Rush of Donations from USA is Immediate and Immense

Gut-wrenching images on television of dead children, mourning survivors and inundated villages have triggered an extraordinary response among charitable organizations, faith-based groups, businesses and communities of U.S.-based immigrants from South Asia.

--USA Today--

Donate here. - Ed.

Bush ‘Undermining UN with Aid Coalition’

United States President George Bush was tonight accused of trying to undermine the United Nations by setting up a rival coalition to coordinate relief following the Asian tsunami disaster.

--The Scotsman--

Considering that just yesterday, we reported that former president Bill Clinton was calling for such a coalition, shouldn't he standing up and defending his president? - Ed.

Republican Seeks Revote in Wash. Governor Race

Republican candidate Dino Rossi, a former state legislative leader and real-estate investor, said the election was hopelessly flawed and that the Legislature should authorize a new election. He won both of the earlier counts.

--MSNBC--

Soros Foundation Charged with Tax Evasion

ALMATY - The Open Society Institute of billionaire American financier George Soros has been charged with tax evasion in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, police said on Tuesday.

-- Independent Online (AFP)--

Moscow Struggles to Recognize Ukraine's ‘Orange Revolution’

MOSCOW - In the wake of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko's apparent victory, Moscow has been wary of Ukraine's perceived drift towards the West, and the Kremlin recently criticized Western countries for interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs and trying to isolate Russia.

--CNSNews.com--

Mystery of Reagan's Lost ‘Doomsday Codes’ Solved

WASHINGTON - Spring had come to Washington, but there was a slight chill in the air. It was an overcast, sleepy day, and the highlight of the president's schedule was an otherwise unmemorable speech to a construction trades union at a hotel just a mile from the White House.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Ramsey Clarke to Defend Saddam

Former US attorney-general Ramsey Clark is to join Saddam Hussein's defence team, a spokesman for the ousted Iraqi president's lawyers says.

--Al Jazeera (AFP)--

Bush: UN Official Who Called US ‘Stingy’ Was ‘Ill-Informed’

President Bush said on Wednesday that U.S. aid to South Asian victims of Sunday's earthquake and tidal waves is “only the beginning of our help,” and he commented that the United Nations official who said America is being “stingy” in its response was “misguided and ill-informed.”

--CNSNews.com--

Sri Lanka, India Reject Aid for Disaster Victims

Even as nations and relief agencies around the world provide an immense outpouring of aid to the South Asian victims of Sunday's earthquake and tsunami, the governments of Sri Lanka and India are turning down some offers of assistance.

--CNSNews.com--

Bill Clinton Puts in His 2¢

LONDON - Former US president Bill Clinton urged a coordinated effort to provide relief to the countries stricken by the tidal wave that killed tens of thousands across South Asia.

--Yahoo! News (AFP)--

It was really important for him to say this! But I think he could have done something useful if he had called George Soros and asked him to kick in a billion or two. - Ed.

Disaster Mystery: No Dead Animals

As the human death toll from Sunday's earthquake and subsequent tsunami continues to skyrocket in Asia, a mystery is unfolding in Sri Lanka.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Quake Predicted Week in Advance?

What is so mysterious about the earthquake and the subsequent tidal wave? Cannot it be predicted earlier and the people be warned of it? Could necessary precautions be taken to minimise the loss to life and property? In fact, the quake was actually predicted by a team of research scholars of the Department of Applied Geology, University of Madras, with a permissible error, a week ago.

--News Today, India--

Of course, it has nothing to do with “global warming.” - Ed.

Schumer: Critic of Iraq War ‘a Fool’

It isn't often that U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer defends the White House on anything, but the Bush-bashing Democrat reversed course earlier this month during an altercation with an anti-war professor at Hofstra University.

--NewsMax.com--

White House to Name Tax Advisory Panel Soon

WASHINGTON - The experts who will produce proposals for overhauling the U.S. tax code will be named within days, along with a timetable for their recommendations, Bush administration officials said Tuesday.

--Reuters--

I had a hope that Pres. Bush in his second term would push for real tax reform, but looking at this, I see it's not going to happen. There is no “bipartisan” panel that is going to recommend what needs being done, which is scrapping the unconstitutional income tax. - Ed.

Canada May Stop Over-the-border Drug Sales

In recent weeks, Canadian Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh has spoken out against the cross-border drug trade, saying he might prevent Canadian doctors from co-signing prescriptions for American patients they have not examined. Dosanjh considers the practice unethical without an exam.

--USA Today--

Bush Immigration Plan Would Allegedly ‘Destroy the Middle Class’

President Bush is moving forward with his plans to create a “Temporary Worker Program” that would allow millions of illegal aliens to remain and work in the U.S. for a minimum of three years with no fear of deportation or other punishment. Advocates of tougher immigration policies believe the president is ignoring the costs and potential dangers posed by illegal immigration.

--CNSNews.com--

Socialize Medicine: Doctor Amputates Wrong Leg

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico - A doctor at a public hospital in southern Mexico mistakenly amputated the right leg of an elderly patient who had sought treatment for an infection in his left foot, the patient's family announced Sunday.

--The Republic, Arizona (AP)--

Ford, GM, Honda and Toyota Spy on Motorists

George Orwell's novel “1984” foretold of a society where government tracks every person. But even he might never have imagined that cars could be used to spy on individuals.

--NewsMax.com--

US Money Flows in for Asia's Tsunami Recovery Efforts

The White House said Tuesday $20 million from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been added to the $15 million President Bush already authorized to help the earthquake/tsunami victims of Asia, and the U.S. military is also assisting the recovery efforts.

--CNSNews.com--

You can make a online donation to the International Response Fund of the American Red Cross here. - Ed.

Volcker: U.N. Didn't Stop Saddam's Smuggling

UNITED NATIONS - The head of an independent investigation into alleged corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program said most of the money illegally obtained by Saddam Hussein came from smuggling, much of which the U.N. Security Council knew about but didn't stop.

--Fox News (AP)--

This scandal is starting to sound Clintonesque. Could it be that the oil-for-food scandal was created to divert attention from the real scandal? - Ed.

House Committee to Investigate Rep. McDermott

WASHINGTON - The House ethics committee will investigate Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., to determine whether he violated standards of conduct when an illegally recorded telephone conversation was leaked to reporters during a committee investigation.

--NewsMax.com (AP)--

This is certainly long overdue. - Ed.

Bin Laden Marks Voters as ‘Infidels’

BAGHDAD - A purported new message from Osama bin Laden yesterday condemned all Iraqis who cast ballots in upcoming elections as “infidels,” and it endorsed Abu Musab Zarqawi, the terrorist leader who is attempting to halt the Jan. 30 vote.

--Washington Times--

I guess he didn't learn anything from our election. Calling voters names was such a successful strategy for Democrats. - Ed.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Refuses to Admit Defeat

Kiev, Ukraine - Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych refused to accept defeat in the country's presidential election and vowed Monday to ask the Supreme Court to overturn the result, claiming that millions of his supporters were disenfranchised and that there was systematic fraud.

