news of another gaffe by the so-called main stream media. Picking up and running with a story because it fits their bias is nothing new to the dinosaur media. This time it is their bias against the military of the United States. Scroll down the blogroll on the right side of this page to Flopping Aces and Michelle Malkin. Those are two good places to start to learn about the media's latest run with unverified rumors.

A New Way To Kill Babies: Microwave Them!

CNN reports that the woman in the accompanying photo has been arrested and charged with killing her baby by microwaving the baby to death. Investigators in Dayton, Ohio had a hard time proving the case, because "there is not a lot of scientific research and data on the effect of microwaves on human beings." Apparently there was one other woman charged in 2000 with microwaving her baby.

Limbo

Foster care should be renamed "limbo." It would be more accurate, because it describes what is happening for the child, the birth parents, and the foster parents.

At present we have two foster children. One is a 13-month-old girl. She first came to us in February, when her mother broke a bone in the baby's leg. We only had her a few days in February, because the caseworker found a relative who said she could care for the baby. That lasted until June, when the relative could no longer care for her. She came back to us in June. She is very bonded to me and to my wife. We have loved and cared for her as though she were our own child.

New caseworker, new plan. New caseworker told the biological mother to move in with her grandmother who raised her. Mom and her new baby boy have now moved in with grandmother. But we have heard nothing from the caseworker, and there is one minor detail: the mother's criminal case has still not reached any conclusions about what the mother's consequences should be for breaking the bone in her daughter's leg! So the baby, the mother, the grandmother, and the foster parents remain in limbo.

A father? Yes, there was a man involved with the mother for at least ten minutes, but no one seems to be asking anything about him or any of his relatives.

Our other foster child is a rambunctuous (the politically correct word is ADHD) 23-month-old boy. He requires constant monitoring. His mother is incarcerated. She is a drug-abusing prostitute who has abandoned the boy on many occasions. As a result, he is used to doing whatever he pleases. We have placed limits on him, and he likes it here. He absolutely loves going out to the ranch where we keep two horses and two goats, and there are several other kinds of animals for him to romp with.

The people who were providing day care for him when his mother last abandoned him have stepped forward and told the caseworker that they would like to have him long term, maybe even adopt him. One problem: the man of the house has a felony on his record, a traffic felony. The powers that be are going to meet soon to determine if they can waive their normal rules (no person with a felony can qualify as a foster parent). The mother expects to be released from her present incarceration in the Spring. Although she has already lost parental rights to three other children, she will still be given a chance to be reunited with her son. Meanwhile, you guessed it: the son, mother, day care operators, and the foster parents are all in limbo.

A father? Yes, there is a man who was involved with the mother for at least ten minutes, but no one seems to be asking anything about his ability to care for his son or if he has relatives who could.

Is The "N" Word Really The Biggest Problem?

Adulterer and race mafia leader Jesse Jackson joined with Congresswoman Maxine Waters to ask people of all races to stop using the "n" word. Where do young people of all races hear that word? From the gangsta rap "music." And what else do they hear in that "music?" They hear degrading, objectifying words about females, and demoralizing words about their future as young Americans. Stopping the use of the "n" word is a start, but there are other issues that people like Juan Williams and Bill Cosby have been talking about that deserve the attention of all Americans, too.

Child Porn Creep

Stop The ACLU brings to our attention a minor slap on the wrist for a man who produces child porn! The porn creep is a Democrat activist, and the judge is also a Democrat! "An Ol Broad's Ramblings points out that the creep was on the board of directors of the local league of women voters!

Deployment Equals Abandonment?

Blonde Sagacity cites several examples of servicemen and women losing custody or parenting time with their children because of their time away in military service! Progress is being made in some states, notably California and Michigan, but more apparently needs to be done in terms of federal legislation that would be binding on family courts nationwide.

We Got Their Big Weapons, But Left Them with 7 to 8 Million Small Arms!

