Climate Initiative ‘Will Be More Effective Than Failed Kyoto’

The Kyoto Protocol is a failure, and a new Asia-Pacific partnership designed to counter climate change through technological advances will be a more effective solution to the problem, according to Australia's federal industry minister, Ian Macfarlane.

--CNSNews.com--

Most Americans Back Bush-ordered Wiretaps

A new survey found nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the National Security Agency should monitor communications between terrorist suspects overseas and contacts inside the U.S.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

‘Tortured’ Al-Qaida Operative Became Fountain of Information for U.S.

Moral and legal aspects aside, conventional wisdom is that torture simply isn't practical: that someone who is being tortured will say anything to make the torture stop, and that information gleaned through torture is therefore not reliable.

--Wichita Eagle (Chicago Tribune)--

Ex-agent: Clinton Started CIA Rendition Program

BERLIN - Former US President Bill Clinton was the first to use the CIA's rendition program to capture, transfer and question terror suspects on foreign soil, a former US counterterrorism agent has revealed.

--IslamOnline.net--

Bush to Begin New Year By Visiting Wounded Troops

CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush plans to begin 2006 by visiting wounded troops at an Army medical center in Texas on New Year's Day.

--Fox News (AP)--

NSA Web Site Uses ‘Banned’ ‘Cookies’

The National Security Agency's Internet site has been placing files on visitors' computers that can track their Web surfing activity despite strict federal rules banning most of them.

--CBS News (AP)--

The real story here is not the “persistent cookies”, but the persistent attack on the nation's top security agency by the leftmedia. What other conclusion can we come to other than that they want the agency crippled, which would leave the nation more open to terrorist attacks (which they'd blame on Bush, of course). - Ed.

Author: Ed.

Date: Friday December 30, 2005 9:48

I just visited the Associated Press's website (Link #1) and after exiting found two "persistent cookies" left on my computer by AP. Now I want to know, if the NSA is tracking my web browsing using such "cookies", what's the AP doing using them?

Hint: A "cookie" can only yield information relating to browsing within the domain of the site that deposited the "cookie."

Link #1

Kennedy's DHS ‘Victim’ Admits Hoax

NEW BEDFORD - The UMass Dartmouth student who claimed to have been visited by Homeland Security agents over his request for “The Little Red Book” by Mao Zedong has admitted to making up the entire story.

--Standard-Times--

As we reported earlier, Sen. Ted “the Swimmer” Kennedy used this now-debunked anecdote in an anti-Bush op-ed tirade. The Boston Globe, having been taken in, asked Kennedy's office for a response, and here's what they wrote:

Laura Capps, a Kennedy spokeswoman, said last night that the senator cited “public reports” in his opinion piece. Even if the assertion was a hoax, she said, it did not detract from Kennedy's broader point that the Bush administration has gone too far in engaging in surveillance.

Doesn't this sound eerily like Dan Rather's fake-but-true defense of his phony Bush National Guard story? - Ed.

Sens. Clinton, Schumer Want Defense Dollars for Campaign Donors

New York Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer have asked the Pentagon to spend $123 million for New York projects that the Department of Defense didn't ask for - many of them benefiting the lawmakers' campaign contributors.

--NewsMax.com--

Centrist Democrats Hit Anti-Bush Tactics

Some centrist Democrats say attacks by their party leaders on the Bush administration's eavesdropping on suspected terrorist conversations will further weaken the party's credibility on national security.

--Washington Times--

CAIR Fumes Over Mosque Radiation Tests

Revelations that federal officials are checking mosques for radiation levels has the Council on American Islamic Relations in an uproar.

--Human Events--

The question that needs to be asked is why are the leftmedia making an issue of this? If this type of monitoring wasn't being done, the government would be derelict in its duty. - Ed.

Report Implicating Clinton: Will it be Hidden for Good?

Though it has had scant attention from the mainstream media, a bipartisan effort to squelch an independent counsel's final report on Clinton-era abuse of the Internal Revenue Service and Justice Department has gotten the attention of Web activists and commentators, causing a growing call for the release of the document that is said to including damning evidence against the 42nd president and his administration.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

‘Leaky’ Leahy Leads Push for Spy Probe

Sen. Pat “Leaky” Leahy is leading the push by Senate Democrats to investigate the Bush administration's terrorist surveillance operation, saying over the weekend that the probe should be expanded to include allegations that the National Security Agency gained access to some of the country's main telephone arteries.

--NewsMax.com--

Secret Court Modified Wiretap Requests

WASHINGTON - Government records show that the administration was encountering unprecedented second-guessing by the secret federal surveillance court when President Bush decided to bypass the panel and order surveillance of U.S.-based terror suspects without the court's approval.

--Seattle Post-Intelligencer--

Ted Kennedy Hoaxes Constituents on Patriot Act

Ted “the Swimmer” Kennedy (in Boston Globe Op-ed):
Just this past week there were public reports that a college student in Massachusetts had two government agents show up at his house because he had gone to the library and asked for the official Chinese version of Mao Tse-tung's Communist Manifesto. Following his professor's instructions to use original source material, this young man discovered that he, too, was on the government's watch list.

