Attack “will not weaken good people”

Ra’ad Hameed Al-Mula Jowad Al-Tamimi the Diyala Governor made a statement on Wednesday about the recent bombing of the Sunni and Shiite leader in Baqouba earlier this week saying that the attack, "would not weaken good people or keep them from doing their jobs."

BAQOUBA, Iraq – The governor of Diyala Province, Ra’ad Hameed Al-Mula Jowad Al-Tamimi, made a short statement on Wednesday evening from his home in response to Monday night’s suicide bombing at a reconciliation meeting between Sunni and Shiite leaders in Baqouba, stating that “this man with hate in his heart…would not weaken good people or keep them from doing their jobs.”

The suicide bombing took place outside a mosque in Shifta, a village of Baqouba, killing 24 Iraqis and wounding 37 others. Following the Ramadan post-fast evening meal.

Senior Iraqi provincial leaders and Coalition Forces from Diyala were conducting a reconciliation meeting when the attack took place.

Gov. Ra’ad, who received minor injuries in the blast, offered his condolences to the killed, wounded and their families, stating, “To the believers and their families who were killed and wounded during this holy month of Ramadan: May Allah keep them and give them peace.”

“Everyone agreed that the title of our meeting would be ‘peace.’ The meeting’s goal was to be reconciliation.

This man with hate in his heart had the devil in control of him.

He changed the meeting from a place of brotherhood to what it is now,” stated Gov. Ra’ad. “But he will not weaken the good people of Diyala, who will continue to do their good work that must be done.”

Gov. Ra’ad continued to say that through increasingly productive steps, the province will experience better times and the people of Diyala will continue to build through
action and spirit.

He completed his statement by imploring his fellow citizens in Diyala province, "Don’t stop doing good deeds and in the future, God willing, we will be in a new Iraq. Thanks be to God.”

Monday night’s incident remains under investigation.

There is nothing else to say, Governor Ra'ad'd words are enough.

Sunni Iraqi Police Lieutenant and Wife Murdered by Insurgents

Coalition Forces believe that Sunni Insurgents murdered a kidnapped Iraqi police lieutenant and wife dumping them in the Sunni neighborhood of Adhamiyah in Baghdad:

BAGHDAD — The bodies of a murdered Sunni Iraqi police lieutenant and his wife were recovered in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah neighborhood Sep. 25.

The couple had been abducted several days before by Sunni insurgents, said relatives. The bodies were discovered dumped in a pile of trash beneath a pedestrian overpass in the Sunni-dominated neighborhood of Adhamiyah in Baghdad.

Both victims appeared to have been killed by gunshot wounds to the head.

The police lieutenant also had drill holes in his face that indicate he was tortured before being executed, said 1st Lt. Daniel Lake with the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, the U.S. unit responsible for security in the Adhamiyah area.

Lake said the lieutenant and his wife – both Sunnis – were most likely targeted by Sunni terrorists associated with Al Qaeda in Iraq or Islamic Government of Iraq because of their involvement with security efforts.

“They killed an upstanding local who was trying to help the Iraqi government defeat terrorists,” Lake said.

Sunni-on-Sunni violence now makes up the majority of violence in northeast Baghdad, following a significant drop in sectarian violence between the Shia and Sunni communities since the Baghdad security plan began, said Lt. Col. David Oclander, executive officer of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

The Police Lt, was providing security to Iraq and had made the difficult decision to do the right thing, become a member of the security forces, instead of doing the easy thing, doing nothing. Still think the Iraqis aren't stepping up and taking chances? Think again.

Ever Iraqi that steps up and joins with the Coalition Forces is placing their life as well as the lives of their family on the line. Thats a hell of a lot more than any member of Congress is doing. If you support the drive to retreat from Iraq and hand it over to the savages that would do this to the young couple because they've taken a stand that enough is enough, then you are accomplices to their murder and torture.

Republican’s for Voldemort?

I saw that on a bumper sticker the other day and after a brief second of laughing at the moonbat mentality I began to think more about what this is actually saying about the public political debate.

[Warning if for some reason you aren’t a fan of the Harry Potter series or for what ever reasons have not seen any of the movies much of this will make little sense to you. I highly recommend the series if for nothing else their entertainment factor alone. Also note, minor spoiler alerts included if you haven’t finished reading the series yet.]

The obvious connotation is that the sticker owner equates Republican’s with the Death Eaters, the followers of Voldemort in the Potter series. Of course that means that the sticker owner believes whole heartedly that the Republican’s are bent on destroying the world and claiming absolute power for themselves, since this is the plot line J.K Rowling uses in her story as Voldemort’s goal. And while Voldemort is not based upon real-life tyrants, he exhibits many of the same traits; Rowling describes him as "a raging psychopath, devoid of the normal human responses to other people's suffering, and there ARE people like that in the world.” [1]

So there we have our first real insight in to the far left, they must obviously believe that Republican’s are incapable of being responsive to peoples suffering, and are psychopaths bent on obtaining absolute power. But let’s analyze this line of thinking a little more. If Republican’s are the Death Eaters and Voldemort is their leader; which in turn makes George Bush – Voldemort, what does that make the Democrats and the netroots crowd?

Following the story line and the philosophy that we can only assume that the netroots see themselves as the Order of the Phoenix, the champions of righteousness in the series, who are out to save everyone from the evil that is the Republican Party, I mean, Voldemort. Of course since the netroots are the saviors, the Democrats must obviously be the Ministry of Magic, the misguided but well meaning leaders of the wizarding world. And the rest of the world is well the rest of the world. But that is the simple mind thinking, for if we analyze the allegorical meanings in the series and assign them to real world events and people we can come up with a much more realistic assessment of our current political parties and their place in Rowling’s story, or is that Rowling’s world in its place in our real world?

Let us begin with Voldemort.

Voldemort is regarded as highly ruthless and sadistic even to his own henchmen who serve him out of a mixture of fear and respect. Rowling described him as "the most evil wizard for hundreds and hundreds of years" [2] She elaborated that he is a "raging psychopath, devoid of the normal human responses to other people's suffering" [3] who is able to attract cowardly, but cruel minions like "Wormtail, who out of cowardice will stand in the shadow of the strongest person. " [4] What seems to drive him is his megalomaniacal sense of entitlement. He believes he is superior to the point that he will frequently refer to himself in the third-person as "Lord Voldemort." Rowling alluded to this saying that Voldemort is "incredibly power hungry. Racist, really" and holds human life in utter disregard. Rowling has also stated that if Voldemort looked into the "Mirror of Erised" (i.e. the mirror which reflects a person's greatest wish), he would see "Himself, all-powerful and eternal. That's what he wants." [5]

For anyone that has ever met George W. Bush, listened to him speak or read his words, this is as far from a description of George W. Bush than ever there was. In point of fact this description of Voldemort is more in line with a description of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Osama bin Laden than Bush. Only someone so convinced in Bush as Evil Emperor could equate Voldemort with Bush. Voldemort then can not be George W. Bush but has to be those “petty dictators” and megalomaniac fundamentalist tyrants that currently terrorize the world with their suicide bombers and medieval thinking.

So with the premise that Voldemort is representative Muslim Extremism and Racism, the two biggest threats to world harmony, the followers of Voldemort - the Death Eaters are logically alQaeda and the Taliban as well as other Muslim Extremists the world over.

But what of the Ministry of Magic who do they represent?

Following the same line of reasoning let us look at Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for our clues as to their representative in today’s world. Throughout much of that book, the Ministry of Magic undertakes a campaign of silencing and hounding the members of the order of the Phoenix as well as Harry Potter personally, because they insisted that Voldemort had returned, and the time to fight is now. To accept this fact would have been detrimental to the Ministry of Magic and result in a serious loss of face and power. The Ministry thus spends the entire book denying his return and rise to power until the end when Voldemort is physically seen by the members of the Ministry of Magic and his return can no longer be denied.

Sound familiar to anyone? The Ministry’s platform sounds vaguely familiar to the Democrats platform that Muslim Extremism is not a threat to the world, that simple dialogue can solve it, and I fit is a rising threat its only because of Bush’s meddling in their business, besides if everyone would just stay in their place we wouldn’t have these problems. We can only hope the Democrats have their epiphany before their policies allow the enemy to gain any more power on our own shores.

This brings us to the Order of the Phoenix (OotP) and their “place” in our current political climate.

In don’t think you can make an argument that the Republican’s are the OotP, and neither is Bush, but perhaps specific members of the party could be. What we do know about the OotP is that they are a determined group, willing to die to protect their fellow man from the travesty of Voldemort’s return. They are demeaned and attacked by the Ministry as often as possible as ignorant, misguided members of society, and belittled in public. For some reason I see the OotP as our US Military, for they are the true bearers and champions of freedom from tyranny, who continue on in the face of indomitable odds and public criticism not for their own sake but for the sake of their brothers in arms and their fellow man.

So far we’ve identified the primary movers and shakers in the Harry Potter world and their comparable counterparts in the real world which leaves us with Harry Potter and who represents him in our current landscape. While many people could fill the shoes at different times throughout the series, I think the most locigal conclusion is the person who has been attacked the most recently by the misguided Congress and netroot crowd. The man that has been branded a liar before he has even been able to speak and who in the face of contempt for his character sat in front of the “Ministry of Magic” and gave his testimony: General David Petraeus.

Thus we are returned to the original premise of this post: how is the bumper sticker Republican’s for Voldemort an accurate portrayal of our political landscape? Fortunately Harry Potter is a fictional series with heavy allegorical themes and those who believe that Voldemort could be anything other than the evil that resides in the world is either incapable of rational thought or refuses to live within the realm of reality. To be able to believe that Republicans are only interested in supporting evil in all its forms, and its obvious converse that the Democrats stand for all that is good in the world is to live in a world of fantasy.

The Mis-Information War Heats Up

Lawhawk writing today revisits the interesting case of Reuters reporter Noor Mohammad Sherzai who quoted him or herself, extensively in a story about US Forces in Afghanistan defeating a suicide bomb attack.

Here is the press release from the COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE- 82COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER Afghanistan:

Double Suicide Attack Averted by ANSF

NANGARHAR PROVINCE,
Afghanistan –Two failed suicide attacks resulted in the death of four attackers and one non-combatant at approximately 9 a.m. today in Bati Kowt District, Nangarhar Province.

A suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device that was reportedly targeting Afghan National Police detonated along Highway One killing the bombers, the driver and two passengers of the vehicle, as well as a non-combatant who was in the area when the vehicle exploded.

While securing the site of the S-VBIED attack, ANP were attacked by an insurgent dressed in an ANP uniform wearing a suicide vest. The attacker was engaged and killed by ANP and Coalition forces on site.

During recovery activities at the blast site, a crowd began converging on the road near the site when a truck which was initially assessed as an additional VBIED was identified heading toward the crowd. Out of safety concerns for the individuals in the crowd and the ANSF and Coalition elements on scene and in accordance with Coalition escalation of force procedures a Coalition servicemember fired two well-aimed warning shots away from the crowd into a nearby canal to disperse them.

The truck, which turned out to be a responding fire-and-rescue vehicle, had brake failure which caused the driver to lose control and crash into other vehicles already on scene.