TigerHawk also links to an article by The Washington Post's Larry Kahaner. Kahaner points out that in the Gulf War we largely destroyed Sadaam's tanks, scud missles, and air force, but we left seven to eight million small arms, mainly AK 47s. In the chaos that followed our swift opening victory, Saddam's vast armories of AKs were looted by Iraqis, and those weapons have proven to be effective in fighting against the forces of freedom.

Where Will They Be On Election Day?

Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Caracas, Venezuela Saturday in support of Manuel Rosales. Rosales is running against Hugo Chavez for the Presidency. Big rallies like this are done purposely, to show that there are hundreds of thousands who do not support Chavez. Why? Because the election will be on December 3, when suddenly most of these same people will "forget" to vote and Chavez will mysteriously and miraculously be re-elected in a landslide. Venezuela is the fourth largest exporter of oil to the United States.

Supporters of the Venezuelan opposition leader Manuel Rosales march through the capital during a campaign rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday. (Yahoo)

Iraq "Insurgents" Now Able To Sustain Their Operations, Thanks In Part To European Blood Money

The New York Times has once again published a secret U.S. document. This one is an interagency report alleging that the "insurgents" in Iraq are now able to sustain themselves financially. Oil smuggling, being paid ransoms for kidnap victims, and other criminal activities are the sources for the funding. Italy and France each have paid millions in ransom to save the lives of captured journalists, and, as TigerHawk points out, "to underwrite the purchase of weapons and explosives that will be used to kill and injure American soldiers, not to mention innocent Iraqi civilians."

The photo above is by Chris Hondros/Getty Images. It shows Iraqi men suspected of engaging in "insurgent" activity waiting to be processed at a jail on a joint U.S.-Iraqi base near Baghdad recently.

America Has Now Been Fighting In Iraq Longer Than We Fought In World War Two!

Fighting in Afghanistan has gone on for five years, one month. Iraq has been three years and just a little over eight months. An Associated Press writer, Tom Raun, points out that only the Vietnam War (eight years, five months), the Revolutionary War (six years, nine months), and the Civil War (four years), have engaged America longer.

Raun goes on to talk about casualties. His story alleges that when the number of U.S. casualties hit two thousand in Iraq, American support for the war began to dwindle. In the casualty count, the Civil War was the most lethal, with military deaths of the North and South combined totaling at least 620,000. By comparison, the total for World War II was roughly 406,000; Vietnam, 58,000; Korea, 37,000; World War I, 116,000.

Hey Syria, Can You Sense We're Getting Closer?

Click on my blogroll for more great military photos at Strategy Page. September 11, 2006 Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division gather intelligence along the Syria/Iraq border. Photo by Staff Sgt. Russell L. Klika

Thanksgiving in Iraq

One of many great military photos that can be found at Strategy Page. Soldiers in a Stryker vehicle stop for a muster of turkeys crossing the road in the outskirts of Mosul Nov. 3. The Soldiers are with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. (Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Det.)

Hello, Iranian Mullahs, Are You There?

Another great military photo courtesy of Strategy Page. Arabian Sea (Nov. 20, 2006) - The guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG 68), the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), and amphibious assault ship USS Saipan (LHA 2) sail in formation during a photographic exercise (PHOTOEX). Saipan is currently on deployment in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations (MSO). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Patrick W. Mullen III

What Osama Will Wake Up To One Day Soon

Another great military photo from Strategy Page. On October 30, 2006 Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team jump over Grafenwoehr, Germany. Photo by Arthur McQueen




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Hello, Osama?

Here is another military photo from Strategy Page that I liked. It is a Blackhawk flying toward the Afghanistan caves. October 31, 2006 A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carries Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division on a mission in Afghanistan. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. Clouden

Go to Strategy Page (click on it on my blogroll) to see this and many other great military photos. An F-16 Fighting Falcon performs combat air patrol over the glaciers of central Turkey during Exercise Anatolian Eagle. About a dozen F-16s and more than 200 Airmen traveled from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to participate in the NATO exercise at Konya Air Base, Turkey. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Ron Przysucha)




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More Biased Reporting From the Dinosaur Media

More flagrant bias on the part of the media. Did you read the story recently about how the U.S. Army is allegedly endangering our troops by using a new drug to stop uncontrollable bleeding? Strategy Page has the facts: the drug has been used many times without incident, saving the lives of a thousand troops.

