Post for September 13, 2007

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MarcMarc The Infidel's Blog

Harry Reid and Ed Kennedy need a History Lesson on Vietnam ... among other things

The press was salivating yesterday after President Bush’s address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention. The President used the “V” word in a public speech, Vietnam. ……….Quick everyone run for cover!!

My only response is, it’s about time! The parallels between Vietnam and Iraq as far as a pull out is concerned are irrefutable. I am just surprised that it took the White House this long to get the sound bite our there. As a student, if you will of the political landscape of Vietnam, I can tell you that after the White House, overwhelmed with political pressure from Congress, decided to cut their losses and pull out of Vietnam, it cost our former ally dearly. Millions of Vietnamese in the South were brutally murdered. Those fortunate enough to receive a reprieve from the Communists spent years, some even decades in reeducation camps.

This was all done due to political ideology. Can you imagine what the aftermath would be like for those Iraqis who supported a more democratic environment in such a rigidly fundamentalist view? I can assure you, the insurgents will make Southeast Asia’s vengeance like a day at the park. The killing will be brutal and public for all the world to see.

We must keep in mind that the Internet will give the insurgents their very own outlet to share in the glory of Allah’s victory against the infidels.

I am reminded of a recent Fox News report in which Jane Fonda, after making a brief appearance at a anti-war rally, was confronted by one of Fox’s correspondents. When asked if she felt somewhat responsible for the death of some three million innocent Vietnamese after the fall of Saigon, her response was very telling. She said, nothing. Images of Lady McBeth washing the guilty blood off her hands instantly came to mind when I saw that clip.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid(D-NV), quickly dismissed Bush’s position.

“President Bush’s attempt to compare the war in Iraq to past military conflicts in East Asia ignores the fundamental difference between the two,” he said. “Our nation was misled by the Bush administration in an effort to gain support for the invasion of Iraq under false pretenses, leading to one of the worst foreign policy blunders in our history.”

Huh? You Knucklehead! What got us into the War in Vietnam? Does the Gulf of Tonkin ring any bells? WMDs are a tad more daunting than someone taking a pot shot at one of our boats. And let's be realistic for a moment, shall we? If you announce on international TV that you suspect another nation of having WMDs and then spend 3 months getting the UN off their proverbial tails to send people in to check. What do you think is going to happen while you play nice with Kofi Annan? Those WMDs are going to sneak right out the back doing into Iran.

Sen. Edward Kenney (D-Mass) who, responded to the President’s speech by saying, “The President is drawing the wrong lesson from history” and that we,”lost the war in Vietnam because our troops were trapped in a distant country we did not understand, supporting a government that lacked sufficient legitimacy with its people."

First, to set the Senator straight, we didn’t lose the war in Vietnam. Our troops, just like those fighting in Iraq today, gave the very best they had but were figuratively fighting with one arm tied behind their back because politicians, only concerned with re-election, were Monday morning QBing. Few people are aware of the rules of engagement that were used in various parts of Vietnam. Most of which were mirroring images of what we see today. Politicians with no real comprehension of military tactics or capabilities are sticking their necks where they don’t belong. And, just for the sake of argument, those dimwits in Hollywood can be thrown into this mix as well.

I personally have seen documents that state that US Troops at various points during the war were told they could not shot until engaged by the enemy. That is to say, if a Marine were to see a VC creeping up on their location, he could not take that soldier out until he fired on the Marine’s position. Better yet, is the fact that when US troops were planning operations in areas where there was a civilian population, this is no kidding folks, LEAFLETS were dropped into the areas a few days before to warn the civilians that US Troops would soon be in the area. Hey, there is nothing like letting the enemy know what you are doing before you do it. Who the hell needs spies, we will just give you our play book.

So, Sen. Kennedy, let me leave you with a quote that I sincerely hope you have heard before;

"The mere absesnce of war is not peace" - John F. Kennedy


Update: Here is more to support my point of view

Illegal Immigration/Amnesty: We are missing the big picture

They "love" America?

Why aren’t politicians and pundits asking the right questions on Immigration? The primary question that many should be asking themselves is, why are there so many illegals who never made an effort to become, at the very least, resident aliens? Why are there so many illegals who have been here for decades, many who were eligible for amnesty when it was available in the 1980’s and never took advantage of it?

We hear so many sob stories from the Dems that we can’t break up families and can't expect children who were born here in the US to be separated from their illegal parents. Well, the question we also should be asking is, who put these kids in this situation? It wasn’t the US.

I have a unique perspective on illegals as I married into a family with many illegals and I happen to know the answers to the above referenced questions. Today’s immigrants want the benefits but don’t want to make the commitment to America. Their loyalty to their motherland is painstakingly obvious in their protests as they wave Mexican flags and burn the Stars and Stripes; a tactic that organizers convinced ralliers to change as it gave a very negative spin on their cause.

They don’t want to spend the money to become legal because their financial situation would not improve but worsen. We hear many illegal sympathizers, many within church groups, claim that illegal pay taxes and have a right to live here, receive access to entitlement programs and etc. Well, the truth be told, illegal don’t pay taxes the way you and I do. They fill out their paperwork with stolen SS# and therefore can claim as many dependents as they want and do not have to provide proof of those dependents when they file taxes in April because they DON’T FILE TAXES. Point being, they claim a large number of dependents, have a smaller amount of tax taken out of their weekly paycheck which gives them more spending power and they never have to justify it.

Congress can pass all of the legislation they want, offer as many different names to the legislation, but the point being, few illegals will “buy into” the amnesty program because they have no incentive to do so. Employers are not held accountable for hiring illegals, banks, credit card companies and other financial institutions see money to be made and because there is no real system of checks and balances for anyone who takes advantage of the illegals, all of the hoopla is just that, hoopla.

The Mexican government is the real culprit in this issue simply because they do not enforce their border with the US. In fact, they encourage Mexicans to illegally enter the US. Why? Because many of the illegals that are here, are here temporarily. They come for three or four years, regularly sending money back to Mexico to their families, to build a future home and etc. All of these things fuel the Mexican economy and keep that country breathing, some estimate close to $40 billion. Read more about it here It goes so far as to, according to a NY Times report in 2006, provide Mexican government employees in highly trafficked illegal entry border towns who counsel those preparing to cross over on such things as where the Border Patrols are, where they can find water along the border paths and what to expect if they are picked up by the Border Patrol.

So, before we get all up in arms over the legislation that Congress presents to counter the illegal immigration problem, consider the fact that, no matter what legislation is passed, vetoed or otherwise, the mentality of the illegal is what needs to change. Until we get tough on illegals, those who employ them, house them and provide them with entitlement services, illegals will continue to live here in an illegal status because they have no incentive to do otherwise.

Therefore, Congress should throw immigration legislation out the window and focus on how illegal immigration makes the US vulnerable to terrorists. Our safety, the safety of legal US citizens and residents, should be paramount in this discussion. No one is telling illegals that they can’t return to their native country with their US born children, yet that seems to be an argument that many are making which, in reality is moot. If supporters don’t want to separate families then don’t, make the parents take their US born children home with them and apply for citizenship or residency in their home county. With a parent that is a legal resident of a given nation, their acceptance into their parents’ native country is practically guaranteed.

Think about it ……

Victory: Give it a Chance

Dear Nancy Pelosi .....





The Sniper



The sun beat like a hammer, not a cloud was in the sky.

The mid-day air ran thick with dust; my throat was parched and dry.

With microphone clutched tight in hand and cameraman in tow,

I ducked beneath a fallen roof, surprised to hear "Stay low."



