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)
Key Setbacks Dim Luster of Democrats' Year - The first Democratic-led Congress in a dozen years limped out of Washington last night with a lengthy list of accomplishments, from the first increase in fuel-efficiency standards in a generation to the first minimum-wage hike in a decade. (READ MORE)
A Reading Program's Powerful Patron - When Congress decided to appropriate $2 million in fall 2001 to help D.C. kindergartners and first-graders learn to read, city school officials were told that the money could be spent only on the Voyager Expanded Learning literacy program, a new product with virtually no track record. (READ MORE)
Sanctions Against Cuba Are Excessive, GAO Says - U.S. sanctions against Cuba are more restrictive than those imposed on any other country, including Iran and North Korea, and their rigorous enforcement risks diverting government attention from higher-priority counterterrorism tasks, a new government audit has found. (READ MORE)
For Israel's Arab Citizens, Isolation and Exclusion - KARMIEL, Israel -- Fatina and Ahmad Zubeidat, young Arab citizens of Israel, met on the first day of class at the prestigious Bezalel arts and architecture academy in Jerusalem. Married last year, the couple rents an airy house here in the Galilee filled with stylish furniture... (READ MORE)
Another Bush Tax Cut - Nancy Pelosi and her fellow House Democrats surrendered to reality yesterday, grudgingly handing President Bush and taxpayers another victory. They finally passed a one-year "patch" that will prevent the Alternative Minimum Tax from hitting some 22 million middle-class Americans when they file their 2007 tax returns next year. (READ MORE)
The End of Earmarks? - For those of us fated to watch annual State of the Union addresses, the most entertaining moments are when the Members all rise to cheer and applaud a Presidential statement they know is popular but they also know will never happen. Such a moment occurred in January, when President Bush declared: (READ MORE)
Bush and Bushehr - After a year's delay, Russia announced this week -- with President Bush's odd endorsement -- that it will begin supplying 80 tons of uranium for the nuclear reactor it has built for Iran in the port city of Bushehr. We've been here before. (READ MORE)
House OKs Spending Bill - The Democrat-led House yesterday gave final approval to a $555 billion bill to fund the federal government, ending a long budget battle by buckling to President Bush's demand for war funds and to his spending limit. (READ MORE)
Virginia Groups Unite Against Illegals - Seven grass-roots organizations across Virginia have joined together to form a statewide coalition to lobby state officials for tougher enforcement of immigration laws. (READ MORE)
S. Korean Conservative in Landslide - Conservatives stormed back into power ending a decade of liberal government in South Korea yesterday, achieving an overwhelming victory in a presidential election. (READ MORE)
Doctors Who Fail to Advise Held Liable - A Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that holds doctors responsible for failing to warn patients about the side effects of the drugs they prescribe exposes medical professionals nationwide to a new and costly wave of lawsuits. (READ MORE)
'Daft' Britons Harness Santa, Clip Angels' Wings - The Christmas season in Britain has fallen victim to an army of government health and safety "Scrooges," who have outlawed certain Christmas decorations and banned angels' wings from a Christmas pageant as a fire hazard. (READ MORE)
From the Front:
ON Point: 3rd LAR in the Desert - Pepperoni or sausage? Regular or super-sized? Six-inch or foot-long? These are just some of the “tough” decisions Marines at Al-Asad face on a daily basis. Currently the largest U.S. military installation in Al Anbar Province, this former Iraqi airbase is anything but rustic. Al- Asad boasts a variety of creature comforts, including: in-room cable TV and internet, multiple souvenir shops and an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool. People don’t call it ‘Camp Cupcake’ for nothing. For the Marines of Bravo Company, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, however, life is a little different. Contrary to popular belief, not all deployments are created equal. (READ MORE)
Sergeant Grumpy: Runnin' and Gunnin' - OK, I am officially NEVER going to write NSTR or "same ole' shit" again! The day after I posted Update:NSTR, all hell broke loose here. A very important someone was assassinated by an EFP here, and within a few hours everyone in the city with a gun was firing it into the air. The base defense guys were freaked out and more than a few bullets fell on the ground near people inside the base. Timing being what it is for me, we were nearby when it happened and were one of the first American units to respond. (READ MORE)