It is Thanksgiving: Let's Celebrate and Protect America!

Taking advice from Michelle Malkin and Alexandra Von Maltzan, today I read two columns by Washington Times columnist Diana West suggesting ways America should change course to better defend itself against Muslim killers who wish to destroy America. West's point is that the constitutions of both Afghanistan and Iraq have enshrined Islamic law, known as "sharia." Sharia does not permit equality among the sexes or among religions, and it outlaws words and deeds that oppose this power structure. West adds,From this same Islamic legal tradition comes the mandate for jihad (holy war, usually against non-Muslims) and dhimmitude, the official state of inferiority of non-Muslims under Islam." Obviously, none of this is anything we want to come to American shores, "whether by means of violent jihad terrorism as practiced by the likes of Al Qaeda or Hezbollah, or through peaceful patterns of migration, such as those that have already Islamized large parts of Europe."

Therefore, West urges President Bush to change course. Instead of trying to promote democracy in countries that will democratically impose sharia, she urges the President to change from the offense to the defense. Instead of promoting democracy, she believes we should be making sure our borders are defended to protect the liberty and equality we already enjoy here in America. If you do not believe in the liberty and equality that we enjoy, then do not come to our country!

West points out that in what sociologists call post-Christian Europe, unregulated immigration of people from sharia states has already transformed Europe into an increasingly Islamic sphere. So, step number one in this change of course should be for the President to ask Congress to bar any further immigration from anyone currently living in a sharia state. In her second column West amplifies: "This may appear to go against our cherished tradition of religious tolerance, not to mention good manners. But if the laws promulgated by Islam directly threaten freedom of conscience, freedom of expression and religion, women's rights, and key concepts of equality — and they do — it is a sign of intellectual rigor mortis not to say so. And I do say so, but, again, not to launch a transformative military or cultural offensive against Islam, but to initiate the mobilization of a defensive movement to prevent the Islamization of American law and liberty."

But, what about the people in the sharia countries who go out of their way to aid American troops? There must be some way for them to reach the freedom of American shores.

It was not a mistake to chase Osama Bin Laden into his cave or Saddam Hussein into his rat hole. We will probably need to do the same thing to the Mullahs in Iran, the punk dictator who starves and imprisons his own people in North Korea, and the Saudia Arabian fiananciers and exporters of hatred. But it is time now for us to celebrate and protect the freedom and equality our own nation has achieved.

Pals Having Second Thoughts About New Barber School

President Bush and Russia's Putin are having second thoughts about starting a new barber school, since their first customer already has better hair than either of the world leaders. They are proud of their new uniforms, though.

Rape, Mutilation, and Enslavement of Poor Women and Girls Still Common Practices Throughout The World

The rape and enslavement of women and mutilation of girls continues throughout the world. It is common for Muslims to enslave poor women from countries such as the Phillipines and Indonesia.

In Colorado a member of a "prominent" Saudi Arabian family was convicted of raping an Indonesian nanny whom he held captive in his home in Aurora, Colorado. Saudia Arabian media has made it into a major news story. It seems that the Saudis find it inconceivable that the Indonesian maid was actually considered a competent witness in American courts.

At the request of the U.S. Ambassador, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers flew to Riyadh to explain to the King, Crown Prince, other Saudi officials, and the man's family, that the trial in the U.S. was fair to the man throughout his arrest, conviction and appeal. Suthers learned that in Saudi Arabia to prove a rape case, you need four eye witnesses!

Last week a man was convicted in Atlanta of cutting off his daughter's clitoris with a scissors. That man’s conviction also produced outrage and lots of news coverage in the man's country of birth, Ethiopia, where the mutilation practice is common.