My eyes blinked several times before in shadow I could see,

The figure stretched across the rubble, several steps away from me.

He wore a cloak of burlap strips, all shades of gray and brown,

That hung in tatters till he seemed to melt into the ground.



He never turned his head or took his eye from off the scope,

But pointed through the broken wall and down the rocky slope.

"About eight hundred yards," he said, his whispered words concise,

Beneath the baggy jacket he is wearing a device.



A chill ran up my spine despite the swelter of the heat,

"You think he's going to set it off along the crowded street?

The sniper gave a weary sigh and said "I wouldn't doubt it,

Unless there's something this old gun and I can do about it."



A thunder clap, a tongue of flame, the still abruptly shattered:

While citizens that walked the street were just as quickly scattered.

Till only one remained, a body crumpled on the ground,

The threat to oh so many ended by a single round.



And yet the sniper had no cheer, no hint of any gloat,

Instead he took a logbook out and quietly he wrote.

"Hey I could put you on TV, that shot was quite a story!"

But he surprised me once again- "I got no wish for glory."



"Are you for real?" I asked in awe, "You don't want fame or credit?"

He looked at me with saddened eyes and said "You just don't get it.

"You see that shot-up length of wall, the one without a door?

Before a mortar hit it, it was a grocery store."



"But don't go thinking that to Bomb a store is all that cruel,

The rubble just across the street -it used to be a school.

The little kids played soccer in the field out by the road,"

His head hung low, they never ever thought a car would just explode.



"As bad as all this is though, it could be a whole lot worse,"

He swallowed hard; the words came from his mouth just like a curse.

"Today the fights on foreign land, on streets that aren't my own,"

"I'm here today 'cause if I fail, the next fights back at home."



"And I won't let my Safeway burn, my neighbors dead inside,

Don't want to get a call from school that says my daughter died;

I pray that not a one of them will know the things I see,

Nor have the work of terrorists etched in their memory."



"So you can keep your trophies and your fleeting bit of fame,

I don't care if I make the news, or if they speak my name."

He glanced toward the camera and his brow began to knot,

"If you're looking for a story, why not give this one a shot."



"Just tell the truth of what you see, without the slant or spin:

That most of us are OK and we're coming home again.

And why not tell our folks back home about the good we've done,

How when they see Americans, the kids come at a run."



You tell 'em what it means to folks here just to speak their mind,

Without the fear that that tyranny is just a step behind:

Describe the desert miles they walk in their first chance to vote,

Or ask a soldier if he's proud, I'm sure you'll get a quote."



He turned and slid the rifle in a drag bag thickly padded,

Then looked again with eyes of steel as quietly he added:

"And maybe just remind the few, if ill of us they speak,

That we are all that stands between the monsters and the weak.



by Michael Marks - a Marine - 2006

The Obvious: Democrats vs. Victory

No Retreat, Baby, No Surrender!


First, let me say, it is good to be back. Although, I cannot promise that I will be posting daily, expect to see more from me. So, I just finished reading today's column by Charles Krauthammer in today's Washington Post.

To summarize, he detailed some of the most significant advances that the early stages of the Surge has to boast thus far. Sunni tribes who have turned their backs on Al-Qaeda being the most significant. He also touched upon the fact that, no matter what positive news comes out of Iraq, the Democrats and the MSM are hell bent on making a mockery of our political system by focusing on finding a political loop hole to end the war. Period.

I will pick up here with something that, many may have already realized, but for me, by reading the aforementioned piece, it became crystal clear to me that the Democrats are not American. What I mean by that is that they do not have a love or a patriotism that runs through the veins of true Americans. They have somehow advanced to such an elite stratum in their political careers that their personal aspirations have ironically succeeded what most likely brought them to political office in the first place, the desire to make America better.

They now have decided that pushing their agenda and stopping a Republican administration are their only two standards. They claim that they are attempting to protect the lives of our troops yet inexplicably have ignored the fact that dying for their country is why they volunteered in the first place. It is painstakingly clear that each and every brave man and woman who signed on the dotted line at their local recruiting station understood that the willingness to give their lives for their country was the prerequisite.

Then we have the likes of my home state's favorite ilk, Hillary Clinton ranting that (and I paraphrase) this administration would like the American people to believe that anyone who stands against this war is unpatriotic. Well, Hill, you are. Allow me to extend my linguistic background to the Hallowed Halls of the Russell Senate Office Building.

pa·tri·ot
n. One who loves, supports, and defends (and fights militarily for) one's country.

(This is a collaboration of various definition that were located at dictionary.com. It would also be of interest to note that the antonym of this word is "traitor". So, President Bush's claim that you are either with us or against us, surely applies.)

So, if a patriot is someone who fights for their country, then it would be correct to conclude that anyone who does not support the mission of our military is indeed unpatriotic. Does this mean that the Democrats are unpatriotic? There is another point to consider here and before coming to a conclusion in this brief debate. That point being, Victory vs. Defeat. If the Democrats can say that we have done absolutely everything in our power both politically and militarily and that we have exhausted ALL options in the fight against the insurgency in Iraq, then and only then would the patriotic choice be to bring our men and women home.

We are obviously not even close to that point. Therefore, any Democrat or Republican who votes against providing our Military Forces with everything we can muster to win this war is indeed a traitor.

And the punishment for treason is .....at the very least impeachment.

Pat Tillman: The Fame Game

For give the absence, Folks! New job and lots of transitioning around the house ...

Yet, I did start a post that I am sure is going to reign down Hell on me but I am going to say what is in my heart, that is what the men and women in the Middle East are risking their lives for after all.

I really have some issues with the Pat Tillman story and how his family, it seems predominantly his father and brother, is handling the details surrounding his death. Read more here. My question to the Tillman Family is this, How do you want Pat remembered? Do you want him remembered as someone who gave his life in the line of duty? As a NFL player who gave up a high paying career to waste his life for an unjust cause? As a hero?

I just can't seem to find an answer as to what this family wants. No matter how many rants they post, how many officers' careers and families are destroyed, none of this is going to bring Pat Tillman back. It seems to me that they simply have a vendetta that will never be satisfied. They want to embarrass the military, the government and the administration at any and all costs. Yet to what end?

It is because of who Pat was before he put on the uniform, his fame, that earned him an 18 month probe conducted by the Department of Defense. Just like John McCain, who because of his father, was the poster child for the POWs during Vietnam, it would seem that Tillman's notoriety is providing his family with much more that the family of a single mom whose only son is still Missing In Action from Vietnam would ever receive. This woman's family couldn't even get the military to go out and look for her son after his capture and still today the decades of lies is so deep and so thick, the family may never get the only thing they truly want; some piece of their loved one to bury and say goodbye. Then, as time passes, a place to go to be with him, to visit him and to talk to him.

It is clear that the Tillman's have gotten much more than just about any other military family could dream of in like circumstances. It is the Fame Game. Might I be so bold as to suggest that the Tillman Family regroup and make an effort to use the public stage that Pat's life has offered them and find a way to make his life mean something; focus on The Pat Tillman Foundation, support gold star military families or dare I say, be thankful that they had a body returned to them to bury and say goodbye. Why not turn around and try to help the not so famous families of those being held in Columbia, the families of those British Sailors held in Iran or even POW/MIA Families of those still unaccounted for.

Those things would make Pat's life mean something and have an everlasting impact far beyond his NFL notoriety ...

Italy Swaps 5 Talibans for La Repubblica Reporter

Hat Tip to Michelle Malkin for this NYT piece in which the Italian government made a deal with the devil i.e. the Taliban in exchange for one of their Leftinistra reporters.