Lt. Nixon Rants: Torture House found in Diyala Province and Why Al-Qaeda must be Exterminated - Diyala Province has certainly seen it's share of terrorist atrocities and violence wrought by Al-Qaeda. This includes suicide bombings, extra-judicial killings by Al-Qaeda courts, and insurgent activity. But the torture house recently discovered by Coalition Forces north of Muqdadiyah takes the cake. CNN has the story here. Liveleak has the video here (H/T to McClatchy Watch for getting the Liveleak Link). This is not for the faint of heart, but sadly this is the reality of Al-Qaeda caliphate. You can see a transcript of an interview with an Al-Qaeda operative, Jawhar Shehada, that aired on Al-Arabiya a few weeks back (H/T IraqiMojo) to get an idea into the demented mindset. (READ MORE)
IraqPundit: Iraqis Take Back the Streets - "Who's winning?" Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked a group of reporters. "Big Oil, Big Tobacco. ... Al Qaeda has regrouped and is able to fight a civil war in Iraq. ... The American people are losing." Maybe you need a new prescription for your glasses, Harry. Talk with your fellow Democrats to see who might be losing. You should see what Gen. Petraeus and his troops have achieved in Iraq. Even the leftist Guardian newspaper can see it and is hopeful: (READ MORE)
From an Anthropological Perspective: Professors Killed in Iraq - I was sitting in the evening Battle Update Assessment last night and heard the unfortunate news that an economics professor was killed at around 1am yesterday morning. He was heading to his car and was shot in the head with a pistol using a silencer. An Iraqi Police checkpoint was 100 meters away and they heard and saw nothing. This tragedy adds to the numerous other professors who have been killed since 2003, as the following news story covers about yet another professor killed. (READ MORE)
Badger 6: Who is Deploying? - Interesting stats in Stars and Stripes from a few days ago, sorry I could not find the link. According to US Army Human Resources Command there are 515,000 Active Duty Soldiers. 200,000 have one combat tour. 70,000 have two combat tours. 15,000 have three or more tours. 59.5% of enlisted personnel have deployed. 62% of officers have deployed. 40.6% of the Active Duty Army has not deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. They break down this way. (READ MORE)
On the Web:
Andrew Ferguson: Man of Letters - I don't think I'm giving away any trade secrets when I say that, in many magazines, the letters page is not quite what it appears to be. The ruse is less noticeable in daily newspapers (particularly this one!), where the editors rely on feedback from their readers and labor to put together a letters page that lets off steam even as it provides genuine interest. It's a different story, though, in the high-end glossies, the ones that are fat with ads and self-regard. (READ MORE)
Daniel Henninger: I'm Sorry, So Sorry - "After the debate today, I went to Mitt Romney and apologized to him." --Mike Huckabee, 2007 "I'm sorry, so sorry. Please accept my apology." --Brenda Lee, 1960 Whose apology would you take as more sincere--Pastor Huckabee's or Brenda Lee's? An apology stood for something back when Brenda Lee admitted, "That don't right the wrong that's been done." But now? We live in an era of apology hyperinflation, with wrongs and apologies a dime a dozen. As happens in most inflations, the value of "I'm sorry" has fallen. (READ MORE)
Karl Rove: The Endless Campaign - The Iowa caucuses are 14 days away, with the New Hampshire primary five days later. And what follows from there won't be pretty. The way Americans are selecting our presidential candidates in 2008 is, frankly, a mess. The first problem is the overall length of the campaign. There are few more demanding physical activities than running for president, other than military training or athletics at a very high level--and this will be the longest presidential contest on record. The first candidate this season announced Dec. 12, 2006; virtually all the Democrats declared by late January, and almost every Republican by mid-March. (READ MORE)
Douglas MacKinnon: Can I Keep My Guns In The New Country of “Jefferson?” - Does anyone really care about “traditional values” anymore? Does anyone really care if the word “Christmas” is expunged from our national vocabulary? Does anyone really care if the United States of America remains a sovereign nation with secure borders? Does anyone really care that upwards of half a million people per year are crossing into our nation illegally? Does anyone really care that among that massive and uncontrollable number, are Islamic terrorists bent on our destruction? (READ MORE)
Rebecca Hagelin: The Power of Words - Imagine a university where you could hear some of the best and brightest minds on a regular basis. Your faculty would include generals and attorneys general, public intellectuals and best-selling authors, dissidents and former political prisoners. In your classroom, you could question prime ministers and Nobel Laureates, members of Congress, cabinet secretaries and Supreme Court justices. Occasionally, the president and vice president would come by to make major policy statements. And it wouldn’t cost you a penny. (READ MORE)