--San Francisco Chronicle (Washington Post)--

Morris: How Hillary Becomes President in '08

Longtime presidential strategist Dick Morris had words of caution Monday for those who say Hillary Clinton can't generate the kind of national support she needs to put herself back in White House in 2008.

--NewsMax.com--

Pentagon: Rumsfeld Misspoke on Flight 93 Being ‘Shot Down’

The Pentagon is dismissing a comment by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld regarding Flight 93 having been “shot down” over Pennsylvania, saying it was nothing more than a speaking error.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Poll Shows Troops in Support of War

Despite a year of ferocious combat, mounting casualties and frequent deployments, support for the war in Iraq remains very high among the active-duty military, according to a Military Times Poll.

--USA Today (Army Times)--

I'd like to know how many officers have put in for Purple Hearts for self-inflicted injuries so they can escape combat. - Ed.

Rumsfeld Says 9-11 Plane ‘Shot Down’ in Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON - Ever since Sept. 11, 2001, there have been questions about Flight 93, the ill-fated plane that crashed in the rural fields of Pennsylvania.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

This story seems to be suggesting that Rumsfeld is admitting that Flight 93 was shot down by our military. But read the quote very carefully before you come to that conclusion. - Ed.

Iraq to Air Footage of Iranian Meddling

Baghdad - The Iraqi Defence Minister stated that Iraq would soon display footage of Iranian meddling throughout the country. Hazem Shaalan said that Iraqi security forces were able to obtain foreign satellite footage of 50 suicide vehicles entering the country from Iran.

--Iran Focus--

Syria Denies Aiding Iraqi Insurgency

Syria Sunday denied accusations it was aiding the insurgency against U.S. troops in Iraq, and accused America of looking to “blame others” for the increase in violence in recent months.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Osama: Boycott Elections in Iraq

A new audiotape purportedly with the voice of Osama bin Laden urges Iraqis to boycott the Jan. 30 elections, according to the Arabic-language satellite television channel al-Jazeera.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

This may actually be a good thing, since turnout will now be a good indicator of how much influence bin Laden really has in Iraq. - Ed.

Bush Faces GOP Fight Over Guest Workers

President Bush faces a major rebellion within his own party if he follows through on a promise to push legislation that would offer millions of illegal immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

You might find this column by Linda Chavez interesting. - Ed.

Senate Freshmen Debate Filibuster Rule

DENVER - Sen.-elect Ken Salazar on Sunday predicted a “bloody fight” if the Senate's Republican leadership tries to change rules that allowed minority Democrats to block votes on judicial nominees they considered unacceptable.

--Fox News--

Hillary: New York Is My Home - For Now

Sen. Hillary Clinton hinted on Sunday that she's prepared to relocate out of New York state if necessary, while dismissing suggestions that she may be planning a move to Washington as “speculation.”

--NewsMax.com--

Giuliani Haunted by Abuse of Power

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani left City Hall with a legacy as “America's Mayor” - but he left something else behind: a whole slew of lawsuits costing the city big bucks.

--NewsMax.com--

Keep in mind that this is about the New York Times reporting on a Republican who might be seeking the presidential nomination. You can't expect even-handedness. - Ed.

Yuschenko Leads as Ukraine Political Drama Nears Endgame

Moscow - Voting for a president for the third time in eight weeks, Ukrainians looked poised Monday to hand victory to Viktor Yushchenko, the Western-leaning candidate who narrowly lost the last election but fought to have that result annulled by the country's Supreme Court.

--CNSNews.com--

China Army Will ‘Crush’ Any Taiwan Independence Move

BEIJING - Relations between China and Taiwan are grim and the mainland will crush any major moves toward independence by the island no matter what the cost, the government said in a policy paper on national defense on Monday.

--ABC News (Reuters)--

Times: Hillary's Toughest Opponent ‘Herself’

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is already the frontrunner for her party's presidential nomination in 2008, but the New York Times acknowledges that her biggest handicap may be herself.

--NewsMax.com--

Bribes from Oil-for-food Program Difficult to Trace

GENEVA - The U.N.-ordered probe into oil-for-food corruption is being seriously hampered by an elaborate system of ghost firms set up around the world to cover the tracks of bribes to Saddam Hussein as he cheated the $60 billion program, a top investigator said.

--Springfield (MO) News-Leader--

Mysterious Iraqi Terror Group Gains Clout

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Ansar al-Sunnah Army has emerged from its roots as a little known militant group operating in northern Iraq to become the country’s deadliest terror network, capable of carrying out spectacular strikes like last week’s suicide bombing at a U.S. base and virtually eclipsing al-Qaida's cell in the war-torn nation.

--MSNBC--

Fund Set Up for Man Who Saved Woman, Baby

TULSA, Okla. - A group of Tulsa businessmen is establishing a fund with F&M Bank for a serviceman who risked his life to save a mother and child after their car crashed into the Arkansas River.

--South Mississippi Sun-Herald (AP)--

GIs Can Be Forced to Wear U.N. Beret

The U.S. military can force its personnel to wear the blue beret of the United Nations and serve under the world body's command, a federal judge ruled.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

U.S. Considers Military Incursions into Syria

The U.S. may initiate incursions into Syrian territory to stop Baathist insurgents from crossing the border and attacking U.S. troops in Iraq, a senior administration official said.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Schwarzenegger Never Talked About Republicans Moving Left, German Reporter Says

BERLIN - A German reporter who interviewed California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says the governor did not say the Republican Party should “move a little further left” as his newspaper reported.

--Sacramento Bee (AP)--

Web Sites Help Lonely ‘Liberals’ Find Love

WASHINGTON - A left-wing U.S. dating service has joined forces with one in Canada seeking liberal singles in both countries, who are eager to marry, crossing borders if necessary, and, thereby, either flee President Bush or fight him on his own turf.

--World Peace Herald (Washington Times)--

ACLU in Half-Baked Bush Smear

The American ‘Civil Liberties’ Union is claiming President Bush issued an executive order authorizing the "torture" of terrorist suspects detained at Guantanamo Bay.

--NewsMax.com--

Bush Prepares to Re-Nominate Judges Blocked by Democrats

President Bush will again nominate 20 persons for federal judgeships, even though Democrats previously used tactics such as filibusters to prevent them from being confirmed, the White House announced Thursday.

--CNSNews.com--

Medicare Bill Incites House Conservatives

For Rep. Mike Pence, the man who will lead the conservative House Republicans' official caucus in the next Congress, losing his fight last year against the Medicare bill was the legislative equivalent of the Alamo - a gallant stand for the two dozen conservative opponents and one he hopes will become a rallying cry the next time.

--Washington Times--

Friendlier Questions for Rumsfeld This Trip

The questions from the troops for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld were considerably more friendly on his Christmas Eve visit to Iraq than they were on his previous trip to the region a couple of weeks ago.

--NewsMax.com--

Don't expect to hear much about this from the “mainstream” media. - Ed.