After the exchange, the Times reports;

The concern was underscored on Tuesday just after the release of one of the prisoners, Ustad Yasir, who was identified as a Taliban spokesman. He said he would return immediately to war, and was “grabbing two rifles to begin jihad again to hunt down invaders and fight nonbelievers,” according to a statement attributed to him on the Internet.

This incident hits me personally on levels that are worth discussing here. First, as an Italian-American, it bothers me to no end that my quasi-countrymen could be so narrow minded as to consider this a victory and did not have the foresight to see this as a catalyst for kidnapping of many more reporters in the hopes that a similar deal will be struck. The Taliban and Al Qaeda now know that the Italians will negotiate with them, now making Italian reports a hot commodity in the Middle East.

Secondly, the Italians lack of historical epistemology leaves them with a horrible precedent that may haunt them as the international WOT continues. It is quite possible that this decision will not only put Italian reports at risk, but also the Italian people on a grander scale. The possibility of a terrorist attack in Italy will now be more like a probability. Recollections of the bombings in Madrid have not been wasted on the jihadists. Within days of 3/11 in Madrid, Spanish troops were redeployed.

Another avenue of discussion is the little known activity of the French being blood-letted by the Vietnamese for decades as POWs were quietly and gradually returned to their homeland as millions upon millions were paid to Communists in exchange for their countrymen captured in the 1950's.

We can now expect to see more reporters; nationality will be non-descriminant, being kidnapped or worse. Also expect to see reporters taking fewer risks to get closer to the story, meaning their reporting will be less accurate and more inclinded to being tainted by other sources before being put to print. That can never be a good thing for those of us who are pro-Victory.

The backdrop for all of this is the fact that, with the exception of England, our supposed European allies are just as weak as our shortsighted Congress members who voted for the anti-funding bill this week. Maybe we could get them kidnapped!

Nancy Pelosi: $24.5 billion in pork ...This is fiscal responsibility?

Is it just me? or does this article make you feel like we are living in the Twilight Zone?

The House is scheduled to vote on Thursday on the $124 billion bill, which includes more than $95.5 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bill also would demand that troops come home before fall 2008 and possibly earlier if the Iraqi government does not meet certain benchmarks.

Now, recent articles from the past hour have the total amount of the bill at only $121 billion but regardless, we are looking at some $20 billion in pork added on to this bill. President Bush, if given the opportunity to veto this bill, should simply do so on principle. There is no reason for that much pork to be added to a bill of this magnitude. Some are voting on this bill because of the relief that it would provide for hurricane victims across the country instead of the leading reason, the future of our nation.

I know that may sound melodramatic but I think if we were to ask the 30,000 from The Gathering of Eagles what their opinion would be, then I think we would get a good barometer for whether or not this idea is an exaggeration.

The protesters are truly living in the Twilight Zone as they keep drinking the Koolaid thinking that "no war is good", "war is bad", "give peace a chance". That is all well and good in the abstract but really, I would suggest that one of them get in the face of one of the terrorists and ask them to just sit down and talk. The irrationality of the mindset of both the terrorists and the Code Pink folks is the scariest part of this whole issue. Yet, as I have said before, the Code Pinkers will be the first ones screaming for someone to protect them when these fundamentalist Muslims come knocking.

In honor of Mr. Griffin, my high school history teacher, one needs only to examine the epistemological starting point of this dictomy to realize that logic will not be recognized by either side. One is just as narrow minded as the other. The terrorists see the Code Pinkers as an asset, much like the anti-war ilk of Fonda and Kerry was for the VC during Vietnam. Yet the Code Pinkers look at this issue, dare I say, through rose colored glasses. They don't want to end just this war, they want to end all wars. The naivite of their thinking is in the fact that it is not full circle. They see the end of the war as a victory and cannot look beyond that. They do not, nor does it appear some in Congress, grasp where our nation will be after Iraq ...thankfully, there are others of us who do.

The Silent Majority is silent no more.

John McCain: The POW/MIA Factor on Election '08

The Many Faces of John McCain

What do you really know about John Kerry and John McCain and their treatment of the POW/MIA issue?

Have you ever spoken to anyone that has been on the receiving end of one of McCain's rants? I have. Three as a matter of fact. One was actually caught on tape during the 1992 Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs.

Tell me why McCain can embrace his Vietnamese captors yet turn his back on the POW/MIA Families, many of whom were instrumental in seeing to it that he came home alive. McCain's first wife was one of them and he rewarded her loyalty with a divorce just a few years after he returned from capivity. Something that McCain has descretely kept close to the vest.

Do you know about documents that McCain and Kerry covered up during the Senate Select Committee that stated that the Vietnamese had ACKNOWLEDGED taking men into captivity that they never mentioned before? I have them and would be happy to share them with you. Here is a link to just get you started. 19 New POW cases


Maybe you should check out all of the discrepancies in McCain's story based on news reports and his very own biography before you assume that these people are, in McCain's word, "zealots", here. Ted Sampley was the man who investigated the remains that were in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington and because of his hard nosed investigating that man was identified and returned to his family. He was also a Green Beret, a tad more impressive than a Navy pilot with only some twenty hours or so of flight time. Yet McCain wants us to take his word over Sampley's when it comes to Vietnam and the POW/MIA issue.

Most don't know anything more about the POW/MIA issue than what has been spun, controled and then passed on to the MSM. If you want facts, talk to a family member of a missing man and find out their story. That is where you will get the truth. McCain and Kerry had much to gain by burying the POW/MIA issue. McCain, has regularly supported political move of his former captives; normalization of relations, re-establishing trade and membership in the WTO. He has even been photographed embracing one of the Vietamese men who pulled him from the water after his aircraft went down.

McCain with Mai Van On

This is just the tip of the POW/MIA iceburg for John McCain ..... check back from time to time for more on the not so public side of this presidential candidate.

Gathering of Eagles: One HELL of a job!!!

Gathering of Eagles Supporters

This is for you, Snooper!

Hi Folks! There is so much I want to say today. I am so proud to be an American. I have spent the better part of the morning seraching for info on the Gathering of Eagles counter protest yesterday. Instead of repeating what has already been written by those who were there, I decided to give you an array of what I found and proudly share it with you all. The only thing left to say is that I wish I could have been there. I really do .....


Washington Post


My buddy Snooper's Place


Michelle Malkin's Amazing Report


Hot Air


Right On The Right (2 parts)

There are lots more out there and lots more yet to be posted I'm sure but the jist is this; GOE definitely out numbered the ANSWER folks. Some sources say 3:1 other go as far as 6:1.

This may well be a turning of the tide for The Victory Gang!

Duncan Hunter, General Pace and reading lessons for Justin Schafer

Justin Schafer is already slinging the mud over at Daily Kosbased on his poor reading of Presidential Candidate Duncan Hunter's op-ed piece in USA Today. In reaction to General Pace's comments on gays in the military, Hunter contributed his support of the present status quo on the issue. Hunter's opinion can be summarized in the final sentence of his piece, "Present policy barring open homosexual conduct should be maintained."

Justin needs to work on his reading comprehension skills as Hunter is merely supporting the present "Don't ask, Don't tell Policy" saying that things need to stay as they are. Yet, Schafer felt the need for a nutroot rant;

So people can't live in "close quarters" with others whose behavior they find morally questionable? There is a lot of conservative behavior that I find morally questionable: attacking other countries without provocation; sending troops into battle without training, armor, or proper leave between combat rotations; cutting taxes for the rich while defunding education programs for the poor; allowing pharmaceutical companies to make record profits while healthcare costs for Americans skyrocket; the list goes on. I don't see anyone saying that those people should be banned from the military. Of course, many of the people who do those things managed to avoid serving anyway, so I guess it's a moot point.