Mitt Romney: America's President Deserves Thanks And Respect - As Americans prepare for the holidays with their families and loved ones, we have many challenges to face but also many reasons to be thankful. We are thankful we live in a nation that is still a land of freedom, hope and opportunity. And we can be thankful that President Bush has kept us safe. Too often our politicians in Washington and on the campaign trail seem to have forgotten this simple fact. (READ MORE)
David R. Stokes: Gore, Putin... and Jesus - Poor Al Gore, December is just not his month. First he loses a nail-biter to George W. Bush, that wound reopened slightly a few days ago with the December 12th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling that gave the presidential nod to Bush. And now, in another pre-Christmas let down, the former Vice President finds himself a mere bridesmaid again as runner up to another winner. Never mind an academy award for his movie “AN INCOHERENT…” …er…I mean “An INCONVENIENT Truth” – and also ignoring the fact that he is indeed a NOBEL PRIZE winner (and don’t forget his legendary invention of the internet and being the inspiration for the iconic 70’s movie “LOVE STORY”). (READ MORE)
Victor Davis Hanson: The Clinton Albatross - If polls are accurate, Sen. Hillary Clinton’s once-sure bid for the Democratic presidential nomination is now not so sure. Her wide lead vanished without warning in Iowa and New Hampshire — and maybe elsewhere as well. Was it due to her waffling on issues like the Iraq war and driver’s licenses for illegal aliens? Or was her campaign too smug — like that of similarly sputtering Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani — assuming she should be coronated by the polls and media rather than having to fight for the nomination tooth and nail? (READ MORE)
Steve Chapman: 2007: Damming the Flow of Freedom - For a few years in the 1980s and 1990s, the world was changing for the better and seemingly destined to keep doing so indefinitely. Back then, freedom resembled justice as described in the Bible -- rolling down like waters. But in the last few years various governments have managed to dam it up, and in some cases, like the engineers who manipulated the Chicago River in 1900, even reverse the flow. Between 1990 and 1997, the number of democracies in the world rose from 69 to 118, according to the human rights group Freedom House. (READ MORE)
William Rusher: How Dependable is 'Intelligence'? - Let's pretend for a minute that you are the president of the United States, and that this is 2012. An aide walks into the Oval Office and lays on your desk a memorandum from the CIA. It reports that, according to a trusted agent in Iran, the mullahs have succeeded in developing nuclear weapons. What's more, they have managed to conceal one such weapon in each of three American cities -- Washington, New York and Los Angeles -- and in 12 hours will announce an intention to detonate them simultaneously if the United States interferes with an attack Iran plans to launch against Saudi Arabia 24 hours from right now. (READ MORE)
Donald Lambro: For Congress, It's Business as Usual - WASHINGTON -- Thousands of pork-filled giveaways have been stuffed into a bloated, end-of-the-year spending bill working its way through Congress this week. Practicing a dead-of-night thievery long associated with big budget bills, the Democratic House leadership released this 1,482-page monstrosity in the wee hours of Monday morning and quickly scheduled floor debate by 6 p.m. that same day. That left budget cutters scant time to uncover how much fiscal skullduggery their colleagues had perpetrated. (READ MORE)
Marvin Olasky: Seeing Beyond Politics - It's important to care about politics. It's even more important not to care deeply. As Gutenberg College professor Charles Dewberry notes, "If politics can fix a problem, then Christianity is a lie." Christianity isn't about politics. It's about a miracle. "Rejoice! Rejoice!" the Christmas carol declares. "Emmanuel shall come to thee, O captive Israel." Hmm ... when do people rejoice? I've been to baseball games where the home team clenched the lead and held on for a slim victory; that brought sighs of relief, but not rejoicing. (READ MORE)
Larry Elder: How To Make an Un-Level Playing Field More Un-Level - Move over, Martin Luther King Jr., and your desire for a colorblind society. The University of California system prefers a color-coordinated one. UC's Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) wants to change the admission rules to their 10 schools, including lowering the minimum high school GPA to 2.8 and removing the requirement of two SAT Subject Tests. Current policy makes the top 12.5 percent of each senior class -- based on a minimum 3.0 GPA, their scores on either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT with Writing, and their scores on two SAT Subject Tests -- eligible for admission to a UC school. (READ MORE)
Rich Galen: Good News For the GOP - There has been very good news for the GOP over the past few weeks, which has gone unnoticed in the laser focus on the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. You may have noted a recurring theme in the Popular Press: How the disillusion, disappointment, disenchantment and dissatisfaction among Republican voters with the GOP is likely to lead to the end of the Republican Party as we know it. (READ MORE)
