November 14, 2006

Web Reconnaissance for 11/14/2006

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention.



In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Proposed Iraq pullout lacking specifics “The White House yesterday rejected Democrats' proposals for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq as lacking specifics or ‘meat on the bones,’ as President Bush met with the Iraq Study Group, which is seeking to advise the administration on ways to realign Iraq policy.” (READ MORE)

Florida's Martinez tapped for RNC chief “Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, co-author of a bill to grant amnesty to illegal aliens, has been picked by White House strategist Karl Rove to be general chairman of the Republican National Committee, RNC officials confirmed yesterday.” (READ MORE)

Pelosi draws fire for backing Murtha “House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is under fire from fellow Democrats and outside liberals for publicly backing Rep. John P. Murtha's bid to become majority leader, saying that the presumed speaker's acts have cast doubt on her party's promise to clean up the ‘culture of corruption.’” (READ MORE)

Iran’s Leader Says Nuclear Program Nears Completion “President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday said Iran would soon celebrate completion of its controversial nuclear fuel program.” (READ MORE)

Catholic Bishops Take Up Contraception and Gay Issue “The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops gathered here Monday to take up initiatives underscoring church teaching on a variety of issues, including contraception and homosexuality. If anything united those initiatives, it appeared to be an overarching concern that core teachings be better understood by Catholics who often live lives in clear divergence from them.” (READ MORE)

News From the Front:
Up to 150 Abducted From Baghdad Institute “Gunmen kidnap staff, visitors inside a government research institute in the largest mass abduction since the start of the U.S. occupation.” (READ MORE)

Pakistan Link Seen in Afghan Suicide Attacks “The trail of the bombers who have carried out a rising number of suicide attacks in Afghanistan traces back to Pakistan, Afghan officials say.” (READ MORE)

Air Strike Kills 3 Terrorists In Yusifiyyah “A Coalition Forces air strike killed three terrorists in Yusifiyyah during an operation Monday. Coalition Forces tracked the terrorists’ movement on a dirt road on the outskirts of Yusifiyya.” (READ MORE)

Night Watch (VIDEO) “Package made from "Night Watch" in the B-roll section about a patrol with the objective of stopping insurgents from planting IEDs, produced by Staff Sgt. Eric Pahon. Total Running Time 2:37” (VIEW/READ MORE)

Samarra Cache (VIDEO) “Package about the finding of a weapons cache in a field near Samarra, produced by Staff Sgt. Eric Pahon. Total Running Time 1:16” (VIEW/READ MORE)



On the Web:
Mike S. Adams writing at Townhall.com writes The End of Affirmative Action “For years, people have asked me why I switched from being a left-wing Democrat to a right-wing Republican. When I'm not in the mood to talk, I give a one-word response: reality. When I'm feeling more verbose, I give a two-word response: affirmative action.” (READ MORE)

Dennis Prager writing at Townhall.com writes The smugness of the war's opponents “You have to wonder if the Times' editors and all their allies on the Left, who have spent the last four years mocking the very notion of pre-emptive war, read this review.” (READ MORE)

Thomas Sowell writing at Townhall.com writes From champs to chumps “In 2004, the Republicans were voted control of all three branches of the federal government and most state governorships. Today, they are left wondering what hit them.” (READ MORE)

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. writing at Townhall.com writes Tragedy of Errors “The mistakes that led to last week’s elections - and the errors that seem likely to flow from them - would be hysterically funny if they weren’t so deadly serious.” (READ MORE)

Victor Davis Hanson writes Rethinking Illegal Immigration “Now that the bitter election season is over, both parties will have to return to the explosive issue of illegal immigration. Increased border patrol, a 700-mile fence to stop the easiest access routes (something President Bush signed into law two weeks ago), employer sanctions and encouragement of one official language can all help solve the crisis.” (READ MORE)