That is all nice and sweet, Justin but..

1) No one made reference to having gays quartered separately from heterosexuals.

2) The word "behavior" isn't a political term (see here), it refers to the way an individual (meaning one) person acts or behaves. It has no relationship whatsoever to political policy, it refers to a visible behavior.

3) Then you shot yourself in the foot stating that the fact is moot yet General Pace states, "These moral principles also reflect the position of the predominantly conservative families who send their young men and women to serve in the U.S. military". Take a look at the list of Democratic Candidates for President, how many of them served in the military? Now look at the Republican Candidates ....Does the name Bill Clinton ring a bell?

4) Hunter didn't say they should be banned, you need to learn to read! He said things should stay as they are! Nothing more. Do we need to get you Hooked on Phonics?

5) Like it or not, General Pace and Duncan Hunter both serve or served in the Military, they know what open homosexuality would do to a unit. You don't, like it or not.

And lastly ... regarding your brother-in-law who is in the Air Force, you should be proud of his service yet I would be curious to know when was the last time he was in combat? On the ground with the enemy shooting at him knowing that his life was in the hands of those around him? The USAF is in the air (usually with only 2 in a plane at a time), not on the ground in numbers of 10, 25, 50 or more in direct contact with the enemy. Don't make the USAF, USMC and USA mutually inclusive, it only shows your ignorance about the military.

More on Texas and Merck's HPV Vaccine

Merck and Texas


One of my first blog posts was about the issue of mandating the HPV vaccine for girls ages 12 and up in the state of Texas. Many have moral issues with the mandate others have political issues with Gov. Perry circumventing the political process and even more have issues with the necessity of the vaccine and the Govenor's connections to the pharmaceutical company, Merck, who developed it.

It appears that Texas Governor Perry may be in for more than her bargained for, here. The Texas House has already passed legislation to block Perry's move and a similiar act is working its way through the State Senate.

As I said back in February, I really have to wonder what Merck is offering that would make such a gamble with the lives of millions of women acceptable.

Duncan Hunter: Making an Impact at CPAC

Making a Name



I was very happy to see Hot Air post an Interview with Candidate Duncan Hunter. The more I read and hear of this guy, the more optimistic I become about the possibility and hope for the future of this nation that I love so much. I don't mean that to sound clique but, even if it does, it truly is how I feel. This nation, with all its quirks, complaints and flaws is still, bar none, the best thing going on this planet.

Duncan Hunter is articulate with a calming voice; a presence that gives you the impression that this man is ready for the job. His ideals appears to be things that he has spent a life time developing and fine tuning to get him to this point. When I look at all the other candidates in both parties I see politicians, when I look at Duncan Hunter I see a true statesman.

My esteemed colleague from The Victory Caucus, Snooper, over at Take Our Country Back at TownHall is also beginning to see what I see in Duncan Hunter. For Snooper's take on it, visit him here.

Once you are done at Snooper's place, go to The Official Site of Duncan Hunter for US President in 2008 and learn more. Then come back and tell me what you think of Duncan Hunter. I will be anxious to hear your thoughts.

The Surge is Succeeding: Because they stand on a wall, and say nothing is going to hurt you tonight ...

....Not on My Watch!


Yes, Folks, our faith in journalists may be on the rise. In today's WaPo, The Surge is Succeeding! More here and even Brian Williams, anchor at NBC Nightly News is reporting that there is positive change in Iraq.

a la "A Few Good Men"

"And what do we have for the losers, Johnny! Thaaaat's right, after showing complete disregard for the men on the ground, their families and the fate of our nation, the Democrats, lead by Nancy Pelosi and Jack Murtha, will get an long vacation at exotic Fort Bush Was Right, You Were Wrong. And .... for all the White Flag Republicans, start updating those resumes boys and girls because next term you will be teaching typewriter maintenance at the Rocco Clubo School for Traitors.

Thank you for playing "Should we or should we not follow the advice of the galactically stupid?"

(Damn! That felt good!)


UPDATE:
Not so happy, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

It appears that not only is the SURGE working, the Dems claim to only have 71 of the 218 votes needed to block the funding for it and, as I have stated several times, the honeymoon is over for Nancy Pelosi and she is at the point in her speakership where she has to prove her metal. She has been ALL talk since taking office and this is her first opportunity to "put her money where her mouth is". Yet, that mouth has been rather quiet lately.Additionally, one might speculate that with the collective nature of Brian Williams' reports from Iraq and NBC/MSBC/MSN all gently pushing the agenda that a) Surge is working and B) That the House Majority may not have the majority needed to thumb their noses at the White House. All of this is going to make the next year and a half quite interesting. N'est pas?Read more here!

McCain and Kissenger: Strange Bedfellows?

I just love this political cartoon. Kudos to the artists at Cagle Cartoons!


NewsMax just reported that former Secretary of State Henry Kissenger has thrown his support behind the McCain 2008 Campaign. For some this may not be anything to write home about but this article might well be the reason why Kissenger is suddenly being thrown into the limelight during his 2008 Campaign.

Now, in his latest shift to the right, McCain is openly embracing Kissinger. Hotline On Call reports that McCain has chosen Kissinger to be the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.

Ok, understandably, McCain may well feel that he needs a boost in New York considering the grasp that Hillary has on NYC and her "home state". If you ask this New Yorker and just about any other, we will tell you that Hillary isn't a New Yorker. She may live here but she isn't one of us. Regardless, McCain may want a voice in Hillary's backyard as well as Rudy Guiliani's. An obscene amount campaign donations come from the New York City area and obviously, McCain wants a piece of that pie.

Yet, if you look at the second link above, you will see quotes from Kissenger such as;

Kissinger sensed wobbliness everywhere on Iraq, and he increasingly saw it through the prism of the Vietnam War. For Kissinger, the overriding lesson of Vietnam is to stick it out.

In his writing, speeches and private comments, Kissinger claimed that the United States had essentially won the war in 1972, only to lose it because of the weakened resolve of the public and Congress.

In a column in The Washington Post on Aug. 12, 2005, titled “Lessons for an Exit Strategy,” Kissinger wrote, “Victory over the insurgency is the only meaningful exit strategy.”

McCain is making his friendship with Kissenger more public because of Henry's POV on Iraq and it's inevitable comparison with Vietnam, a war that Kissenger claims the US had won but didn't have the longevity to stay the course. Yet, due to the atmosphere at home, very similar to the air today over Iraq, we left before the job was done. This is the one campaign issue that McCain doesn't seem to be flip-flopping on (too much). So Henry gives him, as well as Bush, some credibility on Iraq.

McCain has made Kissenger his honorary co-chairman of his finance efforts in NY. Here is another place that lists many prominent New Yorkers who have agreed to join the McCain Train. One of them being former Ambassador to Vietnam, Pete Peterson. It seems that McCain is attempting to discretely campaign on his Vietnam experience, something that groups like the US Veteran Dispatch, the soon to be Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain, and just about every POW/MIA group you can think of, will do all they can to discredit.

Yet, it appears that Kissenger may well be taking a page from McCain's book of tricks as you can see here . A November 2006 Washington Post article cites Kissenger as saying that victory in Iraq was not possible. So I guess flip-floppers enjoy each others' company as well. Imagine my surprise!