--Boston Globe--

The problem is that according to a statment from the American Library Association, the story is likely a hoax. And memo to Ted: Mao didn't write the Communist Manifesto. - Ed.

Poll: Bush Job Approval Hits 50%

Following a series of speeches meant to shore up support for the war on terror, President Bush's overall job approval rating has reached 50 percent, as investor confidence nears its post-9/11 high point, according to a pair of new surveys.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

If Democrats and their leftmedia allies continue to carp on the fact that Bush has been aggressively fighting terrorists (e.g., by “wiretapping” their conversations), we might see that number go quite a bit higher. - Ed.

Anonymous Shopper Pays for Marine's $3K Engagement Ring

A Marine who's planning to marry a Texan got an early Christmas present: A fellow shopper picked up the tab for a $3,000 diamond engagement ring after the two struck up a conversation in a jewelry store.

--NewsMax.com--

‘America’ Missing from Reid's Letter to ‘Friends’

Here's the unexpurgated text from the first two paragraphs of a letter to Sen. Reid's “Dear Friends” which appeared on his senate website:

Energy is critically important to our future and our national security. Recently, my Democratic colleagues and I introduced Energy Independence 2020, our plan to secure 's energy future. We are passionate about this because we need to move beyond an energy policy that only benefits special interests, together we can do better.

Our country needs a fresh start, and this plan will make more clean, more green, and more secure. Developing new energy sources is one of our most important national goals. I am proud that Nevada has been a leader in renewable energy technology and environmentally friendly policies. I will continue to ensure that this trend continues and that we realize these goals.

There are two (highlighted) glaring errors in this text. In the first paragraph is an unpaired possessive “'s”. In the second paragraph, the transitive verb “will make” has no direct object. In both cases, a word is missing, and in bot cases, the missing word is undoubtedly “America”.

--Mid-Hudson Valley Perspective--

Reid's staff may catch on to this and correct the “errors”, but you can view a copy of the original version here. - Ed.

Former Clinton Official Contradicts Leahy on Spying

Claims by a top Senate Democrat that the Clinton administration's warrantless surveillance of suspected spies and terrorists was different from what the Bush administration has employed are being contradicted by a former Justice Department official who served under President Bill Clinton.

--CNSNews.com--

Read the former official's statement here. - Ed.

Daschle: Congress Denied Bush War Powers in U.S.

The Bush administration requested, and Congress rejected, war-making authority “in the United States” in negotiations over the joint resolution passed days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, according to an opinion article by former Senate majority leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) in today's Washington Post.

--Washington Post--

Former Clintonista Jamie Gorelick, member of the 9/11 commission and originator of the infamous “wall” between intelligence and law enforcement, argued that Pres. Clinton had an “inherent”, i.e., constitutional, power to conduct such surveillance. If that power is inherent, then by separation of powers, congress has no power to abrogate it. - Ed.

‘No Evidence’ Saddam was Tortured

The Iraqi judge who prepared the case against Saddam Hussein says there is no evidence he was beaten in US custody, despite the former leader's claims.

--BBC--

Is it a coincidence that one of Saddam's lawyers was an official in a Democrat administration, and Saddam is sounding almost exactly like the partisan Democrats in congress? - Ed.

Canada Debates Extraditing Suspected al-Qaida Terrorist

U.S. diplomats say any delay in Khadr case would be seen as hostile move by Ottawa.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Japan's Population Begins to Decline Sooner Than Expected

For the first time on record, Japan's population has started to decline -- a troubling demographic low point long expected but reached two years earlier than predicted.

--CNSNews.com--

The proabortion and prohomosexual movements have historically been abetted by population alarmists. As this story illustrates, another world population crisis is looming and that crisis is decreasing population. What will the population “chicken littles” do when it becomes apparent that their support for abortion and homosexuality is contributing to this new crisis? - Ed.

22 Congressmen, All Democrats, Hate Christmas

This year's “War for Christmas” - keeping “Christ” in the holiday has apparently been won. And, like many “wars,” there has even been a Congressional resolution in support of keeping Christmas alive and well.

--NewsMax.com--

What surprised me is that Maurice Hinchey is not on the list. - Ed.

Resigned FISA Judge a Committed Clintonista

The press is breathlessly reporting that U.S. District Judge James Robertson has resigned from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court - “apparently” in a fit of conscience over news that President Bush was using the National Security Agency to monitor the telephone conversations of terrorists.

--NewsMax.com--

Author: Ed.

Date: Thursday December 22, 2005 13:19

More likely, this guy resigned because he's the leaker, and he's about to be outed.

NY Transit Union Risking Transit Workers' Jobs, Group Says

A right to work group said New York City's transit workers union is not only holding the city “hostage” by authorizing an “illegal mass transit strike” that shut down bus and subway service, but the union is also risking the jobs of transit workers.