Four Afghan investigators were injured in the vehicle accident and were evacuated to local medical facilities by ANP on scene.

The incident is currently under investigation.

Here is Noor’s report as posted by Lawhawk:

BATI KOT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - U.S. troops opened fire on civilians near the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Thursday after a failed suicide car bomb attack on their convoy, a Reuters witness said.

There was no immediate comment on the reported incident either from U.S.-led coalition forces or from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).The witness said three suicide bombers in one vehicle attacked a convoy of U.S. troops in the village of Bati Kot, 15 km (9 miles) east of Jalalabad, but none of the soldiers was hurt.

Two of the bombers were immediately killed in the blast. The third, dressed in a police uniform, survived only to be shot dead by troops, the witness said.

A fire brigade vehicle arriving at speed at the scene then suffered brake failure and
rammed into the U.S. vehicles. Troops inside then opened fire, wounding a number
of bystanders.

"I saw everything," said Reuters correspondent Noor Mohammad Sherzai. "I saw the suicide bomb attack ..."I saw the fire brigade vehicle rushing to the area at top speed, somehow its brakes failed and hit one police vehicle and coalition vehicles, then the Americans started firing at the people and everyone lay flat on the ground and then fled the area."

Sherzai said a number of people had been wounded in the attack, but he did not know how many.

"I ran away to save my own life." Sherzai and other reporters at the scene said many shots were fired and Afghan police were among those fleeing the scene.

"I was running away as fast as I could, but some of the police overtook me," Sherzai said. The police, he said, "were very angry because the Americans were shooting and wanted to shoot back but others stopped them".

Its obvious that Noor's report and the press release from CJTF-82 each describe the same scene however Noor's report is much more damning to the American Forces on scene. Lawhawk continues:

Sherzai says that there were other reporters at the scene. Let's examine that for a moment. Is there any other wire service carrying reports of an incident that appears to be similar to this one?

I believe Lawhawk is on the right track here and that Noor is nothing more than a Taliban shill reporting events with an decidedly anti-American twist in an effort to sway public opinion against Coalition Forces. We’ve seen this in stories recently most notably the Blackwater incident in Baghdad where sympathetic reporters and politicians have taken the opportunity to paint Coalition Forces with the paintbrush of discrimination and contempt towards Iraqis.

They can’t win this war, so the enemy is taking every opportunity to shift the advantage back in their favor. Obviously doctored stories like this could go a long way in supporting their lost cause and giving them some assistance form those locals who are “on the fence” about which is the right direction for their country. We as a force can not allow it to go unchallenged.

As others are wont to say…developing.

Trackbacked by:
This is fascinating, and encouraging. Updated - With more facts about the Blackwater shooting! from Pros and Cons

Web Reconnaissance for 09/28/2007

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.


In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
ASEAN Rebukes Burma - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, under increasing pressure from the West, ended its habitual silence on the situation in Burma yesterday, expressing "revulsion" at the ruling military junta"s killing of protesters and demanding an end to the violence. (READ MORE)

Gay Protection Tacked onto Defense Bill - The Democrat-led Senate yesterday adopted legislation giving homosexuals additional protections under federal hate-crime laws, attaching the measure to the defense authorization bill and daring President Bush to veto it as promised. (READ MORE)

GOP's Crucial '08 Base Divided - Many of the top leaders on the religious right privately say it's impossible to name a top-tier, declared Republican hopeful who can pass the "straight face" test as someone social conservatives can honestly say they would trust if elected. (READ MORE)

Senate Doubles Health Program Funding - The Senate yesterday gave final approval to a bill that would more than double funding for a health insurance program for low-income children, as Democrats urged President Bush to withhold a promised veto that they don't have the votes to override. (READ MORE)

U.S. Adopts New Citizenship Exam - The federal government yesterday introduced a new U.S. citizenship civics exam designed to force would-be citizens to go beyond memorizing historical facts and instead grasp the fundamental meaning of being an American. (READ MORE)

Pentagon Raises Bar of Intelligence-Sharing - A new Pentagon policy directive for U.S. military intelligence mandates information-sharing with U.S. domestic agencies and foreign partners and recognizes the leading role of the new director of national intelligence. (READ MORE)

Supreme Court Spares Texas Killer - The U.S. Supreme Court halted the execution of a man convicted of killing his parents in the nation's busiest death penalty state after already agreeing to review another state's lethal injection procedures. (READ MORE)

Edwards to Accept Public Financing - Former senator John Edwards said yesterday that he will accept public financing in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, a move that will provide a short-term infusion of cash for his campaign but severely limit his ability to spend in crucial early primary contests. (READ MORE)

Blackwater Faced Bedlam, Embassy Finds - The initial U.S. Embassy report on a Sept. 16 shooting incident in Baghdad involving Blackwater USA, a private security firm, depicts an afternoon of mayhem that included a car bomb, a shootout in a crowded traffic circle and an armed standoff between Blackwater guards and Iraqi security forces... (READ MORE)

As Musharraf Enters Race, Judge Orders Political Foes Released - Pakistan's chief justice ordered the release of hundreds of jailed opposition activists Thursday, while President Pervez Musharraf formally jumped into the race for another term despite a candidacy that remains in legal limbo. (READ MORE)

Deadly Crackdown Intensifies in Burma - Intensifying their crackdown despite pressures from abroad, Burmese security forces raided a half-dozen Buddhist monasteries Thursday and opened fire on pockets of demonstrators who continued to demand an end to military rule. (READ MORE)



From the Front:
Iraq Pundit: Weapons of Mass What? - The Washington Post curiously buries a story this morning back on page A17. Since it makes George Bush look bad, you might have thought they wouldn't have buried it quite so deep. It says: "Less than a month before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein signaled that he was willing to go into exile as long as he could take with him $1 billion and information on weapons of mass destruction, according to a report of a Feb. 22, 2003, meeting between President Bush and his Spanish counterpart published by a Spanish newspaper yesterday." (READ MORE)

Jason's Iraq Vacation: Errors have been made. Others will be blamed. - The title of this blog comes from a list of quotes I have hanging near my desk. The quotes are funny and amusing, but, sadly, too many of them seem applicable. Like this one: "Chaos, panic, and disorder - my work here is done." Why does this seem both funny AND relevant? (for the full list of these hilarious phrases, click here) Well, I've officially started taking steps to reduce the amount of chaos and disorder I leave this place in. Construction is starting on a massive project on the eastern edge of the depot, and will soon start on the refurbishment and rebuilding of about 25 warehouses. Money has been allocated to bring in power lines, reducing our reliance on generators that only work about 60% of the time. (READ MORE)



On the Web:
WSJ Review & Outlook: Democrats and Iran - Kudos to Hillary Clinton--yes, you read that right--for her Senate vote this week urging the U.S. to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organization. That's more than can be said for her primary competition of Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson and John Edwards, who assailed her on this score at Wednesday's Democratic Presidential candidates debate at Dartmouth. These are men who seem to fear the Netroots more than the mullahs. (READ MORE)

Peggy Noonan: Hear, Hear - You don't want to judge Christ by Christians, someone once said. He is perfect, they are not. In a similar way you don't want to judge capitalism by capitalists, or the legitimacy of democracy by the Democrats, or the vitality of our republic by the Republicans. You have to take the thing pure and in itself, while allowing for the flaws and waywardness of its practitioners. (READ MORE)

Frederick W. Kagan: Why We're Winning Now in Iraq - Many politicians and pundits in Washington have ignored perhaps the most important point made by Gen. David Petraeus in his recent congressional testimony: The defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq requires a combination of conventional forces, special forces and local forces. This realization has profound implications not only for American strategy in Iraq, but also for the future of the war on terror. (READ MORE)

Naomi Schaefer Riley: Prophets of Admission - CHICAGO--On a beautiful fall day last week, I found myself on the main quadrangle of the University of Chicago, walking with the school's admissions director, Theodore O'Neill, when a freshman girl approached us. "How's it going?" Mr. O'Neill inquired of her orientation week. "This place is Mecca," she answered. Mr. O'Neill decides who gets to go on this pilgrimage, and there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of high-school seniors who would kill for the opportunity I have today--to spend an uninterrupted hour talking with him. (READ MORE)

John Hawkins: What They Don't Want You To Know About The Jena 6 Case - Only in today's political climate, where so much of the "civil rights movement" is comprised of bottom-feeding race hustlers and shameless liberals who deliberately exploit racial tensions for their own political benefit -- could anyone demean the real civil rights movement that occurred during the sixties by comparing the struggles those brave people faced -- to what has been happening in Jena, Louisiana. (READ MORE)

Lorie Byrd: The Petraeus Effect - What a difference a day makes. Or rather, several days and quite a few hours of congressional testimony and public statements regarding the status of the troop ‘surge’ in Iraq from General David Petraeus. Not only are the leading Democrats running for President not calling for immediate withdrawal, but they won?t even say that if they were President the troops would be out of Iraq by the end of their four year term. (READ MORE)

George Will: Sauce for the Times - Last June, the Times was in high dudgeon -- it knows no other degree of dudgeon -- about the Supreme Court's refusal to affirm a sweeping government power to suppress political speech. The court ruled that a small group of Wisconsin citizens had been improperly refused the right to run an issue advocacy ad urging the state's two senators not to filibuster the president's judicial nominees. (READ MORE)

Oliver North: Witch Hunter in Chief - Two weeks after the 2006 elections put Democrats in charge of Congress, Time magazine depicted Rep. Henry Waxman, now the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, as "The Scariest Guy in Washington." In the column by Karen Tumulty, the ultraliberal Beverly Hills Democrat is portrayed as "tenacious," and Tumulty says there is "no one tougher." (READ MORE)

Charles Krauthammer: Iran: The Unacceptable Risk to Stability - WASHINGTON -- Ahmadinejad at Columbia provided the entertainment, but Sarkozy at the U.N. provided the substance. On the largest possible stage -- the U.N. General Assembly -- President Nicolas Sarkozy put Iran on notice. His predecessor, Jacques Chirac, had said that France could live with an Iranian nuclear bomb. Sarkozy said that France cannot. He declared Iran's nuclear ambitions "an unacceptable risk to stability in the region and in the world." (READ MORE)

Douglas MacKinnon: Blackwater, USA. Fighting Insurgents, Our Media, and the Democrats - First it was Democratic Senator John Kerry accusing our troops of terrorizing Iraqi women and children. Then, it was Democratic Congressman John Murtha convicting U.S. Marines of murder in the court of public opinion. Now, predictably, the left and their allies in the media are going the private security firm, Blackwater. (READ MORE)

Rich Lowry: A Step Toward Climate Rationalism - When Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice opened a White House conference on global warming by saying, "We must cut the Gordian knot of fossil fuels," it's a wonder she could be heard over the guffaws from all the great and good who feel they've struck a blow for global survival if they watched an Emmy Awards show featuring a red carpet made of recycled water bottles. (READ MORE)