Katie Couric: $15 million a year and not good enough

Last month the ratings for the evening news were released and CBS's Katie Couric was not able to gain her network the number one spot which many at CBS thought would be a no-brainer. There were many reports in the days that followed stating that this was possibly due to the fact that she was a woman and evening news viewers were simply not ready for a female anchor woman. That seemed to be the only justification that many at the time could muster. I had planned on blogging about it but got caught up in other issues that seemed more pressing. I felt then and still feel now that the reason for Couric's decline has little to do with her gender and more to do with her lack of experience. (Read about it here)

Take a step back and think of the scenarios in which we have seen Couric over the years. She did very little hard journalism to be perfectly honest. She was regularly part of the NBC parade brigade, the Olympics and her obvious long time post at the Today Show and the like. But we are accustom to seeing her doing segments that involved soft topics with guest interviews that allowed Katie to flash her smile, laugh and be America's girl. We have followed her relationship with Kevin Costner and raving over her selection of evening gowns and outfits at various charity and Hollywood style events. She has not proven herself as a hard-nosed journalist to the American people. A five minute segment with a politician on the Today Show is not hard journalism, it's orchestrated fluff.

We have watched her play around in an innocent yet flirting manner with Matt Lauer and just about every male to grace the Today Show set. Now, she has toned down on the amount of skin she exposes at any public appearance she makes, suddenly wanting America to take her seriously yet I doubt it will ever happen.

It was announced yesterday that CBS has hired an image guru for Katie Couric, a well known executive producer Rick Kaplan whose resume includes former president of CNN and MSNBC and onetime executive producer of ABC's "World News Tonight" and "Nightline". Here is more on Kaplan and his past Clinton connections. Sailor in the Desert seems to think that Kaplan may be having Couric do some shill work for Clinton. Very Interesting! Kaplan will replace Rome Hartman who reportedly wanted a change of scenary regardless. Kaplan will have his work cut out for him as the above cited Washington Post article states;

..the shake-ups reflect the growing intensity of a ratings war in which millions of dollars in advertising revenue are at stake. ABC's "World News" with Charlie Gibson has seized the ratings lead from Brian Williams's NBC broadcast in three of the past four weeks. Gibson drew 9.56 million viewers last week, Williams 9.39 million, and Couric 7.51 million.

Kaplan will have approximately two million viewers the earn for CBS. Honestly, I do not think this is the right move for the network. No matter how much polish you give to Katie Couric, America will never be able to shake the school girl image we have of her.

If CBS is hell-bent on having a female anchor, I am sure there are better choices out there. Deborah Norville comes to mind as well as some of the more conservative anchors out there. Yet getting a conservative to jump ship into the waters at CBS might prove more difficult than gaining two million viewers for Couric.

Your thoughts?

Obama and Parking Tickets? Come On!!

Parking for Barack Obama Only

I just found this over at Fox News. It appears that two weeks before officially announcing his candidacy for POTUS, Obama finally paid for 15 outstanding parking tickets from his time at Harvard Law ('88-'91), totaling $375 including late fees.

First off, I had a parking ticket from Nov.of 2005 that I paid but wasn't aware of the late fee of $20. I started getting hounding phone calls from a collection agency and called the City to find out that I still owed the late fee. Notice, I said from 2005 not 1990.

What does this say about Obama? Are we supposed to believe that he couldn't afford to pay for them all these years? He was unaware of the outstanding tickets yet took care of them just before announcing. Hmmm .. Did he think that because he was a Congressman that he didn't have to pay them? That may work at the Congressional Bank but not at Harvard it appears. And most importantly, why did he pay for them just two weeks before officially announcing? It would have been smarter to act like he didn't know than to pay them when he did. Did he really think that someone at the parking office wouldn't blow the whistle on this?

Upon reading this article all that came to mind was "How Clinton of him". Everything is an oversight until the political microscope comes out looking for some dirt before a significant election. What does this say about Obama's character? I mean honestly - 15 parking tickets? I am amazed that the fees were so little. My ticket (singular) was paid late and it was $20. We are talking about tickets that are over ten years old. Many universities do not release your diploma until you have paid ALL outstanding fees. How did he slip by on this one?

This reminds me of the story of the kid at school who stole three dollars worth of candy from the school store. His father came to school, tossed three dollars on the principal's desk and considered the case closed.

Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the Obama campaign, dismissed the tickets as not relevant.

"He didn't owe that much and what he did owe, he paid," Psaki said on Wednesday. "Many people have parking tickets and late fees. All the parking tickets and late fees were paid in full."

I hate to break it to Jen but, if you can't be trusted with the little things ....

Pelosi's Honeymoon is over .... Thank God!

E. J. Dionne, Jr. at the Washington Post has a great piece yesterday, "Testing Time for Democrats". It is truly worth the read. He strikes on something that I suggested a while back, the honeymoon is over for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She has been extremely quiet these past few weeks since the Senate put the kibosh on her attempt to give the White House a congressional raspberry and single handedly put an end to the war in Iraq. Well, I think that Nancy was on the receiving end of a sincere reality check and is learning that things in Washington work a little differently at the top and that in order to lead, she must be a true leader. Her odd alliance with Jack Murtha has been quite a bit of smoke and mirrors and he too is realizing that he has to think more realistically if he truly has the troops in mind with his proposed legislation. I think they are both beginning to see the light.

Their power is not omnipotent, it has to be earned.

March on the Pentagon: Will ANSWER have control over their people?

We all hope that the anti-war protesters use their heads and appreciate their right to protest on March 17th. Yet, as it is with many of these events, others join in with different ideas, goals and objectives. I have always been an advocate for the expression, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. With that said, check out what the anti-war protesters from ANSWER are discussion on their message boards. I would encourage you to take a look at their "List of Endorsers" link at the top of the page. Quite a potpourri of groups, beliefs and motivations. With ANSWER being more concerned with visible numbers for the MSM to report, I have to wonder if they will have control over such a diversely motivated group.

I hate to say it, but I see things getting ugly quickly with this event. It is obvious from reading their message board that many will be attending to simply follow their anarchistic tendencies. Ending the war is not their motivator. Some appear to be welcoming the opportunity to simply "Rage Against the Machine".

Even with all of this, I feel sorry for them. Not just for their twisted beliefs but for what lies in waiting for them. There will be more participants from
Gathering of Eagles than the protesters are imagining and their motivation is singular, the protection of our war memorials and those who gave their lives in each of those conflicts. I wrote about this last week and even more examples of vandalism have been discovered, here.

I have the honor of knowing many Vietnam Veterans and I know their resolve. There will be some who will have a short fuse and there is no doubt that there will be protesters well armed with a verbal barrage of taunts for our Vets.

Just remember, the blame goes squarely on the Chief of the Capitol Police who ordered officers on the scene of a January, 2007 protest there to not interfere and not arrest anyone. Here is his statement after the fact. This act of cowardice gave the anti-war crowd the shot in the arm they were looking for and on March 17th, I want to see just how well the Capitol Police handle their own mess. I shudder at what this all will hold.


UPDATE: It seems that one of the splinter groups has a plan for the 19th of March as a follow up to the 17th. See here.

Jonah Goldberg: Reviving the Vietnam War

It has only been recently, due to all of the comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam that I have been able to truly see just how Walter Cronkite and his minions honestly did effect the outcome of the War in Vietnam. I was well aware of the impact that John Kerry, Jane Fonda and Tom Hadden had on our POWs and the propaganda that the Communists used with such efficency against us to win the war on paper.

I just read a very eye-opening op-ed piece by Jonah Goldberg in USA Today (he is a good guy from over at National Review Online) and felt like he had been sitting here with me all of these years as I attempted to grapple with where Vietnam fit into our national history and what lessons we were supposed to glean from it.