U.S. Deserters' Bid for Asylum Has Canada Abuzz

MONTREAL - A U.S. paratrooper's application for asylum has set Canada's editorial pages, airwaves and Internet discussion boards abuzz with debates over whether the country should offer sanctuary to U.S. military deserters seeking to avoid serving in Iraq.

--Washington Times--

Click here to send a letter of “support” to the deserter. - Ed.

Chess Champ Kasparov Sounds Putin Warning

It didn't work with Adolf Hitler and it's not likely to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin either.

--NewsMax.com--

U.N. ‘Peacekeepers’ Rape Women, Children

With the United Nations already under fire for the Oil-for-Food mega-scandal and other corruption, sensational allegations of rampant sexual exploitation and rape of young girls and women by the U.N.'s so-called “peacekeepers” and civilian staffers in the Congo is dragging the global body's reputation to an all-time low.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Anti-Immigration Initiative Takes Effect in Arizona

More than a month after Arizona voters passed a new initiative against illegal immigration, a federal judge in Tucson lifted his Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on Wednesday and has allowed Proposition 200 to become law.

--CNSNews.com--

See previous story. - Ed.

Bush Urged to ‘Pull a Reagan’ at Inauguration

Citing ongoing and mounting threats to the nation's security, a Christian group wants to enlist 1 million Americans to appeal to President Bush to be sworn in with his hand on a Bible opened to a verse that calls the nation to repentance.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Kerry to Enter Ohio Recount Fray

John Kerry is filing papers in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in support of a recount effort in that state, reports Truthout.

--NewsMax.com--

Interestingly, neither he, nor the organization misnamed TruthOut.org, is questioning the results in Pennsylvania where the vote was closer and there are more electoral votes. - Ed.

Economy Grows Faster Than Thought in 3Q

WASHINGTON - The economy headed into the end of the year with good momentum, expanding at an annual rate of 4 percent in the third quarter, a faster clip than previously thought.

--Miami Herald--

Poll Shows Support for Social Security Overhaul

President Bush has wide support for his argument that Social Security needs dramatic change to meet its obligations to future retirees, but there remains considerable skepticism about his plan to let people invest a portion of their contribution to the program in the stock market, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

--Washington Post--

Precision of Base Attack Worries Military Experts

In April 2003, as the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was ending, the Pentagon projected in a formal planning effort that the U.S. military occupation of the country would end this month.

--Washington Post--

If this attack was the work of a suicide bomber, as is presently thought, it's an indication of a major breakdown of security for which somebody needs to be held accountable, and I'm not talking about Rumsfeld. - Ed.

Halliburton Workers Die in Blast

WASHINGTON - Four Halliburton Co. employees were among those killed when explosions rocked a dining tent during lunchtime Tuesday at a U.S. military base in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the company said.

--Houston Chronicle--

The “mainstream” media would have us believe that these people deserved their fate, since they were just over there to steal oil from the Iraqis. I believe they are as heroic as the soldiers they were serving. - Ed.

NAACP Welcomes White House Meeting With President Bush

President Bush invited outgoing NAACP President and CEO Kweisi Mfume to the White House for a private meeting on Tuesday --- something the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) described as a “surprise move.”

--CNSNews.com--

Hillary Toes the Democrat Line

WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Clinton is one of the most loyal Democrats in the Senate, while Sen. Charles Schumer is slightly less inclined to vote with the party, according to a 2004 vote summary.

--New York Post--

China-Japan Ties Sour Over Taiwan Row

Historically seesawing relations between China and Japan look set to enter the new year on an even cooler note than usual, with tensions heightened over Tokyo's decision to grant a visitor's visa to a prominent Taiwanese figure.

--CNSNews.com (Pacific Rim Bureau)--

Wrong John Kerry Gets N.Y. Electoral Votes

Thanks to a typo, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry has gotten even fewer electoral votes than he thought he had.

--NewsMax.com--

Dems Claim Win in Wash. Governor's Race

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Democrats have claimed victory in the race for Washington governor by a razor-thin margin of eight votes, citing preliminary results of a hand recount they say puts Christine Gregoire in front for the first time. Republicans maintained the race was still too close to call.

--ABC News--

Don't you find it odd that just about every time there's a close election and Democrats demand a recount, the recounts always seem to come out in their favor? - Ed.

Annan Says Oil-for-Food Scandal Has ‘Cast Shadow’ Over UN

During a year-end news conference on Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan admitted that allegations of corruption in the oil-for-food program have “cast a shadow” over that operation and the U.N. itself.

--CNSNews.com--

German Intelligence Cracks Terror Group's Codes

HAMBURG - German intelligence services have deciphered secret codes used by the Ansar al-Islam organization which is suspected of being behind many of the kidnappings and terror attacks in Iraq, according to German news magazine Focus.

--Deutsche Presse-Agentur--

Let's hope German Intelligence got all the information it could get before the media broke the story. - Ed.

DeLay Blasts Rumsfeld's Critics

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, blasting congressional and media critics of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, said yesterday that the constant drumbeat of attacks on the Pentagon chief was undermining the war effort.

--NewsMax.com--

Taiwan Uneasy About China's Plans for ‘Anti-Secession’ Law

Taiwanese politicians across the spectrum reacted strongly to China's plan to enact an “anti-secession” law, a step viewed on the island as preparing the ground for possible future military action if Taiwan formally declares independence.

--CNSNews.com (Pacific Rim Bureau)--

Bush Says Rumsfeld Doing ‘Fine Job’ as Defense Secretary

President George W. Bush said during a year-end news conference on Monday that he's “pleased” Donald Rumsfeld is staying on as defense secretary since he is “doing a really fine job.”

--CNSNews.com--

Signature on Death Letters Fuels Rumsfeld Criticism

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld faced renewed criticism Sunday from lawmakers, including one prominent Republican, after he said he has not personally signed letters sent to family members of troops killed in action.

--CNN--

I wonder how many of those “lawmakers” criticizing Rumsfeld personally sign all the correspondence they send to us. I also wonder when it became required for the Secretary of Defense to personally sign letters to survivors of military casualties. If it had been during World War II, the Secretary wouldn't have had time to do much of anything else. An op-ed piece in the Poughkeepsie Journal on Monday recalled that 76,000 Americans died in the Battle of the Bulge. If it takes 5 seconds to sign a letter, it would have taken over two 40-hour weeks of nothing but letter-signing just for that one battle. - Ed.

Iran Accuses US, Israel of Carrying Out Iraqi Terror Attacks

JERUSALEM - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused American and Israeli secret agents on Monday of carrying out weekend bombing attacks in Iraq that left scores of people dead and wounded in an attempt to influence upcoming Iraqi elections.

--CNSNews.com--

They seem to be imitating U.S. Democrats - they're accusing their enemies of doing what they're doing. - Ed.

Conservatives to Challenge Bush

WASHINGTON - Emboldened conservatives in Congress say they will oppose the White House next year on at least a half-dozen issues where they say President Bush has strayed from Republican values.