Dan Riehl: NY Times: Target Rudy And 9/11 - I'm not questioning the accuracy of a piece allegedly exposing a would be 9/11 survivor in today's New York Times. Though it is ironic that they'd use a picture of her with Rudy when no such picture was used featuring Hillary Clinton when they did a similar story on Cesar A. Borja, whose son accompanied Hillary Clinton to one of Bush's State of the Union addresses. Still, given that we are six years on from 9/11, the details of today's story coupled with a previous editorial do suggest that the New York Times is actively working to undermine the image around 9/11. (READ MORE)

Monkey Tennis Centre: The cost of Gaza's hostility - I read through this BBC report on an Israeli air strike taking out a terrorist rocket crew in Gaza expecting to find that the Israelis were aiming for some Palestinian children, but missed. In the absence of civilian casualties the Beeb has to look elsewhere to get a dig in: "Correspondents say last week's declaration by Israel of Gaza as ‘hostile territory’ sets the stage for cutting electricity to the impoverished coastal territory which has 1.4 million inhabitants." (READ MORE)

Bryan Preston: (Video) CNN interviews Islamic Rage Boy - Via Weasel Zippers. The irony of this is that I’m typing out this post even while I drink from my Islamic Rage Boy mug. Seriously. It’s one of my favorite mugs. Analogous to IRB himself, the mug holds twice as much coffee as a regular mug. No, he didn’t get a royalty. (READ MORE)

Don Surber: Byrd’s bluster shows the Surge works - As the Surge succeeds, the left grows more desperate. Hearings in Congress are interrupted by protesters who will not tolerate any good news from Iraq. Facts are kryptonite to the liberal “superman.” That they are rallying behind Robert C. Byrd is a hoot. Reported the LA Times: “Cheering loudly were war protesters from the group Code Pink, now a fixture at every Washington hearing even tangentially related to Iraq.” (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: What Free Speech Means, And What It Doesn't - For a nation birthed on the concept of free speech, we seem to have a very poor understanding of the concept. Jonah Goldberg notices this in his NRO column today, and uses the case of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia to make the point: "But here’s the thing, whether you favored or opposed the teeny dictator’s lecture: Free speech had nothing to do with it. You have to stay on your toes, like Ahmadinejad at a urinal, to grasp this point since it’s so often confused in our public discourse: Free-speech rights aren’t violated when private institutions deny speech in their name." (READ MORE)

Donald Douglas: Going Mad in Academe? - The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has an interesting piece on student concerns surrounding Bryn Mawr's proposed "Social Justice Program" (via Maggie's Farm): "Early this summer, FIRE received a case submission from a Bryn Mawr student worried about a proposal for a 'Social Justice Pilot Program' gaining momentum on her campus. Conceived in the wake of a campus scandal involving racial slurs published on popular social networking site Facebook.com by a member of the school’s student government, student and faculty proponents of the Social Justice Pilot Program (SJPP) argued that the best way to address perceived intolerance at Bryn Mawr was through adding a 'social justice requirement' to the curriculum." (READ MORE)

ShrinkWrapped: Liberalism & Racism: An Unconscious Marriage - It is a truism that worth repeating: impulses that remain in the unconscious never disappear; they merely remain hidden until they can find ways to express themselves. When a psychologically healthy resolution to conflicted impulses is established, the outcome is adaptive and ethically and morally acceptable. For example, it is a commonplace for Surgeons to have sublimated their sadistic tendencies, draining the urgency and erotic charge from them, and direct the impulse toward helping people. The difference between the knife cut from a sadist and the knife cut from a surgeon is the difference between life and death. When impulses are defended against with less evolved and mature defenses they are more likely to find expression in ways which facilitate a greater degree of gratification of the original impulse. (READ MORE)

The Belmont Club: The UN OODA Loop - The most important development in Burma over the last 24 hours is that the protest movement has not retreated before the government crackdown. The lastest report from Irrawaddy dimly hints that it is the generals who may be starting to crack. Unconfirmed reports from a Western diplomat speculate that the government may try opening negotiations with the opposition and that Senior General Maung Aye, not the nominal paramount General Than Shwe is now in charge. However things turn out, the next 48 hours will be critical and events will probably develop with extraordinary speed. How does the UN handle situations like this? This article illustrates how international human rights organizations are approaching the problem: by attempting to enmesh the protest movement in bureaucracy and engaging in irrelevant symbolism. (READ MORE)

Ace of Spades: NY’s Democratic Governor Hot on Drivers Licenses for Illegals, Others Not So Much - Last week NY Governor Eliot Spitzer(D) announced that the state would no long require proof of citizenship or legal residence to get a drivers license. This week, county clerks who issue the licenses in NY voiced concern as did NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "Many of us think the whole idea is crazy and ill-fated," said Rensselaer County Clerk Frank Merola. "I myself will not process any driver's license renewal or driver's license verification for someone who cannot prove legal status." (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: Just Dumb Enough - Dan Rather has to be the gift that keeps on giving. His lawsuit against CBS is giving everyone a chance to relive the heady days of Rathergate, and letting some of us recall with pride some of our finest achievements. Others, though, are taking the opportunity to remind everyone of just how stupid they can choose to be. One of those people is Sidney Blumenthal, who is absolutely convinced that the whole thing was a master plot by Karl Rove. (READ MORE)

Jim Addison: Nonsense of the Senate - The United States Senate passed the Biden-Brownback resolution advocating a partition of Iraq with semi-autonomous regions. Their stupidity is exceeded only by their arrogance. Anne Flaherty reports for the Associated Press: “The Senate passed a resolution Wednesday suggesting Baghdad limit the power of its federal government and give more control to Iraq's ethnically divided regions. The 75-23 vote marked the first agreement on Iraq among lawmakers in months, although it would have little practical effect. Republicans agreed to swing behind the nonbinding measure after it was amended to make clear that Bush should press for a new federalized system only if the Iraqis want it.” (READ MORE)

The Redhunter: Ahmadinejad's Other Message - It's taken me longer than I wanted to get this posted. There's been a lot of talk about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech(or here) earlier this week at Columbia University. What you may have missed is what he said at the beginning of his talk: “AHMADINEJAD: In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful... TRANSLATOR: The president is reciting verses from the holy Koran in Arabic. AHMADINEJAD: Oh, God, hasten the arrival of Imam al-Mahdi and grant him good health and victory and make us his followers and those to attest to his rightfulness.” My guess is that most people skipped right through this part. I however, think it very important to understanding who he is and what we are up against. And the bottom line is that we are dealing with a madman. One who if present trends continue will have nuclear weapons at his disposal. (READ MORE)

McQ: Prepare to be taxed for your internet service - And you can thank the Democratic Congress for it: “Democrats in the U.S. Congress failed on Thursday to protect Internet users from higher taxes. The Senate Commerce committee, chaired by Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), mysteriously killed a vote on an Internet tax bill that was supposed to take place at 2:30 p.m. ET. With a laugh but no explanation, Inouye simply told the hearing room it wasn't going to happen.” Because, you know, its tax revenue and Democrats have never met a tax they didn't like. The temporary federal moratorium on Internet access taxes expires on November 1st. By the way, they didn't "fail" to protect Internet users from higher taxes, they refused to protect them. (READ MORE)

The Oxford Medievalist: Cigarette Surveillance - Wow, the Almighty State has come down hard on cigarette smokers in Tennessee: “Starting today, state Department of Revenue agents will begin stopping Tennessee motorists spotted buying large quantities of cigarettes in border states, then charging them with a crime and, in some cases, seizing their cars.” Critics say the new “cigarette surveillance program” amounts to the use of “police state” tactics and wrongfully interferes with interstate commerce. But state Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr says his department is simply doing its job, enforcing a valid state law while protecting Tennessee retailers who properly pay state taxes. (READ MORE)

Gov. Mitt Romney: Change Begins With Us - Today, our country faces an inflection point where our course must change if we are to meet unprecedented challenges here at home and abroad. As we have always done, the American people will rise to the occasion. But at this critical time, Washington is failing us. The blame for Washington's failures lies not just with the Democrats but with Republicans as well. We have to put our own house in order. We can no longer be a party of big spenders with ethical standards more fitting of a Jay Leno punch line. We can no longer pretend our borders are secure. When Republicans act like Democrats, America loses. It's time for change in Washington and change begins with us. (READ MORE)

The Shield of Achilles: The Hardest Part of Leaving for War... - My Division, the 1st Armored Division, is deploying again to Iraq again for the first time since 2004. Most of its soldiers just shipped off within the last four days. I am one of the few who are staying behind, because I returned from my last deployment back in February of this year and was allowed some dwell time. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I can't stand to see my unit and my friends leaving without me. On the other hand, my daughters have already had to live without their father for more 26 months out of the last five years. If you have family, you know what's the hardest part about deploying? It's the very last few hours of the last day. (READ MORE)

Texas Rainmaker: "Political Parties: A Buyer’s Guide" by George Soros - In 2003, George Soros declared that defeating President Bush is the central focus of his life. Apparently his scorched earth approach also includes trying to tear down the basic pillars of our country. He aggressively supported campaign finance reform under the guise of “reduc[ing] the corrupting influence of very large donors to political parties and candidates.” Then he drove a mack truck through the loopholes in that legislation and became one of the single, largest donors to political parties and candidates. (READ MORE)

Right Truth: Skewing the numbers to fit an agenda - My friend Glen Reinsford, editor of The Religion of Peace and author of "Age of Tolerance" (a most excellent book), has written an article exposing "what happens when moral superiority becomes an end unto itself", Bring Out Your Dead: Fudging the Numbers in Iraq. Counting bodies in Iraq has become quite the fashion these days. Most major news organizations, from CNN to the New York Times, keep an up-to-the-minute running total of the number of U.S. troops killed there. Critics note that if demoralization of the war effort is not the key motive, then it is certainly odd that the number of dead terrorists is so rarely, if ever, provided as well. (READ MORE)

Steve Schippert: Two Lopsided Battles Bloody Taliban in Afghanistan - Amid reports of uneven al-Qaeda-Taliban strength in different parts of Afghanistan, two separate battles have resulted in killing approximately 165 Taliban. An ambush on a joint Coalition-Afghan patrol in northern Helmand province resulted in a day-long fight in which Coalition artillery and aerial attacks killed more than 100 enemy, with one Coalition soldier killed and four wounded. In another Taliiban attack in neighboring Uruzgan province, artillery and airstrikes were once again effectively employed, killing 65 of the 80-man enemy attacking force. (READ MORE)

The Tygrrrr Express: Armageddonijad and You-Tube - The struggle is civilization versus barbarism, and civilization is cannibalizing itself in ways that barbarians could only dream. I am not a “You-Tuber.” For those of you who have no idea what You-Tube is, be grateful. Armageddonijad, that warm fuzzy baboon from Iran, recently met with the one form of life less sophisticated than he, that being a poison ivy league university president. What is more than a tad ironic is that behavior that Armageddonijad has engaged in is now commonplace among Americans, particularly youthful ones. I do not care for this genocidal lunatic, but I am finding it difficult to criticize him when Americans celebrate his behavior on You-Tube. (READ MORE)