Please read it, it will give you insight and clarity that has been missing for over 30 years. It will also give you a strong grasp on our present day situation and not just the importance of victory but the necessity of it.

Walter Reed: Possibly the beginning of something?

For some, it may be difficult not to see the present awakening at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) as a political stepladder due to the obvious ramifications on both sides of the aisle. Yet, just for a moment, I would like to think that there isn’t an American alive who isn’t thankful that this issue, politics aside, is being addressed in what seems to be a correct and appropriate manner. There are some that may not be able to separate the politics of this from the simple fact that these heroes are going to get better care, better facilities and over all recuperation will dramatically improve for all of them.

I am sure there are patients at WR today whose lives will be forever changed for the better due to that handful of people who had been worn down by the system to a depth of despair that made it clear they had nothing left to lose. Many have questioned the Washington Post reporters who broke the story for having waited almost four months to bring this issue to the forefront. For whatever the reason, we truly must ask ourselves, who else was in a position have a similar impact? My thoughts are better late than never. Here,here and here you have some less slanted reporting eventhough still staying failthful to the MSMs "Bush is to blame" mantra.

Getting back to the politics of this, we already have our fans on the left pointing fingers, placing blame and in some cases, enjoying the rainstorm that is befalling Washington right now. Here is a perfect example. I had to laugh because Benen’s title, ””The Right Explains the Walter Reed Scandal” gives you the impression that he is going to give that side of the aisle’s perspective, yet all is does is give his sides typical blame game rhetoric. My question for the left is, how many of you have sat down and written a letter of support to a deployed soldier or Marine? Because after all you don’t support the war but you support the troops, right? How many have quietly and without fanfare gone to Walter Reed or Bethesda Naval Hospital to visit the wounded without cameras rolling?

This reminds me of the horrific story of the Ziegenfuss Family as US Army Major Chuck Z was recuperating at Walter Reed in 2006 from one of his 34 surgeries after being wounded by and IED in 2005. He and his wife were visited by Arizona Senator and 2008 presidential hopeful John McCain, this alone should keep McCain out of the White House, read here. This event may surprise some, but not me. Yet, this serves as a perfect example of those who still consider the wounded as a necessary evil for those much needed photo ops.


I sincerely hope that this is just the beginning of the exposure of many other military agencies that are charged with providing care and assistance to our heroes and their family members both past and present. Walter Reed will surely be the beginning of peeling pack the layers of chronic problems with the VA and it’s care not just for present day heroes but those from the Vietnam Era as well who continue to go through similar difficulties over their care and benefits from three decades ago.

I can only dream that this will be a springboard for not just those Vietnam Vets who still have the internal and external scars but for those family members of those brave men who are still MIA who have fought for decades to get answers to the questions that they know our government and those of our former enemies may well have. They too have been forgotten and hidden away in the hopes that they would be worn down by the system much like these wounded warriors of today.

Rosa, Rosa Rosa! What are you thinking?

Rosa, Rosa, Rosa …

I wanted to touch base with you over a few major inconsistencies in your op-ed piece in today’s LA Times, “The lunatic right returns”. Initially, you claim that the statements made by the Swift Boat vets were “defamatory insinuations”. If these men served with Kerry and witnessed how he carried out his duties as an officer in the US Navy, how can you term their statements as insinuations if they were there and you weren’t? You must admit that Kerry receiving three purple hearts in approximately four months in combat is somewhat questionable. Could the fact that you were an advisor on the Kerry-Edwards Campaign in 2004 be the catalyst for your piece?

Regarding Col. Bud Day, he was not a Swift Boat Vet but a POW along with John McCain in Hanoi, in fact he never even served in the Navy, instead he proudly served our nation in the US Air Force. Another significant piece of information that you conveniently omitted was that Col. Day is also a Medal of Honor winner. You might want to read the citation, it tells of his amazing bravery and leadership while a POW in Vietnam. So how you can refer to Day as one of the Swift Boaters from Kerry’s last presidential bid is a bit confusing. Additionally, Mary Jane McManus is the wife of a former POW who also served in the Air Force, again not the Navy as Kerry did. If anyone knows first hand how the left influenced the lives of POWs, it would be Day and McManus. Carlton Sherwood was a Marine during Vietnam who later became a journalist and was the producer of an amazing documentary, Stolen Honor, that chronicles the story of about a dozen Vietnam POWs who tell of their harrowing experiences and how their captivity was directly and negatively effected by the anti-war movement. Are you going to deny the veracity of these men and what they experienced at the hands of their captors?

Are you denying that the left doesn’t have a campaign against the American Soldier just as it did during Vietnam? I have seen Stolen Honor, spoken personally with former POWs and these men are brave, honorable, and the most patriotic men you will ever have the pleasure of knowing. Are you also denying that Murtha is using the troops as a pawn in the left’s War on Bush? He himself has said, “Our troops have become the enemy. We need to change direction in Iraq.” Our Troops? Those who defend our nation and her beliefs are “the enemy”?

You claim that the situation in Iraq has gone from bad to worse and back again. Oddly enough, you are again taking the word of those simply reporting the war from those on the ground and in uniform who strongly believe in their mission and regularly report success and advancement in the lives of civilian as well as military Iraqis for those who are willing to listen.

You quoted that the casualties from Iraq have tripled since 2004. That quote is the definition of disingenuous as the war started in early 2003. In your way of calculation you are comparing the first year of the war with years 2 and 3. In 2003 there were 486 casualties, 2004 had 848, 2005 had 846 and 2006 had 821. You claim that Americans are dumb, well maybe in this case, this American saw through your rouse, not quite so dumb after all.

You state that, ‘What's depressing about the reemergence of the Swifties, though, is that it's symbolic of the increasing takeover of the "conservative" movement by unprincipled, right-wing extremists.” So, am I correct in assuming that you are referring to Col Bud Day, as an “unprincipled, right-wing extremist”? Well, in the very next paragraph of your piece you quote John McCain as saying that Swift Boaters are “dishonest and dishonorable” yet McCain himself has referred to Col. Bud Day here as, “one of the greatest men I have ever had the honor to know.” If I'm not mistaken, that quote came directly from McCain's autobiography. So again you have me confused, if McCain, who was held with Day calls him “the greatest man”, then how can he also be dishonest and dishonorable?

Your closing comments on Oliver North and Michelle Malkin truly show your lunatic tendency. North was a decorated Marine who fearlessly served his country and Malkin’s recognition, while obviously difficult for you to swallow, is well deserved as she and those that collaborate with her truly investigate and dig deep into the layers of a story to find the truth. She will call a spade a spade no matter what their political affiliation.

In closing Ms. Brooks, you might benefit in a bit of accuracy in your reporting as the entire premise of your op-ed piece is a misnomer.

*PS -Kudos to the editorial and research team at the LA Times by the way for obviously not validating who you wrote about as Day, McManus and Sherwood had nothing at all to do with the Swift Boat Vets of 2004.

Update: I have contacted the LA Times and asked for a correction/retraction as well as an admission on the part of Ms. Brooks that she served as an advisor to the Kerry-Edwards 2004 Campaign. I will keep you posted if I hear anything more from the LA Times.

Oh No! Howard Dean is Mad (again)!!

The DNC's Howard Dean


I don't know what should be a bigger surprise, that Ann Coulter said something offensive or that Howard Dean is mad? here

After Coulter's tongue and cheek remark Dean is reported to have immediately issued a press release is which he said,

“While Democrats and Republicans may disagree on the issues, we should all be able to agree that this kind of vile rhetoric is out of bounds. The American people want a serious, thoughtful debate of the issues.”