Nancy Reyes, a physician who lives in the Phillipines, regularly blogs about similar outrageous incidents. She is very knowledgable and experienced, and I recommend that readers of this blog should make reading her blog a priority. You can click on my blogroll to find her at Boinkie's Blog.

Dangerous Criminals Again On The Loose After Another Boulder County Child Is Killed

Boulder County Colorado District Attorney Mary Lacy is back in the news again, after her John Mark Karr debacle in the Jon Benet Ramsey case. It seems that eight months ago on February 24 a Boulder County couple brought their nine-week-old baby, Jason Midyette, in to a Boulder Hospital. The baby had twenty-seven broken bones, including both arms, both legs, a collar bone, nine ribs, and a fatal head injury. Brittle bone disease was ruled out. World famous pathologist Dr. Michael Baden has analyzed the autopsy findings, and he calls it a torture killing.

When the doctors asked the parents for an explanation, they refused, saying that their lawyers would soon be appearing. The doctors called the police, who immediately executed a search warrant at the couple's home in Louisville, Colorado, finding drug paraphernalia (eight pipes). The baby died. The parents have never been arrested or charged by the police or D.A. Lacy. The local dinosaur Denver newspapers have not touched the story. I heard about it for the first time from investigative newsmen, attorneys Dan Caplis and Craig Silverman on KHOW radio today. The father's name is Alex Midyette. He is the son of a very wealthy Boulder County architect and landowner. The baby's mother is Molly Midyette. The current whereabouts of the parents is a secret not known to the public. Apparently O'Reilly recently talked about the case on Fox Television News. That is exactly what needs to happen: the spotlight of the world must shine again on Boulder.

What do you think would have happened if the parents did not have the money to hire top-notch lawyers? I think the parents would have been immediately arrested. Most of the caseload of urban child protection agencies is from people living in apartment complexes, trailer parks, or other lower income areas. Child abuse, of course, is not limited to families with lower incomes. Those are just the ones who are most apt to be reported to the urban departments, and it is easier for the cops and departments of Human Services to act against these parents, who are not able to "lawyer up."

Will American Feminists Complain About This Verdict?

A woman is in a car with a man in Saudi Arabia. She is married, but not to the man in the car. Five men kidnap the woman and gang-rape her. A court in Saudia Arabia has sentenced the woman to 90 lashes, because she was in a car with a man to whom she was not married. Hat tip Tigerhawk.

The Faces of the "New" Democrat Party?

Much worse than President Bush nominating Senator Martinez for RNC Chairman is Representative Pelosi nominating John Murtha for Majority Leader! All the "new" democrats who were newly elected to the House ran as centrists or conservatives. None of them disparaged our troops. By electing them, voters put two people in power whose actions do not reflect those values or positions in any way, shape, or form. Murtha is a disgrace to the United States Marine Corps. In 2004 his blatant cronyism funneled millions of dollars to his brother and millions more to Nancy Pelosi's nephew. Want to know want kind of a person is John Murtha? Listen to him whine to this F.B.I. sting operator.

Another Poor Choice Nominated By The President

I am disappointed in the news that President Bush has nominated Senator Mel Martinez to replace Ken Mehlman as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Michael Steele, the Lt. Governor of Maryland, had been mentioned for the post, and he would have been great. I had also heard that Mary Matlin was being considered, and I think she would have been a solid choice, even if she is married to James Carville.

Martinez is a Senator from Florida who sponsored a bill which would provide amnesty for over ten million people who came into this country illegally. The RNC job is a full time job, and I would think that being a Senator would be, too! Has President Bush decided to give up completely on the conservative base? If so, things do not look any better for the Republican Party in 2008 than they are in 2006, unless a conservative candidate with integrity and courage, like Tom Tancredo of Colorado or Mitt Romney of Massachusets gets the nomination. Bush's mismanagement of the borders caused a lot of people to stay away from the 2006 election. Bush depended heavily on the support of conservatives to get where he is, but he does not seem to care two hoots about those voters now. Very disappointing.