--USA Today--

McCain Begins 2008 with Straight Talk

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is ready to take his old campaign bus out of mothballs for a possible 2008 presidential run, while at the same time adopting positions at odds with the Bush White House with increasing frequency.

--NewsMax.com--

Schwarzenegger Suggests U.S. Republicans Move Leftward

BERLIN - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested in a German newspaper interview published Saturday that the Republican Party should move “a little to the left,” a shift that he said would allow it to pick up new voters.

--San Luis Obispo Tribune (AP)--

We need a clear, conservative message more than we need new voters. We only need 50% + 1 and we already have that. - Ed.

Hillary's Poll Numbers Startling

If the 2008 presidential election were held today, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton would handily defeat three of the top Republicans being touted as possible candidates, a startling new survey by Fox News Opinion Dynamics shows.

--NewsMax.com--

Driver's License Rules in Intel Law Spark Outrage

A bipartisan group of senators, representatives, and members of the 9/11 Commission flanked President Bush Friday at his signing of sweeping intelligence reform legislation. But an equally diverse collection of citizens' groups criticized what they saw as the potential for government oppression and invasions of privacy codified in the new law.

--CNSNews.com--

Pres. Bush Named ‘Person of the Year’ by Time Magazine

For sticking to his guns (literally and figuratively), for reshaping the rules of politics to fit his ten-gallon-hat leadership style and for persuading a majority of voters that he deserved to be in the White House for another four years, George W. Bush is TIME's 2004 Person of the Year.

--Time--

Sen. Warner Backs Rumsfeld

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., gave embattled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld a vote of confidence on Sunday, contradicting an earlier report quoting him as saying he'd "had it" with the defense chief.

--NewsMax.com--

They Still Can't Believe They Lost

COLUMBUS - Activists yesterday refiled a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court seeking to invalidate Ohio's presidential election results that handed the state's 20 crucial electoral votes to President Bush over Democrat John Kerry.

--Toledo Blade--

Rep. Maxine Waters Faces New Allegations

LOS ANGELES - Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters' family members earned more than $1 million over the last eight years by doing business with companies, candidates and causes that she helped, according to a newspaper report Sunday.

--NewsMax.com (AP)--

A.C.L.U.'s Search for Data on Donors Stirs Privacy Fears

The American Civil Liberties Union is using sophisticated technology to collect a wide variety of information about its members and donors in a fund-raising effort that has ignited a bitter debate over its leaders' commitment to privacy rights.

--New York Times--

Hey, raising money for the ACLU is so important, privacy can be thrown out the window. Protecting the nation against terrorism? Now that's a different story. - Ed.

Woman Arrested in Murder, Kidnapping

Melvern, KS, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Missouri authorities have arrested a Kansas woman in the strangulation death of a pregnant woman whose womb was then cut open and her baby removed.

--Washington Times (UPI)--

When this story broke, I heard many people calling for the death penalty. Now that we know a woman was the perpetrator, will the death penalty be forgotten? - Ed.

New Sex Misconduct Claims Hit UN

The UN has suspended two peacekeepers serving in Burundi following allegations of sexual misconduct.

--BBC News--

China to Outlaw Taiwan Secession

Chinese leaders have long pledged to attack neighboring Taiwan if the island democracy dared to declare independence.

--NewsMax.com--

Gaddafi Upset by Lack of ‘Reward’ for Giving Up Nukes

Libya's Col. Muammar Gaddafi has complained that the US and the rest of the international community have failed to “reward” him appropriately for giving up his weapons of mass destruction programs, and says that this failure is deterring countries like Iran and North Korea from following his example.

--Jerusalem Post--

Baby Cut From Womb Found Alive by Police

A child cut from the womb of a slain eight-months-pregnant woman has been found alive after police in Missouri issued an Amber Alert.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

One thing we noticed about the news coverage of this story was how reporters repeatedly referred to the “fetus” when saying it could possibly be alive. Once it's out of the womb, it's not a fetus, it's either a child or a corpse. - Ed.

Grand jury probes Rich-Saddam link

A federal grand-jury investigation of pardoned financier Marc Rich's role in the U.N. oil-for-food scandal has focused on whether he helped Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein reward the families of Palestinian bombers who carried out suicide attacks in Israel, sources said yesterday.

--Washington Times--

General: Baathists Run Iraq Insurgency from Syria

WASHINGTON - A top Army general said Thursday that the Iraqi insurgency was being run in part by former senior Iraqi Baath party officials operating in Syria who call themselves the “New Regional Command.”

--Wichita Eagle (Washington Post)--

Iraq Vet: McCain Snubbed the Troops

An Iraq war veteran who was part of the original invasion force went public yesterday with allegations that Sen. John McCain snubbed the troops when he visited the front lines during the early days of the occupation - while noting that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld routinely met with GIs during repeated visits to the war zone.

--NewsMax.com--

Swift Boat Veterans Vow to Continue

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that John Kerry's campaign mismanager blames for the Democrat presidential nominee's defeat, promises that it won't go away.

--NewsMax.com--

Australia Plans Maritime Zone to Flush Out Terrorists, Criminals

Pacific Rim Bureau - In line with U.S.-initiated moves aimed at preventing terrorists from exploiting global shipping, Australia has announced a new maritime security zone, sparking fresh unease from its nearest neighbor, Indonesia.

--CNSNews.com--

Aerie Mary Blasted by Co-op Board

Mary Tyler Moore has been pecking at her co-op board and neighbors for evicting the renowned hawks from her posh Fifth Avenue building - but yesterday they crowed back, accusing her of orchestrating the pro-bird campaign as a personal vendetta.

--New York Post--

Canada Signals Crackdown on Internet Pharmacies

OTTAWA - The Canadian government signaled on Thursday it was ready to crack down on Internet pharmacies that send cheap medicine to the United States, often without Canadian doctors having seen the patients.

--Metro News (Reuters)--

UN Oil for Food: Conflicts of Interest and Institutional Corruption

Critics of the United Nations who hold Secretary-General Kofi Annan responsible for failing to identify and halt corruption in the U.N. Oil for Food Program, say he also showed poor judgment in selecting former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker to investigate the allegations of fraud and bribery.

--CNSNews.com--

Annan Wants Oil-for-Food Probe Completed

WASHINGTON - United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday that he wanted to “get to the bottom” of the Oil-for-Food scandal that has taken the U.N. by storm and has personally plagued the organization's leader.

--Fox News--

Bush: Time to Overhaul Social Security

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Thursday that “now is the time to confront Social Security” to deal with a projected $3.7 trillion, 75-year shortfall and give younger workers the ability to invest some of their contributions.

--CNN (AP)--

Lawsuit Reform a Bush Priority

President Bush yesterday demanded congressional action on legislation to rein in class-action, asbestos and medical malpractice lawsuits, telling a White House economic conference he would make changing the civil tort system a “priority issue.”