This quote is out loud laughable. Does Dean issue statements to Pelosi, Murtha, Levin and their minions? Has Dean ever heard the expression calling the kettle black? Has he taken a look at the liberal blogosphere and read all the anti-Bush and anti-Christian fanfare that is out there? (Does the name Amanda Marcotte ring a bell?) Has he called on all Democrats to "agree that this kind of vile rhetoric is out of bounds?" If he has, I can make a long list of those who didn't get the memo.

Was Ann wrong for using the word "faggot"? Absolutely! She was and why she felt that was necessary is beyond me. I have always hoped that people in the public eye learned a hard lesson from the Dixie Chicks in as far as the backlash for their comments about President Bush while on tour in the UK two years ago. The Chicks knew better than to make those claims to their US audience who is staunchly Republican and pro-military. This is the kind of mistake that many make thinking that comments like these are safe when you are with an audience of like minded individuals.

In the age of paparazzi we should always take heed to the fact that someone is always watching, always listening, always looking for the story that is going to get their by-line on the evening news. I have no doubt that there were Democratic moles at CPAC looking for some dirty laundry.

Regardless, Dean's press release isn't worth the paper is was printed on. Nice try, Howie!

The Desecreation of War Memorials has begun ....

I know in my last post I said I would look into more on Duncan Hunter's run for the White House but something else has taken center stage. An e-mail from a Vietnam Vet came into my inbox a few minutes ago and the title of this post says it all.

An obviously little seen story, Melanie Morgan, Chairman of MoveAmericaForward.Org tells of gruesome vandalism to some local war memorials all over the nation, here. It appears that the antiwar folks, discontented about the "Gathering of Eagles" raining on their parade by protecting the national war memorials during the upcoming March 17th antiwar rally in DC, they have decided to go after the local war memorials. The WorldNetDaily article states;

In a late January anti-war rally, a contingent of protesters broke off and spray painted the U.S. Capitol building and steps with anti-war and anarchist messages and slogans.



Anti-war protesters spray painted anti-Bush slogans and smashed glass panels at the Medal of Honor Monument in Indianapolis, Ind.




In Boise, Idaho, the son of a Democratic state senator was accused of vandalizing flagpoles and desecrating flags at the State Capitol. The flags are memorials to soldiers who lost their lives in the war on terror.

In Pennsylvania, someone attacked the South Connellsville War Memorial, destroying the lighting grid at the monument.

Another war memorial was desecrated in Vermont. A Vietnam memorial was vandalized in Chicago. The list just goes on and on.

The rage and anger that I feel inside me is like little I have felt in my life. My first thought is of the son of the Idaho State Senator, did he believe that he would get away with this because of his father's position and I want to know what this State Senator has said and done in the wake of this behavior. Events like this make we want to reinstitute corporal punishment. Not only that, I want to know what kind of son the State Senator raised, like it or not, this falls squarely on his shoulders.

I really hate to say this but the simply fact that the major media outlets have NOT picked up on this story speaks volumes. One would think that these people, these reporters who truly live under the umbrella of the freedoms that those honored by our nation's war memorials gave their lives for, they among all of us would be the first to speak out against these types of deviant behaviors, yet they have remained silent.

Let's just hope that this isn't a precursor to the antiwar ANSWER people have planned for March 17th. One thing I do know, let them go after The Vietnam Wall and all bets are off.

Duncan Hunter - Moving into the Limelight

Presidential Candidate,Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA)

NewsMax is reporting that Duncan Hunter is running a "close second" to Rudy Gulliani is a straw poll completed in South Carolina yesterday,more here. I have read up on Hunter, listened to his recent interview with Pundit Radio available here and I like the common non-sensical way he looks at things. He is strong on defense, strong on the border security yet wants illegal treated respectfully as he shows here by his recent firing of his South Carolina advisers for recent comments and actions that do not reflect Hunter's views and ideals. This is the exact kind of leadership action that the Edwards' Campaign should have shown when they allowed their debacle with the hiring of their bloggers become an issue over weeks rather than days.

Another positive for Hunter is that he is a student of Reagan and if anything is going to save us, it is that Reagan-like mentality that America is strong, proud and defiant in the face of any adversary. You can find is campaign website here.

It also appears that many of those at the Conserative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held this weekend in DC are anxious to hear more as his "close second" in the straw poll will most likely peak the interest of those at the Conference. Once can only hope. The fact that the press is already looking at his campaign ads in the hopes of finding campaign finance violations, read here, is a sign that they are at least taking notice of Hunter at this point.

I am going to spend some time today reading with the lefties have to say about him and will try to play devil's advocate in my next post. For now though, I am glad that Hunter is moving closer to center stage.

More disdain for John McCain

Presidential Candidate John McCain

Great stories here:

Michelle Malkin
Mary Katharine Ham
Rob Bluey

McCain's roadshow continues. I really have to think that McCain is making up his campaign as he goes along. Announcing on Letterman? Come on! Many of the nation's most seasoned reporters have been regularly asking him about his potential candidacy yet he remained elusive. Then he gives the carrot to David Letterman. What was he trying to say with announcing in that fashion? We have always joked that politics in a cheap form of entertainment but this is truly taking things to a new level.

While on Letterman, as we all know by now, he appears to be attempting to distance himself on the troop surge that he claimed to support by now pulling an Obama and referring to the lives lost in Iraq as "wasted". At the McCain level of politics things are very meticulous and it is difficult to gauge what his motivation was for his performance on Letterman.

It all seemed to backfire on him as he was hoping to have his announcement be the main story in this news cycle but instead it was his use of the word "wasted" that seemed to be the hot topic today. Check out the above links, it appears that since Conservatives have taken strong note of McCain's absence at this weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference, he is attempting to pull something together at the Conference to appease the masses. Sadly, appeasement seems to be his only campaign strategy which will not get him into the White House. The American voter is much smarter today than they were in 2000. Sorry Senator ...

Let's talk ....Immigration

Welcome to America

Everyone has an opinion on Immigration, from the Mexican here on a work visa, the second generation Mexican-American to the European immigrants who arrived here in the early part of the 20th century. Each with a passion for their beliefs and an epistemological starting point that may we be difficult to argue with. Yet, this issue is one that needs to be address in the here and now as our national security truly depends on it.

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but former 1970's entertainer turned California Congressmen, Sonny Bono left me with a pearl of wisdom many, many years ago long before his death 1998. During a congressional sub-committee on immigration had linger on far too long and touch on topics that Bono felt irrelevant, he said something to the effect that if it is called "illegal" immigration than why are we even talking about it. It truly is and should be that simple. Unfortunately, there are so many mitigating circumstances that have developed over the last three decades that today immigration can only be called a labyrinth at best.

Here are some few know immigration facts. There are millions upon millions of illegal aliens in this country who obtained Social Security ID cards that were stolen from various government agencies or simply fabricated by individuals who quickly saw the marketability of such a business and charge anywhere from $300 to $1,000 for a card. Keep in mind that this illegal cards could have any Social Security number on it, it could be yours, mine or your next door neighbors. Suddenly, you have identity theft to deal with.

Then there is the issue of taxes. The next time you hear an advocate for illegal immigrants tell you that they pay taxes, know that is a half truth. While in college I worked in the restaurant business for a few years and while I was studying Spanish, I befriended many of these illegal aliens. They are usually good people, don't get me wrong, but more on that later. They have taxes taken out of their weekly pay, yes, that is correct but they claim a high number of dependents so that very little is taken out and, here is the kicker, they do NOT file taxes annually with the IRS. Meaning that they are never made to prove who their dependents are or made to repay if they under paid and etc. Yet, these same individuals are entitled to every type of federal program that you and I are. There children are entitled to an education in our schools, health care and the list goes on and on.