Robert Mayer: Burmese vs. Chinese - The unexpectedly enormous demonstrations in Burma that have been ongoing for over a week now have surprised the world. It has been nearly two decades since such an uprising has occurred, and as Richard Fernandez at Pajamas Media points out, the entire episode is reminiscient of the "people power" uprisings in both the Philippines and Indonesia. He also makes the astute observation, repeated in this Opinion Journal article, that the state of China has to some degree supported the military dictatorship in Burma. Surely, the scene is familiar. Tens or hundreds of thousands of people in the streets demonstrating against a ruthless dictatorship is one that has been repeated the world over. Yet when these revolutions occur, the people have another target: those on the periphery supporting the regime. In this case, though, I am not simply talking about the state of China itself, but the ethnic Chinese population in Burma itself. (READ MORE)

Dymphna: Fakers and Liars, Again - Until I caught up with the on-going chapters of the infamous Scott Beauchamp, faux journalist, I hadn’t realized there was so much deception in the U.S. surrounding military service.It seems to be a growth industry, for a variety of reasons. One factor is getting those nice Veterans’ Administration benefits. Another is all the glory you get from the anti-war groupies. More than fifteen minutes worth of fame, and all those sweet young liberal girls so proud of you for admitting your shame… why it's the shades of John Kerry, post-Vietnam. (READ MORE)

The Hatemonger's Quarterly: Katrina vanden Heuvel’s Inadvertent Humor Rag - Ah, The Nation, one of America’s foremost political weeklies printed on toilet paper. Is any magazine—other than Soldier of Fortune and Highlights for Children, of course—a better read? We, the crack young staff of “The Hatemonger’s Quarterly,” collectively think not. And why should we? With every passing political controversy, The Nation manages to come across as increasingly unhinged. It’s rather amazing, actually: Just when you think the writers at this storied rag can’t get any worse, as if by magic they do. Here’s a delightful case in point. Jayati Vora, a 2007 graduate of Columbia University and a current intern at The Nation, recently penned “Debating Ahmadinejad at Columbia,” a scintillating “Web”-only exclusive. (READ MORE)

Flopping Aces: Today’s villains: Congressional Democrats - Shameful is the word that came to mind after reading this report from Newsday. In it, “The Senate on Wednesday approved a resolution urging the State Department to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization, a move aimed at bringing additional economic pressure on Iran.” On the surface, this is an all-important win for Western Civilization. Despite roadblocks from the Left, Russia, China, and the United Nations; as well as ramblings from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the country DOES see the dangers originating from Persia. (READ MORE)

Dafydd: Identity Crisis - This term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case turning on whether it's constitutional to demand that voters present a picture ID card before voting: “With the 2008 presidential and Congressional elections on the horizon, the Supreme Court agreed today to consider whether voter-identification laws unfairly keep poor people and members of minority groups from going to the polls.” This issue fascinates me because it touches on a critical philosophical difference: Is it unconstitutional to require voters to undertake a series of steps before they can exercise the franchise, merely because the people most likely to be too lazy to undertake them also tend to vote for one major party more than the other? For that is the real issue here: (READ MORE)

Blue Crab Boulevard: The International Green Light For Thugs - Vaclav Havel, a man who knows a bit about having the boot of the state on his neck, points out the disastrous effect on human rights the ineffectual United Nations is having around the world, but especially in Burma. “I fear that, with only a few exceptions, most countries have been surprised and caught off guard - once again - by the rapid course that events have taken in Burma. So they seem to be completely unprepared for the crisis and thus at a loss as to what to do.” (READ MORE)

Confederate Yankee: Getting It Wrong - Let's give credit Where credit is due: Gavin M. at lefty satire blog Sadly, No! has been on a bit of a tear in the past week, having found two instances where right-leaning sites have used fictional images to back calls for protests. The first caught the Gathering of Eagles using a photo illustration--a photoshopped image, in this instance--that showed Code Pink supporters carrying a banner that proclaimed, "We support the murder of American troops." The problem is, Code Pink didn't make this particular banner... these guys did, or at least they created the image. (READ MORE)

Neptunus Lex: God, I hope not - We ourselves have recently bandied about the notion of an “Islamic Reformation” as being a necessary precursor to fulfilling the limpid aspirations of those who sport those cute little “Coexist” bumper stickers on the back of their Priuses in lieu of a Bill Engvall sign. (What is the plural for “Prius” by the way? My construct seems a little too close to something you’re supposed to call your doctor about, if it hasn’t gone back down within four hours.) Returning to point at hand - can it be that it’s already happened, our hoped-for Reformation? And we missed it? Writing in the Guardian, Ali Eteraz thinks so: (READ MORE)

Michael D. Evans: Why Ahmadinejad Speaks? - One would think that by now, the President of Iran would remain silent when he comes to the United States knowing how unfavorably his words are received. Just the opposite is true. He seems to be looking for more opportunities to inflame the West as he did at Columbia University, at the U.N., and his propaganda media tour. While staying at the Intercontinental Hotel (Ahmadinejad’s “Ground Zero” while in New York City), I noticed a group of Israel-bashing rabbis standing in the lobby. I approached them, and discovered they were from an organization named “Jews United Against Zionism.” They had just spent an hour with Ahmadinejad. (READ MORE)

Political Pistachio: During a Time Where Everyone Seems to be Offended - When a Muslim recently called me a pig because of my 9/11 Memorial hat and pro-American shirt, I was offended. Was what he said to me a hate crime? Of course not. However, for my own safety against the Political Correctness of society, I kept my own mouth shut. Had I have called him a pig back, I would have probably been in for some serious legal problems. However, everyone else, these days is also offended, but when that happens, it's a big deal. You know, Muslims, Atheists, members of non-caucasian races, gays, and so forth. If I say anything against the gay population it is considered to be "gay-bashing." (READ MORE)

Have an interesting post or know of a "must read?" Then send a trackback here and let us all know about it. Or you can send me an email with a link to the post and I'll update the Recon.

Trackbacked by:
Evil Wal-Mart Offers Medications for $4.00 from Right Truth

Web Reconnaissance for 09/27/2007

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.


In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Increase In War Funding Sought - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates asked Congress yesterday to approve an additional $42.3 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the Bush administration's 2008 war funding request to nearly $190 billion -- the largest single-year total for the wars so far. (READ MORE)

Democratic Rivals Press Clinton, Courteously - HANOVER, N.H., Sept. 26 -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton found herself on the defensive here Wednesday night in a debate in which the Democratic presidential candidates clashed over withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, the financial future of Social Security and Iran's nuclear threat. (READ MORE)

Patriot Act Provisions Voided - A federal judge in Oregon ruled yesterday that two provisions of the USA Patriot Act are unconstitutional, marking the second time in as many weeks that the anti-terrorism law has come under attack in the courts. (READ MORE)

Burma Cracks Down Violently on Anti-Junta Protests - BANGKOK, Sept. 26 -- After nine days of restraint, Burma's military rulers cracked down on protesting Buddhist monks Wednesday, with security forces firing warning shots, shooting tear gas canisters, swinging truncheons and making scores of arrests to suppress anti-government marchers. (READ MORE)

U.N. Envoy Sent to Burma - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last night dispatched his special envoy to urge restraint on the Burmese regime, hours after soldiers fired tear gas at peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators outside a monastery. (READ MORE)

Fined Group Tied to Hillary - Officials of a defunct pro-Democratic group that was hit with a near-record campaign-finance fine last month hold strong ties to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, documents show. (READ MORE)

Contractors May Fall Under Military Law - Pentagon officials suggested yesterday that U.S. civilian security contractors in Iraq fall under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice and could be prosecuted in military courts for offenses against Iraqis. (READ MORE)

War Funds Request Doubled to $189 Billion - Administration officials yesterday told a Senate panel that the war in Iraq and Afghanistan would cost $189 billion in 2008, a spending request that Democrats eyed for their next challenge to President Bush"s war policy. (READ MORE)

Dems Can't Make Guarantee on Iraq Troops - The leading Democratic White House hopefuls conceded Wednesday night they cannot guarantee to pull all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of the next presidential term in 2013. (READ MORE)

Rather Chokes Up, and Hunkers Down - Former CBS "Evening News" anchor Dan Rather choked back tears on several occasions today when discussing his decision to file a lawsuit against CBS and he left many audience members with a sense that he may call President George W. Bush as a witness should the lawsuit proceed to trial (and Rather said he hoped it would). (READ MORE)

Couric weighs in on Iraq, Rather - Speaking at the National Press Club Tuesday evening, CBS "Evening News" anchor Katie Couric pulled back the curtain on her personal views of both the war in Iraq and former “Evening News” anchor Dan Rather. (READ MORE)

Bush Climate Goals Marked by Bureaucracy - The United States is lining up with China, India and the world's other biggest polluters in opposition to mandatory cuts in Earth-warming greenhouse gases sought by the United Nations and European countries. (READ MORE)


From the Front:
On Point: An Interview with Col. Richard Simcock, Regimental Combat Team 6 - Recently Col Richard Simcock called back to OnPoint in order to talk about RCT-6’s work in Fallujah and we are pleased to present the interview here. Two days after the interview, however, Sheik Sattar Abu Rishi was assassinated in Ramadi, and Col Simcock was able to update the interview in view of that eventful situation: Col Simcock is the commanding officer of Regimental Combat Team-6, operating in Fallujah. Their area of operations in known as “AO Raleigh” and includes the city of Fallujah, as well the surrounding areas to the south and west. The second largest city in Anbar Province, Fallujah is known to the world as where the insurgents killed and hung the four Blackwater contractors from the bridge, as well as the site of two intense Marine – Sunni battles in April and November 2004. (READ MORE)

Matt Sanchez: The Media's Free Ride in Iraq - The New Republic published entries from the "Baghdad Diarist," a soldier who was supposedly reporting on the realities of being in Baghdad. The "diarist" was proven to be a fraud, while the liberal media claimed even if the story was fake, it could have been true and that's what counts. Discerning facts from fiction is an obstacle the media trips over daily. If the media are the eyes, ears and voice of a democracy, our nation is currently deaf, dumb and blind. (READ MORE)

Far From Perfect: I Do Not Have Smallpox… I Swear! - We went out on patrol the other night down in the South of our AO. We went out on a more or less “feel good” mission. The kind of mission where you interact a lot with the people, get to hand out toys to kids, eat Iraqi Chow (which I am eating more of than Army chow these days) and try to show everyone what great fellows the Coalition forces are. The officers spend most of their time shaking hands, kissing cheeks (and other body parts), drinking chai and politicking. Its not a bad thing to do as it tends to bring in leads and helps the people realize we are there to help them. The bad guys spend an awful lot of time in this area terrorizing families, intimidating Sheiks, and putting out anti-coalition propaganda. (READ MORE)

W. Thomas Smith Jr.: My Bodyguards and House Resolution 548 - BEIRUT (an undisclosed neighborhood) – Lebanon is extremely dangerous for Americans right now. In fact, some top officials within the 1559 Committee (essentially the heart and soul of the Cedars Revolution ... for a free Lebanon) believe some sort of dramatic terrorist event is going to take place here in Lebanon between now and mid-October. This is not a gut feeling, but a calculation based on intelligence analysis and chatter from the street. (READ MORE)