--CNSNews.com--

Gov. Pataki wants to be president. If he's smart, he'll take a page from the book of one of our greatest presidents, and announce that transit workers who don't return to their jobs will be fired - then do it. - Ed.

Court: 1st Amendment ‘Doesn't Create Church-state Wall of Separation’

A U.S. appeals court today upheld the decision of a lower court in allowing the inclusion of the Ten Commandments in a courthouse display, hammering the American Civil Liberties Union and declaring, “The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state.”

--WorldNetDaily.com--

I believe that someday in the not-too-distant future, all of these phony decisions in favor of the ACLU will be reversed. When that day comes, wouldn't it be a great idea to force the ACLU to return all the taxpayer money they've collected for filing these suits?

In this case it's going to be difficult for the Supreme Court to reverse this ruling. To do so, they'd have to affirm that the alleged “wall” does exist and that would be an almost insurmountable task considering that it does not exist in the Consitution. - Ed.

Pelosi: Vote No on Budget Cuts as ‘Act of Worship’

Democrats were scathing. “As the Bible teaches us, to minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship, to ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us,” said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. “Let us vote no on this budget as an act of worship and for America's children.”

--Yahoo! News (AP)--

Will the ACLU step up and condemn this as a violation of the “separation of church and state”? Will proaborts remind Pelosi that you “can't legislate morality”? And what's this nonsense about children being “God's creation”? Didn't a federal judge just rule that we can't teach this in school? If it can't be taught in school, it must not be true, right? - Ed.

Author: Ed.

Date: Wednesday December 21, 2005 9:54

I have to wonder if Pelosi wasn't in fact mocking Christians. It appears that the AP story made a slight change to Pelosi's remarks which are contained in her press release (Link #1). Notice that in the press release, the word "bible" is uncapitalized.

Link #1

‘Airhead’ Boxer: Has Bush Committed an ‘Impeachable Offense’?

Sen. Barbara “Airhead” Boxer, a California Democrat, has sent a letter to four presidential scholars, asking them to give their opinions on whether President George W. Bush has committed an impeachable offense.

--CNSNews.com--

If Boxer wasn't so ignorant of the Constitution, she'd know that what she's doing is the sole province of the House of Representatives. - Ed.

Byrd Says Bush Is Spying on ‘Innocent Americans’

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WVA) wants to know where President Bush gets the authority to “steal into the lives of innocent American citizens and spy.”

--CNSNews.com--

Are Democrats going off the deep end? I have one word for Sen. “Sheets” Byrd: Echelon. - Ed.

Kennedy: Bush Critics Not ‘Defeatists’

Massachusetts Senator Ted “the Swimmer” Kennedy says President Bush is wrong to try and silence his Iraq-war critics by calling them defeatists.

--NewsMax.com--

Why is it that whenever someone criticizes a Democrat, the Democrat accuses him of trying to “silence” the Democrat? - Ed.

Battle of the Bulge Survivors Recount Attack

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Sixty-one years later, the memories linger like ghosts. Yet they are as crisp as the snow that blanketed the Ardennes during that six-week period that helped turn the tide in World War II.

--South Florida Sun-Sentinel--

Can you image how different history would have been if the current crop of “defeatists” had been in power in 1944? - Ed.

US Is Winning the War in Iraq, Bush Says

President Bush, in his prime-time speech to the nation Sunday night, hailed last week's successful election in Iraq and said although it will not end the violence, it marks “the beginning of something new - constitutional democracy at the heart of the Middle East.”

--CNSNews.com--

I guess we all hear what we want to hear. From the front page of today's Poughkeepsie Journal, I surmise that the editors there didn't want to hear anything optimistic. Under the headline “Bush cites progress in Iraq” is the subheadline “President warns more deaths ahead”. Right beside that in the “Inside” box we read “President Bush drops optimistic tone about Iraq, Analysis:”. Were the AP writers and the Journal copy editors listening to the same speech I was? I heard a very optimistic speech. You can read the text of the speech here. - Ed.

Rice Defends Bush Approval of Wiretapping

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday said President Bush acted within the law when he authorized telephone eavesdropping, although she did not say which law covered such surveillance without court approval.

--Washington Times--

It's hard to resolve the outrage of Bush's critics with their overt efforts to conceal allegations of wrongdoing by the IRS supposedly contained in the Barrett Report. On the one hand, the president eavesdropped on some people with known ties to terrorists. On the other, the allegation is that a president used the IRS to attack his political enemies. To me, there's no question which deserves more scrutiny, and which is a more serious threat to our liberty. - Ed.

Hillary-Warner ‘Dream Ticket’ for Democrats?

ALBANY, N.Y. - A Democratic activist in Virginia has formed a national Hillary Clinton for President campaign committee and says his dream ticket for 2008 is to have New York's junior senator paired with his own Gov. Mark Warner.

--Newsday (AP)--

Riviera Beach Eminent Domain Case Draws National Spotlight

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. - Martha Babson used to enjoy obscurity with a water view. She lived quietly - just Babson, her dog and birds sharing a green cottage perched off the Intracoastal.