Jordan W.: Iraq is Not a Model - The debate about the Iraq War is not internally consistent: there is no agreement on the proper parameters of judgment. Overlapping debates rage about momentum (whether we're "winning"), the shape of our ultimate goals, "victory", the importance of any current success or failure, and the accuracy and/or significance of various costs and benefits for Iraq's inhabitants. Beneath this superficial confusion lies a deeper confusion, stemming from Iraq's dual role as both its own war, and as a leading aspect of the Global War On Terror (GWOT). While a victory in the Iraq war can be judged by its final score, we can only judge the Iraq War as a GWOT victory by tallying its consequences from beginning to end. The GWOT's ultimate metric is the prevention of terrorism, so an end state of decreased terrorism may not be a victory if it is preceded by an avoidable ten decades of increased terrorism. (READ MORE)
Rosemary Mariner: The Americanization of the Armed Forces-Entry Standards, Strength, Fitness, and Cohesion - The American military does not recruit, enlist, commission, promote, court martial, or entrust command to groups. Although the demonstrated ability to work well within a group is important to unit readiness, especially on the tactical level, selection and performance are ultimately individual functions. The emphasis on individual qualification starts with the recruiting process. The definition of a high quality recruit includes brains and health, but not brawn. Entry level standards have been gender neutral since the 1970s. In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, when male propensity to enlist was at a low, high quality female recruits were essential to maintaining the quality of the volunteer force. (READ MORE)
Cassandra: Sky Soldiers - It is called, with a dash of American irony, Camp Blessing: an isolated outpost teetering on the edge of what the media like to call America's forgotten war. But though the living conditions may be a bit rough and the location remote, a feature piece from October of 2005 makes it clear the odd sounding name is well deserved: “‘We do our best to make ourselves parts of the community out here since we’re so far away from other bases,’ said 1st Lt. Patrick E. Kinser, assault force commander, from Jonesville, Va. ‘We’ve established such a relationship with the local population that when we get attacked they get upset.’” (READ MORE)
ShrinkWrapped: Option 6 - In my last post, I quoted Hillel Halkin suggesting that if Israel's current options fail, it will be time for Option 6. I believe Option 6 is closer than people suspect. Many agree that for the near term Israel is facing the most dangerous time in its history. The next few years are likely to include an ongoing evolving existential threat from Iranian nuclear weapons coupled with emboldened and enhanced terror attacks from the North and South. Israel has developed a successful approach to minimizing suicide bombers but has not yet perfected a tactical or strategic approach to the rockets, and eventuallythe missiles sure to be launched against its citizens from close to its borders. (READ MORE)
McQ: Hillary and Harry - Denying is easier than reality - The dynamic duo just keep on denying what is happening in Iraq. One would think that even the most cynical of their supporters would understand that the January talking points are no longer valid in December. Said Clinton: “As I have said before, I cannot and will not support continuing to fund a flawed and failed strategy in Iraq. I was proud to be a co-sponsor of an amendment offered by Sens. Russ Feingold and Harry Reid that would require the President to safely redeploy U.S. troops from Iraq within nine months after which funding for military operations in Iraq would be terminated.” (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: Iranian Qods Force still active in Iraq - With a sharp reduction in the deadly landmine attacks used by the Iranian-backed Shia terrorists known as the Special Groups, a debate has raged over whether Iran has worked to reduce the number of attacks inside Iraq. The newly released Department of Defensereport, Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq, refutes the notion that Iran has eased the pressure. In fact, the report states that Iran has continued to fund, arm, and train the Special Groups fighters bound for Iraq, despite a pledge by Iran's president. (READ MORE)
Neptunus Lex: Chickens and roosts - Back in September I mentioned that my antennae were a-twitch over the story of two special forces soldiers brought up on murder charges for the shooting of a declared enemy combatant. Turns out the same general officer pushing for their prosecution - despite the fact that the army’s criminal investigation command found them faultless - was responsible for unceremoniously kicking a Marine Force Recon company out of Afghanistan half way through an investigation into a shooting they were involved in there. (READ MORE)