Sadly, for every illegal that comes her with honest intentions to carve out a new life in a new country, there are others with less than impressive intentions. Many come here, live at low levels only to save a significant amount of money that that send directly back to their mother country; part to help their family and part to build a home for them to return to in a few years. So many are here temporarily to take advantage of our system to then return home once they have achieved their financial objective. It is no secret that many who may well be here legally, are allowed to claim their family members in another country as their dependents, thus, through a Social Security loophole, billions, yes you read that correctly, billions of US dollars are sent to Mexico each year.

Mexico - ah yes - the land of sand and beaches. Well, it will be no secret to you that Mexico is a staunch supporter of the Immigration movement in the US. The Mexican government employs individuals in border towns to educate those attempting to cross over into the US on how and where to safely cross, where to find water as they cross and what to do once they get there. Face it folks, the Mexican economy needs illegal immigration to keep its poorer population at bay. If it weren't for the opportunities north of the border, Mexico would have another revolution on her hands.

Many US companies, large and small, depend on the illegal workers to do jobs that some Americans may feel is below them for a wage that is much higher than the same work would produce in Mexico. Therefore, it is more profitable to, for example, come to the US and work in a factory making $7 a hour vs. working in Mexico making half that for the same work. In the restaurant I worked in the management knew full well how this process worked. If an illegal came in to request work, after filling out their application, they would be asked to come back in a few days and if their Social Security number wasn't rejected by a "system" then they were allowed to begin work. If it was a bad number they were simply asked to "try again" with a different number. I had more than a handful of situation where I was asked to translate for the manager so this is not a secondhand story, and this happened all over in just about every restaurant in an area with a high Hispanic population.

The issue doesn't stop there. One co-worker asked me about my opinion on the following; his sister lived in Tijuana and she and her husband were expecting their first child. The husband worked in the US but lived in Mexico, crossing the border legally each day to work. Yet, his wife had yet to be naturalized. She was considering coming across the border into TX to have her baby because it would be free. This is a very regular occurrence in many of the border states and it is the direct cause for the high cost of health care in these states and the multitude of problems that the health care field is forced to confront due to this fact. Then the new twist is, of this baby is born in the US, he is now a US citizen and he is entitled to stay in the nation of his birth and later, this will serve as a way for the mother to receive naturalization in the US much easier than before.

Are you beginning to see the complications here?

Now let's open the door to the politicians! Those who would like to blame President Bush for everything from the war in Iraq, global warming and the death of Elvis, now after 9/11 want Bush to solve this problem without taking away a potential voting base for the Democrats. California in particular is the blue state that has the most to loose and also gain if immigration laws are implemented. But here is the thing, illegal immigration, for reasons obvious to national security should be quell immediately but this is the big mistake that many Americans make, the collectively lump Immigration and Illegal Immigration into one category. If you read here You will see that we need immigration to help in certain fields, medicine in particular but again, there is a gray area in regards to who gets the now famed "greed card" and who doesn't. The above linked article tells of abuses within the greed card system that prevents those who actually are needed here to work in place of those who use the green card to stay in the country with legalized family members without having to go through the process of naturalization. (Note: There cards are green anymore but the name is still used. Today's cards are pretty high tech with hallograms and the like to deter falsification.

How to fix this problem? It obviously cannot be fixed during the last two years of the Bush Administration but there are some thing that could be implimented to begin to better protect our borders. Immigration and Naturalization can being to crackdown on this illegal immigrants who are here without the proper papers and who are here without a family to complicate their status. They will be easier to return to their homelands and most likely will be a large number of individuals thus sending a powerful message.

We will continue with Immigration more I am sure as the months leading up to the '08 Elections approach.

Let's just go there .... my disdain for John McCain

I haven't written in a few days, simply because I didn't find anything of interest to write about. Then I was reminded that we all need to write everyday, no matter what. So being the perpetual student that I am, I went looking at the other great blogs, those that I admire and gained some insight, remembering that I can write an opinionated essay of sorts.

So here goes ....

Politically many consider John McCain a loose cannon, a hot head, unpredictable and so on. Within the small circle of the POW/MIA Community, he is on the same level as the treasonous John Kerry. Many consider him untouchable, he was a POW, held in the Hanoi Hilton for over 5 years and finally released in 1973 along with the other 591 released during Operation Homecoming. Many use the fact that he was offered an early release and didn't take it as some sort of shining example of his patriotism and his dedication to his fellow POWs. Well, there is another spin on this that few seem to want to consider; McCain would have been considered a traitor by his fellow POWs. There was a chain of command within the camps, the senior officer making policy and serving as the governing body if you will for the POWs. There was a unwavering policy, no one takes early release unless ordered to do so. There was one POW, Doug Hegdhal, who was ordered to accept early release because he has somehow memorized name, rank and branch of over 200 men being held. His release gave invaluable information to the military and the family members who were unaware of the fact that their loved ones were being held. Still to this day, he remembers the entire list. He, is a hero.

During his captivity, McCain gave multiple interviews with foreign correspondents in which he appeared well kept, jovial and enjoyed cigarettes,coffee and tea with the visiting reporter. Go ask the others being held if they ever enjoyed those luxuries. There are discrepancies in his book vs. the official documents of the USG as well as these news articles that the visiting journalist generated. You can find many of these documents here, as well as other interesting tidbits. You will see there that some of the SROs had no information about McCain ever being beaten or tortured.

Now, here is where things get interesting and this is the part that few publicly know. McCain, being a POW himself, has a hatred for POW/MIA Families that many would consider impossible to believe. He refers to them as zealots, conspiracy theorists and on and on. There is no need to go into details here because this info can be found all over the Net. So the question is, how could a former POW function as a barrier rather than an advocate for the family members who were not as fortunate as his own family? Why would he attempt to water down legislation that would help POW/MIA Families? There are many possible explanations for this behavior. He wanted to distance himself from his POW status and be considered a politician. He possibly was influenced by his captors, not necessarily brainwashed but the Vietnamese were master propagandists so the possibilities are endless as to what they could "have" on McCain. Lastly, he made a political decision that aligning himself with these family members would cripple his political career and for that reason has decided to join the majority in pushing the POW/MIA issue under the rug.

Taking all of this into consideration, the next question that is raised is why he would insist on being not just on the 1992 Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs but being the Committee's Chairman (the Chairmanship was given to John Kerry of all people). During those session he took every opportunity to verbally dismantle anyone with a view opposite his own. There is actually video footage of his rant on Delores Apodaca-Alfond, the sister of a missing man, who serves as the president of the National Alliance of POW/MIA Families. His rant brought her to tears. For more on McCain and Kerry's conduct during the POW/MIA Senate Select Committee, please go here. The documentary "Missing Presumed Dead" will leave you in a fog for days after viewing it.

I just found a great piece by syndicated columnist Maureen Dowd, an op-ed piece here about McCain. I guess I'm not the only one seeing the same thing. Additionally, head on over to my favorite milblogger, Major Z, here and find out the details of McCain's visit to he and his wife while the Major was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. It will amaze you.

You may be trying to connect all of this and may be wondering about the picture above. Well, in the well-known words of Paul Harvey, here is "the rest of the story". Somewhere in the above picture there is a Marine who is still MIA from Vietnam, his case has been systematically and negatively effected by the likes of John Kerry and John McCain. The Marine in the photo is part of my family and I want him home.