Wednesday night, she was featured on FOX News.

--Palm Beach Post--

The story recounts how the mayor claims the displaced people will get “better” housing out of this land-grab. It reminds me of a recent kerfuffle regarding a comment Barbara Bush made about hurricane evacuees. - Ed.

Kerry's Impeachment Crack Not Funny, Republicans Say

The Republican Party sees nothing funny about Sen. John F. Kerry's crack that President Bush should be impeached.

--CNSNews.com--

Kerry continues to remind us of how close we came to the disaster of him being president. Not only does this show how unstatesmanlike he is (and always has been), it is particularly wrong for any senator, who would have to act as juror in an impeachment trial, to make such a statement of pre-judgment. It seems to me that if Democrats ever managed to impeach Pres. Bush, Kerry should be ethically obligated to recuse himself. - Ed.

Democrats Criticize Bush For Saying DeLay's Innocent

Democratic leaders sternly criticized President Bush yesterday for saying former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) is innocent of felonious campaign finance abuses, suggesting his comments virtually amounted to jury tampering before DeLay stands trial.

--Washington Post--

Bush was asked if he thinks DeLay is innocent, and he answered “Yes I do.” Our system assumes innocence until proven guilty, and the leftmedia repeatedly remind us of that - except when the accused is a Republican or conservative. Considering how often we've heard prominent Democrats declare DeLay guilty without benefit of a trial, they have a lot of nerve criticizing the president. - Ed.

Bush Authorized Domestic Spying

President Bush signed a secret order in 2002 authorizing the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens and foreign nationals in the United States, despite previous legal prohibitions against such domestic spying, sources with knowledge of the program said last night.

--Washington Post--

This story, in a way ‘liberals’ will refuse to understand, demonstrates why effective counter-terrorism legislation (i.e., the Patriot Act) is so important. Assuming we have a president who takes the job of protecting the country seriously, and considering the seriousness of the threats against us, it would be naive to think that such a president would allow the country to be put in jeopardy because of legal restrictions. If he has the legal authority to do what is needed, that's one less reason to keep it hidden from public view. - Ed.

House GOP Stands Firm over Patriot Act Renewal

Republican House leaders yesterday rejected any short-term compromise on the USA Patriot Act extension they approved earlier this week, and the bill faces a near certain filibuster in the Senate today.

--Washington Times--

Landmark Stem Cell Feat in Question After Research Said to be Faked

The world's biggest “breakthrough” in embryonic stem cell research is in doubt after South Korean cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk, having already admitted unethical research practices, reportedly confessed faking key parts of his data.

--CNSNews.com--

Call to Condemn Communist Crimes Upsets Party Faithful

To the dismay of many of world's surviving communist parties, a leading European political human rights watchdog will next month consider a proposal calling for the crimes of communism to be condemned internationally and investigated more thoroughly.

--CNSNews.com--

Religious Activists Protest Budget as ‘Christmas Scandal’

More than 200 religious activists gathered in Washington, D.C., Wednesday to protest what they called the “Christmas scandal” budget passed by the House of Representatives. The budget, the protesters complained, “cuts taxes for the rich while cutting benefits for the poor.”

--CNSNews.com--

Let's see if the ACLU jumps in and denounces this as a violation of “separation of church and state”. And let's see of those “can't legislate morality” leftists have anything to say against it. If they don't, they'll be exposed - again - as a bunch of hypocrites. - Ed.

Author: Linda Cebrian

Date: Thursday December 15, 2005 12:43

I started to read this article then stopped when I realized this protest is under the auspices of Sojourners and the Rev. Jim Wallis.

It's unfortunate that some Christians believe good government assumes the role of "brother's keeper."

They think government largesse is the answer to all social pathologies. They use the strategy of couching their ideas in religious terms.

Author: Linda Cebrian

Date: Thursday December 15, 2005 12:45

This is news? Something we don't already know?

Iraq Speeches Boost Bush's Job Approval

While his detractors say the president has offered no new initiatives, his supporters say the president's two-week speaking blitz is helping to turn public opinion in his favor and putting Democrats on the defensive.

--NewsMax.com--

When Pres. Bush gets out and speaks, fractured English and all, his approval ratings go up. When he makes himself invisible, his approval ratings go down. Apparently, the public isn't so much concerned about what their president says or does, they just want to be constantly reassured that he's doing his job. Funny thing, I seem to remember that Clinton's approval ratings went up whenever he went on vacation. - Ed.

Shameless Cindy ‘Asleep’ on What's-his-name's Grave

Although a Thanksgiving protest at President Bush's ranch drew little attention, anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan continues her media campaign in the January issue of Vanity Fair magazine with a two-page photo spread of her apparently asleep on the grassy grave of her son Casey, who was killed in battle in Iraq.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Sen. Salazar Accuses Christian Group of ‘Bearing False Witness’

He says ads placed by the Christian group's political arm falsely characterize his stand on hiring quotas.

--Denver Post--

FBI Probes Democrat Vote Fraud in W.Va.