The nomination has to be voted on by the state chairpeople at their meeting in January, so maybe there is time to let our thoughts be heard.

The Washington Times published an article in April 2005 critical of the Senator's management abilities.

There they Go Again, Making Unreasonable Demands!

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan actually said this:the problem he is having in negotiations betweeen the U.N., Israel, and Lebanon is that Israel keeps insisting that Hezbollah return the two captured Israeli soldiers alive!

Biased and Slanted Coverage Of News

Can anyone tell where the negative political commercials against Republicans ended and the news coverage began? That is the question asked by Brent Bozell III today in his blog over at Townhall.com. The role played by the dinosaur media was huge in this election. Even if you listen to talk radio, the stations usually bring on ABC, CNN, or CBS radio news at the top of every hour, and they never miss an opportunity to portray events negatively toward the Republicans. If that is how I got my news, it would be a no-brainer: get rid of the Republicans, and everything will be okay again in my country.
The photo is of MSNBC's Chris Matthews, whom I consider to be among the most biased.

Iran Gives Us A Visual

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been verbally telling the world for many months that he intends to see to it that Israel will cease to exist. Now he is giving us visuals to go along with the words. Is anyone paying attention?

Finally: Someone To Vote For!

Michael Graham writes a column in John Kerry's home town newspaper. Thanks to John Kerry, Mr. Graham finally has someone to vote for in a mid-term election: the troops of the United States Military!

Leaked! Agenda for the 2008 Democrat National Convention

Texas Rainmaker has an exclusive: a reader leaked the minute-by-minute agenda for the 2008 Democrat National Convention. This is one of the funniest items I have seen in a long time.

It Takes a John Kerry

A large banner was unfurled at the Army versus Air Force football game at West Point. It was first shown to great applause at the Army side of the stadium, then to similar applause at the Air Force side. h/t Black Five

It's John Kerry to the Rescue (Of The Republicans) Once Again

Not content to hand the 2004 elections to the Republicans, the Democrats have once again trotted out John Kerry just before the 2006 elections to demean the men and women of the U.S. military. He's the best the Dems have got?! Well, at least he is the smartest! (h/t Gateway Pundit)

And A Happy Halloween To You, Too!

Tonight my wife escorted the five and six-year-old sons on an extra long walk through the neighborhood, after bringing the younger children back home from early trick-or-treating. They came up to a house, and the six-year-old exhorts the five-year-old to "quick, get your bag ready, I hear someone coming!" From inside the house my wife hears a voice exclaim, "Damn it, we should turn off that light!" Off went the light, just as the boys happily sang out, "Trick-Or-Treat!" The woman inside replied loudly, "We don't have any fucking candy!" To which my wife replied, "Okay, boys, get your eggs ready!" Can you believe an adult using language like that to little children?

Whippersnapper?

After an afternoon spent happily but unsuccessfully shooting at clay pigeons with our two teen sons, my wife got home just in time for us to go down to Denver for a Saturday night on the town. The children-moving vehicle we drive is too tall to fit into any of the downtown indoor parking garages, so we drove round and round looking for an outdoor parking lot with a vacancy. We found one next to Coors Field, where the Rockies always finish their baseball season well before the world series begins.

The parking pay thingy had openings the size of a quarter for me to put one five dollar bill or five one dollar bills in. I had the latter. I was concentrating with all my might on this seemingly impossible task, when my wife came up to observe. I noticed that there was a guy standing behind her, and I thought he was just waiting for me to develop some competency at the task of folding up dollar bills and fitting them in a hole the size of a quarter. Finally I squeezed the last one in, and we began to walk away. I noticed that my wife was looking back at the guy, who had now disappeared. I asked her why she was looking back over her shoulder. She calmly says that the guy had come up to her in the parking lot (while I was working on my first grade science project with the dollar bills), and told her he thought she was looking very sexy. I asked her what she said to him. She calmly stated that she told him, "Shut up, Whippersnapper!" I can only imagine what she will say when she actually starts hitting those clay pigeons!