Matt Dupee: Northwestern Afghanistan: Badghis province seeks security, revitalization - The persistent fighting and terrorist activity in southern Afghanistan has slowly crept into the western and northwestern provinces of Herat, Faryab, and Badghis. Random suicide bombings have struck most of the northern provinces since the spring of 2007, raising fears that the Taliban have effectively opened a northern front. The unprecedented suicide bombing attack in northern Baghlan province last month -- which killed 59 school children, five of their teachers, and six visiting Parliamentarians -- further jeopardized the future of northern Afghanistan’s security. (READ MORE)
Jules Crittenden: Sadr To Stay On The Sidelines - Not because he’s cheering anything on, more likely he knows he’d get crushed if he made a move on the field. Reuters: “Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is considering extending a freeze on the activities of his powerful Mehdi Army militia, his official spokesman said. ‘Yes, there is a chance that the freeze on the Mehdi Army will be extended,’ Salah al-Ubaidy told Reuters late on Wednesday.” (READ MORE)
Don Surber: Iraquagmire - Democrats wasted control of the 110th Congress with constant votes on Iraq. When the first public opinion poll came out in January that showed Pelosi was rated favorable by the same percent who rated Bush favorably, I goofed on it only to be told well, her unfavorables are much lower. I thought give her time. I could not imagine that under Democratic control, congressional approval would drop like a stone on a featherbed. (READ MORE)
The Captain's Journal: Man of the Year - Time has named Vladimir Putin person of the year. George W. Bush looked the man in the eye and found him to be “very straightforward and trustworthy.” On the other hand, I look Putin in the eye and see Lucifer. Obviously, since he is fond of assassinating people by administering lethal doses of Polonium-210, he is not the choice of The Captain’s Journal for man of the year (we have jettisoned the gender-neutral “person” of the year moniker as stupid). There are powerful arguments for General David Petraeus for man of the year. But even Petraeus doesn’t make it to the top of the list. Who then do we advocate for man of the year? He is Corporal Raymond D. Hennagir. (READ MORE)
The Belmont Club: Corrupted sight - The NYT has details on the complaint against Bilal Hussein, the Pulitzer-Prize winning AP photojournalist who has been detained for 20 months in Iraq. (Hat tip: Tigerhawk) “A spokesman for the military said that Mr. Hussein had been detained as ‘an imperative security threat’ and that he has persistently been ‘treated fairly, humanely and in accordance with all applicable law.’ In a lengthy e-mail message, the spokesman said that Mr. Hussein had been named by ‘sources’ as having ‘possessed foreknowledge of an improvised explosive device (I.E.D.) attack’ on American and Iraqi forces, ‘that he was standing next to the I.E.D. triggerman at the time of the attempted attack, and that he conspired with the I.E.D. triggerman to synchronize his photograph with the explosion.’” (READ MORE)
Ace of Spades: Gun Control Bill Passes Congress - The final form of what some had labeled the "Veterans Disarmament Act" passed both the House and the Senate today after adjustments to reassure my senator, Tom Coburn, that veterans would not be unjustly denied gun ownership. The law's official title is the NICS Improvement Act of 2007. “Prompted by the Virginia Tech University shootings, Congress yesterday approved legislation that would help states more quickly and accurately identify potential firearms buyers with mental health problems that disqualify them from gun ownership under federal law.” (READ MORE)
Lawhawk: Palestinian Terrorist Rocket War Continues - The Palestinian terrorists continue their rocket war against Israel, and Israeli officials acknowledge that they simply do not have any defense against the rockets even as one landed near a school in Sderot. “Israel's ability to counter and deal with the threat of Kassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip is limited and almost non-existent, Chief Intelligence Officer Brig.-Gen. Yuval Halamish, said Thursday.” (READ MORE)
Wolf Pangloss: Karzai prays for the Taliban on Eid al-Adha - It is time for some news from the Far End of the World, the region that touches the sky where the Pashtun tribes live between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Karzai prayed for the Taliban today. ‘Today … is a day we should remember those families who have lost loved ones in different terrorist acts like bombs and suicide attacks,’ Karzai said after prayers to mark the Eid al-Adha Muslim festival.’Today I also ask forgiveness from God for those Afghans who have been killed in the fight against the homeland if they are Taliban or otherwise,’ he said.” Karzai also chided the USA for fighting terrorists in Afghanistan. (READ MORE)