Federal prosecutors scored two more guilty pleas Tuesday, including one from a county clerk, in their ongoing probe of election fraud in southern West Virginia.

--NewsMax.com--

This is a very disturbing story, not because it involves Democrats (it could just as easily be Republicans), but because the FBI apparently planted a phony candidate in an election in order to ferret out suspected election fraud. That's just plain wrong! - Ed.

Coldest December Since Late 1800s?

A weather expert says December 2005 is on pace to become one of the 10 coldest in more than 100 years, despite claims at a global conference on climate change this week that the Earth is getting warmer.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Stanley “Tookie” Williams Executed in California

SAN FRANCISCO - Convicted killer Stanley “Tookie” Williams, the Crips gang co-founder whose case stirred a national debate about capital punishment versus the possibility of redemption, was executed Tuesday morning.

--MSNBC News (AP)--

Amazingly, the AP finally gets around to naming the victims - but only at the very end of the story. - Ed.

U.S. Immigration Hits Record High, Increases Poverty Levels

From 2000 to 2005, the U.S. has seen the highest immigration levels in a five-year period in its history, according to a report released Monday by the Center for Immigration Studies.

--CNSNews.com--

The dirty little secret is that our Social Security Ponzi Scheme requires a perpetually increasing population in order to stave off bankruptcy. According to the story, eight million immigrants have come here in the last five years. That number coincides almost exactly with the number of abortions in the same time period. Is it a coincidence that proabortion politicians are almost always the biggest obstacles to immigration reform? - Ed.

Pro-terrorist ACLU Opposes Patriot Act Provision

The American Civil Liberties Union raised objections yesterday to a little-noticed provision of the latest version of the USA Patriot Act bill, arguing that it would give the Secret Service wider latitude to charge protesters accused of disrupting major events including political conventions and the Olympics.

--Washington Post--

Weldon Expects Green Light for ‘Able Danger’ Hearings

“This will be a full hearing, and finally the American people will get to hear what the 9-11 commission didn't pursue, and that is information about what happened before the attacks on Sept. 11,” Weldon said on CNN's “Lou Dobbs Tonight” program.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

I suspect that the recent blast from the Commission was a pre-emptive strike to divert attention from their own failings - which these hearings are likely to expose. - Ed.

Pirro: I Won't End My Hillary Challenge

New York's Republican Party county leaders recommended Monday that Jeanine Pirro abandon her struggling campaign to challenge Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and instead run for state attorney general.

--NewsMax.com--

This situation would be more understandable if the New York Republican Party had a credible candidate to oppose Hillary, but they don't. They seem to be conceding the seat without a fight. Why would they do that? To protect themselves! The thinking is that if Hillary has a real opponent, she'll have to raise and spend a lot of money for the compaign. In doing so, she'll draw out voters who will vote for other Democrats, and put the Republicans out of office.

The way I see it, New York Republicans are so like Democrats, it will make hardly any difference if they win or lose - except that if Democrats control everything, they can't blame Republicans for anything. But if Hillary is forced to run a real campaign in New York, she'll have to spend money she'd otherwise hold for her inevitable presidential run. - Ed.

UN Diplomats Finally Paying Traffic Fines

For years, United Nations diplomats were notorious for running up millions of dollars in parking tickets, then just laughing at the city's attempts to collect. Diplomatic immunity meant there was little U.S. courts could do about it.

--NewsMax.com--

You've gotta give Mayor Mike Bloomberg credit for this. Giuliani complained a lot about the situation, but never got it done. - Ed.

Judge Allows Subpoenas of Limbaugh Doctors

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Prosecutors can subpoena Rush Limbaugh's doctors as part of an investigation into whether the conservative radio commentator illegally bought painkillers, a judge ruled Monday.

--Las Vegas Sun (AP)--

What are we to make of these developments? On the one hand, the leftmedia are trumpeting this ruling as a “setback” for Limbaugh (that's how it was described in the first news story I heard about it). On the other hand, conservative-leaning media, e.g., WorldNetDaily.com and NewsMax.com, called it a “Major win for Limbaugh” and “Fla. Judge Upholds Rush's Privacy Rights”, respectively. I guess we'll just have to wait until the conclusion of the case. - Ed.

Author: Ed.

Date: Tuesday December 13, 2005 10:58

Update: ABC Radio News, where I first heard this characterized as a "setback", has revised the story, and now says it was a victory for Limbaugh.

Schumer Demands Examination of ‘Failures’ in Iraq

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has asked President Bush to immediately appoint a “senior delegation of distinguished retired military leaders” who would travel to Iraq, assess the capability of Iraqi troops, and report back to Congress and the American people.

--CNSNews.com--

Chuckie isn't interested in finding anything that doesn't support his partisan agenda, i.e., repeating the “failure” mantra. - Ed.

Survey Finds Optimism in New Iraq

An opinion poll suggests Iraqis are generally optimistic about their lives, in spite of the violence that has plagued Iraq since the US-led invasion.

--BBC News--

Bad news for Chuckie. - Ed.