--Washington Post--

This Just In: NAACP Seen Having Partisan Ties

Finding less liberal partisanship in its next president could be a must for the NAACP if it wants to alter its image as being aligned with the Democratic Party.

--Washington Times--

Cheating Suspected in Vote

Republicans in Washington state suspect Democrats, with 500 patronage jobs at risk, are cheating in what is now the unprecedented third counting of the 2,883,341 ballots cast in the Nov. 2 election for governor.

--Washington Times--

Democrat Sen. Miller to Honor Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

WASHINGTON - For one night only, it'll be spitballs and Swift Boat vets together on the same stage, a who's who of Sen. John Kerry bashing. The American Conservative Union on Thursday announced it has tapped Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga., to present the “Courage Under Fire” award to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth at the Conservative Political Action Conference's Feb. 16 banquet.

--NewsMax.com--

$100,000 Offer on ‘Truth’ about Sept. 11

A millionaire activist convinced the Sept. 11 attacks against the U.S. were the result of an “inside job” is putting up cash if anyone can prove him wrong.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

UN ‘Whistleblower’ Loses Job

A doctor employed by the United Nations for the past 12 years says he is losing his job after co-writing a book highly critical of U.N. peacekeeping operations in conflict zones.

--CNSNews.com (Pacific Rim Bureau)--

‘Scrounging’ for Iraq War Puts GIs in Jail

Six reservists, including two veteran officers who had received Bronze Stars, were court-martialed for what soldiers have been doing as long as there have been wars--scrounging to get what their outfit needed to do its job in Iraq.

--Yahoo! News (Chicago Tribune)--

Debate: How to Preserve the All-Volunteer Military

The Pentagon's increasingly controversial decisions to extend the tours of duty for enlisted personnel and to deploy National Guardsmen and reservists to combat zones have prompted some people to predict the end of the all-volunteer military. But Tuesday, several military experts suggested options for making sure the U.S. does not have to eventually reinstitute a draft.

--CNSNews.com--

Stories like the previous one aren't likely to help matters. - Ed.

Rumsfeld: Clinton Let Military ‘Run Down’

Reporters didn't much like Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's answer last week to Army Spc. Thomas Wilson, when he explained that the military's Humvee force wasn't fully armored because “you go to war with the Army you have.”

--NewsMax.com--

See also my comment to this story. - Ed.

Iraq's Defense Minister Accuses Iran, Syria of Supporting al-Zarqawi's Terror Group

BAGHDAD, Iraq Iraq's defense minister on Wednesday accused neighboring Iran and Syria of supporting terrorists in his country and charged that a senior Iraqi Shiite was leading a “pro-Iranian” coalition into next month's national elections.

--Boston Globe (AP)--

Newly Found Iraq Mass Grave May Contain 500 Bodies

SULAIMANIYA, Iraq - Laborers digging on a construction site in northern Iraq uncovered human skulls and bones on Tuesday, which interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said were part of a mass grave believed to contain some 500 bodies.

--Yahoo! News (Reuters)--

Critics: Reid Racist for Clarence Thomas Remarks

In the wake of the hurtful and racially insensitive comments made by incoming Senate minority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., about U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, members of the black leadership network Project 21 are demanding the liberal senator immediately apologize.

--NewsMax.com--

Several Factors Contributed to ‘Lost’ Voters in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Tanya Thivener's is a tale of two voting precincts in Franklin County. In her city neighborhood, which is vastly Democratic and majority black, the 38-year-old mortgage broker found a line snaking out of the precinct door.

--Washington Post--

Having worked as an election official myself, I suspect that a major contributing factor to the long lines was first-time voters who didn't know how to vote. When people go into the voting booth and realize that they need help, they hold up all the people behind them in line. My suggestion to elections commissioners would be to put voting machine simulators in malls for people to learn how to vote. Election day is not the time to do it. - Ed.

Wash State Sec'y: Vote Find Is Suspicious

The discovery late Monday of 561 votes in the ongoing Washington state governor's race had both state and GOP officials crying foul yesterday, with Secretary of State Sam Reed saying that vote fraud is a possibility.

--NewsMax.com--

Poll Shows GOP on the Move

NEW YORK A new Gallup poll shows that the public values “values” less than November exit polls suggested, but another survey from the same outfit released today shows a historic surge in Republican party affiliation.

--Editor & Publisher--

‘Blue’ Voters Now Urged to ‘Buy Blue’

For despondent Democrats there's a new treatment, if not a cure, for their lingering Election Day blues. Think retail therapy.

--Chicago Tribune--

This can work both ways, and there are more of us! - Ed.

New Controversy for Kojo Annan

New financial and security questions have arisen regarding the younger Annan's business and personal life.

--NewsMax.com--

Washington Supreme Court Rejects Democrat Election Thieves

The Washington Supreme Court today smacked down Democrats' sleaziest attempt yet to steal the gubernorial election from Republican winner Dino Rossi.

--NewsMax.com--

Rasmussen Poll: Generic GOP Candidate Beats Hillary for Prez

A new poll finds if the next presidential election were held today, 46 percent of voters would choose a generic Republican candidate over front-running Democrat Sen. Hillary Clinton, who would get just 39 percent of the vote.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

US Forced to Abandon Hunt for bin Laden

Three years after Osama bin Laden fled American bombs in his Tora Bora hideout, the search for the world's most wanted man has all but come to a halt because of Pakistan's refusal to permit cross-border raids from Afghanistan, according to CIA officials.

--London Telegraph--

‘Frivolous Lawsuit’ Irks Pentagon

The Pentagon expressed concern yesterday about a “frivolous” complaint filed against Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld by a leftist group that is using a new German law that claims the right to investigate war crimes anywhere in the world.

--Washington Times--

Rumor: Supreme Court Retirement Coming on ‘Monday’

Speculation is running “rampant” in Washington that a U.S. Supreme Court justice will announce his retirement on Monday, a liberal group said in a Sunday evening press release.

--CNSNews.com--

Marc Rich Eyed As ‘Major Player’ in Oil-for-Food Scam

WASHINGTON - Billionaire Marc Rich has emerged as a central figure in the U.N. oil-for-food scandal and is under investigation for brokering deals in which scores of international politicians and businessmen cashed in on sweetheart oil deals with Saddam Hussein, The Post has learned.

--New York Post--

In the “mainstream” media template, this is not news, but Bernard Kerik's extra-marital affairs are. Go figure! - Ed.

Hillary Goes Conservative on Immigration

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is staking out a position on illegal immigration that is more conservative than President Bush, a strategy that supporters and detractors alike see as a way for the New York Democrat to shake the “liberal” label and appeal to traditionally Republican states.

--Washington Times--

Immigration Debate Is Likely to Turn on Driver's Licenses

Differences, even in the GOP, may put the brakes on overhauling policies for foreigners in the U.S.

--Los Angeles Times--

McCain's Steroids Push Puts Him in '08 Mix

WASHINGTON Dec 13, 2004 - Sen. John McCain, the straight-talking Republican who often challenges the GOP establishment, has taken on a headline-grabbing issue steroids in baseball and generated talk of a presidential bid in 2008.