Allahpundit writes Report: RNC Members Sandbagged by Martinez Pick “Rove allegedly leaked his name before any formal decision had been made. Why? Just maybe to head off any grassroots groundswell for Michael Steele among the membership before it got started and assure that their fair-haired boy, Senator Mel, would be in a position of authority to campaign on behalf of the amnesty bill Bush is so hot for.” (READ MORE)

Hugh Hewitt writes The GOP and Illegal Immigration: It Begins With The Fence “As soon as the House and Senate GOP have their leadership teams in place, and soon after the lame duck session ends, the 250 House and Senate members should repair to a conference center somewhere for a long conversation on illegal immigration leading to a consensus position. Certainly there will be outliers, but an ongoing bloodletting over the issue is the only major obstacle in the path to return to majority status. An ongoing focus on the issue is found at Powerline, and though I am unwilling to simply credit Tamar Jacoby's take on the subject, she is generally correct that the issue of illegal immigration did not deliver a wave of support for GOP candidates who thought it would.” (READ MORE)

Captain Ed writes Pence, Shadegg, For Leadership “Republicans have to make some changes in order to rebuild trust with the American electorate. We have to understand who we are, what makes us Republicans, and how best to build a platform that will focus on those qualities and make them relevant for the largest possible number of voters. We need to agree on a set of First Principles that unite us and allow us to defend liberty, property, and our nation.” (READ MORE)

Omar of Iraq the Model writes And the new peacemaker of the middle east is...Iran! “Well, well, well. It's seems our friend Blair is planning to seek help from Syria and Iran to stem the violence in Iraq…I'm truly shocked to see this unprecedented level of impotent thought coming out from London and from no less than Blair.” (READ MORE)

Dan Riehl writes Pelosi's Land Deals May Put Reid's To Shame “It appears as though House Speaker to be Nancy Pelosi has her own land dealings aided by government and family connections so thick you could cut them with a knife. In fact, you may have to unravel all the relationships. Nancy's husband Paul has made a fortune in Real Estate and he is or was also a Commissioner on San Francisco's Commission on the Environment. That's not a bad place to be if one is speculating in Real Estate, but it also isn't the only Pelosi in the mix, as you can see below.” (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio writes Al-Qaeda Commander Abu Nasir al-Qahtani Captured “Abu Nasir al-Qahtani, an escape from Bagram prison, was captured in Khost last week. Qhatani operated from North Waziristan. Last week, Afghan and Coalition forces announced the capture of “a known al-Qaeda terrorist and five other extremists during an operation” in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, which borders Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal agency.” (READ MORE)

Sgt B writes Last Night As A Civilian… “Okay, it’s the Guard… It’s not like it’s the active duty Army or anything…The National Guard… Weekend warriors, right? There was a time that service in the Guard was looked upon with derision, as if its members were somehow getting away with “skating out” of the more dangerous world of the war-fighter.” (READ MORE)

Josh Manchester of The Adventures of Chester writing at WSJ.com Opinion Journal writes Why intellectuals love defeat. “James Carroll, recently writing in the Boston Globe, wondered if America could finally accept defeat in Iraq, and be the better for it, comparing it to Vietnam: ‘But what about the moral question? For all of the anguish felt over the loss of American lives, can we acknowledge that there is something proper in the way that hubristic American power has been thwarted?’” (READ MORE)

Jay of Stop the ACLU writes ACLU Urges Watch On Lame Duck Congress “Liberals heed the warning issued by the ACLU. The “new direction” of surrender and granting rights to our enemies could be threatened by the evil, civil liberty hating Republican controlled lame duck Congress before the liberals officially take control. Don’t underestimate the evil Bushitler and the Rethuglicans. Don’t buy into that “bi-partisanship” double talk. They will try to sneak through some evil anti-civil liberties stuff secretly designed to strip you of your freedoms all under the guise of National Security while they still retain some power. The ACLU has an important message, ‘Just Say No!’” (READ MORE)

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