Those Wacky Iraqis: What can YOU do to help? - One of my friends is the commander of a unit in Afghanistan and they are winning hearts and minds of the locals by being compassionate and caring. They have identified a group of Afghan children who are in dire need of winter clothing. I am including his info in the hope that some of you might understand that this is how we win. When we help a child they remember and maybe, just maybe, one of these children can make a difference in the future. Please help and while these children are Muslim the clothing is a fine, fine Christmas gift. There are 43 kids lsited here. You may not be able to help them all but i am sure you can help 1. (READ MORE)



On the Web:
John Boehner: Pork Barrell Stonewall - House Republicans have launched a renewed effort to change the way Congress spends taxpayers' money. Our goal: Stop Congress from tucking members' pet spending projects into bills without public scrutiny and debate. Pork-barrel earmarks were an important factor in the loss of the GOP majority last November. Years of irresponsible earmarks, slipped into bills behind closed doors without public debate or scrutiny, eroded Republicans' reputation as the party of fiscal responsibility and trustworthy custodians of taxpayer funds. (READ MORE)

Eugene Volokh: Doubting Thomas - The other day I blogged about some factual errors in Jeffrey Toobin's "The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court" that worried me. I was also troubled by a couple of other things. They are judgment calls, and perhaps you will agree with the author's judgment more than mine, but I thought I'd mention them. In particular, let me start with the book's treatment of Justice Clarence Thomas, which at times strikes me as not entirely fair. Let me offer a few examples: (READ MORE)

WSJ Review & Outlook: Bush and Iran - The traveling Mahmoud Ahmadinejad circus made for great political theater this week, but the comedy shouldn't detract from its brazen underlying message: The Iranian President believes that the world lacks the will to stop Iran from pursuing its nuclear program, and that the U.S. also can't stop his country from killing GIs in Iraq. The question is what President Bush intends to do about this in his remaining 16 months in office. (READ MORE)

Cliff May: Why We Fight: It's not primarily for Iraqis - In the Christian Science Monitor this week, Lt. Col. Chris Brady argues that America should "keep fighting for progress" in Iraq where he is currently serving a tour of duty. "America's forefathers had help from other nations when the United States was born," he writes. "Allow us to continue to help Iraq be re-born." (READ MORE)

Ann Coulter: Tase Him Bro! - Democrats should run Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for president. He's more coherent than Dennis Kucinich, he dresses like their base, he's more macho than John Edwards, and he's willing to show up at a forum where he might get one hostile question -- unlike the current Democratic candidates for president who won't debate on Fox News Channel. (READ MORE)

Austin Byrd: Columbia: Why Are You So Stupid? - During my time at Marine Corps Officer Candidates School this summer, I could not go more than a minute or two without hearing an irate Sergeant Instructor bellow "WHY ARE YOU SO STUPID?" to some unsuspecting Officer Candidate. It usually did not matter whether or not you had done anything wrong, because Officer Candidates School is all about maintaining your composure under pressure, and they do their best to rattle you constantly. (READ MORE)

Kristen Fyfe: Will the Media Cover THIS Story? - On September 30, a Sunday - the Lord's Day in the Christian church - San Francisco will host the Folsom Street Fair, perhaps the most hedonistic event held in public in America. The fair is the San Francisco homosexual community's annual celebration of promiscuity, sadomasochism and debauchery. The ad for this year's fair mocks Da Vinci's The Last Supper, with a half-naked beefcake Christ and disciples bedecked in all manner of leather and chains. The bread and wine of The Last Supper are replaced with sex toys. Many Christian groups have expressed outrage. (READ MORE)

Right Wing Nut House: Speaking Truth to Power Can be a Real Bitch Sometimes - I didn’t think it was possible but I’m beginning to feel sorry for Columbia University President Lee Bollinger. His speech of introduction on Monday for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has created a vicious backlash on the left over his use of some rather colorful metaphors to describe Ahmadinejad’s anti-intellectual, anti-humanist ideas. “A backlash against the president of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, who on Monday delivered a harsh rebuke to President Ahmadinejad, is coming from faculty members and students who said he struck an ‘insulting tone’ and that his remarks amounted to “schoolyard taunts.” The fierceness of Mr. Bollinger’s critique bought the Iranian some sympathy on campus that he didn’t deserve, the critics said, and amounted to a squandered opportunity to provide a lesson in diplomacy.” What this is really all about is that the left can’t stand it when one of their own is being praised by the right for doing anything. (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: Throw Momma Under The Bus - For all its other sins, I will always be grateful to NPR for introducing me to two things that I still value and cherish today. The first was George Martin's album, "In My Life." (I might do a full posting on that album someday.) The second was the political wit and wisdom of P. J. O'Rourke, when they interviewed him for his book "Parliament Of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts To Explain The Entire U. S. Government." (READ MORE)

Jim Addison: Al Franken gets refund from Strib - The whole flap about MoveOn.org's anti-Petraeus ad in The New York Times (for which they were incorrectly charged a low discount rate, and later paid the difference) is rippling throughout the industry. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, a noted source of fiction and leftist propaganda in the Great Lakes region, has now refunded comedian Al Franken some money because they undercharged Senator Norm Coleman. Frederic J. Frommer has the story for the Associated Press: (READ MORE)

The Redhunter: An Anti-Salafist We Need - If we are to win the War on Jihadism we need to enlist and encourage as many moderate Muslims as possible. Right now it seems that the jihadists have the upper hand, but there are some Muslims trying to change all that. One was profiled by the Washington Times today: “Exiled Egyptian cleric Ahmed Subhy Mansour, whose teachings have earned him dozens of death ‘fatwas’ from fellow Muslim clerics, uses the English translation for al Qaeda — meaning "the base" — to describe a plan to defeat Osama bin Laden and other terrorists, who he says have seized control of Islam. ‘Suppose you have here [in the United States] a base to counter al Qaeda in the war of ideas?’ Sheik Mansour asked during a recent luncheon at The Washington Times.” (READ MORE)

McQ: Is Clinton the "One"? - She certainly seems inevitable as the nominee. But can Hillary Clinton actually overcome her negatives and capture the presidency? Some within the Democratic party aren't so sure and a recent internal poll seems to support that position: “A leaked Democratic poll has suggested that Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner in the race for the party's presidential nomination, could lose the 2008 election because of her ‘very polarised image.’” "Electability". I remember John Kerry's resurgence in the 2004 campaign based on the fact that Democrats thought he was more "electable" than Howard Dean and the lot. Amazing how poorly that turned out. (READ MORE)

Protein Wisdom: “The Soros Threat To Democracy” - From Investor’s Business Daily: “[…] George Soros is known for funding groups such as MoveOn.org that seek to manipulate public opinion. So why is the billionaire’s backing of what he believes in problematic? In a word: transparency. How many people, for instance, know that James Hansen, a man billed as a lonely ‘NASA whistleblower’ standing up to the mighty U.S. government, was really funded by Soros’ Open Society Institute, which gave him “legal and media advice?” For me, the problem is not with the causes adopted by progressives or civil liberties absolutists — though in nearly every instance I disagree with the agenda being pushed with the aid of Soros’s money. Instead — and as the article intimates — the problem is with transparency. And in fact, it is the push for transparency that animates most of my critiques of the mainstream press, while serving as the lynchpin for many of my arguments concerning the linguistic base of progressivism. (READ MORE)

Scott Johnson: Bankruptcy, Democratic-style - One element (but not the only one) of last night's Democratic talkathon that deserves attention is the candidates' unwillingness to challenge the phenomenon of "sanctuary cities" such as Minneapolis and New Have where local authorities refuse to enforce immigration law. This is one point that supports Bill Kristol's assessment of last night's debate as marking the possible vulnerability of the Democratic nominee in the fall. Today's Yale Daily News reports on New Haven's road show taking the city's municipal identification program for illegal aliens into the 'hood. The consensus of the Democratic candidates' in support of this phenomenon is striking. (READ MORE)

Melanie Phillips: UNspeakable - The indefatigable UN-watcher Ann Bayefsky points out in the New York Sun that it really isn’t so surprising that the UN gave a platform to the terrorist-sponsoring, would-be holocaust promoter Ahmadinejad. The event was merely the latest addition to a persistent record of feting the Iranian regime. Even though a year ago the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency found Iran to have violated its Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty obligations, the IAEA head Mohammed el Baradei has persistently obstructed attempts to call Iran to account. “Then there is the burgeoning rapprochement between the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, and Mr. Ahmadinejad. Ms. Arbour traveled to Tehran at the beginning of September to attend a ‘human rights’ conference.” (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: Dhimmbat - It is with great sadness that I must report that not only has Katie Couric failed to transcend dingbatitude, she has embraced dhimmitude. Katie went to Iraq, listened, and briefly made sense. I even dubbed her, too optimistically, the Anti-Cronkite. For a minute there, maybe one broadcast, I actually thought there was a chance the leggy lightweight might be the one who could see through the defeatist nonsense. Don’t worry. She got over it: (READ MORE)

Monkey Tennis Centre: NYT takes aim at Blackwater; hits self - The New York Times is still obsessing over Blackwater – well at least it gives Halliburton a break. Today the Times reports: "The American security contractor Blackwater USA has been involved in a far higher rate of shootings while guarding American diplomats in Iraq than other security firms providing similar services to the State Department, according to Bush administration officials and industry officials." The Times doesn't have any precise figures for Blackwater, but explains: (READ MORE)

Bryan Preston: Reid pulls the DREAM Act out of DoD bill - The DREAM Act would give in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens, and it had no place in a Defense bill. Though Reid has pulled it out of the war spending bill, it’s not dead yet. “Majority Leader Sen. Reid (D-NV) has apparently decided that the DREAM Act will not be voted on as an amendment to the DoD bill. He hopes, however, to have this measure voted on by some time in November.” (READ MORE)

Ian Schwartz: (Video) Katie Couric Says Bush ‘Misled’ People, Iraq Was a Mistake - If her views about Iraq and President Bush weren’t clear before, this should put any questions to rest: “Everyone in this room would agree that people in this country were misled in terms of the rationale of this war,” said Couric, adding that it is “pretty much accepted” that the war in Iraq was a mistake. “I’ve never understood why [invading Iraq] was so high on the administration’s agenda when terrorism was going on in Afghanistan and Pakistan and that [Iraq] had no true connection with al Qaeda.” (READ MORE)

Kobayashi Maru: This Just In: Al Q'aeda is Motivated by Islamic Fanatacism - I don't know whether to laugh with derision that it took them so long to figure out what has been patently obvious to some of us for six years, or to cry with relief that they finally did so, but some in the academy are finally beginning to discover that (swallow your coffee and hold onto your seat, folks 'cause this is big--really big--news): Islamic terrorists such as Al Q'aeda want to kill, convert and/or subjugate all non-Muslims because of who we are, not what we have done. (READ MORE)

GayPatriotWest: HRC’s Joe Solmonese Joins Jesse Jackson on Jena 6 - Given how busy I’ve been these past few weeks, I haven’t had much time to focus on the case of the “Jena 6.” While it does seem that the District Attorney there was a little overzealous in prosecuting six black teens accused of assaulting a white peer, there’s no doubt these adolescents beat up their caucasian fellow. Standing up for the “Jena 6″ has become the latest cause célèbre for the left, with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson heading down to Louisiana to lead a protest. It’s no wonder then that Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese has weighed in on the story, joining Jesse in standing up against the unjust treatment of the black teens. Joe does seem more more interested in standing united with various left-wing leaders than in standing tall on gay issues. (READ MORE)