--ABC News (AP)--

When Pres. Bush included the subject in his State of the Union Address, he was criticized, but when John McCain jumps into the fray, it makes him a presidential candidate. Go figure! - Ed.

Bush Leery of Giuliani

The embarrassing withdrawal of Bernard Kerik from his nomination for Secretary of Homeland Security has further strained the political relationship between President Bush and Kerik's backer, Rudy Giuliani.

--NewsMax.com--

Dean Touts His Strategy for DNC

Former presidential candidate Howard Dean yesterday made a national pitch to head the Democratic Party, saying he will create a 50-state strategy to win new voters.

--Washington Times--

GOP May Target Use of Filibuster

As speculation mounts that Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist will step down from the Supreme Court soon because of thyroid cancer, Senate Republican leaders are preparing for a showdown to keep Democrats from blocking President Bush's judicial nominations, including a replacement for Rehnquist.

--Washington Post--

They keep talking about doing something, but nothing gets done. - Ed.

Ukraine Whodunit: Presidential Candidate Poisoned

MOSCOW - Ukraine's extraordinary presidential campaign took another surprising turn at the weekend when voters learned that opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko has been diagnosed with dioxin poisoning.

--CNSNews.com--

U.S. Communists Praise ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union has received backing for its campaign to spotlight FBI spying and infiltration of anti-war activists – the backing, that is, of the Communist Party USA.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Annan Gets Standing Ovation at U.N.

General secretary announces reforms in face of calls for his resignation.

--WorldNetDaily.com (AP)--

Zogby Defense: ‘My Polling Was Very, Very Good’

Pollster John Zogby Thursday defended his company's participation in a left wing forum on Capitol Hill where liberal special interest groups and Democratic House members alleged that the 2004 election had been marred by fraud and malfunctioning voting machines.

--CNSNews.com--

Moral: Even “very, very good” polls can be wrong. - Ed.

Question to Rumsfeld Revives Charges of Poor Planning for War

WASHINGTON - Critics of the war in Iraq seized on charges that U.S. troops there don't have enough armored vehicles as another example of poor planning by the Pentagon.

--Boston Globe (AP)--

Can you imagine! A war that didn't go exactly according to plan! Why it's never happened before in history! - Ed.

U.S. Deserter Numbers Reach 5,500

Since the war started in Iraq, the Pentagon says 5,500 U.S. soldiers have deserted, with some of them seeking refugee status in Canada, broadcast sources reported Thursday.

--NewsWatch50.com (UPI)--

My theory is that Republicans' children join the service to serve their country, and Democrats' kids join for the benefits. Which group do you suppose is heading to Canada? They might be meeting their parents there. - Ed.

Pickering to Leave Appeals Court Seat

Charles W. Pickering Sr., whose lengthy fight for a seat on a federal appeals court ended when President Bush elevated him by bypassing Congress, is stepping down.

--Washington Times--

Score one for the politics of personal destruction. - Ed.

MoveOn Blasts Terry McAuliffe

Left-wing powerhouse MoveOn has a message for the “professional election losers” who run the Democratic Party: “We bought it, we own it, and we're going to take it back.”

--NewsMax.com--

In their letter, they say, “In the last year, grass-roots contributors like us gave more than $300 million to the Kerry campaign and the DNC ...” Being a “527” organization, MoveOn is prohibited by law from contributing to a campaign or a party. It seems that they may be admitting to a crime. - Ed.

Soldiers Headed to Iraq Grill Rumsfeld

WASHINGTON - US soldiers in Kuwait who are headed to Iraq put Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on the defensive yesterday, grilling him about extended tours of duty and the continued lack of armor to protect vehicles from roadside bombs.

--Boston Globe--

When the U.S. military executed the most successful campaign in history marching to Baghdad, the left credited “Clinton's military” for doing the job. Now, when we find out the sorry state Clinton left the military in, it's all Rumsfeld's (i.e., Bush's) fault.

And let's not disregard how jobs like adding armor to Humvees get accomplished - usually by “no-bid” contracts because when a military need arises, there may not be time for the bidding process. I wonder if the Bush administration has shied away from no-bid contracts because of the left's attacks on Halliburton. - Ed.

Majority of Americans Think UN Is Anti-American, Survey Says

A national survey has found that U.S. voters consider the United Nations anti-American by a 2-to-1 margin.

--CNSNews.com--

Zogby Polling Seeks Damage Control After Election Day Flub

CAPITOL HILL - Following an Election Day prediction that Democratic candidate John Kerry would win more than 300 electoral votes and the presidency, one of America's most well known polling firms continued the job Wednesday of explaining its flawed projection.

--CNSNews.com--

Florida Poll: Support for Jeb for President, Crist for Governor

Strategic Vision, LLC, a public relations and public affairs agency in Atlanta, announced the results of a five-day poll of registered voters in Florida on political issues.

--NewsMax.com--

$harpton Got $86,715 to Aid Kerry Campaign

WASHINGTON - All of John Kerry's one-time rivals in the Democratic presidential primary eventually lined up to support him as the nominee, but only one got paid for it Al $harpton.

--ABC News (AP)--

Peterson's Mom Appeals to Jury for His Life

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - Scott Peterson's mother, sobbing and breathing with the help of oxygen, begged a jury Wednesday to spare her son's life.

--USA Today--

This has no place in our justice system. If exactly the same crime was committed by someone who didn't have a mother to get up and sob on the stand, would that person get a harsher sentence? - Ed.

Democrats Defend Corrupt U.N. Boss Annan

Despite corrupt U.N. boss Kofi Annan's worsening scandals, the likes of wacko former presidential wannabe Dennis Kucinich are leaping to his defense.

--NewsMax.com--

Je$$e Ja¢k$on: 2004 Election ‘Ain't Over’

CAPITOL HILL - The 2004 presidential election was plagued by fraud and voter suppression, according to some Democratic members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, liberal special interest groups and big-name private citizens, who used the formal surroundings of a congressional office building Wednesday to present their evidence.

--CNSNews.com--

In an effort to discredit the election in case Kerry lost, these people got foreign observers to oversee the election. Their foreign observers said the election “was generally marked by professionalism and dedication.” They're not going to be satisfied until public confidence in our voting system is completely undermined. They support democracy like they support the troops. - Ed.

Intelligence Reform Bill Passes Over Objections of Some Republicans

The House of Representatives passed the National Intelligence Reform Act by a vote of 336-75 on Tuesday.

--CNSNews.com--

Border Security Up Next, Bush Says

President Bush is vowing to help House Republicans enact tighter immigration-security controls “early in the next session” of Congress.

--Washington Times--

Robot Soldiers Take the Flak

Boston-based company developing next generation of warriors.

--WorldNetDaily.com (Reuters)--

US Rules Out Joining Kyoto Treaty

The US has told a UN conference on global warming that it has no intention of re-joining international efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

--BBC News--

Good! - Ed.