It Takes A Grandma!

Where are the men of America? Are we all watching football on t.v. 24/7? Are we out in Yuppyville teaching our kids in the name of self esteem to push ahead of the kids with manners? Are we forcing our kids to play only in organized sports?

Why does it take a grandma to slap down a network that always puts the government of the United States in the worst possible light? Lynne Cheney is the woman of the year in my book. She does in one short interview what we American males should have done a long time ago, but we have been so cowed by the feminization of America that we must always be politically correct and we just have not spoken up. I think Lynne Cheney has done what no American male has been able to do: mobilize Republicans to get out and vote!

Sometimes All You Need Is A Picture

Intrepid investigative KHOW Radio talker Peter Boyles brings our attention to this flyer being used by Democrats in Texas.

From the Mexican Lab to Elmo to You and Me!

Illegal immigrants are back on the front pages of Colorado's newspapers again today. One story is about an illegal immigrant who shot two Denver policeman (in their backs). One of the officers was killed. Today was the sentencing hearing. The coward did not show up in court to listen to what the victims had to say. Possibly his public defenders told him to stay in his cell after they saw him. It seems he asked for some clippers the night before the hearing so he could prepare for his appearance in court. Apparently he asked his cellmate to shave a giant gang sign into the back of his head. I do not recall that fact (his being a gang member)being mentioned in any of the news coverage prior to the sentencing hearing.

The other story was about a meth ring being broken up. U.S. attorney Troy Eid pointed out at a press conference that methamphetamines are now being manufactured in high volume factories, and then shipped into Colorado. In this particular bust, seven hundred small mom and pop labs (yes, they are often adults with small children) would have had to be raided to equal the quantity seized in this sweep. 45 pounds of high quality meth, 1.1 kilos of cocaine and $59,000 were seized in this bust. Street value? Millions of dollars.

Another very interesting aspect of this was the route taken by the drug smugglers, twelve of whom are illegal immigrants from Mexico. The lab was in Mexico. The drugs went first to Los Angeles, then to Barstow, then to Las Vegas (of course), and then to Greeley Colorado, which is in the heart of a large agricultural county, where many illegals work in the fields. From there the drugs go to tiny Kimball, Nebraska, which really intrigues me. Why? Because when I was working as a child protection worker I had a case involving a mom and four children. I always suspected the mom was a meth user. When they moved to Kimball, Nebraska I asked her about the town. She told me there was just one stop sign, and the town is in the middle of nowhere. Then why is it a stop in the drug trade? By the way, there is only one more stop on the route: Roanoke, Virginia. Oh, and one more thing: four pounds of Meth was found inside a Tickle-Me-Elmo children's toy.

A Refreshing Place to Go In The Blogosphere

One of my favorite blogs to visit is The House of Zathras. Surfing the blogosphere can sometimes be a little depressing, but not at the House of Zathras. Check out Mrs. Who's latest multiple choice quiz here.

The quiz reminds me of my neighborhood. We live at the base of a mountain. Across the street is a beautiful Victorian house. Across the street in another direction is an underground house! Next to that house is a family that is like the house in the multiple choice quiz. The snooty neighbors who have the yard signs for liberal political candidates look down their noses at this family (and at us, too, no doubt). We actually get along better with that family than we do with any of the other neighbors.

The man of the house works in a very dirty job laying asphalt. His hobby is bringing home used cars, putting them up on the cement blocks, and getting them to run for a while. One day in 2004 he came over and told me that he had never voted before, and would like some help learning how to register. He also asked me if I knew where he could get some Bush/Cheney signs for his yard. We have been fast friends ever since. He and his wife ask me for gardening tips, and they recently helped us carry in some furniture we found on sale. When the tomatoes were ripe for pickin, they gave us all we could eat, and they were delicious. We give them baby clothes from time to time. Their daughters have each given birth a few times, even though they are not yet twenty-years-old. Grandmother takes care of the babies while the mothers are at work. Our children love playing with their children.