Baron Bodissey: The Muslim Brotherhood in the Old Dominion - Virginians who live in the rest of the state look askance at Northern Virginia, and with good reason: the sprawling suburbs of D.C. are like a piece of Yankeeland dropped into the bosom of our sovereign Commonwealth. I voluntarily exiled myself from NoVa thirty years ago, and whenever I have cause to return, I stand with my son atop Arlington Ridge, sweep my hand in the direction of Pentagon City and Alexandria, and warn him: “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” Unfortunately, we all have to pay attention to Northern Virginia, because that’s where the people are, and that’s where the money is. The state Senate keeps the old ways of the Commonwealth from being swamped completely, but NoVa pays the piper in Richmond, and it still gets to call much of the tune. (READ MORE)

Dymphna: Being on the Left Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry - I’m a bit behind on the scandal scene. But finally having been released from that clumsy sling and no longer taking pain medication (much), I’m ready to roll. For many of you, this is old by now. Ho-hum, move to the next story. But in the midst of my injury, operation, and slow recovery I lost track of Scott Thomas past the initial brouhaha about his fraudulent stories. Today I spent some time looking around for the follow-up and finale to the story of the soldier/journalist. What a naughty boy he turned out to be. And his former magazine’s publisher seems to have been reduced to catatonia. At least I haven’t been able to find any place where Mr. Foer apologizes for being taken in by this fraud. (READ MORE)

Dr. Sanity: Academic Lunacy - Victor Davis Hanson asks, "Have American academics lost their collective mind?" Having been in academia for much of my professional career, I think I am qualified to answer that question in the affirmative. And let me add, that it is because the "mind" of academia has become a "collective", that it has been lost. Hanson considers some of the more recent examples of academic lunacy and then points out: “In each of the above cases, the general public has had to remind these universities that their campuses should welcome thinkers who have distinguished themselves in their fields, regardless of politics and ideology. The liberal Chemerinsky, the Clinton Democrat Summers and the conservative Rumsfeld have all courted controversy -- and all alike met the criterion of eminent achievement.” (READ MORE)

Dadmanly: United in Defeat - In commentary published in the Christian Science Monitor, former three-star vice admiral and now Congressman, Rep. Joe Sestak (D) of Pennsylvania declares that ending the war in Iraq is necessary, as it has “degraded our security” and pushed the Army “to the breaking point.” I actually have to confess that I retain admiration for the Monitor, despite its soft progressivism and reflexively anti-war prejudices. I am quite sure they know the differences between armed services, and equally certain they recognize partisan flag bearers. I suppose with all the pro-Petraeus press reports of late, war opponents feel the need to trot out the reliably pro-Dem military. (READ MORE)

Douglas Farah: Another Round of Reform for the FBI-Will it Make a Difference? - There is another long-overdue reform brewing in how the FBI handles terrorism cases. This one, six years after 9/11, would finally bring together analysts and field agents in an effort to spot trends and set investigative strategies. This has been a crying need for analysts to be elevated above their traditional second-tier status to be given more say in driving counterterrorism. The career paths available, the status within the agency and other factors mitigated against attracting the best and the brightest there. (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: How Petraeus Moved The Debate, Literally - How far has General David Petraeus moved the debate on Iraq? His testimony on the surge, and the effects of the surge itself, has made it much more difficult for Democrats to argue for withdrawal and defeat. In fact, at last night's debate, the leading contenders for the Democratic nomination couldn't even commit to a withdrawal -- by 2013: “The leading Democratic White House hopefuls conceded Wednesday night they cannot guarantee to pull all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of the next presidential term in 2013.” (READ MORE)

Blonde Sagacity: Negative Opinion of Islam Rising & Majority Thinks Mormons are Christians - Really?! Geez, I can't fathom why that would be... The number of Americans who say Islam has little or nothing in common with their own religion has spiked to 70 percent in the past two years from 59 percent, the poll found. Another significant shift has taken place: In 2005, 36 percent of the public said Islam is more likely than other faiths to encourage violence among its believers. That number has risen to 45 percent. Fifty-three percent of Americans viewed Mormonism positively, while 27 percent viewed Mormons unfavorably. (READ MORE)

Blue Crab Boulevard: Informers And Collaborators - Some of the countries that were formerly under the Iron Curtain have released at least some of the archives of the former state security forces that once enforced communist rule. A few have kept the files secret. Poland, however, has gone into full disclosure mode and has started posting their files onto the internet. "WARSAW (AFP) - Nearly two decades after the fall of communism, Europe's former Moscow-dominated states are using the Internet to make public the files of the security services that helped keep their regimes in power." (READ MORE)

John Donovan: The Bush Interview... - ...wherein the Armorer demonstrates why this place doesn't charge for content. Of course, I don't claim MSM journo credentials. I'm a pamphleteer and proudly Blog Nekkid. During our visit with the President, most of us got to ask a question. In his remarks and in response to questions raised before I posed my question, the President talked about how he firmly and passionately believes that the war in Iraq was necessary, and how the fight won't be over, (though we may not see operations on this scale again, especially if we get it right in Iraq and Afghanistan) for some years yet. He spoke of how it was the President's job to "See over the horizon, beyond the Gallup Poll." (READ MORE)

A Soldier's Mind: It’s Time Their Voices Are Heard… - The media often delights in highlighting stories about veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, that are against the war in Iraq. They don’t have a problem parading around people like Scott Beauchamp and others who falsely accuse our Troops of committing atrocities. They give credence to blatant liars. They don’t have a problem telling us about the ones who participate in the anti-troop groups such as ANSWER or Code Pink. Yet, it’s not often that they let us hear from the many more who are or have served in those countries, who feel it is necessary for us to remain in Iraq and complete the mission. It’s not often that they tell the story of the Wounded Warriors who are fighting to recuperate as quickly as they can, so that they can rejoin their brothers and sisters in arms, who are still in the fight. The other day, I ran across two pieces by Soldiers who explained their views on the war in Iraq and why they feel we should remain there to finish the job we started. I’d like to share them with you. (READ MORE)

Lawhawk: Myanmar Monks Under Siege - For the second straight day, Buddhist monks have come under fire from government forces, and still more casualties have been reported. A Japanese photojournalist was among those killed. “Further casualties were reported today, following at least half a dozen deaths on Wednesday.” (READ MORE)

Have an interesting post or know of a "must read?" Then send a trackback here and let us all know about it. Or you can send me an email with a link to the post and I'll update the Recon.

So You Wanna Be in Radio....

Blog. Blog talk. Blog talk radio…

What is this year old phenomenon that is catching fire?

Tonight — how one man’s idea created a social network of citizen broadcasters who have produced tens of thousands of programs since it launched in August of 2006.

“This idea was hatched after creating a blog for my father who had recently become ill with non hodgkins lymphoma. Bob (my partner) and I believed that by using a simple phone and internet connection to produce their shows, bloggers (in fact anyone) could for the first time host live shows which are then archived as a podcast.” – Alan Levy, BlogTalkRadio

Join Andrea Shea King tonight for a conversation with BlogTalkRadio founder Alan Levy about the new citizen communication phenom — internet radio.

It’s easy — just hit the BlogTalkRadio link below at 9 p.m. ET!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=51771

Web Reconnaissance for 09/26/2007

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.


In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
At U.N., Iranian Leader Is Defiant on Nuclear Efforts - UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Tuesday not to give in to pressure by "arrogant powers" trying to force him to abandon his nation's uranium-enrichment program and unilaterally declared that as far as he is concerned, "the nuclear issue of Iran is now closed." (READ MORE)

House Passes Children's Health Bill - A broad House majority gave final approval last night to a $35 billion expansion of the popular children's health insurance program, with members from both parties brushing aside a stern veto threat from President Bush to vote their support, 265 to 159. (READ MORE)

Private Security Puts Diplomats, Military at Odds - BAGHDAD, Sept. 25 -- A confrontation between the U.S. military and the State Department is unfolding over the involvement of Blackwater USA in the shooting deaths of Iraqi civilians in a Baghdad square Sept. 16, bringing to the surface long-simmering tensions between the military and private... (READ MORE)

Bush's 'Virtual Fence' Faces Trouble, Delays - Technical and management troubles have caused the government's effort to secure a portion of the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border with a chain of surveillance towers to fall behind schedule, jeopardizing the success of a costly project meant to showcase the Bush administration's tougher stance... (READ MORE)

Bush Urges Reform at U.N.- President Bush yesterday called on the United Nations to reform its human rights panel and urged the world body he once dismissed as irrelevant to live up to its responsibility to spur change in countries ruled by brutal regimes. (READ MORE)

Violent Crackdown in Burma - Security forces shot and wounded three people today, and beat and dragged away dozens of Buddhist monks in the most violent crackdown against the protests that began last month, witnesses said. About 300 monks and activists were arrested, dissidents said. (READ MORE)

Nuclear Dispute 'Closed' to Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday denounced the U.N. Security Council as tarnished and undermined by U.S. and Western interference, and declared that "the nuclear issue is now closed" in his second major New York speech this week. (READ MORE)

GOP Candidates Show Foreign Policy via Iran - Fred Thompson yesterday called for the U.S. to use its influence to stop World Bank funding to Iran, becoming the latest 2008 Republican presidential candidate to address what may be the next president's major foreign-policy challenge. (READ MORE)


From the Front:
Northern Disclosure: The Northern Part - Lately I have been reached out to by some old family friends of ours. It's exciting to get news from back home and I mean back home. Home is where the heart is so Sweety no worries but home of Terrace BC is where Dad is and all my childhood memories spawned from. I have been influenced by so many people in my life and alot of them were from Terrace when I was small. (READ MORE)

Matt Sanchez: Marines guard Iraq's gradual transformation - HURRICANE POINT, Ramadi – If you head west from this small forward operating base located on Route Michigan, you'll reach a bridge that crosses a peaceful river. It would be easy to spend an afternoon walking along the riverbank, and many Iraqis do. But the 3rd Battalion 7th Marines out of 29 Palms know complacency kills. In fact, that adage is written on the walls near the exit as a warning to Marines about to go outside the wire and into town. (READ MORE)

Eighty Deuce on the Loose: Welcome to Baghdad! - So theres one thing that I could never imagine and thats being straight out of basic training and coming right to Iraq. For me, it took almost 2 years in the 82nd before I finally deployed. Something that is almost unheard of, but thats to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I ended up getting caught up in restructuring the division, and went places that kept me from deploying sooner. I was always bitter about this. One of my good friends from basic and airborne school got to Ft Bragg and 30 days later he was on his way to Afghanistan for 5 months. (READ MORE)

Calvey in Iraq: Doing better - Greetings from Baghdad! My friend who was injured by mortar schrapnel is home now. His surgeries thus far have been successful, although I have not heard what the long-term prognosis is. I am glad he is doing much better.
All in all, we have been getting attacked a lot less lately, much less than I had feared. I guess a lot of the attacks during the summer were just a lead-up to GEN Petraeus’ testimony to Congress. (READ MORE)