Escalation of Ecoterrorism Seen in Recent Years

Violent rhetoric and tactics by extremist groups have escalated nationally during the past two years, particularly among those associated with animal rights and the environment, federal law-enforcement authorities say.

--Washington Times--

Egypt Trying To Prepare Arab Public for Better Relations With Israel

JERUSALEM - A number of Egyptian overtures toward Israel this week are designed to prepare the Egyptian public and Arab world for better relations with the Jewish State, Israeli officials said on Wednesday.

--CNSNews.com--

Congress May Block UN Budget Over Oil-for-Food Probe

More than 100 members of Congress will try to block some United States funding of the United Nations unless U.S. officials are allowed to begin an open and complete investigation into a U.N. humanitarian program in pre-war Iraq -- sooner rather than later.

--CNSNews.com--

U.S. Troops Capture Bomb-Making Iraqis

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. troops have captured 34 Iraqis, including 10 wanted for making explosive devices to attack coalition forces, the military said Tuesday. South of Baghdad, a roadside bomb killed three Iraqi National Guardsmen.

--My Way News (AP)--

sailor Refuses Deployment in Protest of War

SAN DIEGO - A Navy petty officer opposed to the war in Iraq refused to board his ship Monday as sailors and Marines deployed for the Persian Gulf.

--Sacramento Bee (AP)--

I have a theory about why young people join the military. According to my theory, Democrats' children join for the benefits, Republicans' children join to serve their country. I'm betting this fellow's parents are Democrats. - Ed.

New York Legislature Raises Minimum Wage

ALBANY - New York state's hourly minimum wage will increase in steps from the current $5.15 to $7.15 following state Senate action Monday that completed an override of Gov. George Pataki's veto.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

Everywhere else in the country, Democrats are trying to act like Republicans. Here, it's the other way 'round. Can anyone explain why? - Ed.

No Surprise Here: Spitzer Runs for Governor of New York

Because of all his attention to real and imagined corporate crimes, a zealotry that has gone over the edge into harassing legitimate businesses and killing jobs, it has been obvious for more than a year that New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer wants to be governor. Today he announced what everyone already knew: He's running.

--NewsMax.com--

Since New York seems to have no real Republican to run against him, does it really matter if he becomes governor or not? - Ed.

Bill Clinton Helps Launch Search Engine

NEW YORK Dec 6, 2004 - Former president Bill Clinton on Monday helped launch a new Internet search company backed by the Chinese government which says its technology uses artificial intelligence to produce better results than Google Inc.

--ABC News (AP)--

There's only one problem with this search engine - it only finds barely over-aged interns. - Ed.

Ted Kennedy Proposes Monument to Himself

Teddy Kennedy is raising a reported $3.5 million to pay for an oral history project he conceived that will memorialize his life.

--NewsMax.com--

Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment. - Ed.

Civil Rights Panel Gets New Chief

Mary Frances Berry, the outspoken chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, was replaced yesterday by President Bush as her term expired, after 24 years on the panel.

--Washington Times--

Did you read this? - Ed.

Dem Uses Pearl Harbor to Slam GOP

Washington, DC, - The remembrance of Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor took on partisan political spin Tuesday with a Democrat leader using it to attack House Republicans.

--Washington Times (UPI)--

Moore Denies he Hurt Kerry's Campaign

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - “Fahrenheit 9/11” director Michael Moore Monday rejected the idea that Hollywood had hurt John Kerry's chances of winning the White House, insisting that he and other entertainers helped spare Democrats an even bigger defeat.

--MSNBC (Reuters)--

Clinton Urges Effort to Address Energy

Former president Bill Clinton chided supporters to stop “bellyaching and whining” about the political obstacles and begin a new effort to address the intertwined problems of energy dependence and global warming.

--Washington Post--

Of course, these are two issues he did absolutely nothing about while he was president. - Ed.

NAACP Head Mfume Didn't Retire, He Was Booted Out

Don't believe the well scripted press conference where former President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Kweisi Mfume, announced his resignation.

--Human Events--

This is an important story and you won't hear about in in the “mainstream” media. - Ed.

Biden: U.S. Losing Illegitimate Iraq War

The Democratic Party's top foreign policy expert in the Senate said Sunday that the U.S. is losing what he described as a war with “too little legitimacy” in Iraq, even though attacks against U.S. troops have plummeted in recent weeks and enemy leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has publicly proclaimed the battle of Fallujah a massive U.S. victory.

--NewsMax.com--

This is what passes, in Democrat circles, as “supporting the troops”. - Ed.

Iranian Students Vent Frustration at Khatami

TEHRAN - Students, once the backbone of Iran's reformist movement, heckled and harangued President Mohammad Khatami Monday, accusing him of lacking the courage to deliver promised democratic reforms in the Islamic state.

--Reuters--

AARP Digs in for Fight over Private Social Security Accounts

WASHINGTON - AARP, the nation's largest seniors organization, is coming out strongly against President Bush's plan to allow private individual accounts within Social Security.

--USA Today--

Sunday, the new Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), appeared on NBC's “Meet the Press”. Read the transcript here, and compare his words to the AARP statement. You'll have to wonder who is telling whom what to say. - Ed.

Justice Thomas under Attack from Reid

Washington, DC, Dec. 6 - New Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid says U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is an “embarrassment” and should not be considered for chief justice.

--Washington Times (UPI)--

Any Republican who stereotyped a black as illiterate (“poorly written” opinions) would certainly be branded a “racist”. I'd doubt that Reid has ever read one of Justice Thomas's opinions. - Ed.

Young Jewish Voters Flee Democrat Ghetto to Support Bush

Yes, we realize the election was more than a month ago, but here's a new analysis worth noting because of its major implications for future elections: Young Jews are fleeing the Democrat ghetto.

--NewsMax.com--

Group Therapy ‘Screaming Epithets’ at Bush

A group therapy session for those still having angst that the democratic process selected George Bush and not John Kerry this past Nov. 2 has turned into a hate fest aimed at President Bush.

--NewsMax.com--

Oil-for-Food May Have Funded 9/11 Attacks

In what may be the most shocking news to emerge from the already stunning Oil-for-Food scandal, investigators say that Saddam Hussein bankrolled key al-Qaida players in the late 1990s - a period of time when the terror group was planning the 9/11 attacks and the Iraqi dictator was ripping off billions from the U.N. program.

--NewsMax.com--

Pakistan Has Broken Back of Al Qaeda - Musharraf

MEXICO CITY - Pakistan has broken the back of al Qaeda forces by capturing its “big wigs” even if Osama bin Laden is still at large, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said on Friday.

--ABC News (Reuters)--

Top Aide: Don't Expect Hillary to Serve Full Second Term

The fund-raising chairwoman of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2006 re-election campaign said Friday that Clinton shouldn't have to pledge to serve out a second full six-year term, leaving the door open for a White House run in 2008.