Bob Beauprez For Colorado Governor

The Rocky Mountain News today does a profile of Congressman Bob Beauprez, who is the Republican candidate for governor of Colorado. His is a real American and Colorado success story. To me he seems to be a really excellent candidate for the top executive position in the state.

Of course, the headline writer could not resist saying Beauprez has been "Assailed Over Middle Ground," and in the edition that was delivered to our home, "Do-It-All Guy With Do-nothing Party". That last crack is aimed at Beauprez for voting with President Bush 95% of the time. I happen to admire President Bush, so that record only improves Beauprez's standing in my eyes.

Let's Adopt American Babies!

Yesterday I listened to Dennis Prager, a man I respect greatly, make the following statement: "There are no babies available for adoption in America!" That, of course, is completely false. I emailed him, but have had no reply.

Here is a way for a family to adopt an American baby. First, become licensed as a foster family. Then, tell the social workers that you want to be a legal risk or foster/adopt family. That means that you are willing to take a baby into your home and take the legal risk that the baby will not permanently be yours to love and care for.

Let me explain. After the baby is removed from the biological parents because of abuse or neglect, the baby is placed in your licensed foster home. There are two ways that the baby may not stay with you permanently. One is if the social workers find a relative with whom to place the baby. That could happen any time from a few days to several months. So you could have the situation that the baby and you are happily bonded, then the baby is removed because the social work agency has a priority of placing children with relatives. That is the risk you take. The other way the baby could be taken from you is if the parents complete a treatment plan designed to remedy the problem that caused the baby to be removed in the first place. But there is a time limit. Courts are not willing to go for years giving the parents chance after chance to get their act together. The federal law says the baby should have permanency after no more than one year in out of home placement.

Nevertheless, dozens of babies in the Denver metro area are adopted every year by families willing to take the legal risk. Sara Jane, pictured above, was placed with us when she was sixteen days old. The adoption was finalized in February of this year. She will be three-years-old next month. Every member of our family loves and enjoys Sara, and she feels the same way about each of us.

Many Americans are needlessly spending thousands of dollars to travel the world to find a baby to adopt. That is wonderful that they do that, but if they follow the above procedure, they could be adopting right here in America.

So you think the job of a child protection worker is not dangerous? Check out this story about the death of a social worker who brought a baby to visit the mother shown in the above picture.

The Numbers Are Much Worse Than Our Government Has Previously Acknowledged

Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Investigations released a report revealing that the illegal immigration problem is much worse than anything heretofore acknowledged by our government. As many as ten million people may have illegally entered America from Mexico in 2005 alone! Only ten to thirty percent are apprehended, and only ten to twenty percent of illegal drugs are confiscated. 650 of those who were apprehended were from countries who sponsor or train terrorists. Assuming that figure represents the high number of thirty percent, that leaves over 1500 who were not apprehended!

The report talks about people being brought from the Middle East to "staging areas" in central America, then smuggled into the United States illegally. It states that Venezuela has emerged as the "hub of terrorism in the western hemisphere." I would like to know just what and where Venezuela is doing this terrorist training. I have heard that there is training going on at an island called Margarita Island. Anybody know anything about this?

The report talks about the role of Mexican drug cartels, which are described as the most sophisticated and dangerous of all organized criminal enterprises. They have unlimited cash to purchase and use the most sophisticated and advanced weaponry.

The full report is available at the Committee on Homeland Security website.

Do Our Intelligence Officials Know Who Are The Sunnis and Who Are The Shiites?

Daily Pundit cites a New York Times story in which the Congressional Quarterly national security editor asks the chief of the F.B.I.'s new national security branch: Iran and Hezbollah, are they Sunni or Shiite? His answer, "Sunni," is wrong. At least Condi Rice understands the difference, as I pointed out yesterday.