Democrats Pitch ‘National Community’ for 2008

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - To hear Democrats tell it, an anxious and isolated public craves a sense of national community and would galvanize behind a leader who asks people to sacrifice for the greater good.

--Washington Times (AP)--

Bush Agenda ‘Going Back to the Basics’ on Taxes, War

President Bush is returning to his conservative agenda after being distracted from his message the past few months by hurricanes, an anti-war mother and a failed Supreme Court nomination.

--Washington Times--

What became of saving Social Security? - Ed.

Frist May Invoke ‘Nuclear Option’ for Alito

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday he is prepared to strip Democrats of their to ability to filibuster if they try to stall Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court.

--NewsMax.com--

China Admits Police Killed Protestors

The Chinese government has made a rare public admission about an incident in which policemen opened fire on civilians protesting a local grievance, However, the government denied reports that 20 or more people had been killed, saying only three had died.

--CNSNews.com--

Democrats Sell Christian ‘Hypocrite’ Sticker

The official website of Washington State Democrats sold magnetic car stickers of the Christian fish symbol and cross emblazoned with the word “hypocrite” on a background of hellish flames.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Republicans Accuse Dems of ‘Retreat and Defeat’ on War

The Republican National Committee unveiled a new web ad Friday that says Democrats have a plan for Iraq - and that plan is “retreat and defeat.”

--CNSNews.com--

Harry Reid Eyes Patriot Act Filibuster

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid may be about to follow top Democrats Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi over the cliff on national security and defense issues - by launching a filibuster against the Patriot Act.

--NewsMax.com--

Poll: Consumers High on U.S. Economy

People are feeling better about the economy and their own financial situations, a hopeful sign they'll act more like Santas than Grinches while holiday shopping.

--NewsMax.com--

Administration Speeches Put Military in Tough Spot

While polls may show Bush lagging in popular approval, the U.S. military views the commander in chief warmly, and he shows a likewise appreciation. . . .

“This is a very bad sign,” said retired Marine Gen. Joseph Hoar, who led Central Command in the early 1990s and is an administration critic. “This is the sort of thing that you find in other countries where the military and political, certain political parties are aligned.”

--Fox News--

I agree that it is a bad sign when the military so solidly aligns itself with one party, but Gen. Hoar should put the blame where it belongs - squarely on Democrat leaders who say that the military is broken, a bunch of failures destined to lose, and terrorizing Iraqis. - Ed.

It also might help if the Dems didn't try to disfranchise servicemen and wage war on military recruitment and ROTC, if they nominated someone who didn't rise to fame by slandering veterans, and if those of them who have military experience refrained from invoking their own service in opportunistic attempts to silence political disagreement. - James Taranto, OpinionJournal.com

Dean Claims War View Taken ‘Out of Context’

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said yesterday that his assertion that the United States cannot win the war in Iraq was reported “a little out of context.”

--Washington Times--

Maybe a “little” out of context, but mostly in context. - Ed.

Pelosi ‘Corruption’ Stunt Fails in House

House Republicans, in a party-line vote, rejected a Democratic-sponsored resolution Thursday denouncing a “culture of corruption exhibited by the Republican leadership.”

--NewsMax.com--

UN Investigator Claims Annan Lied about Son's Role

Kofi Annan, the secretary general of the United Nations, lied about what he knew of his son's business activities at the time of the Iraq oil-for-food programme, according to the senior investigator charged with examining his conduct.

--London Telegraph--

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Involving Koran Oaths

A judge today dismissed a lawsuit prompted by outcry over the inability of Muslims to be sworn in Guilford County courts using the Quran, a lawyer in the case said.

--Greensboro News & Record--

Rally to Push for Souter Land Condemnation

The man behind the effort to have Supreme Court Justice David Souter's New England home seized by the local government to make way for a hotel is sponsoring a rally in Weare, N.H., next month, hoping supporters from around the nation will help residents collect signatures for a ballot initiative requesting the condemnation.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Daughter: Hostage Doing ‘Same Work’ as Terrorists

In a television interview, the daughter of one of four Western hostages held by a terrorist group in Baghdad issued an appeal to her father's captors, arguing “the work that he is there to do is the same work that they would like to see done.”

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Bush Plan: Social Security for ‘Legalized’ Illegal Aliens

Illegal aliens who work under borrowed, stolen or fraudulent Social Security numbers could collect retirement benefits based on their illegal earnings as the result of a Bush administration plan. Critics charge the federal government has grossly underestimated the cost of the proposal, which they believe could be billions of dollars per year.

--CNSNews.com--

If the projected payout would really be “billions of dollars per year”, can you imagine what the government must be collecting on accounts that it presently has no obligation to pay out to? - Ed.

Vets, Times Blast Hillary Clinton for Flag Ploy

2008 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has managed to get almost everyone mad at her by coming out for a new statute that would ban flag burning, with veterans, peace protesters and even the New York Times blasting the top Democrat for pandering.

--NewsMax.com--

Partisan Black Caucus to Oppose Sam Alito

Most of Congress' black lawmakers will oppose the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, officials said Wednesday.