Meryl Yourish: Painting Israel as the villain, again - The AP spins the death of two more Palestinian terrorists as anti-Israel as possible. “Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian Gunmen” Note that in a headline dealing with dead terrorists, the active voice is always used, and Israel or the IDF are always blamed. Remember that when Palestinian terrorists kill Israeli civilians with “crude, homemade rockets,” the headline often states that the rockets killed the Israelis. Palestinians are almost never held responsible. “Israeli troops killed at least two Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, a day after rejecting an unofficial truce offer from the besieged Hamas rulers of the coastal territory.” (READ MORE)
TF Boggs: So What Now? - If you have read my blog over the past few years you already know that I am not the biggest fan of the mainstream media. For those few new readers my dislike for the MSM started when I returned home from my first tour and saw Dan Rather misrepresent the military at Abu Gharib. I had been at Abu Gharib and had many friends there and knew that the first "breaking" report about the prison was way overblown. Moving forward three years, a friend of mine and new reader of my blog, asked me to read a portion of Anderson Cooper`s autobiography "Dispatches From The Edge". As an anchor for CNN Anderson has been pretty much everywhere and seen pretty much everything, or at least that is what the jacket cover says. Skipping all the crap that I didn`t read in order to get to the stuff that I`ll discuss let`s move to page 60. (READ MORE)
Heading Right: Guess Who Gave Millions To The Clintons? - The Clintons have long kept hidden the identities of the donors to their foundation, and now we know why. The New York Times finally got a look at the books, and they discovered millions of dollars coming from people with a lot to lose during the Clinton administration. Shockingly, the pace of donations has accelerated as Hillary comes closer to winning the Democratic presidential nomination: “But an examination of the foundation demonstrates how its fund-raising has at times fostered the potential for conflict. The New York Times has compiled the first comprehensive list of 97 donors who gave or pledged a total of $69 million for the Clinton presidential library in the final years of the Clinton administration. The examination found that while some $1 million contributors were longtime Clinton friends, others were seeking policy changes from the administration. Two pledged $1 million each while they or their companies were under investigation by the Justice Department.” (READ MORE)
Dymphna: Stop the Jihad! I Want to Get Off - We’re talking prison conversion experience here: “One of Al Qaeda’s senior theologians is calling on his followers to end their military jihad and saying the attacks of September 11, 2001, were a ‘catastrophe for all Muslims.’ In a serialized manifesto written from prison in Egypt, Sayyed Imam al-Sharif is blasting Osama bin Laden for deceiving the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, and for insulting the Prophet Muhammad by comparing the September 11 attacks to the early raids of the Ansar warriors. The lapsed jihadist even calls for the formation of a special Islamic court to try Osama bin Laden and his old comrade Ayman al-Zawahri.” (READ MORE)
Chuck Z.: Sorry, Corky – “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.” There are no provisos, no "for the purpose of's" in there. The people have the right to keep and bear arms, period. A well-regulated militia is necessary for the security of the United States. Given the volumes of regulations that pertain to our various armed forces, and even moreso to the national guard and reserves, the argument is easily made that they are in fact NOT well-regulated. The abundance of rules and regulations is so vast that no person or entity can possibly know every intricate detail. Thus the application of such regulations can only be made by those who know a piece, but not the totality, of the regulations. Kinda like the supreme court only knowing half of the constitution... wait, I'm being redundant. (READ MORE)
Diary Of A Hollywood Refugee: Stand Beside Mark Steyn - I have read and own a copy of Mark Steyn's "America Alone". Will Faisel Joseph, the Canadian Islamic Council, Khurrum Awan, & Naseem Mithoowani try to sue me for reading it and disagreeing with their bogus assessment that it is "islamaphobic" in nature? Will the Canadian Human Rights Council come after me? “Naseem Mithoowani, one of the Osgoode Hall law students bringing forward the complaint, said the article was one of a series of articles offensive to Muslims.” (READ MORE)
Dadmanly: Christian Intolerance - I’m not sure who Harold Meyerson more offends in his Washington Post hate-screed against a “Christianized GOP,” Republicans or Christians. He clearly slanders both. It is no surprise or new development that liberals and others devoted to the Secular faith take every opportunity to demean, degrade and demonize religious faith among their inferiors. Those who hold a pretense of Intellectualism likewise hold as a logical truism that the very tenets of faith automatically make those who adhere to such tenets intellectually and morally inferior. It’s a high minded prejudice, but prejudice just the same. (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.
No comments:
Post a Comment