W. Thomas Smith Jr.: Face-to-Face with Hezbollah - BEIRUT (The Christian Sector) — Last night, following a briefing by Toni Nissi, who runs the 1559 Committee here in Beirut and is one of the founders of the Cedars Revolution; he, team members Carol Sokhen and Alexi Capucci, and I, left the offices and drove through the streets of the city. Soldiers were everywhere. Carol was a bit nervous – responsibly cautious might be a better description – because Toni had been watched leaving his office and then followed by Hezbollah men only a few days earlier. And it has been less than a week since parliamentarian Antoine Ghanem was killed on the same route. (READ MORE)


On the Web:
The Belmont Club: The Empty Throne - I wish I were enough of a political maven to understand two items which seem intrinsically related. Item 1: "Hillary has pulled way ahead of Obama in the key state of New Hampshire, and now enjoys a 23-point lead over her rival, a poll just released by CNN finds." Item 2: The biggest candidate-related group on Facebook is no longer "One Million Strong for Barack". Obama has been relegated to second place -- by the group "Stop Hillary Clinton (One Million Strong AGAINST Hillary)". Taken together the two items suggest that the "stop Hillary" sentiment is alive and even surging but that hopes Barack Obama can do the stopping are fading. If Hillary buries Barack in the coming contests, where will the discontent go? (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: Hsu's Strings Tied To Hillary - If Hillary Clinton had hoped that the Norman Hsu story would start to fade, she will find disappointment in an unlikely place this morning. The Boston Globe reports that Hsu's seemingly odd and disjointed list of benefactors had something in common -- most of them endorsed and supported Hillary (via Instapundit): (READ MORE)

Don Surber: European leaders sound like Bush - “The world does not have to prove to Iran that Iran is building a nuclear bomb. Iran has to convince the world that it is not striving towards such a bomb.” — Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany. “Iran has the right to nuclear energy. But allowing Iran to have nuclear weapons would mean an unacceptable risk for regional and world stability.” — Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France. Yet we hear from the left that America is a pariah internationally under George Bush. We also hear that Bush alone is creating a war in Iran. (READ MORE)

Bryan Preston: New Vent: Michelle interviews Iranian democracy activist Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi - Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi is the English editor of Iran Press News and a lifelong Iranian democracy activist who, along with her family, has been battling the mullahs since they took power in 1979. Like everyone else who isn’t a student of Columbia University, she was locked out of yesterday’s forum on the campus featuring Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Had she been allowed to confront Ahmadinejad she might have been able to ask him what the regime has done with her father, who has been a political prisoner since 2001. (READ MORE)

Allahpundit: (Audio) Jewish lesbian dKos diarist tells John Gibson her Ahmadinejad crush is satire - Sound familiar? Surrrre it was a does. Why, it’s laff-a-palooza! Could it be that, to the Bush Administration, one of the most dangerous things about Ahmadinejad is that he is calling the Bush Administration out? And so, if Ahmadinejad can’t be silenced, at least he can be discredited. I’m not saying he’s a good guy at all. I’m only saying it’s hard to know the full story when the Bush Administration seems so invested in smearing Ahmadinejad… (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: Shots fired - If I were a human rights activist, I’d save some astonishment for this: “The Myanmar military opened fire on crowds of protesters in Yangon, almost certainly causing casualties, a French diplomat in the city said Wednesday.” Unless the military junta is willing to shoot and imprison thousands of Buddhist monks and tens of thousands of ordinary people … which this development suggests it may well be willing to do … this is going to end badly for them. (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: Counterinsurgency in al Qaeda’s last bastion in Baghdad - Camp Striker, Baghdad Province: Nine months after the announcement of the Baghdad Security Plan and the subsequent "surge" of US forces, the battle for Baghdad remains engaged. With the effort to secure Baghdad from al Qaeda in Iraq and the Mahdi Army alike, the southwestern security district of Doura has proven difficult to tame. The soldiers of the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment are currently engaged in a heated battle against al Qaeda in Iraq in a corner of Doura. (READ MORE)

McQ: A Soldier’s plea - We've recently had a spate of soldier written editorials such as the one written by 7 members of the 82nd Airborne Division which essentially supported redeployment. Here's another sincere article from a National Guard officer who is working with a Provincial Reconstruction Team in the north of Iraq. As you will see, his experience has been tough but encouraging. He obviously understands the amount of work still required of this mission. His conclusion, however, says what needs to be said about as well and as elegantly as it can be said: (READ MORE)

John Hawkins: James Carroll: 'Ground Zero Is A Holy Place, But Bush Is The One Who Desecrates It' By Solomon - Oh wow, just when you think you've read it all from the Globe's James Carroll, he goes one step further. Now it's George W. Bush's fault that Iran isn't with us any more. That's right, Iran, because everyone knows their regime's sincere empathy for us after 9/11 had them supporting us until the president overstepped: N.Y. site transcends boundaries: (READ MORE)

David Kopel: The Right to Arms in the DC(!) Consitution - Today I was examining an on-line copy of the Washington, D.C., municipal code, and came across a startling item. The D.C. government has enacted a "Constitution" which it styles as the "Constitution for the State of New Columbia." Apparently this was enacted in 1987, and presumably it supersedes the "Constitution of the State of New Columbia" which was enacted in 1982. In the Bill of Rights section of the 1987 Constitution is the following: “Sec. 102. Right to keep and bear arms. A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” The public Westlaw site of the D.C. Code provides a short history of the 1987 Constitution: (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: Choice Morsels - A little while ago, I heard some commentator note that Democrats, as a general rule, oppose giving the people any choice in matters -- unless the matter involves sex. It seemed like a good observation -- they don't think we can choose whether or not to wear seat belts, get health insurance, serve in the military (note that the biggest -- and nearly only -- proponents for reinstating the draft are Democrats), give more money to the government, or a host of other examples. It's only in matters related to sex (gay rights, gay marriage, abortion, etc. etc.) that they are champions of "choice." (READ MORE)

DJ Drummond: Freedom Is Evil When Used to Promote Evil - Iran's Hitler-esque President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, addressed the faculty and students of Columbia University yesterday, accorded more respect and honor than many worthier alternatives, such as a certain former President of Harvard. President Ahmadinejad's surreal portrayal of Iran as a sublime paradise of Justice and Peace, where no one is homosexual or sexist or hateful in any way, combined with his sneering derision of the ideals and practices of the country hosting his visit, is reasonably reminiscent of Adolf Hitler, who also assured his neighbors that he was a peaceful man who merely wanted 'lebensraum', and who simply asserted his country's natural desire for Justice. (READ MORE)

A Soldier's Mind: “Missing Parts In Action” - When I lived in Maryland, I had the honor of being able to visit Walter Reed on several occasions and spend some time with our Wounded Warriors. Their positive attitudes, drive and determination is nothing short of amazing and so very inspiring. Many of our Wounded Warriors have stayed in the Military and continue to lead by example. One, whom I’ve mentioned here, here and here is Major David Rozelle. The things Major Rozelle has accomplished, such as returning to Iraq following the loss of his right foot, never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Major Rozelle will be the team captain of a group of Wounded Warriors who will be competing in the 23rd Annual Army Ten-Miler, which I talked about in this story on Thursday, when I wrote about a group of Army wives who are competing in the race in honor of their deployed spouses. I’ve been sent the press release and would like to share it with everyone. (READ MORE)

Ace of Spades: Lawyer to Terrorists and Convicted Felon Lynne Stewart to Participate in, Wait for it…Legal Ethics Conference - It’s the kind of thing you can’t make up because no one would believe you. Stewart will be a panelist at Hofstra Law School’s Sixth Biannual Legal Ethics Conference "Lawyering at the Edge: Unpopular Clients, Difficult Cases, Zealous Advocates" The participant list blandly describes Stewart as someone who, “has defended many unpopular clients over the years”. (READ MORE)

Atlas Shrugs: Evil Regurgitated: The Mushroom Moslem - Charles runs this pic over at LGF taken at the Ahmadinejad rally The person in this photo is Joseph Cohen, a Jewish convert to Islam who now goes by the name “Youssef al-Khattab,” and has been the subject of several LGF posts for his vile videos posted to YouTube: Suspended Jihadi Back on YouTube (Update - Re-suspended).Atlas readers remember this poisonous snake from the Islamists Day parade. Watch our unpleasant exchange here; And Atlas reader Kevin, who joined me down at GZ, send me this intel on the lowlife. After ground zero I went up to the UN and then Columbia. Outside on 116th I took this picture of one of the Islamist counter-protestors holding a sign that read: "May Allah make a mushroom cloud over Israel." (READ MORE)

Augean Stables: Enderlin’s Modus Operandi: When in Trouble Lie, then Cover your Behind - There is considerable speculation about Charles Enderlin in the Al Durah affair: When did he know what. Given his commitments to impressionistic journalism — he believed Talal’s account because it corresponded to the situation in Gaza (which he got from Talal) — and his fast and loose relationship to anything resembling real honesty, it’s hard to pick one’s way through his murky testimony. A particular incident revealed to me by a colleague in France illustrates his modus operandi. According to France2, on September 30, 2002, Talal abu Rahmah sent a fax to their offices rescinding the sworn testimony he had made claiming that the Israelis shot the boy “in cold blood.” This was only revealed to the critics of France2 as a “Oh, by the way…” remark in response to their preparations for a major public protest in October 2002. (READ MORE)

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross: The Anatomy of a Betrayal - More information has recently emerged about the killing of Abdul Sattar al-Rishawi (also known as Abdul Sattar Abu Risha), who led the Anbar Salvation Front. The Associated Press reported on Saturday: “[Lt. Col. Jubeir] Rashid said Friday that Abu Risha's security chief, Capt. Karim al-Barghothi, confessed al-Qaida in Iraq had offered him $1.5 million for the slaying but that he was arrested before he could collect the money. Two other bodyguards as well as some of Abu Risha's neighbors were also detained, Iraqi police said. The arrests took place two days after the bombing. Al-Qaida front group the Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for the assassination. Abu Risha, who organized 25 Sunni Arab clans into an alliance against al-Qaida, died along with two bodyguards and a driver when a bomb exploded near his walled compound just west of Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad.” (READ MORE)

The Democracy Project: The Word They Dare Not Speak (Update) - No, it’s not one of George Carlin’s. The word is “rationing.” At the core of the debates over healthcare in the United States, those who argue for some version of a national health care scheme, while promising all sorts of illusory cost advantages, are really pushing rationing of health care. Britain’s National Health Service, according to a survey of readers of Doctor magazine, is increasingly relying upon rationing. (READ MORE)

Dr. Sanity: Rumors of U.S. Defeat in the Middle East Have Been Greatly Exaggerated - Did you catch the unreal speech given by the President of Iran at the UN today? If so, you might have come away somewhat confused about how similar this Marxist religious fanatic sounds to the Al Qaeda Marxist religious fanatic; and how both of these tyrants keep reiterating the talking points of the [supposedly] anti-religious poltical left.
According to the Ahmadinejad, we don't have the courage to face the fact that we have lost the Iraq war. You wonder if he's been channeling Harry "the war is lost" Reid, or something. (READ MORE)