--NewsMax.com--

WWII Vets Worry Few Remember Pearl Harbor

The battle cry that once stirred troops to action has become a question that now stirs anguish in vets.

--South Florida Sun-Sentinel--

House GOP Calls Iraq War Part of US ‘Legacy of Liberty’

Eight Republican members in the House of Representatives Tuesday praised the progress being made in the Iraq war and called on the American people to demonstrate the support necessary to make that conflict part of the United States' “legacy of liberty.”

--CNSNews.com--

Democrats Fear Backlash at Polls for Antiwar Remarks

Strong antiwar comments in recent days by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean have opened anew a party rift over Iraq, with some lawmakers warning that the leaders' rhetorical blasts could harm efforts to win control of Congress next year.

--Washington Post--

‘Liberalism’ is dominated by emotion, and even when the dominating emotion is hatred, they are incapable of controlling it. Reason and logic tells that what they're doing is going to destroy them. But even though they are conscious of this, they can't change their ways. - Ed.

McCain Tops Clinton in Quinnipiac Poll

They both voted for the war in Iraq. Both have angered key wings of their own political parties and both seem to be overhyped “media darlings.”

--NewsMax.com--

Friend of Cindy Challenges Hillary for Senate

NEW YORK - Jonathan Tasini, a labor advocate and former president of the National Writers' Union, announced a campaign Tuesday to challenge Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination for Senate, saying her vote to authorize the war in Iraq proves she is out of step with New Yorkers.

--Newsday (AP)--

Don't rule out the possibility that Hillary is supporting this. Running against a whacko will make her seem like a moderate. - Ed.

Fla. Professor Is Acquitted in Case Seen as Patriot Act Test

A federal jury acquitted former Florida professor Sami al-Arian yesterday of conspiring to aid a Palestinian group in killing Israelis through suicide bombings, dealing the U.S. government a setback in its efforts to use secretly gathered intelligence in criminal cases against terrorism suspects.

--Washington Post--

After reading the article, I find it hard to see how this case is a “setback” for the Patriot Act. What it is, in my view, is a setback for anyone who thinks we can fight terrorism strictly through the legal system. - Ed.

Poll: Most Say Torture OK in Rare Cases

Most Americans and a majority of people in Britain, France and South Korea say torturing terrorism suspects is justified at least in rare instances, according to AP-Ipsos polling.

--NewsMax.com--

If you think torture is ever OK, you can't believe it never works. - Ed.

Study: Illegal Immigrants Not Drawn by Jobs

A majority of Mexican nationals who crossed into the United States illegally in the past two years left behind paying jobs that, in some cases, are similar to the agriculture, construction and manufacturing work they find north of the border, according to a study of Mexican immigrants released yesterday by the Pew Hispanic Center.

--Washington Post--

‘Compassionate Conservative’ Elected New Leader of Britain's Tories

Britain's Conservative Party has chosen a new, young leader with relatively limited political experience, but his supporters believe he has the “compassionate conservatism” needed to reverse the party's fortunes after eight years of Labor rule.

--CNSNews.com--

Some conservatives are offended by the term which implies that conservatives aren't compassionate. But conservatism, being based on reason and logic, is not inherently compassionate, which is not to say that conservatism and compassion are mutually exclusive. The best results are usually obtained when feelings temper reason and logic to some degree. - Ed.

Dean's Wishful Thinking: U.S. Will Lose War in Iraq

WASHINGTON - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, never known to mince words, today told a San Antonio radio station the U.S. cannot win the war in Iraq.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

He's right about it being like Vietnam, in that the most dangerous enemy is at home (and he sees it every time he looks in a mirror). - Ed.

Kerry: Iraqis Should be Terrorizing Women and Children

Sen. KERRY: ...And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the--of--the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not...

SCHIEFFER: Yeah.

Sen. KERRY: ...Iraqis should be doing that.

--CBS News--

Quotes exerpted from pages numbered 3 and 4 (pdf file pages 4 and 5). - Ed.

Democrats' Position Backs Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants

The Democratic National Committee insisted Saturday that efforts to secure the nation's borders shouldn't shut out an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants and their families already living in the U.S.

--East Valley (Arizona) Tribune--

Hillary Co-sponsors Anti-flag Burning Law

WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is supporting new legislation to criminalize desecration of the United States flag - though she still opposes a constitutional ban on flag attacks.

--Newsday (AP)--

This is classic Clinton. She sponsors a law she knows will be ruled unconstitutional without an amendment, but opposes an amendment. She can claim credit for protecting the flag without actually accomplishing anything. - Ed.

‘New mammal’ seen in Borneo woods

In the dense central forests of Borneo, a conservation group has found what appears to be a new species of mammal.

--BBC News--

Don't be fooled by this “atrocious” reporting. There is no evidence that this species is “new”, i.e. newly evolved. Evolutionists are stymied by the fact that despite the many millions of species of animals that exist or have existed on Earth, there has never been an observed emergence of a new species. The uneducated and inattentive can be swayed by this type of misrepresentation. - Ed.