Update: James Joyner at Outside The Beltway adds two more names of intelligence officials who were not able to answer the question correctly. They are Rep. Terry Everett, vice chairman of the House intelligence subcommittee on technical and tactical intelligence and Rep. Jo Ann Davis, chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counter-Intelligence.

Red America and Blue America: Let's Get It On!

Gagdad Bob over at One Cosmos wishes we could actually try an experiment: let's divide ourselves into two Americas, one blue and one red. He says, "In Blue America they would have high taxes, a huge, intrusive federal government, marriage for any two or more people who wished to do so, socialized medicine, economically crippling Kyoto-style restrictions, government enforced racial discrimination, open borders (except into our country--to preserve the integrity of the experiment we’d have to have a big fence to keep them from escaping into our beautiful Red America), a permanent ban on vouchers to ensure the stranglehold the Teachers Union has on education, a religious test to keep people of faith out of public life, no guns, no smoking, lots of abortions, even more special rights and protections for criminals and terrorists, a ban on evil places like Walmart which provide vital goods to people of modest means at rock bottom prices, free college for everyone no matter how stupid, and a high minimum wage to suppress employment, spur inflation, and keep tax revenues down."

My wife adds that no discipline of children would be allowed, except one minute of time out for each year of the culprit's age. Whatever children wanted, they would be given. They would never be asked to do chores or any other form of work. They would continue to get an allowance until age twenty-one, even if they do not live at home.

No one would be allowed to own a pet. They could become a guardian of a pet, after taking comprehensive courses in animal rights and sensitivity training.

No one would be allowed to drive a SUV or a pick up truck, unless certified hybrid.

All points of view would be tolerated, except, of course, Christianity and Judaism. All citizens would be required to be card-carrying members of the ACLU.

I am sure we are missing many important aspects of the ideal blue America. Please add your suggestions in the comments section.

The Threat From Iran

All Things Beautiful posted this organizational chart of the power structure in Iran. Unlike Kim Jong-il of North Korea, the terrorists in charge of Iran are "rolling in cash," because of the oil revenues we provide.

It is clear that the Bush administration now considers Iran as the most destabilizing influence in the Middle East. Secretary of State Condi Rice leaves soon for meetings with leaders of "emerging moderate forces" in the region. That would be Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain. I don't envy her.

America Alone

Michelle Malkin points out that Mark Steyn's new book launches tomorrow. Malkin quotes Steyn from his new book: "Americans and other Westerners who want their families to enjoy the blessings of life in a free society should understand that the life we've led since 1945 in the Western world is very rare in human history. Our children are unlikely to enjoy anything so placid, and may well spend their adult years in an ugly and savage world unless we decide that who and what we are is worth defending."

"Where Were The Protests?"

Would you believe America lost more military lives on average each year of the Clinton Presidency than we have during the Bush Presidency? Gateway Pundit provides the graph shown above, which is taken from a Department of Defense official report.

North Koreans A Super Race?

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il has performed a miracle! There are no deformed babies in North Korea! They have all been murdered in the name of the super race, whose god is Kim Jong-il himself. Moreover, the race has been kept pure by Kim Jong-il's thugs murdering any babies carried by women who become pregnant by Chinese men.

Perhaps the biggest irony in all of this super race talk is that most of the twenty-two million citizens of North Korea are malnourished, living in abject poverty. Unlike most of the rest of the world, which is seeing their populations growing taller, North Koreans are actually shrinking in size, averaging three inches shorter than they were before the Communists took control.

That is not the way socialism is supposed to work, according to our leftist university professors. Socialism, where the government takes care of its citizens, is supposed to be a better system than we have here in America. Our emphasis on limiting government's role in citizen's every day lives, and allowing for individual initiative and individual liberty is thought by our elitist leftist professors, bureaucrats, and politicians to be uncaring and cruel.

Thirty-five Thousand Christians Have Fled Iraq Since We Toppled Saddam Hussein

Reuters has a story alleging that thirty-five thousand Christians have had to flee Iraq since we toppled Saddam Hussein. Where have they gone? Syria!