Confederate Yankee: Absolute Moral Authority: Ahmadinejad Edition - The Hill reports that Cindy Sheehan is counting on celebrity endorsements to shore up her long-shot bid against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. According to the Hill's Karissa Marcum: “Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan is making celebrity endorsements a key facet of her long-shot bid to defeat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) next year. In a recent interview with The Hill, Sheehan said she has been endorsed by actress Roseanne Barr, country crooner Willie Nelson and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello.” (READ MORE)

Ron Winter: Hillary Clinton on Fox News Sunday: I yak, yak, yak, HATE, natter, natter, natter, BUSH, etc., etc., etc. - Hillary Clinton stopped by Fox News Sunday yesterday, an unusual move on her part because host Chris Wallace had sliced and diced her husband, the ex-president, gadfly and heir apparent to Hugh Hefner, in a controversial interview a while back. However, although her interview lasted more than 15 minutes, the fact is she talked incessantly, laughed a bunch of times in a manner that reminded me of the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz, but said little to nothing, and answered very few questions. After her appearance that was terribly short on substance other than to toe the Move On party line and accuse George Bush of being the Great Satan - I think she got that from Green Bean Almondine, the President of Iran who has infiltrated New York City and is set to launch an attack on us from within later today and tomorrow - the Fox panel of commentators gave her high marks for her handling of Wallace's questions. (READ MORE)

Soccerdad: Waiting for Assad - Back in 1996, the New York Times had some surprisingly kind words for President Assad of Syria. In Closing Ranks against Terror the editors of the Times fretted that the senior Assad wouldn’t attend the “Summit of the Peacemakers” but that he was still on the right side of history. President Hafez al-Assad of Syria was conspicuously absent, as he was last fall at the funeral for the slain Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin. But as Prime Minister Shimon Peres noted on Wednesday, at least Syria is engaged in the Middle East peace effort, unlike Iran, Israel’s implacable foe. “Peace effort?” Please. Assad went to his grave after rejecting 98% of the territory he demanded of Israel, when President Clinton went to Geneva in 2000. As William Safire remembered the elder Assad in “The Rejectionist.’ (READ MORE)

Wolf Pangloss: Countering the Communist Narrative on Pakistan’s Troubles - Pakistan’s troubles concern everyone. It is a nuclear state with a dangerous, growing insurgency led by Al Qaeda. It is a semi-Islamist dictatorship imposed on a strong democratic culture descended from the British Commonwealth. It is an exporter of militant Islam in the form of Tablighi Jamaat, Hizb ut Tahrir, and the Pakistan-trained Taliban. We can expect plenty of Communist and Islamist agitprop about the troubles in Pakistan. (READ MORE)

The Tygrrrr Express: Tea With Mussolini, Columbian Coffee with Armageddonijad - For the sake of full disclosure, no, I did not watch the movie, “Tea with Mussolini.” I also have never seen, “Beaches,” “Steel Magnolias,” or “Fried Green Tomatoes.” If I did I would have to kick my own @ss, or have my friends come over and do it for me. I am a heterosexual, red meat eating, football watching alpha male. Feminists call me a Neanderthal. I refer to myself as a “guy.” For those of you who are passionate about the right of homosexual vegetarians to watch frisbee golf on tv, leave me alone. I have nothing against your causes. I just want to get home without being bombarded with leaflets. The bottom line is if I wanted to watch something about airhead women babbling, jabbering, and yammering about nonsense, I would watch, “The View.” I don’t, so I don’t. Yet “Tea with Mussolini” was merely a movie. “Columbian Coffee With Armageddonijad” is real life. (READ MORE)

Steve Schippert: Understanding Al-Qaeda's Pakistan PSYOP and Insurgency - Going forward in the global conflict before us, it is important to acknowledge and understand that al-Qaeda is currently engaged in an Information Operation (IO) campaign inside Pakistan. This is in addition to its efforts to gain influence outside of Pakistan, particularly with Muslims in Europe, the Middle East and in the US. The primary target of the Pakistan campaign is the Pakistani military and it is driven by al-Qaeda’s accelerating insurgency inside Pakistan. Understanding how and why al-Qaeda has undertaken this effort allows decision makers greater understanding of al-Qaeda’s aims and equips them with a ‘lay of the land’ required to counter al-Qaeda’s message and objectives. (READ MORE)

Texas Rainmaker: The Truth About the “Jena 6" - What happens when you combine bogus MSM sensationalism with professional race-baiters like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton? You get a small town story of common thugs turned into an international circus based on lies and propaganda. But the truth always has a way of getting out… The so-called “white tree” at Jena High, often reported to be the domain of only white students, was nothing of the sort, according to teachers and school administrators; students of all races, they say, congregated under it at one time or another. (READ MORE)

Stop the ACLU: TV’s The View Ready to Dump New Host Over ‘Conservative Religious’ Views? Already?? - Are the producers and Barbra Walters over at TV’s The View already about to dump a new View Hostess over her controversial views? Rumors to that effect are beginning to leak out, anyway. While Rosie got well over a year to spout her anti-American, anti-Bush garbage before the folks at The View finally got motivated to dump her for a new hostess, it looks like the new gal isn’t as lucky. What seems to have disgusted The View’s backstage handlers this time is a perceived “conservative” doubting of evolution in favor of a religious viewpoint that Sherri Shepherd recently revealed in one of her early appearances. (READ MORE)

Some Soldier's Mom: I'm running out of bridges here... - For those at Columbia or those (like I) who listened to the dear, peace-loving, "I embrace everyone in the world" Mahmoud and actually believed the crap he spewed, do I have a bridge for you!! Absolutely no homosexuals in Iran, llllooooooovvvvvvveeeeeeeee the Iranian women... (did you know that they actually respect their women by keeping them from all the responsibilities that men in Iranian society have! Who knew??)... they only kill criminals... refused to answer questions about whether Iran wants to obliterate Israel, whether they have put homosexuals and women to death for sexual conduct (launched into "we only kill criminals"... so I guess those were criminals?), and -- this made me drop my jaw in total amazement -- "We don't need to resort to terrorism. We've been victims of terrorism, ourselves,"!!! (READ MORE)

The Redhunter: Ahmadinejad at Columbia - I was able to tune into Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about halfway through his address at Columbia University earlier today. What struck me was what a poor speech it was. He rambled and seemed not to be able to stay on any one topic for long. I was unimpressed. Much more interesting was the question and answer period which followed. He is the master of evasion, able to take just about any question and turn it into a soliquoly on "justice" for the Palestinians. When asked whether Iran was building nuclear weapons he engaged in moral equivalence; "you have them and you tell others they can't have them?" Sadly though unsurprisingly, many in the audience applauded him. (READ MORE)

Pirates Cove: WTW: Silky Now Ant-Frivolous Lawsuit - Morning, y’all, Jebediah Murphy here with a dose of the truth. And the truth is, I really cannot laugh any harder. John Edwards, one of the original big boys in the frivolous lawsuit business prior to his political career, is now calling for their end (h/t doubleplusundead) “Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who made his fortune as a trial lawyer, says attorneys should have to show their medical malpractice cases have merit before filing them. He also said attorneys with a history of frivolous suits should be barred from filing new cases.” Yes, now that he is no longer in the business of defrauding North Carolina OBGYNs out of hundreds of millions of dollars by convincing juries that the doctors caused the babies to be born with cerebal palsy because a cesarean was not done, he wants to put an end to this practice. (READ MORE)

Pros and Cons: Of liberalism, economics and social class - I’ve listened to NPR since before we moved to the United States (when I was 4, and my parents would switch between the CBC and NPR). They are liberal, but sort of mainstreamly so. I recall way back when Tip O’Neil outlasted Presidents and a Democrat lock on the house of Representatives seemed a sure and permanent thing, NPR was already agitating for something to be done about the Big Three Automaker’s pension and healthcare costs, preferably nationalization, but if that failed, swapping them in for either ownership of the company or a defined contribution plan. Nevertheless, today’s UAW-GM compromise is something along the lines of what NPR was pushing back in the mid-1970s, and the reportariat seemed pleased with it now, if no longer as urgently interested. (READ MORE)

Patterico's Pontifications: More Toobin: The Amazing Assault on Judicial Independence that Never Was - In Jeff Toobin’s book “The Nine,” Toobin spends a few pages talking about the Terri Schiavo case, and the alleged threat to judicial independence posed by the Congressional law mandating a federal review of the case. (As an aside, I’ll remind you of my analysis defending the law as appropriate, and stating that the courts got it wrong.) Toobin spends pages discussing O’Connor’s reaction to the alleged assault on judicial independence, and closes the section with this disturbing anecdote that brings home just how real the threat truly was: (READ MORE)

Kat in MO: Iraq: Winning, Disconnecting From the Matrix - History, they say, is written by the victors. Except for modern history, which is written by the media with all the snapshots, sound bites, so called expert analysis, and two minute pundit riffs trying to tell the story before the next commercial break or within the 1.5" x 6" column they were allocated in the news paper. In this war, history is still being written by the media. They create a narrative that equates to the knowledge of the masses and trickles down to the polls. (READ MORE)

Libertarian Leanings: Hollywood's anti-war creme de la creme - The L.A. Times opinion section features a point-counterpoint between David Ehrenstein, Hollywood journalist and author of Open Secret: Gay Hollywood--1928-2000, and Andrew Breitbart, co-author of Hollywood, Interrupted: Insanity Chic in Babylon -- The Case Against Celebrity and publisher of Breitbart.com. Ehrenstein takes satisfaction in the speed with which Hollywood has leaped onto the anti-war bandwagon, much more quickly than it did during in Vietnam era. Dismissive of a spate of movies that seem more driven to winning Oscars than making a political statement, Ehrenstein celebrates the release of Redacted by Brian DePalma, which includes a graphic rape and an on-camera beheading. (READ MORE)

Ian Schwartz: (Video) Donald Trump Sez Bush Should Go Into ‘Hiding’ - In an interview with CNN the Donald says Bush is a liability to the Republican party and he should go into hiding: "The business mogul and vocal critic of the Bush administration told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Monday that he thinks the president is a “huge liability” for any Republican seeking the White House. Trump went on to say the best thing Bush can do for his party is to go into “hiding.” (READ MORE)

Grim @ Blackfive: Nikita and Mahmoud - What's the difference between character and statecraft? This is a question that apparently never crossed the mind of historian Rick Perlstein, who wrote an interesting but badly mistaken piece comparing Nikita Krushchev's visit in 1959 to this week's visit by the president of Iran. Let me put before you an illustrative example: one week in September of 1959, when, much like one week in September of 2007, American soil supported a visit by what many, if not most Americans agreed was the most evil and dangerous man on the planet. Perlstein suggests that the respectful welcome granted to Krushchev pointed to a confident, mature American character; whereas the rude reception given Ahmadinajad at Columbia was the mark of immaturity. To be specific, he thinks the immaturity comes from the fact that American character has been damaged by years of "conservative rule," which he says is "rewiring our hearts and minds" in bad ways. (READ MORE)

Have an interesting post or know of a "must read?" Then send a trackback here and let us all know about it. Or you can send me an email with a link to the post and I'll update the Recon.