Rep. John Murtha May Face Ethics Investigation

One of the mysteries these days is the about-face of a supposed Democrat war hawk, Representative John Murtha of Pennsylvania. Considered a supporter of the Iraq conflict, the decorated former Marine suddenly came out with statements calling for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and that the war is not winnable.

--Sierra Times--

Is Murtha the subject of investigation because of his “flip” on Iraq, or was his “flip” a pre-emptive strike to innoculate himself against media condemnation? You be the judge. - Ed.

US Debris Found at Site of Reported Al Qaeda Death

MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan - Shrapnel that appeared to be from a US-made missile was found yesterday at the house where Pakistan said a leading Al Qaeda operative was killed in an explosion. President Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, however, declined to confirm the death.

--Boston Globe--

John McCain: ‘Fake News’ a Fake Scandal

Sen. John McCain said Sunday that the Bush administration did nothing wrong in the so-called “fake news” scandal, where the Pentagon paid Iraqi newspapers to carry reports that paint the U.S. liberation in a positive light - as long as the stories are true.

--NewsMax.com--

Joe Wilson: Bush Right to Attack Iraq

Joe Wilson, Iraq war supporter?

--NewsMax.com--

Law Would Bar Protests at Funerals

A church group has been protesting funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq with signs that say “God Hates America” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers.”

--Chicago Sun-Times--

This is about protests by “Rev.” Fred Phelps, a notorious opponent of everything related to homosexuality. Many other instances of sick demonstrations at soldiers' funerals have been documented, and the “mainstream” media have largely ignored them, but they're quick to jump on this. Does anyone see a bias here? - Ed.

Mass. Justice Sorry for ‘Red State’ Remark

BOSTON - Massachusetts' chief justice has apologized for a remark she made about “red states” during a commencement speech last spring after a citizen complaint was filed with the state's Commission on Judicial Conduct.

--NewsMax.com--

It's amazing what will be tolerated coming from a ‘liberal’ that would be universally condemned from a conservative. - Ed.

T-Shirt Flap Pits Jihadists Against Sunday School Teachers

Three Indonesian women sentenced to prison for the “Christianization” of Muslim children have lost their appeal, and observers of the courtroom drama blame Muslim extremists who threatened to kill the judges if they didn't hand down a guilty verdict.

--CNSNews.com--

Dems Back Saddam Hussein in New Poll

Democrats have given Saddam Hussein a shocking vote of confidence in the latest Fox News Opinion Dynamics survey, with a solid plurality saying the world would be better off if the Butcher of Baghdad was still in power.

--NewsMax.com--

Gen. Tommy Franks Reminds Americans Why We Are Fighting the War on Terror

ARLINGTON, VA. - Retired four-star Gen. Tommy Franks gave a rousing address Thursday night in support of the War on Terror, raising speculation about a possible political career in the near future or at least a more visible role in defense of President Bush.

--Human Events--

Bill Bennett: Purple Fingers for Iraq

Bill Bennett has asked Americans for a colorful favor that will help show support for democracy throughout the world.

--NewsMax.com--

Russia Equips Iran for War

The sale was confirmed by a source at the Koupol military factory in Russia who claimed the deal would not violate any international agreement. That's because Moscow made a secret 1995 agreement with Washington known as the Gore-Chernomyrdin protocol, which Russian officials believes permits continued military sales to Iran.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

China Destroys Church Building

The communist Chinese government bulldozed a Catholic Church building in Xi'an city, wounding 16 nuns.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Dems' Political Meeting Dispute Gets Ugly

A North Fort Myers Democratic Club meeting ended with resignations, a slap, a police report and one member calling for a state committeeman's removal.

--Fort Myers News-Press--

‘Fossil Fuel’ Theory Takes Hit with NASA Finding

NASA scientists are about to publish conclusive studies showing abundant methane of a non-biologic nature is found on Saturn's giant moon Titan, a finding that validates a new book's contention that oil is not a fossil fuel.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

MoveOn.org Dresses British Soldiers To Look Like Americans

James Taranto leads off yesterday's Best Of The Web with this e-mail from a captain in the U.S. Army.

--WizBangBlog.com--

Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha in Anti-War Scheme

News reports say that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi "reversed course" yesterday by endorsing Rep. John Murtha's call for an "immediate redeployment" of U.S. forces out of Iraq.

--NewsMax.com--

Bush Speech Puts Democrats on Their Heels

They've invested in defeat, Bush pushes to victory.

--RushLimbaugh.com--

Scathing Attack by Left on Hillary's War Stance

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., is coming under heavy fire for her continued support of the war in Iraq, with some of the strongest rhetoric coming from the political left.

--WorldNetDaily.com--

Michael Moore Denies He Owned Halliburton

Bush-bashing filmmaker Michael Moore is denying he ever owned stock in Halliburton Energy Services Company, the oil equipment giant once run by Vice President Dick Cheney that has become an anethma to left-wingers.

--NewsMax.com--