--NewsMax.com--

U.S. OKs Evidence Gained Through Torture

WASHINGTON - Evidence gained by torture can be used by the U.S. military in deciding whether to imprison a foreigner indefinitely at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as an enemy combatant, the government says.

--New York Post (AP)--

ACLU to FBI: You're Spying on Wrong People

The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking information from the FBI on why bureau task forces set up to combat terrorism also looked into anti-war, animal rights and environmental groups.

--NewsMax.com--

Memo to ACLU: Those three groups all contain elements involved in domestic terrorism. The FBI is doing its job. - Ed.

Thompson Quits HHS with Ominous Warning

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced his resignation today with an ominous warning of a health-related terrorist attack and a global flu outbreak.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

That was a very strange statement to make going out the door. - Ed.

Florida Kerry Supporters Meet for Group Therapy

Twenty John Kerry supporters met for their first group therapy session in South Florida Thursday, screaming epithets at President Bush as they shared their emotions with licensed mental health counselors.

--Boca Raton News--

Aide Takes Blame for Tax Return Provision

A mid-level House aide said yesterday that he was the one who, during last month's drafting of a huge spending bill, added a provision that could give staffers on the House and Senate appropriations committees broad access to Americans' tax returns.

--Washington Post--

Trial Attorneys Killing Miracle Drugs

It was hailed as a miracle painkiller, an answer to the prayers of millions worldwide who suffered the agony of arthritis or acute pain, and who sought a drug that would not have such side effects as serious stomach irritation associated with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

--NewsMax.com--

We can't lay all the blame on the trial lawyers. They'd be out of business if it weren't for ordinary people like you and me sitting on juries and making ridiculous awards as if big drug companies are nothing but big money trees. - Ed.

Italian Politician Wants to Take Europe Back

Rocco Buttiglione, the Italian politician who was forced to withdraw as a candidate for EU commissioner, has confirmed to the BBC that he plans to set up a Christian coalition in Europe.

--Ekklesia--

BBC poll: Nearly Half of Britons Never Heard of Auschwitz

LONDON - Nearly half of Britons in a poll said they had never heard of Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp in southern Poland that became a symbol of the Holocaust and the attempted genocide of the Jews.

--Haaretz--

Spending, Incomes Rise In October

American consumers spent briskly in October, an encouraging sign that the final quarter of 2004 is getting off to a decent start. Incomes rose sharply.

--CBS News--

Bush Calls for ‘Full and Open’ Probe of UN Oil-for-Food Program

President Bush Thursday said he expects a “full and open” investigation of the United Nations oil-for-food program but would not state if he thought U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan should resign.

--CNSNews.com--

Americans' Role Eyed in U.N. Oil Scandal

Former American fugitive Marc Rich was a middleman for several of Iraq's suspect oil deals in February 2001, just one month after his pardon from President Clinton, according to oil industry shipping records obtained by ABC News.

--ABC News--

Panel Recommends Security Council Changes, Sweeping Reform of UN

A panel of prominent figures has recommended a range of reforms to reshape the United Nations for the way the world looks 60 years after the global body was established.

--CNSNews.com--

My proposal: One seat for the EU instead of 19 seats. Not fair? Why don't the United States get 50 seats? - Ed.

Move to End Senate Filibuster Launched

A Washington, D.C.-based legal group launched a nationwide campaign yesterday to urge the U.S. Senate to put an end to the practice of filibustering, which has been used by Democrats to stonewall presidential judicial nominees.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Senator Wants UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to Step Down

A U.S. senator says it's time for United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to resign. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), writing in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal, said Annan lacks the necessary confidence and credibility to continue leading the U.N.

--CNSNews.com--

U.N. Election Chief: Iraqi Vote on Track

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Preparations for the Jan. 30 national election are on track despite continuing violence and calls for delaying or boycotting the vote, the U.N. election chief in Iraq says.

--My Way News (AP)--

Pentagon, Analysts Hit Anti-U.S. Bias at Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross is breaking with tradition by publicly criticizing the United States for the way it handles terror suspects, say Pentagon officials and outside experts.

--Washington Times--

9/11 Families Say Lieberman Is the ‘Obstructionist’

A group representing more than 300 families who lost loved ones in the 9/11 terror attacks says Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) is the “true obstructionist” blocking passage of an intelligence overhaul bill.

--CNSNews.com--

Kerry Campaign Won't Surrender

Though Election Day was almost one month ago and Sen. John Kerry conceded the presidential race, his campaign is still not giving up in Ohio, the state which gave President Bush enough electoral votes for re-election.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

“Earlier today, I spoke to President Bush, and I offered him and Laura our congratulations on their victory. We had a good conversation and we talked about the danger of division in our country and the need - the desperate need - for unity, for finding the common ground, coming together. Today, I hope that we can begin the healing.” - John Kerry at Faneuil Hall in Boston

Hillary Launches 2008 Fund-raising Drive

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has hired a new fund-raising chairwoman, who Democrats say will head up efforts to raise cash for her 2008 presidential run.

--NewsMax.com--

Congress Blasted for ‘Sloppy, Bloated, Budget-Busting’ Bill

A taxpayer watchdog group is criticizing Congress for passing a “pork-laden” fiscal 2005 spending bill.

--CNSNews.com--

N.Y. Court Rules Against Tax Scheme

The ruling in the case of Word of Life Ministries vs. Incorporated Village of Freeport said the statute does not suggest only one church-owned parsonage can be tax exempt.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Terrorism is Terrorism, UN Reform Panel Says

An international panel of experts studying ways to reform the United Nations apparently has taken a stance on terrorism that has long been resisted by the Arab-Muslim world.

--CNSNews.com--

Pentagon Disputes Red Cross Criticism

WASHINGTON - A Pentagon spokesman said Monday that Red Cross officials have “made their view known” that the indefinite detention of terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, amounts to torture.

--Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader--

Perle: Rumsfeld Opposed, Powell Wanted Occupation

Secretary Colin Powell, the State Department and the CIA – not Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld – are responsible for the chaos that has grown out of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, says Richard Perle, the former chairman of Pentagon's Defense Policy Review Board.

--NewsMax.com--

Iraqi Bomb Labs Signal Attacks in the Works

Chemicals and bomb-making literature found at two houses in Fallujah, Iraq, last week show Iraqi rebels are prepared to use chemical and biological weapons in future attacks, a U.S. military spokesman said yesterday.

--Washington Times--

Massachusetts Liberals Set to Wield Control Over the New Democrat Leader

The incoming Senate Democrat leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, hired two communications staffers with ties to Massachusetts Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry to craft the Democrats' message during the 109th Congress.

--Human Events--

They're still in denial - their message is what voters voted against. - Ed.

Recount Effort Is Expanded to New Mexico and Nevada

Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb and Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik announced that they are seeking recounts in two more battleground states: New Mexico and Nevada.

--Washington Post--

If you count something twice, and get two different numbers, who's to say that the second is any better than the first? - Ed.

Author: left_is_right

Date: Wednesday December 1, 2004 08:40

u rite-wing bigots STOLE the eleection its not over yet